The Eye of Winter's Fury

by Michael J. Ward

  The jaws crack open and a torrent of fire belches forth. It is time to fight:

  Speed Brawn/Magic Armour Health

  Drake keeper 5 5/3 5 70

  Special abilities

  Drake fire cannon: At the end of each combat round you must take damage equal to the Drake keeper’s current magic score, ignoring armour. (When rolling for a damage score, the Drake keeper uses his brawn).

  Stalker’s spear: Caul adds 2 to your damage score for the duration of this combat.

  If you manage to defeat this hunch-backed horror, turn to 625.

  591

  For defeating Instructor Barl you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:

  Instructor’s faceguard Cloak of defiance Iron hand

  (head) (cloak) (talisman)

  +1 speed +2 magic +2 speed +1 magic +1 speed +3 health

  Ability: deflect Ability: overload Ability: immobilise

  When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to 444.

  592

  You leave the store and head back out into the snow-whipped gale. (The White Wolf Trading Post is no longer available – you cannot visit this location again during Act 1 of your adventure and any items that were stored in your locker are now lost.) Make a note of the keyword ashes on your hero sheet, then return to the quest map.

  593

  The monk opens out his meaty fist, showing you his five stones. This forces you to reveal your own. ‘A Queen’s Wave, double crowned – beats your fool,’ he declares with a toadish smile. ‘The One God shines on me again. I win!’

  Remove the word scripture from your hero sheet, then turn to 697.

  594

  Legendary monster: Gjoll the gaoler

  The ground shakes at the giant’s passing, his black steeled boots thudding deep into the cracked earth. Your eyes rove across the malign runes carved into his flame-red skin, each one rippling and crawling over the slabs of hard muscle.

  ‘We can’t hope to defeat it.’ Anise draws back behind the boulder as the giant stomps past, making his circuit of the cauldron-shaped basin. In each of his meaty fists he carries a warhammer, their stone-carved heads bigger than an ox-cart.

  You need no more convincing. ‘This is folly. Let’s go . . .’

  ‘Wait! We can’t let this suffering go unpunished.’ Skoll’s eyes haven’t left the dragon, chained by runed manacles to the floor of the canyon. The sorry-looking beast is writhing in constant agony, flames and lightning roiling across its tortured form. Many of its scales are broken and seeping with decay. A milky film covers one eye. Teeth are missing, a horn broken.

  And yet, even in its tortured state, the dragon is still an awe-inspiring sight. Its size dwarfs even that of the giant – its black-scaled form stretching nearly a hundred metres from head to tail, its wings arching back to obliterate the skies.

  ‘I was a prisoner once,’ says Skoll, looking to you for support. ‘Those chains are Dwarven, bound by powerful rune spirits. They are trying to break the dragon’s will – to force it to serve the witch. Not all their kind choose to ally with such evil.’

  Lightning courses over the dragon’s body, forcing it to jerk and convulse. You are immediately reminded of the chains that the einherjar used to restrain you, when you first sought an audience at Vindsvall. The chains that bind the dragon are twice their size, the runes worked into them of a far deadlier precision.

  And they have given you an idea.

  ‘Okay, keep the giant busy.’ You are already moving before Skoll can reply, using the rock-cover to get closer to the dragon. Behind you, a barbaric battle cry rends the air as Skoll leaps atop the rubble, banging his twin axes together. The giant’s head snaps round, a torrent of flame billowing from his nose.

  Skoll’s distraction has worked. The giant issues a ground-trembling roar, then charges the Skard. Your way is left clear. Quickly, you hurry across the dusty canyon, towards the manacles that hold the dragon prisoner. If you can break them open, then perhaps they could be used against the giant . . .

  All of a sudden, each of the manacles starts to glow – the air around them distorted by magic.

