The Deathlord of Ixia (14 page)

In the tightening confines of this narrow fjord, it proves impossible for you to avoid a collision. With a shuddering crash, the port bow grounds on a submerged ridge of ice and is torn wide open. Within the hour, your ship sinks, leaving you stranded alone on the ice-field.

For three weeks you survive on the ice until, in the middle of one cold and stormy night, with your strength nearing its lowest ebb, you are swept into the sea, never to be seen again.

You can take some comfort in the fact that your incredible courage brought about the defeat of the evil Deathlord, saving untold millions from an eternity of slavery in his service. So long as there is Good upon Magnamund you will never be forgotten. Sadly, though, death is the price you have paid for this victory.

Your life and your quest end here in the Tozaz Sea.

The ghastly creature shrieks with undisguised glee as it prepares to strike you down. It raises its jagged rod of ice and sparks ignite at the tip — the prelude to another devastating blast of energy which the beast is about to aim at your crouching form. You reach for your own weapon, desperate to defend yourself, but as your hand closes around the hilt you hear the unexpected sound of rushing wind. Suddenly a spear-like missile hits the creature in the back and explodes from its chest. The impact sends the beast cartwheeling past you to slam into the ice-boat's mast. You look towards the watchtower and see Prarg at the parapet, standing behind a catapult-like pantard, his clenched fist raised in triumph. You return his salute, thankful that his aim was true.

The pantard bolt has pinned the creature to the mast but it has not destroyed it. Howling with anger, it twists and writhes to get free. Then, as if drawn by its unhuman cries, a mass of skeletal warriors come charging down the gangplank towards you. Instinctively, you draw your weapon and strike the plank a mighty blow, splitting it cleanly in two. Both sections collapse and the onrushing skeletons tumble helplessly into the icy water.

Turn to 288
.

You stand at the base of the left-hand pillar and utter the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Levitation
. Immediately, you feel yourself rise from the floor and, using your hands to guide you and maintain a grip on the pillar, you inch your way effortlessly towards the narrow gap between it and the ceiling above.

The ascent is effortless but it is not entirely painless. The energy radiating from the electrical arcing blisters the exposed flesh on the right side of your face: lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

If you have reached the Kai rank of Sun Thane,
turn to 273
.

If you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 49
.

You lasso the spur of rock on your first attempt and pull yourself out of the cloying mire barely seconds before the unseen creature, which is circling below the surface, moves in to attack your legs. On reaching the spur, you retrieve your rope and set out to climb the wall of this shaft.

Above, the snickering horde of Chaos-creatures watch your ascent with eager anticipation. When you are within a few feet of the top, you unsheathe your weapon and get ready to fight your way out of the shaft one-handedly.

Chaos-horde:
COMBAT SKILL
 46   
ENDURANCE
 46

Unless you have attained the Kai rank of Sun Lord, you must reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 4 for the duration of this combat, due to your disadvantageous position. Unless you have Grand Weaponmastery and are a Sun Knight or higher, you may not use a two-handed weapon (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, or Spear) for this combat.

If you win the combat,
turn to 82
.

Frantically you strike out for the shore with the jaws of the gruesome Gybia snapping at your heels. Fortunately, as you reach the shallows, the creature is forced to abandon its pursuit and let you escape. Coughing and retching violently, you stagger out of the icy water and stumble to the cover of some boulders which lie embedded in the shore. Here, as you slowly recover, you find to your dismay that during your hasty escape from the Gybia, you lost all but two items from your Backpack.

Erase all of your Backpack Items with the exception of those which you have recorded in spaces 4 and 6 on your Backpack Items list.

To continue,
turn to 304
.

Fearful that you could be discovered here at any moment, you bring your face closer to the door and make a detailed examination of the combination lock. On the surface it appears to be straightforward, but your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus alerts you to the fact that it is protected by sorcery. Failure to tap in the correct number more than once will activate an alarm.

If you possess the Discipline of Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 217
.

If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it,
turn to 81
.

If you possess neither of these Disciplines or choose not to use them,
turn to 74
.

With your briefing now concluded, King Sarnac ushers you all into his court chamber. There you bid him, Lord Ardan, and Guildmaster Banedon farewell, and they in turn wish you good luck and godspeed before Captain Prarg escorts you to the harbour. It is snowing heavily, and few of Vadera's inhabitants notice as the two of you are welcomed aboard the
Maycastle
, the square-rigged man-o'-war which will carry you to Azgad Island.

