The Buccaneers of Shadaki (30 page)

You whisper the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Sense Evil
and your suspicions are immediately confirmed. This man is not trying to help you at all. He is a charlatan, a sly and gifted liar who is trying to lure you into a trap.

Rather than follow him away from the quay, you tell him that you have changed your mind and that you no longer wish to find Captain Radyard. The man curses you under his breath and then he hurries off into an adjoining alleyway. You watch him disappear before you walk across the market square and enquire after Radyard at the Masama Warehouse.

Turn to 97
.

You halt and very slowly lift your hands away from your sides to demonstrate to the Eldenorans that you are not reaching for a weapon. Then you focus on the Eldenoran captain and launch a sharp pulse of psychic Kai energy at his head. He gasps, and then he lets the crewman fall to the taproom floor as the power of your psychic probe burns through his mind like a red-hot dagger.

Fearing that their captain is having some kind of fit, the drunken Eldenorans begin to panic. Some throw their ale into his face to revive him, while others struggle to lift his heavy body onto a cluttered table. When one man slices open the captain's close-fitting leather jerkin with his dagger, so as to help him breathe, another thinks that he is attacking his master. He punches him unconscious and suddenly a fist-fight erupts. During the commotion, you indicate to the Suhnese that now would be a good time to leave. Without a word they rise from their tables and move towards the door, pausing only to pick up their injured comrade as they make a hasty exit from the tavern. Once outside, the Suhnese can afford to laugh at the incredible stupidity of the Eldenorans. It is hollow laughter, but at least it helps them to relieve the frustration of having to return early to
The Azan
.

Turn to 268
.

Using your advanced camouflage skills, you draw your Kai cloak tightly around yourself and stand close to the wall of the hut. Then you scream long and loud, as if in great pain, and wait for the guards to come. The door opens and two natives armed with spears step through into the gloomy interior. They fail to see you where you are and immediately assume that you have escaped. As they leave the hut to raise the alarm, you are able to slip out through the open door.

Turn to 308
.

Your Grand Mastery of Elementalism tells you that this is no ordinary storm — it is the result of powerful elemental sorcery. You urge Gemulkin to turn his ship about for the fury of this unnatural storm is churning the sea, making it boil and seethe. Fearing for the safety of his cargo and crew the captain readily agrees and he orders his helmsman to bring the ship around. But as the
Vargas
returns towards Shuri Point, Gemulkin suddenly sees something on the horizon that makes him change his mind.

Turn to 100
.

You shout to your companions to make a run for the harbour and then you lead the way along the shadowy streets. The clumping sound of booted feet and the blare of a brass horn echo among the surrounding houses as the city watch raise the alarm and give chase. Swiftly you and the crew outrun these armoured guards but, to your dismay, when you reach the harbour gate you discover that it is closed and bolted.

Quickly you enter an adjoining street in the hope of finding another way through to the quay. At the end of this street you come to a junction where a smaller avenue crosses from east to west.

If you wish to turn east into this avenue,
turn to 258
.

If you decide to go west,
turn to 32
.

You leap over the bodies of the henchmen and follow Melchar as he leads you back through the streets of Caeno to The Song of the Silver Star tavern. When finally you enter the sanctuary of its crowded taproom, the young journeyman laughs with sheer relief at having escaped from the racetrack alive. The innkeeper asks Melchar if his happy mood is due to a win at the derby. He says that, thanks to your advice, he did not bet and therefore he did not lose. He also adds the real reason why he is feeling elated, and the innkeeper frowns.

‘Wrok's not a man to cross,’ he warns. ‘He's ruthless when it comes to getting even. I think you two had better stay in the attic tonight. Wrok's sure to send his lackeys out a-huntin' for you.’

You heed the innkeeper's warning and spend the night hidden in his attic room. Before dawn breaks you slip out of the tavern by a back door and say farewell to Melchar in the street outside.

‘Captain Leonghi's ship is moored down at the docks,’ he says. ‘It's called
Embassage
. I wish you a swift and safe journey to Nhang, Grand Master. I'll always remember our little adventure at the Caeno Derby and I hope we'll meet again one day when you return to Sommerlund.’

Turn to 244
.

You speak the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Lightning Hand
and extend your right arm towards the trailing rope. A crackling arc of energy leaps from your hand to strike this line, severing it cleanly in two. 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 through the gorge as you spur him to the gallop and escape along the jungle trail that continues beyond the bridge.

Turn to 205
.

‘Perhaps you can tell me what you make of this, captain,’ you say, as you retrieve the Siyen Crown from your Backpack. ‘It was found some weeks ago in a wreck off the coast of Vassagonia.’

Radyard takes the silver crown and he inspects it carefully. He smiles when he discovers a Siyenese inscription engraved along its inner rim.

‘It's the crown of a princess,’ he says. ‘Not a state crown, mark you, but one that she would have worn while carrying out her daily duties. The inscription shows that it comes from the royal household of Oridon. It's more than a century old and I'd say it's likely that it belonged to Princess Fahra. She was lost at sea. It's not worth a great fortune but it would have some historical value, especially in my homeland.’

‘In that case, captain,’ you say, ‘you are welcome to keep it … in return for my passage to Masama.’

