Flight from the Dark Read online

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If the number is 0–5, the bolt misses you and shatters part of the wall.

  If the number is 6–9, then you have been hit in the back and lose a further 4 ENDURANCE points.

  If you survive, you stagger out into the daylight and curse your bad luck. It was only by an unlucky chance you discovered the secret temple of a sect of evil druids. You are very lucky to have escaped with your life. You quickly rejoin the path which now disappears over the hill.

  Turn to 106.

  159

  Your ploy does not work, for the merchant will not allow you to enter his caravan. Suddenly he clicks his fingers and the bodyguard grasps the hilt of his scimitar.

  You must fight him by turning to 191.

  Or you must jump clear of the speeding caravan. Turn to 234.

  160

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If it is 0–4, you have been seen. Turn to 286.

  If it is 5–9, they do not spot you and they slowly file away along the far side of the ridge. Turn to 10.

  161

  As you sit down, the stone serpent slowly moves forward on its plinth. You suddenly break out in a cold sweat and grasp your weapon with trembling fingers in case it should attack. A red forked tongue appears from the head of this strange statue and dips into the bowl of green light above your head. Slowly the tongue re-emerges holding a Golden Key which, to your surprise, it drops into your lap. A panel in the east wall clicks open to reveal an exit.

  You take the Key and leave as quickly as possible.

  Turn to 209.

  162

  As you get nearer to the men, you call to them. As they turn to face you, your skin turns cold and your heart pounds, for they are Drakkarim in disguise. Suddenly they charge at you. Forced to the ground, you are tied up with ropes and dragged behind them along a track. They take your Backpack and Weapons, but do not search your cloak or find your Gold Crowns. They cackle menacingly to themselves, and talk at great length of the tortures that await you at their camp.

  If you have the Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter, turn to 258.

  If you do not have this skill, turn to 127.

  163

  After nearly half an hour you feel the current getting stronger. Looking out across the surface you can see that you are approaching a whirlpool in the middle of a large river bend. You will surely drown if caught in its current, so you quickly swim towards the right hand river bank and continue your mission on foot, carrying all your equipment.

  Turn to 321.

  164

  Carefully opening the seals on each of the bottles, you sniff at the contents. They all seem to be different types of wine. Suddenly a smaller bottle tucked behind the others catches your eye. Pulling out the glass stopper, you recognize the smell to be that of Alether, a Potion of Strength, which is orange in colour.

  You may keep this Potion and swallow it before you fight. It will increase your COMBAT SKILL by 2 points for the duration of your fight. Be sure to mark it down on your Action Chart and to strike it off once you have used it.

  You now decide to investigate the stable by turning to 308.

  165

  You awake in a fever. Images swim before your eyes and then fade completely. The pain in your back is intense and you cry out for relief. You feel a cool, damp cloth placed on your forehead and glimpse the worried face of a young woman. An old man whispers in her ear and then he disappears from view. The girl kneels at your side and comforts you with words of kindness and reassurance, but the light quickly fades and darkness engulfs you once more.

  Turn to 212.

  166

  You are in the presence of a great evil. Your mind is being probed by a powerful and timeless being and you must shield yourself. The struggle has begun and your sanity is at stake. It is a long and torturous ordeal, during which you experience many fantastic and terrible apparitions that tempt and appal you. After this you must lose 4 ENDURANCE points and stagger towards the tunnel.

  Turn to 104.

  167

  You have been travelling for about a mile when you notice two legs sticking out from behind a large boulder.

  If you possess and wish to use the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 178.

  If you wish to take a closer look, turn to 88.

  If you would rather avoid meeting their owner and press on into the forest, turn to 264.

  168

  You pull yourself to the top of the opulent caravan and nestle among the travelling cases and bags. Night will soon engulf the highway. A chill wind blows from the west and you pull your cloak around yourself to keep warm. You listen to the voices below and you can smell the mouthwatering aroma of spiced meat. It reminds you that you are very hungry and must now take a Meal.

  The fatigue of your ordeal finally catches up with you and you drift off into a restless sleep.

  Turn to 64.

  169

  As you pass each skull, it slowly turns, as if watching your every move. You are halfway across the room when you hear the sharp crack of bone splitting. Suddenly you see hideous shapes hatching inside the skulls, and stretching their wings.

  Ten slimy winged creatures attack you, and you must fight them as one enemy.

  Crypt Spawn: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 16

  You may evade more fighting after the first round of combat and run for the archway by turning to 23.

  If you win the combat, turn to 137.

