The Jungle of Horrors (21 page)

A cold blue fire burns at the tip of the Helghast's staff, but the chill of its icy flame is thawed by the golden fire of the sun-sword. Sword and staff collide with a deafening boom and a crackling web of energy surrounds you both, scorching the refectory walls with its blistering intensity.

Gnaag Helghast:
COMBAT SKILL
 38   
ENDURANCE
 48

This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen you must reduce your
ENDURANCE
by 2 points at the beginning of every round you fight this creature. If you have completed the Lore-circle of the Spirit you may increase your
COMBAT SKILL
by 2 points for the duration of the fight. Remember to double all
ENDURANCE
point losses sustained by the enemy due to the power of the Sommerswerd.
¹²

If you win the combat,
turn to 195
.

Paido covers your escape with his battle-magic, wafting a blinding sheet of flame towards your pursuer. You seize the opportunity to dive into the thick undergrowth bordering the track. Paido notes your escape and together you crawl towards the cover of the trees.

Turn to 111
.

The necromancer sidesteps into the shadows as you prepare for your second shot. Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery with Bow, add 3 to the number you have picked.

If your total is now 0–8,
turn to 184
.

If it is 9 or more,
turn to 213
.

You and Paido wheel your horses around and follow the crest of the ridge. Expertly, you manage to steer them down a steep bank of loose shale, and then on at a brisk pace along a dried-out gully. Soon the gully becomes a stream of sparkling water, fed by an underground spring. A rumble, like the sound of a distant storm, warns you that the vast army of Zegron, Warchief of Ogia, is now less than twenty miles away.

Turn to 136
.

Cautiously you open the black book. The pages are made of metal, as thin and flexible as silk-weave parchment. Complex words and symbols are etched into its shiny surface with an ink that shimmers like sunlight on the sea. The strange designs are unlike any you have ever seen before, but you sense that they are wholly evil.

You are about to discard the book when you notice something tucked into the spine: it is a tiny scroll of parchment. You unfurl it and your pulse quickens, for it contains a message written in Giak, the language used by servants of the Darklords.

If you wish to keep this scroll, mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item that you keep in your pocket.

Turn to 255
.

You leap over the twitching body of the Xlorg and help Paido, who is being forced perilously close to the pool's edge by three more of the growling swamp creatures. You strike from behind, breaking the back of one with your downstroke and opening the side of another as you swing your weapon clear.

Paido falls, clutching an arm deeply torn by needle-sharp talons. His attacker turns on you, darting its head towards your throat with lightning speed. Its jaws gape wide as it lashes out with a sticky tongue, spraying your eyes with stinging saliva. Instinctively you bend forward, your hands wiping the spittle from your face, a reflex action which saves you from the creature's grip as it leaps forward to strangle you. Suddenly it lets out a gurgling croak and falls forward with a thick splash. You stagger back and open your bloodshot eyes to see it lying face down in the mire with Paido's dagger embedded in its back. ‘Look out!’ screams your companion, as the last of the Xlorg attacks you from behind.

Xlorg:
COMBAT SKILL
 23   
ENDURANCE
 32

Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 4 points for the duration of the combat.

If you win the fight,
turn to 160
.

You grab hold of Paido's sword arm and tell him to cool his temper. The man is wearing a red surcoat embroidered with a crest depicting a castle and an open hand: it is the uniform of the Tharro garrison. Quietly you advise Paido that to brawl with this man could endanger your quest. Paido relaxes and apologizes to the soldier, offering to buy him an ale to make amends. The man accepts the offer but on one condition — that the ale is not Ferina Nog!

Illustration XVIII
—The man is wearing the uniform of the Tharro garrison.

Turn to 126
.

You scoop up the water with your hands, eager to feel the cool, fresh liquid against your skin. But instead of the expected refreshing sensation, you feel a revolting, jelly-like stickiness. The edges of the pool roll inwards, revealing an egg-like creature lurking in the hollow below. Suddenly a snaky tendril lashes upwards from a hole in its shell and wraps itself around your throat.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge,
turn to 74
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 223
.

Row upon row of glass-fronted cases fill the shop. They house many thousands of curios, each one bearing a tag neatly displaying the price of the item. There is scroll parchment for spells, cubes of rare metal, amulets, talismans, ritual candles, potions and powders, rings and rods, and relics of long-dead heroes.

