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4*Ll NGSTOTIE
PTJFFIN BOO(S
SPECTRAL STALKERS
The Aleph is a prize byond atl masue, a hysrdious atelrci Fom
aothd diMion wlddr c.n be 6.d ro h.!Gs alt the for.6 of rhe
lJnive. Wnhn th swnling gtobc oR may
tazs
dr an erd.r .opy oratl
the prds ot ensts<e orperhaps atenshnceit,elfl
N@, whrhs by hre d forrlm, rhe Aleph lEs div.d in KlEt sd
been dtruded to YOU Ib! sfeke.pins. YOU mlsr rse its unedrhty
powds to trmporr you thDush rfie diDetuiom ed ovdcde rte
mdry obdadd in yoe way mtil ya 6 rcih ft ro its riAhd omd,
But }ew&, for oih6 ato sk ro oM ihe Atept
_
espaia y rhe
teEitins Spechal StdleBl
Two dice a pncil dd a aa*r ad .lt you need to nbdt m rhis
altonishing adventue, which is complere with fts elaboFre coFbat
systm and a $ore lhet to @r.l you proEffi_
Y-r _4-g"^
Le ahedd .nd
rou!
ru..e$
' s
by no mens cen,n.
rowstul..dre^$e
xe rdEed again:t you, bd rf6 up ro
yOU
to
dfti.tr which r@t. to follo*, wlnch dang@ to rist .nd whid, fo to
hghl. \othinE ha3 prepdpd you rd an advmtuelike thi5l
H
Ii8Mn8 EMIosr G.n h&s
Z THE CITdEL @ CHAOS
e C^!'ERNS OFm sNotl' WTrcH
E BENEq'h Mc;lflARE CASI1E
2 KHAFI. Clr:l1]@ OF TNr{F
35 DAGCEFS OF DN(NIS
{ BLACXTN4(:)mCI
4 rI6EIDcm$q@w
5 IOWET OF DESI]TUCTION
sO EIURN lD rercF MOCll\|iN
5T PLAGUT OT M ND6TD
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DLNGEONER
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An rnh.dxdd ro 6! vroird of Ror.-PLFs CalG
@
UFFN BOOKS P
Steve
Jackson
and lan Livingstone
Presenr
by Peter Darvill-Evans
Illwtrated by Tony Hough
PUFFTNEOO(S
Pgngurn Book! Lrd, R.gi sreEd Oms: H,mo.dtvor6,
Mi dor.s*, hgtand
Fin( pnbtished t99l
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F,thd i tr i 2l EPdaLi no
CONTENTS
ADVENTURING AMONC THE SPHERES
7
ADVENTURE SHEET
BACKGROUND
16
SPECTRAL STALKERS
18
t
VA
ADVENTURI NG AMONC THE
SPHERES
You are a warrior, a hardy adventLrrcr with remarkable
skills You wrll use dicc to determinc your cxact a[ri,
butes, and or pages 14 15 lhere is an AdocnLure SheeL
on which you will record your scores and thc incidents
ol your adventure. Usc a pencil, or make photocopies
ol the Adumfure SheeL, as you will almosf ccrtainly need
to make more than one attempt to escapc fhe relentless
Spectral Stalkers and prevent the enslavement oi the
Uni verse
Skill, Stamina and Luck
Roll one die Add 6 to the score and cnter the total in
the sxrr-r box on the,4Llueltlure ShNl
Roll two dicc. Add r:r Lo the scorc and enter the total
i n i he srevrNa box
Roll onc die Add 6 to thc score an(l enter fhe total in
These are your lniiial scorcs and you musf kcep a
permanenf record of thcm All of yoLrr s(ores nrdy
chanSe during your advcnture, but they will exceed
your
i,Tlirl amoonts only on very rare occasions You
must kecp a record of all changes to your scorcs so
r\Tile small or use a rubber
Your sx[L score renects your expertis in combat,
your ability with weapons and your dexterity. Your
sraMrNA is your health, fitness, and ability to survive
wounds and phyeical hardship. Your lucx score shows
how lucky you are.
Combat
During your advenfure you will meet other people and
creaturcs. Some of them will attack you; others you will
decide to fight, The
irocedure
for resolving battles is
described below,
sK[L and srAMrNA scores are given in the text for
each opponent that you rneet. Write these scores in the
6rst vacant Encounter Box otr yotn Aillmturc Sheel
Record also any special abilities or instnrctions that are
unique to this partiddar opponent. The sequence is
then,
1. Roll two dice for your opponent. Add lhe total to
his srrlr score. This is his Attack Strength.
z- Roll two dice and add the total to your crrrrent
SKILL score. This is your Attack Shength.
3
If your Attack Strength is the higher you have
wormded your opponent. Go to sLep
4.
If your
opponent's Atlack Strength is highea he has
wounded you. Go to step
5
If the Attack Strength
totals are lhe same, you have avoided each other's
blows start a new Combat Round from step r.
4.
Subtract 2 points from yoUI opponenfs sr^MlNA.
8
You may be able to deduct additional points if you
use your LucK
(see below) or if you have a special
weapon
5.
Subhact 2 points from your stAMrNA You may
use your LUCK here to reduce fhe amount you lose
(see
below).
6. Make sure you have rccorded on lhe Adoenhm Shed
all adiustments to sr^Mrrr and r,ucr scores.
7.
Begin the next Combat Round, sta*ing again at step
1. This sequence continues until eifher you or your
opponent has a srAMrNA score of zero. If your
opponent's sraMrNA score rcaches zero, you have
killed him and can continue with your advenhrre. If
your STAMINA score reaches zero, you are dead;
you must start the advmture again from the begin-
ning, having rolled dice to create a new characler
Often you will have to 6ght more bhan one opponent
at the same lihe. Sometimes you will treaL them as a
single opponent; somelimes you will be able to 6ght
Lhem one at a tim; and sometimes all oF them will be
able to attack you while you defend yourself and attack
only one of them Specilic inshuctions will be given at
the appropriate point whenever you meet more than
one opponent.
Luck
There will be times when the success or failure o{ yow
exploits will depend entirely on your tucx. You will be
inshucted to Test ywr Luck, the yocedure for which is
as follows: roll h^r'o dice. If the total score is equal Lo or
less than your LUCK scote, you are Lucky and the
outcome will be in your favour. If the total is higher
Lhan your LUCK score, you are Unlud<y. Wtratever the
outcome, you must deduct r point from your r-ucx
score. As you will se, the more you use your LUCK,
the less likely you are to be Lucky. There will be
occations when you are able to recover some points of
LUc(, but unless speciffcally stated your score cannot
exced its lfiifial value.
Using Luck it Combat
You can use your lucr in combat to inflicl a particularly
serious wound or to minimize a wound that has been
inflicted on you
Whenever you wormd an opponent, you may TssI yort
Lrch roll two dice; if the total score is equal to or less
Lhan your lucr score, you have been Lu&y.If the lotal
is higher than your LUCK score, you are Unlucky.
Whatever the result, you musf deduct 1 point from
your current LUCK score. If you are Lu&y, you have
inJlicted a severe wound: deduct an arha z ooints from
your
opponenl's sr^MrN^ If you are unlucky, you
have merely grazed him, and you deduc{ r less point of
sTAMINA than normaL
If you have been wounded" you can Test your Luck ii
exactly the same way. Remember to deduct 1 point from
youi LUCK whatever the result. If you are Lucky, the
wound was only a glancing blow, and you can deduct r
Iras point of srAMrNA Lh6n usual, I[ you are Unlucky,
lhe wound is serious: deduct 1 ,rhd sT,{MrNA Doint.
t o
Restorlng Skill and Stamina
skill
Your srrr-r will not change much during yor.rr adven-
ture, and you should change it only if given sPecific
inskuctions in the text As 5KILL is a measure o[ combat
prowest it can be reduced by losing your weaPon or
by the effects of poiso4 for instance; acquiring a magical
weapon could increase your sKILL but remember thaf
you can use only one weapon at a Lime!
Stamina
Your sr,rvrre will change frequently during your
advenfure as you suffer woun& and then recover. At
various times you wrll be given opportunities to eat
meals and to acquire Provisions. Eating a meal normally
restores up lo
4
points of srAMtNA although there
may be Limes, indicated in the text, when you get so
hungry you will need Lo eat a meal simply to avoid
losing srAMrNA You may eat only one meal at a Lime,
even lhough you may have more in your backpack,
Unless specifically stated, your sTAMINA may never
exceed its hifil.J score.
Leaving a Trail
Spechal Stalkers can detecl the kaces ofpsychic energy
thaf you leave in vour wake as you kavel between Lhe
Spheres of the Macrocosmos. Each time that you pay
more lhan a flying visit to a location - if you stay long
enough to become invoLved in a 6ghL, for instance -
I I
yoq will leave a disturbance in the ebher that will atkact
the Spectral Stalkers. The more times you do this, the
easier iL is for your shadowy pursuers to home in on
you,
Your rotn score shows how easy it is for the Spectral
Stalkers to find you. At the start of your advenlure
your rRAIL score is zero - the Spechal Stalkers do not
even know of your exisLence, and have no chance of
finding you. At various points in your advenfure, how-
ever, you will be instructed to add TRArl points to your
score. Thus, the longer you spend on your travels, the
greater the risk thal the Spechal Slalkers will 6nd you.
At other times you will be instructed Lo Test your Trail
Srore. The procedure for this is: roll Lhree dice. If the
total rolled is equal to or more lhan your rRArL score,
you remain undetected, if the total rolled is less than
your rRAtL score, you have been delected by the
Spectral SLalkers.
Often you will be told lo add a point to your rRArL
score and Lhen bo lesf yo ur Trail Scorc ifinnedialely afler-
wards.
Getting Started
You start Lhis adventure with no inlling o{ the heary
task that is about to fall to you, and no prcmonition
lhat in the days to come you will be pursued by a pack
of nrghtmarish creabures more inexorable than Blood-
hounds and more vicious than Wolves. lnstead, you are
carefree: you have no employment and your backpa&
a2
contains Provisions for only two more meals, but your
purse is fuIl and you have the world to go advenLuring
in. Your trusty sword is, as evet at your side.
It is recommended that you male notes and draw a
map as you explore There is a way to succeed lhat
involves little risk, even if you sLart with low Inifial
scorcs. There are many more routes that lead lo failure
and unpleasanL fates.
Start with the Backgtound sectiou then go on to the
section headed with fhe number r. After thal go to
whichever numbered secLion you are instructed to
AovpNrunr SHrpr eNcouNrrn soxrs
SKTLL
sti
=
STAMINA LUCK
TRAIL WEAPONS '
stii,= stili=
POTTONS AND MAGICAL ITEMS
Stiil=
OTHER OB]ECTS AND
!QUIPMENT
PROVISIONS
REMAININC
Ski
= 5&i l t =
F
F
BACKGROUND
'Signs
and portents,' wheezes the old fortune-teller in a
voice [hal seems Lo mmble from within the folds of hts
molh-eaten doak. There are signs and portents here. The
cards will speak the truth for you, young warrior- I
feel it.'
You are beginning to wish that you had never ventured
into this dark and smelly lent. The raucous shrieks and
music and laughler of the fairground sound dim and
disLant, even Lhough lhe grubby canvas of the fortune-
teller's tent is the only thing that separates you {rom
Lhe merry-making crowds. You could be outside in the
surshine enjoying the Midsunmer Fair instead of wait-
ing in half-darkness for this ancient half-Elven charlatan
to sta* his card-reading acl.
A gust o{ cold wind swirls around you without distlrb-
ing the smoke thal clogs lhe air. Suddenly apprehensive,
you shiver. The fortuneleller seems momentarily
alarmed, but then clears his throat and begins Lo hrm
over the cards, one by one.
Each disc of thlck parchmenl bears a
(aded
picture. The
firsl few are farniliar - a shining gemstone, a kamp with
his meagre belongings tied in a bundle, a skeleton
wielding a scythe. The fortune-tellels explanation is
equally ordinary - the usual patfer about a great trea,
sure and going on a long and difficult
joumey,
and the
16
threal of lerrible danger. Since when did yorir life as an
advenfurer conLain anlhing but treasurq travel and
danger? You regrel giving Lhe old half-Elf a Gold Piece;
you
now have only I Gold Pieces left in your ptlrse
and lhere are rndn, more
(trlls
to visit before nightfall
Then you noLice that the fortune-teller has stopped
rnumbling. He is staring at the card he has
just
tumed
over. His hands are shakins. The lace of the new card is
completely blanl and slightly luminous. At last he
manages lo stuLter:
'll
- it isn't possiblel None of these
cards is blankl Bul if this is so . . This card represents
your
destination, soldier. I fear for you.'
Why? What does rt mean? Vvhere is ml/ destination?'
Not in Khul,' wails the fortune-teller. Nor anywhere in
this world. You will travel F-llther lhan any man can
imagine, with a perilous burden and a dreadful pursuit
al your heels Go {rom here. A slorm approaches.
Prepare yourseLf, you will be plucked from ihis world
ere rong.
You step outside Lo find dark clouds racing across the
sky The crowds are dispersing and the fairgrormd folk
are slruggling Lo secure their Lenls against a rising gale.
The paths across the 6elds to Neuburg are thronged
with Lownspeople scur4zing home. You decide to
shelter from the sLorm in the foresL and you set ouL
alone towards the dark line of trees . . .
Tum to r
L
r-2
I
You hur4' fowards the forest beneath the billowing
black clouds lhat have lurned daylight into dusk. There
is a sudden flash of blinding lighL. You expecl a crash of
Lhunder, but inslead there is an eerie silence Then you
see something falling ouL of the sky, lumbling and
flultering like ar autumn leaf. It lands with a thump on
the paLh ahead and you run towards it.
It is a winged deature unlike any that you have seen
before, and it is badly hurt. lts silvet gossamer-thin
wings and ils brighl robes have been tom into taLtered
shreds; its small humanoid body bears grievous wounds.
It sLirs as you approach, and slares at you with huge
round eyes. WiLh ils lasl reserves of strength it holds
out lo you the bundle thal il carries, and hies Lo speak:
'Stranger! I am dying . . . I have failed. Take this burden
from me! Take itl Archmage Globus . he must ...
Too latel I am dying. Take itl ... and beware Lhe
Spectral Stalkers! .'
The creature dies. You pick up the bundle It seems to
be a hard ball wrapped in a cloth. Will you put the
bundle in your backpack and continue on your way
(,Lum
to 2o7), or unwrap Lhe doth and look at its
contents (turn
to jr6!
You pull the Aleph from your backpack, but you are
appalled to see Lhat, instead of containing an infinite
array of glowing images, it is
Srey
and cloudy. As you
slare into the sphere, the shifting forms congeal into
the indislincL likeness of a face - and a voice LhrusLs
3
itself inlo your mind.
'Ahl
So you are here!' gloals lhe
voice. You have broughl the prize to me. How consider-
ale. Now you cannot escape!' Add r point to your
rRArL score. Hurriedly you sluff the Aleph back into
your pa& it seems that your travels mll end, one way
or another, on this world. You decide to keep moving;
will you walk lowards the water
(tum
lo
92)
or Lhe
plains
(tum
to 116[
)
You cannot hope Lo prevail againsl all Lhe citizens of
this city. You {ight with all your strength, but this only
increases the determinaLion of Lhe Elves to capfure you
alive for sac fice to their deity Vacavon. It also increases
your TRAIL score by 1 point. Evenfually you are sur-
rounded, subdued, and given several sharp ki&s as a
rcward for causing so much kouble. Deduct z points of
STAMINA, and tum to 4or
4_'
Apart from a few Silica Serpenls writhing in glitterin8
coils high in the twquoise sky, you don t see a srngle
aeature during your long trek to the curtain of cliffs
that supports the highest level of the Ziggurat World.
The paLh becomes steeper and steeper until il is zig-
zagging up the precipitous wall of rock - and finally it
peters ouL altogether. You sLop to rest. If you have
Provisiont you can eat one meal and restore up to
4
poinLs oI sreurr,r. Then you resume the ascent;
(rom
here onwards you will be ro&-climbing If you are
wearing Ophidian aflnour, fum to
3ar;
if not, turn to
254.
5
The Spechal Stalker has failed to lind you. You heave a
sigh of relief as lhe hideous creature shakes ils great
head in fruskation and begins lo dissolve into the air.
Night is falJing, and a cold wind is blowing across lhe
wild counfryside. There is nowhere except the inn to
shelter for the nigh! if you decide to
80
jn,
turn to
z,zz.lf you would rather use lhe Aleph Lo transpo
you
elsewhere, tum Lo 283.
6-E
6
The tinkling of the bell is lost in Lhe oppressive silence.
You wait but nothing happens. You are about to walk
away when a 6gure rises behind the desk and huffs a
cloud of smoke. You
jump
back in surprise and alarm; a
female Dragon is glaring down at you over a pair of
wire-framed spectacles.
Yes? Well, wha[ do you want? This is the Library in
Limbo, you know, and no place for warriors and other
troublemakers.'
Will you show the Dragon the sphere, and ask her
what it is (turn
to
,9j),
or ask her if she has heard of
Globus and the Spectral Stalkers
(hrm
to
9r)?
Or will
you atla& her (turn
to
,4o)?
7
You heave a sigh of relief as the Speckal Stalker
dissolves nto the air, but you have little time to reflecf
on your good forLune. The Black Shadows retum, in
greaLer numbers than ever. Wrth no energy to resist
their atLack you are soon overwhelrned, and you feel
sharp fangs piercing your flesh. The venom works
quickly and you drift into unconsciousness Tum to
29r.
8
You strike the harp ftom the Minstrel's hards. lt con-
linues Lo sing, buL as the Minskel hrms to confront
you his face contorted with rage, the harp's melody
falters. The Zwhians begin to recover their wits, but
you have liltle time to notice them. Your attention is
ffxed on the sword-wielding Minskel, whose appear-
.L
ance is changing even as he attacks you. His human
appearance was an illusion, he is really Barogkaz, a
large, powerfully-built Zwiita
, ard a formidable
BAROGKAZ sKl t ! g
madman lunges past you and blo&s your escape You
decide to make for the other door the one through
which Necromon entercd the room but while you are
backing towards it you will have to fight.
NECROMON sKrLL
7
STAMI NA 6 STAMI NA 13
If you survive three rounds of combat, the citadel
guards join
the fray and quickly subdue Barogkaz.
Frampa Lord of the Citadel, is grateful for your help
but is still suspicious of you. He orders you to take the
Minstrel's harp and leave his domain You 6nd a
secluded hollow outside the lown walls and decide lo
abandon the harp there belore using the Aleph Then,
lo your suqrise, the harp speaksr Do noL forsale me,
warrior, for I am no ordinary harp. I am [he living spidL
of the Minstrel Cerod, whose form the foul beast
Barogkaz usurped. Even if you have no skill in music, I
can help you.'The harp will halve Lhe srtr. of any
humanoid opponent you 6ght, buL because
jl
will not
fit inside your pack, you must reduce your sKrLL by
one point while you have it. If you decide lo keep the
harp, record it on your Adoenture SheeL whether or not
you keep it, your nexL step is to use the Aleph tum to
91.
. 9
Necromon's eyes begin to glint with a rnanic light.
You promised lo help me,'he whispers. You gave
your word, I need your life force. You must leL me
have it!' He advances on you, pulling a massive cleaver
from the rack oI lcrives beside his butche/s block. You
try to retreat towards Lhe door, bul the white-coated
This should be an easy fighl lo win, particularly as
Necromon seems noL fo be concentratmg on using his
cleave4 but than rs because he is concentraLing on yor.
AJter each ALtack Round, roll two dice; if the total is
greater than your srtl, you find your eyes inexplicably
drawn to his - and you are suddenly convinced that
you should agree to whatever he asks you to do Turn
to 249. If you evade his gaze, and suwive the 6ght,
you ffnd that after two rounds of combat you can
retreat through the door. As you do so, Necromon's
cleaver gashes your shoulder - deduct z points of
srAMrNn, and, if you are still alive, tum to
366.
The clouds part; sur ight floods the 6eld. Drawenna's
laughter fills the sky.
'That's itl' she shouts. Thal, my
brave pawn, my clever pawn, is exactly the right move.
Holdl Do not altack Burudl Do you see the position?
My Lh,ree warriors are in a triangle - and lhree of yours
are at their mercy. Victory is mine. Concede, and I'll
spare your wretched pawns.'
fihat do I care for mere pawns?' Burud's voice is
choked with anger. 'Kill them or noL as you see fit. I
won't remain to watch. I'll6nd other ways to get you
Drawennal' A gale swirls the clouds across the sky and
I I
mto the distance. You {ind that you can release your
hold on the p ce; the metal armour slips Irom your
back. With lhe other surviving warriors you wander Lo
lhe edge of lhe field, where you find your backpack
your clothes, and a purse containing 10 Gold Pieces
(note this on your ,Adoenlurc Sheet).
Drawenna's voice addresses you again. 'I would ask
you Lo stay, brave wanior,' she says, 'bul I sense you
are on a perilous quesl and cannot linger. Take Lhisl' A
golden ring falls ouL of the sky and lands at your feeb
you pick it up and marvel al the large blue gemstone
sel mto it 'The jewel
is not only decorative,' says
Drawenna's voice. 'If you are weariy, or sorely wounded,
swallow the blue gem. It will restore your strength.'
You can use this item at any lime, but only once;
swallowing the gem will restore up Lo 6 poinLs of
STAMINA. Record it on yo.|J Adoenlure SheeL. Dtawenna
is right, you have lo move on Tum to r24.
You step inLo a square room with walls lined wrth
sagging bookshelves. Precarious prles of books also
cover Lhe floor and several tables. Seated aL a desk is a
small humanord in grey robes; two others are liantically
examining one of the piles of books and writing notes
on parchment scrolls As you enter they all slop work
ing and sLare at you The seated one squear<s ar you:
'A.e you Admittance?'
No,' you reply. 'Of course not.'
'Well
come in, then, and we'll classify you.' You
12
approach his desk, and ask him what he and his
companions are doing.
.INe
are Ranganathant' he
amounces. 'And
we're classifying, of course. The ques-
Lion is: what are you?' You say you are a human, and a
warrior. Well, which is it? Human or Warrior? You
carlt be lwo things at once. You re obviously a difficult
case. And what do we do with difficult cases, boys?'
'Talce
them to piecesl That's the way to find oul!'
chorus lhe other two Ranganathans, creeping towards
you and flexing their pharp fingers. Will you fight fhem
off (tum Lo
J28),
or look for a way oul
(lum
lo
74!
12
You begin lhe ascenl of the cliff, doggedly trudging up
the rocky path that winds back and fodh across the
sheer face. Eventually, you have Lo pause lo rest Look-
ing down, you are almost overcome with vertigo when
you see how small and distant the landscape below you
has become. Looking upward, you see that you are
only a little more that half-way up the diff-face. You
shrink againsl the rocks as a couple of glitLering Silica
Serpents swoop pasl, fhen conlinue climbin& passing
through a layer of white clouds lhat leave droplets of
cold waler all over yo+ before reaching a ledge where
you take another resL. If you have Provisions, you can
eat one meal and restore up to
4
points of 9TAMTNA.
Two paths lead upwards from Lhe ledge, one, to your
right as you {ace fhe cliff, zig-zags towards a
qaggy
part of the clifftop that is dotLed with tall cylindrical
towers; lhe other climbs slowly to a distant and rela-
r3-r4
tively flat part of the clifftop. Will you take the palh to
the right (tum to r3o), or the left (tum to 146[
r t
As you run down lhe avenue you can hear the Golem
pounding alter you, each stride shaking the ground.
With angry swipes of its mallet the monster deshoys
the clay sLatues as it passes them. The Golem is
catching up with you; you veer o{f the path and on to
the bare hillside, hoping that as the hot sun dries the
monsLer's body it will begin to slow down. But now
the Golem is right behind you, its mallet smashing
boulders to your right and left as you dodge the blows.
Roll one die. The result is the number of limes thaL you
have to dodge the mallet-blows. For each dodge, roll
fwo dicq each time that the result is higher rnan your
sKrL!- you are struck by shards of ro& and must deduct
2 points of srAMtNA. However, because the Golem is
at last beginning to slow, you may deduct one point
Fom the second dice-roll, two from the third, thtree
from the fourth, and so or9lf you survive the mallet-
blows, you are rewarded by the sight oI Lhe Golem
slowing down as the sun's rays dry its body AIler a
{ew minufes, it is completely motionless: a clay stafue
that will remain lifeless on the hillside unlil the nexl
minstorm. You make your way back to the cave in the
di{f-face; tum to 261.
r4
The descent is difficult, and by the time you reach the
base of the Lower nearly every one of your little group
rt
of ex-prironers has almost slipped ftom the narrow
slairway at least once. Now, huddled in the darkness at
the bottom of the nvine, you discuss your next move.
All oI the Elves, Vaskind and Mantirs want to retum to
tlcir homes, and that entails taking the long zig-zag
path down the cliff to the lower level of the Ziggurat
World, You agree to accompany lhem to th top of the
cliff. Tum to
3r3.
t6-r1
I 6
You are foo slow. The Tyrant plucks the Aleph fiom
your fingers and irnmediately begins to disappear into
it. You can only watch in honor as the sphere expands,
and then conkacls to a point - and disappears. You
have lost the Aleph. You are skanded on this baren
world wherq year aller year, the dwindling Feliti b ng
offerings to yow castle and pe orm half-forgotben
rifuals in their overgrown garden. You are the new
Tyrant- Perhaps, after a few centuries. a new Charnpion
will appear on [he stone table in the Fliti garden . . .
Although there is no sound - even the {lowers have
stopped tinlling throqhout the Crysta.l Gardm - you
can hear the Spectral Stalke/s sseam of rage reverberate
inside your
rhind as it diosolves into the air. It knew
ihat it had almost Iound you, and you know it too. You
step over the Silica Serpent and hurry fowards the
Vitreous citadel. Tum to
136.
r8-r9
I 8
Grondel convinces the priest that you have proof of
Lhe existence of other worlds. The two Elves walch in
fascination as you unwrap the glowing sphere and
reveal rts vista of multitudinous Jands and planets.
Grondel stares open-mouthed in amazement; Lhe priest
reels backwards, overwhelrned by this shock to the
ioundations oi his beliefs You cover the Aleph and
pa& it away, but a little damage has already been done
adil r poinf lo your rRArL score- Gronde] promises to
reward you for your help, and he leads you to his
house. As you eat the meal he provides for you - il has
almost no taste, but it restorcs up to
4
points of
sr,rvlNe - Grondel rummages in chests and cupboards
uniil he finds a silver ring with a small stone in a
cumbersome setting.
'This
is not the most athactive o[
lewels,'
he chuckles, 'but it is very useful. If you twist
lhe setting like this - Lhe Ring of Light will provide
illtmination Such items are valuable here in the dark-
ness, but I hope that you will 6nd it of some worth in
your travels.' You assure Grondel that the ring will
indeed be very useful, and you
slip it on [o a finger
The old Elf starts to busy himself with plans for ar
expedition to leave the cave and you take your leave
Turn to
177
I O
Your pulse pounds in your head as the water crushes
you. A tickle ofprecious airescapes from your clenched
lips as you fight to remain conscious, your body risinS
slowJy through the icy vvaters. Roll four dice; if the
lotal is less than yor.r current srAMlNA, tum to r94j rf
the total is equal to, or greaLer than, your srAMlNA"
turn to 84
20
There is nothing else of intercst in the couriyard and
you consider which of its four doorways you will leave
through. There is a portal in each of the four walls; you
tum to face th doorway which has the circle and
inangle s1'rnbol carved above it. \44rich way will you
8o:
Through the door you are facing?
The door behind you?
The door to yor.r right?
The door to your left?
Turn to 2j7
Tum to
329
Tum to
335
Tum to
78
2t
You are in an unlit funnel. You can see nothin& and can
feel only the cool, smooth stones on both sides. You
grope towards the indistincL sound of chanting voices.
The chanting becomes louder, urgent and frerzied. You
Lale one more step, Lhe floor gives way beneath your
feet, and you are sliding helplessly down a chute and
into flickering light. You land on a dais of rune-carved
flagstones and, as you pick yourself up, you see that
you have emerged from the mouth of a gigantic stone
skull Lhat {orms one wall of the torchlit hall. The voices
are suddenly silent. You turn to find yourself looking
up into the fiery eye-sockets of another skull - but this
one is the living face of a gianL warrior-priest, who
howls with
ioy
as he than-ks his grim deity.
' As
I Foret ol d. mi ght y Gl und. you have gi ven us ar
omen This creafure will be our victory sacrifice. I,
Syzuk fhe Devastalor, will shed its lifeblood at the
baLtle's end on an altar o{ a thousand vanquished foes.
Warriors! Can you now doubt our victory? To amsl'
Two soldiers begin to climb on to lhe platfom Will
you 6ght them (tum
to rr9), wail for them to capLure
you (turn
to 8t), or try to escape by re,entering the
mouth of the stone skull (turn to
148)?
22
By the time you reach lhe foot of the rocl face, the
Ophidians are already little more than bla& dols in the
distance and their captive Silica Serpent is a shimmering
sliver of light hanging in the air beside them. You are
reheved to find thaL [he surface of the rock is not as
2t
smooLh as i[ first appeared: there are crevices and
outcrops for your feel and hands. You begin the long
ascenL pulling yourself upwards cenLimehe by precari-
ous and painful centimetre. This dimb will test both
your strength and your endurance. Roll six dice. If the
tolal is equal lo, or less thar! lhe swn of your srlrr and
srAMlNA, tum to 2rt; if the total is greater than the
sum of vour sxrll and srAMrNA, tum to 86.
23
As Semeion leads you back to his courtlzard gardens he
gives you sohe lasL words of advice.
'Go
to the Zig-
gurat World oI the Archmage Globus,' he says thought-
fully. 'Whether danger or good {ortune awar you
there, the Ziggurat World is the place wnere your
kavelling must end. The Aleph will take you there. Be
on your guard at all times.' You thank the old man, and
ask him if he can provide you with more substanLial
assislance - food, for instance. Semeion shakes his
head. 'l
do not require susLenance such as your body
needs, ' he says, ' f or t hi s shape i n whi ch you see me i s
but one of many forms. From my storehouse o{ wisdom,
however, I offer these two further thoughfs, catch lhe
fisher in his own nets; and sel the hunlers hormds upon
the hunter.' You manage to sound graleful for these
homilies as you lake the Aleph from yoru backpack. If
you have no weapon you can ask Semeion if he can
proyide one tum to r82, otherwise, you lose yourself
in the Aleph's swarming worlds - tum to 234.
2+-25
24
The cramped cabin at the back of the wagon is full of
magician's props and theaLrical costumes,
jumbled boxes
and crates - and imprisoned in a cage suspended from
the ceiling, a young woman who must be the Baron s
missing daughter. You hear the crack of a whip and the
whinnying of horses, and with a
jolL
the wagon begins
to move, accelerating rapidly over the cobbleslones as
the Conjuror and his assistanL make good their escape
6om lhe town You unstrap your backpa& ard search
for something to help you force open the cage's sfurdy
lock, but without success. 'The Conjuror has the key,'
the Baron's daughter says in an excited voice,
'and I
expect he'll come soon to check that I'm still a prisoner!'
You fear she is conect. Will you wait for the Conjuror's
entrance
(hrm
to rJ7), or use the Aleph to transport
you away from lhis place (tum to 63!
25
'1A4ry
do you hesitateT Lhe Archmage demands, his
voice growing dark and cold.
'Do you dare to defy me?
You do not lnow the extent of my powers. I have
srvants, demons from beyond this plane of existence,
who will destroy you. The Spectral Stalkers will come
at my bidding. Give me the Aleph - or prepare to die!'
You have no doubt that you would be powerless
against lhe otherworldly might of the Spectral Stalkers.
tf you decide that you have no choice but to hand Lhe
Aleph to Globus, tum Lo
33t;
if you insist on keePing
it, tum to r72.
26
26
After walking in t\e darkness of the tumel for some
time, you grope your way round a comer and see light
beyond a doorway ahead. Du&ing th.rough the stone
portal you find yourself in a small, square chamber with
a doorway set in each of Lhe {our walls. A shaft of
brilliant sunlight sheams from high above on to a
glowing boulder set into the tiled floor The boulder
emanates a fierce heaL and wilhin seconds you find the
temperafure unbearable. You decide to leave quickly,
but you have lime to read the words whicn are carveo
above the doorways:
Synbols can reonl thal which has been
And that which is.
Only you baw what you inlend.
No nun knous what will happm,
You face the circle and kiangle symbol, and must
choose which doorway you will leave through:
27-29
You fum and slare in surprise. In front of you there is a
doorway which you are sure was noL there a minute
ago It looks solid enor.rgb on its stone Lintel is engraved
the word EXIT. Il seems that you have found lhe way
out or perhaps it has found youl AnyLhing would be
better than these endless corridors, you decide and
walk inlo the black shadow in the doorway. Tum to
' 8t .
2g
You press yourself againsl the wall while you reach for
the silver dagger, feeling drops of the Bla& Shadow s
foul-smelling venom fall on to your shoulders. When
lhe monster's fangs are only cenlimetres above your
head you thrust lhe dagger upwards. Although your
blow misses its target, the Black Shadow hisses in alarm
and kies to sobtle backwards. You lhrust a second Lime
and the creahfe screeches as it loses its grip on the
stones and flutters downwards like a tom rag in a gusL
o{ wind. Restore 1 poinl of LUCK. Trea&ng as quickly
as you dare, you continue up the crumbling steps. Tum
to
rr8.
29
You breathe a sigh oI relief as the awfll shape dissolves
into the air Add r point lo your rr,rrL score. You
look about you. The landscape of woodland and mea-
dows is dominated by a wall of impossibly tall, sheer
diffs that extend across half Lhe horizon, and lhiru
cylindrical towers dot the crags atop the cliffs. In the
hLazy dislance, far beyond and above the clifftops, you
The door you are facing?
The door behind you?
The door to your left?
The door to your right?
Tam to 224
Tum lo ror
Tum to
367
Tum to r87
10-tt
can
just make oul an even higher flat-topped mountain.
Beyond a few floaling fluIfy douds, and a few winged
oeatures that swoop amongst them, the sky is sharply
divided into two parts, an area of absolute darkness and
a turquoise area that glows wilh golden light. There is
no sun You are on the Ziggurat World a planel of
terraces endosed within a half-darh half-light sphere.
You hear the sound of approachinS voices and re-
cognize the lilting note of a Wood Elf dialect. Will you
wait Lo see who is coming
(tum to
37o),
or walk
towards the cliffs and take advantage of Lhe rising land
to gain an overview of this level of the world
(tum
to
r9o)?
,o
You take the Aleph from your ba&pack and hold it in
your hands. The counlless visLas Lhat swarm within the
shining sphere, tiny yet perfecL in every detail, entlance
you imrnediaLely. StranSe creatures, alien peoples,
towns, continents, planets, swirling stars and cloudy
galaxies swim before your eyes. You feel yourself being
enveloped by the Aleph, and transported within it. Roll
one die. If you roll an even number, turn Lo rr5, if you
roll an odd number, tum to r45.
The doorway says noLhing more, but after a moment of
ominous calm, the stone slab suddenly slarts to vibrate
furiously, while at the same time lashing from side to
side and ro&ing up and down. You realize that you
will be shaken from the bridge and inLo Lhe moat
within seconds: your only hope is to
jump to safely.
t2-rt
Will you try to leap back to the bank (hrm
to 279), or
forwards, into the mouth of Lhe doorway (lum
to
3rr)?
Now it is the tum of Burud s black warriors. They do
not even bother to consult each other: you hear a noise
and fum to see lhe black pawn on EJ move to FJ. You
are caught between two black warriors and no matLer
how much you fum and fum again, your armour cannot
protect you againsL atLack from two opposite sides.
You lose the game.
The silence does not last. You hear the sound of many
feet coming through the grass. At fust you fear a
stampede of Colepods, buL the strange beings thal
canter through the grass lo surround you are Mantirs,
the owners and shepherds of the Colepod herds. Like a
Colepod, a Manlir resembles a gianl insect, with a
shell-like carapace and antennae waving lrom his fore-
head; but he walks updght, on only four legs, his
foremost pair of Jimbs serving as arms. Each Mantir
carries a spear and wears headgear as prolection fiom
the heat thaL beats upon the shadeless plains, and each
has fashioned the knob of bone at the end of his tail
into a spiked weapon o{ devastating effect. The Mantir
herdsmen are as astounded by your appearance as rney
are grateful for the safe recovery o{ lheir rogue Colepod.
Their leader silences their endless twitlering comments
and presents you with a reward - a large slice of
delicious honeycake which can restore up to
4
sraMrNA
poinLs. He Lhen addresses you, speaking in a fluting
t4
voice thal you can barely understand. He asks what
you are doing here on lhe plains, and, more importantly,
whether you are a friend or an enemy of Globus lhe
Archmage who, says the ManLir, is Lhe ruler of all lhe
peoples on this world. Will you say that you are
Globus's friend (tum to 266), or his enemy
(Lum
Lo
,o4l!
t 4
You have no time Lo select any special item from your
backpac( you must 6ght r,riith the
y/eapon
you have aL
hand. The figures advance, making no atLempt to avoid
your blows - and you realize quickly thaf your atLack is
having no effect. The man and the woman are as
insubstanlial as ghosts, but iL seems Lhey can harm you:
any weapon you are using becomes too cold to hold on
to, and you are obliged Lo drop it delele iL from your
Adxenfure Sheel and, reduce your sKrLL by 2 points until
you End another weapon. II you are altacking with
your bare hands, your fist suffers froslbite as it passes
through the apparitions lose
3
points from your
srAMrNA You fum and n:n Tum to z6z
, 5
The Ophidians are momenLarily confused: they can see
that their comrade has Iallen and that you are now
unguarded, but they are reluctant Lo abandon lhe Silica
Serpent before it has been complebely secured. In this
moment of unce ainLy you make your escape. Leaping
ftom boulder to boulder you make for the high ground
alove the gully in which the Ophidians trapped the
Serpent. You take a last look down inlo the ravine, and
note with satisfaction that the Ophidians have not set
off in pursuit. You make for the vast cliffs in the
&stance. Tum to a
t t
30-17
t5
Ihe Aleph's floating images condense into the glowing
sphere that you hold cupped in your hands. You replace
it rn your backpa& and look up. You are standing on a
weathered stone table in the middle of an overgrown
Sarden.
You lsrow aL once that you are noL on your
home world o{ Titan, the sky shimmers Like purple
velvet, and floating in it are a vast pale sun and clouds
like goose-down The garden's plants are Like rambling
roses, but wilh dark leaves and aromatic magenta
blooms; lhey have invaded the lawns, climbed the crumb-
ling walls and embraced the cawed Iigures of fabulous
beasLs Lhat sit scowling on pedestals. There is a gate of
wroughL iron set into lhe wall and lltough it you see
sharp-peaked mormtains and a grim fortress. The gate
opensi a procession enters the garden. The people are
humanoid: small, with pale green sh4 and green hair
that rises in stif( spiml curls They are wearing tom and
dirty rags, but lheir leader has a fu-trimmed robe. With
heads lowered lhey approach lhe stone bable and Lhe
leader begins a solemn prayer for lhe rehrm of his
people's champion. At the end of the incantatiort he
Iooks up - and his
jaw
drops in astonishment as he sees
you Will you greet these people (tum
lo z5 r), or
jump
from the table and run out of the garden (tum
to
323)?
You hack away the remaini of lhe nel and scoop lhe
i:ebly-proLesting being into your arms. He is very liSht
and you run quickly inLo the cover of the trees. No
Wood Elves or Silica SerpenLs see you: restore 1 point
of LUCK. You are as brave as you are foolhardy,'says
, 6
the wounded creahle as you lay him careftdly on soft
grasseg tut I thank you once again. Had I been talen
by the Silica Serpents I would have had to leave this
body and I have many task to perform while I inhabit
it. I see you are cudous aboul me. I arn a Mercurial, one
of many mssengrs of - well, of those who guard the
ways betwen the many worlds of Lhe Macrocosmos.
You have the Aleph, I know. And you musl leave this
place immediatelyl You have walked into a hap: this
world is the home of Globus the Archmage. Globus has
been consumed by his desire for knowledge and power.
He is all evil now and will slop al nothing Lo acquire
lhe Aleoh. Flee before the Silica SerDents arrive to
search for me and 0ee from this world before Globus
leams that you are here.' Spurred on by the Mercurial's
wordt you leave the trees and head towards fhe tower-
ing diffs. Tum to r9o.
, 8
You sit on the bed. As the light fades, lhe open doors
of the toy cupboards seem dark and threatening, like
the gaping mouths of rnonste$ or the cave lairs of
{erocious beasls. The rocking-horse appears to be watch-
ing you wilh its glass eye; the stuffed bear looks a liltle
too realistic. Hanging on a hook is a
jester's outfit lhat
looks too large for a chi.ld; a goblin mask leers down at
you fiom a shelf; an almost life-size ballerina doll has a
srnirk on her face; the little metal soldiers are holding
sharppointed spears. On a table next to the bed a
iointed
clown doll sits inside a small glass sphere that
seems to rock gently from side to side. Yor:r feeling of
relief is replaced by a sense of foreboding If you have a
t9-40
Glowcandle or a Ring of Light, hun to E7; if not, tum
t o 24r.
,9
You start to move cautiously towards the door at the
other end of the room, but the monster shulfles side-
ways to block your path, holding out its various limbs
as if demanding something from you. The sheer size of
the creature delers you from attacking il you have the
mrpression that even if you succeded in hacking off
whole sections of its motley body it would scarcely
noLice the loss. You will have to make a dash for the
door and hope thal the monster's flailing limbs fail to
sbke you. Roll a die and add the result to your srnr;
then roll tlree dice for the monster. If the monsters
total is higher than
yours, the difference is the number
of points of 3TAMTN^ you lose as an asso*ment of fists
and claws batter and tear you during your lunge to-
wards the door lf you
survive this onslaught you
succeed in reaching Lhe door ard slamming il behind
you. Tum to 2S8.
