The Darke Crusade (9 page)
Cautiously you descend the slippery hill track and make your approach to the bridge. The thick snow muffles your steps and you are able to reach the cabin without alerting its occupants. You motion to Prarg to take hold of the horse and keep lookout whilst you investigate the stables. Silently you slip alongside the cabin and pass beneath its solitary window.
If you wish to peek through the window,
turn to 263
.
If you choose to ignore the window and make your way directly to the stables,
turn to 115
.
The Drakkar shudders as you land your killing blow. With an open-mouthed look of surprise, he clasps his chest then drops lifelessly to the floor. Quickly you step over his corpse and hurry to the table to study the map. To your disappointment, the map turns out to be merely a construction plan of the encampment. It offers no clues to Magnaarn's present location.
If you wish to search the cabin more thoroughly,
turn to 213
.
If you choose to leave the cabin and return to Prarg,
turn to 277
.
The ambush is swift and devastating, yet despite having been caught completely unawares, the Drakkarim cavalry put up a spirited fight. Their leader is a formidable swordsman and more than a dozen Lencians die beneath his swishing blade before he finds himself in face-to-face combat with a Kai Grand Master.
Zagganozod Captain:
COMBAT SKILL
36
ENDURANCE
38
If you win this combat,
turn to 341
.
Your super-keen senses warn you that Prarg is walking towards a patch of thin ice. At once you shout a warning and he halts in his tracks. Then, carefully, he retraces his steps and follows in your footsteps as you make a wide detour around this perilous section. An hour later you reach the far side of the lake and hurry into the forest beyond.
You take a Gold Crown from your money pouch, flick it in the air, and then catch it on the back of your hand. With your advanced skills it is easy for you to sense immediately what the coin is showing, but Prarg is not so gifted.
‘Heads or tails?’ you ask your companion.
Thoughtfully he scratches his chin as he considers his answer.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 117
.
If it is 5–9,
turn to 298
.
Despite your realistic disguise and plausible story, the Tukodak guards are not deceived.
‘Gazim!’
shouts the spear-wielder, and you are forced to knock Prarg aside to save his life as the angry Drakkar thrusts at his chest. You move back a few paces and draw your weapon just in time to defend yourself as the guards rush to attack.
Tukodak Guards:
COMBAT SKILL
38
ENDURANCE
34
If you win this combat,
turn to 12
.
You crash down upon a stack of ale barrels which, in turn, topple and fall, pinning you beneath them. Yet despite your heavy landing, your cat-like reflexes save you from sustaining any serious injuries: lose only 1
ENDURANCE
point.
At once you try to extricate yourself from beneath the heavy casks, but a sudden sound causes you to stop and stare at the broken trapdoor. In the alleyway above, you hear the sounds of a struggle taking place: the Drakkarim have found your companion, Prarg, and they are attempting to overpower him by force.
The open doors to the tower appear to offer the only means of access to the temple. Because of this, you decide that you will try to overpower the two Tukodak who are standing guard there. Armed with your formidable Kai skills, and with dusk fast turning to darkness, you are confident you will succeed.
You tell Prarg, who is unarmed, to wait here at the forest's edge until you signal for him to join you. Then you stalk towards the tower, your approach masked by your camouflage skills. At first the way is easy, but the last twenty yards of ground to the stone ramp have been cleared of temple debris and this area is completely open, devoid of any cover.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian, add 1. If you have reached the rank of Sun Knight, add 2. These bonuses are not cumulative (i.e. if you hold the rank of Sun Knight, you add just 2
not
3).
If your total score is now 5 or less,
turn to 268
.
If it is 6 or higher,
turn to 151
.
Dawn breaks as you sail into the estuary of Dakushna's Channel. Prarg keeps the boat in the centre of the wide waterway, where the slimy water is deepest and the ever-present risk of grounding upon submerged debris is less likely to befall you.
Soon you are enveloped by the chaotic wilderness of the Hellswamp and you feel your spirits drop, as if they are being leeched by some unseen vampire. The monotonous view of slime-laden mudflats extends seemingly forever on every side, broken only occasionally by a dead, vine-strangled tree. You both take some comfort in the fact that there is a wind and it is blowing in a favourable direction. Despite the depressing scenery you make good progress until, late in the afternoon, you are forced to lower your sail when you reach a point where unexpectedly the channel splits in two. Prarg says that this split must have occurred recently, for it was not present the last time he sailed this way. Reluctantly he admits that he is not sure which way to go.
Upon the edge of the left bank, in the middle distance, you see a circle of mud huts perched close to the channel's edge. You magnify your vision, but you are unable to discern any signs of life.
