The Eye of Winter's Fury

by Michael J. Ward

  If you defeat your devious opponents, restore any lowered attributes then turn to 615.

  738

  You follow, quite literally, in Desnar’s footsteps – shadowing his trail by placing your feet in the depressions he has already made. The Skard sets a tireless pace, maintaining a constant speed and presenting you with only a distant black smudge against the endless white expanse.

  As the morning lengthens, sunlight breaks through an opening in the clouds, bathing the landscape in a sparkling sheen. To your sensitive eyes, its incessant glare is a constant pain. You tug your hood down as far as it will go, concentrating on the immediate line of footprints that lead you further into the wastes.

  The canyon appears from nowhere. The ground banks steeply, then drops away into a steep-sided gorge. Thankfully, there are a number of shelves and ledges meandering down to its base: a huge plain, studded with black rock and scraggly-looking scarlet grass. A large herd of animals are packed closely together, resembling white-furred deer. They are using the thick coarse hair hanging from their necks to brush the snow from the ground, revealing more stumps of grass to chew on.

  ‘Muttok,’ you grin. These relatively docile animals are highly-prized for their winter pelts – if they can be caught.

  Desnar has already reached the canyon floor, creeping towards the herd with a javelin resting against his shoulder. You scramble after him, not wishing to be left behind. However, you have barely started your descent before you hear a barking call ring out across the canyon. Perhaps it was the skittering of loose stones that gave away your position, or a sudden shift in the wind.

  At the centre of the herd, one of the animals has raised its head - a grey-haired muttok with a pair of large barbed antlers branching from its forehead. The beast gives another barking call. The rest of the herd are now looking around, sniffing at the air, eyes wide and startled. Then, as one, they start running, filling the canyon with the thunder of their hooves.

  Desnar spins round angrily, his eyes casting daggers. ‘Skoja Pah!’

  With a snarl the Skard sprints after the fleeing herd, moving with a startling speed across the uneven ground. You pull a javelin from your holster and follow his lead once again, realising that it will take considerable skill to best this practised hunter and bring down the fleet-footed muttok. Turn to 652.

  739

  There is a thunderous roar as the power of the runes assault the giant, coating his body in flickering waves of torturous agony. He stumbles back, wobbles, then teeters forward, dropping to his knees. Spectral claws blossom from your fingertips as you leap onto his back, slashing away like a frenzied animal.

  The giant belches a torrent of angry flame, then his life-spark dulls to darkness. He slumps forward into the dust, smoke pluming from around his dented helm. Skoll picks himself up, his skin and clothing caked in dirt and blood. He leans forward to spit out a tooth.

  ‘That was a good fight, Bearclaw. There will be songs sung of this day.’ He steps forward, settling his hands around a splintered horn on the giant’s helm. With a grunt he rips it free, holding it up. ‘Trophy.’

  Nanuk’s bloodthirst has yet to abate. Extending your claws once again, you proceed to cut and slash with a bestial vigour. A few moments later, you have the giant’s spinal column dangling from your hands. You give an answering smile. ‘Trophy.’

  If you wish, you may now claim the following item:

  Giant’s backbone

  (backpack)

  Sticks and stones won’t

  break these bones

  If you are a warrior, turn to 206. If you are a mage, turn to 576. If you are a rogue, turn to 399.

  740

  You look down at the musket barrels and a plan starts to form. If you could somehow block the barrels, then there might be a chance the guns will backfire – taking out Jackson and giving you access to his store.

  If you have seal blubber on your hero sheet and wish to use it, turn to 723. Otherwise, you have no means of blocking the gun barrels. You may now continue trading and discussing news (turn to 685) or return to the quest map to continue your adventure.

  741

  You join Talia in the secret basement. The woman is already rooting through a pile of papers scattered across a table top. Your own attention is drawn to the cadavers chained to a set of beds. Their skin is hairless and translucent, stretched taut over their skeletal frames.

