Castle Death (13 page)
You awake to such an astounding sight that you feel sure you must be dreaming. Before you lies a titanic, circular hall of glittering marble, rising tier on tier like a gigantic amphitheatre. A vast pit fills the centre, from which arises a pinnacle of black iron, which is licked by sheets of flame that roar up from the depths below. Scores of seated creatures crowd the tiers, every one of them staring at you, their eyes like pinpoints of fire gleaming coldly from the shadows of their hooded robes. You hear the rustle of their mocking laughter, and your skin prickles with eerie premonition. A great gong booms in the distance, and a doleful chant arises from the crowded tiers. An urge to run from this evil place grips you like a fever, but your wrists are manacled securely to a bronze ring fixed to the wall above your head.
Illustration X—Scores of seated creatures crowd the tiers, staring at you, their eyes like pinpoints of fire.
‘Let the trial commence!’ commands a mighty voice, filling the hall with clamouring echoes. As one, the robed spectators rise from their seats as a shaft of light pours down upon the pinnacle, illuminating the outline of a man, white-haired and gaunt, seated on a massive throne of solid, gleaming gold. Suspended in the air above his head are two crystals: one as clear as a polished diamond; the other as black as the grave. A crackling arc of energy travels between the two, and its flickering blue light sheds a ghostly shadow on the face of the seated lord.
‘Intruder,’ he says, his voice soft yet chilling, ‘you have come to Kazan-Oud with murder in your heart. Have not the cowards of Elzian promised to reward you for my destruction?’
A drone of dissent surges from the crowded tiers, drowning any answer that you offer in your defence. The lord rises slowly from the throne and turns to his baying minions, his hands outstretched as if to receive the adulation. As their ghastly drone grows louder, your eye is drawn to the clear crystal that hovers above the throne. A golden light now glows at its core. In a flash of understanding you recognize the object of your quest: here is the Lorestone of Herdos.
‘Your verdict, my children?’ cries the wild-eyed man, his voice now harsh and angry.
‘Guilty, Lord Zahda,’ the crowd howls in reply.
‘The sentence?’ retorts their master.
‘The maze!’ they scream. ‘The maze!’
If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 335
.
If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 264
.
On your fifth step, the silence is broken by another crack. The invisible whip bites into the back of your legs, causing your knees to buckle, and you flinch with pain as you stagger forwards.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 0–2,
turn to 275
.
If it is 3–7,
turn to 222
.
If it is 8 or more,
turn to 311
.
You sense that a trap guards this portal; should you choose the wrong number, or numbers, before pulling the lever, the consequences could be fatal.
The water is still pouring from the statue's face, although the pressure has dropped dramatically now that the chamber is nearly full. The entire face has crumbled away under the pressure of the water, leaving a hole the size of a dinner plate. Peering inside, you can see a large nozzle and a lever, both deep within the body, beyond arm's reach.
If you have a Sword or a Spear,
turn to 32
.
If you do not have either of these weapons,
turn to 263
.
The descending wall is gathering speed at a terrifying pace; there is now very little space left through which to escape.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 0–4,
turn to 237
.
If it is 5 or more,
turn to 326
.
Suddenly there is a flash of blinding light followed by a tremendous explosion. The creature is torn to pieces, consumed by a fireball of blistering yellow flame. The intense heat sears your face and hair (lose 4
ENDURANCE
points) and hurls you backwards through the air. Shocked and stunned, you drag yourself into the fissure that is now illuminated by the remains of the monster that lie scattered and burning all around you.
Your Kai Mastery reveals that the wall at the bottom of the stairs conceals a secret door. One of the bricks is far smoother than the others, and you sense that it activates the lock which keeps the door closed.
If you wish to press the brick,
turn to 14
.
If you prefer to follow the tunnel to the west,
turn to 29
.
If you prefer to take the tunnel to the east,
turn to 272
.
You are washed out of the chamber and deposited on the floor of a corridor at the bottom of a steep ramp. Blinking the water from your eyes, you gaze with trepidation at your surroundings. The walls of the corridor, festooned with what appear to be gigantic cocoons, stretch into the distance as far as you can see. The oval door clicks shut and the
click
reverberates down the corridor, growing louder and louder. In the gloomy corridor ahead you see that something is moving.
A huge worm-like creature with great black eyes and horny mandibles is slithering towards you, a purple froth bubbling from its mouth as it fastens on your scent.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility,
turn to 86
.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control and you have reached the Kai rank of Primate,
turn to 130
.
If you have a Silver Whistle,
turn to 347
.
If you have neither these skills nor the Special Item,
turn to 233
.
