The Deathlord of Ixia

by Joe Dever

  If your total score is now 4 or lower, turn to 99.

  If it is 5–8, turn to 231.

  If it is 9 or higher, turn to 104.

  198

  Outside of this vessel is a vast subterranean lake enclosed within a titanic cavern of ice. Several ice-boats, similar to the one on which you set sail from Fort Azgad, are moored in a long line at the lake's edge. Scores of undead warriors attend to these ships, and many more can be seen marching along the frosty walkways which go all around the lake's shoreline.

  Quickly you realize that these ships are part of a great invasion fleet. Constructed by the slaves of Deathlord Ixiataaga, they can only have been built for one purpose — to carry his armies of undead warriors to the lands of the living. Rimoah and Ardan were correct — the Deathlord does intend to wage a bloody war upon Magnamund — yet even their gloomiest predictions failed to estimate just how advanced his plans are.

  Shocked by the revelation of your discovery, you reaffirm your vow to thwart the Deathlord's monstrous scheme. You move away from the porthole and hurry along the hallway in search of a way out of this alien submarine.

  Turn to 69.

  199

  Your frustration at not being able to solve the psychic riddle soon deepens into despair. The oppressive aura of evil which fills this chamber is beginning to undermine your will to go on.

  Driven by the need to escape from its insidious effect, you commence a search for another exit. During this laborious search you discover a tiny hole near the base of the archway.

  If you possess an Onyx Key, turn to 192.

  If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 71.

  200

  The howling winds of the void rip at your face and clothing as you plummet into the core of the lightless abyss. You lose all sense of time until, in the remote distance, you see tiny motes of light come streaking towards your face. Then, as suddenly as it began, the sensation of falling through deep space is replaced by an abrupt cessation of movement.

  Stunned and disorientated, you shake your head and rise uneasily to your feet. As your blurred vision clears, you see that you have returned to the chamber of the Crystal Spire from where you were first sent tumbling into the Shadow Gate. It is empty now. Fearing the worst, you use your Kai skills to determine the time and the date. To your immediate relief you discover that only a few hours have elapsed during your absence from Magnamund; it is still possible for you to achieve your quest.

  You resolve to find the Deathlord, even if it means searching every chamber of the Crystal Spire. You turn to leave this hall, but a noise behind you makes you freeze in your tracks. The sudden stench of decay and corruption tells you that you may not have to look too far to find your adversary after all.

  Turn to 90.

  201

  You climb the rigging rapidly until you reach the middle section of the mainmast. Here you cut free a guide rope and use it to swing clear of the burning ship. Your Kai skills enable you to see through the billowing clouds of smoke and, as your swing begins to lose momentum, you get ready to release your grip and make your jump to the quayside — a distance of more than fifty feet.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have Grand Huntmastery, add 1 for every level you have attained above that of Kai Grand Defender.

  If your total score is now 5 or less, turn to 132.

  If it is 6 or more, turn to 317.

  202

  Your Kai Mastery warns you that you have inadvertently triggered a silent alarm. You unsheathe your weapon and turn to leave this rubble-strewn chamber, but as you move towards the stairs you hear a sound that makes you spin on your heel: it is the grating rumble of stone on stone.

  From out of a secret panel in the wall to your left come six skeletal warriors, each one brandishing a rust-pitted sword. They make no sound, yet their eye sockets are aglow with sorcerous fire as they rush across the chamber towards you.

  If you wish to stand and fight these skeletal warriors, turn to 242.

  If you choose to escape from this chamber by the stairs, turn to 343.

  203

  After a few minutes of intense concentration your Kai Mastery 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 2 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.

  204

  Lying behind the stone table you discover three leather haversacks. Curious as to what they contain, you rip them open and spill their contents out onto the frost-covered floor. Mostly they hold crudely-made eating utensils — battered metal bowls, flasks, iron cutlery, and the like. But among these worthless items you discover something that makes your eyes widen — it is a key fashioned expertly from green stone.

  If you wish to keep this Onyx Key, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you carry in the pocket of your tunic.

  To continue, turn to 34.

  205

  At once you recognize the winged creatures. You encountered them the last time you were here upon the Plane of Darkness. They are Lavas — fell servants of the Dark God Naar.

  The dozen or so Lavas surrounding the ailing Tagazin appear to be urging him on towards the Shadow Gate. Your hopes of returning to your home world rose when first you saw the Shadow Gate, but now the familiar sensation of fear returns to chill your blood. The thought occurs to you that if Tagazin should enter the Shadow Gate before you, the Lavas may be able to close it behind him and deny you the chance of escaping from this evil domain. It is a risk you cannot afford to take.

