The Eye of Winter's Fury

by Michael J. Ward

  ‘No Skard has ever taken the walls of Bitter Keep,’ you add, with a hint of pride.

  ‘Oh, he would have,’ says the woman with a fierce certainty, ‘but we had a greater enemy at our back. The witch.’ Sura makes a quick gesture in the air – a ward or ritual, perhaps, to see away bad spirits. ‘She steals our winter, puts the fires of Hel into our world. Below us the serpent sleeps, and she seeks to awaken it.’

  ‘A serpent?’ You pull an incredulous frown.

  Sura’s expression becomes hard. ‘Do not mock me, boy. Have you not felt it, seen it with your own eyes? The shifting of the land, the shaking of the mountains?’

  You fall silent, your mind flashing back to that fateful day at Bitter Keep – the terrible scenes of death and destruction as it fell into the rift. ‘Yes,’ you croak at last. ‘I saw it.’

  ‘Skoll tried to stop her, many winters ago. But she is strong, helped by powerful spirits from the other side. In defeat, he sought the Norr, the spirit world – to find a way to defeat her.’

  ‘He failed . . .’ You read the sadness in her tone.

  ‘Yes . . .’ Sura takes a deep breath. Her eyes roll back into her head, until only the whites are showing. ‘He is lost to us,’ she rasps. ‘His spirit calls to us, oh it calls . . . in the sigh of the winds, the cry of the tern. But he does not know the way home. He cannot return, his body is without spirit, it is empty . . . cold.’ The woman gives a sudden, heaving gasp. She blinks, trying to refocus. ‘Where . . . where was I?’

  ‘You were telling me about Skoll.’ You lean back, wafting the potent smoke away.

  ‘Ah, yes.’ The woman’s eyes brighten suddenly. ‘He is a mighty warrior, the greatest. Skoll will always be Drokke. He sits at Vindsvall, his body frozen in the ice. The Frost Father. And with him, the Kronas. The crown only a Drokke can wear.’

  ‘Frozen?’ you gasp.

  ‘A Drokke must die in battle,’ she replies sharply. ‘Or a curse will befall the people.’

  It takes a moment for her words to sink in. ‘Wait, so no one else can unite your tribes?’

  ‘A sad truth.’ Sura turns her neck, letting the bones crack. ‘The Asynjur – the shamans – search for his spirit, but no one has found him. We fear the witch has trapped his soul. And she will not give him back to us.’

  Will you:

  Ask about the bear necklace? 545

  Ask what ‘vela styker’ means? 587

  End the conversation? 575

  462

  For defeating the abomination, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:

  Golden feather Troll’s blood (1 use) Drake thorn

  (special) (backpack) (special)

  Use on a totem, staff Restore 2 health at the Use on a sword, glass

  or wand to increase its start of every combat sword, axe or dagger to

  magic by 1 round for one combat increase its brawn by 1

  When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to 733.

  463

  ‘What’s there to know? Point yourself in any direction and you’re gonna find snow and ice and mountains. If you’re crazy enough to go North, well, eventually you’re gonna hit the North Face. That’s a mountain range, tall and impressive enough to warn you that yer at the end of the darn world. That’s when sensible people turn back. No one passes the North Face and lives to tell the tale. Particularly if the wicked witch gets you.’

  ‘The witch?’ you ask with sudden interest. ‘What do you know about the witch?’

  There is a grunting snort from behind the wall. ‘I was kidding. Just a stupid Skard tale – the white witch who lives in a palace of ice. They think she’s a bad ’un – the one to blame for every little problem they ever had in their lives. Pitiful. You know, I think the cold does something to their brains.’

  Will you:

  Ask another question? 450

  Discuss something other than news? 685

  Leave? Return to the map

  464

  You spot the monk that Talia told you about seated at the end of the table. He is a large man, likely an impressive sight in his youth but now muscle has turned to fat, his flabby face blotched with broken veins from too much drink. He is surrounded by empty kegs and bottles, his heavy-lidded eyes struggling to focus on the stones he is holding. Nevertheless, as he scatters them across the table, revealing their many carved symbols, it appears he has won the game. His opponent mutters a curse, watching sullenly as the pile of gold is scraped towards the monk’s half of the table.

