War of the Wizards (9 page)

The rope is attached to a large, clay bowl, brim-full of clear water. You secure the handles so that the bowl does not drop to the bottom of the well. The well must stand over the site of an underground spring, for the water is fresh.

Turn to 25
.

You take aim once more and send a bolt of magical flame rushing towards the Flying Snake. Once more your aim is true and the creature drops dead with a shrill cry of pain. The attack has cost you 2
WILLPOWER
points.

Turn to 240
.

You raise your Staff and unleash a magical beam of fire at the toad demon, using 2
WILLPOWER
points. It howls with pain and staggers back. Thick, black blood oozes from the wound you have inflicted in its side but it is not slain. It cowers before you, staring with malevolent hatred, pure evil visible in its small, red-veined eyes. With a tormented scream it vanishes and the remaining three advance on you. Suddenly Tanith's warning alerts you to something standing close behind you. You spin round, poised to strike, your staff held firmly in both hands and your body crouched in a combat stance, to see the injured demon leering down at you. It has barely completed its magical materialization when it moves to strike.

Turn to 28
.

You are just about to unleash the power of your Staff when the Flying Snake abruptly changes direction, manoeuvring into a dive. It hurtles towards you at lightning speed, inflicting a raking claw wound on your shoulder as it passes, before climbing into the air. Both the Flying Snake and the horse were travelling so fast that you were unable to retaliate. You have lost 1
ENDURANCE
point.

Turn to 42
.

Taking the Moonstone in both hands, you gaze into it and concentrate with all your power. The stone is transformed into a whirlpool of spinning colours. Then, abruptly, it clears and you are looking upon Lake Dolani. Nearby lies the Masbaté, still bound and suffering. You struggle to extend the range of the image in the stone, and eventually your efforts are rewarded. A swarm of creatures comes into view. Moving along the base of a line of mountains is a monstrous horde of deformity: the demon plague. Each of the creatures has a different but equally misshapen form: weird toad beasts, their green hides glistening, crawl and flop along the ground; stumbling apes with stunted limbs shamble beside creeping reptiles with human heads. You are sure the demon plague is very near and you sweep the land once more, tracing the line of a river that fills a lake similar to Lake Dolani: this must be Lake Iss. Another group comes into view. It is a band of Masbaté warriors, moving swiftly along the line of the river and most certainly headed towards their fellow warrior and the trap laid by the demon horde. Your concentration begins to ebb. You can no longer maintain control of the Moonstone and you allow the image to fade. The use of this Power has cost you 2
WILLPOWER
points.

Illustration V
—Taking the Moonstone in both hands you concentrate on it with all your power.

If you wish to go to the aid of the captured Masbaté,
turn to 97
.

If you prefer to leave the man to suffer and hide behind the ridge that overlooks the lake,
turn to 116
.

If you wish to head in the direction of Lake Iss and attempt to warn the Masbaté warriors of the trap that awaits them,
turn to 89
.

The demon clings to the side of the stallion and, with a superhuman effort, you twist round and bring your Staff crashing down on its skull. The creature falls to the plain, spinning over and over again before coming to rest. Your heart lifts as you notice the growing frequency of trees and bushes dotting the land: the forest's edge is rushing towards you. The winged demons above are now unable to fly so low. The demon horde is still far behind. With a jubilant yell you enter the sanctuary of the wooded pass through the mountains and, swiftly, you dismount, wincing at the pain caused by your many cuts and bruises. The stallion is also injured and you lead the exhausted animal along the heart of the forest. Looking around furtively you eventually find a hidden clearing where you can rest for a few moments and plan the last stage of your task.

Turn to 170
.

You take careful aim and unleash a bolt of destructive power from the tip of your Staff. A beam of incandescence banishes the shadows of the evening and spears the demonic creature before you. The force of the blast knocks the creature off its feet and inflicts a terrible wound in its side that oozes with viscous black blood. The attack has cost you 2
WILLPOWER
points. The other creatures come to an abrupt halt, watching in amazement as the injured demon clambers to its feet. It stands at a distance, cowering and snarling. The other three imitate their leader, panic writhing in their ghastly faces.

If you wish to charge them,
turn to 232
.

If you wish to make another long-range attack,
turn to 243
.

If you wish to stand your ground and await their next move,
turn to 262
.

The pure white light of the Moonstone shines forth with a lambent glow. Bathed in the protective aura of the Moonstone, you ride on with speed. The miles are covered swiftly and the snow-white stallion maintains a tireless, unfaltering pace; you bless Samu for such an invaluable gift. At last you reach the River Dolani. The river is close to its source in the mountains and is consequently quite shallow; you are able to ford it easily. After crossing the river, you veer slightly to the northwest, towards the hills that lie southeast of Lake Tilos, where the portal of the demons of the Lissan Plain is situated. In the distance, you see a small group of figures heading towards you.

