by Joe Dever
161
You roll aside but fail to avoid the conda's fangs that graze your neck. Gildas reaches for his sword and, with one swift and deadly swipe, he decapitates the serpent and sends its fanged head spinning through the air, trailing a stream of greenish-yellow venom.
With a trembling hand, you touch your neck and then look to your fingertips. They are smeared with blood. Nausea wells up from the pit of your stomach and your vision blurs as the serpent's deadly venom begins to take hold. You draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Curing to counter the poison, but before your innate defences win the battle, you suffer agonizing muscle spasms throughout your body: lose 5 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 335.
162
Your bold ploy works. The soldier on the other side of the door obeys your command, believing you to be his squad leader.
You allow yourself a silent chuckle as you turn away from the antechamber door. Then you unsheathe your Kai Weapon and enter the main chamber, determined now to confront the squad leader in his bath.
Turn to 260.
163
Suddenly a blinding white light obliterates your vision. A terrifying numbness spreads rapidly from your neck to the soles of your feet, and you feel yourself tumbling backwards into a fathomless abyss.
One of the rangers' arrows has pierced your forehead and penetrated your brain. Mercifully, your death is swift and painless.
Tragically, your life and your mission end here in the barracks of Yua Tzhan.
164
You unsheathe your Kai Weapon and spur your horse to the charge. Swiftly you gallop past your hypnotized companions, but as you thunder along the track towards the sorcerous woman, you are hit by a sudden blast of psychic energy.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Kai-screen, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 6 or lower, turn to 25.
If it is 7 or higher, turn to 208.
165
You leap from the wagon and hit the flagstoned ground, spraining your ankle as you land awkwardly: lose 1 ENDURANCE point.
The rangers come hurrying to your aid. Gildas and Paviz take hold of you under the arms and carry you to the cover of a darkened doorway. Here you use your Kai healing skills to mend the torn ligaments in your foot; then you turn your attention to the door against which you are leaning. You try the handle and discover that it is unlocked. Quickly you slip inside and beckon the rangers to follow. When all of you are safely in, you close the door and draw its sturdy bolt.
To continue, turn to 11.
166
Suddenly you recall the dying words of the old herbalist you encountered in the Vanchou Forest: ‘ … and the key will open the door to my home in Zuda. It is called the Crimson Tower.’
You retrieve the Red Key from your Backpack and insert it into the dial. It fits, and when you twist it, the heavy door swings inwards without a sound. Quickly you step inside, and then beckon the rangers to follow: ‘This way!’
When all three are inside, you push the heavy door closed and slide its bolt across, locking it securely.
To continue, turn to 136.
167
Your Kai Sixth Sense warns you that a host of flying creatures are soaring overhead, obscured by the thick blanket of cloud. Hurriedly you warn the rangers of their presence and they take cover among the boulders. Your swift action saves them from being detected by the winged beasts, but as the last of their number passes overhead, you see something that makes your skin prickle with dread.
Turn to 296.
168
You enter the stables and discover seven horses and a mule. Gildas uses his expertise to choose the best mounts, and you help the rangers to equip them with saddles and bridles. When the horses are ready to ride, you leave the stables and make your way to the South Gate. It is open, and the sleepy guards pay you no attention as you canter through its tall arch and depart the city. The road beyond passes through several outlying settlements before it begins a gentle climb into the Honah Hills.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 202.
If it is 5–9, turn to 194.
169
You rush towards the man and draw back your right leg in readiness to kick over the bath tub. But before you can land your kick, you find yourself staring into the muzzle of a Bor pistol. The squad leader gives you an evil grin as he squeezes the weapon's trigger.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 2 or lower, turn to 279.
If it is 3–8, turn to 307.
If it is 9 or higher, turn to 190.
170
You continue along the trail until you see a distant figure standing in the middle of the rutted track. As you draw closer, your skin prickles with a sudden premonition of danger when you see that the figure is a beautiful young woman. She has milky white skin and a mane of glistening hair that cascades around her slender body. She is wrapped in a flowing gossamer robe and her dark eyes glimmer as she beckons you to come closer with a soft, hypnotic voice.
Illustration X—A beautiful young woman beckons you closer with her soft, hypnotic voice.
If you possess Kai-screen, turn to 32.
If you do not, turn to 223.
171
A burning pain shoots from the front of your eyes to the rear of your head: lose 2 ENDURANCE points. You reel back in shock and quickly you muster your Magnakai Curing skills to numb the pain and restore your injured sight. But as your vision is returning, you hear a loud crash of breaking glass, and your companions cry out in shock and alarm. You fear a steam-gun projectile has smashed through the tower's great glass window, but when your vision clears, you see that it is something far larger … and far worse!