The frenzied squeal of the rats fills your ears as you force your aching legs to propel you across the beach. Beyond an outcrop of pitted stone, a stream cascades down the sheer rock wall, cutting a deep gully across the beach as it flows into the lake. Spanning this gully is a natural bridge of stone. Its centre is very thin and narrow, and as you near the bridge, you fear it is too thin to support your weight.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Divination,
turn to 89
.
If you wish to cross the narrow stone bridge,
turn to 243
.
If you decide to try to swim across the gully,
turn to 108
.
Blue fire leaps from Zahda's staff, but you intercept and deflect it upon the blade of the sun-sword. The murderous bolt screams into the dark hall, destroying a whole tier of seats with a thunderous concussion.
‘You will die … die …
die!
’ shrieks Zahda like a man possessed. He whirls his staff twice about his head before lunging at your face with its clawed tip. Lord Zahda is immune to Mindblast and Psi-surge.
Lord Zahda (with power-staff):
COMBAT SKILL
33
ENDURANCE
45
If you win the combat,
turn to 149
.
A pall of thick smoke spreads towards you from the body of the creature you have already killed, and your enemies use it to mask their advance. You steel yourself for a shot; but your aim is greatly hindered by the acrid fumes that are making your eyes stream and your throat tighten.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. Unless you have the Magnakai Discipline of Weaponmastery with Bow, or the Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, deduct 3 from the number you have picked.
If your total is now 5 or lower,
turn to 19
.
If it is 6 or more,
turn to 314
.
Slowly and carefully you advance, your eyes straining to see in the gloom. Ahead you notice that the tunnel takes a sharp left turn, but before you can reach the corner, you are frozen in your tracks by a blood-curdling howl that echoes from the vault behind. Spinning round, you stare aghast at the outline of a gigantic black wolf loping along the passage towards you. It moves at a terrifying pace, its evil eyes glowing scarlet and its great fanged jaws wide open in readiness to bite.
If you wish to stand and fight this ravening wolf,
turn to 8
.
If you decide to turn the corner and run as fast as you can,
turn to 140
.
The relief is instantaneous. Quickly you move from one stone to the next until you arrive at the shadowy opening in the wall. Echoing in the darkness, you hear the rustle and slither of unseen things. Suddenly something round and black breaks through the surface of the lake, splitting the night with its hideous cry. It hovers for a few seconds above the water before hurtling towards you at an unnerving speed.
If you wish to take cover inside the fissure,
turn to 16
.
If you wish to draw a weapon and prepare for combat,
turn to 342
.
If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 225
.
Blindly, the young serpents writhe around your feet, their fanged jaws snapping wildly at your unarmoured legs. Combat is unavoidable and you must fight them as one enemy.
If you possess a Fireseed and wish to use it,
turn to 191
.
Hactaraton Brood:
COMBAT SKILL
15
ENDURANCE
28
Unless you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing, double all
ENDURANCE
point losses you sustain in the combat due to the venomous bite of these creatures.
If you win the combat,
turn to 346
.
Your Discipline blocks the psychic assault and eases pain in your head, but the hand senses your resistance and tries a new form of attack. It curls its fingers, forming a grotesque fist, and pounds the plinth repeatedly with slow, heavy blows. Waves of psychic shock buffet your Psi-screen, forcing you to draw on all your strength just to keep the shield from collapsing.
If you have the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge and have also reached the Kai rank of Primate,
turn to 134
.
If you do not have the power of Psi-surge, or if you have not yet reached the rank of Primate,
turn to 297
.
Drawing on the power of your Kai skill, you take a deep breath and give voice to a single, unbroken tone. Sweat breaks out on your forehead as you raise the pitch of your voice steadily until it passes beyond the range of your own hearing. Suddenly, the bats shriek in unison. They twist and shudder, hurling themselves into the walls and ceiling as your cry paralyses their senses. As the few survivors whirl away into the darkness, you cease your call and hurry down the stairs. (If you used the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-surge, you need not deduct any
ENDURANCE
points from your current total.)
The patrol comes to a halt less than ten feet from where you are hiding. The leader grunts an order and one of the black-clad armoured guards takes a flint from his pocket. He strikes it and sets light to a tar-coated torch fixed to the wall. The torch sputters into life, and you are caught in the glare of its vivid yellow flame.
If you have a Bow and wish to fire at the guards before they react to your presence,
turn to 206
.
If you wish to attack the guards with a hand weapon,
turn to 332
.
If you decide to run through the chamber and attempt an escape into the opposite corridor,
turn to 69
.