  You lean in close to the nearest of the corpses, wondering what has kept the body from decaying. Suddenly you jerk back as the cadaver’s eyelids flip open. With a hoarse-sounding groan, the creature starts to kick and tug, struggling to free itself.

  ‘This one’s alive!’ you gasp in revulsion, drawing away from the writhing body.

  ‘Then put it out of its misery,’ says Talia matter-of-factly.

  Your hands move to your weapons – but, with some relief, you see the body has stopped moving and is now lying limp against the bed, its eyes closed once again.

  ‘What . . . what went on here?’ You glance around at the charts and arcane equipment.

  ‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Talia clicks her tongue in annoyance as she moves to another table, pushing away flasks and vials to rummage through more papers. ‘They were test subjects. Mandaleev was working on a virus.’

  ‘A what?’ Your eyes fall on a row of cages, stacked against one wall. A few are open and empty, others contain dead rats. ‘But you said he was obsessed with creating a superhuman, a mutant?’

  Talia shakes her head, her attention still focused on her search. ‘He started out with that intention, yes. But his objectives changed – wait, what have we here?’

  Suddenly you hear a sickening squelching sound coming from above. Nanuk’s instincts spark into awareness, alerting you to danger. Quickly you jump aside, just as a green fleshy tentacle swings down, grappling for you.

  Talia draws her blades, her eyes lifted to the ceiling. There, spread out across the bare rock, is an oozing mass of rotted flesh. And at its centre, a mockery of a human face, snarling with contempt.

  ‘Mandaleev!’ gasps Talia.

  The creature releases itself, dropping to the ground in a glutinous heap of pulpy decay.

  Swiftly Talia tugs down her scarf, then presses her lips together to produce a low droning hum. The sound sets the bottles and equipment to rattling – filling the cavern with a ringing vibrato. When it rises in pitch, you notice her twin blades start to vibrate and glow, like they did back in the taproom.

  Meanwhile the mound of flesh has begun to swell, pushing jagged bones out of its back to form a set of spines. Loose flabby folds lift and stretch, revealing a toothless maw dripping with slime. From this mockery of a mouth, you hear a garbled slurry of noise, almost an attempt at language – then the air is spattered with mucus and blood as slippery tentacles rush out of the monster’s skin, seeking to envelop you both in their sticky folds. It is time to fight:

  Speed Brawn Armour Health

  Mandaleev 8 6 4 70

  Tentacle 7 3 3 10

  Tentacle 7 3 3 10

  Tentacle 7 3 3 10

  Special abilities

  Miracle grow: At the start of every round (after the first), Mandaleev grows another tentacle, with the same attributes as the previous ones.

  We got chemistry: At the end of every round, you must automatically take 1 damage, ignoring armour, from each tentacle currently in play.

  Good vibrations: For every double you roll for your attack speed, Talia’s energised blades will cut through one of the tentacles, reducing it to zero health (you may choose which tentacle is defeated).

  Once Mandaleev is defeated, any remaining tentacles are also automatically defeated. If you manage to best this mutated horror, turn to 393.

  742

  The crater is lit by staccato flashes as your enchanted weapons strip apart the demon’s body, leaving it slowed and weakened. You ignore the plaintive begs for mercy, your blows raining down with remorseless precision, each strike elici
ting further shrieks of agony from the monster. At last the demon crawls before you, whimpering as it attempts to escape your fury.

  ‘I am a prince of Valeron,’ you hiss. ‘And all your kind will kneel before me!’

  With a bestial snarl, you drive your weapons into its exposed back, scattering the demon’s remains across the floor of the pit.

  Once the last rock has settled, there is silence. Save for the soft ringing of the bone charms.

  Your blood-hungry eyes meet those of the child. He stumbles out of hiding, his face bunched into a grumpy scowl. His reaction takes you aback. You had been expecting some show of gratitude for having saved his life. Instead, he glares at you in disgust – as if you’d robbed him of his victory, or perhaps his death.

