The Masters of Darkness (13 page)

There is another knock, this time more insistent, but when you do not open the door your uninvited visitor does not knock again. Tired and hungry, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points before you settle down to sleep. You awake to the sound of a loud
click
, barely audible above the ever-present din of the Lajakeka's engine: your cabin door has just closed. Swiftly you rise and rush to the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever, or whatever, gained access to your cabin while you slept.

If you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control and have reached the Kai rank of Mentora or higher,
turn to 273
.

If you do not possess this skill or have yet to reach this level of Magnakai training,
turn to 98
.

At once you recognize the pungent aroma of Adgana leaves. Adgana is a powerful narcotic that increases strength and sharpens reflexes; it enhances fighting prowess when swallowed immediately prior to combat. There is sufficient Adgana in this pouch for one dose, which would be enough to increase your
COMBAT SKILL
by 6 points for the duration of a fight.

But be warned! Adgana is shunned by most warriors and its use is outlawed in Sommerlund because it is highly addictive. If you choose to keep and use this Dose of Adgana prior to combat, there is a chance that you could become addicted. As soon as combat is resolved, you must pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If the number you pick is 0 or 1, you have become addicted and your
ENDURANCE
score must be reduced by 4 points immediately. (This loss of
ENDURANCE
is permanent.) If you have ever used Adgana in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure, the risks of addiction are doubled should you decide to use this dose (you will become addicted if you pick a 0, 1, 2, or 3 on the
Random Number Table
. Also, the effects of the narcotic when used on a second or subsequent occasion are halved. You will be able to add only 3 points to your
COMBAT SKILL
, instead of 6). If you decide to keep this Dose of Adgana, note the hazardous side effects of its use in the margin of your
Action Chart
.

Sure that you have not overlooked any other items that could aid your perilous mission, you decide the time has come to leave.

Turn to 274
.

Shortly after dawn has brightened the eastern horizon, the Drakkarim warrior appears, riding his steed unhurriedly along the trail to Argazad. As he approaches, you get ready to launch your ambush.

If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 99
.

If you do not have a Bow or do not wish to use one, you must leap on the Drakkar as soon as he rides within range:
turn to 64
.

The two Vassagonians unsheathe their rapier-thin swords and advance towards you, secretly thankful that they are no longer the target of Kraagenskûl's wrath. The Darklord orders them to halt and demands that you step within the circle of the fiery pillars and explain your intrusion. You sense that he has not detected your true identity, that his psychic skills are solely destructive, and that he is, for now, deceived by your Drakkarim disguise.

‘I have come from the victorious army of Darklord Xog, the conqueror of Cloeasia, with vital information to impart, O Mighty Lord of Darkness,’ you say, slavishly. You speak partly in Vassagonian and partly in Giak to maintain your deception. ‘There is a traitor in your court. He has tried to send word to the enemy, to warn them of what is being constructed in Argazad. I know who he is and I carry proof of his treachery.’

‘Speak!’ commands Kraagenskûl. ‘Speak or die!’

‘I shall speak, O Invincible Lord of Death and Decay, but I crave your confidence. Can we not speak alone?’ You cast an accusing glance at the two Vassagonians, and they return your look with fear and hatred blazing in their eyes.

‘Leave us!’ snarls Kraagenskûl, pointing to the stairs with his jet-black blade, ‘but stray no further than the hall below, and do not disturb us until I call for you.’

Reluctantly, the Vassagonians leave, their heads bowed in reverence but their eyes still fixed murderously on you.

Turn to 286
.

The Drakkarim officer staggers and falls, clutching his wounds and cursing you with his dying breath. But no sooner has his body hit the planks than his troops come rushing towards you from all sides.
‘Shez dok tot!’
they scream, howling with primal fury, their teeth bared and their faces contorted with rage.

Drakkarim Marines:
COMBAT SKILL
 29   
ENDURANCE
 40

If you win the combat,
turn to 28
.

As you land on the Drakkar, you grab him in a head lock and drag him from the saddle. The force of your attack twists his neck awry and you hear a sharp crack a moment before you both strike the ground. Quickly you recover from the fall, draw a weapon, and jump on the prone warrior before he can get to his feet. But you soon discover that he is no longer a threat: your attack broke his neck and he was dead before his body hit the ground.

Turn to 79
.

A thousand feet below, at the heart of the chasm, a seething carpet of nightmare shapes crawl and slither amid rivers of molten rock. They appear to your horrified eyes to be writhing in perpetual agony, and your psychic senses confirm that this is the case: it is their pain, not their bodies, that feeds this raging sea of supernatural flame.

The gates of the Black City open and the Lajakeka passes into this terrible realm of evil, along a vast avenue of steel, flanked by buildings of hellish grandeur and purpose. You can see red flames glaring at peaked gothic windows, and innumerable barred gates that appear like the grinning jaws of dragons. At length, the vehicle grinds to a halt at a place where a huge chute burrows deep into the ground. The crew make preparations to unload their cargo directly into this funnel-shaped hole whilst you and the other passengers disembark. With fear running ice cold in your veins, you scan the fire-swept street and notice that all the other passengers are scurrying towards a tunnel.

If you wish to follow them and enter the tunnel,
turn to 80
.

