The Dungeons of Torgar (22 page)

The axe bites into your side as you dive to avoid it. You roll with the blow, tumbling over when you hit the ground to lessen the shock of impact, but the wound you have suffered is severe and you are too weak to rise immediately: lose 8
ENDURANCE
points.

If you are still alive,
turn to 321
.

You draw a weapon and slap the sole of Jarel's boot to awaken him.

‘What the … !?’ he splutters, as he sits up and rubs his sleepy eyes. But before you can say anything, you hear another of the fish-like things; it is behind you, clambering over the upturned boat. You spring to your feet and Jarel just manages to unsheathe his sword as the creatures attack simultaneously.

Bhakish:
COMBAT SKILL
 21   
ENDURANCE
 28

These swamp dwellers are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

If you win the combat,
turn to 34
.

You lash out and the beast twists in mid-air as your blow hits its side. But the wound you have dealt it is superficial and not enough to deter it from attacking. It lands close to Jarel and immediately regains its balance to leap again. This time its intended victim is not your companion: it is you.

Taintor Wolf (wounded):
COMBAT SKILL
 21   
ENDURANCE
 36

If you win the combat,
turn to 178
.

Stoically your horse climbs the difficult track out of the valley towards the crest. You hope to catch sight of your destination from this ridge of high ground, but because of the lush foliage you can see little of what lies ahead. Densely packed trees and bushes reduce visibility to less than a dozen yards.

It strikes you as the perfect environment for guerrilla warfare, and you can readily understand how Sebb Jarel and his partisans have managed to ambush and evade the Drakkarim so effectively for two years. Further along the narrow trail you come across the grisly remains of one such ambush. A score of severed Drakkarim heads, still encased in skull-like helms of black iron, have been impaled upon a line of wooden stakes. They serve as a grim warning of what awaits any Drakkar who dares to venture beyond this point.

You are hungry and must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points before you continue further.

Turn to 291
.

A strong aura of evil and treachery pervades the entire area, and your senses detect that you are not alone — the building is occupied. Forewarned by your psychic skills, you avoid approaching the clearing. Under cover of the dense undergrowth you make your way around to the rear of the building where you witness a curious scene.

Turn to 306
.

Few of the creatures have any hair and their gnarled brown skin is as shiny as oiled leather. They shuffle forward awkwardly on short bowed legs, their mouths hanging open to reveal rotten fangs and swollen purple tongues. Their leader fixes you with a cruel stare as he orders his warriors to attack.

Krorn:
COMBAT SKILL
 23   
ENDURANCE
 35

If you win the combat,
turn to 84
.

Swiftly you scramble out of the ditch and sprint back along the road towards the allies' encampment.

‘Zaj gaz! Zaj gaz!’
howl the Drakkarim defenders as they catch sight of your shadow-like form, and a clutch of black arrows hiss through the air. One clips your shoulder and another gouges your leg (lose 4
ENDURANCE
points) but you fight the pain and run on without making a sound that could direct an arrow to your heart.

Fifty yards from the allies' picket line you see two Lencian men-at-arms moving towards you with their swords drawn. ‘Give the password!’ they shout. ‘Give the password or perish!’

If you answer, ‘Shortsword’,
turn to 63
.

If you answer, ‘Longsword’,
turn to 347
.

If you answer, ‘Broadsword’,
turn to 227
.

Before attempting the jump, you cut away the briars that might otherwise ensnare your feet and pitch you head-first into the gorge. The gap is a little over twelve feet wide, but with a clear run-up you feel confident you can traverse it in one bound. The only disadvantage is the weight of your equipment.

If you wish to remove your Backpack and Weapons and throw them across the gorge before you jump,
turn to 27
.

If you choose to jump whilst carrying your equipment,
turn to 103
.

Less than half of the Palmyrion men-at-arms have survived the devastating attack. They reel back towards the courtyard and you manage to pull them into a circle just in time to defend against the Drakkarim who are charging along the street.

