Vampirium

by Joe Dever

  [14] This section is unreachable and superfluous as it is identical to Section 217.

  61

  The impact of your spell splits the cannon's pressure cylinder and it erupts like a geyser, spraying the Bhanarians with deadly pieces of jagged shrapnel. Those who are not felled instantly by the force of the explosion are blinded and blistered by jets of scalding steam.

  Turn to 47.

  62

  Your mind is set upon the task of finding and retrieving the Claw of Naar before Autarch Sejanoz arrives, and impatiently you dismiss the fortune-teller with a wave of your hand. Gildas and his men follow as you hurry out of the inn and stride across the main square. In the light of a street lantern you consult your Siyenese Compass once more before setting off in the direction that it indicates. It leads you towards the Military Quarter located on the east side of the square. You follow a broad avenue lined with closed shop doorways and soon arrive at a busy barracks. The Siyenese Compass and your Kai Sixth Sense both tell you that the Claw of Naar is located somewhere inside this troop-infested building.

  If you wish to try to find a way to enter the barracks undetected, turn to 81.

  If you decide to observe this building from the cover of an unlit doorway, turn to 242.

  63

  You have travelled less than a mile when it begins to rain. At first it is just a few drops that spot the shoulders of your robe, but within minutes it has become a deluge that soaks you through to the skin. The land bordering this road is steep and impossible to climb on horseback, and through the sheeting rain you can see little of the way ahead. The thunder grows steadily louder. When this rumbling becomes almost deafening, you suddenly realize that it is not thunder at all: it is the terrifying sound of a mudslide. Frantically you signal to the rangers to turn back. As the torrent of earth and water comes crashing down the hillsides, you urge your horses to a blind gallop in a desperate attempt to outrun this merciless river of mud.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Animal Mastery, add 1 to the number you have picked. If your current ENDURANCE score is 20 or higher, add 1. If it is 10 or lower, deduct 1.

  If your total score is now 2 or lower, turn to 160.

  If it is 3–7, turn to 31.

  If it is 8 or higher, turn to 322.

  64

  For over three hours you ride south across the rolling grasslands, guided on your way by your tracking skills and the light of a waxing moon. It is not until you see the outline of a derelict temple silhouetted on the crest of a ridge that you slow your pace and point your tired horse towards it. Upon reaching the ruined temple you discover that it stands beside a well brim-full with fresh water. You let the horses drink their fill, and as they recover their strength, you and your companions explore the ruin.

  The temple is empty and overgrown. Its only feature of note is an altar stone engraved with ancient designs. It is illuminated by a solitary stream of moonlight that filters down through a hole in the shattered slate roof. While the horses are resting, you take the opportunity to examine the Claw and, as you unfold its covering blanket on the altar, you find yourself both fascinated and repulsed by the intricacies of its evil design. The head of the Claw resembles a petrified vulture's foot, cast in a black metal that is flecked with shimmering scarlet specks. Its shaft is twisted, like a length of gnarled root, and it is perforated along its length with pea-sized hollows.

  Illustration IV—You are repulsed and yet fascinated by the evil Claw of Naar.

  A palpable aura of evil radiates from this dread artefact, and you feel an overwhelming compulsion to destroy it. You warn the rangers to stand clear, and then you unsheathe your Kai Weapon and deal the shaft of the Claw a mighty blow.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If the number you have picked is even (i.e. 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0), turn to 323.

  If it is odd (i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9), turn to 248.

  65

  You recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and point the index finger of your right hand at the keyhole. A tingling sensation runs the length of your arm, and then a crackling bolt of blue energy leaps from your fingertip and tears open the iron lockplate. The doors to the stables shudder and then fly open amid a cloud of smoke.

  Turn to 152.

  66

  You leap from the wagon to land upon the flagstoned ground. Gildas signals to you from the shadows of a doorway and quickly you scurry towards him and his men.

  The doorway is blocked by a stout iron portal, but when you try its handle, you discover that it is unlocked. You slip inside and beckon the rangers to follow. When all of you are safely in, you close the heavy door and draw its bolt.

  To continue, turn to 11.

  67

  As you fall, you kick your heels hard against the wall of the ravine and propel yourself towards the slate outcrop. Your quick wits and natural agility save you, and you survive the fall unharmed. Quickly you retrieve the steel tube and tuck it into your belt. Then you climb back to the top of the ravine before you examine what the tube contains.

  Turn to 140.

  68

  You grab the chariot's guide rail as you thrust your right hand forwards on the glittering sphere. The sky-chariot surges forwards, and as you leave the courtyard and tower, you hear Autarch Sejanoz scream a vow that he will take vengeance upon you for the defeat you have dealt him this day.

  You steer the sky-chariot away to the east and flee towards the friendlier skies of Chai. As the wind whips your face, you feel the sweet exhilaration of victory. Yet it is tempered by the memory of the brave men you had to leave behind.

