The Jungle of Horrors (7 page)

A breathtaking agony engulfs you as three sharpened spearheads penetrate your rib cage. You turn to Paido, your hands outstretched, your eyes wide with pain. He lunges forward in a desperate bid to catch you as you fall but he too is struck down by thrusting spears. Amid the sounds of chaos and confusion, you slip unwillingly into the waiting arms of death.

Your life and your quest end here.

Long streamers of moss-covered vines hang down the red rock wall in huge numbers, inviting you to climb onto the plateau above. After the uncertain ground of the swamp, the hard, jagged rock is a welcome relief. You make good progress, reaching the top just as the sun is sinking into a sea of scarlet mist that shrouds the eastern Danarg. In the failing light, you discover a trail that winds northwards through the knee-high foliage.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Pathsmanship,
turn to 108
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 335
.

What little colour there is in the Count's already pallid face drains away.
⁶
The crowd hoots with delight as he nods his head slowly to affirm that your answer is correct. As the ice-lilies double in number each day, the lake is half-covered on the day before it is fully covered.

Begrudgingly the Count hands over your prize — 40 Lune. Record the Lune in the Belt Pouch section of your
Action Chart
(40 Lune occupy the same space as 10 Gold Crowns).

Turn to 338
.

A ghastly transformation is taking place before your eyes. The monk's face is writhing and contorting as the skin tightens and grows darker. Tattered flesh drops from his sunken cheeks to hang in festoons beneath the exposed jawbone. 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 long black staff.

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
⁷
turn to 308
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 248
.

Paido dismounts and peers through a cracked window set into the rough stone base of the mill. ‘Looks deserted,’ he comments, his sharp eyes probing the gloomy interior.

‘How about up there,’ you suggest, pointing to a platform that juts out from the side. Paido climbs a rickety wooden staircase that clings precariously to the mouldering stonework. Just as he reaches the top, he halts in mid-step. Slowly he raises his hands above his head: he must be in danger.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility,
turn to 95
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 210
.

The arrival of the swamp python frightened away the crawling denizens of the mire, but now they are returning to satisfy their curiosity. Hordes of slithering lizard-beasts gather at the edge of the floating morass, inching their way nearer as they assess your strengths and weaknesses. Relentlessly you push your way through the soggy vegetation until you reach the jagged rock wall of the island, urged on all the way by a hissing chorus of swamp creatures.

Turn to 58
.

The dingy alley soon opens on to a tiny square where three wider streets converge. Dusk is turning to darkness, and the faded street signs are now all but impossible to read.

If you wish to take the street to your left,
turn to 282
.

If you wish to take the street to your right,
turn to 332
.

If you wish to take the street ahead,
turn to 264
.

Seconds later you hear the crash of broken furniture as a fight breaks out inside the cabin. Paido has surprised your would-be assailant, and the two of them are now locked in hand-to-hand combat. Abruptly the noise ceases, and Paido appears at the front door, sweating and dishevelled, his sword bloodied in his hand.

‘Where have you been?’ he asks, stepping aside to allow you to enter. A scar-faced man lies dead on the floor, a wooden stave lying across his chest. ‘Come and see what I've found in the back room,’ says Paido, leading the way.

Small sacks, each filled with nuggets of silver, are stacked in a huge mound that reaches almost to the ceiling. ‘No wonder he fought so desperately,’ you say, staring at this treasure hoard. ‘There's enough silver here to pay a king's ransom.’

You may take some treasure before you leave — each Sack of Silver counts as one Backpack Item.

If you wish to continue along the valley,
turn to 152
.

If you wish to investigate the mine,
turn to 120
.

Quietly you agree upon a plan of action. Paido and Trost will approach the necromancer while you guard the stairs. If he should evade your companions, he'll have you to contend with before he can escape from the hold.

Unhurriedly, you leave your seat and walk to the tap-room stairs. When you are in position your companions rise and advance towards the stranger who remains motionless, seemingly engrossed in his black book. Trost draws his sword and challenges the man, demanding that he state his name and the purpose of his journey. It is a fatal mistake. The man looks up from his book, his grey eyes suddenly aglow with a terrible red fire. Trost screams. His face has become a mass of horrible, erupting boils. As he falls to the floor, Paido strikes, his sword a shimmering lance of blue steel forged by the Elder Magi. His attack is lightning fast, but the necromancer counters his blow on the edge of his blade. Sparks explode, showering the tap-room with glowing fragments. The crowd begins to cheer, but their cheers turn to screams of terror when the necromancer summons a new defence.

Illustration III
—Trost's face has become a mass of horrible erupting boils.

