TEXT: ct)
  Fl
  trl
  o
  ch
  z
  o
  o
  
  Puffin Books
  CREATURE OF HAVOC
  Evil is lesi€rin8 in Trollt@th Pass The ne.roman.erZharradanMadis
  close to stealin8 the sedets oI Elven hdgi., which will mak€ him
  invrncibl€ Nothing could then prevenl hLm and his legions oI Chaos
  tom taking owe. the whole of Alansia, which is his foul purpo6e
  But qhat does the Cieatuie of Havoc know or ca.e about aU this? Itis a
  creatureof instin.t, ruledbyhunSerandrage Itisunabletospeakand
  the speech ofoth€ls is incomprehensible Ithasa tastclorlightingand
  for the flesh of other deatures Moreover, in thi. unique lighting
  Fantasy adventure, the Creature oI Havo. is Y O Ul
  lut during the couse of the adventure, it nal b. possible lor you to
  begin to conholyour bestialnature, rt may be possible foryou to find
  oul more rbou t _you6elI, it mav even be po$ible lor you lo lerm vour
  desbny and charge you aidess ensl€nc€ with me.nin8 .nd purpos€
  And to doall this, aI you have to dois sudire
  All you need 6 hro dice, a pen.il and an €raser, to €mbalk on ttus
  thrillin8adventure Many dmgers lieaheadand your success !s by no
  neans.ertain Powertul adversa.ies rre r.nSedatainstyou, and it's uP
  to YOU to decide which route to fouow, which danSers to.isk an.l
  St€ve tackson C the cojounder, wrlh Ian Lrvingstone, o( th€ Gamcs
  Workshop chain, which speciallzes 
  in fantasy Eam€s and wargane, of
  
  Fi8hrin! F.rblt 
  c.cb@tr
  By STEVE |ACKSON
  THE WARIOCK OF FIRE'IOP
  TH[ (I'ADIL 
  OF CHAOS
  THE TOREST OF DOOM
  STARsHIP TRAVE!LER
  DT^THTRAP DUNCEON
  ISLAND OF IHI TIZ^RD KINC
  CAVERNS OF THE S\OW WITCH
  T LISMAN OT DE TH
  II]E RINCS OF KETHER
  ^PPOINTMFNT 
  !!JTH f E A R
  DEMONS OF THE DEIP
  sievr lack$n,< sRctRYr
  2 Kh.F-Cityp.dolTBF
  f rCHTr\C 
  FANTa9t -Ttc lnrn nLcrcryl(o...ot,v leCa!.
  IHr RloDLl\C Rreven -Se.""o,to,tr,cr,g.h.f,.-.,y
  OUT OF rflE l,tT-Fi8hringfanbry 
  Monerc6
  f ITAN-The FrEhrrnat!nhry Wortd
  CREATUR
  OF
  HAVOC
  Ilustrated by Alan Langford
  Colour tup by Dave An<lrews
  SI{ORD OF TIJE sAMURAI
  TRIAL Of CHAMPIONS
  CREATURT OF HAVOC
  IIE NEATH NIGHTMARE CASTLI
  CRYTT OF THI sORCERER
  U^TlLEDLADEWARRIOR
  SLAVES OF THE ABYSS
  DACGERS OF DAR(NESS
  VAULT Ots THT VAMTIRE
  PUFFIN BOOKS
  
  To Rob and Anne
  CONTENTS
  PUFFIN BOOXS
  Pubtished 
  b! rhc pcnguin cmw
  , wnehh I dfr., rjndnn w3 5Tz.6dmd
  v'rins tun8uin l( ..r0 ss, 
  \rd sndf'. Nc" y.*. 
  Nis yo,{ t{r1t0 usA
  pcnguin Brcr. A6,'a . t,d R,rswru, \,.ro1, {u.ni:
  Pe Su'n BonksCdnL\tJ j rd. a4t Jobn \ueer. Mrhndfr. o Lno , 4nailJ,lR tBd
  IeDgliniookl (NZ)Lrd 
  182 tsoW 
  ru Ro.d, Atrchtind r0, Ner zcatrnd
  Iengli. looks Lrd, Rcgirtered orfi e!: Htrrmonds*odh, Middlesex. Etrgtind
  ADVENTURE SHEET
  o
  HOW TO FIGHT CREATURES OF
  TROLLTOOTH PASS
  E
  TALES OF TROLLTOOTH PASS
  t4
  tud publiched t9lt{i
  791036
  copri-qhr @ srcve Jacr$n, 1936
  lllBtabons 
  oplTehr @ Atan LrDstord r$6
  Att righs reseBcd
  Pnnred and bound h Crlar Bririin bv
  Cor&wym{nLt!, 
  R.ddng
  Typ.sci in rrnoro, Prldino by
  Ro*land phordiyp.s.ntrs r_Ld
  Buiv sr Ednnnd!. suffolk
  Exopr in the Untred Srrres ofAm.rG.
  this book is $ld subjed b rhc @dnion
  rh[ n shall nor. bt *dr or r.d. o. o$cNi*.
  b. r.nl, rc,$ld. hiEd ouq or orheDis ordlj,@d
  vlhour th€ pub}sh.as pnor .ons
  b'ndins or overorher fian rhar in *n,;h ir k
  puhhhcd .nd withour a similn .onditron
  includmg ihh .ondnrn bcir8 impoed
  on be subseqDcnt 
  pur0hdser
  CREATURE OF HAVOC
  
  ENTURE SHEET
  ENCOUNTERBOTTS
  ITEMS CARRIED AND
  INFORM,ATION
  SkrLl=
  SKILL
  skitl:
  STAMIN A
  Initial
  Stunn1a:
  LUCK
  Skrl1:
  Sktlt=
  SKiII:
  skilt:
  skti/=
  skill:
  
  HOW TO FIGHT CREATURES
  OF TROLLTOOTH PASS
  Before embarking on your adventuie, you must filst
  deternine your shengths and weaknesses. Use dice
  to find out your initial srtLL, sr,LvIx,r and lucx
  scores. On pages 6-7 thele is an Adoentwe Sheet
  on which you can record the details of an adventure.
  You will 6nd on it boxes for recording your srrr,r,,
  9TAMINA and LUCK SCOfeS.
  You are advised eithet to record your scoEs on the
  Adoenlure Shcet r^ pelr.ol, or to make photocopies of
  the page to use in future advenfules.
  Those who are lamiliar with the FightinS Fantasy
  rules should note that there are some new rules in
  this book.
  Skill, Stamina and Luck
  Roll one die. Add 6 to this number and enter this
  total in the sxrr-t, box oi the AdtEnture Shcet.
  Roll both dice. Add 12 to the number .olled and
  enter this total in the sreurre 
  tmx.
  There is also a LUc( box. Roll one die, add 5 to this
  number and enter this total in the LUc(box.
  For rcasons that will be explained below, sxrrr,
  STAMINA and LUCK scorcs change constantly dur-
  ing an advenfure. You must keep an accurate remrd
  6
  particular page,
  naturally iucky a person you are, Luck _ and magic_
  arc facts of life in the fantasy kingdom you are a6out
  to explote,
  Battles
  First record your opponent,s sKrLL and srAMrNA
  
  r. Roll the two dic€ once for your oPPonent. Add its
  sxrr-I, score. This total is yout oPPonenys Attack
  Strength.
  r. Roll the two dice once for yoursell- Add the
  number rolled to your curent 9KILL score. This
  5. ff both Attack Stlength totals ate the same, you
  have avoided each othe!'s blows - start the next
  AttackRound ftom 6tep l above
  4. You have wounded yout oPPonent, so subtract 2
  points from its STAMINA score. You may use
  yout rucx her€ to do additional damage (see
  overr.
  j. Your opponent has wounded you, so subbact 1
  point from your own srA M I N a score. Again you
  reduced to zero (death).
  In6tant Death
  As you leam more about yourself during the adven-
  ture, you will rea-liz€ that you lne an extremely
  powefful (Teature, capable of killing most op-
  ponents with a single blow. lt yo'u toll a double
  when rolling for your Attack Strength, then you
  have landed such a death-dealing blow. Your
  opponent will di€ instantly, without the need to
  resolve the particular Attack Round you are in.
  Fighting More Than One Opponent
  If you are involved in a fight with more than one
  opponent, you must chooge at the start of each
  Attack Round which of the opponents you will be
  directing yorr own attack towards. Roll ihe dice (or
  each of the combatantg. Resolve your own attack
  against your chosen opponent as normal (if you win
  he loses z srr.vrr.r.l points, if he wins you lose t
  srAMrNA Point). Then you must comparc your
  own Attack Strength (i.e, the one you have just
  rolled) against that of arl the other opponents. Any-
  one with a lrigrrer Attack Strength than yous will
  score a hit against you. You cannot score hits against
  anyone except the opponent you chose at the sta
  of the round, even iJ your Attack Strength is higher
  than one or more of the otheropponents.
  
  Luck
  At various times during your adventure, either in
  batdes or when you come across sifuations in which
  you could either be lucky or unlucky (details of
  these are given on the pages themselves), you may
  call on yourluck to make the outcome more favour-'
  able. But beware! Using luck is a riskybusiness arrd
  if you are rrlucky, the results couldbe disashous.
  The procedure for using your luck is as follows: roll
  two dice. If the numbet rolled is equel to or less thall
  yorlr curTent LUc( score, you have been Lucky and
  the result will go in your favour If the nurnber
  rolled is ftEfte,. than your curent LUCK score, you
  have been Unlucky and you will be penalized.
  This procedure is known as Testing your Llrck Each
  ij'r.e yofi TesL !ou/ Lrck, you must subtract 1 point
  ftom your current LucK score. Thus you will soon
  realize that the more you rely on your luck, the more
  risky this will become.
  Usitlg Luck in Battles
  On certain pages of the book you willbe told to Tesf
  your Luck al].d wtllbe told the consequences of your
  being Lucky or Unlucky. However, in battles, you
  always have the opfiofl of using your luck either to
  inllict a more sedous wound on a creafure you have
  justwounded, or [o minimize the effects ofa wound
  the creature has just inflicted on you.
  Ifyou havejust wounded the creature, you may Test
  yoltr Luck as d,escrlbed above. lf you are Lucky, you
  a2
  have inflicted a severe wound and may subtract an
  erha 2 points fiom the creafure's STAMTNA score.
  However, if you are Unlucky, the wound was a
  mere Sraze and you must restorc 1 point to the
  creafule's STAMTNA (i.e. instead of scodng the
  normal 2 points of damage, you have now scored
  omy 1).
  If the creature has just wounded you, you may Tesf
  your Luck to try to nlnimize the wound. lf you are
  Lucky you have managed to avoid the full damage
  of the blow, and need not deduct any srAMrNA
  points. If you are Unlucky, you have taken a more
  serious blow. Subhact 1 erfl4 sTAMTNA point.
  Remember that you must subtact 1 point ftom you:r
  own L u cK score each titrne you Test yout Luck,
  r3l
  
  TALES OF TROLLTOOTH PASS
  The Creature ol Haooc advenfure takes Place in the
  region ofAllansia where the dustyWindward Plain
  meets Trolltooth Pass. North ofthe Pass, the Forest
  of Spiderc and the Moonstone Hills hide dark
  secrets; this is the re8ion that the necromancer
  Zhanadan Marr considers his own. To the 8outh,
  the town of Salamonis stands as the last vestiSe of
  civilization before rhe rolling hills become the
  mountainous reaches of Balthus Dile's Claggen
  Heights.
  Westwards, the leatureless Windwald Plain leads
  the way towards Port Blacksand and the Westeln
  Ocean. The Dlain is a vital trade-route between
  eastem Alhn;ia and both western Allaflsia and the /
  Old world. wares are brought to the west by mer-
  chants' caravans, which are heavily guarded by
  hired warriors, known as StoflSarms, whose iob
  is to see that the caravans pass safely acloss lhe
  Flaflands, those treacherous \,r'a3les east of Troll-
  tooth Pass.
  Once through the pass, the Strongarms leave the
  caravans at Chalice or Silverton and Pick uP another
  caravan making the return ioumey. Some Prefer
  the peace and quiet of smaller villages like Coven
  and Drystone, but not even the most courageous
  Strongarm will 
  stay near Dree, home of the
  witch-women,
  7.4
  Dree - village of the witch-women
  A dark village nestling in the fork of two dve$ like a
  viper in its nest, Dree is a magnet for miscreants and
  black-hearted cledtures. lt came into being origin-
  ally as the home of the etled hag-witch Romeena
  Dree, who had been banished ftom the town of
  Salamonis for her hideous magical experiments.
  Not content with the more acceptable forms
  of witchsaft - curses, foretelling the future,
  love-potions and herbal remedies she turned her
  attentions to the essence of life itself.
  Romeena Dree developed a fascination for what
  became known as zazrangha - the transplanting of
  limbs and organs from one cleafuie to another by
  magical means and was obsessed by the desire to
  cleate a sort of hybrid super-creature. Her magic
  was used on both men and beasts and it left many
  mutant mixfures of each species suffering in the
  Sutters of Salamonis. Her uile witchcraJt was
  branded as an unholy insult to the sanctity of life;
  she was on the verge of displeasing the gods of
  Salamonis. Thus she was banished from dre town.
  She was taken in chains to a olace far north of
  Salamonis and there rcleased. This olace was in the
  fork between the Deedlewater ana Spider rive6,
  and there Romeena Drce made her home . . . and
  continued her expedments.
  Though exiled from Salamonis, she was not without
  her devotees and many of her fellow hag-witches
  from Salamonis made the pilgdmage to visit or even
  15
  
  ioin Romeena in Dtee, as the growing village be-
  came known. And from other areas of Allansia
  witch-women ioined the Srowing community,
  where thev could practise their black arts freely and
  leam more of the aeveloPing art of mar:rangha from
  Romeena herself
  Outsiders 
  who 
  sailed the Deedlewater and
  happened across the witch-women's village were
  ho';fiedat the sights theysaw. semi-creatures w-ith
  dreadful deiormities were left in lhe steets to sutler
  - indescribable monste$, which by fi8hts should
  never have geen life at all, but were now doomed to
  scratch a living in the gutters of Dree This they
  did by murdering and feeding off other creatures
  whosl mutations-were such that they could not de-
  Iend themselves or escaPe. Hell itself could surely
  not boast that it6 minions were as wretched as
  the marrangha-sPawned deatures of Dree'
  The witch-women revelled in their creations ln
  thei! eyes, Euch suffering was inevitable and they
  coneidired theit creahons no more than living
  traderc as curiosities and many a:re to be seen in the
  travelling circus€s which tour Allarrsia
  Dree's notoriety spread and, the greedy eyes of
  opportunistic trad;rs tutned towards the villa8e'
  T;dinE in witchcraft was a time-<onsuming busi-
  ab
  ness, since witches tend to be hemit-like creafures
  living alone in obscure places. II hade lin-ks could be
  established with Dree, how convenient it would be
  to buy potions, charms, curses and enchanted otF
  jects frorn a single place! Or so merchants thought -
  but setting up trading links was not easy. All visitors
  to Dree who were not practising witches were at
  first greeted warmly, but when the crafty witches
  felt their visitor had rclaxed hjs guard, a simple
  potion was administered to enable him to be cap-
  turcd easily, This was how the witches acquired
  fresh subjects foi their expedments!
  The first kader to venture intoDreeand survivewas
  Ganga of Mirewater. His enterprise was to be
  admi.ed and he made handsome profits from his
  trading. He was the frst to realize that the only way
  to trade successfully was to enter Dree with goods
  the witches valued, but could not get elsewhere. He
  scoffed athis forerunners, who took in exotic fruits,
  jewels, fine silks and spices. Each one had finished
  upwitha Clawbeast's arms, a Lizard Man's face or a
  Mungie's brain-ifhe was allowed to live at all.
  Canga took in not spices, but herbs - Sculliweed,
  Medusa Grass, Curseleaf, Purity Plant and the like,
  He took in dried Goblinlivers, Manticore stings, Elf
  eyes and pulped Flesh Grub juice. The witches
  became willin8 pafiners in his tradin8 activities and
  it was many years before other traders appeared
  with similar items of witchcraft and deDrived him of
  his profitable monopoly. But by the; Ganga had
  aheady made his fortune.
  17
  
  The Women of Dree
  The witch-women formed aI insular community.
  They very rarely leave the village of Dree and usual-
  ly then only in spiritual form. However, Romeena's
  younger sisters delighted in appearing to the world
  outside. These thr€e, known as the Women of Dree,
  have become infamous around Trolltooth Pass for
  appearing to kavellers and Strongarms, to warn
  them ofsomethingor send them onmissions. Their
  unexpected appearance is terrifying and may lead
  an unwary traveller to distrust them. Certainlythey
  are known to have sent many an adventure! on a
  pointless mission melely injest. But theydo seem to
  have some sort of maternal instinct towards man-
  kind and they are probably feared more than they
  ought to be. There is no evidence of their actually
  causing harm to those whom they have chosen to
  meet, unlike theii neighbours in Dree.
  The rest of the world would be happy to leave Dree
  alone, so long as the women kept to themselves. But
  one or two witches have been known to leave Dree
  and settle in lhe Iands of men. Usually they estab-
  lish themselves in harmless occupations, as herbal-
  ists (like Vitriana in the Forcst of Yore), fortune-
  tellers (like Rosina near Coven) or cooks (like the
  sisters of Sheena in Balthus Dre's citadel), But oc-
  casionally one of the witch-women will leave Dre€ in
  search of mischief. This was the origin of the ill repute
  ofthe vilage. And more recendy, with the strength-
  ening of Zurradan Marls power, Dree has eamed
  the abject hatred of the peoples of Trolltooth Pass.
  a8
  Zharradan Marr the N€cmmancer
  It was Romeena's sisters who secretly r"aised the
  inlant Zharradan. No one knows who fathered the
  child, but the most likely candidate is one of the
  numerous Hell Demons coniured up by the witch-
  women during their black masses. Some, hor,yever,
  prefer to believe that the necromancer is mercly a
  product of another of the marrangha experiments.
  Being the only man-child in a village of witch-
  women, the sisters removed him from the village
  and raised him somewhere in the Moonstone Hi l.
  When he was old enou8h, Zhafadan was sent east
  into the Fladands to be educated. He had already
  shown skill in simple sorcery, and the witches
  wished him to study the magic a s under a teachet
  of great repute. This man was VolgeE Darkstorm,
  and the young Zharradan was accepted as his pupil
  a.long with h|'o others, Balthus Dire and Zagor.
  The three of them studied hard and perfected the
  black arts with a skill which Dalkstor; 
  had never
  geen in any of his previous pupils, The three became
  both friends and rivals, each respectint the others'
  skills, but each skiving to prove that his were the
  greatest.
  It was during his studies that Zhamdan changed
  his name, Zharadan Drce, as he was called, was a
  name that embarrassed him. Dree was the village of
  witches, and the name was a constant rcminder of
  their primitive rnagic with its simple herbatism and
  curses. The only interest Zharradan had in his home
  t9
  
  was the witches' fascination with malrantha, 
  a
  subject that obsessed him.
  He changed his name with a single gPell which he
  had leamed especially from an ancient black-magic
  tome. One midsummer night he locked himself
  away from sunset to sundse to complete the ritual
  When he emelsed, Zharradan Dree wag a name
  which had been-erased from the minds of everyone
  who had ever heard of it. Instead, flom that time
  onwards, all knew of the young man as Zharradan
  Man.
  Marr arld his co-pupils learned at a rate which
  astonished the ageing Darkstom, who soon be-
  came fearful of thet poweis. When they sen8ed
  their mentor's weakness, the three eventually
  turned their allesiance from him towards them-
  selves and they revelled in the power thattheir new
  skills brought. In their own minds they became
  powerful demigods, scornlul of the pathetic world
  around them. When Volgera Darkstoim iealized
  how dangerous his pupils were becoming, he tried
  to stop them. The resultwas a short, bloodybattle of
  magic between them which ended as the'Demonic
  Three' (as ihey called themselves collectively) cut
  down their teacher with a carefully disguised Rain
  of Knives spell-
  After lootin8 the old wizard's library, the young
  sorcerers fled Darkstorm's home and head€d east
  towards Trclltooth Pass; from there they sought
  refuge in Darkwood Forest, where they eventually
  split up to continue on their own seParate ways.
  20
  Coven
  Zharradan Marr disguised himself as a prospector
  and headed south towards the village of Coven, a
  half day's journey from his home in Dree. Though
  his disguise was merely a sham to enable him to
  build an underground stronghold for his future
  operations/ he was astonished to find gold deposits
  in the ground. He immediately realized that with
  gold he could recruit an army, and soon his Yellow-
  stone Mines were making him a powerful - and
  wealthy-man. His real ambition, however, wasnot
  to become merely wealthy but to rule over his own
  empire and eventually over the whole of Allansia.
  But this he could not do alone. He had already
  recruited Vallaska Roue, a well-rounded human
  h'ith a fiery temper, to supervise his mines. Roue
  rvas a scruJly character, but he had a will of iron and
  shared Marr's thirst for power. His loyalty to his
  masterpersuaded Marr to shate his secretambitions
  with Roue and between the two of them thev laid
  plans of conquest. Vallaska Roue was dispatched 
  ro
  find suitable ofdcers for Marls almy. Mealwhile.
  Man himself was deep in thought: he had recently
  heard a story which was occupying his mind-
  Hannicus, a wizatd ol neuhal alignment, had
  arrived in Coven to gather supplies to take back to
  his home in Knot Oak Wood. During his visit, he
  had burnped into Zharradan Marr. After some
  hours of talk, Man offered Flannicus a Dosition
  within his underground complex, looking alter Lhe
  
  area in which he held his office, outside the mines.
  Hannicus gratelully accepted. MarIrealized thaf the
  wizard knew much about the suBounding regions
  and he plessed Hannicus for more and moie of his
  knowledge. Among other tales, Hannicus told
  Zharradan the legend of the Vapours of Stittle
  Woad.
  The Rainbow Ponds
  Hidden deep within the darkdepths oftheForest oI
  Spiders, sheltered from prying eyes by tall Speartip
  trees, isan enchantedglade Though outsiders have
  neveiseen this glade (thus no storycan everfully be
  believed), it is said to contain a number of beautiful
  rock-pools. As if designed by the gods themselves,
  each pool is decorated with brightly coloured
  flowers which bloom throughout the seasons, Tall
  orange lilies, scented with sweet perfumes, se
  from the waters. Each pool is ftinged with bouquets
  of colourful peacock flowers. And shining silver-
  trlls are scattered around them, tinkling faintly as
  the wind disturbs their delicate silver flowers. The
  pools are wondrous tobehold in their fullsplendour
  and are known as the Rainbow Ponds.
  But the Rainbow Ponds are so called not because of
  their adornment by the mostbeautiful flowers in the
  whole of Allansia, but rather becaus€ of the waters
  contained within the pools themselves For each of
  the Rainbow Ponds is a differcnt colour. This
  extraordinary natural featureis said bysome simply
  to b€ a matter of crystal deposits in the rock
  Vost likely this is the rnagrc of the Elves.
  Needless to say, speculation abounds abouf the
  mysterious properties of the Rainbow ponds. The
  lurquoise pond, iL is said, brings the gift of beduty.
  oarhtng ln the waters of the amber pool before
  attempting a new skill will ensure exiellence no
  matler whether this skill be a mental or a physical
  one. And the ruby pool bestows charismatic
  powerst no one may meet such a bather without
  c\periencing immediate feelings of affection and
  frrendship- Perhaps some or peihaps none of these
  sto es ate true. No one can be fotrnd wno nas evet
  Stittle Woad
  The most recent stodes oI the Rainbow ponds have
  caused great excitement among adventurers and
  explorers. For rumour has it that the ponds form
  part of the domain of the white-haired iryood Elves
  of Stittle Woad.
  
  The Elven village of Stittle Woad, or Eren Durdinath
  in the Elvish tongue, is a mystery to outsiders
  Protected by Elven magic, no one may discover the
  villase without an invitation from the Elves them-
  selves- And the Elves will admit only those who
  swear to Preserve the secret of its whereabouts.
  But on€ thing is for sure. Eren Durdinath ls to be
  found deep within the ForestofSPiders, and is most
  probably close to the spectacularbeauty of the Rain-
  bow Ponds. Occasionally one or two of the more
  adventurous young Elves can be found outside the
  forest. Cunous about the world beyond thelr tree-
  top kingdom, they will loam abroad, sometimes
  coming into contact with othei laces and - very
  occasionally- ente.ing the cities of men
  One such Elf, known as l-e€ha FalsehoPe, ventured
  as far as the town of Chalice, where he succumbed
  to the temptations that exist in such Places. Stodes
  spread of this mysterious whitehaired creature
  whose manner was so deliShtful that the young
  women of Chalice would follow him wherever he
  went, tittering and offering their favouls. The
  rowdy menfolk knewhim as a regular in the town's
  drinl.ing-€stablishments. They watched in amaze-
  ment as he entered - and won - every drinkinS-
  contest in every inn. At a str€et market he once
  acouired a wel|made mandolin, and \a/ithin a short
  time he was a master of the instrument, delithting
  every audience with his amusing songs.
  As his status rose to that of a celebrity within
  Chalice, folk naturally inquired about his Past At
  first he managed to temain true to his vow oI
  silence. But this only caused rumours to circulate,
  not all of which wele complimentary to Falsehope.
  Eventually he was forced io reveal glimpses of his
  real past. His stoies so enthralledhis listeners - and
  each 'glimpse' spread like wildfire as news around
  ihe town-that he was encouraged to tell more and
  more. Many ofhis stories he set to music and, even
  should have don€,
  ln his drun-ken conversation with a young s€wing-
  !!ench, he not only revealed that Ercn Durdinath
  e\jsted and could be found deep in the Forest of
  Sprders, but his loose tongue told the story of the
  Vapours whose secret had hithe o been (nown
  aov€rup his words, but this merely prompted more
  ind more questions from the crowd. The question
  :nost asked was, 'And what was the name of this
  lillage of yours?', for men find Elven names difficult
  :o pronounce. Falsehope sedrched quickty for a
  n-a me that would throwihem off the track and lrom
  iomewhere deep in his memory the name Stittle
  l\'oad appeared (Stittle Woad is in fact a particular
  tl'pe of dye used by Elves to colour their clothes).
  25
  
  The young Elf was devastated when the effects of
  the ale wore off and he realized what he had done.
  The secrets of generations of Wood Elves had been
  revealed to all and sundry in a common inn. He left
  the town of Chalice and retumed to his home in the
  Forest of Spiders, where he lived the rest of his days
  in drsgrace. Until the day he died he and his family
  were socialoutcasts in Eren Durdinath. Even todav,
  the family of frulia Falsehope, Leeha'5 greal-
  grandson, must bear the shame, rvhich cannot be
  forgotten, ofrevealing the existence ofwhat became
  known as the Vapours of Stittle Woad.
  The vapours of Stittle woad
  Hrgh in the tree-tops of the forest, the Elves are
  protected ftom harm. This ls partly due to their
  magical abilities and their keen eyesight, which is
  able to sDot a likelv intruder well in advance oftheir
  arlival. ilut partli thrs is a protection bestowecl on
  them as a special favour by their gods. The Elves of
  Stittle Woadbelieve themselves tobe a chosen race,
  a belief which has a ring of truth to it.
  After their creation, the gods were astonished at the
  natural grace and beauty of the white-haired Elves
  they had brought to life. The early priests of Shttle
  Woad were offered a 'bargarn' by theircreators. The
  gods promised to watch ovet the Elves and provide
  a good deal more protection than theyafforded their
  other creations. In retum, each generation of Elves
  undertookto choose an Elf maiden tobe Bloomed as
  eventual queen to rule over Eren Durdinath. Each
  26
  hiture queen must be the most perfect child in the
  rillage, a maiden of stunning beauty, charming wit
  :nd faultless grace. And on her eighteenth birth-
  ja,v, she had to undergo a celebratory ritual in
  rrhich she would eventually commune with the
  :ods. This communion represented the greatest
  :onour which could be bestowed on each senera-
  :un. and the longer this communion lastid, the
  :.ore pleased the gods were. During the com-
  :runion, great powers of wisdom al.ld leadership
  !,ere bestowed on the princes5. Afterwards, .hi
  r.ould be recognized as queen of Eren Durdinath.
  '\ ithin four seasons of her accession to the throne,
  :he queen would always give birth. Such a bjrth wiis
  : religious affair, during which the queen was
  trttended only by her priests. When rhe queen left
  ner priests after the birth, she left alone. Only the
  rriests anda handfulof trusted villagers knew what
  :chrally happened at the birth. But all knew the
  :esutt.
  \o normal child rvas born to the queen. Instead the
  :ods gifted the queen with a benevolent spi t - a
  i apour- with a specialpower. Whichever god had
  :\een present at the Elf princess's communion gave
  .lerVapourhis spectalpower, which was to be used
  ;Lisely by her as queen. The Vapour's birth ritual
  :'-as unknown to all but the queen herself and her
  rnests. Butafterbirth the Vapour, safely stored in a
  Jass flask, remained with the pdests. The queen is
  :ble to call on her Vapour only once during her reign
  :nd even then only on one night oftheyear, known
  
  as the celestial equinox, when her god's constel-
  lation takes a certain position in relation to the other
  heavenlybodies.
  Thugruf f and Darramouss
  This was the tale that Zharradan Marr heard from
  the wizard Hannicus. He pressed for more infor-
  mation and was told that the present Elf queen
  Ethilesse was reputed to have given birth to lltfee
  Vapoursl
  Ethilesse was an exceptionally beautiful maiden, so
  durins h€r divine communion she had been visited
  by thiee of the Elven gods: Euthillial, the god of
  languages; Ititia, god of reason; and Alliarien, the
  god of Elf magic. It was this last name that seized
  Zharradan's attention. For, aspowerfulas his magic
  was, that of the Elves was equally Powerful. lf he
  were to acqulre the knowledge of Elven magic as
  well, he would be invincible! Zharadan's sharP
  mind was well aware of the possibilities and he
  thought deeply on the wizard's words.
  But the ways ofElves are secretive and years Passed
  b€fore Zharradan Marr was able to make Plans
  for finding the hidden village of Stittle woad.
  His mines prospered and his Power_bas€ Srew
  Vallaska Roue had retumed with new recruits for
  his forces. ln a seedy inn in Zengls he had come
  across a budy Half-Troll named Thugruff. Whal
  started as a drunken brawl became a firm
  friendship, and Thugnrff agreed to retum with
  Vallaska Roue and ioin in service of Zhanadan
  28
  \lar!. The necromancet took an instant liking to
  Thugruff, not least for his coarse sense of hum--our
  and his healthy sheak of cruelty. He sent Thugruff
  :nto Knot OakWood to rebuild Hannicus's home as
  a hidden training ground, known as the 'Testing
  Crounds', for his troops.
  Hannrcus had little say in the matter. Marr was
  :\'now tiring of the wizard's inephtude. In fact this
  Though Marr had to wait two yearc fo! his arrival,
  Hannios's replacement was far mole suitable for
  :he task. Vallaska Roue had retumed from port
  Slacksand with a sly grin on his face He told of
  an encounte! with a creafure with exceDtional
  ;ualities. Marr listened intently as he heard of
  Darramouss, a Half-Elf and one of the undead.
  according to Roue, he was a tuthl€ss crearure, wno
  r!as totally without remorse and who took pide in
  :L)rture and torment. As an officer in the army, he
  i\as known as one who would always welcome the
  -.rder to kill the prisoners. When this order was
  :tven he would fiIst torture them for his private
  rleasure, then kitl them. Marr liked the so'und of
  ilis creature and liked him even more when the tall
  agure walked in to introduce himself
  Darramouss was immediately given the iob of mas-
  :er of the Yellowstone Mines, a position he excelled
  29
  
  at. His first act was to end the system ofpaying the
  miners for their labours. From thatdayon theywere
  his prisoners, and guards with bullwhips made sure
  that the miners were putting in their best efforts.
  When many of the miners died, he had Thugruff
  scour the counrrylide with his army to brint in more
  slaves. So successful was he that Zharradan Marr
  soon put him in charge of his whole underground
  operation, after making sure that the old fool
  Hannicus would offer no resistance.
  Daga Weaseltongue -The Innocent Traitot
  Thugruff's army grew and prospered, and the area
  of his TestingGrounds became a place of fear where
  forest creatures dared not venture. Perhaps it
  was inevitable, however, that the curiosity of the
  Elves would eventually precipitate a meeting and
  this dubious honour befell a youn8 Elf, Daga
  Weaseltongue, cousin ofErulia Falsehope. A couple
  of Ma 's legionnaires wele strolling through the
  woods when they came across Weaseltongue, train-
  ing his serpent-headed Ophidiotaur. A friendship
  was struck and regular meetings followed. when
  Thugruff heard of this encounter, he sent word to
  Marr, who journeyed immediately to the Testin8
  Grounds, Disguised as a Rhlno-Man, he likewise
  befnended the Elf, and culhvated the friendshiP.
  When he felt he had the white-haired EIf's trust,
  Marr skilfully manipulated Weaseltongue (under a
  Control Creature spell) into stealing the Vapours
  from his own royal pnests. The Vapours were
  10
  stored in his dungeons untilhe could research their
  secrets. Of course, nothing could be leamed about
  the Vapours, as nothingwas known of them outsid€
  Stittl€ Woad. Thus Zharradan Marr resolved to
  Iocate the Elven village.
  The Galleykeep
  \larr knew that the village would never be foufld
  simply by using his letionnaires to search the Forest
  of Spiders. Elf magic would ensure that it remained
  invisible to outsiders. However, reports were
  reaching him of another possibility. From the east, a
  great ship had been sighted. Its pure white sails
  billowed deeply to catch the winds. Its strong
  rsooden hull would b€ almost imDossible to hole.
  And its size was formidable; it would easily hold a
  thouqnd troops. All who had set eyes on the ship
  believed it to be of divine origin. For it travelled not
  through thewater, but through theair!Folk referred
  lo it as lhe Galleykeep, 
  but none knew froln where it
  aame,
  This seeded an idea in Zharradan Marr's mind. He
  :nust capture this ship! Not only would it be a
  ilmbolic throne, worthy of a ruler of his stature, but
  rt may even help him to find Stittle Woad. Perhaps
  he would never find the Etven village from tire
  ground, but it may $/ellbe unprotected lrom the air.
  Quickly he recalled Vallaska Roue and the two of
  them set off for the Testint Grounds to discuss the
  pldns to capture the Ca cykeep withTh'ugtull.
  1a
  
  The success of their plan was a tribute to their
  military skills. The Ca eykeep fell after a short but
  bloody ambush in the sky by Mar/s trained Tooki
  troops, and he was delighted with his new vessel
  Within days he had set up his headquarters in the
  shlP.
  So this is now his home, and he has begun his
  search over the Forest of Spiders for the village of
  Stittle Woad. Those in the know are tefified at the
  thought of his success Should he find Stittle Woad,
  and the secret of the Vapours, then his mastery of
  sorcery will be invincible. It is because of this fear
  that interested parties throuBhout westein Allansia
  have made plans to prevent him succeeding in hts
  quest. Parties of brave adventurers from Chalice,
  Silverton and Stonebridge have been sent on
  missions [o capture the Vaoours and retum them
  to the Elves. But, since no one has ever seen the
  Vapours, none of the parties know what they are
  lookrng forl In Mirervater, Calla Bey is recruiting an
  atmy of Birdmen to besiege the Gdllcykeep 
  (but with
  little success, as the Birdmen fear the ship). From
  Salamonis, 
  Elves are berng persuaded to he;d north
  for the Forest of Spiders in order that word may
  reach Stittle Woad in time. But the forest Elves are
  suspicious even of their own kind and this
  expedition mav never succeed,
  Perhaps 
  it
  rule these
  tell . .
  32
  is destiny that Zharradan Marr shoulc
  regions of Allansia. Only rime will
  ihis is the backgrou n d to Crcatute of Hatoc . Muc]n oI
  :vhat you have read willbe of little help to you and
  :ome of the lnformation may even lead you astray.
  ls you will find when you start your advenfure,
  rou have only the faintest awareness of your sur-
  :oundings and your actions will be ruled by in-
  :5ncts - the instincts of the creafure you are But
  .radually you will develop more control over your
  lestiny. As the adventure progresses you will be
  .rskrng yourself the questions that all must ask in
  .:ie: Whoan l? Wheredolcome 
  from? lr"lhy an I here?
  ille answers you find to these questions ra/ill
  lepend on which paths you chose as the Crcafrre of
  
  I
  a
  The pain is unbeamble! Sumhoning up all your
  energy, you open your eyes 
  fiIst one, then the
  other, They narrow to slits as they adjust them-
  selves to the strain of trying to see once more, then
  relax as they make out familiar shapes in the dim
  Iighlr a dirt floor, rocky walls . . . Then the pain
  takes over. Your head rocks, Your eyes submit and
  close tightly in an agonized g mace. lnstinctively
  you raise your hands to cup your face, and a low
  moan mingles with the ftsping sound as your rough
  fingers rub the scaly skin above your eyes.
  After some time the pain begins to ease. You open
  your eyes once more and peei out from between
  your gnarled fingers. You seem to be at the dead
  end ofa passageway. Your surroundings are barely
  r,isible, but a dull glow is coming from the northem
  extent of the passageway, which stretches before
  vou. A sound is also coming from this direction of
  iuegular breathing. Something alive is up therel
  You heave your great bulky body to its feet Along
  \ our back, the spines bristle. Swinging your heavy
  head slowly from side to side. your progress is
  decided: northwards is the only option open toyou.
  \4uscles stmin and succeed in raising a lumbedng
  foot, which thuds loudly down on the ground in
  front of you. You repeat the action, F[st with one
  [oot, then theother AJter four steps t]re motion has
  become automatic- You are movin8 more quickly
  and more quietly up the passage. When you reach
  the end, your eyes are d.awn to a huddled shape
  lying on the ground in ftontofyou.
  
  The small figure lies on its side, facing away from
  you. It is shrouded in a dirty brown cape tied
  around its neck and it lies in a puddle of thick red
  liquid. lts body rises and falls irregularly with each
  breath. Some unidentified feeling swells within
  you. Is it anger? Hate? Fear? Curiosity? Hung€r? Or
  even sympathy? You bend down towards the little
  cteature, uttedng a meaningless grunt as you do so.
  Thesoundrouses the figure, which rolls sJowly over
  to face you. The creature's dLty face is light-
  skinned, though barely visible under the thick hair
  which shades its closed eyes and almost totally
  obscures its mouth. From its chin the hair rolls
  abundandy down its chest in a grey, unruly mass.
  Underneath the body, and now exposed by the
  creature's movement, is a sharp, shiny shaft and
  this catches your attention,
  As you stand there staring, the creature's eyes flick
  openl They focus on your bulky shape and a look oI
  terror gtleaks across the creature's face. In spite of
  its pain, it fumbles for and grasps the shiny shaft,
  holdingits pointed end out towardsyou andbaring
  its teeth
  The wounded Dwarfyou have found is evidently in
  need oI helD. Will vou:
  Show him you mean no harm?
  Try to talk to him?
  Turn to 93
  Turn to 354
  Bring your foot down heavily on his
  neck? 
  Turn to r85
  2-1
  a
  You sit down betw€en the three Hobbits, licking
  vour lips as you remember the tender taste of their
  tlesh. Grabbing the nearestone, you sinkyourteeth
  ravenously into its meaty rump and let out a soft,
  low growl of contentment. For a short while you
  feast messily on the hapless creatures. Each Hobbit
  \vas carrying a small pouch of those flat, round,
  shiny pieces of metal and you may take these with
  you if you wish. They are, in fact, Gold Pieces and if
  you decided to take them, you are now carrying r:
  with you. You may restore your 5TAMTNA to its
  Inili,?l level for the tasty meal and may add a LUc(
  Point for your victory.
  You must now leave the chamber. Do Vou wish to
  continue east along a passage opposite ihe one you
  entered by? If so, tum to 153. Ifyou wish to retrace
  your steps to the junction and take the northerly
  Passageway/ turn to 311.
  He eyes you suspicjously. 'Is that so? Well, no doubr
  he gave you the gesl&re too. Come on, then Lel,s
  have it!'What will your gesture tre?
  The sign ofa cross?
  Thesignofa circle?
  You make no gesture?
  Turn to r&7
  Tum to22
  Tu'n.to437
  
  4-5
  4
  You summon up your strength and launch into
  battle, frantically trying to slash at the vines with
  your claws. But the tunnel is thick and the r.ines are
  difficult to cut (this is reflected in their high sKrLL
  score). Resolve your battle with the tunnel of
  Gluevines:
  GLUEVINES
  SKILL 10
  STAMINA 13
  6
  and faster through the woods Branches catch your
  legs and arms, while you are huSging the Ophi-
  diotauls neck tighdyforbalance and to protectyour
  head. The journey continues for a seemingly end-
  less time, until you are so sore from riding that you
  wish thebeastwould throw you off. But finally you
  arive at a clearing where the creature pulls up and
  stops With great relief you step down from its back
  and survey the area, while your steed gallops back
  into the woods. Turn to 356.
  The door opens and you find yourself in a corridor
  which heads south fora few pacesand thentums to
  thewest. Your claws extend themselves, ready fora
  sudden encounter. You follow the passageway
  around the comer. Eventually you reach a Point
  where the passage turns back southwards. But
  something on the rocky f'loor in front of you has
  attracted your attenhon ln the elbow of the bend is
  a larse black circle which seems to shlmmer in the
  bluelight. Perhaps it is a pool of Lquid? Or maybe
  some dark metallic substance? As you are consider
  ing this, you hear a noise behind you, which may
  have been a quiet footstep. Is someone following
  You? You turnround butcan see nothing. Nowyou
  must decide \ rhat to do. Will you investigate the
  shape on the floor (tum to 445), or will you try to
  avoid the cirde by walking round it (tum to lo)?
  If you escape from the tangled mass of vegetation,
  turn to 35.
  5
  Thinking quick-ly, you snatch the bird from the
  branch! It flutters in your hards, but a sharp
  squeeze silences it. The Ophidiotaur hears the rusF
  ling and tums to see what is happening. You step
  slowly from the undergrowth, holding out the bird
  towards it, as an offeing. At first the creature is
  startled by your affival, but your slow approach
  seems to reassure it. You hold the bird closerand its
  tongue darts out to snatch the food from you. You
  calm it down for a short time, then swing yourself
  up on to its back. It shrugs and snofis for a moment
  or two, but its protests are few and you realize that
  you now have a steed! After alowing the Ophi,
  diotaur to drink from the river, you grasp its neck
  with your wide fingers and dig your heels into its
  haunches,
  Without warning, the crea ture tums and gallops ofI
  into the undergro\^'thl Its strong legs take you faster
  I
  
  The pain is unbearable! Summoning up all your
  energy, you open your eyes - filst one, then the
  other. They narow to slits as they adjust them-
  selves to the strain of trying to see once more, then
  relax as they male out familiar shapes in the dim
  light: a dift f1oor, rocky walls . . Then the pain
  takes over. Your head rocks. Your eyes submit and
  close tightly in an agonized grimace. Instinctively
  you raise your hands to cuP your face, and a low
  moan mingles with the msping sound as yourrough
  fingers mb the scaly skin above your eyes.
  After some time lhe pain begjns to ease. You open
  your eyes once more and Peer out ftom betlveen
  your gnarled fingers. You seem to be at the dead
  end of a passageway. Your suiroundings are barely
  r,isible, but a dull glow is coming from the northern
  extent of the passageway, which stretches before
  vou. A sound is also coming from this direction of
  irre8ular breathing. Something alive is up there!
  You heave your great bulky body to its feet. Along
  Your back, the spines bristle. Swinging your heavy
  head slowly from side to side, your progress is
  decided: northwards is the only option open to you.
  \luscles strain and succeed in raising a lumbering
  foot, which thuds loudly down on the ground in
  tront of you. You repeat the action, fi$t with one
  foot, thenthe other. Afterfour steps the motionhas
  become automatic. You are movin8 more qoickly
  and more quietly up the passage. When you reach
  :he end, your eyes are drawn to a huddled shape
  -\ing on the ground in ftont of you.
  
