The Buccaneers of Shadaki

by Joe Dever

  The youth thanks you for your custom and as you turn to leave he suggests that you ask after Captain Radyard at the Warehouse. You thank him and you take his advice.

  Turn to 97.

  58

  You leave the shop and depart from the city of Nhang through its West Gate, following the main trade road that leads to the city of Jazer, 40 miles to the west. There are many fellow travellers on this road. Some, like you, travel alone and on foot. Others journey in convoys of ox-drawn wagons heavily laden with wares. You try to hitch a ride aboard these convoys but without success, and so you resign yourself to the fact that you have a long day's walk ahead.

  At noon you come to a village where the road enters some hilly timberland. A sprawling taverna dominates the village, providing meals for travellers. There are more than a dozen wagons parked outside its doors and many sullen-faced natives are sitting on nearby benches eating their midday meals.

  If you wish to stop and enter the taverna, turn to 114.

  If you decide to continue on your way without stopping, turn to 323.

  59

  You stagger to your feet and climb the spiral steps until you come to a landing where several corridors converge. Some of these corridors are occupied by gaolers and other officials of Sesketera's citadel who are going about their duties. Then you hear the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs behind you, and this sound reminds you of the pressing need to keep moving. You draw upon your Magnakai Disciplines of Huntmastery and Pathsmanship to help you choose the best route of escape and, to your surprise, in doing so you discover a secret panel in the wall at the head of the stairwell. You reach out and press a raised stud and the concealed panel slides open to reveal a narrow passageway beyond. Quickly you enter this passage before your pursuers appear, and the panel automatically clicks shut behind you.

  Turn to 170.

  60

  Your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that, despite his threats, the bandit has no intention of chopping through the rope which anchors the bridge. To do so would lose him your horse, and horses are worth a great many Nobles in this region of Shadaki.

  However, you decide to play along with their game. You raise your hands to give the impression that you are surrendering, and when they order you to return across the bridge, you pretend you do not understand. The axeman shouts to his accomplice who is hidden in the crevice. He tells him to stop pulling on the rope and he dutifully obeys. As the bridge ceases to sway, the axeman and one other walk across the bridge towards you. They stop just beyond sword reach and motion to you to lay down your Weapons and equipment. Slowly you lift the satchel off your shoulder. As the strap clears your head, you grip it tightly and take a swing at the axeman. The satchel catches him on the jaw and the weight of the Moonstone knocks him unconscious. His companion screams with anger and lunges at you with his sword, but you swiftly sidestep him and he loses his balance. With a fearful cry on his lips he falls over the side of the bridge and tumbles to his doom.

  Quickly you remount your horse and coax him across to the far side. Angry voices echo from the gorge behind you as you spur him to the gallop and escape along the jungle trail beyond the bridge.

  Turn to 205.

  61

  You enter this imposing herbalist's shop and stare in awe at the thousands of stoppered jars that line its wooden shelves and counters. They contain all manner of rare liquids, powders, roots, and tinctures, most with foreign names that are unfamiliar. You scour the jars and find only two that contain herbs from Sommerlund with which you are very familiar.

  Potion of Laumspur: restores 4 ENDURANCE points when swallowed after combat.

  Potion of Alether: increases COMBAT SKILL by 2 when swallowed before combat.

  Each of these potions costs 3 Nobles (1 Noble = 1 Gold Crown). If you wish to purchase one or both of them, adjust your Action Chart accordingly.

  To leave the emporium and continue along the main street, turn to 168.

  62

  The villagers fire their bows and every arrow strikes the dragon, yet none of them penetrate the creature's scaly hide. You muster your Kai powers and cause a strong gust of wind to strike the creature's belly as it soars directly overhead. It makes the beast shudder, but it fails to deflect it from its chosen course.

  The dragon circles the village once more and then hovers above the burnt-out remains of the central hut. You observe the creature and your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that it has not come here bent on destruction. It is seeking something in the charred ruins.

  Turn to 85.

  63

  As you leap from the parapet of the harbour bridge, you are caught in a terrifying crossfire of arrows.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked. If you possess Assimilance, add 2.

  If your total score is now 0–1, turn to 162.

  If it is 2–6, turn to 297.

  If it is 7 or higher, turn to 256.

  64

  The woman is disappointed that you will not pay her charge and she asks you to leave her shop. As you are walking to the door she calls out:

  ‘Zinair is well-known. Perhaps you should ask the City Guards. They won't charge you for information.’

  You thank her for the free advice and return to the square. The City Guards seem to be the only option left, and despite your feelings of unease, reluctantly you approach them and ask for their assistance.

  Turn to 172.

  65

  Using your Grand Master Discipline, you focus upon the heads of the rivets which fix the bolt to the cell door, and you cause them to vibrate. Within a few minutes these rivets have become red hot. They expand and then split. Once the strength of their iron has been sufficiently undermined, you are able to wrench open the door of your cell.

  Turn to 24.

