>9?

FIGHTING FANTASYBOOKS
soldworldwlth,l Over 14 million copies

z=
>z>

Fl

z tt

rO Q att

Pnf6n Bool6

KNIGHTS OF DOOM
Fo. yearsthe brave Knishtr Templa.of th Demonkeep and lhe Citadel hdve kept the p;dce in Auddleston, protechn; rl from the constdt ravases of Ors ed Beast Mn. But now d mcimt evil has reawak;d in the land. Th ,orce!r Belqdorh ha' retumedfiom lhe dead lo Fdam lus throne at Caeiskaat.Hir aim ls simple:he will seltle for nothinc lessthan total domiruon of Ruddleione Hi. fdnatial Knishts;f Doom wlll ^sue that hi, evil planrdo not fdil One her;i. tnicht - YOU - mu\l sneal ihrcush a l&d Dldqed inlo war. peneirate rhe ,eemn8 dFn,y line, ;d ovqc;e de dddlixt foJ of them a rwo dice, a pmol ad m drser ar all you need to mbark on thF awesome adventue, which comes complete with its oM elaborate ombat s'stm ad a score sheet to record your pro8ress. Unc(Mtable ddgs lie ahead and your suc$ is anylhine bul certain.lts up to YOU to de<idewhch roule lo follow. which dnee6 to n;r ard which foes to 6ghl. The tutuF of Ruddlestoneis ii vou hadst

Gmebooks FighhngFantasy OI fIRETOP r THEWARLOCK MOLINTAIN 2 THI CITADELOF Cti,AOs ] THE FORIsT OI DOOM 4 STARS|IPTRAVELLER r dry OF THIE\'ES DUNCEON 6 DEATHTRA? 7 lSl-AND OF THE UZARD KINC . C{VERNSOF fiE SNOW I\TICH il TAIISMANOF DEATH 4 TEMTLEOF TERROR OI KETHER It THERINCS WITH rEAR 1/ APPOINTMENT 19 DEMONSOF THE DllP ro SWORDOF THE SAMLjRAI :r TRIALOI CHAMPIONS :: ROBOTCOMMANDO trj MASKs OF MAYHEM 2a CRIATLRE Or H-AVOC NICH]MARE 25 BENEATH CASTLE :6 CR1?I OF THE SORCERER OF fEAR rB PHANTOMS Stcvelacllo.t SORCERYI 1 THE SHAMUTANTI HILLS r KII,\R6 CIYPORT OF TRAPS SIRPEN1S ] THESEVEN Or KNCS 4 THECROWN
FIGHTINC FANTA-SY The Inhoductorv Role PlavinB Cme THE NDDUNG REAWR lou TlTillmg Adventues rFF rR-oirroarrH wAxs chros nlade. A0ansB D,ikmmeRetams DEMONSTEALER Chadda SLLADOWMASTER Chadda Ddsan and Death TI Advd@d fightinA Fant'sr SJBtd OLTTOtTH PIT F,ShtsgFdt:\Y Mon+fls TITAN Tle F,shti@ Imta5v Wo' d DlrN. oNLm: A;-n.r@j._ oa b'r" rao ld orFole p a ns C.n^ BLACKSANDI MoE Advm.ed FiBhting Fmtaev

Steve Jackson and lan Livingstone

io CHASMSOF MALICE WARRIOR rr BATIEBLADE OF THEABYSS 32 SLAVFS OF SOULS 14 SruALER jr DAGGERS OF DARXMSS r3 VAULTOI THEVAMPIRE 4r MASTEROF CHAO5 4: BIACK VEIN PROPHECY OI THE LICH LORD !i KEEP ,14 LEGEND o! rlE sHADow 4j SPECIR-{ STALKEIS 46.TOWIR OF DESTRUCTION 47 THE CRIMSONTIDI 43 MooNRUNNER OF SARDATH 49 SIEGE TO FIRETOP 50 RETURN MOUNTAIN t1 ISLAND OF THE IJNDEAD OI ZACOR 14 LEGEND

presenl

Green Jonathan
by TonyHowgh IllustraLetl

PUFFINBOOKS

Iighting Fanlasy Cnebooks 1 THT WARLOC( OF FMETOP MOUNTA]N : THE CITADELOT CH,{OS OF DOOM J IHE FOREST TRAVELLER + STAFSTIIP CITY OF THIEITs O ' DEATHTRA?DUNCEON OF THELIZARD(INC 7 ISLAND A SCORPION SWAMP OF THE SNOW 9. CAVERNS WlTCH ]O HOUSEOI HELL 11 TAIISMAN OF DE TH 14 TEMPLE OF TERROR 1' THE RINCSOF KETHER APPOINTI,ENT WITH F EA R '7 REBEL 13 PLANET 19 DEMONS OF THEDEEP 2O S!\'OID O} THE SAMTIMI 21 TRIAL OF CHAMPIONS I ROBOTCOMMANDO 2] MASI$ OI \4AYHTM 24,CREATURE OFTIAVOC 2' BTNE{TH NIC}IN\,AIT CASTLE 16, CRYPTOF THE SORCI]RER !7 STARSTRJDER 23 PHANTOMSOF FF?1R St.vc Jac*lont SORCERYI 1 THE SIIAMUTANn HILLJ z KHARE OI TMPS - CITYPORT SERPENTS J THESEVEN , THECROWNOf KJNGS FIGHTTNC FANTASY The Inkodlcrory Rolept ynlll cde THERIDDLINC REAWR Tqn Thrihg Adknhc THCTRoLLTOOIH wARs chlc lrNlhs AlLtia DEMONSTEALER Ch.ddaDa*rune Rltms SHADoWMASTER - ch.lda Dar!.ranerd D.ath Th. Advrn.ert Flghtine lhtnsy Srrtn OUT OF THE PIT . FUIIiNPFdirgv MOIIEG nTAN ThFishhc-Fdl; wdld DIJNGEOMIR - An l.trcduction to theWorld oi Role-playms Cmes BIICKS,AND| More Advm.pd FiahrinaF,nrey 29. MIDMCHT ROCUE ,o cllAsMs oF MALicE WARRIOR 31 BATTLEBLADE rA SLA!'E OF THE ABYSS tr s(Y LORD OF SOULS t4 STEALER OF DARKNESS ]' DAGGERS J6, ARMJFJOF DEATH ]3 VAIJLT OF THE VAMPIRE 41 42 .J 4 MASTEROF CHAOS BLACKVEIN PROPHEC/ KEEP Of THE LICH LORD LEGEND OF THE S}IADOW

Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone

present

STALKERS 4' SPECTR.A! 46- TOWTR OF DESTIUCTION TID! r' THECRIMSON 46 MOONRUNNER OF SAXDATH 49 SIEGE RETURN TO fIRETOP 'O MOUNIAIN ISIAND Of IHE IJNDEAO 'r SPELLBREAKER OF ZACOR " LEGEND '4

Green Jonathan
tuusrrBtea oV ionv Hough

PUFFIN BOOKS

CO NT E NT S
PUF F ]N BOOKS Pubhhcd by the Pe.8uh Croup Ir e d d P f l e r ' S o o L r d - wr Ah \L ' e lo ' d o n ^ 3 ,' . llaLilB^ N L s A k . e a U s,A 1 i 5 P d .o - S c. N"s \o ,1 \' s' o \ o " 1 s ' u B o o c A ' h J" t J P q n au sw.o o V,lo r " ' PenAuin Books Cmada Lrd, rc Al.om Avenuq Tonntq Onlad., Cin:d3 M4v rr2 Penguin Book5 (NZ) Ltd, rs2 19o Wamu Road, Au.kland r., Nw Zealant Pensuin sook Ltd, Reaiskrcd olices Hamondswo*h MiJdGs& Insland

Introduction 7 AdventureSheet Background Knightsof Doom 27

Fnsl Publhhed 4e4 ! . r c p p r . ^ p v . e f l i n \ . L o ' d d In L vin b r r " Tcrtoplnsht I onrlhanCFcn rma lll.\ ri., .ropJ isfr , Tor Ho' e5 99a Map coppsht O lonathan Gften, 19e,1 All righE i*erved The noml risht oi the authd h* been a$e*ed Filnsd by Datir Int.mtional Lmlerl BuSay, s"ffolk Pukd n Ingland bt ClaysLtd, Sf lvespl. ln r:/1J pt MonophotoPalatno Filmset Ex.ept n the United stale of Aneri.a thn book is sold sub,ed lo the ondjtion that lt sh:ll not, by way oI hade or othemi3e, be lent, r o o \e s" od \.do 'pnor e ' tu n .. Pd..vs !n h o u lr tPP' b l.\e .ther thm thal in consent m any fom .l bindins \i r ! r . l , . p b l h t e d , n - h llo u r 1 1 ' , to n d ' o a " ' .Id r ,.'dr'orbrs r p o "d o ' r le \L o q q fr r p 1 E Pd

Forthe spellbrealers

I NT RO DUCT I O N

yearsfor you to become It has tal<en several a member of the holy order of LheTemplar Kni8hh of Telak the Swordbearer, in the northem kingdom oI Ruddlestone. After your initial training as a Wanior-Priest at the you served Citadel, in the Demonkeep Outpost on the border with warlike Brice. There you rose swiftly through the ranks, undertaling many hazardousmissions into enemy tenilory and becoming renor,r'ned not only for your fighting prowessbuL also for your masteryof the arcanesecreLs taught by yor-r order, achieved through long hours of study In lime, you were invited to retum to the Citadelto continue your training and studiesin order to becomeone of the elite TemplarKnights.Thereyou swore the Oath of the Templars: to strive to wipe out Evil and Chaos wherever lhey may be found and always to uphold the honourof your order Sincethat time, you have facedmany foes and completedmany dangerous quesLs to LhebenefiL of your country, overcomingseeminglyimpossibleodds by usrngyour heightened warriols skillsand your mystic priestly powers.You have becomeone o{ the mcst trustedand respecled of your ordea having recently retumedfrom leadinga force against a horde of Orcs and BeastMen whom you succeeded in driving back inLothe mourtains.

Before embarking on your latest advmture, you must fust discover your onm strengthsand weaknesses. You use drce to detrminyour inrtial scores.On pages 2o-2r there rs an AduentuteSheefwhi'ch you On iL may use to recordthe detailsof your adventure. you will ffnd boxes for recording the scoresof your eitherto recordyour scores attributesYou areadvised in pencilor to makephotocopies Sheet on lheAdoenture of the sheetfor usein futureadventures. Skill, Stirmina and Luck Roll one dice.Add 6 to lhe numberrolled,then enter Sheet. this toLalin th sKrLLboxon lhe Adoenture rolled,thenenLer Roll two dic-Add rz to the number this total in the sr^MNAbox rolled,then enter Roll one dice.Add 6 to the nlrmber [his total in the LUCK box. that will be explained below, yorrr scores For reasons will change constantly during the adventure. You must keep an accuraterecord of these scores,and for you areadvisedto wrile smallin the boxes lhis reason or !o keep an eraserhandy. But never rub out your Initiql scoresAJthoughyou may be awardedadditional sKr!!, srAMrNA and Lucx points, thefu totals may never exceedtheir lflifi;"/ scores,except on those very lellsyou so rareoccasions when the text specifically Your srrlr reflectsyour expe*ise in combat,your scoteis a meas dexterity and agility. Your STAMINA ure of how healthy and physically fit you are- Your

LUcr score indicates how lucky you are. In all these cases, the higher the score,the betteC Battles During yow advmture you will often encounterhostrle creatues which will attack you, and you yourself may chooseto draw your weaponagainstan enemy you chance you may be given across. In some situations special optionsallowingyou to dealwith the encounter in an unusualmarmer,but in most casesyou will have to resolve battlesas describedbelow. Enter your opponent'ssKrLLand srAMrNAscoresin the first ernpty Encounter Box on your Adoenlure Sreel You shodd also make a note of any special abilities or inshuctions that are unique to that paftic1llar opponent. Thenfollow this sequence: r Roll both dice for your opponent,Add its sKrLL scoreto the totalrolled,to find its Attack Strength. z. Roll both dice for yor:rself, then add your cr.nrent sxrr-r, score to find your AttackStrngth. 3- If your Aitack Strngthis higher than your opponent's,you havewoundediL: proceedto step 4. If your opponent's Attack Skength is higher than yous, it has wounded you proced to step 5. lf both AtbackShengthtotalsare the sarne, you nave avoidedor parriedeachother'sblows: start a new Attacl Ror:ndfrom step r, above. 4- You lEve wounded your opponent, so subkact 2

points from iLs srAMtNAscore. You may use LucK (seebelow).Proceed here to do additional damage to step6 5. Your opponent has wounded you, so subtract z points from your sTAMINAscore.You may use below). LUcx to reduce the lossof srAMlNA(see 6. Beginlhe next AtLackRound,startingagainat sL? score 1 This sequence continus until the STAMINA zero,which of eitheryou or your opponentreaches means death.If your opponentdies,you arefree Lo continue with your adventure.If you die, your adventure endsand you must begin all over again by creating a new character. Fighting More Than One Opponent In some situations you may ffnd you'self facing more you SomeLimes thanone personor creature in combattimes as a single aL olher will heat them opponent, you will be ableto fight eachin tum, and then again, at other timesyou will have to fight them all at the the as a singleopponenl, sametimelI[ they are treated you nstructed resolved normally. When are combat$ to 6ght your opponents one at a time, Lhecombatis again resolvednormally - except that, once you defeat an enemy, the next steps forward to ffght you! When you find yourself under attack from more than one opponent at the sametime, eachadversarywill make a atta& on you in the courseof eachAttack separale Round,but you canchoose which one to fight Attack your chosenlarget as in a normalbaLtle. Againstany

additionalopponents you lhrow for AtLackStrengths in Lheusualway. If your Attack Shengthis greater ihan your opponent's, in this instanceyou will noL inflict any damage;yor: can regard it as having parried an incoming blow lf your Attack Strengt+ris lower than your adversary's,however, you will be wounded in the usual way. Of course,you will have to settle the outcomeagainsb eadr additionaladversary separately.

Luck
Ai various times during your adventure,either in battle or when you find yourselfin anothersituahon in which you couldbe eiiherLuckyor Unlucky(detaiJs of lhese are given in the relevant paragraphs),you may use rucr to make the outcomemore favourable to you. But beware!Using LUc( is a risky business and, if you are Unlucky, fhe resultscould be disastrousThe procedure for Teslingyaw Laclcworks as follows: roll two dice If the number rolled is less than or equal to your current LUc( score,you will have been Lucky and the ouLcomewill go in your favour. If the numberrolled js higher than your cunenf LUCK score,you will have been Unlucky and will be penalized. Each time you Test youl Luck, you must subtracf 1 point hom your current LUCKscore Thus you will soonrealizethat,the more you rely on your LUCK, lhe morerisky thisprocedure becomes.
11

L)sihgLuckin Bdtfles From time to time you will be told to Testyow Luck, and you will thm leam the consequences of being Lucky or Unlucky. However, in batlles you always have the ophon of using your LucK eilher to inflict more seriousdamageon an opponentyou have just wounded or to minimize the effects of a wound you havjust received. you r ay Test II you havejust woundedan opponent, your Luck,as described above.If you are Lucky,you have inflicted a svere wound, deduct 2 extra points from yow opponmfs sraMrNA score. If you are Unlucky, however, your blow only sdatcies your opponent,you may deducl only r point from your opponent's srAMrN^ (so that, insteadof inflictingthe usual: points of damage you now ffict only r). Whmever you yourselfare woundedin combat you may Testvour Luckto try to minimizethe wound. lf you areLucky,your opponent's you, blow only grazes deductjust 1 point from your own sraMtNA.II you are Unlu&y, youl wound is a se.iour one and you must deduct1 ,rtr4 srAMrNApoint (i.e.deducta tolal of 3 pointsfrom your srAMrNA). you must subtract Remember: 1 point ftom your LUCK scorceachEme you Testyow Lu.k.

More About Your Attributes skitl

Your SKILLscore will not changemuch during the courseof your advenhue.Occasionally a paragraph may give instructionsto increase or deqeaseyour sKrLL score, but it may not exceed its lnitial vaJue you arespecifically unless instructed to the contrary. At varioustimes during your adventure, you will be told to Testvout Skil!. The procedurefor doing this is exactly the same as for Testingyour lt,t./c. Roll two dice. If the number rolled is less than or equal to your crment SKILL score,you have succeeded in your Lest and the result will go in your favour.If Lhenumber rolled is higher than your cunent EKILLscore,you have falled the test and will have to suffer the consequences.However, unlike lcifirg your Luck, yan do not have to subtractl point from your srrrr each tnte you Testyour Skill.
Slafiina

Your srAMrNA scorewill changea lot during yow adventure, IL will drop as a result of wounds gained through combat or by falling foul of traps and pitfalls, and it wlll alsodrop afteryou performany particularly arduoustask [f your srevru score ever falls Lozero, you have beenkilled and should stop reading the book immedia tely,Brave adventurers who wishto pursue their queslmust rollup a newcharacterand sfartalloveragain. You can restorelost sr^MrNA by eating meals or Provisions.You start the gamewithout any Provisions,

but durJngyour advenLure you will be able to obtain mealsYou mustkeepkack on yoor Adoenture Sheet ol how many meals'worth of Provisions you have left. Eachfime you eaLa meal,you may restoreup to 4 Porntsof srAMrNA,but at fhe sametime you musl remember to deduclr mealfrom your stocko{ Provisions-You may pause[o eat Provlsions at any Lrmq exceptwhenyou areengaged in a baLtle. Luck Addrtionsto your LUCK scoremay be awarded in the adventure when you have been particularly lucky or have createdyour own luck by some action Details are given, wherc appropriate, rn the relevanL part of the book. Remember that,as with sKrLL and srAMrNA, your LUcKscore may neverexceed its ,?ilial value Special Skills As part of your trainingasa Templar Knight,you have acquiredcertainSpecialSkills appropriate to both a wamor and a priest,and thesehaveprovedinvaluable on many a perilousadventure.Choose/or.rrSpecial Skillsfiom the list below and malce a note of Lhem in the SpecialSkills box on your Adpenfure Sheet. Yol trrrsfhaveat leastoneWanior Skiliand onePriestSkill. tNarrior Skills Battle Tactics As well as beinga hiSfJy skilledwarrior yourself, you are also used to conunanding dozensof soldiersin
a4
I

battle. Wiih youJ superiorexperience in the a of wartdre. a lorcetedby you is all but unbeatable_ Ride You are an experl hoaseman, able to remain in the saddle and guide your steedin even the most adverse conditions. lhis sUl mean. fhat tou arealsolilely to beablelo ndeothermounts. evenudikelydndunfamil_

lar ones.

Target This skill allowsyou Lo useweapons that are thrown or fired Guch as bows. rpearsand fhrowingknivesr wrth greater accuracy thaflnormal. Tracking As Iong as there is a trail to follow, you can brack humanoid your success or.beast anywhere. in tracking depends on the natureof the traii and how otd it is. Weapon

sPear priesL Skills Arcane Lore Having spentmany hoursporing over ancrenftomes, vou are more knowledgeabre than mo5l concemin6

and you the hislory and legends of RuddlesLone, understand many of Lhe secrel symbols and other mysleries o{ your order. BanishSpirit esoteric andusingcertain holy syrnbols By brandishing spiril undead you areableto freeone ghosLly phrases, at a time its earthly constraints {rom Commune

Honour As a Knight of Telak you are bound by HoNouR. Your HoNouR is a measureof your unselfishness, your senseof duty and allegianceLo the path of Goodness At the slart of your adventure your HoNouR scoreis 6 (you do not need to roll dice to discoverthis).You may increase your HoNouR score by undertaking heroicdeedsand destroying especially evrl opponentsHowever,you can alsolose noroun pointsby actingin an evil or selfish way that is more benefitinS to your enemies, or by breakingthe Oath of the Templars. Keep track of your HoNouR in the appropriafe and do aII box on your Adoenture SheeL you cannot to dishonour yourselfor your order Time As you pursue your quest, iLis importanL that you keep trackof the passage o{ time.Regularly Lhroughoul the adventure,whenever a day draws to an end, you will be instructedlo add r day to fhe Time ElapsedThis shouldbe done in the Time Elapsed box which you wtll hnd,on your AtuentureSheet. Equipment You start your adventurewrth the possessions and uniform you would expectof a Knight of Telak:you are dressed in a fine chainmail coal and a white tunic with the designof a goldensword embrordered on it, and you carry a magic sword,a weaponmadeof the

from higherplanes Holy Strike suchas undeadand You are able to hiL evil creatures Demonswith a blast of holy power that will draln Yor.r may makeonly one stiike at a theirevil energies trme.

16
I

77

fineststeeland castwith a mysticalencJuntment. This weapondoesnot Bive you any bonusto your Altack Strength but it will harm the undead and Demons because of its holy nature- You travel through the kingdomof Ruddleslone on your steedFiremane, a dark roan with a blazing red mane. As yet you do not have a backpack or any Provisionsor Gold Pieces. You should record your magic sword in the Weapon Lwx on your AiloentureSrrsf everything else goes in the Equiprnent box. During Lhe adventureyou may only ever carry and use one weaponat a time However, for as long as you have your horse Firemane with you, you rnay also carry anotherweaponon his saddle.lf you do this, make a note of it in the Eqrupment is box. If you losea weaponand Firemane you slill carrying the other, then may use this one is with However you may do this only if Firemane you aLthe Lime. For example, if you lose your sword in a dungeoq until you get ouf of that dungeon(or you find anotherweapon there)you must carry on weaponless. While you are fighting without a weapoq you must reduce your Attack Stren8thby z points.If you everwant to change a weaponduringcombaland are in a position to do this, you must fo eil one AttackRoundandsufferthe consequences Also, whenever you acquirea weapon (or armour)you should record on the Adoenfure Shect any bonuses that go with it andwhetheror not it is magical

RuooLgsroNE ..,

, r'

l_ _ :

yJ ,",-.:

,1 //
j._l@
7
..,

c-*"r,
rrrrnwot.h _uornwokh

'=Fi.-^

'.,.,..
! ; ,l )

--. : l

.?=-*,h"*:iS{r

HILGi. 1-1--<-i'

1E

MONSTERENCOUNTER BOXES
SKILL STAMTNA

LUCK

5&ilt=

HONOUR

TIME ELAISED

WIAPON

col,D ftEcEs

it

st =

EQU1PMENT AND NOTES

s& i l i =

BACKGROUND
The kingdom is sick and I am mortally ill.' Gaspsof dismay come from the crowd, the leadersoi all the major religiousand secular are ordersof Ruddlestone assembled here rn the hall that is bedecked with the barnersof thoseorders You are standingin front of the king's ornately carvedoak throne You are suddenly awarehow weak and tired King Rannorlooks. Having regainedhis breath, the king speaksagain, 'My physicians tell me that I am sufferingftom no ordinary illness, and thaf there is only one cure.The land and the king are one and,becaus thereis chaos in the land, I am dying- If the kingdom rs to su.vive, then the sourceof Lhisdisruptionmusl be destroyed, for without a trueking the landitselfwill dre. '14hatis bhesource you ask of thischaos?' Aranandus, the court wizard and adviser to the king, answersyour question.'Several weeksago, during a Lerriblestorm over the Banarask Hills, a gateway opened between our world and the Sprrit Planes, centredr.rpon the ruins of the fortressof Caer SkaalMy fellow sorcerers it and I detecLed the disturbarce was causingon the magicalether,and for kilomet.es aroundpeople sawa great,swirlingvortex Form amidst theboihngslorm-clouds. Eye-witness accounls saythaL while the portal remainedopen, Lerriblescreaming spirits could be seen flying acrossthe nighL sky
22

throughoutthe land.lt was a truly leniiying spectacle to behold. However,before the vortex closedagarn, something else wasdeLected escaping from the Ethereal Plane- somethingof fhe utmost evrl ihat exuded comrphon RecenLly reportshave been coming fiom the southconceming a bandof dark warriorswho are terrorizingihe countryside and carryingbanners that bear the motif of a metal gauntlet holding a black sword.'You gazeat the old wizardin horror 'Yes,'he saysgravely,'the armsof the ChaosKnightsof Caer Skaal.' Every Templar knows about that feribLe period in Ruddlestone's history. One hundred years ago, the krngand headof your orderat that time,Chivalras IX, had a brother, Belgaroth,who was also one of the Knightsof Telak But Belgarothwas consumed with for his brotherand desired to be king himself lealousy Although Chivalras was in kuth a wortny monarcn, Belgarothconsidered him a weak lcng and thoughf ihat Ruddlestone shouldbe ruled with an iron fist. As the yearspassed, Belgaroth spentmore and more time awayfrom the Citadelat his own castle on the edgeof the Banarask Hills. During that time, he became corruptedby his own hatredandlealousy, so that eventually he rejected Telak and tumed to worshipprng the Dark Cods of Chaos,that they might grant him the power to destroy Chivalras. As part of hrs serviceto his darkmasters, Belgaroth foundedan orderof Chaos Knightsto leadhis hordesof evil agarnst the Citadel However, Chrvalras'sspies uncovered Belgaoth's plans,and so the Crusade againstChaosbegan.The

'Yes,my Lege.'you reply.'lFmy kingdomis rn danger then I must do a[ I can to slop fhese Knights of Chaos' wereleft to the inhabitants of thosewild lands 'BelgaroLh must have retr_rmed from the Landsof the Deadandresunected hisdarkorder,' Arananctus continues 'His servant\strjve ior diiruption and confusion .o that Chaosmay hghten its gnp upor oru woflo. There is talk of witchcraflin the noah; lhe dead are rislng from fheir graves,and there have been many dark portenls seen acrossthe land There are even

You bow to King Rarnor and hun lo leave the

soundsas if it was insrdethe hall, but you can see nofhing.Then rt stopsand,at Lhesamemoment,the lernperature in thehalldrops. As you watch,a phosphorescent grcen glow beginsto appearIn fronl o[ yor.r. Sornething is materialirin8in the audience chamber. Something not of thisworld . . Tum to paragraph r.

chosen to be that knrght, for you are one of the Sreatestof ail the Knights of Telak. your courage, your prowessin battle, and your commandof the mystic powers taught by your order are known of throughoutthe kingdom.You will accepfthe quest
24

The phosphorescence rapidly rncreuses in size,making a recogrizable shape. Directlyin fronl of you a ghostly armoured knight forms, surroundedby an eerie green glow and mounled on a phantom steed Inside lhe helmetthe knight'sfaceis Lhatof a fleshless skull,its empty eye socketsstaring down at you. The ghost poinfs at you with ils sword;its jaw drops open and the dead knight lets out a ghastly moan: 'Beware, mortalsBewarel' Beforeyou canreact,the horserears up on its hind legs and tries to crushyou beneath its hoofs Testyour Lutk. If you are Lucky, tum to 97. If you are Unlucky, turn Lo145.

If you have takenmore than six days to get bhisfar, fum to 159. If you have taken six days or less, fum
l o 3j E -

5 As lhe man flees,he drops severalspikedmetal balls in Firemane's path. Fremane shies and rears up to avoid ga-lloping into fhe deadlycalfhrops. lf you have the Ridr SpecialSkill, tum to r55. If you do not, Iesf your Skill, It you ate successful, turn to 156, if you fail, rum ro 17o.

Evmtudly your opponent falls. You have not even reachedthe door when the pressureof lhe sLeam inside the boiler becomestoo great and the iron chamber exolodes - with cataclvsmiceffect The

t-5 is blown apat by the blast, as are you. Juggernaut Your adventure endshere 5 The people of Assart bolt their doors and banicade themselves insidetheir homesas you sel of{ aloneon Firemane, going west towardsMyrton. Dusk is falling as you reachthe derelictruinslying undera thick pall of mist. The air is heavy with the smellof deathand you can hear the tolling of a bell. Suddenlya great crowd appears out of the mist, blocking the way to Myrton- The undead villagers stumble towards yorr moaningand waving farm tools threateningly in your direction.You have no choice buL to charge these undeadranks in an attempf to break through their lines Roll two dice io seehow many of the undead skike you. lf you havethe Holy Slrike Special Skillyou may reduce this number by :, and you canalsodo this if you havea lanceFor every strikeyou sustain, lose2 STAMINA you poinLsIf surviverunning this gauntlet, the undead ignore you and instead make for Assart, leavingyou to go aftertheNecromancer. Tum to ja.

, deepblue,insetwith sparkling gemsto form a map of the heavens Slumpedover a book on a desk is a skeleton, wearinga blue robe embroidred with stars and moons. As you descend the staircase, the skeleton remams motionless so you decideto takea closerlook at the book. The skeletonis that of Savant,a good wizard in the serviceof Belgarothbefore the Dread Lord wascomrptedby his own Jealousy fo the service of Chaos When his masier tumed from the path of and truth, Savant hid hrmself away and Soodness beganwork on findinga way to sLop BelgarothWhat he discovered lies here before you. However, iL is written in a strangemagicalshort-handIf you have theArcane LoreSpetaI Skll, tum to 70 If you haven't, yo.u TestVourLuct. If you are Lucky,tum to 70; 'J.ust rf you areUnlucky, turn Loa89

The speJl'locked door opensand you gazeinto what was obviouslyoncea wizard'slaboratoryYou are at the top of a starrcase thal winds round the wall of the circularchamberto floor level. The room is fulI of Lables and benches ladenwith bizarrepieces of equip, ment and scientific apparatus Around the top of the crrcularwall have been painted pictures of strange myLhological creatures, and the domed ceiling is a

7 Alreadyyou krow that thevillageof Assartis doomed. With the Ncomancerstill alive,his army of undead wlllconlinu to grow unlil it is unstoppable You have noLeven lef! the graveyard when you are surrounded by a horde of Zombrelike creatures. You cut dolvn many of the evil undead,but rn the end you are overwhelmed and,oncedead,you are reLumed to the sePulchre to meetyour nw master.

E{o I Between the kees at lhe edge of the clearing,the groundis thick with bra(ie . TesL Il yon arc VourLuck. Lucky,turn to :9r. I{ you areUnlucky,tum to 2r5
11

The Paladin's Lanceis the very weapon that pierced the heartof the Hell Dragonforty yearsago.It will be an invaluable weapon if you ever have to take part in a joust, however,it cannotbe used in hand to-hand combal.If you are ever given the option of usinSbhe Lance,Teslyour 5kill, addrng z to fhe number rolled if you do not have the LanceWeaporSpecialSkill. If you are successful, your opponentloses2 srAMrNApoinLs. (Record the Lance in the Weaponbox on yout AdoenIwe Sheel.) Re|urr. to 356

Gripping the Elf-Spear6rmly in your hand,you (eel its power flowing into your arm, strengthening your musclesFlingingyour arm forward,you hurl Aelfgar throughthe air, aimingit straightat Belgaroth's chest. Testyour Skill,subtracting 2 from lhe dice roll if you have the TBryel Special Skill If you succeed,h.rrn to 4oo. Jf you fail,tum to r44.
a2

Having removedthe Banshee's tooth, do you want to make your way back Lo the crone'scave so Lhatshe can concoctyour poLion(tum to 2q) or will you go (Lurn elsewhere to 2o2I

your weapon,ready to fight Quickly you unsheaLhe the hellspawn. Being a denizenof LheEtemalPit, the DemonicSlayercanbe harmed only by magical weapons-If you do not have one, you will meel the same fate as thaLof Herluinunder the creature's onslaught. Your adversary's clawsare so sharpthal they will cut through armourand flesh aljke,so any bonuses you may haveagainst will haveno effectl damage
10

DEMONIC SLAYER

sKrLL 10

STAM IN A 8

The Giant roarsin fury at you for having avoidedhis hazards. Bellowing, rt swingsits club at you Drawing your own wapon, you engage in srngle combat

If you destroythe horror tum to rzE.

HILL GIANT

SKI LL 9

If you deleatthe brute,tum to ryj-

Ltt

At the top of Lhestpsyou enLer a long anLechamber, a[ the end of which is a set of double doors madeIiom a dark wood, inscribed with mysticalrunes.Howevet at thismoment, th spectre of a womanis materializing in Lhe room Her raggedrobes and hair streamout behindher as she flies towardsyou acrossrne room, her clawlike hands nised, screamint insanely, Upon her headis a cown of Dragon'steeth and the manic look in her eyes tells you that the ghosl has been driven completelymad. The spectre is in fact fhat of Belgaroth's ffend-like queen, Morgwtm of the Dark Tower. A servantof Shekla,goddess of witchcraft, it was shewho, during the siegeof CaerSkaal, conjured terriblecreatures hom the Spirit World fo assaillhe crusaders'camp at night and deprive the warriors of precioussleep.Upon hearingthe newsof her husband s deathon the field of battle,Morgwyn took her own life, throwing herself from the highest lunet oi the fortress. If you have the BanishSpiit SpecialSkill and want to use it to dispel the specke, Lum ro 2o4. Otherwiseyou will have to figh[ Belgaroth's queeq fum to 29 a5 The owl zuddenly larmchesitself from its perch and startsto buffetyou with its wings,forcingyou towards the door. Wheneveryou strikeout at the bird, it flres up fo the ceiling, out of your reach.You try to carry on you. investigation of Herluin's cell, but fhe owl beginsscreching to hamperany move and continues you make.You decidethat you have aLeadywasted

a6-a,

enough time here anyway, so you hastily leave the celland the wood Tum to 49. a6 You notice Lhal, aboveeacharchway, a rune has been carvedinto the stone.Fromhoursspentstudyingsuch you can reco8nize secretsymbols, all of them.Above the southemarchwayrs the Runeof the Swordbearel over the northem archway is the Rune of Enkala goddessof peace;and LhesLoneabove fhe westem archway bearsthe Runeof DeaLh. Whichway will you 8o? South? West? North? Tum to j5a Turn to j9a Tum to ao9

What he knowsaboutthe Elf-Spear Tum Lo 206 Aelfgar?

