The Chasm of Doom (10 page)
As you drift beneath the arch of the southern tunnel, you pull your Kai cloak around your body and raise the hood. The ceiling is leaking and huge drops of ore-stained water rain down on your crowded boat, streaking the hair and tunics of your men a rusty brown.
You row for over a mile before eventually emerging in a small grotto. A flight of stone steps rises out of the river and ascends to an archway in the rock wall.
If you wish to land at the steps and investigate the tunnel,
turn to 8
.
If you wish to continue south by the river,
turn to 240
.
‘I was hoping the King would send a large search party,’ says Captain D'Val wryly, now having fully recovered from his exhaustion. ‘I was beginning to tire of this town.’
You rise from your straw bed and offer your thanks to the captain. His brave and timely action saved you from certain death. ‘'Tis nothing to compare with you, Lone Wolf. Your bravery is legend. Your presence here is worth a hundred men.’
He asks you about your mission, and you recount the events that have led you to this meeting; the ride south, the loss of your company, your passage through the Maaken Mines and the bandits.
‘Yes, the bandits — Barraka's men,’ retorts D'Val, his gruff voice conveying his contempt for them and their leader. ‘It seems we have both suffered at his hand. A month ago, he and his Vassagonian renegades ambushed my troop on the Ruanon Pike. We were sorely outnumbered and the fight was indeed bitter. But we broke free from them and escaped here to Ruanon. We have been beleaguered ever since and praying for help to arrive. We have enough weapons to resist them, but we have barely enough food and water to survive.’
You ask what has become of the people of Ruanon. ‘Most are now slaves. Barraka has taken the mines and he uses the Ruanese as forced labour. Other than yourself, only one man has escaped from the mines and survived the Warhounds and the bandit snipers. That man is Baron Oren Vanalund. Come, I shall take you to him.’
D'Val leads you to the topmost chamber of the watchtower and pushes open an iron-shod door. The sight that greets you fills your heart with sorrow and pity.
You soon reach a section of tunnel that is under repair. Part of the floor has subsided, and a gaping hole is spanned by a rickety wooden bridge. You are tired and fail to notice that your torch has almost burnt out. You are at the centre of the bridge when the torch flickers and dies; you are plunged into darkness.
If you have another Torch
5
in your Backpack,
turn to 22
.
If you have no other Torch, you must try to inch your way across the bridge in total darkness. Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense or Tracking, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 0–6,
turn to 99
.
If it is 7–12,
turn to 256
.
[5] Remember that you may not use another Torch unless you have a Tinderbox as well. Also, you may use a Kalte Firesphere in place of a Torch and Tinderbox if you have one.
The iron door is locked, but there is a lockplate with a keyhole and a large handle upon which hangs a Whip. If you decide to take the Whip, remember to mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Backpack Item.
If you possess an Iron Key, you may open the door by
turning to 308
.
If you do not possess this key or if you do not want to open the door, you may leave the chamber via a spiral staircase.
If you wish to ascend the stairs,
turn to 170
.
If you wish to descend the stairs,
turn to 228
.
‘Hold your blade, Barraka. Her life is not yours for the taking!’ Your words ring out above the howling wind. The renegade noble turns to face you, his laugh as piercing as your command. He advances towards you, the flame-licked dagger held high in his mailed fist. You draw your weapon and enter the temple.
If you wish to enter into combat with this warrior lord,
turn to 296
.
If you wish to try to free Madelon,
turn to 73
.
After many hours of riding you reach a highway junction. (You have left the Wildlands and may once again use the Kai Discipline of Hunting to hunt for your food.) A large signpost indicates two destinations: south to Ruanon (60 miles) and east to Eshnar (40 miles).
If you wish to continue south,
turn to 33
.
If you decide to go east,
turn to 92
.
No sooner has he fallen at your feet than another line of the enemy surges forward. Your men are brave and stolid, but the enemy are greater in number. You cannot hold them forever.
‘Into the mine!’ you shout, as the enemy pull back to regroup for another charge. But only four of your company make it to the mine; the others lie dead beneath their shields.
As you raise your golden sword, the howling wind seems to rise in pitch and intensity. It claws at your mind, filling your head with terrible images of death and horror. Barraka sees you falter and strikes a cruel blow that opens a wound in your cheek. You lose 1
ENDURANCE
point. But the sudden pain reawakens you to the presence of your enemy, and the combat begins.
Barraka:
COMBAT SKILL
25
ENDURANCE
29
You are being attacked by a very powerful Mindblast. Unless you possess the Kai Discipline of Mindshield, your
COMBAT SKILL
is reduced by 4 for the duration of this combat. However, Barraka himself is a warrior who possesses formidable strength of will: he is immune to Mindblast.
If you win the combat,
turn to 350
.
Onward and upward, you claw your way through the wooded hillside. Your throat is dry and your heart is pounding as though it is about to burst, but you dare not slacken your pace. Four hours pass before you feel certain that you have outrun the enemy.
