The way home – lost forever.
Another tremor shakes the ground, almost causing you to pitch forward into that same darkness. You quickly step away from the edge, your attention shifting back to the two openings. Perhaps one will provide a safe path back to the surface.
Will you:
Slip into the crevice? 434
Head underneath the archway? 20
529
‘It’s the final race – and the stakes are high. Only ten competitors left, the best of the best, and Ryker’s got a real challenge in store. Bleak Peak – the mountain that takes no prisoners. Have your wits about you, kid, because there can only be one winner – and unless you got the guts and the cunning to beat the opposition, you’re gonna be eating dirt.’ Turn to 79.
530
You half expected the camp to be bustling with activity, but it is oddly quiet – only a few men and women are trudging through the snow, attending to their chores. You see Desnar leading a small entourage towards the edge of the camp. He is carrying a spear of bone in one hand and a leather pack in the other. At his side you see the boy from the lakeside who had run to fetch the others.
‘What’s happening?’ You look to Sura for an explanation.
‘He was Himruk, first son of Desnar. He was a coward and so he is stripped of name. The nameless have no place in our tribe.’
You watch as Desnar hands the spear and pack to his son. Then he draws back his hand – and slaps the youth hard to the ground. The warrior barks something in Skard, then kicks the boy until the child finds his feet again. Motioning to the icy wastes, Desnar and his men watch impassively as the boy wipes away his tears, then sets his gaze to the horizon.
‘What will become of him?’ You watch the child stagger away through the snow, the wind whipping his braided hair. He looks so young – too naïve to be braving the harsh wilderness alone.
‘He will die,’ says Sura flatly, with no hint of remorse. ‘Or he will hunt and survive – and come back a man.’
‘You are a harsh people,’ you remark with distaste.
‘This is a harsh land. Now follow me.’ Sura leads you to the opposite edge of the camp, where a large animal hide has been stretched across the ground, tied to what look like mammoth tusks. Runes have been daubed onto the hide in various coloured dyes, forming a circular arrangement.
‘I will teach you the ways of the asynjur,’ says Sura, gesturing for you to stand in the circle. ‘If your magic is strong, then we can make a shaman of you – strengthen your link with the Norr.’ Sura paces around you, eyeing you like an exhibit in the palace museum. ‘But you have a rare strength. What I saw last night . . . I could focus your mind to pull Nanuk into you, like the were-warriors of old. To channel his energy, to shift your body into your spirit animal.’
You grimace at the woman, finding neither idea particularly appealing. As she continues to pace your eyes fix on one of the Skard warriors, practising a deadly set of manoeuvres with a hooked chain. It is similar to the one you saw Ninvuk use when you were attacked by the Nisse. A row of bones have been set up in the snow several metres away. The Skard is using the chain to whip each bone into the air, his skilful movements guiding the chain with startling precision.
‘The hook and claw,’ Sura nods, noting your interest. ‘Used by the pirates of Rowan and Vaidskrig. Some of our people have mastered its use. A most deadly weapon, in the right hands.’
Will you:
Learn the shaman career (requirement: mage)? 686
Learn the were career (requirement: warrior)? 607
Learn the reaver career (requirement: rogue)? 382
Decline learning a new career? 197
531
Your sled has taken a serious battering from the rough crossing. You must permanently reduce your sled’s stability rating by 2. When you have updated your sheet, turn to 422.
532
You decide to place your hand inside the hollow. The moment your fingers and palm settle against the cold dark wood, you feel a sharp pain. Instinctively, you snatch back your hand, nursing it to your chest. To your horror, you see teeth-like fangs protruding from around the handprint, several of which are now flecked with blood. Slowly, the fangs sink back into the bark.
Looking down at your hand you see that the teeth have punctured you, the ruptured flesh already puffy and bubbling with a deadly green poison. You have been inflicted with the following curse:
Curse of frailty (pa): You must lower your health by 5 until you next roll a double in combat.
You glance back at the cell, where the Skard is struggling once again to reach the dagger.
Will you:
Try using something from your backpack? 710
Attempt to chop through the barrier? 439
Leave and continue your journey? 6
533
You remove the medallion from around your neck and offer it to the knight. A golden light flickers around its edge, throwing stark shadows across the rooftop.
The knight spreads his arms, tensed and ready to jump – then he catches sight of the medallion. His expression darkens almost instantly. ‘What is this?’
He steps down from the battlements, tugging his sword free from its scabbard. ‘You have my brother’s medallion – the mark of my family.’ His voice cuts clear through the wind, deep and resonating.
‘Take it!’ You shout hoarsely, struggling against the dryness in your throat. ‘Your brother forgives you!’
The knight shows no sign of having heard you – as if your words have been torn away by the keening gale. Anise clings to your side, fearful of the man’s haunted demeanour.
‘Put it away,’ she cries. ‘I told you, no good will come of this!’
‘You are the necromancer’s work!’ sneers the knight with disdain. ‘My brother is dead. I killed him with my own hand! There is no forgiveness for what I did!’
