The Plague Lords of Ruel (6 page)

As you strike the blow that seals this creature's doom, it vents a fearful high-pitched shriek that instantly silences the cave-beasts and sends them scurrying for the shadows of their filthy cells.

Within the blink of an eye the ghostly Pechdrazil evaporates in the air, leaving nothing to mark its existence save the harsh metallic odour of ozone. You wipe your sweat-laden brow with the back of your left hand and glance over your shoulder at the cowering creatures, huddled in their cells. Casually you sheathe your weapon and step forward to stare down the staircase into the gloom below. You focus upon the darkness, but you are unable to discern where the staircase ends.

If you wish to descend the stairs,
turn to 106
.

If you decide not to descend the staircase, you can retrace your steps to the junction and continue by means of the north tunnel instead.
Turn to 85
.

At the top of the stairs you find a dining chamber in disarray. Piles of rubbish are strewn across its tiled floor, gnawed bones cover its tables, and the remains of a small fire are still smouldering at its centre.

An arched portal in the far wall offers hope of escape into a corridor beyond and you hurry towards it. As you are running across the room, you notice a pile of discarded weapons lying beside a bench. Among the weapons are:

• Dagger
  
• Sword
  
• Broadsword
  
• Bow
  
• 4 Arrows
  
• Quiver
  

If you wish to take any of the above, adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.

To continue,
turn to 255
.

The torrent of flaming oil hits you in the face and a wave of pain forces you to your knees. Instinctively you call upon your Magnakai skill of Nexus to extinguish the flames and, within seconds, the oily fire gutters and dies: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

The Cener had begun to cackle gleefully, so sure was he that you were doomed. Now his cruel laughter chokes in his throat as, numbly, he fumbles for a weapon to halt your approach. He draws a curvy-bladed knife from a hidden sheath and holds it out unsteadily in front of his chest. You tell him to drop the dagger but he is deaf to your command. He feints a swipe then lunges for your heart, yet you deflect this weak attack with your right forearm and counter it with a left hook to the chin which shatters the druid's glassy green mask. He reels backwards and crashes to the floor, his bony fingers scrabbling at his throat. For a moment he writhes around on the dusty ground; then his body stiffens and he lies completely still. Cautiously you step nearer, expecting trickery. Then you see that a shattered fragment of his mask has severed his jugular vein and you know that he no longer poses a threat to your life.

If you wish to search the druid's body,
turn to 253
.

If you do not,
turn to 306
.

Swiftly you search the drawers of the dead creature's desk, sifting through papers and ledgers for clues as to where in Mogaruith the plague virus is being cultivated. The papers yield no useful information, but you do find two small levers set into the desk's surface.

You examine them closely and your Kai senses reveal that they operate the two metal doors to this antechamber. You flip the right-hand lever and the door by which you entered glides shut. Then you pause for a moment to prepare yourself before flipping the left lever, for this will open the door which leads to Cadak's throne room.

Turn to 240
.

The Pit Agarashi gives a deafening howl as your killing blow ruptures its black heart. Its powerful body stiffens and its red eyes become opaque, like two orbs of frosted crimson glass. For a moment it remains fixed and immobile; then its claws release their grip upon the rock wall and the beast plummets backwards to crash heavily upon the hard pit floor.

Breathless with exertion, you sheathe your weapon and force yourself towards the surface, eager to escape lest someone, or something, should come to investigate the creature's death-cry.

Turn to 87
.

With a foul, snickering cry the Vazhag swarm into the derelict hut. You sidestep into a corner to prevent them from getting behind you, and then raise your weapon in readiness to meet their attack. The leading rat-men throw themselves upon you in a blood-crazed frenzy, hacking and stabbing with their rusty blades, yet you dispatch them in seconds with such precision and economy of movement that it would appear to an onlooker that you had hardly moved at all.

But for every Vazhag that falls, three more take its place, and within minutes you are in danger of being suffocated to death by the press of their loathsome bodies.

Vazhag pack:
COMBAT SKILL
 34   
ENDURANCE
 44

If you win this combat,
turn to 72
.

You speak your answer several times but nothing happens.
⁴
You are convinced that your answer is correct and, in frustration, you tap the box on the table repeatedly in the hope of releasing the lid. On the third tap a razor-sharp blade springs from the side and cuts into the palm of your hand: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

Cursing the device, you fling it away into a corner and attend to your injured hand. A sudden shuffling noise, somewhere in another part of the library, causes you to freeze: someone else has entered. You look over your shoulder at the door and decide that now would be a very wise time to leave.

Turn to 335
.

At the top of the stairs you find a corridor which heads off towards the west before turning sharply towards the north. As you approach the corner you skid to a halt: your senses are warning you of approaching danger. Hurriedly you unsheathe your weapon, but no sooner is it out of its scabbard than a Drakkarim warrior comes running around the corner and crashes straight into you, knocking you both sprawling to the ground.

Quickly you recover but not in time to retrieve your weapon before the Drakkar attacks.

Drakkar:
COMBAT SKILL
 32   
ENDURANCE
 30

You must fight the first three rounds of this combat unarmed. At the start of the fourth round you are able to retrieve your weapon and fight as normal.

