The Curse of Naar (12 page)

You feel the crushing power of the hostile Mindforce collide with the fabric of your consciousness like a tidal wave that leaves you reeling under its impact. Yet your formidable psychic defences absorb and deflect all of this destructive energy, and you are able to survive the attack with no lasting damage to your psychic senses: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.

Turn to 290
.

You attempt to dodge the onrushing lance of flame but it glances your shoulder and sends you tumbling backwards across the hall's slimy floor.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
(0=10). The number you have picked is equal to the number of
ENDURANCE
points you have lost as a result of your wounds. If you possess Deliverance, you may reduce this total by 1 point.

Aware now that the Lord of Decay seated on the right-hand throne is Jantoor, you stagger to your feet and shout his secret name. Immediately the creature becomes immobile. The sight of his frozen form — and the sudden cessation of mind contact — throws his brother-lord into a state of panic and confusion. In a blind rage he utters a curse and, to your horror, you see the maggot swarm emerge from the shadowy recesses of the hall. As the larvae writhe towards you they begin to swell grotesquely in size.

If you are to save yourself from this monstrous horde you must quickly use the secret name of the remaining Künae. But there is no time to consult the Tome of Darkness: you must try to recall the name from memory.

If you think the secret name is ‘Rhunotar’,
turn to 96
.

If you think the secret name is ‘Rhunadan’,
turn to 311
.

If you think the secret name is ‘Rhunaguin’,
turn to 289
.

This gloomy cavern looks chillingly familiar, and when suddenly you recognize its derelict features a sense of fear and loathing pervades your mind. It was here you first encountered the Demoness Shamath with her army of attendants and dread automatons. You shudder when you recall how you seized the evil Deathstaff from this place, escaped from here by way of a Shadow Gate, and later thwarted Shamath's attempt to resurrect Darklord Vashna from the depths of the Maakengorge. The chamber's cracked and crumbling walls seem to reaffirm your past victory over the Demoness for you can detect no trace of the Shadow Gate nor of the supernatural creatures who previously dwelt in this once-splendid chamber. Cautiously you step out of the transporter beam and enter the cavern. The shattered remnants of the crystal dais crunch underfoot as you make your way across the floor towards a tunnel which gradually descends for more than a mile before reaching a circular cavern. The mouths of several smaller tunnels meet at this chamber, and all of these entrances are dark, save for one which radiates an icy blue luminescence. Before approaching any closer, you retrieve the Tome of Darkness from your Backpack and consult its pages.

The page that revealed to you information about the realm of Huan'zhor is now featureless, but the one which follows it has transformed; it has taken on the appearance of a thin sheet of ice. Sandwiched within its transparent layers are lines of blood-red writing interposed with intricate diagrams and astrological charts. Relying once more upon your Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship, you are able to decipher much of this sorcerous text. The writings confirm some of what you already know, and they also provide you with fresh information that may aid your quest. You have entered the realm of the Demoness Shamath, the Mistress of the Gates of Darkness. The Tome does not tell of her defeat by your hand, but you assume that this is because it was written long before your recent victory over her and her minions. Speaking as if she were still in control here, it says that she rules this domain from her Throne of Power which stands beside the Pool of Sorrows. You pass over the long list of unspeakably cruel deeds which earned her the right to rule this icy realm, and the revelation of her secret name ‘Gnekasha’ until you discover that which interests you most: details of how to escape from this realm. You swallow hard when you read that all those who would seek to leave the realm of Shamath must first ‘spill their own blood in the Pool of Sorrows’.

You close the Tome and stow it away into your Backpack, and then stealthily you approach the tunnel entrance which is radiating a pale azure light. When you halt upon its threshold and peer through its embellished archway, you witness a scene which both shocks and confounds you.

Turn to 275
.

The canoe grounds on a submerged boulder a few dozen yards from the beach, forcing you to abandon the craft and wade ashore. You soon discover that the stones littering this beach are slick with an oily residue. Your natural agility overcomes this obstacle but the slippery surface makes it difficult for you to reach the cover of the distant tree-line as swiftly as you would like.

