The Prisoners of Time (18 page)

T'uk T'ron runs to your side, his face and crystal sword spattered with the black blood of his foes. ‘Hurry! This fight lost. You go … go now!’ he snaps, and points across the bridge to the hills beyond. A cursory glance confirms his grim statement. Only he and two of his guards remain standing and one fights left-handed, his right arm swinging broken and useless by his side. The others, including all the onipa, have been slain by the howling creatures of chaos.

Reluctantly you obey T'uk T'ron's command and hurry across the bridge, whilst he and his brave Ookor guards fight to cover your escape. Not until you reach the first ridge of hills do you look back at the bridge, hoping to see T'uk T'ron and his guards victorious. But your hope is in vain — all that remains alive at the bridge is a ghoulish grey horde of feasting Agtah.

Turn to 114
.

Drawing on your powerful healing skills you cause a surge of anti-toxins to be released into your bloodstream to combat the effects of the poison. Swiftly the deadly venom is neutralized and your metabolism returns to normal.

Turn to 82
.

You crouch down, making use of the cover afforded by a leafy tree, and draw an Arrow to your lips. Two of the creatures have clambered through the foliage and halted less than ten paces away, offering themselves as perfect targets. You release your bowstring and send the shaft thudding into the chest of one, knocking it backwards with the force of the shot. Instantly, its companion emits a strange, high-pitched twittering sound, alerting the others to your position, and before you can either reload or run away, they close in from all sides and attack.

Ookor:
COMBAT SKILL
 21   
ENDURANCE
 43

Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, deduct 2 points from your
COMBAT SKILL
for the first round of combat, owing to the speed of your enemy's attack.

If you win the combat,
turn to 203
.

The great, silvery-winged worm swoops down and hovers above your head, lunging sporadically to stab you with its long, sword-sharp fangs.

Tazgar Worm:
COMBAT SKILL
 24   
ENDURANCE
 34

The creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

If you win the combat,
turn to 162
.

The captain shrugs his hairy shoulders and motions to the driver not to stop. As you pass through the village, a group of Ookor children cheer and wave and toss flowers at the speeding chariots. One of the red blooms lands in the crook of your arm.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing,
turn to 74
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 143
.

Suddenly the guards spring into action, drawing their jagged swords and raising them in readiness to strike. Your bluff has not deceived them and they are determined to capture you — dead or alive!

Sandai Temple Guards:
COMBAT SKILL
 28   
ENDURANCE
 35

If you win the combat,
turn to 195
.

Much of the porous rock that surrounds the slab has been eroded by wind and sand. Holes have appeared through which you can see into the cairn. It is hollow. Curiosity and the need for better shelter prompt you to try to dislodge the slab and, after much effort, you pull it free, leaving an opening the size of a trapdoor in the side of the mound.

Inside the gloomy interior you discover a large, metallic statue lying horizontally on a bed of clear, crystalline sand. You try to perceive some detail but the shape is shrouded in near darkness.

If you possess a Kalte Firesphere, a Lantern, or a Torch and Tinderbox, and wish to illuminate this dark interior,
turn to 177
.

If you do not possess any of the above items, or if you do not wish to make use of them,
turn to 334
.

The wine has been charmed with a potent magical spell, imbuing it with special healing properties. Having drunk one draught, there are now only two draughts remaining in the Silver Flask. Each draught restores 4
ENDURANCE
points (restore 4
ENDURANCE
points due to the beneficial effect of the draught you have just drunk). If you wish to keep this Silver Flask, mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Backpack Item.

Turn to 323
.

The vision of the Nahgoth Forest dissolves and a new one takes its place. It is of a city, perched atop a rocky cliff, surrounded by a wall fortified with towers and grim bastions. Red flames glare from a row of tiny windows and its huge stone gate is emblazoned with the symbol of a fiery dragon.

‘This is Haagadar,’ says Serocca, cheerlessly. ‘Once it was the home of the Sandai, the rulers of the Great Plains that stretched to the very edge of the strongholds of Earth. They were the first to fall to chaos and now their plains are dead and empty wastelands of sterile rock and poisoned sand. Haagadar was claimed by the Chaos-master and it became his abode but, as his foul empire expanded, he grew tired of it and abandoned it for other, less remote, cities. It lay deserted for an age before outlaws and refugees from Guakor sought sanctuary there from the creatures of chaos. It is now a forgotten city, yet within its heart there lies a secret that even the Chaos-master failed to discover: the Sandai were the guardians of a Shadow Gate. Long had they kept hidden this portal whilst they searched for a means to enter it, for unlike the Shadow Gates of your world, those of the Daziarn are closed. Only those who possess a key can pass from this realm into the universe of Aon.’

Turn to 233
.