  The small figure lies on its side, {acing away from
  you. It is sfuouded in a dirty brown caPe tied
  around its neck and it lies in a Puddle of thick red
  liquid. lts body dses and {alls irregularly with each
  breath. Soine unidentified feeling swells within
  you. Is itanger? Hate? Fear? Curiosity? Hunger? Or
  even symPathy? You bend down towards the little
  creature, uttering a meaninSless grunt as you do so
  The sound rouses the figure, which rolls slowly over
  to face you. The creature's dirty face is light-
  skinned, though barely visible under the thick hair
  which shades its closed eyes and almost totally
  obscures its mouth. Frcm its chin the hair rclls
  abundantly down its chest in a Brey, unruly mass.
  Underneath the body, and now exPosed by the
  creafure's movement, is a sharP, shjny shaJt and
  this catches your attenhon.
  As you stand there staiing, the cteafure's eyes fLck
  ooeni I hev focus on vour bullv shape and d look of
  tirror streaks across-the creature's iace. In spite of
  its pain, it fumbles for and grasps the shiny shaft,
  holdingits pointed end out towards you andbaring
  its teeth.
  The wounded Dwarf you have found is evidently in
  need of helo. Will vou:
  2-3
  You sit down behveen the three Hobbits, licking
  your lips as you remember the tender taste of their
  flesh. Grabbing the nearest one, you sink your teeth
  ravenously into its meaty rump and let out a soft,
  low growl of contentment. For a short while you
  feast messily on the hapless creatures. Each Hobbit
  was carrying a small pouch of those flat, round,
  shiny pieces of metal and you may take these with
  you ifyou wish. Theyare, in fact, Gold Pieces and if
  you decided to take them, you are now carrying 12
  with you. You may restore your srAMrNA to its
  l,rtflal level for the fasty meal and may add a LucK
  point for your victory.
  You must now leave the chamber. Do you wish to
  continue east along a passage opposite the one you
  entered by? If so, turn to 153. If you wish to retrace
  you:r steps to the junction and take the northe y
  Passageway, tum ro 311.
  3
  He eyes you suspiciously. 'Is thatso?Well, nodoubt
  he gave you the 8esfule too. Come on, then. Lefls
  have it!' What will your gesture be?
  Show him you mean no harm?
  Try to talk to him?
  Turn to 93
  Turn to 364
  Bring your foot dorvn heavily on his
  neck? 
  Turn to 1E5
  The sign ofa cross?
  The sign ofa circle?
  You make no gesture?
  Tum fo387
  Turn to22
  T]ulnto 437
  
  Gluevines:
  GLUEVINES
  4-5
  4
  You summon up your strength and launch into
  battle, frantically trying to slash at the vines with
  your claws. But the tunnel is thick and the vines are
  difficult to cut (this is reflected in their high sxrl-l-
  score). Resolve vour battle with the funnel of
  6
  and faster through the woods. Branches catch your
  legs and arms, while you are hugging the Ophi
  diotauls necktightly for balance and to protectyour
  head. The joumey continues for a seemingly end-
  less time, until you are so sore from ridin8 that you
  wish the beast would throw you off But finally you
  arive at a clearing where the creature pulls up and
  stops- With great rehefyou step down from its back
  and survey th€ area, while your steed gallops back
  into the woods. Tum to 356.
  The door opens and you find yourself in a corridor
  which heads south fora few pacesand then tums to
  the west Your claws extend themselves, ready for a
  sudden encounter. You follow the passageway
  around the corner. Evenfually you reach a point
  where th€ passage furns back southwards. But
  something on the rocky floor in ftont of you has
  athacted your attention. In the elbow of the bend is
  a large black circle which seems to shimmer in the
  blue light. Perhaps it is a pool of liquid? Or maybe
  some dark metallic substance? As you are consider-
  ing this, you hear a noise behind you, which may
  have been a quiet footstep. Is someone followinS
  you? You turn iound but can see nothing Now you
  must decide what to do. Will you investigate the
  shape on the floor (tum to 445), or will you try to
  avoid the cftcle by walking round it (turn to 3o)?
  SKILL 10
  STAMINA 
  1]
  If you escape from the tangled mass of ve8etation,
  turn to 36.
  t
  Thinking quickly, you snatch the bird from the
  branchl It flutters in your hands, but a sharp
  squeeze silences it. The Ophidiotaur hears the rust-
  ling and tums to see what is happening. You step
  slowly from the undergrowth, holding out the bird
  towards it, as an offe ng. At first the creafure is
  startled by your arrival, but your slow approach
  seems to reassure it. You hold fhebird closer and its
  tongue darts out to snatch the food from you. You
  calm it down for a sho time, then swinB yourself
  up on to its back. It shrugs and snorts for a moment
  or two, but its protests are f€w and you realize that
  you now have a steed! After allowing the Ophi-
  diotaur to ddnk ftom the river, you grasp its neck
  with your wide fingers and dig your heels into its
  haunches
  Without waming, the creafure turns and gallops off
  into the undergrowthllts strongle8s takeyou faster
  
  7-8
  9-10
  9
  In a fit of rage you rush across the room and swing
  r.our fist, with claws open, at another head. Agajn
  the claws rio lhe head from its Derch and send it
  rlyrng out oi the light and out of sight. And again
  vou hear no sound to indicate it landinS anywhere.
  This time your eyes are fixed on the vacant space
  luminated by the light. Sure enough, the head
  rloats through the air andcomes to rest in its original
  position, the claw wounds showing up clearly on
  the side of its face. You hit it again. The same thing
  happens. But this time you feel the wave of pain
  coming on again. The paingrows inside you with an
  rntensity much greater than before. You slump
  howling to the ground until it evenhrally subsides.
  Lose 6 srlrtrNe 
  points. lf you are still alive, you
  lecide to leave the room quickly Turn to 79.
  10
  You leave the path and make your way through the
  'rndergro$,th, following the sounds ofhis cries But
  although you can heai him, you cannot see him
  any_where! Your frustration builds up and you
  Jrrash about in the foliage. An unnatural cli& be-
  ieath your foot should have been a waming, but in
  \-our rage/ it is a waming which you choose to
  ignore. An instant later, the tlap has sprung and
  r'ou are hoisted into the air by your ankle, and
  langle helplessly from the tree-top! And there,
  hanging a short distance away, is the old Rhino-
  \fanl
  /
  With the lifeless Blood Orcs lying ai your feei, your
  attenlions now turn to thehuman in the dirty robes
  He is staggenng about in fear for his life, his eyes
  tilted slightly towards the ceiling. 'Flbvfem fr cy ePn
  obabljndim bn a whpfvfre yPvubrf. JfiyPvub rfeft jf
  nde thfnel fbda mf efr pmothjsi Plbcf. Jf iyPv ubr fe
  fpfethf ne lfbvfe mfebf. YP!'u brf estrb ng f lyesjl fnt.
  Whpobr f eypv. Dpo )?vuvnd fr s tbnd aml My eg
  pdo jn trvdfr. J fiy pvluPl bna jsit Pod Pob wbyaw
  jth imf e thfne dpojti qvjc kl y. Pt hfrwj s{ ebfe pffow
  jthi ypv.'Jf iypv uc bnav ndfr stb ndath fehv
  mbnatvr nut por fffrf n cfetw Po hvn drfd. 'SPo
  whbtajs ij ti tpobl Jsinpto myomj sfrye fnP vgh.
  Shpw och br ity Gj vfem feg pld o bnda f ffde mf
  Prol fb vfem febf ' What do you wish to do with this
  creature? Willyou i8nore him and feast on the meat
  of the Blood Orcs (turn to 42o)? Will you slay him
  quickly to stop his noise (turn to z5)? Or will you
  simply leave the room (tum to 13E)?
  8
  When he sees your Ring of Truth, he shifts ner-
  vously: 'OoplAhh. . . What am I saying? OI course;
  you said Shttle Woad, drdn't you? Underground
  indeed! Silly me: the village is high in the hee{oPs.
  Although I fear you will never find it and you are
  wasting your time looking. Our village is the home
  of the Vapours and while they remain safely in the
  village, sorcerydisguises it to all but welcome eyes '
  He now wishes to go, and you watch him disaPPear
  into the woods in the direction you.rme from You
  may now leave the clearingby turning to 414
  
  aa
  Your a[tempts to free yourself are al] to no ava .
  BiJds are beginning to circle round you, dnd you
  are feeling decidedly weak. But in the distant sky,
  a tiny shape comes into view. As it draws neat,
  you realize it is not a bird. It is much too large to be
  arly living creature and its size eventually frightens
  off the birds circling above you. The old Rhino-Man
  has seen it too.'The Galleykzepl'he moans. you
  watch as billowing sails bring the vessel closer and
  closer, until it evenfually stops above you. A pol€ is
  lowered over the side. I-t grais the rofe from which
  you are hangingand hoists you on to the deck. you
  are too tired and weak to resist as rough hands
  shove your neck through the nearby guillotine. This
  foraging expedition has been most successful. The
  crew will be provided with a hear:ty meal
  tonight 
  . .
  aa
  'Thanl you,'she smile5, depositing the coins deep
  in the folds of her clothing. ;Now vie may see what
  fate has rn store for you. I will shuffle the Pack of
  Fate and you must tetl me when to stop., She picks
  up the cards and begins to shuffle them slowly,
  staring deep into your eyes as she does so. You
  grunt when you want her to stop. She then starts
  fuming cards over.
  The first card is black, with the symbol ofa question
  mark delicately drawn in its centre. ,Ah, the mys-
  tery card.' Rosina smiles. 'All is not as it seems.
  There are many things about you, your past and
  your deshny that are unclear, even to you.' She
  11
  tums over another card. Again it is black, but this
  one has a small yellow sun symbol m the centre.
  'Hmm, yes. . . Lightinthedarkness.'Sheisbecom-
  mg engrossed in the cards. 'This is good. Your
  destiny may be attained. Butfate will not be kind to
  you. It may not be easy.' The next card shows a
  young pre8nant woman in a coffin, and the next
  shows a cloak and v/and. 'A mother deceasedlAnd
  the mystic arts! Then surely must your birth have
  been one not ofnature but of sorcery. Imustconcen-
  trate . . .' She tums over another catd and this one
  shows a man lying on a cloud, pointing into the
  distance. The next shows a man with two heads,
  lookinS in different directions. 'The geas! A mission
  to be fulfilled. You have been sent. But I also see
  confusion. I must lookfu:rther.'
  She leaves the cards and moves her crystal ball into
  the centreofthe table. As sheconcentrates onit, the
  Blass begins to tum cloudy. An inner light shines
  flom the ball and lights up Rosina's eyes. 'Sisters
  . . !' she speaks. 'Sisters of Dree! So it is yoa who
  have set this task! But this creature knows not of
  Sculljweed or of the dangers of . . Isee Butlmay
  shorten the sea.ch. My aid shall help fulfil its des-
  tiny.'The light in the glass fades and she turns to
  you. 'You have been set an unfair task,' she says.
  'For the blue-stemmed Sculliweed grows only in the
  Swamps of the Toadmen on the southern shotes of
  the Deedlewater. Buteven one such asyou may not
  survive alone in these swamps. Without help you
  will surely die. I can offer you some help. Take the
  rope thathangs over there:itmay prove useful. And
  
  12-43
  may fortune sit astdde your shouldersl' You tale
  the coil of rope, sling it around your neck and over
  your shoulder and fum back to Rosina But she has
  left the room. You rnay add z r,ucr points for the
  info.mation. You leave her hut and pause to con-
  sider what she has told you, then set off back
  towards the crossroads. Turn to 386.
  a2
  You follow the trail until you reach the top of a hill.
  The trail winds down into a valley. You pick your
  way cautiously down and reach the bottom safely.
  But as you pause to rest for a moment, you are
  staitledbya rustling in thebushesbehind you. You
  swing round just in time to avoid the sharp blade of
  an axe, which misses your face by inches! You growl
  deep down in your throat and furn to face the tall
  Woodcutter who has attacked. Resolve this combat:
  WOODCUTTER
  s(rLL I
  STAMTNA 9
  Ifyou defeat him, tum to a7.
  As the last adventuler falls to the ground and
  silence once more fills the passageway, you pause to
  rest from the exertion. You squat on your haunches
  and look at the two battered humans in front of you.
  You may now choose either to feast on the bodies to
  regain some of your lost stren8th (turn to 223),
  search the bodies for anl4hin8 that might be in-
  teresting (tum tolET), or poke through the sack that
  ihe firstadventurer laid to one side (tum to 47).
  
  a6
  a4-45
  a4
  You storm ahead up the passageway towards the
  Dark Ell roaring loudly and with claws ready
  to sLrike. But the Elf does not budge. He merely
  notches another airow and looses it towards you,
  This time the arrow sinks deep into your stomach
  and you clutch at the wound. Lose 3 STAMINA
  points. Tears of pain flood your eyes, but you will
  not hold back. Again you advance, ana again the Elf
  notches his arrow. But this time the bowman's aim
  is true. The arow is fued higher, at your face.
  Before you have time to reacr, his shaft has pierced
  your eye and lodged in your brain. Mercitully, your
  death is instantaneous.
  a5
  All is silent as you enter. The room is large, with a
  high ceiling, and a musty smell permeates the air.
  There are four doors leading from the room, one in
  each wall. A long table stands in the middle of the
  room and on it is a short stick with a metal head
  lying next to some small spikes. A couple of planls
  of wood are lesting against the table. This is
  evidently a workroom of some sort. In one corner of
  the room vou find the products of the work carried
  on here. Two tall and thin wooden boxes, alrnost as
  tall as you are, are leaningagainstthe wall. They are
  standing next to a hole in the wall, just above
  floor-level, which is wide enough to fit one of the
  boxes through. You puzzle over this fo! some ttme.
  Wlat do you want to do:
  Have a lookinside the boxes?
  Investigate the hole in the wall?
  Ignore what you see?
  Tum to 212
  Tuln to 3a9
  Tum to 436
  a6
  The spell begins to tale effect. Your body feels as if
  each of its joints is being bent in a wrong directionl
  You drop to the floor and w the about, wailing
  pitifully, but there is no escape from the agony that
  the necromancer is inflicting on you. Invisible
  slowly hold it out towards him. He snatches it from
  you. Turn to 74.
  
  You can see ahead that a river runs through the
  valley, and you make your way to its banls. As you
  get closer to the water, you notice that the veg-
  etation is changing The lush Breen colour of the
  trees and bushes higher up the valley is replaced by
  a darker olive colour and the plants down here are
  decidedly less lrealthy Spindly branches reach out
  at unnatural angles as ifpleading for mercy. On the
  ground, many of the roots ofthe contorted trees are
  exposed and have been eaten away. The suround-
  ingbushes are oftenleafless, and the ef{ect is rather
  ee e. A faint smell hangs in the air.
  You continu€ down towaids the river. The closer
  you get, the stronger the smell becomes, until
  evenfually it is overpowering. The stench seems to
  come fuom the riveritselt and when you arrive atits
  banks, you can see why. lndescribable filth and
  excrement is being cafied along by the foulwaters
  But as the only path runs along the banks, you will
  have to choose. Will you follow the river upsheam
  (turn to 427) or downstream (turn to 421), or will you
  leave the path and make your way through the
  undeigrowth (turn to 57)?
  a8-27.
  1E
  You turn to leave the river-bank. But somethint is
  not quite right You came along a trail, but that trail
  has now disappeared! Where you had expectedit to
  be is now overgrown with tall rushes and the only
  trail leading away from the bank is one to your left.
  Bewildered, you follow it until you reach a clea ng-
  Turn to j15.
  a9
  You turn from the doorand plod once more through
  the cold slime. By the tjme you reach the passage-
  way to the east, the cold has worked its way through
  even youl thick, scaly skin. You must lose 1 srAM-
  INA point for your fteezing feet and tum to 84.
  20
  You find yourself at a dedd end: there is no way
  through. You will have to rehace your steps. Tum
  to 279.
  2a
  .Although you are racked with the pains ofhunger,
  vour mind has made an intelligent deduction. Your
  hunger started when you threw the red robe about
  vour shoulders. lf you take the robe off, you should
  rid yourself of this curse. You grab the collar reso-
  lutely. But try as you may/ you cannot pull it from
  r.our shoulders. Some powerful bewitchment is pre-
  rentingyourarm from flinging the robe to the floor!
  lncredulous, you skuggle with yourself for some
  time, but finally give in to the mysterious force,
  
  22-23
  which is much more powerful than your own will.
  Your hunger is now all-consuming. Turn to 1o9.
  'A circle, et.?' he mutters. 'All right, then, in you
  come,' Amazed at your success, you enter the
  guardroom.Itis a dirty place, withclothes and food
  stre\ n around and an unpleasant smell - a mixfure
  of stale sweat and rancid ale - hanging in the air.
  Whenyou are in the cenhe of the room, youtumto
  the gu.ard. Cnck! }lad you turned an instant earlier
  you may have been quick enough to avoid the heary
  blow which has landed on your head You fall to
  your knees in a state of near-unconsciousness 
  and
  you must lose 4 srAMrNA points. Meanwhile the
  guard is advancing towards you with a hea\,y club
  in his hand. Turn to 9E to fighthim.
  You uncoil the rope from Jround your shoulder and
  search for something to lasso. But there is nothing
  around thatwould seem solid enough to let you pull
  yourself out. The bulrushes are certainly not strong
  enough tobearyour weight. You have now sunk to
  yourwaistandunlessyouspysomethingsoon,you
  will not be able to thro\ / the rope! Frantically you
  search for something as you slip deeperand deeper
  into the mud. Then, hidden behind the rushes and
  reeds, you catch a glimpse of a tree-stump. lt is not
  tall, but it looks sturdy enough. But how can you
  rope it? You fling the rope towards it 
  and some
  thing miraculous happens.
  2t
  As the rope leaves your hands, it unfurls as ifit had
  a will of its own. You watch it twist around itselfin
  the air, forrning a knot at one end. Then, as it falls, it
  snakes between the reeds, and drops with its knot
  wedged firmly in the shoulder ofa branch. The rest
  of the rope trails out to\arards you and you test it
  eagerly, then haul yourself from what would other-
  wise have been a muddy grave. Filthy but safe, you
  stand on firm ground, marvelling at the enchanted
  roPe.
  But unlnown to you, you are not the or y one
  marvelling at the rope's powers. Two large, glisten-
  rope and snatches it back into the reeds. You:r rope
  is gone! You search round for dny sign of it, but can
  frnd none. You will have to continue without it. lf
  you follow the kail to the north, tum to 267. If you
  make your way to the north-east, tuln to 114.
  
  24-25
  24
  You leave the path and damber up over the rccks to
  get a look at the nearest hole. lt is just out of you!
  reach, and you musl hoist yourself up to be able to
  peer into it. As your head comes up to the level of
  the hole and the glow splashes across youreyes, [h€
  cause of the light reveals itself- afld gives you such a
  ftight that you lose your Brip and turnble down to
  the path. For you came face to face with a huge
  head, with grilled-patterned eyes and claftedng
  mandibles. This Giant Homet launches itself ftom
  its home and swoops down on you, its poisonous
  sting aimed straight at your chest!Turn to 332.
  kritated by the h uman s constan t rantings, you step
  across the room towards him. He does not react at
  all to your approach and it is an easy matter for you
  to swiDe him with a clawed fist. Your blow sends
  him flying back across the room where he smacks
  his head againstthe wall andland6 in alifelessheap
  on the tloor You may now either f€ast on the bodies
  (tum to 289) orleave the room (tum to a38).
  
  26-28
  26
  thefu usual dark browny-green colour, but are
  covered in a glistening layer of milky liquid which is
  drying to leave a silvery sheen. Although you try to
  brush it off, it will not smear - much to your
  annoyance! But in fact this silvery layer is a coating
  of a maBical matedal that will act as thin armour'
  Whrle you are covered in the silvery layer, you may
  add 1 to your sKrLL score. But it will be washed off
  if you bathe in clear water. Now furn to 52 to
  continue.
  The other thrce creatures back away from you as
  you tum ftom the dying Elf to face them They
  scatter into the crowd. Turn to 348
  28
  If you picked up a crystal club dudng yoor adven-
  ture, you will have been given a refelence numbel
  to turn to should you wish to use it Do not tum to
  this number now, but instead add it to the number
  of this reference. Turn to the relerence corresPond-
  ing to this total.
  29
  29
  The handle tums freely andyou open the door. The
  room inside is lit by a single candle and your eyes
  adjust themselves to the dimness. The walls appear
  to be covered in a singte continuous tapestry which
  en8rossed in its detail - so engrossed that you have
  notnoticed the sinister figure seated in the shadows
  across the room. I,ly'hen it speaks, the shock of its
  deep voice ma-kes you gaspl
  'Who is this? Wtro deres disturb the rest of the
  Master ofHellfire?'You peerinto the shadow to try
  to make out the figure, but you cannot see much
  more fhan the outline of a large figure, which
  heaves as it takes short breaths. As each breath
  leaves the creature, a gurgling sound comes ftom its
  throat. This noise is getting louder; the creature is
  rising from its seat! It stands up slowly and its
  silhouette becomes much larger than you imagined.
  Will you run ftom the room (tum to a13) ot face it
  defiandy (tum to q3)?
  
  30-31
  3o
  You step over to the right and give the circle a wide
  berth. Halfway round, your ears prick up. Another
  footstep! With claws at the ready, you turn to lace
  your pulsuer. But again th€re is no one therel The
  quick tum in a narrow spac€ causes you to sfumble
  momentarily. You quickly regain yourbalance - but
  not quickly enou8h . . .
  For as you putyour foot out to steady yourself, you
  stepped on the edge of the black circle. Quick as a
  flash, the circle spread itself out and engulfed your
  foot! And now you realize the danger of the Black-
  mouth Floortmp. As you tumble into the black hole,
  you find yourcelf falling over and over through a
  dark void, until you lose consciousness. The real
  horror in store will, thankfully, never be known to
  you..
  ,L
  Without hesitating to consider your actions, you
  springatthe skeleton creature. Seeing you advance,
  it grabs two surgeon's knives from the desk and
  faces you. Resolve your battle:
  QUIMMEL BONE 
  SKILL 8 
  STAMINA 7
  If you defeat the physrcian, tum tol59.
  32-33
  Inside the shack, sacks oi grain and nuts lie on the
  floor, and strips of dried meat hang over the coun-
  ter; loaves of bread and other foods are also to be
  found. Behind the counter, a puny villager is cower-
  ing behind a sack of weedroots. lvhen you enter,
  he tries to hide frcm you, but you have seen him. If
  you have any coins, you may buy some provisions.
  lfnot, you maytry to steal some, oryou canleave. lf
  you wish to buy provisions, you may spend r Gold
  Piece (tum to 131) or 2 Gold Pieces (turn to q6). If
  vou want to try stealing, turn to41o If you leave and
  head wesl out of the villaSe, turn to 274.
  13
  You leave the room along a dusty corridor. A
  strange bluish light comes from glowstones set in
  the ceiling to light your way. With every step you
  take, a glowstone ahead of you lights up and one
  behind you fades to darkness; it is almost as ifyour
  progress were being monitored by some unseen
  entity. As you wait for your eyes to adjust to the
  light, you pause to consider the strange ev€nts in
  ihe previous room. You rehact your claws and rub
  vour rough, scaly belly thoughtfully. You can make
  no sense ofwhat has happened. Eventually you set
  off once more and after a few Daces vou come to a
  junction. A passageway runs off to tle north. You
  may take this (turn to 311), or you may continue in
  an easterly direction (turn to 39o).
  
  34-J5
  34
  Once more the Shadow Stalker raises its knife and
  plunges it down into your shadow. Again you try to
  leap aside, but this time its blow grazes your chest.
  Lose 2 more STAMINA points. You try antjcipating
  where the creatlrre will be and slashing it with your
  claws, but your blow cuts through thin air. The
  Shadow Stalker does not even try to avoid you.
  Again you slash ineffectually, and this time the
  creafure plunges its knife info your shadow's back.
  The pain shoots through your body; lose 3 srev-
  rNA point6. Now you must decide what to do. Will
  you try to escape by leaving the room (turn to 242),
  oI will you stop your attack and try to make peace
  with the Shadow Stalker (tum to 115)?
  ,.t
  The old woman can hardly walk and you leave her
  behind as you head for the market. She wails piti-
  fully as you ignore her pleas, but you have no wish
  to get involved with her. The sound of the market
  soon drowns out her cries, You wander rourd the
  baffows and begin to head for the streetperformers,
  when a fat man comes over to you. He approaches
  you cauLiously and whispers to you: 'Pssst. Say,
  handsomel I got a little 
  er 
  proposition Ior
  you. Want to hear about it? Come round here.' He
  leads you round a corner to a secluded alley.
  'Hey, I could rse someone with your strength in my
  business,'he says enthusiaslically. 'It's not easy to
  go collecting all these cu$ing ingredients- I figure
  36
  35
  fhe struggle has been monumental and you lie
  down on the ground exhausted. 
  The wrecked tun_
  nel has collapsed and you stare at it, gasping to
  regain your breath. The sound of your own breith_
  mg ctrowns out the sound of the small creatures
  approaching . . .
  
  t
  17
  sound ofyour healT breathing. Twelve skinnypairs
  of legs carry the noisy, green-skinned Imps sculry-
  ing along towards you. When they discover you,
  they halt, wary of your immense strength. But you
  are too tired to survive a fi8ht against twelve armed
  Imps. And you have no chance when their speals
  have been dipped into a fasFacting poison from the
  deadly Stingroot plant . . .
  37
  The descent is long and steep, but eventually you
  reach the foot of the staircase, where you find a
  deadly cluster of iron spikes waiting to greet crea-
  tures less fortunate than you in maintaining their
  balance. However, 
  beyond the spikes, there
  appears to be no way onwards. You have reached a
  dead end. You step up to examine it more closely.
  As you are doing so, a shiver passes over you and
  you feel an overwhelming desire to sneeze! No
  matter what you do, you cannot avoid the sneeze
  and it eventually erupts with force enough to shake
  the very walls around you! You open your eyes and
  rub your nose with a scaly hand. Your surroundings
  have changed! No longer are you at the foot of a
  staircase with a dead end before you, but instead
  you are standing at a spot where the dead end is to
  the ?resl! Where are you? You wander eastwards
  along the passage until you arrive at a junction. If
  you wish to walk north, tum to 443. If you want to
  go east, furn to 50.
  JE_39
  3E
  Eventually the guald retums, panting, 'It seems
  you were right.' He shrugs. 'There's no sign of him
  anywhere. Mind you, I can't let you through here.
  No one's allowed through without Dallamouss's
  permission. At least, notunless. . . er. . . certain
  . . . ahem . . . special otaflgefleflts are made, if you
  understand my meaning.'He looks at the pendant
  hanging round your neck. 'That's a handsome little
  piece,'he says. 'Now I'm sure special arangements
  could be madeifyouwere toleave this behind. Just
  our - shall we say - bord to make sure you refurn.
  And mine to keep if you don't!' If you wish to give
  him your pendant, he will let you through his
  guardrcom, but you may never again find secret
  passages without it. Make your choice. If you will
  payhis pdce, turn to 442. If this price is too high, the
  only way you are going to get through is by attack-
  ing him (turn to 73).
  39
  No sooner have you dealt the final death-blow than
  another Chaos Warrior appears at the archway.
  Resolve your combat with the creafure:
  CHAOS WARRIOR 
  sKrLL 9 
  srAMrNA Z
  If you defeat the Warrior, tum to 397.
  
  40-44
  40
  As you are about to furn to leave the dead end, the
  pendant around your neck suddenly starts to vi-
  brate! Remembering what happened last time this
  occured/ you hold the talisman out towards the
  rock-face. A lovr' hummine comes fiom the charm
  and its vibrating becoies more pronounced.
  Eventually, the blue stone set in its centre begins to
  glow and a narrow beam of blue light illuminates a
  smallcatchin therock. You release the catch and the
  rocky door rumbles aside to reveal a small room
  ahead in the rock. In the room is a lone woodenbox
  on a sturdy table. Around the room are a variety of
  objects - plates, candlesticks and many other afte-
  facts arraneed on shelves and smaller tables. Lean-
  ing againsfthe central table are two skeletons. One
  looks human, but the other looks decidedly non-
  human, having the jar^rs of some sort of creature of
  Chaos. A musty smell comes fuom the room; it no
  doubt has not been visited for some time. Will you
  venture inside (turn to 296), or will you ignore the
  room and leave the area (tuln to 279)?
  4r,
  You leave the cavem and head along the passage
  rvhich leads to the nolth. Again the rouLe twists and
  tums, but you progress without incident. Eventu-
  ally you reach the foot ofa flight of stairs carued out
  of the rock and leading up into darkness. You climb
  the stairs and reach a junction where you may head
  either north (turn to 136) or east (turn to 155).
  
  P-43
  42
  The excitement is too much. Your blood boils with
  the fire of battle and the promise of feasting on the
  juicy bodies of the tkee Hobbits. You cannot con-
  ttol yourgelf and you launch yoursell into the cham-
  ber, claws poised to strike. As you rush towards
  them, the Hobbits shriek in teror and draw th€i!
  sholtswords to defend themselves. Resolve the
  battlel
  You ignore the words
  44-46
  ioul witches and you
  may continue straight away. Will you retum to the
  stones and investigate them (turn to 198)? Will you
  continue past the stones into the wood (tum to 261)?
  Or will you investigate the building you are in (tum
  to 2fi)?
  45
  You leave the Chubbley hee and continue along the
  hail. A litde further on you pause on top of a hillocl
  and survey the aiea. In the distance to your right
  you can s€e a great forest and straight ahead a river
  cuts through the landscape like a gaping wound To
  the left, the green colour of the grassy countryside
  fades to sandy brown as the bleak Windward Plain
  stretches west as fa! as you can see, You head on
  and, shordy after you have left the hillock, another
  hail joins yours from the left. Tum to r34.
  ^6
  Your hope fades as arotfter Chaos Warrior raises his
  weapon and advances to do battle:
  CHAOS WARRIOR 
  sKrLL 8 
  srAMrNA 8
  If you win this batde, tu:rn to 39.
  44
  of the
  Iirst HOBBIT
  Second 
  HOBBIT
  Third HOBBIT
  SI<ILL
  6
  STAMINA
  6
  6
  7
  5
  6
  The Hobbits will all attack at the same time. II you
  defeat them all, turn to 2.
  43
  The idea of selving as a guard on lhe Galleykeep
  attlacts you. Sailing through the air on missions of
  mayhem and destruction; helping your gloliou8
  leader defeat his enemies; a life of purpose and
  excitement instead of one of airnless wanderings,
  Your mind i9 made up. You will make a formidable
  guard for Zharradan Marr; your loyalty will be
  assured by the generous doses of Drcneweed fed to
  you daily in your Hobbit hoth . ..
  
  47-49
  47
  With shining white eyes, the Weather Mage turns
  towards you. He holds his hands in front of his
  eyes, and his long fingemails obscure them ftom
  you. When his hands finally lower, a small dark
  cloud hovers in the afu before him. You are fasci-
  nated by this display and can do nothing but watch
  as the tiny cloud drifts across the room, and stops in
  mid-air. a short distance from vou. A shrill
  whistling starts as the cloud begins spinning. Faster
  and faster it spins until its underside drops slowly to
  the ground, and the tomado drifts towards you.
  Too late you realize its deadly purpose. When the
  tomado touches you, even your great strength can-
  not prevent you! beinS sucked inside and instantly
  crushed to death by the Weather Mage's creation.
  48
  Ignoring the weaker-looking of the two humans,
  you face the figure in dinking armour. He holds his
  ground, his sword poised ready to strike. Resolve
  your combat with the Knight in plate-armour:
  ARMOURED KNIGHT 
  sKILL 8 
  sTAMINA q
  IJ you defeat him, tum to 392.
  49
  Thepassage leadseast. A short distance ahead, you
  arrive at a rocky bridge acrcss a deep chasm. Far
  below you can hear the sloshing of a slow-moving
  river and you step up to the edge of the bridge to get
  5o
  a better look. A disgusting smell is coming up from
  the river, and as this hits your nos tdls, you stagger a
  few paces backwards. But this is the only way on.
  The bridge is narrow and wet from the moisfure in
  the air: no doubtitis slippery too. Nevertheless, you
  have no choice. You hold your breath and step on to
  the bridge. But halfway across, you lose your fooF
  ing on the slippery brid,ge. Test lour Lltck. If yorr arc
  Lucky, turn to 457. Ifyou are Unlucky, tum to 60.
  Thepassage continues eist and you pass undertwo
  carved archways before you finally find yourself in a
  small, circular room with no apparent way on-
  wards. While you are considering what to do, you
  feel a slight shift in the ground beneath your feet.
  Almost as ifyou had pressed some invisible switch,
  your surroundings have now changedl Franlically,
  you look round to find the tunnel by which you
  entered, but it has disappealed. There rs now no
  way out of the room. A rumbLing noise from be-
  neath the floor is followed by a flerce roaring. But
  this is not the roaring of a creafurel Smoke seeps
  from the walls and you be8in to sweat as the
  temperdture increases. The room is becomin8 an
  oven in which yo! are beginning to roast! As the
  temperature becomes unbearable, you search
  round for any means of escape. Are yoLr wearinB d
  pair of yellow metal bracelets? If so, furn to 2o2. If
  not, tuln to 339.
  
  51
  51.
  You leave the room along a passageway which runs
  west, yo ur thoughts still dwelling on the mys terious
  smoke ceature. After a short time, you find that the
  passage is bending this way and that through the
  rocky earth. But your progless is aided by the
  strange blue glowstones which are set into the roof
  of the passage. As you progress, glowstones ahead
  of you light up and bathe the area in an eerie blue
  light. When you look behind, you can see that they
  magically turn themselves off. Suddenly a distant
  echo reaches your earc and you stop dead in your
  tracks. Again you hear the sound - and it is coming
  closerl Footsteps and muffled voices are heading
  towards you. You are fo unate in having the
  advantage that your own footsteps are virtually
  silent, so you continue ahead, ready for a fight with
  an]'thing that may come along. You approach a
  bend...
  A shrill scream pierces the air and for an instant you
  are not sure whether it came fiom your own throat
  or that of the terrified adventurer with whom you
  suddenly found yourself nose to nose, when you
  turned the bendlButyou recover quiclJy and slash
  furiously at the hapless human, who is still trying to
  compose himself after his fright. You catch him
  across the skimov leather armour he wears on his
  chest, and send him crashing into the rocky wall
  where he loses his Siip on the sword he is carryin8.
  His two companions are close behind, so you must
  finish off the Strongarm without delay:
  Ifyou defeat the warrior, turn to 32o.
  You leave the glistening pond and continue along
  the path. It winds through the trees until you
  evenfually reach a fork, where you may continue
  either to the left or to the ght. In the centre of the
  fork a pole has been fixed into the ground and,
  han&ing from the pole by his wrists, is a sight which
  widens your eyes. Half-dead from exposure, but
  looking plump and tasty, is a Hobbit! Mouth water-
  ing, you rtlsh up to the little creature. As he hears
  your footsteps, his eyes open slowly. 'No . . .' he
  moans, guessing that your intenLions do notinvolve
  greeting him warmly. 'Please letme down and leave
  me be. I can tell you wherc both of these pathslead,
  and how to avoid the dangers alon8 them . . .'You
  are hungry and the sight of this tasty morsel is an
  unexpected treat. Will you cut him down and make
  a meal of him (turn to 206), or &.ill you cut him
  down, listen towhathe says about the paths ahead,
  and release him (turn to 7o)?
  You crash off through the reeds in pursuit of the
  creature, though the going is difficult. You catch
  srghtofit again and this time it seems tobe hopping
  rather awkwardly through the reeds Your foot slips
  and you sink up to your knee in muddy water, but
  this does not deter you However, followin8 the
  STRONGARM
  STAMINA 
  8
  sKrLL 7
  
  cleature is quite difficult. You lose sight of it and
  must now follow by the gounds of it cmshing
  thlough the reeds. You climb on to a bank and find
  youlself in a circular clearing. All is quiet there are
  no signs of the creature. But then suddenly the
  reeds behind you part, and you spin around, just as
  the wide-mouthed Toadman you have Lreen follow-
  ing springs at you. Tum lo 58.
  54
  Youwait until the gualdhas disappeared round the
  corner and sneak into his room, It is dirty and
  untidy; old food mouldels in corners; the bed is
  filthy, and dtuty blankets are strewn about on the
  floor. And there is a smell hanging in the air which is
  a mixture of stale human sweat and rancid ale. On
  the far side of the room is a metal door. A barred
  viewing-hole is open and through the hole you can
  Bee stairs beyond, leadint upwards. Suddenly a
  noise frombehind startles you and you swinground
  ju6t in time to see a huge wooden club descending
  on your forehead! The blow knocks you to your
  knees and you must lose 4 srAMrNA points.
  Just as I thought!' growls the gua.d. 'Darramouss
  nO more gave you p€rmission to leave than he
  would have given permission to the black-eyed
  fool!' Your ruse has treen discoveted. His club is
  raised once more and you must defend yourself.
  Tum to q8.
  55
  The road out of Coven leads vou Dast a disused
  building. Grog stops, 'Wait her;,'he says. 'I buried
  something in this building before I entered Coven
  . 
  er. 
  iust some worthless familv heirlooms.
  Sentimental value. Back in a flash.'He;oon rehrrns
  with a knapsack, which obviously containg some-
  thing quite bulky-a box, perhaps. You dre curious,
  but he makes no mention of the contentg of his
  knapsack.'Look, you're a strange creafure,'he says
  as the twoofyou setoffonce more.'Nothing to say,
  nowhere to Bo, Where do you come from? Are you
  just wandering about? Or are you on some sort of
  mission?'You nod enthusiastically 'Ah, I see. But
  you can't talk?' You shake your head. 'Hmmm. But
  you can shake a nd nod your head. Well! We're in no
  real rush, are we? Let's make a game of it. I'll try to
  find out about your mission and you can tell me
  whether or not I'm getfing close to the truth. Is it
  someffting you're looking for, ratherthan someon??'
  YoLr nod. 'Do youknowwherc it is?'You shake your
  head. And so thejourney continues.
  The trail sweeps round to the north until it eventual
  ly reaches a crossrcads. crog's face lights up, 'l
  know!' he exclaims. 'Rosina! She will helo us! We
  must to west.' Will you follow his advice and go
  west (tum to 1Z), or will you instead go east (tum to
  2or) or continue nolth (fum to 13o)?
  
  56-57
  56
  You climb through the hole in the wall and hold
  you! breath as you step through the cloud of settling
  dust. The area is not much deeper and when you
  reach its end, you discover what the glittering is.
  From high in the ceiling, a powdery trickle of Elven
  Dust js falling through the air. It drcps gacetully
  down {aom the ceiling, gliftering as it falls, but by
  the time it reaches the ground it has disappeared!
  The magical dust is showering you as you stand
  looking up atit, though you can feel nothing. Elven
  Dust is a magical powder which is an essential
  ingredient in white Elven magic. Though its effects
  may remain a mystery to you in the immediate
  future, you may well wonder about the significance
  of your find. Someone has been trying to wall the
  Elven Dust in. Why? Eventually you decide to leave
  the recess and Lhe chamber. Tum to 4o5.
  t/
  You male your way through the undergrowth.
  Your progress is very slow. Your bulky body is
  impeded by branches and vines, and the going is
  both difficult and tiring. And you are not certain
  which way you shoold go, when all directions look
  the same. You try various dilferent directions until
  you find yoursel{ passing a kee which you can
  remember passing just a short time before! You
  have been travelling in cirdes ! Your anger builds up
  and you thurder through the foliage. An unnatural
  click beneath your foot should have been a waming,
  But in your rage, it is a warning which you choose to
  5E-59
  ignore. Arr instant later, the trap hag spaung. Your
  foot has stepped into a rope noose attached to th€
  supple stem of a sapling. The noose tightens arouid
  your anlle aid with a whil>like action you are
  hoisted into the air, until you dan8le helplessly from
  the tree-top! Tum to 175.
  58
  'Stittle Woad is not far from here,' he starts. 'It is
  near the Rainbow Ponds. I would say it is two days'
  joumey from here. TEvel in an easterly direction,
  keeping the setting sun behind you. If you rnanage
  to find the vicinity of the village, do not look for it on
  the surface. It has remained hidden for so long
  becatse il i's uniler the j"orrd. More than this I may
  not tell.' He picks himseff up and stretches pain-
  fully. After dusting off his robes, he bids you good
  day and sets off. You watch him disappear. Turn
  to 474.
  59
  As well aE the naval uniforms, vou find civilian
  clothes and dress for sDecial occasions. But there is
  nothing unusual or anything which could provide a
  clue as to Marls whereabouts, Your frustration
  grows. Your heary fist smashe6 into the wardrobe,
  splintering its timbers. The hanging clothes fall in a
  pile on the floor and from the back of the wardrobe,
  a round metal shield rolls forwards and dloDs to a
  wobbtng spin on the floo!. You stoop togetalook at
  it. Turn to io2.
  
  ffi2
  60
  You try to regain your footinS, but the bridge is too
  s[ppery, You lose your balance comPletely and
  fu mbleover the edge and down, down lowards the
  stinking wate$ below. The cullentdra8syou down
  and your lungs fitl with the Puttid waters of the
  Bilgewater. Your death is not Pleasant . . .
  6t
  You tum east and follow the Passageway. You Pasg
  under a nartow archway and find yourself in an
  open !oom, which is well lit by torches fixed hiEh on
  the walls. You look around fo! a way onwards, but
  room furthet (turn to 334), or would you rather
  leave (tum to444)?
  62
  The creature is somewhat taken aback when you
  show that you understand his wolds. Although you
  are of similar sizes, you certainly look the more
  powe!fuI of the two and it is Probably for this reason
  tlat lhe Rhino-Man invites you into his guard room.
  62
  'Are you al6o one of Marls ceahrres?' he growls.
  When you look puzzled, he sno s. 'If you don't
  know, then you must be looking fo! either the
  Yellowstone Mines o! the Testing Glounds in Knot
  Oak Wood. Looking at the size of you, I'd reckon
  the Testing Grounds were more likely. Darramouss
  vrill know. He knows everything that happens in
  these parts. He'll set you right. But dorft qoss him.
  Even one of your size cannot hope to tangle with
  such a foul-tempeted lifeless one. And if you make
  it to the Testint Glounds, oblige me by finding . . .
  oh, wha t was hi9 s]mbol? They don't have names in
  the Testing Glounds - except for that foul-breathed
  weapon-master, Thugruff . Legiomaire twenty-nine,
  I think a Rhino-Man like me. If he's still alive. he
  ought to know this: Gat H'Oulie has esearyd 
  rDith tfu
  nfl8 b the Eor€f.t 
  of Spidersl But of cour€€, you cannot
  sp€& can you? He!e, I'll wite it down for you.' He
  hands you the message. If you come acloss 'Legion-
  naire twenty-nine' later in you advenfure, you may
  pass on the messag€ by adding hb number to the
  reference you ale on at the time when you identify
  hirn.
  You rise to leave the guardroom. The Rhino-Man
  gives you directions. 'Leave through the north door
  here. When you arrive at the T-junction, tum right
  and follow the passage.'You take his advice. Tum
  to 296.
  
