The Captives of Kaag (9 page)

Painfully you stagger to your feet and shake your head in a vain attempt to be rid of the loud ringing that now fills your ears. Through the smoke and dust generated by the explosion, you glimpse the hooded creature creeping towards you. He holds a rod before him which radiates a ghostly green light. You snatch up your weapon and prepare to do battle as your robed enemy raises this rod in readiness to strike you down. Then there is a crack of energy and, as the rod whistles towards your chest, the tip transforms itself into a fiery spiked ball.

Illustration V
—A hooded creature creeps towards you holding a rod which radiates a ghostly green light.

Ligan (with Ziranakag):
COMBAT SKILL
 44   
ENDURANCE
 32

If you win this combat,
turn to 298
.

The weakest area appears to be the creature's throat, where the horny chest plates butt against the bony cartilage which protects its windpipe. You whisper a prayer to the God Kai to guide your Arrow as you let slip your straining bowstring.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Weaponmastery with Bow, add 5 to the number you have picked.

If your total score is 8 or less,
turn to 251
.

If it is 9 or more,
turn to 231
.

You whisper the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Invisible Shield
and feel a chill as some of your body warmth surges from your trunk towards your outstretched hand. Hurriedly you circle your palm in the air before you, barely moments before the Death Knights let loose a volley of deadly bolts.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
(in this instance, 0 = 10). If you have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian, add 1 to the number you have picked.

If your total score is 2 or less,
turn to 178
.

If your score is 3–5,
turn to 28
.

If it is 6 or more,
turn to 344
.

Undaunted and undeterred by the charm that has been placed on this door, you settle down in front of the keyhole and set about picking the lock. More than once you wish that Banedon was fit and conscious; he would have no difficulty opening this door.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked. If you have Grand Pathsmanship, add 2. If you have Telegnosis, add 3.

If your total score is now 3 or less,
turn to 161
.

If it is 4 or more,
turn to 302
.

The moment you land your killing blow, the Nadziran vanishes completely, leaving only a harsh, caustic stench to mark its passing. You sheathe your weapon and hurry through the open portal into a well-appointed chamber, its many tables and shelves filled with flasks, bottles, and boxes of unique design. To your left you notice an oaken shelf sagging under the weight of three large, heavily bound books, and to your right there is a workbench stacked high with magical paraphernalia.

A search of this chamber uncovers the following items which may be of use to you during your quest:

• Tinderbox
  
• Laumspur (enough for 3 doses — each dose restores 4
  ENDURANCE
  points after combat)
  
• Vial of Gold Dust
  
• Conch Shell
  
• Silver Flask
  
• Green Key
  
• Brass Key
  
• Copper Key
  
• Rope
  
• Comb
  

All of the above are Backpack Items. If you decide to keep any, remember to adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.

To continue,
turn to 331
.

Biting back your fears, you raise your weapon and focus on the advancing swarm. Suddenly your psychic senses tingle. These are no ordinary insects; in fact these are not insects at all. Your Sixth Sense detects that they are merely a clever illusion created to deceive you. Confident in this knowledge you stand your ground and allow the tide of creepy-crawlies to wash over your feet. Within a matter of seconds the insect horde fades and vanishes, dispelled by your disbelief in their existence.

Turn to 281
.

Upon the instant you strike your killing blow, the Korozon disintegrates. Within seconds, all that remains of this fearsome creature is a dusty, foul-smelling pile of dull grey tiles and shattered glass.

Covering your mouth with your cloak, you skirt around the remains and approach the archway. The sheet of blue-green metal that once blocked this exit is no longer there; it has moved aside to reveal a dark tunnel leading away from the chamber. Eager to leave this foul-smelling hall and continue your search for your captive friend without further delay, you hurry through the archway into the unwelcoming darkness beyond.

Turn to 200
.

As your final blow parts the head of the ghastly Vordak, it collapses at your feet and rapidly dissolves into a foul-smelling green gas. Mindful that the combat may have attracted 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
.

You hurry out of the building and descend to the alley below. When the coast is clear you cross the street and follow a passage which takes you further south, towards the centre of this hellish metropolis.

