The Chasm of Doom Read Free Page B

company from the west. He points towards a craggy outcrop where a thin spiral of wood smoke betrays a hut hidden beneath the overhanging rock.

    If you wish to investigate the hut, turn to 160 .
    If you wish to ignore the hut and continue on your ride along the Ruanon Pike, turn to 273 .

2
    You search the bodies of the dead bandits and discover the following items:
Sword
Mace
Dagger
Warhammer
12 Gold Crowns
Backpack
Enough food for 2 Meals
    You may take any of the above items but be sure to mark them on your Action Chart .
    Picking up the map that lies on the bloodstained table, you notice that the room in which you now stand has been surrounded by a circle of black ink. The map reveals that a door in the far wall opens on to a passageway leading directly to the surface. Eager to leave the death-filled chamber, you pass through the door and run steadily along the passageway towards a distant shaft of sunlight. It takes several seconds for your eyes to adjust to the glare of the sun, but gradually you realize that you have finally escaped from the Maaken Mines and are in the western foothills less than two miles from Ruanon itself.
    However, several bandit warriors can be seen patrolling an entrance to the mines, just below the rocky ledge on which you now crouch. If you are to reach Ruanon alive, you must avoid these patrols at all costs.
    Waiting until the enemy patrols have disappeared from view, you make your way down a steep track leading into a copse of densely packed trees. A brief pause for breath is all that you allow yourself before setting off through the forest towards Ruanon.
    Turn to 200 .

3
    You climb the barricade and shout the order: ‘Draw bows!’ And, as the enemy shield-wall closes fast in a deadly race to beat your archers, ‘Fire!’
    Their shields of cured skin and wood are no defence against the hail of death that tears into their ranks. The whole line seems to pause and sway; great gaps appear and spearmen fall in heaps on the field. Few escape being injured.
    You sense a turn in the tide of battle. The enemy are pulling away from the barricades by the score, carrying their wounded on their backs and on their upturned shields.
    You jump from the wall and race back towards the watchtower where Captain D'Val is still embroiled in a bitter struggle against the bandit horsemen. You are about to leap over the body of a dead bandit warrior when he suddenly comes to life and lashes out at your legs with a mace. He was only feigning death and his surprise attack has knocked you to the ground. You lose 1 ENDURANCE point.
    Turn to 62 .

4
    You recognize the fungi to be Calacena. The spores of these pink mushrooms are much sought after by illusionists and magicians, although it is said that they can cause terrible hallucinations and even madness. As you step gingerly along the corridor, you take great care not to tread or brush against the spore-laden fungi.
    The tunnel continues uninterrupted for several miles before eventually reaching a long, deserted gallery.
    Turn to 40 .

5
    You push him to the ground and smother him with your Kai cloak. The flames are soon extinguished and you draw away your cloak to see how badly he is injured. Your quick action has saved the captain's life for although his uniform is burnt and tattered, he has survived the fire unscathed.
    ‘It is my turn to thank you, Lone Wolf. This time it is you who has saved me from certain death.’
    You help the captain to his feet and race to the barricade; the enemy have now reached the ruined perimeter of Ruanon, and they are creeping forward under cover of the broken cottage walls. Climbing up onto an overturned wagon, you order the Sommlending guards back to the barricades. But is it too late to repel the attack?
    Turn to 186 .

7
    Your enemy falls from the saddle, and his body is dragged away by his horse, a twisted foot ensnared in the stirrup. All around you the din of battle rages. You realize that these armour-clad horsemen are no