The Plague Lords of Ruel (12 page)

You unshoulder your Bow and draw an Arrow from your Quiver. Then, with smooth precision, you take aim at the fleeing druid's back. The instant you fix upon his billowing scarlet robes, you release the bowstring and send your shaft speeding towards the nape of his neck.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have Grand Weaponmastery (with Bow), add 3 to the number you have picked.

If your total score is 0–5,
turn to 167
.

If it is 6 or higher,
turn to 235
.

The heavy chain whips towards your face but your reactions are lightning fast. You pull yourself away and it misses you by inches. Then you move forward to the platform's edge to watch, with grim fascination, as the gigantic acid-filled cauldron plummets into the hall below.

Turn to 220
.

It takes you half an hour to reach the foot of the staircase. There awaits a dank cavern, its uneven floor littered with the bones of creatures who fell from the stairs or were consumed by the spectral being which once commanded this vault. Steeling yourself against the unwelcoming gloom, you advance along an oval, white-walled passageway of mineral rock and emerge in another chamber which is filled by a deep pool of crystal-clear water.

At first it appears to be a dead end; then you notice a faint light reflecting upon the surface of the water and you look up to see a hollow directly above. It is a natural chimney which rises into the ceiling, and at its end you see a warm, yellow, lantern-like glow. The chimney is rough and pitted, and to someone of your experience it is as easy to climb as a wide-stepped ladder.

Within ten minutes you reach the neck of the chimney and find yourself staring through a hole at the floor of a passageway beyond. The source of the light comes from several oil lamps which hang at regular intervals from the roof of this narrow tunnel. You can sense the presence of Vazhag somewhere in the vicinity, and so you choose to wait here in case a patrol is about to pass this way.

During your wait, unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 94
.

The strength of your psychic defences is such that you can easily withstand the pulse of energy that the druid has launched against you. His attack fragments and fades, leaving him sorely weakened by his desperate effort to thwart your advance.

With a cry of despair, he draws a dagger from inside his robes and prepares to fight you to the death.

Cener Druid:
COMBAT SKILL
 20   
ENDURANCE
 26

If you win the combat,
turn to 4
.

You begin your bogus report and the creature dutifully copies down your words, but what you are saying soon heightens its suspicions that you are an impostor. Then you notice its free hand gliding slowly towards a button which protrudes from the side of its desk. It is an alarm button.

Before you can prevent it, the creature depresses the button.

Turn to 11
.

As the two figures turn from the table, you recognize the red robes they are wearing. At first you assumed them to be Cener Druids, but their garments are not the same. They have black hoods, and the skull-like motifs which are embroidered upon them identify these two to be members of an evil sect known as the Acolytes of Vashna.

The presence here of two worshippers of Vashna, who was once the greatest of all the Darklords, rekindles chilling memories of past encounters with these fanatics. Following the downfall of the Darklords you had assumed that the last remnants of the sect had vanished forever, yet here before you are two who still wear their robes and practise their vile necromantic art.

Fearful that you have stumbled upon a secret Cenerese conspiracy, you inch your way closer to the robed men to listen to their whispered conversation.

Turn to 247
.

Your death-blow sends the Pit Agarashi sprawling limply to the chamber floor, but its loathsome body has barely settled amongst the junk when you glimpse the Vazhag hurl something from the corner of the room. A glint of light on razor-sharp steel reveals the curvy-bladed knife which is now spinning end-over-end towards your chest.

If you possess Grand Pathsmanship and Grand Nexus,
turn to 55
.

If you do not possess
both
of these Grand Master Disciplines,
turn to 174
.

You focus upon the three distant pits and allow your consciousness to pass into the trance-like state that must be achieved to allow your Discipline to work. A tingling sensation runs along your limbs and gradually an image takes form in your mind.

From out of a swirling mist there comes into focus a moving scene that is terrible to behold. A vast procession of partially-clad soldiers are being herded into the pits by packs of blood-hungry Vazhag. They are bound with ropes and many are grievously wounded. They plead for mercy but their pitiful cries go unheeded as the snarling, savage rat-men stab them to death with their cruelly-fashioned spears before casting them down into the three yawning abysses.

Gradually the image fades and, as you return to consciousness, you discover that you are lying face down upon the ground. Your limbs shake uncontrollably and your forehead and chest are bathed in a cold sweat. You have tapped into the powerful residue of psychic force that pervades this site and the experience has left you in a state of psychic shock: lose 6
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 93
.

Hanging on to the underside of the descending drawbridge by your fingertips, you are slowly lowered into the icy cold waters of the lake. The bridge stops with a jolt, leaving you dangling waist-deep in the water and feeling all-too-vulnerably like a piece of Dholdaarg bait.

You hear the rasp of clawed feet scurrying across the bridge and a voice, unmistakably Cenerese, echoes from the opposite side of the cave. Despite the pain in your fingers and forearms, you remain absolutely motionless as the rat-like Vazhag cross the bridge and descend to the muddy shore. One or two remain on the bridge directly above you, and you can see them through the cracks in the timbers. They are squeaking and pointing at the oily green pools of blood that stain the surface of the lake.

