Wolf's Bane (22 page)

Before your disbelieving eyes there spreads a vast volcanic landscape, punctuated by mountainous dunes of blue-grey sand and columns of towering rock. The amber sky is mottled and banded, like the eye of an angry tiger, and within its fathomless reaches you count twelve multi-coloured moons. These glowing spheres cast their light upon the burnt and crusty soil, lending it a ghostly aspect. Thick clouds, black and turgid, swollen with humid vapours, rear up like shadowy castles upon the far horizon. You can feel coarse grains of sand in the stinging crosswinds and your senses warn that a storm is fast approaching.

Seeking safer shelter from the coming storm, you get to your feet and cast your eyes across this warm yet unwelcoming land. Away to your right, lying less than a mile distant within a shallow basin of age-worn rock, you see a monstrous temple crafted from opaque black glass. Spikes of crystal embellish its many tiers and atop its highest level there stands a tower, tall and sleek.

A square of yellow light marks an open portal at the tower's base. You glimpse something standing in the doorway and, when you magnify your vision, you see that it is a cloaked warrior silhouetted against the portal's fiery glow. Your pulse quickens the instant you recognize the warrior. It is your accursed adversary — Wolf's Bane.

The compelling urge to move northwards, that you felt shortly after you broke free from the plant stem, returns to haunt your senses. You feel drawn towards the temple as if you are being summoned by a force beyond this world. Your Sixth Sense screams danger, and every fibre of your being knows it should resist, but you suppress these natural instincts and set off towards the temple. This towering edifice holds many dangers, of that you are in no doubt, yet bravely you resolve to confront and overcome them. Only by doing so can you hope to triumph over your enemy and find a way back to your home world of Magnamund.

During your difficult trek to the temple, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 251
.

The doors swing open onto a gallery which encircles three sides of a large banquet hall. Below, through the wooden spindles of the gallery's parapet rail, you can see the hall itself. Tapestries drape the walls and a blazing fire crackles in a great stone fireplace that occupies much of the north wall. Your adversary is sitting alone in a throne-like chair at the head of a long banqueting table. A plain, oblong-shaped wooden case lies closed on the table before him.

‘Welcome, Lone Wolf — so glad you could join me,’ he says, his voice oozing sarcasm as he gets to his feet and tilts his head condescendingly towards the gallery. You see his right hand move below the edge of the table and, moments later, you hear the double doors swing shut and lock behind you. Anxiously you cast your eyes around the hall, searching out his hidden accomplices.

‘We're alone,’ snaps Wolf's Bane. He raises a hand and beckons you to descend the gallery stairs to the hall below. ‘The time has come, Lone Wolf. Our jaunt across Avaros has been leading to this moment of truth.’

Illustration XIV
—‘We're alone,’ snaps Wolf's Bane. ‘The time has come, Lone Wolf.’

Wolf's Bane reaches out to the slim case that is laid on the table before him and he flips open its lid. Inside you see two thin-bladed duelling rapiers couched on a velvet liner.

‘We two are as equally matched as these fine blades,’ he says, in a voice as syrupy as rancid molasses. ‘Come, Lone Wolf. I challenge you to duel honourably. Come and choose your weapon and let fate decide who of us will triumph this day.’

You magnify your vision and scrutinize the open case. Your senses confirm that these swords are finely crafted blades. They are not booby-trapped, nor are they magically cursed in any way.

If you choose to accept Wolf's Bane's challenge to a duel to the death using these swords,
turn to 304
.

If you choose to decline his challenge,
turn to 85
.

Your psychic command weakens the Bangrol's resolve, but it is already too late to turn aside its savage attack. This razor-clawed bird is set on a collision course with your face!

Bangrol:
COMBAT SKILL
 34   
ENDURANCE
 30

If you win this combat in two rounds or less,
turn to 142
.

If the combat goes to a third round, do not continue the fight. Instead,
turn immediately to 19
.

