The Curse of Naar (25 page)

The swirling spirit of Cadak condenses and shapes itself into a column of flickering light. It now resembles a large candle flame, but one that radiates an icy coldness. Within this chill flame you see Cadak's evil eyes glowing hypnotically. You draw on your psychic defences to shield yourself from an imminent attack, and moments later, you feel pulses of energy bombarding the wall that you have erected around your mind. You sense that your speedy and successful defence has greatly weakened your old enemy. You are about to turn the tables by launching a counterattack when suddenly you hear something quite unexpected.

‘Spare me and forgive me, Lone Wolf,’ pleads Cadak's plaintive voice in your mind. ‘I renounce my evil past. Forgive me so that death may free my soul from the slavery of Evil. Grant me this salvation and I shall help you to escape from the realm of the Künae.’

The host of maggots which carpet the floor of this foul hall suddenly recede like an ebb-tide. As they retreat, a glowing ring is revealed lying on the slime-smeared ground.

‘Take the ring, Lone Wolf. Take the ring and grant me your forgiveness. With the ring the way is clear for you to leave this hall through the Tunnel of the Wyrm.’

Beyond the flame-like spirit of Cadak you can see the rotting rib cage of the carcass. The semicircular shadow that occupies it is now pulsing with a warm, amber light.

If you agree to forgive the spirit of Cadak and wish to pick up the ring,
turn to 128
.

If you refuse to forgive the spirit of Cadak and decide that you will not pick up the ring,
turn to 20
.

With trepidation you cast your eyes around the walls of this fiery nest to see a great shaking panoply of gold, orange, and crimson flames. They shoot fifteen paces into the air and, despite your protections, they scorch you with their terrible heat. The floor of the nest is paved with glowing black metal and is heaped with scores of wondrous artefacts that comprise Huan'zhor's secret treasure hoard. Gems, jewellery, statuettes, armour, and weapons of fiendish design and purpose are piled knee-high all around you. Close by the trapdoor you notice a pool of shimmering blue light that you immediately recognize to be the apex of a transporter beam, similar to that which brought you here from the crater. By its location you judge that it must pass through the central column which supports the nest and the temple below. At first you assume it gives access to the underground levels of the temple, but when you stare into its mesmerizing light your Sixth Sense reveals otherwise. This transporter beam leads to another realm within the Plane of Darkness.

Mindful of your purpose here, hurriedly you search the treasure hoard for the Scarab that will enable you to escape safely from this hellish domain. As you are sifting through the hundreds of artefacts, you suddenly hear a distant screech that is distinctively different from the coarse cawing of the passing Lavas. Through the flickering wall of flames you glimpse the outline of a gigantic dragon as it emerges from a vent in the roof on the far side of the chasm. Immediately, a deathly silence fills the great cavern as the Lavas and reptilians cease their activities and bow in deference to their master. Your pulse races when you see this monstrous creature come gliding across the chasm towards the temple for you know that he is Huan'zhor the Dragonlord, the ruler of this realm of fire, and he is fast returning to his nest.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Telegnosis, add 3 to the number you have picked.

If your total score is 4 or less,
turn to 77
.

If it is 5 or more,
turn to 327
.

You recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Levitation
and feel yourself rise up into the tangle of ceiling joists above. Hurriedly you wedge yourself between a support beam and the rough rock-face. Then, seconds later, you glimpse the back of the gigantic beetle-creature as it thunders through the tunnel just a few feet below where you are hiding. A cloud of dust and a long line of ore wagons follow in its wake. Some of these heavy wagons are empty but the majority are piled high with grey metallic rock, heavily veined with a mineral that radiates an eerie yellow luminescence.

If you wish to leap onto the last ore wagon as it passes by below you,
turn to 181
.

If you do not wish to leap onto the wagon,
turn to 204
.

You watch with mounting dread as a score of the winged creatures encircle your hiding place and give vent to a piercing wail that makes your flesh crawl. The sound of their cries unsettles you, but this discomfort pales in comparison to the shock you experience upon seeing the unexpected response to their hideous cries.

Turn to 280
.

You leap up at the table and, as you grab the phial from the pillow with your left hand, a bolt whistles past and grazes the palm of your right: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.

The moment you hit the ground, you stagger forwards and throw yourself behind Shamath's great Throne of Power. Crouching here, with fear running cold in your veins as you listen to the hiss of flying missiles and the screams of the approaching horde, you suddenly notice the waters of the strange pool which lies no more than a dozen yards from the rear of the throne. Beyond this pool you see the pair of huge black gates which dominate the far wall of this chamber and suddenly your mind recalls the text which appeared in the Tome of Darkness. This must be the Pool of Sorrows, and beyond it are the Gates of Darkness, an exit from this cruel domain. Your feelings of excitement at having discovered a way to escape the approaching horde are tempered when you further recall that you must spill your own blood into the pool if you are to leave this realm successfully. Without hesitation, you spring to your feet and rush towards the pool. As you come to within a few yards, you flick your grazed right palm and a stunning transformation takes place when a few droplets of your blood hit the pool's swirling surface.

(On your
Action Chart
you may record the phial you have taken as Shamath's Potion. It is a Backpack Item.)

Turn to 300
.

