One of the sprites lunges for you, narrowly missing your leg by inches. You look down to see smoke curling from your charred breeches.
‘The candles are the source of the demons’ power.’ The mage gestures lazily to the points of flame around the room. ‘Snuff them out – using your mind.’
‘My what? I’ll give you a piece of my—’ You dodge aside, letting a spear of flame pass by your ear.
‘Concentrate!’ Segg leans forward in his chair, shaking a clenched fist. ‘Focus!’
The sprites have started to circle you like hounds, their bodies sparking brighter as they steal more of the fire from the surrounding candles. It is time to fight:
Speed Magic Armour Health
Fire sprite 2 2 2 12
Fire sprite 2 2 2 12
Fire sprite 2 2 2 12
Candles (*) – – – 16
Special abilities
After burn: At the end of every combat round, each surviving sprite automatically inflicts 1 damage, ignoring armour.
Black out (*): If you win a round, instead of rolling for a damage score against a fire sprite, you can attempt to snuff out the sixteen candles. Roll two dice to determine how many candles you are able to put out. Once all the candles are put out, the sprites no longer benefit from the after burn ability, and their magic and armour are reduced by 1.
If you are able to defeat Segg’s elementals, then turn to 229. Otherwise, you may repeat the combat or choose a different trainer (return to 369 to make your choice.)
119
You kick open the doors of the longhouse, the bar splintering under the force. A quick gesture upends the table, sending it flipping over. Plates rattle across the wooden slats, greasy food splattering across the wall. Gurt watches slack-jawed, gripping the sides of his chair as you advance to stand before him.
‘I want an audience with the asynjur,’ you demand.
‘Nonsense!’ huffs the bloated warrior, blowing out his cheeks. ‘Take him. What are you standing there for?’ He tries to lean past you, motioning frantically to the four Skards. They fold their arms, watching him stoically. ‘Wha— What is this?’ he gasps.
‘I won’t ask again.’ You take a step towards him, causing the man to flinch backwards into his chair. He gropes past his fat belly, struggling to find the pommel of his sword.
He stops, his eyes catching your raised brow. Carefully he lifts his hands into the air. ‘If you think Syn Hulda will give you a warmer greeting, then be my guest.’ His cheeks bunch around an ugly smile. ‘Take him to the hall,’ he snaps, addressing the Skards. ‘Let’s see what Syn makes of this upstart fool!’ Turn to 521.
120
Segg is silent, listening attentively as you describe the dreams. You feel a little foolish, talking of nightmares and demons. In the cold light of day, they always seem like some child’s fantasy – hazy and indistinct, the details only half-remembered. But even now, you can still feel the cold and the fear of that place – and the presence of the bear, watching over you like a silent guardian. ‘In the end, I used dragon leaf to avoid them. I found it in some old book on herb-lore.’ Your gaze shifts to a row of bottles, lined along a shelf. ‘I suppose I got my wish at last. Now, I don’t need sleep – at least, my body no longer seems to crave it.’
‘Interesting,’ he says after a moment’s thought. ‘It would appear to occur when your mind is relaxed. Sleep, yes – but I imagine you could travel there if you used the correct meditative techniques.’
‘Travel?’ You baulk.
‘In mind, not in body. I have read of such things – the Skards have shamans, mages that can dream walk. They use potions and other means to meditate and travel to the shroud – the place that you have seen. But, I must admit, I have rarely heard of such a thing south of the rift. Old blood, perhaps.’
‘You don’t seem at all surprised,’ you say, with a hint of disappointment.
‘Surprised, me?’ Segg spreads his arms wide, chuckling to himself, while the flames turn somersaults in the air. ‘Do you really think there’s anything left to surprise this old mage?’