  As the loser gets up and re-joins his companions, you slip into the now vacant seat. Your eyes settle immediately on the small black book hooked to a chain around his neck – a holy book, its cover inscribed in white-glowing script.

  ‘Would you care to play?’ you ask, returning the stones to the bag.

  The monk scratches his shaven head, stifling a belch. ‘You got gold?’ he grunts, struggling to focus his bleary eyes. ‘Twenty gold on the table, then we play.’

  ‘I want to raise the stakes,’ you reply, nodding to his book. ‘I want to play for that.’

  The monk puts his hands to his book protectively. ‘This is precious,’ he slurs, rocking in his chair.

  ‘You’ve had a lucky night.’ You glance down at the monk’s winnings – a sizeable hoard of gold. ‘I’m sure your luck will hold.’

  The monk shrugs his big shoulders. ‘Fifty gold to play,’ he snorts. ‘And my bet is the book.’

  If you have fifty gold crowns and wish to stake it on a game, then turn to 574. Otherwise, you have no choice but to return later. Turn to 80.

  465

  You reach up, pulling away the mouldy fronds to get at the soldier’s body. As you do so, the growth suddenly expands outwards, forming long root-like tentacles that lock around your arms. Anise screams as you are lifted towards a widening set of jaws that have appeared through the guard’s ruptured armour. To break free, you will need to pass a brawn or magic challenge (using whichever attribute is highest):

  Brawn/Magic

  Fungalot’s fangs 8

  If you are successful, turn to 349. Otherwise, turn to 294.

  466

  ‘Not the trustin’ sort either,’ the man grins, seeming impressed. ‘If you’d followed that blood, it would have taken you to the remains of a creature. Ran into a whole darn pack of ’em, chased me out of the deeper caves. Weird-looking things they were, with tentacles and teeth. I’ll admit, I don’t fright easy, but those critters . . .’ He shakes his head, blowing out a sigh. ‘Thought I’d try and lose ’em, but one clearly wasn’t giving up the fight. So had to rely on my knife. Dirty work it was.’

  ‘Impressive,’ you nod, noting he has no wounds of his own.

  ‘Yeah, well,’ he shrugs. ‘My bravery ain’t the point. It’s what I saw in the cave. Bodies. Maybe half a dozen. All frozen tight, covered in ice.’

  ‘The explorers!’ Your eyes widen. ‘I was sent here to find them.’

  ‘You and me both.’ The man sighs heavily. ‘But for the ice to take them like that, those explorers must have been there a very long time. Months, I’ll wager. Maybe even longer.’

  ‘Months?’ You baulk, glancing back at the blood trail. ‘But Reah . . . Diggory, they . . .’

  ‘This place isn’t right.’ He looks around, his face twitching nervously. ‘I should have turned back when I had the chance. Maybe we both should have.’ Turn to 573.

  467

  After another lacklustre meal of raw meat and dried moss, Skoll and Anise settle down to sleep. You keep watch as you always do, no longer needing food or sleep. Exhaustion quickly takes them both into fitful dreams. They toss and turn, murmuring inaudibly. You find yourself thinking back to the miners’ bodies. Nine men, armed and strong, left for dead in these caves.

  You lay a fur blanket across an ice-coated rock, then sit to watch over the others. It gives you a sense of pride that you can perform this small task – allowing them to recharge their energies for the next d
ay’s march.

  The cold of the Norr creeps into you, beckoning you to leave your body and draw yourself away. You resist, shaking your head. No, Nanuk. I have a duty.

  The pull becomes stronger, like hands closing around your mind, pressing it tight. You struggle against it, sensing that it isn’t Nanuk. Some other presence has a hold of you. Before you have a chance to defend yourself, you feel your mind sliding away. No! I must watch . . . I must protect the others . . .

  Your eyes flash open.

  Cold air rushes into your lungs. Your heart thumps against your chest as your body awakens to its shadow of a life. Quickly, you leap to your feet, kicking up a flurry of fine black sand. All around you the haunted landscape of the Norr shimmers into view, lit by the bright flashes from the broiling clouds above.

