Trail of the Wolf (11 page)

Patiently you wait for the storm to abate. When finally the wind drops and the air sheds its dust, you are able to see the vast forest of Helkona stretching away to the northern horizon. It is a forbidding sight, a lifeless expanse of petrified trees that have been destroyed by poisons leeched from the blighted soil of the Darklands. You magnify your vision and you notice a crimson speck of light in the far distance. It emanates from the towers of Gazad Helkona, which you estimate to be no more than thirty miles away. The pinpoint glow of this blood-red light tells you that the fortress is occupied.

It is a dark and cloudy night, but you have little difficulty making your way down the trail to the bottom of the hilly ridge. Even in the dead of night the skies above this region are dully illuminated by the reflection of volcanic fires that rage amidst the surrounding mountains. When you look to the east you can see the lava streams of the Kagazitzaga Range; to the west, the fiery spouts of the Kokozritzaga. As you press on towards the petrified timberland of Helkona, you can feel the tremor of their constant eruptions vibrating beneath your feet.

To continue,
turn to 232
.

One of the bandits becomes curious and he glances behind the statue. When he sees you hiding in the shadows he yelps with surprise, and reaches for the sword sheathed in his belt. You beat him to the draw and lunge at his chest with your Kai Weapon, running him through. He sways on his feet, his knuckles white on his sword hilt; then his strength deserts him and he keels over backwards onto the hard stone floor. The wolfhound yelps and runs off, but the remaining bandit stands his ground.

‘Prepare to die, raven-bait!’ he spits, as he unsheathes his heavy sword from its leather scabbard.

Wolfhound Handler:
COMBAT SKILL
 29   
ENDURANCE
 32

If you win this combat,
turn to 252
.

The Drakkarim assault-troopers who are leading the attack are engulfed by a searing ball of yellow and orange flame. Then an entire section of the landing and stairs is destroyed by a huge explosion that rocks the observatory tower. You dive to cover Lone Wolf with your body, and your selfless action keeps him safe as fragments of masonry smash into the dome and broken glass rains down upon the observatory platform. When finally the dust and debris clear, you struggle to your feet and survey the surrounding scene of destruction.

Turn to 307
.

You recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Levitation
and feel yourself rising up from the base of the wall. You ascend through the billowing clouds of smoke and dust until you draw level with the top of this barrier; then you cancel the spell and step onto its parapet. Quickly you follow the parapet to a place where it joins with the outer wall, and here you jump down onto the battlements and advance towards a distant gatehouse tower. Through the murky air you glimpse an arched doorway in the tower wall and you run towards it.

The door is unlocked and you are able to descend to ground level by way of a spiral staircase, but as you reach the foot of these stone steps, you are confronted by two Drakkarim who come striding into the tower through an open arch. With grunts of shocked surprise, the two leather-clad warriors snatch their swords from their belts and attempt to cut you down.

Helkona Drakkarim:
COMBAT SKILL
 30   
ENDURANCE
 35

If you win this combat,
turn to 14
.

Your Magnakai Discipline of Curing warns you that most of the berries and herbs stored here are either poisons, narcotics, or sorcerous plants. Of the twenty jars on the shelf, you are able to identify only one that can cure or heal. It is Obhanthor (a healing spice that will restore 5
ENDURANCE
points per dose when eaten with a Meal).
¹⁴

There is sufficient Obhanthor stored in the jar to provide you with 2 doses. If you wish to keep this curative, remember to adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.

To continue,
turn to 95
.

Your Kai Weapon tumbles through the air and strikes the Urgaroh squarely in the chest. The force of the impact lifts the creature off its feet and sends it somersaulting backwards to land in a broken, untidy heap. As it struggles to wrench your blade from its chest, you rush forward and grab the hilt of your weapon, twist it, and drive it deeper into the foul beast to seal its doom. The Urgaroh shrieks in agony and rakes your arm with its claws (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points). As you pull away, you tug your weapon from the Urgaroh's chest and the creature emits a chilling scream. Then its body spontaneously ignites and burns fiercely, giving off a choking black smoke.

Above the noise of the wind that rushes through the shattered glass dome, you hear angry cries and the stomp of booted feet. The Drakkarim have regrouped and are storming the stairs once more, their numbers swelled by a score of Giaks and Hammerland bandits. Driven by instinct, you sheathe your Kai Weapon and pick up the Urgaroh's crystal rod which lies near your feet; then you turn and rush to the head of the stairs. You can feel the evil power that is held within the rod's slender shaft, but you are unsure how you may unleash it upon the enemy who are now racing up the stairs.

If you possess Telegnosis,
turn to 298
.

If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 42
.

At first glance these purple buds resemble tiny blackberries with prickly leaves and clusters of small fleshy drupelets, but on closer inspection you discover that they give off a pungent aroma that makes your eyes water.

If you possess the Discipline of Herbmastery,
turn to 202
.

If you do not,
turn to 179
.

