‘No!’ Avian jerks violently against the stone, his eyes rolling back into his head. ‘It’s taking . . . me . . .’
A thin layer of flesh grows across the skull, forming itself into a face – Avian’s face. Then the golem lets go a savage roar, blood and spittle flying from its teeth. Desperately you look back at the mage, but he now lies slumped against the stone, the bright glow having faded from the grooved depressions. Somehow this monster has used Avian’s power to give itself life – and now it is up to you to end it. It is time to fight:
Special abilities
Absorption: Each time you play a speed or a combat ability, Daala absorbs it – and will use it at the first available opportunity, starting from the next combat round it was absorbed. Daala will play abilities in the order that they were absorbed, subject to their description. (Note: Daala ignores all weapon and career requirements when using abilities.)
Boiling blood: Once you have taken health damage from Daala’s damage score/damage dice, you are immediately inflicted with boiling blood. This causes 1 damage at the end of its first combat round, ignoring armour. This damage increases by 1 in each subsequent combat round, up to a maximum of 4 damage a round.
Blood ‘n gore: The demon is immune to bleed.
If you manage to defeat this foul abomination, turn to 890.
775
The balcony has a single doorway, which takes you through into a domed chamber. This new area is devoid of furnishings or decoration, save for the mosaic floor. You twist your head to try and discern the pattern – it looks like a runed hammer, surrounded by a circle of flames.
At the opposite end of the hall are two enormous stone doors, intricately carved to mirror the same design. They stand slightly ajar, affording a glimpse of a colonnaded platform and an outdoor plaza beyond.
As you head across the room, the ground starts to tremble underfoot. You look urgently to Virgil, then down at the tiles, which are visibly vibrating.
‘When was the last time this volcano erupted?’ you ask with a nervous frown.
Virgil shakes his head. ‘I don’t think . . .’
Suddenly, there is a loud explosion. Broken tiles go sailing through the air as a spiked head pushes up through the rock. Giant mandibles snap hungrily at you then the creature falls back, leaving a gaping hole in the floor. An instant later you hear a skittering sound, moving across the room.
‘Persistent, I’ll give it that,’ grunts Virgil, trying to follow the sound as it sweeps past.
The skittering stops. You exchange concerned glances.
Then the ground beneath your feet explodes upwards. You go tumbling away as the centipede bursts out, its plated legs scrabbling to pull its body through the hole. You manage a futile swing at the monster as it surges past, but your weapons are deflected by its thick carapace.
The bug swarms up the wall, then across the ceiling, its head swinging around to take aim with its bile-coated mandibles. You don’t need a sixth sense to know what is coming next. As the first of the slime bombs splatter across the ground, you flex your demon wings then launch yourself into the air. It is time to fight:
Special abilities
Bile assault: Create a 6 by 6 grid on a sheet of paper. Number the squares 1 to 6 both horizontally and vertically (see diagram). At the start of each combat round, choose a square for your hero to occupy. (You may want to use a counter or die for this.) Then roll 2 dice for a grid reference; the first result for the horizontal (x axis) and second result for the vertical (y axis). So a roll of and would give you grid reference 3, 4. This square has been filled with corrosive bile.
If your hero was occupying this square then they take 15 damage, ignoring armour. The bile remains in the square for the duration of the combat. Repeat this extra phase at the start of each round, choosing a clear spot for your hero, then rolling for where the next bile will land. If you roll the same grid reference as a previous bile, then roll again. Remember, each bile remains in play until the end of the combat.
If you manage to defeat this mucus-spitting monstrosity, turn to 781.
776
It is an arduous climb and one that frequently leaves you dangling by only your fingertips as the eroded rock crumbles and gives way beneath you. Thankfully a spattering of ledges provide a helpful respite, allowing you to gather your strength for each stage of the climb.
As you near the summit you notice that one of the ledges juts out from the wall, becoming a narrow finger of rock. At its end is a thorny-looking nest, containing three large white eggs.
Will you:
Investigate the nest? — 457
Continue climbing? — 472
777
Searching through the vault, you find 200 gold crowns. You may also take any/all of the following:
Glyph of strength
Rune of healing
Acheron’s warglaive
(special: glyph)
(special: rune)
(main hand: sword)
Use on any item to add 1 brawn
Use on any item to add the special ability heal
+2 speed +4 brawn
Ability: cleave
When you have made your decision, you leave the vault and exit the hall through the open doorway. Turn to 797.
778
One of the rune stones is still glowing with a dim, pulsating light. You stoop down to examine it. As soon as you touch the stone’s cool surface, the complex runes suddenly blossom into a crimson brilliance – their rhythm quickening like the beat of a heart.
