Trail of the Wolf (19 page)
Your net splashes against the Drakkar's shield, but it only partially blocks the broad staircase. Most of its sticky fibres adhere to the parapet rail or are deflected down into the well of the shaft. The few strands that do fix themselves to the Drakkar's body are swiftly sundered by a few blows from his serrated sword. Your spell has delayed his advance for a few moments, but that is all. Having cut his way clear, the Drakkar continues to advance determinedly towards the observatory platform.
If you possess a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 161
.
If you do not,
turn to 303
.
Your knowledge of Herbmastery enables you to identify these buds. They are Dargorse, the poisonous fruits of a prickly wilderness briar. You avoid touching them with your bare hands for not only are they deadly poisonous, their juice is also a powerful irritant.
If you wish to keep some of these buds, you can cover your hands with your cloak and gather enough for one dose (record these Dargorse Buds on your
Action Chart
as a Backpack Item).
To continue,
turn to 120
.
You examine the iron lockplate and determine that its mortise can be picked, although your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that it will not be an easy task.
If you wish to attempt to pick this lock,
turn to 108
.
If you do not,
turn to 267
.
You crash down heavily among the detritus and cadavers that litter the floor of the necromancer's hall, and a sharp pain shoots through your left forearm. You have fallen upon the skeletal remains of a human body, and its splintered shin bone has skewered your arm: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
Gritting your teeth in anticipation of the increased pain, you take hold of the bone fragment and wrench it from your arm with one swift tug.
To continue,
turn to 325
.
You call upon your mastery of Brotherhood magic to enact the spell
Mind Charm
. Through the use of its persuasive powers, you cause one of the Drakkarim to believe that his comrade is cheating. Argument and accusation quickly escalate into a brawl that leaves both warriors sprawled unconscious on the floor.
Before the Drakkarim regain consciousness, you hurry across the hall and ascend the steps. Upon reaching a landing on a level above, you hear the Drakkarim resume their fight in the hall below.
To continue,
turn to 6
.
As you recover your senses, you look up to see Zorkaan looming above you, his swirling black form swelling in volume and menace as it prepares to deal you one final, devastating blow. Valiantly you struggle to resist, but you are fearful that you no longer possess the strength needed to counter this powerful foe. An evil laugh echoes in your mind as slowly the wispy mass of black vapour spirals down towards your face. Desperately you lash out at your mocking adversary, but you lose your balance and collapse to your knees. With a prayer to Ishir on your lips, you watch with growing horror as a glowing spike of radiant energy appears at the core of Zorkaan's form. It hangs directly above you, like a sorcerous lance poised deliver a killing blow.
You tug an Arrow from your Quiver and draw it to your Bow. Then you pop up from behind the bough and send your shaft whistling towards the spider's bulbous great head. It strikes its skull, making it shriek with agony, but its steel tip does not penetrate deep enough to slay the beast. Angered, and in great pain, this fearsome abomination comes scuttling towards your hiding place with frightening speed. Swiftly you shoulder your Bow and draw your Kai Weapon just in time to meet its vengeful attack.
Skryza (wounded):
COMBAT SKILL
46
ENDURANCE
40
If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Kaistar’ you may add the appropriate bonus gained from its unique properties.
You may evade this fight after four rounds by
turning to 21
.
If you win the combat,
turn to 340
.
You take hold of your Kai Weapon by the hilt, draw it back behind your head, and then hurl it at the Urgaroh with as much force and accuracy as you can muster.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Weaponmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1.
If your total score is now 0–5,
turn to 175
.
If it is 6–8,
turn to 80
.
If it is 9 or higher,
turn to 182
.
You pass through the archway and climb the stairs to a landing where a long, tubular tunnel leads to an adjacent blockhouse complex. Twice in the tunnel you are forced to use your Magnakai Invisibility skills in order to avoid a confrontation with Drakkarim and Hammerland bandits. When finally you emerge from the tunnel, you find yourself in a torchlit chamber that is lined with bookshelves. Most of the tomes are badly burnt or have crumbled with age and neglect, but there is one on a high shelf that is still intact. Curiosity prompts you to retrieve and open this book, and inside you discover a phial of blue liquid wedged in a hollow gouged from the vellum pages. You withdraw the phial and hold it up to the torchlight, and immediately your Magnakai Curing skills inform you that this is Finglas — a rare and powerful healing potion. If you wish to keep this Potion of Finglas, record it on your
Action Chart
as a Backpack Item. When swallowed, it will restore 7
ENDURANCE
points.
After a search of the remaining shelves, you discover another of this chamber's hidden secrets. It is a lever concealed behind a mouldering book. You pull the lever and a section of the bookshelf slides aside to reveal a hidden passage. You enter and follow this secret passageway to another door that opens onto a balconied landing. As you step through the door, it slams shut and locks behind you.
