### 92

One of the bolts hits your Backpack (erase 2 items from your Backpack List) but you manage to stay on your feet and reach the dais. You wrench the Deathstaff from the floor of the lower tier and sag beneath its unnatural weight.9 The Demoness spins around and emits a terrible scream when she sees what you are holding. The noise of her wrath lifts you bodily and sends you skidding helplessly across the floor.

Desperately, you fight to maintain your grip on the Deathstaff as the furious Shamath comes striding towards you. The deafening shriek of her voice rings once more in your ears as you clutch the Deathstaff to your chest and take a running leap into the dark oblivion of the Shadow Gate.

Turn to 270.

#### Footnotes

[9] If you already carry the maximum number of Special Items permissible, you must discard one in favour of the Deathstaff. If you possess Helshezag, the sword of Darklord Kraagenskûl, it is now destroyed, obliterated by the power of the Deathstaff, and you must erase it from your Special Items list. Section 94 also implies a loss of 5 ENDURANCE points in this incident.