If you choose to avoid them and the tunnel, and prefer to explore the street,
turn to 197
.

The
Intrepid
responds to the wheel, and, as the wind fills out her sails, she begins to pull away from the first ironclad. Your hopes rise but they are soon dashed when a jolt runs through the deck and she rolls back towards the enemy vessel. Then you see why you cannot escape.

‘Davan! Quick, have your men cut the grappling lines!’ you shout. Immediately he urges his men to carry out your command. Anxiously you watch as the second ironclad bears down on the stern with unnerving speed. The lines are soon severed and you feel the ship swing about, yet the enemy craft is almost upon you, its deck crammed with more troops, poised to leap aboard. Suddenly it hits the rear quarter, and you are knocked down by the shock. The screech of tortured metal and the crack of splintering wood fill the air, yet the deck soon rights itself and you are able to regain control of the helm. Despite the shock of impact and the fearful noise, the enemy craft has only glanced the bow, its steel-tipped ram missing the rudder by just a few feet. It scrapes alongside before veering away amid a cloud of foul, yellow smoke.

The crew cheer and the Drakkarim marines falter as they watch their vessels slipping away to the stern. The battle on board turns in your favour, and, as Davan and his men press their advantage, you feel sure that the
Intrepid
will make a successful escape along the coast.

Within the space of a few minutes your confidence is shattered anew by an unexpected attack.

Turn to 74
.

The swiftness of your reactions, and the degree of psychic mastery you have attained, save you from sustaining any injury to your central nervous system. Rapidly the shock fades, leaving you alert and ready to face Darklord Kraagenskûl.

Turn to 147
.

The creature thrashes the last of its death-throes, and then falls silent, its great bulk all but filling the entrance to the cave. The stench of spilt blood, and the greasy, dirt-encrusted hair that covers its torso, makes your stomach churn. Yet the Egorgh's body is serving a useful purpose. Not only is it keeping the icy cold wind and rain at bay, but any other creature wanting to attack you would have great difficulty entering the cave. Confident that you are unlikely to be disturbed again, you settle down to a much needed sleep.

Turn to 300
.

You follow the Slavemaster into a chamber filled with marvellous treasures, furniture, and rich trappings, which seem anachronistic here in this foul city. He advises you to take off your Drakkarim armour and wear instead a hooded robe woven from a strange, silver-grey material. He comments favourably on the Golden Amulet you wear, assuring you that its protection will be essential for your survival in Helgedad. As you are about to don the robe, he insists that you wear your Backpack underneath it. ‘The creature who donated this garment, albeit reluctantly, was tall but possessed a severely crooked spine. In order to gain entry to Helgedad you must pretend to be that creature. The pack will help to complete your disguise.’

You ask the identity of the creature, and what has become of him. ‘He was one of the Liganim, those who assist the Nadziranim sorcerers with their black arts,’ replies the Slavemaster. ‘This particular Ligan came here to Aarnak to fetch a quantity of special grade ore for his master's experiments, but the unfortunate creature met with a fatal accident, here in this very chamber.’ The trace of a smile on the Slavemaster's face suggests that the accident may not have been quite so accidental.

‘How am I to get into Helgedad?’ you ask, hoping he has planned for this as well.

‘You will be told in good time, but first I must give you some other information that is vital to the success of your quest.’

Turn to 235
.

The sound of heavy footfalls and vile curses alert you to a group of marines who are charging along the deck, drawn by their comrade's dying scream. They see him fall dead at your feet and, in a rage, the leading warrior hurls his sword at your head.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked. If you have completed the Lore-circle of Solaris, add 3 to the number.

If your total is now 0–2,
turn to 341
.

If it is 3–8,
turn to 9
.

If it is 9 or more,
turn to 319
.

The screams of your pursuers are growing louder with every passing second. Fearful that they will alert the guard to your presence, you unsheathe a hand weapon and stalk forward, grimly determined to slay the robed creature as quickly and quietly as possible.

If you have completed the Lore-circle of Solaris,
turn to 190
.

If you have not completed this Lore-circle of the Magnakai,
turn to 56
.

After following the coastline northwards for an hour, you happen upon a narrow path that rises from the beach and zigzags up to the top of the cliffs. The path appears deserted, and you decide to use it rather than risk being caught by the rising tide.

The climb to the top is long and arduous and by the time you reach the peak, the weather has taken a turn for the worse. An icy, rain-laden wind whips inland from the sea, its chilling bite accompanied by sheet lightning that illuminates the stark landscape before you. The blue-white flash reveals a vast, dead world of pitted spurs and crags, where every tree is petrified and every rock looks like a dead man's skull. You pull your warm cape close about your shoulders and set off towards a ridge that is peppered with dark hollows. You pray that one of them will offer some shelter from the coming storm.

Upon reaching the ridge, you discover that most of the hollows are merely patches of dark earth sandwiched between the honeycombed rock. The rain has become torrential, and you are about to abandon all hope of finding dry shelter, when suddenly your tracking instincts alert you to a cave-like opening at the far end of the ridge. You investigate and discover that it is indeed the entrance to a cave, one that is both wind- and watertight and, to your relief, quite empty. You are now very hungry and must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control and Divination,
turn to 234
.

If you do not possess both these skills,
turn to 307
.