The Deathlord of Ixia (6 page)

You pilot the ship cautiously along a string of narrow fjords which cut an uncertain route through this treacherous field of icebergs. Using a mix of hand signals and telepathy, you send directions to the helmsman at the rear of the ship. It is a gruelling procedure 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. During one of these fierce blasts you are momentarily blinded. You clasp your hands to your stinging eyes and suddenly the incessant howl of the wind is accompanied by the tortured screech of the hull as it shudders along a bank of submerged ice. The impact sends the ship careering violently to port and almost hurls you overboard. You crash heavily against the rail and rebound to the deck where you lie for a few moments, stunned and gasping for breath: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points.

Mindful of the deadly danger, you scramble to your feet and rush to the prow. The crew have 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 earnestly they offer prayers 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 you. Just as you are about to take a swallow, unexpectedly you hear the helmsman'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
.

You see that the Deathstaff is no longer vibrating with power. You sense that Ixiataaga has expended all of its unholy energy in one massive burst, in the hope of destroying you quickly and utterly. It will be several minutes before the Deathstaff recoups its dark powers — you must act swiftly if you are to turn this to your advantage.

You raise the Sommerswerd and an umbrella of golden light bursts from its hilt to illuminate the debris-strewn chamber.

‘For Sommerlund and the Kai!’ you shout, and with a single mighty leap, you traverse the fiery moat and land on the plinth within an arm's length of the Deathlord's foul form. Your brave and bold action takes Ixiataaga aback, but he quickly recovers, and with unnerving speed, he spins around to counter your attack.

Turn to 214
.

With difficulty you retrieve the Sabito from your Backpack and force it into your mouth. Your lungs feel as if they are on fire, and you are barely moments away from slipping into unconsciousness when the Sabito takes effect. Quickly the feelings of nausea subside and your strength returns. This prized herb enables your body to absorb oxygen from the icy seawater directly through the pores of your skin, negating the need to surface for air.

In just a few minutes you reach the distant shoreline and break through the surface alongside a shallow stone causeway. Atop this causeway is a track, a spur of which branches off towards the tunnel entrance. With only your head visible above the lake, you cling to the causeway stones and wait patiently for a patrol of undead warriors to march past.

Turn to 169
.

You race up the treacherously frosty steps which lead to the open watchtower roof. There you find Prarg hurriedly loading a pantard — a heavy iron crossbow which is mounted on a rotating platform.

Once again the freezing air is filled with cries of fear and chaos. Drawn by these frightful sounds, you run to the stone parapet and look down to see the great black ship come shuddering to a halt beside the harbour wall. Instantly, a horde of undead warriors leap onto the quayside and rush off in pursuit of the routing Lencians. Their eyes burn with an unnatural fire and they howl like demons as mercilessly they hunt down their human prey.

Prarg has now loaded the pantard and he calls on you to act as gunner. You oblige by taking hold of the firing mechanism and swivelling the weapon around in search of your first target. Two spring readily to view: the mass of undead that are swarming ashore, and a glowing glassy sphere which is mounted on a plinth beside the ship's wheelhouse.

Illustration I
—A horde of undead warriors leap onto the quayside.

If you choose to fire at the undead horde,
turn to 114
.

If you decide to fire at the glowing sphere,
turn to 251
.

Using your advanced mastery, you lighten your body weight to prevent yourself from sinking any deeper into the mire. Moments later, you feel something brush past your leg for a second time and the chilling sensation galvanizes you into action.

The walls of the shaft are mirror smooth for the first ten feet above the surface of the mire. But beyond this point you notice that they are rough-hewn and studded with sharp spurs of rock. One such spur offers a tempting handhold … if only you could get to it. If you could reach it, it would be an easy task for a warrior of your agility to climb to the opening above.

If you possess a Rope (oiled or otherwise),
turn to 323
.

If you do not possess this Backpack Item,
turn to 210
.

Upon the instant you strike your fatal blow the creature emits a piercing shriek and crumples to the floor of the cave. The stench of its rotting body makes you feel nauseous, but at least it is blocking the icy wind which whips through the open cave mouth. After satisfying yourself that it was the only one of its kind in this cave, you settle down in a corner and take a well-deserved rest: restore 3
ENDURANCE
points.

Turn to 289
.

For a few tense moments you pause to consider a plan of action. The radiant light from the archway raises the hairs on the nape of your neck — a sure sign that danger lies here. But as you focus on the eerie curtain of light, you sense that beyond it lies the only certain route by which you can gain access to the higher levels of this dread citadel.