18

primalsPirits These manlike crealures are Wodewose, draw lheir strenglh. of the forestitself,andfrom iL they for you must fight They will not be easy to defeaL, themtogether
S K IIL

first WODEWOSE Second WODEWOSE

9 9

7 8

If you win, the bodiesof the Wodewosedry up and with Lhese turn brown. Bewildered by your encounter you continueon your way Tum strangecreatures, to j6a19

Il is early aftemoon when you ride back into lhe courtyardoI CleeveManor Lord Varenhurriesout to meetyou, and whenyou showhim the boals tuskshe is overjoyed.'At last my peoplewill be able to live without fearagarn. The GreatBoarof Leinis no more.' (Add 1 to your HoNouRscore-) Lord Vareninvitesyou to spend another nightat themanor but you feelthat,if you leavenow you shouldbe ableto reach Havalokby nightfall However,Vareninsists on offeringyou some service in returnfor l<lling lhe boar.Will you askhim, If you can recruitsomeof his soldiers to fight againsf Belgaroth's forces? Tum to 288 If he lmows anythingaboutrecenf goinSs-on in the forest? Tum Lo 158

you canhear As you and Torrin waiLin tensesilenc, the sounds of growling and sniffing coming from outsidelhe forge.The Dwarf bolls and bars Lhedoor Lhenbegrnsto securethe wlndow-shuttersT?sfyor Lrlc If you areLucky,tum to 3ro. If you areUnlucky, rurn ro 375 a dark you evenmanage to draw your weapon, Before bolt of energy flies from the warlord's hands and you full in lhe chest. It feelsjust as if you have strikes been hrt with a Giant's club- You are thrown back across the room and slaminto the wall;lose5 sr-lvtre points.If you arestill alive turn to 162,

25

You can see that parts of the surrounding fields are blackened and blighted. As you ride info Ennox, a group of villagerstums to look at you with hoslile expressions on lheir faces'So,a Templat'one of them says,'What 'ave we done to deserve the atfentions of [he likesof you?As i{ thingsweren'tbad enoughwith the blight. We don't need your sort snoopingaround 'ere' The mar's fellowsmutter Lherr agreement. Some thing telis you thal your presence isn't weicomehere. You have no quarel wifh lhesepeople,so will you ride on throughand leavethem in peace (turn to j32), you or will stop and arguein defence of your order (tum to a5oP

to questionhim as to why he aftackedyou (tum to 255)or finishhim off (tum to 354).

26

your helmetabsorbs Fortunalely most of fhe force of the blow (lose 1 srAMrNApoint) The crate that hits you fallsharmlessly to the floor, and you tum around as a figuredropsfrom an openinS in Lheceiling.It is a man d.essed in the garb of a laboruerand wearing a dyed greenhood that covershis facecompletely with just Lwo eye-holes cut in it In one hand th man is holding a chain,with a spikedball on one end of it Wlth a shouthe atla&s you. HOODED ATTACKER sKrLL 8 srAMrNA 8

You step through the door into a scene of utter devasLation. The Lowerstorey of fhe cell is a single room, ftrmishedwith bookcases, a large desk and a high-backed chair.However,several oithe bookcases havebeenpulledover,spillingtheircontents of scrolls, ancienttomesand strangeartefacts acrossLheroom. Bottles lie smashed on the floor theirprecious contenls soaling into the packedearth.Lying in the middJe of the debris is Herluin the Sage,his body scoredby deepgashes that look as though they were madeby the claws of somehuge creatureAs you survey rne wreckage, there is the soundof beatingwings, and a tawny owl alightson its perchnearthe deskaad gazes al you with large, blinkng eyes. If you have the Cornmune SpecialSkill, turn to 99 If you do noL, Test yow Luck.If you ale Lucky, turn fo 99. If you are Unlucky, tum to 166.

Every time yow opponentwins an Attack Round,roll one dice. On a rcI| of t-4, the spikedball does the usual z STAMTNA points of damage. However, on a roll of 5-6, the weaponhits you extra hard,causing 3 points of damage to your srAMrNA. If you reducethe mans STAMINA to 2 Pojntsor less,you caneitherLry

2a-23 2T

24

There are no traps hidden by Lheunnaturaldarlcress but, as you slep thro'rgh it, the marrow-freezingcold drainsyour shength (lose 2 sr^MrNA pornts)unless you are carrying a shield bearing a crescenlmoon a glowing white barrierroundyou You whichprojects soonemerge andfindyourself frornthechillingdarkness in a chamber of sLone. ln it standthree faced with slabs largestonecoffins. sarcophaLying on top o{ thecenfral gus rs an ancienlsword inscibed with interweavin8 pattems. Do you want to risk takingit (tum to 2]a); or and quit this hmulus, willyou leavethe deadin peace passing oncemore,for the throughlhe pool of darkness loss of z further srAMrNApoints and 1 sKILLpoint (tum to tr6! urlessyou havethe moon shield you reeling,and you fall The force of the bLowsends to the floor The mercenaries cheerand as you dimb the stepsout oI the pit, Stronnexplains that he could neverlet hjs men be led into battleby anyonebuLthe best of warriors.Nothing you can do will persuade his mind,so you decidenot to waste Stronnto change Guild Tum to 314. any moretime at the Mercenaries' For muchof Lheday you ride west and souththrough the Banarask Hills without seeinganothersoul in the desolate tenain.It is late aftemoonwhen you cometo the bottom of a sheer-sidedincline. As you start to climb the path to the top, a huge silhouette appears on the horizon.Standingat lhe top of the inclineis an

ugly brute, aL leasL six mekes ball.The Hrll Giant is coveredin hair and is dressedin tatLy animal furs, while in its massive handsit holds a small tree as a club.Next to it is a pile of hee trur*s. On seeingyou the Ciant gives the pile a mighty kick, sendinSthe treeirunks rolling down the valley, direcLlytowards you The sidesof the path are too sleepand Lhere is no time for you to get out of lhe way of the speeding logs, so you prepare to jump them wrth your mount. Testyour Skill four times, subhacting z from the dice roll if you have the Rile Special Skrll.If you succeed on everyroJl,tum Loro. If you fail at all, tum bo88, 24 As the last Hellhounddies,dawn breakson another cold Close day; but at least you have survivedthe ni8hl to see rt (add r day to the Time Elapsed) The memory of that terrible night will remainwith you for a long time Lookingacoss at the old Dwarf, you see Lhathe is bleedingfrom many savagewounds, buL at leasbis still alive, too. You realze that you Regain1 havebeenfighting alongside a true veteran. LUCK poinL for surviving the demonicpack'sattack. Having rested and tmded your wounds, you lead liremanefrom the stableand continueon your quest, but not beforeTorrin gives you sufffcienL Provisions for 3 meals and his best wishes for the journey ahead. As Torln saidyou would, by mid-momingyou reach the lonely village of Ennox-A numberof farms and other buildings huddle together round lhe village square, in the middle of which standsa stone cross

27-24

Passing through anotheropening,you enter a small cave-There in fiont of you is the CockatriceThe

hasno qualmsabout taking you onl If you haveread abouf this mons[erin a bestiaryor have the Arcane lore Special Skill.tum to 9o Otherwiseyou will have to fighi the creafure.

COCKATRICE

SKILL 7

STAM IN A 7

If fhe Cockatncewrns an AtLackRound, as well as you and causing pecking 2 srAMrNA pointso[ damage, the creaLure has porsonousbreath which may weJl pamlysepart of your body, and this could be fatal' Rollone diceto determine whaLthe eflectrs
Dice Roll
1-2

Effect Nothng happens

Lose 1 5KILL point Lose2 sKrLL points Lost j sKrLL points DeaLh

3 4 5 6

If you manage to kill the Cockatrice and you havethe word 'Enorc'witten on yow Adoetlturc Sheet, fum to 22a;if you haven't, tum to 168. 2E Brandishing the talisman,it is your hope that the creaturewill be repelled by iL. Rather than being

t9

344

repelled, seemsto be at howevet the manifestation hactedto the amulet Suchtalismans are wom by the Darkthom'sservants and cannotbe usedto harm the evil elemental spirit fhey worship- Black stems burst through the 6oor, wrapping fhemselvesrouno your armsand legs.Thereis nothing you cando as,held in the Darkthom's grasp,you are lorn limb from limb by theroots.

viciousLeeth After and daws (lose6 srAMrNApoints). that, she will fight on with her clawedhands,If you have Lhe Holy SLrikeSpecial Skill you may use this againstthe spectre, causingher to lose 2 STAMTNA pointsand I sKrrl point.

MORCWYN

sK tLLg

If you win, the apparibion of the fiendlike sorceress vanishes wjth a screamin a swirl of vapour. If the you speche hit you at leaslonce,roll one dice Unless roll a 6, you will haveto deductr point from your srr rr due to Morgwyn's Lfe drainingLouch. Tum to 29o 3o SpurringFiremane onwardsthrough the brackenand undergrowfh, you crossa sheam and lose the kack you were following. Undetened, you presson, hoping to pick it up again soon. However, the fu*her you proceed through the forest the denser the irees become, the canopyo{ branches aboveyou letting in less lighL so lhal an unnaturalgJoompervadesthe woods.Between catchsighl of the treesyou suddenly something glnting in a ray of sunlight.RememberinS lhat time is pressing,do you wanL to invesLiSate the source of this glinting (tum [o a12) or wil] you continuon your way through the foresl (lum 6 ifin 3a An ururaLuraL stillnesshangs over My on and the whole villageseems to be deserted. \A4ratcould have happened here all those years ago?Much of it is in

29 If you are not ffghting with a magicalweapon, if will be impossible Lodefeatthe spectre and Morgwyn will drain the life-force from yor-t body. If you do have a you may fight on as normal.For Lhe magical weapon, hrsl two Attack Rounds, Morgwln will useher biack arts againstyou. l{ she wins the fust Attack Round, she will strike you with a bolt of black lightning, you to lose4 srewrr,{ points.If shehas the causing higher Attack Strengthin the secondAtta& Round, sheconjures phantasmal fiendsto rend your fleshwith

55-31

ruins, with only a few stone buildingsstill standing, enveloped in Fog Theseincludethe Elderc'MeetinS House Lo the north-east, the village lock-up to the souLh east and a tall bell-tower,which has remained totally intact, to the north The tolling comesliom Lhe bell-tower and a doud of bats is flitting about iLs eavesYou canalsoseean abandoned graveyard lying to the west,on the far side of the village.l\here will you begin your searchfor the Necrornancer? The meeting house? The lock-up? The bell-tower? The graveyard? Tum Lo 2a5 Tum lo 44 Tum to 195 Tum to j8a

53 just as the fust rays o{ dawn You awaken with a starb are peneLrating lhe depths of the forest. Restorez sTAMINA points and add r day to the Time Elapsed. But what of your adversary? Was your battle with the loight all a dream? Looking arormd, you notice a shield lying againsta tree: on iL is the image of a flame If you want lo take this shield,in battle you may reduce any opponnt'sAtta& Strength by 1 point. ryou may carry only one shieldat a time) You have successftrllybesbedthe Champion of the Shrine in combat and have eamed the righf to finish your loumey. As you ride on, the ground graduallyrises and eventually you leavethe foresl.You find yourself at the edge of a chasmwhich stretches as far as the eye cjm see to the east and west- It is loo wide even for Firellune to leap across- but there is no need for that,sincea narow stonebridSespansthe gorge.On the end-pillars oI the bridgeis engraved the badgeo[ the Temp)ars: a cruciform swordinsidea ring inscribed with the Oath Mist rises from the depths of the chasm so that you cannot see the bottom There is only one way to go and you guide Firemaneon to the bridge.Do you sufferfrom the Fearof Heights? If you do, turn to 169. Ifyou don t, Lumto 24!i. 51 'Of courser' exdaims Pyritees in sudden realization. The watery eiement is the missingingredient. Now I need only combinethese compoundsand distrl the solutionthey produce It shouldn'ttale longer than a weekor two. Thankyou, my friend How can I repay

J2

Weme tells you that the Griffin Shield used to be granted to kniShts for acts of extremeloyalty and bravery l\henever you are carrying lhe shreld in battle,you may reduce an enemy's Attack Strenglhby 1 point RefumLoj56

35 you?'You decrde you have noLhingto lose in tellinB the alchemist aboutyour questand,as you relateyour When you missionto him, P!.riLees serious. becomes mentionbheElf-Spear, his face lights up with Aelfgar, 'l excitement know something of that fabledweapon,' he says 'l heardit in a song once,the "Balladof Sir Rhyaddan the Crusader" Now how did it go? 'Still riding throughthe forestold, ElvenSpear thereto behold Valiantagainst the foe, Everonwardthroughthe land, NeverfearingDeath's coldhand' Also, if you bought any potions from him, Pyritees givesyou backthe gold you paid for them.Thanking Pyriteesfor his clue to the whereabouts of Aelfgat yoLrleavehis laboratory. Now will you try to recrurt a small army (tum to a59) or leave Havalok (tum to 314)7

j5 only warrjon of which your atmy is composed, yor.l soon fall, greatly outnumbered.Howevec it you have other allies,you defend yourself against the traitorous soldiers, engaging one in combat

S O L DI E R

sKlrL7

STAM ]N A 7

If lhe battle lasLs for more than four Atiack Rounds, turn to 2o7 If you win in four Attack Rounosor ress,

j6

Suddenly,Lord Varen'ssoldierstum on your other soldiers, siding with fhe BeastMen- lf they are the

You both peerinto the pool while lhe MisLress passes her handsba&wards and forwards over its surface Suddenlythe water grows cJoudyand the MisLress says,'Reveal!' An imagebeginsto form in the pool. lt seems to be the ruins of a castlebut, as quickJy as il appeared, the imagestartsto fade.'Reveal,' the woman saysagain, bul now all you can makeout in the waier rs a swirlingmisL Then you seeit At first it is only a speck moving amongthe drifting clouds, but as it gets you seethat the thing has a ghoulishfacwith nearer monstrous trailing tendrilso[ mist. Too late feahues, you realizethat the mistshave startedto pour from the pool into the room, as they sunound you, they chill you with their numbing cold. Wrth a hellish scream, burstsinto the chamber the spectralcreature throughthe scryingpool. 'lt is a Wyrd,' the Mistress 'anethercal cfies, inhabitant of the Spi t Plane. Deslroy rt, qui&lyl' If you have the Banr'sl SprrifSpecial Skll you can malcethe necessary signs and retum the Wyrd to ifs supematural home(turn to r54) If you do not have this Special Skrll,you must prepareto ff8ht

10 There is a fanfareon a trumDetand the Lord of Cleeve Manor entersthe hall, followed by noblesand landed gentry and lheir many retainers, all read {or the feasL. Lord Taris Varen is an imposingfigure.He is a tall, handsome man,pasthis fortieth year,dark-haired and with a well-trimmedbeard.He extendshis hand in greeting.'l am glad that you could take the Limeto visit us here.I know that your questmustb pressing-' Thank you for the generous offer of your hospitality,' you reply, 't'ut I understand Lhat there is anoLher reason for my beinghere.' 'Ah, yes. The boar,'Lord Varen says,almostcasually. 'But that will haveto wait unlil the morrow Tonisht, re feastl He clapshis handsand the assembled guists take their piaces a[ the long trestle tables, whrle the minsLrels slrikeup again.You are seated at the end of the high table,being one of bheguestsof honour,and seltle down Loenioy lhe meallaid out before you The evening passesswiftly and pleasurablywith Lord Varen'sfool, Nuncle,entertaining the gueslswith his jokes, jug8lins tumblingand with lightedtorches. Suddenly the door of the great hall swrngsopen and a wolflike shadowfalls acrossthe rush-covered floor Standingin the doorway is a figure holding a staff and wearing a wolf-skin as a doak. Lord Varen rises to his feet. Awenydion of Bqm Du,'he says 'It must be a yearsince you visitedus here,soothsayer' Aye lor4 it is,' the gaunt old man replies. Now thaf Lheworld grows cold I seekonly food and shelter at

3' the spirit-form. If you have the Holy sflik? Special Skill and use rt against the Wyrd, you may reduce its sraMrNA by 2 pointsandits srrrr by l point.Forthe duration of this battle you must reduce your own Attack Strength by r poinl due to the chillingebhereal vaPows.

5a-39 Skill you musl reduce yoUI Atlack Strength by r point If you defat hrm to 156 all threeopponents, 5A you and The man droppingout of the hee jusl misses landson the road nexLto Firemane Two more figures emergefrom Lhecopsein front of you, waving uglylookrngcudgelsYour first assailant pulls a long loife from his tunic, and the three murderers run at you. You must fight lhem all at the samehme,but for the your Attack dorationoF th$ battle you may increase you arestrllon horseba&Skengthby r pornt because
S K ILL

WYRD

sKrLr9

ST A M I N A 6

If you win, lum lo 164.

You manage to follow the tracks left by the Wolf Riderssoutheastwards Lhroughlhe forest.you soss strcams and jump bouldenin your puisuit of the Orcs - until at lasL you find them. Mounted on their snarlinglupine steeds, the Orcs, adomed with their

STAM IN A

First MURDERER Second MURDERER ThirdMURDERER

7 6 7

6 I 7

As soon as you have dispatched Lwo of your opponents, tum immediately to 29j one dice and divide the resuitby 2 (roundingfiactions dom). This rs the numberof anows that hiiyou (lose 2 sraMrNA points for eachhit). Beforethey have a chance to fire again,you chargeLheOrcs Fight each Wolf-Rider in fum.
SKI LL STAMINA

59 The commolion causedby your fightinS alerts the olher BeasL Men to your presence in thir camp.You are overwhelmedby sheerforce of numbers Your adventure endshere

First ORC WOLF-RIDER

secondoRC WOLF,RIDER Third ORC WOLF-RIDER

7
6 7

6 6 5

During this battle,if you do not have the RideSpecial

42-43 ground(regain1 LUCK point).Hearinga terriblecrack ing sound, you are roused from your stupor and, lookingup, you seethat the roots coveringthe ceiling and walls are also dying now that the power of the Darkthomhas gone Buf the rools are lhe only thing that is keepingthe femplefrom collapsingl Blocksof masonry start fo fall round about you, and the memfor the exit As the bers of the sect run, screaming, escaping others flee,you see Bryar, the Arch-Cleric, You througha secret door at the backof lhe platform. cannotlet him get away to contrnue his evil schemesRoll one drce If you roll r 4, turn to ry7; if you rcll 5 or 6, tum to 287 42 The guardian on how you will dead,you concenLrate open the Sreafblack gmnite door. The door has no lock or handle and you cafftoL see any means o[ opening it. Above the lintel is an inscriplionwhlch you canjust makeoui in ihe lantern-li8hl: Beyon.l this portal lieslhe bodyof ffu loul Necronage who braughl deaLh and sorrou lo Mwton. Lel floLany spedk hisnanehst hs atrocities beremembered. Ifyou knowhow lo pass do il beyondthedoorof skulls, you you now.lf do not, thereis no way couldpossibly breakdown the imrnense stonedoor, so you have no in farlure. Tum to 7 choice but to leave thesepulchre 43 The Assassin's Daggerstreal(s towardsyou, intnt on your destructionHowever as you wrll soondiscover,

When he has finished, he begins to go among the guestS, tellingthemtheir futures for a few Gold pieces. Soon he reaches you. 'Noble knight,' he asks,,might Awenydion tell you your lutrlre for just three G;ld Preces? ard gives you d tooihless grin. Wi)l you give the old soothsayer to have your fu-tur. 3 Cold Pieces revealed Lo you (crossthem off yow Aduenture Sheel and tum to :58) or if you consider him a fraud and don'Lwant to wasteyour money,will you ignorehim (tum to c5, 4a As you pull the bottle containinSthe potion from your pack,a huge tendrilled, handJikegrowth grabs you and begins[o squeeze [he life out of you (lose4

Srasp weaken and you manage to skuggle [ree, wilh lhe monsterputting up no resistance. A foul shriek risesfrom the cieature's mouth and,as you waLch, the roots thaL comprise its body shriveland breakapart. In mornenLs, all that remainsof the manifesfation is a decayingmasso[ plant trssue. The Witherwell musf have reachedfhe Darkthom's root slrucfure under the

45-41 45 You arewithin sighl of lhe SouthGatewhen you find the way bemporarily blockedby a procession of derics passingalong the sLreet The priests are wearing long greenrobesand are chanfingin a low monotone.As you survey the scme before you, you overh&r a 'The Clerics merchanltalkingto a servanL: of Lein are a charitable priesthood who do much [o help the poor and needy of this town, but they are also a very seqetive group. Only the initiated may enter therr temple' If you have either or both of the words 'Rellim'and 'Nroht'wriften o yo:u AdoenLwe Sheet, tum to 77.If you haven'1, tum to 219. 45 Apart fiom his ratherunusual weaporl the clericpossesses nothing elseof interestexcepta talisman, made in the shapeof interty/inedmelal brambles castfrom somealloy, tied lo a pieceof vine As you hold the talismanin your hand, you notice the surrounding plantsbeginningto move in its direction You wave Lhecharmat them and they becomesLillagain You deduce that the talisman nust be one of plant control. If you decideto takeit, add the Cleric'sTalismanto yow Adaehlurc Sheel. Still harbouring suspicions you reh.rm abouL the clericand his actions, to Fircmane andleavethe Forest of Lein.Tum to ry 1' You hurry along the tunnel and, reachinganolher wooden door fling it open and run through.You are standinginside a vast, pillared chamberA flight of

the Imife-wielding spechalhand is no ordinaryopponent.As it has no body of any sort, lhe hand carmot be destroyed in combat, only fendedoff. If you win an Attack Rormdainst the spirit,you will not do it any damagebuf merely keep it at bay. Whrle you are doing this,the Assassin's Daggerwill ky to stabyou to death!

ASSASSIN'S DAGGER

SKI LL 10

You are not going to be able Lo overcome this opponent through combat,so you will have to try somethingels.I{ you wn two consecutive Attack Roundsor olherwise, you after four ALtackRounds, will have worked yourselfinLoa posilion from which you can try to escape from the spectral assassin Will you run jnto the copseto hjde from it (tum to 575)or will you leap on to Frremane's back and flee on (tum lo zt)? horseback 44 The door to the srnallstonelock,uphangshalf off its hinges Descending a shortflight of steps, you seethal the damp circular cell at the bottom is empty, with rusted manacles hanging,unused, on the wall. However,you do nol noticethe rotLenhapdoorat the foot of the steps TesL yourLuck.If you are Lucky,you pull yourselfbackjust in time as the wood givesway under your weight. If you are UnJucky, you fall into a lower dungeonwhose floor rs severalmetres lower down (lose3 srAMrNApoints for falling),then you have Lo struggleoul again.FindinSnothing use6dhere,you leavethe lock-up; retumto 3r andchoose again.

4a stepsIeadsup the srdeof one wall to an iron-bound door. The room is full of macabre Lorture instrumenLs. In the middle of lhe room is a rack, an iron maiden stands against one wall and small con-ffning cages hang fiom chainsin the ceiling; and there are various braziers, bmnding irons and other devices used to inllicl pain lying abouL the place, all thick with dust and cobwebs.Severalskelelonsare still hanging from the lichen-coveredwalls by chainsand manacles, and a numberof grilled doors lead away from here to cells and deeperdungeons. However, you are convinced Lhat what you seekliesbeyondLhat door at the top of Lhe steps On one side of the tofture chamber is a large charrwiLh metal clasps attached to ils armsand legs Your head is suddenlyfilled with whispering voicesseductively telling you to sit dorm and resl for a while. You are sure that the voicesmeanno good, but their suggesLion soundsso temphng Tesfyorr 5/ril1, adding -zto the dice roll i( youhave the Commune Special Skill. I{ you succeed, turn Lo z4o. If you {ail, rum ro 155 4A You follow the road souLhout of Lhe ancientand mysterious forestand entera regionof openheathland. In the distancehes the mmacing dark line of the Chaos-ridden Banarask Hills From a point several kilometres souLhof you this side of the hills, a thick plumeof smokeis dsing,like a di y smudSe, into the sky The road seems to be leadingyou strarghtto it Comingto the top of a rise,at lastyou canseewhat is causingthe smoke The walled town of Carasslies

49 aheadof you and parts of it are on fire; it is being besiegedby a force oF darkclad warriors (;urying Lo be The warriors' activitiesaPPar black banners. slde on Lhe southem Lower a grim stone cenkedround you hear the can of the town. Even at this distance defend their clamour of battle as lhe Lownspeople

fanalical that lhey are from the ranks of Belgaroth's direcbion wind changes When lhe Chaos Warriors. rromenlarily, the smell of slaughLerand camage is you kick your heels carriedto your nostrils.lncensed, to the aid of Carass. into your steed's sidesand charge while The gatein hont of you hasbeenleft unguarded along lhe their forces the town militia concentrate southem walls to stop the Chaos horde breaking through.However,one of the enemy,an ugly Troll, hasseized the opportunityand is enteringthe town at Lhis undefendedspot. Hearing your approach,the readyfor combat into Position, Trollhefls its pole-arm You atLack immediately. T RO L L
sKrrl 9
STAM IN A 9

force, tlm If you defeatthis membero{ Belgarolh's to 9E. 49 Iiremane carries you souLhwardsacross many kiloo{ Havalok metresof bleakmoorlandin the direcLion hours, you for several you travellng have been Afler

50-5a

52

you conllnueal your present speed li you are happy to meel this rider. lum ho r47. ll however.you want to spur Fircmane into a gallop lo avoid the stranger, turn Lo19a. 5o

Llch. 'Good,' she says,'then you can collect the first ingredient, but you must do it nora, by moonlight' Retumingto the scaffol4 you gef the grisly job over and done with as quickly as possibleForbunately lhe you the Lich remainsdead while car.y ouL task. you leave At dawn (add 1 day fo the Time Elapsed) the caveand,following the crone'sdrections,set off in search of a CockaLnce that hasbeentenorizingthe local arearecently. At the end of a sleeprocky gorge you find the entrancefo the network of caves in which the monsterhas its lair Tetheringyour mount to a rock,you ligh[ your lantemand enterthe gloomy hole Your (ootsteps echorotud the wallsas you step warily down the tunnel, and water drips from fhe ceilng inlo pools on the floor with an eerieplopping sound.A few metresfurther on, you come to a Tjunction.Do you vr'antto Bo to the left (tum to a82) or to the righf (Lumto 126)?
52,

ba5e a batlerinS-ram, fashioned likea:piked iron Fist. swings rhythmically inandoutofanopening.demoLshln8 anoLher 5eclion oFwdll by it,i conslant bombdrdmenl.Underlhe Demoni headis a hugeshield wrth the mohf of a skul]over a blacktower:the crestof Caer Skaal. Fromrnsrde the fuggemaut you canhearterrible roars,groansard crealang_ Maybe the thing is driven by Demons.PuLtingasldesuchfears,you look for a way into lhis impregnable moving fortress. A laddea fixed to the undercarriage near the backwheels, leads up to a hapdoor in the tower'sbase you decideto makethis your target.TesL yourLuck.Ifyou are Lucky, tum to zzo. lf you areUnlucky,tum to 146 Make a note of the word 'Enorc on yoor Adoenlure Sleet. You tell the hag abouL your encounrer wiLh the

Wrappdin a piece of velvei you 6nd a triangr.rlar to 274 prismmadeof glass. Reh.rrn

55

As you are led along the dark stone conidors of the guild, you passseveral doors fiom behindwhich you canhearthe sounds of soldiers practising theirfighting skills Stronnleadsyou into a circular torch-litroom,in lhe cenhe of which is a pit several meLres deep The mercenaries crowd into the room as you are directed down a flight of stepsinLoLhebrawl-pit.,r cneergoes up from the specfators as a portcullison the far sideof the piLrisesand Lhemercenaries' chamDion entersthe a.eni. The looks as tall as an Ogre and is built like an ox.-u.r The only armour he wears are leather crossbelts loopedover his muscular torso and a spiked helrnet which hides his face He is armed with a viciouslookingsword with a jaggedblade,and a long knife. Stronn raises his hands and a hush descends over the mob. This is not a fight to the deatb'he "Thewinner shallbe the first to knock the announces. oiher to the ground Are the combatants ready?'You and the mercenary nod in reply. 'Thenlet the trial by combatcommencel' With an animalroar the champion charges you at acrosslhe pit while his fellows shout his namein encouragement. MERCENARYCHAMPION srrrr-ro sraMrNA 11 lf the mercenary wins an Attack Round,roll one dice On a roll of r-3 his jagged blade does the usualz pointsof srAMrNAdamage; on a roll of 4-6 it inflicts STAMINA pornts of damage on you. lf you roll a J double-6 your when calculating and if Attack Strenglh. you win lhat Attack Round, your blow hits your opponent with srch force that you knock him to the

54-55 Sround (tum ta aa). ll the mercenary'sAtLack Strengthis ever 22, turn at once to z:. Otherwise,if you reducethe mercenary's sTAMrN,{ to 4 poinLsor less,tum to Iat if he reduces your STAMTNA to 4 pointsor less, fum to 22. 54 lf you have lhe Comfiune Specral SkiJl, lum to rz2 If you haven't,TeslVow Luck If you are Lucky,tum to reu; if you are Unlucky, tum to 14.

sfi9 You throw yourselfout of Lheway as Lhephantom horse'shoofs crashdown on the 6agstoneswhere you had been standing just a moment before. Ignoring yoq the ghostly knighl urges its mormf towardsthe king, raisinS readyto strike.You must act its weapon, quickly.Will you: Use the BlnishSpint Special Skill,if you haveit? Use the Ho,y sltlrd SpecialSkill, if you haveit? Attack the ghost? Tum to ro5 Turn to jo3 Tum to 2j5

You lift the dragon shieldfrom lhe sLatue s alm and place iL on your own. If feels hght and, although damaged by time and previoususe,it shouldprove a usefulmeansoI defenceWheneveryou are involved in combat and you are carrying this shield you may reduce an enemy's Attack Strenglhby r point. If you want to taklhis shieldand you aheadyhaveanolher, thenyou mustleavethe firsl here.Turn to jjj 56 The Necromage grabsyou and lays one hand on an exposed area of your skin. At once disgusting maggot-likeworms burst from his putrid flesh and start buftowrnginto you. Roll one dice and add r to see how many FleshGrubs latch on to you (lose 1 sTAMINA point for each FleshGrub that is nibbling into you). The flesh'eatingmaggots can easily be pulled off and cushed, but ffrst you will have to destroy the Necromage. Retum to 116 and continue the 6ght.

5E The double raises its weapon and advancestowards you. l^rhat will you do now? Defend yourself (tum to f3) or stay asyou are(tum to 2E6I 59 You come to on a cold stoneslab.You try lo move but distover that your armsand legs have been tied to the stone with strong vines. Lookrng around, you see that you are on a raisedplatformat one end of a vast hall, the walls and ceiling of which are coveredwith thick root-likegrowths.The hall is filled wilh a great throng of jnitiates while, surroundingyou, are the so called Clerics of Lein, one of whom has been left holding your ba&pack (your weapon is missing). The Arch-Clerrc, a bald, bearded man wearing green robes adorned with twisting bramble-likedesigns, then addresses the crowd: 'Brothersand sisters,lhe

6a

DarkLhorn grows shonger with every passingday, and soon our pumose will come to fruition. The ancient forestis we;keningand,with it, lhe elemental powersthat control it. Soon it will poseno threatto our ally, the Dread Lord, and a forest of lhe Darkthom shall rise up in its place!'The priest tums to you and raises his hands. 'O, great DarkLho.r! ancient spint,'he intones,'I surunon thee to take this sacri, fice so that the Root of Evil may never witherl' Suddenlythe flagstones heaveand thick black roots burst through the platform.Desperately you suugAre with your bonds Roll four dice. If the total is less than or equal to your sraMINA score,rurn ro 279, If the total is greaterthan your sr,,rMrNA score,tum to io8. 6o Undera leaden sky thesebleakmoorslook evenmore desolate. you are almosL Riding along undisturbed, lulled into a falsesense of security. It is then that you hearthe soundof poundinghoofsand catchsiShtof a dista.nt group of riders galloping towards you Irom Lhesouth-east. There is no way that you can avoid them, and as they draw rapidly closeryou see that they are not mounted soldiersat a.llbut four Centaurs, (Teahrlesthal are part man and part horse. As they charge towards yoq the Chaos Centaus screama war-cry,proclaiming deathlo the Templars. You must face them all simultaneouslyl You have time to use eiLhera crossbowor a lanc against oae of these adve$aries before you engage in hand to-hand comDat.

S (ILL

S TA MIIi -I

FirstCHAOS CENTAUR Second CHAOS CENTAUR ThirdCHAOS CENTAUR FourthCHAOS CENTAUR

10 9 10 9

g 10 10 11

If you do not have the Ri/z Special Skill you must reduce your Attack Strmgth by z points for the durationof this battle,If a Centaur scores a hit againsl you, roll one dice; if the number rolled is odd, the chaotic'sweapon wounds you, causingj STAMINA points of damage.If you strike a Centaut roll one dice;if the numberrolled is odd, the chaotic's armour your reduces from weapon the severityof the damage by 1 poinL. lf you are triumphanl in this titanic struggle, tum to jj2 6a The door opens into a room full of great cogs and wheelswhich are tuming, operaling huge piecesof machinery and strange contraptions. Some of the workin and ings here swing Lhebatteringram oub of an openingin Lhetower to your left, while in hont of you a great iron chamberfills the spacebetween floor and ceiling. Attached to this are levers,dials and other fitments; the chamber itself has bem constructed to look like a garganfuan scaledbeast.Everythingyou have seen here suggesfs is not thal the Juggemaut controlledby some supernatural force but that it is powered Destroyjngit may by a colossal steam-engine be easrerthan you had frrsl imagined.First of all, youmustget pastthebaldhalf-Giant however, in charge

65-6J

here.The.manis stripped to the waist and,despitethe sweatard grimecoveringhis torso,you can)ee that he hasbeenbranded on his chestwith the markof Chaos. Roaring, he charges at you, his fistshis only weapons. WEAPONMASTER s(r!r 10 srAMrNA 12 If you defeatthe half-Giant, tum to V6.

S K ILL

KNIGHT WITCH HORSEHEAD PICKPOCKET ODDFELLOW

STAM 'N A

7 6 6 6 7

6 7 5 7

If you defeatall the munmers,or after sixteenAttack Rounds havepassed, turn to r5z. 65

62.

