The Deathlord of Ixia Read online

  240

  You advance slowly along the slippery foredeck towards steps which ascend to the raised stern of this alien vessel. Every inch of its coal-black timbers are decorated with strange and intricate carvings, and archaic symbols embellish the metal rails which encircle its gunwales. Drawing on your Grand Master Disciplines, you determine that this vessel was not constructed by the unhuman creatures who crewed it, but that it is an ancient ship, built and crafted by a race of mariners who have long since disappeared into the mists of time. Closer examination of the timbers reveals it to be more than eleven thousand years old.

  You climb to the wheelhouse, which stands in the centre of the stern deck, and discover there a large, glassy sphere mounted upon an ornate base of glittering black stone. A low hum and a faint greenish glow radiate from this sphere, which in turn is connected by silver tubes and strands of braided metal to the wheel which steers the craft. After careful study of the controls you feel confident that you could sail the vessel.

  Prarg enters the wheelhouse and announces that, having thoroughly searched the bow and below deck areas, he is sure that it is empty — no hidden enemies are lurking aboard.

  ‘Well, Grand Master,’ he continues, staring bemusedly at the strange workings of this craft, ‘this is a rum craft and no mistake. Are you sure it can carry you to Ixia?’

  ‘Yes, I'm sure,’ you reply. ‘In fact I'm certain that it will be safer to sail the Tozaz in this ship than to attempt the crossing in any ice-boat bearing the Lencian flag.’

  Prarg looks out of the wheelhouse window at the sunken remains of the ice-boat, and says: ‘I hope you're right, Grand Master. I sincerely hope you're right.’

  Turn to 18.

  241

  Using your Magnakai skills, you magnify your vision in order to better see the new enemy that is descending towards you from out of the sky. However, despite your visual ability, they are too distant for you to be able to make them out clearly. All you can discern is that they are accelerating at an ever-increasing rate.

  You increase your own pace, determined more than ever now to reach the Shadow Gate before either Tagazin, or his new wave of helpers, can stop you.

  If you possess Kai-alchemy and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Knight or higher, turn to 53.

  If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 185.

  242

  You say a brief prayer to the Goddess Ishir, beseeching her to watch over your soul as you get ready to engage the attacking skeletal warriors.

  Ixian Undead: COMBAT SKILL 46 ENDURANCE 55

  You cannot evade this combat and must fight these enemies to the finish.16

  If you win the combat, turn to 152.

  [16] In view of Banedon's comments in Section 339, it would seem that you should not use the Sommerswerd in this combat.

  243

  Using your Kai camouflage skills, you inch your way closer and closer to the two undead guards. You are less than ten feet from the great grey door when suddenly they react to your presence. They spring into animation and come rushing towards you with their spears levelled at your chest.

  Illustration XV—The two undead soldiers rush towards you.

  Drakkarim Undead: COMBAT SKILL 34 ENDURANCE 42

  Without weapons or equipment you have no choice but to fight this enemy unarmed. (Remember to make the appropriate adjustments to your COMBAT SKILL.)

  If you win the combat, turn to 63.

  244

  Hurriedly you draw an Arrow and take aim at the nearest insectoid. You attempt to place your missile into its eye, but as it whistles towards the creature, it twists its head and your shaft misses its mark by barely an inch. You curse your luck as the Arrow glances off its shell to shatter uselessly against the far wall.

  There is no time for a second shot. Dropping your Bow, you quickly unsheathe a hand weapon and brace yourself to meet their determined attack.

  Turn to 261.

  245

  You draw upon your Magnakai mind-defences to shield yourself from the debilitating effects of the evil which is radiating from the Crystal Spire. Your psychic skills protect you, but not completely: lose 5 ENDURANCE points.

  To continue, turn to 330.

  246

  Quickly you retrieve your Rope from your pack and secure one end of it around a fallen pillar. Then you cast the free end down into the hall below and begin your descent. Unfortunately, your Rope runs out before you reach the floor, leaving you suspended twenty feet above the hall's rubble-strewn tiles.

  A jolt runs through the Rope, warning you that the pillar to which you secured it is about to come crashing down. Anxiously you scan the floor below, 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 chosen.

  If your total is now 0, turn to 5.

  If it is 1–2, turn to 126.

  If it is 3 or higher, turn to 276.

  247

  You retreat hurriedly from the onrushing horde and evade them by descending a stair which leads down into the ship's hold. Above, you can hear the frenzied shouts of the Lencian crewmen as they are engaged by the undead Drakkarim in fierce hand-to-hand combat around the ship's wheelhouse. Then the clatter of steel-shod boots on the steps alerts you to the fact that the Drakkarim have not given up the chase. As they begin to descend, you quickly scan the gloomy hold for a place to hide.

  If you possess Assimilance, turn to 208.

  If you do not possess this skill, turn to 26.

  248

  Having heard your question, King Sarnac turns to Ardan and says: ‘My lord, perhaps you could say something to allay Grand Master Lone Wolf's fears?’

