The Buccaneers of Shadaki

by Joe Dever

  Turn to 71.

  239

  When you and the captain return to the main deck of the Seasprite, Ghol-Tabras is little more than a tiny speck shimmering on the far horizon. Your daring leap from the harbour bridge is still the talk of the crew and they are eager to shake your hand when Radyard proudly shows you around his ship. The Siyenese are a friendly crew with a keen sense of humour that they readily share. You enjoy being in their company and the next three days at sea pass effortlessly. On the evening of the fourth day, Radyard drops anchor off the coast at a place called Kastrow's Door. It is a narrow strait that runs between the jungle mainland and the Isle of Kobra. The night is calm and clear, and the stirrings of a warm southerly breeze promise fine sailing for the following day. Yet despite these good omens you awaken next morning feeling ill at ease. As you are leaving your cabin to go on deck, suddenly you hear the lookout in the crow's nest shout a warning that chills your blood: ‘Man o'war off the starboard bow!’

  Turn to 16.

  240

  The villagers fire their bows and every arrow strikes the dragon, yet none of them penetrate the creature's scaly hide. You utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell Lightning Hand and direct your bolt of energy at the creature's belly as it soars directly overhead. It hits the creature and makes it shudder, but it does not 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.

  241

  You see the shimmering glint of sun on steel and in the very next instant the dagger comes speeding towards you. You throw yourself to the ground to avoid being hit, but the blade is cursed. It dips in mid-air and strikes you above the right knee, cutting a furrow across the back of your thigh: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  To continue, turn to 77.

  242

  You grab the sides of the ladder and climb towards the hatch. The rungs are slippery and the slick leather of your soles does not make for a speedy ascent. Then you hear a loud hissing and you look down to see that the creature is directly below you. Suddenly the ladder lurches violently as the ship is struck by another wave. There is a loud roar, and then the hatch above your head collapses and you are hit by a deluge of seawater that sweeps you off the ladder. You crash down upon the creature's head, stunning it, and the force of your fall sends it reeling to the floor.

  Frantically you scramble to your feet and reach for your Kai Weapon to finish off the beast before it can recover. But to your horror you discover that your weapon is not at your side; it fell from your belt when you were swept off the ladder. You look around and catch sight of it sliding across the floor towards the bulkhead door.

  If you wish to retrieve your Kai Weapon, turn to 227.

  If you choose to attack the beast with a normal Weapon before it fully recovers, turn to 176.

  243

  The shock of the unexpected blow knocks the air from your lungs and somersaults you down into the water. You draw upon your Kai skills to numb your pain and gather your senses and, as your vision clears, you discover that you are still in one piece. However, the satchel containing the Moonstone is no longer slung around your shoulder. The strap has broken and you glimpse the bag sinking towards a coral reef, five fathoms below. Suddenly you sense movement in the water and you twist around. Speeding towards you comes a marine monster; it is returning after having rammed you in the back. It resembles a gigantic crocodile, but one with a blunt-muzzled head and scales of dull grey horn. As it closes for the kill its great jaw swings open revealing a ghastly red maw lined with dozens of dagger-like fangs.

  Illustration XIV—Its great jaw swings open, revealing a ghastly red maw lined with dozens of dagger-like fangs.

  If you wish to try to reach the surface and fill your empty lungs with fresh air, turn to 166.

  If you decide to unsheathe your Kai Weapon and prepare to defend yourself from this creature's attack, turn to 67.

  244

  You find your way to the docks and discover Captain Leonghi's ship moored at the end of the quay. It is a battered old trader that is in desperate need of a lick of paint, but it looks seaworthy enough. The crewman on watch is expecting you and he invites you aboard. The captain greets you with a wry smile. He has heard stories about the incident at the Caeno Derby yesterday and he insists that you remain in your cabin until the Embassage is safely out at sea. You agree to his request and descend the prow-deck ladder to your cabin below.

  Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  To continue, turn to 109.

  245

  Sesketera rushes at you and launches a whirlwind flurry of thrusts and sweeps that force you away from Oriah's unconscious body. You unsheathe your Kai Weapon and the clang of striking metal echoes throughout the hall as you parry his relentless rain of blows. Suddenly the sharp report of your colliding weapons is answered by the dull ringing of a bell in a distant part of the citadel. It is an alarm bell, and it is announcing your escape from the dungeons of the gaol.

  Sesketera (with Medallion of Weaponskill): COMBAT SKILL 53 ENDURANCE 42

  Conduct this combat in the normal way for two rounds only. If you are still alive after two rounds, do not continue the fight. Turn instead to Section 215.

  246

  You climb to the top of the pit and drag yourself over its lip. Arrows thud into the ground and whistle past your head as hurriedly you stumble forwards and dive for the cover of the jungle trees.

  Turn to 38.

