The Captives of Kaag (21 page)

The tunnel leads to another hall, but the entrance is blocked by a huge stone statue of Zagarna which has been tipped onto its side. The statue must have shattered on impact for the tunnel exit is almost filled with large boulders. In order to gain access to the hall beyond, you must first clear away some of this heavy debris.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. Now subtract 1 from the number you have picked.

The resultant score equals the number of
ENDURANCE
points lost due to fatigue. (If you picked 0 or 1, your score is zero.)

To continue,
turn to 100
.

You examine the door more closely and soon discover it is locked, held secure by a common deadlock. Confidently you call upon your Magnakai skill of Nexus in an attempt to pick this lock, but to your dismay, you cannot cause the mechanism to disengage. A magical charm has been placed upon this door, making the lock pick-proof.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 179
.

If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it,
turn to 234
.

If you have neither of these Disciplines or choose not to use them,
turn to 75
.

You are within a few yards of the passage that leads out of the mess hall when suddenly four Drakkarim turn a corner and come striding up the passage towards you. Hurriedly you flatten yourself against the nearest wall and muster your Kai camouflage skills in an attempt to stay hidden.

The four stride past within an arm's length of your position yet they fail to detect your presence. Once they are inside the hall you peel yourself away from the wall and quickly escape into the passage.

Turn to 304
.

With a loud
crack
, the Drakkar hits the cobblestones head-first and is knocked unconscious. Quickly you descend the iron stairs and drag his limp body out of sight, fearful that it might be seen by a passing patrol. Already a huge bruise is beginning to discolour his face and you are sure that it will be many hours before he regains consciousness. As you are moving him, you notice that he wears two chains around his neck. To one there is attached a Whistle; to the other a Brass Key. If you wish to keep either of these Backpack Items, adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.

Once you are satisfied that he is well hidden, you climb the stairs and carefully push open the heavy door. At the end of a short corridor there is a landing where a gallery overlooks the cavernous lower level. Nearby there is a staircase, leading down, and to your right a black oak door set flush to the wall.

Slowly you approach the gallery's railed parapet and peer over at an unnerving sight.

Turn to 47
.

You twist aside in time to avoid the liquid, but a small quantity still splashes your right shoulder and cheek. Instantly there is a sizzling hiss and you feel a searing pain engulf your head and upper body as this highly corrosive acid bites deep into your flesh: lose 5
ENDURANCE
points.

Only your innate Magnakai skill of Nexus saves you from sustaining what, for any lesser mortal, would have undoubtedly been a fatal injury. Shaken by this ferocious and unexpected attack, you scramble to the safety of a nearby pillar. Another stream of acid comes arcing towards you, but only to splash harmlessly against the blue-green stone.

A glance around the pillar prompts a third stream of acid, only this time the creature ejects barely a trickle from its hook-like beak. It has exhausted its corrosive venom. Hungry for vengeance you emerge from your hiding place and face the octopoid once more, determined more than ever to defeat it in combat.

If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 243
.

If you do not,
turn to 192
.

Your weapon slams into the centre of the crystal and cracks it open. There is a flash of sparks; then the shimmering wall of light which imprisons Banedon flickers, and disappears completely.

Turn to 188
.

As you deal your final killing blow, the bodies of the three Vordaks rapidly dissolve into a foul-smelling green gas which is carried away on the breeze. Mindful that the combat may have attracted others of their 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
.

As the last Egorgh crashes lifelessly to the ground, you turn and hurry towards the adjoining passage. Sheathing your weapon as you run, you follow the passage for several minutes before arriving 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
.

Hastily you push Banedon aside then dive to avoid the falling net, the sheer speed with which you react saving you both from becoming trapped like two foxes in a snare. Quickly you spring to your feet and rush to help your fallen companion. As you stoop to lift him, you hear a deep voice cursing you quietly in the shadows. You turn to face the voice, weapon in hand, ready to cut him down. But you are shocked to the core when you see who it is who emerges into the grey light of the pen.

Turn to 54
.

Hurriedly you retreat, drawing a hand weapon in your defence as the two evil-eyed horrors come rushing forwards with murderous intent.

Illustration XIV
—Two evil-eyed horrors rush forward with murderous intent.

2 Xaghash:
COMBAT SKILL
 52   
ENDURANCE
 60

If you wield the Sommerswerd, its power doubles in strength for the duration of this combat (+16
COMBAT SKILL
).

