The Jungle of Horrors (4 page)

The water looks so fresh and clean that you are tempted to use it to wash away the swamp grime that clings to your face and hands.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen,
turn to 116
.

If you decide to wash in the pool,
turn to 315
.

If you choose to ignore the pool and wait for Paido,
turn to 177
.

The villagers give a spontaneous cheer when they hear you answer the old man's riddle correctly.
³

‘Well done,’ he says, ‘you are right. If the brick counterbalances three-quarters of a brick plus three-quarters of a pound, then a quarter of a brick must weigh three-quarters of a pound. The whole brick must weigh four times as much as this, which is, of course, three pounds.’

The villagers are as good as their word. They stand aside and wish you safe passage as you leave Stia and continue your ride north.

Turn to 135
.

For little more than a second the space between you and your target clears. You release your Arrow and it hurtles towards the necromancer's head. His death looks imminent, but he has escaped far greater threats than this. With a sudden sweep of his arm he parries the Arrow with the hilt of his rapier, and the Arrow disintegrates in a cloud of dust.

If you wish to draw another Arrow and fire again,
turn to 310
.

If you wish to shoulder your Bow and draw a hand weapon,
turn to 291
.

The gigantic spider closes in for the kill, its fangs dripping with sticky black venom and its coal-black eyes glinting greedily as it savours your scent.

If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 324
.

If you do not have a Bow or do not wish to use it,
turn to 52
.

The Arrow misses its mark by several yards, streaking into the forest behind the creature. There is no time for a second shot. You shoulder your Bow and make ready to draw a hand weapon as the beast closes in to attack.

Turn to 333
.

The Count looks flabbergasted when you call out the correct answer.
⁴
Dejectedly he hands over the beautiful Silver Box and quietly leaves the hold, oblivious to the cheers of the passengers who have seen him meet his match at last. If you wish to keep the Silver Box, mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Backpack Item.

Turn to 181
.

As you unsheathe the sun-sword, a shimmering pulse of golden flame engulfs the blade from hilt to tip. Your attackers hesitate as the pure light washes over their hellish faces. They shriek with malice and leap forward once more, their bony hands now clutching weapons of black steel previously hidden beneath their robes.

Illustration I
—They shriek with malice and leap forward clutching weapons of black steel.

Vordaks:
COMBAT SKILL
 28   
ENDURANCE
 40

Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, deduct 3 points from your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of the fight. These undead are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). Remember to double all
ENDURANCE
point losses sustained by your enemy due to the power of the Sommerswerd.

If you win the combat,
turn to 202
.

The encampment is alive with the screams and howls of the bloodthirsty Ghagrim, eager to avenge the death of their kin. To stay and fight them would be suicidal.

If you have a Fireseed and wish to use it,
turn to 207
.

If you do not have a Fireseed or do not wish to use it,
turn to 309
.

A stronger pulse and the appearance of sweat on his brow are the first two outward signs of Paido's recovery. Slowly he stirs to consciousness, waking from a sleep that was so nearly his last. He can remember nothing of the ordeal, and when you tell him what has happened he shakes his head in disbelief. ‘A Helghast?’ he says, incredulous. ‘How can that be?’

‘The servants of Darklord Gnaag have infiltrated this monastery,’ you reply. ‘They have kept themselves hidden, but I fear the day fast approaches when they will rise up and wreak their havoc. Already they know our true identities, and I wager they know why we're here.’

‘This is bitter news, Lone Wolf,’ says Paido, his face etched with worry. ‘We can afford to delay no longer. If Talestria falls to Darklord Gnaag before we reach the Danarg, then the quest is lost.’

It is a sobering thought, but you do not dwell on it. Quickly you help Paido to his feet and cast your eyes around the cellar in search of another exit.

Turn to 153
.

Using your Kai skill, you find it easy to detect that the coin shows ‘heads’.

If you wish to call ‘heads’,
turn to 274
.

If you decide to call ‘tails’,
turn to 66
.

‘Reivers!’ screams the tavern crowd, as they stampede towards the main door, overturning benches and tables in their desperation to escape. Paido grabs his equipment and points to a door leading to the stables. ‘This way, Lone Wolf, before the storm dampens their fear and they return with weapons.’

Swiftly you retrieve your Kai cloak from before the fire and follow Paido as he runs towards the stable door.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination,
turn to 341
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 122
.

The liquid fire tears into the Levitron's rail, twisting and melting the shiny alloy as it cuts into the hull. Two more of the Kraan swoop in and hover above the prow. Their riders leap onto the deck and begin attacking part of the superstructure. ‘Stop them,’ screams Paido, drawing his sword. ‘Stop them or we're doomed!’

You leap from the bow and run along the main deck, your weapon raised to strike.

Vordak 1:
COMBAT SKILL
 22   
ENDURANCE
 28

Vordak 2:
COMBAT SKILL
 21   
ENDURANCE
 26

You must fight these creatures one at a time. They are immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen, reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 2 points for the duration of the combat.

If you win the combat in six rounds or less,
turn to 79
.

