Voyage of the Moonstone

by Joe Dever

  Swiftly you assess your perilous situation and determine two ways in which you may save yourself from the slaver's gang of bloodthirsty thugs.

  If you wish to run back across the square and attack the slaver, turn to 78.

  If you wish to attempt to reach the town's bazaar and find the marines, turn to 126.

  196

  To your dismay you discover that there are hundreds of tracks covering these cobblestones, and you cannot be sure which of them belong to the creature that you are chasing. Hurriedly you decide to follow the left alley, but as a precaution you direct the militia to go off along the right alley.

  After a few hundred yards the alley opens out into a small square surrounded by private houses. There is only one exit from this square, other than the one by which you entered, and it is barred by a heavy iron gate. Lanterns surrounding the square illuminate the flagstones and you are unable to see any tracks that have been made here within the last hour. Suddenly the ghastly howl shreds the silence of the city once more. You focus your keen Kai senses and detect that it came from somewhere beyond the iron gate. Now you are sure that you have come the wrong way.

  If you wish to retrace your steps back to the junction and enter the right alley, turn to 14.

  If you decide instead to climb over the iron gate, turn to 233.

  197

  You summon your elemental Kai powers to deflect this terrifying meteor before it consumes you and burns you to a cinder. A superhuman effort will be required if you are to accomplish this desperate action successfully.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. You may add 1 to the number you have picked for every 1 ENDURANCE point you are prepared to deduct from your current total.

  If your total score is now 2 or lower, turn to 70.

  If it is 3–6, turn to 246.

  If it is 7 or higher, turn to 305.

  198

  You join Fernant and Raker at the bow and watch as Oriah makes several dives upon the sunken wreck. She is a strong and graceful swimmer, and you can tell by the effortless way she moves through the water that she is skilled and experienced at sea diving.

  The galleon is broken at its centre and lies with its fore and aft sections separated by an expanse of debris-strewn sand. Oriah searches both sections and discovers a dagger and a handful of gold and silver coins. Having satisfied herself that there is little else of value to be found, she returns aboard and allows herself to dry off in the hot noon sun. Captain Raker gives the order to weigh anchor and soon The Pride of Sommerlund is forging a course once more through open seas.

  Turn to 240.

  199

  Quickly you erect a psychic shield to protect your mind from this attack, and rapidly the terrible pain in your head subsides.

  Turn to 109.

  200

  You sit up with a start and reach instinctively for your weapon. Your horse is neighing wildly. He rears up repeatedly on his hind legs and fights to break the reins which hold him fixed to a tree. He is clearly terrified of something from which he cannot escape. You wipe the sleep from your bleary eyes and scan the darkness. And then you see the object of his terror and your blood freezes in your veins.

  Creeping slowly from the shadowy undergrowth is the Deathstalker, his amber eyes blazing like two evil gems. At first you cannot believe what you are seeing. The beast is dead. You saw the flames consume his carcass. Then the realization strikes you that this is not the beast you slew in Hikas. This is his mate. She has hunted you and now she comes for you in the dead of night … and she is ravenous for revenge.

  Illustration XII—This is not the beast you slew. This is his mate who has hunted you, and is ravenous for revenge …

  She howls and the jungle falls silent. Now her amber eyes blaze with evil fire as she bounds out of the undergrowth and launches her vengeful attack.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 3.

  If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it, turn to 147.

  If you possess a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 10.

  If you possess neither of these skills, nor a Bow, or if you choose not to use them, turn instead to 260.

  201

  Rhous picks up the skull and weighs it in his hand before examining its pitted surface. You can tell by his sour expression that he is disappointed: he had hoped for something more exceptional than this. After a few moments he offers you 8 Gold Crowns. You haggle with him and finally you settle on a sum of 10 Gold Crowns.

  (If, in addition to the Iron Skull, you also possess any of the other items, Rhous would be willing to pay you 20 Gold Crowns for the Siyen Crown, and 30 Gold Crowns for the Kutyan Emerald. Be sure to amend the details on your Action Chart before continuing your adventure.)

  Turn to 349.

  202

  You draw upon your advanced mental defences and counter this unexpected psychic assault. As the pain in your head rapidly fades, you open your eyes to see that a sinister new threat has loomed into view.

  Turn to 75.

  203

  You dive to avoid the meteor and the lightning speed of your Kai reactions enables you to save yourself from being hit. The fireball strikes the place where you were standing and bounces back into the sky. As it disappears into the angry black clouds it screeches like a banshee and leaves behind it a trail of hissing steam.

  To continue, turn to 132.

  204

  You barely have time to raise your weapon before the creature is upon you. The vile stench of its breath fills your nostrils and you are slammed against the wall by the sheer momentum of its attack: lose 2 ENDURANCE points. You duck to evade its slashing claws and they rake deep grooves in the wall above your head. Then you twist your body sideways and manage to pull away, creating the vital space you need in order to wield your weapon against this terrible foe.

