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BLACK VEIN PROPHECiThe Black Vein Prophecy was decreed many, manyyears ago,in the time ofih€ fi€ndish ruler, Bezenvial, bur its arcane powerreaches acrcss time to @rs€ the land. Now the Chld Knrg'shold over ihe Isles of the Da'n is crumbling to nothing, asancieni evil eD€rg€s once more to reclaim i!3 btthrigh t-Awakening inside a dusty sar$phagus, you are plunged into abewilde.ing world cursed with the taint of chaos and wd. Buttoryourhere isa morepressingneed to discover iust who youThe fragments of disiant memories provid€ some clues, andthose you me€i on th€ road may offer others Ultimaiely,ihough, ii wil be for YOU to d$cover jurt who you a.e, andhow you can tulfil the ancient prophecy.Two die, a pencil and an eraser de all you ned to embark onthis astonishing adventure, which ls complete with its elabora tecombat system a nd a score sheet to record your prcgress.Many dangers lie ah€ad and your success is by no neansce.tain Powerlul adv€rsanes ale ranged agaifftyou andirs upto YOU to decide which route to foltow, which dange$ to riskand which focs to fight
Fi sht i ns Fantas! Ga tub.oksSteve Jackson and Ian Livingstonepresent:BrncrVern PRopnecyStfle lacksons SORCERYIZ CRECTPORT OF RPSFICHTINC fANTASY The Intodu.tory Role Playing CmeTHE RIDDUNC REAVER - S.€Mrcs lor the F,shttru fanhyCm€ Four Th llin8 r'dvmhuesOttI OF THE PIT F€htne Fmt*y Mo.steiiTITAN The LghtnA Frnta.y Wo dTHE TROLLTOOTH WARs - A Iighting Fmlasy NovelDEMONSTEALER A F,Ahtng Fantasy NovelDUNGEONEER Advdced Fighli.g FmtasyBLAC(SANDT Adv,n.€d Fi8htinC FrtasyRole PlayinAPaul Mason and Steven WilliarnsIllustrated by Terry Oakes.PUFFIN BOOKS
Blackness.. The sounJof marching feet . . . Themusty odour of decay. Somewhere in the voidwhich envelops you, a voice cries out. The poundingfeet fade away and sparks swim before youreyes. Nausea grips you. You double up; your headthumps against stone. The mrmbness reheats fiomyour limbs and, as your senses retum, you feel thecold stone slabs which entomb you. You panic,flailing desperately. Your hands strike the slababove you and a flash sears your vision As yoursight returns, you see the lid o{ your sarcophagushurtle upwards. It smashes against a high ceilin8and disintegrates, raining stone shards and dustdown upon you. Silence descends.You drag yourself ou[ and collapse weakly. You arein a round, high-domed chamber, festooned withrich tapestries and glittering ornaments, each carefullystacked and ordered. A faint golden radiancesu{fuses the treasure, dirnly illuminating the chamber.The sumpfuous marble floor is shot throughwith black veins, butits perfect surface is flawed bya series o{ fine cracks. Alons one of these a thinrivulet of crimson seeps acr;ss the dust towardsyou. You look up. A broken body lies among therubble, a trickle of blood oozin8 from its head. Youback away, scrabbling across the marble to the baseof your tomb. Beyond it is another identical sarcophagus,but you are too bewildered to pay anyattention to it Tracing your hand over the carvedsurface of your own tomb, you struggle to make
sense of the weird designs covering it. But theiisignificanc€ eludes you, leaving you with only thevaguest feeling of recognition. The whole chamberseems filled with echoes of your past, but theirmeaning is lost to you- All you are left with is a te.rorwhich grips your innards and gnaws at your mind.Something makes a noise. You tum towards thesound, $asping the lip of the sarcophagus for suppolt.Justasyouare shugglingto focus, the crushedAttack the silvery creature? Tum to 65Approach cautiously?Tum to q2Retreat to the other sarcophagus? Turn to 3doYou come to the edge of a cliffand p€er down into agreen gorge, its far depths delicately veiled by risingvapour. Some way along the cliff you can see peoplelowedng themselves down the cliff face on ropes. Ifyou want to inveshgate them, turn to 47 If youignore them and continue on yourway, tum to 29_1The king's forces line the foothills about you, waitingnervously for battle. The officer escorts youthrough their ranks towards a lavish tent, coveredin royal emblems and banners. The troops whosurround it seem disoiganized and chaotic; infantrymenwander about ailr essly, while sergeantsbellow ordeis at them - to little effect. The scene isone of confusion and apprchension; no one seemsto be in charge. You are ushered into the tent and,presented to the young king, Poo Ta, whom youfind lounging in a sea of cushions. He is waited onby at least twenty servants and is behg fed grapesand succulent sweetneats. The boy points at youwith a jewel-laden finger. 'Who is this wretch, andwhat does he want?'The king gestures the slaves toleave, and half listens to your news while suckinghis teeth. 'Heavensl', he cries. 'From the way youtalk, you would think that we weie all doomed! Ihave the troops, I have the generals, and history ison my side. I shall take great pleasure in leadinga glorious victory a8ainst B€zenvial's impudentchild!''But, your majesty,' inte4ects a worried-lookingofficer, 'we have no plan of attack. I have reportsthat Feio/s army far outnumbers our own, we . . .''Silencel' snaps the king. 'l am invincible. My familyIine is unbroken. War is in my blood - I have noneed ofpettyplans!'The commanders bow their heads respectfully, butvou can Sense their apprehension. lfyou volunteer
4-56-7your services as a commander, tum to 61. Ifyou setout alone, leaving the king to blunder into battleunaided, tuln to 117.4Try asyou may, you cannot Bet a wordinedgeways.Merzei is obviously a master of the art of talkingdown opponents. He rants on incomPrehensiblyfor several minutes, talking about social injusticeand how you and all lickspittle lackeys of therulin8 autarchy will be swept away by a tide ofrighteousness.'Down with the Tyrantl Up with the Councill' heyells, before tuming on his heel and stalking offamong the trees. There seems little point in followinghim, so you make your own way out of thewoods. Turn to 239The creature stares atyou expectantly, then the Srinbroadens. It reaches forward slowly and takes thebrooch from your outstretched hand.'Thank-k-k-ks,' it says, then it disapPears withanother loud pop. The brooch is lost with it. Tumback to the paragraph you were at when youdecided to open thebrooch.7The shimmering Lock spell catches Feior doubledup in agony. It spreads out around his body, freezinghim in position. It seems that you have Prevailed.Ifyou abandon him where he is, turn to 219Ifyou climb to his perch and free h1m ftom the Lockspell, tum to r59,5Desperately you try to clear your mind, and youbegin to speak the word. But before you can finishit, the creature's poison makes contacf with yourhands. Your arms lock rigid. Very soon your entirebody is paralysed. The creature leels in its helPlessprey, and prepares to dine . . .
8-1od'Fooll' Velkos calls back to you as she hurries off.You follow the screeching to a large wood€n doorwhich blocks the tunnel. The door is not balred, buta dislodged chip of stone wedges it shut. As flantichands thump on the other side, you kick the stoneaway. The door flies open and dozens of youngCressents pour out, sweeping you along with them.One of them gestures al you, but you can't make outwhat he is t+ng to communicate. Behind themseep tendrils ofsmoke. Soonlight appearc ahead o(you, and the Cressents quicken their pace. Youemerge on the mountainside [o see traders andCressents alike fleeing from an incandescent creature,its shapeless body surrounded by whipJashesof flame. Bolts fly from it, incinerating all theytouch. You notice Velkos among the fleeing traders.If you run ftom this creature of wizardry, tum toj54. lfyou stand and face it, turn Lo 28o.9The slash takes you by swprise and slices cleanlythrough. Fatally wounded, you slump forward intoblackness. Your advenfure ends here.10Though scarred and pocked, the sea walls of the citystill stand. Flights of stone steps lead up to theirramparts, and you begin to ascend. After a shortwhile you reach a ledge, ftom which another flightleads uowards. This time the climb takes a litdelonger, ind by the time you reach the nextledge you
47.-12are panting with the effort. Looking up, you see thetop of the wall still rearing far above you. You arehalfway up the next flight of stairs when you noticethatyouare only a dozen steps up from the ground-Below you there is no sign of the ledtes on whichyou rested. Hurrying back down the steps, you lookup at the wall ftom a distance. A single flight ofstairs leads up to the top - there is not a ledge to beseen. Puzzled, you abandon your attempt to scalethe walls. Ifyou turn your attention to the catapultson the platforms near by, tum to 175. Ifyou returnto the city's ruins, turn lo 97.aaThe first wave of your attack holds well. You dismountand follow your men into battle. Soon youare in the midst of the fray, fighhng for your life.Two of Feior's foot soldiers break free and chaiseyou. YoLr must react instantly dnd defend you$eu.First SOLDIERSecond SOLDIERSKILL55STAMINA56Fight them one at a time. Ifyou win, tum to 169.Sevniroda, the outlaw leader, whispers at youthreateningly: 'What are you plalng at? You'resupposed to be one of us.' If you try to persuadeSevmiroda that you're not cut out for thebanditlife,turnto356. If you run flom thebandits, tum to182.Ifyou want to try to defeat them, turn bo258.at-a6L3Before you can reach the sitting prophet, theKreehuls are upon you. They seem reluctant toattack, but their sheer weight of numberc crushesdown on you. Trampled beneath their webbed feet,you die swiftly.a4Velkos refuses to follow you and sets ofl up thescrub-covered slopes. Youhead alon8 the track intothe pine-scentedarkneee of the wood. Test yorltLltck, II yo.u are Lucky, turn to 353. If you areUnlucky, tum to 11o.You start to run, but the ioud shoots towards you,enveloping you in utter blackness. You waver, unableto find a safe footing. Suddenly you are struckviolently from behind. You topple and plunge intothe chasm below. The ground hurdes up towardsyou, and you lose consciousness. Turn to 165.16The tunnel leads down {or some way, twisting andturning. You cannot tell in which direchon you arefacing, but soon a glimpse of light ahead leads youto Suess that you are approaching the cliff face . Youenter a chamber, whjch is full of flickering candles.At the far end of the cavem, another short tunnelleads out to the sk, in which birds wheel and dive.In the chamber stands an old man; he regards youwith an intense gaze. 'Your name is Maior,'he says,
1.7'l am Credas.'He gestures to you to find a place tosit on the floor. 'I can teach you to use the poweryouhold, if you are willing. But first we must think ofsomethinS to do about those unwelcome intruders.'He leads you back down the tunnels to where theoutlaws stand mesmerized. 'lf we combine powerwe can send them out o{ here none the wiser,'Credas tells you.lf you decide to trust him and join in his enchantment,tum to 126. Ifyou refuse, turn to 221.1.7Youuntie the man ftom the wheel and support him.'Ahal'a coarse voice says.You tum to find yourself faong three men ln blackIacquered armour made up of many scales, theirswords as broad as hands. You look each of thern inthe eye and each, in turn, flinches from your gaze.'Begone!'you shout. The warriors disapp€ar amongthe buildings.You help the man ftom the village into the relativesafety of a nearby copse. But his injuries are toogreat, and he dies in your arms. It seems you musthead north if you are to keep away from the raveningarmy of Feior. If you return to Credas's cave,tuln to r2g. Ifyou search for somewhere saJe to stay,turn to 29.a8-1918You crouch just inside the opening, taking comfortfrom the dim radiance which seeps through it Butthe pressure inside is mounting again. Ahead ofvou, another flale bursts on the chamb€rfloor. Youthink you can discern another opening on the farside of the chamber, so you prepare to make a dashacross the riddled floor- Turn to 39o.a9You head off alone into unfamiliar countrvside,soon findin8 a wide dirt road. Continuing al,ong itfor some time, you observe the state of the surroundingfieldsj vast tracts of millet lie rotting andunharvested. After an hour, when you have givenup hope of seeing anyone, shouts se up fromacross a muddy field to your left. Cautiously youadvance across the deepmud and spy two peasants,who seem to be crouched on theirhands and knees.lfyou answer their cdes for help, turn to 158. Ifyouchoose to ignore them arld continue alongthe road,turn to 161
20-23xtAt the head of tlrc army stalks a figure that 6lls youwith queasy recognition. Dressed in the most ridiculous6nery is a tall, imposing fiBure, whom yourecognize as your brother, Feior. H€ approacheswith a jaunty stride and fixes you with a quizzicalgrin. 'Well met, fleshkin,'h€ says.'Wouldyou careto join my little band ofbrotherg? I need a lieutenantI can iely on.'If you agree to Feio!'s offer, tuln to 124. If yourefuse, furn to 339.2aYou tale the fellow by surprise, landing a stingingblow that s€nds him crashing, He is up quickly,however, and flails about him with a spiked dub.BLINDED BANDIT SKTLL 4 STAMINA6If you defeat the bandit, tum to 387.22'That is unfortunate, but we may still prevail. Youmust unite an army to meet Feior in battle anddestroy his forces. Without soldiers h€ has no realpower. Co now, and may your fate be kind, for thesake o{ the Isles.' If you have a Bejewelled Box, turnto 377. Otherwise, tum to 119.li1 i,1. .,:.i tThe lid of the box flips opein of its own accord, and ashimmering haze of vapour emer8es. You leap backbut ar€ too late to avoid a moutfuul oI the enchanted
24substance. It burns your throat honibly (lose 2points ftom your srAMrNA) and you choke badly.The merchant makes good his escape while you liedoubled up. Eventually the vapour dispdrses andthere, before you in the dirt, lies the bejewelled box,so you pick it up (note this on your Equipment List).Tufn to 161.25-28The coin lands with Feiols screaming face uppermost.The coin swells, then pops, and yourbrothe/s prone form lies at your feet. He is utterlydefeated. Turn to 264.26You call the sacred word from your memory andrepeat it aloud. As the last sflable leaves yourton8ue, you feel a ball of energy blossom inyour chest. It spreads to your arrns and then toyour fingers, Iinally collecting itself into a ball ofenergy, which you fling into the pool. The waterlocks solid. trapping the bathers and giving you afew seconds to dash for the exiL. Tum to 2o2.24The object is warm to the touch. You roll it awayfrom the wall and brush off the accumulated dust.No sooner have you touched it, however, than ashadow crosses your vision- You look up to see aminor image of yourself stepping ftom the silverysurface of the wall in ftont of you. Its face is contoftedin the same ricfus of fear as your own, but itmoves in to attack you.MIRRORIMAGEsKrLL yourownSTAMINA yOUr OWnYou must fight an exact, but reversed, replica ofyourself. If you win the fight, turn to 272.It feels as if huge bloated worms are gorging themselveson your organs. Just as the sensation growstoo much to bear, yourpower is released in a singlebolt. The Polybleb rears, the air around it waryingand changing. Whatwas already a fearsome magicalcreafuie has now been transformed into anenormous mound of eye-searing horror, Beforeyour brain can fully comprehend the extenL o{ thecreahre you have created, a gout ofplasma eruptsfrom itand envelops you. Yourend is swift-26As you charge towards the village and into the heartof battle, the flying Sturramak notices your freshassault. It swoops towards you, releasing a fiery
31.pass through each seal. The corridors tremble sPasmodically the further you Progress, and by the timeyou approach the seventh seal loose Pebbles aieraining down upon you. Breaking into a run, youmake a dash for the sunlightwhich streams throughthe seal ahead o{ you. Roll one die, note down theresult and tum to 1o7.t2-33Darkness now surounds you. By trailing yourfingers against the wall to your left, you make yourway safely along the passage, which meanders forsome time, hopelessly conJusing your sense ofdirection. A glow appea$ ahead, and you stumbleinto a chamber lit by limpid trails of luminescentslime. By this ghastly light you can see pile uponpile of nuts, berries, leaves and gemstones.Sparkling in the dim light they lie there, beckoningyou i /ith the comJorting finger of wealth. As youstare, a v/isp of smoke writhes into the chamberbesideyou. You tur:n. . . andmore billowsoutfromthe tunnel. If you make for the opposite tunnelstraigh t away, tum to 372. If you pick up some gernsfirst, tum to 262.3aYou start to generate the same destrucLive Powerinyour own body that Feior is Producins SParksflicker between your fingers, and you feel thesorcerous fire building within you. As Feior looseshis bolt of energy, your own bursts forth The blastsfly at each other, stiking with a thundelous roat.With a mighty explosion the two sPells combine,and the shock-wave hurls you from youi perch on tothe rocks below.The Kreehuls have been temporarily thwarted but,in a forest ofsuch size, it seems likely that more willarrive sogn. The statue of the Sitting Prophet is notthe fi8urine Credas led you to believe it was. In vain)ou try to shifl it. and succeed only in straining yoLrrback. Dejected, you slump down against one of itschubby legs and stare out into the jungle. Greeneyes stare back at you ftom the darkness as moreKreehuls prepare for anotherassault. You! situationseems hopeless. If you have the Snall Ja!, turn to391. Otherwise, turn to 214.
29bolt of energy which smashes into the peasants,instantly disintegratinS those it hits- The beastnears, and you watch in horror as it releases hundredsof squirming, leech-like creatures from itsunderbelly on to the people below. You turn yourgaze towards the village's river and spy the goldenfigure of the Sitting Prophet as hewadesinto battle,at his heels a mass of screeching Kreehuls. Theswamp beings spill out on to the banks and attackFeior's trooDs, while their idol waits for the Sturramakto neai him. The two magical beings lock infierce combat But the battle has been poorly planned.Without a strategy, the three factions buckleunder the weitht of attacks. You perish, amidscenes of terrible camaqe.29You trek through the countryside, past fieldsof peasants working away to eke out a lowly existence.They look at you suspiciously as you pass,and several make superstitious gesfures in yourdirection.You arrive at a fair-sized town feehng tired. miserableand estranged from those around you. Thistown is urilike the one you encountered previously:its streets are clean andits people, for the mostpart,prosperous. You are stopped by guards as you passthrough the gates, and they ask you your businessand your home town. When your reply fails toiatisfy them, they haul you off to a cell. You considerresisting, but there are too many of them,and they look as i{ they know how to use their\veaponry.Several hours later, a young man in fine robes(omes to visit you, flanked by stern-faced soldiers.It's Feiorl' he shdeks upon seeing you 'l'd recog_nize that devilspawn anywherel Slay him beforehe enchants us!' You have no opportunity to actbefore the soldiers swing their swords, and youtJOventute enos3oAt the top of the stairs you are confronted by yet.rncJther seal. You scramble through the openingrnd find yourself in a low-ceilinged corridor whichsnakes ofl ahead of you. On the floor beside you,neatly laid out, are a $eatsword and a haversack If\ ou wish to take either orboth ofthese, you shouldadd them to your Equipment List - the have$ackiontains fresh food equivalent lo 5 Provisions.)ou continue along the passage, passing thtou8hanother thrce seals. You notice that the Pressurebuilds as you advance, then drops aSain when youto
t4-J6t4Mortallywounded, yolrropponentcollapsesiustasVelkos gets to herfeet, grabs a pole and fends off thesecond sphere. You shoot a searchingglance at her,then look back to the man who emerged from thefloating ball. Velkos explains that, as punishmentfor his crimes, the wretch has been cast out upon theocean in the inflated bladder ofa Shael-beast to livea short life ofseclusion and madness. Exhausted byyour fight/ you slump to the deck. If you allowyourself a restful sleep, tum to 292. lf you stayawake, tum to 24737-J937You have a refreshing rest (restore 2 points ofsrlvrra). You thinl you can remember in whichduection Velkos fled. If you search for her, tum to67 If yo.u set oIf on your own into the lusherlowlands, turn to 19.You are deep in the forest A rich smell of decaywafts ftom the north, while the road ahead showssigns ofuse. Doyoufollowthe smell (tum to j82) orthe road (turn to 361)?16The Sturramak feeds off the energy of others Yourpowers simply fuel its own, and you perish.38Soon you are lost in the heart of the jungle, with nomeans of retracing your steps. You are doomed toroam the hinterland until deathfindsyou and sendsvou once more into the blackness from wJrich 1,ouemerged.39You pass through the tortured streets. The airisnchrvith strange smells. The charred ruins give offoppressive auras: some fill you with dread, othersdraw you to them, while still others stir you touneasy laughter You begin fo get the distinct impressionthat someone or something is movingamong the buildings. The grand arch ofthe city gateis carved in the shape of two mighty interlockingserpents The wroughFiron portcullis has been
40blasted through, leaving jagged edges jutting fromit like an old manls broken teeth. All around you thewalls are rlddled with fragments of metal, driventherc by the power of the explosion. You approachthe open ga{e, looking through it to the scorchedfields beyond the city. You step closer, hearing afaint pattering of hoofs. In an instant you are blownoff your feet as the mouth of the gate eruPts in asheet of crackling flame. As you back away, youhear the hoofs pounding closer. The barder of flamepalts as a rider plunges through and into the square,before careering off among the buildings. As hechaiges away, you gaze atthe powerfulhorse, thenat the naked rider, whose skin is dapPled withblotches of livid colour. It is only as they disaPPearthat you realize that horse and rider were fused -their bodies are merged and distorted in a grotesqueparody. Will you:Follow the ride/s example and leapthrough the flame barrier?Wander back thrcugh the citystreets?Hurry in the direction of the rider?Tum to 283Turn to 132Turn to 329AO'So quiet, weakling?' your fathels voice booms outacross the chasm. You snaP out of your trance andsteady yourself on the rocky pinnacle. 'To thinl thatmy child would side with dxe very men whobrought me down. You shame me, sonl'As heshouts, a Iierce blast o{ wind lifts you off your feetand carries you upwards. The 6ky disintegrates intoa brilliant white, followed, seconds later, by a ripplingcrash.Iragments ofglass shower down aboutvou as you plummet to the chasm's iocky floor.Your advenfure ends here.A sweat rises rapidly on^a yow flesh, and your facecontorts with the effort. Your nose wrinkles, and1'our whole body feels as taut as a drumskin. Thenthere is release: flame bursts fiom your nostdls,feathers flare, and the birds are no more. BehindJ"ou thebandits gasp and mutterwardings, butyoutake conhol of the situation. 'Forwardl'vou call,stridins further inLo the caverns. You marLh into achamba.Itbya thousand candles, to see an old mangesturing feebly. As he sees you his eyes widen.,]vlaiorl' he gasps. Something within you fills youn'1th certainty that this man is an ancient enemy ofvours. You gesture casually to Sevmiroda; he cutsthe old sorcerer down with a single stylish sweep ofhis sword.You search the cavern comDlex, but there is noueasure tobe found - only so;cerous knick-knacks, -trcoks, charms and scrolls. Cursing, you and yourband haul yourselves back up the ropes. Turn to238.4a
42-44Men with whips and nets chase behind the creafures.Somehow you know that they are foreignerstotheselands, here to st pitofitswealth. Uponthedif{ above the cave entrance you see three more,nets atwirl. The terrified creafures pay you no heedas they rush headlong into the sanctuary of thecavemouth. Velkos curses and furns to run. Stonesrain down from above. Will you:Follow the creatures into the cave? Turn to 285Evade these foreigners by fleeingdown the mountainside? Turn to 146Attack them?Tum to 21343Before you stands the monastery. No one is about,so you step through the open gates. Within is aspa$e but neatly tended garden and, in it, severalbuildings. You enter the nearest and find a halldevoid of furniture or decoration of any sort. Youhear a {aint sound ftom above and, after a fewmoments, two men enter the hall through a dooroppo\ite. The) \ edr only loindoths, ;nd iheirbodies arnply demonstmte the physical perfectionthese monks are said [o asDire to. If vou have theCay Effigy, tum to 255. Otherwise, tuIn to 342.44As you watch the chaos, the locals nearest youdouble up, dutching their noses and retching. Youvourself have become quite used to the smell the
45-40Shael-beast pit has left you with; however, thevillagers take a different view. You are manhandledout of the Ehop and across the square, then stdppedofyourdothes andbooted through the dools ofthelocal tavern. You hurtle into the steamy chamberandfall. . . i4toaDoolof water. Tumto2E6.47Feior has you brought down from the mountain top,and on the joumey he tells you that he will have youstand in his throne chamber, that you may see howa true child of Bezenvial should rule.The boat slides up on to-a shingle beach and youleap out with Velkos, who carries a line to make theboat fast. Then yod hurry up the beach to a cave inthe cliff face Velkos looks around then turns to you,ftowning. 'Enemies have been here,' she says. 'Wecan try to flee ftom them or we can hunt them outand get them before they get us. What do youthink?' Will you:Flee?Tum to 232Hunt out the enemies?Tum to 215Abandon Velkos and strike out onyour own? Turn to 11746You begin to prepare your Disruption spell, focusingyour power and trying to ignore the heat whichgushes through your body. You are already tired,though, and concentration comes hard. lvhen yourelease your bolt at Feior, he simply cackles and flipsa translucent shape through the atu at it . . . andyour bolt evaporates. Another shining sphere fliesfrom Feior's hands, and you are frozen where youstand.47Hiding behind a rotten tuee stump you observe thefigures. Two remain looking after the ropes. Theyappear to be wood folk or possibly outlaws, as theirdothing is rough and they carry swords and otherweapons. One oI them glances in your direction,andyou shrinkdoserto the tlee. Lookinginside thedecaying hulk, you see apool of darkness. A tunnelleads downl Unable to resist the temptation, yousoamble inside the tree and slither down the nar'row funnel. After sevenl yards it widens out, andyou can walk with ease.A fluttering from up ahead is your only waming.You are enveloped in a veil of wings. The birds'flight forms patterns in the air, patterns which teaseyour memory. Images flash belore your eyes: yousee once more the gl)rphs on your sarcophagus, anda feeling of calm descends on you. You have learnt
48-49the power of Harmonization. Whenever you see theword'Tiaohe' as an option, you willbe able to usethis power.You step forward and thebirds partbefore you, as iIthey sense your command of their power. Beyondthem lies a chamber, roofless and open to the sky.The bandits stand here, blank-faced and unmoving.Another passage leads out of the cavem. Ifyou slaythe bandits while they are enchanted, tum to 138 Ifyou ignore them and take the otherpassage, tum toa6.4E'You can't just go orde n' . . .' The peasant breaksoff his ranting as his eyes meet yours.His wife prods him. 'We11, go on then, get on withit.' She kicks him off his perch/ and they both setabout helpin8 you manlandle the idol on to thecart. After much heavinB aIrd grunting, you succeedand set off towards Credas's cliff-top retreat. Turnto d5.49The battered enhance-hall of the ale-house is litteiedwith piles of filthy, stinkrng dothes; you5onotice tha[ the stone floor is slick with water. Atoothless youth sidles up to you and nervouslyslobbers, 'You ain't from here, are you?' When youfail to answer, he asks,'ShallI take yourclothes andthings 'fore you get a soakin'? I'll get 'em cleanedgood and proper.'You are cold and dirty. Thevillage store is closing up, and only the travellersremain in the square/ camped round thei fire. Ifyou disrobe and enter, furn to 112. If you return tothe square andjoin the drifters, tum to 197.5oAnother red wax seal bars your progress, but onceagain it has been breached. As you squeezethrough, the pressure in your head eases and younotice that the air has lost its musty tang. Ahead ofyou is a small, rough-hewn chamber, dominated byan imposing flight of stairs which ascend steeplyinto darkness The chamber is illuminated feebly bytwo blue-flamed torches, which also give off a delicatescent. The stairs give you hope of escaping thiseerie realm, and you make fot them with renewedvigour.You are no more than halfway up when a voicebehind you stops you dead. 'Wait!' it grates with adry, rattlin8 timbre. The voice is familiar and youare gripped by the same {oreboding you felt whenyou awoke. lf you ignore the command and continue up the stairs, turn to 2oo. If you wait, fum to427,,
5a-5251The black cloud swirls about you. It forms a series ofbizare patterns, then combines into q crude facewith gaping eyes. Slowly the features shalpen untilyou recognize your father. He speaks your name.To think,' he hisses contemptuously, 'that one ofmyblood should oppose my will. I did not sacrificemy city and my life to preserve a traitorous misfit.'The doud changes, forming the shape of a writhingsnake. 'When I laid you to restin the seventh plane Ihoped that I had planted the seeds of a new orderthat would refurn and crush my enemies, not sidewith them against me.'The snake weaves hypnoticallyin the air before you, its gaze upon you all thetime.You are struck violently from behind. You toppleand plunge into the chasm below. The groundhurtles towards you, dnd you lose consciousness.Tum [o 155.Fnmed in the doorway is a short, scrawny fellow.He eyes the bath's occupants \/ith deep scorn.'Greetings, you worthless hulks of wasted flesh.How can you wallow in luxury while outside thepeople of this land grow weak with hunger? Howcdn you live with the guilt, knowinS the misery yourslavery has caused to coundess families, eh?''l manage all right, fhanl you very much!' shoutsone bather, sending his friends into howls oflaughter.
