The Buccaneers of Shadaki (18 page)

You and your companions hurry through the flagstoned streets, retracing your route back to the harbour in the hope of reaching
The Azan
before night closes in completely. You are within a few hundred yards of the harbour entrance when suddenly a patrol of the city watch come marching around a corner with their spears couched on their chainmailed shoulders. Their officer commands you all to halt and demands that you raise your hands above your heads.

If you wish to do as the officer has ordered,
turn to 228
.

If you decide to make a dash for the harbour,
turn to 330
.

The globes dance around your boat and their chilling laughter echoes through the mist. Suddenly the Moonstone and the satchel disappear, and an icy coldness invades your heart when you sense that you have now fallen into the thrall of these supernatural beings. Tragically, you are doomed to spend the rest of eternity a prisoner of this timeless void.

Your life and your quest end here in the Sea of Mists.

Your Kai senses reveal that this man is not trying to help you at all. He is a charlatan, a sly and gifted liar who is trying to lure you into a trap.

Rather than follow him away from the quay, you tell him that you have changed your mind and that you no longer wish to find Captain Radyard. The man curses you under his breath and then he hurries off into an adjoining alleyway. You watch him disappear before you walk across the market square and enquire after Radyard at the Masama Warehouse.

Turn to 97
.

As you stagger to your feet from beneath the debris, you look along the main deck and see that brave Captain Jenkshi has taken over the helm. With grim determination he steers his battered ship relentlessly towards the channel. You see him cursing the enemy captain and shaking his fist defiantly at the villainous Shadakine gunners as their cannonballs whistle across the decks of
The Azan
; then a gust of wind fills the torn mainsail and the ship begins to pull away from the lumbering man o'war. A second broadside falls wide of its mark, and Jenkshi's bold plan finally pays off when the enemy ship is forced to veer away for fear of beaching her hull in the shallows. The crew cheer loudly when they see her red sails falling away to the stern and
The Azan
is left alone to make a swift passage through the islet channel. You make your way along the debris-strewn deck to congratulate Jenkshi on his masterful display of seamanship. He accepts your praise and the cheers of his crew with a rueful smile, even though his skill and his coolness under enemy fire have undoubtedly saved the ship and the lives of all aboard. However, as the ship emerges on the far side of the islets, you soon discover that more than just Jenkshi's bravery will be needed if everyone aboard
The Azan
is to live to tell the tale of their deadly encounter with the buccaneers of Shadaki.

Turn to 262
.

A tingle rushes down your arm and a bolt of blue-white energy leaps from your hand to strike the chain. Unfortunately it glances off the hardened iron links, leaving them scorched but not severed.

Turn to 73
.

You see the deck of the trading ship come rushing towards you, and then, in the very next instant, your vision is obliterated by a vivid white flash and you are plunged into a dark and fathomless void. You have been struck in the head by an arrow and your death is mercifully swift.

Tragically, your life and your quest end here beneath the harbour bridge of Ghol-Tabras.

The officer becomes angry when you quietly refuse to show him what is in your satchel. He bangs his desk with his fist and threatens that he will order his guards to confiscate it by force unless you begin to cooperate with him.

If you wish to offer him a bribe in return for your release,
turn to 316
.

If you do not wish to offer him a bribe,
turn to 136
.

You apologize to your companions and ask them to wait for you outside the tavern. Meekly they agree, and as they file out of the door, you assure them that you will not keep them waiting too long. You then sit opposite the bearded man and soon discover that he is a merchant captain from Lunarlia. He is interested in buying copper but he will only offer you 4 Nobles for an ingot. It is a poor price and you tell him that you will have to speak with Captain Jenkshi before you can agree to his bid.

As you rise from your seat he tells you to wait a moment. Copper is not the only thing that he buys. He offers to pay you 8 Nobles for any Special Item you possess (excluding the Moonstone which is not for sale), 2 Nobles for any Weapon, and 1 Noble for any Backpack Item. If you wish to raise some money for yourself by selling items of equipment to this man, do so now and adjust your
Action Chart
accordingly.

You bid the merchant goodnight and he acknowledges the pleasantry with a snake-like blink of his eyes. As you go he calls out to remind you that he can be found here in the morning should Jenkshi decide to sell his copper ingots for 4 Nobles each.

Turn to 5
.

You brace yourself against the gunwale and draw an Arrow to your Bow. Taking careful aim, you let it fly towards the creature's head. The beast senses its approach and lashes out at the onrushing missile with its clawed hand in an attempt to slap it away. The Arrow's steel tip skewers its hand and the beast shrieks with pain as green ichor drips freely from the wound. Then, to your shocked surprise, it bites the shaft in two and spits the pieces back at you.

Turn to 219
.