Drakkarim Garrison:
COMBAT SKILL
 26   
ENDURANCE
 39

If you win the combat,
turn to 332
.

Your Kai senses save you from the sniper's shaft: it whistles past harmlessly as you dive for cover. As you rise to your feet you spot your would-be assassin hastily reloading his bow.

If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 36
.

If you choose to evade the sniper by running along an alley to your left,
turn to 155
.

The advancing Death Knights skid to a halt when they see you emerge from the shadows.
‘Ruzzar!’
bellows their leader, and quickly they unsheathe their swords and attack.

Élite Death Knights:
COMBAT SKILL
 42   
ENDURANCE
 48

If you win this combat,
turn to 162
.

A trumpet announces the arrival of Prince Graygor's men as they swarm around the west side of the square. Baron Shinzar screams in anger and lifts his axe on high, daring them all to step forward and feel its lethal caress. His offer is met by a dozen arrows, loosed by Eruan archers from the houses bordering the square, but the shafts are drawn to the blade of the sorcerous axe where they disintegrate in a sizzling splash of glowing splinters. With an evil laugh, the Baron mounts his charger and gallops through the soldiers, cutting down those brave enough to stand in his way. But as he leaves the town he finds his escape blocked by a new and formidable enemy.

Turn to 110
.

Swiftly you dive beneath the bridge and wait with bated breath as the horsemen approach. They thunder across the bridge, and when you can no longer hear their hoofbeats pounding the rocky road, you climb out of your hiding place and continue northwards.

Turn to 179
.

Again a crackling bolt of blue-white fire lances from the hilltop ruins and strikes with lethal accuracy. Screams of terror rend the air as the unslain soldiers fall apart in a desperate, panic-stricken flight to escape the fate that has befallen their slain comrades. Your Kai senses draw your eyes away from this carnage to focus on a figure clad in silver mail and a gold-spiked helmet. He is crouching on the highest point of the dilapidated temple wall and you sense that his magical power is the source of the deadly blasts. Quickly you inform the Prince of what you have sensed and seen at the temple.

Turn to 42
.

Using your powers of telescopic vision you focus on the ruined log huts and scan them for signs of life. A dull glint of sunlight on tarnished steel and a glimpse of a scarlet-clad figure moving behind an open doorway warn you that the settlement is occupied. You cast your eyes along the river for an alternative place to cross. But it is only here that the deep, fast-flowing waters of the River Brol are shallow enough to cross on horseback.

If you wish to gallop towards the ford, despite the risk of an ambush,
turn to 8
.

If you choose to avoid the ford and try to cross the river further downstream instead,
turn to 224
.

Carefully you cross the raging river, leaping from one boulder to the next. The sun warms your body but you feel an unexpected chill as soon as you set foot on the opposite bank. Instinctively you know that this is the Isle of Ghosts Prince Graygor spoke of so fearfully.

A stony trail leads into the heart of the mist-enshrouded trees. It is partially overgrown with saw-briar, which tears mercilessly at your boots and leggings. Undaunted, you press on until forced to stop at the edge of a narrow chasm that bisects the trail. A tangle of yellowed bones lie at the bottom and a damp unwholesome smell rises from a number of tiny caves which riddle its sheer walls.

If you wish to attempt to jump across this narrow chasm,
turn to 123
.

If you wish to look for a way round it,
turn to 62
.

You snatch the amulet from Roark's lifeless hand and then turn to confront Tagazin. You sense an energy flowing between Roark's amulet and the amulet that hangs around the Demonlord's neck, and you use this power-bridge to ward off the creature.

Tagazin shudders as your psychic commands rob him of his supernatural strength. His body becomes pale, almost transparent, and wisps of smoke curl from his skin as though his body were evaporating slowly. He retreats towards the centre of the temple and leaps onto the marble block. There is a chilling howl and suddenly the shadowy chamber is flooded with a blinding light. Thunder booms and the walls shake. Terrified, Roark's followers flee the temple and scramble up the stairs. Crackling bolts of white lightning leap from the marble block to tear great chunks of rock from the walls, and the air seethes with a cloying stench that threatens to suffocate you. With terror in your heart you bound up the steps and escape as the defeated spirit of the Demonlord vents its spite on the chamber below.

