The Eye of Winter's Fury (17 page)

Whacking willow

(main hand: club)

+1 brawn

You realise your only chance of survival is to bash your way through the circle of toadstools. It is time to take on the might of:

	Special abilities
	Spore clouds : You have been temporarily blinded. For the first two combat rounds only, you must lower your speed by 1.

If you manage to defeat these fearsome fungi, remember to restore your
health
to full, then turn to
185
.

92

(You may now remove the keyword
hunted
from your hero sheet.)

You recount your fight with the mammoth and the discovery of Bullet’s corpse. Jackson is silent for a moment, his magnified eye pulling back from the peephole. ‘Not sure what’s harder to believe,’ he says softly. ‘You taking down a mammoth or Bullet running dry on luck.’

You lift up the metal hipflask that the tracker had been carrying. ‘I have proof.’

The eye appears again, pressed up tight against the hole. Jackson gives a sigh. ‘Yeah, that’s his all right. Bless ’is soul.’

You hear a clink, then a hatch opens to the left of the trader. Resting on it is a small patch of white wolf fur.

‘What’s this?’ you ask curiously, stepping forward to take a better look. The guns scrape against their metal windows as they follow you. ‘May I?’ you ask, hesitating.

‘Go on, it’s a trading voucher. My way of saying thank you – for tellin’ me ’bout old Bullet.’

You pick up the fur, noticing a wolf’s head insignia inked onto the skin’s underside. (This is a
White Wolf Trading Voucher
. Simply make a note of the
voucher
on your hero sheet, it doesn’t take up backpack space.) The voucher entitles you to one free item from the White Wolf Trading Post (either clothing, weapon or equipment).

If you wish to view available items, turn to
151
. Otherwise, turn to
685
to discuss something else, or return to the quest map to continue your adventure.

93

As you place the last of the wooden pieces into the growth rings a trail of light sweeps around each circle, forming a glowing pattern that radiates towards the centre. There is a sudden rumbling groan, then a tremor, causing the ground to shudder beneath your feet. Warily you back away to the edge of the room, drawing your weapons in readiness. There is another juddering tremor, then the centre circle starts to rise up out of the ground – and to your surprise, you discover it is a part of some monstrous wooden creature. Turn to
681
.

94

‘There’s a hamlet two days to the south,’ says Sylvie. ‘Three if the weather’s fouled up the trails. They’re a friendly bunch around there, I make the trip several times a year, to get my paper and inks.’ She glances towards the door. ‘That sword of yours. You could probably trade it in for a horse or two and enough supplies to see you to the capital – probably convince a couple of the younger farmers to escort you. Sounds like the roads are getting dangerous now.’

You pick thoughtfully at the edge of your bowl. ‘That’s south. What about north?’

‘North?’ Sylvie blows out her cheeks. ‘Why would you want to go north? Only things you’ll find there are bears and wolves – and if they don’t get you, the winter will. Think that pretty outfit will keep out the cold?’ She shakes her head slowly. ‘I don’t think you even know what cold is, boy. Real cold. The type that snaps at your fingers and toes, and will steal them off in an instant!’ She clicks her fingers, making you jump. ‘The north will eat you up and spit you out, boy. Go south. That’s what’ll get you home the safest.’

Return to
191
to ask another question, or turn to
207
to end the conversation.

95

‘So, what yer got?’ asks Hal, peering at your bulging backpack with hungry eyes. ‘I’ll take whatever odds and ends you’re willing to spare. I can always put something to use, patching up me old girl.’

Hal will purchase any of the following items:

You may now purchase first aid supplies (turn to
639
), view Hal’s weapons (turn to
728
), inspect his treasures (turn to
674
) or leave and return to the quest map.

96

For defeating the troll, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards:

When you have updated your hero sheet, turn to
141
.

97

‘I was at Antioch, in Mordland. We’d been pulling back for months, losing ground to the dark templars. I was starting to question my
faith.’ Maune moves a hand to the cross, hanging from a silver chain against his breast. ‘There were demons; too many to count, let alone fight. My brothers and sisters . . .’ He stops, his face twisted by a pained memory.