Radyard readily agrees (erase this Special Item from your
Action Chart
) and he refills your glass with ale and proposes a toast:

‘To the long and prosperous friendship of our countries — to Sommerlund and Siyen!’

Turn to 239
.

The bald man invites you to come and join the group and he offers you some food from his bowl. The food looks very appetising but your Kai senses warn you to be on your guard. You are suspicious of his true motives.

If you choose to accept his offer of food,
turn to 40
.

If you decide to reject his offer,
turn to 237
.

Using your advanced camouflage skills, you blend perfectly with the dense foliage as you stalk closer and closer to the source of the noise. You have cause to be thankful for your Grand Mastery when your Sixth Sense detects the outline of a man's body, high in the boughs of a nearby tree. His limbs and torso are painted with forest colours that help keep him hidden, and you hazard a guess that he is a lookout for a jungle tribe.

You sense that he has failed to detect your presence. Rather than run the risk of being seen, you make a wide detour around his tree before continuing deeper into the jungle.

Turn to 51
.

Once more you summon your knowledge of Brotherhood magic to your aid. You speak the words of the spell
Levitation
and rise up from the floor of the pit.

As you draw level with its edge, you release yourself from the spell and step onto firm ground. Arrows whistle past on all sides as hurriedly you dive into the cover of the jungle trees.

Turn to 38
.

The lock clicks open, but only after several minutes of nerve-racking effort. You discard the nail and reach to the handle of the door, but at this very moment a trio of gaolers suddenly appears in the doorway behind you. The leading man bellows with rage and he snatches up his spear in readiness to throw it. Desperately you pull on the handle and, as the heavy door creaks open, the gaoler hurls his spear at your unprotected back.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, add 1 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 2. If you possess Assimilance, add 3.

If your total score is now 3 or lower,
turn to 309
.

If it is 4–7,
turn to 88
.

If it is 8 or higher,
turn to 10
.

The moment you strike the killing blow, the creature's body transforms into a hissing mass of fiery green sparks. Rapidly these sparks dissolve leaving no trace, except for a lingering odour of decay. Your Kai senses detect that the creature was a magical creation, an evil summonation sent here to find the Moonstone.

As you retrieve your Kai Weapon, you ponder who could be responsible for the creature's creation and presence here. Then suddenly your thoughts are forced to turn to more immediate matters. The hull of the
Vargas
is starting to crack under the relentless pounding of the waves. The hold is rapidly filling with water and you must act swiftly to escape from here before it becomes your watery tomb.

If you possess Kai-alchemy,
turn to 127
.

If you do not,
turn to 248
.

Fair weather returns and
The Azan
makes good speed as it crosses the jade-green waters of the Gulf of Tentarium. It is shortly before noon of the following day when the first glimpse of Zharloum is sighted by the lookout, and less than an hour later you find yourself sailing into the harbour of this grand city. Emerald pennants flutter from its towers and the roofs of its sun-bleached houses, and crowds of industrious citizens throng its paved avenues and alleyways. This old Shadakine port has a long history of free and fair trading. It is many miles from the cities of Shadakine political power which lie to the south, and due to this fortunate fact it has been spared much of the damage inflicted upon this troubled land by a succession of ruthless and tyrannical rulers.

The ship enters and docks at the harbour wall, close to the jetty of a warehouse which contains the iron and copper ingots that it will carry to Suhn. As the crew begin the task of loading the cargo aboard, you agree to help Gregor find the Lourdenian Consulate so that he may report the attack upon his ship, and seek their help in returning home.

Together you disembark from
The Azan
and follow a cobblestoned road which leads out of the harbour and into the heart of the city. When asked for directions, a helpful trader tells Gregor that the Lourdenian Consulate building lies at the far end of this busy main street. He gives the smiling man a Gold Crown and then you continue your way along this crowded thoroughfare. Gregor wishes to reach his Consulate but he is in no great hurry. He suggests that perhaps you and he could first pay a visit to one of the many colourful inns or famous emporia which line this teeming main street.

If you wish to visit the Zharloum Herb Emporium,
turn to 61
.

If you would like to visit the Lucky Horse Inn,
turn to 252
.

If you prefer not to visit either of these famous establishments, you can continue along the main street by
turning to 168
.

You follow the man as he requests, but when his path begins to veer away from the quayside you start to feel a little uneasy. You suspect that he is either lost, drunk, or not quite the helpful old beggar he makes himself out to be.

You ask where he is taking you and he says that he knows a short-cut through the town. He leads you into an alley and moments later your fears are confirmed when you find yourself surrounded by six knife-wielding thugs. Your weasel-faced guide disappears into the shadows and the thugs fall upon you from all sides.

Illustration XX
—Your fears are confirmed when you find yourself surrounded by six knife-wielding thugs.

Masama Street-thugs (6):
COMBAT SKILL
 38   
ENDURANCE
 36

If you win this combat,
turn to 7
.

You wake within the hour and from then on you spend an uncomfortable night during which you are bitten constantly by the fleas which infest your mattress. Your Kai Curing skills protect you from contracting any illness or infection from the bites, but you lose 3
ENDURANCE
points due to your lack of rest.

When the sun rises you decide to abandon your attempts at sleeping. You check your equipment and then you leave the tavern and walk to the nearby ferry station. You can see the ferry approaching across the strait. It is loaded with carts and horses and more than 100 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
.