The Caverns of Kalte (8 page)

Preparing yourself, you pull back the flap of the tent and quickly leave. The wind has become much stronger, and it whips the fine snow into small eddies, obscuring your vision. A shadow to your right betrays the Baknar as it lopes towards you. There is no time to evade its attack and you must fight the creature to the death.

Illustration V
—A shadow to your right betrays the Baknar as it lopes towards you.

Baknar:
COMBAT SKILL
 19   
ENDURANCE
 30

If you win the combat,
turn to 245
.

You open the door just enough to be able to pour the Vial of Graveweed into the bubbling gruel. You have not long to wait for the Ice Barbarians to eat what will be their last supper. You are now free to explore. (Remember to erase this potion from your
Action Chart
.)

The kitchen is small and surprisingly well stocked with herbs. ‘These must have come from the trading post at Ljuk,’ says Loi-Kymar, peering at the many jars and bottles. He takes several of the herb jars and crams them into the pockets of his robes. You are anxious to leave in case other guards should enter, but the old magician seems completely engrossed in his new discoveries. He opens two small jars, and mixes the contents together, urging you to eat with him. ‘It will give you strength, Lone Wolf,’ he says. As you eat the dry leaves, you feel a warm glow radiating throughout your body. Restore 6
ENDURANCE
points to your current total.

Turn to 301
.

As the raging Kalkoth charges out of the tunnel, you wait until the last possible moment before you dive.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
.

If the number you have picked is 0–1,
turn to 123
.

If the number you have picked is 2–9,
turn to 59
.

You are about to hide the dead body under the stairs when you hear strange cries and low screams drifting down the corridor. A group of Ice Barbarians are advancing towards you. You are momentarily stunned by the sight of these warriors, for they are hideously mutated. With fear and revulsion welling up inside, you scramble the stairs to a wide landing where a corridor runs north to south.

If you wish to run northwards,
turn to 198
.

If you wish to run southwards,
turn to 69
.

The cave is cold and slopes very steeply away into the darkness. You have covered sixty yards before you notice a light in the distance. As you get nearer, you hear noises. . . animal noises.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Animal Kinship,
turn to 329
.

If you wish to draw your weapon and charge,
turn to 138
.

If you want to try to creep closer and spy on whatever is there,
turn to 107
.

The Ice Barbarian mutants seem to be controlled by a hideous creature lurking in the shadows of a distant doorway. This monster resembles an abnormally large human head with two feet protruding beneath. It has no torso or limbs, but has a long reptilian tail with which to maintain its balance.

The Ice Barbarian mutants attack simultaneously, and you must fight them as one creature. They are immune to Mindblast. At the same time their strange controller is attacking you with its Mindforce. Unless you possess the Kai Discipline of Mindshield, you lose 2
ENDURANCE
points due to this attack.

Ice Barbarian Mutants:
COMBAT SKILL
 18   
ENDURANCE
 24

If you win the combat,
turn to 313
.

You notice that the Kalkoth has a blue triangle of stone on a chain around its neck. Suddenly you realize the significance of this strange amulet. Grabbing the blue stone, you race back to the fortress door and press it into the wall recess. It is a perfect fit. (You may record this Special Item as a Blue Stone Triangle which you wear around your neck.)

You become aware of a faint tremor running through the ledge on which you are standing, followed by the grinding noise of stone upon stone. The door opens, but it has only opened three feet when there is a loud crack, and it starts to close. Without a second's hesitation, you dive into the fortress and hear the massive door crash shut behind you.

Turn to 221
.

For three days and nights, you fight your way northwards across the tortuous glacier. Falls, bruises, cut shins, awkward crevasses, razor-edged ice, and the constant bitter wind all conspire to sap your strength. However, you count yourself very lucky to have avoided a blizzard, and after a fatiguing trek you eventually reach the shelter of Cloudmaker Mountain in time to set up camp there for the night.