  170

  The tunnel is dark and the air is much cooler than outside. You carefully advance with one hand on the tunnel wall to aid your sense of direction. You have been in total darkness for three minutes when you detect the foul smell of decay ahead, similar to rotting meat. If you have a Torch and Tinderbox in your Pack, you may light the Torch to see your way ahead.

  Suddenly, something heavy drops from the tunnel ceiling onto your back and you fall to your knees. It is a Burrowcrawler and you must fight it, for it is trying to strangle you with its long slimy tentacles.

  Illustration XI—It is a Burrowcrawler and it is trying to strangle you.

  Burrowcrawler: COMBAT SKILL 17 ENDURANCE 7

  If you do not have a torch, deduct 3 points from your COMBAT SKILL during this fight. The Burrowcrawler is immune to Mindblast and Animal Kinship.

  If you win, turn to 319.

  171

  You are at the very edge of the wood when your horse rears up in agony. The Kraan has sunk its claws deep into the horse's hind legs and is trying to knock you to the ground with its wings. The ghoulish Giak rider squeals with delight as he stabs at you with his spear. You jump to the ground and dash for the trees, leaving the poor dying horse in the clutches of the Kraan.

  Turn to 303.

  172

  Night falls and you are soon engulfed in darkness. To press on any further would be futile, for you would be sure to lose your way. Tethering your horse to a tree, you pull your green Kai cloak about you and fall into a restless sleep.

  You are awoken by the sound of troops in the distance. Across the lake you see the black shapes of Drakkarim and a pack of Doomwolves. A Kraan appears from above the trees and lands on the roof of the small wooden shack. It is being ridden by a creature dressed in red robes. The Kraan takes off and begins to fly across the lake to where you are hidden.

  If you wish to use the Kai Discipline of Camouflage to hide yourself and your horse, turn to 114.

  If you wish to ride deeper into the forest to escape the Kraan, turn to 239.

  If you wish to prepare to fight the creature, turn to 29.

  173

  As you reach the door you hear the crash of a giant stone slab as it falls from the ceiling. Turning around, you see that your exit is now blocked.

  If you have a Silver Key, you may try to open the door by turning to 158.

  If you do not possess a Silver Key, turn to 259.

  174

  After nearly an hour o
f drifting downstream, the water current becomes quite strong and you can see that you are being drawn towards a whirlpool near the centre as the river curves round. You know that if you are caught in the swirling water, you stand very little chance of escaping a watery death. You dive into the muddy river and as you begin to swim towards the shore you unfortunately lose your Backpack and Weapons. Without your equipment, you reach the wooded bank.

  Turn to 190.

  175

  Waving your arms at the approaching cavalry, you recognize them to be Border Rangers of the King's army, tough woodsmen who police the troubled western frontier of the kingdom. Your relief at seeing them soon fades when you realize that they are fleeing from a pack of Doomwolves with snarling Giak riders. Black arrows are dropping all around the rangers, as the vicious Doomwolves get nearer and nearer.

  If you possess the Kai Discipline of Camouflage, turn to 182.

  If you wish to take cover and hide, turn to 41.

  If you wish to make for the other bank, turn to 116.

  176

  You hide behind some thick bushes so that the Doomwolf and its rider will not see your white horse. Luckily it works — the beast lopes past and vanishes down the track that you have just come along.

  If you wish to attack the remaining Doomwolves and their riders, turn to 253.

  If you wish to press on deeper into the forest, turn to 126.

  177

  You search all of the cupboards in the small cottage but do not find anything of use or value. You decide that you have wasted enough time here and must press on without further delay.

  Turn to 83.

  178

  Your skill enables you to recognize the boots and leggings of a King's soldier. You can sense that the man is wounded and in need of help.

  If you wish to aid him, turn to 88.

  If you would rather leave him here, turn to 264.

  179

  You have been spotted by the guards who level their crossbows at you.

  If you wish to raise your hands above your head and walk slowly towards them, turn to 318.

  If you wish to run for cover in the trees, turn to 51.

  180

  They see you raise your weapon, and they instantly attack you.

  If you decide to fight them, you must fight them one at a time.

  Leader: COMBAT SKILL 15 ENDURANCE 22

  Soldier 1: COMBAT SKILL 13 ENDURANCE 20

  Soldier 2: COMBAT SKILL 12 ENDURANCE 20

  If you kill all three of them, turn to 62.

  If you wish to evade combat, turn to 22.

  181

  Instinctively you duck, and dive to avoid the crossbow bolt. The bandit fires and you feel the sleeve of your jacket tear as the missile grazes past your left arm. You thank the gods for your good fortune and sprint on.

  None of the other bandits have bows and they soon give up the chase. As you sprint off into the distance, you leave them all far behind.

