The Plague Lords of Ruel (8 page)

Your powerful senses detect the tang of fresh water on the air that is wafting gently towards you from out of the east tunnel. The source is distant, more than a mile away at least.

If you wish to investigate the east tunnel,
turn to 118
.

If you would rather explore the west tunnel,
turn to 189
.

Through the wide opening in the chamber wall there is a gallery which overlooks a vast windowless hall. You approach the gallery's railed parapet and stare down at a score of druids who are working at tiled tables positioned in rows across the floor. Upon some tables rest porcelain troughs filled with oily fluids which seethe beneath a constant shower of electrical sparks. Other tables support dozens of glass boxes of differing sizes. The smallest contain rats; the largest contain horses. Hundreds of pipes and tubes run around the walls, feeding a supply of fluids and gases to the experiment tables. The fumes rising from this diabolical laboratory sting your eyes, but you ignore the discomfort and continue your observations, eager to take in every detail of the evil work which is taking place below. It is not long before you recognize that this hall is where the deadly plague virus and its vaccine are being produced.

Illustration III
—You approach the gallery's veiled parapet and stare down at a score of druids working at tiled tables.

You know that you must act with all haste for Arch Druid Cadak is still alive and, wherever he is at present, you can be sure he is plotting to capture or kill you, probably both. Below lies that which you have come here to destroy. But how will you accomplish your task? Relentlessly the seconds tick by as you try to formulate a plan. Then you see something which sparks an idea. The pipes that feed fluids to the laboratory's disposal tanks are connected to a massive cauldron suspended from the ceiling by a winch and chains. You focus upon a plaque fixed to the side of this great vat and magnify your vision until you can read what has been engraved upon it. With grim satisfaction you read the words: ‘Danger — Concentrated Acid’.

Here is the key to the destruction of the virus. If you can cause the cauldron to tilt over far enough it will discharge its contents into the hall below, flooding the virus-laden tables with thousands of gallons of concentrated acid.

Elated by your daring plan, you look for a way to reach the winch which controls the angle at which the cauldron hangs from the ceiling. It is positioned high upon a platform atop an iron gantry, which is accessible only by ladder. Fortunately this ladder begins on the far side of the gallery.

Confident in your purpose you hurry around the gallery towards the ladder. You are within twenty paces when suddenly the harsh
clang
of an alarm bell fills the hall. You have been seen.

Turn to 177
.

You focus upon your left forearm and utter the Elder Magi spell-word which calls into existence an invisible shield. Instantly there is a sizzling splash of blue-white sparks as the bolt of crackling energy collides with your magical defence.

However, your preparation of the battle-spell was hurried and incomplete. The shield is shattered by the force of impact and the bolt bursts through to lance deep into your chest: lose 6
ENDURANCE
points.

If you survive this wounding,
turn to 135
.

Swiftly you swim away from the bridge towards the east wall of the cave. You can see no obvious exit here, but twenty feet below the surface you notice that the crevasse appears to undercut the cave wall.

Suddenly a spear splashes into the lake and passes within inches of your head, causing you to dive deeper to avoid the others that are sure to follow. In the icy gloom you sense an undercurrent of warmer water rising from the crevasse. Also, your super-keen eyesight detects a pale light radiating from the base of the cave wall. Another cavern must lie beyond this one, but you have no way of knowing for sure just how far away that cave might be.

Mustering your Kai courage, you swim down towards the crevasse and propel yourself along an oval-shaped tunnel below the east cave wall. In the distance you see the pale glow and you strike out towards it, thankful that at least this watery passage does not harbour hostile creatures.

After four long minutes of strenuous swimming, you begin to suffer pains in your chest due to lack of oxygen.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
, and add 1 to the number you have picked. This total is equal to the number of
ENDURANCE
points you lose due to oxygen starvation.

Adjust your
ENDURANCE
points total accordingly and then
turn to 246
.

The Cener curses you with his dying breath, his hooked hands outstretched before him as slowly he sinks to the ground. For a moment his body lies shivering at your feet; then it stiffens and is finally still.

Curiosity prompts you to prise away his green mask and look upon the face of this servant of evil. It is an ugly, disease-riddled face, human in shape yet lacking any trace of humanity. Reluctantly you search the body and discover the following items:

• Dagger
  
• Cener Robe (If kept, this item will occupy 2 spaces in your Backpack)
  
• Cener Mask
  
• 20 Lune (equivalent to 5 Gold Crowns)
  

If you decide to keep any of the above, remember to adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.

Your Magnakai skills tell you that the gold rod no longer possesses any magical aura; its destructive powers vanished the moment its wielder breathed his last. You stoop to prise it from the dead druid's hand, but as soon as your fingers touch its metallic surface it disintegrates into a fine, foul-smelling dust.

With twilight but an hour away, you leave the clearing via the gap and hurry along the muddy track beyond.

Turn to 10
.

The Cener cackles with glee as he advances towards you, eager to finish you off. Dazed but determined to survive, you stagger to your feet in time to parry his first blow. Sparks explode as your weapon connects with his rod and a numbing jolt runs the length of your arm. Again you are forced back, but you manage to recover quickly and, with a defiant cry, you launch yourself upon him in a determined fight to the death.

