The Jungle of Horrors (10 page)

Even in the failing light, you can see that this trail is frequently used: the spongy vegetation is crushed flat, and a profusion of tracks are imprinted on the loamy soil. The tracks were made by man-sized creatures, bare-footed and web-toed. Close to the main trail winds another, less obvious, track. For some reason someone or something has gone to great lengths to keep this trail secret.

If you wish to follow the well-trodden trail,
turn to 335
.

If you wish to follow the secret trail,
turn to 330
.

The morning sky is filled with a sullen grey haze, and around you the tall plains grass undulates like a green sea, stirred to motion by a chill westerly breeze. The Great North Road cuts a straight line to the horizon with tracks that lead to cottages and farmsteads branching off at regular intervals. Sheep and cattle graze by the roadside, and the air is rich with the scents of the farmyard, flowers, and damp grass.

‘We should reach Tharro by sundown,’ you comment, checking your position on the map.

‘Maybe,’ replies Paido, cautiously, and points to a menacing streak of blue-black cloud rolling across the skyline from the west. ‘Just so long as we stay ahead of the storm.’

By noon you have put thirty miles behind you but still have thirty more to ride before you reach the town of Tharro. Steadily the sky is darkening, and what began as fine drizzle has now developed into sheets of heavy rain. Both of you are drenched, and your horses are beginning to steam as they splash through the ankle-deep puddles that punctuate the muddy highway.

Through the pall of rain, you see an inn on the banks of a stream, whose waters are greatly swollen by the storm. A wide stone bridge spans the rushing torrent, and a mill with a thatched roof stands close by.

If you wish to stop at the inn,
turn to 188
.

If you wish to cross the bridge and seek shelter at the mill,
turn to 61
.

If you choose to ignore your discomfort and ride on through the storm,
turn to 318
.

The monks stare in horror at the smouldering remains of the Helghast. ‘What manner of demon are you?’ asks one, with terror in his voice. ‘He's a black sorcerer,’ says the monk at his side. ‘A creature of darkness!’ shouts another.

You sense that the monks were unaware of their leader's true identity. They believe you came here tonight to murder him, and his smoking remains convince them that you have accomplished your mission. Before you can utter a word, they draw short swords and rush at you like men possessed.

Monks of the Sword:
COMBAT SKILL
 25   
ENDURANCE
 45

Owing to their state of frenzy, the monks are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

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

If you win the combat,
turn to 293
.

The hysterical howls of the Ghagrim fill the night as you scramble through the foliage. By chance, you stumble onto a track that skirts around the edge of the encampment and disappears to the north. It seems to be deserted.

If you wish to follow this track,
turn to 229
.

If you decide to avoid it and rush into the undergrowth ahead,
turn to 296
.

‘Good, good!’ he exclaims gleefully, twisting his droopy moustache as he paces the muddy road. ‘Answer me this riddle. If a brick counterbalances three quarters of a pound plus three quarters of a brick, how many pounds does the whole brick weigh?’

If you can answer the old man's riddle,
⁸
write down the solution and then
turn to the entry
with the same number as your answer.

If you cannot answer the riddle,
turn to 269
.

‘Gaj aki-amaz!’
hisses the monk, pulling back the hood of his black robe. You gasp in shock as you stare upon a ghastly transformation. The monk's face is writhing and contorting as his skin tightens and grows darker. Tattered flesh drops from his sunken cheeks to hang in festoons beneath the exposed lower jaw. A snake-like tongue, black and narrow, flickers between curved fangs that have risen from the lower jaw.

A sickening dread fills your heart as you recognize the creature standing before you. It is a Helghast, a nightmarish agent of the Darklords. Its demonic eyes glow like red-hot coals as it shrieks and raises its claw-tipped hands.

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 30
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 183
.

A strong aura of good emanates from the room above, and you suspect that it is a place of worship. However, this aura masks your ability to detect if the room is occupied or empty. The door ahead gives off no special aura.

If you wish to climb the stairs,
turn to 157
.

If you wish to open the door and enter,
turn to 340
.

The hiss of the crossbow bolt is followed, almost instantaneously, by a terrible pain that paralyses your left arm. You are knocked over by the force of the missile and crack your head heavily on the sawdust-strewn floor: lose 8
ENDURANCE
points.

Through a reddish haze, you see Paido draw a dagger and hurl it at the dwarf; it sinks into his black beard and sends him tumbling backwards. He reappears for an instant, desperately trying to dislodge the blade buried deep in his throat with his fingers, but he has suffered a fatal wound. He gurgles a death-cry and drops to the floor, his flailing arms bringing down a shelf full of bottles.

Carefully Paido raises you to your feet, supporting your weight as you stagger to the stables. Your wounded arm is streaming blood, and with every passing second, you drift towards unconsciousness.

Turn to 288
.

Your psychic skill reveals that the pool is nothing but an illusion. What you can see is a gossamer-thin membrane, which reflects the light so convincingly that it appears like water. It is virtually impossible to detect that there is a creature lurking in the hole beneath.