Your shaft penetrates his chainmail at an angle, ripping through his padded underjacket and cutting across his chest. The force of the Arrow stuns him momentarily and he cries out in pain. But the pain does not prevent him from scooping the Lorestones into a small velvet sack tied to his sword belt. Quickly you shoulder your Bow in favour of a hand weapon as you rush forward to prevent his escape.

Turn to 97
.

You wake with a start, stirred to consciousness by the distant flap of large wings beating in a windless sky. The sounds grow louder and quickly you gather up your equipment and hurry out of the cavern to investigate their source.

The storm died down while you slept and the plateau is now becalmed. From the rim of the gully you can see six black shapes silhouetted on the blazing horizon. They resemble dragons with snaky necks and ragged bat-like wings. Upon their backs they carry gold-skinned creatures, human in appearance save for their lack of hair and their massive size.

The leader sees you: he banks his dragonmount towards the gully and the others follow closely in his wake. You fear they are about to attack, but at the last moment they veer away and circle the gully before landing nearby. With practised ease the leader and two of his brothers dismount from their winged steeds. They each dwarf you by an arm's length, and, although their heavy muscular bodies seem incapable of stealth, they approach like lions stalking their prey.
‘Zeeu klo-ka n'ra?’
speaks the leader, his voice deep and resonant.
‘Ryl'aan noorna?’
says another, impatiently.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship and have attained the Kai rank of Scion-kai,
turn to 305
.

If you do not possess this Magnakai Discipline or have yet to reach this level of training,
turn to 132
.

After your encounter you stop to rest less frequently. Mile after mile you plod on mechanically, only half aware of the lifeless landscape through which you move. Fatigue dulls your senses and you cannot recall the exact moment you entered the Neverness; like a dream, it is as if you have always been here. Clouds swirl beneath your feet yet they support your weight. You float in a sea and sky of grey light without horizon or boundary, a limitless eternity of space. There are distant sounds, like muffled voices, but when you strive to understand them they fade and you cannot catch the words.

Time passes, yet time is meaningless, for you cannot tell the order in which events are taking place. From out of the swirling wisps of cloud three globes of darkness arise. They swim closer, hovering to and fro, evolving into the forms of black-hooded riders on demon steeds. Leering skulls peer from the shadow of their cloaks and you see your own eyes reflected in their bony sockets.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen,
turn to 190
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 81
.

You snatch the reins from the startled driver and pull hard to the left, steering the onipa team clear of the bridge. But your action does not slow them down and you find yourself racing headlong towards the river. With terrified cries, both T'uk T'ron and the driver cover their eyes as the muddy water looms into view.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control,
turn to 85
.

If you wish to pull the brake lever,
turn to 243
.

If you wish to drop the reins and leap out of the chariot
turn to 332
.

‘Luck be with you, Aonian,’ says Lorkon, as you turn to leave his cabin. ‘Remember, I will be marching to Tolakos as soon as my reinforcements arrive.’

You thank him and bid him farewell, before following Odel the scout as he wends his way through the busy encampment to the equipment tent. Two grim-faced guards bar your entry, but when Odel tells them on whose authority you are here, they quickly lower their spears and allow you to pass. The tent is full of weapons and provisions and Odel suggests that you take whatever you need. You may select from the following:

• Sword
  
• Spear
  
• Mace
  
• Dagger
  
• 6 Arrows
  
• Bow
  
• Quiver
  
• Backpack
  
• Quarterstaff
  
• Short Sword
  

If you wish to keep any of these items remember to adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.

To continue,
turn to 285
.

The swirling light draws into focus upon the mirrored floor and you find yourself surrounded by a spectacular cosmic image. At the centre spins a shadow, as dark as deep space, populated with suns and stars and the myriad planets that revolve about them. This microscopic universe is in turn surrounded by a ring of total darkness, and beyond that radiate four beams of differing colour, like the spokes of a gigantic wheel. Between these beams are many areas of light and shade, some running parallel and some in isolation, but all of them connected by a pale, shimmering mist. ‘What you see before you is a tableau of our worlds, a light-painting that depicts the universe of Aon and the Daziarn Plane,’ says the Beholder, as his servant carries him to the dark centre of the floor. ‘Here, among the suns and stars of Aon, is the planet you know as Magnamund, and beyond it lies the Shadow Gate through which you fell into the Daziarn.’ Slowly the Yoacor moves towards you, bearing his master with care as he continues his monologue proudly. ‘And here, balanced between the elemental strongholds of Fire and Water, lies the Abaxial of Czenos. This is my realm. I have chosen to live here, to shape it as I wish and to populate it with beings who embody my ideals.’

Illustration XVI
—‘What you see before you is a tableau of our worlds: the universe of Aon and the Daziarn Plane,’ says the Beholder.

Coldly the Beholder stares into your eyes and you feel your body stiffen as he probes deep into your mind.

If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen,
turn to 174
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 102
.