Turn to 200.
172
You release the straining bowstring and send your Arrow whistling towards the beast's open jaw. Desperately it twists its loathsome head away from the onrushing missile, but it cannot escape your unerring aim. The Arrow enters the beast's left eye-slit and sends the creature somersaulting head-over-tail, out of control. You dive aside to avoid being crushed beneath its plummeting body, but you are grazed by its body-spikes when it hits and bounces off the rocks: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 18.
173
Before you release your Arrow, you intone the words of the Old Kingdom Spell Penetrate. Then you send your missile whistling across the mess hall towards the distant steam-cannon. It strikes the cylinder and it punctures its iron skin with devastating effect.
Turn to 29.
174
You and your companions race along the alleyway and lose yourselves in the maze of passages and tunnels that infest this quarter of Yua Tzhan. When you are sure that the City Guard have lost your trail, you halt beneath the light of a tavern lantern, heal your wounds, and consult your Siyenese Compass. Your mind is now focused upon the task of finding and retrieving the Claw of Naar before Autarch Sejanoz arrives in the city. You set off in the direction indicated by the compass needle, and it leads you towards the Military Quarter located to the east of the main square. Here 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.
175
Quickly you retrieve the Poghlam from your Backpack, flip open the stopper, and down it all in one gulp. Instantly, the nausea subsides and you feel new strength coursing through your aching limbs: restore 4 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 48.
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176
Gildas obeys your command and reluctantly he returns the arrow to his quiver. Cautiously you dismount and approach the misshapen creature on foot, for you sense your horse is too frightened to venture any closer to its lair. Using your Magnakai Discipline of Divination, you attempt to communicate with the creature telepathically. Your patience and your effort are soon rewarded when you hear its true voice speaking to you in your mind.
You learn that this ‘creature’ is human. It is the victim of an evil spell cast by the vampiric shape-changer that you encountered on the forest track. You ask if there is anything you can do to alleviate its wretched condition, and you are shocked when you hear its plaintive reply.
Strike me with your blade, kind sir. Deal me a mortal wound so that my soul may be freed from this hellish torment.
If you wish to strike the creature with your Kai Weapon, turn to 321.
If you choose not to strike the creature, turn to 114.
177
You force the doors back to allow enough room for a horse to pass through, and then you enter the stables and search the upper and lower floors. You discover seven horses and a mule, and tack enough to equip them all. Gildas uses his expertise to choose the best mounts, and you help the rangers to fit them with saddles and bridles. When the horses are ready to ride, you leave the stables and make your way to the South Gate. It is open, and its sleepy guards pay you no attention as you canter through its tall arch and depart the city. The road beyond passes through several outlying settlements before it begins a gentle climb into the Honah Hills.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 202.
If it is 5–9, turn to 194.
178
You draw upon your mastery of Elementalism to cause the fire to flare wildly. The sudden flash of flames scatters red hot coals across the floor, and some ignite a leg of the dining table. Gripped by a sudden panic, the soldiers leap from their seats and attempt to put out the fire with cloaks and mugs of ale.
In the confusion, none of them see you enter the mess hall. You take cover behind a stand of armour, and then you draw upon your Magnakai Discipline of Invisibility to help keep you hidden before you attempt to reach the far door.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 3 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1.
If your total score is 2 or lower, turn to 8.
If it is 3 or higher, turn to 211.
179
You rise at daybreak and ready yourself for a long march south across the vast Bhanarian Plain. Using your Kai tracking skills, you have no difficulty following the trail that has been left by the Imperial Guards. Their footprints can clearly be seen upon the surface of a dusty track that cuts across the rolling grasslands.
As you march along this derelict plains road, you are bathed by the warm rays of the rising sun. It is a beautiful day, yet you notice that your companions are in a sad and sombre mood. They are mourning the loss of their comrade, Durasso, and they do not feel much like talking.
Fifteen miles from the Dammerdon foothills, you come to a wooden bridge that crosses a stream of sparkling water. Here you lose your enemy's trail for the track has been freshly churned by dozens of hoof prints. You magnify your vision and scan the far horizon, but all that you see are a few roving black Bhanarian stallions. You check the trail once more, and then your heart sinks when suddenly you realize that your enemy must have captured some of these fine wild horses. If they are now travelling on horseback, your only hope of catching them will rest on your ability to capture four wild stallions for yourselves.
If you possess Animal Mastery, turn to 27.
If you do not, turn to 349.