51'Enoueh!' screams the little man. 'I am Merzei,Defenier of the People, Righter of Wrongs, arrdFuture Grand Councillor of lhe Isles.' He strutsaround the edge of the pool brandishing a thickscroll, which heuses todirecthis insults with. 'I willask you once, and once only. Are there any arnongyou who will join me and fight for justice? Answernow, before your chance takes flightl'The laughtersubsides, and Merzei scans the room slowly, waitinglor a reply. tf you dimb out and volunteer touphold ius tice withhim, tum to 186.If you prefer tokeep quiet, turn to 3o2.54-55l1ou arc a tfue agent of the cause.' Me:rzei says. 'Iam alnost ready to rcuse the people to action, andthis war may prove ius t the thing to spark them off.'tf you stay to help Merzei rai8e his peasant amy,turn to 383, lf you try to recruit other soldiers andairange to lendezvous with him later, turn to 1o5.Delighted with the chaos-ii has caused, Izkhao divesinto the bath and circles beneath its surface, forminga swirlin8 vortex. As it picks up speed, the whirlpoolthrows out its victims, sending them crashinSinto walls and timbers. The thundering ryclonefinally explodes, showering you with {oam anddebris. The brooch slips from your grasp, andIzkhao pounces on it before you can react. Hehovers momentarily - grinning madly - then shootsout throu8h a shattercd window, clutching hisDrize. Tum to 202.,JThe stafues ale all identical gave one - a larqerfiBure, squattint at the back ofthe host. As you s;rtto examine the figures he straightens his legs veryslowly and rises stiffly. He carries a large, serratedsword and a tough wooden shield, and his frozenfeafures are sternand daunting. Youapproach, andhis upper body slowly leans forward in an exaggeratedmockery of a bow. You wait for him tostraighten, buthe is frozen in his testure. Will youiProd him?Bow tohim?Hurry out of the chamber?Turn to 147Turn to 347Tum to 255
56-5756Your face reddens and your breathin8 comes hard.Sevmiroda looks at yorl anxiously, not certain ofwhat is happeninS. Red-hot bristles scratch at theinside of your skin. Then an expanding globe offlame coalesces around you, It seems to move soslowly. yet the nearest outlaws have time orily toturn and scream before theyarecaughtin its searingpath. The rest flee. You notice the merchant staringat you fearfuJly, then he spurs his donkey to anunexpected turn of speed and bounces off towardsthe village. Exhausted from your efforts, you followthe merchanttowards the villaBe at aleisurely pace.TuIn to 263.J/You begin to prepare your Disruption spell, focusingyour povr'er and trJrin8 to iSnore the heatgushing through your body. You are already tired,thouth, and concentration comes hard. Purple tendrils stream out from Feior's hands towards youithey close the distance slowly but inexorably. Indesperation you force thepowerftom you The goutof flame issues ftom your mouth just as the first58questing tenddl touches you. Baopo is still a paft oIvou, and Feior's mutation spellfuses you with yourown creation. For a moment you know what agonyit is to be part matter/ part energy. Then you knowPeace.58The man pokes at you and examines you carefully,before walking off. A few hourc later a plate ofrancid slops is brought to you by a miserablelooking wretch with an iron collarround his throat.One mouthful, hastily spat out, is enough topersuade you thatit's not worth trying to eatit.Night falls. You test all the bars ofyour cage, findingthem sturdy and unbreakable. The latch is farout ofvourreach. How are you to escape? 'Escape' Escape!Escape!' the word reverberates in your head.Pressure builds, and your hands statt to tremble.You sob with the pain, but it doesn't relent. Wavesofblackness sweep across youAs if from a distance, you hear a sharp crack,followed by splintering- The pain recedes. The cagehas been smashed apart. B€mused, you stretch youraching mu
59-60The muddy bank of,a jungle river is not an idealrestin8 place, but you manage to find a dry patch tolie on. A few of the fruits look edible, and you eatenou8h to restore some of your strength (add 2points to your sr A M I r.I a). While searching for food,you discover a small, crudely shaped day figurine(note it on your Ad?rehtufe Sheet). Gathering a fewmorehandfuls ofberdes [okeepin storc, you returnto your boat, only to find an army of tiny red beedesswarming up its mooring rope. You beat off theirinvasion with a stout branch arld secure the boatonce more, away from their Sreedy clutches. lfyouset out into the forest, tum to 399. If you return toyour boat and continue downriver, tum to 131 .Bruised and exhausted, you gaze out at the sea,wondering how you are going to steer to landthrough the mists which are rapidly envelopingyou. After a few hours spent drifting through asilent, sepulchral shroud, you are glad to see themist thin, and a bdsk wind fills the sails of yoursmall craft. You shuggle with the sails for a while,but the wind has other designs. It veers erratically,throwing you into confusion. The skres darken andsoon you are caught in a violent storm. Forced toshelter from the gale, you cower under a tarpaulin.Then, with a sharp crack, the mastcrashes down ontop of you and knocks you out.You regain consciousness, lying in a pool of water,slumped in the bottom of the boat and with thesound of waves breaking gendy against the hull.Lifting you$elf wearily from the wreck of your boat,you find that the storrn has driven you ashore andyou struggle through the water to the beach. (Youmust deduct 2 points from your srAMrNA.) AJter abdefrest, you set oIf to find outwhat this land holdsin store for vou. Tum to 1q.oo6oMore by luck than by skill, you gain the upper hand.With a ferocity that surpdses you, you drive her tothe stem of the boat and butt her in the midriff.Without a sound she tooDles over the side. Thewaterc close about her with scarcely a ripple. Shedoes not surface again.
6a-616aYou leave the tent with the officet outside, he tumsto you and whisperc, 'Do you see what we are upagainst? It's impossible. He's quite mad. By myreports we're outnumbered ten to one. To die inbatde is a glorious thing. But death through theincompetence of a brat is too much to bear!'Trumpets sound as scouts spot the dark armyadvancing in the north. The king's hoops fall intoranls, and you are assigned a company to command.The dejected officers gather to agree a plan ofattack. lf you are expecting Merzei, tum to 346.Otherwise, fum to 25o.62You advance on him carefully andprepare to shike.At your approach his eyes widen slighdy, and heseems to looka little afraid.The nert thin8 you remember is waking up in anempty clearing, with a raw bruise on your head.You can remember almost nothing of the fight withMerzei. You certainly don't rernember him displayingany Sreat skill at arms . . . but somehow he hasbestedyou. You getyourbearings frorn the sun andmake your way out of the stillwood. Turn to 239.6jEventually you hear shouts flombelow. Seunirodaand the others haul themselves back up the ropes,cursing and Broaning. They explain that the wizardensorcelled them for a time, but that they managed
64-6jtobreak fuee and slew hrm, only to find no treasure.Turn to 238.o4You get a blow in on Feior, wounding hlm badly inthe shoulder and interrupting his enchantment. Hedraws a gold-bladed knifeand facesyou once more.FEIORIfyou defeat your btothcr, turn to 219.SKILL 9 STAMINA 1,465Grabbing a sharp fragment of rock, you fling yourselfat the creature. Your feeble swing misses, andyou skid on the slick marble surface. You {all heavilyon to the body - and feel a sharp bite on youtforearm. You pull youiself up, to find a small,silver-furred creature hanSing from you, its teethlodged firmly in your flesh Recorlin8, you see thatthe creature is tethered to the wrist of its deadowner. Asyou step back, it relea ses its vice-like holdon your arTn and scuttles back to its hidinS-Place.The wound on your arm has a silvery sheen and,though the puncture is deep, little blood flows.66-68Make a note of the fact that you have a silvery1\'ound.Il you leave the chambcr now, tum to zt7.ll youdecide to examine your sarcophagus again, turn to11566You flip openthebrooch and callthe name'Izkhao'The bald-pated creature forms above you and grinsinanely He draws in and holds a deep breath, andexpands slowly to three times his normal size. Witha sudden exhalation of wind, he breathes out, propellinghimself into the advancing horde Tesl yorrLrcl
69One of the men rides back and reports, 'King's menon a scouting mission, sir, but we've silenced theirtongues.'Nikko tums to you. 'I just hope you know what youale getting into. You can buy an army, but moneywon't protect you from bad planning.' Lookingahead, he points to rows ofbanners advancing overthe hills on both sides. 'Looks like we've tot a fighton our hands,'lf you charge into battle with the men, turn to311. lfyou decide to flee on your own, leaving the twosides to fight it out, tum to 335.69The sound of jingling metal gets closer, and into theglade marches a gang ofmen, carrying heavy sacks,armed to the teeth and dressed in weathet-wornleather. Their leader wears a pairofgolden spurs onhis boots. As soon as he sees Velkos, he lets out arcar. 'Breaker of rules! You dared to ioumey toTakio?' Velkos shakes her head and explains thatshe has never left the mainland. The bandit leaderturns to you and asks what you have to say. If youconfirm Velkos'6 story, turn to 154. If you tell howvelkosfoundyou on arri6land, turn to 369.70-v70Huge and intimidating, the wagon looms aboveyou. Strange runes and emblems have beenscratched into every inch of its black sudace. As youapproach, the ddverwakes up He sctambles downfrom his seat and adiusts his tattv urriform hurriedly.He seems terrified by youi presence andavoids looking you in the eye as he fumbles op€nthe callia8e door. Out of the inner darkness steps atall, dark-clad figure. Turn to 31o.71,'So quiet, wealling?' Your father's voice booms outacross the chasm. You snap out of your trance andsteady yourself on the rockypinnacle. 'To think thatmy child would 6ide with the verv men whobrbught me down. You shame me, son!'The apparition forms into a coiling snake and rearsup a t you. You gaze at the vaporous beast, unable toturn away. But then a child's voice ring6 or,rtthrough the din. lnstinctively you turn to gleet it,only to see the flaming Sturramak tearing towardsyou. The q€ature dives, but you have enough timeto flin8 yourseff away from itg gasping talons.
71-74Unable to stop, the Stullamak crashes into yourfathels visage and exPlodes.You come down from the mountain to Sreet youranxious ftiends. They tell you of King Poo Ta'sheroic death as he led the last charge, and of thepeasant army's sLeadfast defence o{ the town PooTa left no heirs; to the victorious army, you are hisnatural successor. Without you to Pull the land'sfactions together, the battle would never have beenwon. Your coronation is conducted on the battle_field, and your firit action is to apPoint MerzeiGrand Councillor of the Isles.Bezenvial's prophecy has come true. One of hischildren now rules the Isles, but black blood nolonger taints your veins. Your absolute successheralds a new era ofpeace and harmony for the lslesof the Dawn.'No! Go backl The waters are too hiShl' Theanguished shou t reaches you as you flail a bou t. Theboat is caried out of sight by a huge wave whichsurges into the chamber. It sweePs you uP to theceiling and you dash your head against the rockYou choke on a mouthful ofsea water and go under.The charnber is completely submerged. There is noescaPe,73As you char8e towards the village and into the heartofbattle, an enormous dragon-likebeasttakes to theair from behind Feio/s lines. It swooDs towardsyour position, releasing a fiery bolt-blast of energywhich smashes into your men, instantly destroyinglhose ithits. Thebeastdraws near, andyou watchinhonor as it releases hundreds of squirming, leechlikeceatules ftom its underbelly. These viciouspuryle grubs make short work of thetu victims. Youare-caught in this shower of death. Your adventureenos nete.74You clamp your free hand over your mouth andh:ust to your sense of direction, lowering your headand squinting through the smoke. Yourjudgementis sound and soon you are out of the chamber andinto the relative safety of the exit tunnel. Turn to142.
75Many of the bathers make it to their weaPons, andvour chances of escape seem small Wondering ifthings might have been diffelent iJyou had been onthe other side, you gLance back to see Merzer chargingtowards a group of fighters The situation seemshopeless, but you prepare tofightapair ofattackers:ROBBERSLAVERS(ILLSTAMINAYou must fightboth the men at the same time. Eachwill make a separate attack on you during eachAttack Round, but you must choose which of thetwo you w lfight. Fight your nominated targetasma normal battle Against the other opponent, thlowthe dice for your Attack Strengthirlthe normalway,but if your Attack Strength is greater you will notwound hrm, you will just have parried his blow. Ofcource, if his Attack Strength is greatet, he willwound you in the normal way. lf you win, furn to202.76-7E76Thick vegetation clogs both sides of the bank andt{alking becomes rnore difficult Eventuallv therveeds become rmpenetrable, and you are forced tocome to a halt. Looking around for a means toconLinue, you espy a small boat, lodged in a thicketof reeds on the opposite bank. Strong currents seemreadyto tugitfree.Ifyou swim out toit, tum to324.If you decide to turn back and lollow the riverl hr,n r^ a,A'ne+rc)fi77Grabbing a horse, you ride ofI quickly in pursuit ofFeior, while Credas and the l'rophet hold off themonster. Roll three dice If the result is less than orequal to your srAMrNA, turn to 23j If the result isgrearer than your 5 r AMr\A. tu rn to 12978Minutes latei, a dark wooden hull looms up aheadof you. Skong arms reach down and pull you fromthe water up into a small boat- Your rescuer is awoman, dressed practically in leather, and with asailo/s long knife at her belt. As you look her overshe stares at you, her brows furrowing 'Who inall the Isles are you?' she cries- 'And what hashappened to Thandile?'lf you shrug your shoulders and say you've neverheard of Thandile, tum to 3E4. If you tell her aboutthe dead man you found, turn to 189.
79-ao"\,t,., ,\L',."2,'l .i:Cautiously, you approach the captive. He is a ridiculouss18hto behold: his visor has slipped downover his eyes, and the scroll between his teethconvelts his cries into animal grunts. You tug theparchment from his mouth, only to uncork a tiradeof insults. 'Hah! I knew there must be two of you.How could your pathetic accomplice get the betterof one of Feio/s elite officers? Untie me before Isummonmy fellow-soldiers and grind you andyourbabbling friend into a pulp.' You explain that youknow nothing oI his attacker and untie him- lVhileacceptin8 your ignorance, he still seems wary ofyou, and marches off to collect his clothes, leavingyou alone. You examine the soggy scroll butcannotdecipher its contents- Shrugging, you tuck it intoyour pocket and set off towards the village. Tum to263.80'Excellent. excellent,' froths the merchant. ? dealwell done is a blessing in clover!' From his palanquinhe ret eves a small burlap bag, {rom which hetips a handtulol sparkling diamonds.'l thinkyou'llfind this paJrment is in order.'Ihe merchant kundles olf with the idol,leavingyouto contemplate you! new-found riches (don't forgetio note it on yolur Ailaenture Sleef). If you headnorth, back towards the isle from which you came,tum to 29. Ifyou go south, turn to 126.
81dlYou explain how bandits attacked your party onthe outskirts of the villase. The commander lookssceptical. 'Bandits wiped out a whole company? Ithardly seems possiblel' Angdly, you ask why heshould question your word. 'Forgive me, Master. Ihadno idea the locals were against us. Theyseemedgleedy for your gold and easy to recruit. Howwrong I was, Youl Highness. Letus leave this placewith haste.'Inside the plush cadiage, Tamroth continues to askquestions about the bandits. You evade them skilfully,until finally he gives up his examination Hepulls out a roll of maps ftom a compaftment andsprcads one on the carriage floor. 'Here is the battleplanyou requested.'He pauses. Pointing to a spoton a range of mountains, he then asks, 'Should werelocate Baelmarks troops further north, or leavethem where they are?'II you continue to bluff the commandet, fuin to 299.Ifyou attempt to escape, tum to 252.82-E4E2Her face betrays no elation as you show her theheasure. She simply gestures up the corridor, andglances urgently backwards.You hurry along for a while, then pause at a junction.You feel Velkos prod you forward, and youhalf-fum to ask the way. You look down, to seeVelkos's long knife protruding from your side.Blackness comes, Your adventure ends here,63Feiols pathetic figure has no defence against yourpower. For a moment a chared silhouette standsoutlined against the brooding sky. Then it crumblesaway to ashes. Turn to 219.E4The bandits draw their weapons and encircle you.The leader speaks. This fine-plumed bird refuses tosing for us. What shall we do, compatriots?'If youtry to batde your way out, turn to 398. If you give inwithout a skuggle, turn to a73.
85-8585Lookin8 up, you getyourfirst dearlook atthe hugewinsed beast. Its stomach is so bloated that it resemblesa balloon, while its head and claws appearto be those of some Brotesquely warped fowl. Theblubberv {olds of skin swav beneath its beak as itbeats idwings turiously to;tay aloft. Wjth surpdsingspeed, it swoops to attack. You have no optionbut to fieht.SHAEL-BEAST sxrLL o STAMTNA 14If you do not have a weapon, you must fight withyour srll-l reduced temporarily by 4. If you defeatthe crcature, turn to 218,E5It is a long walk up the path . You are barely half wayto the top when a black cloud descends upon youAt first you think it must be the shadow of somegiant flying creature - but then you realize that thisshadow has a life of its own A stnnge sensation ofwell-being comes over you You feel fighter, andyou hardly notice as several of your possessionsvanish into scintillating specks. Cross offany ofthefollowingthat you maypossess from yourAd?erf tr"eSh?el: greatsword, spiked club, axe, thortsword,knife, iewelled dagger, brooch, Shrivelled Claw.Remember that if you have to fight without aweapon at any hme, you will fight with yourAttackStrength reduced by4 pointg.87-6tE7You crane your neck around to trace the source ofthe noise, Above you a large droPlet ofblack liquidplummets towards you. You instinctively dive toand steaming. Whenyou pickyouiselfup, you findthat the liquid has seared its way through the materialof your garment. Feadng the worst, you twislyour shoulder into view, but find it unharmed- Athin film of multicoloured scales covels the exposedflesh; it is sensitive to the touch, tingling slightly asyou brush your fingers acloss it. Turn to 50.8tAs you focus on the Word of Power, the ghastlyimage of Bezenvial's face forms inyour rnind, cloud_ing your control. In vain you struggle to intone theword, but your fathe/s power has silenced yourinner voice. I'he spell's energy races round insideyour skull, unable to escaPe, building in intensityuntil it explodes.InviSorated, despite th€ loss of your Possessions,you complete your dimb to the summit. Tum to 43.