Will you:
Ask about learning magic? 342
Ask about your strange condition? 234
Return to the library? 353
121
You pick up the tile and push it into the square-shaped hole. Leaning back, you wait expectantly for something to happen. However, it appears that you have chosen the incorrect rune. As you hurriedly try and prise the tile back out of the grid, you hear a sudden crack of branches followed by another barking cry. If you don’t run now, the other fengles will find you! Frantically, you spring to your feet and sprint for the cover of the opposite tree line. Turn to 175.
122
On reaching the cave, you turn and look back towards the far shore. The dogs are mired in the tar, forming a collection of bobbing heads, fighting against the gloopy undertow. One of the Skard hunters is now making his way across the stones, paying no heed to the fate of his dog-team. With an axe in one hand and a knife in the other, it is clear that revenge is at the forefront of his mind. Turn to 344.
123
As you step up to the guards, one of them moves to head you off, putting his palm to your chest to draw you to a halt. ‘Hey, where you think you’re going? This is a private party – Lord Eaton’s. Guests only, so unless you’ve got an invitation, you ain’t getting in.’
If you have the party invitation, you may hand this over and enter (turn to 253). Otherwise, you have no choice but to return to the taproom. Turn to 80.
124
The hand moves quickly, leading you on a frantic chase as it tries to find a hiding place amongst the boxes and barrels. To catch the hand, you will have to pass a speed challenge:
Speed
Catch the hand 9
If you are successful, turn to 398. Otherwise, turn to 357.
125
As the pool gets deeper you are forced to swim out to the remaining items, gritting your teeth against the biting pain. (Add two defeats to your hero sheet.)
You struggle to focus, your surroundings blurred by the thick noxious smoke. No longer caring what you might find, you reach out blindly for the nearest treasure. (Roll a die. On a or result, you may take the fang, on a or result you may take the ring, on a or result you may take the dimensional aperture):
Fenrir’s fang Faith healer Dimensional aperture
(backpack) (ring) (special: unique)
A sharp canine tooth +1 brawn +4 health Doubles the size
from giand wolf Ability: heal of yourbackpack – allowing you to
carry 10 items
Unable to endure the pain any longer, you decide to make for shore. Turn to 303.
126
You plough through the powdery snow, your sled bouncing over the waves of hidden rock and ice. As you progress, the hummocks become steeper and sharper, the roughness of your passage putting your sled in serious danger of becoming wrecked.
You will need to take a challenge test using your stability attribute:
Stability
Wave rider 9
If you are successful, turn to 422. If you fail, turn to 531.
127
‘A traveller, you say.’ The woman appears unconvinced. ‘And tell me, why would you be travelling these parts? For the scenery?’ She raises her eyebrows.
‘Not a traveller, a merchant,’ you correct quickly. ‘But I was set upon by bandits, back on the road. I was the only one to get away and . . .’
‘The only one? Who were you travelling with?’
You wince, cursing your slip up. ‘I met some others. We thought we’d travel together, for safety.’
‘Didn’t do you much good now, did it?’ The woman huffs, then she nods to your sword. ‘Tell me, did you steal that sword or were you taught to use it? A fine blade for a boy like you.’
You glance down at the holy sword, Duran’s Heart – the named blade that was gifted to you for your thirteenth birthday. ‘I . .
. it . . . I found it, yes. On one of the men who attacked us.’
‘A holy blade. And does that belong to the man also?’
Her eyes shift to the dried blood coating your sleeve. You look away, avoiding her glare. ‘He was . . . one of the bandits,’ you stutter, knowing the lie is written all over your face.
The woman shakes her head with a frown of disappointment. ‘You are a fool to think I’d believe your story. You are but a child. A thief, no doubt. One who got caught out, and now plans to rob me blind.’ She puts her basket down next to the chopping block, then rests her hands on the curved handle of the wood axe. ‘Are you good with that blade, son? You had better be . . .’
‘No wait!’ You raise your hands imploringly. ‘I’m no thief. You can have the sword – I can’t even touch the cursed thing.’
For the first time, the woman exhibits surprise. ‘Is this true?’ she gasps.
