ENCHANTER:
You are now an expert at teleportation and have no problem materialising inside the cage. You quickly free the Faltyn from the pins binding it to the bone crucifix, and the fay creature lowers you to the floor.
Success!
And yes, doubling the number of problems by summoning another Faltyn would be a bad decision.
'You've helped me,' says the Faltyn, 'so I will help you.' It gestures over to the archway that leads to the transept. 'The transept holds a series of ordeals culled from the dreams of myth. Strong sorcery, such as that contained in ancient items, may be needed. Certainly you should avail yourself of a skull amulet. A handful of silver dust is also advisable. First, however, I would recommend that you tear strips from the winding sheet by the bier over there and soak them in water from the font, then wind them across your lips ...' So saying, the Faltyn vanishes. You may do as it suggested: the shroud still lies by the bier and the font is full of water.
Each player must decide whether the Faltyn gave good advice here and act accordingly. If you didn't take the skull amulet before, go back to where you saw it and pick it up. (If you didn't see it before, you won't be able to find it, no matter how hard you look!)
If you now want to enter the transept, turn to 40. If you would prefer to leave the cathedral and return the way you came, turn to 547.
We did take the amulet.....but we didn't take the silver dust! And it doesn't say we can go back for
that....
Obviously, we need to go on in, since we still don't have that plot coupon. And since we went through all that trouble to get that Faltyn down there's no reason not to follow his advice....
You enter the transept. The walls here are fashioned from skeletal hands that reach out into the room as though in a frozen gesture of supplication. A sense of foreboding almost overwhelms you.
If an Enchanter wishes to cast Prediction before the party proceeds, turn to 305. If you wish to advance regardless of your foreboding, turn to 160. If you wish to leave the transept, turn to 547.
Why not?
The curtain of time, opaque to mortal eyes, flutters aside and allows you a glimpse into possible futures.
[You see a series of ordeals. First you will be subjected to ordeal by disease, then by terror, then by destruction and then forgetfulness. Lastly, you go to confront the greatest challenge of all - but no, the vision clouds.]
You step back, beads of sweat soaking your face, too shaken to cast the spell again for the moment. If you still wish to go on, turn to 160. If you wish to leave the cathedral of death and go the other way, turn to 547.
Whatever the Enchanter just saw, we're still not turning back, it doesn't really change much.
Darkness settles all around. You seem to hear a morbid chattering from the walls, and then a wheezing chuckle, but when you thrust your torch forwards you see no sign of motion. A howling wind whistles past, bringing on it a hundred plagues and ailments. It is the Wind of Decay, and you must weather it or suffer the consequences ...
Roll one Die for each in turn of the five ailments listed below. Each player must do this. The player contracts the ailment on a score of 1 or 2. Add 1 to the Die rolls if your previously wound a wet strip of shroud over your face; add 2 to the rolls if you are holding the orb of plague, which sucks the disease spirits into itself.
Disease: Effect
Malaria: -1 from Awareness
Typhiod: -1 from Fighting Prowess
Soulbite: -1 from Psychic Ability
Haemophilia: lose one extra Endurance point whenever you take a wound
Wasting Rot: you can carry a maximum of only eight items, owing to weakness
These effects last for the rest of the adventure.
Once all players have rolled for each of the five diseases, you must decide whether to proceed (turn to 557) or to retrace your steps and leave the cathedral (turn to 547.
....+2 for Orb of Plague? Why would we need to roll any dice if we have the orb? We only contract a disease if we roll 1 or 2, so +2 would be an automatic pass!
Anyway, thanks to the Faltyn's advice we only contract a disease if we roll a 1.....but each player needs to roll 5 times, so that's still really harsh. At least the effect only last till the end of this book....
Warrior: -
Malaria: Roll = 4 + 1. Unaffected.
Typhiod: Roll = 2 + 1. Unaffected.
Soulbite: Roll = 4 + 1. Unaffected.
Haemophilia: Roll = 3 + 1. Unaffected.
Wasting Rot: Roll = 4 + 1. Unaffected.
Trickster: -
Malaria: Roll = 4 + 1. Unaffected.
Typhiod: Roll = 4 + 1. Unaffected.
Soulbite: Roll = 5 + 1. Unaffected.
Haemophilia: Roll = 2 + 1. Unaffected.
Wasting Rot: Roll = 5 + 1. Unaffected.
Sage: -
Malaria: Roll = 5 + 1. Unaffected.
Typhiod: Roll = 4 + 1. Unaffected.
Soulbite: Roll = 1 + 1. -1 Psychic Ability.
Haemophilia: Roll = 3 + 1. Unaffected.
Wasting Rot: Roll = 6 + 1. Unaffected.
Enchanter: -
Malaria: Roll = 1 + 1. -1 Awareness.
Typhiod: Roll = 1 + 1. But the Enchanter has no Fighting Prowess anyway.
Soulbite: Roll = 5 + 1. Unaffected.
Haemophilia: Roll = 4 + 1. Unaffected.
Wasting Rot: Roll = 2 + 1. Unaffected.
All things considered, that wasn't too bad. The Faltyn's advice saved us 3 times from the diseases.
In this part of the transept the walls are formed of damp clay. Cavernous mouths gape at you from the shadows, making a macabre sound: the Groan of Doom.
If you have an iron bell, it rings loudly now of its own accord and drowns out the terrible groaning.
If you do not have the bell, you are demoralised by the noise and each player must halve his or her Fighting Prowess (rounding fractions up) for the rest of the adventure.