89-91E9Next morning you set off through fte trees. Flalf anhour later, you leave the forest and, alter anotherhouls hek up into the hills, you lind yourself on acJiff edge, overlooking a verdantravine. Thebanditsbegin to prepate ropes, and Sevniroda a6ks for twovolunteers to Suard the top of tlre cliff. ff youvolunteer, tum to 29o. Ifyou choose instead to leadthe descent ofthe cliff, turn to 21o.90Seizing the opportunity, you tum tail and flee backto you! boat. No Kreehuls follow you, but you feelcertain that your maBic would not reskain themfrom killing you if you tried once more to get to theSitting Prophet. You paddle disconsolately back upthe river.The journey is hard (deduct 2 pointo from yoursrAMrNA), but this time you are prepaled for thedangers, and manage to avoid them. Eventuallyyou escape the iungle. The small boat which hascarried you through so much is finally lostwhenitisholed by a jagged rock. Folced to abandon it, youwade ashore and strike out along the river bank.Tuft to 14E.9rYou sta88er about in sing panic, the smoke swirlingand coiling tound you like half-glimpsed serpents.Your eyes bum with imagined fires, and thechamber begins to tum, always in the opposite92-94direction to the way you want to qo. The floor slidesup beside you and you slare in-tently at its rock,inches from you r face. You r advenfur ends here.92hge, and the battle seerhs won. All that remains ofto 25991You now have little choice but to head towards thesea. Tum to1Z5.94You continue to wander through the hills until a crytsom up ahead sends you scuiying for cover. Youwatch ftom behind a rock as a lone ddergallops over
95the crest of the hill. lt is Merzei. The skinny leader ofmen pulls up and grins coMdently. 'IrVe are ready!The power of reason has triumphed. See for yourself.'As he speaks, thousands of peasants begin tostream ove! the hill, brandishing improvisedFeior's troops suriound them. High above themel6e, spewing bursts of flame into the throng,hovers a dragon-like creafure. Merzei delivers adefiant speech to the people and ordeis them tocharge. If you fused Credas with the SittingProphet, tum to 28. Otherwise, hrm to 3o4.95You run up in front of the man and gesture fot himto stop. He guess€s immediately what your business is. 'Don't hurt me,'he whines pitiably. 'fmonly a poor man, but what wealth I have, you may95-v7take. Only pleas€ leave me my memento: it wasgiven to me by my mother.' He toss€s his saddlebagsinto the dirt at your feet but clutches on to asmall box. If you pick up the saddlebags and retumto the outlaws, tum to 243, If you r€ach up andsnatch the box from him, turn to 319.95You call the sacred word from you! memory andshout it into the jungle's mists. Pain wells up insideyou, until you force it out from within, directing it atthe advancing horde. A blurred blast of energycrashes into at least a hundred Kreehuls, transformingthem into a contorted mass of limbs. Othersadvance to tale their place, however, and you canno longer sommon the enerty to repel them. Theyswarm towards you, and your end is mercifuJlyqlrick.97You hurry Lhrough the ci ry sEeets and along a seriesof narrow alleyways, while ahead ofyou hoofbeatsrattle against stone. At a crosgloads you catch upwith the horse and its multicoloured lidet the twoare welded together by some bizaue sorcery. Thehorse's mouth opens and a piping voice splutters atyou: 'Rat trapped in a maze. And how is it going toBet out?' The rider stares at you, his eyes blank. 'Itneeds a friend, it does- Someone to carry it from thecity, someone who knows.' IJ you attempt to befriendthe mutant dder, tum to 212. lf you leave itand make for the sea. fuIn to 17S.
ebea(x)-1(t1alxtYou hesitate. Despite having doubled your forces,you are still unsure how to deploy them. As theminutes tick away, the invading afmy grows morcthreatening. Eventually you decide to send thepeaents into the village below, in order bo slowdownFeior's advance, and you will lead the cavalrytound the edges of the nearby forest to attack hisflanks. You charge down into the valley and veer offtowards the forest Merzei's folces pour down towardsthe village and join the battle. You reach thekee-line, only to see a volley of arows shot byarchers hjdden within the woods, Before you canpull up, the hail descends . . . Your adventure endshere.101You tum away, wade back through the mud, andreioin the road leaving the two pathetic souls totheir shoutjng. Something inside tells you that extendingchari ty to such lowly beings is beneath yourstation, After a mrle or two, you come to a forkwhich leads offinto the forest- If you take iL turn toJ5. If you continue on the main road, hrm to 361.
7.O2-1.O3ao2Izkhao wastes no time. No sooner is he out of thebrooch than he launches a stinging uppercut toFeior's jaw Your brother goes down like a paperhouse in a hurdcane. Izkhao tums to you and grins,'I've always w-w-w-wanted to do that, Master!'You stare down at your brothe/s unconscious form;obviously, he's not to be trusted. I{ you kill himnow, tum to 219. lf you wake him up and take himprisoner, tum to 254.ao3'Liar!' she shouts, drawing a sailor's long knife andstepping towards you. She stafts to rock from sideto side so that the boat heaves beneath your feet.'You've killed Thandile and stolen his goods, butyou won't pull fhe same kick on me,' she cries, andlunges for you withherknife. She'smore used thanyou to fighting on board ship and your wild dodgecarries you, crashing, into theboom-deduct l pointfrom your srlurxl Then you are embroiled witheach other in close combat, reeling and stumbling asthe boat rocks. A sword is useless to you hereamongst the rope and tackle. You fight with yoursxrr,r reduced temporarily by 4 points.VELKOS sKrLL 5 srAMrNA 6Ifyou defeather, turn to 60.,
104-ao6ao4Just as the blob reaches your grip/ you throw ciutyour arms and dive backwards, grasping for a nearbyvi^e. TestVout L'.tck If you are Lucky, tuIn to 266.If you are Unlucky, tum to ja6.105You know that you cannot afford to be in the way ofone of the creature's bolts, so you cirde warily,looking for a vulnerable spot. Abolt streaks towardsyou and instinctive\r you hold out your hands toward it off . . . the bolt stops, inches from yourpalms. You push out with your hands and the boltsheaks ba&atthe Polybleb. There is a flash, and thecreature vapodzes in a fine splay of scintillatingparticles. You have leamt the power ofDisruption.This iE known to you by the name 'Baopo'. I^ryreneveryou see this as an option, you may choose touse it as your new power. Tum to 245.ao6You should choose an option that you have notal:ready chosen:Look for mercenaries to recruit? Turn to 191Try to find Mezei (if you recognizethe name)?Turn to 279Try to find the king's army? Tuln to 216RecruiL outlaws to the cause? Tuln to 349Follow your instincts?Tuln to 261ao1-1.o9ao7Add 4 to the number you rolled and write down theresult in the s K I LL box oI your Adoenture Sheet. RolItwo dice. If the rcsult is less than or equal to yours(lLL, fum to 3o3. If the result is greater than yorrlsKrLL, turn to 2o4.108You grab the thread and twist it round your wrist.The creatuie senses your contact and lifts off, jerkingyou up into the air, high above river and out ofarow-shot. Beneath you, the ver runs deep intothe jungle, occasionally disappearing beneath thedch canopy. Just as your arms seem to pop fromtheir sockets, the dragonfly begins its descent.When you are no more than five metres from theground, your grip finally breaks and you land sa felyin a shallow swamp. The creature remains aboveyou, hovering expectantly. Wading through thescummy water, you come to a dearing. Turn to 366.109The bandits begin to stamp their feet as you divestyoumelJ of your heavier equipment and prepare totake on your former tlavelling companion in combat.She tests the weight and balance of her knife,then faces you.VELKOS s(rLL 6 srAMrNA 6IJ you beat her, tum to 267.
aao-aa2110You follow the path as it weaves to and fro amongthe trees. After a litde while there is the sound ofcrashing from up ahead. An armoured figure, itshands clutched to its head, races round the corner.You are takenby surprise as the fellow careens intoyou, knocking you over- deduct 1 point from yourstnurNl. He roars and draws a wickedlookingspiked club ftom his belt, then begins to swingwildly in your dtection. His helmet seems to havebeen crushed so that he cannot see, but he is still adangerous opponent.BLINDED BANDIT SKILL 4 STAMINA 10II you defeat the bandit, turn to 367.11,7,The Stunamak dives on you before you can escape.Perhapsensingyourmastery of magic, it slashes atyou with razor-sharp claws.STURRAMAKs(ItL 11 STAMTNA 25Uyou defeat the Sturramak, turn to J23.aa2You pass your clothes to the boy, keepingyourmostvaluable possessions reith you, and push open thetavem door. A thick wall of steam prevents youseeing into the centle of the room. Carefully youstepinside and notice that there are rows ofpegs setinto the wall on which clothes and weapons arehung. Your suspicions aroused, you swing backaat-474around - just in time to watch the urchin lace awaywithyourrobes. Mutte ngoaths, youwalkoutintothe steamy haze. . . and fall headlonginto a pool ofwater. Turn to 285.aa3At the end of the chamber is a pail of huge doors,whichyou heave open. Justbeyond themis a huge,red waxbarier, sealing the archway. A circular holelarge enough for you to climb through has beenbumed through. The familiar pain nags at you oncemore. Behind you there is a creaking, rusdingsound. Ifyou turn to see what is making the noise,turn to 2o7. [f you squeeze through the opening,rurn to 334.aa4They attacked from yonder ridge - thousands ofthem, swinging evil-looking swords about theirheads.' The srnaller of the two peasants points offinto the darkness with the broken shaft of an arow."Ihe garrison troops didn't stand a chance. Boysthey were, didn't know one end of a halberd fromthe othei. Reckon we're in for some bad times ifFeior's lot take over.' You walk into the firelight andhail the men, but theyleap like startled deer and runoff into the night. Gazing into the fire's blaze younotice that it is fuelled by thousands of brokenarrows. You pick up a snapped shaft (note this onyolnl Ad|)enture Sheet) and return to the Prophet. Therest of the night passes peacefully. Tu:rn to 393.
aa5-1ltaasla9-12oYou step forward, and the birds part befor€ you, asffthey senseyou! command ofthehpowe!, Turn toa6.brooch. Tum to 312.aa6The last voice you hear as you slide into unconsciousnessis you! fathe/s 'Your time will come,child. Make me proud of you, and all that I have willbe yours.' Tum to 1:aa7Velkos eyes you suspiciously and smirks. Hersilence unsettles you even more. She walks out ofaa9You head out into the countryside. Although timeisshort/ you have much ground to cover. First youmust decide how you will start to recruit men- WillSearch for Merzei?Recruit an outlaw band?Try to hire rnercenaries?Follow your instincts?Tuln to 279Turn to 349Turn to a9aTurn to 261You thank her tersely and make your way up therocky path without lookingback, iurn to 19,118The birds' flight foms pattems in the air, pattemswhich teaseyourmemory. lmages flash beforeyoureyesj you see once ftore the gllphs on your sarcophagus,and a feeling of calm descends on you.You have learnt the power of Flarmonization.lvhenever you see the word 'Tiaohe' as an opLion,you will be able to use this power.72l,Your stornach lurches dizzilyand the smoke aroundvou glows purple as your power beBins to flow. ltswreaths and coils startto move sluggishly, then takeon more substantial form- Soon the glow of yourown power is all that enables you to see. Aroundyou the smoke mutates to liquid, a viscous, acddsmellingtreacle which rises around you. Too lateyou realize your mistake. The liquid rises up pastyour chest as you flail your arms desperately in itssyrupy embrace, all thought of gemstones andwealth no\ / gone. Your adventure ends here.
x\:t.ni121-123a2aYou look down into the chamber below, watchingas the blue torch-flames snake outwards and cornbineinto a glowing sphere. The voice comes again,tinged with sadness. 'Too soon, too soonl For thesake of the Isles, remember all I have taught you.'As he speaks, you feel the stairs quiver beneathyour feet. The pressure grow s, and your fee t slip onthe crumbling stone- The stairs are quickly reducedto a rubble-strewn slope, and you scrabble franticallyfor purchase. Roll two dice and note down theresult, then turn to 223 .422You control your heaving stomach and send ghastlypurple shapes gropingout towards Feior. He staresat them in panic, and flails desperately with hisarms. The shapes gaip him, and he wails frantically.Nowis yourchance tofinish the duel. Which powerdo you use:Baopo?Izkhao?Tiaohe?Shangsuo?Tum to 83Turn to 395Turn to 246Tum to 7R"'J 423As he spots youl wound, the banditleaderlets out ashout. 'Ha! Thafs a Silverine bite if I know what'swhat. You've met Thandile, and I'll wager you'vedone him no good.'Tum to 173.
p4-a26424Shaking with fear, you clear your mind, summonthe word arid speal it aloud. A warm tingle spreadsthrough you, collecting in a ball of energy at yourfingertips. You send the spell flying towards therampaging Kreehuls, and you watch as it crashesinto the water, instandy fteezing its su ace.Atleasta lhousand creatures sl,and trapped by your magic,cloaking in fear and anger. Your feet are free, andyou carefully navigate around the Kreehuls' flaitngarms. Tum to33.425You leap at the whirling tentacles and strike. Theheat is so intense that you must deduct 2 pointsfrom your crAMrNA for each round you are incombat, even if you have a higher Atback Strength.POLYBLEBIf you defeat the Polybleb, turn to 245.SKILL 5 STAMINA 7a26In the first village you stop at, news is rife of froublebrewin8 in the south. Fifty years ago, the Isles of theDawn were ruled by Bezenvial, a despotic fiendwhose corruption and cruelty eamed him thehatred of all his subjects. He r /as finally overcomeby the Triurge of Aven, sorcetets of gleat power,who deshoyed his citt?ort on the northern island oITakio and banished him to the shadow realms. Nowhis son, Feior, has returned. He is raising an armyand will soon clash with the forces of King Poo Ta.a27-a28His soldiers aie foreigners and creatures ofill-omen,as well as the most despicable mercenades of theIsles. They pillage the countryside as they go,Iorcing refugees to flee north.II you have a Bejewelled Bo>; turn to l7Z. Otherwise,if you decide to tmvel north to avoid the war,tum to 29. Ifyou try to raise an army to help in thewar against Feior/ turn to 119.The huge sphere bounces against the ship, and thedark shape within it starts scrabbling frantically.The ball rears up against the rail - it is nearly on thedeck. You pick up the pole and swing it two-handedat your opponent. It strikes the menbrane whetethe dark shape is pushin& and the ball rears back,splashing into the water belo\ /. With another prodof the pole the sphere is sent rolling back into themisf whence it came. As it disappears, you thinkyou can hear a pitiful wailing from within therubbery prison.You are very tired now. lf you let sleep take itscourse, tum to 292. lf you struggle to stay awake,htrn to 247.a28You are toppled by a blow from behind. Then youfeel yourself gripped powerfully by the shouldersand wlenched up, out hom the mud, splutteringand gasping, you leave the ground and your legsdangle helplessly. A1l you can see of the creature
429-a3Othat is cariying you up is it6 huge, bloated underb€llyand its scrawny legs. Its Ioul smell is beyonddescriptioryour eyes waterandbreathing isalmostimpossible. The deature's flying is dangerouslyerratic. You can hear its tiny wings flapping desperatelyas you lurch across treetops and fields. If youhang on and wait to see what happens, turn to 358,If you try to struggle ftee, Test yout Ltck. lf you arcLucky, tum to 222. Ifyou are Ur[ucky, tun to322.429You dragyourself up the mountainside, barely ableto focus on Feior. By the time yoLr have crawled up,he has ensconced himself on the top ofa pinnacle oIrock. You look up, bleary eyed: Feior is puffing andgasping, his face red and his arms flailing. Tum to495.430The skittering sound of rocks falling is the onlywarning of landslide. Velkos grabs you and throwsyou to one side as stones crash down from the rock,dislodged perhaps by your noisy approach. Yourface stingsand, whenyouwipeit, your hand comesaway red with your own blood. You stare at thestain, light-headed, not quite realizing that youwere hit (deduct 1 point from your srAMrNA). Ascreech! Pounding up the slope towards you are twobald, baboon-like crea tures, each madly waving twotails- Tum to 42.L3L-132a,tYou continue on you! voyage downriver. The mistthickens and brings with it a chorus of strangeanimal cries. The banks rise uD some fiye mehes ormore above you, and dark sirapes flit among thefolia8e. The nois€s suddenly stop- A slender arowbursts through the undergrowth, arcs lazily towardsyou and thuds into the prow. You couch onthe deck asmore arrowsraindown ftomtheunseenattackers. If you have the Small Jar, tum to 306. Ifyou sit tight and $r'ait fo! the shooting to stop, turnto z3r. If you have the Chang whistle and wish touse it, turn to 374.aJ2The ground between the buildings is scored bydeep, long ruts- You trace these marks to some ofthe most violendy disfigured houses. The wallsaround here have a metallic sheen, and the smell ofsulphur in the air inclease8, You soon discover thesource of the ruts when you come upon a marrowshapedobject as thick as your waist. Its husk isintricately woven froh wicke! and it lies at the endo[a deep gash, resting at the foot ofan undamagedwall. Will you:Examine the obiect?Ignore it and make your way to theTum to 35aseawaU? Turn to 10Continue searchint among thebujldings?Turn to r79
a33-434rt3You run your fingers acloss its surface, then lift itftom its hook. A bare wall lies behind it.'Unland me, you impolite youth!' says a voice fromthe canvas. You drop the painting in surprise, andIeap back as the subject of the painting materializesin front of you. 'Look to the future before you're tooold to change your waygl'He points to the window,then does a backflip into an open chest. The lidslamsdownonhim. Tentatively,youopenthechegtbut find it empty. The only way out is through thewindow, so you climb on to the ledge. TuIn to 344.414Velkos shins uo the trunk of the tlee then reachesdown to give y6u a helping hand. She dimbs furtherup the trce as you settle yourself among the lowerbranches. Thejingling of metal gets doser, and intothe glade marches a gang ofmen, armed to the teethand dressed in weather-worn leather; thev carrvhear,1 sacks. Their leader wears a pair ot goldenspum on his boots. He looks around suspicjouslyand then turns his head rapidly in your direction.'Climb down,' he callg. 'No one hides {rorn me.'Reluctantly j.ou lower yoursell down the tree trunk,and are at once surrounded by bandits. You realizethat Velkos has not come down. ff you tell thebandit leader that she is hiding in the tree, tum to234. If you keep quiet about her, turn to 365.
LJ5-L36ai7-439435His strike misses, and you knock the dagger fromhis dght hand. You grab it, in time to parry Tamroth'ssecond thrust. You must fight-to the death.TAMROTHlfyou win, turn [o 252.SKILL 6 STAMINA 8416'I'm a fountain o{ chadty,'says the man-hoisemutant, 'ever willing to transport rats to newrealms.' The human part of lhe creature gesfuresyou to climb up on to his back, and soon you aregalloping towards the city gate. As you approach, awall of fire sprinSs up to bar your lvay, but yourmountplunges onregardless. The flames bathe youwith a gentle heat, bringing a feeling of well beingand haDDiness. You ride out into the chafiedmeado;Gnd around the city, your skin vivid andcolourful, your muscles powerful, your hoofs wellshod,glad of the company. There arc now three o{you to leap and gallop and play. It will be a good 1ife.lowlands. Turn to 19.
a40-L4L440You had not realized how tired you are. You blackoutbriefly as nausea gdps you, and the purple glowyou cieate is weak, compared with the tenddls thatsnake towards you from Feio/s outstretched arms.Your spellis barely halfwaytowards your opponentwhen you feel your body begin to warp and s hetch.Summoning all your rcserves, you concentrate onthe changes, maintaining your true form. But this.]eaves you no defence against Feior's next spell - ablast which stdkes. you full on, incinerating youinstantly.a4rYou follow the trail of clothes away from the roadand into some thick gorse. Lying there, tied up like api8 for roasting, is a helmeted man. A parchmentscroll protrudes from his jet-black visor. He kies toroll away as you approach, moaning when thethistles rake his yellow flesh. A broken half-swordlies by him - further evidence ofbattle.Will you:Untie him?Remove the scroll ftom his mouthfilst?Leave him and press on to thevillage?Turn to 33oTurn to 79Turn to 263142The silver-furred creafure eyes you suspiciously asyou approach. Its long snout twitches at you,snilling you out. You observe that a leather cordattached to its collar tethers it to the wrist of its deadmaster. Warily, you examine the corpse. Themanisdressed simply, but his leather jerkin is fitted withpouches and pockets, all bulging with gems andsmall jewellery. A long, blunt, pocket knife isgripped in one handj a gem-encrusted tiara lies,centimekes from the other. You realize tha I he mus thave been killed by a vicious blow from behind, hismurderer haying caught him by surprise. You flinchinvoluntarily and scan the darkness for his killer. Ifyou want to leave fhe chamber now, turn to 217. lfyou would iather have another look at youi sarlulJr'd5u!,lullL lU,l).442
a$-145443The two peasants abandon their protestations andIead the cart off the track, avoidin8 the idol. Thenthey trundle offinto the distance. You are now stuckin the middle of the countryside with an enormousbronze idol. If you decide to abandon it and followthe hail, tum to 216. If you wait for the next travelleron the road, turn to 244.444The bandits laugh.'Well, if you weren't one before,you are now!' says the leader, dapping you on theshoulder- Tum to 336.'+JThe coin lands with Feiols crowned head uppermost.Your brother's form bursts back into existence.He stoops, picks up the coin at his feet, smilesand flicks it at you. You reach to catch it.You stare up at him as he looms above you. Hebends down to pick you up, and you disappearintothe darkness of his pocket.a46With a leap, you charge off down the slope of themountainside. The tall, coarse gtass whips againstyour legs as you plummet down the steep incline.From behind you comes a harsh, guttural shoutandyou realize that you are an easy target. Pain blossomsin youl chest. Your legs crumple but yourmomentum carlies you on, and you fall, rollinghead over heels, down the sloDe. You come ru resrin a small depression. The steel head of a crossbowbolt protrudes rudely from your flesh. As you starehelplessly down at the missile, a consuming resentmentflows through your mind and searing beamsof light flare from your eyes, striking the quarrel andengulfing it in a pale iridescence. When the lightIades, you see that the bolt which impaled you hasalso vanishedlBut the blood that flows thickly ftomthe wound is real. Yourvision fades into welcominedarkness.
