by Joe Dever
Erase the last two items that you have recorded on your list of Backpack Items. You must also erase one Weapon and any Arrows that you possess.
To continue, turn to 307.
236
As you land your killing blow upon the head of the last Agarashi guard, you hear more of the enemy approaching along the tunnel behind. An arrow whistles past your head, and another gouges the back of your thigh: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
Without looking back, you sprint towards the barricade. You are halfway across the chamber when, to your surprise and relief, you note that the only Shom'zaa minions who now occupy this hall are those lying dead on the ground around you.
Your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that you are no longer in any immediate danger, and you slow your pace as you approach the throne chamber barricade.
Turn to 315.
237
The blazing tip of your Arrow hits and penetrates a powder keg. Moments later, there is a tremendous explosion as the platform is consumed by a searing ball of yellow and scarlet flame.
Turn to 130.
238
Vagel escorts you through the great hall and into an adjoining chamber that is stacked to the ceiling with weapons and martial equipment. The barrel-chested dwarf beams with pride as he encourages you to take whatever you wish from his regimental weapons store. From among the polished racks of arms and armour, the following items catch your discerning eye:
Warhammer
Quarterstaff
Spear
Axe
Bow
Arrows (6)
Quiver (counts as a Special Item if you choose this in addition to any Quiver you may already possess)
If you decide to keep any of the above items, adjust your Action Chart accordingly.
To leave the armoury and begin your quest, turn to 318.
239
As you fall to the ground, you are struck by three of the bone arrows. They puncture your left shoulder, and the backs of both legs: lose 8 ENDURANCE points.
If you have survived this serious wounding, turn to 279.
240
Shortly before your arrival at Boradon, Lord Rimoah talks with you about the quest you are about to undertake and he offers some valuable counsel.
‘When the moment comes for you to use the Sun-crystal,’ he says, warningly, ‘you must do so with great care. When the opportunity presents itself, I advise you to throw the crystal at Shom'zaa, or cause the creature to touch it unwittingly. It is vital that you maintain your distance, for when the power of the crystal is released there will be a great implosion. If you are too close to your enemy at this crucial moment, you will risk being sucked into the vortex that the implosion will create.’
As you promise to heed Rimoah's words of warning, you hear the crew cry out across the decks: ‘Boradon ho!’
Turn to 202.
241
Your Kai Sixth Sense warns you that a large group of Shom'zaa Agarashi are approaching along the tunnel, and your Magnakai Discipline of Divination detects the presence of a creature among them who possesses magical abilities.
A cursory look in the opposite direction tells you that this smooth-walled, lantern-lit passage offers very few places in which to hide.
If you wish to attempt to hide yourself among the bodies of those who were slain here in a recent battle, turn to 253.
If you wish to try to evade the approaching enemy by running away in the opposite direction, turn to 52.
242
You return along the tunnel to the basket at the base of the shaft. Wary of the Antah wasps that you encountered during your descent, you draw your Kai Weapon and keep it close to hand as you winch yourself up the shaft to the corridor above. The wasps are nowhere to be seen, and you are able to make your way back to the throne chamber's sealed door with little difficulty. However, upon arriving here, you are confronted with the problem of how to gain entry to this magically-secured portal.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 264.
If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it, turn to 87.
If you possess neither of these skills, or if you choose not to use them, turn to 158.
243
You feel sure that the cannon is the key to your escape from this hall. However, in order to discharge the field gun at the portcullis, you will have to set a naked flame or glowing taper to its touch-hole.
If you possess a Bow and Magi-magic, and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, turn to 337.
If you do not possess this Weapon or this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Grand Mastery, turn to 105.
244
You unsheathe your Kai Weapon as the first wave of the Shom'zaa horde reaches the barricade. The War-thanes fight with ruthless efficiency, felling ten of the enemy for every Drodarin who falls. But the horde are gripped by a battle-frenzy that drives them like demons, and you are hard-pressed to keep them from breaking through the barricade.
Shom'zaa Horde (in battle-frenzy): COMBAT SKILL 47 ENDURANCE 45
This enemy is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge).
If you win this combat, turn to 100.
245
Suddenly the door bursts open and slams against the wall with a tremendous crash. An icy trickle of fear runs down your spine when you peek over the tomb and look upon the squat creature that is now framed in the doorway. It has a bloated, veined body and waxy skin that is as pale as a frozen corpse. From its fanged mouth there flickers a forked tongue, and its scarlet eye-slits radiate an evil light that chills the marrow in your bones. As it advances into the chamber with its arms outstretched, you swallow hard with disbelief when you see that its clenched fists are glowing white-hot. They flare and pulsate, like two great balls of fiery plasma.