  247

  You steady yourself by wedging your foot firmly between the guide ropes of the bridge, and then you draw an Arrow to your Bow and let it fly at the bandit axeman. It strikes his axe below the blade and splits the wooden haft in two. The bandit shrieks with alarm, drops his shattered weapon, and then flees into the jungle as fast as his skinny legs will carry him. His confederates quickly lose their nerve when they see you reaching for a second Arrow and they, too, turn tail and disappear into the trees.

  Suddenly you glimpse a face peering out from the crevice in the gorge. You spin around and release your second Arrow, sending it whistling towards the startled eyes of the bandit who is pulling the rope attached to the underside of the bridge. He dodges back into the darkness and your shaft shatters harmlessly against the rocks, but in his panic to avoid your Arrow he accidentally lets the rope slip from his hands.

  As the floor of the bridge ceases to sway, you quickly remount your horse and coax him across to the far side. The bandit's angry voice echoes through the gorge as you make good your escape along the jungle trail that continues beyond the bridge.

  Turn to 205.

  248

  You struggle to climb the ladder out of the hold but you are hampered by torrents of debris-laden water that come pouring into the hold through the open hatch.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If your ENDURANCE score is now 8 or less, deduct 1 from the number you have picked.

  If your total score is now 2 or less, turn to 321.

  If it is 3 or more, turn to 261.

  249

  You resign yourself to the fact that you are unlikely to find a buyer for copper in this unfriendly inn and so you turn to leave. Seeing this, the drunken louts in the taproom start to jeer at you and throw food and ale at your companions. In the face of this mindless abuse you lead them out of the tavern and begin retracing your route back to the harbour in the hope of reaching The Azan before night closes in completely. You are within a few hundred yards of the harbour entrance when suddenly a patrol of the city watch come marching around a corner with their spears couched on their chainmailed shoulders. Their officer commands you all to halt and demands that you raise your hands above your heads.

  If you wish to do as the
officer has ordered, turn to 228.

  If you decide to make a dash for the harbour, turn to 330.

  250

  Slowly the door opens to reveal a grey-haired man clad in the robes of a High Council Elder of Dessi. At first his sea-blue eyes and lordly countenance are fixed in seriousness, but then he recognizes the insignia of your Kai tunic and his stern face breaks into a warm and welcoming smile.

  ‘Praise the gods! You have arrived, Grand Master. I feared that you and your precious cargo had been lost at Ghol-Tabras. I am Zinair. Please, please, come inside.’

  Lord Zinair ushers you into the consulate and asks you to wait in his private chambers. After he has taken the precaution of dismissing his staff, he joins you there. He had expected your arrival weeks ago and had almost abandoned hope that he would ever see you alive, fearing that you had fallen foul of Sesketera. When you recount all the perils of your journey from Elzian, Zinair is doubly amazed that you are with him now. You reassure him that you still have the Moonstone and you offer to show him the precious artefact, but he declines your offer saying that it would be safer for you both if it were to remain within its korlinium satchel.

  Zinair suggests that you bathe and eat and avail yourself of the many luxuries that the consulate has to offer. He suggests that after you are rested you meet again later so that you may discuss the final and most vital part of your mission.

  Turn to 186.

  251

  You focus your powers at some loose rocks that overhang the crevice, and you see them shudder under the force of your will. Suddenly they collapse and come crashing down, severing the rope as they tumble past the crevice to disappear into the gorge below. As the floor of the bridge ceases to sway, you quickly remount your horse and coax him across to the far side. You can hear angry voices echoing from the gorge as you spur him to the gallop and escape along the jungle trail that continues beyond the bridge.

  Turn to 205.

  252

  The Lucky Horse Inn is famous for its gaming tables which attract some of Magnamund's most notorious gamblers. Even at this early hour of the afternoon its tables are busy as fortunes are wagered, won, and lost on the turn of a card or the roll of a die. Gregor buys you a tankard of ale and together you stand and watch an interesting game of 5-card Lourdenian Draw unfold at a nearby table.

  After surviving the attack upon his ship, Gregor is feeling lucky. When two players drop out of the game he suggests the idea that you and he should take their places.

  If you agree to his suggestion, you can join in the game by turning to 8.

  If you do not wish to gamble, you can leave the inn and continue along the main street by turning to 168.

  253

  Suddenly the caged birds stop their chirping and the young woman senses something is wrong. She raises her tear-streaked face and catches sight of you standing near the entrance to the antechamber.

  ‘Who are you?’ she demands, hurriedly wiping away her tears. ‘Are you one of Sesketera's lackeys come to taunt me?’

  You tell the young woman not to be alarmed — you have no wish to harm her. The unexpected shock of seeing you gradually fades and she becomes curious. ‘How did you enter this hall?’ she asks. ‘And why are you here?’

  Sensing that she, too, is being held against her will, you decide to confide in this young woman and tell her everything that has befallen you since you first arrived in Ghol-Tabras. When you have finished your sorry tale, she smiles sympathetically. She then tells you of her own sad predicament.