447-449447The pain in your head grows, and you prod thewhite warriot impatiently. He rocks backwards,then pitches forward and smashes to the floor. Thervreckage of his shattered remains exposes a dustysleleton r^r'ithini apdrt From lhis, the wdrrior wa5little more than a hollow vessel. The chambershakes, and sparks fly dizzily across your field ofvision. Pausing only to pick up the warrior's shofiswordand shield (note that you have them on yourEquipment List), you huny of{ through the swayingstatues to the far end ofthe chamber (turn to 113).a4EYou follow the course of the stream until its banksbecome too teacherous, forcing you up into therolling hills. Tum to 216.149The two creaturesbe#n to move Youwatch as theyfind their feet on the pool's slippery floor Smokeand steam envelop you. Losing sight of the beasts,you make for the edge, only to be forced back byother frightened bathers. Briefly, Lhe smoke clearsand you find yourself face to face with one ofMerzei's creations. Roughly human in shape, itsclumsy features are only partially formed. Its skin iscovered in a thick slime, which fizzes and crackles.As it wades towards you, the creature spits outmore of this foul paste You dodge to avoid theglobules and prepare to defend yoursell If you do
a5o-452not have a weapon, you must fight with your sKrLLreduced by 4 points.sosEKtIfyou win, fufn to 2o2.SKILL 8 STAMTNA 8150With a pop, Izkhao emerges lrom the brooch. Hesmiles at you, then fums io beam at the oudaws.They back away, making lrantic gestures ofsuperstitiou6 warding- Izkhao leaPs at them, andthey flee, screaming. He shrugs, and Brins at you.'C-c-c-cowardsl' he says, then di8appears back intothe brooch. Turn to 19.451-154simple design, decorated with glyphs similar tothose you lound on your sarcophagus, and with alittle clasp on it. If you open the brooch now, notecombah make a note of the number of the paragraphyou are ai then tum lo 343. Now tum to 45.a5aYou ooen the door and walk out into the corddor.The ai;is 6lled with shouting and banging. Sewantsscurry past without stopping to bow. They all seemas frightened as you. fesf lour Luck. lI yolu arcLucky, tuln to 229. Ifyou are Unlucky, tum to 188.You cannot be sure whe-ther you are drearning ornot. It seems that someone is searching throughyour Possessions very carefully. You come to yoursenses and spring up, to find Velkos clutching abrooch, which she seems to have retrieved ftomyour clothing. Sullenly she hands it to you. 'I wasonly trying to find out who you are,' she says. 'Youcan't be too careful nowadays,' You glare at her,then tum your attention to the brooch. lt is of ayou, arld thick moss has painted everything with itsdull green tones. If you itrike out immedia"tely intothe jungle, tum to 399. Ifyou stay in the clearing andrest turn to 59.454You do yow best to look honest and confirm thatyou met Velkos some way inland. Velkos recommendsto the leader that you be allowed to join the
L56-1.57band; after looking you up and do*n, h" ugt""".Velkos next suggests thatyoubea! a tattoo as a signof your devotion to the group. There are manvoutlaws, all well-armed and grim of feafure, so itseems unwise to argue. The needles are painful, butthe outlaws all assure you that the tattoo prickedinto the small of your back is a work of art. Notedown on your Adoenturc Sheet that you carry abandit tattoo. Turn to 335.'What stinking rabble is this that you drag aroundwith you like some dead mule?' says the officer,turning to the sentries with a smirk.Mezei rises to his challenge. "You look like atrussed-up duck, ready for roasting. Ifs yourpompous posturing on behalfof that inbred nitwit,Poo Ta, that has let the Dark Son ofBezenvial looseon us.'156Before you stand row upon row of smooth, white,ftotionless figures. Each holds a simple spear butwears no armour. The low ceiling of fhe enormouschamber adds to the feeling ofopprcssion, and youstep cautiously between the serried mnks. Thesensation of pressure incteases once more, and thewhite statues trcmble Iaintly, producing a hollowringing noise. You nohce the familiar hace es ofcacks appearing in the marble floor and a haze ofdust wafting down from the ceiling. If you hurrythrough the chamber to the far end, tum to 265. Ifyou stop to examine the white statues more closely,rum to 55.'How dare you insult the kingl' growls the officer,leaping Lowards Merzei.You dive between them, hoping to cool their tempe$.But both men ate proud. Merzei refuses toapologize and calls you a traitor to the cause. 'This isddiculous,' he says to you. 'Let these imperialistoppressors fight their own battles. We will prevailinthe end. Down with the Tlrantl Up with the Council!'He marches back to his army and signals anabout-furn.Your are left with the king's army. TuIn to j.457lzLhao screams at you, 'l don't lile this g-g-g-gSame no more, Master,' and it flies uP above thebattle. 'l thinks I'11watch you p-p-p-p-p-play now.That'll be nice, won't it?'Hardly able to believeiis action, you have just enough time to curse thebeast before the Kreehuls surarm over you. Youradventure ends here,
i15E-160158Both men appear to be shrck fast in the steamingmud- Their arms and legs may be only a few inchesbelowits surface, but the mud lras solidiiied aroundthem. They fall silent and eye your robes fearfullyThe younger one whispers to the othcr, 'It's themagarn,The older of the two swallows and says, 'We wasonly going about our lawful business, we was. Wehad no meaning to 'arm you or your krnd Two dayslve've been stuck here Have pity, sir, and let us beon o11r way,'If you bear mulLicoloured scales, turn to 2E1 lf youchoose to help the peasants, tum to 341. lfyou leaveiheir cries for the ears of others, turn to 101459Feior is as slippery as an eel. As you frce hrm fromthe spell, he twists to one side, raises his arms andbegins to prepare a spell. You must react quickly. IfYou try to destroy him with a spell, turn to 332. Ifvoudraw a weapon and attack him, turn to 64. Or, ifyou still comrnand lzkhao, youmay summonhimtohelp you (turn to 1o2).r60More slavers rush to take the place of the men youhave killed. Velkosisnowhere to be sccn - shemusthave runinto the cave. lfyou decide to fight the restof the slavers, turn to 394. If you flee into the tunnelmouth, tum [o 285.
a6a-a62a6aThe saddlebag turns outto contain sevetal hundreda63-164a61lustinside the ramparts of the city stand platforms,iopped with powerful catapults, each with its ownsupply of pitch-smeared projecfiles. Two of theengines ar€ still winched back, primed for {iring.Beyond them_ the sea-rampalts rise, and you canhear the crash of waves against rock If you makerom way back through the city towards the gate,turn to aJ2- If you search the buildings near the seaNall, tum to 379.164The cramped village store is packed with locals.Instead of the usual {ood and oddments you mightexpect to find, the shelves are lined with swords,armour and fighting provisions. Villagers haggleang:rily for weapons, thrusting money at theharriedshopkeepe!. If you 'dropped' into the forest earlier,turn to 44. Otherwise, tum to 2o5.tutn to 3ZS. Ifyou refrain from d nking, turn to 3oT.a52Merzei lool
165-1661.67-168You wake up with a je!k. '.65 Huddled within yoursilken sheets, you peer out into the bedchambe!,half expecting the evil face in your nightmare tomaterialize again. But there is nothing - only the toysoldiers and the dothes you left scattercd the nightbefore, Feio/s Drecious wooden sword lies near apile of your sp;[ books and practice slates. Normally,your brother never lets it out of his sight, andao7you wonder where he can be, You check theadjoiningchamber and find his bed empty. It is early, but,You look the man full in the eyes and tell him to letvou out of the cage, He gives a staft, then slowlyoutgide your door, servants are rushing lo and fro.pulls back the latch. You shuffle out and tell theThen you remember - Fathels t p! All thoughts of slave master to untie you and return your possessionsto you. He complies, muttering apologiesthe nightmare disappear as you thinl of the excursionthe king has planned for you and Feior. The and bowing. Soon you are free and stand in thecourt has been dull without soldie$ to play with,open air once more, stretching your tired limbs toand your last week has been spent confined in therestore some of the circulation, If you have thekeep. Someonebegins to unlock your door, and you Shrivelled Claw, turn to 182. O therwise, turn to 263dive back into bed and under the sheets. lf you leignEleep, tum to 211. Otherwise/ tum to 24a.168The bandits back away from you, gesturing andmuttering charms of protection. 'We have notharmed you,' says the leader. 'Co in peace,' Youassemble your belonginBs and male your way outof the forest. Turn to 19.a66The going is rough among the scrub and soft eafth,but you make your way alound the wood and headup into the bauen hills. Turn to 352.
Ial1,.a59-a7a169The battle rages on. Your battle plan begins to takeeffect: Feio/s men are Bradually being divided andpushed to the outskirts oI the village, where waveaJter wave of cavahy tears into them, inflictingheavy losses. Poo Ta's knights, being heavy andcurnbersome in their armour, fare less well in thestreet-fighting. The enemy hold their glound andeven threaten to counter-attack. Meanwhile thestruggle between the Stu amak and the Prophetreaches a climax, and the golden idol smashes asidea blast ftom the catlike dragon. The bedst backs offand retreats to a gloup of enemy soldiers. Victory isin the balance, and one final push will tip the scales.II you hired the mercenades eailier on, tum to 354.Otherwise, tum to 92.470Add 6 to the number you rolled and note the resultin the I uc K box of your Adrenlurc Sheef .As you chaige across the room there is a fizzingsound from directly above. Test your Luck (temelr.-ber to deduct 1 point). If you are Lucky, tum to 295.If you are Unlucky, tum to E7.a7aThe route you scythed into the jungle is alreadypartially reclaimed by vines and creepers. Evenfuallyyou find your way back and prepare to leave. Ifyou have the Clay Effigy, turn to 131. Otherwise,turn to 3oo,
1.7;-174'l don't know what reasonyou had for being on theisland, and I don't care. Just so long as you pull yourweight and manage the ropes. And don't go theway of other fools - l'm pre tty handy with this.' Shedraws a sailols long knife, ddves it into the hardwoodof the deck, ald settles back with her hand onthe rudder, keeping her eyes on you the whole time.'Better get to work on those sails, hadn't you,' shesays. Turn to 22o.473You are seized ftom behind and a sword is held atyour throat as the bandits take all your gear. Crossall items off your Equipment List. The outlaws tieyour hands, blindlold you and lead you for somedistance belore abandoning you. It takes youseveral houls to free yourself. Turn to 19.474Feior's eyes drift over to the huge idol sitting incongnrouslyin the back of the cart. 'l /hat ls this strangeartefact? It makes me feel ill,'he says.You sfart to tell your brother how you braved theZushan Jungle to steal the Sitting Prophet. You leanover to pat the idol. Then you are falling, falling intoa blackness that leers at you, mocking you for theevil within youl soul. Your advenfure is over.a75-a76L/tThe mighty catapults raise the arms towards theheavens, giving you an idea: perhaps you canescape this blighted city using them. The sea willbreak your fall andyou should be able to swim alongthe coast until you find a safe place tobeach. Climbingon to a nearby platform, you heave a large,tar smeared missile into the waitin8 basket. Youthen tug out the wooden pin which frees the catapult bar and watch as the missile soars up and overthe city walls. You haven't the s trenBth to winch thearm back, but there is another primed catapult, ashort distance away. Itis the work oIa moment to tiea shing to the wooden pin and then clamberinto thebasket. Of{ering up a silent prayei to any deitieswho happen to be listening, you give the stdng ashatp lLrg. Test your Lrct. If you are Lucky, turn to235. If you are Unlucky, turn to 34oa76You tell Credas ofthe battle which took place in thefelds to the southHe sighs. 'Before we do what must be done I will tellyou something o{ your history. You are one of the
antwo children of Bezenvial, who nrled this islandwith steel, fire and death until he was cast down.The Triurge of Aven deleated him in a battle thatlasted many days: his cit,?ort wa8 destroyed andBezenvial himself banished to the shadow realms.Now only one of the Triurge lives: for I am the last.'The Sittint Prophet is a potent force for Harmony,and I sent you to fetch it because I knew that, if youwere a true child of your father, the idol woulddestroy you utterly. But somehow you have beencleansed of your evil hedtage. Not so your brother,Feio!, who Beeks to fulfil Bezenvial's prophecy thatone of his children would rule the Isles ofthe Dawnonce more. He mustbe defeated, or else the PeoPlewill be ground under the Lon heel of oppression.We must use every power at our disposal. Do youhave the power oI Mutation?'If you have, tum to 284. If not, tuln to 22.477You are blown backwards by the force ofthe explodingdoud, and a sharp pain sea6 you:r face as itbtsters and blackens - deduct 2 Points from youta7a-a79suuDqe. You lie in a heap, head buried in the dht,as about you a whinin& crashing and hissingcacophony Eges. It dies down at last. and youstagger to your feet. Around you the walls of thebuildings are charred and disfigured, and a yellow,sulphurous smoke hangs in the air. If you head forthe sea walls, fum to ao. If you continue to searchamong the buildings, turn to j79,a,?8You wade up to a large, pock-marked gentleman.Choking on his ale in between sentences, he tellsvou all about his journey acoss the island to meetup with old mercenary friends. 'There's talk' hesays, 'that one of Feiols men is ardvin' frcm the warin the south, lookin' fer men to hain his boops.Now, fightin's all well and good. But the realrnoney's in slaves.' He is about to continue whenthe tavern doorbu6ts open. Turn to 52.479Roll one die. If the rcsult is odd, tum to 2s. If thercsult is even, furn to 145.
180-1E2r80From up aheadyou hear fhe sounds of a struggle ofsome kind. You approach cautiously and comeupon a stran8e battle. A short, scrawny fellbwrvithout weapons or armour stands above a hulkingbrigand in arnour. Two horses crop the grassnearby - it is clear that these are the horses of thetrvo dders who overtook you. Though you movedquietly, the scrawny fellow looks up in surprise atr_our approach. If you have a spiked dub, tum to33r. Ifyou don't have one, turn to 269.181Tears stream downyour face, and each breath searsvour lungs. Unable [o focus, you stumble on to thebank and lash out at the largest hibesman.Coughing violently and convulsed with pain, youhave to fight doubled up (fight with your sKrLLreduced tempomrily by 4 points).IUNGLE MANIJ you win, turn to 257.SKILL 5 STAMTNA 71E2You spin around and run off into the town, castingan anxious glance back over your shoulder to seervhether the bandits are Iollowing. You are in luck,ior you shake them off quickly. The town is drearyard depressing, and you are tired. Turn to 263.
aEj-a84183Your shoulder tingles. The ghostly image of Credasappears above the Sitting Prophet. 'I am lost againstthis beast. Do not waste your time saving me.' Hepoints to a lone rider, who is galloping away into thefoothills. 'Your brother. Go after him, before hesummons the darkness. Be quick!' The image fadesas the Sturamak dives. If you pursue Feior, tuIn to77 . lt you, flee , turn to 327 ..d4Pushed to their limits, youl aching musdes fail you,and you are swept down by the force of rubble.Engulfed in the swirling radiance of the thing below,you catch glimpses of a melancholy visage: hes qres balefully at you before being consumed by thedust, which billows up from the mounting rubble.The blue flames fragment and dissipate with anechoing sigh.The slide has left you partially buried, and youstruggle from the debris bruised and exhausted(deduct 1 point from your srAMrNA). You wait forthe dust to setde then pick your way back up thebare slope. Turn to 30.aE5-1861E5When Credas sees what you have brought, his facetuIns ashen.'L . . I-buthow did you. . . ?' hemutters. Then he stares at you intently. 'l neverguessed such evil could be purged,' he says to noone inparticula!.'I have committed a great crime.'If you have a Broken Arrow Shaft, tum to 176.Otherwise, turn to 296.185You realize that these fellows are indeed all that heclaims, and that the brave man stands little chanceof escaping alive. You wade past the other astonishedbathers, climb out and quickly wrap a towelround you. Merzei beams at you. 'I'm glad to see atleast one of you has the good sense to follow me.Take this.' He throws you a jewelled dagger, andyou turn to face the cut-throats as they advance.'Now, to work! Let's cleanse the land of this scum!'Willyou:Fight with. Vour dagger?Say e;untliiCall Izkhao?Name Shangsuo?Say Baopo?Turn to 75Turn to 27oTurn to 331Tum to 26Turn to 31j
aE7-188a87Among the possessions refurned to you is a smallbrooch. You don't recallseeingitbefore, but, since itis decomted with the same gl)?hs that adornedyour sarcophagus, it must be yours. There is a litdeclasp on it. lf you open the brooch now note downthe number 'r5z' and turn to 343. If you Prefer notto, male a note of the number '343' next to thebrooch on your,Adoent re Sheet. At any time, Providedyou are not involved in combat, you mayopen the brooch: note down the number of theparagraph you are at, then turn to 343. Now turn to261.188You dash along the corridor, past the taPestries andemblems of your noble family, along the vast hallwavs.decked with arms and banners. All around,courtiers are fleeing, dutching Possessions andgathering objects they come uPon. You ignore thepeople and run to the winding staircase, stFightinto Panurge, your father's pdest.'Maiorl I have been looking for you.' He smilescalmly. 'Take my hand, and I will lead you to your189father.'The hawk-nosed mage extends his armimpatiently.If you follow him, tum to 359. If you decide to evadehim, tum to 229.1u9You cast your mind back to your first hours ofconsciousness. Her hard feafures soften as youdescribe the bodv thdt lav in vour tomb chamber. ltis obvious that you guessei correctly. She turnsto look back at the city, her eyes moist. You saynothing, respecting her moment of pdvate glief, Amoment passes, d-ren another. Finally she sighs andturns back to you. 'What a.e you gawping at?' shespits. 'Get to work on the sails, and thank the godsthat I bothered to save you.' Tum to 22o.
ago-r97.490The claws of a beast rake your insides. You retch,and a purple glow sufiounds you. The banditsrr.dthe in ghastly contortion as their bodies melt andwarp before your eyes. But the hofior oI it is thatthey are still alive. Their distorted forms shambletowards you. You try escape from them, but twoblock your way; you must defeat them quickly.5(ILLSTAMTNAFirst MUTATEDBANDITSecond MUTATED7 5BANDIT 6 4Fight the bandits one at a time. If at any time you rolltrvo fours for your Attack Strength, turn to 185. lfvou defeat the bandits, turn to 29-194It doesn't take you long to find out that a companyof fifLy mercenaries is passing close by. You makeYour way to their camp and approach their leader.He introduces himselfas Woi Nikko; he strikes youas a shifty fellow who never seems to make eyeLontact His affecLed mannerismsuggesthat heha5 led a pampered early lite, though you cannotSuesswhatledhim tobecomea mercenary. He sayshe will work for anyone who pays well, but that theminimum charge fot the hire of his band is 1,ooogold pieces- Ifyou have the money. andwish to paytum, turn to 37o. Ifyou promise to pay the mercen,ary the money laLer, tum to 226. Ifyou abandon the
492-494idea of recruiting mercenaries and wish to tryanother atternative, refum to t06 and choose dBdin.492'Quick, the Thaaza smoke is near!'Velkos's voiceurges you. She grabs your arm and drags you off,down anothe! funnel. A screeching echoes alongthe funnels, and after a while you pass a side-tunnelfrom which issue pitiful, half-human screams. Youpause at the tunnel mouth, but Velkos grabs youroughly. 'It's just some Cressent young,' she hisses.'Leave them for the traders.'I{ you follow Velkos, tum to 298. lf you go down th eside-tunnel, turn to 8.491In despemtion you summon the word, and theKreehuls' advance slows. But your power cannotconhol so many creatures for long you havesimply bought yourself some exLra time. You mayflee (tum to 9o), try to make off with the idol (tum to13), or make use of one of the following powe$, ifyou have them:ShangsuoIzkhaoBiantaiBaopoTuIn to 124Tum to 55Turn to 95Turn to 235494The multicoloured scales on your shoulder tingle asyou reach towards the object. If you handle the495-497object, turn to 24. lf you leave it where it is andmstead make for the sea walls of the city, turn to 10.495You leap to one side as the bulst of energy spewsforth from Feior's mouth and streaks towards you.The spell finds its target, however; before you canflee further, you are embraced by the pure heat ofannihilation.19bBy the gods, this beer is shongl The world lurchesaround you, and the distorted faces of the outlawsleer and grimace. To one side you see Velkos lookingat you; she smiles at some private thought,then turns away. Swirling patterns form beforeyour eyes. You black out. You do not recoverconscrousness,497You blink awake and find yourself alone by thebumt out fire. It is early moming, and the village isstrangely silent. No smoke ses from the houses,and the livestock that roamed the square havevanished. Standing outside the tavern is a hu8e
i198-2OOblack car age, twice the size of a normal vehicle.Two antlered beasts are yoked to it, and the driverdozes on the roof. Ifyou avoid the battle-wa8on andhead out of the village, turn to 2. lf you apProach thecarriage caufiously, turn to 70.204-2022l,4The lid ofthebox flips openofits ownaccord, and ashimmering haze of vapour emerges. You clampyour mouth shut and stagger backwards, but nota98You hurry out of the village, abandoning the poorwretch to his fate Looking back, you see threearmouied men staing after you. It seems you havehad a narrow escape. Tum to 29.499These vicious creatures have formed into a single,seething mass of deskuction Franhcally you try tobeach your craft but in an instant your boat isengulfed with screeching. You perish amid a massof snapping teeth.rehieve the saddlebag. Turn to 161.202You dash through the tavern's exit and outinto the20()You qulcken your stride, taking the stePs three at atime, for your head is pounding once more Thestairs seem inceasingly to be laden with thick dust,which shifts underfoot It soon dawns on you thatthe stairs are crumbling and you can find littlepurchase on the disinteglating surface Franticallyyou claw your way up, flatteninS yourself againstthe slope. Dust fills your lungs and eyes; exhaustionis close. Roll two dice and note down the result,then turn to 357.beastsare yoked to it, and the ddver is asleep on theroot oblivious to the din coming {rom the tivern. If! ou avoid lhe bdttle-wagon and head quickly out oflhe village, tum to 2. IJ, however, you decide toapproach it cautioLrsly, turn to 70.
2O3-2o5203By the time you flin8a Slitterin8 Lock sPell at Feror,a purple glow isobscuring his features YoursPelliscancelled out; as the magrcal force clears, you seethat Feior has prepared a bolt of energy. It flashestowards you before you can PrePare any defenceand burns you uP in an instant204As you squeeze through the oPeninginto the warmsunlight, a shaft of pain shoots up yourriShtlegas achunk of rock glances o{f it - deduct 1 Point ftomyour srAMrNA. Grabbing the liP of thP entrancesteps, you drag yourself Painfully through themouth out of the underworld You collapse in aheap as a gout of dust is forced frcm thP hole: thereis a distant roar of collaPsin8 masonry, then thehanging cloud of dust is sucked violently back intothe depths, tutging at your dothes as it retreatsYou have escaped. Tuln to 242205Your money is as good as the next man's Most oIthe merchandise is second hand and in bad repair.However, you do find a senticeable sword, whichwill cost you the exorbitant Price of 1oo Sold pieces,and 2 sets of Provisions for lo Sold pieces each. (Ifyou buy the weaPon or the Provisions, make a noteof the fact on your ,Adzrer?lule Sfi€el and cross off thecorrect amount of money.)The crowd soon stnp theshop bare, and the keeper shuts uP shoP a haPPyman-2o5-2o7You are once again in the square. If you visit thetavem, go to 49. II you decide to find a place by thefire, turn to 375.206The Dragonflies carryyou formany miles, graduallysinking lower as they begin lo tire. You notice,thankfully, that thejungle is givingwayto countrysideA ferr of the insects stop beating their wingsand hang limply by their threads. Those whichremain can only just keep you a short distanceabove the Bround. Then they too begin to tire andfinally give up. The statue thuds to the ground,sendingyou tumbling. You find yoursell sitting on arough dirt track. The light begins to fade, and yourest for the night,The sound of cmckling wood wakes you while it isshll dark. A fire glows in the darkness some distanceaway, and two dark shapes are silhouetted againstthe flames Ifyou go over to investigate, furnto114.tf you ignore them and go back to sleep, tum to 393.207The falling dust begins to thicken until you canbarely see an arm's length in front of you. Thepowdery mist swirls and billows as it graduallysettles. The ranls of statues that once filled thechamber have been reduced to a chalky-white powder,through which the bones of an army of menprotrude. The prcssure builds once rnore. Tum to334.