The display is fascinating but your attention is drawn to one item in particular — a ring of translucent grey crystal. Your basic Kai senses reveal that nearly all the mystical items for sale in the shop are simply clever fakes designed to fool the gullible, but the Grey Crystal Ring radiates an energy that is genuinely magical. The price of the Grey Crystal Ring is 120 Lune.

If you wish to purchase the Ring, pay the merchant 120 Lune (or 30 Gold Crowns) and
turn to 139
.

If you wish to purchase the Ring but cannot afford 120 Lune,
turn to 242
.

If you do not wish to purchase the Ring, you may leave the shop and continue along the street by
turning to 204
.

His weakening pulse warns you that unless he receives an antidote or a healing potion, he will be dead within the hour.

If you have any Laumspur, Rendalim's Elixir, or Oede herb,
turn to 331
.

If you do not have any of these healing potions,
turn to 295
.

The rain beats down relentlessly as you ride the featureless highway to Tharro. Thunder rumbles over the western hills like the growl of Doomwolves stalking their prey. Gradually the muddy road descends into a wide valley and a track joins it from the east. A battered signpost at the junction points along the track. It says:

If you wish to change direction and ride east,
turn to 249
.

If you choose to continue your ride north to Tharro,
turn to 280
.

You sense that these cubes are set to explode. Should one of them cause a tear in the Levitron's pressure tank, the liquid gas stored inside will ignite and the resulting explosion will tear the skyship to pieces.

If you wish to gather up the black cubes and throw them overboard,
turn to 50
.

If you wish to help Paido fight off his attackers first,
turn to 169
.

You use all your skill and ability to try to save your companion's life. Placing your hands on his chest, you transfer the warmth of your healing power into Paido's poisoned body, breaking down the toxin by degrees. The treatment is slow and laborious, and it is dawn of the following day before you know for sure if your skill has saved his life.

Turn to 10
.

The rogue slumps dead at your feet. Seconds later the door to the back room splinters and breaks as Paido hacks through it with his sword.

‘What kept you so long?’ you ask cheekily, when finally the door gives way and he staggers, sweating and exhausted, into the room. He smiles ruefully and, after pausing to get his breath back, he invites you to come and see what he has found in the back room. Small sacks, each filled with nuggets of silver, are stacked in a huge mound that reaches almost to the ceiling.

‘No wonder he fought so desperately,’ you say, staring at this hoard of treasure. ‘There's enough silver here to pay a king's ransom.’

You may take some treasure before you leave — each Sack of Silver counts as one Backpack Item.

If you wish to leave the cabin and continue up the valley,
turn to 152
.

If you wish to investigate the mine,
turn to 120
.

You sense that something is seriously wrong. The wound is deep but you have survived worse than this. Suddenly you realize the dreadful truth, as you recall an element of your early Kai training. Your arm has become infected with korovax, a virulent disease that thrives in the soil of northern Talestria. Its effect is swift and fatal.

Your muscles start to contract uncontrollably and coordinated movement becomes increasingly difficult. Fear holds you in its icy grip as your chest muscles tighten, squeezing the air from your lungs. You fight for breath but within minutes you have slipped beyond unconsciousness into the timeless embrace of death.

Your life and your quest end here.

Your Arrow fells the leading monk, pinning his forearm to his chest. The others falter, stepping back to stare at their slain brother and the smouldering remains of the Helghast. ‘What manner of demon are you?’ asks one, incredulously.

‘A murdering sorcerer!’ says the monk at his side.

‘A soulless butcher!’ accuses another.

For all their bitterness you sense that these monks were unaware of their leader's true identity. They believe you came here tonight to murder their master, and his smoking remains convince them that you have accomplished your goal. Before you can utter a word, they draw short swords and attack you, raving like men possessed.

Monks of the Sword:
COMBAT SKILL
 24   
ENDURANCE
 42

Owing to the swiftness of their attack, you must fight the first two rounds of combat unarmed before you are able to draw a hand weapon. Because of their state of frenzy, they are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

You may evade after three rounds of combat by pulling yourself through the hatch;
turn to 191
.

If you win the combat,
turn to 293
.