The Dungeons of Torgar (14 page)

You leap from the shadows and aim a mighty blow at the Death Knight's head. But in spite of the speed of your attack and the encumbrance of his heavy armour, the warrior manages to turn aside your blow with the tip of his spear.

Death Knight:
COMBAT SKILL
 24   
ENDURANCE
 38

The warrior is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

If you win the fight in two rounds or less,
turn to 316
.

If you win the fight in three rounds or more,
turn to 261
.

The track consists of ancient paving blocks mostly overgrown with moss, but occasionally you hear the sound of a distant hoofbeat striking upon an exposed slab of stone. You follow the trail and are soon engulfed by darkness. Only the sound of forest owls and the flutter of bats can be heard as you make your way slowly through the inky black forest.

You have been walking less than an hour when you arrive at a stone bridge. The stream it once crossed has long since dried up, and the empty watercourse is blanketed with dead leaves. You are now very tired and in need of food and rest.

If you wish to stop and rest here at the bridge,
turn to 204
.

If you decide to forgo rest and continue along the track,
turn to 37
.

A sharp pain lances through your neck and shoulder as the serpent sinks its fangs into the side of your throat. It thrashes wildly but you manage to grip it behind its head, prise it loose from your flesh, and fling it down the bore-hole. A sudden wave of nausea leaves you shaking with fear as the deadly venom begins to take effect.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing and have reached the rank of Mentora,
turn to 192
.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing and have reached the rank of Primate,
turn to 246
.

If you do not possess this skill or have yet to attain either of these levels of Magnakai training,
turn to 343
.

You land with a splash and roll into the ditch to avoid being trampled by the following horses. After clawing the muck from your eyes, you crawl along the channel. A short distance ahead of you a knight is pinned beneath his dead horse. He is flailing his arms wildly and you can see that his head is trapped beneath the mud and he is slowly drowning.

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

If you choose to ignore his plight, you can remount your own horse;
turn to 334
.

Or you can follow the Prince's attack on foot;
turn to 115
.

The yells of the Drakkarim echo along the battlements as they watch you sprinting towards the city. Then a rain of boulders slams down with terrific force, spraying you with splinters of stone as they disintegrate on impact. Your senses keep you safe as instinctively you dodge the falling rocks and then skid to a halt in front of the door. You plant and prime the crystal explosive, and run back, counting the seconds with every step. You clear the rampart on the count of seven and flatten yourself behind its protective wall.

Turn to 301
.

At your approach, one of the partisan horsemen points at the Bullwhip fastened to your backpack and says something to his sergeant.

‘That's a fine whip you have there, Pathfinder,’ says the sergeant, as you bring your horse to a halt. ‘I admire good craftsmanship. Would you mind if I examined it more closely?’

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination and wish to use it,
turn to 302
.

If you wish to show the sergeant your Bullwhip,
turn to 159
.

If you refuse to let him examine it,
turn to 198
.

The ground rises steeply and it is dusk before your climb ends at the crest of a ridge overlooking the grasslands of Northern Eru. In less than an hour it will be dark, so you decide to camp here on the ridge and continue at first light (you must now eat a meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points).

You are settling down on a mattress of leaf mould when the howl of a timber wolf prompts you to abandon your soft bed and spend the night in the bough of a tree.

Turn to 125
.

You unsheathe a hand weapon and crouch in readiness to receive the creature's attack. It howls, almost with glee, as it anticipates sinking its great yellow fangs into your unprotected throat.

Illustration XI
—The Taintor Wolf howls as it anticipates sinking its great yellow fangs into your unprotected throat.

Taintor Wolf:
COMBAT SKILL
 27   
ENDURANCE
 49

If you win and the fight lasts for four rounds or less,
turn to 202
.

If the fight lasts longer than four rounds, do not continue but instead
turn to 234
.

Mustering your strength and your psychic defences, you concentrate on repelling Roark's attack. Immediately, the icy chill that threatens to freeze your heart begins to thaw, and you feel warmth flowing along your arm towards the iron amulet clenched in your fist. Suddenly Roark screams with pain and collapses — he has fallen victim to his own attack. You have reversed the flow of energy and stopped his heart.

Using this energy, you turn to confront Tagazin. He shudders as your psychic commands rob him of his supernatural strength. His body becomes pale, almost transparent, and wisps of smoke curl from his skin as if his body were slowly evaporating. He retreats towards the centre of the temple and leaps onto the marble block. There is a chilling howl and suddenly the shadowy chamber is flooded with blinding light. Thunder booms and the walls shake. Terrified, Roark's followers flee through the shattered doors and scramble up the stairs. Crackling bolts of white lightning leap from the block to tear chunks of rock from the temple walls, and the air seethes with a cloying stench that threatens to suffocate you. With terror in your heart you bound up the steps and escape as the defeated spirit of the Demonlord vents its spite in the chamber below.

