Legion of Shadow

by Michael J. Ward

  Then there is a flash of light followed by an explosion. As the statue spins round, it throws white beams of light out over the hilltop and the surrounding plains. Each sizzling bolt finds a target, punching through ranks of undead, hurling ghouls high into the air, slicing through shades and wights . . . everywhere the beams land the sky is filled with giant clouds of ash as mighty explosions rip into the barren landscape.

  You scramble over to Lansbury’s side. The woman looks pale and drawn, but she is smiling through her exhaustion. ‘We did it,’ she gasps. ‘We did it.’

  You watch awestruck as the statue does its tireless work, destroying the undead and sending the scattered remnants of the force into a full scale rout. The battle has been won. If you are a rogue, turn to 622. If you are a mage, turn to 664. If you are a warrior, turn to 727.

  646

  You are led inside a small tent, filled with crates and boxes. The warrior walks over to one of the smaller boxes and pulls out a jar of wriggling maggots. You take a step back in surprise.

  ‘These are night creeps. Harmless but the lamprey worms hate them. Swallow a couple of these and your problems are over.’

  You take the jar and remove the lid. Then, holding your breath, you tilt back your head and deposit the squirming maggots into your mouth. Trying to ignore the slimy sea-salt taste, you swallow them as quickly as you can. After several seconds you feel a queasy, churning sensation in your stomach, then a hot flush of burning pain as something shoots up through your chest, forcing its way into the back of your throat. Your eyes bulge as you begin to choke, gasping for air. Then, suddenly you feel the pressure in your throat ease as your mouth is filled with something wet and slimy.

  Bending over, you watch in horrified revulsion as the lamprey worm drops out of your mouth onto the muddy soil. The creature is writhing from side-to-side, its skin blistered and raw.

  Sahna hands you a canteen. You grab it from her and take a long drink of water, your hands shaking from the ordeal.

  ‘See, that wasn’t too bad was it?’ she grins wryly, grinding the worm beneath her boot heel. If you delivered the crown to Raolin, turn to 623. If you lost the crown, turn to 667.

  647

  Outside, the air is chill and damp. A rumble in the distance suggests thunder. Redguard and Mathis approach quickly from the tower, both deep in conversation. You notice a man following behind, in a red cloak and feathered helm. You assume that he is the messenger, newly arrived from Ravenwing’s camp to the south.

  They halt in front of the lined ranks. It is a paltry gathering, you observe with some concern. The garrison now numbers less than thirty – having taken heavy losses in previous skirmishes with the undead forces. A glance to your side confirms that Nyms is coming to a similar conclusion as he looks around at the assembled guardsmen.

  ‘Soldiers and friends,’ announces Redguard. ‘We now have word from the south. Ravenwing suspects that Zul’s strike is imminent. His scouts have reported that a large army of undead are moving south, using the valley for cover. He has asked that we abandon this post and join his forces outside of Talanost. There we will link up with the eleventh brigade under Inquisitor Bovis.’

  There are murmurs of approval amongst the soldiers. It appears that the man is a well-liked and respected warrior.

  ‘We leave now. Saddle up and gather outside the south wall. Full armour and weapons ready, we don’t know what we may encounter on our way there. Dismissed.’

  As the soldiers break off, you follow Nyms and Caeleb towards the stable building. ‘How big is our force to the south?’ you ask.

  ‘About four hundred apparently,’ replies Caeleb grimly. ‘Guardsmen from Talanost, and a few mercenaries and refugees. Rest are mages, but most of them are being used to maintain the shield.’ He shakes his head. ‘We will need luck on our side if Zul’s army is as big as we suspect.’ Turn to 763.

  648

  ‘Oh yeah, still got a few of those beauties left. Just over there, take a look.’ The merman gestures towards a large wooden crate, which has the words – WARNING: HANDLE WITH CARE stamped over every inch of space. Having noted the ‘subtle’ message, you very carefully lift off the lid. Inside, resting on a bed of straw, are two discshaped metal cases, attached to long rolls of fuse wire.

