Wolf's Bane (26 page)
Your experienced eye is drawn to the chamber's north wall. You step closer and magnify your vision, which enables you to detect two faint hairline cracks in the damp granite surface. They run vertically from the floor to the ceiling and appear to be the outline of a secret panel. But all is not what it seems. You utter the words of the advanced Brotherhood Spell
See Illusion
, and the truth is swiftly revealed. The panel does not exist: it is a skilful illusion. With the memory of the power-glyph you encountered at the tomb entrance still fresh in your mind, you command your companions to stand with their backs against the south wall. Then you scoop a handful of gravel from the floor and hurl it at the north wall. There is a sudden flash of blue-white light which melts into a shower of hissing sparks as the gravel passes through the illusory panel, dissipating its energy.
‘Just as I thought — another trick!’ you say, as you unsheathe your weapon and signal to your comrades to follow your lead. ‘Be on your guard, my lords. We're hunting a cunning foe.’
Unfortunately your attempt to evade this magical missile is unsuccessful. A white-hot spike of pain penetrates deep into your chest as the onrushing bolt hits you and slams you against the moving wall of the shaft: lose 6
ENDURANCE
points.
If you survive this wounding, adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.
To continue,
turn to 37
.
You extend your right arm and point your hand at the stone trough. Then you speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Lightning Hand
and a familiar tingle rushes along your arm to explode into life at the tip of your index finger. A bolt of blue fire arcs towards the trough and with a deafening
wumph!
it ignites the liquid to create a blazing fireball. Greedily, this guttering ball of flame consumes the creatures gathered around the lip of the trough.
You concentrate upon the entrance to the tunnel as you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Teleport
. You feel a power building deep within your body, a power you are able to contain until the moment comes to release it. As soon as the writhing giant serpent twists away from the tunnel mouth, you channel the spell's energy into propelling you across the cavern. Within seconds you are able to reach the safety of the exit and make your escape unscathed.
Use of this spell drains you of 5
ENDURANCE
points. Make the necessary adjustment to your
Action Chart
before continuing.
Less than a hundred paces along this tunnel you come to a narrow hall which is lined with shelves. These thin and ancient beams sag under the weight of a strange collection of bones, stones, shells, ornaments, and other curios. The uppermost shelves are crowded with books, all old, dusty, and damaged.
You are advancing past the shelves, towards a door at the end of the hall, when a strange sound makes you freeze in your tracks. Something is moving behind the books on the top shelf. You tilt your head to look and find yourself staring into the corpse-green eyes of a round, pudding-shaped creature. It seems to be smiling, but then it purses its bulbous lips and spits a stream of smoke-coloured fluid at your face.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 4 or less,
turn to 284
.
If it is 5 or higher,
turn to 117
.
The creature's sharp proboscis penetrates your Backpack and gouges a furrow of skin from your ribs: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
Before it can strike again, you prise yourself out of the sticky cluster and retreat back along the stamen until you are out of harm's way. Excited by the taste of your warm blood, the giant insect stabs and slashes wildly, splintering stamen tips and drenching you with showers of sticky pollen. Fortunately, the span of its gigantic wings and the narrowness of the plant's corolla conspire to prevent it from reaching deeper into the plant and you are able to escape without sustaining further injuries.
The triumphant sneer dies on Wolf's Bane's face the instant he realizes that his winged minion has disappeared and that you are still alive. He recoils, his mouth gaping and his eyes wide with disbelief. As he retreats, he brushes against Alyss and utters a yelp of fright. His abject fear, however, soon transforms into blind fury.
‘You!’ he cries, accusingly. Fuelled by rage, he raises his sword in readiness to slash at her face. You rush forward and block his vicious blow; then you twist the blade from his grasp and, with one swift thrust, you skewer his heart upon the tip of your rapier.
Wolf's Bane regards the blade protruding from his chest with a look of utter astonishment. Then, with a curse on his blood-flecked lips, he drops to his knees and crumples lifelessly to the floor.
Warily you approach the settlement, your keen senses absorbing every detail. The line of deserted mud huts looks innocuous but the words of the voice of Naar still linger in your memory. This humid jungle realm lies within his domain; it is therefore reasonable to expect that the inhabitants of this place will be wholly devoted to the cause of Evil.
You reach the edge of the undergrowth and pause to assess potential threats. The huts are semi-derelict, all bearing some signs of neglect and decay. The nearest one is a clay-tiled hovel that, like the others, appears to be empty. But when you focus upon its open doorway you see that a trench has been cut into its earth floor. You magnify your vision and at once you detect steps in the wall of this excavation, leading underground.
If you wish to enter the hut and investigate where these steps lead to,
turn to 161
.
If you choose instead to check the hut for traps,
turn to 27
.
This tunnel gradually descends by slope and stair through deeper levels of the catacombs. You detect no trace of the impostor and, when eventually the tunnel comes to a dead end, you curse your ill luck and turn reluctantly to retrace your steps. It is then that you sense a faint but lingering aura of Evil close to the tunnel floor.
Closer inspection reveals a trapdoor set into the flagstones. You pull this heavy hatch open and uncover a circular chute and a ladder descending into darkness. Your heart misses a beat when you notice fresh tracks on the ladder's iron rungs; at last you have found the impostor's trail.
