Acraban has taken control of the wheel. He smiles when he sees that you are still alive. You notice that he looks gaunt and exhausted, and his ginger hair is matted with grime and sweat. Clearly his efforts to repair the ailing skyship have severely drained his magical energies. As you stagger to the helm you sense that the steering has become more erratic. The
Starstrider
has lost altitude and her deck is starting to tilt alarmingly to starboard. Soon it becomes almost impossible to stand upright.
‘We have lost one stabilizer and the other is badly damaged,’ says Acraban, grimly. ‘I have done all I can to repair it but I fear it will fail us at any moment. Without stabilizers we cannot stay airborne.’
Acraban orders his crew to prepare for a crash landing. Some of the young men tie themselves to the ship's mainmast, while others brace themselves against the rails and place their fate in the hands of the Goddess Ishir. Prince Karvas has found refuge in a rope locker which is bolted to the main deck. He lifts the lid and calls out to you to join him for there is sufficient space for two inside.
If you wish to climb into the rope locker alongside Prince Karvas, turn to 79 .
If you choose to stay with Acraban at the ship's helm, turn to 199 .
39
You and Karvas step across the lifeless bodies of the knight and his escort, and then hurry out into the corridor beyond. You slam the cell door shut behind you and, with a powerful kick of your heel, you cleave away the dial of the lock to prevent the door from being opened easily.
Across the corridor you see the door to the cell that contains your Weapons and equipment, and you pause for a few moments to work on its tumbler lock. Your efforts are quickly rewarded and you discover all of your confiscated equipment lying here on the floor. (You may erase the asterisks [*] from your Action Chart to indicate that your arms and equipment have been restored.)
In addition to your equipment you also discover Prince Karvas' sword and belt, together with the following:
Bow
6 Arrows
Enough food for 1 Meal
Spear
Axe
Karvas buckles on his sword belt and, before you leave, he unhooks a coil of rope from the wall and slings it over his shoulder. On returning to the corridor, you hurry to the end to where a circular stone staircase ascends to the levels above. With Kai Weapon in hand you begin to climb the steps, retracing the route that you committed to memory when you were dragged to the cell more than an hour ago.
Turn to 169 .
41
You bid goodnight to the tavern-keeper and wearily you climb the stairs to a first-floor corridor that leads to your rooms. You are standing in this corridor, arranging with Karvas to meet in the stables at dawn, when you happen to glance out of a window that overlooks the tavern's courtyard. Six shadowy figures are creeping towards the stables and, when you magnify your vision to get a better look at their faces, your blood runs cold. They are wearing the armour and emblems of Cavalia, and your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that they are part of the band of mounted crossbowmen who ambushed you at Baron Jayde's chateau.
You tell Karvas what you have seen and he unsheathes his sword. ‘Quick, Grand Master,’ he says, as he turns to run back towards the stairs. ‘We must protect our horses or all is lost!’
Turn to 128 .
42
It is a difficult struggle to keep the
Starstrider
on a straight and level course for she veers continually towards starboard. To counter this persistent drift you pull the wheel hard to port, yet the effects of her damaged stabilizer are unpredictable, making it almost impossible for you to maintain any sure control of the helm. In desperation, you muster all of your Kai senses and focus them on the narrow strip of land which separates the fissures. Bolts of searing energy leap out of these chasms and soar past the skyship on either side to explode with thunderous cacophony among the roiling clouds. The crew cower with terror, but
Starstrider
has lost altitude and her deck is starting to tilt alarmingly to starboard. Soon it becomes almost impossible to stand upright.
‘We have lost one stabilizer and the other is badly damaged,’ says Acraban, grimly. ‘I have done all I can to repair it but I fear it will fail us at any moment. Without stabilizers we cannot stay airborne.’
Acraban orders his crew to prepare for a crash landing. Some of the young men tie themselves to the ship's mainmast, while others brace themselves against the rails and place their fate in the hands of the Goddess Ishir. Prince Karvas has found refuge in a rope locker which is bolted to the main deck. He lifts the lid and calls out to you to join him for there is sufficient space for two inside.
If you wish to climb into the rope locker alongside Prince Karvas, turn to 79 .
If you choose to stay with Acraban at the ship's helm, turn to 199 .
39
You and Karvas step across the lifeless bodies of the knight and his escort, and then hurry out into the corridor beyond. You slam the cell door shut behind you and, with a powerful kick of your heel, you cleave away the dial of the lock to prevent the door from being opened easily.
Across the corridor you see the door to the cell that contains your Weapons and equipment, and you pause for a few moments to work on its tumbler lock. Your efforts are quickly rewarded and you discover all of your confiscated equipment lying here on the floor. (You may erase the asterisks [*] from your Action Chart to indicate that your arms and equipment have been restored.)
In addition to your equipment you also discover Prince Karvas' sword and belt, together with the following:
Bow
6 Arrows
Enough food for 1 Meal
Spear
Axe
Karvas buckles on his sword belt and, before you leave, he unhooks a coil of rope from the wall and slings it over his shoulder. On returning to the corridor, you hurry to the end to where a circular stone staircase ascends to the levels above. With Kai Weapon in hand you begin to climb the steps, retracing the route that you committed to memory when you were dragged to the cell more than an hour ago.
Turn to 169 .
41
You bid goodnight to the tavern-keeper and wearily you climb the stairs to a first-floor corridor that leads to your rooms. You are standing in this corridor, arranging with Karvas to meet in the stables at dawn, when you happen to glance out of a window that overlooks the tavern's courtyard. Six shadowy figures are creeping towards the stables and, when you magnify your vision to get a better look at their faces, your blood runs cold. They are wearing the armour and emblems of Cavalia, and your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that they are part of the band of mounted crossbowmen who ambushed you at Baron Jayde's chateau.
You tell Karvas what you have seen and he unsheathes his sword. ‘Quick, Grand Master,’ he says, as he turns to run back towards the stairs. ‘We must protect our horses or all is lost!’
Turn to 128 .
42
It is a difficult struggle to keep the
Starstrider
on a straight and level course for she veers continually towards starboard. To counter this persistent drift you pull the wheel hard to port, yet the effects of her damaged stabilizer are unpredictable, making it almost impossible for you to maintain any sure control of the helm. In desperation, you muster all of your Kai senses and focus them on the narrow strip of land which separates the fissures. Bolts of searing energy leap out of these chasms and soar past the skyship on either side to explode with thunderous cacophony among the roiling clouds. The crew cower with terror, but
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