  ‘Certainly, sire,’ replies Lord Ardan, turning to address you.

  ‘My lord, as Guildmaster Banedon may already have told you, the coast of Ixia is a hellish place. The ice-boat will be able to anchor in this region for seven days at most. If you do not return within this time, it will be forced to go back to Azgad Island. But do not let this cause you undue concern, my lord. At present there is a great imbalance between the forces of Good and Evil in our world, yet upon the instant that you defeat the Deathlord and destroy his staff of power, this balance will surely be resumed. I, like my kinsman Lord Rimoah, will know the moment that the balance has been righted. If your quest takes longer than one week to accomplish, the ice-boat will be sent out once more to collect you from Xaagon.’

  Turn to 140.

  249

  Beyond the grand archway you discover a massive high-ceilinged antechamber. The walls of this vast circular hall are lined with human-like figures who, were it not for the frigid whiteness of their skin, would appear to be sleeping while on guard. Opposite the entrance you see another open archway, this one filled by a shimmering curtain of light. You sense that beyond it lies the way to the upper storeys of the spire, to the place where the Deathlord resides.

  If you possess the Discipline of Telegnosis, turn to 333.

  If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 17.

  250

  From a vantage point on a rocky, snow-swept ridge, you watch the stupendous spectacle that is the fall of Xaagon. One by one, its walls, buildings, and crystal towers implode and collapse until less than a handful remain. When the destruction is over, the black skies brighten and the fierce electrical storms abate. For the first time in ten thousand years, sunlight pierces the perpetual cloud cover of Ixia and brings warmth to this frozen land.

  Greatly heartened by the success of your mission, you set off westwards and retrace your original route through the mountains to the ice-caverns on the southern coast. When you arrive there, you are greeted by an unmoving tableaux of skeletal warriors, each one frozen in the action it was performing at the time of the Deathlord's destruction. You are eager to return to Fort Azgad as soon as possible, and to this end, you descend to the underground lake where the Ixi
an ice-boats are moored.

  Turn to 162.

  251

  You swivel the pantard around and pull the firing lever. The heavy iron bolt screeches through the air towards the great glassy sphere. However, moments before impact, the target is suddenly blocked by a host of undead warriors that come surging out of the wheelhouse. The bolt rips through their densely-packed ranks, shattering more than a dozen skeletal bodies, but in so doing it is deflected from its chosen target; the sphere survives intact. Before Prarg can reload the pantard, a shimmering metallic plate rises up from out of the decking and blocks the sphere from your sight.

  ‘It's no good!’ you shout to Prarg. ‘We'll need more than a pantard to repel this dark tide.’

  ‘Look there, Grand Master!’ retorts Prarg. He is pointing to the Lencian ice-boat and his face is blanched with shock. The invading undead have begun to swarm aboard the vessel and it is clear by their actions that they intend to destroy and sink it.

  ‘Stay here, Prarg, and cover me with the pantard!’ you cry, as you turn and run for the stairs. ‘They must be stopped!’

  Turn to 310.

  252

  The moment you deal Tagazin your single, fatal blow, his body shatters into a million frozen pieces which cascade like an opaque crystal waterfall to the ground. You step back from his smashed remains and look skywards to see the second wave of Lavas come screaming out of the clouds. The sight makes you take to your heels. You run the remaining few yards towards the Shadow Gate and, before the leading Lavas can block your path, you dive headlong into its spinning core.

  Turn to 200.

  253

  You lower your head and tug your cloak closer about your shoulders as you climb stoically towards the distant cave. You are within a few dozen yards of its inviting entrance when suddenly a crackling arc of lightning streaks down and hits you between the shoulder blades. The impact burns a hole clean through your Backpack and hurls you face-first into the snow and ice.

  If you possess the Discipline of Grand Huntmastery and have reached the Kai rank of Sun Thane, turn to 312.

  If you do not possess this skill, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 184.

  254

  ‘Hold, fell demon!’ you shout, hoping to arrest his determined advance, but Tagazin merely sneers with disdain at your command. He stalks closer and you see knife-sharp talons extending from his hairless paws. From the gruesome expression on his face, clearly he is relishing the thought of rending you limb from limb. As you reach for your weapon, you consider using your psychic skills to preempt his imminent attack.

  If you possess Kai-surge and have attained the rank of Sun Lord or higher, turn to 123.

  If you possess Kai-surge but have yet to attain this level of Kai Mastery, turn to 216.

  If you do not possess Kai-surge or decide against using this Discipline, turn instead to 294.

  255

  You steer the ship cautiously along a string of narrow fjords which cut an uncertain route through this treacherous field of icebergs. Your hands, slick with nervous sweat, grip the wheel tightly and inch it back and forth in response to the pilot's frantic signals. It is a gruelling ordeal which 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 lose sight of the pilot and are forced to rely solely upon your Kai instincts to see you through.

