The Buccaneers of Shadaki (24 page)

The vendor has never heard of Lord Zinair, but he suggests that you visit the Soothsayer's Shop near the exit from the square. You thank the man and as you leave you decide to follow his advice.

Turn to 71
.

When you and the captain return to the main deck of the
Seasprite
, Ghol-Tabras is little more than a tiny speck shimmering on the far horizon. Your daring leap from the harbour bridge is still the talk of the crew and they are eager to shake your hand when Radyard proudly shows you around his ship. The Siyenese are a friendly crew with a keen sense of humour that they readily share. You enjoy being in their company and the next three days at sea pass effortlessly. On the evening of the fourth day, Radyard drops anchor off the coast at a place called Kastrow's Door. It is a narrow strait that runs between the jungle mainland and the Isle of Kobra. The night is calm and clear, and the stirrings of a warm southerly breeze promise fine sailing for the following day. Yet despite these good omens you awaken next morning feeling ill at ease. As you are leaving your cabin to go on deck, suddenly you hear the lookout in the crow's nest shout a warning that chills your blood: ‘Man o'war off the starboard bow!’

Turn to 16
.

The villagers fire their bows and every arrow strikes the dragon, yet none of them penetrate the creature's scaly hide. You utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Lightning Hand
and direct your bolt of energy at the creature's belly as it soars directly overhead. It hits the creature and makes it shudder, but it does not deflect it from its chosen course.

The dragon circles the village once more and then hovers above the burnt-out remains of the central hut. You observe the creature and your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that it has not come here bent on destruction. It is seeking something in the charred ruins.

Turn to 85
.

You see the shimmering glint of sun on steel and in the very next instant the dagger comes speeding towards you. You throw yourself to the ground to avoid being hit, but the blade is cursed. It dips in mid-air and strikes you above the right knee, cutting a furrow across the back of your thigh: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 77
.

You grab the sides of the ladder and climb towards the hatch. The rungs are slippery and the slick leather of your soles does not make for a speedy ascent. Then you hear a loud hissing and you look down to see that the creature is directly below you. Suddenly the ladder lurches violently as the ship is struck by another wave. There is a loud roar, and then the hatch above your head collapses and you are hit by a deluge of seawater that sweeps you off the ladder. You crash down upon the creature's head, stunning it, and the force of your fall sends it reeling to the floor.

Frantically you scramble to your feet and reach for your Kai Weapon to finish off the beast before it can recover. But to your horror you discover that your weapon is not at your side; it fell from your belt when you were swept off the ladder. You look around and catch sight of it sliding across the floor towards the bulkhead door.

If you wish to retrieve your Kai Weapon,
turn to 227
.

If you choose to attack the beast with a normal Weapon before it fully recovers,
turn to 176
.

The shock of the unexpected blow knocks the air from your lungs and somersaults you down into the water. You draw upon your Kai skills to numb your pain and gather your senses and, as your vision clears, you discover that you are still in one piece. However, the satchel containing the Moonstone is no longer slung around your shoulder. The strap has broken and you glimpse the bag sinking towards a coral reef, five fathoms below. Suddenly you sense movement in the water and you twist around. Speeding towards you comes a marine monster; it is returning after having rammed you in the back. It resembles a gigantic crocodile, but one with a blunt-muzzled head and scales of dull grey horn. As it closes for the kill its great jaw swings open revealing a ghastly red maw lined with dozens of dagger-like fangs.

Illustration XIV
—Its great jaw swings open, revealing a ghastly red maw lined with dozens of dagger-like fangs.

If you wish to try to reach the surface and fill your empty lungs with fresh air,
turn to 166
.

If you decide to unsheathe your Kai Weapon and prepare to defend yourself from this creature's attack,
turn to 67
.

You find your way to the docks and discover Captain Leonghi's ship moored at the end of the quay. It is a battered old trader that is in desperate need of a lick of paint, but it looks seaworthy enough. The crewman on watch is expecting you and he invites you aboard. The captain greets you with a wry smile. He has heard stories about the incident at the Caeno Derby yesterday and he insists that you remain in your cabin until the
Embassage
is safely out at sea. You agree to his request and descend the prow-deck ladder to your cabin below.

Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 109
.

Sesketera rushes at you and launches a whirlwind flurry of thrusts and sweeps that force you away from Oriah's unconscious body. You unsheathe your Kai Weapon and the
clang
of striking metal echoes throughout the hall as you parry his relentless rain of blows. Suddenly the sharp report of your colliding weapons is answered by the dull ringing of a bell in a distant part of the citadel. It is an alarm bell, and it is announcing your escape from the dungeons of the gaol.

Sesketera (with Medallion of Weaponskill):
COMBAT SKILL
 53   
ENDURANCE
 42

Conduct this combat in the normal way for two rounds only. If you are still alive after two rounds, do not continue the fight.
Turn instead to Section 215.

You climb to the top of the pit and drag yourself over its lip. Arrows thud into the ground and whistle past your head as hurriedly you stumble forwards and dive for the cover of the jungle trees.

Turn to 38
.

You steady yourself by wedging your foot firmly between the guide ropes of the bridge, and then you draw an Arrow to your Bow and let it fly at the bandit axeman. It strikes his axe below the blade and splits the wooden haft in two. The bandit shrieks with alarm, drops his shattered weapon, and then flees into the jungle as fast as his skinny legs will carry him. His confederates quickly lose their nerve when they see you reaching for a second Arrow and they, too, turn tail and disappear into the trees.

