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 .
63
You look towards the dais and see a staff of twisted black metal. Its six-foot length looks insignificant lying beside the huge, booted foot of the Demoness.
‘The time has nearly come for the transference,’ says the young woman. ‘Shamath must be stopped, and only you can stop her.’
‘But how?’ you reply, bemused.
‘Simple! You must steal the Deathstaff and enter the Shadow Gate before her. Use the staff to destroy Cadak's crystal dais — this will close the gate and prevent the Demoness from entering Magnamund. But I warn you, Lone Wolf. You will have precious little time to accomplish this, so do not delay once you return to your world. You must destroy Cadak's dais as quickly as possible or Shamath will get through. She has great strength and power here, but on Magnamund her powers would make her invincible.’
The young woman looks over her shoulder, as if she is being pursued by some invisible hunter. ‘I wish I could help you more, Lone Wolf,’ she says, anxiously, ‘but I have my own battle to fight. Be brave, Grand Master, but most of all — be swift!’
And with these words she begins to fade before your eyes. The moment she vanishes completely, the cavern echoes to a deafening roar. It is the angry cry of Shamath. She has seen you!
Turn to 50 .
66
You awake shortly after dawn to the smell of freshly-brewed jala. Fyrad has already risen and is busy preparing breakfast. He hands you a steaming mug and you look out over the damp hillside, contemplating the quest whilst sipping this delicious beverage.
After breakfast, Fyrad tells you of a pass which leads directly to the east shore; then he gathers his equipment and furs and loads them onto his mule. He is tired of dodging brigands and storms and has decided to strike camp and abandon his hunt in the mountains. You bid each other good luck before saying your final farewells. On leaving the cave, you turn to the east and Fyrad to the south.
The hunter's directions are accurate and useful. You find the pass and by noon you have reached a chalky plateau on the far side, which is covered with dense scrub. Small groups of ragged-looking birds are perched on this foliage, feeding on its brightly coloured blooms. As you pass by, you reach out and grab a handful of these yellow flowers which smell sickly-sweet.
If you wish to taste these blooms, turn to 293 .
If you decide to discard them and continue your ride, turn to 18 .
68
The unexpected sight of your dead brother's face leaves you dry-mouthed and shaking, but fortunately your Kai Mastery of psychic defence protects your mind from the full effects of this psychic shock: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
Turn to 195 .
71
Hurriedly, you recite the words that trigger the Brotherhood Spell Counterspell . To your sudden horror you discover that the spell is ineffective against this energy bolt and, with a blinding eruption of white light, it explodes among the charred timbers. The blast and concussion send you reeling backwards to slam against a soot-blackened wall: lose 12 ENDURANCE points.
If you are still alive, turn to 200 .
72
The umbrella of light quickly fades to leave you standing in a torrential rain-storm, close to the base of the crystal dais. Through the downpour, you can see that the acolytes are slowly returning. They are anxious for
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 .
63
You look towards the dais and see a staff of twisted black metal. Its six-foot length looks insignificant lying beside the huge, booted foot of the Demoness.
‘The time has nearly come for the transference,’ says the young woman. ‘Shamath must be stopped, and only you can stop her.’
‘But how?’ you reply, bemused.
‘Simple! You must steal the Deathstaff and enter the Shadow Gate before her. Use the staff to destroy Cadak's crystal dais — this will close the gate and prevent the Demoness from entering Magnamund. But I warn you, Lone Wolf. You will have precious little time to accomplish this, so do not delay once you return to your world. You must destroy Cadak's dais as quickly as possible or Shamath will get through. She has great strength and power here, but on Magnamund her powers would make her invincible.’
The young woman looks over her shoulder, as if she is being pursued by some invisible hunter. ‘I wish I could help you more, Lone Wolf,’ she says, anxiously, ‘but I have my own battle to fight. Be brave, Grand Master, but most of all — be swift!’
And with these words she begins to fade before your eyes. The moment she vanishes completely, the cavern echoes to a deafening roar. It is the angry cry of Shamath. She has seen you!
Turn to 50 .
66
You awake shortly after dawn to the smell of freshly-brewed jala. Fyrad has already risen and is busy preparing breakfast. He hands you a steaming mug and you look out over the damp hillside, contemplating the quest whilst sipping this delicious beverage.
After breakfast, Fyrad tells you of a pass which leads directly to the east shore; then he gathers his equipment and furs and loads them onto his mule. He is tired of dodging brigands and storms and has decided to strike camp and abandon his hunt in the mountains. You bid each other good luck before saying your final farewells. On leaving the cave, you turn to the east and Fyrad to the south.
The hunter's directions are accurate and useful. You find the pass and by noon you have reached a chalky plateau on the far side, which is covered with dense scrub. Small groups of ragged-looking birds are perched on this foliage, feeding on its brightly coloured blooms. As you pass by, you reach out and grab a handful of these yellow flowers which smell sickly-sweet.
If you wish to taste these blooms, turn to 293 .
If you decide to discard them and continue your ride, turn to 18 .
68
The unexpected sight of your dead brother's face leaves you dry-mouthed and shaking, but fortunately your Kai Mastery of psychic defence protects your mind from the full effects of this psychic shock: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
Turn to 195 .
71
Hurriedly, you recite the words that trigger the Brotherhood Spell Counterspell . To your sudden horror you discover that the spell is ineffective against this energy bolt and, with a blinding eruption of white light, it explodes among the charred timbers. The blast and concussion send you reeling backwards to slam against a soot-blackened wall: lose 12 ENDURANCE points.
If you are still alive, turn to 200 .
72
The umbrella of light quickly fades to leave you standing in a torrential rain-storm, close to the base of the crystal dais. Through the downpour, you can see that the acolytes are slowly returning. They are anxious for
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