Soul glass: The mirrors are immune to bleed and decay.
In this combat you roll against the ice wraith’s attack speed. If you are successful, then you may strike against a mirror shard – or the wraith, if all three mirrors have been destroyed.
If you manage to defeat this spectral menace, turn to 449.
566
A service hatch opens in the wall to reveal three weapons, each chained and padlocked to a metal frame.
‘The fire wand is new this season,’ says Jackson. ‘The spear is a discontinued line, so you won’t see many of them around. Collector’s item, and you heard it ’ere first. The claw – well, that speaks for itself, don’t it? I seen Skards scale whole mountains with those backscratchers.’
The following items are available for 60 gold crowns each:
Spit roast Ice claw Tindersticks
(main hand: spear) (left hand: fist weapon) (main hand: wand)
+1 speed +2 brawn +1 speed +2 brawn +1 speed +2 magic
Ability: skewer Ability: mangle, ice hooks Ability: immolation
You may continue to purchase items from the trader (turn to 151), discuss something else (turn to 685) or leave (return to the quest map).
567
You leap over the rocks, surprising the cowering goblin. He lowers his shield a fraction too late, your weapon piercing through his ragged leather armour. As the goblin goes squealing to the ground, you turn to face the others.
‘Me arm – it’s stuck!’ The largest goblin is trying desperately to free himself while his two smaller companions look on, torn between running or staying.
‘Wha’ yer waitin’ for?’ growls the leader. ‘Just stick ’im!’
The two goblins pull rusty knives from their belts then hurry to attack, while the leader continues to grunt and curse as he tries to pull his arm free. It is time to fight:
Speed Brawn Armour Health
Grubnose 3/5(*) 3 3 25
Goblin 3 3 2 16
Goblin 3 3 2 12
Special abilities
Stick ’im!: At the end of each combat round, you must take 1 damage ignoring armour from each surviving goblin (not including Grubnose).
Grr, ’tis ain’t fair: (*) Grubnose has his arm stuck. He will still be able to attack and defend, but will do so with a speed of 3. At the start of the fourth combat round, Grubnose will have freed his arm – raising his speed to 5 for the remainder of the combat.
If you manage to defeat these motley scavengers, turn to 583.
568
Skoll’s warhammer glows with golden light, each spinning blow sending the hounds flying across the wrecked hall. Your own weapons beat and pummel at Syn’s frozen armour, weakening her magical defences. At last she stumbles to her scaled knees, head bowed.
‘Have mercy,’ she hisses.
You stay your weapons, hesitating . . .
Then the demon lifts its cold-blue eyes. You catch the malign smile splitting the malformed face – and too late you realise your fatal mistake. The demon lunges, teeth and claws reaching for your throat. Then a hellish scream fills your ears.
You blink, wondering if it is your own pained cry you hear – but no, the demon’s claws are grasping futilely in the air, the body seized by violent convulsions. The creature arches its back, the head twisting round to snap at something it cannot reach. A sword. It has been driven into the back of the demon’s neck, angled straight into its spine. Anise gives the blade another push, teeth clenched as every ounce of her remaining strength is put to the task. You hear the cracking of bone and the liquid noise of muscle and tendons being severed. Then the demon flops forward, the light in its eyes fading to darkness. Anise glares down at the corpse.
‘That was for my mother,’ she spits.
For defeating the demon, you have gained 50 gold crowns and one of the following rewards:
Winter of woe Coldheart cinch Seed of Yggdrasil
(ring) (necklace) (talisman)
+1 brawn +1 magic 1 speed +1 brawn +1 speed +4 health
Ability: freeze Ability: mangle Ability: regrowth
If you are a mage, turn to 431. Otherwise, turn to 602.
569
Raising your hands you trace the circular patterns with your fingers, connecting the lines and whorls with the magic that now flows through you. The runes start to flicker and then glow, illuminating a trail to the centre circle, where blue-black energies crackle above the podium. For a brief moment you glimpse some creature trapped within the bright maelstrom – a spinning tornado of dust and rock, with two crimson jewels for eyes – then it is gone. The energy sparks out and the runes dim.
