The Deathlord of Ixia by Joe Dever Page B

the lock: the door is still firmly shut. In order to open it you must manually disengage the locking mechanism.
    Bulkhead Door: COMBAT SKILL  40    ENDURANCE  50
    Conduct a combat in the usual manner. Any ENDURANCE points lost by yourself result from fatigue at having to pick the lock with your bare hands.
    When you have reduced the door's ENDURANCE total to zero or below, turn to 327 .

76
    Hurriedly you extricate yourself from the fighting and take cover in the doorway of a nearby hut. The heavy wooden door is hanging off its hinges, and you can tell from the number of sacks, barrels, and boxes that are stacked inside that this hut is a food store. Through a window on the far side of the hut, you see the Lencian ice-boat. A score of undead have clambered aboard the vessel and it is clear by their actions that they intend to destroy and sink it.
    Determined to put a stop to their plan, you race into the hut, squeeze yourself through its solitary window, and then run headlong towards the stricken ship. You are halfway along the gangplank when you find yourself confronted by a wedge of skeletal warriors, each armed with a crude axe or sword. You leap into their midst, striking them down with blurring speed and deadly accuracy. But, as the last one falls, its corpse-like body almost severed at the waist, you hear a noise behind you which makes you spin around in fearful expectation.
    Turn to 78 .

77
    You raise the Power Spike and a halo of silvery flame engulfs the tip, flaring with such brilliance that Deathlord Ixiataaga is momentarily blinded by its intensity. He shrieks, and raises the Deathstaff defensively to ward off your first blow. As the tip of the Power Spike bites deep into the haft of Ixiataaga's fell weapon, a hissing mass of crimson and white sparks explode into the air. These fiery motes are immediately sucked into the vortex of the Shadow Gate, which has now begun to whirl with alarming intensity.
    The Deathlord reels from the force of the impact, but he recovers swiftly and slashes with the sharp tip of the Deathstaff at your face. You duck the blow, but you sense that this is only the opening exchange in what will surely be a titanic fight to the finish.
    Illustration V —Deathlord Ixiataaga slashes at your face with the Deathstaff.
    Deathlord Ixiataaga (with Deathstaff — uncharged): COMBAT SKILL  60    ENDURANCE  39
    This supernatural being is immune to all forms of psychic attack, except Kai-surge and Kai-blast. The Power Spike is a magical Dagger.
    If you win the combat, turn to 290 .

80
    Squatting upon a plinth of stone arising from out of the floor is a huge, sabre-toothed, jackal-like creature with cream-coloured skin. Ice sheens on its muscular body and wisps of black smoke curl from its snuffling snout.
    ‘Prepare for death, lowly mortal,’ growls this creature, as it steps from the risen plinth. ‘I, Tagazin, am the deliverer of your destruction!’
    The unexpected sound of its voice sends a shiver of dread coursing down your spine. Your Kai instincts tell you that this supernatural creature is slave to Ixiataaga — he is the Deathlord's loyal companion. Venom drips from his bared fangs and murder glows darkly from the depths of his nightmarish eyes as slowly he stalks towards you.
    Turn to 254 .

81
    Drawing on your knowledge of Old Kingdom magic, you form your lips into an O-shape in readiness to utter a power-word. The instant the spell-thoughts coalesce in your mind, you project the word at the door's triple combination lockplate.
    The concentrated force of the word at such short range twists and buckles the plate, but it does not release the lock: the door is still firmly shut. In order to open it you must prise away the twisted lockplate and manually disengage the locking mechanism.
    Bulkhead Door: COMBAT SKILL  30    ENDURANCE  40
    Conduct a combat in the usual manner. Any ENDURANCE points lost by yourself result from fatigue at having to pull apart the damaged lock