  Drawing your weapon, you race along the track in pursuit of the Demonlord, grimly determined to prevent him from reaching the Shadow Gate alive.

  If you possess Assimilance, turn to 347.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 38.

  206

  As you stumble away from the cave mouth, you look back over your shoulder to see the mysterious creature illuminated momentarily by a flash of lightning. The sight is chilling to behold. From the creature's huge, bear-like body there writhes a score of slimy tentacles, and from the top of its reptilian head there protrudes a twisted horn, longer than a broadsword. It gives a loud gibbering howl of victory before returning to its evil-smelling lair.

  Denied shelter in the cave, you return to the bottom of the pass and seek cover among the circle of rocks which lie on the southern face. When you are within a few dozen yards of the circle, you hear a deafening crack! which sets your pulse racing. With that split-second warning, a huge expanse of rock and ice breaks away from the slopes above and swiftly transforms itself into a thundering avalanche. Wide-eyed with horror, you watch as a million tons of ice, snow, and shale comes rumbling down the mountainside towards you.

  Galvanized into action, you turn
and run from this deadly white wall of destruction. It is almost upon you when you see a low shelf of rock near the base of the pass, and desperately you dive for cover beneath it.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Nexus, you may add another 2.

  If your total is now 5 or lower, turn to 99.

  If it is 6–9, turn to 231.

  If it is 10 or higher, turn to 104.

  207

  Less than fifty yards away you see a shaggy, grey-furred beast of burden which is harnessed to a wooden wagon. A troop of undead soldiers is unloading shiny metallic containers from the back of this wagon which they then carry, cradled in their bony arms, into the open mouth of the submarine.

  Stealthily, you make your way closer to the wagon and await the chance to climb aboard as soon as the final container has been off-loaded. At last the opportunity arrives; you leap aboard and hide yourself from sight beneath a greasy, foul-smelling tarpaulin.

  After a few minutes you feel a jolt as the wagon moves off. Through a crack in its ancient wooden planks, you watch with trepidation as the wagon trundles along a causeway towards the distant tunnel entrance. It enters the tunnel, unchallenged by the skeletal warriors who stand guard here, and ascends a gentle gradient to another ice-walled cavern. Several passages connect here from all directions, like the spokes of a giant wheel converging at the hub.

  Illustration XIII—The undead soldiers unload metallic containers into the open mouth of the submarine.

  An undead Drakkarim soldier steps forward, takes hold of the shaggy beast's harness, and leads the wagon towards a stockpile of metallic containers. Clearly he intends to load these onto the wagon for transportation back to the submarine. Fearing discovery, you leap from the rear of the moving wagon and hide yourself among a stack of empty wooden crates. From here you observe two possible ways by which you could leave this busy cavern: by an unguarded staircase in the north wall, or through an open archway in the east wall.

  If you wish to leave this cavern by the staircase, turn to 141.

  If you choose to leave through the open archway, turn to 7.

  208

  Aided by your mastery, you crouch down amongst the foul-smelling debris which litters the floor of the hold. A dozen undead warriors enter by the stairs and begin a systematic search, but your advanced camouflage skills make you virtually invisible, even to their psychic probes.

  Turn to 118.

  209

  You strike your killing blow and the creature's tongue flickers in and out as it hisses like a sleeting gale. It drops to its knees, its talons scrabbling for your legs, and its eyes flaring brightly with evil fire. Quickly you step back and watch the flames that are its eyes flicker and go out. Then it crumples to the icy ground, its body transforming swiftly into an evil-smelling pool of bubbling black venom.

  The destruction of the Cabalah seems to weaken the attacking horde. They falter, and Lanza's men seize the opportunity to counterattack. You rush forward and join them as they fight their way valiantly back towards the quay.

  ‘Look there, Grand Master!’ shouts Lanza, pointing to the ice-boat. A score of undead have clambered aboard the vessel and it is clear by their actions that they intend to destroy and sink it.

  ‘They must be stopped!’ you cry. You break free from the battle and run headlong towards the stricken ship. You are halfway along its gangplank when you find yourself confronted by a wedge of skeletal warriors, armed with crude axes and swords.

  You leap into their midst, striking them down with blurring speed and deadly accuracy. As the last one falls, its corpse-like body almost severed at the waist, you hear a noise behind you which makes you spin around in fearful expectation.

  Turn to 78.

