by Joe Dever
The door leads to a long corridor, at the end of which is a curtained arch. You tear the curtain aside and continue on your chase.
Turn to 61.
325
The next morning arrives bright and windless. The sun pierces the thin layer of cloud, bathing the east in a soft pink glow. This beautiful vision reminds you that your Kai masters once told you that the light of Kalte is unlike anywhere else in Magnamund. With tent and equipment packed, you leave the pass and venture out onto the Hrod Basin; one hundred miles of open ice now lie between you and Storm Giant Pass.
At first, the journey is easy. The Basin has been worn smooth by the wind and no crevasses lurk unseen beneath the hard, dense snow. But at dawn on the third day, events take a turn for the worse. You are awoken from a deep sleep by Dyce shaking your shoulder. He is frightened. ‘What's wrong?’ you ask, still bleary-eyed and sleepy.
‘Ice Barbarians … on the horizon. Twenty, maybe more. Five wind sledges and a warrior escort. I think they've seen us.’
In an instant, you have all climbed out of your sleeping furs and begun to pack away the tent. Dyce is correct, they are Ice Barbarians and they are heading towards you from the west. ‘If they catch us, we're as good as dead,’ says Fenor, as he ties the last of the equipment to the sledge.
The Ice Barbarians of Kalte are a fierce and war-like race of nomads. For thousands of years they have travelled this icy wasteland, trapping furs and herding mammoths. Their only contact with the rest of Magnamund is through the trading post of Ljuk. In summer, when the coast around Ljuk is free from ice, they journey there to trade their furs for weapons and tools, as there is no iron or wood in Kalte. They hate all except their own kind, and kill anyone they find who dares to trespass in their icy domain. You soon hear their war-cries less than three miles distant, and for the first time since you landed, you pray for a blizzard to hide your escape.
Turn to 216.
326
After a period of intense concentration, the image of the lock gradually takes form in your mind. The lock is shielded by a spell, but your Kai skill and your determination prove the stronger power. A click confirms the success of your effort, but you are greatly fatigued and lose 1 ENDURANCE point. Then silently, and of its own accord, the great stone lid opens to reveal a magnificent Silver Helm.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 127.
If you wish to put this Helm on, turn to 308.
If you would rather leave it where it is, you can explore the stairs by turning to 323.
327
As you approach nearer to Ikaya, the recent encounter with the Ice Barbarians plays on your mind. Will you be able to outrun them or are they planning an ambush at this very moment? Both Irian and Fenor look very anxious and little is said as you trek across the difficult terrain. But your worries distract your attention from more familiar danger. You are less than eight miles from the fortress when the snow gives way beneath you and you plunge into a hidden crevasse.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–8, turn to 105.
If the number you have picked is 9, turn to 144.
328
In spite of his frail physique, the man climbs with surprising speed and dexterity. You pull him through the portal and retrieve your Rope. ‘The stairs,’ he says, pointing into the darkness. ‘Our escape lies that way, but you had best take the lead; my eyes ail me. I have suffered the snow-blindness and my vision is just a blur.’
You pack your Rope and lead the way along the passage. You are about to descend the stairs when a pair of skeletal hands close around your throat from behind. A hideous cry betrays the ‘merchant's’ true identity. He is a Helghast, a deadly shape-changing servant of the Darklords, and he has tricked you into releasing him from his cell. He is intent on murdering you.
You desperately gasp for air as the skeletal fingers tear and burn at your throat. You lose 6 ENDURANCE points. If you are still alive, you can break free from his steely grip. You must now fight this creature to the death. Due to the surprise of the Helghast's attack and the injury it has inflicted on your throat, you are unable to swallow any potions prior to the combat.
If you possess the Sommerswerd, turn to 99.
If you do not possess it, turn to 175.
329
The noises that you hear are Kalkoth. There are three of these vicious creatures, inhabitants of the mountains of Kalte. They are predatory killers and their favourite prey is Baknar.
If you have smeared Baknar oil into your skin, turn to 202.
If you have not applied Baknar oil to your skin, you can avoid the Kalkoth by retracing your route back to the entrance of the other tunnel, by turning to 284.
If you wish to attack the creatures, you can turn to 138.
330
You soon arrive at the bottom of a spiral staircase; there seems to be no alternative but to climb it. After ascending over two hundred steps, you arrive at a long passage which ends at a balcony. Thirty feet below, you see Vonotar the Traitor standing in front of two Ice Barbarian warriors. He is placing a gold bracelet upon the wrist of one of them, and is unaware of your presence. There are no stairs from here to the chamber below, but there is a door at the end of the balcony.
If you have a Rope, you can climb down and attempt to capture him by turning to 100.
If you do not have a Rope, you can descend the spiral staircase by turning to 148.
If you prefer, you can investigate the door at the end of the balcony by turning to 61.
