Set into one of the walls is what appears to be a stone door. A number of strange markings and runes adorn its surface. At the opposite side of the chamber is an open doorway, leading through into another area.
Will you:
Examine the stone door? — 484
Pass through the open doorway? — 496
520
Beyond the door is a short passageway, ending in a large rectangular chamber. Along its side walls are a number of winged statues, perched on pedestals. They look like dwarves, save that their features appear even more scowling and malign than the previous statues that you have seen.
Next to each pedestal is a stone chest, covered in faintly glowing runes. You assume that this is one of the king’s treasure rooms, although it could also be a trap. As you walk between the statues, you can’t help but feel that their narrow eyes are watching you. You pause, mid-way through the room, wondering if you should simply continue through and leave by the arched doorway at the far end, or try one of the chests.
Will you:
Attempt to open one of the chests? — 563
Pass through into the next room? — 725
521
You have the honour of learning from one of the grandmasters of the profession.
‘Remember my friend,’ says Eldias, his eyes blazing with a fierce zealotry. ‘The destruction of evil is our life’s task. We cannot rest until we have cleansed the world of the foul existence of sin and corruption.’
The witchfinder has the following abilities:
Judgement (co): When you take health damage from your opponent’s damage score, you can inflict damage back to your opponent equal to half your speed score, rounding up. This ability ignores armour. You can only perform judgement once per combat.
Execution (sp): (requires a sword in the main hand) Once an opponent’s health is equal to or less than your speed score, you may automatically ‘execute’ them at the start of the combat round, reducing their health to zero. (Note: You can only execute a single opponent in each combat round.)
Once you have updated your hero sheet, turn to 515.
522
You search through the many treasures contained in the chest. You may now help yourself to one of the following items:
Channeler’s prism
Rock biter
Stone fists
(necklace)
(left hand: pick)
(gloves)
+1 magic
+1 speed +2 brawn
+2 brawn +1 armour
Ability: focus
Ability: piercing
You also find a sack containing 50 gold crowns and a large ruby. (If you wish to take the gem, simply make a note of it on your hero sheet. It does not take up a backpack space.) After helping yourself to the many treasures, you rejoin Shay and then head out of the cavern, taking the tunnel north. Turn to 393.
523
Bern issues orders to the wreekin, who hurriedly leaves the hut, returning a few minutes later with a reed basket filled with herbs. The ranger begins adding some of these to the steaming liquid.
‘I can slow the onset of the fever,’ he says, his brow furrowed with concentration. ‘But to heal it completely I will need some black mandrake. It grows out in the swamp, on the edge of the mangroves to the east. I need you to go and get me some – I must stay here and do what I can.’ He looks up from his work, his eyes settling on the unicorn’s horn, resting next to the bowl. ‘I promised them that I would save their leader, in return for the horn. There is very little time – now go!’
The wreekin scatter out of your way as you hurry from the hut. With your eyes set firmly on the mist-shrouded horizon, you set out into the marsh. Turn to 537.
524
You make your way down the tunnel that the giant ooze appeared from. After several minutes, the tunnel ends on a ledge overlooking a deep pit. At the other side of the pit, the wall is honey-combed with natural looking holes and undulations.
The air hums with a relentless buzzing sound. Scanning the ceiling, you see several tunnels leading out into daylight. A number of giant-sized bees are using these to fly into and out of the cave. You realise that the wall opposite must be a hive.
If you wish, you could try jumping across the pit to reach the hive (turn to 536). Otherwise, you can head back to the cave and take the other tunnel north (turn to 472).
525
Back at the village, the solemn crowd is still gathered around their leader’s hut. On seeing your arrival, there is a sudden wave of excited chatter as the frog-like creatures push and jostle with each other to get a better view of what you are carrying.
With the mandrake root clutched tightly in your hands, you hurry through the crowd of wreekin and enter the hut. Inside, Bern is standing over the pallet bed, his face worn and tired. The toadish leader looks in a worse condition, his skin now dry and cracked, and his breath coming out in ragged gasps. Bern snaps to attention as you enter, his eyes coming to rest on the mandrake root.
‘You got it! Excellent! Over here!’ He gestures to a pot of white liquid that is bubbling in front of a fire. Taking the mandrake, he uses a knife from his belt to add shavings of the root to the liquid. It froths and hisses as each piece sinks into the mixture.
Solandris appears at your side, her own face etched with concern. However, her attention is focused solely on the unicorn’s horn resting on the table, not the dying wreekin leader. ‘Hurry,’ she says, her voice strained. ‘We must get the horn back to the glade. We don’t have much time.’
Bern takes a cloth and uses it to lift the pot from the flames. Then he pours out some of the bubbling mixture into a bowl. Carefully, he moves to the leader’s side, gesturing for one of the wreekin to lift up the patient’s head. Bern then forces a little of the mixture past the leader’s dry, parched lips.
