The Deathlord of Ixia (25 page)

Your final blow draws a hellish shriek from the skull of Deathlord Ixiataaga, so loud that it batters the walls and shakes the plinth on which you stand. The Deathstaff disintegrates in his skeletal hand and he topples backwards towards the fiery moat. Yet as he does so, his body crumbles into a plume of grey-green dust which is sucked away into the whirling maw of the Shadow Gate, together with the shattering remnants of the Deathstaff.

Your victory over the Deathlord has freed Ixia from an evil which has enslaved its dead for millennia. Now, at last, their tormented souls can find a lasting peace. You have destroyed a great and evil entity, yet by doing so you have also unwittingly removed the power which has kept the ravages of time at bay for thousands of years. Now, time returns to Xaagon.

Eager to leave this place, you leap across the fiery moat and run towards the archway. But as you are passing through it, there is a terrific explosion which shakes the very foundations of the Crystal Spire. Fear grips your heart when suddenly you realize that all of Xaagon is collapsing.

Turn to 196
.

You decide to ignore the lingering aura of evil and try to get a few hours' sleep, but you find it impossible to rest — the insidious presence torments your mind. You abandon your attempt at sleep and instead you go forward and watch the ship's mighty prow cutting its way through the foaming waters of the Tozaz: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

Gradually the darkness gives way to an eerie dawn which casts its watery light upon a new hazard. In the grey half-light you see thousands of icebergs ahead, stretching across the horizon as far as the eye can see. You curse your misfortune — navigating a course through this icy maze could well prove impossible.

If you wish to stay here at the prow and act as ship's pilot,
turn to 189
.

If you wish to return to the wheelhouse and take control of the ship as you approach the iceberg field,
turn to 51
.

The gloomy corridor gradually descends to a platform which overlooks a chamber two storeys deep. Several dozen undead slaves, clad in armour and mouldering robes, are busy toiling here amidst green fires and swirling, noxious fumes. Banks of dials and levers protrude from the chamber walls, indicating that it is from here that the alien vessel is controlled.

Turn to 127
.

As you strike your killing blows, the creatures crumple to the snow, their bodies undergoing a gruesome transformation. Slowly they implode, twisting and shrinking as they contract, until all that is left are three evil-smelling pools of bubbling black venom surrounded by tatters of cloth.

Hurriedly you sheathe your weapon and run deeper into the ruins, eager to put distance between yourself and the remains of your ghastly foes.

Turn to 270
.

You stare into the glowing eyes of the approaching Demonlord and steel yourself to meet his certain attack.

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 341
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 75
.

You flee from the skeletal horde and hide in an empty outbuilding, close to the base of the watchtower, until you are sure the coast is clear. As you emerge from hiding, you hear Captain Lanza's stirring cry ring out above the noise of battle: ‘For Lencia and the House of Sarnac!’ Despite the odds, he and his men have beaten back the enemy and are now within a stone's throw of the quay. You rush along the street, towards the harbour, and join them at a small flagstoned square close to the quayside.

‘Captain — we must save the ice-boat!’ you shout, pointing to the ship which is being attacked by the skeleton horde. ‘Indeed we must,’ he replies, dourly. He draws together a handful of his men to form a protective wall around you and, the moment their shields lock together, you move with them towards the ice-boat.

Twenty yards from the quayside, you break away from their protective wall and sprint towards the ship's gangplank. You are halfway along the plank when you find yourself confronted by a wedge of skeletal warriors, armed with crude axes and swords. Courageously you leap into their midst, striking them down with blurring speed and deadly accuracy. But as the last one falls, its corpse-like body almost severed at the waist, you hear a noise behind you which makes you spin around in fearful expectation.

Turn to 78
.

Abruptly the ghastly laughter ceases, as if the Deathlord has seen something which has shaken his arrogant confidence in his own invincibility. Your senses tell you that it is the Power Spike — he has recognized that you possess one of the few weapons capable of destroying him. It is a realization that shocks him to the core.

You move forwards, eager to exploit your advantage, but the Deathlord reacts swiftly. He utters a guttural sound and, in the next instant, a massive bolt of energy shoots from the tip of the Deathstaff and comes speeding towards your chest.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked. If you possess Grand Pathsmanship, add 1. If you possess Grand Nexus as well, add 1.

If your total score is now 2 or less,
turn to 55
.

If it is 3–6,
turn to 331
.

If it is 7 or more,
turn to 93
.

You move close to the base of the right-hand pillar and take hold of its smooth surface with both hands. Then, aided by your natural agility, you begin to climb towards the narrow gap between the top of the pillar and the ceiling.

The ascent is difficult, made even more so by the fierce energy of the electrical arcing. Its radiant power blisters the exposed flesh on the back of your hands, and down the left side of your face: lose 5
ENDURANCE
points.

