The Darke Crusade Page 20

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have Grand Huntmastery and you have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, add 1 to the number you have chosen. If you have the Discipline of Assimilance, add 2.

  If your total score is now 0–3, turn to 249.

  If it is 4–6, turn to 67.

  If it is 7 or higher, turn to 74.

  318

  From out of the grey-green gloom comes a lumbering hulk that fixes you with its hungry scarlet eyes. The beast is covered with a vile fur which glistens in the eerie light of the tunnel. Its long sinewy arms are outstretched and in both of its huge hands there are chunks of dagger-like flint. Its distended belly skims the walkway as it stalks closer, and a brown gluey saliva runs freely from its fanged lower jaw. With the grill at your back preventing your escape, you draw your weapon and get ready to defend yourself from this nightmarish creature.

  Tunnel Stalker: COMBAT SKILL 43 ENDURANCE 48

  If you win this combat, turn to 162.

  319

  Using your Magnakai skills you command your tired horse to descend the hill and cross the bridge. Hopefully its tracks will lead your pursuers in the wrong direction and enable you to get away. As the horse wanders off, you beckon Prarg to follow you into the dense forest. Your instincts and Pathsmanship skills set you on a northwesterly tack, the direction you hope will lead eventually to Magnaarn and the hidden Temple of Antah.

  You have covered two miles when suddenly you hear a sound which stops you both dead in your tracks. It is a terrible, bestial growl.

  ‘There!’ gasps Prarg, and you spin round to see a terrifying creature come slinking from out of the undergrowth.

  Turn to 20.

  320

  The site has been expertly cleared and very little evidence remains that Magnaarn and his bodyguard were here, yet you do manage to uncover some tracks frozen beneath the snow. They were made by men and horses, and are a little over a week old. Satisfied with your discovery, you leave the campsite and follow the tracks westward.

  If you possess Animal Mastery and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian (or higher), turn to 227.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, or if you have yet to reach this level of Kai Mastery, turn instead to 131.

  321

  Your second Arrow kills the Death Knight instantly. You shoulder your Bow and run down the corridor, with Prarg close on your heels, and soon you reach a junction where you are forced to choose a direction, left or right. You call upon your Kai skills and immediately you sense a strong presence of evil lurking at the end of the right-hand passage. You focus on the source of this evil and determine that it is the Doomstone. You tell Prarg and together you advance along the passage until you reach a closed door.

  If you possess Grand Huntmastery or Grand Pathsmanship, turn to 214.

  If you possess neither of these Disciplines, turn to 229.

  322

  Gradually, over the next few hours, the level of the water rises until it covers most of the surrounding mud flats. Here and there, clumps of wire-hard briar stand isolated on tiny islands which are almost flush with the surface. They are the only features to break the dreary landscape.

  As sunset approaches, so the wind dies until there is barely enough breeze to ruffle the canvas. Stoically Prarg gathers in the mainsail and you ship the oars; then together you pull back against the scum-darkened water and continue on your way. You are watchful of the current, for this will indicate your approach to the River Gourneni, but the water is so thick with silt and slime that neither of you can be certain of its direction, or even of its existence.

  It is almost dark when finally you reach the outflow of the Gourneni. It is a sluggish confluence, jammed with deadwood and silt-banks which obstruct most of its fifty-yard width. You both realize that an attempt to navigate this river at night would be foolish, and so you decide to set up camp at the river's edge and wait until first light before continuing.

  Using your Kai skills of detection, you scan the two river banks to determine which would be a safer place to set up camp. Unfortunately you sense little difference between the two; neither east nor west looks very inviting.

  If you decide to set up camp on the west bank, turn to 135.

  If you choose to set up camp on the east bank, turn to 84.

  323

  You uncover the sack and sift through its contents. Gleaming in the dim light you see a mass of coins, silver plates and candlesticks, jewellery, and all manner of precious and semi-precious stones. There are countless gold teeth, pulled no doubt from the mouths of fallen Lencian knights, and scores of trinkets and other mementoes taken from less noble corpses. One item you sense possesses magical properties. You pull it out and, on closer inspection, you discover it to be a polished Jadin Amulet which is fixed to a gold neck-chain.

  If you decide to keep this Jadin Amulet, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you wear around your neck. It adds +1 to your score should you be instructed to pick a number from the Random Number Table when trying to avoid normal missiles (e.g. arrows, bolts, darts, etc.) aimed at you.

  Having replaced the sack in its hole, you draw your cloak about you and approach the main gates. The guards are busy admitting the latest batch of prisoners and, helped by your camouflage skills, they do not give you a second glance as you stride confidently into the town.

  Once inside, you head towards a dark, deserted alleyway which is sandwiched between a stables and an armoury. From here you observe the compound with a growing anger and pity for those trapped inside. Stirred by their plight, you vow to help these starving men. Patiently you watch and wait for the patrols to pass; then you scurry towards the compound fence to make contact with the Lencians.

  Turn to 150.

