The Dungeons of Torgar (13 page)

Your Arrow screams towards a magician and shatters the sphere clasped in his claw-like hand. There is a brilliant flash as it explodes, scattering fragments that hiss like a host of fiery snakes among the Drakkarim. The second magician drops his sphere setting off another explosion. The Drakkarim scream in pain and terror as the fragments burn everything they touch.

Turn to 332
.

You muster all your willpower and strength to drag yourself from under your dead horse and, after clawing the muck from your eyes, you crawl along the ditch. Just ahead you see a Palace Guard in a similar predicament to yourself. However, not only is he pinned beneath his dead mount, but his head is buried in the mud and he is slowly suffocating to death. He is thrashing his arms wildly in desperation.

If you wish to save his life by pulling him out from beneath his horse,
turn to 79
.

If you prefer to ignore his plight and look instead for a new horse,
turn to 247
.

If you decide to climb out of the ditch and follow the Prince's attack on foot,
turn to 115
.

The water laps at your waist as you wade through the shallows, and the shouts and howls of your ambushers ring relentlessly in your ears. Arrows splash beside you or whistle past dangerously close. You are three-quarters of the way across when one shaft clips your neck and knocks you underwater.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
(0 = 10). If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, deduct 2 from the number you have picked. The resulting figure equals the number of
ENDURANCE
points lost as a result of the wound.

If you survive the wounding, you reach the opposite shore and escape into the Moggador Forest on foot.

Turn to 186
.

You slump forward in the saddle, your eyelids half closed, your body possessed of a creeping fatigue that robs you of all will to resist the potent scent. The vibrant colours swirl before your eyes and then fade as gradually you lose consciousness and tumble to the ground.

If you possess a Bullwhip,
turn to 214
.

If you do not have this Special Item,
turn to 327
.

The tiny nuggets of copper woven into the braids of the Bullwhip begin to glow with a strange yellow light.

You tug it free from your pack and the phantoms give a ghastly shriek as the yellow rays scorch their unnatural forms. Unused to the sensation of pain, they recoil and take shelter in the shadows.

The presence of the phantoms has triggered a spell that was cast upon the whip long ago by a former owner. Whenever the Bullwhip comes into contact with undead beings, it protects its owner by radiating a power that is abhorrent to them.

The phantoms retreat but they do not disperse or abandon their attack. Their need to feed on your life-force overcomes their fear of the whip and with a terrifying howl of anger they swoop out of the trees and strike.

Cener Ghosts:
COMBAT SKILL
 24   
ENDURANCE
 40

These creatures are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). Owing to the power of the whip, add 2 points to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of the combat.

If you win the fight,
turn to 156
.

The water around the boat is stained a sickly green with the blood of the Ciquali that you have slain. However, two of the creatures have survived your murderous counterattack and have slunk beneath the bow. Suddenly there is a loud crack as a sharpened wooden stake rips through the timbers close by your feet, and a fountain of water gushes from the hole. The boat tilts violently and both you and Jarel are pitched headlong into the murky river.

With the bloodstained water stinging your eyes, you strike out blindly in the hope of reaching the bank before you fall foul of your attackers. Cold and shaken, you eventually reach the south bank and drag yourself onto the muddy shore.

Turn to 226
.

The last of your attackers screams and falls backwards into the fire, smothering the flames and plunging the cavern into darkness. Seconds later the curtain that covers the entrance is whipped aside and in stride two partisan guards, their spears poised ready to thrust. They are blinded by the unexpected darkness and you have no difficulty slipping past them and escaping along the passage.

At the exit from the cave you notice a patrol of partisan horsemen arriving at the camp. They dismount, tether their horses to some bushes, and walk wearily towards the main campfire. Seeing an opportunity to escape, you rush towards the bushes and snatch the reins of the nearest mount. Suddenly a cry echoes from the cave: the guards are raising the alarm. You climb into the saddle but your escape is blocked by a partisan horseman who is riding up the narrow track that leads into the camp.

Partisan Horseman:
COMBAT SKILL
 17   
ENDURANCE
 24

If you win the combat,
turn to 239
.

‘I cannot send him,’ says the Prince, uncomfortably. ‘He is needed elsewhere. We must send another to gather the information we need.’

The King looks displeased but rather than argue with his ally on the eve of battle, he sends instead for one of his horse scouts. The Prince breathes a quiet sigh of relief before ordering you to return to his headquarters.

Turn to 29
.

As the lumbering reptile draws near, your first reaction is to run for the safety of the stone hut, but you are prevented from doing so by the sticky, knee-deep mud. The scaly creature raises its horned snout and emits a long, croaking growl as the scent of fear wafts towards it on the breeze. Jarel unsheathes his sword and moves to your side as the monster begins its attack.