2o8-21f)208Youlook the officer in the eye and tell him why youare here He drops his arogant tone and salutes youwith new-found respect. Tum to 3.209Velkos fights well, but none save the gteatest war_riors can defeat three opponents at once One of thebandits dodges round behind her and his weaponslices deeply into her side She goes down with alast bubbling call. Her three assailants waste no timein looting her corpse- You wait till they dePart thenapproach to take a final look at yoff erstwhilecompanion. Tum to 19.2aoStanding well away from the cliff wall, you loweryourself on a rope. The drop is dizzyng, but youtear your mind away from the consequences oIfalling and concentrate on keeping your footing Adark hole looms in the cliff face, and you edge overtowards it. With a kick and a swing you are in thezaa-242:he cave A flutter of many wings from within the;avem is your first r,'.arning. Then a cloud ofirhrling, chirping birds emerges. You must reactquickly. If you have the power o{ Baopo and wish touse 1t/ turn to 41. Otherwise, you had better standand hope to avoid attack by not threatening'ti1ltheirightened birds (tum to 118)You hearthe distinctive volce ofBabbalha, your oldnursenaid, as she bustles into the room. 'The littlehorror!' she mumbles under her breath, 'just look at:he state o{ this place.'You blink a look at her as shebusies herself at her tidying.\ second voice speaks. 'Please, Babba - they areieady for the boy downstairs. ShallI get his drink?'\o He's sleeping good enough. We'll let thepriests solt him. I'll be glad to get the wretch olf myhands. Nothing but trouble, that one, since the dayne came into this world.'Poor boy. That's no way to speak of him, speciallyI\ here hr's bound for.'The seNants end their gossiping and leave Yout\ ait for the key to turn, but instead they walk of{:ihe absent minded Babbalha has forgotten to lock\ouin Turn to 271Its white dust floor leads downwards, deep intothe cliff. Behind you, the other outlaws pitch intoThe creature continues to splutter in its piping\ oice, andyou can't make up yourmind whether to
2at-214look it in the blank eyes of its dder or those of thehorse, which are covered with a silvery sheen. Itstalk means very little to you: rats, meadows andbright lights seem to be all it carcs for. As it speaks,though, you experience a faint trace of memory.You have an uneasy feeling about this mutant - itrcminds you of something unpleasant. Will you:Take it up on its offer to transportyou from the city? Tum to 135Apptoach cautiously to Iind outmore about it? Turn to 397Attack it and tale itby surprise? Turn to 228Two of the men charge you, whirling clubs.First SLAVERSecond SLAVERSKILLb778STAMINAYou must fight both the slave$ at the same time.Each will make a separate attack onyoueachAttackRound, but you may wound only one of them. Ifyou defeat the slavers, furn to 15o.244Wave after wave of Kreehuls sweep out ftom thejungle's depths. Summoning all the magical forcesat your disposal, you heroically repel many hundreds,until eventually your energy wanes. Thenthey are upon you, and your end is swift . . .245-247You keep you!wits about you as you {ollow Velkos.She heads towards a forest of tall, dark pine trees.Soon you are basking in their sweet scent. Youpause for rest beside the bole of aIl ancient tree.Sounds are muted in the forest, but you can hear aCinking. Velkos stiffens. 'Sounds like trouble,' shehisses. 'Reckon you want to face 1t?'IIyou decide to hide in the bGnches ofa hee, tulTl to134. I{you staywhere youare andwaitto 6ee who isapproaching, turn to 69.216You advance into the hilly terain, keePing a careful\\'atch about you The land is halsh and unforgiving;the cold wind bites into yout exPosed flesh.Reaching the summit o{ a modest ise, you seebanners fluttering in the valley below. The regalclestmakes it obvious thatthese are the king'smen.lI you march down the hill to meet them, turn to355. I{ you prefer to avoid them and continueonward, turn to 137.The only exit from the chamber is through a hugepair of double doors. One stands oPen, but asmooth, red wall seals the portal. Atitsbase a smallround hole has been cut. As you make your wayacross to the dools the chamber shakes, and moreshards ofrock {all from the ceiling. You feel Pressurebuilding up and your body aches under the stmin
21.8-2tgThe pressure eases as you force your way throughthe circular opening: the red wall is made of thickwax, and the hole appears to have been burntthrough. From the other side you can see thaf thedoors have been sealed, and the wax cawed withw thing s)'mbols of warding. Turn to 156.27.8The final blow sinks deep into the creature'sflesh, releasing a fierce blast of stale air which allbut knocks you over (deduct 1 point from yourSTAMINA). As the gas escapes, the beast shdnks,leaving a raLhe{ pathetic corpse swathed in looseskin. The stench is sickening, and you leave theclearin8, clutching your mouth and stomach. Yousoon recover, however, and find a road leadingaway ftom lhe forest. Turn to 36a249You corne down from the mountain and are hailedby Feior's army as theirchampion. Theresthappensas if in a dream. You become King of the Isles, mlingwith an iron fist and undoing all the weaklingchanges that have been wrought since the usurpersdeprived your father of his rightful throne. It seems,at times, that your father speaks to you and livesonce more through your actions. Gmdually yourwhole being is subverted to the forces of darknessBezenvial's prophecy that his child would mle theIsles is fulfilled. Black blood flows through yourveins.22(,-227,Despite your lack of seacmft, you soon pick up themost important skill - avoiding the boom as itswingsbackand forth in the wind. Soon the sails aietrimmed and ready to catch the faint sea-breezes.You make little progress, however. A dense, clin8-ing mist settles about the boat, Iimiting your visionto a few mehes. The wind finally drops altogether,and Velkos takes the opportunity to catch up onsome sleep. You remain awake as look-out. After awhile you hear muffled sounds ahead: a slightsplashinglike the gende slap ofcloth againstwater.Moments later, a large shape appears out o{ themist. It looks like a huse tmnslucent ball wilh a darkshape squirming within it. If you have a sword andwish to use it against the sphere, tum to 392.Otherwise, the only weapon available to you is arough wooden pole lying on deck. Turn to 127.'They will break ou t of the enchantment very soon,'says Credas. 'If you aren't prepared to help me,then we must flee at once.' He leads you alon8winding tunnels, finally emerging through a hole ina rotten tree. /We mustparthere. lfyou reconsider,and wish to gain the power I offer you, then performthis task for me: fetch the Sitting Prophet from themiddle of the Zushan Jungle to the south. Otherwise,may fate smile upon you.' He hurries off. Ifyou travel south, tum to 24o. If you head {or thenearest settlement, fum to 20.
222-224You are footsore {rom the walking you have done,vet nowhere do you find rest and peace. You travelthe land for several days, hearing many leports ofawar that is brewing in the south. Heading in thatdirection, you pass fleeing villagels who tell tales o{mons trous creatures roaming the countryunder thebanner of the son of Bezenvial. Finally you comeupon the smoking remains of a village. You searchcautiously among the ruined buildings until youfind a poor villager tied to a wheel. Near by, anunidentifiable creature roasts on a spit over a fire.The peasant looks up at you and gasps out some$/ords. You bend closer to hear what the man has tosay. 'Flee! If you value your life, flee!'There is movement among the bulldings nearby. lIvou wait and free the man, turn to tZ. tf you fleeirom the vitlage at once, turn to 198.221Add 12 to the numberyou rolled and write the resultir the srAMrNA box ol yout Aduenture Sheet. Nexlroll four dice. lf the result is less than or equal tovoru sraMrNA, turn to 30. If the result is greaterthan your STAMTNA, tum to 164,The 6rst wave of your attack holds well. You dismountand follow your men into battle. Soon youare in the midst of the fray, fighting for your life.One of Feior's knights cleaves hrs way past two
225-226227-229)ou again in a week's the mutant. Though injured, it is still a formidableopponent. lf you do not have a weapon to fight itpeasarlts and stops you. 'Remember me, fool?' hecies, lunging at you with his two-handed sword.'lt's justyou andmenow. . .'You recognize him asthe soldier you found, bound and gagged, on yourtravels. His humiliation bums deeply, and he iskeen for vengeance.You manage to weaken the beast's hold by twistingand punching at its wa y talons. As it loses height,you break free and plunge to the forest below. Thetees' soft canopy gives way to a dense tangle ofthicker branches. You grasp at them as you plummet,FEIOR'S OFFICER sKrLL 11 STAMINA 13until finally you catch hold of a thick vine,which slows your descent painJully but laceiatesIfyou win, go to 169.your palms deeply (deduct 2 points ftoln yourSTAMINA). Bleeding and shaken, you look'for a225The bandit leader looks at you for a moment, thenway out of this place. Tum to t5.understanding dawns on his face. He winks. 'Lostyo]ut memory , have you? Well, there's several of usnone too good at recalling our Past. Stjll, you're oneof us now.' Turn to 336.226Nikko a$ees to your terms and arranges to meet Your surDrise attack enables vou to land a blow onwith, you will have to fight it with your sKrLLreduced by4 points.MAN-HORSEMUTANTIf you defeathe mutant, tum to 93.sKrLL 8 srAMINA 11229Panting with fear, you reach the king's quarters,only to find them deserted. The many books thatlined his study are now packed into chests. Tiny
2JOgems and tinkets are scaltered about carelesslyamidthe general upheaval. You hear footstepscomingfrom behind and you dive into an empty chest.Crouched inside, you hear two men enter. 'l amsureMaiorcame this way, master.' It is Panurge, theP est.Thesecondvoicespeaks-itisyourfather'WehaveFeior- Could we not leave the weakLng to Fate? Itnould be no great loss, and we have httle time tosave oLuselves, let alone lookfor the wretch.''Your words contain reason, but should you riskyourinheritance on one child alone? I thinl< not. Wemust find Maior 'Deeplyshocked by vourfather's ca)lous words, voubarelymanage to stem a crv ofanguish- Ifyou revealyourselfto them, tum to359.Ifyou remain hidden,turn to 253.230Next mornin8 you set ofl through the trees. Half anhour later, you leave the forest and after anotherhour's hek up into the hills you find yourself on acliffoverlookingaverdantravine Thebanditsbeginto prepare ropes, then lower themselves down theclilf face while you wait at the top with Velkos Theminutes drag on, and Velkos suggests you take alook to see whether there's any sign of the others.You peer over the edge ofthe cliff, and Velkos takesyou by surpnse, There is no handhoJd: you aretumbling, whirlng, screaming for long momentsbeforehitting thegroundat the bottom of thegorge.234Evenfually the shooting eases off, and the eeriesilence returns You stay down and let the currentcarry you to safety. The boat bumps to a halt andyou straighten up, expecting to be alone by the verbank. Instead, you find yourself confronted by sixmud-covered Pygmies, {rozen in extravagant battlepostures. Simultaneously, theylet outa scream andand wish to use it, tum to 337. Otherwise, tum to181behind you, and you dive for cover Two well,armed men thunder by, heading into the woods.From wher€ you hide, you can see where the hack
leaves the wood, Several minutes after the ddersenter the trees, they have still not emerged. Velkosisanxious and urgesyou to skirtthe wood with her.Will you:Follow Velkos?Follow the track into the wood?Sneak among the trees away fromthe track?Turn to 156Tum to 14Tuin to 312234-215214Two bandits climb up into the branches and haulher down, cursing. As soonas the banditleader seesVelkos, he lets out a roar. 'Breaker of rules! youdared toiourney to Takio?'Velkos shakes her headand explains that she has never left the mainland.The bandit leader tum6 to you and asks what yousay. Ifyou confirm Vell\os's \tory, tum lo r54. lfyoutellhow Velkos found you on an island. tum to369.feior makes his wdy up toi pointing finger or rock,hiSh up on Lhe rhountain. Wi{h a great effort youfind an exposed perch of your own and face him.'Only one of us can take up the mantle of our dearfather,' he taunts, 'and I was always the stronger.,He raises his hands in the airand begins to tremble,so strong arc the forces he is conjuring. His facereddens and a trace of smoke seeDs from his robe.You must prepare a counter-spell now. What willyou say:Biantai?Turn to J68Baopo?Turn to 11Tiaohe?Turn to 9EShangsuo?Tum to 3EoOr, iI you'd rather try to dodge his spell, hrrn to 195.-ttofKreehuls, sending up a blanket of steam, Unableto see your attacker5, you iry dgain but fail to \toplheir ddvdnce. fhey attack, andtou perish beneatirlheir webbed feet. Your ddven lure ends here.
IIl.236-237216The wind is a wall, and you have jus t been flung in toit. You see a whirl of blue, white and brown, andthen you are dropping, spinning in the air. Belowyou, a tiny boat bobs up and down on the water.The water rushes up to meet you. You suck in asmuch air as your lungs can hold andhope you knowhow to swim. You fall into the sea feet first, and theshock stuns you. You see a dimly 1it realm of green,blue and silver, then your arms start to vrork, pullingyou up. You break the su ace and draw in adeep gulp of air, exhilarated. Turn to 28.237You Brip the Jade Talisman in the hope that it willlend you strength. A feeling of tranquillity creepsover you. If you have a weapon, it falls from yourgrasp. Your opponent takes the opportunity toland a blow on you (deduct 2 points from yoursrAMrNA). You must fight the rest of the combatwithout the aid of a weapon (reduce your srrlrtemporadly by 4 points). Tum back to the para-8laPh you came from.
I48218Alter a disagreement, you depose Sevmiroda asleader of the bandit group. In the next few weeksyou lead them on manv lucmtive raids. You hearabout the king being deposed and replacedby a newruler, Feior. According to the tales, Feior is the sonof Bezenvial, the depraved former ruler o{ the lsleswho was overthrown fifty years ago by batde andsorcery. But what do you care about such matters?All govemments are alike, and a bandit's tradestops for no man.One dayyou capture amanwearing theliveryo{ thenew king. With a sword at his throat he tells youthat King Feior is searchin8 {or a bandrt leader,Maior. The name seems {amiliar, but the man rscarrying little treasure so you slay him anyway.You are unprepared for the assault when jt comes.Soldrers swarm into the wood, and sorcbrousblastsdp apart any resistance. You fight as never before,but youi foe is more powerful. You die in a blaze ofglory, the last ofyour outlaw band to see the sweetlight of day.219-244239You leave the wood close to the Llack and hurrydown to it. Soon afterwards Velkos slips out ftombehind a nearby bush and asks you what happenedwithin the wood. You explain as bdefly as you canwhile the two ofyou continue along the track. Turnto j52.240After a day spent travelling, you come to a widedver. Following its cou6e downsheam, you see itdisappear into the fringes of a sprawling jungle.Looking upstream, you watch it meander o{f towardsa disLant line of hills. Neither of the routeslook promising. If you go upstream, turn to 148. Ifyou follow the bank towards the jungle, turn to 75.2La'Wlrat are you doing awake?' Your old nursemaidbustles into the room, al-rnostipping over yourcollection oflead soldiers 'Look at this mess. I've agood mind to put you across my knee!' Despite herstern words, you feel that Babbalha is hiding somesadness. 'How you goin' to enjoy your hip if you'sfalln' asleep like a baby?' The large serwant sits byyou and wipes the sleep ftom your eyes. A youngmaidservant enters, carrying a glass of milky liquid.'Take this and I'11 wale you in good time for yourtrip.' She pauses, glancing nervously at the girl,then continues, 'Your Father's a wise man, no oneSets the better of him. He wants the best for you andIeior. Remember that, my little dear. sometimes
242things have to be done that's hard . .breaks off and ushers the servant girlroom. She tums and whispers Lo yoL.little one. May luck fall on you likeheaven.'' Babbalhaout of the"Bye, mymins fromIf you take the drink, turn to 293 . Oth erwise, tum to274You bask in the comforting rays of the mid-day sun;a light wind brings the welcome tang of sea-saltoyour nostrils. After a while your eyes adjust to thebrilliant light and you gaze in wonderment at yoursurroundings. Around you is a scene of spectacu.lardevastation. The remnants of a magnificent citystand, charred and distorted. Massive archways areriddled with clusters of tiny holes, as if consumedby ravening worms. Towers are contofted, thestone melted and wa+ed. Houses are stained andspattered by a mriad colours, their walls jaggedand jumbled. Mighty gashes scar the earth, filledwith bubbling quagmires which give off noxiousfumes. The air itself seems charged with magicaloowets. You are alone,243-244You are in a large open square surrounded by thebizarre wreckage o{ some diabolical battle. To yourright, facing into the sea-breeze, you can seebattered city mmparts and the allrns of mightycatapults. To your left you can make out theimposing arch of the city gates. Will you:Head for the gates? Turn to 39Investigate the sea wall? TuIn to 153Search among the ruined streets? Turn to 132243You allow the merchant to retain his treasuredkeepsake, and wave him on Soon the outlaws arecongratulating you. Sevmiroda, their leader, says:'You're a smart fellow. That box was probablytrapped.' Turn to 161.244You sitin the sun foranhour, wondeing if this tlailrs ever used by anyone except the old man and hiswife. Luckily, another cart comes along, driven bytwo stocky {arm boys. Enthusiastically they helpII
245-246you manhandle the idol on to the back of the cart,and are glad to help you take it to Credas's cliff-topcave. Tum to 185.Gain 2 points of LucK. The Polybleb has beendefeated, but now you are alone among the calcinatedremains of its victims. Before you continue,you need some rest II you have the ShrivelledClaw, turn to 325. Otherwise, turn to 37246Your spe)l bnngs a feeling of peace and well-beingItflows gently towardsFeior, still struggling againstthe effects of the mutation. The danong pattemsstrike him and the purple glowaroundhim chan8esto green. He remains doubled up in pain for sometime, however It is only as he straightens andldughs madly that you redlire he ha. been prepdringa disruption spell You have no time to prepare adefence. The last thing you hear is Feio/s mockingvoice: 'You always were a weakling!'I{247-244,47Though your eyelids hang heaqr, you steel yourselfto remain awake; you talk with Velkos to take yourmind off your exhaustion. She seems teluctant totalk about the past, but since you can tell hernothing o{ yours, you learn that she has been anadventurer for some yeals. Shereaches into a pouchat her belt and draws out a shrivelled claw, tied to aleather thong. 'It's a lucky charm,' she explains. ,It,sfrom a Chestrap Beast that nearly did for me. Maybeit'll bring you good luck.' She passes the charm tovou. You accept it with thanks, and you silentlyhope it will bring you more luck than the unfortunate beastit was hacked from. Note it down on yourAdaenlure Sheet.,{s land looms ahead of you, you realize how tired|ou now are, Deduct 2 points from your srAMrNA,then lurn to 45.246You rummage for the brooch with your free handand pdse it open with your teeth. In aninstantyourvaporous plaything is spinning above your head.It sees the danger you are in and leaps to yourdefence, crashing into the repulsive monster. However,your familiar cannot be jn two places at once,and the tdcklinB poison reaches your grip. Yourhands and arrns lock rigid. Very soon your wholerody is paralysed. The creature reels in its catch,and prepares to dine .
I249-254249You have chosen a suitable resting place. The pressurebuilds on your skull and mercifully you blackout You have retumed, no wise!, to the slumberfrom which you came. You wiu no{ wakeagain.252speed, the whirlpool throws out its victims, sendingthem crashinginto walls and timbers. The thunderingryclone finally explodes, showering you withfoam and debris. Through the din you call outIzkhao's name, and reluctantly it returns to thebrooch. Tum to 2o2,250In the few hours before battle, you share tales withyour men/ in the hope that this will quell theirnervousness, but as the dark hordes alrvdnce mroposition, you realize the inevitability of defeat. Thefiist charge is led by the young king, and you watchin horror as itis consumedby the dark masses. Thesecond wave falterc then breaks ranks. A shout goesup from behind, andyou turn tosee thehillsbehindyou lined with more foes. Surrounded and outnumbered,your troops are massacred. Your adventureends here.-t-Crabbing Tamroth's hood, you pullitoverhis eyes,kick him into Lhe corner of the carriage, and flingopen the door. You snatch up the map and leapout, landing heavily (deduct 2 points from yourSTAMINA). Thick bushes grow by the roadside, andyou tumble into one of them. By the time the driverhas fought the carriage to a halt, you have madeSood your escape. Once again you are on the road,travelling alone Tum to 2.Delighted with the chaos ithas caused,Izkhao divesinto the bath and circles beneath its surface, turningthe water into a swirling vortex. As it picks up
251-25425JYour father and his aide beBin to search the room.Just as they near you, a thunderous blast rends theair. The windows shatter and the screams andshouts ofbattle flood into the chamber. Hearin8 thedoor slam shut above the din, you peer out of thechest. The room is empty andyou clamber out. Youpick your way through the shards of glass as far asthe door, only to find it locked. Turning back to ihewindows, you gaze out on to a scene of terribledestruction The city is crumbling under theonslaught of three magical beings which hoverabove it, out of auow-shot, flin#ng bolts of vividcolouls which crash into buildings and men alike.The familiar streets and buildings that played hostto your games and advenlures have all beenreduced to charred ruins.Ifyou search the loom for another exit, turn to 3o1.Ifyou climb outon to theled8e andcross to an openwindow to your left, turn to 344.254Stepping carefully, you advance into the middle ofthe chamber From high above you can hear afizzing rroise, then silence On an impu]se youcower back as a globule of liquid drops to theground ahead of you. It strikes the crystalline floorand explodes into dotous colour, blinding you.Once again you ale in darkness. The way ahead isperilous. If you have a shield to protect yourcelttum to 321. Otherwise tuIn to 39o.
255-257-))The rnonlls eyes sweep over you, and you feel as ifhe can see right inside you. 'Your Iate is woventightly with the material. You are a creature of thephysical world, and you will prevail by seeking abalance between active and passive. We cannot helpyou, forwe have tanscended the physical.'With a swirl of stais the two monks fade into thin airand you are left alone jn the monastery. You trudgeback down by the way you came and resume yourquest. TuIn to 1o5.256A stone skittersdownthe slope nearyou. You sensemovement above you and look up, into the blindingmys of the sun. You perceive a tiny glint of light: asword perhaps, or even a crossbow bolt. You spinaround; you feel sure that many eyes are upon you.A screech! Lolloping up the slope towatds you aretwo bald, baboonlike creatures, each with two tailsmadly waving. Turn to 42.You retum hurriedly to your boat belore the othernatives come back. The ver begins to widen. Themists lift and you find yourself in a large clearing,above which a huge Dragonfly hovers. The river hasdegenerated into a shallow swamp which the boatisunable to navigate. You disernbark and wade outinto lhe darkness. Turn to 366.258-260258You may choose to attack the bandihs with you!weapons. Ifyou do and you have the bandit tattoo,turn to 394; otherwise, tum to 173. Alternatively,you may call on one of the following powe6, if youhave them:IzkhaoBaopoBiarltaiTurn to 15oTum to 56Turn to 19oAgain and again the Sturrimak dives, bombardingthe Prophet with Iiery blasts. The idol begins totembleand line cracks appear on its golden skin.Then it explodes into a thousand molten pieces,unable to absorb the magical onslaught any longer.Credas has made the ultimate sacrifice buthas failedto defeat the beast. The Sturramak greedily devoursthe remains of the sta tue, rekindling its power in theprocess Invigorated, the winged beast tums onyou. If you summon magic against it, tum to 36. Ifyou try to flee, tum to 327.260You dive ba&wards, your face stung by the heat ofthe whirling Fire Spiites (deduct 1 point trom yoursrAMrNA). You hide behind a chunk of rubble andwatch as the bhzzard of tire sweeps through thealley. The Sprites fly into walls and eruPt intocascades of sparks, buming and warPing everythingthey touch. Finally the cloudloses energyanddissipates.If younowheadfor the seawalls, tum to10. If you continue to search among the buildings,rurn to 379.
