Shadow on the Sand (5 page)
Each of the three bottles bears a label, handwritten in green ink.
- Larnuma Oil (restores 2
ENDURANCE
points per dose) — 3 Gold Crowns - Laumspur (restores 4
ENDURANCE
points per dose) — 5 Gold Crowns - Rendalim's Elixir (restores 6
ENDURANCE
points per dose) — 7 Gold Crowns
You may purchase any of the above. (The prices are per dose. All the potions are Backpack Items.) The herb-mistress then escorts you to a side door. ‘I sense your despair, Northlander. I pray you find your cure.’
As you leave, she offers a word of advice. ‘The guards at the north gate of the Grand Palace can be bribed.’ You thank her and enter the alley running along the side of her shop.
The plan works — your arrow cuts the air and finds its mark. The smash of glass echoes around the square, drawing everyone's attention to the merchant's shop.
After tying a large knot in one end of the rope, you gather the coils and hurl the knotted end towards your target. After three failures, your fourth attempt is successful; the knot jams in a V-shaped joint, and you are able to pull yourself out of the water and swing across the vault to jump safely into the opposite tunnel. However, you cross this obstacle at the cost of your rope; it still hangs from the metal bar, and there is no way you can rescue it. (Remember to strike this item from your
Action Chart
.)
The passage ahead winds and curves like a giant snake, and the foul air wafting towards you is hot and humid. Although you seem to have shaken off your pursuers, you have yet to escape from the
Baga-darooz
.
You pass several high-arched portals overlooking the east city wall and continue easily and safely until you hear noises drifting along the passage. The voices of hungry guards and the distinctive clatter of plates and mugs warn you that a crowded mess hall lies ahead.
You are trying to decide on the best course of action when a patrol of guards suddenly appears behind you in the corridor. Quickly, you jump onto a window ledge and take cover behind the arch of a portal. However, the arch is narrow, and you are sure to be seen when the guards march past.
If you have reached the Kai rank of Guardian or higher,
turn to 62
.
If you wish to hide outside on the narrow ledge that runs round the palace wall,
turn to 152
.
If you wish to attack the guards as they march past,
turn to 124
.
As you start to climb, two Sharnazim warriors suddenly emerge from the insect-choked tunnel. They lunge at you, their hands outstretched, their fingers hooked to claw at your legs and drag you down. You kick out and strike one of the cruel-faced men beneath the jaw. He clutches at his throat and gives a gurgling cry as he falls backwards into the slimy water.
You reach the stone trapdoor, but the other warrior has unsheathed his scimitar and has begun to climb the ladder; he no longer intends to capture you alive. Pressing your shoulder to the cobwebbed trapdoor, you push up the heavy stone and scramble out to find yourself in a noisy alley, crowded with people and market stalls. The sewer hole itself is close to a wicker table stacked high with bundles of torches.
If you possess a Kalte Firesphere or a Tinderbox,
turn to 143
.
2
If you do not have either of these items,
turn to 183
.
[2] Note that you do not need any of your own Torches to use the Tinderbox in this case.
You raise the hood of your cloak and hurry through the open doors into the dark, cool hall. The people are kneeling in front of a pulpit where a holy man, dressed in flowing robes of black and gold, reads aloud from a gem-encrusted book. Behind him, the face of the late Zakhan, immortalized in a tapestry suspended from the roof by huge silken cords, looks down on the mourners.
The congregation is rapt in prayer, and nobody sees you enter. The ceremony soon comes to an end, and you are able to slip past Maouk's men as the mourners flood into the streets.
You hack the dirt-encrusted floor and uncover a large metal ring, which proves to be part of an old trapdoor. The metal ring is badly corroded, but you manage to prise the trapdoor open. It covers a deep shaft; from the inky darkness below comes the stench of the sewer.
The Sharnazim are climbing up the stone steps. Their pounding footsteps match your racing heartbeat.
If you wish to jump down the shaft,
turn to 94
.
If you wish to stand and fight the Sharnazim,
turn to 185
.
No matter how hard you try to picture the mechanism in your mind's eye, the image will not appear. Deduct 1
ENDURANCE
point due to the strain of your mental exertion.
If you want to try to break down the door,
turn to 127
.
If you decide to leave the door and head off along the other passage towards the stairs,
turn to 93
.
The great snake shudders and convulses in the throes of death. The smell of its thick brown blood is disgusting, and you have to hold your breath and grit your teeth as you lift the dead Yas away from the chest and peer inside.
