The Hunger of Sejanoz (11 page)

Suddenly you glimpse Chan's troopers rushing towards the creatures from behind. Bravely they strike out at them with their heavy cavalry sabres, and the surprise of their attack buys you and the captain a few precious seconds in which to free your weapons and defend yourselves.

Illustration VI
—Chan's troopers make a brave assault on the attacking Krakalla.

Krakalla:
COMBAT SKILL
 50   
ENDURANCE
 48

You may add 1 to your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of this combat, for you are being supported by one of Chan's troopers who is attacking this creature from behind.

If you win the fight,
turn to 241
.

The vile gas makes you cough and retch (lose 1
ENDURANCE
point). As your Magnakai Discipline of Nexus begins to neutralize the toxins that have entered your lungs, you order Princess Mitzu to help her father to safety. You fear that the gas will swiftly be fatal to the aged Khea-khan if he should inhale its poisonous vapours. The brave Princess obeys your command. As she helps her father to reach the far end of the burial crypt, you run through the poison cloud and set off in determined pursuit of the tyrant and his young hostage.

Turn to 6
.

The day gets off to a fine start with not a cloud to sully the cobalt-blue sky. The journey passes peaceably and you are able to make up the time lost due to yesterday's bad weather. The following day is cooler and Chan is confident that the caravan can reach the ruins of Zanaza before nightfall. Shortly before noon, you espy the site of an ancient graveyard located just a few hundred yards north of the highway. A wagon is parked outside its dilapidated gate, and when you magnify your vision, you are shocked to see the faded tiger's-head emblem of Bhanar emblazoned upon its sun-bleached timbers. You tell Chan of this and he supposes that it belongs either to a Bhanarian trader, or to the Autarch Sejanoz's army. You volunteer to investigate this mysterious wagon, and Chan agrees to halt the caravan and wait on the highway for you to return.

After observing the walled graveyard for several minutes, you determine that there are only two ways by which you can enter.

If you wish to enter through the main gate,
turn to 202
.

If you choose to enter through a gap in its perimeter wall,
turn to 251
.

You are familiar with the dice and their arcane origins. During your Astrology studies at the Kai Monastery, you made use of a pair very similar in design to these. You are still examining them when a sallow-skinned guard sergeant suddenly leans forward and tugs at your sleeve. Smiling at his impatience, you hand him the Xi-die and hurriedly he breathes on them before casting them to the ground.

His throw is not a good one. The faces and angle of the dice reveal that the sergeant will not survive the journey to Tazhan. Deciding it best to keep the truth from him, you inform him in grandiose tones that he can look forward to enjoying many fine sons and future prosperity. The greasy-faced trooper beams with joy when he tells you that he already has six sons, two of whom are also Imperial Chai Guardsmen.

He and his companions are very impressed by the apparent accuracy of your reading, and you sense that your standing among them has greatly improved.

To continue,
turn to 153
.

The Bhanarians are attempting to blast their way into the catacombs. Fear runs ice cold in your veins, for this is where the Imperial Family has taken refuge. Hurriedly you abandon the main gate and run towards the inner keep. As you cross before the barricades, you shout a warning to Chan and he quickly orders Sergeant Yeng to go with you. Upon reaching the stone portal, the seconds seem to tick by like hours as you and the sergeant struggle to wrench open the ancient stone door.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–4,
turn to 253
.

If it is 5–9,
turn to 96
.

A cursory search among the beakers and flasks uncovers the following potions with which you are familiar:

• Laumspur (enough for 2 potions. Restores 4
  ENDURANCE
  points when swallowed after combat)
  
• Gallowbrush (enough for 1 potion. Induces sleep when swallowed)
  
• Ashexa Concentrate (enough for 1 potion. A healing fungus. Will restore 6
  ENDURANCE
  points)
  

To leave this workshop and continue your exploration,
turn to 38
.

To the east of Javai, the trade road passes through many small settlements where Chai farmers toil contentedly in the heat of the midsummer sun. By noon, these tiny hamlets have all but given way to a vast sea of grassland which extends all the way to the banks of the River Tkukoma, over a hundred miles distant.

It is late in the afternoon when you catch sight of a flock of plains ravens circling above a small copse of trees, south of the highway. Captain Chan becomes suspicious of these ugly black scavengers, and he orders the column to slow to a halt. He has decided to investigate the copse, and he invites you to join him.

If you wish to accept his invitation to scout the distant copse of trees,
turn to 270
.

If you choose to decline his invitation and remain with the caravan,
turn to 145
.

Kasarian is grateful for the assistance you can provide. The Bhanarian attack was unexpected and casualties were high. More than half of Kasarian's garrison have either been killed or wounded.

