The Legacy of Vashna (14 page)

You unsheathe your weapon and brace yourself to receive their maniacal attack.

Acolytes of Vashna (in battle-frenzy):
COMBAT SKILL
 34   
ENDURANCE
 40

If you win this combat,
turn to 325
.

Suddenly, a sparkling sheet of energy shimmers beneath the great arch, and you catch sight of a huge, booted foot stepping through it. You tremble at the thought of what will happen next, for you recognize only too well to whom the foot belongs. With mounting horror you watch as the Demoness Shamath emerges from the Shadow Gate in her entirety. Here on Magnamund she is five times greater in size and power than in her own domain, and she is hungry to exercise that terrible power.

She stoops down and plucks the Deathstaff from you as if she was removing a tiny splinter of wood from a lowly insect. Then she points a tree-sized finger at the ground before the dais and a huge hole appears.

A raging whirlwind arises from this abyss, a whirling vortex which quickly builds in power until it is sucking everything into its spinning black core. Screaming acolytes tumble past and disappear into its maw as you desperately hang on to the dais to stop yourself from being sucked to your death. But your resistance is futile. With a callous flick of her wrist, the Demoness Shamath consigns you to your doom.

Tragically, your life and your quest end here.

You draw your weapon and brace yourself as the phantoms swoop down upon you like hungry vultures descending on a corpse.

Vortexi:
COMBAT SKILL
 46   
ENDURANCE
 40

For every level of Kai rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, you may add 2 to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of this fight. If you possess the Sommerswerd, restore 5 points to your
ENDURANCE
score.

If you win the combat,
turn to 159
.

You raise the hood of your robe and join the procession of acolytes who are filing into the hall. The interior is a dark and forbidding place, decorated with the ritualistic trappings of the Acolytes of Vashna. Spluttering candles dimly illuminate a central altar and a sickly-smelling incense saturates the air. The acolytes encircle the altar several ranks deep and listen intently as two of their Elders conduct a liturgy in praise of Darklord Vashna, and the victory he has seen fit to grant them. They conclude their sinister ceremony by crying out the words, ‘We celebrate this eve of the “Great Welcoming”. May Lord Vashna, our master, vanquish his enemies and rule unchallenged ever more!’

The acolytes respond spontaneously by repeatedly chanting their master's name. ‘Vashna! Vashna! Vashna!’ they cry, as they slowly shuffle out of the hall in single file. At the door, each acolyte is handed a burning torch and made to parade past the Elders who give them their unholy blessing. You take care to keep your face concealed within the raised hood of your robe as your turn comes to pass before them.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Kai-alchemy, Kai-screen, or Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked (these bonuses are cumulative).

Also, if you possess a Runic Disc, add 1; if you possess the Sommerswerd, deduct 3; and for every rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, add 1.

If your total score is now 4 or less,
turn to 322
.

If it is 5 or more,
turn to 192
.

As the screaming Vortexi horde swoops down, you pray to Kai and Ishir to give you strength enough to defeat them.

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 118
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 284
.

As the first of the brigand captain's men emerge from the surrounding pines, you break off the fight and take to your heels, pausing only to snatch up his satchel as you leave. Thinking that his swordsmanship has terrified you into running away, the captain gives chase, but he soon loses you among the dense pines and gives up his pursuit.

Turn to 247
.

Suddenly, a grey-haired man dressed in furs springs up from behind the boulder with a loaded crossbow clutched in his hands.

‘Don't move!’ he growls, and levels the weapon at your heart.

If you possess the Discipline of Telegnosis and wish to use it,
turn to 201
.

If you do not possess this skill or choose not to use it,
turn to 280
.

The street ends at a stagnant fountain where a rowdy crowd has gathered to watch a bare-knuckled contest between two tough street-fighters. You stop to ask one of the spectators the way to the Crooked Sage Inn and, somewhat to your surprise, he seems pleased to offer his help. He gives you clear directions to Tavern Lane, the street where the inn is situated, and less than ten minutes later you find yourself at a signpost which marks the start of this narrow thoroughfare.

Turn to 332
.

Shamath recoils in horror before your deadly blows. She begins to whimper. Then, quite suddenly, a geyser of flame shoots from the ground and engulfs her worm-like body. You watch with disbelief as the tendrilled flesh blackens and flakes away in a matter of seconds, to leave nothing but a coiled heap of glowing cinders on the mirrored floor.

Turn to 261
.

The bolt streaks towards you and, for one terrible moment, you are frozen rigid with fear. Then your natural Kai instincts take command, and suddenly it is as if everything is happening in slow motion. You are in mortal danger and must act swiftly if you are to survive.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 71
.

If you do not, you can attempt to avoid the bolt by diving out of the building.
Turn to 7
.

The longboat glides to a halt beside the jetty and attendant acolytes make it secure with ropes and hawsers. An Elder oversees the disembarkation, allowing the wounded off first, followed by the rest in descending order of rank and superiority. You join in the queue with the lowly initiates and follow the line as it files off the jetty and up a torchlit hill track to a hall of stone. It is a grand building which shows signs of having only recently been constructed.

