The Deathlord of Ixia (24 page)

Using your advanced mastery, you magnify your vision in order to see better the new enemy that is descending towards you from out of the sky. As the images grow larger, you see that the leading Lavas is holding an item which radiates an intense aura of evil power. At a distance it appears to be a large metal bowl with a sharp spear of crystal fixed to its underside. Unsure of its purpose, you hazard a guess that it is some kind of weapon that the Lavas leader intends to use against you.

Driven by fear, you increase your own pace, determined more than ever now to reach the Shadow Gate before either Tagazin, or his new wave of helpers, can stop you.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Knight or higher,
turn to 230
.

If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 3
.

Having used Brotherhood magic to assist your climb you now call on it again to aid your descent. The spell
Slow Fall
enables you to glide smoothly to the coal-black floor. A few whispered words cancel its effect and you hurry away towards the shadowy exit.

Turn to 300
.

Moments from losing consciousness, you propel yourself upwards and break through the surface of the lake to gulp air into your burning lungs. On the jetty, a black-clad being is distracted by the sound of a distant splash. It turns its head and stares in your direction, its fiery eyes aglow like two red-hot coals. Hurriedly you inhale and dive below the surface, praying all the while that you have not been seen.

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

If your total score is now 5 or lower,
turn to 116
.

If it is 6 or higher,
turn to 157
.

You remove your hand from the Sommerswerd and draw another weapon just in time to fend off the creature's initial attack. A flash of lightning briefly illuminates the cave and, for the first time, you see this mysterious beast: the sight is chilling to behold. Its mouth is a mass of twisted fangs and from its huge, bear-like body there writhes a score of slimy tentacles, each tipped with a venomous claw. Its reptilian head is domed and from its centre there protrudes a twisted horn, longer than a broadsword.

The creature retreats a few paces and howls with anger as it prepares to make its second attack.

Ixian Mhagani:
COMBAT SKILL
 40   
ENDURANCE
 60

You may evade combat with this undead creature at any time after the fourth round by
turning to 56
.

If you win the fight,
turn to 16
.

You hit the floor with cat-like grace, roll over to lessen the impact, and regain your feet — all in one balanced movement. The damage you sustain is minimal: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.

To continue,
turn to 36
.

The creature leaps from the gangplank onto the deck and thrusts the tip of its icy rod at your face. You parry its attack with the Sommerswerd and a flash of hissing sparks explode when the two formidable weapons collide.

Ziog:
COMBAT SKILL
 48   
ENDURANCE
 42

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

If you win the combat,
turn to 70
.

On reaching the stone roof, you notice an opening at its centre which is partially overgrown with barbed creepers. You rip away this foliage, taking care not to scratch yourself on the poisonous barbs, and discover a flight of steps, thick with slime, which descend into the dark interior of the sunken building.

Unfortunately, your preoccupation with the stairway distracts you from an imminent danger. Suddenly your Kai senses alert you to the threat, and when you spin around, you find yourself facing a horde of monstrous shapes. Bloated corpse-things jostle with humanoid horrors and skeletal warriors whose bones are gnawed with decay. It is a ghastly sight — a regiment of Chaos-creatures, drawn here by the scent of human prey. You shiver with dread for clearly you are the prey they seek.

They have come streaming along the same mossy ridge that you travelled, hungrily following your scent trail. But now they are on the roof and, with frightening speed, they charge towards you. Gibbering and howling like demons, they hurl themselves upon you in a desperate attempt to slay you with fang and claw.

Chaos Horde:
COMBAT SKILL
 48   
ENDURANCE
 50

These beings are immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.

You may evade this combat after six rounds by
turning to 235
.

If you win the fight,
turn to 190
.

You draw upon the strength of your mind to fuel a ball of psychic energy. The ghoulish Drakkarim are at arm's length when you fire this burning ball of power into their midst. There is a white-hot flash and three crumble instantly to dust — the rest are knocked down by the blast of its psychic shock wave.

You raise you weapon and rush for the stairs, but to your shock and surprise, the Drakkarim undead rise swiftly and leap upon you from all sides.

Undead Drakkarim Search Party (in psychic shock):
COMBAT SKILL
 20   
ENDURANCE
 40

These beings are sensitive to all forms of psychic attack; double all normal bonuses.

If you win the fight,
turn to 79
.

You dive and roll across the floor to avoid the onrushing bolt of energy. The massive flame-ball passes over your back and explodes at the far end wall of the chamber with devastating effect. It tears open a hole in the steel-hard crystal wall more than ten feet in diameter, and it fills the air with razor-sharp shards. Yet, due to your swift reflexes, you suffer only minor injuries: lose 1
ENDURANCE
point.

As you spring to your feet, you suddenly see an opportunity to seize the initiative and carry the attack to the Deathlord.

Turn to 12
.

You unshoulder your Bow and let fly an Arrow at the nearest robed creature. The shaft arcs through the snowy sky and hits the target but, to your dismay, it passes clean through and splinters harmlessly against a distant wall.

The target creature utters a sound that resembles a mocking laugh. From a pocket of its tattered robe it draws a silvery rod and levels it at your head while its ghoulish companions circle around in an attempt to get behind you. Reflexively you dive for cover, avoiding certain decapitation as a searing bolt of energy surges from the tip of the rod. It passes within inches of your back before impacting against a pillar of crystal, the resultant explosion peppering you with splinters: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

You scramble to your feet and run but your escape is thwarted by the creature's two companions. They block your path and you are forced to take on all three of them in a desperate hand-to-hand fight.

3 Cabalah:
COMBAT SKILL
 53   
ENDURANCE
 54

These undead creatures are immune to Mindblast, Psi-surge, and Kai-surge.

