Trail of the Wolf (18 page)
You are engulfed by a sheet of white-hot psychic fire that burns the fabric of your mind. Your Kai-screen crumples under the onslaught, yet it protects you from the potentially fatal effects of psychic shock.
Zorkaan's sudden and massive psychic attack has damaged a part of your mind that controls your Kai abilities, and you must forfeit the use of one of your Grand Master Disciplines for the rest of this mission. (If you complete the mission successfully, you may restore your forfeited Discipline and use it again in a future
Lone Wolf New Order
adventure.)
To continue,
turn to 22
.
You use your advanced fieldcraft skills to prevent yourself from sinking any deeper into the treacherous yellow dust. This action enables you to follow the base of the gully as it cuts a winding course through the dust-blasted hills. You are within a few hundred yards of reaching the gully's end when you are lashed once more by the gritty wind. As you tug the hood of your cloak down to protect your eyes, you suddenly hear a loud screeching caw echoing in the dark stormy skies.
If you wish to attempt to scour the sky for the source of this chilling cry,
turn to 215
.
If you decide to take cover among the boulders that litter the slopes of the gully,
turn to 335
.
The force of the blast hurls the body of the dead necromancer against the far wall of the chamber. It hits the unyielding stone with a sickening thud, and slumps to the floor in a broken heap. Yet despite the terrible damage caused by the explosion, the possessed body of Xaol does not lie still for long. It drags itself upright, and you see an unholy fire blazing in its eyes as it begins to move across the hall towards you at a frightening speed. You pray to the Goddess Ishir for her protection as this mutilated zombie leaps upon you and attempts to fix its corpse-cold hands around your throat.
Xaol Zombie
(possessed by Zorkaan)
:
COMBAT SKILL
52
ENDURANCE
40
This possessed creature is immune to psychic attack. If your Kai Weapon is ‘Alema’ or ‘Valiance’, you may add the appropriate bonus gained through their unique properties. You may reduce the total damage inflicted upon you by 5
ENDURANCE
points due to the protection you gain from wearing the Platinum Amulet. However, unless you possess the Discipline of Kai-screen, you must reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 3 for the duration of this combat.
Conduct this combat in the normal way for three rounds only. If you survive these initial rounds, you may continue by
turning to 260
.
Your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus offers you some protection of the terrific temperature at the rim of the fissure, but it does not shield your clothing and equipment which are beginning to smoulder.
If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it,
turn to 47
.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 127
.
If you possess neither of these skills, or if you choose not to use them,
turn to 235
.
You step away from this door and cast your eye over the other two portals.
If you wish to examine the centre door,
turn to 218
.
If you choose to investigate the right door,
turn to 166
.
You draw together the mental shapes of the Old Kingdom Spell
Power Word
and rise up from behind the tree trunk to project it at the spider:
Gloar!
The concussive force of this ancient spell-word slams into the creature's skull and cracks it, making the beast let out a hideous shriek of agony. Your magical attack has injured the arachnid, but not deterred it. Fuelled by anger and pain, this fearsome abomination comes scuttling towards your hiding place with a frightening turn of speed. With a gasp of disbelief, you unsheathe your Kai Weapon and brace yourself to repel its swift and vengeful attack.
Skryza (wounded):
COMBAT SKILL
44
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 four rounds by
turning to 21
.
If you win the combat,
turn to 340
.
You draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen to erect a defensive wall around the core of your mind; then you brace yourself in readiness to meet the anticipated attack. Despite your preparations, you are deeply shocked by the power and sheer ferocity of Zorkaan when he unleashes his psychic assault. You reel under the bombardment of his incorporeal powers as they batter your mental defences (lose 3
ENDURANCE
points), but you refuse to submit to his will and you survive this terrifying assault. As the attacks wither and fade, you sense Zorkaan explode with anger and frustration at having been thwarted by your formidable resolve.
To continue,
turn to 243
.
Forewarned by your sharp Kai senses, you leave the panel and retreat from the alcove. You are passing by the iron door when suddenly you catch the sound of voices coming from somewhere on the other side. Suspicion and curiosity draw you closer and cautiously you place your eye to the door's peephole.
Instinctively you hurl the crystal rod at the advancing enemy troops who are rushing across the landing below. The moment it strikes the floor, it explodes with devastating effect. The Drakkarim assault-troopers who are leading the attack are engulfed by a searing ball of yellow and orange flame. Then an entire section of the landing and stairs is destroyed by a huge eruption of power that rocks the very foundations of the tower. You dive to cover Lone Wolf with your body, and your selfless action keeps him safe as fragments of masonry smash into the dome and broken glass rains down upon the observatory platform. When finally the dust and debris clear, you struggle to your feet and survey the surrounding scene of destruction.
