Wolf's Bane (13 page)
The fabled Moonstone was created many thousands of years ago by the god-like Shianti, whose presence upon Magnamund heralded the dawn of humanity. This wondrous artefact contains the combined might of all their magic and wisdom, the sum of all their knowledge. So significant was the creation of this artefact that all time on Magnamund is measured from the date of its creation. It had long been held that the Moonstone's location was a secret known only to the remnants of the Shianti, who dwell upon the Isle of Lorn in deepest Southern Magnamund, yet the evidence of your eyes tells you that this mystical stone of power has fallen into the hands of the Dark God.
Suddenly the significance of the Moonstone becomes clear. Naar is using its legendary powers to generate Shadow Gates within the world of Magnamund, at locations and times of his own choosing. Such power has enabled him to send his loathsome champions to your home world, while the goodly forces of Kai and Ishir are held at bay, helpless to counter them. Only you and your Kai brethren have stood in the way of the onslaught of Naar's agents since the demise of his Darklords.
The hideous form of the Dark God returns to the dais and settles there uneasily. Then a deep rumble fills the throne hall; it is the prelude to the voice of Naar.
‘You have done well, my champion,’ it booms. ‘Now I command you to return to accursed Sommerlund and finish my work. Prepare the way for my armies of night. At last this planet is mine for the taking. My victory is complete!’
It is clear from his words that Naar is convinced that you are his champion — Wolf's Bane — freshly returned from a duel in which Evil has triumphed. Suddenly you see Alyss emerge from the smoky wall less than a dozen paces behind Naar, yet the Dark God appears unaware of her presence. She appears calm and focused, and you sense that she is waiting for an auspicious moment to approach the plinth and take the Moonstone. With bated breath you watch as she inches closer and closer to the legendary stone. Then Naar shifts his gruesome bulk and she freezes.
‘You will not return to Sommerlund alone, Wolf's Bane. Kekataag the Avenger will accompany you. He has a mission of assassination to complete in Toran, at the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star.’
Then the Dark God emits a high-pitched whistle and, moments later, a fearsome warrior answers the call. He emerges from the smoky wall and the floor shudders as he strides to the centre of the throne hall.
If you possess Kai-screen,
turn to 183
.
If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 34
.
Frantically you shout the words of the Old Kingdom Battle-spell
Shield
and make a swift circle in the air with your right hand. The crackling fire-bolt explodes against an invisible barrier which you have hurriedly brought into existence, and dissolves away in a shower of crimson sparks which are sucked into the depths of the shaft.
You call upon all of your Kai camouflage skills to keep you hidden as you attempt to slip out of the tunnel unseen. However, your adversary has disciplines comparable to your own. He is watching the cave mouth like a hawk and your stealthy exit may not go unnoticed.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Assimilance and Grand Pathsmanship, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 5 or less,
turn to 108
.
If it is 6 or higher,
turn to 191
.
You follow the tunnel as it ascends towards the surface. A dot of daylight appears in the distance which, as you climb towards it, becomes a cluster of bright sunbeams filtering through a curtain of vines. This fringe of emerald streamers conceals the cave mouth entrance to this tunnel. The tunnel itself becomes increasingly humid as you get nearer to the exit. Its dry earth floor has gradually transformed into a slick and treacherous surface which is alive with beetles and centipedes, some as long as daggers.
Upon reaching the cave mouth, you stop to peer through the hanging vines. Outside, in the fiercely tropical heat, you can see a dense jungle sweltering beneath a blazing sun. It extends in every direction towards a jagged horizon of volcanic mountain peaks. Then your eye is caught by something small and metallic glinting in the mulch of vegetation that carpets the entrance. You pick it up and discover that it is a brass button, engraved with a sun motif. It is identical to the buttons which adorn your own tunic, none of which are missing. You deduce that it has come from the tunic of your adversary, but you cannot be sure whether it was lost accidentally or was placed here deliberately for you to find.
If you wish to search the entrance for further clues to the whereabouts of your enemy,
turn to 101
.
If you choose to leave the tunnel and explore the jungle beyond,
turn to 47
.
You regard the distant vent with trepidation. It looks to be so high and so far away that you fear an escape from this world may truly be impossible. In your growing despair, you call upon your divine mentor — the God Kai — for inspiration and, as if in answer to your prayer, you experience a sudden moment of revelation in which a bold plan takes form in your mind's eye.