  53
  63
  Standing before you is a tall, thin figure. It is dark
  and hurnanoid in appealance, although you cannot
  hake out much in the dim light. You can, however,
  dearly make out two large green eyes. The figurc is
  shrouded in a brightly coloured cape and its hair is
  tathered on top of its head in a tight knot. It steps
  iowards you and flings its cape back to reveal its left
  hand, which grips a short bow. Reaching over its
  bacl, it dmws an arrow fiom a qrdver, aims at you
  and shoots you in the shoulder! Lose 2 srAMrNA
  points. You howl with pain and turn towards the
  bowman, badng your teeth. But he has yet another
  dlow poised to fite. This second arrow dps into
  scir forearm with such force that it comes out the
  other side and datters off the wall behind. Lose
  anolher 2 sTAMr NA points. Your fury is now un-
  conhollable. Will you unsheathe your claws and
  advance on your attacker? Or will you retreat ftom
  tLis deadly foe? Roll one die. If you roll r-4, you are
  so enraged that you blunder ahead towards the
  Dark Elf bowman without a thought of the danger
  Iturn to 14). If you roll 5 or 6, fear for your life takes
  over from your anger and you retreat (tum to 260).
  \ ot may Test your Luck if you wish, but you mus t do
  so before you roll the die. If you are Lu&y, you may
  .hoose your own option. If you are Unlucky, you
  must let your instincts decide and roll the die as
  normal,
  
  64-65
  64
  The broken bones on the floor seem to have be-
  longed to a medium-sized cleafure. Many of them
  have marks as though they had been gnawed by
  some hungry beast with strong jaws. You bend
  down to look at them - arrd to see whether there
  may be any morsels of meat left - when a rustling
  noise from behind startles you. But before you are
  able to tum, you feel sharp teeth digging into your
  neck. The crcature from the chatl Lose 2 srAMtNA
  points. You must now resolve vour battle with the
  hungry Blood Orc which standi before you:
  BLOOD ORC 
  sKrLLT 
  srAMrNA 5
  Ifyou defeat the creature, fum to 2o7.
  6j
  You manage to keep your balance all the way down
  the rock-face until you reach the hole. As you step
  into the hole, your feet once again touch solid
  ground. Your left foot bangs against something
  skaight and solid. lthen you bend do\^'n to investi-
  gate, you find a long length of straight metal, about
  as wide as your hand, which runs deep into the
  hole. Another identical length runs alongside the
  first and the t\^'o are held a short distance aDart bv a
  series of blocks of wood. Yotr decide to sei whire
  theylead, and you enter the funnel. No glowstones
  Iight the way here, so you follow the tracks into
  darkness. A short distance ahead you reach a fork.
  Will you follow the tracks to the left (tum to 182), or
  will you enter the tunnel on the right (tum to 424)?
  56-57
  55
  You fling open the door aid rush into rne room,
  snarling viciously, ready to tale on the creafures
  you heard inside. But the scene within is not what
  you expect. Tum to 15i.
  6n
  Therc are a number of cry?t6 around, but you
  choose to enter one u/hich is larger than the others.
  You slowly push the door open and it seaks on
  rusty hinges. The room inside is dark and empty
  except for the grcat stone tomb standing in the
  (entre of the room. Your claws clatter alone its
  surfdce as you walk around, sfudying it. But
  sudder y anothe! sound catches you! attention, the
  sound of slow shuffling feet, coming frcm outside
  dle crt?t. You open the door and just as quickly
  slam it shut again, Advancing towalds you from the
  gravestones, with staring, lifeless faces, are a dozen
  fivin8 corpses. No doubt they are intent on ridding
  themselves of this intruderl Your eyes dart round
  the cry?t for a hiding-place, but there is none. In
  despera tion you grasp the lid of the tomb and heave
  it a5ide. It is empty! But something is happening on
  the floor of the tomb. Your removing the lid seerns
  to have triggeted a secret catch, and the base of the
  tomb has begun to rumble. It slowly slides aside to
  reveal a narrow staircase leading downwards. Do
  you wish to see where the stairca; leads? If so, tum
  to 454. If you would lathet take your chance with
  fte army of Zombies arriving at the door, fum to
  ?L.
  
  68-,1o
  58
  He shoves you back into the centre of the clearing
  and your feet splash in the wet mud. Suddenly you
  stumble as your foot sinks deep. You try to step ou t,
  but it is no us€; the more you tread with your feet
  the deeper you sink . . . The urud reaches your
  chest, then your nec}, then begins to fill your mouth
  and nose. The Toadman watches your final strug-
  gles and a smile spreads across his toothless
  mouth . . .
  69
  The desk is solidly conslructed. The papero
  scattered around ale wdtten in a strange language
  which consisls mainly of numbers and symbols.
  You leaf through the books and find marry anatom'
  ical diagrams o( a variety of tt?es of creature. The
  drawers are full mainly of more papers, but one
  drawer is locked, Do you wish to ring the bell (tum
  to 236) or examine the specimeniarc (turnto 97)?
  7O
  A wave of relief oasses across the Hobbit's fac€ as
  you reach up to bite through his ties. 'Oh, thank
  you, thank you,'he sobs. 'I will keep my side ofthe
  bargain and tell you what lies down both of these
  paths. The path to the left will lead you to a dead. . .
  Wait! What are you doin8? Nol' The litde creature
  has noticed the mounting frenzy in your eyes as you
  try to subdue your nafutal instinct. You have been
  batding valiantly against an impulse to silence the
  little creature for sood and devour him. But it is
  7a-72
  hopeless; you cannot fight your natural passion. A
  sin8le blow sends the Hobbit qashing senselessly to
  the ground, and soon you have picked his carcass
  clean. Restote your STAMrNA to its lnr'tibl level and
  choose whether to take the fork to the right (hlrn to
  1E3) or the path to the left (tum to 35a).
  T
  You try to keep your balance as you descend the
  narrow stairs, buf fhey are damp and slippery. At
  one point you slip and totter perilously near the
  edge before regaining your balance and continuing
  down. But six steps later, you lose your balance
  once again, and this time you ar€ not lucky enough
  to rcBain it. You plunge over the edge of the stair-
  case and down, down into the fiIthy depths of the
  Bilgewater River below. The impact is enough to
  Lnock you senseless. And, unable to fight against
  the curent, you are swept downstream to oblivion.
  With one hand you swat the door. The force is gleat
  andyourfist succeedsin claclting the wood. But the
  door does not open and your anger rises. A sound
  stirs within the room! You listen carefully and can
  hear heayy breathing coming from within, mixed
  with a shuming sound, as if something were slowly
  moving around. A growl, de€p and low comes
  from your duoat. Will you dsk facing whatever is
  beyond the door? Or will you try the safer route,
  back past the Dwarf ? Roll one die. If the result is r,
  turn to419. If you roll2-5/ tum to 17o.
  
  73-74
  7i
  With a snarl you leap atthe guard's throat and send
  him sprawlintback into the room. Youboth land on
  the floor amid piles of old clothes and half-eaten
  meals. There is a foul smell in the air, a mixture of
  stale Sweat and rancid ale. He manages to lree
  himself from your grip and gra b a club frbm a table.
  Turn to 98.
  74
  You hand the knapsack to Zharradan Marr. 'That's
  dghtl'he smiles. 'Now I shall keep rny side of the
  bargain. You have sought me out and found me,
  overcoming all opposition. lhat shows resourceful-
  ness and intellitence. You a:re a po$/erful ceature,
  and you have had haining in leadership, did you
  bu t know it. Do you enioy the excitement of ba ttle?'
  You nod.'Then so be it. You shall become my
  Commander-in-Chief. 
  Will you serve me?' The
  ProsPect of a lile of conquest and adventure does
  indeed excite you. 'Very well, then,' says MaIt,
  'Youshall sfa duties immediately Yourfirst taskis
  to exeote your predecessor, Vallaska Roue. Not
  only has he failed me in allowing you through to my
  plivate quarters, but he has so far lailed to locate the
  Rainbow Pools. His usefuhess is at an end. Once
  Roue is dead, you shall have command of the
  Galleykzep, under my orders!'
  And thus your fate is decided. Howyou will fale as
  Commander of Zhatadar. Marr's forces will be
  decided by your own skill. Your leader is known for
  his ruthlessness. Perhaps you will be remembered
  E-76
  .s his greatest Cornmander; pe aps your fate will
  b€ that of your predecessor. Whatever the ourcome,
  one thing is for certain; your aimless life will finally
  luve a sense of purpose . . .
  75
  The passage heads straight for some time until you
  6na11y reach its end at a junction. You may turn
  either east or west here. If you wish to go ea8t, tuln
  to 325. Ifyou wish to go west, turn to 353.
  76
  You arrive back at the tree and study it incledu-
  busly. There it is standing right in the middle of a
  path which you walked along only moments ago.
  Yet it seems to be as lifeless as a gallows' pole, and
  its roots aie well buried in the ground. Are you
  imagining things? UnJortunately for you, you are
  not, as you realize the next instant when a bEnch
  catches you ontheshoulder. Yourecoil in fright and
  l,ook up to see the branches of the tlee slowly
  shilting round, as if blowing in the wind, and
  bending towards you. The tree is alioe! One of the
  branches catches your arm and wraps itg tip round
  Hke a bullwhip! You flinch and snatch your arm
  away . . . and at that very moment, the creature's
  eves flick open!
  The Tree Spiri(s icy glare freezes you to the spot.
  Your heartis pounding, butyou are unable to move!
  Frnally, you brea-k its stare and manage to turn
  round and run. But only then do you realize the
  secret of Xenowood as this mysterious part of the
  
  n-78
  Forest of Spiders is known. Anotft"r Trce Spirit is
  blocking your way, and more ale shiftin8 slowly
  towards you. A huge cilcle of the qeatures
  surrounds you! Tum to 434.
  77
  You enter the passage. It twists and tums through
  the rock in a haphazard way until it finally opens out
  into a small cavem. You pause to get yourbearings
  and search for the best way through. Leading off to
  thenorthis a wide passa8e which seems to be goint
  somewhere. But to get to ityou will have to crosg the
  cavem, and crossing the cavem is not an inviting
  prospect. For in the cavern wall to yout right ale two
  caves, and in a neat pile outside the firsl cave is a
  moundofbones 
  some broken, some iust chewed.
  But iudging from the size of some of the bones,
  whatever was eatin8 them was no mere Half-Orc.
  Will you head for the caves to attack whatever is
  inside (turn to E8), or will you simply cross the
  cavem and see what happens (tum to 43o)?
  78
  You watch each guardin tum and wait until they are
  pleoccupied with whipping the miserable crea-
  ture8, when you are able to move slowly across the
  va8t chamber unnoticed. But as luck would have it,
  a small creafure fums a comer round the rock and
  bumps straight into youlYou both jump in surplise.
  But then your lips curl back and a delighted growl
  comes Jrom your throat. Your tongue licks lustily
  round your mouth as you grab the unforfunate
  n
  Hobbit that has walked straight into you! clutches!
  Its screams are quickly silenced, but not before the
  guards are aware of your appearance in the mine.
  They sullound you, brandishing thei! bullwhips,
  and you are trapped. The penalty for you i6 not
  death - though some would consider death more
  merciful. Killing you would be a wasted oppoltun-
  ity. You are much more useful spending the rest of
  your life toiling as a slave in the mines of Zhaffadan
  Marr,
  79
  You rush across to the secret entrance and find
  vourself bathed once more in the eerie green light.
  The instant you step into the passageway, the door
  slams shut behind you and this is much to your
  relief, as you were anxious to leave the mysterious
  room. The passage continues in a westerly direction
  until you arrive at a junction. A sign is tacked to the
  walland an arlow on it points westwards. Thele is a
  message on the sign which reads: 'Yfllp wst pnfe
  mjnfs eth jsiwby.' The other passage lead8 to the
  south. A few paces down itis a small pile ofbones-
  or rather a pile of small bones. They look like human
  bones, but from a creature much smaller than a
  human. You must now decide which way to con-
  hnue. Will you head west (turn to 142) o! south
  (turn to 273)?
  
  Eo-8a
  Eo
  You step through the door and your claws clatter
  along the rocky walls as you feel your way. Stagger-
  ing slowly along the passageway, you shake your
  head from side to side in an attempt to rid you$elf
  of the affliction. You reach a bend in the passage
  wherc the wall turns to the right. Suddenly your
  foot steps forward on to nothingl Before you can
  stop yourselJ, you are fallinS uncontrollably down,
  down into whatseems to beadeep pit. You preparc
  yourself for a hea\,y landing, but instead you con-
  tinue to fall. Eventuallv the sDeed becomes too
  much for you. Consciousness fades and you never
  awaken. Your life has mercifirlly ended here before
  you were able to discover who - ot ?rrrt - lay in store
  for 
  you 
  at the bottom 
  of the Blackmouth
  Floortrap . . .
  81
  The passage turns to the left and you follow it for
  6ome time until you feel that perhaps this corridor
  has no end! Eventually you see a particularly dark
  area straight ahead. Will you investigate, or would
  you rather turn round alld go back? If you would
  rather go back, turn to 229. If you want to investi-
  gate the area, fum to 20.
  E2-83
  E2
  You remain at the Testing Grounds, learning what
  you catr about the ways of war. wllile you are being
  hained, you are well fed on Hobbit broth. Restore
  your STAMTNA to its Initiil level, increase your
  Initial sKrLL by 2 poitls and increase your curlent
  5KILL to this level. But you have taken a dislike to
  the foul-breathed Half'Troll and you are akeady
  scheming how to catch him unawares. linally, yolr
  opportunity comes one night when you spy him
  walking in the courtyard. You leave the castle and
  oeep up on him. l^Ihen the opportunity presents
  itselJ, you attack!Resolve this combat:
  THUGRUFF
  SKILL 
  11
  STAMINA 14
  lf you manage to reduce him to a srAMrNA o{ 4,
  furn to 3o5.
  83
  Your situation is hopeless, With nothing to glasp to
  pull you from the mud, you cannot hope to do
  anything bu t struggle vainly as you sink deeper into
  your grave. The mud reaches your chest, then your
  neck, then begins to fill your mouth and nose. You
  take your last breath . . .
  
  84-8s
  E4
  Though particularly rocky unde oot, the passage i6
  far preferable to the cold, muddy slime. A sholt
  distance along the corrido!, you come to a doo!
  which is firmly closed. Although its timbers do not
  look too gtrong, a quick shove from your elbow has
  no effect. From slight gaps both undemeath the
  door and in the timber panels you can see a flashing
  light coming ftom within the room. The llashing is
  irregular and is accompanied by no sound. Will you
  smash t]te door to investigate (turn to 258), orwould
  you Prefer to return to the main passageway and
  head north through the dark slime instead (tum to
  42\?
  85
  You turn round and pass through the arch. There
  are four others in the chamber, You choose another
  and peer into its gloomy depths. You can see
  nothing. You pluck up coulage, step inside and
  feel around. It appears to be empty. Your hand
  toucheg a locky wall at the back of the alcove. There
  is no point in investigating it fudher. The other
  alcoves are similar and you decide to leave the
  chamber. Tum to 4o5.
  &-E7
  t6
  When you have finally killed the litde ceature, you
  must tu:rn you! attention to the othe! two humans.
  While you have been batding their companion, they
  have been preparing to attack. The led-robed figure
  is facing you, pointing the litde finger of each hand
  at you and mumbling. The shiny human has
  grabbed a sword - similar, you remember, to the
  Dwa:rf's, but larger - and is shouting to the other:
  'Cpn rr plojt simjn dishbmbn! Jtim by abfeb bue tp
  oU bda vsu tpothb taswi nf bfb! dacvr!' You cannot
  6ght both at once. Whijh will you direct your atten-
  tion towards? Roll one die. lf you roll r-4, you
  decide to take on the shining figule (turn to 48). If
  you roll 5 or 6, you turn towards the man in the red
  robes (tu'n to 292).
  v
  They chase after you, hurling their stones and abuse
  until you arc well out of their ffeld. Luckily, no
  stones hit you and you ale soon out of range. You
  continue along th€ path, which winds towards a
  +reading forest, until you reach a sign which reads:
  l(not Oak Wood'. The path leads deep into the
  forest arrd you follow it. Tum to 244.
  
  88-89
  E8
  You cleep up to the first cave and peer inside. [t is
  dark and you can seelittle. But the thing that strikes
  vou immediately is the smell of rotten flesh! What-
  ever lives in here certainly has a large appetite for
  meat. You poke your head furtherinto the cave and
  vou can see a large furry ball heaving up and down
  in one comer. You step forward to catch the sleep-
  ing creafule unawares But your foot kicks a loose
  stone and sends it scuttling across the cave towards
  it The creature shudders, awakens and gets up. By
  now you have already decided to attack and you are
  virtually on top of the creature as its face turns
  rowaros you,
  There is a look of pure fury in its ghostlywhite eyes
  as the Devourer oDens its mouth to defend itself.
  Two layers of jagged, bloodstained teeth part and
  sink into the scales of your arrn. You howl and
  spring back out oI its clutches (lose u sraurue
  points for the bite). The creature rs as tall as you and
  as bulky, but has a shaggy, furry body. You must
  resolve your fight with the creature:
  DEVOURER
  SKTLL 10
  STAMINA 8
  Ifyou defeat it, tum to 41.
  89
  You rest for a few moments to catch your breath and
  then you survey the room, Your cudosity over-
  comes you, and you begin to investigate the seven
  bodies in the room. The pug-faced Orcs are dirty
  and smelly. You try a mouthful of flesh, but spit jt
  
  90
  out in disgust. Around their waists they carry gmall
  bags which, when ripped open, send a shower of
  small bones flying across the room. The two adven-
  furers are not much more interestinq. Similai
  pouches contain those round pieces of shiny metal
  which you came actoss before. They scatter on the
  floor and you ignore them. The pack on the back of
  the adventurer in the winged helmet is decorated
  and attracts you! attention. One of the straps breakg
  as you rip it off his back and grope dumsily inside:
  you feel something solid. As you fumble angrily
  with the rucksack, a hard wooden casket drops to
  the ground and falls open! Inside is a clear smooth
  flask which contains swirling purple gas Your
  curiosity is captured and your huge clawed hand
  tries to grasp the delicate flask. Butthis turns out to
  be hopeless, Eventuallt you pick up tlrc casket and
  drop it on the ground, As luck would have it, the
  flaskiumpsin its qadle and lands in such a way that
  the stopper flips out of the flaskl The purple gas
  within swills tempestuously and its vapours seep
  slowly from the neck ofthe flask. Turn to 3E2.
  90
  You growl defiantly at the voice. The four light8
  flicker and extinguish. Alrnost immediately a back-
  ground luminosity begins to light up the area and
  you can see where you are. The toom you are in is
  large and appears to be quite important, judging by
  the rich drapes and gilt-framed paintings which
  hang on the walls. The scenes depicted in the paint-
  ings seem to be of Hell itself. The four faces you saw
  90
  are elaborate carvings jn a soft day-like material.
  Standing before you is a tall, gruesome creature
  dressed in a flowing black cape. Two red eyes shine
  out ftom the depths ofits hood. Daffamouss tums
  to speak to you:
  'You are a recentarrival in these dungeons,'he says
  'You are a fine specimen and are a credit to your
  creator. Zhafiadan MarI. Yes, this ig go. You have
  bee^ ueated by Man and created for a purpose.
  Zharradan Marr and his physician, QuimmelBone,
  are obsessed with marrangha - the le-formation of
  life. They continually experiment with the effects of
  potions and spells on creature6. Some they merely
  transfom from one 9?e into another. Others they
  creafe from presewed or8ans. Their experiments are
  not always successfii, but when one does succee4
  it is sent to me here for observation before its future
  is finally decided. A future has been decided for
  you, though I know not what it is. This is of no
  concern to me. But your immediate duty is my
  concern. You must be put to work in the Yellow-
  stone Mines. But I will offer you one other alterna-
  five. If you do not wish to wolk in the mines untjl
  Marr calls for you, you may choose another future
  for yowself: Deathl'
  His final word turns into a chilling laugh which
  resounds around the room. You set your teeth and
  giare at the crcature- You will not be ordered what to
  do! 'I take it, then, that you choose my second
  alternative!' he says, opening a book on the desk.
  He begins to read something from it aloud. Will you
  
  9a-92
  step over and graib him by his neck (tum to 4o2),
  wait to see whathappensnext (tum to2E6), ortryto
  escape down the secet passage in the west wall
  (tum to 384)?
  91.
  There are 3 Gold Pieces lying on the ground next to
  the crcature's body. You may take these with you. If
  you want to eat the crcature, take it with you out of
  the village and eat it at your leisure for 4 srAMrNA
  points of nou:rislment. Leave the village of Coven
  by tuming to 1oZ.
  92
  You continue along the trail. By now it is getting
  quite dark and a lull moon is rising in the sky. You
  decide to sleep for the night beneath a spteading
  tlee at the side of the road. You soon drift off to
  sleep.
  You are tormented that night with a vivid dream.
  The tfuee witch-wornen have retumed. Each has
  hold of one of your limbs and is pulling it, The.
  women possess tremendous strength and you feel
  as if you are being tom apart by the foul creatures.
  One of them seems to be trying to keep you ftom the
  other [wo, who are cackling gleefully: 'Ours! The
  creafure shall be ou$l To Dree for marangha it
  must go!' The other is pulling your arm. 'No!' she
  screams.'It shall notbelYou shall have the creature
  only if it fails to bring us the Sculliweed!' Finally the
  three release their gdp. 'The root! The root!' they
  chant. 'Give us the root!'
  93
  You wale up in a cold sweat. The tree is being
  blown by wind. A howling sound whistles through
  {le branches and another sound mixes with it:
  Whoooo! Whnoo! Psssh! Rhffio! Rhooot! Pssssh! Root
  Root ! The root! The rooti The sound fills your ears and
  vou spin round to see the Srinning faces of the three
  Women of Dree! They are asking for fhe rcot. Do
  you have any plants with you? If so, you will have
  noted down a numbe!. Add the number to this
  Eference and turn to the new reference. If you do
  not have any plants &'lth you, tum to 222.
  You reach down with your hand to help him to his
  Ieet. But as you move, the little creafure st kes and
  his sword cuts into your forearm. Lu&ily the tough
  scales prevent it from doing any real harm, but
  you must still lose 2 STAMTNA Points. Considering
  your size in comparison to his, his action was
  urderstandable!
  Now, instead of reaching for his arrn, your hand
  opens and grips the Dwalf's neck. You stru88le to
  control your achons, but to no avail. Your sharp
  talons dig into the unJorfunate ceature's flesh. His
  eyes bulge and he ties to scream. Fmntically, he
  hits you again with the sword, but the blow lacks
  power. Deduct 1 more STAMTNA Point. Then his
  body goes limp.
  Yourtlemendous strcngth putthe Poor creature out
  of its misery, but the incident has left you feeling
  very strange. Although you wished to helP the
  
  I
  94
  Dwa{, you have helped him only to an ea y grave.
  Will you put these tlrcughts out of your mind and
  leave the arca (turn to 24E), wil you try to hide the
  body (tum to 216), or will you examine the body
  (tum to 399)?
  94
  You creep up behind one of the trucks and join a
  team of ceatures who are pushing it. Suddenly a
  guard with a bullwhip taps you on the shoulder.
  You suspect trouble and tense yourself for battle.
  But the Buard ha9 not spotted you as an imposto!, ,
  He is simply motioning for you to leave the truck
  you are pushing and move over to another one
  which has to be pushed in a different direction. You
  shuffle over to the truck. A nther emaciated Troll is
  your only partner. You and the Troll, coared by a
  Suard who is deady waiting for an excuse to use his
  bullwhip, push the truck through the cavem, along
  a tunnel, past a side tunnel to the left and towards
  an openinS. Light enters the hrnnel thtough the
  operung,
  But jugt aB you reach the opening, the long-
  suffering Troll collapses; the elfort has been too
  much forhim, The guardseizes 
  his opportudty and
  his bullwhip flashes!Although 
  this has no effect on
  the unconscious Troll, the sting of the whip cer-
  tainly has an effect on you. Your fury turns to pain
  and fear, and one thought is prominent in your
  'riJ'ld,. You must keq pushing the tnck! Yott shove iI
  with such force that it launches itself tfuough the
  opening and out into mid-air! For an instant you
  95
  Fcognize the ledge and the steps down which you
  Gltered the mines. But only for an instant, since
  sour momentum has carried you after the truck!
  You look down at the filthy Bilgewater below. In a
  ftw seconds, you will be entering its d€pths at a
  +eed which will ensure your death on impact . . .
  lust a short distance south of the building and the
  graveyard lies the peasant village of Coven, whose
  inhabitants live in constant fear of the evil that
  surrounds them - the growing power oI Zha adan
  I'Iarr and his ruthless henchmen and the devilry of
  Dtee, haven of witchcraft. Its buildings are basic
  and the main route into the village is dusty and
  bumpy. There is nothing to suggest anything but
  poverty. As you folJow the Fail, villagers are Boing
  about their daily business ahead of you. But when
  they see you, they rush quickly away and hide in
  their wooden shacks. Eyes watch you from within
  the hovels, butno one dares venture into the street.
  Some of thehuts have signs above them. Onereads
  ?rovisions' and another reads'Medicine-Man'.
  Will you see what you can get in the way of pro-
  visions (tum to 32), visit the medicine-man (turn to
  211), or will you leave Coven along a etreet leading
  west (turn to 274)?
  
  95-97
  In the distance ahead you can see the bleat was
  of Windwald Plain. But before the plain, you reach
  GUARD
  iunction where another hail crossesvour own. Yo|r
  may continue west (tnrn to 177), or you may
  north (tum to 13o) or south (turn to 33o).
  97
  The jars contain the eyeballs, bHins, hearts and
  limbs of all sorts of animals. A iar halJ full of
  liquid has in it a red lump of flesh the size
  your finger and is labelled: 'Firebreath olgan
  Hellhound' . Alother jar contains an organ which is
  smaller and sreen in colour. This one is labelled:
  'lnvisibility organ - Snattacaf. Suddenly your
  centration is broken. 'Do you find my specimens
  . . . interesting?' says a strange voice, talking in a
  se es of clicks. You htm round in the direction
  the voice, towards the desk. 'No doubt you have
  come here foi some medical advice,'says the
  skeletal figure sitting behind it, teeth chahering
  excitedly. The hanging skeleton has disappeared
  or rather is now sithng at the desk. 'I am Quimmel
  Bone, physician and surgeon on the GnIIeykeE.
  Now, lahal do you want in here?' WilJ you spring
  over to attack him (tuIn to J1), or will you pretend
  you have some ailment which you would like him to
  treat (tum to 297)?
  9E-99
  9E
  fesolve your combat with the dark-skinned guard:
  96
  sl<rlL 9
  STAMINA 
  10
  fyou defeat him, tuln to 349.
  99
  Angry and'frustrated, you snatch the rope and jerk
  I towards yourself. It offers litttle resErance,
  dthough the faint clict you hea-r would have wamed
  i-r astute human adventurer. It was caused by the
  hir-trigger springing on the deadly trap which has
  Dw taken you by surprise. The trigger has released
  nzor-edged spears from the two side walls. Even
  lDur Lough scdly skin cannot defend you against
  6em, and yourbody is riddled with a dozen spears.
  ,tts quickly as they appeared, the spears slide neatly
  qrt of your lifeless body and disappear back into the
  
  I
  100-101
  100
  The rolls ofparchment are meaningless toyou. You
  step up to the deskand grab one which is open. But
  as you touch it, a loud noise startlesyou. You wheel
  round and your eyes widen as you see a hideous
  beast taking shape in the corner, materializing out
  oI thin air! It is taller and bulkier than you, and its
  rough skin looks to be made, not out ofliving flesh,
  but out of the rockitself I Its huge fists are covered in
  irregular bumps and its eyes glare at you in fury
  trom its wide-mouthed face. The Rock Demon you
  are facing takes a step towards you and you must
  quickly decide what to do. The creature looks much
  more powe ul than you are. Will you battle the
  Demon (turn to 322), or will you escape from the
  Ioom? If you choose to escape, you may head either
  lbr the doorin the east wall (tum to t65) or the door
  in the south wall, through which you entered (tum
  io 45o).
  7,O7.
  The door cracks underthe force ofyour blow. A hole
  appears and you rip the timbers away until it is large
  enough for you to pass through. Torches are
  mounted on the wall of the room inside and there
  are two doors, one to the east and one to the west.
  There is no furniture to speak of, but some remdins
  perhaps of a table and chair - litter the floor among a
  thin covering of dirty shaw. The wood has been
  broken in what appears to have been a furious
  battle, the result of ;hich ]ies before you.
  
  In the centre of the .oom is a farniliar sight. Casting
  your mind back to the batde you have jus t won, you
  recognize the figure of an a.moured Knight lying
  face down in the straw. His face is hidden ulder an
  elegant helrnet decolated with wings coming from
  above each ear. A dark-bladed sword has entered
  his body through a gap in his armour between his
  arm arrd shoulder. Lying next to the Knight are
  three other figures. One is similar in stature, but
  wears a tough leather tunic and helmet. A bloody
  stain around his belly indicates how this adventurer
  came to giief. The other two figures are not so
  familiar. They are shorter than the others, and are
  dressed in a:rmour of scaly brown hide. They have
  gnarled, pug-nosed faces with vicious teeth set in
  theirlowerjaws. All four bodies are long dead.
  You step forward to get a better look. Suddenly
  you hear a chomping sound coming from some-
  where in the room - in fact several places - but you
  cannot see anything which might make such a
  noise. Your eyes pass over the advenfurer in leather
  arrnour and you suddenly fteeze: while you are
  w atd\i^g, o chunk of flesh disaryears t'ronhis thighly o!
  watch incredulously for a few moments more. Not
  only does more flesh disappear ftom the adventur-
  er's leg, but you also norice the body of one of the
  pu8-nosed aeafures twitch as its forearm suddenly
  loses a fleshy lumpl This scene is worrying and
  you must decide what to do next. Roll one die. If you
  roll 1, 2 or 3, you decide to investigate the bodies
  further (tuIn to 234). lf you ioll4, 5 or 6, you head
  quickly for the door to the east (turn to 158).
  ao2
  ao2
  You quicken your pace away from the shante,
  Gisshapen hee, glancing over your shoulder as you
  Er. Butyou run shaight into something solid. You
  he consciousness momentarily and drop to the
  tmund, to be awakened seconds later by a tickling
  -nsation 
  around your head and shoulders.
  Another tree, as dead as the fiEt, stands in the
  critre of the path and you ran straight into itl When
  tou discover the source of the tickling, you recoil in
  honor. As if being blown by some unholy wind, the
  Itee's branches are wafting towards you, gladually
  &ooping lower andlower. The tips arenowaround
  mur face and neck and they are trying to geta gdp!
  You cannot undelstand how the scrawny hee, with
  ib long-dead branches, can have such powers and
  lDu instinctively roll out of its reaches. At that
  aoment its eyes flick open . . .
  The lree Spirit's knotted, hollow eyes pierce your
  hind and hold vou Dowerless before it. Under its
  rill you take a siep nealer to it, then another. Your
  ftot kicks a rock and you wince in pain, and break
  tee of the creature's gazel You tum to run from the
  TIee Spirit, but only then do you iealize the hope-
  hss situation you arcin. More of the creafures have
  dosed around you in a circle. Each way you lool
  muJ escape-route is blocked. Tum to 434.
  
  ao3-ao4
  aoJ
  The Elves become especially agitated and all
  tu-rn on you. One of them is more courageous
  the rest and tells you to 'Sniff for filth in an OrC
  latrinel' (mind your own business). 
  This is
  talk and to ignore this insult would be a
  weakness. The Elf is ready to do battle:
  ELF
  1o5-1o5
  one of the arches. Will you enter and speak to the
  being within? Or are you suspicious of this shange
  voice? If you enter the arch and talk to the owner of
  the voice, furn to 323 If you wish to leave, furn
  to 4o5.
  You ignore the creature ind tum your attention
  once more back to the tapestry which hangs on the
  walls . fhen a hand a cold, clammy hand with bony
  fingers - lands on your shoulder! You spin round
  and stare into the face of a long-dead Zombie,
  whose decaying flesh is being eaten away by grubs.
  The figure on the floor has lis€n to avenge your
  attack! You:r gaze has been captured by the crea-
  turc's eyes, which are far from dead. The flames you
  saw are burning eve,n brighter now. Suddenly, two
  streams of fue streak from its eyes and bum into
  your own! You scream in agony at the pain from
  vour blinded eyes, and a slow smile spreads across
  ihe creature's face of death. It has only just begun its
  att:lck. Your death will be slow and painful.
  105
  This plant has mysterious properties, You may or
  may not get the opportunity to find out what it can
  trc used for. If asked to Dresent this olanr to some-
  one later in the adventure, rememb;r the number
  forty-nine. Now you may leave the river-banl by
  tuminq to 18.
  srgn
  STAMINA
  If you would rather not fight the Elf, tum to 243.
  you do accept the challenge and defeat the Elf,
  to 27.
  ao4
  You glance from arch to arch, trfing 
  to decid.
  whether to investigaie them. The stillness is u
  nerving. Whatever happened to the voices
  heard? As if in answer to your question, a
  drifts out from one of the a.lcoves: 'Pvf rehfrf. Cpu
  fep vfrehfr fe ifiypvu wb nta tpoU bmapfog rfbi d
  chfs ejn ithfs fe pbrts. Dpoy p!.u nptov ndf rstb nd
  ath fehvrn bnatpn gvf? PI rhb psa thfneypvns
  bkat hfetlpl lolbn g vbgf. C'rgga gvonusoog mg
  pa'sthwag ig thaan'g. Va n'oigg? What about this? 15
  that bett€!? Ah, yes. I can tell you understand me,
  Look, I can help you. Maybe you would like me to
  direct you to a tasty morsel? Two fat Hobbits? Or
  shall I tell you about he who knows all your seqets?
  I speak, of cource, oI Zharradan Marr. Come, falk to
  me,'
  You are stunned to silence by the voice speaking to
  you in your own tongue. It is inviting you towards
  SKILL 7
  
  1('7-aoE
  uo7
  You continue along the trail which leads out from
  Coven. It winds past a disused building, now most-
  ly rubble, and sweeps round in a northerly direc-
  tion. Evenfually you come to a crossroads where
  you may turn either west (turn to 1ZZ) or east (tum
  to 2o3), or continue northwards (tum to a3o).
  108
  You must stoop to enter this tunnel and you inch
  Iorward, feeling the walls ahead with your hands.
  The ground underfoot is becoming wet and each
  footstep comes down with a splash. Then you lose
  your footing and slip down a muddy slide, until
  eventually you land up to your chest in what fe€l6 to
  be a pool of thick mud. You try in vain to drag
  yourself from the pool.
  The movement is alnost imperceptible at Iirst. But
  without doubt, something smooth and slimy is
  working its way up your body. And as more of the
  mud seems to join in the flow, you realize that this
  oeature is very large! Iinaly 
  the muddy surface
  breaks arrd a jelly-like blob is crawling up your chest
  and neck, drawing the mud behind it. You try to
  slash it with your claws to keep it away from your
  face, but your hands pass through the creature as if
  they were passing through the mud itself. It reaches
  your mouth and nose and flows deep down your
  tlEoat and up you! nostrils. You cough and splutter,
  trfing desperately to take gulps of atu, but it is
  hopeless. The Mud Slime whose Lair you have fallen
  into ca.not be defeated with you. ba.e hands, It
  ao9
  kills its prey by suffocation. When your breath rulls
  out and )rou slide deep down into the mud pool, it
  will digest your body at its leisure.
  aog
  You sit down once more next to the Orc's carcass
  and begin snapping off the bones to clean every
  sliver of flesh from them. But there is little meat left
  on the body. What you do manage to eat does
  something to abate you:r hunger and your attention
  tums back to the door. No matter how vou trv,
  however, there appears to be no way through it. -
  Hours tum into days, which you spend alone,
  frustrated and starving, in the room. On the third
  day, a young Dark Elf arrives at the door and pushes
  it open. Relieved to have found a way out of the
  room/ you spring up from the seat towards the
  door. But you so frighten the Elf that he flees from
  the room in teror, slamming the door shut behind
  him! No, you think. That is not the way to escape.
  Vvhen the next creature arrives, you must remain
  motionless until you call seize your opporfunity to
  attack. Un{ortunately for you, however, you are
  becoming weaker and weaker through lack of food.
  Your skin is being shetched across your skull and
  your eyes arc bulging. ly'y'hen another creature
  ardves in the room, you will doubtless be too weak
  to put up a decentfight . . .
  
  tft-r
  r10-111
  aao
  You have chosen a crtstal dub. It is not valuable
  but to your way of thinking, it is a beautiful trophy.
  However, it iB quite brittle. If at some time in the
  future you wi8h to use it in a battle/ turn to reference
  333 to find out what happens. But you must remem-
  ber the number of the refercnce you are on at the
  time you choose to use the club, so you may refuln
  there afterwards. Now leave the chamber and fum
  to 252 to continue your ioumey,
  aaa
  The room you walk into is lalge but duttered with
  innumerable items of a biological nature. Book-
  shelves line one wall to you! right, while the wall
  opposite this is brimming with specimen idrs.
  Straight ahead is a large porthole in the wall, letting
  ample light into the room, and there is a desk
  beneath the porthole. A bell lests on the desk
  among the papers and books, next to a long quill. To
  one side of the deska human skeleton is hanging on
  a hook; to the other is a selection of anatomical
  charts pinned to the wa-ll. Thele is a door to the
  right. Will you examine dre desk (tum to 69)? Will
  you ring the bell on the desk (tum to 236)? Or will
  you examiJre the specimens in the specimen jars
  (tum to 97)?
  
  412-7.14
  47,2
  Alas, this choice will do you no good. Harlng never
  come across keys or locks before, you have no way
  of knowing what a key would looklike or what you
  should do with it! In any case, your large, clumsy
  fingers could never manage to insert a small key and
  turn it. Unless you wish to try battedng the door
  down (turn to 128), you have reached the end of
  yourJourney.
  aa3
  You rush to the door and grab the handle. 'Simple
  creafure,'says the figure in its gurgling voice. 'You
  have the audacityto disturb my rest arrd believe you
  can simply run away from my wrath? You will pay
  the penalty. You will learn the real meaning of
  suffering!' The handle {reezes in your hand. It will
  notbudge! Tum to 43.
  aa4
  You follow the trail until you leach another clearing.
  Turn to 315.
  a7.5-aa6
  115
  Before you finally leave the adventurerc, you may
  decide to feed on them. lf you do, you gdin 4
  srAMrNA points. Then you continue. All is silent as
  you walk carefully along the passage. Eventually,
  your ears pick up the sound of running water, and
  the air becomes moist and cool. The sensation
  would be quite refreshing if it werc not for an
  unpleasant smell, which gets stronger as the sound
  of the water becomes louder. Soon you find yourself
  on a led8e in the face of a rocky cliff. Looking out,
  you can see you are high over a vast cavern throu8h
  which a river flows. Leading down from your ledge
  into the centre of the cavern is a flight of rough-cut
  stairs. Thjs precarious staircase spans the river and
  is the only way onwards, but the thought of de-
  scendjng the stairs is not one which fills you with
  enthusiasm. The narrow steDs have been made for
  human-sized feet and youilarge pads will make
  your descent awkward. The smell, which was un-
  pleasantbefore, is now horendous and seems to be
  coming from the river itself. Its waters are murky
  brown arrd the smell of excrement and decay is
  overpowerinS. Nevertheles5, 
  your only way on is
  downwards, so down yoll m.usL Bo . Test your Luck. lf
  you are Lucky, turn to 156. Ifyou are Unlucky, turn
  loTr,
  aa6
  The door leads to a passage which takes you west
  until you reach a T junctton where you decide to
  turn north. Turn to 144
  
  aa,7-aag
  aa7
  You hold up the Ring of Truth. lvhen he sees it, the
  white-haired Elf begins to shift uneasily. 'Look,
  er . .' he stammers, 'I made a mistake. Pah! My
  memory! Getting worse, it is. I have beenbanished
  from Stittle Woad for - well, igs a silly thing really -
  for talking to a friend. I suppose he did happen to be
  one of Zha[adan Marl's legionnaires, buthe was a
  friend to me Al Ieast I thought he was until he
  abused my friendship. And when I invited him to
  myvillage. . .' He is becoming quite distressed and
  does not want to tell you any more. He makes his
  way off into the woods. Tum to 4r4.
  118 
  '
  'A fine display,' says Thugruff, nodding. 'You will
  be a valuable addition to the legions. Come with me
  and I'll see you get some food. If I remember right,
  Hobbits are a favou te of your kind, no? Or maybe
  you'd prefer to meet some of the other legionnaircs.
  Make this place your home. But watch out for the
  Rhino-Men. Thick as Zombie blood, they are. And
  dangerous as Dragon breath!'l /hat doyou want to
  do? If you want to eat, furn to 215. If you would
  prefer to mingle with the others, turn to 152.
  419-12O
  aag
  'What!' s$eatns the witch with glazed eyes. ,We
  asked for Sculliweed, not for the Fishbait Flower!
  We cannot prepare our Potions of Fortune with
  Fishbait!' Tum to 222.
  120
  You set off quietly through the undergrowth and
  give the creature a wide beth. It stops and canes its
  soawny neck around as you rustle through some
  ttushes, but then resumes its drinking whin it can
  see nothing. Further downstream you rejoin the
  river and follow it onwards. Tum to 3E8.
  