26a-26226aFor several days you wander the countryside Mostof the inhabitants o{ this re#on are peasants/though, and they avoid you whenever you passamong them. From a chance conve$ation with amerchant in an alehouseyou leam of a monastery tothe east, whosemonks shive for perfection throughphysical discipline. Might not monks fight in arighteous cause?The monastery stands high on a hillside, a narowtrack wending a torfuous path up to it. You can seeno sign of li{e among the rounded buildings. Ifyou lollow the winding path up to the monastery,turn to 85. If you dimb straight up the side o{ them^' hr,n r^ r''nrrin262You scoop up an armful o{ fabulous wealth,brushing away a few ofthe nuts and twigs. Make anote o{ the fact that you have jewels worth 3,ooogold pieces in the apptopflatebox o yolrt AdoentureSlleef. The smoke swirls about you and with risingpanic you realize thatyou can no longer see the exitfunnel. If you recognize the word 'Izkhao' and cantake advantage of this power, turn to 338. lf yourecognize the word 'Biantai' and wish to use thispower, tullr to 12o. Otherwise, you must roll twodice and compare the result with your sKrLL score.If you roll less than or equal to your sKrLL, furn to74i if your roll is gleater than your sKrLL/ Lurn to 91.
253-264263Yotrr hopes Ior rest and sanctuary fade as youwander through the village. The few stone buildingsstill standing are dirty and squalid. Raggedchildren chase one another across the square, brandishin8wooden swords and screaming obscenities.The adults are no better: drunken revellers staggerout of the local taverir, aptly named 'The AquaVitae', and what trade there is seems to deal exclusivelyinweaponry. The locals eyeyouwith deepsuspicion. In the ruins o{ a cottage, a group ofwretched travellers huddle around a large fire. Youare cold, hungry and exhausted. Will you:Try to enter the localbar?Buy something to defend yourselfTurn to 49with? Tum to 164Settle down wrth the travellers in theruin? Tum to 325264You descend from the mountain wiLh your prisoner. The battle is won. Merzei rushes to congratulateyou, but you can think only of poor Credas,who gave his life in the battleto defeatFeior. Merzeibegins to supervise the remaining forces, so youreturn to the top of the mountain to survey thebattlefield, now that you have finally won.A sh ek rends the air and a huge cloud of inlyblackness rises before you. Two buming globeshang in it and, staring into them, you knou.. yourfather has refurned. He cannot harm the people ofI26:--266this land, for the Triurge banished him beyond thephysical realm But part of him lives on in you, andthroughyou he may still have his revenge. Willyou:Use one ofyourmagical powers? Turn to E8Flee? Turn to 15Stand your ground? Turn to 51265Your head is swimming, but you still have yoursight as you race betweenthe silent white statues, Invour haste, you send halfa dozen topplin8 and theysmash on the marble floor, scatterinB their bonycontents, Turn to 1lJ,266With an acrobatic flourish that would rmpress themost agile of monleys, you flip across to a neighbouringcreeper. Trembling with the €xerhon, youiratch the repulsive insect reel in the sticky vine.Thankingyour good fortune, you drop safely downand dart back into the jungle. The way ahead looksformidable: mile upon mile of dense, unforgivingIungle. If you press on, turn to 38. If you rettace\ our steps, back to the safety of the boat, turn to 171.
257-269267'Now,' says the bandit leader, 'you had better behonest with me. If you are capable and trustworthy,I may let you join ourband. What is yourbusiness,for I gain no clues from your apparel?' Will you tellhim you are a:Merchant?Sorcerer?Bandit?Turn to 345Tum to 16ETum to 44Or, if you wish to tell him that you don't know, tumto 388.268For a moment Merzei wavers. Then his resolverefurns 'l am the future Grand Councillor of theseIsles!I take orders oily from the peoplel'You will gain no help ftom this man. You must findanother source of soldierc. Turn to 106.269The little man narrows his eyes at you and puffs outhis piBeon-chest. I am Merzei, he cries In a \oicesul?risingly firm For one so unprepossescing,270Defender of the People, Righter of Wrongs, andtuture Gnnd Councillor of these Isles 'If you talk to the fellow, turn to 4. If you attack him,turn to 52.270You utter the word from your dark past. Intensepain locks your entrails and a wave of nauseasweeps through you. With a great effort youshai8hten up and force the pain away. The bolt ofsummoned energy is expelled from your body andshoots into the pool, where it combines with thewater and the bathers, forrning a swirlin8 mass oflimbs and screams. You watch as the powerful spellmelds the men into a single, complete being.Warped into a human web of confused limbs andshuddering skin, this pitiful creature rolls towards]'ou, flailing its many arms and legs. To escape, youmust fight your way past.POOL BEASTSKILL 10 STAMINA 15Youmay choose to egcdpe after two AttackRounds ifvou:o wish. lJyou survive, tLrrn to2o2.
274-273274As you sit, alone, in your chamber/ you catch thedistant sound of drums. If you prise open the heavyshutterc, turn to J18 If you venture out into thehallway, tum Lo 151.274-275274It is a rough climb (deduct 1 point ftom yourSTAMINA)but you finally fight your way to the top.TuIn to 4r.As you deal the final blow to your mirror-image,there is a blinding flash oflight, and a sha{t of agonyshoots through you. A moment later, your sightreturns; there is no sign of your opponent, but thewicker object still lies at your feet Will you:Examine it?Turn to 3o9Leave it be and head foi the seawall?Turn to 10Leave the objectbut conhnue tosearch through the buildings nearby? Turn to 379These viciouslooking eels form into a single seethingmass of destruction. Acting quickly, you unmvelthe whistle and spin it furiously above yourhead. A high-pitched whining sound fills the air,and the creatures stop their thrashing. Calmnessreturns Tuin to 294.One of the bandits drunkenly describes his experiences in the jungles of fhe souLh. He pulls out adelicate silken mask ftom his pouch and puts it onhis head. The other bandits cackle at his bizarreappearance, but he explains that it was useful tokeep the msects from biting. The mask rs passedaround for inspection, reaching you as the fellowlaunches into an improbable description of a large,bluish-green fruit which, he claims, can sustain aman in the jungle for weeks on end. The drunkenoutlaws seem to have forgotten about the mask.You may keep it if you wish (note it down on yourA{laenture Sheet). Finally you bed down on the softforest floor, in readiness for the next day's mid.Tun to E9.
2?t'-278276to a mild green.Now is your chance to act. The vast Power Feior hasbeen wielding has singed his finery, and the rockaround him bears the scars oI ma8ical force. Helooks tired. Which spell are you Soing to cast at him:Shangsuo?Baopo?Tiaohe?Biantai?Tum to 2o3Tum to 45Turn to 353Turn to 122As the cleafure regards you exPectantly, a wordsudaces in your memmy.'Izkhao,' you say-'Obey me.''l o-b-b-b-bey,' replies the smirking homunculugwith a mocking bow, he disaPPears back into thebrooch. Turn bick to the ParagraPh you came frcmn'hen you decided to open the btooch.278-\dopting a rough country accent, you humbly explainto the coErmander that he has mistaken youior someone else. He eyes you closely for a while,rhen shakes his head and leturns to his seat. As the
279-28ocarriage pulls out, you see Tamroth staring intentlyat you through the window. You turn back on to theroad once mo!e, confused and alone. Tum to 2.Travelling among the viliages of this region youhear tell of a rabble-rouser who has been stirrine fhepeasanls to action. After a day spent searchingiyoufind the village in which Merzei is staying. True toform, he is standing in the middle of the street,han4guing the local populace. 'Throw off the yokeof oppression!'he shouts. 'Resist those who exploityou! Join r^/ith me and bring the Council to pov.er!'Whenhe has finishedhis speech, youapproachhimand tell him that you need men to fight againstFeior. If you have at arly time owned a Spiked Clubor a Jewelled Dagger, turn to 54. If you never hadone of [hose, butdo have a Scroll, furn to 162.Ifyouhave none o{ these arhcles, fum to 291.2gOYou {ace the blazing Elemental and compose yourselffor action. If you know the codeword 'Biantai'and wish to make use of this power, fum to 22. If28a-282you know the codeword 'Izkhao' and wish to makeuse of this powet/ tum lo 376. ll you charge thecreature, turn to 125. If you cirde and dodge, waitingfor an opportunity, turn to 1o5.2gaThe shimmering scales that cover your shoulderLingle as you crouch to examine the solidified mud-The densevapour whichhangs aboveits surface hasa strangely pleasant smell and draws you closer.lnvoluntadly, you take a deep breath, filling yourlungs with the gas . . . a face from your dim pastflashes in your mind for an instant. Its lips mouth asingle word: 'Shangsuo.'The powerthat Locked themud is now at your command. Note it down andtum to 128.282The lone figure is toppled by a blow from the flyingmonster, sendingthem plummeting into the chasmbelow.Hands suddenly grip you firmly by the shouldersand dmg you, screaming, out of the chamber.'Quiet now, child,' whispers Panurge, the King'sPriest, 'you are coming with me.' He mumbles aword and touches your temple . . . Tun to 389.
28j-2842852EJAs you near the flames, their heat seems to diminish.You bound the last few steps, exulted by rhefeeling of deliverance that sweeps through you.Then you are engulfed by the sweetl) cdressingtenddls of magical fire Your ill-omened journeyends here.284Credas walks towards the Prophetandholds out hishands to touch it, 'You must use your powei nowFor the good of the Isles. I must become one withthis idol.' Nausea washes over you as the powerbuilds within You hardly dare watch as Credas'sform melts and fuses with the bronze idol. Whenyou have {imshed, you staggerback to restThe mouth of the Prophet opens, and Credasspeaks, his voice resonating with a metallic twang'Now you must unite an almy to meet Feior inbattleand destroy his forces. Without soldiers he has noreal power I will rouse the Kreehuls to action: fortoo long they have been hunted and slaughtered byman. Co now, and may your fate be kind, for thesdce of the Isles.' If you have a Bejewelled Box, rurnto 372. Otherwise, turn to 119.265You dive for the cave entrance, na owly avoidingthe net which spins after you. Down the corddorVelkos follows hard on the heels of the creatures -the name 'Cressents' leaps to mind -and as the lightdims you lose si8ht of her. Where the tunnelbranches in two directions you pause to catch yourbreath. The men have not followed you do\a/n thefunnel, butas you inhale d€eply you catchthe whiffof a sweet-scented smoke drifting after you. Twomore tunnels lie ahead. The one to the left slopesup, while the right-hand path is downward. lf yougo left, tuln to 32. Ifyou go ight, tum to 372.?x
286-287286You surface, spluttering and gasping. Graduallyyour eyes become accustomed to the steam singoff the bubbling surface of the \/ater. You are floaFing in a huge communalbath, the villagers'place ofentertainment. Bobbing around its sides are its patrons,Suzzling cups of ale served from a network ofpipes that hang over the pool. These charactersmust come ftom every corner of the land, for no twoIookalike. Your sudden arrivalwent unnoticed andthe bathers are talking and quaffing heartily. Yourelax and lie back, appreciating the water's invigoratingqualities (restore 2 points of srAMrNA). lfyouswim over to your neighbour and talk, turn to 178. Ifyou take a drink ftom the ale-pipes, turn to 348.287The merchant tums up his nose at you and dimbsback into his palanquin.You continue on your way. The peasants you meetavoid you, but you don't encounter any hostility.On the third day you see many men approachingAs they draw nearer you see that many o{ themaren't men at all, but foul creatures, some Bhastlypale of feature, others wafty and covered y/ithb stles. All, men and beast alike, are armoured andcarryinS vicious weaponslfyou abandon the Sitting Prophet and flee, tum to35o. lf you stand your Bround, turn to 20.
288-2E928EWaitinB for a spout to subside, you tie the roPeroundyou, secure the other end, and lower yourselfdown the shaft. DescendinS to the roilin8 sea below,you begin to tread water: the cave ceiling isbarely an arm'slength above you, and atthefar endof the cave you can make out the open sea uPonwhich a small boat is bobbing, in and out o{ view.You shile out for the entmnce, ca ied uP and downby the swirling tide. \ow you cdn see an auiou.face pee ng over the boat's side. She waves ftanti_cally and you hear a shoutbut cannot make out thewords over the din o{ the sea-cave. If you swim outto the boat, tum to 72. II you retum and climb backup the chute, turn to 371.289With your maniacal ftiend fighting by your side,you stand a chance of driving these cteafures backThree of their leaders bear down on you, and youmustfight them to the death.First KREEHULSecond KREEHULThrd KREEHULSKILL685877STAMINAFight the Kreehuls one at a time. If you win, tumto 33.29O-294290You wait with an outlaw called Ewenchu, while theothers lower themselves down the cliff {ace: theonly known entrance to the sorcere/s lair is througha cave mouth halfway down the sheerrockface. Theminutes drag on, and Ewenchu annoys you by hishabit ofnoisily scratchinghis armpits. You begin toworry at what may have befallen your comrades;then you notice a f'lock of birds rlsing from theground behind a large rock, a short distance downthe slope. You wander over to have a look, and finda well-hidden hole leading sharply downwards. Ifyou slither down it to investigate, turn to 15. II yolrreturn to Ewenchu and wait lor the bandits'refurn,turn to 63.294Merzei looks you up and down. 'Flee, O lackey ofthe forces of tyranny!' Behind him, severaldesperatelooking peasants heft improvised polearrnsThere's nothing to be gained by fightingthese folk, so you leave thevillage as quickly as youcan. Tuln to 106.
292-294295-297ture has sen dramatically and the moist, msectladenair clogs your throat. If you would rathercontinue on land, turn to 153. Ifnot, turn to 131292No sooner have you lain down upon the deck thanyou fall into a deep sleep. Test your Luck. ll yoLr arcLucky, tum to 152. Ifyou are Unlucky, tum to 328.291You sip your nurse's comforting ddnk then slidegently into a restful sleep. Tum to 389.294As you drift down the river, contemplating whatlies ahead, a fine mist begins to spill out ftom thejunglei it hangs above the water and cuts your fieldof vision to only a few metres. The ver na ows,forks then narows again, until you find yourselfina remote stretch of slow moving water. Strangeplants crowd rn on either side, and the gnarledlimbs of trees glide in and out of view. The tempera-295Yourfoot snags in a ctatet and you tumble {orward,grazing your elbows badly. But behind you a dazzlingflash ofcolourbursts ftom the place where yout pped. Relieved, you scramble the remaining distanceto the safety of the far door arch. Turn to 50.296'You mustretum the Sitting Prophet to its worshippercaI once!'he wails, shaking his head in drsmay.'Go now, and hope that the damage done can berepaired.' With a final shake of his head he disappearsback into his cave. If you obediently beginthe longjourney back with the Prophet, tuIn to 362.Ifyou abandon it where itis, furn to 222.297Much to the amazement of the soldiers, you producethe plansyou stole ftom the envoy: they showFeior's plans ofattack, including a number ofcleverambushes. Together $.ith the other officers, youscour them for a weakness. There is one: fyou canreach the village's central tower arld hold it, Feio/smen will be forced out into the open, where youtarchers and cavalry will be able to bear down onthem. It is your only hope, arld you must hy it. Ifyou used your Powers on Credas, tum to 3E6Otherwise, tum to 73 .
298-299298A scene ofdevastation awaits you when you emeigefrom the bullows. Flaming gouts leap froin thetentacles of a fiery creature - an Elemental oI somekind - incinerating all they touch. You flee, yourbreath rasping hard in your chest. Velkos is justahead oI you when a bolt strikes her in the bacl inan instant nothing rs left of her but ash. Just as youthink you have evaded danger, a man leaps upbefore you: he is one of the slave traders, and heSrins evilly as he advances on you, wieldinga blackmetalblade.SLAVE TRADER 9KILL7 STAMINA 6If you incur more than 6 points of damage from thetrader and are still alive, tum to jE1. If you defeatthe trader, turn to 139.too-1oapair of daggers from hts robe and lunges for yourthrcat. Test your Lltck lfyou are Lucky, turn to 135.Ifyou are Unlucky, turn to 9.300You clamber into the boatand prepare to setout. Asyou cast off, the bottom of your craft disintegrates.Sinking rapidly, you notice the shards of wobd areriddled with thousands of tiny hole5. Something inthe jungle has feasted at your e\pen5e. you arestanded, with no means of escape, doomed toroam the jungle until death finds you and sends youonce more into the blackness ftom which youemerged . . .301You try in vain to find an altemative exit. A largepile of books has been piled against one wall, andatyou intently. You tuin away and start towards thedoor.'Children like you should be tucked up in bedl,299You pause for thought, then give him your authoritativedecision.You spin around and sta.e in amazement at the'Since when has your horse commanded troops?, hesnarls. 'Impostor! You are not Feior!' He whips out a
3o2-1o4/2102Merzei waits in vain for people to come forward,and some of the drinkers be#n to chucKe. 'Vvhatdid I expect ftom scoundrels?' he shouts 'Courage?Well, you've had your chance to repent. Now prepareto pay for your c mes.' He reaches into hispockets and pulls out two shrivelled figures, whichhe losses into the watei They land with a splashand flodt there harmlessly. By now everyone islaughing all except Merzei. He takes a small bottleftom a breast pocket and flings it into the pool: ilsends up a shower of sparks as it sinks, and thewater begins to bubble and chum furiously, throwingup vivid colours. Caught up in the feiment, thetiny figures begin to expand rapidly in size, untilthey reach their full height of over two metres. Justpast them, you can see six burly men rushing forMerzei, who stands, arms akimbo and with aconfident smile on his face. Tum to 149103You dive through the opening in a single fluidmotion. As you ro11 down a short flight of steps, agout of dust is forced out of the hole. There is adistant roar of collapsing masonry, then the hangingcloud of dust is sucked violently back into thedepths, tugging at your clothes as it retreats. Youhave escaped. Turn to 242.304As you charge towards the village and into the heartoI battle, the flying Sturramak spots your {resh
105-Jo7assault. It swoops towards you, releasing a fierybolt of energy which smashes into the peasants,instantly disintegrating those it hits. The beastnears, and you rvatch in horror as it releases hundredsof squirrning, leechlike creatures from itsunderbelly. You are caught in the shower of death.Your adventure ends here,105At your approach the three bandits run off; Velkosthanks you for your timely intervention. ToBether,you {ollow the trail down ftom the mountains intolusher lowlands. Tum to 215.1a6A low humming fills the ail but from your proneposition you can see nothing. The drone glowslouder until it is directly above you. Fee[n8 a lighttouch on your back, you twistaround to lookup.High above you hovers an immense Dragonfly. Itsdiaphanous wings beat furiously, and from its magnificentlycoloured abdomen trails a thick silkencord. Auows fly past, missing it by inches, but thebeast refuses to depart. If you seize the creature'sthread belore it flies away, tum to 1o8 If you wouldrather stay in the shelter of the boat, turn to 23r.107A premonition of danger deters you from drinkingtoo much. The others jeer at you for what they see asfaint heafiedness, but you are adamanb a si\thsense wams you to rely on unknown instincts youto8-1o9have never considered before. While they drinkthemselves into a jolly stupor, discussing tomorrow'sraid on a sorcerer's lair, you sit upright, alertto any possible threat. S€vmiroda scoms you forVour absbinence and tells you that you'll lose theglory of bein8 in the vanguard of the raid. lf youbear the bandit tattoo, turn to 23o. Otherwise, turnto 89.30ETremors wrack your body; you are tired, and asecond Lock spell requires mrlch energy. The pulsatingglobe you create this time is less brighlFeior's spell has reached you by the time you unleashit at him. He is still bathed in a purple glow,and as yourbody contorts and mutates you see yourspell evaporate harmlessly againsthis warding. Beforeyou can conhol the mutations which convulseyou/ your mind is wrenched from your body. Thething which quivers and gurgles on the mountaintopis no longer you.309You roll it away from the wall and brush off theaccumulated dust. It seems quite light, so you pickitup to exahine it more closely. No sooner have youraised it than it twitches wildly. You fumble for amoment, then throw it to the ground- As it lands,there is a hollow pop and the wicker snaps open. Adense cloud explodes from it, a cloud of fire andwings and dark, furry bodies. Roll two dice. If theresultis less than or equal to your sI(rLL, turn to 25o.If the result is greater than your sKrLL, turn to 12.
v.f3ao-JaL310The figure that steps from the ca[iage is dressed inmilitary robes of deepest vermilion. He tums to hisdriver and snaps, 'Fooll Why do you wake me? Doyou think I would wish to speak to this filthypeasant?' The driver cowers away ftom his master,stammering and pointing at you The soldier turnsto you and shouts, 'Be offbe{ore I take my sword toyo -' He gasps and bows. 'Iorgive me, Your Highness. . Commander Tamroth at your service . . . Ihad no idea that you had left Traole so soon. Wereyou captured? Wheie are your guardsmen?'You must thinl quickly. If you attempt to bluff him,turn to 81. If you explain that he has mistaken youfor someone else, furn to 278.3aaThe clash of arrnies is like a wave breaking against arocky shore. Your force is outnumbered, four toone, and you quickly find yourself engulfed indesperate hand-to hand fighting with men-atarms.Even with the powe$ at your disposal, youcannot prevail against so many adversaries.Bloodied and tattered, Nikko slashes his waythrough the ranks whjch su ound you. 'You'vebetrayed us!' he bellows. 'But you'll pay for yourtreachery!'He charges at you, lunging with hisdouble-handed sword and pinningyou through thevitals. Before your life seeps away, you bring downaJarringblow on his skull. He dies before you.