  A roar of warning.

  You turn, to see Nanuk bounding towards you. The bear is wounded, one of his back legs oozing magic from several deep cuts. He twists round, looking back the way he came. There, gliding over the black sand, you see three wraith-like spectres clad in tattered robes. They give a piercing shriek, their clawed hands distended towards you.

  Nanuk answers with a deep-throated roar, his own claws raking the sand in readiness. You draw your weapons, relishing the chance to fight side-by-side once again. It is time to fight:

  Speed Magic Armour Health

  Night terror 9 6 4 40

  Night terror 9 5 4 30

  Night terror 9 5 4 30

  Special abilities

  Shiver strike: If you take health damage from a night terror’s damage score, you must lower your speed by 2 for the next combat round only.

  Terror incarnate: At the end of every combat round, you must take 1 damage from each surviving night terror, ignoring armour.

  Bear power!: Nanuk adds 2 to your damage score for the duration of this combat.

  If you manage to defeat this terrible trio, turn to 501.

  468

  The tunnel bores up into the trunk of the tree. It is difficult to discern what fashioned the passageway – some parts look like they were gouged out of the wood by claws and teeth while other sections are perfectly smooth, suggesting some form of magic may have been used in its crafting.

  The tunnel becomes steeper, until you are forced to use a dangling trail of roots to help you climb an almost vertical wall. You find yourself scrabbling out of a hole into a wide chamber. The ceiling and walls are covered in thick knotted roots, some the size of cathedral columns. They look like they have woven themselves together, criss-crossing each other as they wind down to the floor.

  The rotting remains of a creature lie scattered nearby. It is almost skeletal, the flesh having been picked away to leave bare bones threaded with sinew. As you pull yourself out of the hole, you hear a creaking and groaning from above. Looking up, you give a horrified gasp – a set of roots are uncoiling themselves from the ceiling. Slowly, they lower themselves towards the rotted creature, curling around the bones and the sinewy threads that hold it together.

  With a rattling crack the roots lift themselves into the air, the creature’s body rising up with them. You watch in astonishment as the roots shift and re-arrange themselves, causing the monster’s rotted limbs to twitch like a marionette. A root snaps around its head, lifting it forward, while another tugs open its mouth, revealing sharp glistening fangs. Then the rest of the roots buck and jump, sending the arms and legs dancing madly as the grisly puppet pirouettes towards you. It is time to fight:

  Speed Magic Armour Health

  Roots 7 5 – –

  Danse macabre (*) – – 4 100

  Special abilities

  Danse till you drop!: (*) In this combat you roll against the roots’ speed. If you win a combat round, the roots will drop Danse Macabre, allowing you to strike against the skeleton for two combat rounds (hits are automatic; there is no need to roll for speed). After two rounds, the roots lift the skeleton up once again, meaning you must win another combat round before you can strike twice against the skeleton.

  Hip-hop bones: At the end of each combat round you must take 2 damage, ignoring armour, from the flailing roots and bones.

  Body of bone: Danse Macabre is immune to all passive effects.

  If you manage to defeat this body-popping horror, turn to 331.

  469

  ‘Well right now, all eyes are on the sled races. Money to be won there if you have the bottle. Otherwise, trading furs if you can get ’em. Although . . .’ He glances furtively at the nearby patrons, then leans forward against the bar. ‘Bet you noticed the big wigs flaunting it around Ryker’s. Not all those stuck-up oafs are here for the races – there’s some serious business going down. I hear talk of diamonds, mining operations, contracts and all that.’ The barman nods his head, eyes gleaming. ‘Ryker’s might be the pimple on Valeron’s ass, but it’s gonna get mighty popular soon. Mark my words.’

  Will you:

  Ask what he knows about Ryker? 692

  Ask what he has for sale? 709

  Take a seat in one of the alcoves? 634

  Listen to the conversation at the bar? 534

  Leave? 426

  470

  For defeating the troll, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:

  Discord Grit sting Flint sparks

  (main hand: hammer) (gloves) (feet)

  +1 speed +2 brawn +1 brawn +1 armour +1 speed +1 brawn

  Ability: after shock

  (requirement: warrior) Ability: counter Ability: lightning

  (requirement: rogue)

  When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to 141.

