The Jungle of Horrors

by Joe Dever

  The colourful fields suddenly give way to rolling acres of grassy plain, and gradually the sky grows darker until just a slender streak of light fringes the horizon. It is not long before a roll of thunder echoes across the plain.

  ‘Storm brewing,’ shouts the captain, as the first drops of rain splash the deck. ‘You two best take shelter below.’ You baulk at the thought of returning to the dank and dismal cabin. Paido suggests a visit to the tap-room and offers to buy you ale. It is an offer that sounds too good to refuse.

  Turn to 151.

  99

  The monk utters a thin but chilling laugh in reply to your demand.

  ‘What do you want with us?’ shouts Paido, his voice sharp and threatening. But the monk offers no reply. Instead he stands motionless and silent, his eyes fixed firmly on you. Paido repeats his demand, but his voice is weaker. The sword is now trembling in his hand. With a groan he collapses scattering plates and cutlery as he hits the table and crashes to the floor.

  Turn to 238.

  100

  The great doors close with a whisper. You follow Paido along a corridor of gleaming silvery metal that dazzles your eyes to a hall carved from solid crystal. Icicles of diamond hang from its ceiling and reflect in a floor set with mosaics of a thousand shimmering squares.

  ‘Approach the crystal dais, Lone Wolf,’ instructs Paido, pointing to a radiant circular plateau of pure quartz.

  But even as his words leave his lips you are already walking towards the plinth, drawn by a strange compulsion. You mount the dais and a flood of golden light pours down from above, bathing you in its warm, cleansing rays. You raise your cupped hands, as if offering up an invisible gift, and a tingling sensation runs the length of your arms and spreads through your body, giving you an incredible sense of well-being. A ball of sparkling light is taking shape in your hands. It condenses into a radiant crystal filled with golden fire: it is the Lorestone of Ohrido.

  Illustration V—It is the Lorestone of Ohrido.

  Restore your current ENDURANCE score to its original level and turn to 239.

  101

  The attackers shriek with murderous glee as they form a circle around Paido and yourself. They pull maces from inside their robes and leap forward, brandishing the black steel weapons in their bony fists.

  Vordaks: COMBAT SKILL 23 ENDURANCE 30

  Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, deduct 3 points from your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of the combat. These creatures are undead. They are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

  If you win the combat, turn to 202.

  102

  Day breaks and the view it brings fills you with awe. Perched on this rocky peak, you can see the sheer vastness of the swamp in all its frightening glory for the first time. Paido activates the starguider and scans the horizon, but even before its tell-tale clicks are heard, your eagle eyes have spotted the glint of the temple's korlinium spire. To the west, beyond a sea of sickly green-black vegetation, stands the Temple of Ohrido, imprisoned but unaffected by the swamp.

  The howl of the Ghagrim echoes across the island as you make your descent, by rope and vine, to the wetlands below. You reach the rocky base and set off across the mud flats, following the starguider's signal now that the spire is hidden by swamp mist.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If the number you have picked is 0–5, turn to 278.

  If it is 6–9, turn to 150.

  103

  A bead of sweat on Paido's forehead is the first sign of his recovery. Slowly he stirs to consciousness, waking from a sleep that was so nearly his last. He can remember nothing of the ordeal, and when you tell him what has happened he shakes his head in disbelief. ‘A Helghast?’ he says, incredulously. ‘How can it be?’

  ‘The servants of Darklord Gnaag have infiltrated this monastery,’ you reply. ‘They have kept themselves hidden, but I fear the day is fast approaching when they will rise up and wreak their havoc. Already they know our true identities, and I wager they know why we're here.’

  ‘This is bitter news, Lone Wolf,’ replies Paido, his face etched with worry. ‘We can afford to delay no longer. If Talestria falls to Darklord Gnaag before we reach the Danarg, then the quest is lost.’ You nod in agreement, and as you cast your eyes along the gloomy passageway, you cannot help but wonder if the quest is already lost. With a shake of your head you dismiss the thought and help Paido to his feet.

  The passage follows a tortuous path that leads eventually to a panelled door. A raised button activates the lock, and the door slides into the wall to reveal a strange room. Domed and hexagonal, its walls are hung with tapestries depicting strange and grotesque creatures. Numerous plinths stand upon the richly carpeted floor, each supporting a large bowl filled to the brim with a silvery liquid. Cautiously you step through the secret portal and into this sumptuous chamber.

  Turn to 201.

  104

  The sudden chill of cold water on your brow makes you open your eyes with a start. Blinking away the droplets, you shake your head and a terrible pain shoots through your skull, making you curse and grit your teeth: lose 2 ENDURANCE points. Strong hands lift you off the floor and steer you towards a quiet corner of the tap-room where Paido sits, grinning broadly. ‘That Bor Brew packs a vicious punch,’ he says, blithely, barely able to conceal his amusement at the effect the ale has had on you.

