Legion of Shadow (66 page)

Legendary monster: The blob

The foetid smell of evil permeates every stone of the old mausoleum. You pass warily along its dark corridors, towards the glow of lights and the sound of chanting. Arriving in
a large, circular chamber, you see a ring of black-robed necromancers surrounding a raised stone slab. Lying across it is a huge, zombie-like creation, its bulbous body sewn together from various
limbs and other body bits. At the head of the circle is a wild-haired man in a blood-splattered white coat. He is giggling insanely, rubbing his hands together as he watches the beast.

Your foot knocks into one of the bones littering the floor. It skitters across the stone tiles, alerting the necromancers. On seeing you, their chanting takes on a frenzied urgency. Suddenly,
black lightning flares from each of their hands. It arcs through the air, striking the metal plates that have been sewn into the monster’s flesh. The body spasms and jerks, the enormous legs
and arms twitching as the lightning crackles back and forth across its corpulent form.

‘It’s alive!’ gasps the mortician, hopping up and down with insane glee. ‘It lives!’

The hulking monster pushes itself off the stone table, scattering the necromancers. As it steadies itself on its squat, trunk-like legs, you see the true horror of its foul existence. The
creature is a chaotic mishmash of human and giant body parts. Thick purple stitching criss-crosses its puffy flesh, holding together the monster’s bloated, patchwork form.

‘Go my beauty! Destroy this intruder!’ commands the white-coated mortician, spittle flying from his lips. ‘Show me what you can do!’

The giant zombie takes hold of a spiked mace and then starts lumbering towards you. ‘Me destroy!’ he booms. ‘Me make master happy.’

Special abilities

If you manage to defeat this hulking brute, turn to
616
.

558

The shadowstalker may be fast, but she proves no match for your powers and abilities. As she staggers and falls, you feel a sudden tingling sensation in your arm. You draw back
your sleeve to reveal the mark, its three entwined snakes writhing and twisting beneath your skin.

‘No! Spare me!’ The shadowstalker gives a startled cry as her body begins to slowly unravel, becoming ribbons of shadow magic that curl through the air.

Without thinking, you raise your arm. Almost immediately, the swirling tendrils of magic flow towards it. As each one comes into the contact with the mark, there is a crackling flash of purple
light as they are absorbed into the skin. You feel a cold, rushing sensation as the magic surges through your body, filling you with a newfound strength and vigour. (You may now increase your
maximum
health
by 10.)

Once the last of the shadow magic has been absorbed, the snakes cease their agitated motion and the tingling sensation stops. You lower your arm, bewildered and amazed at what you have just
experienced. If you are a rogue, you can now learn the shadowstalker career (turn to
586
). Otherwise, turn to
729
.

559

As the giant crows soar overhead, you take aim and prepare to fire. You will need to take a
speed
or
magic
test (using whichever of your attributes is the
highest).

If you are successful, turn to
531
. If you fail, turn to
579
.

560

You walk along the sheer-sided ravine for several hundred metres, before finding a suitable route into the scar: an overhang of rock that slopes down onto a narrow ledge.
Perspiring from the heat, you start to make your way carefully down the slope. The loose ash and gravel underfoot is treacherous, and within moments you are slipping and sliding through a choking
black cloud.

You land in a heap on the ledge, your hair, skin and clothing caked in ash. After scrubbing the stinging dirt from your eyes, you take stock of your new surroundings. To your left, the ledge
snakes around the upper edge of the ravine, before dipping down into a cave-like opening. To your right, the same ledge descends steeply towards the bottom of the ravine and the rivers of lava.

561

There is the noisy clatter of steel as the swords fall to the ground, their dark magic finally extinguished. With the guardians of the chamber defeated, you can now help
yourself to the best that the king’s armoury has to offer.

If you are a rogue, turn to
567
. If you are a mage, turn to
598
. If you are a warrior, turn to
581
.

562

Outside the cabin, you are shocked to see that Bern has gone. Worried that something may have happened, you ready your weapons and scan the nearby rocks, fearing that whoever
laid the trap has returned.

You are relieved when the ranger finally reappears, rounding the side of a large boulder. He looks to have recovered from his ordeal, although he still walks with a slight limp.

‘I was checking for tracks,’ he explains. ‘What did you find inside?’

You tell him that it appears a fight has taken place, but there was no clear victor. The blood on the wall suggests that someone was wounded.

The ranger nods. ‘Yes, that would seem to make sense. I found two sets of tracks. The first are about a day old. The second are fresher and are following the first, although I found no
traces of blood. Both were headed south.’

You thank Bern for his help.

‘Good luck finding Cornelius,’ he says. ‘He is a good man and I would hate for him to come to harm. As for me, I must return to the grove. The queen has other assignments for
me.’ He walks over and takes your hand, shaking it firmly. ‘I think I misjudged you,’ he says, smiling. ‘It was an honour to have fought by your side.’

With that, he turns and heads back towards the dark forest, leaving you alone on the cliffside, deep in thought. Return to the quest
map
to continue your journey.

563

Your curiosity gets the better of you. Striding over to the nearest chest, you put your hands to the stone lid. The moment your hands come into contact with the glowing runes
there is a thunderous crack. You step back, wondering if the sound came from the chest itself – but then you become aware of movement.

The stone statues are coming alive. The cracking sound is coming from their huge wings, as they slowly begin to beat, freeing clouds of age-old dust from their surface. The nearest statue throws
back its head and emits a bone-chilling howl. Then it takes off into the air, its wings lifting its squat body with ease. The other statues follow suit, their eyes now glowing with the same light
as the runes on the chests.

You ready your weapons and prepare to fight as, one by one, the gargoyles swoop towards you, their dagger-like claws and fingers raking the air:

Special abilities

If you defeat the gargoyles, turn to
571
.

564

Legendary monster: Chilblain

A piercing wind blows across the frozen lake, scattering the flakes of snow that drift down from the grey sky. This strange place, trapped in a permanent winter, is a magic
anomaly, or so Lansbury had called it – some strange fusion of nature and the leftover residue of powerful magic.

As you head out across the lake, you notice the ice ahead of you cracking and splintering. Something appears to be forcing its way out. You start to back away, but lose your balance and fall,
slamming down onto your back. Only metres away, clawing its way free of the lake, is a creature made entirely of ice. It is humanoid in shape, with a pointed, half-moon face crowned with icicles,
and long spindly arms ending in frost-dripping fingers.