Then, with a grunt of laughter, Kam spins the crossbow and offers it out to you. ‘She’s all yours, kid.’
If you wish, you may now take the 40 gold crowns and the following item:
Colt phoenix
(left hand: crossbow)
+1 speed +1 brawn
Ability: volley
If you do not want to take the crossbow, then Kam agrees to sweeten his bargain to 80 gold crowns instead. When you have made your decision, you thank the hunter and leave the shop. You may now explore more of Raven’s Rest (turn to 199) or return to the map to continue your journey.
306
Unable to progress, you clamber back down the tree – stepping through the magic portal to continue your journey. Turn to 46.
307
You march forward into the cave, determined to end this threat once and for all. The queen has clearly sensed you, lowering her head as if to charge.
‘Tzzk chkk, my brood!’ she snarls. ‘Tzzk chkk, do not defile the eggs!’
With a deafening screech, the queen surges forward, breaking free of her silken egg sac. The ground trembles as she approaches, her spiked crown and bladed arms looking to spit you through. You must fight:
Special abilities
Pin cushion: Every time you cause health damage to Bellona, you must take 1 damage in return, ignoring armour.
Look out for larvae!: Roll a die at the start of each combat round. If you roll or less then one of the eggs has hatched, producing a larva. These maggot-like creatures may be small, but they are still deadly – and cause you 1 damage (ignoring armour) at the end of every combat round. (You must take 1 damage from each larva that is in play.)
Bug blaster: If you have a borehole charge, you can use this item instead of rolling for a damage score. This will automatically inflict 10 damage to Bellona, ignoring armour. It will also lower Bellona’s armour by 2 for the remainder of the battle. (Once the charge is used, you must remove it from your backpack.)
If you defeat Bellona, then any remaining larvae are also defeated. Turn to 381.
308
Dodging the jagged, razor-sharp fists, you pummel away at the beast’s legs, combining your attacks with those of your companions to sever the vines and roots. Unable to heal fast enough, the beast stumbles and falls, the earth shaking as its giant body crashes down into the mud. Temporarily prone, the monster provides an easy target.
Leaping onto its chest, you slash and blast away at the twisted boughs until the beast is reduced to a blackened, scorched heap. With the giant defeated, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:
Briar star
Bark skin binding
Bramble blade
(ring)
(chest)
(main hand: sword)
+1 armour
+1 speed +1 armour
+1 speed +2 brawn
Ability: thorns
Ability: thorn armour
Ability: bleed
If you have the word Wiccan on your hero sheet, turn to 331. Otherwise, turn to 353.
309
(Make a note of the word papal on your hero sheet.)
You draw your weapons, moving to stand beside Ventus and Bea. ‘All I see are thieves and brigands,’ you reply, scowling. ‘You prey on travellers and make these lands unsafe. I will not go with you – nor will we surrender.’
The feathered woman shakes her head, sighing with disappointment. ‘You know nothing of us, Sanchen. And your ignorance will cost you dearly this day. Conall, get what we came for . . . ’
The warrior grunts, then starts towards the elderly man, who is now humming to himself quietly. Ventus moves quickly to intercede. ‘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.
310
You drop the bark shavings into the mixture and stir it around with one of the spoons. However, it only takes a few minutes of stirring for you to realise that you have made a mistake. The liquid is now giving off a bitter smell, having turned lumpy and sour. You will need to start again.
If you wish to try and create another potion then turn to 361. Otherwise, you can leave the laboratory and visit the reverend’s house (turn to 210) or the herbalist’s cottage (turn to 224).
311
‘Tchk zizzt intruder!’ chitters the overseer. ‘Zizzt destroy!’ Looking around, you see more of the creatures scuttling out of a side tunnel.
You cannot win this fight. Shaking with exhaustion, you turn to the larger ant-man. You sheathe your weapons, its mirror-like eyes reflecting your determined stare.
‘Give it your best shot,’ you growl.
The overseer’s spiracles blast slime in your direction. You twist your body at the last possible moment, catching one of the strands in your hand. The ant reels you in quickly, its sharpened teeth clicking together hungrily. Only then does the creature’s slow brain register your plan. Once you are in range, you throw yourself against the ant-man, wrapping your arms around its waist. Your forward momentum sends you both tumbling backwards, rolling across the ground . . . and straight through one of the holes in the floor.
The wind is a dull roar in your ears, the world spinning over and over in a dizzying blur. Then, you are jolted sideways. Out of instinct, the ant has fired a slime rope at the ceiling. Suddenly you are both swinging rather than falling, slamming against one of the walls where you finally let go.
Thankfully the drop is only a short one, the ant-man’s sticky rope having slowed your fall. Landing on your feet you start sprinting for the tunnel, where you see the other survivors taking shelter. One of the party steps forward, a mage in black and gold robes. They throw a spear of fire through the air, which whistles past your ear and hits something behind you, filling the cavern with a high-pitched wail. Part of an ant’s body crashes down nearby.