  471

  There are four racers ahead of you. Three are speeding towards an immense glacier breaking up out of the ice. A jagged fissure at its base provides a narrow opening, which you assume must offer a safe means through this daunting obstacle. The other racer has opted to take the longer route, avoiding the glacier altogether by going around it.

  Will you:

  Enter the glacier? 764

  Go around it? 695

  472

  You slide the shaft of the quill between the ghostly fingers. To your surprise, the hand grips the implement with a tight pressure and starts to scratch words into the rotted wood. You lean over the ghost’s shoulder to read what he is writing. As soon as he is finished, the hand passes back to the start, tracing the same letters again, each movement cutting a little deeper into the wood. Eventually you can make out four words: Pendegost, Frayling, Augur, Volst.

  You glance at Anise, wondering if they mean anything to her. The kitchen girl shakes her head, looking equally confused. Whatever message the ghost is trying to communicate, its meaning is lost to you. (Record the keyword secrets on your hero sheet.)

  With nothing else of interest in the room, you grab the unlit lamp (make a note of the word lamp on your hero sheet) and then continue into the next passageway. Turn to 385.

  473

  The wooden guardian has been defeated. You may now help yourself to one of the following special rewards:

  Nettle touch Quill cover Blood bloom

  (gloves) (head) (main hand: wand)

  +1 speed +1 magic +1 speed +1 magic +1 speed +2 magic

  Ability: barbs Ability: splinters Ability: regrowth

  With little else of interest in the room, you decide to continue onwards. Turn to 13.

  474

  The cave is large and dome-shaped, its walls glittering with veins of green rock. Caul immediately runs over to a canvas pack and a collection of weapons that have been discarded on the ground. He takes up a spear, eyeing it almost reverently.

  ‘Together again at last,’ he grins. ‘And here’s me seven sisters.’ The trapper crouches next to his pack, pulling a strap of knives from underneath it. He puts an arm through the leather thong, pulling it down across his chest. He pats the knives, grinning like a child at Yuletide. ‘Take what you want.’ Caul nudges the pack with his boot. ‘All yours.’

  Y
ou look at him, confused. ‘But these are yours . . .’

  Caul shrugs his shoulders. ‘In this place, I’d rather stay light. If you want to burden yourself, then go ahead.’

  You step around the pack to the examine the trapper’s equipment. As well as a selection of skinned hides there is also a second spear, a pair of paddle-shaped snowshoes and a set of gloves. If you wish, you may now help yourself to one of the following:

  Hrotnar Snowshoes Foxtail bracers

  (main hand: spear) (feet) (gloves)

  +1 speed +2 brawn +1 speed +1 armour +1 speed +1 brawn

  Ability: impale

  (requirement: warrior) Ability: sideswipe Ability: cunning

  Inside the pack you find a muttok pelt, a yeti pelt and a wrap of seal blubber (if you wish to take any of these items, simply make a note of them on your hero sheet, they do not take up backpack space.)

  Caul is already making for a tunnel in the opposite wall. As you move to follow, you notice a line of grooves cut into a smoothed area of floor. Your eyes trace their pattern – a winding spiral that twists towards a centre point, where a raised serpent’s head has been carved into the stone. You realise that the grooved spirals form its coiled body.

  Caul is waiting for you by the entrance to the tunnel. ‘Leave it,’ he growls impatiently. ‘There’s something I want to show you – this way.’

  Will you:

  Examine the snake’s head? 676

  Follow Caul into the tunnel? 775

  475

  You hear the stamp of hooves and a snorting bellow. The herd has fled southwards but one muttok has remained behind, standing its ground – the grey-haired giant with the barbed antlers. Lowering its head, the beast springs into a full-on charge, the spiked tips of its antlers aimed straight for your chest. It is time to fight:

  Speed Brawn Armour Health

  Muttok elder 6 4 4 50

  Special abilities

  Head rush: Any round in which you do not play a speed ability, you are automatically caught by the elder’s antlers. These cause 4 damage, ignoring armour. (This is in addition to any further damage the stag may cause, if it wins the combat round.)