Turn to 49
.

For five hours you remain in hiding, listening to the noises which echo through distant parts of the vessel which has swallowed your ship. During this period, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

Gradually you become aware that this mysterious craft is slowing down as if in preparation to dock. Anxious to escape, you leave your hiding place and climb the stairs to the deck above. Over the past few hours your shock at having witnessed the unholy resurrection of the Lencian crew has gradually turned to anger. You vow to avenge the souls of the crewmen and draw your weapon in readiness to attack the host of Drakkarim undead who are standing in rows upon the deck. But before you can act, you feel a shudder run through the steps as the host vessel comes lurching to a halt. There is a dull boom and then several portals open in the surrounding wall, spilling beams of white light across the deck of your captive ship. Scores of Drakkarim undead emerge from these portals and descend upon the ship like a host of hungry ghouls. You are forced to abandon your plan for vengeance for there are now far too many of the enemy. Yet all is not lost. In the milling confusion, you seize an opportunity to get away from the ship and escape into one of the many light-filled portals.

Turn to 320
.

Reluctantly you turn away from the door and descend the steps to the entrance hall below. You are still determined to find and defeat the Deathlord, but in order to do so you must get to the upper levels of the Crystal Spire. Faced with no alternative, you enter the shimmering archway.

Turn to 8
.

A sense of unease makes you slow your hurried pace as you approach the shadowy opening. The low humming noise, which has been a constant presence ever since you first entered the Crystal Spire, is almost unbearable now. Were it not for your natural Kai defences, your hearing would have suffered permanent damage the moment you passed beyond the two pillars.

Beyond the opening lies a grand yet sinister chamber. Peering into its gloomy recesses, you observe that this chamber was constructed with great skill and care in some distant age. But it is not the rich decorations which hold your attention; it is the whirling circular vortex which hangs on the far wall like some nightmarish, living mural. Your pulse quickens when you look into its spinning core for you recognize immediately that it is a Shadow Gate — an astral doorway to another plane of existence.

Illustration XVII
—Freed from the magical prison, Deathlord Ixiataaga takes the Deathstaff in glee.

Your Kai senses quickly become attuned to the powerful psychic residues which linger in this chamber. You notice that several empty coffins lie scattered about the floor and, when you focus upon them, chilling dream-like images form in your mind's eye. You see the accursed Deathstaff emerging from the Shadow Gate. It spins end-over-end and impacts against the heavy stone lid of a coffin, breaking it in two. Its evil power feeds un-life into the mouldering remains of the Ixian Elder lying within and, driven by this ungodly energy, the remains rise up from their stony tomb. The resurrected Ixian bears the Deathstaff to the highest chamber of the Crystal Spire where, imprisoned in a cage of light fashioned by the Elder Magi, stands Deathlord Ixiataaga. The Ixian pushes the Deathstaff through the wall of this shimmering prison and, with a crackling flash, the cage of light vanishes. Freed from the magical prison which has kept him secure for thousands of years, Deathlord Ixiataaga takes the Deathstaff and howls with manic glee as he rejoices in his fateful escape.

The disturbing images fade from your mind, driven away by your Kai Sixth Sense which is warning you of imminent danger. A wispy black vapour is leaking from the circular stone edging which abuts the whirling Shadow Gate. You focus upon these smoky black trails and sense at once that they are alive and that they radiate an aura of evil.

If you possess Kai-screen and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Thane,
turn to 223
.

If you possess Kai-screen but have yet to attain the Kai rank of Sun Thane,
turn to 131
.

If you do not possess the Discipline of Kai-screen,
turn instead to 24
.

The second wave of Lavas come swooping down
en masse
, the terrific beat of their wings forcing you and the Demonlord apart. Shielding your eyes from the stinging dust-choked wind, you look up and see that the Lavas leader is cradling the curious spiked metal bowl in its horny hands. He descends towards Tagazin and inverts it, and suddenly you realize its true purpose and design. It is a helm of power, affixed on top with a crystal spike. The Lavas places the helm upon the Demonlord's head and the spike begins to glow menacingly.

Now all of the Lavas ascend into the sky where they wait to view a confrontation which is about to commence. Suddenly Tagazin, revitalized by the power of the spiked helm, comes charging at you with his head lowered, snorting gruffly like a maddened bull.

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

If your total is now 4 or less,
turn to 257
.

If it is 5 or more,
turn to 142
.

You quickly recover and take your position at the helm, yet the impact has left you shivering with shock. The crew have also been clearly terrified by the collision; most of them are cowering along the ship's rail, staring up at the encroaching walls of ice, their eyes haunted with fear as they pray silently to the Goddess Ishir.

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 a comrade. Just as the second man is raising the bottle to his lips, unexpectedly you hear the pilot's voice echoing along the deck: ‘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
.