The Kingdoms of Terror (16 page)

Swiftly you clamber across the broken stones, but your hopes of escape are soon dashed when you see the terrifying drop that awaits you on the other side of the castle wall. Reluctantly, you turn to face your pursuer. With only the yawning precipice behind, you have no choice but to stand and face the monster again. Within seconds it appears, snarling and growling horribly as it prepares to tear you limb from limb.

If you wish to leap aside to avoid the Yawshath's attack,
turn to 190
.

If you wish to stand your ground and strike it as it attacks,
turn to 311
.

As wave after wave of horses thunder across the bridge, you are trampled into the ground.

Your quest and your life end here.

Suddenly, there is a mighty crash as the hall door is slammed shut. Into the tavern strides a black-browed young lordling, wearing a flamboyant costume of ebony and gold. He makes a ceremonious display of removing his velvet cloak and pompously demands food and wine, and it takes three serving girls and the innkeeper to see to his wishes. His manner is so insulting that you are not surprised to see the many scars that disfigure his young face. He must be continually provoking fights and duels.

The lordling chooses to seat himself at a table already occupied by a small, thin, inoffensive old man. Within seconds there is a thunderous outburst of foul language. The lordling grabs the old man by the throat, lifts him one-handedly from his seat, and hurls him to the floor. ‘You snivelling toad, how dare you sit with me!’ he bellows.

Illustration XIII
—The lordling kicks back his chair and towers over the wretch.

Bewildered and frightened, the little man fumbles an apology, but to no avail. The lordling kicks back his chair and towers over the wretch, his hand clasped around the hilt of his sword. The tavern crowd view the scene with relish, like spectators at a Vassagonian arena, for the lordling clearly intends to kill the old man.

If you possess a Bow,
turn to 301
.

If you do not possess a Bow,
turn to 78
.

The weather-worn plaque bolted to the base of the statue says that this is a true likeness of Vynar Jupe who led a band of robbers that preyed on travellers, especially merchants. His many crimes, including murder, did not prevent him from becoming popular, for he was resourceful and daring, and never plundered the inhabitants of this hamlet, where he himself was born. His exploits, and those of a score of his gang, were ended by the executioner's axe after trial at Amory.

There is a slit in the belly of the statue through which Gold Crowns can be dropped. The plaque goes on to say that anyone who pays homage to the statue of Vynar Jupe will be protected by his spirit from robbers and highwaymen.

If you wish to make a donation, place some Gold Crowns into the statue of Vynar Jupe before leaving the hamlet. (Remember to erase however many Gold Crowns you wish to place in the statue from your
Action Chart
.)

Turn to 73
.

The soldier removes a sputtering torch from a bracket on the wall and returns to your side. Holding the torch high, he casts his eye over you and your horse and rubs his stubbly chin.

‘You come from Varetta or Soren? Long ride either way you must be tired. In you go, but in the future be sure to get a cess — some o' my brother-guards ain't so understanding.’

You thank the guard and ride in through the town gate.

Turn to 129
.

The monster dives straight for you from the top of the stairs. You hold your ground and land a well-timed and deadly accurate blow, which opens a gaping wound in the creature's neck, killing it instantly. However, the strength of your blow is not enough to turn its heavy body aside and you cannot avoid being crushed beneath the Yawshath as it hits the flagstones. You lose 12
ENDURANCE
points.

If you are still alive,
turn to 106
.

Unfortunately, you have lost your bet. The conjurer stated that at least one of the children was lying, and if one was lying the other could not have been telling the truth. The answer is that both children lied.

Erase the Gold Crowns you staked on the conundrum from your
Action Chart
before approaching the bar and enquiring about a room for the night.

Turn to 253
.

‘Hell's teeth!’ cries the captain. ‘Have we run aground?’

As the words leave his lips, a grapnel and rope drop from the sky and bite into the ship's rail. More follow and, through the mist, you can make out the shapes of longboats approaching.

‘River pirates!’ shouts the helmsman. ‘Prepare to repel boarders.’

Further along the deck, one of the captain's men is felled by a thrown knife. His comrades rush to his aid, but by now the river pirates are pouring over the side and he is trampled underfoot.

‘Battle order!’ bellows the captain and immediately his men respond, linking shields and holding their ground. A swarm of grim-faced pirates are boarding close by. One of their number, a lean man with only one ear and a split nose, smiles at you with anticipation, his lips drawn back from his teeth and his eyes wide with excitement. He is obviously relishing the thought of ending your life.

If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 170
.

If you wish to prepare for combat by other means,
turn to 92
.

If you wish to evade combat,
turn to 286
.

You rein in your horse beneath the wide stone archway of the south gate. From an arrow slit in the wall echoes a harsh voice: ‘Rider, show your pass!’

