The Buccaneers of Shadaki (21 page)

The actions you employ to lessen the risk of injury prove successful. With nothing more than a bruised shoulder to show for your daring leap, you are able to spring to your feet and escape through the main doors at a run.

Turn to 155
.

You dodge the bolt successfully and the old man emits a cry of shocked surprise when he sees you unsheathe your Kai Weapon. He turns tail and runs towards the village, shrieking hysterically.

You hear him calling the men of the village to gather their weapons. He denounces you, saying that you have attacked him without provocation, and he orders that his men put you swiftly to the sword. Quickly you turn and run towards the ridge. You know that it would be useless to attempt to reason with these people and so you resolve to reach the trail and make a hasty escape.

Turn to 145
.

A sinister quiet enshrouds the great city of Ghol-Tabras as
The Azan
sails beneath the arch of its harbour bridge and docks alongside its grand stone quay. The only citizens to be seen abroad are the guards of the Harbour Watch who quickly approach once the ship is safely moored. A sly-faced sergeant informs Captain Jenkshi that a night curfew is in force, and that a mooring fee of 100 Nobles a day must be paid by all ships arriving after sunset. This is a huge charge and Jenkshi complains bitterly, but the sergeant merely laughs as his protests. ‘Pay the fee or forfeit your ship, captain,’ he sneers. Jenkshi asks that he be allowed to pay tomorrow, so that he may sell some of his cargo to offset the exorbitant fee, but the sergeant shakes his head and refuses his request out of hand. ‘The fee must be paid now,’ he growls, ‘and in coinage — not cargo.’

Reluctantly the captain pays the sergeant using every last Noble that he possesses, leaving him with no money to pay his crew or purchase fresh supplies of food and water in the morning. He tells the crew that he must sell some of the cargo to raise the money he needs. A sale must be arranged quickly for he cannot afford to stay in this harbour for more than a day. Jenkshi picks a handful of his best crew members and tells them to accompany him ashore to help him find someone who will be willing to buy his copper ingots. You offer to help him and he suggests that you take half his men and meet back at the ship at dawn. He tells you to accept no less than 8 Nobles per ingot. He also tells you of two places he knows where a buyer for copper may be found: the Flying Fish Tavern and Coppersmiths' Hall.

If you wish to go to the Flying Fish Tavern,
turn to 319
.

If you would prefer to go to Coppersmiths' Hall,
turn to 282
.

You ask a barman standing behind the counter for a plate of food and a tankard of his finest ale. Cheerfully he fulfils your order and you pay him 2 Nobles. While you are enjoying his delicious fare you ask him if he knows the whereabouts of Lord Zinair of Dessi.

‘Lord Zinair of Dessi? Mmm … he's the ambassador of Dessi, unless I'm mistaken. I think he lives in the North Quarter. You'd be best to ask at the Soothsayer's Shop in the market square. They'd know … they know pretty much everything. They even know things that haven't happened yet!’

You thank the barman for his advice. When you have finished your meal, you leave the tavern and continue along the avenue. At length you arrive at a busy market square. On the far side of this square you see the Soothsayer's Shop. Heeding the barman's advice, you decide to enter and ask for their assistance.

Turn to 71
.

As you tumble over the side of the boat, the tip of the officer's half-pike scrapes along your ribs and gouges your arm: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

You sink like a stone, but your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus soon frees you from the cord that binds your wrists and you are able to strike out for the distant shore. Only once you have passed beyond the shadow of Sesketera's flagship do you dare come up for air. As you break the surface, you notice that the crew of
The Triasus
are scouring the sea, straining themselves to catch a glimpse of where you are. A marine on the prow deck spots you and, to your surprise, Sesketera's crew begin to laugh and jeer.

You are trying to fathom the reason for their laughter when suddenly you are struck in the back by a heavy, powerful blow.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If the number you have picked is odd (i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9) reduce your
ENDURANCE
score by 3. If the number you have picked is even (i.e. 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0) reduce your
ENDURANCE
score by 5.

If you have survived your wounding,
turn to 243
.

Following the city's signposts, you make your way down to the ferry station. Adjacent to this station is a marine timber yard and a chandler's warehouse. The smell of freshly-sawn timbers reminds you of the Fryelund Forest which surrounds your Kai Monastery. It is a memory that makes you feel a little homesick. The timber yard is deserted and so you decide to sleep this night among its stacks of pine and oak.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 211
.

If it is 5–9,
turn to 13
.

You retrace your steps along the winding alleyways of the Old Quarter and make your way back through the crowds to the harbour. Dusk is drawing its grey cloak across the cloudless sky by the time you reach
The Azan
, and when you go aboard you discover that the cargo has been fully loaded.

Captain Jenkshi is pleased with his crew and feels they deserve a reward for all their hard work. Half of his men would like to spend the night ashore at the Three Capstans Inn, one of their favourite taverns. The tavern-keeper delivered some fresh food to the ship during the afternoon, and he promised a free flagon of ale to any crew member who paid him a visit this evening. The captain gives his permission, but on one condition — all those who wish to go ashore this evening must be back on board before dawn breaks tomorrow.

‘We sail on the dawn tide,’ he bellows, ‘so don't expect to find us still here if y'roll up late.’

If you wish to go ashore and visit the Three Capstans Inn,
turn to 144
.

If you decide to stay aboard with the captain and the remaining crew members,
turn to 288
.