This lock looks similar to that which operates the door to the temple of Avaros, yet there is one important difference. The mechanism of this lock is genuinely protected by a powerful spell, shielded also by magic to prevent its detection. Your unsuccessful attempt to open the portal triggers this spell and causes a massive bolt of electrical energy to be discharged through your fingers, along your outstretched arm, and deep into your body.

A blinding flash of light obliterates your vision and an agonizing pain explodes in your chest. The pain quickly fades, but it is replaced by a terrifying numbness. You feel weightless, as if you are falling through deep space. Briefly you try to resist this sensation but it is no use. You are falling into a sleep from which you will never awaken.

Sadly, your life and your duel against Wolf's Bane end here.

This exit leads to an echoing tunnel constructed from sheeted steel. Its walls and ceiling are lined with iron pipes and braided copper cables for most of its length. You follow this passage for several hundred yards before arriving at another which crosses it from left to right.

If you possess Telegnosis and have attained the rank of Grand Thane,
turn to 73
.

If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 347
.

The huge dragonfly swoops down like a hunting hawk and attempts to skewer you upon the sharp tip of its spear-like proboscis. You wait until the very last moment before twisting aside to avoid its lunge and, as it streaks past, you deal it a backhanded blow which tears a hole in its silvery wing. The wound is not fatal, but the damage to its wing is enough to render the hungry creature incapable of ascending any higher. It emits a loud buzz of frustration which fades as it slowly spirals away towards a cluster of smaller dragonflies hovering near the centre of the gorge.

At length you reach the apex of the cavern and soar into the light-filled vent. Upon entering this vast aperture you are buffeted by crosswinds which sweep you precariously towards its rocky lip. Only your Kai Mastery and your lightning-swift reactions save you from being crushed to death as you are blown towards its jagged, volcanic edge.

You survive the impact and are able to haul yourself out of the vent and climb safely onto a surface that you assume to be the roof of the cavern. Seeking shelter from the raging crosswinds, you squeeze yourself into a hollow in the porous rock from where you are able to take stock of your new surroundings. The sight makes you gasp, for it is a view that truly rivals the fertile wonders of the cavern below.

Turn to 239
.

Your Kai camouflage skills keep you hidden from the unwanted attentions of the creatures below, and you reach the balcony without being seen. Once you are here, you whisper the words which negate the effects of the spell and then you hurry into the archway.

Use of the
Teleport
spell costs you 4
ENDURANCE
points. Remember to make the necessary adjustment to your
Action Chart
.

To continue,
turn to 50
.

You use your advanced mastery to find your enemy's tracks, and then you clear a path through the dense undergrowth which covers them. You sense that he has used magic to assist his escape, for the foliage here is entangled far tighter than in neighbouring areas of this jungle. Your advanced Discipline flattens the undergrowth as you advance, as if you were being preceded by some invisible battering ram. So effective is your skill that you gain ground on your fleeing enemy.

As you pass through a copse of toa trees, you hear the sound of running water away to your left. The tracks turn in this direction and you follow them all the way to the banks of a fast-flowing watercourse. Less than fifty yards downstream there is a primitive settlement of huts that form an untidy line along the banks of the stream. You catch sight of Wolf's Bane as he runs into this settlement and hides in the nearest hut — a mud-walled hovel with a clay-tile roof.

If you wish to stay in the jungle and observe the settlement,
turn to 339
.

If you choose to continue your pursuit, you can approach the settlement under cover of the jungle, by
turning to 285
.

Steel Hand pulls a rope from his backpack and volunteers to climb the rough-hewn chamber wall. The ceiling above is criss-crossed with buttresses and he is confident that he can affix his rope securely to one of them, thereby enabling your party to swing across the gaping fissure and reach the tunnel on the far side.

If you decide to approve Steel Hand's suggestion,
turn to 119
.

If you prefer instead to fix the rope yourself,
turn to 189
.