There is the dull clunk of a bolt being drawn and two swarthy guards dressed in chainmail appear. They eye you suspiciously and repeat the demand to see a pass.

If you wish to tell them that you do not have a pass,
turn to 55
.

If you want to try to ride past them and through the open town gate,
turn to 261
.

If you want to attempt to bribe them to let you pass,
turn to 9
.

You push against the great doors but they will not open — they are locked.

If you wish to knock on the temple doors,
turn to 242
.

If you decide to ignore the temple and enter the observatory,
turn to 127
.

If you would rather follow a corridor that runs alongside the temple,
turn to 327
.

They have covered only a few hundred yards when the last rider turns to check on Cyrilus who is beginning to slip from his saddle. You pull off the highway to try to hide, but you are seen entering the trees and a shout rings out: ‘He's there!’ The rumble of hooves warns you that the riders are returning.

If you have a Bow and wish to open fire as they rush past,
turn to 20
.

If you would rather prepare to fight by other means,
turn to 203
.

The red wine looks and smells delicious. The man must hold you in high esteem, for wine as good as this is rare and expensive.

If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Curing,
turn to 136
.

If you do not have this skill, drink the wine and
turn to 84
.

The Ogrons are poor archers, and in the gathering gloom they fail to drop an arrow within ten feet of you. You paddle across to the far side and as soon as the pontoon grounds on the bank, you slip ashore and creep across the rocks to the sewer outfall.

Turn to 249
.

‘A toast to our gallant friend,’ cries the soldier with the pock-marked face. ‘Honour in battle!’ shouts the red-haired man to his left. ‘And a rich purse for the victor,’ retorts the other. They laugh heartily and raise the flagons to their lips. Their smiling faces are completely hidden by the jugs as they drink their fill. A full minute of silence passes before the three jugs are slammed to the table, emptied of ale.

The strong beer soon dissolves any guardedness, and they become very talkative about themselves. You take this opportunity to ask them what they know of the Lorestone of Varetta.

‘Legend,’ belches the red-head, ‘myth or legend.’ ‘Not so,’ interrupts Pock-face. ‘It's real enough, but it was lost years ago. The Lorestone is magical — it holds a power that can turn an ordinary man into a king.’

On hearing this, the other soldiers snigger, but Pock-face ignores them and continues. ‘The Lorestone was once set into the throne of Lyris, at the Tower of the King in Varetta. Hundreds of years ago, during the War of the Lorestone, it was stolen by a Salonese prince called Kaskor. He set the stone upon a gold sceptre and used it in battle to inspire his followers. He believed that it made him invulnerable, but it was not so. He was killed in a battle on board his royal barge at Rhem, and the Lorestone was lost when it fell from his hand into the depths of the River Storn. However, that is not the end of the story. There are many tales about the sceptre having been found, but on the whole they have turned out to be fake or merely fanciful. The legend says whoever wields the Lorestone is the rightful ruler of all the Stornlands. For this reason above all others, the Lorestone is sought by many evil or unscrupulous men to further their dreams of power. If you wish to know more, you should go to Varetta. There are many learned men who have devoted their lives to the study of the Lorestone — the scholars and sages of Brass Street — they are the people to help you!’

You thank the soldier for his help and take your leave of the company.

If you now wish to order some food,
turn to 172
.

If you decide to go to the bar and enquire about a room for the night,
turn to 232
.

You help the captain to carry his purchases, which fill two large wooden boxes. As you stagger from the apothecary, he tells you he is anxious to return to the boat without delay. His men are good soldiers but poor sailors — he fears that without his watchful eye and stern command they will forget their work and drink themselves into a stupor. His fears are unfounded, for upon your return to the quay the
Kazonara
is fitted out and ready to sail.

‘Cast off,’ booms the captain, enjoying the novelty of his new riverboat command. ‘We'll make Rhem by nightfall.’ The captain is as good as his word. As dusk settles over the Storn, you sail into the horseshoe harbour at Rhem.

Turn to 124
.

The innkeeper is a fat, oily individual with small, piggish eyes and a crooked smile. A grimy cloth hangs by a cord from his wrist, which he uses to wipe the bar. He seems unconcerned that the filthy rag does little but smear grease further across the counter.

‘You are in luck, my friend,’ he says, rummaging through the pockets of his striped apron. ‘We have one room left — room 17.’ He produces a plain iron key and sets it down upon the bar. ‘Three Gold Crowns — in advance.’

Illustration XIV
—‘You're in luck, my friend, we have one room left.’

You pay the innkeeper (remember to erase the Gold Crowns from your
Action Chart
) and slip the key into your pocket. You are contemplating an early night when your rumbling stomach reminds you that you need to eat.

If you wish to take a seat and order some food,
turn to 328
.

If you decide to eat a Meal (from your Backpack) in the privacy of your room, you can head towards the stairs by
turning to 219
.
⁶