The Darke Crusade (10 page)

The guard's eyes, made unnaturally large by the lens, narrow as he stares intently across the snowy eastern approaches to the tower. Immediately you slow yourself to a halt, fall to the ground, and then begin utilizing your camouflage skills to keep you hidden from his unblinking gaze.

With your cheek pressed flat to the snow, you glance firstly at the guard's face at the observation slit, and then to Captain Prarg who is now climbing the stairs to the tower door, his sword ready to hand. He reaches the door, throws it open, and disappears quickly inside. For a few moments there is complete silence; then he reappears, sheathes his bloodied blade, and beckons you to hurry to the tower.

Turn to 112
.

You take some bread and dried meat from your Backpack and offer it to your companion. Gratefully he accepts the food and settles himself at the base of a tree where hungrily he consumes every scrap. (Remember to deduct this Meal from your
Action Chart
.)

Meanwhile you scan the surrounding forest, ever watchful for enemies. For the last hour you have had a growing suspicion that something has been watching you. Your senses detect the presence of a hostile entity, closing from the east. Now the suspicion has become a firm belief, and the moment Prarg finishes his meal, you suggest that you be on your way as swiftly as possible.

Turn to 14
.

The current, and your powerful oar-strokes, propel you swiftly towards the Drakkarim renegades. You are fifty yards distant when the unexpected sight of your boat galvanizes them into action. They drop their makeshift fishing lines and take up their bows in readiness to fire the moment you are opposite their position. A growl from their pot-bellied leader passes for an order to fire, and suddenly you find yourself speeding through a cloud of deadly arrows.

If you possess a Bow and wish to return fire,
turn to 278
.

If you do not possess a Bow or choose not to return fire,
turn to 158
.

Reluctantly you abandon your attempt to open this iron portal and turn instead to a sloping passageway which descends to a deeper subterranean level of this ancient temple. You set off down this damp passage and at length it ends at a vault where the only exit appears to be a vertical pit at its centre. Cautiously you approach the pit and peer through its barred grill.

To your surprise, you see the floor of another torchlit passageway less than a dozen feet directly below the grill. With Prarg's help you pull open the rusty cover; then you lower yourself through the hole and drop down into the corridor below, followed by your companion. The pervading aura of evil is stronger now, and you feel certain that with every step you are drawing closer to finding the Doomstone. You are thinking to yourself that perhaps your progress has been almost too easy when suddenly you sense imminent danger.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, add 2 to the number you have picked.

If your total score is now 0–2,
turn to 132
.

If it is 3–6
turn to 205
.

If it is 7 or higher,
turn to 92
.

Patiently you keep watch to the north, expecting to see the appearance of enemy cavalry at any moment. You do not have to wait too long, for within minutes of deciphering the crow's warning, you see the first few outriders of a Drakkarim platoon crest the horizon. You magnify your vision and recognize them to be part of Magnaarn's own army. They are carrying lances topped with pennants that bear Magnaarn's personal emblem: an eagle clasping two fiery swords. Steadily these cavalry scouts draw closer. They are riding directly towards the river.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have chosen is 0–6,
turn to 21
.

If it is 7–9,
turn to 267
.

As the beast keels over backwards and splashes into the mire, you roll Prarg onto his back then watch as the remaining Ciquali, now leaderless, turn away and disappear as quickly as they had come, slipping back to the cold, dark safety of their hiding places beneath the surface. Silence returns, and for a long moment you stay alert, suspecting trickery. Then slowly you relax; they have gone.
⁸

Aided by your healing skills, Prarg makes a speedy recovery from the battering he sustained in combat with the Ciquali chieftain. The boat, too, has survived the attack and you are able to continue without further delay. As soon as you pass the obstruction, you hoist the sail and catch the prevailing wind which propels you northwards along the channel beyond.

You are hungry after your encounter. Unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 322
.

You make swift progress, helped by the river's strong current. Gradually, as the day unfolds, the surrounding landscape changes from open plain to an expanse of low, rolling hills which are blackened and scarred by war. Ruined hovels smoulder on the horizon, and scores of snow-covered corpses, human and otherwise, lie scattered across the fields, their limbs frozen into impossible shapes.

It is late afternoon when you catch sight of a town on the horizon. You check your
map
and discover it to be Konozod, a fortified Drakkarim stronghold. As the river carries you closer, you magnify your vision and see that it is built upon the left bank of the Shug. A huge stone bridge spans the river, and beneath this you see that the waterway is blocked by a barrier of chained logs.

If you wish to allow your boat to drift towards this barrier,
turn to 314
.

If you decide to avoid the barrier, you can put ashore and continue on foot by
turning to 231
.

