The Darke Crusade (12 page)
‘Follow me!’ shouts Prarg, and before you can stop him he is on his feet and sprinting away. Hurriedly you follow him, with the lookouts shouting wildly in your wake.
‘Halt!’ they scream. ‘Halt or we shoot!’
There is the sound of bow-fire, and then two arrows hit the rocks and shatter close by your feet. You invoke your Magnakai skill of Invisibility to keep you safe, but your Discipline does not extend to Captain Prarg who is less than an arm's length ahead of you.
Then your senses tingle anew, drawing your eyes towards a ridge less than thirty yards from the beach. Standing there, clutching loaded crossbows, are two more Lencian lookouts.
‘Beware!’ you cry to Prarg, but already the Lencians are preparing to fire at your fleeing forms.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have chosen is 0,
turn to 291
.
If it is 1–3,
turn to 13
.
If it is 4 or higher,
turn to 171
.
You take a deep breath and launch yourself feet-first into the icy lake. At first, as the dark water closes over your head, your senses are numbed by the intense cold. Then your Magnakai skill of Nexus begins to protect your body and the cold gives way to a warm, tingling glow.
Using your infravision, you detect Prarg by the warmth radiating from his body. He is caught upon a jagged ridge of ice and, as you take hold of his tunic and try to pull him free, suddenly you feel unable to move. Something has taken hold of your legs!
If you possess Magi-magic,
turn to 110
.
If you do not,
turn to 326
.
Inspired by your victory, the Lencians and their League-land allies repel the remaining Zagganozod and close their ranks until the square is intact once more. The enemy are now exhausted and wearily they retreat across the plain with the stinging cheers of their foes echoing in their ears.
Then an ominous noise comes rolling across the plain from the city of Darke, a thunderous boom that shakes the very ground on which you stand. You look towards the city and see that the battle is growing ever fiercer. But now there is a new and sinister aspect. Flickerings of magical fire can be seen dancing along battlements, engulfing friend and foe alike. You sense that it is the work of Magnaarn; he and his Nadziranim allies are responsible for this.
Then, through the smoke of battle, you see a Lencian flag flying proudly amidst the carnage that is taking place on the coastal plain to the south of the city. Here, King Sarnac's crusaders have turned an enemy flank and are storming its weakened centre. Maquin and Schera see the flag and, encouraged by the cheers of their own men, they decide to march at once in support of the crusaders' brave attack.
You wish them both good fortune, for you know the time has come to part company with these brave men. Their destiny awaits them on the field of battle; yours will be found inside the city of Darke itself where, if you are to fulfil your quest, you must confront Warlord Magnaarn.
You bid them farewell and watch as they lead their men in a marching column across the plain towards the distant field of battle. When they are a mile away, you set off alone towards the hamlet, which lies
en route
to the gates of Darke.
You enter the stables by a side door and soon find a hiding place in one of a hundred straw-filled stalls. You also find the following items which may be of use to you:
- Lantern
- Rope
- Dagger
- Enough food for 2 Meals
- Hourglass
If you choose to keep any of these items, remember to adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.
Periodically, Drakkarim enter and search the building, but they fail to detect you. While you are hiding from their search parties, you consider your companion's plight and grow ever more fearful for his safety. You are also very anxious that, under torture, he will reveal your presence, your identity, and the reason why you have come to this town. You are determined not to allow this to happen and so, as midnight approaches, you slip away from your hiding place and make your way stealthily towards the Shugkona Gaol.
Schera considers your question, and then he replies:
‘I'm sorry, I've heard nothing. There have been so many men lost, killed, or captured since Magnaarn attacked. I know of this officer, and though we've never met, I've heard tell that he is a good and brave man. All I can tell you is that I have not seen him here in Konozod.’
This dry and crumbling surface is the worst you have ever attempted to climb, but it does not defeat you. Your consummate climbing skills and natural grace of movement ensure that you do not falter for a moment. You clear this section of the chasm wall and safely reach the ledge above.
Your psychic attack penetrates the war-dog's mind, causing it to howl with pain and terror. Immediately the others halt in their tracks, visibly shaken by the horrible cries issuing from their leader as he rolls over and over in the snow. You sense that the pack is torn now between its desire to satisfy its gnawing hunger and its natural instinct for survival. Eventually the instinct for preservation wins out, and one by one the dogs turn and flee for the safety of the forest.