  7,27.
  The nectomaicer continues: 'I have been develop-
  ing marrangha for many years now. Previously, ;y
  successes have been limited to vermin - rars ru
  Jib-Jibs, mtce to Graunies, and the like. You and
  your collea8ues were my fus t successes with higher
  animals. Never before had I managed to transmute
  a human. And into sltch a firre creature, as you will
  doubtless asree.' You are shocked into a stunned
  silence. A himan! And what of these colleasres that
  Marr is speaking of?
  'My expedments, at least the ones which survive,
  are carefully studied and then prcserved in the
  dungeon beneath the village of Coven. All my cre-
  ations are sent there so that we can assess their
  abilities. You and your crew were transported
  lhere.' Your crew? What does he mean? Thouehts
  dre racin8 throuSh your mind. Some are \ ague and
  others are being sparked off as your memory is
  jolted by his words. Your eyes dart round the room,
  at the desk, thebed, the wardrobe.Itis all starling to
  come back! Marr smiles slyly.
  'I see it is coming back to you now,'he continues.
  ^1ou recognize this room. A little dusty now, and a
  Iittle untidy, but it is as you left it.'Your head is
  spinning. Everything around you is now so fam-
  iliar. 'I regret that your officers have not fared so
  well Remember Ligge, the first mate? He took the
  form of a Blood Orc and was placed in charge of the
  bJind fool, Hannicus. And Burgon the cook? You
  €n into him soon enoush The fat man was trans-
  ft.med into a Hobbit. He joined up with a Shaman
  -d 
  a Strongarm. I think you will lemembe! run-
  dng into them.'By now you are in a slale of utter
  Grfusion as your past comes back to you. And after
  { 
  this time you are back in your own private
  +;fters! Tum to 199.
  7.22
  You follow the passage eastwards, peering aiead as
  lhe glowstones flick on to light your way. Eventu-
  dly you arive at two doors and you listen for any
  dues as to what may be beyond. No noise comes
  Qom behind the door in the north wall. But there a te
  definite sounds coming from behind the door in the
  €ast wall. A heaiy breathing is unmistakable and is
  interru p ted by loud snorts. This sounds ominous. If
  Fu wish to try the door in the north wall, tum to
  tH. If instead you decide to charge the door in the
  cast wall, furn to 26i.
  
  421
  a2t
  You walk towards the old buildin& still in awe of
  Yor]r new surroundings. As you approach, you can
  hear voices inside. They are faint at first, but the
  doser you get, the clearer their words become.
  'Tonight is the night siste$ of Romeena!' cackles
  one of the voices. 'When will it come?' shrieks
  arother, 
  gleefully. 'Quiet!' snaps a third. 'Its
  presence is close! I can feel itl' You step up to the
  door of the buildine and shove it aside. Screams
  come from the thiee women within. But not
  s'ceams of teIIoI; these are more like screams of
  excitement!
  The three old women ate dressed in tattered rags.
  Each has long white hair and a stubbly chin, and
  rubs her wrinlled hands together in anticipation.
  They are hurnanJike, but smaller. These three ugly
  lvitches a re the Women of Dree. 'Come in, come in,
  friend,' beckons one, who is blind. 'We have been
  waiting for you.' 'Yes!'says another, whose mouth
  is toothless and black. 'We are the Women of Dree.
  We are to help you fulfl1 your destinyl' The thid one
  steps forward and speaks with a voice which hisses
  like a serpent: 'Yesss, missserable creature-sss!We
  know zurcf you are and zulro you are - sss - though
  you do not. The godsss have chosen usss to be
  inshumental - sss - in your dessstinv. We cannot
  control your action - ssj , for you muisst make the
  6]ral choice. But we can ssshape your dessstiny
  thrcugh our knowledge - sss - and we will watch
  you! progressss!/ 'Yesl' adds the blind woman.
  
  424
  'Have you not wondeled why one such a6 you is
  able to tale such steps of wisdom as would befit
  none less than a scholar?'The three hags furn to one
  another and chuckle like naughty children. Finally
  they turn to you.
  3ut before we tell of your destinr' starts the black-
  mouthedwitch, 'there is somethingyou must do for
  us. Sleep tonight and awakenlrcsh on the moriow.
  Then set off on a search for us. Bring us what we
  need for our potions. Bring us Sculliweed rootlFor
  this we will tell you what you must know. We will
  join you on the night of the full moon.' With those
  words, the women once more begin their cackling,
  which is beginning to annoy you. You step forward
  but, before you can reach them, they have faded to
  nothing! As silence spreads through the building,
  leaving only the night sounds outside, you reflect
  on their words. Will you take up their quest? Or
  would you mther ignore them and male your own
  way in life? If you wish to undertake their quest,
  turn to 324. If you want another destiny, turn to 44.
  a2/t
  Rhino-Men are rather dull, bumbling creafures, not
  knowl for sharpness of wit. Orcs, on the other hand
  are more quick-thinking and cannot resist the
  oPpoftunity to torment. Thus the aigument tums
  into a brawl, as one of the Orcs pushes the Rhino-
  Man to Lhe limits of his temper. But before any
  damage has been done, Thugruff appears with
  armed guards tobreakup the fight. The two groups
  t 4-127
  -e 
  separated. Thug.uJf takes you aside and into the
  @sde for some food. Turn to aa6.
  425
  'Ihis is Rosina's cottage,' announces Grog. 'She'll
  !e able to help. But you'll need some money to pay
  Ler with, Eo here's z Gold Pieces. Go inside. fl
  r'ait here.' You take the coins and then you must de-
  cide what to do. Refum to 177 to make your choice.
  a25
  You leave the ruins and continue alon8 the path,
  h€ading furthe! into the wood. The path becomes
  quite overglown and it is evidently not used much .
  You reach a point where the overgrowth is so thick
  lhat the path continues through a sort of tunnel.
  Yines and creepers dloop ftom the overhanging
  tush. Ifyou were half your size, you would be able
  b nip through it quite easily. But you will have to
  crawl along it. Do you wish to get down on youi
  lnees and follow the path (tum to 343), or will you
  have the path and make your way through the
  wood (tum to 57)?
  You creep forward until you are quite close to the
  deature. As you stand there motionless, patiently
  waiting for the dght moment, a bird flutters down
  b land on a bush in front ofyou. You must now de-
  cide how you will appioach the Ophidiotaur that
  you have encountered. Roll two dice. If the number
  mlled equals or exceeds your S(ILL, turn to 238.
  lf the number is lower than your sKrLL, tum to 5.
  
  r28-13o
  L28
  You charge into the doo!, It dangs loudly, but does
  not budge. This only ange$ you even further and
  youtry again. But once more the door shows no siSn
  of weakening. You, on the other hand, have hurt
  your arm and must los€ 1 srAMrNA point. If you
  wish to keep trying, tum to a5o. Otherwise you may
  look for a key (turn to r12)
  t29
  The door has no handle. You try shoving againstit.
  Atfirst, the door will not budge, but then you hear a
  small clic,t and your next push is successful. You
  step into the room and close the door behind you.
  Again you hear the.lick as the door swings to. The
  room has a porthole, but cu*ains have been pulled
  across it, so t}le room is dark. In the centre of the
  room is a large stately chaE with ornate carvings on
  its legs and on its highback. A silent figure is sitting
  on the chair, wrapped in an elaborate red cape. lts
  eyes are closed and it is motionless.ln one cornerof
  the room is a pile of scattered bones. What will you
  do:
  Investigate the figure on the chair? Tum to 452
  Search through the pile ofbones? 
  Tum to 64
  Tum lound and leave the room? 
  Tum to 3,{7
  r30
  You follow the trail northwards. By now it is becom-
  ing quite dark. The setting sun Biveswayto a brithl
  moon which is almost full. Eventually you decide to
  1.3L-132
  rest for the night, and you setde down to sleep
  behind a largeboulder. The nightpasses peacefr.rlly
  and you may gain 4 STAMTNA points for the rest,
  The next moming you continue northwards until
  you rcach a fork in the path. A signpost stands by
  the side of the road. The way to the south is sign-
  posted to'Dree **'. To the north-west, the signpogt
  reads'Coven'and to the north-eastit reads'Bu Fon
  Fen'. Will you follow the trail to the north-west (turn
  to 19o) or the north-eaot (turn to 134)?
  a3a
  The shopkeeper is amazed when you offer him the
  gold coin. He shuffles diligendy around the shop,
  gath€ring together for you a generous collection of
  prcvisions. You receive two strips of dried wildcat
  meat, a bag full of fimweed root from the sack on the
  counter, a skin of mulled wine and a fresh loaf of
  corn bread. You then leave his shop, and sit down
  outside to eat. Add 4 srAMrNA Doints for the meal
  and continue out of the village by turning to 374.
  Had you been a litde m;!e observant, you would
  have noticed how the footprints all avoided the
  centre of the clearing. As you step towards your
  chosen trail, your foot sinks deep into mud. This
  happens too quickly for you to pull you$ell back
  and, to your horror, you find youself sinking deep
  into the muddy swamplThere is nothingaround for
  you to grab hold of. If you have a length of rope,
  turn to 2j. lfnot, tum to E3.
  
  113-434
  a3J
  Marr's eyes open wide. 'But you may not refuse!'
  His anger is mounting. 'For I am your cleator! You
  may not defy me. Do you not think that, jf my
  power is sufficient to create you, it is also sufficient
  io punish you? Very well. I give you a glimpse oI the
  living Hell I may make you suffer.' His eyes roll
  backwards and he mumbles a few incomprehen-
  sible words, pointing his hands out of the miror at
  you. You wait apprehensively to see whathappens.
  Did you bathe in the magical Elven Dust? If so, turn
  to 417. lf not, turn to 16.
  434
  The trail eventually merges with another. You fol-
  low it over hills and a rickety wooden bridge which
  spans a fast-flowing river. Eventually you arrive at
  the outskirts of a gloomy village. No one seems to
  takemuch notice as you ardve.It stdkes you that dll
  the humans seem to be aged women. They are a
  dirty lot, wrapped in tattered shawls, and they spit
  and scratch as they talk to one another, ignoring the
  scenes of chaos around them. For the other inhat i-
  tants are a cacophony of strange crcatures - hunch-
  backed, misshapen, mutilated, wretched things
  that giub about in the dusty gutters looking for
  scraps of food. Sorne hop, some hobble, some can-
  not move at all and are dying in the street. One
  legless creature pulls itselftowards youbyits hands
  and grabs your anlJe. lLs bleeding fingers are in-
  flamed and septic and you quickly kick it away. An
  ugly old ffone comes from her hut and flings
  
  u 
  --"U", 
  o, stinking sewage into the street.
  Immediately, the contents are being devoured
  ferociously by a dozen of the accursed creatures.
  The sight repulses you- Looking around, you notice
  also that the place seems to be unnaturally dingy.
  The prevailing colour is black; all homes and dothes
  - arld even the creatures - are black. Dust hanes
  healy in the dir, and is continually being stirred up
  by the filthy creatures which live and die in the
  gutter.Itis with some reluctance that the sun shines
  at all in the cursed village ofD!ee.
  But your anon)rynity is comJorting. You conbnue
  towards the centre of town, where many of the old
  women are milling around a street market. By the
  side of the market, performers arc showing off their
  acts. You head towards them, but before you reach
  the market, you hear a woman's voice calling to you
  from behind. Will you stop to see what she wants? If
  so turn to 21o. If you want to continue towards the
  market, tum to 35 .
  1,,
  You withdraw your claws and hold your hands out
  in a sort of gesture of submission. The creaturc's
  knife dses once more . . . and stabs downwards!
  This time the blow lands in the centie of you!
  shadow's chest and you collapse in a heap on the
  floor. The evil spi t has no comprehension of truce.
  It knows only that it must bring death to any living
  thing it encounte$. For this is the way of the
  Shadow Stalker.
  at6-a39
  a36
  The passage heads north for no more than a few
  paces beforc meandering off in a north-easterly
  direction. Undisturbed layers of dust and dirt on
  the floor indicate that this corridor is little used.
  Eventually, thepassage straightens and heads east.
  You soon come to a junction where you may either
  continue east (turn to 323) or fum to the north (turn
  to 4o4).
  437
  Bewildered by your experience, you wander off
  north along a main passageway. You soon reach a
  junction where you must decide whether to con-
  tinue north (tum to 144) or tum east (tum to 2o4).
  138
  You turn south outside the door and head down to
  the next door. There is no other way om /ards. You
  oPen the door. Turn to 15.
  439
  You follow the path carefully, watching the way
  ahead. It seems to lead straieht into the heart of the
  forest and the foliage gets d"enser as you continue.
  You come acioss a building in ruins, apparently a
  house in days long gone. The doorway remains,
  however, and a coat of arms decorates its rottine
  timbers. The coat of arms depicts two syrnbols: i
  mailed fist and a moming star. Do you want to
  search through the luins (tun to 4oo), or will you
  ignore them and continue along the path (turn to
  L26\?
  
  a4a
  140
  740
  You remember the words of the blind wizard Han-
  nicus and you hold up the silver rin8 before Dara-
  mouss. 'What is it? What sort of a gesture is . . . lfu
  Riflg of Holy Blessiflglwhere did you get that? Give it
  to rnel This instatlt!' lfis sunken eyes narrow and his
  gaze becomes fierce and pierces deep into your
  eyes. For a moment you feel him entering your will
  and your hand extends the dng towards him! His
  hand reaches out to fake it from you .
  But suddenly you manage to break out of your
  trance. You s tep over to the wall and crush the dng's
  Iarge bulbous stone against it. The creahne behind
  the desk shrieks a9 the stone shatterc and a sweet-
  smelling gas fills the air. Daramouss steps back
  against the north wall and thumps a panel in the
  wall with his hand. Almost immediately, the wall
  draws aside and reveals a secret passageway! He
  tales a step towards the passage, but it is too late.
  The perfumed aroma has entered his body. Darra-
  mouss drops to his knees, clutching his throat. He
  topples over backwards and sprawls Meless belore
  you. You have killed the foul creature! You may
  now choose your next direction, through one of two
  secret passageways. Will you head to the west (tum
  to 79) or the north (tum to 184)?
  t4a
  'Ssssoool' hisses one of the witches, holdinq her
  hands high. 'The creature sssucceedsss!' 'siculli-
  weed root!' exclaims another. 'Then indeed we are
  to be instruments of your destiny! Give us the root.
  Then we may tell you what you must know.' You
  hand over the plants to the witches.
  'So be it,' starts the black-mouthed witch. 'The test
  has been passed. We must tell this creature of its
  past/ its present and ofits future. You are a creafure
  of Zha[adan Marr, this you know. You are his
  ceature ashe is ours. But now you must deshoy our
  unholy soD for he seeks to alter the very balance of
  nafule. Evil must not triumph over all; Chaos can-
  not reign supreme. For the balance is vital. We
  cannot get near Zharradan, for he knows that we
  would prevent his plans. But his vanity is great. yo,
  are his creation. He will not fum you from his door.
  And when you meet him, you must destroy him.
  l4tren you do this you will save the balance. And
  your own truth will be revealed. We may not tell
  you more lest your thirst for knowledge be
  quenched and you abandon your destiny.'
  The sighdess witch continues: 'We do not know
  how you may meetZhafiadan. Butwe can offer you
  one more ally. In Knot Oak Wood you must meet
  the white-haired Elt Daga Weaseltongue. He can
  tell you how to enter the Galleykeep, 
  for he has been
  there himself. Butbeware his words! Weaseltoneue
  -peaks untrulhs as if they were truths. Should fus
  sentence begin with a vowel, thenitis truth. Other-
  
  a+a
  the witches continue:'We know notwhere in Knot
  Oak Wood he is, but we know this. The Ophi-
  diotaur is his ally. He will lead you to Weasel-
  tongue- And we can lead you to the Ophidiotaur.
  Just sleep when we have left. This is all we can say.
  Now we must leave you. But your gift to us wil 6e
  used to ploduce a Potion of Luck. We shall try to
  bestow its powers on you from afar. Farewell.,
  With these words, the wind picks up oncemoreand
  a gale whistles through the -hee, The images of the
  witches fade in the wind and calrn settles around
  you. A faint b'reeze blows across your brow and it
  seems to soothe you. You lie down once more on the
  giound beneath the tree and drift off to sleep. you
  may increase your LUCK score to its itlill4l level, as
  this encounter has indeed been fortunare.
  a+2
  may rcstore your STAMTNA to its hirj4l level. Turn
  to 423,
  142
  A foul smell wafts along the passage and seems to
  get stronger as you continue. The air becomes cool
  river that is responsible fo! the stinl which fills the
  area. The bridge is so naEow thaL for a qeafure of
  
  441-144
  443
  Your anger grows as the figure steps forward. The
  candle throws a flicker of light across its face and
  you can see that an explession of fury knits the
  ceature's brow. You can also see flames buming in
  each of the creaturc's eyes, but perhaps these are
  only reflections of the candle flame. Nevertheless,
  your own eyes are held fast by the cleafure's stare.
  A hand reaches out and steely finge$ close around
  your neck! You begin to choke, and are unable to do
  anlthing while you are transfixed by the creature's
  burning eyes. Fiially you breakits gaze and force its
  hand from your neck. You must rcsolve your battle
  with the creatute:
  MASTER OF HELLFIRE sKrLL14 srAMrNA14
  If you manage to leduce it to a srAMrNA of2 or less,
  turn to 266.
  444
  The passage twists and turns until itleads you into a
  wide cavem. You pause to survey the way ahead.
  There are no creatures to be seen and all is still
  except for a dull humming which is forming an
  almost unnoticeable background noise. The wall to
  the left is riddled with large holes like a huge
  honeycomb and many of the holes are lit with a
  yellow glow. In the centre of the cavern, a fe\4r steps
  off the path, is what seems to be a srnall pool of
  shimmering liquid. Do you want to pass throu8h
  this chamber as quickly as possible (turn to 239)? Do
  you want to investigate the light coming from the
  \45-146
  holes (turn to z4)? Ot will you have a look at the pool
  o{ shimmering liquid (tum to IEo)?
  445
  The Toadman feinls at you with his kident and you
  hap into action. Resolve your battle with the
  (rjeatule:
  TOADMAN
  s(rLL g
  STAMINA 9
  ffyou defeat him, turn to 287.
  L46
  You follow *re nervous shopkeeper round and cor-
  r|er him. His terrified €xprcssion futns to one of
  atonishment when you hold out the gold coins.
  lvhen he sees that you have come to eat his wares,
  mt him, he rushes off round his shop to serve you.
  Hegathers together for you a generoLls collection of
  provisions. Ftust of all he gives you thrce small bags
  o{ Abundance Nuts. You also receive two strips of
  dried wildcat meat, a bag full of Jimweed root flom
  lhe sack on the counter, a skin of mulled wine and a
  ftesh loaf of com bread. You leave his shoo and sit
  down outside to eat. You eat everything but the
  Abundance Nuts, as the shopkeeper recommended
  lhat you take them with you for later in your jour-
  Ey. Add 4 srAMrNA points for the meal. You may
  eat a bag of Abundance NutE at any time during the
  rEst of your adventure except when in battle. Each
  bag will restore 4 s TAM r N A points when eaten. You
  cm now continue out of the village by tuming to
  14.
  
  447
  447
  There is something sold inside the sack. You
  fumble with the cloth, but cannot seem to find a way
  inside. Eventually you become frustlated, pick the
  sack up and shake it.
  A small wooden casket drops out. Asitlands on the
  ground, the catch flips open. Inside is a flask and the
  bump has loosened the stopper. You watch as a
  green liquid inside bubbles and boils, turning to a
  green gas which slowly seeps from the neck of the
  0ask and drifts upwards in the air before you. You
  are mesmerized by the swirling mists which grad-
  ually become recognizable as a face! It is thin, with
  angu.lar features and is decidedly hunan. Eventu-
  ally its eyes open and stare intoyours. 'rih bvfebffne
  bwbk fnf defrp mom yoslvm bfr! Whpocblsa p not
  hlevb ppv rupfot pngv fs. T hl ehfbvfnl yebp di fseh
  bvfe tbkfneth qri pp sjt ipns. M yo gjf tijsig rb ntfd.
  Fpro bfttf repro hr owp Ffem ye rfl lbsfe bfs tpws
  opno ypvuth fer,nd frstbnd ing i'? vu dfsirf. May
  !'ou use you! gift wisely.' Having said these words,
  the green gas swills once more and the face dis-
  rppears. As if sucked by force, it disappears once
  more into the flask- Once it is inside, th€ flask and
  the casket begin to fade. Moments later they have
  disappeared! But your unintentional 
  encounter
  with th€ Vapour ofTongues hasbeen fortunate. The
  spirit has bestowed on you its gft oI language. From
  now on you will unde$tand most languages as
  spoken or wdtten. You may tanslate coded speech
  by turning to refurcnce 281. where you will find the
  s€cret of the code.
  
  148-15o
  48
  You decide to follow the passage east, to your ri8ht.
  Your first steps are slow, as you take in the encoun-
  ter with the Dwarf. AJtet a few Paces, the corridor
  tums north, You approach a stout wooden door and
  must make a decision. Will you smash the door from
  its hinges and continue? Or rvill you give uP on this
  route and retum to the Dwarf's corPse? Roll one
  die. If the result is 1 or 2, tum to 419. If the roll is 3-6,
  turn to 72.
  449
  You quicken your pace along the Passdge, 
  away
  from ihe stink of the stredm. Suddenly your foot
  steps forward into ,othlrg and you are falling down-
  waids through the airl Your bulky body picks uP
  speed quickly, but tuckily the fall is not a lengthy
  one. You land in a heaP at the bottom of the Pitfall
  you have walked straight into. If it were not for your
  bulk, you might have landed unharmed on the
  straw-stewn floor. But you gloan as you nurse your
  right leg. Blood is seeping from between the scales
  and you have twisted your knee badly. You must
  deduct I srAMrNA Poink for the fall. Now tum to
  150
  tryin8 to break down the door, tum to 398. Other-
  wiseyou will have to search for the key (fum to 112)
  7.54-r52
  451
  -lngrily you slash at the fortune-teller- Resolve your
  battle with Rosina of Dree:
  ROSINA OI DREE 
  sKrLL 8
  Iyou defeat her, turn to 264.
  452
  You step forward and swing your fist hard into the
  4ass. The sound of the impact echoes round the
  room. But, rather than the shattering sound you
  lr'ere expecting, the noise is a deep rumblin& as the
  ni or vibrates. 'Fool!' screams Zharradan Marr.
  Did you really thinl the portal between my world
  and yours would be so easy to destroy? Vy'hy, if that
  were so,I would be at the meicy ofa simple accident
  - or even rough weather!' He is righe it would
  :tdeed have been foolish of him to be left so \.rulner-
  able. 'My mirror caniot be harmed) you waste your
  ime and mine. I can see you have no desire to join
  $e. But our futures are intertwined. If vou will not
  aonsider you$elf my friend, then you must become
  :nv enemy!' The image of Marr fades from the
  ieflection and your own begins to reappear. You
  :€act quickly in frustration, and prepare to try
  .nother blow, but this time with all your might.
  rrrln to 102,
  STAMTNA 7
  
  a5J-455
  ' 
  l',
  The easterly passage Ieads you down a slight incline
  and along a narrow route which is cold and wet
  underfoot. The glowstones light your way once
  more. You soon find yoursell 
  sloshin8 and
  splashing alon8 the corridor, and you look down to
  find that your feet are walking, not through o!di-
  nary mud, but through a thick, jelly-like substance
  which appears to be dark blue in colour. The pass-
  agebends sharplyroundto the noith, and you plod
  onwards. Your progress may be unpleasant, but
  you feel no ill effects from the slime. Eventually, you
  reach a junction. Ahead, shaight up the conidor,
  the slime changes to an even darker shade ofblue.
  To the right, a single step upwards leads to a dry
  passageway heading east. If you wish to continue
  heading north, turn to 232. If you step out oI the
  slime and head east, tum to 84.
  454
  The door is locked. It may be possible to break it
  down, but you could damage your shoulder, as the
  timbe$ are heary, If you wish to try breaking the
  door, tum to 395. lf instead you would prcfer to try
  the door in the eastwall, tum to 26j.
  155
  You approach the orb. lts perch is only slighdv
  above your head and you rcach up to take it in your
  hands. But as your fingels close around it, you
  suddenly leap away!Although its appearance gives
  no warning, it feels red hot to the touch! Lose r
  a56
  srAMrNA point for the burns. Then a shape bedns
  to form in the crystal. Moments later, a shrivelled,
  death-like human face within the orb opens its eyes
  and glares atyou. Its mouth begins to speak and an
  eerie voice booms out along the corridor: 'Fp plj
  shicrfb tyrf. qdiypv 
  uthln k ip!.ucpvl 
  duthi f.vfe
  thfep rbop fodbr bmp vss? Np n fem byat pvch umy
  us bcr fd ecr ystb la fpr oj tij simy ify fseb nd afb rs.
  Bn damyawfbppns obsa ypvus hbl lasff .' What will
  you do now? Do you wish to wait and see what the
  face in the orb does next (tum to 428), or will you
  leave it and eithe! take the other branch of this
  passage (turn to E1) o! retuln to the crosstoads and
  go v/esL (turn to 213) or east (tum to5o)?
  t56
  You follow the passage to the east and you find
  ).ourself wandering down a long, straight passage.
  After some time, you arrive at a crossroads and you
  must choose which way to turn. As you arc con-
  sidering your choice, you are startled when all the
  glowstones you are relying on to light your way go
  out simultaneously! You are now stranded in the
  pitch-blaclnessl 
  Which way willyou go:
  North?
  South?
  Straight on?
  Turn to 354
  Tum to 2r2
  Trun to 31o
  
  r.6i,-a62
  tpothb taswj nfbfbr dacvr!' You cannot fight both at
  once. Which will you direct your attention to? Tesf
  yout Luck. lt yon arc Lucky, tum to 292' If you are
  Unlucky, turn to 48.
  a6a
  The room is roughly circular, with doors in the
  north, south and west walls Around the walls, in
  between the doors, are dark arches - a total of six -
  Iiving crcature in the room. You steP into the centre
  and -you are startled when the door slams shut
  behind you!You must now decide what to do. Will
  you leave theroomthlough one of the doors (tum to
  4o5) or stay to investigate the loom further (tum
  to 1o4)?
  a62
  A cloud drifts overhead and blots out the fioon. In
  low bianch. Consciousness fades, and you slump
  into the ditch. When you oPen your eyes once mole/
  it is light! You rub your sore head (you must lose z
  srAMINA points for the iniury) and Pick yourself
  up. You continue your ioumey through the wood.
  Turn to 244.
  1.6t-a64
  a53
  Had you been a little more obseruant, you would
  have noticed how all the footprints avoided the
  centre of the dearing As you step across towards
  your chosen tmil, your foot sinks deep into mud.
  a64
  You creep cautiously and somewhat clumsily
  around the outside wall, keeping well out of the
  way of the black circle. lt continues to shimmet
  mysteriously as you edge round it, but nothing
  happens. When you have passed it, thepassageway
  narrows again to a moderate size and heads due
  east. You follow it until you reach anotherbend, this
  time tothe north. Butthis passagewayis quite short
  and ends at a wooden door. When you listen at the
  door, you can hear voices - either two or three
  different ones. The conversation ises and falls in
  pitch as if the creatures (or humans) were locked
  into a long discussion. This is your only way on-
  wards. Will you try the door and attempt to creep
  slowly into the room (hIrn to 276), or will you
  attempt to surprise whatevet is inside by charging
  into the room with claws drawn (tum to 66)?
  
  i
  a57-asE
  457
  You leave Thugruff and move around the courF
  yard, mixing with the others. They ale an unruly
  lot, spoiling for a fight. Each wears the studded
  black leather tunic which is the Galley,teep uniform.
  Each also wears a medallion around his neck with
  his number on. You decide to mix with some of the
  groups to try to learn what you can about the pliace.
  Will you mix with a goup of Orcs and Rhino-Men
  squabbling in the comer of the courq/ard (tu:rn to
  377), or a 8|oltp of Goblins and Elves in the centre of
  the cour.tyard (tum to 284)?
  a58
  The door opens into a large room, which is not the
  dark, dingy room you were expecting. It is well lit by
  sunlight streaming in through a large porthole in
  the far wall. Bookshelves line the walls, along with
  charts of the heavens. A desk in front of the Dorthole
  is laden down with bools, charts and strdnge de-
  vices, and other bulky pieces of sciendfic apparatus
  stand on the floor. Thele are two side doo6leadins
  from the room and one is opening to letsomeone inl
  'That's right. Come in, come in. Don't bother to
  knock. My room is you:r room. Bah!I'll notrctumto
  this cursed ship ever again. When we teach Dree, I
  shall leave and ride to Blacksand. You won't catch
  me on one oI these damned cloud-ships again,
  that's for sr.lre.' He is an old man with long greying
  hair. He mu ttels away to himself, wrapped up in his
  own thoughts. Finally he turns towards you and
  looks over the top of his half-moon eyeglasses. l(es?
  a59-a5o
  Well, come on! Lost your tongue, have you? Ot are
  you just so sfupid that you can't remember what
  you came fo! If that Vallaska Roue wants another
  storm to appear, just so he can shike another poor
  Ophidiotaur with a bolt of lightning, tell him not to
  waste my time, and . . .'He has noticed your look
  of bewilderment. 'Look, you great brute, are you
  in the right place? Did you intend to visit me,
  Nimbicus? When people visit a Weather Mage, they
  normally want something. So? Ye gods! This crea-
  ture's got the mind of allb-Jlb. Feorsome 
  out ol sight;
  feeble 
  ifl the light. Look llyou want something, speak
  to me If not, get out!' He is getting impatient. Do
  vou wantto leave the room? Ifso, fum to459. If you
  want to search round his room, fuln to 3o3. Other-
  wise you may attack him (turn to 254).
  459
  You allow him to take the ring and he steps back
  towards the wall You have fould the conversation
  interesfing, but now you are anxious to move on,
  Turn to 138.
  16{'
  As the crea ture dies, you sink your teeth into its arm
  to taste its juicy flesh. But then you remember the
  other two advenfurers. The red-robed figure is
  facing you, poinfing the little finger of each hand at
  you and mumbling. The shiny human has grabbed a
  sword- similar, you remember, to the Dwad's, but
  larger and is shouting to the other: 'Cpn tI plojt
  simjn dishbmbn! Jtim by abfeb blfe tp olf bda vsu
  
  r61-a67
  a65
  Roll one die. If you roll 1-J, you decide to head
  north into the wide cave entrance ahead of you (tum
  to 4o8). lf you roll 4-6, you take the narrower cave
  entrance which leads west (turn to 344)
  a66
  The descent is dangerous and several times you lose
  your footin8 and stumble on the sliPPery stePs. But
  your luck holds out and you finally arrive at the foot
  of the staircase. The stench of the river is especially
  foul to your sensitive nostdls and your eyes search
  desperately for a way out of the caveln. You dis-
  cover two openings in the rock-face ahead of you
  One leads to the west and the other to the north.
  Will you continue north (turn to 358) or tum west
  (l.u!^ ro 77)?
  a57
  Wliteleaf beams with pdde at the chance to tell of
  his adventures. 'My family is well resPected in our
  village,' he starts. 'My mother - test her soul- was a
  lady-in-waiting to our Que€n Ethilesse, while my
  father served in the Royal Guard. I eam my living
  tending our aviaries, for we of Ethelle Amaene are
  Breat bird-lovers. Our birds are hained to work for
  us, gathering food for our cookinS-Pots and herbs
  for our potions. Anyone who is hained in the afi of
  bild-carins can communicate with the birds, whose
  wisdom is great. They know the solutions to most of
  our problems and want to helP us. They carry me
  about in the woods and, any minute now, I exPect
  a@-i.69
  Cheree and Chitta will arrive to take me back to
  patch up my wounds.'He looks anxiously into the
  skies. Birds fly about above the hees, but none come
  down into the dearing. After waiting for a few
  moments/ he decides to leave and sets off in the
  direction you arrived from, with a wave and another
  expression of thanks. Tum to 4r4.
  a68
  You make your way cautiously tourards the door,
  horrified by the sight of the bodies slowly dis-
  appearing. Asyou step across oneofthe pug-nosed
  creaturcs, your foot catches something in the air. A
  screeching noise from sohewhere is followed by a
  yelp of pain from you, as sharp teeth clamp on to
  your footl Lose 2 srAMrNA points. The shock
  causes you to fumble over and this frees your foot.
  But as you lift yourself up, somethingis happening
  in the room. Three shapes arc materializing in front
  of you. Turn to 447.
  a6g
  Pretending not to unde$tand, you stare at him
  wide-eyed.'Stupid creaturel' he says scomfully.
  'You'Il not be much use outside if you don't speak
  the language. Gotlost, did you? Tum round and go
  back the way you came, serpent-face. And if ifs a
  joumeyyou fancy, jump into the Bilgewater ancl see
  where it takes you!' The guard laughs arld turns
  back to his room. The only wayyou are going to get
  past him is by attacking. Turn to 23.
  
  a7o-472
  470
  Fury builds up within youlYou step backand with a
  loud roar you charge into the door. The hinges crack
  and are ripped off as the door crashes inwards.
  There is no furnifure or decomtion in the cave that
  gleets your eyes. There is a seat carved out of the
  stone, but the room is clearly the dwelling of a
  captive or slave. Your eyes then switch to the room's
  mhabitant - and your reaction is swift! The huge
  Clawbeast, whose peace you have disturbed,
  slashes at you withits deadly talons!You lurch back
  and avoid the creafure's onslaught. But this attack
  serves only to fuelyourmge. Yourown sharp claws
  slide out and you tuIn to the Clawbeast. Resolve
  this combat:
  CLAWBEAST
  sKrl-r 9
  STAMINA 
  14
  Ifyou defeat the creature, tuln to 389.
  a7a
  Your hands comb the walls for signs of an entrance
  or any other way onwards, but in vain. You are in a
  dead end. You will have to retum to the crossroads
  and take either the passage to the north (tum to 354)
  or the passage to the south (turn to 2i2).
  172
  The northward passage is short and ends at a stout
  v/ooden door. If you wish to force the door open,
  turn to 15 . If you would prefe! to return to the main
  Passage and follow itwest, furn to 149.
  /,N
  '1 I
  llrw,
  
  473-475
  173
  'Fooll' cackles the blind witch. 'Do you think we
  cannot tell the difference between Sculliweed and
  Purity Plant? What use is Purity Plant to us? we
  must prepare our Potions ofForfune, not cleansing
  balms.' Turn to 222.
  474
  You ignore the old Rhino-Man's cries and continue
  northwards, following the trarl through the wood.
  After many hours you reach a dearing. Turn to 366.
  Your attempts at frceing yourself are all to no avail.
  Night (omes, followed by the momin8 sunrise.
  Birds are beFnning to circle round you arrd you are
  feeling decidedly weak. But in the dFtant sky, a tiny
  shape comes into view. As it comes closer, you
  realize it is not a bird. It is much too lar8e to be any
  living creature and its size eventually ftightens off
  the birds circling above you. When it comes close
  enough Ior you to see, you can make out its shaPe
  clearly, although it is something with which you are
  not farniliar. A huge vessel, with bilowing 
  sails
  a76-an
  above it, is heading towards you! You watch as it
  gets closer and closer, and eventually stops ovei
  you. A pole is lowered over the side. lt grabs the
  rope from which you are hanging and hoists you on
  to the deck. You are too tired and weak to resist as
  rough hands shove your neck through the nearby
  guillotine. This loraging expedition has been most
  successful. The crew of the Galleyl<zep 
  will have a
  heartymealtonight...
  a76
  ff you sirnply rest by the pond, tum to 453 If you
  drink from it, tuln to 391. If you would prefer to
  bathe in it, turn to 26.
  an
  fhe kail leads to a small copse trowing on a solitary
  hillock which is the only noticeable feature of the
  otherwise flat countryside. When you reach the
  hillock, you can see a face of bare rock. Set in this
  rcck are a number of small cave entlances facine the
  bail. In the c€ntre of these, backed up to the iock-
  face, is a hut, and smoke drifts h;ily from its
  chimney. Someone is at home. Looking out west-
  wards beyond the hillock, the ground is flat for as
  br as you can see. YouI eyes scan the inhospitable
  wastes of the Windward Plain. Nothins about its
  bleakness looks inviting. You tum you;ttentions
  once more to the hut. Will you enter through the
  hont door (tum to 252), or will you try one of the
  caves s€t in the rock-Iace (tum fo 34o)?
  
  a78-a8,o
  r78
  You turn ftom the dead skeleton. But this is a
  mistake For as soon as your eyes have left the
  undead creature, its bones knit quickly together It
  Brabs the knives and springs on your back! You
  must continue your fiSht with the physician:
  QUIMMEL BONE 
  sKrLL 8 
  STAMINA 7
  Ifyou defeat it, turn to 4o7.
  479
  You can find no dues as to how to getfurtheralong
  the passageway. Angry and frustrated, you stamP
  your foot on the ground and smack the rocky wall
  with your fist. This was not a wise thing to do. The
  rock overhead was loos€ but delicately balanced,
  and now the roof and walls come crashinS in on toP
  of you. You have indeed come to a dead end in the
  dungeons of ZhaEadan Marl.
  1Eo
  You leave the path and walk towards the shimmer-
  ing liquid, treading carefully across the rough
  boulders. As you get close, you see something that
  causes you to stop, blink and look again. Out of the
  corner of your eye, you are sare you saw the liquid
  suddenly rise in the air, then fall almost immedj-
  ately to become smooth once more. But this haP-
  pened withoutany sound You take another careful
  step forward and, as you ale now next to the 'Pool',
  you realize to your horror the mistake you have
  made...
  18a
  This is no pool at all. The shimmering surface is in
  fact thegloss on the wings ofa Giant liomet, which
  is feeding in a crevice. As you look down on the
  creature, it turns its large, ugly head up at you,
  mandibles clicking hungrily. With a flutter of its
  wings, it takes to the air and hovers ready to attack!
  Aimingits sting at your chest, it plummets towards
  you. Turn to 332.
  181
  This plant has myste ous properties. you may or
  may not get the opportunity to find out what it can
  be used for. If asked to present this plant to some-
  one later in the advenhlre, rcmemb;r the number
  eighty-one. Now you may leave the river-bank by
  tumine to a8.
  
  /.
  aE -163
  16r
  Afte! following the tunnel for some time, you begin
  to hear dinking noises and voices ftom somewhere
  ahead. You round a comer and enter a large
  chamber lit by the flickering li8ht of many to.ches,
  where creatures of all sizes and shapee are swinging
  implements at the rock-face. Their hard work is
  watchedby seveEl lar8e, heavily armoured guards,
  who brandish long bullwhips, and any pauses in
  the work are rewarded by painful slashes from theee
  whips. The creatures at work seem to be digging out
  the rock-face and loading it into trucks. The trucks
  are then pushed along the Eacks you have found by
  other minions. Will you try to creep through the
  chamber, keeping outolsightofthe guards (turn to
  78)7 Or will you step behind one oI the huck and
  see where it is to be pushed to (tum to 94)?
  1tt
  The path winds tortuously through the forest and
  you lollow it up hill and down dale. Although you
  pass many typeg of birds and other small animals,
  therc seems to be nothing menacing about the wood
  and you are soon feeling quite carefree - until you
  notice that the wood has been changing very subtly.
  The geneGl colour of the forest is irnperceptibly
  changing from rich browns and greens to duller
  shades of the same colours. You are entering the
  Forcst of Spiders.
  When you tust notice this, you think little of it. But
  now the atmosphere of the wood is changing too.
  
  atl
  The chirping of son8btds is replaced by the cawin8
  of crows; previously there were brightly coloured
  butterflies flitting from flowe! to flower, but now
  only black and brown buzzing insects are to be seen.
  Your steps slow to a more cautious pace. Your eyes
  dart ftom hee to tree as if you were exPecting
  something to spring out a[ any moment. But there is
  nothing. Then a noise behind you catches your
  attention and you twist round to a startlin8 sight.
  Standing directly in the middle of the path behind
  you is a tall tree! Its gnarled branches are dead and
  twisted; its trunk is stout and knolted. But you Lre
  certain that it was not there when lou Wssed along tlat
  part ot' the path!Wlllyou go back to investigate the
  tree (turn to 76), oi will you quicken your pace away
  from it (turn to 1o2)?
  a84
  You are glad to be out of the loom and away from
  the vile creature. You take long strides and follow
  thepassage north. It turns to the westandyour nose
  twitches at the foul smell of sewage. A strong
  wooden bddge takes you across the stinking
  Bilgewater. You are forced to hold your breath as
  you cross, but on the other side you quickly leave
  the filthy dver and the passageway turns once more
  to the north. You arrive at a healy door carved out
  of the rock which blocks the way onwards. As you
  are considering what to do, the door opens.
  A burly, dark-skinned human stands in the door-
  way. His face is badly scarred and one ofhis eyes is
  185-1E5
  half-dosed. His lips curl back in a sneer which
  shows his fen', dirty teeth. 'Well?' he asks. 'What is
  it?Has Dafiamouss sentyou? Have you permission
  to leave Mar's dungeons? Come onlWhere's your
  tongue?' Will you nod to let him know you have
  been allowed to leave by Darramouss (turn to 3),
  will you play stupid and see what he does next (turn
  to 159), or will you grab him in your claws and do
  battle (tum to 73)?
  d5
  The [ttle creature scleams in horror as you raise
  your foot over its head. 'L{bv femJeb lpnt' it
  squeals, as it swings the sharp sword in its hand
  body (turn to 399), will you attempt to hide the body
  down the passageway you have just come from
  (tum to 21E), or will you quickly leave the area (turn
  to 248X
  d5
  You cannotresist the temptation to find out whatis
  bound inside the sack. You squat down next to the
  squirming figure and prod it with your hand. It
  squeals pitiJully and its hopeless attempts to
  wiggle free become frantic. Suddenly the creature's
  5mell hits your noskils. lhis smell hds a curioLrs
  effect on you. You are spoiling for battle. But along-
  side this, yofi mouth is watering; you have the
  
  1.8"
  comp€lling desile to sink your teeth into a large
  chunk of desh to satisfy your appetite. Thus your
  craving is both hunBer and .age, and your passion is
  unconhollable !
  Your talons slide from your fingertips and you slash
  furiously at the ropes binding the sack. Th€y fray
  and Bnap, and out falls a battered and bloodied little
  human-like creature. It is clean-shaven, with brcwn
  hair on its head, its hands and even on its feet,
  which are not covered with footwear. The cleafule's
  weary head rolls around towardg you and its eyes
  gaze into yours as iI to plead for pity. But when it
  realizes what you ar€, a look of sta rk horror spreads
  acros8 its facel It scieams in anguish and fights
  desperately to breakftee. Butitis no use. You have
  the little fellow securely in your grip. Your fangs
  sink first of all into its neck to quell the struggles.
  Then you feast greedily on its soft body. You may
  restore your sT A M r N A to its Irifirl value. When you
  are finished with the Hobbit, you look up along the
  passageway. You are startled to discover that you
  are being watched! In the darkness down the pas-
  sage is a mysterious figure. Turn to 63.
  aE7
  The second adventu:rer calried, arcund his waist, a
  sho wooden shaft qrith a two edged metal pla te on
  the end. You pick up tfus axe and tum it over in your
  hands inquisitively. Grasping the shaft awkwardly,
  you raise it over your head and bring it down on a
  rock by your side. The rock shatters. But unfortu-
  
  a89-191
  lE9
  You leave the dearing and stomp off throu8h the
  undergrowth. Birds twitter excitedly as you crash
  through the woods and you turn your head up to
  watch them. Far in the distance you see a black
  shape, hovering in the sky. It is too latge to be a
  bird and has none of the familia! shapes of a
  flfng 
  creature. The Galleykeepl You remember
  Weaseltongue's words. But how will you ever be
  able to find a hidden trap among all the tlees? Iesf
  your Luck. lf yoru arc Luck, turn to 34r. If you are
  Unlucky, tum to376.
  190
  As you follow the trail, the vegetation changes. The
  flat gassland begins to be replaced by taller reeds.
  The going underfoot becomes rnuddier, until
  eventuallv vou rcach an alea where bulrushes tower
  over youi head. Will you continue into the rushes
  (tum to 3o7), or will you head back to the iunction
  and take the north-east trail instead (tum to 134)?
  r9t
  You press on northwards, 
  following 
  the trail
  through the wood. If you are hungry, you may ky to
  catch some food by tuming to 368. If you are not
  hungry, turn to 229.
  