180
As you gallop through the stables, you draw upon your Kai Mastery of Elementalism to stir up the straw that litters the floor around the exit. The troopers who are attempting to bar your escape are blinded by this sudden whirlwind of debris. They are forced to abandon their attempt to close the doors, and you are able to make good a speedy escape into the street beyond. As you gallop through the open doorway, you steer your horse to the right and then race away along a dark, cobblestoned street.
Turn to 14.
181
The old man invites you and your companions to enter his tent. You dismount, and the children look after your horses while you examine the wares and trinkets that are stored inside. Gildas nudges you and points to a rickety table that is heaped with simple straw-coloured robes, much favoured by Bhanarian plainsmen. ‘Maybe a wise purchase, Sir Kai?’ he mutters. ‘I fear our tunics may arouse suspicion the further south we venture.’ You nod in agreement and ask the old man how much he wants for four robes.
‘One hundred and twenty Ren, kind sir,’ he replies, cheerfully.
The old man's price is the equivalent to 12 Gold Crowns. The rangers do not have any money, so if you wish to purchase these garments you must pay the full price.
If you can afford to pay the man's price, turn to 286.
If you do not have sufficient Gold Crowns to pay for the robes, turn to 45.
182
Quickly you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Mind Charm and direct its power at the angry sergeant. Under the influence of your spell, he calms down and becomes susceptible to your mental commands. You tell him that you and your companions are agents from the Autarch's court in Otavai, sent here to check the barracks before his arrival tomorrow. Without questioning your claim, he steps aside and allows you to enter the barracks.
Turn to 110.
183
You signal to the rangers to halt and dismount. Then you request them to help move one of the pillars into the middle of the track. They look at you quizzically, but they do not question your command. When you have completed this task, you call upon your improved Kai Mastery of Elementalism to surround the pillar with a powerful electrical charge. You sense that the Autarch's squad are now little more than 5 miles distant, and it is your hope that this trap may delay them when they pass through the valley.
Gildas questions your actions and you explain them to him as you remount your horses and ride along the valley trail towards a distant ridge.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 342.
If it is 5–9, turn to 21.
184
You decide to wait until nightfall before making your attempt to cross the River Heng. During the day you scout the river bank and you determine that there are only two ways to cross. Both are hazardous.
You can swim across the river, but the current is fast and treacherous. Or you can attempt to cross at the bridge. The road is blocked by soldiers, making a crossing by that way impossible. But you can attempt a crossing below the bridge. Its supporting stone pillars are closely spaced and they slow the river's flow. However, the enemy guarding this bridge is especially vigilant. They are expecting and watching for your approach.
If you wish to attempt to swim across the river, turn to 100.
If you choose to attempt a crossing beneath the bridge, turn to 261.
185
The rock hits your Shield spell and explodes in pieces, showering you with razor-sharp shards of stone. One sliver of rock cuts your cheek and another tears open the shoulder of your tunic: lose 1 ENDURANCE point.
To continue, turn to 339.
186
The guards are unconvinced by your charade. They have been ordered to search out four intruders, and they are convinced that they have found whom they are looking for. As they advance upon you with their spears levelled menacingly at your chests, Gildas draws his sword and attacks the taller of the guards. Immediately, you and the others support his attack and a desperate struggle ensues.
Parade Ground Guards: COMBAT SKILL 36 ENDURANCE 39
You may add +2 to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration
of this fight due to the support you receive from your ranger companions.
If you win the combat, turn to 41.
187
When the Xanon are only 20 yards from the wall, you command the rangers to open fire. All three arrows find their mark and the leading beasts stagger and fall. Shocked by the sudden death of their brothers, the following creatures turn to retreat from the rangers' deadly bows. But as they pull back to the outskirts of the ruins, you suddenly become aware of a new threat.
Illustration XI—The attacking Xanon are surprised by your volley of arrows.
Some of the Xanon have left the main group and ridden in a wide arc around the ancient site in order to come up behind your position. You hear their leader snorting gruffly as he leaps into the ruined hall and quickly you spin around to face him. You raise your Kai Weapon and courageously you leap forward to block him before he can launch a surprise attack upon the backs of your three companions.
Turn to 270.
188
A searing pain shoots from the front of your eyes to the rear of your head: lose 4 ENDURANCE points. You reel back in agony and quickly muster your Magnakai Curing skills to numb the terrible pain, and restore your damaged sight. But as your vision is returning, you hear a loud crash of breaking glass, and your companions cry out with shock and alarm. You fear a steam-gun projectile has smashed through the tower's great glass window, but when your vision returns, you see that it is something far larger … and far worse!