The Plague Lords of Ruel (27 page)

You catch sight of something huge and grey, moving just below the surface of the foaming water. For a moment it disappears; then, with a mighty splash, a great scaly head emerges with two cold reptilian eyes that flare like yellow flames. It soars up from the icy depths of the lake, perched atop a neck as stout and as long as a toa tree.

Illustration XVIII
—A great scaly head emerges with two cold reptilian eyes that flare like pits of yellow flame.

One-handedly you struggle to unsheathe your weapon as the feral-eyed beast hovers above you, its open mouth set with jagged, jet-black fangs. Hungrily it watches you and a rumble issues from its gullet as it steadies itself to strike.

Dholdaarg:
COMBAT SKILL
 43   
ENDURANCE
 56

Owing to your precarious position you must reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 5 points for the duration of this fight. If the weapon you are using is a Broadsword, a Spear, or a Quarterstaff, reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by a further 3 points. This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not to Psi-surge or Kai-surge).

You may evade combat after 6 rounds by
turning to 63
.

If you win the combat,
turn to 219
.

The hideous Degradon roars in agony as your killing blow seals its fate. It crashes forward and you leap aside just in time to avoid being pinned beneath its loathsome carcass. Breathless and shaking with the fatigue of combat, you lean against the wall and survey your surroundings.

Before you stretches a cavernous hall, lit by the glow from fire-filled orbs hanging by chains from the ceiling. Facing each other are two rows of stone statues which form a grotesque corridor leading to an archway on the far side. Although they are human in shape, extreme expressions of pain and despair twist and contort their faces.

You advance cautiously. You are wary of the statues and your body is tensed to react should they show the slightest hint of animation. Fortunately your caution is unnecessary and you are able to reach the archway and leave the hall without further incident. A short passageway leads to a junction where a wider corridor crosses from left to right. Your skin prickles in reaction to the concentration of evil you detect in this subterranean part of Mogaruith, and silently you call upon your creator, the noble God Kai, for protection and guidance, before continuing.

Instinct prompts you to turn left, and within a few minutes you arrive at a chamber where a vast staircase of black marble ascends to many levels, lost in the gloom above. Opposite this grand staircase stands a large door, carved from a solid sheet of strange green metal, the like of which you have never seen before. It gives off a pulsating radiance which washes over the empty chamber, illuminating symbols carved into the walls and floor. You focus on these symbols and, in a chilling moment of realization, you decipher their meaning.

Turn to 300
.

You step over the bodies of your attackers and stoop to retrieve your Bow. As you are rising, you notice a tiny box-like device hanging from a chain around the Pit Agarashi's neck. At once your natural Sixth Sense informs you that this device is magical. It controlled the creature's instincts, enslaving it to the commands of the weaker Vazhag.

If you wish to take this Restrainer, record it as a Special Item on your
Action Chart
.

Anxious to leave, you lift the furs which cover the divan and see, protruding from the side, a small lever identical to the one that opened the secret door. You pull it and the door clicks open, enabling you to escape by the way you entered.

Turn to 308
.

The psychic protection afforded you by your Magnakai Disciplines buckles under the Cener's concentrated assault. You feel an unbearable pressure behind your eyes, and then a white-hot core of pain erupts inside your head and you are sent reeling to the ground in agony: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

As gradually the pain fades, you hear the Cener's harsh voice barking an order to his Vazhag escort. You have been detected!

Turn to 159
.

The flames explode upon your chest and fan out to engulf your entire body. You call upon the protection of your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus to save you, but it cannot overcome the incredible temperature of this magical fire: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

Within a few seconds the flames have gone, leaving you singed and smouldering but (to the angry frustration of your attacker) still alive.

Turn to 17
.

The symbols form concentric circles which spell out a grim message:

‘Humble thyself for thou art worthless like the dust before He who dwells herein. Pay homage to the emissary of the Lords of Decay for He is the instrument of their intention. Abase thyself afore His power. Hail, mighty Cadak of Mogaruith!’

Fear and uncertainty knot your stomach as you stand and stare at the door to Arch Druid Cadak's throne hall. Your senses scream at you to turn and run from this place for the air is so heavy with evil that you feel as if you are being slowly suffocated to death. But on this occasion you resist your instincts, for you have yet to discover where the Cenerese are cultivating their deadly plague virus and you know that the answer to that question can most likely be found here.

With fear running cold in your veins, you steel yourself and step towards the glowing door. As you come within a few feet of its pulsating surface, a band of intense light washes over you from head to toe.

If you possess the Grand Mastery of Kai-screen,
turn to 236
.

If you do not possess mastery of this skill,
turn to 6
.

With a chilling howl, the spectral creature swoops down to exploit its advantage, but you are too quick for it. You roll across the rock-strewn floor and lash out as it passes overhead, and feel a cold shock run up your arm as your weapon passes clean through its fiery, ghost-like body. The creature howls again, this time with pain. Heartened by the realization that it is vulnerable to your attack, you rise to your feet and prepare for combat as it comes swooping down to attack once more.