  Turn to 150.

  69

  You recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and raise your right hand, pointing your outstretched fingers towards the distant steam-cannon. A bolt of radiant energy leaps from your fingertips and speeds across the mess hall, striking its iron cylinder with a blinding flash of blue-white sparks.

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

  If your total score is now 4 or lower, turn to 33.

  If it is 5 or higher, turn to 61.

  70

  You command the snake to hold its attack. The conda hesitates, and Gildas reaches for his sword. With one swift and deadly swipe, his blade decapitates the serpent and sends its fanged head spinning through the air, trailing a stream of greenish-yellow venom.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, Gildas wipes his blade on the grubby sleeve of his tunic before slipping it silently into his scabbard.

  Turn to 335.

  71

  As you gallop through the stables, Gildas draws level with your speeding horse. Simultaneously you unsheathe your weapons, and as you approach the closing doors, you lash out at the troopers who are attempting to bar your way. They are forced to dive aside to save themselves from your deadly blades, and you are able to pass through the narrowed exit and make good a speedy escape into the street beyond. As you gallop from the open doorway, you steer your horses to the right and then race away along a dark, cobblestoned street.

  Turn to 14.

  72

  Quickly you remove your pack and, to your dismay, you discover that it has been torn open by the blow you received just prior to your escape from the ruins.

  (In addition to the Claw of Naar, you have also lost 3 Backpack Items. You must now erase from your Action Chart the Claw of Naar, plus any three Backpack Items of your choosing.)

  Cursing your bad fortune, you see the Xanon leave the ruins and join with the Autarch's Imperial Guards who have been observing your battle from the safety of a nearby ridge. You see a Xanon deliver the Claw to the squad leader, and it galls you to see him raising it defiantly. With a whooping cry, the Bhanarians and their Xanon allies leave the ridge and ride south across the open grasslands.

  Pick a number from the Random Number
Table.

  If the number you have picked is 4 or lower turn to 327.

  If it is 5 or higher, turn to 128.

  73

  You pull open the door and quickly stand aside. A Bhanarian guard strides into the antechamber, and when he looks at your face, his eyes go wide with shock. You lash out and fetch him an uppercut to the jaw, knocking him unconscious. Before he hits the floor, you move forward and grab him to prevent his body from making a sound. You are placing him down gently when the squad leader shouts out: ‘Who's there?’

  You push the door shut and bolt it. Then you unsheathe your Kai Weapon and enter the main chamber to confront the squad leader in his bath.

  Turn to 260.

  74

  Suddenly you hear a startling shriek from the blanket of dark cloud that has enveloped the pass.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If the number you have picked is 0–2, turn to 271.

  If it is 3–9, turn to 167.

  75

  Quickly you speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and raise your right arm. You point your outstretched fingers at the Autarch's helm and a crackling bolt of blue fire leaps from your fingertips. It strikes his helm, and the force of the impact makes him shudder. He releases his grip and the rangers fall limply to the floor.

  Then he turns to face you. ‘Give me the Claw!’ he demands, his voice booming around the chamber. ‘Give me the Claw and I shall spare all your worthless lives!’

  If you choose to obey his command, turn to 35.

  If you choose to refuse his command, turn to 338.

  76

  The old man thanks you for having lifted the curse that was placed upon him by the shape-changer. Your courageous act has not saved his life, but it has saved his soul from the clutches of Naar's fell servant.

  ‘I am … Juanphor,’ he says, struggling to speak his name. ‘I am a Chai herbalist … from Zuda. I came to the Vanchou a year ago in search of rare herbs and I fell under the curse of the shape-changer.’

  The old man draws from the pocket of his robe a small pouch containing some powdered yellow petals, and a rusty red key. He insists that you keep them, as a gift for your kindness. ‘The powder is Poghlam — it shall protect you from evil,’ he says in a whisper, ‘… and the key will open the door to my home in Zuda. It is called the Crimson Tower. Whatever you wish to take … it is yours.’

  You offer to carry the old man away from the forest but he refuses to leave. ‘My days are numbered. I shall only be a burden to you. You must leave me and go. Do not delay … the shape-changer is approaching. I … can feel … her anger.’

  Your Kai Sixth Sense confirms that the old man is correct. The shape-changer is approaching the clearing, and you must leave immediately if you are to avoid another deadly confrontation with her.

  Reluctantly you bid farewell to this brave old man, and then you cross the clearing hurriedly and remount your horse. Gildas beckons you to follow as he and his rangers make good a hasty escape into the trees.

  (If you choose to keep the Poghlam and the Red Key, record them on your Action Chart as Backpack Items.)

  To continue, turn to 346.

  77

  You dive to the ground as the rangers' feathered shafts come streaking along the corridor. The swiftness of your reflexes saves you from being hit, and the arrows flash past to skitter harmlessly along the floor of the mess hall beyond.