If you wish to attack this creature, turn to 212.
If you wish to attempt to evade it, turn to 79.
246
After a few minutes, the shuddering vibrations subside and the deluge of rock abates. Blindly you drag yourself along the ground, through clouds of choking dust. When the dust finally settles, you look back to see that the tunnel has been sealed off completely.
Fearful that another rockfall could occur at any time, you pull yourself to your feet and press on. You have covered just a few hundred yards when you come to a place where the tunnel turns to the north. Beyond this curve you catch sight of a lantern-lit hall in the far distance. You stop to magnify your vision; then you see that the distant cavern contains the cause of the explosions that have disrupted this section of King Ryvin's copper mines.
Turn to 35.
247
Patiently you wait until the Shom'zaa Agarashi have disappeared from the passage; then you draw your Kai Weapon and steel yourself to enter the hole. Leomin keeps lookout as you duck your head and step through its jagged opening.
As your eyes adjust to the gloom, you gasp with horror at what you see in the cavern before you. Hanging from the slime-stained ceiling are hundreds of large, grey cocoons. Through the wiry threads that form their fibrous shell cases, you can see the faces and features of Drodarin warriors. Your throat tightens when you realize that their corpses are being kept here to provide future food for Shom'zaa and his horde.
Illustration XIV—You gasp when you see hundreds of cocoons hanging from the slime-stained ceiling.
If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, turn to 140.
If you do not, turn to 14.
248
The lancers are stunned and confused by the swirling mist that has suddenly appeared, and they lose their sense of direction when they pass through it. They emerge from the mist to crash headlong into the wheat at the northern edge of the clearing. Minutes later, your hear their terrified screams as they gallop straight into the blazing wall of fire.
You run towards the east and re-enter the tall crops at the edge of the clearing, and then carefully you skirt around the flames before continuing your trek northwards. Soon
you come to a muddy ditch which marks the boundary between the wheat fields and a neighbouring crop of barley. The cereal plants here are shorter, and you are able to catch sight of the roof of a Drodarin farmhouse less than 50 yards ahead.
If you wish to investigate this farmhouse, turn to 73.
If you choose to avoid the farmhouse, turn to 37.
249
Before you reach the passage that leads out of this gas-filled chamber, you fall into a sleep from which you never awaken.
Tragically, your life and your mission end here.
250
The sounds of fighting grow louder as you explore the depths of this tunnel. Frequently you have to hide in the shadows to avoid colliding with ragged groups of wounded Agarashi retreating from battle. But at length you come to a large cavern that serves as the anteroom to the throne chamber of Andarin.
From the cover of a stone column beside the tunnel exit, you observe the deadly struggle that is taking place in this smoke-filled cavern. Scores of dead Agarashi are heaped before the entrance to the distant throne chamber. Its great double doors have been torn from their hinges, yet entry has been denied to the Shom'zaa horde. A barricade fills the open doorway, and this makeshift wall is being skilfully defended by the War-thanes of Prince Leomin and Prince Torfan.
An assault on the throne chamber is about to take place. You watch with grim fascination as the Agarashi rise up from positions they have dug around the perimeter of the cavern, and wait for their commander to shriek the order to attack. A wailing cry echoes around the cavern as the horde rushes headlong towards the barricade. They come to within a few paces of the wall before the leading ranks are obliterated by a cannon's shell and a deafening volley of Bor pistols. There is a brief clash of swords and spears, followed by an ominous silence. From out of the smoke and carnage, the few who have survived the attack come crawling back to their trenches to lick their wounds and await the next assault.
Soon you hear the approach of enemy reinforcements, their ill-fitting armour rattling as they come running along the tunnel. You are forced to move away from the column for fear of being seen when they arrive but, as you scurry to the cover of an empty powder barrel, you are spotted by a group of Shom'zaa minions in a trench near the cavern wall. They cry out to their comrades, alerting them of your presence as they fumble to load their captured crossbows.
If you possess a Phosphor Bomb and wish to use it, turn to 84.
If you possess Assimilance, have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian or higher, and wish to use your Discipline, turn to 216.
If you do not possess either this item or this skill, or if you have yet to attain the required level of Kai Mastery, turn instead to 28.
251
You force yourself in among the barrels and draw upon your camouflage skills to mask your body heat and scent. As the smoke clears, the misshapen creatures scurry back to their deadly experiments, urged on by the shrieks of their cadaverous lieutenant. To your dismay, you see that your route to the portcullised archway is no longer clear. It is obstructed by a group of minions that are attempting to dismantle a siege catapult and a two-wheeled field cannon. You quickly realize that if you are to have any chance of escaping from this laboratory alive, you will have to engineer another diversion.