40
In the moming you throw open Lhe shutters of your
room The wind seems even colder now, carrying with
it flurries of sleet and hail You collect your belongings
and wander dowrutairs. The inn is deserted You search
the cupboards and cellars. anJ 6nd a sword that seems
sharp and well-balanced You can keep it if you need a
rveapon. It is not until you are about to leave the inn
that you find the most interesting item: pinned Lo the
back of lhe door is lhe irukeeper/s licence, granted by
the Margrave of Neuburg - and dated four hundred
years after the date when
you fotrnd the Aleph.
Shaking yor:r head in disbelief, you sLep out into the
freezing rain, The door slams behind you and, shaken
from its bracket, the inn srgn falls from the outside wall
and barely misses your head. You jump
backwards and
look down at the crude painting of two ghostly figures.
The sign is circulac whici seems unusual for an inn sign
and uncamily reminiscent of the shap of the Aleph. It
is small enough to 6l into your backpack; perhaps you
should pick it up and take il with you (record il on your
Adaenture Sheet iI you do so). Khul, four hundred years
in your future, seems an unwelcoming place. You bid il
farewell and use the Aleph to go elsewhere. Tum to
2E3.
4r
The sound of the Colepod s pounding hooves fades
into the dislance, bul the silence does not last. You hear
the sound of many feet coming through the grass At
fust you fear a starnpede of Colepods, but lhe strange
beings that canter through the
Srass
to surround you
are Mantirc, the owners and shepherds of the Colepod
herds. Like a Colepod, a Mantir resembles a giant
insect. with a shell-like carapace and antermde waving
{rom his forehead; but he walks upright, on only four
legs, his foremost pair of limbs serving as arms Every
Mantir carrjes a spear and each has fashioned the knob
of bone at the end of his tall into a spiked weapon of
devastating effect. The Mantir herdsmen are so astound-
ed by your appearance that they forget all about their
42-4t
rogue Colepod. Their leader silences their endless twit-
tering comments and addresses you rn a fluhng voice
ihat you can balely r.mderstand. He asks what you are
doing here on the plains and, more importantly, whether
you
are a friend or an enemy of Globus the Archmage
who, he says, is the ruler of all the peoples on this
world Will you say you are Clobus's friend (lum
to
tE). or his enemy (tum to
lo4F
42
-{s
soon as you
step into Lhe chamber a[ the heart of
the machine, the rods that srmound you begin to pulse
with light and the room begins to fade. Then the
pulsing lights themselves grow dim and, although your
llmbs are stationary and there is no sensation of speed,
you feel youaelf being hansported to another place.
Roll one die; if you roll:
30r 4
5Or 6
Tum to 156
Tum to
3J4
Turn to 234
4'
-{fter
only a few steps along the hrnnel, you tum a
comer and stumble down a flighl of steep stairs- You
hli into a
yast
cavem illuminated by bonfires and full oI
iethered Silica Serpents Each Serpent is guarded by
several Ophidjans and wiLhin seconds you are sur,
rounded by a dozen of the black,armou-rcd beings. You
onnoL hope to fight your way out so you surrender.
The Ophidians produce several lengths of strong rcpe
and bind youl limbs sectrcly. Tum to
tr.
44-4t
44
You nrn beneath the canopy of branches, push Lhrough
the undergrowth and throw yourself inLo a leafy dell.
When you lift your head cautiously above the edge of
the hollow and look back towards Lhe par4 you see
Lhat the monstrous shape has solidified and that a
second is beginning to condense oul of the air beside it.
You watch with horrified fascination These monsters
must be [he Spectral Stalkers that the winged creaLure
spoke of they are more hideous than lhe worst creatjons
of your most sinister dreams Each has four long, spindly
legs, like those of a spide4 a body fhat is no more than
scaly skin drawn over sharp bones; a multitude of claw-
tipped arms; and, for a head, a mass of withing tentacles
surmounted by two bulbous, faceted eyes like thos of
insects. You cannot hope to defeat them in combat and
you dare not movq fo; fear that they will see you- You
slide back fo the bottom of the dell and remember the
bundle that the winged aeature entrusted to you. Tur
t o
, 16,
45
You tum lo face the doorway which has a triangle
surmounted by a circle engraved on its lintel. Through
whidr of the doorways will you leave lhis room:
4G{.7
46
The first blaring note is enough to terrify th cratures
Jraf were about Lo attack you, scattering them like
:eaves in a gusL of wind Allhough you have exhausted
-Jre breath in your lungs, lhe noise from the Hom
.onlinues, becoming even loudet its strident note
yreading across the banen landscape like a ripple
acoss a pond. With your hands pressed to yow ears to
strui out the din, you see swarms of Black Shadows
ssuing from towerc in frantic confusion. At last the
lom's blast fades. There are no Black Shadows to be
sen - rcgain 1 point of rucr. You run from the tower
:nd scramble hto the safety and darkness of the ravines
Tum to 2r4.
47
The curtain is pulled aside and the Conjuror rushes past
'ou
Srabbing
the Were-cat and pulling her along
rhind him. You join
the crowd chasing the Conyuror
along the passage and on to the front platform of the
'r'agon,
from which he and his assistant leap to the
tobbles of the town square- You watch as thly make
oif among the old houses of Lhe town, pursued by the
:nore enthusiastic elements of Lhe rrowd. The Baron's
,laughter
is found locked in a cage suspended from lhe
eiling of the cabin at the back of the wason, anq rs
.piddy Feed. t he Baron. grate6.rJ For your inlervention,
--hrusts a purse into your hands: add
5
Go)d Pieces to
,\-out
Adoenh)re Sheet. When you leave the wagon,
nowever, you find lhat Lhe townspeople are scattering
m terror - your exertions in Eghting the Were-cat have
athacted the attention of your demonic pursuers. The
The door in front o{ you?
The door behind you?
The door to your right?
The door to your left?
Tum Lo r22
TtlJr. Io zz4
Tum to 16?
Tum to 247
48
hideous shape of a Spectral Stalker G forming in the air
above the towr quare! Add 1 point [o your rRAIr
score. There seems to be no choice but to use the
Aleph to leave this place. Tum to 63.
48
fie thick folds of fungus are much less solid than they
looked, and your sword slices through them wiLh ease.
You hack energetically at the repellent stuff and the
door is soon uncovered. ln your haste, you fail to
noLice the clouds oT tiny spores lhat are released from
the fungls by your frenzed atlack and you have no
idea that the spores have landed all over your body
until your skin starts to itch maddeningly. You must
reduce your sxr[ by 1 point because of the distraction
caused by this initation. Ssatching yourself you pull
open the door, step through it, close it behind you and
set off along the passage beyond. Tum Lo r48.
4rto
49
Vetron places the day ball on a workbench. For many
minutes Lhe Mapmaker is busy with rulers, protractors,
tubes of colouled fluids, and instrunents with flashins
Ughts and glowing numbers. Then he consults booki
hom his library, &aws a diagram of the ball and w tes
pa8es of notes. "This is nob a vry interesting object,'
MeLron says at last.
'lt
is a hollow spheroid made from
a mrxture of substances that one mi;ht 6nd in ordinary
soil - fuIl of impurities. It has been manufactured very
inexactly: the diameler varies by as much as three
sixty-fourths ol a dronk. It cannot possibly 5erve any
trseful ftDction. ShaJJ I dispose of it for you?' You
huniedly pick up the clay ball; when you
shake it, it no
longer rattles. Mekon has somehow removed the magic
that Mayrek the Potter gave to the ba.ll (nofe
this on
your
Adoenture Shzzt).The ball still resembles the Aleph.
however, and you decide to keep rt. You comp[in
bitte y to the Mapmaker that he has deshoyed a
magical item. Tum [o
37t.
l o
You begin Lo despan of defeating the Silica Serpent.
Add r point to your rnerl score. You disengage Fom
the slruggle and see Lhat the Elvs are retuming and
more Silica Selpents are wheeling down from the-s[es.
You realize thaf you carmot hope to defeat this many
opponents and take lo your heels. Under cover of the
hees, you fum to see that you are not being pursued:
the Elves and the Serpents are concemd only with the
captive in the net. You make your way towards the
towering diffs - tum to r9o.
51-52
) r
You have arrived home - the conLinent of Khul. The
irees, the landscape, the very air is {amiliar You re-
cognize Lhe cormtryside: you are standing on a road
along which you have marched many times. But every-
thmg has changed. The fields are a wildemess of healh
.md
bracken, farm buildings ruined and alrnost smoth-
sed under brambles The road has deterioraled inLo a
muddy, rutted track. You walk along it until you can
see the bridge over the tuver Gibelvatter but the
iridge is broken, and only a stump of stonework re-
mains perched above the flowing walers. On this out-
cop stands a new building, grim and battlemented.
However, you see a circr:lar irm sign swinging from a
bracket on the wall and lights flicker behind lh arlow-
dits in Lhe upper storey. A heavily-built man is standing
ouhide the only dooq as you approach he &aws his
sword. Will you preparc to fight him (tum
to 278), or
rrill you raise your open hands in a gesture of peace
tum to
3r9!
-{-s
the Feliti leader finishes his incantation, the heap of
soft petals begins Lo glow. Now we must wait until
night,' he says, 'and thm I will explain our plight. If I
inay say so, Lord, you look weary. May we refresh
f
ou?' Without waiting for your reply, he orders several
of the Feliti to bring you sweetmeats and wine. You
tasle the food: it seems wholesome. 1r'{e will leave you
:rcw, Lord,' says the robed Feliti, 'and I will retum after
dark to speak wiLh you Have no fear. The eyes of the
Ty'rant cannot penekate the thickets of the Etemal
iu'd*.'
you
d".id" to follow this advice and concen'
kate on eating (restore up to
4
points of srAMrNA).
Iry'hen you look up from your meal, the sky is darkening
and in the place where there was a heap of flowers
there is now only a glittedng gem. The
Jewel
of Sleep
has been created. You Di& it !D and see that it is a
hollow crystal containing a purpte liquid. If you want
to take it and then use the Aleph to travel away from
this world, note the
lewdl
on yow Adomlure SfueI and
tum to
165.
If you wait in the garden, tum lo
314.
) J
The Ophidians dump you on Lhe floor of the cavem
between two Silica Serpents who are as tightly bourd
as you are- Each has a chain round its neck which leads
to an iron ring set into the cave wall, its wings held
against its sinuous body by skaps of lealher and a
muzzle enclosing most of iLs huge, scaly head. You
endure the discomfort of your ropes as patiendy as you
can, and at last the Ophidians cease to watch over you
and instead congregate at the far e.rtd of the cavem. As
you are now rmguarded, and ned the enhance oI th
caverrl you tlunl you could aeep away undetected - if
only you could b,reak Fee of your tron&. You notice
that the muzzles of the Silica Serpents are designed to
avoid the
qeafures'
conosive venom - with the result
that drops of it lall freely from the Serpents'
jaws
and
bum hollows in Lhe stone floor of the cavem. You
wriggle across the rocks until you are lying bmeath one
of the Serpents' heads. Drops of venom fall on to your
body; the liquid bums tlrough the ropes, but it also
burns you! Lose
I
points of sr^MtN^. lf you survive,
t4-tt
-rou
car shrug off yow bonds; and, taking with you a
long coil of rope, you creep from the cavern. At the
cave mouth, you have a choice: will you explore the
ight-hand lunnel (tum
to r
5zt.
or will you use the rope
io help you climb down to the fooL of lhe rock wall and
*ren continue fowards the vast cliffs in Lhe distance
tum to a)?
t4
Roll three dice and deduct Lhe total from your sr,rw-
:re. U. by some mirade, you are still alive. you regain
)'olu
senses/ groar n& your body racked with pain
You have survived the onslaught ofthe SpectralStalke$
- but where have they taken you? Tum to
,92
) t
The Crappler's limb's hang limply at its sides; the lights
m ifs hansparent dome fJash more slowly, then fade. As
ihe lasl light dies, the all-pervasive hum suddenly
ceases, Lhe room lurches drunlenly - and in Lhe huge
iallo{ cages every door flies opeD releasing the menag-
erie of bizarre life-forms. Soon hundreds oI indescrib-
able ceafures are milling together in the harl; some are
6ghtin& others are hunting or fleerng fiom predator,
and all are creating a cacophony of discordanL cdes.
Some of lhe fiercestlooking animals see you in the
Transporter Bay and begin lo prowl towards you; then,
inexplicably, they tum tail and flee. You look behind
-r'ou:
the hideous shape of a Spectral Stalker is forming
rn the airl Add 1 point to your TRArL score. You
decide to use the Aleph to escape from this place and,
fiverishly, you pull the glowing sphere from your
5Gi7
backpack and cup it in your hands. You feel yourself
being enveloped by the Aleph, and hansporLed within
it. Roll one die. If you roll an evm nurnbet fum to roj;
if you roll an odd number, tum lo rz6.
56
Something is moving inside your backpack. You nudge
it with your foot: the glass ball is rocking frorn side to
side - and inside iL the littl down puppel is
jumping
up and down and hammering against the glass with his
tiny fists. You shelch your leg and extricale the ball
with your foot; theD with on swift blow of your
booted heel, you shatter the glass Wilh the
jerky
movements of a marionette the little clown dances for
joy
before stooping to pick up a sliver of glass. He
clambers laboriously up your clothing and along your
arm, where he slarts to slice through the ropes securing
you to the pillar. As the Last strands fall away ftom
yow body, Lhe little puppet begins to change - and
lying at your feet is the Fail figure of a wizened old
man 'At last,'he wheezes with a smile.'l have rescued
a hero, and thus atoned for my dreadful deeds all those
centuries ago The curse is lifted from me and at last I
can die in peacel'With that, the old man expires Delete
the cfown puppet from yott Alumture Sfuet.lanlook
up to see the other prisoners staring at you m amaze-
ment. Tum to 2916.
The Minstrel and his harp remain silmt as you ac-
company them along lhe road which winds through
the forest and eventually begins Lo rise rnLo rockier
ierrain. AL last you reach the summit as the road passes
tlrough a necl between two crags and you stop ilong-
side the Minshel to survey the wooded plateau in fronf
o[ you In the distance there is a walled citadel, its
ganite keep dominating the highest point. Two more
Zwinian soldiers emerge from a sma.ll watchtower near
the road- The Minstrel thumps the harp slung across his
ixck and the inskument starts to sing. Entlralled by
the eerie melody, the Zwinian guards seem befuddled
and clumsy. The MinsLrel draws his sword and runs at
them, and in the ensuing mle succeeds in killing both
of them 'lt is so sweet to dispose of these traitors,' he
says, wiping his sword on a clump of grass, 'and
this is
but the beginning of my revenge. Shall we continue to
ihe citadel? I promise you a wealth of entertainrnent
there.' If you 6nd the Minsheli attitude too blood-
thirsty you can decline his offer and walk away
-
turn
to
342.
If you decide to accompany him to lhe citadel,
turn to 2t 1.
( 6
The liqurd is tasteless ;d you have gulped down
several mouthF.rls before you start to feel sharp pains in
your
stomach. You have swallowed embalming fluid, a
F,oisonous
sub,stance used for preserving dead bodiesr
You writhe on the floor, retching helplessly. Deduct
5
pornts of suvlr.t,r,. If you
survive the effects o[ the
poison, the pain subsides and you recover gradually,
until you feel strong enough to totter up the slairs and
through the door. Tum to r89.
t9
<o
'lll-mannered
lout!' roars Wayland as you rush towards
hrm
'Can
t you take a
joke? Be off with you,' You
suddenly notice that a doorway has appeared between
you and your opponent. The stone pillars look solid
and permanent but you are sr:re it uras not there a
moment ago. Through the doorway you see Waylard
grinning at you, and as you step under lhe lintel you
caLch sight of lhe word EXIT engraved in the stone.
Tum to r8t.
f f i t
60
You heave a sigh of relief as the Spectral Stalker
dissolves into the ai4 it had almost Iound you and you
could feel Lhe tendrils of iLs malevolent will licking at
the edges o{ your mind. The Vaskind have all fled
bcneath the wavesj you are alone on the beach, You
nander back and forth, but can find nolhing of interest,
and you decide to climb the path that zig-zags up the
hce of the cliff. Tum to rz.
6r
You pull the glowing sphere from your backpack and
Saze
into il. The endless vista of nurnberless worlds
spreads itself before you; wherever you look new
marvels unfold before your eyes. The Aleph seems to
be everywhere, surrounding you, carrying you away
ahong Lhe swirling spheres, with an effort you try to
concentrate on your destination. If you are hoping to
find someone ra/ho can explain the significance of the
objects you have collecled in your iravels, tum to
3t4,
if you are keen to reach the conclusion of your quest,
rum ro 2r4.
62-63
o2
You charge into the midst of the glass flowers, striktng
to the right and left of you as you run. The air is 6lled
wilh the noise of splinlering glass and the wailing
shrieks released by Lhe flowers as they are cut down
On all sides of you there ar many more blooms that
survive, squirting
jets
of acid from within therr bell-
shaped clusLers o{ petals. However, the black glass of
Ophidian armour is unaffected by the conosive fluid
and barely a drop penetrates betwen the plales to
strng your flesh You emerge unscathed on the olher
side oI the flower bed. Now there is nothin8 to slop
you making for the Vttreous Citadel. Tum to
336
63
You pull the glowing sphere from your backpack and
cup rt rn your hands Instantly you are mesmerized by
the myriad visions, so liny and yet so detailed, that
swarm within the Aleph. The longer you gaze, the
more you can see: strange creatures, alien
PeoPles,
towns, conlinents, planeLs, swi ing stars. You feel your-
64-4 j
'elf
being enveloped by the Aleph and transported
.rithin it Roll one die. If you roll an even numbea turn
:o rrj; if you roll an odd number, h.rm to 126.
64
usl as the Black Shadow is about to drop on to you,
.our
sword blade arcs *uough the arr and splits fhe
,-:eature's skull. You press yourself back against the
::one wall and watch lhe monster's body flutfer down
:re side of the tower like a tom rag Restore 1 point of
r.icK- Treading carefully on the wom steps, you
-ontinue
upwards Tum to
Jr8
6j
' . mei on
. Lares
i n . i mazemenl at t he t eemi ng vi si ons i n
'e glowing sphere. 'lt
is the Alepht' he whispers alter a
rng srlence- 'I have never known whether it was real or
rerely a legend. But this is undeniably it. It is byond
-y
powers to explain. Il is, quite srmply, everylhing -
:re entire Macrocosmos in thrs small ball I have heard
:rat iLs bearer can mov into il and thus travel between
.;orlds
but of course you know this. rou carry a
ieaL
burdr, my friend.' You explain how you came
:;; ihe Alephr that the previous bearer entrusted rt Lo
ou, that with his dying breaLh he mentioned the name
:: Globus, whom you take to be the Aleph's owner;
:-rat the Spectral Stalkers are pr.rrsuing you. lf you have
:rllected some objects during your travels, you car ask
-meion
if any of them have any special meaning -
1m to
4j
Altemalively, you can ask instead for
-:lormation
about Globus tum to
3o8.
I
I
66-47
66
The villagers are overjoyed that a brave warrior is
prepared to help them, but they call tell you no more
than the way to Mayrek's cave.
you
sef off and after a
clay You tum the last comer and ffnd tha! lhe avenue
ends at a cave in the face of a cliff. The mouth of the.
cave has been blo&ed with boulders and rubble. The
largest of the clay statues, shaped in the likeness of a
nisshapen"
slab-faced giant, stands astride the cave_
mouth- As you
approach, the statue growls Like fhunder
and begins to hovel A voice from within rne cave can
:11n away, [um to rr_
Fi rst FELI TI
Second FELI TI
Thi rd FELI TI
68-{9
doorway confirms this conclusion You hurry across
the bridge and lhrough the doorway You have suc'
ceeded in enlering lhe Vitreous Citadel Turn to r89.
6E
As you advance, the FeliLi back away, baring their
fangs and yelping. Individually the creatures are no
match for you buL rt will be difficult to dflve off lhe
enlire pack of lhem. In the fading lighL lhe swaying of
lhe tall grass shows lhat they are circling you and
lhen the lhree iargest of lhem come for you.
7o
: you face towards lhat doorway and make your
::cision. You can go [hrough the doorway you are
-:cing (turn to jr7), the doorway behind you (tum io
:f)j ihe doorway fo your right (turn
to 285); or the
:rorway to your left (turn
to
167)
7o
':ou
feel as visible as a fly on a whifewashed wall as
. ou climb up the blark face of the lower. The stairway
r:ems to spiral upyrards for ever, and ih weatherbeaLen
::eps of crumbling slone make you all too aware of the
:rop below you. In the disLance you se, swooping in
:rd out of other towe$, the inhabitants of this part of
:re Ziggurat World They are known as Black Shadows,
.ecause
they lly silently, their wiry bodies supported
'-i a membrane of black skin that connects their long
:i1s, legs, arms and ears You are just thinlong how
']cky
you are none of them are close enough lo see
Du when you hear a rushing of air and a flapping of
:rembranous skin a Black Shadow is descending on
ou The creature lands above you, then, clinging to
:re stones with its talons, it scuttles down towards you,
::ngs
bared Unlike the Black Shadow, you have no
SKI LL
5
1
6
STAMI NA
3
5
5
Fight them one at a hme Before each Attack Round, roll
one die. If you rcll a 1 or 2, the 6rsl Feliti attacks you;
o a
3
or
4,
the second; a
5
or 6, the thrrd lf you kill
one of them, turn to rogi if not, at the end of four
Atrack Rounds turn to 169.
69
You break free of the sticky frlaments before the Sprder
can reach you The monslrous creature retreats mto Lts
web as you make for a comer oi the courtyard oui of
range of the Spider's trarlng strands. Now you have
time to consider yorir next move: there are four exits
from Lhe courtyard a doorway in the middle of each
wall You are sure thal if you move quicKly you can
reach one before lhe Sprder can trap you Only one of
the doorways has lhe crrcle and trrangle symbol above
. i ,
t . - . , : - 2: ; 1. ' -
way to secure yourself on to Lhe stoncwork and if you
fight the creature you wJll certainly bc dislodgcd frorn
the stairway You wilL have io deLivcr a sin1y'e welt-
aimed blow. If yorr have a srlver dagger, it might be
particularly effectivc against this monster - turn to 28;
if not, you must usc your sword h-rm to ro6.
7r-.74
:.
the small voice in the back of your mind becomes
-:ore
and more insistent, ihe beautiful vrsrons ors-
-:iegrafe
and fade. You blink, become fully alert and
-:alze
that you
are lying on Nccromon's bloodstained
:rl. The white coatcd ffgrre has his back to you,
irarpemng a long knife on a grindstone.
You use this
::Dortunrty b rise quictly, prck up your backpack and
_.loe
arl.ay The nearest door ls lhe one through which
''ecromon
entered thc room earlier. You slip Lhrough
: iu,n to
366.
74
re Ranganalhans are between you and the door
you
:arge towards them and krock them asrde, but their
':ror
shaip hngers lace.ate you as you flee Lose
4
: -aMrNA poi nt s. You
i ump
ove. heaps of books and
::rough the doorway, slamming the door shut behind
r.u
As
]'ou
retrace your steps along the conidor ihe
',anganathans
open the door of thir room and poke
' ' ' ' r
heads oul gi ggl i nq and squeal i ng at y, rur i gnomi ni -
:-s retreat. You arrive back ab thc crossroads arld bcgin
:.e long hike along another corridor; tum to rther
:61 243 ot
1]3
You uncork the little bottle and pass rt to Grondel,
tc)ling him to drink half of fhe liquid. You consume the
rcmainder You cannoi deteci any change ir your body;
all you can do is wart, ard hope that the Siccator will be
able to protect you from thc effects of the poison On
the dais above you fhe Elven pflest's rncantations reach
a Loud cLimax There are a few seconds of silence, then
you hear the gurgling rumble of water rushing through
old pipes, ard a shcef of liquid splashcs all round you
You grit your teeth in lhe expeclation of parn - but
you don't ven feel wet. Thc water runs of{ your skin
as if you had a second, invisible skin, and when the
flow from the spout ceases you and Grondel are both
completely dry and complctely undamaged Tum to
245
"l,Vrongl' barks the Logic
You guessed incorrectly,
With that, the huSe beast
Tum i o r6J
Do8 'l'm
going to attack
and therefore I ror'l/ attack'
launches ifself towards you
7t-17
/ )
You have very little time in which to
judge
which way
you should jump and, having decided, you will have to
jump
well and wrth alacrfty rn order to avoid the crazed
Colepod's charge. Roll two dice and add z to the result,
if the loLal is less Lhan your sKrLL, turn to
J49,
if the
lolal is equal to, or more than, your sKrr-l, fum to
242
76
You stand in the path of Lhe massive and grolesqr.re
war-beasts and wave your arms Thegigantic ders seem
fo slare straight lhrough you and remah oblivious to
you even as lheir steeds bear down on you Allhough
the beasls'hoofbeats are stdl unnervingly noiseless,
you can see from their imprinls in the turf lhat lheir
hooves are as heavy and powerful as lhey look You
are about to be trampled; you carmoL stay where you
are, so you decide to attempt to grab the harness of
one of the aninals and pull yourself to safely. Roll two
dice. If the total ls less than your SKILL score, rum ro
16r, il lhe total is equal lo or more than your sKrLL
score, lum to
,87.
77
As you step lowards fhe mullicoloured clusters of glass
flowers you are entranced by their sparkling brightncss
and by the musical LinkJrng they make as they sway in
Lhe breeze and then you reahze thai there is not a
breath of wind It is your presence thaL is exciting the
flowers, and Lhey become a storm tossed sea of poly
chrome scinlillation as you stand before lhe bell shaped
78
riooms Suddenly a
jet
of fluid shoots from the mouth
r: one of Lhe flowers. You throw yourself backwards
-rst
in time as the whole bar* of blooms releases a
rettery of liquid spray You dip a corner of cloth inlo a
:Lrddle of the sb.rff, and the material shrivels and smokes.
.s you suspecled, the flowers are deadly, they spray
:Jfiosive acid However, unless you want to retum to
:re path lo face a Silica Serpent
(turn
to 162), you have
:c choice but to try to force a passage through the
:.r!vers, cutting a swaLhe wrth your sword as you go
:um to
,9o).
This mrght prove less dangerous if you
_ave
an Umbrella (tum to 206), or if you are weanng a
i-il of Ophidian amour (turn Lo 62).
j a
:ou walk for only a short time before you reach
::other porLal. Through rt you find a small rectangrlar
:ramber, on fhe floor of rvhich are the remains of a
:anp 6re. The ashes are cold, but the very thought that
.:meone
could be lost in this maze long enough lo
lake camp for at least one night is enough to worry
-:u
You decide to press on with all speed There are
::ur doorways, one in each of the walls, and as usual
-'re
of them is marked with Lhe symbol of a tnangle
,-rmounted by a circle You face lowards it and choose
.hich of lhe doorways you will leave through,
The door facing you
The door behind you
The door to your right
The door to your left
Tum to 285
Tum t o rzz
Tum lo 2j7
Tum to 247
79-8r
19
Fate decrecs thal you are going lo drink water You arc
a liltle disSruntlcd, but late has been kind to you (thc
ale is druggccll) You tinish your meal, wash it down
with lhe walcr and rclax on the mattress. Lulled by thc
lapping of lhc rivcr water below your room, you drift
i nt o sl eep. I urn t o r9t .
8o
You put thc Horn to your lips and blow If this is the
6rst time you havc tried to deter Black Shadows by
soundi nt t he HunhnS Hom, t um t o
46;
i f you have
ki ed t hi s bef of e, t Lrrn t o
38r
8r
' You
a. e t he l ast pawn t o be pl aced on t he f i el d. ' you
hear Drawenna say,'and now the rules ofbaltle change
The winning s t' white or black - is the one wrfh
more survrving wrrriors when no more can be killed i
battle. Each sitlc plays in tum, and in one turn only a
single pawn m.ry move, but all pawns from that sidc
may attack A prwn may move one square ahead or
either sidc, you nray not move backwards, or diagon
ally, or into a squarc occupid by another living warrior
of either srdc During one side's fum, the other sidc's
pawns cannot dtta.k; they can only defend lhemselves
by t urni ng t hcr backs on t hei r at t ackers - an ef f chvc
defence bccausc ol the armour Attacking pawns can
at l ack al l encmy pawns on al L adj acent squares, i ncl ud
i ng t hosc di al l rnal l y adj acent Thcref ore, as
)' ou
can
see, a pawn at t . rckcd i rom one si de i s i nvul nerabl e, but
a pawn aLtackcd from two opposite sides is doomed to
2
EXAMPLES OF PI AY
Black pawn, showing legal moves
',\'hite
pawn, showing legal movcs
. . . . p- r o
". . , "1
/
1, . , - J
cel , p. r l
i i rs i l hi re' s l u: n He mores hi s
f i B. , \
r i ho. , m and
nr. now at l ack Sl ack pawns \ . rJ Y. t r( ; , , 1 ed, recause
rh_v are di rect l y bet l veen rvhi t c prLvrrs Bl . xl pawnZi s
8r
8r
The situation immediately after Drawenna (white) has
placed herlast pawn on the board. Yoz - marked with al
X, on square Ia are Drawennat last pawn
Now it rs whrte's tum to move one pawn, md ihen
altack Can white win?
8r-82
re Now, to batLle, my white pawnsl We can yeL wrn
i:lis gamel'
-he
positions of the pawns are shown on the diagram
r:posite- You are the whiLe pawn, marked with a cross,
:1 the square numbered F4 on the diagram. Your white
:;mrades appeal to you for guidance 'Only one of us
:-rn move in each tum,' says the wanior on square G6,
=rd tt will have to be me I am almost surrounded; my
:rly possible move is to my left
1to G5l If I don'f
--ove,
the black warrior nexl to you will move along-
. Je me, and I'll be slaughtered!'
'iol'says
the wamor on square E6
'l
should be the one
r move If I move forward
lfo
D6l, we'll have one of
-ese black swine diagonally between us- Or,' he con-
rues/ more thoughtfully, 'if you move to your left
[o
r:1,
to keep oul of danger, wc can still finish off the one
. \ war r i or oct nccr mcano l h"ot he f cl l ow.
lrey arc h'aiting for your decision If you decrde that
-e
white warrior on square G6 should move to G5,
-:rr
to
19E.
If you agree that lhe warrior on E6 should
-cve
forward to D6, turn to joJ lf you Lhink that you
::ould be the one to move, turn to
326.
(Make a note
r: this refe.ence number
(Er);
it may be helpful to refer
-.
the diagram agarn
)
82
;u batter the
Blowing
surface of the Prism, but your
.r,,vs are futile. Your weapon rebounds from the crystal
: iight as if you were stdking solid sleel. As lhe
::ectral Stalkers lurch in your direction, you become
rtic wilh fear, clawing at the transparent Prrsm wrth
C
D
C
I
I !
E I t
n
I
8,
your bar hands, but only inanimate objecrs, movnS
slowly, can penetrate thc force 6eld. As the tentacles oi
a, Spe, f ral Sf al (er , ei ue vour l egs. your l ast si ght rs or
t he , t uchmdge' s
r: l oat i n6 f are
you
hare l ai l ed. ard
Globus has gained the Aleph.
8l
You emerge on to n steep and rocky path that meanders
down a mountainsrde. At the foot of the mountain you
come upon a smalL town. It is ma.ket day, and the
n row marn strecf is crowded with townsfolk and
84-86
-:ie
now reached the end of the town; there rs nothing
' do but wander i nt o t he count rysi de and use t he
-. eph t o havel el sewhere. Turn t o j o
84
: -ds here.
, -
8'
iu ottr no resistance as one of the soldiers lurches
:.-rind you and brings the haft of his baLtle-axe down
: 2t 5
86
:11'n: there is a dizzying drop bo the foot of the wall of
E7-88
rock You cannot move, but you cannot hope to cln:_
Lo the bare stone much longer. Your only hope rs l.
call for help You fill your lungs ard sLart to shoul Ttj
your Luck 1l you are Lucky, tum to 299; if you a:.
Unlucky, lurn lo
399
Rr
The continuous glow of light banrshes your fears an:
makes the toys look completely ordinary You relar c:
the bed; if you have Provisions, you can eat one meal
you wish, and restore up Lo
4
points of sraMINA. I
Lhe morning, you wake to ffnd sunlight sireaming inti
Lhe room As you prepare fo leave, you giance at th:
litLle ciown in his glass sphere. You can talie him wit-
you if you want to he remrnds you of lhe Alepr'
which you dccide Lo use immediately to take you awa
from this haunted castle. Turn to 6r.
88
'li you are a friend of the lyrant Clobus,' shrills th:
Mantir, while his comrades shake their spears angrih
'you
are no fuiend of the people of the plarns We par
our tribute, which grows more oneroLls each year Vr:
will offer no more to Globus, or give aid lo hrs spier
and olher agenLs such as you. I intend to find oul wha
you are, and why you are lrespassing here on or_
iands; but we must retum now lo our herd. You t{i
come with us; I will inlerrogate you later.' four of th.
Mantjrs close round you - but at that moment one c
the others shrieks in alam, and poinLs skywards. Tur:
t o
388
8g-jz
89
-e Spectral Stalker has failed to frnd you. You heave a
.:r of rel;ef as the hideous creature shakes its greaL
::d in frusLralion and begins to dissolve into the air
-.e
more. Shivcring wilh fear you lie awake until the
-
:v Lght of dawn appears rn the cracks belween the
rt t ers Tumt o
40.
9o
- last the door is free of fungus and the Iatch is
' rered
bul voL cdnnol i ee i i . Drohni ' l g I n a sea
rlack, viscous smog, youl eyes blinded by tears of
:r and your iungs 6lled with poisonous fumes, you
:abble weakly at the wooden door - but you Iail to
-.1
the latch before you are overcome Your adventure
^: s
here.
91
:r,rng the Aleph from your backpack you cup it in
:.r hands and gaze rnto rt. The infinite display of
: :::nl worlds and alien landscapes has losL none of its
: ;rer to fascinate you. The shifting visions extend
: lhe distance in all directions - you are sunounded
:he Aleph, and you feel yourself being transported
:ln it Roll one die. If you roll an even number,
-
- r lo r45; rf you roll an odd number, tum to 156.
9z
--rding
occasional Wood Elf settlements you waik
, nhill, through lhe forcst, for many hours. You 6nd
::r wild benies to eat, bul they merely prevent your
vrNe being reduced by your exertions. At iast
9t
the trees thin oul, and you emerge lrom the woodlands
and starL across a bleak moor The soil becomes rn
creasingly sandy and, eventually, you see the sea. On
your right, the sheer cliffs are, if anything, closer now
You see no living thing, but soon you come upon a
ruined town and th footprints of several large crea
lures Out at sea a cluster of huge bubbles resLs on the
wate/s surface The beach peters out beLween Lhe sea
and lhe cliff- You see thaL lhere is a palh which zig-zags
up the face of the cliif Will you take the path (tum to
rz), or walk down to Lhe shore to look at the vasl
bubbles (tum to z3o)?
9t
'clobus?'barks the Dragon.
'Spectral
Stalkers? Never
heard of them. But that's not surprisinS, you know
There are more books in rhe Library in Limbo than
there are grains of sand on all lhe beaches in th
Macrocosmos We have at least one copy of every
book ever wltten, and evn I can't be expected to read
them all WhaL sorL of lhing is a Globus? Or a Speclral
Stalker?'You confess that you don't know what a
Spectral Stalker is, but lhat Globus is an Archmage An
Archmage? If he's of any note at all he'lI wanant an
enfry in the Direclory ol Wiz.ards lou'll find a copy a
couple of kilomefres along that conidor thre. You
can't miss il, it's a big black book wrth the word
Wlz.artls on the spine. Well, run along lhen.' Will you
follow lhe Dragon's pointing finger
(turn
to
37j),
or
would you rather seL off in another direction lo explore
the corridors of the Library (turn Lo 27t)?
94-95
94
ou throw yourself to Lhe ground and the
jet
of fluid
1ly just
misses you. As you roll away from the Silica
::rpent you hear a strange hlssing noise, and you look
-:
lo see that Lhe rocks thal have been sprayed by the
: lica Serpent's venom are bubbling, steaming and dis-
.rlving
lnto smoke. You pick yourself up, step back -
:rd immedialely collide with the leader of a troop of
,:,ldiers
They are fall, fhin humanords, totally encased
- plate amour made enkreiy of black glass. Each
::ries a spear and has a sel of pipes hanging from his
::il You are lrapped between Lhe soldiers and the
: lca Serpent, you have no choice but to surrender.
-rn
to
3o6
95
: ddenly there is no floor beneath your feet The
"ole
base of the tunnel has dropped info a pit and
:u are fallng aiter rtlThe vast slone slab lands with a
-rding
crash and a second lafer, with a relatively
:mpressive thud, you land on top of it. Roll one die
: C deducl the result from your sTAMINA- If you
96
:: still alive, you can see that you and the stonc floor
-rve fallen sveral metres, and you cannot sce any way
: cl i mbi ng up. I hen you f eel l he f l oor movc . rgarn.
-d
you realize that the entire slab is rising, liftrnS you
-:r''ards.
A{ter several minutes oi slow,
iudderntg
:.cent the f:loor retums to ils original position dnd you
:'e once again facing the sLrange desrgn carvcd into lhe
'.all at the Lunnel's end. This time, will you prcss the
-rht ' eye' (hrm
l o z9o), or t he l ef t one (t urn t o z16)?
-r.
wili you decide instead to rekace your slcps along
_re
t unnel
(Lurn
t o r22)?
96
:
whininS noise fills the air, and one of fhc room's
-:etallic
walls slides upwards lo reveal a vast vaulted
-,:ll,
ribbed with girders of shining steel and lincd with
-etal
cages Trudging towards you between thc lines
r: caSes is a nightmansh monster. If is twrcc as talt as
ou, with legs thal look likc part of a giant's surf oi
:mour, and instead of feet it has, at the end o[ each leg,
: row oF wheels that tum a band oi metal plates lts
-:ad
is a Lransparent dome within which lights flash
::d wheeis tum and, worst of all, irom its torso sprouts
: nass o[ long steel limbs, some flexible and no thicker
'.an
a ship's hawser, others jointed
and terminating in
: tcers
'Cra1,1,ler
eporting frot Transporlcr llaq,' the
-.nster says in a monotone 'ltnrrder
ktcaled' It
:jlances lowards you; you have no choice but to fight.
: vou have a weapon named ftfirgrrisi,ra and wish to
ie rt, tujn fo 28o; otherwise tum to
J89.
97i9
91
You st and, brcal hl css, over f he i mkeeper' s body l i , v' o:
need a nerv ! \ . capon you may t ake hi s sword You l oo,
l owards t he l asL rrd
l l l i mmer
oi t he sunset and hcczi
ln horror- Thc hidcous shape of a Spectral StalkcL :.
Foming in ttre arr, towcring above you on four fleshle..
le8s. The
Slrtterins
orbs of rts eyes search back ari
forth and below thern the writhing mass of tentacl^
seems to be scnsing y()ur scent on lhe air. Add on.
point to your rRArr score, and then Tesl
Vo,r
TrLt:
score Roll thrcc clicc If the folal is equal Lo or rnor:
ihan yoLrr rxerl scorc, turn fo ji if the lotal is les.
Lhan your rnarr scorc, t urn t o
3o7
9E
Hol di ng
_r
our breat h at every sl ep, you cl l mb uprra(i s
You rach t hc si xl ecnt h sl ep vri l houl i eel i ng l he sl l f rf
esl tremo. With gfeat carc, you leap over the sevcn
t eent h wi t hout h, uchi nS i t and l and on i he ei ght ecnt f
step N"othinS [4rpcos and you advance conEdentlv
but only as iar as
(hc
twcntreih step, where an electrirr
(hrr8e
ae po$, 1i Ll Js J
\ ol t
o[ l i Sht ni ng f ri e, you
"'
. ,
instant. The advcnturc ends herc for waniors who il
t o cal cul at e corrccLl ),
99
Semei on pul l s t he hel mct f rom ht s head, and i ndi . aLc!
Inal you shoull i1o likor,ise Then he crosses the charn
ber and t aker f rom r shcl i t wo l arge gl ass
l ars
Each
l . r-
cont ai ns l vhat l ooks l i kc a gi gant i c red sl ug These rrc
Energy Leeches,' Scmcion says. plunging his hand nh.
one ot the
)r.s
and cxt.acLing its wriLhing occulnnt
: e-v suck ri t al resources i rom t hc body. he adds,
-i i ng hne rr, i re around onc I ccch and l hen t he ot her.
'
- . "1r ,
car be - r ' . . 1
L' r
. J r : r g
*a . r ar - -
: en bot h are cocoonel i m wrr' . hc pl aces t he mout h
one of them againsi his barcd arm and grimaces in
.
rlaste
as its leeth sink into his llcsh He faslens lhe
:rer Leech to your afm in lhc same way. Then,
'gethel you and he place th. lx'lmels over yor.rr
-.ads
Immediately you feel thc strcngth draining from
-,ur
body. Roll one die; m.rke r rt,lc of ihe result, and
' . dLrct
i t f rom your suvrn, r
' ] -l rsc
l ost poi nl s can be
:.iored only by a drink of sca rvatcr If you now have
: remai ni ng srAM, NA poi nl s t urn t o zoJj of herwi se,
j -r
i o 25o
r r{j se choi ce, ' \ l ayrek says. h. rn. l , . g you t he l i f t l e
: : ' x ' Col d
i s al ways of usc l hrs part i cul ar i i em has a
:lLe ot my skill worked rnh rt: thc pattern of the
-.coration
on the box has powcrs to assisl you in
: tticulties.' Add 1 poinl to your currenL LUCK score,
rrd 1 poi nt t o your l l d rut r< rs wel l ; and don' t
rrget fo add
5
Cold lrieccs ILt your Arhtenture 1heet.
