The Plague Lords of Ruel (14 page)

Suddenly, above you, there is a loud rattling noise followed by the grating squeal of iron on stone. You spin around to look at the staircase by which you entered and, to your horror, you see a heavy portcullis come crashing down to seal off the exit. Then there is another sound: the hiss of escaping air. Your senses detect it is coming from around the great portal and, as it slowly begins to open, you reach for your weapons in readiness to defend your life.

If you possess a Bow and an Arrow and wish to use them,
turn to 221
.

If you do not possess a Bow or choose not to use it, you can unsheathe a hand weapon instead by
turning to 325
.

The crumbling rock wall and lack of secure handholds fail to thwart your natural climbing ability. With relative ease you scale the shaft and emerge upon a mountainside, at a place hidden beneath an outcrop which is ringed by wind-worn boulders and scrub.

Early morning sunlight illuminates the surrounding hills. Beyond them you see a vast expanse of forest, a sea of sickly grey-green trees, which radiates an unmistakable aura of evil. The position of the sun and your Pathsmanship skills inform you that you are looking upon the Forest of Ruel from the eastern foothills of the Skardos Mountains.

The land appears deserted, the only unusual feature being a wide dirt track which wends its way eastward through the hills towards a gap at the edge of the grim forest. You consult your
map
and conclude that this must be the Skardos Trail, the secret route used by the Ceners, which leads all the way to Mogaruith itself. You resolve to follow the trail, but first (unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery) you must eat a meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 230
.

Desperately you try to swim against the current to avoid the fall of shattered rocks and fire but, despite your valiant efforts, you cannot escape being crushed by the deluge. Death is mercifully swift.

The incredible bravery you have displayed during your quest has brought about the destruction of the plague virus, and the druids who knew the secrets of its cultivation. This destruction has saved millions from a terrible death, and the selfless courage you have shown in bringing this about will never be forgotten by the free peoples of Magnamund. Sadly, though, death is the price you have paid for your victory.

Tragically, your life and your quest end here beneath the Ghardoz Bridge.

The druid's bolt knocks you flat on your back and surrounds your body with a flashing web of electrical power. Painfully you drag yourself to your feet and, as the spider-like threads of energy begin to fade, you look up to see the Cener shouting and waving at his Vazhag minions. He is commanding them to attack the ruins and rip what remains of you to shreds!

With hatred blazing in their blood-red eyes, the Vazhag advance towards the derelict dwelling, each carrying a rusty weapon poised for the kill.

If you wish to stand and fight these disease-ridden Vazhag,
turn to 25
.

If you decide to attempt to evade them,
turn to 279
.

Gasping for air, you are forced to retreat from this seemingly impenetrable cloud of poisonous spores. For several minutes you claw your way blindly up the steep passageway until at last you reach a section where you can breathe more easily. You have survived, but you have been severely weakened by your encounter with a colony of deadly khloros fungi: lose 8
ENDURANCE
points.

Unable to continue in your chosen direction, you turn around and reluctantly head back towards the fissure.

Turn to 332
.

You descend a few rungs, just far enough to put you beyond reach of the spear blades, and then you utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Levitation
. Moments later you feel gravity losing its grip and gently you push yourself away from the ladder to hover in mid-air.

The Acolytes gasp in shocked surprise as you rise up to confront them eye to eye. The nearest allows his spear to waver and instantly you lash out at his vulnerable chest. The impact of your blow knocks him from the platform to fall, screaming, into the midst of the glass boxes on an experiment table far below.

Gracefully you step onto the platform and crouch in readiness to fight the remaining Acolyte. He meets your stare with a sneer that readily conveys his hatred of your race. Then, spurred on by the yells of his confederates in the hall below, he jumps forward and thrusts his weapon at your throat.

Acolyte of Vashna (With Medallion of Protection):
COMBAT SKILL
 25   
ENDURANCE
 40

If you win this combat,
turn to 29
.

You trail the two novices along a series of corridors that end at a large antechamber. This domed hall is decorated with tapestries which depict Cenerese legends, ignoble and infamous deeds that were perpetrated during the Age of the Old Kingdoms, when, for nearly a thousand years, the Cenerese tyrannized Northern Magnamund.

The novices hurry towards a heavy door and, as they swing it open and enter, you hear the doleful sound of chanting. Curiosity prompts you to approach the door, which they have left ajar, and peer through its narrow opening. A chill runs the length of your spine the moment you see what lies in the hall beyond.

Turn to 200
.

The corpulent Vazhag continues to snore, blissfully oblivious to your presence inside his private chamber.

If you wish to cross the chamber and investigate the curtained archway,
turn to 238
.

If you choose to leave the chamber via the secret door,
turn to 308
.

Nimbly you dive and roll across the spongy ground to avoid the falling creepers. Your swift action saves you from the first attack, but another mass descend, moving faster than the first, and ensnare you in their thorny grasp before you can get back on your feet.

If you possess Animal Mastery,
turn to 56
.

If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 291
.

Suddenly there is a loud crack: the support pin has popped out and, as the massive weight of the cauldron is suddenly removed, the chain whips away like an angry snake. You step back to avoid being hit by it and, from the edge of the platform, you watch with grim satisfaction as the cauldron plummets into the hall below.

Turn to 220
.

The speed and apparent ease with which you dispatched his minions shocks the Cener Druid to the core. Gibbering with fright, he turns and runs for the safety of the tunnel by which he and his now deceased underlings entered the cave. Anxious not to allow him to escape and raise the alarm, you clamber onto the platform and run across the drawbridge in pursuit of the red-robed figure.

