The Deathlord of Ixia (28 page)

‘You need have no fear, Banedon,’ you reply, unsheathing the sun-sword, ‘for you know that I possess such a weapon — the Sommerswerd.’

Banedon stares at the shimmering golden blade and calmly nods his head. ‘Yes, Grand Master. Your divine sword is ideally crafted for the task, but you must use it with discretion. Unsheathed, the Sommerswerd radiates a powerful aura of goodness — in the darkness of Ixia, such power would be like a blazing beacon. It could readily alert the Deathlord to your presence.’

If you possess a Korlinium Scabbard,
turn to 101
.

If you do not possess this Special Item,
turn to 194
.

Lanza orders his men to arm themselves with warhammers from a nearby hut.

‘Normally my men use these to break up harbour ice in the dead of winter,’ he says, as together you help to distribute the heavy two-handed hammers among the garrison, ‘but now they can be put to good use smashing up the bones of our foes!’

Freshly equipped and fired by the taste of victory, Lanza and his men set about hammering the remnants of the attacking enemy. They drive them all the way back to their ship, literally shattering all who dare stand in their way. Within the hour the outpost is secured — the enemy have been destroyed.

You survey the aftermath of the battle with mixed emotions. You feel elated at having helped Lanza to win, but the ice-boat, which was to have conveyed you to Ixia, is now a burned wreck lying at the bottom of the harbour. All that can be seen of it is a few feet of its mainmast protruding at an angle above the surface of the sea. As you stare at this blackened masthead, you are joined by Captain Prarg.

Illustration XIX
—The ice-boat is now a burned wreck lying at the bottom of the harbour.

‘What in Ishir's name can we do, Grand Master?’ he says, staring dejectedly at the icy water which is swirling in eddies around the submerged wreck. ‘That ice-boat was the only vessel capable of transporting you to Ixia.’

‘Never fear, Prarg,’ you reply, confidently. ‘I've just had an idea that could be the answer to our problem.’

Turn to 177
.

You unsheathe your golden blade and its goodly light washes over the Demonlord's unlovely form. He growls fearfully, as if weakened by its radiant power, yet he does not lose his determination to attack.

With a hellish howl, he launches himself through the air at you, his clawed paws outstretched in eager readiness to tear at your flesh.

Demonlord Tagazin:
COMBAT SKILL
 55   
ENDURANCE
 60

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

If you reduce Tagazin's
ENDURANCE
points score to 25 or less at any time during this fight, do not continue.
Turn instead to 168
.

Despite all your attempts at opening the lock, the mechanism remains defiantly immobile. The effort expended in the attempt also leaves you feeling weakened and frustrated: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

You pass the following hour in quiet discomfort listening to the dull and distant noises which echo through the walls of this strange vessel. Then you detect the sound of approaching footsteps and your spirits suddenly rise — at last this could be your chance to effect an escape.

Turn to 191
.

Quickly you turn and hurry down the stone staircase. The Drakkarim patrol you sighted earlier is nowhere to be seen, enabling you to leave the barbican and enter Xaagon without further confrontation.

Warily you trek through the awesome ruins of this age-old city, where once, at the beginning of the Age of Eternal Night, a proud and mighty race reigned supreme. You have just passed a derelict mausoleum when you are forced to halt and hide from a passing troop of Ixian warriors. You watch as they march swiftly along an ice-choked avenue towards a plaza that is dominated by a huge frozen fountain. Beyond the fountain's solid plume of water you see a broad ramp which ascends to a grand archway at the base of the Crystal Spire.

If you possess Grand Huntmastery and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Lord or higher,
turn to 9
.

If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to reach his level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 122
.

With rock and debris crashing about your ears, you have no choice but to risk a jump into the hall below. Anxiously you scan the rubble-strewn tiles, looking for a clear place to land.

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

If your total is now 1 or less,
turn to 269
.

If it is 2–6,
turn to 232
.

If it is 7 or higher,
turn to 87
.

You hand over the wheel to one of the crew and settle down on the floor to sleep. A few hours later you are woken by one of the crew.

‘We've a problem, my lord,’ he says, nervously rubbing the backs of his calloused hands. The darkness has given way to an eerie dawn which casts its watery light upon this problem. In the grey half-light you see thousands of icebergs ahead, stretching across the horizon as far as the eye can see. Your heart sinks — navigating a course through this icy maze could well prove impossible.

If you wish to take control of the ship's wheel as you approach the field of icebergs,
turn to 51
.

If you wish to go forward to the prow and act as ship's pilot,
turn to 189
.