If you wish, you may now take the following item:
Lich stone
(talisman)
+1 magic
Ability: runecaster career
The stone is imbued with ancient magics, designed to revive and energise. While this item is equipped, the runecaster has the following special abilities:
Refresh (mo): Cast this spell any time in combat to restore an ability that you or an ally has already used – allowing you to use it again. You can only cast refresh once per combat.
Magic tap (mo): Cast this spell any time in combat to raise your magic score by 2 for one combat round. If you roll a double (for attack speed or damage), then this spell is restored and can be used again.
Once you have made your decision, you leave the tomb and head up the stairs. Turn to 889.
779
You walk forward to inspect the mirror, discovering that the top stone is loose from the base and can be rotated. However, no matter in which direction you turn the mirror, nothing appears to happen. Puzzled by this, you inspect the stone doors – but once again, you are met with frustration. The doors are locked by some spell or mechanism and cannot be opened. With nothing else of interest in the room, you decide to leave and return to the main chamber, hoping that the other exit will lead to better fortune. Turn to 595.
780
The hunter is far deadlier than he appears, but his impatience is his undoing. A clumsy lunge leaves him wide open, allowing you to sweep your weapons past his guard, delivering a swift and decisive end to the combat.
Searching the hunter’s body, you find 30 gold crowns and up to two of the following rewards:
Bone wild
Rip spleen
Jungle runners
(main hand: sword)
(left hand: sword)
(feet)
+1 speed +2 brawn
+2 speed +1 brawn
+1 speed +2 health
Ability: deep wound
Ability: bleed
Ability: haste
With your adversary defeated, you take a moment to inspect the crates. Sadly, they contain very little of interest – mostly arrows and crossbow bolts – but a few choice items catch your eye. You may now take any/all of the following:
Taipan poison (2 uses)
Sharpening stone (2 uses)
(backpack)
(backpack)
Use this at the start of combat to coat your weapons in snake venom. This gives you the veno
m special ability for the duration of the combat
Use this at the start of combat to sharpen your weapons. This gives you the sure edge special ability for the duration of the combat.
Turning back to the camp, you hear a sudden piercing shriek. Looking up, you see the sniper topple from the watch tower. A tigris follows him over the rail, her sharp claws whipping around to dig into the wood – slowing her fall. It is White Cloak. The agile tigris springs back to the ground, her eyes already scanning the battle for her next prey. Turn to 785.
781
You leap onto the centipede’s back, sinking your weapons between the insect’s black carapace. A shudder runs along its enormous body, then the multitude of legs give way beneath it. The centipede skids along on a film of its own bile, before finally crashing into a wall with a satisfying crunch.
You jump down from its crumpled remains. ‘Always knew it had a soft spot for me . . .’
For defeating Chilopoda, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:
Mucus membrane
Slime skimmers
Mordant shroud
(chest)
(boots)
(head)
+2 speed +2 armour
+2 speed +2 brawn
+2 speed +3 magic
Ability: immobilise
Ability: webbed
Ability: acid
(requirement: warrior)
(requirement: mage)
When you have made your decision, turn to 884.
782
Cernos holds Nephele close, kissing her tear-soaked cheek – then he rises, drawing his sword. The girl shrieks, reaching out to stop him, clawing for his legs, but the soldier marches forward all the same, the certainty of his own death written on his face.
‘Let them go!’ he demands. ‘Please. Take my soul instead – spare them.’
The demon snarls, its free hand whipping through the air. It catches Cernos across the chest, tearing through his armour and hurling him sideways into the wall. Then the demon surges towards the king, his rune-blade raised to strike.
‘All will fall before Ragnarok!’
The demon’s sword slices down, the air rippling around its edges. At the last moment the king grabs his daughter, throwing her forward. ‘Take her!’ he snarls. Then he turns and runs, making for the back of the chamber. The sword sweeps through the defenceless girl, her body cleaved in two by the dark blade. Its runes flare bright as a ghostly image of the girl rises up from her corpse, kicking and screaming even in death.
‘NO!’ Cernos struggles to rise, blood pouring from the claw marks that have raked his chest. ‘Nephele!’ He watches in horror as her spirit is absorbed into the blade, its malign runes growing ever brighter.
‘Let me out!’ The king is beating his fists against a panel at the back of the chamber. Evidently it must lead to some secret escape tunnel, but the panel has become jammed. His anguished cries become desperate whimpers.
‘Do you wish revenge?’ The demon points its blade at the king, who is now sobbing on his knees. ‘I said, do you want revenge?’ His head snaps around to glare at Cernos.
The warrior staggers to his feet, blood and dust matting his face. ‘Nephele . . .’ As his gaze wanders from the corpse to the whimpering king, his mouth curls into a vicious sneer. ‘We are all damned!’ he bellows, spitting blood. ‘This is my kingdom no longer – and this is not my king.’