  ‘It's got a taste like nectar but the kick of an angry mule!’ replies the man in red, who has helped you across the floor. As your vision and the pain in your head begin to clear, you notice that he is a soldier. He wears the scarlet tunic of the Tharro garrison, emblazoned with their insignia of a castle and an open hand. You apologize for the trouble you have caused and offer to buy him a drink to make amends. He accepts but on one condition — that you do not have another Bor Brew!

  Turn to 126.

  105

  Eventually the volcanic spur slopes back into the stinking mire, and once more you find yourselves ankle-deep in cold, black ooze. A chilling howl drifts across the swamp from the north, and for a few fleeting seconds, you can hear no scuttling, slithering, or any other small noise.

  You are hungry and must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  Turn to 56.

  106

  You race to the end of the alley, turn the corner, and run across the quadrangle. Suddenly two monks on horseback trot out of the street ahead. You recognize them at once: they are the two monks you saw earlier — the two that took your horses. They shout a curse and draw their swords, riding straight towards you.

  Monks (on horseback): COMBAT SKILL 22 ENDURANCE 29

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, you may add 2 points to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of the combat.

  If you win the combat, turn to 247.

  107

  You return along the road to the stone bridge and follow the canal eastwards to the River Phoen. A waterway has been constructed to allow river barges to enter the perimeter wall of Tharro. Here, a queue of passengers, who have just disembarked, are shuffling into the town through a narrow arch. Paido points to a group of horse traders who are herding their charges into the town. If you can tag along with them, perhaps you can gain entry to Tharro unchallenged.

  If you wish to join the group of horse traders, turn to 297.

  If you choose not to risk entering Tharro this way, you will have to spend the night on the open plain; turn to 226.

  108

  Even in the failing light, you can see that this trail is frequently used: the spongy vegetation is crushed flat, and a profusion of tracks are imprinted on the loamy soil. The tracks were made by man-sized creatures, bare-footed and web-toed. Close to the main trail winds another, less obvious, track. For some reason someone or something has gone to great lengths to keep this trail secret.

  If you wish to follow the well-trodden trail, turn to 335.

  If you wish to follow the secr
et trail, turn to 330.

  109

  The morning sky is filled with a sullen grey haze, and around you the tall plains grass undulates like a green sea, stirred to motion by a chill westerly breeze. The Great North Road cuts a straight line to the horizon with tracks that lead to cottages and farmsteads branching off at regular intervals. Sheep and cattle graze by the roadside, and the air is rich with the scents of the farmyard, flowers, and damp grass.

  ‘We should reach Tharro by sundown,’ you comment, checking your position on the map.

  ‘Maybe,’ replies Paido, cautiously, and points to a menacing streak of blue-black cloud rolling across the skyline from the west. ‘Just so long as we stay ahead of the storm.’

  By noon you have put thirty miles behind you but still have thirty more to ride before you reach the town of Tharro. Steadily the sky is darkening, and what began as fine drizzle has now developed into sheets of heavy rain. Both of you are drenched, and your horses are beginning to steam as they splash through the ankle-deep puddles that punctuate the muddy highway.

  Through the pall of rain, you see an inn on the banks of a stream, whose waters are greatly swollen by the storm. A wide stone bridge spans the rushing torrent, and a mill with a thatched roof stands close by.

  If you wish to stop at the inn, turn to 188.

  If you wish to cross the bridge and seek shelter at the mill, turn to 61.

  If you choose to ignore your discomfort and ride on through the storm, turn to 318.

  110

  The monks stare in horror at the smouldering remains of the Helghast. ‘What manner of demon are you?’ asks one, with terror in his voice. ‘He's a black sorcerer,’ says the monk at his side. ‘A creature of darkness!’ shouts another.

  You sense that the monks were unaware of their leader's true identity. They believe you came here tonight to murder him, and his smoking remains convince them that you have accomplished your mission. Before you can utter a word, they draw short swords and rush at you like men possessed.

  Monks of the Sword: COMBAT SKILL 25 ENDURANCE 45

  Owing to their state of frenzy, the monks are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

  You may evade combat after three rounds by pulling yourself through the hatch; turn to 191.

  If you win the combat, turn to 293.

  111

  The hysterical howls of the Ghagrim fill the night as you scramble through the foliage. By chance, you stumble onto a track that skirts around the edge of the encampment and disappears to the north. It seems to be deserted.

  If you wish to follow this track, turn to 229.

  If you decide to avoid it and rush into the undergrowth ahead, turn to 296.

  112

  ‘Good, good!’ he exclaims gleefully, twisting his droopy moustache as he paces the muddy road. ‘Answer me this riddle. If a brick counterbalances three quarters of a pound plus three quarters of a brick, how many pounds does the whole brick weigh?’

  If you can answer the old man's riddle,8 write down the solution and then turn to the entry with the same number as your answer.

  If you cannot answer the riddle, turn to 269.

