The Dungeons of Torgar (5 page)
Read The Dungeons of Torgar Online
Authors: Joe Dever
Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Lone Wolf, #Magnamund
Tagazin shudders as the blows of the Sommerswerd rob him of his supernatural strength. His body becomes pale, almost transparent, and tiny tendrils 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 a blinding light. Thunder booms and the walls shake. Terrified, Roark and his companions flee through the shattered doors and scramble up the stairs. Crackling bolts of white lightning leap from the marble block to tear great chunks of rock from the walls, and the air seethes with a cloying stench that threatens to suffocate you. With terror in your heart you bound up the stairs and escape as the defeated spirit of the Demonlord vents its spite on the chamber below.
You reach the King's headquarters only to discover that he is not there: he has taken personal command of his Horse Knights and mounted men-at-arms, and led them in an attack on the enemy's reinforcements. From the top of the hill you can see a huge cavalry battle taking place on the grasslands south of Cetza. Amid the wheeling ranks of armoured horsemen, at the very heart of the fiercest fighting, flies the King's banner. It would be impossible for you to reach him and request that he save the Prince.
Mindful of the time that has been lost, you turn your horse about and set off towards the Prince's reserves, determined now to lead them yourself.
Your Magnakai skill warns you that the robed figures possess magical abilities. The glass globes they are holding contain a volatile mixture of phosphorus and oil. If the globes were to break, the contents would burst into flames immediately on contact with the air.
If you have a Bow and wish to fire an Arrow at one of the globes,
turn to 293
.
If not,
turn to 199
.
You fling aside the curtain and rush through the archway into the passage beyond. The two cave guards turn to face you but the speed of your escape leaves them fumbling for their spears. You reach the exit, breathless and fearful, and catch sight of a patrol of horsemen arriving at the camp. They dismount, tether their horses to some bushes, and make their way wearily towards the main campfire. Seeing an opportunity to escape, you rush to the first bush and snatch up the reins of the nearest mount. Suddenly a cry echoes from the cave mouth: the guards are raising the alarm. You climb into the saddle but your escape is blocked by a partisan horseman 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
.
Gradually your Psi-screen weakens enough to enable the phantoms to engulf you with their snaky tendrils. You shudder with fear as they coil around your limbs, filling them with a terrible chill that steals your strength and your will to resist. Reluctantly you surrender to their numbing caress and slip into a sleep from which there will be no awakening.
Your life and your quest end here.
You rub your eyes and look around you at a campsite nestling in a hollow at the foot of a great, snow-capped mountain. It is occupied by a host of partisans, who are busy tending their ponies and sharpening weapons dulled by heavy fighting. Your escort helps you to dismount and you are led through the camp to a cave hidden beneath a huge outcrop of rock. As you enter the cave and follow a torchlit passage, you hear voices echoing in the distance and your keen nostrils catch the scent of roasting meat. The passage ends at a curtained archway guarded by two men with spears. They look at you brusquely, as if you were a stray dog, but your escort explains your purpose here and they stand aside to allow you an audience with their leader, Sebb Jarel.
A wave of pain begins to envelop your mind, but your psychic defences deflect the attack before it overwhelms your senses: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.
The attack ceases but your fear grows as you watch the jackal-like Demonlord leap from the marble block and come bounding towards the door.
If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 147
.
If not,
turn to 174
.
Your pack and weapons land safely among the tangle of foliage that carpets the ground on the opposite side of the chasm. Free of their encumbrance, you take a long run-up and leap feet-first across the gap.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 0–3,
turn to 54
.
If it is 4 or more,
turn to 15
.
Suddenly a dozen webbed hands slap over the sides of the boat and six ghoulish, dome-shaped heads rise from the river. Their mottled throat sacs puff and slacken fitfully as these creatures clamber over the gunwales and launch their attack.
Illustration II—Suddenly ghoulish, dome-shaped heads rise from the river.
Ciquali:
COMBAT SKILL
29
ENDURANCE
36
Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 3 points for the first round of combat due to the surprise of the attack.
If you win and the fight lasts four rounds or less,
turn to 169
.
If you win and the fight lasts longer than four rounds,
turn to 309
.
On your return to Prince Graygor's tent you are shown to your sleeping area by one of his heralds. It is little more than a pile of straw strewn on the bare ground, but you have slept in worse places than this and you are now too exhausted to complain or look for somewhere more suitable to rest.
Unless you possess a blanket, lose 1
ENDURANCE
point due to an uncomfortable night's sleep.
The alarm bell signifies that the entrance to the tower is under attack. Adamas and his army have reached the centre of the city and are now fighting their way down into the dungeons in an attempt to free the slaves. The Death Knights are hurrying to their battle stations and they are unaware of your presence in this chamber.
3
[3] There is no choice that leads to this section of the book. It is exactly the same as
Section 299
and therefore superfluous.