Everywhere there is decay and dereliction. Once-grand buildings lie in ruins and every surface is beslimed with nameless refuse. Soon you happen upon a concourse littered with more than a dozen Giak dead. Their posture, and the nature of their wounds, tell of a savage battle fought here within the last few hours. Perched on nearby rooftops are a flock of vulture-like birds, cawing delightedly, their bellies distended by a surfeit of Giak meat.

The distant clang and clash of steel tell you that the fighting is not over; it has simply moved on. The noise prompts you to crouch in a darkened doorway for cover whilst you consider your next course of action. From this position you survey the street and notice a narrow stairway, directly opposite, which leads down to a crypt door. You focus on the dark portal and sense at once that it is open and unguarded.

If you wish to cross the street and investigate the crypt,
turn to 228
.

If you choose to ignore the crypt,
turn to 303
.

You utter the words of the spell
Lightning Hand
and point your right index finger at the creature's ugly head. You feel your arm tingling from the shoulder down; then a crackling mass of energy takes form at your fingertip. With a loud crack it arcs towards the oncoming beast and explodes full in its face, making it falter and cry out in pained surprise. But it does not delay its advance for very long. Its horny eyelids save its sight and quickly it recovers, now more determined to fulfil Cadak's command. Hastily you draw a hand weapon as the shadow of the beast falls upon you.

Turn to 128
.

The tunnel descends, by slope and staircase, deeper into the bowels of the citadel. In the distance you see a torchlit chamber and hear the sound of Giaks screaming in agony. As you draw closer to the room, your suspicions are confirmed that you have stumbled upon a torture chamber.

The Drakkarim torturers are too preoccupied with the mutilation of their charges to notice you slipping through their grisly workplace to the tunnel beyond. This leads to a large stairwell from where you can see many levels, above and below.

If you wish to ascend the stairs,
turn to 145
.

If you choose to descend the stairs,
turn to 106
.

After a hundred yards or so, the passage bears to the left then continues in a straight line until it arrives at a small stone-walled chamber. A crude cot, a chair, a battered trunk, and a three-legged table made from a captured Freeland battle-shield comprise its meagre furnishings. You stop to rest here for a few minutes, placing Banedon upon the cot while you half-heartedly search the trunk. Your curiosity is rewarded though, for inside you discover half a bottle of fine Slovian wine and a pouch full of Laumspur. You consume these (restore 6
ENDURANCE
points) and, suitably refreshed, you shoulder your charge and set off along the passage in search of a way to escape from this dread citadel.

Turn to 290
.

You draw upon your skill and experience to mask your presence here in the ruins. The Vordak, using its psychic ability, scans the surrounding buildings yet fails to locate your hiding place. With a shriek of frustration, the loathsome creature turns and retreats from the square with its bow-legged Giak followers in tow.

If you wish to return to the street and continue your exploration of Kaag,
turn to 142
.

If you choose to stay in the ruins and proceed in a different direction,
turn to 35
.

Less than twenty yards ahead the street bears sharply to the right. You slow your pace and get ready to make the turn, but you are brought skidding to a halt when you see that the street goes nowhere. It is a dead end. A solid wall of black marble, thirty feet high, blocks your escape from the pursuing Death Knights.

Reluctantly you turn to face your foes. Having reached the junction and seen that you are trapped, they have spread out and are now walking slowly towards you in a line abreast. Casually they unshoulder their crossbows and prepare them as they advance.

If you possess the Discipline of Assimilance and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian,
turn to 324
.

If you possess the Discipline of Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 74
.

If you have neither of these skills or do not wish to use them,
turn to 153
.

Anxious to make up for lost time, you turn away from the altar and hurry through the archway opposite. Beyond lies an icy cold corridor where the walls and ceilings are carved with many strange spatial designs. As you follow this passage, you notice that the theme of planets and stars gradually changes to one of volcanoes and lava fissures. As if to mirror this the temperature also changes, becoming steadily hotter and drier until, by the time you finally near the corridor's end, the heat has become almost furnace-like in intensity. Breathless and bathed with sweat, you stare through the shimmering air and see a great iron door at the end of the passage.

Due to the excessive heat, unless you possess the Disciplines of Grand Huntmastery
and
Grand Nexus, you must now consume a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

Turn to 300
.