You leap aside to avoid the missile, yet it alters course in mid-air and clips your shoulder as you fall to the frost-encrusted floor: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points. Quickly you scramble to your feet and look to see your opponent escaping up the darkened staircase. Calling upon your innate healing skills, you staunch the blood that is trickling freely from your wounded shoulder and hurry towards the stairs in pursuit of your hated foe.

Turn to 29
.

Your killing blow fells this feline horror, bringing it crashing nose-first to the dirt floor. The body of the beast almost blocks the passageway, forcing you to clamber over it in order to reach the other side. You are struggling across its still warm carcass when you notice a thick leather collar buckled around its throat. Affixed to the buckle is a curious Black Clasp. (If you wish to take this clasp, record it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item which you carry in the pocket of your tunic.)

To continue,
turn to 120
.

Before you stands a great tower of gleaming black stone which rises from the depths of a fathomless moat and soars to within a hundred feet of the stormy grey clouds. Its pitted surface bristles with metal discs and antennae, streaked with rust, yet there are few windows and you can see but one portal.

You magnify your vision and note that your adversary's tracks lead to a traffic-worn area on this side of the moat, directly opposite the portal. You watch this area for several minutes, and then you see two armour-clad warriors emerge from the ruins and approach it. Suddenly a semi-transparent drawbridge extends from beneath the portal. It resembles a flattened beam of solid, green-grey light, and this beam bridges the moat and provides the two warriors with the means to reach the open tower door.

You scan the great tower with your senses and you feel sure that your opponent is lurking somewhere within. Powerless to reach him, you can only stand and watch the two warriors as they cross the moat and disappear into the portal, which slides shut behind them. At first glance this stronghold looks to be impregnable, but you have gained access to far tougher fortresses in the past and you refuse to allow your spirits to be dampened by the daunting task of finding a way into this one.

Turn to 308
.

By the time you reach the base of the temple, the storm is howling like a vengeful demon in your ears. Stinging blasts of hot, sand-laden wind whip your face mercilessly and you are forced to lean almost horizontally into the storm to maintain your balance. The storm is increasing in ferocity by the minute. You are sorely aware that you must find cover within an hour at most or you will perish in this hellish blizzard.

An empty parapeted stairway ascends from the temple's lowermost tier to the portal of its crowning tower. The parapet offers you protection from the wind and you climb the many steps bent over, almost on your hands and knees, in order to stay out of the abrasive storm. Before you ascend the last tier, you check to make sure that your adversary is not lying in ambush. The portal is now closed and you can sense no living creature nearby, yet you unsheathe your weapon from your belt and hold it ready in case danger should come from an unsuspected quarter.

When you reach the portal, you discover that it comprises a seamless sheet of lead-lined iron, many inches thick. You detect a lingering aura of magic around its threshold which makes you wary that a trap may have been set. Yet when you summon your psychic skills to probe deeper, you sense otherwise. You detect that Wolf's Bane has deliberately cast an illusion of magic around this portal, no doubt in the hope that it will delay or deter you long enough for the storm to do its work. Confident that the door is not lethal, you examine it more closely. Set flush into the glassy surface of its surrounding arch, you discover an inscription above two squares of dull crimson gemstone. Your Sixth Sense reveals that tapping upon each square a correct number of times will cause the door to open. Cautiously you place your fingers lightly upon the squares and feel the gentle vibration of the door's locking mechanism. By concentrating on these vibrations you hope to be able to decipher its locking codes.

After several minutes you determine that the first code is equal to the
ENDURANCE
points score below which a Grand Master cannot use the Discipline of Kai-surge.

The second code is equal to the number of villages that lie on the highway between the cities of Holmgard and Ragadorn.

In order to determine the numbers that will open the door to the temple, consult the
map
and
games rules
. When you think you know the two-digit solution,
turn to the entry
that is the same number as your answer.
¹⁵

If you cannot decipher the codes,
turn instead to 283
.