The Darke Crusade (13 page)
You reach Bear Rock shortly before dusk. The landmark is a massive granite boulder, weather-worn into the shape of a huge bear standing upright with its forepaws extended. It is positioned on the west side of the Gourneni and overshadows a sheltered cove formed where, over the centuries, the river has undercut the bank. Here you bring the boat ashore and make camp for the night.
Over your evening meal you discuss the next leg of your mission. In the morning you will hide the boat before setting off cross-country towards Magnaarn's headquarters at Shugkona. Fifty miles of dense timberland separate you from this town and, in current conditions, you estimate it will take at least two days to reach.
If you possess Animal Mastery
and
have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher,
turn to 129
.
If you do not possess this Discipline, or if you have yet to reach this level of Kai rank,
turn to 88
.
You flatten yourself against the bottom of the rowboat and listen to the gruff voices of the Drakkarim as you draw closer to their position. You hear splashes; then suddenly there is a loud thud and the rusty tip of an arrow punches its way through the side of the boat, stopping barely inches in front of your face. You hear the enemy's coarse laughter and you realize that they are simply using your boat for a spot of target practice. They are unaware that you are hiding inside. As you drift past them they rapidly lose interest in your craft. They put down their bows, pick up their makeshift fishing lines, and resume their efforts to catch themselves something to stave off their hunger.
Although you have been greatly weakened by your internment, your powers of Nexus are still sufficient to neutralize the effects of the noxious fumes.
As your mind clears and your strength returns, you approach the circular door and take a closer look at its strange octagonal lock. It comprises a keyhole and a series of numbers, although one of the numbers is clearly missing. Experience tells you that this is a dual combination lock, one that can be opened either by key or by tapping in the correct number which is missing from the sequence.
If you possess a Green Key,
turn to 304
.
If you do not,
turn to 89
.
You look down at your feet, and using your infravision, you see the outline of a huge, slug-like amphibian poised no more than a fathom below. Wrapped tightly around your legs are two rope-like tentacles which extend from a sac beneath the creature's solitary eye. You try to kick free but it will not easily let you go. Slowly it is drawing you deeper into the lake.
Desperate to get free, you summon to mind the Elder Magi Battle-spell of
Concussion
. Then you project your right hand at the creature and a deep boom resonates in your head, its effect greatly amplified by the water. At once the creature releases you and dives for the shelter of its lair, trailing blood from those parts of its body which pass for its ears.
Once free, you take hold of Prarg's tunic and pull him towards the jagged hole in the ice.
You release your drawstring and send the Arrow screaming towards the creature's hairless skull. Almost immediately it strikes the beast above its right eye and, although it does not penetrate bone, the shock of the impact knocks the Ciquali off its webbed feet and sends it tumbling backwards into the water.
You shoulder your Bow and rush to help Prarg who is lying, barely conscious, with his face in the shallow water which is sloshing around at the bottom of the boat. You are reaching down to pull him over onto his back when suddenly you feel two pairs of scaly hands grab hold of your cloak. With a loud growl, you spin around and unsheathe your weapon in readiness to deal with your attackers.
They are two Ciquali, their hides decorated with ritual scars which mark them as warriors of their tribe. At first they back away, shocked by the speed of your reflexes, but rapidly their nerve returns and, half-crouched, they glare at you with their hideous, bulging eyes. Their throat sacs swell and collapse with increasing rapidity as they approach the moment to strike; then, with a shrill screech, they raise their claw-tipped hands and leap simultaneously towards your chest.
Ciquali:
COMBAT SKILL
30
ENDURANCE
27
If you win this combat,
turn to 349
.
Swiftly you rise up out of the snow and run to the tower where you meet up with Prarg at the foot of the wooden steps.
‘That guard'll not be raising any alarms,’ he says, cocking his thumb behind him towards the tower door. ‘And they'll not find him too soon, neither.’
You smile knowingly. Then Prarg points to an alleyway that lies sandwiched between two burnt-out hovels at the edge of the town, and suggests you go that way.
‘Lead on, captain,’ you say, and follow as he runs towards the alley's shadowy entrance.
You draw your weapon, turn the corner, and run at the Death Knight with it held ready to strike him down. The warrior meets your stare and laughs. Confidently he parries your first blow, and then strikes out for your neck.
Death Knight:
COMBAT SKILL
33
ENDURANCE
34
If you win this combat,
turn to 191
.
Despite the treacherous surface, 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 reach the base safely.
Once inside the stable you discover two horses. One is old and lame, but the other is young and powerfully built. Using your powers of Animal Control, you subdue them and lead the younger horse, a grey mare, from its stall. As you leave the stable you see Prarg pointing frantically towards the crest of the hill. A troop of Drakkarim cavalry are descending towards the bridge.
