The Curse of Naar (10 page)

BOOK: The Curse of Naar

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The crackling gout of flame comes shooting across the hall. At first it seems to be targeted at your illusory double; then it veers in mid-air and comes speeding towards your chest.

If you possess the Sommerswerd or Skarn-Ska and wish to use it in an attempt to deflect this onrushing column of fire,
turn to 44
.

If you possess neither of these Special Items or choose not to use them,
turn to 173
.

You draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to form a shield around your mind as defence against the risk of possible psychic assault. This precaution proves to be a wise one for, as the net hits the ground, the Dentaag unleash a violent psychic attack in an attempt to weaken and subdue you.

Automatically your psychic defences knit together to shield the fabric of your mind, but the speed and intensity of the attack is such that it threatens to pierce your mind-armour. Just how successful your prepared defences will be against this attack is now dependent upon your previous experience of psychic combat.

If your current level of Kai rank is Sun Knight or lower,
turn to 187
.

If your current level of Kai rank is between Grand Thane and Sun Lord,
turn to 219
.

If your current level of Kai rank is Grand Crown or higher,
turn to 82
.

As you pass into the void, a sensation of unimaginable speed assaults your senses. You fly through the stellar darkness and a universe unfolds before you, like a million gems strewn upon an endless sea of black velvet. Your physical body is sheathed within a casing of pale white light, and you sense that it is a protective shell generated by your Platinum Amulet to protect you from the icy chill and airlessness of this astral starscape.

You surrender yourself to the invisible currents that ebb and flow through the void and, as you glide across this immeasurable no-space, once more you consult the Tome of Darkness. The transparent page that revealed information about Shamath's realm is now blank, but the one which follows has changed in colour and texture. Lines of glowing text have appeared on a page that is as dark as deep space. Again, using your Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship, you are able to decipher much of the text and you discover that it tells of ‘Avarvae the Tormentress’. It reveals that this void, which is her domain, is called ‘The Oblivion of the Tortured Souls’. You ignore the list of her cruel and evil deeds, and search out her secret name.

Unfortunately you discover that there is no name to bind her. However, you do learn that no special artefact is required to leave her realm and there are two exits: The Gates of Darkness, by which you entered, and the Bridge of the Damned. Having no desire to return to Shamath's domain, you put away the Tome and resolve instead to find the Bridge of the Damned. Yet, as you stare across the infinite distances of this void, it is hard to dispel your fears that you may end your days lost here forever.

If you possess Shamath's Potion,
turn to 315
.

If you do not possess this item,
turn to 218
.

You draw your weapon and strike out, cleaving through the end of the deadly creeper which emits a high-pitched squeal as it recoils, trailing a spray of sticky green slime from its sundered tip. Gagging at the stench of the creature's foul ichor, you pull yourself upright and stagger away along the trail. You are within sight of the beach when your escape is suddenly blocked by a wall of flailing vines which descend with alarming speed from the canopy overhead.

If you possess Grand Weaponmastery and have reached the Kai rank of Sun Lord or higher,
turn to 299
.

If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 226
.

You sense that the beast suspects it has a stowaway hiding amongst its cargo, but its eyesight is poor and it is unsure of what it is seeing. However, you cannot take the risk of the beast alerting the Lavas that are flying close by. Their eyesight is keen and they would be sure to spot you. Defiantly you return the dragon's stare and use your psychic Kai skill to discomfort and distract it.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If your current
ENDURANCE
score is 10 or lower, deduct 1 from the number you have picked. If it is 20 or higher, add 1.

If your total score is now 2 or lower,
turn to 45
.

If it is 3 or higher,
turn to 114
.

Through the criss-crossed ropes of your net prison you see the surrounding flock. They are swooping and cawing delightedly, like successful hunters returning home with their captured prey. Above, you can make out the claws and leathery black bellies of the three winged creatures that are hoisting you ever higher into the rain-swept clouds. You are tempted to use your Kai powers to break free and slay your abductors, but a glance below at the rapidly receding ground is enough to dissuade you, at least for now.

For more than an hour the flock transports you northwards through sickly green skies, hundreds of feet above a ceiling of storm clouds. Gradually this cloud cover thins until you are able to note that the swamp has given way to a tropical jungle which is thinly veiled by a swirling mist. A river snakes through this dense foliage, winding its way towards a coastline on the horizon. As you approach the distant sea, the river becomes wider and flows into a delta. Your captors follow the river and begin a slow descent to an islet on the eastern side of the delta, towards an area near its seaward shore where the jungle has been hacked down to make room for a primitive settlement.

As the flock encircles the settlement prior to landing, you are able to make out a cluster of strange-looking huts, seemingly constructed from the hides of reptiles and the bones of huge fish. In the middle of these huts there is an expanse of cleared ground and a large circular pit. The shrieks of the fliers draw an expectant crowd, a score of creatures of two distinctly different species. From the air they resemble gigantic ants and deformed, pale-skinned humanoids.

