Voyage of the Moonstone (20 page)

You summon your elemental Kai powers to deflect this terrifying meteor before it consumes you and burns you to a cinder. A superhuman effort will be required if you are to accomplish this desperate action successfully.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. You may add 1 to the number you have picked for every 1
ENDURANCE
point you are prepared to deduct from your current total.

If your total score is now 2 or lower,
turn to 70
.

If it is 3–6,
turn to 246
.

If it is 7 or higher,
turn to 305
.

You join Fernant and Raker at the bow and watch as Oriah makes several dives upon the sunken wreck. She is a strong and graceful swimmer, and you can tell by the effortless way she moves through the water that she is skilled and experienced at sea diving.

The galleon is broken at its centre and lies with its fore and aft sections separated by an expanse of debris-strewn sand. Oriah searches both sections and discovers a dagger and a handful of gold and silver coins. Having satisfied herself that there is little else of value to be found, she returns aboard and allows herself to dry off in the hot noon sun. Captain Raker gives the order to weigh anchor and soon
The Pride of Sommerlund
is forging a course once more through open seas.

Turn to 240
.

Quickly you erect a psychic shield to protect your mind from this attack, and rapidly the terrible pain in your head subsides.

Turn to 109
.

You sit up with a start and reach instinctively for your weapon. Your horse is neighing wildly. He rears up repeatedly on his hind legs and fights to break the reins which hold him fixed to a tree. He is clearly terrified of something from which he cannot escape. You wipe the sleep from your bleary eyes and scan the darkness. And then you see the object of his terror and your blood freezes in your veins.

Creeping slowly from the shadowy undergrowth is the Deathstalker, his amber eyes blazing like two evil gems. At first you cannot believe what you are seeing. The beast is dead. You saw the flames consume his carcass. Then the realization strikes you that this is not the beast you slew in Hikas. This is his mate. She has hunted you and now she comes for you in the dead of night … and she is ravenous for revenge.

Illustration XII
—This is not the beast you slew. This is his mate who has hunted you, and is ravenous for revenge …

She howls and the jungle falls silent. Now her amber eyes blaze with evil fire as she bounds out of the undergrowth and launches her vengeful attack.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it,
turn to 3
.

If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it,
turn to 147
.

If you possess a Bow and wish to use it,
turn to 10
.

If you possess neither of these skills, nor a Bow, or if you choose not to use them,
turn instead to 260
.

Rhous picks up the skull and weighs it in his hand before examining its pitted surface. You can tell by his sour expression that he is disappointed: he had hoped for something more exceptional than this. After a few moments he offers you 8 Gold Crowns. You haggle with him and finally you settle on a sum of 10 Gold Crowns.

(If, in addition to the Iron Skull, you also possess any of the other items, Rhous would be willing to pay you 20 Gold Crowns for the Siyen Crown, and 30 Gold Crowns for the Kutyan Emerald. Be sure to amend the details on your
Action Chart
before continuing your adventure.)

Turn to 349
.

You draw upon your advanced mental defences and counter this unexpected psychic assault. As the pain in your head rapidly fades, you open your eyes to see that a sinister new threat has loomed into view.

Turn to 75
.

You dive to avoid the meteor and the lightning speed of your Kai reactions enables you to save yourself from being hit. The fireball strikes the place where you were standing and bounces back into the sky. As it disappears into the angry black clouds it screeches like a banshee and leaves behind it a trail of hissing steam.

To continue,
turn to 132
.

You barely have time to raise your weapon before the creature is upon you. The vile stench of its breath fills your nostrils and you are slammed against the wall by the sheer momentum of its attack: lose 2
ENDURANCE
points. You duck to evade its slashing claws and they rake deep grooves in the wall above your head. Then you twist your body sideways and manage to pull away, creating the vital space you need in order to wield your weapon against this terrible foe.

Deathstalker:
COMBAT SKILL
 40   
ENDURANCE
 40

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

If you win the combat,
turn to 41
.

Through a combination of skilful helmsmanship and crewmanship,
The Pride of Sommerlund
enters the Bukimi Channel and picks up a prevailing wind that propels you away from the pirate raiders. Soon they have disappeared beyond the distant horizon and, when Raker is sure that they have abandoned their pursuit, he warmly praises his First Mate and crew for their seamanship.

As the ship navigates the narrow strait dividing these two Lakuri islands, you pass by the fire-blackened ruins of a beach settlement which nestles in a bay overshadowed by cliffs. This is Kita Cove, formerly a secret base from where Captain Khadro launched his pirate fleet. As you stare at the charred remnants of the pirate settlement, you try to imagine what it must have looked like before the encampment was consumed by the tremendous fireball that sealed its doom. Suddenly your daydreaming is interrupted when, to your shocked surprise, you see something moving among the ruins.

If you possess Kai-alchemy,
turn to 158
.

If you do not possess this Discipline,
turn to 247
.

You veer off the main road and lead the way along this narrow dirt track as it winds a tortuous route into the hills. For several minutes you climb this trail until it ends abruptly at a boulder-strewn plateau that commands a magnificent view of the coast and surrounding land. Far below you can see a cluster of tiny yellow lights moving through the darkness. They are the torches carried by your pursuers and you watch intently as these flickering specks of light draw closer to the place where the hill track meets the coast road. You are praying to Ishir that the riders will ignore the track and continue along the road, for this plateau is a dead end; the track is the only way to approach or leave here on horseback.