64 The starvmglroman standsdirectly in front of your she raises her handsand mutterssomething rurderher breath.At once you are 6lled wilh the mosLterrible

65 The holy blastbathes the Lich in a silvery li8ht, and it doubles up in a8ony. Roll one dice,this iq the number of srAMrN^pointsyou may subtract ftom the undead horror beforeyou finishit off wiLhyour weapon. Now retum to 283 and 6ght the corpse,

55-61 66 Stumbling over the pronr.mciation of some of the words,you finallymakeit to the end of the page You pause, to happenat any moment expecting something and happenit does A thin wisp of smokerisesfrom the page in front of you and forms into a thick black cloud. The densevapour rapidly condenses inlo the shapeof a grotesquecreahfe with a lengthenedhuman' oid skull, bony lumps prohuding from its spine and two powerfulJy muded arms that end in huge dawed hands- althoughIrom the waist down the honor is no more than a smoky trail. You havejusLcompleted readinga spellfor summoning demonic assisLance, and you ire not sLanding inside a protectivepentagram. The DemonicSlayerglaresat you from the depthsof its glintin& midnight-black eyes and, snarling. flies at you with daws nised. What will you do now? Use the Holy Shike SpecialSkill (if you haveit! Use the Banisft SplrifSpecial SkiJl(if you haveit! Try to reversethe spell? Attack lhe Demon wiLh your weaPon?

Turn to :23
T[IT. to 47 Tum to 521 Tum lo 1i

67 your Early on men weakenunder the Chaosspawn's onslaught. Suddenly the ranksof Beast Men part and a monstrous, bull-likecreahlre charges at you, snortin8. The raging anrmal has a blood red hrde and demonic blackhoms.A BeaslMan sits astrideits bade waving

5tH9 a battle axe in one clawed hand while gripping the creature'sspiked mefal collar with the other. You must 6ght the Chaos Steed.

TREE MAN

SKILL 8

STAM IN A E

CHAOSSTEED

SKI LL 9

STA M I N A 1 2

If you win, deducfr poinLfrom the Beast Men'sBaLtle Strengfh, then Ehgoge in Battle once again. If this time you have the advantage tum to r49.1f you have the disadvantagq tum to 25i4

(with 8 sr^MrNA points each)will lash Both branches ou[ at you eachAtLackRound,so it will be as if you are flghting Lwo opponents The Tree Man is far too strong to kill, but if you severits two main branches (reduceboth their srAMrNA scoresto zero) ib will rehealbac-l( into the forest,leavingyou to go on your Turn to way. 544.

Among the trophies are the expecteddeer, foxes, wolves and bears.However, there is also a sabretoothed tiger, a unicom and a manticore. Looking at the unicom. the steward says.'My lord'slale father caught that in the forest using the usual lure and entrapmentof a young maidenand a wreath of flowersThe manticore had its lair in the Banarask Hills and ibs captue won the hunting competition, held in celebration of the Overlord's marriage.' Tum to 4o. 69 As you are hacking your way through the under. growth, a large hunl suddenly moves into your path blocking your way. Two branches reach [owards you from the tree and, hidden in the thick crackedbarl, you make out a mouth and a pair of smallbut incrediblyancienL eyes.You have diiturbed one of Lhegardeners of the forest:a Tree Man. The plantlike creature lumbers forward on its splayed roots,readyto deal with you rs it dealswilh all tresoassers,o You are able to decipher the wizard s totlings and realize that his findings are huly incedible. Savant discovered five Words of Power which, when spoken taintedwith Chaos, backwards in lront of something and would counteract its power bring backorder and harmony; anything dnven by the power of Chaos magic would be destroyed. However,the use of sr.rch could prove to be equally hazardousto whoever spoke the words. You can only guess why Savant was unable to use his discovery againsl Belgaroth.

7a Pefiaps he hied but did not have the strength to complete the utteEnce. The Words are writlen on the page in front of you: X Syte Nind NaderdNuheno_,

,2-?4

Lo 2t-2,

tothar was a doughty Dwarf ffghter from the town of Crun at the foot of the mormtains. Many were the times when he led the Waniors of Telak from the DemonleepOutpost to repel dttdck from barbaria_ns and the soldiers of lhe warmongerinq Lord Meracass of Brice.In every battle LotharwodJ fefl his enemies with his trusty axe.When using the axe, unlessyou have an Axe WeaponSpecid Skill, you must reduce your sKrLLby l point althoughit still does only z srAMlNApoints of damage (note this in the Weapon box o yotr Alue fureSfiref). Returnto j56.

'ra

And thm he is dead. (Write down the word ?onnoc' on yow Adoehfwe Sheet) lI yott wish, you may take Corurot's Magic Sword which will harm urdead and Demons but confers no other bonuses,and his shiel4 which bears the motif of a rampanl lion (whenyou use this in battle,you may reducean opponent's Atta& Shength by 1 poinl). I+ving offered a prayer to Telal for Conno/s soul, you Emount Firemaneand set off in pursuifof his murderets. Testyout Stil, subkacting z from the dice roll if you have the Trarl<irg Special Skill. lf you succeed, tum to jZ ff you fail, tum to j9z13 The Co&atrice, the villagers will tell you, hasLaken up residencein a network of caves in the hills east of Ennox.Following their directions,you are soon leading Firemane along the steep rocky gorge towards the cave mouth. Tetheringyour mount to a roch you light your lantern and enter the gloomy hole. Your footstepsechoround the walls asyou step warily down the lunnel,and waterdrips from the ceilinginto pools on fhe floor wiLhan eerie ploppingsoundA few metres further or1 you come to a T-junction. Do you want to 80 to the lell (tum to 1a2)or to the.ight (hlrn to 1r6P 74 The mill, a large stone building, is not hard to find: it standsat the edge of the village,next to the River Wende.The greatwheel groansas it is tumed slowly by the mrllstream, andyou canhearthe steady mechanical grinding of machinery inside the building The

75-""'

,H9 not want to waste any mote time here in Havalok tum to 219, ZA aretoo slow and you arecaughtby the Your reactions ofF your mount You rope, throwin8 you baclorards hjt the road painfully on your back (loseJ sraMINA points and l sKrLLpoint) and sit up, dazed;tum to
205.

door to the mill swings open at your touch and you find yoursell looking into an emply room, mofes of dust sparkling in the sunlightlrom the doorway.The placesem6 to be deserted. Do you want to enter the mill and explore further (tum fo r8/, or will you leaveWendeford (tum to 49! altogether

your weapon,ready [o 6ght it (tum to 43n 75 With a voic like the sound of rustling leavet the 6rst qeaLurespeal(s.You have trespassed in the forest,' it says 'lt is many yearssincea morLalhas wandered this far. You musb comewith us.'The bark-and-fungus humanoid takesFiremane's reinsand prepares to teave the clearing. Will you go wiLh theseshangecreatures (tum to j68) or will you attack them now (turn to 294?

79 altack iust as BelSaroth You let fly with your righLeous you at The two blasts of laundres u dark force bolt enercv collide and canceleach other out in a blaze of yello'w sp-lo, tkowing you to the floor (los 2 Turn to a62. srAMlNApoints).

A charitable priesthood? fie actionsof these'Clerjcs of Lein you have witnessedso far could hardly be described as charitable. There is evil at work here.If wrsh to investigate further tum to 9j. If you do -r'ou

ao Armed and ready for your quest, you hurry to the stables, hasalready bem whereyou find that Firemane saddled to his way, You are handed and is eager be on a backpack and rnsideit you find enoughProvisions for live meals, a lanlem and tinderbox, and a purse containing zo Gold Pieces. There is also a flask marked with the Rune of Healing which containssom of Aranandus's ResLoraLive Potion-Thereis enoughhere for fwo tots, and eachtot wrll restoreyour srAMrNA to its Initial level. Urging your trusty sleedforh/ard you gallop through the main gates and leave the Citadel. Takingthe mainroad south,towardsthe town of Havalokwhich lies two days' ride away,you pass lhroughwell-cultivated hills Howfieldsand pleasant you ever as you travel furtheraway from the caprtal, begin to see sorne of the resrlts of the disruplion in the kingdom:a distincL atmospher of gloom is hanging over ihe hamletsand farmsteads, and you pass manybeggars on the road Thereis a sharpchill in ihe air as fhe month of ClosetightensiLsgrip on the land and you fear for those people whose crops have not beenasplenhitul as they might havehoped It is early aftemoon when you catch sight of a skange-lookingprocessioncoming foraardsyou along the road It seemsto be composedof a motley crowd or peasants and farmers, but at their head are bhree bizarrefigures The frrst is tall and dressed in a long blackhabit. In one hand he holds a scyLhe, its blade gleaming dully, and beneath his hood yor.r seethat he is wearing a wolf-skull mask. The next is of average

A1-62

83-E4 and leaveCeeve Manor behinda< you lhe satehouse maki ForHavatol.) ou arewithin sight oFthe wailsof the town when dusk falls Riding on in lhe fas ailing Lehl, lou passa copseoF treesat Lheedgeof the dropsout oFthe brarche: ro"ad. iuddenly a dorl shape yout Luck Il you of one freeas you passunderit Test areLucky,tum Loi8- If you areUnlucky,Lumto 546. Ej you realize whaLis Soingo& you inhalea Sreat Before lungfulof pollenand fall rnto a deepsleepTum to 59 A4 make from the oil dredown, the villagers As the flames their break for heedom You are starting to climb care6..rlly dorvn from the Wt&er Man when you hear the cackling of burning wood. Looking down, you sewith ho;or that the WickerMan hascaughtaliSht

height but rs swathedin tom rags and bandages. As he trudgesalongthe road he rings a bell waming thal he is undean a leper! The [hird 6gure is a gaunt woman,her alnost skeletal body covered by a tatLered cloak It looksasif shehasnot eatenfor weeks. The first man stopsand miseshis handfor the processronto halt What havewe here?'he says.'Ido believe it is a knight eranl, or should I say an errant knight?' The crowd laugh at fheir leader'sremark and begin to jeer you. 'Enoughl' he shouLs. This is the epochof our damnation.\A+ile the'common people sta.ve, our blessedTemplarslive rn splendor.rr and plenty! We three are the Prophetsof Doom, come to save the people.The doom we prophesyshall be yours!' At Lhese words the crowd aheers and sevemlraisepitchforks and other rmprovised weapons, ready to ful6l their ieader's prophecy Some have already begun to edgeround you. You are going to have to acl fast to get oul of this unpleasant situation, Will you try to ride throughthe mob (tum to r4), attackthe prophets (furn to 154)or try to talk your way out (tum to r97)? 8a Kneelingat the altar,the tiredness and pain in your body ease and you feeljnvigoraledResLore both yor.rr STAMINAand SKILLscores to their Irilirl levels. Having been blessed, you leave Lheshrine.Tum to 2j
82

Beforeleaving, Lord Varen gives you a parcel containing enough Provrsions for j meals.You ride through

holdingit up bum forwardwhen Lhewoodensupporls on toPcrashit collaPses through;with a tremendous Men, sendinga great flurry oi of the crowd of BeasL sky You make the mosi of night sparksup inlo the

a5 your opporlunily and run back to Firemane, Ioowing you have preventeda terrible atrocity from Laking place and that you have saved the villagers from (addr pointto yourHoNouR incrnerafion score) Callopingaway throughthe darkness of the hills,yotr find yourself approachrngthe smouldering remainsof a ransa&ed village.A hasLily erected woodenstockade slands in lhe middle,and from your vantage point you can seeonly one guard at iLsehtrance. Do you want Lo tether Firemanehere and sneak into the Beas! Men s for 6-rtherinvestigation, now thdt night _camp hds lallen (tum to S4ot.or do you wanl to ride o4 awayfrom here(tum to 295I E5 You perseverance is rewarded whm you cresta rise and see the lights of a stone building beckoningto you throughthe darlmess. Torrin'sforge Seeing you soaked to the skinand shivering with cold, Tonin Silverblade hurriesyou into his home and sits you down besidethe fire while he stables Firemane. You soon6nd a bowl of hot rabbrtstew in your hands and, Luckin8 in, you feel a lot betLer (restore up to 4 srAMrNA points).'It is a long time sinceI last saw any of the Order,' the Dwarf says,remembenng his days as one of the Warriors of Telak "Tell me, how are thingsat lhe Ciladel? Haveyou heardfrom the Demon leep Oulposi of lalel And whai bringsyou here on such a dreadfulClose niSht?''tou do your berr to answer Torrin's questionsand tell hinr about your questand what hasbefallen you so lar Having heard

a6

graduallyfade, and you and your host preparefor sleeP. You are woken by a blood-curdling howl which cuts through the niSht- 'That was no wolft' Torrin says, looking anxiouslyat you. It also soLrnded as if the beast was quiteclose. Do you want to lavethe safety of the forge and investigaLe (tum to 295) or will you wait and seewhathappens (tum to a9I a6 To prove LoLord VarenLhat you havebeenvictoiious in your hunl, you decidelo lake lhe boa/s tusksback lo CleeveManor,be{oresettingoff north through the foreston Lherefumioumey.As you arending sedately throughthe leafless you feel a gust of chill wind, trees, and you shrver. Nor canyou shake off the feelingthat

8188 you are not alone and Lhat your progress is being watchedIt is Lhenthat you hear lhe distantsoundof chanhng in Lhe wesL, coming thtrough the ancient woodland The voice is far off, so you cafiroL make out what it is saying. lf you want fo investigate the chanting, lum to 365. If you do not, turn to r7. a7 From an old herbal you recognizethat [he orange fungi are lronbane.The sporesof the plant corrode metal on contact which would have been very dangerous for you if you had entered the clearing Howevet the mushroomscould prove a valuabJe weaponif you couldcollectsomesafely. Do you want lo try lo gathersomeof the Ironbane fungus(tum to z5o),or will you ride round lhe cleaug lo avoid the (lum to 8)? fungi altogether 88 You misjudgea jump and a treehunk smashes into Firemane, knockinghim and you to Lheground(lose2 srAMrNApoinls).You prck yourselfup in time Lo see the Hill Ciant running Lowardsyou, angrily swinging his dub and bellowingferociously

a9-92

a9 of plant control at the weeds You wave the amLrlet your weaPon, and they retreatfrom you. Unsheathing you rush at the Arch-Cleric, who preParesto defend himself with hls twistedstaff.

BRYAR

SKILL 9

STAM IN A 9

If you win, turn to 185. siShtof rts You remember lhat,iI the Cockat ce catches saidthandonel reflection in a mirror,iLwrll die . Easier I( you do not havea mirror or il you do not want to try yout Luck this plan of attack,retLrmto 27, otherwise,TesL the beast twice.If you areUnluckyon eitheroccasion, attacksyou (retum to 27 and tight the rnonstel won the fusl remembering lhat rt has automaLically Lhe you boLh hmes, areLucky if AttackRoundalready); iLs reflection, looksinto themrror and,seeing Co&atrice writtenon your word'Enorc' dropsdead.lfyouhaveLhe turn to 168 a:tn to z zr, if you haven't, Adaenture Sheel, 9a
90

HILL GIANT

SKI LL 9

STAM I N A 1 1

If the Giant wins an Attack Round,roll one dice.If you roll a 5, the blow causes j poinls of damageto your STAMINA. If you roll a 6 you are knockedoff your feet It takesone AtLackRoundto gel up again; meanwhile the Giant gels rn an unopposed stflke(lose you z srautN,l points). If win, tum to a7j

lamished it. Retumto 556 'l have mademy ludgement,' the Lord of lhe Forest arclentwood'Yor.r harm to these intones. havecaused
92

f
93-94 lands and you are a danger Lo all who dwell here. that you be given to the forest Therefore I pronounce Lo pay for your crimes.'These words spoken, the justice.Your Wodewosesurroundyou and dispense is over, adventure 93 Keeprng well ouL of sight. you iollow lhe procession temple at the of clerics to therr innocuous-looking you waiLfor edgeof the town \4hen all haveentered, a few moments before fo]lowing them rnside-You find yourselfin a long-deserted temple. Ancientwall-hangplantJikepattems, still adom ings,coveredin shange, the building, but any other objects of worship are missing. At the far end of the room you 6nd a stone staircase Lhat ends at a large seL oI double doors Surrounding the doors are thick dark roots which break through the walls in many places Carefully that they are lo&ed If trying the doors,you drscover you have anything wiLh whrch to disguise yourself, you could use it now. Do you want to knock on the as they look far loo attention, doorsto gain someone's thick and hea4i to be broken down (turn to r7a), or (tum will you leavethe templeandHavalokalLogether to 2.agl1 94 You take one step towards the macabre edifice and there, directly in front of you, stands a terifying spectre. The apparilionmakesa grasp for you with decayedhands reachng from under its burial shroud, while its jaw dropsopen and lets out a raspinghowl
gfg6

no doubtwaming othersin the tomb oI your presenceYou must dealwith the Haunt swiftly. If you havelhe BanishSpirit Spec\alSl,tll, and you wish to use it, lum to r9o. Otherwise, you will have to fight LheaPParition,tum to 576 95 Entering the northem tumulus, you walk down a sloping passage cut into lhe mound until you reachar area o{ darknesswhich the light from your lanLem carmot penetrate An rntense cold, even colder than the Closeair,alsoradiates out of this pool of blackness. of the turmel Do you want to risk enterng this section (turn to zr) or would you rather retraceyour steps andleavethe caim(Lurn to jr6! 96 ils deserbng The bird disappears through the archway, blows You shuggle on, blo&ing master- or is il? from Belgarotlls vrcious Runesword while trying to [ind a chink in your enemy'sarmour Sudden]ya horde of Chaos Kniehls nms inlo the chamber,wamed of their leader's plight by the bird. You are quickly strrounded and overcome, BelgaroLhhimself dealing the death-blow.

97 'Enter,'saysthe voice,and Lhedoorsare opened. The initiates lock them again and, so as not to draw attention to yourself, you follow the passagethat leadseastwards for as far as you can see The tunnel seemsfo be endless. You must have walked several kilometres away from the town beforethe passageway opens out into a small antechamber. Peering through ar archway, you Iind yourselflooking inLoa vasthall, the walls and ceilingof which are coveredwith thick, rool like srowths Ab the far end of the chamber is a raisedstone platform, standingon which are the Clerics of Lein,while a great throng o[ initiates fil1s the ha]l in front of bhemYou are surprised and shockedlo see that, as well as many commoners among the iniLiates, Lhere are also nobles and high-ranking membersof the vadousrelidous ordersof Ruddlestone. As you mter thehall, the Arch-Cleric, andwearing baldand bearded green robes adomed wrth twisting brambleJikede signs, is addressing fhe assembled sectr And so,broLh ers and sisfers of the Darkthom, I, Bryar, Arch-Cleric o[ our order,thankyou, for our purposeis coming Lo truition.The anoent foresL is weakening and, with it, Lheelemental powersthat conlrol it Soonil will pose no Lhreatto our ally, the Dread Lord, and a forest of [he Darkthom shall rrseup in its place. All praisefhe Darkthom!' 'All praisethe Darkfhoml'the throngreply So it is the derics who are behind the destruction of the forestwith fheir foul weedsand nutrient-slealins bramblesl They musbbe stopped but how? lt musl

9a be the Arch-Cleric who holds the power here;if you were lo defeal him, you might weaken Lhe power of the Darkthom itself. Disguised as you are, you make your way throughthe lhrong unhindered, as far as lhe stoneplatform.Drawingyour weapor!you leapon to lhe dais,ready to grab the sect'shigh priesb. Seeing you, the Arch-Cleric raises his hands and mutters a dark incantationThe ground heaves and thrck black roots bursl through the stonefloor betweenyou and the priests.The fibrous sLems grow rapidly upwards for severa]metres,inte+wining unlil lhey have formed into a gigantic, plant-like humanoid covered in vicious thoms.Two emerald orbsglow wiLhan evil awareness and, with its trunk-likelegs still firmly rooted in the ground,the manifestation of the Darkthomreaches for you w:th knotted hands.You are going to have to defend yourself against fhis dark elementalspirit. Will Draw your weapon and do battle? Tum to 14j Use the Holy Shike SpecialSkill (if you canl Tun to 2r9 Use the BanishSpiriLSpecialSkill (if you can)? Turn to 25o (if you have Use a Cleric's Talisman oneF Tum to 28 Use th potion Witherwell(if you haveit)? Tum lo 41

9a to take you to his captain.'CaptainVair died this moming,' the man says ?le was killed while trying to defend the south wall aeainst [he Chaos Warriors' attack. Sincelosing our leider, moraleamongthe men is low, and many haveresigned themselves to defeat' You carulotleL Carass fall to Belgaroth's evil legion. You tell the guard to galher together all those mem bersof the tonm militia who canbe spared, and within half an hour you are addressing the exhausted and baftle-wear-y you soldiers. Firstof all find out what has happened here.It was two days ago thal the Chaos Warriors made their attack, the assault being led by the fuggemaut, the tower you saw on the south side of the !own. It is an awesome war-machine, armed wrth many siege weapons including a destructive batLering-ram, and the walls were soon breached. Some of the soldiersbelleve the tower to be driven by Demonsand will nol go neariL.You formulaLe a plan: lf you could break thror.rghthe enemy lines and board the fuggemaut,perhapsyou could find a way to deskoy it and so removethe enemy's mainadvantage. The soldiers all agreethat this is an excellent strategy. If you have the Battle TscLiaSpecialSkill and you wanl to useit, tum to 2o1.Ifyou do not, tum to 582.

Riding through lhe town, you soon reach the central Suard-posl Dismounting, you enter and ask a guard

9a

99 As you are decidingwhat to do next, all of a sudden you hear a voice speaking inside your head Braoe kniSht,1t says, listen catdully, fot my spinf is suiftly wilh deparling hon this world. The cleics arc in leaglae Waste no in danger lhe UsurpingSerpent TheJoreslis no/e timehere. Do not . Iwas foullyslain. a Demon is gone Tum to 156 SaSe Thenthe spiritof HerluinLhe aoo

and an eeriewhine fills the Skull.The placeis deserted in blows in throughcracks as a draught Lhefeast-hall of the walls together A the mortarholding the stones broad flight oF stepsleadsup out of the room, and you make for this. If you have Lhe word 'Ronnoc' writlen on your ,4/trnirre Srrst tum Lo54 otherwise, rum io 14_ aoa You burst out of fhe room and hurtledown the spiral Flingingit open,you drop to fo the hapdoorstaircase the groundand then run full pelt until you think your

heartwill burst with Lhexertion. You throw yourseu behindlhe remains of a wall just as the pressure of fhe steam,building up inside the boiler causes it to explodelThe grim edificeis tom apartby the blastand a great ball of fire eruptsfrom the siege-engine, flyinS hiSh into the sky. Buning wreckage and rubblefrom lhe tower rain down all round you but, miraculously, you arc not hit. What is left of the devastatins warmachineis now a raging infemo the lugSem.rut is no more. With lheir siege ngine destroyed.Belga roLh'stroops panic and, totally demoralized, flee in disarray. When you staggerback to the guard posr a grear cheergoesup ftom the crowd of citizensand militlamen gatheredbhere. Your vicLoryhas won them the (regainr lucr point and add r day and savedCarass point to your HoNouRscore). Undoubtedly you have also set Belgaroth's plans back somewhat.Unfortunately,you haveto Lurndo*.n the citizens' kind offers of hospitality as you had planned to get beyond Carassbefore nightfall, However, Lhe townspeople insisl on givjng you a new sword if you have no weapon,as well as enough Provisionsior 5 meals and a purse contaimng 20 Gold Pieces.You also receivethe attentionsof a physician(restore up to 5 poinLsof sr,AMrNA)Those rnembersof the militia who ale left are more than willing to fight for you shouldyou want them to, if you are rccruitingyour own force Lo take on Belgaroth's troops (wriLedoim the word Tcrof' on yow Adomture Shecl if you want to takethemwith vou).

you Lum off the road and head south, Leaving Carass, following a trackinto the hjlls in Lhedirectionof Caer If you have Lheword 'Ecrof' written down on Skaal. your Adaenfure Sheet, turn to 3o5. If you do not, turn
lo 2.

ao5 A Banshee is an undead spirit that hasbeentrapped on thisplane in suchahideous formaspunishmenL for some horrific crime commitLed when il was alive. As you pronouncethe incantation, the Cailleacftis ripped from this world to its 6nal resting placewith a hellish scream (Write down fhe word 'Eehsnab'on your Adoentwe Sleef.) Now, ifyou came herefrom paragraph 175,turn io 516. If you camefrom paragraph 16j, tum to 2o2. ao4 At the shaman's death,the impnsoned villagerssuddenly become aware of what is going on and in desperate panictry to freethemselves. However, many are exhausted or too weak bo be of much help to thernselves If they do not get fiee soon, either the Wicker Man yvill catchalight or the BeastMen will breakthroughthe ring of fire surrounding you. Taking hold of a pole. you start to climb the precdfious struchue. If you sufferfrom the Fearof Heights,Ierl yow Skill, adding z to the dice roll. If you hil, after climbing severalmehes you are overcomeby dizziness and,losingyour grip, fall from the funeral pyre outside ihe blazingbarrier(lum to 265) If you succeed, or if you arenol afflicted with this fear,tum to 192. ao5 Huniedly,you make the necessary arcane gestures Lo bamshthe ghosL The dead knight lets out a baleful shrrek, and both it and its phanLom mount fade away yolrr very eyes Tum to 356. before

ao2

The starL of lhe trackinto the woodsrs markedby two sLone postsjrt doesnoLlookasrf thepathhasseen much traffic recently.The landladyalso told you that the villagers leaveHerluinaloneard that somesayhe talks to the woodland creatures. As you gulde Firemane alongthe pathbetween you become the trees, awareof the fact lhaf the further you go, the less birdsong you canhear.At lasfyou entera clearing, which is completely silent, whereyou find the sage's simple roundstonecell, built as two storeys.Disturbingly,you see that no smokeis rising from the chimneyon a cold Closeday suchasthis You lcro& on thecell'ssturdydoor but get no reply. You knock again and call out to the sage but to no avarl.Trying the door, you discoverthat it is unlocked You sense thal somelhing is very wronShere. (turn Will you enterthe cell to 26) or leavebhewood (tum to 49)? andWendeford asquicklyaspossible

106 Dazed, you hrm as a figure drops Irom an opening in the ceiling. It is a man dressedin the garb of a labourer and wearing a dyed green hood that coverc his face completely, with ,ust two eye-holescut in it. In one hand the man is holding a chain with a spiked ball on one end of it. Yelling,he alta&s you. For the durationof this battle you mlrst reduceyour AtLack by 1 poinl because Strength of the blow on your neao. HOODED ATTACKER SKLL I sr^MrNA I

thomy humanoid, several metres tall, whose emerald eyes glow with evil malevolence The manifestation reachesfor you with great tendrilled hands. Your blood shallgive the Darkthomnew strengttr. ao9 The passage opens into a huge vaulted chamberin which countlesscof6ns ate restins. You are horrified Loseethat every one of the caskeis hasbeensmashed opm and desecrated-As you survey this scene of devastation,a glowing, ghostly shapebeginsto materializein the middleof the vault If you have the Banisft SpinLSpe.ial Skill, and you wish to use it, tum to 65. Otherwjse, will you flee from Lhischamber (return to 245 and choosesomewhere else fo explore),or will you prepareto fight (tum to 5o4)?

roll Every hme your opponent wins an Attack Ror.md, one dice. On a roll of 14, the spikedball does the However, on a usual : strvrra points of damage. you roll of 5-6 the weapon hits hard and causes 3 pointsof damage to your sr,rurr.re.If you reducethe maris sraMINA to 2 points or lest you can eithertry to questionhim as Lo why he altackedyou (tum Lo 235)or finishhim off (turnto 354) ao7 Suddenly your mind is 6lled with terrible thoughts and evil desires. Although you try to resist the comrpting inJluence of the ChaosRune,il is all in vain.Your armour blackensand Lamishes under the rune's tainting power, as does your heart.You will becomeBelga roth s new champion and lead his inhuman hordes againstthe Citadel.Ruddlestone is doomed!
108

You are rmableto breal< the vines holding you. The root-like growths shapethemselves into a grotesque,

lao

At the {ar end of the hall a grolesque, bloatedBeast Man, coveredin thick mattedfur and with bwo goatlike horns growing from his hea4 is sprawledon a carved wooden chair. The creature is clad only in a loindoth and two armoured shoulder-pads. while roundits neckhangsa Chaoslalisman. This is lhe BeastMen's chaoticleader, Murgrim lhe Cruel Well doeshe deserve that name, for at his commano collnrput lesssettlemmtshave been Lo lhe torch and the blood of hundredsof innocenissoilt. At th. *o-.n. ,,. is enjoying tofturing a group oi prisoners who hang, suspended by their wrists from an iron chain,over a largefire.The chainpasses througha pulley,fixed to a roof beam, andits obher endis woundrolind a wooden drum. Murgrim is gradually letting Lhe capstan off a notch at a time, slowly lowering the pdsonerstowards the flames, In a far comer of the hall ls a large cage, completelycoveredby a black drape.Drawing your you run acrossthe hali. Grabbinga doubleweapon, headed battle-axe, the ChaosBeast Lord risesfrom his chair and oreoares for combat
MURGRIM If you win, tum to z4z
114

sKrLL 10

9 TAM IN A 1 1

Among a heap of scolls and chartsyou ffnd a piece of vellumwith a message written on if in blackinl in an untidy scrawl. as follows' It reads The cleics continte fo pursue fheir dark designs, weakeningtlu elemental lorces of the fotest by fheir

aa'-at4

aclions,TheIools! Theyare upsetlinglhe natutal oder in the land. I haoe iliscooered that lheir femple is someahere near]laoalok BLt I fear that fhey haaea spy in Wendeford - Masler Gftye, tlo ftillel I nust atmmonhelpto sLop their nil machinatiow. This note grvesyou anotherline of enquiryto follow. Do you want to look for the miller (turn to 74) or wlll you ignoreHerluin's suspicions and continue searching his cell (turn to 224)?
142

THE BOLD WHO DIED IN THIS THE FOURTH N\t 1r 11 N\t 1r t4 +{ .l\lv J \t +}ti .l \ YEAROF THE REICNOF QUEENVAXILLIATHE r lfA tl J\t at*|/{ vLifJ ,4fl fA^tt J \t '4 MAY THE DRAGONKEEPSAFEHIS OWN JUST. fLVJoar r Jvt 1alv,{ vtt^ Vl^ t \l V l t\J o Before conhnuing the foresldo you wantto through (tum to 55)or will you Leave try to tale th shield it where ibrs(tu-rn to 35J)?
aa3 You strikeout at the double,br-rt for every blow you land iL lands one of even greater force. There is nothing yor-r batsyou can do as the monstersteadily to the gror.rnd. The last lhing you ever see is your own face,horribly distortedand smiling,as the fatal you Your adventure blow strikes is over
414

HavinS dismounted and tetheredFiremane to a tree you make yourway to the source stump, of the glinLing Standingbetweenthe trees,half hidden in the undergrowLh, rsthemosscovered stone statue ofan armoured warrior The quality of the stonelvo* has been slightly wom by thepassage of trme,but you canstillmakeout ihe attenlionto detailpaidby the sculptor. The realism of thc warriols sword and armour,and the lensionin themuscles you believe of thefigure, almost make cor.:ld thatthe statue wasoncea realmanwhohadbeentumed to stone.Resting on the warrior's armis a shreld which catches the sunlighton its battle-scarred surface; on fhe shieldLsthe fadeddesignof a Dragon,paintedgold Pullingawayweedsand tall grasses you from ils base, canjust make out two inscriptjons carved into thestone The 6rstis in the Commonlongue but the second is rn somestrange nrnicscriptyou do not recognrze. HERE STANDS A MONUMENT TO CANDRAZ \ f A 1 v,tfJl Y I xr{r)cti] J, 1f{4A f Y

With a shout, you kick your heels into Firemane's flanks. The horsewhinniesard leapslorward into lhe crowd Driving your mount forward,you chargepast the startledprotesters. As you flee,howevet you are siruck by a pike (losez sr^MrNA points).Soon you arewell past the angrymob, but you acteddishonourably towards the starving people (lose 1 HoNouR point). Wasting no more time, you contrnuesoulhwardsiturn to zoo.

fiz'r18 115

Hurriedlyyou help Torrin to secure and barricade all the entrances to the forge. Two windows are left unprotecLed, so you take up positionsnexLto them Roll one dice and add r to the mrmber rolled to lind out how many Hellhounds try to enter through the you are defending window you are guarding.Because a smalJ opening, you may increaseyour Attack Strengthby 1 point during the Helihounds'assault, and only one monstercan attackyou at a time. Each beasthas the attributes: sxrll 7, srAMrNA6, at the end of eachAttack Round,on a roll of 1 or u on one dice you are burnt for 1 additionalsrAMrNApornt of damage. Beforeyou 6ght eachof the demonicdogs, you may useone - only one- of the following (if you have them): the Holy Sfrike Special Sklll (which does the monster2 sraMrNApoints of damage), on dose of Holy Oil, fire a crossbow once,or throw a dagger (Tnt vour Skill,deductingz from your sxrLr scoreif you do not have the larg.ef Special Skill; if you succeed,the dagger does 2 srAMrNA points of damage)This battle will be a hard one.If you defeat all your opponents, tum Lo24.
1a6

use his decayinghandsas weapons. If you have lhe Fearof Spiders, for the duration of this battle you your Attack Sfrengthby r point because must reduce of the Necromage's arachnid form

CADAVER

S (ILL

10

It the Undead Lord wins two consecutive Attack Rounds, immediately you tum lo 56 If wilr tum to
L99

You stand wrth your sword poisedmere centrmetres from the champion's throatand claimvictory as youn. Very well,' saysSkorm.'l would trust sucha warrior asyou to leadmy men into batlle I only askthat you for such an Sive us a little time lo ready ourselves importantcampaign'You agreeto meet Stronn and hrs mercenary band at the dese*edoutpost of Harnwatchin one day'stime.(Write the word'Ecrof'on yout AdoenlureSheet.) Secluein Lheknowledge that aL leastyou will now haveothersfightingfor you againsL you prepare the DreadLord'sforces, to leaveHavalok Tum to jr4
118

'Ssso,morLal You may be able to overcome my minions, buL yor.r wiil never destroy m. I wasss exsspelled from my graveby the foul sssicknesss that rsssin the larld Now none can ssslay me'You were righl It is the power of Chaoslhat has resloredthe Necromage and mutated his body while in the sar cophagr.rs The sorcerer stalkstowardsyou, ready to

Taking Lhe orb from your pack, you raise it above your head, hoping somehow lo releaseils power Belgarothgives a short laugh at the sight of the arte[actand, raisinghis palms in your drrection,unleashes a dark bolLof enrgyat you. The CrystalOrb oncebelongedto a BlackSorcerer and it amplifies the e[fectsof any dark magicks in used its presence. As a

rcsult, Belgaroth's bolt str;kesyou with devastating effect, charringthe fleshfrom your bonesYour advm-

wood in the shapeof a raven,a bird of ill-omen On you 6nd 3 Gold the bodiesof the other two murderers you decidethat it is Lim Pieces. to As nrghl hasfallen, headfor Havalok Tum to 241

419

The book is written in a languagethat you do not understand.If you have the ArcaneLore SpecialSkill, turn to zoj; if you do not, turn to 66.

