The Captives of Kaag (15 page)

The corridor wends a tortuous route through a series of interconnecting caverns and chambers. Some are occupied by lowly Giak slaves engaged in menial tasks, none of whom notice your stealthy passing.

After nearly an hour you arrive at a large hall which is littered with stout trestle tables and wooden benches. A squad of thirty Drakkarim are seated around the largest table, hungrily devouring a foul-smelling feast of meat and wine. You note that most are unarmed, their weapons having been heaped upon an adjoining table prior to the feasting.

From the shadowy cover of an alcove you listen to their idle chatter, hoping to glean clues as to the location of Zagarna's courtroom, but, unfortunately, your patience goes unrewarded. These troops seem preoccupied with exaggerating the success of ambushes which they have launched recently upon their enemies in the streets around the citadel. However, from this barrack-room talk you do learn two interesting facts about the struggle taking place within Kaag. The two warring factions are fighting principally for control over the Giak spawning vats located in the dungeons of the citadel. The vats are the key to power here; they produce both an unending supply of fresh troops and a source of raw food for whoever controls them.

Anxious to continue your quest, you resolve to leave the hall by an archway on the far side. Although confident that your camouflage skills will keep you hidden from the Drakkarim, the hall is well-lit and there is a slim chance that you could be seen.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, add 2 to the number you have picked.

If your total is 3 or less,
turn to 210
.

If it is 4 or more,
turn to 256
.

You leave the fetid watercourse and enter 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 street 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 feast 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
.

Eventually you clear this section of the city and find yourself in the midst of a once-grand building which now lies derelict. Through one of its shattered windows you look out upon a concourse littered with more than a dozen dead Giak. Their posture, and the nature of their wounds, tell of a savage street 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 stay crouched in the ruins 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
.

The creature is less than ten feet away when it opens its mouth wide and spews forth a stream of white-hot liquid fire.

If you possess the Discipline of Grand Nexus,
turn to 333
.

If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline
turn to 287
.

Your psychic defences repel the probe and the pain rapidly recedes. But upon the instant that the attack is repulsed, the two dragon-creatures raise their scaly paws and shoot forth a stream of flaming bolts, aimed directly at your head and body.

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 211
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 169
.

The guards see the approaching clouds of smoke and immediately they come thundering along the corridor. You step away from the door, expecting them to kick it open and come rushing in, but instead they skid to a halt and hurriedly pull the door closed to stop the fire spreading into the corridor. They wait outside for several minutes before they are sure it is safe; then together they return to their positions.

Unfortunately your plan has backfired, but at least your Magnakai skill of Nexus enables you to extinguish the fire before it gets out of control. Frustrated but not defeated, you return to the spy-hole and try to formulate a more successful plan.

Turn to 278
.

You give the door a mighty kick, slamming it open to reveal a creature clad in a hooded orange robe, kneeling in prayer before a black stone altar where a golden statuette stands on a square of faded cloth. It is flanked on either side by candles which give off a sickly bitter odour. The creature half-turns and shrieks in horror when it sees you rushing into the room. In desperation it raises its warty fists, but it is a futile defence against a blow which cleaves both its hands, and its head, from its loathsome body.

Sheathing your weapon, you step over the corpse and examine the creature's remains. You recognize it to be a Ligan, one of those who aid the Nadziranim sorcerers in their evil craft. The statuette is a likeness of Slûtar, a Darklord who once ruled Kaag, and the orange robes mark this creature as one of his minions. It would seem that he still worshipped his master's memory.

A foul, misty vapour arises from the corpse, forcing you to cover your nose and mouth and retreat from the chamber. As you pass in front of the altar, your eye is drawn to the gleaming golden statuette.

If you wish to keep this Statuette of Slûtar, mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item. If you already carry the maximum number of items allowed, you will have to discard one in its favour.

To continue,
turn to 7
.

You enter the passage, but you have covered less than fifteen yards when you see something which forces you to a halt. A group of figures clad in hooded orange robes are walking towards you from the opposite end of the passage. The leader wears silver bracers on his wrists and he carries a silver staff which he levels at you the moment he sees you and Banedon in the tunnel ahead.

Instinctively you dodge aside; it is an instinct that saves both your lives, for without warning a radiant bolt of energy leaps from the tip of the creature's staff and comes hurtling along the passage to explode in the chamber behind. Hurriedly you turn and run from the group as the leader makes ready to launch a second bolt.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have chosen is even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8),
turn to 113
.

