Trail of the Wolf (12 page)
You are within ten feet of the steps when a leathery black dog appears from a shadowy alcove and moves to block your path. It growls at you menacingly and fixes you with its baleful eyes. At once you recognize that this dog is a young Akataz, a vicious breed of Drakkarim warhound.
If you possess Animal Mastery and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Master Superior or higher,
turn to 348
.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 173
.
Your Arrow thuds into the creature's chest, knocking it to the floor. But to your dismay, the Urgaroh quickly recovers from the impact of your missile. It pulls itself to its feet and levels its crystal rod at you. In desperation, you take hold of your Kai Weapon by the hilt, draw it back behind your head, and then hurl it at the Urgaroh with as much force and accuracy as you can muster.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Weaponmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 0–5,
turn to 175
.
If it is 6–8,
turn to 80
.
If it is 9 or higher,
turn to 182
.
You insert the Iron Key into the lockplate and twist it anticlockwise. The mortise is stiff, but the key fits and the lock opens with a dull
Clunk
! Carefully, you push open the door and enter a spacious chamber that is lit by ten globes of flickering white light. They hang suspended in the air with no visible means of support. The walls of this chamber are plastered and decorated with murals that depict the armies of Darklord Chlanzor despoiling the farms and cities of the Freeland Alliance. Standing against the far wall is a throne-like chair, crudely fashioned from a huge block of black marble. Veins of fluorescent purples and greens colour its surface, and the air around it shimmers like a desert haze.
As you approach this chair, you hear the door slam shut behind you. Instinctively you spin around and you see that there is no lockplate on the inside of the chamber door. Its surface is plastered and entirely smooth; it blends in seamlessly with the painted walls.
To continue,
turn to 90
.
On your second attempt, you manage to overcome the difficulties of the climb and reach the top of this wall. As you pull yourself onto its crumbling parapet, you note that it curves away in a semicircle and joins with the perimeter wall. You follow the parapet to this junction and then jump down onto the battlements. Through the murky air, you glimpse an arched doorway in the wall of a distant tower and you hurry towards it.
The tower door is unlocked and you are able to enter and descend to ground level by way of a spiral staircase, but as you reach the foot of these stone steps, you are confronted by two Drakkarim who come striding into the tower through an open arch. With grunts of shocked surprise, the two leather-clad warriors pull their swords from their belts and attempt to cut you down.
Helkona Drakkarim:
COMBAT SKILL
30
ENDURANCE
35
If you win this combat,
turn to 14
.
Suddenly you hear the monotonous
clang
of an alarm bell echoing in some distant part of the citadel, and your Kai senses warn you that Xaol's corpse has now been discovered. Some of his minions are searching the necromancer's hall, and you are gripped by a fear that they may discover your trail and catch you before you can make good your escape. You take hold of Lone Wolf and lift him across your shoulder; then you pull open the iron door and leave the kitchen as fast as you are able.
A short tunnel leads to a circular shaft which is lit intermittently by a pulsating crimson light. You ascend this shaft by means of a broad circular staircase, and you stop to rest when you come to a landing that is halfway from the top. Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 126
.
You examine the panel carefully and discover a way that you can prise it open. But as you are preparing to lever out a section of stone, a sudden wave of doubt and unease makes you hesitate. Your Sixth Sense is warning you that all is not what it seems.
If you wish to ignore your Sixth Sense warning and prise open the secret panel,
turn to 312
.
If you decide to heed your senses and abandon your efforts to open the panel,
turn to 192
.
Three well-aimed blows from your Kai Weapon set you free from the sticky web. You roll away from the sundered strands and spring to your feet in time to meet the creature's advance. With a frightening turn of speed, it comes scuttling forwards with its maw agape. You gasp with horror as you brace yourself to repel its swift, vengeful attack.
Skryza:
COMBAT SKILL
48
ENDURANCE
40
If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Kaistar’ you may add the appropriate bonus gained from its unique properties.
You may evade this fight after five rounds by
turning to 21
.
If you win the combat,
turn to 340
.
The assault trooper is more wary now. As you release your second shot, he flattens himself against the steps and the Arrow whistles over his head to shatter harmlessly against the wall of the shaft. Once more his comrades applaud his courage with a hearty cheer; then five of them return fire at you with their crossbows.
You draw an Arrow to your Bow and let it fly towards the gap between the obsidian pillars. There is a loud
Crack!
and a brilliant flash of blue-white light illuminates the hall when your shaft hits and discharges the magical force field.
This explosion of violent energy is followed by an abrupt and total silence. After a few moments, you detect a faint humming sound and your Kai Sixth Sense warns you that the force field is recharging.
Your killing blow lifts the Urgaroh and sends it tumbling backwards in a ragged somersault to fall ten feet away in a broken, untidy heap. Its ruined remains spontaneously ignite and burn fiercely, giving off a choking black smoke.
Above the noise of the wind that rushes through the shattered glass dome, you hear angry cries and the stomp of booted feet. The Drakkarim have regrouped and are storming the stairs once more, their numbers swelled by a score of Giaks and Hammerland bandits. Driven by instinct, you pick up the Urgaroh's crystal rod which lies near your feet, and you rush to the head of the stairs. You can feel the evil power that is held within the rod's slender shaft, but you are unsure how you may unleash it upon the enemy who are racing up the stairs.
