The Caverns of Kalte (18 page)

Due to the surprise of your attack, you strike twice before the Ice Barbarian can react. You do not lose any
ENDURANCE
points during the first two rounds of combat. If the Ice Barbarian is still alive for the third round of combat, he draws a bone scimitar and attacks you. He is immune to Mindblast.

Ice Barbarian:
COMBAT SKILL
 17   
ENDURANCE
 29

If you win the combat,
turn to 210
.

As you reach the landing below, you stumble and graze your leg. Sprawled on the stone steps, you notice a gap in the left wall. A door has been cunningly concealed by the intricate carvings. Looking more closely, you see a small lever, which you quickly pull.

Turn to 290
.

The child kicks and bites at your arm like a wild animal.

If you possess the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 71
.

Otherwise, pick a number from the
Random Number Table
to see if you manage to hang on to him.

If the number you have picked is 0–6,
turn to 320
.

If the number you have picked is 7–9,
turn to 140
.

Because the passage is narrow, you must fight the Kalkoth one at a time. Their long venomous tongues flicker, ready to sting you.

Kalkoth 1:
COMBAT SKILL
 11   
ENDURANCE
 35

Kalkoth 2:
COMBAT SKILL
 10   
ENDURANCE
 32

Kalkoth 3:
COMBAT SKILL
 8   
ENDURANCE
 30

If you lose any
ENDURANCE
points during the combat, even when attempting to evade,
turn immediately to 66
.

You can evade the fight at any time by
turning to 277
.

If you win the combat without losing any
ENDURANCE
points,
turn to 25
.

You enter a massive chamber, ill-lit and icy cold: a hidden temple of the Ancients. The floor is made from slabs of quartz and granite and is littered with rock and ice. Your eye follows a line of tall pillars leading towards a sacrificial altar set into an alcove in the northern wall. Upon this altar lies a strange statue, which seems to be carved from smooth white stone. At its head and feet, black staves rest upright in holes bored into the altar stone.

To the left of the altar there is a darkened archway, through which a flight of stairs ascends out of view.

If you wish to cross the temple and advance towards the staircase,
turn to 60
.

If you wish to cross the temple floor by stepping only on the quartz flagstones,
turn to 168
.

If you wish to cross the temple by stepping only on the granite flagstones,
turn to 244
.

This strange creature is a Crystal Frostwyrm, a scavenging beast now living on the remains of the unfortunate creatures that have entered the cavern. Its hard skin is almost transparent, and its internal organs can be seen pulsating inside. A large mouth opens in the crystalline head to reveal row upon row of jagged crystal teeth. Your back is pressed to the stone door and there is no way to evade the monster. You must fight the creature to the death. It is immune to Mindblast.

Illustration XV
—This strange creature is a Crystal Frostwyrm and you must fight it to the death.

Crystal Frostwyrm:
COMBAT SKILL
 15   
ENDURANCE
 30

If you win the combat,
turn to 3
.

You desperately try to release your foot but the sledge is already toppling into the void. With one last effort, you wrench your foot clear, but it is too late to avoid the fall. As you tumble into the crevasse, you hear the horrified screams of your guides fading above you.

Turn to 21
.

Loi-Kymar suddenly points to the pocket in which you have put the Glowing Crystal. ‘Why do you carry a Doomstone, Kai Lord? Are you unaware of the danger it holds?’

You quickly remove the Crystal and show it to the magician. ‘Agh!’ he cries, as if to look upon it causes him pain. ‘Cast it away before we both succumb to the sickness. It is a cursed gem of the Ancients, it can only bring sickness and death to any mortal who covets its beauty.’ Reluctantly, you obey Loi-Kymar's wishes and throw the Crystal away. Make the necessary adjustment to your
Action Chart
.

Turn to 44
.

You manage to crack the seal in exactly the right place, and thereby avoid smashing the thin glass stem. The vapour rising from the black liquid is sharp and pungent.

If you have ever visited the Graveyard of the Ancients,
turn to 177
.

If you have not, you quickly replace stopper of the Vial. The vapour is making you nauseous, and you decide against keeping this suspicious fluid.
Return to 10
and choose your next course of action.

You reach a tunnel on the far side of the chasm and follow it for many miles. You eventually arrive at an enormous chamber, the ceiling of which towers five hundred feet above you. An icy wind, blowing through the many fissures that crack the ceiling, whips around the hall.

If you wish to search for a way of climbing up and out through the fissures,
turn to 335
.

If you decide to press on and look for an exit on the far side of the hall,
turn to 182
.

The Ice Barbarians are taken completely by surprise. You have killed one of them before the other has time to react to your attack. He is unarmed but determined to fight you.

