The Dungeons of Torgar (7 page)

‘You're a spy!’ screams the captain as he reaches for the hilt of his sword. Instinctively you lash out, catching him with a powerful uppercut punch that lifts him clean off his feet and leaves him sprawled on the ground unconscious.

‘Fire!’ shouts a bull-necked Pirsian. You throw yourself to the floor. A deafening roar reverberates through the town as the men discharge their unwieldy pistols, but the lead shot passes harmlessly over your head and buries itself in the tavern door. The noise stirs a hornets' nest of activity as the rest of the townsfolk arm themselves and rush into the street to investigate the commotion. The situation is beginning to look desperate when you see a chance to escape. The pistols created a huge cloud of white smoke. Under cover of this acrid cloud you scurry along an alley beside the log tavern and run headlong into the foliage and trees beyond.

With the angry cries of the townsfolk rippling through the forest, you curse your ill luck as you make good your escape into the dark.

Turn to 250
.

The Talestrians bring their horses to a halt and regard you with suspicion. Their officer draws his sword and demands to know your nationality and the name of your regiment. You reply in his native tongue that you are an Eruan Pathfinder, and a smile spreads slowly across his rugged face. He tells you that he and his men are scouts who have been sent to make sure that the hills are free of enemy troops. Your Kai Sixth Sense confirms that he speaks the truth, and when he offers to take you to meet his commander, you accept the invitation gladly.

Turn to 6
.

The further you skirt around the edge of the chasm the wider it becomes. After an hour of searching for an alternative way across, you are forced to return to the trail and reconsider the jump.

If you have a Rope and wish to use it,
turn to 48
.

If not,
turn to 317
.

The hail of arrows and the sight of your black-clad form lurching towards them make the guards over-excited. They fear it is the beginning of a Drakkarim attack, and when they hear you shout the wrong password it makes them panic. ‘Raid!’ they cry, alerting a unit of crossbowmen stationed on the high ground behind them. They grab their loaded weapons and take aim, but the only target they can see is you.

A scything wave of iron bolts engulfs you and an agonizing explosion of pain fills your chest. You are mortally wounded and although you fight to hang on to your life, it is a struggle you cannot win.

Your life and your quest end here.

Blinding pain stabs at your head as pulses of psychic energy prise open the secrets of your mind: lose 5
ENDURANCE
points. Lord Adamas commands you to reveal your mission and your true identity and you are powerless to resist.

Turn to 290
.

You recognize the emblem of Salony, the smallest of the Stornland nations. The two soldiers are dressed in the uniforms of mercenary swordsmen from the town of Amory, which is situated close to its northern border. Fear and suspicion grow stronger and you try to fathom a reason why these soldiers of fortune are here on this remote isle, 1000 miles from their homeland.

One of the men struggles to his feet and begins walking towards you. You sense that he has not seen you — he is merely answering the call of nature — but you decide that it is wise to slip away. Under cover of the forest you return to the front of the building.

Turn to 89
.

‘On to Cetza!’ shouts Prince Graygor. The battle-cry is taken up by his valiant soldiers as he leads them across the corpse-strewn field towards the town.

Heavy fighting is raging along the main street. The Lencian knights have taken the bridge and King Sarnac's spearmen have breached the wall that surrounds the apple orchard. However, the Drakkarim are determined to stand their ground and they fight back viciously like starving wolves. You run with a group of longbowmen towards the centre of Cetza and find yourself approaching a barn-like building which overlooks the bridge. Standing at a window on its upper floor is a Drakkarim sniper with an arrow notched ready to fire. Patiently he watches you weaving through the smoky ruins until you present a clear target. He releases his straining bowstring and sends an arrow whistling towards your heart.

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

If your total is 0–2,
turn to 264
.

If it is 3–5,
turn to 121
.

If it is 6 or more,
turn to 319
.

You have taken less than a dozen silent steps when the voices stop. There is a rustle of foliage, and then a group of hideous-looking creatures emerge from the bushes. They are not as tall as you but almost twice as broad, with arms that hang below their knees. They slobber repulsively as they draw their primitive weapons and shuffle closer.

If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 119
.

If not,
turn to 315
.

With a yell, you barge your way through the stunned tavern crowd and kick open the back door. The land behind the building is thickly forested and you run headlong into its welcoming cover. With the angry cries of the Pirsians rippling through the trees, you curse your ill luck and escape into the darkness.

Turn to 250
.

‘So you are Lone Wolf,’ he says, bowing respectfully. ‘I am honoured to meet you, though I would have wished for happier circumstances. I think I know why you have come to Torgar — is it not to take the golden gems which Darklord Gnaag sent here?’

‘Yes,’ you reply, ‘they are the Lorestones of my ancestors and I have vowed to retrieve them. I must fulfil my vow for it is vital to the future safety of both our lands that Gnaag be prevented from destroying them.’

Slowly a smile spreads across Paido's face. ‘I will help you, Lone Wolf,’ he says, his warrior pride restored by the thought of avenging his cruel imprisonment. ‘I know where these Lorestones are being held and I will take you there.’

Turn to 88
.

You draw an Arrow and take aim at the creature's mouth. It howls with devilish glee, drawing back its lips in a snarl that reveals a jaw full of fangs, most over six inches long. As the smell of its fetid breath fills your nostrils, you release your Arrow and send it streaking towards the beast's ghastly maw.