Belgarothwhistlesshrilly and the Nighi-maredesists from its attack.The beasL flresup Lo lhe flat Lopped tower, the Dread Lord mounts his demorucwinged you are steedand,althoughyou run up the staircase, too late Lo stop Lhewarmonger taking to the air and makinghis escapeBy the time you reachthe roof he is out of rangeof bows and spars. Belgaroth must be fleeingin order to lead his army againstthe Citadel. You cannoL let him get away,but how on Tilan are you going to pursuehim now?If you have a Golden Feather,you know what to do with it- Convert the nameyou have to say into a number, using the code A = 1, B = z,C = 2...2 = z6 A dd, thenumb e rs corresponding to the letters in the name together, multiply the total by the numberof timesyou have to say the name,then turn to that paragraph. lf you do not have a GoldenFeather and do nol lcrow what to do here,Lumto 2ro.
a2!

As you cross the hall, you hear a terrible moan; you spinarourd to discover fearfully, its sourceSitting in the largerchair,slumped over the tablein a pool of blood, is a semrlransparent 6gure that glows with a faint phosphorescence The figure ralsesits head and your deadfriend sitsupnght Horrified,you recoSnize and fellow Templar,Sir Connor of Achenbury.The lemble jnjurieshe sufferedat the handsof the Orc Wolf Ridersare all too apparentand severalanows still protrude from his blood soakedLunic Connor's and his deadeyesSive you d Bhosltums to faceyor.r piercingstare.'Ibring you a warrung,'he nlones You standfrozento the spot arrdlistento what your dead friendhasto say 'Thereis a traitot known only as the Raven, amonglhosewho claimfealty to the king. The Ravenwill betrayyou- Speak the traitor'strue nameto reveal the truth ' Connor'sthosi fadesaway, his message point for recerving passed on. Regain1 LUCK this waming and write down the word 'Rohart' on yo:urAduentute 9luet. then fum to r4.

Hunredly you search the man'sbody; howeter, you find nothing but a smallcharmcarvedout o[ a dark

You pay the old woman (deducts Goid Pieces fiom yo:.jtr you Adoefiture Sieef)and she gestures for Lo go through a curtaineddoorway Al the end of a short corridorrs an omatewoodendoor, on it is the symbol of an eye insidea hiangle,madeout of polished brass. You open the door and stepinto the chamber beyond You find yourselfsbanding in a largeroom laid with a plush red carpetwith the sameesotericsymbolsyou saw outsidethe shop embroidered into it, it is lit by candlespositioned at regular intervals iound the mahogany-panelled walls Sitting opposircyou, on a gilded high-backed chair, is a beautiful,pale-skinned young woman with long blackhair, wearing flowing robesand a circlelof silverround her headas well as numerous silvrcharms on necklaces Hangingon lhe wall behindher chajrare two wall-hangrnSs rpresenting two Cardsof Djvination:lhe Cup of Fortuneand the High Priestess, meaninghidden secrets. On the wall above the chair is a larger version of the brass hiangle and eye the sy.rnbolof the Third Eye Sweefsmeiling smokedsesfrom two incense-bumers lhat hang from bheceilingon eitherside of the chait and to the woman'sleft is a stone bowl containinga pool of water. The effect of Lhe decorationsand objectsin the room is to creaLe an atmosphere of 'I you, mysferyand magic. havebeenexpecting Tem plar,' the woman announces without warning. 'l am the Mistress of the Si8ht,a divinergrantedlhe powers of clairvoyance by the gods,just as my motherbefore me and her mother beforeher. I know of your quest and may be able to help you gain vital information.

Through the scrying pool you could try to spy on the Dark Tyrart and his forces,or perhapsyou would prefer to see your own future in the cards The choiceis yours.' Will you spy on Belgaroth(tum to :6) or find out what the cardshave to reveal (Lurn to 227)'l r24 You are inside a room that spansthe whole width of the luggemaut.As you step through the door, you are hit by a Lremendous blast oI heat.A numberof chainedslavesare shovellingfuel into the huge, demonic iron mouth of a fumace;lhey are encouraged Lo work harder by an armour-cladOgre overseer carryinga bullwhip. The sealng heat in the chamber is so oppressive that you breakout in beads of sweat, while several of the plsonerslook as if they are about to collapse ftom exhauslion. You must do what you can to help these poor people, so you atlack Lhe Ogre

125

O CREO VE R S E E R

SKI LL 9

The feast over, you rehre to a luxunous room for the restedand invigorated nighL,you wakeup at sunrise, (restore up Lo4 srAMrNA points and add r day to the are Time Elapsed). A guide and escortof two soldiers alreadywaiting for you when you descend from your room. Firemane and has also recovhas been saddled ered {rom the prevrousday's ride. It does not Lake long for you to reach lhe edge of the forest and, leaving tilled 6elds behind, you enter the ancient, you on an shadowytangleof treesYour guide keeps almostcompletelyovergrownpath until you reacha fofk in lhe track,then he stops.'This is the last place he says.'lt lumed on a where the monsterwas seen,' soldierand left him tenibly wounded We will go no further. From here you're on your own You stare at the two soldiers,but they try to avord your gaze and With an exasperated shift uneasily in their saddles. sigh you decidewhich route to take.If you have the Tracking Special Skill,tum Lo 5o9. If you do not, will you take the left (turn lo j85) or lhe right fork (turn
to.!91)? 12,5

Because of its armour,yolr must reducethe damage done to [he Ogre by your weapon by 1 point, ff the Ogre wins an Atback Round, roll one dice On a roll of 6 the whip wrapsround your weaponand, though it does you no harm, it pulls the weapon out of your grasp,you must fight on with your srrrr reduced by lf-you you win the battle, may recover your I Points weaponand, having freed the gratefulprisoners and told them the way to escape,leave the fumace-room Tum to 3a1

Following the tunnel into the caves,eventuallyyou enter a low cavem As you make your way across ii, you hear a loud hissing sound and your lantem illuminaLes a mass of slithering bodies. Dozens of snakes cover the chamberfloor and mary look as if they could be poisonous. Do you sufferfrom the Fearof Snakes? If you do, turn to 252; otherwise, tum to Joo.

429

'So youre the traitor, Lord Taris Varenl' you shouf beforethe bird has time to leavethe chamber. Belgaroth freezes, and you stagger away from him to catch your breath The raven lets out an agonizedsquawk arrd drops fo the ground as i{ shrnned. What you wtness next is tenible to behold The ravenBrowsin sizeand changes shape, its Iegs becoming longer and rts tail rebracting into its body as Lord Varenresumes his natural human form. Belgarothgranted him the Enchantment of Transformation, giving him the ability to shapechange you have at will. However,because brokenthe spell,Varenno longerhasconhol over Lhe charmand the transformation dosnot go as smoothly as it should Standingin front of you is a hideous mutant. Varen has regainedhis human form except that, in place of his right arm, a huge black wing sproutsfrom his shoulder and his left leg is that of a bird, while his headis part-human, part-raven, with an ugly black beak 'l'll kill you for this, croa[l' Varen squawks as he stumbles towardsyou, consumd by an enraged madness As you prepare lo fight the mutanl., you glimpseBelgaroth makinghis escape throughthe archway.

429

your gifL from LheGuardianElves,an Remembering ideaforms in your mind. It is jusl a hunchbut, as the doors are made of rvood, maybe the sap from the mystrious ancient forestwillhave some effecL. Uncorking the omate bottle, with ils glass reliefs of leafy stems, you pour the oozing milky-whiteliquid on to lhe doors The sap slowly soaksinto the old dead planhs and,asit doesso,something incredible happensWith a stretching freshgreenshootsburstfrom sound, the doors as the dark wood remembers thal iL was oncea living tree Creahngloudly, the doorscontort, individualplanks forrning into gnarledtrunks as the raw elemenlal energy surSingfrom the sap gives the ancientwood rene\redli(e. The growing doors split apart as they break tlfough the wal]s of Lhe castle, leavingthe way into Belgaroth's lhroneroom,and the innersanctum of the Order of the Knights of Chaos, oPn The throneroom is circular, lit by torchsround the walls,wilh the Runeof Chaos laid into the floor of the chamberin polished black Branite.Bannersof the Fortress of the Skulland the ChaosKnightsadom the rvalls, and on the far sideof the room is a high-backed lhroneof blackwood. In the cenlreof the room sranos a ring of black-armoured knightswho are completely ,.ilentand motionlessAl fheir head,standingbefore ihe throne,is a huge man clad in full, shining black platemail armour.His homed heimet has been fash :onedto look lrke a skull,while bandsof metalacross ris breastplate resemble a rikage The armouris also

RAVEN

sx rLL7

STA M I N A 8

If you kill the vile haitor,Ium to a76 r28 Well now you lcrow what killedHerluin He musthave tried to summon the Demonin orderto find out more aboutBelgaroth and the Chaos Knights Retumto 166-

130

a3a-a32

sraMrN-A. poinls unlessyou have the word ,Euga1p, written down o yolr, Aduenture S/rerf, in which case
dead, tum as one and advance towards you acrossthe throne room If you know five Words of power and dare to utter them here, speak them backwardsnow. If you do not know such an incantalion, or if you do not want to use it, tum to 276 430 The ride soufh is uneventful srnce the road passes Lhrough cultivated fields, then on to barren moorland To lhe east lies the sprawlng expanseof ancient !1oodland lhaf's so bound up in le8end. It is said lhat objectsmadefromwood takenfrom its treesreLainsome

rope iust in time, tum to zo5 lf you fail, turn to 78.

43-435

455

towards the edge of the clearing.Howevet more wrth youl comeinto contacL wonyingly, as the spores armour,th metal starts lo corrode,tuming to rust You have fallenfoul of a fungusknown as Ironbane Roll one dice:this is Lhenumberof piecesof armour, weaponsor metal objects,such as your lanlern (but lhat both you andFiremane not rncludrng Gold Pieces), that tuJn to rust Crosspiecesof equiPare carrying Sheet. menLtotalling that numberotf your A.rlomture rourd Away from the sporecloud,you leadFiremane the edgeof the treacherous clearingTurn Lo8. 45 and Refusing lo help lhe peopleof Ennoxwasa selfish the dishonourable act (lose1 HoNouRpornt) Jeering, and villagers drive you ou! of town, wavlngpitchforks in your direction Tum to hurling roLtenvegetables

iarm, and she soon calms down. 'I thought you'd .ome 'ere to h]m me out of me 'ome,' she says,'but you'd take shelter seingas 'ow you 'aven't,perhaps ior the night' You gratefullyacceptthe crone's invitaiion, and she providesyou with a meal of spit-roast rabbit (regainup to j srAMrNApoints).As you eat, ihe old woman rambleson about her life in these :onelyhills and tellsyou thaLshecan concoctpotions lo curealmostanything 'l couldrid you of your worsl ingredi tearseven,althoughfor that I'd needspecial ents, ihe moss from a dead man's scalp taken by noonlight, the tongueof a Cockalrice and a Banshee's iooth' If you sL'ffer from a fear and wani Lo take the o1dcroneup on Lhisoffer, tum lo 51 lf you do not, i ou turn in for the night and,at dawn,leavethe cave and iLs slrange occupant(add 1 day lo the Time Elapsed and turn to j79).

434 The landladytellsyou that yearsago the surrounding hamlets andfarmsteads weretenorizedby a monstrous of the Forest wild boar which lived wrlhin the borders down by lelder the of Lein.Eventually it was tracked hormds, was Lrapped Hunterand his packof legendary in a stakedprt and slain Now will you askher where you canfind Herluinthe Sage(tum to j62) or askher about any local rumours (turn to 26a), or will you (tum lo 49)? leavethe BristlingBoarand Wendeford You explainto the old woman that you meanher no

t
13ra5a
439

tum Lo194. 437 The tra& that leadsrnto the southernmound looks both well usedand as i[ something hastravelled along jt recently. Now. havinglit your lantern. will you enterth moundto the: North? South? East? West? Tum to 95 Tum to r75 Turn to 5j9 Turn to j5o

least,not of your oran free will. A Lhoughtsuddenly crosses your mind. Your eyes drop to Lhefloor and you realize in horror whereyou are sLanding: in your strugglewith the undeadChaos Knighls, you have strayed into the paltem of the ChaosRuneset into the flagstones. BelgaroLh muttersa few words under his breath,invoking its power. Roll one dice and add 7 (addz more pointsif you are carryinga moon shield). If the total is less than or equal to your HoNouR score,tum Lo 218. If the total is greaLer than your
HONOUR SCOre, turn tO 1O7. 439

158 His Elite Knights may be dead once more, bul the Dread Lord still lives. Standrng before his throne is Belgaroth, the Da* Tyrant, the UsurpingSerpent, the Iron Fist,the Warmonger of CaerSkail,Lord of Havoc

to my fortresshas beenobserved Progress every sLep of.the way. Do not think that I am unprepared. you will merely be the 6rst of thousands to die - or will you hrn from Telak and loin my Knightsof Chaos? Wha[ can he mean? ls Belgarolh a fool?you would never betray your holy order or your kingdom- at

Having madea few discreeL you enquiries, eventually find yourself outside the impressive headquarters of the Mercenaries' Guild, the best place to recruit an army. The tall stone buildingitself looks like a small fortress,the entrancebejng barred by a portcullis. Affer you have rung the bell nexL to the door, a hr-:nchbacked frgureappears at the window abovethe portculls and asks you your businessYou explain youl desireto assemble an army of bravefightersand are soon standing before the Cuildmaster,Nasra Stronn,and a crowd of rough looking, battle-scarred ruffians.'So, you want to hire an army, but you haven'fgot the money to pay us,'Stronnboonx. The mercenades burstinto ralrcous laughter. 'But your bravery and heroismwould go down in legend,'you say 'This is no petty dispute betwen rival lords but a batlle againstthe very forcesof Evil and Chaos, the outcome of which will determine

a35 You have avengedlhe death of your friend, Connor the Templar(add 1 to your HoNouRscore)The Orcs possess nothing of any use to you, so you set off again. With a thud, a white arrow embedsitself in a hee next to you. The shaft rs engravedwith runes that you cannot read but which you know are Elven in figures almost melt origin Six slender,white-haired out of the forest,their bows trainedon you. Theseare the GuardianElves of the Forestof Lein who palrol saysone of and lend the ancienl woodland.'Slranger,' the Elves,'whatare you doing so far inlo the forest?' of The Guardran Elves of Lein are unerring srvants Good so you have nothing to lose in telling Lhemof your encounter wilh the Orcs, your quest and your search for Aelfgar 'Come with us,'says the Elf- Distluough the trees,followmounting, you lead Firemane ing the Elves. You havenot gonefar whenyou find yoursellslanding at the edge of a grove of trees which is beautiful beyond descripLion On the iar side of the lush lawn, which is covered with brighhflowersevenat this time plinth of pure white stone, o[ year,standsa srx-sided You are are Prayers. engraved with what you susPect an almos[ greetedby a female Elf who possesses unearthly beauty, long flowing white hair, pale skin and large deep-green eyes The leaderof the Elf patrol relays to her whaL you have told him, then she you. 'Templar, Priesf addresses I am Elaina, Sorceress are The hmes ess of the GuardianElves of Leintroubledindeedand our beloved forest is sickening

142-45

the fate of the krngdom,if not of the Old Wond itselflThink of the honour and preslige. Suchrewards areworth far morethanmeregold.' The mercenaries are silent.AfLera momeDt's thouSht, Slronn speaks again:'l still don't understand why the Wamors of Telak aren't preparedthemselves but thaL's noLmy concem. All right, we'll join your crusade if you can prove your own skill as a warior You must besL our champion in combat' Will you agreeLo Lhese terms and fight (turn lo 53), or will you leave the Mercenaries' Guild, and Havalok ifsell and conLinue on your quest(tum to J14!
740

(regainr rucr point). The rest of Lhenight Passes without incident,and ab dawn you are on yorrr way and rcstore2 again(add r day Lo the Time Elapsed srAMrNA points). Tum lo 2E5
742

At fust the creatures recoilat the sight of the talisman, but [hen their attitudeof fearbecomes one of fury and the plant like humanoids leap at you. You have no choicebut to draw your weaponand de{endyourself. Turn to i8. 4a Hurriedly,you male the signsand mutter the words Lhatwill banishyour supemalural assarlant. As you your incanLatiorl complete the ghosLly handdropsLhe dagger fo the ground and drssolves inLo Lhe cold night air. If you wjsh,you may takeLhedagger(if you do so, add it to yow Adoenturc Slesf). The Assassin's Daggeris a favourileweaponof vindictivepractitioners of the occult Someone obviously knows about your questand doesnot want you bocomplete it, but you have halted their evil scheme, for now at least

side of on lhe eastern At the foot of lhe escarpment bushes and boulders, the castle, hiddenbehindscrubby you hnd a smallcavemouth and,beyondthal, a ro&y Pertunnel leadinginto the hill beneaththe fortress. a century the crusade$, hapsthe tunnelwas madeby ago.Whoeverdug it out, it shouldtakeyou inlo the Do you want to explorethe Passagecastle dungeons. retum way fufther (tum to a57) or would you raLher (tum to to the gatehoLrse and enterLhat way 563)? 143 You rain blow afler blow upon Lhemonstet but to no to do rs preventit strikingyou effect.a1lyou manage Suddenly someof Lhethornsfly from its body drrectly at you. Roll one dice and add-l This is the numberof thoms that hit you, each one inflicting 1 STAMINA in Lhe point of damage. Unableto injure the creature usual way, will you now use: Special Skrll? The Holy Sfn.ke Skrll? The Bdnis,spiltl Special A Cleric's Talisman? The potion Witherwelh Tum to :39 Turn to 25o Tum Lo 28 Turn to 41

the Darkthorngrabsyou If you can usenone of Lhese, the life out hand and cmshes wrth one huge tendrilled of you. Your adventure endshere

144-147 144

144

The srlver-tipped spear sails past Belgaroth's head taughrngcruelly,he releases his darkboll of energy It slams you from your mount's into your chest, knocking ba&, inlo oblivion 145 You try to throw yourself ouf oF the path of the cmshinghoofs but are just too lat. The horse hits you in the back,kno&ing you to the floor (lose 5 STAMINA pornLs)Ignoring you, the ghostly knight urgesrts mount towardsLheking, raisingits weapon, readyio strike.You mustact quickly.Will you: Use the Brris, Slilit Special Skill,if you haveit? Use the Holy StrikeSpecral Skill, if you haveit? Aftack the ghost? Turn to 1o5 Turn to 5o3 Ium to 255

rswithin ear-shoL he reinsin his horseand callsout lo

mostgratefulof your help.The tenants on the manor,s lands are behg tenorized by a rogue boar from the iorest.Our best soldiershave tried to kill it, but all havefailed Somesay Lhatthe beastrs enchanted and cannotbe slain.Will you help us?'A nighf in a bed would certainly be very relieshing.and you have pledSed to keeporder in the kingdom.However,su.h an expeditionwill tale up valuable [ime.Will you go wrth the messengr to CleeveManor (turn ro 525/ or rvill you press on and try to reachHavalok before nrghtfall (tum ro 19a)?

146 As you dashLrnder the Juggemaut to get to the ladder there is a rumbling sormdabove you and a massot red-hot ash drops dorama chut,hitting the ground with a showerof sparks. Someof this wastefrom the slege-engine hiis you and you cry oLrtin agonyas you are terribly bumt (lose 5 srAMrNApoints).Tum to

147 As the horseman you seethat h is wear approaches, ing the Lvery of the Lord of CleeveManor.When he

t4a you must The villagerscheerat your announcemenl. act tonight so as to savetime and proteclAssartfrom ihc cursedtwilight existence of the undead If you havethe BalileTacfics Special Skill and wanLLo try to orSanize the villagersinto a smallfighting force,tum :o 224.If you do not havethat Special Skill,or if you Jo not want to useit, turn [o 5.

149 Hacking your way among Lhe enemy, you suddenly break through their lines and are conFonted by a scme that mal<esyour blood boil with fury! The bodiesof your companions litter the ground in front of one of the BeastMan warriors The creatureis almosl tluee metres tall, wrth a wolllike head,daggerlength fangs and a row of long spinesprojecting from the top of its skull and down its back It has huge musculat armsthal end rn great clawedhards;in one of them it is gripping the brokenaxle-shaft of a warchariot wth one wheel sti attached and ending in a vicious curved blade. Iron chainsare bound round the BeasL Man's torso, and hanging from a belt are the heads of previous opponenlsIn fhe mrdstof its balllefrenzy. the foul Chaos spawn swings rts weapon at BEASTMAN CHAMPION sKrLL 14 12 srAMrNA lf the Champion hits you with the sickle blade from the war-chariot, fhe rmplement will inflict 3 poinh of damage to your srAMlNA I{ you defatthis terrifying adversary, tum to 136.
450

You explainto lhe villagersthal bheTemplars are not 'snooDers'but of Ruddlestone. Drotctors of thecitizens In faat, at th; very moment you are on an arduous rnissionto defmd the kingdom and its people from an evil tlrant whose retum would bring bitter war and destruction.

455-455

Havalok. However, lime is pressingand you can rmain hereno longer Tum Lo45 453

1 Thecarvings you suddenly drstort on lhe wallsarormd

andtransfom into hundreds of screaming humanfaces your wision and theit Their anguishedfeaturesfill rvailingall but deafens you Theseare Lhepoor souls held in perpetualtormentby LheNeaomancer's dark powers to be his slaves Then everything is as it shouldbe agan- However,you are disturbedby this you experience and while you remainin the Sepulchre your srtLr by r point Tum Lo443. mustreduce 454 You charge towards the prophets,and immedrafely the crowd areupon you Roll one dice.If you roll r-2, tum to 18J; j-4, turn lo 2g8t 5-6, tvm to 64 move qujetly enou8hand the guard hearsyou (tum to 346)
452

154

455

Pieces and says that you will always be welcomein

You cannothelp but sit down in the chair and rest your weary body. Clasps immediately snapshuL, trapping your wlsts and ankles,while another closes your neckand one round your waist.)nstanLly ror.rnd you arejolted free from the mind dulling effectof the voices, but it is too late.Thereis nothing you car do as hidden mechanisms in the chair are triggeredard whirr inio action. Sharp blades and pointed spikes emerge from the deviceand move evercloserto your immobile body. You will soon drscoverwhy this device is calledthe Throneof A8ony.

a56-a5g a56 You manage to keepyour seaL in the saddle and guide your steedround the hazard. You soon catchr.:p wiLh the desperate rnanand cut him down easily.Turn to demonic Hellhounds and savage Beast Men. Aheadof lhem ride the Chaos Knights of Caer Skaal,their steeds mighty war-horcesBehindthem, riding a de monicwingedhorsewith blood-red eyes, is a shadowy tigure whom you loow to be the warmongering DreadLord Belgarolh himself. Under lhe veil of night the UsurpingSerpent is leadinghis army towardsthe Citadel. You cannothope to overcome suchincrdible odds.It will not be long beforeRuddlestone is crushed beneath the Iron Fist.

As you chaseafter the High Priest,a manic InitiaLe barsyour way. Armed wrth a long, blackthom, sheis tntenton revenge. You mustfight her,

I NI T ] AT E

SKILL 7

STA M I N A 6

If the battle lasts six Attack Rounds or less, you continueafter Brya4 tum to 287. If it takeslonger, turn to 554. 156

459

a6o The strange liquid fastes strongly of wild garlic,but it (restore alsoseems to havhealingproperties up bo4 points of lost sraMrNA). Now will you readlhe letter (tum fo 57) or leavethe mill (turn to 49)? a6a Rummaging you uncovera locked throughthe debris, iron box. If you have a small iron key and want to open lhe box, tum to 2j2. lf you do not have sucha key but you 6nd one laler, make a note of this paragraph so that you car return hereif you wish to open the box. For now, t:UInto 2Z+

on wolves; also Trolls, Ogres, black clad warriors,

T
a6z As yoll se to your feet, Belgarothstridestowards you acrossthe throne room. 'l shallcrushyoq Templarl'he spits vehemently. 'Then lherewill be no one to stop me and the prophecywill never be f,.i6lled!' You just have time to ready your weaponwhile the Dread Lord unsheathes his great black Runesword. Chaged with the powersof darkness, a blow from the Runesword points of damage to your will inflict J sraurre and it will alsodrain1 HoNouR point as it taintsyou wrth the foul infectionof Chaos If your norour scorereaches zero,you will havebeentotally corrupted and will comeunder Belgaroth's control,to become his new champion

BELCAROTH

S K I LL 12

You must reduceany damageyou causethe Dread Lord by 1 point because of his heavy plate armour. \44ren you do strikehim, he does not bleed;instead his woundsooze a vile greenslime:every 6bre of hrs undeadbeing is corrupted.As soon as you reduce Belgaroth's srrwrr.re scoreto Z poinLsor less,if you have the word 'Reggad'writlen on youl AAoentur. Sfieei, turn to :j8; otherwise, tum Lo251. a63 With a souJ-rending scream, a hideousspectre flies aL you out of the darloess, tearinga deep gashin your sword-arm poinLs with a clawedhand(losez srAMrNA you and r srILL point). Standingin front of is a ghastlyundeadcreature whrch looks like a shrivelled and stoopedold woman wifh long matted hair and,

f 166-15,

a64-1,6s only one largenostril and a singletooth As stranBely, howls moumfully,you look into the hideouscreature its red rimmedeyeswhich are iilled with blazingtury sorrov/. You are now [acin8 the and indescribable that haunls known as the Cailleach, terribleBanshee, (Make of the numberof a note lhe Caims oi Dunar lf you have the Barisl Spirit Special thjs paragraph.) Slolland wish to try to useit now, tum Loao3. lf you do not haveiL,tum LoJ45. a64 Wyrd, the Although you have stoppedthe ethereal by the exPerience hdsobviouslybeenrhaken Mistress 'Dark powers are at work here Not only does the UsurpinSSerpenthave physicalguards,he also has I Pray tha! you can among the other planes. servants overcome suchterribleodds,but I am afraidthat there is nothing more I can do for you.' The young woman 'Now go.' You do not want to sits down, shivering. so you leave The Mind's causeher further distress, Eye'.Turn to 248 a65 falls With a heavinggroan, th floor of the chamber away into a now clearlyvisiblefiry pit many metres deep, leaving only a pinnacleof rock beneaththe badge of the Templarson which you are standinB The height makesyou feel dizzy and you have to hard on keepingyour balanceThere is a concentrate of beating wngs and three lmps fly out of fhe pit, they have barlike wings and barbed tails. As they swoop doltn to attackyou, jets of flameshoot from

therrmouths.You must fight all the Fre Imps at the sarnetime, wilh your Attack Strenglhreducedby z pointsbecause of yor.r verLigo.
S K ILL

lirst FIRE IMP Second FIRE IMP ThirdFIRE IMP turn to z:z all three, If you defeat

I 6 7

4 t

a66 you with a piercing stare' fix The owl continuesLo lying openon \ ou seetha{a largebookhasbeenlefL the desk,and n"*t to it i. anothervolume,bound rn red leather,that may be of inLerestYou mav now choose to carryout two o[ the fol]owingactions(You rvill be told to relum to this paragrapha{ter each chorce.) However, once you have performedtwo of to r5. Will you: you mustturn immediately them, Tum to 1a9 Readfhe largeopen book? Turn to t9: Tale a look at the red book? Make a thoroughseach throughthe Tum to 274 in lhe cetl? wreckage Turn to 49 Leaveimmediately?
a67

ri is blo&ed by a padlocked iron gate. Coming from

l_

158

15fa7o

you can hear something Lhedarkness beyond lhe gaLe, large moving about and grunting in the distance;there the SaLeis is also a strong animal smell. Because locked and you have no key, some other meansof opening it will have lo be found if you wanl to proceed further. Ironbane, if you have some,will rust the lock and the gate itself, letling you pass. A grenade,if you have one used successfullywill blow lhe lock apart, allowing you to open the gale. Otherwise, you will have to break the gate open with your weaPon,such as a weapon-lf you have'a smashing mace or a war-hammet you make short work of the problem.However, a pointed or edSedweaPonrequiresgreater effort to breakthe lock (lose1 sTAMINA If you use one of the point through your exertions). abovemethodsto get past lhe gate, tum to 294. If you decide thisrouteafLer all, tum to 353. agains[ a68 Cuttins off one of the Cockatrice'sclaws to take back with you as proof of your vicLory, you leave lhe caves and retum to Ennox. Thers you ffnd the group of villagerswaiting outside the local tavem, the Wild Goose, the sign of which depicts a farmhand drasing just such a fowl. They are slartled to see you wiLh evidence of your conquest. "ilVe didn't think yodd tut actually go throughwith it,r saystheir spokesman, you have our thanks.Maybe the Templars really are after all.' Add r lo your EoNouR score our guardians for ridding Ennox of the Co&atrice and restoring the people'sfaith in your order. As a sign of their lhanls, and the peoplegive you e meals'worth of Provisions

ask if lhey can help you in any way in your quesL You realizelhat lhesefarmersare not greal fighLers and have recently sufferedenoughhardship,so you ask lhem if they lnow anything conceming the ElfSpear, AelfSar. 'Lgend tells of a weapon of great power lying in one o{ the burial mounds of the ancient kings, the Caims of Dunar, half a day's ride south-west of here acoss the moors.However,I wam you, the Caims are also said lo be haunted by the Cailleach,a tenible undeadmonster.'Do you want to rnakeLhis addeddiversionto the burialmounds(tum bo3i:3) or, knowing thal time is fast rurming out, will you stay on theroadheading south(lum lo jj2F a69 to revealjagged rocksat the The mistspart momenLarily baseo{ the gorge, hundredsof mekes below. Iesl yoar you manage Skill,addingz to Lhe diceroJl.If you succeed, to control your vertigo; tum to 245.If you fail, you panic ofbalance andyourheadbegins to spinYou loseallsense of and topple fiom Firemane's saddle,over the ParaPeL several seconds, the bridge.Your death plunge lasts yourbodyissmashed therocksbelow. before topieceson
470

rises You are unable to keepyour seatwhen Firemane up on his hind legs. You land on top o( one of the callhropsand its vicious metal spikesdig into your poinLs). By bhetime you have back (losez sTAMINA inLo the yowself, the man has disappeared recovered encroachingdarknessand you decide against fllrther pursuiL.Searching the murderers' bodies, you find 3

a7Fa73

Cold Piecesbut noLhingmore. As night has fallen, you decide that you must now make for Havalok Tum to 241.

nofhing of interest or value, so you spu-rFiremane onwards. Ii you have the word 'Ecro[' written down on yorr A,lDehlurc Sheef, fur to jo6 If you do not,

Ducking behind the mound, you can see your next move.It is only a iew stridesto fhe cauldron full of oil and,putting all your weight behindit, you manage Lo tip the vessel over. Its contentsgush down the slope and collect round the base of the mound. In the confusion Lhatensues, a torch fallsinto the river of oil; il goesup insLantly, forminga wall of 6re beiweenthe BeastMen and the mound and leavingyou and the villagers unharmed,but wrlh Lhe furious shaman trappedwith you With the oLherBeastMen roarrng encouragement/ the shaman attacks. Fight the battleas normal but if he wins Lhe 6rst Attack Round, the shamanblastsa bolt of dark energy at you wmcn j points of damagelo your srAMrNA.Afler causes Lhat, he hies to rakeyour fleshwith his talons BEASTMAN SHAMAN If you win, hlm to io4.
412

474

CenLlyyou fu8 at the stalk of one of the planls whenit snaps in your Braspand the mushroom sends a cloudof spores into the air-Roll one dice and divide the number by z (roundinghalves up) This is Lhe number of pieces weapons of armour, or melalobjects, suchas your lantem,you are carying at the moment (not includinS Cold Pieces or any weapons caniedby liremane)that are destroyedby the lronbane.Cross piecesof equipmenttotalling that number off your AiloenLure Sheel. You decideit is not worth tryin8 to collectthe lronbane, so you quicklyremounL and leave theclearing. Tum to I

5KILL E

STAMINA 7

You bang on the doors, and after a few moments you hear someone r.rnlocking them from the other side, then they open just a crack.Are you wearxr6 a green cloak and hood? If so, turn to joz if not, lum to 225

Quickly searching the body of the Giant, you find

Creeprng you are assailed into the darkened passage, by a stenchof decayand putrefaction. Following fhe tr.mnl a little further, you round a bend and come upon a circularchamber liltered with bonesand filth, and smellinglike an anrmal's den Hearing your approach,the inhabitantof the mound tums, dropprng the humanarm it was gnawingwhen you arrived,and leis out a soul-shredding wail The grotesquethinS slanding you lookslike a shrivelled and stooped before old womanwith long mattedhair and,strangely, only one large nostrii and a single tooth. As fhe hideous creature howlsmoumfully,you look inlo a parrof redrimmedeyesfilled with blaan8 fury and rndescribable sorrow- You are now facing the terrible Banshee, knonn as the Cailleach, Lhat haunts the Caims of (Makea note of the nLrmber Drmar. of this paragraph.) If you have the Banish Spitit Special Skill and wish to try to useit now, turn to aoj I[ you do nol have rt, rurnro J45
176

you raceup a flight of Sprintingthroughthe archway, stone stepsand on fo the crumblingbattlemenhof CaerSkaalafter BelBaroth. Night hasfallenand light ning crackles overheadYou from raging stormclouds know that something of a supernatural naturis laking placeBelgaroth stands, not far from you, at the top of another ascendinS it flat-roofed tower wiLh a staircase round its outside The warmonger hashis armsrarsed to the turbulenlskiesas if in supplication ASainstthe dark cloudsyou can make out an even darkershape

t
L7a-qg

approachint at Sreat speed on feathery red+ipped wings.The midnight-black wingedhorseis one of the demonicsteedsof lhe Wild Hunt a Night-marel Seeing you, Belgaroth shouts a command to the Night-mare ard, beatingthe air wifh fierytippedhoofs, i[ c]osesrn on you, ready to Learyou apart with its razor-edged teelh There is time to use a crossbow once,if you have one.The Holy Skrte Special Skrll,if usedagainstthe beast,will cause 2 points oi damage to ih sr^MrNA and1 pointof damage to its sKrLL N I G H T- M ARE
If you reduce the demonic Nighl-mare's srAMrNA to 6 points or less,turn Lo 12o.

g8 Your opponenttopplesbackwards at your death-dealing blow and falls with a crashinto the gearsand clankingmechanisms of the Juggemaut, )amminSifs lvorkingsThereis a terriblegroanin&then something buckles, sendingcogs and metal shafts flying fiom theirmountings. In the confusion, warriorsand guards are running everywhere, bui ignoring you. just to make sure that lhe Juggemautwill be completely you locate the safety valve on the boiler destroyed, and jam it shut.Having begunthe destrLrction of the rvarmachine you must flee Teslyour Luck.lf you are Lucky,turn to 1ol If you areUnlucky,turn to 233. ar9 Yor.rmanageto hold your brealh before the sleep rnducingpollen can affect you- Lunging at the man, you deliver him a fatal blow and he slumpsto the flooa CeadYou hurry outsideand wait for the pollen to disperse before re-entering the mill to investigale turther Tum to 354.

