The Masters of Darkness by Joe Dever

of his true motives. ‘Why do you desire to betray your masters? Have they not given you the power you crave?’
    ‘Aye! That they have, but at a grievous price. Since the war began, they have demanded that the foundries and ore pits of Aarnak produce ever-increasing supplies of black steel. The quotas are impossible and I fear that the day is close when I will be of no more use to them. Ultimately, the Darklords destroy everything over which they have control — cities, land, races, even their own kind. The Elder Magi have promised me sanctuary in return for my help, and help I shall, for my life is dependent on your success.’ He smiles, amused by the irony of his situation, and then he bids you follow him to an adjoining chamber. ‘Come, you must prepare for your journey to the Black City.’
    Turn to 154 .

82
    Your Arrow spirals towards the Xargath's eye and, to your astonishment, splinters to matchwood against its stone-hard cornea. Cursing your misfortune, you reach for a hand weapon as the creature advances unceasingly, its jaws widening as it prepares to swallow you whole.
    Turn to 344 .

83
    Your Kai skill and experience alert you to the threat of an imminent ambush. The group of creatures you saw whispering to each other in the chamber earlier are creeping up on you from behind, armed with an assortment of deadly weapons. You spin around to confront them as they prepare to attack, and catch all of them wrong-footed.
    Minions of Taktaal: COMBAT SKILL  24    ENDURANCE  28
    Owing to the speed and surprise of your counterattack, ignore any ENDURANCE points you may lose in the first two rounds of the combat.
    If you possess the Sommerswerd and wish to use it, turn to 208 .
    If you win the combat, turn to 228 .

84
    Silently you watch as the great tube is gradually lowered, by means of ratchets and gears, until it is pointing directly at the waterline of the
Intrepid
. It seems a pointless exercise: the ship is sinking so quickly that to fire upon it now would seem to be wasteful. Then suddenly you realize what the enemy captain is planning to do; the thought of it stirs you to anger.
    Turn to 113 .

87
    Cautiously you peer into the abyss, your weapon held ready in case another of the fearsome Ictakko should surge from the depths and attack. But in this instance your caution proves unnecessary, for your senses soon tell you that a colony of cave bats are the only creatures that now occupy the dark and silent crevasse.
    With ease, you leap across the crevasse at its narrowest point and leave the cavern by the tunnel in the opposite wall. Here, too, the walls are encrusted with light-emitting bacteria, enabling you to progress quickly through a series of interconnecting halls and chambers. The cobwebbed remains of broken mining equipment litter many of these places, revealing why the Darklords constructed this labyrinth of tunnels. After an hour of exploration you find the main exit from the mine. Darkness greets your return to the surface, but your senses inform you that you have emerged in the pass that traverses the mountain range.
    Turn to 137 .

88
    Gnaag recoils in terror when he recognizes the weapon you wield. Fashioned in the fiery furnaces that lie buried deep in the bowels of the city, it possesses a power that can seal his doom. He retreats and you take up the attack in this momentous struggle.
    Darklord Gnaag: COMBAT SKILL  50    ENDURANCE  70
    The power of the weapon you wield is greatly intensified when used within the walls of Helgedad. Owing to its increased power, add 12 to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of the fight. Darklord Gnaag is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge).
    If you win the combat, turn to 350 .

89
    Your senses warn you that a large section of the middle deck, severely weakened during the Xargath's attack, is now on the verge of collapsing beneath the weight of fighting men. Forewarned by your Kai skill, you shout an order to the Kirlundins to retreat towards the bow.