Turn to 341
.

‘Naog daka!’
snarls a voice in the corridor behind. You spin round to see two Drakkarim warriors, both armed with loaded crossbows. Slowly you let your hand drift towards your weapon but your move does not go unnoticed. Suddenly a starburst of pain explodes in your head and darkness washes over your vision as you are slammed back against the door by the force of the bolt which has penetrated your skull. Death is instantaneous.

Your life and your quest end here.

You are lucky that the arrows that pierced your back were neither barbed nor tipped with poison. You grit your teeth, muster your remaining strength, and stagger to your feet.

Fifty yards from the allies' picket line you see two Lencian men-at-arms moving towards you with their swords drawn. ‘Give the password!’ they command. ‘Give the password or perish!’

If you wish to answer, ‘Shortsword’,
turn to 63
.

If you wish to answer, ‘Broadsword’,
turn to 227
.

If you wish to answer, ‘Longsword’,
turn to 347
.

Your Kai Mastery alerts you to a deadly danger. The boat is being held from beneath by a group of amphibian creatures who intend to launch a surprise attack. You warn Jarel of what you sense and quietly you both unsheathe your weapons in readiness to receive their attack.

Turn to 245
.

You draw on your inner strength to overcome the venom that is coursing through your veins. The deadly neurovascular poison is swiftly neutralized, but at a cost to you of 3
ENDURANCE
points.

Make the necessary adjustment to your
Action Chart
and
turn to 205
.

‘Impostor!’ bellows the captain, and lunges forward to grab you by the throat. But you sidestep his attack deftly and strike a blow to his temple with the heel of your palm that renders him unconscious in an instant.

‘Fire!’ shouts a bull-necked Pirsian, and you throw yourself to the ground. A deafening roar reverberates through the town as the men discharge their unwieldy pistols, but the lead shot passes harmlessly over your head and buries itself in the tavern door. The noise stirs a hornets' nest of activity as the townsfolk arm themselves and rush into the street to investigate the commotion. The situation looks desperate, but you can see a chance to escape and you take it. The pistols created a huge cloud of white smoke and under cover of this acrid cloud you scurry down an alley beside the log tavern and leap headlong into the foliage and trees beyond.

With the angry shouts of the villagers rippling through the forest, you curse your ill luck as you escape into the darkness.

Turn to 250
.

You recognize the language being spoken by the owners of the harsh voices — it is Krorn. A shiver runs down your spine when you recall what you have heard about the evil creatures who speak this tongue, how they delight in cruelty and love nothing better than to devour human flesh. It would be wise to avoid them, but in order to reach the ford you have to pass close by the bushes. From what little you can hear of their conversation, they are arguing over some fish they have caught. As you creep nearer you pray that their argument will keep them distracted long enough for you to reach the river unseen.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have completed the Lore-circle of Solaris, add 3 to the number you have picked.

If your total is now 6 or less,
turn to 67
.

If it is 7 or more,
turn to 335
.

You see the wolf cringe as your Arrow sinks feather-deep into its throat. It opens its great jaw but no howl escapes from its frightful, fang-filled mouth as it crashes nose-first into the soft forest earth, somersaults, and rolls limply to a halt at your feet.

Turn to 202
.

As each rod is broken its beam disappears and the fireball grows weaker. The golden light of the Lorestones begins to radiate through the evil green flames, and when Paido has destroyed half the rods, one of them tips and falls into your waiting hands. Immediately, a wave of energy courses through your body, filling you with renewed strength and sharpening your thoughts and perceptions. You shout encouragement to your companion and he raises his head to reply, but his words are drowned by a harsh and terrible voice.

Turn to 350
.

You mount your horse and set off towards King Sarnac's headquarters at a gallop. On your ride you pass the survivors of the regiment who were blasted at the bridge. Deeply shocked they stand in groups or cower on the ground like frightened animals. The horror on their faces and the sound of their whimpering sickens your heart.

As you cross the road and climb towards the King's tent, a Lencian cavalry officer comes riding down the hill towards you. He seems to recognize you and he calls for you to stop.

If you wish to bring your horse to a halt and find out what he wants,
turn to 105
.

If you choose to ignore his signal and continue your ride to King Sarnac's headquarters,
turn to 21
.

‘Pah!’ spits the sergeant, accusingly. ‘Just as I thought. That's Halgar's whip you have — there's no other like it. I'd wager he didn't part with it gladly.’

On hearing this, the others reach for their swords and you catch the unmistakable glint of murder in their eyes. You begin to explain but they refuse to listen. Instead they unsheathe their blades and begin to encircle you.

If you wish to evade combat,
turn to 39
.

If you wish to stand and fight them,
turn to 118
.