As you draw near to the perimeter of trees you pause for a moment to scan the dark jungle undergrowth. Long streamers of moss-encrusted vines hang from the trees, draping themselves limply over every rock and bough, and a tangled mass of interwoven creepers and low-spreading branches forms a blanket canopy which keeps much of the forest floor in semi-darkness. As you stare into the damp and shadowy foliage, you feel a growing sense of unease. Your burning desire to press on with your quest is suddenly dampened by an overwhelming urge to avoid this jungle.

If you possess Grand Pathsmanship and have attained the Kai rank of Grand Crown or higher,
turn to 115
.

If you have Grand Pathsmanship but have yet to attain this rank,
turn to 334
.

If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 255
.

Upon reaching the crater you are relieved to discover that its steep sides are covered with hardened lava, dusted with loose volcanic ash. You climb towards the rim, pausing halfway to take cover from the searing hot winds in the lee of a jagged boulder. While you are sheltering here, you take the opportunity to consult the Tome of Darkness given to you by Lord Rimoah. Its metallic pages appear as blank as when you first looked through them, but then you discover a page that is now very different. Bold black text stands out from a page that glimmers like mirrored steel. Using your Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship, you are able to decipher much of the arcane script which fills this page.

The text tells of a creature called Huan'zhor the Dragonlord and of his Throne of Power which is located within ‘a nest of fire atop the Tree of the Wyrm’. It lists the many acts of evil perpetrated by Huan'zhor during his long existence, for which he has been generously rewarded by Naar; the Dark God has granted him this fiery domain within the Plane of Darkness. It continues at length to describe the creatures that are enslaved to him, which include the Lavas, the Zarthyn, and the Chugotha. But most interestingly it reveals his secret name ‘Zheva’ which can be used to bind him and tells of a magical item, the Scarab of the Wingless Dragon, which can be found in the ‘nest of fire’ and which can be used to effect an escape from his realm.

You close the Tome and slip it back into your pack. From your makeshift shelter you command a view over the surrounding landscape in which there is nothing that remotely resembles a nest or a tree. All you are able to discern with any clarity is the blazing fire-storm which is now sweeping across this charred land. Fearful of what could befall you when the fire-storm reaches this exposed flank of the crater, you continue your climb and seek cover within the crater itself.

If you have ever visited the city of Tahou in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure,
turn to 194
.

If you have never visited this city,
turn to 339
.

You sense a sorcerous resistance to your
Counterspell
, but the power of your Brotherhood magic proves strong enough to overcome this reaction. There is a sharp crackling noise and spiders of fiery blue electrical arcing appear all around the circular slot. Then they flicker and fade and you suddenly hear another sound, a grating squeal. Anxiously you watch as the great portal slowly swings open.

Turn to 343
.

You pull yourself to your feet and listen to the ore train as it disappears into the distant gloom with a sound like dying thunder. When you can no longer hear its rumble, you walk back along the tunnel to the junction where a new passageway branches off to the left. Your gnawing desire to find the Moonstone prompts you to explore this tunnel and you follow it for several hundred yards until you reach a dank and empty cavern. Streams of ore-rich water run down the walls of this chamber, staining them a rusty shade of brown. You are hungry and you decide to stop and rest here for a while. Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

While you are resting, you decide to consult the Tome of Darkness to see if it has any useful information about this strange subterranean complex.

Turn to 33
.

Even though you decline to accept the sword which Rimoah and Ardan have painstakingly crafted, they show no disappointment. They accept your decision without comment or question. Rimoah returns the blade to the table and takes up a sigil of platinum which is strung upon a loop of braided cord.

‘Grand Master will you accept this amulet? It possesses powers which may help you survive the challenge of your coming ordeal.’

‘Very well,’ you reply, and take the amulet from your advisor's outstretched palm. (Record this Platinum Amulet, which you wear around your neck, as a Special Item on your
Action Chart
. You need not discard another Special Item in its favour if you already hold the maximum number permissible.)

As you tuck the amulet inside the collar of your robes, Lord Ardan picks up a small package from the table that is wrapped in a silk handkerchief. Carefully he unfolds the patterned silk square to reveal a book which is bound in jet-black hide. A wave of nausea makes you swallow hard as your natural Kai instincts detect that the origins of this book are wholly evil. Ardan offers it to you and, reluctantly this time, you take it from him.