If you wish to enter the left channel which passes close to the circle of mud huts,
turn to 144
.
If you wish to take the right channel and thereby avoid passing by the huts,
turn to 235
.
‘I'll prepare a diversion. When the guards and their dogs are drawn away from the perimeter fence, you must act quickly. You and your men must storm the gates. Once you are free, make your way to the armoury with all haste. You'll find your weapons there.’
‘That's all very well,’ replies the captain, sceptically, ‘but how do you propose we get into the armoury? It's the most secure building in the town.’
‘Don't worry about that,’ you say, with confidence. ‘I shall be inside, waiting to let you in.’
For a few moments the captain considers your plan in silence. Then, with a nod, he finally agrees.
‘Very well, so be it. I'll pass the word.’
You watch as he returns to his men; then you leave the fence and retrace your steps to the darkened alleyway.
As you charge towards the sentries, they huddle together and set the butts of their wavering spears into the ground in readiness to receive your attack. But a sharp burst of Psi-surge unsettles them and they scatter moments before you come galloping upon them. In the next instant you are through the gap in the barricade and racing along the road beyond. You have passed successfully through the inner defensive line, but, as Prarg quickly points out, you have yet to reach the outer defences of Shugkona.
You steer the horse towards the platform and the troops scatter before you. All, that is, save one. He is a Death Knight sergeant, an élite Drakkarim warrior. He curses his comrades for their cowardice and, as you bear down on him with your lance levelled at his chest, he draws his sword and gets ready to meet your attack head-on. Then the tip of your lance strikes his steel breastplate and you are forced back in your saddle with a jolt that leaves you breathless.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If your current
ENDURANCE
points score is 12 or higher, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 2 or less,
turn to 82
.
If it is 3 or higher,
turn to 348
.
Your hopes of finding a clear route out of here are soon dashed when you arrive at a ruined staircase. It leads to a landing where you are confronted by the corpse of a Drakkarim guard, slumped beside a mound of rubble which is blocking the stairs to the level above. A quick examination of the dead body reveals that both arms are broken. Injured and trapped here by the falling rocks, it appears that this guard eventually died of thirst.
If you wish to search the body further,
turn to 247
.
If you wish to attempt to clear away the rubble that is blocking the stairs,
turn to 347
.
Prarg has reservations about your decision; he fears that your curiosity could be leading you both straight into the arms of the enemy. You understand his anxiety but you stand by your decision. Time is running against you and some risks must be taken if you are to discover quickly the location of Magnaarn and the Doomstone. With a nod of his head Prarg accepts the logic of your argument. Then, as if to reaffirm his loyalty, he draws his sword and offers to lead the way.
Cautiously you follow him through the dense trees, your nerves as taught as bowstrings. As you draw closer, you are able to make out the sounds of wood being chopped, gruff voices, and the jingle of horse bridles. Your suspicions are confirmed when you reach the edge of a clearing and see a Drakkarim encampment in the centre of recently cleared ground. Three log cabins, two only partially completed, stand in the middle of a circular ditch which is backed in turn by a chest-high wall of sharpened stakes. You count more than a hundred Drakkarim labouring to complete this forest outpost, while another fifty or so stand guard along its perimeter wall. They look well-equipped; all are clad in thick furs and studded leather armour, and they wield weapons which are unmistakably fresh from the forge.
Illustration IV—Suddenly the door swings open and a Drakkarim officer strides out into the snow.
Slowly you edge your way around the clearing until you are on the north side of the encampment. Here the perimeter wall has yet to be completed, affording you an unobstructed view of the cabins. You settle yourself behind a fallen tree and patiently you observe the main hut. Suddenly the door swings open, and a Drakkarim officer strides out into the snow. He pulls on his iron helm and draws his wolfskin cloak close about him as he goes off to inspect his men's work. The door swings shut, but before it closes, you catch a glimpse of something that sparks your curiosity anew.
The moment you strike your killing blow, the creature explodes with a flash of brilliant white light. As the glare fades, you see that nothing whatsoever remains of either its body or spirit. Magnaarn witnesses the death of his servant with a look of pure terror. He screams, and in a moment of panic, he touches the head of the Nyras Sceptre to the floor. There is a tremendous boom, and the floor shudders violently as it is torn wide open by a massive quake.
Hurriedly, Magnaarn makes his escape through a curtained archway. Determined not to allow him to escape, you get ready to leap across the fissure which has opened up the chamber floor. It is no less than twenty feet wide at its narrowest point.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery
and
have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 3 or less,
turn to 128
.
If it is 4–6,
turn to 75
.
If it is 7 or more,
turn to 179
.