by Joe Dever
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Nexus, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 4 or lower, turn to 180.
If it is 5 or higher, turn to 98.
31
You draw upon your mastery to raise the air temperature around the creatures. As it warms, they are engulfed by a cloud of fog-like vapour that you hope will obscure their vision. One of the creatures stumbles and falls, but the other bursts through the cloud and it launches a fearsome attack.
Turn to 164.
32
You note teeth marks around the head and shoulders of the toy soldier, and when you hold it to your nose you detect a bitter odour that you recognize immediately. It is the aroma of graveweed — a deadly poison.
With one swift blow you strike the head of the toy against the carriage door and snap it off, releasing a stream of black powder from its hollow body. ‘This is the cause of your son's sickness,’ you say. ‘It is powered graveweed.’
Turn to 47.
33
You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand, and extend your right fist towards the warrior. A tingle runs down your arm and a burst of blue-white light illuminates the crypt when a bolt of energy jumps from your hand to explode in the middle of the Guard Captain's chest, killing him instantly.
Turn to 137.
34
Chan accepts your refusal in good spirit and he offers the Xi-die to you as a present, a token of his respect for your reputation and your innate Kai skills.
If you wish to accept Chan's gift, record the Xi-die on your Action Chart as a Special Item that you keep in the pocket of your tunic. You need not discard another Special Item if you already hold the maximum number permissible.
To continue, turn to 204.
35
Your swift reflexes save you from the onrushing missile and you are able to scramble through the foliage and effect a hasty escape. Chan is close behind you, and both of the angry ice-creatures are perilously close behind him. As you stagger and stumble headlong through the dense undergrowth, bolts of ice whistle through the branches with spectacular effect.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 228.
If it is 5–9, turn to 43.
36
Chan approves of your wish to investigate the yansi and asks only that you do not spend too much time there. You agree to this proviso before riding to the entrance of the burial cairn. At once you detect that this yansi has suffered an unwelcome visit from tomb robbers at some time in the past, for its solid stone portal has been shattered by repeated hammer blows. You dismount and descend a flight of narrow steps that lead down into a cool, dark chamber. At first sight this solitary chamber appears to have been stripped of its contents, but when you use your Kai tracking skills, you detect something that the tomb robbers failed to find: a concealed trapdoor. Closer examination of this hidden portal in the floor reveals that it is protected by a magical spell.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and have reached the rank of Sun Knight, turn to 233.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and have attained any rank up to that of Kai Grand Guardian, turn to 185.
If you do not possess Kai-alchemy, or if you choose not to use it, turn instead to 76.
37
You retreat from the gate with the other troops and take up a position behind a barricade in the central square, set before the inner keep. You hear the boom of the steam-cannon, but there is no explosion at the main gate or anywhere else inside the fort. Your Kai Sixth Sense tingles with the presentiment that something is very wrong, and this feeling prompts you to hurry back to the main gate as fast as you can.
Turn to 278.
38
As you progress along the corridor, you hear the sound of voices getting steadily louder. You recognize them to be the voices of the tomb robbers who stole your Kai Weapon. They are gloating over your blade, and you hear one man say that it must be worth more than all the treasures of the graveyard put together. At the end of the corridor you see an arched wooden door, banded with strips of black iron. You peer carefully through its keyhole and see the robbers in the room beyond, silhouetted against the flames of a log fire. With grim determination you resolve to attack them and recapture your stolen blade.
If you possess Kai-surge and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian, turn to 254.
If you possess Assimilance and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian, turn to 136.
If you possess neither of these skills, have not attained the required rank, or if you should choose not to use them, turn to 71.
39
You draw your weapon and fight your way relentlessly towards the top of the flag-tower.
Bhanarian Signalman: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 32
You must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 4 for the duration of this fight, because of the disadvantage you experience while fighting your way up a ladder against a determined spearman.
If you win this combat, turn to 195.
40
Once you are a safe distance from the wooded rise, you glance back over your shoulder to check that Kronar and his bandit gang are not in pursuit of the caravan. Your senses detect that the road behind is clear and you tell Chan of this. He is greatly relieved that the Imperial Caravan has been spared Kronar's attack. The bandit leader has a notorious reputation for murdering anyone who witnesses his acts of highway robbery.
After the drama of the confrontation with Captain Kronar, you are thankful that the rest of the day passes uneventfully. It is early evening when the caravan arrives at Javai, a fortified Chai trading town positioned on the rim of a fertile plateau. Chan negotiates with the guards at the town's west gate and the caravan is allowed to enter. You pass along a bustling street, bordered by two-storey wooden dwellings, which leads to the walled chateau of Javai's mayoress, Madame Omaki. Here the caravan draws to a halt in the middle of a flagstoned courtyard, ringed by plum trees. A plump woman with gleaming coiffured hair emerges from the chateau and greets Captain Chan. You can tell by their jovial exchange that they are old friends. Chan swears her to secrecy about the presence of the Khea-khan, and she dutifully instructs her servants to secure all the entrances and exits to her estate.