331
The following day, the weather becomes bitterly cold. Wind from the north brings a hail of ice that stings your face. Your lips soon split and bleed. By midday, you are engulfed in a blizzard that makes progress slow and tiring. The howling wind forces you to dismount from your sledge and push it. You feel utterly exhausted. Your hands and toes are numb with the cold; the sweat from your exertions freezes to your skin, lining your boots and mittens with a layer of ice.
By the time you reach the glacier's edge, it is nearly nightfall. You are all so exhausted that you barely have the energy to pitch your tent and eat a meal. Disaster has all but overtaken you. You have frostbite in your toes, fingers, and nose, and unless you have the Kai Discipline of Healing, you lose 4 ENDURANCE points.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number you have picked is 0–4, turn to 62.
If the number you have picked is 5–9, turn to 288.
332
At the top of the stairs is a wide landing where a corridor runs north to south.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense or Hunting, turn to 249.
If you wish to head north, turn to 104.
If you wish to go south, turn to 69.
333
Your lightning reactions have saved you. The tip of the Ice Barbarian's lance tears your sleeve, but that is all. But, in an instant, the scout has turned and halted. He unfastens his skis with one swift, practised action, and draws a bone sword. You must prepare for combat.
Turn to 68.
334
A hidden panel opens near the right stave. Inside, you discover a beautiful Glowing Crystal. It is warm to the touch. If you wish to keep this Glowing Crystal, slip it into your pocket and mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item.
Illustration XIX—A hidden panel opens near the right stave and inside is a beautiful glowing crystal.
If you wish to activate the buttons again, turn to 65.
If you wish to leave the temple, turn to 306.
335
You find that the icy rock-face offers many handholds, but you cannot find a secure grip with your fur mittens on; but if you remove your mittens in order to climb, you know that frostbite is inevitable.
If you wish to risk your life and your hands, you can continue to climb by turning to 55.
If you decide to abandon your climb, you can descend to the hall be
low and search for another exit by turning to 182.
336
You have covered less than twenty yards when you arrive at the foot of another staircase. You ascend to the top where you see a faint light in the distance, spreading along the floor of the dirt-encrusted passage. It is another portal. Through the opening, you can see an old man huddled in the corner of a cell twenty feet below. His hair is matted and the dirt that clings to his blue robes almost obscures the crescents and stars embroidered on them.
If you wish to call to the old man, turn to 247.
If you wish to continue along the passage, turn to 30.
337
The scout flashes past and stops less than twenty feet away. With a well-practised action, he removes his skis in an instant and draws a vicious-looking bone sword. You must prepare for combat.
Turn to 68.
338
As you step over the bodies of the Ice Barbarians, you catch a glimpse of a grotesque creature staring at you from the corner of a passage to your left. Even though you see it for the briefest moment, it is long enough to send a shiver down your spine. It resembles an enormous man's head. But one that has sprouted feet and a long scaly tail. Although it wears a hooded cloak, there is no trace of a torso beneath it. As it scurries off, your heart pounds at the thought of what horrors may lie ahead.
If you wish to pursue the strange creature, turn to 87.
If you wish to search the bodies of the dead Ice Barbarians, turn to 26.
339
Within ten minutes, frostbite has eaten into your hands and feet. On this exposed rock-face the icy winds often exceed a speed of one hundred miles an hour. You last for thirty minutes before severe exposure robs you of all consciousness, and you plummet to your death three thousand feet below.
Your mission and your life end here.
340
You drag the bodies out of the kitchen and prop them behind the secret door. When you return, Loi-Kymar is busy examining the bottles of herbs that line the kitchen shelves. He pockets several jars and mixes the contents of two others in a small stone bowl. He offers you a handful of the dry leaves and urges you to eat them. ‘They will restore your strength, Lone Wolf.’ You eat the sweet tasting herbs and feel a warm glow radiating throughout your body. Restore 6 ENDURANCE points to your current total.
Turn to 301.
341
You can sense the presence of a powerful life-force beyond the misty arch. As you concentrate, you suddenly recall a tale told to you when you were a small child, ‘The Legend of the Vagadyn Gate’. This was a tale of Ice Demons and how they once fought a war to be able to leave their world and come to Kalte. They were formless creatures, without shape and substance, and existed as pure energy in another dimension, beyond the confines of space and time. The Ice Demons discovered the Vagadyn gate, a sort of door between their world and Magnamund; they fought each other to enter this gate, unaware of the fate that awaited them. The Ancients had also discovered the gate. As the Ice Demons passed through the Vagadyn, their spirits were imprisoned in crystals by the cunning Ancients, who harnessed the power of the Ice Demons to build Ikaya. The M'lare bowls that light the fortress each contain the spirits of lesser Ice Demons trapped within. You also remember that the tale warns against destroying the crystal prisons: if an Ice Demon is released it will seek to claim the body of its rescuer.
Forewarned by your Kai skill, you enter the misty arch.
