The Legacy of Vashna (16 page)

‘Easy, Smudd,’ you say, letting your hands drift away from your weapons, ‘I mean you no harm. I just want to talk with you awhile, that's all.’

The scrawny-faced knave looks at you with deep suspicion, his hand tightening around the hilt of his rapier.

‘Look,’ you say, reaching for your money pouch, ‘I'm even prepared to pay for the privilege.’

Slowly you remove five Gold Crowns and place them on the table (if you currently have less than five Gold Crowns, you give Smudd what you have
plus
one item from your Backpack).

Adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly, and then
turn to 323
.

You barely manage to utter the words of the spell before the deadly bolt slams into the magical shield. For a moment you are blinded by a splash of sparks which blister your face (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points), but you quickly recover and urge your horse onwards with renewed vigour.

Turn to 5
.

Inspired by your plan, you run towards the advancing line of automatons, taking care to keep a watchful eye on Demoness Shamath, and your goal — the distant Deathstaff.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If you possess Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, add 1. If you possess Telegnosis, add 1. Also, for every level of Kai Mastery you have attained above the rank of Kai Grand Defender, add 1.

If your total score is now 5 or less,
turn to 334
.

If it is 6 or more,
turn to 34
.

The crossing is laborious and tiring (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points), but at length you reach the far side of the river and disembark safely. A stony trail runs along the bank, heading north, and you follow it with high hopes of reaching Lake Vorndarol before sunset.

All day the sun blazes supreme in a cloudless sky and waves of heat create a shimmering, distorted view of the trail ahead. The distant horizon is streaked with myriad colours and the dry air crackles with electricity, a legacy of last night's violent storm. Late in the afternoon you come to the ruins of an ancient settlement and stop here to allow your horse to rest awhile in the shade.

If you possess Grand Pathsmanship,
turn to 102
.

If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 260
.

The young woman smiles at you and begins to laugh.

‘You can't harm me, Lone Wolf,’ she says, full of confidence. ‘You may as well sheathe that weapon for now, though you'll be needing it later I fancy.’

‘Who are you? What do you want?’ you hiss, still clutching your weapon defensively. ‘Are you some cursed illusion, some mind-trick of Naar's sent to entrap me? Well, demon, maybe this will wipe the smile off your face.’

You strike the young woman a savage blow to the head but to no effect. She laughs again and says, with a mocking tone, ‘Now do you believe me?’

You back away, looking to either side for a way of escaping this creature, but there is none. She advances, and you regard her with fearful caution. She is wearing a worn leather jerkin and ragged trousers which are cut short at the knees, and does not appear to be armed with a weapon.

‘You should be more respectful,’ she says. ‘After all, if I should decide to leave, who'll keep you hidden from the gaze of Shamath?’ She points to the giant Demoness to illustrate who she means. ‘Trinket or no,’ she continues, motioning to the Platinum Amulet you wear, ‘you wouldn't last long against her without my help.’

‘What do you want from me?’ you reply, uneasily.

‘Your attention would be a good start. Strange as it may seem, I wish to help you, Lone Wolf.’

If you possess Telegnosis,
turn to 221
.

If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 286
.

On leaving the furriers' shop, you continue along the street until you reach a junction. The old woman's directions lead you through a warren of covered alleyways and narrow passages which eventually lead to the start of Tavern Lane, the street where she says you'll find the Crooked Sage Inn.

Turn to 332
.

You collect your horse and accompany Fyrad to his camp which is hidden in a hill cave. The hunter has made this bare rock hollow surprisingly comfortable with a fire, a straw mattress, and a rock-lined food store dug into its earthen floor. The two corvayl pelts he spoke of are hanging on wooden frames near the smouldering embers of the fire, and his mule, which he calls ‘Izzy’, is dozing at the rear of the cave.

Illustration X
—As you enter, a hawk swoops down from the roof and lands on Fyrad's arm.

As you enter, a hawk swoops down from the roof and lands on Fyrad's arm. He produces a strip of dried meat from his pocket and the hawk takes it back to his perch to consume at his leisure.

‘Fine bird, that 'un,’ he says, fondly. ‘He's led me to some rich quarry over the years.’

Over a meal of rabbit and wild berries, you ask Fyrad what he knows about the Acolytes of Vashna and the Maakengorge. He says he has seen their camp on the east shore of the lake but, like the infamous gorge, only from a distance. His main cause for concern has been the storms and the Vakovarian bandits. If he did not have a hungry family and debts to meet in Karkaste, he would have packed up and gone home a month ago.

After your delicious meal, you attend to your horse before settling down for the night. You offer to share the watch but Fyrad says this will not be necessary.

‘Best watchman you could ever wish for,’ he says, pointing to his pet hawk. ‘He'll let us know in good time if trouble comes a-callin' tonight.’

Turn to 66
.

You unsheathe the sun-sword and strike out at the approaching bolt in a desperate attempt to deflect it away. It strikes the edge of the blade and you are blinded by an eruption of searing white light. The Sommerswerd has negated the force of the bolt, rendering it harmless, but the shock of the impact sends you reeling backwards. As you fall you knock your head on a charred timber: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 200
.

A grimace spreads slowly across the Elder's face and sweat breaks out on his forehead as he tries to shut you out of his mind. Suddenly, he breaks the spell and his mouth opens wide. In your desperation to prevent him from sounding the alarm, you lash out with your clenched fist and punch him squarely on the jaw.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 333
.