If the combat lasts seven rounds or longer, do not continue with the combat but
turn immediately to 158
.

Two sour-faced soldiers stand guard at the watchtower door, grumbling about the foul weather. They view your arrival with displeasure, mumbling curses under their breath as you bring your horses to a halt.

‘What business have you here after sundown?’ growls one, the shorter and fatter of the two.

‘We would like to see your commanding officer,’ replies Paido, in a tone befitting his lordly rank. Unfortunately, neither his tone nor his travel-stained tunic impresses the surly soldiers. They refuse to grant his request out of hand.

If you wish to show them your Pass,
turn to 180
.

If you choose to leave the watchtower and return to the streets of Tharro,
turn to 204
.

You slam your hand down on the Fireseed. There is a loud crack as it explodes, spreading a sheet of flame across the ground. The creature shrivels and drops from your wrist, its body a charred pulp.

Hurriedly you pluck the needle-like spines from the palm of your hand, and gradually the feeling returns. Unfortunately, with the feeling comes a terrible pain (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points).

If you wish to bathe your hand in the pool of clear water,
turn to 315
.

If you choose to nurse your hand while you wait for Paido to complete his readings,
turn to 177
.

You call out your answer, and at first, the man pretends not to hear.
⁵
Hurriedly he begins to pose a second puzzle, but the crowd shout him down, insisting that he answer your call.

‘A lucky guess,’ he says, a little flustered at the thought of losing 20 Lune. ‘Perhaps our friend can explain how he arrived at his answer.’ You reply that the answer is simple: if one and a half geese lay one and a half eggs in one and a half days, it therefore follows that three geese would lay three eggs in one and a half days, or two eggs in one day. Thus, in eight days, three geese would lay sixteen eggs.

The crowd applaud your display of logic, much to the chagrin of Count Conundrum, who parts reluctantly with 20 Lune. (Record the Lune in the Belt Pouch section of your
Action Chart
 — 20 Lune take up the same space as 5 Gold Crowns.)

Turn to 141
.

Your horse is panic-stricken; the tree-bridge is too narrow for it to turn around, and Paido's mount is so close behind that you are unable to back up without risk of sending them both over the edge.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have completed the Lore-circles of Fire
and
Light, add 3 to the number you have picked.

If your total is now 0–7,
turn to 6
.

If it is 8 or higher,
turn to 77
.

You reach inside your tunic for your Pass, but the gate guard misinterprets your action. Thinking you are reaching for a hand weapon he becomes alarmed. ‘Accomplices!’ he shouts. ‘Stop them!’

The crowd of soldiers turn about and come running towards you, leaving their prisoner unguarded. (He immediately seizes the opportunity to make his escape.) ‘Lone Wolf, look out!’ shouts Paido, as the gate guard lunges at you with his spear. You dodge aside, but the tip gashes your hip (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points).

The soldiers are unlikely to listen to reason. Your only hope is to evade them before you are both surrounded and speared to death.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control or Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you have reached the rank of Primate, add 2.

If your total is 0–3,
turn to 57
.

If it is 4 or more,
turn to 234
.

You concentrate all your skill on trying to save your companion's life. Placing your hands on his chest, you transfer the warmth of your healing power into Paido's poisoned body, breaking down the toxin by degrees. The treatment is slow and laborious, and it is dawn before you know for sure if your skill has saved his life.

Turn to 103
.

The old woman pockets your gold and leads you and Paido to a room at the top of the stairs. Books and charts are stacked high on shelves and scattered about the floor, and daylight streams in through a domed portal in the ceiling. A massive bronze telescope is fixed to the portal, and below it rests a circular table of carved bone set with gems. Seated at the table is a beautiful young woman. Her hair is silken gold, and around her high, pale forehead she wears a circlet of jet inlaid with runes and mystic symbols.

Turn to 42
.

Painfully slowly you inch your way across the bog, covering less than a mile in three hours. As the sun sets, you find yourselves in the middle of a thickening fog and decide to halt for the night and continue at dawn. Unfortunately, the Danarg quicksands shift and settle like the ebb and flow of the tide, and during the night, you are drawn into its depths to remain forever a prisoner of the bog.

Your life and your quest end here.

Studying your map you discover that the watchtower at the top of the hill is called Shieldwarden Tower. Paido tells you that the commanding officer of the town garrison is known as the Shieldwarden of Tharro.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship,
turn to 327
.

If you wish to ride up to the watchtower,
turn to 14
.

If you choose to enter the temple,
turn to 78
.

A claw-like probe of mental energy rakes your mind. Instantly your Discipline repels it, protecting your thoughts and memory from its wilful intrusion, but the unexpectedness and power of the attack leaves you shivering.

‘Are you all right?’ asks Paido. ‘Perhaps we should go below and shelter from this storm.’ You answer with a nod and follow him down the stairs into the welcoming warmth of the tap-room. The soldier Trost greets you on your return, but you fail to notice him — you are too busy scanning the hold for the stranger. You see him, seated alone in a shadowy corner opposite your table, quietly reading his black book.

Turn to 166
.