If you win the combat,
turn to 276
.

You step back from the dead war-dog and wipe away the splashes of its foul blood from your face. The sound of footfalls outside the door warns you that the noise of the fight has attracted some unwanted attention. A Drakkar shouts, demanding to know who is in the room. You rush to the door and pull across the bolt just in time to prevent him getting in. With the warrior pounding on the door, you turn and run into the adjoining chamber which is littered with Giak bones and half-chewed haunches of meat. To your right you notice another curtained archway, and through its threadbare cloth you see a stone staircase spiralling down into the dark.

The dingy stone staircase leads down to an empty torchlit chamber, its floor strewn with filthy straw. To the right there is a stout wooden door secured by a rusty bolt, and ahead you see a damp passage. Your Magnakai senses tell you that it heads due south.

If you wish to take a closer look at the door,
turn to 242
.

If you wish to investigate the passage,
turn to 343
.

A ghostly mist issues from the parting jaws of the throne-statue. You step back, your weapon raised, but it does nothing to protect you from the piercing screech which suddenly fills your head. You reel under the onslaught as, desperately, your Magnakai senses try to block this violent psychic attack. Before you can muster your defences to repel the attack, you suffer shock and injury to your central nervous system: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

Turn to 293
.

Although you race along the street with the Death Knights hot on your heels, you are confident that you will soon outrun them. However, your confidence is severely shaken when you see that the way ahead is blocked by a hill of rubble, the remains of a collapsed watchtower.

If you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian,
turn to 22
.

If you do not possess this skill or have yet to reach this level of Kai Grand Mastery,
turn to 232
.

With trepidation you follow the passage, praying all the while that Banedon's vision proves to be correct. Then at last your prayers are answered when, in the distance, you catch your first glimpse of the Zlanbeast pens.

You soon arrive at the entrance to the pens, where, from the safety of the shadows, you stop to observe the activity taking place inside. Lining the walls of the chamber you count more than a dozen cages, each holding a Zlanbeast or several smaller Kraan. Most are feeding, but there are some saddled ready for flight. One of these saddled Zlanbeast is perched nearby on a landing platform from where it casts its idle gaze upon the city far below.

You are contemplating how long it will take you and Banedon to reach the platform and climb aboard the waiting Zlanbeast, when suddenly you notice something strange that arouses your suspicions: there are no handlers or guards on duty in the pen.

If you possess Grand Pathsmanship,
turn to 294
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 168
.

You pull the door slightly ajar then quickly gather up some sacks and boxes which you stack in a heap near the opening. The guttering wall torch that illuminates this chamber provides the flame to set this little makeshift bonfire alight. Soon the tinder-dry pile is ablaze, sending clouds of acrid blue-grey smoke billowing along the corridor towards the guards.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 347
.

If it is 5–9,
turn to 175
.

Barbed arrows whistle past you to shatter on the marble steps as you force your aching legs to cover the final twenty feet which separate you from the safety of the tunnel ahead.

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

If your total is 0–1,
turn to 71
.

If it is 2–6,
turn to 236
.

If it is 7 or more,
turn to 316
.

You watch with fascination as the two wispy figures glide to a halt before the door. Their dark bodies are amorphous and indistinct, as if some spell or charm was preventing you from focusing clearly upon their true forms. They whisper words in a sombre musical tone, and slowly the slab of steel recedes into the wall.

A sudden probe invades your mind; you have been detected psychically. The wispy creatures solidify into the shapes of two dragon-like creatures, each the size of a small horse and, as they turn to face you, the probe in your mind is transformed into a red-hot lance of pain.

If you possess the Discipline of Kai-screen,
turn to 174
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 45
.

The passage runs in an uninterrupted straight line for several hundred yards before arriving at a great circular room constructed of granite blocks. Cold air falls from a dark opening overhead and dozens of ropes and pulleys extend from this shaft, hanging down to touch the flagstoned floor. A large square door, furnished with brass and iron studs, is situated to your left. Apart from the shaft it appears to be the only exit from this chamber.

If you possess a Brass Key,
turn to 141
.

If you do not have this Backpack Item,
turn to 255
.

Beyond the door you find a small chamber, its wood-panelled walls hung with bridles and saddlery. You push the door closed and hold your breath as the footfalls of the Drakkarim steadily grow louder. To your relief, they pass by the door and continue without slowing down. When you can detect no sounds in the passageway, you leave this tack room and hurry away.

Turn to 332
.