War of the Wizards (6 page)

At the cost of 2
WILLPOWER
points, you fire into the demon ranks. Two fall dead instantly and the rest scatter with howling shrieks and bestial cries. You turn and run, Tanith at your side. Your attack has bought you time to try to escape the overwhelming number of demons.

Turn to 89
.

Bathed in the radiant aura of the Moonstone's protection, you continue the journey east. You top a rise and look down its gentle slope. Ahead, you can see a sparkling river. With a cry of joy, you and Tanith run towards it. At the water's edge you both drop to your knees to drink. Scooping up great mouthfuls of the cool water, you quench your raging thirst. You are on the banks of the Dolani River. Tanith tells you that its source is to the northeast, in the Kashima Mountains. Its southerly course leads to Lake Dolani, which she guesses to be at least thirty miles away. The river is too wide and deep to be crossed here, although it is likely to be narrower and shallower further upstream. At this point the light of the Moonstone, which you laid on the ground beside you before beginning to drink, starts to flicker as the power of your incantation fades. Suddenly Tanith cries out.

‘Grey Star!’ she screams. ‘We are attacked!’

Illustration II
—Four fearsome creatures mount the rise.

You snatch up the Moonstone and spin round. Four fearsome creatures have mounted the rise behind you. As you watch, they rush towards you, coming to a cowering halt within twenty paces of you both. Afraid of the fading aura of the Moonstone as the light decreases, each takes another shambling step towards you. They are ghastly, malformed creatures, each with a different misshapen form. These are demons summoned long ago by the Wytch-king Shasarak to conquer the people who once inhabited the Lissan Plain. Having fulfilled their purpose, they were left to roam the plain by Shasarak. The leading demon — the largest — takes another step forward, its glistening green skin and toad-like features reflected in the dull light of the setting sun.

If you wish to continue the necromantic incantation of protection that has almost faded from the Moonstone,
turn to 35
.

If you prefer to launch a long-range attack at the leading demon with your Wizard's Staff,
turn to 65
.

If you wish to wait to see what the demons will do,
turn to 93
.

By using the Magical Power of Necromancy, you will be able to create an aura of protection against the forces of evil. You will have to expend 3
WILLPOWER
points to light the Moonstone.

If you wish to use 3
WILLPOWER
points to create an aura of protection,
turn to 57
.

If you are versed in the Higher Magick of Thaumaturgy and prefer to use this Power,
turn to 19
.

If you do not wish to use either of these Powers, or if you do not possess them,
turn to 29
.

You both drink long and deep: the large bowl is almost empty before your thirst is sated. When you have finished you walk to the far end of the hall. Two flights of stairs lead up to a large platform. At the rear of the platform a vast and elaborate frieze has been carved from the wall. In the centre, a woman stands with arms outstretched in a gesture of welcome. She is wreathed in light and, standing all around her, are rows of men and women of proud bearing. This building must be the work of the Masbaté. The woman is a representation of the Great goddess Ishir, High Priestess of the Moon, mother of all men, and the building is some form of temple or shrine.

Another flight of steps leads from the platform to one of the many galleries that line the temple's walls. Cautiously you both mount these steps, passing through a doorway that opens on to one of the galleries. The fading light from above does not illuminate the high archways that lead off the gallery, and, at the cost of 1
WILLPOWER
point, you cause a light to glow from the top of your Staff. You peer through an archway to see a large chamber, its high ceiling lost in shadow, its corners shrouded in cobwebs. In the middle of the chamber stands a long pallet of grime-encrusted marble. With a start, you realize that a human form rests upon the pallet, but your panic soon subsides, for it is a dead man, a giant, with a huge broadsword clutched to his chest with withered hands. A necklace of blue stones hangs around his neck; a circlet of silver crowns his head. The brown, shrunken flesh has been partly preserved by some process of mummification, but the garments the corpse wears have all but mouldered away.

Inspection of the remaining chambers on this floor confirms that this is an ancient Masbaté tomb. Each chamber is a crypt, in which the Masbaté have laid their dead to rest with their weapons of war and personal effects. The tomb of the Masbaté was probably served by guardians before Shasarak summoned the plague of demons that eventually destroyed the Masbaté tribe. Tanith arms herself with a long dagger from one of the chambers. She also takes a sling and a number of stones. You may keep any of the following items that you find in the various chambers:

• Coil of Rope (Backpack Item)
  
• Sword and Sheath (hung from the belt)
  ¹¹
  
• Spear (held in the hand)
  
• Dagger and Sheath (hung from the belt)
  ¹²
  
• Water Bottle (hung over the shoulder by a strap)
  
• 4 unlit Torches (each Torch counts as one Backpack Item)
  
• Tinderbox (Backpack Item)
  

Remember to mark any items that you keep on your
Action Chart
.

The light from the shafts has faded completely. Night has fallen. You are both very tired and, after further exploration, you discover an empty chamber and both settle down to sleep.

Turn to 200
.

You focus your will on the stone fabric of the bridge, using 2
WILLPOWER
points. With a thunderous explosion, it collapses into rubble and falls into the waters below.

