‘We have to run!’ shouts Polk. ‘Anse is buying us time!’
Already the portals have started to flicker and fade. Polk makes a dash for the nearest one. Without looking back, he steps through and disappears, the portal winking out of existence a second later. At the other side of the yard, Joss is scrambling from platform to platform, headed for the exact same portal as the boy. The glowing doorway has begun to shrink and fade, but the speedy ranger hurls herself inside just as it snaps closed, vanishing from sight.
‘Get out of here!’ shouts a voice in your ear. For a moment you are so startled you find yourself looking around for its source. Then your attention shifts back to the paladin, who has made a leap for one of the floating platforms. ‘I said run!’
You realise that the voice must be Anse’s.
The fire demon is now spitting balls of flame from its gaping maw. They smash into the rock walls, splintering them and sending showers of stone floating out across the strange black void. You spot two remaining doorways that you can still reach – one to your left on a cracked dais of rock and another to your right, glimmering between two pillars of stone. You realise that, unless you choose one of them quickly, they will disappear, trapping you here with this enraged demon.
Will you:
Take the left portal? — 436
Take the right portal? — 206
252
You send your rock soldier forward, confident that its hardened body will be able to withstand the metal monster’s attacks. As you predicted, the buzz saws grate and spark as they try and cut through the rock, but they cannot penetrate it. With its blades bent and crippled, the metal warrior is forced to resort to punching and kicking – but to no avail. The rock soldier uses its own mighty fists to pummel its opponent’s body into scrap metal. Congratulations, you have chosen well and defeated ironclad. (Remove the rock soldier from your hero sheet.) Restore your health, then turn to 228.
253
You briefly recount what happened to the farmers – and the curse that was inflicted on the farmer’s wife. ‘It was one of my apprentices,’ says Damaris, wincing as she appears to recall the moment. ‘Leena thought she could help, but the spell – the demon – was beyond her powers to control. We offered the husband and the boys sanctuary. But they turned against us. Understandable . . .’ She shakes her head with regret. ‘I’m sorry. It was an unfortunate end.’
Turn to 126 to ask Damaris another question.
254
‘Oh yes!’ A delighted Joseph gives another spin in his shiny, black coat. ‘I’m going to be the talk of the town!’
‘Just be careful,’ you remind him. ‘A coat like that might get you the wrong kind of attention.’
But Joseph isn’t listening – he is already sauntering away towards the doors of the church, winking at the passers-by who are all staring at him in wonder.
You hope he doesn’t wind up in more trouble. For now, you decide to focus on your own matters. Leaving the church, you return to upper town. (Make a note of the word Joseph on your hero sheet. Then turn to 77.)
255
All that remains of Umbra is a pile of rumpled clothing and a scatter of jewellery. You also spot the skeleton of an adventurer, propped up against one of the columns. Their mildewed vestments and tattered books of scripture suggest they had once been a missionary or pilgrim.
You find a pouch containing 15 gold crowns and one of the following rewards:
Stole of shadow
Spook chi
Cobwebbed capotain
(cloak)
(talisman)
(head)
+1 speed +1 brawn
+1 speed
+1 speed +1 brawn
Ability: steal
Ability: trickster
Ability: missionary’s calling set
(requirement: pilgrim)
When you have made your decision, you return to the courtyard. Turn to 510.
256
Legendary monster: Dagona the Damned
Crops wither in the fields, while the farm buildings burn, spitting showers of glowing embers through the red-black sky. Smoke is everywhere, whirling and snaking across the hellish landscape, like a living spirit come to relish in the fiery destruction.
‘It’s Wiccan magic,’ the young pilgrim had warned, hurrying in the opposite direction. ‘The farm is cursed – forsaken by our god!’ The second had been a priest, old and wrinkled. ‘Please, pass by, child. Leave the fires to cleanse the land of its sin.’ The last was a mercenary, armour spattered with rust and dirt. ‘I saw a demon there,’ he said, his voice shaking. ‘You’d do well to keep going, just pass on by.’
Three warnings. Three chances.
But you did not deviate from your path, nor pass on by. Instead, you entered the blazing farmstead, determined to put an end to rumour – or a demon’s life if that’s what it takes.
‘No more chances,’ you reflect grimly.
Ahead is the ruin of the farmhouse. A broken shell, its roof beams and boards forming a giant, charred skeleton. And sitting hunched at the edge of one of the splintered floors is a sullen-looking creature. It is throwing stones into a heaped pile of ashes, tattered hair hanging over its soot-streaked face. There are remnants of a summer dress, clinging to its reddened skin, torn and bloodied.
As you approach the creature looks up, regarding you with smouldering coal-black eyes. Then its face creases into a mask of hatred, lips pulling back to emit a wailing scream. It is a horrible, teeth-grating sound that almost breaks your spirit and sends you running. But there is no escape – the creature is charging towards you, powerful strides driving it forward at speed. You draw your weapons and prepare to defend yourself. It is time to fight:
Special abilities
Slash and burn: If Dagona wins a combat round, roll three dice and choose the single highest die result to use for her damage score.