Quickly you mount the mare and help Prarg to climb up upon her back. Then the enemy see you and immediately they sound a horn. Moments later an old Drakkar appears at the door to the cabin. He is holding a Bor musket, and when you fail to obey his command to halt, he levels his primitive gun at you and pulls the trigger.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–2,
turn to 288
.
If it is 3–6,
turn to 145
.
If it is 7–9,
turn to 342
.
The Drakkar who is carrying the sack appears to be very anxious. His companion also seems wary and alert. As you are moving towards the doorway, he glimpses you and commands you to halt at once. When you do not obey, the two of them draw their swords and come running towards the doorway with their blades held ready to cut you down.
Drakkarim Escorts:
COMBAT SKILL
30
ENDURANCE
32
If you win this combat,
turn to 245
.
‘Heads!’ says Prarg.
You remove your hand and uncover the proud countenance of King Ulnar V stamped on the face of the coin.
‘Well done, Prarg. You've guessed correctly,’ you say, and press the Gold Crown back into your pouch. ‘I'll stand the first watch — you get some sleep. We've a long march ahead of us tomorrow and you'll need all your strength.’
Prarg breathes a sigh of relief, and while he settles himself down to sleep in the relative comfort of the boat, you pull your cloak about you and climb to the top of Bear Rock where you begin your lonely vigil.
For hours you sit on this windswept boulder, staring out through a curtain of swirling snow at the surrounding timber-line. Despite your fatigue you stay alert and your iron discipline pays off when, shortly before midnight, you sense movement at the forest's edge. Then your super-keen Kai senses detect an animal scent on the cold air which you recognize immediately: it is Akataz.
The solid lump of oak is an executioner's block. Its surface is cut and scarred by blows from a heavy axe, and its sides are stained dark with the blood of a hundred Lencian prisoners who have lost their lives upon it.
Suddenly your thoughts are disturbed by the rhythmic stamp of marching feet and your eyes are drawn to the avenue which runs alongside Magnaarn's headquarters. Down this thoroughfare come a regiment of Drakkarim. They file into the square and form up in three lines facing the platform. Then an open wagon, drawn by a brace of half-starved oxen, emerges from the alleyway beside the gaol. Captain Prarg is standing in the rear of the wagon with his hands tied behind his back. Despite the bumpy ride he stands rigidly at attention, proudly defiant in the face of imminent death. The wagon halts and the captain is dragged up onto the platform by three brutish gaolers. He is made to kneel down before the block as a Drakkarim officer hurriedly reads the contents of a scroll to the assembled troops. He is condemning the captain to death for spying. When he finishes the reading, he takes a two-handed axe from one of the gaolers and walks slowly across the platform towards the block. Clearly he intends to carry out the execution personally.
Illustration VII—The captain is dragged up onto the platform and is made to kneel before the solid oak executioner's block.
If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 270
.
If you do not possess a Bow, or if you do not wish to use it,
turn instead to 85
.
Suddenly the creature's expression changes from fierce anger to stark fear. It drops its flint weapons, turns on its heel, and scurries off along the tunnel as fast as it can. Your use of Animal Mastery has been successful; it has subdued the creature's natural instincts and totally shattered its will.
Confident that it will not return, you take hold of the heavy chain and pull it to raise the grill a few feet off the walkway, just high enough for you to duck under the rusty bars and continue along this tunnel. After a few hundred yards, the tunnel turns to the south. At this point you discover a flight of slimy steps that ascend from the walkway towards a darkened arch.
If you wish to ascend the steps to the arch,
turn to 33
.
If you decide to ignore the steps and continue along the tunnel,
turn to 274
.
Your final blow kills the scarlet wasp-leader and immediately the surviving swarm members break off their attack. They stream towards the opening at the centre of the ceiling and disappear towards the sky at the top of the shaft, closely followed by the remainder of their colony.
When you feel sure that the nests are empty, you reach up and take a grip of the rough brick which lines the shaft. It offers good purchase for your fingers and toes, enabling you to climb past the nests and reach the top of the shaft in a matter of minutes.
The creature utters a spine-chilling shriek as it comes bounding towards you, its sabre-like teeth glinting in the wintry sun. You step back and draw your weapon just in time to defend yourself as it makes its first strike.
Mawtaw:
COMBAT SKILL
43
ENDURANCE
50
This creature is immune to the effects of Mindblast and Psi-surge. If you choose to use Kai-surge, add only 1 point to your
COMBAT SKILL
.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and have reached the rank of Sun Knight, you may increase your
COMBAT SKILL
and
ENDURANCE
point scores by 5 each for the duration of this combat. At the end of combat, reduce your
ENDURANCE
score by 5 unless it causes your score to fall to zero or below, in which case you should reduce your
ENDURANCE
total to 1 point.
If you win this combat,
turn to 24
.