Suddenly Sligh taps you on the shoulder and points to a dark shape at the centre of the plateau. At first glance it looks like a pit, but when you magnify your night vision you see that it is a flight of rough-hewn steps which descend into the solid rock.

If you wish to investigate these steps,
turn to 174
.

If you choose to ignore them and remain where you are,
turn to 114
.

You wake shortly after daybreak to the appetizing smell of boiled eggs and cured meat. This shortly turns out to be your breakfast which the landlady delivers personally to your room on a tray. Before she goes, you take the opportunity to ask her if she knows of any means of transport departing for Elzian today. She says that there is no regular transport to the Dessian capital, but she says that there is a merchant's caravan leaving today for Hikas.

‘It takes paying passengers,’ she says, ‘but you'd better hurry if you want to catch it. It leaves from Zakhan's Mount in less than an hour.’

Quickly you finish your food and prepare to leave. Before you go, the landlady gives you directions to the Zakhan's Mount written on a scrap of parchment.

To continue,
turn to 77
.

In lieu of a Gold Crown, the stable girl agrees to accept one of your Backpack Items (you may erase any item of your choosing from your current list of Backpack Items. If you do not possess any Backpack Items, you must erase one Weapon instead.)

With little desire to stay at this extortionate inn a moment longer, you mount your horse and — with a flick of your heel — leave the stables and follow your companions as they turn south onto the mountain road.

Turn to 156
.

Suddenly it seems that everyone in the tavern is gripped by an inexplicable madness. The rogue pulls his dagger free and attempts to stab you, but you turn his clumsy thrust aside with your forearm and knock him to the floor. Two of the others try to strike you simultaneously with their swords and you duck below their blades. They strike each other and fall back, screaming and clutching at their wounds. A thrown bottle catches you a glancing blow to the head as you run for the door (lose 2
ENDURANCE
points), but you manage to pull it open and escape into the darkening street without further injury. However, to your dismay you discover that your horse Jhani has disappeared. Two men brandishing swords appear in the doorway behind you and swiftly you sprint along the street. You use your Kai camouflage skills to evade them and they quickly give up the chase.

Turn to 295
.

Drawing upon your mastery of the elements, you summon a gust of wind to deflect the gout of sticky fluid. Your swift and timely action saves you from becoming entangled in the gluey strands of this creature's web, and you are able to climb the remaining few feet towards the creature's perch. Frantically it lashes out at you with its rubbery legs as you attempt to plunge your weapon into its vulnerable belly.

Otokh:
COMBAT SKILL
 40   
ENDURANCE
 40

This creature is immune to all forms of psychic attack except Kai-surge.

If you win the combat,
turn to 315
.

Yranai keeps an equal distance between the two mountains as his craft approaches the gap. But as it drifts nearer, you feel the air temperature beginning to fall rapidly as you get closer to the snowy peaks. Suddenly the basket is buffeted by rising air currents and you have to grip the handrail tightly with both hands to stay on your feet.

Your Magnakai tracking skills warn you that the balloon is in the grip of thermal air currents that are swirling between the peaks. These are being created by the coming together of dry air masses from the Bavari Hills and humid jungle air from the Dessian uplands. You warn Yranai but he seems unconcerned. ‘It may get a little rough,’ he says, as he struggles to keep his spectacles from being shaken off his nose, ‘but
Simoom
is built to take it. She'll see us through!’

As if in defiance of his words, the basket lurches violently as the balloon is hit by a strong crosswind. Yranai is unable to reach the engine valves to compensate for this sudden change of direction and, to your mounting horror, you see the basket drifting towards a jagged outcrop of rock.

If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it,
turn to 157
.

If you possess Grand Nexus and wish to use it,
turn to 283
.

If you possess neither of these skills, or if you choose not to use them,
turn to 87
.

Svolta screams as your killing blow pierces his chest. He drops his sword, staggers drunkenly backwards, and then falls off the edge of the slave platform to land in an undignified heap on the dusty ground. His master — the slaver — has disappeared into the crowd, but by using your Sixth Sense and tracking skills you discover that he has slipped away to hide in the adjoining bazaar.

You leap from the platform and set off across the square towards the market bazaar. The slaver's henchmen, fearing that you may escape, immediately move in from all sides to block your path. The crowd scream and scatter as you approach them for they are terrified at the prospect of being dragged into a bloody mêlée when the slaver's thugs catch up with you. Then suddenly, in the midst of this chaotic tangle of running and screaming people, appear Ernan, Sligh, and Oswin mounted upon their steeds, and yours and Oriah's horses in tow. News of what has happened here at the slave market has spread like wildfire through the rest of Kilij. On hearing these reports, the marines have rushed here as quickly as they could.

‘Come, Grand Master!’ shouts Oswin, and he throws you the rope that is now attached to your steed's head. ‘We must flee this town at once!’

You leap onto the blanket-saddle which is tied to your horse's back, take hold of the rope reins in both hands, and dig your heels into his flanks to urge him to the gallop. Two of the slaver's henchmen rush to block your escape but they are trampled into the dirt when your horse bolts away. You race towards a tree-lined avenue on the south side of the square with your three companions galloping close behind. As you enter this thoroughfare, you see one of the slaver's men come rushing out of a doorway. He is armed with a bow, and as you gallop past him, he draws an arrow to his lips and takes careful aim at your head.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you possess Assimilance, add 3 to the number you have picked. If your current
ENDURANCE
score is 20 or lower, deduct 2 from the number you have picked.

If your total score is now 2 or lower,
turn to 238
.

If it is 3–6,
turn to 84
.

If it is 7 or higher,
turn to 284
.