The Cauldron of Fear (20 page)

You have a strong premonition that death will befall you if you stay on board the wagon.

If you wish to heed your Kai sense and leap from the speeding wagon,
turn to 230
.

If you decide to ignore your premonition and stay on board,
turn to 340
.

You are about to enter the square at the end of Brooker Court when you suddenly realize that you have been robbed. The drunken soldier was not drunk at all: he was a skilful pickpocket.

Erase the second Special Item on the list on your
Action Chart
. If you only have one Special Item, you must delete this. If you have no Special Items at all, delete the first Backpack Item noted on your
Action Chart
.

If you wish to run back to the tavern alley and chase after the pickpocket,
turn to 94
.

If you choose to let him go and continue on your way,
turn to 334
.

For three hours you ride without pause or rest along the Tahou highway. On either side the whispering grasses of the Anari plain stir lazily in the thin breeze of morning. Villages are few, but wherever there are trees you are sure to find a group of huts nearby.

The highway descends along a ridge towards a copse of stunted trees, where a circle of simple dwellings have been built around a well. At your approach, a bell is sounded and several peasants appear, each holding a basket of assorted wares, which they urge you to buy.

If you wish to examine these wares,
turn to 331
.

If you wish to continue through the village without stopping,
turn to 52
.

Maghana leads you to another room, one of several that lead from his sumptuous chamber, and approaches a dais standing near the door. He passes his hand over a crystal set into its surface and at once a section of the wall moves inwards, exposing darkness beyond. An icy damp wind fills the room, carrying with it a cloying smell of decay. Elsewhere in the chamber are tables laden with equipment, placed here, no doubt, for those who dare venture beyond the windswept portal.

‘Take what you need,’ says Maghana, his voice barely audible above the howl of the wind, ‘then go.’ He ushers Sogh from the chamber and locks the door behind him.

If you wish to examine the equipment,
turn to 13
.

If you choose to ignore the equipment and investigate the portal instead,
turn to 181
.

The impact of your killing blow knocks the guard headlong backwards onto the hard stone floor. Unfortunately, the noise of combat has alerted his comrades and, as you stoop to grab the key from the dead man's belt, you hear the sound of their hobnailed boots as they storm down the stairs. The leading pair are armed with bows and, as they reach the bottom of the staircase, they kneel and take aim.

‘Surrender or die!’ shouts their sergeant-at-arms, brandishing an axe.

If you wish to raise your hands in surrender,
turn to 267
.

If you wish to defy his order,
turn to 95
.

The dragon-like eyes of the monster blaze with hatred and a deep growl rumbles from its fanged maw as it makes ready to attack.

Zadragon:
COMBAT SKILL
 43   
ENDURANCE
 58

This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).

If you win the combat,
turn to 93
.

You have not gone far when, to your horror, you find yourself standing in front of the South Gate tower. The guards recognize you immediately and raise the alarm. You turn to run but a troop of cavalry surges out of the gatehouse and you are quickly surrounded.

If you wish to stand and fight these soldiers,
turn to 44
.

If you choose to surrender to them,
turn to 162
.

‘Seems we have a pair of travelling clowns come to entertain us with fairy stories,’ sneers the sergeant, while his men laugh disdainfully at your explanation. He draws his curved cavalry sword and points the blade menacingly towards your chest; his men cease their sniggering. ‘You're both under arrest on suspicion of spying. Drop your weapons — at once!’

If you wish to obey the sergeant's order,
turn to 24
.

If you wish to resist arrest,
turn to 85
.

It takes a little over three seconds for the object to hit solid ground, and you judge the drop to be at least thirty feet — too far to jump safely. Rather than risk your legs, and possibly your life, on such a jump, you decide to try to reach the ledge.

Turn to 38
.

You sense an aura of psychic energy burning fiercely at the core of the moving shadow. The creature possesses a supernatural force of great destructive power. To approach it could be fatal, yet to ignore it could prove equally disastrous.

If you wish to raise your Psi-screen and approach the shadow,
turn to 166
.

If you choose to avoid it by hurrying away,
turn to 61
.

The roof of the cave and the tunnel beyond is high enough for you to ride through it on horseback. But the interior is pitch black, and if you are not to stray off course, you will need some form of light to illuminate the way ahead.

If you possess a Kalte Firesphere, a Lantern, or a Torch and Tinderbox,
turn to 219
.

If you do not possess any of these items,
turn to 341
.

The metal is cream coloured and wafer thin, and the design embossed on the surface appears to be an intricate mathematical equation. You apply your mind to solving the numerical riddle and are close to an answer when suddenly the metal bursts into flames. You fling the flaring token away instantly, but your hand is still badly burned by the flash — lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

You curse the device but console yourself with having solved the riddle: the answer is 320. (Make a note of this number in the margin of your
Action Chart
; it may prove useful at a later stage of your adventure.)

Turn to 130
.

You continue along the street as it follows the curve of the city wall. To your left you notice a tavern with its door and windows boarded up. Just beyond it a street branches off to the left. A rusty iron sign reads:

If you wish to enter Gallows Street,
turn to 234
.

