Vampirium (8 page)
You snatch an Arrow from your Quiver and place it to your Bow. As the leading creature comes swooping down towards your hiding place, you pull back your bowstring and take aim at the beast's open jaw.
If you possess Magi-magic and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Lord,
turn to 284
.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 172
.
You draw your Kai Weapon and Gildas unsheathes his sword, and together you attack the Autarch. Your heaviest blows fail to mark his armour and you are forced to retreat for fear of striking your companions.
The Autarch swivels his helm towards you. ‘Give me the Claw!’ he demands, his voice booming around the chamber. ‘Give me the Claw and I shall spare all your worthless lives! ’
If you choose to obey his command,
turn to 35
.
If you choose to refuse his command,
turn to 338
.
The woman launches a bolt of psychic energy that pierces your mind and engulfs your head with a fiery, agonizing pain: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.
Slowly your innate mental defences knit together to repair the damage you have sustained from this opportunistic attack, and gradually the pain in your head recedes.
To continue,
turn to 96
.
You exasperate yourself attempting to pick this lock by the use of your Grand Mastery of Nexus alone (lose 1
ENDURANCE
point), and after thirty minutes of futile effort, reluctantly you concede defeat. The mechanism is formidable: you may have to resort to force to get it to open.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 65
.
If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it,
turn to 263
.
If you possess neither of these skills, or if you choose not to use them,
turn to 324
.
You inform Gildas and the others of your discovery, and tell them to rest awhile beneath the wooden bridge while you attempt to lure a distant group of stallions towards the stream. By the use of your Animal Mastery, you are soon able to entice four horses to approach the bridge. At first they are nervous, for they can detect the vile stench of the Doomlands' dust which impregnates the rangers' tunics. But they are also thirsty and they cannot resist the temptation of the sparkling stream.
You allow them to drink at the stream for several minutes and, as they settle, you use your Kai Mastery to subdue their natural instincts. At your command, Gildas and the others emerge from beneath the bridge and each man chooses a stallion. They are all expert horsemen, and they are able to make bridles and saddlecloths from ropes and blankets that they carry in their packs, Within the hour, all four of you are ready to leave the bridge and ride south in pursuit of the Imperial Guards.
Before you set off, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 130
.
You place your mouth close to the door and use your Magnakai Disciplines of Pathsmanship and Divination to help you mimic the sound of the squad leader's voice. ‘Go away!’ you say, tersely. ‘I've no wish to be disturbed.’
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, add 1 to the number you have picked. If you possess Telegnosis, add 2.
If your total score is now 3 or lower,
turn to 19
.
If it is 4 or higher,
turn to 162
.
Your Arrow causes the cannon's pressure cylinder to erupt like a geyser, and it sprays the Bhanarians with deadly pieces of jagged iron shrapnel. Those who are not felled instantly by the force of the explosion are blinded and blistered by jets of scalding steam.
As the dust settles, you see that the avalanche of rocks has blocked the mountain pass. Two of the enemy warriors have been crushed by the deluge, and three others can be seen staggering away wounded. Most of the squad appear to have survived the rockfall and you cannot help but begrudgingly admire the swiftness of their reactions. At first you cannot see their leader; then you notice him crawling along a channel which runs alongside the mountain trail. He jumped into this shallow gully to avoid the tumbling rocks and now he is climbing back towards the track.
You command Captain Gildas and his rangers to cover you as you leave your hiding place and go after this squad leader. He is clutching the Claw of Naar in his right hand and you are determined to seize the chance to capture it before he can rally his scattered men. Swiftly you traverse the mound of rocks that now blocks the pass, and as you leap into the gully behind the squad leader, you draw your Kai Weapon in readiness to strike. Your adversary hears the slick swish of your weapon leaving its scabbard and instantly he spins on his heel. Shock blanches his sallow, moustachioed face and his almond eyes widen with alarm, but he quickly recovers his composure.
He raises the mace-like Claw of Naar defensively and, with a terse laugh, he levels its taloned tip at your chest. There is a crackling hum of power and a bolt of black fire leaps from this evil artefact. You act on reflex and dive to the bottom of the trench as the supernatural bolt of dark flame comes streaking through the dusty air towards you.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 1 or lower,
turn to 308
.
If it is 2–6,
turn to 278
.
If it is 7 or higher,
turn to 147
.
Only the swiftness of your reactions saves you and your companions from a watery death. You race back along the hill road, through the blinding rain, with a surging torrent of mud and debris chasing you all the way. Trees are uprooted and loose boulders are sent hurtling into the air by the destructive force of this merciless flow. You are struck by pieces of debris and you suffer cuts to your head and back: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.