Illustration III—Javai's mayoress greets Captain Chan in the flagstoned courtyard.
Chan posts his troopers to guard these portals, and as soon as it is dark, Xo-lin and his entourage are ushered inside Omaki's chateau. She attends efficiently to the allocation of rooms and the provision of refreshments for her royal guests. You are allocated a small room above the stables, and you retire there as soon as you are able. It comes as a pleasant surprise to discover that this room contains a comfortable bed and a bath. After bathing, a hot meal and a bottle of rice wine is delivered by one of the mayoress's servants. You are about to enjoy this meal when there is a knock at the door. It is Captain Chan, and he has some worrying news to convey.
To continue, turn to 259.
41
You shape your mouth in readiness to utter the Old Kingdom power-word Gloar! and project its energies at the door. The force of the impact throws open the portal amidst a cloud of loose earth and billowing dust. The coughs and cries of the entourage can be heard echoing throughout the distant corridors of this labyrinth. Fearing that it may already be too late to save the Khea-khan and his family from the clutches of Autarch Sejanoz, you and Sergeant Yeng rush along an arched corridor in search of them until you come to a junction.
If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, turn to 246.
If you do not, turn to 167.
42
You detect the faint outline of dusty footprints leading across the chamber to the opposite door. You are eager to follow them, but your Kai Sixth Sense is making you feel uncertain that it is safe to do so.
You are fearful of setting off a floor trap, and so you draw upon your advanced mastery of
Telegnosis to reduce your body weight to little more than a hundred grams. Then you set off across the chamber, taking care to tread only where there are footprints. You are within a few feet of the door when suddenly the entire floor falls away like a huge hinged trapdoor. You dive forwards and make a grab for the door handle. As you grasp its iron ring, you look down to see a yawning shaft filled with water at its base. Suddenly you hear the sound of giant stone cogs and the rattle of heavy chains. You glance upwards to see that the ceiling is beginning to descend. As it moves closer, you can tell that it is not stained with soot after all. It is dried blood, the blood of countless men who have unwittingly fallen victim to this devilish trap.
You twist the iron handle and, to your relief, the door swings open. Desperately you haul yourself through and slam the door shut, barely seconds before the descending ceiling closes off this portal completely.
To continue, turn to 209.
43
Soon the densely-packed trees confound your hulking pursuers and you are able to outdistance them. When you sense that it is safe to halt, you throw yourself down upon the cool earth and fight to catch your breath. Chan throws himself down close by, and you can tell that he is shocked and saddened by the ferocity of the encounter and the loss of his favourite stallion. But he proves himself to be resilient, and within the space of a few short minutes, he is back on his feet and ready to go.
‘Come, my lord,’ he says, resolutely. ‘We must press on. Let us flee this accursed place.’
Turn to 121.
44
Beyond the spray from the erupting geyser, you see movement at the edge of the encampment. One of the troopers standing picket duty there is struggling with a large worm-like creature that has emerged from one of the bore holes. His desperate cries begin to alert the other guards, and you catch sight of their shadowy forms slowly crossing the treacherous ground. Despite the stinging pain of your scalded skin, you also respond to his cries. You are skirting around the rim of one large fissure when another worm-like monstrosity suddenly appears. It rears up from this hole and spits at you. Your stomach churns when your senses detect that its saliva is a highly corrosive alkaline.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 156.
If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it, turn to 142.
If you possess a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 73.
If you do not possess these skills, nor a Bow, or if you choose not to use any of them, turn instead to 262.
45
The caravan arrives at the ford shortly before dusk. You greet Captain Chan and inform him of the fight that took place here earlier. He is relieved to see that you and his scouts survived the deadly encounter intact.
Chan orders that the carriages of the caravan be positioned so that they form the points of a large triangle, with the horse teams parked at their centre. You approve of his order, for it will make a good defensive formation, one that will be easy to maintain if the encampment is attacked during the night.
You tie your horse to the rear of Princess Mitzu's carriage, and then you walk over to the spring and bathe your face and drink your fill of its crystal-clear waters. You are about to return to the encampment when Captain Chan and Sergeant Yeng approach you on horseback. Chan tells you that his scouts have reported sighting movement in the nearby woodland. He wishes to investigate it, but night is closing in and soon it will be dark. Aware that you possess the ability to see in the dark, he requests that you lead Sergeant Yeng and his party on this scouting mission.
If you wish to agree to Captain Chan's request, turn to 157.
