The Chasm of Doom (18 page)
‘Go away!’ shouts a nervous voice. ‘We're a tavern, not a barracks!’ shouts another. You try to reason with them but they are adamant; they will not let you enter. You have no choice but to continue along the highway.
The Warhounds spread out and stream towards the barricade, their eyes aflame with evil intent. A group of five snarling dogs tear through the wall of sacks and casks and engulf the soldiers around you. Lashing out, you dispatch two of the loathsome dogs with one swipe, but in the heat of battle you fail to notice the Warhounds that are diving towards your back. They pitch you forward into the collapsed barricade; before you can free yourself, they have sunk their fangs into your legs.
Vassagonian Warhounds:
COMBAT SKILL
18
ENDURANCE
30
If you are still alive after 3 rounds of combat or if you have won in the first three rounds,
turn to 311
.
On the first body that you search you find:
- 8 Gold Crowns
- Enough food for 1 Meal
You are about to search the others when you hear the sound of running footsteps approaching from the other side of the chamber. You pull the rope once more and breathe a sigh of relief as the portcullis rises into the ceiling. Rolling under the widening gap, you jump to your feet and make a hasty escape along the tunnel.
You leap forward to strike, but the bandit rears his steed to avert your attack. You feel the horse's flailing hooves crash down on your head, and you are quickly trampled into the blood-soaked ground. Concussed and mortally wounded, the last thing that you remember of this world is the evil sneer of the bandit horseman as he raises his longsword for the death-blow.
Your life and your mission end here.
You twist to one side to avoid it, but the disc bites deeply into your shoulder. You lose 4
ENDURANCE
points. Clutching your wounded arm, you sprint along a narrow alleyway that leads to a mass of densely packed firs. As you reach the trees, you hear the shouts of bandits close behind.
If you wish to press on through the trees towards the south,
turn to 123
.
If you wish to change direction and head west,
turn to 169
.
Your Kai sense enables you to identify the hoof prints disappearing along the path towards the east as those made by a Sommlending cavalry horse.
If you wish to follow the prints,
turn to 134
.
If you wish to head in the opposite direction to the tracks,
turn to 191
.
There is no time to search the bodies. Other patrols have been alerted by the struggle and are now hacking their way through the trees to reach you. Parting the bloodstained foliage, you leap from the trees and run for Ruanon.
‘We've heard nothing for nearly a month,’ he says, shaking his bearded face from side to side. ‘Some horsemen from your country passed here about that time, but since then all we have seen are a travelling band of troubadours from Cloeasia and those accursed bandits.’
The tavern-keeper's sons each take it in turn to sit watch at the arrow slits, so that you and your men can get some sleep.
A terrible pain racks your chest as you are thrown backwards by the force of the crossbow bolt. You claw at the unyielding shaft, catching a glimpse of the face of an enemy guard as he raises his sword to deliver the
coup de grâce
.
Your life and your mission end here.
A thorough search of the two guards reveals the following items:
- 4 Gold Crowns
- Spear
- Broadsword
- Iron Key
- Brass Key
- Enough food for 2 Meals
- Potion of Red Liquid
You recognize the liquid to be Laumspur, a potion of healing. If swallowed after combat, it will restore 4
ENDURANCE
points. You may take any of the above items but be sure to mark them on your
Action Chart
.
Set into the north wall of the well chamber is a large iron door. Next to the door, a stone archway leads to a spiral staircase.
If you wish to examine the iron door,
turn to 118
.
If you wish to ascend the spiral stairs,
turn to 170
.
If you wish to descend the spiral stairs,
turn to 228
.
You follow the passage for nearly an hour before finding yourself in front of a solid rock-face. Shovels and barrows lie discarded upon the floor as if the excavation was abandoned in a great hurry. You may take one of the Shovels if you wish, but it will occupy the same space in your Backpack as two normal items.
You are now hungry and you must 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.) Cursing your bad luck, you are forced to retrace your steps all the way back to the junction.
Continue your exploration by
turning to 145
.
The rain and the gloom hide your approach, and you reach the marble stairs unseen. The steps are overgrown with mould and weeds, but a path has been trod through them leading into the darkness of a huge underground vault.
If you possess a Torch and a Tinderbox in your Backpack,
turn to 29
.
If you possess a Firesphere,
turn to 168
.
If you have neither of these items, you can continue your way forward in darkness and
turn to 246
.
Alternatively, you can leave the vault and attempt to enter the temple via the crypt door by
turning to 183
.
You are halfway across the bridge when someone pulls the hanging rope. You glance back, and to your horror you see that the rope travels through a series of metal rings that lead to a couple of locking pins anchoring the bridge floor to the edge of the shaft. A shiver runs down your spine as the rope snaps taut and the pegs rise out of the floor.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If you possess the Kai Discipline of Hunting, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 0–6,
turn to 9
.
If it is 7–11,
turn to 104
.