'ou
lhank Mayrek and depart rlong the avenue of
. : al ues
When you are oul oi srgl rt of t he cave, you
' onder where fo go next
'l
here secrns to be no choice
-: rl
i o use t he , {1eph t o l eavc t hs phcc Turn i o 2rr
ri : er r, r' al kl ng onl y a short (t i i t l ncc
y, ou sf ep t hrough a
-r,rorway,
beyond rvhich
1'ou
hn,:1 two morc open door-
:,rys,
wilh a tunnelbeyon(t cich ts!, the hali-lighl that
creeps in through a fissure high above, you can see thrt
one oi thc three doorways has the circle and friangle
syorbol inscribed above it. Facing this doorway, you
have b choose whether io go lhrough the portal in
front oi you (tum to
J67);
fhe one behind you (furn
kr
3r7);
or the one to your right (h.lm to 26).
r o2
You are exhausted Your limbs are trembLing, evcr)
muscle rn your body aches a-nd your fingers and tocs
arc nunrb Worse, you are scatcely more than half way
to Lhe fop of the cliff. Dizzy and wea( you pull
yourself on to a ledge that is
just
wide enough ior you
to stand on; and there you remairy cljnging to the clitf
and inc,:pable of movement, your face pressed againsl
the coltl stone. AfLer what seems l*e hours you hear a
norse: a flapping, as of the wings of giant birds
you
tLrnr your head and find yourself sLaring inLo the malcv
olert rcd eyes of a Black Shadow, one of the bloodsuct
ing, mcmbrare-winged creatures Lhat inhabit part ol
thc sccond level of this world. You have no strength to
resisL as it plucks you from ihe ledge and canies you
inio the sky You lose consciousness ard wale as you
are beurg flung to ihe floor of a gLoomy circular crypt
As you pick yourself up you hea the sound of the door
being locked and baned You are a prisoner; but, as you
rdly kick the siraw that rs scatlered across the floor, you
find a trapdoor sei into Lhe flagsfones Thrs seems to bc
your only escape route tum to r4o.
ro3-to4
ao3
I ou're from Khul?' says Wayland. 'Khul,
on the wcrlJ
,,1 Titan? I know of it, of course. Primitive technoltl;y,
:ompared fo some woids I could name, buf an rntcrcst
rg place all the same. You are wet, aren't you? Sorry
roout t hat - I
Just
can' L resj st a
j oke
Have a swi g of
: r, sr i t ' l l dry you out i n no f i me' Wayl and' s hand
: rarf s l he bot l l e t haf he of f ers you I f you acccpt t hi s
ri acr. t urn t o j j 6 I f you decl i ne i o dri nk f rom t he
. . )i t l e, ! \ ayLand i s not oi l ended - t um t o r75
Io,|
-:c
largest of the Vaskind advances on you, his sword
histling tlrough the air as he tkashes it irom sirlc to
.Jc 'Single
combat,' he grunLs. 'lf you livc, you
i;o
, {SKI ND SKI LL
7
- you are still alive after two rounds of combat. acltl
: point to your rRArL score The five Vaskind who
-:ve
been watching your fight in solemn silcncc
.:ddenly
cry out and run into the sea Thcir lcadcr
::cks away from you wrth a look of horror on his lrog
'c
face The hideous shape of a Spectral Stalkcr is
-,:rnin8
in the air, towering above you on four flcshlcss
.qs As it materiaLizes the gLitterlng orbs of rts eyes
::arch back and forth, arld its lenfacles scem to be
i:rsing your scent on the air Teil ,orrr Trnil sr-0ru Itoll
' ^' ee
di ce ] f l he l ol al i s quaL t o or morc t han your
-i aI L
score, l um l o 60r i f l he t ol al n l ess t han your
- l Ar L
Sco. e, t um l o
, oo
rot
ro5
Casps of astonishment; then laughter, cheers and finally
:pplausel You have appeared on stage, in fronl of an
:udience, inside an open-fronted cabinet like a sentry-
iox You step forward and are greeted with another
iurst of applause- The stage rs in fact a roofed wagon,
-.pen
along one side Standing next to you is the
[on;uror, a tall, satumine figure in a black cloak, and his
:jsistanL, a young woman dressed as a cat Before you
.. the audience, a crowd of peasants still open-mouthed
-1
alnazement at your appearance- At the back of the
:.rong stards an open cariage containing a plump
robleman who is staring, not at you, but at the empty
sat besde him- Even the Conjuror seems surprised to
-e
you, buL he recovers and addresses his audience,
-adies
and gentlemenl A double miraclel Not only
:ave I spirited the Baron's beautiful daughLer ftom her
idat rn his coach; I have also caused Lhis warrior lo
:rpear in the magic cabinetl Have no fear, my Lord,
iour daughter will be iesfored to you in just
a few
noments. Meanwhile my assistant will escort this war-
:or backstage Felice, take our visifor away!' His
:ssislant, as graceful as the animal she resembles, draws
ride the curtain at the rear of the stage and beckons to
lou
and in that moment you ghmpse her long furry
:ail, and realize that it is not part of her costumel Felice
j
not a woman - perhaps she is a Were-cat- Will you
xcompany her backstage (tum to
,ro),
or will you
_-mp
Fom the stage and try to escape into the sowd
:um to r77I
r06-ro8
ro6
Bracing yourself as securely as you can on the preca.i
ous steps, you make ready to slrike as soon as the Black
Shadow is within range Roll four drce. Ii the result is
less lhan the sum of your sKrLL and LUcK, furn
to 64; if the result is cqual to, or greater Lhan, lhe sum
of your sKrLL and LUCK tum to
,94
ra7
Anhcipating an easy victory over the Fail,looking Map-
maker, you charge across the study towards him onll
lo be mct by cracklng lines of sparks thaL shoot from
hrs metal fingers. 'The power of Science carr easily be
Lurned into a force for destruction!' Melron arurounces
grimly as he wheels his thin frame lowards you. Howl
ing in parn each time one of the sparks strikes your
body, yoLr back towards the glowing chamber hom
which you emerged. Roll one die and sublracl the
result from your srAMrNA Also add I point lo your
rRArL score. The chamber is behind you; you step
backwards inlo il and hope lhat it will transporl you
elsewhere Turn to
42.
ro8
'All I ask,' says Necromo4 'is a little of your life force
Don't be alarmedlA strong warrior like you has energy
to spare; you won't even notice the difference Nor is
l he ej , hd. t i or oi l he l i e l orce pai nf ul or i n ar1 ra1
unpleasant On the contraryl The potion thai I willuse
to free your spirrt, so lhat I can hap a little of it in my
glass, has fhe power to bring enlightcnment Visions,
drearr.s, bliss - all these will be yours, my friend
rog-rrr
:impiy dnnk thrs potion and then keep lhe flask 6rn y
:r
-vour
Lps, so that I may hold there a little portion of
-
Jur essenlial spidt.'
(
you are willing to aSree to this
::ocedure, tum to 24g, lf yolt insisf thar you rrusc
:ave/ rum to
9
109
irere is a moment of silence as Lhe lean body of the
:ead Fehtr slumps to lhe ground. The whistle of rhe
ind in the tall grass sounds like the keening of a
:ultitude of iosl souls. Then, with a chorus of enraged
r:,,.'ing, lhe enlirc pack of leliti hurl themselves at you.
'
ou cannot kill them all; your adventure ends here.
I I O
- this round of combat you decide to let fale take its
::,urse TesL your Luck.If you are Unl.rcky, your sword
,
des uselessly along the Silica Serpent's scaly flanl -
:ium !o 287 and conlinue your fight with the creature
:
,rou
are Lucky, turn Lo 2r8
_re
old woman tosses the corns into the air and lhey
: sappear You hear a distant metallic hnkle, as if Lhe
:-.ins had reappeared and landed in a nearby cavem
sten to lhe words of the Oraclel' thc crone intones.
_:ou,
warrior, have been within a dream Arrd no
::dinary mortal's dream, but the dream ofa god Which
.:d? That I know nol, for there are many gods in the
I lacrocosmos But I hazard that he is a god of huntingl
. hile inside his dream you acquired his Hom - not fhe
--osl
potent of items to steal from a god, bul perhaps it
will be useful. Sound rt when you are faced witf
danger; it will deler those opponents who fear louc
noises, at least And now you must depart, for your
pursuers are ever vigilant Before you leave, accepl this
charm' The old woman traces a pattem in the air
regain 1 pornt of rucr 'l know,' she conlinues,
'lha.
you have your own means of iravelJing, so I will refrair
from advrsing you, but it as I suspect, you are collectinEr
signs and porLents Lhat have lo do
,jlh your burden, I
suggest Lhat the markel in the Lown berow my cave
might be of inlerest.'The fues flare up, then die anc
the old woman has gone The exit from the cave is
rcvealed by a distanl glmmer of daylght; you car
leave through it (tum to 83), or use the Aleph lo travei
elsewhere (tum to
3o)
1r 2
You pull the Aleph from your backpack and cup it
jn
your hands, but all you see wrthin it arc dull grel
clouds. The Black Shadows are all about yoq but thel'
sem lo recognize the A1eph, for they retreat. You are
still hemmed rn, however, and, a{ter chatLering amonSst
themselves for a few seconds, the Black Shadows ad'
vance on you again This time they are careful not lo
damage you too severely with their talons, as if deter-
lrt-rr4
-
red lo take you alive, restore 1 point of LUCK In lhe
:-j, howevea although you slaughter many of them in
:-r heroic stand at the base of the lower, therr in-
:
.austible
supply of reinforcemenfs nsures that there
:: be only one outcom. You are overwhelmed,
,
:mped beneath black folds of skin and you feel sharp
::5s pierce your flesh. The venom works quickly and
,_r drifl into unconsciousness. Turn to z9r
111
r :iing at the table, you grab a hunl of breaci and a siice
: meat and stuff fhem into your mouLh The food is
:-1' tasty (you may restore up to
4
points of
_\MINA).
Now you need someLhing Lo drink The
r : is vry tempting, but you know that to keep a clear
-::d
1'ou
should drink only a little water You spy a
,
a1l copper coin on the floor ard decide to let fate
-oose your beverage On one side of the coin is the
-::d
of a queen- Heads I rlrink fhe ale, you say to
urself, and toss the coin into the air Test your Luck.If
:u are Lucky, the coin lands head down; Lum to
79
lf
,.u are Unlucky, the coin iands head up; tum to
1rz
r 14
.e Spectral Stalker's tentacles writhe ln frusLration as
: Cissolves into the air. As you recover from the shock
: seeing the ghostly demon, so do the Ophdlans and
ru are once again surrounded, N_ow, however, Ihe
::ck-armoured beings seem Lo treat you with wary
-:spect,
and are no longer inclined to take revenge for
,.ur assault on their comrade. Four of thm stand
:-ard on you while the rest return to the happed S ica
:.,|pent Turn to rr3
rr5- 6
I I '
3y the light of a hun&ed flickenng torcies you see that
tou
are in a city of crumblrng stone buildings. The
.ourtyard is full of the city's Elven inhabitants- You
.ook up to Lhe dark sky, but you can see only the
.risiant crags and Iolds of a rocky vault. The entire city
.i enclosed within a huge cavem and the Elves are all
.taring at you with saucer-shaped eyes that are adapted
:o life underground. You are standing at the foot of the
:ais on which sits the huge, moss-encrusted stone head
,.i a
Srotesque
idol, an Elven prjest stands beside il. The
routh of the deity is carved into bhe shape of a spout,
:low iL, next to you, there is a shallow pool Standing
:r the pool, chained by the anlles so he cannot move
::om beneath the spout, is an aged Elf
ihe priest slares at you, and then begins to laugh.'So,
Crondel,' he sneen down ab the chained Elf, 'this is
,ow
so-called proof of your heretical doctrine of other
r,orlds.
This iooks like a pitiful creature to me and is no
:-,idence of other realms beyond our Cave. But no
:oubL if it is a powerful being, it will protect you from
:re wrath of Vacavon Guardsl Seize this ceafure!
alain him with Grondel beneath the mouth of Vaca-
-,
onl' Guards with spears advance towards you. If you
-ve
a rune inscribed wheel-hub, and you want to
::oduce it, lum to
33r.
Otherwrse, you will have to
:ght (tum
Lo
,)
or sudender (tum
to
3or)
I I 6
(eeping
close to the base of the enormous cliff, you
ralk for houn through gradually thinning woodland
ra'/
You manage to {ind a few edible rools to stave off your
hunger, but they are insufficient to restore an-l
srAMrNA. At last you leave the trees, and frnaliy yot
can see a way up the cLff: a path slarts nearby and zig-
zags up the face With the clff behind you, you look
out across a vast plain of grass, ils flat expanse broken
only by a few gently rolling hills and an occasional lov.
lree. Some distance away, herds of grazing animals are
being shepherded by slrangc creaLures
There is a disturbance in the nearsl herd: an animal
panics, breaks away, and begins to run straighL towards
you Will you advance on io Lhe
Srassland
to intercePt
the stray animal
(lum to 276); or will you tum and take
the cliff-face path (tum lo r2)?
t \ 7
You Lnrdge for hours across the dunes There is less
and less vegetation, and eventually you are waiking
lhrough an and desert. There rs no sheltea and the sun
is unbearabiy hot- You sit down Lo rest in a hollow
between dunes - and the sand beneath you begins to
rr8-rr9
--",e
You have disturbed a Sandsnale: a gigantic
:rent that basks under a light covering of sand. As
r struggle to stand, its body corls around your legs
i its head rears up in front of you. You must fight it
.as two attacks in each Attack Round: lhe Flrsl altack
. :ie iwining of iLs scaly body, and unless you wound
t will coil ilself about you, reducing your sKrLL
2 points lts second attack is with its venomous
::3s, and if it wounds you you must deduct
4
points
' TAMI NA
:
:
\-DSNAKE SKI LL 6
rou
defeaL it, you find thaL any Glowcandles you
-:,r'have
purchascd have been broken in thc struggle
:lete them trorn yotr Adoenture Srref) With a sigh,
:u climb a dune to survey lhe empty desert There
..::ms to be no choice but to use the Aleph to leave
s place Tum to zrr.
I I 8
:u walk lhrough the cioorway into utter darkness
-.u
take a few more steps forward only lo hear the
: or slam shut behind you. You are trapped Lr8hts
. :qin to glow feebly. Turn to
392.
119
:e Minstrel slaps the strings oi his harp and lhe
,thmic
chant issuing from lhe instrument's carved
-cuth rises in pitch llailing lheir limbs ln hme wrth
-e song and bellowing with fear and frusLrahon, the
-i\.inian
courtiers and townsfolk arc forccd to form a
1t >
- . . ' "
, ' ", : - : . : I
Iong line and darce up to thc battlements. At the ftoni
of the line Franrpa Js lrembling rqifh the effort of trying
io fesist the h.rry's enchanlmcni; but he cannot preven:
himself Leadrng his people on to ihe narrow ledge tha:
overlookr rn almost vertical drop at thc cdge of the
plateau. Thc Minshel striks his hand across the string!
of the harp, crcating a loud
jangling
discord With crie:
of despair lrampa arld his pcople find thcmseives leap
ing kom thc battlements anJ into the void SmiLing, the
Minstrellistcns to the fadirrg cries Then thcre is srlence
and you arc alone wrth thc Minstrel- 'My thanks fo:
your assi st ancc, st rangel ' hc sa_vs, ' but I no l onger neei
you' As he drah, s hi s srvorrl , he speaks t he r{ords t ha:
undo his spcll and you sec your opponent for the 6rs:
hme: Barogkaz the Enchantcr, a giganhc Zwinian His
snoul wdnkles in a sneer, and he attack
l.s
you slcp inLo lhe blackness of the tunnel you realize
-
our mjstake: the ror,rgh floor slopes clownwardst YoLr
::umble, slide and fall rnto a doorl.ss chamber that
trells ol srnoke a,rd ash losing .z pornts of srevrnr,r
' : ou
hear a i ai rt echo oi Syzut ' s krumphanl shout
ldvance no further, rny waniors. Thc ioolish creatLrrc
'as fallc. into lhe frrc pit. He is in thc belly of mighty
:lund. l-ci him be sacrificcd forthwitht Our vrctory is
: : suredl '
: ou
junp
lo reach the tunnel entrancr'. but il is high rn
.re
wall of the chambcr and you cannot reach it Syzuk
:nd his Skeletal Warrjors conlinr.rc chanhng You
:ecome aware that the clramber is unconiortably warm
i:irals of smoke issue from cracks in {hc walls and thc
. ol es of your bool s arc bccoml ng unbcarabl y hot You
::e aboLrf to be baked inside a godt For a moment you
:anic, and then you remcmber lhe Alcph You retricvc
: lrom your packr in {hc darkness of the chamber its
:inute moving landscapes shine wifh brilliarf light. As
: u l ook i nt o i t , t hc Al . ph expands f o sunound you
:rd the brcathless heat iaJes Roll onc Jrc: if you roll rn
.,.en number, tum Lo
5r
I[ you roll an odd number,
. rm ro
JD
BAROCKAZ sKr L
9
If you are still aLive after 6vc rounds o[ combal, fum tc
r9t
A flock ot Black Shadows descends on you, flapping
dound you like animated shcets. fiey sccm reluctant
to rend you wrth their talons and, whrrling and slashin8
at them, you are able to fend them off for a while But
at lasl you arc over',r'helmed, smothered in dark folds
of skin, and you feel sharp fangs plunging into your
flesh The vcnom in their bites sLarts to work at once
and you drift into unconscrousness Tum to 29r
r22-r24
122
Once again you 6nd yourself wallcng in near-darkness
al ong a seemnrgl y endl ess t unnel . At l ast you see ngnr
ahead and sicp out of the end of the tunnel nrto a
man with thc horned head of a brrll; the clear liquid
shoots from hrs uplifted mouth, splashes down hrs
al hl et i c t orso and col l cct s i n t he st onc basi n i n rvhi ch he
r 2f
Your sword stnkes one of the Silica Serpenl,s c1,es,
which shatters into a thousand shrfds. A iounLarn ot
black fluid jeLs
from the crcature's eye-socket as it dics
You wrpe 1' our srt ord and cont i nue al ong t he pai h
towards the Vitreous Citadel Tum to
336
' 2,
',tu
roll an evel ftxnbet turn to r8o; iI you ror an
-rdd
numher, turn to rot
125
' ' :
aoo aJ l r ' , net . ". . l t oL. l \ exoe, t . r t r t L Lo. t J 1
.: savagc aninrl As you begin to cut through the
opes, however, you .rre asbnrshed lo frncJ that the
.rpti\.'e is akin k) the i!rnged humarotd which droppcd
.,Lrt of lhc sky above Khul anil died ar your fcet - the
-.ne
rl'ho enhusted the Aleph to your care and startcd
_.
ou on yoff travels between worlds. He has the brillht
'.rbes
and widc eyes oi his fcllow, but his wrngs are
: rade of l ong whi t e f eat hers l i ke a swan' s. One of hi s
.egs is bcnt at an unnatural angle bcneath his prone
rL)dy, and vou
3uss
t hi t i t i s broken. ' My t hanl s f rx
rLrl i ng mc, warri or, ' he vrhi spcrs, ' but you must noi
-,
main here. I know who you are, and I know rhe
.Lrrdn you
cnny. Flocks of Silica Serpcnts will be hcre
rrc lonS and you mLrst not Lrc discovered. slill lcss
:aken by them Leave mc, hide yourself, quicklyl'
')iou
want lo ignor lris advice and carry him to the
.:eller
of the woods, turn to
37,
if yoLr leavc hrm, you
1Ln irom the clcaring and make for thc highcr ground
r.afer thc cliffs turn to r9o.
r24
Yuu t rl e I he Al eoh rrom y, , ur
ba, kpack Cupoi , rl rl
hef wp, \ ou hand. you a. , r-. t anrl ) me, me-j zcd br
t he counl l ess t i ny vi si ons whi ch swarm wi Lhi n i t s i n6n
ite depths The longer you g.rze, thc more you can see:
rarmlands and dse*s, monstrous creaturcs and vasl
Al eaml r g ma, l , r nes r , r r nbon r r nged pt anet s. r nd. pi r a .
rng gdrJx: e. ol . l ar,
\ ou Fecl r ouJ\
t f
bernr enver, l , ed
by the Aleph. and transporteJ
'vithi.
t. Roll one d,c. tf
r26-a2j
r26
-rder
a cloudless blue sky, the park extends to the
rrrizon in every direction. The lush grass is dotted
,ilh
spinneys of oaks and elms and there are larger
::lches of woodland that cover the gently rolling hrlls.
lioi a bmnch stirs; no bird's song disturbs the silence.
'.s
you approach Lhe edge of the wood, the under
-owth
is thrown into a turmoil of movement as a
rzarre assortment of wildli{e bursts from the cover of
-',e
trees. Deer, rabbits, hares, foxes, badgers, boar and
:.en browa bears, and wiih them are homed goat-
:gged Satyrs, green-skinned Nymphs, CenLaurs and a
-ricom.
Allare mnning, fleeing from the wood, scaLter-
rg in panic across the park, open-mouLhed with fear
:ul as silent as shadows. They run past, barely noticing
:ou in their headlong flight. You look again towards
::e wood and see Lheir Lerrible pursuers Armoued
:ianLs on homed war-beasfs emerge from between the
-ees,
galloping relentlessly but as silently as fheir prey.
he giants, noble and cruel-featured, are clolhed in
:.nate bejewelled costumes, therr weapons sparkling in
::e sunlight Their red eyed steeds seem to skrm the
-:ass
If you wanL to stand in the path of these hunters
:rd try Lo attract their attenhon, Lum to
76;
rf you
::cide to stand well cleat turn to
3j8
r27
rs you descend the stairs, youhear a rhylhmic clad<ing.
':
ou stop in amazement as you see what appears to be
r moving sui[ of armour wrth a square head and flashing
:, es climbing the steps towards you. It stops, elevates
:s metal head, and speaks in a voice hke rron rubbing
t28
against stone 'You're lucky you caught me,' it drones
'l
was
just
going out on my rounds. Are you lost-
You've come lo the right place Ha ha ha Follow me
This way.'
The metal man tums and leads you into a cellar tull o:
juri<.
At a glance you see hats, cloaks, boxes, parcel.
weapons, scrolls, purses and hundreds ofunrecognizable
objects, alljumbled together in a heap Black thrngs like
bats on strcks hang from hooks rn the cerling There are
caged ammals, statues, chairs, a clock and a doorway or
whose lintel is engraved the word EX.ll
'My name's Lost Property,' the metal man continues
'Seing as lhat's what I am Where I come from I was
Domeshc Robot Number
45B,
but there's no call fo:
Domeshc Robots here in Limbo So I live down here
arld keep the Library hdy Look at all thrs sluff I've
collecLedl Do you need anythng? Maybe we could dc
some business.' If you wanl to trade rrilh Lhe Robot
tum Lo 225 If you decide to go though the EXli
doorway, turn to rE5
r28
The liquid is tasteless and you have gulped down
severai mouthfuls before you become aware of a grow
ing sensatron of well being Your wounds hurL less and
the burden of fatigue is lifted from your shoulders. You
drink more of the liquid, which is clearly some kind oi
concentrated food in fluid form, and you soon feel
completely satiaLed. You may restor up to 6 points of
srAMrNA The4 with renewed vigour, you stride up
the stairs and through the door. Tum to r89
r29-130
r29
lhe outline of the tall shape becomes clearer, but as
ou stare aghasl at rts nightmarish appearance, it senses
our presence and bounds towards you on impossibly
,rng, lhin legs. You see its twitching limbs and lhe
:iiitering facets of its eyes, and then il is uporr you
jratching
your sword ftom your scabbard you try to
:efend yourself against rts claws, but you are too slow
I,rife-sharp
talons clutch you and throw you to lhe
.-ound Lose
4
srAMrNA poinLs.
: ou despair of escaping wrth your li[e, but the thing
::aws bac( as if lo enjoy lhe sighl of you reeling wilh
rain You hear its voice l&e an icy whisper in your
.-ain.'\{e have the scenl of your blood human We
.iL1find you again.'When you look up the monsLer has
: sappeared. Add : poini to your rRArL score.
i.ursing your wounds you trudge towards Lhe trees. It
: as well that you cast a wary eye behind you hom
nc lo lime: the monster, or another like it, is beginning
--.
rcappear This lime you decide noL to wait and run
:r lhe shelter of Lhe foresl. Tum to
44.
r30
:, enlually you reach the top of th cliff, but crossing
:e terrarn ahead of you looks even more dif{icull than
: imbing the cliff The path peters out in a landscape o{
::re crags, shadowed ravines and
;agged
rocks. There
. no vegetatiory lhe only features are the cylindrical
r,.ners that are perched on the tallest of lhe ro&y
::aks. One of the towers, some distance away, rs much
:'ger than lhe others. Beyond lhe towers you see
r l r
another wall of rock - another impossibly tall cliff, atop
which is lhe third level of this strange world. If you
want to investigate the towers, therc rs one rising from
a nearby pinnaclc of rock; turn to
353.
lf you would
rather make for the distant cliff, turn to zrt
\ 1r
As the Colem pounds towards yorl you darf between
the thick clay lt'gs and deliver a powerful blow to its
thigh Nothrng happens; the monster is undamaged
You have no time fo think: the mallct is rushing don'n-
wards again, and you have to dodgc This will nol be a
fight, all you can do is dodge the mallct'blows until lhe
sun begi ns l o dry i he Col ems body and cause i he
monster lo slow down. Roll one dic and add three: this
is lhe number of times you must dodge before the
Golem slows lach time you dodge, roll two dice; if the
total is mor than your srtl scorc, you are stmck a
glancing blow that reduces your STAMINA by ?
points. If you survive, you are rewarded by the sight of
t he sun-dri ed Col em becomi ng mo{i onl essr but behi nd
t he Gol em you see somei hl ngmuch worse. The hi deous
shape ofa SpeckalStalker is forminS in ihe air, towering
above you on lour fleshless legs. Add 1 point to yolrr
rn-eIr score, then Test your Trail score. Roll three dice If
the total is equal to or more thar your tr,ur score,
tum, to 2jti if the total is less than your rRArL score,
rurn ro
3o7
r t 2
\ golden radirnce surrounds the scvcn objects on lhe
:able as Semeron seems to drift into a trance.'The
Spectral Stalkcrs have been sumnr,ured by the evil
r izard Clobus,' he intones rn a voice that echoes as if
j al n
f rom a great di sf ance
' Gl obus
has set l hem t o
'lld
the .{leph
'
\s Semeion's voice fades, a seven pointed star appears
:r the midst oi the objecls on the tablc Semeion biinks,
.hakes
his head and smiles
'You arc indeed fortunate,'
'e says. ^1ou know now thaf Globus is your enemy
:-rd this Talisman has been granted to you - wear it
: 1l ays about your neck, f or i t wi l l hcl p t o prot ect you
: gai nst hi s sorcery' Resf ore r poi nt of rucx and reduce
rour
rRAIt score by z pohts whilc you possess the
TaLsman. You thank Semeion and ask him if he can
give you any inromaLion about Globus. Tum to
3oE.
\ ) 2
t 3)
r t l
Having muzzled the Silica Sc4rcnl and bound up il.
di.rphanous wings, the Ophrdirrs tum their attention!
lo you Soon you are cocoonetJ ;n ropes and slung fron
r pole which two Ophrdians carry between them wjtl.
-J. ,
)ou see
l rt t l e
oi
t our i "urrey er. epL i or LI .
boulders that pass beneath you, but you are a!".'are thai
t hc Op\ daa. a- e b' ngr r q r l - e Sl i ca Se?e r
q
thcm I he Ophidjans stop at the foot oi a sheer nall o:
rock whi ch t hey i nf end t o c| mb A concert ed burst o:
music from their pips is suffrcrent to make the Silic.:
Serpent temporarily docile, ;rnd they release its wing(
so that it can hover alongsidc them as they climb
upwards As you have no urings they are obliged to
carry you As you are siill bound in ropes you can do
not hi nt t o prevenL yoursel f bci ng dashed agai nst oul
crops of rock - l ose z pornt s of srAMrNA Wi t hi f
mrnut s l he f ool of t he escarpnent i s f ar beneal h you
anC then
_vou
are dragged ovcr a stone 1ip and i,rto thc
n
- l h
ol a cr ve l ! \ o l u. , l , , r d
",
d) r t o l l
darkness; you are carried along the leffhand passage
ancl into a cavem fuIl of tethc(d Silica Serpents, eacf
onc guarded by several Oph,.li.rns Turn to
tl
r 34
t 34
'Lr succeed in snalching the Alcph from the TyranL's
: :sping hands and rLrn irom thc chamber and down
i . r spi ral st ai rs Yorr hcar t he ol d creat ure bl LLndcnng
' : r, vou, mut t eri ng curscs, and f rom t h bot t onl oi l he
er you hear t he echoc-. of doors sLammi ng shut Thc
' , way f o escape i s t o use f he Al eph: t urn t o
365
r15-rt6
rtt
rr'j are in a thick forest. The canopy of trees shuts out
r,:.t of lhe daylightj th undergrowth hampers your
:.:ements You start wall.ing and are soon approach
i. a rough road that runs through the forest You have
r-ost reached the road when you hear footsteps.
--:uching
behrnd a bush, you see a lone figure trudging
r:rg the road - a young man with a small harp slung
:. .,is back. You assume he is a Minstrel Before you
:- greet hrm, you hear heavy footfalls Stdding along
:,: road from Lhe oLher direcLion comes a gigantic,
:.:ainly, two legged lizard, ridden by a brutish wanior
"
:r the face of a boar. When the boar-face spres the
'
-lstrel,
he urges his mount into a charge Inslead of
---iing
away or defending himself, the Minsirel Lrn-
r- gs his harp - which stafts to play and sing by itselfl
l:: effect on the boar face rs insLant: he sways in his
=:dle and almost falls The Minstrel draws his sword
'-
imsh off his helpless aLtacker, but arother boar-face
rrrfoaches on another gianL lizard and you can hear
:e heavy tread oI a third. Will you remain hidden (tum
:: :33) or come to the Minstrel's aid (tum to 265!
116
i\'ong!'
roars the doorway. 'Utterly
wrongl Why,
':,.lish
intruder, you have only to look at lhe beautrful
.i intdcately-worked carvings Lhat adom the apex of
r1 fuameworklThere you will see my crowns Regard
::m now, thrs willbe lhe )ast sight your eyes will seel'
:jin to
lr.
r l 7- r l 8
A nervous squcal ironr lhe Baron's daughLer aLerts y, ,
to the silcnl opcning o[ the cabjn's inner door T:.
black cloakcd Con;uror stands on the lhreshold, h.
malevolcnl grin rcvcaling a set of sharp teeth F ,
sibilanf vuofds contim your fear that he is a Vamprr.:
'A very successfLrl cxpedition,' he whrspers.
'Not onl
have ) captured thc Baron's daughter - you, my dea:
will conre hr nry c,rsLlc and become one of fhe lov.l,c,
of my undcrd briJcs bLrt I have snared an intrud.'
whose bl ocrl wrl l rust ai n me on my
j oumey
Approat -
me. l l arri or l -ook i f b m) eyesl '
You arc i r a dcsucrat e pl i ghl I i
] ou, , Lani
i o i hro
ope- : Le . r ", l - o. he. : br " d' . a1 - ' r '
careei ng wrgon, I rn t o 289 I i
-voLr
have a \ i L\ .
dagger ur your barkpack, you may use i t t o; t t a. k t .
Vampirc Lurn ti) 23,r Otherwise, you will havc :
defcnd
1'our*ti
rs bcsl you can - tum to
182
r r 8
'So,'growls
thc robcd Vaskind, you are a friend oi lf.
cruel dictator
(llobus
One of his spies, no doubt, scr
lo the lowcr lcvcls to check that his subjects arc cor^'r.
and subscrvicnt Wc should krll you; but wc arc a rr..
of wanbrs . rnd wc rcmember t he honourabl e coJcs,
our di sl ant horneLand l \ i e wi l L expel
-vou
f rom t l ' .
done; ri you . urrrrc and reach l he surf ace, l akr f l
mssat c t o yc)ur masl er, r' r' e dc , rol j err
l rcrr
GL, l ' r* , ,
rh, r, , rr
Qrrl rri , rl rl nr-.
si r. . . . ' ri 1a, r/ . rs l . ui l r. r' . . '
r. t di ; rrt rri r, l Norr.
I l urrds
i ake t hi s creat ure ah' a\ l '
You aLe cani ed, st rugSl i ng, t o t he edge oi t he d"n, .
r39-r
40
-
.
y ou are forced through the cLnging mcmbrane, you
-.t'
a last gulp oI warm air beiorc you arc plunged into
-:
icy waters II you have any SiicaLor, and think it
- ght be usef ul now, t urn t o
357;
rf nol , l rrrn t o 19
\ 19
.u
retrat lowards the gaping nroulh o[ the stone
'r.l as the two soldiers clambcr on to the dais and
-:
ance towards you. They arc cmaciated, rlmost lke
. ret ons,
wi t h pal e skn sket chcd t rght l y over t hei r
' res
and eves t haf
Sl eam
l i ke t hcrr l earJcr' s Thei '
-. , e
sLo$i y. but 1\ i el d t hej r bl ack bat t l c axes wi t h
: al ural eas One oi i hem i s al most ut on
] c, u:
you
. . i r ngnr
. . . ELETAL
\ \ ARRI OR sKr LL
9
sr AMr \ A. 1
'.
vou hght, you are too prcoccupicd to heed the
-;rng
drsiurbance in the aLr ahovc you. Ihe Spectral
: :lkers are beginning to recoSnizc {hc patterns of your
-trtal
energy: add r poini to your rR.rrr score If
-.u
defeat the 6rst Skeletal Warrior, there is no respite:
-.
second is facing you, and morc are clirnbing on to
-.
stone ledg You cannoi fight thern rll You must
:render (turn to 8j), or try to escapc by runnjng in[o
-:
mout h of t he st one skol l (hl m t o
148).
r4a
ren you drop fhrouth the lrapdoor you find vourself
r rhe end oi a l umel f ol l owurg t hc t unnel round a
'-rer,
1.ou
find that it ends at a wooden door
you
r-' h i t open t o reveal a smaLl , empt y room whose wal l s
:.,!v with a eede light You stcp into the room, and
t 4t -\ 42
thc rloor closes behind you. Nothing else happcr.
t hou11h, so you deode t o st udy t he gl owi ng wal l s t h.
wal l s and cci l i ng of l he room arc covered wi t h
rcvol t nrl l l ungus: t hi ck f ol ds of si ckl y whi t e l unrps t l , :
gi r, c oi l a prLl i d l umi nescence and a st ench oi rot t i n' i
l ood l hc door
1ou
ent ered t hrough i s covercd wi t :
t f c st Lri i . so much so t hat
-r' ou
cat r hardl y make rt oLr:
I l rct rs rnot hcL , l oor. ecl Lal l -\ ' bl ankel ed wi t h t u: rs' . '
, r t rc opf (, si l e r. ; al l You ni l l hal e t o cl car rt cr.
sonN of l hc f urrgus i rom : hi s door \ ' Vi l l
-! ou
t ceL
. :
l hc , Lsgusi i ng sl ui l rt i t h
l
our bare handr l t urn
| r,
31-
hrck al i l *. i l h, vour sword
i t um
l o
48);
or, i i
1ou
t , ", ,
a l l cai srord, n, i l l you l ry' f o bum t he t urngLrs l ronr f l .
door {t urn {o rsr)?
I 4I
Drxlsnls the first bouider-breaking blow of the Clolcm
.
nrrllet, yoLr sprinkle lhe Siccator in a wide arc
(rft)ss t
lton yotn Adoenture S/ieet) The drops of liquid sparklr
rn thc rrlrnd fall lo the ground between fhe Ciolt'rl'
nrrssrvc f cct You mi sscd, and t he Col em, st rl l sl rc
rvitl, u,itcr, aftacks you again One blow from his har.:
scnds you sprawl ng i n t he dust - l ose . : . srervrx,
poi nl s YoLr st agger t o your f eet You have onl y hr,
opLi orrs ruf (f uf l r t o rJl or hght
l t r. rn
l o rj rl
' l hc
urdcsccni n' onsl er i s a Si Li ca Scrpenl 1t rai rcs r-
i
P
"
' ' e
L( ?
l . :
r\ ooci Ll , , cs arpr, : ach ard l neel i n a row bei orc i t
l LLrr. cach Ll l reaches i on; ard hesi t ani l -v and pl Lrcks or.
ot t hc Scrf cnt ' s gl i t i eang scal es i f om t he t of r ol i L.
r11 r44
-.'ad;
then all four nrn off, capering and
ioking
as thcy
: splay the hard-won scales like lrophics in therr hat$
lofe Silica Seryents wheel down from the skn's to
'pect
the nefted captive, then two of thcn lift thc nct
-:o the air and the others escort them aloft You watch
rlrl the llock of Serpents is no more than a spcck in
-: sk1. t hen head t o' , rards l he t owenng cl i f f s Tum kr
. . TaLi sman, hangi ng on i t s chai n around
I ' our
neck,
-: -ri ns
t o pul se l ' i l h a l i ght t hat i s al mosi as bri ght as
-r
dazzl i ng beam w. hi ch i s crushi ng you I he p. rrn
.:rns to recede a liltle, as if the Talisman were rL'soro
-;
some of ihe beam's strength Although you rrn fccl
r +l f begrnri ng t o si rp al ray , nt o un, nrs, r{r. ni *. .
,Lr
cling to the hope that the Talisman wilr e,uorc you
survive the inexorabie pressure Roll throc clicc lf
' . ' t ot al i s l ess t han yout srAMrNA, hrrn t o 2r2; i f
. lotal is equal lo, or greater than, y,:rur srevrr.,r,t,
-''1
to
3j2.
r44
..u pull the furled UmbreLla from your backpack.
ondeL asks
I
ou rvhat Jt i s, but you mercl y urruc ano
. hrm t o shuI f l e as cLose l o you as hi s shackl es wrl l
..,, The large e-.;ed ELles in the coLrfL]'ard \trc in
_ri l er
ai l he shange de\ i ce On t he dars abovc
_"-oLr,
-
El ven pri esl r
j ncant ai i ons
reach ; l oud cl i max
. , rc are a i e* seconds oi si l ence bei orc you hcar t he
-
' : l i ng
rumbl e of al er rushi ng i hf out h rl Ld pi pcs
:r one swiit movement you puf up the tJmtrrclla and
r4,
-rld it alolt As the sheet of liquid splashes all round
r
Ju, you manage to remain dry, lhough a few drops
t:lash on Lo your legs, and a little of the wafer seeps
::ough your bools. The merest touch of the liquid
::.as skin and flesh rotLen, and there is no cure. Roll
:re die, and deduct the result liom your currenl and
rrur
lflilial srAMrNA If you are still alive, you wait
--til
Lhe last drops o{ waLer have dripped from the
;:out, then you take down the Umbrella and grin
.toriously to the amazed clowd Tum to 24j.
14'
ru find yourself in a small chamber made entirely of
i x,ing, interconnected rods. Through them you can
i:: that the chamber is insrde a complicaLed mechanism
:'rvhining cogs and hummrng bulbs of light One side
:re chamber is open. and beyond the opening you
:r see a room crafirmed with other mechanical devices
-_e
walls are covered with bookshelves and complex
-
:.rls A bizarre 6gure tn:ndles into view a humanoid,
:.r decide, but only
just.
Riding on a self-propelled
=:* with four wheels, the robed being is extremely
-],
so thal his Lorso looks roo small and weak to
.::port
his huge bald head Long melal fingers protrude
::n lhe sleeves of the robe, wire meshes bulge {rom
--:
srdes of his head where you would expect ears to
:-. and round glass lenses sit in his eye-sockets
'A
i torl'he cries in a piping voice.
'lt
is such a long Lime
.- -:e
I last had a vrsitor
Quickly,
slep from the machine
,
,ie you may!' Will you emerge from the chamber
--r1
to 2jr), or stay inside it (tum
to
42)?
r 46- 1
41
146
Thc paf h wi nds f or hours al ong t hr f ace oi t he c| -
beforc il linall; lakes
-r'ou
up,,^..arci rgain .{t last
_1.-
reach the top of ihe cliff. and look across a barre:
l an, h' . rpe oF r", ks and
rl . l l i e.
t hJl
' r, e
i n d s, ri e.
.
escarpments an.l c1rlmlnatc. in the drstance, in anoth:-
dz, ' r g
"
\ . you. . . u. . r osr I r l l . d. . t r r . so:
yoLr notice a fcw Silica Scrpenls wril;gling across il-.
turqrroise sky atl as yorr walk furthcr into thc heart c
l hi s dcsol at e l arrd more appear You begl n t o f t ' ar t l . :
lhls part of thc Zig$rat l,Vorld is thcrr home rnd th:
Lhel r r e bour r J I n det e, r \ ouf pr ( - , n, e. Sur , i r oug.
onc ot the sc.ly creaturcs undulaLcs irom above ar:
l ands on l he pai h i n a gul l y ahead ol y ou You f csi t at t
uncertain of what lo do rrcxt and rcalrze lhat thc Silic.
Sert,c,rt is in drfficulties Its wings have been snagge:
by vrrnelhing and it cannot take ofi again Will vc-
apt n)l ch i t i f uf n t o r84), or conce. rl youJsel i . nd rra:
to scc whaL hatpens next (turn to 229)?
, 47
Thc door swings open and you step across the lhreshoL:
into {he room Without waming, a bucket of wa ter faL :
lrom lh iop of ihe door
1'ou
arc rlrenchecl and tl-.
buckct sl ri kes your heacl as i l l aLl s I -ose 1 srAMr\ .
point You shakc th watcr out of your eyes and se:
that vou are in a small room full ol half-drsrrantle:
mar| i res A brg man, so l al l f hat he al mosl has t o st oo:
in thrs low-ccr|nged rorrn, is lcaning against r higf
bacleil chair and laughing so much thal his cycs are a,
full of waler as
l
ours
r4' r-r49
)h dear, oh dcar.'he guffrws 't drtln't think anybody
: l f or t hal ol cl bucket abovc t he door t ri ck t hcv. davs
r ' . ! "e- . o r , up
- ,
. r \ ou
"
, -
. - . , . 1. , *. ; d
.:l I'm Wayland. in case you'r wondcring, an(l you're
rliously a visitor Wherc do you hail from?' Will you
: : : 3(k t hi s sni ggcf l ng pracLi cal
i okcr
i t um t o
t 9),
of
l l vou reskai n your anScr and repl y t o hi s qucst i on
_rrn
to ror)?
r 46
-e t unnel i s al nrost compl ct el y daL. k but you can see a
: nrncr of light in ihe drstance. You hcad towards it
--J
iinally arrrvc al a snrall chamber with two closed
: : crs I t ound one of t he doors l herc i s a cracl of l i ght
:he glimmer lh.rt you sa$, from afar suSgestinit that
-r rrom beyond i s occuprcd; beyond t he ot hcr door
-: ' r' scems
t o t rc onl y darkness. Wi l l
t , orr
choosc t o t ry
: -: door rt l t h Ll ; ht be. vond rt
i t um t o
J2, 1t ,
or t hc door
r d.rrkness (iurn to 2o2)?
