The Deathlord of Ixia

by Joe Dever

  The ascent is effortless but it is not entirely painless. The energy radiating from the electrical arcing blisters the exposed flesh on the right side of your face: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  If you have reached the Kai rank of Sun Thane, turn to 273.

  If you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 49.

  137

  You lasso the spur of rock on your first attempt and pull yourself out of the cloying mire barely seconds before the unseen creature, which is circling below the surface, moves in to attack your legs. On reaching the spur, you retrieve your rope and set out to climb the wall of this shaft.

  Above, the snickering horde of Chaos-creatures watch your ascent with eager anticipation. When you are within a few feet of the top, you unsheathe your weapon and get ready to fight your way out of the shaft one-handedly.

  Chaos-horde: COMBAT SKILL 46 ENDURANCE 46

  Unless you have attained the Kai rank of Sun Lord, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 4 for the duration of this combat, due to your disadvantageous position. Unless you have Grand Weaponmastery and are a Sun Knight or higher, you may not use a two-handed weapon (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, or Spear) for this combat.

  If you win the combat, turn to 82.

  138

  Frantically you strike out for the shore with the jaws of the gruesome Gybia snapping at your heels. Fortunately, as you reach the shallows, the creature is forced to abandon its pursuit and let you escape. Coughing and retching violently, you stagger out of the icy water and stumble to the cover of some boulders which lie embedded in the shore. Here, as you slowly recover, you find to your dismay that during your hasty escape from the Gybia, you lost all but two items from your Backpack.

  Erase all of your Backpack Items with the exception of those which you have recorded in spaces 4 and 6 on your Backpack Items list.

  To continue, turn to 304.

  139

  Fearful that you could be discovered here at any moment, you bring your face closer to the door and make a detailed examination of the combination lock. On the surface it appears to be straightforward, but your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus alerts you to the fact that it is protected by sorcery. Failure to tap in the correct number more than once will activate an alarm.

  If you possess the Discipline of Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 217.

  If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it, turn to 81.

  If you possess neither of these Disciplines or choose not to use them, turn to 74.

  140

  With your briefing now concluded, King Sarnac ushers you all into his court chamber. There you bid him, Lord Ardan, and Guildmaster Banedon farewell, and they in turn wish you good luck and godspeed before Captain Prarg escorts you to the harbour. It is snowing heavily, and few of Vadera's inhabitants notice as the two of you are welcomed aboard the Maycastle, the square-rigged man-o'-war which will carry you to Azgad Island.

  You leave Vadera within the hour and begin the long, cold voyage northwards. During the voyage, Captain Prarg tells you about the raids which have destroyed several small Drakkarim settlements along the Gulf of Konkor and the coast of the Shakoz Bight. On the twelfth day of your two-week sea journey, you catch a glimpse of one such settlement, near to the mouth of the River Lenag. All that remains is a wispy pall of smoke which hangs above the burnt-out hovels, darkening an already stormy sky.

  For most of the voyage, a host of seabirds have accompanied the Maycastle, attracted by the scraps of food regularly thrown out by the ship's galley. But at dawn on the thirteenth day, as the ship enters the Gulf of Konkor, the usual flocks of shrieking gulls are nowhere to be seen. It is as if they have suddenly become aware of impending danger and have turned back, eager to stay out of harm's reach. Later in the day, a fierce squall arises from the east which whips the iron-grey waters of the gulf into a maelstrom. The crew fight desperately to control their ship as the storm rages all day and all night, not abating until dawn of the following day. As the wind gradually dies and the sea settles, the lookout is able to resume his post atop the mainmast.

  Illustration VIII—You see a few stone buildings around a fortified stone tower.

  ‘Land ahoy!’ he cries, and all eyes scan the northern vista. There, perched on the wintry horizon, is a grey strip of barren, frost-covered rock. You magnify your vision and see, on the western side of this island, a few slate buildings clustered around a fortified stone tower.

  ‘That's Fort Azgad,’ says Captain Prarg, with relief in his voice. ‘At last we've arrived.’

  Turn to 321.

  141

  At the first opportunity you sprint away from the wooden crates and descend the staircase to a closed door. It is a sturdy portal, carved from solid rock and banded with strips of bronze. You test it with the toe of your boot and, to your surprise, it swings open with barely a sound.

  Beyond the door lies a rough-hewn chamber lined with racks of ancient crystal spears and swords. Despite the millennia which have passed since they were crafted by armourers during the Age of Eternal Night, these weapons still hold a keen edge and gleam like new.

  Casting your eye around this weapon store there appears to be no other exit save the one by which you entered.

  If you possess Telegnosis, turn to 286.

  If you do not possess mastery of this Discipline, turn to 226.

  142

  Your swift reflexes save you from being impaled upon the tip of the spiked helm. Tagazin goes charging past in a cloud of dust but, as you roll over and spring to your feet, you see that he has already made his turn and is bearing down for a second time.

