The Buccaneers of Shadaki (27 page)

You leave Nhang by its West Gate and follow the main trade road that leads to the city of Jazer, 40 miles to the west. There are many fellow travellers on this road. Some, like you, travel alone and on foot. Others journey in convoys of ox-drawn wagons heavily laden with wares. You try to hitch a ride aboard these convoys but without success, and so you resign yourself to the fact that you have a long day's walk ahead.

At noon you come to a village where the road enters some hilly timberland. A sprawling taverna dominates the village, providing meals for travellers. There are more than a dozen wagons parked outside its doors and many sullen-faced natives are sitting on nearby benches eating their midday meals.

If you wish to stop and enter the taverna,
turn to 114
.

If you decide to continue on your way without stopping,
turn to 323
.

Following directions given by the men in your charge, you make your way through the quiet streets of Ghol-Tabras until you arrive at the grand double doors of its Coppersmiths' Hall. You push open one of these mighty portals and enter an imposing chamber that is decorated with the portraits of wealthy Shadakine merchants and past coppermasters. The warden of the hall comes hurrying towards you from the door to an antechamber. He is grumbling and waving his hands frantically as if he is trying to shoo away a cloud of invisible insects. It is clear from his sour expression that he has an intense dislike of the Suhnese.

‘Out! Out! Leave here at once!’ he blusters. You are about to be ejected from the hall when suddenly a guildsman intervenes. He orders the warden to stop shouting and calm himself down before his blood boils over. Seething with fury, the warden bites his lower lip as he tries with difficulty to obey this man's command.

Illustration XVI
—‘Out! Out! Leave here at once!’ he blusters.

‘My name is Noliq,’ says the guildsman. ‘How may I be of service?’

You tell the man that you wish to sell some copper ingots. He smiles and says that he may be able to help you. The warden warns him that to do so after sunset is illegal, but the guildsman dismisses his comment with a disparaging flick of his hand.

‘Come to my chambers and we'll discuss this matter further,’ he says, smiling. You motion to the crew to follow you but the man raises his hand once more, this time in protest. ‘I will discuss the matter only with you,’ he says. And then with a disdainful tone in his voice he adds, ‘These men will have to leave the hall and wait for you outside in the street.’

If you wish to agree to his conditions,
turn to 18
.

If you choose not to part company with the crew,
turn instead to 190
.

You count out five coins into her hand and in return she tells you that Lord Zinair resides in the city's North Quarter, at the Dessian Consulate. She writes the directions to the consulate on a scrap of parchment and gives this to you. Upon leaving her shop, you follow her written directions and arrive there within the hour. With mounting anticipation, you climb the front steps of the consulate building and knock on its stout oak door.

Turn to 250
.

As the man's head dips under the water for the last time, you dive into the muddy river and swim across its surging current. Guided by your Sixth Sense, you locate his body and then pull him to the surface. You fight to maintain your grip as the powerful current sweeps you downstream, and you are propelled along for more than a mile before it finally deposits you on the opposite bank. As you drag the man from the water, you notice a group of huts in the distance. You are about to haul the unconscious man over your shoulder and set off towards them, when suddenly you detect that he has no pulse. Using your Magnakai Discipline of Curing you are able to restart his heart and empty the water from his lungs, yet you are unable to restore him to full consciousness. The sudden sound of voices makes you look towards the huts where you see a group of natives pointing excitedly in your direction. They are all wearing jerkins and loincloths made from animal hide, clothing that is identical to that worn by the man you have saved from the river. You call to them and wave your arms to attract their attention and they quickly respond. You are expecting them to be pleased that you have saved one of their kinfolk, but as they come closer you are shocked by their unexpected response.

Turn to 20
.

You are within a dozen yards of a wall of jungle trees when suddenly the ground gives way beneath your feet and you fall headlong into a deep pit. Fortunately, the base of this pit trap does not contain sharpened stakes or any other such deadly contrivances, yet you do sustain several cuts and bruises when you land heavily upon its rocky base: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

If you possess Kai-alchemy,
turn to 336
.

If you do not,
turn to 55
.

After only a few seconds of manipulation the lock clicks open. You discard the nail and then reach for the handle and twist it. To your relief, the heavy door creaks open to reveal a flight of spiral stairs which ascend into darkness above.

