The Dungeons of Torgar (20 page)

You focus your Magnakai skill and launch a wave of psychic force which batters the energy field surrounding the ghosts. You sense their power fading away as you increase the intensity of your attack, and gradually their filmy bodies evaporate into the darkness.

Your psychic attack has saved you from a terrifying death, but at a cost to your strength and stamina. Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
(0=10), and deduct this number from your current
ENDURANCE
points score.

If you survive this loss of
ENDURANCE
,
turn to 156
.

Shortly after dawn you discover a track which winds its way northwards through the rough-barked pines. ‘This old game-trail will lead us down to Smuggler's Nook,’ says Jarel, chewing on a piece of dried meat he has pulled from his pack. ‘I reckon we should get there this side o' noon.’

His prediction comes true, for it is mid-morning when you arrive at a ragged group of plank huts on the bank of a fast-flowing river. At one time these shanties were the thriving centre of illegal trafficking in gold and gems. The citizens of Pirsi, who mine these rich resources in the Eru Range, used to smuggle their precious cargoes out of the country by boat, choosing to risk the dangers of the Hellswamp rather than pay the Prince his taxes. It was only after the Prince decreed the death penalty for such smuggling, and employed Pathfinders to help enforce his law, that the Pirsians finally gave up their illegal trade.

Turn to 231
.

A black-shafted arrow gouges a furrow of skin from your forearm and knocks you backwards out of the saddle: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points. Your horse panics and gallops away, disappearing over the brow of the ridge as you stagger to your feet. Then, with a harsh yell, your ambushers pour out of the log hut. They are eager to finish you before you can offer any resistance. Three of them are armed with bows which they reload as they advance towards you.

If you wish to evade them by wading across the ford,
turn to 166
.

If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 131
.

If you wish to draw a hand weapon and prepare for combat,
turn to 251
.

As the Palace Guard advance majestically, their serried ranks of steel slowly change formation in preparation for the Prince's order to charge. Heavy lances rise like the spines of a steel porcupine and their scarlet and yellow pennons unfurl to the wind. A wave of arrows comes flying towards you, sent by the Drakkarim standing behind their fence of stakes, but the range is long and the black shafts rattle harmlessly off Eruan armour and shields.

The first rank of horsemen reach the ditch to find the earth soft and waterlogged. The ruined temple lies 300 yards ahead, and before it a line of Drakkarim pikemen stand grimly silent on the slope of the hill. A war-horn blares its signal and suddenly all hell breaks loose. Arrows pour down on all sides: from the enemy archers to the right and from archers, previously unseen, lurking in the woods to the left. Many shafts find their way through the sides of helmets and between plates of polished armour. Still the Prince commands his men onwards and they force their horses across the ditch, braving the savage hail of death. You survive the arrows and steer your horse through the cloying mud, but you are knocked from the saddle by a riderless steed maddened by the pain of its wounds.

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

If your total is now 0–4,
turn to 236
.

If it is 5 or more,
turn to 183
.

Beyond the staircase lies a circular parapet which overlooks a huge, cavernous crater. It is filled with thousands of human slaves toiling with pick and shovel deep in the sulphurous heart of Torgar. Their bodies are filthy and covered with sweat despite a freezing wind, which howls in the depths like a hungry wolf. Drakkarim overseers urge them to greater effort, and the crack of their whips is answered by the slaves' anguished cries of pain.

Angered by what you have seen, you leave the parapet and enter a dimly lit passage that descends to a door of black steel. A twist of the handle reveals that it is locked.

If you have a Black Key,
turn to 80
.

If you have a Skeleton Key,
turn to 219
.

If you possess neither of these Special Items,
turn to 130
.

You draw your golden sword, and its cleansing light washes over the Demonlord's unwholesome form. He growls uneasily, as if sickened by the close proximity of such a noble blade, and slowly he withdraws into the temple. Roark and his followers huddle in the corner and watch with fearful eyes as their master prepares to attack.

Demonlord Tagazin:
COMBAT SKILL
 45   
ENDURANCE
 65

This supernatural being is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

If you reduce his
ENDURANCE
to 20 points or less,
⁸
do not continue combat but
turn instead to 20
.

‘Very well,’ says the captain. He looks towards the bar and shakes his head. Your muscles tense as you get ready to dive to the floor but, to your relief, all you hear is the owner placing his crossbow on the counter. ‘I shall take you to Jarel, but you must agree to wear a blindfold: it's a safeguard, for your own good as well as his. If you were to be captured and tortured by the enemy, you would be unable to tell them where the partisans are encamped.’

He summons the owner, who produces a square of black cloth from his pocket and winds it around your eyes. The captain leads you outside and helps you onto your horse and the two of you set off along a secret forest trail. After two hours in the saddle you reach your destination and the blindfold is removed.

Turn to 25
.

You fight with breathtaking skill and every blow you land leaves an enemy dead at your feet. ‘Pull back!’ you shout, as you cut and thrust at the snarling Hammerlanders. ‘Pull back to the bridge!’

Gradually the survivors extricate themselves from the ambush and run back along the alley, leaving just you and two Lencian knights to cover the withdrawal. A knot of Hammerlanders, armed with axes, scream their blood-curdling war-cry and rush forward to hack you down.

Hammerlanders:
COMBAT SKILL
 29   
ENDURANCE
 40

Add 2 points to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of the fight, for you are helped by the Lencians fighting by your side.

