Shadow on the Sand (20 page)
The throne begins to revolve. A terrible howling fills your ears, changing almost instantaneously to the growling of a harsh guttural language, the like of which you have never heard before. Words and sounds that the mouths of men could never be shaped to speak roll through the chamber like thunder. It is the dark tongue, spoken by Haakon, Lord of Aarnak, Darklord of Helgedad.
He rises from the throne, the ghastly voice still echoing from his unnatural mouth. A spiked fist opens to reveal a glowing stone; blue flame smoulders around its surface, and you can feel the currents of power that radiate from its core. Suddenly, his words change and you hear a tongue you know so well — Sommlending.
‘Look on your doom, Kai Lord!’
There is a deafening
crack
, a surge of power, and a fireball of blue flame hurtles towards your head.
If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 311
.
If you do not have this Special Item,
turn to 219
.
You search the body of the dead Drakkarim leader and discover in his pocket a Black Crystal Cube. If you wish to keep the Black Crystal Cube, place it in your pocket and mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item.
The sound of more Drakkarim thundering down the tower stairs prompts you to leave the other bodies and hurry over to the wooden door.
You learn that the dwarves were once the crew of a more conventional vessel, a merchantman that sailed the Tentarias of southern Magnamund. The Tentarias is a vast expanse of lakes and land-locked seas, which connect to form a continuous canal stretching nearly three thousand miles. They were created, as was the Rymerift of Durenor, by a massive landslide. Three years ago, the dwarves' former captain, a dwarf named Quan, lost his ship, cargo, and crew whilst gambling at cards; it seems the unfortunate captain was unaware of Banedon's true profession until it was far too late. As a result, Banedon became the dwarves' captain, and ever since they have adventured with him across the lands and skies of Southern Magnamund. The
Skyrider
itself was given to Banedon by the Magicians of Dessi, in return for his help in defeating the Gagadoth — a monstrous creature that terrorized their land, over which their own sorcery could not prevail.
The
Skyrider
was travelling from Dessi on its way to Barrakeesh when you appeared. The dwarves have overheard your talk with Banedon and are excited by the prospects of a new adventure. They seem undaunted by the deadly dangers that it will certainly involve.
Your Kai sense tells you that the house at the end of the alleyway is Tipasa's home. You signal to Banedon to follow as you approach the blue door.
For a moment, your sense of bearing is completely lost as you tumble and spin into the void, unaware of what is happening to your body. You try to cry out, but your cries are lost on the wind as it rushes past. You hit the upper branches of a toa tree. You are stunned by the crash, and your body becomes numb.
By the time your broken body is found by the Drakkarim, you have bled to death.
Your life and the hopes of Sommerlund end here.
You see the young magician lower his staff, a trace of a smile on his pain-racked face.
‘Alas, I was too slow to shield myself,’ he says wryly, as you kneel at his side and free the spear that pins him to the floor. The wound is serious, and you hastily staunch the bleeding with strips of cloth from his dark blue robes.
The wizard then introduces himself. ‘I am Banedon, Journeymaster to the Guild of the Crystal Star,’ he says, his voice weak and shaky. ‘However, you need not introduce yourself, Lone Wolf, for only you would attract such company this far from home.’ He glances at the Kraan-riders swooping past the skyship on every side. ‘Help me to my feet — we must escape before they drag us from the sky.’
You support the wizard as he grasps the ship's helm — a radiant crystal sphere with hundreds of glowing facets set upon a slim silver rod.
No sooner has his hand closed around the crystal than there is a tremendous explosion.
Focusing your skill on a money pouch that hangs from the sentry's belt, you concentrate on untying the leather thong that secures it. Seconds later, the pouch drops to the ground and spills its contents. The guard yelps in horror as he sees his gold rolling over the edge of the platform and drops to his knees to gather what little remains. As he turns his back, you break cover and run across the gangplank. Your speed and stealth carry you across the gangplank undetected. When you strike, the guard is still on his knees, picking up his scattered gold. Your attack is silent and deadly.
If you wish to search the guard's body,
turn to 207
.
If you decide to ignore the body, hurry into the Itikar's pen and
turn to 224
.
Inside, the eating house is full of townsfolk, all seated at small stone tables. Ornate hubble-bubble pipes add to the colourful atmosphere as the smokers discuss all kinds of matters. A quarrelsome trio of Ikareshi are lamenting the death of the old Zakhan. Others give voice to various grievances, calling their new leader an ox, a brute, and other such names. In your opinion, they speak too highly of him. Two rough-faced Ikareshi bid you welcome and invite you to share their pipe.
If you wish to accept their offer,
turn to 362
.
If you wish to decline, you can leave the eating house and continue along the avenue and
turn to 388
.
The guards are the first to recover from the surprise of the encounter. They attack, opening a deep wound in your chest. Lose 4
ENDURANCE
points.
If you are still alive and wish to fight the guards,
turn to 334
.
If you wish to try to escape by running back up the stairs,
turn to 209
.
You are trying to decide whether to try prising open the door, when you hear the sound of stone grating on stone. The door slowly opens to reveal a large chamber. It is dimly lit, but in the thick dust which covers the marble floor you can see innumerable footprints.
Then, as you enter, you catch sight of a rough stone throne, facing the wall on the far side of the chamber. Behind you, the stone door slides shut with unnerving speed.