  Four spirits coalesce into being around the dragon – the rune spirits that have been bound into the evil irons. The largest is some beast of fur and ice, with a bestial face riddled with fangs. Another is fashioned from threads of flame, its thin body resting on four splayed legs. The third is a shadowy figure, almost humanoid-looking, with serrated blades for arms. The final spirit is a bloated pig-like creature, its devilish form obscured by a cloud of pestilent decay.

  You glance back towards the giant. The beast is roaring and bellowing, trying to catch Skoll and Anise, who are dodging around the giant’s blows, issuing taunts and keeping him busy. You know they won’t be able to hold the giant’s attention for long.

  The rune spirits surge towards you, four deadly adversaries each with their own potent powers. You realise you will need to overcome these prison guardians in order to break their manacles. It is time to fight:

  Speed Magic Armour Health

  Gjoll 14 15 14 130

  Sephix (*) 11 6 6 50

  Raurg (*) 11 6 6 40

  Anod (*) 10 5 5 30

  Wendigo (*) 10 5 5 30

  Special abilities

  Prison guardians: (*) Each prison guardian has an ability. Once a prison guardian is defeated, their ability no longer applies. The abilities are:

  – Sephix’s pestilence: You must lose 2 health at the end of each combat round.

  – Raurg’s fires: You must reduce your armour by 1 at the end of each combat round. (You cannot regain lost armour until the combat is over.)

  – Anod’s reflection: Each time your damage score/damage dice inflicts damage to an opponent, you must take 2 damage in return (per opponent struck).

  – Wendigo’s chill: You must lower your speed by 1.

  Shackle the giant: Each of the prison guardians (Sephix, Anod, Raurg and Wendigo) is guarding one of the manacles holding the dragon prisoner. If you defeat a prison guardian, you gain control of their manacle. This can immediately be used on Gjoll to help you defeat him. The manacle abilities are as follows:

  – Sephix’s manacle: Gjoll is inflicted with pestilence and must suffer 5 damage, ignoring armour, at the end of every combat round (starting with the round after Sephix is defeated).

  – Raurg’s manacle: Cruel fires melt through Gjoll’s armour, reducing it to 4 for the remainder of the combat.

  – Anod’s manacle: Gjoll’s hammer becomes a shadow of its former strength, reducing the giant’s magic to 4 for the remainder of the combat.

  – Wendigo’s manacle: Ice encases the giant, reducing Gjoll’s speed by 3 for the remainder of the combat.

  In it together: Abilities that strike more than one opponent can be used on Gjoll and the prison guardians as normal. All opponents are viable targets for such attacks.

  To win the combat you must defeat Gjoll. Once Gjoll is defeated, any remaining prison guardians are also defeated. If you manage to overcome this ferocious giant, turn to 739.

  595

  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 purple energies crackle above the podium. For a brief moment you glimpse some creature trapped within the bright maelstrom – a writhing ball of shadow, with tentacles whipping out through the air – 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 sparking and hissing with trapped shadow magic. (Congratulations! Your chosen weapon/item of equipment now has the darksilver ability.) When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to 684.

  596

  You manage to pass through the web unscathed! The dragons are less fortunate, however, slamming through the web and ripping it from its island tethers. The ragged threads catch aroun
d their bodies, sending crackling bolts of magic ripping into their flesh. Shrieking with anger, the dragons twist and shake to free themselves of the glowing netting – but not before they have suffered significant wounds from its evil magic. Record the word frazzled on your hero sheet, then turn to 773.

  597

  The topmost branches of the tree curl inwards, meeting at the centre of a wooden platform where a man hangs suspended from their grasp. He is naked, save for the tattered remains of a loin cloth and a few strips of leather that may once have been a shirt. He dangles by his feet, body twisting and writhing in agony. Every inch of his flesh has been scoured with deep gashes, forming channels that run from his feet to his scalp. A steady stream of venomous ichor drips from the branches, sizzling and steaming as it courses down the lacerated markings, inflicting great pain and torment to the captive prisoner.

  ‘Skoll!’