Once you have finished attending to the Lissanian wounded, you assist the garrison commander with repairs to the fort's breached wall. It is nearly nightfall by the time you finish your labours and are able to rest.

Unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 149
.

‘I shall summon Kau-Doshin,’ interjects Shavane. ‘He'll know what to do.’

Quickly the nurse leaves the carriage and you administer your Kai healing skills to the Prince until the court counsellor arrives and takes charge. He thanks you for making the boy comfortable and then he asks you to leave so that he may have room to prepare a potion to counter the poison. As you descend the steps of the carriage, you hear the door slam shut behind you.

If you wish to return to your night shelter,
turn to 239
.

If you wish to search for the toy soldier that Shavane threw away,
turn to 111
.

You shout a warning to Chan, and then you throw yourself to one side to avoid being impaled by the falling bough.

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

If your total score is now 4 or lower,
turn to 48
.

If it is 5 or higher,
turn to 258
.

‘Captain Chan, let the prisoner go … ’ you whisper, ‘and be ready to signal to the caravan.’

Reluctantly, Chan obeys your command. He unwinds the trailing rope from his saddle and Xango digs his heels into his horse's flanks, making the animal lurch away at the gallop. As soon as his brother is out of the field of fire, Kronar utters a coarse laugh. Then, simultaneously, he and his companion let loose their straining bowstrings.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 22
.

If you possess Magi-magic and wish to use it,
turn to 215
.

If you do not possess either of these skills,
turn instead to 170
.

The arrow strikes you in the centre of your forehead and an explosion of white light engulfs your vision. For a few fleeting moments you feel yourself tumbling backwards into a deep, dark abyss. Then all sensation vanishes and you cease to be.

Tragically, your life and your mission end here in the catacombs of Fort Vlau.

You follow this passageway until you arrive at a chamber that was once an alchemist's workshop. The walls and floor are covered with symbols and glyphs which indicate the many elements, gases, and metals of the universe. Benches and worktables line the walls and some show signs of recent use. On the far side of this chamber you can see a darkened archway and the beginnings of a corridor leading off towards the north.

If you wish to search this workshop,
turn to 87
.

If you choose to explore the distant archway,
turn to 38
.

You oversee the placing of the bough and, by the use of a rope and pulley, you are able to raise the damaged wheel several inches off the ground and remove it from the axle. You are crouching beneath the rear of the carriage when suddenly there is a terrific
Crack
! The bough has split in two, revealing a rot-infested core. To your horror, you find yourself pinned beneath the axle when the carriage tips over.

Frantically Chan's men attempt to right the heavy vehicle and release you before the axle crushes your rib cage.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and have reached the rank of Sun Knight or higher,
turn to 165
.

If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery,
turn to 275
.

The door creaks open and a great cloud of dust billows out of the catacombs. The coughs and cries of the entourage can be heard echoing throughout the distant corridors of this labyrinth. Fearing that it may already be too late to save the Khea-khan and his family from the clutches of Sejanoz, you and Sergeant Yeng rush along an arched corridor in search of them until you come to a junction.

If you possess Grand Pathsmanship,
turn to 246
.

If you do not,
turn to 167
.

The fight ends abruptly when you deal your enemy a mighty blow to the base of its deformed neck. As it crumples lifelessly to the ground, you join with Sergeant Yeng and rush to aid the trooper who is caught in the strands of your sticky net. One well-aimed blow puts paid to the creature that is ensnared in the net with him, and then you quickly recite the words to counter the spell and the thankful trooper is soon released.

Cautiously you inspect the bodies of the slain enemy and determine that they are of Agarashi descent. They have probably come down from the Hyunsei foothills in a desperate search for prey, for all three corpses show signs of starvation. Sergeant Yeng confirms your suspicions. He tells you that long ago, during the Age of Eternal Night, this land was stalked by the Agarashi — the hellish creations of Agarash the Damned. When Agarash was destroyed by the Elder Magi, his creations were scattered across the wilderness and plains of Chai. The descendants of those beasts are still alive today, hiding in hills, burrows, and caves. They rarely attack travellers on the trade road, unless driven by disease or extreme hunger.

Using your tracking skills, you quickly determine that there are no other creatures like these in this vicinity. Only then do you and the troopers remount your horses and continue along the highway towards the Javai Forest. A few miles short of the forest you discover a freshwater spring which is forded by the highway. It is an ideal site for a night camp, and so you send one of Yeng's men back to the caravan to tell them that you shall await their arrival here.

During your wait for the caravan, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 45
.