The Captives of Kaag

by Joe Dever

  Mindful that the Zlanbeast might summon others of its kind, you sheathe your weapon and escape from the area as quickly as you can. At the end of the street you see an avenue leading off to the south, and another, blocked by rubble, heading off to the west.

  If you wish to follow the avenue southwards, turn to 142.

  If you choose to clamber over the rubble which fills the entrance to the west avenue, turn to 35.

  285

  Carefully you step over the twitching remains of the three Plaak and continue along the tunnel without looking back. Several hundred yards later you arrive at an empty circular room. The only feature here is a rusty iron ladder fixed precariously to the wall, which ascends through a hole in the ceiling to a level above. There is no other exit from this chamber and so, with caution guiding your every move, you climb the rust-eaten rungs.

  You rise through the hole to find yourself in a corridor which is strewn with human bones. Skeletons lie mixed in tangled heaps and many of the skulls and loose bones seem to have been gnawed. The psychic residues of pain and terror left by these luckless victims press in upon your senses, making you feel queasy and claustrophobic. With pounding heart you advance along the bone-choked passage, stepping carefully through the skeletons to avoid making a sound. But you have taken less than a dozen steps when something unexpected makes you freeze in your tracks.

  Turn to 218.

  286

  With a triumphant growl, the Akataz rips free of the curtain and comes leaping at your chest. Hurriedly you step back, unsheathing your weapon as you struggle to defend yourself from its slavering jaws.

  Akataz: COMBAT SKILL 24 ENDURANCE 25

  This war-dog is especially susceptible to psychic attack. If you can and wish to use a psychic attack during combat, double all bonuses to which you are entitled.

  If you win this combat in four rounds or less, turn to 13.

  If you win this combat in five rounds or longer, turn to 264.

  287

  You feel the heat singe your skin as the stream of flame comes speeding towards your face. Guided purely by instinct, you throw yourself to the floor in a desperate attempt to avoid being sprayed by this stream of liquid fire.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 3 to the number you have picked.

  If your total score is now 6 or less, turn to 103.

  If it is 7 or more, turn to 323.

  288

  The vines are rope-thick and immensely tough. Despite their thorns, which repeatedly snag your cloak, you find it easy to climb up the shaft to the level above. However, as you approach the level, the thorns begin to grow at an alarming rate. They pierce your clothing and, when they puncture your skin, you feel an agonizing pain course through your body. Like the teeth of a vampire, the thorns allow the bloodsucking vines to leech your life's blood: lose 10 ENDURANCE points.

  Half-blinded by the pain and loss of blood, you fail to see the pair of Drakkarim Death Knights who are standing close to the edge of the shaft on this level. Your cries of agony startle them and, with brutal efficiency, they tear you away from your thorny prison and throw you to the ground. Through a red haze of pain you glimpse them unsheathing their swords with the intention of striking you dead.

  Drakkarim Death Knights: COMBAT SKILL 42 ENDURANCE 37

  If you win this combat, turn to 230.

  289

  In desperation you throw up your hands to shield your face as the spiked log comes hurtling down the stairs. It hits you, impaling your chest upon two of its deadly sharpened staves, and rolls you down the stairs to the street below. You suffer terrible wounds and, mercifully, death is instantaneous.

  Tragically, your life and your quest end here in Kaag.

  290

  The passage leads directly to a huge hall constructed of fiery red granite. It is lit by scores of braziers placed at regular intervals around the walls, and the atmosphere is heavy with the stench of ash and sulphur. Tapestries woven of metal thread adorn the far wall, making it gleam dully in the scarlet light. They depict scenes of evil grandeur: vast molten landscapes, like the surfaces of suns, all furiously ablaze.

  Cautiously you step into the hall, passing between two great pillars which flank the entrance. The air is scorchingly hot (although you have experienced hotter places here in Kaag) and your senses are dulled by it. Far off in the distance, through the rising heat, you glimpse a tunnel which descends to a lower level of the citadel.

  You are contemplating avoiding this hall by turning back and retracing your steps to the junction, when suddenly you hear the sound of flapping wings high above. You look up and a shiver runs the length of your spine when you see two malicious eyes staring down at you from the shadows of the roof.

  If you possess Kai-screen, turn to 21.

  If you do not possess mastery of this Discipline, turn to 191.

  291

  Anger wells up in the guard's face when you refuse to answer him.

  ‘Okak gaz!’ he growls, and thrusts his spear murderously at your chest. With ease you sidestep the attack and, as you move, you take hold of the shaft and pull him off balance. With a yelp of fear the brutish Drakkar stumbles and falls headlong down the steps towards the alley below.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If the number you have chosen is 0–4, turn to 257.

  If it is 5–9, turn to 111.

  292

  You feel your strength waning as the Helghast's steely fingers claw relentlessly into your throat: lose 4 ENDURANCE points. In sheer desperation you twist and writhe like a snake in a last-ditch attempt to free yourself from its deadly grip. For an instant its hold falters and you exploit this weakness to the full. You grab the creature's sleeves and, with a swerve of your hips, you send it hurtling over your shoulder. With a wail of abject terror, the Helghast is sent tumbling off the bridge to fall, face first, into the flame-filled moat.