Suddenly you glimpse a face peering out from the crevice in the gorge. You spin around and release your second Arrow, sending it whistling towards the startled eyes of the bandit who is pulling the rope attached to the underside of the bridge. He dodges back into the darkness and your shaft shatters harmlessly against the rocks, but in his panic to avoid your Arrow he accidentally lets the rope slip from his hands.

As the floor of the bridge ceases to sway, you quickly remount your horse and coax him across to the far side. The bandit's angry voice echoes through the gorge as you make good your escape along the jungle trail that continues beyond the bridge.

Turn to 205
.

You struggle to climb the ladder out of the hold but you are hampered by torrents of debris-laden water that come pouring into the hold through the open hatch.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If your
ENDURANCE
score is now 8 or less, deduct 1 from the number you have picked.

If your total score is now 2 or less,
turn to 321
.

If it is 3 or more,
turn to 261
.

You resign yourself to the fact that you are unlikely to find a buyer for copper in this unfriendly inn and so you turn to leave. Seeing this, the drunken louts in the taproom start to jeer at you and throw food and ale at your companions. In the face of this mindless abuse you lead them out of the tavern and begin retracing your route back to the harbour in the hope of reaching
The Azan
before night closes in completely. You are within a few hundred yards of the harbour entrance when suddenly a patrol of the city watch come marching around a corner with their spears couched on their chainmailed shoulders. Their officer commands you all to halt and demands that you raise your hands above your heads.

If you wish to do as the officer has ordered,
turn to 228
.

If you decide to make a dash for the harbour,
turn to 330
.

Slowly the door opens to reveal a grey-haired man clad in the robes of a High Council Elder of Dessi. At first his sea-blue eyes and lordly countenance are fixed in seriousness, but then he recognizes the insignia of your Kai tunic and his stern face breaks into a warm and welcoming smile.

‘Praise the gods! You have arrived, Grand Master. I feared that you and your precious cargo had been lost at Ghol-Tabras. I am Zinair. Please, please, come inside.’

Lord Zinair ushers you into the consulate and asks you to wait in his private chambers. After he has taken the precaution of dismissing his staff, he joins you there. He had expected your arrival weeks ago and had almost abandoned hope that he would ever see you alive, fearing that you had fallen foul of Sesketera. When you recount all the perils of your journey from Elzian, Zinair is doubly amazed that you are with him now. You reassure him that you still have the Moonstone and you offer to show him the precious artefact, but he declines your offer saying that it would be safer for you both if it were to remain within its korlinium satchel.

Zinair suggests that you bathe and eat and avail yourself of the many luxuries that the consulate has to offer. He suggests that after you are rested you meet again later so that you may discuss the final and most vital part of your mission.

Turn to 186
.

You focus your powers at some loose rocks that overhang the crevice, and you see them shudder under the force of your will. Suddenly they collapse and come crashing down, severing the rope as they tumble past the crevice to disappear into the gorge below. As the floor of the bridge ceases to sway, you quickly remount your horse and coax him across to the far side. You can hear angry voices echoing from the gorge as you spur him to the gallop and escape along the jungle trail that continues beyond the bridge.

Turn to 205
.

The Lucky Horse Inn is famous for its gaming tables which attract some of Magnamund's most notorious gamblers. Even at this early hour of the afternoon its tables are busy as fortunes are wagered, won, and lost on the turn of a card or the roll of a die. Gregor buys you a tankard of ale and together you stand and watch an interesting game of 5-card Lourdenian Draw unfold at a nearby table.

After surviving the attack upon his ship, Gregor is feeling lucky. When two players drop out of the game he suggests the idea that you and he should take their places.

If you agree to his suggestion, you can join in the game by
turning to 8
.

If you do not wish to gamble, you can leave the inn and continue along the main street by
turning to 168
.

Suddenly the caged birds stop their chirping and the young woman senses something is wrong. She raises her tear-streaked face and catches sight of you standing near the entrance to the antechamber.

‘Who are you?’ she demands, hurriedly wiping away her tears. ‘Are you one of Sesketera's lackeys come to taunt me?’

You tell the young woman not to be alarmed — you have no wish to harm her. The unexpected shock of seeing you gradually fades and she becomes curious. ‘How did you enter this hall?’ she asks. ‘And why are you here?’

Sensing that she, too, is being held against her will, you decide to confide in this young woman and tell her everything that has befallen you since you first arrived in Ghol-Tabras. When you have finished your sorry tale, she smiles sympathetically. She then tells you of her own sad predicament.

You learn that her name is Oriah. She is the daughter of Khazullo, a Vassagonian Funtal who rules the city of Fio Fadali. Her father is a rich and ruthless man and it is his wish that his only daughter should marry Sesketera, the ruler of Ghol-Tabras. Oriah has no desire to become the bride of a cruel overlord, but this is of no interest to her father. He lusts after the political power that her marriage will afford him. He has no thought or concern for his daughter's happiness.

With the help of her friends, Oriah attempted to flee her native city in order to avoid the marriage. But she was hunted down by Sesketera's men and brought here, to his citadel, against her will. She is to be kept imprisoned in this hall until her wedding day, one month from now.

‘Let us escape from this place together,’ you say, but Oriah merely shakes her head.

‘No … no, it cannot be. Sesketera is holding my friends. They are his hostages. If I leave the citadel before our wedding he will put them to the sword. I cannot leave here. But I will help you to escape. Come, follow me.’

Turn to 78
.