The Legacy of Vashna (8 page)

On closer examination you discover that one side of the amulet is covered by a detailed engraving which depicts a sinister scene. It portrays the rising up of a monstrous creature from the depths of a great gorge, flanked on all sides by a horde of skeletal warriors. At once you recognize it to be a portrayal of Darklord Vashna and his minions, arising from the depths of the Maakengorge.

Turn to 238
.

The dreadful gaze of Shamath falls upon you and your blood runs cold. She points a black-gloved finger at your hiding place and speaks a thunderous phrase in the Dark Tongue that rings like metallic thunder throughout the vaulted cavern. Then, slowly, she raises her other hand and levels it beside the first. A crackling mass of electrical energy explodes into being, arcing between her outstretched palms. She flicks her massive wrists and the sparking coils of power come writhing towards you. Before you can dodge them, they swirl around and encircle your body, imprisoning you in a cage of living energy.

Shamath throws back her head and the floor shudders rhythmically beneath the weight of her laughter. You peer through the gaps in the swirling force field and see that her attendants are now rushing towards you.

If you possess the Dagger of Vashna,
turn to 273
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 179
.

You are left stunned and smouldering by the impact of the lightning ball. Drunkenly, you stagger to your feet and use your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus to extinguish those parts of your cloak and tunic ignited by the blast. Then you draw the Sommerswerd and examine the hilt, but to your amazement, there is no sign of any damage whatsoever.

Your terrified horse has halted at the river's edge and you call to him, using your natural Kai skills to calm and control his fear. He responds at once and returns to collect you. Swiftly you climb back into the saddle and gallop away along the river trail, anxious to put distance between you and this deadly storm.

Turn to 80
.

Suddenly they flicker and disappear altogether from view. Frantically, you scan the brooding sky for some sign of where the creatures have gone, but it is not until you use your psychic abilities that you detect them.

With your eyes closed you can picture them in your mind's eye. You see them circling their lair; then they break away and come swooping down to attack you.

You draw your weapon and detect that an aura of protection is sheathing it from the extreme temperatures of this domain. Then a hideous shriek splits the air, and you find yourself fighting the urge to open your eyes as the first of the beasts dives upon you.

Lavas:
COMBAT SKILL
 48   
ENDURANCE
 42

You may evade this combat after six rounds by
turning to 276
.

If you win the combat,
turn to 3
.

‘Welcome, Grand Master. I am Gwynian of Varetta,’ says the grey-haired old man, in a clear voice which belies his age. ‘Come and talk with me a while. Your purpose is known to me and I have something which will help your quest. Come, do not be afraid. I am a friend.’

You are shocked that he knows your true identity, but your Kai senses confirm that he is no threat to your safety. He speaks the truth.

Turn to 178
.

With loathing in your heart, you advance upon your despised enemy, but he weaves his hands before his face and his image fades. He is using a spell of invisibility, yet it does not keep him entirely hidden: you can still see the outline of his staff and his body flickering as he moves against the background wall of light.

Arch Druid Cadak:
COMBAT SKILL
 50   
ENDURANCE
 35

Arch Druid Cadak is immune to Mindblast and Psi-surge, but he is vulnerable to Kai-surge.

If you win this combat,
turn to 298
.

You show the Runic Disc and immediately the Elder's temper cools. He recognizes it to be the mark of the Guild of Rhem, the most feared brotherhood of assassins in all of northern Magnamund. He is aware that some guild assassins have been employed as agents to carry out missions for the acolytes, and he assumes at once that you are such an agent.

He backs away a few paces, bows his head, and leaves to attend to other matters at the bow of the boat. Those seated around you have now become uncomfortably curious. To avoid their attentions, you get up and move to the stern where a score of acolytes are kneeling in prayer.

Turn to 124
.

You push your way through the jostling crowd and stumble out into the street. As you turn towards the stables to go and retrieve your horse, your eagle-eyes catch a glimpse of movement on a second storey balcony. It is the archer you saw a few minutes ago, the man in black who fled from the gallery.

With bated breath you watch as he climbs onto the balcony rail and leaps across the narrow street onto the roof of the building opposite.

If you possess a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 120
.

If you do not,
turn to 274
.

You utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Net
and point your right hand at the snarling Demoness. A fluid gush of sticky strands shoots from your fingers and ensnare her legs, buying you the few precious seconds you need in order to reach the dais.

You wrench the Deathstaff from the lower tier and sag beneath its unnatural weight. In the same moment, the Demoness bursts free of the sticky net and screams with unholy anger, the noise lifting you bodily and sending you skidding across the floor.
⁷

Desperately, you fight to maintain your grip on the Deathstaff as the furious Shamath comes striding towards you. The deafening shriek of her voice rings once more in your ears as you clutch the staff to your chest and take a running leap into the dark oblivion of the Shadow Gate.

Turn to 270
.

