Wolf's Bane (11 page)
You focus on Wolf's Bane as you intone the words of the Old Kingdom Spell
Hold Enemy
. You see him shudder, and the half-eaten fruit drops from his grasp. But suddenly you sense resistance: your adversary is casting a counterspell. There is an abrupt release of energy as the effects of your spell are negated and broken: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.
To your dismay, you watch Wolf's Bane leap to his feet and make a hasty escape.
The reptilians complete the reloading of their bows, and together they lean over the lip of the pot to take aim at your unprotected body. Simultaneously they let fire, sending a stream of arrows whistling towards your chest, and you are forced to dive headlong into the grey slime to avoid being peppered with poison-tipped shafts. One of the bone arrows clips your calf and you feel an agonizing pain shoot up the back of your thigh as its poison enters your blood: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.
Your innate healing skills quickly neutralize the venom and seal the wound. Dripping with slime, you scramble to your feet and hear your thwarted enemies cursing you vilely as they fumble with their bows.
If you possess a Naphtha Bomb,
turn to 288
.
If you do not possess this item,
turn to 320
.
The steel walls of the room you have entered are sheened with ice. Several tall glass canisters stand in a circle at the centre of this frigid chamber, connected to one another with pipes and coils of copper cable. Their liquid contents bubble and seethe and appear to be boiling despite the freezing air temperature. You walk around them, mesmerized by the strange beauty of the roiling multi-coloured fluids. Then you sense imminent danger somewhere to your right and instantly you spin around to face it, your hand reaching reflexively to the weapon at your belt.
You see a dark stairwell and a shadowy shape which is crouched near to the bottom steps. It is Wolf's Bane. He is clutching a bow and he has an arrow drawn ready to fire. The instant you see him, he releases his bowstring and the tip of the arrow bursts into flames as it comes speeding towards your chest.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If your current
ENDURANCE
score is 10 or less, deduct 2.
If your total is now 3 or lower,
turn to 155
.
If it is 4–7,
turn to 102
.
If it is 8 or higher,
turn to 248
.
You increase the rate of your ascent and swiftly accelerate beyond the reach of the predatory dragonfly. Unable to catch you, it emits a loud buzz of frustration which slowly fades as it spirals away. You glance down to see it satisfying its appetite in an attack upon a number of smaller dragonflies. From this great height they appear to be no larger than a cluster of colourful dots hovering above the centre of the great gorge.
After several minutes you reach the apex of the cavern and soar into the light-filled vent. Upon entering this vast aperture you are buffeted by crosswinds which sweep you precariously towards its rocky lip, yet your Kai Mastery and your lightning-swift reactions save you from being crushed to death as you are blown onto its jagged, volcanic edge.
You survive the impact and are able to haul yourself out of the vent and climb safely onto a surface that you assume to be the roof of the cavern. Seeking shelter from the raging crosswinds, you squeeze yourself into a hollow in the porous rock from where you are able to take stock of your new surroundings. The sight makes you gasp, for it is a view that truly rivals the fertile wonders of the cavern below.
‘Surely the great master of all the Kai is not a coward?’ sneers Wolf's Bane, taunting you for your refusal to accept his challenge. ‘Are you not brave enough to prove your worth?’
‘I have no fear of you, impostor,’ you retort. ‘I simply do not trust you to fight with honour.’
‘If you should win the duel, Lone Wolf, you will be returned to Tyso — of that you have my word. And the word of my master.’
‘Both equally worthless,’ you reply, coolly.
For a few moments you stare into your adversary's murderous eyes and sense that every word of his pledge is a lie. Yet you know that your options are limited. If you do not fight this duel, he will be sure to summon his minions to capture and kill you. There is nothing to gain by refusing his challenge and so, with reluctance, you accept.
