The Heart of Fire

by Michael J. Ward

  ‘Free me!’ insists the demon, shaking its chains. ‘Your false god has forsaken you. I will not! Release me now!’

  ‘Trust you?’ You laugh bitterly. ‘An imprisoned demon?’

  ‘You were a prisoner once, prophet,’ it snaps, crimson eyes staring you full in the face. ‘We have much in common, you and I. But if you are too blind to see it, then go . . . see what your puny strength can achieve.’

  Readying your weapons, you charge back into the fray – hoping that, together, you and your companions will find a way of besting the thorn giant:

  Special abilities

  Deadly thorns: At the end of each combat round, you must automatically lose 3 health from the creature’s barbed fists.

  Divine fury: Bea’s enchanted swords add 3 to your damage score.

  Thousand fists: Instead of rolling for a damage score when you win a round, you can choose to use Ventus’ thousand fists attack. This does 2 dice of damage to your opponent, ignoring armour. If you win the next round of combat, Ventus can apply his thousand fists attack again, applying 3 dice of damage. Each time this ability is used in a consecutive combat round, you can add 1 damage die, up to a total of 5 dice. Then the monk’s ability is exhausted and can no longer be used in this combat.

  If you are able to defeat Orgorath, turn to 308.

  238

  Polk leans forward, pushing his plate away and crossing his arms. ‘Look, when Judah preached the teachings of the One God, he described two places – Heaven and Hel. One place all nice and welcoming like, and the other where all the bad people go to suffer eternal fire and damnation.’

  The blindfolded warrior smiles with bemusement.

  ‘Let me guess, the shroud is the second one?’ you remark dryly.

  The woman speaks up before the warrior can reply. ‘The shroud is dangerous!’ she snaps, her voice sharp and cold. ‘When Jacob started his experiments he didn’t know what he was doing, what powers he was playing with. He tore a hole in our world and dragged the tower and my husband – everything in it – to that . . . other place.’ Her face hardens as she clenches and unclenches her fists, her own expression made menacing by the dancing flames.

  ‘It is not unheard of,’ nods Polk, speaking softly. ‘A great discharge of magic – a bad event or happening – can rip away at the very fabric of our world. I’ve heard of whole towns, even cities back in the day, just disappearing, only to return – but different, twisted somehow.’ He sighs, blowing out the whiskers of his beard. ‘Nothing good comes of the shroud. I just hope,’ the warrior’s gaze drifts over to Joss, who is pacing up and down in front of the fire, ‘we aren’t too late.’

  Will you:

  Ask about Anse’s strange markings? — 270

  Ask why you should risk your life? — 89

  Agree to the mission? — 24

  239

  The elemental has blasted a hole in the floor of the temple, revealing a hidden recess. Inside, wrapped in animal skins, is a heavy leather-bound book. Its yellowed pages are covered in hundreds of intelligible runes and glyphs. You may take this item if you wish:

  Book of Alpha

  (backpack)

  An ancient Lamuri

  spell book

  When you have made your decision, you rejoin Boom in the courtyard. Turn to 510.

  240

  ‘This was some Wiccan curse, I know it!’ snaps Benin furiously. ‘The Wiccan have always been a threat to these lands; they prey openly on the pilgrims. My parent’s caravan was attacked . . .’ He breaks off, his jaw clenching. ‘I lost my family to those savages; I was left with nothing . . . The bishop was like a father to me; kind and generous. He taught me my skills – helped me to control my magic. My anger was channelled into something good.’

  He breathes a heavy sigh. ‘Last night, someone broke into the church vault. The bishop must have heard something and gone to investigate. I don’t know what happened – a powerful relic was stolen, one that I know the bishop was keen to keep from the Wiccans. I found traces of a charm at the scene; I believe it released some kind of curse. He will die unless I can cure him.’

  Will you:

  Ask Benin how he knows so much about charms? — 211

  Let Benin take the blood he needs? — 343

  Argue that you need the blood instead? — 259

  Convince Benin to help you defeat the manticore? — 280

  241

  These vagabonds appear weak and poorly armed. Tired and ill-tempered from your journey, you decide to fight back:

  (*) Once you have reduced the robbers’ health to 10 or less, turn to 278. If you are defeated, turn to 339.

  242

  ‘If it avoids bloodshed, then I will go with you,’ you reply, taking a step towards the Wiccans. ‘But I ask that you let these people go unharmed.’ You gesture to the three travellers.

  ‘No.’ The feathered woman shakes her head. ‘We want that one – and we won’t leave without him. Conall . . .’

  The giant grunts and starts towards the elderly man, who is now humming to himself quietly. Ventus moves quickly to intercept the warrior. ‘Lay one hand on him and . . .’

  Suddenly, the loud blare of a horn reverberates across the moorland. It is followed by a hooting call from one of the Wiccans. Some kind of warning. They all turn as one, weapons leaping from scabbards and belts, as the first bright explosion rips into their ranks. Turn to 442.

  243

  Your final blow sends the sniper toppling over the tower rail, his wailing screech cut off seconds later by an eye-wincing thud.