This breastplate hassavedmany a warriorfrom olherwisecertaindeath.While you wearit you may rcduce by r poinl any damagcdone againstyou in battle However,lhis pieccof armouris also qurreneavy,so you must alsoreduceyour Attack Strength by 1 point duringcombat. Now returnto 356

aao-a82 a80

aE3-aA4 a83 Feeling a sharp pain, you look down to see the prophel represenLingthe threat of death pulling his scythe ftom yoru leg (lose 2 9TAMINA Points). You cannot hope to 6ght off all the mob, so you male your escaPe-Turn Lo a14

As the 6nal word begins to form on your lips, sweat breaksou! on your brow and you realizethaLyou cannoLcontain the eldrilch power writhhg within you. A surge of elemen[alChaos, generaLed as a reaction to your charm,rushesmto your body as yor.r stumbleover the last word. In a searing explosionof pa;n, tensedmu'clesgo into spasmand sinewssndp Your adventureendshere. Gasping for breath and exhaustedby your slruggle, you dimb backinto the saddleand presson through the nighl and the torrentialrain. To the eastyou can makeoul a low rangeof hills,but thereis sLillno sISn of the villageor the forge Do you want to try to ffnd in the hills (tum lo j."7), or will you pushon in shelter (tum Lo85)? your desired hopeof reaching destination

a82

You walk for several kilometres along the uneven Lunnel floors until you reach a large cave chamber wiLhno other exits:a dead-end. By the time you have hudgedback lo the junction,you are quite tired (lose 1 srAMrNApoint).Having restedbrie{ly,you takethe (tum to a26). righL-hand passage

a84 you Dusk falls as come in sighL of the smouldering remains of a ransackedvillage In the twiliSht haze you canjusLseethat a hastilyerected woodensto&ade Howevet as you nearthe siteyou slands at its centre. hear a terrible din Coming over lhe hill towards you a The ceatures suddenly aPPears. massof beasL-headed noise is made by them banging weaPonsagainst shields and making animal hootings, grrnts and bel of at the prospect lows. Firemane snortsin excitement baltle. Driven by a maniacalbloodlust, the bestial warriors chargeyour small force. The Beast Men's BattleStrength is ro. (lf you Lookfour daysor lessto 8et this far, deduct z pornts 6om the BeastMen's Battle Strength.) in Battle To do Lhis,roll two dice and add Now Engage

L85

aA6-a8, were captured by Master Gnye the Miller, tum to t4 If you were not, having composed yoursellyou now lake stock of your bearings until, after walking several you reachthe outskirts kilometres westwards, of Havalok and retum to the desertedtemple'senhance. Turn to zi9. at6 Kneelingbeforethe altat you feel a surgeof energy passclean through you. Regain up to 4 sraMrNA points,1 skrrt point and r rucr point. For a mommt your hands are $rrounded by fue but you feel no heabthen the flamesvanish.You have been granted Kldzat's Giftr you may conjurea smallmagical ball of 6re which will do 4 srAMrNApojnls of damage whn aimed against an enemy However, you may use this gift only once. Having been blessed,yor.r leave the shrineTum to 25. a8, Cautiously you ceep acrossthe lloorboards towards another shadowy doorway in the wall opposite- As r-ou peer into the gloom there is a swishrngsound hom above and someLhing hard and heavy hrls you on the backof your head.lf you are wearinga helmet, tum Loz5; if you are not, Lurn[o j7o-

your army's Battle Shength. Now roll two dice and If the tofals are add the BeastMeris BattleStrength. the same, deductr poinbboth from your aimy's Battle and from that of your opponents, lhen Er8rg, Strength in Battb again.lf the Lolals are not the same,the side which is at a disadvantage(has the lower tobal)must deduct 2 points ftom its Battle Skength, then you retum to lhe bop of Lhis paragraph If your Battle everfallsto zeroor below,turn al onceto 2o7 Slrength (makea note of this)-If your enemy's BattleSkength ever falls to z, or below, turn at once to r49 For now, however, iI your force has the advantage,hrm to 49. tum to 67. lf your forcehasthe disadva.ntage, a65 The evil servanl of the Darkthom falls to his kneesat your fatal blow and grabs your tunic. 'So, this is how 'You may have thwartedthe Clencs il ends,'he gasps. lives again.You and of the Darkthorn,but Belgaroth all your order are now as good as dead.Curseyou, Temolar! From this moment onwards, fear and dread shall rule your life!' fien he is dead. you and your mind rs filled A suddenchill overcomes with irrationalfear Roll one dice lf you roll 1 or 2, record the Fearof Spide$ on yow AdltentureSheet; on a to17 oI 3 or 4. write down the Fear of Snakes; and on a roll of 5 or 6, record the Fear of Heights, You may havedefeated an ally of the evil warlord,but you have paid deaiy for it. (Add 1to your HoNouR score.) Next lo Brya/s body lies his bwistedstaff; it is a curious object and you may take it iI you wisll If you

188 Themummers arealldressed in the tradihonalcolor,rrful rag robesof their profession and are re-enacting Lhe popularstory of a kniShfs battlewith a fue-breathrng &agon anda spiteful old hagin theirown comical style.

wrtch-mask. The mosl remarkable cosLume, however, is lhat of thedraSon. It is wom by lwo people operating a nechanrsm thal makesthe dragons wings flap and its ;awssnapopenand shut.A short blastof flarne bursts from the creature's nostrils, causing the crowd to gasp onceagain.Caughtup in ihis display,the audience do not notke another of the mummers dancing among them,relieving them of their purses- but you do. You cannotlel lhis felony go unchallenged, so you shout out, 'Stopthief!'The pickpocket looksaroundin horrified surprise, ihen makesoff through the crowd. You follow in hot pursuitbut 6nd your way blockedby the dragon. The thing spinsaroundto faceyou anda jet of frre shoots from is nostrlls. TesL your Luck If you are Unlucky,turn lo :o8. If you areLucky,the flames miss you,but onlyjust, andyou findyourselfin combatwiLh the mummers'dragon (turn to j28) 189 You are unable to make any senseof the wizard's joftings and so, decidingnot to wasteany more time searching rn Savart'slaboratory,you leave and take the tunnelbackto the po cullis Tum to 212.

a9o-493 190

495

Without evn thrnking, you make the appropriate gestures and utter the words to dismissthe Haunt The evil guardian in pain as it is sucked spirit screams into the earthat your feet.Tum lo 289 a9a You are within srght of the walls of Havalok when dusk is falllng.Riding on in the fastfalling light, you passa copse of treesat the edgeof the road.Suddenly a dark shape drops out of the branches of one lree as you passby urdet il Test yourL ck If you are Lucky, tum to 38 If you areUnlucky,tum to 346
192

chamber.'Oh, excuseme,' he says, 'just a minor techmcal hifch. I'm sure if I heat the cruciblebefore adding the ... Oh, but you don't warLLohearabout ihat The man beams at you jovially. 'Now, what can Ido for you?'You mentionthe sign you saw on the 'Follow me' says Pyritees. door. Ah yes, of course,' you into his laboratory,the alchemist shows Leading you you the potions he has for sale.Those are mosl intersted in are listedbelow; if you buy any potions, your Adt:enture amend Sleelaccordingly. Wilheruell- This concoctionacts on any plant like acid, causing:tto wither and die CosL4 Cold Pieces AnLilorin An antidote to the poison o[ venomous creatures suchas snalesand spidersThereis enough for two dosesCost:3 Gold Pieces Healng Drautht This elixn hasthe ffecto[ restoring your lnifial score(round sraurra pointsequalto haLf ing fraclions up) Cosl:3 Gold Pieces Reoelation - Drrnking this polion briefly heightens your psychicand spiiLualawareness as if you had the |mm"flp Special o Cold Prece:,. Skill Cost: Pyritees says,'I Whenyou havemadeyour purchases, you could help me with a probleml'm don't suppose having?It won't take long' )f you raant to help the alchemist, Lum lo 2:7 Alternatively,you could leave the laboratoryand iry to recruita smallarmy (tum to 1j9) or leaveHavalokwithout any further ado (turn
to J14.

Clinging on to the Wicker Man with one hand,you start to open the cages and free the prisonersAs you climbhighr,a volley of spears and olher projectiles is you launchedat from the seethinglhrong of Beast Men, who are howling with rage Roll one dice.On a you roll oF | 1. d spear ihudsinto yoLu bacl.cdusinS to fall from the structure and land outsrdethe ring of {ire (turn to :65). On a roll of,tr 6, lum to 84 493 Beyond lhe door you 6nd yourself in a room filled wrth what is undoubtedlyfhe clutter of a scholar There is a loud bang, and a cloud of dirty smoke billows through an archwayon the far side of the room CouShingand spluttering, a thin, middle'aged man,wearingscorched and well-wom robesand with an untidy beardand shocko( hair, slagSers into the

1,94-1,96 494 You cannot prove to the Elves that you mean Lhe forest no harm. They wish you well in your quesl but swiftly escort you away from their sacred grove, before vanishing again among the trees You know that you will nof be dble lo find the grove again becauseof the Elven magic lhat protects it, so you hurry on your way. Tum to 278. 495 You enLer the bel-tower ttrough a small door at its base and climb a spiral stone slaircaseto lhe top. Here you find a square room with an arched opening in each wall. A large rron bell is swinging on its frame in the centre of lhe chamber,tolling sombrely. The only occupantsof Lhebelfry are severallarge bats, hanging upside down {rom the rafters. Do you want to try lo stop lhe bell tolling (tum to zg4), or would you rather leave the tower and searchelsewhere(retum to ja and chooseanother option)? a96 YoLrr heart pormding in your chest, you utLer the terrible syllables of the incartaLion-As you speak the hve Words of Powet you feel their awesome might twisLing Lhrough every fibre of your being. BuL do you have the physical strength to control the energles you are about to release? Roll three dice If Lhe total rolled is less lhan or equal to your srAMrNA score, turn lo 229. If the Lotal is greater Lhanyour srAMrNA score,turn Lo a8o,

a97-194 497 fiail, good people,'you call out over the hubbub. fihat is it thal you want?' 'l,Ve have havelled from village to village, Sathering thoseworthy oI our cause to us,'saysthe first prophet fie seekto petrtionthe king, that he may give food to the starvingand healng lo lhe sick,for is he not the divine represenLative of our gods on this Earthly Plane? The end is nigh. Our priest-krng needonly see the truth, and the land shall be healed.But it is the liles of you who keep the truth from hrm!'You are going lo have to say somethingquite amazingLo deter the mob. Testyour Skill, addtng r to the dice roll. Ifyou succeed, tum Lo34A.11yo.u fajl,tn to 26a.

a9a The door is unlocked and, once through, you slam it shut behind you You walk along a short passageway unLil you come upon a T1unction To the left, after a few metres, the corridor ends abruptly. To the right you can see a heavy iron portcullis, beyond which a

flighl of stone stepsladsupwaids.Do you want to tum left and male a thorough investigation of the dead-end (tum to 35i), ot will you tr.rm right and inspectthe portorllis (tum to lrf
499

The Necromagelets out a deathly shriek as,with your killing blow, his rotten flesh drops fiom his bones, which dissolveinto slime.Soon all thal is left of the diabolicalrmdeadsorcereris a pool of felid sludge. With Cadaverdead, the tormmted souls under his control are free, and his undeadarmy stops in its tracksand cmmblesto dust.You have won this victory for the peopleof Assartl Rgain2 LUCK points and add r to your HoNouR score. Now all that remains for you [o do is to leave the sepulchreand retum to Assart. [f you have the word Reggad' $,riften down on yolur Ailoefllure Srrtrt, fum to 249. If you haven't, twrr to 574, too The aftemoon winds on aB you and Firemanehead south.While you ride along, undisturbed,you consider the differenl palhs that you could take that may lead to success in your quest. The most direct form o{ action will be to make your way to Caer Skaalas quickly as possible. However, if you are going to have to face BelgarothlsChaosKnights and Warriors,it may be wise to try to rcquit your own small force as you proced. Aranandus's words atout the Forestof Lein alsointerest you; you hrow that the vast expanse of woodlandis a mysLeriousplace, prolected by ancienLelemenlal

powers, powerswhichmay be ableto helpyou in your quest. Thereis alsoarotheroption opento you, to find the legendaryElf-Spear, Aelfgar. Storiesabut this mysucal weaponpre-datethe Crusadeagainstdraos. Forged by the Elvesof l-ein centuriesago, it is rumoured [o be imbuedwith the power of the gods themselves. lcgends tell how it has been wielded many times against the forcesof darkress and has saved the land fiom etemal tu8ht. To find AelfSar would be a momenLous undertak, ing but couldproveto be the way lo victory. Night falls and, having tetheredFiemane Lo a tree you settledown for the night in bheshade stump, of a copsejusLoff the road.With a gentlebreeze blowing through the leaves of the trees you are soon lulled to sleep.If you have the Communz SpecialSkill, hrm to yolr youl lI do rl.ot, Test lact If you are Lucky, ,5. tum to 7t if you are Unlucky, tum to 226.

204

Rallyingthe tonn's militia,you lead them out againsL the enemy.On the other sideof a greatgapingholein lhe south wall standsthe forbidding edifice that is the Scrambling over pilesof debrisand rubbie, Juggemaut. you run up a flight of steps to the batllemenLs, followed by your band of brave soldierswhom you deployalongthewalls.TheChaos Waniorsareswarming up tall laddersto the top of the walls. With a stifledcry, a beleaguered senlry falls at the handsof a black-clad human.The ChaosWarror stepsover Lhe sentry'sbody and prepares to swing his two-handed swordat you. CHAOS WARRRIOR ro srcrrr srAMrNA 9

On a successful hit, the warrior'sweaponwill cause J srAMrNApoints of damageVr'hilefighting in sucha you musL resLricLed positionon the battlements, reduce your Altack Strengthby 1 point If your aoversary s Attack Strengthrs ever zz, the force o{ the blow he you lo loseyour balance landscauses and knocksyou over the batllements lo your doom If you win, tum to 50.
202

Dusk has fallen by the trme you leave the burial mounds. If you do not havethe word 'Eehsnab' written you down on yout Aiaenlure Sheet, do, turl:. to 165. If you spendthe night in peacenot far from the caims, (restore and next day you sel off feelingrefreshed 2 srAMrNApoints and add r day to the Time Elapsed) Ratherthan retum to Ennox,you set off eashvards

aaoss the moors to rejoin the road leadingsouth,in an altemptto mal(e up for lost time (tum to 5o)
203

205

Although you do not understand the actual words, your hows spent studying ancimt heatises over the years mean that you can work out the gist of whaL you are reading- It appear Lo be a spell, and there is something aboul tummoning and 'assistance'. If you wanLto keep reading, fum Lo 56, otherwise,retum to a65.

You are immediately sunoundedby a band of n:ffians, &essedin rough clothesof brown and green They are armed with an assortmentof weapons, ranging from staves lo daggers, and lhey look a motley bunch. There is a one-eyed cut-Lhroal, a woman wearing metal sfudded leather armour, a renegademonk and therr leader a tall man whose face is hidden by a hood. 'A Templar, eh?' he says in a refined accent 'Rich pi&ings indeed.'And with lhat the outlaws you may fight the attack.If you are still mounLed, outlaws one aL a Lime and add r to your Attack Strength for lhe duration of the battle. If you have been unhorsed, you must fight all your opponents simultaneously
S K ILL

CUT-THROAT BANDIT RENEGADE MONK WOLFSHEAD

204 Swiftly you male the proper arcane holy signs and ulter the words of banishment The spectre slops, a miasma of dark energy playing about her insubstanfial form, then she stads to laugh cruelly. Morgwl'n is using the power of dark sorcery to prolect herself.A jagged bolt of black lightning sLreaks from one taloned hand and slams into your body (lose 4 sraurre points). If you are slill alive, you draw your weapon and preparefor combat. Tum to 29.

6 7 6 8

5 6

7 7

If you defeal lhe robber band, tum to 246

206

208

The scorching flameshit you fair and square, sending you staggering backin agony(lose4 sr,{MrNA polnts). While you are sLunned, the dragon - or, rathet lhe people insidethe costume - charge towardsyou. Tum
i o J2E .

a mystery However, of Aelfgarbecomes whereabouts from legend a weaPon of I do believei heard once afraid that is all I reslingin the Caimsof Dunar I am know.'Tum to E2

209

Firemane lakesa flying Ieap over a parLicularly large boulder and lands awkwardly on lhe far side. As the horseslumbles, you are unableto keep your seatin the saddle You are thrown over your mount's neck and hiL the groundpainfully(lose2 srAMrNApoinLs) You remolmt quickly so as not to lose your quarry andcharge off aILer it. Tum to 256.
207

One by one,your bravefightersfall beforelhe savage BeastMen's attack.You dispatchmany of the foul Chaor cpawr uriil. eventually, )ou loo are over you die he'oicallv Although the enemy. by whelmed is still doomed Ruddlestone

ChaosKnights and Warriorsare stormingon to the battlements from all directions. You watch in desparr as Belgaroth vanrshes into the nighl and you are sunounded by hrs army You are soon overwhelmed andyour crushed body is hurledfrom thebattlemenls

zaa-ta5 taa As you leap into the saddle your ghost\ attacker makes a (inal lunge at you. Test your Skill. II you without iniury' you parry the blow and escape succeed, lf you fail, the dagger sinks inLo your back (lose z

245

Your steed must have followed you and your captors hom Wendeford to the derics' tenpte. Thankine the gods for such a loyal companion,you show Firemane your appreciation.Having remounted,you decide that theris no time to visit Havalokitself,so you press on with your quesl. Two roads leid away fiom Havalok. The westerly roadeventually forlcs, one branchleadingsouthto the villageoI Ennox.You lcrow that the Dw;f bhcksmith Tonin Silverblade has his forge near Ennox. In his youth, Torin was a \ /arrior of Telak, but now he is renowned for the quality of the armour he makes which,somesay,hasmagical properties. He couldweJl provide you with a vdluabledefenceagainstthe attack ot your enemies-F{owever, to 6nd his fotee would mean maki^g a long detour to the village ;f EnnoxDo you have hme [o make such a joumey?If you think you have, and you want to visit Torrin, fum to :t3 If you would rather head more directly south towards Caer Skaal, skirting the Forest of Lein, tum to 15o.

on yow Adomlure srerf.) At dawn you are on your way agairy tum to 2E5.

doesnot The portcullis, althoughvery heavy-looking, You couldusIronbane appear to be lockedin positionon iL,if you havesome(tum to i72), or try raisingthe portcr:llis with your barehands(tum to zsg).
245

Walking westwards through the forest, you soon emergeclose to the outskirts of the town of Havalok. And standing near by, qoPPing the 8rass,is Firemane

214

l,\t1!{\la1 l\lv!v\ \\1 ^\ $fiI v^I\a r'{Atil'l\1 {i .Nt

l/lltl \tY\1'!\!^1 \\1{$

A1\\ \iv\ !^!i \ l\aell ai,\1\$ N AN\ -'j\\ $N.

Vl1\o 111

You push ainst the heavy stone lid and with a graling noise it slides open Lying in the sarcophagus is whal remains of a Lallman Drapedover his skeleton is the uniform of a knight, bearinglhe insigniaoI a grey mould cove$ the GoldenDragon.An unpleasant bones; when you openedthe coffin,a cioud of spores flew into lhe air- You cannoL avoid inhalinga lungful, and you start coughingviolenLly The sporesof the poisonous mould affectyour breaLhing ano you mus! j lose srAMrNApoints.If you have Lheword'Eugalp' you musL lose 6 written on your Adoenture SAes, sravtNe porntsand r srrrr point inslead, because the leper'swasting disease by the sporeis agSravated you look into the cloud 144ren the cioud has cleared, sarcophagus to see if the dead knrght has anything that may be of use to you His weapons of war have Iong sincerustedand are of no use lo you However, on one bony finger you notice a gold nng inscribed with the piclureof a shield.Do you want to take the ring, at the risk of releasing anothercloud of spores (lurn from the asphyxiating to r5r), or will you mould (tum to :4g and leavelhe crypt and search elsewhere choose again)?
245

you Searching theroomso{ the Elders' MeetingHouse, come upon somethinginLeresting in what was once the treasury. Undera thick layer of dust,an old lournal lies open on a desk.The last entry in it is dated'The Third day of Lo&ing, Two Hundred and Sixteen Years asfollows, After Chaos' andreads

2aa was L)ileNee,oltlage, Cadaoer, It is hoo nofihs sinceLhe lsid Lo rest, buf sfill we are besetby all mannerof Creaf rcs of the night stalk the toruents and egonies. proud aillageand the GrentBell has streets of our once There begun fo LolIagain.I fear our doomto bedecreerl now is no hope us for written by a long-dead Disturbedby Lhis message, your hand,you leave the meetinghouseto conLinue of the village Refum to 3a and choose exploraLion option. another 2a5 you growing brackenthat sLoPs It is the densely no doubt, to hap, constructed, spotLin8a foresLer's gives catchthe rogue boar The coveringof branches weight and you boLhfall into way underyour horse's iL rs not stakedbut, as he falls, the pit. Fortunately Firemaneknocks you into Lheside of lhe Pit and traPs your leg underhis body (lose3 sr.rvlr.re pointsand r SKILL point).Your mount pulls himself{reeof the trap wilh easeand you clirnb up after him, slightly less you ale on your easily.Once you have remounLed, way again through the forest. Tum Lo29a ready- Wilhout hesitation you gulp down the foulsmelling,thi&" black liquid The potion males you feel slightly sick, buL at the same time it fills you wilh rmewed confidence and delermination. Lose z STAMTNA points,but resLore 1 LUCK point and 1 sxrll point, and cross off a y tear you may have recorded on your Ailomhre SherLThanking lhe old cronq you mormL Firemane andheadsoufh.Tum to 5ga

Dusk has fallen by the time you leave lhe buriai and the next You spendthe night in Peace mounds(restore2 sraMINA Points and day set off refteshed You reach lhe cave add r day to the Time Elapsed). after sevemlhours' riding, and the cronequickly sets about brewing your potion In another hour il is

2a8

Your inherent goodnessand the purity of yow purpose protecl your will from the comrpting power of the Chaos Rune. Belgaroth hesiLates for a moment,sensing that his own supremary may be threatened. The Dread Lord now appears to be concenlrating. What rs he

preparing? You had betLer make the most of this opportunity to aLtackBelgaroth.lA/}ratwill you use to attack him? Tum to 118 A Black Crystal Orb? Tum to 252 Aelfgar, the Elf-Spear? Turn lo 299 The Holy StnkeSpecialSkill (if you Tum to 79 Turn to 20 Remounting yoru lrusty steed, you male yoUI way through the South Gate out of Havalok Two roads lead away from Havalok. The westerly road eventually has a branch leading south to the village of Ermox You know that the Dwarf blacksmithTonin Silverblade has his forge near Ennox.In his youtb Torrin was a Warrior of Telak, but now he is renorvned for the qualityof the armourhe makes which,somesay,has He couldwell Provideyou with a magrcal properties. against the blow' of your enemies valuabledelence However, Lofind his forge would meanmaking a long detour Lo lhe village of Ennox Do you have time Lo make such a journey? I{ you think you have, and you want to visit Tofln, tum to 285 If you would rather skirting headmore directly south towardsCaerSkaal, theForeslof Lein,tum to lio You reach the ladder withouL further mishap and, unnoticed,climb quickly up it The traPdooris not locked;pushingit open,you find yourselfin a small
' 249

dark chamber at the base of the tower. There is an iron-bounddoor in the wall of the room and a sprral staircase leadsupwardsinto the fuggemaut. You can feel heal coming from behind the door and you hear a deep roaring sound-Do you want to open lhe door (hrm to rz4) or ascend (lum to jarl the staircase

Culting out the Cockatrice's tongue,you returnto the crone's cave-'A tenible Banshee, calledthe Cailleach, hauntsthe Caims of Dunar, half a day's lde southwesl of hereacross lhe moors.You'll have to k l it in the flesh and gel the last rngredrent for yer potion,' the old hag cackles. If you want to go afLer the Banshee and its tooth, turn to gzg. lf you would ralher forget the whole rdeanow, you decideto waste no more time in this areaand to head southwards agairy rum ro 3J2.

Once agarrleveryLhing $ as it was when you entered lhe chamber. You move towardsthe gilded doors,but thereis yeLanothersurprise in sLore for you. Hearing foolsteps behindyou you tum lo seeyourself standing on the other side of the mosaic However, as you watch, yor-r double undergoesa honifying transformation First it beginsto grow in size,then lerriblesores appear on its skin,they burstopen,revealing decaying fleshbeneath. Its hands become cmeltalonsand unholy fires bum within its eyes At the same trme your double'sarmour and weapon larnish, and its tunic

225-224

2ts-zz5 lead your army againstthem in an altempt to break thror.rgh their lines.Roll one dice.If the re;utt is odd, tum to 358;if it is even,toll].to z7j.
225

becomes a grave-shroud. Whal will you do?Will you at[ack the honor (tum to 11j) or wait to se what (turn lo 58)? happens The hellspawn reelsunderthe force of your righteous from your blast,you draw Power and, as it recovers your weapon, readyto fight The DemonicSlayercan be harmedonly by magicalweapons. If you do not haveone,you wiil soonmeet the samefate as Herluin underthe creaLure's onslaught. Your opponent's claws are so sharp,they will cut through armourand flesh alike,so any bonuses you may haveagainst an oppo nent'sdamage will haveno effectl

DEMONICSLAYER

s K rL L9

s rAMrN A 6

If you destroythe honor tum to c8-

You give the foresteryour insfructions and by the lime dusk is falling you have your makeshrft army ready,armedwith crudeweapons and farmimpJements at the Demonkeep - your old commander Outpost would have beenproud of youl Carryng Lorches and singrnSto keep their spirits up, the villagersfollow you west to M1'rton,while you ride at therrheadon Firemane, who is excitedat the prospect of battle You soon come in sighl of the derelict ruins which are Jyingundera thick pall of mist The air is heavy with the smell of deathand you can hear the tolling of a bell. Emerging from the enshroudingmist are the bodres of the deadretumedto lrfe.With a shoutyou

i,2,6

22'

Pyriteestakesyou over to a workbenchon which is laid out a pieceof parchment with a grid drawn on it. ln the squares of the grid have beenplaced the various solulions and compounds needed for an alchemical experiment. At the end of each row and column a number has been written, except at the bottom of two columns:there is also one empty square.Pyritees explains thaLa friendof his in Shekin hassenthim the formulafor a life-exLending elixir, includingdetailsof the ingredients required and their respective quantities. UnfortunaLely, as a resultof one of the alchemist's all too ftequent'accidents', the letter thaLcamewith the formula was destroyedbefore the experimenty/as fully sel up- Now all Pyritees has are Lhe weighb of the combined compounds in each row and column, except for two, and one missing ingedient. (Take a look at the illushation opposite this parraph.) The ingredients - ether-mist trappedin glassspheres, dew from the Forestof Lein,volcanicashfrom Hellsbreath Peak, and lumps of sulphur-rock one - eachrepresent you of the four elements. If couldwork out the weight of each element,from the combinedweights, you might be able lo work ouL the missingingredient If you coulddo this,you would alsobe ablelo work out the two missing numbers from Lhe two columns If you managethis, add the two missingweights logether, then tum to the paragraph with the same you leave number.If you cannotsolve the problenr" the alchemist's laboratoryand either try to recruit a small army (tum to 1j9) or leave Havalok (tum to 314)

228

a sharpparnrn your side,you wakeup with a Feeling start Hoveringaboveyou is a dagger,its hilt glinting in Lhe moonlight and its blade dripping wth blood your blood! Lose z srevlr,l points A thostly readyto while handclutches lhe daggerand is poised, strike again What will you do to deiend yourselfl Will you usethe BqrishSpirifSpecial Shll, if you have your weapon,ready to it (turn to t41), or unsheathe fighl it (tum to 43)?

in their armour which startsto drssolveRoll one drce andadd5 to thenumber rolled(addr furtherpointifyou havetheHolyStriLe to seehow manyof the SpecialSkill) Chaos Knightssuccumb io your atlack(there arerwerve in a1l) The words spoken, lhey lose their power andmay not be usedagain. You will haveto fight any knighLs not destroyed by the charm, onc at a time.Each Chaos Kaight has srrrr ro and srau:Ne rz When fightingthe knights,you musfrcduce you any damage do by r point because they areprotected by theirblack armour. If a kmghthts you. roll one dice.If the numbcr rolledis odd, the knight's weapon causes I srAMrN^ poinLs ofdamage rather thanz.Ifyoumanageto deslroy or defeat all your knightlyopponnts, ium to r5s.
230

229

the knighLs As you declaim the final word of lhe charm, droptheirweapons andclutch theirheads wrthSauntleted hands They staggerabout,reelng under the eldritch fall to forces thatareassalling theirundead bodiesSome foul thefloorard lie perfectly motion less. As you watch, gaps green slimeoozes andthrough out of theirhelmets

At the close of the monfh of Dark in the year r85 After Chaos,the battleweary crusaders laid siegeto the fortress of Caer Skaal Among them was the younS warrior-priestess, Shamar With her frnely craftedcrossbow she shot down many of Belgaroth's nightmarish flying creahues thai were preventingthe bravewariors from rcachingthc casllewalls until shewashit by a darkbalefue, launched from a catapuit insidelhe fortrssThe crossbow hassix bolts that go t ith it, three oi which are made from a blessed magical alloy so lhat they will also harm undeadand Dcrnons. When you are gtven the option of usjng the crossborr'r', Trsl your Skill, adding 2 to the number rolled rf you do not have the la6et Special Skjll. If you succeed, the bolt will hit, doing 2 srAMrNA pojnts of damage. lf you farl,it mrsses. Now retqrnto f56.

l.

212-734 232

As you lift the sword from the slab the dead do not awakenand nolhing elseuntowardhappens. You are holding the ancienL magical blade, Shadowbane,a weaponwoven with a blessed enchantmenl [o harm you are the undead. If you lake the sword,whenever in combatagainstone of the undeadyou may add 1 poinLto your Attack Strengthand inllict 3 srAMrNA points of damage upon it afLer a successful hiL(against all other opponenlsShadowbane does the usual .z srAMrNApoints of damage). Regain1 LUCK poinLfor this find. Leaving th"e burial mound, passing once again through the chilling darkness you will lose a further z srevrr,ra points and 1 sr[l point unless you are carrying the moon shield or Shadowbane Tum to ja6.

Inside the box is an orb of black crystal Such rare crysLals are sometimesused by sorcerersLo store spells Having bem locked away, it could be very valuable or very dangerous Return Lo274.

As you makefor the door In orderto leavelhe boilerroom, a black<ladHobgobln stepsrn front of you, blo&ing your exit. It has seenwhat you have done you. andwill try at all coslsLosLop HOBGOBLIN FANATIC sKrLL 7 6 sraMrNA

If this fight lasLs more than four Alta& Rounds,hrm to 4. If it lasts {our ALLack Roundsor less,Lum to

254 You haveno tror.rble it to silenonglhe bell,you smash pieceswith your weaponrby doing so you have slightly weakened the evil powersat work here From now on, while you arein Myrton, you may reduce the you have Loconfrontby srrlr- of any undeadcreature 1 point Regain1 LUCK point for this good fortune. However,somelhingelseis lesshappy at your stopping the deathknell. One oI the bals &ops from ils you. roost and,exposingtwo elongated fangs,attacks You are going Lo have to kill the VampireBat before you can leave the towerl

VAMPIRE BAT

SKILL 7

sr aM lNA 6

255-232

234-259

If you defeat the bloodthirsty guardian of the belfry, you notice a battered, but usable, lantem standingin one comer of Lheroom. If you do not have a lantem, you may tale this one; then you descendthe tower safelyand leaveit, to search elsewhere. Retum to 3r and choose another option. You pull the hood off the man'sheadand demand lhat he tell you why he attacked you. 'Curse you, Templarl, he shouk. 'l shallneverbekay the secu'And withthat he pulls somethingouf of a pocket and flings ib in your face.The air is suddenlyfilled wibh a cloud of sweet-smellinS Sleeping Grass pollen.Tesf gourLuck.lt you are Lucky, tum to q9. II you are Unlucky, tum io 83 256

right throughyour armourand inb your body (losej srAMrNA points) Tum to 11. 254

caught up with you and fulfilledits purpose.

and strengLh to defeattheir opponents. It looks as if you are winning. If you have Lord Varen,ssoldlers among your force, turn to f5. If you haven,t,tum to So2.

