Castle Death (9 page)
You advance along the passage, confident of your ability to deal with the sudden appearance of any guard who should be unfortunate enough to cross your path. Dark openings loom on either side, and you scrutinize the floor ahead for any signs of a trap or pit.
The passage becomes dank and dark. Whip cracks, screams, and sounds of weeping echo in the distance: the pitiful sounds of torture.
If you wish to continue along the passage,
turn to 36
.
If you wish to retrace your steps and take the other passage,
turn to 20
.
Cleaving a path through the thick cobwebs proves more difficult than you anticipated. Sticky, rope-like strands soon cover you from head to foot and, to your horror, they begin to shrink. It is too late to evade this attack — you must fight for your life. The enemy is immune to Mindblast and Psi-surge. Owing to your restricted ability to move, reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 4 points for the duration of the combat.
Trap-webs:
COMBAT SKILL
14
ENDURANCE
34
If you win the fight,
turn to 131
.
You glance back over your shoulder just as the wolf reaches the corner. The sight of its gleaming fangs makes your skin crawl with fear, but, to your surprise, it does not continue the chase. It stops and rests on its haunches, its horrible face lined with fear and frustration as it watches you disappear into the gloom.
The warrior is halfway across the walkway when a hungry shriek resounds from the arch. He spins on his heel and crouches in readiness for combat. A murmur of low mutterings follows; the sound chills you. Then, gurgling and hissing through clenched teeth, three creatures, their shiny skins as black as night, creep from the shadows and fix you both with fiery stares. The warrior begins to shake, his sword wavering in his gloved hand. As the creatures stalk forward, his nerve breaks and he turns and flees towards you.
‘Save yourself, stranger. They'll eat you alive!’
If you wish to run with the warrior and evade the creatures by escaping into the archway opposite,
turn to 87
.
If you wish to attack the warrior as soon as he is close,
turn to 345
.
If you decide to let him pass and face the creatures alone,
turn to 249
.
As the blade leaves the block there is a tremendous howl, like that of a mountain wolf baying at a full moon. Your heart leaps into your mouth, and you back away hurriedly, half-expecting it to change into a ravening monster at any second. It takes several minutes for your fears to subside.
Cursing your predicament, you sheathe your newfound weapon and ponder which exit to take from the vault.
If you wish to take the left tunnel,
turn to 48
.
If you wish to take the right tunnel,
turn to 176
.
The creature seems immune to your attack. Swiftly the tendril writhes past you, coiling itself twice before tightening around your neck. With a merciless jolt, it wrenches you away from the fissure and drags you towards its ghastly mouth.
Terror and pain give way to blind desperation as its fetid breath washes over your trembling face.
If you have any Fireseeds,
turn to 10
.
If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 317
.
If you have neither of these Special Items,
turn to 331
.
Cautiously you walk around the throne, your weapon held out in readiness to strike. As you draw level, your heart leaps into your mouth — you are staring into the cold, unblinking eyes of Lord Zahda. He sneers evilly and points a rod of inlaid platinum at your head.
If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 174
.
If you do not have this Special Item,
turn to 202
.
You sense that the air in the north tunnel is far hotter than that of the west. Judging by the smell of sulphur that pervades the cavern you guess that some form of volcanic activity is taking place to the north.
If you wish to investigate this activity,
turn to 59
.
If you decide that the west tunnel would be safer,
turn to 323
.
You enter a chamber where a tall bronze statue stands. You recognize its distinctive head-dress and robes immediately: it is a Zakhan, a ruler of the desert empire of Vassagonia. The statue looks most distressed: its arms are outstretched in a gesture of hopelessness, and the expression on its face is one of sorrow and despair. Beyond the statue, an oval-shaped door is set flush in the wall, but you discover that it is locked.
Illustration VI—You enter a chamber where a tall bronze statue stands: it is a Zakhan, a ruler of Vassagonia.
The mist grows brighter. Once more the skull appears and speaks, its voice as comforting as a raven's croak:
‘Listen to the Zakhan,
Ponder what you hear;
Give the correct answer,
For fear he sheds a tear.’
The skull disappears into the misty ceiling, and you watch amazed as the dull bronze lips of the statue begin to move. A harsh voice echoes from deep within its hollow metal body:
‘My daughter has many sisters, as many sisters as she has brothers, but each of her brothers has twice as many sisters as brothers. So answer me this, wise warrior, how many sons and daughters do I have?’
Consider your answer carefully and, when you have decided, write down first the number of sons the Zakhan has and then, immediately next to it, the number of daughters. Now
turn to the entry
which bears the same number as your answer.
6
If you cannot answer the Zakhan's riddle,
turn to 270
.
[6] The section corresponding to the correct answer will have a footnote confirming that it is indeed correct.
Without any warning, a solid iron door slams down behind your back, sealing off the entrance to the chamber. The distant sound of rattling chains and sliding bolts makes your pulse quicken, and instinctively you reach for your weapon to defend yourself against a sudden attack. Several uneventful minutes pass before you relax your guard.