  Open-mouthed, the two Drakkarim stumble to a halt and stare down into the moat. Nervously they glance at each other, fearful of suffering a similar fate; then they turn and run towards the open chamber door. Determined not to let them escape, you give chase and catch up with them within a few yards of the entrance.

  Drakkarim: COMBAT SKILL 26 ENDURANCE 35

  If you win this combat, turn to 340.

  293

  From out of the mist-filled jaw there emerges a small black creature covered in shaggy fur. Its head is white, cut with dark bony ridges and studded with running sores that encircle its flaming red eyes.

  Illustration XVI—A small, black, shaggy creature with flaming red eyes emerges from the mist-filled jaw.

  You raise your weapon and get ready to strike as it stalks nearer, but your concentration is momentarily broken when you notice a wispy shadow emerging from the alcove on the far side of the hall. It is a Nadziranim sorcerer. Fearful of its purpose, you turn away from the furry creature and make a dash towards the ivory staircase, intent on reaching Banedon as quickly as possible. The stalking creature, thinking that you are running in fear, immediately gives chase and comes bounding towards you, determined to intercept you before you reach the steps.

  If you have a Bow and wish to use it, turn to 46.

  If you do not, turn to 173.

  294

  You bring your advanced tracking senses to bear and, almost at once, you detect an ambush has been laid for you in this pen. An elaborate magical screen has been erected to camouflage and keep hidden the warriors who are, at this very moment, lying in wait for you and Banedon to appear.

  Anxiously, you peer into the pen, scrutinizing every shadow for some clue to the ambushers' whereabouts, but you are unable to spot their positions. The saddled Zlanbeast looks so inviting, yet your hopes of escape are tempered by the desire to keep yourself and Guildmaster Banedon alive.

  If you wish to attempt to reach the Zlanbeast and escape as quickly as you can, hopefully before the ambushers can stop you, turn t
o 95.

  If you decide to retreat from the pens and go in search of an alternative escape route, turn to 147.

  295

  As the Doomwolf howls its death-cry and crashes to the floor, you hear the sound of booted feet running along the passageway outside. The noise of combat and the Doomwolf's last howl have drawn a squad of Drakkarim to this cell.

  Quickly you cross to the room's solitary window. It is criss-crossed with iron bars, but on closer examination you discover that they are loose and badly corroded. A swift blow with the heels of your hands is enough to dislodge them, allowing you to escape with ease.

  Outside the window there is a covered courtyard. You crouch in the shadows while you wait for a group of Drakkarim stablehands to disappear; then you cross to the far side, climb a low wall, and make your escape into the ruins beyond.

  For over a mile you wend your way through derelict buildings before you happen upon an avenue which is surprisingly clear of debris and obstructions. You are conscious that perhaps it is too clear, offering you no cover at all from the tall buildings that line this route to the centre of Kaag. You decide to trust to the ruins rather than run the risk of being detected out in the open. However, within a matter of minutes you are confronted by a new hazard. The ground in this section of the city is unsafe. It is riddled with pot-holes and concealed cellars, covered by rotten wooden beams and slabs of paper-thin plaster. Suddenly one such section gives way beneath your feet and you find yourself falling headlong into coal-black darkness.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.

  If your total score is now 0–5, turn to 32.

  If it is 6 or more, turn to 51.

  296

  Your spell causes the sphere to vibrate uncontrollably. Tiny cracks appear in its crystal surface; then, with a flash of sparks, it breaks in two. At once the shimmering wall of light which imprisons Banedon flickers, and then disappears completely.

  Turn to 188.

  297

  Unable to progress any further in this direction, you return to the Kraan pen and enter the west arch. There you discover a flight of stairs which ascends through several levels of the citadel until it finally emerges in a vast hall. This chilly place is festooned with icy stalactites. In the dim distance you see the yellowy glow of a warmer chamber and you hurry towards it, taking care not to slip on the treacherous, frost-covered floor.

  You are near the centre of this chamber when the temperature drops dramatically. Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Nexus, you lose 5 ENDURANCE points due to the extreme cold.

  To continue, turn to 133.

  298

  Upon the instant of his death, your enemy is consumed by a roaring fire which sprouts from the shaft of his sorcerous weapon. Within the space of a few seconds he is transformed into a heap of red-hot dust.

  Shocked by what has occurred here, and fearful of what may yet happen if you stay any longer, you rush to the crypt door and force it open. Grasping for breath, you race up the short flight of steps and run headlong for cover among the neighbouring ruins. There you find an ideal hiding place. It is concealed from the sky by an upper storey, and it commands an unobstructed view of a deserted plaza, its only means of approach. Here you rest while you consider your next course of action. Restore 2 ENDURANCE points.

  During your rest, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  To continue, turn to 201.