  Demonlord Tagazin (with Power Helm): COMBAT SKILL 55 ENDURANCE 48

  This being is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.

  If you win this combat, turn to 40.

  143

  After a few minutes of intense concentration your use of your Magnakai Discipline pays off. Successfully you will the lock to disengage, yet the effort required is far greater than you could have anticipated and it leaves you mentally weakened: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.

  The portal begins to shimmer and lose its solidity. At first it becomes transparent and then it fades completely, as if evaporating into thin air. With a smile of satisfaction on your lips at having overcome it, you step through the now-open archway and into an adjoining hall.

  This vaulted, oblong-shaped hall is illuminated by flickerings of electrical fire which arc between two freestanding pillars at the far end of the chamber. Beyond the pillars you can make out the shadowy entrance to another chamber; it is the only other exit from this hall. You realize at once that to pass between the pillars could prove to be fatal: the power arcing between them is as great as any lightning storm raging in the skies above Xaagon. Yet there may be a way of avoiding contact with this raw power. You notice that the two freestanding pillars do not go all the way to the ceiling — there is a gap at the top, a little over two feet wide.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 136.

  If you wish to attempt to climb one of the pillars and squeeze through the gap in order to reach the adjoining hall, turn to 297.

  If you decide to throw caution to the wind and run directly between the pillars, turn to 211.

  144

  With trepidation you steer the ship along a string of narrow fjords which cut an uncertain route through this treacherous field of icebergs. Your hands, slick with nervous sweat, grip the wheel tightly and inch it back and forth in response to the pilot's frantic signals. It is a gruelling ordeal which soon takes its toll on the nerves of all aboard.

  Every few minutes your vision is obscured by gusts of powdery snow which swirl across the deck, blown down from the tops of the surrounding ice cliffs. One of these fierce blasts temporarily blinds you. As you fight to restore your vision, the incessant howl of the wind is suddenly accompanied by the tortured screech of the ship's hull as it collides with a ridge of submerged ice
. The impact sends the vessel careering violently to starboard and hurls you painfully against the wheelhouse wall: lose 4 ENDURANCE points.

  To continue, turn to 302.

  145

  Despite their misshapen forms, the moment these macabre horrors catch sight of you, they charge forwards with frightening speed. Gibbering and howling like demons, they hurl themselves upon you and attempt to slay you with fang and claw.

  Chaos-horde: COMBAT SKILL 48 ENDURANCE 50

  These beings are immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.

  You may evade this combat after six rounds by turning to 235.

  If you win the fight, turn to 190.

  146

  The instant you set foot inside the cave entrance, you hear a noise which makes you freeze in your tracks. A ghastly half-gibbering, half-growling sound issues from the dark recesses of the cave — a warning from the creature which dwells here that you are not a welcome visitor. You scan the inky darkness and see the glint of two yellow eyes as they emerge from a fold in the rock wall. Slowly the eyes advance. You use your ability to see in the infrared spectrum of light, in order to discern the outline of this shadowy creature, but it is to no avail. You can detect no heat patterns. The reason for this is simple — the creature now advancing towards you gives off no heat because, like everything else in this wretched land, it is already dead.

  If you wish to escape from the cave while you can, turn to 206.

  If you choose to draw your weapon and defend yourself, turn to 28.

  147

  Guided by your Kai instincts and the night stars, you set a southerly course for Azgad Island. The Tozaz Sea is unusually calm for most of this lonely voyage, and hazards are few … until the dawn of your second day at sea.

  Through the grey winter's gloom you see the unwelcome sight of the Tozaz iceberg field stretching across the southern horizon. At first it looks impenetrable, but as you sail closer you identify two breaks in the ice-field that could be the beginnings of passages through to the far side.

  If you wish to steer your craft into the southeasterly passage, turn to 188.

  If you choose to sail into the southwesterly passage, turn to 119.

  148

  The door to this cell is sheathed with ice and the only visible means of opening it appears to be a hexagonal-shaped keyhole. You crouch down, so that your face is level with the keyhole, and draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus in an attempt to pick the lock.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. For every level of Kai rank you have attained above that of Kai Grand Guardian, add 1 to the number you have picked.

  If your total is now 4 or lower, turn to 342.

  If it is 5 or higher, turn to 258.

  149

  As you slay each of the insectoids in turn, their bodies return to their original wispy form. These trails of black smoke swirl harmlessly around the chamber before evaporating into the porous stone which frames the Shadow Gate. You are relieved to see the back of these hideous creatures, but your comfort is all too short-lived; no sooner have they vanished than a new horror appears in the chamber, rising up out of the stone floor.

  If you have ever been to the Isle of Ghosts in a previous Lone Wolf adventure, turn to 311.

  If you have not, turn to 80.