Illustration X
—The scaly Gorodon lumbers towards you.

Gorodon:
COMBAT SKILL
 29   
ENDURANCE
 36

Halve any
ENDURANCE
losses you sustain during this combat as half of the creature's attacks are directed at Jarel.

If you win the combat,
turn to 217
.

Just as you catch up with your men, a mass of leather-clad Hammerlanders emerge from the cottages, rending the air with their howling battle-cries. They strike from every side, catching you like helpless fish in a barrel.

If you wish to stand and fight your attackers,
turn to 288
.

If you wish to try to escape from this ambush,
turn to 16
.

Long, curved talons extend from his hairless paws and with terrifying ease he throws open the stone door, which splits asunder as it slams against the temple wall.

‘Surrender yourself, mortal!’ he commands, his eyes glowing with a supernatural fire. ‘And I shall spare you the agonies of death.’

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 286
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 333
.

For two hours you stumble through the forest until fatigue finally catches up with you. Exhausted, you stop and crouch down, with your back against the trunk of a gnarled pine and your knees drawn up to your chin (you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points). Unable to resist any longer, you close your eyes and drift off into a deep sleep.

Turn to 295
.

Before leaving Luomi, the Prince gives you a Signet Ring that bears his royal crest (mark this as a Special Item on your
Action Chart
; you need not discard another Special Item in favour of this ring if you already carry the maximum of twelve items). By wearing the ring on your right hand you signify that you have the friendship of the royal court, something that may prove valuable when trying to persuade Sebb Jarel to aid you in your quest.

You exchange farewells with Prince Graygor, before checking your equipment and setting off on the dusty road to Pirsi. The road itself is little better than a dirt track that cuts across open grassland towards a wide, muddy river. Awkward heaps of grey stone dot the unkempt landscape: they are the deserted ruins of farmsteads and houses destroyed during the Drakkarim occupation.

After an hour in the saddle you arrive at the river at a point where a wide stone bridge spans its murky waters. A fire-blackened watchtower and a roofless stone hut stand at the approach to the bridge. You notice a faint wisp of wood smoke rising from the top of the tower and a saddled horse grazing close by at the river's edge.

If you wish to stop and investigate the watchtower,
turn to 232
.

If you prefer to cross the bridge and continue,
turn to 75
.

His body rolls down the stairs and comes to rest in an undignified heap near the bottom. You are loath to touch him but he may possess some useful items. Gritting your teeth you pull him over onto his back, empty his pockets, and discover the following items:

• Black Key (Special Item)
  
• 200 Kika (20 Gold Crowns)
  
• Dagger
  

Kika are a form of currency used in the Darklands and the Drakkarim nations. Each coin is worth one-tenth of a Gold Crown and ten Kika take up the same space as one Gold Crown in your
Belt Pouch
. You may take whatever items you wish but remember to adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.

To continue your exploration,
turn to 285
.

Your blow is strong and deadly accurate. It lays open the wolf's chest and cleaves its heart in two, sending the beast crashing into the dense undergrowth amid the spray of its own foul blood.

Breathless with exertion and fearful of what may still be lurking unseen in the shadows, you gather up your equipment and follow Jarel. He is anxious to get away from the dead wolves before the smell of their blood attracts more of their kind, or worse.

Turn to 282
.

The road winds upwards through the arid hills until it reaches a ridge of yellow rock. You climb to the crest of the ridge and catch your first awe-inspiring glimpse of Torgar.

The walls of this grim city-fortress stand upon the brink of a ravine cut deep by centuries of rushing water. A natural causeway of stone spans the dark chasm and provides the only means of approaching Torgar from the south. It has an enviable position and its defences seem impregnable. It commands the only road into the barren land of Ghatan, and any who dare travel that road must pass over the causeway and through the city's great iron gate.

In the past there have been few who would venture willingly to Torgar, but now the causeway and its approaches swarm with such men. They are the soldiers of Talestria and Palmyrion, and they have come with their engines of war to lay siege to this grim Drakkarim fortress.

Less than a mile from the ridge stands a cluster of tents, perched on top of a hillock which overlooks the siege-works. As you approach them a group of knights appear from the largest tent and command you to halt. One of them, an officer, recognizes the uniform you wear and bids you enter the tent to meet his commander. All of the knights are armed and you decide it prudent not to refuse the officer's request.

If you have ever visited the land of Talestria in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure,
turn to 45
.

If not,
turn to 346
.