If you wish to prod the ‘water’ with a weapon,
turn to 214
.

If you choose not to disturb the creature,
turn to 177
.

The archery range is a long and narrow room lit by torches set into the walls at regular intervals. At the far end are three targets bound with wire to bales of hay. Each target is the same size as the one you saw earlier, hanging behind the counter, but instead of rings, they each display the silhouette of a different creature: the left target shows a man; the centre one shows a wolf; and the right target shows a bear. You hand the owner your Silver Bow and he chooses three arrows from a rack on the wall. He praises the balance and fine workmanship of the bow as he draws the bowstring and takes aim at the centre target.

‘Head!’ he says, and releases the shaft. The arrow whistles to the target and sinks into the head of the wolf silhouette. ‘Rump!’ he calls on the second shot, shooting the arrow exactly in the target's hind quarters. ‘And now for the last,’ he says, taking care to load the bow correctly; ‘the heart of the wolf.’

Suddenly he turns and fires. The arrow comes screaming towards your chest.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination and have reached the rank of Primate, add 1 to the number you have picked.

If your total score is now 0–4,
turn to 154
.

If it is 5–8,
turn to 40
.

If it is 9 or more,
turn to 251
.

You have taken less than ten steps when your Sixth Sense warns you that to go any further would be fatal. You whisper your suspicions to Paido, and he suggests that you leave the mine and continue your journey north. Wisdom conquers curiosity: you return to the entrance and press on.

Turn to 152
.

All is deathly quiet as you set your empty tankard on the table. A few minutes pass and you notice that the passengers are no longer regarding you with suspicion. Instead, their stares seem complimentary, as if they were admiring you for being able to drink an ale as strong as Bor Brew.

Paido raises his tankard and takes a great mouthful of the ale of his choice — Ferina Nog. Immediately he spits it out, wiping away its insipid taste on the back of his hand. ‘Bilge juice!’ he splutters, slamming down his mug.

‘You should be a sight more careful where you empty your mouth stranger,’ growls a man seated to your right. He bends down and picks up his pointed steel helmet. With a slow and deliberate twist of his wrist he empties it of ale, pouring the contents all over Paido's feet. Your companion curses and reaches instinctively for his sword.

If you wish to take action to stop a fight breaking out,
turn to 314
.

If you choose to do nothing,
turn to 253
.

An old wooden board, nailed across the entrance to the shaft, warns you to stay away. This silver mine was closed down shortly after the main tunnel collapsed. Twenty miners were buried alive and their names are carved into the pit props that surround the entrance to the shaft as a memorial. As you scan the list of names you hear the tap of a hammer breaking stone in the depths of the shaft.

If you wish to enter the mine,
turn to 194
.

If you wish to leave the mine and continue your journey north,
turn to 152
.

Paido's coma deepens. Shortly after midnight, his heart and brain cease to function and he slips painlessly into death. Grief fills your senses and you mourn the loss of your brave companion, but your grief soon turns to anger as you remember the foul trickery that ended his life and so nearly put an end to yours.

A rage grows within you. You take Paido's sword and vow to avenge his death by washing it in the blood of his murderers. Heedless of caution and the warning cry of your senses, you throw open the cellar door and go in search of vengeance.

You have taken only a few paces along the corridor when a terrific explosion lifts you off your feet. The monks followed your trail to the cellar and prepared a surprise for you. You have tripped a wire and activated an explosive charge set into the floor. When the monks come to inspect their handiwork, they will discover your remains lying in the rubble.

Your life and your quest end here.

The sudden thud of metal on wood makes you spin round on your heel. Nestling between two kegs of ale on the tavern counter you glimpse the face of the innkeeper, the stock of a heavy crossbow pressed close to his bearded cheek. He growls a curse and tightens his finger around the trigger.

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 the total is 0–5,
turn to 115
.

If it is 6 or more,
turn to 334
.

Less than a hundred yards along this jetty of volcanic rock, you encounter a cloud of choking marsh gas. A pair of green, spindly-limbed creatures sits on the causeway, dangling their legs over the side and sniffing the stinking cloud with apparent delight. When they see you approaching they hiss and bare their fangs menacingly.

Illustration VI
—A pair of green, spindly-limbed creatures sit on the causeway, sniffing the stinking cloud with delight.

If you wish to approach these creatures,
turn to 339
.

If you wish to return to the junction and take the west spur,
turn to 105
.

If you have a Fireseed and wish to scare them with it,
turn to 81
.

Hanging around the dead man's neck on a silver chain is a medallion, cast in the shape of a flaming broadsword. The sound of footsteps in the next room prompts you to leave it untouched and hurry after Paido.

Turn to 273
.

Your Arrow sinks deep into the Ghagrim's thick neck, bringing it crashing to the ground. It tries to lift itself but is trodden underfoot by another of its kin, who snatches up the iron sword and licks the blade before yelling its battle-cry.

If you have another Arrow and wish to use it,
turn to 90
.

If you wish to engage the Ghagrim with a hand weapon,
turn to 205
.

If you wish to evade its attack,
turn to 309
.