Read Beyond the Nightmare Gate Online
Authors: Ian Page,Joe Dever
Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Grey Star the Wizard, #Magnamund
Beyond the Nightmare Gate (14 page)
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
Your trained eye picks out an extremely rare and useful plant that is growing on the hillside: the Senara, a flowering bush whose unripe buds have a restorative effect. Chewing one of these large, yellow buds will restore 1
WILLPOWER
point. You may pick up to five of these Buds; keep them in your Herb Pouch (remember that your Herb Pouch can contain a maximum of eight items). If you have a Pestle and Mortar you may mix a preparation that will restore 5
WILLPOWER
points with one dose, but you will need a Vial in which to keep the Potion. You may mix as many Potions as you have Vials.
17
[
17
] You must choose whether to keep the individual buds or to mix potions from them. You may not do both.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
As the snarling beast lunges, you thrust upwards with your Staff, dealing the wolf a powerful blow to the body. With a howl, the wolf is knocked aside and you close upon it to attack as it prepares to pounce once more.
Wounded Wolf:
COMBAT SKILL
20
ENDURANCE
20
If you win the combat,
turn to 106
.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
‘Get out of my mind!’ she screams, desperation and pain in her voice. Quickly you extinguish the glow of the Gem for fear of damaging her mind. Outside, you hear a voice that sends an icy chill coursing through your body.
‘How sad. Tragic. Such a waste of energy on a girl who despises you.’ You rush out of the room to see a hooded figure dressed in black. Slowly the hood is pulled away to reveal your own face looking back at you. ‘Greetings brother,’ sneers a voice identical to your own. ‘We meet at last.’
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
Your lungs feel ready to burst and, with a spluttering gasp, you surface and gulp in huge breaths of air. Unfortunately, you are spotted by an Elessi who is searching the area. You are forced to surrender and a clutch of Elessin guards march you away to a huge palace in the centre of the city.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
The wall is, once more, totally unharmed by your attack. A further search reveals nothing. You cannot find, or feel, anything that indicates the presence of a doorway. ‘Perhaps there is no door?’ Tanith suggests.
If you wish to try to climb the tower,
turn to 264
.
If you prefer to examine one of the many black holes in the cloud plain,
turn to 285
.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
To the delighted cheers of the Elessin, the statue of the Screaming God is carried from the palace and away from the Singing City.
18
It is taken to the grove of trees where your flying machine is hidden and loaded aboard.
Many thanks, Grey Star,
says the Guardian.
Today you give us our freedom. Is there some way we can repay you?
‘I seek the Moonstone of the Shianti,’ you say. ‘Long ago they hid it somewhere on the plane of the Daziarn, our name for the realms gathered here. Can you tell me exactly where it is hidden?’
The Elessi shakes his head.
I have never heard of such a thing but there is one who surely might. In the Realm of Paradox lives one called Oz-na-Mun, he of the mighty hand. He is wise and knowledgeable; perhaps he will know.
‘How may I find this Realm of Paradox? My only guide is this.’ You show the Guardian the Gyronome. ‘And it can only guide me between here and the Neverness.’
Give this thing to me,
he says. He closes his eyes, places the Gyronome close to his mouth, and begins to sing into it very softly.
Now the Gyronome will guide you,
he says,
though you may never return to the Singing City. I have changed the power of the device so that it will seek the Realm of Paradox instead of our own; it will still return you to the place you call the Neverness while it is silent.
‘I thank you,’ you say, boarding the Ethetron. ‘Farewell.’ To a chorus of joyful singing and the blessing of the Elessin you carefully rise into the air with your perilous cargo. Once more you feel a strange tingling sensation as you leave the realm of the Elessin forever.
[
18
] If the Elessin confiscated your Weapons, including your Wizard's Staff, these are now returned to you.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
You and Tanith run into the burning village. The effect is dramatic. ‘He is back,’ you hear someone scream. They cower before you, their eyes bright with fear.
‘I mean you no harm! I want to help,’ you cry, but all remain silent, regarding you with horrified stares. ‘How can I help?’ you shout. A rock thuds at your feet by way of reply. You cannot see who threw it.
If you have the Magical Power of Elementalism and wish to use it to help the villagers of the Vale,
turn to 169
.
If you would prefer to move on and find another village,
turn to 160
.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
The Elessi guard gives a startled cry as you burst into a sprint and run along a street of countless windows. The guard raises the alarm and, looking over your shoulder, you now see that there are at least ten guards pursuing you. Turning the first corner you come to, you find yourself crossing a lawn of blue grass. The cries of the Elessin draw nearer and you curse your bad luck, for you can see no immediate hiding place. An ornate fountain lies in the centre of the lawn.
If you wish to jump into the fountain,
turn to 225
.
If you wish to keep running,
turn to 335
.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
The shield is barely formed when the Jahksa attacks you with his staff, but it successfully deflects the ball of white-hot fire.
If you wish to fire at your double and have 2
WILLPOWER
points or more,
turn to 192
.
If you wish to continue to the end of the corridor,
turn to 113
.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
With a final blow you beat off the eagle and it crashes to the ground, dead. Your body is covered with numerous wounds but none of them are serious.
You must choose between the remaining Keys; only one will open the door to the Crystal Tower.
19
If you choose the Spider Key,
turn to 252
.
If you choose the Wolf Key,
turn to 235
.
If you choose the Serpent Key,
turn to 240
.
If you choose the Dragon Key,
turn to 277
.
[
19
] You may only choose a Key that you have not already tried.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
‘What?’ booms a voice from above. ‘Who dares to challenge the design of the Chaos-master? Speak, petty mortal!’
‘They were but illusions, Chaos-master. I saw the truth beyond them,’ you reply.
‘Truth is but illusion. Reality is but a mortal dream. What do you seek, dreamer?’
‘I'm looking for a girl; her name is Tanith.’
‘Know this, mortal. You are in the Realm of Paradox — my realm. It is a world of possibilities and contradictions. None may find what they seek unless they pay the price.’
‘What price?’ you ask.
‘My price. Will you pay it?’
If you wish to agree to the condition of the strange god,
turn to 94
.
If you refuse his terms,
turn to 134
.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
You fend off the growing number of creatures with increasingly desperate blows; you are beginning to tire. The ghostly light of the Ethetron's power source is almost extinguished, yet the Trianon of the Shianti still lies tantalizingly close. The birds crowd around you, hovering and fluttering on their stubby wings as the Ethetron sinks closer to the swirling mists below.
Chaos-birds:
COMBAT SKILL
26
ENDURANCE
30
If you win the combat,
turn to 205
.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
You have thrown the flying machine into a spin. Despite your frantic efforts you are unable to pull the Ethetron from its spiralling fall and it smashes to the ground, sending debris and wreckage flying in all directions. You are killed instantly on impact.
Your life and your quest are now over.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
20
When at last you come to the village you find that it is nothing but a smouldering ruin. Cautiously, you peer out from the cover of the thick foliage that surrounds the small wood.
If you wish to go into the village and find out what has happened,
turn to 144
.
If you prefer to move on and find another village,
turn to 160
.
[
20
] There is no choice that leads to this section of the book. This appears to be an oversight which is not easily correctable.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
You enter the palace and walk down a vast hall containing hundreds of transparent columns, each filled with a coloured liquid. You are met by a tall man with golden hair and piercing blue eyes. He is cloaked in white robes and carries a jewelled crozier in one hand, your Wizard's Staff in the other.
21
At his command, the Elessin guards leave.
The golden-haired man frowns at you, his piercing gaze almost forcing you to turn your head away. It is as if he can see into your very soul. A voice echoes in your mind:
You have slain my people; why?
The man is telepathic and, because the language of the mind is universal, you are able to understand what he is thinking.
If you wish to explain your crimes by telling the Elessi the truth,
turn to 259
.
If you wish to deny all knowledge of these crimes,
turn to 202
.
If you have the Magical Power of Prophecy and wish to use it,
turn to 9
.
[
21
] If you carry any other Weapon in addition to your Wizard's Staff, the Elessin have confiscated this too (but not any weapon-like Special Items). Note this on your
Action Chart
.
by Joe Dever and Ian Page
You fire a bolt of energy at your twin that wreathes around him like a snake of fire, but it is you who cry out in pain. Reduce your
ENDURANCE
total by half (round up fractions to the nearest whole number).
‘Would you destroy yourself, brother?’ laughs the evil creature, horribly.
If you wish to turn your back on the creature and walk to the end of the corridor,
turn to 113
.
If you wish to enter one of the doors along the corridor,
turn to 47
.