  210

  You reach down to unsheathe your weapon, but it has only just cleared the scabbard when a terrible pain knifes through your lower left leg. The unseen pit-beast has clamped its powerful jaws around your calf and is now attempting to drag you below the surface of the bog. Desperately you stab blindly for the creature's head in an attempt to cut yourself free from its vice-tight grip.

  Suggaz: COMBAT SKILL 44 ENDURANCE 44

  If you win this fight, turn to 67.

  211

  The moment you enter the electrical field arcing between the pillars, an explosion of white-hot fire obliterates your vision and you feel agonizing pain shoot through every part of your body: lose 10 ENDURANCE points.

  If you are still alive after this grievous wounding, turn to 315.

  212

  With a yell of desperation you tumble headlong towards the sea and strike the water face-first. For an instant you feel its icy chill; then you are plunged into darkness as your head and left shoulder slam against a ridge of solid ice that lies submerged just a few inches below the slushy surface. Mercifully, you are knocked unconscious and spared the agony of being crushed and torn between the ship's prow and the cruel, unyielding ice.

  Tragically, your life and your quest end here in the Tozaz Sea.

  213

  The bodies of the ghastly creatures undergo a swift and gruesome transformation upon the instant you deal them the coup de grâce. Their torsos implode with dramatic effect, and they barely have time to cry out in agony as their twisted remains hit the floor and crumble to dust.

  You sheathe your weapon and step away from the foul-smelling mounds of dust. But as you go to leave, you discover that the open archway that these creatures were guarding when you first arrived in this chamber is now sealed. You approach the solid sheet of opaque green crystal and examine an intricate lockplate which is set in the centre of its mirror-smooth surface. It is a lock of ancient design, one which operates by psychic energy. You study the intricate patterns which embellish it and gradually you realize that they give clues to a two-digit number. By projecting the image of this number at the lock, using your psychic powers, you will release the locking mechanism and cause the portal to open.

  The first of the two numbers is equal to the number of islands which lie within 150 miles to the west of Xaagon.

  The second number is equal to the number of cities and towns which can be found located in the Shegtar Peaks.

  Consult the map in order to determine the correct two-digit number which will open the lock. When you think you have cracked it, turn to the entry that bears that same number as your answer.12

  If you calculate incorrectly, or if you cannot solve the clues, turn instead to 199.

  [12] The section corresponding to the correct answer will have a footnote confirming that it is indeed correct. You have only one chance to guess at the correct answer. If you guess incorrectly, turn immediately to 199.

  214

  You raise the Sommerswerd and a gout of golden flame engulfs the blade, flaring with such brilliance that Deathlord Ixiataaga is momentarily blinded by its goodly light. He shrieks, and raises the Deathstaff defensively to ward off your first blow. As the blade of the sun-sword bites the haft of Ixiataaga's fell weapon, a hissing mass of crimson and gold sparks explode into the air. These fiery motes are sucked into the vortex of the Shadow Gate, which has now begun to whirl with alarming intensity.

  The Deathlord reels from the force of the impact, but he recovers swiftly and thrusts the sharp tip of the Deathstaff at your face. You duck the thrust, but you sense that this is just the beginning of what will be a titanic fight to the finish.

  Deathlord Ixiataaga (with Deathstaff — uncharged): COMBAT SKILL 60 ENDURANCE 39

  This supernatural being13 is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.

  If you win the combat, turn to 290.

  [13] According to Lone Wolf, The Roleplaying Game (© 2004): ‘As trapped by the wave of unlife as his people, Ixiataaga has researched the lore of death and magic for ten millennia.’ This indicates that Deathlord Ixiataaga is indeed undead, so remember that you inflict double ENDURAN
CE point losses against him.

  215

  You unsheathe your weapon and advance bravely towards the Deathlord, determined to take the fight to him and finish him in mortal combat. His laughter buffets you like a ghastly storm, and its growing, concussive power keeps you from reaching the fiery moat. Then you see a ball of light appear at the tip of the Deathstaff and, in the very next moment, an agonizing pain shoots through your chest. Almost immediately there is an explosion of white-hot fire that obliterates your senses and, in a terrifying instant, the light that is your life is snuffed out.

  Tragically, you have fallen victim to the Deathlord and his staff of unholy power. Your life and your quest end here.

  216

  You stare into the glowing eyes of the approaching Demonlord and muster your strength to summon up a pulse of psychic energy. The pulse forms a radiant ball of power which you send speeding across the chamber to slam into Tagazin's unprotected mind. He flinches with pain and halts momentarily, but he soon recovers and presses home his attack.

  Demonlord Tagazin: COMBAT SKILL 54 ENDURANCE 60

  You may use Kai-surge again during this combat. This being is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.