You smash feet-first into a large river boulder. Recoiling from the impact, you cough uncontrollably in your desperate fight for air as the water fills your ears and nose. Down and down, around and around you go, your eyes stinging and the pain in your legs grinding agonizingly upwards through your body. A glancing blow to your shoulder rips the sleeve from your jacket and numbs your arm; your weapon falls from your hand. You are somersaulted into a steep V-shaped channel and buffeted on all sides as you tumble towards a pool far below. You feel the sheer weight and volume of water behind you will plunge you to your doom, and as you plummet into the swirling dark water, all consciousness rapidly gives way to a blind and silent numbness.
When you open your eyes it is dusk. You have been washed up on the river bank near to a twisting forest track. The silhouette of the Maaken Range rises steeply to the east, and you realize that you must have drifted many miles downstream. You have survived a terrible ordeal; one that would have killed any lesser mortal. You have lost 5
ENDURANCE
points due to leg and head wounds and one Weapon.
7
All of your Special Items, Backpack Items, and Gold Crowns are still intact.
Make all the necessary adjustments to your
Action Chart
before
turning to 79
.
[7] You may choose which Weapon to discard if you have two.
You have ridden less than five miles when you see a group of wagons on the highway ahead. They are painted in a gaudy mix of bright colours and drawn by teams of oxen. A huge tasselled banner flies above the leading wagon, which bears the following proclamation:
Illustration XVI—You see a group of wagons on the highway ahead.
If you wish to stop to question these travelling minstrels,
turn to 37
.
If you wish to ignore them and let them pass,
turn to 126
.
Barraka draws a razor-sharp scimitar, holding its mirror-like blade in his other hand. He advances towards you with deadly grace; you can sense his warrior prowess, his ice-cold nerve. Your fight will be hard and to the death.
If you possess a Flask of Holy Water,
turn to 283
.
If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 325
.
With one slice of your golden sword, the timber splinters in two. A shudder runs through the ground, and with one mighty roar, a deluge of earth and stone completely fills the tunnel. Clouds of dust engulf you, and the force of the blast throws you to the floor; all the torches are extinguished. You lose 1
ENDURANCE
point. Staggering to your feet, you hurry along the dust-choked tunnel to where the wall torches are still burning.
A hideous groan reverberates through the chamber making everyone freeze in mid-step. With mounting horror, you watch as the far wall suddenly moves towards you. A crack appears, widening to reveal a row of razor-sharp teeth. You have awoken a hungry Stoneworm, and it intends to feast on your flesh. Your men unsheathe their swords and prepare for combat; it is too late for them to turn and run.
If you wish to stand and fight the Stoneworm,
turn to 88
.
If you wish to escape from the chamber, you run back to the ladder and
turn to 26
.
You kick the dead Warhound away and steel yourself for another onslaught. Three more of the snarling beasts are ready to pounce, and you must fight them as one enemy.
Vassagonian Warhounds:
COMBAT SKILL
22
ENDURANCE
35
If you win the combat,
turn to 155
.
Your lightning reactions have saved you from certain death. The deadly disc whistles past, embedding itself deep in a wheel. Rolling clear of the wagon, you sprint along a narrow alleyway leading to a knot of densely packed firs. You reach the trees, but as you dive for cover, you hear the shouts of bandits close behind.
If you wish to press on through the trees towards the south,
turn to 123
.
If you wish to change direction and head west,
turn to 169
.
As you unfurl the Scroll and begin to read its ominous contents, the Baron struggles to his feet. Word for word he echoes the prophetic verse.
When the full moon shines o'er the temple deep,
A sacrifice will stir from sleep
The legions of a long forgotten lord.
When a fair royal maid on the altar dies,
The dead of Maakengorge shall rise
To claim their long-awaited reward.
‘You must save her, Lone Wolf. You must prevent the sacrifice.’ The Baron's voice is choked with emotion.
‘Save who? Who must he save?’ questions Captain D'Val, as he tries to calm the distressed Baron.
‘My daughter, Madelon. Barraka has found the Dagger of Vashna. He plans to sacrifice my daughter upon the altar of Maaken to release the undead of Maakengorge.’
The Baron explains that during the Age of the Black Moon, King Ulnar of Sommerlund killed the mightiest of all the Darklords, Vashna, with the Sommerswerd, the sword of the sun. His body and the bodies of all his soldiers were hurled into the bottomless abyss of Maakengorge. ‘He plans to lead the dead to victory first to conquer Sommerlund and then all of the Lastlands,’ he says in despair.
You stare at the Baron in stunned silence. If Barraka completes the sacrifice, all is lost. What mortal army can stand against a legion of the dead?
Captain D'Val ushers you from the chamber and closes the door. ‘I feared he was insane, but your Scroll confirms my worst nightmare. He speaks the truth!’
As the dreadful significance of the verse begins to sink in, your thoughts are broken by the shrill blast of a war-horn. Captain D'Val strides over to an arrow slit and peers out across the plain. As he turns to speak, you notice that his face is ashen grey. ‘The bandits … they're launching an attack!’
If you possess Captain D'Val's sword,
turn to 327
.
If you do not possess it,
turn to 289
.