The Heart of Fire
Page 55
700
You twist the numbered dials, each one locking into place with an encouraging click. As the last dial catches on some hidden mechanism, the container starts to vibrate softly. Suddenly its pyramidal lid flips open, revealing a hollowed cavity. You tip the container over, letting its contents spill into your hand. As well as a few sparkling jewels and some gold (you have gained 100 gold crowns), you also discover a rune stone. You may now choose one of the following rewards:
Rune of meditation
Rune of protection
Rune of protection
(special: rune)
(special: rune)
(special: rune)
Use on any item to add the special ability channel
Use on any item to add the special ability iron will
Use on any item to add the special ability charm
(requirement: mage)
Pleased with your finds, you pocket the gold and jewels, before turning your attention back to the forge. turn to 755.
701
Quito throws you a purse of gold, before shouldering his bag and heading down the aisle. (You have gained 80 gold crowns.) As you watch him leave, a sudden thought occurs to you.
‘Hey, who is the book for?’ you ask, with interest.
‘Raolin Storm,’ he calls back. ‘A mage suffering from an unfortunate affliction – too much money.’ He glances back over his shoulder. ‘Don’t worry, I’m his perfect antidote.’ After a departing wink he reenters the hall, disappearing from sight. If you are a venommancer, turn to 885. Otherwise, you leave the chamber and resume your journey, heading through the blast hole. Turn to 731.
702
The forest starts to thin, quickly becoming bare hills strewn with hummocks of moss and lichen-covered boulders. A mile further in and a grey-white wall looms out of the haze – a limestone cliff, marking the boundary of an impassable plain of bluffs and ridges.
‘We pass under rock,’ states Grey-hair, pointing to a ragged crack in the cliff-side. ‘Caves take us to marsh.’
Scar-face leads the way into the narrow crevice. Your shoulders brush against the sharp walls that loom close on either side, as if conspiring to keep you from advancing further. You squeeze through the tight spaces, trying to ignore the creeping sense of claustrophobia that threatens to overwhelm you. You take comfort in the occasional glimpse of daylight high above, but these become less frequent as you descend deeper, the tunnel eventually bringing you out into an underground cave.
It is pitch black and yet you can clearly make out the crowns of stalagmites protruding from the pitted ground. Once again, you are thankful for the strange powers that you have inherited from the demon.
Eventually the cavern dips, splitting into two tunnels. One winds away to the north, where a sickly smell wafts on a faint breeze. To the east is a wider tunnel which twists away, out of sight. Your sharpened hearing picks out a skittering sound coming from that direction, like many feet tapping across stone.
Scar-face looks back at the pack, waiting for a decision.
Grey-hair leans towards you. ‘What do your instincts say, bright claw?’
Will you:
Suggest taking the north passage? — 807
Suggest taking the east passage? — 604
703
After an hour you see the dim grey of the canyon wall looming above the treetops. Your journey is nearly at its end. Quickening your pace, you leave the river and plunge back into the forest, making for the canyon. Once again the going is slow and arduous, hacking your way across the muddy, uneven terrain, but at last – insect-bitten and smarting from a multitude of minor scrapes – you stumble out onto a boulder-strewn slope, the high canyon wall only metres away from you.
Now a fresh challenge presents itself – getting to the top. As you walk along the wall, you notice a few areas that look climbable, with hand- and foot-holds and a few crumbling ledges. You also spot a cave a little further ahead, with skulls and bone-charms hanging from poles either side of the opening.
Will you:
Enter the cave? — 867
Climb the canyon wall? — 776
704
The tigris nods, a fleeting smile revealing his canines. ‘You think you strong enough to fight with Shara Sheva?’ He turns away, raising his arms to the boisterous growls and snarls of his pack. ‘Skins think they better than us!’
The tigris swings around, lashing out with both paws. You twist sideways just in time, the sharp claws missing your chest by mere inches.
You draw your weapons, backing away in confusion. ‘Wait, I offered you aid . . .’
Sheva prowls around you, squaring his shoulders. ‘To fight with
Sheva, you show your claws. Else you’re worm-meat for the marsh.’ His words break into a thunderous roar, as he flies forward in a blur of tooth and claw. You must now fight:
Special abilities
Cat’s speed: Sheva rolls 3 dice to determine his attack speed. Your hero’s special abilities can be used to reduce this number, if available.
Bleed: After the first time Sheva makes a successful attack that causes health damage, you must take a further point of damage at the end of each combat round.
If you manage to defeat this powerful predator, turn to 366. Otherwise, turn to 294.
705
The steam is flowing from one end of the pipes to the other. Your goal is to stop the air from reaching the outlet, which feeds the bellows. In order to achieve this, you can turn any two of the dark-coloured pipe tiles clockwise by 90 degrees. By turning two of the tiles, it is possible to stop any of the steam reaching the outlet.