  If you have a brawn of 12 or more you may rip the repeating crossbow from its moorings and use it as a weapon – gaining the following item:

  Stormbound

  (left hand: crossbow)

  +1 speed +2 brawn

  Ability: volley

  At the foot of the tower, you search through the hunter’s grisly remains. You find a purse containing 30 gold crowns, and one of the following rewards:

  Lucky crown

  Sniper’s jacket

  Sniper scope (1 use)

  (necklace)

  (chest)

  (unique)

  +1 speed

  +1 speed +1 magic

  Attach to a head item to

  Ability: charm

  Ability: focus

  add +1 brawn

  With the sniper defeated, you turn your attention back to the battle. Turn to 785.

  244

  You wake to find yourself lying face down in a muddy puddle. A loud and insistent pain is pounding inside your head, reminding you of the blow that you took – a second before everything went black. With a grimace, you roll onto your side, wiping the grit and mud from your face.

  ‘Pick a fight, did we?’

  You painfully jerk your head around, squinting in the grey light. It appears you have been dumped in an alleyway, with only a stray cat and a vagrant for company. The latter is clad in a thick riding cloak, the hood pulled down low over their face. A hip flask is clutched in their grimy fingers, which you suspect is filled with a stronger beverage than just plain water. You can smell filth and beer, and leftover food.

  ‘Yeah, something like that,’ you wince, pushing yourself back to your feet. It is then that you notice your backpack, lying in the dirt right next to the stranger’s feet. The cat is sniffing it with interest.

  ‘Don’t worry, I think they just took some gold,’ says the vagrant, nodding to your pouch lying in another puddle of muck. You stoop down to retrieve it, annoyed that you have lost half of your gold. (Remember to update your hero sheet.) ‘It could have gone worse, mind,’ he remarks, noting your annoyance. ‘I managed to save your pack.’ He reaches over and takes one of the straps, then tosses it over to you. As his cloak shifts open, you catch a glimpse of a silver breastplate and the hilt of a sword.

  ‘Shouldn’t you be supping in more comfortable surroundings?’ you ask with a frown. The cat gives a forlorn meow, as if in agreement.

&n
bsp; The man snorts, then takes another gulp from his flask. ‘I prefer my own company to that of thieves and scoundrels. And that’s all you’ll find in this town, save for the pilgrims – and they ain’t much better.’ He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘Fools, the lot of ’em.’

  Will you:

  Ask what happened to Bilhah the Fish? — 53

  Ask the vagrant to share his story? — 127

  Return to the town? — 199

  245

  You enter the chapel, your footfalls echoing back from the high stone walls. As you approach the kneeling priest, he turns and lifts back his hood to reveal a young, handsome face, framed by blond curls of hair. It is Benin.

  If you have the keywords hallowed or prevail on your hero sheet, turn to 166. Otherwise turn to 197.

  246

  On the banks of the swamp you discover the remains of several unfortunate adventurers – their grey corpulent flesh bloated with swamp water. Quickly, you rifle through their belongings to see if there is anything worth salvaging.

  You find a mouldy bag containing 20 gold crowns and one of the following items:

  Preacher’s coat

  Gravedigger’s ring

  Fingerless gloves

  (chest)

  (ring)

  (gloves)

  +1 speed +1 brawn

  +1 brawn

  +1 speed +1 brawn

  Ability: missionary’s calling set

  Ability: underhand

  Ability: crawlers

  (requirement: pilgrim)

  With your grim task complete, you return to the courtyard. Turn to 510.

  247

  You drop the bark shavings into the mixture and stir it around with one of the spoons. To your surprise, the bark quickly dissolves into the liquid, giving off a pungent-smelling steam. What ingredient will you add next?

  Will you:

  Add meadowsweet? — 104

  Add lemongrass? — 287

  Add sagewort? — 114

  248

  You push through the smoky crowds, making towards the counter. As you near, your attention becomes fixated on the half-giant barman who is serving ale to the patrons. You wonder how one of his kind ended up working behind a bar in a backwater place such as this. Giants are renowned for their strength and endurance – and clearly this half-giant is missing none of those traits. He would be prized stock for the king’s army or some mercenary outfit.

  Your thoughts are suddenly interrupted as one of the patrons knocks straight into you, slopping ale down your front. It is a burly, middle-aged man dressed in brown tanned leathers. He shrugs his shoulders as way of apology, grinning through his thatch of beard. If you have the word tower on your hero sheet, turn to 263. Otherwise, turn to 226.

  249

  Only metres from the bank you discover a second marker, tangled in foliage. You pull away the creepers and leaves to reveal the sculpture of a fanged arachnid. Behind it, a cracked stone pathway winds away through the trees, leading further into the steaming jungle. You follow it without a second thought, relieved to finally have something solid underfoot instead of cloying mud and twisted roots.

  After an hour, the path descends into a steep-sided ravine, its walls carpeted with moss and creepers. You advance warily, conscious of the green mist rolling in between the huddled trees, bringing with it a brooding, heavy silence.