  Deathstalker: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 40

  This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge).

  If you win the combat, turn to 41.

  205

  Through a combination of skilful helmsmanship and crewmanship, The Pride of Sommerlund enters the Bukimi Channel and picks up a prevailing wind that propels you away from the pirate raiders. Soon they have disappeared beyond the distant horizon and, when Raker is sure that they have abandoned their pursuit, he warmly praises his First Mate and crew for their seamanship.

  As the ship navigates the narrow strait dividing these two Lakuri islands, you pass by the fire-blackened ruins of a beach settlement which nestles in a bay overshadowed by cliffs. This is Kita Cove, formerly a secret base from where Captain Khadro launched his pirate fleet. As you stare at the charred remnants of the pirate settlement, you try to imagine what it must have looked like before the encampment was consumed by the tremendous fireball that sealed its doom. Suddenly your daydreaming is interrupted when, to your shocked surprise, you see something moving among the ruins.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy, turn to 158.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 247.

  206

  You veer off the main road and lead the way along this narrow dirt track as it winds a tortuous route into the hills. For several minutes you climb this trail until it ends abruptly at a boulder-strewn plateau that commands a magnificent view of the coast and surrounding land. Far below you can see a cluster of tiny yellow lights moving through the darkness. They are the torches carried by your pursuers and you watch intently as these flickering specks of light draw closer to the place where the hill track meets the coast road. You are praying to Ishir that the riders will ignore the track and continue along the road, for this plateau is a dead end; the track is the only way to approach or leave here on horseback.

  Suddenly Sligh taps you on the shoulder and points to a dark shape at the centre of the plateau. At first glance it looks like a pit, but when you magnify your night vision you see that it is a flight of rough-hewn steps which descend into the solid rock.

  If you wish to
investigate these steps, turn to 174.

  If you choose to ignore them and remain where you are, turn to 114.

  207

  You wake shortly after daybreak to the appetizing smell of boiled eggs and cured meat. This shortly turns out to be your breakfast which the landlady delivers personally to your room on a tray. Before she goes, you take the opportunity to ask her if she knows of any means of transport departing for Elzian today. She says that there is no regular transport to the Dessian capital, but she says that there is a merchant's caravan leaving today for Hikas.

  ‘It takes paying passengers,’ she says, ‘but you'd better hurry if you want to catch it. It leaves from Zakhan's Mount in less than an hour.’

  Quickly you finish your food and prepare to leave. Before you go, the landlady gives you directions to the Zakhan's Mount written on a scrap of parchment.

  To continue, turn to 77.

  208

  In lieu of a Gold Crown, the stable girl agrees to accept one of your Backpack Items (you may erase any item of your choosing from your current list of Backpack Items. If you do not possess any Backpack Items, you must erase one Weapon instead.)

  With little desire to stay at this extortionate inn a moment longer, you mount your horse and — with a flick of your heel — leave the stables and follow your companions as they turn south onto the mountain road.

  Turn to 156.

  209

  Suddenly it seems that everyone in the tavern is gripped by an inexplicable madness. The rogue pulls his dagger free and attempts to stab you, but you turn his clumsy thrust aside with your forearm and knock him to the floor. Two of the others try to strike you simultaneously with their swords and you duck below their blades. They strike each other and fall back, screaming and clutching at their wounds. A thrown bottle catches you a glancing blow to the head as you run for the door (lose 2 ENDURANCE points), but you manage to pull it open and escape into the darkening street without further injury. However, to your dismay you discover that your horse Jhani has disappeared. Two men brandishing swords appear in the doorway behind you and swiftly you sprint along the street. You use your Kai camouflage skills to evade them and they quickly give up the chase.

  Turn to 295.

  210

  Drawing upon your mastery of the elements, you summon a gust of wind to deflect the gout of sticky fluid. Your swift and timely action saves you from becoming entangled in the gluey strands of this creature's web, and you are able to climb the remaining few feet towards the creature's perch. Frantically it lashes out at you with its rubbery legs as you attempt to plunge your weapon into its vulnerable belly.

  Otokh: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 40

  This creature is immune to all forms of psychic attack except Kai-surge.

  If you win the combat, turn to 315.

  211

  Yranai keeps an equal distance between the two mountains as his craft approaches the gap. But as it drifts nearer, you feel the air temperature beginning to fall rapidly as you get closer to the snowy peaks. Suddenly the basket is buffeted by rising air currents and you have to grip the handrail tightly with both hands to stay on your feet.

  Your Magnakai tracking skills warn you that the balloon is in the grip of thermal air currents that are swirling between the peaks. These are being created by the coming together of dry air masses from the Bavari Hills and humid jungle air from the Dessian uplands. You warn Yranai but he seems unconcerned. ‘It may get a little rough,’ he says, as he struggles to keep his spectacles from being shaken off his nose, ‘but Simoom is built to take it. She'll see us through!’