Turn to 206
.

Paido opens his palm to reveal the small gold coin: it shows heads. ‘Bad luck!’ he exclaims with a grin. ‘You take the first watch.’ He settles himself down on the mound of spongy earth and is soon asleep, snoring softly. You sit beside him, your eyes scouring the black spaces between the ghostly grey trees.

The first half of the night passes uneventfully. In need of rest, you are about to awaken Paido when you sense something moving in the shadows off to your right. Two tiny pinpoints of yellow light blink in the darkness. You draw your weapon, expecting an attack, but you can no longer see the eyes of the shadow creature. Paido wakes and takes over the watch, but the lingering feeling that you are being observed makes you uneasy and disturbs your rest (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points). Four hours later, you wake to the gloomy grey of dawn and prepare to set off once more.

Turn to 138
.

You take cover behind the pulpit and focus your skill on a corner at the far end of the hall. Two hunting dogs run through the curtained archway and stop in the middle of the aisle, as if waiting for their handlers to catch up. Seconds later a group of monks appear, each armed with a sword. They approach the far corner and search it thoroughly, certain that the pews harbour you and your companion. When they discover them empty, they quickly leave the hall and descend the stairs, their baying hounds in tow.

Turn to 328
.

Upon seeing Lord Adamas' seal, the guard returns your Pass, salutes, and commands that the gate be opened without delay. You pass through the gatehouse arch and enter an open courtyard. Two avenues lead from the courtyard: Copperpiece Lane and Hog-Foot Run.

If you wish to go east into Copperpiece Lane,
turn to 35
.

If you wish to go north into Hog-Foot Run,
turn to 282
.

Suddenly you are hit in the back and propelled into the yawning chasm. Paido, who was following closely on your heels, has rammed into you and sent you tumbling over the edge. As you plummet to your doom, you hear his scream of anguish, echoing in the void.

Your life and your quest end here.

Paido kicks open the side door and rushes out into the storm with you close on his heels. A grimy-faced farmer blocks the passage beyond, a pitchfork wobbling in his clumsy hands. Paido emits a shout far louder than you ever imagined could be made by a human voice. The force of the shout hits the man in the chest and slams him to the muddy ground like a limp rag doll.

‘Vakeros power-word,’ explains Paido, in answer to your unspoken question. ‘Someday I'll teach you the technique, Kai Lord.’

A handful of plains folk, clutching rakes and hoes, are waiting for you at the stable door. But, after seeing the fate that befell their leader, they throw down their improvised weapons and melt into the storm.

Swiftly you saddle your mounts and gallop away from the tavern at full speed.

Turn to 318
.

Your body has shielded Paido from the blast, and he has escaped serious injury. He tends your raw, blistered face and bandages your hands with strips of cloth torn from his undershirt. Your injuries are severe: they reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 5 points for the duration of this adventure and permanently reduce your score by 3 points in future adventures.

If you wish to continue along the causeway,
turn to 216
.

If you decide to turn back and take the west spur,
turn to 105
.

Beyond the archway is a narrow alley that leads to the quadrangle. You reach the end of the alley and peer around the corner to check that all is clear. You see a group of monks walking towards you, all armed with swords.

Waiting on the other corner is a small wagon. Its canvas cover is threadbare and patched in a score of places. It is harnessed to a pair of moth-eaten old mules and a driver sits holding their reins, his features hidden by a hooded black robe. As the monks draw closer he raises a hand and beckons to you; he wants you to hide in his wagon. It is now or never — the monks are about to turn the corner.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination or have reached the rank of Tutelary,
turn to 270
.

If you wish to hide in the wagon,
turn to 32
.

If you choose to stand and confront the monks,
turn to 41
.

The hamlet of Honey Lodge is small — two cottages, a barn, and a stone watchtower cluster in a circle at the river's edge. A gang of excited young boys wait on the rain-swept jetty to welcome home their fathers, each hoping for a present, perhaps a fishing rod or a hunting bow, from the marketplace in Phoena.

Eight men, including the Count, disembark at Honey Lodge, but only one new passenger embarks for the journey to Tharro — a thin individual with hard grey eyes that gleam coldly from beneath his wide-brimmed hat. Slung at his side is a narrow-bladed sword, and in his hand he clutches a leather-bound book, its cover as plain and as black as his clothing. He pays his fare and descends to the tap-room, pausing briefly at the top of the stairs to return your stare.

If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen and have reached the rank of Tutelary,
turn to 23
.

If you do not possess this skill or have yet to reach the Kai rank of Tutelary,
turn to 325
.