You draw upon your elemental powers to cause a sudden updraft of wind that deflects the orb away from the cage. With grim satisfaction you watch as the orb and its trailing chain explode above a crowded avenue, showering flaming oil upon the heads of the Hammerland bandits who have gathered there to watch your dramatic escape.
You are moving from one pillar to the next when you are seen by the Drakkarim. These ugly warriors are armed with heavy-bladed marine cutlasses and they draw them from their belts as they hurry to block your escape from the chamber. As they edge closer, you watch them approaching with an air of cool defiance.
Surprise registers in their bloodshot eyes when they take in the details of your tunic and cloak. This look quickly gives way to a blind rage when suddenly they realize that you are a Kai. With murderous growls, the two fighters raise their cutlasses and get ready to launch a simultaneous attack.
If you possess a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 268
.
If you do not,
turn to 343
.
Quickly you reach into the pocket of your tunic and grasp the glowing amulet. Pain shoots all the way from your fingers to your shoulder as the red-hot surface of this cursed artefact burns deeply into your flesh (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points). Despite the agony you suffer, you wrench the Black Amulet from your pocket and hurl it away. The evil object arcs through the air and hits the corpse of Xaol, exploding on impact with tremendous noise and heat.
The harsh tone of the pipe infuriates the Kraan. It emits a loud screech and then, to your horror, you see it come swooping down from the rafters. Its fanged beak opens and a foul black tongue trails from the corner of its foam-flecked jaw as it plummets towards you. Hurriedly you discard the Kraan Pipe (erase this item from your
Action Chart
) and unsheathe your Kai Weapon as the loathsome creature hurls itself upon you in a desperate, vengeful attack.
Helkona Kraan:
COMBAT SKILL
38
ENDURANCE
40
If you win this combat,
turn to 157
.
Hurriedly you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Invisible Shield
and circle your right palm before your face. The spell is only just materializing when the speeding arrow strikes and penetrates this barrier, yet it slows the missile sufficiently for you to be able to duck your head out of its path.
To continue,
turn to 56
.
You magnify your vision and scan the brooding sky. Swooping and soaring among the clouds overhead you glimpse two bat-winged creatures with scaly grey-green hides and long serrated beaks. One of these beasts is carrying a large object clamped in its mouth which the other is trying hard to wrest from its grasp. It claws at its rival's neck, forcing the creature to drop the object which plummets to the ground and splashes into the dust at the exit from the gully. The creatures continue to struggle, tearing maniacally at each other with beak and claw, until they drop from the sky, both mortally wounded. With grim fascination you watch as they tumble to the ground, still locked in deadly combat, and slam into the dusty soil.
If you wish to go and investigate the remains of these creatures,
turn to 43
.
If you choose to avoid them,
turn to 106
.
You step back a few paces from the head of the stairs and unsheathe your Kai Weapon in readiness to defend the observatory platform from these determined Drakkarim. Then the assault trooper leader looms into view with his jagged black sword raised to strike. He pauses for a few moments to allow his comrades to catch up with him; then together they charge up the steps and hurl themselves upon you with a reckless fury.
Drakkarim Assault Squad:
COMBAT SKILL
45
ENDURANCE
40
If you win this combat,
turn to 143
.
Your mastery of Nexus enables you to protect yourself and your clothing from the terrific temperatures at the rim of the fissure. Carefully you tread a narrow path along the crumbling edge of this rent, and pass through the fire-blackened breach in the fortress wall. When you come to the end of the fissure the dust clears, but your heart sinks when you see another wall looming above you. This stone barrier has only recently been constructed to shield the stronghold's inner buildings from the fiery heat of the fissure.
If you wish to attempt to scale this inner wall,
turn to 37
.
If you decide to turn back and search for another way into the fortress,
turn to 83
.
You examine the door's iron lockplate and determine that this mortise will be far easier to pick than the one that secures the left door. Diligently you set about the task, and after a few minutes the lock opens with a dull
Clunk
!
Carefully, you push open the door and enter a spacious chamber that is lit by ten globes of flickering white light. They hang suspended in the air with no visible means of support. The walls of this chamber are plastered and decorated with murals that depict the armies of Darklord Chlanzor despoiling the farms and cities of the Freeland Alliance. Standing against the far wall is a throne-like chair, crudely fashioned from a huge block of black marble. Veins of fluorescent purples and greens colour its surface, and the air around it shimmers like a desert haze.
As you approach this chair, you hear the door slam shut behind you. Instinctively you spin around and you see that there is no lockplate on the inside of the chamber door. Its surface is plastered and entirely smooth; it blends in seamlessly with the painted walls.
To continue,
turn to 90
.