  As if in defiance of his words, the basket lurches violently as the balloon is hit by a strong crosswind. Yranai is unable to reach the engine valves to compensate for this sudden change of direction and, to your mounting horror, you see the basket drifting towards a jagged outcrop of rock.

  If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it, turn to 157.

  If you possess Grand Nexus and wish to use it, turn to 283.

  If you possess neither of these skills, or if you choose not to use them, turn to 87.

  212

  Svolta screams as your killing blow pierces his chest. He drops his sword, staggers drunkenly backwards, and then falls off the edge of the slave platform to land in an undignified heap on the dusty ground. His master — the slaver — has disappeared into the crowd, but by using your Sixth Sense and tracking skills you discover that he has slipped away to hide in the adjoining bazaar.

  You leap from the platform and set off across the square towards the market bazaar. The slaver's henchmen, fearing that you may escape, immediately move in from all sides to block your path. The crowd scream and scatter as you approach them for they are terrified at the prospect of being dragged into a bloody mêlée when the slaver's thugs catch up with you. Then suddenly, in the midst of this chaotic tangle of running and screaming people, appear Ernan, Sligh, and Oswin mounted upon their steeds, and yours and Oriah's horses in tow. News of what has happened here at the slave market has spread like wildfire through the rest of Kilij. On hearing these reports, the marines have rushed here as quickly as they could.

  ‘Come, Grand Master!’ shouts Oswin, and he throws you the rope that is now attached to your steed's head. ‘We must flee this town at once!’

  You leap onto the blanket-saddle which is tied to your horse's back, take hold of the rope reins in both hands, and dig your heels into his flanks to urge him to the gallop. Two of the slaver's henchmen rush to block your escape but they are trampled into the dirt when your horse bolts away. You race towards a tree-lined avenue on the south side of the square with your three companions galloping close behind. As you enter this thoroughfare, you see one of the slaver's men come rushing out of a doorway. He is armed with a bow, and as you gallop past him, he draws an arrow to his lips and takes careful aim at your head.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 3 to the number you have picked. If your current ENDURANCE score is 20 or lower, deduct 2 from the number you have picked.

  If your total score is now 2 or lower, turn to 238.

  If it is 3–6, turn to 84.

  If it is 7 or higher, turn to 284.

  213

  You find and enter your room, and then you lock the door behind you. Exhausted after your ordeal at the gladiatorial arena, you unshoulder your Backpack and collapse on the bed without bothering to undress. Yet, despite your fatigue, you cannot seem to fall asleep. For more than an hour you lie staring at the cobwebbed beams of the ceiling as, in your mind's eye, you recall some of the dramatic events of your journey so far. You picture Oriah being carried away by the Itikar, the deaths of Fernant and Sergeant Dryan aboard The Pride of Sommerlund, and the faces of the three marines who travelled with you from Cape Kabar. The images and memories of these people help strengthen your resolve to reach Elzian and you decide that you will set out for Hikas first thing in the morning.

  Before you fall asleep, unless you possess Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  To continue, turn to 328.

  214

  You leave the lodging house and stand outside in the busy market square. While you are watching the city's lamplighters going about their evening duties, you contemplate your situation. You know that you are going to need to raise some money if you are to reach Elzian without incurring great delays. In fact, the success of your mission could hinge upon it. With this thought foremost in your mind, you hurry across the square and enter a rough-looking hostelry opposite. It is home to several rogues and rascals who spend most of their nights drinking and gambling. You join in one of their dice games and, using your Magnakai skill of Nexus, you manage to win 10 Gold Crowns from them before they suspect something is wrong and they demand you leave.

  You go back to the lodging house where the Chai landlady is disappointed to see you return. She is about to tell you to go away when you place 3 Gold Crowns into her hand, paymen
t for one night's board and breakfast (you may add a total of 7 Gold Crowns to your Action Chart: your winnings less your lodging fee).

  Turn to 19.

  215

  As a precaution you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell Counterspell before setting foot in the musty chamber. It proves to be a wise precaution for your spell successfully eradicates the curse that has been placed upon the idol and its precious emerald.

  If you now wish to take and keep this Kutyan Emerald, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you keep in the pocket of your tunic.

  To continue, turn to 344.

  216

  The hostel-keeper pockets your Crowns (erase these from your Action Chart) and leads you up a flight of rickety bamboo stairs to a corridor which is hung with gaudy tapestries. He points to the first door on the left and then bids you goodnight.

  ‘What about my key?’ you say. He looks at you and shrugs. ‘No key,’ he says, and then he turns away and shuffles back down the stairs. You push open the door to find a small clean room with a bed and bamboo table.