The Curse of Naar (19 page)
Suddenly you feel a massive weight hit you between the shoulder blades. You have been struck by a powerful psychic shock wave that propels you head-first through the bloodstained entrance to Naar's inner sanctum. This entrance then closes behind you like a rapidly healing wound: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
You sense there is a magical resistance to your
Counterspell
which grows rapidly until there is a blinding flash of brilliant white light. A wave of searing heat explodes from the slot and you are thrown backwards by the blast: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.
You are left dazed and singed by the sudden release of energy, but at least your efforts were not in vain. As the crackling noise of the electrical discharge gradually fades, you hear another sound, a grating squeal, and anxiously you watch as the great portal slowly swings open.
Wielding whips of living flame in each of his eight massive hands, the demonic spectre of Tzor lashes the host of doomed souls without let or mercy. Relentlessly he pursues them around the Plain of Despair, revelling in his sport, allowing them neither rest nor respite from this unending chase. Few avoid his watchful eyes and fewer still escape the searing kiss of his terrible whips of fire.
Illustration IX—The demonic spectre of Tzor wields whips of living flame in each huge hand.
As the towering shape of Tzor looms nearer, you detect a complex web of psychic probes emanating from his being. Clearly he utilizes his prodigious mental powers to monitor the souls of the damned who are trapped here forever upon the Plain of Despair. Then you realize that Tzor's powerful psychic abilities may also alert him to your presence at the edge of the crater. Tzor is fast approaching now; you must act quickly if you are to minimize the risk of being discovered.
If you possess Kai-screen and have attained the Kai rank of Grand Crown or higher,
turn to 297
.
If you possess Kai-screen but have yet to attain this level of Kai rank,
turn to 133
.
If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 37
.
You speak the name aloud but to no effect. For a moment there is an uneasy silence; then the rubbery mouth of Nza'pok emits a hideous, bubbling laugh. He is mocking your futile attempt to save yourself by calling upon the powers which bind him in fealty to the Dark God. As his foul form wobbles with undisguised mirth, you quickly unshoulder your Backpack and tear open the flap to retrieve the Tome of Darkness. Nza'pok ceases to laugh when he glimpses its jet-black cover for he is aware of its origins and the powerful secrets it contains.
With a terse growl, he gives the signal to his minions and they hurl their spears into the pit with chilling accuracy. You are struck by more than a dozen of these deadly lances. Mercifully, unlike most who have fallen foul of Nza'pok, your death is swift and painless.
Sadly, your life and your quest for the Moonstone end here.
You consider ignoring the combination lock and forcing your way through the trapdoor, but your Kai Sixth Sense warns you against this. The shielding spell which protects this hatch is terrifyingly powerful. If you were to force an entry the sudden release of this power would turn you, and your Platinum Amulet, into glowing cinders in the blink of an eye. Out of frustration you tap a number of the hollows at random, in the hope of hitting the correct sequence, but unfortunately this activates a silent alarm which attracts a host of Lavas to the temple. They swoop in, surround your hiding place, and then launch a merciless attack. You fight them bravely, dispatching more than a dozen before you are finally overwhelmed by their sheer weight of numbers.
Sadly, your life and your quest end here in the Temple of Huan'zhor.
As the gout of crackling fire speeds across the hall towards you, you throw yourself to the floor in a desperate attempt to avoid being hit.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery or Assimilance, add 1 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 5 or lower,
turn to 83
.
If it is 6 or higher,
turn to 39
.
With total confidence in your own stealth and agility, you step out from the column of light and tiptoe silently towards an open archway at the base of the tower. The Lavas fails to detect you. Upon reaching the archway you quickly descend a spiral stairway to a landing, one level below, where you see something that makes you freeze in your tracks.
You let fly your Arrow and it hits the creature's forehead, but its thick skull bone deflects the steel tip and the shaft fails to penetrate.
The hyena-beast shrieks and twists its head violently. Then it suddenly opens its great jaw and coughs up a ball of vile phlegm which it spits at you with stunning force. You dive to the floor to avoid being hit by this evil-smelling projectile and it speeds over your shoulder to splatter loudly against the portal. Droplets of saliva spray the back of your legs, leaving tiny white stains where it instantly removes the checked dyes from your breeches. You wipe your legs with the hem of your cloak but your stomach heaves when you detect that the creature's saliva contains a virulent plague bacteria.
Fortunately, your innate Magnakai Disciplines of Nexus and Curing immediately neutralize this deadly plague virus, rendering it harmless to you. The creature howls with anger and frustration; it has never before encountered any living being capable of resisting its deadly plague-ridden saliva, and your unexpected survival makes it feel suddenly anxious and uncertain.
If you possess Animal Mastery,
turn to 137
.
If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 293
.
You recognize these creatures for you have encountered them once before, when your Magnakai quest took you to the fringes of the Neverness in the Daziarn Plane. They are Shadow Reavers, wholly evil spirit-entities. They serve Naar's champions of darkness as scouts and messengers upon the non-corporeal planes of existence.