Despite your best efforts, you are unable to pick this lock. Reluctantly, you step away from this door and cast your eye over the other two portals.

If you wish to examine the left door,
turn to 342
.

If you choose to investigate the right door,
turn to 166
.

You retreat from the fissure and return across the killing zone to the edge of the petrified forest. You are feeling disheartened by your unsuccessful attempt to gain entry to the fortress, but you do not allow this disappointment to weaken your determination to succeed. After resting for a few minutes, you resolve to enter Gazad Helkona by another route.

Before you make your second attempt to enter Xaol's stronghold, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points (unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery).

To continue,
turn to 62
.

The fearsome reptilian smashes its way through the jagged hole in the dome and comes loping across the observatory platform towards you. Maniacally, it lashes out at you with its glowing rod, forcing you to back away to avoid being decapitated by its razor-sharp tip. You duck below its barrage of frenzied blows and launch a scything swipe at the creature's torso. Your blade sunders its mouldering robes, but when it fails to cleave its flesh, your adversary comes back at you with a vengeance.

Illustration VI
—The fearsome reptilian lashes out with its glowing rod.

Urgaroh:
COMBAT SKILL
 42   
ENDURANCE
 40

This enemy is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge). If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Spawnsmite’ or ‘Valiance’, you may add the bonus gained from its unique properties during this combat.

You may evade this combat after three rounds by
turning to 73
.

If you win the combat,
turn to 100
.

You take the key from your Backpack and insert it into the rusty lockplate. A twist of the key anticlockwise disengages the lock and you push open the heavy door and enter. Inside you discover a communal latrine that reeks of fecal decay. Vast pillars support its high ceiling which is festooned with animal skulls and bones. At first glance there appears to be no other exit from this chamber.

If you wish to search this foul latrine,
turn to 219
.

If you do not wish to stay here,
turn to 118
.

You have climbed no more than twenty steps when a crossbow bolt ricochets off the stone parapet and gouges your scalp: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points. The sudden shock and the stinging pain of your wound spur you to an even greater effort. Your legs pound the stairs like steam pistons as you strive to avoid being captured by the murderous Drakkarim.

Turn to 320
.

A cold wind arises from the north as dusk gives way to darkness. It whips the sulphurous dust into whirling eddies that skitter across the valley floor and dissolve into the encroaching gloom. Determinedly you trudge towards the mouth of the gully, your head lowered and your cloak drawn close about you to counter the blasts of grit that sting your face and hands. On entering the dry ravine you discover that its walls provide some protection from the wind-borne dust, but your movements are hampered as you sink knee-deep into the fine yellowish powder that has pooled in the base of the gully.

If you possess Grand Huntmastery and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Guardian,
turn to 186
.

If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 29
.

You draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to construct a defensive wall around your mind, but despite your speedy action, you are deeply shocked by the power and sheer ferocity of Zorkaan's psychic assault. You reel under the bombardment of his incorporeal powers as they batter your hasty mental defences (lose 5
ENDURANCE
points), but you steadfastly refuse to submit to his will. By so doing you are able to survive this terrifying assault. As the attack withers and fades, you sense Zorkaan explode with anger and frustration at having been thwarted by your formidable resolve.

To continue,
turn to 243
.

You hear the rising hum of the force field recharging as you run across the hall and race up the iron steps towards the obsidian pillars.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked. If your current
ENDURANCE
points score is 20 or lower, deduct 1.

If your total score is now 3 or less,
turn to 288
.

If it is 4 or more,
turn to 19
.

You feel a sudden movement in the air, and you shiver with dread when your Kai senses alert you to an evil presence. A crackling sound makes you look to the black marble throne where a strange manifestation is taking place. The seat is filled by a ball of shimmering energy that slowly grows and transforms into a living creature. You gasp with shock when this nightmarish entity raises itself out of the throne and comes stalking towards you on two muscular legs.

Despite its crouching gait, the creature stands an arm's length taller than you. Its shiny crimson hide is thickly veined, and its snake-like head is studded with hundreds of razor-sharp barbs that sparkle like diamonds when they catch the light. It fixes you with a hungry stare and slashes at the air with its claw-tipped forearms. You retreat before its steady advance and tug your Kai Weapon from its scabbard in readiness to defend yourself against this monstrous entity. As you raise your blade, the creature utters a sound that resembles a deep, bubbling laugh. It opens its soot-blackened jaw and a gout of flame comes shooting towards your face. You react in an instant, your lightning-fast reflexes saving you from being incinerated by the beast's fiery breath. You dive and roll across the floor towards the chamber wall, and then you spring back onto your feet and launch a furious attack at the creature before it can spit a second blast of white-hot fire.

Illustration VII
—The monstrous creature shoots forth a terrible gout of flame.

Fydakzh:
COMBAT SKILL
 52   
ENDURANCE
 58

If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Firefall’ you may add the bonus gained from its unique properties during this combat.

If you win the combat,
turn to 53
.