Turn to 264.
342
Your Kai Discipline of Tracking reveals that the right tunnel heads east and the left tunnel heads north. You are now directly beneath Cloudmaker Mountain. Consult the map of Kalte before you decide which tunnel to enter.
If you decide to take the east tunnel, turn to 199.
If you decided to take the north tunnel, turn to 284.
343
Your enemies can only attack you one at a time due to the narrow confines of the cell. You must fight them individually in the following order. The Ice Barbarian is immune to Mindblast.
Doomwolf 1: COMBAT SKILL 15 ENDURANCE 24
Doomwolf 2: COMBAT SKILL 14 ENDURANCE 23
Doomwolf 3: COMBAT SKILL 14 ENDURANCE 20
Ice Barbarian: COMBAT SKILL 17 ENDURANCE 29
If you win the combat, turn to 28.
344
The fortress door is completely smooth; it has no visible lock, hinge, or keyhole. However, turning your attention to the granite wall you notice that one of the massive blocks is different to all the others. A small triangle has been cut into its surface.
If you possess a Blue Stone Triangle, turn to 41.
If you do not, turn to 147.
345
You close your eyes and concentrate on blocking out the attacking Mindforce. You gradually control the pain, just enough to be able to tear the Bracelet from your wrist and hurl it to the floor. Cursing your misfortune, you stagger unsteadily towards the junction at the far end of this corridor.
Turn to 215.
346
Dyce makes it across to the opposite ledge safely, although Irian slips and has to be hauled out of the glacier by his waist rope. You and Fenor are still on this side of the crevasse. It is your turn to jump.
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 total is now 0–3, turn to 195.
If your total is now 4–11, turn to 232.
347
The corridor is poorly lit and it would be easy for you, skilled as you are in the art of hunting, to approach the guards under cover of the shadows.
Covering your nose from the fumes of the bowl, you edge your way along the wall towards the unsuspecting guards. Placing the bowl in the shadow of a pilaster, you stealthily return to the kitchen to await its effect. In less than a minute, the Ice Barbarians collapse to the floor and you can approach the Hall of the Brumalmarc undetected.
To your delight you discover that one of the great jewelled doors is unlocked. Preparing yourself for attack, you gently push the door ajar and enter Vonotar's chamber.
Turn to 173.
348
Your Kai Discipline reveals to you that there is a network of caves less than a couple of hundred yards to the south. You abandon the sledge and search southwards.
Turn to 314.
349
During your adventure, have you discovered and kept a Glowing Crystal?
If you possess this Special Item, turn to 139.
If you do not have it, turn to 97.
350
As the colours fade, you become aware of a sudden drop in temperature. You now stand upon the Ljuk ice shelf at a point less than half a mile from where the Cardonal lies at anchor. Loi-Kymar and Vonotar are close by, both shivering in the chill morning air. Within minutes you are sighted by the ship's lookout and a longboat is dispatched. As a wriggling Vonotar is hoisted unceremoniously aboard the Cardonal and deposited in the brig the captain is the first to congratulate you on your skill and daring.
‘But how did you manage to return so quickly?’ he asks incredulously. ‘We were not expecting you for another ten days.’
‘Let us say,’ interrupts Loi-Kymar, ‘that the wisdom of the Kai and the lore of the Magicians' Guild can surpass the limitations of even time itself.’
A puzzled expression crosses the captain's face, but it is gradually replaced by a smile as he begins to understand the magician's curious answer.
Your journey to Anskaven is swift, but you are saddened by your memories of the brave guides that were left behind. Your arrival in the port is greeted by an anxious crowd. They fear that your early return is a sign of your mission's failure. When the news of Vonotar's capture becomes known, your warrior skills are required once again; this time in the defence of your enemy against the seething mob of outraged Sommlending that assault Anskaven gaol. Safe passage is eventually secured to Toran, where trial awaits the traitor.
Upon the dawn of the feast of Maesmarn, in the depths of the Guildhall of the Crystal Star, Vonotar the Traitor is tried by his brotherhood and found guilty of his terrible crimes. He is led away in silence to the deepest chamber of the Guildhall, wherein lies the Daziarn: a portal of total darkness, the door of an eternal prison from which there can be no escape.7
Illustration XX—Vonotar is led away to the deepest chamber of the Guildhall wherein lies the Daziarn: the door of an eternal prison from which there can be no escape.
You are the avenger of his crimes, and it is you who cast the wretched traitor into the limbo of Daziarn. Your mission is now completed. You have survived the caverns of Kalte and freed Sommerlund from the menace of Vonotar.
But the heat of battle and the challenge of a new and desperate quest awaits you in Book Four of the Lone Wolf series entitled:
The Chasm of Doom
[7] The portal you throw Vonotar into is known as a Shadow Gate. This particular Shadow Gate leads to the Daziarn, a realm from which no one has ever returned.