When you walk over to the podium you discover that your item is now rattling against the stone, quivering with the pent-up force of the earth elemental. (Congratulations! Your chosen weapon/item of equipment now has the knockdown ability.) When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to 684.
570
The hooded ghost opens his fist and lets his stones roll onto the table. They all land face up, displaying a perfect house and a crown. ‘Royal Hoard,’ whispers a voice from beneath the cowl. ‘You lose.’
The guard looks at the symbols in horror, his mouth hanging open. ‘No . . . it can’t be . . .’ Then suddenly he starts to tremble and convulse, his hands going to his throat. You watch dumbfounded as he is lifted up out of his chair, feet kicking above the ground. ‘No! Please!’ he manages to gasp. ‘No!’
The hooded figure stands, his dark form seeming to stretch and grow larger. Bony hands reach for the choking guard, the cowl finally falling back to reveal a grinning skull.
There is a scream – then both ghosts vanish.
You look to Anise, still shocked by what you have witnessed.
‘I suppose that could have gone better,’ she sighs, turning one of the stones over in her hand. Its face displays two grinning skulls. ‘Doubt things will end any better for us, unless we reach that signal fire.’
You may now search the room, if you haven’t already (turn to 310) or leave through the open doorway (turn to 188).
571
You break out of the corkscrew, hot on the tail of the lead racer. The walls of the prison are now less than a mile to the south. With none of the other competitors in sight, you realise that you are in second place and have a chance of taking first!
Cracking your whip, you urge your dog-team alongside the other sled, looking to overtake. To your surprise, the other racer turns out to be the girl with the blue-dyed hair. She blows you a kiss before swinging her sled into yours, the runed spikes cutting jagged strips out of your frame. Lines cross as the dog-teams snap and tussle with one another – both sleds locked in a desperate scrap for pole position.
You will need to take a challenge test using your toughness attribute:
Toughness
Pole position 13
If you are successful, turn to 539. If you fail, turn to 694.
572
You step across the line of runes. As you suspected, the man is clearly panic-stricken and sleep-deprived, and the magic protection he thought he had created amounts to little more than a snap of lightning, which causes you no ill-harm.
Seeing that his magic has failed, the mage lunges past you. You manage to grab an arm, but the spindly man squirms free of your grip. Skoll doesn’t even attempt to obstruct his escape, moving aside to let the mage past. He catches your eye and merely shrugs his shoulders.
Against the wall, where the man had taken refuge, you discover a small bundle of objects. As well as 20 gold crowns, you find one of the following:
Divining rod Backhanders Tremor guard
(main hand: wand) (gloves) (chest)
+2 speed +3 magic +1 speed +1 armour +1 speed +2 brawn
Ability: insight Ability: lightning Ability: reckless
In silence you head back into the tunnels, your mind still turning over the mage’s words. Perhaps you are not as alone in these caves as you first thought. Turn to 750.
573<
br />
‘I’m Caul Flenchard, trapper for the White Wolf Company.’ The man wipes his bloody hands against his leather coat. ‘I chose to stay on for the winter – get me some good winter hides, swell the coffers then drink it dry at Ryker’s. Was a good plan, ’till I stumbled on those explorers in the canyon – like lost children they were, no clue of the risk they’d taken on, staying here for the winter. Seemed convinced their team were still alive . . .’
You frown. ‘Odd, they never mentioned you. How long have you been here?’
Caul puts a hand to his brow. ‘Can’t say as I rightly know. Time has a way of losing itself around here – a week, perhaps.’
‘A week?’ Your raise your eyebrows in surprise. ‘Have you not tried to leave? I found a way in, just over . . .’