  299

  You rejoin your physical body barely seconds before the creature attacks, but the shock of such a swift transition leaves you temporarily paralysed and unable to move: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  As the numbness fades, the boar-thing slams into your chest and sends you reeling backwards across the glassy floor towards the moat. Its great curved tusks deeply gouge your arm and shoulder (lose a further 5 ENDURANCE points). Unsteadily you rise to your feet and draw your weapon as the beast attacks once more, this time with its head down, in an attempt to butt you into the fiery moat.

  Gnagusk: COMBAT SKILL 41 ENDURANCE 45

  If you win this combat, turn to 325.

  300

  You increase your speed as you approach the iron door and get ready to push against it, expecting great resistance but, to your complete surprise, the heavy portal swings open the instant you reach out to touch it. A gust of cooling air wafts in your face, encouraging you to step into the hall which lies beyond. Swiftly the iron door slams shut behind you but you pay it no heed. The refreshing coolness and the awesome spectacle of the hall itself commands your complete attention.

  Tiers of glittering gold-veined marble descend to a circular hall where a ring of fluted copper pillars support a platform, shaped like the foredeck of some great ship. Multicoloured rays stream from a crystal sphere suspended above this platform, creating a cage of flickering light at its centre. Sitting in this radiant cage is a pale-skinned man with long blond hair. His knees are drawn up to his chin and his eyes are closed, as if asleep. You recognize him to be Banedon, but still mindful of your encounter with the Helghast, you reserve your judgement.

  A narrow staircase, its hand-rails carved and fashioned from the tusks of Kalte mammoths, leads directly to the platform. Cautiously you descend the tiers, cross the floor, and advance towards these stairs, stopping only when you reach a granite throne positioned directly opposite the staircase. The back and arms of this crude seat have been chiselled to resemble a lion-like creature sitting on its haunches, and it is from here that you attempt to communicate telepathically with the sleeping man.

  Illustration XVII—Multicoloured rays stream from a crystal sphere into the circular hall where the blond, pale-skinned man sits.

  At first there is no response. Then, wearily, he raises his head and forces open his eyes. His face is haggard and lined with fatigue, but the look of extreme tiredness slowly changes to a smile of recognition when he sees you.

  Lone Wolf … the words form slowly in your mind, thank Ishir you've found me …

  Convinced now that he truly is your friend Banedon, you rush towards the steps, eager to free him from his prison. Then you sense something is wrong and you skid to a halt at the foot of the steps. Banedon's weary smile has changed to a wide-eyed look of fear.

  Turn to 240.

  301

  The moment you set foot upon the dusty floor you discover that it is not what it seems. It is not solid and rapidly you sink up to your chest in a pool of fine grey grit. You throw out your arms to try to slow your descent, but the more you struggle to get free, the faster you sink.

  If you possess the Discipline of Kai-alchemy, turn to 165.

  If you do not possess this skill or do not wish to use it, turn to 238.

  302

  Eventually your persistence pays off. The lock clicks open and the door swings back to allow you to pass through into the chamber beyond.

  Turn to 328.

  303

  You enter a street bordering the square and move quickly towards a junction in the far distance. All the while you keep to the shadows to minimize the risk of being seen by those lurking in the ruins, yet, unfortunately, you neglect the Kraan that are circling above. As you reach the junction and turn the corner, three of these flying spawn come swooping down out of the smoky sky to batter you with their claw-tipped wings. Twice you are knocked down before you manage to draw your weapon and fight back.

  3 Kaag Kraan: COMBAT SKILL 45 ENDURANCE 60

  If you possess the skill of Kai-surge and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian, double any psychic combat bonuses you may be entitled to (for the duration of this combat only).

  If you win this fight, turn to 190.

  304

  Fifty yards on, the passage turns sharply to the left and you find yourself staring at an iron-banded door. Luckily this portal is unlocked and you hurry through it, pausing only for a fe
w seconds to bolt it shut behind you before continuing on your way.

  Shortly you arrive at a deserted stairwell where you begin a long and laborious ascent. You climb more than sixty levels of the citadel before reaching the top. During your climb, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points.

  Directly opposite the landing at the top of the stairs is a massive bronze portal, its surface inlaid with intricate symbols cast in silver and gleaming gold. A sleeping Drakkarim sentry is seated beside this huge door. He snores softly, his leather-helmeted head tilted to his shoulder and his spear lying uselessly at his feet. He is oblivious to your presence as you glide past him and silently push open the great door.

  Beyond the portal lies a massive circular hall, its walls lined with slabs of smooth black rock. Its domed ceiling rises more than a hundred feet to point directly above a dais positioned at the centre of the chamber. A flame-filled moat surrounds this circular platform whereupon lies the unconscious body of a blond-haired man clad in silken blue robes. Your spirits soar when you recognize the designs embroidered upon the robe for they are the symbols of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star — the Magicians' Guild of Sommerlund. For a moment your joy at having found your friend is dampened when your Magnakai senses warn that great danger is close at hand. Prompted by this presentiment you hurry towards the moat, to where an iron drawbridge stands raised, and begin to crank its handle in order to lower it across the fiery divide.