The Caverns of Kalte
Page 12
Turn to 21.
267
Loi-Kymar suddenly points to the pocket in which you have put the Glowing Crystal. ‘Why do you carry a Doomstone, Kai Lord? Are you unaware of the danger it holds?’
You quickly remove the Crystal and show it to the magician. ‘Agh!’ he cries, as if to look upon it causes him pain. ‘Cast it away before we both succumb to the sickness. It is a cursed gem of the Ancients, it can only bring sickness and death to any mortal who covets its beauty.’ Reluctantly, you obey Loi-Kymar's wishes and throw the Crystal away. Make the necessary adjustment to your Action Chart.
Turn to 44.
268
You manage to crack the seal in exactly the right place, and thereby avoid smashing the thin glass stem. The vapour rising from the black liquid is sharp and pungent.
If you have ever visited the Graveyard of the Ancients, turn to 177.
If you have not, you quickly replace stopper of the Vial. The vapour is making you nauseous, and you decide against keeping this suspicious fluid. Return to 10 and choose your next course of action.
269
You reach a tunnel on the far side of the chasm and follow it for many miles. You eventually arrive at an enormous chamber, the ceiling of which towers five hundred feet above you. An icy wind, blowing through the many fissures that crack the ceiling, whips around the hall.
If you wish to search for a way of climbing up and out through the fissures, turn to 335.
If you decide to press on and look for an exit on the far side of the hall, turn to 182.
270
The Ice Barbarians are taken completely by surprise. You have killed one of them before the other has time to react to your attack. He is unarmed but determined to fight you.
Ice Barbarian: COMBAT SKILL 14 ENDURANCE 25
If you win the combat, turn to 340.
271
Your attack has caused the Ice Barbarian scout to lose his balance. He tumbles in a flurry of snow and broken skis. The fur-clad child rolls clear of his father's backpack and lies face downwards in the snow, less, than ten feet away.
The Ice Barbarian scout is badly dazed by the fall, but is already attempting to stagger to his feet.
If you wish to attack the Ice Barbarian scout before he fully regains his senses, turn to 241.
If you wish to grab the child as a hostage and try to escape, turn to 262.
272
As the vile Akraa'Neonor quivers and dies, Vonotar breaks off mind combat and runs back towards the Brumalmarc throne.
Loi-Kymar is badly shaken but he has survived the ordeal. He quickly joins you at the edge of the moat and casts a handful of herbs down into the darkness. Within seconds, a mass of vines and creepers coil upwards to form a bridge. You are halfway across the bridge when Vonotar suddenly reappears, a crystal rod held high in his hand. He takes aim at the mass of creepers and a chilling cone of frost hurtles from the rod's tip.
If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 213.
If you do not possess it, pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–3, turn to 143.
If the number you have picked is 4–9, turn to 58.
273
You are to travel to Ikaya by sledge. Two sledges have been loaded with enough food, and equipment for the mission, each drawn by a team of six Kanu-dogs. This sturdy breed is native to Kalte, and they make ideal sledge dogs. Their thick tawny coats and powerful chests, as well as their renowned vigour and enthusiasm make them well suited to the harsh work ahead.
Your three guides, Irian, Fenor, and Dyce, are all experienced trappers. They are skilled at survival in this icy desert and have experienced its many unseen dangers. Once the dogs are in harness, you and Irian climb aboard your sledge and signal to the others to lead the way.
Staring across the frozen expanse of the Ljuk ice shelf, you see the white glare of the Hrod Basin edge. ‘ “Ice-Blink” they call it,’ says Irian, his eyes glinting from deep inside the hood of his fur jacket. ‘It's the reflection of the ice shelf. It looks no more than four miles away at most, but it's nearer forty than four. The air of Kalte can be very deceptive.’
The weather is bright and windless and you make excellent progress on the first day. As darkness sets in, you decide to set up camp for the night. The sledges are drawn together, and the tent is erected in the salient away from the wind.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 35.
If you do not possess this skill, turn to 112.
274
You carefully examine the altar, and the two black staves protruding from its surface. The crackling arc of energy that linked these staves seemed to die at the very moment you plunged the Sommerswerd into the cyclonic demon. You notice that where the statue had lain, two stone buttons have now risen from the surface of the altar.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 131.
If you wish to press the buttons, turn to 227.
If you wish to leave the temple, turn to 306.
275
The tunnel is low and narrow and gradually descends towards the light of a distant cavern. As you reach the tunnel's end, you peer cautiously into the cavern beyond, in case you disturb something better left alone. Your caution is well placed, for in the centre of the icy cavern lie two large furry creatures. The remains of a shredded carcass lie on the snow around them.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, Tracking, or Animal Kinship, turn to 293.
