by Joe Dever
Illustration XX—Imperial Guards gathered around their campfire.
Turn to 4.
336
You hear the musket's loud report, and then 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 forwards into a fathomless abyss.
The lead ball from the guard's musket has pierced the back of your skull and penetrated your brain. Mercifully, your death is swift and painless.
Sadly, your life and your mission end here in the barracks of Yua Tzhan.
337
The woman launches a bolt of psychic energy that lances your mind and fills your head with a fiery, agonizing pain: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
Fortunately, your mental defences knit together to repair the damage you have sustained from this opportunistic attack, and the pain in your head quickly recedes.
To continue, turn to 236.
338
Your refusal angers the Autarch.
You sense a sudden surge of psychic power, and you brace your mental defences in preparation to meet an expected attack. The Autarch launches a stream of psychic pulses but they are not directed at you; Captain Gildas is the target.
Gildas shudders as the pulses impact deep in his mind. His eyes open widely, but his pupils rise to the ceiling. He is in a trance. He draws his sword and, like a mindless automaton, he swings around and comes marching stiffly towards you. You shout his name repeatedly, but all he can hear are the Autarch's psychic commands to attack and slay you with his sword.
At first his blows are clumsy and easy to dodge, but the speed of his movements increases until you are backed against the chamber wall with nowhere to go. You have no desire to fight Gildas, but he will slay you unwittingly if you do not defend yourself from his relentless blows.
Captain Gildas (Psychically possessed): COMBAT SKILL 48 ENDURANCE 40
Conduct this combat as normal. All blows that you land upon Gildas are with the flat of your blade. You are attempting to subdue him, not kill him. He is immune to all psychic attacks.
If you win this combat, turn to 117.
339
As the flying creature disappears over the lip of the ravine, you wrench your foot free from the cleft in the boulder. Instantly, you fall towards the base of the steep gully, but your natural agility enables you to twist in mid-air and land safely on your feet without sustaining any further injuries.
You quickly ascend the steeply-sloping wall and retrieve the steel tube from the slate outcrop. You tuck it into your belt, and then you climb back to the top of the ravine where you pause to examine what the tube contains.
Turn to 140.
340
Your Kai Sixth Sense warns you that the one-eyed man and his cohorts are waiting outside in the main square. They are determined to ambush you and your companions the moment you step from the inn. Wary of their intentions, you ask the innkeeper if there is another exit from the taproom and he points to a curtained archway. It conceals a door which opens on to an alleyway running alongside the inn. You leave by this door and walk to the end of the alley, taking care to avoid the main square. Your mind is now focused upon the task of finding and retrieving the Claw of Naar before Autarch Sejanoz arrives, and when you consult your Siyenese Compass, you set off in the direction it indicates. It leads you towards the Military Quarter of the city, located on the east side of the main square. You follow an avenue lined with closed shop doorways, and soon you 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.
341
You sleep poorly and wake feeling drained and disheartened: lose 2 ENDURANCE points. Shortly after dawn, you break camp and set off across the marshlands, heading east. At first the spongy ground comes as a welcome relief after the jagged rocks and twisted roots that litter the floor of the Angfeng Forest. Then the marshy soil degenerates into a treacherous swamp, and soon you are forced to head south in search of firmer terrain.
For two days and nights you trek across wetlands, living as best you can off the flora and fauna of this inhospitable region. By noon of the third day you catch sight of a stone bridge across the River Heng, on the outskirts of a town called Zuda. The rangers are excited at the prospect of escaping at last from the mosquito-infested wetlands, but their enthusiasm is dampened when you magnify your vision and take a closer look at this Chai border town.
Turn to 206.
342
As you reach the crest of the ridge, you rein in your horse and halt to look back at the trap you have set. After several minutes, you see your enemy entering the valley and come galloping along the trail. You magnify your vision in order to observe them as they approach the pillars. Suddenly there is a vivid flash of blue-white light when one of the Imperial Guards brushes past the column of stone in the middle of the track. You let out a cheer when you see the leading riders tumble from their saddles, and your companions echo your cry when you tell them what you have witnessed.
Seizing the advantage, you urge your stallion to the gallop and speed away from the ridge with your ranger companions following closely on your heels.
Turn to 309.
343
The old man is deeply hurt by your refusal to take bread and wine with him. It is considered a grave insult in Bhanar to refuse such basic hospitality. Some of the young men who have gathered outside the tent to watch you now begin to reach for their daggers. Anxious to avoid any needless bloodshed, Captain Gildas intervenes and accepts the old man's offer on your behalf. ‘He's a Northlander,’ he says, by way of an apology on your behalf. ‘He knows nothing of your customs.’
