The Dungeons of Torgar (23 page)

The surviving Drakkarim scatter into the surrounding alleys and you are able to advance towards the centre of Torgar unopposed. The Palmyrions meet up with their regiment and you continue alone along the dingy thoroughfare. It leads to an open square where a conical tower of iron points accusingly at the sky. Here the flagstones vibrate to a continuous throbbing that beats like a gigantic pulse somewhere deep in the bowels of the city. The battle has drawn most of the Drakkarim away from this square and you have no difficulty in reaching the tower and entering it via an open archway. A corridor of steel lies beyond, empty save for the constant din that assails your ears. Countless passages lead off from the main corridor, all sloping downwards, and many occupied by Drakkarim warriors. The passages are poorly lit and it is easy to avoid your enemies until you reach a vast stairway bathed in a bright orange glow that radiates from a level below.

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 0–6,
turn to 348
.

If it is 7 or more,
turn to 47
.

With one swipe of his huge white paw, he hooks his claws into your tunic and flings you across the temple. Shocked by his speed and ferocity, you scramble to your feet and fumble for a hand weapon as he stalks after you like a cat teasing a frightened mouse. His face is set in a ghastly sneer as he enjoys the novelty of his mortal form.

Around his neck, on a chain of black iron, hangs an amulet forged in the shape of a fiery, five-pointed star. You notice that Roark possesses a similar amulet which he clutches to his chest as if his very life depended on it. He and his followers are huddled in a corner of the temple, watching you and their master fearfully.

If you wish to attack the Demonlord with your weapon,
turn to 210
.

If you wish to try to cut the amulet from his neck,
turn to 128
.

If you wish to attack Roark and take the amulet he is holding,
turn to 41
.

Seconds after leaving the ditch, another hail of deadly arrows whistles down and you are forced to dive for cover to avoid being hit. When you rise once more it is to the sight of your horse rearing up on his hind legs and scrabbling the air frantically with his forehooves. An arrow has pierced his skull and you watch with sorrow as he topples and crashes lifelessly into the mud.

All the other riderless horses are either dead or have fled the field in panic. Left with no choice, you scramble out of the mud and set off after the Prince on foot.

Turn to 115
.

Swiftly you cross the rocky causeway, taking care to tread on only those stones that rise above the foaming white torrent, and you enter the Moggador Forest as quickly as the dense trees will allow. The ground rises steeply and it is dusk before your climb ends at the crest of a ridge overlooking the Isle of Ghosts. 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 preparing to settle down on a bed of leaf mould when the howl of a timber wolf prompts you to abandon your soft mattress and spend the night in the bough of a tree.

Turn to 125
.

Your Arrow creases the creature's skull and disappears into the darkness beyond. It howls at the sudden pain but does not cease its attack. The wolf is now upon you and there is no time to draw a hand weapon to ward off the first snap of its great yellow fangs.

Taintor Wolf:
COMBAT SKILL
 26   
ENDURANCE
 46

You must fight the first round of combat unarmed. At the start of the second round you may draw a weapon (if you possess one) and fight the beast as normal.

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

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

‘What manner of deceit is this?’ he growls accusingly. ‘Know you this, your tricks and your tortures will never break my spirit, for I am of the Vakeros and we are slave to no man!’

Your Kai senses tell you that he is speaking the truth — he is a Vakeros warrior-magician of Dessi. Certain now of his truthfulness, you decide to reveal to him your real identity.

Turn to 69
.

The Death Knight warrior appears, his huge black form silhouetted in the archway. You grip your weapon tightly and prepare to strike him a fatal blow should he see you hiding in the shadows, but you do not need to attack. He snatches up the spear in his mailed fist, turns, and hauls himself out of the ditch, grunting and cursing his carelessness as he struggles in his heavy armour.

You wait twenty minutes before leaving the bridge and working your way slowly along the ditch.

Turn to 124
.

The officer looks at you as if you are insane. ‘The crazy fool thinks he's a Kai Lord,’ he says scornfully to his men as he climbs back into his saddle. ‘The foul air of this wilderness has addled his brains. Let us ride on; we've wasted too much time here already.’

He spurs his horse forward and you are forced to dive aside as the riders surge across the bridge and disappear along the road that leads to the Moggador Forest.

Turn to 179
.