The guard's eyes, made unnaturally large by his magical lens, stare out across the snowy eastern approaches to the town. You are in plain view, less than a few dozen yards from his position, yet he fails to notice you racing to join your companion. Shielded by your Kai skills and aided by your fleetness of foot, you reach Prarg unobserved by this watchful defender.

Prarg points ahead to an alleyway that lies sandwiched between two burnt-out hovels close by the watchtower. You nod to confirm you understand his intentions, and without a word having been spoken, you follow as he runs towards the alley's shadowy entrance.

Turn to 178
.

You leap across the gap, but, as you land, you slip on the broken flooring and gash both knees: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points. Cursing your luck, you hobble towards the curtain through which Magnaarn disappeared and pull it aside to find a short flight of stone steps. You climb them and discover that they emerge at a turret at the very top of the Palace Tower, the highest point in the city of Darke.

Illustration V
—Magnaarn cowers with his crooked back pressed against the frost-covered wall.

Here you find Magnaarn, cowering with his crooked back pressed hard against the frost-covered wall. You sense that he has very nearly succumbed to the evil power of the Doomstone; he is treading a fine line between life and undeath. Yet, even though he is but a whisker away from eternal damnation, he musters enough spite to challenge you to a fight to the death.

‘Very well, Drakkar,’ you reply. ‘Let battle commence.’

Warlord Magnaarn (with Nyras Sceptre):
COMBAT SKILL
 50   
ENDURANCE
 36

If you win this combat,
turn to 350
.

Swiftly you draw an Arrow, take aim, and fire as the beast comes leaping through the air towards your chest. The arrow thuds into its furry belly but the momentum of its leap still carries it forwards.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 174
.

If it is 5–9,
turn to 258
.

The arrow whistles over your head and sinks harmlessly into the muddy bank on the opposite side of the river. For ten minutes you lie in the bottom of the boat staring up at the grey sky as the river carries you downstream, and when eventually you pull yourself upright, you discover that the Drakkarim renegades are no longer in sight.

Your voyage continues without further incident until, later in the afternoon, you catch sight of a town on the horizon. You check your
map
and discover it to be Konozod, a fortified Drakkarim stronghold. As the river carries you closer, you magnify your vision and see that it is built upon the left bank of the Shug. A huge stone bridge spans the river, and beneath this you see that the waterway is blocked by a barrier of chained logs.

If you wish to allow your boat to drift towards this barrier,
turn to 314
.

If you decide to avoid the barrier, you can put ashore and continue on foot by
turning to 231
.

Upon reaching the base of the chasm you discover the ground to be slick with black, foul-smelling mud. It is peppered with broken slabs of rock, veined marble, and other temple debris which have fallen from the many sundered levels above. You wade through this ankle-deep slime, following the course of the river as it rushes towards the brick-lined tunnel at a frightful speed. When you reach the tunnel entrance, to your relief you discover a solid stone walkway which runs parallel to the roaring water. From the roof of this echoing tunnel hang vast, bloated domes of stinking fungi which give off a grey-green radiance. It is an unwelcoming light, an illumination born of decay.

You have taken a few hundred paces along the stone walkway when you are confronted by a massive iron grill. It stretches across the entire width of the tunnel and prevents you from continuing further in this direction. Nearby, a heavy chain hangs from a hole in the arched ceiling. Upon closer investigation you discover that it operates a concealed winch which raises and lowers the grill, like the portcullis of a castle. You are about to haul the chain and raise the grill when suddenly you hear a beast-like roar echoing along the tunnel, louder than the rushing water. You sense danger; something is approaching. You release the chain and spin around, your hand reaching instinctively to your weapon, but you are frozen immobile by the terrible sight of the creature that is now moving along the walkway towards you.

If you possess Animal Mastery,
turn to 102
.

If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 318
.

This quarter of the town is now teeming with enemy soldiers, and as you hurry away from the cell window, you know that you are in grave danger of being caught unless you can find somewhere safe to hide.

At length you discover a refuge on the far side of the main square. It is an empty grain storage tower which overlooks Magnaarn's headquarters and the gaol, and it is here that you spend a sleepless night contemplating the mission and the fate of your captured companion. Now that it appears Magnaarn has found the Doomstone, you know you should do as Captain Prarg insisted; you should try to reach Antah and confront him before he can use his newfound power against the Lencians. But you are loath to abandon your guide. You have promised Prarg that you will help him escape, and a Kai Grand Master never breaks his word. The captain has been captured as a spy, and as such, he can expect no mercy from the Drakkarim.

Soon after dawn you witness some activity in the main square which confirms your worst fears. A squad of Drakkarim engineers arrive and set to work constructing a raised wooden platform in the centre of the square.

An hour later, when their work is complete, a covered wagon arrives. The engineers unload a large lump of black oak which they place in the middle of the platform, and as you focus on this block, a shiver runs the length of your spine the moment you realize its grim purpose.

Turn to 118
.