The arrow soars over your shoulder and lodges itself in the tangle of vines that hang down in front of the cave mouth. You spring to your feet and swiftly your sharp eyes pinpoint the place where the arrow emerged from the jungle perimeter. When you magnify your vision you see the face of your enemy, Wolf's Bane, partially hidden by a tree. He is cursing you, his teeth showing white against the deep green of the jungle. Then he sees that you have spotted him and he turns and runs, quickly disappearing into the dense undergrowth.
Determined that you are not going to allow him to escape so easily, you rush forward and give chase.
Swiftly you place an Arrow to your Bow and take aim at the beast's left eye. It senses a threat to its sight, and instantly a layer of interlocking metal plates emerges from beneath its protruding forehead to protect its vision. You offer up a prayer to the God Kai to guide your aim, for the moving target you are attempting to hit is now no wider than the edge of a coin.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Weaponmastery with Bow, add 5 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 4 or less,
turn to 322
.
If it is 5–9,
turn to 44
.
If it is 10 or higher,
turn to 299
.
Caldar removes his hand from his sword and heaves a sigh of relief. ‘Thank Ishir you've returned to us, Grand Master. Perhaps now the evil that has befallen Sommerlund will be avenged.’
The Baron summons his gaoler who unlocks the shackles that encase your wrists. Then, as the three of you hurriedly ascend from the castle dungeons to the Great Hall, Caldar and Banedon confirm the account of events that you extracted earlier from the gaoler. In addition to these facts you also learn that several days ago an angry mob, composed in the main of soldiers and citizens from Holmgard, marched upon the Kai Monastery. Firestone, the most senior of the New Order Kai, pleaded with the mob for calm. Fortunately they heeded his call and allowed him to send four Kai Masters to Tyso — the city where the impostor was last sighted. Firestone has ordered these four Kai to track down and slay the impostor as quickly as possible.
You are in no doubt that this impostor is a formidable enemy, one who could easily prove more than a match for the four young Kai. Anxious for their safety, you request that you be allowed to ride to Tyso to join with them. Banedon is in agreement, but he suggests a swifter and surer way that you may reach Tyso. Moored to the tower of Baron Caldar's castle is
Cloud-dancer
— the Guildmaster's skyship — which he places at your disposal. Gratefully you accept his generous offer.
You are keen to leave for Tyso without further delay, but before you depart, Baron Caldar offers you the chance to equip yourself with weapons and stores from his well-stocked armoury.
If you wish to accept the Baron's offer,
turn to 149
.
If you decide to decline his offer,
turn to 260
.
Despite your valiant efforts, you are unable to revive your mount and it dies of its wounds before reaching the ground. Unfortunately, you become entangled in its trailing wings and are unable to save yourself before the giant dragonfly smashes into the rim of the moat surrounding the tower. Death is mercifully swift.
Sadly, your life and your duel end here.
You force your way through the dense tangle of plants and grasses and soon reach the place where Wolf's Bane lay in wait for you. The foliage around this hiding place has been carefully arranged, which suggests to you that he must have spent some considerable time setting his ambush. Yet there is also evidence of a hasty retreat. Lying on the ground behind a tree you discover 2 Arrows and a Dagger. (If you wish to take one or more of these, remember to make the appropriate adjustments to your
Action Chart
.)
Determined to stay on his trail while it is still fresh, you leave this hide and press deeper into the jungle in pursuit of your enemy. However, you have penetrated less than twenty yards into the undergrowth when his trail becomes indistinct.
If you possess the Discipline of Grand Pathsmanship and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Crown,
turn to 246
.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 77
.
Luckily, this acid-spitter has emptied its sac of corrosive venom and you are able to make good your escape from the hall without being spat upon as you leave. You reach the door and discover it is unlocked. Without hesitation, you pull it open and hurry through into the hall beyond.
The broken buttress and the rope plummet into the fissure and are lost when they hit an underground river far below. Steel Hand swings one-handedly from the ceiling yet he manages to maintain his grip, despite being showered with loose rocks and dust. You command him to return and he obeys readily.