Ashes to ashes: Dagona breaths clouds of choking ash. If you roll a double for your hero’s attack speed, you are caught in an ash cloud. You automatically lose the round even if your attack speed was higher. (If you have an ability that lets you re-roll dice, then you can use it to try and avoid this.)
If you manage to defeat this demonic fiend, turn to 301.
257
‘Elders don’t like me,’ explains Boom, grinning once again. ‘They want warriors to hunt and protect tribe. Not want me. I got smarts for magic – not strength of hunter. So elders give me spirit walk they know I never return from. I gotta kill great Mortzilla.’
You frown, the name being unfamiliar. ‘You must kill this . . . creature before you can return to your tribe?’
Boom nods, still unable to keep a smile from his face. ‘I been here for longest time. A hundred and seventeen moons. I try spirit walk but I fail. Mortzilla is a spirit, trapped here like all the others. Bad things happen here long time ago. Make cut in shroud.’ He slices the palm of his hand through the air. ‘Space between this world and shroud made thin like palm leaf. Let magic in and other things. Spirits from that other place.’
‘And how does this help me?’ you reply. ‘I came here looking for a—’
‘Demon, I know.’ Boom’s smile fades at last. ‘I sees it with own eyes. It come here day ago. It hurt bad. Skin black from fire. You’re too late, that demon gone south.’
You rise up from your seat, intending to leave immediately – but the shaman raises a finger in the air. ‘Demon talk with Mortzilla. I find out why if you help me. Complete the spirit walk and I get all the answers, yes?’
Will you:
Agree to help Boom Mamba? — 399
Refuse his offer of aid? — 483
258
Congratulations! Your party has wrested control of the ship from the goblins. The captain picks up the leader’s pirate hat and turns it around thoughtfully. ‘Nice bit of headwear.’ He tosses it to Surl, who giggles with delight as he places it on his head.
You take a moment to search the bodies of the
goblin archers. You may choose up to two of the following rewards:
Goblin bones
Sniper’s goggles
Goblin mittens
(backpack)
(head)
(gloves)
These might prove
valuable to the
right person
+1 armour
Ability: focus
+1 magic +1 armour
When you have made your decision, turn to 118.
259
‘I cannot go back on a promise,’ you state, folding your arms stubbornly. ‘My life was saved and now I must do the same for another.’
‘Who?’ snaps the priest. ‘Is it a Wiccan? Was it the one who stole the relic from the church? That thing is dangerous! It’s a weapon that needs to be protected, else it will endanger lives!’
‘They stole nothing,’ you add tersely. ‘They went with the intention of taking it, but something happened; something went wrong.’
Benin snorts, shaking his head. ‘So, you would put the life of a common thief over that of the bishop. I hardly think that is a fair decision.’
‘Here, here!’ grins the manticore, clapping its front paws together.
Will you:
Take the blood for yourself? — 312
Challenge Benin to defend his claim? — 240
Convince Benin to help you defeat the manticore? — 280
260
You follow Ventus down a number of echoing stone corridors. Doors to either side afford glimpses of similar cubicles to your own, with pallet beds and kneeling stools. Eventually, you are led out into a wide open courtyard. For the first time you see the vast walls of the monastic buildings looming up into the clear blue skies.
‘The dean’s offices are over there,’ says Ventus, pointing to a set of stairs leading up to a rectangular tower. ‘I must attend to other matters in the library. One God guide your path, traveller.’ The monk bows and then re-enters the building behind you.
As you cross the courtyard, you spot Bea sitting on a bench beneath a row of mullioned windows. One of her swords is resting across her knees, and she is scrutinising it with a thoughtful expression. An oil-skin bag is open next to her, with several tattered books scattered on top of it.
To your left you see an elaborate door, made from ivory and gold. It creaks open and a young monk appears, squinting in the light. You notice that he is rubbing the back of his hands, where branded sigils flash and sparkle with their own bright radiance.
To your right, an archway leads through into a columned hall. At its far end, a lone priest kneels in prayer before a statue of the prophet Allam.
Will you:
Ask the monk about his markings? — 316
Talk to Bea? — 148
Enter the chapel and speak to the priest? — 245
Climb the stairs to the dean’s tower? — 291
261
It is a long and gruelling battle. Lazlo observes your performance with growing admiration, occasionally offering advice when he sees you overstepping a lunge or struggling with a parry. Eventually, exhaustion forces you to make a mistake, your wild swing going wide of its mark. Before you can recover, a sudden lurch of the disc throws you off balance. Lazlo catches you with the hilt of his sword, knocking you flat onto your stomach.
You are about to struggle, when you feel the point of his blade at your neck.
‘Game over,’ laughs the prince. He utters a word of magic, and suddenly the disc starts to lower itself back to the ground. ‘Do not be downhearted,’ he grins, helping you back to your feet. ‘I saw much improvement in you. Like you said, you’re a very fast learner.’