  493-494
  491
  tn the centre of the bridge, you glance down The
  sight of the filthy wdter down below i6 unnen ing
  and for an in8tant you lose your balance on the
  slippery bridgel Your fate is to plunge head filst
  down into the disgusting Bilgewater b€low, never
  to emerge alive, unless your s(rLL is great. Roll two
  dice. If you roll a number Breater lhan or equal to
  your s KILL score, your adventure ends here, plung
  in8 down into the foul river below. If you roll a
  numberless than your sKrLL, then you regain your
  footing (turn to 221).
  494
  Youbend down to grasp the creature'sbody, which
  lies lace down on the Roor in front of you. You furn
  it over, unaware of the deadly surprise in store. For
  as the light falls on the creaturc's face/ you see that
  the creature you foughthas disappeared!In its place
  is the grotesque head ofa long-dead Zombie, whose
  rotten flesh is being eaten by crawling grubs. Its
  fieryeyes are stillalightand they oflce more capture
  your gaze. As you stare transfixed, the creaturc
  suddenly sits bolt upright and two streams of fire
  from its eyes burn into your ownl You scream in
  agony at the pain, and a slow smile spreads across
  the creature's face of death. It has only just begun its
  attack. Your death willbe slow and painful.
  
  a95-a96
  495
  You $owl impatiently at fhe medicine-man, but he
  is adding ingredients to his herbal broth and con-
  tinues to ignore you. Finally you will wart no more.
  You step up to him and swipe at the boiling broth-
  Most of the liquid splashes up into the face of the
  medicine-han, who soeams in agony and clutches
  his eyes. He falls to the floor, sobbing and moaning.
  When he eventually looks up, his sightless eyes
  search aimlessly around the rcom. He is totally
  blind and is in no fit state to help you. You may leave
  him and the village by turning to 374. Or, 1l yott
  prefer, you may put him out of his misery (turn to
  455).
  a96
  She shuffles off into the hous€ foi your Potion of
  Healing. You take a sniff of the yellowy liquid and
  Bag. It smells disgusting! 'Come now, it will do you
  good,' coaxes the hag. 'Drink it all up. And all your
  problems will vanish.' You take a deep brcath and
  swallow the contents of the bowl. It washes down
  your tluoat, leaving a bitter taste in your mouth.
  You cough a few times, but soon it has settled. You
  tum to go.
  'There really is no need for you to go so quickly,'
  chuckles the old crone. 'You may as well g€t to like it
  here.'You are puzzled by her words. Tor you will
  not be leaving for some time. After all, now that
  Shanga cannot serve me, and I cannot keep up this
  home without a slave, can you blame me?' You are
  still not sure what she is talking about, but you
  1.97-r9E
  notice you are leeling warrn - :md ever- happy -
  inside. The old witch now seems to be not so much a
  dirty hag but more a kindly soul and her words are
  [ke music to your ears. 'There are many chores that
  you will busy yourself with,' she continues. 'And
  _vou will be fed well. Look - Shanga can be your first
  meal. You will be happy spending the rcst of your
  [fe in Dree.' And every day you will receive 44-
  dler tasty bowlful of my special Potion of Obedi-
  ence.'
  497
  lYhen shapped to your arm, this plate will make a
  Esetul shield in baftle. While using this shield, you
  may add r point to your s(lI,L. In addition, any
  Erore metallic discs oI gold arrd silvet may be carried
  in the pouch on the back. Finally, the spike on the
  ftont will allow you to break down doors more
  casily. If you are told to lose 1 s rA Mr N A point when
  attempting to break down a door, you may ignore
  this penalty (if the damage is more severe, then
  even your shield will not help you). Now leave the
  chamber and turn to 252 to continue yout joumey.
  194
  Hooo-oo-{o . A bird's cry pierces the night air as you
  step through the mysterious stones, looking for
  anything unusual. You pause by a tall, smooth,
  black stone and study the writing on it. 'Herc lies
  Sogarth Foulblade, smitten in the Sculliweed
  plague, leaving good wife Millinia and sons Chard
  and Seth. May Chlorissian take his soul.' Not far
  tom this is an omate stone covercd in small carv-
  
  499
  ings o( winged creatures and fierce-looking gar-
  goyles. Its insaiption is in smaller Print and you
  must step light up to read it 'The Sround is cu$ed
  where I, Donag HadduraS, lie. Letnot man orbeast
  dare set foot on my gxave, lest he feel my wmth and
  the ground open up to disembowel his miserable
  body. Donag Haddiuag, necromancer of Coven '
  You look to the ground and see your or -n foot
  planted squa rely on the centre of his Srave! Will you
  wait to see whether or not the thleat is an idle boast
  (turn to 4a1), or turn and find somewhere to hide
  (tum to 57)?
  499
  Marls eyes open wider and he leals forward. His
  head lxotrudes from the mirror as if it werc a Pool of
  v/ater, held on to the wa-tl by magic. 'Now I can helP
  yo,r, but you fiust gioe ne thz llalf-Olc's ktuWckl'
  Whatcan he want with Grog's knapsack? It contains
  only a few of the creature's Possessions and a box
  . . . Of coursel The box! You now remember that
  you have seen similar boxes twice before. Onceiust
  before you found you were develoPing contol of
  your destiny and a8ain iust before you started to be
  able to undelstand the languages of other creatures.
  PerhaDs thi8 box is what he is after. MarI holds his
  hand ;ut and it too emerges from the mirror into the
  toom,
  'Vallaska Roue has failed me,' h€ says 'Ior the
  GtlleVkeep has nol enabled us to find the EJ village
  There was only one way to test the Powers of the
  2(Xt
  Vapours: to use them ona living creature. I care little
  foa the "power of rcason" or the "power of
  languages", as these are skills I al!€ady have. It was
  much more plofitable to allow you to use these
  Vapours. But the Vapour of Life is mine. Give it to
  me!'
  Will you give him the box as he rMishes? If so, turn to
  74. ff you refuse, tum to a3l.
  2atc,
  The old man offers to help ifyou will lead him out of
  the dungeon. 'My narne, if you wish to know it, is
  Hanrlicus. I know much of what goes on here,, he
  starts/ 'for I was the keeper of these dungeons
  belore Zharradan Marr decided that an undead
  would be more ruthless than an ageing wizard and
  gave that damned DarEmouss - curse hi.s soul - my
  position. The only leward for thirty-six years' ser-
  vice was my black-eye curse and a future as a
  plaything to be held captive at Danamouss,s
  pleasure.'All this is interesting to you and you
  allow him tocontinue. 'T(an lead you straight to the
  undead keeper if you will lead me - if you see what I
  mean. \/ly'e must travel east until we reach the lair of
  the Chattematter. But ignore his prattle, for he
  seeks only to feed on your flesh, North then we
  must bavel to reach Darramouss. I can help you slay
  him, with thisl' From inside his robes, he oulls a
  siJver ring which has a large bulbous stone s;t in ir.
  He walks over to you and gropes for your hand,
  finding it eventuaUy- 'Look, this ring will fit any
  linger - even youis. There! When you meet
  
  204-202
  Daramouss, smash the stone into the wall. It will
  break and release a deadly gas - deadly, tlrat is, to
  the undead Half-ElJ. lt will not harm humans and
  will no doubt have no effect on you.' Add 2 LUcx
  Doints for this information . You look at the ring on
  vour finger admiringly. The human is asking for it
  i'ack. Wityougive ir tohim? lI so, tum tor59. Unot
  turn to 360.
  207.
  The door in the south wall oPens to reveal a short'
  narrow corridor. 
  But as you are considering
  whether or not to steP through the door, a creating
  sound comee from behind you. You swing round
  to see the door in the east wall slowly oPenint-
  Glowstones in the passage outside flick on to 1i8ht
  up your way. You crnnot resist this invitation, and
  you leave through the east door. Tum to 49.
  The heat is becoming unbearable. Your thick scales
  toeether. The ringing sound becomes unnaturallt
  loid and, as it does so, the roarings of the fumace
  subside. The vibrations on your wtists in(rease dnd
  eventually all is calm and the tempenture has been
  restored tb normal. An oPenin8 aPPears in the west
  wall and you can leave. You ar.ive at a familiar
  2O3-205
  cossroads, but this time you choose a different
  direction. Will you turn dght (h.trn to 443) or
  continue westwards (turn to 2r3)?
  203
  You follow the trail east for some time, until a
  funiliar shape looms on the horizon- The building
  m which you met the Women of Dree! You realize
  that you have retraced your joulney, so you decide
  io retum to the crossroads- Lose 1 sraMrNA point
  ior the wasted joumey. At the junction, will you
  urn north (turn to 13o) or continue west (tum to
  an)?
  204
  The passage runs straight ahead until you reach a
  solid wooden door. It is locked and looks much too
  sturdy fo! you to break down. But in the centle of
  the door is a huge metal plate with a heavy ball
  pivoted above it. Will you use the ball to hit the plate
  to atkact the attention of whoever is inside (tum to
  435), or will you retum to the junction and take the
  passage to the north (tum to r44)?
  205
  Roaring like an enraged Demon, you rush into the
  open chamber, ready to take on whatever is inside.
  Terrified sMeks come from the small Dartv of
  adventurers huddling round d makeshift iampflre
  in the centre of the area. Tluee figures are warming
  themselves by the fire. One wears shiny dothes that
  dink as he moves. Another is dressed in red and
  
  20|'
  a.lso grows long dark hafu from his chin. The third is
  a tiny creatule with polished hide on his chest. He
  has no hai! on his chin, but has Plenty on his feet,
  which he has been holding up to warm at the fire.
  Your eves fix on the smallest of the three. Your
  breathing gets heavier and a feeling of pure hahed
  grips you, Without hesitatinS, you stomp actoss
  arrd grab the miserable Hobbit with your daws. The
  other two are causht off balance and are slow to
  react. The Hobbit lias no weapon and should be an
  easv victim:
  20?
  207
  You slump to the ground, exhausted from the fight.
  Du ng the battle, the creature's rcd robe fell to the
  floor and this now catches your attention. You pick
  it up, admiring its richness and its feel. You stand
  up, swing it ove! your shoulders and proudly take a
  few steps, watching how it flows with your move-
  rnents. You sit down again, happy with your new
  Possession. But then a sbante feeling comes over
  vou. A pain in your stomach is followed by an
  overwhelming hunger. You must eat sohething!
  The dead Blood Orc lying at your feet suddenly
  looks delicious and you eat heartily, For the time
  being your appetite has been satisfied. Add 4
  srAMrNA points.
  You are now ready to leave the rcom. You step up to
  the door and attempt to open it. But there is no
  soon tums to a quite different feeling as another
  wave of hunger spreads through you. Wi you step
  over to the Orc's bones to suck them clean (turn to
  109), or will you instead attempt to remove the red
  robe (tun to 21)?
  HOBBIT
  sKrLL 5
  If you defeat the creature in three straight Attack
  Rounds, turn to a6o. If it tak€s longer than thrce
  rounds, fum to 85.
  2o5
  You ignole the pleas ofthe miserable little creaturc.
  After chewing through the roPe to cut him down,
  you put him out ofhis misery and feast ravenously
  on his tasty flesh. Restore your srAMrNA to its
  Initial level, You must then decide which way to
  turn a t the fork. Will you go lelt (tum to 35a) or riSht
  (turn to 183)?
  
  206-210
  2ta-242
  you would rather not, fuln to 35,
  247,
  Shange smells of boiling herbs reach your nostrils as
  you enter the shack- Inside, the room is duttered
  and disorganized and the pungent smell of the
  boiling herbs is particularly offensive to you. Stand-
  ing over the pot of herbs is an old, white-haired man
  holdinga ladle in one hand and an open book in the
  other. He weatg a long, black robe and is concentrat-
  ingintendyon his potion. You stare at himfora few
  moments. He does not even notice you until you
  accidentally kick a larye, round vegetable and send
  it scuttling actoss the floor. The man throws back his
  long hair and glances up at you. He seems to look
  lhrough you) yott are ^ot sure whether he is seeing
  you ornot. Hewaves you over to a chai! to waituntil
  he has finished, Will you wait as he wishes (tum to
  316), or do you refuse to wait (tum to 195)?
  242
  
  27.1-27.4
  243
  You reach a dead end. The light is dim and it is diffi-
  cult to see, so you grope around for a possible way
  onwards. There is none to be found. You turn round
  and refum to the crossroads. Will you now continue
  north (tum to 443) or east (tum to 5o)?
  Your shuggles against
  244
  the sticky Cluevines are
  hopeless. The more you try to free you$elf, the
  morc entangled you become. But in your hand
  you carry the bottle of green liquid taken from the
  skeletal hand. The glass stopper has popped out in
  your struggles with the vine and you decide to take
  a sip. The liquid tastes sweet and you pour the
  remaining drops into your mouth. Miraculously,
  this seems to have the desired effect! One by one the
  vines release you!
  The green liquid you found was, however, no,
  specially formulated to repel Gluevines. The
  Cluevine funnel was constructed by Fo€stlmps as
  a trap. Glu evines are very useful for traps of this soft
  as they have the ability to tell whether or not the
  prey they catch is fit for consumption. Any animal
  not fit fo! consumption is not entangled or - as in
  your case - released. For if you were to be eaten by
  the Forest lrnps, you would doubtless poison them
  as they eat. The liquid you have drunk is in fact a
  slow-acting poison, the effects of which you are
  only now able to feel. You clutch your stomach and
  double over. Minutes ldter, you die an agonizing
  death.
  2a5-216
  2r5
  You can go after that thin& whatever it was, iI you
  like,'says Grog, looking quite worried. 'But I'd just
  like to get out of here safely.'Retum to 262 and
  make your next choice.
  2a6
  Thugnrff takes you into a room where you both sit
  down at a table. A short while later someone arnves
  with a large bowl fulI of meaty broth and places it
  before you on the table. You catch the smell from the
  broth. Hobbit! Ravenously you grab the bowl and
  pour its contents into your mouth. The broth is hot
  and burns your throat, but you may add 5 sTAMtNA
  points for the meal. Thugruff tells you about his
  legions. Half of his forces are now with Zhanadan
  Marr in a great floating ship known as the
  Galleykeep. lt rs cruising over the Forest of Spiders
  searching for the Rainbow Ponds, for the village of
  Stittle Woad is near the Rainbow Ponds. If you are
  lucky, he promises, you may even get to join Mau
  onthe Gallevkeep. Meanwhile you are deciding what
  you will do next. Thugruff takes you outside and
  offers to give you some inshuction in weapon tech-
  nique Do you want to tale him up on his offer (turn
  to 27r), or will you make plans to leave the Testing
  Grounds (turn to 455)?
  
  247
  247
  You step over to the two boxes and shake one of
  them- Something soft and heaw bumps about in-
  side. This arouses your cudosity and you search for
  a means of opening the box. But none is apparent.
  In your fruskation, you tip the box over and it
  crashes to the ground. Your a ttention focuses on the
  wider end as a splitting sound from within the box
  gets louder. Suddenly a crack appears in the wood!
  Then another! Finallt the front of the box smashes
  apart and you! eyes widen as they catch sight of the
  hideous thiig within . . .
  A human shape appears - or rather, something
  resembling a human corpse. But itis not dead, as itg
  thin lips are slowly curling back to reveal sharp teeth
  and a forked tongue. In an instant, the creafure
  suddenly sits bolt upriBht and tums its head
  towards you!Its eyes flickopen.
  'Vvhpodj st v lbsut hfer fs tep fothfec vrs fwjtchfs.
  Fpvl ucrfbt l'rfey pvudbb bU ew jthi whb tayp !'udp
  on pt ovn df rst bnd. Npn femb yajntf rffrfew ithi pv
  ruplbc fesbv fefpr ozh b rrbdbn amb a th fe mbstfr.
  Yp vu mvstubf etb vghtutpo rfspfc te thle slfl
  pepfoth fev ndfbda bn day pvum vstub fem bdfe
  tpo ffflet hfew! bth apfo thf ecv$fw jt chJs.'
  The creafure's eyes fix on to your own. They glow
  white and you find you cannot break from the gaze.
  l4&en its eyes finally close, you feel strangely light-
  headed. As if in a trance. you step away from the
  comer and head towards the door in the east wall.
  You open it, step through and it closes behind you.
  
  21E-219
  Only then do your thoughts return to normal But
  you are far from normal. You have been culsed and,
  until you are able to find someone who can temove
  the curse, your ltiti4l sKrLL has been reduced by 2
  points and yotut Initial STAMINA by 5. If your
  current sKrLL and stlrvrrrt-l Points exceed these
  limits, you must rcduce them as necessary. Now
  you may continue bY tuming to 435.
  2a8
  You plan to drag the body down the short Passage'
  wayto the south. You bend down to griPthelifeless
  figure. But instead of responding to your wishes,
  you find that your body has other ideas of its own
  Turn to 399.
  249
  You hold up your Ring of Truth before him and his
  tone changes. He shifts nervously from side to side.
  'Er, perhaps I have not rcmembered things quite
  accurately,' he stammers. 'It js not true that the
  are scattered all around these woods. If you get
  yourself caught in a traP, you will be hoisted on
  board. All over the forest, they are. Alternatively
  you can search for Thugruffs Testing Crounds and
  have yourself recruited into the crew.'
  249
  Weaseltongue backs away from you across the
  clearing.'Ermm, I... 
  ah. .. suspecl,, he stam-
  mers, 'thatyou wish tofrdZharradan Marr and you
  wish metohelp.ThaLlcannot 
  . . .'Hisfacemakesa
  Brimace as he glarlces at the ring 'Of course. I must
  tell you whdt I know. for the Ring of Truth was
  forged by flven smiths. lf meet Zharradan you
  must, you will find him on the Galley,teep in a room
  v/ith a certain sJ,.mbol 
  on the door. I know not this
  slrnbol, but I do have a clue as to it6 nature, con-
  tained in the words of this rhyme:
  'When fire meets ice, who ends the frght?
  Who starlds betueat the two?
  His slrnbol keeps them both awt,
  Nol red, nor zohite , but blue -
  'I know no more that will help you,' he adds hastily.
  'Andnow I must be goingl'He holds up hjs hand as
  a parting gesfure and tums into the woods. you
  watch him go. Ahead, the path continues to the
  north, but you can see through the trees that it
  splits, one path heading to the dast and the other to
  the west. Do you want to head north and then turn
  either to the east (turn to 272) or to the west (turn to
  139), or would you rather ignore thepath and set ofl
  through the undergrowth (tum to 169)?
  
  2:2lJ-227,
  22(,
  You are suspicious of this mysterious figure, You
  back ou t of the arch and poke your head into the one
  next to it. This one is also dark. But from somewhere
  in the darkness you can see a faint Slitte ng, as if
  tiny raindrops are sparkling as they fall. You
  cautiously step in to investiSate. You reach a Pile of
  rubble llng on the ground. Stones are scattered
  about as i f from a wall which has recently collaPsed.
  You could easily cross the rubble and make for the
  twinkling 
  lights. 
  While 
  you are consideling
  whether or not to do so, a crash is followed by a
  shower of dust as a rock falls from the ceiling! Will
  you climb through regardless, to investi8ate the
  glittering lights (tum to 55), or will you leave this
  alcove and try another (turn to 85)?
  You cautiouslymake yourwayaffoss to the far side
  of the bridge where, with a 8leat siSh of relief, you
  step on to safe ground again. You rest for a few
  moments and then turn west to continue. But your
  eye catches sight of footprints which seem to head
  not towards the bridge, but to the edge of the ledge
  you are now standing on. Looking more closely,
  you can see that, justovel the edge, a sedes of rocks
  protmde from the side oI the chasm as rough stairs
  They lead down to a hole in the cliff. ff you wish to
  climb down the steps, the Boing will be Perilous, as
  they are narow and there is nothing to hold on to.
  Otherwise, the westward passage leads you on for a
  few paces to a strong wooden door with iron fasten-
  222-223
  ings. Will you attempt to force your way through
  the door (tum to 425), or would you like to investi-
  gate the steps leading down to the hole in the side of
  Ore chasm (turn to 313)?
  Tailed!'cries one of the witches ftombetween black
  teeth. 'The creature has failedl It has no root!
  Hya@hhhh 
  hee heeyah! Its future is ordained. Let us
  be gone. The creafure deseives no higher destiny.,
  Ihe wind sweeps through the blanches of the tree
  with the force ofa gale. But as quickly as it rose up, il
  dies dnd soon dll is still. The Women of Dree are
  gone! Unsure of what has happened to you, you
  settle down once more and drift off to sleep.
  When you awake the next moming, the dis turbance
  in the nightis but a faint memory ofa bad dream. As
  the rising sun warms the air, you set off. Add 4
  srAMrNA points for the test and {ollow the path
  heading north-east, signposted towards,Bu Fon
  Fen'. Turn to 134.
  223
  The bodies are a little scrawny, but still provide
  welcome food. You may gain 4 s rA M r N A points for
  your meal. While you were eating, you also poked
  through the bodies of the adventuers, but found
  nothing of particular importance. Suddenly, a glov/-
  stone lights in the passageway ahead of youl A tiny
  face pokes round the bend and suNeys the scene,
  You see the face only for a moment, but its effecf is
  immediate. Tum to 4o3.
  ;
  
  224-225
  224
  You follow her rourrd the back of a dirty hovel. The
  stale smell of human Eweat wafts ftom the run-
  down shack and round the ba& you nearly tread on
  a wild-haired semi-human creature which is lame
  and cannot move. 'Ihe wretched thing jabbers at
  you in meaningless wh€lps, but you ignore it and
  concentlate on the woman's plight. She shows you
  an overtumed barrel which has evidently fallen
  from a Dlatform behind the house. "Twas the wind
  last nigh t,' she moans. 'The barrel fell with a terrible
  crashl'Twas ful! arrd it landed on poor Shanga here
  who was ti€d up beneath it. Can you putitbacklor
  me?' You grasp the bauel around the hiddle and
  climb the ftame carefully. wlen you have replaced
  the barrel, you step down, ready for your reward.
  'Letme see . . .' she muses. 'Promised you Healing
  Potion, is that not so? But would you prefer a Potion
  of Fortune? Perhaps you would. Well?' Which would
  you prefe!? The Potion of Healing (tuIn to 196) or
  the Potion of Fortune (turn to 294)?
  Your curiosity aroused, you step up to the device
  and sfudy it. It does not seem to be a weapon ofany
  kind. There is a polished, clear glass at each end.
  You place your eye up to the narrowest end and
  peer through. To your amazement you c;rn see
  the trees in the forest fa! below as clearly as if you
  could reach out and touch them! Birds - and the
  occasional noisy Treehoppper - flit about between
  the branches and sprin9 lot cover as |he Gallevkeep s
  226-228
  slhdow passes over them. In a small dearing you
  can see a thin, white-hatued figure slepping into a
  pond of pink water, but again, as the ship's shadow
  comes into view, the figure darts off for cover in the
  woods, You are fascinated with your discovery and
  you spend tinre scanning the tree-tops with the
  device. Turn to 3o2.
  226
  Undead oeatures do not die. AJter the battle, their
  battered remains slinl back into the graves from
  which they came and the stones shift back into
  position. Perhaps you have won this battl€, or
  perhaps they are simply regenerating within their
  graves, Either way you decide not to wait to find
  out. Will you tale the path to the east into the wood?
  If so, turn to 26a. If you wish to try looking around
  the_rest of the graveyard for anything unusual, turn
  You follow the passage back tothe iunction and turn
  Ieft in the direction indicated by the arrow. Turn to
  7,t2.
  228
  You lie back and rclax while the physician pours the
  potion into your mouth. You become drowsy and
  eventually ddft off into a peaceful sleep. Almost
  immediately, you start to have a disturbing dream,
  in which you are lying down and being atIcked by
  knives wielded by a skeletal hand. You struggle to
  
  229
  escape, but your movements arc slow and ineffec-
  tive. Again and again the knives are driven into
  your chest and abdomen.
  The shock makes you wake up immediately. You
  are unable to move at all. All you can do is watch as a
  specimen jar is held over your chest and a bony
  hand drops an organ into it. The organ is beatinS
  and the thub-thub, thu|thub r'oke fills your ears,
  Your last perception of life is watching your own
  heart slowly stop beating.
  229
  The trail eventually takes you to a pair of larg€ metal
  gates. Through the bals of the gates you can see a
  large fortified building, but there are no signs of life,
  You are looking for some sort of clue as to what
  place this is when . . . pop! Suddenly a creahrc has
  appeared out of thin air and is opening the gate for
  !'ou! In size, he is taller than a Hobbit but smaller
  than a human. He is thin and dark, with a withered
  face. Although he does not glance up at you, he is
  talking away: 'Come in. I hope you have not been
  kept waitin8. Oh dear, I shall be in trouble if you
  have been waiting long. Let me take you to Thug-
  ruff. Fine day, isn't it? Follow me, Er, do you have
  any smoking-weed? No, of course not. Here we
  are. . .' You follow the twitteling little creature
  round the back of the building into an open court-
  yarcl.
  As you tum the comer, you stop in your hacks. The
  Brounds alle mi ing with creatures: Goblins, hu-
  
  mans, Orcs, Elves, the odd Rhino-Man, Lizard Men
  and many otherE, talking, exercising and practising
  with weapons. In the centre of things, a huge, burly
  Ha[-Trolt in a black tunic is moving between the
  groups and barking orders. Your guide pushes
  through the crowds and grabs the llalf-Trollls tunic.
  'Thugruff! A visitor!' He grunts and turns to you. 'A
  visitor, eh? Hrmmph. Were you kept waiting at the
  gate?' he asks, aiming a fiery glance at the little
  ctearure.
  You shake your head. 'So you've come to join us
  have you?' he continues, 'Marls legions could do
  with the sort of strength I can see in those arms.
  Let's see what you can do. ElevenlOver herc!' Each
  of th€ lesionnaires wears a medallion atound his
  neck witi his own number on. A lightly armoured
  human weanng numbereleven comes overcarryring
  a sword in one hand and a mace in the other. 'A11
  right, Eleven,' chuckles Thugmff, who evidently
  despises the man. 'Let's see how you fare against
  our friend here.' Eleven looks at you and gulps. A
  circle forms around you and you must fi8ht:
  sKrLL 7
  STAMINA 9
  When either of you is reduced to a srAMrNA score
  of 2, turn to 352.
  21o-232
  230
  Your vengeance on the Clawbeast is not yet com-
  plete. You must satisfy your lust for the spoils of
  yictory! You kneel by its side and feast on the flesh
  o{ your victim. You may add 2 srAMrNA points for
  the mea} then tum to r5j.
  Ihe Manic Beast's meaiis a little bitter for your
  [king but it provides a satisfying meal. You may add
  { srAMrNA points. Now furn to 29j.
  232
  Your first step into the dark-coloured slime makes
  you shiver. It is considerably colder than the lighter-
  coloured variety. You quicken your pace and con-
  linue northwards. The dull light of the glowstones
  lets you see that your chilly ordeal will soon be over.
  A few paces ahead, a step takes you out of the
  stran8e slime and on to dry ground. You step up
  eagerly and peer ahead into the bluish gloom for
  some clue a s to where you are heading. You carl just
  make out an arched doorway ahead, and you soon
  rcach a solid doo! of thick timbe$ and sturdy metal
  iastenings. You can hear irregular healy breath-
  ing comjng from something behind the door. The
  b'reathing is puncfuated by occasional resonant
  morts, and the overall impression is of dangerl
  Sornething large is behind the door! Will you charge
  ibe door, prepared for anything within (tuln to
  :63)? Or will you ignore this room and head back
  down the passage to take the easterly way you
  Lound earlier (turn to a9)?
  ELEVEN
  
  213-234
  21J
  While you are groping around the end of the pass-
  ageway, you suddenly notice a slighr humming
  coming from your pendant! It is vibiating and, as
  you move towa rds one patticdar sPot, the vibration
  becomes stronger. You Itasp the talisman and
  watch as the blue stone begins to glow. Finally, a
  beam of blue light shoots flom the pendant and
  lights up an area of rocky wall. You feel around the
  area and you! hand comes to rest on a small hidden
  catch. When you flick the catch, the dead end before
  you comes to life! Smoke hisses from the crevices
  around the wall, forcing you to step away from it.
  When the smoke clears, a gap has appeared in the
  rock-face; an eerie green light lights up a rurtow
  passage beyond. Will you step throuSh and explore
  the s€cet passage? If so turn to 369. Or would you
  mther retum to the crossroads arrd take either the
  way to the north (tum to 443) or the way to the east
  (turn to 5o)?
  234
  You approach the smaller of the two pug-nosed
  creatures and plod it with yourfoot. Its lifeless body
  shrugs and lie6 still. But a similar prod on the
  leather-armoured advenfurer's leg produces a start_
  lingly di{ferent result. A shrill screeching sound
  shocks you to attentionlAs iI this were some kind of
  signal, something starts to happen in the room
  Three shapes begin to materialize in front of you
  Tum to 442.
  235
  -5'
  ln the heat of the battle, you have forgotten all about
  fte litde tlalI-Orc, who has disa ppeared. Then your
  attention is captured by his lamiliar figure making
  its way through the re€ds b€hind the Toadmen.
  Grog is creeping rcund the back of the cirde. You
  glance around. No one has noticed him! From the
  corner of your eye you watch as he takes off his
  knapsack and lays it on the ground by the kail then
  steps stealthily through the reeds towards the Toad-
  manleader. Whenthetimei6 right, he takes a flying
  leap! AE fate would have it, one of the Toadmen
  notices the Half-Orc at that very moment, and his
  trident flies through lhe air and sinks into Grog's
  neck in mid-flight. The fhlf-Orc dies instantly.
  But the trident does not prevent his body from
  continuing through the air to collide with the Toad-
  man leader, who tumbles into the Sinkpit in the
  cenhe of the clearing!When thi6 happens, the Toad-
  men forget all about you and rush about, trying to
  prevent their leader ftom sinking. You take advan-
  taSe of the situation and cleep round the outside of
  the clea:ring. You pick up the poor Half-Orc's knap-
  sack and make ofl along the trail.
  A short while latei you are leaving the malshes.
  When you are well away from danger, you become a
  little curious about what Crog carrjed in his knap-
  sack. There is certair y something solid in there.
  You pull back the top and reach inside. You r fingers
  touch a wooden box and you pull it from the bag. It
  is closed with a delicate clasD which vour awkward
  
  45
  fingers cannot open. But apart from the box, Grog
  also carried a small vial of Potion of Forturle. lf you
  wish, you rnay drink this and it will restore your
  LucK to its lnirirl level. Then you may proceed by
  hrming to 92.
  45
  You ring the bell on the desk and scan the .oom
  suspiciouslt 
  waiting for something to happen.
  Nothing does. You watch both doors carefully.
  Again you try ringin8 the bell, but again there is no
  response- You:r attention begins to wander towards
  the specimen shelves and the bookcase and you
  step ove! to the latter to look at the books. The
  largest volume is entitled, Plactiul Atlatofiy of thl
  Creatures of North-@estern Allansia by Doctor Q.dim-
  mel Bone. The book next to it is by the same author
  andisentitledT/arsnrutationTheory Fact or Fafltas!?
  A voice comes from behind you: 'Most definitely
  facf . . .' The voice startles you and you spin round
  to face the desk. 'I see you are interested in my
  works,' says the skeletal figure sitting behind jt,
  teeth clattering excitedly. The hanging skeleton has
  disappeared- or rather is now sitting at the desk. 'I
  am Quimmel Bone, physician and surgeon on the
  Galleykeep. Now, what do you want in here?' Will
  you spring over to a ttack him (tum to 31), or will you
  indicate to him you have some ailment which you
  would like hirn to treat (turn to 297)?
  217
  237
  As you shuffle around the wall of the cavem, you
  suddenly notice a strange sensation coming from
  your neck. The pendant you picked up is beginning
  to vibmte slightly and is giving out a faint hum! But
  when you continue around the wall, the vibration
  fades until the pendant is once more still. You
  Puzzle over this for a few moments and step back to
  where you werc before. Again, the vibrations and
  humming corne frorn the pendant and you pause to
  look at what is happening. The dull blue stone set
  in its centre is beginning to glow and you watch in
  amazement as its colour changes from blue to a
  li\.ing red, as though a fire werl buming inside it!
  An instant later, a single beam of red light shoots
  foom the stone to a point on the wall in frontofyou.
  Following its direction, you can see what seems to
  be a piece of rock hanging in mid-airl As if ordered
  by the pendant, you gra sp the rock and pull. It is not
  hanging in mid-air, but is attached to a lope and
  your tug is an sweted by a rumble in the rock in ftont
  of you. A doorway is openingl
  The pendant you have found is in fact a magic
  talisman which has a soecial oower. It is able to
  detect hidden doorways, In future, itwillwarnyou
  ofthe presence ofsecret doors, but you will have to
  watch for the warning signs ! If you reach a reference
  which begins: 'You find yourself . . .'thenyoumay
  look for a secret passage using the talisman's help.
  Add 20 to the re{erence you are on at the time and
  tum to this new reference. Ifa secret doorisDresent,
  the new reference will make sense and the talismdn
  
   21t
  will show you its seclet (if the new reference makes
  no sense, then there is no secret door). lf you are
  able to, you may add 1 LUCK point for findin8 the
  s€cret door.
  You may now either enter the seoet door you have
  iust found (turn to 458) or return to 257 to continue
  onyolrway.
  2r8
  You creep as close as possible to the Ophidiotau!
  arld finally spring out of the foliage at it! The startled
  ceature is caught unawares. It splashes in the water
  and kicks high with its hind legs. But its friSht i5
  momentary. The creature rapidly composes its€ll
  and turns towards you, tail swinging and tongue
  darting in and out ol its wide open moutl! in which
  two dangerous-looking fangs are poised to strike.
  It is ready for battle and you must rcsolve you!
  combat:
  OPHIDIOTAUR 
  sxILL g 
  sr,c.Mrr.lA 
  8
  The creature has a stinging tail which it lashes at
  you. Each time the Ophidiotaur rolls a double when
  attacking, its tail stings you for 2 sTAMINA points oI
  damage (irrespective of whether it wins or loses that
  Attack Round), unless you Test for Luck al].d arc
  lucky (you may choose whether or not you wish to
  Test for ItcD- lt yolJ defeat the creature, turn to 4a6.
  49-240
  2t9
  You take the path carefully through the cavem so as
  to avoid any danger. The path leads out through a
  narrow archway into a passage which you follow
  east until you reach a iunction where a side passage
  leads southwards. Tum to 298.
  240
  Desperately you wrest yourself free from the Bugs
  and you Iace off nolthwards up the passageway. As
  you step away from lhem, you feel a sharp slice into
  youi dbs. Dark blood seeps out from the wound and
  you must lose 2 srAMrNA points. But you arc now
  out oI range and, as you tuma comer to the east, out
  of sight as well. You tum south, then west. But as
  you turn ihe next comer, your heart sinks. Another
  of the cieatures is ariving fot its meal! To tet past,
  you will have to defeat th€ Bug:
  CARRION BUG 
  sKtLL z
  If you defeat it, tum to 227.
  STAMINA 6
  
  2q'
  lo
  \I
  244-242
  As soon as you enter the room, two Blood Orcs -
  warty creatures with powerlul jaws and piercing
  front teeth - get up frorn a table and glab their
  swordg. A voice is coming from behind them and
  vou look up to see an elderly human with dirty
  robes and a long white beard gropin8 the air in ftont
  of him and calling out: 'ldhpois ijt. Whb tais i hbp
  pfnjng, W hbta hb sad jstur bfdevs. Plfbsfe gpdorfl
  fbsf ethjs iblb cka fyfec wsf.'You must regolve your
  Eght with the Blood Orcs, who are now upon you.
  They both attack together
  SKTLL 
  9TAMINA
  First BLOOD ORC 
  7 
  7
  Second 
  BLOOD ORC 
  8 
  ?
  lf you defeat them, tum to 7.
  2?l2
  In a state of panic, you lumber towards the door as
  quickly as you are able. The Shadow Stalker.
  howeve!, is quicker and its knife finds yourback as
  vou flee. Lose 3 sreurNA points- When you reach
  the archwa, your two shadows separat€. The
  Shadow Stalker becomes faint as the light fades. In
  *te light of the glowstonesyou hardly cast a shadow
  at all and this seems to worry the creature. It slips
  back along the wall into the room and settles on the
  floor. You blink and look again. The creature now
  looks like a oile of black cloth! You tuln and leave
  the room, siill not certain of what has happened.
  Eventually you reach the junction and continue
  westwards. Turn to jo9.
  
  247-r4E
  at it but this time you only succeed in pulling the
  handle away from the lront of the drawer! Your
  anger mounts and you flex your claws. You will
  smash up the desk to get into the drawer. The
  timb€rs split alter your first blow. Tum to 3o2.
  247
  A surge of angea rushes throughyou. You step over
  to the nearest head, flex your claws and slash across
  its face. As your cliaws fix in the soft flesh, it flies
  from its perch out ofthe light and out of sight. You
  hear no sound to indicate thatithit a wall or landed
  on the f,oor. A menacing laugh comes ftom the
  voice, which sounds as though it is just over your
  shoulder. You spin round, but see nothing. The
  voice simply continues its mocking laugh. You tuIn
  back and gasp with surprise when you see that the
  head has returned to its positionlAt the same time,
  you feel a wave of pain spread right through your
  body. Every muscle is in agony! A few moments
  later, the pain subsides, but the aches remain, You
  must lose 2 5TAMTNA points. Will you now leave
  the room through the secret passage (tum to 79), or
  will you attack one of the other heads (turn to 9)?
  248
  You stand up, ready to leave the drea. A{ter gldnc-
  ing left and right to make sure you are alone, you
  furn towards the westerly passage. At least, you fry
  to tum. But you! body will not re6pond. Instead it is
  bending dor.r.n towards the lifeless Dwarf on the
  ground. Tum to 399.
  2$-246
  24'
  The four creatures taunt you as you back away hom
  the EII. Though you feel ange! building uP inside,
  you manage to contain it and walk away Your
  ;cowardice' is not without its cons€quences Lose 1
  sKrLL point for as long as you remain within the
  fort. Y;u may regain the lost sKrLL Point if and
  when you l€ave. Now turn to 348.
  244
  You continue east rrntil you reach a iunction, whele
  another path ioins from the north. There is a sign-
  post at the iunction. The siSn Pointing northwads
  ieads 'Coven'. To the south the sigr reads tsilge-
  water', though no Path runs that way To the east
  the sign reads 'Testing Grounds'. Which way do
  you wish togo: north(tum tol9t), south (tum to57)
  or east (turn to 12)?
  2+5
  246
  You grasp the handle and tu8. But the drawer is
  firmly locked and does not budge' Again you heave
  
  249-251.
  249
  You fuck into your meal. The meat is Gther tough,
  as it is no doubt several days old. Butwhile you are
  eating, something catches your attention. Tied
  arcund the human's waist you find a small leather
  pouch which contains z Gold Pieces. You may take
  these with you; and you gain 4 STAMINA points
  ftom the meal. Your attention is also caDfured bv
  two glass flasks lying by the side of the unfortunate
  human. Though they have been battered in the
  struggle, they are not broken and each contains a
  coloured liquid. lf you would like to drink the green
  liquid, turn to fr8. If you would prefer to drinl the
  blue liquid, turn to 35o.Ifyou wish to drink neither,
  you may continue by turning to 293.
  250
  The sack can be used to carry anything you may find
  during you! journey. From now on you may ignore
  any instluctions which tell you that you can only
  take one item hom, for example, a room. Leave the
  room now by tuming to 394.
  You step over to the rnisenble Half-Orc and kick the
  creature yiciously lor daring to bump into you. A
  gleat cheer goes up ftom the crowd of onlookerc
  'Leave him be, creature,' says the bare-chested vil-
  lager. 'I will finish the muck-faced worm off.' But his
  words are too late. You are locked in bahle with the
  creature:
  HALF-ORC
  SXILT 6
  srAMrNA 6
  If you defeat the creature, tum to 367,
  cu.rtain into the room. She is dres6ed in brightly
  coloured robes and she sits down behind the tible.
  She squink as she tries to focus onyou_
  
  253-255
  The building has been disused fot some time Long
  benches have been smashed to Provide firewood
  and there is the remains of an old fire in the centre oI
  the hal1. High on the walls, windows made oI
  coloured glass have been broken and there are
  many holes m the roof. But apart from this there is
  little of interest. You leave the building arld may
  either return to the stones (turn to 198), or head on
  past them into the wood (tum to 261).
  254
  An angry sneer spreads across your face and you
  step over to the Weathei Mage, daws Poised to
  strike. He backs away from you and holds his hand
  up. 'Idiot creature,'he scoffs. Do you think one so
  brainless could possibly challenge one so well
  versed in the mystic arts? I will enioy toying with
  your life. It will be fine spott.' You slash at him as he
  stepsbackand catch him asoss the arm. Arcd stain
  spreads across his sleeve, but he has hardly noticed
  your blow. His head has turned to face the ceiling;
  his eyes are closed. As you prcPare to strike once
  more his eyes open. They are shining whitel Will
  you continue with your attack (tum to 47), or will
  you quickly leave the room (tum to 459)?
  ']y'{aitl' cries Grog as you start across the clearinS
  'Look at this. Notice how all the footprints 4?roid the
  centre of the dearing? PerhaPs itis unsafe. I suSSest
  we keep to the outside.' You follow him round the
  256-257
  edge of the cleaing towards the trail you have
  chosen. Have you chosen the trail to the north (tum
  to 252) or the tmil to the north-east (tum to 114)?
  255
  Breathing heavily, you dse to your feet and stand
  ove! the body of the Chaos Warrior. Your attention
  tums to the Black Elf who is once more blowins his
  whistle for reinJorcemen ts. [nstantly another Ciaos
  Warrior appears in the doorway ready for battle.
  You must resolve your fight with him:
  CHAOS WARRIOR 
  sKtLL 8 
  srAMrNA 7
  IJ you win, turn to 39.
  You canno[ see a thing.-Your feet shuffle noisily
  through the skaw which cove6 [he floor, as you
  Brope arcund the walls for a way out. If this cavem
  is the lair of another creafure, then you may well be
  walking s traight towards it! But you hear no sounds
  other than your own and eventuatly you reach a
  hole in the rock, which is large enough for you to
  walk through and Ieads to a passageway. You con-
  dnue slowly along the passage, sttll groping your
  way, but you stop when a blue light flicks on in front
  of you. The welcome hue of a glowstone makes you
  blink and fum away until you! eyes become accus-
  tomed to the light. When you are finally able to take
  in your surroundings, you find that you are at a
  junction where you may furn either to the east (turn
  to 61) or to the west (turn to 3o9).
  