259 The beastreelsunderyour ghteousblast,givinS you time fo performanother action Wrllyoul Afta& it with your weapon? Use the Banish SpiriiSpecial Skill? Use a Cleric's Talisman? Use the potion Witherwell? Tum to r45 Tum to z6o Turn to 28 Tum to 4r

240

you Shoutrngaloud the baLtle-cry of the Templars, hear the voices in your head tum to screams, then you sLart they aregone Relieved, to leavethe macabre lorture-chamber With a clang,a branding-iron strikes a pillarjust in ftont of your face You spin aound as a length of chainrisesfrom the floor inlo the air. This canmeanonly one thing;you are being alta&ed by a Poltergeist. Spiteful and malevolenl spjnts,Polter8eisls are invisibleand immatenal and so cannotbe hrt by weapons If you have lhe BdnishSpitif SpecialSkill, you canuseyour talenL to sendthe Poltergeist Lo the Ethereal Plane(tum lo 198) If you do not, you will have to defendyourselfagainsL the ghost as it hurls toriurermplemenLs at you. PO L T ERG EIST
SKI LL 9

adventuring fratemity. Having eaLer! you retire lor the night. As you are preparingfor sleep,through your window you suddenlycatch sighl of a blazing ball o{ light shootingacross the blackened sky, a 6ery tail trailingbehindit The cometsoarsonwards until iL disappears over the hills on the distanthorizon.It is a well-known(act that a comet is a sign of impending disasler, and you havejust wrtnessed sLrch a portent.IL is sometimebeforesleep eventually you. overcomes You rise early, feeling refreshed after an untroubled nlght's rest (resLore up to 2 points of STAMTNA and add r day to the Time Elapsed) Having left the Red Hcrring,you geLready to explorethe town Havalok rs not a larte town but, astime is pressng, you still do nol want to spend loo long here ln Havalok yor.r shouldbe ableto lind someusefulequipment thal you may need later rn your quest,and surelyhere would be a good place to try to recruLt a smallarmy with whrchto opposeBelgaroth's forces, if that is what you intendto do If you want to visit Lhemarkets, tum to 554.If you wanLto hy to recruitan army,tum lo aj9.

Il will lake you five Attack Roundsto reachthe door exiting the torture-chamber, during which lime you will haveto fend off the Poltergerst's aLtackWhen the five Attack Roundsare up, and if you are still alive, lum to a9E.
244

You find that the gatesof Havalokhavebeensecurely shutfor the night However,as soonas the guardsees that it is an eliLeTemplarKnight of Telak who seeks entry to the towru he hunies down and unbarsthe tat, lelting you into Havalok.You find a room and a hot mealfor the night, at a cost of 5 Gold Pieces, at the Red Herring, a large inn, popula among the

Hastily you free the prisoners and usherthem out of the hall At that momentyou heara voiceinsideyour head: Braoewanior, lrce me Something is speaking to you telepathically,in a calm warm voice that fills you with a sense of well-being. You tum your attention to the drapedcage.Taking on comer of the bla& clolh, you pull il away For a momentyou are blindedby a dazzlinglighl and fling uP an arrn to shield your eyes. Wln you grow accustomed to lhe bdlliance,you peer between the iron bars Trappedinside the cageis a Brgantic bird looking somewhat and form, but like an eaglein shape far larger and with a crestof feathers rising from its head and along its neck Each of the bird s feathers glows with a golden radiance which lights up the entire hall, and you can feel the creature'spowerful auraof goodnessThank you, goocl knighl, lt says I am fhe CeLashit, perhapsyou haoe heard of rne fron yo r leger.ds? lou nod, awe sLruckThe Celastrix,so legend says,is a messenger of the gods,a magical bird of divrneorigrn In fimes past, uhen peoplewere closerto their gods, I Disiledthis Eafthly Planeregula y, rcl^Vingmessages lo andfrom try masfefi.Centuries in your utarld haoepassed sincelatt I camEhere,but now lhe sihnlion demands it. Dinrder and Chaosare on lhe riseand so I uas sent to this planz to offu dioine aid. Houeoer,I was mught by lhese oile Beast Men lhrcughdark sorcery, far lhe Dark TyranL lhe dead king's prophecy If ne, I fears vau release wiLlofferyou my help.

243

244 244 The men are playing a game called 'Dragon's Hoard'As you watch, you soon manageto work out the rules. The board on which the game is played has beendividedinto a grid of z5 squares and on someof thesesquares havebeenplacedGold Pieces. Thereare also two playing pieces on the board,one carvedand painLed to resemble an arrnoured warriot the oLhera fearsome-lookingRed Dragorr The labourersroll two dice,then consulta tableon one srdeof the board:it tells them how many squares eachprececan move in thal ror-rnd.They then move the wanior, while the soldiermovesthe dragoncloserto try and catchthem. Each time the labor.rrers land on a Gold Piece,they removeit from the board and add it to a pile in {ront of them- However as a result of the dice roll, bhe soldieris ableto move his dragonso that it landson the samesquareas the warrior The labourers groan and hand over lheir pile of coins, and the soldier removes the othe$ [rom lhe board. As the Lwo men slouchaway,the man-at-arms asksif you would like a 8ame.If you do not wanLto play 'Dragon'sHoard', lf you do, the man explainshherest of the n es to you The warrior and dragonstart at opposifecomers of Lheboard-The aim of Lhewarrior is to collect as many Gold Pieces as possible and then escape. Escap' rng can be done at any time by moving back to the warrior'sstart square. Howevet any coinsleft on the board then go to the dragon. Also, if the dngon lands on the warrio/s square,the dragon wins and claimsall

SearchingMurgrim's body, you find a bunch of keys and, sure enough,one opens the lock on the cage.Free of its prison,the Celastrix shefches its wings then flies up to the ceiling, picking you up in its talons.Nozo/et r,rs leaoe thts place. 'lhe bird smashestlrough lhe wooden roof of the hall and,beatingits grear wrngs, soarsaway from the campacross the night sky. Your aerialjoumey is soon over when the Celashixdrops to the ground and depositsyou near Firemane. Before it flies off again, the huge bird plucks a featherfiom its breastand drops il at your feeL.Whenyou need my help, simply bum fhis featheraftL call mv name thrce flrres. With lhat, the divine messenger fliesaway over the hills and disappears beyond the horizon.Taling the bird's golden feather you remount Firemaneand ride oIf to the south. Regain r rucr poin! and add 1 to your HoNorrR score for defeatinganother of Belgaroth's allies and for releasinSthe C;hskix. Tum to 2o6. 243 A passage leadsfrom lhe stepsinto a square chamber which has the same omarne;tation as tie exterior of the sepulchre.Tluee archways lead further into the fomb- If you have the ArcafleLorc SpecialShll, tum to 16. If you haven't, you mustdecide which passageway to follow. You haveentered {rom the eastso will you South? Wesl? North? Tum lo j61 Turn to 39r Tum to to9

245

246

/a v/
G) \-/
G \-/
\-/

\J

# 6
v
/-\ !-/

DRn<on\ ,
HoARD.

6 \J
v

6 v

hjlls. This boulder strewn wildemessmakesa compleLe paths of the forest.A cold contrastto the sheltered making wind whips acrossthe bleak grey hrghlands, you shiver at its chill louch. The landscape becomes you between evenmore odd lookingas the tra& leads frorn a bygone the half-br-ried bonesof somelevlathan age.And then you seeiL Set into the sideof a ro&y hillock are two great stone doors, flanked by the statuesof two armouredwamots: the ShrineoI the the doors-A TemplarsYou dismountand approach deep,booming voice makesyou start, echoing ouL Lo the across lhe barrenhilltops,'Who seeks entrance sacredShrine of the Templar Knights of Telak the You give your name and await a rSwordbearer?' If your norouR sroreis 11 or greatet tum to sponse. n, hnn to z5r. If it is IessLhan tjo. 246 You search Lheoullaws' bodiesand find a toLalof 8 Gold Pieces and a silverlocket You may take any of fhe reshictheir weapons if you wish to, remembering any one you us at tion on the number can carry or time.Thereis a quartersLaff, a daggerand two swords, here, none of which is magicalWhen you are finished yor-r Turn to ii2setoff soulhagainwiLhFiremane.

the Cold PiecesThe table of dice rolls shows how many moves the warrior can make in a fum and how many squares closerthe dragoncanmove.Movement not diagoor vertically, canonly be madehorizontally nal1y. In order to play,you have to PuLdown a stake, of 6 Cold PiecesIf you carurot equalling lhe soldier's, afford ths, or do not now want to Play, turn to 4o. If you do, then the boardis laid ouLas above Use countersfor the warrior and dragon, then start by rolling the dice.Whoeverwins lhe gameclaimshis or Turn her winningsas soonas it is over,and you leave.

245 you follow lhe trackthat leads Having crossed safely, through the rocky hom the gorge south-eastwards

24r244 247 lnside the stockadeis a wooden hall, decorated with human heads impaled on stakesround the edge of its roof. Is there no end to thes creatures, barbarism? Chained to a post in Iiont of fhe doors of fhe hall js a fwo-headed, wolf like creature which at present is suckng the marrow from a hurnan leg-bone However,

249

restoreup to 6 points of lost srAMrN^. Vvhileusing the war-hdmmerin combdt you must reduce your Attack StrenSLh by r point, but ary successful hil

248

ft on y our Adaen| ure SheeL).

Rope Lantem 6 Crossbow bolts ExtraProvisions Breastplate Mirror Healng Salve War hammer flask oi Holy Oil Spear ZiddianCharm

r Cold Piece 1 Gold Piece f Gold Pieces r Gold Piece each meal 5 Gold Pieces 2 Gold Pieces 4 Cold Pieces 6 Gold Pieces 7 Gold Pieces j Gold Pieces 4 Cold Pieces

As you are leaving the market.you passa building which has a brassplaqueinscnbed with the M/ords 'AureusPydtees - Alchemist. Purveyorof polionsand Flixrrsattached to the door. Do you want to: Enterthis buildingl Turn to 19j Now try to re0uit an army? Tum to r59 LeaveHavalokaltogether? Tum to j14
249 As you dimb the steps leading out of the sepulchre,

249

you smse an evil presence dose by What can it be? Surely all the Necromage's crcatures have been de shoyed?Hovering at the top of the steps is your you down nemesis The Assassin's DaggerhasLracked yor.r al 1ast, following the psychictrail haveleft like a fingerprinlon the ether.The bladeglints dully in the moonlight in the grasp of the ghostly hand If you havesomeHoly OiJ,you castit over your supematural assailant and the sprrit dissolvesinto the night air, droppinglhe dagger(cross the Holy Oil and the word 'Reggad' off yoll Adoenture Sierl; you may also talce the daggerif you wish, and then turn to 374) If you hand, do not have any way of banishing the speclral you must6ght rt onceagarn. A SSASSIN'S DAGGE R
SKILL 10

250

You dismount and tear off a squareof cloth from your tunic to put the mushrooms in. BendinS down at the you reachgingerly towardsthe edge of the clearing, fung| Testyout Skill.Il you succeed, lurn to 266 If you fail, tuln to ry4.

Afler four Attack Rounds, or if you win two consecu you work yourselfinto a position tive Attack Rounds, in which you canescape from the sepr-rlchre Racing up the last few steps,you slam the heavy stone doors bchind you, trapping lhe Assassin's DaSBerinside T.ulr. to j74

254

Belgarothis beginningto weakenunderyour attack; oul of the corner of your eye you notice thal the large black bird ihal was sitting on the back of lhe DreadLord'sLhrone is flappingfrom its perchtowards an archwaythableadsout of the throneroom. I{ you have fhe word 'Rofiart' wntte down onyour Noenl rc srsef,tum at onceto t6o. II you haven't, tum to 96.

255

lowers asit runsat you with fhe inlentionof goring GOREHORN

SKI(L 8

If the Beast Man wins two consecutive Attack Rounds, roli one dice.If the numberrolled rs odd, the chaoLic

252

At the.sight of all thesesnakes you start to panic.Tsl your Skill, addingz to the dice roll. I[ you succeed,

Drawing your_magical. blesed sword you prepdrero clelend thisgho.tll adversary. )ouJ.elFdgrinst

SPECTRAL KNIGHT
remountingFrremane, ride away from Ennox (lose 1 HoNouRand 1 LUCK point for your cowardlybehav_ rour and tum to J32).

SKILL 9

STAM IN A 8

If you defeat the spirit,turn to j56.

the crossbowzips through the air, straight into the ilceing,scoundrel's heart. His lifeless body dropsto the s_oJnd rrcltatn r rucx poinl). Turnto 12L 254 One of the warriorsstandingnext to you dropsdead cnd \u,. turn on \i. lijler ,: harry. goar_hcadid .rea. :t--, Ore Innqhom protrudes irom irs .kull whrchir

255-258 256 You manageto sLayin lhe saddleas you and your sLeed negotiatediffcult tenain. Suddenly, in a small clearing,the boar stops and tums to face you. The roguebeast is at leastthreemetres long from snoutto tail; il is covered in short, dark harr, wilh darker bands along its back. It snarls,revealingiLs huge yellow tusksand sharpteelh. With a bestialroar the animal runs at you. If you have a crossbowor a lance,you may use one of theseweapons oncebe{orehaving to draw your weapon.Deductfrom Lheboar'ssrrvrr-l scoreany damage you have alreadyinllictedupon lt, thenfight lhe baltlewhichlollows in the usualway. G RE A T B O A R
SKILL 8 STAM IN A 8

If you krll the beast, tum to 86

The voice addresses you, saying,You arenot worthy LoenLer Lhis place. Only the bravestaIldmost honourable may share the secretsof the Templars' You know that there is nolhing you can do to enLer the shrine and so, greatly disheartened and having wasted a day's travel geiting here, you tum Fire maneLowards the west and set off at a gallop through the hills towardsCaer Skaal(lose I rucK point and tun to 2j) 258 AwenydionstarLs feelingthe bumpson your headand tellsyou how you willhave a largefamily and be well loved by the ciLizens of Ruddlestone Then,suddenly,

25ft6o he freezes and his eyesglaze over. It is as rf he has you sense gone into a tranceWhen he speaks, that rt is not he who is conLrolling his tongue:'Braveknighl, lhe forces oF darknessand Chaos seek your ruin. Bewarethe beash that are men, and heed well the words of the warrior of sLone.Time is rurming ouL. Hurry now to the Fortress of the Skull.' Awenydion has been granted the Third Eye by his gods, and they havegivenyou a waminS r t ucK through him rreSain point),Turn to 125 259 Unfor[unately, this methodcreates a lot of noisewhen the portollis rattles up inbo the walls, rvilh rnetal Sratingon stone,and it is not long beforeyou hear the soLrnd of armouredguards running down Lhesleps in front of yotr Several ugly Orcs and black clad Chaos Warriors appear at the portcullis, which is huniedly raised,and you are soon overpoweredby the guards. You die quicklybut valiantly. 25o Your mystic talenthas no effecton the seaLurel The Darkthom is an elementa-l spirit, not an undeadone. The thing lashesout at you with a vine-like growth, which hocks you off your feeh (lose z sreurN,t points). What will you do next? Will you: Attack wrth your weapon? Use the Holy Shits Special Skilh Usea Cleric'sTalisman? Use the potion Witherwell? Tum to 43 Tum to 259 Tum to 28 Tum to 41

25a-r55 26a You try lo calm the crowd by lelling thern that you are on an urgenLmission,but your omtory skjlls are not good enough to appeaselhe seething mob. 'Avenge yourselves with the dealh oI this accursed Templarl' the incensed prophet yells. You have no choice bul to try to escape.With a shout, you kick your heelsinto Firemane's flanks. The horsewhinnies and Ieaps forwardinto the crowd Driving your mount forward, you chargepasl lhe startledprolesters. As (lose you flee,however,you are struck by a pike z sr,AMrNA poinls). Soon you are well away from the angry mob; but you acteddishonourably Lowards the (lose Wasting point). no sLarving people r noroun more time, you conlinue southwards;tum to 2oo,
262

As you grip the Elf"Spea/s shaft you feel its power your muscles flowing into your arm, strngtheninS Belgaroth screams upon seeing Lheweaponthat caused you canhurl it at him, his deatha centuryago, Before the Dark Tyrant raises hands and unleashes a dark his your bolt of energy at you. It slams into body, throwing you back across the room (iose5 srevru poinls).If you arestill alive,tum to 162.
26j

The sm is low in the sky by the tine you reach the the presnc of Caims of Dunar, and you can sense up of four tumuli evil in the area.The site is made constructed round a centralring of stoneswjLh one at A dark hole in the roughly eachpoint of the compass.

264

265-266 265 The Chaos spawn are on you in an instant Driven by

side of each mound providesaccess to whaLever is 'rvaihnginside. II you do not wanL to searchthe barows - which you can do only if you have a lantern - you can leave the Caims of Dunar by Lumingto 2o2- If you have the l/ar:[irg Special Skill, tum lo aJZ If you do not, having lit your lantern, whichmoundwill you enter6rst? The one to the: North? South? WesB Tum to 95 Tum Lo v5 Turn to fl9 Tum to 55o

Men do not evenbother to insane bloodlust, the Beast you add to lhe fmeral pyre but simply cut you down whereyou stand,beforeseltinga lorch to the Wicker Man and its prisoners The Dark Gods will be well pleased lonrght.

266

264 Several vinessuddenlyshool out of the urdergrowlh and wrap thcmselves round your ankles, draggingyou to the gromd with a thump (lose r srrvlrn point) You hack al lhe plants until you manage to free and I'ourseltbut now the man rs nowhereto be seen, fhc surrounding brambles coverup his lracks.Puzzled b-vwhat you have lust seen,you return to liremane you. TLrrrrc,17. andleavethe Foresl of Lernbehrnd

Taking great care you push the soil away hom a cluslerof the fungi and gently lilt themfrom the earth inlo your ready-made pouch With the cloth securely tred with a preceof vine, you put the fungi in your backpack. If you ever use the Ironbaneagainst an armoured opponent, roil one dice before combat your begins.On a roll of r or z, LhesporesdesLroy adversary's annour so it losesany Prolectionlt may have againstyour blows On a roll or i or 4, your opponent'sweapon,provided it is madeof metal,is

,57-268

269

destroyed, so your enemywill have to fight you with hrs sxllc scorereduced by 3 points.On a roll of 5 or 6, Lhe lronbandestroysboth the armour and the weaPon,However, this new wapon may be used only once. Tum to 8 267 Connor manages lo swallow the liquid and recovers 5ulficiently to tell you whal has befallenhim,'l was ambushed ... Archers. - There were three of lhem riding wolves And their bannersbore the gaurtlet and sword symbol of Belgaroth's forces...' \ou tell Connor quickJyoi your questdno swearoy Ielal.i golden sword that you will do all you can to avenge him, The knight managesa weak smile and then,althoughhis breathis comingin short bursts, he speaks again: 'Yesterday I encountered two draos Warriors raiding a fann on the southem edge of fhe Iorest. Before I slew rhem, I overheardpart of a conversation. They said that Belgaroth hasgarnedthe supporlof the ChaosBeaslLord, Murgrim the Cruel, and his horde of ChaosBeast Men. One of Lhem also said that the BeastMen have capturedthe Bird of Light and mentionedsomethingabout a prophecy.' Connorsuddenly criesout in pain 'l'm afiaid thereis nothing more you can do for me .. Co now and do your duty.' Tum to 72.
268

is upset in the land,'she tells you conspiraforially 'Only last Earthday, saw the Serlo,the gravedigger, ghost of a pnest in lhe graveyard, and at the end of Hiding the moon itself was the colour of blood There'salso talk of druids carryingout dark rites rn lhe forestand robber bandsroamingthe colrntryside. It's not safeany more' Next, will you ask her where you can find the sage(tum to j62), askher aboutthe lnn's name(turn to 134),or will you waste no more (tum to +9)? time hereandleaveWendeiord
269

The conosive sporsof the fungus begin to work shaight away.(Crossthe Ironbane off your Adoenfure Sreel) The iron body of the Golem rapidly turns to rust and falls apart before your very eyes Soon all that is le{l of bhisulhmatekilling machine is a heapof a roll red powder.Now roll one dice.On of r or -2, lum to j4z othrwise, tum to 50.

The landlady makesthe mosLof any opportunity for a Sood gossipand readilytells you all the rumoursthat aregoing aboutin these 'They do say that there parLs.

You whisperCadaver's nameand the greatblackdoor swings open. A blast of air escapesfrom the tomb chamber beyond, causjng you to gag at the reeking stench. Steppingthroughthe grim portal,you oesceno a night of steps into a hi8h-ceilinged, cavemlike chamber. Stalactiles hang down and lhe alcoves in the walls hold gruesomestaturesof Demons and the undeadStandlng in the middleof the room is a huge stonesarcophagus. its ld coveredin skangeglowing writing As you step towards the tomb, green fire beginsto play about the crackof its lid. Slowly the heavy stone slab risesinto the air, then slidesto bhe floor with a hollow boom What you witnessnext is like someLhing out of your worst nightmare. A decom posingbody. sfill wearingthe robesof a sorcerer, sits up in the stonecoffinand fums fo faceyou. A sinister smile forms on its decayinglips and a raspinghiss risesfrom its throat.Howevet more horribly,you see, protruding Fom the corpse'storso below rrs :mns, are four huge spide/slegs,coveredin bristly blackhairs. Trailing strandsof a thick gelatinoussubstance, the Necromagedimbs out of his sarcophagus, yor.r while remainrooted to the spot, petrified.'Well, Deathsss head,it sseemss we havea vissitor.'When lhe rurdead sorcererspeals, a human skull, glowing wilh faint phosphorescence, risesfrom lhe coffin and slaresat you with two laundice-yellow eyes,its jaws clicking lncessanuy_ 'Bibe and tear,biLeand bear,' the snapping skulljibbers as il flies towardsyou. The Holy StrikeSpecialSkill

2rr-275
274-275

will infict 2 srAMrNA pointi and 1 s(rLL point of damageupon this adversary, Whether you use this power or not, you are going to have to 6ght the Necromage's servanL, DeaLhshead.

betwenits fangedjaws, and Lwo horns sprout from ih head.You must6ght bhismonster but with your Attack Shengthreduced by 2 points because of your pnonla, HORNED SERPENT sKrLL 6 srAMrNA 13

DEATHSHEAD
If you win, h.rm lo 116.

SKI LL 9

STAM I N A 5

2ra You keepto fhe mainpassageways and staircases that rrddlethe wallsof the tower trying to avoiddrscovery, in order to find the UsurpingSerpent Tuming himself. a comet you come face to face wilh a Chaos Wanior patrol You prepareto ffght, but one of the waniors hasalreadysounded the alarmand soon the patrol is joinedby a hordeof Orcs,Goblinsand other soldiers. You aresoonoverwhelmed. Ruddleslone rsdoomed! As you move lo atta& the Arch-Cleric,the weeds wrap themselves round your legs, hampenng your

If you destroythe slilhering horror,tum to :zl. 214 Underfhe gazeof the owl, you startto search through LhedebrisoI brokenbookcases and scaLtered papers. RollonediceOn a roll of r, tum lo:os; ifyou roliz, tum to 5r; rI you roll g, tum to u; andon a roll of 4, tum lo r6r. If you roll5 or o, you ffndnothing oFvalue. Repeat thisactionlwo moretimes. If you roll a number thatyou have rolled before,you fud nothing. After three rolls of thedice, you canfindnothingelse, soyouconclude your search, Takrngany objectsthaLyou have found and want to keep,yotr decidewhat to do next (retum to a55)

BRYAR

SKI LL 9

s TAM I N ^ 9

If you win, tum to 165.

Charging out of the mist come three temfying Undead Horsemen, waving srythes.The flesh is falling from their bodies and lheir steedsare skeletalcreatures, their skin shetched taut over their bones Thereis no time to usea crossbow or a lanceor any mystic skills beforethey all attackyou at once
SKILL STAM IN A

Materializing in the middle of the chamber is a large coiledserpentA long forkedtongue tlicksin and out

FirstHORSEMAN Second HORSEMAN ThirdHORSEMAN

7 6 7

Z 7 6

216-z7a for the duralion of this battle you must reduceyour Atla& Strengthby 2 pojnts unlessyou do have the RideSpecialSkill. If you are victorious,Lhevillagers continue to battle against lhe deadarmy while you go afberthe NecromancerTum to tl 276 Courageously, i{ somewhat foolishly,you engagethe ChaosKnighLsin combat,Eachof thesefoul undead warriorsis alnosLyour equal,and theseare not creair.rres of honour They surroundyou and the mighty blowsof theirweapons yor:rbody to the floor smash 27' The Mistress lays oul her elaborately decoratedCards of Divinatior! face down, in a rnystical pattem, lhen tums lhemover one by one to interpreltheir mearing. 'Darkness your paLh, you and sh;ouds deathsurrounds fhe way rnay be perilous. Dark powersare comtngLo fhe fore, but there are those who would help you The Lord of the Forest awarts your comingand lhe prisoners of the WickerMan requireyour aid. Do not tarry, for lhe Dread Lord rncreases in strengthn'ith each passing day and creahresof Chaoscome to join his evil horde'The consultation over you decidenot to delay here any longer and so leave the divinels abodeTum to 248.

279

travel the strongergrows the senseof mystery that your consciousness. pervades You alsofeelincreasingly thaf you are being wahched, which js quite unsetLling. Everytime you look aroundyoLrdetecta siight movement in the rmdergrowthbut nothing to be seen causingit. It is then that you hear the soLrndof something largemoving among Lhehees,a little way off to your left It couldbe a forestcreahrre, suchas a bear.Do you want to try to discoverwhat is making the noise (turn to 69) or will yor.r ignore it and continue on your prsent path (turn Loj24)?

2rE you The day drawson as ride throughthe ancient woodlandHaving crossed a river the furtheryou

279 With a gargantuan effort you manageto snap lhe vinesand flrng yourselffrom the slab,snalching your backpack from the surpriscd it Rapidly deric holding the fibrous slems Brow upwardsfor severalmetres, intertwininguntil they have formed into a gi8anLic, plantlike humanoidcoveredin vicious thons. Two emerald orbsglow with an evil awareness and,with its tnrnklike legs still ffrmly rootd in the ground, the manifeslation of the Darkthom reaches for you with knotted hands You are going to have to deiend yoursclfatainst thisdarkelemental spirit Will you.

2aa-242

Draw your weaponand do baltle? Tum to 143 Use the Holy Sfn[eSpecial Skill (if you can)? Turn to 2j9 (f Use the Banishfuirit SpecialSkill you can)? Tum to 260 (rf you have Use a Clerrc's Talisman one)? Turn to 28 (if you Use lhe potion Witherwell Turn to 4a
'2Eo

fly from ils hools You must face the fiery warrior in combat

KNICHT OF THEFLAME

S K ILL 12

If you are hit by the fire sword, you must lose 5 sTAMINA pornLsraLherthan the usuaiz If you are victorious in yourstruggle againsl Lheknight, turnlo55
28a

'Although you have commrttedcrrmesagainst the foresl, your intentionsare of the grealestgood and ullimatelyyou seek peace for these ancient woodlands,' says the Lord of the ForesL'ThereforeI pronounce thal you may passfreely lhrough theselandsin your search for the Elf Spear.' Forestmaidens retum your weaponand hand back Frremane's reins to you. The Wodewosewatch you depart,then dissolveinto the undergrowthHowever you know that they will still be keeping an eye on your movemenh while you remain in the greatforest When night falls you are still wjthin the confinesof yoLr fhe foresl of Lern. Havrng tetheredFiremane, seltLe down to sleep. You are woken by lhe soundof poundinghoofs Gallopingshaight towardsyou and dearly visrblein the darkness is a laight, riding a fiery steed.The wanior is dressed in ora;rgeand carriesa ihield bearingthe image of a flame In one hand he rrields a blazing6re+word The horse's maneand tail seemlo be on 6re, while wisps of scintillating flame

The band of mLrsicians are playing The Balladof Sir Rhyaddanthe CrusaderThe song lells of the heroic knight'sadventures at the time of LheCrusad againsL ChaosThe minstrels arevery skilledand you pause to listento the lilting meiodyandwords, 'Then firm was his resolve, His will strong,his spiril lrue. Ridingl'wardsthe smrise, Fve.onraard ttuough the land. Everonward,swordin hand' Now tum to 4o.
282

Buffetedby the wind, the Celaslrix suddenlyrises almostverLically. You tip over backwards, Iosrngyour grip on the bird's crest. The next secondyou are clutchingat thin air as you plummeL earthwards. The Celastrlxtums and tries bo catchup with you as you fall, but it is not fast enough.Your adventureends here

245 245

Galloping along the road that leads westwards across the desolaternoorland, it is sveml hours before you reacha signpostdirectin8 kavellers south to the village of Ennox. Taking this route, you passno one else on the road, and the sky Srows overcast with heavy grey clouds Dusk fallsand still you arenot in sightof Ennox or Tornn's forge You ride on, determined to find shelter beforeit startsto rain,and soonyou come uPon a gibbet,a macabre landmarkin this otherwise banenwildemessThe corpse hangingfrom it looksas if il hasbeenherefor several weeks: its flshis rotted and in placesits skin has split, exposingyellowed bone. The gibbet creaksominously as the body hanging from its tsayednoose swings in [he breeze.There is a rurnble of thunder overhead and the skies opert. catchingyou in the downpour.After a suddentud cracka bolt of lightning sheaksdown from the clouds, hitting the gibbet just as you are pa$ing undemeath it. In a vivid explosion of light, Lherope snaps and the body falls on top of you, knocking you {rom your mounl on to the sodden ground (lose 1 STAMTNA Point) Horrifid,you push the corpseaway ftom you and pick yourself up out oI the mud. Suddenlylhe yellow eyes body springsto its feet and its diseased flick open The Lrchhasbeenanimated by the corrup tion that is infecLing the land and you must 6ght it f you have the Holy SbiLe SpecialSkill and wish to use It, tum to 65. If you do not, you draw your weapon andengage in combaL in the driving rain.

LICH

sxrrL8

STAM IN A 9

244

2A5-2a6 245

After three Altack Roundr if the battle is not over you musLreduceyour Attack Skength by 1 poinL because the road has tumed to mud and you are Eghtingin it up to yolrr ankles. If you wi& Lum to
16 1

It is mid-momingwhenyou entera pleasanl valley,aL the bottom oI which nestles the settlement of Wende ford To the west lies an areaof woodland,whrle on the distanlhorizonyou canmakeou[ the darkedgeof the Forestof Lein.The road on which you are Lravel ling nms on southwards, out of the village,to Havalolq but you feel you may Sleam inforrnationhere that couldbe of useto you on your quest For a srarr,you know that the reclusivesage,Herlurn,lives not far from the village Do you want to try hofrndout more herein Wendeiord(turn to 3an or, as time is precious, w l you ride straightthrough(turn lo 49I

284 Dismounting, you tether Firemaneand quickly formulate a plan to rescuethe villagers lt must be the shaman's ChaosmagicthaLis preventingthe pdsoners ,!rom savinglhemselves, so,if you couldstop him, you could breal< his hold on the villagers'minds Keping low and making use of any cover you can find, you creeppast the BeastMen towards the Wicker Man. Tesfyour Skill three iimes.If you fail on any of the you are spotted;tum to 265. If you succeed rol1s, on everyroll, tum to ryl

286

Suddenlyrt dawns on you what you have to do Laying down your weapon, you knecl before the honor and bow your head:the double,you realize, is a mamfestation of the darksidc of your nature. All the hahed,anger,malce, envy and pride that lwk deep

246

2ar2aA 287 A split secondafter you nip into the secretpassage the templeroof cavesin, blo&ing the way back and burying alive all thosestill trappedinsideAs you run along the damp Lunnel, it slopesupwardsuntil you bursl througha fem-shrouded openingand ffnd yourselfin a clearing in the forest. The lreesin this areaare stunted and mis-shaperlwhile the r.rndergrowLh is beingthrottledby weedsard brambles. Bryaris standing, a few metres from you holding his twisted staff whichhasa weasel's skullfixed to the top. Beloreyou can react, he waves the staf{ in the air and the weeds sunounding Lhe clearing shoot towards you. If you have a Cleric'sTalisman, tum to 89; if you do not, rn to 272.

inside you stand before you now, multiplied and However, by submitexaggerated oul of all proportjon. you areadmrttingthat the negafive ting to the double, qualifiesit displaysare part oI you KnowinS and is a sign of strengthand facingone'sown weaknesses courage. The doubleraisesits weaPonto siay you everythingyou lhen vanishesNow you understand, In lhe shrine hasbeenin your own nrve encoLrntered mind, nothing but illusions.If you have fought any any STAMINA points you may batlles here, resLore havelost in combat. The goldendoors swing operyallowtngyou to enter a the inner sanchm At the end of a short hall sLands stone altar with golden drapesand, behlnd that, the massivegolden staLueof a heavily armed warrior: and palron of God of Courage Telak the Swordbearer, your holy order. Lying on the altar is the object of

out in silver,surroundthe shaft,and as you takethe spearrn your handsthey glow with divine energy II you havethe SpearWeapon Special Skill,you may use your Attack Strength Aelfgar rn combatand add r to will alsoinjureundead whiie wreldrng rt The Elf-Spear and Demons-Offering a prayer of thanks to Telak, you feel that a greatweight hasbeenlifled from you. (Crossany fear you may have olf your Arloeftwe Sheet ff and regain r LUCK point.) Do you have a shield? you have,tum to j44 if you haven'|,tum Lo23.

288

'Gladly,'Varensays.'lf Lhatrs how I canhelp deshoy the conuption thaLis infectrngour land, then that is what I must do However,my men will need time to prepare,so it would be best if you conLinue your quest,and my soldiers will join you later' You agree to meei at the desertedoutpost of Hamwatch,Lwo days lrom now OVrite Lhe word 'Ecof' on your Adomture Sheet)'fumto 8z

249-292 269 The flickering lght f;om your lantemcasts eeneshad ows on the morbid carvingsthat adom the walls of lhe sepulchre when you descend into its depths If you have |he Commune Special Skill,tum to 93.If you do not, Teslyour Luck If you are Lucky, tum to 245; if you are Unlucky, fum to 1j3
290

293

Strength by 1 point for this combat), beforelurgint at you with her bone dagger. CRO NE
SKILL 6 STAM IN A 5

Standing in front of the largedouble-doors, the ar.rra of Lhe enchanlments bi4ding lhem is langible and fills you with dread You are suresomefhing of a magical nahte will be requiredto open thesedoors and that without such an item you will be unable to pass through them As you do not carry any Chaotic you will need somethrng artefacts else.If you have somesapfiom the Forcst of Lei4 now may be the time lo useit (turn to 129).If you haven'tany, turn to J8E. 29r You come acrossclear srgnsthal the boar travelled lhis way not long ago, in the direclionleadingaway from you and further into the ancient woodland. Quickly you set off aftr yow prey. Testyour Skill, adding r to the dice roll if you do not have the TratkingSpec;'al Skrll,buL sublracting r from the drce roll if you havca Hunting Charm. If you are successrur, tum to j4j. If you fail, fum to 50.
292

crone's sorcerous brews and possessiorswell alone, but you do 6nd two rabbrtsharging up (enoughfor onemealea(hrand you takethem-wiih you.Remourting Firemane, you rejoin the road and ride towards Ennox Turn to 579.

