The Dungeons of Torgar (16 page)
Read The Dungeons of Torgar Online
Authors: Joe Dever
Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Lone Wolf, #Magnamund
The air rushes past your face as you propel yourself across the yawning gap. Then, with a loud crash, you land on the other side among the roots and briars, and roll over to lessen the shock of impact. Barbed thorns graze your face and arms (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points) but you have made it across the chasm successfully. As soon as you recover you check your equipment and advance deeper into the eerie forest.
After hearing who you are and why you are here, the men look at each other and shake their heads in disbelief. Even the sight of the Prince's signet ring does not change their minds. ‘You would have our leader take you to Torgar?’ says one, sceptically. ‘You'd have him walk into a trap more likely. These tales you tell of quests and stones of power, they're 'bout as true as the uniform you wear. They all ring of deception and trickery!’
Slowly the five rise to their feet and step away from the fire, their hands drifting casually towards the hilts of their swords. On a whispered cue they unsheathe their blades and attack.
Partisans:
COMBAT SKILL
24
ENDURANCE
36
You can evade combat at any time;
turn to 23
.
If you win the combat,
turn to 170
.
The grisly reptile writhes and twists until, with a final tremor, it ceases its convulsions and settles into the mud. Like a hunter eager to claim a trophy, Jarel climbs astride the dead Gorodon and hacks free the two horns which protrude from its skull.
‘There are potion-makers in Humbold who'll pay a grand price for these,’ he says, wiping his blade on the body of the dead beast. He pockets one and offers the other horn to you.
If you wish to keep this Gorodon Horn, mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item which you keep strapped to your backpack.
To continue,
turn to 144
.
The archers are playing a game they call ‘Bullseyes’, but you know it better by its Sommlending name of ‘Portholes’. Two diamond-shaped dice, each with ten sides numbered nought to nine are thrown by each player in turn. The numbers which appear face-up are added together (nought = zero), and the one with the greatest score wins. If anyone throws two noughts, however, they shout out ‘Bullseyes!’ and win automatically.
Each player must stake 12 Lune (3 Gold Crowns) per throw of the dice, and this money is bet before the dice are rolled.
Pick two numbers from the
Random Number Table
for each of the other two players and note these scores in the margin of your
Action Chart
. Now pick two numbers from the
Random Number Table
for yourself. If your total is greater than the other players you win 24 Lune. If either of the other players beats your score, you lose your stake (12 Lune or 3 Gold Crowns).
You may leave the game at any time, but you must stop playing if you gamble away all your money and cannot place your stake.
When you decide to stop playing, you return to Prince Graygor's tent;
turn to 29
.
After several minutes of manipulation, the lock finally clicks and the door opens on to a passageway lined with torches. Halfway along the left wall you see another door — a solid slab of iron broken only by a small, barred window. Silently you approach the door and peer in through the grille.
If you have visited the Danarg in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure,
turn to 260
.
If not,
turn to 114
.
As the last of the war-dogs dies at your feet, you sheathe your weapon and cast your eyes at the clearing. The bear is no longer there, having loped away during your fierce fight with the Akataz.
The pain of your wounds causes you to wince and grit your teeth as you hurry into the brightening forest. You have covered less than 100 yards when you hear a pitiful howl ripple through the trees. At first you think it is just your imagination, fuelled by fatigue and your stinging wounds. But when you hear it a second time you realize that the war-dogs you fought were part of a larger Akataz pack, and that the rest of the pack have just discovered their remains.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship and have reached the rank of Mentora,
turn to 161
.
If you do not possess this skill or have yet to reach this level of Magnakai training,
turn to 3
.
A yell arises from the battlements when the defenders see Adamas appear, and a mass of boulders hurtles down to greet him. With cat-like agility he veers left and right, weaving his way through the falling rocks, which smash into the causeway with a terrific roar. He reaches the door, tears the satchel from his shoulder, and primes the crystal explosive. Automatically you begin counting the seconds as he runs back through the rubble and dead bodies. Two … three … four … Then your heart leaps as you see him felled by a rock and crash headlong to the ground.
If you wish to sprint forward and attempt to rescue him,
turn to 138
.
If you choose to stay where you are and watch his plight,
turn to 207
.
One of the men gets to his feet and begins walking towards you. You sense that he has not seen you; he is merely answering the call of nature, but you decide that it is wise to slip away before he gets any closer. Silently you disappear into the forest and return to the front of the building.
‘Identify yourself!’ you shout in reply. ‘Then maybe you'll hear some news that'll cheer your heart.’ Slowly the man steps out from behind the boulders. He raises his hand and twenty others, maybe more, appear around the lip of the gorge. Several are armed with loaded bows, all pointed at you. The men are dressed in jerkins and breeches of crimson leather, and each carries a veritable arsenal of weapons strapped about his waist and chest. They are Eruan partisans.