342-3rJ342A dark form rears up ahead of you, and you flinch.Then Velkos's voice hisses urgently at you to followher, as she has found a possible way out of theburrows If you tell her about the gems you havefound, tumto 82. Ifyou keep quiet about them, turnto a92.343Youspeak theword A priclJyheatrises up throughyour skin. Pressure begins to build in your lungs,and you tremble as the power buitds. The batherswatch you grasp at your throat, your face reddening.In desperation you tl-rump your chest withboth fists. The blows finally dislodge a flaming boltftom within you The f-lames fly from your mouthtowards the bathers, who instinctively duck underthe suface of the water. You collapse, exhausted,and watch the lireball extinguish itself in the pool.The angry patrons su#ace and swatm out of thewa(er towards you. Unable lo lift your arms indefence, you can only cry out as their blows raindown on you. Your adventure ends here,114-145344Before the Sturramak can strike you with its fierybreath you leap on the horse of an unfortunatecavalryman. You spur it past a company ofarchers,yellinga warning. The Sturamak turns its attentionto them, just as you spot a lone rider fleeing up themountainside. Somethingabout him is familiar anddraws you to him: it is your brother, Feior, fleeingfrom battle. Roll three dice. If the result is less thanor equal to your STAMINA, tum to 233. If the result1s greater than your STAMTNA, turn to 129.JL'The morbid gl)?hs on your tomb exert a strangefascination Without thinkin& you begin to hacethe rough contours of these symbols. With thenumbness gone, you pick irp the faintest tremor:there is meaning and energy in the glyphs, butdespite thet familiarity you cannot urilock theseforces. Reluctantly you draw yourhand away fromthe stone face and furn around You meet thereverent gazes of a hundred robed figures. Thechamber is filled with a silenLretinue. At their heada hawk-nosed man fixes you with a penetratingstare. He opens his mouth to speak.
t16You stag8er as the chamber shakes. Chips of rockrain down and you cower ftom them, shieldingyourface. Thereis a popping in your ears and a dullache builds in your temples. Whenyoulookup, youare alone once more. The chamber shakes again andat your feet a cmck in the marble begins to widenYou dodge fist-sized chunks of stone as they crashto the ground. Pressure grips you; breathing becomeshard and your heart beats wildly. If youjump back into your sarcophagus, turn to 249. Ifyou fl€e the chamber, turn to r57.116Unfortunately, the vine you leap for cannot supportyour weight. You plummet to the jungle floor,landing heavily (deduct 3 points lrom your srAMrNA)However, thebruises you now carry are bearablewhen you think of the fate you have escapedfrom. Looking back up into the leafy canopy, youwatch the loathsome creature move off, trailing iissticky tendils. If you limp on through the forbiddingjungle, turn to 38. [f you retrace your steps tothe boat, tum to 171.31.7-314347You slip between the hees and strain your ears forany sound from up ahead. After a few minutes youhear the thud of heavy boots on the soft, pjneneedle-coveredground. You conceal yourself behinda large tree trunk and watch as a heavilyarmoured man staggers past, clutching his helmetin both hands. The helm seems to be badly dentedand, judging by the way the man keeps bumpinginto trees, he can't see very well. l{you run out andattack him, tum to 21. If you wait till he has passed,and then continue into the wood, fum to 160J1dYou prise the bar ftee and kick the shutterc openDawn rs breaking and beyond the harbour walls yousee the lights from a multitude ofboats; they are allmagnificently decorated with colourful flags. Highabove them, buming like fireflies in the mist, arethree glowing spheres. Splashes of coloured lightspark ftom them as they move towards the city,skimming across the water. Delighted, you standtransfixed. The first bolt of colour approaches thecity wall, and it is then you notice that a great manyof youl father's soldiers have collected along theramparts. They too stand silent, fascinated by the
t.'l!49-324the screams and shouts will go away. lf you try toblock out the din with your pillow and go to sleep,turn to 389. If you go looking for helP or comfort,turn ro 151.349You snatch the box ftom the merchant's quiveringhands.Itisint cately belewelled and is openedbyahny clasp, which you unfasten with ease ?esi yor,'Luck. It yon are Lucky, turn to 2o1- If you areUnlucky, tum to 23320Merzei takes a step back and looks at you as if youare mad Then he stePs forward until his Pasty faceis close to yours.'Never, corrupterofthe nghteous!'he hisses Strong hands SriP you round the throat.You flail helplessly but can do nothlng to Preventthe life being choked outofyou.Hefting the white warrior's shieldabove yourhead,you weave your way across the room to the oPeningon the other side. Mehes ftom safety, you areknocked flat when a globule exPlodes on yourshield. You fling it aside and watch it being consumedby flames of many colours. Cross the shieldoff your Equipment List. Choking on the sharPJ22-12Jsmoke, you reach the safety of the door arch. Rollone die, add 6, and enter the result in the LucKboxol yow Acltenlure Shtcl. Ihenturnto50.You manage to weaken the beast's hold by twistingand punching its warty talons As it loses hei8ht,youbreak free and plunge into the forest below. Thetrees' soft canopy gives way to a dense tanBle ofthick branches, which you grasp at vairily as youplummet to your death. Your adventure ends here.Horribly injured, the mighty creature ises into theair with a majestic swish ofits feathered wings. Youtale advantage of the moment to flee. Then youspot a lone rider galloping up the mountainside.Something about him is familiar, dra ,ing you tohim. It is your brother, Feior, fleeing from battle.Roll three dice. tf the result is less than or equal toyour srAMrNA, turn to 233. If the resultis greaterthanyour 5TAMINA, turn to 129..l.
324-125324You walk back up the banl, slip into the water, andpush out for the opposite side. The current is strongand carriesyou swildy down towards the boat. Yougrab its side and begin to haul yourself up into thecra{t. Sprawled across the boards are the hoffificremains of its owne!, Barely able to set eyes on thebloody mess, you kick the corpse into the river.Hurriedly, you push out and steer downriver,struggling against the cross-cuirents and floatingvetetation.A faint rushing sound comes from ahead, and youbrace yoursel{ fot rapids. Sute enough, you see atorent of water rising up in the distance. As youapproach, you can make out the writhing forms ofthousands of thick, grey eels. Ifyou have the Changwhtstle and wish to use it, rurn to 273. Otherwise,rutn to 1gg.As you rest, you decide to check through yourpossessions- You are surprised to discovera broochin a small pocket of your robe It is carved withglyphs which remind you of your dream like emergencefrom your tornb. There is a little clasp on thebrooch. lfyou open it now, note down the number'r5z' and turn to 343. Otherwise, note down thenumber 'J4l' next to the brooch on your Ad?ert /cSrscl Atalry time, providedyou are not involvedincombat, you may open the brooch. Note down thenumber of the paragraph you are at, then furn to343, Now tum to 37._l325326Credas traces a symbol in the air, and momentslater you are aware of the symbol hanging beforeyour eyes. You feel the blood pumping throughyourarteries, the sinews tensing and relaxing, yourmind's unconscious orders to your body speedingtheir way along conduits too narrow to imagine.You sense Credas's comlnand to the bandits, andfeel a part of it Silently they turn and make theirway out of Credas's retreat,You shake your head. You are back to normal oncemole.Credas speaks 'l{ I am to help you, Vou mustperform a task for me. Fetch the Sitting Prophetfrom the midst oftheZushan Jungle, to the south ofhere.' He passes you a small jar of sharp-smellingorange syrup. 'This will sustain you in fimes oIneed.' Then he leads you down a long tunnel andout by a hidden exit under a rotting tree stump. Hebids you an abrupt farewell and disappears backdown the tunnel, leaving you wonderingif this wasall a dream. If you make yotrr way south, turn to24o. If you abandon your task and head for thenearest settlement, turn to 29.
327-330327Test your L ck If you are Lu&y, turn to 34.,.o TTnL,.lz!, h,/n r^. irIf you328You wakeup, much refreshed, to the welcome sightof clif{s ahead. Velkos makes preparahons to land.Turn to 45.329It is a long trudge, Finally you make your weary wayup the hill to Credas's cavemous retreat. TheSittingProphet is still where you le{t it and Credas iswaiting for you. 'l was mistaken,' he says. 'Eventsmove in the world. Malignant forces rcturn to playthe eternal game.' Turn to a76-334130The fighter puts up little resistance as you untie hisbonds. Once Iree, he reooves the scroll from hjsmouth and culses. 'How in the name of QuelDamoth and all her sisters did that wretch 8et thebetter of me!' He stamps out of the go6e, iSnorin8the pain the thFlles mustbe causing him, and picksup his clothes, 'Eat my words, indeedl Hah!'Heyour way out of the wood. Tum to 23g.I-L
332-1J3Your brother's reserves_& power are no match foryouis. Without even having to prepare a spell/ asilvelymissile shoots from you! outstretched hand.As it flies towards Feior, it expands until it resembles a huge silver flower, which envelops itsvictim. Feior screams weakly as the shining foldscompiess him gendy, slowly squeezing the life outof him. Smaller and smaller the fatal parcel becomes, until all that is left is a small silvery coin. Youpick it up: on one side, Feiols screaming face isembossed; on the other, he smiles confidently, acrown upon his head. You smile wryly. If you flipthe coin nonchalantly, hlrn to 179. If you simplyclimb back down, turn to 219.J33You open the clasp on the brooch and call yourpla)thing's name. Avaporcus being shoots out andcircles above you, calling out, 'Maior,'as it dartsabout. You point at the advancing men and order itto attack. With a gleeful yelp, Izkhao thunders intoyour assailants, causingthem to topple back into thepool with a splash. Test yout Luck. lI you are Lucky,furn lo 251. Ifyou are Ur ucky, fum to j3.J34-135134Beyond the wax seal you lind you$elf in darkness.The pain in your temples recedes, and you pauseb efly to catch your breath. Tentatively you edgeIorward, arms outstretched. Justas youi eyesbeginto accustom themselves, a bdlliant flare of colourbursts from the blackness. It dies away, but in thefading light you can see that the rdugh floor ispockmarked. An acdd smell reaches yournostrils asthe glow dissipates. lf you press on into the darkness,turn to 254. I{ you wait by the enhance, turnto 1E.)JtYou climb high into the hills, to a point where youcan see the king/s hoops advancinBintobattle. Theyare consumed by the tide o{ dark figures that spillinto the valley beneath you. Not a single man of PooTa's forces emerges from the horde; Feio/s army istotally victodous. The dark child has returned toclaim his inheritance. You survive for a few days,camped out in the hills, until his men track youdown and slaughter you. Your adventure endshere.
f'1,:t,ltt6-t796You accornpany the outlaws to the sfump of a hugetree, within which they hide the sacks of treasurethey have captured. Then they decide to visit thenearby village. You have nearly reached the buildingswhen you are overtaken by a fat fellow,bourrcing up and down on the back of a donkey. Theoudaws nod at him, and nudge you meaningfully.It's clear they want you to tackle and rob him. If yousidle up to the merchant and tell him to hand overhis valuables, tuin to 95. If you lefuse to rob him,furn to 12,'!'\,"Tears stream down your face, but you cover yournose and mouth before the powdei can doitsworst.Amazed at your resfience against their bombs, thesavages panic. Only the two strongest stay andfight. They are upon you instantly.First JUNGLEMAN5Second JUNGLEMANSKILL STAMINAYou must fisht them both at the same time. Eachround you;ust choose which one you will attack,and roll dice as normal lor you$elf and your opponent.You should also roll at the same time asainstthe olher savage. Whereas he will wound you if trisAttack Strength is the greater, you will not cause76
B8-n9him any damage if your Attack Strength is greater -you will merely parry his blow. If yoLr wln, rurn Lo338You flip open your brooch and call tne name ot339140J40Turn to 7E.gout of energy bursts forth you are incineratedinstantly.
344-142341No amount of chipping and scraping will seNe tofree them A noxious smell suddenly pervades theair. You -fin Jround to i.1ce d small. hooded man.dressed in a filthy robe. The two peasants are terfied into silence and shake visibly. The air roundyou is redolent of the stench o{ decav. As you starttowards the repulsive figure, he raises his gnarledstick Turn to 128.,4tNote down the Jade Talisman o your AdaenluteSlreef, along with the number '2j?'. II a! a y titaewhen you are jn combat you wish to use it, make anote of the number of the paragraph you are at, thenrurn ro 237.1 /hile the Talisman may be of some use, you stillneed soldiers to fight in the loominS battle. YouLrudge down from the monastery by the way youcame, Tum to 106.342The monk's voice is gentle as he asks you how hemay help you You explain that a great evil isscourging the land, and beg his assistanceHe sucks in his breath and confers briefly with hiscompanion- 'A mighty trial faces you We may notleave this monastery, but we can be of assistance toyou and help you on your path towards pedection.'He gestures with his hand, and a small jade plaqueappears in it. This he passes to you. 'lfever you facethe t al of combat, this talisman will give you thepower to prevail against what is base and huhan '343You prise open the brooch and find yourselfstaringat a grinning face: it looks |ke that of a malevolentbaby and, as you watch, itwinks. There is a crackle,a sharp tang of ozone . . . and the grinning face siisbefore you, attached to a small, smooth body. Testyou| Luck . If yo\ arc Lucky, turn to 2?7 . ll you arcUnlucky, turn to 6.
344i44You inch your way across the ledge and climb inthrough the neighbouling window. The room istiny, and the dark tapestries that diape itswalls addto its air of mystery, The only door is locked, andyou slump against it, exhausted and afraid. In themiddle oathe room sits a smdll table, covered by alar8e velvet sheet, and this you pull away, revealinga small glass sphere which has been set into thecentre of the table. A dingy green glow tadiatesfrom it, and you gaze deepintoit. At first your viewis obscured by swirling mistsi then they clear toreveal a lone ligure standing on a pinnacle of rock. Athick black cloud floats in front of the flqure, formingand re-forming, first into a crude faci, then intoa twisfing vortex. As you watch, thoughts of yourni8htmare rush back into your head. Both figuresare familiar, and your mind struggles to name them.Then, frombehind the figure, a winged beast shootsinto view. The dragon-like creature heads straightfor the fi8ure, sprtting fire. They seem unaware ofthe danger and, as the view shifts, you finallyglimpse their features. They are your ownl Thebeast is nearlv uDon them. You must decide Willyou:Shouta warrung to the figure?Wait to see what happens?Smash the globe?Turn to J73Turn to 2E2Turn to 4oo
,45-i47'Ha!' cries the leader, 'Then you won'tmind partingwith your waresl'You are seized from behind and as /ord is held at your throat as the bandits take allyour gear. Cross every item off your EquipmentList- The outlaws tieyourhands, blindfoldyou, andlead you some distance before abandoning you. Ittakes you several hours to free yourself. Tum to 19.346Far offin the distance, beyond a small village in themiddle of the valley, you espy Feior's army. It isawesome in size, making your forces look pitifullyinadequate. Your fellow officers ate shocked intosilence, and the troops verge on panic Then youobserve another body of men advancing towardsyou from the hills in the east. Taking up a spyglass,you see an army of peasants, brandishing improvjsedweapons, and at its head the familiarfigure ofMerzei. He calls his people to a halt and waves toyou, smiling With these extla troops, hope returnsand you resume planning your attack. lf you havethe Battleplans, tum to 297. Otherwise, tum to 1oo147You return the white warrior's geshrre and courleouslyasl him his name. But there is no response:the figure remains motionless, poised in mid-bowDespite the growing pain in your temples, you arebathed in a feeling of secu ty, an awareness thatyou have known and respected this manin the past. . . But he ls lost to you now. Nausea dses upt48-J49through your gorge and takes you by the ears. Youhurry away from the warrior, through the ranks ofhisarmy, tothe farendof the chamber. Turn to 11J.34EYou take hold of a pipe and nod to the barman topump your drink through A bolt of ale gushes intoyour mouth, where it stays for barely a moment.The inside ofyourmouth is on fire, and you quicklyspit the liquid back out into the bath. The bitter tasteofthe ale refuses to leave you and you vow never totouch the stuf{ again.Suddenly, the tavern door bursts open Tum to 52.349Forsevenl days you scour the land, huntingout thetraces of bandits. You Bet information frompeasants by posing as a Sovemment of6cjal; buteach time you think you have comered a band theymelt away into the countyside. Finally you hitupon the plan of posing as a merchant. Travellingdown a well-worn path amongclosely spaced trees,you are accosted by a gang o{ brigands, who demandyour money You fling aside your disgulse,and try to persuade them to join your cause Nosooner have they seen your face, however, thanthey take to their heels between the trees.Recruiting bandits seems tobe a dead end. On yourtravels through the villages you have heard iherumour that the king has sent an army to face Feiorin battle, thoughitis said that the royal Iorces are farj-
J50-352outnumbered by the mercenaries, foreigners andcreatures of l-omen that have flocked to Feior'sbanner. Events are movin8 on apace, while youhave achieved nothin8. You should now choose anoption that you have not already chosen. Will youlLook for mercenaries to recruit? Turn to 191Try to find Merzei (if you recognizethe name)?Try to find the king's army?Scour the countryside for someother possibility?Turn to 279Turn to 216Turn to 261350You leap from the cart and set oft backthe way youcame. Although there are horsemen amon8 theirranks. none pursue you. Marching rapidly. yousoon lose sight of the army. TuIn to 29.You step gingerly up to the object and reach out totouch it. If you bear multlcoloured scales/ furn to194. Otherwise, turn to 24Jt-As you walk, the land rises around you, and thefoliage thins till only hardy glasses clingto the darkrock Velkos begins to talk of a trove of gemstonesthat is said to be hidden in a cavem among thesehills. A dark opening gapes at you from beside arock, off to one side. I?sf yo / Lrck. If you are Lucky,turn to 256. Ifyou are Unlucky, tum to aJo.151-155The patterns dance delicately in the air about you,and calmness washes over you, You are hardlyaware of Feior until he unleashes a flrrious boltof energy, which streaks towards you, singeingthe very air as it passes. You meet youl {ate withserenity. The bolt destroys you instantly.ll4You sprint down the slope, bolts flashing aroundyou. You see several others reduced to ashes Aseadng flame shoots throuSh your side and youcrash to the ground Deduct 2 points from yoursTAMTNA, When you recover consciousness thereis no one about, so you hurry down the hillside.Turn to 67.t))You are soon stopped by sentries, who send for anofficer to interogate you. A proud warriorinbeautifullylacquered armourand a plumed helmetstridesarrogantly up to you and demands to know yourbusiness. If you are at the head of Merzei's peasantarmy, turn to 155. Otherwise, tum to 2o8.
3s6-isa356Sevmiroda listens with surpdsing sympathy. 'Wecan't afford to have someone with us who's losttheir nerve,' he says. 'Don't think you can shop usto the authorities or dip your fingers into our treasuletrove - we'll be moving our store soon.'If youhave a haversack and a greatsword, the outlawstake theseftomyou (cross them offyour EquipmentList). Then they head into town, so you thinl< itprudent to travel in the opposite direction. Tum to49.Jt/Add 12 to the number you rolled and write the resultin the srAMrNA box of yoLlr Adoentltre Sheet. T\eflrrn ro 30,358The beast car es you high above the forest towardsa large clearing, it hovers above a wide pit which hasbeen dug at its centre. The crater measures at leasttwenty mehes in ciicumfercnce; a huge mound ofrubbish lies within it: animal bones, furniture, cartwheels,grain sacks, rotting food and other indescribablesubstances are all mixed together in thisnoious stew. The smell is overpowering; flies massin thick clouds above it. The creature releases itsgdp, and you drop, feet first, into the stinkingmorass . You emerge from the pit gasping, trying tobeat off dozens of purple leeches that cling to yourclothes. Deduct 2 points from your srAMtNA andtum to 85.359-36at59Panurge grasps your alm tightly and leads you backup the stairs. Ignoring your cries, he mumbles aword to himself. He waves his ftee hand ove! yourface...Tumto369.360You back away, across the chamber, keeping youreyes on the silver-furfed creafure. It seems just aswary of you, and cowers behind the body. The othersarcophagus is covered with the same strangehieroglyphs as those which adom your tomb. It toohas lost its lid, and shattered fragments litter itsinterior. Though empty, the tomb exudes the samewarmth as your own. Another wave of panic floodsoveryou. Ifyou make your way out of the chamberwithout delay, tum to 217. Ifyou Bo fo take a closerlook at the corpse, tum to 142'.36aThe road begins to widen. Up ahead, smoke risesftom a small settlement. After a {ew minutes'walk,you come across a discarded bundle of clothingwhich lies shewnacross theroad. The garments arecut ftom supple leather, stained a deep black, and
362-263insetwith strange emblems which tease your memory.Ifyou search about for their owner. fum to 141Otherwise, you continue east towards the village.Turn to 263.J62You have to find another cart to help transport thestatue back to the jungle, but you don't relish theverjoumey. As the statue hundles onits way, youstart towonderhowon earth you are going to returnit to the Kreehuls. lt was dangerous enough brin8-ing it here in the first place. Is this Credas a madman?Why did you ever hust him in the first place,and go on his foolish mission?The first two days' trek takes you down amon8 therice paddies. While you are pausin8 for rest, apalanquin borne by sweating youths pulls uP nearby. Out sieps a gaudily dressed man, plainly amerchant 'That rtem is very marketable, honouredtraveller,' he says. 'I will of{er you the sum of r,oooBold pieces for it.'If you accept the man's offer, turn to 80. II yourefuse, turn to 287.163You follorv the path as it weaves ro and fro amongthe trees. After a little while there is a crashingsound from up ahead. An armoured figure, itshands clutch€d to its head, races round the comerYou have the presence of mind to dodge to one sideand stick out your leg- The fellow crashes to the354-J65Bround with a roa:r, but qurckly leaps to his feet andstarts to swing wildly with a spiked club. You seethat his helmet has been crushed down over hiseyes, so he can't see. He is still dangerous, though.BLINDED BANDIT s(rLL 4 sraurr.r,r 8Ifyou de{eat the bandit, tum to 387.364A miracle! Just when you needed one last surge ofstrength, a battalion of heavily atmoured menbursts from the southem forest and charges towardsyou. As theynear, you recognize them asthemercenaries you hired earlier. Shouting for joy, yourvave at them as they approach, gesturing themtowards the weakest line of your defence. Swordsraised, they thunder towards you They do notstop, however, andyou fallbeneath their poundinghoofs. Bloodied and broken, you look up to see thetraitorous soldiers cutting down yolu own troopsBlackness descends. Your adventure ends here.365You manage to restrain yourself from looking upinto the trce whete Velkos hides, andface thebanditleader. Turn to 267.