149
: e n, eer cl i i f krrers aLrove
1' oLr
I he rays of t he
r: ni ni j sun pcnct rat e onl y a l i t t l ( (l i st ance
i nt o t he
--rncl
I'eyond thc portal, br.rt once you have plunged
:o thc gloom you are relicved to fu that the darl.ness
: : l l cvi at ed ai rnt enaLs by t hi n bcams oi grey l i ght
'-,rf
cnanate frorn chimneys and hssurcs in the roof of
-e
tunnel. YoLr tlrn to takc a last Lrok at thc rlistant
'
. l , , r . "nd l , eJdr ng' . ' . . r e. e. : r : n. t t he. nl g! - r
.
'
, rl e ouf , r ' 1mbol r f r. dnrl e
. unnounrr' . r
i 1
"
-:clc
carved ,nto the lintel above the insidc of the
r:1.r1 You turn again rnil press on tnto thc neai-
: rkness Turn l o rj
r5o-r5 r
r t o
The Wood Elves
iabber
amongst themselves as you t..
to explain your unexpected aPPcarance lt seems lf.
Lhey have never seen a human being before - or .
leasl not here - and they come to the conclusion tl-
your story is unbelievable and that you are a si
Although lhey all agree that you must be disposed :-
they are reiuclant ffghlers, but rn the end lwo of the:
step forward, drawing their shorLswords as they tj
vance. You can 6ghl them one at a time.
Add r point [o your rRArL score. If you defeat the
both, the two suFivors run oIf into the woods Yc-
ignore them and lum your atlention Lo the caPtive rl
the net. Turn to r2t.
r5\
As soon as you touch one of the coloured swilches :
shrill bell starfs to ring .
'UnauLhorizerl use of Lransporlt'
the voice in the air shrieks agal^
'TransParler seflilli,
altererl! ]1o:u flick a few more switches, prss solr:
rlluminaled buttons and
jump on thc
Platform,
whi..
immedrately begins to glow. A cloud of light envelo:.
you, but you are able lo see one of lhe room s metaLl :
walls sliding upwards to reveal a nightmarish monst.'
of steei and glass; and then the scene fades as you fe:
yourself being transported. Roll one die. If you roll,
\ 52
Tum t o roj
Tur. t o rr5
Turn to 126
Turn tc r jt
Turn to r4t
Turn to 234
r52
-:
funnel ends at a wooden door. Cauhously you pull
::cn to reveal a small cave whrch is clearly a store
: ::oard for ihe Ophidians' equipment Spears are
::ied against lhe wall and corls of rope and sevenl
:s of glassy black armour hang from hooks You lake
-:,1n
lhe shortesl suit of armour and try il on Although
-r
manage to fasten the plales of black glass round
::rr limbs and torso you 6nd that your movements are
'..ricted
However, you do discover the secret of the
-:hidiars'
prodigious ability to climb sheer surfaces'
-:
gaunllets of lhe armour are fitled with relractable
-::aL
hooks If you think Ophidian armour will be
,::ul you can wear it from now on; deduct r pornt
n your sKILL because of your hampered move-
.rts (and if you have Cerod fhe Harp you must
:rdon him here as you cannol carry him while wear-
: fhe armour) Whelher you wcar the armour or not,
-r
can take the sel of pipcs that hangs from the belt, if
-
wish. (Record lhese changes on your Aduenrure
: ; I You lake a coil of rope to the mouth of Lhe cave
. : lie one end to a boulder, throwing the rest down
,: cscarpmert lo assist your descenL. lf you are wear
'
: Ophidian armour you 6nd Lhe rope unnecessary, as
-:
:cfractable hooks make climbing srmple; bul which
::
,,r.ay you do rt, you reach the fooL of lhe rock face
l i rst WOOD ELF
Second WOOD ELF
SKI LL
8
7
STAMI N.
6
7
r 5t
wthout incidenl. Restore l point of LUCK You seL ofl
lowards the vast chffs that rise foom this level of Lhe
Ziggurat World to the next Tum to
4
r t t
You manage to free yoursel{ from the slicky filaments -
buL too late. Even as you tum to flee, the Spiders
mandibles meet in the flesh of your thigh, reieasing
their venom into your veins. Spurred on by the pain,
you dash tkough lhe 6rst exit from the courtyard lhat
you can see.IL is only as you stagger through th dark
tunels that you begin io feel the effects of the poison,
roll one die, add three to the resull and deduct bhe total
hom your srer.rrr,r. If you are stili alve, it is worth
finding out where you are
Borng.
Roll one die; if the
resulL is:
rt4-r
55
154
\ perfectly amed throwl The ball flies into the Lith
rgen's throat and stays there, hrmly
jammed
in place,
-r
spite of the monster's great cou8hs. You see iLs
'rminous
eyes widen in shock and outrage and then
: : ey <l ovrl y
cl ose. as Lhe creat ure s brai n i s o\ ercome
_v
t hc noxi ou\ f ume\ t ha{ are emanat i ng f rom i t s great
*omach and can no longer escape through its throat.
You stick
1,our
sword into the fleshy tongue to which
,our feet are stuck there is no reaction from the
-. t l -ogen.
\ ou cuL yoursel F l i ee. ard L ont i nue on
l
our
,\ ay - rurn ro 272
r ) )
The chariot rs pulled by Lwo black horses wilh red eyes
rnd bronze armour They are whinnying in confusron,
:ulling the chanol rn circles and hamplinS the wounded
'.rnder
lherr hooves. Several Elves fight tnerr way ro-
;rards you, but Lhey cannoL reach the chariob lhe
rrheels, glowing with a pale luminescence, seem to
:errify fhem You can do nothing but cower in Lhe
:hariot as the horses career across the moorland.
Suddenly a wheel hts a boulder. The axie snaps, you
:rrd the broken wheel are thown clear and the horses
:rag the wreckage into the dislance.
'r'ou recover your breath, and inspecl the wheel: its
minosity comes from the circular, rune-engraved
:ronz cover of the hub The metal roundel rs appar-
:nlly dangerous io Elves, bul it causes you no harm.
(If
r ou keep ii, make a note on your,A*:enLure 9heet.)\ot
.car the landscape: you are alone You lake the Aleph
1
3
4
5or 6
Tum to rt
Tum to
,67
Tum to
3r7
Turn to 28j
Roll again
r56
iom your pack and lose yourself in studying its myriad
noving pictures. lt seems to expand and surround you.
loll one die.if you roll an even nr.rrnber, Lum to
tr;
jf
',ou
roll an odd number, tum Lo
t6.
r t 6
lou are staring down rnto a sLeep sided gorge Hun,
jreds
of rnetres below you, n the cleft between the
:elckly-wooded cliffs, you malce ouf the silver ribbon of
l fasf-flowing stream You look up: the cliffs rise above
:ou and on the far side of the gor8e, the sky a thin sirip
-.i
blue between the craggy ciiff,tops. You are on a
:rarrow paLh Lhat meanders precariously along the mid,
:olnt of one of the sides of the gorge
.You
have no
:iroice but to walk care6:1ly along it
\ ou walk for hours You meet no one. and see no siSn
..i habitation I)usk is falling, and the bottom of lhe
:orge ls already hidden in inky darkness, when you
:ound a bend and see ihal your way is blo&ed by a
:rim forkess The path ends at a doorway beneath a
urelted gatehouse. Approaching cautiously, you see
:hat Lhe caslle is derlict and apparently deserted. There
:re
Saps
in Lhe battlements, and fallcn bloclc of slone
-ie
scattered across the path. Then, suddenly, flickering
ights spring into life behind the arrow,slits. A moving
.hape - ihe silhouelte of a chrld - appears on the
ratllements and the silence is brokn by an eefle scream-
-:
you want to follow the path through the forbidding
:astle doorway, tum to
t9r.
If not, you must use the
\leph to take you away - Lum to 6r
r57-159
157
As you crash lhrough the undergrowlh you can hea-
the music of the harp calling Lo you. Wilh your hanci
pressed lo your ears, you ignore the brambles tha:
catch your legs and the branches that whip across yoL:-
Face, and evenhrally the rnsidious melody fades Yc-
have escaped lhe Minstrel's enchantment - bul noi.
you are lost in Lhe depths of a trackless forest. Yo-
have no choice but to use the Aleph to transport yo-
elsewhere. Tlrrn to
9r.
I ' E
You hold the gem belween your fingers and slowl.
raise it before the monstels face. It begins to mer1
piteously and edges towards you You put up nc
resistance wheo with a growl, it lashes oul with one o:
its clumsy, ill-fitred limbs and snatches the
jewel
fror
your grasp. Il shuffles away from you and drops in :
tangle of arms and legs on to its bedding. It only ha:
eyes for rts bnght new plaything
(cross the gem hon
you( Adpenh.ffe Sheef). The hybrid creature does no:
notice as you leave through lhe door at the far end c:
the room. Tum to 2j8.
r t 9
As hungry as you are, you dare nol risk eatng the
innkeeper's food If you have Provisions of your ou'n L
your backpack, you can eat a meal and reslore up to.
poinls of sTAMINA. You lie down on the mattress an.
drift into sleep, lulled by the soft lapping of the rive:
beneath your room. Tum to r95.
116o-r6z
r60
::anding squareiy in the path of the charging Colepod,
-
wai l unUl t i . a' mo5l upon your beFore ai mrng your
; ,ord blow at a point above lhe creatr.rre's snapping
-ardibles
and between its waving antennae. Tesf yo r
-
,ck. If you are Lucky, turn lo
374;
if you are Unlucky,
-iTt
!o 2Io.
r 6r
r ou catch hold of the hamess of the leadrng war-beast
rd pull yourself clear of Lhe ground, hanging on
::imly as the hunL races across lhe parkland You are
.ose to Lhe armoured knee of the beast's giant rider
l.,d expecl him fo try to dislodge you from your
::ecarious posilion, but you look up to 6nd that his
::.e is as unmoving as a stafuet. Next to you, hanging
:, a sLrap, is th giant's hunting horn, fashioned from
::e sprral hom of an animal and decorated wifh bands
r: srlver. The hunt has spread out now and you can
::op to the ground wrthouL fear of being trampled. As
.ou release your hold on the harness, you grab the
:rrn You hit Lhe grass, roll forward, and then
jump
lo
..)rr feet to inspecl your new acqursiiion It looks
:iuable (note lt on
.row
Adoenlure |fteef) If you want
-'
sound the hom, to lind out what noise it males, turn
-'
2og; rf nol, you stow it in your backpack a,'rd tum to
: t 8
ro2
::u choose lhe path that lcads directly towards the
i'eous Citadel. On thrs route therc is just
on Silica
:::pent between you and your goal. As you approach
161-164
the monster you see that it is tied, by means of a chain
round its neck leading to an
jron
hoop set inLo the
cenfre of the path, buf it is olherwise free to rend you
bite you and spray you wilh its acrdrc venom lt wil.
not be easy to pass this scnlry. If you have a set o:
Ophidian pipes, hlm to 288r if noi, ium lo
,,lj
rol
The Logic Dog cannot be deieated. Not only is ri
stronger and faster than any fighting-dog you have
ncounLered, bul if you afe skilful enough to shike it, it
disappears into the air a second before your blow lands
- only Lo reappear, a second later, behind you. But you
cannot escape, so you fight on hopelessly
r6t
Properfy and the symbol oi a hand pointing downwards
rVhen you reach the notrce, you see thal in a gap
relween Lhe bookshelves .r narrow staircase descends
:rom the corridor. If you decide to walk down the
:iairs, hlm to rz7 If you decide io continue along the
:orridor. lum lo
l7l
r o5
The ball misses the tithogen's throat and hrts the
:reature somewhere bclow its eyes - on its nose,
rerhaps, although in the tlarkness you cannot see
r!.helher it actually has onc With a convulsrve cough,
:he Lithogen vomits a sccond gush of digestive fluid,
,'.hich begins to eat away your clothng and exposed
ski n. Lose z poi nt s of srAMI NA. I f you ae st i l l al i ve,
-.ou
have no choice but to try to cul your way out
I urn io
l,{r
LOCI C DOG
Afier ihree Atlack Rounds, during nhich you have
been unable lo hil the I oSrc Dog even orrce, you are
becoming resigned - if you are still alive - to the facl
that your death is immincnt At that moment a voice
calls from above:
'Enough,
Logict Hold back nowl Our
uninviLed visiLor has lcarnt that Lhe garden is well
guarded. I wlll come down and find out what this
warior wants
'
The Logic Dot disappears and this time
does not reappear. Add r point Lo your rRArL score.
and hlln to 282
r 64
You walk for hours between the never-ending book-
shelves. In the distance you see a nolice, haaging from
chains that disappear into th darkness o{ the ceilinS
As you approach, you can make out the words losl
r66-t67
r66
On i he dai s al rove
] ' ou
t he EL\ , en pri est s t ncant al i on:
' eacf a l ord . l rn, ' ro. l -e, : r t h,
4. r, -g
-umbl e .
water rushint through old pipes, and r sheet of liquic
splashes all round you The poisoned water soals
through your clothcs and into you, skrn, thcn yoq anc
Crondel besrdc you. are screaming n honor as you fee
yourf l esh and rruscl e begi n l o di srnt cl t rat c Youradven-
hrre ends herc
r6j
The rustlin8 nnJ twittedng noises r.e closing in al
round you YoLrr ImaginaLion conjures up all kinds o:
honors as you icl scores of fangs nrpping your flesh
In this complctc drrkness, your darc not run, bul yoLr
must make whal speed vou can - but i n l ' hi ch di rect i on'
I l r o. l deci de r o c' l nueonsr - d. i nr \ \ r hc! i \ e
Lop,
L
t o, f umbl e acr . ' . r Jn e^i L dl
( he
r . r r cnd r ur n. o: 9j .
you Lum back, and lry to retracc your sleps to th
door, Lum Lo 244
r 68
r68
'r our probinlt linltcrs ncounter a cnfvrng in the centre
-.i
the wall thaL blocks lhe h:nnel l'ccrrng in the dim
:ght you makc out a curious fi8ure. something like an
: i st racl reprcscnLat i on oi a f ace t h. rl rs al so a smal l
' r ze . ee
r l c d r gr , r m
-
' e
r J
. r : or f - - op.
d_
:Dnlains the word I,{ELCOVE, whilc cach of ihe tr,vo
:yes' consists of ;r depression within which there is a
rrtton that can be pressed rnwards
'" iLl you press
: 9o), t he one rn
: r nof hi n8 and
r i
?
t hc but Lon i n t hc ri ght ' eye' (l um t o
thc lcft
'eye' (turn to 216), or wrll you
wait for somelhing to happen
(turn
to
169
rt}9
You spin arountl fo face youl next opponenl, but thi
Feliti ar slinking away through the grass, yowling an:
castinS fearful glanccs at the dark sky You look up, ar,:
stare in horror at thc ghostly image thaL is spreadin;
across th frnra'nent a Spectral Staikerl Ils facetc.
eyes
SLnt
as rl turns its teniacled head Lnrs way an.,
that, tnelcssly scarching for you and lhe Aleph. Thcr
like smoke in a gusL of wind, the image dissolves an:
you ar e al cn". ' _ r l _e p a n once no- e {dd r po. r l t
your rRArr xorc, and deci de
' , rhal
t o do nexr
ret um t o t hc wal Lcd
Sarden
(t um
l o
3341;
make i or l hi
f orl ress i hat
_vou
saw f rom t he
t arden
(t um t o
l 79i ;
o'
use the Alcph k, iake you away From this strang.
world (funt io
365)
r70
r70
':
ou hear fhe sormd of many feef and a{ first you fear a
.:ampede of Colepods, but the strange beings that
::nter through th grass to surrouncl you are Manhrs,
re owners and shepherds of thc Colcpod herds Like a
iolepod, a Mantrr resembles a
1liant
insect, with a
.rell-like
carapace and antennac wavrng from his fore
-ead; but he walks r.rpright, orr only f,rLrr legs, his
-.remost
pair of limbs serving as arms Each Mantir
:rnres a spear and wears headl3car as protchon from
:e heat lhat beats upon the shadclcss plarns, and each
-:s
fashioned lhe Loob of bonc aL the end of his tatl
-:o
a spjkd weapon of devastating effcct The Nlanlir
- Jcr Fn a' e a. a. r o. mded b1 \ o- . ut
I ' , r r anc.
a< t \ e.
: -e i mpf essed b. v l he f act t hat you havc sl aught ered
-i:rr rogue Colepod with a singlc blow fhen leader
::dresses you in a flutrng voicc lhal you can barely
rdersfand He says that althoul;h you are a valiant
.arrior wiLh whom the Martir pcoplc have no quanel,
..netheless a Colepod is a valuablc beast As you have
, i l ed
one of t he l argest i n t hc herd yorr must make
' . Li r ur i on.
l f you wi l l not Da\
' , ' ,
l l , ,
(
ol epod. t hc
"antir
says thal his fibal law wrll obltge him to
:allenge you Lo a duel. Will you p.ry thc Mantir (tr]m
' 27o) or accept lhe duel (turn to 22ll?
r7t
r7r
':
ou are standing in a flat meadow divided by lires of
: ags i nl o f ort , ' ni ne squares. Mos{ of t he squares are
-'mpty,
but sx contain the bodics of slain wamors. You
.re holding a long. steel-poinfed pike and you quickly
:nd that you carnot loosen your grip on the weapon.
it your back, extending from your heels to fhe crown
,.i your head, you feel the werght of a plale of iron,
.-.cld in place by shaps across your shoulders, chest arrd
:rlghs The front of your body is unprotected, your
:nly garment is a white tunic You see that four of the
:odies are wearing identicaltunirs; the other two bodis
'.ear black tunics. Apart lrom you, there are two other
:jrviving warriors rn white tunics, they look disprrited
-
l bar t l e- r ^ean. l i r e nar r . or s r n bl ac\ r u- i c' appear
':'ocjous
and jubilant
Each warrbr is standin8, as you
:je in a separale square, ard each wears a plate of solid
-et al on hi s back
':
ou have placed your last pawn, Drawenna,' a male
oice booms across the sky, 'arcJ stlll my forces out-
-rmber yours Are you begin inlj to regret that you
.-rose thrs method o{ resolving our dispute? Soon I will
. Ln; and you, and all youi lands, will be mine Resign
-.urself
to it, my soon+o-be-wifcl'
: l\'oman's voice echoes somewhe.e above the clouds.
',cver,
BLfudl' she says in a voi.e quivering with rage.
. ri i l l ha' , e a charce t o wl nl
_rJu
deceive yourselJ, Drawcnna,' Ihe male voice
-:arcls,
'but I wrllhumour you Lcl us pJay on. One of
rur pawns must move.'
t 1z- r 13
' Do
not bc i rnpat i cnl , Burud, ' l he woman' s voi ce rep| e.
'l
have hrsl to tcach my latest recruit the rules of battl..
The cloucls part .rnd a ray of smlight illuminates ti-.
square that you occupy. Drawenna's voice explains i.
you the rulcs of this strange game. Tum to 8r.
r72
'Stubborn
iml'ecilet' Clobus bellows.'If you will no:
Brve
me t hc Al cph, I have t he power t o t ake i t Hai :
you forSottcn my Jemonic hunters? I have only t.
summon the Spccfrrl Stalkers and they will destro
you Thei r t ask cl onc. t hey u. i l 1 be f ree; you wi l l be dea:
r r . r l u
l \ ' v, . ^, 4. -
1. - - - t
p pnd
r ou ! cc, '
Ci re me t he Al cph, and l i ve'
You make no rcply Clobus conlinues to plead il.ii:
you, bul al Last rcalizes he has no alte.native but l.
summon his nillhtmarish servants. He traces a patter
in the air and looks on wifh trepidation rn his iace r'
four hideoL,s shapes begin to materialize. Will you frl
to break into thc Prism ofPower by using your weapo:
(turn
to 82), throw the Aleph at the Prism in the hopt
thal the marvcllous spherc can counter Globus's powc'
(Lurn
to 268); or will you, at last, agree lo the Arch
mage's demand and pass the Aleph Lo hirn lhrough Lh.
wall of the Prism ({urn to j96)?
\ l et ron t akrs l hc I l Lnt i ng' Hom and [ xes i l rnt o :
clamp on a rvorkbcnch Vany nrinutes pass while th.
Mapmaker busics himself h'ith rulers, protractors, luL,e.
of coLourcd fluids and instruments with flashing Lighi,
174-r75
:rd glowing numbers He consults books from his
:rary, draws a diagram oi lhe horn and writes pages
-.1
notes.
'An
ineflicient instrument,' Mckon says as he
,:turns the hom to you. 'The basic nratcrial is organic,
:robably from an animal iife Form, and vcry heavy It
-reasures
five and one-eighth d/o,rls rn lcngth, which is
.ery wasteful - a more consistcnt tonc could be
:roduced fiom a srmpler instrumcnt lcss than half that
. : ze' You
l ook suspi ci ousl y at t hc horn l t l ooks un-
-i anged,
and yet . . . You put i l t o your l i ps and bl ow
:rutiously. A reedy noise emergcs and fades when yor.r
: : op bl oni ng The god' s Hunt i ng Horn rs now no more
: ran an ordi nan hom i t has no spccral pow. ers
l cross
' ' - on-
. . o- -
Jd
e- ' . >
"
\ or
r ompl ar n b t r el y t o
: re Vapmal er t hal he has dest roycd a magi cal i t em
. urn t o
375
t74
.\fler several bone
jolting
minutr's, thc Colepod tosses
'
head and swerve< wi l dl y. \ oLr . . rnn, ' t l eep your gri p
rnd find yourself flying through thc arr b land heavily
..n the trarnpled grass Lose z sravrr.r,r points. If you
:,-e still alive, you see the Colepod drsappear into the
.nt
Brass-
Aftr recovering your brcath, you stand up.
um i o
4r
L
/ >
-i el L.
si t
-voursel i
dorvnl ' says Wayl and ' Nol
Not
' : erel
Thal ' s t he Aul omal i c I mpal cr Si i over here
. nat s right Now ihenr what can I be doing for you?'
'r
ou unwind the cloth Lhat covers thc small ball Grey
r76
clouds are covering the ever-changing landscapes i:
the sphere, but WayJand recognizes il instantly - an:
for several moments he sils open-mouthed in amaze-
ment. 'By my hammer and anvill' he mutLers at las:
'And by all the microparhcles in the Macrocosmosl Il ,
the A1eph. The onc and only sphere of all the spheres
There in your hard, warrior, you hold cverythrng -
eve' yl hi nS l l -. rt exi st . everywhere. Lrccp{ here
-
Lrmbo, of course But everyLhing else, evrywhere else
Wrse men have hunted this object srnce the birth of th.
unrverse You should take it away from here; the Alep:
cannot reside rn Limbo. But I beg yoLr, tell me how yo'
came by it.'
If you want to leave the Library in Limbo, Waylanc
allows you to retum to the booklined corridor - tur.
to z7 If you tell Wayland how you received the
Aleph, tum to 267
r76
The energy you are expending as you fight the Silic:
Serpent is attracting lhe attention of your demonr.
pursuers Add r point to your rRArL score. The Serpn:
senses something amiss; ils huge black eyes Lurn this
way and that and it shuJfles backwards on rts myriac
legs You serze your opportunily and deliver il a fata
blow. BuL as you watch the Serpent's dying convulsions
a shadow darkens Lhe Crystal Garden. You look up
The hideous shape of a Spectral Stalker is forming in
the airl As it malerialjzes, its eyes search back and forth
and its tentacles seem Lo be sensmg your scent on the
ai l ei l
l out
i rai l : , ore Rol l i hree di ce l f f he roi dl i .
t7-r7a
:qual to, or more than, your rRArL score, tum to t7; if
:he total is less Lhan yout rRArL score, lum to
,oo
477
You jump
from the stage and the crowd parts in front
:i you Behind you, the Conjuror is shoulinS. 'Slop
that
;!.arriorl' he orders
'Without
the shanger I cannot bring
:ack the Baron s daughterl' With a roat the ctowd
:1rms to pursue you The Baron's coachman whips his
rorses and seis off in pursuit too You are
jn
a small
:own; old buildings and narow streets surround you.
-{ounded
by the mob, and increasingly desperaLe
(add
: poinl Lo your rRArL score), you mce across Lhe
:obbles and double-back along dark alleys At las[ you
lanage to put some distance between yourself and
.our pursue$ and you find yoursell ba& in ihe town
.quare The Con)uror's wagon is in Iront of you and
:e1ice is holding the reins and urging on the team of
:Lack slallions. If you wanl to run ard jump
on to the
:ack of the wagon, Lum to 24. Otherwise, with the
:Junds of pursuit approaching, you have no choice but
:o use the Aleph Lo leave this place and go elsewhere -
.Jrn to 63.
r78
) ou cannot hope to win this fight but you know thaf
.ou can expect no mercy from the Black Shadows.
:oon a pile of black corpses lres ar your feet, but they
:ave rnexhaustible reinforcements, while your srrv-
r\A is all loo fhie, and you are engulfed by a wall o{
:apping, leathery bodies. If you have more than
4
:ojnts of srAMrNA, you manage to keep struggling
r79-r8o
f or a whi l e; bLrt event ual l y your sTAMI NA i s reduci :
to
4
and you begrn to falter. Then - add r point ::
your rRAn s.ore the Black Shadows begin ::
screech nr ft rr, anil back away from you. As they i:
back you scc thc hrdeous shape of a Spectral Stalk.
formrng nr thc ,'r As it materialres ifs eyes sear.-
back and fortlr, ,rnd its writhing mass of fentacles see--
to be sensinl; your sccnl on the air. Test your Trail sc,,,.
Rol l t hree dnc l f t hc t ot al i s equal l o, or great er t ha.
your rRArr s(r, rc, t urn t o
7;
i f t he t ot al i s l ess t h;
your TRAI scorc, turn ro
Joo
119
Semei on gazcs pcrpl exedl . v at t he obj ect s on l he t ai , .
'These
signs have a meaning,' he sats al Last, but .
they tell lrr rs thal the Specfral Stalkers have bec
summoncd and sct on a quest by a powertul and e'
sorcerer Wc could have guessed as much I can advi':
you only hr hc on your guard agarnst wizards anc
am sure you Jo not need me to tellyou !hat!'
' Cl obu'
r.
1' r, "urn. rhl v
a wi za. d of \ ome , o' t . \
reply 'Can you fcll me more about him?' Semeio:
readily a8rccs to try Turn to
,o8
r8o
Sand duncs slrctch in every direction Scn-rbby bush-
Er o. r
i -
( hc
^. l l nr n. . r or . t ^
I
d, . {a. ' . i n cl uno:
l he rounded summrt s At t he edge of a di st ant pool .
lvater stands a village; the huts, on w.ooden stilts, r'.
made oi rccds and leaves. On the edge oi the vill.:s.
you pass lhrough an abandoned market, its rickei-
I 8I
,::lls empty and covered w.ith dust- Then you see lnar
-e stalL is still in use: only a few items are on display,
:
-:
they are quite remarkable They look like roughly-
-rde
candles, apparently forrned out oi clay, but each
:: a tip that glows brightly enough to be vrsible in full
::'Light. The old woman behind thc stall bcgs you lo
..', one; and if you have a Gold Prccc ttr spare, you
-r-r'do
so. (Record the Lransachon on your Arluenture
:
,.1) She tells you that these few Cllowcandles are all
' ,
-emarns
of her vrl l age. wcal l h . rn, l po' se. si ons.
l:yrek the Potter, the hermit who makcs the Glow-
r: : . i l es and oi her wonderf ul t hi ngs, has noL been seen
-:
mont hs l rl en f t om t he vl l Lage havc gonc i o l ook f or
r - but t he_v hal e not ret umed Wi l l you go i o l he
. : age and of i er l o hel p t he vi l l agc. s (t um
t o 66)? Or
I you tum away and set ofi across fhe {lLmes in lhe
: : ! osi t e di rect i on (f um t o rr7)?
r 8r
.ru pull the Heatsword {rom rts scatbard and apply
.'r
blade to the folds of fungus Thc sword looks just
rc an ordinary weapon but the bladc rnust be as hot as
: :umace, for the fungus blackens and shrivels all round
Soon you can see wooden pancls behind the smould
. rg tungus and within minufes you think you will be
:: e io clear the whole door Howcvcr, you are becom
r engulfed in the cLouds of black smokc given off by
: rncinerated hrngus You cannot breathc; you stagger
rj iall fo.vour knees. Your only hope is to find a way
-:ough
the door before the smoke po;sons you. Roll
:ur dice. If the total is less than. or equal to, your
r82-r84
srAMrNA, turn to 274; I the total is more than you:
STAMTNA, turn to
90
r 82
'A weapon?' Semeron asks in astonishmenl.
'l am .
reader of signs, not aIr arnourer. But let me thrnk
had a visilor once, long ago, who left a sword behinc
when he left I will see if I can find il' You wait in th.
garden for a long time, lisLening to crashes and thumP:
come from allsides of the courtyard as Semeion searches
every room At last he emerSs carrying a
Plain
sworc
in a scabbard.
'Folmd itl' he says. 'lt's a very ordinarl
sword, as far as I can tell But if you lhink it will hell
you, by all means take it' If you have no weapon yoL
can take the sword and reslore 2
Points
of sKILL
You lhen decide lhat you musl take your leave o:
Semeion and, gazing into the Aleph, you allow yourseLi
to become lost within ils teeming worlds Tum to 234
r83
Lying in Lhe grass at your feet is a large Hunling-Horn
fashioned from the spiral hom of an animal arrd decor
ated with silver bands You musl have pulled it fror
the hamess of the leading war-beast IL rs an impressive
rt em. ar, d l ool s url ual l s ri i you deci de t o
(eep
i r
record iL on your , /r,erfr''e Srsdt). If you want to sound
the hom, turn to zo9; if not, you stow it in your
backpack and turn lo
358.
r84
As you approach the Silica Serpent yor.r see that the
creaLuie has become entangled in a web of fine wircs
r85
ral seems to have been set in the gulley for this very
:urpose- The creature's desperaie contorLions are wind,
rg the wires ever more Lightiy aboDt rts long, glittering
,ody. It is so preoccupied that it fails to noLice you
:ltil you are cnly a few paces away. The Serpent stops
-roving.
You see yourself reflected in its huge black
. es Then iLs head darts {orward and it spits a jet
of
quid at you Rolltwo drce: if the toLalis less than your
!(rLL, turn to
94,
i{ the total is equal to or more lhan
_
our sKltl, Lum to 24o.
r 8t
Jt the other side of the doorway you sLumble down a
.:ep and nto a vaulted corridor AL the other end is a
ioorway idenlical to the one you have
Just
stepped
rough A counter runs along one side of the corridor,
'rd
behind ii ls a room containing rows of empty
:aistards. Asleep on the counter is an old Dwarf. He
:pens one eye as you approach
3ood day, I suppose,'he grumbles 'And
I hope you
.ad a fruiiful visit to the Library rn Limbo. Don t boLher
:r tell me, I don't really care If you left a cloal or a hal
rr your way in, don't try asking me for it. This is the
ay out, and I haven'l got anything of anybody's.
. nere's the door from Nowhere to Somewhere.'
3ut to where, exactly?' you ask.
:xaclly arywhere you like Of course, if you wanr ro
:c somewhere particular, it helps to think about it
.
hile you're walking through rhe door.'
r ou stnde Lo the doorway and step across the lhresh
rt6-187
,'id Do you 6ll your mind with thoughts of your home
,rorld, Khul (tum to
tr);
do you try io imagine fhe
Ziggurai Worid (tum to 234), or do you think about
'our
mysterious burden, the Aleph, and rely on its
nfluence lo choose your destinaLion (fum to 2r)?
r86
iiter only a lew minutes of following the twists and
iurns of this passage, you realize that it is unlike any
:nat you have so far encountered in the maze_ tor one
:lng, it seems to be sloping downwards; for another, it
. orrpl et el ' dark l here rs not d si ngl e cracl of l i ghl
'
be seen. l -eel i ng your way u/ i t h out st reLched hands.
:s a warrior ard you wonder whether it is the ghosi of
:n advenLuer who died while lost in fhe mazc. Apart
-om
the occasional shake o[ its spear, it makes no
:ove againsf yoLr You decide to step forward, but as
ioon as you move the skeleton speaks, in a slurred
. : onot one. ' Come not t hi s wayl ' rt orders. ' Thi s way
janger
lies, and certain death. Turn back! Begonet'
,\'ill you tum back (turn
to zii), or will you advance
:owards the skeleton (turn
to
rBJ)?
r87
:ou step over a bhreshold and find yourself in a small
:.amber with a doorway in each of its four walls. One,
:s r.rsual, is marked wilh the circle and triangle symbol.
r88-r89
The doorway opposite it is marked with an anor"
poiniing downwards, through this doorway you c..-
see a starrway leading down into the ground. You fac.
the usual symbol and decide which doorway lo take,
The door be{ore you
The door behind you
The door to your right
The door to your left
Tum to 22.{
Tum to 29-
Tum to
J29
Tum to z6
r88
Squatting beside th! pat[ you pi& up a small pebb..
and tap the clay ball. Nothing happens You tap harde-
and the ball disintegrates into hny fragments of bake:
clay. You search among the preces for the obyect th;:
was inside the ball, bul you find nothing except for :
handful of grey dust, which is soon blown away oy rr.
breeze. You sense lhat you have lost something of tf.
ulmost importance; lose r poini of rucr. You loc,
around at the hills and the landscape of drmes belol
There seems to be no choice but lo use the Aleph t:
leave this place. Turn io zrr
' 89
You are in the enlrance hall of the Vitreous Citadel
You stand and stare in confused wondermenL at the
cavemous chamber which, with mirrored walls ani
burnished ceihng, seems to extend into infinite dislance
in all direclions Through one of the many doorwal s
you see the strange turquorse sky of the Ziggulai
World, and you assrnne that if you walk through a
doorway lhat leads in the opposite direction you wii,
r90
':ach
the centre of the Crtadel. You set off along
::ridors of marble and glass whose only rnhabitanls
:je angular crystal statues, and al Iast you reach a
r.cular antechamber Facrng you are two doorways
i:yond one all is darknessi through the other, you can
::e the edge of a huge, semi-transparenL cube bathed in
: n green light Will you go through Lhe darK ooorway
..rm to rr8), or into the room containing the huge
:rbe (tum to
lo2)?
r90
'r
ou walk towards the cliffs for hoLrrs, but they seem to
:raw no closer However, Lhe terrain is much hillier
row and covered wrth trees. You head for an isolated
:eak that is higher thalr the other hills and, when you
:ach Lhe summit, proceed to climb up into the branches
:
a t al l t ree.
Lrom
t hi s po>l t i on vou have a panorami c
. iew of the landscape. Behrnd you is the wall oI cliffs,
:s loot sti]l some drstance away. To your ri8ht, the hills
,:op suddenly Lo a sandy coastline, beyond which an
:rpanse of water strelches to the horizon In front of
.ou
are the woods through which you have been
. alking Arrd lo your left the woodland clears, and
reyond the trees you can see a vast extent oI grassy
rlains You can see no way of ascendrnS the cliff face;
:rerefore, to explore new teritory you will have to
r alk towards the water (tum to
9z)
or towards the
rlains (turn to 116). Altematively, you may use the
11eph to take you elsewhere (tum lo z).
r9r-r92
I 9I
Grasping the anow-shaft with both hands, you brac:
your feet against Syzul's ribcage and pull with all yoi'
mi8hi. The arrow spdngs {rom the warlord's shoulde:
;oint
and you fall on to your back Syzuk picks up l-:
sword and gives you a ghastly grin 'Thank you, foo
he snarls 'Your acl of kindness will not save you No;.
nothing can save my enemres on thrs baltlefield O
my warrrorsl Destroy them alll Let none Lvel We l-
pelorm Glund's sacflEcral fltual at the summit oi:
mountain of corpsesl' Your only chance rs lo aLlacl
Syzuk while he is shll weak irom his wound Yo-
launch yourself at his back.
SYZUK SKI ( L 8
r93-r94
:re outside and a hapdoor in the floor that musL lead to
--'l1ars
- or perhaps an underground passage. The Elves,
' lantirs and Vaskind are desperate to retum home and
-'
determined to leave the tower through the door to
:re oulside \r'{illyou accompany them (turn Lo
333),
or
rll you bid them farewell, and set off alone lhrough
:]re irapdoor (tum to r4o)?
r9t
iarogkaz stops fighting and stares upwards in amaze'
-ent
and fear The hideous shape of a Spechal Stalker
. forming in lhe air above lhe courtyard The Zwinian
:ees, and you run in the opposite drrectron, seeking
,relter from the questing eyes of the Spechal Stalker.
r ou crouch in Lhe doorway of a lower and decide thal
cu have to use lhe Aleph to escape Turn to
9r.
r94
: our head pounds, your chest seems aboul to burst and
our tmbs are numb with cold As you feel yourself
.iipping
into unconsciousnss, you clamp a hand over
our face in an attempt to prevent yourser drawing sea
.\ater into your lungs, arrd pray that you will drift to
re surface of the sea before you pass out Little by
-itle,
as the murky waLers around you become lighter,
:re precious air trickles from your lips You suck in a
.ulp
of wafer a]rd in lhat instani you know you must
jrown
and then your head breaks tfuough the wavesl
-oughrng
and spluttering, you drag yourself on to the
:each- You lie there for several minutes, recovering
our brealh, but no one comes You decide, at lasL to
If you defeat him, you hear a chorus of despairing me:
from the ra <s of SkeietalWariors The batlle become.
fiercer as their opponents counler-atLack and the charic
ls caught in a ferocious skirmish You kick Syzuk's bodr
ouL of it and try to conhol the war-horses. Tum ::
r92
You lifl the trapdoor and lead Lhe way into the gloom,
interior of the tower. The room below the funel i
unguarded and contarns the belongings of th captive.
- including their weapons Armed with Elven bol:
Vaskind swords and ManLir spears, your liLtle arml
makes short work of the few Black Shadows it meeh a:
you lead it down through the chambers of the towe:
At lasf you reach the base of the fower. There are on1,
two exits from the vaulled crypt, a door which leads tc
\95-r91
dnnb lhc path that zig'zags up the face of the clfi
Turn i o rz
\ 95
You wakc Lrp Everything is dark, lhe candie has blo* r
ouf anJ there is no hinl of daylight in the chinks ot tl..
shuttcrs .\ coltl rvind, carrying with it the smell of tht
ri vcr. mrkcs, vou shi ver and you si i up Then you s, .
: hcrr . \ parr oi l umi nol rs eyes i s sl ari n8 at you l r! , _
i hc mrddl c oi t he f l oor You remember t he name ol l r, .
rnn l he Ghosf l l \ ' i si t ors Are you berng rl al ched 1. , :
ghost r I or several seconds
l ou
remai n as st i l l as l rr.
wat chrng eyes; but you have t o Ceci de rvhat t o cl o l \ :
you l hrow yoursel i at l he i nt rudcr, r, hat ever rt i s l Lu: -
b z7r)? Or wrl l you keep st i l l art d wat ch si l ent l y
(l r :
l o
144)?
196
l l r, . l unncl
' pi rai s
dor' rnward. becomi ng ever sl r' 1"
until you can no longer keep your footinS. A fou
stcnch assails your noslrils as you slide heJplessly into ;
pi t of t nry, squi rmi ng bodi es. You have no wav, ,
knowrng that yoLr have iallen into a Shadowlings ha:
chery; bul you are soon aware lhat the liitle creatuf.:
have , rn i nsat i abl e appet i l e f or bl ood You cannc:
r97
St eppi ng backnards. you speak hurri edl y as t he I og
-
Dog advances on yo'J 1ou're wrong,
-.;ou
iell fl..
dog I guesscd t hat you raoLrl d at t ack m I f
, r, ou
at l rc'
rre non', thaf will prove that I guessed corctly 4..
r9d-r99
r
ou promised that iI I guessed conectly, you would lct
re pass Therefore, now that you have announccd thal
. . r are go ng t o at t ack. you must l pt mc
f n
^
hc Logic Dog sLops in ils tracks and its two heads
:rrn to regard each other rvith dazed exprcssions After
: iclv moments of thought, both heads lct out a howl
. a irustralion anci th Do8 disappears A voice hails
-. ru
hom abo1, e ' Brar. o, sl rangerl You havc donc rvcl l
-. rt
onl ! have
]
ou f oL. rd l he pat h t hrough my l abynnt h,
r: l
l oLr
have al so def eal ed mv f ai t hf ul Log, c l )o8 w, i t h
: . ol l n l \ . eapon I l . i 1l come dot n and grccl you' i urn
' .
282
r98
.re knocker raps loudly on the heavy woo.lon door
, rru wait for a reply; nothing happens btrt thc sudrlen
: ! pearance of a l i ght behi nd t he l i t t l e gl ass crrcl e l hen,
- a gravelly voice, the door itseli speaks to you! 'You
:.e a human warior. You possess eiglrt coins
()f
gold
'ease
insrt four corns into the slot and c'ntcr.'
lill you follow these instructions and prrt
4
Coltl
I
eccs into the siol in the door, beFore
51oin13
through
,e doorway (lum
to r47)? Will you ignorc lhc voicc
:,.1 push open the door immcdiately
(tum
to 286)? Or
Lll you abandon the idea of going through this door,
: : d i nst ead l ook f or a rray oul of t he Li brary
l l uf n
t o
199
-re
door shj ngs i n, , rards rvhen you push i t You pccr
.io the fower and see, beyond the short conidor
f ormed by t hc t l ri ckness of t hc wal l , a smal l , dark a: -
.rpparently ernply chamber. You steP forward Lnto tii
room and are starlled by a craslr irom behiDd
you Yc-
barely have titr,c to realizc th;t a
Portclllis
has d.
scended t o bl ock your exi i , ho}! e\ , er, because
you a' :
; rr, r' l ed o1 I nr' ! real ure\ l r' rr ! 1ere f oo. l i nl ] near
rcrlrng. You h.rvc no more than a fleeting imPression .
blat[ membranotrs wings, malcvolent rt'd eyes a:'-
crrrcl l l , cwved Lal ons You t cel a bri ef pang of pai n : '
sharp l eet h pcncLf al e
)our
l l cshr t hen l hc cf eat u: . _
vcnom slarts to work, and y,)u drift into unconscro..:
ness Turn to z9r
2aa
You st and undcrneal h f he J; ngl i ng bunt l Lr i t i s l ars.
lhan a man an<l scems to bc a sort of corrrn of stic.:
fibrcs. It twitchcs suddenly ,rnd then slaks
'ls
r h, r , r nl bodv. l r - e: Ar yo' l . l l eat . r ' r . r r . ar '
mc out oi t hi . t l rrng I m t rupr, ed, I cant cscapel .
l . cen here i or n, onl hsl Pl easc hcl p meL'
Will you try hr n lease whorvcl is inside thc cocoonl
so, turn lo
3t9
lf you woulJ rather leavc this roo:
ruf n ! o ; +5
20r
-:
door flies open, rcveahng a ctrpbrnrd packed with
--es
Thcre is no roonr ior you to hi<le inside so you
:-: inspccting the conlents of the shelves for arything
. .
r . . . 1.