The mage grabs your arm as you reach the tunnel, pulling you in to safety.
‘What was that?’ gasps Vas, breathing hard.
‘A massacre was what it was,’ cries Surl, sounding panicked. ‘That weren’t no greenheads.’
You look around at the party. Of the original dozen, now only half remain.
‘Come on,’ growls the captain. ‘Keep it together, people.’ He pats you on the shoulder, a hint of admiration in his steely grey eyes. ‘Come on, hero. You’re tracker now. Get moving!’
Feeling more like bait than a valued member of the team, you find yourself leading the group deeper into the mountain. After several hundred metres the passage widens, joining a much larger tunnel which cuts left to right. A chill wind blows from the west, carrying with it a salty, stagnant odour. To the east the tunnel ascends steeply, heading deeper into the mountain.
Will you:
Take the west tunnel? — 122
Take the east tunnel? — 143
312
Your hand goes to the glass vial, hanging around your neck. ‘I’m sorry Benin, but I made a promise – a promise to someone who saved my life.’
Benin’s face contorts into a mask of rage. He raises his staff, its tip igniting with a blazing white fire. ‘I cannot let you do this! I’ll lose everything – everything! I won’t let you take the bishop’s life!’
You barely have time to draw your weapons, before the berserk priest is upon you:
Special abilities
Harm or heal: If Benin wins a combat round, roll a die. If the result is or then Benin heals 2 health instead of rolling for a damage score (this cannot take him above his starting health of 18). If the result is or more, Benin rolls for a damage score as normal.
If you defeat the priest, turn to 333.
313
You spot a silver chain lying amongst the demon’s smouldering remains. You retrieve it from the ashes, surprised to di
scover that it is the twin of the locket that you found on the robber’s corpse. After brushing away the dirt and grime, you take the two broken halves and lock them together, forming a heart-shaped pendant.
You have gained the following reward, which you may take:
Dagona’s heart
(necklace)
+1 brawn +1 magic
Ability: radiance
As the wind scatters the demon’s ashes, you are left to ponder how a desperate robber came to be carrying the other half of this enchanted locket. (Return to the map to continue your journey).
314
As you smash through the endless horde, a berserk fury starts to take hold. One that you gladly welcome. Skeletons splinter and explode as you drive your weapons through their bodies, their clumsy strikes forever missing their mark as you dodge and weave, your prophetic sixth-sense allowing you to anticipate each and every move, keeping you one heartbeat ahead.
‘Is that the best you can do?’ you snarl, spittle flying from your lips.
Magic missiles arc through the green mist, zipping past you by scant inches. You howl and snarl like some unleashed beast, filling the sky with an endless rain of body parts.
Then it is over. You stand alone at the centre of a wide swathe of destruction.
Gasping for air, you stumble back, a sudden weariness dragging at your muscles. From beneath your clothing a sulphurous smoke curls into the air.
‘What am I becoming?’ You drop to your knees, looking down at trembling hands caked in blood and dust. For a brief moment, you wonder if they are still your own . . . if this body is still your own, or whether it has become something else. An instrument of another power.
Then you hear a mournful wail, echoing through the mist. All around you the bones are starting to tremble and shake, as if still possessed of some dark life. You rise to your feet, turning slowly on the spot as you see the fragments start to lift up like marionettes, scraping and sliding against each other as they re-arrange themselves back into skeletal shapes.
Another screeching wail. You turn, to see more of the undead spilling out of the fog, their hollow eyes bereft of care or compassion. In desperation, you try and call on the strange power that aided you previously – struggling to find that core of fiery rage. But there is nothing there, save a dispiriting exhaustion. The skeletons close in once again. You raise your weapons and resign yourself to your fate, knowing that when you fall in battle you will become just like them – another undead warrior, haunting this remote and forgotten place. Turn to 146.
315
‘Traitor!’ Benin levels his staff at you. A bolt of white flame sizzles through the air, slamming into your chest and lifting you into the air. You crash down in the muddy water, gasping for breath. From behind you, there is a thunderous explosion. For several moments your ears are ringing with white noise, then you hear horses whinnying and raised cries.
‘Get the Sanchen,’ shouts the feathered woman, from somewhere nearby. ‘We’re leaving this place.’
You struggle to move but your limbs are not responding. The last thing you remember is the rain, spearing down from the black skies, beating against your pain-wracked body. Then the light fades and a feverish darkness takes you. Turn to 423.
316
The monk raises his glowing hands, his round face breaking into a gap-toothed smile. ‘I’ve waited years for my sanctifying. It’s not often a white abbot comes here – I’m the last of my brothers to receive the blessing.’ He proudly studies the inscriptions, emblazoned into his skin. ‘Now I can complete my warrior training – so I can finally fight for the One God.’