The demon’s laughter reverberates throughout the chamber, pounding like fists against your eardrums. You watch, dumbfounded, as Cernos stalks towards the king, his body changing with each step, scales and spines punching out of his back, muscles breaking the confines of his clothing, wings unfolding like dark leaves. In a matter of heartbeats, Cernos the demon stands over the king.
‘Do it!’ snarls Barahar. ‘And prove you are worthy of my blood.
’ You look away, the king’s screams turning your stomach. Then everything blurs, the room swimming and lurching once again. When you can finally see again you are lying on your stomach, coughing on dust and grit. Towering above you is the demon, Cernos, his scorched flesh disfiguring his sneer.
‘So, tell me, prophet,’ he spits with contempt. ‘Do you really think you are worthy of my blood?’ Turn to 584.
783
You turn to face the last of the hounds, your weapons dripping with molten ichor. The beast’s eyes narrow to slivers of flame as it prepares to charge. You tense – ready for the attack. Then a crack of thunder sends you staggering sideways, the noise tearing through your skull and leaving a painful echo pounding in your ears. At that same moment, the hound’s head shatters into fragments of bone as it is sent flying off the side of the bridge, its painful whine quickly lost to the mist.
Virgil lowers his smoking pistol. ‘I’d cover your ears next time.’
For your victory over the hounds, you may now choose one of the following rewards:
Magma hide
Lava pads
Hound hook
(chest)
(boots)
(left hand: dagger)
+1 speed +3 brawn
+2 speed +2 magic
+2 speed +3 brawn
Ability: backdraft
Ability: fire shield
Ability: gouge
(requirement: warrior)
(requirement: mage)
(requirement: rogue)
When you have made your decision, turn to 798.
784
You take the ashes that you found in the Lamuri city and pour them into the black metal dish. The moment the ashes come in contact with the heated surface, they start to smoulder, filling the room with a strong, fragrant scent.
‘So, we’re making offerings to old gods now?’ Virgil sniffs disapprovingly.
You watch as the smoke winds about you like an hypnotic serpent. Then, all of a sudden, there is an angry rush of heat. Green flames erupt from the consumed ashes – and with them a ghostly shape takes flight. It is a giant bird, formed of fire and brimstone, its bright plumage rippling with heat. For an instant it hovers above the flames, wings beating silently. Then it swoops down with a shrill squawk, talons raking through the air. It is time to fight:
Special abilities
Heat wave: At the start of every third combat round, the phoenix releases a surging torrent of flame. You must automatically take damage equal to its current magic score, ignoring armour.
Healing tears: At the end of each combat round, the phoenix heals 2 health. This cannot take the phoenix above its starting health of 100.
Body of flame: The phoenix is immune to backdraft, fire aura, sear and searing mantle.
If you manage to defeat this tempestuous fire spirit, turn to 654.
785
You stumble through the battle, eyes stinging from the smoke. It is difficult to make out who is winning, if anyone – bodies of both tigris and hunters litter the ground.
Ahead of you is a line of iron cages. Their captives are snorting and bellowing, battering against the bars to free themselves. In one you can see a squat four-legged beast, with a thickly armoured hide and a cluster of horns for a face. In another is a winged reptile, shrieking as it throws itself against the sides of the cage, desperate to escape.
Suddenly the body of a tigris goes streaking past in a tumble of arms and legs. It is closely followed by another, howling in pain. You spin around to see a giant stomping through the smoke, wielding a tree-sized club.
Will you:
Try and open the cages? — 763
Attack the giant? — 772
786
‘This is the work of elves, not dwarves,’ says Virgil, lifting up a loose cog from the ground and brushing the dust from its surface.‘Fascinating. Avian would have liked to have seen this.’
‘Elves?’ you frown. ‘How is that possible?’
The witchfinder shrugs. ‘The shroud here is thin, riven. The elven navigators could travel through it – perhaps one of their number ended up here a
fter the city was deserted. Access to a rune forge would have been a great boon for them – particularly in their fight against the legion. ’ He follows the system of cogs to a row of metal levers that appear to operate a switch mechanism.
‘The lava is feeding the forge fires, look.’ He leans back, pointing to the rivers of molten rock, bubbling sluggishly along their grooved channels. ‘If we close them off, we can lower the heat.’
For a moment, you struggle to grasp his meaning, then you spot the stone plugs, hanging over each of the outlets. You assume they can be lowered, to shut off each individual flow of lava.
‘The sprites will use the forge to heal,’ says Virgil. ‘I suggest we give them a little surprise.’
Will you:
Attempt to close the outlets? — 743
Examine the pipes? — 692
Head up the stairs to the forge? — 601
787
For defeating Nephele, you may now help yourself to one of the following special items:
Nemesis shawl
B is for Banshee
Azure embers
(cloak)
(left hand: spell book)
(main hand: wand)
+2 speed +3 magic
+2 speed +4 magic
+2 speed +4 magic
The Heart of Fire Page 61
