The Eye of Winter's Fury (58 page)

Here, tucked between two rocks, is a metal chest. You crawl forward and pull it free. Flipping open the lid, you discover a pile of gold coins and a large fist-sized ruby hidden inside. (Congratulations, you have gained 50 gold crowns and a
flawless ruby
. Simply make a note of the ruby on your hero sheet, it doesn’t take up backpack space.)

Elated with your finds, you retrace your steps and return to the taproom. Turn to
80
.

407

The Skard glares down at you, his scars twisting around his ugly smile. For a moment you see your father standing there, judging you, pitying you for your weakness. Your brother Malden, even as a cripple, mocking you for being a lesser man. Inquisitor Hort, Desnar, Captain Everard – all standing in judgement, weighing your worth, and finding you lacking . . .

Not any more.

You knock his hand away, your leg swinging round to take the Skard in the side. Your blow barely moves the heavy half-giant, but it was only a feint. Magic blooms in your fist, the chill frost of the Norr crackling around you.

Then you expel it with a scream of rage.

The blast almost lifts Skoll off his feet. He wobbles backwards, grunting through the pain. He recovers frighteningly fast – coming at you before you have barely found your feet. You duck beneath his wild swing, hands reaching out for your fallen weapons. They lift up from the ground, slapping into your open palms – just in time to block his follow-up strike. Your weapons tangle with his axe.

You wrestle back and forth, the Skard’s strength bearing down on you, forcing you against the wall. Suddenly, his hand is around your throat. You grin back at him, leering, as his fingers pass through your ghostly spirit, finding nothing tangible to hold. Snarling, he draws back his hand, fingers blackened with cold.

You free your weapons, swinging blindly, the force of your magic stoving in his chest plate. He staggers, but is somehow able to get his axe back around. You see its edge, enchanted with runes. Unable to avoid the blow in time, the axe slices across your shoulder, leaving a bright line of scolding agony.

‘You still feel pain, ghost!’ Skoll presses his attack with renewed vigour.

Desperately you fend off his whirling axe, aware that you have now become turned in the melee. Each blow knocks you closer to the rock’s edge, and the precipitous drop to the darkness below. It is time to fight:

	Special abilities
	Northern grit : Skoll is immune to any abilities that reduce his number of speed dice (such as curse , knockdown and webbed ).
	Berserker frenzy : Once Skoll’s health is reduced to 50 or less, he goes into a frenzy. This lowers his speed by 1 but increases his brawn by 4 for the remainder of the combat.

If you manage to defeat this ferocious Skard, turn to
558
.

408

The wooden guardian has been defeated. You may now help yourself to one of the following special rewards:

With little else of interest in the room, you decide to continue onwards. Turn to
13
.

409

You take the lantern and throw it into the hole.

‘Run!’ Grabbing Anise, you hurry into the adjoining passage, just as an almighty explosion shakes the tower. You hug the wall as wood and mould go flying past you in a billowing cloud. When the air finally begins to clear, you see that you have blown a smoking hole in the previous room, exposing the charred remains of the storeroom below. You doubt there is anything left worth salvaging.

With the creature defeated, you step over the burnt debris and continue along the passageway. (Remove the word
flame
from your hero sheet, then turn to
379
.)

410

You can use the forge to craft your own magical weapons. For each weapon, you will need one or two special backpack items. If you have the required item/s, you can make the associated weapon:

These weapons can then be improved using further items from your backpack. (Note: When an item is used, it must be removed from your hero sheet. Items can only be used once.) The bonuses include:

You may return to the frost forge any time between quests, to craft items or add abilities (make a note of this entry number on your hero sheet). Return to the quest map to continue your adventure.

411

You notice a number of treasures tangled up in the drake’s parasitic tentacles. If you wish, you may now take one of the following rewards:

You hope, with the death of the corrupted Titan, the explorers and Caul are now finally at peace. After giving the frozen trapper a final nod of farewell, you head into the glacial tunnels – following them back to the surface. (Return to the quest map to continue your adventure.)

412

Rook is beaten back by the speed of your attacks, his feet tangling in the black cloth of his discarded cloak. A kick to the knee sends him sprawling to the ground, his knife skittering across the flagstones.

‘I gave you that one,’ he sniffs, dabbing at the cut on his lip.