The trapper shakes his head. ‘I want to know what’s going on here. I went deeper, but got chased out by a bunch of monsters.’ He glances down at his blood-stained hands. ‘I ain’t ready to quit. ’
Will you:
Ask what he knows about the caves? 498
Ask if he has any weapons or supplies? 609
Ask why he thought you were a ghost? 481
Ask if he will accompany you? 384
574
You place the gold on the table (deduct fifty gold crowns from your hero sheet). The monk shakes the bag and then chooses five stones. You follow his lead, hoping that you have the skill and knowledge to best this expert player.
If you have the book Stones & Bones in your backpack, turn to 401. Otherwise, you will have to rely on guesswork and luck to win the game. Turn to 511.
575
The smoke makes you feel dizzy. Shapes become indistinct, blurring at the edges. You try and stand but your hands fumble uselessly at your sides. Sura is chanting something, a mantra that fills your head with a pounding pain. Nanuk is growling and seething – you feel him raking claws through the air, trying to resist her power as he is tugged from the Norr, his spirit spilling into your body.
The last thing you remember is a roar coming from your own lips. Something raw and powerful, and animal-like. Then you fall backwards, sinking into a sea of soft furs. They are comforting, warm . . . and so you close your eyes and let the darkness take you.
You awake with a start, sitting bolt upright, your hands reaching for a weapon. Sura is still watching you from her pallet bed, even though you see grey light stretching into the shelter from the tunnel’s opening. It is morning.
‘I slept?’ You shake your head, trying to clear it of the dull ache that hammers behind your eyes. ‘I don’t remember travelling . . . I usually . . .’
‘Relax, boy.’ Sura gives you a reassuring smile. ‘I merely called forth your ancestor spirit. I spoke with him.’
‘Nanuk?’ You peer closer at the old woman, wondering if you mis-heard her – looking for some hint of mockery in her smile.
‘He saved your life,’ she states, pushing herself up off the bed. She gives a tiny groan as her old bones crack and settle. ‘I did not know you were a chieftain of your own people.’
‘A prince,’ you snort. ‘My own people betrayed me.’
‘You desire revenge.’ The woman edges past you to pick up one of the staffs.
‘I do?’ You raise a questioning eyebrow.
‘That’s why he saved you. You still have work to do, southlander. Take this.’ Sura hands you the staff, then proceeds to retrieve her own. ‘Follow me, and don’t ask Sura so many questions. We don’t have much time. Understand? Now, move yourself!’
She slaps your back with her staff, forcing you to your feet. You are happy to oblige the woman – eager now to escape the stuffy confines of the shelter. Ducking through the opening, you step out into the piercing light of day. Turn to 530.
576
Searching the remains of the fire giant, you find 100 gold crowns and one of the following rewards:
Volatile chains Gaoler’s key ring Girdle of flame
(gloves) (ring) (chest)
+1 speed +3 magic +1 magic +1 armour +2 speed +3 magic
Ability: shock blast Ability: shackled Ability: immolation
When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to 705.
577
You walk over to the nearest set of shelves, scanning the rows of spines for anything that catches your eye. After some deliberation, you pick out three books – certain they will help pass the time during your stay at the keep.
The first is titled Stones & Bones, and contains rules and tactics for playing the popular game of the same name. Lazlo had once tried to teach you to play, but either you had never fully grasped the rules or Lazlo was too skilled a player, as you never won a single game.
The second is Hergest’s Hauntings, which contains a collection of maps and sketches of various buildings and other locations. A footnote at the start of the book explains that the author is dead, but this predicament has not hampered their ambitions – in fact, being a ghost has made it remarkably easy for them to snoop around places they wouldn’t otherwise get to visit.
The final book is a History of Skardland. It is mostly a collection of oral tales, rumoured to have been passed down through generations of Skards, but there is also a section at the back of the book dedicated to ‘Makers’ Runes’. You aren’t clear what these are, but they look interesting.
‘Hey, corpse stink!’ The boy calls over to you. ‘You know you can only take two books out of the library, right? Don’t think of taking more – Segg has a charm on the door. Last time I tried it I got boils on my . . . well, you don’t want to know. Couldn’t sit down for a week, just embarrassing!’