Turn to 75
.

Instantly you make a dash in the opposite direction. With a murderous howl, the pack chases after you. They are hot on your heels, and within moments you are caught and dragged to the ground.

You have failed in your quest and your adventure ends here.

The demon opens its mouth and bares a tangle of fanged teeth. It lunges at you, and, as you swerve to receive its attack, you realize that your back is undefended against the other three demons. However, you must fight the toad demon first.

Toad Demon:
COMBAT SKILL
 17   
ENDURANCE
 16

You may only evade combat if you have lost less
ENDURANCE
points than your enemy in the first round of combat.

If you evade combat,
turn to 41
.

If you win the combat within three rounds,
turn to 72
.

If you and the enemy are still alive after three rounds of combat,
turn to 87
.

‘You will need to be able to move fast to escape the demon horde,’ says Samu. ‘Long ago, we of the Masbaté bred a strain of horse called the Simar, renowned for its stamina and the ease with which it can be controlled. It will not shy away from danger.’

A great white stallion is brought before you, harnessed and saddled. Gratefully, you thank Samu for his gift. The Masbaté are summoned and stand fitted and accoutred for battle before their king in a rocky escarpment shaped like a vast amphitheatre. They number a thousand men: a small number perhaps, but a mighty army nevertheless, for the Masbaté are formidable warriors. In a rousing speech, Samu tells them of the battle to come at the bridge at Lanzi, where you will rid their homeland of the demon plague forever. You receive a great cheer before Samu leads his people out of the mountains, towards Lanzi. A guide leads you to the other side of the mountains. The Shadakine Army is expected to reach the bridge at Lanzi within a day. In that time you must close the demon portal in the hills south of Tilos and lead the demons through the forested pass and against the Shadakine Army.

At last you come to the edge of the Lissan Plain and your guide prepares to leave. Before he goes, he offers you the following items to help you in your adventure. You may keep any or all of them.

• Backpack
  
• Coil of Rope (Backpack Item)
  
• Water Bottle (Special Item — slung over the shoulder by a leather strap)
  
• Tinderbox (Backpack Item)
  
• Sword (Weapon)
  
• Masbaté Battle Horn (Special Item — hung over the shoulder by a strap)
  

The guide returns to the mountains. You are alone. You urge the Simar horse into a trot and head north.

If you are already using the Higher Magick of Necromancy in the form of an incantation,
turn to 70
.

If not,
turn to 76
.

With the Moonstone and your Staff held aloft you shout down at the demon horde, ‘Begone creatures of darkness, minions of hell, slaves of terror! Beware the might of the Shianti and the sacred Moonstone of old.’

Many of the smaller demons begin to whimper obscenely, while others vanish, blinking out like candles snuffed by the wind. You step onto the next stair and note with satisfaction that they hasten away with anguished cries, endeavouring to remain outside the protective ring of the Moonstone. Just as you begin to think that your ploy will work, a large shadow looms at the far end of the hall. A winged form stands silhouetted by the sunlight streaming through the entrance to the tomb. The sea of deformity parts before you and the timid moans and cries become crowing gloats of pleasure. To your dismay, the protective light of the Moonstone gutters as the power of your incantation begins to fade.

Turn 270
.

You rein the exhausted stallion to a halt. Your whole body aches as a result of its relentless, galloping stride. You gaze westward, certain that the pack are in pursuit, but there is no sign of them. Time passes and you begin to feel uneasy. The plain is flat and featureless, and the afternoon sky is clear enough to be able to see far into the distance, yet there is no sign of the demon plague.

If you wish to backtrack a little,
turn to 51
.

If you wish to continue east,
turn to 47
.

With a low rumble, the stone door opens slowly, the rusted metal of the pulleys screeching amid the rasp of grating stone. The door is only halfway open when it grinds to a halt. The age-old mechanism has failed. However, the gap is sufficiently wide to admit a human form and soon you and Tanith are standing within the ziggurat, peering anxiously into the shadows.

Turn to 135
.

The horseman's blow shears his spear in half as he gallops past. He wheels, sword drawn, and dashes towards you again. Now you must fight to the death.

Shadakine:
COMBAT SKILL
 19   
ENDURANCE
 16

If you win the combat,
turn to 17
.

After many hours, the ingredients are brought to you. They must be ground and mixed together, and then heated over a fire to form the potion. You will need a Pestle and Mortar and at least one empty Vial to do this. A Masbaté medicine man offers you the following to help you make the potion:

• 2 empty Vials for carrying potions
  
• 1 Vial containing Saltpetre
  
• 1 Vial containing Sulphur
  
• Pestle and Mortar
  
• Tinderbox
  

Remember to mark any items that you take on your
Action Chart
. The empty Vials, and those containing Sulphur and Saltpetre can be stored in your Herb Pouch. You may also keep a sprig of Zakutsk Flower and a Demeril Root, these must be carried in your Herb Pouch. The Pestle and Mortar and the Tinderbox are Backpack Items, and the Vials may be stored in your Backpack or your Herb Pouch.

Turn to 49
.