### 191

At the sound of a key turning in the lock, you tense yourself in readiness to launch a surprise attack the instant the door swings open. The heavy portal creaks inwards and you hurl yourself at the head of a small group of skeletal warriors who stand framed in the doorway. You collide with their leader and slam him to the ground. In his bony hand he clutches a rod which hums with the power contained within its silvery haft. He had intended to use its power on you, to extract details of your mission, but the swiftness of your attack has preempted this. The skeletal being shrieks with anger as you wrestle the rod from his grasp. Suddenly, a blast of red-hot fire erupts from its tip, carving a fist-sized chunk of stone from the cell wall. The recoil of the blast makes you drop the rod, which falls to the floor, close to the booted feet of the other skeletal guards.

If you wish to snatch up the rod before the skeletal guards retrieve it themselves, turn to 54.

If you decide to ignore the rod, you can attempt an escape through the open door by turning to 222.