‘It was discovered a decade ago in Northern Dessi,’ he says. ‘A party of our brethren found it on the Isle of Khor. It was found buried in the ruins of Kazan-Oud.’

Carefully you open the stiff black cover and, to your surprise, you discover that the inner pages comprise several sheets of pliable metal. They have the feel of parchment but they sparkle and glimmer like plates of polished steel. You turn through the pages and note that every one appears to be empty, devoid of script, pictures, or diagrams of any sort.

‘I do not see how this book will help my quest,’ you say, as you flick back and forth through the seemingly empty pages.

‘This may be true while you are here in Sommerlund,’ replies Lord Rimoah, ‘but once you arrive upon the Plane of Darkness I suspect that its secrets will be revealed. We of the High Council believe it contains information about the many realms and territories within Naar's domain. It may help guide you to the location of his throne hall and, with luck, to the Moonstone of the Shianti.’

You are dubious as to the true value of this item but, in deference to Lord Rimoah's judgement, you agree to take it. (Record this Tome of Darkness on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item. As with the Platinum Amulet, you need not discard another Special Item in its favour if you already hold the maximum number permissible.)

To continue,
turn to 329
.

Gradually the distant speck grows larger until, with a sudden violent surge, you pass through its white-hot core and feel yourself engulfed by a damp and fetid atmosphere. Moments later your journey ends abruptly when you splash feet-first into a swampy morass. Despite the speed of your impact, your natural balance and agility prevent you from plunging beneath the surface of the stinking swamp into which you have fallen.
⁸

After wiping away the slime that has splashed your face, you cast your gaze out across an unlovely vista of steaming mud pools fringed with dark jungle vegetation. A cloying aura of evil permeates every part of this vile landscape, leaving you in no doubt that you have successfully arrived at your destination, the Plane of Darkness. You look up and scour the corpse-green skies, but dense clouds of acidic vapour hide all traces of the Shadow Gate through which you have entered this plane. Feeling suddenly vulnerable standing waist-deep in steaming swamp mud, you decide to wade through the gluey sludge towards a nearby mound of barren grey earth. Once out of the mire, you rest on your haunches and consult the Tome of Darkness given to you by Lord Rimoah. Its metallic pages appear to be as blank as when you first flicked through them, but then you turn to one page that is now very different. Coloured designs have appeared, surrounded by a ragged text which radiates a flickering spectrum of light. Using your Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship, you are able to decipher much of this arcane writing.

The text tells of a creature called Nza'pok, Lord of the Mire, and of his Throne of Power which is located upon an islet at the mouth of the River of Flies. It describes the many vile deeds he has perpetrated for the cause of Evil, for which he has been greatly rewarded by Naar. The Dark God has granted him his own domain within the Plane of Darkness. It goes on to list the names of the creatures that are enslaved to him. But most interestingly it tells of a secret name ‘Khula’ which can be used to bind him, and of an amulet which he possesses that will enable one to leave his territory. You study the text for some time and conclude that this swamp must be a part of Nza'pok's realm. The pages of the Tome seem to hold the key to the hierarchy of the Plane of Darkness and contain information that is needed to move from one domain to another. Unfortunately, not all of the book appears legible at any one time. You close the Tome and slip it back into your pack. Your natural instincts tell you that the Moonstone is not to be found here in this swampland, and, in view of what you have discovered, you decide that you must escape from here as soon as possible. However, if you are to do so successfully you will first have to find Nza'pok, the ruler of this domain, and take the amulet which he possesses. Suddenly your Sixth Sense warns you that the seemingly empty swamp harbours hidden enemies. They are distant but they are drawing closer with every passing minute. You get to your feet and look for the best route away from this mound, but only two ways offer any promise. To the south, you see a shattered causeway of mouldering grey stones, and to the east, you catch sight of a shallow ridge that barely breaks the surface of the swamp.

If you wish to explore the causeway,
turn to 67
.

If you decide to investigate the ridge,
turn to 202
.