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

If the total is now 0–2,
turn to 336
.

If it is 3–7,
turn to 349
.

If it is 8 or more,
turn to 195
.

By the time you reach the ancient burial mound, Roark's follower is being drained of the last of his life-force by a host of hungry ghosts. Fear and premonition gnaw at your stomach when you sense that the evil spirits have detected your presence. They emit an unearthly shriek, and a terrible chill like a blast of icy cold wind washes over your body. You are gripped by an urge to run but they swoop down on you too quickly for you to be able to escape their clutches.

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 133
.

If you possess a Bullwhip,
turn to 168
.

If you possess neither of these Special Items,
turn to 74
.

The creature emits a shrill whistle as your killing blow pierces its brain. Its deadly mandibles continue to snap spasmodically, but without purpose, as its lifeless body oozes from the hole and falls limply to the chasm floor.

Gripping firmly with both hands you haul yourself up, untie the stick from the end of the rope, and wind it back into your pack before setting off deeper into the eerie forest.

Turn to 50
.

A shriek rises from the ranks of the Krorn as they catch the scent of your body drifting towards them on the breeze. Their heinous squeals alert Baron Shinzar to your presence and he turns to face you, his red axe glinting as a few rays of sunlight break through the haze of battle-smoke.

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 113
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 126
.

With your good hand you unsheathe your weapon and strike out at your ghostly attackers, but your brave blows pass clean through their mist-like forms without effect. You shudder with fear as their snaky tendrils close tightly around your limbs, filling them with a terrible chill that steals your strength and your will to resist. Reluctantly you surrender to their numbing caress and slip into a sleep from which there will be no awakening.

Your life and your quest end here.

The road beyond the river takes you into thick forest and a dense canopy of branches arches overhead. A dazzling mosaic of light and shade blankets the trail as it winds like a tunnel through the tall, grey-green trees. Gradually the trail becomes rougher: new saplings have speared through the stony surface and foliage spills out from the forest on either side. The tunnel ends abruptly at the edge of a steep valley, although the trail itself continues, winding its way down towards a fast-flowing stream.

Cautiously you urge your horse down the twisting path to arrive at a cluster of dilapidated log huts. Rust and rot have taken their toll but you can still discern the remains of what was once a mining settlement where men panned for gold. A wooden sign hangs lopsided above an open door, swinging slightly in the breeze. Its paint is cracked and the panel bears fresh sword scars, but you can still make out the words: it reads, KAIG SETTLEMENT.

Two trails lead away from this abandoned mining village. One climbs out of the valley and disappears into the forest; the other follows the stream towards its source among the snow-capped mountains of the Eru Range.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship,
turn to 102
.

If you wish to take the trail that climbs out of the valley,
turn to 313
.

If you wish to ride along the track beside the stream,
turn to 18
.

You aim and fire in the blink of an eye, sending your Arrow coursing deep into the creature's bloated body. It gives a sound more like a scream than a croak and sinks out of sight.

‘What the … !?’ coughs Jarel, woken by the scream. But before you can warn him, two more of the fish-like things clamber over the upturned boat and attack you both with their taloned paws.

Bhakish:
COMBAT SKILL
 21   
ENDURANCE
 25

These swamp dwellers are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

If you win the combat,
turn to 34
.

The gruesome clack of fangs fills your ears and white-hot pain lances through your arms and legs as the Akataz snap shut their powerful jaws. You try to repel them using your Kai Mastery of Animal Control, but their blood fury is aroused and their minds are fixed unshakeably on rending you to shreds: lose 5
ENDURANCE
points.

Illustration IV
—The black bear wrenches one snarling hound from your leg and another is torn to shreds by its razor-sharp claws.

In desperation you will the black bear to come to your aid. It growls angrily and bounds towards the war-dogs. One snarling hound is wrenched from your leg, whirled about, and flung into the forest to break its back against a tree. Another has its skull crushed between the bear's powerful paws, and a third is torn to ribbons by one swipe of its razor-sharp claws. With your arms now free you are able to draw a weapon and dispatch an Akataz that has its fangs caught in the sole of your boot. Freed at last from your attackers, you sit up in time to see the bloodied survivors slinking away into the undergrowth.

Turn to 117
.

‘It's an impressive-looking door,’ says Adamas, studying the wall of black iron, pitted and streaked with age. ‘But every door has its key, and we have the key to this one.’ He flips open the leather satchel and removes what appears to be a mass of triangular crystals fused into one solid lump. ‘This is the device that the Elder Magi prepared for us. It has to be placed at the foot of the door and it is activated by pressing this shard,’ he says, pointing to a sliver of crystal protruding from the side. ‘The thing explodes ten seconds after the shard is pressed.’

Calmly he takes a coin from his pocket and flicks it in the air. ‘One of us must place the device,’ he says, as he catches the coin. ‘We're the only two left who stand a chance of surviving the run.’ He nods at his clenched fist and invites you to call ‘heads’ or ‘tails’.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination and wish to use it,
turn to 14
.

If you wish to call ‘heads’,
turn to 330
.

If you wish to call ‘tails’,
turn to 212
.