‘I come from the court of Prince Graygor,’ you say, your voice amplified by the natural acoustics of the gorge. ‘The army of Eru and the Lencian allies have driven the enemy back to Cetza. Battle is imminent and victory will soon be ours.’
‘Your news is stale to our ears,’ comes the reply. ‘And the Prince would not send a Pathfinder to tell us such as this.’ The partisans shuffle uneasily and view you with renewed suspicion. ‘It is not my purpose to bring news of the war. I come to entreat the aid of Sebb Jarel,’ you reply.
The spokesman for the partisans signals to the others and a section disappears from view. They reappear on horseback at the mouth of the gorge and beckon you to approach them.
If you possess a Bullwhip,
turn to 185
.
If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 342
.
Having made a wide detour to avoid the ford, eventually you discover an old game-trail which runs alongside the river. You follow this track for several miles until you reach a place where massive boulders, smoothed by centuries of erosion, rise out of the foaming torrent like giant stepping stones. It would be difficult, though not impossible, to cross the river at this point, but not on horseback. Reluctantly you leave your mount and make your crossing by leaping from one boulder to the next. You are halfway across when you are faced with a leap that is wider than you have ever attempted before.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery and have reached the Kai rank of Primate or higher, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 6 or less,
turn to 265
.
If it is 7 or more,
turn to 43
.
The passage is flanked by burnt-out cottages, their soot-blackened walls creating a dingy corridor of an alley, which winds into the distance. Your senses tingle with the premonition of an ambush; you can almost taste the presence of the enemy lurking inside the ruined cottages. The fleeing Drakkarim halt in their tracks then turn to taunt your men, calling to them to come and fight if they dare. Before you can shout a warning, your men charge along the alley, brandishing their weapons and yelling angry cries of revenge.
If you wish to run after them,
turn to 173
.
If you choose not to enter the alley,
turn to 44
.
Jarel screams for help as he struggles to escape from the clutches of two Ciquali. They latch on to his wolfskin cloak and drag him beneath the water. He surfaces, sword in hand, but is pulled under again and this time he does not reappear. A trail of bubbles and a patch of red water drifting with the current are all there is to mark the grave of Sebb Jarel.
‘It's the Pathfinder,’ comes the reply. ‘Quick, he's wounded.’
The two soldiers run forward. They raise their shields to protect your back from the Drakkarim arrows, and help you to reach the safety of the camp perimeter, where your wounds are cleaned and dressed. Finally you return to King Sarnac's headquarters. He and the Prince are anxious to hear your report. Despite being discovered by the enemy, you have gathered useful information about the troops defending the bridge. The King praises your bravery and Prince Graygor orders his heralds to escort you back to his tent. After the ordeal of the scouting mission, you are grateful for the chance to get a good night's sleep.
Forcing open your tired eyes you try to focus on the shapes as they draw closer. At first you dismiss the swirling grey figures as hallucination brought on by lack of sleep, but when a terrible chill sweeps over you like a blast of icy cold wind, fear reawakens your senses with a jolt.
The creatures take to the air and emit a ghostly howl as they swirl around your head. You reach for a weapon but a tendril of darkness writhes out of one phantom and whips your hand. Its cold lash bites like sharpened steel and leaves your fingers numb and nerveless: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.
More tendrils appear and wriggle towards you like a host of black snakes, all of them eager to feast on your life-force.
If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 133
.
If you possess a Bullwhip,
turn to 168
.
If you possess neither of these Special Items,
turn to 74
.
As you dive to avoid it, the blade whistles past your shoulder, slicing open your tunic but sparing your flesh the kiss of its razor-sharp edge. Before you can rise to your feet, the Baron steps forward to deliver the
coup de grâce
. ‘Victory belongs to me!’ he howls, and swings his axe again. But suddenly he hears a sound that makes him recoil in horror.
You pull a metal bar set into the wall and the huge lead-lined doors rumble open to reveal an incredible sight. Before you stands a domed chamber, its ceiling criss-crossed with gantries of rusted iron. At its centre is a circular black pit around which are gathered groups of ghoulish creatures clad in transparent robes and masks. Angled upwards from the floor are slender crystal rods that glow with green fire. They pour forth a constant stream of pencil-thin light which focuses at a point directly above the centre of the pit. Your eyes are drawn to this point, for here you can see the three remaining Lorestones of Nyxator, the objects of your quest, held suspended in a ball of flickering green flame.
Illustration XIII—At the point where the rods meet, the Lorestones of Nyxator hang suspended.
The harsh
clang
of the alarm bell, and the sudden sight of you silhouetted in the doorway, has startled the creatures. They slink away from the pit and escape through an archway, leaving you and Paido alone in the chamber.