Before you can stop him, the knight’s pace quickens into a full-on charge. You drop the medallion, quickly drawing your own weapons to defend yourself. It is time to fight:
Speed Magic Armour Health
Rinehart 2 2 2 35
If you manage to overcome this grief-stricken ghost turn to 505. If you lose the combat, remember to record your defeat on your hero sheet. You may then attempt the combat again or return to the map.
534
Three scruffy-looking men are seated at the bar, smoking rolls of tobacco and knocking back mugs of ale. You overhear snatches of their conversation.
‘Good thing he got the money to entertain all them pimped up highballers, I wouldn’t want to be footing the bill.’
‘He ain’t, I told you,’ sighs one of the other men. ‘I heard ol’ Baron No Mark is paying for everything. Only way he can get a piece of the action.’
‘No Mark?’ The third speaker almost chokes on his ale. ‘That’s rich coming from the likes of you, Sykes. That No Mark, as you call ’im, runs most of the mines down south. He’s the man for the job and everyone knows it, but he can’t move his operations here without coin – and without Ryker’s nod. He gotta suck up to the big guys this time, and you bet he hates every minute of it.’
Will you:
Talk to the barman? 420
Take a seat in one of the alcoves? 634
Leave? 426
535
You lose your grip and fall, hitting the rocks at the bottom of the mountain. (You must count this as one ‘defeat’ on your hero sheet.) Angrily you struggle to your feet, using your one responsive arm to balance yourself. The other hangs limply at your side.
With a defiant growl you butt your shoulder into the wall, locking the bones back into place. After flexing your fingers, you glare stubbornly at the mountain, contemplating another attempt.
Will you:
Try the climb again? 67
Look for an alternative entrance? 275
536
Pulses of lightning flicker across the magical weave, promising a deadly shock to anything tha
t catches on its criss-crossing strands. Undaunted, you continue to accelerate towards the web, tilting your craft in order to pass through one of the narrow spaces.
To avoid hitting the web, you must take a challenge test using your transport’s speed:
Speed
Spider and the fly 13
If you are successful, turn to 596. If you fail the challenge, turn to 768.
537
The last creature has you pinned against the wall as you drive your weapon deep into its chest, teeth gritted as the steel slides past scales and bone. Steaming blood boils out from the wound, thick and viscous like molten magma. You kick the creature away, leaving your weapon in its chest – then dive for cover as its body starts to glow brighter, smoke rising from its nostrils and eye sockets. With a wet-sounding boom the body explodes, showering the wall of the keep with a spray of glittering blood. Your weapon skitters across the ground to rest next to you, still glowing with heat.
You have gained the following:
Ember touched
(special)
You may add the special
ability sear to your main
hand or left hand weapon
For defeating the ember wilds, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:
Rift spike Warded scales Scarlet crest
(left hand: dagger) (chest) (left hand: axe)
+1 speed +1 brawn +1 speed +1 brawn +1 speed +1 brawn
Ability: sweet spot
(requirement rogue) Ability: might of stone Ability: heavy blow
(requirement: warrior)
When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to 162.
538
The chamber continues to shudder violently. Scrabbling through the dust, your hands settle around the witch’s wand. Clutching it tight, you lurch drunkenly to your feet, eyes shifting to the demon.
Chunks of rock rain down from the ceiling, bouncing over the mass of corpulent flesh. The demon’s veins burn bright with fire, its heart pulsing faster and faster, looking like it might explode at any moment, bursting out of its pus-leaking chamber.
‘Die!’ you scream – filling that single word with all your hate and pain, and anger. Your arm snaps back then flings the wand through the air, your magic guiding its trajectory straight into the heart. There is a flash of bright, blue light.
A wall of noise crashes over you, its force knocking you backwards. A booming wail, so loud and deafening that it dwarfs the thunder of the devastation around you.
Then the heart blackens, frost crawling across its bloated mass. The livid veins fill with ice, turning blue as their fires are quenched. From the tentacles you hear the crackling of frozen flesh, their dead skin crumbling away to form a dead white ash – leaving only the frost-blackened body behind, its life expelled by the full onslaught of your wrath.
The demon is dead.
A rustle of falling dust – and everything is still.
You stumble wearily across the chamber, wanting desperately to weep – but your spirit body denies you even that final reprieve. ‘Anise . . .’ You fall by her side, grabbing her pale, cold hand. You wince, releasing it when you see the frost-blackened marks left by your fingertips.
She is already dead, staring up at the dawn light, its soft radiance creeping through the shattered dome of the chamber.
If you have the keyword repentance on your hero sheet, turn to 699. Otherwise, turn to 586.
539
To your surprise, you come out on top – your dog-team having maimed several of your opponent’s lead hounds. You quickly pull away, crossing the finish line in first place!
Congratulations! This qualifies you to enter the final race. You also receive a prize of 200 gold crowns for your first place ranking. (Replace the keyword rookie with the word veteran.) Return to the map to continue your adventure.
540
The enraged beast throws itself into a desperate charge. You roll aside just in time, leaving the mammoth to plunge headfirst into a heap of skeletal remains. Quickly, you circle round the immobilised beast, raining blows to its flanks and rear, until it is finally brought crashing down – showering you in ice and bone dust.
If you are a warrior, turn to 725. If you are a mage, turn to 38. If you are a rogue, turn to 268.
