The Kingdoms of Terror (20 page)

The wine smells delicious — the taxidermist must hold you in very high esteem, for wine as good as this is expensive and rare.

If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Curing,
turn to 61
.

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

Galloping along the narrow thoroughfare through broken streets and dark alleyways, you soon outdistance any immediate threat to your safety. You halt at a small square to allow your horse to drink from a water-trough that stands beside a narrow stone arch. As she drinks her fill, you observe the to-ing and fro-ing of the townsfolk and hear the drunken songs and revelry from the wine shops bordering the square. A knot of brawling river-men tumbles out of one doorway, and they set about each other with knives and bottles, egged on by their rowdy comrades who wager fistfuls of crowns on the outcome. The fight soon gets out of hand; as it spreads, you decide it is better to leave before you are drawn into it.

Turn to 332
.

You ride into Eula at the captain's side, his banner emblazoned with a flaming battle-axe fluttering overhead. The town has been turned into a huge army encampment; its people have long since fled to the north, abandoning their homes and livestock to the gold-hungry soldiers. Men from a dozen nations rub shoulders with warriors of less-than-human origins, united by common greed. The captain turns to the south where the highway is clogged with foot soldiers. As you catch your first glimpse of Tekaro, burning beneath a pall of black smoke, your heart sinks. This is where the Lorestone lies, in a city under siege from an army of ten thousand fighting men.

As you approach a tangle of siege-works at the bank of the River Quarl, the captain points to an encampment in a field to your left where a blue flag with a gold eagle flutters in the soot-laden air.

‘Prince Ewevin's standard,’ he says. ‘The time has come to meet our paymaster.’

If you wish to stay with the captain's company,
turn to 204
.

If you decide the time has come for you to leave the mercenaries,
turn to 280
.

At first they pretend not to have noticed you, but eventually a stubbly-faced soldier deigns to answer. ‘Let the dice decide,’ he says, his face red and glowing in the light of the lantern. He raises his hand, spits on his palm, and throws the bone dice against the wall.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 177
.

If the number is 5–9,
turn to 309
.

Your feathered shaft cuts the air and sinks deep into the creature's shoulder. It shrieks in pain and snaps the Arrow in two with one swipe of its gigantic paw. Although you have injured the beast, it is far from dead. Sharp claws stained with blood lash back at your head, and you duck only just in time to save yourself from decapitation. Hurriedly, you prepare for combat.

Turn to 343
.

As the door creaks open, a sun-like radiance pours from the tomb and floods the crypt with golden light, its searing intensity paralysing the Dakomyd. You grasp the Lorestone and your senses reel with newfound wisdom and strength. Instinctively, you raise your weapon and strike the monster at the base of its hideous skull. It shrieks and dies instantly. (Remember to erase the Small Silver Key from your
Action Chart
.)

Turn to 350
.

Suddenly, you notice the skeletal badges that adorn the cloaks of these men, and a chilling memory floods into your mind. They are dressed identically to the evil priests who accompanied the renegade warlord, Barraka, at the buried temple of Maaken — they are the Acolytes of Vashna.

After the defeat of Barraka, they fled south to escape the Sommlending army. It was a common belief in the Lastlands that the brotherhood had been destroyed and their power extinguished forever, but this encounter proves otherwise. You sense that you are in deadly danger. Should they discover your true identity, they will do their utmost to destroy you.

Their leader repeats his demand, his voice sharp with impatience.

If you wish to answer his question with the reply ‘believer’,
turn to 108
.

If you choose to say ‘unbeliever’,
turn to 67
.

You spring aside just in time to avoid the crackling charge, but no sooner has it shot past you than another is sent on its way.

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 321
.

If you do not possess this Special Item and wish to attack the leader,
turn to 257
.

If you would rather turn and flee,
turn to 182
.

The Arrow is on target, but it does not penetrate the thick metal plates of armour that protect the warrior's back. You watch with dismay as it glances away and disappears over the parapet of the bridge.

Without further delay, you shoulder your Bow and mount your horse in order to pursue the kidnappers before they vanish from sight.

Turn to 39
.

The tide of battle has turned in your favour. The pirates came in search of easy plunder, but your furious resistance has broken their nerve. They flee from the decks, scrambling into the longboats to escape. The captain follows them, hewing at them with his sword. He cuts his way to the ship's rail and grabs the pirate leader by the neck. He rams the man's head against the mainmast, once, twice, three times, with a rage that splits the timber and the pirate's leather-clad skull.

‘Ha!’ he cries gleefully. ‘I've always said the Deldenians have no head for a fight!’

The battle ends as swiftly as it began, with the surviving pirates melting away like phantoms into the fog. There are few casualties amongst the mercenaries, but the boat's crew have been decimated. The pirate berserkers trapped them below decks and slaughtered them — only one escaped their murderous blades.

The captain takes command, marshalling repairs and overseeing the burial of the dead. As the bodies sink beneath the dark waters, the
Kazonara
emerges from the mist to the welcoming sight of Luyen.

Turn to 19
.