  [8] If you decide to make a guess, the section corresponding to the correct answer will have a footnote confirming that it is indeed correct.

  113

  ‘Gaj aki-amaz!’ hisses the monk, pulling back the hood of his black robe. You gasp in shock as you stare upon a ghastly transformation. The monk's face is writhing and contorting as his skin tightens and grows darker. Tattered flesh drops from his sunken cheeks to hang in festoons beneath the exposed lower jaw. A snake-like tongue, black and narrow, flickers between curved fangs that have risen from the lower jaw.

  A sickening dread fills your heart as you recognize the creature standing before you. It is a Helghast, a nightmarish agent of the Darklords. Its demonic eyes glow like red-hot coals as it shrieks and raises its claw-tipped hands.

  If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 30.

  If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 183.

  114

  A strong aura of good emanates from the room above, and you suspect that it is a place of worship. However, this aura masks your ability to detect if the room is occupied or empty. The door ahead gives off no special aura.

  If you wish to climb the stairs, turn to 157.

  If you wish to open the door and enter, turn to 340.

  115

  The hiss of the crossbow bolt is followed, almost instantaneously, by a terrible pain that paralyses your left arm. You are knocked over by the force of the missile and crack your head heavily on the sawdust-strewn floor: lose 8 ENDURANCE points.

  Through a reddish haze, you see Paido draw a dagger and hurl it at the dwarf; it sinks into his black beard and sends him tumbling backwards. He reappears for an instant, desperately trying to dislodge the blade buried deep in his throat with his fingers, but he has suffered a fatal wound. He gurgles a death-cry and drops to the floor, his flailing arms bringing down a shelf full of bottles.

  Carefully Paido raises you to your feet, supporting your weight as you stagger to the stables. Your wounded arm is streaming blood, and with every passing second, you drift towards unconsciousness.

  Turn to 288.

  116

  Your psychic skill reveals that the pool is nothing but an illusion. What you can see is a gossamer-thin membrane, which reflects the light so convincingly that it appears like water. It is virtually impossible to detect that there is a creature lurking in the hole beneath.

  If you wish to prod the ‘water’ with a weapon, turn to 214.

  If you choose not to disturb the creature, turn to 177.

  117

  The archery range is a long and narrow room lit by torches set into the walls at regular intervals. At the far end are three targets bound with wire to bales of hay. Each target is the same size as the one you saw earlier, hanging behind the counter, but instead of rings, they each display the silhouette of a different creature: the left target shows a man; the centre one shows a wolf; and the right target shows a bear. You hand the owner your Silver Bow and he chooses three arrows from a rack on the wall. He praises the balance and fine workmanship of the bow as he draws the bowstring and takes aim at the centre target.

  ‘Head!’ he says, and releases the shaft. The arrow whistles to the target and sinks into the head of the wolf silhouette. ‘Rump!’ he calls on the second shot, shooting the arrow exactly in the target's hind quarters. ‘And now for the last,’ he says, taking care to load the bow correctly; ‘the heart of the wolf.’

  Suddenly he turns and fires. The arrow comes screaming towards your chest.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination and have reached the rank of Primate, add 1 to the number you have picked.

  If your total score is now 0–4, turn to 154.

  If it is 5–8, turn to 40.

  If it is 9 or more, turn to 251.

  118

  You have taken less than ten steps when your Sixth Sense warns you that to go any further would be fatal. You whisper your suspicions to Paido, and he suggests that you leave the mine and continue your journey north. Wisdom conquers curiosity: you return to the entrance and press on.

  Turn to 152.

  119

  All is deathly quiet as you set your empty tankard on the table. A few minutes pass and you notice that the passengers are no longer regarding you with suspicion. Instead, their stares seem complimentary, as if they were admiring you for being able to drink an ale as strong as Bor Brew.

  Paido raises his tankard and takes a great mouthful of the ale of his choice — Ferina Nog. Immediately he spits it out, wiping away its insipid taste on the back of his hand. ‘Bilge juice!’ he splutters, slamming down his mug.

  ‘You should be a sight more careful where you empty your mouth stranger,’ growls a man seated
to your right. He bends down and picks up his pointed steel helmet. With a slow and deliberate twist of his wrist he empties it of ale, pouring the contents all over Paido's feet. Your companion curses and reaches instinctively for his sword.

  If you wish to take action to stop a fight breaking out, turn to 314.

  If you choose to do nothing, turn to 253.

  120

  An old wooden board, nailed across the entrance to the shaft, warns you to stay away. This silver mine was closed down shortly after the main tunnel collapsed. Twenty miners were buried alive and their names are carved into the pit props that surround the entrance to the shaft as a memorial. As you scan the list of names you hear the tap of a hammer breaking stone in the depths of the shaft.

  If you wish to enter the mine, turn to 194.

  If you wish to leave the mine and continue your journey north, turn to 152.