If you refuse to lead the scouts, turn to 264.
46
Your mastery of Kai herbcraft enables you to recognize this vile gas. It is Vozga, and it makes you cough and retch violently (lose 1 ENDURANCE point).
As your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus begins to neutralize the toxins that have entered your lungs, you order Princess Mitzu to help her father to safety. You fear that the Vozga will swiftly be fatal to the aged Khea-khan if he should inhale its poisonous vapours. The brave Princess obeys your command. As she helps her father to reach the far end of the burial crypt, you run through the poisonous cloud and set off in determined pursuit of the tyrant and his young hostage.
Turn to 6.
47
The Princess gasps aloud upon hearing you mention the name of the deadly poison. You ask her if Kamada is in the habit of chewing his playthings.
‘Sometimes,’ she replies. ‘But he's only had that toy for a day. He was given it as a present when we were in Rakholi.’
‘And who gave him this toy?’ you ask.
‘I did,’ says a voice from behind you.
Turn to 196.
48
The branch strikes your legs as you are diving through the air, and you suffer serious lacerations to the backs of both thighs: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.
If you have survived this wounding, turn to 19.
49
You leave the yansi and return at the gallop to the caravan. The repair of the damaged wheel has nearly been completed, and within the hour the column is moving eastwards once again. An overnight camp is pitched on the highway itself, near a sleepy hamlet called Sansei, and the following day you make good progress on the sun-baked trade road to Rakholi.
Shortly before noon of the third day of your journey to the tented city, the caravan column crests the rim of a wide valley that lies 50 miles from the banks of the Tkukoma. Spread out before you now is the Vale of Nahba, a spectacularly strange region of the Chai Plain that is punctuated with hundreds of bore holes and geysers. Great columns of steam and scalding water are hurled skywards, driven by the pressure of gases escaping from deep below the surface. Some fissures descend for miles and pass close to the planet's molten core.
The highway traverses this alien landscape and, as darkness approaches, you find yourself at a place near the eastern rim of the vale. A night camp is established here among the bubbling pools and hollows, and an evening meal of poached eggs and steamed fish is prepared. After supper, you settle down and try to get some sleep, despite the constant distraction of the noises that echo eerily across this strange valley.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 288.
If it is 5–9, turn to 30.
50
You are in combat with an Imperial Guard Captain, an élite warrior of Autarch Sejanoz's personal bodyguard.
Imperial Guard Captain: COMBAT SKILL 46 ENDURANCE 42
If you win the combat, turn to 173.
51
The bandit tells you that his name is Xango. He also reveals that he is the brother of the renegade bandit Captain Kronar. He has been observing the caravan encampment while his brother, and the rest of his gang, have been preparing an ambush on the forest road, five miles distant. Kronar plans to attack the caravan when it passes this place tomorrow morning.
‘Treacherous dog!’ spits Yeng. ‘Death would be too good for you!’
‘Hold, sergeant!’ commands Captain Chan. ‘We may have use for this outlaw yet. Let's hope his brother values his worthless hide more than you do. Chain him up to a carriage wheel until morning.’
To continue, turn to 129.
52
You form your mouth in readiness to utter the Old Kingdom power-word Gloar! and you project its concussive energy at the chest of the signalman. It strikes him squarely and lifts him off his feet. For a few moments he disappears from your sight, hidden by the floor of the platform; then you see him tumbling limply to the ground on the far side of the flag-tower.
To continue, turn to 195.
53
Kumal is disappointed that you refuse to trade with him, and he walks off in a huff. Fearing you may have insulted the brother of your host, you decide to leave the tent and give Kumal time to cool down. Once outside, you check the caravan to make sure that everything is correct. The carriages
and the horses are in good condition, and so you wander out of the encampment to explore this quarter of Rakholi.
Opposite the entrance to Bazan's encampment, you see a card game taking place between rival families of Lissanian horse traders. When one of the players drops out, you are invited to take his place.
If you wish to accept the invitation, turn to 234.
If you choose to decline the invitation, turn to 124.
54
You hurry along the tunnel and reach a closed door at its far end. Without slowing your pace, you barge this portal open and find yourself confronted by five Bhanarian soldiers who have entered the chamber beyond by way of a hole in the roof. The black-suited warriors roar with rage and attack you and Sergeant Yeng with their razor-tipped polearms.
Illustration IV—You are confronted by five Bhanarian soldiers armed with razor-tipped polearms.
Bhanarian Assault Troops: COMBAT SKILL 47 ENDURANCE 42
If you win this combat, turn to 125.
55
You let out a yelp of pain when you are struck by one of the onrushing missiles. It pierces your boot and lodges in the back of your left calf muscle. The sudden agonizing pain makes your ears ring and your vision blur: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.