‘You choose not to use weapons?’ you ask, patting those that hang at your side.
The monk smiles again. ‘We follow the way of Saint Allam. He commanded his men to forsake their blades and trust in the One God. He gave them fists of light, to smite their foes with holy vengeance. That faith is what we keep alive, here at the monastery.’ He clenches his fists, watching with delight as they spark and crackle with magic. ‘Swords can be untrustworthy, they can dull and rust, be turned against you. But having faith in yourself . . . to be one with the power inside,’ he glances up at you, a zealous pride brightening his eyes, ‘that’s something no one can take away.’
You glance past his shoulder, to the door of ivory and gold. You assume that the white abbot, who gave this monk his inscriptions, must be taking residence inside the building.
Will you:
Head through the door? — 132
Return to the courtyard? — 260
317
Eldias frowns as he listens to your accusation. ‘Yes,’ he nods, tilting his head to one side as he looks you up and down. ‘I remember you. You look different: thinner, leaner. Less meat.’
‘Is that all you have to say?’ You glower angrily. ‘I was made a prisoner of the inquisition. You know what happened to that child was an accident. I’m no murderer!’
Eldias waves at you dismissively. ‘I was doing my job, what do you expect? I didn’t hand you over because of what you did – I gave you to the inquisition because of what you are.’
‘Then what am I?’ you snap, glaring at him intently. ‘Enlighten me.’
Eldias looks about to say something, then checks himself – choosing his words carefully. ‘You were lost to some kind of vision when you attacked the boy. He was trying to help you; he was trying to give you water. He didn’t know any better. You were not accountable for your actions. I know that.’
‘You didn’t answer the question.’
Eldias shrugs his shoulders. ‘You could be many things. But I think you might be a prophet; someone who sees future events, glimpses possible destinies. It’s a fine gift, but one that is also dangerous. You need to control it – you need to know how to use it.’
‘Were you hoping the inquisition would teach me?’ you reply petulantly. ‘They had me chained in a cell while some clown filled me full of Elysium – they questioned me again and again and . . .’ You stop, aware that the banging outside has intensified. From somewhere close by you hear glass breaking. A window.
Eldias drops a hand to one of his swords. ‘Well, you can either take your anger out on me or them,’ he says. ‘But I reckon your chances of survival are going to be considerably better with me at your side.’
Turn to 347 to ask Eldias another question. When you are ready to continue, turn to 340.
318
You pass beneath the archway, entering a circular room filled with rubble. Part of the ceiling and a wall have toppled inwards, offering an unnerving glimpse of the black nothingness beyond.
A number of glowing wisps are floating above the loose stones. If you have a potion in your backpack, you could tip out its contents and fill the empty bottle with some of these strange balls of light. This will replace your potion with the following item:
A bottle of wisps
(backpack)
The tiny glowing lights are
trapped inside!
If you do not have a potion in your pack, then you have no way of capturing the wisps of magic – they simply slip through your fingers each time you try and catch one.
Turning back to the room, you see that the only other exit is another archway in the north wall, where a set of metal stairs wind away into the tower.
Will you:
Search through the rubble? — 348
Leave via the stairs? — 46
Return to the passage and try the wooden door? — 4
319
‘It can be a rough place,’ the leader grunts disparagingly. ‘Never used to be the case, but now too many mercenary types around. The travellers need ’em, for the protection. The roads ain’t . . . safe.’ He falls to silence, looking down at his feet.
‘Yes, I had noticed,’ you add tersely. ‘Perhaps Raven’s Rest will be more agreeable.’
The leader scowls, bristling. ‘Yer gotta understand,’ he glares. ‘We lost everything. I saws you was alone . . . I t
hought . . . .’ He shakes his head. ‘It makes no matter, does it. We’re just as bad as those Wiccans. Judge all you like.’
Will you:
Ask them to tell you more about the Wiccans? — 162
Ask them if they have sought any help? — 107
Give them a gift of 5 gold crowns? — 326
Leave and continue your journey? — 199
320
You put your hands to the wheel and push. For the first few seconds you find yourself grunting with exertion, your boots sliding across the metal floor as you struggle to move it. Then it gives a teeth-grating screech as it slowly begins to turn, grinding against the rust and grime that has gathered around its axle. After pushing it round a full turn, you hear a rumbling coming from your left, followed by a loud clunk. Glancing around, you see that a glowing portal has now appeared against the west wall. It looks similar to the doorway that you used to escape from the fire demon.
Will you:
Step through the magic portal? — 416
Turn the wheel clockwise? — 388
321
You chop up the leaves and root and add these to the potion base. The flowers are then crushed and mixed into the liquid, turning it from white to a light-shade of green. The mixture has started to bubble and fizz. What ingredient will you add next?
Will you:
The Heart of Fire Page 25
