Legion of Shadow (15 page)

You take the vial and thank the witch. She places a hand on your shoulder and whispers something – a blessing perhaps – then she kicks the flanks of her gelding and gallops away. As
the angry mob descend on the clearing, you decide to make your own speedy retreat, back to the village. Turn to
142
.

102

Avian takes the letter of introduction and studies it thoughtfully. ‘Ah yes, the graduate from the academy. How splendid. I have been expecting you.’ He rolls up the
parchment and gestures towards the courtyard. ‘I am anticipating great things from you. Shall we get started and see what you are capable of?’ As you move forward, he stops you, placing
a hand on your arm. ‘Although, I should warn you. Honesty is one of the traits I value highly in my apprentice.’ Turn to
126
.

103

You make your way carefully down the passage, avoiding the deadly puddles of white gooey acid. After several minutes, you come to a junction – the passageway splitting
into tunnels to the north and south. To the north, there has evidently been a cave-in, as the tunnel is blocked by rubble and stone. To the south, you notice the tunnel walls are glistening with
big, fresh dollops of white goo. As the north tunnel is impassable, you decide to head south. Turn to
273
.

104

Martha removes a ring from her finger and offers it out to you.

‘Thank you, for all that you have done,’ she says. ‘I want you to take this. It is my wedding band. No – please, don’t look so shocked. It hasn’t brought me
much luck in this life. Perhaps it will give you better fortune.’

You may take:

You thank Martha for the kind gift and then you both leave the cottage. Return to the
map
to continue your journey.

105

The moment you touch the stone there is a bright flash of light, followed by a dizzying sensation of movement. When the light fades, you find yourself in a flooded cave, its
oily black waters lapping around your waist. At the centre of the cave is an island, illuminated by a shaft of pale green light. Its radiance outlines the figure of a woman, dressed in a trailing
gown of weeds and lilies. Her emerald eyes watch you intently.

‘You trespass in the halls of ancient kings,’ booms a deep voice, from somewhere above. ‘Many have come here. All have failed. Fight my champions and prove your
worth.’

The woman draws a leaf-shaped sword from her belt, its blade flickering with magic. Patiently she waits for you. With few other options, you wade through the water and drag yourself up onto the
island. The woman smiles and nods, then rushes to attack:

Special abilities

If you are defeated, you find yourself back on the hilltop, turn to
153
. If you defeat Allura, her body turns to water vapour, which drifts away
across the cavern. On the spot where she was standing, you find a small stone rune with three wavy lines cut into its surface. If you take the
Rune of Allura
, make a note of it on your hero
sheet. There is a sudden flash of light and you find yourself back on the hilltop. Turn to
153
.

106

It is a miracle, but you managed to defeat the three ghouls. You may now take any/all of the following items:

You decide not to risk the stairs in the pitch blackness, so you decide to head back to the pulpit and investigate the room behind the painted screen. Turn to
296
.

107

The target dummy is soon reduced to a pile of straw and sack cloth. Avian claps his hands as he walks over.

‘Impressive, very impressive. I see much potential in you.’ He snaps his fingers and a sword flies out from one of the racks, landing in his outstretched hand. ‘Now, fight
me,’ he says, raising his sword. ‘And I’ll teach you how to become an even better fighter.’ Turn to
99
.

108

‘Ah yes,’ grins the witch. ‘You might have got me there. That woman was as heartless as they come. Although, I never thought she would go through with her
plan. Beatrice was fond of her social standing in the community. She would never have risked been seen performing such a deed.’ The old woman’s eyes sparkle with mischief. ‘I
suppose she must have found someone who was . . . hmm, less concerned with such things.’ She gives you a knowing wink and then returns to her packing.

109

‘I feared you would say that,’ the old warrior wheezes. He reaches down to the scabbard at his waist and pulls loose his great, two-handed sword. ‘It gives me
no pleasure to take your life,’ he rasps, shambling towards you. ‘Although, your death will at least provide me with some company in this dark place.’

You must fight:

Special abilities

If you manage to defeat the undead crusader, turn to
123
.

110

You provide the clothier with the ragged boots and a length of spindlesilk (deduct these two objects from your hero sheet). Using these materials, the clothier creates the
following item, which you may now take:

If you do not want the item, then the clothier agrees to pay you 20 gold crowns for the garment. Once you have made your choice, turn to
68
to look at
more of the clothier’s items, or turn to
46
to leave.

111

Quest: The black book

Night has fallen; the full moon shines brilliantly against a cloudless backdrop of stars. As you hurry along the rutted lane towards the welcoming lights of Tithebury Cross, you
find yourself pausing outside the graveyard. A wooden sign has been tied to the old, rusted gate. It reads simply: DANGER. KEEP OUT. Peering through the spike-topped railing, you see a dark hill,
tangled and overgrown with weeds. It leads up to a steepled church, standing silent and forgotten on the hill.