If you have a high magic score and wish to learn the path of the mage, turn to 3. If you have a high brawn score and wish to learn the path of the warrior or the rogue, turn to 97.
262
A body goes hurtling past you, kicking and jerking as it is consumed in yellow flames. You spin around to see Eldias fending off a crowd of zombies. One of his hands is glowing with a yellow-orange light, the glow caught in his dazzling eyes.
‘I judge you!’ he screams, rainwater pouring like a sparkling curtain from the brim of his hat. ‘And I find you guilty!’ The witchfinder sends another bolt of magic from his hand, slamming into two of the undead and sending them writhing through the air.
Then you feel hands wrapping around your legs. In horror, you realise that the half-giant is still moving. Its massive hands now have a hold of you, dragging you down to the rain-slick ground. As you try and fend it off, a group of zombies break away from Eldias, hurrying towards you, snarling and howling with hunger. From the corner of your eye, you see another group closing in as well.
You cry out to Eldias for help as the horde descend on you, suffocating you in a tight press of stinking, rotting bodies. You will need to fend off their attacks until the witchfinder can reach you:
Special abilities
Unstoppable!: You only need to fend off the zombie horde until Eldias can reach you. (See below.)
All pile on!: There is very little room to manoeuvre. You cannot use special abilities or backpack items in this fight.
If you manage to survive to the end of the fifth combat round, turn to 335. (Special achievement: If you defeat the zombie horde within five combat rounds, turn to 367.)
263
You push past the clumsy traveller, settling into a space at the busy bar. After several minutes of waiting, you finally catch the bar man’s attention. Turn to 364.
264
You follow Vas into the captain’s cabin. Like the logger’s camp, the place has been ransacked. Paintings have been slashed to ribbons, charts and maps have been torn apart – in one corner, a chair lies in broken pieces, its seat stuffing spilling out across the grimy floor – everywhere you look, the goblins have smashed and ruined whatever they could get their hands on.
‘Goblins,’ scowls Vas. ‘Crazier than the captain.’ She kneels down and picks up the remains of a tattered chart. ‘This could be interesting.’
You help her clear a space on the table, so that the chart can be spread out. It appears to show the north and west coasts of Valeron, with various areas marked with red circles. Vas nods her head. ‘Pirates. These are prime spots for ambushing traders, especially army ships moving between Skardland and Beeches Fort.’
You move around the table to get a better look. As you do so, a loose panel in the floor buckles slightly under your weight. Intrigued, you take a closer look – pushing down on the panel with the heel of your hand. The other end lifts slightly, revealing a dusty cavity.
‘Well, aren’t you the detective,’ grins Vas. ‘What’s in there?’
You reach into the space and pull out a heavy sack. Inside you find a small pouch of money, a golden compass and a highly-polished pirate’s cutlass.
‘Halves on the money,’ smiles Vas. ‘And I’ll let you have first pick of the treasures.’
You are left with 10 gold crowns and may choose one of the following rewards:
Cutlass of the seven seas
Betsy’s second compass
(left hand: sword)
(necklace)
+1 speed
Ability: safe path
Ability: parry
With little else of interest in the room, you both head back to the deck. Turn to 159.
265
‘They learnt their paltry magic from the dwarves, back in the dark ages – back when we were all savages, with no wisdom or understanding.’ Malak picks a stray hair from his silken cuff and flicks it away. ‘They treated it like any other weapon – used it to crush their enemies.’
He snorts. ‘I suppose they became civilised, in their own way. But where there is ignorance there is always danger.’ He folds his arms, lifting his head back to peer at you down his nose. ‘Did I mention the word ignorance yet again? How very . . . apt. Now, if you would just crawl back to your little hole I can get back to my life.’
Will you:
Ask about the testing? — 213
Leave and return to upper town? — 77
266
A white light shoots out from the pages of the book, bursting into a cloud of sparkling dust as it breaks against your invisible opponent. As the glittering motes settle you see that they have revealed the poltergeist, shimmering around its humanoid body. The creature gives an angry screech as it tries to brush the dust away – but it is already too late for this ghostly nuisance. You are charging in, aiming your strikes with a deadly precision:
If you manage to defeat the poltergeist, turn to 236.
267
You escort a dejected-looking Joseph to the lower town market where you are able to find an armourer who wants the scales to create a shield. After much haggling, you are able to secure a good deal. (You have gained 100 gold crowns.) Joseph pockets his own gold sulkily before heading off towards the nearest tavern. You doubt the gold will last long in his hands, but he’s no longer your problem.
As you go to leave, the armourer stops you. ‘Come back ’ere if you are interested in the shield I’m making. Going to be something really special.’ Make a note of the entry number 230. Turn to that entry number at any time when you are in Carvel to view the armourer’s goods. Turn to 36 to continue your journey through lower town.
The Heart of Fire Page 21