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Hurriedly you retrieve the Red Vial from your tunic pocket and pull out the glass stopper. The jelly-like fluid tastes bitter, but you sense that it has an immediate and beneficial effect upon your innate psychic powers.

Without warning, the shadowy form of Zorkaan comes speeding across the hall towards you. You raise your Kai Weapon and pray to Ishir for protection as this nightmarish entity swoops in for the kill.

Zorkaan the Soultaker: COMBAT SKILL 58 ENDURANCE 46

This creature is immune to all forms of psychic attack. If your Kai Weapon is ‘Alema’ or ‘Kaistar’, you may add the appropriate bonus gained from their unique properties. By swallowing the contents of the Red Vial you have increased the strength of your psychic defences. If you possess the Discipline of Kai-screen, you may add 3 to your COMBAT SKILL (for the duration of this combat only).

Conduct this fight in the normal way for three rounds only. If you survive these initial rounds, you may continue by turning to 209.