The Jakan is a longbow used by the coastal fishermen of Vassagonia. It is ideally suited to the hunting of barbidahn and squid that live in the shallows and reefs of Barrakeesh, but it is a very poor target bow. In addition to this handicap, the particular bow that you have chosen has a hairline fracture running along its entire length and could well break at any moment.

When you enter the tournament, you must reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 2 points. Also, if at any time you should pick a 0 from the
Random Number Table
when using the bow, the Jakan will break. If this happens during the tournament at any stage,
turn immediately to 335
. Make a note of this adventive number in the margin of your
Action Chart
for future reference.
⁸

To begin the tournament,
turn to 340
.

Patiently you wait for one of the overworked tavern girls to notice you, but before you can raise your hand and attract her attention, you are suddenly aware of the sharp point of a dagger being pressed against your spine.

‘Your purse or your life,’ whispers the swarthy-faced mercenary who has appeared at your side. ‘Make your mind up quickly or my friend may be a little careless with his knife.’

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery,
turn to 114
.

If you wish to hand over all your Gold Crowns without offering any resistance to the robbers,
turn to 161
.

If you have no Gold Crowns, or if you decide to refuse these men their demand and fight them,
turn to 282
.

As you ride west along a wide avenue of weathered red stone, you take in the early morning sights of this magnificent city. Window shutters slam open as the Varettians awake to a new day and smells of breakfast and freshly ground jala waft from shop doorways.

At the centre of the city, you cross a square paved with crystal slabs and pass beneath an archway of polished green stone. Stately halls and public buildings give way to dust-worn shops and a park full of glistening flowers with huge leaves of red, gold, and pink. Beyond the park, a street paved with white gravel leads to a fortified tower, the tallest in the city. It is the Tower of the King and it marks the entrance to Brass Street.

Turning into Brass Street, the sound of bubbling water and quiet chanting drifts towards you on the still air. Old men in brown robes, their heads covered by hoods, glide silently across the white gravelled path. You ride under an archway and enter the enclosed courtyard of a grand building, a hall of learning. Suddenly, a tingle runs the length of your spine as you sense you are close to your goal.

At the door to the hall, there is a sign that indicates the location of three chambers: the observatory, the library, and the temple.

If you wish to investigate the observatory,
turn to 127
.

If you wish to investigate the library,
turn to 21
.

If you wish to investigate the temple,
turn to 320
.

With the speed and grace of movement that marks you as a Kai Master, you load, take aim, and fire. Your Arrow pierces the lordling's forearm as his sword descends, causing the blow to splinter stone, not skull. He utters a shrill cry and spins backwards, cradling his wounded arm as he falls.

‘Curse you, scum!’ he shrieks. ‘I am Roark, highborn of Amory. I shall have your life for this — mark my words!’

Trembling with pain and fury, he staggers to his feet and demands his cloak from the innkeeper before stumbling into the night with a welter of threats and curses.

Turn to 281
.

The books are catalogued under headings that cover all manner of subjects. You search for those relating to the Lorestone of Varetta or any that detail the history of the Kai or Sun Eagle's quest. You discover to your surprise that they have all been removed. Judging by the lack of dust on the empty shelves, they were taken away less than a day ago. After double-checking that you have not overlooked anything, you decide that there is little here to help you on your quest and leave the library.

If you now wish to investigate the temple,
turn to 320
.

If you decide to enter the observatory,
turn to 127
.

Your Arrow strikes home with deadly accuracy, penetrating the rider's armour at the base of his skull. You see him throw both arms into the air, topple from the saddle, and land with a crash of buckled metal in the middle of the bridge. There is no doubt in your mind that your enemy is dead; if the Arrow did not kill him then such a fall in heavy armour most surely did.

If you wish to search the body,
turn to 139
.

If you wish to mount your horse and pursue the kidnappers,
turn to 39
.

The youth snatches your gold, flicks the square of blue card at you and slams shut the outhouse door. It is stamped with today's date and will allow you access to the town of Amory on this day only. You pocket the Cess (mark it as a Special Item on your
Action Chart
) and leave.

Turn to 146
.

Once through the arch, you run headlong across a rock-strewn courtyard towards a breach in the castle wall. Here you notice a stone staircase leading down to an iron gate. A quick glance over your shoulder tells you that the Yawshath is still in hot pursuit and is closing the gap. It is in a frenzy of hatred and anger.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination,
turn to 122
.

If you wish to climb through the breach in the castle wall,
turn to 217
.

If you wish to run down the stairs to the iron gate,
turn to 169
.

Desperately, you fight against the current and claw your way towards the bank. Breathless, freezing, and soaking wet, you stagger from the water and collapse on the rocks. Unless you have the Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, you lose 1
ENDURANCE
point due to extreme cold.

As your senses return, you find that you have emerged from the river close to where the Quarl joins the River Storn. You see a small cave in the base of the city wall less than twenty feet from where you lie, a rusty criss-cross of iron covering its mouth. Judging by the foul smell of the water pouring from its depths, you suspect it to be a sewer outfall. Suddenly, a flicker of hope returns as you realize that this outfall could lead right into the heart of Tekaro.

Turn to 249
.