It is nearly dusk when you chance upon a narrow steep-sided valley, carved from the hillside to afford access to a mine tunnel. For hundreds of years, the ore of the Maaken Range has been the blessing and the bane of many who have ventured here to seek their fortune: men have found wealth beyond their wildest dreams, but also men have perished without trace in its labyrinth of cold dark tunnels.
You examine the mine entrance. You know that if you can find a major passage, you could trace your way to Ruanon itself. At the entrance, you find a discarded wooden crate, containing six Torches and a Tinderbox. The mines are dark and you will need to use at least one torch to light your way. You can take as many additional Torches as you wish, but remember each one counts as a Backpack Item, so be sure to make the appropriate changes to your
Action Chart
.
6
Enter the mines by
turning to 315
.
[6] Unless you already possess an alternative means of relighting the torch later (e.g. another Tinderbox or a Kalte Firesphere), record this Tinderbox on your Action Chart as a Backpack Item. It is not necessary to record the one lit torch on your
Action Chart
.
A mantlet, a large shield on wheels, is being pushed slowly across the body-strewn battleground towards the barricade. Arrow shafts soon bristle from its thick wooden planks as D'Val's men fire their bows time and time again in an attempt to hit the shielded foe.
Illustration VII—A mantlet is being pushed across the battleground towards the barricade.
Suddenly a robed figure darts from behind the mantlet and levels a black staff at the barricade. He is cut down by an arrow, but not before he has let loose from his staff a guttering ball of flame. It cartwheels across the plain and explodes with a tremendous roar, hurling the bodies of defenders and shattered barricade high into the air. Through the cloud of dust and debris, you can see a line of enemy cavalry charging across the plain. They wear tall plumed helmets of polished steel and breastplates of deepest crimson. In the wake of the fireball they pour through the remains of the barricade and attack — they give no quarter. A horseman spurs his horse towards you, his lance levelled at your chest.
If you wish to stand and fight the horseman,
turn to 333
.
If you wish to run back to the watchtower,
turn to 107
.
A smile flickers across your face as you give the rope a hefty tug. Confidently you turn to watch your pursuers drop into the gaping mine shaft. Unfortunately the only thing to drop is the heavy portcullis that has now sealed off the entrance to the tunnel. Your enemies cackle with glee and draw their weapons to strike.
You cannot evade them and must fight them one at a time as they leap from the bridge.
Tunnel Guard Leader:
COMBAT SKILL
20
ENDURANCE
30
Tunnel Guard 1:
COMBAT SKILL
18
ENDURANCE
26
Tunnel Guard 2:
COMBAT SKILL
16
ENDURANCE
24
If you win,
turn to 261
.
Darkness soon engulfs the Ruanon Pike, and you are forced to stop and pitch camp. A large fire is blazing and a perimeter guard is posted to prevent any risk of a surprise attack during the night. You must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
The night passes without incident and at dawn you break camp, continuing your ride along ‘Raider's Road’.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number that you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 25
.
If it is 5–9,
turn to 171
.
As you crawl from under the body of the Elix, you see the desperate struggle still raging in the chamber. Two of your men lie dead, their throats torn out by the ferocious beasts. Another is pinned beneath an Elix, his sword thrust into its side. The other ranger has reached the stairs and is desperately hacking at the head and neck of an Elix whose teeth are sunk into his foot.
There is no sign of the guards; they have been knocked backwards into the well and have fallen to a watery doom.
If you wish to help the ranger who is pinned to the floor,
turn to 178
.
If you wish to help the ranger who is fighting at the bottom of the stairs,
turn to 245
.
You dive towards the trapdoor, but the warrior is rushing to intercept your escape.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, add 3 to the number you have chosen.
If your total is now 0–4,
turn to 103
.
If it is 5–12,
turn to 98
.
You soon arrive at a collapsed section of the tunnel. A wide rift has appeared in the floor, and a makeshift bridge has been thrown across it. In spite of the many gaping holes in the bridge floor you make your way safely to the other side.
You are hungry and must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points. (If you possess the Kai Discipline of Hunting, you are unable to use it within the Maaken Mines to hunt for food.)
Make the necessary adjustments to your
Action Chart
before
turning to 309
.
For over an hour, you follow the river bank as it wends its way into the foothills of the Maaken Range. The River Xane is wide and fast-flowing; there are no signs of any bridges or fords in this direction.
If you wish to return to the boathouse,
turn to 68
.
If you wish to continue following the river towards the east,
turn to 331
.
The door is unlocked and opens out into a dimly lit tunnel. This section of the mine looks newly-constructed, for the timbers are clean and the floor has yet to be worn smooth by the passage of miners and wagons. The tunnel heads south for nearly a mile before turning abruptly to the west.
Your men tether their horses and follow you into the tavern. An old woman stands behind the bar, her face taut and lined as if in pain. She wears men's clothes — a shirt and chequered trousers. The tavern is empty, but the tables are covered with ale mugs, many half full of beer.
If you feel uneasy about the tavern and wish to leave town,
turn to 67
.
If you wish to question the old woman,
turn to 287
.