\ e
r ,
r , \ e . - r . . : r e
- nf r r . Lr ar
ou, l hcy are made of Lrnnal ural l y smoot h mat cri al s,
-_:
most rre erther completely feafureless or covcred
-
rdeciphcrable symbols One objcct, however, looks
. . -
i l mrght be a weapon: i t has a hand' gri p. a t ri gger
--:
a t ube. ndi ng i n a nozzLe, l hat can be ai merl i t i s
:::l). l.rbplled tutirgu*her, which sounds lo you l,ke
_
emrnent l y sui t abl e name f or . r weapon Y()u are
-. rul
kr t (st i t s powcr when you hcar l he souncl of
'
: : \ f oof st eps appro. )rhi ng Wi l l you rval t f or nhaf
: ' i s abot Lt t o. onl r oni , r ou
i t Lr m
t o
96) ? - ^l l cr '
: , ely,
1'ou
could throw some of thc switches on thc
. -: : al consol e and l eap on t o t he pl at f om i n t hc hope
: you rvi l l be t aken cl scwhere (hrrn t o r5r)
-- push open the door, and steP inkr ulter blackncss;
: oscs bchind you. YoLr hear the ccho of your foot
: rs sl gt est i nt l hal you are i n a l arge hal Lor cavcrn;
: : i en
1, ou
hear ot hcr noi ses a
l i radual
cresccndo
: l i t t crrng, rust 1i ry] and squeaki ng You t ake i l cw
-::c
skps forward, wonderng whclher you hrve
::red a cave fuLl of hats Something brushes against
: -: rod-r Teet h nrp your ankl c rnd you j rk your
: : : awa1, The darkncss i s oppresst ve; rl you l ravc a
:
-:ce
cii lght a Glowcandle, a
(-olepod
LanLcrrr or a
-t
of Light you can use it b iltuminate your
2o3-2o'
surroundjngs, tum to
Jtr
lf you have no nreans :
creating light, fum to 167
2a1
As clouds of darkress roll over your mirro, your r:,
thought is that you are Llying, but you rctover yo-
senses to 6nd thrt Semeion has torn the Energy Lee:
l rom your arm You are weak and nauseous and \ : -
hav, unl y r p, , r nt oi sr nvr r . r a. but you ar e. r l r ve i
are too exhaustcd fo make another attempt Lo pener.: :
t he sorcerous dcf cnces rl rt hn l rhi ch Gl obus has cl oak. :
his ciiadel Instcad, you weakly agree to Scmeior
sr.rggesLion that you should try to usc the Telopticon :
see lhe Specfral Stalkers Tum fo
38o
204
vou
-pl ri eve
rhi
hot t l p nr
\ rccaLor
t ruo. you. l ^ac\ p :
and uncork i t You assume t hat i f wat er mrkes : : ,
Golcnr fast and st.ong, tln drying ciiect of fhc Siccai.
will slow lhe monster But firsl you have to succeec -
spri nkl i ng t he l i qui d over i l s body You know you r-
har c
^ni y
on, , hance \ oLr sr anJ r pddy. t , cl r n8
grounci shake under your feet as the Golem pou:r:.
towards
]'ou,
swinting ih mallet Rdl two dice. If i:.
t ot al rs l ess t han your srrrr scorc, t um t o
337
l i i : .
t ot al rs equal t o, or hrgher Lhar, your srrrr- sco. :
turn to r4r
205
No maller how rnuch yorr strugglc you cannol escap:
Et ent ual h l l ,
' Le
ol hr r
p- ' : o- er s
1o. l
r i mpl l r a-
206
r c
l our
l -o-o. v,
".
I -eao d-oopr. - rnd
1o. l
..r'
numb. Thc sound c,f Loud flrpping al(rts you to
: r(lurn of thc Black Shadows Without prusing to
' -h
on f he parapel t hc sl averi ng rreahres f l y, st rai ghr
-.
t he bel vct l cre, t hei r red eyes
1; l i nl t ng
grcedt l y as
_.;
cluster r'ornd the wlthing, moaninS ptsoners.
_.r
\^,atch
jn
horror as the loathvrrne creatur.es begin
:.rp tot'ards .,ou.
Soon
)-ou
arc over,,vhclmed b1.
: pping biankels of foctid blackness, arcl you fecl
-,,nrous
fan11s piercing your flcsh As you, blood is
. ' . J f rom vouf body
1ou
rvcaken rcdt rce your
. \ 1rNA
l o
' )
poi nt s and t hc venom begi ns t o
-',i
You arc (limly
ar{rre of berng untieu, your pacx
-:
r* strappe,l to your Ltck and ot being calried sky
: _! l \ . i her l oLr l ose cor, \ f i ousress I um t o
192
zo6
. : f Ll dt e i or v\ . hat secnrs Lke endi ess hours al ong a
-i\
passa8(, Lrniil you feel weak from rxnaus on
: i ncL one p, rrnt of s r, rvrr. re Af l ast yrru see a
: -l n, cf
oi l i sht ahead. and
_vou
l urn a cof nrr ro hnd
:r.sclf in a square coLrr.tyard wrth a flagstcne floor
: rlinr ljght tfrt filters down thc shaft fon}letlby thc
: rr nal l s ol t hc coui t _! , r' d i s dt mrned by r vast n, el ,
: : r' l oa: i ni t Jot n t hc shaf t , anrl l ong st rrrds of rl
: : ,'lmost touching yor Frorn tlr web r gi8anti(
: : . l er begi ns h, sorl t l e rl own a si l very t hreacl . One of
- . . l r r ncl s
l our hes
l ou
r nd st i cks t o
_r our . l ot hi ng.
rhrr seronrls you are skugglinll !o hec yourseli
--n;
mass of f i nger-t hnk f i l amenl s Rol l t wo di ce I t
-:
t ot al i s l e5s t han your s<r
, i um t o 69; i f t hc
2o1-2o8
[otal rs equal to, or more than, your sKrLL, turn t:
\ 5'
207
The wrnd howls around you wrth reneweci fury as yo-
make for Lhe protechon of lhe trees Something make-
you look back and you see a disturbance in Lhe a
above the body of lhe creature thal fell out of lhe sky
A dark figure, twice as lall as a man, is solidifying ou:
of the air as you watch lts oulline is slill indislinct, bu:
it is moving, twisling and turning, as it searching lhi
ndscaPe
Will you sta-nd and watch it arrive (tum to r29), of wi
you run lo find a hiding-place in the edge of the fores:
(fum io
44)?
2o8
Hol drrg t ne Umbrel l d bef orc you l ' l e a rh' erd. ro.
crou, h l or and cnarge i rt o t ee mi dst of Lhe gl a
flowers, stnking to righL and left as you run The air i.
filled wrlh the scund of splintering glass and lhe shricr.
released by ihe flowers as they are cui down, bul ther:
are many more blooms Lhat remain, on all sides of yor
squirting acid from wiLhin their petals. Roll two dice l:
the LoLal is greater than yor:r srrlr, you are wormde.
by the flowers' corosive sprat the difference betweer
the two figures is the number of srAMrNA poinl.
you lose. If ycu survive, you ernerge on the other sic.
of the flower bed holding an Umbrella that is no mori
lhan a smoking framework of wire
(delete i[ from you'
209-2rO
,-..enLute Sheet), but you are able to continue towards
: Viireous Citadel. Tum to
3j6.
209
-
pul t hc Hunt i ng-Horn Lo your l i ps and bl or. A deep
. - Lkc t he bel ow oi , : bul l i . sues
rori h
t ^/ hat s morc
i.n you
stop blowing the sound contrnues - ana
:::ins to syrelll The noise is deafening; the ground itself
.
::sonating t'ilh the deep tone oI the Hom. The war-
::sts rcar and buck in confusion and ther gigantic
-:rs,
shaken from their indiffercnce at last, turn in therr
j r,
\ r-
st rre d(
)oui ndnr, , cmenr st -uSt rrng ro keep
'
bddnce as Lh, g. cund vi brel es. y. u . ec
i n t he
: ::ance a group of nyrphs and satyrs, the prey of the
,.-t, jumping
with glee at the grarlts'discomJiture_
you
:ri that this disturbance wiil aLtract the attention of
trse that are huntrng you - add r point to your
: e, standing within a circie of fires. Also within the
-.le
is an old crone, who watches you silently. Willyou
:- ack her (lum
to z7J) or queshon her (tum
to jr4)?
210
rur sword plunges inlo the Colepcd and remains
-
ed there
jammed
between Lwo scaly plates The
:r.ature rears in pain and your sword is snalched hom
:ur hand. The wounded and maddened Colepod races
away into the grass If you have no other weapon you
must reduce your srrll by 2 poinls when in combat,
until you acqufe another one Turn to
4r.
2r l
Pr.rlling the Aleph from your backpacl you hold it
between your hands You stare wonderingly into
jts
i rJi ni t e deprh. . enkan(ed by rhe ever . hangrng vr<i on.
that swarm before your eyes Strange creatures, alien
peoples, towns, continents, planets and swirling sLars
meet your
Saze
wherever you look Roll one die If you
roll an even numbet fum to ro5; if you roll an odd
number, lum Lo 248
Only your wrll-power keeps you clinging to life The
brilliant beam of light will cmsh you like an insect at
any moment. Then the light flrckers and begins to fade
Suddenly you are free; youhave survrved the onslaught
You are once aSain alone in the dim Lght of the long
hallway. Tum to
186.
, Lne
rvi rnrrret t eadq
)ou
up I o t he i nner bai l . y oF t he
\eep whe.e the court. in 6rest robes. dre seated rt a
I
I
2\ 4
214
You keep to lhe shadows, scrambling up and down
grrllcys and sLumbling along dark ravines In a channel
brlwcen lwo walls of rock you stub your feet against
u|thrust pointed boulders. Yorr siep over them and
your ieet are stuck to thc ground Two round eyes
surldenly appea before you You have stumbled into
l hc exl ended
j aw
of a Lrt hogen, a huge predal or l hal
oncc aduLt , nerer mo! rsi rt rncrel y Li es i n wai l f or
rncaul i ous anrmal s A Lrf hogen has onl y a smal l l hroat
and cannot eat sol i d mat t cr; rt s prey has l o be prc
digested and it rcmains sht'k to the Lithogen's tongue.
in the lower
jaw, until it h.rs rottcd down to a pLrlp thal
fhc Ljthogen can ingest. To .jssrsl the rotling
Process,
{hc Li t hogen' s f unnef shapct l t hroat squi rt s a. aust i .
liquid on to the trapped prcy fhe first foul-smellinl:
spral, catches you unawarcs, and burns where it splashes
your exposed f l eshr l ose r poi ni of srAMr\ A YoLr
cannol pLrl l
-rour
f eel f rec, so you vrl l L ha1 t o crrt
- . - ' . el l
i r ee r r r t r . u-
- . . ,
J [ ( pn . ! ocf l r : r o
) oL
that wilh a well-aimed throw you could close the
(turtu.e's LhroaL - a baLl woul.l completely block thc
hnnel shaped oriice. The Alcph would be ihe right size
. but no, you cannol afford to lose rt here lf you
hrve a spherical map, howcvcr, and wari lo try to ust
it lor this purpose, turn to 28r, otherwise,
you tlill
have to t1g fo cut through thc Lifhoten's tongue turn
ro
l {r
215
our head feels like an ovcrrrpe melon and youl bocly
.
ceing shaken like .r sapling in a gale. You corlc to
.rrLr senses andrealjzc {hat you are lying on thc l1oor
: a moving vehiclc. You opn your eys: fowcring
: rove you i s Syzuk {hc Dcvast at or, hi s eye socxt Ls
r z r e . ke l - ea o
.
r s
Lc
. r , . h5 a r l - i p l or , . o"ny
. o . r d b a dr . l . e. : . :
'
ng l or g. . . o o
- e
r l l e,
: u are i n hrs r! ' ar. chanor, i n t he i hi ck of a bl oody
r:llle The day is Syzuk's. his Skelefal Warriors, march
-g
torward in endless ranks, cover the land like a flocxl.
-
ie storm baLtered islands, small bands of Syzrk's
--emies
- humans, rnrirrly, and some Elves die flff
-g
fo hold back thc t e A solitary, desperate Liven
:-ow arcs across thc sky and lands in Syzuk,s shoull,r
: ialls alongside you l-hc Elven anowhead is poisorr
'
hi m al l d he pl eads ni t h
1' ou
t o hel p hi m l f you
i : . rde l o do so. and you have a bot t l e oi Corrcct rve
: . : i d.
t um l o
38, 1
I f
1ou
want t o hel p but havc no
.Lrd, tum lo r9r lf ycnr 6nish off Syzul and bundle
-
n out of t he chanot , hrm t o rt j .
215
2tP2r7
2r6
'
'r
press the button on Lhe left-hand side of the
-sign
and the wall starts to move. The huge slab of
-:..k
rises slowly to reveal another square courtyard,
r:i this one is much larger than any you have encoun
:::ed in the maze so [ar. It is a garden, the lawns and
r.s separated by paths that appear as Labyrinthine as
:e tunnels of the maze. The four sheer walls are
::,.ered, as far upwards as you can see, with balconies,
^-ndows
ard belvederes, all of them interconnected by
::airways and ramps that baffle your sighl and defy
:-iiiprehension Standing in front of you, its muscles
--;r
enng with srjppressed energy, is a giganhc two-
:eaded dog. You prepare to defend yourself, for fhe
:eatr.:re is clearly ready to pource; but instead, from
:,rlh of its farg,6lld mouths, it speaks
: am the Logic Dog,'il growls, 'and my task is to
:rotect the garden of my master Semeion from in-
--rders
I could attack you, or I could let you pass.
,inich
do you think I will do? Will I aitack, or will I let
I
ru pass? For you see, iI you guess conectly, I will let
r.u
pass; but if you guess wrongly, I will attack' Will
. ru tell fhe Logrc Dog that you think rt will attack you
:.rm to
3zo);
or will you guess lhat the Dog will let
rou
pass (tum
to
72)?
217
'
ou pull the glowing sphere from your backpack and
:-r it in your hands lnstantly you are mesmerized by
=e mlriad visions, so tiny and yet so detailed, thal
:-aarm withrn the Aleph. The longer you gaze, the
218-2r9
morc you can see; shange creatures, alien
PeoPles,
iora'ns, continents, planets, swirling slars. You feel your-
self being enveloped by the Aleph; but what thoughts
pass through your mind as you are transporledr I you
are anxious to find someone who can explain the
meaning of lhe objects fhat you have collected since
you were given lhe Aleph, tum to
354.
II you are keen
to continue on yorrr travels, hoping to 6nd more signifi-
cant rtems of booLy, tum to 156. If, however, your
only concern is to hurry on lo the end of your quesl
(rrn
ro 214.
2r 8
Slones crumble benealhyour feet, yourfingernails splin-
ter against barely-accessible handholds and a hundred
iimes you think you are about io
Plummet
to your
death. But at last you pull yourself over a llp of rock
and 6nd yourself at the ntrance of a cave The Oph
rdians, conJident that they alone of unwrnged creatures
can reach this eyric, have left the place unguarded. You
are able to rest undisturbed until your hmbs stop
shaking and your muscles no longer achc You peel
into the cave two tunnels lead away Into lhe darkness
From lhe one to your lcft you hear the shrieks of Srlica
Serpents, and see leaping shadows cast by hres; Lhe
tunnel to your riSht is silent, but illumLnated by torches
in brackels sel inlc the wall Will you explore the leil
tunnel (turn to
4J),
or the right (turn lo ri2)?
219
Yor.r offer no resistance as the FeliLi converge on you,
their fangs bared. The pack surrounds yoq the largesl
220
.li the creatures at your heels. They nip your legs to
:ncouraSe you Lo move and despit your exhaustion
'ou
force yourself to run, You are in a sea of green
rodies surging across the evening landscape When
ou stagger, you are bitten; when you fall, your limbs
:re grasped between fang-filled
jaws
and you are
:ragged across lhe rocks until you pull yourself upnght.
'!hen
you trip and fall for the third time you are too
:rred and batLered to bother about your fate. You lie on
:re hard ground and waii to be lom apart but
rothing happens. You lift your head, the Feliti are
:unning on wilhout you, disappearing into the darkness
:owards the garden. Nrght has fallen You have lost
4
:oints of srAMrNA You manage to stand; where will
..
ou go now. back Lo Lhe garden (tum
lo
3r4),
towards
:he fortress Lhat you saw from the garden (tum to
j79), or will you use lhe Aleph to escape 6om this
.lrange world (tum to
,6j)?
220
:emeion gazes perplexedly at the oblecLs on the table.
hese srgns contain a meaning,'he says at last, 6ut it is
:rfficult to read. They seem to suggest that Lhe Spectral
jialkers
have been summoned by Globus, buL I cannot
:el1 for what purpose. Perhaps they escaped his control
::rd are pursuing the Aleph because it calls to them.
lerhaps Globus was over-eager to recover the Aleph
rd unleashed the Stalkers by misLake. Or maybe he is
:rt the Aleph's rightful owner, and has summoned the
-i:alkers
to find it for him. I cannot tell. But it would be
. ,vise to trust Clobus. I lhinl.. Be on your gr.rard.'
22a- 22'
You thank Semeion for this rather superfluous advice
and ask if he can tell you more about Globus Tum to
308.
Holdrng your breath at every step, you clmb upwards
You reach Lhe eighteenth sfep wilhouL feeling the
slightest tremor. With great care, you leap over the
nineteenth without touching it and land on the twen
tieth step - where an elecLric charge as powerful as a
bolt of lightning fries you in an instantl The adventure
ends here ior warriors who fail to calculate correctly
222
You duck through the low doorway and enter the inn
A gust of wind slams the door behind you. In th
darkness you can
just
make out tablcs and charrs; the
room seems to be deserted and Lhere is no sound Lo be
heard You climb a staircase unLil you reach a landing 1il
by a candle lhere are several doors; a1l but one are
locked. You open the unlocked door and 6nd yoLrrseli
in a pleasanl bedroom wilh a balcony overhanging the
rrver Clean blankeh have ben laid on lhe rush mattress
and there is a basin of fresh water Supper rs waiiing o.
the lable: bread, cold meat, cheese and a flagon of ale
The f ood l ooks whol esorre, wi l l you erl l t uJn t ,
rr3), or are you too suspicious to try il (Lurn lo rt9)?
221
A Manlir duel is nol a fight to the dealh The two
combalants are armed with spears, which have to be
used only as staves. One of the Mantirs
Sives
you his
224
. I ANTI R
SKI LL 6
:you
survive lhc duel, you realize that the Manlirs
_i ! e
i ost al l i nt erest i n t he resul t of l he cont est bel ween
ou and lheir lcader. They are staring rnto the sky and
i'lieking in alam - turn to
388.
224
-e courtyard. You suspect thaf the shaft above you
:. been partiaily blocked by a rockfall. You sland nr
-e
centre o[ lhe floor, facing the one doorway which
-::
the circle and triangle symbolabove rt, and ponder
rich way yoLr should go next. A noise disturbs you
: .d, looking down, you see that thc stones on the floor
: . begrnning lo vibratc You decidc to ieave quickly;
:-i even as you take your first step, some of lhe slones
225
starl to explode Sharp shards of flint fly across the
courtyard, lacerating your legs as you run You musi
reach the shelter of a doomay quickly, or you will be
cut down and stoned to death Roll th.o dice, if the
total is more lhan your srrlr, you do not reach a
haven unscathed deduct the difference belween thc
two scores irom your srAMrNA. If you are still alive
you hobble through the doorway you have chosen; dic
you make for the one you were facing (turn Lo 26), lhe
one behind you (lum to
329),
the one to your righi
(turn to 247), or thc one to your left (tum to r87)?
- . )
'l'm
not interested in weapons,' rntones .'he Robot 'l've
got more swords than I know what to do u.ilh. Moneyt
no use to me, eilher. What else have you got?'You
bring out your two portions of Prov,sions; and, will-
some reluclance, you uncover lhe small sphere, il:
su#ace now dull and cloudy The Robot rlrerely glances
at it 'So you're lhe bearer of the Alepn, ne says
You'll lind there's power{u1 people searching for tha:
Food that's of interest Not for mvself, of course
ncver Lou( h t he sl uFf but f or my l ' ungD l t t r cp. t .
If you have losL your sword, the Robot gives you a
replacement; deduct one poftion of your Provtsion!
and restore your sKILL to its IniLial value He alrc
produces a glass disc with a handle and one of the
hangmg conslnictions of wire and clolll he calls them ;
Magnifying Glass and an Umbrella and explains hor:
they work He will exchange them for one portion o
Provisions each You then ask the Robot how you ca:
zz6-zz7
:ave lhe Library, and he points to the IXII doorway.
'
ou step through it. Turn to rEt.
2ztJ
-on8l ro. r. . l he donrnav. l rl er' i
l 1rong: Wl j .
o/ i . h I nl r LdFr
1ou
have on
1
t o l ook at t hc oeaut r f ui
-
d i nF. , i l cl y nor ked. a- . i ng, l Lr t ; dor n Lhc aoex of
.
' ameho-(' Thprp vou wi l ' \ ee my cror--. . ReBard
-em now: this ra'ill be the last sight your eyes will seet,
rm t o
3r.
' oi r l J e mo\ e\ Ll o. ' . . . : nt i l , h" rmag" of t hr. : pecrr, : l
r Fr .
5l l . Lh, Tpl opt i or r mct ai noop I hc r J. r t hat
,
rounds lhe nightmarish crealurcs seems to be
-l,ing,
as if it wcre beinS..ugged and proddcd.
.':meion's nental energy is reaching out lo louch the
.rt' stuff of the spcll that binds the Stalkcrs. T,rris is a
]'our
rRArL score. In m1/ opinion, Semeion's
:ughts flash through your mind, ii's Lime you were on
226-22r)
.vour
ntltt! tk: pulls fhe helrnet from your head .rnc
hunn s you from the chamber Tum to z3
228
Onc c,f thc black warflors moves lo fhe white end o
thc fickl Thc white rvarrior on square C6 is surroun(lcc
and killcd L.y the combined atlacks of thc three blarl
narrrors arourd l ri m Burud has won The sky cchoc.
nl h hrs h. : rsh l aught er and
)ou
can al so har Df an
enna' s sobs of despai r You | rd l hat
-vou
can at l a. r
rel ease
-r
oLrr rol d on f he pi ke and l he hear
-r
arn, rLL-
drf s f rori
I our
back You l , ander t o t he edge oi l rc
nel d, nl ere you f f nd yoLr backpack and
l oLrr
cht hc.
Soon
1,ou
are ready to depart, and you decrde kr u.i
t hc Al cph t o t ravcl eLser{here. Tum t o r24
229
Y.rLr crouch Lrehind a bouider and watcir lhe strugglcs
oi Lhe t.rppcd Silica Serpenl AJter a while, a l'.rn.l or
shange sr, l , l j ers ani ves They arc humanoi d but vcr\
trll.nJ thin. wiLh long spidery anns and Legs, anil thcl
arc cncascd irr gleaming arnour of black glass l|cl'
c.rnics a spcar and has a sel of pipes hanging at hrs bclt
l -l xy , rc Ophi di ans and, as t hey demonsLrat c, t hc\
hrvc l hc ski l l l o coni rol Si l i ca Seryent s
Thc-v surround l he Se?ent whi ch, al t hough t rappc<1, L.
not hi nnl ' cs i t spi t s et s oi l i qui d at l he Ophi di ans u, r
\ , . , . r
- , - l
. _. .
- , . r ". .
1- on. \ h. - :
splashcs bcgrn lo crumble and smoke The acid hrs n.,
cfkr t on lhc Ophidlalrs, horver er il n-rns oii their
l,las:
rrrnour, . rnd f hey pay al most no at t ent i on l o i hc
(rcJ
2ao
--rrs
angry splutters Instead, one of them t.rkcs thc
:cs from his belt and begrns to play rqrrr tlri'rn
:crc is no recognizable lune, but the Silrca Scrpcnt
. rn, s t o f i nd l he musrc very rel axi ng l t sh, t , s st , t t , ng
-. J st ruggl i ng, and t he Ophi di ans move m t o nruzzl e
.
scal ] ' j aws,
bi nd up i t s di aphanous wi n1l s and l cat l rt
: al on a leash If
-vou
wani to follow thcm, lurn tcr
: 69;
ri you 11oul d rat her h, ai t unt i l t hey arc oul ol
: ht and l hen cont i nue aLong t he pat h t o l hc di sl anl
210
..Lr walk along the shore, allowing the co,ol watcr to
r: over your tired feet. If you ned to d.ink scr waLcr
.
rcstore srAMrNA drained by an Enerl;y I-ccch, you
rn do so now You notice that the Jamp sand is
,vcred
with thc fracks of large webbed fcct. YoLr pray
1.t the crealures who made thc tracks havt' now gorrc
. vwhere; but when you tum round you conrc lacc to
:.. with them. Slandrng rnside a hugt bul'l'lc thal
...'r1s
kr havejLrst emerged from fhc sca arc six anphibi
-.s
beings They are man-sized, but Lx,k morc likc
-
rnl i rogs l han humans f rom wl de, l i pl ess, l oot h l i l l ccl
'
. r h- he -
on. r o- t
' )
i I
' -
r ' ' '
' .
r "5 r ) h, r
rr neckl aces made oi shel l s and coral , rnd. ar. )
. ords edgeci 1t i l h sharks' i eet h The] rrc Vrsknrl
. c' bur! , l e
di ssol res, and t he creat urcs ; rdvancc rvi t h
: . cd swords \ \ : i l l
t ou
surrendr
i hrrn
n) 2hi r or
: : i cnd yoursel f
t t Lrrn l o ro4)?
2t r
2t t
The Conjuror snarls as you produce the silver bladt
Thrs weapon can harm hin he wrll have to fight you
VAMPI RE
2t 2-2t t
ru slep tentatively on lo lhe bridge The stone slab is
-:n
ard stable You take a few more steps - and the
:b begins to move Like a tongue withdrawing into a
outh, the bridge is being pulled into tne ooorway
lile simultaneously rocking from side to side; it is all
,'u can do to keep your balance. When you are halJ,
ay across the moaL and poised perilously above the
:-ghl blue smoking liquid, lhe slab stops moving fo-
ards lhe doorway buL continues to sway from side to
ic A voice comes from the black marble face: 'You
: : no Ophidian,' it says, 'and you are certainly not a
: eck Shadow. No others are perntted to cross, and if
ru were here on the business of lhe Archmage Globus
,.u nould have known Lo say the password before
, :pping on to my iongue. Now, stranger, I have you
: my mercy. 1 sholld loss you into the moat. But I
.lrpose I could spare you - and I do so love to hear a
'oud
warnor plead for mercy Plead with me, strangeq
::g for your lifel' If you want to compose a speech
rcloring lhe doorway to spare you, furn to
362,
if
-ru
remain stubbomly silenf, tum to
3r.
2r t
:le MinsLrel stands his harp on the road so that he can
:hl more easily, but the nslrument continues to make
-.1:lc
You can see the strrngs vibraiing and the keening
:ice seems to efianate ftonl the front of the harp,
rich is carved in the lii<eness of a human head The
:;ond boar faced soldier seems to be dazed by the
-rsic
and the Minstrelis about lo deliver an unopposed
:ath-blow to lhe 6rsl when the third anives on the
sKr LL
9
If you win, a large bat flies from the VamPire's corPs
which then crumbles to dust. In the dust is the key t:
the hanging cage. You release the Baron's daughte:
and, despite her urging, you decid not to tackle tL.
Were caLwho is driving the wagon InsteadyouoPen tf.
door grab your backpack in one hand and the girl,
wrist in lhe other, and
jump
from lhe wagon.
You crawl into lhe shade of a hedge to Lnspect yo:-
pack. Amazingly, noihing rs broken restore 1
PoLnl.:
LUCK - and you find that you have collected one .:
lhe Conjurols circula calling carcis. Il disPlays lf:
words Monip lhe Magicidn above a picture of a l.
f i gure wl {h a bl ack cl oak and a
Bl owi ng
r, rand.
-:
shape of the card reminds you of the Aleph and yo,
decide to keep it.
The Baron's daughter has been watchin8 you for sor:
Lime.
'Are you gotng lo sit there all day?' she complain:
'That
Magrcian was much more excrting than you. F:
was going to take me to fus castle. Now I suppose I
have to go home to boring old Daddy Coodbye ar:
good riddance!' With that she strides off towards tl:
town. You decide to use the Aleph to go elsewher:
Turn to 61.
211
scene. He, too, is hcld in thrall by the haunting mclod_r
but his mount, re,rring ouf of confrol, trcads on tlr.:
harp and brcaks i f Th Nl i nsl rcl ki l l s rhe 6rst boarJat .
but thf othcl two recover disnount, and press homr
t hei r aLt ack The Mi nst rel ki l l s anot her boar f ace bef ori
he hnal l l recei vcs a mort al st roke. Wrt h hi s dyi r. :
ef t ort hc despat chcs t he l ast oi l he boa. i r. cs, anJ t f . :
road rs si l eni but f or an occasi Lrnal di scorri ant not c f ror
thc clarnaged harp. If you rvanf Lo look mor.c closelv a
{f r ' , ,
r " o
"r ' n
r r , r u- n I n
r {, J | . . 1 \ ^, " LJ
. r i r .
. . .
r .
\ . . . - 1
. n
i . . .
. . ^"
. 1. . . . "r , . a. .
r . , 1. , "
n1orc \ rcl col ] l Lng, i ri l n t o gr
234
You mat eri al i zc i n t l rc ai r a l i t t l c r"ay abo, , o , ; meador
and i i l l l awknar. l l v i nLo t he l ong grass
you
f eel rr; :
you arc' being tatched, and glance up b see ihr
hideols shape of a Spectral Stalkcr forming in the arr
Its cycs search back and forth and blow rhem rhf
rari t hi ng mass oF t cnf acl es sccnrs i o be scrsrrrE rou:
sceni on t he ai r Tt : i your Tni l scort . Rol l t hrce di cc l -
the totil is equal fL) or more thnn your rRArL score, iurr
t o 29j i f t he t ot al i s l css t han youJ rRArL score, f um [ (.
Joo
215
' i )
-e
by, one, you l . rkc al l l he i t cms i f om your backpack
: placc them on lhe table Scrneion shrdics Lhcm
':.ntly,
arranging thcrn inlo groups and then rcarrang,
-:
t hem r\ vot al l oi t hem ar of rnt cresl He i l ] si st s t hat
. : e \ houl d be scrcn srgnrf i canf si gns l o produce a
..1r mc:rning roLrnd objecls, irc strcsses, obiects that
:all thc shape of thc Aleph. H( is interested in any ol
: t rrl L, u, i ng, I f you have t hem,
i cucul ar i nn si gn
r plak engraved rvrth a hunting scene
t hol l ow bal l of cl ay
1 toy clown
jn
a gliss spherc
1.
rLrnc inscribed lheel hub
1 round piciure of a conjuror
{ rn:rp drawn or a rvooden ball
' ' ou
hrvc at l scvcn i t ems, t urn t o rr2. I f you havc
-: rr al l excerl f or t he spheri cal rnap. t um t o r79. I f
.lu havc six of thern rncludrng thc sphcrical map, tum
: zzo If you havc only ffve ik'ms, or less, tum to
23t>-237
2t6
Evcn as vou t um t owanl s t he Conj uror' s assi st anI voL
sLr' l haL . he . ' . harg r' 6. Sne i s r We. e ! al . l JJon. ar.
emcrging from fhe tips of her fur covered fingers anc
lhc pointed e.rrs lhat secrned to be part of hcr costume
waSon but she rs occupi ed i n f i ght i ng you
WFRE CAT SKI LL E SI MI NA 1C
If you are sfrll alive afttr four Attack Rounos, you near
thc cror,rd sbrm on to the stage Lurn to
47
- J
I
lrmsfixed as much by pain as by the forcc of lhe
b. i l l i ant beam of l i t ht , you barel l ' hcrr Barat cha' s rvords
'You
are the bearer oi ihe Aleph,'she growls,
'and
you
rtr,st survivc b accomplrsh your ilcstiny.'Tlrc Vaskrnd
Qucen steps rnto lhe dc.rdly beam, shielding you in he,
massi ve shadorv l rrst an{l y you arc f t ce You st agge-
asde, turning to see thc Vaskind's iace conlorted in
agony as thc prcssurc of thc light squeezes thc life from
hcr body ') rm dying, warrior,' she croaks,
'but
the
sacl f i ce r. , i l l bc
, , rorl hwhrl e
i i . vou can cl ef eat t hc t ; ranl
Thc light tlLckcrs and thcn fades, and Baratcha,s ljfeless
body falls to the floor You are alnc in Lhe sucnce ano
glurm of the long hallway Tum k,
386
2t8-240
2t a
cur sword ski kcs one of t he Si l i ca Serpent ' s yes,
.rich shalters into a thousand shards A fountarn of
: ack flLud jels
from the crerture's eye socket as rt dies.
s you hlrn away from the carcass, lhe Wood l-lves
ro have been
, , al chi ng
your 6ght f l ce f t om you i n
:ar You ignore them and tum your altention to the
:.:plivc in lhe nt flrm to i25.
2r9
. re
(i<,blin
that you have wounded bltins to
Bibbcr
in
::nor llis comrnde turns, looks up, and screams The
-
deous shape of a Spect.al Stalker is formrng in thc air
. : ovc you Thegl rt t eri ng orbs oi i t s eycs search back and
::rth, and below them the writhing mass of tentacles
:!ems [o be sensirg your sccnt on the air Add r point
: : your rRArL score The Cobl i ns f l i ng t hemscl ves
::ough the hapdoor; you hcara splash as they lard in the
i er.l he SpeckilStalker becomes more solidwith cvery
-omcn I fhat pasfcs Test yaur Trail scorr: l{oll three dice. If
: . e t ol al i s equal Lo or more t han vol Lr rRArL score, rurn ro
! 9 l f t he l ol al i s l css t han your rRAr! s(o. e, t um b
Jo7
240
-rLr
t hrot r, ' ourscl f
f rom t hc pat h of i he
j et
of nui d -
:rr not quickly cnoughl A spray ol liquid splashes
::ross you and as you hit thc grouncl and roll away
-rm
the Siiica ScfpenL yolr ieel pain cxplode all over
:uL body, as 1i red hot knivcs r.ere bcrng pressecl into
rur flcsh. The Silica Serpcnt's venom is a powcrful
::Ld: roll one die ard deduct the rcsult from your
: .rvrre. If you .rre still alive, you pirt yourself up,
24r-242
step ba& - and collide with the leader of a troop c:
soldiers. They are tall, thin humanoids, totally encase:
i n pl at e armour mdde of bl ack gl ass. Lach cani es a spe: _
and has a seL of pipes hanging from his belt. You ar:
trapped beh^'en fhe soldiers and the Silica Serpen:
you have no choice but to surrender Tum to
,06
24r
You can 6nd nothrng rn your backpa& to lighten th:
gloom, and decide to use lhe Aleph to leave. You loo,
up to find that the last daylight has died and th:
ballerina is staring ai youl 'We're
cominS to play wi:.
you,' she says, and starLs dancing towards you. Unsee
things are moving in fhe cupboards; the metal soldie:r
are marching across the floor towards you; the rockinE.
horse bares
jls
teeth and rocks in your directlory tf.
jestert
cosLume is
jerking on its hook and Lhe door cl
the room is begrnning to creak open!
You are hemmed in by moving loys You are beginnin:
to feel panic add r poinl to your rxatt score. Tf,.
only way ouL is through the window. Will you thror
open the casement and climb out
(tum to
J22)?
C:
would you rather make a stand against this army c
toys and ghosts (tum to
35o!
242
You
junp
and in the same moment the Colepod veer:
lowards you and you are sLruck by one of its six hor.l
knees. As the creature lhmders away nto Lhe lon-:
grass you hit the ground and tumble head over hee r
several times before you come to rest. Roll one die ax:
241-244
, :fract the result from your srAMrNA If you are
.
11 alive, you lie in the trampled grass for several
-.r1utes
recovering your breath Thery painfully, you
.::rd. Tum to
4r
-+t
:u walk for hours between Lowering shelves iadcn
:h dusty volumes No matler how far you go, the
:: ridor extends, without end, as far as the eye can see
- iast, however, rn a gap between two sets of shelves,
:r 6nd a door. It is slightly ajar, and the notic on it
:lounces, Offce of the A efacrs Spetinltst Please knock
: ;
a,cil Below ihe notice is a hear.1' brass knocker and
. ow thal, set into the wooden beams oi the doot are
:
-i.cular
piece of glass and a brass plate with a narrow
: Willyou push the door open and walk through lhe
:rorway (trirn to r47), lifl the knocker and knock on
_:
door (turn to r98), or lum away and iook for a way
.l: of the Library (lum to z7)?
244
r..l
a die The result is lhe number of minules thal you
.::nd
in your rncreasngiy frantic search for the door
ing all this hme dozens oflittle Shadowlings, hidden
-
:he darkness, are hounding you, lcaping on lo your
-:l-v
and sucidng your blood You lose srAMrNA al
: rate of one point each minule If you survive until
-
find fhe dooa you pulL rt open wilh a sob of relief
-:
slam it shut behrnd you. You make for your only
:-aining route - [hrough lhe door wrth light showing
: : : d i t s edges. Tum t o
324.
2,45-246
245
The pdesL howls accusatjons of Lrickery and dark magic,
but the congregation of Elves is impressed by your
escape from certarn death The gurds release you and
Crondel, and you say farewell lo the old Elf. You want
to leave the underground city and wander away into
the darkness belween the decrepit buildings, looking
for a secluded place in which to Lrnpa& lhe Aleph.
Grondel calls you back, begging you to produce some
Diece of evidence for his lheory that there are worlds
beyond the confines of Lhe Elves'cavem A glimpse of
ihe AJeph, with its teeming display of the nfintte
rvorlds of the Macrocosmos, would be enough to con-
','ince anyone that other worlds exist. If you agree to
show il to Crondel and the priest, tum to 18; if you
hurry into the shadows to use it to havel elsewhere,
rurn ro
,77
246
The Wood Elves wail, gazing up inlo the sky; you
rvart, watchinS the Wood Elves. Then one of them
gives a shout and you see someLhing descending out of
the turquoise distance The Wood Elves scatLer, retreat-
hg from their netted captrve, as an lridescent serpenLine
iorm spirals downwards on gossamer wings. It is somc-
rvhat like a slim Dragon crossed with a giant winged
Centipede. Its scales gltter as it undulates bhough the
air; ils head is an armoured mask of silvered glass
plates It floaLs to the ground and sorttles to fhe
boulder cutting the ropes lhat secure th net with
iangs like splinters of glass Its huge eyes, like black
pools under glass domes, inspect the contents of the
241-24E
net. Will you conLinue to watch and wait
(tum to r4z),
or will you attack the creature whrle the Elves are
absent (tum to zE7)?
247
After walking along the passage for some time you
eventually reach a small chamber whrch has doorways
in three of its walls On lhe fourth wall, opposite the
doorway engraved with the circle and trrangle symbol,
a plaque has been set inLo the slone, and on the plaque
are inscribed the words Tfie Erd. There seems to be
nothing else remarkable about thls room, however, and
turning to face Lhe doorway with the symbol you
choose through which portal you will leave: the one in
ftont of you (tum to
329),
the one to your right
(tum
to zz4), or the one to your left (tum to
78)
248
You find yourself standing on a smoolh piatform that
glows but gives out no heat You are rn a chamber
lined with walls of opaque glass and polished metal
Rows of coloured lights wink at you and a barely
audible hum and a slight vibmtion pervade ihe room
Yor.r step off the plalforn and its glow fades Suddenll
a voice speaks out of the air 'U11^ thorized we af
franspotter - imiestigate!' A, second voice asksr 1: ii
another specimm?'
'lnsuffcirtl lat ,' rePlies the first voice
'Sending the Gnppler.' '{ou
step backwards and bump
into a table whose surface is covered with flashint
iights and coloured switches You wonder whai n'ould
happen if you were to flick some of the switches at
random and then
jump
back on fo the piatform; if you
249-25o
, ant Lo do this, tum to rjr. Altematively, you could
;earch for a place io hide tum to
352
If you would
.efher
just
wait for something to happerl tum to
96.