  ‘I’ll sell you one for 30 gold crowns,’ he says, scratching his beard. ‘Fair price considering it’ll blow a hole in just about anything. Might be useful to you.’

  If you wish you may purchase the following for 30 gold crowns:

  Borehole explosive

  (backpack)

  Warning: handle with care

  When you have made your decision, turn to 626 to ask the merman another question.

  649

  All around you, the shades shriek and holler as Nyms expertly slays them one by one. Meanwhile, your attacks have forced the necromancer back against the wall of the tomb. The mage makes a last desperate stab with his dagger, but you are ready for it, dodging aside and delivering the killing blow. As the necromancer’s lifeless body slides down the wall, the last of the shades vanishes into thin air.

  Searching the mage’s remains, you find 50 gold crowns and one of the following rewards:

  Spite

  Hood of night

  Ebon boots

  (left hand: dagger)

  (head)

  (feet)

  +2 speed +3 brawn

  +2 speed +3 magic

  +2 speed +1 brawn

  Ability: venom

  Ability: deceive

  Ability: fearless

  (requirement: rogue)

  If you are a mage, turn to 692. Otherwise, turn to 710.

  650

  The giant creature emerges from the east passage. (Remember which rod you placed here, as it will help you with this battle.) Moving on four bowed legs, the giant barrels its way past the last of the stones, its elongated tail whipping back and forth across its broad shoulders. The beast’s body is fashioned from spiny bones, knitted together by a grotesque assortment of bulging muscles. As it opens its mouth, the creature vomits a swarm of black skittering beetles, which rush toward you like a black tide, their mandibles clicking together hungrily:

  Special abilities

  Carrion beetles: At the end of every combat round, you automatically take 2 damage, ignoring armour, from the swarm of biting beetles.

  Body of bone: Rottaghast is immune to bleed and venom.

  If you win a round of combat against Rottaghast, you can choose to strike against Rottaghast or the beetles. Once Rottaghast is dead, the beetles will scatter and no longer attack you.

  If you manage to defeat your monstrous adversary, turn to 770. If you are defeated, turn to 723.

  651

  When you regain consciousness, you find yourself propped up against a stone wall, your hands tied behind your back. The three strangers are huddled close, clearly discussing what to do with you. You take your time to study each in turn, trying to discern their loyalties.

  ‘I say hand them over to the inquisitor,’ snaps the swordsman. He is tall and lean, with a long angular face and hooked nose. His black hair has been spiked and a pony tail hangs down his back, braided with gold bands. The two swords now rest in their scabbards, but his hands impatiently tap their hilts, as if he is eager to draw them once again.

  ‘Shadow spawn or not, they tried to help me,’ implores the woman. ‘The least we could do is give them a fair chance to explain themselves.’ From her age you assume the robed woman might be their leader – both men are looking to her for guidance, although seem reluctant to believe her story.

  ‘They could be a spy,’ says the shorter warrior, scowling. He is dressed in heavy plate armour, his shield now strapped to his back. The sack that he was carrying lies at his feet. You see that it contains a number of odd-looking metal rods and a collection of books. The plated warrior glances in your direction and gives a start when he sees you watching them. ‘Nyms, they’re awake.’

  The sw
ordsman immediately walks over, his face blank and unreadable. ‘You have some explaining to do,’ he says. ‘I’ve killed your kind before and one more wouldn’t make a difference.’ He draws one of his swords and holds it to your throat, its runed steel glimmering with magic. Turn to 767.

  652

  You cover your head as the deafening explosion rocks the chamber. Fragments of stone and dust rain down about you, as the ground gives another thunderous shake. Looking up, you see that you have blasted a sizeable hole in the side of the giant. It staggers slightly, but continues to advance. At least you have seriously weakened your foe before the titanic battle begins:

  Special abilities

  Knockdown: If your hero takes health damage from the giant, you must lower your speed by 1 for the next combat round.

  Body of rock: Your opponents are immune to piercing, impale, bleed, venom, thorns, barbs and lightning.

