repairs the convexor, the device that accidentally snagged your cloak. When you tell Yranai that you are bound for Elzian, he offers to transport you there aboard
Simoom
— his flying craft. To travel the last leg of your journey to Elzian by air would save you many days, especially as you have yet to cross the Great Masourn Mountain Range. Gladly you accept Yranai's offer, and you agree to meet him in the taproom at dawn so that he can take you to the place in the hills where his craft
Simoom
is grounded.
Turn to 179 .
160
Beyond its encircling wall the deserted streets of Khor lend it the aspect of a ghost town. You magnify your vision and you are able to count more than a hundred freshly-dug graves within fifty paces of the town gates. The gates themselves hang open and unguarded, and when you pass through them, the hooves of your horses make a hollow echo along the empty streets beyond. You hear a distant bell tolling and you follow the sound to a mount which overlooks the town harbour. Here you see some of the inhabitants for the first time and you are shocked by how pale and gaunt they all appear.
A funeral is in progress and the bereaved are walking in line behind a hearse which bears a casket draped with black silk. The procession halts when it reaches the top of the mount and then the casket is quickly interred and sealed inside a marble tomb. A dignified-looking man addresses the mourners. He praises the qualities of the man they have laid to rest and then, in his official capacity as the Mayor of Khor, he declares that a state of quarantine will exist in the town from midnight onwards.
‘This quarantine will be strictly enforced,’ he says with a stern voice, ‘until the scourge of Bita Fever has been eradicated from our midst!’
Illustration X —‘The quarantine will be strictly enforced until the scourge of Bita Fever has been eradicated from our midst!’
If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Deliverance, turn to 265 .
If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 178 .
162
You swing aside in a desperate attempt to avoid being drenched by the deluge of sticky web-fluid. Your swift action saves you from sustaining a direct hit, but some of the gluey strands splash your legs and hold you fast. As you fight to cut yourself free, the giant spider shuffles about upon its perch and then descends towards you.
Otokh: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 40
This creature is immune to all forms of psychic attack except Kai-surge. Due to your restricted movement, reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 3 for the duration of this fight.
If you win the combat, turn to 315 .
163
Consciousness returns through a kaleidoscopic swirl of colour and pain (lose 8 ENDURANCE points). Bruised and aching, you pull yourself into a sitting position and see the wreckage of the balloon hanging among the trees and scattered across the rocks nearby. A few feet away lies Yranai; he is still unconscious and you see at once that his left leg is badly broken. Gingerly you pull yourself over to his side and you are about to examine his injured leg when you hear voices calling you from among the trees. Three Vakeros natives appear from out of the pines and come hurrying over the rocks towards you. You examine the old magician and discover that he has stopped breathing: he is near to death. It is only through the use of your Kai curing skills that you are able to make him breathe again and bring him back from the edge of the abyss. You set his fractured leg but, despite your best efforts, you cannot return him to consciousness.
The three Vakeros tell you that they know Yranai and they offer to take care of him. They construct a makeshift stretcher from their coats and carry him to their settlement which is less than a mile distant. You stay here this night and use your healing skills to save the old man's leg before you eventually settle down to a few hours' sleep. At dawn you awake to find him still unconscious. You are anxious
Simoom
— his flying craft. To travel the last leg of your journey to Elzian by air would save you many days, especially as you have yet to cross the Great Masourn Mountain Range. Gladly you accept Yranai's offer, and you agree to meet him in the taproom at dawn so that he can take you to the place in the hills where his craft
Simoom
is grounded.
Turn to 179 .
160
Beyond its encircling wall the deserted streets of Khor lend it the aspect of a ghost town. You magnify your vision and you are able to count more than a hundred freshly-dug graves within fifty paces of the town gates. The gates themselves hang open and unguarded, and when you pass through them, the hooves of your horses make a hollow echo along the empty streets beyond. You hear a distant bell tolling and you follow the sound to a mount which overlooks the town harbour. Here you see some of the inhabitants for the first time and you are shocked by how pale and gaunt they all appear.
A funeral is in progress and the bereaved are walking in line behind a hearse which bears a casket draped with black silk. The procession halts when it reaches the top of the mount and then the casket is quickly interred and sealed inside a marble tomb. A dignified-looking man addresses the mourners. He praises the qualities of the man they have laid to rest and then, in his official capacity as the Mayor of Khor, he declares that a state of quarantine will exist in the town from midnight onwards.
‘This quarantine will be strictly enforced,’ he says with a stern voice, ‘until the scourge of Bita Fever has been eradicated from our midst!’
Illustration X —‘The quarantine will be strictly enforced until the scourge of Bita Fever has been eradicated from our midst!’
If you possess the Grand Master Discipline of Deliverance, turn to 265 .
If you do not possess this Discipline, turn to 178 .
162
You swing aside in a desperate attempt to avoid being drenched by the deluge of sticky web-fluid. Your swift action saves you from sustaining a direct hit, but some of the gluey strands splash your legs and hold you fast. As you fight to cut yourself free, the giant spider shuffles about upon its perch and then descends towards you.
Otokh: COMBAT SKILL 40 ENDURANCE 40
This creature is immune to all forms of psychic attack except Kai-surge. Due to your restricted movement, reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 3 for the duration of this fight.
If you win the combat, turn to 315 .
163
Consciousness returns through a kaleidoscopic swirl of colour and pain (lose 8 ENDURANCE points). Bruised and aching, you pull yourself into a sitting position and see the wreckage of the balloon hanging among the trees and scattered across the rocks nearby. A few feet away lies Yranai; he is still unconscious and you see at once that his left leg is badly broken. Gingerly you pull yourself over to his side and you are about to examine his injured leg when you hear voices calling you from among the trees. Three Vakeros natives appear from out of the pines and come hurrying over the rocks towards you. You examine the old magician and discover that he has stopped breathing: he is near to death. It is only through the use of your Kai curing skills that you are able to make him breathe again and bring him back from the edge of the abyss. You set his fractured leg but, despite your best efforts, you cannot return him to consciousness.
The three Vakeros tell you that they know Yranai and they offer to take care of him. They construct a makeshift stretcher from their coats and carry him to their settlement which is less than a mile distant. You stay here this night and use your healing skills to save the old man's leg before you eventually settle down to a few hours' sleep. At dawn you awake to find him still unconscious. You are anxious
Similar Books