You scan the archway and its surrounding area but to no avail. Then you look up at the creature on the platform and you notice that it is standing beside a stack of wooden kegs. Branded on these kegs in Drodarin script are two words: Blasting Powder. You allow yourself a wry smile, for if you were able to ignite these kegs of powder, it would create all the diversion you need.
If you possess a Bow and Magi-magic, and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian (or higher), turn to 164.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 268.
If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it, turn to 81.
If you possess none of the above, or if you decide not to use any of them, turn instead to 293.
252
The bolt glances off your right shoulder and sends you spinning backwards to the ground: lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 282.
253
You curl up on the floor and cover your head with your left arm to keep your Sommlending features hidden from sight. Minutes later, a dozen Shom'zaa Agarashi come creeping along the tunnel. They are led by a thin creature with ebony skin and iridescent eyes.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you possess Assimilance, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 5 or lower, turn to 267.
If it is 6 or higher, turn to 313.
254
You scramble to your feet and see Captain Vagel lying trapped beneath the overturned chariot. Arrows thud into the ground as you hurry to his side and attempt to drag him free, but your brave efforts are in vain; he is mortally injured and close to death. You place your hands upon his chest and transmit your healing skills in one final attempt to save his life. Briefly he responds. His eyelids flicker open and he raises a broken hand to point towards the north wall of the quarry.
‘Go that way … throne chamber … ten miles … ’ he gasps. These are his final words.
At first you can see nothing but a featureless quarry wall. But then you magnify your vision, and you are able to make out the entrance to a vertical pit shaft at its rocky base, partially hidden by a heap of sawn timbers.
Turn to 161.
255
You disentangle yourself from the bodies of your slain foes and then spring to your feet. You have been able to retain your light throughout the combat, and now you stretch out your arm and set it to the cannon's touch-hole. The powder ignites with a yellow flash, and a great tongue of flame roars from the muzzle.
To continue, turn to 210.
256
You draw back your Arrow and take careful aim at the Shom'zaa commander. Then you release your shaft and send it flying to its mark with deadly accuracy. The Arrow strikes the creature in the forehead, felling it before it can launch a second blast of frigid energy. As it stumbles and falls, it is instantly trampled under the feet of its slavering horde.
To continue, turn to 244.
257
You pull the lever and a secret panel in the wall slides open to reveal a narrow passage. As you are peering along this gloomy little tunnel, suddenly the heavy chamber door bursts open and slams against the wall.
An icy trickle of fear runs down your spine when you turn to look upon the squat creature that is now framed in the doorway. It has a bloated, veined body and waxy skin that is as pale as a frozen corpse. From its fanged mouth there flickers a forked tongue, and its scarlet eye-slits radiate an evil light that chills you to the bone. It advances into the chamber with its arms outstretched, as if it is walking in its sleep. When it turns and levels these arms at your chest, you see that the creature's fists are glowing like two balls of red-hot plasma.
If you wish to attack this creature, turn to 273.
If you wish to evade the creature by entering the secret passage, turn to 159.
258
As the last of the Shom'zaa Agarashi falls to your deadly blows, you sheathe your Weapon and hurry to join Prince Leomin at the far end of the corridor. Together you climb into the hanging basket and he takes hold of its supporting rope. By feeding the rope slowly through the pulley, he is able to lower the basket towards the base of the shaft.
If you possess Grand Pathsmanship and have reached the Kai rank of Sun Knight, turn to 201.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 33.
259
As you unshoulder your Bow and draw an Arrow from your Quiver, you recite the words of the Old Kingdom Battle-spell Flameshaft. Then you take careful aim at the powder kegs, and the tip of your Arrow ignites with a blue flame the moment you release your straining bowstring.
Pick a number from the Random Number
Table. If you possess Grand Weaponmastery with Bow, remember to add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is 6 or lower, turn to 119.
If it is 7 or higher, turn to 18.
260
You calculate that there are only six possible variations in the order in which the three buttons can be pressed.
If you possess a Bronze Disc, turn to 21.
If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 90.
261
Quickly you drop to the ground and roll away from the hole in the cavern wall. Using the momentum of your evasive move, you spring to your feet and look up at the ceiling. There you see a large creature. It resembles a huge black beetle, with mandibles and a shiny shell which covers a pair of membranous hind wings. From a bony tube beneath this horror's gaping mouth comes a thin length of thread. It whips around your legs and yanks you back onto the ground. As you fall, another thread loops around your body. You gasp for air as this steely thread is pulled tighter.
Illustration XV—A huge black beetle drops a thin length of thread towards you.