If you do not possess any of the above skills, turn to 197.
276
You soon reach the junction where the corridor meets another running from east to west.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting or Tracking, turn to 219.
If you wish to head east, turn to 349.
If you decide to go west, turn to 50.
277
You run back into the cave as fast as you can, but the Kalkoth are familiar with this route and they are gaining on you. As you reach the frozen waterfall, you notice the slab of a silvery mineral overhanging the cave mouth.
If you possess a weapon, you may strike this outcrop and attempt to block the cave, by turning to 142.
If you do not, you will have to stand and fight the creatures as they emerge from the cave. Turn to 32.
278
Your first blow scatters the bones of the skeleton all over the chamber. It seems that it was nothing more than the harmless remains of an old tomb guard. A closer examination of the sword reveals that the blackness is nothing more than pitted iron. You lower your weapon and slowly climb the stairs.
Turn to 36.
279
Baknar are known to sleep for up to three days after a feast. By the number of freshly stripped bones littering the chamber, this Baknar is likely to be asleep for many hours. You slip past the snoring creature and leave the chamber.
Turn to 235.
280
The Key is coated with a corrosive digestive acid that burns through your mittens and attacks your fingers. Lose 1 ENDURANCE point. You drop the Key and plunge your hand into the snow to ease the pain. If you still wish to keep the key, you can wipe it in the snow before placing it in your pocket, but remember to mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item. You must now search for a way of opening the fortress door.
Turn to 344.
281
You cover your nose with your sleeve and turn away from the carcass. Irian has regained consciousness, and is quick to begin scooping out some Baknar oil for himself.
The light is fading fast and you decide to pitch camp here for the night. After a meal has been prepared and eaten, you volunteer to sit watch, in case the Baknar should decide to return. Spending a sleepless night huddled against the cold night winds seems infinitely preferable to sharing a tent with your guides stinking of Baknar oil.
Turn to 325.
282
The Ice Barbarian was armed with a Spear. You m
ay take this Weapon if you wish. You search the body and discover a curious disc of blue stone. If you wish to keep the Blue Stone Disc, put it in your pocket and mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item.
At the top of the stairs, if you wish to go left (north), turn to 104.
If you wish to go right (south), turn to 330.
283
The door is closing fast; there is very little space left through which to escape.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, you may add 3 to the number you have picked.
If your total is now 0–4, turn to 53.
If your total is now 5–7, turn to 16.
If your total is now 8–12, turn to 113.
284
After a few hundred yards, you find yourself in a huge cavern that spreads out in all directions as far as the eye can see. You have entered the caverns of Kalte and are now looking at an uncharted world that few Sommlending have ever seen. This massive underground labyrinth was constructed by the Ancients many ages before the Sommlending set foot in Magnamund. Its wide avenues, temples, and arenas once echoed to the sounds of a race of creatures for whom the ice was a natural home. M'lare bowls still hang from the ceiling bathing the caverns in their eternal light.
You trek steadily northwards for nearly six hours, until you arrive at the bank of a fast-flowing melt-water river. On the opposite bank, you see a tunnel leading off into the distance. You can find no apparent way of crossing the deep water, except by using the ice-floes bobbing up and down on the surface. By jumping from one floe to the next, you could get to the opposite bank, but it will not be easy. You will have to jump at least three of the icy slabs to reach the other side.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, you may add 2 to the number you have picked. If your current ENDURANCE points total is less than 8, deduct 2 from the number you have picked.
If your total score is now −2–+3, turn to 94.
If your total score is now 4–11, turn to 176.
285
As the door slides back, you are horrified to see the blank pupil-less eyes of the Ice Barbarian staring directly at your face. A low, unnatural cry comes from his open mouth, and in an instant the Doomwolves are awake and snarling.
If you wish to escape, you must turn and run back down the stairs. Turn to 261.
If you wish to stand and fight, turn to 343.
286
The lance has grazed your shoulder blade and knocked you to the ground. As you scramble to your feet, you see that the Ice Barbarian scout has stopped and removed his skis. He advances towards you with an evil-looking bone sword in his hand. You prepare for combat.
Turn to 68.
287
The Ice Barbarian screams a low, unnatural cry. You have been spotted and you know you must silence him quickly before he alerts the whole of Ikaya to your presence. You turn to fight.
Turn to 161.
288
That night, a gale sweeps across the open ice shelf and buries your tent in snow. During your sleep, the canvas is forced in upon the four of you and your sleeping furs become soaking wet. You awake at dawn with terrible cramp in both of your legs. It takes nearly an hour of massaging your frozen limbs before you can stand properly. You are beginning to wish that you had never set foot in this icy hell.
Turn to 167.