293

The wicked hag throws somedust in your eyes that makesyour reactionssluggish (reduceyour Attack

its use,turn to 25j. If you fail,or if you oo not navea crossbow (or you do not wish to useit), you will have [o pursuelhe felon on Firemane, tum to j

294 295

295

294 it is Making your way cautiously along the passage, not long beforeyou sLepthrough an archwayinto a hrgh-roofed chamber. The stone floor is litfered with shaw and bonesof many creatures, somehuman.Set rnto the ceiljng,somemetres above your head,is a large grille through which you can see the deep blue of the night sky. A smal wooden door in the wall Howevet as you oppositeleadsout of the chambersLepInto the pit you disturb its occupant.With a roar a giganlic, DragonJike creature emerges fiom a gloomy comer o[ the pit. lt is winglessand its rough hide is scaly Its enormousjaws are lined with razorshalp teeth,but the monster's eyes do not hold the glinLof intelligence lls great tail lashes of dragonkind. around,blocking the way back If you want to avoid having to fight the beast,you can make a run for the far door. If you do !his, Tesl your Luck.If you arc Lucky,you dashacross bhepit and,openingthe door, nn through it (turn to 329); if you are Unlucky,the monsterstrikesyou with a greaf clawedfoot (losez suvrr.,t,r. points)andyou haveto tum andfight. REPTILIAN
SKI LL 10 ST,{MINA 15

Opmint the door you step into the night. Everything is still, with nothing seeminglyout of the ordinary. Walking further. you suddenly freeze,hearingup ahead sounds of panting that are approaching rapidly Then you seethem:scores of blazingred eyesappear out of you the darkness as in horror see Lhepack of huge, rnidnightblackdogs bearingdown on you across Lhe moor. It would be foolish to try to face the whole posiLion, so you rum on your Packin suchan exposed heels and run backtowardsth forge.Torrin stands at the open doorway yelling for you to hurry. Roll iwo dice;the total is the distance you haveto cover before you reachsafety. Now roll two dice again.If the total is less than the dislance you have to cover tum to 159; if it is grealer than thaf dislance,tum to j98. If the two numbers are the same,Testyour Luck:I yol are Lucky, turn to j9a; if not, tum to j59.

you stepover its prone If you slay this mighty beast, body and. opening the wooden dooa leave the pit. TLrmto j29.

295 296

After you have put several kilometres beLweenyou and lhe ChaosBeastMen's camp,you stop to rest. When you wake up agai4 you find Lhat you have points sleptwell into the next day (restore z STAMJNA and add r day to lhe Time Elapsed). The desolate Hills is unchanging as you landscape of the Banarask ride on underthe cold grey sky for severalhours. And Lhenyou see it: on a hrlltop stand the dark rurned of the Skull.From towersoI CaerSkaal, the Fortress hereyou canseeits grim keep,still intaclafter surviva century rng the onslaught of the besregrng crusaders turrets,the ago Bla& flags fly from its crenellated siShl of which fills you with uneaseBeforeyou can you must firsl cross the reachthe forbiddingcasLle, ancient battlefieldon which the final battle of the Crusade agarnst Chaoswas fought It was on this field lhat Belgaroth the wasfelledrn battleby Sir Rhyaddan Knights The battlefreld Crusader, alongwith hrsChaos is shrouded in a thick pall oI mist, and hereand there you can male out Lhe indistinct shapesof broken remainsof ar weapons, war-engines and the skeletal moured warriors You half expect ihe bodies of the you as you nde ouf across the fallento riseup against ancient battle-siteA large raven sits perchedon the branch of a lone you, rt givesa gnarled treenearby. Seelng and leafless hoarsecroakingoy then flaps off through the mists towards the forlress.A moment later you hear the you. Trailingtendrils somd of hoofsgalloprng towards of vapour,a bla& horsewiLh its rider emerges out of

29'

29&-Joa 298

the mists. The loight is covered from head to foot in shinrng blackspiked platearmour. His helme!is homed and decorated with weird patteris inlaid with red kacery,as is the rest of his armour. The Chaos Knisht Ievelshis black lanceand spurshis qteedon towaids you without saying a word You must overcome Belgaroths championin a deadly joust. If you do not havea lance, or if you do haveone but don't havethe Lance Special Skill, you must reduce your Attack Strength by I point for the duration of this battle and by r filther point if you do not possess the Ride Special Skill. CHAOS KNIGHT CHAMPION sKrlr 12

lvith[heleper's (Lose terrible wastingdisease. f sr^MrN^ points, r sKtrL poinland1 LUcxpoint: also writedown theword'Eugalp'on yourMucntwe Shect.)Tumlo 114
299

STAM I N A 1 2

sraMrNA poinls). Tum Lo 162.

500

Attack Rounds before the Chaos Knight does, you unhorsehim and may increase your Attack Shength by 2 poinls. If you win this deadly contest,tum to

Drawing your weapon,you defend yourself against these vmomous adversaries. Fight lhem as if lhey were a single opponent.

SNAKES

SKILL 8

STAM IN A 1 1

297

What will you use to defend yourself against these strange creaturs? A Cleric's Talisman? The potion Witherwelh Your weapon? Ium Lo i4o Tum to J49 Tum Lo 18

a way across the cavem. Tum to 27. 304

Your reactions are not quick enough and you are hit by one oI the cart'sshafts (lose3 srAMrNA points).By

302-304

5o5-3ob

the time you have picked yourself up, your quarry are long gone and not even the lraci<in3SpecialSkill will enableyou to pursue them further, as there rs no Lrail to follow on lhe hard cobbles.Lose I LUCKpoint. you find lhe Reluming lo the squareand Firemane, Walch leading the dragon mummersaway Lo Lhe lown cells.You explain to them that, unfortunately, and thenleave(Lurn lhe restof the ganghaveescaped, to 4s)
302

rahenit looksas thoughvictory is yours,you hear JusL the animalroars and criesof a band of chaoticreinforcements making for the twilight baltlefieldfrom the directionof the decimaLed village. Do you wanL to your men fight on (tum to 2o7),or will you command to retreatand you yourselftry Lo breakthrough lhe enemylines on Firemane, to conLinue wrth your rnission(tum lo j22)?
303

was once the priest of Myrton. I have been deadfor Thre is many decades, as has the foul Necromage. his returnand this has caused sickness in lhe land While he lives,none heremay rest in peace. A coura geousknighl lies Lo the southand may haveweapons lhat would help you defeat the undead lord who speakhis name reignshere To End the Necromage, beforethe Door of Skulls Now go and free the poor from soulsenslaved by him.'With that,the ghostfades view. If you ever find yourselfrn front of the Door of name,convert Skulls, and you know LheNecromage's = 1,8 = 2, C = j it into a number usingthe code,A = . Z z6 Total the numberswhich corespond lo the lettersin hrs name,thenmultiply the iotal by five and turn to the paragraph with that number Withoul furtherhesitation, will you look for lhe knight'stomb by going south (tum to j6a) or will you follow the (turn to j91I westempassage
505

Your blaslof holy energyhits the ghost,apparently to no effect.The spirit cannolbe truly evil it is merelya portent, possrblya sign oI what is to come. The Icright turns to faceyou and prepares_to attack(tum
to 255). 304 Just as you are unsheathingyour weapon, the apparifion cries out,'Nol'You pause,then see that the ghost is that of an a8eing priest Sensing iLs goodness,you Listenas it speaksto you: 'My name is Guildas and I

Inside a shattered earthenware pot you find a small iron key and a hunLing charm that has been carvecl from a piece of bone to resemble a wild boar Some people believe that such a charm gives a hunter a better chance of successfullylracking prey. Retum lo 274.
306

Ii is noL far fiom here to lhe ruined outpost of Harnwalch,where you have araIlgcd to meet your army.The oulposthasbeendeserted sincethe Crusade againstChaos,a century a8o All lhat remainsof it

5or3oa now is a crumbhngsLonestockadeWaiting, hrdden insideits walls,is your forceof bravewarriors. Before you engagethe enemyin battle,you must delermine your army'sBattleStrength, which at presentrs zero Consultthe tablebelow and lotal up the porntsgiven for each fightingunit you havecomprisngyour army: LordVarenof Cleeve Manor'ssoldiers NasraSLronn's Mercenanes from Havalok . he villagers oi A'sarl Caass's Tovm Militra 4 poinLs 5 poinls I po'nls 4 points

309

If whereit is but do you know how to get there? you do, you will havefound threecluesthal gve you directionsto lhe Elf-Spear's resLing place There is a numberhiddensomewhere in eachclue.Put the three nr.rmbers logether in seq.rence, in the order in which you found them, to give you a fourth lhree-digit number,and turn to that paragraph. If you do not have all the clues,you will have to abandonyour queslfor Aelfgarand headsouth(tum Lo48).

This total rs your BaLtleStrength. you have Lhe BaLtle TacLics SpecialSkJll,you may add z more points lo your BattleStrength. Thereis no time to lose,so,your army ready,you set off into the Banarask Hills towardsthe Fortress of the Skull.If you havetakenmore thansix daysto get thrs fat tum to 555 If you have taken six days or less,
h.lm to 1E4 307 'Passwordl' a voice hisses from behind Lhe doors. If you lcrow the password, convert it inLo a number, using the code A = 1, B = 2, C = 3 .. Z = 26Add the number corresponding to the letten in Lhe password together then tum to the paragraphwith the same nunber as ihe tofal. If you do not know the Lurn to 225 Password, Jo8 If you are going to searchfor Aelfgar, you must know

309

Although the track is severaldays old, you can still lell that a very lage animal has passedalong the nght-handpath However along lhe path to the left you canjust makeout somefarnthunanoidfootpflnts leading both towardsLhefork and awayfrom it Now, will you take the le{t (lum to j85) or the right track (tum to 291!

3ao-342

3ao With a tremendous splintering crash, a huge black shapesmashes through a window near you, showering you wilh shards and landsin a crouch oI brokenglass, rn lhe centreof lhe room-The beastis mldnight-black in colour and is as large as a woll Snarling,the Hellhotrnd Lums to face you, baring its black teelh, then it springs There is no LimeLo use your powers againstit Once agarnyou are fighting for your life, whrle Tonin tries to securethe window.

HELLHOUND

SKILL 7

STAM IN A 6

As well as its savagebiLeand sharpclaws,Lhedemonic il can also shoot gouts o[ creature hasanotheraLtack: flameout of ih mouth After eachAttack Round,roll 6ery breath one dice.If you roll 1 or 2, the monster's bumsyou for 1 additional point of sraMrNAdamage. If you kill the Hellhound,turn Loa15 3aa with The staircase chamber takesyou up to anoLher anoLher iron-bound door.Frombehindthis door comes a steadyrhythmicclankrng and grating.Do you want to open this door (turn to 6a) or will you climb the staircase Lothe next level (tum to j57)?

Seeinghis crealion destroyed,the priest panicsand tries lo flee You want Loknow what hasbeengoing on here,so you chase alier Lheman. Testyour Luck.If you are Lucky, lum to 594 If you are Unlucky,tum to 2,64

514-345

You 6nd a crackbetweenone secLion of wall and the floor, and a loosebrick When you pushthe brick,the wall swinSs open to reveal a short passageway, which endsin an omatelycarvedoak dooc inscribed on it is a strangernagicalsymbol, but there is no lo& or handle. You have heardof suchspellloes ano you know lhal you will be unableto forceentry here.The only way throughis to decodethe numberhiddenin the symbol.

If you can work out whaLihe numberis, tum to the paragraphwith that number. If you are unablc to break the spelllock, you will have to return to the turn to 212. Portcullis; 314 LeadingFiremane towards the South Cate, you pass througha square wherea crowd of peopleseemto t'e enjoyingsomc spectacle or ofher As you get closer, you see that a crude stage has been sei up in the square and over fhis s stretched a molh-eaten banner with the words 'Oddfellow's Mummers'paintedacross it. Occasional gaspsof amazement and pealsof laugh tef rise [rom the crowd as lhcy watchlhe show being put on by lhe travelhngplayers.Do you want to pauseior a moment Lo watch Lhemummers (Lum fo r88) or do you prefer to make For the SouLhGate (turn to 45I ShowrngElaina the Arch Cleriis staff, you tell her how you vanquished the Darkthom and its sewants 'By this heroic aciion you havc helped in part to restorcfhe elemenfal powersof the forestand halt the sickness affectingit. Erillia,the Elf Mother, will bless you for this, and you certainlydeserveour aid'The sorceress-priestcss takesan ornatebotflc from an Elf and handsit to you 'This bottle contains someo{ the very life-bloodof Lein'saptakenfrom thc treesin this ancientforest Kcep il safeand use it wiscly, and the prophecywill bc fultilled' Beforethe Elves Ieadyou away from their sacred grovc and vanishbackinto the

5$-5aA undergrowlh,they also give you an Elven Amulet Filledwith hope oncemore,you hurry on your way Turn to 278 3a6 Which of the mounds will you explore now: the northemmound(tum to gs); the southem one (tum to (tum one to 359) or lhe westemone ry5), the eastm (tum to :so); or will you leave the Caims of Dunar(tum io zozl 547 Wendeford's only inn is the Bdstling Boar,and you decidethai this would be as good a placeas any in which to acquireinJornation Inside,the bar is dark and musLy, although the clienLeleseems friendly enough.'Well, what can we do for you?' asks the roLundlandlady. If you want to buy a drin-k,a tankard of alewill cosl you r Gold Piece and will restore up to 2 pointsof srAMiNA. What will you asklhe landlady? Where you can find Herluin the Sage? About any localrumours? About Lheinn'sname,if you are cu ous? Turn to 362 Tum Lo258 Tum to aj4

549

hear the Dread Lord's evil laughter in your earsas you plmge to your death

549

3a8 You have no time Lo prepareany other defenceas Belgaroth unleashes the dark bolt at you. It hrts you squarely in the chest,knockingyou from the back of the Celastrix Over the rushingof Lhewrnd you can

The villagersare very understanding oI your reasons and they wish you well in your quest,but you leave Assartunder a verl of fear and despair. Undoubtedly you have doomed the village to death and just as surely you have broken the Oath of the Templars, bringingshame and infamyon your holy order(losez HoNouR points) Al the edge of the forest,not far from the village,you drscover a woodmant abandoned hul and decidelo sleepherefor the night. If you have the word 'Reggad'wrtlen down on your Atluenture Srrel tum to 371 Otherwise,thal night your dreams areff1led with images of horific undeadYou wakeup lhe next moming only partially refreshed and set off quicklysouthwards. Regain1 srAMrNApoint and add 1 day lo the Time Elapsed. Turn Lo48.

32,0-322 5:o you feel a tingling sensaAs you draw your weapon, tion in the fingeron whrchyou are wearingthe ring Distracledfor a momnt,you look down and see a shieldof golden light flicker lnto exisLence on your you tind arm;thrsis powelul magicindeed. Whenever yourselfin combat,while you are wearingthe Shield Ring thrs magicalshieldwill appearand protect you from an enemy's your opponen!'s blows(reduce Attack Strength by :t point).Add 1 LUCK poinf and relurn to j91 to fight the skeletaldog
321

525

Hamwatch. The exhausted chaotics follow onLya short way beforestoppingandraisinga greaL hooting cheet believingthey haveroutedyour Lroops. You ride in a wide circleround lhe BeaslMen's camp,avoidingany unwanLed aLtention. From your vantagepoint you can seethe stockade qujteclearlyamongLhe ruinedhouses. You cannot see any people, and there appearsto be only one guard at the stockadds mtrance Do you wanf Lo telher Firemanehere and snea] into the Beast Men's campfor fixther invesLigation, now thabnight has fallen (tum to 34o), ot do you want to ride on, awayfrom here(tum to ,95!

Reversing the Demon SummoningSpeJI will not be easywhile lhe raging DemonicSlayeris in the room with youl Testyour Skill ard add r to the roll. If you you manaSe are successful, fo read part of the spell backwards while avoidingthe creatLrre's attack If you fail, the Slayer hits you while your guardis down (lose STAMINA points) You mustrepeatihis process until I you havemadethe roll successfully threefimes.If you achieve this, lurn to 128. If you fail two conseculive rolls, the Demon knocksthe book out of your hands, lum io Ij- You can abandon this line of defence whnever you want to by turningto rj.

A bitterly cold wind is howling over the moorsasyou and Firemanejoumey acrossthe desolateheath. After two hours' ride you see a single standing stone rising up out of the otherwise featureless landscape Known as the Maiderr the stone once had the carvinc of a young womanon it, bul this has beenalmosicompletely erodedby time and the weather.If you have the Commune SpecialSkill, turn io j8o If you haven't, yourLuck, Test if you areLucky,tum to j8o, if you are not. tum to 251

With a shout, you kick your heels into Firemane's sidesand rush strarghtat thc cnemy lrnes.You fell severalof the BeastMen in your chargeand break through their ranksbefore thc rcrnforcements arrive Your soldiersscaLter and flee sor.rthwards, fowards

324-525

324 The sun is sinking towards lhe horizon as dusk approaches, andunderthe trees a grey twilight permeates every nook and hollow. Firemane stepswarily over tree boles and exposedrooLsand you start lo think about making camp for the night You bring your steedto a hall in a smallcleanngthat is litteredwith fallenleaves and wilh a funguscovered log lying al ils you heara rustlingsou,ldand edgeAs you dismount, slarein startledamzvemenL as the leavesdraw themselvestogetherinto a shapeLhatlhen sLands upright; the figurenow looksLke a man coveredfrom headLo toe in leavesAL Lhe same time, the 'log' sLartsLo mfold with a crealing sound and, looking like a humanoid nith barl folkin and with frrgu.8ro!\ing out of it, getsto its feet Thc leaf'man slretches out an arm towardsyou and you recoveryour amazed state Will you move to defendyourself (tum to 2e7) or wart for these strangehumaaoidsto make the 6rst move(lum to 76I Cleeve Manor rs served by a smallhamlet, includinga smithy,,nd is surrounded by a numberof smallfarms. You arrive at dusk and, as soon as you have dismounted,you are taken to the great hall by lhe slewardof the manor,whrle Firemane is led away to be stabled Inside,the hall is a picLureof bustle and actlvity. Long trestletablesare being laid with food and &ink alld a large woman is supervisingthe cook urg of venisonon a spit in the middle of the room, whrlea minstrelband startsplaying a populartune In

326-52'

324-329

is playing some one comer of the hall, a man-at-arms kind of board game with two labourers Larte tapestries cover the walls of the hall;abovethe lord's Lable on the raised dais at lhe end of the room hanS of several decorativeshieldsand Lhe coats-of-arms noble families, while at the oppositeend of the cham ber are mountedthe trophiesof hunting expeditions The sLeward explainslhat the feast to be held here will begin very shortly- Beforeit does so and while you are waitinS,he will be happy Loshow you round the hall Do you want Jo, Sludy the tapeshies? Watch lhe boardgame? Look more closelyat the lrophies? Listento the minslrels? Tum Loi41 Turn to :44 Turn lo 58 Ium to 281

towardsit, however,you seethat the cavemouth has been crudely decorated by someone, or something, with animalskullsand skins.Then an old hag appears ai the opening, she is wearing ragged robes and necklaces of teeth and is yelling at you angrily and waving her arms frantically.Do you want to altack the crone(tum to 292), or do you preferto speakto her and calmher down (tum to 1j5)? 324 Usingup fhe lasb of its fire-breath, the dragonlets out a blast of flame directly at the crowd, who flee in panic, so Siving the oLher mummersa chanceto escape. The dragon-coshrmed playersthen run aLyou, trying to batteryou with its wings and bite you with jaws, therathertoo realistic MUMMERS' DRAGON sKrLL 8 srAMrNA 7

325 safely,you hide in Reaching the edgeof bhestockade the shadowsTheBeast Man on gtard hastheheadof a boar,and spittledroolsover its largeyellow tusks It is are and torches armed with a halberd ard roundshield, it is guarding. The bumingon eithersideof theentrance look far too tall and sharpened stakes of the slockade treacherous to climb,so how will you get in?Will you: Attack the guard? pasfl Try to distractit and sneak Bluff your way in? Tum lo i86 Turn to 151 Tum to 2z6

If you win, yor.rdo not actr.rally kill the peoplein the costume but merely disablethe contraptionthey are wearing and leave the mummersunable to escape (turn to j67) 529 You find yourselfwalkingalong the stone-faced corridor Wrth a sucking to sound,something dropson the ground behind you and you recognizethe jellyJike creature are as an lron-EalerTheseamoeboid animals not camivoresbut inslead,as their name suggesLs, ieed on metal. Moving carefullyforward, you hear anoLher creature detachitseif from the ceiling of the passage aboveyou.

327 \ot far into the hllls,you find lhe enkanceto a large As you leadFiremane cave: the perfectplaceto shelter.

IRON-EATER

s KIL L4

Roll as usualfor the first Aitack Round.If the lronyou, hittrnt Eaterloses the Attack Round,it misses be with one blow the floor, and caneasily dispatched l{ the creature wins, ii landson top of you and start! to feed, cross off one piecc o[ armour from you: that 80 with ii Atlxenture Shee|, and loseany bonuses i.l nay li you win Jr ThentiShl fhe bdrtle tl'e us.ral Altack Round, you manageto knock the Iron-Eatei off; if not, it destreysanothcriLemof armour.Once you havedefeated the giantamoeba, turn to 47
550

Honified,you now seeLhatLhemonsleris foamingat bofh of its mouths - il is rabidl Slaveringat the prospectof having you as a tasty meal, the Chaos Houndsprings at you, skainingat its chainRABID CHAOS HOUND sKrLL 7 srAMrNA z

you, saying srmply,Tnter' The The voice addresses great stonedoors swing open and you step betweef them inio ihe shrine You walk along a pillaredcom dor, lit by a goldenglow from the ceilng, paststatues of knighls and warriors,standingto attention or a: prayer, your footstepson the stone floor the onll sound The corridor endsat a largc circularchamber the floor of which is a mosaicshowurgthe badgeo: the TemplarsIn fronl of you is anotherseL of double will' doors,but thesearc platedwith gold and adorned two hugedragon carvings Thebeauty andmajesly oftha place6tl you with awe and wonder-Even as you arr marvellingat the intricacies o[ th; of the decoration ishappnin8 of theroorr shrine, somelhing in thecentre lf you suffer 6om theFear of Spiders, turn to 366 If yoareaffliciedvliLhlhe fear o[ Snakcs, turn lo :7i Ifyohavelhe Fearof Herghts, turn io 165.If you sufferfror noneof Lhese fears, turn to 222

Dunng every Attack Round, each of lhe monsleas headswill attack you, so you must treal rt as two opponents. On lhe fffth Aitack RoLurd, tum to 39. If you win the 6ght beforethe fifth Attack Roundand if you were biften at leastonceby the hound,you must -osean additional2 srAMrNApoints from its rabid 'orte (4 pointsif you havethe word 'Eugalp' wntten on ;ovr Adoenture l( you are sLillalive, you erter Sheet). :hehall (tum to lro).

335 certainly does, but you cannot help thinking that Belgarofh's corruptionand Chaosmay be the source of this problem 'Everyone in Assart's afraid,' the 'and no one daresto to Myrton woman continus, itself,not evenduring the day. Will you help us?'Will you help the peopleof Assart (turn to 48) or, still havingseveral days' travel aheadof you, will you go directlyfor what you thinl is the rooi of the problem tum lo 519!

debale 'But in 6erce you seea grouPof People vrllaSe we're all as good as deadl'a if w; don't do something manis sayingdesPratelyyoung,scholarlyJooking 'Thereare 'What can we do?' a burly foresterreplies. loo many of them,ahd more come eachnight. There are thosewho would be willing to fiShi if we had a to takeus into batlle' strongleader who would be PrcPared 'Failingthat,we needsomeone to go there alone and krll the Necromancet'ar oJd sight of you *omun decla."s She suddenlycatches 'someone the group ask TempLar' You like a adds, and tellsyou old wrsewoman what the problemis, and the and the ghost vrllage 'Not far aboutthe Necromancer from here,to the west,lieswhat'sleit of the villageoi for yearsand mosl of it's in Mlrton lt's beendeserted of ruins now but no one'sever been fherebecause liesburiedthereandPeople the sforiesA Necromancer do say that the placers hauntedBut now it look as if ihe talesare true,ior last Moonsdaynight the deadof our village, andattacked Myrlon rosefrom theirSraves carrying oif three people.They've been back every so we all the Lime, lheir numberncreasing nrght since, were more our homes Four in to lock ourselves have is back Nccromancer as if the takenlastnighf It seems and is building himself an army of the undead' Il

ChaosKnighk and Warriorsare stormingon Lo the battlemenls from all directions.Using your lantcm, tire set to the featherand call the name of the ;-ou Celastrjxthree times A brilliant liBht immediately appears on the southemhorizon and soarsacrossthe ;ighl sky towardsyou The dazzlingbird, its rad;ance .ightingup the battlements, alightson the roof of the :ower and allows you lo climb on to its back,while Belgaroth's hordcs cower in fear- ITohl on Light, my 'rietd,you hearrts warm tonessay within your mrnd you Crippingon to the divine brrd'screstof feathers, 'rang on when the Celastrix beatsits greaf wings and rsesinto the sky Ridingon fhe backof a hugebird is

334-336 noL easy,as if climbssteeplyinlo fhe wind. Iesf yorr Still adding 2 to the dice roll if you sufferfrom the Fearof Heighlsbut subtracling -:,from the drcerol] if you havethe RidsSpecial Skill If you succeed, turn Lo Ifyou fail, tum to 28: 596 334 As you leadFiremane along the main streelthat leads lo Havalok's market,you passa shop decorated with esoteric paintedsign over the symbolsAn elaborately front informsyou that lhis is 'The Mind's Eye' Would (tum to you like to enler Lhisunusualestablshment j67), or wjll you go to the market(tum to 248)? All the openedgravesseemto be empty; no doubL thei occupanhare among the undeadarmy atiacking Assart.However, you find that the rotLed wooden cofffn at Lhe bottom of one grave has been left mdisturbed.The epitaph on the tombsLone reads: Cuildas,Priestol Myrton Lelt this liJeaged75 VearsAs you are reading thrs inscripLion, there is a ierrible sphnteringsound and a grotesquemandibledhead burststhrough the lid of the coffin This is followed by a slime-covered, worm-like body which swiftly rvrapsitself round your legs as the rreaturetries lo brte you with its mardrbles.Normally restrictedto eatingthe femains of the dead,the smellof hol blood and livrng flesh has drawn the Grave-Wormout to hLrnt.

Testyour 5ki1l, subhacting 2 from the dice roll if you have the lrncting Spec;al Skill If you succeed, tum Lo 5r3 If you iail, you 6nd noihing, so you doubleback to the portcullis, tum Lo2i2 336 Havgar was a legendaryhero from the times before the founding of your order.Single-handedly he van quisheda tribe of Giants,kiliing the chief with one blow from his huge,spikedclub.Havgar's macebreaks boneand sionewiLhequalease andwill do j sr^MrNA pornts of damage.However, because of ih weight unlessyou have a Weapon SpecialSkill in using a Mace you must reduceyour Altack Strength by 1 point when fighfing with it (make a note of this in the Weaponbox of yoor ldoentureS/leet) Now reium tc ts6

CRAVE- W ORM

SKILL 8

STAM IN A 6

If you kill this feederon the dead,you decidenot Lo rvaste any more hme but headfor the sepulchre. Tum to 94.

33&-339 ,54 Dusk falls as you ride south tkough the bleak highlands.However,just as you are considedng mal.jng campfor the night, you breasta flse, to seea bizarre ritual taking place. A horde of beast-headedinhuman aeatures is gathered at the foot of a small mound on whichstands a hugewickerslruch.rre, it is madeoul of cages wooden poles, lashed together in the shape oI of a giant man. The Wicker Man i is packed with Ii human prisonerswho are doing nothing to try to escape, as if they were under a hypnotic spell,The BeasL Men are malcinga tenific din, brayin& roarin& bellowing and banging weapons against their shields. Some hold torches aloft and all are wabchine a smaller 6gl:re who is chanting and carrying oul a peculiar dancebetween the feeL of the wicker structue This 6gure is dressedin weird-pattemed robes and has a pair of anLlers growing out of iLshideous, bestialskull. It looks as if lhe caphrred villagersinsideLhefuneral pyre formed by the Wicker Man are about to be sacriticed by the shaman to the Dark Lordsof Chaos Will you try lo rescuethe villagers(bumto ,E4) or (turn to j99)? will you ride on towardsCaerSkaal 359 lnsidethe barrow is a crcular chamber which contains nothing of any use to you. Howevet it is home to a nest of Giant Spidels eggs which have just hatchedThe Spiderlings drop on you from the roof of the chamber and bite you beforeyou can brushthem off and escape.This strain oi spider also happens to be venomor:s. Roll one dice and add 2. This is how many

340-342

343-545 345 Your slcrlls do nol fail you. You burst inLo a clearing where a monshousboar is rooting among Lhe leaf debris, doubdess iooking for acoms. This creature must be the Great Boar of Lein. Seeing yot! it turns and flees into the forest; however. before it leaves the dearing you have time to use a crossbowonce, if you have one. Then you are olf after the beast. As you gallop through th trees in pursuit of your quarry, your sLeedjumps over fallen branchesand rocky moundsI{ you havethe RideSpecial Skill,lum lo ,56. lf you haven'1, Testyour Skill, If you are successful, tum to 256,if you fail,tum to ,o9.

poinls of damageLo your sr,{MINA the Sprderlings' you injected poisondoes.If you havesomeAnLitoxin, may halvethe damage done(rormding hacfrons down). If you have a FearofSpiders, you run from the mound, screamingin terror, ready to flee the cairns altogether (tum to roz)- If you do not havesucha fear,tum to jr6. 540 You mter the villageunnoticed and makesilentlybut swiftly for the sLockade,Isif your Lu&. It you ate Lucky,tum to 326. If you areUnlucky,tum to j9j. 344 Most of the tapestries cany the usual designsof fabulousbeastsand loights on horsebackbut there is one that standsout ftom all the others. It covers half of one wall and shows a man with a pack of hounds fighting a huge wild boar. The steward explains Lhat the tapestrydepictspaft of the legmd of the Great Boarof Leq when the monster wasffnallycaughtand killed by a brave hunter.Almost hidden among the embroidered treesoF the forest,watchingthe scene, you pick out a group of menand womenwho seemto be covered from headto to in leavesTurn to r'.o t12 You throw 2 portions of your Provisions,one for each head, as far from the doorway as possible buL still within reachof the chainedbeast (crossthese off your Aluenfure SheeL). The creature pounces on the food and starfsto gulp it down. You run pasLiL, through the doorsand into the hall.Tum to to.

l{hat designdoesyour shield carry?Is it that of a, Criffn? Goldm Dragon? RampantLion? Flame? Tum to 569 Tum to 395 Tum to 6a TUIn to 186

lf your shield does not bear any of these emblems, noLhingmore happens, so you leave the shrine(tum ro 2t) Screaming,the ghastly spectre lunges at you with frightening speed and tries to slash you with ih dawed hands. CAILLEACH
SKIIL t2 STAM IN A 1 2

34s

The Banshee's spine-chilling howl proves a very off-

v
346-347 putting distraction to you during thrs combal At the start of eachAttack Round you must Tes,yoar Skill If you fail in the dice roll, the creature's soul rending shrieks transfix you with fear and you will auto malically lose the Attack Round If you defeat Lhis grisly undead hoaoa tum to j8j. 546 A pair of feet slaminto your chest,knocking you from the saddle,and you Iand awkwardly on the road with yotr assarlant on top of you (losez sravrre points). For a moment you wrestlewith the man beforeyou manageto throw him off. Quickly you jump to your feei and draw your weapon as two more figures emerge from the copse,holding cudgels.The frrst atta&er pulls a long krife from his tunic and advances towardsyou 'We'regoin' to slit yer throat,Templarl' he spits,then the murderers are upon you. You must fight themall at the samehme.
SKI LL STAMINA

344-349 lou turn to see a greaLWar horse,iis black armour bearingthe devrceof Belgaroth'sChaosarmy, charging you. Although riderless, iowards the beast's evil intent rs th sameas that of its masLers. Neighing,the horse rears up on its hind legsand tdesto skike you with its iron-shod hoofs.Onceagainyou areforcedmto retalia1\iAR.HORSE It you win, tum to 50. 344 'Havefaith,'you say.'At this very momentI am on a questto rid the kingdom of this sickness and to save Ruddlestone from bitter war and certaindestruction The Knightsof Telak are noL petfy roguesand saboteursWe seekonly peace and hope for the peopleof Ruddlestone and, with courage,we shall overcome thisthreatto the security of our country' You continue ior severalminutesn this vein, your speech slowly in your order When restoring Lhepeople's confidence at lasl you stop talking,lhe crowd cheers and parts to Iet you pass,while the prophetsbow and wish you tvellon your qust Tum Lozoo. 149 humanYou lhrow the potion over the two plant-like oids and they emit a shriekas they instantlybegrnio dissolve. Soon nolhing is left of the bizarrecreatures after the wind disperses their dry and brown residue across the forestfloor Freenow to 8o, you continue on your way Turn to 568,
sK l rL I
sTAM IN A 9

First MURDERER Second MURDERER ThirdMURDERER

z 6 7

6 I 7

As soon as you have dispatched two of your opponents,Lumimmediately io :95. 347 While Belgaroth's men are distractedby having to fight Lhetown militia you scramble across the wreck age between the ruins of the south wall and the Iuggemaut Hearing a shrill whrnnying behind you,

35c351 350

354

A blood'curdlinghowl suddenlyrings out over the cairns,making you freezefor a moment-t\4ut or Titan couldmakesucha moumtulcry?Without waiting to ffnd ouL,you huny into the lumulus.A series o: stoneslines the sidesof lhe tunnetleadinginto the burialplaceand,because of ihe occasional bonebreakyou guessthat they marklonging throughlhe ear1h, forgottengraves.Te4 your Luck.If you are Unluckr you trip over a partiallyexposed ribcageand hil yoLr headon one of the stones(1ose z sr.rvrr.r.rpoints) I: you arc Lucky,you sufferno suchaccidentAl the enc of the tunnel,a pyramidof humanskullshalf hides: circularblack shreldbearing a white crescent moo: mofif If you takethis shreid(remember you can carr, only one shield at a time), you may reducc anr opponent's AttackSlrength by :L point in battlc.Retur" i n g to r h e ..o n e.ir.le ror decidc nl-crcro g o rc : Tum to ji6.

rde on acrossthe sterile plain towards Caer Skaal, as cloudsof steamin the liremane's breathappearing you notice lhat the :old air. As you near the casLle, of being rebuilt. in lhe course rrokenbatilemenls are ihe fortresss clefhe Dread Lord is sLrengthenms inces, preparingfor warl Scanningthe forbidding Belgarolh Perhaps 1"alls, you seeno signof any guards. jrd not expect to be challenged on his own soil, or -raybehe jusl did not exPectany enemy to get this on threesidesby a steeP :ar CaerSkaal rs surrounded by ihe is protected :scarpment and the other approach inspectron on closer gaLehouse. However, .:nposing :he gate has beenleft wide open,wilh the gatehouse :self seemingly compleLelydeserted.A half-6lled, :renchlikeditch, a relic,no doubt, of lhe hme of the n:ns almost straight !o the gale. Do you -rusade, r,ant to use the ditch as cover and enLerthe fortress :ris way (lum to j6j), or do you want to look for nolher way in (turn lo 142)?

