frustration at having been thwarted by your formidable resolve.
To continue, turn to 243 .
90
You feel a sudden movement in the air, and you shiver with dread when your Kai senses alert you to an evil presence. A crackling sound makes you look to the black marble throne where a strange manifestation is taking place. The seat is filled by a ball of shimmering energy that slowly grows and transforms into a living creature. You gasp with shock when this nightmarish entity raises itself out of the throne and comes stalking towards you on two muscular legs.
Despite its crouching gait, the creature stands an arm's length taller than you. Its shiny crimson hide is thickly veined, and its snake-like head is studded with hundreds of razor-sharp barbs that sparkle like diamonds when they catch the light. It fixes you with a hungry stare and slashes at the air with its claw-tipped forearms. You retreat before its steady advance and tug your Kai Weapon from its scabbard in readiness to defend yourself against this monstrous entity. As you raise your blade, the creature utters a sound that resembles a deep, bubbling laugh. It opens its soot-blackened jaw and a gout of flame comes shooting towards your face. You react in an instant, your lightning-fast reflexes saving you from being incinerated by the beast's fiery breath. You dive and roll across the floor towards the chamber wall, and then you spring back onto your feet and launch a furious attack at the creature before it can spit a second blast of white-hot fire.
Illustration VII —The monstrous creature shoots forth a terrible gout of flame.
Fydakzh: COMBAT SKILL 52 ENDURANCE 58
If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Firefall’ you may add the bonus gained from its unique properties during this combat.
If you win the combat, turn to 53 .
93
You insert the Iron Key into the lockplate and twist it anticlockwise. The mortise is stiff, but the key fits and the lock opens with a dull Clunk ! Carefully, you push open the door and enter a spacious chamber that is lit by ten globes of flickering white light. They hang suspended in the air with no visible means of support. The walls of this chamber are plastered and decorated with murals that depict the armies of Darklord Chlanzor despoiling the farms and cities of the Freeland Alliance. Standing against the far wall is a throne-like chair, crudely fashioned from a huge block of black marble. Veins of fluorescent purples and greens colour its surface, and the air around it shimmers like a desert haze.
As you approach this chair, you hear the door slam shut behind you. Instinctively you spin around and you see that there is no lockplate on the inside of the chamber door. Its surface is plastered and entirely smooth; it blends in seamlessly with the painted walls.
To continue, turn to 90 .
94
On your second attempt, you manage to overcome the difficulties of the climb and reach the top of this wall. As you pull yourself onto its crumbling parapet, you note that it curves away in a semicircle and joins with the perimeter wall. You follow the parapet to this junction and then jump down onto the battlements. Through the murky air, you glimpse an arched doorway in the wall of a distant tower and you hurry towards it.
The tower door is unlocked and you are able to enter and descend to ground level by way of a spiral staircase, but as you reach the foot of these stone steps, you are confronted by two Drakkarim who come striding into the tower through an open arch. With grunts of shocked surprise, the two leather-clad warriors pull their swords from their belts and attempt to cut you down.
Helkona Drakkarim: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 35
If you win this combat, turn to 14 .
95
Suddenly you hear the monotonous clang of an alarm bell echoing in some distant part of the citadel, and your Kai senses warn you that Xaol's corpse has now been discovered. Some of his minions are searching the necromancer's hall, and you are
To continue, turn to 243 .
90
You feel a sudden movement in the air, and you shiver with dread when your Kai senses alert you to an evil presence. A crackling sound makes you look to the black marble throne where a strange manifestation is taking place. The seat is filled by a ball of shimmering energy that slowly grows and transforms into a living creature. You gasp with shock when this nightmarish entity raises itself out of the throne and comes stalking towards you on two muscular legs.
Despite its crouching gait, the creature stands an arm's length taller than you. Its shiny crimson hide is thickly veined, and its snake-like head is studded with hundreds of razor-sharp barbs that sparkle like diamonds when they catch the light. It fixes you with a hungry stare and slashes at the air with its claw-tipped forearms. You retreat before its steady advance and tug your Kai Weapon from its scabbard in readiness to defend yourself against this monstrous entity. As you raise your blade, the creature utters a sound that resembles a deep, bubbling laugh. It opens its soot-blackened jaw and a gout of flame comes shooting towards your face. You react in an instant, your lightning-fast reflexes saving you from being incinerated by the beast's fiery breath. You dive and roll across the floor towards the chamber wall, and then you spring back onto your feet and launch a furious attack at the creature before it can spit a second blast of white-hot fire.
Illustration VII —The monstrous creature shoots forth a terrible gout of flame.
Fydakzh: COMBAT SKILL 52 ENDURANCE 58
If you possess the Kai Weapon ‘Firefall’ you may add the bonus gained from its unique properties during this combat.
If you win the combat, turn to 53 .
93
You insert the Iron Key into the lockplate and twist it anticlockwise. The mortise is stiff, but the key fits and the lock opens with a dull Clunk ! Carefully, you push open the door and enter a spacious chamber that is lit by ten globes of flickering white light. They hang suspended in the air with no visible means of support. The walls of this chamber are plastered and decorated with murals that depict the armies of Darklord Chlanzor despoiling the farms and cities of the Freeland Alliance. Standing against the far wall is a throne-like chair, crudely fashioned from a huge block of black marble. Veins of fluorescent purples and greens colour its surface, and the air around it shimmers like a desert haze.
As you approach this chair, you hear the door slam shut behind you. Instinctively you spin around and you see that there is no lockplate on the inside of the chamber door. Its surface is plastered and entirely smooth; it blends in seamlessly with the painted walls.
To continue, turn to 90 .
94
On your second attempt, you manage to overcome the difficulties of the climb and reach the top of this wall. As you pull yourself onto its crumbling parapet, you note that it curves away in a semicircle and joins with the perimeter wall. You follow the parapet to this junction and then jump down onto the battlements. Through the murky air, you glimpse an arched doorway in the wall of a distant tower and you hurry towards it.
The tower door is unlocked and you are able to enter and descend to ground level by way of a spiral staircase, but as you reach the foot of these stone steps, you are confronted by two Drakkarim who come striding into the tower through an open arch. With grunts of shocked surprise, the two leather-clad warriors pull their swords from their belts and attempt to cut you down.
Helkona Drakkarim: COMBAT SKILL 30 ENDURANCE 35
If you win this combat, turn to 14 .
95
Suddenly you hear the monotonous clang of an alarm bell echoing in some distant part of the citadel, and your Kai senses warn you that Xaol's corpse has now been discovered. Some of his minions are searching the necromancer's hall, and you are
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