The Heart of Fire
Page 58
An arrow of purple light streaks out of the mist. It pierces your shoulder, punching straight through to the other side. Teeth gritted with pain you stagger forward, dimly aware of the flesh folding back, healing itself.
A black-cloaked stranger stands before you, a bright staff of gold resting across his shoulder. The wind tugs at his cowl, exposing his features for the briefest of moments. A bald head, gaunt face, weasel-like eyes. A scar curves along his cheek, turning his upper lip . . .
It is the librarian from Durnhollow. The man who drugged you and then questioned you. The man who brought you to the edge of ruin.
‘YOU!’ Fire crackles in the palms of your hands, fuelled by your memories of that dark place; of your imprisonment.
‘Back off.’ The librarian speaks in a commanding tone – one you have never heard him use before. ‘I am Lorcan. And I am taking the sword.’ Raising his hand, he points it at Ragnarok. The pale flesh of his arm reveals three branded serpents. They writhe and twist as if alive, glowing with an alien magic. ‘Try and stop me, and I’ll end your life in an instant.’ From his fingertips the air bends and distorts, flowing outwards in a glittering current. It curls around the sword, enfolding it within an invisible prison.
‘You . . . you used me . . . used Cernos . . . to get the sword.’
He looks at you with derision, his scar twisting his features. ‘You wanted freedom, didn’t you? Look at you, fool. You are an archdemon now.’
The sword drifts through the air to hover at his side. He then raises the golden staff, its end panels flipping open to form the petals of a flower. ‘The future is yours, demon.’
There is a bright flash of golden light – then he is gone. And the sword with him.
The ground shakes violently, throwing you sideways. Only metres away the rock is torn asunder, ripping out a jagged fissure. From its depths, a bright sludge of lava spews forth in a glutinous mass.
You quickly find your feet, lurching from side to side as the world continues to shudder in its death throes. From behind you there is a thunderous crashing din, followed by a fierce wash of heat. You dare not look back, to see the scale of devastation. Instead, you simply press on. Virgil lies nearby, his crumpled body giving off a thin grey smoke.
A sudden tremor knocks you to the ground.
Forced to crawl, you scramble over the rocks to reach the witchfinder’s side. ‘Virgil?’ The sword has left a gaping hole in his chest, the cauterised flesh gleaming with fragments of bone. He lies twisted, arms outstretched as if reaching for something. Your eyes trace the line of his body, to the golden sphere lying in the dust.
A beacon stone. Identical to the one that Virgil placed inside you, to summon himself and Avian to the volcano. He had another . . .
Your hand closes around the sphere, thumb resting on the switch. ‘Freedom . . .’ The word has a bitter ring to it now, tainted with lies – tainted by what you have become. An archdemon. Like the great Barahar who once waged war on the world. ‘All I ever wanted was freedom . . ..’
Your eyes stray to the witchfinder. The man who had fought by your side. In the end, Ragnarok had taken his life. You wonder if he will ever find peace, or be forced to serve the sword’s new master for all eternity . . .
There are many steps on the path of darkness. I pray you find deliverance before its end.
You crush the sphere in your fist – just as a violent earthquake rips open the ground. You spread your wings and take to the air, sweeping over the ravaged landscape. A thought, a desire, now spurs you on – driving you across the forested hills and sparkling turquoise ocean. A desire for revenge.
Congratulations! You have now reached the end of this adventure and have earned yourself the title The Blood of Barahar. You may now turn to the epilogue.
742
Clouds of blood obscure your vision as you pummel away at the beast, until you feel its grip around your limbs ease. Then you frantically kick with your last remaining strength, breaking above the surface in a fit of coughing and choking. The carcass of the dead alligator bobs up beside you – a twenty-foot long giant, its aged body scarred by hundreds of previous encounters.
With this fearsome hunter defeated, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:
Gator aid
Brock’s medallion
Creek guard
(chest)
(necklace)
(left hand: shield)
+1 speed +2 armour
+1 brawn
+2 speed + 1 armour
Ability: second skin
Ability: fearless
Ability: retaliation
(requirement: warrior)
You swim to the nearest bank, using the splayed roots of a tree to drag yourself up onto the sand. After taking a few minutes to attend to your wounds, you set off again – following the edge of the treeline. Turn to 703.
743
You study the complex arrangement of cogs. The system is operated by a handle, attached to a small cog on the left of the contraption. You give it a tentative push, watching as the chain of cogs starts to turn, groaning and creaking as the grime-covered teeth scrape against each other. Several cogs have come loose from the wall. Virgil places them back into the chain, looking less than certain over his choice of positioning. He stands back, scratching at his scarred cheek. ‘Hope you understand this better than I do. Makes my head spin . . .’
To stop the lava reaching the forge, you must now solve the following puzzle:
The handle turns the first cog anticlockwise (top left of diagram). Follow the three pathways of cogs to determine the direction the final switch/cog of each path will turn – clockwise (down arrow) or anticlockwise (up arrow).
