The Captives of Kaag (11 page)

To your dismay the Arrow glances off the creature's tusk and arcs harmlessly into the air. With only seconds to go before the beast falls upon you, you drop your Bow and reach to unsheathe your weapon. The Bow tumbles off the bridge (erase this from your
Weapons List
) and you curse its loss as you get ready to fight to the death.

Gnagusk:
COMBAT SKILL
 41   
ENDURANCE
 45

If you win this combat,
turn to 247
.

The stream of flame catches you full in the face and knocks you sprawling to the ground. Unfortunately your Magnakai skill of Nexus is not effective enough to save you completely from the effects of this super-hot fire: lose 8
ENDURANCE
points.

If you have survived this wounding, you must face the creature;
turn to 39
.

Expecting the unexpected, you enter a rubble-strewn alley which takes you deeper into the black heart of Kaag. A mile later you reach a broader street, partially submerged by brackish, ankle-deep slime. Beyond it, at a deserted square, you see a tangle of rusty iron pipes spilling out from a circular shaft in the ground. Jets of steam hiss skywards from a thousand tiny cracks in these corroded conduits. Nearby, in the ruins, a guttering fire casts an eerie yellow light over the area. Shadows play upon the surrounding walls, cast not only by the fire but also by the winged Kraan which swoop back and forth across this square, dousing themselves in the jets of scalding-hot steam.

You are watching the Kraan diving and twisting above the rooftops when suddenly your Magnakai sense of Divination alerts you to imminent danger. You can sense the approach of a hostile creature, one which is using its psychic power to scan the surrounding area.

If you wish to avoid this creature by entering one of the ruined buildings which border the square,
turn to 349
.

If you decide to hurry away from this square,
turn to 4
.

Aching with battle fatigue and the pain of your wounds, you stumble and fall to your knees before the mighty Zavaghar. Cadak laughs like a madman and screams for his creature to finish you off quickly. The beast rises up on its hind legs in readiness to strike you a killing blow, but suddenly, as it reaches its full height, its limbs and torso become stiff and its movements jerky.

Slay the beast, Lone Wolf!
whispers Banedon, the words forming in your mind.
I cannot hold it for long.

You glance to where your friend is lying and see that his trembling hand is stretched out towards the towering Zavaghar. Inspired by his courageousness, you shake off your fatigue and rush forwards to plunge your weapon deep into the exposed belly of the beast, striking it a mortal wound barely moments before Banedon's spell of
Holding
fails.

Turn to 248
.

The temperature rises steadily the deeper you descend this flight of stairs, causing you to give thanks to your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus which is sparing you any pain or discomfort. The stairs end at a chamber constructed of stones which radiate a deep purplish light. It is furnished with tables, chairs, draperies, and carpets, all of a similar hue.

You are crossing the floor on your way towards a tunnel-like exit on the far side, when suddenly a secret panel opens in the wall and from out of the darkness step two horny-skinned creatures which you recognize immediately. They are Xaghash, brutish lesser Darklords, implacable servants of the evil God Naar.

They are busily arguing with each other as they lumber into this chamber, and both of them fail to see you at first. But suddenly their senses detect the presence of your pure spirit, and it stirs them to a fearful fury. With frightening ease they hurl aside heavy furniture in their eagerness to attack you.

If you possess a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 62
.

If you do not,
turn to 263
.

Your Magnakai senses warn you that the left road leads to a dead end. Without hesitation, you turn right and take off along the street at a steady pace.

Although the Death Knights are 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 have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian in the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery,
turn to 22
.

If you have yet to reach this level of Kai Grand Mastery,
turn to 232
.

You move back a few feet from the power wall then look up and focus all your attention upon the sphere. Silently you mouth the words of the Elder Magi battle-spell
Splinter
and, with a blink of your eyes, you project its energy at the centre of the glassy orb.

If your current
ENDURANCE
points score is 14 or less,
turn to 23
.

If your score is 15 or more,
turn to 296
.

Your Kai skills keep you safe from detection and enable you to cross the Akataz pen unseen. Quietly you enter the deserted passage beyond and press on with your search for Banedon.

Turn to 304
.

As you sprint towards the beckoning safety of the cooler tunnel section, you trip and stumble headlong to the floor. Your hands and knees are burnt by rough contact with the red-hot metal, leaving them badly blistered: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

When finally you reach the cooler section, you happen upon a steep staircase, set into the right-hand wall, which ascends to a hall on the level above. This vault-like room contains a wealth of grim exhibits, hung upon the walls and displayed in glass-fronted cases. The skulls of rare creatures are displayed beside tanned hides and jewel-encrusted bones. One item in particular catches your eye: it is a statuette, fashioned in the likeness of Darklord Zagarna.

If you wish to keep this Statuette of Zagarna, mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item. If you already carry your maximum quota, you must discard one item in its favour.

To continue,
turn to 209
.

The Drakkar hits the cobblestones head-first, the impact leaving him stunned but not unconscious. Groaning loudly, he crawls around on all fours, fumbling to find a whistle that is dangling from a chain around his neck. You know you must do something to stop him; it will only be a matter of seconds before he locates it and raises the alarm.

