Wolf's Bane (20 page)
The rasping growl of the metal wolf is steadily getting louder. The sinister sound makes your palms slick with cold sweat as you feverishly examine the door and the locking mechanism set into the wall nearby.
The gemstone squares are sensitive devices which secure this door. By tapping upon each of them a correct number of times you will cause the lock to disengage and the door will open. You place your fingers lightly upon the squares and feel the tell-tale vibrations that are the key to deciphering their secret code. Aided by your Kai skills, you are able to determine that the first code is equal to the number of
named
Kirlundin Islands north of Egen. The second code is equal to the number of villages to the east of Ragadorn.
In order to discover the exact numbers that will open the door, consult the
map
.
When you think you know the two-digit solution,
turn to the entry
that is the same number as your answer.
14
If you cannot decipher the codes,
turn instead to 134
.
[14] The section corresponding to the correct answer will have a footnote confirming that it is indeed correct.
The moment the rock passes over the glyph there is a blinding flash of white light, followed almost instantly by the deafening crackle of exploding electrical energies. Splinters of stone ricochet from the gravestone behind which you and your fellow Kai have wisely taken cover, and the stench of scorched earth and ozone assails your nostrils.
Then, abruptly, the noise and light cease and the burial ground is shrouded once more in gloomy silence. You peer over the gravestone to see that the doorway is now clear of rubble, save for the slab upon which the glyph is inscribed. The destructive power of the glyph has been discharged, but only temporarily. Your senses warn you that it is recharging; you have but a few seconds in which to enter the tomb before the magical device is active once more.
‘Quickly, my lords,’ you say, as you spring to your feet and hurry towards the entrance. ‘Follow me!’
You call on your advanced Kai Mastery to protect you from the effects of being struck by a massive electrical charge. However, the bolt that is now speeding towards your head is not a natural phenomenon — it is wholly magical in nature. The protection of your advanced Discipline may not be sufficient to save you from this crackling bolt of magical fire.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. For every level of Kai rank you have attained above that of Grand Guardian, add 1 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 3 or less,
turn to 291
.
If it is 4 or higher,
turn to 166
.
You hear the pot splash into the mire and the sound makes you spin around and reach for your weapon. The two angry reptilians clamber out of the pot and come rushing at you with jagged bone swords clutched tightly in their hands. They hiss and howl as simultaneously they launch themselves upon you.
Illustration XII—The angry Knoarcs come rushing at you, tightly clutching jagged bone swords.
2 Knoarcs:
COMBAT SKILL
48
ENDURANCE
41
These beings are immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.
If you win this combat,
turn to 129
.
You retreat along the stamen as fast as you can, yet the sticky pollen conspires to slow you down. Then there is a sudden rush of air and you are forced to flatten yourself behind a gluey pollen cluster as the insect's lance-like proboscis comes hurtling towards your back.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess the Disciplines of Grand Pathsmanship and Assimilance, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 0–4,
turn to 295
.
If it is 5 or higher,
turn to 22
.
From the cover of the leafy undergrowth you observe the primitive settlement for several minutes. During this vigil, you are bitten on the wrist by a small, ugly-looking spider which you crush immediately under your heel. The spider's bite is poisonous, but you are saved from a long and painful death by your innate Kai healing powers which eradicate the venom from your blood: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
As time ticks by you become increasingly restless. You can detect no signs of life around the settlement and you are haunted by the fear that you may have allowed your adversary's trail to go cold. Prompted by this anxiety, you move closer to the settlement under cover of the thick jungle foliage. The line of deserted mud huts looks innocuous, but the words of the voice of Naar still linger in your memory. This humid jungle realm lies within his domain; it is therefore reasonable to expect that any inhabitants of this place will be wholly devoted to the cause of Evil.
You reach the edge of the undergrowth and pause to assess potential threats. The huts are semi-derelict, all bearing some signs of neglect and decay. The nearest one is a clay-tiled hovel that, like the others, appears to be empty. But when you focus upon its open doorway you see that a trench has been cut into its earth floor. You magnify your vision and at once you detect steps in the wall of this excavation, leading underground.
If you wish to enter the hut and investigate where these steps lead to,
turn to 306
.
If you choose instead to check the hut for traps,
turn to 27
.
In response to your prayer, you feel a warm and glowing sensation deep within your chest. This feeling grows and then pulses through your body and your mind, leaving you physically and mentally refreshed and alert: restore 8
ENDURANCE
points.
Confident that the divine Gods of Good are watching over you in your moment of truth, you throw open the doors and stride boldly into the hall beyond.