Confident that the Akataz will not be back this night, you return to the boat to catch some sleep while Prarg begins his turn on guard.
From the cover of the forest's edge you observe the temple, taking in every detail, your eyes scouring every inch of its leprous grey exterior for a way of gaining entry without being detected. Much of the temple is derelict yet it is still an imposing edifice, especially the squat stone tower which stands intact at its centre. Its walls are covered with intricate designs that must have taken centuries to complete, yet while you admire the craftsmanship you find the embellishments wholly repulsive for they depict and glorify acts of great evil.
The ruins are deserted, except for a wide ramp of stone which leads to a pair of huge bronze doors set into the base of the tower. These doors are open, but they are guarded by two of Warlord Magnaarn's Tukodak.
If you have Assimilance,
turn to 223
.
If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 59
.
Reluctantly, you abandon your attempt to open this door and retrace your steps to the junction. Prarg leads you along the opposite passageway until you come to a corner. He turns the corner before you can warn him otherwise and finds himself staring at the brutish features of a Drakkarim Death Knight sergeant. The warrior's curses echo loudly along the narrow corridor as he draws his sword and comes striding towards your careless companion.
If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 241
.
If you do not, or if you choose not to use it,
turn to 113
.
Along the walkway comes a lumbering hulk with cold scarlet eyes. This beast is covered with a vile fur which glistens in the grey-green light of the tunnel. Its long sinewy arms are outstretched and in both of its huge hands it holds chunks of dagger-like flint. Its bloated belly skims the floor as it stalks closer, and a brown gluey saliva bubbles and runs freely from its fanged lower jaw.
Illustration VI—A beast with cold scarlet eyes lumbers along the walkway.
Using your Kai Mastery you command this beast to halt and for a few seconds it ceases to advance, but you can sense that it is being driven by a desperate hunger, a hunger that could prove stronger than your Kai Mastery.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. For every level of Kai rank you have attained above Kai Grand Master Superior, add 1 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 5 or less,
turn to 218
.
If it is 6 or higher,
turn to 119
.
Layers of heavy snow clouds blanket the moon, and dusk quickly fades to a darkness which is total. Yet, using your Magnakai night vision, you experience no difficulties as you follow Magnaarn's tracks across the open plain.
Shortly before midnight you come to the banks of the River Shug, close to a small cluster of log huts which are grouped around a derelict ferry post. Your enemy's week-old tracks lead you to the centre of this deserted settlement.
You focus on the distant mass of floating vegetation as you invoke the Brotherhood Spell
Sense Evil
and immediately you are able to feel the presence of several hostile creatures. They are lying in ambush beneath the raft of weeds and among the dank thickets which line the adjoining bank.
You tell Prarg of what lies ahead, and wisely he heeds your warning. He suggests you draw in the mainsail to prevent the wind from propelling your boat any nearer to the obstruction, yet once the sail is gathered, still you find yourselves drifting inexorably towards your would-be ambushers.
If you wish to make use of the oars in order to escape from probable ambush,
turn to 303
.
If you choose to do nothing further to prevent the boat from drifting towards the raft of weeds,
turn to 343
.
The two commanders have a great respect for your Kai instincts and immediately they order their men to return to the river bank. Once you are in position, you keep your eyes glued to the north, expecting to see the appearance of the enemy at any moment. You do not have to wait too long, for within minutes of returning here, you see the first few outriders of a Drakkarim cavalry platoon crest the horizon.
You magnify your vision and recognize them to be part of Magnaarn's own army. They are carrying lances topped with pennants that bear Magnaarn's personal emblem: an eagle clasping two fiery swords. Steadily these cavalry scouts draw closer. They are riding directly towards the river.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9),
turn to 21
.
If the number is even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8),
turn to 267
.
In the distance you see a makeshift roadblock. Several trees have been hacked down and they are strewn haphazardly across the road. Behind this obstruction stand several armoured Drakkarim, waiting eagerly for you to appear.
At once, you leave the road and take cover in the forest. The trees hereabouts are too dense to allow you to enter on horseback, so reluctantly you abandon the mare and enter on foot. Your instinct and Pathsmanship skills lead you in a westerly direction and you cover more than five miles before the trees begin to thin out. Then you emerge from the forest to be greeted by a spectacular sight.