You grasp the hilt of the sun-sword with both hands and turn the flat of its golden blade towards the onrushing bolt of energy. There is a loud
crack!
and you feel a numbing jolt run the length of your arms as the crackling bolt is deflected away. It hits the surface of the sea, close to the harbour wall, and instantly the patch of briny water freezes over.

The ghastly creature shrieks with fury and frustration. It comes lumbering down the gangplank, wielding its icy rod like a sword. Calmly you raise the Sommerswerd and steel yourself to receive its unnerving attack.

If you wish to attack the creature the moment it steps aboard the ice-boat,
turn to 277
.

If you wish to attempt to sever the gangplank before the creature can come aboard,
turn to 151
.

You utilize your advanced camouflage skills to keep yourself hidden from sight as you approach the sickly Demonlord and his golden-winged escorts. However, when you come to within a few hundred feet of them, your presence is revealed by the aura of goodly light your body radiates on this plane of existence. A wave of alarm spreads through the escorts when first your aura is detected, and many of them take to the sky. Directed by a vengeful Tagazin, they circle around you and come diving down to attack you with beak and claw.

Illustration XX
—The golden-winged escorts come diving down to attack you with beak and claw.

Lavas:
COMBAT SKILL
 49   
ENDURANCE
 52

If you win this combat,
turn to 105
.

Your bold decision to turn back to the jetty buys you precious time; it also saves you from the jaws of an Ixian Gybia — a ferocious underwater predator. Seconds after hauling yourself out of the water, the massive body of this creature surges past, barely a few feet from where you are clinging limpet-like to the jetty wall. The sight of this huge monster electrifies you, sending you scurrying to the top of the jetty as quickly as your aching limbs will allow. From a makeshift hiding place among some wooden crates, you look down at the swirling water and watch as the Gybia circles the jetty in a wide arc. On its second sweep, it veers away and returns disappointedly to its underwater pen.

The jetty is teeming with undead soldiers who, under the direction of the same black-clad creature who released the Gybia, are busily transferring materials to and from the open mouth of the submarine. Getting past this creature and its undead minions in order to reach the shore looks, at first sight, a near-impossible task. Then you notice a means by which you could achieve your goal without having to face the predator for a second time.

Turn to 207
.

Kai instinct and intuition prompt you to take out the Green Gem. In the presence of the insectoids, it pulses with an eerie light that causes them to shy away fearfully. You sense that they are repelled by its power which is leeching their strength.

Gradually, their insect-like forms dissolve back into wispy trails of black smoke which swirl once around the chamber before evaporating into the porous stone which frames the Shadow Gate. You are relieved to see the back of these hideous creatures, but your comfort is all too short-lived; no sooner have they vanished than a new horror appears in the chamber, rising up out of the stone floor.

If you have ever been to the Isle of Ghosts in a previous
Lone Wolf
adventure,
turn to 311
.

If you have not,
turn to 80
.

Two days out from the Tozaz ice-field, you catch sight of Fort Azgad. After the ordeal of Ixia, the sight of this spartan little outpost is one of the most welcoming you have ever seen. The garrison salutes you as you bring your ship to the quayside where Lord Ardan, Captain Lanza, and Prarg are all waiting to welcome you back.

Warmly they congratulate you, praising your inspired act of courage and bravery but you sense that all is not well. The feeling of unease which haunted you upon leaving the ice-caverns of Ixia has returned.

‘Where's Banedon?’ you ask of Lord Ardan. ‘Is something wrong?’

Ardan's face grows as sombre as his reply. ‘King Ulnar sent word to Sarnac's court, summoning the Guildmaster to return urgently to Sommerlund. It is grave news, I'm afraid, Grand Master. In your absence, your country has been attacked. The Dark God, Naar, has sent forth a host of dragon-creatures to destroy the Second Order of the Kai and lay waste to your homeland. It is said his new minions are confident of swift victory for they are sure you will never defeat the Deathlord of Ixia.’

‘I must leave for Sommerlund at once,’ you say, looking to the eastern horizon. ‘My brethren and my country need me.’

The others nod in silent agreement. ‘We will do all we can,’ replies Lord Ardan, ‘to speed your passage home.’

The news of your country's plight comes as a terrible shock. In Ixia, you have won a great and lasting victory against the forces of Evil, but could the cost be too great? You fear, also, for the lives of your young Kai acolytes. The Second Order are worthy Kai warriors but they are young, their mettle yet to be tested in the furnace-heat of battle. You pray to Kai himself that they be strong enough to resist Naar's newest champions, at least until you return.

The challenge of the long journey home and the quest to save the Second Order of the Kai from the deadly wrath of Naar's newest champions awaits you in the next Grand Master adventure, entitled:

Dawn of the Dragons

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