The Darke Crusade (14 page)
Fifty yards along the tunnel, you turn a corner and find yourself face-to-face with a nightmarish creature. From out of the gloom comes a lumbering hulk that fixes you with its pair of hungry scarlet eyes. The beast is covered with a vile fur which glistens in the eerie half-light of the tunnel, and its long sinewy arms are outstretched as if it is sleepwalking. But this beast is not asleep. In both of its huge hands it holds chunks of dagger-like flint which it wields like weapons. Its distended belly skims the floor as it gathers speed, and a brown gluey saliva runs freely from its fanged lower jaw.
With a shriek, the creature comes lunging towards you, flailing the air with its dagger-flints as it closes in for the kill. You step back and get ready to defend yourself as the beast rushes towards you at a breathtaking pace.
Tunnel Stalker:
COMBAT SKILL
43
ENDURANCE
48
If you win this combat,
turn to 330
.
You hear approaching footsteps; then through the open archway comes a Lencian soldier attired in the parade tunic and breeches of a Court Captain. He is unusually tall, but his most striking feature is his close-set eyes which are bright above his thin, hawk-like nose and bushy black moustache.
‘May I introduce you to Captain Prarg,’ says King Sarnac. ‘He will be your guide.’
The captain shakes your hand and bows his head respectfully.
‘ 'Tis an honour to have been the one chosen to accompany you, Grand Master Lone Wolf, on such a noble quest.’
You watch the Drakkarim sergeant, who is pilfering his captain's private stock of wine, tilt the bottle back to take another long gulp. He belches loudly, and then bangs in the cork and replaces the bottle on the shelf before turning to leave. You wait until he is out of view before you slip into the cabin and close the door.
You hurry to the table but, to your disappointment, the map you glimpsed earlier turns out to be merely a construction plan of the encampment. It offers no clues to Magnaarn's present location.
If you wish to search this cabin more thoroughly,
turn to 344
.
If you choose to leave the cabin and return to Prarg,
turn to 277
.
You clamber over the bodies that are heaped chest-high around the shattered city gates; then you begin to fight your way steadily towards the centre of this terrible stronghold. Beyond the entrance you see that a wild battle is raging through the streets. A regiment of Lencian Crusaders are fighting to wrestle possession of the keep from a determined horde of Magnaarn's Drakkarim. The tide turns against the Lencians and as they are driven back towards the gates, you are forced to climb a stair which leads to the battlements in order to avoid being lost in the crush. Halfway up the steps you are attacked by a Drakkar armed with sword and shield. You duck his clumsy swipe and lash out at his chest. He catches your blow on his shield, but the sheer force of your attack hurls him down on the steps where he remains, cradling his broken arm, tears streaming down his soot-blackened face.
You stride up the steps towards the battlements where a group of Lencians are locked in combat with two Death Knights. The Crusaders slay their enemies, but they, in turn, are slain when a bolt of crackling crimson energy rips through their shiny steel armour, fired from the tip of a wizard's staff. Their lifeless bodies come tumbling down the steps, knocking you flat on your back and pinning you down beneath the weight of their armour. You struggle to get free, but you are being observed by the one who slew the knights: an evil Nadziranim wizard. He levels his staff at your head and a swirling trail of sparks ignites at its tip. With imminent death staring you full in the face, you steel yourself to meet your maker.
You head towards an archway in the far wall, advancing with caution as you traverse the slippery mounds of rubble which litter the floor of this damp and unwholesome chamber. A short tunnel lies beyond the arch. It ends at a junction where a wider passageway crosses from west to east.
If you wish to go west,
turn to 261
.
If you wish to go east,
turn to 26
.
Whilst observing the guards, a bold idea springs to mind. You tell Prarg to take a firm grip of your cloak and stay close as you cross the clearing and approach to within twenty yards of the stone ramp. At this point you use your Discipline of Assimilance to summon a fog from out of the frozen ground. A dense white vapour arises which quickly envelops the guards before they can take steps to avoid it. Vainly, the two Tukodak shout to each other and stab at the mist with their spears, lest an enemy should be poised to attack them. With Prarg clinging to your cloak, you slip past the confused guards with ease and make your way into the tower unseen.
You run to the edge of the fissure and make your leap, but, as you take off, you slip on a loose stone and fall head-first into the yawning void.
Tragically, your life and your quest end here in the Palace Tower of Darke.
After your meal, you leave Prarg and climb to the top of the river bank. Here, using your Grand Mastery, you send forth a mental command into the surrounding forest, summoning creatures to your aid. At first there is no response; then a pair of white Nyras timber wolves appear at the forest's edge and, upon your command, they approach you. Normally these wolves are wild and feral creatures, slave to nothing save their natural instincts, yet your mastery over them is total; they are utterly compliant to your will.