  Stone golems: At the end of every combat round, you automatically take 1 point of damage, ignoring armour, from each golem that is still alive.

  If you win a combat round against the stone giant, you can choose to direct your damage towards the giant or one of the stone golems. If you defeat the giant, all remaining stone golems immediately crumble into dust.

  If you manage to defeat this colossal foe, turn to 443.

  653

  The ground trembles and shakes beneath your feet. Turning, you see a monstrous hulk of a creature advancing on Lansbury, who stands defenceless in her magical trance. With effort, you throw yourself into the path of the beast, struggling to maintain your balance as it stomps closer, sending tremors rippling out across the hilltop.

  The hulk stands seven metres tall, its thick body covered in knotted muscle. In each of its four arms is a cruel weapon of some description, from a serrated blade to a wide-headed axe. As your eyes are drawn upwards, you give a gasp of horror – the giant has two enormous heads, each one displaying an ugly mishmash of teeth and eyeballs. You raise your weapons and prepare to take on this unnatural abomination, buying Lansbury the time she needs to finish her ritual:

  Special abilities

  ‘Got ma eyes on yer’: You cannot use sidestep, evade or vanish in this combat.

  Helping hand: For each remaining hero that is still alive (Janna, Gull, Laine and/or Klaret) you can add an extra point of damage to your damage score.

  If you defeat the Brothers Grimm, turn to 645. If you are defeated, turn to 661.

  654

  There is a rumbling crack as the lid of the tomb shatters. From the broken shards, an armoured knight rises to its feet, a tower shield grasped in one hand and a rune-etched sword in the other. From the narrow slit in the knight’s visor, you see two red-glowing eyes.

  ‘Ugh, why does everything want to kill us?’ groans Nyms.

  ‘Up there, look!’ Caeleb points to the hole in the ceiling of the chamber. Crouched at its edge is a black-cloaked man, his face partially concealed by a hood. Both his hands are pointed towards the knight, their tips crackling with black magic.

  ‘A necromancer!’ gasps Janna.

  Before you can act, the hooded stranger drops down from the shattered ceiling. He lands in a crouch, his tattered cloak rippling from his thin shoulders. ‘Fools,’ he hisses. ‘You cannot stand against the might of the bone army!’

  The mage reaches for his belt, his black cloak shifting to reveal the hilt of a jewelled dagger. With a scrape of steel, he draws out the hooked blade. As he holds it aloft, a murky ochre light spreads from the hilt to its tip. ‘Your bones will rise again,’ he cackles. ‘And you will fight loyally by my side, as my eternal champions!’

  Will you:

  Attack the undead knight? — 625

  Attack the necromancer? — 662

  655

  With a shriek, Cinders explodes. From the billowing cloud of soot, three sparks of light appear, crackling and hissing angrily. Then they speed back into the floor, leaving thin trails of smoke in their wake.

  As the soot above the pit clears, you discover a number of charred items resting on the still-glowing coals. You may now choose one of these as a reward:

  Finger of fire

  Cinder’s gown

  Flame-bathed cowl

  (ring)

  (chest)

  (head)

  +1 brawn

  +1 speed +3 magic

  +2 brawn +1 armour

  Ability: sear

  Ability: sear

  Ability: sear

  (requirement: mage)

  With the room’s guardian defeated, you are now able to pass around the pit and take the stairs to the exit. Turn to 423.

  656

  You find Lansbury waiting for you at the edge of the camp. Together, you head out into the grey expanse of the bone fields. You glance her way, waiting for her to explain the reason for this impromptu expedition – but the woman has her eyes fixed on the horizon, the sack trailing in the dust behind her.

  ‘Do you want me to take that?’ you offer, indicating the sack.

  Lansbury looks at you confused, her thoughts clearly on something else. ‘Oh . . . this? Yes.’

  As you take it from her, you can’t help but take a peek inside. ‘What are these?’ you ask, inspecting the three metallic-looking rods. ‘You found them in ruins, didn’t you?’

  Lansbury nods. ‘They’re for protection – in case we run into anything . . . hostile.’