  Suddenly the incessant howl of the wind is accompanied by the tortured screech of the hull as it skims a bank of submerged ice. The impact sends the ship careering violently to port and hurls you head-first against the wall of the wheelhouse: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.

  To continue, turn to 302.

  256

  You dive over a wall and across a mound of ice and rubble in order to evade the creatures. Then, as you spring to your feet and sprint away, you draw on your Magnakai skills of camouflage and psychic defence to increase your chances further. It is a wise move; the black-robed horrors give chase but they soon lose your trail as you make your way deeper into the ruins of Xaagon.

  Turn to 270.

  257

  You dive to avoid the onrushing Demonlord but your reactions are too slow. He catches you with the tip of his spiked helm and you feel agonizing pain shoot through your body. Then an explosion of a white-hot fire obliterates your senses and, in a terrifying instant, the light that is your life is snuffed out.

  Tragically, you have fallen victim to a helm of power, forged and fashioned by the Dark God Naar. Your life and your quest end here on the Plane of Darkness.

  258

  Patiently you attempt to manipulate the lock mechanism using the power of your mind alone. Your patience is finally rewarded by a loud click, and the ice-caked door creaks slowly open.

  Beyond it you see a dark and empty corridor. Before leaving the cell you pause for a few moments to use your skill of Nexus once more, in an attempt to determine the location of your missing weapons and equipment. You sense they are distant but, guided by these feelings, you enter the corridor and go in search of them.

  The dingy corridor wends its way deeper into the bowels of this vast alien vessel. You explore a maze of empty holds, where the walls are braced with gleaming crystal girders, and pass through low-ceilinged chambers that, despite the biting chill, reek of death and decay. At length your search ends at a great grey door which is guarded by two undead Drakkarim warriors, armed with spears. The noises you heard earlier have now ceased, and so has the movement of the vessel; you sense that this craft is no longer at sea.

  From the cover of a curving crystal bulkhead, you spy upon the Drakkarim guards while you consider your next move.

  If you wish to attack the guards with your bare hands, turn to 243.

  If you choose instead to use your Magnakai mind Disciplines upon the guards, turn to 336.

  259

  With the hideous gibbering shrieks of the Chaos-creatures echoing in your ears, you hurry down the slime-smeared steps into the claustrophobic depths of this sunken building. At first the alien cries of your pursuers sound hungry and frantic, like those of a ravenous pack of starving wolves, but suddenly you realize that they are not cries of hunger at all — they are howls of glee. The Chaos-creatures are enjoying the sight of you rushing headlong to your doom!

  You skid to a halt but it is already too late. With chilling abruptness, the slimy stairs open up and you fall feet-first into a deep, dark pit.

  Turn to 59.

  260

  As the first line of screeching Drakkarim hurl themselves forwards, you advance to meet their attack, your weapon dealing them destruction in a wide arc. Resistance meets your weapon's keen edge, though it is not the touch of armour or flesh. Your powerful blows shear through Drakkarim bodies with the sickening feel of clinging jelly. It is as if you are fighting against a horde of bloodless phantoms possessed of a rubbery strength in their rotting, wasted limbs. The first line falls, but a second is poised ready to throw itself upon you with a mindless fury.

  Drakkarim Marines (undead): COMBAT SKILL 42 ENDURANCE 42

  These undead beings are immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast.

  If you win the combat in five rounds or less, turn to 37.

  If you win the combat in six rounds or longer, turn to 124.

  261

  When the insectoids come to within a body's length of where you stand, suddenly their shiny black shells sprout masses of razor-sharp spines. The leading creature, the one who survived your Bow fire, emits a high-pitched screech; it is the signal to attack.

  As one, the creatures leap into the air and fall upon you from above. Desperately you twist and dodge to avoid being crushed beneath their heavy, spiky bodies.

  If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 160.

  If you do not possess this Special Item, turn to 43.

  262

&
nbsp; Your Kai Mastery warns you that the rod is ready to discharge another blast of energy. If you touch this sorcerous weapon, it is you who will be the victim of the blast.

  Aware of the danger, you quickly pull your hand away. Instead of retrieving the rod, you change direction and barge your way head-first through the skeletal warriors who are blocking the door. The speed of your action leaves them sprawled helplessly on the ground and, by the time they have untangled themselves and staggered to their feet, you are nowhere to be seen.

  You escape along a dark corridor and, when you are sure that you are not being followed, you pause for a few moments to use your Magnakai skill of Nexus in an attempt to determine the location of your missing weapons and equipment. You sense they are not too distant and, guided by your intuition, you go off along an adjoining passageway in search of them.

  The dingy, ice-caked tunnel wends its way deeper into the bowels of this vast alien vessel. You explore a series of empty holds, where the walls are braced with gleaming crystal girders, and pass through low-ceilinged chambers that, despite the biting chill, reek of death and decay. At length your search ends at a great grey door which is guarded by two undead Drakkarim warriors, armed with spears. The noises you heard during your time in the cell have now ceased, and so has the movement of the vessel; you sense that this craft is no longer at sea.