  258-259
  258
  With bared teeth and claws at the ready, you storm
  along the passage towards them. They stand their
  Blound, draw their weapons and prcPare them-
  selves for battle. The leading adventurer lays a
  brown sackon the ground and raises his weapon as
  you approach . You must fight both adventurers one
  at a time; the passageway is not wide enough for
  them both to attack:
  25o-262
  260
  Some inner instinct of self-preservation takes over
  from your fury and tells you that this Elf bowman is
  not to be trifled with. You tum from him and speed
  back down the corridor. However, you mdn.lge no
  more than five steps before you realize thatlour
  attempts to escape are futile. Ahead of you, four
  more Dark Elves bar the passageway, all with bows
  drawn and aimed at your chest. you are (onjused!
  V\hich way should you turn? But your confusion is
  short-lived. At a signat from their leader, arrows
  zing ftom all fourbows. Theiraim is good. Three of
  the four shafts pierce your heart . . .
  26a
  The path takes you along towards the trees. you
  pass a sign on the edge of the forest, which reads
  'Knot Oak Wood', Once in the wood, the going is
  more difficult as the Iight is obscured by the iall
  trees. If you wish to rest by one of the trees, turn to
  362. Ifyou would prefer to keep going, turn 10 162.
  262
  You step over to the door in the north \,.,all. But as
  you Srasp the handle, a deep crealingsound comes
  lrom behind you. You swing rotrnd io see the door
  in the east wall slowly opening. Glowstones in the
  passage beyond the door flick on to light up your
  way. You ca4notresistthis invitation, and you liave
  through the east door. Turn to 49.
  WARRIOR
  TIGHTER IN
  LEATHER ARMOUR
  SKILL 
  STAMINA
  89
  78
  Ifyou defeat them both, turn to 13.
  259
  You wrench the bracelets ftom the wrists of your
  foe. They make a tinny clinling sound as you tum
  them over in your hand and you admire the intricate
  can/ings which decorate them. Even in the mea81e
  light of the glowstones, they shine in an alluring
  way. You can male them wide enough to fit around
  your own wrists, and when you have put them on,
  you proudly hold them up before you and tum
  them this way and that. You may discover during
  your travels that these bracelets have a sPecial
  ability, which will be revealed to you later. Add
  1 LUCK point for your find. Now furn to 115.
  
  251
  261
  Ihe door shudders under your charge but does not
  open. Lose I STAMrNA point. You try again and this
  time the bolt is toff frorn the frame. The door flies
  open and you step into the room/ ready for the
  creature inside. The room itself ha8 a door in each
  wall. Scattered around one corner is an untidv Dile
  of bones. ln another corner is a half-eaten human
  carcass. Standing over dre carcass - and evidently
  annoyed that its meal has been dt sturbed - is a bulky
  deature with a hairy face, razor-sharp teeth and
  rlild eyes. Ag you enter, it tums to attack and you
  must resolve yourbattle with the Manic Beast:
  MANIC BEAST
  sKrLL 7
  sTAMTNA 8
  f}le Manic Beasl is so caled lor its tremendous
  bursts of rage. Each time you inflict a wound on the
  Vanic Beast, its anger \dll rise for the next Attack
  Round, and you must add 2 to the dice roll when it
  rolls for Attack Strength. If you wound it again
  during this next Attack Round, it will retain the
  bonus lor the rleaf Round, but if you do not, its
  temper retums to normal and the bonus is lost. If
  vou defeat the Manic Beast, furn to 2o9.
  
  264-266
  264
  Your final blow passes through thin air and the
  image of Rosina disappears slowly from view. A
  smile spreads across the face that you thought was
  showing the signs of exhaustion from defeat. The
  smile tums into a laugh, then a cackle and finally
  fades. You have been fighting a phantom! But your
  own wounds are real. Staltled by this sorcerous
  trick, you leave the hut quickly and head down the
  trail back to the crossroads. Turn to J86.
  265
  Holding your breath to avoid the aw{u1 stink com-
  ing from the river below, you step on to the bridge
  and test its shength with your wejght. The bridge
  seems strong enough. You take a few paces across.
  Eventually you are forced to breathe again and in
  the centre ofthebridge you take a quick breath. The
  smell of the dver once more hits you and you
  stagger. Your foot slips on the edge of the bidge
  and you must ?est r? / Lrct. Ifyou are Lucky, tum
  to 418. Ifyou are Unlucky, turn to 60.
  266
  The figure drops to the flool and lies in a dark heap
  at your feel. Do you wish to investigate the bodl
  (tum [o 194), or will you instead search the room
  (tum to 1o5)?
  267-268
  267
  You follou/ the trail as it winds through the reeds.
  More than once a slippery 
  Swarnpsnake slithers
  across your path, but thanlfuly 
  they have no in-
  terest in you. Several types of croaking noises can be
  heard, but the one that worries you the most is a
  loud, booming croak which sounds more like a
  tlroaty belch This particular sound is regular, and
  similar croals seem to echo it from various oarts of
  the marsh. Aiead of you, the trail is opening up as it
  reaches a river-bank, where a wealth of colourful
  plants line the river. Butas you stand and u/atch the
  iver flowing past, you notice a pair of eyes jn the
  reeds! Tu/o large, bulbous eyes blink slowly as you
  stare at them. When the owner of the eyes realizes
  you have seen him, he tums and you can see a
  bulky, rough-skinned shape - rather like a huge
  stone 
  shuffle off noisily into the reeds. Will you
  t-ollow this creature (turn to 53), would you rather
  rnves tigate the plants by the side of the river (tum to
  J8o), or do you want to leave as quickly as possible
  (turn to a8)?
  268
  Ihe door splinters and you stumble Iorward into a
  dark room. As your eyes hy to become accustomed
  to the darkness, you hear a high-pitched clicking
  nojse coming from one corner. An instant later, the
  same sound is coming from anothercorner. Bynow
  your eyes are just about used to the low light and
  vou can make outtwo shapes, outlined in blue. One
  is the door by which you entered, lit by the glow-
  
  2b9-27o
  stones. The othe! is the lough shape of another door
  in the north wall. The lieht aroundboththese doors
  is fading. Do you wish t6 step over to the north door
  before the light fade6 (turn to 285), or would you
  prefer to investigate the clickin8 sounds (tum to
  tta)?
  269
  Whiteleaf spits in contempt. 'The ground is cursed
  where that Ogre-bleathed spirit Zharradan MaIr
  treads!'he snarls.'It is my wish that the wind drops
  suddenly and he dlops with it - to his death! Mar!
  has sailed the accurse d Galleykeep allhis llle, with.lts
  foul crew of bloodJusting beast-men. Someone
  should sabotage the floating hellpit, by holing its
  hull. I know how to get aboa . The G0 eykeep
  comes to ground not far from here - just off to the
  west - when the wind dies down. Nothine would
  please me more than to see the accurseJ vessel
  plummet ftom the sky and crash to th€ ground,
  killing all on board!' The Elf finally picks himself off
  the ground and dusts down his robes. He thanks
  you again and leaves. Tum to 414.
  2?o
  You ignore the peasants and sit down in the field.
  They continue theft yelling and the stones still land
  dose by, but you are fttlr8ry! You Brab an ear of com
  and put the whole thing in your mouth- The
  Peasants dare not come too close to you, but they
  will keep up their barrage of stones rntil you leale
  their field. There is a chance you may be hitby one
  and you must roll one die six times. Any time 5
  2V-272
  comes up, you have been hit by a stone for 1
  srAMrNA point of damage. Alter you have rolled
  the die six times, you can leave the field (tum to E7)
  and you will tain 3 srAMrNA points lor your meal.
  If, before you go, you wish to punish the peasants
  for attacking you, tum to 421 .
  27L
  Thugluff sizes you up and picks a broad-handled
  axe from his armoury. You take it and admire its
  sharp blade. Thugruffhimselfpicks up a smaller axe
  and begins your instruction. You watch his techni-
  que attentively. By the end of the lesson, you have
  improved your skill considerably. Add r sxrrr
  point. What are you planning for youi future at the
  Testing Grounds? If you wish to continue improv-
  ing your skills until you are chosen 60r duties on the
  Ga eykeep, turfj. to 4t If you are plotting the right
  moment to attack Thugrulf, turn to 82.
  You follow the path through the woods until you
  reach a cleadng. Here there is a small pond. The
  water is not stagnant, as a 6mall stream leads from it
  deeper into the woods, and it is a favourite water-
  ing-hol€ for the woodland birds, although they flit
  high up into the bEnches when you arive. The
  water shines with a silver sheen arrd you can see
  quite clearly the reflections of the tree-tops and
  douds. Will you rest hele beside the pond and
  perhaps drink from it? If 60, tum to 176. lI yotr
  would prefer to pass by and continue along the
  path/ fum 1o52,
  
  5
  271-274
  273
  You step up to the bones and sniff them. A shiver of
  excitement runs through you: Hobbit bones! In
  eager anticipation, you follow the passage south
  until it leaches a Dointwhere it turns to the east. You
  sniff for the scent of Hobbit and can smell some-
  thin8 faintly in the air. At the next comer, the
  passage furns north. Further on it fums west. The
  smell of Hobbit is now getting stronger and you
  eagerly follow the passageway round a colner to the
  south. You reach another pile of bones on the
  Sround. You stop to look, but these are not Hobbit
  bones. They are the bones of something much
  larger, perhaps a human or even a Hobgoblin. The
  passage ahead turns to the east. Will you follow it
  (tuln to J56), orwouldyou prefer to go back (tumto
  22?
  274
  You head west out of the village. The peasants
  walking towards you gasp when they see your
  shape and cross over the road to avoid you. You
  ignore them and continue. Ahead you can hear
  sound8 oI excited voices coming ftom one of the
  buildings. As you approach this hul, the sounds
  become louder. You hear a sharp a7acft, 
  the door of
  the hut bursts outwards and a tumbling figure rolls
  out of the door and straight into you! ,46 the dark-
  skinned Half-Orc picks himself up, another figure
  steps through the doorway. This one is a broad-
  shouldered human with a bare chest. The small
  crowd behind the human is urging him to finish off
  
  275-276
  the Half-Orc, but the noise dies down when they
  notice you. Will you ioin in the fiSht? If so, will you
  come to the aid of the Half-Orc (turn to 291) ot the
  human (turn to 251)? ff you do not wish to get
  involved in the fight, you can l€ave them to it and
  continue yourjourneyby tuming to 1o7
  zl5
  The Black Elf realizes he is no match foi your
  strength and he suddenly pulls from his pocket a
  small whistle, which he puts to his lips and blows.
  The shrill sound can barcly be heard and you take
  advantage of the Elf's distraction to grab him in
  your claws. But before you can choke the Iife out of
  him, his signal is answered and a larger cleature
  steps through the archway. This creatureis covered
  in healT armour. Vicious spikes iut out from each
  joint and a large, dark-eyed helmetreaches down to
  its shouldels. It carries a two-handed axe, which it
  now raises to do battle- You must iSnore the Black
  Elf and instead tum to face this Chaos Wa ior:
  CHAOS WARRIOR 
  sxILL 9 
  srr.MrNA 8
  II you defeat the creature, tuin to 256.
  276
  You carefully try the dooi. It creaks onits hinges but
  opens easily, allowing you into the room You ale
  ready for the creafures inside and hoPe to surPris€
  them. But when you enter, it is you who are sur-
  Drised at what vou see. Tum to 151.
  You listen at the door and hear slitherinB noises
  followed by chomping sounds. You step back for a
  moment to consider what you have heard. You
  decide to tum back in the direction you have just
  come from. As you feel your way slowly along the
  pitch-black passage, you are atain startled by th€
  high-pitched twittering noise that you remember
  frorn your last encounter with the small flyin8 crea-
  hrres. You swat hopelessly at them and mana8e to
  hita couple. But one swoops down and catchesyou
  painfully in the left eyel Fortunately your eye was
  blinking at the time and it has not been pemanently
  damaged, but the bruise swelling up aboveyourleft
  cheek will keep the eye closed for some time. You
  musf deduct r s(rLL point. You may restore this
  sxILL point if a[ some time in the future you reach
  daylight. The attacks ftom the flying creatures con-
  tinue and you decide [o abandon this route and
  make your way back to the door, Finding it once
  more closed and baring your way, your jaw tighF
  ens arld your lips curl back in an angry snarl. Both
  directions face you with danger and frustrationlYou
  step back to take a leap at the door with your fists,
  Turn to ro1,
  2'7E
  You hy you! best to pick the sticky Gluevines from
  you and back out ofthe tangled mass ofvegetation.
  But it is hopeless. Eventually you give up, ex-
  hausted, to recover some skength before trying
  
  279-2Eo
  again. It is then that you hear the high-pitched
  chattering of the Forest Imps who have come to
  check thet traps.
  Twelve tiny faces peer into the funnel. Small, green-
  skinned faces grin excitedly at the sight of such a
  lalge catch. Two spearmen advance cautiously up
  the tunnel towards you. When they are close
  enou8h, they jab towards your foot. You pull it
  away to avoid being hit, but your actions are so
  restricted that resistance will be hopeless. AJld as
  soon as the spears pierce youi skin with their deadly
  poison, the effect will be immediate. Your adven-
  ture has ended here.
  279
  You turn back towards the qossroads. On the way
  back, you may stop to examine the orb, ifyou have
  not done so aheadt by tuming to 155. Otherwise
  continue on to the crossroads and you may take
  either the passage to the west (hrm to 213) or the
  passage to the east (turn to 5o).
  2EO
  A short distance along the passageway you stop and
  listen. Distant footsteps and the clanking of metal
  r^/arn you that creatures of some sort are heading in
  your direction. Do you wish to return to thejunction
  and head north (turn to3F), or will you conbnue in
  the direction you are heading (turn to 342)?
  2Er-282
  281
  You poke around the bodies of the thiee dead
  ruffians. Something shining on the wdst ofthe third
  advenfurer catches your attention. Clumsily you rip
  at the clothing of all three, eventually exposing
  three objects of interest. The leading adventurer
  wore, arcund his n€ck, a pendant made of a dull,
  dark metal on a leather thong. The third adventurer
  wole two wdst bracelets of a shining yellow metal.
  The other cadied a pouch containing 12 small flat
  discs of a shiny metal. Wlich ofthese is of the most
  interest to you:
  The dullmetal pendant? 
  Tum to 306
  The two wristbracelets? 
  Tum to 259
  The pouch containing the discs? 
  Tum to 412
  282
  The \ /alls of the tunnel become damp and glisten in
  the odd halfJight. You follow the passage until you
  reach a point wheie it turns sharply southwards.
  Continuinground the comer, you find that the light
  has now almost totally faded, and you must feel
  your way along the wall. Several paces down the
  slimy conidor, you reach a dead end. The wall is
  rocky and pocked with many nooks and crannies.
  There is also a mus ty smell in the air of animal decay
  - perhaps simply dead rats or maybe the remains of
  somethinglarger. Aroundyourfeetthereare sever-
  alloose stones. ALleastyou assxrme 
  they are stones,
  but some are too long, thin and brittle to be shards of
  
  2at
  rock. Your gloping hand touches a len8th of rope,
  which may be a clue to a way out of this dead end.
  Will you pull it? Roll one die. Iftheresultis 1-3, you
  close your hand around the rope and pull it out
  towards you (turn to 99). lfyou roll4-6, youignore
  the rope, turn round and follow the corridor back
  the way you came, continuing straight on past the
  Clawbeast's cave (tum to 372). If you wish, you
  ^ay, 
  beJore rclling the d.ie, decide to Test your Luck. ll
  you are Lucky, you may cfioose which of the above
  options you will opt for. If you are Unlucky, you
  must ioll the die to decide in lhe noimal way.
  283
  You were able to understand the last sentence of the
  spiri(s words as it has passed on its gift. Through-
  out the book you will find coded speech. Now that
  you have the gift of understandin8, you can trans-
  late the code. Otherwise all speech seems incompre-
  hensible to your creafure's mind. The secret is this.
  There are three rules to this code. Firstly, each
  vowel is replaced by lhe following letter (thus A
  becomes B, U becomes V, etc.). Secondly, spaces
  betvr'een words are replacedby the last zioloel to h|oe
  beelr used- Tlr1rs all vowels mean nothing; they only
  indicate spaces between wotds. Finally, the actual
  spaces between words as they appear are entirely
  mndom. They mean nothing and serve oily to
  mislead. With this inJormation you may now con-
  tinue by turning to a3Z. Add 1 LUCK point for this
  discovery. But note this reference as you may want
  to refuIn to it later to translate code.
  244-2As
  2Ea
  Two Goblins ald two Elves are whispering secre-
  tively to one another. You approach them and find
  that they are passing something among themselves.
  You cannot make out exactly what it is, but it is
  metallic and shiny. You step up to the group, but
  the four creatures close in to exclude you from their
  conveGation. Will you force your way into their
  group (tum to 1o3) or leave them alone (tum to 348)?
  285
  As you move across to the door, the clicking sound
  sgems to dart away from you and travel to the faa
  side of the room. Your sharp daws slide ftom your
  fin8ertips, and you are ready to attack whatever is
  on the other side of the door. Somerftirg must have
  activated the glowstones! You grasp the handle, yank
  the door open and peer around. But the passage
  in which you find yourself is empty. It heads on
  northwards and widens outat a bend where it tums
  to the east. You follow it slowly until you reach the
  bend, the glowstones lighting your way. Then you
  stop dead in your tracks! On the ground ahead of
  you, in the centre of the bend, is a dark area which
  seems to be shimmering in the blue light. Perhapsit
  is a pool of liquid? Or perhaps it is some sort of dark
  metallic substance? You may investigate if you wish
  by tuming to 445. If you wodd prefer to skirt the
  dark cfucle, tum to 16a.
  
  286-247
  286
  Darramouss picks up a jar while he reads from the
  book. He conc€ntrates his thoushts and seems to
  focus them on theia!. Then hereiches inside, pulls
  out a handful of glains of rice and sprinkles them
  over you. Before you can react, his spell has taken
  place. The grains of rice have formed into Death
  Mag8ots - small grubs with voracious apF eti tes and
  sharp teeth which will rip even your tough scales to
  shredslScores of the tiny creatures are now feasting
  hungrily on you and you desperately try to swat
  them withyour hands. Althou8lryou do succeedin
  killing many of them, many more have wedged
  themselves between your scales and even bored
  into your flesh. You lookup in agonyatthe undead
  creature- But Daramouss will show no mercy. His
  hand reaches into the iar and he tosses another
  handful of rice over you . . .
  287
  As the Toadman staggers and falls, you see n1ore of
  ihe creatures hoppingout from the reeds. What can
  you do against so many? A stabbing pain in theback
  reminds you that you will not have mu(h choice in
  the matter. One of the creafures is behind you,
  jabbing you with a trident. Another steps forward
  and speaks to you. 'None may enter the fens of the
  Toadmen,' heannounces.'Oulmarshandourherb
  gardens are holy. They are for no eyes butou! own.
  There is only one punishment for disobeying this
  law. That is DEATH . . .'
  
  288-29o
  There is nothing you can do against so many ofthe
  creatures. You may fight and you may even slay a
  few oI the Toadmen. But their numbers will over-
  whelm you. And when they have subdued you, you
  will be dropped into the muddy Sinkpits of Bu Fon
  Fen to die.
  288
  You keep your eyes on the Hobbit and wait for him
  either to give up his watching or to become involved
  in the conversation. But alter no more than five
  seconds, the waitin8 is unbearable! Your mouth is
  now slobbering in excitement and your limbs are
  twitching with the promise of the batde to come.
  Though your rnind wills your body to wait for a
  safer momen L, your body will not listen . Tum to 42.
  289
  You may add 4 sraMrNA points for the meal, and
  then you leave the room by turning to 138.
  290
  As you stand against the wall, desperately search-
  ing for a way onwards, you almost overlook the
  strange things happening around your neck. For
  the pendant you arc wearing is beginning to vibla te
  and is emitting a faint humming soundlWhen you
  suddenly become aware of the pendant, you look
  down towards it to find outwhatis going on. When
  you move away from the end of the passage, the
  vibration fades; when you come closer, it increases
  in intensity. You cannot understand what is going
  290
  on! An instant later, the jewel in the centre oI the
  pendant begins to glow. It changes in colour from
  blue to fiery red. Suddenly a jet of red light bu$ts
  from the jewel and lights up a metal rod which is
  protruding very slightly from the side wall. You
  Srasp the rod and push it. A crealing sound is
  tollowed by a deep nrrnbling as the wall ahead
  be8ins to shift. The jewel retums to its former dull
  blue appearance as the secret doot opens . . .
  The pendant you have found is in fact a magic
  talisman which has a special power. It is able to
  detect hidden doorways. In future, it will warn you
  of the presence of secret doots but you will have to
  wa tch for the warning signs! I{ you reach a reference
  rvhichbegins: ilou find yourself. . .', thenyou may
  hok for a secret passage using the talisman's help.
  Add 20 to the reference you are on at the time and
  fum to this new reference. If a secret door is Dresent,
  the new reference will make sense and the iaUsman
  will show you its secret (i{ the new reference makes
  no sense/ then there is no secret door).
  Now you must decide what to do. Will you go
  through the secrct doorway you have just dis-
  covered? If so, turn [o 33r. If you would rather
  IefuIn to the crossroads, you may do so and take
  either the passage to the north (turn to 354) or the
  Passage 
  to the south (turn to 2a2)
  
  29L-292
  294
  Gasps go up frorn the crowd as you step up to the
  bare-chested human, your claws poised ready to
  strike. He has no weapon apart from his bare fists.
  The other villagers back away and leave the two of
  you to battle it out. The Half-Orc is still picking
  himself up, but shouts encouEgement to you.
  Resolve your batde with the hurnan:
  VILLAGER
  SK\LL 7
  srAMrNA 8
  If you defeat the human, turn to 418.
  292
  Yourreaction is immediate. The red-robed humanG
  deeP in thought and looks an easy target. You step
  forward and swipe viciously at him with your claws!
  He screams and falls to the ground, clutching at his
  face. You look down at the undefended wretch and
  prepare to deliver the death-blow. But at that mo-
  ment, you feel a terrible sting in the back, which
  causesyou [o bellow and swinground. The remain-
  ing adventurer has lunged at you rvith his sword
  and succeeded in piercing the scales and flesh on
  yourbacklYou must lose 2 sraMrNA points for the
  \4ound, and then you can face the Knight in plate-
  arrnour:
  ARMOURED KNIGHT 
  sKrLL 8 
  srAMrNAg
  Ifyou defeat the Knight, tum to446,
  291-294
  293
  294
  She beckons you to follow her into her home. In one
  comer of her kitchen, shelves hold dozens of bottles
  Tut where are your manners? Wait a moment. I
  ' will feed you well. Tonigh t we will feast on Shanga _
  
  295-295
  {or he is dying anyrvay. You will enjoy spending
  you! lile in Dree. And every day I will give you
  another bowl of my special Potion of Obedience,'
  295
  Moments later, the fight has ended. The white
  haired creafure lies unconscious on the ground,
  while the Brigands rise and dust their hands. They
  glin contentedly at each other. One of them says,
  'There - that will teach that puny sewer-snake to
  send rs in the wrong direction!'The othernods and
  they both leave the dearing along a path to the
  nolth. You wait for them to disaDDear from view-
  Then you step up to the white-hair;d frgure, who is
  badly beaten. If you are hungry, he will provide a
  meagre, but tender meal for you, arrd you may add 3
  sTA M r N A points. Then continue by turninS to {r4.
  296
  You steD inside the room and look around. All sorts
  of carefully collected objects of value are in the rooft
  and you pick some ofthese up to look more closelv
  at them. Then the door slides shut with a rumble
  and ledves you in complete blackness! Relying on
  your talisman, you shuffle across to the area oI the
  door and hold it towards the wall. But this tim€
  there is no reaction. No vibration; no blue light.
  There i8 equally little reaction from the other w6lls.
  It 6oon dawns onyou why two long-dead skeletons
  w€le leaning a8ainst the tdble. There is no escap€
  flom the tomb you are now in! The next unwitting
  vi8itor will find t /e" skeletons in the room . . .
  2n-t9E
  497
  You indicate to him thatyourwounds hurtand that
  vou have a sore head. He invites you to lie down on
  his bed. The bed is much too small lor you, but you
  manage to keep yourbalance and lie down while he
  examines you. The physician rises jerkily from the
  desk and totters quickly over to the bed, His bony
  fingers probe the areas around your wounds and
  Bone clatters across to a drawer and takes out a
  smallflask. 'Drink this,' he orders_ Youhesitate, but
  he is insistent and becomes atrgry at your refusals.
  Will you drink the potion as he demands (tum to
  r:8) or will you refuse and attack the creature (turn
  !o31)?
  298
  You decide to choose the eastward passage, and
  Iou follow it to a sharp bend to the light. Almost
  immediately after the bend you find yourself at the
  foot of a staircase andyou climb the stairs carefully,
  Then a corridor leads straight ahead southwards
  unlil you reach a T-junction where you lnay turn
  erther east (tum to 373) or west (turn to 4or).
  
  299
  299
  You leave the building and set off west, the rising
  sun warming your back. Once you have left the area
  of the Braveyard and the ruined chapel, the way
  ahead looks bleak. The flat countryside i5 feature-
  less except for the odd flat-topped T'annum tlee and
  occasional bouldeG urhich resemble glains of com
  on some gigantic field. You stop by one such
  boulder to lest in its shade.
  Scum! Scum! Rrrooaak! Be off with you, scum!'
  squeaks a tiny voice which makes you jurnp.
  'Rrooaakk! Move on, dung-face. Show us yer back.'
  You look round, but can see nothing. You stand to
  search around the stone. 'Rr./oaarftttl The vomit-
  puddle walks! Go or; sewer-snakel Awayl' You are
  bewildered by the voice, until you catch 6ight of a
  small black Jabberwing bird, hopping round on the
  top of the boulder. It opens its beal arrd again the
  voice speals to you: 'RfioMaark! Make d.ust, goblin-
  brain. Go north to Dree. Only Windward Plain out
  to the west. Not much happening therc. Rfto.tl+!
  Well, what you waiting for, sewage-slime? GOI'
  You have by now had enough of these insults. You
  cannot catch the litde creafure and you ale suf-
  ficiently rested, so you set off. The creafule is de-
  lighted to see you go. You attracted a swarm of flies
  while you were resting and the Jabberwing wants to
  eat some - once you are safely out of the way!
  You may add 2 srAMrNA points for your rest.
  Which way will you now continue: west (tum to 95)
  or north (tum to 433)?
  
  300
  300
  The door opens into a narrow passageway heading
  north, and glowstones flick on to light your way.
  Unlike the other passageways you have been
  travelling along, this one has a cobbled floor. The
  cobblestones feel smooth and Pleasant for youj
  grcat feet to walk on, but you cannot ignore a feeling
  of apprehension, since the stones must have been
  Laid by an organized and intelligent creature. You
  follow the passage for a short while until suddenly a
  loud CL, NG sounds behind you and stoPs you
  dead in your tra(*s! You wheel round to find that
  a hearT portcullis has dropped behind you and
  sealed off the passage. You step back to test it, but
  the bals are much too stronB for you to smash or
  even bend. You have no choice:you fum round and
  continue north up the collidor.
  A litde further ahead, you reach a clossroads. The
  glowstones light up tluee ways onwards, but you
  cannot see very far down the passages. Will you:
  Continue northwards?
  Try the passage 
  to the east?
  Try the passage 
  to the west?
  Turn to 44,
  Turn to 50
  Turn to 21,
  loa-302
  10r
  North of the building, the countryside is alnost
  featureless. After walking for some time, you come
  aooss a solitary tree standing by the side of the
  path. It has a dark brown - almost black - trunk and
  its leaves are brilliant green. They ehine unnatur-
  ally, as if they might glow in the night. Among the
  higher bmnches, large round fruits hang. You study
  these, consideing how you may get them down.
  You are certainly not built for climbing trees, but
  you may be able to shale one down. ff you wish,
  yolu 
  ^ay 
  Test your Luck. If you are Unlucky, you do
  not manag€ to shake any fruits from the tree. If you
  are Lucky, one oI the nourishing Chubbley tree
  ftuits falls to the ground. You may then eat this juicy
  ftuit and will gain 4 srAMrNA points. When you are
  Ieady to leave, turn to 45.
  302
  Suddenly, you stop what you are doing arrd listen.
  Your ears have picked up a sould outside the door.
  'Ssshh!' hisses one voice. 'We must surDrise the
  creature, whateverit is. Remember what it has done
  to the gatherc$. Get rcady. Earth . . water . . . fire
  . . . and, airl' At that mornent, the door cracks,
  bursts from its lock and crashes back against the
  wall to reveal a sea of ugly faces, straining to lunge
  forwald at youl 'Tate the aeafure!' comes the cry,
  a]Id they flood forward, bellowing their battle-
  cries. You have no chance a8ainst this horde of
  Hobgoblins ald your adventure has ended here.
  
  303-304
  303
  You ignore his words and investigate the scientific
  instruments. Bu[ none of them mearl an]thing to
  you. The Weather Mage is outraged at this un-
  invjted inhusion. 'Cet out of here, beast,' he
  screams. 'Did you not hear me? This is not a play-
  room!' He holds his head back and closes his eyes.
  When he opens them, they are shining white. will
  you make a has ty exit Irom the room (tum to 459), or
  will you wait to see what he is doing (tum to 47)?
  304
  You leave the buildin8 and continue past the yard of
  stones. You ioin a Dath which leads east over a stile
  and through a fiild of crops being gathered b,v
  peasants. Heads bob up over the tops of the plants
  as, one by one, the peasants notice your presence.
  Screams come Irom a couple of the women and the
  men rush towards you, hurlingstones. They keep a
  safe distance, but thet missiles are landing close.
  Will you quicken your pace and make off across the
  Iield away from them (turn to 8Z)? Or will you react
  to their attack by turning on them (tum to 421X You
  may also decide to settle down in the field and eat
  some croPs (tum to 27o).
  3o5-Jo6
  Thugruff recovers from ihi blow and staggers to his
  Ieet. 'So the truth is revealed,'he pantF. 'Our quiet
  friend has ambitions to replace ThugruJf. But
  this can never be. Zhadadan Marr will nevet let a
  stranger run his Testing Grounds, of this you can be
  certain. And though you mdy defeat yor.lJ ageing
  teacher, you cannot defeat Ma 's le&ions!'With
  these words he reaches into his funic, pulls out a
  small whistle and blo$s it. You stop y;uJ attack.
  Within moments, the legionnaires will be upon youl
  From the castle they come sr^/arming to rescue their
  battlemaster jn numbers that you may not even
  hope to fend off. Mercifully, your death is swi{t at
  lhe hands of the frenzied legionnaires.
  Jo6
  You are fascinated by the ugly pendant. You care-
  tully hook the leather thong with a claw and pull it
  free of the adventure/s head. You fum it over in
  your hand and can see that it is circular, with a dull
  blue stone setin the cente. You stare atthependant
  for some time, wondering what to do with it. Then
  you remember how the adventurer wole it. You are
  just able to squeeze it over your head and you carry
  the pendant proudly around your neck. The pen-
  dant has a secret, which will be revealed in due
  course. If you reach a reference which begins: 'You
  cannot see a thing . . .', deduct 20 from the refer-
  ence number you are on at the time and furn to this
  new reference. You mav add 1 LucK Doint for this
  find. Now turn to a15.
  
  3o7-3oE
  107
  A trail has been cut throu8h the bulrushes. Your
  hear,y feet splash along the marshy trail until you
  reach a dearing. The going seems a little more solid
  and you can see footprints not human footp nts,
  but the large webbed footprints of some unlnown
  creahrre. From the clearing there are two ways on,
  one to the north and one to the north-east. Vvhich
  will you choose: north (turn to 132) or north-east
  (tum to 163)?
  1o8
  You havel west along a twisting passageway.
  Several times you blrrnp dumsily into the walls and
  grunt in annoyance. But your tough scales protect
  you ftom damage. The temperature drops notice-
  ably and each breath sends steamy snorts from youl
  nostrils. After nadowing 
  slightly, lhe Passage
  widens as itleads towards a chamber. A sound from
  ahead and a flickering light warn you to take care.
  But rather than making you stop to listen, the
  prospect oI an encounter seems to excite you! You
  bare you! teeth and your claws and skide forward
  into the chamber. Tum to 2o5.
  3o9-141.
  309
  The passage continues west, then tums shalply to
  the right. A fewpaces along the corridor you leach a
  junction where you can go either west (turn to 2Eo)
  or north (tum to 3Z).
  3Ao
  You cannot see a thing as you grope yout way along
  thepassage. Your angerbegins to se andis near to
  boiling when you reach a dead end ahead Will you
  search the dead end for a possible way onwards
  (turn to 1Z), orrefurn to thecrossroads and take the
  northern passage (tum to 354) or the southem
  passage (tuIn to 212)?
  jaa
  The glowstones once more light your way as you
  plod slowly north up the passageway. After a sho*
  distance you see a shaDe ahead, slumDed motion-
  less on the ground. \Atren you reach tie spot. you
  can see that these are the remains of a small furry
  creafure - about dre size of the Dwarf you came
  across eadier. It has probably been dead for some
  time, but iI you are hungry you may wish to feed on
  it. If so, tum to 363. If you ignore it and continue,
  rum to 75.
  
  a\
  qj
  3r2
  ta2
  lhe commotion on deck has athacted the attention
  of odrer creatures. You can hear the sounds of
  footsteps and a cacophony of growling voices
  gefting doser. You had better hide! Ahead of you is
  a door leading from the deck and you step thrcugh
  and close it behind you. You 6nd yourselfat the top
  of a staircase leading down into the ship, You
  carcfully descend until you find yourself in a circu-
  lar hallway with five dools leading ftom it. Behind
  you, the voices are shoutin8 angrily on the deck
  above. They will soon be following you down the
  stairs, so you had better choose a safer hiding-place
  than the hallway! Each of the dooB has a q.rnbol on
  it. To your immediate left, the symbol is a iug from
  which water is pouring. The symbol on the next
  door is a burning fire. The next door has the symbol
  of a crown; the next a delicate snowflakei and fnally
  the door to your right has a battle symbol on iL two
  crossed swolds, painted in blue. Which will you
  cnoose:
  The jug of water?
  The fire?
  The crown?
  The snowflake?
  The crossed swords?
  None of these?
  Turn to 346
  Tum to 29
  Tum to tz9
  Tum to a58
  Tum to rrr
  Turn to 3o2
  
  3aJ-345
  343
  You loweryourself over the edge and on to the first
  step. You sway a little, but gradually you become
  accustomed to the awkward position and you take
  the next step downwards. Once vourhead is below
  the level of the ledge, you find you are able to lean
  against the side of the chasm for balance and you
  take the next few steps easily. However, the next
  step is smaller than the others and is slightly further
  away This will be da^Eero1ts. Test louf Ltck.Ilyou
  are Lucky, tum to 65. If you are Unlucky, tum to
  338.
  344
  You enter a shortpassageway which you follow to a
  T-junction. You consider which way to fum. Tum to
  298.
  )',
  There are two ways on from this cleadng and while
  you are deciding which to take, you are startled by a
  loud croaking noise which seehs to come from
  immediately behind you. You spin round to Iind
  yourself facing a creature almost as large as yorL
  with a huge head on a puffed-out body with wart].
  skin. Its feet and hands are webbed. I[ oDens a
  cavemous mouth and lets out a deafening_croa-k,
  while its two glassy eyes blink slowly. In one hand it
  grasps a trident and it seems [o want you to back
  into the centre of the clearing. But having seen the
  sloshy mud in the centre of the clearing, you are not
  sure whether you are all that keen to oblige. Wilt
  3a5
  you back towards the centre of the clearing as the
  Toadman wishes (turn to 68), or would you rather
  fight the creature (turnto 45)?
  310
  'Be patient!' he says, scratching his head. 'Now
  what was it to add next? Ah yes, Sculliweed! Now
  where are those Sculliweed seeds?' Your eyes
  Iollow his round the room until they reach a jar
  which has'Sculliweed Seeds'on its label. The jar is
  empty. 'Damll! and damn again!'he curses. 'Now I
  shall have to visit those scoundrels in Dree to buy
  more. Blast!' He turns away from his pot and to-
  wards you. 'So much for my Potion of Foftune,'he
  says. 'Not much use having a Potion of Fortune
  without the luck herb. Right then, what can I do for
  you. Oh, my goodness! You're a ,edst! Er, um . . .
  Do you need a healing balm? Or perhaps you woutd
  like me to remove a curse? Ah, iust name it! I-I'm
  sure Euphidius can help.' Will you allow him to use
  healing balm on you (tum to 426), or do you want
  him to remove a curse (tum to 1EE)? If you want
  neither of these, you may leave him and head out of
  the village by turning to 324.
  
  3a7-3a8
  347
  You step through the door and reach out to feel
  what sort of a place you are in now. Your scales
  brush against rocky walls. lt seems you are in a
  passageway, and you step forward, steadying your-
  sell against the walls, and shuffle along the passage.
  A snort of contempt comes from your nostrils, in
  anger at your predicament. Your pace quickens as
  your anger builds, until suddenly you trip over. You
  spit out the foul taste of a mouthful of the jelly-like
  slime into which you have fallen head fust. Then
  you mise yourself to your feet and lean against the
  wall. Something is not quite right. A sharp pain
  comes from your belly and you grip yourself with a
  81unt of pain. Minutes liater you are writhing in
  agony on the floor, thrashing arould in the slimel
  Your thrashin8s are causing the poisonous slime to
  fly all around you, and you cannot help but catch
  more globs of the deadly substance in your mouth.
  There is no escape from this lingering death . . .
  3aE
  You put the bo ttle to your mouth and gulp down the
  liquid. Alrnost immediately, you begin to feel
  shength flowing through your body. You have
  discovered and drunk a Potion oI Shength, and
  it takes effect quickly. You may restore your
  srAMrNA to iIs Initial leveL Now continue bv
  turning to 293.
  349-t2a
  Ja9
  You poke yout head through the hole in the wall
  and take a deep breath. The foul air makes you
  cough deeply. You can hear far below the sounds of
  running water and the smell coming flom the filthy
  river is ovelpowedng. You pull yourself back into
  the rcom . Will you now investigate the boxes (tu!n
  to 2a7), push the boxes into the hole in the wall (tum
  to 322) or leave the room (turn to 436)?
  320
  As their leader falls, the other two adventurers rush
  to attack. One is a female wafiior and the other is a
  thief. Both are carrying shields and both attack you
  at the same time:
  STAMINA
  7
  6
  324
  You stand your glound and wait for the undead
  cteatules to arrive, Soon the shuffling stops and a
  fist thumps the door. Claws raised, y6u are poised
  to strike. The door swings inwards and a sea of dead
  faces search you out with lifeless eyes. You lunge
  forward to attack! Your first swipe decapitates two
  Zombies, but the creatures do not die!You lash out
  furiously, but the shuggle is futile. Their numbers
  are overwhelming. Eventually they will wear you
  down and teaa you apart. Your journey ends
  nere . .
  SKILL
  WARRIOR 
  z
  THIEF 
  8
  If you defeat both ol them, turn to 28a.
  
  122-32J
  122
  You pick up the first box. It is quite heavy and
  something soft and bulky bumps about inside. You
  ft the end of the box into the hole in the wall and
  shove. Theboxslides downwhatseems to be a lons
  chu te and finally splashes into the water below. You
  pick up the other box and do the game. You may
  now leave the ioom. Turn to 4f6.
  j23
  You are intrigued by the voice and find yourself
  shangely attracted to it. It guides you towards one
  of the central arches in the east wall. 'Come closer,
  so I may speak to you in private. No, not that arch,
  tds one. Thags light. Have nofear. I will tell you of
  the all-knowing one anl tell you where you will 6nd
  some iuicy Hobbits. Just a little further. It is so long
  since I have enjoyed company and I do so love to
  find out what happens in the outside world . . .'
  You pass through the arch and look around When
  your eyes have adjusted to the light, you can see
  that you are standing in a short tunnel which ends
  s€veral paceg ahead in a dead end. There are no
  tlowstones, but a glistening sheen covers the ceil-
  ing. At the end of the short passage is a shape which
  rou can just make out. It appears to be a human,
  titting on the floor and leaning against the wall, a
  tattered cowl ove! its head. A leath€r flaeon stands
  .tits feet. 'Come closer,'says the voice. 'lily hearing
  b not good. Can I offer you drink?' Will you
  approach the figure (tum to l?lg), ot will you try
  another arch (fum to 22o)?
  