  To continue, turn to 269.

  78

  You cross the valley and, as you crest a distant ridge, you see the first rays of dawn sunlight brightening the eastern horizon. You continue to ride at a swift pace for you are anxious to put distance between your company and the Imperial Guards. But as the sun rises into a cloudless sky, you note a dense forest stretching like a dark wall along the southern horizon.

  ‘That's the Vanchou,’ calls out Gildas. ‘They say it's haunted.’

  The trail continues due south towards the centre of the forbidding timberland. As you draw steadily closer, you feel an unnatural chill radiating from its tangle of sickly-coloured pines. You are inclined to disbelieve that it is haunted, yet you do not relish the thought of riding through it. Then a sudden sense of unease makes you glance over your shoulder, and your heart skips a beat when you see a column of dust on the track less than 3 miles distant. You magnify your vision and your worst fears are confirmed; the Imperial Guards have caught up and are fast gaining ground.

  If you wish to leave the trail and ride east across grasslands, turn to 250.

  If you choose to stay on the trail and enter the Vanchou Forest, turn to 143.

  79

  You are trying to think of a way to draw the soldiers away from the water's edge, when Captain Gildas comes up with a crude yet effective solution to the problem. He draws an arrow to his bow and picks off a lone Bhanarian soldier who is washing his tunic upstream. The luckless soldier topples into the river and is carried towards the bridge by the strong current. Lookouts on the bridge spot his body and they pass word to those along the river bank. As the body is swept beneath the bridge, they leave their canteens and their washing and go running along the bank in the hope of recovering his body downstream.

  To continue, turn to 127.

  80

  Your search of the guards' pockets and packs uncovers the following Weapons, money, and Backpack Items:

  Dagger

  Sword

  Spear

  50 Ren (equivalent to 5 Gold Crowns)

  Mirror

  Rope

  Food (enough for 2 Meals)

  Comb

  You also discover a gleaming talisman that is engraved with the tiger's-head emblem of Autarch Sejanoz. It is strung upon a braided cord. (If you wish to keep this Gold Talisman, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item. You may wear it around your neck.)

  To continue, turn to 291.

  81

  There is a great deal of activity going on at the main entrance to the barracks. Columns of Bhanarian spearmen, clad in black quilted uniforms with wide silk leggings, go marching through its gate every few minutes with an almost clockwork regularity. You suspect that they are mustering in preparation for the arrival of the Autarch, although they seem too heavily armed to be gathering for ceremonial parade duties. You also catch sight of some Xanon, and you sense that these creatures were among those whom you fought at the ruins earlier today.

  You signal to Gildas and his men to follow as you skirt around the barracks and approach one of several smaller entrances that punctuate its northern flank wall. A line of wagons are parked here awaiting their turn to enter. While they wait, the drivers and their civilian helpers busy themselves by checking the food and provisions they are delivering to the barracks' kitchens. One driver is struggling to recover the contents of a crate that has fallen from the tailgate of his wagon and broken open.

  If you wish to offer to help the driver recover his spilled load, turn to 227.

  If you wish to attempt to hide in the rear of one of the wagons that is queueing to enter the barracks, turn to 301.

  82

  Captain Gildas lets out a shrill cry of pain as the musket ball strikes his right thigh. He clutches at the wound and you see blood oozing through his fingers. Fortunately, the lead ball has passed cleanly through his limb without striking bone, and you are able to staunch the flow of blood and seal his punctured skin by the use of your Kai healing skills alone. (The hurried use of your healing skills costs you 1 ENDURANCE point.)

  To continue, turn to 290.

  83

  The trader frowns. He is loath to lose a sale, at any price. After some thought, he says that he will accept 1 Weapon, 4 Gold Crowns, and 1 Backpack Item in exchange for the robes.15

  You agree to the man's price and you hand over the items he requests (remember to adjust your Action Chart accordingly). Then you and your companions each take one of the loose-fitting robes and slip them on over your tunics. The thin, hooded
garments are large enough to conceal your backpacks and weapons, and you are pleased to discover that they do not hamper your movement.

  Having concluded your business, you thank the trader and bid him farewell. Then you leave this village and continue your ride south across the plain.

  Turn to 118.

  [15] If you lack one or more of these items, substitute other items which you consider being of equal value.

  84

  When the last of the bridge guards has fallen to your blows, or thrown down his spear and fled from the fight, you circle around and then charge your horse towards the barrier.

  He sails across the bar and, one by one, the rangers follow your lead. Without looking back, you canter across the bridge and along the road that winds into the hills beyond.

  Turn to 272.

  85

  You struggle to your feet and push yourself on towards the waiting rangers. Gildas and his men are ready to take off the moment you reach them, and, as you haul yourself onto your mount, you hear the anguished screams of the squad leader echoing across the plain. With a cry of triumph on your lips, you dig in your heels and gallop away from the copse as fast as your steed can carry you.