The Prisoners of Time Page 8

  120

  As the last of your enemies falls dead at your feet, the traitor vents a shrill cry of terror and scurries like a bloated spider towards the Shadow Gate. In his hand he clutches a banded, leaden box and, as he runs, he works feverishly at the lock. Suddenly the lid springs back and your senses burn as the power of the last Lorestone is uncovered. Now instinct alone guides your actions. You sprint towards him, determined to stop him from entering the Shadow Gate. He squeals with fear and turns to face you, his hand raised, a ring of blue fire pulsating on his finger. He screams a curse and a jet of cold fire lances your chest and slams you to the floor: lose 5 ENDURANCE points. As you stagger to your feet, the traitor runs forward to finish you with another blast. You dive aside and the blast tears open the floor but, before he can launch another, you leap forward and attack.

  Illustration VII—Vonotar the Traitor screams a curse and a jet of cold fire from his ring lances your chest.

  Vonotar the Traitor (with Power Ring): COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 21

  He is immune to Mindblast and Psi-surge.

  If you win the combat, turn to 350.

  121

  Lorkon escorts you to the door of his cabin and wishes you luck. You thank him and bid him farewell. As you turn to leave, he calls out, ‘Remember, I will be marching to Tolakos as soon as my reinforcements arrive.’

  You follow Odel, leaving the encampment by slipping over the perimeter wall. Soon you merge like shadows into the thick forest beyond. The giant trunks support a canopy of dense foliage that blocks out the light and keeps the forest floor bathed in a perpetual twilight. A carpet of moss muffles your footfalls and the only foliage that grows in abundance is a bushy velvet lichen patterned with orange-headed, tooth-sized growths. ‘Khetu Spores,’ says Odel, noticing your interest in the strange flora. ‘They're deadly poisonous.’

  If you wish to collect a handful of the poisonous Khetu Spores, mark them on your Action Chart as a Backpack Item.

  Turn to 185.

  122

  The Beholder deactivates the light-picture and wills his servant to carry him back to the first gallery. There, bathed in the shadowless glow of the fireball, stands a huge globe of silvery metal. At his approach it radiates an eerie phosphorescent light and symbols appear upon its surface.

  ‘The Lorestones entered the Shadow Gate some moments before you fell, is that not so?’ asks the Beholder, incisively. You confirm this to be the case and watch with fascination as the symbols shift and change colour. ‘There are many channels within the Shadow Gate that are warped by the vagaries of time and space. Usually it is an impossible task to predict where an object passing through to the Daziarn will materialize, but the coordinates of your arrival are known and this will help my calculations.’

  Slowly the symbols begin to disappear until just three remain. ‘Without knowing the precise Aon-time they entered the Shadow Gate I can find only an approximate location,’ he says, scrutinizing the symbols. ‘As reckoned by the time-scale of your planet, the Lorestones arrived on the Daziarn forty-one hours ago. They materialized together and intact in the forest of the Khat Trisect of Vhozada — a realm situated between the elemental strongholds of Earth and Water. This bodes well for you, human. Vhozada is a temperate and stable domain, rich in those elements necessary to sustain mortal life-forms. Also, there is one of great vision who has made this her home. Her name is Serocca. It would be wise to seek her help in finding these stones of power, for she is sure to know their whereabouts.’

  Although his words revive your flagging hopes, you are still fearful that the Lorestones are beyond your recovery. The Beholder senses your apprehension and tries to allay your fears by offering you a means of transportation to the realm of Vhozada. He promises that your passage will be swift, but, when you learn what the journey entails, your blood runs cold.

  Turn to 188.

  123

  The warrior shrieks his death-cry and falls backwards, his arms outstretched and his fingers clawing blindly at the air. By chance they become tangled in the rope ladder and his body is lifted into the air as the giant black bird takes to the sky. A wave of panic engulfs you. In desperation you leap up and aim a blow at the small sack in an attempt to cut it loose. Your blow slices open the velvet and one of the two Lorestones tumbles into the graveyard below, coming to rest close to the door of the Sepulchre. Angry and crestfallen, you watch as the bird and its precious cargo rise above the trees and listen helplessly as the muffled flap of its wings fades into the distance.

  Turn to 237.

  124

  T'uk T'ron slaps the driver's shoulder. Immediately he hauls on the reins and pulls at a lever which activates the wheel brakes, bringing the chariot to a squealing halt. The others stop nearby and the guards clamber down from the riding platforms unsteadily, their legs weak and trembling after hours of riding along the bumpy track. They are familiar with this village and without hesitation they head towards a thatched hut that is set back from the road.

  You accompany the captain and his driver into the hut, stooping to enter the Ookor-sized doorway. The villagers seem delighted to receive you as their guest and ply you eagerly with food and wine. One of them, an elderly female with kindly eyes, hobbles to your side and places a deck of cards on the table. ‘She is teller of fortunes,’ says T'uk T'ron. ‘You want she tell your fortune, yes?’