Too late, you realise what you have done, blurting out your secret with no mind to the consequences. To confess such a thing is almost tantamount to treason. ‘I can only touch the scabbard,’ you reply honestly, seeing no point in spinning out another lie now you’ve gone this far. ‘The inscriptions . . . if I put even a hand to them, they . . .’ You struggle for the words.
‘Reject you?’ the woman supplies thoughtfully.
You nod, trying to gauge her reaction. This secret is one you have only shared once before, with your nursemaid Molly. And you doubt she’ll be telling anyone now . . .
‘You’re no witchfinder, then,’ the woman’s brow creases. ‘Perhaps there is some truth in what you say after all.’ Make a note of the word pauper on your hero sheet, then turn to 256.
128
You give the nod to Lawson, who nocks an arrow and takes careful aim. A few tense seconds pass before he fires his shot. It thuds cleanly into the beast’s forehead, throwing it backward into the tar. The thick waters ripple out from the body, then fold back in, sucking the creature down into the inky depths. Within moments, there is barely a disturbance on the surface of the lake.
Mitch shakes his head, then gives you a hurt look. ‘How could you?’
Before you can reply, Henna jumps to your defence. ‘It would only have brought more of them,’ she says briskly. ‘You heard it. That thing was making more noise than those pestering birds.’
Mitch glowers sullenly. ‘Still don’t make it right.’
‘Come on kids, we got work to do.’ Kirk ushers you away from the shore, back towards the cart. ‘Time to get our hands dirty.’ Turn to 263.
129
You flick to the back of the book, comparing the glossary of markings with those that have been carved into the stone figures. It appears that they are Titans, and the runes are the individual marks that represent their names. However, there are – according to the book – supposed to be nine Titans, but only eight are shown in the carving.
‘One’s missing,’ you state, cross-referencing the marks in the book against those on the wall. ‘Here it is . . . Fafnir.’
The moment you utter the name, the portal glows brighter – then bursts into a blinding light, forcing you to cover your eyes. When the piercing radiance finally diminishes, you see that the oval portal has disappeared. Water rushes out of the space beyond, near to freezing, almost knocking you over with the force of its passage, carrying broken fragments of pottery and other debris with it.
The torrent quickly subsides as the water spreads out across the room and into the adjoining passages, leaving you ankle deep in floating wreckage.
‘Think this was a storeroom,’ says Caul. He ducks his head into the newly-opened cavity. It is small, although a rock fall at the rear of the chamber may have cut off deeper sections. You can see a number of empty shelves lining the walls, which must have once held the pots and other items now floating around you. A steady stream of water trickles from a crack in the store-room’s ceiling.
‘Disappointing,’ sighs Caul, scrunching up his face. ‘Thought there might have been some chests of gold, at least.’
You search through the wreckage, looking for anything that might be salvageable. To your relief, there are a few sealed pots that appear to have survived intact. If you wish, you may now take any/all of the following:
Drake scales Titan blood Fixing infuser (1 use)
(special) (special) (backpack)
Use on a cloak, chest, Once used, Use at any time
gloves or feet item permanently gives you to remove one
to increase its you the ability death penalty from
armour by 1 might of stone your hero
You also find a plain glass orb. If you wish to take this item, simply make a note of it on your hero sheet, it does not take up backpack space. Once you have finished picking through the debris, you re-join Caul and head out of the chamber. Turn to 494.
130
‘I’m afraid what you see today is merely a shadow of our former strength. Back when I joined the order, we were trained as cavaliers. We’d ride out across Glory Bridge and take the fight to our enemies – goblins and trolls, mostly, but the Skards also, when they wanted to test us.’ Everard points to an iron bridge, spanning the rift. Lines of angled spears have been set in rows across its length, forming a painful mile of death to anyone foolish enough to set their might against it.
‘But I’m afraid your father never considered the north a threat.’ Everard glances at you warily. ‘I never judged him for it – perhaps he had good reason. But our coffers are low and our equipment is less than it was. Soldiers don’t come here to ride out across the Glory Bridge anymore, they come here if they’ve got nowhere else to go. This really is the end of the road.’