  You learn that her name is Oriah. She is the daughter of Khazullo, a Vassagonian Funtal who rules the city of Fio Fadali. Her father is a rich and ruthless man and it is his wish that his only daughter should marry Sesketera, the ruler of Ghol-Tabras. Oriah has no desire to become the bride of a cruel overlord, but this is of no interest to her father. He lusts after the political power that her marriage will afford him. He has no thought or concern for his daughter's happiness.

  With the help of her friends, Oriah attempted to flee her native city in order to avoid the marriage. But she was hunted down by Sesketera's men and brought here, to his citadel, against her will. She is to be kept imprisoned in this hall until her wedding day, one month from now.

  ‘Let us escape from this place together,’ you say, but Oriah merely shakes her head.

  ‘No … no, it cannot be. Sesketera is holding my friends. They are his hostages. If I leave the citadel before our wedding he will put them to the sword. I cannot leave here. But I will help you to escape. Come, follow me.’

  Turn to 78.

  254

  You crouch down behind a crate and listen to the chilling sound of the creature's horned feet scratching the floor as it comes running towards the door of the hold. It pauses at the threshold and sniffs the air. Your Kai senses tell you that it is searching for the Moonstone and only the korlinium lining of your satchel is preventing the beast from locating it … and you!

  If you possess Assimilance and have attained the rank of Kai Grand Master Superior, turn to 96.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 131.

  If you do not possess these skills, or if you have yet to attain the required level of Kai Mastery, turn to 154.

  255

  You see the sniper place his blowpipe through the cord of his loincloth, and then he grabs a hollowed-out horn from around his chest and raises it to his lips. Your pulse quickens when suddenly you realize that he is about to sound a warning call.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 192.

  If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it, turn to 70.

  If you possess neither of these skills, or if you choose not to use them, turn to 301.

  256

  You see the deck of the trading ship come rushing towards you and then, in the very next instant, you feel a stinging pain cut across your lower right arm. An arrow has grazed your wrist: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.

  To continue, turn to 280.

  257

  The remaining looters flee from Tzai's warehouse, pausing only to pick up and carry with them the bodies of their confederates who fell to your deadly blows. You help Tzai and his brother to secure the warehouse doors by barricading them with crates and barrels. Once this has been achieved, the three of you return to the house to check that Tuvei and the children are safe.

  Soon the militia gain control of the main square and the mob disperses. Chinn thanks you for saving his life, and he apologizes for the way he has behaved since your arrival. He tells you that Gemulkin is an old friend of his and he offers to take you to see him first thing in the morning.

  Turn to 275.

  258

  The avenue twists like a snake through a maze of old houses and boarded-up shops until it finishes abruptly at a dead end. You search for a way through to the harbour that is nearby, but there are none to be found.

  Suddenly you hear the sound of the city watch training closer, and you realize that all you can do now is fight or surrender to them.

  If you wish to fight the city watch, turn to 148.

  If you choose to surrender to them, turn to 345.

  259

  Begrudgingly you pay the innkeeper 6 Nobles and then you ask that he bring you some of the food you have paid for. He points to a table and tells you to go and wait. The food will be brought to you shortly.

  As you take your seat, you are approached by a smiling, fair-haired young man who is attired in a cloak of darkly-patterned wool. He has strong Sommlending features and the cut of his clothes tells you that he is a member of a guild from your homeland. He is holding a plate of steaming vegetables.

  Illustration XV—As you take your seat, you are approached by a smiling, fair-haired young man.

  ‘Well met, Master Kai,’ he says, wiping and offering his hand in friendship. ‘I am Melchar, journeyman to the Silversmiths' Guild of Toran. I'm honoured to make with your acquaintance. May I join you? The food here is indescribabl
e … but it fills an empty belly.’ You welcome the young man to sit down and the innkeeper appears with your food. As you share your meal, you learn more about him and this region of Shadaki.

  Melchar is on his way home to Toran. He has spent the past six months studying in Tiklu at the workshops of a famous silversmith of that city. During his stay he also studied the history of this region. On hearing of your encounters at sea he tells you that the buccaneers of Shadaki are renegades from the remnants of a great fleet that was created by the Wytch-king Shasarak. Following the overthrow of their master, these renegades were banished to the wastes of the Sadi Desert by Grey Star — the Wizard Regent of the Free Peoples. However, the buccaneers have recently returned to prey upon the rich sea lanes, and their piracy has grown unchecked ever since Grey Star disappeared three months ago from his palace in the city of Shadaki. His court officials maintain that he is abroad on a quest to western Magnamund, but rumour is rife that he has been abducted by necromancers who wish for a return to the dark days of Shasarak's rule.

  Melchar asks what has brought you to this part of the world and you tell him simply that you are on your way to the Port of Suhn to meet with Lord Zinair of Dessi. On hearing this, Melchar says that he may be able to help you reach your destination.