You unsheathe your weapon and dive aside to avoid the Bangrol as it swoops out of the chimney and attempts to claw you with its razor-sharp talons.
Bangrol:
COMBAT SKILL
34
ENDURANCE
30
If you win this combat in 3 rounds or less,
turn to 142
.
If the combat goes to a fourth round, do not continue the fight. Instead,
turn immediately to 19
.
You escape through the steel roof of the tower and catch a fleeting glimpse of the rain-swept city far below. Suddenly there is a tremendous flash as the bomb explodes and a debris-laden shock wave hits you from behind, flattening you against the dragonfly's crusty neck: lost 3
ENDURANCE
points.
Your winged mount is hit by twisted metal from the blast which tears open its vulnerable belly. You feel it shudder, and then, in a terrifying instant, it ceases to beat its gossamer wings. Moments later you find yourself clinging desperately to its back as it plummets towards the ruins of the alien city.
If you possess Deliverance and have attained the rank of Sun Knight,
turn to 76
.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 226
.
You recite the words of the Old Kingdom Battle-spell
Shield
and circle your arm in a wide arc before you. The reptilians cackle with glee as they finish reloading their bows, and together they lean over the lip of the pot and take aim at your seemingly unprotected body. Simultaneously they let fire, sending a stream of arrows whistling towards your chest, but none of them find their mark. The bone shafts shatter to pieces as they smash into your invisible shield.
Your thwarted enemies curse you vilely as they fumble to reload once more. It will take them less than a minute to achieve this task and so, mindful of the impending danger, you turn and hurriedly examine the sealed portal for a lever or some other means to make it rise.
You can feel a warm breeze wafting along this new hallway and you sense that it comes from a stairwell at its far end. When you investigate it, you rediscover Wolf's Bane's footprints on the stone steps. You cast your hands over them and detect that this is not a false trail: your enemy passed this way sometime within the last hour.
Slowly you ascend the stairs and arrive at the arched entrance to a large, vaulted stone chamber. Gathered around a fountain set into its north wall are a group of six grey-skinned humanoids. They are busy drinking a clear, oily fluid that pours from the fountain's spout into a semicircular trough. All are barefoot and clad in rags, and they are each armed with a spear and a bow. The only exit from this chamber appears to be an archway set high in the north wall. There is a balcony in front of it that can only be reached by two flights of stairs which rise up on either side of the fountain.
Quietly you observe the creatures slaking their thirsts, and you try to formulate a way in which you can get past them and reach the balconied exit in the north wall.
If you possess a Bow and the Discipline of Magi-magic and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Guardian,
turn to 138
.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and have attained the rank of Grand Crown (and wish to use it),
turn to 26
.
If you do not possess these skills, or a Bow, or if you have yet to attain the required levels of Kai Mastery, or if you choose not to use either of them,
turn to 121
.
The shock of impact sends you tumbling helplessly into the gorge. You fall several hundred feet before you finally stop spinning, yet before you can unscramble your senses, you are struck from behind by the predatory dragonfly. White hot pain shoots through your body as you are impaled upon the tip of the creature's proboscis. You struggle to get free but your strength quickly deserts you. Mercifully, you are spared further agonies when you slip into unconsciousness — the prelude to a sleep from which you never awaken.
Sadly, your life and your quest end here.
You have leapt and scrambled your way to the base of the skull-rock, when suddenly a starburst of pain explodes in your head and the taste of blood fills your mouth. You fall face-first to the ground, breaking your nose on impact, but you are numb to the pain; a falling boulder has already snapped your neck in two.
Tragically, your life and your duel come to an end here.
The blast sends you tumbling backwards into the chamber. The instant you come to rest, you roll over onto your hands and knees and try to scramble back onto your feet. But before you can do so, something heavy strikes your side and knocks you down, pinning your legs to the ground. You reach out to pull yourself free and discover that the heavy object is Black Hawk. Dazed and trembling but otherwise uninjured, you drunkenly help each other to stand.
Once you are upright, you look around and see that the others have all been knocked flat by the blast. They, too, are now struggling to pull themselves to their feet. Fortunately their innate Kai skills appear to have spared them from serious injury. However, you sense that your inability to detect that the wall was an explosive illusion has shaken their confidence.
‘Our prey is far more cunning than I feared,’ you say, ruefully, ‘but we are Kai and we shall rise to the challenge. Our enemy possesses strong magic and he is capable of masking it well. Yet he chooses to use it to wound and weaken our party, not to kill us. Why this should be I do not know. But from now on we cannot entirely trust our senses to protect us. We must proceed with the utmost caution.’