Each tile has a numbered reference. The row numbers give a tens value and the column numbers give a units value. For example, the first dark tile on the top row would be represented by the number 12. The dark tile on the second row would be 24. Decide which two tiles you need to turn, then add together their two numbers. This is your answer. Turn to the paragraph number that matches your total to see if you were correct.
If you are unable to solve the puzzle, then you have no choice but to leave the pipes and concentrate your efforts elsewhere. You may now examine the cogs and pulleys, if you haven’t already (turn to 786) or head up the stairs to the forge (turn to 601).
706
The black spear starts to tremble and shake, pulled by some invisible force towards the magical font. You tighten your grip, struggling to maintain a hold, but the power is too strong. The spear is wrenched from your hands, drawn through the air to hover above the dark hole.
You watch dumbfounded as blue fingers of magic creep out of the font’s inky depths, wrapping themselves around the spear. Metal grates and squeals as the spear continues to shake, fighting against the magic that is enveloping it. Then a wailing cry fills your ears, so deafening that it drives you to your knees. It is followed by a crack, as the spear breaks – releasing a black cloud of magic, which is sucked down into the font, the cry fading to silence within a matter of seconds.
If the spear contained the spirit of the panther, the spirit of the spider and the spirit of the serpent, turn to 420. Otherwise, turn to 377.
707
You spring at Virgil, taking him by surprise. Grabbing his arm, you attempt to wrest the blade from his grip. With a snarl, the witchfinder cuffs you with the back of his hand. You stumble back, knocking into the desk and sending it crashing onto its side.
‘Fool,’ growls the witchfinder. ‘I was trying to save you.’
‘You’re not real,’ you shout back defiantly.
You notice the black roots, which have broken through the stone, start to snake and wind around Virgil’s legs. Too late the witchfinder looks down, realising his predicament. You charge forwards, ducking beneath his sword swipe and tugging a dagger from his belt.
‘You will regret this, prophet!’ he spits.
You drive the dagger into the man’s chest, stepping away from the body as it topples to the ground, the black roots unravellin
g and slinking back into the stone. Virgil spits blood as he glares at you in anger.
‘Why?’ he asks fiercely.
You cling to the dagger, feeling its weight – the sticky blood oozing between your fingers. ‘This is just a dream,’ you reply, sounding less certain than before.
The witchfinder shudders then lies still. For several minutes you are frozen in situ, gazing down at the body. Something isn’t right, but you can’t work out what. You struggle to remember how you got here, what you were doing before this all happened. The broken manacles hang heavy around your wrists, rubbing against the blistered sores. The rust, the chains, the metal – all of it is perfect, exactly as you remember it.
‘It can’t be real,’ you gasp, letting the dagger fall from your hands. It clinks across the ground, settling next to the dead witchfinder. Horrified by what you might have done, you hurry out of the cell, desperate to find answers (make a note of the word scars). Turn to 478.
708
Congratulations, for defeating Nephele while hexed you have won the following rare item:
Volcanist’s handwraps
(gloves)
+1 speed +4 magic
Ability: melt, volcanism set
(requirement: hexed)
Once you have updated your hero sheet, return to the quest map to continue your journey.
709
Dodging the corrosive sap, you hack and blast at the withered bark, each blow causing more of the green slime to ooze from the tree’s innards. It is a tiring battle, the noxious odour making you feel nauseous – but at last you stand victorious over the felled tree, its broken body slowly sinking into its own slime.
Amongst the tree’s dark roots you spy a number of glittering treasures. As well as a casket containing 50 gold crowns, you also find one of the following rewards:
Forest cuirass
Weeper’s blooms
Tangle knot
(chest)
(gloves)
(ring)
+2 brawn +2 armour
+1 speed +2 magic
+1 brawn +1 magic
Ability: thorn armour
Ability: call of nature set
Ability: barbs
(requirement: warrior)
(requirement: druid)
If you are a brigand, druid or pariah, turn to 734. Otherwise turn to 804.
710
The moment your hand touches the rune, red lightning arcs across the face of the door, sending you reeling backwards in pain. Clearly you have chosen the incorrect rune, and have triggered some hidden trap woven into the magic of the door.
You have been inflicted with the following curse:
Curse of frailty (pa): You must lower your health by 5 until you next roll a double in combat.
Return to 871 to choose another rune.
711
There is a vast number of books and tablets neatly arranged on the shelves, but all are written in an unfamiliar script. However, when you tug one of the books loose from its shelf you discover that it is in fact a small stone chest. You flip open the lid to reveal a hollow cavity filled with gold. (You have gained 100 gold crowns.) Further searching reveals nothing of interest.
Will you:
Examine the crystal ball? — 659
Read the note? — 852
Leave? — 858
712
The cracks in the platform start to widen, branching from one end to the other. Beneath your feet you can feel the stone vibrating as the wind demon rumbles ever closer, devouring everything in its path. Virgil wipes the blood from his eye, stumbling into a run. He tugs your arm, pulling you along with him. The pathway continues to circle upwards, taking you past more of the strange glowing scenes.