Using your innate Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, you focus on one of the smaller dragonflies that is circling above the fecund blossoms lining the lip of the gorge. Instantly it responds to your silent command and comes soaring down to land in a nearby clearing. Like a tame and obedient horse, this winged creature waits patiently for you to clamber upon its back. Then, once you are in position, it takes to the air with such speed that your stomach feels as if it has been physically torn from your body. Several minutes pass before you fully recover from the shock of the stunningly swift take-off, and are able to sit back and enjoy the spectacular aerial views of the gorge.
Using your palms and your knees, you quickly discover that you are able to steer the dragonfly towards the distant vent. Unfortunately, your ascent does not go entirely unnoticed. You are close to a mile above the canyon when suddenly your insectile steed attracts the unwanted attention of a larger predatory dragonfly. This predator is bigger and faster than your encumbered mount and, as it circles around him, it is clear that it is simply biding its time, awaiting the best moment to strike.
You draw your weapon and tighten your grip on your mount's scaly back as the predatory dragonfly swoops down to make its initial attack.
Illustration VII—The Golasyx attempts to stab you with its spear-like proboscis as you draw your sword.
Golasyx:
COMBAT SKILL
49
ENDURANCE
45
This creature is attempting to stab you with the tip of its spear-like proboscis as it swoops past; therefore you need only fight this combat for one round.
If you inflict an equal or greater
ENDURANCE
loss upon the enemy in this single round of combat,
turn to 38
.
If you sustain a greater
ENDURANCE
loss than your enemy,
turn to 192
.
Nimbly you dodge aside and avoid being hit by this creature's drool. At first you think nothing of it, but then you look to see where it landed and you notice that this trail of saliva is melting the flagstones.
If you wish to attack the creature that attempted to spit acid in your face,
turn to 141
.
If you choose to evade this creature,
turn to 91
.
Vigorously you attack the sticky strands of the net with your magical sword, cleaving through them with unexpected ease. They shrivel at the touch of your golden blade and drop in smouldering heaps onto the floor of the tunnel. Within a matter of seconds you have cut your way through and are able to continue your pursuit.
You and the others watch as Steel Hand slings his coil of rope over his shoulder and commences his climb. The rough wall of this vault offers many handholds and he is able to progress swiftly to the ceiling and work his way across to the middle of the chamber, directly above the fissure. Whilst holding himself in position with his left hand, he attempts to fix one end of the rope around an exposed stone beam with his right. On completing the task he ties off the rope and tugs it to make sure it is secure. There is a loud
crack!
and you gasp with horror as the buttress to which he has fixed his rope suddenly crumbles and breaks away from the ceiling.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have chosen is 0–7,
turn to 92
.
If it is 8 or 9,
turn to 268
.
At the end of the passage you discover another tunnel that leads off to the left. The walls and ceiling of this adjacent passageway are dripping wet, indicating that it passes directly under the stream. You stride along its narrow confines, your shoulders grazing the muddy walls as you advance up a flight of steps which lead to an archway supported by thick wooden beams. Beyond the arch lies a large subterranean chamber that is daubed and decorated with runes and evil insignia. It is a primitive temple and it radiates an aura of Evil so vile and malicious that the thought of entering makes your skin crawl.
On the far side of this unholy place, you see a stone altar standing before a huge boulder that has been crudely chiselled to resemble a grinning human skull. An eerie green glow pulsates from the eye sockets of this great skull-rock, and a mist swirls from its open jaw. Wolf's Bane stands before the altar, an arrogant sneer spreading slowly across his face.
‘I'd expected better sport from you, Lone Wolf,’ he chides. ‘You disappoint me … but no matter. Such easy triumph proves the worthiness of my master's cause. I bid you farewell, Lone Wolf. A final farewell.’
And with these chilling words ringing in your ears, your enemy stretches out both of his hands and takes hold of two iron staves that protrude from the ground on either side of the skull-rock's jaw. He jerks them out of their settings and casts them into the centre of the temple. Then, with a patronising salute, he turns and enters the open jaw, swiftly disappearing into the swirling mist.
The dull boom of an explosion somewhere in the rock above the ceiling makes your heart miss a beat. Moments later, the walls begin to shake and the floor shudders violently beneath your feet, throwing you off balance. Rock and earth cascade from the roof and fissures tear open the ground. With fear running ice cold in your veins, you begin a desperate race to reach the mouth of the skull-rock before the entire roof collapses and you are buried alive in this doomed temple.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. For every level of Kai rank you have so far attained above the rank of Sun Knight, add 1.
If your total score is now 3 or less,
turn to 222
.
If it is 4–6,
turn to 321
.
If it is 7–9,
turn to 205
.
If it is 10 or higher,
turn to 59
.