‘It is done,’ he says. ‘It will only take a few hours to run its course.’ He turns and says something to one of the nearby wreekin in their strange, warbling language. The creature hops up and down, looking happy and relieved. It then waddles out to the waiting crowd. A moment later, there is a loud cheer from the gathered villagers.
Solandris moves forward and snatches up the horn. ‘If this is done then I am returning to the grove.’
Bern nods. ‘The wreekin will let you leave. I have promised them I will stay here, until their leader is well again.’ He looks to you and smiles. ‘Thank you for your help, friend. Now return with Solandris; I know you seek answers that only the queen can give. Farewell. I will join you when I can.’
You leave the hut and follow Solandris over to the waiting eagle. Within seconds you are airborne again, soaring high above the misty wetlands. Turn to 376.
526
The weathered explorer appears to relax for the first time. ‘Thank the saints of Judah,’ he says. ‘My name is Hal Arbuckle; an honour to make your acquaintance. If you find that poor lassie of mine, then tell her I sent you – and that I’m waiting for her.’
After reassuring Hal that you will do all you can, you head over to the scar’s edge. Through the smoky haze, you see rivers of lava, hissing and steaming at the bottom of the ravine. To your relief, you also spot a number of rocky islands and ash-covered paths, that will provide a helpful route through this molten nightmare. Turn to 560.
527
You draw your weapons and advance, to take on this deadly adversary:
Special abilities
Blazing armour: Your opponent is immune to piercing, impale, sear, bleed, burn and ignite.
If you defeat Inferno, turn to 568.
528
You fall short of the other side of the pit and plummet into the darkness. Cold air rushes past you as you desperately seek to grab some kind of handhold. Then you land with a lancing shock of pain – your right leg splintering against the jagged floor of the shaft.
Surrounded on all sides by an inky, impenetrable blackness, you begin to despair. Is this how it will end, dying alone at the bot
tom of this dark pit? Desperately, you try and crawl through the darkness, scrabbling along the uneven ground. After what feels like an eternity, you finally reach the cave wall. You grit your teeth as you try and stand. It takes several attempts, but at last you are able to pull yourself up onto your one good leg.
It is then that you feel a prickling along your arm. You quickly tug back your sleeve, to see the purple mark glowing beneath your skin. The three entwined snakes look almost alive, their diamond patterns standing out in vivid detail.
Then, to your surprise – and horror – you feel the bones and muscle in your wounded leg sliding back into place. Within moments, your leg, that was once twisted and broken, is perfectly healed. Tentatively, you place your weight on it and find that it is strong and healthy again. The mark continues to glow for several more seconds, then blinks back into darkness.
Your mind is racing with what has just happened. The strange markings on your arm have just saved your life. Why would Avian Dale and General Ravenwing regard it as something evil? Marvelling at this sudden reversal of fortune, you feel your way back to the wall. It is a simple effort to find suitable hand and footholds in the pockmarked rock face. After taking a deep breath to calm your nerves, you start your long climb back out of the pit.
The going is slow but you persevere, finally reaching the ledge. With a final grunt of exertion, you pull yourself back onto solid ground. It takes you some minutes to recover from your ordeal, but once your strength has returned you get to your feet and head back down the tunnel. When you reach the cave with the ooze, you decide to take the passageway north. Turn to 472.
529
Quickly and skilfully, you dispatch the mage. You may now take one of the following items:
Ring of the marshes
T-bone wand
(ring)
(left-hand: wand)
+1 brawn +1 armour
+1 speed +1 magic
Ability: swamp legs
Ability: bolt
(requirement: mage)
You turn your attention back to Bern. The ranger has got back to his feet; two wreekin now lie dead in the swamp around him. As he battles with a third, you feel something whipping around your legs, dragging you to the ground. Startled, you look down to see one of the wreekin’s nets snagged around your legs. Before you have a chance to cut your way free, the net’s frog-like owner is upon you, stabbing with its pronged trident:
Special abilities
Entrapment: You can only roll 1 die to determine your attack speed while you have the net around your legs. If you win a combat round, you can choose to attack the wreekin hunter or the net. If the net is destroyed then you can roll 2 dice for your speed as normal. If the hunter is killed first, then you can simply cut yourself free of the net.
If you defeat the wreekin, turn to 542.
530
Using the book you are able to decipher the runes and markings. The door contains three columns of numbers, which lead up to a raised circular stone. Above it, the message reads:
No key, no lock
Three riddles on the rock.
Speak and you may enter.
If you know the solution to the puzzle then ‘speak your answer’ by turning to the relevant entry number. If you cannot solve the puzzle, then you reluctantly give up and decide to leave the chamber. Turn 496.
531
Your aim is perfect. The nearest crow crashes to the ground in a flurry of feathers, crushing its rider beneath its immense black body. You take aim again, hitting another as its archer prepares to fire. Again the bird is brought to the ground in a whirling cloud of dust – however, this time the archer leaps clear of the body, landing in an agile roll. She springs back to her feet, throwing aside her bow and drawing her longsword from its scabbard.