Cautiously you lead the descent into the chute, using your powers of infravision to scan for signs of movement in the damp darkness below. After several minutes you reach the bottom of the ladder where you discover a large vaulted chamber. Around its walls are positioned urns and grey stone caskets, each embellished with traces of gold. There is an unexpected air of opulence about this vault which prompts you to guess that it is a secret burial tomb.
If you have ever visited the Graveyard of the Ancients in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure,
turn to 182
.
If you have never visited this place,
turn to 206
.
Your Arrow hits its mark and penetrates deep into the creature's eye socket. There is a splash of white sparks and a crackle of electrical arcing as the tip punches through the back of its steel skull, and yet the beast comes on. The wound has inflicted serious damage to its sight and senses, but it does not stop it from pressing home its attack. You have barely one second remaining in which to unsheathe a hand weapon as this great metallic horror launches itself at your chest.
Mech-wulf:
COMBAT SKILL
38
ENDURANCE
35
This creature is immune to all psychic attacks.
If you win this combat,
turn to 5
.
From the uppermost reaches of the tower there descends an icy fog which radiates an intensely powerful aura of Evil. This menacing mist darkens as it swirls around the lower levels, like some huge vaporous snake seeking out its prey. Then, slowly, it gathers in towards the centre of the chamber where it hangs above the plinth like an angry thunderhead, roiling and seething with colossal malevolence.
You gaze into this black cloud and are gripped by an abject terror the instant you fathom its nature and purpose. This cloud is not of this world and it has not fully taken on substance and being within the material plane of Aon, yet even in its malformed state you recognize it to be a materialization of ultimate Evil. This is a manifestation of Naar — the King of the Darkness!
Suddenly a deafening clap of thunder shakes the walls and the base of the tower is lit up by crackling arcs of lightning. The freezing air seethes with tension as the presence of Naar triggers explosive chemical imbalances within it. Then, above the crackling cacophony of noise, you hear a chilling voice speaking to you in your native tongue.
‘Disciple of Kai — you know my name. Will you not deign to speak it?’
Morbid terror is ripping at your insides yet you refuse to show the slightest trace of weakness. You steel yourself and inwardly you pray to Kai and Ishir to protect you in this hour of deepest need.
‘No!’ you scream. ‘I will never acknowledge you!’
‘You may be one of Kai's favourite minions,’ retorts the voice, ‘but you will always be mortal. You would do well to remember that in my presence.’ Thunder booms and the floor shakes beneath your feet, causing you to fall involuntarily to your knees.
‘Now that you bow before me, Lone Wolf, I shall impart to you your fate, for I am the true master of Aon. This is Avaros, a small and insignificant satellite of Duron, a world that has long been devoted to my cause. And you have been lured here for one purpose — to be destroyed. During the speck of time that you have existed, you have become an impertinent obstacle to my conquest of Magnamund. For this you will forfeit your soul. Yet, before I claim your worthless soul, I shall make sport of your demise so that Kai and Ishir shall see the worthlessness of their creations and know the futility of their cause.’
Once more the thunder booms and you are blinded momentarily by a flash of white fire. Slowly your sight returns, and now you can see your adversary — Wolf's Bane — standing upon the plinth, directly under the menacing black cloud.
‘Here is my champion,’ speaks the voice of Naar. ‘You and he are well-matched for the contest that is about to commence.’
Wolf's Bane unsheathes his sword and levels it your chest. His facial features twist into a grotesque parody of your own as he spits out a venomous threat:
‘Victory will be mine, Lone Wolf. Evil shall ultimately triumph!’
You shout a defiant riposte, but the voice of Naar booms once more, drowning your worthy cry:
‘So be it! Let the duel begin!’
You sprint towards the speeding wagon and hurl yourself towards its open cargo bay. But, disastrously, you misjudge your leap and crash headlong into the side of the hover-wagon, knocking yourself unconscious.
The concussion you have sustained does not kill you, but it contributes indirectly to your death. Your body is seen lying in the avenue by Wolf's Bane, from one of the tower's many watching posts, and he immediately dispatches a troop of Manoyds to capture and slay you. Sadly, they are brutally efficient servants and they obey his commands to the letter.
Tragically, your life and your duel end here.
‘Release him, my lord,’ says Banedon. The Baron, unnerved by the sudden disappearance of the magical shield and the Guildmaster's unexpected request, takes a step backwards and reaches for his sword.
‘Have no fear,’ says Banedon, staying the Baron's hand, ‘for we have here the real Grand Master of the Kai.’
‘How can you be so sure?’ retorts Caldar, his voice full of scepticism.
‘I'm certain,’ says Banedon, ‘yet there is one way we can be absolutely sure.’
So saying, Banedon removes from the pocket of his robe a small platinum disc which is strung upon a loop of braided cord. He approaches you and slips the cord over your head.
‘Here is proof,’ he says. ‘No agent of Naar could tolerate the touch of this goodly artefact. Banish your doubts, my lord. This man is Lone Wolf.’
(Record this Platinum Amulet, which you wear around your neck, as a Special Item on your
Action Chart
. You need not discard another item in its favour if you already possess the maximum number permissible.)
To continue,
turn to 88
.