Moments after you break the surface and gulp a lungful of air, the creature surges past you and snags your cloak in its deadly jaws. To the raucous delight of Sesketera's crewmen, you are dragged around the hull of their ship at tremendous speed before finally the creature dives below the surface and pulls you down in its wake. Desperate to escape from its terrible grip, you stab at its back and sides with your Kai Weapon.

Nigumu-sa:
COMBAT SKILL
 40   
ENDURANCE
 50

This creature is immune to all forms of psychic attack. If the Kai Weapon you wield is ‘Ulnarias’ or ‘Spawnsmite’, you will benefit from the bonus gained due to its unique properties.

If you win the combat,
turn to 260
.

The corpse-creature implodes the very instant that it is struck by the radiant light of the Moonstone. Air and loose earth rush past you to be sucked into the vacuum formed by its sudden destruction, and you are forced to cling to the ground for fear of being dragged into this crushing vortex. Then, with stunning abruptness, the swirling vacuum shoots skywards and vanishes among the clouds.

The Shaman howls with mortal terror and flees into the jungle, his power destroyed. The natives stagger drunkenly, as if suddenly they have awoken from a trance. They fall to their knees and begin to worship you, for they recognize that you have broken the Shaman's spell and they are in awe of your power.

You allow the natives to escort you to Kitaezi, their coastal city, where you are treated like a hero by the impoverished populace. You learn that Kitaezi was once a thriving port before the arrival of Ulonga the Shaman. He used his power to overthrow the tribal chieftain, enslave the people, and drive away the traders. For a year he has been the bane of this port and its poor citizens, but now he is gone and the people are eager to celebrate his demise. They smash the many statues and likenesses of Ulonga that stand in every public square and they sing and dance through the streets.

At a ceremony held in the city's main square, you are bedecked with garlands of flowers and presented with three special items:

• Pouch of Seota Dust (Restores 10
  ENDURANCE
  points. One use only.)
  
• Talisman of Defiance (Adds +2 to
  COMBAT SKILL
  .)
  
• Eye of Lhaz (Enables user to exert control over poisonous snakes.)
  

All of the above are Special Items which you keep in the pockets of your tunic. Record them on your
Action Chart
and note their special properties.

To continue,
turn to 153
.

At length you arrive at the Lourdenian Consulate where a guard at the gate allows you both to enter and wait in its cool, tree-shaded courtyard. A few minutes later you are met by the consul's assistant, a rotund little official called Cheary. He is shocked to hear of the pirate attack, and he urges Gregor to accompany him inside the consulate to make a full written report. He says that it could take several hours, possibly even a day or two, and so you decide that now is a good time to say farewell to your companion. Before you go, Gregor offers you his heartfelt thanks for all you have done for him, and he hopes that one day soon your paths will cross again.

‘If you should ever visit Pforodon,’ he says, ‘stop by the Singing Lamb Tavern on Spike Street. If I'm not there, the landlord will know where you can find me.’

You wish Gregor a safe journey home, and then you leave the consulate and make your way back along the main street to the harbour. The heat and dust of the afternoon are making you thirsty and so you stop to drink from a freshwater fountain set into the wall of a crumbling old temple. The hustle and noise of the street crowd is becoming oppressive and you yearn to find somewhere quiet where you can rest before you return to the ship. Looking around, you notice two places which promise some respite. The first is a public park which stands upon a cliff that looms above the city to the east of the harbour wall. The second is a narrow, deserted alley that wends its way into the city's Old Quarter.

If you wish to visit the park,
turn to 291
.

If you choose to explore the city's Old Quarter,
turn to 126
.

You focus on the creature and launch a Mindblast in an attempt to force it to release your horse from its terrible clutches. You sense that your attack has had no effect upon this supernatural beast, and that it possesses an innate resistance to psychic energy.

Desperate now to save your stricken mount, you rush forward and attack the creature with your Kai Weapon.

Tzoog:
COMBAT SKILL
 48   
ENDURANCE
 32

This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Kai-surge). If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Valiance’, add +8 to your
COMBAT SKILL
(instead of +5).

If you win this combat,
turn to 149
.

The secret passage is festooned with cobwebs and shows little sign of having been used for many decades. It twists and turns for several hundred yards before ending at a blank wall of crumbling plaster. Closer inspection reveals another panel, one that is controlled by a lever set into the web-strewn ceiling.

You pull this lever and the panel squeaks open to reveal a sumptuous chamber hung with rich and colourful tapestries. Incense smoulders in silver bowls and the perfumed air is filled with the chirping sounds of exotic caged birds.

Cautiously you enter this luxurious room and see that it is one of several antechambers which adjoin a larger hall. Seated upon a padded chair in the middle of this hall is a young dark-haired woman who is dressed in flowing white silks. Her head is bowed and she appears to be upset. She is sobbing quietly.

If you have ever visited the city of Barrakeesh in a previous
Lone Wolf New Order
adventure,
turn to 39
.

If you have not,
turn to 253
.