Flaving used all your skills of horscmanship all; r cJpon yo. .o defeal Belgarorhs,Fampion. 'n;\rery are 611ed with new hope (regain 1 LUCKpoint) Yo,

352-353

With a shout you leap into the dearinS. At once the manjumps to his feet and tums to face you- Before canreachhim, he pullsa phial from his robesand, -you uncorkingit, pours its contentson the gromd Dark tendrilsimmediately break through the cracked earth andwith unnahualspeed shootup into the air.As you watdl th thick stems and woody growbhs take on humanoidform and in a matter of momentsa grotesque qeature is standing in fiont of you. lts body is covered in sharp thoms and its head js flat and broad, with largetooth-lile growthsprotrudrng from its mouth.Ils les are lranslucent emeraldorbs, and green veins pulseall over its body The Thombeast Iifts one leg and pulls a rootlike foot oul of the ground.It does the samewith the other, then t'egins to move towar.ls j-ou across the clearing. You draw your weapon and prepare Lo defend yourself against this plantiike rhonster.

IHORNBEAST

SKILL 8

II you defeat the creaLure,write down the word Nroht on your ,4luentarcSheet an.d tum to jD.

Hearinga movementin Lhe r-:ndergrowth aheadof 1ou, you suddenlycatch sight of the boar. It is a honsLrous seaturewith viciouslookinetusksand stiff bristles running Lhelength of its back.Then it is off Urging liremane forward, you set off afheryour quarry.{s you gallop throuSh the treesin pursuit of the boar. loLr steed jumps over fallen branches and rocky

551-355 mounds. If you havethe Rid, Special Skill,tum lo 255 If yon do not, Testyour 9kill.It you aresuccessfr.:1, turn to a56; if you hil, tum to ro9. 554 At your fee! lies the body of MasterGraye,the miller of Wendeford You caruroL understandwhy he tried Lo ambush you, so you set about searciing the mill to find some answers.In the miller's living quarters you find enough food for two meals,a pouch containing 6

356 drem,riding a demonicwinged horsewith blood-red eyes,is a shadowy figure whom you lcrow to be the rr'armongeringDread l-ord Belgaroth himself. Under $e veil of night the Usurping Serpent is leading hrs army towardsthe Gtadel. You cannothope to overcomesuchincredible odds It will nol be long before RuddlesLone is crushed beneath the lron Fist 355 As the ghost is senl on its way to its ffnal astral destination,it cries out, 3ware! Belgaroth livesss. . .' Thenit is 8one. The king lhanks you for delivering him from the spirit but, once you have recovered,he urges you to be on your way. 'fie dead knight was a portent, maybe of what was, what is, or what is to come.SinceBelgaroth himself has refumed to our world, your mission becomesof the utmost urgencyand importance. Equip yourself from the armoury, but go with all haste,' Bidding the king and his council farewell, you leave the audiencechambr and ma&efor the Ctadel's ancient, and much renownd, armoury. Inside the vast cellarbeneath Weme the Amourer and his the castle teamof weaponsmilhs, metallurgists and engineers are busymakingand repajring weapons for lhe Knightsof Telak. Weme, a broad, well-built man shipped to the waist and wearing a leather aproD puts down the tongs he has been using and leads you to a large iron door at one end of the armoury He unlock it with a key selected from a largebunchhanging6om his bell you inside.'This,'he says, andleads 'is wherewe keep

down the word 'Relllm' on your AdomtureSfuet.) Having decided what you want to take with you, will you now read the letter (hrm to 3;7), drink some of the liquid in the bottle (fum to 16o), or leave the Wendemill and the village(tum to 49I Dusk falls as you march into the hills. Cradually you

you see them coming over a ri:e: Belgaroth's army. Chargingtowardsyou and your smallforceis a horde of Orcs, some mounted on wolves; also Trolls, Ogres, black-clad warriors, demonic Hellhounds and savage BeastMen. Aiead of them ride LheChaosKnightsof Caer Skaal,their steedsmighty war-horses. Behind

556

the rnore precious weapons. Some once belonged to lhe m.rsaders andheroes of the pasf.' Looking aroundthe vault, you seerow upon row of racks, heavy with gleaming weaponsand polished armour, With Weme'shelpyou pick out several weapom and pieces of armour that may be of use to you, From the list of items below choosea maximumof (record two to takeon your quesL lhemin the appropriate boxes on yout AdaenfuteSheeL), then hrm to the paragraphs listed by them Loffnd ouL more about your choice.(Remember:'you can only us one weapon at a fime and carry another on your sLeed, Firemane. If you wish to tak lwo weapons from the armoury, you musL your owrrmagical drscard sword.) ftuvgar's Mace Paladin'slance The Crossbow of Shamar the Shield-Maiden The Axe of Lothar of CrLrn The GrtffinShield Dwarvm Breaslplate The Helmetof Ventarc Iron Gauntlets Tum to 3j6 Tum to 9 Tum to zgo Tum lo 71 Tum to 52 Tum to r77 Tum to 91 Ttrm to j89

t57 The stone stpswind upwardsfor quiLesome way. \44renat last they come to an end, you find yourself standing insidea large guardroom Fortunately, most of the wan:iorswho would normally be here are outside 6ghting- However, two Chaos Warrion are still here. They immediatelyrush at yoa wielding theirdeadlyweapons
SKILL STAM IN A

Fnst CHAOSWARRIOR Second CHAOS wARRIOR

8 9

If you win, you surveythe guardroom. A plainwooden door on your righLgoesout of here,and a shortflighl of stepsleadsup to a Lrapdoor in lhe ceiling.Judging by how far you have already dimbed up the lower, you guessthat the kapdoor opms on to the roof, and you have no reasonfor going up theretSo, will you descend the sDiralsLaircase and ooen the door on the floor below (lum to 61) or op".r the plain wooden door in this room (hrm !o 39o)?

Once you have c-hosen your equipment,tum to Eo-

554-559

j6eJ61 J60

354 warrior Suddenlyyou find yourself facing a skeletal rn remnants of chainmail armourand wielding dressed a barbedlongsword The warrior has retainedall its fighting knowledge evenin death Thereis no time tc use a crossbowor lance or any myshc skills before
you engagein combat. UNDEAD CHAMPION SKILL 9
STA M I N A ;

lf you are using an edgedor pointed weaponagainst the skeleton, a successful strike will be tumed by its to its sTAMINA bonesand do only r point of damage Smashing and crushing weapons, suchas an axe,mace If you van or war hammer,will do normal damage. quish this opponenl,the villagersfight on while you go afterthe Necromancer Turn Lofa

,Vhat was it Connor'sghost said abouf the traltor? The Ravenwill betrayyou-' Of course, the blackbrrd rs a huge raven Could it be that lhis is in fact lhe 'Speak irailor in anotherguise? ihe trartor'stme name :o revealthe truth.'If you think you know the identity Di the Raven, conveft the traitor'snameinto a number, using lhe code A = 1, B = 2, C = j and so on, to Z = 26 Total the numbers which correspond to the 'etlersin ihe trailor'sfirst and last names, to then LLun :he paragraphwith that number. lf the paragraph you are wrong in your assumpLion; lakcs no sense, lum fo 95 If you havcno ideawho lhe Raven is, turn to 96

Although you run asif the DemonLord Myun himseli were after you, you cannol outrun the Hellhounds The hellishcreatures leapon you and pull you to the ground Your adventure endshere.

361 Enlering a chamber at the cnd of the h.rnnel,you behold a scene of dcstruction and desecrafion The crypl is fr-rllof stone coffins but cvery single one of them has bcen broken open, and the bodies inside are missing - every one, thal is, except for a sarcophagus rcsfing on a plinth at the end of Lhechambcr Do you

j52-563

354 bestial winged creatures which seemto leer at you as you passbeneaththem.Enteringthe outer courtyard of the forLress, you seethe rotLingskeletons of caLa pulls and ballistas usedagainst the besieging forcesof the Warriorsof Telak.Disused stables and out-houses standin ruinsas they havedonefor years. Thereis no sign of life . . . or is there?Hearing a graLingsound behind yoq you tum in fime to see several of the gargoylesfrom the gatehouseanimate and launch fhemselves into the air on great leatherywings You manageto draw yorrr weapon just before Lhe Gar, goylesswoop down to altackyou with rendingdaws and Lalons. If you do not havea magical you weapon, will be unableLo make any impression on theseevil rreatures' stony hidesand will quicklypenshhonibly If you do have such a weapo4 you must fight the Cargoylesfwo at a time with your AhtackStrength reduced by 1 point as Lhe creatures can fly out of reach of your blows.
SKILL STAM IN A

this last coffin (tum lo 2r4l wdnt to open and search else' ledvethis crypt and search or would you rather another (tum and make Lo 245 wherein the sepulchre

'That old redusel' the landlady exclaims,sr:rprised 'What do you want wiLh him?' You tell her that vou 1 'fell,if matLer. his adviceon a certain are just seeking iL's about curing warts or when the next eclipseis, for time-wasLe|s He s gol no palience donf bother. yoLr Lhat Herluirl-ashis , el and sheiells \ ou persist. in the woods to the west. If you want to follow her of the sage,Lurnto 1o2 and go in search directions aboutany ask the landLady you either can Olherwise, (Lum to 268), Iocalrumoursfhat may be Eoingaround ask her about the im's name (tum to r34) or leave (tum Lo49) southwards Wendeford andcontinue

353

First GARGOYLE Second GARGOYLE ThirdGARGOYLE Fourth GARGOYLE

9 9 10 9

ao a1 s 10

If you destroyall your ferocious aLtackers, tum to J84. 564 lVith a tremendous crashihe roof of Lhetemplecaves in, buryrngaliveall thosestill trapped inside, induding tonnes of rubbleand earth.Your advenLure ,!ou,Lmder

clear,you swiftly move from covr towalds the oPen of the gatehouse archway. The darktowersandparapet and carvingsot statues are decorated with grotesque

j6fj56

567

365 You guide Firemane through the undergrowth as quicklyas possible. As you geLclosrLo the ownerof the voice, you notice that the numberof briars and weeds growing round the trees is increasingand that the other plants of the forest look unhealthy and stunled in their growlh. Eventuallyyou reach the source of the chanting.You dismor.rnL and crouch down, hidden by the undergrowth. A man, dressedm long greenrobes, is lcreelingin the middleof an area ground,hls handspressed flat to lhe earth. of cleared strange chanl, As he continueshis cracksbegin to appear across the gound as if the very life-giving nutrien[sof the soil were being drainedaway.At the sametime, you can almostsense the weedsgrowing round the edge of the clearing.What is going on here? Do you want to burst into the cleanng and intem.rpt lhe man, who may be a priest of some kind (!um to :sz), or will you leave the forest and head back io CleeveManor (tum to a7P 366 A huge, grotesque,bloate4 black body, sprouhng eight hairy legs, materia[zes in the middle of t]re chamberand, clicking its mandibles, scuttles towards you. You are tumed almost to stone as you stare into the cold black orbs that are the deature'seyes. A monster from legend has retumed to challenge you - Verama,Queen of Spiders. Dunng this battle you must reduceyour Attack Strengthby z points because of the terror you feel al confronling the Gant Spider.

VERACNA

SKILL 9

STAM IN A 1 0

Ifyou arevictodous, hrm to 222. j67 A bell rings as you open the door and step into a cramped room,fumished with drapes. Standing behind a counLer rs a wizenedold woman 'You'll be wanting to see the Mistressof the Sighl then?'she says.'lt'll cost you 6ve Gold Pieces for a consultation.' Are you willing to pay this fee and meet the Mistressof the Sight (bum to ru3), or would you rather leave and continueon your way to the market (turn to ,44)?

564

&

56A You find yourself in a large clearing wilh a roof formed by a canopy of branches Emerging fiom among the Lrees and out of the undergrowthcome moreof the strange plantlike peopleyou havealready encountered They look as if they are clolhedentirely in leaves,moss,bark brackenand fungus,but you know now that these arenot clothes, Someof the men and womenhavelong greenhair plaitedwith ivy and other plants They are a1twatchingyou intently,and you feel the samescalplinglingsensation you had in the forestwhenyou thoughtyou werebeing watched Theseman-likecreatures are the Wodewose, also re ferred to in folklore as the Green Men They are primal spirits of the woods, ancientelemental beings of nature. Two of Lhe Wodewose hold your arms while your r,r.eapon is taken from you You are then led to th far sideof the clearinB and madeto lmeelon the ground in fiont of a screenof branchesThe branches are drawn apartand you find yourselffacrng a huge figure,seated on a great chairLhatseems to be rooLedin the earth The 6gure is a giant of a man, wearing.r fobeof leaverHis beard andhairaregreen and matted with moss, and his skin is grey and cracked like bark, coveredyrilh knotly brown verns. Thegiant'seyesareringedlike bhestumps of branches, and when he speaks his voice is like lhe creakingof branches in the wind.'I am the Lord of ihe Forest,'he says. 'You have trespassed in the forest and your progresshas been observed.This woodland comes under my protecLionand I cannot allow it to be harmedby careless humans.However,before I pass

554

tof5ra 359 As you kneel at the altar, the tiredness and pain in your body easeand you feel invigorated. Restoie your srAMrNA scoreto its lritral level Havingbeenblesse4 you Leave the shrine(tum to 2J). The sharp crack on your skull sendsyou reeling (lose 2 srAMrNApoints).Roll four dice,If the Lotalis Iess than or equalto your sraMtNA score,tum Lo 106. If your lotal is greater thanyour srAMtNA, fum to 59
370

judgementon you, you may speakand defendyour aclions.' that have taken Quickly you relatethe evenLs place so far on your adventure and explain the nahle of your quest, Read through the following list of actionsthat you may have carriedoul lo date in the forestor posses' sions you may have acquired,and bobal the number of pointsfor all that apply: For trespassing in the forest Forhuntinga wild boarin the forest For having someof lhe fungus Ironbane For havingd Cleric's Tdlismdn Forhaving a twisted staFf For havinSthe potion WitheMell Forhavingdn ElvenAmulef For fighting Orc Wolf-Riders For fighfinga TreeMan Forkilling one of the Wodewose + 3 poinLs + 2 poinLs + 2 poinLs - r point - I point + 4 points - 1 point - l point +4 points + 5 points

Roll two dice.If the fotal is lessLhanor equalto the number of points you have scored, tum to 92. If the total is higher,tum to 2Eo.

You awalen with a start when the moon is high in the sky, convincedyou heard the hut door criak. The door is indeedopen and therein front of you . Oh

374

372

373-314 ,7' You sprinlinto the clumpof heesand duckdown in a fem-coveredhollow, hardly daring to breathe.Crouching amongLhebracken, you wait until you decideit is saieto leave.You iump up with a sy as the dagger sinksinto ) our sword-arm (lose2 srAVrNApointsand on .r skrll point). You are going to have to escape horseback but before you can reachyow steed you will haveto 6ght the Assassin's Daggeragain.

lf you do not have any way of banishing the speckaj hand,you must6ght iL oncemore.

ASSASSIN'S DACGER

s KllL 10

After four Attack Roundg or if you win two con_

ASSASSIN'S DAGCER

S K I L L 10

A-fter four Attack Roundt or if you nrin two consecu-

are on your way again;tum to 285i

574

376 Provisions enough for 3 meals,while the local wisewoman tendsyour wounds,RestoresrAMrNApoinLs equalto half your /rifial score(roundingfractions up). Thenit is time for rest Not many hours have passed beforeyou are woken by cockcrow, and you prepare to set off again(addI day to the Time Elapsed). As you mount Firemane, Ben. the forester,oFfers the villagers' thanksonce more and adds that, if there is anylhing they can do Lohelp, you need only ask. If you wish to, you can recruit someof the villagersto figlt with you against Belga, rolh's forces;you agreeLo meet them at Lheruined outpost of HarnwaLch that mght, so that they have Lime Lo recover from Lhe prevrousnight's shuggle (wriLethe word 'Ecrof' down on your AdaenLura Sheel if you have not done so already) Now, if you want to follow the road south towardsCaerSkaal, tum to 48 However,if you preferto set off in search of Aelfgar, the legendary Elf-Spear, tum to jo6. 37s With a tremndous splintering crash, a huge black shapesmashes through a window and hurtles straight into you, showerintyou with brokenglassand krocking you fo the ground.The midnight-black dog is as jusL largeas a wolf andits cavemous rnouthrs centjme, fres from your face.It snans, and the smellof its fetid breathmakes you gag Wilh a roar,a ball of fire br.tsts out of the monster's mouthinlo your face. You sceam in pain as the flamesburn you and, opening your eyes, you 6nd that the savage attack has darnaged your sight 0ose 2 srAMrNA points and r sKrLLpoint). Tlrowing the Hellhomd from you, you get to your feet as the monsterspringsat you aga|n.Thereis no time to use your powersagainstit. Once again you are fighting for your life, whrle Tonin briesto secure thewindow

HELLHOUND

sKrLL 7

STAM ]N ^ 6

As well as its savagebite and sharpclaws,the demonic creahrehas anotheratta&: it can also shoot gouts of flamefrom its moubh After eachAttack Round,roll one dice lf you roll 1 or 2, Lhemonst/sfiery breath damage bums you for r additional point of sTAMINA If you kill the Hellhound, tum to t5.

376 In order to harm this undeadBuardian spirit you will have to be wielding a magically charged weapon. If you are not fighting with such a weapon, the Haunt

5n tears through both flesh and armour with its skeletaj claws, drainingaway your very life-force. lf this is not the case, again you yourself find opposing a _once se.vanf of [he powers of Evil. If vou use the Hoir ShrkeSpecial Skill againstthe spirit. you mry redr." its srAMrN scoreby 2 pointsand its srrrl scoreby r point.

374

Will you now drink someof the liquid(tum to 160) or wiu you leavethe miJldndWendeford (tum to 49)? 374

HAUNT

SKI LL 9

STA M I N A E

The spectre's insubstantial lorm 6nds your armourno resislanceso, unlessit is magical you must ignore any bonuses you receive from wearingif. If you defeatthe Haunt,Lumto 289 371 You unfoldthe letterand beginto read, cf[aotet Qccge,

easlwards; 'Throughthe forestold,, sureiyLheancien! Forest of Lein;and 'High upon a barrenpeal<,' rn the hills somewhere. Beyond the forest lies the eastem edgeof the Banarask Hills . that musf be wherethe Shrine lies. Leading Firemane away from the road,you set off into the greaL untamedexpanse of woodland$aL is older than Ruddlestone itsell Leafless branches like skelelal

r,/y.we br. flccbcd 06 al.. .h. Templo.s hr!,E ecDt r r^,orclo. ao ddccr our alll rr? n uat "d oc! to p.seert !bi. eom heppaing. "/o cA.eus.in'. bqr, Oa\gq h,,. beco diepctched rboqld ahi. Lrigbr sqrviva 6qch rr attrc!, l|ra .cl8 or tou ao irfotD or of atralr p.ogre.E cnd to rtop tbc rccrfsad finplot, lt gou can. ot tfic clloated ai|t|s bua 7hc acca ficct ^gain the ra,ord of eDrrt brs bc.n cbaoged,jt is oow 'WlolJlbon '. .rA.., cA.t]h,C',.ic of rhe lacyltho.''

Knighls of Telal. His tunic rs tom and bloodstained

3rr'ao
and sveralarrows protrude from his chest.Hearing you approach, Connor danages to lift hrs head and open his eyes 'Ah, a friendly face ... It has beena long time I only wish we were meelrng agdir n happier circumrfarces.. Orc Wolf Rrders...carrying the bannerof Caer Skaal .' Connor is failing fasl If you have a Healing Draught or a tot of Aranandus's ResfomLive Potion that you would Iike to gire to your dying fiiend, tluJn lo 26r.If you haven't,tunl to Jz. By mid'momingyou reachbhelonelyvillageof Ennor A number of farmsand otherbuildings huddletogetha roundthe villagesquarc, in the middleof which stands a stone cross.You can seethat parts of the surroundint 6elds are blackened and bhghted. As you ride into Ennox,a group of villagerstums to look at you with hostileexpressions on their faces 'So,a Templar,' one of them sneers 'What'ave we done to deservethe attentions of the likesof you?As if thingsweren'tbad enough wrth the blight. We don'L need your sori snoopingaround'ere' The man'sfellowsmutter their agreemenL Somethin8tells you thaL your presenc rsn't welcomehere. You have no quarrelwith Lhese people, so will you ride on through and leave Lhem,r: peace (tum to 1j2), or will you stop and argue in defenceof your order (turn to r5o[ 5Eo Justat the edgeof hearingyou delecta sofL tinHin8 voice calling to you. When yor-:strain to liste4 the

5aa voicebecomes more audibleand a shimmering figure beginsto malerialize sLone. next to the standing Sensyou waLch as the ing a strong aura of goodness, apparilron almostLlvenin appearof a beautiful woman. anceand swathedin flowers,spealcs to you: 'Before dark magic imprisoned me wrthin this stone, I was a Fey Sorcaress of some power. It is nol my destiny to be releasedby yo4 worthy knight, but for now the paths of our fates cross and I may offer you aid. The Bjrd of Light must be fred if you are to defeatthe UsurpingSerpent, and the Champion oi the Templars musLbe overcome.,,' Having spoken,the ghostly woman fadesfrom sight. Ponderingher words, you rideon oncemore Tum to 26j tEl Of coursq where else would you look for the deceased Necromancerbut the graveyard! Many of the graves are open,and the cmeteryis dominatedby a grimlooking sepulchre with carvingsof that is decoraled huge skull on its skeleLons and has the image of a granite doors. These doors stand open, revealinga flight of slonesLeps that leaddown rnto the gloom of you would not dreamof the mausoleumOf course, descendinginto the darknesswiLhout some meansof lighting your way, would you? If you do not own a lartem. you leave the graveyard to searchfor one in you sense, the village;tum to lr In the mausoleum, is you you Do where wrll find the Necromancer want to enter the sepulchrstraigh[ away (tum to 94) or would you prefer to examinesome of Lhe opened graves fusL(turn lo jj7)?

302

382 While the last oI Carass's militia maketheir final stand you on Lhe southem wall, set off alon lo try to peneLrate the besiegers' lines;the borarn's fate restson your achievingyour goal Hacking your way past several ChaosWaniors,you seea clearway through the breached walls to the Juggemaut. Then, with a crash,part of a building a few mehes away from you collapsesand its buming roof falls in, as a giSantic figure smashesthrough a wall, sending bricks and brokenwooden beamsflying inlo Lhestreet.As the you ffnd yourself confrontedby what at dusLclears, fust lookslike a two-and-a-half-metre-tall walkrnesuib of armour.Howevet,there are no 8ap9in the armour and through the slib of the visor you can see a red glow suggeshng that barely controlled magical enerSiesare powering the metal warrior The lron Golem is a deadly fighting machine,almost imperviousto weaponsand hell-bent on your destruction If you have someIronbaneand wish Lo use it now, rurn ro 269; olherwise you mustfighLit

IRON COLEM

sr AM lNA 16

Any damageyou inflict on the Colem will be reduced by r point because of its sturdy construction.However, on a successful you for 3 hit, its metalfistswill por-rnd srAMrNApoints of damage. If you ever roll a double when calculatingyour Attack Strength,you brcak your weaponagainslthe Golem,suchis lhe force of yow blow and the hardness of its body, you must fight on with your Attacl Slrength reducedby ; points. If the Golem wirs two consecrtiveAttack

543-zai Rounds it manages Lo pick you up and throw you against a wall; roll one dice and Iose thaf many srAMrNApoints.If you are victoious in this mighty contest, roll one dice.On a roll of r or z, Lurin rc 34f otherwise,tnm to 50. 3aj Write down the word 'Eehsnab'on yovr Aloenture 'Tnorc' Sheet.Now, if you have the word already wriften on your Adpenlwe Sheet,fum fo 12. If you haven't and you cape here from paragraph ry5, tum to ja6. If you camehere from paragraph15j, tum to

3A6-5Aa wiLh a deep senseof unease. You are sure lhaf you are being watched and, when you tum your head to look around,you spot a suddenmovementin the dense brackenEventually Lhetrees part arrdyou find yourself at the edgeof a smalldearing.The floor of Lhe dearing rs you covered with orange mushrooms. If havethe,4r.dre yourLrck. lorc Special Skill,tum to Sy.Ifyou do not, Tesl If you are Lr.rcky, tum to 87. If you areUnlucky, to go on you will either have to ride round the edge of the dearing(tum to E) or straightacross it (tum ro 1j2). 545 You have time to use a crossbow once here, before attacking the Chaos Beast Man CHAOS BEASTMAN sKrLL I srAMlNA I

584 You hurrlz through an archway and beneath a raised portorllis into theinner courtl'ard of CaerSkaal. This area

If the battlelastsmore thansix Attack Rounds, tum to you defeatthe guard in six AbtackRoundsor 39. If less, tum to 242. 547 You chase afterthe other mummers and catchsight of the group running down a narrow back slreet. You tum the comerjust in time to seethe mummers push an empty wagon, thal was sLardingin the road, in your direction.The cart comesthunderingdown lhe alleyway towards yolu. Test your S[ill If your are successful, tum to 62 If you fail, tum to 5oa. 5t8 Your attempts to break open the doors are enhely futile and only servelo summonCaerSkaal's gr:ards.

times, tum to roo.lfyou areUnluckyat all, turn lo z7r 5E5 Guiding Firemane through the undergrowm,you en(ourter a large fallen tree,blocking the path. By ihe time you havetakena detour ro,rndit, you ha.relost the path. You ride on through the ancientwoodland

349-39o you finally succumb to Trapped in Lhe antechamber, Lheironslaught. You were so dose to lhe completion of your quest, but at the lasL stageyou havefarled. 349 Weme explainsthat lheseiron gauntleLs were made joint by his tutor, the armouer Rastin.Every in the gauntlets matches those of the human hand so that they will not restrictmovementin any way Retum to 356 390 Opening the door, you enter lhe JuggemauL's armoury. Dark-bladed rest in racksLining swordsand pole-axes the walls,alongwiLhbows and black-feathered arrows. You decide that belongto against takingarryweapons an army of Chaos, but something elsedoescatchyour eye A wickerbaskeL rn one comeris full of spiked iron spheres with wicksprotrudingfrom therrmetalcasings, grenades. Thesevicious explosivedevices have been developed by alchemists and are knov/n for Lheir destructive power not to mentiontheir unreliability. you If ever want to use a grenade,you should light the fuse wiLh your linderbox, or a nearby fire source,then hurl it at your tarSet-When you use a grenade,roll one dice:on a roll of r, the grenadeis a dud and will not go off; a roll of z-5 meansthal rt hits ils target,doing r dice worth of damage; however, on a roll of 6, the thing explodesprematurely, causingyo, r dice worth of damage! You can carry up Lofour grenades with you you Leavingthe arnoury, descend lo the floor below andopenthe heavyiron-bound door lhere(tum to 6r).
594

394-392

asyou The sickly-sweet smellof decaygrows sLronger soon and LheLunnel makeyour way along the passage liltered with bones opensinto a small,bare chamber, of bolh human and ammal origin On the opposite side of the room is a huge door of black granite,its surface coveredwith skullsthat have been carvedrn high relief on the stone This is all you have time to by a ratLling takein beforeyour attenlionis dislracled sormd Some of the bones covenng the floor are Suddenly starlinglo movejerkily towardsone another. the bonesleap into the air and join logelher,forming the completeskelelonof a large dog. Snarling,the guard springsat you. If you have the chamel-house Holy Shib Special Skill, you may use lhis (ghteous aLtackagainst the dog (reduceits sraNarNAby 2 points and its sKnL by 1 poinL) If you have a Shield Ring,tum to 32o

SKELETAL DOG

sKlLL 7

STAM IN A 6

by Edgedweapons, suchas swords,will be deflected the skeleton'sbones and wrll do only r pornt of and crushing weapdamage to rls srauINe. Smashrng ons are not affectedin this way- If you destroy lhe undead dog, tum to 42. 392 Lhumbing throughils Pages, The volumeis a bestiary, you comeacross aboutthe raremythological a sechon You readon wiLh interest. beastcalledthe CockaLrice is lhe Cockatrice Also known as the 'king of seryents', by a toad It is saidto comefrom a hen'segg hatched

593 a strange combination of a largecockerel, a bat and a snake, and is a learless camivore A distantrelativeof the Basilisk, the Cockatrice is renowned for rts poisonous breathwhich paralyses anyLhing it touches. However,lhe monslerdoeshave one major weakness if rt shouldcalchsight of ils own reflection in a mirror the creature by a wood will dre The text is accompanied cut of one of these monstersNow relum to 156.

394-395 394 When you are just within arrrr's reach of Lhe maf, several vines suddenly shoot oul of lhe undergrowlh, ;ust missing your anlles, and procced lo tie lhemselves in hots. You grab the hem of the man's robe and he spins around to faceyou. The cleric preparesto defend himself with a long, black thom. CLERIC If you win, lum to 46 SKILL 6

As you kneelat the allar,you hear a deep,rumbling 'Truly you area Knight voiceinsideyour headsaying, of Telak.'Youfeel filled with new life and hope,ready for whatever the remainderoF your lourney may bring You have receivedTelak's Blessing Restore your srAMrNA,sKrLL and LUCK sco.esto their l ifiiTl Having levelsand add l point to yoLLr HoNouRscore. you lea"c Lheshrrne. Turn io 2J beenblessed, 393 Romding ihe comer of a stone building, you come upona patrolscoutirg rhrough rhe ruinrfor survivorThe two Ral Men have large eyes and ears, and beneath theirleatherarmouryou can seethat they are coveredin short fur, while rallike tails lrail bchind them.Drawinglherrshortswordslhey run at you.
SK]L L STA MIN A

FirstRAT MAN Second RAT MAN If you win, turn to 526

S6 65

t96-594 396 With the cold night air bufftingyour face,you peer inlo the night. Below you are the swiftlv dwindling turrets of the Fortress of the Skull and the banen

weapon,tum shaft.lf you do not have the legendary to 518. 597

278.

394 Reachinglhe doorway, you fljng yourself through it Torrin slamsthe door behind you, quicHy bolting and barirr.g it. TesfyoLt Luck.If you are Lu&y, tum to 3ro If you areUnlucky,turn lo 375.

399-400

399 For consigning the villagers lo lheir faLe, lose z (roNouRpotntsand 2 rucK poinLs! Riding away from lhe scene through Lhe twilight, you 6nd yourself the smouldering remainso{ a ransacked approaching standsin wooden stockade village.A hastrlyerected you can see point the middle,and from your vanLage only one guardal iLsentranceDo you want to tether Firemane here and sneakinto the BeastMen's camP for futher investigabion, now thal night has fallen (hrrn Lo j4o), or do.you prefer lo ride on, away from here(turn Lo296!
400

The silver-tippedspearsheakstluough lhe air and sinking inlo hls piercesLheDread Lord'sbreastplate, lets out a blood-curdling scream blackheart.Belgaroth of horror and surpriseas a silvery glow envelops sound, Belgaroth's Aelfga4theq with a teniblesucking is lost body collapses in on ilself His deaLh-soeam beneath the sound of a rushing wind, a vortex rs formingin the sky at the point wherethe DreadLord died, drawing air into its centreand opening a doorway to another world With a shrill cry the demonicNight mare disappearsinto lt. Let us leaoenow, lhe Celastlix says in your head then, beaLingils powerful wings, begins to drag you away from Lhe cenlre of lhe you, the Lowers and rapdly wrdeningvortex. Beneath baltlements of the dark fortressare being lom apart by the force of the vortex, greal lumps of stone and masonry are hurtlng upwards {rom the caslle into the heart of lhe whirlwind. With a deafening somd, lhe

ground buckles and cracks and the enLire fortress is dragged inlo the air. lA4rile the Celastrix is flyng away from lhe spiralling vortex, you look back over your shoutderand witness the final deshuchon of the gaLeway belween asit is drawnLhrough CaerSkaal the planesard you catch sight of the nightmansh jaggedblack drmension inLowhich it hasbeendrarnm, entirely with mounLains rising from plains covered bones, volcanoesspouting columns of lire inLo a of losL souls blood red sky and the pitiful screams rrnging out acrossthe Realmsoi the Damned You with a deep Lumaway in horror,and the vorLexcloses across the hills.Nothresounding boom whrchechoes Fortress or of ing has been left ertherof Belgaroth's his evil hordes to show thal they ever existed.The o[ spot where Caer Skaalslood has been cleansed awareof become every haceof Chaos You suddenly an insubstantial figure,floating in lhe sky in front of you The manhasa long grey beardand on lop of hr regal head he wearu a crovvn, while hrs tmic and kingly robesbear the holy emblemof the Knighls of in your Telak. His voice is powerful arrd rcsonates mind: 'When lhe earthin sickness hes And the year,in twilight,dres, iron hand The UsurpingSerpent's Shallcrushthe life from thisfair land bum Everwill his vengeance retum Till the Bird of Lrght's see And LeinWood the fortress be then vanquished The DreadLord will

'Thanks to yoq brave lnight, the prophecy has been fulfflled,' says the ghost, 'and, with my evil brother's death the sourceof the coEuption in the kingdom is gone. Ruddlestoneand the king are safe once more and all will soonbe madewhole again. You area truly noble and honourable warrior.My blessings go with you' With that, your vision of King Chivalras X dissolvesinto the night. Riding on your winged mount lowards the Citadel you know that, thar*s to your bravery,your homeland has been savedfor a second time from the tyra4ny of Belgaroth, the Dread Lord, and his Kniehts of Doom.