You leave Vadera within the hour and begin the long, cold voyage northwards. During the voyage, Captain Prarg tells you about the raids which have destroyed several small Drakkarim settlements along the Gulf of Konkor and the coast of the Shakoz Bight. On the twelfth day of your two-week sea journey, you catch a glimpse of one such settlement, near to the mouth of the River Lenag. All that remains is a wispy pall of smoke which hangs above the burnt-out hovels, darkening an already stormy sky.

For most of the voyage, a host of seabirds have accompanied the
Maycastle
, attracted by the scraps of food regularly thrown out by the ship's galley. But at dawn on the thirteenth day, as the ship enters the Gulf of Konkor, the usual flocks of shrieking gulls are nowhere to be seen. It is as if they have suddenly become aware of impending danger and have turned back, eager to stay out of harm's reach. Later in the day, a fierce squall arises from the east which whips the iron-grey waters of the gulf into a maelstrom. The crew fight desperately to control their ship as the storm rages all day and all night, not abating until dawn of the following day. As the wind gradually dies and the sea settles, the lookout is able to resume his post atop the mainmast.

Illustration VIII
—You see a few stone buildings around a fortified stone tower.

‘Land ahoy!’ he cries, and all eyes scan the northern vista. There, perched on the wintry horizon, is a grey strip of barren, frost-covered rock. You magnify your vision and see, on the western side of this island, a few slate buildings clustered around a fortified stone tower.

‘That's Fort Azgad,’ says Captain Prarg, with relief in his voice. ‘At last we've arrived.’

Turn to 321
.

At the first opportunity you sprint away from the wooden crates and descend the staircase to a closed door. It is a sturdy portal, carved from solid rock and banded with strips of bronze. You test it with the toe of your boot and, to your surprise, it swings open with barely a sound.

Beyond the door lies a rough-hewn chamber lined with racks of ancient crystal spears and swords. Despite the millennia which have passed since they were crafted by armourers during the Age of Eternal Night, these weapons still hold a keen edge and gleam like new.

Casting your eye around this weapon store there appears to be no other exit save the one by which you entered.

If you possess Telegnosis,
turn to 286
.

If you do not possess mastery of this Discipline,
turn to 226
.

Your swift reflexes save you from being impaled upon the tip of the spiked helm. Tagazin goes charging past in a cloud of dust but, as you roll over and spring to your feet, you see that he has already made his turn and is bearing down for a second time.

Demonlord Tagazin (with Power Helm):
COMBAT SKILL
 55   
ENDURANCE
 48

This being is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.

If you win this combat,
turn to 40
.

After a few minutes of intense concentration your use of your Magnakai Discipline pays off. Successfully you will the lock to disengage, yet the effort required is far greater than you could have anticipated and it leaves you mentally weakened: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

The portal begins to shimmer and lose its solidity. At first it becomes transparent and then it fades completely, as if evaporating into thin air. With a smile of satisfaction on your lips at having overcome it, you step through the now-open archway and into an adjoining hall.

This vaulted, oblong-shaped hall is illuminated by flickerings of electrical fire which arc between two freestanding pillars at the far end of the chamber. Beyond the pillars you can make out the shadowy entrance to another chamber; it is the only other exit from this hall. You realize at once that to pass between the pillars could prove to be fatal: the power arcing between them is as great as any lightning storm raging in the skies above Xaagon. Yet there may be a way of avoiding contact with this raw power. You notice that the two freestanding pillars do not go all the way to the ceiling — there is a gap at the top, a little over two feet wide.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 136
.

If you wish to attempt to climb one of the pillars and squeeze through the gap in order to reach the adjoining hall,
turn to 297
.

If you decide to throw caution to the wind and run directly between the pillars,
turn to 211
.

With trepidation you steer the ship along a string of narrow fjords which cut an uncertain route through this treacherous field of icebergs. Your hands, slick with nervous sweat, grip the wheel tightly and inch it back and forth in response to the pilot's frantic signals. It is a gruelling ordeal which soon takes its toll on the nerves of all aboard.

Every few minutes your vision is obscured by gusts of powdery snow which swirl across the deck, blown down from the tops of the surrounding ice cliffs. One of these fierce blasts temporarily blinds you. As you fight to restore your vision, the incessant howl of the wind is suddenly accompanied by the tortured screech of the ship's hull as it collides with a ridge of submerged ice. The impact sends the vessel careering violently to starboard and hurls you painfully against the wheelhouse wall: lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 302
.