  150

  A few hundred yards beyond the rise, you see Tagazin moving along a track which leads to the top of a small hillock. Here, contained within an arch of ancient stone, you see a whirling vortex: it is unmistakably an open Shadow Gate.

  Surrounding Tagazin are a host of winged, dragon-like creatures, with horny skins that glimmer like gold in the wan light. By the slow, laborious way in which the jackal-like Demonlord is moving his limbs, you sense that he has been injured and greatly weakened by his passage through the void.

  If you have ever been to the Plane of Darkness before in a previous Lone Wolf adventure,11 turn to 205.

  If you have not, turn to 227.

  [11] In other words, have you ever visited the domain of the Demoness Shamath?

  151

  The advancing creature sees that you are preparing to strike the gangplank and quickly it retreats to the quayside. You deal the plank a mighty blow, splitting it cleanly in two, and both sections collapse and splash into the harbour's freezing water. But the danger is not over.

  The creature turns its icy rod around and points the blunt end towards your head. There is a brilliant flash of light and a guttering ball of flame comes speeding from the base of the rod towards your face. Your reflexes save you — you dive for cover behind a tool chest and the fireball whistles over your head to explode into the decking. Howling with anger, the creature launches a second fireball, but this one is not aimed at you — it is targeted at the ice-boat's waterline. The deck shudders and flames leap up all around, spreading with unnatural speed. Within seconds you are engulfed by roaring flames.

  If you wish to escape from this burning ship by jumping into the harbour, turn to 42.

  If you wish to attempt to reach the quayside by swinging from the rigging, turn to 201.

  152

  As the last skeletal warrior crumbles beneath your repeated blows, you step back and wipe the sweat of battle from your brow. A glance into the secret panel through which they emerged reveals a narrow chamber beyond. Lying on the crystal slab floor you see several items of equipment:

  Small Sack

  Stone Bowl

  Spyglass

  Iron Key

  Coil of Oiled Rope

  If you decide to keep any of the above, record them on your Action Chart as Backpack Items.

  You leave the chamber and hurry down the stone staircase to the archway below. The Drakkarim patrol you sighted earlier is now nowhere to be seen, enabling you to leave the barbican and enter Xaagon without further confrontation.

  Warily you trek through the awesome ruins of this age-old city, where once, at the beginning of the Age of Eternal Night, a proud and mighty race reigned supreme.

  You have just passed a derelict mausoleum when you are forced to halt and hide from a passing troop of Ixian warriors. You watch as they march stiffly along an ice-choked avenue towards a plaza that is dominated by a huge frozen fountain. Beyond the fountain's solid plume of water you see a broad ramp which ascends to a grand archway at the base of the Crystal Spire.

  If you possess Grand Huntmastery and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Lord or higher, turn to 9.

  If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to reach this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 122.

  153

  Silently you climb the stairs and peer over the lip of the hatch; you are just in time to witness a scene which shocks you to the core. You see that the undead Drakkarim warriors have slain all of the Lencian crewmen and have heaped their bodies around the base of the mainmast. One of the undead, clad in a filthy grey cloak embroidered with alien symbols, utters a chilling liturgy over the corpses of the slain. You sense something is very wrong. The chill air crackles with power and sparks of evil energy whirl around their bodies. When at last the liturgy ends, you see to your horror the slain Lencians rise up and take their places alongside the Drakkarim undead.

  Illustration IX—One of the undead warriors utters a chilling liturgy over the corpses of the slain.

  Revolted and angered by what you have witnessed, you vow to avenge the souls of the crew and draw your weapon in readiness to attack the host of Drakkarim undead. But before you can act, you feel a shudder run through the deck. The great vessel which has swallowed your ship is lurching to a halt. There is a dull boom, and then several portals open in the surrounding walls of the host vessel, spilling beams of white light across the deck of your captive ship. Scores of Drakkarim undead emerge from these portals and descend upon the ship like a host of hungry ghouls. You are forced to abandon your plan for vengeance — there are now far too many of the enemy. Yet all is not lost. In the milling confusion, you seize an o
pportunity to get away from the ship and escape into one of the light-filled portals.

  Turn to 320.

  154

  You rise once more and return to the edge of the shaft, drawing on reserves of strength and determination both to fight and maintain your levitation spell.

  ‘For Sommerlund and the Kai!’ you shout, as you lash out at the monstrous Chaos-creatures crowding the edge of the pit.

  Chaos-horde: COMBAT SKILL 37 ENDURANCE 45

  These beings are immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.

  If you win the combat, turn to 318.

  155

  You draw upon your newly-achieved mastery of Deliverance and feel yourself slip into the trance-like state which is necessary in order to perform a Kai Exorcism. Soundlessly you mouth the words of the evocation and feel your goodly powers, like a warm electrical current, flow out from your fingertips. Within seconds this aura sweeps through the ship and engulfs the evil entity. You sense resistance but it is short-lived; the evil succumbs to your exorcism and quickly vanishes.