The tunnel beyond the bridge is narrow yet well-lit and you have no difficulty following your prey. Stealthily and speedily you close upon him like a lion running to ground a frightened fawn. He glances over his shoulder repeatedly as you draw nearer; then, in desperation, he skids to a halt beneath one of the many hanging bowls which illuminate the passageway. He raises both hands, as if surrendering, but as you approach him he grasps the underside of the heavy bowl and heaves it at you. Suddenly, with a sizzling rush, a gallon of blazing coal oil spills over the stone rim and comes gushing down towards your unprotected face.

If you possess Grand Nexus,
turn to 324
.

If you do not possess mastery of this Discipline,
turn to 22
.

You draw on all your strength to resist the terrible power which is sucking you towards its heart. In desperation you call upon the Gods Kai and Ishir to aid you and, as if in response to your prayers, you sense yourself rising as the swirling vortex begins to recede.

Then, abruptly, the swirling funnel evaporates and you find yourself on your hands and knees, breathless and trembling, staring at the cold stone floor of Cadak's throne room. Slowly you rise to your feet; then a faint sound behind warns you that someone or something is moving about in the antechamber.

Turn to 222
.

Carefully you form your lips into an ‘O’ shape in readiness to utter the battle-spell
Power Word
you have been taught by Lord Rimoah. Then, the instant the spell-thoughts focus in your mind, you project the power-word
Gloar!
at the middle of the fleeing druid's back. Like a sledgehammer, the sound hits him between the shoulder blades and sends him tumbling head over heels into a tangle of forest briars.

Stunned and groaning, the Cener fumbles for his slender golden rod and, as if guided by more than chance, his spindly fingers locate it at once. Yet, before he can use it to retaliate, you sprint across the clearing, weapon in hand, and attack him where he lies:

Cener Druid (prone):
COMBAT SKILL
 20   
ENDURANCE
 28

If you win this combat,
turn to 60
.

You are within a few feet of the gap when the first of the Vazhag's arrows come screaming towards your legs. You twist aside and avoid one of the shafts, but the other hits you in the left leg and gouges a furrow of flesh from your calf: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

Gritting your teeth against the sharp pain, you drag yourself through the narrow opening and emerge on a mountainside, at a place hidden beneath an outcrop which is ringed by wind-worn boulders and scrub. Early morning sunlight illuminates the surrounding hills, and beyond them you see a vast expanse of forest, a sea of sickly grey-green trees, which radiates an unmistakable aura of evil. The position of the sun and your Pathsmanship skills tell you that you are now looking upon the Forest of Ruel from the eastern foothills of the Skardos Mountains.

The land appears deserted, the only unusual feature being a wide dirt track which wends its way eastward through the hills towards a gap at the edge of the grim forest. You consult your
map
and conclude that this must be the Skardos Trail, the secret route used by the Ceners, which leads all the way to Mogaruith itself. You resolve to follow the trail, but first you hobble away from the ledge lest the Vazhag, and their monstrous war-dogs, should decide to give chase.

To continue,
turn to 230
.

You speak your answer and instantly the lid of the box clicks open.
⁶
Congratulations, Grand Master Lone Wolf, your reckoning was correct. Dividing any number by one half actually doubles that number. Therefore, 80 divided by one half becomes 160. Subtract 14 from 160 and you have the solution to the puzzle.

Inside the box you discover a Map of Mogaruith, which details its dungeon levels. This is a Special Item which you carry tucked into your tunic. You need not discard any other Special Item in its favour if you already carry the maximum allowed.

An unexpected shuffling noise, somewhere in another part of the library, causes you to freeze. Someone else has entered. You look over your shoulder at the door and decide that now would be a very wise time to leave.

Turn to 335
.

You clear the gap with inches to spare but not entirely without cost. The portcullis snares your Backpack and, as you roll away, it is torn from your shoulders and crushed when the heavy portal slams to the ground. (You must now erase all Backpack Items and Meals from your
Action Chart
.)

You spring to your feet instantly and run headlong across the drawbridge towards the far side. Arrows rain down on you from the battlements, but your speed and agility keep you from being hit. Then, within seconds of reaching firm ground, you are confronted by a group of three Vazhag returning from battle. Two are armed with spears and they face you on foot, but the third sits astride a captured Slovian steed. It is wielding a cavalry lance and you can tell by the way the rat-man balances it that it is skilled in its use.

The two spear-wielders squeal their battle-cry and attack you simultaneously. However, this cry is quickly transformed into a duet of pain when you strike out and kill them instantly. They drop to the ground and almost immediately the rider is upon you, jabbing at your chest with the tip of its lance. You duck the first thrust, and steady yourself to meet the second as the Vazhag lancer turns and bears down on you once more.

Vazhag Lancer:
COMBAT SKILL
 32   
ENDURANCE
 20

If you win this combat,
turn to 113
.

The grim horde shambles nearer and close ranks, in readiness, perhaps, for a concerted attack. But combat is not their intent. As one, they open their mouths and give vent to a ghastly sound that is akin to mocking laughter, the like of which you have never heard before.

As if in answer to their gleeful cacophony there arises, from out of the black shadows of the pits, a dreadful rumbling roar. Something huge is stirring deep within each of those dark forbidding shafts. As the ghoulish laughter reaches its pitch, three giant, misshapen cat-like heads rise up into the light, each perched atop a snaky body as thick as the trunk of a tree. They bare their fangs and shake off the tangle of human bones that cling to their stinking, corpse-green manes.

The sight of these unholy creatures makes you reel back in shock and utter a cry of disbelief. Your cry is lost among the barrage of screeching howls, yet the cat-things react as if they hear it and, together, they come oozing out from their dark, noisome lairs and glide slowly towards where you stand.

If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Kai-surge,
turn to 80
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 38
.