  324

  You enter the warehouse through a broken window and soon find a hiding place among hundreds of rolls of canvas that are being stored on the ground floor. Periodically, Drakkarim enter and search the length and breadth of this sprawling building, but they fail to detect you.

  While you are hiding from their search parties, you consider your companion's plight and grow ever more fearful for his safety. You are also very anxious that, under torture, he will reveal your identity and the reason why you have come to this town. You are determined not to allow this to happen and so, as midnight approaches, you slip away from your hiding place and make your way stealthily towards the Shugkona Gaol.

  Turn to 260.

  325

  ‘Come, Prarg,’ you say urgently. ‘We must hurry from here. I sense more traps nearby.’

  Obediently, the captain follows as you make your way speedily along the passageway towards a distant torchlit chamber. Upon reaching this chamber you are brought skidding to a halt by an unexpected sight.

  The room is constructed entirely of polished black rock. Revealed in the torchlight is a throne of rough-hewn marble, where rests the skeletal remains of a warrior clad in mouldering furs. Bare bone gleams dully through a clinging mass of muscle and sinew, now shrunken to an iron-hard texture, and upon its skull there is perched a helm of solid gold. Set into the face of this helm is an emerald as large as your fist.

  Prarg approaches the throne, tempted by the magnificent emerald, but he halts the moment you warn him that the helm is protected by a magical trap. You sense that a powerful spell of warding encircles the throne; to touch the crown would activate the spell, thereby unleashing a blast of destructive energy. The thought of being blown to atoms serves to dampen Prarg's curiosity and sheepishly he returns to your side. You give the booby-trapped throne a wide berth and leave the chamber by a smooth-walled tunnel in the far wall. But you have taken no more than a dozen steps when a chill of premonition runs like a trickle of icy cold water down your spine. You halt and reach for your weapon. Then a loud voice booms out, destroying the silence.

  ‘Welcome, Lone Wolf. Welcome to your tomb!’

  Instinctively you know that it is the voic
e of Warlord Magnaarn.

  Turn to 280.

  326

  Desperately you try to tear yourself free from the creature's grip. You draw your weapon and strike at the tentacles which ensnare your legs, but the skin which sheathes them is like iron and you can barely cause a scratch. Then you sense that the creature's most vulnerable spot is its single eye and, with renewed vigour, you dive down and attack it relentlessly.

  Illustration XIX—Desperately trying to draw yourself away from the creature's grip, you strike at the tentacles which ensnare your legs.

  Gartoth: COMBAT SKILL 43 ENDURANCE 50

  If you win this combat, turn to 243.

  327

  Prarg awakens you shortly before dawn. It has been snowing during the night and the boat is covered with a thin layer of crisp white flakes. As you open your eyes, the cold air brings you swiftly to your senses, its sudden unexpected chill making you shiver violently. However, this discomfort is momentary; your Magnakai skill of Nexus rights the imbalance and a comfortable warmth returns to your frozen limbs.

  Carefully you step from beneath the boat and cast your eyes across the marsh which borders the river, now completely white. Tracks in the snow betray the nocturnal passage of several swamp creatures, but none are too large as to cause you undue concern. Prarg unpacks some provisions and, after a breakfast of dried meat, potatoes, ale, and blue cheese, you prepare the boat for your long voyage north up the Gourneni river to Bear Rock.

  By mid-morning the snow has returned and your progress is soon hampered by a whipping wind that blows persistently in your faces. Shielded by your innate skills, the sub-zero temperatures cause you little concern as tirelessly you work the oars. But Prarg is not so fortunate and, as the hours pass, the cold saps his strength until he is unable to continue rowing. Single-handedly you take over the oars whilst your guide, swathed in blankets, mans the rudder and acts as your pilot through the narrower sections of the Gourneni.

  Turn to 107.

  328

  Baron Maquin and Captain Schera are anxious to move their men away from the river bank. Their military training has taught them to avoid placing their troops with their backs to an impassable body of water, for if the enemy were to attack, there would be no way to escape. You understand their concern and, using your ability to magnify your vision, you scan the landscape in search of a more advantageous position. A mile away, to the northwest, you see a tiny hamlet. It appears to be deserted and you suggest to the two officers that they move their men there. Briefly they discuss your suggestion and both agree that it would be a safer position.

  The order to move is passed along the ranks and the men prepare to leave the boats and go forward. You take the lead, together with the Baron and the captain, but you have barely covered a quarter of the distance to the hamlet when your tracking senses warn you that a threat is approaching from the north.

  If you wish to insist they return to the river, turn to 105.

  If you wish to hurry towards the hamlet, turn to 248.

  329

  Before the door closed you caught sight of a map spread out across a trestle table in the centre of the cabin. You whisper to Prarg what you have seen; then you tell him to wait for you here while you try to get a closer look at that map. It may contain a clue to Magnaarn's whereabouts.

