War of the Wizards (19 page)

You ride the horse to the edge of the river and dive in. You swim with desperate strokes, but the Shadakine armour drags at your body.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. Add this number to your current
ENDURANCE
total.

If the total is 12 or less,
turn to 80
.

If the total is more than 12,
turn to 86
.

Mountains lie all around you on the horizon. You guess that it is summer, for the sun beats strongly and the sky is cloudless. Despite the heat, Tanith shivers. ‘There is an evil presence here,’ she mutters.

According to Tanith, you have arrived in the centre of the Lissan Plain. The fortress city of Shadaki lies many hundreds of miles to the east. A broad line of distant mountains separates you from that city of evil. Suddenly you realize that you have no food or water. The simplest of requirements stands between you and the fulfilment of a quest upon which thousands of lives depend. If you do not find water soon you will die.

If you wish to head east in the direction of the city of Shadaki,
turn to 172
.

If you wish to head south,
turn to 60
.

Your journey proceeds without further incident. You can see the wide, forested pass a few miles away. Once you have gained the safety of the trees, you will wait for the demon host to seek you out, and then make a final dash for the Lanzi bridge on the River Dosar, where Samu and the Masbaté will be waiting for you. But your spirits have lifted too soon. Heading straight towards you is a dark cloud of wings and snakelike bodies. It is a flock of flying snakes numbering at least twenty.

If you wish to try to make a dash for the forest,
turn to 101
.

If you wish to make a stand,
turn to 261
.

A flash of colour catches your eye: it is a collection of purple Phinomel. This flowering shrub, also known to some as Dragonkiss, grows round the base of rocks and stones, taking root in the damp soil beneath. The name Dragonkiss comes from the plant's curious, perilous flowers. Each flower is a semi-transparent pod and its colour comes from the potent, purple acid within each one. If the main plant is disturbed the pods may squirt a stinging jet of acid, capable of inflicting a painful burn. If the pods can be plucked carefully from the main plant, without disturbing the main plant, the acid can be preserved and used at a later date. The acid is of great use to Alchemists and Theurgists as a constituent part of a formula to transform base metals to metals of greater worth.

If you wish to pluck some Phinomel pods,
turn to 4
.

If you wish to continue on your way,
turn to 43
.

The moon bursts through a space in the clouds and you see Sado, a bloody sword in one hand, standing upon the brow of a low hill. He and a small number of his personal guard are beset on all sides by Shadakine warriors. You sprint over to him. Looking to the east, you see a sight that makes you gasp. Beyond the edge of the forest is the Shadakine Army. It is larger than you ever imagined, row upon row of bristling spears and swords wink beneath the night sky. Among the ranks you sight the glow of a Kazim Stone; a Shadakine Wytch must accompany the army.

Illustration XIII
—Sado stands upon the brow of a low hill, a bloody sword in his hand.

You enter the battle that rages at Sado's feet in an effort to free him so that he can command the rest of the army. More and more men appear out of the darkness, summoned by his rallying call. A Shadakine spearman springs out of the shadows and runs towards you.

If you have 2
WILLPOWER
points and wish to fire at the spearman at long range,
turn to 324
.

If you wish to stand and face the warrior's charge,
turn to 330
.

If you wish to flee,
turn to 335
.

A second blast of flame sends another demon to its doom; the hunched creature with a shiny purple back, shaped like a beetle lies in a heap on the ground. With a mad gibber of panic the others dematerialize. You are safe. This magical attack has cost you 2
WILLPOWER
points.

Turn to 99
.

A large Flying Snake hurtles towards you. You hold up your Staff and brace yourself to receive the attack. The beast's razor-sharp talons flex and stretch to scour your flesh. You cannot evade combat.

Flying Snake:
COMBAT SKILL
 20   
ENDURANCE
 20

Combat lasts for only one round as the demon flashes past. If your enemy loses more
ENDURANCE
points than you, ignore any
ENDURANCE
points you lose.

If you are still alive,
turn to 287
.

With an awful shriek, the last of the demons falls dead at your feet. There are more behind but they back away cautiously, spitting and growling. With horror, you notice that many of the demons are dragging the corpses of the Masbaté dead from their crypts.

If you wish to attack one of these demons at long range with your Staff,
turn to 205
.

If you wish to charge the demons,
turn to 154
.

You dig your heels in the stallion's flanks and it launches into a thunderous gallop. You come within ten paces of the demon line; the light from the Moonstone, which you hold aloft, shines brightly on their faces. With the first touch of its rays, the pack emits a chorus of wailing and anguished shrieks. They scatter in all directions, shielding their grotesque faces and squirming to avoid the Moonstone's light. However, before your charge can hit home, they disappear: they must have teleported to the portal in the Hills of Tilos. You slow the white stallion and proceed at a gentler pace.

Turn to 237
.

