Legion of Shadow (9 page)

At that moment, a creature steps out from behind an old crumbling tower. It is at least a head taller than a man, with curved horns and goat-like feet. Its hairy body is covered in black sigils
that seem to writhe and change before your very eyes.

‘You! You do not run,’ hisses the bestial creature, pointing a taloned finger in your direction. ‘At last, an opponent worthy of my attention.’ You prepare yourself for
combat as the nightmarish creature advances:

Special abilities

50

You drive your blade deep into the creature’s body, watching as its pale form dissolves back into the mist. Before the grisly totem can summon any more guardians, you
lunge forwards, slicing it in two. As the severed wood topples to the ground, the magical green light flashes, then is gone. A few seconds later, the mist begins to disperse. Soon, you can feel the
warmth of the sunlight once again – its heat evaporating the last of the chill fog.

‘Yer did it! Yer did it!’ The elderly farmer skips and jumps through the corn towards you. ‘Me fields – they’re back! Thank you stranger, thank you!’

51

You decide that the stranger must have made a mistake. Angry that your time has been wasted, you stride out of the barn and bump straight into the scruffy-looking man coming the
other way. On seeing you, his eyes widen in surprise.

‘They’re alive! They’re still alive! Boss! Boss!’ He turns and starts sprinting towards the nearby farmhouse.

52

The king falls to his knees, his head bowed. ‘I yield . . . now begone from this cursed place.’ There is a faint serpentine hiss from somewhere in the darkness, then
the spectral body of the king vanishes, leaving behind a golden casket, engraved with runes.

As you watch, the lid creaks open of its own accord, revealing a series of magical treasures inside. You may now take one of the following before the chest closes and disappears:

When you have made your choice and updated your hero sheet, turn to
170
.

53

The barman gives another grunt. ‘Not heard that name for a while now. Strange fella, lives in that castle, across the gorge. Been there for as long as I remember, but he
seldom comes ’ere.’ He leans towards you, beckoning you to do the same. ‘I’d stay away from the likes of him. Something ain’t right when a man lives as long as I have,
but doesn’t look a day older.’ The man taps his grey, balding pate. ‘Look at me, fifty years to me name. But that Avian – still looks younger than my son. I smell magic
there, and no good ever comes of magic.’

54

The man nods and starts dealing out two hands of cards. He asks you how much you wish to gamble. (Choose how many gold crowns you would like to bet. These are placed in the
middle of the table. The man then matches your bet with the same number of gold crowns.) Once the cards are dealt, the gambler explains the rules of his game. You pick up your cards and begin
playing.

Roll a die. If the result is:
turn to
67
,
turn to
24
,
turn to
237
,
turn to
226
,
turn to
205
,
turn to
259
.