‘What happened?’ you press, as the silence grows.

He sighs. ‘I had a vision, when I was lying in the mud and filth and blood of that place. I thought I would die. I was resigned to it. But the One God in his mercy was not done with me; I still had work to do. He showed me this mountain and the devastation wrought by some darker force, bigger than any we would face in Mordland. I heeded His call – and so I came, travelling the length and breadth of Valeron to reach this . . . mountain.’ He looks around with disdain, his nose wrinkling. ‘I can sense evil here, but I have yet to find its source.’ The paladin’s eyes settle on your own, questioning and challenging at the same time.

98

‘I must go home,’ you state, looking around for your belongings. ‘I must tell my father what has happened.’

‘I don’t think that is wise,’ states Everard, scratching the side of his chin. ‘You see . . . while you were out of it, we received news from the capital.’

His grave expression is an ill portent. ‘What?’ you ask, frowning. ‘Is it my father?’

Everard winces. ‘Look, there’s no easy way of saying this – I would have liked to have waited, until you’re—’

‘Just tell me,’ you snap impatiently.

‘He’s dead. And Malden too. They were murdered in their beds.’

You hesitate, thinking it a cruel exaggeration – some tavern rumour that has expanded in the telling. But the sombre masks staring back at you tell a different story.

‘Mordland spies, so they say.’ The robed man steeples his fingers, tapping his chin on them thoughtfully. ‘There are some of us who believe otherwise – and your own tale would confirm those suspicions.’

You remain silent, too shocked to answer – your mind still reeling.

Everard sinks into a chair, looking suddenly weary. ‘Since the second Shadow War, there has been a faction of the Church that has taken a more aggressive stance. The legion’s invasion gave them the excuse they needed, to remind us all of the evils at our door – the evils of magic.’ He glances towards Segg, who snorts dismissively. ‘The Church’s refusal to rebuild the university has angered many. Their desire to launch crusades into Mordland angered your father.’

‘I’m the only surviving heir.’ The realisation hits you like a thunderbolt. Your brothers, Malden and Lazlo, are now deceased. With no cousins, no nephews . . . .

‘Cardinal Rile is acting as regent, for now,’ says Everard. ‘Until such a time as a new king takes the throne. Some are already denouncing your line as . . . weak. Bad blood.’

You lower your head, shamed by what your family has become. ‘What am I to do?’ you whisper, studying the vivid veins that branch across your skin. ‘I don’t even know what I am any more.’

‘You’ll remain here with us,’ says Everard, rising out of his seat. ‘To the other soldiers you are nothing more than a stray, brought in with the black fever. Still recovering, I might add – so that will explain your appearance.’

You flinch, putting a hand to your face and wondering what you will find there. ‘I can’t fight,’ you reply, honestly. ‘I never had the . . . strength before.’ You glance down at the thick muscles bunched along your arms. In places, the skin is mottled with reddish-blue blotches. It reminds you of a corpse you once saw, laid out in the palace mortuary.

(You are now inflicted with
necrosis
. As one of the undead, you cannot die by ordinary means. However, each defeat that you suffer in battle can cause lasting damage to your hero’s body. In the
defeats
box on your hero sheet, make a note of each time you lose a combat. For every
five
defeats, your hero must suffer one
death penalty
. When this occurs, roll a die to determine the penalty:

	Weeping wounds. In future combats, you must lose 1 health at the end of each combat round.
	Crippled. You can no longer use the ability associated with the item in your feet location.
	Head blow. Each time you wish to use a speed ability in combat you must roll a die. If the result is or less, you fail to use the chosen ability. If the result is or more, you can use the ability as normal. If an ability fails, you cannot attempt to use it or another speed ability until the following combat round.
	Fingerless. You must immediately destroy an item in one of your ring locations, making the necessary adjustments to your attributes. (Note: If you find a new ring on your adventures, you can equip it as normal in the empty slot.)
	Nervous twitch. You can no longer use the ability/abilities associated with the item in your main hand location.
	Chronic convulsions. If your health drops below 10 in future combats, you must lower your speed by 1 for the remainder of the combat.