The Jungle of Horrors (6 page)

You manage to release the Arrow a split second before the fireball hits you in the chest and flings you backwards to the ground! Lose 8
ENDURANCE
points. Your shaft sinks into the Helghast's stomach but the creature is unshaken. With a gloating laugh it plucks the Arrow from its body and hurls it aside with contempt. This fiend is unaffected by ordinary weapons; it can only be harmed by magic.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination and have reached the rank of Tutelary,
turn to 131
.

If you wish to take cover behind the refectory table,
turn to 289
.

Your instinct saves you. The speeding shaft punctures your sleeve, drawing an angry red weal across your forearm before shattering against the wall behind — lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

The bowyery owner utters a thin cry of disbelief and hurls the bow at your head, distracting you as he unsheathes his sword.

Bourn the Bowyer:
COMBAT SKILL
 19   
ENDURANCE
 24

If you win the combat,
turn to 87
.

The wagon pulls away as the monks turn the corner into the alley. As soon as they set eyes on you and Paido they raise the alarm. ‘Murderers!’ they scream, their voices echoing across the town. One of them turns and disappears into the quadrangle to summon more help. The remaining four unsheathe their swords and spread out in a line. Their eyes blaze with hatred as they prepare to attack.

Monks of the Sword:
COMBAT SKILL
 22   
ENDURANCE
 31

You may add 5 points to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of the fight as Paido is fighting alongside you.

If you win the combat,
turn to 106
.

‘I am Tadia the Prophetess,’ she says, her voice soft and lilting, ‘and you are Lone Wolf, Lord of the Sun-realm,
Skarn,
of legend.’ Paido reaches for his sword but you stay his hand, for you sense that this woman wishes to help, not harm you.

‘We live in an age of great peril. Your enemies of old are our enemies; they stand poised to conquer our land and I fear we are too weak to resist them. Your purpose is known to me, and I will aid you all I can in the hope that you will fulfil your destiny and destroy the champions of darkness.’

Tadia raises her arms and points towards the sky. Floating in the air between her parted hands appears a spinning globe of white fire. She tilts back her head and stares into this ball of flame, her eyes unblinking despite the fearful intensity of the light. ‘Your safest passage to the Danarg is through the Mordril Forest,’ she says solemnly. ‘The road to Syada is fraught with danger — only battle and death await you there.’

The globe flickers and fades and Tadia returns her gaze to you. ‘Let nothing delay your quest, Lone Wolf. The future of both our lands depends on your success.’

Before you leave the prophetess offers you a choice of potions and weapons. You may take whatever you wish but remember to amend your
Action Chart
accordingly. Choose from the following:

• Potion of Alether — increases
  COMBAT SKILL
  by 2 points for the duration of a single combat.
  
• Potion of Laumspur — restores 4
  ENDURANCE
  points (enough for one dose).
  
• Broadsword
  
• Quarterstaff
  
• Rendalim's Elixir — restores 6
  ENDURANCE
  points (enough for one dose).
  
• Tincture of Oxydine — restores 2
  ENDURANCE
  points (enough for one dose).
  

All potions are Backpack Items. If you are infected with the korovax bacillus, you may use the Tincture of Oxydine to cure yourself.

Once you have made your choice you leave the Ferry House and continue.

Turn to 89
.

You leap from the saddle, narrowly avoiding being pulled off the tree-bridge. Your horse and the hideous creature both disappear from view, quickly swallowed up by the spray from the waterfall. As you land on the slippery wet wood, Paido's horse rears up on its hind legs, its forelegs kicking the air and its eyes rolling madly. He fights to control the animal but it is wild with fear and, with a crack of splintering wood, its hind hoof shears through a rotten branch; it totters on the brink. Paido swings his legs clear and abandons his doomed horse barely seconds before it falls into the watery abyss.

Turn to 31
.

Unfortunately, she lost all her maps and equipment while escaping from the Danarg. However, she clearly recalls seeing the Temple of Ohrido from the peak of a hill she calls ‘The Scarlet Tor’, which is situated on an island of firm ground, thirty miles beyond the Syada track. You thank her for her help and wish her good fortune before leaving the shop and continuing on your way.

Turn to 204
.

You draw on your skill to repel the awesome snake, but it is very hungry and the smell of Paido's warm flesh draws it closer despite your success at masking your own scent.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility, add 3 to the number you have picked.

If your total is now 0–6
turn to 155
.

If your total is now 7 or more,
turn to 167
.

Kezoor lies dead, but Paido warns you not to approach the body. ‘I've heard tell that these priests of evil can awaken after death to avenge themselves. Stand back and I'll make sure this one never returns to haunt us.’

Paido raises his sword and severs Kezoor's head with one swift stroke. Both eyelids spring open revealing eyes burning red with hatred, but the fire quickly dies and the eyes turn a misty grey.

‘There, it is done,’ says Paido, wiping his sword on the sleeve of his tunic. He steps back and looks around. ‘Where is Trost?’

