Legion of Shadow (60 page)

If you have
Lorinwold’s Field Guide to Roots, Herbs and Leaves
then you also find 1 thimble sage, 1 taponica bulb and 1 black orchid growing on the giant’s
body. Make a note of the herbs on your hero sheet, then turn to
406
.

510

You swim through the blasted hole, emerging in a square chamber with a vertical shaft in the middle of its floor. As you make your way towards the shaft, you see something move
at the corner of your vision. Treading water, you twist around to see an immense sea creature with a body of writhing tentacles, detach itself from the wall. It propels itself towards you, using
its tentacles to push through the water. When it is almost upon you, it swings around, extending its suckered limbs to grab hold of you. You furiously bat them away, aware that they are trying to
pull you in closer to the creature’s parrot-like beak. In a swirl of air bubbles and squirming tentacles, you quickly draw your weapons and prepare to fight:

Special abilities

If you defeat the Kalimari, turn to
716
.

511

‘They say it was a sky rock,’ says the explorer. ‘Must have hit down here with quite a force. Caused that rift to appear and, since then, all kinds of things
been spilling out of the earth.’ He leans forward, grunting as he tries to reposition himself into a more comfortable position. ‘Fool that I am, I thought I’d take a closer look
– you know, see what was happening.’ He shakes his head. ‘Wasn’t expecting to get blasted out of the sky.’

Turn to
538
to ask another question, or
526
to begin your quest.

512

You examine the treasure map, which consists of a selection of directions and measurements:

When you have finished viewing the map, return to your previous entry number.

513

The strange creature explodes, releasing whirling tendrils of shadow magic into the air. Without thinking, you raise your arm and pull back your sleeve, revealing your branded
mark. The three snakes writhe and twist beneath your skin, as if suddenly alive. Mesmerised, you watch as the floating shadow magic starts to spiral towards them, like a moth to a flame.

514

You are not fast enough to secure another handhold. The roots you are holding onto break apart, sending you tumbling down the face of the wall to land in a bruised heap back in
the cave.

The lower roots are now broken, making the ledge unreachable.

515

You return to the grand hall where Spink is tending to the wounded survivors. From your original group there is only a handful remaining. One of them is the blacksmith, who
grins and waves at you, his face and hair caked in matted blood and vampire dust.

If you have any of Spink’s items still on your person, you can hand them back as they will be of no further use. If you wish, you may now retrieve your original main-hand and left-hand
equipment before leaving the castle. Return to the quest
map
.

516

‘Oh, what a splendid specimen!’ Totsvig takes the seed pod from you and carefully hands it over to his assistant, Tanner. ‘Put this beauty in some of the
special compost, will you? – the one with the ogre dung in it. I can’t wait to observe the results!’ Tanner nods obediently, carrying the pod over to one of the tents where a
number of odd-looking plants are growing inside clay tubs.

‘Thank you for making such a valuable contribution to the Botany Society,’ grins Totsvig. ‘Please, take one of these as a token of our appreciation.’

You may choose one of the following rewards:

Once you have made your choice and updated your hero sheet, you can talk to Totsvig further (turn to
310
), or return to the quest
map
.

517

The creature gives a wet, gurgling cry as its bloated body crashes to the ground. Its legs kick and squirm for several seconds, then with a final trembling shudder, they curl up
and lie still.

Congratulations – you have defeated Wormwood. You may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:

You contemplate searching the creature’s cave, but the smell is so overpowering that you are forced back out onto the ledge. Keen to get away from the foul reek of decay,
you clamber back down the trailing roots, to the cavern below.

518

The forest whips past you in a blur of brown and green, as you race at breakneck speed through the undergrowth. Bern is at your side, matching you step for step as he leaps and
bounds over logs and fallen branches. Incredibly, despite the unnatural speed that you are both travelling at, he appears to be studying his surroundings with a keen eye. He gestures to the left,
veering off in that direction in a blazing trail of glittering light. You follow suit, the tight-press of trees whipping past you as the wind roars in your ears.

Within seconds the blurred wall of trees is gone, replaced by a wide expanse of boggy marshland. Your feet skim the surface of the water as you hurtle onwards, across the grey-green swamp.
Eventually, you begin to slow; your feet sinking deeper and deeper into the brackish water. Soon you are wading through it, upto your knees, Bern only a few metres ahead of you.

‘That powder will have helped us close the distance,’ he says, surveying the featureless landscape. ‘Over here. Come on.’ He points to a swelling of hills, that rise up
like some hump-backed creature from the scrubby wetlands.

Arriving atop the hill, you spot your prey. A number of creatures, that look like man-like frogs in reed skirts, are scurrying across the marsh. One of them is wearing a headdress made from
animal bones. Across his back is slung a palm-leaf sack.

‘There they are,’ says Bern. He loosens his sword in his scabbard. ‘I do not imagine they will give up the horn without a fight. Are you ready?’

You nod, readying your own weapons. Then, together, you race after the fleeing wreekin. Turn to
534
.

519

You pass through the opening, to find yourself in a rectangular, stone-carved chamber.

All its surfaces are perfectly smooth; its floor covered in a mosaic of tiles. You notice that several of the tiles have cracked and buckled, where straggly weeds have forced themselves up out
of the earth. If you have
Lorinwold’s Field Guide to Roots, Herbs and Leaves
then you may pick 2 bramble thorn and 1 fire grass from this area. (Make a note of the herbs on your hero
sheet.)

Set into one of the walls is what appears to be a stone door. A number of strange markings and runes adorn its surface. At the opposite side of the chamber is an open doorway, leading through
into another area.

520

Beyond the door is a short passageway, ending in a large rectangular chamber. Along its side walls are a number of winged statues, perched on pedestals. They look like dwarves,
save that their features appear even more scowling and malign than the previous statues that you have seen.

Next to each pedestal is a stone chest, covered in faintly glowing runes. You assume that this is one of the king’s treasure rooms, although it could also be a trap. As you walk between
the statues, you can’t help but feel that their narrow eyes are watching you. You pause, mid-way through the room, wondering if you should simply continue through and leave by the arched
doorway at the far end, or try one of the chests.