If you wish to pass through the shimmering archway,
turn to 52
.

If you decide to search for an alternative way of reaching the upper levels of the Crystal Spire,
turn to 158
.

You leave the Ixian ship and go in search of Captain Lanza. You find him with his men by the watchtower — they are building a bonfire out of rags and broken bones. A toothless sergeant empties a gallon of skark oil onto the heap and a burning torch sets the whole thing ablaze.

You stride over to Lanza and slap him heartily on the back. ‘Well fought, captain. You and your men have brought honour to Lencia this day.’

Captain Lanza greets your compliment with a sombre face. ‘Nay, sire,’ he says, sadly. ‘ 'Tis the enemy who've won. The ice-boat is sunk and we cannot sail you to Ixia.’

‘We can use the enemy ship, Captain,’ you reply. ‘It is perfect for the task. All I need of you are some provisions and a crew.’

Lanza's face brightens. He orders his men to prepare the Ixian ship and within the hour you are ready to set sail.

‘May the gods watch over you, Grand Master,’ says Prarg, as you bid him and Lanza farewell.

‘Do not fear,’ you reply. ‘I shall soon return.’

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 332
.

If it is 5–9,
turn to 224
.

Using the Magnakai Discipline of Nexus, you focus on the hole and attempt to will the lock to disengage itself.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. For every level of Kai Mastery you have attained above that of Sun Knight, add 1 to the number you have picked.

If your total is now 7 or less,
turn to 65
.

If it is 8 or more,
turn to 143
.

The moment you project the correct number at the lockplate, the entire portal begins to shimmer and lose its solidity.
⁵
It becomes transparent and then fades completely, as if evaporating into thin air. With a smile of satisfaction on your lips at having solved the riddle, 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, a little over two feet wide above them.

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 between the pillars,
turn to 211
.

You are within a few dozen yards of the shoreline when you feel the body of a massive underwater creature come surging past. Battered by its swell, you fumble desperately to unsheathe your weapon as this fearsome monster circles around and comes powering through the dark water for a second attack.

Ixian Gybia:
COMBAT SKILL
 45   
ENDURANCE
 58

Reduce your
COMBAT SKILL
by 4 points for the duration of this underwater combat, due to the lack of oxygen.

You may attempt to evade combat after four rounds by
turning to 138
.

If you win the fight,
turn to 68
.

It is in the thirtieth hour of your air voyage that the
Skyrider's
eagle-eyed lookout catches his first glimpse of Vadera. Word spreads quickly and a hubbub of excitement grips the dwarven crew as the flying ship draws ever closer to the fortified walls and turrets of the great northern Lencian port.

Skilfully Bo'sun Nolrim lands the
Skyrider
on the paved courtyard in front of the Vadera Citadel, which has been cleared of crowds in expectation of your arrival. Awaiting you is a party of stern-faced Vadera officials who, with a minimum of fuss, escort you and Banedon directly to the court of King Sarnac.

‘We are honoured to welcome you once again to our city, Grand Master,’ says the silver-haired King. ‘My only regret is the reason for your visit. I'd have hoped our meeting would have been in less ominous circumstances.’

Formally you acknowledge the King's greeting; then you turn to face the elderly man who is standing beside the King's throne. You recognized him as soon as you entered the King's chamber — he is Lord Ardan, an Elder Magi from Dessi, one of Lord Rimoah's countrymen.

‘Well met, my lord,’ you say, and Ardan returns your greeting with a smile. Sadly, his smile soon fades when he says: ‘No doubt your able companion, Guildmaster Banedon, has told you of the rise of evil in Ixia. Dire news indeed, Grand Master, for it threatens our very existence, most especially the existence of our Lencian friends. If the Deathlord's power is allowed to grow unchecked, Lencia will be the first Freeland state to suffer his wrath.’

‘I pledge to do all in my power to prevent such an outcome, my lord,’ you reply earnestly.

‘We have every faith in you, Lone Wolf,’ says King Sarnac, ‘and we shall help you accomplish your mission in whatever way we can.’ He signals to one of his silver-armoured bodyguards and the soldier leaves the chamber. He returns shortly in the company of another man, clad in the court uniform of a Guard Captain.

If you took part in the Battle of Cetza or have visited the city of Darke in any previous
Lone Wolf
adventures,
⁶
turn to 305
.

If you did not,
turn to 129
.