If you decide to find out where the tunnel leads,
turn to 277
.
If you wish to try to force open the iron door,
turn to 214
.
The panel slides shut of its own accord, and the buttons click back to their original positions.
If you wish to leave the hall by the tunnel to your left,
turn to 201
.
If you decide to leave by the tunnel to your right, the same tunnel by which the black-clad warriors entered the hall,
turn to 323
.
You run straight into an invisible barrier, a field of destructive energy that flows between the two green pillars. With a thunderous concussion, you are repelled from the shield and sent tumbling back into the chamber (lose 8
ENDURANCE
points; lose only 6
ENDURANCE
points if you have the Magnakai Discipline of Nexus).
If you are still alive,
turn to 116
.
Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, by the time you reach the fissure you have lost 3
ENDURANCE
points due to the effect of the scorching sand. Standing at the jagged opening, you hear the rustle and slither of unseen things echoing within the depths of the darkness. Suddenly something round and black breaks through the surface of the lake. A hideous gurgling cry splits the night as the thing hurtles across the beach towards you.
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
.
You race over to your companion's side and discover that he is still conscious, although he has lost a lot of blood. Using your healing skill, you repair the wound as best you can, but it is deep and severe and you can only prolong his life for a few minutes at most. You tell him of your quest and the help the Elder Magi have given to enable you to enter Kazan-Oud. As you recount your air voyage to Herdos aboard Lord Paido's skyship, you notice his eyes flicker in recognition of the name.
‘My name is Kasin,’ he says, painfully. ‘Lord Paido is my brother.’ You notice the resemblance in his cat-like eyes and square jaw. ‘I'm finished, Kai Lord,’ he says, his face bathed in sweat, ‘but I can and will help you in your quest. Listen carefully. Over there, behind the tapestry, is a secret passage. It leads to Zahda's throne. Above the throne is the Lorestone of Herdos, but beware, Zahda has coupled its power to a Doomstone from the realm of Naaros. He draws his power from that accursed gem. If you are to succeed, you must first destroy the Doomstone or you will surely perish. Sadly, I cannot help you escape from Kazan-Oud, for I myself was captured long before I reached the surface, but if you can get to the beach, make your way to the old stone jetty. I hid my boat beneath the steps there.’ His grip tightens around your hand as a wave of pain washes over his body. ‘When you return to Elzian,’ he gasps, ‘tell my brother that my death was not in vain … May the gods protect you … Lone Wolf.’
As his eyes close for the last time, you promise that his bravery will live forever in the hearts of the Vakeros — his brave warrior kin.
You are less than twenty yards from the west tunnel when an agonizing pain tears through your back and explodes from your chest in a gout of blood and flame. You stagger and fall, your body virtually torn in two by a powerful bolt of destructive energy, and you die within seconds of hitting the hard stone floor.
Slain by a Dhax power-staff, your life and your quest end here.
Your hand passes through the surface of the first bubble meeting little resistance; it is as if you are dipping your hand into a pool of water. But when you try to remove it, the rubbery skin closes in a vice-like grip. You fight to free your hand, but you only cause the bubble to work its way further up your arm. Soon it envelops your whole body, locking you within its airtight skin.
Your eyes bulge and your lungs burn viciously as you fight for air in this transparent prison (lose 6
ENDURANCE
points).
If you have a sword and want to try to cut your way out of the bubble,
turn to 26
.
If you have a Torch and Tinderbox, or a Lantern, and want to try to burn your way free,
turn to 51
.
If you have a Kalte Firesphere,
turn to 145
.
If you have none of the above items,
turn to 292
.
The swift undercurrent of the stream is so powerful that you are swept along the gully and far out into the lake. The weight of your equipment, your fatigue, and the highly polluted stream water all conspire to sap your strength. You cannot keep your head above the water and lose 5
ENDURANCE
points due to lack of oxygen.
You fight back your rising nausea as the worm slithers past, its slimy body wiping itself against your back. As soon as it has passed, you leave your hiding place and hurry along the corridor, anxious to put as much distance as possible between the horrible worm and yourself in case it should turn and pursue you.
Four warriors, dark and grim, march into the hall in single file. At once their black armour and skull-like helmets make you think they are Drakkarim — evil human warriors who serve the Darklords of Helgedad. But when they draw to a halt before the sarcophagus, you see that they cannot possibly be human. Their great sloping shoulders support unnaturally long arms, and the hands that grip their weapons are covered with bristling ginger hair. Yellowed talons curve from their fingers, and behind them hang long black tails, tufted at the end like the tails of lions.
Illustration VII—Four warriors, dark and grim, march into the hall — they cannot possibly be human.
Their leader grunts a command and approaches the grey granite tomb. He raises his hairy fist and presses three buttons set into the stone. A secret panel slides open, and all four step into it and disappear from view. It closes behind them without a sound.
If you wish to examine the sarcophagus,
turn to 83
.
If you wish to leave the hall by the tunnel from which the warriors appeared,
turn to 323
.
If you decide to leave the hall by the tunnel to your left,
turn to 201
.