249
':
ou do exactly as Necromon asks. You drink lhe sweet
quid and hold the empty flask to your lips, until you
:re suddenly overwhelmed by a ieeling of faintness
)educt z poinLs from your suurrr If you are slill
:ljve, lhe last thrng you remember is Necromon hur-
redly corking the flask whrle suggestrng lhat you lie
lown and resL Then Lhe potion goes to work on your
nind Your thoughts dissolve inLo paLterns of coloured
ights mingled with visrons of ineffable beauLy and
.igm6cance Throughout this wonderful display, a small
olce in the back of your mind, like a child shouting lo
:e heard in the midst of a Neuburg harvesL-Lime car
rival, is trying lo tell you to come to youl senses Roll
.our dice IF the total is less than, or equal to, your
srAMrNA lum Lo
7l;
if lhe total is greater than your
rrAMrN,a" tum to 284,
250
tsoosled by the power drawn from you and Semeion
by the Energy Leeches, the Telopticon's screen clears
once more, and you find yourself looking at the inside
oi Globus's Citadel. You can see a long, shadonl' hall
and, aL the end of it, a many faceted dome that glitters
like an enomous gem This m*st be Globus's audience
:hambet says Semeion's voice inside your mind, and
thal shimfieling sttuctwe is n hism of Power, 6n drLefacL of
high nagic. Only its creator, Globus himself, can pass
25r
through it. No olhet liaing lhing can penelrafe lhose glowing
facets
alLhough noflJioing beings, such as fhe Speclrai
Stallcers, can pass thrcugh unhindereri I
fear
LhaL eun such
a P sm uould be inadequate Lo shield you
[ron
your
relentless pursuers I serse you are thinking ofrceapans of
sL'ordblades anil aftous) utu! while it is lrue lhat s th
lnaninate abjects can pass fhrough the Prism, they can rlo sa
only if mouing oery slowly so banish any LhoughLs of
frying Lo Lhrou a spear or a dagget al Globrc uhile he sib
roithin his Prisn of Pouet. The Aleph? My ,
yes Lhe
Aleph is beyand nasf physical and magicll laws, and il
waulrl pass Lhrough Lhe Ptifln ns if it did ot eisL The
Energy Leeches can supply no more power' Lhe prcture
dlssolves into swirling colours. Tum to
380
25r
The robed being rntrrupts your
Sreeting-'You
are
confused, Lord,' he says.
'That is not surprising We.
lhe few remaimng lelrti - the lasl of your people
have waited long ages for your return Now we will
prepare lhe
Jewel
of Sleep with which you will defeaf
ow evil ruler' The Feliti busy ihemselves plucking the
purple blooms from the garden plants, while their
leadel in a mystical trance, begins anoLher rncanlation.
his hands oulslretched over lhe growing heap oi
blooms brought to his feet by his people. You are sure
that he is recihng a magical iormula, but you are not so
sure you want lo find or.rt whal it does. If you decide to
take out lhe Aleph anduse its power to havelelsewhere
in the Macrocosmos, turn to
J6j;
if you would rather
wart until lhe spell is cast, lurn lo
t2
252-251
252
,louds of Black Shadows are descending on the plains,
r: you make off rn the opposjte direction, Lowards the
:Jot of lhe vast cliff As you scramble on to higher
::ound you look back to see lhe grasslands liLtered
.lth dark flapping shapes. As you waich, groups of
'em
start to fly upwards carrying the lifeless bodies of
lcLepods You reach a place where a path begins its
: g'zag ascent of Lhe clitf face and, as youhave no desire
:: retum to lhe plains, you decide to ciimb upwards
um l o 12,
253
)on'L be alarmed by my appearance,' says the strange
, heeled being as yorl slep ftom the machine into his
r:udy 'l
realize thal you barbarians don't comprehend
:re advances of science, but I am quite hamless. I am
l.letron, Lhe Mapmaker'You gaze in wondemeni at
:re maps and charls thai cover the walls and desks, and,
-'erhaps
because they remind you of the Aleph, you are
:articularly intngued by a collection oi maps that are
:ainted on the surfaces of wooden balls
'l
see you are
irrprised to see spherical maps,' Metron squeaks.
'No
:oubt you think the world is flat - or buill on terraces,
:s the fabled Ziggurat World rs supposed lo be. I can
::11 you, my friend, thaL I have studied worlds through
rlrt the Macrocosmos; and whalever shape they are
:.rpposed lo be, after I have measured and mapped
:rem lhey are round But lell mc. have you brought
:rything with you? I am always looking for new objects
2t 4
You wonder whrch of your rtems you should asf
Metron io examne, I[ you possess them, you couli
offer him Cerod the Ha.p (turn to
346),
a clay ball tha:
raltles (tum
to
49)
or a god's Hunling Hom (tum t.
r71). If you refuse Lo allow Melron Lo see any of you'
possessio^s, turn to
J7t
254
Rock climbing tesls both strength and endurance anc
thrs wall oi rock is as high as the mightiest of th.
Cloudhigh MounLains of Khul There are few ledges or
which to rest, no gullies or chimneys to provide a
change ftom lhe relenLless neccssity of clingrng lo thr
bare stone, ofLen carrying all your weight on onc
tenuous frnger hold, while you search for thc nexr
outcrop of rock which will support you Roll sever
dice If the total is equal fo, or less lhan, the sum oi
your sKrLL and srl urnl , t urn Lo
3zr;
i f f he t ot at
i . g_edl e. t hJn f he . L- r
of your sI t L dr c
STAMINA, hiln Lo ro2.
255-256
255
he Speclral Stalker has failed to find you You heave a
.,qh
of relief as lhe hjdeous creatwe shakes its great
.ead in ftusiration and begins Lo dissolve into lhe air
he Colem is compleiely slill now' it will be nothing
-ore than a clay stalue unlil the next rarnstorm Now
ou can makc yor.rr h'ay tLr lhe ca.re in the cliff face.
LLm lo 263
256
::ler
scveral bone-joiting m.inutes, the Coiepod begrns
: slow ifs heedless rharge IL tosses ils hcad wildly in
-r
atlempl to dislodge you; but you hang on grrmly,
-.J
evsiually, defeaieii, thc Colepod comes to a halt.
ou rclease your hold only cautiously, but the creafue
'as apparently forgotb' its panic already and has
-:sumed
thc occupation v,'ith which it Iiils nearly all of
:i waking exislencei nilmching grass. You lean against
s ilank and recover your breath. Tum to
33
- )
i
2t 7
Atter walking ioL vrmc time you see daylight ahe.r.i
and step tlrroul]h a dmrway to find yourself in a squ:ur
courtyard wilh rn un<lutating floor of bumished mt'trl
Bright sunlillhL strcams down fhe shlt forrned by tfr
walls anJ is rctlcctcd off the floor to illuminatc lfr
metal sfatLrcs thrl stan(l on lhe peaks of the u]rcvcr
floor Each staluc rs of a herorc warrior holdrnll
-
weapon anJ .r brilliantly pcljshed shreld. There rtu
doorways lcr.lrrrij fronr the co.rtyard, one rn each
(,
the four wrlls; as usurl. ,.rne of the doorways be.rrs llr,
ci rcl e anrl f rl xrt Lr s-rml . ol As
I
ou decl de whi ch dcx, .
r! a] l o i . rk. ,
l (N
r()hcc l rat t he si at ues are sl oni r
meci arrc. rl l v. pLr ot i nl l : ow. rds
t ou.
mel al arnl s nrol r.
l o adj usl t hc , , ' , l t l c of t hi r
, ; hi el ds
The suns r. rr.
concnk. , t f (l i n t hc hol l oLl s oi l he mct aL f l ooL. ar.
being retlcLcd on lo the soldiers' shields an.l tfc-
back at yorrl As l l , c l , cams coi nci de, you are al mo:
struck t,l'n(l i,y thc clazzling lighl, and a $,a11 of hfi,l
dri ves you l o your knc{rs
Roll threr dicc lt lhc totaL i! equal to or more thar
your srAM' NA, you do not have t he st rcngt h anc
*'ill lo rrsc hr your fcct and run crushed by tht
ovcryo\ ^rcrxrg l r' . rt , you sl cwl y rcast Your advent u(
ends hcrc l f t | c t (*. rl rs l rss i han your sravr. -,
you somrhow f rn, l t hc energl i o sf and and run Losc .
poi nt r i 1)rn
)ou.
sravrNA Do
r' . ou
rl Ln t o i l !
doo: r. a1
I , oL,
rrcrc i rcrng, narked l ri l h I nc s] nroo
i l urn t o rl j t . t l rt orc l ehrnci
_r. u
ri Lrn t o r22. l he onl
l o, vour l cl l ( t Lr r n t o r 86r ; or : he or ' , e l o, r . ou r r ghr t i r r -
t o 28i t i
25E
2i 8
'
:unnel siopes upward belorc you Afh'r folLowing it
.-
some time you reach a
jllnrtion hom which a
rrlsage leads downwards and r rtnirway teads up.
our route lies upwards, you are sure, towards the
ghesl level of this stnnge ticrcd worll, so you take
-f stairs You step on to Lhc first stair, and a shiver
::sses through yow body You movc cn to fhe second
.
ep, this trme you definitely fecl a momcntary shudder.
ou advance gingerly fo the third slcp; but fcelnolhing.
re fourth step, hor.vever, givcs you a
joll
that leaves
. I . - I
- - . - l - : -
. , , , - , l l . ^.
. r t F o - edd o
' r - p
r r ' h. t r p
br - l r doe. nor hi g
. . oJ
d1o- no- dce. r i e. ' r r l l L, . r e_r h
. r ep
: : i ches
1ou
unarl ars rri i h a shock t hat al most bri ngr
-. !
t o yo1] r knees Hol rever, st eps erghl , rnne, l en and
: rien are all harmless, so that by the trm you reach
'.e
twelflh step you are unprepared 1or the aSonizing
.-.asm
ihat doubles you up nr pxin Lose z points of
r AMrNA It is clear thal each
jolt rs nrrrc powerfirl than
rc last; the nexl could be enough to finish you. Bul
-ow can you fell which steps to nvoid? You think you
rn detect a patfem in the steps lhat givc shocks; and
ou try to calculaLe it before cortinrrinll the ascent.
',
hich is the next step you should avoid:
The seventeenih step?
TLj p. ncf r e. f h ct Fn)
Or t he t went i et h st ep?
l um t o
98
fum to 22r
Tum t o j r i
259-260
259
You grip thc nrassive tome wilh both hands and tug L:
from its shclf You sFudy fhe omate scdpt and rcah/e
that lhe boc,k is an alphabehcal Lst of all types o;
mdgi (i dn' f hr huul has f al l cn open dt r pdt e
wizards whosc namcs begm with the letter C ant:
there, in front o[ your nose, rs the name Globus. Yor
read the fotlowing descriptron:
GLOBUS linrt, Archmage.
Rrilarce, The Ziggurai World
Corrrroi f s: One of l he mosl
powerl ul rmages i n Nl acrocosmos, but concn-
t rat es on research and experi meni al i on Speci a-
l i t i es i ncl udc summoni ngs and kansport at ron
bet wccn l hc vari ous Spheres oi t he Macro
cosmos Also theorehcal studies of the Aleph,
lhe Onc Sphere believed to contain all thrt
You pondcr thesc words. You must assume that lhr
ball you arc carryinl; rs the Aleph Perhaps the flying
creature that givc it lo you was caught by the Specka
Stalkers whilc trying to take it to Globus? What rli:.
you look ior now a way out of Lhis Lrbfary
(turn l.
z7), or somconc who can lell
.vou
more aboul lb.
Al eph (t um t o 2i l )?
26o
You slep through a doonr,a-v into the dark interior o:
ihe rock rvall .rnJ climb the sleep stairs. Turnrng .l
corner, you clnnb towards a window and looking oul
26o
: ,i you find that you ar rlalkint sideways: where ihe
.
should be there rs instead one of the rnner walls of
-:
courtyardl You stagget serzcd with vertigo, but
rrce yourself Lo conLinue up the stdrrs; turnjng another
..ner,
you find that although you ore still trudging
-:rvards,
when you lift your hcatJ you are walking
lvards the maze-like gardens You rornd another
::iner, and are onc again climbirg into the dark
:crior of lhe rock You turn another comer, inlo
::r'light, to find that the world has rrghtt'd ilself, and
ru ;re stepping up to the balcony lrhere Semeion is
. . r: ed at a st one l abl e ' The
st ai rcascs i n my house can
: : i onf usi ng at f i rsl , h says n i t h a smrl e, ' but here r ou
. . at l ast PLease be seat ed Ai t er your dri 6cul t
j ourney
'each me the Leasl I can do rs try lo ans$'er any
i -cst i ons you ma-v have' You si t opposi t e Semei on
:
: some reason, you are sure lh.t you .an trust th
re old man Without a rvord you withdraw the Aleph
.m
your backpack and place iL on {hc stone table.
. ' l n t o 65
V
26r-262
26r
,
rlhin seconds you are surrounded, ,nd cannot hope
-'escape.
The largest of the Vaskind uses his splay-
--gered
hands to rend the surface of the huge bubble
.d pull il over you and hJs warriors The bubble
::scends lhrough clear, green, fish fillcd watea before
:-'ming to rest against a vasL hanspnrcnt dome resLing
:: a shelf of rock Within the domc is a settlement of
--'ne
sort: irregular structures of coral, sheLl and stone
.e from a network of pools and canals The bubble
,
ls down the surface of thc domc, nergin8 into it as
-.u
approach the sea bed The air inside the dome is
: : np and mal odorous, but breat habl c; vou drc grven
: : i e chance t o exani ne your surroundi ngs as t he Vask
-r
hurry you lo ihe centre of the undcrwater city. You
::: placed on a low pedestal in thc middle of a large,
:::rare pool, in front of you ises a throne, empty
:,.ept for a gold crown A Vaskind
jn
decorated robes
:jiresses you from the steps of thc throne '\r'y'e
mean
:.i no harm, stranger,' h croaks,
'but
we have not
-.-.n your like before. Globus, the Archmage, rules the
;.:oples of this world; are you his friend or hrs ioeT
: .ou say Lhat you are Globus's iricnd, turn to rr8) if
'.r say thal you are his enemy, furn to j,lt
262
--t
ghostly Figures pursue yoLr ihroullh the castle You
: : : e not st op t o l ook behi nd you, but you can i eel t hei r
-
i i i ng presence ai your back You racc aronB uusry
: ridors, across a small yard, through a doorway, and
-:
a spiml staircase As you climb, you bccome aware
263
thaL your pursuers are no longer behind you, buL yo.
contnue to climb. At last you reach the top of the stairs
and find a door standing ajar. Stepplng through it, yo"
find yourself at the top of a tower, in a room illuminalec
with the dying rays of the setLing sun. It is a child:
bedroom, crowded with foys. There is only one door
which you close behind you as you enter. The ghostlr
couple can be neither seen nor heard, and you seem tc
be safe at lasl But nightfall rs upon you will you star
in this room (turn to
l8),
or use the Aleph to trave
elsewhere (tum to 6r)?
2Dt
Pulhng at the jumble of boulders in the cave entrancc
you manage to clear a path inLo the cave, which i!
nlurninated by large glowing bowls. Mayrek the Potter
greets you and thar*s you effusively. He looks vcrr
l i red and rhi n. and erpl ai r. t hat rhe Col em vl ds one oi
his expenments that went awry. The crealure was
intended to be a servant, bul it developed a wrll of its
own and imprisoned rts creator in the cave whrcl
serves as Mayrek s home and workshop. By way ot a
reward for rescuing him, he lells you that you can takc
any item from his workshop You wander among rack:
of statuary and poltery, each objeci a 6ne work of art
but in the end two items altract your aLtenlion One
seems very useful; a small porcelaln box containinS
-'
Cold Preces The olher, a plain ball of glazed clal
intrigues you because its shape and srze remind you o:
the Aleph. Will you choose to take the box (lum t.
roo) or the ball
(turn to
,6t)?
26+-26t
264
. this Attack Round you decrde to lei fate take iLs
::urse TesL your Luck lf you are Unlucky, your sword
.
des uselessly along lhe Silca SerpenL's scaly flanl
,:ium to
l4J
and contrnue your fight with lhe creaLure.
:
_rou
are Lucky, turn to r2J.
26j
-.u
rush from lhe forest alrd fend off the attack of the
.rrond
boar-faced soldier Meanwhiie, the Mrnstrel des,
:::ches lhe dazed soldier who began the attack The
:..rdier faclng you rcins back his mounl and tums to
:,:e
just
as a third soldier nding anoLher gigantic lizard,
=ives on lhe scene and qu:ckly decidcs that he, too,
:ll retreat The Minstrel has other ideas, however, and
-:
plucks savagely at the strrngs of his ,'o'p, *,'"".
.-.ng
nses to a painlul crescendo. The lwo boar-faced
.:ldiers
cannot resist the musrc of the harp; with glazed
: es lhey dismounf and trudge back to the Minstrel,
ro swi f f l y despal ches t hem. ' A warri orl ' he says,
-.rrnjng
to you 'And drsgursed as I am A remarkabie
::rncidence My thanks lo you, anyway, stranger'He
rrints lo the bodies of the boar faced soldiers They
-e
Zwrnians. Wretched beings, bul fhey are mine I am
266-26:'
rehiminS Lo reclaim my birthright from Frampa;:.
Usurper These scum were clearly loyal fo fheir ne,
master. Will you come wiLh me? Another sword-a-::
wouid be useful' He strums lhe slrings of his harp a::
produces a sound that seems to call Lo your very so-
If you do not want to accompany Lhe Mnstrel, you r:-
either run away nto the forest (lurn
to rt7) or $:.
away along the road
(turn
to
l4z);
if you agree to
S
wrth hjm, tum to
t7.
266
'lf you are a frrend of the tyrant Globus,' shriils l::
Mantr, while his comrades shake their spears angri'
you are no friend of the people of the plains We p:
our LribuLe, which grows more onerous each year, \\ .
wili ofier no more to Globus, or to spies such as yo-
But you have shown bravery, and you have saved o-:
of our animals so we will lel you go in peace BuL kee:
^Fi
f hp . 1, i ". . r. , ". "n
Four of the ManLirs guard you closely as you retra..
your steps back towards the higher ground at Lhe foc
of the cliff You have nowhere to go bul up Lhe pa:
that climbs in a zig-za8 up the face of the cliff. Tum:-
267
Wayland lisLens to your story, then ponders silently ic-
son e [ i ne. l m dn Art ef a(l \ expe*. he \ avs at l a.
'And, strictly speaking, thc Aleph isn't an Artefact. li :
not anything, really, on account of it being everythint
if you see what I mean Be Lhat as it may, your rei
268-269
rLem is lhe Spectral Stalkers. Tlns fllow Globus
: re anxrous to take delivery of this here Aleph, but
: :r folk have been looking for this item for more
,: s lhan there are books in this library, and waiting a
e longer won't hurt anybody But those Spectral
:
: iers, they don't sound as if they're inclined to wait.
_:e
you're away from Limbo, use the Aleph to travei.
rll take you whcre il wants lo go Keep moving and
. Stalkers won't 6nd you. A1so, look for Signs and
-
:ents. Round, the signs will be, like the Aleph itself
--: if you don't understand them, let the Aleph take
:
-
to the sage Semeion Cryptoglyphos' he'll explain
.n Bul keep movrng to avoid danger. And now, you
-rt
leavc Limbo' Wayland points io a cloolway
:raved with the word EX.IT- Dazed by his words,
:,r slep through it Tum Lo rEj
26E
:.u hurl the Aleph al the glowing crysLal but objecls
::: pass through Lhe lransparent walls of light only if
.y are moving very slowly and the Aleph merely
:.mces of{ the Prism and falls to the floor As lhe
::ectral Slalkers lurch in your direction, you become
-:ntic wilh fear, clawing at the lransparent P sm wtth
-.ur
bare hands Tentacles seize your legs and your
:.1 sight rs of lhe Archmage's gloating face
2Nt9
ru excharge z Cold Pieces for the spherical map of
-
ian Melron also insists lhat you take several sheets
:, paper and a strange wriling implement called a
::ncil, saying that you never know when you might
270
need to make a map of your own
{record
this trans-
action on your,Adl'srture Sheel) The Mapmaker ther
br.rsies himself at a desk, making calculations and scrib-
bling notes and papers After a few minules he tums
and seems surpflsed to see you 'Are you still here?'h
says 'Run
along now Can't you see I'm busy? Be ot:
with you!'
If you want to relurn lo the small chamber from whici
you arrived in the Mapmaker's study, tum Lo
42,
if yo-
would rather use Lhe Aleph Lo take you elsewhere, tur.
t o 2r7.
270
The Manlir lells you thal hc wants 8 Gold Pieces ir
compensalion for the Colepod you have killed. If you
do not have such a large sum, or are unwilling to pay il
the Mantir says lhat he will accept a jewel or a finel-v
worked ot'ject of precious mefal instead; if you har"'e :
Ring of Lighl, a
Jewel
of Sleep, a Seven Pointed Sl:
Talisman, or a Silver Dagger, any one of lhese item!
will be acceptable If you cannot, or wili not, ofie:
either the money or one of these items, you will har.e
to fi8ht the duel - Lurn Lo 22J
271-272
'
you are willing to pay, remember to cross the Gold
:
eces or the obiect ftom yorv Adpe L ft Sheel Pleased
:ih lhis transaction, the Mantirs are making ready lo
::rart, when one of rhem looks skyward and shrreks in
: a]m - lutn to j88
274
::slore
1 poinl of LUcK You have awoken and
:::ed just
in time to save your life As you leap across
_:
room you realize lhat the eyes are watching you
-'m
a crack rn the floorboards a concealed trapdoor,
lich begins to opeo revealing a Goblin with a knife
l-t you are already in position Lo grasp Lhe trapdoor
r J slam il shLrf, knocking the Coblin backwards. You
.:and
on the lrapdoor and listen in amusement to lhe
::{used and angry Goblin voices below. You hear [he
-rices
recede, and then the sound oi oars paddling
-iough
the
.ater
as the Goblins retum home empty-
:rded The Goblin leader dropped his knife rnside
-rur
room when you dammnd the trapdoor on his
-:ad
You prck it upi it is a dagger with a carved
roden handle and a blade of pure silver. You may
-'ep
rt if you want to- As lhere is no means oI seoring
_:
lrapdoor from inside your room, you slay awake
iil dawn Tum to
40.
272
.rL
make slow progress along thc drk, rock-strewn
: leys. The walls of the ravine are now loo high for
:Lr to clmb, bLrl you fcel more secure m the unlt
:::lhs. If you have Provisions, you may stop to eat a
-:al
and restore up to
4
points of suvrra. You
st umbl c on i or sorne t j ne unl i L t he st eep si ded val l c
cnds at a stonc wall You look uP to see ihat you arf ;
fhc basc oi an cnormous tower' Stone stePs rise fro-
t he f l oor of l hc ranyon and l ead t o an open st ai nvl
that cLrrvcs upwrnls round lhe outside of the tou'c
You pace caut nrusl y up f he st ai rs unt i l you are orr f f .
far sidc of thc towcr. You are already far abovc lf,
ravi ne, an, 1 yoLr l ccl cxposcd t o vi ew f rom al l si dcs, b:
you arc strll irr trom the toP of the Lower ln f'ont
you, sel rf h, t hc mrssi ve st onework, rs a wooden do! '
t haf you presumc
Ei ves
access t o t he i l rt eri or ol t f ,
t orr. er l \ rLl vou cont rnue up t he st ai rs
rt um l o rol .
, , ri l l -vou t -y t o opcn l he door i [ rrn t o r99] ?
Suddenl y t hc ol d nonan i s no l onger hi l hrn l hc . rr.
of hres. *h' ch l crp up l o f orm a wal l of i l amcs arou: :
you Through thc flickering tongues of fire you can sL
her gl anng at yoLr, hcr hands movi ng i n t he ai r t o i rr,
lhe patk'rn of n witch's curse. Reduce your LUck t'
r poi nt Yrnr d0 not want l o ri sk
)umpi ng
t hrou8-
lhe flamcs; nor Jo you intend to stay rn the cave whr'
lhe cronc casts rnother spell You use the Aleph t.
l eave Tunr l (, l o
271-2
| 5
- last the door is hee oi fungus and the latch is
:overed, but you cannot see it L)rownrn8 in a sea of
::ck. viscous smog, your eyes .Ire blnded by tears of
:: n and your lungs are 6llcd with poisonous fumes
-.u
scrabble weakly at the woorlrrr door rnd,
just
as
:u are aboul to collapse, yorrr hand frnrls the latch.
rLr pull open the door, fall throul3h ii, slam It shut
-:,rnd
you and sink grateiully to thc lloor of the
-' rdor
beyond The ai r i n t hcsc t rnncl s i s not t he
, : i resl , but t o you i t smel l s as swcct rncl pure as a
. ' unl ai n breeze Af t er rest i ng a whi l c. you pi ck, voLrr-
. : L+. and cort i mLe al ong l he passal gc Turn t o r48
. t >
' r
Li brar-, " seems l o ext end l i nnt l cs5l y i n al l di rect i ons
., matter horl' far you march alxrg any corridor, it
I stretchcs away ahead of yo" .r. i,' rs you can see
-.
only interruptions rn the endlcss lrncs o[ books are
-.r
sporadic gaps between thc shclvcs wlrere coss-
:rsages and stairways lead b othcr corr ors Occa-
.rally
lhe silence is broken by lhc distant cchoes of
rces or footsteps, but you mcc{ no onc Sometimes
.L pause to examine the volLrorcs on thc shelves, but
'-', very rarely do you 6nd onc thr{ is written in a
: uagc you underst and Evenhral l y you pl od dorvn a
: 'case and lnd y ourseLf af a point h.hcfe iour cor
-. . i s
met Yori hal e l ost al l
qcnsc
oi cl rrccl i on. but
-
crossroads l ooks very si rni l . : r l o t k pl . rce *here
. - - ed i - i L- - I l - - , 1 r : 1, . r
a' .
. 1. . , . ,
. . r o. 1 - o
.
i rri es desk You choos onc ol t he f our corrdorsr
--r
l o ei t her 16, +, 24j , 298 or j 7'
2j6-278
276
-re
grass is taller than you expected and the tallest
:,Jmps, towering high above your head, consist of
: ades as Lhick and lough as saplings. As you cut a path
ifh your sword, yoll hear the sound of pourding
_Joves
and crashing vegetafion and suddenly an
::1imal appears, .hargint strai8ht al you through Lhe
.-assl
IL is a Colepod; it resembles a grgantic insect in
rat it has six legs and a domed carapace, Lhough in
; :e and behaviour it s more like a maddened bull. In a
-enzy
of fear if bears down on you heedlessly Will
Ju atlempt to thrusf your sword rnto rt (h]m lo 160),
::rze it with your bare hands and lry to gmpple it to
.::
ground (lurn
to
364),
or
jump
out of its path (turn
:ru cup your hands and plunge thcm into the basin;
-.u
withdraw them and drinl. The liquid is wateq in
r:l it is possibly thc most refreshing water you have
:. er fasted, and you realize that rt is doing more than
-
erely quenching your lhirst Soon you feel fully 6t
:_C ready for anylhrfg ResLore your srAMrNA to its
:iral score, and Lurn to zo.
278
.re innkeeper's sword is a doughty weapon, but Lhe
rkeeper himself is out of condrtion. You fight him in
: fading light of dusk
..\IKEEPER
SKI LL 6 STAMI NA
5
279-280
279
To
jump
the distance from the middle of the moat i:
the ban-k would be difficult under Lhe best of circun
stancesi Lo atlempl it from a swayng, rockrng slab c:
stone is almost impossible. To make matLers worse,
1u:
as you exert all lhe strength rn your legs to propei yc
towards your targef, the doorway
jerks
ils'tongu.
towards its mouLh'. The result is Lhat you suddenr
have no base from which to
jump
and you topp,-
inelegantly into the moat. For a few momenh you fla
helplesdy, before sinkrng beneath the brighl blue ripple.
28o
The Grappler rs in charge of this suwey shrpt wildLii.
colleclion. Il is programmed lo lend the va.ious lifc.
forms that are kept in the cages, and lo capture any tha:
escape. As far as it is concemed, you are an escapc:
animal and musl be recaptured Manoeuvenng swiflll
it blocks your attempLs to sidestep and, exLending
jt.
telescopic limbs, it closes in on you
yor
poir..t Lxlinguishey's nozzle at the Grappler's hea:
and pull the trigger. Instead of a gout of flame or .
blast of explosive pellets, all thal emerges ftom thr
weapon is a stream of creamy liqurd thal coats th.
Crappler's dome bul does nothing to slow its attacL
Cursing, you dodge its flailing limbs, but as you do s.
you realize Lhat th creature's mcvernents are becomini
less co-ordinated. YoLr scramble over bo one side of th:
room and r{aich as the viscous fluid, seeping into the
Crappl er' s mechani cal i nnards. ma-kes i t run our . r
28t-282
:rlrol. It collides with the melal cupboard, its arms
rdmill wildly for a few seconds, and then, in a
-_Jwer of sparks, it stops movrng Restore 1 point of
- -
cK Turn t o
5J-
2Er
:.:pectinS another shower of digeslive juices al any
-
rrnenl, you scrabble in your backpack for the spherical
-rp
You. eyes are now accustomed to the deep gloom,
:-C you are able to take careful aim before you hurl the
::ll into the Lithogen's throat Cross the map ftom
:ur Adoenlute Sleef lhen roll two dice If the Lctal is
:jual to, or less than, your sKrLL, Lum to rj4, if the
' ' . \
Sr eat er
t hl n
) our sr . r Lr . l ur n
t o r 6j
282
:.foss
the courtyard an old man is leaning from a
::lcony He waves Lo you. 'Creclings!'he
calls.
'l
am
::meron, known as Cryptoglyphos because I read the
- :aninSs of srgns and symbols You have done well to
-rd
my innermosi courtyard. If you wouid speak wilh
-.,
ascend lhe staircase below this balcony The way is
lger than rt looks, for the stairs twrsi strangely, buf I
,ll awail you here' If
1'ou
accept this rnvilatiorr turn
-'
260 If you decide instead that you have had enough
.: Smeion's labyrinthine dwelling, you can use the
'.eph
lo Lake you lswhere: you take the sphere from
:ur backpack, and lose yourself in its swirling images
-: um t o 2j 4
283-285
281
Taking thc glowing sphere from your backpack, yo!
gaze ,nto its infinitc dcpths Instantly you are enthral['r
by ihe numl'crlcss panoramas that swirl within th.
Aleph, each sccrrc impossrbly small and yel perftrll-
real. Thc longcr you
Baze,
Lhe more you can see: nrf
and monstcrs, hurnblc villages and gLttering citir.
rolling landscipes and shimmenng planets. You fff
yourself Lerng cnv.loped by the Aleph and lransportL,.
wi t hi n i l l {ol l one
(he
I f you rol l an even nLrmber, i Lr
i o r8o I f you , ol l . rn odd nLrmber, f um f o r7r
28,{
The srnal l l oi ct i r t hc back oi
l
oLrr mi nd cannot m. r' .
_. e l
, J: . r
\
. ' u r r . ! . o f o ) e- r ' F ar r B | , r , .
parade oi vj si ons, cvcn whi l e \ ecromon rs t i gf rl enrr
t he l eat hcr st raps t hat secure you t o hi s t abLe YoLL , i
wi t hout c, , , cn t hc sm. rl l sat i si act i on t hat no part of y, , ,
wi l l be wast cd, Nccromon needs st rong l i mbs r' , :
organs such rs yours to augmenl Lhe powe.s of ti.
monst er he rs. rr' rt rng i n hi s oLher room
28i
l t seems you wrl l w. rl k f orever i n t hese shadow-f i l l . -
corri dors t l , at f urn t o ri ght and l ef t wi t h bewi l dcrr:
' - o: hcr , : r . '
ar. d see rh1h11ht , rl , crd of you Ducl cng l hrough l .
doonl ay rt f i rc cnrl oi i he passage,
_r' ou
t i nd
l ourscl :
-
a sqLran' rourt yrnl Sunl i ght l i l l ef s down l he rh; :
made b-v t hc court yard' s w. aLl s f o i l l umi nal e t hc t r. .
thal grows ur thc ccntre oi thc floor. You circLe the lri.
286
. rsf i ci ousl ), ,
buf i t seems t o harbour no dangerous
:-catures You sil on lhe bench ncxt to rt ano reao rne
,,iice nailed fo its trunk:
Of Sclneian's sft outer corrl\
Tuo haoe been made
for
east:
Beneath lhese branches gafhr Lktuslns;
The
founLain's
waLers please
At Seneion's gate fhere is a block
RecaLI then
fount
and lree;
Thei pleasanL sellingszoill tilack
Tlp selel o{ lhe ke!,t
l ' ere i s no si gn oi a f ounl ai n i n t hi s court yard;
_vou
rr: ume i l musl be i n anot her YoLr rest herc and, i i
1' ou
_r1e
Prot i si ons, vou can eat a mral and rcl i ore up t o . 1
r, rnt s of srAMi \ a. Then
1' ou
decrJc t o move on
: : ci ng
t he doorway engraved wrt h t hc ri rcl c and t rran
::e symbol, you choose through whrclr cloorway you
ill leave: lhe one rn front of yoLr (Lurn
to r jj), the one
:.hind you (tum
to 2t7), the onc to your fight (tum to
rr7), or the one to your left (turn
{o
78)
286
:u place your hand on the door and push, but it will
-.,i
budge. Determined to movc it, you put your
-oLrlder
atainsl fhe centre of tlt door .rnJ as you do
r lhe brass L,nocker descends on your hcadt Lose z
rrLnt s of srAvrNA. As you f al l t o t nc
Ei rouno,
::ching your throbbing cranium, ycu hcar ihe Lorr
-. rcc
sayi nt r
' You
are a human warrror. You possess
: ht coi ns of gol d. Pl ease i nscf l f ouf . or. s i nt o t he st ot
: : d ent er' Wi l l you pay t he door i t s enf rance f ee oi
4
28j-288
Gold Pieces and then push iL again
(tum to r47); o:
will you abandon this painful door and look for a.t'a
out of th Library (tum to 27)?
287
Leaping from the cover o{ the bush, you are able i;
strike beiore the crealure is aware of you- But althoug:
your sword shatters several of rts scintillating scaLer
the creature seems to be unharmed, and lwists round :.
iace you. Il 1s a Silica Serpent, a dangerous adversar-,
Glassy scaies protect its head and body, it moves ver.
quickly, snapping at you uth its fang Filled moulh an:
each timc it attacks iL squirts from ils face a
jet
of ac:
Lhat corrodes anylhing il touches
289-2go
: cr.rrls rts long body inlo a crrcle and goes to sleep
'ot
darlng to cease piping, you tiFloe past the scaly
ionster - and then contrnue on your way towards the
Itreous Citadel Tum to
336
289
':
ou fling open the door, grab your backpack and
jump
-om
the wagon, landing on the pitted swface of lhe
;:ony road. Roll one die and subtract half the result
-om
your srAMrNA (round
iractions up) If you are
.:ill
aLve, you crawl painfully into the shade of a
:edgerow and inspect the contents of your pack. Amaz
rgly, nolhing has been broken - restore r point of
-:cr
- and you find ihat somehov,r you have collec-
':d
one of the Conjuror's small, circular calling cards IL
-isplays
fhe words Maroip the Magician above a pictwe
ri a tall figure with a black cloak and a glowing ward.
lhe shape of the card reminds you of the Aleph, so you
.:ep
it- As you aie alone on the road and can see no
:avellers or seltlements, you decide to r-rse the Aleph
. go elsewherc Turn to 6l
290
'r
ou press lhe buLton on the right-hand part of the
resign Nothing happens exceFt that you are sure Lhe
oor shudders siithtly. If you want Lo remain herc in
:1e hope of trying the other butlon, tum lo
9t,
if you
:.cide Lo retum along the tunnel lurn to rzz
SI LI CA SERPENT SKI LL
7
Each combat roLrnd, after you hav resolvcd ihe conrb:
belwecn your sword and the Selpent's iangs, compar.
Altack Slrenglhs a second timc. If you wrn, or ti.
scores are the same, you have avoided the
jel
of acic
but if you lose, you are splashed with thc liquid an.
must lose
-r
points of sraMINA. Keep a note of tr1i
number of Atta& Rounds you fight If at any time yc-
deci de t o use your LucK i n combat , t um t o rro :
rou a. e. t i rl al i r e af Le: i ou-
q. Ldcl
Round. . t u' n f o j o
288
You pul lhe pipcs to your lios and blow soflly int-
thcm Slrange, discordant notes float inlo the air ar:
the effect on thc Silica Serpenl is immediate. The crea
ttuc cocks its great head on one srde, lrke a do:
listening to ifs master's voice As you conLinue to plal.
291
29r
:ou are ar{'are of teeling sick and weary Your iimbs
i:re You can feel ropes tied tiSht around your wrists
::1d your forso. You force your eyes Lo open
rou arc tied Lo a stone pillar at the top of a round
rrler The pillar is one of many that rise from the
::rimeter of the flagstone floor to suppo the tower's
'..of,
and there are prisoners ticd to most of the other
r llars. You seem to be the only human; among the
: lcrs are an EIf woman, an amphibious Vaskind and
::e of the four-legged, insect like Mantirs Perched on
-e
parapel thal sur.ounds this topmost level oI the
rircr are several Black Shadows; fwo more are
r ..uched at your feet, investigating the contents of
. - bacl , oa. t ) o. r h"a. r. i nk\ Js t hey l rrd t \ e
.
epf
be4; n f o c\ aheJ er . . l . dl y
r l ovr ever .
i L. eer s
Ley
:::e nol keep it, for ihey leave rt, with your other
.
-
rngings, at the i:oot of yoLrr pillar Then, after ensur
-i
thal all the pr;soners arc sccurely roped, all the
: rck Shadows take to the air and flap upwards, speed,
-;
urgenily iowards the top of the cliff that overlooks
.n thrs soaring tower top- C)nce fhey are oul of
aht,
you betin to sfruggle in your bonds; bul despite
::r eflorts you carnol escapc, nor can you reach your
:rd or your pack. You look hopelessly at yow
: :sessions, scattered at your fect Ii, among them, you
-: .
e a ci own puppel i n a gl ass bal l , t um t o
t 6j
i i not ,
1r o 2o5
292-291
292
You follow the twisLing Lunnel, aware of side-passages
and
jLrncLions,
and soon you are blundering about in a
black labyrinth of subLerranean palhs At last you ser
hght, the shape of a door outlined by a yellow
Blear
You step lhrough into a small room furnished as :
study. Avoiding an area of lhe floor on which arcant
symbols havc been chaiked, you move towards Lhe log
fire that is blazing in lhe tireplace, only to awaken lhe
reC-robed old woman who is dozing in an armchair. She
slares at you in horror before slammering lhat yo,
should not bc here in her workroom You lry Lo assur.
her that you mean no harm, and she begins to relar
You explain lhat you are trying to escape from Syzu.
the Devastalor, and she smiles at you. 'Drink this,' sfr
says, pouring a thick brown liquid from a bottle into
'
pewter flagon 'lt
will restorc your slrength and calr:
your nerves ' You sniff the liquid: it smells wholesomt
like a good vegetable soup, and you drrnk it. The oic
woman Clunds Chief Priestess - told no lies, th;
drnk restores up lo
4
pojnLs of srAMrNA- It alsi
relaxes you, and within a minute you are complctell
paralyzedl She summons a squad of Skeletal Warrior:
who knock you unconscious and carry you away Tur-
t o 2\ 5
291
Roll one die. The result is fhe number of minutes ih.
you spend in your increasngly ftantic search for an c: -
from this benighted cave During all this time dozens c:
little Shadowlings, hidden in the darkness, are houndir;
you, leaping on to your body and sucling your blooc
294-296
)'ou lose sr,c.vrNr at fhe raLe of one point for each
-: nui e you remai n i n t he room. I f
)ou
survi ve. your
lailing arms discover, not one, but two tunnels leading
::om the cave Feeling your way with your hands, you
:ake a few steps along each of them before deciding
rhich one to use Both tunnels are narow, buL seem
,.assable; will you iake the one thal leads downward
iurn to 196), or the one thal leads upward (tum Lo
rt 8)?
294
You emerge from your hiding place and the Wood
:lves Lum Lo stare at you n amazemnt If you have
:re rune-inscnbed hub of a war-chariof wheel, you
<now Lhat Elves fear it; if you decide to produce it from
,our
backpack turn Lo
,rr.
Otherwise, hoprng thaL
:rey are friendly, you speak fo fhem in greeting - turn
: o r t o
295
lhis move saves your own life, but tt loses the game
:or Drawema. You can attack lhe black wanior in front
:f you, but he can defend himself simply by turning his
r ell-armoured back on you. Your two white comrades
.ucceed in killing the black warnor caught between
:rrem - but then il is lhe tum of the black side lo make
I move and attack Tum to 22E
296
in Elf Woman is Lied to the nearest column.
'l
cannot
:ell who or whal you are, sLranger,' she says in a weak
oice, 'but please release us and help us to escape from
291-298
here if you can' As you cul through her bonds, you ask
her why she and the other captrves are kept here.
'The
Black Shadows keep prisoners at the lop of each oi
their towers,' she replies 'They suck our blood ior
food. This tunet is a larder for Lhe Biack Shadows - anc
lhey will return soon to feed. Release the others
qui ckl l l Soon you have rel ea' ed a mol l et t ' ooP oi
caplives, a1l of them anxious to leave ihe lower. WiL-
you lead Lhem down the staircase fhat sprrals precan-
oLrsly round the outside of the lower (turn to r4), o:
through the trapdoor in the centre of the flagston.
floor (tum to r92)?
297
The doorway is real, but the stalrs are an illusion lha:
conceals a wide crevasse in the rocks - into which yo'
fall Your adventure ends here
298
You have been walking for whal feels Lke hours bt
tween the Lowering shelves ofbooks, when you stop r
amazement, you have found a door at last, set
jnlo
ti.
side of one of the bookcases. The door is ajar and yo-
can hear the murmur of vorces beyond it A large sig:
on the door announces,
CLASSI FI CATi ON DEPARTMENT
NO ADMI TTANCE
Will you enter (tum to rr)? Or would you rather retu:
to Lhe crossroads and try one oI the other condo',
(t64,
371
ot z$)1
29y-ro1
299
You are rndeed in luck Something is falling towards
!ou. a rope, uLnrolling as it drops You grab it, wind it
:bout your arm and cling to il helplessly Several
Jphidians scuttle down the sheer wall of rock with lhe
rgility cf insects, and half drag, half carry you upwards.
\l lhe enlrance to the cave, they use the rope Lo brnd
. ou tightly. Two tunnels lead away into the darkaess;
.
ou are canied along the left,hand passage and inLo a
:avern full of lelhered Silica Scrpents, each one guarded
:1' sever al Ophidians Turn to
iJ.
300
he Spcctral Stalkers have found youl As the 6rsl
rronstrosity Lums tcwards you, and you see yourself
l cct ed a t hor, sard t i me. n t Lc f acet s
of i t s
LuSe
el p. .