If it is 5–9,
turn to 134
.

Gwynian leads you into the derelict hovel and offers you a seat next to an ancient table carved from stone. Then he lowers himself carefully into a chair opposite and looks deeply into your eyes.

‘Lord Rimoah sent word to me in Varetta that you were on your way here,’ he says, taking a parchment envelope from the folds of his robes. ‘I, and my fellow sages, have been observing the skies in this region for many months, and we are sure that an event of great and terrible importance is close at hand. The stars and the storms portend that an evil power is soon to appear on Magnamund.’

‘Could it be the rising of Vashna?’ you ask, daring to voice your fear.

‘Yes, we believe it to be Vashna. Unless you can prevent it, Lone Wolf, the Darklord and his army will rise from the Maakengorge.’

If you possess a Black Amulet,
turn to 234
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 45
.

Shamath's laughter becomes a hideous screech. She mouths a word of power and a flood of psychic energy comes washing across the cavern towards you. Fortunately, it hits the force field and breaks like a wave against it, sparing you from its full effect. Even so, the residue which penetrates the wall is enough to leave you stunned and gasping for breath: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

The Demoness flicks her fingers and instantly the wall is gone. But now you see that you are surrounded by a ring of her sinister, robed attendants.

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 58
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 97
.

The birds attack at such a tremendous speed that you dismiss the idea of using a Bow. Swiftly you draw your weapon — it has barely cleared its sheath when the first of the Scavengers swoop in for the kill. You are forced to release your grip on the guide rope and step back a few paces, for you are not the target of their attack: they are after your horse.

Durncrag Scavengers:
COMBAT SKILL
 42   
ENDURANCE
 18

If you win this combat,
turn to 317
.

Your psychic defence holds fast and the Elder learns nothing from his attempt to read your mind. Rather than admit to failure, he curses and denounces you as an empty-headed cretin.

With a growl of disdain, he orders you to rejoin the procession and pushes you roughly out of his way as he strides back to his position beside the altar.

Turn to 250
.

Swiftly you steer Bracer off the track and into the surrounding undergrowth. Almost immediately you hear an angry voice shouting a command, followed by the sound of crossbow bolts in flight. A glance over your shoulder makes your heart leap — a bolt is speeding directly towards your face!

If you possess Kai-alchemy,
turn to 170
.

If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 69
.

You draw an Arrow to your lips and fire it with blinding speed and accuracy. It pierces the heart of the leading acolyte, killing him instantly, and causes his partner to skid to a halt. Unnerved by your deadly prowess with a Bow, he turns and runs towards his brethren who are fighting at the quayside.

Erase one Arrow from your
Action Chart
, and
turn to 325
.

You turn your head slightly and see a pair of sandalled feet standing on the deck by your side. They belong to the Elder with whom you almost collided when you jumped aboard the longboat. He repeats his command and this time you recognize some of the words. You think he is saying something like: ‘Move, or you'll be wounded.’

If you wish to move along the bench,
turn to 219
.

If you decide to ignore his command,
turn to 292
.

‘Bah! Y' towheaded screwjaw,’ curses the drunkard when you refuse to pay his outrageous price. ‘I've more pressin' things t' do than waste breath on you.’

With this, he stumbles away into the fog, clutching his jug of ale. You watch him disappear; then you look again at the three exits from this square and try to fathom which one will lead you to the Crooked Sage Inn.

If you wish to leave the square by the north exit,
turn to 16
.

If you wish to leave the square by the east exit,
turn to 332
.

If you wish to leave the square by the west exit,
turn to 161
.

It seems that the closer you get to the pool, the hotter the relic becomes. Another few steps and it will be hot enough to explode. Desperately, you fumble to retrieve it from the charred pocket of your tunic and hurl it away.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 96
.

If it is 5–9,
turn to 316
.

In the distance you see a dim light flickering and twinkling at the heart of these ice mountains. You strike out towards it, across the frost-encrusted ground, and find yourself covering the distance far quicker than would ever be possible on Magnamund. A mile slips by at a single step and the surrounding terrain becomes impossible to focus on. Suspecting that you are the victim of some powerful illusion, you stride up to the flickering ice wall and thrust your hand against it. Effortlessly, your palm sinks into the glassy blue surface and you fall headlong into the icy mountainside.

Turn to 44
.

As the last of the Vakovarians falls dead at your feet, you step away from their heaped bodies and wipe the sweat of battle from your bloodied brow. You have slain the enemy but you can hear more of their kind crashing through the undergrowth, eager to reach you and avenge the deaths of their brothers-in-arms.

Several of the dead have satchels, quivers, and backpacks slung about their shoulders. Some have been torn open during the combat and their contents lie spilled out on the ground. A cursory glance reveals the following weapons and other items:

• 6 Arrows
  
• Comb
  
• Broadsword
  
• Dagger
  
• Pipe
  
• Sword
  
• Spyglass
  
• Enough food for 3 Meals
  
• Blanket
  
• 20 Gold Crowns
  

If you wish to keep any of these items, remember to mark them on your
Action Chart
.

Swiftly you make your escape into the dense pines. The area is alive with bandits and you are forced to flee northwards, away from the place where you left Bracer tethered to a tree. You are anxious for his safety and mindful that there are still many miles to be covered before you reach Lake Vorndarol, but you dare not turn back for him. Then you hear something that makes you halt in your tracks: it is the sound of a horse whinnying.

Turn to 223
.