  For a moment you wonder if the Skard’s anger will drive him to attack. He takes an awkward step forward, his spear levelled at your chest. But then his resolve crumbles. He turns and lopes away, heading into the tunnel. You watch him disappear, swallowed by the inky dark of the underworld – and at that moment, you find yourself understanding his decision. The boy has no home or life to return to – no future in this harsh, bitter land. Now he seeks only death. You sense it won’t be long in coming.

  If you are a warrior, turn to 665. If you are a mage, turn to 763. If you are a rogue turn to 362.

  743

  Nine guardians. One to protect each world. The woman turns her head, gazing off into the starlit void. Eight worlds have fallen. Only one remains. They went to protect it. To save it. They hold the Well of Ur closed. They gave what was left of themselves. To protect.

  ‘Wait, you mean the Titans; the norns are Titans.’ You remember back to the stories that Skoll told you, of the eight stone guardians that stand in the witch’s citadel, holding the rift to the shroud closed. And the ninth that chose another path . . .

  Yes, Fafnir. The woman completes your thought. He wouldn’t make the sacrifice. He couldn’t give up on those who needed him. Alas, he is lost to us. His star has faded.

  (Return to 713 to ask another question or turn to 760 to end the conversation.)

  744

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

  Tainted veil Even fall Black horizon

  (head) (chest) (ring)

  +2 speed +3 magic +2 speed +3 magic +2 magic

  Ability: deflect Ability: blizzard Ability: wind chill

  When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to 538.

  745

  You lift the conch from the ashes of the defeated captain. A ghoulish glow blossoms around the black shell as you lift it to your lips and blow a long, shrill note into the air. The remaining crewmen freeze, then abruptly lower their weapons.

  One of their number steps forward, bowing his barnacled head. ‘The Naglfar is yours, captain. Blow the horn and she will come – we’ll sail her to wherever you command, sir.’

  You lower the conch, your gaze sweeping past the crewmen’s faces to finally rest on the ship’s wheel – a gruesome artefact, crafted from bones and skulls. A smile slowly spreads across your lips. ‘My very own pirate ship. This could get interesting.’

  If you are a warrior, turn to 454. If you are a mage, turn to 377. If you are a rogue, turn to 260.

  746

  You skilfully make your way through the rock belt, taking only minor damage (you must lower your transport’s toughness by 1). The dragons have fared less well; their large bodies have been pummelled by rock and stone. Nevertheless, they are still on your tail and gaining fast. Record the keyword rocked on your hero sheet, then turn to 773.

  747

  Searching through the worktables, you find a few labelled potion bottles that might come in useful. You may now take any two of the following:

  Flask of healing

  (1 use) Elixir of swiftness

  (1 use) Pot of cleansing

  (1 use)

  (backpack) (backpack) (backpack)

  Use any time in

  combat to restore

  10 health Increase your speed

  by 4 for one

  combat round Use any time to remove

  two defeats from your

  hero sheet

  If you have the chemist’s notes, turn to 484. Otherwise, with nothing else of interest here, you decide to leave the prison. Turn to 426.

  748

  The maggot’s maw sweeps down, engulfing you inside its mouth. With a blast of magic, you smash through the membranous flesh before its inner jaws can take hold. The creature gives an agonised squeal as you rip out of the ruptured hole, making for the safety of the tunnel.

  Squirming in pain, the giant maggot throws itself bodily at the wall of the cavern, raking the fetid earth with its immense bulk. You narrowly avoid being crushed by the blow, accelerating away as fast as you can while the tunnel behind you fills with dirt and dust.

  For escaping the clutches of the vile maggot, you have gained the following reward:

  Maggorath’s rot

  (backpack)

  A patch of skin dripping

  with vile corruption

  When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to 675.

  749

  The snow is fine and powdery, making visibility poor as the other racers’ sleds whip up a blinding spray, obscuring the sharp rocks and other hidden dangers that could wreck your craft. Your only option is to risk a burst of speed, to try and get ahead of the pack and out of the dangerous whiteout.

  You will need to take a challenge test using your speed racing attribute:

  Speed

  Snow blind 13

  If you are successful, turn to 103. Otherwise, turn to 647.