You unsheathe your weapon and advance towards the stairwell, using your Kai senses to guide and hide your stealthy approach. When you reach the threshold of the open entrance you scour the surrounding archway for traps, but detect nothing untoward. With caution you move inside and discover the interior is slick with moisture that glistens like sweat on the smooth, glassy walls. A wide stone ramp descends from the entrance to a sealed portal which is engraved with runes. You cannot immediately decipher them but you sense that they are evil in design and possess some destructive power locked within their jagged forms. They cover every square inch of its surface.
You have begun a detailed examination of the portal in the hope of fathoming some of its secrets, when you suddenly hear a noise above and behind you. Instantly you spin on your heel and reach for your weapon, but the outline that you see silhouetted in the archway at the top of the ramp is so shocking that you are unable to close your trembling hand.
You use your Discipline to will the insects to fall asleep. Unexpectedly, despite their size, you sense an unusually strong resistance to your mental command.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess the Grand Master Disciplines of Kai-surge and Nexus add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is 5 or less,
turn to 323
.
If it is 6 or higher,
turn to 191
.
You descend the spiral stairs to the base of the tower and make your way quickly through the narrow alleys of this subterranean settlement. Your Kai camouflage skills keep you hidden from the Lavas and dragons that soar overhead, and you are able to reach the edge of the quarry unnoticed. Here you observe teams of reptilians chiselling freshly quarried stone into perfect cubes. Other teams load these heavy blocks into nets, fourteen to each, and then fix them by hooks and harness to the dragons who transport them across to the far side of the chasm.
Illustration X—Teams of reptilians chisel the freshly quarried stone into perfect cubes.
Stealthily you make your approach to an area where full nets are awaiting transport. Using your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, you open a sealed net and hide yourself inside among the blocks of stone before closing up the seal behind you. Minutes later you hear the beat of large wings and the frenzied chattering of the reptilian work crews as they struggle to affix the net to a dragon's harness. Then the wings beat faster and you feel yourself swinging free from the ground. Slowly the great dragon hauls its heavy cargo into the air. As it begins to level out, you peer down through a gap in the blocks to see the chasm looming nearer. Then you see a river of scarlet lava flowing along the base of this great divide, more than a mile deep. The dragon is approaching the far side when suddenly it dips its huge head and looks down at the cargo hanging below its belly. An icicle of fear stabs your heart when you see its ghoulish eye staring directly at the place where you are hiding.
If you possess Animal Mastery and wish to use it,
turn to 149
.
If you possess Kai-surge and wish to use it,
turn to 62
.
If you possess Kai-screen and wish to use it,
turn to 205
.
If you do not possess these skills, or if you choose not to use them,
turn to 42
.
You reach to your throat and close your fingers upon the Platinum Amulet which hangs by a cord around your neck.
‘Ah, I see that you already possess a sigil of power,’ says Lord Rimoah, upon noticing the oblong of precious metal as you withdraw it from beneath the collar of your robes. ‘It would appear that you are better prepared for the quest than I had anticipated.’
With a nod of his head he motions to Lord Ardan who then retrieves an almost identical amulet from among the items on the table. Ardan gives the amulet to Rimoah and he slips it into his pocket.
‘You'll not be requiring this after all,’ he says, ‘but there is something which I'm sure you will find most useful. And I'm certain that you have not come across anything of its like before.’
Once again Rimoah motions to Ardan and the elderly wizard responds by taking up a small package that is wrapped in a silk handkerchief. Carefully he unfolds the patterned silk square to reveal a book which is bound in jet-black hide. A wave of nausea makes you swallow hard as your natural Kai instincts detect that the origins of this book are wholly evil. Ardan offers it to you and, reluctantly, you take it from him.
‘It was discovered a decade ago in Northern Dessi,’ says Ardan. ‘A party of our brethren found it on the Isle of Khor. It was buried in the ruins of Kazan-Oud.’
Carefully you open the stiff black cover and, to your surprise, you discover that the inner pages comprise several sheets of pliable metal. They have the feel of parchment but they sparkle and glimmer like plates of polished steel. You turn through the pages and note that every one appears to be empty, devoid of script, pictures, or diagrams of any sort.
‘I do not see how this book will help my quest,’ you say, as you flick back and forth through the seemingly empty pages.
‘This may be true while you are here in Sommerlund,’ replies Lord Rimoah, ‘but once you arrive upon the Plane of Darkness I suspect that its secrets will be revealed. We of the High Council believe it contains information about the many realms and territories within Naar's domain. It may help guide you to the location of his throne hall and, with luck, to the Moonstone of the Shianti.’
You are dubious as to the true value of this item but, in deference to Lord Rimoah's judgement, you agree to take it. (Record this Tome of Darkness on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item. You need not discard another Special Item in its favour if you already hold the maximum number permissible.)
To continue,
turn to 329
.