Hurriedly you climb these stone steps and come to a landing where several corridors converge. Some are occupied by gaolers and other officials of Sesketera's citadel who are going about their duties. Then you hear the sound of footsteps ascending the spiral stairs behind you, and this sound reminds you of the pressing need to keep moving. You draw upon your Magnakai Disciplines of Huntmastery and Pathsmanship to help you choose the best route and, to your surprise, in so doing you discover a secret panel in the wall at the head of the spiral staircase. You reach out and press a raised stud and the concealed panel slides open to reveal a narrow passageway beyond. Quickly you enter this passage and the panel automatically clicks shut behind you.

Turn to 170
.

The ferryman becomes impatient when you arrive at the gate and are unable to pay the fare. After some arguing he finally agrees to accept one Backpack Item in lieu of cash. (Delete from your
Action Chart
one Backpack Item of your own choosing.)

You step onto the ferry and take a place at the bow rail. As you wait for the vessel to cast off, you look around at your fellow travellers and notice that most are merchants with wagons and handcarts loaded with goods destined for the markets of Tiklu. It is a short voyage of 20 miles across the strait. When the ferry approaches the landing jetty, your fellow passengers get ready to leave. As they disembark, one merchant's small cart is overturned and his cargo is spilled onto the shore. The other merchants push past him, but you feel sorry for his plight and you help to calm his carthorse and retrieve his goods. He is very grateful for your assistance and he offers you a ride to Tiklu aboard his cart which you willingly accept.

Turn to 197
.

Captain Jenkshi posts some crew members to guard the gangplank and cargo hold, and then he adjourns to the mess room where he shares his evening meal and a bottle of Bautarian brandy with yourself and the remainder of his men. After supper, you enjoy a game of Samor before you retire to your cabin to sleep.

Turn to 35
.

Two miles beyond the fork in the road you come to an area of low underbrush that is spotted with tiny blue flowers. Swarms of white butterflies hover in the air above them, attracted by the perfume of these delicate little plants.

If you possess Herbmastery,
turn to 104
.

If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 293
.

For two days you follow this shoreline which borders upon the Sea of Dreams. You feed upon the plentiful supply of marine life that you find at low tide in rockpools and caves, and you avoid the natives of the coastal villages through which you take care to pass only at night.

During the morning of the third day you catch your first sighting of the Port of Suhn and your spirits rise. It sits upon an islet at the mouth of the River Azan, and it is a most welcoming sight. There have been many times during your long voyage south that you feared you might not live to ever see this city.

You continue your trek and enter Suhn by means of a grand wooden bridge. It spans the Azan and leads directly to the harbour. You stop to admire the great harbour gate of Suhn. It is a magnificent arch that is decorated with likenesses of the heads of every ruler this city has known. You count 120 heads in all, the last in the line being that of the city's present ruler — Grey Star. The harbour is filled with low, wide boats, many with makeshift shelters, that rock gently on the tide. Native families crowd these vessels, their menfolk working long hours at the busy quayside and trading wharves nearby. Passing through the harbour you see several patrols of City Guardsmen who are heavily armed and quick to stop anyone they consider to be suspicious. There is an underlying sense of unease about the place, a tension that reminds you of Nhang. You decide it would be wise to avoid the City Guards and so you leave the harbour and go in search of Lord Zinair, the Dessian ambassador. Beyond the harbour gate you see that there are only two thoroughfares. One leads directly to Suhn's Market Square and the other, the Avenue of the Southern Seas, wends its way into the city's trade quarter.

If you wish to follow the street that leads to the Market Square,
turn to 116
.

If you choose to enter the Avenue of the Southern Seas,
turn to 194
.

You climb a steep path which ascends to the cliff-top park, and when you arrive there you are rewarded by a spectacular view of the Gulf of Tentarium and the city streets below. The park is empty of people, except for a small group of men who are gathered around the remains of a stone statue which lies broken and overgrown with weeds. A plaque attached to the shattered base declares that it was once a likeness of Shasarak, the Wytch-king of Shadaki. He was an infamous necromancer who inflicted a reign of terror upon this land until finally he was defeated and his empire destroyed in the year MS 5057.

As you move nearer you see that the group is listening to the rantings of a bald man who is attired in grimy, tattered grey robes. His wild eyes roll in his cadaverous face as he tries to persuade his listeners to join with him in the overthrow of the city's ruling council. Between rantings, he offers them food from a large wooden bowl.

Illustration XVII
—The group is listening to the rantings of a bald man with wild, rolling eyes.

If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Herbmastery,
turn to 212
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 334
.