‘For the legion!’ she cries, charging towards you.
If you defeat the scout, turn to 762. If you are defeated, turn to 732.
532
If you have the bees’ wax then you can use it to plug your ears (turn to 545). Otherwise, rummaging around in your backpack has cost you time. You must now fight the count in this haunted hallway. Turn to 464.
533
The creature gives a wet, gurgling cry as its bloated body crashes to the ground. Its legs kick and squirm for several seconds, then with a final trembling shudder, they curl up and lie still.
Congratulations – you have defeated Wormwood. You may now help yourself to one of the following special rewards:
Razorback
Lacerator
Wyrm crown
(shield)
(main hand: sword)
(head)
+2 speed +2 armour
+1 speed +3 brawn
+2 magic +2 armour
Ability: slam
Ability: parry
(requirement: warrior)
You contemplate searching the creature’s cave, but the smell is so overpowering that you are forced back out onto the ledge. Keen to get away from the foul reek of decay, you clamber back down the trailing roots, to the cavern below.
Will you:
Take the tunnel north? — 472
Take the tunnel east? — 524
534
The creatures are slow-moving, their bow-legged gait not designed for speed. You close with them fast, but not before one of the party has noticed you. It gives a warbling cry of alarm, drawing the wreekin to a halt. The one in the headdress barks guttural orders to its companions, then hurries away, heading further into the marsh, while the rest of the wreekin turn to face you, tridents and barbed nets held ready in their frog-like hands.
‘So much for the diplomatic approach,’ Bern grimaces.
In a singing blur of steel, the warrior draws his sword, its blade bursting into yellow light. With a thunderous war cry he charges into the pack of wreekin.
Will you:
Help Bern fight the wreekin? — 323
Run after the wreekin in the headdress? — 366
535
You follow Eldias along a series of black-stone passageways, lined with expensive paintings and tapestries. Eventually, you arrive at a set of stairs.
‘Be on your guard,’ whispers the witchfinder, drawing his swords. ‘The count is a vampire lord. Do not underestimate him.’
Eldias leads the way down into a small, stone chamber, chiselled from the dark rock of the mountain. In the centre of the room is a stone coffin, its wooden lid pushed partially aside. The count is currently lowering himself inside.
‘Not so fast,’ growls the witchfinder, marching towards him. ‘There is no hiding from judgement, Count. Prepare to finally meet your maker.’
With a snarl, the count leaps on Eldias, his black cloak engulfing the witchfinder. You hear a muffled scream – then, as the count opens his cloak, you see Eldias drop to the ground, blood pouring from his neck.
Licking his lips, the count turns to face you. He unsheathes his rapier, the bright blade reflecting a band of light across his golden masque. ‘No one can stand against me,’ he hisses. ‘Your death will be swift . . .’
Special abilities
Blood drinker: If the count rolls afor damage, his fangs latch onto your throat and he sucks your blood! He can immediately roll an extra die for damage. If he successfully bites you, he also restores 2 lost health.
Vampire: You can use your stake and reflect abilities (if you have them) against the count.
If you defeat the count, turn to 422.
536
This will be a difficult jump. To make it across the pit you will need to pass a speed challenge:
Speed
Pit jump
14
If you succeed, turn to 365. If you fail, you fall into the pit, turn to 528.
537
The further into the swamp you go, the thicker the swirling mist becomes. Soon you are stumbling through an impenetrable white haze, with little sense of which direction you are headed in. Roll a die. If the result isor, turn to 468,or, t
urn to 457,orturn to 438.
538
‘I was a fool and it’s all my fault,’ says the man, grimacing with pain. ‘We were taking pictures of the scar – me and my companion, Belinda. It was her balloon, you see – she’s an aeronaut. Poor lass never wanted to come, but I talked her round in the end. Like the clot I am, I never admitted that the real reason was so I could spend more time with her.’ The man’s cheeks redden beneath his grey beard. ‘It was all going without a hitch, then there was this big gout of flame – came right up out of the scar like dragon’s fire. And it hit us! Next thing I know I’m falling and I hear Belinda screaming. Oh it was terrible!’
He tries to stand, but sags back to the ground with a grunt. ‘Belinda fell right into the scar. Yes, right down into it. And our balloon went with her.’ He shifts around, to look upon the jagged rift that cuts across the ashen wasteland. ‘I don’t suppose you would go down there and see if she is still alive? I can’t do anything with this darned wound – but I’ll join you as soon as I can.’
Will you:
Ask what taking pictures means? — 329
Ask how the crater was made? — 511
Ask if you will get a reward? — 316
Agree to enter the scar and find his companion? — 526
539
You hurry to Bern’s side and help the ranger to sit up. Although you can see no physical wounds, the magic has clearly caused serious injury to the warrior.
Legion of Shadow Page 30