93

Slowly you recover from the trauma and pull yourself to your feet. Ahead, the track crosses the plateau and passes within a few yards of the pits before continuing into a tunnel-like gap in the trees beyond. You advance, but every step that brings you nearer to the site causes your psychic senses to rebel. The images you saw, and the aura of evil that lingers here, are so strong that you find it difficult to step closer. You resolve to reach the gap at a run but a sudden noise from behind arrests you in mid-step.

Shambling out of the forest come a horde of monstrous shapes, corpse-like beings that exist in a twilight between life and death. Perched atop their withered bodies are hairless heads bearing lidless, red eyes and gaping maws, rimmed with hundreds of needle-thin fangs. As one they utter a deathly groan and you feel an icy chill electrify your spine.

Fighting to suppress your mounting horror, you turn and run towards the gap. You are within a few yards of the rocky spur when a dozen or more of these fearful creatures appear from the shadows to block your escape. Once more they utter their cadaverous cry and advance upon you from both sides.

Desperately you survey the plateau for another means of escape, but there is none: you are trapped. The only choice you have is to face the creatures or retreat towards the pits.

If you wish to fight these creatures, turn to 163.

If you choose to retreat towards the pits, turn to 148.