Something appears in the clear, sunlit sky. At first you think that one of the little winged snakes has returned, but, as the creature draws closer, you realize that this beast is far larger, though identical to the earlier serpents in every other way.

If you wish to attack the Flying Snake at long range with your Wizard's Staff,
turn to 66
.

If not,
turn to 59
.

Still levitating, you drift towards the demon as it prepares to launch itself at Tanith. At a height of ten feet, you release the spell and fall onto the creature's back. It crashes to the ground with a piping scream and you roll away from its inert body and flip back onto your feet. Glowering, you face the remaining demons, who begin to edge back, gurgling with fear. Sensing your advantage, you loose a terrifying cry and launch yourself at them, Staff ablaze. The demons freeze, panic-stricken, but before you can strike they vanish. You are safe.

Turn to 99
.

You gaze into the Moonstone and, using 2
WILLPOWER
points, you fill the orb with visions of nearby events. The swirling haze of colours clears to reveal a deep valley. At the bottom of that valley you can see a multitude of demonic creatures. They stand before a shimmering arc of fire that hovers in the air. This is the demon portal; they lie, waiting for you to approach.

Turn to 274
.

Somewhere in the forest your pursuers are stamping through the dense foliage, smashing their way towards you. You leap into the saddle of the Shadakine mount and speed away, heading south towards Lanzi, where Samu and his Masbaté warriors are waiting for you at the bridge. You pray that the Shadakine Army is already well on its way to Lanzi.

Glancing over your shoulder you see the first of the horde burst from the undergrowth of the forest. You concentrate on the last frantic dash that lies ahead of you.

Turn to 352
.

The shadows have deepened into night as the last demon falls dead at your feet. Despite the unfavourable odds, you have triumphed. Tanith is unharmed but you are exhausted after your efforts. Panting, you fall to your knees, head slumped and shoulders heaving as you regain your breath.

Turn to 201
.

You remain conscious long enough to see the bridge erupt into flames and collapse into the waters of the River Dosar. Then you faint with exhaustion into Samu's arms. When at last you come round it is night and the Masbaté have made camp along the route towards the Army of the Freedom Guild in the south.

Turn to 321
.

Hurriedly you run along the gallery in search of a place to hide. A babble breaks out from the creatures below: you have been spotted. The scuffle of webbed and clawed feet tells you that the demon horde is rushing up the stairs towards you. There is nowhere to hide. The only way down to the hall is by those stairs and you may only leave the tomb by the entrance to the hall.

‘We'll have to fight our way out,’ you say to Tanith. She nods, a grim expression on her face.

Turn to 236
.

With quaking heart, you ascend the hill. You stand at the top in a circle of stone forms with the indistinct features of men. Their voices murmur in a haunting, faraway whisper.

‘He comes … the Grey One comes … ’

‘Does he bear the key … the Masterstone … our salvation?’

‘Who are you?’ you shout into the darkness. The whispering subsides and one voice speaks to you.

‘We are the Kazim, the Stone peoples. Old as the earth. We have waited.’

‘For what?’

‘For the bearer of the Masterstone to set us free from this hill that we might claim back what was once ours. We seek our hearts that the Dark One stole from us long ago.’

Illustration XIV
—‘We are the Kazim. The Stone peoples. Old as the earth. We have waited.’

A glimmer of realization dawns in your mind. ‘Who?’ you ask, urgently. ‘Who stole your hearts?’

‘He who calls himself Shasarak, sundered and shameful brother of the Shianti.’

The Kazim Stones of the Shadakine Wytches must be the hearts of these poor, forlorn creatures. Trapped and heartless upon this hill they have waited for you to free them. ‘But how?’ you ask the Kazim.

‘You must have the key or we would not have awakened from our sleep of centuries and felt your presence here in the forest. You are the bearer of the Masterstone. Take it out and free us as the Shianti promised.’

They must mean the Moonstone. Long ago the Shianti must have promised to free the Kazim out of shame for the actions of their renegade Shianti brother. Now you have come to fulfil that promise for them. The Kazim mentioned regaining their hearts. If they are successful, they rob Shasarak's most powerful servants of their power. The separate threads of the story fall into place as the ancient plans of the Shianti finally come to fruition. You draw out the Moonstone. Though you have not exerted any power upon it, it is shining with a blinding white light of its own. The seven Kazim roar with pleasure as the rays of the Moonstone touch their rocky bodies, and then they begin to move, stretching their craggy limbs after centuries of sleep.

One of the Kazim speaks to you. ‘We thank you,’ it says. ‘But you must go now, back to your people. Their enemy approaches, bringing with them an enemy of ours. We will come soon, when we are fully ready and restored to life. Hurry. Battle begins.’

In the distance you can hear the sound of many voices shouting. The Shadakine must have attacked by night. You whirl around and dash down the hill, heading towards the sound of battle.

Turn to 358
.