You may evade this combat after four rounds by
turning to 41
.

If you win the fight and you used the Sommerswerd,
turn to 173
.

If you win the fight without using the Sommerswerd,
turn to 293
.

Banedon reaches to a small wooden box which lies half-buried on a shelf choked with scrolls and charts. He blows away a film of dust, and then hands you the box and asks you to open it. Inside you discover a small platinum disc strung upon a loop of braided cord.

‘Take the amulet, Lone Wolf — it is a protection from evil. You may need to draw upon its power when you reach Ixia.’

You do as your friend requests. Then you close the lid and hand him the empty wooden box.

(Record this Platinum Amulet, which you wear around your neck, as a Special Item on your
Action Chart
. You need not discard another item in its favour if you already possess the maximum number permissible.)

Turn to 57
.

Frustrated by their inability to destroy you psychically, the wispy beings retreat to the far side of the chamber where they solidify into six bodily forms. They have taken on the appearance of large, spindly-limbed, black insectoids, each with a ghoulish head from which composite eyes stare at you with evil intent. Chittering excitedly, the six creatures come stalking forwards, hungry for the kill.

If you wish to attempt to evade these hideous insectoids,
turn to 98
.

If you have a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 244
.

If you choose not to evade them or make use of a Bow,
turn instead to 115
.

You pilot the ship cautiously along a string of narrow fjords which cut an uncertain route through this treacherous field of icebergs. Using hand signals and telepathy, you send directions to the helmsman at the stern of the ship. It is a gruelling ordeal which takes its toll on all aboard. Every few minutes your vision is obscured by gusts of powdery snow which swirl across the prow, blown down from the tops of the surrounding ice cliffs. During these fierce blasts you often lose sight of the way ahead and are forced to rely solely upon your Kai instincts to see you through.

The wind howls incessantly, accompanied by the tortured screech of the hull as it skims and grazes vast banks of submerged ice. The sounds send shivers of dread coursing down your spine. The crew are also clearly terrified by the noises; they cower beside the ship's rail and stare up at the encroaching walls of ice, mouthing prayers to Ishir, their eyes haunted with fear.

Then, almost without any warning, the snow-laden wind abates and the ship emerges from the iceberg field into the open waters of the Tozaz Sea. The crew give a hearty cheer, relieved that their icy ordeal has at last come to an end. One man pulls the cork from a bottle of black rum which he has been keeping for a special occasion. He takes a mighty swig, and then passes it to you. Just as you are raising the bottle to your lips, unexpectedly you hear one of the crew shout: ‘Ship ahoy!’

Fear returns to tie a knot in your stomach as you turn and focus your eagle eyes upon the distant vessel.

Turn to 195
.

Twice you attempt to lasso the outcrop without success. You are getting ready to try for a third time when an excruciating pain knifes through your lower right leg. The powerful jaws of the unseen pit beast have closed around your calf, and the creature is now trying to drag you below the surface of the mire.

You drop your Rope (erase this from your Backpack Items list) and reach for your weapon. With the scummy slime lapping at your chin, you stab at the creature's head in a desperate attempt to cut yourself free from its agonizing grip.

Suggaz:
COMBAT SKILL
 40   
ENDURANCE
 44

If you win this fight,
turn to 67
.

Your advanced Kai skill detects a secret door concealed in the far wall of this chamber. It is finely constructed, virtually undetectable to the human eye, but a closer examination reveals a raised pimple of rock positioned at its centre. As you reach out to touch it, the heat from your hand activates a concealed catch and the secret door slides silently open, revealing a dark passageway beyond.

If you wish to enter this secret passage,
turn to 94
.

If you choose to ignore the passage and leave this chamber by the same way you entered,
turn to 334
.

You draw and fire an Arrow at the leading creature. To your horrified disbelief, the shaft passes cleanly through its chest, meeting no resistance whatsoever, and then shatters uselessly against the far wall.

You drop your Bow and unsheathe a hand weapon only just in time to defend yourself from these deathly creatures as they launch a lightning-swift attack.

3 Kajarda:
COMBAT SKILL
 48   
ENDURANCE
 42

Kajarda are undead. These beings are immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.

If you used the Sommerswerd,
turn to 238
.

If you win this combat in six rounds or less,
turn to 32
.

If you win the fight in seven rounds or more,
turn to 213
.

Now your Kai Sixth Sense alerts you to an imminent danger. You react by spinning around in time to see the speared creature tear itself free from the mast. Maniacal with anger, it leaps across the deck at you, flailing the air with its venom-coated claws.

Ziog (damaged):
COMBAT SKILL
 39   
ENDURANCE
 32

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

If you win the combat,
turn to 159
.

Several hours pass before the blizzard dies down sufficiently for you to be able to leave the cave and continue your lonely trek towards Xaagon. You reach the end of the pass where, for the first time, you get a clear view of the Deathlord's dread city. Once, millennia ago, this city had been the home of a brilliant civilization; today the stately crystal palaces and temples of Xaagon are occupied by the lord and host of the evil dead.

Onward you trek, through knee-deep snow and jagged ice, towards the towering walls of Xaagon. The city is dominated by a spire of crystal which stabs the stormy sky, drawing lightning from the black clouds which swirl around its tip. From this needle-sharp point there radiates a crimson glow which sweeps the surrounding landscape. It is like a hellish lighthouse casting baleful crimson beams across a dead sea of ice.

Gradually, as you come within the shadows of Xaagon's outer wall, you see two places where you could gain entry to the city beyond. The first is near to the coast, through a breach in the south wall; the second is through the city's shattered west gate. Neither entrance appears to be guarded.

If you wish to enter Xaagon by the breach in the south wall,
turn to 165
.

If you choose to enter by the west gate,
turn to 266
.