This huge mountain is over thirteen thousand feet high, and shaped like a giant shark's fin. As the cold west winds blow around its peak, great plumes of cloud trail away across the Viad Glacier. It is this strange phenomenon which gives the mountain its apt name.

You soon find an ideal campsite among the shattered fissures of the rock-strewn base. Quickly the tent is up and you are under canvas once again. You have left the tent to answer a call of nature when you discover, purely by chance, the faint glow of torchlight from a small crack in the rocks above.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 98
.

If you wish to investigate this strange light,
turn to 49
.

If you wish to ignore it and return to the tent,
turn to 212
.

You insert your blade and try to locate the locking mechanism. The keyhole is unusually deep and it is very difficult to manipulate the tip of the blade successfully.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Kai Discipline of Weaponskill with the weapon that you are now using, you may add 3 to the number that you have chosen.

If your total is 0–7,
turn to 47
.

If your total is 8–12,
turn to 194
.

You race towards the corner where you saw the creature, only to find that the corridor turns abruptly westwards. A few yards ahead, a flight of stone steps ascends towards a dark archway thirty feet above. Just beyond the staircase, the corridor continues to another stone door. The lever in the wall by the door is raised, and the door is closed. There is no sign of the strange creature.

If you wish to climb the stairs,
turn to 323
.

If you wish to investigate the room,
turn to 246
.

As the two-headed serpent slithers along the ledge, you can clearly see the open jaw of its second head and the yellow, curved fangs, dripping with venom. Peeling off your thick jacket, you wind it around your left forearm. You can now use your padded arm to shield yourself from one deadly head as you strike at the other. This creature is immune to Mindblast.

Illustration VI
—The two-headed serpent slithers along the ledge.

Javek:
COMBAT SKILL
 15   
ENDURANCE
 15

If you lose any
ENDURANCE
points during this combat, do not subtract them from your
ENDURANCE
point total. Instead, pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If the number you pick is 0–8, the Javek has sunk its fangs harmlessly into your padded arm, and you may continue the combat without losing any
ENDURANCE
points.

However, if you pick a 9, the fangs have punctured your arm. The venom of a Javek is the most powerful natural poison in all of Magnamund. In a few seconds your heart stops, and your paralysed body falls into the abyss. Your mission ends here.

If you win the combat,
turn to 269
.

The Ice Barbarian shouts at you in a deep unnatural tone. You have been seen. Cursing your bad luck, you quickly unsheathe your weapon. Wheeling round, you see the Ice Barbarian pulling a lever in the far wall. Three snarling Doomwolves race out of a concealed archway and charge towards you. They attack you one at a time, and you must fight each of them to the death.

Doomwolf 1:
COMBAT SKILL
 15   
ENDURANCE
 24

Doomwolf 2:
COMBAT SKILL
 14   
ENDURANCE
 23

Doomwolf 3:
COMBAT SKILL
 14   
ENDURANCE
 20

If you win the combat,
turn to 161
.

Wiping the grime from the stopper, you unscrew it and carefully sniff the red liquid.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Healing,
turn to 233
.

If you do not have this skill, you are suspicious of the possible ill effects of this fluid and discard it.
Return to 10
and choose your next course of action.

You hold your breath as you wipe handfuls of the slimy grease inside your jacket. But as the oil penetrates your skin, you feel a warm glow, as if you were near an open fire. The more grease that you apply, the warmer you become. You also notice that the terrible smell is gradually fading away. (Note the fact that you have applied Baknar oil on your
Action Chart
although it does not take up any space and only applies for the duration of this adventure.)

‘Once it's in your skin, you can't smell a thing,’ says Irian, calling the others to take some Baknar oil. This oil is excellent insulation against the freezing temperatures of Kalte, and may well help you in the near future. As you return to your tent, only the Kanu-dogs seem to object to the smell. They whine and bury their noses in the snow as you walk past.

Turn to 134
.