You rush headlong through the trees and dense undergrowth, the dreadful howls of the Akataz growing ever louder in your ears. The pine trees appear to be thinning out and, as you break through a mass of waist-high foliage, you discover that the forest ends abruptly at the edge of a steep gorge. You skid to a halt and stare down at a raging river over 100 feet below.
A snarl, dangerously close, makes you spin on your heel and stare back into the forest. Your gaze is met by a score of hungry war-dogs as they creep closer for the kill.
If you wish to stand and fight the Akataz,
turn to 81
.
If you choose to evade them by jumping into the gorge,
turn to 340
.
The Drakkarim give a loud yell as soon as they see Adamas appear. At once the vanguard fire their crossbows and many bolts find their mark, but the Drakkarim who fall do not hamper their comrades, who are preparing to welcome Adamas with huge chunks of rock. With cat-like agility he veers right and left, weaving his way through the deluge of falling boulders, which smash down with a terrific crack. He reaches the door unscathed, rips the satchel from his shoulder, and primes the crystal explosive. Automatically you start to count as he runs back through rubble and dead bodies. Six … seven … eight … He leaps, and as you count nine he clears the rampart and lands beside you, breathless and exhilarated.
Your lightning-fast reactions save you from the deadly blade. But even before the dagger has blunted itself on the wall behind, Halgar pulls free the Bullwhip that he carries on his belt. He lashes out and the copper-studded whip snakes towards your unprotected face.
Halgar:
COMBAT SKILL
24
ENDURANCE
30
Owing to the speed of his attack you cannot use a Bow or evade combat.
If you win the fight,
turn to 145
.
You roll the dead Bhakish into the water and stare fearfully across the Hellswamp at myriad pairs of eyes gleaming coldly in the moonlight. A sudden movement in the water makes you recoil from the edge. Seconds later the scummy surface is whipped into a froth as the bodies are claimed by an unseen predator.
You and Jarel are unsettled by the encounter and you both spend a sleepless night cradling your weapons and waiting for the dawn: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.
You stare deeply into the serpent's scarlet eyes and will the venomous creature to sleep. It begins to sway, and then gradually its jaws close and it buries its head in its coils, succumbing totally to your command.
With the legendary grace and speed of a Kai master in battle, you draw an Arrow and send it whistling towards the sniper's head. He utters a gurgling scream as he topples from the first-floor window, your Arrow stuck in his throat.
If you wish to run forward to search the body,
turn to 296
.
If you choose to press on towards the centre of the town,
turn to 155
.
You have covered less than a mile when suddenly you hear the screams of men and startled horses coming from the darkness ahead. Cautiously you advance until you find yourself at the edge of a steep slope which descends to the site of an ancient quarry. Torchlight flickers at the centre of this wooded bowl, illuminating a grim and supernatural conflict.
Beyond the curtained arch lies a cavern bathed in the flickering light of a log fire. Five men sit cross-legged around the fire, carving meat from a boar on a spit suspended over the flames, and swilling wine from a wineskin that is passed between them.
‘What have we here?’ says a man with mouse-like features, as you appear before them.
‘A Pathfinder, if I'm not mistaken,’ says another, wiping spilt wine from his chin. ‘Well, Pathfinder, what brings you to our camp?’
‘I come to seek the help of Sebb Jarel,’ you reply. ‘Which one of you is he?’
‘I am Jarel,’ answers the mouse-like man. ‘How can I aid you?’
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination,
turn to 157
.
If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 275
.
You snatch the reins and wheel your horse around on its hind legs in one swift, elegant movement. The sergeant screams an order and his men lunge forward, hoping to stick you with their swords before your horse's forelegs return to the ground. But their attack is much too slow to catch a Kai master off-guard. Your horse regains its footing and you gallop through their shrinking ring of steel, barging aside two stout mountain ponies and leaving their riders sprawling in the dust.
The partisans give chase as you gallop headlong down a long and twisting hill track. You are beginning to outdistance your pursuers when your steed suddenly pitches forward and you are thrown head-first into a tangle of foliage. The dense undergrowth cushions your fall and you emerge unscathed, but your horse has been seriously injured. A deep pot-hole ensnared its foreleg and the limb is badly broken: the poor animal cannot go on. The partisans gallop into view and you are forced to abandon your crippled mount and escape on foot. With the angry cries of your pursuers growing ever louder, you curse your ill luck and run for the cover of the surrounding forest.
The corroded iron gantry shakes violently as you inch your way nearer to the flaming green ball. Once you are in position, you call to Paido and, one by one, he smashes the crystal rods.
Roark watches you rush towards him with hate and fear in his eyes. ‘Help me, master,’ he whimpers, rising unsteadily and drawing a slim-bladed sword from beneath his black robes.
Demonlord Tagazin answers his servant with a thunderous growl but does not hasten his pace to save him from your attack. He seems to be enjoying the fear that Roark displays, and as you strike his growl changes to a hideous snigger.
Roark:
COMBAT SKILL
18
ENDURANCE
20
If you win and the fight lasts three rounds or less,
turn to 326
.
If the fight lasts longer than three rounds, do not continue but
turn instead to 10
.