Wolf's Bane (9 page)
You relax the tension in your body and allow yourself to enter a trance state, the preliminary stage required before you spirit-walk. You feel yourself leave your corporeal body and, in spirit form, you move through the curtain of vines and out into the jungle heat. Immediately beyond the cave mouth there is a small clearing which slopes away to the jungle perimeter. You scan the border of dense foliage and you are shocked when you detect your adversary, Wolf's Bane, hiding among the bushes less than fifty yards away. He is armed with a bow which he has trained upon the entrance to the tunnel.
You retreat into the cave mouth and re-enter your body. On awakening from your trance, you move forward and peer through the hanging vines to locate your enemy's hiding place. So advanced is his camouflage skill that it takes you several minutes to find him. Once you are sure you have him, you allow yourself a smile; you are looking forward to turning the tables on this arrogant impostor.
If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 196
.
If you possess Grand Nexus and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Crown (and wish to use your mastery),
turn to 43
.
If you do not have a Bow or the Discipline of Grand Nexus, or if you have yet to attain this higher level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 114
.
You haul yourself out of the putrid, salty water, and narrowly avoid the clutches of the cellar beast. The creature opens its fanged jaw and issues a gurgling roar of frustration as it gets ready to climb onto the steps and pursue you.
If you possess Grand Pathsmanship and have attained the rank of Sun Thane,
turn to 172
.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 17
.
Star Lynx dives for cover behind the gravestone, but you stay on your feet to watch the trajectory of the rock as it disappears into the open tomb. The moment it passes over the glyph there is a blinding flash of white light, followed almost instantly by the deafening crackle of exploding electrical energies. You are hit by the concussive force of the explosion which knocks you flat on your back — lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.
As you lie on the hard damp ground, gasping for breath, you can hear splinters of stone ricocheting off the surrounding gravestones and smell the stench of scorched earth and ozone in the air. Then, abruptly, the noise and light abate and the burial ground is shrouded once more in gloomy silence. You pull yourself to your feet to see that the doorway is now clear of rubble, save for the slab upon which the glyph is inscribed. The destructive power of the glyph has been discharged, but only temporarily. Your senses warn you that it is recharging; you have but a few seconds in which to enter the tomb before the magical device is active once more.
‘Quickly, my lords,’ you shout, as you hurry towards the entrance. ‘Follow me!’
One of the arrows whistles past dangerously close to your legs, while the other passes wide and shatters harmlessly against the ceiling. Before the creatures can reload and fire again, you reach the balcony and speak the words which negate the effects of the
Teleport
spell. The moment your feet touch the ground, you hurry into the archway beyond.
Use of the
Teleport
spell costs you 4
ENDURANCE
points. Be sure to make the necessary adjustment to your
Action Chart
.
To continue,
turn to 50
.
Cursing your predicament, you steel yourself to confront the chained serpent. Unsheathing your weapon, you take your first tentative steps towards the hissing creature and soon discover that its iron collar and chain will prevent it from reaching you so long as you keep close to the cavern wall. Mindful of this, you skirt around the writhing serpent and inch your way carefully towards the tunnel. However, you have progressed only a few yards when you feel the floor sloping away. The water is getting deeper.
If you possess Magi-magic and have attained the rank of Grand Thane or higher,
turn to 234
.
If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline or have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 25
.
Your adversary sniggers when he hears your cry of pain. Yet, despite the burning agony of your wound, you wrench the evil shaft from your chest and force yourself to stand. Defiantly, you level your weapon at the darkened stairwell. But Wolf's Bane is no longer crouching near the steps; he is fast ascending them. Calling upon your innate healing skills, you staunch the flow of blood that is soaking the front of your tunic and stumble towards the staircase in pursuit of your hated foe.
You place your lips to the plant wall and utter the power-word of the Elder Magi:
Gloar!
The explosive power of this magical word is greatly accentuated within the confines of the stem. It tears a large ragged hole in the plant wall through which, with little difficulty, you are able to make your escape.
Hurriedly you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Counterspell
and, to your relief and amazement, the fire-bolt sputters and dissolves within an arm's reach of your face.
Guided by your advanced Kai instincts, you avoid the rain of debris without too much difficulty and reach the entrance to the skull-rock unscathed. Without any hesitation you enter the misty portal in pursuit of your enemy. Barely seconds later, there is a tremendous explosion and the entire temple ceiling collapses.
The moment you twist the dial to the correct number, the panel slides open and a rush of air surges into the cell.
8
Greedily you fill your lungs as you stagger out into the corridor and make your way back along this steel-lined passage towards the stairs. Quietly cursing your ill luck, you descend the steps to the foyer and leave the building.
[8] This is the correct answer to the combination lock in
Section 252
.
Using your advanced mastery, you are able to project the image of the creature's most feared adversary into its mind's eye. The huge serpent reacts violently; it twists and wrenches at its iron collar in a desperate attempt to break free from its bonds. Its great body, which is studded with tiny barbed horns, thrashes the water into a stinking foam as it writhes back and forth in front of the exit tunnel. Your psychic projection has this creature terrified, but its state of near-panic will now make it difficult for you to reach the tunnel and escape from this cavern.