  750

  You try and retrace your steps back to the main cave, but the twisting maze has left you disorientated and lost. After several tiring hours, you finally emerge from the tunnels into a larger cavern dominated by a pool of melt water. You decide to make camp on its banks and resume your journey once the others have rested. Turn to 467.

  751

  The prince is light on his feet, moving deftly from stance to stance, parrying your attacks and countering with his own. You quickly lose ground to his skilful onslaught, the green-tinged flames getting closer to your back. To your surprise they give off no heat, only a fierce burning cold. But the fire’s pit is deep and sheer, its shaft stretching away to darkness.

  ‘I expected more from you, Arran. A prince with your learning, the best weapon masters, the best tutors.’ Sable’s black blade cuts across your cheek. You lean away, slashing for his midriff, but the prince has anticipated your blow, sidestepping it, his boot slamming into your knee. You stagger, thrown off balance.

  ‘So disappointing.’ Sable raises his sword, threatening a powerful overhead swing . . .

  Skoll shoulders into his side. The two of them roll and slide down the dais. The Skard comes out on top but Sable is quicker, snatching Skoll’s throat in his clawed hand while the pommel of his sword smashes hard against the warrior’s skull.

  Skoll slumps off the prince, dazed.

  But the Skard has bought you time to recover. Finding your feet, you take a moment to reach for Nanuk. The bear is biting and tearing at the wolf. He has the upper hand, but the wolf is proving a wily foe.

  Sable rolls, then springs to his feet – in time to meet your charge. As your weapons clash and spark together, you find yourself inches from his malformed face. ‘The wolf and the bear,’ he sneers with relish. ‘Let’s see who has the sharpest claw.’ It is time to fight:

  Speed Magic Armour Health

  Sable 13 10 7 100

  Special abilities

  Might of chaos: Each time Sable wins a combat round, roll a die to determine the nature of his attack:

  or Sable heals himself instead of rolling for a damage score, restoring 10 health. (This cannot take him above his starting health of 100.)

  or Sable rolls for a damage score as normal. or Sable inflicts a curse on you. This causes t
hree dice of damage to your hero, ignoring armour, and stops you playing any speed or combat abilities in the next combat round.

  Fang and claw: Roll a die and add 2 to the result. This is the number of combat rounds that it will take Nanuk to defeat Sable’s wolf. (If you rolled a then the wolf would be defeated at the end of the sixth combat round.) Once the wolf is defeated, Sable’s magic is reduced by 2 and he immediately loses 10 health.

  If you manage to defeat the dark prince, turn to 658.

  752

  ‘Then we have a problem,’ sighs the bard.

  In a single blur of movement, the woman draws a sword and presses the tip to your throat. You feel the air humming around the blade, the runed glass still infused with some resonance of magic. ‘Now, I like you, honey – a lot, as it happens. But I didn’t drag myself to this flea pit just for the company. This is business. And you’re getting in the way.’

  You jerk sideways as her blade jabs forward, then leap back to avoid her downward cut.

  ‘Impressive moves,’ she says, arching an eyebrow. ‘Shall we dance?’

  You circle one another, eyes locked with intent. Then your weapons sweep together in a blaze of frenzied magic. It is time to fight:

  Speed Brawn Armour Health

  Talia 7 7 4 60

  Special abilities

  Gift of the gab: The bard taunts you throughout the battle, seeking to distract you. All your results when rolling for attack speed must be rerolled.

  If you manage to defeat this taunting temptress, turn to 622. If you are defeated, remember to record the defeat on your hero sheet and turn to 56.

  753

  You make it round the glacier and onto the home straight – the walls of the prison now less than a mile to the south. Unfortunately, the other racers who cut through the glacier are too far ahead to catch, but you can still battle for fourth place with the scrawny racer who tried to fry you.

  Cracking your whip, you urge your dog-team alongside his sled, looking to overtake. In desperation, he swings his sled into yours, the spikes along his wooden frame cutting gouges out of your own. His thin, malnourished hounds snap and bite at your dog-team, looking to maim your strongest runners.