  66

  You wake with the rising sun and take time to fix your damaged Backpack before leaving the timber yard to walk to the neighbouring ferry station. You can see the ferry approaching across the strait. It is loaded with carts and horses and more than a hundred people. A queue has formed at the station gate where a ferryman is waiting to collect the crossing fare. A board slung around his chest informs you that the price of the crossing is 2 Nobles.

  If you can afford the price of the crossing, turn to 188.

  If you do not have 2 Nobles, turn to 287.

  67

  You steel yourself to attack the creature as it spreads its massive jaws and gets ready to devour you whole.

  Nigumu-sa: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 50

  This creature is immune to all forms of psychic attack. Unless you possess Grand Nexus, reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 4 due to your desperate lack of oxygen. You are unable to consume any potions prior to the combat. If the Kai Weapon you wield is ‘Ulnarias’ or ‘Spawnsmite’, you will benefit from the bonus gained due to its unique properties.

  If you win the combat, turn to 260.

  68

  A tingle rushes down your arm and a bolt of blue-white energy leaps from your hand to shatter the chain in two. The gate is blown open by the force of the blast and you and Melchar seize the opportunity to make a speedy escape.

  You emerge into the busy street outside the racetrack and Melchar shouts for you to follow him. He pushes his way through the crowd and enters a narrow alley separating two shops.

  Turn to 6.

  69

  While Jenkshi and the crew are busy repairing the ship's hull, you are approached by Grooja, the town elder. He is able to speak a little Sommlending and he asks if you would care to stay the night as a guest in his humble home. He says that he would be greatly honoured if you accepted his invitation and, rather than risk hurting his feelings, you agree to go.

  Grooja lives in the best hut in all of Dlash-da Ralzuha. It is the best hut because it possesses a door and a roof which does not leak when it rains. Grooja's family prepare for you a meal of roasted vulture meat and boiled snakes. Af
ter this unusual feast, his wife invites their twenty grandchildren to come and entertain you with an ancient tribal dance in which they each spin around and around for as long as they can before they are violently sick. Whenever this happens the other members of Grooja's noisome clan scream and cheer them excitedly. When at last this display of quaint tribal culture comes to a natural end, Grooja's toothless wife sidles up to you and suggests that you should pay a visit to the ‘Shrine of the Oracle’. She assures you that this wondrous shrine is famous throughout this region for it dispenses infallible words of wisdom to all those who would seek its counsel.

  If you wish to visit the shrine, turn to 299.

  If you do not, turn to 178.

  70

  You utter the words of the Old Kingdom Spell Invisible Fist and project your open palm at the sniper. The force of your spell hits him in the chest and sends him tumbling backwards from his perch to land heavily upon the exposed roots of the tree. You hurry to his body and discover that his neck has snapped. To your disappointment, you also discover his blowpipe and horn are both useless, having been damaged by the fall.

  Quickly you hide his body in the undergrowth and then you move deeper into the jungle, guided and drawn by the strange incessant noise.

  Turn to 51.

  71

  On entering the shop you are greeted by a tall woman with pale skin and long black hair. She wears plain robes of brown cloth and a miniature crystal ball that dangles from a chain around her neck.

  ‘Welcome, stranger,’ she says, ‘I am Giolaer the Soothsayer. How may I help you?’

  You ask if she can tell you where you will find Lord Zinair, the Dessian ambassador.

  She looks into the miniature crystal ball for a few moments and then she replies: ‘I have that knowledge, and all it will cost you is 5 Nobles.’

  If you wish to pay the Soothsayer 5 Nobles (or 5 Gold Crowns), turn to 283.

  If you do not have enough money, or if you choose not to pay the sum she requests, turn to 64.

  72

  You suddenly recall that it is the custom of the guildsmen of Shadaki to offer a glass of liqueur to their prospective business clients. To refuse this offer is considered a grave insult. You do not wish to upset the guildsman, yet also you do not wish to leave the Suhnese waiting too long for you in the street outside the hall. There is a curfew in force and night is fast approaching.

  If you choose to accept the guildsman's glass of liqueur, turn to 271.

  If you choose to decline his offer and make an excuse in order to leave, turn to 95.

  73

  You spring forward and take a running leap at the gate. The momentum of your run carries you high enough to grab the crossbar and pull yourself astride it. You offer Melchar your hand and as soon as he grips it firmly you haul him up. As he struggles to pull himself over the top, one of Wrok's men grabs him by the legs. A desperate tug-of-war ensues between you and the henchmen, with the unlucky Melchar in the role of the rope. Suddenly the henchmen release his legs and you and your companion tumble over the gate to land with a thud on the street outside the racetrack.

  You are getting to your feet when you hear the crowd around you are laughing, but it is not until you look at Melchar that you understand why. In the struggle with the henchmen the young journeyman has lost his breeches. Red-faced with embarrassment, Melchar shouts for you to follow him as he pushes his way through the giggling citizens and enters a narrow alleyway between two shops.

  Turn to 174.

