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Thursday 1st November 1923
So, where exactly are we going?
With the ritual manuscript missing, Tenzin Kalsang now makes sense of one of his most recent visions – a red palace full of printed texts located somewhere in or near to Kham in his homeland of Tibet. This must be a place where you can discover a copy of the ritual—The Rite of Liberation.
Locations
•Lake Danakosha—legendary birthplace of Padmasambhava to recover seven offering bowls. The site of the lake is said to have been in the ancient kingdom of Oddiyana—present day North West Frontier of India.
•Sitavana—to recover two musical instruments. The location of Sitavana is debated among historians, with most scholars placing this ancient charnel ground in or around the town of Rajgir in the state of Bihar.
•Kham—A copy of the ritual text must be recovered from the red palace of Tenzin Kalsang’s dreams, in what he believes is a place named Kham.
•Valley of the White Ape—in the Tibetan jungles of Pemakӧ you will enter the Valley of the White Ape to journey to the Gates of Agartha where you will perform the ritual to seal the gates so as to prevent the King of Fear emerging into the world.
Leaving the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas
Warner is excited about the finds in the secret chamber. It will take him ages to catalogue the many artefacts and texts (and remove them for export to his sponsors at the Fogg Museum before the authorities stop him). Warner is resolute—he’s staying here. Mi Hu and his caravan will travel no further. Now you’re ready to leave, Mi Hu breaks camp and prepares to return to Sian. You will have to make new arrangements for onwards travel in Tun-huang. Tenzin Kalsang will accompany you on your journey.
Sunday 4th November 1923
Tun-huang
You spend three days in Tun-huang, sleeping in proper beds, drinking in proper taverns, learning more about your onwards journey and piecing together a new, somewhat modest caravan. When you depart westwards into the Tarim Basin you have six camels, three mule-drawn mappas loaded with tents and provisions, a new guide (a Chinese Muslim named Deng Lan), and just two porters.
Tarim Basin
To reach the North West Frontier of India will take approximately 5 months along hard-going ground of first desert tracks and then mountain passes. The desert route follows the ancient silk road through the Tarim Basim skirting the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert. There are a number of oasis towns along the route and many ancient ruins. Eventually you will leave the desert paths and climb into the mountains to cross into Northern India.
Taklamakan Desert
The desert is hemmed in by mountains on three sides. Blistering hot in summer and so sold in winter it can snow. The desert’s undulating landscape is characterised by drifting dunes that can reach 200 feet in height. Its sandstorms are known as the Kara-Buran (black hurricanes), powerful enough to topple laden carts and strip flesh from bone. The howling winds are enough to drive people mad. Some believe the wail of ghosts is carried on the winds. Maybe the fear of unnatural creatures in the desert of black hurricanes is what prompted Marco Polo to describe the region as 'ghoul-infested'.
Saturday 10th November 1923
Kara-Buran
Several days along the desert path, and still not having reached any living oasis, the tell-tale haze on the horizon foreshadows a sandstorm. Deng and his porters instruct everyone how to make shelter with just carts and sheets. The camels are sat down close to the shelters. Within twenty minutes the storm hits and vision is cut to just a few yards, sound is drowned out buy the howling wind. Blasted sand threatens to eat through anything left exposed.
Shadows in the sands
It’s hard to be certain, but Yana was sure she heard one of the porters cry out in a blood curdling scream. But then her ears were filled only with the sounds of the driving sands again. Her vision was cut to just a few yards by the sands in the driving wind but she swore she could see the outline of a shadowy figure—moving closer. An outstretched hand reached through the blowing sands—fingers blackened and bone exposed. Then there was a second shambling figure.
Near Death Experience
Yana, Vincenzo and McAllister huddled together for shelter from the storm apart from the others. The necrotic, rotting creatures—a mockery of human form—tore into them; raking with sharp nails and biting down with black teeth. Yana emptied her gun, firing again and again. The stench of the creatures caused Vincenzo to vomit—even as one of the foul things bit down on his shoulder and dragged the screaming priest to the ground. Vincenzo blacked out.
The second creature latched on to McAllister who managed to fight the thing off before smashing it with a shovel. Between the repeated strikes of the shovel and the piercing bullets from Yana’s pistol the investigators destroyed their assailants. On death, the creatures disintegrated into the sand-blown winds. All three investigators were badly wounded—McAllister and Vincenzo bleeding out at death’s door.
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