Drawn by their comrades' squeaking, you see two Vazhag leap from the platform and pad down towards the water's edge.

If you possess Assimilance,
turn to 195
.

If you do not possess this Grand Mastery,
turn to 130
.

The Vazhag lancer tumbles lifelessly to the ground startling its horse which turns and bolts towards the forest. Instantly you act to prevent its escape by using your Magnakai ability of Animal Control. Your powers soothe the creature and coax it to return.

Quickly you mount the steed and head off along the trail which leads to the River Storn. You are less than five miles from the bridge where you hope to finally make good your escape to the Freeland of Slovia. By keeping to the forest's edge you avoid the traffic of Vazhag troops moving back and forth along the trail and, by the time you reach the banks of the mighty Storn, your spirits are high. Unfortunately, when you do catch your first sight of the bridge, your hopes of making a crossing here are soon dashed.

Turn to 182
.

The hound crashes to the ground, mortally wounded. But before you can even catch your breath, its master comes charging at you with his sword raised to hack you down.

You sidestep his first blow, gaining the few precious seconds you need in which to compose yourself for this second wave of combat.

Defender:
COMBAT SKILL
 30   
ENDURANCE
 30

If you win this fight,
turn to 5
.

You pull the iron lever and at first nothing happens. Then you hear a
click
followed by the hiss of escaping air as the concealed door unlocks and glides open. Quickly you enter and close the door to avoid being seen by the Vazhag guards.

A narrow corridor lies beyond, lit by a gloomy crimson light which is filtering through a threadbare curtain hung from hooks in the ceiling. Automatically you cast your eyes around, checking floor, walls, and roof for traps, but detect nothing unduly suspicious. Then you approach the curtain and through its moth-eaten fabric you spy a small bed chamber. A grossly overweight Vazhag, wrapped in furs, lies sprawled upon a divan in the centre of the room. He is snoring fitfully. Around him are strewn heaps of all manner of items: rusty weapons, tarnished armour, boxes, and candlesticks, trinkets, baubles, and books. In the merchant stores of Holmgard they would be rejected as worthless junk, but here, in the rat-holes of the Skardos Mountains, they no doubt pass for treasure.

Across the chamber, beyond the sleeping Vazhag, you see another curtained archway.

If you wish to enter the chamber and search through the items which litter the floor,
turn to 319
.

If you choose to cross the chamber and investigate the curtained archway,
turn to 238
.

If you decide to turn around and leave by the secret door,
turn to 308
.

As you approach the sphere, its sparkling crystal core is darkened by a mist. Rapidly this smoky discolouration expands until it transcends the confines of the sphere and begins to take the shape of a swirling funnel which comes closer with every passing second. The moment that the edges of this sinister cone engulf your vision, you sense a dramatic change take place, as if you have suddenly crossed over the boundary which separates consciousness from dreams.

A sensation of falling assails your senses and, with panic in your heart, you try desperately to extricate yourself from this terrifying cone of darkness.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

Now, consult the following list and modify your number where appropriate:

If you possess Kai-screen add 3.

If you possess Grand Nexus add 1.

If your current
ENDURANCE
score is 20 or higher add 1.

If your current
ENDURANCE
score is 19 or lower subtract 1.

If your total score is now 4 or less,
turn to 46
.

If it is 5–7,
turn to 269
.

If it is 8 or higher,
turn to 143
.

With the shrieks of the horde and the rasping growl of the Giganite echoing in your ears, you spring to your feet and run headlong into the mouth of the leafy tunnel. Your stamina and fleetness of foot keep you ahead of the ghouls until, two miles later, you sense that the danger has passed and it is safe enough for a few minutes' rest.

Once your pulse has settled, your fear of being followed prompts you to continue along the leafy passage without further delay. You progress in a near-darkness which is broken only by a few scattered rays of grey light that creep through the ceiling above. At length the tunnel ends and you emerge into a clearing where stand the derelict remains of an ancient stone dwelling. You approach it warily, sensing the presence of magic, yet inside its shattered walls you find nothing but mould and clumps of sickly black grass. Then your skills of Divination tingle afresh as the presentiment of sorcery increases. Suddenly you realize that the source of the magic is not here in this ruined hut: it is approaching the hut.

Through a crack in the stones you see a gap appear in the wall of trees opposite and a group of Vazhag enter the clearing, their ratty faces sniffing at the heavy, humid air. Among their number is one who is not of their breed. He is human in size and stature, though his hooded scarlet robes make it difficult to be sure. For a moment you catch a glimpse of the glassy green mask covering his face and at once you know that this being is a Cener Druid. In his hand he carries a rod of gold that is radiating the aura of magic which you detected when first you entered the clearing.

The Cener calls his pack to a halt. They cease all movement and watch in quiet awe as he raises his golden rod and uses it to make a slow, deliberate sweep of the clearing. Hurriedly you draw on your Magnakai skills of Invisibility and Pathsmanship to shield you from detection as the Cener sweeps back the rod and levels it directly at the derelict hut.

Waves of psychic energy flow across your mind. Steadily they grow in intensity, probing and testing your defences to breaking point.

If you possess Kai-screen,
turn to 44
.

If you do not possess this Grand Mastery,
turn to 298
.