  It is unmistakably the Skard warrior you were sent here to find – his huge, muscular body and the long golden hair match the entombed half-giant you saw at Vindsvall. The manner of his torture is nightmarish and cruel, his deafening screams ringing like thunder in your ears.

  You push past the knotted branches and step out onto the platform.

  ‘Rata-rata-tosk!’

  The giant squirrel scampers out in front of you, its head flicking from side-to-side as it sizes you up. ‘Strong as ironwood. Yes, yes. But you climb before you can walk, rata-rata-tosk!’

  ‘Out of my way,’ you snarl, taking an angry step forward. ‘Are you responsible for this?’ You gesture to the tortured prisoner.

  Ratatosk flexes his shoulders, dark claws extending outwards from his paws. ‘The witch has dominion here, rata-rata. But I’ll be generous, that’s my nature. I’ll let you leave, take word – whisper, whisper – back to Vindsvall. Tell them of what you have seen. Tell them all, rata-rata, of what befalls those who seek to hinder the witch’s plans.’

  ‘This is your last chance.’ You raise your weapons, magic flickering around your tensed body. ‘Out of my way!’

  ‘So be it,’ snickers Ratatosk, stalking around you. ‘Stubborn as oak, fiery as the buckthorn. You would have been wise to listen to me, rata-rata-tosk!’

  ‘Likewise.’ You charge the creature, who dodges swiftly, diving past you in a red-brown blur. He scampers up the nearest wall, leaping over you as you charge in again, your weapons cutting futilely through the air. Spinning round, you spot the creature digging into one of his many pouches. With a flick of his clawed hand Ratatosk lifts a grey acorn to his shoulder, then throws it hard at the ground. There is a flash of dark light and then a twisted shape starts to emerge from the smoke, its gnarled limbs snapping and creaking as they unfurl. Within seconds you find yourself facing a spider-like tree with crimson eyes glowing from its soot-coloured bark.

  With a hellish shriek the summoned creature lurches towards you on tentacle-like roots while Ratatosk lopes to a safe distance, rummaging in his pouch for more enchanted seeds. It is time to fight:

  Speed Magic Armour Health

  Ratatosk 7 6 5 80

  Shadow sapling 5 4 1 5

  Special abilities

  Rat-a-tat-tat: Ratatosk continues to sow more of his dark seeds, summoning minions to his aid. At the start of each combat round, roll a die. On a result of or less, two new shadow saplings enter the combat (with the same attributes as the sapling shown above). If the result is or more, only one new shadow sapling enters the combat.

  Thorn fingers: At the end of each combat round, you must take 1 damage (ignoring armour) from each shadow sapling currently in play.

  If Ratatosk is defeated, the rat-a-tat-tat ability no longer applies. You must defeat Ratatosk and all shadow saplings currently in play in order to win the combat.

  If you manage to overcome this rascally rodent, turn to 143.

  598

  You weave between the snapping beaks and raking talons, using the advantage of speed to give you the edge over the cumbersome creatures. Finally the last of the nightwings goes flailing backwards against the battlements, its wings torn and useless. Before it can find its feet again you swing your weapons in a savage arc, severing the beast’s head in a spray of blue-black blood. Just like in the storybook, you have bested the vile monsters and saved the day!

  You may now take one of the following rewards:

  Fallen angel Skyhawk Talons of the tower

  (cloak) (main hand: crossbow) (gloves)

  +2 speed +1 magic +2 speed +3 brawn +1 speed +2 brawn

  Ability: phantom Ability: piercing Ability: revenge

  When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to 444.

  599

  Legendary monster: Quelertang the Hailstorm

  Tracks in the snow have brought you to the edge of a pit, where wind chimes made of bone sing eerily from the withered trees. Their dry, cracked bark leak an icy-blue sap, which oozes in thick rivulets down into the base of the crater. There a small child, no older than seven, stands shivering from the cold. He grips a spear in his pale frost-bitten hands, gawping in fear at the dark opening in the opposite wall.

