The Kingdoms of Terror (21 page)

A wagon draws up beside an empty fountain. Its tailgate flaps down to reveal a cargo of freshly baked bread and a rush of hungry soldiers flood round like bees to honey, desperate to buy some of the mouth-watering fare. You have not eaten today, and the delicious smell wakens your sleeping appetite. The loaves are 2 Gold Crowns each, and each loaf counts as one Meal. You may purchase as many loaves as you wish. Unless you eat a Meal now you must lose 3
ENDURANCE
points. Make the necessary adjustments to your
Action Chart
.

Turn to 279
.

Your Magnakai skill tells you the meaning of a symbol carved into the stone above the south gatehouse: it is a winged spur, the emblem of the army of Lyris. This gate must be the entrance to a guardhouse, for the highway that leads to the north gate shows signs of more frequent use where its deeply rutted surface has borne the brunt of merchant traffic to and from Casiorn. The tracks that mark the road here are only those of iron-shod horses. As the border guards of Lyris have a poor reputation for hospitality, it would be wise to avoid them if possible.

If you wish to approach the north gate,
turn to 137
.

If you decide to approach the south gate,
turn to 225
.

‘Whoa! 'Tis not your lucky night, stranger. The dice command me to hold my tongue.’

He and his swarthy companions turn their backs on you and laugh as they continue their game. You shrug your shoulders and press on along the crowded street.

Turn to 307
.

The crypt floor is crawling with the severed remains of the monster, which still writhe blindly forward with maniacal intent. Spider-like, a severed hand climbs your leg and embeds its talons in your flesh. (You lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.) As you fight to free yourself from its vice-like grip, the torn pieces of the Dakomyd's body gather themselves together for another attack.

If you wish to leap forward and strike the creature before it has completely formed,
turn to 323
.

If you wish to unlock the tomb and retrieve the Lorestone,
turn to 293
.

Blind with hate and rage, the Yawshath dives straight at you. Your blow is well timed and deadly accurate — it opens a deep gash in the creature's torso, killing it instantly. However, the strength of your blow is not enough to turn aside the creature's body; it smashes into your chest, carrying you over the edge of the precipice to your doom.

Your quest and your life end here.

You find the tavern-keeper breaking up a fight between two drunken soldiers. His solution to their argument is short and sweet: grabbing the two men by their necks, he slams their heads together with such force that the crack echoes above the deafening clamour of the hall.

‘Brass Street?’ he replies, his face lined in thought, ‘yes, I know it well. Here, I'll show you.’ The big man produces a greasy piece of paper from his pocket on which he scrawls the directions to Brass Street. You see that it is located on the far side of the city, close to the west wall. You accept the paper and the tavern-keeper accepts your thanks before returning to the crowd to sort out another scuffle in his own inimitable way.

Turn to 17
.

You gasp with shock as the bolt sinks deeply into your shoulder (lose 8
ENDURANCE
points) and fight to stay in the saddle as the force of impact throws you to one side.

If you are still alive after this grievous wounding,
turn to 234
.

You crouch in readiness to avoid the dagger whistling towards your chest. Your eye follows the glinting blade, anticipating its path with perfect accuracy. The pirate gasps with amazement as you run straight towards the dagger, twisting aside at precisely the right second for the blade to pass beneath your raised arm. Unnerved by the shock, he is unprepared for your attack and before he can recover himself, he is tumbling backwards over the side of the boat into the cold, deep waters of the Storn.

Turn to 254
.

A blistering pain erupts in your head as the leader's curse reaches your ears. You are being attacked by a powerful Mindforce, which robs you of 4
ENDURANCE
points.

The procession is obviously delighted by your suffering — your cries seem to be music to their ears. They press forward, unsheathing hidden daggers from their robes as they try to encircle you. Mustering your reserves of strength, you turn your horse round and gallop away, desperate to put distance between yourself and the source of your agony.

Turn to 332
.

You are about to draw a chair out from under the table and sit down when you suddenly freeze: the sharp point of a dagger is 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 become rather careless with his knife.’

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

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

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

You race out of the hut to see your travelling companion struggling with six armoured horsemen. They have him surrounded, and his attempts at resistance are futile. A blow from a mace knocks him unconscious, and he limply falls across the neck of his horse. A moment later, all but one of the riders gallop across the bridge with their captive in tow. The remaining horseman, a warrior swathed from head to toe in black and gold armour, raises a crossbow and takes aim as you run towards your horse.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination or Huntmastery, subtract 5 from the number you have picked.

If your total is now 6 or less,
turn to 85
.

If your total is now 7 or higher,
turn to 153
.

