EDGE: I, Hero Quests: City of the Dead

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This book is not like others you may have read. You are the hero of this adventure. It is up to you to make decisions that will affect how the adventure unfolds.

Each section of this book is numbered. At the end of most sections, you will have to make a choice. The choice you make will take you to a different section of the book.

Some of your choices will help you to complete the adventure successfully. But choose carefully, some of your decisions could be fatal!

If you fail, then start the adventure again and learn from your mistake.

If you choose correctly you will succeed in your mission.

Don’t be a zero, be a hero!

 

You are a skilled warrior, living in a world of enchantment and danger. Humans live alongside trolls, elves and dwarves, while other mysterious creatures walk in the shadows.

The Queen of Alba has asked for your help against her deadliest foes — the Red Queen and her husband, Mortha, the necromancer.

Many years ago Solmor, the world's greatest Spellcaster, created a crown of gold set with four great rubies. The Ruby of Power gave its owner fighting skills. The Ruby of Seeing, the gift of telepathy and reading minds. The Ruby of Magic, powers of enchantment. The Ruby of Death, mastery over the world of the dead.

But rulers across the world wanted the power of the Crown of Rubies for themselves. It became a force for evil and was renamed the Blood Crown.

Just before his death, Solmor destroyed the crown and had the rubies hidden across the globe, so no one could find them.

Now the Red Queen and her necromancer husband are hunting for them. They already possess the Ruby of Death. If they succeed in finding the others, your world will be plunged into a new dark age. They have already killed your friend Olderon.

But you possess the Ruby of Power, the Ruby of Seeing and the Ruby of Magic. All you need now is the Ruby of Death, and your quest will be complete.

You are now on your gryphon, Hergal, flying to Necropolis — the City of the Dead. There you will have to use the rubies you have found to defeat the Red Queen and Mortha, and take the Ruby of Death from them. If you do not, and they take the last three rubies, then the world will fall under their control and all will be lost…

 

Go to 1.

The Ruby of Magic has revealed to you the location of Necropolis, the City of the Dead. It lies in the depths of the earth under the Mountain of the Lost.

After days of travelling on Hergal, you fly into the Valley of the Demons.

Ahead you can see the Mountain of the Lost, spewing out fire into the black night sky. The strong smell of sulphur chokes the air. This is a place of nightmares!

Suddenly dozens of firebirds appear from out of the stinking clouds. They are being ridden by skeletons armed with flaming spears. You have met these creatures before, and know how deadly they are!

If you wish to fight the creatures,
go to 9.

If you wish to find another way to the mountain,
go to 44.

You wait, your sword held high, as the devourer pulls you nearer to its mouth. When you are close enough to its head, you grasp your sword with both hands and plunge it down into the beast’s head.

The devourer lets out a screech that echoes around the cave, and finally lets go of your leg. You leap up and stab the creature again. Within seconds, the devourer’s tentacles flop down onto the rock and the huge beast lies dead at your feet.

You carefully step through the waterfall and back onto the rocky steps.

Soon you are at the bottom of the cliff and heading towards Necropolis. Ahead of you are the gates to the city. You see that they’re guarded by half a dozen heavily armed skeletons.

If you wish to fight your way into the city,
go to 33.

If you wish to try to talk your way into the city,
go to 27.

You grip your sword tightly and rush forward. Your blade slices into one of the creatures and it drops to the floor.

But at the same moment the other two creatures transform into giants!

You are helpless as one of the giants grabs you and holds you upside down. The leather pouch containing the other rubies falls to the ground out of your reach.

The creature smashes you against the wall. He and his companion howl in glee as you pass out.

Go to 42.

Before the undead can attack, you hold up your hand. “Lay down your weapons!” you command. They immediately obey you.

Even the Red Queen is unable to act against the combined power of the rubies. You walk over to the crown, put the rubies into their settings, and place it on your head. You feel your soul returning to your body!

You face the Red Queen. “Begone forever!” you order. She bursts into flames and melts before your eyes.

You turn to Olderon. “Come here,” you say.

He steps forward and you place your hand on his shoulder. “Return to the living.” A surge of energy passes through your fingers.

Seconds later, Olderon blinks. He sees you and takes your hand. “My friend, you have saved me.”

You smile. Then you turn to the multitude of undead creatures. “Return to what you were. Rest peacefully.”

There is a great noise as a whirlwind of energy sweeps through the hall and out into the city. The undead begin to disappear. Ghouls vanish into the air, zombies decompose and banshees and skeletons crumble to dust. Then there is an explosion of light and you find yourself spinning in a whirlpool of energy.

When the light and noise subside, you are outside the Mountain of the Lost. The sun shines brightly, and Olderon and Hergal stand before you.

“You have succeeded in your quest,” says Olderon. “What are you going to do with the Blood Crown?”

You think about the power you have…

If you wish to keep the Blood Crown for yourself,
go to 26.

If you wish to give the crown to Olderon for safekeeping,
go to 41.

You try to ignore the painful screeching of the banshees and string an arrow. You shoot at the creatures, but the arrow passes through their ghostly bodies.

The noise grows and you feel as though you could black out at any second.

To use the Ruby of Magic,
go to 18.

If you wish to block up your ears,
go to 31.

Once more you leap forward, swinging your sword, but every time you smash the skeleton, the bones simply re-form!

One of the skeleton’s pikes catches the string holding the pouch containing the rubies. They spill on the ground. You grasp at them, but your enemy sees his chance. A blade slices through your arm and with a cry of pain, you drop your sword.

Immediately, the skeleton stabs at you with its six weapons. You drop to the ground, lifeless.

You’ve become a giant pincushion! To begin your adventure again,
go to 1.

You guide Hergal towards the gap and find a place to land.

You take out the Ruby of Seeing to light your way. The gap in the mountain is too small for the gryphon to pass through. Leaving Hergal, you wade into the water and squeeze through the gap in the rock, into the mountain.

You head down a dark, narrow passage for some time; listening out for any enemies. The air gets colder and a shiver passes through your body.

Eventually you see an archway ahead. In the gloom, you make out the shapes of three troll-like creatures. Their low growls echo through the tunnel.

You move slowly towards the creatures. As you get closer to them, you nearly choke on the disgusting smell wafting through the passage! It is the smell of death.

If you wish to find out more about these creatures,
go to 34.

If you wish to attack them,
go to 3.

“I don’t believe you,” you say. You take out the Ruby of Seeing. A vision of a red marble palace appears and the word “north”.