You unsheathe your magical sword and a halo of light engulfs its razor-sharp blade, illuminating the surrounding gloom of the chasm. The towering warrior roars with anger as the light from your sword washes over him; it is as if its goodly glow is causing him great pain. He bellows a phrase in the Dark Tongue and suddenly his broadsword is sheathed with a black fire that crackles and spits venomously. Then the cruel dagger clenched in his left hand begins to glow red. When its poisoned tip becomes white hot it emits a trail of noxious steam.

With a maniacal yell the warrior raises both of his weapons and strides forward, stabbing and slicing wildly as he advances upon you. The first blow from his sword hits your blade with such power that you are thrown back as far as the coiling tongue of rock will allow. You recover quickly then launch yourself forward in a swift and desperate attempt to seize the combat advantage.

Zantaz:
COMBAT SKILL
 52   
ENDURANCE
 52

This warrior is immune to all forms of psychic attack. Remember to add the appropriate bonus to your
COMBAT SKILL
whilst using your magical sword for the duration of this combat.

If you win this fight,
turn to 186
.

You decide to explore the perimeter of the undergrowth and have walked almost a mile along its edge before you come across the remnants of a path which leads into the jungle's dark interior. Cautiously you advance along this overgrown trail, but you have not gone far before you are forced to a halt by a thick curtain of hanging vines and creepers.

If you possess an edged Weapon (e.g. a Sword or an Axe) and wish to use it to cut a path through this undergrowth,
turn to 304
.

If you do not possess an edged Weapon,
turn to 24
.

Hurriedly you retrieve the Potion from your pack for you recall that Shamath had intended to use this preparation to enact her revenge upon Avarvae. With the memory of the Demoness's words lingering prophetically in your ears, you pull out the stopper which seals the glass phial and hurl the golden fluid into the sneering face of the Tormentress.

Avarvae's scream echoes to the furthest corners of her vast domain. With her hands clutched to her face, the wounded Tormentress soars like a meteor into the darkness above and disappears completely, leaving her carriage and her escort of outriders dazed and confused in her wake. The sound of Avarvae's terrible scream followed by her sudden rout shatters their nerve. Quickly they wheel their steeds about and, with Avarvae's chariot in tow, they flee across the cosmic starscape in search of their immortal mistress.

The way is now clear for you to reach the Bridge of the Damned. Using your innate Magnakai Discipline of Divination, you will yourself towards the bridge and feel your body moving rapidly through the void towards its rainbow span. (Remember to delete Shamath's Potion from your
Action Chart
.)

Turn to 150
.

You pull yourself to your feet and use your Kai healing skills to massage the life back into your numbed arm. As the feeling returns, you take another Gold Crown (remember to erase the one you have just lost) from your pouch and approach the portal once more. This time you are determined to make the door open.

If you wish to insert your second Gold Crown into the circular slot,
turn to 195
.

If you decide to insert the coin into the triangular slot,
turn to 309
.

‘But with respect, Lord Rimoah,’ you reply, ‘the scabbard in which I carry the Sommerswerd is woven from strands of pure korlinium.’

You lift the sword, in its scabbard, and invite Rimoah to inspect it more closely. He steps forward and his eyes run up and down the length of the sword's seemingly plain sheath. Sagely he nods his approval.

‘Indeed, it is korlinium and it will keep hidden the blade's true power from Naar's foul spawn,’ he says, and then he smiles wryly. ‘Until, that is, the time comes when you decide to unleash that power against them.’

‘Your scabbard will shield your goodly blade, Grand Master,’ comments Lord Ardan, ‘but what of yourself? You are imbued with Kai powers that may readily be detected. Your formidable skills could alert Naar's minions to your presence among them.’

If you possess a Platinum Amulet,
turn to 53
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 296
.

You hurry down the spiral stairs to the base of the tower and make your way quickly through the narrow alleys of this subterranean settlement. Using your Kai camouflage skills to stay hidden from the Lavas and dragons that soar overhead, you are able to make your way undetected to a group of rock mounds that overlook the chasm. Here you take cover behind a mound of broken rocks and settle down to observe the bridge. You note that the traffic flowing across it is not constant; there are occasional periods when the bridge is empty. However, it is exposed to the air for its entire length, some five hundred yards, and it would be difficult for anyone on the bridge to avoid being seen by the creatures who fly back and forth across the chasm. At length you determine that if you are going to make a successful crossing here, you must first wait until the bridge is clear and then you must cause some kind of diversion that will draw away the unwanted attention of the Lavas and dragons.

If you possess Animal Mastery and have attained the Kai rank of Grand Crown or higher,
turn to 264
.

If you possess Kai-surge and have attained the Kai rank of Grand Thane or higher,
turn to 66
.

If you do not possess these skills, or if you have yet to attain the required level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 142
.

You approach the archway, and after checking that there are no hidden traps, you enter. Beyond lies a vast unlit hall which is filled with rows of weapons and armour. Racks of swords, spears, axes, and shields stretch into the distance as far as your keen eyes can see. Most are crudely forged and of alien design, yet the sheer number of weapons contained within this hall is enough to take your breath away.

Of the thousands of weapons contained in the racks nearest to the archway, you discover the following that are of adequate quality:

• Sword
  
• Spear
  
• Axe
  
• Broadsword
  
• Arrows
  
• Bow
  

If you wish to take and keep any of the above weapons, remember to make the appropriate changes to your
Action Chart
. The number of Arrows you can take is limited by the space currently available in your Quiver.
¹²

To leave this armoury and continue your exploration of the tunnel,
turn to 23
.