If you possess Telegnosis,
turn to 298
.
If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 42
.
The moment your feet touch down upon the flagstones, you hear a high-pitched squeak somewhere above your head. You glance up and a shadowy blur flashes before your eyes. Instinctively, you lash out with your fist and you feel your knuckles connect with something small and furry. Your punch rockets the object across the chamber and slams it against the far wall. There is a crack of breaking bones, and you see a furry, bat-like creature tumble limply to the floor.
Having successfully incapacitated both the Krorn and its vengeful pet, you make a swift search of the watchtower chamber and discover the following items:
- Iron Key
- Sword
- Halberd (Spear)
- Enough food for 1 Meal
- 2 Gold Crowns
- 2 Arrows
Having completed your search, you leave the chamber by an iron door and lock it behind you. A flight of spiral steps leads down to the ground level where you discover a second door. This one is also unlocked. Carefully you pull it open a few inches and peer through the gap.
You use your Magnakai Curing skills in an urgent attempt to restore Lone Wolf to consciousness. You unbutton the front of his battle-tunic and place your hands on his chest; then you transfer the warmth of your healing powers directly into his body (this use of your Magnakai Discipline costs you 1
ENDURANCE
point). After a few minutes you feel his heartbeat growing stronger, yet before you can complete the healing procedure, you hear the daunting sound of steel-shod boots echoing up the shaft from below. You risk a glance over the parapet of the stairs and you see a dozen armoured Drakkarim emerging from the tunnel at the base of the shaft. As they come running up the steps, you see that most are armed with loaded crossbows.
Reluctantly you are forced to abandon your attempt to revive Lone Wolf. You heave him across your shoulder and take to the stairs once more, climbing as fast as your aching legs will carry you both towards the observatory roof, 60 feet above.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 86
.
If it is 5–9,
turn to 320
.
Your bold gamble pays off, for you are able to scurry through the breached wall as your cloak and Backpack ignite. You come to the end of the fissure and quickly you drop to the dusty ground, rolling over several times in order to smother the flames that threaten to engulf you. You suffer no injuries, but when you examine your Backpack you soon discover that two items are fire-damaged beyond repair. (Erase the first and last items that you have recorded on your
list of Backpack Items
.)
You are elated that you have traversed the breach in the perimeter wall, but when the dust clears for a few moments, your heart sinks like a stone. Another wall looms before you. This second barrier has only recently been constructed to shield the stronghold's inner buildings from the fiery heat of the fissure. Its rough-hewn blocks offer many handholds to assist a climb, but the scorched stone and mortar are very dry and they crumble under the slightest pressure. Your first attempt to scale the wall comes to an abrupt end when a toehold collapses and you are sent tumbling backwards to the ground: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.
If you possess Kai-alchemy,
turn to 221
.
If you do not,
turn to 144
.
You watch with grim glee as the heavy statue falls end-over-end towards the ascending Drakkarim warriors. The assault trooper drops his sword and throws up his hands as the great bronze effigy slams into him with a sickening crunch. Groaning in agony, his skull and ribs crushed by the impact, he somersaults backwards and tumbles down the stairs, felling his comrades like skittles as he careers through their ranks. The few who are not bowled over by their leader, or the crushing statue of Chlanzor, immediately open fire at you with their crossbows and force you to seek cover behind the parapet. As you crouch beside Lone Wolf, a sudden shriek echoes across the observatory platform. Then an icy chill courses through your veins when you turn and look over your shoulder.
When the dial clicks into position,
15
the heavy wooden doors swing open and a gust of putrid air makes you swallow hard before you take your first cautious step into the hall beyond. You cast a suspicious eye around this circular chamber for it is illuminated by tall candles that radiate a cold, cyanic light. The floor is strewn with bones and human cadavers in varying states of decomposition, and the walls are hung with great silken tapestries depicting horrific scenes that glorify the power of death and decay.
As your eagle eyes penetrate the gloom, your pulse races when they fall upon Lone Wolf. He sits cross-legged within a sphere of translucent grey light that hovers three feet above the floor. His divine blade, Sommerswerd, is cradled in his lap, and his head hangs limply against his chest. At first you believe he is unconscious; then your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen detects that he is engaged in a desperate mental battle against a host of invisible enemies who are seeking to enslave his soul.
Illustration VIII—You see the shadowy prison-sphere that holds Lone Wolf captive.
The shadowy prison-sphere that entraps Lone Wolf hovers before a vile throne constructed entirely of human skulls and bones. Seated here is a thin man attired in black robes edged with gold and scarlet braid. His pale skin and feverish dark eyes are touched by the bluish glow of the surrounding candles, accentuating his sinister mien. With an extended right hand he grasps the surface of a large crystal sphere that is fixed to a pedestal beside his throne. This crystal is hollow, but its core is filled with swirling black vapours that radiate a deathly chill. The robed man stares fixedly at the sphere and appears to be mesmerized by it. You magnify your vision, and when you focus your gaze upon the sphere, suddenly you fathom the secret of the terrible power contained within.