  You hoist the sack over your shoulder, then hurry to catch up. ‘So, you going to fill me in on what this is all about?’

  Lansbury gives you a sidelong stare. ‘I think those angels, those statues, are weapons.’

  ‘Weapons?’ you ask incredulously.

  She nods quickly. ‘Reading between the lines, it’s what the records seem to be suggesting. They were weapons built by the mages, to help them win the shadow war.’

  You blow out your cheeks in wonderment. ‘I would never have thought . . . so, what do we do? Press a switch or something?’

  Lansbury shakes her head. ‘I think I will need to repair the magic weaves.’ Noticing your look of confusion, she attempts to explain. ‘Magic is like a tapestry – the threads and cords all interweave to make a whole. Sometimes the magic gets broken or frayed, and needs to be repaired so that it works again. Do you understand?’

  You shrug your shoulders, not entirely convinced. ‘So, you repair the angel and I watch?’ You grin. ‘Sounds good enough to me.’

  ‘You may need to do more than that,’ replies Lansbury, coming to a halt. She points to several specks, hovering in the grey sky. You squint, trying to discern what type of creature they are. Then you hear a devilish shriek carrying on the air.

  ‘Bone wyverns,’ you declare with a grimace.

  ‘Lucky for us, they aren’t attacking,’ she says. ‘They’re heading north.’

  As the flying creatures speed away, you pick up the pace again, hurrying through the silent wasteland. Turn to 673.

  657

  The defeated creature explodes into a whirling maelstrom of shadow magic. As it does so, the spell that held the legion in thrall breaks – and the inhuman monsters screech and holler as they rush forward. You quickly turn to Avian, who is struggling back to his feet. ‘Shield us! Shield us now!’ you order.

  The mage throws up his hands, uttering the words of a spell. Suddenly a green dome of magic settles over you. Outside of it, the legion’s howling, angry screams can be heard as their claws and weapons pummel harmlessly against the shield.

  Lifting up your arm, you turn your glowing shadow mark towards the magic.

  ‘No!’ gasps Avian. ‘You cannot do this!’

  ‘It’s our only chance.’ You step forward, towards the whirling tornado of black magic. Your shadow mark suddenly blazes into life, writhing and twisting around your arm. There is an answering flash from the cloud of shadow magic, before it starts to spiral towards your outstretched arm. As it touches your skin, the mark greedily sucks in the energy, filling you with its power.


  ‘It will kill you!’ shouts Avian. ‘You cannot hold that amount of magic.’

  A mad peel of laughter escapes your lips as the magic continues to flow into your body. You can feel the air around you sizzling with magic . . . When you look down you see that your whole body is glowing with purple light. You can’t help but revel in the ecstasy of the power which is now yours, making you stronger, faster . . . godlike.

  ‘I can’t hold the shield,’ wheezes Avian. ‘Too weak . . .’ The mage drops his arms. As he does so, the shield flickers and then is gone. With frenzied howls of bloodlust, the shadow spawn surge forward to attack.

  But you are ready for them. Raising the palms of your hands you send a wave of shadow energy sweeping outwards from your position. It slams into the army, sending them flying backwards as if hit by the force of a tornado. As they try and charge once again, you send another wave of magic out, throwing them back through the air like they were nothing but straw dolls.

  ‘I never saw power like that,’ whispers Avian, looking at you in awe.

  ‘The gate.’ Your voice booms like thunder. ‘Run!’

  Together you sprint towards the glowing portal, aware that the recovered shadow spawn are rushing forward once again, weapons and claws glinting in the half-light.

  You push Avian through the portal and then follow, your body still pulsing with Sharroth’s absorbed magic. Turn to 688.

  658

  The charge is now attached to one of the lumbering golems. As the wire burns down, the golem stops, looking dumbly at the glowing thing stuck to its side. ‘Uh-oh.’ Suddenly, there is a deafening explosion. The golem and one of its nearby companions are blasted to smithereens, sending fragments of stone and dust in all directions. The remaining two golems and the giant continue to advance towards you: