Beyond the Nightmare Gate (22 page)

You face impossible odds — you are outnumbered by over ten to one. At the cost of 1
WILLPOWER
point, you slay the nearest Elessi with a rapid sweep of your Staff. But the other Elessin do not attempt to retaliate. Instead, one of them places a silver pipe to his lips and blows. A savage pain echoes in your head and you fall to the ground with an agonized cry: lose 6
ENDURANCE
points.

If you are still alive,
turn to 18
.

You grab Spittlethrift by the shoulders. ‘The Realm of Paradox,’ you say, shaking him roughly; ‘how do I get there?’ You shake the little man again.

Dazed, he replies: ‘We will adjust the Gyronome. It will take a little time.’

‘I have no time. Perhaps the impostor has slain her already.’

‘We will hurry,’ replies Spittlethrift, who scuttles off to see about the task.

Time drags on inexorably. You pace the room until, eventually, Spittlethrift and Slypate return with the adjusted Gyronome and follow you to the Ethetron. Hastily, you drag the statue of the Screaming God from the craft and dump it at the tower door. Then you take to the air once more.

Just as the tingling sensation that heralds the crossing of the realms begins, you hear a terrible sound in the distance. It is a moaning wail that chills your heart. Looking back, you see that the Crystal Tower is falling. Suddenly, you realize that you did not warn the Academicians of the peril of the Screaming God. One of them must have removed the Threnogem from the mouth of the statue. You can do nothing for them now. As you look away, your eyes are greeted by a strange sight: the Realm of Paradox.

If you have the Magical Power of Enchantment and wish to use it,
turn to 14
.

If you do not have this Power, or if you do not wish to use it,
turn to 32
.

You walk towards the Singing City and its dazzling display of glass and fragmented light. Delicate spires point towards the sky and you can hear the distant ringing of countless tiny bells and a warm, resonant humming of shifting timbre, accompanied by pure harmonies that whisper like the breeze. You are stunned by the sheer splendour of the city. The Academicians told you that the Elessin were cruel people, but their dwelling suggests a purity and an advanced civilization.

As you approach the city gate, you see an Elessi standing beneath the large, curving arch of crystal. He carries no weapon but he marches before the gate as if he were a guard. He has not seen you yet.

If you wish to enter the city through this gate,
turn to 274
.

If you wish to try to find another way into the city,
turn to 280
.

If you possess a Mind Gem and wish to use it to pass the guard undetected,
turn to 301
.

If you possess the Magical Power of Enchantment and wish to use it to pass the guard undetected,
turn to 294
.

I am the Guardian of the Screaming God,
he says, the words ringing in your mind with a clear, musical tone.
Before you continue with this madness, let me tell you of that which you seek to steal. You cannot know the danger of what you do.

If you agree to the Guardian's request,
turn to 245
.

If you do not trust him,
turn to 209
.

Of one thing you are certain: Spittlethrift spoke the truth when he said that you cannot leave the Realm of the Neverness without his help, and therefore you cannot complete your quest for the Moonstone without accepting the task they have appointed you. You see a vision of yourself, alone, standing upon a strange machine with a curiously shaped sail and a large glass dome at its centre. You wonder what has become of Tanith and why you journey alone. You have expended 1
WILLPOWER
point.

With a mind crowded with doubts and uncertainties, you agree reluctantly to undertake the quest to steal the Threnogem. ‘Good, good, marvellous,’ says Spittlethrift, joyfully. ‘Come with me — to the laboratory.’

Tanith shakes her head, the look in her eyes revealing her deep mistrust of Spittlethrift and his kin.

Turn to 105
.

Slowly and carefully you step onto your chosen flagstone. Nothing happens and you breathe a sigh of relief.

If you now wish to step onto the flagstone bearing one sword in front of the door,
turn to 118
.

If you wish to step onto the flagstone ahead of you bearing two swords,
turn to 349
.

If you wish to step onto the flagstone that is ahead and to the right bearing one sword,
turn to 311
.

These chemicals, when mixed together with crystals, ground into a powder, and then heated, produce a metal-destroying acid. If you do not have a Tinderbox, you must exert 1
WILLPOWER
point in heating the mixture. If you have an empty Vial, you may keep the Ezeran Acid in it (mark it as a Special Item on your
Action Chart
). If you do not have an empty Vial, you must use up all the acid on the lock.

Turn to 312
.

You watch as the Elessin head back towards their city. When they are a sufficient distance away, you follow, keeping out of sight. Their path leads you to the gate of the city and, crouching behind a bush, you watch as they enter.

The city is a dazzling display of glass and crystal. Delicate spires and ivory towers point to the sky. You listen to the music of the city: a faint ringing like a million tiny bells and a warm, resonant bass accompanied by pure harmonies that sigh like a spring breeze. The Academicians told you that the Elessin are cruel creatures, but their dwelling suggests purity and an advanced civilization. Beneath the curving crystal arch of the city gate, an Elessi stands. He has no weapons, but he marches before the gate as if he were a guard.

If you wish to enter the city through this gate,
turn to 274
.

If you decide to try to find another way into the city,
turn to 280
.

If you possess a Mind Gem and wish to use it,
turn to 301
.

If you have the Magical Power of Enchantment and wish to try to pass the guard undetected,
turn to 294
.

With all the speed you can muster you sprint down the stairs and along the corridor of statues. Tanith is close behind as you rush into the room of mirrors. To your horror, an iron door falls to block your escape. You have no choice — you must turn and face the monster.

Turn to 263
.

With an impetuous yell you hurl yourself at the Elessi. He falls to the ground and you wrestle desperately with each other. If you are fighting without your Wizard's Staff, you must deduct 8 points from your
COMBAT SKILL
total for the duration of the fight. If you possess a Jewelled Dagger, subtract only 6 points from your
COMBAT SKILL
total.

Elessi Leader:
COMBAT SKILL
 12   
ENDURANCE
 25

If you have not defeated the Elessi after three rounds of combat, but still have the greater
ENDURANCE
points total, and wish to cease fighting,
turn to 99
.

Otherwise, if you have already killed the Elessi after three rounds, or you continue on and win the combat,
turn to 107
.

You kneel down and reach, tentatively at first, with your hand into the strange black gap in the clouds. Your hand totally disappears and you hastily withdraw it. You are unharmed. It is almost as if your hand had left this realm.

If you wish to enter the black hole,
turn to 269
.

If you wish to explore any of the other gaps in the cloud,
turn to 119
.

If you decide to continue towards the Crystal Tower,
turn to 302
.

If you have the Magical Power of Prophecy and wish to use it,
turn to 337
.

The night passes without incident. You feel refreshed and revitalized by your rest and you may restore 2
ENDURANCE
points and 1
WILLPOWER
point. As you move on to the low ground, a vague feeling of disquiet stirs inside you. It is a familiar feeling.

If you wish to continue,
turn to 228
.

If you have the Magical Power of Prophecy and wish to use it,
turn to 236
.

You reach out towards a Shianti rune carved deep into the wall. A door appears and opens slowly. You enter the Trianon and prepare to fulfil your quest.

Turn to 341
.

Two deft blows knock aside the two Elessin that hold you. With a startled cry, another Elessi backs away but a scything blow from your Staff kills him instantly. You have used 3
WILLPOWER
points. The remaining Elessi places a slim, silver pipe to his lips, and suddenly your head is filled with a screaming pain as the high-pitched shriek of the pipe tunnels into your mind.

Add together your current
WILLPOWER
and
ENDURANCE
scores.

If the total is 20 or less,
turn to 271
.

If the total is more than 20,
turn to 284
.

For what seems like an eternity, you fly over the Chaos Sea. Eventually, you sight a row of barren cliffs, black and forbidding. You increase the Ethetron's speed and soon you are flying overland.

You sight a large quarry, dug out of the blood-red soil. You fly low and circle the huge quarry, noticing a small wooden shack at the centre of a copse of withered trees. You decide to land and investigate the shack.

Turn to 12
.

Bravely you stand your ground, ready to receive the lizard's charge. But a single chilling glance from the lizard's deadly eye transforms your flesh to stone.

Your life and your quest end here.

You crouch down and reach your hand, tentatively at first, into the hole. It disappears totally and you hastily withdraw it. You are, however, unharmed.

If you wish to enter the black hole,
turn to 269
.

If you wish to return to the Crystal Tower and attempt to climb it,
turn to 264
.

The people of the Vale emit a great cheer. Fires throughout the village are already beginning to dwindle without the Jahksa there to stoke them afresh. The village elders ask if you would like to stay with them as honoured guest at a great feast.

If you wish to stay with them,
turn to 338
.

If you feel that you must go,
turn to 306
.

There is no other gate to the city, and you are reluctant to try to bluff your way past the guard.

If you wish to try to climb a sheltered section of the city wall,
turn to 30
.

If you wish to try your luck at the city gate,
turn to 307
.

Quickly, you hide the bodies of the Elessin in the undergrowth within the grove of trees. It is likely that the Elessin who escaped will raise the alarm and you carefully consider your next course of action: should you enter the Singing City as you are or should you adopt a disguise? To disguise yourself as an Elessi means leaving your Backpack behind. However, you must attempt to enter the city before evidence of your crime is discovered and that means that you cannot wait for nightfall to try to sneak into the city.

Whatever decision you make, you now face great danger. You are an intruder in an unknown city, unfamiliar with the language or customs of its people and intent on stealing their most precious artefact.

If you decide to disguise yourself as an Elessi,
turn to 344
.

If you decide to attempt to enter the city as you are,
turn to 315
.