With your heart pounding fit to burst, you gulp a lungful of air and leap into the gorge. For a few seconds you lose your orientation as you tumble in the air then you hit the river with a stunning crash: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

You soon surface but the current is very strong and you cannot resist being swept along. For over a mile you ride the icy white water until your feet touch some smooth rocks as they speed past below. By kicking out against these boulders you are able to propel yourself towards the bank. Cold and exhausted, you eventually claw your way out of the water and collapse on the rocky shore.

The jump and your river ride have taken their toll on your possessions. Delete the items you have listed second, third, fifth, and seventh in the Backpack section of your
Action Chart
. Also, delete half the contents of your Belt Pouch and one Special Item of your choice.

Turn to 294
.

Dust clogs your throat and the roar of falling stone is deafening as you race towards the surface. When you reach the ramp that leads to the crystal doors you find it split wide open. A web of cracks zigzags across the two halves and a growing mound of rubble threaten to seal off the exit. Desperately you claw your way across this jagged debris, passing the bodies of some of Roark's followers, and diving through the shrinking exit just before the ceiling collapses with a tremendous crash.

Outside the situation is remarkably calm; only a slight ground tremor and a sound like distant thunder hint at the incredible destruction taking place inside the temple. The clearing is deserted and you are beginning to think you are the only one to have escaped, when you hear horses galloping away and glimpse three riders disappearing along a track that heads off to the east. It is nearly dark and they are soon swallowed by the shadows of the forest.

If you wish to follow them,
turn to 181
.

If you choose to ignore them and spend the night in the clearing,
turn to 19
.

As you approach the partisans you hold up your right hand to display your signet ring. It is enough to convince them that you speak the truth.

‘Very well,’ says their sergeant, a tall lantern-jawed man with iron-grey hair. ‘We shall take you to our leader. But you must agree to wear a blindfold. It is for your own good as well as ours. The Drakkarim torture their prisoners: should you fall into their hands you'll not be able to tell them where we are encamped.’ He pulls a length of cloth from his saddlebag and wraps it tightly around your eyes. Then another takes hold of your reins and leads you away from the gorge. After two hours in the saddle you finally reach your destination and the blindfold is removed.

Turn to 25
.

A creeping numbness paralyses your limbs and, as your fingers lose their strength, you cannot prevent yourself from falling into the bore-hole after the Black Yua that injected you with its deadly venom.

You survive the fall but the strength of the venom ensures that you will never escape from the shaft.

Your life and your quest end here.

With devastating speed and accuracy, you draw your Arrows and fire them deep into the hearts of the two enemy archers. Both men stagger and crumple to the ground, but your bowmanship does little to deter their comrades. With a fearsome yell, the three remaining warriors brandish their swords and axes and come thundering towards you. There is no time to evade their attack — you must fight them to the death!

Illustration XIX
—The three remaining warriors brandish their swords and axes and come thundering towards you.

Zagganozod:
COMBAT SKILL
 20   
ENDURANCE
 32

If you win the combat,
turn to 271
.

On the other side of the alley is a line of burnt-out cottages. Their soot-blackened walls are mostly intact, although their roofs have long been open to the sky. The fleeing Drakkarim are beginning to outdistance your men and you fear they will get away, when suddenly they halt and turn to face you.

At that instant a mass of leather-clad Hammerlanders emerge from the cottages, rending the air with their howling battle-cries. They strike your men from every side, catching them 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
.

A group of high-ranking warriors are gathered around a table on which lies a map of Ghatan and the Hammerlands. They are engrossed in their plans for an assault across the causeway and they do not notice you enter the tent. The officer speaks with one of the lords, who leaves the table to come and question you.

‘Welcome, Pathfinder,’ he says, his keen eyes glinting like two polished gemstones. ‘I am Adamas, Lord Constable of Garthen, commander-in-chief of the Talestrian army. What news do you bring from Eru?’

Rather than risk raising his suspicions, you tell him of the Eruan-Lencian alliance and their successful struggle against the forces of Baron Shinzar of Blackshroud. He listens with interest to your report, and then he asks how you came to be 200 miles from Prince Graygor's army.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination,
turn to 86
.

If you do not possess this skill, you can either say that you are on a secret mission;
turn to 158
.

Or reveal your true identity;
turn to 290
.