You sheathe your weapons, barely able to stand as the holy inscriptions continue to sap at your strength. ‘If this sermon’s over,’ you rasp, clutching the back of a pew for support, ‘can we go somewhere more agreeable?’

Rook rolls to his feet, scooping up his cloak in the same fluid motion. ‘Indeed, I think you more than deserve it.’

Congratulations – you have learned the path of the rogue. You may now permanently increase your
health
by 5 (to 35). You have also gained the following special ability:

Scarlet strikes (dm):
Automatically inflict damage equal to the total
brawn
of your main hand and left hand weapons to all remaining opponents, ignoring
armour
.
Scarlet strikes
can only be used once per combat.

When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to
75
.

413

The skeleton key fits the lock perfectly. Flipping open the lid, you are met by the welcoming sight of gold! You have gained 100 gold crowns. You also discover a secret compartment, which offers up a
chipped emerald
(simply make a note of this on your hero sheet, it doesn’t take up backpack space). After pocketing your finds, you leave the clearing and continue your journey. Return to the map.

414

You circle the table, watching the two ghosts. The guard is muttering to himself in dismay, casting furtive glances between his hand of stones and his hooded opponent. There are no bets being placed and no money on the table – you sense there is more at stake here than just a game of stones. You try and see under the hood of the robed ghost, but the cowl hangs low, hiding the ghost’s features in shadow. A skeletal hand protrudes from one of the sleeves, gripping its stones in a tight fist.

As you lean over the guard’s shoulder to study his stones, he suddenly turns his head, his eyes focusing on you for the first time. ‘Can you help me, stranger?’ he begs, eyes pleading. ‘I have to beat him. If I lose again, my soul will be his!’

If you have the book
Stones & Bones
in your backpack, turn to
510
. Otherwise, turn to
132
.

415

Your tarred shoulders are now covered in the roc’s feathers. You may upgrade your
cloak
item to the following:

Tar and feathers

(cloak)

+1 speed

Ability: immobilise, charm

When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to
205
.

416

Maune gives you a sharp look. ‘You’re asking me to believe the demon’s lies? He called you Arran, but it cannot be . . .’

Claws punch out from your fingers as you advance towards the paladin. You have come too far to falter now. The paladin’s magic will cleanse the fires – restore balance, as the Titans would have wanted.

War has casualties.

‘We have to do this.’ Your eyes flick to the paladin’s sword, then his open hand. Sizing up his defences, his weapons.

Maune lifts his chin, standing proudly. Resolute. ‘If you truly are my king, I’m sorry.’

He blurs forward.

The paladin’s magic is anathema to you. It burns like the face of the sun, peeling back your dead flesh, driving spears of pain into your skull. You can barely block his sword, the blow sending you reeling back, the bone of your arm splintering under its force. His fist, bright with holy scripture, glances off the side of your head.

You see only light, blinding you with pain. (You must immediately apply one death penalty effect to your hero, see entry
98
.)

Through the piercing haze, you see the paladin towering above you – his scowl distorting the lines of scripture carved into his skin. Holy words, taken from Judah’s sacred texts. Holy words that spell your death.

‘One God, forgive me.’ Maune lifts back his arm, angling his sword . . .

A scuffle of feet.

The paladin backsteps as Skoll swings his axe down with a savage roar. Maune catches the crescent blade in his sword’s teeth, continuing to swing wide to pull the axe from the warrior’s grip. Exactly what the Skard had intended.

The axe was never meant to land. A ruse.

The kick to the chest, however . . .

You watch the final moment play out – oddly silent, save for a scuffle of boots on stone.

Maune teeters on the edge, arms flapping by his sides, then he simply drops from sight. There isn’t even a scream. Instead the flames roar with a sudden vigour, reaching higher into the dawn skies. The green becomes flushed with white, the two colours seeming to whirl and coil about each other, as if in some fateful conflict – then the fire rushes forth in flames of the purest blue, the runes around its edge blossoming into silvery hues of light.

A fierce cold fills the chamber.

Ice creeps and sparkles from the pit’s edge, spreading like the branches of a tree across the stone floor. Its cold crispness is palpable on the air, snapping around the columns, dressing the statuesque figures in coats of frost.

The transformation takes less than a few moments.

The dead, red earth is gone. Ice sparkles now from every surface, reflecting the blue-white flames that dance from the pit.