Brother Croumah (with Power Rod):
COMBAT SKILL
 40   
ENDURANCE
 30

If you win this combat,
turn to 101
.

With deceptive ease you reach forward and pluck the spinning blade from the air when it is barely inches in front of your chest. The Vazhag looks at you aghast, frozen momentarily by the shock of what it has witnessed, but it is galvanized into action upon the instant you send the blade spinning back across the chamber, aimed at its head.

The knife misses the creature's head by a finger's length, strikes the chamber wall, and rebounds with a metallic
clang
. It falls at the Vazhag's feet and is snatched up in its defence as you advance swiftly upon the creature, weapon in hand.

Fat Vazhag:
COMBAT SKILL
 18   
ENDURANCE
 28

If you win this combat,
turn to 121
.

Instantly your senses tell you that what you are fighting is a living creature and not a plant! The creeper-like tendrils are part of its natural camouflage, and as it coils them around your limbs and neck in an attempt to squeeze the life from your body, you can feel its animal strength.

Forewarned, you resist this attack just long enough to raise your weapon and strike a mighty blow which tears away a great swath of the creature's wriggling limbs. A fountain of ichor erupts from every severed end and, from somewhere above the canopy of branches, you hear an unearthly roar of pain. Once more the remaining tendrils seek you out, but this time they are no longer soft and fibrous, but stiff and studded with barbed thorns.

The swirling mass strikes out for your throat. Desperately you hack at them with devastating effect, yet one of the limbs avoids your blows and wraps itself tightly about your neck. Pain fills your head and chest as its razor-sharp thorns bite deeply into your flesh and inject a powerful acid.

Stragnah:
COMBAT SKILL
 36   
ENDURANCE
 39

This creature is immune to all psychic attacks.

If you win this combat,
turn to 327
.

The corridor makes a gradual descent towards a single wooden door shod with heavy iron fittings. You press the handle carefully and, to your surprise, the door opens inwards without a sound. You enter and push the door closed before beginning your exploration of this archive.

The library contains thousands of books and time-yellowed parchments, stacked in uneven rows upon shelves that line every wall. The air is heavy with their odour and your senses prickle with the sensation that you are in the presence of works of great evil. Silently you pass from one chamber to the next until you spy two druids seated at a table in an adjoining room. They are studying a large tome which is bound in a pale-coloured leather. A wave of nausea makes you swallow hard the instant you realize that the book is covered with human skin. The two druids, who appear to be little older than a dozen years apiece, are chattering to each other excitedly. You move closer to the room and eavesdrop on their conversation.

Illustration IV
—In the library you spy two druids seated at a table studying a large tome covered with human skin.

After a few minutes you learn that their names are Noraa and Monad. They are novices who were brought into the sect by Cenerese agents after having been orphaned in their native land of Lourden. They seem devoted to studying the lore of their evil brotherhood, and as they read they ruminate at length about a great ‘day of retribution’ that the Cenerese will enjoy before the year ends.

At length they finish their studies and rise from the table. As Monad restores the book to its shelf, Noraa says:

‘Hurry up. We'll be late for Kadrian's sermon.’

Monad nods apologetically, and hurries to join his brother as he leaves the library by another door. As the latch clicks shut, you emerge from your listening place and enter the room.

If you wish to follow the two young druids,
turn to 138
.

If you choose to search this room,
turn to 48
.

At once you recognize the black berries contained within the stoppered glass jar. They are Volko berries, found only in the remote uplands of Kakush, and much prized by magicians for their use as catalysts in their magical experiments. The juice of the berries aids or speeds up magical reactions between substances, while remaining unchanged itself.

Your knowledge of Kai-alchemy, as taught to you by Guildmaster Banedon, is at best rudimentary. However, you are in no doubt that these berries are valuable, and they may even be of practical help to you during your quest.

If you choose to keep this Jar of Black Berries, record them on your
Action Chart
as a Backpack Item.

To continue,
turn to 306
.

Effortlessly you sidestep and dodge your way through the throng of rat-men, who are gathered about the wagon in a frenzy of activity, and escape into the empty passage which lies beyond the iron portal. A few minutes later, as you are exploring this new tunnel, you hear the great door close with a rumbling boom.

The passage continues eastwards for several miles and, with the exception of an occasional Vazhag sentry, it is virtually deserted. At length you arrive at the entrance to another hall, smaller than the lava-cavern but equally as crowded. Daylight streams into this hall through a large archway guarded by armoured Vazhag, and pairs of horny-skinned war-dogs which they hold on the leash. Beyond the archway you can see a track that disappears towards a distant ridge of hills.

Directly above the archway, you notice a thin ray of sunlight streaming through a window-like hole in the rock. Sorely aware that the main entrance is so heavily guarded that it will be very difficult, even for someone as gifted as yourself, to escape that way undetected, you resolve instead to escape by means of the smaller opening in the rock wall.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have chosen.

If your total score is now 5 or less,
turn to 192
.

If it is 6 or more,
turn to 346
.