Turn to 341
.

You return to consciousness with a throbbing headache. A circle of bristle-bearded faces swim in and out of focus, staring down at you as if you were a fish in a bowl. You try to rise but are discouraged from doing so by the point of a sword that hovers above your heart. As your vision slowly clears you realize that you are no longer in the gorge, and the faces you see belong to a company of crimson-clad partisans.

‘It was careless of you to wander into Lacaress Gorge, Pathfinder,’ says a tall, lantern-jawed sergeant. ‘What were you hoping to find there save a good night's sleep?’

‘I came with Prince Graygor's leave,’ you say, showing your signet ring as proof. ‘I am here on a secret mission of great urgency. I must speak with your leader, Sebb Jarel.’

The sergeant inspects your ring carefully. ‘Very well,’ he says, and sheathes his sword. ‘We shall take you to Sebb, but you must agree to be blindfolded.’ You nod your assent and a yard of cloth is wound about your eyes. Guided by the sergeant, you are helped onto your horse and the reins given into the hands of one of his men. After two hours in the saddle, you reach your destination and the blindfold is removed.

Turn to 25
.

You focus your Kai skill on the detent, willing it to move aside. It clicks back and the door opens on to a passage lined with torches. Halfway along there is another door — a solid slab of iron broken only by a small, barred window. Silently you approach this door and peer in through the grille.

If you have visited the Danarg in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure,
turn to 260
.

If you have not,
turn to 114
.

Blinking the sleep from your eyes, you scramble to your feet and reach to your weapons. ‘Stand back to back,’ whispers Jarel, his keen eyes peeled for a sign of the beast among the densely packed trees. You remember hearing tales of the Taintor wolves during your travels through Eru, of their cruelty, speed, and savage cunning. At the time you thought the stories were greatly exaggerated, but now you are not so sure.

‘There, over there!’ hisses Jarel, pointing to a knot of pines with the tip of his sword. A scream rises from the darkness, which becomes a howl, high-pitched and horrible. The dark foliage rustles, and then a massive wolf-like creature bursts into view and runs towards you, its eyes rolling and its long, yellow fangs gaping wide.

If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 70
.

If not,
turn to 187
.

When he opens his fist you see that the coin shows ‘tails’. ‘Fate has chosen you for this heroic task, Kai Lord,’ he says, and hands you the leather satchel containing the crystal explosive. ‘My men will cover you with their crossbows when you make your run. Place the device so that the shard faces the door and remember, you have only ten seconds to get back once it is activated.’

You shoulder the satchel and, as Adamas gives the order to his men to fire, you scramble over the rampart and sprint towards the great iron door.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you have completed the Lore-circle of Solaris, add a further 2.

If your total is now 0–1,
turn to 243
.

If it is 2–7,
turn to 99
.

If it is 8 or more,
turn to 184
.

‘I see you wear the Prince's mark,’ he says, pointing at your signet ring with the tip of his blade. ‘Be you running an errand on his behalf?’

‘Aye,’ you answer, mimicking the Eruan accent to perfection with the help of your Magnakai Discipline. ‘An errand of great urgency. Do you know where I might find Sebb Jarel?’

The man laughs and slaps his thigh. ‘Aye, that I do,’ he says, jovially. ‘He's my brother. You'll find him encamped at the foot o' Hawkridge Mountain. Stay on the trail to Pirsi until you reach the old mining settlement of Kaig. Then take the track that follows the stream. Just keep on ridin' and you'll find ol' Sebb soon enough.’

You thank him for his help and hospitality and turn to leave. As you reach the doorway he calls out: ‘Be watchful when you enter the forest. There's a pack o' Akataz on the loose. If they catch scent o' your horse they'll be down on you quicker than lightning.’

Turn to 75
.