If you wish to continue along Eastwall Lane,
turn to 55
.

The Giaks fix you with steely stares, their yellow eyes open wide with shock as they fumble for their weapons. However, before they are able to unsheathe their swords and scramble to their feet, you leap forward and attack.

Giak Scouts:
COMBAT SKILL
 15   
ENDURANCE
 20

Owing to the surprise of your attack, ignore any
ENDURANCE
losses you sustain in the first two rounds of combat.

If you win the combat,
turn to 21
.

The enemy begin bombarding the wall with huge stone balls fired from catapults that they have wheeled to the edge of the great moat. The first of these missiles drop from the sky without warning to tear vast holes in the parapets and walkways. Immediately you take cover but are horrified to see one of these huge missiles hurtling directly towards you.

Illustration XVI
—The enemy begin bombarding the wall with huge stone balls fired from catapults.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have completed the Lore-circle of Solaris add 4 to the number you have picked.

If your total is now 0–5,
turn to 112
.

If it is 6 or more,
turn to 270
.

The dagger sinks deeply into his chest, knocking him to the ground. He screams at the sudden pain and his cry alerts a patrol of guards on the floor above. You leave your hiding place and run towards the dying soldier, your hand outstretched to snatch the strongroom key from his belt. But before you reach the man you hear the hobnailed boots of the patrol storming down the stairs behind. The leading pair are armed with bows, and as they reach the bottom of the staircase, they kneel and take aim. ‘Surrender or die!’ shouts their sergeant-at-arms.

If you wish to raise your hands in surrender,
turn to 267
.

If you choose to defy his order,
turn to 95
.

The lane skirts the edge of Rainbow Park as it heads towards the guildhalls and emporia of the city's West District. As you approach the Guildhall of Armourers, a patrol of guards, led by an officer wearing the crest of the Tahou garrison, suddenly appears from a side street and comes marching towards you. As soon as the officer catches sight of you, he orders his men to halt and load their bows. ‘Stop!’ he commands. ‘Stop at once or we'll open fire!’

If you wish to surrender to this patrol,
turn to 344
.

If you wish to ignore the officer's command and turn and run,
turn to 211
.

The icy water clogs your nose and throat and numbs you to the bone. Desperately you fight to control the panic gnawing at your insides as your air-starved lungs fill your chest with an agonizing pain.

If you possess some Sabito,
turn to 25
.

If you do not possess this item,
turn to 329
.

The leader of the approaching cavalry, a sergeant, signals to his men to change formation. They leave the highway and draw up in a circle, closing around your hiding place. The sergeant unsheathes his curved cavalry sword, holds it at arm's length, and edges his mount nearer so that the blade hovers menacingly just before your chest. ‘You're both under arrest,’ he bellows, ‘on suspicion of spying! Drop your weapons at once!’

If you wish to obey the sergeant's order,
turn to 24
.

If you choose to resist arrest,
turn to 85
.

The deluge engulfs you so quickly that it is impossible to avoid inhaling the fine grit. As you do so, a terrible pain stabs at your chest: the dust contains the spores of a deadly fungus that is now poisoning your lungs. Unless you have the Magnakai Discipline of Curing and have reached the Kai rank of Tutelary or higher, you must lose 8
ENDURANCE
points.

If you are still alive,
turn to 233
.

The men are plainly displeased that you have interrupted their conversation. One of them, a sallow-faced knave with dark eyes and curly black hair, snatches a jug from the table and takes a long swig. He slams it down and turns to his friend.

‘Did you know,’ he says, red wine squirting through his rotted teeth, ‘my brother Ghane was killed in Ragadorn last year? He was stabbed in the back by a lousy Northlander.’ Slowly he turns his head and stares coldly into your eyes. ‘I hate Northlanders,’ he snarls. ‘They're all cowardly, backstabbing scum!’ You notice his hand leave the jug and slip below the table.

If you wish to tell him you are sorry to hear what happened to his brother,
turn to 8
.

If you wish to prepare for combat in case he attacks you,
turn to 86
.

If you decide it would be wise to leave the eating house,
turn to 347
.

The wolf-riders give chase, but their pursuit is half-hearted and you have covered less than a mile when you hear the Giaks call off their hunt. They console themselves by hurling threats and vile curses at your backs as you disappear swiftly into the dusk.

The highway emerges from the hills at a village called Varta, situated on the edge of the Tahou flats. The flats consist of fields of cultivated crops forming a fertile market garden two miles wide which is farmed right up to the banks of the great moat that encircles the capital. Varta is deserted: its male inhabitants now shelter within the city walls, whilst the women and children have travelled south to the safety of Navasari. As you leave the empty town and descend onto the flats, you catch your first awe-inspiring glimpse of the ancient city.

Turn to 100
.

You shake your head in disbelief when you see who is sitting in the Chief Magistrate's chair. It is Gwynian, the Sage of Varetta, the man who foretold the dangers of the Chasm of Doom and helped you find the Lorestone of Varetta.

‘Our stars unite, Lone Wolf,’ he says, the trace of a smile wrinkling his kindly face. ‘Destiny has decreed that we should meet again.’

Turn to 54
.