If a final switch moves down, you must count up the total number of clockwise cogs that are used in the chain, to make that switch turn. If the final switch moves up, you must count the total number of anticlockwise cogs that are used in the chain, to make that switch turn. This will give you three numbers, one for each switch. Put them in order, from top switch to bottom switch, to arrive at a three figure number. This is your answer. Then turn to the paragraph number that matches your answer to see if you were correct. (For example, if you had 3 for the first switch, 6 for the second and 8 for the third, you would turn to 368.)
If you are unable to solve the puzzle, then you can have no choice but to leave the cogs and concentrate your efforts elsewhere. You may now examine the pipes, if you haven’t already (turn to 692) or head up the stairs to the forge (turn to 601).
744
The hunter’s camp looms out of the mist like a military fortress, with high walls of staked wood and lookout towers bristling with crossbows. As you approach there is a cry from one of the towers, then the gates swing open, admitting you inside.
A black-bearded man steps out from one of the huts, chewing on a fat cigar. He looks like an animal himself – with thick hair on his arms and chest, and a predator’s guile to his steely grey eyes. He watches with interest as you set down your tigris trophy. Several of the other hunters have already hurried over, chatting excitedly and patting Jerem on the back. Your companion seems happy to take the praise, recounting a colourful version of the night’s events that have little in common with what really happened.
‘Welcome to the jungle,’ grins the bearded man, walking over. He offers out his hand, which you take – wincing as his grip tightens like the coils of a snake. ‘Survival of the fittest, my friend. And you chose the right side. Guess you’ll be wanting a cut.’ He releases your hand, much to your relief, and unfastens a purse of money from his belt. ‘I think this is fair reward.’ (You have gained 150 gold crowns.)
‘I’m Buckmaster Bill,’ he says. ‘And this here be my camp. Make yourself at home – we got supplies if you need them, for a price of course.’ He spits into the mud before stuffing his cigar back into his mouth. ‘Come back here anytime – treat it like a home away from home.’
‘What about him?’ you ask,
nodding towards a ten-foot giant who is currently performing a workout by lifting a wooden cart in each hand. A woman next to him is keeping count – ‘two hundred and eleven . . . two hundred and twelve.’
‘Ah, that’s our Nelson,’ grins Bill proudly. ‘Not the sharpest tool, but the only one I’d choose to watch my back in this den of snakes. A good fighter, that one – I’d be willing to hire him out if you need his muscle. You look like someone that might have,’ he raises an eyebrow knowingly, ‘unfinished business to attend to.’ (Make a note of this entry number. You may return here at any time during act 2 to make use of the hunters’ services.)
Will you:
Visit the supplies tent? — 824
Ask about hiring Nelson? — 413
Ask what he knows of the jungle? — 373
Ask about further work? — 758
Leave the camp? — Return to the map
745
Amongst the remains of the drake, you find one of the following special rewards:
Drake’s chestguard
Drake’s defender
Drake’s scales
(chest)
(left hand: shield)
(gloves)
+4 brawn +3 armour
+2 speed +4 armour
+1 speed +4 brawn
Ability: barbs
Ability: piercing
Ability: rake
Lorcan approaches the banks of the pool and raises the palm of his hand. Suddenly the waters of the pool start to churn and spin, as if caught in the pull of a whirlpool. Then black blood sprays up into the air as an object flies out of the water, straight into Lorcan’s fist. He turns, offering out the prize. ‘It’s your lucky day,’ he grins.
You lean away in revulsion when you realise he is holding the beast’s heart, its purple flesh blackened and scorched.
‘The demon’s kha can make you stronger,’ he insists. ‘You have the gift – I can see you do. Use it to take on the drake’s powers.’
If you wish, you may take the following item:
Drake spirit
(talisman)
+1 speed
Ability: drake career
By equipping this item, you automatically learn the drake career. (NOTE: As soon as the drake spirit is unequipped or you learn a new career, you lose the abilities associated with the drake career.)
A drake warrior has the following special abilities:
Fiery temper (pa): Keep a record of all results that your opponent rolls for damage. For every two results your brawn is increased by 2. At the end of the combat, your brawn returns to normal.
Searing mantle (pa): Your armour is coated in fire. This causes 1 damage to all opponents at the end of every combat round for every 4 armour you are wearing.
When you have made your decision, turn to 551 if you still need to choose rewards, or 844 to continue.
746
By drinking the elder sap, you may also remove your hex. This will give you access to all of your abilities once again. However, if you are carrying the glaive of souls this weapon will automatically shatter and you will no longer be able to use it. Turn to 804.
747
The tunnel rises steeply, its rough-hewn walls crusted with mould. Eventually, after nearly an hour of following the twisting path, you see a band of light ahead. Quickening your step you hurry out of the tunnel, to find yourself at the edge of a rocky bluff. In the distance, protruding above the jungle canopy, are the crumbling ziggurats of a Lamuri city – and beyond that an immense black volcano, its dark form brooding and ominous against the white haze. It reminds you of the black peak from your vision at Durnhollow – the mountain that rained fire.