  124-325
  324
  As you settle down to sleep in the run-down oli
  building, you reflect on the words of the witches
  You must find for them Sculliweed roots, from ;
  plant you have never seen before. However, thi.
  task does seem to arouse your interest and you ar.
  aware that something of yourself is developing
  Your mind goes back to the blind wizard in the rooa:
  and howyouwould neverhavebeen able to under'
  take a task such as this if you now felt as you drc
  then. It is almost as if you are developing arisdor:
  This notion occupies your thoughts arld you droF
  into a disturbed sleep. When you awake the ner:
  mornin& light is streaming in through colourec
  glass in the windows and you heave yoursell tr
  your feet. A fresh meaty meal i6lying next to yoi
  and you eat it. You may add 8 sraMrNA points (:,_
  you are able) for the rest and the food and 2 LUc:.
  points for the encounte!.
  You may nor^/ set off. Will you head north (turn i;
  3o1), south (tum to 95), east (turn to 3o4) or wes:
  (turn to 299)?
  This plant has mystedous properties. You may o:
  may not get the opportunity to find out what it cr
  be used for. If asked to present this plant to some-
  one later in the adventure, remember the numb€:
  twenty-seven. Now you may leave the rivei-balr
  by turning to 18
  326-327
  326
  \s you march on eastwards/ you teach a bend
  lvhere the passage turns to the north. A creaking
  sound from around the corner aleits you and you
  stop just belore the bend. The sound is a slow,
  repeating creak You peer round the comer to find
  out whether you can see anything. But the glow-
  stones are not alight and all you can see is blackness
  lVill you continue round the corner (turn to 441), or
  return to the junction and head west instead (tum
  io 353)?
  327
  As the Demon advances, you stand your ground
  and prepare to attack. When it is almost upon you,
  vou swing your fist into its chest. Your fist passes
  right through!You swing agam, and the same thing
  happens. You step forward into the creature and
  thEsh withboth hands Yourhands touch nothing,
  but your foot comes down on a small, soft object
  which seems to try to pull away but quickly goes
  still As this happens, the huge shape of the Rock
  Demon fades. You lift your foot to reveal a dead
  mouse, upon whichthe Illusion spell had been cast.
  You are still unsure o{ what has happened, but the
  danger has now passed and you may eithet refuin
  your attentions to the parchment (turn to 192) or
  leave the room. Ifyou decide to leave, you may use
  either the door in the south wall, through whichyou
  entered (furn to 45o), or the door in the east wall
  (tuln to 365)
  
  J2a-329
  328
  The fest of the body is not deeply buried, but when
  you have Jinally uncovered the whole skeleton you
  can tell that whoever hved here certainly died a
  painful death: the skeleton's rib-ca8e has disinte-
  grated ! You look again at its ou tstretched hand. The
  liquid! Is this a warning? Or could the liquid have
  prevented the disaster? You puzzle over these que9
  tions, then leave the ruins. You may, if you wish,
  tale the bottle o{ green liquid with you. Turn to f5.
  329
  At last the pieces oI the puzzle fit together. You step
  up to the mirror and stare into the glass. You are
  looking not at your own image, but deeper. Within
  seconds your uncertainty disappears, as the reflec-
  tion of your own shape begins to fade and some-
  thing gradually takes its place. From the depths of
  the misty netherworld which the necromancer no\i.
  makes his sancfuary, the awesome form of ZhaFa-
  dan Marr takes shape before you!
  As the mist dears, you can make out that Marr is
  sitting behind a desk in what seems tobe a library of
  some kind. Books are scattered across the desk"
  along with mystical artefacts and demonic idols,
  which also decorate the tall chair he is seated in-
  ZhaFadan Marr himself appears to be either deep
  in thought or asleep A shiver of fear runs down
  your spine. A feeling of danger sets your heart
  pounding and you cannot help but just saa,"e 
  at the
  necromancer. His very form seems to exude a
  power which is so strong you can almost feelit.
  329
  At once his eyes flick open! You jump back as his
  fiery pupils, like two buming coals, pierce your soul
  with their staie. His lower lio curls down to reveal
  sharp, biting teeth and a sinister hissing sound
  comes from his mouth. 'So!' speaks Mar, with a
  voice that resounds in your eelrs. 'Like the salrnon
  Iish, my crcation retums to its home, drawn by the
  forces of nafure! Ha! You have done well. And you
  have brought myprize.'You look puzzled. 'Ah yes,
  my fearsome friend,' he chuckles. 'It is no accident
  that you stand before rne on the Galleykeep. Yolts
  was my finestmarangha andithasbeena complete
  success. Not only have you proved to be a pelfect
  creature to replicate as my pe$onal legionnaires, but
  your mind is as sharp as your muscles are strong.
  You have passed every test, ftom escaping my
  dungeons to finding youtr way irrto tl]f- Galleykeep.
  And you have safely retumed to me the Vapourl'
  MaIr seems to delight in revealing his plan, lather as
  a father would to his son . . .
  'Vyhen we first met, you were my captive. Though
  you deserved no charity, I was merciful. Rather
  than have you slaughtered, I offered you a choice.
  Elther you were to sewe me, or you were to become
  a subject for my own manangha experiments. You
  chose never to serve under me and thus your fate
  was decided. As a token ofrcspectlreservedforyou
  my most ambitious experiment.' You dwell on his
  words. You cannot remember ever having met
  Zharradan Marr before. And why should hi have
  resuect for volt? Tlulr. lo 127,.
  
  tto-t3a
  330
  You follow the path, AJter a long trek southwards,
  the hail sweeps rollnd to the east. It begins to widen
  into a well-used road just as you rcach the outskirts
  of a dusty village. On your left you pass a run-down
  building which could p.ove a useful place of shelter
  {or you. But a $owing commotion ahead brings
  your attention back to dre road. A number of vil-
  lagers are beginning to bar the road. As you step
  forward, one picks up a stone and hurls it at you. It
  lands close by your foot. A second villaget thlows
  another stone, and this one bounces off yout chesd
  Lose 1 srAMrNA point for the painlul blow. Thev
  cheer and grab more stones to throw at you. it
  seems you are not welcome here and you decide !o
  tum back before you ale hit again. Test yout Luck.ll
  you are Lucky/ none of the villagers manage an
  accumte shot. But ifyou are Unlucky, you must take
  another 2 sTAn{rNA points of damage from their
  stones. You retrace your steps to the crossroads and
  this time you may either tum west (turn to 12) or
  carry on noth (tum to 13o).
  334
  You step through the door into another rockjr
  passage. But this one is short, and empty shelves
  are fixed to the walls on both sides. At the end of the
  passage is a wooden door. You step up to the door
  and shove itoDen. Turn to 1s.
  332-'J1
  You must resolve your iittle with the deadly crea-
  ture. Althou8h not strong, the Giant Homet has one
  powerful weapon. If you roll a double while rolling
  for its Attack Skength, it has managed to sting you
  and the effects ale fatal. You will die unless you also
  manage to roll a double in the same Attack Round. If
  you do manage to roll a double with you! Attack
  Round roll, then you do not die, but must take 6
  srAMrNA points of damage instead befote your
  lnstant Death blow kills the Hornet. Resolve yor:r
  battle:
  GIANT HORNET 
  5KILL 5 
  STAMINA 7
  If you defeat the Homet, you had better leave the
  chamber quickly. Tum to 239.
  You grasp your crystal dub and swing it at your
  opponenfs head. To your amazement the club
  seems to take on a will of its own! As your opponent
  du&s, the club follows his movements and comes
  down heavily on his skull. The force of the blow
  shatters the club, which now lies in {ragments on
  the floor. But the blow was suJficient to slav vour
  opponent outright. You have won this battie; but
  you have lost youl dub. Return to the previous
  rcfetence and carry on.
  
  3y
  
  B5-86
  tJ5
  You are determined to leave. 'If you muEt leave,'
  squeaks the little Pixie, 'then so be it. But you should
  be warned: you will not get far.' He opens the gate
  and lets you out. Without even looking back, you
  set off down the trail the way you came, Long after
  the castle has disappeared from sight behind you,
  an eerie whisding catches your eals. It seems to be
  coming from all around you; it is like wind, yet all is
  still. The whisding turns to soft voices, arld you stop
  to listen. Darkness is closing in, and moments later
  it is too dark to see far in ftont of you. When you do
  peer ahead, you are startled to see a group o{fgazes
  silhoue tted against the dark sky in front of you, as if
  they have been formed from the very darkness
  itself! Then the spell breaks! All is now back to
  normal: the darkness, sounds and figures have
  disappearcd. Realizing that somethin8 mysterious
  is going on, you decide to try to make the job d
  following you more difficult. Tum to 57.
  T6
  T\e Ga eykeep looms closer and your frustration
  grows. If you had been in a calmer frame of min4
  you might have noticed the Whipwood tree, bent
  over double and held to the ground by a rope
  passing through a stake and ending in a loop. Yout
  next step tales you straight into the centre of the
  hidden loop, and your tate ts sealed,. The Galleykeep
  duly arrives to hoist its cargo of food on board. You
  will provide a hearty meal for the crew tonight . . .
  T7-3J8
  ,37
  'Swjnfb fbrd apfo yprf. Yp!'uh bvf ebffne hv ndugvi
  Ityi pfot hJ ecr j mfep fowjll vlub ndamb lj cjpvs ub
  Isp no bamps to sf4p vsupff Incfej n ir hJed ryerf gj
  pnsop fo sblbmpnjs. Bsap rmjsh mf nte y?vu b!
  fesfnt fncfde tpowrd tr bkfebap ftil pvs (mjss jpn
  rftv m uthf me tpoth jsic pvrt. PNON POB C
  CPVNT UMVST UT HFYEB FEP PFNFD. T hJs
  ijsi t hfe sln tfncfe pfot hf ecp wtu bnda thfe gfbs a
  hb sa bf fnecb st. Th jsij si )?vru pwl jshmf nt. Yp
  vumvs tusvc cf fde jni )?a'r umjs sjp noprod jfe jn i
  thfeb ttfmpt.'
  Underneath this writing is more, but written in a
  different style: 'Ir'b ppvr upfoknpwlf dgf / 
  Flb
  xfnmb nfe p fosj lvhpn = / - Wjngfdeh flmft.
  nE
  Your foot slips on the step. You lose your balance
  and tumble down, down towards the Bilgewater
  below. But you nevei feel the impact o{ hitting the
  water. Just before you reach the river, you collide at
  fuIl speed with a bo ulder protruding from the face of
  the cliff. Your death is instantaneous.
  
  t9-yr
  1t9
  You stagger lound the walls of dre rcom, desperate
  ly searching for a way out of the growing fumace.
  But it i3 hopeless. The air is now so hot that you
  cannot breathe without scorching your lungs.
  Consciousness fades before you are finally roasted
  in the trem€ndous heat of the fumace trap-
  340
  You enter the largest of the caves. It is quite deep
  and i6 pitdl-black, so you can see very little ofwhat
  is inside, Skaw covers the floor and there i6 an
  unpleasant smell in the air. Suddenly your ears
  prick up! A snuffling noise is coming from deeper in
  the cave, followed by the dull dang of metal on rock.
  Your nostri.ls pick up the 6mell of animal sweat. Do
  you want to continue into ihe cave or will you
  instead leave whatevei is in there in peace? l1 you
  want to go fufther in, turn to 451. If you want to
  l€ave, tum to 3E5.
  344
  As you search through the woods on your seeming-
  Iy hopeless task, the ship in the sky is becoming
  lalger, It iB coming your wayl You begin to thlash
  about in frustlation, but just then you see what you
  are looking for. Ahead of you - appearing much too
  obvious now you have spotted it - is a tall, slender
  tree, bent back on itself - a Galleykeep 
  huntirg 1-!ap!
  You pick you$elf up and sta.e at the device. The
  tree, a Whipwood, has been shaved of its branches.
  It6 tip is held taut by a rope which ends in a ring.
  344
  You study it until you are su:re that you can undet-
  stand how it works.
  You wait, n'atching the slow alrival of the
  you, a long pole reaches out over the side and pulls
  you up through the air. Your plan is working!
  Sharp daws scratch at your scales a6 the hands of
  dark, foul-smelling creatures pull you up and over
  the side of the boat and drop you in a heap on the
  deck. Playing dead, you gathet your strength and
  wait for a suitable moment to spring into action.
  Two pairs of rcugh hands glasp your shodders and
  hoist you along the deck towaras a guillotine,
  whose blade is poised and ready to drcp. At that
  moment you make your movelYou pull yourcelf to
  your feet and fling your two guards over the side of
  the ship. Two burly coblins step lolward with
  sho swords. You must resolve this battle, The
  creafu res attack together:
  5KII,L
  5
  5
  STAMINA
  FLst GOBLIN
  Second GOBLIN
  5
  5
  lfyou defeat the Goblins, hrrn to rr2.
  
  342-J41
  1+
  few moments. They hold their ground. Do you
  want to attack (turn to 258), or will you v,rait to see
  what they do (turn to 432)?
  343
  You bend down and make your way along the
  tunnel through the overhanging foliage. you can-
  nol help but wonder about how such a tunnel ever
  came into existence. Itis unlikely that it would occur
  naturally, But then that only leaves . .
  turn to 4. If you wish to relax and wait to see what
  344-t45
  happens next, turn to 278. lf you are carr]ang a
  bottle of green liquid and wish ro try drinliiniit,
  rurn to 214,
  3U
  ever awaits you. Tum to 2oS.
  prcsence 
  is noted bya host of fish and other animals
  living in the Bilgewater. Most are not capable of
  harming you. But there is one rive! crearule wno
  thrives in vile wate$. Knownas the Devil,sLocks, 
  it
  
  34rl
  is a huge burrowing $eature with long stinging
  tentacles. In dvers it will bury its body in crevices,
  allowin8 its deadly tentacles to waft in the cu:rrent.
  The effect is rather like seeing a long-haired dis-
  embodied head lying on the bed of the dver (hence
  the name). You, of course can see nothing. Nor do
  you know anl4hing of the terrible creature. The last
  things you remembei are soft fibres wrapping thern-
  selves around your leg and a sharp pain as the first
  sting rcleases its quick-acting poison .
  i46
  The door opens and you step into a dingy room.
  Dust and cobwebs have besun to settle over the
  fumifure and the curtains over the portholes are
  drawn. The room itself has an unrnade bed against
  one wall. A wardrobe door yawns half open, ro&-
  ing as the Galleykeep sways and revealing elegant
  uniforms, now beginning to look a little dusty. You
  get a sudden fright when you see a creafure stadng
  at you, but relax when you realize it is only your
  reflection in a f1 l-length mirror which hangs to the
  side of the wardrobe. Further round the room, theie
  is a desk, covered in charts and maps, one of which
  protrudes from a folder marked 'For Captain's Eyes
  Only'. A spiral staircase to bne side of the desk
  ascends to another hatchway which is closed. As
  you are making your way round the ioom, you get
  another fright when you bump into a long, thin,
  brass-tdmmed device which stands on three legs
  and points out of the window. There is no one in the
  room; no! does it look as though it has been used
  347148
  rccently. But you might as well investigate the
  contents. Which will you start with:
  The wardrobe?
  The minor?
  The desk?
  The spiral staircase?
  The brass-trimmed device?
  Tum to 59
  Tum to 422
  Tum to 246
  Turn to 37o
  Tum to 225
  147
  You try the door but you cannot get a grip without a
  handle. Your claws dig into the wood and you pull
  hard, but to no avail. The door is closed tightly and
  is being held by some catch. You cannot open it.
  Will you instead exarnine the figurc on the chai
  (tum to 452), or search through the bones in the
  corner of the rcom (turn to 54)?
  148
  As you wander through the multitude of creafures,
  you start to consider this place, So far your life has
  been aimless. You have been wanderinq alone
  through the tand. Here is a place where you will be
  fed, where you will mix with othe$, and where you
  will never be short of a good fight. On the other
  hand, a voice in the back of your mind is still asking
  the same questions. Who are you? What are you
  doing here? Where have you come from? The
  answe$ to these questions will probably not be
  found he!e. Thugruff comes over to you and asks
  you whether you would like to stay to train as one of
  Marls legionnaires and serve on lns Galleykeep.
  
  34.9-350
  What will you do? Doyou wantto leave (tum to 455),
  or will you s€riously consider training as a legion-
  naire (turn to 4f)?
  ,4!'
  The guard lies dead on th€ ground and you steP
  back to catch your breath. You may feast on the
  guard's body, but if you do, you will gain only l
  srAMrNA points, for his ta8te i5 not to your liking
  The way onwards 6eems to be through the metal
  door in the wall opposite you! entance. You steP
  up and try it: it is locked, You skain to see through
  the small barred viewing-hol€ set in the doo!. You
  can see a stone staiiway leading upwards, and a soft
  cool wind carcssee yout dreek- Will you look for the
  key to the lock (tum to 1t2) o! try to brcak down the
  door (tu.rn to r2E)?
  t50
  The blue liquid smells sweet and you + down the
  contentE of the flask. Thele is no noticeable effect.
  But the effects of the Potion of Fear you have just
  drunk will not be levealed until you enter your next
  baftle. When you do so, you will feel shangely
  afraid of your opponent and you will never again be
  able to use the Instant Death rule, unless you find
  someone who hag the powet to temove curses.
  Continue by tuming to 293.
  J5a-153
  154
  The path continues through th€ trndergro\r.th, but
  the Boint becomes mole difficult. You soon find it
  dilficult to tell which way the path leads, as the
  whole area is so overglown. You peer through the
  woods ahead and there 6€ems to be little of interest,
  although an area to your left seems to be unnat-
  urally dar!. This could just be a duster of broad-
  leaved tlees blocking out the light, or it cou.ld be
  something else. Do you want to try beating your
  way through tlte vegetation towards it (turn to 3t1),
  or will you turn tound, follow the path back to the
  fork and ta.ke the oth€! direction (turn to 183)?
  352
  'EnouSh!' shouts Thugruff. 'I have s€en enough., If
  you rcduced Elever/s sTAMTNA to z turn to aa8. If
  he teduced your s u M r N a to 2, furn to 43r.
  ,53
  you against this course. You.r eals pick up the sound
  of tunning water and each step bdngs this sound
  doser. Eventually you find yoursell standing on a
  naEow rocky bridge which span-s a bubbling steam
  some distance below. You 6top to look down at the
  flowing water. lt is not ea6y to see h the dim light,
  but you'nose twitches at the urpleasant smell
  which issues from the sfleam. If you feasted on the
  
  354-355
  Hellhound, you mustlose 2 srAMrNApoints for the
  nausea you now feel. You hurry on over the bridge
  and soon afterwards come across a passageway
  leading north. If you take this passage, tun to 122.
  If you prefer to continue west, turn to 149.
  354
  You stumble off awkwardly up the passage The
  ground is rough underfoot and the passage is get-
  ting a little na ower, though the ceiling appears to
  be much higher up. Eventually you reach a dead
  end. There seems to be no way forward. Will you
  grope around the walls to see whether you can find
  a way of progressing (turn to a79), or will you re-
  turn to the crossroads and tum either to the east
  (turn to 31o) orto the south (tum to 212)?
  5tt
  fhe creature is not the ageing caithorse you expect.
  Instead it is a powerful stallion and it will put up
  quite a fight:
  STALLION
  SKrLL 7
  STAMINA 9
  If you defeat the horse, you may eat its nourishing
  meat. Add 5 sraMrNA points and furn to 385 to
  leave.
  356
  You follow the corridor round the bend to the east,
  then round another to the north. The smell is get-
  ting stronger but there are now other aromas in the
  
  15b
  air. The passage tums west next, and a shoit dis-
  lance further on you stop at a corner where it tums
  to the south. The smells in the air are now quite
  strong and there are sounds coming from round the
  comer. You cautiously poke your head round to see
  what is going on.
  The passage ends a shortdistance ahead. Bones are
  strewn about the place. Some have remnants of
  flesh left on them, but not for long. Standing in the
  cenke of the passageway/ feasting noisily on the
  remains, are three Cardon Bugs! They are huge,
  blackbeetles with formidable heads in the shape of
  death's-head skulls. The creatures' heads are armed
  with razor-sharp mandibles which can stdp muscle
  cleanly from abone in an instant. You are consider-
  ing whether or not to furn round and retrace your
  steps, when your eyes fall on an unmistakable
  shape - the decaying corpse of a Hobbit! Your eyes
  widen and your dry mouth becomes moist
  Thoughts of retracing your steps fade . . .
  You surge through the Carrion Bugs to your meal.
  They ignore you until you $ab the Hobbit. But then
  they turn towards you: they will not allow you to
  steal their meall You must fight the Carrion Bugs all
  toeether:
  SKILL
  First CARRION BUC 
  7
  Second 
  CARRION BUG 
  8
  Third CARRION BUG 
  7
  STAMTNA
  357-358
  If you wish to escape during the battle, you may do
  so by turning to 24o, but only after at least three
  Attack Rounds. If you defeat all three of them, turn
  to 17s-
  You kick the door back and slash out at the Rhino-
  Man. You must resolve this battle:
  RHINO-MAN
  sKrLL I
  STAMINA 
  9
  If you defeat the creature, you may search the
  Buardroom. As the Rhino-Man was about fhe same
  size as you, you may wish to take something lrom
  the room. If you take a dusty brown sack, turn to
  25o. II you take a metal breastplate, turn to 415.
  358
  Apassage leads ftom the opening into the rock-face,
  and you follow it. But you find that, as you havel
  north, the light fades mpidly. Theie are no glow-
  stones in this passage and you must progress care-
  fully, steadlng yourself by running your hands
  along both walls. The ground underfoot is rocky
  and several times you stub your toes painfully on
  prohuding stones. Later, you can no longer touch
  both walls at once. Although you are unable to see
  an)thing, you sense that you aae entering a large
  chamber. Turn to 252.
  5
  5
  
  I
  35915a
  t)t
  Battered and crushed, the physician drops to the
  floor. You catch your breath for a few moments. Will
  you now head for the door and leave the room (turn
  to 128), or will you continue looking round the toom
  (turn to 4o7)?
  360
  You have no wish to give the ring back to the blind
  wizard. It may prove very useftrl to you in the
  future. And, apart from that, you think it looks
  splendid on your finger. The old wizard wants you
  to lead him away/ but your attitude is mixed. He
  may slow you down and you have leamed all his
  useful information. You stand up, brush him aside,
  andleave. Ifyou come across Dafiamouss, you may
  use the ring aE follows. When you are given the
  option to Szd, him and do battle, add 50 to the
  reference you aie on at the time and turn to this flew
  reference. Now tum to a3E.
  36a
  You pick up your club and step towards the miror.
  When Zharradan Marr sees your weapon, his con-
  fident malner becomes a little neruous. 'So, my
  offspring of marrangha,'he says, though perhaps a
  litde too eagerly. 'You choose to furn against your
  ceator. Do not be hasty. Let me first tell you of my
  plans for us. Whatever future you wish, it can be
  achieved.'Tutn to 460.
  162
  362
  After a few moments you find it difficult to keep
  your eyes open and your head begins to nod. Resist-
  ance is useless. You roll over on the ground and fall
  soundly asleep. But your sleep is disturbed by
  dreams of dark cealures, humans with sharp
  swords and magical encounters. In the centre of
  your drearns is yourself, unde$tanding nothing,
  for ever wondering rrhere you are, and why. ln one
  drearn you are running from a hideous figure, who
  is pursuingyouin a ship whichflies. The faster you
  try to escape, fhe easier it is for the ship to catch up.
  Leering sadistically, the figure drops a net over you!
  You clash to the ground, happed in the net, kying
  desperately to escape . . .
  You wake up with a start, arms flailing madly. A
  breeze has blown the blanch of an oak into vou, so
  that its leaves cove! your face and <heit. Yorj
  breathe a sigh of relief and pick yourself up. Your
  eyes narrow to slits as they adjust to a new exped-
  ence for you. Daylight! You may add 4 srAMrNA
  points for the rest and [hen you set off once more
  through the wood. TuIn to 244.
  
  361-164
  3E
  The dead Hellhound would no doubt have made a
  tasty meal had you arrived several days ago. But
  now its rotten flesh gives you severe stomach
  cramps. You double over and your claws scrape on
  the rocky walls as you try to support yourself. You
  must lose 4 srAMrNA points and wait for a while
  before you continue. Wlen you are ready, turn to
  364
  You greet the Dwad. At least you lry to greet the
  litde creafure. But instead of any message 
  coming
  from your throat, it is silent and your hands reach
  down to glasp the terrified figure around the chest.
  He screams and makes a strange sound, which
  sounds like: 'Kff pebw by aftp momt.' You try to
  answer, but the only soundyou are abletomakeis a
  grunt of effort as your rough, scaly fingers close
  tightly around the creature's chest and your sharp
  claws dig in. Summoning up all its strength, it
  swipes at you with its sharp sword. The blade digs
  inunder thescales above your knee, but the wound
  is not too serious - deduct 2 srAMrNA points. The
  blow causes you to roar loudly and to increase the
  pressure on the creature's chest. Its ribs crack like
  twigs under the force of your grip and the body falls
  limp. You drop it to the floor where it lands like the
  sack ofbones it now is.
  Your thoughts are confused. Will you ahempt to
  hide the body (tum to zr8), will you examine this
  165
  strange little creature (tuin to399), or will you leave
  the area immediately (tum to 248)?
  365
  The door opens into a straightpassaSe leading east,
  which you follow until you reach a dead end. You
  growl in frustration and, as if your voice had acted
  as some kind of trigger, youhear a ct& and a sliding
  sound. Part ofthe rock-face slides aside and reveals
  another passage mnning north and south!You step
  through the secret doorway cautiously, wary of a
  hap. When you are through, the door grinds shut
  again. Bu[ at the same time there is another sound,
  which seems to be coming from abo"e you. Ju6t in
  time you look up to see a heavy portcullis dropping
  from the roof towards you! You fling yourself for-
  ward not an instant too soon. A heavy alazg sounds
  behind you as the poftcullis hits the ground. You
  escaped death by inches!
  Since you hurled yourself noth/ the way to the
  south is now sealed off by the portcullis, and you
  pickyourselfup and set off north. Soonyoureach a
  crossroads where you may turn east (turn to 50) or
  west (fum to 213), or continue northwards (tum to
  44t.
  
  166-368
  356
  You step back into the bushes and search the dear-
  ing suspiciously. All is quiet, until a shrill crybreaks
  the silence. This is followed by the sounds of a
  shuggle and finaly three 6tues tumble into the
  clearing from the undelgrowth/ locked in combat.
  Two rough-set Brigands are grappling with another
  creatur€. The Brigands are burly hurnans, with
  leather breastplates and boots. The belts around
  their waists hold throwing-knives, but they are
  using their bare fists in this battle, Their adversary is
  thin and nimble, with long white hair and angula!
  features. He wears a silky lobe and appears to b€
  unarmed. He is putting up a brave fight, but is
  dearly losing the battle as blow after blow from the
  b.igands thuds into his stomach, ribs and head. He
  is crying out for help. Will you help him? ff so, turn
  to 429- If you would rather keep hidden until the
  Bdgands have left, tum to 295.
  367
  Only the Half-Orc's attacker is disappointed to see
  the miserable crcature dlop down dead. The
  villagers applaud and usher you into the hut to
  drink a toast to your victory. If you refuse their
  hospitality, tum to 1o7 to leave Coven. Ifyou accept
  their invitation, tum to 395 .
  368
  There are all kinds of birds and some rabbits to be
  found in the wood. To catch some food, you must
  Test your Luck stccessfully. If you are Ludgr, you
  
  369
  will catch a small animal for 2 STAMTNA points of
  nourishment. If you are Unlucky, you will not. You
  may try as many times as you like, but you may not
  gain more than 4 srAMrNA points in total. Turn to
  229 when you wantto continue.
  369
  You step into the passage and your eyes adjust to
  the green light. You breathe cautiously as you pro-
  8ress, but it seems that the smoke is not harmful,
  though it smells a little pungent. The passage leads
  after only a few paces to impenetrable blackness;
  not even the green light is penetrating the dark
  Your eyes suain to see anything of the suround-
  ings, but without success.
  Suddenly a light flickers to your left! A small flame
  lights up something: it is a human face! The face is
  motior ess and its eyes are closed. The skin is old
  and withered and you cannot tell whether it is alive
  or dead. Another light flickers!Another sombre face
  lights upbeforeyou. And another! Eventually there
  are fourfaces, all dknly lit, around the chamber. An
  instant later, their eyes and mouths flick open wide
  and the silence is broken bva sharD voice which cuts
  through the darkness. ihe efiect is terrifying!
  'Ypvruprpg rfss ehbs ab ffne wbtchf def pvlucdbtv r
  fep fodf str vctj pn. Spo lbray pv uhbvfe dpn fe wfll
  ethp vgh u),?v uk np won pt ow hyo prow hbt.
  Bvtay pvo hbvfi cbv sfdatw pipf ath favbp pwse
  tpebf ulpst. Zhbr rbd bnam brrah jrns fl f ehbsa dfc
  rffdey pl.I' udfst jny. Yp vushbl lar fmb jn ijni hjsi
  370
  dvng fpnso b nd adp omy objd djng Fp rojibma db
  rrbm pvs suypv rumbs tfr.' Jfiy pvuc bna \,n dfrs tbn
  dahj mi tv mut p orff frln cf enj nfty. 'Y pvru 4rs ti
  prd ftejsi th js. Rf pprtoh 
  rodvt )'ubta thfe yfl
  lpwstp nfemj nfs. Llb vlenpw ob ndahfbdath f rfejm
  mfdjb tfly. Jiwjllibf ewbt chj ng.'
  As the voice ceases, a rumbling sound comes from
  ahead of you. The same green light indicates an-
  other secret passageway, which the voice evidently
  wishes you to take. Will you leave through the
  new passage (tum to 79), or will you step up
  to one of the illuminated faces and crush it in
  your hand (turn to 247)?
  J70
  You climb up the staircase and try the hatch at the
  top. Itis open and you climb through. Butinstead of
  entering another room, you find yourself on a sec-
  luded part of the ship - evidently the captain's
  private deck. You look around for another hiding-
  place, but there is none to be found, and soon you
  are faced with an an8ry hoard of Orcs and Hobgob-
  lins who have silently followed you onto the deck.
  You will get to meet Zha adan Ma1T all dght, but as
  his prisoner. And when he has finished tormenting
  you for his pleasure, you will remain aboard the
  Calleykeep 
  as his slave for Lhe re5i ot yourdays.
  
  174-372
  3V
  The passage runs shaight ahead until you reach a
  iunctior! where you may continue north (furn to
  q4) or tum east (turn to 2o4). Altematively, you
  may refum to the Previous junction and fum w€st
  (turn to 2Eo).
  372
  The passage heads east. The rough stone floor
  begins to feel different underfoot and you look
  down to see that it has been laid with flat stones of
  iregular sizes. The light seems to be better,
  although with a de{inite bluish tint, ind you look up
  to see blue glowstones in the ceiling, lighting your
  way. Mysteriously, their glow appeam only as you
  approach; when you look behind you see the light
  has faded. There are a number of crcvices, and small
  passages lead off from the main one, but you ignore
  these as they are far too narrow for you to enter.
  A solrnd from ahead catches your atlention - the
  soft thump oI something landing on the ground.
  Further on, you discover that it was a tied-up sack.
  Somethinginside the sack is struggtng, but cannot
  getout. In size, the lump is similar to the Dwarlyou
  killed earlier. Will you investigate the sack or con-
  tinue along the passageway? Roll one die. If you ro11
  1-4, you will stop to study the sack more carefully
  (turn to 1E6). If you roll 5 or 5, you will ignore it (tum
  to 44o).
  373-175
  The rocky corridor continues for some time and
  then tums sharply southwards. Ahead of you, at
  the end of the passage, is a sturdy wooden door; to
  your left is another door. Will you try the door
  straight ahead (tum to 15) or the door to your left
  (tum to 241)?
  374
  On the r^/ay out of the village, you pass more huts
  and more of the villagers, who rush across the road
  to avoid you. Ahead ofyou is a figure slumped face
  down on the ground. Vvhen you get closer you can
  see that it is a dark-skinned Half-Orc, and that it is
  dead. Do you want to investigate the body (tum to
  91), or will you ignore itand continue (turn to 1o7)?
  With the Cadon Bugs dead, yourthoughts revert to
  the tasty Hobbit. You pick up the rigid body and
  sink your teeth into its stomach area. Although
  irresistible, the taste is not [oo pleasant, as the body
  has beendead for some time. Nevertheless, you eat
  heartily andyou may gain 4 sTAMINA points for the
  meal. Then you follow the passage north, and later
  east. As you turn the nexf coner, your heart sinls.
  Another of the creatures is arriving for ils meal! To
  get pdst you will have to de[eat the Bug:
  CARRION BUG
  SK\LL 
  7
  lfyou defeat it, turn to 222.
  STAMINA 
  O
  
  376-79
  176
  You thrash about in the woods, becoming in-
  creasingly frustrated by the hopelessness o{ your
  lask. Test your Luck again. [f you are Lucky, turn to
  34r. Ifyou are Unlucky, turn to 336.
  377
  One of the Rhino-Men is boasting that he could
  easily defeat Thugruff in battle. The Orcs are taunt-
  ing him and the tension is mounhng as the other
  Rhino-Men defend him. A fight may break out at
  any moment. If you want to stay to see what
  happens, tum to 124. Otherwise turn to 348.
  t78
  You step {orward to make your way past the
  Hobbits. But even as you take the first step, you
  know that you cannot carry out your intention.
  Though you may wish to ignore the Hobbits, you
  cannot pass by your favourite food Turn to 42.
  379
  You reach up for the torch on the wall beside you,
  but it is just out of your reach. Meanwhile, the
  Shadow Stalker is once morc poised for attack and
  only by shrfting sideways quickly do you avoid a
  fatal blow. Instead, the plunging knife grazes your
  shadow's leg. Lose r sTAMINA point. Will you now
  try to fight the creature (turn to 34), offer a gesture of
  peace (turn to 135), or flee as quickly as possible
  (turn to 242)?
  
  360
  38o
  The riverside is a place of B.eat natulal beauty. At
  least, it seems to be natural, but there is always the
  possibility that someone has planted the colou.ful
  plants in their beds along the banks of the river. A
  tall green-stemmed reed is topped with coiled trum-
  pets of purple flower8 which hang down facing the
  river. These flowers are so beautiful that they have a
  hypnotic effect on the fish of the fiver, which are
  attracted to the water beneath the reeds and can be
  seen swimming 
  beneath them. Another blue-
  stemmed plant has no flowers but its glistening
  colouris quiteremalkable andithas a strong herbal
  odour, Yet another plant has leaves which are per-
  fect cilcles, red in colour. As you watch, one of the
  leaves drops into the river. The leaf seems to have
  some purifying effect: as soon as it touches the
  water, all cloudiness is gone from the arca around
  the leaf; the water becomes crystal-clear until dis-
  turbed by the flow of the current. Another plant, out
  of reach in the water, has delicate flowers of silver.
  As the wind blows, the flowers whistle and tinkle
  together with an eerie, calming sound which males
  you feel quite rclaxed. Youma, ifyou wish, gather
  a few of o,re of these types of plant befole youleave.
  Which will you choosei the one with purple flowers
  (tum to f25), the one with a blue stem (turn to 106)
  or the one with the red leaves (tum to r81)?
  36r-382
  3El
  You pick your way through the woods towalds the
  shaded area. The thick vegetation makes it imposs-
  ible for you to travel in a straight line and you find
  yourself tuming this way and that to pick out the
  easiest route. Eventually you reach the shadowy
  patch and discover to your disappointment thatit is
  a tight thicket of tall Heavenstip trees, thei! Ieaves
  despemtely thirsting for the sunlight ftom above.
  You turn back towards the path. But where is it?
  You have no way of knowing which way you have
  come frorn and your eyes scan the wood fo! familiar
  signs. There arc none. Acting on a hunch, you
  finally set ofI towards the spot where - you hope -
  you left the path. Turn to 57.
  3E2
  The gas ddfts from the flask, but rather than spread-
  ing out, it pulls itself together into a purple cloud
  and billows up before you. You watch open-
  mouthedas a shapebegins toformin thecloud, and
  eventually tums into a face, which stares deep into
  your eyes. The face is human-like, but thi n and with
  jagged features The pupils of its eyes are notround,
  but arc instead serpenFlike. Its thin-lipped mouth
  opens and speaks: Jib mar flfbsf defr pmo myodst.
  Fpv lucrfb tvif ewhbtadpo ypv ul npwop fothle
  I?rcfsew jthi w hjchiy pr.utb mpfr. Bvt unpnf thll
  fssernye pvr ppsfe isipr db jnfd. fibfstpwop n oypv
  uthfe ppw frepfo rfbs pn. Frp monpwopnoyp vubr
  fej nicp ntr plop foypvr upwnodfs qny. Bnd anpw-
  emby ajil ft vm utp omyo pfbcf fv lurfste \Tlg lip
  ndem prfethfeh fbv fnsetb Keth 4 ri ppsj tjpns.'
  
  I
  i
  I
  3E3
  Your anger mounts and you swipe atthe cloud. But
  your hand passes right through the gas without
  even disturbing it. The mystedous face blinks slow-
  ly and the colour of the cloud flashes momentadly
  from purple to white, and back to purple again-
  Then the face disappears and the cloud is sucked
  down back into its flask. Once safely inside the
  flask, the stopper replaces itself in the neck and the
  bottle settles into its cradle in the wooden casket. An
  instant later, the casket and its contents have faded
  to nothing!
  You decide you have had enough of this room, but
  you may add 2 LucK points for your find. Will you
  leave through the door to the west (turn to 51), or
  the door to the east (tum to 33X
  3E3
  You fum towards the comer where you last heard
  the clicking noise and let out a deep growl. As you
  step into the comer, the clicking starts again! This
  time it becomes quite ftantic. To you:r complete
  astonishment, the sound darts across the room in
  front of you and heads for an opposite corner! As
  you were virfually ir' the corner, and fhere was no
  room for anything of any size to pass you, you
  realize that whatever is making the noise must be
  very small. Your head furns to the other corner The
  pitch of the noise has increased and there seem to t€
  two - iI not three 
  distinct creatures clicking away-
  Your cu osity has been aror,rsed and you step
  towards the corner. Only then do you appreciate
  3d4
  the danger you have been facing. The flashes of
  light coming from behind the door before you
  entered were emanatin8 from a smalJ group of
  Blinding Beetles. These large insects have the power
  to emit extremely bright flashes of light, which are
  powerful enough to blind all but magically pro-
  tected creatures. Youl harassment has finally
  angered them to their flash-point. Three intense
  burs ts of light explode before your eyes, followed by
  complete blackness. The Blindjng Beedes' attack
  has been effective: you have now lost your sight
  You rub your eyes with your scaly hands to try to
  wipe away the blackness, but there is nothing you
  can do. In desperation, you bellow pitifully and
  stumble arourld the room as if therc were some way
  out of the sightless world which is now yours. As
  you Srope along the wall, you come across a door.
  You give it a yanl feel it open and a rush of air hits
  you. Roll one die, I{ you roll 1, 2 br J, turn to 80. If
  you, |oll 4, 5 or 5, htrr. to 1a7.
  384
  Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, you manage to
  reach the doorway before Darramouss can react
  (turn to Z9). If you are Unlucky, Dalramouss man-
  ages to close the door before you can reach it and
  you must wait to see what fate he has in store for
  you (tum to 286) .
  
  1E5-jE7
  385
  You consider the litde ceatu.e's words. What you
  remember of your life has been somewhat aimless,
  You may just as well spend some time hete. He
  leads you back to the courtyard and explains to
  Thugruff your reluctance to stay. You are not keen
  on the villanous F1alf-Troll. But you must now de-
  cide yourfuture, since you are staying. Doyou want
  to work hard and try to earn yoursel{ a posjtion on
  the Gallelkeep (111r^ to 43), or would you rather bide
  your time until you can seize a suitable moment to
  assassinate the fciul-breathed Thugruff (turn to 62)?
  386
  You head off back towards the crossroads and furn
  this time to the north. Turn to 13o.
  347
  He looks deep into your eyes for seveEl moments.
  Eventually he grullts and stands aside to let you
  through into the Suardroom. The place is dirf, and
  smells of rancid ale and stale food, Across the room
  is another door, This one is made of metal and has a
  small barred viewing-panel at eyelevel. Through
  this panel you can see steps leading upwards. But
  while you gaze at the door, you are not watching
  what the guard is doing. Suddenly you feel a healy
  blow on the back of your head. You slump to your
  knees, dazed by the impact, and turn to see the
  guard advancing towards you holding a heary club.
  Lose 4 srAMrNA points for the blow and turn to 98
  to battle with the euard.
  386-3E9
  3E8
  The going becomes a little steeper and the river
  splashes faster over its rocky bed. Ahead you can
  see that it seems to disappear over a ledge and,
  when you get closer, you see that the dver plunges
  over a tall waterfall and cashes into a nafutal pond
  far below, before continuing along a narrower
  sheam through a gully carved in the rcck. The
  effect is quite spectacular, but it presents a problem
  to you. How do you get down? Following the path
  along the dver-bank is impossible. You will have to
  continue through the undergrowth. Turn to 52.
  J89
  Your foe is defeated and you feel justifiably proud.
  Your gaze passes from the dead seature to its lair.
  But there is nothing of interest, and the sicken-
  ing stench of Clawbeast makes you want to leave
  quickly. There are three ways onwards: the passage
  behind you, a cave entrance in the western wall and
  another in the northern wall. What will your next
  action be? Roll one die. tI the roll is 1-4, tum to 23o.
  If the roll is 5 or 6, tum to r55.
  