289
You manage to remove most of the hardened wax that covers the stopper, and ease the reluctant seal from the fragile glass stem.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Animal Kinship, or if you have reached the Kai rank of Aspirant (you are skilled in six Kai Disciplines) or above, turn to 156.
If you do not possess this Kai Discipline, or if you have not yet reached the required Kai rank, you are suspicious of the dank mouldy smell of this liquid. You quickly put the Vial down. Now return to 10 and choose your next course of action.
290
The stone door moves slowly to one side. It reveals a narrow archway that is full of billowing and swirling mist, hiding whatever it is that lurks beyond. You notice a severe drop in temperature.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense and if you have reached the Kai rank of Guardian (you are skilled in seven Kai Disciplines), turn to 341.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense but have not yet reached the rank of Guardian, turn to 124.
If you do not have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, you prepare yourself to fight and pass through the misty arch. Turn to 264.
291
When you awake, you sense that something has changed. It takes nearly a minute to realize that the incessant howling of the night winds has ceased. ‘It's a beautiful morning,’ says Irian cheerfully, his head appearing through the tent flap. You quickly climb out of your sleeping furs and stare out over the icy landscape. The Kalte air is fresh and clear. You see a strong mirage in the distance that seems to throw the land up much higher than it could possibly be.
‘We should make it to “The Rock” by nightfall,’ says Fenor, as he busily pulls a reluctant Kanu-dog into its harness. ‘Best to make camp there tonight. The shelter is good; this far from the sea, a blizzard can whip across the shelf from nowhere in a few minutes. I've known trappers to be blown for miles if they're careless or unlucky enough to be caught out on the shelf with no cover.’
That day, the Kanu-dogs pull strong and true, for the going is smooth across the ice shelf. By nightfall, you have reached ‘The Rock’, a splinter of granite that has thrust through the ice shelf. Its curious shape reminds you of the King's citadel in Holmgard. You make camp to the leeward side of ‘The Rock’, to avoid the worst of the night winds.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 103.
If the number you have picked is 5–9, turn to 220.
292
The massive door slides open to reveal a long stone causeway, spanning a vast chamber that is bathed in the orange glow of fiery furnaces. A gust of hot, putrid air wafts over you and a deafening noise assails your ears. Fifty feet below the causeway, great stone vats hang suspended over roaring flames. Each vat is full of bubbling slime writhing and contorting as if it were alive.
Fear and revulsion grip your stomach as you begin to grasp the sinister secret of this hall. Row upon row of stone plinths bear the mutilated corpses of Ice Barbarians, their skins peeled back and pinned open. Each corpse is attended by hideous creatures, a ghoulish legion of mutants crawling and slithering across the blood-drenched floor. This hall is a place of great evil, a nightmarish laboratory, a temple of the Black Art of Necromancy constructed by Vonotar the Traitor.
Illustration XVI—This hall is a place of great evil, a nightmare laboratory.
Across the causeway, another doorway suddenly slides back to reveal four Ice Barbarian mutants. As they shuffle towards you, a mixture of horror and pity overwhelms your senses.
If you wish to fight these creatures, turn to 83.
If you wish to flee from this terrible place, turn to 130.
293
The creatures in this cavern are Kalkoth, savage and cruel predators of Kalte. Their favourite prey is Baknar, and it is the remains of one of those animals spattered across the floor of the cavern. There is another passage leading off towards the north, but it is on the far side of the cavern.
If you wish to creep past the sleeping Kalkoth, turn to 125.
If you wish to retrace your steps and take the other tunnel heading north, turn to 235.
If you wish to attack these sleeping creatures, turn to 109.
294
Destroying the door in this way is an extremely strenuous task. You will need to eat two Meals after the six hours of labour or lose 6 ENDURANCE points due to fatigue.
When you finally cut hole large enough through which to escape, you discover that you have attracted some unwanted attention.
&n
bsp; Turn to 106.
295
On seeing you enter, the two old men jump to their feet and flee from the chamber along a smaller passageway. Their screams of panic echo loudly throughout the caverns.
You are very hungry and quickly consume the cooked animal, pausing only to spit out the bones. You then notice that the fire is burning in a strange, half-spherical metal bowl. The other half of the sphere lies on the icy floor nearby and you find that both halves fit together perfectly. When you open it, you discover that the fire still burns inside. If you wish to keep this Firesphere, place it inside your jacket and mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item.
Return to the tunnel by turning to 132.
296
Unfortunately, the guards suspect that something is amiss and challenge you in their strange language. You have no alternative but to attack them before they can raise the alarm. However, the fumes of the smoking herbs are affecting the Ice Barbarians and this will aid you in the following combat. You need fight only 3 rounds of combat before the guards collapse unconscious to the floor.