  Slowly you work your way across the snowy ground towards the ditch which encircles the camp. Your camouflage skills keep you from being seen by the Drakkarim sentries and you are able to reach the cover of this shallow, ice-filled trench with little difficulty. While you wait here for the chance to make a dash for the cabin, you notice two points of entry: the main door and a side window.

  If you wish to enter the cabin by the door, turn to 295.

  If you choose to enter through the side window, turn to 16.

  330

  Breathless from the fight, you step away from the slain beast and wipe its foul blood from your weapon before sheathing it in your belt. A distant howl echoes along the tunnel, a chilling cry that warns you that the creature you have just defeated was not the only one of its kind.

  Fearful of staying a moment longer, you turn around and hurry along the tunnel. Before long you find yourself in a section of this underground labyrinth which has suffered greatly during the recent rockfalls. Many fissures have opened up the stone floor and shattered the walls, but you take these obstacles in your stride and soon arrive at a ruined staircase which ascends to a landing. Here you are confronted by the corpse of a Drakkarim guard. It is slumped beside a mound of rubble which is blocking the stairs to the next level above. A quick examination of the dead body reveals that both arms are broken. Injured and trapped here by the rockfall, it appears that this guard eventually died of thirst.

  If you wish to search the body further, turn to 299.

  If you wish to attempt to clear away the rubble that is blocking the stairs, turn to 18.

  331

  Drawing on your mastery, you will the creature to cease its mental attack. It hesitates, but not for long. Its instincts quickly overcome your psychic commands and, with a terrifying howl, it leaps forward and attacks.

  Turn to 297.

  332

  You utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and point your index finger at the trio of Drakkarim. A surge of crackling energy gushes from your hand and explodes in their midst, scattering them like rag dolls. Their comrades flee the wagon and, without slowing, you gallop through the gap in the barricade with barely inches to spare and race along the road beyond. You have passed successfully through the inner defensive line, but as Prarg quickly points out, you have yet to reach the outer defences of Shugkona.

  Turn to 31.

  333

  You exit this chamber by the archway and discover yet another flight of stairs awaiting you. At first you bemoan the thought of another long and weary climb, but then you detect something which quickly changes your mind. You can smell clean, fresh air descending this stairwell.

  You hurry up the stairs, spurred on by the wintry chill which grows steadily colder as you ascend. You count one hundred steps before you arrive at a small chamber which is heaped with rubble. Its only door is blocked by debris and huge slabs of shattered marble, making an immediate exit impossible. But it is not the door which commands your attention; it is a narrow circular shaft which is set into the middle of the ceiling. It is the source of the cold, wintry draught.

  Expectantly, you step closer and investigate this shaft. For the most part it is dark, but you can see glimmers of grey daylight far above, and you can hear the whistling of the wind. But you can also hear another sound, one that is quite unexpected. It is a buzzing, insectile noise. You focus upon the darkness and suddenly you see that the noise comes from nests of winged insects which are fixed along the inside of the shaft.

  If you possess Grand Pathsmanship and have reached the rank of Sun Knight, turn to 240.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, or if you have yet to reach this level of Kai rank, turn to 281.

  334

  One of the bolts hits you in the back with such force that you are lifted off your feet. There is a fiery flash of pain, and then a terrifying numbness engulfs your body. As you crash face first into the swirling foam, you realize to your horror that you cannot move any of your limbs. The bolt has severed your spine and, in the long minutes which follow, slowly you drown in the tide.

  Tragically, your life and your quest end here on Battle Isle.

  335

  A hundred paces further along the tunnel, you turn a corner and find yourself face-to-face with a ghastly creature. From out of the gloom comes a lumbering hulk with hungry scarlet eyes. This beast is covered with vile fur which glistens in the eerie half-light of the tunnel, and its long sinewy arms are outstretched as if it is sleepwalking. But this beast is not asleep. In both of its huge hands it holds chunks of dagger-like flint which it wields like weapons. Its bloated belly skims the floor as it gathers speed, and
a brown gluey saliva runs freely from its fanged lower jaw.

  With a shriek, the creature lunges towards you, flailing at the air with its brace of dagger-flints as it closes in for the kill. You are forced to retreat as it comes rushing towards you at a breathtaking pace.

  Tunnel Stalker: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 49

  Due to the unexpected speed and ferocity of its attack, reduce your COMBAT SKILL score by 3 points for the first round of this combat only.

  If you win this combat, turn to 330.

  336

  As one, the soldiers draw their weapons and come rushing towards the ground floor entrance to the grain tower. You retreat from the window and look around for a means of escape for already you can hear the first of the enemy climbing the stairs. With fear running cold in your veins you cross to a window on the far side of the tower. Outside, directly below the window, you see a Drakkarim lancer sitting astride a warhorse. His lance is sheathed in a tube-like scabbard fixed to the rear of his saddle, and in his hand he holds aloft a heavy-bladed cavalry sabre. He is staring at the onrushing soldiers and is completely unaware that you are barely a few yards away.

  Swiftly you climb onto the window ledge, draw your weapon, and leap onto the unwary lancer below.