You cast your eyes to the place where he fell and see a fire-blackened body covered with the remains of incinerated spiders. ‘There he is,’ you say sadly. Paido takes a blanket from his Backpack and drapes it over the corpse before reciting the words of the
Knurla
 — a Vakeros prayer for those who have fallen in battle.

Turn to 80
.

This blue-steel blade was forged in the furnaces of Elzian, crafted by the Elder Magi as an instrument of good. The Helghast senses its latent power and hurriedly casts another sparking fireball, but it is poorly aimed. You strike the missile as you vault over the table, sending it hurtling back to its sender. It glances off the creature's shoulder and jars the staff from its shrunken hand. You seize the advantage and attack before it can retrieve the deadly weapon.

Gnaag Helghast:
COMBAT SKILL
 28   
ENDURANCE
 40

This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen, you must reduce your
ENDURANCE
by 2 points at the beginning of every round that you fight this creature. If you have completed the Lore-circle of the Spirit, you may increase your
COMBAT SKILL
by 2 points for the duration of the fight.

If you win the combat,
turn to 195
.

You pull away from the snickering Rahgu and grab Paido by the arm, dragging him along as best you can as you beat a hasty retreat. The creatures pursue you to the edge of the gas cloud but no further. You stop at the junction gasping in lungfuls of clearer air and then press on along the west spur.

Turn to 105
.

‘Boran! Boran!’ shouts the dwarf, as he fights to get a grip of your tunic. Suddenly a door beside the bar slams open and another dwarf, younger and far more muscular than the innkeeper, strides into the room holding a massive, nail-studded club in his hairy fists. The innkeeper jumps aside as his son raises the club to strike.

If you have reached the rank of Primate and possess the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge,
turn to 84
.

If you have yet to reach the rank of Primate, or if you do not possess the skill of Psi-surge,
turn to 257
.

Frantically you scramble across the deck, collecting and hurling away the cubes as you go. Each cube is vibrating with an energy that is set to rip it apart, and as you cast the last one over the side, you see the others, many of them exploding with dull booms in the swamp far below.

Turn to 267
.

You plummet through the mist and crash head-first into the rocks and boulders that lie just beneath the surface of the pool, 100 feet below. Death is instantaneous.

Your life and your quest end here.

You are in combat with a venomous Taan-spider and must fight it to the death.

Taan-spider:
COMBAT SKILL
 18   
ENDURANCE
 52

Owing to its venomous bite, you must double all
ENDURANCE
point losses sustained during the combat. This creature is especially susceptible to Mindblast and Psi-surge: triple all bonuses you would normally receive if you choose to attack with mind power.

If you win the combat,
turn to 129
.

Many years ago, this craft sailed the Tentarias, carrying cargoes of corn and linen to markets in the east. Now, old and leaky, it serves in retirement as a ferry for the farmers and settlers in the north.

The cabin was once luxurious, but it is now a cluttered mess of decaying junk. The sweet smell of pitch and damp timber hangs in the air, and patches of mould colour the walls.

Lying on a solitary bunk amongst a tangle of leather straps, rope, and torn clothing is a cork-stoppered flask of purple liquid.

If you wish to pull the cork and sniff the contents,
turn to 228
.

If you prefer to leave the flask untouched,
turn to 98
.

The stable is full of fine horses, all of them as sound and sturdy as the mounts given to you by Lord Adamas. Paido acts as lookout while you saddle up two black stallions. You are making the final adjustments to their bridles when Paido hisses a warning. ‘Four monks coming this way!’

You mount your fresh steeds and gallop out of the stables, scattering the startled monks, who had just reached the door. In an act of desperation, one of the monks unsheathes his sword and hurls it at your back. The deadly blade spins through the air with alarming accuracy.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Disciplines of Huntmastery
and
Divination, add 3 to the number you have picked.

If your total is now 0–2,
turn to 134
.

If it is 3 or more,
turn to 219
.

Shafts of sunlight break through the slate-grey cloud, and the rain eases off and finally stops. You ride across the rolling valley floor towards the River Phoen until the track stops at a ramshackle house perched precariously on the river bank. An old wooden jetty juts out from the side of the house, its platform almost submerged in the rain-swollen river. A notice board standing in front of the house reads:

If you wish to wait here for a barge to Tharro,
turn to 299
.

If you wish to investigate the Ferry House,
turn to 130
.

You arrive at a mound where a tree bearing blood-red fruit overhangs a pool of crystal-clear water. You stop to rest and to dislodge the tiny leeches that are feasting on your legs.

Paido climbs the tree to scan the horizon. He carries with him a starguider, a homing device invented by the Elder Magi to enable their flying ships to navigate in the dark. It is sensitive to the vibrations given off by korlinium crystals. The spire of the Temple of Ohrido is solid korlinium, and the Elder Magi have set Paido's starguider to home in on the vibrations emitted by the spire. By following the direction of the signals, it is hoped that you will be able to find the lost temple.

Whilst Paido is busy adjusting the starguider, you decide to investigate your surroundings.

If you wish to examine the red fruit,
turn to 301
.

If you wish to examine the pool of water,
turn to 2
.

If you decide to sit back and wait for Paido to finish his readings,
turn to 177
.