Ice Barbarian:
COMBAT SKILL
 14   
ENDURANCE
 25

If you win the combat,
turn to 340
.

Your attack has caused the Ice Barbarian scout to lose his balance. He tumbles in a flurry of snow and broken skis. The fur-clad child rolls clear of his father's backpack and lies face downwards in the snow, less, than ten feet away.

The Ice Barbarian scout is badly dazed by the fall, but is already attempting to stagger to his feet.

If you wish to attack the Ice Barbarian scout before he fully regains his senses,
turn to 241
.

If you wish to grab the child as a hostage and try to escape,
turn to 262
.

As the vile Akraa'Neonor quivers and dies, Vonotar breaks off mind combat and runs back towards the Brumalmarc throne.

Loi-Kymar is badly shaken but he has survived the ordeal. He quickly joins you at the edge of the moat and casts a handful of herbs down into the darkness. Within seconds, a mass of vines and creepers coil upwards to form a bridge. You are halfway across the bridge when Vonotar suddenly reappears, a crystal rod held high in his hand. He takes aim at the mass of creepers and a chilling cone of frost hurtles from the rod's tip.

If you possess the Sommerswerd,
turn to 213
.

If you do not possess it, pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–3,
turn to 143
.

If the number you have picked is 4–9,
turn to 58
.

You are to travel to Ikaya by sledge. Two sledges have been loaded with enough food, and equipment for the mission, each drawn by a team of six Kanu-dogs. This sturdy breed is native to Kalte, and they make ideal sledge dogs. Their thick tawny coats and powerful chests, as well as their renowned vigour and enthusiasm make them well suited to the harsh work ahead.

Your three guides, Irian, Fenor, and Dyce, are all experienced trappers. They are skilled at survival in this icy desert and have experienced its many unseen dangers. Once the dogs are in harness, you and Irian climb aboard your sledge and signal to the others to lead the way.

Staring across the frozen expanse of the Ljuk ice shelf, you see the white glare of the Hrod Basin edge. ‘ “Ice-Blink” they call it,’ says Irian, his eyes glinting from deep inside the hood of his fur jacket. ‘It's the reflection of the ice shelf. It looks no more than four miles away at most, but it's nearer forty than four. The air of Kalte can be very deceptive.’

The weather is bright and windless and you make excellent progress on the first day. As darkness sets in, you decide to set up camp for the night. The sledges are drawn together, and the tent is erected in the salient away from the wind.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 35
.

If you do not possess this skill,
turn to 112
.

You carefully examine the altar, and the two black staves protruding from its surface. The crackling arc of energy that linked these staves seemed to die at the very moment you plunged the Sommerswerd into the cyclonic demon. You notice that where the statue had lain, two stone buttons have now risen from the surface of the altar.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 131
.

If you wish to press the buttons,
turn to 227
.

If you wish to leave the temple,
turn to 306
.

The tunnel is low and narrow and gradually descends towards the light of a distant cavern. As you reach the tunnel's end, you peer cautiously into the cavern beyond, in case you disturb something better left alone. Your caution is well placed, for in the centre of the icy cavern lie two large furry creatures. The remains of a shredded carcass lie on the snow around them.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, Tracking, or Animal Kinship,
turn to 293
.

If you do not possess any of the above skills,
turn to 197
.

You soon reach the junction where the corridor meets another running from east to west.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting or Tracking,
turn to 219
.

If you wish to head east,
turn to 349
.

If you decide to go west,
turn to 50
.

You run back into the cave as fast as you can, but the Kalkoth are familiar with this route and they are gaining on you. As you reach the frozen waterfall, you notice the slab of a silvery mineral overhanging the cave mouth.

If you possess a weapon, you may strike this outcrop and attempt to block the cave, by
turning to 142
.

If you do not, you will have to stand and fight the creatures as they emerge from the cave.
Turn to 32
.

Your first blow scatters the bones of the skeleton all over the chamber. It seems that it was nothing more than the harmless remains of an old tomb guard. A closer examination of the sword reveals that the blackness is nothing more than pitted iron. You lower your weapon and slowly climb the stairs.

Turn to 36
.

Baknar are known to sleep for up to three days after a feast. By the number of freshly stripped bones littering the chamber, this Baknar is likely to be asleep for many hours. You slip past the snoring creature and leave the chamber.

Turn to 235
.

The Key is coated with a corrosive digestive acid that burns through your mittens and attacks your fingers. Lose 1
ENDURANCE
point. You drop the Key and plunge your hand into the snow to ease the pain. If you still wish to keep the key, you can wipe it in the snow before placing it in your pocket, but remember to mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item. You must now search for a way of opening the fortress door.

Turn to 344
.