.io others are rapidly taking shape You try io flee but
.iih an insecl likc bound one of them
jumps
in front of
,
ou You are surrounded. In desperation you slrike out,
:rl your blows have no effect on these unnafural
:ealures. Their Lalons rake your body; their tcntacles
'.pe
abouf your ]imbs. Screaming in fear, you lose
..nsciousness Your final lhought is that both your
:'rest and your life are over
. . ou
\ ave a cay b. rl l t haL rat t l c. . ru' n ro
3. 25
i r rol .
rm t o
t 4
t ol
:ron you are slanding alongside the Elf Grondel, your
::*les shackled
'l'm
sony,' the old Elf says, 'l
didn't
-ean to rnvolve you in this dispute. Now we are both
30r
doomed. ' You poi nt out l hat as he r^, ' as abl e t o summ. -
you to this undcrground city, surely he has the po*c-
to free himsclf
'My
powers were exhausted in bringing
you here,'hc silths, casting a worned glance up to th.
huge mouth spout that looms over you, '?rnd no!
Vacavon wrll rain dcath upon us The water lhat flo*.
from yonder spouL is poisoned: when it falls uPon us. i:
will instantly rot otrr flesh Nothing can save us lron
Lhe downporrr'
l f you have a bot t l c of Si ccal or, and want t o share i :
wjth Crondcl, turn lo
7r;
if you have ar Umbrella, hrr--
Lr o hr s i - : .
and use t he. \ l cph l o escape, t um t o
377;
but i f ro-
deci de l o do not hrng but wai i pahent l -\ i n
-vour
chai n.
t a2-3aj
ta2
nu start to shiver as soon as you cross the threshold
-re
room i s as col d as a wi nt ef ni ght and t he huge
::t'e is a solid blo& of ice- You pccr into the centre of
^e block. embedded at thc heart o1 lhc rcc rs a dark,
-umanoid
shape- You noticc an ironic srgnr Hele is
reroed an enemy of Globrc btholi ht Power awl
'
I'ricsrll You notice thal the surfrce of thc ,ce-block is
r: ni ng wi i h wat er and when yt u t <, u<h t he bl ock
-rards oi ice fall away The enhre cube is only
just
-.zen.
and would melt easly if you cotrld provlde a
. -nrrce
of heat I f you have a Cl owcandl c or a Heaf -
.
ord and lrant lo ll,v lo mell thc icc, hrrn io
376;
_: , qe^\ . i se,
-vou
Lea\ e t hi s room anJ, crossnrg l he ant e-
' dmber,
] ou
sl ep l hrough t he dark . ] oof uay - l um
: . . I I 8
t o)
.rur !\rhile comrade on square f6 tr((cl,ts your decision
: d moves forward to D6. He funrs hr ircc you. The
rlack warrior on square J suddcrrly rcalizcs that he is
rrl rrc. n you and your whi t e comradc, and he t ums
-.i.k
and forth in a futile attempl tri usc hrs armour io
. ' rel d
hi mscl f f rom at l ack i rom t wo op1' osi t e si des As
rt has a life of ils own, yc,ur pikc dcscends io a
-. . nzont al
posi t i on and l unges rcpcal cdl l at t he bl ack
r,
-* '
, . ,
sJmc I n rr
' : l ant
f he bl ack wani or i s . l ead I hen' rrc no more
r' i acks t hal can succssi Lrl l -\ ' be madc b) t h. 1\ . hi t e si de
-r' ! i t rs t he t um oi i he bi ack sr. l t k, nrakc a movc and
t : i ack. Tesl uarr Luck I f you art ' l ucky, t urn t o zz8; i f
ru ar Unl ucky, t urn t o
J2
,o4-105
l04
'We are subjects of Clobus,' shrills the ManLir leader
'but
we hate him He dernands hibutes which are morr
onerous with each passing ycar, his foul
Pets
lerroriT.
our herds and the pcoplcs of our tribes. We can ir
nothint againsl him - for',{c c;nnot hoPe lo scale lt'.
cLilfs to reach him All I can do is lo oifer
-\'ou
som.
information t'hich mrght hclp you At lhe top ol
l
ondc
cliffs is the second tier oi lhis world Avoid the to'r:'
of the Black Shadows, and go instead towards the cart'
of the Ophidians, thc kccpcrs of lhe Silica SerPent'
They will not welcomc you - they, too, are GlobLL' .
creatures buf they a,c lcss dangerous fhan the Bla,:,
Shadon. . St eal . rf
1ou, . rn
. r reL of Ophi di a, r oi pe'
t
nusi . ot f hi i I n\ t nrnr. r
(rrl ro
s Si i . a Scrpe'
Beyond, on t he t hi rd her. i s l he Cryst al Carden : -
deadl l ' as i t i s beauhf Lrl , and grarded b, v more Sl 1, ' -
Seryenl s and i n l he nrdst of t he Carden i r rhe Yi l re, , -'
Ci t adei , nhere Cl obus srt s and pLot s Thal pl ace mu'
De your
8oar,
As he finishes his spcecl', one of the Manlirs loo.-
skyward and gives a shrick of alarm Tum to
388
t o5
You walk towards thc dayliSht and, ducking under ,
LinleL engraved wilh lhc circlc'and triangle molif,
l.-
find vourselJ back at thc cnirance to lhe maze \'.
*."nd'", u..ort lhe rocky lcdiie, but can tind no par
ei t her up or down l hc f acc of t he cl i f f I t i s t hen t h;
you notice that the largc flai topped boulder near tr:
portal has somethin5; etchcJ into its surface - a map :
105
:ie maze
(The
diagram and the words thaf accompany
I are reproduced on fht,insr<le front cover of [his book
'rou may study this anrJ, rf you accepted pencil and
:aper from Metron thc Mapmakel you may male a
:opy of it in other worils
1'ou
may reier to thc
:ragram at an_v time durnrl; your tra\,els in lhe maze )
. Lso on l he boul der i s a package
1' ou
open i t and f f nd a
-reaL
w. hi ch,
j f
yorr eat i t , ran rest ore up t o, + poi ni s C)l
j i AMrNA
Wri t t en on t hc package i s t he messagc
:.mtion's Bbode is 1nl enn/ h tlisconer) hy again, lraueller,
'
you seek enlightenmen I
lhe sun is hiSh in the sky, anLl you feel in need of a rest
r the wamth. You dozc ancl fall into a deep sleep
. hich lasfs through the night You wale at dam lo see
rc sun risrng above the highest of the distanl moun-
: Lns I f
-vou
deci de i o make anol her at l empl t o ent er
. . ,
^, - . FI r o L9e l ne
'lerh
to travel elser,;here, you pulL lhe gLo,,,,ing sphre
-:m your pack and starc rnio it, allowing yourself fo
-: enveloped by the teennng rmaSes tum to 214
Fqoj
3c,6
The soldiers are Ophidians, a people who, as you are
rbout to witness, have the skills to control the Silica
ierpents Tyro of th Ophidians guard you; the others
.unound the Seryent which, although trapped, is any-
:hing bul harmless, it spits
jets
of corrosive liquid at the
Cphidians The acid has no effect on the Ophidians,
rowever, as it merely rLrns of{ their glassy plates of
Tmour, and fhey pay almost no attention to the crea-
:ure's angry splutters Instead, one takes the pipes from
1is belt and begins to play upon them; there is no
:ecognizable tune but the Silica Serpent seems to find
:he music very reiaxrng It stops spiltrng and sLruggling,
rnd the Ophidians move in to muzzle its scaly
laws
and
rind up rts diaphanous winSs At this point one of your
nards
goes to assist his comrades, leaving only one
Jphidian watching over you It seems that now is lhe
rest moment for you to escape If you want Lo mate a
:reak for it you musl firsL vanquish the one remaining
-. Ll ard
rum t o
J2?:
i f you vroul d ral her remai n a
:risoner of the Ophidians, tum to r j j.
, o1
rhe Spectral Stalkers have found youl As the first
nonstrosity turns Lowards you, and you see yourself
:eflected a thousand times in the facets of rts huge eyes,
rvo olhers are rapidly iakrng shape You try to flee but
,;ith an insect-like bor.md one of them
jumps
in fronl o{
..ou-
You are sunounded In desperaLion you strike out,
rut your blows have no effect on lhese ururatural
reatures Their talons rale your body, Lheir tentacles
:cpe about your limbs Screaming in fear, you lose
, o8
consciousness. Your final thought is lhat both yo-
quesl and youl life are over
Roll three dice and deduct the total from your srer.,
INA. It by some miracle, you are still alive, you rega--
your senses,
8roanrn8,
your body racked with pai
You have survived the onslaught oi the Spectrai Slal:
ers; but where have they taken you? Tum to
J92
t o8
Semeion escorts youup another of his curious staircas.:
and into a long room lined wrth shelves He lells yc
the room is his library, but you can see no books. Ti:
shelves are full of smc,olh metal cylinders, one of whir
Semeion takes and places at the cenLre of a disc wh:c
ts sel rnto the Lop of a tall thin cabinet. The drsc is :
turntable that Semeions operatcs with hls foot; anC :.
the cyhnder rotates wilh the disc, Semeion bnrshes
Lghtly with his fingers. He stops thc disc and tums :
you. I l now orl y a l i t t l e about Cl obus. he . r1. 6.
an Archmage a senior rragicidn of greal Do\^ef. l:
home is the Ziggurat Worl4 he lives on lhe topmo.-
tier, in a well-guarded Citadel Surrounding thc Citac.
is lhe Crystai Carden, of whrch I Lnow only thal it
.
bear.rliful but deadly. There is a secret passage that m--
to thc Citadel from lhe level belc,w Lhe Cryslal Garde.
One more thing. by a lucky chance, thc Ziggur:
World is one of the realms that ri elhereally conneci.l
to the Telopticon - a device wlich enables me to :.
afar without leaving here. Would you like to try to s.:
clobus's home world? Or perhaps we could spy on t:.
Spectral Slalkers?'
1o9-1ro
I r you
want to atlempt to use lhe Teloplicon (tum
to
:i2j?
Or are you becoming rmpaLient with Semeion's
:;ue words, and anxious to leave (fum to 23)?
109
,.u put the Horn lo your Lps and blow The first
_
:ring note is enough to terrify the creatures fhal were
rrLrt to altack you, scatLering thcm like leaves in a
--sl
of wind; lhen, alihough you have exhausted the
.':ath in your 1ungs, the noisc from lhe Horn conLinues,
..oming ever louder. Swarms oI Black Shadows rise
:o lhe arr in ftanlic confusion and soon the whole
.rss of them is drsappearing skywards At last the
r:n's blast fades The Mantirs pick themselves up
--'m
the ground and, once they have regained their
: ,ses, they overwhelm you with tha*s. They deparL
-gather
the scattered herds of Colepods, but the
::Jer asks you to rcmain here, promising to return
:h a reward for your help A little later he canters
-.:k
to you, bearing a gift of honeycake (which you
.i eat, it restores up lo
4
points of srAMrNAl ano a
:epon in a brightly decorated scabbard He explains
_::
lhc weapon is a Heatsword; when unsheathed, the
: :le becomes hot without losing the keenness of its
:;e When you skrke an opponeni, il will cause fhe
:.s of r addihonal point of srAMrNA AJter thanl-
-:
the Mantir, you make your way back to the place
-er
a path beSins its ascent of lhe vast cliff. Tum to
, r o
'r
slep lhrough fhe curtain and into a dark, nanow
31r
passage lhat runs along ihc length of lhe lvagon Yo-
ol erhear the Conjuror, on lhe other side of the curtai:
whispering insLrLrctions to his assistant felicel' l'i
hrsss
'Prt
thc watrior in th back roon with the gir
thn get to thc tic,nf I'll keep lhis bunch of peasanr.
8rssing
wrth son,c spielor oiher Ther; when I shou:
lash the horscs and wc'll make a break for it.'The ca:
woman
Purrs
in allrccmnt, and brushes aside the cu:
t ai n l o
j oi n you i n t hc passage She poi nl s t o a door; :
one end, and pLrshcs yoLr towards it If you decide to lr:
yourself 5e shovcd into the back room, hrm to 24
you stand your
l3rourcJ
and defend yourself against tl':
cat-wornan, hrn to 2J6 If
1'ou
want lo fry to escapc i
mnni ng t hrough t hc. url ai n, acro! s l he sl age and rn: -
t he crol \ d, t um l o j 6r
3r r
To jump
ihe rlistancc irom the middle of the moat t.
the bank woultl bc difficult under the best of circur.
stances; to attcmpt it irom a swaying, rocking slab .
stone ls almost inrpossible However,
just
as you a:.
exerUng all lhc strcngth in your legs to propcl yc-
lowards fhe doorway, the doorway ihelf hclps you b
jerking 1ts
'kx1}c'
into ifs 'mouth'. Although tl..
sudden movcn,cn{ was intended to finish you ofl
provides extra nrcnxrtum for your jump
and you lar:
on t he end of l hc st one sl ab
j usl
as i t i s di sappear. :
. nl o. r . doo' 1. J, \ ". . . r umbe i a) l a- dano. r . p :
the moal; thcn
)ou
rccover, scrabbLe for the sLaL a :
somehorv managc to hold on You have succeeded -
eniering the Vitrcous
Citadel Tum to r89
, r2-rr4
3r 2
i:ateiully,
_r'ou
drain the flagon of ale Sho*1y after-
'ards you faLl inlo a drugged stupor and fatl to wake
-r
even when the Coblins enter your room through
'-c
secrel trapdoor- The local gossip about the inn is
:.rrfecti the innkeeper sells his guests to the man,eating
..oblins. Your advenLure ends he'e
3r 3
ou pull the wheefhub from your backpack ard reveal
:. runic inscription lo the Wood lilves One
tlance
at it
.
enough to send them running into the woods, wailing
_
terror YoLr lurn yollr attention to thc captive in the
: t TLrm l o r2j
3r 4
-rm
the OracLe, lhe old rsoman cackles, and you afe a
rrrior on a perilous quest I snse thal you carry a
:-eat burden and are hunted by fell rnd remorseless
-eatures
But all this you know, and all too well, I
. , specf
Tel l me somel hi ng t hat y()u do not yet under
,
rnd and I will unravel it for you'
lru are almost speechless with shock atter the events
- the sunht parkland and your sLrddcn arrival in this
:r e, t'ut you manage to stammcr an account of your
..ent experiences You show thc cronc the Hunting-
..rrn 'l
can explain these thlngs,' shc says 'But first,
: r e me goi dl l vro pi eces of gol d t o hcar t he words of
-r
Oracl el Thi s demand t akes
}a)u
by surpri se I f you
: c her z CoLd Pieces. deduct thcm from yatlr Adut
r Sheel and fum to rrrr it you are unwilLing of
-rble
io pay, turn to 27J
3r5-316
3r,
Holding your breath aL every step, you climb upwards
You reach the nineteenth step without feeling the
slighlest tremor. Carefully, you leap over lhe twenlieff
wilhoul touching it, and land on the twenty-first steF
Nothing happens and you advance confidently up the
rest of the stalrway You have no way of knowing hor'.
many more steps are booby-trapped, of course, so to'c.
safe you avoid lhe thirty+hird, the fifty-fourth, th:
eighty erghth, and so on. There are many hundreds o:
stairs, and your brain reels wlth the mental arithmeli.
required to work out the next step you have to mis!
Eventually, though, you reach the top and
Push
throut:
a trapdoor to 6nd yourself in a cellar Dim light frlter:
through meLal grilles in the ceiling. Ar open stairca!:
dimbs up one of the walls and leads to a door that, yo,
presume,
Sives
on to an upper storey The walls of tl:
cellar are lined with storaSe
jars,
each one almosl as li
as you Will yor.r climb the stairs and go through ti:
door
(lum to r89), or rnvestigaLe the contents of tf:
j ars (t urn
t o
l t t )?
5\ 6
You place the bundle on your knees and unfold ,::
cloLh to reveal a glowing sphere not much larger li.-
your f i st . At f i rst you l hi nk i t i s madc oF gl as. : . '
transparenl, but you peer into iL and realize that i:
made of nothing or, rather, of many thjngs, countl.:
things. You see oceans, dese*s and cities; suns, mo..i
and sl a' s, ani mal s ard peopl e dnd ma-qv [ hi n8. .
you cannot recognize- You look and look, and : .
sphere seems [o expand unLil it is surrounding 1
-
3r 7
lnen it shrinks to its former size - and you are no
:nger in the counlryside near Neuburg.
:ou are in a vast building. On all sides, corridors
.:retch
away as far as your eyes can see Every wall is
:led from floor Lo ceiling with sheives, and every shelf
: full of books. In fronL of you is a desk, over which
I
two signs. One says SILENCE/, and is complelely
-:necessary
as there is not a sound to be heard. The
:her says ENQIJIRIIS There rs a little brass bell on
_e
desk You cover the strange sphere agarn and put iL
:
-vour
backpack. Will you now seL off to search this
.::ange building (,Lum to 27j) or ring the bell
(turn
to
, t 7
-rr
walk along the winding passage is uneventful
-_:il
you reach a
junclion
between tunnels. You are in a
-
square chamber, ils vaulled ceiling supported by
: rs set in its four comers Three of the walls consist
-.pen
doorways; the other is of finisheo srone, ano
3rt19
bears an inscription, 5o near fa Semeion, antl yA so
far
t
fraoeJ You face the one doorway that has the circle anc
triangle symbol above it, and choose which doorwal;
you will leave through:
The doorway belore you
The doorway behind you
The left doorway
Tum to ror
Tum lo 28i
Tum t o ri l
JI 8
Al lasL you reach the top of the stairway where a ga:
rn the parapet allows you to enler the flagstone-floorec
Lunel that is fhe fower's top storey. Stone pillars rise
from Lhe perimeter of the floor to supporl the tower:
roofi Lhere are prisoners tied to most of the piilar:
None of the pnsoners is human, you can see an E:
woman, an amphibrous Vaskind and one of the fou:
legged, insect-like Mantirs. As you sLep cautrousl:
across the floor the prisoners raise lheir heads to star:
at you in amazement. Turn to 296.
319
The big man rs jovial,
b t retains his grip on his swor.
'lVelcome, slrangerl' he booms, 'Lo the Inn of fh.
Ghostly Vrsitors Don't be alarmed by the name of m
fine establishment - it's
just
my little
jokel
You knor.
lhis part of the world? Then you'll have heard lf.
stories Folk say this place is haunted - that peop :
disappear mysteriously in the night. A load of ol:
wives'tales. Don'l believe a word oi rt Anyway, this i
the only inn Ior leagues around, so you don't ha,:
much choice You can take the ferry across the nver :
120
ihe morning. Now gel inside, and go upsiaFs I've a
room ready for you.' He points his sword at you
:hreateningly. It is true that you need somewhere to
nay for the nighl, but the innkeepe/s attitude makes
vou suspicious and angry If you decide to fight him
aiter all, turn to 278; ifyou accept his offer ofaccommo-
daliory tum to 222.
120
So you lhink l'll attack yoq do you?' snarls Lhe Logic
)og. Well, you'r quite right; and Lherefore, because
r
ou have guessed correctly, I should let you pass But if
.1et you pass, your guess will be wrong; and if your
guess is wrong. as I have already promised, I will altack
'.-ou.
Therefore I have no choice but to attackl' With
:hab, lhe huge beast prepares to launch itself at you. If
',ou
think there is a flaw in lhe Logic Dog's reasoning,
rnd want to argue with it, fum to r97; otherwise,
:repare to defend yourself - turn to 163.
t 2t - 322
32r
\t last you reach the top of the cliff and stand upon the
:opmost tier of th Ziggurat World. You clamber ovcr
r stone parapet, drop down the other side - and are
greeted by a sighl that could scarcely be a
Breater
:ontrast vvith the bleak aridity of the rocky wasteland
relow. ln front of you sketches fhe Crysfal Carden, a
.rsta of vilid colours and unnarural beauty
Jade
flag
'tones
surroturd azure founlaLns, full not of water but of
:lnlling crystaL shards; marble trees stand shffly above
, Lbrant flowers of coloured glass Through the lifeless,
.cintillating vegetation you can see the shimmering
:omes and towers of the Viheous Citadel, home oi the
\rchmage Globus. Paths paved with opalescent fi.ag-
:nents criss-cross the Garden -but each is guarded by a
Silica Serpent, Lethered to the spot br.rt otherwisc frce
:o atLack any passer-by. To reach the Citadel you will
:rave Lo confronL at least one Silica Serpnt (hrm to
162) unless you leave the paths and try to forcc a
ray through the beds of glass flowers (turn
to
77)
'ou
have clambered through the window and slartcd
:o climb downwards before you think fo look whcre
-
ou are. You are hanging by one hand from the sill of
:e highest window in the castle, af the top of one of
:e towers, overhanging the gorge which appears as a
: ack gulf below you You slart to pulL yourself back
-:'vard,
but the roclcmg-horse bites yor.:r hand You cry
:.l1, Lei go of the windowsill and your fading scream
; cut o[F by a distant thud as your body lands in the
321-)21
gorgc Thc haunfed Nursery Tower has claimed an
other victim
t - t
The crorvd ot
11rccn
skinned people draws back as yoL,
run across thc garden and out of the
8ates.
'Stofl
shouts {hc rotrrl leader, but you have gone
'We musi
stop hrml Aitcr hrm, Feliti brothers and sistersl Bring
back our Chanrpl onl There i s a vi l l age out si de t h.
gardcn. t hc dwcl l i ngs are ol d and di l api dal ed, but yoLr
r .
- m
( r -
\
. r ' , r . 1 . l ' i t cd r - d
! oJ.
- "1\ d! d. 1.
across a desol al c l andscape oi cragg, r hi l Locks ar. :
sh: ubb1 t hi ckcLs You f um i o l ook at
1oLrr
pursucr.
r - d
- . .
,
r ' i
- p. '
p
. r r .
: . n Le
r , r ' 1. -
garden .ind as they emerge they changel Each oni
drops hr rll fours and with a wailing cry is Lransforrncd
inb a [n11, lrw hunting beast like a Giant Wea("
with gntrr frrr .)nd a snout full of shary teeth. Yo fttr'
on, info cncllcss
Ijrassy
plains rn which your pursur:
are pcricctly camouflaged The gl8antic sun is sctting
you nrn until yorr are exhausted, and as you stop yor:
are nnmc<Llk'ly surrounded by a circle of Feliti cr;r
lures You .rn rlrn no further: you mLrst fight (turn h.
681, or surrcn, l cr t o i he Fel i t i (t um t o 2r9).
324
You push opcn t he door and sl ep i nt o a room i Ll un,
nal cd bl t orchcs The f i rrf t hi ng t hai st ri ke\
t ou
i s t h,
rank , rJour t hrt f i l l s t he room
]
ou bet i n t o underst aN. :
i l s ol grr whcn
rou
see i he bLoodsl ai ned bul chcr.
labl' st.rnJ,ng ,n the centre oi the room, and thc larl:.
I , r ' . , . ' . 1. r r r ' 6 l r nb. and . l cnal or gans pr e- r : r cd
124
r'luids of various colours Anatomic.rl rlial3rams oi
\cveral sorts of creafures ar'e nailed to thc walls As you
.lose the door behind yorl anofher opcnr in thc oppo
.ite wall and a small man in a bloodst.rincd whitc coat
fnLers, and stops in surprise on seeing you
'A
waniorl'
rc exclaims 'A
live beingl This is nrort rrnusual The
only people I ever see are the few lifclcss hrrsks that I
ian L'eg from those beastly Black Shadows for my
'i'scarch,
you understand. I am Necromon, by thc wayr
: erhaps
)ou' \ ' e
heard of me? No? Wcl l , l m not sur,
rri sed I ' ve been donn here f or many ycars I uscd l o
r. apprent i ced l o l he
-{rchmage
Cl obus, you scc, bul
, c had a ialLlng out \on l lile wretchcdly here n this
racabre dLurgeon, spendrng al L my t Lme bui l di f t i t he
: ool wi t h whi ch I i nt end l o t ake my revcnl l c on Cl obus.
,VilL you assist me, wanior?'
; you agree Lo hear Necromon's proposal, tlrrn kr ro8)
t you decline, and say you want Lo continuc r)n your
.\.ay, tum lo
381.
125-327
125
You regain consciousness to find yourself lying on a
marble floor You know that you should be dead but b.v
some miracle you are alive, and unharned Your nexl
thought is for the Aleph, and you rummage franticall-v
in your backpack, the glowrng sphere is there, and
undamaged, but the clay ball has crumbled inlo dust
You marvelat yourgood fortune and at the life-preserv
rng skill of Mayrek lhe Polter. But perhaps your luck is
nol so good: you have survived the onslaught of the
Spectral Stalkers, bub where have they brought youl
Turn to
392
t26
You have only two possrble moves Willyou move to
lhe square on your left
(square F3)? II so, lum to 295
Or wrllyou move forward (to square E4)? Turn to ro
327
You throw you.self at thc Ophldian guard He has onl]
a split second in which to block your atlack with hr:
spear. He throws a glance lowards his comrades, clus
tered round the trapped Silica Serpent, buf you are
upon him agarn lhe two of you fall to the grounc
logether, locked rn close combat
324-tto
128
The Ranganathans have eight fingers on each hand,
and each fingemail is as sharp as a razor They advance,
squealing exciledly You retreat into a comer so you
can fighl them one at a time.
OPHI DI AN sKrLr
7
STAMI NA
-
Add r point to your rRArL score- AfLer ihfi
Atiack Rounds of combat, if you are still alive, th:
other Ophidians are beginning lo realze that you.
opponent needs their assistance. If you have by nor'.
killed the Ophidian guard, tum to
35;
if he is still aln e
turn to
J59.
f i rst RANGANATH-AN
Second RANGANATHAN
Thi Td RANCANATHAN
SKI I L STAMI NA
55
77
1f you defeat them all, you spend some time searching
lhet room. All of the books you find are unintelligible,
but in a drawer oI the desk you find a
jar
of clear liquid
'cearing
the label Canectioe Fl rl, which you may tale
rlith you You then rlurn to the crossroads and begin
arrother long hike down one of the other corridorsj turn
n ellher t64, 243 or j-73.
329
The {unnel ends at r d. -r. rrv. ay. \ ou
. t ep
t hrough and
_rd
yoursel f
i n a smal l rect angul a' room wi t h a door-
:r'ay set in each of the walls. Hanging rn the shadows
. l o. e {o t he cei l i ng i . a l ar8e bundl e. whi ch you i gno. e
rtil you har a pileous moan and see fhat Lhe bundle
ras sLarted lo move feebly. lVill you investigate (tum
:o 2oo), or concentrate on choosing your exit (lum
to
.{t
)?
130
ihe invrsible force presses into you Like balds of sleel
-osing
abou[ you.
The pain is becomng unbearable,
t t l -t 12
consciousness is slipping away. Roll six dice If the lotal
is less than your STAMINA, turn lo 2r2i if the Lotal is
equal to, or greaLer than, your STAMINA, tum to
t 72
J' \
The runic inscripLion on the v',heel hub strikes lef.or
into the hearts of the Elves and they scatler in all
directions You tum towards the captive, Grondel, and
he almost faints from fear unlii you remember to
Pul
away lhe terrifying objecl. TLe courlyard is emPt]
now, and you have lime io tmshackle the old Elf, who
fhanks you profusely You want to leave lhe under
ground ciiy and wander away into the darkness be
tween lhe decreprt buildings, looking for a secluded
place in which to unpack the Aleph. Grondel calls you
bac( begging you to produce some piece of evidence
for his theory ihat there are wor'Lds beyond the confine:
of the Elves'cavem A glimpse of the Aleph, with ils
teeming display of th infinite worlds of the Macro'
cosmos, would be enough to ccnvince anyone thal
other worlds exist If you agree to show it lo Grondel
and the priest, tum to r8; if you huny into the shadows
to use it to travel elsewhere, tum Lo
377.
t t 2
Semeion takes you to a chamber, deeP wilhin hr!
strange home, which houses his'ielopticon. The strange
device consists of a hoop cf metal within which brigh:
colours ceaselessly swirl; connected to the hooP witr
bundles of wLres like knotted vines are two helmets
Semeion dons a helmeL, you do likewise, and irnmeCi
l t 2
ately see lhat lhe colours in the hoop are dearing, to be
replaced by a picture of a world hanging in space. The
orcture moves closer: fhe world is the ZiSSurat World,
f l at t i ers oi l and encl osed wi Lhi n a sphere l haL i s hal f
dark half heht. Closer, you see Globus's Citadel, its
shning domes and spires rising {rom the sparkling
brilliance of the Crystal Garden and lhen Lhe scene
dlssolves into swirling colours once more. You hear
Semeiont voice inside your mind; Globus has yofectal
his Citaclel wiLh enchanLments. I cln Lrg to pmehnte his
defences, but the eft'on will absorb rcrtain essmtia! salts
lron
aur bodies I htow 1 can uillaLanrl Lhe dratn of
sltehglh- b f ct l you, rontriar?
if you are delermined to see inside Globus's Citadel,
whatever Lhe cost, tum to
99.
If you would rather try
to use the Telopticon to see the Spectral Stalkers, tum
lo
38o
If you are anxtous to continue your travels,
lurfi to 2J
".
j .' t
.l .z +.\
,33-334
13'
You lead the l;ttle army of ex-captrves lhrough the
maze of rocky ravines, heading for the
Point
at which
you emerged on this level from the cliffJace path
Eveniually your group arrives at the edge of the cliff
and you begin the long descent that will Lake lhe Elves,
Vaskrnd and Mantirs to their homes takrnS with
them, perhaps, thc seeds oF a new spirit of co operalion
between the various peoples of the Zrggurat World A
little way down thc cliff, howewer, you bid farewell to
the motley group, they no Ionger need your gr-ridance
and you havc arrivcd at the point where the cliff face
pal h f orks Al t houl ; h you are t empt ed t o rel um t o i he
hero' s wel come {hai hi l l greet you i i
-1ou
re, ' urn home
wi t h t he pri soners you have rescued,
t ou
knora' t hal
you must explor more of lhis strange world You set
off up the left hand path; tum to 146
' 34
In the dark the garden is an eerie
Place.
The slatues
seem to be rlatchin8 you; the fragrance of lhe flowers
is overwhelmrng You decide to leave, but at thaf
moment the robed leliti appears at the gale
'We were
once a proud ;nd poprrlous people,'he says as he walks
into lhe gardcn,
'with
many fine cilies and palaces and
parks \ort all is waste, and on1-v this garden survives
Bui t he cnt uf rcs of h' at chi ng and hai l i nt were no:
wasted - because you have arrjved to save us Co nol\
in darkness, my poor accursed people hunt in ther"
animal Forms only in dayLight, so you willbe safe fror
t 1t
ihem until dawn Co to the Tyrant's caslle, 6nd lum
ard l i l l hi m, and rel ease t he Fel rt r t rom hi s curse
fvill you go to the Tyrant's castle (turn to
t79),
or use
the Aleph to leave thrs world (tum kr
t6J)?
J) )
This lunnel is very dark You crccp forwards, using
i our hands more lhan your eyes, and at last you reach
- a dead endl There is a wall of rock in front of you
Then you hear a noise, an ominous vrLrnd of grinding
:ocks. and you feel the floor move slightly under your
: eet I a l here l s a way i orward, t hc door musl be
:oncealed; but perhaps lhis cul Jc sac rs :rmpry a
'ooby
lrap ior unwari erpiorers 1f you w,ant io remain
'ere to search the r,valLs, tum fo 168; if you would
'aiher
retum along the tun ,ei, turn to r22.
316-t7
t16
Having reachcd lhe cenke of the Crystal Carden, you
stand gazing up at ihe shimmering windowless walls o{
lhe Vitrous Citadel. It is a collection of marvellous
strucLurs, ea.h vyrng with thc others to amaze the
mind and dazzle the eye: towcrs of amber and
iet,
canopies oi faceted crystal, domcs like enormous pearLs,
walls that seem to be cataracts frozen while in motion
alL reflected in each other's glazcd surfaces The entire
edifice is surrounded by a wide moal hlled with a
bright blue |guid, spirals of smoke rise omrnor.rsly from
ih surface You walk around thc Citadel and find that
lhere is only one bridge across the moat.a slab of
slone, l^'ith one end resfinS on lhe bank aL your [cet,
exlends across the moat and disappears into the only
doorway ihrough the Cifadel's curtain wall The door
rvay is surounded by a frame of black marble, carved
into an absiract representation of a face, the doorway
itself being the mouth, and the stone bridge being the
tongue To reach the Citadel you must either cross the
bridge (turn to 2t2), or fry fo wade across the moat
lurn to j7E)
J7 |
Dodging fhe first boulder-breaking blow of the Golem's
malleL, you sprinkle the Siccator in a wide arc (Cross
ihe Siccator from yo:ur AduenLure S/rref.) The drops of
-rquid
sparkle in the air and splash across fhe Coiem's
rlay torso. The effect is instanfaneousr the colem halts
:n mid-slride as the slick surfacc of water evaporates
:om its body Cra&s appear as the monster atlempls
33E-119
Lo move, and as Lhe Srccator extracts every drop of
moisture {rorn the clay the Golem's exhemities begin
to crumble After one 6nal shudder, the Golem is
molionless, nothing more than a day statue, rapidiy
crumbling inlo a large heap of fine brown dust. You
lum away and head for the cave in the clifi Tum to
263.
t 3E
You advance towards the Pnsm of Powea shielding
your eyes from the incandescent tracery thai pulses
across its facets. You press the Aleph against one of the
surfaces. After some resistance, the sphere slowly enters
the Prism and drops into lhe waiting hands of the
Archmage. For severalseconds he
Sazes
at it in wonder-
ment, Lhen a ferocious scowL dishgures his noble coun-
'At last I have itl'he says
'At
last the Aleph is in m-r
hands. You foolish mortall You have slaved and sufferei
to bring me the one tool I need to become Lord of al
the Macrocosmos Every being will bow down before
me' Nothing can save you You have failed in your
quesr
, 39
As you reach up to grasp the huge cocoon, it drop'
Lowards you, splitting open along its underside tc
reveal a moist, fetrd interior ringed with fanSlike sPine:
There is nobody inside. You are berng attacked b-r' I
Karanth, a cunning creature that has the ability to us:
some of the intelligence of Lhe prey thaL it consume:
,40
The Karanth falls on top of you, attempting to enfold
and smother you. Before you can reach a weapo4 you
I ' nd you*el i gr i oped
wi l hi n t he KdJdr l hs
cpi ne\
) our
skin already being coroded by ils drgestive juices.
You
will die unless you can survrve without breathing until
lhe Karanth loosens its grip
Roll lour drce; if the total is equal to or more than your
srAMrNA, you gasp for air br-rt breathe in only the
Kararth's mucus secretrons - your adventure ends here.
If however, lhe total is less than your sr-lwrN,e, you
are still conscious when the Karanth, assuming you to
be dead, briefly relaxes. Pushing with all your might,
you
burst from the Karanth's hold and stagger away
from Lhe creature. Breathrng heavily, you Lake stock of
yourself, aJld are pleased to 6nd that you have no
substantial wounds. The Kararth closes its body and
hoists itsel{ up to the ceiiing; you have to decide
through which doorway to leave - tum to
45
t40
You draw your sword and advance towards the Dragon.
She growls and flames flrcker from her snout. 'Typicalt'
.he splutters You young hooligan; no rspect for
erudition and lilerature. Weapons are not permitted in
:he Libmry in Limbo, so I'm just
going to have to
.onfiscale that nasty fhing.'
1s yow sword descends on her she catches the blade
rn hr claw, snalches rt out of your hand and disappears
n a puff of smoke You are alone again. Deduct z
:oints from your sKrr.L until you can find a replace-
l , l r
ment wcapon- You havc no choice bul to explore ihis
vast I ibrary on your own Tum to 27t
34r
You gnp your sword hli in both hands and thmst thc
blade ,lownwads, blinclly. near your frap'pcd feet. YoLr
f eel t hc f i p
cl Lrnge i nl o somel hi ng spongy and af t er a
secon(1. pause : he Li t f ogcn reacl s t o l h, s assaul l on r: .
tonguc You are liited into the air as lhe bngue lashi
wildly from side lo srdc and you can rl, nolhing tc-
stop yoLrrself being slarlrned agarnst ihc rough walls oi
t he rrvrn' . r< t he Li Lhor' -r
.
l ongue ronvrr| l * i n agorr
Lose 2
f oi nt s
of srAMr\ A I f
1, ou
arc st i l l al i ve. t h, :
l ont ue. omes t o rest a; , ai n al rd you arc st i l l st uck: . -
i t To cscape, you l , i l l have t o keep sl i crng rnt o l he
creaturc s tongue and cach time you do so you will be
lashecl agarnst lhe walls of lhe ravine ltoll ,-rne die; the
resul l i s Lhe number of i urt her poi nt s of srAMrNA yor-
musf lose rl hile cuttint; yourself hee If
1'ou
sun ive lh.
dl t e^r r . oLgof e\ Jr \ . d.
- . r ea. ] i
I p. r , i r h- Lr '
happy I.rthogen, onLy to lind that an uncarthly iumir.
escen(. rs growing in the shadows of lhe ravLn: :
Spectr,rl Stalker has scnscci your plesencc, rnd is begrn
ni n8 t o naf eri al i ze Add r pornt t o your rnerl sco' :
t hen l f sl ! d! r f rnrl sror Rol l f hree di cc l f t he t of al r:
l ess f har your rRArL score, l um t o
3oo
I f t he t ol at r,
equal t <, , or more t han, your rRAI L scof c, t he hi deo-r
shapc sl,wly dissolves you have cscapcd delectio-
t hi s t i mc, and may cont i nue on your way I urn i o 272
342-341
142
hand, i s wl i t i ng f or you. ' l t yorr' re not on my si de, , he
says,
' you
arc my enemy Conc here and di e'
Somer. . here rr t he back of vour mrnd a smal l voi ce i s
i el l i nS
)ou
t hat you must brcak away, yoLr nrust Rrn
into the krfest and escape You grit your teeth ind try
lo lorce your lgs to carry yorr off the road anrl rnfo the
shelter of thc trees. Roll four dicc If the total is less
l han your (urrenf
srAMl NA, t urn f o rj Tj i f {hc t oi al
rs equal l o or rnore t han your current st AMI \ A, rum
r o
391
341
A Silica Scrpent is a dangerous ,:dwersary. Glassy scales
prolect its hcad and body, rt moves very quickly
snapping at
_v-ou
l\ith its fang-filled mouth and each
: i me i l at t r. ks i t squi rt s f rom rt s f ace a j et
ot
j .
rd t hal
corrodes anything it Louches l3ut if you want hr pass it,
you must dcl cat i L
SI LI CA STJRPENT
l r each At f dck Round. ai Lcr you have resol u, d l he
rombat betwcen your shofd and the Serpent's fangs,
. ompare
Arl J, l . St "ent Lhs. r v, enl
p; 6s
l f
l
orr n rn, or
lhe scores are the same, you have avoided the jet
of
344-14t
acid, bul if you lose, you are splashed wilh the liquid
and must lose
-z
points of sr,{MINA. KeeP a noie of
the number of Attack Romds you fight If at any lime
you decide to use your LUCK in combat, turn to 264
AJter four Atlack Rounds, if you are still alive, turn to
ry6.
l 1+
A second pair of green eyes appears, also at floor level
As your siglrt adjusts lo the gloom, you can see that
both pairs of eyes are watching you from a crack in lhe
floorboards - or a concealed trapdoorl As you move to
defend yourself, lhe trapdoor is thrown open and iwo
Coblins
lump
rnlo lhe room.
'The innkeePer said the
travellcr would be druggedl' hisses one They dra*
sharp bladcs and advance towards you. You stand in a
corner so that you can fight Lhem one at a time Your
mghl r.ision is worse than lhetrs lemporariLy reduce
your sKrLL by 1 point for the duratior of this fight
SK] LL
f i rsl COBLI N
5
Second COBLI N 6 5
146
impressive, but perhaps you'll
do. We are prevented
from rising against the tyrant GJobus: he hal captured
and imprisoned our
Queen.
We used to live above, on
the shore, but we have been driven bneath the waves
level and the Garden is the her that is the home of both
the Silica Serpents and the Bia& Shadows; the Shadows
are the more deadly, but beneath their Grand Tower
there
js
a tunnel which leads shaight to the Vrtreous
Citadel. If you are truly an enemy of Globus, this
infonalion
mighl assist your quest.'
You thank the Vaskind Restore r poinf of LUCK and
add z Provrsions for the food that you are given. Two
Vaskind escort you to thc edge of the dome and create
a bubble for you lo nde in; it takes you swiftly to the
surface. You wade on to the beach and head for the
path that zig-zags up the face of the cl[f. Tum to rz
146
Cerod's strings
langle
argrily as Metron places the
harp in a vice on a workbench For many minutes lhe
lf you are still alive aiter lhrec Attack Rounds, tum to
239
14t
'l
have no reason to believe you,'grunts the robei
Vaskrnd,
'buL you are obviously not of lhis world, anc
perhaps you are the wanior who, accordnS to pro
phecy, will come to our aLd against lhose who oppress
the Vaskind I have expected someone rather morE
147-148
harp to you 'The sLrings are arranged in order oi
length and the lengths are detrnrned by a strict mathe
maticai ratio
Quite
fascinatinS, but I carurol imagine
what it is tor IL measures twclve and 6ve eighths
dro|ks trcm extremity to extremity and is made from
gubis wood The decorations scrve no funcLion and
should bc removed.'Cerod is srlcnt. You pluck the
slrings lt sounds like an ordinary harp; it no longer has
any spccial properfies (delete it from your Adaenlurt
sl]eef). Mctron has destroyed the h;rp's magicalpowers
and you complain bitledy Tum to
375
t 41
Grmacing wiih distasLe, you pull at the fleshy folds ol
pallid fungus thaf cover the doorway The stuff comes
away in long strips and soon you have cleared the
door l'hc noxious smell, you nohce, seems to emanate
fiom thc moftled skin of the fungus; the flesh inside rs
white, looks wholesome and has a pleasant odour YoL-
ni bbl e a smal l pi ece: i t t ast es as good as i t l ooks Yor
go on lo cat several iarge pieces
-l
he fungus iJ whole
some: rest ore up t o
4
poi nt s of sraMrNA You cont i nue
peelLng the fungus from the door and soon you uncover
the lalch You pull open the door, stcp through it and
set off along the comdor beyond Tum to r48.
t48
You flce beneafh the poiated slabs o[ sione that are the
uppe. l eerh of ' he e-o' ' nou. , h- . rnd f i rd r ou-' e f r'
the dark cavem of ils mouth Looking back yoLr see the
dull gLow o[ the bony warriors .yes: they sem to be
rcluctant to follow you into thc rnouth of their goc
349-150
Glurd. You breafhe a sigh of relief, but you are not safe
tei
As
!.ou
becomc accustomed to the gloonr, you see
ihat ihe chute down which you slid is above you and
oul of reach, ancl both of lhe two tunnels at thc back of
the cavem look dark and dangerous Your pursuers,
urged on by their lcader Syzuk, are advancing hcsitantly
behind you. You choose one of the Lunnels antl trust io
your good fortune, lesl your Luck. If you arc Lucky,
lum to z9z If you arc Unlucky, tlrm to r2r
349
You jump
The Colcpod's six hear,y legs just
miss you
;ls lhe deature thunders away into the long grass.
