Castle Death Read Online Free Page B
take you by boat to the edge of the shield. On board is a small coracle in which you can pass through the shield and make your way to the Isle of Khor. We shall pray for you, Lone Wolf.’
Midnight finds you standing on the deck of a square-rigged fishing boat. The sighing night wind and the creak of rope and timber are the only sounds that accompany you across the black waters of Lake Khor. You arrive at a wall of shimmering, green light: the power-shield. The Vakeros whisper their goodbyes, and you paddle through the wall, drawing closer with every stroke to the sinister island fortress.
Two hundred yards from the glistening black shoreline, you note two places where you can make a landing.
If you wish to land at a stone jetty to the west of Kazan-Oud, turn to 135 .
If you wish to land at a sheltered bay to the east of Kazan-Oud, turn to 288 .
3
The rumble of a massive counterweight descending behind the wall sends a shudder through the flagstones. The portcullis rises and you hear the lever click back to its original position as you duck under the pointed bars.
Turn to 277 .
4
Your lungs are close to the bursting point when your persistence finally pays off. The lock clicks and the door is forced wide open by the sheer weight of the water pressing upon it.
Turn to 172 .
5
The shadow flares red before dissolving into a dense grey mist that is carried away swiftly on the stormy air. A sudden chill makes you shiver. You pull your cloak around you, taking comfort from its warmth, but it is as if the cold comes not from the damp wind but from somewhere deep inside you.
You feel hungry and you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. When you have finished, you make a quick check of your equipment before taking your first cautious steps inside the Great Hall.
Turn to 293 .
6
‘Good!’ booms the voice of Zahda, as you land on the opposite side of the pit. ‘You are brave! But have you brains as well as battle-brawn, I wonder? Ha! Soon we shall see.’
The voice conjures an image of Lord Zahda in your mind. He is seated on a golden throne with the object of your quest, the Lorestone of Herdos, suspended in the air above him. You resolve to survive this accursed maze and escape. If you can then only find your way back to Zahda's throne hall, the success of your quest will be within your grasp.
You walk along the passage that leads away from the pit, your mind filled with dismay as you contemplate the problems and perils that lie before you. One such problem looms into view as the passage takes a sharp turn.
Turn to 100 .
8
As it springs out of the gloom, you hack at the beast, carving a slice from its great hairy shoulder. But the shock of its attack sends you reeling to the floor, and you scream out in pained surprise. Claws rake your arm; burning saliva stings your face. Desperately, you stab at the snarling beast as it dips its head and closes its massive jaws around your legs. The creature is immune to Mindblast but
not
Psi-surge.
Hound of Death: COMBAT SKILL 22 ENDURANCE 40
If you win the combat, turn to 194 .
9
A faint rumble grows louder. There is a clatter of chains and the squeal of metal on metal as the portcullis rises jerkily into the roof. Wasting no time, you duck under the spiked bars and hurry into the tunnel beyond.
Turn to 277 .
11
Descending the narrow staircase, you arrive at a tunnel-like corridor, sandwiched between two walls of mouldering masonry. Foul, oily water gurgles along a channel in the slippery floor towards a distant archway, which is blocked by a black iron portcullis. Bolted to the criss-crossed bars is a plaque which bears a curious design: 2
On the wall to your left is a large, rusty dial with a brass pointer. Set around it, like the numerals of a clock, are the numbers 1 to 40, and below the dial is a lever. Your basic Kai instincts tell you that by selecting the correct number, or numbers, and pulling the lever, you will open the
Midnight finds you standing on the deck of a square-rigged fishing boat. The sighing night wind and the creak of rope and timber are the only sounds that accompany you across the black waters of Lake Khor. You arrive at a wall of shimmering, green light: the power-shield. The Vakeros whisper their goodbyes, and you paddle through the wall, drawing closer with every stroke to the sinister island fortress.
Two hundred yards from the glistening black shoreline, you note two places where you can make a landing.
If you wish to land at a stone jetty to the west of Kazan-Oud, turn to 135 .
If you wish to land at a sheltered bay to the east of Kazan-Oud, turn to 288 .
3
The rumble of a massive counterweight descending behind the wall sends a shudder through the flagstones. The portcullis rises and you hear the lever click back to its original position as you duck under the pointed bars.
Turn to 277 .
4
Your lungs are close to the bursting point when your persistence finally pays off. The lock clicks and the door is forced wide open by the sheer weight of the water pressing upon it.
Turn to 172 .
5
The shadow flares red before dissolving into a dense grey mist that is carried away swiftly on the stormy air. A sudden chill makes you shiver. You pull your cloak around you, taking comfort from its warmth, but it is as if the cold comes not from the damp wind but from somewhere deep inside you.
You feel hungry and you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. When you have finished, you make a quick check of your equipment before taking your first cautious steps inside the Great Hall.
Turn to 293 .
6
‘Good!’ booms the voice of Zahda, as you land on the opposite side of the pit. ‘You are brave! But have you brains as well as battle-brawn, I wonder? Ha! Soon we shall see.’
The voice conjures an image of Lord Zahda in your mind. He is seated on a golden throne with the object of your quest, the Lorestone of Herdos, suspended in the air above him. You resolve to survive this accursed maze and escape. If you can then only find your way back to Zahda's throne hall, the success of your quest will be within your grasp.
You walk along the passage that leads away from the pit, your mind filled with dismay as you contemplate the problems and perils that lie before you. One such problem looms into view as the passage takes a sharp turn.
Turn to 100 .
8
As it springs out of the gloom, you hack at the beast, carving a slice from its great hairy shoulder. But the shock of its attack sends you reeling to the floor, and you scream out in pained surprise. Claws rake your arm; burning saliva stings your face. Desperately, you stab at the snarling beast as it dips its head and closes its massive jaws around your legs. The creature is immune to Mindblast but
not
Psi-surge.
Hound of Death: COMBAT SKILL 22 ENDURANCE 40
If you win the combat, turn to 194 .
9
A faint rumble grows louder. There is a clatter of chains and the squeal of metal on metal as the portcullis rises jerkily into the roof. Wasting no time, you duck under the spiked bars and hurry into the tunnel beyond.
Turn to 277 .
11
Descending the narrow staircase, you arrive at a tunnel-like corridor, sandwiched between two walls of mouldering masonry. Foul, oily water gurgles along a channel in the slippery floor towards a distant archway, which is blocked by a black iron portcullis. Bolted to the criss-crossed bars is a plaque which bears a curious design: 2
On the wall to your left is a large, rusty dial with a brass pointer. Set around it, like the numerals of a clock, are the numbers 1 to 40, and below the dial is a lever. Your basic Kai instincts tell you that by selecting the correct number, or numbers, and pulling the lever, you will open the
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