You discover six silver-handled maces, each beautifully carved and encrusted with rubies, emeralds, and pearls. In the Northlands these weapons would fetch thousands of Crowns. At the bottom of the chest, you also discover a small Copper Key. If you wish to take either a Jewelled Mace or the Copper Key, or both, mark them on your
Action Chart
as Special Items. You carry the Copper Key in the pocket of your tunic and the Jewelled Mace tucked into your belt.
The acidic smell of the snake blood is beginning to make you retch. Quickly, you climb the stone steps and leave the armoury by the north door.
The grim-faced Sharnazim encircle you, their razor-sharp scimitars glinting in the afternoon sun. ‘Take him!’ shouts Maouk. ‘But take him alive!’
Reluctantly, the warriors sheathe their swords and wait for a chance to rush you. Six lie dead at your feet before you are eventually overpowered. ‘You are brave, Kai Lord,’ says Maouk, in a mocking tone, ‘but you will need more than bravery to save you now.’
The Imperial Apothecary can only be reached from the palace gardens by entering the
Vizu-diar
. The kitchens are part of the slaves' quarters, under constant supervision of the cruel slave-masters and guards. You wait until the path and lawns are deserted before you run across to the door of the
Vizu-diar
.
Halfway round the small tower, a section of the sandstone ledge begins to crumble beneath your feet. Instinctively, you leap sideways and stretch out your hands in time to grasp the firm ledge beyond. The drop below is terrifying, but your terror gives you the impetus and strength you need to claw your way back onto the ledge. Your fingers are bleeding and bruised, but you are still alive. You lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.
The man is lying. He knows that other guards are sure to turn up at any moment. As soon as you loosen your grip, he will attempt to overpower you and raise the alarm.
If you wish to continue questioning him,
turn to 9
.
If you decide to kill him,
turn to 78
.
The Kwaraz drops from the ceiling and plunges into the water, creating an enormous wave of foul slime which completely submerges you. Wracked with nausea, you cough and retch and try to scoop the muck from your eyes and mouth. The Kwaraz's carcass blocks the tunnel, and you can only get past by climbing over it. Still in a state of shock, you lose 1 Backpack Item, your pouch of Gold Crowns and 2
ENDURANCE
points. Make the necessary adjustments to your
Action Chart
.
If you are still alive,
turn to 17
.
You fill your mouth with oil but cannot bring yourself to swallow it — the foul tasting liquid makes you feel sick. You spit it out, and gulp mouthfuls of water to rid yourself of the disgusting taste.
If you now decide to rub some of the oil into your skin,
turn to 103
.
If you decide to forget the vile-tasting oil completely,
turn to 71
.
Your Kai sense warns you that the alley is a dead end. If you take that exit from the square, you will certainly be trapped. Only two other choices remain: the high, nail-studded gate to your left, or the path directly ahead.
If you decide to go through the gate,
turn to 75
.
If you decide to take the path,
turn to 169
.
You reach a small chamber set above the tunnel. Here, at least, it is dry, although the foul sewer gas permeates everything. You hurry along a narrow passage, which turns first to the west and then to the south, but your heart sinks as you see a dead end looming out of the inky blackness.
If you wish to search for a hidden exit,
turn to 33
.
If you wish to prepare yourself for combat,
turn to 185
.
You hurry through the west door and into the welcoming cool of the corridor beyond. A large drawbar on the inside of the door catches your eye; you lock it to delay any would-be pursuers.
At the end of the corridor lies a hall full of weapons. Racks of spears and swords line the chamber walls, and a massive workbench covers the floor. It is the palace armoury. In the midst of the tools which litter the workbench, there is a large, black, leather-bound book.
If you wish to examine the book,
turn to 83
.
If you wish to ignore the book and search for your confiscated equipment instead,
turn to 181
.
You concentrate your Mindblast on the guard's hand. He screams and his fingers spring open as his hand is robbed of all feeling and control. He is now unarmed.
If you wish to attack the guard,
turn to 78
.
If you wish simply to overpower him and capture him alive,
turn to 199
.
As your adversary falls to the ground, the other guard stabs at you with his Trident. You cannot evade combat and must fight him to the death.
Vestibule Guard 2:
COMBAT SKILL
14
ENDURANCE
24
If you win the combat,
turn to 3
.
You have a strong feeling that more Kwaraz occupy the north tunnel. You sense a lair. It would be almost suicide to go that way, so you must take one of the remaining routes.
If you wish to continue along the west tunnel,
turn to 73
.
If you wish to go south along the new tunnel,
turn to 128
.
You focus on the lock and concentrate all of your Kai skill on opening it. Sweat begins to trickle down your face. Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have reached the Kai rank of Guardian or higher, add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 0–4,
turn to 34
.
If your total is now 5 or higher,
turn to 80
.