If you wish, you may now take up to two of the following:
Stones & Bones Hergest’s Hauntings History of Skardland
(backpack) (backpack) (backpack)
The ultimate strategy
guide (game of the year edition) No lock, no door, no
wall can stop me The essential bluffers’
pocketbook of the North
Turning away from the shelves, you contemplate your next course of action.
Will you:
Talk to the mage? 16
Speak with Segg? 328
Return to the main courtyard? 113
578
The walk back to camp drags into an awkward silence, neither of you speaking or acknowledging one another. Instead you let Desnar lead the way across the sparkling white plains, your earlier footprints already erased by the fast-falling snow.
‘Fader! Fader!’
The voice startles both of you. From atop the hills, a child stumbles into view. He is waving with one arm – his glove and sleeve covered in blood. Your first thought is that the boy has been injured, but then you see the carcass of the animal he is dragging behind him – a white wolf, twice his size. A broken spear protrudes from the animal’s haunches.
You look back at Desnar, surprised to see the Skard beaming with admiration. ‘Himruk!’
But the moment is fleeting. The smile is lost in a horrified gasp – his voice suddenly raised in warning. ‘Himruk! Sno nada!’
Your gaze shifts to the boy – and the mound of snow rising up behind him. Too late, Himruk turns, sensing the danger at his back. The behemoth continues to rise, the powdery snow lifting and then falling back to form two trunk-like arms and a peaked head. There is a wailing screech as snow is sucked inwards, forming a huge gaping maw.
‘Himruk!’ Desnar races forward, but is unable to reach the child in time. You hear the crack of bones as the snow giant brings its fists down, crushing the boy beneath their weight. Then, with another screech, it lifts a barrel-sized leg out of the snow and drags itself forward. You draw your weapons, hurrying to aid Desnar as he attempts to take on the might of the abominable snowman! It is time to fight:
Speed Brawn Armour Health
Abominable 6 4 4 70
Snowman (*) 5 4 3 15
Snowman (*) 5 4 3 15
Snowman (*) 5 3 2 15
Special abilitie
s
‘I get knocked down, but I get up again . . .’: (*) For every 20 health the Abominable loses, a snowman rises up from the remains and joins the combat. You must defeat all four opponents to win the combat.
Snow joke: You must take 1 damage at the end of each combat round from each opponent currently in play. (If you have the insulated ability, you can ignore this damage.)
Father’s fury: Desnar adds 2 to your damage score for the duration of this combat.
Made of snow: Your opponents are immune to bleed, decay and venom.
If you manage to overcome the abominable snowman, turn to 347. If you lose, record your defeat on your hero sheet and turn to 139.
579
‘You come here often, honey?’ Talia steps from the shadows, hands resting on the pommels of two scabbarded swords. Her crimson coat hangs open, revealing a tight lace bodice flickering with embroidered runes. ‘Do you have the book? Good – then let’s get this party started.’
She moves quickly to the lowest step, reaching down to turn a previously hidden circular wheel. You hear a groaning, followed by the sound of rushing water passing underneath the stone floor. There is a clang, then the swish of ropes and a clatter of a pulley. Talia glances round at an area of wall seconds before it starts to rise smoothly into a hidden recess.
A rough-hewn tunnel is slowly revealed; a thin yellow mist curls languidly between the swaying cobwebs. Talia pulls a scarf from her belt and proceeds to tie it around her face, covering her nose and mouth. ‘Try not to breathe too much,’ she says, heading past you and into the tunnel.
‘Not exactly a problem,’ you reply dryly, drawing your weapons.
After a hundred metres the tunnel ends in a carved archway, beyond which is a large cavernous chamber. You can see tables littered with flasks and test tubes, a row of pallet beds, and a multitude of metal canisters, all leaking the sickly yellow smoke.
The Eye of Winter's Fury Page 48