  You stop just long enough to strap up your wounded arm and then continue along the road towards the outer defences of the capital.

  Turn to 288.

  182

  Three rangers gallop past the river bank, closely followed by the Giaks on their snarling mounts — the Doomwolves. But your Camouflage skill has saved you from being spotted. The pack of evil Giaks continue on their chase without even glancing at the river.

  Turn to 174.

  183

  The officer orders his men to halt and asks you your business. You tell him who you are, and how the monastery has been destroyed. He is deeply saddened to hear your news. He offers you a horse and asks you to accompany him to Prince Pelathar, the King's son.

  If you accept, turn to 97.

  If you decide to decline his offer, turn to 200.

  184

  The caravan is out of control and is bumping wildly through the rough ground that borders the highway. With difficulty you eventually steer the frightened horses back onto the road and halt the caravan.

  A quick search of the interior reveals 40 Gold Crowns, a Sword, and enough Food for 4 Meals. If you wish to keep any of these items, mark them on your Action Chart.

  The fatigue of your ordeal finally catches up with you. You must eat a Meal after which you fall into a deep sleep.

  Turn to 64.

  185

  You narrow your eyes and scan the trees for some sign of the hidden archer. Your wait is not a long one, for a moment later a sharp pain tears through your chest and you are thrown back by the force of three arrows. Two of the black shafts have sunk deep into your rib cage, and the third has pierced your thigh.

  The last thing that you see is the canopy of fern trees above and a large green dragonfly as it settles on your belt buckle.

  Your life and your mission end here.

  186

  The Kakarmi disappear into the dense undergrowth and you soon find yourself lost. After nearly two hours of walking you hear the sound of running water. You decide to investigate a little closer.

  Turn to 106.

  187

  Two furry faces appear over the top of the trunk. Both pairs of eyes stare at your weapon and the two creatures let out a shriek of fright. Leaping from the trunk, they disappear into the forest.

  If you wish to follow them, turn to 186.

  If you wish to let them go and continue, turn to 228.

  188

  You can see the shadow of the Kraan getting larger all around you. It suddenly strikes, pitching you forward onto your face with the power of its attack.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If the number you have picked is 0–6, the Kraan has ripped away your Backpack. You have lost the Pack and all the Equipment that was inside it.

  If the number picked is 7–9, your Backpack is intact but you have been wounded in both arms. Lose 3 ENDURANCE points and run to the trees.

  Now turn to 303.

  189

  You thank your Kai training and your quick thinking, for that bog could have proved as deadly as any Drakkarim or Kraan.

  You are worried about losing time, and push on further into the trees towards the south. Ahead of you, you see a wide path that also leads south.

  Turn to 118.

  190

  You walk for three miles along the water's edge until you chance upon a wrecked river barge. It appears to have served as shelter for someone, as you can see a bed and some cooking utensils through a hole in the deck.

  If you wish to search the barge, turn to 20.

  If you wish to press on, turn to 273.

  191

  The bodyguard unsheathes a large scimitar and strikes at your head.

  Bodyguard: COMBAT SKILL 11 ENDURANCE 21

  If you win, turn to 24.

  If you wish to evade more combat during the fight, you can jump from the speeding caravan by turning to 234.

  192

  You see the razor-fanged mouth of a Doomwolf and hear the hideous cries of the Giaks. Two of them are coming straight for you. You are saved from certain death when your horse jumps at the approaching beasts, knocking them both to the ground. You lash out at the Giak and open a large wound in his head … and then suddenly, as if by a miracle, you're through and racing on down the highway, clear of the rest of the pack.

  But a shadow follows you. It is a Kraan and it has started to dive. Its target is you.

  If you veer off the highway towards the cover of the trees, turn to 171.

  If you press on regardless of the Kraan and gallop flat out down the highway, turn to 120.

  193

  The beast and its rider lie dead. You notice a Scroll tucked into the Giak's belt. You may take this if you wish, but remember to mark it on your Action Chart. The other Doomwolves are charging along the path towards you.

  If you wish to fight them, turn to 253.

  If you wish to escape into the woods, turn to 126.

  194

  You sprint towards the wagon. Peopl
e are running everywhere in panic as the Kraan make their attack, carrying their poor victims off into the darkening sky. A large Kraan is hovering above the wagon and three snarling Giaks drop from its back onto the startled horses. You must fight them or leave the wagon and run to the safety of a nearby farmhouse.

  If you wish to fight the Giaks, turn to 208.

  If you wish to run to the farmhouse, turn to 148.

  195

  Wiping the bear's blood from your weapon, you notice the mouth of a cave hidden behind the rock from which the bear attacked.