If you wish to avoid this gathering,
turn to 224
.

If not,
turn to 231
.

With a last, painful effort you hurtle through the brush and undergrowth at the edge of the forest. Using the cover of the forest you soon leave the horde struggling behind you. Stumbling with fatigue, your robe tattered and torn, your body bleeding from a dozen small wounds, you tramp through the densely packed vegetation. At last you find a hidden glade and you stop to rest for a moment.

Turn to 170
.

With a wide, scything stroke of your Staff, the demon is slain. Its ruined body crumples to the ground, staining the grass of the plain with thick, black blood. Suddenly a razor-sharp pincer grabs your arm, raking your shoulder to inflict a bloody wound (you lose 3
ENDURANCE
points). The other three demons have crept up on you while you fought. Your attacker is the smallest of the three: a grotesque creature with an impossibly bent back and a bulbous purple body, shining like the shell of some gigantic beetle. With a cacophony of triumphal screeches they throw themselves at you. You cannot evade and must fight them to the death. All three fight as one enemy.

Three Demons of the Plain:
COMBAT SKILL
 20   
ENDURANCE
 30

If you win the combat,
turn to 251
.

A cascading arc of fire flows from your Staff to rain death on the valley below. Two demons shriek and are silent; another scurries back and forth screaming as its body burns. Terror spreads through the horde and it advances no further. You have made a wise decision. This demonstration of your power has been sufficient to hold the beasts at bay. Deduct 2
WILLPOWER
points for this magical attack.

Turn to 112
.

At the expense of 2
WILLPOWER
points, you throw a beam of fiery magic into the ranks of the demon horde. A ghoulish form with three arms and grey, mottled skin falls dead, followed by a strange, birdlike creature with the body of a worm. You begin to walk down the stairs towards the rest of the horde. Flinching at the Moonstone's light they back away. The power of your incantation is beginning to fade now but you feel sure that the horde is sufficiently frightened to allow you and Tanith to pass. As you reach the bottom of the stairs, you are disturbed to hear their moans of fear change to a gloating croon. They part before you to reveal a giant shadow at the far end of the hall.

Turn to 270
.

You are given a horse and ride alongside Samu, who, like the rest of the Masbaté, does not ride. The Masbaté are too big to ride and use their Simar horses only to carry their supplies. Nevertheless, the Masbaté run like the wind and soon the River Dosar is far behind.

When night comes, you make camp. Tomorrow, your southerly journey will take you to the Army of the Freedom Guild.

Turn to 321
.

The horse maintains a steady, tireless pace and the miles pass by swiftly. Soon you reach the River Dolani. The river is very shallow at this point and you are able to ford it easily. Heading northwest you sight a line of demons coming towards you.

If you possess a Potion of Invulnerability and wish to drink it,
turn to 84
.

If you do not,
turn to 90
.

You decide to change direction and increase speed. Shortly your limbs feel weary and your feet begin to drag. The heat of the sun is almost unbearable. You look over your shoulder and, to your amazement, the figure has disappeared. You gaze over the featureless grassy plain: where could he be hidden? You are beginning to suffer from heat exhaustion: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point. Your present course is taking you far from anywhere you want to go.

If you wish to head in the direction of the fortress city of Shadaki,
turn to 14
.

If you wish to head south, towards the lands of the Army of the Freedom Guild,
turn to 36
.

The demons seem loathe to attack but a large, hulking man-shape with wrinkled, elephantine skin summons up the courage to charge towards you. His sudden attack catches you off-guard and you are unable to evade combat.

Man Demon:
COMBAT SKILL
 20   
ENDURANCE
 21

If you win the combat,
turn to 144
.

To your dismay, the rope snaps. A distant splash tells you that the receptacle that was attached to the rope has now fallen to the bottom of the well. The rope must have been rotten with age. You will have to find some other method of drawing water. Leading down into the inky depths you see a series of metal rungs cemented into the walls of the well.

If you have the Magical Power of Elementalism and wish to use it,
turn to 124
.

If you are versed in the Higher Magick of Physiurgy,
turn to 185
.

If you prefer to climb down into the well, or if you do not possess either of these Magical Powers,
turn to 229
.

Frantically you grab at the armour, trying to drag it off, but the rigours of your flight from the demon host have left you too fatigued to resist the current of the water. In a few, awful moments you drown in the waters of the River Dosar.

You have failed in your quest.