If the number is odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9),
turn to 42
.

Your hastily constructed shield fails to protect you against all of the speeding crossbow bolts. Two penetrate its weakened edges, bursting through with a splash of yellow sparks to bury themselves in your thigh and shoulder: lose 7
ENDURANCE
points.

Biting back the pain, you wrench the bolts from your body and stagger towards the Death Knights, hoping to break through them before they have a chance to reload and fire again. The sight of you recovering so bravely from such a fearful wounding leaves many of their number staring open-mouthed with shock. You dodge through their line with ease, and by the time they realize that you have evaded them, and start to give chase, you have passed the junction and have recovered sufficiently to run along the street opposite.

Turn to 266
.

You call to mind the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Lightning Hand
and point your index finger at the keyhole. Upon reciting those words a surge of power runs along your arm, culminating in a blast of energy that leaps from your fingertip and rips into the lockplate. Some glowing splinters from the torn plate pepper your face (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points), but your spell has worked: the door is now open.

Turn to 328
.

You muster your skill and use it to calm the unseen Akataz. The growling stops and, when you pull back the curtain, you see the leathery creature lying on the sawdust-covered floor as docile as a lamb. This foul-smelling chamber is littered with Giak bones and half-chewed haunches of meat. Amongst the debris you notice something gleaming dully. It is a bronze statuette, forged in the likeness of Darklord Zagarna.

If you wish to keep this Statuette of Zagarna, record it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item. If you already carry the maximum number of items allowed, you will have to discard one in its favour.

To your right you notice another curtained archway. Through the threadbare cloth you see a stone staircase spiralling down into the dark.

If you wish to explore this staircase,
turn to 56
.

If you choose to retrace your steps and leave the barracks,
turn to 44
.

Beyond the archway, a passage leads to a pair of stout steel-sheathed doors. The lock that secures them is inlaid with a series of numbers and you immediately recognize that they are part of a combination lock. One number in the sequence is missing. By tapping the correct number upon the blank square, you will cause the lock to disengage.

Study the following sequence of numbers carefully. When you think you know what the missing number is,
turn to the entry
that is identical to your answer.
¹⁰

If you guess incorrectly, or if you cannot answer the puzzle,
turn instead to 297
.

Hastily you push Banedon behind you to shield him with your body as the Drakkarim come rushing across the pen, their barbed tridents poised to strike.
‘Taag!’
they cry, and fall upon you.

Drakkarim:
COMBAT SKILL
 34   
ENDURANCE
 36

Due to your need to defend both yourself and Banedon, reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 3 for the duration of this fight.

If you win the combat,
turn to 321
.

Driven by fear, you recover your footing and force yourself to the top of the mound. The pursuing Death Knights, handicapped by their weighty armour and lack of special skills, can only watch in astonishment as you disappear from view.

The street continues beyond the mound, heading due south towards the great citadel, the shadow of this edifice looming ever larger. Soon the street opens out to a wide concourse which encircles the citadel and offers access to its great Northern Door. The entire door is made of black iron, streaked with rust. Turrets jut from either side, on top of which you see giant cannon-like weapons, similar to those once employed by the Darklords aboard their ironclad fleets.

From the cover of a ruined house you watch the traffic of Giaks and Drakkarim, all clad in orange uniforms bearing the mark of a bloodied scythe. The more you stare at the citadel, the more you are sure that this is where Banedon is being held prisoner. However, entry into the citadel itself looks to be impossible, until, that is, an opportunity unexpectedly presents itself.

Turn to 124
.

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. Fortunately, your powerful mind defences are protection enough against this violent psychic attack, and soon the screech fades to a more tolerable volume.

Turn to 293
.

Stealthily you tail the group as they wend their way through the alleyways and ruined streets of this quarter. Shortly they arrive at a complex of stable-like buildings, each one devoid of all decoration or embellishment, save for a liberal coating of coal-black grime. Here the party splits into two groups. One section enters the complex; the other, led by the Gourgaz, continues on its way southwards, heading deeper into Kaag towards the sound of a distant street battle.

If you wish to follow the Gourgaz and his troop of Giak soldiers,
turn to 144
.

If you choose to investigate the complex of buildings,
turn to 160
.

If you decide to avoid both of these groups, you can make your own way deeper into Kaag by
turning to 65
.