You unsheathe the Sommerswerd and a halo of golden light engulfs its god-crafted blade. The dim, shadowy cavern is flooded with its goodly glow and the attendants of the Demoness Shamath waver before it. The hilt is warm in your hands and a strange feeling of miraculous ecstasy floods up your arms and courses through your body. You no longer feel as if you are wielding the sword; you are acting in concert with it. Restore 5
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 85
.

Bloodied and breathless from the exertion of combat, you break off the fight and take to your heels. The remaining brigands give chase, but they soon lose you among the boulders and undergrowth and are forced to call off their pursuit. The area is alive with bandits, and you have to flee northwards, away from the copse where you left Bracer tethered. You are anxious for his safety and mindful that there are still many miles to be covered before you reach Lake Vorndarol, but you dare not turn back for him. Then you hear something that makes you halt in your tracks: it is the sound of a horse whinnying.

Turn to 223
.

For countless minutes you hurtle into a whirling abyss of darkness and howling gales, torn by freezing winds that cut to the marrow despite your Magnakai protections. Then, as if waking from a dream, the sensation of falling abruptly ceases and you find yourself standing on a plateau of black volcanic rock, cratered and split by rivers of blazing lava. You take a tentative step forwards and feel the ground sag beneath your feet. The thin crust of cooled lava wrinkles and tears, and a jet of flickering yellow flame shoots upwards to engulf your legs.
⁸

Your Nexus skills are sufficiently developed to protect you from the flames and hellish temperature, but you are amazed that your boots and clothing have not ignited. Then you sense that your entirety is being protected by a field of energy radiating from the Platinum Amulet given you by Gwynian the Sage. Silently you thank him for his gift, for you suspect now that even your Kai skills would be hard-pressed to keep you safe in this alien domain.

Illustration IV
—Suddenly, a trio of horny-skinned creatures emerge from the dark hollow.

With difficulty you cross the semi-molten terrain and reach an island of blue-grey basalt rock, strewn with cubes of obsidian and jet. At the island's centre you discover a huge, untidy pile of cubes which make a crude temple. There is a yawning hollow at its base and, as you draw closer, you sense something is lurking there. Suddenly, a trio of horny-skinned creatures emerge from the dark hollow and take to the air on wings that glimmer like burnished gold. You watch them ascend, but you have difficulty following their flight when their bodies begin to flicker in and out of existence.

If you possess Grand Huntmastery and have reached the rank of Sun Lord,
turn to 158
.

If you do not possess this Discipline, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai rank,
turn to 52
.

Your ascent into the foothills is slowed by the difficult terrain. Thousands of huge granite boulders litter the hillside, forcing the trail to zigzag constantly on its way towards a wooded peak, less than five miles distant. The weather turns bitterly cold as you make the climb and, although you are protected by your innate ability of Nexus, your horse is not so fortunate. It takes you over two hours to reach the wooded peak, but you are rewarded with a spectacular view of Lake Vorndarol.

The descent from the peak is far easier. The trail is wide and less tortuous, and the peak itself protects you and your horse from the icy winds that are blowing in off the lake. You have gone a little over a mile when suddenly your Pathsmanship skills alert you to danger; you sense that there is an ambush ahead. You turn off the trail and dismount, leaving your horse tied to a boulder, while you scout the way ahead on foot. You draw your weapon and keep it to hand in case you should happen once more upon some skulking brigands.

Soon you arrive at a granite outcrop which overlooks a small clearing among the boulders below. In the centre of this clearing lies the carcass of a wild boar.

If you wish to descend to the clearing and examine the carcass more closely,
turn to 17
.

If you would rather wait here and observe the clearing from a distance,
turn to 88
.

The fat drunkard can hardly believe his luck when you reach to your Belt Pouch and count out ten Gold Crowns into his grubby hand.

‘May the gods bless y' boots, sir!’ he cackles, as he stuffs the gleaming crowns into his pocket. ‘If it's the Crooked Sage you be a'wantin' to visit, you be needin' Tavern Lane, o'er there,’ he says, enthusiastically pointing to the street which leads off to the east.

With the drunkard's gleeful laughter echoing in your ears, you spur Bracer to a canter and enter this foul-smelling street. Clamped against the walls of the surrounding buildings are oil-soaked torches which serve to illuminate the signs of wine shops and taverns. They are crudely painted with emblems — a bloodied battle-axe, a winged horse, a watery sun rising from a broken skull. There is not one which resembles a crooked sage and you are beginning to suspect you have been duped, when suddenly you hear the sound of drunken revelry coming from a two-storey building at the end of the street. Its oaken doors hang open and the vivid orange glare of its roaring hearth spills invitingly into the dank night gloom. Although it has no painted emblem, you sense at once that you have come to the Crooked Sage Inn.

At your approach, a sallow-faced stable boy limps from a wooden hut which is leaning precariously against the side of the tavern wall. For a Gold Crown (erase this from your
Action Chart
), he takes charge of your horse and shows you to the taproom door.

Turn to 21
.