Voyage of the Moonstone (24 page)

‘The Funtal's a madman!’ splutters Kol. ‘All those poor fools who got took away last night are goin' to lose their cargoes, or their gold, or their ships. You mark my words. I'd not be surprised if some o' them lose their lives into the bargain. It's not safe here no more. Not like the old days.’

Kol then proceeds to wash down his hearty breakfast with a tankard of ale. He pauses to emit a long loud belch, and then he repeats his offer of a place aboard his ship which sails for Bisutan at noon. The marines do not object to you leaving them if you so wish. Should you decide to continue your journey to Elzian without them, they will attempt to sell your horse and use the money to buy passage aboard the next ship heading north.

If you now choose to accept Kol's offer,
turn to 119
.

If you decide to stay with your travelling companions and continue your journey south with them by road,
turn to 73
.

You enter the right alley and the militia, who are following closely, split into two groups. Roughly half their number searches the other alley whilst the remainder stays with you.

As you are running along this narrow thoroughfare, suddenly you hear the sound of splintering timbers somewhere in the distance. A hundred yards later the alley opens out into a tree-lined plaza which is bordered by shops selling rare artefacts of the Old Kingdom, and expensive works of art. Their windows and doors are securely barred and shuttered and show no signs of a forced entry. Then your eye is drawn to a grand building on the far side of the plaza: it is a temple. Its great stone door is closed, but a smaller wooden door at the side has been torn off its hinges. You magnify your vision and see that beyond the door is a flight of stone steps which ascend to a bell-tower.

Cautiously you approach the shattered door. You unsheathe your weapon and scan the darkened stairs before silently ascending the steps. You have climbed twenty steps when suddenly you hear a hideous snickering growl and an icy chill runs the length of your spine. There is an ominous creak of stone on stone and a movement in the darkness above, and then a crashing fills your ears. Out of the darkness you see a great marble statue come smashing down the narrow stairway. It rapidly gathers speed as it tumbles end-over-end towards you.

Illustration XV
—From out of the darkness, you see a great marble statue come crashing down the narrow staircase towards you.

If you possess Kai-alchemy,
turn to 85
.

If you do not possess this Grand Master Discipline,
turn to 98
.

Swiftly you recite the words of the Brotherhood Spell
Invisible Shield
and immediately a transparent disc of magical protection forms in front of your eyes. Seconds later, Svolta's arrow strikes this sorcerous shield and shatters to pieces. The slaver and his archer cannot believe what they have seen and for a few vital seconds they stand frozen in stunned disbelief. You seize this advantage and rush towards the platform with the hope of catching them before they regain their senses yet, as you make your leap, you see the archer drop his bow and reach for his sword. His blade clears its scabbard barely a second before you make your attack, yet he is able to turn aside your first blow. The skill with which he handles his blade leaves you in no doubt that you are facing an expert swordsman. Frightened slaves throw themselves off the platform as you and Svolta begin a desperate fight to the death.

Svolta:
COMBAT SKILL
 37   
ENDURANCE
 36

You may add 2 to your
COMBAT SKILL
in the first round of this fight, due to the momentum of your attack.

If you win the combat,
turn to 212
.

The rogue whips a dagger from his belt and stabs it into the table. He is gripping the handle so firmly that his knuckles show white. Then he flicks a glance at his companions and instantly they reach for their swords.

‘Hold your blades!’ yells the innkeeper, as he comes striding towards the table. You are half-expecting him to throw these thugs out of the tavern, but instead he comes straight at you and kicks the leg of your chair with the heel of his boot. ‘You!’ he shouts. ‘Get out!’ He cocks his thumb towards the door.

If you wish to obey the innkeeper's command without question,
turn to 145
.

If you wish to protest,
turn to 209
.

You roll across the decking, but your natural Kai agility helps you to avoid crashing painfully into the opposite rail. With perfect timing you kick against the deck and the momentum of this action lifts you effortlessly onto your feet.

Turn to 139
.

You grab your weapon and struggle to your feet just as the creature hurls herself through the air towards you.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Grand Huntmastery, add 1 to the number you have picked. If your present
ENDURANCE
score is 20 or higher, add 1. If your
ENDURANCE
score is 15 or lower, deduct 1.

If your total score is now 3 or less,
turn to 120
.

If it is 4–6,
turn to 43
.

If it is 7 or higher,
turn to 60
.

Your action to avoid being struck by the arrow is a success. The slaver and his archer cannot believe what they have seen and for a few vital seconds they stand frozen in stunned disbelief. You seize this advantage and rush towards the platform with the hope of catching them before they regain their senses, yet as you make your leap you see the archer drop his bow and reach for his sword. His blade clears its scabbard barely a second before you make your attack, yet he is able to turn aside your first blow. The skill with which he handles his blade leaves you in no doubt that you are facing an expert swordsman. Frightened slaves throw themselves off the platform as you and Svolta begin a desperate fight to the death.

Svolta:
COMBAT SKILL
 37   
ENDURANCE
 36

You may add 2 to your
COMBAT SKILL
in the first round of this fight, due to the momentum of your attack.

If you win the combat,
turn to 212
.

Politely you decline his offer and bid him goodnight. The old magician apologizes once more for having disturbed you and, as you close and lock your door, you hear his footfalls fading as he walks away along the corridor.

Before you settle down to sleep, unless you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery, you must now eat a Meal or lose 3
ENDURANCE
points.

To continue,
turn to 207
.