You succeed in outrunning the mudsling but at some cost. Your horses are so drained by the ordeal that two of them die of exhaustion, and a third becomes too lame to continue. You are forced to abandon them and continue your journey on foot. You head east, and take shelter on a wooded hillside while you wait for the rains to abate.
While you are resting, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.
To continue,
turn to 59
.
You detect that the woman is attempting to ensnare you with a powerful mind charm. You draw upon your psychic defences to block the effects of her spell, and you are able to resist her mesmeric command. Unfortunately, your companions do not possess your formidable mental defences and they continue to ride along the track, drawn by her hypnotic voice. You call out to them to halt but they are oblivious to your presence. You must act quickly if you wish to save them from her sinister spell.
If you possess a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 312
.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 151
.
If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it,
turn to 53
.
If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it,
turn to 124
.
If you possess Kai-surge and wish to use it,
turn to 281
.
If you possess none of these skills, nor a Bow, or if you choose not to use them,
turn instead to 164
.
Your spell fails to split the iron skin of the cannon's pressure cylinder. Alerted now to your presence, a handful of Bhanarians leave the fight at the archway and come running towards the antechamber with their swords and axes raised to strike. You offer up a short prayer to Ishir to protect you as you draw your Kai Weapon ready to meet their determined attack. With your battle-cry upon your lips, you pull open the door and flail at the first Bhanarian who comes within striking distance of your deadly blade.
Bhanarian Guards:
COMBAT SKILL
37
ENDURANCE
40
If you win this combat,
turn to 144
.
As the fearsome Xanon charges towards the ruins, you suddenly realize that the sticky brown-black oil that coats its hide is highly inflammable.
If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 221
.
If you do not possess this skill, or if you choose not to use it,
turn to 253
.
You tug the Claw from your pack and toss it onto the floor.
‘No! He'll not have it!’ screams Gildas, and he leaps forward to kick the artefact away. It skitters across the floor, and its clawed tip embeds itself in the base of the log fire. The captain's actions have angered the Autarch. He storms forward and deals him a crushing blow with his armoured forearm, sending him crashing against a bookcase on the far side of the chamber. His head drops limply to his chest and he slithers to the floor.
Your killing blow severs the creature's head from its body. For a few moments its dismembered torso stands erect; then slowly it keels over backwards and tumbles into the mountain pass.
To continue,
turn to 18
.
The moment you step outside the tavern, you and your companions are set upon by the one-eyed man and his brutish cohorts. They are armed with knives and clubs, and they are determined to show you no mercy. You must fight them.
Bhanarian Roughriders:
COMBAT SKILL
38
ENDURANCE
41
You may add +2 to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of this fight, for Gildas and his men are helping you to fight off these enemies.
If you win the combat in five rounds or less,
turn to 256
.
If you win the combat and it takes six rounds or more,
turn to 105
.
You call out to the rangers to follow your lead, and then you urge your horse to the gallop and race him towards the barrier. The guards scatter as you bear down on them, but their corporal is made of sterner stuff and he refuses to move. He snatches up his spear and gets ready to lunge as you come thundering towards him.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Animal Control, add 2 to the number you have picked.
If your total score is now 0–1,
turn to 142
.
If it is 2–4,
turn to 198
.
If it is 6 or higher,
turn to 44
.
The Autarch's men react swiftly to their squad leader's call, and soon they are following closely on your heels as you race through the copse. When you break from the cover of the trees, the nearest enemy warrior hurls his dagger at your fleeing back. Your Kai Sixth Sense alerts you to the flying missile and you dodge aside, but the tip of the knife grazes your side and makes you stumble and fall into the long grass: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.
To continue,
turn to 85
.
You catch up with the fleeing rangers at a clearing in the forest. The swiftness of your flight has outpaced the fearsome shape-changer, yet no sooner have you recovered your composure and rallied your companions, than you find yourself confronted by a new threat.
At the far side of the clearing is a large mound of packed earth, with a cave-like entrance that is adorned with bones and skulls. From out of the mouth of this cave there emerges a hulking form. Its body resembles a great grey egg supported by a cluster of pale, spindly legs. Two bloodshot eyeballs wobble atop stalks that protrude from its swollen head, and a vile-smelling green bile drips unceasingly from its gap-toothed maw.
Illustration III—A strange, hulking form emerges from the mouth of the cave.
Gildas raises his bow and draws an arrow in readiness to fire at the advancing beast. You raise your Kai Weapon, but suddenly you sense that this abomination is surrounded by a benign, magical aura. Your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that, despite its fulsome appearance, this creature poses no real threat to you and your companions, and hurriedly you command Gildas to hold his fire. Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 3 or lower,
turn to 213
.
If it is 4 or higher,
turn to 176
.