  If you wish to have your fortune told, turn to 24.

  If you wish to refuse her offer politely, turn to 18.

  125

  As soon as you complete the square it begins to fade. Then a blast of icy cold vapour shoots from a vent beside the door and catches you squarely in the face. You choke and retch as the bitter, poisonous gas seeps into your lungs.

  If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Curing and have reached the rank of Mentora or higher, turn to 223.

  If you do not possess this skill or have yet to reach this level of Magnakai training, turn to 99.

  126

  Strewn around the entrance to the fissure are the bleached and shattered bones of what was once a formidable creature. Nervously you reach for a weapon as you approach the narrow gap and peer into its lightless depths. A strange smell, sweet and unwholesome, wafts out of the inky blackness and stops you dead in your tracks. But the deafening roar of the approaching tornado makes you swallow your fear and enter. Cautiously you descend into the dark, your weapon held poised to counter a sudden attack.

  If you have a Kalte Firesphere, a Lantern, or a Torch and Tinderbox, and wish to use any of them, turn to 61.

  If you do not possess any of these items, or do not wish to use them, but still wish to advance deeper into the fissure to avoid the raging tornado, turn to 313.

  If you choose not to advance but to stay where you are, turn to 236.

  127

  Your Arrow opens a shallow wound in the creature's belly, but it does not deter it from attacking you with its sword-sharp fangs.

  Tazgar Worm: COMBAT SKILL 22 ENDURANCE 28

  This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

  If you win the combat, turn to 162.

  128

  You manage to unsheathe your weapon and strike a blow that carves a crimson wedge from the ugly creature's snout. It gives an angry, gurgling cry and recoils in pain, freeing you from its grip and allowing you time to climb through the hole. However, although the beast is wounded, it is not defeated. Driven by pain and a blind lust for revenge, it tears its way through the planking and hurls itself at you recklessly.

  Agtah: COMBAT SKILL 21 ENDURANCE 27

  This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

  If you win the combat, turn to 289.

  129

  Your Kai skill enables you to identify these plants: they are Senara, exceedingly rare on Magnamund but seemingly abundant here in Vhozada. The unripened buds of this herb have great restorative qualities and when eaten will enable you to regain lost ENDURANCE points. Each Meal of Senara wi
ll restore 3 ENDURANCE points and there are enough buds in this field for over 100 Meals.

  If you wish to keep any of the Senara buds, remember to make the necessary adjustments to your Action Chart.

  To continue, turn to 115.

  130

  Your commands slow the animal's advance but they do not persuade it to pass up the opportunity of a good meal. It growls, weakly but hungrily, and prepares itself for an attack.

  Turn to 227.

  131

  The portal is secured by a massive metallic lock, and engraved into its blackened surface is a quartered square. In three of the four quarters there are etched symbols, but the fourth quarter, which is formed of a soft, clay-like substance, remains blank. Your basic Kai instincts tell you that the symbols are a clue to a Meledorian code that unlocks the great door. By inscribing the correct symbols in the soft surface of the blank square, you will cause the portal to open. Study the sequence carefully:

  If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship or Divination, turn to 116.

  If you possess neither of these skills, turn to 25.

  132

  The beings scowl with disdain when you offer no reply. Their leader draws a silver rod from inside his Khozinda-scale vest, levels it menacingly at your chest, and slowly repeats the words he has spoken.

  If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Divination and wish to attempt to communicate telepathically with the leader, turn to 347.

  If you choose to draw a weapon and prepare to defend yourself, turn to 184.

  If you decide to raise your hands in surrender, turn to 98.

  133

  As the last of your foul enemies falls dead at your feet, you sheathe your weapon and drag their blood-spattered corpses away from the great door. Then you push closed the heavy portal, making sure that it is secure, before climbing the stair to the roof.

  Turn to 27.

  134

  Owing to the awkward position of the beam, it is impossible to apply any leverage to force it back into its proper place. The only way you will get it to move is by using a Rope.

  If you have a Rope and wish to use it, turn to 198.

  If you do not possess a Rope or do not wish to use it, turn to 43.

  135

  Quickly you try to retrace your route to the stream, but you soon come to an abrupt halt: a group of hairy, squat-limbed creatures is moving through the undergrowth towards you. They are armed with crude spears which they carry at the ready, like hunters stalking their prey.

  If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 256.

  If you wish to take cover in the undergrowth and wait for them to pass, turn to 75.

  If you wish to avoid them by returning to the monolith, turn to 301.

  136

  The warrior answers your demand with a mocking laugh, his green, cat-like eyes glinting through the slits of his visor. Hurriedly he snatches the Lorestones with his gloved hands and drops them into a small velvet sack tied to his sword belt. Angered by his audacity and fearful of losing the Lorestones, you unsheathe a weapon and run forward, determined to prevent his escape.

  Turn to 22.