  74

  You raise your Bow and quickly fire an Arrow at the side of the creature's shimmering head. Yet it seems to sense the approaching shaft and the beast destroys it with a bolt of energy that emerges from the centre of its being. Desperate now to save your stricken mount, you rush forward and attack the creature with your Kai Weapon.

  Illustration V—A bolt of energy emerges from the centre of the creature's being.

  Tzoog: COMBAT SKILL 48 ENDURANCE 32

  This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge). If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Valiance’, add +8 to your COMBAT SKILL (instead of +5).

  If you win this combat, turn to 149.

  75

  As you leap over the parapet, you utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell Levitation. By using this spell you are able to control the speed of your fall. Immediately your feet touch down on the floor of the hall below, you are able to rush to the main doors and escape from the citadel at a run.

  Turn to 155.

  76

  You urge Gemulkin to turn his ship about for the fury of the electrical storm is churning the sea, making it boil and seethe. Fearing for the safety of his cargo and crew the captain readily agrees and he orders his helmsman to bring the ship around. But as the Vargas returns towards Shuri Point, Gemulkin suddenly sees something on the horizon that makes him change his mind.

  Turn to 100.

  77

  Clutching at your wound, you hurry out of the park and descend the steep path which leads down to the harbour below. When you are sure that you have not been followed, you pause to use your Magnakai skills to heal your injury and check any poison that may have tainted the blade of the cursed dagger. Dusk is approaching by the time you reach The Azan, and when you go aboard you discover that the cargo has been fully loaded.

  Captain Jenkshi is pleased with his crew and feels they deserve some reward for all their hard work. Half of his men would like to spend the night ashore at the Three Capstans Inn, one of their favourite taverns. The tavern-keeper delivered some fresh food to the ship during the afternoon, and he promised a free flagon of ale to any crew member who paid him a visit this evening. The captain gives his permission, but on one condition — all those who wish to go ashore this evening must be back on board before dawn breaks tomorrow.

  ‘We sail on the dawn tide,’ he bellows, ‘so don't expect to find us still here if y'roll up late.’

  If you wish to go ashore and visit the Three Capstans Inn, turn to 144.

  If you decide to stay aboard with the captain and the remaining crew members, turn to 288.

  78

  Oriah takes you to another antechamber where she opens a door concealed behind a hanging tapestry. A narrow torchlit passage lies beyond this door and together you follow it until you arrive at a domed alcove. Here Oriah touches the head of a marble statue and the alcove swivels open to reveal a balcony encircling a large hall. Peering over the parapet you see that it is the main entrance hall to Sesketera's citadel. Its polished stone floor lies some twenty feet below the balcony, and its doors are guarded by two impressive warriors. They are attired in gold armour which glimmers in the weak rays of sunlight that are now filtering into the hall through its stained glass roof.

  ‘Wait a few moments,’ whispers Oriah. ‘They are the night guards. Dawn is breaking and soon their watch will be over. There is always a lapse before the morning guards come on duty. The doors will then be unmanned and you will be able to escape from the citadel without being seen.’

  Minutes later, just as she predicted, the warriors march away and leave the doors to the citadel unguarded. Oriah wishes you good luck, but as she leans forward to kiss you fondly on the cheek, a stern voice suddenly shatters the silence of the hall.

  ‘Oriah! What deceit is this!’

  You spin around and see a tall, broad-shouldered man clad in a high-necked robe of purple silk. He has emerged from an archway and he is standing near the parapet rail at the far side of the balcony.

  ‘Sesketera … ’ gasps Oriah. She snatches her hands to her mouth and then she swoons and faints. You catch her as she falls and you lay her carefully down upon the floor. Sesketera shouts for his guards until he notices that the hall below is empty. He curses their absence, and then he begins to move around the balcony towards you. He is unarmed — but not for long. He grabs a ceremonial weapon from a stand of armour and quickens his pace. As he levels this deadly spear at your chest you see that his eyes are filled with
a blind, jealous rage.

  If you have ever visited the city of Bisutan in a previous Lone Wolf New Order adventure, turn to 322.

  If you have not, turn to 43.

  79

  The bolt glances your shoulder and spins you to the ground: lose 3 ENDURANCE points. The old man emits a cry of shocked surprise when he sees you scramble to your feet and unsheathe your Kai Weapon. He turns tail and runs towards the village, shrieking hysterically.

  You hear him calling the men of the village to gather their weapons. He denounces you, saying that you attacked him without provocation, and he orders that his men put you swiftly to the sword. Quickly you turn and run towards the ridge. You know that it would be useless to attempt to reason with these people and so you resolve to reach the trail and make a hasty escape.

  Turn to 145.

  80

  The moment you voice the answer to the challenge,10 the black globes disappear and the mist fades to reveal a lush, green, volcanic island that is crowned by a halo of silvery cloud. Your pulse races with anticipation as you feel the sea return beneath the keel of your craft, and a wind to propel you towards this wondrous isle. You have met the challenge and you have triumphed. Now you shall reap your reward by landing upon the shores of Lorn — the mystical realm of the exiled Shianti.