Shadow on the Sand Read online

  Turn to 176.

  118

  The guard raises the blowpipe to his lips. His cheeks swell, and then there is a sharp hiss warning you that another tainted needle speeds towards your head.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, add 2 to the number you have picked. If you have reached the Kai rank of Warmarn or higher, add 1 to the number.

  If your total score is now 0–3, turn to 89.

  If your total is now 4–12, turn to 21.

  119

  You catch both guards totally by surprise. Do not deduct any ENDURANCE points you may lose in the first 3 rounds of combat, due to the surprise and ferocity of your attack. You must fight both guards as one enemy.

  Palace Gate Guardians: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 30

  If you win the combat, you quickly hide the bodies before passing through the entrance into the palace gardens beyond.

  Turn to 137.

  120

  The dagger hisses through the air and thuds into your chest. You gasp at the sudden pain, clawing at the hilt of the dagger with trembling hands in your panic to draw out the deadly blade. As you stagger backwards, the guard rushes forward, a smile of triumph spreading across his ugly face. You wrench the blade free and turn it on the guard as he dives towards you. He sees the danger but far too late — the blade has already pierced his heart.

  Turn to 22.

  121

  From out of the gloom, three Sharnazim warriors suddenly appear. The razor-sharp edges of their swords glint in the darkness; thirsty blades gasping for your blood.

  If you wish to attack the warriors, turn to 60.

  If you wish to evade them, you must turn back and swim across the sewer vault. Turn to 84.

  122

  The heavy wooden door is reinforced with bands of black iron, held in place by huge bronze studs. You turn the handle, only to find the door is locked.

  If you possess the Gaoler's Keys, turn to 136.

  If you do not have this Special Item, turn to 26.

  123

  The noise grows louder. Suddenly the door latch rattles and a gruff voice growls out above the din: ‘Break it down!’

  Shards of wood and twisted iron are scattered throughout the cellar as the sharp blade of a two-handed axe explodes through the door. The hinges burst from the wall and in run your pursuers, stumbling on the tangle of shattered timbers.

  You spring forward, striking left and right, and bringing two men down before they even see you. The officer, a bull-necked warrior with a flat nose, elbows the others aside and attacks. You strike first, jarring the scimitar from his grasp with a well-aimed blow to his wrist. He bellows like an ox but attacks again, a long-bladed dagger clenched in his uninjured hand.

  Sharnazim Underlord: COMBAT SKILL 18 ENDURANCE 28

  Illustration VII—The officer, a bull-necked warrior with a flat nose, elbows the others aside and attacks.

  You can evade the combat at any stage by escaping through the trapdoor. Turn to 51.

  If you win the combat, turn to 198.

  124

  You leap from the window ledge and crash feet-first into the guards, bowling them over with the surprise your attack. You fight with speed and skill, killing three soldiers before they can regain their balance. However, the noise of combat alerts the mess hall, and a dozen more of the Zakhan's soldiers join the battle. You are quickly overwhelmed by the sheer weight of numbers, and it is only their respect for your bravery and combat prowess that prevents them killing you on the spot.

  You are disarmed and frog-marched to a prison cell, where you are left to await the Zakhan.

  Turn to 18.

  125

  The horse and its dead rider topple from the quayside and splash into the sea. The crew have drawn up the gangplank, forcing you to leap the gap. You fall short and land on the row of oars bristling from the galley's side.

  The wood is wet and slippery, and you have to fight to keep your balance. Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, add 2 to the number you have picked.

  If your total is now 0–3, turn to 50.

  If your total is now 4 or more, turn to 191.

  126

  Keeping in the shadow cast by the tomb, you advance on the north gate. Only two soldiers stand guard were there would normally be twenty. Suddenly, the gate opens to admit a rider. He hands a scroll to the guards before galloping through the open gate. The guards read the scroll, seemingly unaware that the gate is still open.

  If you possess the Kai Disciplines of both Camouflage and Hunting, turn to 170.

  If you decide to attempt to bribe the guards, turn to 19.

  If you decide to attack them, turn to 119.

  127

  You walk back along the corridor to the junction in order to get a long run at the door — you know that if you barge the door in exactly the right place, you will tear loose the lock from the wall. Pick a number from the Random Number Table and add 10.

  If your total is equal to or less than your COMBAT SKILL, the wall cracks and lock bursts open. Turn to 159.

  If your total is greater than your COMBAT SKILL, the door remains locked. You sustain a badly bruised shoulder and lose 1 ENDURANCE point. You must head off dejectedly along the other passage towards the stairs. Turn to 93.

  128

  Your reach a domed sewer-vault where the tunnel widens. A chute descends from the centre of the chamber, ending just a few feet above the oily surface of the water; a mass of food scraps and offal floats beneath the chute, and the stink of rotting meat is overpowering.

  You are about to step into the vault when you detect that the tunnel floor drops away. You freeze just in time to prevent yourself from stepping straight into deep water. The tunnel continues beyond the vault, but over twenty feet of putrid sewage lies between you and the other side.

