### 318

You magnify your vision and see that the approaching figures are Bhanarians. Armed with swords and spears, they are all clad in black quilted tunics edged with gold braid and emblazoned with the tiger’s-head emblem of Autarch Sejanoz. They are clearly a unit of Imperial Guards from the Autarch’s court in Otavai. As the squad of twelve guardsmen draws nearer, your Kai Sixth Sense tells you that something is wrong. These are élite soldiers of the Autarch’s personal bodyguard, yet they seem to have forgotten basic military practice: they have placed no scouts at the head of their squad to check that the way ahead is clear.

If you possess Grand Huntmastery and have attained the Kai rank of Sun Lord, turn to 49.

If you do not possess this Discipline, or if you have yet to attain this level of Kai rank, turn instead to 74.