The interior of the hall is a dark and forbidding place, decorated with the ritualistic trappings of the Acolytes of Vashna. Spluttering candles dimly illuminate a central altar and a sickly-smelling incense saturates the air. The acolytes encircle the altar several ranks deep and listen intently as two of their Elders conduct a liturgy in praise of Darklord Vashna, and the victory he has seen fit to grant them. They conclude their sinister ceremony by crying out the words, ‘We celebrate this eve of the “Great Welcoming”. May Lord Vashna, our master, vanquish his enemies and rule unchallenged ever more!’

The acolytes respond spontaneously by repeatedly chanting their master's name. ‘Vashna! Vashna! Vashna!’ they cry, as they slowly shuffle out of the hall in single file. At the door, each acolyte is handed a burning torch and made to parade past the Elders who give them their unholy blessing. You take care to keep your face concealed within the raised hood of your robe as your turn comes to pass before them.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Kai-alchemy, Kai-screen, or Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked (these bonuses are cumulative).

Also, if you possess a Runic Disc, add 1; if you possess the Sommerswerd, deduct 3; and for every rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, add 1.

If your total score is now 4 or less,
turn to 322
.

If it is 5 or more,
turn to 192
.

Your basic Kai skills are sufficient to calm the wolf, but he is clearly agitated by the scent and presence of your horse. Confused and frustrated by its conflicting instincts, the wolf retreats into the depths of the mine shaft where it howls throughout the remainder of the night.

Unable to sleep because of the wolf's incessant cries, you spend the next five hours in quiet discomfort waiting for the storm to subside: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

Turn to 279
.

You unsheathe your weapon and wait with bated breath as you listen to the beast approaching. It sounds as if it is more than thirty yards away when suddenly, with a deafening roar, it drops through the fog and lands upon you. Desperately you fight to defend yourself as it tries to rake you unmercifully with fang and claw.

Illustration VIII
—You unsheathe your weapon and wait with bated breath as you listen to the beast approaching.

Zarthyn:
COMBAT SKILL
 45   
ENDURANCE
 50

If you win this combat,
turn to 90
.

You back away from the advancing line of automatons and try to use your speed and agility to get around their flank. But you have taken less than a dozen steps when you feel the floor becoming soft and spongy beneath your feet.

If you possess Telegnosis and have reached the Kai rank of Sun Lord,
turn to 193
.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 127
.

Otherwise,
turn to 232
.

You fly through the air towards the opposite roof, yet in your haste to pursue the assassin, you misjudge the jump and land short. Desperately, you scrabble to get a grip on the rusty gutter at the edge of the tiled roof, but it is weak and cannot support your weight. It collapses and, with a cry of fear, you plummet backwards into the street below.

Turn to 38
.

The trail meanders away from the lapping waters of the lake and winds slowly upwards to a chalky plateau covered with dense scrub. Clumps of dull yellow blossoms, blighted by the severe weather, cling to the boughs of this foliage. They give off a pleasant odour which your horse finds irresistible. You sense that they are nutritious and so you stop and both of you eat your fill: restore 3
ENDURANCE
points. (There is a sufficient surplus of blossoms for 2 Meals. These nutritious blossoms have no healing properties.)

Turn to 338
.

Throughout the afternoon, the rocky trail descends through an unlovely landscape of shale hills and crags topped with thorny brambles. It is difficult terrain but your ride passes without incident. Shortly before dusk, you come to the top of a ridge and catch your first glimpse of the River Storn and the snow-capped peaks of the southern Durncrags beyond. The elation of having come this far is sobered when you see that the distant sky is changing rapidly, and only a slender streak of light fringes the horizon. A storm is closing in.

As you make the long, gradual descent towards the river, the air becomes humid and dark clouds appear overhead. The turmoil of moisture quickly charges the atmosphere. Lightning flashes without warning from the clouds to the earth and arcs skyward again, its energy echoing in a slow roll of thunder. Then the heavens open and a deluge of rain saturates the land. You calm your startled horse and urge him through the pouring rain, praying all the while that you will be able to find shelter before night closes in.

You are within a mile of the river when the darkness is almost complete. Yet, aided by your keen vision, you are able to make out two places that can offer some degree of shelter from the storm. The first is a cone-shaped stone hut, perched near the river's edge; the second is a rocky hollow close to the trail.

If you wish to shelter in the hut,
turn to 207
.

If you wish to take shelter in the rocky hollow,
turn to 91
.

You scramble to your feet and sprint to the dais where you wrench the Deathstaff from the floor of the lower tier. To your horror it feels abnormally heavy and you sag beneath its weight. The Demoness spins around and emits a terrible scream when she sees what you are holding. The noise of her wrath lifts you bodily and sends you skidding across the floor.
¹²

Desperately, you fight to maintain your grip on the Deathstaff as the furious Shamath comes striding towards you. The deafening shriek of her voice rings once more in your ears as you clutch the Deathstaff to your chest and take a running leap into the dark oblivion of the Shadow Gate.

Turn to 270
.