You ride the trail for more than an hour before you come to a shallow ford across a fast-flowing stream. After resting here to let your horse drink his fill, you press on and enter a region of jungle highlands. Night draws in and you halt to make camp among a cluster of wind-worn boulders, close to the trail. The area is carpeted with thick grasses that make ideal fodder for your horse. After making sure that his reins are securely fixed to a rock, you settle yourself down to rest.

Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, before you go to sleep you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 177
.

You make a quick search of the dead henchmen and discover the following items:

• 3 Swords
  
• 3 Daggers
  
• 8 Nobles
  

Melchar helps you to hide their bodies before you leave the tackroom. Outside, you discover that the race has ended and that the favourite, Forlu-zhan, came in last. The crowds are bitterly disappointed with the result, but Wrok the Bookmaker is beaming with joy, for he and his conspirators have made a fortune by sabotaging the favourite guanza. He begins to wonder why his henchmen have not returned and, when he looks to the tackroom door, he catches sight of you and Melchar leaving. Frantically he signals to his conspirators to stop you getting away. You see them closing in and you grab Melchar by the arm for fear of losing him among the crowds that are heading for the exit gates.

If you wish to attempt to leave the racetrack by the main exit,
turn to 179
.

If you wish to try to leave by a side gate,
turn to 347
.

Unfortunately your attempt to open the cell door attracts the unwanted attention of the three gaolers who occupy the guardroom at the end of the corridor. Armed with studded clubs, they come to your cell with the intention of punishing you severely. As soon as the bolt is pulled back, they storm through the doorway and lash out at you with their cruel staves. To save yourself from this beating you are forced to fight them barehanded.

Citadel Gaolers:
COMBAT SKILL
 36   
ENDURANCE
 36

(You are unarmed: ignore all weapon bonuses.)

If you win this combat,
turn to 45
.

Your legs are raked by the creature's talons, causing you to stumble and fall: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

You drag yourself painfully to your feet and retrieve your Kai Weapon but, as you turn to face your enemy, you see that it has recovered its senses and is standing. It is steeling itself to receive your attack.

Zhürc:
COMBAT SKILL
 52   
ENDURANCE
 40

If the Kai Weapon you wield is ‘Valiance’, you may apply the bonus gained due to its unique properties.

If you win the fight,
turn to 50
.

You set off along the shore, keeping the waters of the Gulf of Serpents in sight to help you gauge your progress. The jungle bordering this coast is teeming with wildlife yet you detect no sign of tribal inhabitants. After your encounter with the natives of Dlash-da Ralzuha, you decide that perhaps this is a blessing. You spend the first night encamped on the beach, and then you begin your trek early the following day.

Fine weather, wild game, and an abundance of freshwater streams make your trek far easier than expected. On the fourth day you happen upon an ancient track that climbs into the hills and joins a newer trail. Your tracking skills reveal human footprints but your excitement wanes when you determine that they are more than six months old. Steadily the trail climbs higher into the hills until you lose sight of the gulf waters. As darkness approaches it begins to rain. Within an hour it has become a torrential downpour that turns the trail into a fast-flowing stream. It becomes impossible to continue and so you search for somewhere dry to spend the night. Your tracking skills lead you to a cave, but when you enter you realize at once that you are not the only creature seeking shelter here tonight. You see the glint of amber eyes at the rear of the cave and you detect growling, loud enough to be heard above the noise of the pounding rain. Your instincts tell you that there are two creatures lurking here in the recesses of the cave, and that they are both hungry, scared, and potentially dangerous.

If you possess Animal Mastery and wish to use it,
turn to 346
.

If you possess Kai-surge and wish to use it,
turn to 185
.

If you possess Bardsmanship and wish to use it,
turn to 269
.

If you possess none of these skills, or if you choose not to use any of them,
turn to 86
.

You force open the door to one of the houses and lead the crewmen inside, but sadly your attempt at evasion is short-lived. One of the owners of a neighbouring house informs the City Guard officer of where you are hiding and within minutes his men have forced their way in and overpowered you and your companions: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

You are dragged into the courtyard and guarded at spear-point until two horse-drawn wagons arrive to take you away to the city gaol. As you are herded aboard these foul-smelling carriages, your Weapons, Kai Weapon, and Backpack Items are confiscated and dumped into a wooden crate beside the driver's seat. (On your
Action Chart
mark each of these items with an asterisk [*] to indicate that they are no longer in your possession, but do not erase them at this time. Any Special Items you possess are allowed to remain with you.)

At the officer's command the wagons move off at a speedy pace. After a few bruising minutes your wagon emerges from the gloomy streets and ascends a smooth ramp which passes through the daunting gate of Ghol-Tabras gaol. Above this gate flutters a flag which depicts a black serpent entwined around the blade of a silver scimitar. It is the personal emblem of Sesketera, the ruler of this city, a man not known either for his kindness or for his mercy.

Turn to 265
.

You wake with the rising sun and check your equipment before leaving the timber yard to walk along the waterfront to the neighbouring ferry station. You can see the ferry approaching across the strait. It is loaded with carts and horses and more than a hundred people. A queue has formed at the station gate where a ferryman is waiting to collect the crossing fare. A board slung around his chest informs you that the price of the crossing is 2 Nobles.

If you can afford the price of the crossing,
turn to 188
.

If you do not have 2 Nobles,
turn to 287
.

Your Herbmastery skills and Kai senses warn you that the food in the wooden bowl is drugged. You are also able to detect an aura of intense evil which surrounds the bald man. It is an evil that makes your flesh creep!

If you wish to knock the bowl of drugged food out of the bald man's hands,
turn to 305
.

If you choose to avoid a confrontation by leaving the park at once,
turn to 342
.