The old man smiles and nods his head, and then he invites you all to come into his tent. You dismount, and the children look after your horses while you file into his spacious dwelling. He gives each of you a glass of mulled wine and a piece of unleavened bread, and while you are enjoying this plain fare, he invites you to examine the wares and trinkets which lie strewn about his tent.
Gildas nudges you and points to a rickety table that is heaped with simple straw-coloured robes, much favoured by Bhanarian plainsmen. ‘These may be a wise investment, 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 of his robes.
‘One hundred and sixty Ren, kind sir,’ he replies, cheerfully.
The old man's price is equivalent to 16 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.
344
Sejanoz approaches the fire and stoops to retrieve the Claw, but then he hesitates. His skeletal hand trembles and he seems powerless to control it. You sense that he is afraid of the flames: it is his one vital weakness.
You rush towards him and land a kick to his side, toppling him over. Before he can rise again, you grab the haft of the Claw and tug it from the fire. A burning log is skewered upon its tip. It flares brightly when you thrust it at the Autarch's helm and he rolls away, towards the shattered window. You follow up and jab it at his hands, and he shrieks with fear. Then he tries to stand, and as he is levering himself up from the floor, you leap into the air and land a two-footed kick to his chest that sends him somersaulting backwards. With a wailing cry, he tumbles out of the window and plummets into the courtyard below.
Turn to 219.
345
‘Stay here, Captain,’ you whisper. ‘I will return soon.’
With these words, you slip away from y
our hiding place and make your way back to the rocky mouth of the pass, using your Kai camouflage skills to keep yourself hidden from the enemy. As you approach the ravine, you hear the sounds of fierce fighting and see intermittent flashes of magical energy piercing the gloom. The winged horde are making a determined attack upon the grounded skyship, but Lord Rimoah and his young crewmen are putting up a spirited defence.
When you reach the edge of the ravine, you are confronted by the unexpected sight of Cloud-dancer rising rapidly into the darkening sky. A bloody battle is raging along her decks as the winged beasts attempt to wrest control of the skyship from the crew. You magnify your vision and catch sight of Lord Rimoah standing at the craft's stern, near to the boarding cage. For a few moments your eyes meet and you make a telepathic link. He hurls a metallic tube in your direction and you hear his voice in your mind, urging you to retrieve it. Then the link is broken when he is forced to defend himself from a determined attacker. You watch the tube strike a rock at the edge of the ravine, and then it disappears from sight. With fear running cold in your veins, you watch helplessly as the beleaguered skyship powers away towards the east, pursued by the flying swarm of ravening beasts.
If you wish to stay hidden among the rocks at the edge of the ravine, turn to 203.
If you wish to attempt to retrieve the metallic tube, turn to 243.
346
You steer your horse through the trees that border the clearing, and follow an easterly bearing that soon brings you to the edge of the forest. Without daring to look back, you leave the Vanchou and set off across the vast, open plains.
Turn to 250.
347
Once you are safely outside the barracks, you hurry away along a cobblestoned street that is crowded with parked wagons, anxious troops, and irate drivers. The barracks' alarm bell continues to toll, and you sense that the theft of the Claw has now been discovered.
As you turn a corner, you see a mounted patrol of four guardsmen come cantering along the street towards you. The officer regards you with suspicion and he orders you and your companions to halt.
If you wish to obey his command, turn to 139.
If you wish to try to evade this patrol, turn to 306.
348
As you rush into the ill-lit alleyway, one of the City Guard's arrows ricochets off the wall and gouges a furrow of skin from your calf: lose 1 ENDURANCE point.
To continue, turn to 174.
349
You tell the rangers what you have discovered, and suggest that they rest awhile under the wooden bridge while you attempt to lure a distant group of stallions towards the stream. By the use of your Magnakai Discipline of Animal Control, you are able to entice four horses to approach the bridge. At first they are nervous, for they can detect the vile stench of the Doomlands' dust which impregnates the rangers' tunics, but they are also thirsty and they cannot resist for too long the temptation of the sparkling stream.
You allow them to drink at the stream for several minutes and, as they settle, you slowly approach the leading stallion. You are reaching out to take hold of his mane when he suddenly rises up on his hind legs and flails at you with his hooves.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Assimilance, add 1.
If your total score is now 3 or lower, turn to 234.
If it is 4 or higher, turn to 99.