Your brave gamble pays off, for you are able to scurry through the breached wall as your cloak and Backpack ignite. On reaching the end of the fissure, you immediately drop to the dusty ground and roll over several times in order to smother the flames that threaten to engulf you. Your speedy action saves you from injury, and your clothes and equipment are also spared.
You are elated that you have successfully traversed the breach in the perimeter wall, but when the scorching 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 sooty 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 are startled by the loud, discordant
clang
of a cracked iron bell, which is located out of sight in an alcove in the wall above the door. As its harsh note fades, the door is pulled open and you find yourself confronted by two ugly Drakkarim warriors armed with heavy-bladed marine cutlasses. Shock registers in their bloodshot eyes when first they see you, but their astonishment quickly gives way to a blind rage. With murderous growls, the two fighters raise their cutlasses and launch a determined attack.
Helkona Drakkarim:
COMBAT SKILL
30
ENDURANCE
35
If you win this combat,
turn to 339
.
You are engulfed by a sudden explosion of golden light. Zorkaan emits a deafening shriek as the supernatural fabric of his being is ripped asunder by the Sommerswerd — Lone Wolf's divine blade. As the creature is engulfed in a blaze of golden fire, the Sommerswerd falls to the floor near your feet. You look down at the blade in stunned disbelief; then you raise your eyes and look to Lone Wolf who is slumped within the confines of his hovering prison-sphere. Slowly the enormity of what has happened begins to permeate through the turmoil that is raging in your mind. In a desperate bid to save you, Lone Wolf has used the last of his strength to hurl his magical blade through the wall of his sorcerous prison. This courageous act has destroyed Zorkaan and spared you your life.
Illustration XIII—Zorkaan is ripped asunder by the power of the Sommerswerd.
You crouch down to take a closer look at the object and immediately you see that it is a silver crown. Although most of it is buried by dust, the section that protrudes seems unnaturally clean, as if the dust simply refuses to adhere to its gleaming surface.
If you wish to pick up this crown and examine it,
turn to 23
.
If you decide not to touch the crown, you can leave this hall by
turning to 135
.
As you load your Bow, you listen to the Drakkar's approaching footsteps. If you can fell this assault trooper with one shot, it may be enough to dissuade his comrades from pressing home their charge. You draw back your bowstring to the full; then you rise up from behind the parapet and let fly your shaft at the Drakkar's chest. The warrior sees your missile arc towards him and hurriedly he tries to block it with his shield.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Weaponmastery with a Bow, remember to add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 4 or lower,
turn to 276
.
If it is 5–7,
turn to 158
.
If it is 8 or higher,
turn to 317
.
The few direflies that have survived your deadly blows quickly disperse. As they disappear above the trees, you wipe and sheathe your Kai Weapon before continuing your trek northwards.
Soon you come to a section of the forest where the trees are blanketed with webs that are woven together to form a dense, impenetrable barrier. Creamy-white gossamer strands are wound tightly around the trunks, and loose threads dangle from their twisted branches to flutter in the breeze. Trapped amidst this web are scores of giant direflies. They hang suspended like chrysalises, cocooned in acres of silken thread.
Cold sweat trickles down your face as you contemplate what could have constructed such a large and intricate web. Then your heart skips a beat when suddenly you detect movement within it.
If you possess Grand Pathsmanship,
turn to 286
.
If you do not,
turn to 34
.
You follow a short semicircular tunnel that leads to a wide gallery encircling the upper section of a colossal hall. Peering over the parapet of the gallery, you look down on the red granite floor of the hall 50 feet below. Here you see Drakkarim and Giaks standing in idle groups around the lip of a deep lava-filled pit that looks as if it could descend all the way to the molten core of Magnamund. Motes of rust-coloured dust cling to every surface and the scorching air reeks of molten metal and sulphur.
An unbroken line of fiery bronze statues encircle the gallery, depicting former loyal servants of Darklord Chlanzor. You are casting your eye along their line when suddenly you see two of Xaol's henchmen. They emerge from a passageway located next to a spiral staircase on the far side of the gallery. Quickly you take cover behind the nearest statue and watch as those two men, accompanied by a wolfhound, come walking around the gallery towards your hiding place.
If you possess some Dargorse Buds,
turn to 230
.
If you do not possess this Backpack Item,
turn to 41
.