The Vordak removes a bony hand, drenched in blood, from the Itikar's back and claws at a black iron mace hanging from its belt. It raises the weapon and lunges at your head. It is impossible to evade its attack; you must fight the creature to the death.
Vordak:
COMBAT SKILL
17
ENDURANCE
25
Unless you have the Kai Discipline of Mindshield, deduct 2 points from your
COMBAT SKILL
for the duration of this fight, for the Vordak is attacking you with its Mindforce. It is immune to Mindblast.
If you win the fight,
turn to 203
.
You wake shortly after dawn to the sound of snoring dwarves and the low hum of the
Skyrider
. Gathering your equipment, you climb on deck to find everything in shadow, for the
Skyrider
is hovering beneath a massive outcrop of sandstone that juts out from the side of a mountain, thousands of feet above the valley floor below. Banedon stands at the helm, but he is no longer in a trance.
‘Kraan-riders,’ he says, pointing to the sun-bleached valley beyond the shadows. ‘They arrived with the dawn.’
You stare out across this alien landscape, a mountain valley filled with pillars of massive and precariously balanced boulders. The Vassagonians call this place the Koos — ‘the needles’. The rocky columns reach so high into the sky that an avalanche seems unavoidable. Perched upon two of the columns are Kraan, their Drakkarim riders scouring the valley with telescopes. An hour passes before they take to the air and disappear.
‘Trim the boom-sail, Bo'sun Nolrim,’ orders Banedon, his voice barely audible above the increasing hum of the
Skyrider
. ‘We've a fast run ahead.’
If you possess a Black Crystal Cube,
turn to 229
.
If you do not have this Special Item,
turn to 247
.
Using the bands of iron as footholds, you clamber to the top of the door. Long spikes protrude from the timber crossbar, each coated with an oily black tar. Just as you are stepping over the spikes, the guards fire their crossbows.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have reached the Kai rank of Guardian or higher, subtract 2 from the number you have picked. If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, subtract 1 from this number.
If your total score is 4 or less,
turn to 363
.
If your score is 5–9,
turn to 259
.
Banedon takes over the helm as his extraordinary ship, the
Skyrider
, as the dwarves call it, speeds through the gathering darkness towards the Dahir Pass. Visibility diminishes with each passing minute until, finally, you can see no further than the outriggers. You feel uneasy; if the
Skyrider
veers but a fraction off course, you will be smashed to pieces against the mountainside.
‘Do not worry, Lone Wolf,’ says Nolrim, the dwarf with the velvet satchel. ‘The captain will see us through.’
Banedon stands with his hand resting lightly on the glowing crystal, relaxed as if in a trance. His eyes are closed and a crackle of energy, like fine white lightning, traces an intricate pattern over his forehead and temples.
The dwarf leads you to the cabin at the rear of the craft where the crew are excitedly recounting their victory over the Kraan-riders. They are seated about a table cluttered with plates of steaming food and jugs of foaming ale. The rich smell of spiced meat and Bor-brew fills your nostrils, reminding you of how ravenously hungry you are.
You make short work of the meat and marrow placed before you. Restore 3
ENDURANCE
points. However, you are unsure about accepting a jug of ale; Bor-brew is so strong that in many cities of Magnamund it has been banned for fear of the havoc it can cause.
If you wish to accept a jug of the notorious ale,
turn to 392
.
If you decide to decline the offer,
turn to 283
.
With speed and stealth you approach the sentry from behind and silence him for good with a sharp twist of the neck. You drag the body away and cover it with a wheelbarrow before entering the Tomb.
The Vordak collapses at your feet, but before you can escape, you are surrounded by Drakkarim. A silence fills the arboretum; all is deathly quiet. You prepare to cut your way out, but more of the evil warriors appear. You shiver with a chill of fear — the Drakkarim reinforcements are armed with heavy bronze crossbows.
As you shout your battle-cry ‘For Sommerlund!’ you are hit by a volley of poison-tipped bolts, which hurl you backwards to the soft earth. The last sound you hear as your life's blood drains away into the soil is the hideous gloating laughter of Darklord Haakon, rising above the ghoulish howl of his Drakkarim.
Your life and the hopes of Sommerlund end here.
Tying one end of the rope to the parapet rail, you drop the other end over the side and glissade down the tower. You have reached halfway when you see two Drakkarim above you, sawing at the knot. Suddenly, the rope snaps and you plummet into the void.
Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.
If the number you have picked is 0–2,
turn to 293
.
If it is 3–9,
turn to 234
.
‘Hold tight, Lone Wolf,’ shouts Banedon, as he regains control of the glowing crystal helm. You obey and grasp the parapet rail, bracing your feet against a deck cleat for safety, for you have guessed what manoeuvre the young wizard is about to perform.
Illustration XVIII—‘Pirate roll!’ he shouts to the fighting dwarves.
‘Pirate roll!’ he shouts to his fighting dwarves, and jerks the helm to the left. The
Skyrider
responds to his touch, swerving violently as the deck swings from a horizontal to a near-vertical angle. The dwarves heed his cry and throw themselves to the deck, clutching the boards like limpets to a galleon's keel.
The Drakkarim are caught off-balance and hurtle over the decks and outriggers, tumbling into the void. Banedon rights the craft and a victory cheer resounds across the decks as you speed away from the Koos. ‘Blood for blood!’