  You notice the child is lame – one of his legs is misshapen, probably from disease or a broken bone that was never set properly. Glancing round at the tracks cutting through the churned snow, and the singing bone charms arranged around the pit, you suspect this is some Skard ritual – or punishment. Any sign of weakness is frowned upon in the north. A child that cannot hunt for his tribe is no longer of any use.

  Your boots scuff through the snow as you step up to the lip of the pit. The child’s head snaps round in your direction, frost glistening off his chapped lips and the snot frozen to his face. He looks so weak and afraid – and innocent. A mirror-image of yourself at that age.

  A bone-chilling howl reverberates from the hole. The child gives a startled yelp, his attention flicking back to that impenetrable pool of darkness. He raises his spear and starts to limp backwards.

  The wind picks up with a sudden fury, the bone chimes filling the air with a discordant din.

  You draw your weapons, calling on Nanuk to pass his strength into you, heightening your senses and your spirit powers. Then you leap into the pit, landing in a crouch just as the monstrous apparition comes pouring out of the hole.

  At first it seems to be a confusion of smoke and mist – a dust cloud that refuses to settle. Then you see the shards of ice spinning about its ethereal body. You manage to grab the boy, pushing him to safety as a flurry of ice is hurled in your direction at frightening speed. Twisting aside, you manage to dodge the worst of the bullets, but the force of the wind blows you back against the wall.

  You barely have a chance to recover before the demon is surging across the pit, its body growing bigger as its whirling form picks up more ice and rocks to hurl in your direction. It is time to fight:

  Speed Magic Armour Health

  Quelertang 8 4 6 90

  Special abilities

  Hailstorm: At the end of each combat round, the hail bullets automatically inflict 1 damage, ignoring armour, for every 10 health that Quelertang has remaining. (For example, if Quelertang had 65 health, the hailstorm would inflict 6 damage.)

  Buffeting gale: If you have the insulated ability you can reduce Quelertang’s damage score by 2.

  Body of air: Quelertang is immune to bleed, decay, disease and venom.

  If you manage to defeat this chilling maelstrom, turn to 742.

  600

  You must use these ancient defences to defeat the four advancing stone guardians. The diagram on the facing page shows a map of the hall. The circles represent locations where you can place an orb. Each orb has a different magical power – by choosing their locations carefully, you can combine their magics to devastating effect. Will you be able to defeat the guardians before they can reach you?

  1. The four guardians begin on the first arrow at the top left of the diagram. (You may want to copy this diagram onto paper and use numbered counters to represent each
guardian. The diagram is also available to download and print from www.destiny-quest.com.)

  2. In each combat round, the guardians all move forward one square.

  3. Each time the guardians move into a new square, they immediately activate the orb/s that have been placed next to that square. (See below for orb effects.)

  4.

  When a guardian reaches the final arrow (at the bottom right), it will engage you in normal combat with the health it has remaining.

  Speed Brawn Armour Health

  Guardian 5 5 7 150

  Guardian 5 5 7 150

  Guardian 5 5 7 150

  Guardian 5 5 7 150

  You find in the room three frost orbs, three shadow orbs, two tremor orbs and one lightning orb. You may have collected additional orbs on your travels, which you can also use. Each orb does the following:

  Frost orb Slows one guardian, meaning it stays on its current square for an extra round instead of moving to the next.

  Shadow orb Inflicts a curse on one guardian, inflicting 10 passive damage at the end of each turn for the duration of the challenge/combat. (Each guardian can only be affected by this once.)

  Tremor orb Inflicts damage depending on how many guardians are in the square. (One guardian = 100 damage, two = 50 damage each, three guardians = 30 damage each, four guardians = 20 damage each.)

  Lightning orb Reduces one guardian’s armour to 2.

  Decide where you want to place your orbs (using a symbol or colour to denote each type). Once placed, orbs cannot be moved. Their magic can only be used once. When the orbs have been placed – the challenge begins! (Remember, you cannot engage the guardians in ordinary combat until they have reached the final arrow.)