To go further into the transept, turn to 188. To return through the Wind of Decay to the cathedral, turn to 160.
....this book is trying really hard to stop us reaching the one necessary plot coupon. :/
You step into a zone of utter blankness. Lights appear and slowly weave towards - the glowing, enticing eyes of the Handmaidens of Oblivion. You can see them now in the soft glow, dimly, their thin lips ready to administer the kiss of death.
If you have any silver dust, you can fling it now into their hypnotic eyes, causing them to flee. Remember to cross the dust off your Character Sheet.
If you do not have the dust, they reach out to embrace you. Each player must roll Psychic Ability or less on two dice or else vanish from this world forever. (If a player vanishes, so does any equipment he or she is carrying.)
Surviving players can go deeper into the transept or go back through the Groan of Doom.
Damn, no dust. The Enchanter's massive PA makes him automatically immune, the rest would need luck (and Sage just lost a PA due to disease!)
Warrior: roll = 5. Pass.
Trickster: roll = 6 (Pass....just!)
Sage: roll = 6 (Pass....just!)
Phew!
You are walking on flagstones carpeted with dead leaves. A faint dry breeze rustles them eerily. Slowly, to your horror, they rise up and clump together to form a vaguely recognisable shape, something like a tall hunched man in a long cloak. This ordeal is the leaves of remembrance, which snatch away the mind's memories ...
If you have an amber tinderbox or the orb of fire, you can quickly produce a magical flame. The dry leaves catch alight in seconds, emitting a hollow wail as they burn, and you may pass in safety. If you used the tinderbox then you retain it; but if you used the orb then you must cross it off your Character Sheet, as it is now too hot to pick up.
Without either the tinderbox or the orb, you cannot stop the leaves rolling over you. Each player loses all recollection of his or her past life and skills, becoming a second-rank character in all respects.
You can go still deeper into the transept, on to the fifth and final ordeals or you can go again past the Handmaidens of Oblivion.
If we go back now, Pepito and Reed would have contracted all that disease for nothing!
You are at the end of the transept. An archway lies ahead, but the way is blocked by a giant warrior. Strange armour of violet jewels and ebony plaques hangs about his huge fram. From the depths of his necroid helm, you glimpse a bony smile.
He stands with his hands, enclosed in gauntlets of black metal, resting on the hilt of his jagged-edged sword. The blade's point rests on the cracked flagstones by his feet, where you see a gathering of dust accumulated through the centuries he has stood guard here before the arch.
'I am Thanatos,' he declares in rumbling tones suggesting the approach of thunder. 'I am ready to meet in battle any who would pass beyond this point - in single combat, or massed attack from any too craven to duel equally.'
If you wish to retreat through the Leaves of Remembrance, turn to 367. If one player steps forward to fight Thanatos, turn to 477. If two or more players wish to attack at once, turn to 71.
It goes without saying that we can't turn back.....but how will we fight him?
Adventure Sheets:
WARRIOR:
NAME: Dame Caecilia Wither-Stoat
RANK: 3rd
Battle Order: 1
Fighting Prowess: 11
Psychic Ability: 6
Awareness: 6
Endurance: 17/17
Damage: 1 Die+2
Items:
1 Shadowcleaver
2 Chainmail armour (Armour Rating three)
3 Money pouch (98 gold pieces)
4 Gloves
5 Blood Sword Scabbard
6 Bedroll
7 Shielding Charm (+1 AR)
8 Silver crucifix (with finger-bone of St Ashanax)
9 Iron Bell
10 Empty slot
TRICKSTER:
NAME: Benedict of the Crimson Spires, Honourable Duelist
RANK: 3rd
Battle Order: 2
Fighting Prowess: 8 (+1 from Enchanted Sword)
Psychic Ability: 6
Awareness: 8
Endurance: 17/19
Damage: 1 Die+1
Items:
1 Enchanted Sword (+1 FP)
2 Ringmail armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Golden Snuffbox
4 Jug of Milk
5 Gloves
6 Bedroll
7 Harp
8 Silver Wolf's head clasp
9 Fur Cloak
10 Gilt-edged scroll
*11 Screebo the Raven
SAGE:
NAME: "Pepito" Cascadero, Master of the Mystic Way
RANK: 3rd
Battle Order: 3
Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 6 (-1 from Soulbite until end of this book)
Awareness: 6
Endurance: 11/16
Damage: 1 Die+1
Items:
1 Quarterstaff
2 Breastplate (Armour Rating one)
3 Fur Cloak
4 Bedroll
5 Magic Bow (Damage 1 Die+1)
6 Quiver (3 arrows)
7 Chequers board and pieces (Enchanted by an Elf-Lord)
8 Blue Crystal Eyes
9 Skull Amulet
10 Empty slot
ENCHANTER:
NAME: Enchanter Reed, Ninth of the Inverted Tower
RANK: 3rd
Battle Order: 4
Fighting Prowess: 0
Psychic Ability: 15 (+1 from Ring of Sorcery)
Awareness: 6 (-1 from Malaria till end of this book)
Endurance: 11/16
Damage: 1 Die
Items:
1 Brazier
2 Silver armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Bedroll
4 Magical Crust of Bread of Infinity
5 Fur Cloak
6 Money pouch (88 gold pieces)
7 Ring of Sorcery (+1 PA)
8 Gloves
9 Amber Tinderbox
10 Iron rations (7 days)
