only the speedy action of the crew which saves you from being crushed between the hull of the ship and the harsh, unyielding ice. With a noose of oiled rope, a couple of crewmen swiftly retrieve you from the sea and haul you back onto the deck. Dazed but undaunted, you free yourself from the rope and scramble back to the prow.
‘Hard a'port!’ you yell, waving frantically to the helmsman. He responds immediately, and within a few minutes the ship is free of the ice-bank and safe in deep water.
Some of the crew, clearly terrified by the collision and the subsequent sight of you falling overboard, are cowering along the ship's rail like frightened puppies. They stare up at the encroaching walls of ice, their eyes full of fear as they pray feverishly to the Goddess Ishir to save their souls. Then, almost without any warning, the snowy wind abates and the ship emerges from the iceberg fjord into the open waters of the Tozaz Sea. As one, the crew give a hearty cheer, relieved that their ordeal has at last come to an end. One man pulls the cork from a bottle of black rum which he has been keeping for a special occasion. He takes a mighty swig, and then hands the frosted bottle to you. Just as you are about to take a swallow, unexpectedly you hear the helmsman's voice echoing along the deck: ‘Ship ahoy!’
Fear returns to tie a knot in your stomach as you turn and focus your eagle eyes upon the distant vessel.
Turn to 195 .
67
Trusting solely to your natural climbing ability, you use what little purchase you can find in the wall of the pit to assist your difficult climb back to the top. The snickering horde of Chaos-creatures watch your ascent with eager anticipation. When you are within a few feet of the top, you unsheathe your weapon and get ready to fight your way out of the shaft one-handed.
Illustration IV —The chaos creatures watch your ascent eagerly.
Chaos-horde: COMBAT SKILL 46 ENDURANCE 46
Unless you have attained the Kai rank of Sun Lord, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 4 for the duration of this combat, due to your disadvantageous position. Unless you have Grand Weaponmastery and are a Sun Knight or higher, you may not use a two-handed weapon (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, or Spear) for this combat.
If you win the combat, turn to 82 .
68
As you strike a killing blow deep into the Gybia's frightful maw, it gives vent to a deafening cry. For a few moments it thrashes wildly; then, amidst a cloud of its vile green blood, it sinks slowly to the bottom of the lake.
Aching mentally and physically from the fatigue of your underwater combat, you swim towards the shallows and stagger out of the icy water. Some boulders, which lie embedded along the shore, offer you a hiding place while you recover your strength. As your vitality returns, you find to your dismay that during your fight with the Gybia you lost all but three items from your Backpack.
Erase all of your Backpack Items with the exception of those which you have recorded in spaces 4, 5, and 6 on your Backpack Items list.
To continue, turn to 304 .
72
You dive aside from the onrushing Demonlord but your reactions are too slow to avoid being hit. He catches you with the tip of his spiked helm and you feel an agonizing pain shoot through your body. Then an explosion of white-hot fire obliterates your senses, and in a terrifying instant, the light that is your life is snuffed out.
Tragically, you have fallen victim to a helm of power, forged and fashioned by the Dark God Naar himself. Sadly your life and your quest end here on the Plane of Darkness.
74
You unsheathe your weapon and carefully work its tip under the lip of the lockplate in an attempt to prise it open. It is a difficult and delicate procedure, made all the more unnerving by the sound of marching footsteps in the dark distance behind you: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
After several fretful minutes you succeed in lifting off the covering plate, but doing so does not release
‘Hard a'port!’ you yell, waving frantically to the helmsman. He responds immediately, and within a few minutes the ship is free of the ice-bank and safe in deep water.
Some of the crew, clearly terrified by the collision and the subsequent sight of you falling overboard, are cowering along the ship's rail like frightened puppies. They stare up at the encroaching walls of ice, their eyes full of fear as they pray feverishly to the Goddess Ishir to save their souls. Then, almost without any warning, the snowy wind abates and the ship emerges from the iceberg fjord into the open waters of the Tozaz Sea. As one, the crew give a hearty cheer, relieved that their ordeal has at last come to an end. One man pulls the cork from a bottle of black rum which he has been keeping for a special occasion. He takes a mighty swig, and then hands the frosted bottle to you. Just as you are about to take a swallow, unexpectedly you hear the helmsman's voice echoing along the deck: ‘Ship ahoy!’
Fear returns to tie a knot in your stomach as you turn and focus your eagle eyes upon the distant vessel.
Turn to 195 .
67
Trusting solely to your natural climbing ability, you use what little purchase you can find in the wall of the pit to assist your difficult climb back to the top. The snickering horde of Chaos-creatures watch your ascent with eager anticipation. When you are within a few feet of the top, you unsheathe your weapon and get ready to fight your way out of the shaft one-handed.
Illustration IV —The chaos creatures watch your ascent eagerly.
Chaos-horde: COMBAT SKILL 46 ENDURANCE 46
Unless you have attained the Kai rank of Sun Lord, you must reduce your COMBAT SKILL by 4 for the duration of this combat, due to your disadvantageous position. Unless you have Grand Weaponmastery and are a Sun Knight or higher, you may not use a two-handed weapon (i.e. Broadsword, Quarterstaff, or Spear) for this combat.
If you win the combat, turn to 82 .
68
As you strike a killing blow deep into the Gybia's frightful maw, it gives vent to a deafening cry. For a few moments it thrashes wildly; then, amidst a cloud of its vile green blood, it sinks slowly to the bottom of the lake.
Aching mentally and physically from the fatigue of your underwater combat, you swim towards the shallows and stagger out of the icy water. Some boulders, which lie embedded along the shore, offer you a hiding place while you recover your strength. As your vitality returns, you find to your dismay that during your fight with the Gybia you lost all but three items from your Backpack.
Erase all of your Backpack Items with the exception of those which you have recorded in spaces 4, 5, and 6 on your Backpack Items list.
To continue, turn to 304 .
72
You dive aside from the onrushing Demonlord but your reactions are too slow to avoid being hit. He catches you with the tip of his spiked helm and you feel an agonizing pain shoot through your body. Then an explosion of white-hot fire obliterates your senses, and in a terrifying instant, the light that is your life is snuffed out.
Tragically, you have fallen victim to a helm of power, forged and fashioned by the Dark God Naar himself. Sadly your life and your quest end here on the Plane of Darkness.
74
You unsheathe your weapon and carefully work its tip under the lip of the lockplate in an attempt to prise it open. It is a difficult and delicate procedure, made all the more unnerving by the sound of marching footsteps in the dark distance behind you: lose 2 ENDURANCE points.
After several fretful minutes you succeed in lifting off the covering plate, but doing so does not release
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