If you win the combat,
turn to 255
.

Feeling unsettled by your close encounter with the deadly acid-spitting tunnel crabs, you unsheathe your weapon and descend the staircase with renewed caution. Sixty steps later you arrive at a small cavern where three tunnels converge, from the north, the south, and the west.

There are many tracks on the dusty floor and your Magnakai hunting skills enable you to read them with ease. They are confined to the west and south tunnels and, judging by their size and depth, they were made by large rat-like creatures, but ones that walk upright, like humans. From what you have been told about the denizens of Ruel, you are sure that these tracks were made by Vazhag, the warrior vermin bred by the Cenerese.

Among their tracks you note others that are far from rat-like. You are about to examine these a little closer when suddenly you hear the sounds of movement echoing from the west tunnel; a group of creatures are approaching. At once you abandon your tracking and look around for somewhere to hide.

If you wish to take cover in the north tunnel,
turn to 35
.

If you wish to take cover in the south tunnel,
turn to 201
.

If you choose to hide in the cavern itself,
turn to 153
.

As the Acolyte's body falls limply to the platform, you sheathe your weapon and take hold of the ladder which ascends to the winch. All eyes in the hall below are watching your ascent and, when they suddenly realize what it is you are trying to do, pandemonium breaks out. Hysterical screams of anger and fear merge into a dreadful cacophony which fills the hall with clamouring echoes. You glance down at their faces, contorted by rage, and as you do so you glimpse a new threat to your safety.

A handful of Vazhag archers are scurrying out of the portal which connects Cadak's chamber to the gallery. They spread out along the parapet and begin firing at you with their lacquered bows. Black-fletched arrows whistle past on either side, their barbed heads passing dangerously close to your legs and feet.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 4 to the number you have chosen.

If your total score is now 0–2,
turn to 231
.

If it is 3–6,
turn to 293
.

If it is 7 or higher,
turn to 278
.

With trepidation you approach the door, fully aware that you are walking into a trap. Spear-wielding Vazhag hover on either side, alert and suspicious, their tarnished weapons held in readiness to strike should you show any sign of resistance.

A cell awaits you beyond the door. It seems to be no more than what you expected to find and, as the heavy door is slammed shut, you begin immediately to search for a means of escape before the Vazhag guards return.

Unfortunately, despite its plain appearance, this cell is far more than you expected it to be. It is an extermination chamber, one of several located throughout Mogaruith. It is designed for the speedy destruction of those who would dare to challenge the Cenerese.

Suddenly a powerful electrical current is fed into the metal floor and you are transfixed as the deadly voltage courses through your body. You fight with all your strength to survive this terrible onslaught but the current is irresistible and, eventually, your body can take no more.

Sadly, your life and your quest end here in Mogaruith.

You send your Arrow whistling towards the creature's throat. A fatal wound looks certain until, at the very last moment, the beast twists aside to avoid the oncoming shaft and, with a dull
thunk
, the Arrow skewers its shoulder. The creature roars with pain but the injury does not deter it from attacking. With the knife-wielding Vazhag close behind, it quickly recovers and together they rush forward to attack.

Pit Agarashi (wounded) & Vazhag:
COMBAT SKILL
 30   
ENDURANCE
 40

The Pit Agarashi is immune to Mindblast and Psi-surge; only the Grand Mastery of Kai-surge can harm it psychically.

If you win the combat,
turn to 297
.

The track crosses the plateau and passes within a few yards of the pits before continuing into a tunnel-like gap in the trees beyond. You advance, but every step that brings you nearer to the site causes your senses to rebel. The sensation of evil is so strong here that it clogs your nostrils and makes you struggle for breath. You resolve to run towards the gap but a sudden noise from behind arrests you in mid-step.

Shambling out of the forest come a horde of monstrous shapes, corpse-like beings that exist in a twilight between life and death. Perched atop their withered bodies are hairless heads bearing lidless, red eyes and gaping maws, rimmed with hundreds of needle-thin fangs. As one they utter a deathly groan and you feel an icy chill electrify your spine.

Illustration II
—Corpse-like beings shamble out of the forest, uttering a chilling groan.

Fighting to suppress your mounting horror, you turn and run towards the gap. You are within a few yards of the rocky spur when a dozen or more of these fearful creatures appear from the shadows to block your escape. Once more they utter their cadaverous cry and advance upon you from both sides.

Desperately you survey the plateau for another means of escape, but there is none: you are trapped. The only choice you have is to face the creatures or retreat towards the pits.

If you wish to fight these creatures,
turn to 163
.

If you choose to retreat towards the pits,
turn to 148
.

The tapestry depicts a ghastly feast, a banquet attended by demonic creatures who are gorging themselves on human remains. Seated at the head of this unholy feasting table is a bull-like creature who possesses the head and face of a man. From between his bloodstained lips there protrude two fangs, needle-sharp and gleaming. From his seat he looks down upon his loathsome guests with a sneering contempt.

Your thoughts are suddenly disturbed by a faint sound; someone or something is moving about in the antechamber.

Turn to 222
.