The Eye of Winter's Fury (54 page)

If you manage to defeat this winged fiend, turn to
217
. If you lose the combat, remember to record your defeat on your hero sheet. You may then attempt the combat again or return to the map.

372

The walkway hugs the contours of the tree, delivering you to a tunnel-like opening in the trunk. Stepping inside, you find yourself in a high-ceilinged chamber, its gnarly walls pitted with hundreds of hollowed tunnels. Shafts of light spill from these tiny openings, illuminating the pale-winged moths that flutter and dance through the dusty air.

As your eyes steadily grow accustomed to the light, you hear a deep rustling from above. Scanning the ceiling, you spot a giant shape crawling across the knotted wood. It is a moth, like the others that dwell here – but this one is nearly ten times their size, its pale translucent wings as large as a ship’s masts.

You watch as it scurries over to a position on the far wall, where its wings snap open to cover several of the openings. To your surprise the light passes through the wings, forming glistening patterns on its silky membrane. These patterns are shadowed on the floor of the chamber, where dazzling circles of rainbow light are now converging.

The pattern shifts and changes, rising up into motes of dust which quickly coalesce into the shape of a Skard warrior. His features are indistinct, little more than shimmering colours, washing back and forth in rainbow hues – yet his dangerous intent is clear. He moves towards you with a light-footed grace, his arms distending outwards into two bright blades of light. Then, with a hollering roar, he charges. It is time to fight:

	Special abilities
	Spectrum of spirits (*): At the start of the third round of combat, the rainbow warrior transforms into his red aspect. You must defeat the red aspect before you can return to attacking the rainbow warrior again. After another two rounds of combat, if the rainbow warrior is still alive, he transforms into his green aspect. Again you must defeat the green aspect before you can return to attacking the rainbow warrior. After a further two rounds of combat, the rainbow warrior (if still alive) transforms into his blue aspect. Once this is defeated, you may return to attacking the rainbow warrior for the remainder of the combat. (Note: aspects can only be damaged if they are in play. While an aspect is in play, the rainbow warrior is immune to all damage.)
	Colour of magic : Your opponents are immune to all passive effects, including bleed , barbs , disease and venom .

If you manage to defeat this multi-coloured villain, turn to
423
.

373

Talia drops into the chair opposite. For a moment, you both exchange a wry grin. ‘You came back,’ she says, removing her hat and flicking out her hair. ‘Does this mean we can finally get down to business?’

If you wish to take Talia up on her offer, then remove the word
covert
from your hero sheet and turn to
585
. Otherwise, you return to the taproom. Turn to
365
.

374

‘Back again,’ grunts a familiar voice from behind the barricade of iron. ‘Least I don’t need to remind you o’ the rules. No funny business, now. Remember, I taken all the necessary precautions.’ He sticks the barrels of his muskets through the holes in the wall. ‘See, I’m all loaded up and my fingers are mighty twitchy today.’

(If you have the keyword
hunted
on your hero sheet, turn to
92
.)

375

The acolytes’ attention is focused on the ritual. You move quickly, sliding around the pillar and advancing towards their exposed backs.

Nanuk.
You open up your mind, letting the bear’s strength pour into you.

Spectral claws flash from your fingers. You punch through the two acolytes standing closest to you, killing them before they even have a chance to react. Then your weapons ring out of their scabbards, your advance barely slowing.

One of the acolytes turns. And gives a cry of alarm.

The woman spins, her eyes widening then narrowing to slits of rage. ‘Insidious was a fool!’ she snaps. ‘We will not make the same mistake! Kill him!’ It is time to fight:

	Special abilities
	Matriarch’s malice : The matriarch has magical wards carved into her skin. While the Matriarch has health , you cannot use modifier abilities during this combat.
	Dark mending : At the end of each combat round, each opponent will heal themselves for 2 health . This cannot take them above their starting health and once their health is reduced to zero, this ability no longer applies.
	Outnumbered : At the end of each combat round, you must take 1 damage from each surviving opponent, ignoring armour . This ability only applies while you are faced with multiple opponents.

If you manage to defeat this dark gathering, turn to
230
. If you are defeated, remember to record your defeat on your hero sheet. If you wish, you may return to an earlier point to select a different option (providing you meet the item requirement.) Turn to
627
.

376

The fight already seems lost. Through the swirling dust clouds, all you can see is death and carnage. The lizard-like monsters are everywhere, their massive swords cleaving the air, hewing down soldiers as if they were stalks of corn. One guard races towards you, screaming. Then his eyes roll back into his head and he topples forward, an axe protruding from between his shoulder blades.

You wonder if Anise is still alive. Desperately, you scan the wreckage, looking from one body to the next, half-hoping and half-dreading what you might find. Another soldier backs into you, flighty with panic. Your attempts to communicate are lost, your words drowned by the roars and screams. Everything is chaos.

You hurry across the courtyard, hoping to find Everard or a high-ranking officer. Instead, your way is blocked by two pockets of battle. To your left, soldiers are trying to scale a mound of rubble to where a short creature in hooded robes has its hands raised to the sky. Their advance wavers as chunks of rock fly up from the surrounding rubble, smashing into the soldiers and forcing them back. One guard takes a splinter in the neck, dropping to his knees, an arc of crimson spraying from the wound. The hooded creature gives a sibilant hiss, each gesture of its clawed hands ripping more stone from the pile to shower the beleaguered soldiers.

To your right, three reptilian warriors are hacking and slashing at anything that gets in their way. Behind them looms a mountain of scaled muscle – a giant troll-like beast with glittering black orbs for eyes. In each of its barrel-sized fists is a stone hammer, crawling with dark runes. Similar markings adorn its curving horns and the iron ring dangling from its snot-encrusted snout.

377

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