Congratulations, you have successfully navigated the dark interior. If you have the word explorer on your hero sheet turn to 817. Otherwise, you may now return to the quest map to continue your adventure.
748
With the deadly succubus defeated, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:
Dreamcatcher
Desolation robes
Shroud of nightmares
(necklace)
(chest)
(cloak)
+1 speed
+2 speed +2 magic
+1 speed +2 brawn
Ability: immobilise
Ability: siphon
Ability: confound
When you have made your decision, turn to 636.
749
Looking back towards the tower, you are relieved to see that there is no sign of the guardians. You can only assume that they returned to their original positions within the rock.
‘Seems the plan worked,’ you smile.
Avian pulls himself up onto the bridge, his face ashen and beaded with sweat. When Virgil helps him to his feet, you see that the mage has removed much of his armour, leaving only leg-plates and a silver-threaded tunic and breeches.
After brushing himself down, the mage slides his staff from its harness and reignites its headpiece with a crackle of magic. Then his gaze turns to Cernos, who is limping across the final stretch of the bridge. ‘Time to finish the race,’ he states grimly. Turn to 762.
750
You can sense the powerful enchantments trapped within the idol – ancient magics to command both rock and earth. Perhaps this is what the dwarves used to build their breath-taking city, moulding intricate structures out of the bare volcanic rock. Such power could become a devastating weapon in the right hands . . .
If you wish, you may now take the following item:
Rock idol
(talisman)
+1 armour
Ability: geomancer career
While this item is equipped, the geomancer has the following special abilities:
Stone rain (co): Instead of rolling for damage after winning a round, you can cast stone rain. This will automatically inflict 1 damage die to a single opponent, ignoring armour. In each consecutive round, stone rain will double its damage on the same opponent. (In the second round, you would roll 2 damage dice, the third round 4 damage dice.) If you use another ability (of any type) or lose a round, stone rain ends. This ability will last up to three rounds (4 damage dice). It can only be cast once per combat.
Tremor strike (sp): Make the ground beneath your enemies’ feet tremble. This lowers opponents’ speed by 2 for two combat rounds.
Once you have made your decision, you leave the storeroom and continue your journey. Turn to 842.
751
As you contemplate changing course, to make for the river, your eyes catch on a symbol scored deep into the trunk of a tree. You move closer to inspect it, recognising it as one of the sacred symbols used to represent the One God. Assuming it is a marker of some kind, you press on into the trees, soon spotting another symbol carved onto a mossy boulder. You realise this could be a pilgrim trail – marking the route to a shrine. Either that, or a trap to bait you.
Will you:
Follow the symbols? — 760
Head towards the river instead? — 500
752
The ghostly dwarf sweeps down the stairs and into the hall, his whole body trembling with excitement. ‘Oh yes. They’re all here. The last of the books!’ He hovers over to the nearest shelf, pulling out a hardback covered in glowing black scales. ‘Ah here – oh, would you look at this! Who would put the Lone Lister black series with the original Preposterous Perils? He hadn’t even discovered red crystallite yet.’
The ghost takes his books and leaves the hall, returning a few minutes later with a beaming smile. He floats over to you and takes a bow. ‘Minion one-one-three-eight, at your service.’
You look between the ghost and Virgil in confused shock. ‘What’s this? He wants me to suggest my favourite reads?’
The witchfinder grins. ‘He has completed the last task he was given. Now he assumes you will give him his next.’ He shrugs his shoulders. ‘Might be useful to have your own personal porter.’
By completing the ghost’s quest, you have gai
ned the following:
Magic porter: You may use the magic porter to access your storage locker on Emerald Isle (if you purchased one during Act 2). As before, if you swap equipment (weapons, backpack items etc.), you may put the item you are replacing in your locker (space permitting). This will prevent the item from being destroyed. You can re-equip items from your locker between quests.
When you have updated your character sheet, turn to 847.
753
‘How about starting now?’ you grin, eyeing the craftsmanship of the thief ’s blades. ‘That was your work, back in the courtyard, wasn’t it? A dozen undead, against . . . just you.’
Quito nods hesitantly. ‘You want to learn?’
You spin the daggers, testing their weight. ‘Providing it doesn’t end with a knife in the back.’
Quito proceeds to teach you some of his profession’s tricks. If you wish, you may now learn the thief career. The thief has the following special abilities:
Backstab (co): (requires a dagger in the main or left hand) If you or an ally play an immobilise, knockdown, stun or webbed ability in combat, you may automatically backstab the affected opponent, inflicting 2 damage dice, ignoring armour. If you have won the round, you can still roll for a damage score as normal.
Cutpurse (pa): Each time you successfully complete a combat, roll a die to discover what item you find:
or A purse containing 20 gold crowns.
or An elixir of invisibility (1 use – backpack item. Grants the ability: vanish).