A statement you can well believe.
Your gaze sweeps along the ragged line of battlements, fronted by a tiered succession of curtain walls. A few lone guards are visible along the walkways – little more than ants in comparison to the vastness of the fortifications. ‘There’s something I don’t understand, though.’ You gesture towards the rift. ‘Goblins and trolls, they’re creatures of the underworld. If they can’t take the keep – why don’t they just tunnel underneath it?’
Everard smiles knowingly. ‘That’s every smart rookie’s first thought. These walls go deep – and I mean deep. Serious magic at play. I understand a hundred White Abbots gave their lives to inscribe the walls of this place. Their life blood, their magic, is in every stone. Anything evil tries to break through . . .’ He chuckles and shakes his head. ‘I’ve heard the screams. It’s not pretty.’
Will you:
Ask about the Skards? 81
Climb the stairs to the mage tower? 301
Return to the main courtyard 113
131
For defeating the mighty yeti, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:
Wild mojo Freeloader’s hide Dreadlock armbands
(ring) (chest) (gloves)
+1 magic +1 armour +1 speed +1 magic +1 speed +2 magic
Ability: critical strike Ability: crawles Ability: lash
You have also gained a sasquatch pelt (simply make a note of this on your hero sheet, it doesn’t take up backpack space). When you have updated your sheet, turn to 631.
132
Without the book, you have no knowledge of the rules and feel uncertain about giving the guard advice. This game is clearly for high stakes – and if you make the wrong move, you dread to consider the consequences.
If you wish to try and help the guard anyway, turn to 335. Otherwise, you can refuse to aid the guard and await the outcome, turn to 321.
133
At the foot of the stone there is a carved grid, filled with a number of strange symbols and markings.
On closer inspection, you discover that one of the symbols is missing. Four square tiles lie next to the stone, which you assume the fengle must have found. Perhaps one of these tiles is meant to be placed in the grid to solve a puzzle.
The other fengles are getting closer, thei
r cries getting louder and more urgent. You realise that you will only have a chance to try one symbol before you will need to make a run for it. But which one will you choose?
Will you:
Choose the triangle rune? 181
Choose the diamond rune? 213
Choose the pentagon rune? 121
Choose the hexagon rune? 50
134
You place the ‘one of snakes’ on the discard pile and pick a new stone from the bag. You have gained the ‘four of stars’.
You have the following stones:
The monk takes his turn, then waits for you to make your next move.
Will you:
Play your current hand? 734
Discard the three of snakes? 612
Discard the one of crowns? 646
135
You charge past the soldiers, ducking and weaving between the flying debris. As you close on the mage the hooded creature pulls a wand from its belt, sending bolts of lightning streaking towards you. It is time to fight:
Speed Magic Armour Health
Geomancer 4 3 2/5(*) 35
Special abilities
Stone shower: At the end of every combat round, the flying shards cause 2 damage to your hero, ignoring armour.
Stone shield: At the start of the third combat round, the geomancer will cast stone shield, hardening its robes into a rock-like armour. This will add 3 to your opponent’s armour but lowers their speed by 1 for the remainder of the combat.
If you manage to defeat this stone-flinging mage, turn to 251.
136
Reah brightens at the mention of the word. ‘They were the very reason we came here. You see, when you look closer at the Dwarven histories, the older tablets found at Dur Andrel and Dour Gaun, there is frequent mention of the giants of Urd. That’s what the Dwarves called the surface world.’
‘I have read of such things,’ you reply, casting your mind back to the palace library. ‘But they’re not real. A hundred arms, fifty heads? A bedtime story to scare children.’
Reah shakes her head. ‘A storyteller’s fancy. These creatures existed. They have many names – Titans, frost giants, jotun. The Skards speak of them with reverence; they believe their ancestors once walked beside them, as equals.’
The Eye of Winter's Fury Page 13