The channel gradually begins to curve to the east, and you notice that it is becoming lighter. You see that a greenish-glow emanates from a vault in the distance, where a curtain of thin, web-like strands hang from the ceiling. If you are to continue in this direction, you will have to pass through the curtain.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control,
turn to 32
.

If you wish to pass through the curtain of strands,
turn to 349
.

If you wish to draw them aside with your weapon before passing through,
turn to 4
.

‘You seek the Lorestone, do you not?’ he says, in a hushed tone. ‘I cannot tell you where it is, but I know a man who can. Let me ride with you to Varetta, and in return I shall take you to this man.’

Your basic Kai instincts tell you that this man speaks the truth. You nod your agreement and arrange to meet in the tavern courtyard at dawn.

Turn to 5
.

As you approach the great doors of the temple, you hear the strident voice of a man preaching to a congregation. His words are echoed at intervals by a chorus of voices.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship or Divination,
turn to 195
.

If you wish to enter the temple,
turn to 226
.

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

You shudder as the Sommerswerd drinks raw power from the leader's golden rod. His fury turns to fear as you whirl it around your head and hurl the bolt of energy back at his face. There is a tremendous roar as the man disintegrates, consumed in a ball of white flame. However, as you move forwards, you see that each hooded man has a golden rod. They raise them in unison, pooling their collective power to try to destroy your sword.

If you wish to continue your attack,
turn to 257
.

If you wish to turn and flee,
turn to 182
.

‘My humble apologies, sergeant,’ you say, hoping to avoid confrontation and the possibility of a fight. ‘After so many years away from home, I am impatient to see my family.’

The sergeant lowers his spear but continues to eye you suspiciously. Using your Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility, you have imitated the thin nasal sound of the Quarlen dialect to perfection, but the sergeant is still wary. However, he gradually relaxes his guard, and the sneer is replaced by a smile on his battle-scarred face.

‘We have a special toll for the likes of you who forget their native manners — 10 Gold Crowns,’ he says, a gloved hand held out in expectation.

If you wish to pay the sergeant 10 Gold Crowns,
turn to 332
.

If you choose not to pay and decide to evade the sergeant while his guard is down by jumping the wagons,
turn to 72
.

The Dakomyd shudders and reels back as your weapon makes impact, sinking deep into flesh that clings like jelly and reeks of a charnel smell that closes your throat. A drop of its watery blood splashes on your arm, eating through your tunic and searing your flesh. Your weapon disintegrates, corroded by the blood. Before you can pull away, a razor-sharp talon snares your cloak and draws you to your doom.

Your life and your quest end here in the crypt of Tekaro Cathedral.

Tearing aside the curtain, you rush into a high-vaulted chamber that reeks of preservatives and dead bodies. From hooks in the ceiling hang the carcasses of exotic animals, and on the many work tables lie dissected heads, destined for trophy plaques. You cast your eyes around the workshop, but the man has vanished.

Illustration XIX
—The chamber reeks with the pungent smell of preservatives and dead bodies.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination or Huntmastery,
turn to 208
.

If you do not possess either of these skills,
turn to 37
.

You do not have to look very far for the horse's owner — at this very moment he is striding towards you. Suddenly, he recognizes you and salutes you with a friendly wave.

If you won the archery contest,
turn to 45
.

If you did not win the archery contest,
turn to 132
.

As you destroy the last of the fleshless skeletons, you see that the struggle has spread beyond the walls of the churchyard. From the depths of an open crypt, a shambling mass of zombies are hurling themselves at the riders, tearing the terrified warriors from their saddles. Roark's summonation has gone horribly out of control; no living creature is safe from the terror he has unleashed.

The lordling turns and gallops away in blind panic, leaving his followers to their grisly deaths. As he disappears, the swirling funnel of darkness slowly fades, and the undead stagger and fall, crumbling into dust, which is carried away on the evening breeze.

You rush to the aid of the old magician, who lies, mortally wounded, pinned beneath the body of his dead horse. As you cradle his head in your hands, his eyes flicker and open and he forces a whisper from his blood-flecked lips:

‘Brass … Street … ’

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing,
turn to 216
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 46
.

You soon come to a junction where two doors face each other across the corridor. The sound of the preacher is drifting through the keyhole of the door to your right, which suggests that access to the temple lies that way. The left door has no keyhole, but you sense that it is not locked.

If you wish to listen at the right door,
turn to 195
.

If you wish to enter the left door,
turn to 127
.

Taking a seat that offers a good view of the hall, you catch the eye of a serving girl and order a plate of roast beef. She returns with a platter stacked high with steaming meat and sets it down before you.

‘2 Gold Crowns, if you please, sir,’ she says, presenting an open hand that is bloodied by the food. You pay the girl (remember to deduct the Gold Crowns from your
Action Chart
) and settle down to your feast.

Turn to 219
.