You command the two wolves to guard your camp while you and Prarg are sleeping. With a blink of their eyes they acknowledge your order and settle themselves on their haunches. You return to the boat and tell Prarg what you have done. At first he is sceptical, but having already witnessed some of your powers in action, he does not protest too hard, especially as he can now look forward to a long sleep without having to stand watch. Unfortunately for Prarg, his hopes for an uninterrupted night's rest are soon shattered.
You reach the tower steps and look up to see Captain Prarg emerging from the open door. Quickly he descends, sheathing his bloodied sword as he hurries down the steps to meet you.
‘That guard'll not be raising any alarms,’ he says, cocking his thumb behind him towards the tower door. ‘And they'll not be finding him too soon, neither.’
You smile knowingly, and commend your guide for his swift and brave action. Then Prarg points to an alleyway that lies sandwiched between two burnt-out hovels at the edge of the town, and suggests you enter Shugkona that way.
‘Lead on, captain,’ you say, and follow as he hurries off towards the alley's shadowy entrance.
With mixed feelings you begin your trek through the forest. You are still hopeful of defeating Magnaarn, but you are less than enthusiastic about the prospect of having to foot-slog more than 250 miles in order to reach Darke, the city where you are most likely to find your sworn enemy.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 216
.
If it is 5–9,
turn to 46
.
Your acute hearing detects the faint sound of stone grating on stone. Then you notice that a line of loopholes are opening at chest height along both walls of the passageway, revealing the sticky sharpened tips of venom-coated spears.
‘Get down!’ you shout, and throw yourself flat onto the damp stone floor. Moments later, a volley of the deadly spears comes hurtling from out of the walls to smash and splinter in the passageway. Your timely warning saves you and Prarg from certain death, but one of the spears ricochets and gouges the back of your thigh.
Your Magnakai Curing skills neutralize the venom, but the wound is deep and painful: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 325
.
You raise your weapon and strike one of the sentries a killing blow as you slam through their brave but futile defence. They are trampled under your horse's hooves and you clear the gap, but it is not until you are racing along the road beyond the barricade that you realize you have been wounded in the leg: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 31
.
The creature opens its great jaws and from the depths of its throat it coughs forth a guttering ball of flame. Immediately, your senses alert you to the fact that this is no ordinary fireball; it is wholly psychic in nature. It comes roaring towards you, like a mini-sun trailing fiery orange sparks, and although you try to dodge aside, it follows your feint and hits you in the back with numbing force. Unless you possess the Discipline of Kai-screen, lose 5
ENDURANCE
points.
The sudden jolt knocks you to the floor. Before you fully recover your footing, the creature seizes its advantage and comes leaping through the air towards your chest.
Within ten yards of the west bank the boat stops abruptly when it runs aground in the silted shallows.
‘Curse our fortunes,’ grumbles Prarg, peering over the side. ‘I was a'hoping we'd be lucky enough t'keep our feet dry.’ Wearily he searches through the provisions and produces a heavy rope, one end of which he proceeds to tie around the stem while you stow away the oars. Then, together, you slip into the cold knee-deep mud and begin the laborious task of hauling the boat towards dry ground.
You encamp on a strip of frozen loam and use the upturned boat as a shelter from the elements. As night falls, so, too, does the temperature. You cast your experienced eye across the darkening skies and see banks of cloud, heavy with snow, scudding the distant horizon. They are an unwelcome sight, the precursors to a winter storm.
Prarg volunteers to sit the first watch but, mindful that his need for rest is greater than yours, you insist that he be the first to get some sleep. For four hours you sit and scan the bleak horizon, your mind filled with unanswered questions about the mission and the dangers you have yet to face. While you ponder what may await you in the future, you remain watchful and alert, for the risk of an attack by the denizens of this swamp is ever present. Fortunately, the cold dissuades them from leaving their lairs this night and your watch passes without incident. Then the time comes for you to awaken Prarg. With a distinct lack of enthusiasm he takes over whilst you settle down to catch a few hours of much needed sleep.
Immediately below the window of the grain tower sits a Drakkarim lancer astride his warhorse. He is one of a dozen troopers who have been posted around the perimeter of the square to guard its many exits, but he is more interested in watching the execution than carrying out his duty. His lance is sheathed in a tube-like scabbard fixed to the rear of his saddle, and all his attention is focused on the platform. He is unaware that you are hiding barely a few yards from where he sits.
The officer puts away his oiled stone and a murmur of expectation ripples through the assembled Drakkarim as he gets ready to raise the axe. Captain Prarg has no more than a few minutes left to live; you must act now if you are to save him. Using a Brotherhood Spell
Mind Charm
you will the lancer to dismount from his horse, and at once he obeys your mental command. He climbs down, and as he wanders away, you leap from the open window and land in the empty saddle. Seizing the reins you spur the horse forward and it takes off across the square at a gallop. Then you unholster the lance and bring it to bear as you race headlong towards the backs of the Drakkarim soldiers who are standing between you and the platform.