Beyond the Nightmare Gate (6 page)

You are walking forwards when suddenly a sword falls from the ceiling and skewers you from head to toe. You keel over in an ever-widening pool of blood.

Your life and your adventure end here.

Fortunately, the Fire Sprites realize that you do not wish to set fire to the Ethetron, but as there is little else to burn, they do not come to your aid. The use of this Magical Power has cost you 1
WILLPOWER
point. If you wish, you may maintain this trance state and seek the aid of one of the other Elements.

If you desire the aid of the Earth Elemental,
turn to 73
.

If you desire the aid of the Water Elemental,
turn to 54
.

If you desire the aid of the Air Elemental,
turn to 88
.

If you wish to cease using Elemental Magic,
turn to 165
.

You make it to the foot of the stairs without injury. Tanith traces out a similar course and, still alert and ready to act, you ascend the stairs.

At the top of the stairs there is a narrow landing from which there is only one exit through a very heavy door. You try the handle and, to your delight, discover that it is open.

If you wish to rush into the room beyond,
turn to 110
.

If you wish to open the door just a crack and peer in,
turn to 8
.

If you have the Magical Power of Prophecy and wish to use it,
turn to 149
.

Taking Tanith by the arm, you make to move away. Drear is working a subtle magic, an enchantment that is hard to resist, and Tanith has already succumbed to his power.

If you wish to attack Drear with your Wizard's Staff,
turn to 36
.

If you wish to use the Magical Power of Sorcery,
turn to 15
.

If you wish to resist Drear's call without the aid of magic,
turn to 3
.

You stagger through the palace entrance. The Elessin follow but keep a respectful distance. You view the long flight of steps leading down from the palace with trepidation. You dare not discard the statue for you are sure that it is only the Elessin's fear of it that keeps them from attacking you.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. Add this number to your current
ENDURANCE
points total.

If your total is now 20 or more,
turn to 59
.

If your total is now less than 20,
turn to 65
.

With smiling faces and much laughter, the Elessin lead you to their home. As you draw closer to the Singing City, you gaze in wonder upon the dazzling display of glass and fragmented light that gleams beneath the bright sun. Rainbows of colour splash from the delicate spires and splendid ivory towers that point towards the sky. Like the distant ringing of a million tiny bells, the music of the city reaches your ears. You hear the warm resonance of a shifting bass accompanied by pure, whispering harmonies as delicate as a breeze, and you are awestruck by the magnificence of the city. The Academicians told you that the Elessin are cruel creatures, but their city suggests a purity of spirit beyond any mortal imagining.

Illustration II
—The Singing City with its delicate spires and splendid ivory towers.

You pass through the arched gateway of the city and walk along a long avenue of crystal paving stones.

Turn to 238
.

In the lonely terror of the absolute darkness your voice is swallowed up by the fathomless void. However, the chant conjures fond memories of your gentle Shianti masters and your fear swiftly subsides. You are gratified that even here, in this terrible limbo, the power and wisdom of the Shianti is still within your grasp. You regain 1
WILLPOWER
point.

Turn to 60
.

You enter a door. To your surprise, you and Tanith find yourselves standing in a circular chamber filled with a milky-white light. Your heart lifts when you recognize that the source of the light is the Moonstone itself. ‘So you found it at last,’ says a voice behind you. It is the Jahksa.

Illustration III
—You and Tanith find yourselves in a circular chamber filled with milky-white light.

Turn to 275
.

The wall has many crevices and projections and the foliage makes climbing easy. However, when you reach the top, you look down to see that the other side of the wall is smooth with a sheer drop to the ground of at least twenty feet.

If you possess a Rope and wish to use it,
turn to 244
.

If you do not have a Rope,
turn to 212
.

The Elessi raises the jewelled crozier and prepares to carry out his sentence. At the expense of 3
WILLPOWER
points, you wrench your Wizard's Staff from his hand and draw it towards you. The Elessi watches amazed.

If you wish to fire a long-range attack at the Elessi,
turn to 340
.

If you wish to try to engage the Elessi in close combat,
turn to 322
.

Hastily, you walk across the plain of clouds, crossing the Neverness and gaining on the Crystal Tower, which gleams faintly with a strange light. The tower is built from great shards of black crystal, and its design is entirely alien to your eyes.

Illustration IV
—The Crystal Tower gleams faintly with a strange light.

Turn to 167
.

You are still losing height as the greyish mist contained in the glass dome seeps from the Ethetron. Swerving like a tiny insect to avoid the weird creatures, you battle for control but the ship is becoming harder and harder to steer. Then, suddenly, they are no longer there.

Turn to 33
.

You shake your head and the guard looks at you with a puzzled frown. He directs a stream of unintelligible phrases at you and you curse under your breath. Now you're really in trouble!

If you wish to make a run for it,
turn to 184
.

If you wish to nod your head,
turn to 232
.

If you wish to shake your head and continue,
turn to 254
.

You have not taken more than a few steps when Tanith's scream causes you to look up. A sword hurtles towards you and slices cleanly through your chest, inflicting a fatal wound.

Your life and your adventure end here.

The only available source of water is from within the storm clouds that surround you and, to the howling delight of the Jahksa, it begins to rain heavily. The use of this spell has cost you 1
WILLPOWER
point. You may maintain this trance state if you wish and seek the aid of another Elemental spirit.

If you desire the aid of the Fire Elemental,
turn to 41
.

If you desire the aid of the Earth Elemental,
turn to 73
.

If you desire the aid of the Air Elemental,
turn to 88
.

If you wish to stop using Elemental Magic,
turn to 165
.

At the cost of 1
WILLPOWER
point, you reach out with your mind, seeking guidance from the future. You sense an imminent catastrophe if you take the Threnogem from the statue's mouth. The statue is a source of evil power and it is only the Threnogem that keeps this evil at bay.

Turn to 346
.

Soon you are back where you started, having completed a circuit of the Crystal Tower. To your immense surprise, however, there is now a door beneath the metal plate. Tanith has an incredulous look upon her face. ‘There is strange sorcery at work here,’ she comments.

The iron-shod door is tall and uninviting. You try the handle but the door is locked. You notice a keyhole and five Keys hanging on five hooks by the door. Each Key has been shaped into the likeness of a beast.

Illustration V
—The iron-shod door is locked and five keys are hanging by it.

If you wish to use the Serpent Key,
turn to 240
.

If you wish to use the Eagle Key,
turn to 227
.

If you wish to use the Wolf Key,
turn to 235
.

If you wish to use the Spider Key,
turn to 252
.

If you wish to try the Dragon Key,
turn to 277
.

If you wish to read the inscription above the door,
turn to 10
.

If you wish to strike the door with your Wizard's Staff,
turn to 97
.

If you have the Magical Power of Prophecy and wish to use it,
turn to 161
.

If you have the Magical Power of Psychomancy and wish to use it,
turn to 193
.