On the last platform a dwarf warrior is pacing angrily, resplendent in plate armour. He stands four feet tall, his spiked pauldrons towering an extra foot above his head. ‘No!’ He stops and turns, his finger stabbing at some invisible accuser. ‘I were set up! I’d never disgrace the twin thrones.’ He takes a step forward, teeth clenched tight. ‘The Illumanti are corrupt! Their magic’s what’s done this! You don’t believe me – then you’re cursed like they are!’ In a berserk fury he snatches a hammer and a shield from a crossed rack. When he turns to face you, there is a maddened gleam to his ghostly eyes.
‘You . . . you murdered my drakes,’ growls the warrior. ‘Their blood is on your hands!’
With a murderous cry, the dwarf charges, his hammer sweeping around in a vivid crescent of green fire. It is time to fight:
Special abilities
Wall of steel: When you roll for damage, roll an equal number of dice for Acheron. If the digits of any dice match your own, the dice are removed from play.
Ghost of a victory: You cannot use cutpurse or pillage to gain gold/items from this combat.
If you manage to defeat Acheron turn to 738. If you are defeated (or reach the end of your twentieth combat round), then the wind demon has outrun you. Restore your health and abilities, then return to 630 if you wish to tackle the challenge again.
713
As you light the last candle, the ground begins to tremble and shake beneath your feet. You quickly back away from the scorched markings, tugging your weapon free.
Then you hear the sound of crumbling earth. The pumpkin head has started to rise up off the ground, supported on a pair of dirt-covered shoulders. In horror, you realise that the creature is struggling to free itself, dragging first one arm and then the other out of the soil. Its long clawed fingers rake the earth as it crawls forward, slowly pulling the rest of its skeletal body free from the mound.
The creature kneels and then stands, clods of sodden earth falling from its dark bones. For a moment, it regards you thoughtfully, wobbling on bony heels. Then with a sudden lurch, the pumpkin staggers towards you, flames billowing from its jagged mouth. You must fight:
If you manage to defeat this magical guardian, turn to 201.
714
With the mighty black panther defeated, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:
Cape of the savage
Bad tooth
Waxen wilds
(cloak)
(ring)
(gloves)
+1 speed +2 magic
+2 magic
+1 speed +2 magic
Ability: primal
Ability: disease
Ability: surge
You may also take Gheira’s paw, as proof of your victory (make a note of this on your hero sheet, it does not take up backpack space). If you have the glaive of souls equipped, turn to 663. Otherwise, return to the quest map to continue your adventure.
715
Entering the ziggurat is like stepping into another world. After the heat and humidity of the jungle, you find the air here is cold and dusty – the quiet solemnity reminding you of being inside a church. The four sheer walls slope upwards towards a point of light high above, suggesting that the entire ziggurat is a hollow structure. Torches spit magical flames from rusted iron braziers; one set at each corner of the room. You wonder how long those flames have been lit – and to what purpose. This city is thousands of years old, a cursed ruin left to crumble away. No one lives here anymore, except for the forsaken souls shambling amongst the debris.
And yet, this place still feels alive. Perhaps the Lamuri are not yet ready to be forgotten.
The building’s vast age – its alien nature – is evident all around you. On every slab of rock there are hundreds of intricate carvings.
The script makes little sense to you, a combination of runic symbols and pictures, possibly recording events or the beliefs of a lost people.
Across from the entrance a flight of stairs leads up to a raised platform, where a pair of bronze doors are set into the wall. Four figures stand sentinel at the foot of the stairs, their postures rigid, their eyes unmoving. Unlike the statues outside, these appear to be undead. Their bodies are rotted to bone, but their burnished breastplates and
golden facemasks still shine as if they were forged yesterday. Each of the four warriors, who appear female from their gold-banded skirts, is holding a sword and shield to her chest.
Against the right-hand wall a sloping ledge rises up to an open doorway, leading back out into bright sunlight.
Will you:
Approach the stairs? — 652
Leave via the side exit? — 595
716
For defeating Erkil, you may now help yourself to one of the following special items:
Titan-forged hauberk
Garm’s whistle
Cornerstone boots
(chest)
(necklace)
(feet)
+2 speed +3 armour
+1 speed +1 magic
+2 speed +2 armour
Ability: thorn armour
Ability: packmaster
Ability: insulated
If you are hexed then you have gained an extra reward, turn to 803. Otherwise, return to the quest map to continue your journey.
717
The succubus is a powerful adversary, blasting you with her dark magics while her mind-numbing powers sap at your strength. The onslaught is endless, forcing you to lose ground to the witch’s fury.
‘You cannot defeat me!’ snarls the voice in your ears. ‘This marsh is mine!’