  137

  A wave of panic washes across T'uk T'ron's face and he screams frantically at his driver to stop. He pulls on the reins and steers the onipa away from the bridge, but he leaves it too late to apply the wheel brake. With a terrified shriek he and the driver cover their eyes as the muddy water looms into view.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, turn to 85.

  If you do not possess this skill, you can either leap out of the chariot: turn to 332.

  Or you can hold on tight and pray that the onipa will stop before they reach the river: turn to 243.

  138

  At length you emerge from the twisted trees of the chaos-zone and follow the track as it wends its way through the Nahgoth Forest beyond. Your journey passes slowly and without incident until, after countless hours of travel, you arrive at the edge of the Plain of Guakor. You are now very tired and must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. Rather than attempting to cross the barren plain immediately, you decide to rest here and continue after some much needed sleep. Ten hours later you wake refreshed and eager to begin the next leg of your journey to Haagadar. After checking your equipment and your map, you set off across the featureless plateau.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If the number you have picked is 0–2, turn to 318.

  If it is 3–9, turn to 202.

  139

  You return to the first room and peer out of a tall window that looks out over the city. Far below you can see the Yoacor crowding an avenue which leads to an outer level of Yanis. They move with such purposefulness that, from this great height, they resemble a vast community of worker ants. For several hours you stare down at this beautiful alien city and its industrious citizens while you try to make sense of your situation. Eventually you resolve to find out all you can from the one the leader called the ‘Beholder’. Perhaps he will be able to help you locate the Lorestones and find a way back to Magnamund. At length you settle down to sleep.

  Turn to 317.

  140

  The rusty bars offer little resistance to a couple of well placed kicks and you are able to gain entry to the circular chute with ease. A narrow walkway runs beside the gurgling channel, ascending by steps and ramps as the climb becomes increasingly steep. The dark stone walls are beaded with moisture and smeared with patches of luminous fungi which keep the sewer bathed in an eerie green half-light. At length you reach a landing where a smaller channel joins the main flow. As you pass it and set foot on the stairs beyond, you hear a sound, like the rustling of leather on stone, and sense that something hungry is advancing along the tunnel towards you.

  If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, turn to 3.

  If you do not possess this skill, turn to 168.

  141

  As the sound of your voice begins to fade, a whirling streak of shining silver emerges out of the darkness. The sudden rush of wind knocks you backwards and you see, soaring on wide gossamer wings, a huge, worm-like monstrosity take to the air. It circles the clearing, and then swoops down to attack you with its sword-sharp fangs.

  Illustration VIII—A huge, worm-like monstrosity swoops down to attack you with its sword-sharp fangs.

  If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 284.

  If you wish to draw a hand weapon and prepare to defend yourself, turn to 257.

  If you choose to evade its attack by running along the path into the forest, turn to 60.

  142

  The strange, anthropoid creatures pass within a few feet of the bushes where you are hiding, but they fail to detect you. Only when you are sure that the coast is clear do you leave your hiding place and hurry away from the monolith and its protectors.

  Turn to 153.

  143

  Nonchalantly you brush the red flower away and fix your eyes on the road ahead. You have not eaten today and must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery you are unable, on this occasion, to use this skill in lieu of eating a Meal from your Backpack.

  Turn to 117.

  144

  Lorkon and his Meledorian troops are overjoyed to have witnessed the spectacular defeat of the Chaos-master, for your victory has rid them of their greatest enemy. They call to you to come down from the roof and, when you appear at the doorway, they shower you with praise.

  ‘We owe you more than our lives, Aonian,’ says Lorkon, his strange blue eyes aglow with admiration. ‘Your great deed has saved our realm and put an end to the plague of chaos that would have corrupted us all. We are forever in your debt.’

  As he shakes your hand he notices the blade with which you dispatched the Chaos-master. ‘It is a good omen for my clan that the sword you used to banish the evil one was forged by my ancestors. I am doubly proud that it served you well
. But now it must return to the Grand Sepulchre, for such is our law.’

  It is with some reluctance that you return the Ironheart Broadsword to its rightful steward (delete this Special Item from your Action Chart), for never before have you wielded as fine a sword as this.

  Turn to 173.

  145

  You scan the barren wasteland, straining your senses to detect the missing Lorestones, which must be somewhere among the millions of rocks and wind-smoothed boulders that cover the vast plateau. But it proves a fruitless search: you can find no trace of the Lorestones nor even the slightest indication that a Shadow Gate opened here.

  Turn to 297.

  146

  You dive behind the trunk but you feel a stinging sensation as the blowpipe dart scratches the side of your neck. A wave of nausea churns your stomach and your throat becomes painfully tight, restricting your breathing and causing your pulse to race: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.

  Odel appears at your side and wipes the scratch with a handful of fungi culled from the bark of Baylon's Bough. Swiftly the frightening effects of the poison subside as the healing properties of the fungi take effect.