confront them, striking at the leading rat-man with your weapon. The beast's rib cage cracks under the blow, and its four companions freeze with shock as its body collapses dead at their feet. Before they snap out of their trauma, you cut your way through their ranks and escape along the passageway.
The tunnel continues eastwards for several miles and, with the exception of an occasional Vazhag sentry, whom you deal with swiftly, it is virtually deserted. At length you arrive at the entrance to another hall, smaller than the lava-cavern but equally as crowded. Daylight streams into this hall through a large archway guarded by armoured Vazhag, and pairs of horny-skinned war-dogs which they hold on the leash. Beyond the archway you can see a track that disappears towards a distant ridge of hills.
Your sudden appearance galvanizes the guards into action. They squeal attack commands at their brutish dogs and let loose their straining leashes. With a fearful howling, the war-dogs bound forward and together they leap for your throat.
If you possess the Discipline of Animal Mastery, turn to 209 .
If you do not, turn to 100 .
63
The fearsome Dholdaarg retreats before your blows, half-mad with the pain of its wounds, its eyes rolling and its fanged jaws clashing on empty air. Desperately you draw upon your Psychic Magnakai skills to repel this injured lake-beast, hoping to buy the few precious seconds you need in which to climb to the top of the raised drawbridge and escape.
The beast tries to resist your mental commands but it cannot overcome them. Its natural instinct for food and revenge urge it to lunge at your flailing legs, yet the stinging agony of its wounds, and your potent psychic commands, make the creature hesitate.
With your heart racing and the blood pounding in your ears, you drag yourself over the top of the drawbridge and leap down upon the platform. The cave echoes with the beast's unearthly roar as it beats its scaly head against the underside of the bridge in frustration. Timbers sag and splinter, prompting you to stagger to your feet and enter the tunnel beyond before it is too late.
During your fight, and in your haste to flee the lake monster, you lose two items from your Backpack. Erase those items which you have listed third and fourth on your list of Backpack Items.
To continue, turn to 306 .
64
The body of the plague hound crashes to the floor and you see the warrior freeze with shock. Hesitantly he reaches to his sword, but before he can unsheathe it, you leap forward and fell him with a single thrust that pierces his armour and skewers his heart.
Standing over his still body you use the tip of your weapon to prise open the visor of his iron helm. You reveal the brutal features of a Drakkar. He had survived the downfall of the Darklords and had counted himself fortunate to have found refuge here in Mogaruith. Sadly for him he had not reckoned on ever crossing your path.
You conceal the bodies of the Drakkar and his hound as best you can before pulling the portal closed and continuing your exploration of Mogaruith.
Turn to 205 .
65
Your Magnakai defences are too weak to resist the wave of psychic energy directed against your mind. It tears through your shields and explodes like a fiery ball of white hot plasma deep within your brain. Every nerve in your body is scorched by the blast and, as you fight to remain conscious, your body is contorted by excruciating pain: lose 12 ENDURANCE points.
As the agony fades and your powers of cohesive thought return, you are dimly aware of another hostile entity drawing closer, attracted by your psychic screams. Then, from out of the black shadows of the pits, you hear a dreadful, rumbling roar. Something huge is stirring deep within each of those dark forbidding shafts. As the ghoulish laughter of the horde reaches its pitch, you turn to see three giant, misshapen cat-like heads rise up into the light, each perched atop a snaky body as thick as the trunk
The tunnel continues eastwards for several miles and, with the exception of an occasional Vazhag sentry, whom you deal with swiftly, it is virtually deserted. At length you arrive at the entrance to another hall, smaller than the lava-cavern but equally as crowded. Daylight streams into this hall through a large archway guarded by armoured Vazhag, and pairs of horny-skinned war-dogs which they hold on the leash. Beyond the archway you can see a track that disappears towards a distant ridge of hills.
Your sudden appearance galvanizes the guards into action. They squeal attack commands at their brutish dogs and let loose their straining leashes. With a fearful howling, the war-dogs bound forward and together they leap for your throat.
If you possess the Discipline of Animal Mastery, turn to 209 .
If you do not, turn to 100 .
63
The fearsome Dholdaarg retreats before your blows, half-mad with the pain of its wounds, its eyes rolling and its fanged jaws clashing on empty air. Desperately you draw upon your Psychic Magnakai skills to repel this injured lake-beast, hoping to buy the few precious seconds you need in which to climb to the top of the raised drawbridge and escape.
The beast tries to resist your mental commands but it cannot overcome them. Its natural instinct for food and revenge urge it to lunge at your flailing legs, yet the stinging agony of its wounds, and your potent psychic commands, make the creature hesitate.
With your heart racing and the blood pounding in your ears, you drag yourself over the top of the drawbridge and leap down upon the platform. The cave echoes with the beast's unearthly roar as it beats its scaly head against the underside of the bridge in frustration. Timbers sag and splinter, prompting you to stagger to your feet and enter the tunnel beyond before it is too late.
During your fight, and in your haste to flee the lake monster, you lose two items from your Backpack. Erase those items which you have listed third and fourth on your list of Backpack Items.
To continue, turn to 306 .
64
The body of the plague hound crashes to the floor and you see the warrior freeze with shock. Hesitantly he reaches to his sword, but before he can unsheathe it, you leap forward and fell him with a single thrust that pierces his armour and skewers his heart.
Standing over his still body you use the tip of your weapon to prise open the visor of his iron helm. You reveal the brutal features of a Drakkar. He had survived the downfall of the Darklords and had counted himself fortunate to have found refuge here in Mogaruith. Sadly for him he had not reckoned on ever crossing your path.
You conceal the bodies of the Drakkar and his hound as best you can before pulling the portal closed and continuing your exploration of Mogaruith.
Turn to 205 .
65
Your Magnakai defences are too weak to resist the wave of psychic energy directed against your mind. It tears through your shields and explodes like a fiery ball of white hot plasma deep within your brain. Every nerve in your body is scorched by the blast and, as you fight to remain conscious, your body is contorted by excruciating pain: lose 12 ENDURANCE points.
As the agony fades and your powers of cohesive thought return, you are dimly aware of another hostile entity drawing closer, attracted by your psychic screams. Then, from out of the black shadows of the pits, you hear a dreadful, rumbling roar. Something huge is stirring deep within each of those dark forbidding shafts. As the ghoulish laughter of the horde reaches its pitch, you turn to see three giant, misshapen cat-like heads rise up into the light, each perched atop a snaky body as thick as the trunk
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