Pechdrazil:
COMBAT SKILL
 40   
ENDURANCE
 26

This creature is especially susceptible to high-level psychic attacks. If you possess Kai-surge and wish to use it, increase your
COMBAT SKILL
by 10 points (instead of 8) for the duration of this combat.

If you win the fight,
turn to 20
.

The Tzarg croaks excitedly when it discovers where you are. Cursing the creature, you abandon your hiding place and step into the light, your weapon drawn in readiness for combat.

The instant the Vazhag see you they squeal with delight and fan out in an attempt to surround you. Freed from its cruel handlers, the Tzarg waddles away into the passage as quickly as it can to avoid the fight which is about to commence.

Vazhag patrol:
COMBAT SKILL
 40   
ENDURANCE
 40

You cannot evade this combat. The Vazhag attack simultaneously and you must fight them as one enemy.

If you win the combat,
turn to 83
.

You struggle to extricate yourself from the bodies of the Vazhag you have slain. As you rise to the summit of this grisly heap, you glimpse the Cener Druid scurrying towards the gap in the trees by which he, and his late minions, entered the clearing. He must not be allowed to escape!

Carefully you take up your Bow and aim at this enemy for a second time, determined to stop him in his tracks. 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 0–4,
turn to 99
.

If it is 5 or higher,
turn to 250
.

A Cener Robe and Mask would provide you with a useful disguise as you explore the chambers of Mogaruith, a disguise that would undoubtedly raise your chances of success. With this in mind you take and put on what you need from the pegs.

Record the Cener Robe and Cener Mask in the margin of your
Action Chart
. As you are wearing these items rather than carrying them, you need not discard any Backpack Items in their favour.

To continue,
turn to 126
.

As the last Acolyte drops lifelessly to the platform, you sheathe your weapon and take hold of the ladder which ascends to the winch. All eyes in the hall below are watching your ascent and, when they suddenly realize what it is you are trying to do, pandemonium breaks out. Hysterical screams of anger and fear merge into a dreadful cacophony which fills the hall with clamouring echoes. You glance down at their faces, contorted by rage, and as you do so you glimpse a new threat to your safety.

A handful of Vazhag archers are scurrying from out of the portal which connects Cadak's chamber to the gallery. They spread out along the parapet and begin firing at you with their lacquered bows. Black-fletched arrows whistle past on either side, their barbed heads passing dangerously close to your legs and feet.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 4 to the number you have chosen.

If your total score is now 0–2,
turn to 231
.

If it is 3–6,
turn to 293
.

If it is 7 or higher,
turn to 278
.

You follow this illuminated tunnel with your nerves on edge, your every sense stretched to breaking point to detect anything that could forewarn you of an ambush or a trap. You follow it for almost a mile, and it is not until you reach a junction where the tunnel branches off in two directions, north and south, that your vigilance and skill are finally rewarded.

To the north you detect the greasy smell of Vazhag hide, and another aroma that reminds you of boiled offal. To the south you detect a completely different stench, a sickly gangrenous smell, rank and fetid, its origin unknown.

If you wish to investigate the north tunnel,
turn to 85
.

If you choose to follow the south tunnel,
turn to 266
.

You breathe the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Lightning Hand
and point towards the iron pin. A core of heat wells up in your chest and then surges along your outstretched arm to manifest itself at the tip of your index finger as a crackling ball of magical fire. This fire arcs towards the pin and explodes on impact amid a shower of hissing sparks. As these sparks fade you see faint cracks appearing in the surface of the flame-scorched pin.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If your current
ENDURANCE
score is 25 or higher, add 2 to the number you have picked. If your
ENDURANCE
score is 15 or lower, deduct 2.

If your total score is now 3 or less,
turn to 328
.

If it is 4 or higher,
turn to 141
.

The secret door clicks shut behind you and you find yourself back in the vast, lava-lit cavern once more. Unseen, you advance towards the iron portal and wait close by, camouflaged from detection by your cloak of Kai skills, as patiently you observe the doorway and its guards.

After several minutes, the resonant boom of a metal gong echoes in some deep and distant part of the caves. As the echo slowly fades, another sound, that of metal scraping on stone, resounds around the cavern. Then a crack of light appears along the bottom of the portal and, with a grating screech, the great wall of black iron slowly rises up into the ceiling.

Through the opening comes a patrol of Vazhag who are escorting a wagon stacked high with wooden boxes, barrels, and sacks. A sudden rush of female Vazhag, all squealing and clamouring for food, brings the wagon to a halt directly beneath the onion-shaped portico. The escort struggles to fend off the hungry females with little effect until, with a spine-tingling screech, the portal begins to descend. A wave of panic washes over the Vazhag and they turn and run back into the cavern, fearful of being crushed beneath the falling iron door.

When it is just a few feet from the wagon, the portal shudders and grinds to a halt. Those few guards and Vazhag escort who remained nearby quickly rush forward to drag the wagon from beneath the portal. You notice that the females are beginning to return and you know that you must act now if you are to escape from the cavern before the wagon is pulled clear and the iron door closes.

If you wish to use your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus to help you escape,
turn to 270
.

If you wish to use your Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge,
turn to 68
.

If you wish to use your Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility,
turn to 9
.