If you win the combat,
turn to 44
.

The collision with the far wall leaves you breathless but otherwise unharmed. Gripping firmly with both hands, you haul yourself out of the chasm, untie the stick from the end of your rope, and wind it back into your pack before setting off deeper into the eerie forest.

Turn to 50
.

‘So you are the one they call Lone Wolf,’ he says, thoughtfully. ‘And you have come here to break into Torgar and claim that which belongs to you. How strange it is that our goals should be so similar. Come, follow me, perhaps cooperation will hasten our success.’

Turn to 127
.

It is soon after sunset when you arrive at Pirsi. Fog swirls through the gloomy streets and crooked alleys, but you can see light seeping from chinks in the reinforced shutters and doors of only a few of the cabins. You bring your horse to a halt and dismount beside the steps of a large log hut that serves as both a general store and tavern. Your steed neighs uneasily, drawing your attention to a group of stony-faced men who are advancing along the street. Torches blaze in their work-worn hands, casting a vivid yellow glow in their suspicious eyes as they approach you warily. Their leader, who is dressed in the uniform of an Eruan Pathfinder captain, steps to within inches of your face. Coldly he stares into your eyes, his jaw set in a rigid sneer of contempt.

‘Have you forgotten how to salute, soldier?’ he growls, menacingly. ‘Or perhaps you're not a Pathfinder after all. Perhaps you're just another skulking Drakkarim spy?’ You notice that several of the men carry Bor pistols, primitive but very deadly weapons, especially at such close range. If you are to save your skin you had best salute the captain immediately.

If you choose to salute by touching your forehead,
turn to 193
.

If you choose to salute by raising your hand, palm outwards,
turn to 60
.

If you choose to salute by placing your hand across your chest,
turn to 7
.

The fight raging on the hill becomes a vicious struggle as the Hammerlanders hurl themselves like hungry wolves at the battle-weary Guard. Doggedly you advance until you are close enough to shout the charge. Then, with a rousing cheer from the Prince's men to speed them on their way, your command rush forward and the leading pikemen take the enemy in the flank. The attack is devastating. The Hammerlanders and the Brigandi are split in two and swept from the hill like autumn leaves. The pikemen halt and you order the archers forward to fire into the retreating enemy.

The retreat becomes an all-out rout as the enemy flee the battlefield in chaos.

Turn to 66
.

The two diminutive magicians see you level your Bow and realize that they are in danger. As you take aim, they get ready to hurl their spheres at the Palmyrions.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
and add any missile bonuses you have to this number.

If your total is now 7 or less,
turn to 149
.

If it is 8 or more,
turn to 164
.

The sun is strong in the cloudless sky and it quickly dries your sodden clothes and warms your aching limbs as you stand surveying your new surroundings. A stony trail leads into a forest of mist-enshrouded trees and, despite the heat of the sun, you feel a sudden chill of premonition. Instinctively you know that this is the Isle of Ghosts Prince Graygor spoke of so fearfully.

With caution guiding your every step you follow the trail, treading carefully through saw-briar that tears mercilessly at your boots and breeches, until you are forced to stop at the edge of a narrow chasm that bisects the trail. A tangle of yellowed bones lies at the bottom and a damp, unwholesome smell rises from a number of tiny caves that riddle the sheer walls.

If you wish to attempt to jump across the narrow chasm,
turn to 123
.

If you wish to look for a way around it,
turn to 62
.

The cold blue light of early morning and the sound of a crow cawing in the distance stir you from your deep sleep. Rays of golden sunlight stream through the forest's canopy, illuminating the dark, grey-green foliage and making your continued trek through the pines a far easier task than last night. You make excellent progress and at mid-afternoon you emerge from the woods that fringe the eastern border to find yourself staring at the River Brol and the rolling green sea of trees that is the Moggador Forest.

The rushing waters of the Brol are too deep to traverse at this point, so you follow the rock-strewn bank northwards until you catch sight of an ideal place to cross. The remains of an ancient bridge, which collapsed centuries ago, form a shoal of broken stones that ford the river. The water bubbles and foams as it washes over this shallow causeway. Eagerly you approach the ford, but you stop dead in your tracks when you hear gruff, inhuman voices coming from a clump of bushes near the river's edge.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility or Pathsmanship,
turn to 194
.

If you do not possess either of these skills,
turn to 67
.

Roughly you pull the dead Drakkar onto his stomach and cut open his pack. In his pack and on his body, you discover the following items:

• Sword
  
• Dagger
  
• Bow
  
• Blanket
  
• Quiver
  
• 3 Arrows
  
• 16 Lune (4 Gold Crowns)
  

You may take any of these items before pressing on towards the centre of the town.

Turn to 155
.

The Palace Guard succeed in closing their ranks and fending off the frenzied attacks of the desperate Drakkarim. Their gallantry and battle-skill is a stirring sight as they fight their way determinedly towards the crest of the hill. Faced by such noble warriors, the Drakkarim begin to falter and fall back in disarray towards the town.

As you near the top of the hill you catch sight of Prince Graygor. He is locked in mortal combat with a silver-clad warrior inside the ruins of the temple. Strewn around them are the dead bodies of the Palace Guardsmen who, with the Prince, broke through the Drakkarim pikemen during their charge upon the hill. The Prince is trying to prevent the warrior from retrieving a rod of iron that lies on the ground between them. This rod crackles with a blue-white fire that shimmers along its length.

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 252
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 143
.