  The echo of a distant splash reminds you that the Sharnazim are still following. If you possess a Rope, you can try to catch it upon a long metal bar that protrudes from the side of the chute to pull yourself out of the water and swing across to the opposite tunnel.

  If you have a Rope and decide to use it in the manner described above, turn to 29.

  If you decide to try to swim across the vault to the tunnel, turn to 84.

  If you would rather turn around and make your way back to the junction, turn to 121.

  129

  From the shadow of a doorway, you peer out across the harbour. The square is alive with Maouk's soldiers. It will be far too dangerous to enter the harbour; you must find somewhere else to hide until it is safer.

  Groups of soldiers are searching the houses that border the square, and you are forced to leave the doorway and run back along the alley. As you re-enter the marketplace, you run straight into a dozen Sharnazim led by Maouk himself.

  If you wish to stand and fight, turn to 36.

  If you wish to surrender, turn to 176.

  130

  You snatch the Herb Pad from the dead warrior's face (mark this as a Special Item on your Action Chart) and cover your own mouth with this sweet-smelling pouch. The herbs inside neutralize the foul air, making it easier to breathe. Restore 1 ENDURANCE point.

  The dead body sinks from view, and you hear the sound of more Sharnazim wading along the tunnel. You cannot outdistance them — you must hide.

  If you possess the Kai Discipline of Camouflage, turn to 151.

  If you do not have this skill, turn to 15.

  131

  You sift through the vast number of items that litter the dais, separating the following articles, which may or may not be of use:

  Silver Comb

  Hourglass

  Dagger

  Healing Potion of Laumspur (restores 4 ENDURANCE points if swallowed after combat)

  Prism

  Enough food for 3 Meals (each Meal counts as 1 Backpack Item)

  Remember to make the necessary changes to your Act
ion Chart before leaving the chamber.

  Turn to 58.

  132

  You move quickly and quietly along the north corridor and soon arrive at another arched passage that heads off to the west. A fierce glow can be seen in the distance, and you hear the hiss of red-hot steel as it is thrust into water and the clang of hammer on anvil — the unmistakable sounds of a blacksmithy.

  If you wish to go west, towards the noise, turn to 195.

  If you wish to keep moving north, turn to 30.

  133

  You recognize the tracks of a Kwaraz in the slimy mud of the walkway. Kwaraz are giant carnivorous reptiles. The number and varying size of the prints suggest that a whole colony of these loathsome creatures inhabit the tunnel. You decide it is far too dangerous to continue in this direction, and instead climb a narrow stairway that leads to a chamber above the tunnel. Here at least it is dry, although the foul sewer gas permeates everything. You follow a narrow passage, first to the west and then south, but your heart sinks as you see a dead end looming ahead.

  If you wish to search for a hidden exit, turn to 33.

  If you decide to turn around and return to the walkway, turn to 64.

  134

  You use your Kai Discipline to force the creature away. The Bloodlug changes direction and jets towards a squid that has taken refuge in a large copper urn. You continue swimming but keep a watchful eye on the Bloodlug as it engulfs and devours the helpless squid.

  Turn to 95.

  135

  The air of the new tunnel is hot and humid, and as you press on, the putrid gas makes you increasingly nauseous. You are forced to stop — the vapour is burning your throat and causing painful stomach cramps. Suddenly a noise makes you forget your discomfort; you turn to see that one of Maouk's men has caught up with you. He looms out of the darkness, his face covered by a pad of herbs.

  Sharnazim Warrior: COMBAT SKILL 17 ENDURANCE 22

  Deduct 2 points from your COMBAT SKILL due to the effects of the noxious fumes.

  Illustration VIII—One of Maouk's men looms out of the darkness, his face covered by a pad of herbs.

  If you lose this combat, turn to 161.

  If you win the combat, turn to 130.6

  [6] Restore half of any ENDURANCE points that you lose (fractions rounded down) during this combat if you win (note what happens if you lose).

  136

  Once you have unlocked the door, you twist the handle and open it a few inches. You see a stair descending to a small chamber where a black-robed soldier is guarding a pair of iron gates. Through the bars you can see rows of weapons and suits of armour stacked in long racks. A sign fixed to the bars says:

  GRAND PALACE ARMOURY

  If you have the Kai Discipline of Camouflage, turn to 186.

  If you want to attack the guard, turn to 178.

  If you want to close the door and take the other passage, turn to 93.

  137

  Suddenly you realize just how hungry you are. You must now eat a Meal or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. You pass unseen through the exotic plants that grow everywhere in abundance. The gravelled path divides a lawn of strange, luxuriant, purple grass and leads to a magnificent fountain. A jet of clear blue water catches the sun, reflecting and refracting an eye-dazzling rainbow of colour. You gaze beyond the fountain to where the vaulting towers of the palace soar into the sky, and carefully note the positions of the doors and windows.