As soon as Steel Hand is back on solid ground, you praise his skill and his brave effort. Only ill luck thwarted him. He offers to try again but you say that it is your turn — he has already proved his courage. Blazer offers you his rope and you accept it; then you walk along the edge of the fissure until you reach the wall. You find it easy to ascend the rough surface and work your way across to a point directly above the fissure. From here you fix the rope to a secure beam and cast the other end to your companions waiting below. One by one you watch them swing across the void and, when all have crossed safely, you untie the rope and make your way over to the far side to join them.
‘Come, my lords,’ you say, as you jump effortlessly down from the wall, ‘we must press on. We've a trail to find.’
You try to evade the crackling light that speeds towards you from the muzzle of the warrior's spear, but the wounds and fatigue you have sustained conspire to dull your reactions. You are hit in the side by this white-hot beam and hurled high into the air. Suddenly an explosion of white light obliterates your senses and, in a horrifying instant, the light that is your life is snuffed out.
Tragically, your life and your duel with Wolf's Bane end here.
Using your Grand Master skills, you conjure a fog from the surface of the slime which rapidly fills the lower level of the vault. You hear the angry, rasping voices of the creatures echoing inside the pot as they curse the fog which is obscuring their view of the vault floor. Under cover of the vapour, you enter the vault and wade silently through the slime towards the far exit. You have just passed beneath the pot when suddenly a volley of bone arrows comes whistling down from above.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 6 or less,
turn to 11
.
If it is 7 or higher,
turn to 266
.
This passage ends at a door crafted from sheeted silver inset with circles of iron. It has no handle and there appears to be no lock. You try pushing against it but to no avail: it refuses to open. Then you notice a small slit cut into the frame of the door and, when you run your fingers across it, you detect the tell-tale vibrations of an electrical lock.
If you possess an Iron Disc,
turn to 159
.
If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 143
.
You muster your psychic defences and construct a wall around your mind to protect yourself from this agonizing mental assault. Your strategy is effective, although the effort it requires depletes your reserves of strength (lose 3
ENDURANCE
points).
This psychic assault has been one of the worst you have ever experienced. You have survived, but your Kai senses tell you that your ordeal has not ended; it has only just begun. You force open your eyes and look with dread at the terrible threat confronting you now.
One of the arrows grazes your right forearm and gouges a furrow of skin from the top of your right thigh. You stifle a cry, but the intense pain that grips your injured limbs warns you at once that the tip of the arrow was tainted with poison.
Your innate healing skills counter the poison before it can do its deadly work, but your body's defences draw heavily on your reserves of strength and the curing process leaves you feeling weak and light-headed: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 70
.
‘Come, Grand Master. You're going home,’ she says, and she takes you by the hand and leads you to the middle of the banquet hall, to a place directly opposite the great fireplace. ‘But first we must make preparations for the journey.’
Alyss then proceeds to remove an amulet from around the throat of your slain adversary. She presses it into your palm and tells you to put it on immediately. (Record this Special Item on your
Action Chart
as Wolf's Bane's Amulet, which you wear on a chain around your neck. You must discard another Special Item in its favour if you already possess the maximum permissible.)
When you have done as she requests, she then touches her finger to the two amulets that you now wear, and she smiles.
‘Good, good,’ she enthuses, ‘these baubles will take care of you.’
She then takes a piece of limestone from her pocket and proceeds to draw a pentagram on the floor of the hall. She has half completed the complicated design when suddenly she becomes agitated.
‘Must hurry,’ she mumbles, ‘must, must hurry.’
Suddenly the fire in the hearth flares brightly. The flames begin to grow and whirl and slowly change colour.
‘It's no good!’ cries Alyss, tearful with frustration. Angrily she casts her chunk of crumbling limestone at the roaring flames and then leaps to her feet and comes rushing to your side. ‘It's too late!’ she screams, her voice now barely audible above the unnatural crackling of the fire. ‘Naar is summoning his champion!’
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 273
.
If it is 5–9,
turn to 67
.