Unhurt, you pick yourself up from the ground fum to
1r
I t o
The t oys nove no cl oser t o t he bed, bui cont i nue t o
, rat ch you wi t h mal cvol ent eyes. You si t upri ght on
lhe bed, determined to stay awale all night. If you have
Provisions, you can cat one meal - but becaLrse of your
anxi ous st at e i t rest ores onl y 2 poi nt s of srAMrNA
Eventually, just
beforc dawn, you dnft into sreep ano
rtake to find sunlight streaminS into the r.oorn and on
lo fhe toys, rvhich arc of course ordinary and l;feless.
iVealily you shale your head, and catch srght of rhe
l i : l l e cl oh, n i n hi s gl Jss sphere )' ou can keep hi rn i i you
rrant to - he remrnJs you of the ALeph, wh;ch you
dcide to use to takc you away from this haunted
castle Turn to 6r
t51-152
I t um t o rj r).
151-3t4
353
This tower is smaLl comparcd to some of the others, but
it is still as wide as the kecp of a castle, and much taller
As you shuggLe across lhc rocky ground
-vou
becom
alvare of a comrnoiion rn the air above you, lookint uP.
you see a swarn of flyrn8 creatures flapping towards
you iile black sheets tumbling out of the sky. They are
Black Shadows, ihe rnhabita.nh of these cylindrical
towers As they swoop rloser you see fhat each one rs
a humanoid crealure, with long ams, legs, ears and tarl,
all of which are connccted by the membrane of black
skin thaf allows it to 0y You notice, foo, the malevolent
red eyes, the long sharp iangs and lhe talons which iip
all four limbs You hask'n fo the base of the iower, a
solid circular rvall oi black stone blocks There is no
ent . ance, not so much as an arrol v sl i l You put your
back t o t he naLl and prcpare t o def end
I ' oursl i
I f , ou
have a Hrmiing'Hom turn to 80 You can try to use th
Aleph to escape from this predrcament - tum to rr?
Otherwise, you will havc to stand and 6ght - turn to
r78.
354
You are standing at thc foot of a sheer cliff. Behind
you, in lhe drstance, dawn is breaking behind a range oi
mountains and the first ra1,s o[ the morning sun arc
shrning direclly into a portal hewn rnto the face of th
cI c urned. aLeJ; rr
rrorl
, , [ \ . here you a_e: rard ng
l'Vill you enier the dark doorway ltum to r49) o'
explore Lhe area at fhe foot of the cliff
(turn
to
197)?
ll
you would rather use thc Aleph to Lravel elsewhere,
3tt-l56
you take lhe glowing spherc from your backpack and
slare inlo it, allowing its multitude of rmages to sur-
round yolr tum to 234
ttt
Although the
jars
are all the sanc size and shape, they
seem lo be of lwo diffcrent sorts Some are marked
rvith a roughly-stencilled diagram of a human being,
rvhile others show a human figure enclosed within a
square All the jars
are lidded ard sealed wilh wax. You
break open severaljars and firrd that they all contain a
clear, odourless lrquid. Ii you wanL to drink somc, you
.an cup your hands and drnrk cither from one of the
rars marked with a plain figurc (trrrn fo r28), or from a
' ar
marked wi t h a 6gure i n a squ. l rc (t urn l o
J8)
I f you
. ' oLr dr . r t L. r - ol
dr i - r ' l r om. r t \ c
. cr t
of , r .
. oi
r : r e
rour ! va_y up t he sf ai rs and l cavc t hroLrgh t he door
hrrn to r89)
35lJ
\
ou put t he bot l l e i o your l i ps and t ake a moul hf ul of
rilfer liquid Beiore you can rpit it out, Wayland slaps
ou between the shoulder'l'ladcs and you swallow il
Wonderful sfuffl' exclaims Wayland 'See? You're dry
3t7
as a bonc al ready' He l s ri ghf , somehow, t he dri nk l ra'
evaporated thc water that had been soaked rnto you'
clothes and hair
'Keep
the boLtle; there's
Plenty
mor.
where that caore from lt's called Siccator and oni
swig'll keep any lrquid off your person Mighi come -
very handy if ycu come across any morc
Practic.
lokers
like mc' lf you decide lo keep lhc boitle, rc
member fo notc it on yortr AdpenLurc Slrl- Turn l.
Your p, . rLse pounds i n your head as l he prscurc of l f .
r ' ar er cn, . \ e.
) .
Lr [ i Sht i n8 o
- l . r l
, ons. i ot , . \ ' .
sfrutgle nith thc straps of your backpack as thc prc.
ous ajr tncklcs irom your clenched lips At last
1o-
manage to hnd thc little bottle oi Siccalor lift if to yorL'
mouth and ernpLy the liquid down your throai
(Deletr
the Siccaior iont your Adoenture Sheef) Your bod.
tingles all ovcr; you can no longer feel the cold wate-
againsf your skrn Suddenlv you find yourself rushin::
upwards thrrugh the sea water. Stccator and wal.-
simply do not mrx and the sea is eiectint you lik :
sLomach eiecturg undigested food You crash throtL6::
the waves in a fountain of spume and are sPat oul on t:
t he beach You are wi nded and spend severaL mrnut t '
recovering youf breath, but other,,r'ise
.vou
ar uniur:
There i s no onc on l he beach, and you f i nd noi hi ng. ' '
i nl eresr \ ou . -t ccrd" t o . hmb t he pat h l hat zrg-zags :
the face of the cliff. Tum to 12.
3t8-59
3t 8
The hunters exchange neither a glance nor a shout as
they glide swiftiy in pursuit of rhc sc.rttpred woodland
creatures Within a moment, they havc all swept pasl
you; wilhin a few seconds, they arc disappearing behrnd
a thick clump of trees. The park is peaceiul again, silent
and apparenLly emply of life under r cllrdless sky. You
wander aimlessly for a while, but cncounler no one
There seems to be no choice bLrt kr usc the Aleph to
leave lhis place. Tum to
lo
359
You Lry to disenlangle yourself from thc tray, but your
opponent cLi ngs t o your l egs Wi t hi n seconds ot her
Ophidians ha',e surrounded you and you are at the
cenhe of a circle of spear-points. You have no doubt
that you are aboul to be killed Thcn a shadow darkens
the air and, as lhey gaze upwards, Lhc Ophidlans cower
and tremble. A Spechal Stalker is iornrrng in lhe air,
towering above you on four fleshless lcgs. Iest yorlr
Trail score. RoII lhree dice. lf the k)tdl is equal to, or
more than, your rRArL score, tuflr k, rr4, if fhe fotal
is less than your rnlrr score, lum to
Joo
160-16r
160
Semeion slares long and hard at the collccfion of objects
on the lable, and thcn shakes hrs hearl
'lt
is no use,'he
says,'l can read nothing from these fcw signs. They ar
like a
jumbled
sentence wlth the mosf ir poriant words
mi ssi ng I am sorry, but I ned more srSns' You ha\ re
nol hi ng eLse t o of f er, so l nsl ead yorL . rsk Semei on i i he
can
tivc
you .rny informalion about Clobus Turn io
308
16r
Even as you push her aside to forcc your r,vay through
the curtain, Fclrcc begins to changc, ior she is a Were
cal, and as you sfruggle wilh the folds of heavy clotlr
she rakes you w,lh the lalons thaf art' extending hon:
her f ur covererl hant l s Rol l one di e anJ hal ve t he resLrl i
round kacl i ons up), t he rcsul f i s t hc numbcr oi sr. , . r,
I NA poi nt s l h. 1l you t ose l f you sLrrvi ve l hi s at t ac.
you manage t o di sent angl e yol rrscl i i rom t he curt arr
and flee across thc stage Turn to r77
362
t62
The doorway rernains silent, but thc sfone slab contin,
AtcltiLLke C uay ant I
Kng of t'tu Brtdge,
Emperor ol the MoaLj
How many crouns hare I?'
Will you arswcr
One?
Tum Lo 136
Tum to 67
Tum l o z: 6
t6J-364
,6,
Caut i ousl y, , vou approach t he scenc of l he ski rmi sh
Thc Minstrel and the thrce boar-faccd soldiers are aLl
dead The harp appears to be beyond repair, allhough it
sou|ds the occasional note and cnlls
plaintivfl)'
for
hel p You pi ck up t he Mi nst rel s sword and f eeL a surge
of strength risc up your arm. It is an enchanted sword
an(l if you kecp it remcmber, you can use only one
wcal )on af a t rme - you ma1. add r poi nt t o yol rr sKi rr
vvhcn fighfinS u,ilh it in combat
As you walk rway rnto the forest, the harp ral|es the
last of its encrgy to call after you
'Cowardl'
rt sings
' Trari orous
dogl You coul d have ai cl cd me,
l
ou coul i
havc saved my life. Now I wilL never resum m]
righfful form, nver again will I sec the green hills oi
my home A thousand curses on you, cowardly travel
l er Cerod l hc Mi nsl rel ' s dyi nt song condemns your
-.
wci ght seenrs t o sel t l c about your hearl ; l ose. :
points of rucrc. Disconsolate, you wander info the
f orcsi and usc t he Al eph i o t ransport you el sewher
Tur n t o
9r
t o4
Wrcst l i ng rvi l d L. rl l s i s one of t hc mosl dangerous
entertainments dcmonstrrted at the summr tair at Neu-
burg, but yorr always thoLrght of yourself as an experi
Cr, rl ' f l i ng wi l l . r rogre t ol epod rr
-mi l ar.
brI oerl -ar'
r r ' r o r : dr l l i . u' r l t i s , r t - . t of , l ' engt h aq, r r ar ;
endurance As it charges at yor! you duck asitlt at the
last minute The creaturc careers past and you leap lo:
its neck. Locking your wrisfs together with your arrri
365
STAMTNA,
t um f o r 74
j .
1z 2". , 2' . "
t66-367
166
You close the door behrnd yoq turn and 6nd yourself
face fo face with a crature hom a nrghtmarel It is a
patchwork monsler, a living being created from assorted
mere animal savagery It drools as it tnes to mouth a
few words of challenge You notice that a little pile of
cheap trinlets has been ananged neatly beside the
io try io dash past - tum to
39.
t67
You trudg for what seem like endless hours along a
rocky passage, until you feel weak from exhaustion.
Deduct l poinL of sraMrNA. You want to resL, but
it seems unwis to do so in the almost complete
darkness of the tunnel. At last you tum a comer to find
,68
swarm of batsl Soon they fill the courtyard, fluttering
all around you and trying to bite any area of exposed
flesh You try Lo keep them at bay while working ouf
how to leave the courtyard. Roll lhree dice lf the total
is hrgher than your sKILL, deduct the difference be
tween ihe two scores from your sTAMINA Ii you
suNive ihe bats' atLack, you manage to see that there
are four exits from the courtyard: a doorway n the
middle of each wall One has the circle and triangl
s1.rnbol carved above it; you face it and decide whelher
lo escape ftom the bals by gorng fhough the doorwal
you are facing
(turn to z6); the one behind you (turn to
206); the one lo your righl
(tum to ror); or the one to
your left (tum to r5)
,68
Tate has guided your hand,'Mayrek says
'This ball ol
clay is one of my most valuable possessions It contains
pure life-force, and it will perhaps save you hom deati'
one dair Il will not prolect you fi om physical harm, bui
if your adversaries use magical means lo drain lhe liie
from your body the contenLs of this ball, if it is nea.
your body, will restore you. Take it, with my thanks'
t6g
You depart along the avenue of statues When you are
out of sight of the cave, you stop to examine the clay
ball. Il weighs almost nothrng and seems very liagile.
You shake it; it rattles You wonder what a life force
looks like and why ii raltles. If you want to crack Lhe
ball to lnspect rts contents, turn io r88 If you decide
lo place it carefully in your backpacJ<, record rt on your
Adonfure Shut; and Lhen use the Aleph to leave this
piace turn Lo zrr.
569
Thc t al l bl acl . garbed Ophi di dr! and t hei r si nuou. cap.
live, all of them glittering like glass, are easy lo follow
After leading you through steep sided canyons and
over sharp rocky ridges, lhey stop finally at the foot of
a sheer escarpmenl It is clear that the Ophidians intend
to take the Silica Serpent to a cave that you can see
half way up the wall of ro&. As half of the group of
soldiers begin to scutLle r.rp the rock face iike huge black
spiders, you see that Ophidians can climb almost as
easily as they can v;alk Some of the Ophidians left at
the foot of the cliff beSin fo play haunting, discordant
music on their pipes; others, with great cautioq untie
lhe Srlica Serpent's wings It seems thal lhe music of the
Pipes
has made the creature docile: rising into the air, it
rneekly follows the Ophrdians who lead if up the cliff
lolvards the cave. Soon all lhe Ophidians, wiLh the
Silica Seryent undulahng in the air nexl to them, are
swaming up the sheer wall of rock. Will you lry lo
iollow them (turn
to 2z), or will you slay on sold
ground and make your way lowards the vast clffs that
t70-172
rise between fhis level of the Ziggurat World and the
next
(tum to
4)?
) 70
You conccal yourself behind a bush and watch as four
excited Wood Elves emerge from a copse of Lrees
They are carrying a net wjlhin which something struS-
I es.
The!
. l op. l ose
l o vour hi di 18 pl dce i n an r r e"
that is clear of large trees One of Lhem ties the neL and
iis slill-struggling conLenLs to a large boulder, whlle
another lfts his head and gives a long, loud, wavering
cry. The others scan the skies as if wailing for somethingr
to fall from the heavens If you decide to make yourseli
known lo the Wood Elves, Ll.tn to 294; if you wouLd
rather stay hidden and continue to rvatch, tum lo 246
J I '
Struggling proves useless: the Grappler's limbs hug
you in their melallic embrace and lifi you effortlessll
into the air Sharp pincers converSe on you, and you
are sure your life is abouL to end. The robot slrips your
clothrng and possessions and you are deposited, naked
in a cage. Perhaps, at the end of this suruey ship s
expedition, you will be able to convince ils owners thal
you are an rntelligent life-fom; but this adventr.rre i!
112
You are too weak to survrve the pressure of the lighl
beam. You remain rigid, held upright by lhe force or
the beam, until the lasl breath has been squeezed fror'
your body and your brain ceases to function. When the
37t -175
light snaps off, your lifeless body falls to Lhe floor in
the darkness.
You have been walking for what seems like hours, and
still the corrdor exlends before you as far as the eye
can see As you walk, you scan the endless rows of
books, and aL last one attracts your aftenhon IL is as
lall as a spear and bound rn ffne black leather. The title,
embossed rn gold down the spine, is in your language:
Wizards Wil) you heave the book from its place and
open it (turn to 2t9)? Or are you so weary of searching
this Library thaf you can ihink only of looking for a
,ay
to leave it (turn
Lo 27)?
174
Your well-aimed blow almost cleaves the Colepod's
skull in two and the crealure falls dead at your feet
You notice that lhere is a charn round lhe animal's neck,
hanging from which is a small melal box, insel with a
panel of glass. Upon invesligation, this proves to be a
lantem, presumably wilh magicai properties, thal causes
a beam of hghl fo issue hom the glass panel whenever
the switch on lhe lop of lhe box is lwisted If you want
to keep this item, nole that you havc a Colepod Lantern
on yo.ur ArlueuLure Sheei Now tr.rm fo r7o.
t t t
The Mapmaker is amused al your atlitude 'You barbar-
ians,' he chuckles, shaking his domed heacl'you're
always so protective abouf your belongings. ] cxpecL
you believe lhat everythrnS you own has a lucky
t76
charm in it lt's all mumbo
jumbo,
my friend. In allmy
years of research l've not fourd a single magical item.
Il's all supersLitious nonsense; it dissolves in the face of
Science BuL let me offer you something Your home
world is Titan, you say? Here, inscribed on a wooden
sphere, is an exact map of your world. You may have it
for only two Gold Pieces' You are infurrated by
Metron's words, but fascinaled by the finely-detailed
round map that he rs offering to you; its srze and shape
are reminiscent of the Aleph. I[ you decide to stifle
yow anger and buy the map, tum to 269. If, however,
you
cannot contain your rage, and attack lhe Map-
maker, turn to ro7
J76
The rce melh surprisingly quickly. Soon ri\,.ulets of
water are cascading down the sides of the block and
flooding lhe floor With a crash like falling masonry, a
shower of ice shards erupts from the centre of the
block, and the long'frozen body rs Fiee at last A
lerrifying figure rises above you Half again as tall as
you,
wth a motlled, warty skin and a wide, frog like
face, the creah.rre raises its huge splay fingered hands
and roars ils defiant
Joy
at finding itself freed
'l am
Baratcha,
Queen
of the Vaskind, ruler of the sea-people
of the hrst level of lhis accursed World, and prisoner of
Globus no longer ihanks to yor.r,'she adds, lookrng
down at you for ihe 6rsl lim- Whal are you? Why
have you come to free me?'
As quickly as you car, you explain how you come to
be here, far from your home and stranded with the
t71-179
Aleph on the topmost tier of Globus's shange world
Baratcha lells you that Globus himself dwells in the
room beyond the dark doorway that leads fiom the
antechamber. If you inlend to confront him, she will
gladly accompany you. Togelher you cross the ante
chamber ard step through the dark doorway. Turn tc
I I 8
You pull the Aleph fiom your ba&pa& and as soon as
you hold the giowing sphere m your hands you are
hansfixed by the teeming mulLitude of scenes fhat
seems to draw you ever more deeply into the Aleph's
hearl Visrons of bustling crties, heaving oceans ano
silently rotaling planets surround you on all sides. You
feel yourself being pulled amongst them. Roll one die
If you roll an even number, turn to r45; if you roll arr
odd nurnber, turn to rz6
,7E
You step into the blue liquid. The floor of the moai
slopes sLeeply, and you camot prevent yourself sliding
in until the liquid is up to your neck. And, of course, it
js
acid a fiercely corrosive vitriol thaL strips you.
skeleton within minutes.
, 19
One lonely light shines in the castle's lallesL lower. As
you approach the chasm which separates the mounLair:
road fuom the sheer crag on which lhe castle rises, you
ensure that your foohLeps are silent. BuL as you reacr
379
the lip of the precipice a drawbridge descends {rom the
opposiLe side; candlelight flickers in the archway of the
gatehouse and a voice invites you to enter The castle
is empty, ils richly furnished rooms thick with dust
You make your way to lhe topmosL chambcr and there
you frnd the TyranL: an aged creature, with the scaly
skin of a lizard, clutching a broken stafi
' Do
not f ear me, Champi on, ' he says. ' My power i s
long since spenl I have been waiting here for centuries
and I welcome lhe end of my boredom. I beg
lust
one
boon before you sfrike me down. show me, I pray, the
means by which you came here' The Tyrant kneels
before you on creaking legs, and bows his head in
submission You take the Aleph [rom your pack and
hoid it in fronL of him; his eyes flash siver light. At
Lastl Escape from lhis dreary placel' and he lunges lor
lhe glowing sphere Roll three dice If the LoLal is less
lhan, or equal !o, your sKrLL, tum to r34. If the lotal
is greater than yorJr sKrLL score, tum to 16
3Eo
, 8o
This is
vour
chance to sLtllt fle Sfalkersl Semeion's thoughl
appears in your mind as lhe Telopticon's metai hoop
clears to reveal the star-spangled blackness of lhe nighl
sky Somethng is moving againsL the background of
pinprick li8hts and smudges of distant galaxies The
picture moves closer, and you can see them: severaL
hideous shapes, almosL incorporealin the cold emptiness
of space - but definitely Spectral Stalkers There arc
three of them and you know that lheir malevolent
energy is benl upon.
just one purpose, finding the
bearer of the Aleph you.
Nofi.c, say Semeion's thoughts, th6f thry are surrou ded
by a hoLo of light - a
fainL BLou
thaL I inogine is 1)isibLe
anlv herc in the darkness between uarLis. The aura is the
oisible sign of lhe enchl LmenL Lhal binds Lhem Lo Lheir
puryose. If ue mope cLoscr, I cill alLelnpf to anaLyze the
nafute af fhe spell, but fhey uillprobably detect our presence
Can you aflord to lef them see yo ? If you wish to
invesligale the Stalkcrs, turn to zz7; if, on Lhe other
hand, you decide lhat you cannot risk gaining any
more rRArL poinls, you tell Semeion that you would
ralher starl or your kavels again Lum to 2l
, 8r
and merely retrat to form a circle to prevent you
escaping As the Horn's blare dies away, the Black
Shadows advance agairl and thrs time you have no
choice but fo fight them. Turn to r78
582
You should have jumped
from Lhe wagon. A Vampire
is invulnerable to ordinary weapons and Lhe Conluror
merely laughs as you stnke him. The wounds thaL you
inflrct heal immediately. There is no escape: the bony
fingem seize your head and pull your face Lo within a
cenri met re of l he Vampi re s b, az: ng eves You l ook uo
l or a serord dnd you are me. me. i zcd. \ ou are t he
Conjuror's picnic lunch as he rcturns home wiih his
new bridel
, 8r-382
181-184
363
'Such a piiy,' Nccromon mutters-
'I'm
sure you could
have been a
1;rcat
hclp to me I insist, at any rate, that
you follow thc routc which runs lhror.rgh my abode If
you step throul;h this door, and then through the door
beyond, yoLr will find yourself on thc path Lhat leads up
lo the cellars of thc Archmage's Vitreous Citadel And
on the way I hopc you will pause to admrre th
weapon I am conslructing to destroy Globus' You
lhink Necromon and step through the door through
whi ch he camc carl i cr. Turn t o
366
184
You uncork t hc bot t l e of Coaechre Fl ul d and mana8e
t o dri bbl e a l i t t l c ot i t bet ween Syzuk' s gri maci ng t eet h
He chokes, spluttcrs, shakes violenlly and suddcnll sih
up wilh a look ol astonishment in lhe deplhs of his
eyes He starcs at you for a moment belore gravel)
Lhanking you tor saving his life; then he snaLchcs the
a(ow from his shouLder as ii it were no more than a
splinter and
julnfrs
to his feet.
'Warriorsl' he yclls; and
l he noi sc of bat t l c i s suddenl y st i l l ed. ' St op f i ght i ngr
This is all a rnist.,kc We really shouldn't spend all our
time killing pcoplc Lef's go home and do something
less destructive, shrll we?'As one, the Skelelal Warriors
tum and begrn b nrarch away from lhe battlel 'l don t
know what was i n t hat st uf f you gave me, ' says Syzuk
' Br. rt
i t ' s nadc mc f eel l i ke a new person Devasl at i on
and cama8e; ust don' i have t he appeal l he! used t o
Sorry about ral|ng off your sacrifice ai such shori
not i ce Can I grve you a l i i t anywhere?' You decl i ne t he
offer and slep down From Lhe chanot. The battlefield rs
, 8t
already almosf deserted. You take thc Aleph from your
pack and slare into iLs myriad moving picfures It seems
to expand and sunoLrnd you Roll onc die if you roll an
ven number tum io
tr,
if you roll an odd number,
turn to
J6.
t 8j
Step by tremblng step, you approa(h rhe skeleton. It
is just
a lifeless collection of old borcs.
jts
,voice,
186-187
586
You walk steadrly across the marble floor of the cham,
ber Suddenly a blaze oF lighl flares in front of you,
rlluminaling the end of ihe room. You see before you a
vast, faceted crystal ihat glows with energy, a crystal
that seems to be made of noLhing but Lght itself
Standrng wrthin it
js
a tall figure in white robes Power-
ful and imposing, the bcing furns towards you and you
feel his eyes boring into your rnind. You feel dra,,vn
towards the crystal; and for some reason, almost with
out noticing that you a.e doing it, you take the ALcph
from your backpack and hold it in your outsLretched
hands 'I am Globus,' says the tall 6gure, in a gentle
vorce, 'Archmage,
and ruler of this world Forgjve me
for greetrng you from within this Pdsm of Power bui,
since I began to search for my lost bauble which you
hold fhere in your hands tenible enemies have
besieged me My thanks for retuming the liftle sphere
ro rre
\ or
rvi l l be rr. hl l renardeo I
(row
your r. rr-
ney has been long and perilous, but now the burden will
be lifted from yoLr Approach, my friend, and hand the
sphere io me; it will pass through the walls of ihe Prism
if you move rt slowly Approach, and have no fear
'
I[ you wish to give thc Aleph to Globus, turn to
]38,
if
not , t um t o 25.
t87
You throrv yourself at the harness of the leading war
beast, clutchng at th decorations thaL hanS from ihe
plates of shining armour - buL your grip fails and you
fall lo the gror.rnd beneath the flarling hooves of the talL
,88-389
creatules. Roll one die and lose that much sr-lvrN,c.
If you are still alive, you jump to your feel as soon as
the hunt has passed. Test your Luck If you are Lucky,
tum to r83. If you are Unlucky, turn lo
3jE.
t 8E
A swarm of black shapes, looking like hundreds of
scraps of cloth, is dropprng out of the sky.'Black
Shadowsl' screams Lhe ManLir leader. 'Black Shadows
are coming, and Lhe herds are unprotected. We have
been distracted from dur duty by this sLranger. Curse
Globus! His pebs will feed on our Colepods - and on us
if we remain unpreparedl Mantirs, defend yourselvesl'
The sky is alive wiLh the flapping, flailing creatures the
Marlr called Black Shadows. As they drop closer lo
the ground, you see thaL each one is in fact a humanoid
creatur, with long arms, legs, ears and tail, all of which
are connected by the membrane of black skin that
allows it to fly. You notice also Lhe malevolent red
eyes, the long sharp {angs, and the talons at the end of
all four limbs. The Mantirs are huddled logelher face-
down on the ground, spears arrd spiked tails thrust rnto
the air. The Black Shadows are swooping close4 wrll
you run ftom them (tum to z5z), or sfand and fight
(tum
to r2o)? If you have a Hunting-Hom, you may
blow it by tuming to
Jo9
389
The Grappler is Lhe robot thaL is in charge of this
survey's ship's wildlife collechon As far as it is con-
cerned, you are an escaped animal and must bc recap-
390
tured. Manoeuvdng swiftly on its moving tracks, it
blocks your atLempLs to sidestep and, exlending its
telescopic limbs, it closes in on you.
The Grappler has 10 poinls of sKrLL. You fight it rn
the normal way, except thaL whenever it succeeds in
hi t t i nS you. i t doe. nol aI Fect your sl AMl NA: i n
stead, it wraps a mefal tenlacle around you, reducing
your sK[L by z points Whenever you succeed in
hitting it, roll a dre.rf you roll a
5
or a o, you nave
managed to strike near a vital elechonic circuit, and the
Grappler's srrn is reduced by j pornts. lf you
succeed in reducing the Crappler's sKrLL lo zeto,
'Lum
to
tj;
if the Grappler reduces your srrrr Lo
zero, tum to
37r
190
You drarv your sword and charge inlo thc midst of the
glass flowers, stdking to right and lefl as you run The
air is filled with the noise of splinlering glass and the
wailing shrieks of the flowers but there are rrarry rnore
blooms Lhat remain, on all sides of you, squirting acrd
from wrthin lheir petals. You cnnnoL avoid being hil;
the amounl of damage you suffer depends enlirely on
the speed n'ilh whrch you can cut your way through
the flowers- Roll lhree drce, and compar the total to
vour s(rLL. If the Lotal is greater than your sKrLL,
you are wounded by ihe flowers' corrosrve spray: lhe
difference between the two ffgures is the number of
srAMrNA points you lose If you survive, you emerge
on the other side of the flowerbed wifh your clothes m
smoking tatters; but you are able to continue towards
the Vitreous Ciiadel Turn to jr6.
t 9r-192
39r
The gaLehouse is r-mdefended. The portcullis is rarsed
and the hea,,y wooden doors have fallen from their
hinges. You continue across a rubble strewn courtyard
and into a large hall which conLains nothing but worm
eaten furniture, rotling tapesLries, dust and cobwebs.
And then you hear voices. You are rooted to the spol,
unable io tell where Lhe sounds are coming from. The
voices are charged wiLh emoLion, shouting, sobbing
and shrieking, and seem to be involved in a bitler
argument about the Nursery Tower. Then all is silent
again - untrl you hear once more the eene scream, loud
at first, then fadrng, and finally cut off by a distant
thump. All rs qurel again, but the silence rs more
oppressive Lhan the noises- Yor.r tum Lo leave, only to
6nd your way blocked by two 6gures, a man and a
woman, who advance on you with outstrelched arms
You carvrot run back rnto Lhe couriyard will you flee
into lhe castle
(Lum
to 262), or will you aLtack the
couple (turn
to
34)?
192
You have reached the innernost chambcr of the Vitrc-
ous Citadel. This was the throne room and workshop
of the Archmage Globus; now, as dim lighls begin lo
glow along the walls, you see that ihe room is bare.
The hall is so long that, in the poor light, you cannot
see Lhe far end. You tum to lhe door behind you but
find thal it is locked, and you can see no other exil The
silence is oppressive and you sense lhat your long
)ourney
is about [o reach its lrnal conflict. You prepare
yourself for a confrontation wilh Globus, bul suddenly
t9t-39t
a dazzling beam of hght, thrown from the far end of the
hali, catches you and holds you fast An invisrble
force prevents you from moving; you can feel bands of
pressure abouL your body, gripping yoq and sgueezrng
you more and more lightly- You cannot breathe, and
the pressure increases relentlessly. If Baratcha is with
you, tum Lo
47
ll yo:u are alone, but have a seven
poinLed Tahsman, tum to r4J. Otherwise, tum to
3ro
393
You are unable to resist the call of the Ministrel's harp.
On unsleady legs you stagger towards the Minstrel,
but he merely smiles as he raises his sword Your
advenlure ends here.
t94
As your sword blade arcs lhrough the aia the Black
Shadow releases its hold on the wall and leaps towards
you. The creafure screeches as your weapon slices
through its membranous folds of skin, but it drops on
to you and rakes you with its talons. Preparing anolher
blow, you step back into the empty air. For a second
you stand wrth one foot on the stairway, arms flailing,
then one final blow of the Black Shadow's claw sends
you plummeiint foom the side of the tower to your
deafh on the rocks below.
195
You unwrap the bundle and lift up the sphere. It is no
longer shrning and its movrng landscapes are obscured
by grey clouds. The Dragon peers at rt through her
spectacles, and frowns
t9t)
'Oh dear me,' she mutters. 'l really don't think that
ought to be here at all- It's a very un Limbolike fhin8,
rf you see whal I mean. I advise you to take it to our
Artefacfs Speciaiist I[ anyone knows what it is, he
does His name is Wayland, and his office is a few
minutes'walk along that corrider. But do be careful,
he's a bit of a praclical
joker.
I shouldn't touch the
knocker on hrs door if I were you. Now be off with
youl'
Will you follow the Dragon's pointing finger (tum to
243), or set off in another direchon to explore the
corridors of ihe Library
(tum
to 27t)?
196
You advance to
'ards
the Prism, shielding your eyes
from the rncandesce-nce that pulses across its facets
You press Lhe Alcph against the sLrrface and, afler
meetinS some resistance, lhe sphere drops into lhe
wailing hands of the Archmage. For sevcral seconds he
gazes at it in wondermenl; Lhen his face twrsts with
scom 'At
last you have seen reason,' he spits,
'but
sadly for you if
js
too laLe. The Spectral Stalkers are
here, and while under my charm they rnust seek and
destroy the hoider of the Aleph - noll'
Clobus's face is transformed into a mask of terror as he
realizes thal fie is now the bearer o[ the Aleph. You
look up and freeze in horror as the four monstrous
demons lurch and spring towards the Prism You back
away, but the nightmarish creatures pay no attention to
you Their
Blittering
eyes are frxed on the Aleph their
wriggling fentacles are hungry only for Globus's
197
blood. In desperatron he hurls the Aleph away, but it
bounces off the inside of the Prism and retums to his
hands. Then towering skeletal legs shatter the bright
planes of the Prism, and the Spectral Stalkers are upon
him. You tum away as they snatch him inLo the air and
begin to rend his body. l\hen you look back, he is
dead. one of the Spectral SLalkers retrieves fhe Aleph
and places it carefuily nexl to the Archmaget tom
corpse Then, free at last, the Spectral Slalkers fade into
the air Tum to
4oo
tgl
Walking away from the clJff you find that you are not,
as you fust thought, at its foot You are on a ledge,
below which the cliff drops precipitously to a
Sreen
valley You can find no path leading up or down the
face of the clift but a litlle way from the portal there is
a large flat-lopped boulder on which you sit to watch
the sunrise- If you have some Provisions you can eat a
meal and rest ore up t o
4
poi nl s of sTAMI NA.
As ihe sun clears the peak oi the highest of the distant
mouniains, ils li8ht touches the surface of the boulder
and a paltern apfears, etched in the stone It is a
diagram of a maze sunounding a lar5;c central area, the
maze has only one entrance, and next to rt is engraved
a symbol a triangle sumounted by a circle Abovc
the maze is an inscription, THI5EvEN COURI-!',4RD5
OF SEMTION CRYPTOGLYPHOS, and beLow it are
three rhymrng verses You assume that th porLal in the
cliff-face is the entrance io the maze.
,i98
maze - in olhcr words, you can refer to the inside froni
398
The whife pawn on square Gd accepts
vour decision
gratefully, and makes his only available move side
ways to squarc GJ Therc rs not a single black warrior
t99-lao
in a square that is directly in betueen any two white
wa iors, so you cannot kill any of fhcm Now it is lhe
turn of Burud's black warnors. They do not ven bother
to consult cach oLher, you hear a noisc, and tum to scc
that lhe black pawn on EJ is moving Lo fi You arc in
behreen two black warriorsr and no matter how much
you tltm and rurn a8aln,
,our
amlouf cannor prorecr
you against attack from h{o opposilc srdes Burud v,,ins
thc game and yoLrr adventure ends hcre
'
199
You shout urtil your voice is as weak and exhausted as
your limbs, but no one hears you Your legs are shaking
Lrnconl roLl abl y,
1
our arms bl aze wi t h t he pai n oi supporl -
ing your body, and yor.rr fingers, cdnpletely wjthout
ieeling, refuse to obey you lt is wilh a fceling almost oi
reiief that you lcf
I]o.
400
Dazed, you sjt in a comer of Lhe hallway for some time
Then you pick up {he Aleph and makc your wa-l oul of
the Vlheous Citadel Cracks are appearing in the narble
and glass, you hcar echoes of thundcrous cmshes as
spires and domcs collapse. The Crystal Garden is now a
wilderness oi shatfered glass As you make the long
descent throuth lhe levels of the Zlggurat World you
6nd Lhat the Srlica Serpents havc been reduced to
tlitterint,
insubstnntial husks and thc Black Shadows
ha1,e shnvelled urto drl flaps of skin On the lowest
level of the world the Wcod Elves, Mantirs and Vaskind
receive you as n conquering hero and, during several
days of feasting and reloicing, they load you with grfts
and precious gems At Iast you decide thai you mus:
Lry to rehrm h(nn; retreating fo a sccluded glade in the
foresl, you unpack the Aleph and
lJlze
once again into
its teeming dcpths, all rhe whilc thnlkjng of Khul.
You open your cyes You are sitting rn a comfield, on :
sLope overlookrng ihe red roois and majeshc cas e or a
smali town. You instantly recognize Neuburg - you are
home. Your backpack is still stuffed with
jewels
bul the
Aleph, to yoLrr disappoinfmenL, is nowhere fo be seen
Perhaps it is for the best. no one has th righr to
possess the Alcph; it should always remain lost some
where amonl]sl the my.iad worlds of the Macro
Marc lishtins Fatttsv
THE TROLLTOOTH WARS
Steoe
lackon
Ir stdted with an ambush when Balrhus Dirds bloodlustins Hil
GobliB nomt their raid on the Skongam caavd, little do lhey
realize what drmatic consequences their aclions will hav For that
eravd cmie, cmelworr. a mysricl he# ftom E6rm Atlmsia.
deslined for none othq than the enl sorceror zhaFada. Mad War
btween two fores well maLhed foi evil h soon to eftue
Will Balthus Dire's chaotrG oi Zha.radan Mdt undead prov vic
tonous? The mswr is here, i. the Iirsl FiAhting Fantasy nowel
DEMONSTEALER
Marc Gaffii{ne
It
"rrrpd
i ll c budfl Bon. clofl on lhe bdrL of cn
' nren.e
bat, a sinisler thief breaks into the towd of the sor.erer Yekodo
Guided by long dead voicds, he hanages lo mke of! with an
an.ient scrollwhose secrets coutd spell doon and dstruchon for all
Chadda Dtukmane is soon on the tra of the ttrref 3ut as th quest
grows ever lon8et his nagAing doubts about thc powcr of sorcery
tlr inlo nightnarcs The traillads far beydnd norlheh Allansia, fd
the Piiate Coasl nd the twEhng alleyways of Rino' r, where
Ddkmnet nightmdes b{on lleshl For the tlnef has 6ed the
mcie.t scroll to summon oih to help him in his sorccrcus hsL
Demons who are nol bodd by the .onslrainh oI earthly foim
who feast on the humn sprnt
,A ie! biave .onpdio.s rcompany Ddkmane, but will they be
enough - md n tme - to stop the thEf from ulocbng lhe ftnal
secret oI Yaztronot sio]|al Dnantlethr, the second FightinA
Fanfasy novelin a se.i.s th:f bEEr^ witl\ ftu rtu||t.Dth Vld^, holds
5r.!.
/d.Ld,!
SORCI RY
1 Tln Shttttmti tlill'
Your $d.h Lt thc legendar} Crorn oI
(Dsr
hkc
ldu
lo the
Shamut$ti Hills Al' r. rLith elil.realues, hbls\ FandereG md
L.lo.dtl-Jnl} m.nnd' tl-. i.nd rs.ddlei .ill, ln.Is af!] tif: hirr
l n8 f or i he un\ r , i el l er l \ i l l r . ! b. r 5l , r o. r . $ t l i c l . l l !
srieir and ptu,res,i to the s..on,i part ol tird Lcnt(. !r vll !o(
I Khnr i Cr t pr t j . l 7
t !
As a waflor rely' nlj or f(tr.. oI rrns, or a wizr' d lrrined ur ma8i.,
yo! musl bravc Lh. tliior oI a oty bu,lt h) li,t lhe unr{ar} i' ou
Nillnccd all your LLits about yo! lr rurive lfc unlmrginable hoi
ros anead and to Jnrlc scns di the .hres w]rr.h nr.y lead to
!-.our
su..es - or ro your doon
:r ]lrr i,frrr 5/rt,n.
seven dead\ ' i nd mr s. aLseaent s r pe. d i hci d . { you t o wan t h.
evil ArchmaSc .l your comrnS vlil
-v.u
b. ible lo crt.h ihen
1 th! atlui) at Ktu,,
Al the end of you. l(rE trck r,.u
ir.e lhe nnkn.hn tedo^ or the
Mmang Fortres ll' ddm iNrde lhe kecp r5 thf Crowf ol KnSs
lhe dhmzte
Boal
oi thd i.r.!qr ep,c BLt h.\r,( Ior rr
' ou
ha$
..i CcfutcJ thr Sc\en Serp.nt\
)cur
trrnr,l has bren &1i.,
ConFlctc r"ith ill the mrgi.al \pcllr
)d!
hiLl nced ea.h book.rn
be playeC eLthei oi l\ ow. or ns parL aa lhr wh.lc eptr
Maft Fithtt"x Eant"sv
THE TROLLTOOTH WARS
shDe
lacLw
It sta.ted with d mbuh Who Balthus Di.e's bloodlusting Hill
Goblins oount their hid on the Strongm cdavd, littl do lhey
realize what diamati consequences their actioN will have For that
@ravan cdis cmelwon, a mFti.al helb ftom bstm Atlmia,
dstined for nDne othtr than the evil sor.ror Zhanadan Mn! War
- btween two forGs weu-mLhed for evil is soon lo ensure
Will Balthus Dne' s chaoti.s or Zhmadm Md s hdead prove vic
bnoud The dsw. h hde, in the {irst FightinA Fantasy novel
DEMONSTEALI R
Mat Ga{oisfle
Ir stdted wfth a bu.slar-. Bome alofr o. the back of m rmense
bat, a srnEter lhief breaks into thc rowar of the tor@rer Ydhoho
Guided by lons-dead voicer, he manases to nale off wth an
m.ieht scroll whose seaek could sDlldoom nd dshu.tion lor aU
Chadda Ddkna.e is soo. on the trail of the thief. lut as lhe quest
Srows
ewer loneet hh nagging doubls about the power of sorcery
tlm into nlghlmdes The lmil leads far beyond no.them Allansia, to
the Pirate Coast md the twEhng alleyqays of Rih6n, wher
Ddlmane's nightm{es become flesh For the thif has used the
ancienl scroll lo sumnon oths fo help him in his sorc;rcus ldk
Denons who de not bdmd by the .onstraints of ea*hly loms
who feast o. lhe hmm spiril
A l.w bEve compdions a.compmy Ddkmane but will they be
enough and in tim. - to slop the thref f.om ulockng the 6tu1
secret of Yufromo's sctolll Dtnodeakt, the second lghting
Fantasy novelin a series rhat Legan witf Tle lrol/roorl' w,6, holds