You watch as Captain Raker takes over the helm from his First Mate and attempts to manoeuvre the ship out of the path of the oncoming vessels. The leading pirate ship has now closed to within fifty yards and its murderous crew are crowded shoulder-to-shoulder upon its forward deck. Clearly they intend to leap aboard as soon as their ship draws alongside. From your position beside the deck rail you can see Sergeant Dryan directing his men at the bow. Dryan's marines are busily loading the three swivel cannon which are fixed to the port gunwale. Once loaded, each marine gunner raises his hand to signal that his piece is primed to fire. Dryan is waiting for the third gunner to signal. He is ready to give the order to fire when suddenly there is a thunderous roar and a puff of grey smoke erupts unexpectedly from the prow of the attacking ship.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–3,
turn to 335
.

If it is 4–6,
turn to 27
.

If it is 7–9,
turn to 190
.

You retrieve the Iron Skull from your pocket and offer it to the elder. He refuses to touch it and he indicates that you should toss it to the ground. You comply and it thuds into the soft earth near his feet. With one startlingly swift blow he strikes the Iron Skull with his staff and instantly it is transformed into an evil-smelling grey gas that rapidly dissipates in the warm, damp air.

The natives on the palisade take up their bows and train them on you. Quickly you protest your innocence to the elder, saying that you had no idea the skull was an evil artefact. For a few seconds he stares unnervingly into your eyes; then he turns to his kinsmen and says one word: ‘Truth!’

The Vakeros lower their bows and the elder indicates that you are now free to enter their village.

Turn to 347
.

You think back to the months that you spent studying the Discipline of Deliverance at the Kai Monastery, and you try to recall what you can about the illness known as Bita Fever.

It is a highly contagious airborne disease that originated in the Bita Swamp of Dessi. In humans it is usually only fatal in the very young or the old; healthy adults rarely die from it, although the symptoms in those affected are uncomfortable and unsightly. Victims suffer from a corpse-like pallor and can sometimes develop a vivid scarlet rash that particularly affects the face, feet, and hands. Gradually a normally healthy person who contracts the disease will develop an immunity to it after fifteen to twenty days, and outbreaks of Bita Fever in towns and cities have rarely been known to last longer than a month.

When you look at the faces of the mourners you notice that many of them exhibit the symptoms of Bita Fever. The marines have never before encountered this tropical disease, and when you inform them of what you know, they insist on leaving the town at once, before the quarantine is put into force.

Turn to 148
.

Your Arrow hits the creature's chest but it does not penetrate deeply beyond its thick fur. Hurriedly you drop your Bow and reach for your Weapon. It has barely cleared its scabbard when the creature is suddenly upon you, its vile breath hot in your face. You are slammed against the wall by the impact of the attack (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points) and momentarily stunned, but still you manage to duck its slashing claws which rake deep grooves in the wall above your head. With a swift twist of your body you unpin yourself and create the vital space you need in order to wield your Weapon against this determined and terrible foe.

Deathstalker (grazed):
COMBAT SKILL
 39   
ENDURANCE
 38

This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge).

If you win the combat,
turn to 41
.

Oriah and the marines wait for you outside the stables as you approach the paddock alone. The horses become skittish as you get closer, yet you are able to subdue them by using your Animal Mastery. Silently you pull open the paddock gate and command the nearest five horses to leave the enclosure. Obediently they obey your commands, following meekly as you lead them away in single file to your waiting companions.

You mount your borrowed steeds and Ernan leads the way along a broad avenue that ends at the town's southern gatehouse. Two sleepy-eyed guards watch with indifference as you pass through the open gate and depart from Cape Kabar along its dusty coast road.

Turn to 146
.

The crowd roars with excitement the moment you strike your killing blow. Dromodon staggers back, blood trickling freely from his mouth, and he spits a curse with his dying breath before crashing to the sand. The crowd erupts with wild elation and the guardsmen are hard pressed to keep them from rushing headlong into the arena. Dromodon's corpse is dragged unceremoniously away and, amidst the screams and cheers, you are ushered before Torvax. He praises you for your fighting skill and bravery and he offers you the post of principal of his gladiator school in Ferufezan. Politely you decline. It is customary for the winner of the final combat of the circus to be granted one request, and you ask that you may be allowed to go free. Torvax nods in agreement. He is grieved by the loss of his warrior-slave Malduz, but he does not hold you responsible for his death.

Before he instructs his men to escort you to the gates of the arena and let you go free, he hands you a silk pouch containing 20 Gold Crowns. (If you had a Bow confiscated before the combat with Dromodon, this is returned to you on your way out of the arena.)

To continue,
turn to 128
.

Gradually the temperature drops and the gentle undulation of the waves grows fiercer. The wind becomes a gale and the azure sky grows darker and darker until the sun is lost from view and the ship is shrouded by a deep grey twilight. Now Kol realizes that he should have heeded your advice and he commands his anxious crew to run for the coast in the hope of finding a safe haven. Soon lightning is the only source of illumination. It tears the roiling clouds and transforms the sea into an angry beast that lashes and batters the ship with a supernatural fury. Then the darkness is obliterated by a great curtain of white fire. Tongues of flame lance down; they boil the sea where they strike the surface and send up great clouds of steam in their wake. Miraculously these terrifying bolts of power miss the ship, but soon they are rivalled in their ferocity by another terrifying force that is battling to escape from the hellish skies.

A hundred balls of dancing fire fall from the clouds like a shower of blazing meteors. One such meteor strikes the helmsman who is struggling with the ship's wheel, and it engulfs him. For a few dreadful moments his head and chest are contained within a roaring yellow orb; then the burning ball is caught by the wind and it spins away into the darkness. The crew scream with terror when they look upon their comrade, for his upper body has been transformed into a blackened and fleshless skull that perches precariously upon his hollow, smoking rib cage.

Panic grips the Vassagonian sailors. They abandon their posts and rush to seek shelter below deck in the crowded cargo hold. You are trying to rally them when suddenly a ball of flame drops from the raging skies and comes hurtling down towards your head.

If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Elementalism,
turn to 197
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 51
.