The Jungle of Horrors (19 page)

Swiftly and silently they leave their huts, creeping like cats stalking their prey. They move on two legs, although they appear better suited to loping on all fours. You turn and run for all you are worth, but this is their territory and they know every fold in the ground. Swiftly they gain on you, forcing you to stand and fight.

If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 28
.

If you have a Fireseed and wish to throw it,
turn to 207
.

If you wish to draw a hand weapon,
turn to 346
.

Stealthily you creep along an alley running beside the bowyery and return to the post where your horses are hitched. Muffled cries of alarm can be heard coming from inside the building: the body of the dead owner must have been discovered.

Without undue haste you remount your horses and head along an alley running north.

Turn to 63
.

Paido reveals the coin; you have chosen correctly. You decide to take the second watch and settle yourself down for some much needed rest. The grey earth is soft and spongy and provides an excellent mattress. You pull your warm Kai cloak around your shoulders and slip into a deep, dreamless sleep (restore 3
ENDURANCE
points).

Four hours later you take over the watch. Your vigil passes uneventfully, and as the darkness of night gives way to the gloomy grey of dawn, you wake your companion and prepare to set off once more.

Turn to 138
.

At your approach the monks step back from the grave and draw themselves into a line. Their hooded heads stay bowed and their hands remain hidden inside the generous folds of their robes. You ask the name of the unfortunate deceased, but the echo of your voice and the constant drip of the steady rain is your only answer.

All at once, as if in response to a silent signal, the monks throw back their hoods to reveal ghastly, fleshless faces. ‘By the gods!’ gasps Paido. They emit a hideous shriek, panicking the horses. As you fight to control your frightened animal, the skeletal monks spring forward to attack.

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 8
.

If you do not have this Special Item,
turn to 101
.

Even at this great distance you can feel the ground shaking as the Ogian army thunders onto the plateau that surrounds the burning town of Syada. You urge your horses down the track, away from the crested ridge, and make for the stream where you stopped briefly to rest.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship and have reached the rank of Tutelary,
turn to 227
.

If you do not possess this skill or have not yet reached this level of Magnakai training,
turn to 127
.

The sinister monk is shocked by the speed and ferocity of your attack, but he recovers his senses in time to parry your first blow with his black staff. A splash of hissing sparks lights the room as your weapon scrapes along the jet-black pole and glances off its twisted tip. You raise your arm to strike again, but you are distracted by Paido's scream of alarm. His face is deathly pale and his hands and arms are trembling uncontrollably. With a groan he collapses, scattering plates and cutlery as he hits the table and rolls unconscious to the floor.

Turn to 238
.

Around a pool of slimy water are gathered a group of vine coils, hollow and funnel-shaped like gigantic rusty springs. They support a huge spider's web. There is no sign of the web's maker, although, judging by the size of the rope-like strands, it must be a creature of enormous size.

You give the pool a wide berth before finding your way back to where the starguider's signal is strongest. A creeping bank of mist rolls across your path and the maker of the web looms out of it. Paido stifles a cry as this hairy abomination scuttles towards you, its venomous maw poised to bite.

Illustration XIV
—The hairy abomination scuttles towards you, its venomous maw poised to bite.

If you wish to stand and fight this creature,
turn to 5
.

If you wish to try to evade it,
turn to 260
.

You exert your control over the approaching dogs, commanding them to ignore the trail of scent that leads to your hiding place. They stop and sniff the air, whining like hungry pups, frustrated and confused by their conflicting senses. You change your command and will them to attack their masters. Instantly their whining becomes an angry growl as they turn ferociously on their handlers. The leading monks throw up their hands in horror and fall against those behind as the dogs leap on them, biting and clawing at their throats. This unexpected attack throws the monks into a panic. They turn and flee the hall, desperate to escape the sharp, rending teeth of their own hunting dogs.

Turn to 328
.

It is late afternoon when you ride into Stia, a village comprising a score of cottages and a dilapidated hut which sits astride the Great North Road. As you approach the tiny thatched hut its stable door swings open and an old man steps out of the shadows. He is wearing an odd assortment of antique armour and regalia that clanks and rattles like a cart-load of rusty metal as he shuffles across your path.

Illustration XV
—An old man wearing an odd assortment of antique armour shuffles across your path.

‘Hold there, strangers!’ he blusters, his croaky voice full of self-importance. ‘Proceed no further till you pay the toll.’ You draw your horse to a halt and stare down at the ridiculous-looking figure.

‘By what authority do you levy a toll on the Queen's highway?’ asks Paido, irritated by the delay. ‘By the authority of the Queen herself,’ retorts the old man, indignantly, pointing with crooked finger to a placard on the wall of his hut. It bears the faded seal of Queen Evaine, but the board is so weathered that the words above it are illegible.

‘We travel to Tharro on royal business,’ you say, showing the Pass given to you by Lord Adamas. ‘Stand aside and let us proceed.’ The old man snatches the Pass from your hand and scrutinizes it, though it is obvious that his eyesight is so poor that he cannot read the contents.

‘Bah!’ he snorts, thrusting the Pass back into your hand. ‘It's a forgery! You'll not fool me with that worthless scrap o' vellum!’