350
You see the unmistakable shape of Cloud-dancer silhouetted against the rising sun. It hovers above the central keep of Fort Jhung, and with the wind in your hair and a cry of victory on your lips, you bank your sky-chariot towards it.
Lord Rimoah and Lord Ghadra are among the many on deck who are anxiously watching and praying for you to appear, though no one is expecting your arrival will be by air. The crew can hardly believe their eyes when you bring the sky-chariot down to land upon the deck. Within seconds of touching down, you are surrounded by a mass of cheering countrymen.
Lord Rimoah appears among the excited throng. With tears of joy in his eyes, he embraces you and then offers up a prayer of thanksgiving to Goddess Ishir for your safe return. You deliver to him the Claw of Naar and he vows that this accursed artefact will be destroyed by the Elder Magi to prevent it from ever falling into the hands of Autarch Sejanoz.
Congratulations, Grand Master. You have met this difficult challenge and you have triumphed. Your brave and daring exploits will long be remembered in the legends of the New Order Kai. Yet the fight against Evil goes on. Soon your courage and Kai skills will be tested anew. The nature of the quest and the dangers that await you will be revealed in the next exciting Lone Wolf New Order adventure entitled:
The Hunger of Sejanoz
Numbered Sections
1-10: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11-20: 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21-30: 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31-40: 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41-50: 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51-60: 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
61-70: 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
71-80: 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
81-90: 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
91-100: 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
101-110: 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110
111-120: 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120
121-130: 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130
131-140: 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140
141-150: 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150
151-160: 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160
161-170: 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170
171-180: 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180
181-190: 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190
191-200: 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200
201-210: 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210
211-220: 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220
221-230: 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230
231-240: 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240
241-250: 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250
251-260: 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260
261-270: 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270
271-280: 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280
281-290: 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290
291-300: 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300
301-310: 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310
311-320: 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320
321-330: 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330
331-340: 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340
341-350: 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350
The Autocracy of Bhanar and the Chai Borderlands
Action Chart
Combat Rules Summary
Add your COMBAT SKILL to any bonus points given to you by your Kai Weapon, Special Items, or Grand Master Disciplines.
Subtract the COMBAT SKILL of your enemy from this total. This number = Combat Ratio.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
Turn to the Combat Results Table.
Find your Combat Ratio along the top of the chart and cross-reference to the random number you have picked. (E indicates loss of ENDURANCE points to Enemy. GM indicates loss of ENDURANCE points to yourself.)
Continue the combat from Stage 3 until one character is dead. This is when the ENDURANCE points of either character falls to 0 or below.
To Evade Combat
You may only do this when the text of the adventure offers you the opportunity.
You undertake one round of combat in the usual way. All points lost by the enemy are ignored; only you lose the ENDURANCE points.
If the book offers the chance of taking evasive action in place of combat, it can be taken in the first or any subsequent round (unless specifically stated otherwise).
Combat Results Table
Random Number Table
Errata
Introduction
We have taken our unique opportunity to correct errors and to enforce a standard of English usage. We list our changes here. If you see anything that needs correction, please contact the Project Aon Staff.
Errata
(Title Page) Replaced ‘VAMPIRIUM’ with ‘Vampirium’. Replaced ‘Claw of Naar’ with ‘Claw of Naar’. Replaced each occurrence of ‘Claw’ with ‘Claw’.
(The Story so Far … ) Replaced ‘MS5084’ with ‘MS 5085’. Replaced both occurrences of ‘elite’ with ‘élite’. Replaced ‘Kai monastery’ with ‘Kai Monastery’. Replaced ‘Free Alliance’ with ‘Freeland Alliance’. Replaced ‘monastery of the Kai’ with ‘Monastery of the Kai’. Replaced ‘the Monastery’ with ‘the monastery’. Replaced ‘autocracy of Bhanar’ with ‘Autocracy of Bhanar’. Replaced ‘Southern Dammerdon mountains’ with ‘Southern Dammerdon Mountains’. Replaced ‘despatched’ with ‘dispatched’. Replaced ‘Darklord armies’ with ‘Darkland armies’. Replaced ‘the First Order of the Kai were’ with ‘the First Order of the Kai was’. Replaced ‘Spring’ with ‘spring’. Replaced ‘my Lord’ with ‘my lord’. Replaced ‘MS5063’ with ‘MS 5063’. Replaced ‘MS5077’ with ‘MS 5077’. Replaced ‘Twenty-five years later’ with ‘Twenty years later’ in harmony with what is stated in the Lone Wolf Grand Master series.