  39o.-394
  t9
  You head off eastwards. After a few steps, the
  passage begins to widen and you can hear distant
  sounds ahead- As you get closer, you recognize
  thern 
  and your mouth waters! Fo! the sound
  you can hear is the unmistakable chatter of tasty
  Hobbits! Without any consideration of the con-
  sequences, you make youi way quickly towards the
  noises. The glowstones light your way to a wide
  chamber. The passage enters it around a bend and
  you stop to survey the scene. Marble flooling marks
  the entrance to this meeting-chamber which is
  decorated with carvings and dark archways. Three
  Hobbits, wearing none of that obstructive metal
  aamour, are engaged in a healed discussion in the
  centle of the chamber- They have their backs to-
  wards you. but they are concemed about their
  safety and one of them keeps on looking around the
  chamber for any signs of danger. Will you wait until
  this one is occupied before rushing in to attack (tum
  to 288), or will you ignore the advantage of surprise
  and simply rush in (turn to 42). Alternatively you
  may wish to ignore the Hobbits andhead aqoss the
  chamber to a passage opposite which continues to
  the east. If you wish to do this, turn to r78.
  394
  Thewateris cool andrefreshing. 
  However, its silver
  sheen comes from mineral deDosits which make it
  unsuitable ior drinking. Irse i srA M r N A points for
  the strange 'heady' feeling which comes over you.
  When you are ready, tur:n to 52 to continue.
  
  i
  392-393
  394-195
  (lose r srnnrrl,Il point), and then retum to the
  centre of the room. Will you try one of the other
  doors (tum to 4o5) or, ifyou have not aheady done
  so, investigate the room (turn to 1o4)?
  394
  Although there are three dools leading from the
  guardroom, you ignore the one to the south. Will
  you leave via the door in the north wall (turn to 34)
  or the doorin the west wall (tum to 116)?
  395
  Inside the hut is a counter and from behind the
  counter someone passes you a bowl full of liquid.
  The bemused villagers watch as you cup the bowl,
  sniff the liquid, and finally pour it do\rn your
  throat. The taste is rough and your stomach seems
  to be undecided whether or no t to heave the ale back
  up again. But instead it decides on a hiccup followed
  by a g1eat throaty belch which delights the villagers.
  They laugh at your bewildered expression and the
  bowl is once more filled up for you to drink again.
  Several bowls later you are feeling decidedly light-
  headed. The villagers eventually leave the hut and
  you sta8ger back out on to the street to continue
  your joumey. You may add 3 sravrNA points for
  the ale, but you must reduce your s(rLL by 1 until
  the effects of the ale have worn off. This will be
  indicatedby** in the text. Now turn to 1o7.
  392
  Your final blow sends the Knight flying acoss the
  chamb€r to land in a crumpled heap against one
  wall. You grunt in satisfaction. Your attention is
  drawn immediately back to the dead Hobbit lying
  by the fite and your molth waters at the thought of
  its sweet flesh. But you have forgotten the final
  advenfurer. The Wizard has now completed his
  spell. With a findl inca ntation, he detivers his magic,
  directed straight at you through his two little
  finge$. You feel no more than a tingling sensation
  as his spell takes 'effect. 'Yp v ubr fen pwovnd fre
  myec pnhpl of pvluc rfb twf.' A smile spreads
  actoss the sorcerer's lips: 'Bl lamy aw jshfs ebrf e
  yprr ucpm mbnds. Gbt hfrem ye cpm rbd fseb n dal
  pll pwomfl' You intend to step forward and slash
  him with your claws, but your muscles will not
  respond. Instead, you step over to the dead Knight,
  pick him up and carry him over your shoulder. you
  do the same with the Hobbit. The Wizard then turns
  and rnakes his way down the passage. You follow,
  carrying the rest of his party. And this witl b€ your
  fate: to spend the rest of your li-fe as a slave to your
  master, whose Control Creature spell has worked
  Perfectly.
  393
  You step up to the door in the west wall and tug at
  the handle. The doo( willnot budge. You gruni in
  anger, take a step back and prepare to smash the
  door. But the door is stronger than you thought.
  You nurse your sore shoulder for a few moments
  
  1
  396-98
  396
  The door cra&s as you charge itand eventuallyyou
  break inLo the room, but not before you take 1
  STAMTNA point of damage for a soie shoulder. The
  roominside has no occupants. Instead a single desk
  is surrounded on three sides by racks of parch
  menls, each rolled up neatly and tied with st ng A
  door in the east wall is half hidden behind the
  untidy racks. Do you wantto head out through thjs
  door (tuIn to 365), or will you pick up a parchment
  and see what it says (turn to loox
  397
  Asthe defeated Warrior slumps dead to theground,
  another steps through the archway to take up the
  battle. You must fight this one too:
  CHAOS WARRIOR 
  sK\r,L 7 
  srAMlNA 8
  Ifyou deleat your attacker, tum to 45.
  198
  You pick up a chair and fling it atthe door. The chair
  shatters. By now your anger and frustntion are
  hvice what they were before! You try kicking the
  door with your huge foot. The door seems to
  shudder a little more than it did before, and a few
  grains of dust fall to the floor from where thehinges
  are attached fo the rock. But still lhe door remans
  intact. You must lose 1 srAMrNA point for the
  injury to your foot. lf you want to keep trying the
  door, fum to a2E. If you would rather give up on the
  door and look for the key, fum to a12.
  399
  399
  Your hands relax and the sharp claws rctact into
  your fingers. You clumsily fumble through the
  Dwaif's di*y vestments. Your fingers will not fit
  into the pockets, but you do succeed in snapping
  the thongs of a large leather pouch which the clea-
  ture has around its waist. As the ties break, the
  pouch spills its contents on the ground in ftont of
  you. It contained several cicular pieces of shiny
  metal and a piece of hide, which unfolds as it drops
  out of the pouch. lt is light in colour and has
  markings all over one side. You pick it up awkward-
  ly and Iook at it but it makes no sense at all. You
  become quite fascinated by this piece of leather. You
  tum it round, rub it with your hands and throw it in
  fie air. You place it on your arrn and on yourhead.
  You decide to take the leather with you. Unlnown
  to you, the message on the hide maybe useful later
  in your advenfure. Tum to 337 to examine the
  message. lf you are carrying this piece of hide, you
  may retum to 332 at any time to re-examine it, but
  you will need to remember the reference you have
  come from in order to retum and continue.
  As you may have realized by now, youi own wishes
  have litde efiect on your reactions as a creature You
  have only glimpses of what you are Iike and what
  you are capable of. Although this will change as the
  advenfure progresses, at dris stage you are at the
  mercy of your own whims and instincts. You are
  standing atajunction wherc you may go either east
  orwest. Rollone die If youroll l,2orJ,, tulnto3o8.
  If you roll4, 5 or 5, tum to 14E.
  
  4OO-4O2
  400
  You step into whatis le{tofthe building. Among the
  debris you find a skeletal hand reaching into the air,
  the rest of its body buried beneath the ruined walls.
  In this hand is a stoppered bottle, and within the
  bottle is a small amount of green liquid. Around the
  rest of the building there ale the remains of various
  items of fumifure: a smashed table, a splintered
  chair and a wrecked bed, its straw mattress ripped
  to shreds. But your attention iefurns to the hand
  clutching the botde of liquid. If you wish to leave
  and take this bottle with you, tuIn to p6. If you
  would rather dig the body out of the rubble, turh
  to 328.
  404
  After a few paces, the passage beBins to wind
  irregularly in a generally south-westerly direction.
  You follow it for some time, and then it turns south.
  You arrive at the top of a flight of stai$, but decide
  against going back down to the lower levels. There
  is anotherpassage leading east here, and you decide
  to take this route. Turn to 156.
  402
  Your hand closes round his neck. As you tighten it,
  you can hear the grinding sound of bones being
  crushed. But Darramouss's expression is unchang-
  in& he shows not the slightest concem. You release
  ihe neck and drop the limp body to the ground. But
  the instant you release him, his body snaps back to
  life and the incantation continuesl You set your
  
  402
  daws and bring them ripping across his chest. As
  6oon as you make contact, the body goes limp and it
  flies thrcugh the air, in response to your blolv, like
  an empty sa&. But before itlands, it once more fills
  out and takes shape. As the life surges quickly back
  into it, the creatule flips in the air and flies back to
  land where it was! This time, the creature opens one
  eye wide and glares at you. You arc caught in a
  vicelike grip of agony! The pain is overwhelrning
  and you si* to your knees whimpering in front of
  the desk. You must deduct 4 STAMINA points.
  While you writhe in agony, Darramouss finishes his
  incantation. Turn to 2E6.
  403-405
  403
  The tiny face you saw in the distance was unmistak-
  ably that of a Hobbit! Unable to control yourself, you
  dimb to your feet and set off in pusuit. Although
  you arc slower than the litde qeafurc, it leaves a trail
  of glowstone light whichyou can follow. And even
  though you have just eaten, th€ smell oI the Hobbit
  sparks off your appetite once more. But you ate
  much too slow to catch it. As you lumber down the
  passageway/ even the glowstone trail disappears-
  Eventually you reach a iunchon. Will you conhnue
  north (tum to 44), or will you turn to the east (turn
  to 2o4)?
  404
  The passage is much wider here and footprints in
  the dirt indicate that it is more frequendy used. But
  all the footprints seem to be heading the other way!
  A little further ahead you come to the top of a
  narrow staircase heading downwards. You con-
  sider this for some tirne, but eventually decide
  atainst going down the steps. You furn round and
  rehace your steps, this time fuming east at the
  junction. Tum to 373 .
  405
  You may leave by one of the three doois leading
  ftom the room. Which will you choose:
  Turn to 3oo
  Tum to 39,
  Turn to 6
  The door in the nofth wall?
  The door in the west wall?
  The door in the south wall?
  
  4o5-4o7
  406
  One of the Rhino-Men catches you:r attention and
  you remember the message. His back is a little
  stooped and he is obviously past his prime. He
  looks at you with tired eyes as you approach him; he
  has seen many young, strong and ambitious
  legionnaires in his time and he finds them quite
  tedious. You step up to him and pass him the mes5-
  age. He steps back and looks at you incredulously.
  'Is this true?' he stammers. 'Is my sister safe at last?
  Then I have no need to stay at this godforsaken
  casde. Thank you for this news, stmnge creafure. I
  must now make my plans to leave.' Will you join in
  with his plans to leave the Testing Grounds (tum to
  449), or wil you continue wandering through the
  groups of legionnaires (tuIn to 34E)?
  407
  You glance towards the dead oeature and move
  away quickly. But without waming, the skeleton's
  bones spring together to re-fo.m Quimmel Bone and
  in an instant it has grabbed the two knives and is
  once more attacking you. Resolve this battle:
  QUIMMEL BONE 
  SKILI, 8 
  5TAMINA 7
  408-41o
  4('8
  The cave leads north to a large tunnel in the lock
  which runs flom east to west. It is large enough for
  you to walk along. Roll one die. If you roll 1-3, you
  decide to turn west (tum to 282). If you roll4-5, you
  turn east (tum to 372).
  409
  You tug at the door and it opens to rcveal a
  storeroom of s,ome kind, with shelves lining the
  walls. But there is nothing on the shelves and there
  seems to be no way through. As you peer into the
  cupboard, a creaking sound startles you. You swing
  round to see the door in the east wall slowlv oDen-
  in8. Glowstones in the passage outside fli;k on to
  light up your way. You cannot resist this invitation
  and leave through the east door. Turn to 49.
  tLlo
  The teirified shopkeeper will give you no trouble as
  you help yourself to provisions. You {east on the
  food while he cowers helplessly in the comer. Test
  your Luck. ll you are Ur ucky, you eat a handful
  of poisonous herbs and are violently ill (lose 3
  srAMrNA points). If you are Lucky, you avoid the
  poisons and can add 4 SIAMINA pointE for your
  meal. When you have finished here, you may leave
  the village by tuming to 374.
  If you win, turn to 178.
  
  4aa
  4aa
  You furn to another glavestone, keepingone eye on
  the grave of Donag Haddurag and listening for
  waning signs. The next grave is that of a woman,
  whose inscription reads: 'Herc lies Sophia
  Whiterose. Like a rosebud she blossomed with
  beauty, but alas she died entwined in her o\a'n
  thorns,' You puzzle over the words - but then a
  scraping sound distiacls you. You look ba&
  towards the previous gravestone and a shiver runs
  down your backl A withered hand is pushing lhe
  stone aside! Then you hear [he same sound behind
  you, and again to your left, as scraggy limbs slowly
  push glavestones aside and long-dead bodies crawl
  ourl
  You kick the neatest sravestone closed. It slides
  back into position, seveiing the protrudingforearm,
  and a muffled expression of pain comes from the
  undead creature below. For.rr of the living corpses
  dse from their eraves and surround vou. You must
  6ght them a[ tJgethe I
  S(ILL
  6
  STAMINA
  First ZOMBIE
  Second 
  ZOMBIE
  Third ZOMBIE
  Fourth ZOMBIE
  7
  7
  6
  7
  6
  7
  If vou defeat the cleafures. turn to 225.
  
  442-414
  442
  You pull at thepouch. As itopens, the twelve discs
  fumble to the floor. You mutter in annoyance and
  Srovel on the ground to pick up those you can still
  see in the dim light. RoI two dice. This is the
  number of discs you manage to find. They are, in
  fact, Gold_Pieces 
  and they rnay welJ be Lrseful toyou
  later. Add r LL c K point for your find. Tum to ri5.
  443
  cleatures on the suiface. You try a little too hard to
  get away from them quickly, your foot slips on a
  loose rock and you fumble over and over down the
  stairs. Unfortunately fo! you, thisstaircase hasbeen
  designed for unwanted visito6. At the bottom of
  4a4
  A path leads liom the clearing to the north,
  although you can see that it soon fo'rks leftand rieht.
  Will you go east (turn to 222, or west (turn to r3;)7
  4a5-4a7
  4r5
  You fumble about with the breastplate and eventu-
  ally it slips over your shoulder and stays in place.
  It will be a useful defensive piece and while you are
  weanng it you may add 2 points to your Attack
  Strength during each Attack Round. But it does not
  lit perfectly and makes rnoving your arns awk-
  ward. While you are wearing it, you must deduct 1
  point from your sKII,r score. You may now leave
  the guardroom by tuming to 394.
  416
  You feast heartily on the creafure- Add 4 s raM r NA
  points for the nourishment. After resting to digest
  the food, you pick yourself up and continue down-
  stream along the ver-bank. Turn to 38E.
  447
  MaII casts his spell, but it has no effect. A startled
  look appears on his face and he searches his mem-
  ory for a way you could be immune to his magic. ,Of
  cou rse,' he nods fina lly. 'The Cha ttermatter f;iled to
  entice you. That incompetent fool Hannicus! His
  instructions were to keep the Elven Dust walled in.
  Nevertheless, I am sure that your little act of
  defiance will be reconsidered in view ofthe riches I
  may offer you . . .' But you have other ideas. It is
  now your turn to attack, and you have decided on
  your target. You will not go for the necromancer
  himself, but for his mirror, If you have with you a
  crystal alub, furn to 28. Otherwise tuln to 152.
  
  4r8-42o
  418
  Your foot slides back over the edge of the bridge,
  and you tumble through the air towards the river
  below! You shudder with horror at the thought of
  landing in the filthy watels. But fate is kind to you.
  Belore you reach the water, your head cracks hard
  against a protruding rock. You ale senseless when
  you hit the river and you never know the un-
  pleasantness of your death in the filthy stream that
  is the Bilgewater.
  449
  You shift your weight and turn your grcat bulk
  around. With laboured steps you stomp back the
  way you carne and pass the lifeless body. Tum to
  308.
  420
  You settle down on the floor and begin to feast on
  the fleshy legs ofthe firstBlood Orc. The tasteisnot
  pleasant, but you are hungry. The bearded human
  continues to stumble round the room, talking in an
  excited tone. Evenfually he comes close to you and
  kips over the body of the otherBlood Orc. His hand
  scrapes against your back and he shiverc with
  hofior when he feels the scales and spines. He rises
  to his knees and begins to feel your neck and head.
  You are somewhat bemused by this and allow him
  to continue. But when his fingers rub across your
  mouth and feel your sharp fangs, he cannot contain
  himself any more. Before he can even utter a
  scream/ he faints and slumps to the ground beside
  42r-422
  you. You finish yout meal (add 4 srAMrNA points)
  and leave the room. Turn to 138.
  424
  You turn angrily towards the peasants as a stone
  hits you on the shoulder. Lose 1 srAMrNA point.
  The men and women arc yelling at you, trying to get
  you olf their land. But you are furious and rush
  towards them through the crops. They beat a re-
  treat, keeping their distance, and hurl more stones.
  Again you charge forward, again they reheat and
  again comes the hail of stones. This time another
  stone hits you in the chest. Lose anoth€r srAMrNA
  point. After two more charges, you tealize that your
  efforts are futile. They will atways be able to move
  faster than you through the cops, as your greater
  bulk is slowin8 you down. You eventually turn from
  them and return to the path. They follow you, once
  more jeering and shouting, until you have left their
  field and are well out of range oI their stones.
  Ahead of you, a gleen forest spreads across the
  horizon and your path is taking you into it. As you
  enter the forest, you reach a sign which reads'Knot
  Oak Wood'. Tum to 244.
  422
  The mirror has an ornate gold ftame, but otherwise
  appears to be an ordinary full-sized mirror. You
  consider smashing the mirlor, but it is possible that
  the noise may alert the crew to your whereabouts.
  Turn to 3o2.
  
  u,r\,
  " Yr:::J
  44-424
  423
  You pick your way along the rive!-bank, following it
  downstream. The going is not easy. At one point
  you must climb carefully down a rocky clift where
  the ver passes over a waterfall. Eventually you
  teach a cakn pool where the waters slow and spread
  over a wide expanse. Steam rises lazily from the
  Pungent water and you halt in your tmcks as the
  smell - now stron8er than ever - reaches you.
  Through th€ steamy mist you catch a glimpse of a
  creature further along the bank. lt stands tall on four
  Iegs and is drinking contentedly from the foul
  waters. You creep closer/ keeping hidden in the
  bushes. The creature stands on long, cloven feet. Its
  skin is covered in tough scales and its tail ends in a
  spiky ball. lts head is sleek and serpent-like, with a
  long, thin tongue that da s in and out as it drinks
  from the river. lt has not noticed you. Will you creep
  round the creafure so as not to disfurb it (tum to
  a2o)? Will you attack it in the hope of gaining a
  much-needed meal (turn to 238)? Or will you
  approach it gently, try to keep it calm, and then
  mount it (turn to 127X
  424
  You follow the passage until it becomes impossible
  for you to see in the total darkness. Now you must
  grope your way along, feeling the walls with both
  hands. Eventually a laint red glow appears on the
  left-hand side of the passageway and you realize
  youare at another fork. To the left, the way seems to
  lead to some kind of light'source. To the right, the
  
  passage is still pitch-black. Will you choos€ the
  right-hand passage (turn to 106) or the left-hand
  passage (tum to rE2)?
  +25
  The door is decorated with plates and symbols
  forged in metal, In the centre i; a sign whicli reads:
  'Yfl lpwst pnfe mj nfs. Sfrgf bnt Jab ndas lb r.{s
  sraMrNA point. Before you can decide whether or
  with him. You trunt and smack your fist into the
  door, knocking it wide open. [t dangs into the wall
  behind and the Black Elf's iaw dropJ open.
  The room inside is spa$e. There is a table and chai.
  againstonewall and on the table standsa platewith
  some lood on it and a bottle of drink, Behind the
  table h^/o bunches of keys dre hanging on the wall.
  An archway leads from the room i;toihe blackness
  b€yond. You step inside and the Black EII pounces.
  You must fight him:
  BLACK ELF
  sKrLL 7
  426-427
  srAMrNA 6
  After two Attack Rormds, tuIn to 275.
  426
  The medicifle-man shuffles ove! to a shelf full ofjars
  and takes one dov"'n. 'This healing balm,'he boasts,
  'is the finest south ofDree. ButI have never had the
  chance to test it on a creafure such as you. Please
  allow me to try it.' He spreads some of the ointment
  across your chest and rubs it deep into your scales.
  He continues unfil he has rubb€d it all over your
  body. The effect is almost immediate. You begin to
  feel shong and rejuvenated. His healing balm
  acfually works rcfl?/ on you than it does on humans.
  You may restore your srAMrNA to its lritial level.
  Then you leave the village of Coven by turning to
  J74.
  427
  You follow the river up the valley until you reach a
  point whele it comes out of a cave in the side ofthe
  hill. There is no path into the cave, just the river. If
  you tum round and follow the dver downstream
  instead. fum to 42t. Otherwise you rnay either
  jump into the river and follow it into the cave (turn
  to 345), or folget about the river and stomp off
  through the undelgrowth (tum to 57) .
  t
  
  428-4to
  428
  Theface swirls within the murky mist inside the o$
  and you watch to see what will happen next.
  Giadually the face re-forms, but this time it looks
  larger than before and the sightless eyes begin to
  glow red like hot coals. Suddenly a small fireball
  shoots from one eye skaight towards you! You
  jump to avoid it but it catches your leg below the
  knee and makes you howl in pain. The second dye
  rcleases its fireball and this one hits you onyourarm
  iust above the elbow. Lose 4 sunarr.r-n points for
  these injudes. Leave quickly by tuming to 81.
  429
  As you crash out of the bushes into the dearing, the
  battle halts temporarily and all three combatants
  stare incredulously at you. You must resolve your
  battle with the Brigands, who will fight you
  together. The thin creature is too badly beaten tobe
  of any help and drops to the ground moaning:
  First BRIGAND
  Second 
  BRIGAND
  S(ILL 
  STAMINA
  89
  a7
  If you defeat them, turn to 448.
  430
  You step forward and cioss the cavem, heading
  for the northerly passage. All is silent from the
  caves. Perhaps whatevet was eating there has now
  wandered off. You reach the other side without
  incident. Turn to 41.
  414-432
  434
  'A poor show,' Thugruff sneers, 'for one seemingly
  with such power. Recover your breath.' !\rhile you
  are picking yourself up, the Half-Troll whispers
  quietly to the Pixie you met on the gate: 'You know
  what to do . . .' Wlen you have caught your breath,
  the Pixie leads you over to a circle in an unoccupied
  comer of the grounds. 'Wait here,'he says. You
  wait. Looking at the strange circle, you see that it is
  not simply a mark on the ground, but a length of
  rope, ananged in a circular shape. The end o{ the
  rope leads off in the direction the Plxie went and is
  tied to a tree. In fact it is tied to the top o{ the hee,
  which has been bent right over to touch the gloundl
  It is held by another rope, stretched tight by the tree
  and fastened halfrvay up its trunk! You suddenly
  realize what is happening. At the same time you
  notice the Pixie, standing by the second rope with a
  shary knife! Before you can move, he has cut the
  rope. The tlee snaps upwards, drawing the cirde of
  rope tightly around your leg and taling you up with
  it until you hang helplessly, suspended at tree-top
  level by your foot. Turn to 175 .
  432
  They seem reluctant to advance towards you. Your
  size and your angry snarl mus t be daunting to them.
  They murnble something to each other and tum
  round. They have decided to leave you and are
  retracing their steps. Their glor,\rstone 
  goes out and
  you lose sight of them. You may now continue
  safely. Turn to 137.
  
  4i1-415
  411
  Following the Jabberwing's advice, you set ofI
  northwards. You Dause on toD of a hillock and
  survey the area. ln the distance to your right you can
  see a great forest and straight ahead a dver cuts
  through the landscape like a gaping wound. You
  head on and. a short distance after vou have left the
  hillock, another trail joins yours from the dght.
  Tum to 134.
  434
  The Tree Spirits are tightening the circle, moving in
  closer and closer. You are hoplessly trapped. They
  are not evil creatures, but they allow no one to
  pass thiough their forest without permission. The
  pe alty ]s death'!
  The heary knocker booms loudly on the metal plate.
  A grunting noise comes from behind the door and
  you can hear feet shuJflinB as some sort of creature
  responds to your knock. The door slowly creaks
  open and a long snout appears. Small, pig-like eyes
  peer out at you from behind the single tusk which
  stands in the middle of the Rhino-Man's face. The
  doot opens wider and you can see the creafure's
  stout, heavily armed torso and legs. It speaks to
  you: 'Cp mfepn othfn. whb tabv sjn fsseh b vfey
  pr.u hftf. B nswfaiqvjc kly.' Jfi ypvu cbnav ndfrs tbn
  d athf ecltu tvrfetv rnujm mfd jbtf lyet porf ffr fn cfe
  sjxty itwp. 'Lps toyp vrotp ngr,'f elh. Th fne bfgpnf.
  Bfe pffow jthiy pv ubff prfe jid fc jd fetpohb vfe belj
  ttlfebb ttlfepr bct jcf.' He is dosing the door without
  
  435-$8
  letting you in. Will you shove the door and step in to
  attack (turn to 357), or leave, return to the junction
  and take the northern passage (tum to q4)?
  $6
  You have four doors to choose from. Will you try the
  doorin the eastwall (turn to 49), the west wall (turn
  to4o9), the north wall (turn to 252) or the south wall
  (turn to 2or)?
  417
  'No gesture? Da ambuss gave you no gesture?' The
  guard is incredulous. You shrug as iI to say tha t you
  didnotsee Darramouss.'But Darramoussis always
  in his chamber. Look, wait here for a moment. I
  must check his room.' The guard grabs a club and
  rushes off down the passage, leaving you on your
  own. Will you keep your word and temain where
  you arc until he returns (turn to36), or will you step
  into his room and look for a way out (turn to 54)?
  $E
  The villagers watch wide-eyed as thei champion
  drops to the ground. Then anger takes ovet. 'Rog is
  deadl'cries avoice. 'Let's get that tl,ing that doneitl'
  One of them nips back into the hut and produces a
  pilchfork. 'Quick!'comes a gruff voice flom behind
  you. 'We must leave quickly. Come with me.'The
  Half-Orc is beckoning you to follow him out of the
  village. You look again at the villagers and decide
  that his suggestionis a sensible one. The two oI you
  continue, pursued by the villagers, until you reach
  4t9
  the ed8e of Coven, where they stop and watch you
  leave, jeering and shakin8 their fists.
  'A footsh thing to do, that,' says the Half-Orc, his
  sly eyes glancing over at you. 'Getting involved in
  someone else's fight. If I'd been yoa, I would have
  left you to fight your own battle. Chances are he
  would have killed me. But then what's that to you?
  And all because I ate his dog. W1lat does he expect? I
  was ft rgryl I suppose I corld have killed it first . . .
  Wouldyounothave donethe same?Well, wouldn't
  you? Lost your tongue? The silent type, eh? Well I
  am Grognag Clawtooth. Call me Grog. Which way
  are you heading? Carrying anythin8 interesting?
  Shall we travel together?'
  The creafure is shorter than you are. He is dirty and
  he smells. His iet-black hair is untidv and has not
  been cut for lar too long. His clothes ;re little better
  than rags, although he wearc a thick leatherbreast-
  plate and a battered sword hangs from his belt. The
  two ofyou will continue yourjourney together. For
  as long as he is with you, watch out for reference
  numbers. If you tum to any references ending in a 7
  (e.8. 247), dedu,ct 52 from it and turn to this new
  reference. Read the two together. Continue now by
  rurmnS ro 1o7,
  439
  You growl suspiciously and step closerto the figure.
  The spines on your back are bdstling and every
  muscle is tense. You extend one arm just far enough
  to hook a claw under the ragged cowl and flick it
  j
  
  440-444
  aside. But beneath the cowl is flol what you were
  expecting! The sight of the rotten head with its
  gaping eye-sockets makes you stagger back in
  fright! An evil laugh resounds through the air,
  coming not from the figure, but ftom the glistening
  Chattermatter hanging from the ceiling. Having
  snared you into its lair with its ability to speak in
  many tongues, it now drops from its perch to cover
  you with its sticky, web-like body. While you
  struggle in vain inside the livingslime, itreleases its
  deadly poison, which will paralyse you. As your
  struggles subside, the Chattermatter begins to
  digest youl tasty body. You will get no further!
  440
  Your curiosityhas been arousedbutnot captured by
  the creature squirming within the sack. You give it a
  heary kick as you pass, arld send it scuttling across
  the floor. Vvhatever is inside squeals for merry but
  falls silent after colliding painfully with the stony
  wall. You continue past it along the passage, your
  way still lit by eerie blue glowstones. Suddenly, you
  hear a footstep. You stop to listen hard. A shape
  forms in the passageway before youl Tum to 63.
  444
  You rushboldly round the corner to face whatever is
  making the creaking. Glowstones in the ceiling
  bljnk quickly on in front of you, trying to keep up
  with yoff progress. After a few steps, you reach a
  junction with another passage, which runs from
  east towest. And on the lefFhand wall you discover
  4+z
  the source of the creaking a sign, suspended on a
  short pole. A cool breeze is wafting through the
  passage and this is causing the sign to creak as it
  swings backwards and forwards. You study the
  sign, which reads: 'Yfllp wstpnle mjnls e*rjsiwby'.
  Underneath the lette$, there is a large arrow point-
  ing eastwards. You glare angrily at the sign for
  worrying ) )u and swipe at it with your claw. But it
  is too high up for you to reach. Will you take the
  sign's advice and turn to the east (turn to u2), or
  would you mther go west (tum to2o8)?
  442
  The Buard draws a bunch of keys out of his pocket
  and opens the metal door to let you through. You
  grunt in thanls, and beBin climbing the steps. At
  the top, you find yourself in a cold, stone-walled
  room with a large stone platform in its centre.
  Carvings and sFnbols decorate the platform, which
  is )it up by a beam of light from a crack in the ceiling.
  You edge around the room until you reach a door,
  which you shove open. The sight which greets you
  makes your eyes open wide . . .
  Spacel You have escaped from the dungeon and
  have emerged into cool night air. Slowly you survey
  the landscape, your mind filled with wonder at the
  space all around. You appear to be standing in an
  open field in which stones have been fixed in reg-
  ular rows. Some lie down flat on the ground and
  some are standingup. To yourleft, near the edge of
  this field, is a large buildingwith a tall, pointed roof.
  Onthe other side, to the right, is awood, and a path
  .L
  
  443-445
  leads shaight into the wood f.om where you are
  now. Overhead, a huge white orb hangs in the sky
  Eivin8 some light, but this light dwindles when
  great smoky masses drift across in front of it. You
  are overawed by your new environment. Would
  you like to investigate some of the stonessetinto the
  ground around you (turn toa98)? Would you like to
  look around the old brdlding (turn to p3)? Orwould
  you like to leave this area along the path into the
  woods (tum to 26r)?
  443
  You follow the passage to the north undl you reach a
  junction. To the left you can see that the passage
  soon reaches a dead end; but on a ledge in the end
  wall is a large orb of clear stone. To the fight you can
  see that the passage disappears around a bend
  heading northwards. Will you tuln left (tum to 155)
  ^r ;ohr 
  /+'1rn f^ nr rt
  444
  The room seemg to be uninteresting and you turn to
  leave. You head back up the passageway until you
  reach the junction where you continue westwards,
  Turn to 3o9.
  445
  You retract your claws, so you may feel the strange
  shape with your lingertips, andyou step up close to
  it. But as you bend down to touch the dark circle, it
  moves much more swiftly than ever you could. In
  an instant, it has expanded to engulf the very
  446
  &round on which you are standing. You suddenly
  find that you are standing, not on solid rock, but on
  . , nothing! Down you Iall, through the void, until
  the ioumey becomes too much for you. You pass
  out in the blackness and will never know the clue-
  some fate wfuch awaits you in the depths oJ the
  Blackmouth Floortrap.
  446
  You deliverthe death-blow and the Knightdrops to
  the ground. With the danger now over, your
  thoughts turn to footl The smell of the still-warm
  Hobbit reaches your nostrils and your rnouth begins
  to water. You snatch the creature in one hand and
  ea8erly sink your teeth into its sweet flesh. But this
  will merely provide a snack for you. Inside his
  armour, the Knight is an impossible meal, but the
  red-robed Wizard groaning on the floor may be a
  new taste for you to savour. You silence his miser
  able whimpers with a single deadly slash from your
  claws. For the tasty meal you may restore your
  srAMrNA to its rlifl4llevel.
  After you have eaten/ you rummage through the
  adventurerc' belonglngs. Their pack6 have little to
  interest you. The Hobbit carried a miniature sword
  and you find a rolled up piece of thin parchment in
  the Wizard's robe. All three humans ca ied odd-
  shaped lumps of a doughy substance - perhaps
  food, although it smells of nothing to you. They all
  also have small hide pouches containin8 round, flat
  objects of shiny metal. You cannot think what thes€
  may be for, so you toss them aside. You must now
  
  447
  continue your journey. Passages lead off frcm the
  chamber to the north, east and west.
  You decide to take the passagewayto the west. You
  leave the chamber, your way ahead lit by the flicker-
  ing fire. Eventually, the fire's li8ht becomes too
  diqtdnt to help and you are gropinB your way in
  pitch-blackness. Suddenly a high-pitched twitter-
  ing sound comes ftom above you, followed by
  others. You have disturbed a group of flying crea
  tures, which are now squeakin8 in alarrn as they
  dart about around you! You swipe at them blindly
  and catch one or two ofthem as they dive at you and
  scratch you with sharp claws. But your scales Pro-
  tect you ftom any sedous harm and you are soon
  further along the passage, where these creatures
  evidently do not venture. The passage turns north.
  You follow it around the bend to the right and stop
  in front of a wooden door. There is no other way
  forward. Will you heave at the door with your
  shoulder or is there something else you wish to do?
  Roll one die. Ifyou roll l or 2, turn to 277. lfyou roll
  3-6, turn to 1o1.
  447
  Your eyes widen as three scrawny creatures form
  before you. They are thin and angular and move in
  quick, jerky motions. Although thetu bodies are
  covered in a scraggy dark fur, their bony faces are
  bald, with tiny eyes. In the centre of each face is an
  oversized, protruding mouth, rimmed with sharp
  teeth. These vicious little Flesh-Feeders 
  live on car_
  rion. While feeding they make themselves invisible
  
  448
  to avoid being caught unawares. But in between
  meals they are both visible and quick-tempered.
  They now face you, fudous that their meals have
  been interrupted, and you must battle with the
  creatures. They attack together:
  SKILL 
  STAMINA
  Fnst FLESH-FEEDER 
  6 
  6
  Second FLESH-FEEDER 
  6 
  7
  Third FLESH-FEEDER 
  6 
  o
  If you defeat them, tum to 89.
  448
  Exhausted from your battle, your attentions turn to
  the white-haired cleature lying moaning on the
  Sround. Seeing that the battle is over and that you
  mean him no harm, he turns towatds you. As he
  speaks to you he winces in pain from his beating: 'I
  offer yolu - aMaah! my thanks for your aid. My
  name is - oooh / - is lyhileleat. I am- unnngh! - anElf.
  Home for me is the village of Ethelle Amaene.' He
  turns ovel on to his back and continues: 'Aaahhhh,
  that's better . . . I know these woods well. Perhaps I
  can be of service to you in retum?' What would you
  like him to tell you:
  Anything he knows about Stittle
  Woad?
  lvhat he knows of the Galleykeep?
  More about himself ?
  Turn to 58
  TuIn to 269
  Turn to 152
  449
  449
  Old Twenty-nine - the legionnaire5 proudly refer to
  themselves by thei! numbers - has been at the {ort
  for some time. He knows everlthing that haPPens
  and all the ways to escape. The two of you spend the
  eveninS together and he is happy to talk about his
  own past, though his stories do tend to ramble. He
  and his sister were recruited into the service of
  Zhatadan Marr many years ago. Rhino-Men are
  particularly suitable as Suards and Twenty-nine can
  rcmember being a member of Marls personal guard
  during the sacking of Salamonis. But he disliked
  Zharradan Marr.
  The fuming-point in his career came when he was
  caught drinking in Salamonis with another Rhino-
  Mar who was known to be engaged by Marls
  former colleague, but now arch-enemy, Balthus
  Di!e. This incident malked the end of his ProSress
  in Marr's army. From then on he was watched,
  imprisoned and punished regularly by Thugruff
  His sister was held prisoner in Marr's dungeons in
  case he should decide to try escapinS. Now that his
  sister is safe, he can at last be free from the
  Half'Troll's tyranny.
  Later that night, under cover of darkness, he leads
  you to an arca in the wall where the stones have
  been loosened. With a little work, you are able to
  clear a hole large enough for the two of you to get
  through. You leave the Testing Grounds and con_
  tinue through the woods all night. He Promises to
  lead you to someone who can tell you more about
  yourself, someone who he knows lives in a clearing
  
  450-454
  in the woods. But he will be recognized if he goes
  with you. Finally you rcach a trail which heads
  north. Twenty-nine tells you to follow the trail,
  while he sets off to the west. Buta short time after he
  has left, you hear a cry coming from his direction,
  Will you rush after him to see if you can help (tum to
  1o), or ignore him and continue (tum to 124)?
  450
  You leave the room and find yourselJ once more in
  the east-west passageway you entered from. You
  remembe! th€ noises you heard behind the doo!
  ahead to the east. But there is no other wav forwaid.
  The door is locked, so you mtrst once again charge
  it. Tum to 26,
  454
  You creep slowly into the blackness, your claws
  ready to strike. You can now hear the heary breath-
  ing of a large animal close by. In an instant, the
  creature strikesl Two hea\.y blows crash down on
  your back and 6end you sprawling into the depths
  of the cave. The attack is accompanied by a 5hrill
  whinnying and you spin round to face your at-
  tacker. Silhouetted in the cave enhance you can see
  that your opponent is d frightened horse, which is
  balancing on its hind legs, ready to strjke againl lose
  2 STAMTNA Points for the blows you have already
  taken. If you think the creatu:re might make a tasty
  meal, you may fight it by turning to 355. Otherwise
  you may avoid the horse, leave the cave and make
  your way back to the cros$oads by turning to 3E6.
  452-455
  452
  You step up to the chair and look at the 6gure- An
  u8ly face protrudes ftom the rcd caPe. Its stron8
  jaws have sharp biting teeth, but the dark skin is
  stetched tightly over the creature's lumpy skull.
  The eyes bulge beneath its closed eyelids as if they
  were tryinS to burst out. You take the cdPe in your
  claw and slowly lift it. At that moment, the crea-
  ture's eyes flick open! It springs from its chair and
  fastens its teeth into your neckbefore you have time
  to react! Lose 2 srAMrNA points. You must now
  resolve your battle with the Blood Orc:
  BLOOD ORC
  sKrLL 7
  STAMINA 5
  II you deleal the creafure, fum to 2o7.
  451
  You spend some time watching ins€cts scuttlin8
  about on the surface of the pond and enjoy the
  twittering of the birds in the branches high above.
  Eventually you decide to press on. Add 2 srAMrNA
  points for the rest and turn to 52.
  454
  You follow the staircase downwards, yourhuge feet
  desperately t+ng to maintain their balance on the
  narrow stairs. Test yottt Luck.ltyou are Lucky, tu:rn
  to 37. Ifyou are Unlucky, tum to 413.
  +rt
  You slip away from Thugruff and make your way
  round to the front of the building, where the Sates
  
  455-4i8
  are locked shut. Once mor€ the little Pixie aDDears.
  'What is this?'he smiies. 'Leaving us so sooni'You
  Srunt and nod your head. 'But you surely cannot
  wish to go already. You cannot refuse our hospital-
  ity.' There is a hint of menace in the lttle creature's
  voice, although there is surely nothing any creature
  so puny can do to harm you. He is leading you back
  into the Testing Crounds. Will you pult away from
  him and assert your wish to leave (tum to r35), or let
  him persuade you to return (tum to l85X
  455
  The pitiful figure whimpeling on the ground puts
  up no resistance as you end its miserable life. You
  may feast on the body and, if you do so, you will
  gain 4 srAMrNA points. Then leave the village of
  Coven by tuming to 374.
  457
  You regain your footing and hurry across the bridge
  to the other side. Shaken by your neat accident, you
  continue until you arive at a side passage on the
  right. You do not like the look of this side passage,
  soyou continue eastwards. Turn to 22.
  45E
  You qouch low and squeeze through the narrow
  8ap. As you pass through the doorway, a single
  glowston€ flicks on to reveal the contents of the
  small chahber which you are now standing in. The
  room is completely bare except for a large chest
  against one of the walls. You step over and exarnine
  459
  the chest. You pu8h it, shove it andbash it/ trying to
  breal it open. Finally, a lucky push opens the lid.
  Inside, you find two mysterious objectg. The first is
  a large circular plate made of strong metal. lt has a
  sharp spike which protrudes from the cenhe on one
  side and two leather straps on the other. On the
  same side as the stiaps is attached a leather pouch
  which may be useful for carrying things. The other
  obiect is a piece of rough, coloured rcck, about the
  size of your forearm. One end is wide and the other
  is much narrower. It is a dull green colour and
  Blistens faintly in the light. But it appears very
  britde. Itmaymake a useful weapon gripped by the
  tapered end, but it would no doubt not last long in
  battle You may take one of these items with you.
  Any metallic discs may be placed in the pouch on
  the plate if you choose this object. If you choose the
  plate, tum to197.lf you choose the rcck, tum tolao.
  459
  You turn back towards the door. 'l see you got the
  hint,' mocks Nimbicus. 'Don't bothe! apologizing
  for the fact that you have just ruined rny concen-
  tration. I shall have to sta reading rrly tome again.
  Butdon'tlet that worry you. Oh, no. Close the door
  on the way out. We probably won't meet again.
  Leastways, not ifI6ee you first. Bah!'You leave the
  Weather Mage and return to the hallway. The noise
  outside is spreading, as more of the ctew join in the
  search for you. You must now choo8e another
  room. You quickly study the s)'mbol8 again. WiI
  You try:
  
  460
  The j ug of water?
  The fire?
  The crown?
  Thecossed swords?
  Noneofthese?
  4tu
  'Our partnership will be supreme in A ansia.
  Toget}er we shall rule. If it is dches you desire, then
  you shall have all the wealth you can use. If your
  lust is for power, then I shall give you western
  Allansia as your own empire.' HiE wotds are spilling
  out with mourting anxiety. But you are not listei-
  ing. Instead you are preparing to swing your dub.
  'Do I waste my words?' he sseams. 'Then think on
  this. If I should be lost how will you regain your
  former sell? Will you be content to temain a beast
  for the rest of youl days, constantly feared, hated
  and even hunted by your own kind?/
  Thjs time, his words stop you. You considel them.
  Should he disappear {or ever, perhaps you will
  6pend the rest of your days banished from civiliz-
  atiotL an enemy of your own tace. But then what
  4bo
  guarantee do you have that Mar's exPeriments are
  reversible? None! You glance back up at him iust in
  time to ca tch him wiping the smile from his face. He
  has been playing for time! His image is disappear-
  ing! Fuiously you grab your club. Your eyes na!-
  row; you grit your teeth. A low growl comes from
  deep in your throat. As Ma!!'B image fades you
  move quickly. hr a trice you have grabbed the club
  arrd swung it. The room is 6lled with the sound of
  breaking glass as the mirror shafteG into tiny ftag-
  ments before you. The portal from his land of limbo
  has been deskoyed! He may never return to your
  world!
  You tum towards the door. A bolt of pain shoots uP
  from your foot! You have cut yourself on a splinter
  frorn the glass. But this should not be! The thick
  scales on your feet should not be scratched by such
  tiny fragments. You look down. And then you
  rcalize what has happened.
  Your greeny-brown, scaly foot iB no more. Instead
  the foot is Dale-skinned and rrllnerable. The claws
  have gone-too! Your hands have r€tumed to their
  human form an4 when you look at your reflection
  in a fra8ment of miEor left han8ing in the frame, a
  familiar face stares back wide-eyed at you! Marls
  experiment6 were Perfonned by sorcery, not
  surgery, and when he disaPPeared, 
  the sPell was
  broken!
  As your memory returns, you remember the bitter
  struggle high over the Moonstone Hills, when Zhar-
  radan Marr and his winged Tooki forces bore down
  Tum to346
  Turn to 29
  Turn to 129
  Turn to 1r1
  Tum to3o2
  .
  II
  ;
  I
  I
  I
  i
  i
  I
  
  460
  on yo]ur Galleykcep n overwhelrning numbers. Like
  a ra8ing stormcloud, the dark Tooki - a specially
  bred race of War Griffins - swooped down on the
  ship. their mounted Blood Orc archers raining
  arrows and lilling many of your (rew. The surprise
  attack was so quick, and so deadly, that you had
  no option but to surrende!. As Zharradan Marr
  stepped down off his own richly adomed Tooki on
  to tlre deck of the Gdlleykeep, yola sworc yolJ wolJld
  avenge this defeat. But Marr had other plans for
  you ..
  The tables have now been fumed- You are back in
  your position as Commander ot ttle Galleykeep.
  Marr's brainless creatures will respect your auth-
  ority. Though Marr may have sho nyouamercyof
  sorts, you in fum gave him the mercy he deserved:
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Fighting Fantasy/FF24 Creature of Havoc.pdf