If you have ever visited the icy realm of Ixia in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure,
turn to 97
.

If you have not,
turn to 301
.

Two great scaly legs, each tipped with razor-clawed talons, precede the huge bulk of Huan'zhor as he lowers himself down upon his nest of flames. You take cover as best you can among the piles of treasure, but when his talons descend to within an arm's length of where you are cowering the Dragonlord suddenly detects your presence. He emits a deafening roar and bolts of flame shoot from his mouth to explode with shattering effect among the piles of precious artefacts that lie close to where you are sheltering. Hurriedly you roll away from your hiding place and unsheathe your weapon as you scramble to your feet. There is now no place for you to hide. Your quest and your survival now depend on the outcome of your imminent combat with the mighty Huan'zhor.

Illustration IV
—Bolts of flame shoot from Huan'zhor's mouth and explode close to your shelter.

Huan'zhor the Dragonlord:
COMBAT SKILL
56
ENDURANCE
60

This being is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-blast and Kai-ray. If you possess a Blue Diamond, you may add 3 to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of this combat. If you possess Skarn-Ska, you may add 2 (in addition to all other combat bonuses applicable for this Special Item) to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of this combat.

Conduct this fight using normal combat procedures. However, as soon as your enemy's
ENDURANCE
score falls to 20 or less, do not continue. Instead,
turn immediately to 344
.

You may evade this combat at any time after the first three rounds by leaping into the transporter beam. If you evade further combat in this way,
turn to 155
.

Moving as close to the door as you dare, you carefully examine the three small openings and see that there are narrow chutes at the rear of each slot which drop to the base of the door. Your Kai Sixth Sense warns you that a powerful magical energy is present in the base of this portal, an energy that could prove dangerous if the door is forced or tampered with.

If you possess Kai-alchemy,
turn to 208
.

If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 190
.

You notice, close to the entrance to the bridge, that there is a pulley and chain which is rigged to a stout stone beam overhanging the chasm. A team of five reptilians are busy at this pulley, hoisting buckets of molten lava from the base of the chasm which they then pass along a line to a place where a dwelling is being built. Here a construction team are using the molten lava as cement for their building blocks.

Drawing upon your improved Discipline, you focus on the pulley at the pivot point where it is attached to the beam, and you set up vibrations that, within a matter of seconds, cause it to shatter. The chain and the attached buckets of lava drop back into the chasm causing a spectacular firefall. The handful of creatures who are on the bridge at this time immediately rush to the parapet to watch this fiery display. While they are distracted, you seize the opportunity to make a dash across the open bridge.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Assimilance, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2. If your current
ENDURANCE
score is 10 or lower, deduct 1.

If your total score is now 6 or lower,
turn to 25
.

If your score is 7 or higher,
turn to 95
.

The causeway comprises a procession of cracked grey blocks of stone which cross this fetid land and trail away towards a tangle of jungle vegetation that stretches across the horizon. In places the mouldering pavement disappears completely beneath the surface, swallowed by the swamp, yet the encroaching mud is shallow and it does not hamper your progress too greatly. On either side of this swamp-road you notice an occasional spur of rock protruding through the mire. Then you see the apex of a stone roof and a broken spire and suddenly you realize that they are segments of buildings. They are all that remain visible of an ancient city which has long since drowned beneath the swamp. The causeway is not a road at all; it is the remnants of the city's fortified wall.

The cloudy green sky begins to darken and you sense a storm approaching. Minutes later, a gentle rain begins to fall which turns the surface of the swamp a milky shade of blue. You raise the hood of your cloak and press on, but suddenly you notice that your clothes are giving off wisps of smoke where they have been spattered by the rain. The rain is not water: it is a corrosive acid. Your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus protects your flesh from the effects of this acidic rain, but your clothing and equipment are vulnerable to its effect. Rather than risk losing them, you look around for some place to shelter from the coming storm. The only cover that you are able to discern is a large mound of fallen stone slabs several hundred yards away to your right.

If you possess the Discipline of Grand Pathsmanship,
turn to 263
.

If you do not,
turn to 134
.

You leap to your feet and unsheathe your weapon in readiness to defend both Alyss and yourself against any threat that Naar may launch. You do not have long to wait. Bursting from out of the smoky wall of the chamber comes Naar's fearsome champion, Kekataag the Avenger. He is attired in battle armour that glimmers like slime-dulled gold, and beneath his helmet there is a hollow skull-face from which emerges a sickly stench that permeates even the foul air of this hall. The skulls and bones of humans bedeck his armoured hide and in his mighty hands he carries a great two-handed axe, its blade stained black with the blood of his countless victims.