The Heart of Fire (105 page)
Desperately, you ready your weapons and prepare to take on this nightmarish opponent. This fight will be more difficult without the aid of your tigris companions:
Special abilities
Mental daggers: You must lose 2
health
at the end of each combat round.
Delirium: If you take health damage from the succubus’ damage score you are immediately inflicted with
delirium. If you win a combat round, roll a die. If the result is
or
then your attack misses its mark and you cannot roll for damage. If the result is
or more you can roll for damage as normal.
If you manage to defeat the succubus, turn to
717
.
674
Using your chosen reagents you craft a trinket of purest midnight, its fathomless depths flickering with the spirit of an imprisoned phoenix. If you wish, you may now lay claim
to:
If you wish to craft another item, turn to
755
. Otherwise, return to the
map
to continue your adventure.
675
The thief turns down a side aisle, its mocking laughter taunting you to follow. As you skid round the corner, you hear the imp’s merriment turn to a screech of pain. The
thief is lying on its back, shaking its head as if stunned. In front of it the passage ends in an iron portcullis, barring access to the room beyond. Runes have been carved into the black metal,
several of which are still glowing with a soft red light.
‘Nowhere to run?’ you grin, brandishing your weapons.
The imp flips back to its feet. With an angry hiss it lunges forward, a black curved dagger spinning into each of its palms. It is time to fight:
Special abilities
Steal your glory: The imp’s
speed, brawn
and
magic
match your own. The imp will use the highest
damage attribute (
brawn
or
magic
) when rolling for damage score.
Vanishing trick: The protective runes have weakened the imp, stopping it from using its teleport ability. However,
if the imp is still alive at the start of the sixth combat round it will have regained its power and will use it to escape – automatically losing you the combat.
If you manage to defeat this devious scallywag within five rounds, turn to
642
. Otherwise, turn to
829
.
676
You find yourself in a rubble-strewn hall. A set of stairs curve away to another storey of the building, but the way is blocked by fallen stone. The only remaining exits are an
archway to your right, leading through into a brightly-lit room filled with stone benches, and a blasted hole in the far wall, where the twisted remains of a bronze door lie crumpled amongst the
charred debris.
Will you: | |
Investigate the lecture room? — | |
Head through the blast hole? — |
677
A bright column of sunlight is being focused down the shaft. The mirror stands directly beneath it, but the light is falling past onto the surface of the stone plinth. You walk
forward to inspect the mirror, discovering that the top stone is loose from the base and can be rotated.
Without hesitation, you turn the mirror so that the beam of sunlight is correctly hitting its surface. The angle immediately redirects the beam, channelling it towards the centre of the double
doors, where a carving of a blazing sun starts to glow. A second later and there is a rumbling, grating sound from behind the wall – then the doors slowly turn inward, revealing a secret
chamber. Turn to
688
.
678
After a tiring battle the tigris is finally defeated. You push its heavy body off your own to find the hunter staring down at you, his rain-slick knife dripping with blood. For
a moment, his expression is unreadable and you wonder if your life is once again in danger – but then the hunter breaks into a beaming smile, tucking his knife in his belt and offering out a
hand.
‘I’m Jerem,’ he says. ‘You fight well.’
Taking his hand, you struggle back to your feet. ‘Your friend . . .’ you state, glancing back towards the forest.
Jerem, shrugs his shoulders. ‘His luck ran out, that’s all.’ He looks down at the corpse of the tigris. ‘Come, help me get this one back to the boss. Would have been
better alive, but still – not a bad night’s work. Young male. Shara Khana pack.’ He catches your eye, flashing another smile. ‘Boss will be very impressed.’
If you wish, you may now help yourself to one of the following rewards
Bloodied claws | Tracker’s chestguard | Tigris paw |
(main hand: fist weapon) | (chest) | (talisman) |
+2 speed +2 brawn | +1 speed +2 armour | +1 speed |
Ability: | Ability: | Ability: |