If you possess Kai-alchemy,
turn to 293
.
If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 326
.
The moment you negate your spell of
Levitation
spell and set foot upon firm ground, you feel a warm breeze. You sense that it comes from a stairwell at the far end of this new hall and, when you investigate it, you rediscover Wolf's Bane's footprints on the stone steps. You cast your hands over them and detect that this is not a false trail: your enemy passed this way sometime within the last hour.
Slowly you ascend the stairs and arrive at the arched entrance to a large, vaulted stone chamber. Gathered around a fountain set into its north wall are a group of six grey-skinned humanoids. They are busy drinking a clear, oily fluid that pours from the fountain's spout into a semicircular trough. All are barefoot and clad in rags, and they are each armed with a spear and a bow. The only exit from this chamber appears to be an archway set high in the north wall. There is a balcony in front of it that can only be reached by two flights of stairs which rise up on either side of the fountain.
Quietly you observe the creatures slaking their thirsts, and you try to formulate a way in which you can get past them and reach the balconied exit in the north wall.
If you possess a Bow and the Discipline of Magi-magic and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Guardian,
turn to 138
.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and have attained the rank of Grand Crown (and wish to use it),
turn to 26
.
If you do not possess these skills or a Bow, or if you have yet to attain the required levels of Kai Mastery,
turn to 121
.
You release your grip of your enemy and roll away from him. Moments later, the beam from his comrade's weapon hits his side and erupts through the back of his armour. The force of the impact lifts him bodily from the floor and hurls him into a pile of rusty cylinders, bringing them crashing down to bury him. Shocked and angry at having accidentally killed his confederate, the newly-arrived warrior rushes forward. He is determined to find and finish you once and for all, but his anger and his armour put him at a disadvantage. He fails to see where you have gone and, under cover of the smoke and debris, you manage to circle around behind him without being seen.
If you possess Kai-alchemy,
turn to 39
.
If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 349
.
The moment you complete the code, you feel a shuddering vibration run through the great iron portal.
9
Slowly it grinds open to reveal an antechamber that is lit by a dozen flaming torches set around its glassy walls. The wind has now become so fierce that it is tearing the fabric of your cloak and tunic. Rather than remain outside in the storm a moment longer, you hurry through the open portal and seek shelter within.
[9] This is the correct answer to the portal lock in
Section 251
.
It takes you more than half an hour to cut a clear path through these magical strands, and the effort leaves you aching with fatigue.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If the number you have picked is 0–4, reduce your
ENDURANCE
score by 2 points. If the number you have picked is 5–9, reduce your
ENDURANCE
score by 4 points.
To continue,
turn to 316
.
You ask Steel Hand to give you his rope and he obeys dutifully. Then you utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Levitation
and almost immediately you feel gravity losing its grip on your body. Gently you rise to the ceiling of the vault where, using the exposed stone buttresses, you are able to pull yourself along until you are directly above the centre of the fissure. Here you fix one end of the rope to an exposed stone beam and cast the other end to your companions waiting below. One by one they swing across the void and, when all have crossed safely, you untie the rope and pull yourself to the far side before intoning the words that cancel the effects of the spell.
It is clear from their wide-eyed expressions that they are all impressed with your mastery of Brotherhood magic, especially Steel Hand. You gather up his rope and as you give it back to him you say: ‘Don't worry. One day I'll instruct you in the ways of magic so that you, too, can walk a ceiling!’
The young Kai Master smiles as he stuffs his rope into his bulging backpack.
‘And now, my lords, we must press on. We've a trail to find,’ you say, and you motion your companions to follow as you get ready to leave this chamber.
You feel your throat tightening and your lungs collapsing as the air is sucked out of the chamber. The whirling flames of the fire have rapidly transformed into a raging vortex which is dragging into its core every loose item in the banquet hall. You and Alyss hang on to the banister rail affixed to the gallery stairs, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain your grip. Chairs, tapestries, tables, and other furniture batter you as they tumble past to be sucked into the vortex (lose 4
ENDURANCE
points). Then the rail collapses and the two of you are drawn into the raging heart of this fearsome whirlpool.
So advanced is your adversary's camouflage skill that it takes you several minutes to locate him, despite the fact that he is less than fifty yards away. He is partially hidden behind a tree, and he is armed with a bow which is trained upon the entrance to the tunnel. Once you are sure you have found him, you allow yourself a smile; you are looking forward to turning the tables on this arrogant impostor.
If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 196
.
If you possess Grand Nexus and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Crown (and wish to use your mastery),
turn to 43
.
If you do not have a Bow or the Discipline of Grand Nexus, or if you have yet to attain this higher level of Kai Mastery, or if you do not wish to use any of them,
turn to 114
.
The strands of this magical net are thick, sticky, and tough. Clearing a way through them quickly becomes a trial of strength and stamina.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess a bladed weapon, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 4 or less,
turn to 65
.
If it is 5 or more,
turn to 228
.