541
The guard removes the two of moons from his hand and places it face down on the discard pile. He reaches into the pouch and takes another stone at random. He has now gained the two of stars:
He can barely hide his excitement as he shows you the stones. A full house and two crowns is a strong hand. It is now time for his opponent to make his move. Turn to 555.
542
As you approach the mountain you feel Nidhogg shifting course, re-exerting his control. At first you assume he is taking you in to land, but then you spot the jagged outcropping he is headed for. A creature lies sleeping on the rocks, a pair of leathery wings folded across its immense, reptilian body.
Another dragon. Larger than any you have encountered before.
‘Nidhogg – stop!’ You try and take command, but the dragon is resisting. Unable to alter your course, you are forced to watch helplessly as you draw closer and closer to the beast.
The fading sunlight shimmers across endless rows of emerald-green scales, layered to form a bright mantle of armour. Their shadowed contours highlight the muscled curves of its powerful body, tapering back over hundreds of metres into a coiled tail of dizzying spirals.
Awe turns to fear . . . then rage. Your link with Nidhogg makes you party to his feelings, and his surge of hatred is almost overwhelming.
Seethe!
Nidhogg is headed straight for his nemesis, a blustery roar issuing from his mouth. The other dragon lifts his horned snout, displaying a single slanted eye which sleepily widens into glowing crimson.
Brother. I have been expecting you. The voice is a sibilant hiss. I knew Melusine would never break you. Not like the others. Always the stubborn one. Always the fool.
Seethe releases his hold on the rock, his wings remaining tight to his body as he stretches into a dive. Nidhogg doesn’t slow or deviate from his path – the two dragons are careering straight towards one another, their collision inevitable.
‘Nidhogg! No!’ Desperately you try and regain control, but the dragon has blocked you from his mind, leaving you beating against an impenetrable wall.
The two enemies crash together in a tangle of bodies, tails lashing furiously, claws raking and tearing through flesh. Blood showers around you like rain.
You betrayed us. Your own kin! Nidhogg’s jaws clamp around the other’s neck, fangs scraping over scale and bone.
You cannot win, little brother. Her magic has made me stronger.
The mighty green digs his claws deep into Nidhogg, twisting his heavier body and dragging you straight into the side of the mountain. You jump free, sliding and rolling through a flurry of red dust to finally land on a narrow plateau jutting from the mountain’s face. Anise and Skoll tumble next to you, quickly finding their feet as the two dragons continue to wrestle and claw in the dirt. The green already has the upper hand, pinning Nidhogg to the ground, belching a steaming spray of acid over his body.
The black dragon squirms in pain, his hacking, guttural cries echoing back from the mountain’s gullies. His mind barriers fall – and then you feel his pain.
You collapse to your knees, gripping your head as the searing heat rushes through you, threatening to burn away your very being.
You can dimly hear Anise’s voice somewhere close. ‘Arran? Arran, what is it? What’s wrong?’
‘It’s Nidhogg.’ Skoll shakes you, pulling you to your feet. ‘They are still bonded. They share each other’s pain.’
Another wave of agony spears into your mind. You can taste the dragon’s blood, the smell of sulphur rising from his burnt flesh. A hot blinding flash. Then the dragon’s consciousness starts to fade, his life force ebbing away.
Skoll shakes you aga
in, as if trying to wake you from a bad dream. ‘Break the link. You must let go!’
‘No!’ You shove the warrior aside, staggering towards the two flailing shapes. With each faltering step, your strength returns. Another stride and you are running. You leap onto the nearest of Nidhogg’s wings, using it to gain height, scrambling across the burnt scales to straddle his ridged spine. Your weapons ring from their scabbards as you meet your adversary’s crimson gaze.
Seethe throws back his head with a mocking laughter. Oh, how you have fallen, little brother. To rely on a human to fight your battles.
Quickly, you reach out with your magic, taking control of Nidhogg’s body.
You are weak! Seethe slashes down with his claws, but you are already moving, guiding Nidhogg’s actions. Together, you twist aside, whipping a razor-sharp tail across Seethe’s belly. The green lurches back, surprised by the retaliation.
Nidhogg gives a throaty roar, his vigour returning. This is not weakness, Seethe. This is loyalty. Let us remind you of what that means, brother! It is time to fight:
Speed Magic Armour Health
Seethe 13 8 9 100
Special abilities
Poison spray: At the start of every combat round, Seethe sprays poison. This inflicts 1 die of damage, ignoring armour, and reduces Nidhogg’s stability and toughness by 2.
Fire at will: You may use your dragon fire ability in this combat.
(Note: If Nidhogg’s stability has been reduced to zero, you can no longer use his associated ability.)
If you manage to defeat this corrupted dragon, turn to 430.
543
You notice a number of treasures tangled up in the drake’s parasitic tentacles. If you wish, you may now take one of the following rewards:
Fafnir’s fury Ghost Lamentation
(main hand: dagger) (head) (ring)
+1 speed +2 brawn +1 speed +1 brawn +2 brawn
Ability: decay Ability: veiled strike Ability: fear
The Eye of Winter's Fury Page 45