‘And we'll not be taken in by a greedy old fool whose wits are as rusty as the armour he wears!’ shouts Paido angrily. As his words echo along the street a dozen villagers, armed with an assortment of farming tools, come to investigate the commotion. They form up in a line behind the old man, ready to enforce his demand.

‘What is the toll?’ you ask.

‘Only a trinket you may have that takes our fancy; that is all. One item apiece and you can continue on your way,’ replies the old man, smugly. ‘But let it not be said that we are without wit,’ he snaps, glaring at Paido. ‘We Stians pride ourselves on our sense of fair play and our love of riddles, therefore I shall make you an offer that satisfies us both. Answer me one riddle correctly and you can pass through our village without paying the toll. Answer wrongly, or give no answer at all, and you must pay the toll without question. Is it agreed?’

If you wish to agree to the old man's terms,
turn to 112
.

If you refuse to agree,
turn to 149
.

Nausea and giddiness are beginning to impair your senses. Desperately you muster all your reserves of strength to combat the poison, but you are greatly fatigued after your fight with the Helghast. Gradually the pain subsides to be replaced by a fearful numbness that paralyses your limbs. Swiftly you sink into a coma induced by the poison in your blood. It is a sleep from which you will never awaken.

Your life and your quest end here.

You follow the narrow, winding street, passing rows of dusty houses and shops. The noisy clack of window shutters signifies an end to another day's business as the shopkeepers close for the night. The street turns eastwards and begins to climb Fortress Hill.

Halfway up the rise you approach a squat building of green-glazed stone. A fat merchant stands in the doorway, waiting impatiently for customers despite the late hour. ‘Good evening, gentlemen,’ he says, in a thin and wheedling voice. ‘Welcome to the emporium of Rath Radis, the storehouse of miracles.’ Through the open doorway you can see that the shop is brim-full of curious magical paraphernalia.

If you wish to enter the shop,
turn to 316
.

If you choose to ignore the merchant and continue along the street,
turn to 204
.

In the flickering light you see that a large section of the tunnel floor ahead has collapsed. Gingerly you edge around the deep hole and continue along the passage. Steadily the hammering grows louder until you arrive at a new tunnel branching off to the left. Recent excavation has exposed a rich vein of silver ore that glitters brightly. As you peer down the new shaft, you see a dwarf in a miner's hat, hammering at the ore with a mattock.

If you wish to call to him,
turn to 165
.

If you wish to leave him to his work and return to the surface to continue your journey,
turn to 152
.

As the bargee draws a tankard of Bor Brew from its keg, you notice that several of the passengers are whispering to each other and casting curious glances in your direction. You catch the words ‘madman’ and ‘fool’ in the undertone of mutterings that pass between them. The bargee returns, sets the tankard down on the table before you, and steps back nervously. Silence fills the tap-room as you swallow the thick, creamy ale.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have reached the rank of Primate or higher, add 3 to this number.

If your total is now 5 or less,
turn to 302
.

If it is now 6 or more,
turn to 119
.

The flicker of an eyelid and a bead of sweat are the first signs of Paido's recovery. Slowly he stirs to consciousness, waking from a sleep that was so nearly his last. He can remember nothing of the ordeal and, when you tell him all that has happened, he shakes his head in disbelief. ‘A Helghast?’ he says, incredulous. ‘How can it be?’

‘The servants of Darklord Gnaag have infiltrated this monastery,’ you reply. ‘They have kept themselves hidden, but I fear the day is fast approaching when they will rise up and wreak havoc in this town. Already they know our true identities, and I wager they know why we're here.’

‘This is bitter news, Lone Wolf,’ says Paido, his face etched with worry. ‘We can afford to delay no longer. If Talestria falls to Darklord Gnaag before we reach the Danarg, then the quest is lost.’

It is a sobering thought but you do not dwell on it. You help Paido to his feet and cast your eyes around the chamber in search of an exit.

Turn to 201
.

‘Shieldwarden Nehdra ain't here; this is the town gaol,’ retorts the guard, narrowing his eyes suspiciously as he inspects first you and then Paido, as if you were both escaped felons.

‘At the end o' Copperpiece Lane, next to the Temple o' the Sword, there's a tower. That's where you'll find the Shieldwarden, only you 'ad better 'ave good reason for wantin' 'im at this hour or you'll both end up spendin' the night 'ere.’ He cocks his thumb over his shoulder at the gaol and a sneer spreads across his ugly face.

You follow Paido out of the courtyard and continue your ride along Copperpiece Lane.

Turn to 204
.

You deflect the stream of liquid fire with the edge of your golden blade, sending it raining down into the Danarg. Two more Kraan swoop in and hover above the prow. Their riders leap onto the deck and begin attacking part of the superstructure.

‘Stop them!’ screams Paido, drawing his sword. ‘Stop them or we're doomed!’ You leap from the bow and run across the main deck, your sun-sword raised to strike.

Vordak 1:
COMBAT SKILL
 22   
ENDURANCE
 28

Vordak 2:
COMBAT SKILL
 21   
ENDURANCE
 26

You must fight these creatures one at a time. They are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen, reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 2 points for the duration of the combat. These creatures are undead: remember to double all
ENDURANCE
point losses they sustain due to the power of the Sommerswerd.

If you win the combat,
turn to 79
.