and wishes you good luck as you crawl away through the dense foliage.
Turn to 148 .
158
A third bolt of energy rips into the nearby wall, showering you with shards of rock. One splinter gashes your neck: lose 1 ENDURANCE point.
To continue, turn to 100 .
159
You draw upon your advanced mastery of Astrology and cause Bazan to fall into a hypnotic trance. While under the influence of your powers, you ask him if trade is his only intention. Dumbly he replies that it is, and you sense that he speaks the truth. Convinced of his sincerity, you nod to Chan and then bring Bazan out of his trance.
Turn to 283 .
161
‘It is true what she has heard of the New Order,’ you reply, ‘but, alas, I do not yet possess mastery of the astrological skills. Please convey my apologies to her majesty, for I must decline her request.’
‘I shall,’ replies Chan. ‘Sleep well, my lord, and remember that we shall depart here no later than one hour after daybreak.’
To continue, turn to 227 .
162
You dive aside and the Arrow of Atonement slams into the floor barely inches from your face. Swallowing your fear, you grasp the shaft of the magic missile and wrench it from the stone. Then you spring to your feet and pursue the Autarch and his innocent young hostage.
Turn to 6 .
163
During the afternoon of the first day out from Rakholi, a fierce dust storm sweeps across the trade road from the east. For three hours the caravan is slowed to a walking pace as you battle headlong into the blinding gale. The horse teams and the riders are brought near to exhaustion by the stinging grit-laden winds (lose 2 ENDURANCE points).
By dusk the storms have eased and a night camp is pitched on the open plain. While you are rigging a simple shelter for yourself, with rope and a canvas sheet, you hear something that causes you concern. It is the distraught sound of a woman crying. You detect that it is coming from Princess Mitzu's carriage and you hurry there to investigate what is wrong.
Turn to 78 .
165
You cannot speak and so you mentally intone the words of the advanced Brotherhood Spell Strength . As soon as the spell-words are completed, you feel a rush of new vitality coursing through your body. Boosted by this newfound strength, you are able to support the crushing weight of the carriage just long enough for Chan's men to come to your aid. Eight of them lift the rear of the carriage and you are pulled free within seconds of it tipping over (lose 2 ENDURANCE points).
To continue, turn to 151 .
166
When the meal is over, Chan produces a pair of ornate ivory dice from the pocket of his tunic. ‘These are Xi-die,’ he says, and tosses them to you. They feel weighty and their intricate gold designs invite a closer inspection. When you return them to the Captain, he passes them over to one of his men who cups them in his hands and breathes on them. Then, with a quick flick of his wrist, he casts them onto the ground and Chan leans forward to study the result. Cheerfully he informs the man that his future is secure; he and his wife will be blessed with a son and they can look forward to a long and happy life together. You sense at once that Chan's reading is false: he is simply using the Xi-die as a means of raising the man's morale.
Once all of Chan's men have taken their turn to throw the dice and have each received a favourable reading, the captain offers them to you.
‘Would you like to discover what your future has in store, my lord?’ he asks. ‘All will be revealed with one throw of these dice.’
If you wish to cast the Xi-die, turn to 190 .
If you choose to politely decline the captain's offer, turn to 34 .
169
You dive and roll through the foliage to avoid the icy missile, but a segment of it breaks free in mid-flight and it penetrates your left forearm: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 216 .
172
You draw your Kai Weapon and, as you raise it in readiness to strike the first blow, a heavy silver orb comes
Turn to 148 .
158
A third bolt of energy rips into the nearby wall, showering you with shards of rock. One splinter gashes your neck: lose 1 ENDURANCE point.
To continue, turn to 100 .
159
You draw upon your advanced mastery of Astrology and cause Bazan to fall into a hypnotic trance. While under the influence of your powers, you ask him if trade is his only intention. Dumbly he replies that it is, and you sense that he speaks the truth. Convinced of his sincerity, you nod to Chan and then bring Bazan out of his trance.
Turn to 283 .
161
‘It is true what she has heard of the New Order,’ you reply, ‘but, alas, I do not yet possess mastery of the astrological skills. Please convey my apologies to her majesty, for I must decline her request.’
‘I shall,’ replies Chan. ‘Sleep well, my lord, and remember that we shall depart here no later than one hour after daybreak.’
To continue, turn to 227 .
162
You dive aside and the Arrow of Atonement slams into the floor barely inches from your face. Swallowing your fear, you grasp the shaft of the magic missile and wrench it from the stone. Then you spring to your feet and pursue the Autarch and his innocent young hostage.
Turn to 6 .
163
During the afternoon of the first day out from Rakholi, a fierce dust storm sweeps across the trade road from the east. For three hours the caravan is slowed to a walking pace as you battle headlong into the blinding gale. The horse teams and the riders are brought near to exhaustion by the stinging grit-laden winds (lose 2 ENDURANCE points).
By dusk the storms have eased and a night camp is pitched on the open plain. While you are rigging a simple shelter for yourself, with rope and a canvas sheet, you hear something that causes you concern. It is the distraught sound of a woman crying. You detect that it is coming from Princess Mitzu's carriage and you hurry there to investigate what is wrong.
Turn to 78 .
165
You cannot speak and so you mentally intone the words of the advanced Brotherhood Spell Strength . As soon as the spell-words are completed, you feel a rush of new vitality coursing through your body. Boosted by this newfound strength, you are able to support the crushing weight of the carriage just long enough for Chan's men to come to your aid. Eight of them lift the rear of the carriage and you are pulled free within seconds of it tipping over (lose 2 ENDURANCE points).
To continue, turn to 151 .
166
When the meal is over, Chan produces a pair of ornate ivory dice from the pocket of his tunic. ‘These are Xi-die,’ he says, and tosses them to you. They feel weighty and their intricate gold designs invite a closer inspection. When you return them to the Captain, he passes them over to one of his men who cups them in his hands and breathes on them. Then, with a quick flick of his wrist, he casts them onto the ground and Chan leans forward to study the result. Cheerfully he informs the man that his future is secure; he and his wife will be blessed with a son and they can look forward to a long and happy life together. You sense at once that Chan's reading is false: he is simply using the Xi-die as a means of raising the man's morale.
Once all of Chan's men have taken their turn to throw the dice and have each received a favourable reading, the captain offers them to you.
‘Would you like to discover what your future has in store, my lord?’ he asks. ‘All will be revealed with one throw of these dice.’
If you wish to cast the Xi-die, turn to 190 .
If you choose to politely decline the captain's offer, turn to 34 .
169
You dive and roll through the foliage to avoid the icy missile, but a segment of it breaks free in mid-flight and it penetrates your left forearm: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
To continue, turn to 216 .
172
You draw your Kai Weapon and, as you raise it in readiness to strike the first blow, a heavy silver orb comes
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