  There are two entrances to the Grand Palace from the gardens; you can either go through the palace kitchens or through the Vizu-diar — the Zakhan's trophy hall. However, only one of these entrances will lead to the Imperial Apothecary, and to the precious Oede herb stored there.

  If you have the Kai Discipline of Tracking or Sixth Sense, turn to 37.

  If you wish to enter the palace through the kitchens, turn to 66.

  If you wish to enter through the Vizu-diar, turn to 149.

  138

  The guards pull open the door, and you spring into action. Your clenched fist strikes the first man beneath his bearded jaw, lifting him from the floor with the power of the blow. His sword drops from his hand and clatters to the ground close to your feet.

  If you wish to pick up the sword, turn to 4.

  If you wish to ignore the sword and attack the second guard with your bare hands, turn to 91.

  139

  You are so irritated by the crawling mask of insects covering your skin that you fail to see the rusty metal post sticking out of the water ahead. You walk straight into it and lose your footing. Instinctively, you grab at the post, but like everything else it is covered with sewage, as slippery as Kalte ice.

  Turn to 94.

  140

  The iron gates of the armoury are unlocked. You push open the left gate and wince as the shrill squeak of a dry hinge sends a shiver down your spine.

  Inside, at the end of a long aisle, is a workbench, littered with spearheads, sword hilts, and all manner of armourer's tools. In the midst of this tangled mess is a large, black, leather-bound book.

  If you wish to open the book, turn to 83.

  If you wish to ignore the book and search for your confiscated equipment, turn to 181.

  141

  You throw yourself to one side, barely escaping the dart as it whistles past your chest.

  ‘Seize him!’ screams Maouk, kicking his soldiers onwards through the wreckage. ‘Don't let him get away this time!’ You are now lying on the floor less than a couple of feet away from the trapdoor.

  If you wish to roll over to the trapdoor and escape, turn to 51.

  If you decide to surrender to Maouk and his warriors, turn to 10.

  142

  You hit the water and swim submerged until the pain in your lungs forces you to the surface. Sharnazim are running in every direction, trying to surround the quay and prevent your escape. Gulping another breath, you dive again and swim towards a cluster of small boats less than fifty yards away.

  Through the clear blue water, it is easy to see the rubbish that litters the bed of the harbour; mementoes of all the merchant ships that have docked at the quayside. Clinging to one old anchor is a strange, jelly-like blob. A mass of short tubes sticks out from all its sides, and a long hook-like scoop hangs beneath its rubbery body. Without warning, the blob suddenly jets towards you, propelled by water from its mass of breathing tubes. It is a Bloodlug, and it is hungry for your flesh!

  If you have the Kai Discipline of Animal Kinship, turn to 134.

  If you wish to fight the creature, turn to 12.

  If you wish to evade the creature, turn to 95.

  143

  You set light to a tar-coated torch and hurl it down into the sewer-hole. There is a tremendous flash and roar; suddenly, all along the alley, plumes of flaming sewage explode skywards. The alley is transformed into a rush of shocked and screaming people, all scrambling to avoid the deluge of burning filth raining down on their heads. The torch has triggered a chain reaction in the Baga-darooz; the inflammable sewer gas has ignited — everywhere is panic and confusion.

  Illustration IX—The alley is transformed into a rush of shocked and screaming people, all scrambling to avoid the deluge of burning filth.

  You run with the crowd through the sewage-stained alleys until you reach a busy market square, unpolluted by the blast. Your eye is caught by a sign hanging above the side door of a large hall:

  BARRAKEESH PUBLIC BATHS

  You push open the door and slip inside.

  Turn to 90.

  144

  A terrible sense of dread fills your mind. Your Kai skill is warning you that a horrific and inescapable fate awaits you if you stay in this cell. You follow your instincts and attack.

  Turn to 174.

  145

  You wade into the water, thick with scum, and try not to breathe through your nose. The glutinous mire is clotted with green and black filth, and with your every movement the surface cracks, releasing a vile gas. You cover your mout
h with your Kai cloak, but the appalling stench makes you retch and choke. A loud splash behind you warns that Maouk's men are not far away, and you quicken your step. At regular intervals, circular chutes disappear into the ceiling. Many are stained bright yellow, white, or reddish-brown. This section of the Baga-darooz passes beneath the Linen Quarter of Barrakeesh, where the Guild of Linen-weavers operate their fuller's shops. The chutes dump waste dyes straight into the sewer, making the oily water even more garish in colour.

  You spot a ripple in the water ahead. It moves nearer, the wake of a submerged sewer creature. Instinctively, you flatten yourself against the dye-stained wall as you feel the movement of water against your waist, and watch in fear and fascination as the ripple of water disappears into the tunnel. Suddenly, a fearful scream bursts out of the darkness; Maouk has lost one of his men. The terrible cries of the Sharnazim warrior chill your spine, but your instincts tell you to press on while you have the advantage. The channel soon reaches a junction where another tunnel heads off to the west.