breaking down the toxin by degrees. The treatment is slow and laborious, and it is dawn of the following day before you know for sure if your skill has saved his life.
Turn to 285 .
180
One of the soldiers snatches your Pass and gives it a cursory glance. Even the presence of Lord Adamas' seal does little to impress him. ‘Shieldwarden Nehdra is visiting Syada,’ he says. ‘He's not due back till tomorrow. You'll have to wait till then t'see him.’
He hands back your Pass and returns to his post. ‘Come,’ says Paido, ‘let's find ourselves a roof for the night. We can come back tomorrow if need be.’
You nod your agreement and follow Paido as he descends the hill track leading back into the town. At the quadrangle you decide to stop at the Temple of the Sword and enquire about a room for the night.
Turn to 78 .
182
You load, aim, and fire in a split second, sending your Arrow whistling into the mottled underbelly of a swamp creature to your left. Croaking in pain, it twists and falls backwards, churning the pool to a bubbling brown froth as it frantically tries to grip the shaft between its webbed claws. A green-eyed serpent breaks through the surface and embraces the creature in its coils. The struggle is brief and the swamp water stifles all cries as the serpent and its victim sink swiftly from view.
The sight of the serpent distracts you, and you do not see the lizard-beast that is creeping up on you from the side until it is leaping through the air towards your chest.
Turn to 252 .
183
This deadly, shape-changing servant of the Darklords cannot be killed with a normal weapon. Your only hope of defeating it is to fight it using Paido's sword, a blade forged by the Elder Magi in the furnaces of Elzian.
Gnaag Helghast: COMBAT SKILL 34 ENDURANCE 48
Ignore any ENDURANCE point losses sustained by your enemy in the first round of combat, as you are stooping to unsheathe Paido's sword from its scabbard when combat begins. This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen, you must reduce your ENDURANCE by 2 points at the beginning of every round you fight this creature. If you have completed the Lore-circle of the Spirit, you may increase your COMBAT SKILL by 2 points for the duration of the combat.
If you win the combat, turn to 268 .
185
You steer your horse away from the track and gallop through a tangle of briars and bracken bordering the stream. Your ambushers follow in pursuit, the thunder of their horses' hooves and the clank of their armour echoing in your ears. It is a desperate chase, but the rough terrain works in your favour. After a while your pursuers pull back and cease the chase; they have decided to go in search of easier pickings — to harass the refugees fleeing from Syada.
Turn to 136 .
186
You close your eyes, and summon the power of your Discipline. Drawing on your psychic reserve, you project a mental barrier to deflect the attack. Instantly the pressure in your head decreases and the pain subsides, releasing your senses from the icy paralysis of psychic shock.
Suddenly the attack breaks off, the abruptness of its passing leaving you reeling. As you open your eyes, you see at once the reason why the attack has ceased.
Turn to 60 .
197
The foul creature howls its death-cry and topples over the edge. Before it is out of sight you turn and run along the tree-bridge, your hand outstretched to grab Paido's arm. Just in time you save him; a moment later and he would have joined the Anapheg and plummeted into the spray-filled pool.
Turn to 31 .
199
Kezoor shrieks in frustration. He renews his attack on Paido by creating more of the hideous creatures, but your companion uses his battle-magic to summon fire to his aid. From the tip of his sword a sheet of flame wafts down upon the spiders now closing in for the kill. They flare brightly, their legs withering in the flames, their crackling black bodies
Turn to 285 .
180
One of the soldiers snatches your Pass and gives it a cursory glance. Even the presence of Lord Adamas' seal does little to impress him. ‘Shieldwarden Nehdra is visiting Syada,’ he says. ‘He's not due back till tomorrow. You'll have to wait till then t'see him.’
He hands back your Pass and returns to his post. ‘Come,’ says Paido, ‘let's find ourselves a roof for the night. We can come back tomorrow if need be.’
You nod your agreement and follow Paido as he descends the hill track leading back into the town. At the quadrangle you decide to stop at the Temple of the Sword and enquire about a room for the night.
Turn to 78 .
182
You load, aim, and fire in a split second, sending your Arrow whistling into the mottled underbelly of a swamp creature to your left. Croaking in pain, it twists and falls backwards, churning the pool to a bubbling brown froth as it frantically tries to grip the shaft between its webbed claws. A green-eyed serpent breaks through the surface and embraces the creature in its coils. The struggle is brief and the swamp water stifles all cries as the serpent and its victim sink swiftly from view.
The sight of the serpent distracts you, and you do not see the lizard-beast that is creeping up on you from the side until it is leaping through the air towards your chest.
Turn to 252 .
183
This deadly, shape-changing servant of the Darklords cannot be killed with a normal weapon. Your only hope of defeating it is to fight it using Paido's sword, a blade forged by the Elder Magi in the furnaces of Elzian.
Gnaag Helghast: COMBAT SKILL 34 ENDURANCE 48
Ignore any ENDURANCE point losses sustained by your enemy in the first round of combat, as you are stooping to unsheathe Paido's sword from its scabbard when combat begins. This creature is immune to Mindblast (but not Psi-surge). Unless you possess the Magnakai Discipline of Psi-screen, you must reduce your ENDURANCE by 2 points at the beginning of every round you fight this creature. If you have completed the Lore-circle of the Spirit, you may increase your COMBAT SKILL by 2 points for the duration of the combat.
If you win the combat, turn to 268 .
185
You steer your horse away from the track and gallop through a tangle of briars and bracken bordering the stream. Your ambushers follow in pursuit, the thunder of their horses' hooves and the clank of their armour echoing in your ears. It is a desperate chase, but the rough terrain works in your favour. After a while your pursuers pull back and cease the chase; they have decided to go in search of easier pickings — to harass the refugees fleeing from Syada.
Turn to 136 .
186
You close your eyes, and summon the power of your Discipline. Drawing on your psychic reserve, you project a mental barrier to deflect the attack. Instantly the pressure in your head decreases and the pain subsides, releasing your senses from the icy paralysis of psychic shock.
Suddenly the attack breaks off, the abruptness of its passing leaving you reeling. As you open your eyes, you see at once the reason why the attack has ceased.
Turn to 60 .
197
The foul creature howls its death-cry and topples over the edge. Before it is out of sight you turn and run along the tree-bridge, your hand outstretched to grab Paido's arm. Just in time you save him; a moment later and he would have joined the Anapheg and plummeted into the spray-filled pool.
Turn to 31 .
199
Kezoor shrieks in frustration. He renews his attack on Paido by creating more of the hideous creatures, but your companion uses his battle-magic to summon fire to his aid. From the tip of his sword a sheet of flame wafts down upon the spiders now closing in for the kill. They flare brightly, their legs withering in the flames, their crackling black bodies
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