366-167366A fe\ / mehes ahead of you, sitting amid the vinesand creepers, you confiont animposing statue. Theidol's hands are clasped above its head, and its facewears an expression of deep serenity. Jud&ing ftomits size, youestimateittobethework of manyhands.As you approach it, a thousand pairs of emeraldeyes flick open around you, peppering the darkness.Ftom out of the shadows and beneath thewater emerge strange, semi-human figures. Distendedeyes sitproud oftheirflat faces, and spindlylimbs support their large, warty heads. You niar thestatue. The massed Kreehuls move closer and emifdeafening croaks from thetu fleshy throat-sacs. Willyou:Examine the statue?Seek aid from Izkhao?Name Biantai?Call Tiaohe?Summon Shangsuo?Call Baopo?Turn to 13Tum to 66Turn to 96Turn to 193Tum to 124Tum to 2r5367The terrible pressure on your head threatens toengulf you as you force your way out of the chamber.barely able lo Leep your eye\ open. \ou pasclhrough d smallopening dnd the pressu re eases. bu t
I368-169hollow eggshell. A skullrollsout ofitand awayintothe chamber. You look up. Tum to 156.368Yout stomach churns with the eflort of the spelli apurplish glow surounds you, the only outwardsign of your attempt to warp the fabric of the universe.You stretch out your arrns to Feior, and thepurple cloud oozes sluggishly towards him, takingon the shapes of fearful, half-glimpsed creatures asit goes.Feior looses his blast when the cloud you havegenerated has covered half the distance betweenyou. A bolt of sizzJing energy slices through thepurple glowas if it wasn't there and skeaks towardsyou. You have no time to prepare a second defence.369Velkos shoots you a glance ofpure hatred. 'He liesl'she shouts. 'I demand the right of satisfaction!'Several outlaws grin at this, and the leader tums toyou.'Will you fight Velkosto declde the truth ofthematler?' he asks. If you will, tum to eo9. If yourefuse, tum to E4.370-J72170You hand over the money and Nikkoasks you whenand where his men will be needed lf you tell himto accompany you straight away, tum to 6E. Ifyou wish to do more recruiting, and arrange torendezvous with him ina week's time, turn to 106.374Realizing the danger you are rn, you kick backtowards the rope Before you can reach it, you areborne up by a swell of water It dashes you forwardand up the chute. You are tossed up through themanhole amid a spout o{ water, Ianding wet, batteredand bedraggled but safe Lose 1 point fromyour sTAMTNA and turn to 92.You dare not run, lest you bump into something inthe dim light. You hunl' along the passageway,then stop abruptlyas adarkformrears upin ftontofyou'Quick, the Thaaza smoke is nearl' Velkos's voiceurges you on She grabs your arm and drags youdown another tunnel. A screeching noise echoesdown the tunnels, and after a while you pass aside-tunnel ftom which issue pitiful, half-humanscreams. As you pause atthe tunnel mouth, Velkosgrabs you roughly 'lt's just some Cressent young,''he hisse'. 'LeJve them for the lraderc.lfyou{ollow Velkos, tum to 29E Ifyou go down theside tunnel, turn to 8
373-175373You scream a warning into the globe. Your voiceseems to echo back at you ftom its polished surfaceand reverberates in the small room, causing yourcarr LUIrL6 Po!,ru,ry.Hands grip you firml) and drag you, screaming,out of the chamber. 'Quiet now, child,'whispeGPanurge, the King's Priest, 'you are coming withme.'He mumbles a word and touches your temple. . Turn to 389.t74You unravel the whistle's shing and try vair y towhirl it around from your lying position. Findingthis impossible, you situp and manage tosoundthenote. An allow thuds into your arm, Iorcing youback down (deduct 3 points from your STAMINA).Turn to 231.t/tDespite your strange appearance, the travellershonour the code of the road and offer you a place bythe fire and some food. As you settle down andwafin your feet, you hear talk of the war that israging throughout the island. You learn of theyoung king and his fight against an ancient menacefrom acloss the sea. These hardy folk have learntenough to keep well away from the Iighting andlaugh at the villagers' attempts to defend themselves.Recover up to4points of srAMrNA (remember,it may not exceed its lTrifnl value) and turn to497.t76-378176Izkhao appears out of thin air - but, upon seeing thecreature, his features crease with conaternation. Heldunches himselj into the fray with a keening moan.Seconds later, there is a blinding flash of )i!ht andyo\1r Adaenture Sheet and turn to 245.377You set out into the countryside, wondering howyou should go about yourtask. The air feels re-markablyhumid, and you break into a sweat. pausing forrest, yoLr find that you are shaling all over. Theshakng wor\enr and is tollowed by dizzines5 andnausea. Youretch, then clutch at your chest, wherea throbbing pain is spreading.You die alone, in unfamiliar countryside. from anunknown disease. You r shallow grave is unmarked.37EYou merrily knock back several horns full o{ thefoaming rice beer. AIter the first couple it begins totaste almost palatable. The bandits discuss tomorrow'sraid, which is to be on a sorcerer, a hermitwhose reheaL is said to contain marry preqousmagical artifacts. Do you bear a ba4dit tattoo? If youdo, tum to 195. Ifnot tjfinto 275.
379-180379You are close to the seaward-facing part of the citywhen you catch sight of a sudden spout of wateramong theruins. Asyou make your way over to it, itspurts again, showenng you with salty spray. Thesource of the Beyser is man-made: a circular stonecladhole at the bottom oI which you can hear theechoing roar of the sea. By the side of the manholelies a metalglatinE, to w hich a hghtly woven rope istied Wet clothin8 is strewn about the place.You deduce that the water spouts at tegular intewalsas rogue waves pound into a sea cave belowand lorce their way up. You peer into thethundering depths.'Rats, rats, always the last to leave a sinking ship!'The voice is behind you You tum. A magnificenthorse rears up, a multicolouied rider looking downat you ftom its back. 'But there's plenty ofroom hereto play - why leave?' it whines in shifting tones. Butthe der remains silent, for the words come Iromthe mouth of the beast. With a parting swish of jtssilvery tail, itcanters away. Will you:Chase after it?Climb down the shaft, using theroPe for security?Make for the sea walls?Turn to 97Tum to 288Turn to 10380A gentle heat pdcks the tips of your fingers, and ascintillating ball forms there. Feior looses a gout181of cascading flame, which streaks towards you.ALnost casually, you gesture with a finger, andyour spell flles to fieet it. They collide, and thedisruprion solidifies, thea is btown away in thewind like streamers of fine rice paper. Feiorscreeches in anguish then raises his arms oncemore. Even at this distance, you can see his facecontoding with the effort, and two pulsatingglobesof purple begin to form around his hands. Whichspell do you use in this clash:Baopo?Tiaohe?Biantai?Shangsuo?Turn to 57Turn to 275Turn to 14oTum to lo8381A leaden weight settles about your body. Thetrader's blade caried contact poisonl Lose 1 pointfrom your 9Kt I r. You collapse, unconscious.When you reawaken, all your ioints ache. Yourwrists are tied with thick leather thongs, and allyour possessions have been taken, You are crammedinto a wooden cage among the tumbledownbuildings of some squalid town. Staring down atyou is a sallow {aced man wearing a gaudy hat,obviously he is the slave master. If you demand tobe released, turn to i67. lf you wait til nightfallbefore attempting to escape, turn to58.
J8z-181382The forest opens out into a clearin8. A shallow pit,more than twenty metres in circumference, hasbeen du8 at its centre. A huge mound of rubbish lieshere: animal bones, Iurnifure, cartwheels, grainsacks, rotLing food and other indescribable substancesare mixed all Logether in this noxious brew.The smell is overpowering; thick clouds offlies massabove it. Hovering high above the pit ls an enormousbeast. Its stomach is so bloated that it resemblesan inflated balloon, while its head andclaws appear to be those oI a ddiculously warpedfowl. lts thick, blubbery {olds o{ skin quiver madlyas it pounds with its wings in order to stay aloft. Itswoops to attack. You have no option but to fight-SHAEL-BEAST SKILL 6 STAMINADon't forget, if you do not have your sword youmust fight with your srrn temporarily reduced by4 points. Ifyou defeathe creature, turn to 218..38JMerzei sends out his most trusted lieutenants torouse the peasants in other villages You both spendthe next few days travelling up and down thecountryside, your ranks swelling at every rally.Every moment of your waking hours is spentorganizing, equipping and planning. Finally, afterweeks oflabour, the army is assembled and ready tomarch. Tum to 216.'4
384-J66387-38E3E4The woman frowns suspiciouslyand casts a searchinggaze over you. If you have a greatsword, ahaversack or a silvery viound, furn to 1o3. If not,rurn ro 172.t85One of the bandits manages fo evade your strikeand wrap his arms round your neck. You feel hismutated flesh begin to fuse with your own, andthen the other bandits aie upon you, tearing andrending and chopping. Your adventure is over.386As you chaige towards the village and into the heartof battle, an enormous, dragon-like beast tales tothe airbehind Feior's lines. It swoops towards you,releasing a fiery bolt of energy which smashes intoyour tloops/ instantly disintegrating those it hits.The beast nears, and you watch in horor as itreleases hundreds of squirming, leechlike creaturesfrom its underbelly on to the people belowYou turn your Baze towards the village's river andspy the golden figure of the Sitting Prophet as hewades into battle, leading a mass of screechingKreehuls. Credas has returned with his force! Theswamp beings spill out on to the banks and attackFeior's men, while their idol waits for the Sturramakto near him. The two ma8ical beings lock in fiercecombat, gradually working their way towards thetower. lf you have the Soggy Scroll tum to 224.Otherwise, tum to 11.- 387Your opponent crumples and falls. He is still alive,but some inner compulsion prevents you ftomfinishing him oIL You stoop and pick up his spikedclub, to keep it out of ham'sway.lf youhurryoutofthe woods now, furn to239 Ifyou continue to walkamong the trces, tum to 160.386The bandit leader's brow creases. 'What kind ofperson doesn'f know what they are?' he asks. Helooks you up and down. If you have a silverywound, turn to123. Otherwiseyou can tell him thatyou came fuom an isle over the sea (tum to a68) orsimply explain that you have lost your memory(turn to 225).
3E9389Slowly you regain consciousness. As the haze lifts,chanted words drift into your head, growing graduallylouder as sight returns. You stare up at a highstone ceilin8, which is lit by the flames ofa thousandcandles. With a great effot you raise yourhead andmeet the reverential gazes of a hundred robedfigures At their head stands your father and hishawk-nosed priest, Panurge They stare back at youtmpassively and continue their slow chant. Thenumbness refuses to leave youi limbs and forcesyourhead down on to the pillow. Unable tocry out,you watch as the figures melt into one, and theirstrange intonation eases youback to sleep . . .II you have a splinter, turn to 40. If your ears dng,turn to 71. Otherwise, turn to 116.
19o-19rJ90You bound out into the blackness, trying not tostumble on the rough, cratered floor. Roll one die,note down the lesult and tum to 17o394the bald head of the Prophet with the sweet goo andwait. The Kreehuls a8ain begin to advance, sensingthat their sacred idol is in danger. Then suddenl,amid a din of beating wings, the air i6 filled withDragonflies. Greedily they bear down on the richpaste, jostlin8 for position and ignoring you completely.As they €at, you gather th€ ends oI theirsilken threads and tie them secuely to the prcphefsarms. Gorged on their meal, the insects lift off, onlyto find the idol attached to them. The Kreehulscroak their battle-cry and attack, sending theDragonflies into a flenzy The statue shifts. Again itmoves, until finally it works free from its muddyseat. You grab the Sitting Prophet's alm as it jscarried up andhangon, high above the sea o{ angryKreehuls. As you rise slowly out of the clearing andabove the green canopy, you can hear their distressedcroaking until it is drowned out by thebeating ofwings. Turn to 206.394You produce the jar and notice that the Dragonflyyou saw earlie! is still hovering high above you. Asyou remove the lid, you see it fly closer, drawn bythe scent of the sticky orange Paste inside- An ideablossoms in your mind- Acting quickly, you smear
IW392-394392The ball bumps into the side of the ship, andanotherrolls upbehindit. You leap across, slashingwildly at the ball, and you feeJ your blade cuttinginto a pliant membrane. There is a gust o{ {etidair, and the ball deflates. From it leaps a form ofwhirling madness.MADDENEDCRIMINALSKILL 7 STAMINA 5Ifyou slay the criminal, turn to 34.il'391You are roughly woken up by the slobbering tongueofa fly-ridden buffalo.'Better get that thing out of the way,' a vorce mumblesfrom behind the beast. A haggard old fellow ofmany yea$ peers vaguely down at you. Pickingyourself up from the glound, you see that the manand his pudgy wife are sitting on top of a largewagon. If you look them in the eye and order themtohelpyoutransporttheSittingProphet, tulalto48.If you wait to see what they are going to do, turn to143.394You are seized from behind and a sword is held atyour throat. 'What shall we do with him?' asksSevmiroda. A woman's voice replies: 'Kill him!'Youdon't even have time to protest. Your adventureends here.
I395-t96395fhree men advance cautiously towards you; havin8seen their comrades defeated, they are taking nochances. Just before they come within strikingrange, though, they back off. Too late, you realizethey were simply giving others time to load theircrossbows. The impact of three bolts flings youto the giound, where you writhe briefly beforeexPlnng.396Izkhao appears at once. As soon as he seesFeior, hisnormally jovial face becomes serious. He shootsthrough the air, grasps your opponent by the heeland drags him back to you, dumping him in anuntidy heap atyourfeet. Feiorhas finally conqueredthe Mutation spell, but the elfort has left himdrained. He is no longer a threat to you; he looks upat you with eyes thatyou know arejust like yours. Ifyou finish him off, turn to 219. If you spare him,turn to 264.197-J98397While the creature babbles, youedge towards itandstretch out your hands. As soon as they touch itgflesh, atin8le runs throughyourfingers You realizethat you can sense the ma&ic which caused thecreature's state And, more, you can understandthat maBic. You have acquired the power of Mutationand should write this down on your Adarerfd,"eSfteef, together wlth the code word: Biantai.Wheneverthis code word is &iven as an option, youwill know that you can use your power oI Mutafion.You are concentrating so hard on your new knowledgethat you hardly notice the muiantcreature shyaway in fright and gallop off. Now you are left withlittle choice but tohead towards the sea. Turn to175.398Youhave nochancetoact, As soonasyoumove, thebandits overwhelm you and bring thef swordsdown upon your helpless body. Your advenfureends here.
199-400t99The jungle is thick, and hacking your way throughcoundess vines drains your shength (deduct 2points from your srAMrNA). You brush aside athick creeper but find that it sticks to your arm. Asyou reach out to free it, the vine shoots upwards,taking you with it. By the time you can work yourarmftee, you are toohigh to let go You look up andfollo\a' the trail of the creeper to its source - themultiple mouths of a bloated Hac-quel-rat. Thebeast releases a viscous blob from its jaws, whichtrickles down the vine towards you. Will you:Try to leap across to a nearbycreePer?Summon a word from yourmemor]'?Call on Izkhao?Tum to 1o4Turn to 5Turn to 248400You grab the edge o{ the table and heave it over onend, sending the globe cnshing to the floor As itexplodes/ a ftagment of glass embeds iiself in yourcheek As you try to pluck it free, a pair oI handsgnps you firmly by the shoulders and drags you.screaming, out of the chamber. 'Quiet now, child,'whispers Panuige, the King's Priest. 'You are comingwithme.' He mumblesa woid and touches yourtemple . . Tum to389.
THE RULESCombatSkill, Stamina and LuckOrr your AdTtefiI re Sfteel there are boxes for youto record your sKrLL/ sraMINA and LUCK Forreasons that will be explained belou', these l\/illchange constantly durlng the adventure. You mustkeep an accurate record of these scores, and for thisreason you are advised either to write small in theboxes or to keep an eraser handy But never rub outyour lnilidl scores. Although you may be awardedadditional sKrLL, srAMrNA and LUcK points in thecourse of your advenfure, these totals may nevetexceed your Ir?ilidl scores/ except on vety rare occasions and then you will be informed of the fact in aparticular paragraph.Your sxt LL score reflects your gwordsmanship andgeneral fighting expetisei the higher, the betterYour 9tAI,'lIle score reflects your general constitution,your will to survive, your determination andoverall fitness; the higher your sreurI\Ie score, tnelonger you will be able to survive. If your srAMrNAscore dlops tozero, stop reading, close thebookandthen start a8ain from the beginninB. Your LUCKscore indicates how naturally lucky a person youare. Luck and maBic - are fact6 of life in the fantasykingdom you are aboutto explore.First rccord your opponent,s s(rLL and sTAMTNAscores in the first empty Monster Encounrer Oox onyortr AdoentLre Sheet. The scores for each potentialadvercaryare given every time you have an encoun_ter which may end in combat. The sequence forcombat is then:1. Roll two djce for your opponent. Add itssK|| L s(ore. Thts total is lhe opponent,s Attack5trength.2. Rolltwo dice for yourself. Add the numberroledto your current sKrLL score. This total is yourAttack Strength.Attack Round from step 1, above4. You have wounded the creafure, so subtract2 points from its 9TAMTNA scoie. (you may useyour LUc(hele to inflict additional darnage seebelow.)
5. The creature has wounded you, so subtract 2points from your own srAMrNA score. (Again,you may use LUc( at this stage - see below.)6. Make the appropriate adjustments e)ther to theopponent's or to your own STAMINA score (andto your LUc( scofe if you used LUc( - seebelow).7. Begin the next Attack Round by repeating steps1-6 This sequence conhnues until the srAMrNAscore of either you or your adversary has beenreduced to zero (death)EscaPingIn some paragraphs you will be given the option oIrunning away from a battle, should things be goingbadly for you. However, if you do run away, youropponent automatically inflicts one wound on you(deduct 2 points from your sTAMINA) as you fleesuch is the price of cowardice. (Note that you mayuse LUc( to minimize this wound in the nomalway - see below.) You may escape only if thatoption is specifically given to you in the relevantparagraph.Fighting More Than One Opponentlf you come across more than one Potenhal adver_saryin anencounter, there are two possible ways offighting them. Sometimes a paragraph will tell youto fight opponents one al d tjme. ln this ca5e youconduct the fight as usual, going through steps 1-7against each opponentin tu!n.More often you will have to fight all opponents atthe same time. At the beginning of each CombatRound, decide which opponent you will be attacking.Then conductthe fight against that opponent asnormal (following steps ij, above). Then followthe same steps against the next opponent, However,this time you may not wound the second orlater opponent. If your Attack Strength is higher,this simply means that you have parried youradversary's blow.LuckAt various times during your advenfure, either inbattle or when you find yourself in a situation inwhich you could be either Lucky or Unlucky (onsuch occasions, you arc rf.vited to Test Vour Luck nthe relevant paragraph), you have to call on yourLucK to make the outcome more favourable. Butbeware! Usrng LUCK is a risky business, and if youare ,rnlucky, the results could be disastrous.The procedure for I?s ting yout Luck is as tollows: rd)two dice. If the numberrolled is less than or equal toyour cufient Luc( score, lou have been LuCky andthe result will go in your favour. If the numberrolled is higher thai your current LUCK score, youhave been Unlucky and you will be penalizedEach time you TesL yo\r Luck, you must subtract1 Doint {iom vour current LUcK score. You will soon
come to realize that, the mole you rely on yourLu cK/ the more risky the outcome will be.Usi B Luck in BartlesIn certain paragraphs you will be told to fesf yor,"Lzct and you will then discover the consequences ofbeing Lucky or Unlucky. However, you atwaysha ve the opiion of using your L u c I( in ba ttle, eitherto inflict amore serious wound onan opponentyouhave just wounded or to reduce the effects of awound an opponenthas justinflicted on you.If you have just won an Attack Round, you may lesfyoxt Luck, as descibed above, If you are Lucky, youhave inflicted a severe wound on your opponentand may subtract 2 extra points from the ceature'ssrAMrNA score. However, if you are Unlucky, thewound was a mere graze and you must restore1 point to its srAMrN A (i.e. instead of inflicting thenormal 2 points of damage, you have now scoredomy 1r.lf you have just lost an Attack Round and beenwounded, you may Tesfyo4,"Lrcftto try to lessen thewound. lf you are Lucky, you have managed toavoid the full impact of the blow. Restore l point toyour gTAMTNA (so that, instead of doing 2 points ofdamage, ithas done only1).Ifyou are Ur ucky,youhavehad totakeamore serious-blow. Deductlerr/dpoint flomyour sTAMTNA.Remember: you must always subtmct 1 point fromyour I-ucK score every ti,me youTest vouf Luck,Restoring Skill, Staminand Luckst- tYour sKrLLscore will not change much duringyouradventure- Occasionallt a paragraph may give theinstruction to increase or decrease your s(tLLscore. A special weapon may also increase yours(rLL; but remember that only one weapon can beused at a time! You cannot claim two sKrLL bonusesfor carrying two magic swordsStamin a nil Proz;isionsYour 5 TA M r N A score will change frequen tly duringyour adventure, as you fight monsters and undertakearduous taskg. As you near your goal, yoursrnurNe level may drop to a dangerously low leveland battles may be especially risky, so be careful!In the course of the adventure. you may acquireProvisions. You may test and eat at any time exceptwhen engaged in battle. Eatinga mealrestores up to4 srAMrNA points. When you eat a meal, you mayadd up to 4 points to your srAMrNA score and youhave to deduct one of your Provisions, A separateProvisions Remainingboxis provided on the, dt,erft,'eSieef for this purpose. Remember thatyorlhavea long way to go/ so use your Provisions wiselylRemember also that your 5TAMTNA scole maynever exceed its lxifral value.
LuckAdditions to your Luc( score are awarded duringthe adventure \rhen you have been particularlylucky; details of occasions when this occurs aregiven in the relevant pamgraPhs. Remember: aswith srAMINA, your LUc( score may nevel exceedits Initial \tal]ue.EquiPmentYou start your adventure with no equiPment, butyou will probably acquire items dudng your travelsKeep a careiul note of any arhcles you pick r.t p.Also in PuffinStere Iackson'sSORCERYI1: THE SHAMUTANTI HILLSYour search for th€ legendary Crcq of Krnts takes you tothe Shamutmti Hills. Alive with evil creatues, lawlesswandeErs and bloodthirsty monsters, the land is nddledwith t icks and traps waiting for the unwary travellerWiI you be able to cross the hils safe\, and pioceed tothe econd part of the adventure or will you perish in2I KHARE CITYPORT OF TRAPSAs a waEior relying on force of arms, or a wiard trainedin magic, you must bEve the tenor of a city built to trapthe unwary. You will need all your wits about you to suvivethe unimaBinable horors ahead and to make senseof the clues which may lead to youi success o! to yourJ: THE SEVIN SERPENTSSeven deadly and maBical serpents speed ahead of you rowam the evil Archmge of your coming. Will you be ableto catch them before they get there?4: THE CROWN OF KINGSAt the end of your lonS trek, you face the unknown rerro.sof the N,Iampang Fortress- Hidden mside *re keep isthe Crown of Kings - the dtimate goal of the So/.ery|eplc. But beware! For iJ you have not defeated the SevenSerpents, your aival has been mticipated -Complete with all the magical spells you wiX need,each book cm be played eithd on its own or as partof the whole epic.
FIGHTINGFANTASYsteae lacksonThe world of Fightin8 Fantasy, peopled by Orcs, dngom,zombies and vampiEs, has capt'ned the imagination ofmitlions of readers world-wide. Thrilling adventures ofsword md sorcery .ome to life in the Fighting FmtasyGameb@ks, whEe the reader is the herc, diciry withdeath and demoro in search of villains! beasure orNow YOU cm aeate yoE oM FiShting Fantasy adventuresand send your friends off on dangerous miEsions! Inthis deady written hddboolt Steve Ja.ksm has putbogethe. everything you need to be.ome a su(essfulGamesl{aster TheE de hints on devisina chalengingcombab, monste$ to use, tri&s 6nd tactics, as well ash{o mini-adventures complete wlth GamesMastels notesfor you to start with. The id€al introduction to the fasFgrowing woru or rob-playing 8ame6, and literally counFOUT OF THE PITFighting Fantasy MonstersSteoe lackson & k t LiuingstoneFrom the darkest comers, from the deepst poob andfrom the duryeons thought orily to eist in niShtnaescome the Fighting Fdtasy monsteG - the dowhJal ofmany a bave wmior Two hundred and fifty of th€seloathsome cieahrres from the wild and dangerous worldsof Fighting Fantasy de collected here - some are oldadversdies, tlmy you have yet to meet - each of themdescibed in minute debn. An indisp€neble guid€ forEghting Fantasy adventurersrAtoanc.t Fishti"s FafltosyDUNGEONEERMtrc kscoigne akd Pete TanlwNow you and you friods cd creat€ you oM fantasymovi€s! ImaSine that you ar€ th€ dretor and you friendsde the .ast of heroes Will you send thm to battle with theevil wizdd or recover the Drasons' hodd? Th€ .hoice i,y@r' ed Duflgeofled n*es the excitina worH of fetasyrol€-playing accessible in a thorouAhly user-frimdly mamerBLACKSANDIMarc Gascois Na d Pete TanlvnSprawlng like the corpse of some gidt c.eature, Port Blacksndjs a festerins den of pirates ed b.igmdr Unforesen&ngem luk aromd every street comer and in every ddk.lle]ryay. Dev'ous plots and cnmes ft hat.hed in every taveh Tlu€ves and assassin, slip through the shadows Ancimtmysteries luk in the cellars and sewe6 But th€ nfmousCity of Thi€v* is also home to qcitehent md adventlreThe s€cond volme in the Advanced lighHng Fantasy serieswhidr stdted with Drrar@t
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