  As the fog starts to thicken, you are forced to feel your way forwards, gagging on the rotten air. Eventually the walls of the ravine drop away and you stagger out into an open clearing. Through the green haze, you see tall shapes stretching back into the distance – some peaked and angular, others smooth and curved. Buildings, you quickly surmise. This must be some kind of settlement.

  Then you hear the scrape and clatter of feet on stone. From out of the fog a line of figures is advancing towards you. For a moment you are hopeful it might be a welcome party, but then you notice the staggering, jerking movements and the bone-thin bodies.

  Undead.

  They continue to advance at a lumbering pace, giving you chance to size up the threat. The majority appear to be warriors, armed with spears and shields, whilst a smaller number are clad in tattered robes, their bodies crackling with magic. At the rear of the band a rotted corpse in a feathered headdress marches alone, wielding a staff carved in the likeness of a hooded cobra.

  It is clear that you are hopelessly outnumbered, but with no other option than to flee back into the jungle, you decide to stand and fight:

  Special abilities

  Bone mending: At the end of each combat round, the high priest uses its snake staff to heal its cohorts. This restores 4 health to the warriors. (Note: This cannot take the warriors above their starting health of 40.)

  Dark fire: At the end of each combat round, take a speed challenge. If you get 12 or less, then your hero is hit by the mages’ spells. This causes 5 damage, ignoring armour. If you get 13 or more, then you have avoided the attack.

  Body of bone: Your enemies are immune to bleed and venom.

  Undead minions: You may use your holy water and holy protector abilities (if available).

  In this combat you roll against the warriors’ speed. If you win a round, you can choose to strike against the warriors, the mages or the high priest. If the mages and/or the priest are defeated, their relevant ability no longer applies. To win the combat, you only need to defeat the warriors, reducing them to zero health. Once the warriors are defeated, any surviving undead (mages and priest) are also defeated.

  If you manage to send these fiends back to the grave, turn to 314.

  250

  You have purchased a map of Carvel. You may view this map whenever you like by turning to the colour section of this book. This special map will allow you to ‘fast travel’ to any of the numbered entries, allowing you to visit locations more speedily than before.

  If you wish to return to the map-seller, turn to 99.

  251

  You are standing in a huge open courtyard, its cracked stone floor spattered with rubble. The ground is warm underfoot, gouts of steam and black smoke spewing through metal grilles set into the rock. Around the edges of the yard the walls have been smashed apart, as if by some powerful explosion. Their fragments now hang suspended in the air like a haphazard jigsaw, forming stairways and platforms that float eerily against a backdrop of purest, darkest night.

  ‘What happened here . . . ?’ you rasp, almost frightened to speak in this strange place.

  ‘The work of the shroud,’ whispers Polk, turning slowly on the spot. ‘Be on your guard. Trust nothing, no one.’

  At that moment, you hear a peal of childish laughter. All eyes turn to an area of the crumbling walls, where a child sits on the edge of a fractured archway, kicking his legs back and forth in the empty space. He is wearing a patchwork cloak, which sparkles like stars against the black void. ‘Look Maxi, someone came to play!’

  Behind the boy, you can dimly make out a large shape. Its proportions look strange, almost a mockery of a human body. It isn’t until it steps closer that you see it is made entirely of iron, the appearance mimicking that of an armoured knight.

  ‘Where is my husband?’ cries Joss angrily. ‘What have you done with him?’

  The boy titters to himself. ‘You have to play my games. You want to play, don’t you?’

  Suddenly, the ground starts to shake. A torrent of angry flame bursts up through the metal grilles.

  ‘Wait! No!’ screeches the boy, hopping to his feet. ‘Who left the furnace open? Who left it open?’

  Then the floor explodes in a churning maelstrom of heat, as some gigantic fiery elemental rises up through the seared stone, its body a blazing expanse of sizzling, hissing magma.

  ‘Summon the doors, Maxi!’ cries the boy. ‘We gotta close the furnace!’

  A glowing doorway appears behind him. The boy runs into it, disappearing the moment he comes into contact with the glowing magic. You notice that several other doorway
s have appeared in other areas of the jumbled maze.

  ‘We’ve got to get out of here!’ shouts Polk. You spin around, only to find that the tower doors are nowhere to be seen – replaced by an endless void of black space.

  ‘Trapped!’ you gasp, turning back to the courtyard.

  The fiery beast rears up into the air, its body forming two enormous fists of fire. Anse moves casually towards it, pulling his crucifix free from its restraints. With the flick of some hidden mechanism, a row of knives punch out from the cross-piece, its surface suddenly glittering with inscribed runes. The paladin shows no fear as he approaches the monster.

  Then everything turns to chaos.

  The beast’s arms come crashing down, shattering the stone beneath its fists. You are thrown backwards by the resulting tremor, skidding across the ash and dust to the very edge of the shattered courtyard. Above you, Anse is springing from one floating platform to the next, using them to gain height. Silently, he springs into the air, his crucifix swinging around in a white-flaming arc. He connects with the beast’s shoulder, eliciting a bellowing scream. Then the paladin is rolling across its back, seemingly impervious to the heat, and starts pummelling the other shoulder with his holy crucifix. The beast twists around, trying to bat him away.