If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 159
.

If you do not or choose not to use it,
turn to 25
.

You are struggling to recover your footing when you hear the metallic
twang
of a crossbow's drawstring, and feel something hard punch you squarely in the middle of your back. Fortunately, your Backpack has spared you from a fatal wound.

Driven by fear, you recover your footing and force yourself to the top of the mound. Only when you crest the summit and slide down the far side do you realize that the bolt has damaged one of your Backpack Items beyond repair.

Erase the item noted as No. 3 on your current list of Backpack Items.

To continue,
turn to 337
.

You have only just re-entered the chamber when a second bolt slams into the arch of the tunnel. The blast and concussion throws you off-balance and, together with Banedon, you crash headlong to the floor: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

The fall revives Banedon and, although he is still far too weak to speak or walk, he manages to open his eyes and communicate with you telepathically.

I know this chamber …
he says,
 … I have been here before. Look there, at the statue opposite. You'll find a lever concealed at its side. It opens a hidden door. Hurry …

Guided by Banedon's messages you discover that there is indeed a lever as he described. You pull it and a panel in the stone wall glides open to reveal a secret alcove and a flight of steps leading down. The sound of running feet warns you that the enemy are approaching along both passages, and so, without hesitation, you shoulder your friend once more and hurry into the alcove to avoid them.

Turn to 220
.

You pull a wooden bung from one of the casks and cautiously sniff the contents. It contains a strong, foul-smelling spirit that tightens your throat and makes your eyes water, prompting you to discard it as quickly as possible. The boxes and sacks yield little of value; however, in one trunk you find the following items which may be of some use during your quest:

• Rope
  
• Lantern
  
• Silver Bowl
  
• Whistle
  
• Brass Key
  
• Black Key
  
• Hammer
  
• Enough food for 2 Meals
  

If you wish to keep any of the above, remember to record them as Backpack Items on your
Action Chart
.

To continue,
turn to 224
.

The stairs seem to go on forever. You lose count of the number of levels through which you ascend and, after an hour of relentless climbing, you feel the need for rest and refreshment. Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

Eventually the stairs end at a tunnel which leads to a hall. However, you cannot enter this hall because it is blocked by a huge stone statue which has been tipped onto its side. The statue must have shattered on impact, for the tunnel exit is almost filled with large boulders. The thought of having to descend the stairs you have just laboured up fills you with dread, but in order to gain access to the hall beyond you must first clear away some of the 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
.

At once you recognize the glassy orb which rests upon the altar. It is identical to the sphere you saw in the chamber of Arch Druid Cadak in Mogaruith, the sphere by which he communicated with the Master of all Evil — the evil God Naar. With dread, you look upon the surface of the orb and your blood runs cold; it is as if the eye of the Dark God himself were gazing upon you.

If you wish to attempt to destroy this sphere,
turn to 208
.

If you choose to flee from this temple as quickly as you can,
turn to 86
.

You duck your head and the cube passes harmlessly over your shoulder to smash against the wall behind. On impact there is a tremendous flash and an explosion which releases a gout of searing flame. Needle-sharp slivers of stone pepper your back, but your quick reflexes have saved you from sustaining fatal injuries. Lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 72
.

You swiftly catch up with the fleeing Vordak and draw your weapon in readiness to cut it down. The creature glances over its shoulder and, as you strike out at its skull-like head, it raises an iron mace in an attempt to parry the blow. It manages to deflect your attack, but you quickly raise your weapon to strike again.

Vordak:
COMBAT SKILL
 22   
ENDURANCE
 28

If you win this combat in three rounds or less,
turn to 79
.

If you win and the combat lasts four rounds or longer,
turn to 284
.

As the last of the Drakkarim falls to your deadly blows, his outstretched hand grabs at your tunic and holds on with a vice-like grip. In order to free yourself you are forced to prise back the fingers one by one, mindful all the while of the Drakkarim squad who are arming themselves in readiness to attack.

As you disentangle the last two fingers you notice a chain bracelet dangling from the dead warrior's wrist. A polished key is fixed to this chain. (If you wish to keep this Brass Key, record it as a Backpack Item on your
Action Chart
.)

With the angry screams of the Drakkarim echoing in your ears, you leap over the body of the slain warrior and sprint along the passage beyond.

Turn to 304
.

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

Turn to 188
.

As the Kraan glides towards the semicircular platform, you swing one leg over its neck and get ready to leap from the saddle the moment it lands. With cat-like agility, you jump the last remaining few feet onto the platform and run through the open archway. Two Drakkarim Kraan-handlers suddenly appear before you, but your quick wits and Kai camouflage skills keep you from being seen. As the handlers walk out onto the platform to tend to the screeching Kraan, you run towards the rear of the pen where a spiral staircase leads off to levels above and below.

If you wish to ascend the stairs to the level above,
turn to 31
.

If you choose to descend the stairs to the level below,
turn to 217
.