The Heart of Fire (60 page)

If you win a combat round against Saw, you can choose to apply your damage to Saw or the wooden soldiers. If Saw is defeated, the soldiers are also automatically defeated.

If you manage to overcome this saw-wielding fiend, turn to
219
.

399

‘Good, follow me and I explain on the way.’ Boom pads over to the doorway, carrying only his carved staff. You hesitate before following, wondering how a single
staff will help defeat the hordes of undead.

‘Surely we need more weapons?’ you protest, as you emerge in the narrow alley.

‘Don’t be worrying about skellies. We go deeper into ruins so they not follow. They not like the bad spirits.’

Before you can reply, the shaman has shot out from the mouth of the alleyway, heading quickly across the open plaza. You struggle to keep up, the pea-green mist making it difficult to navigate
the shambling groups of undead. Several times you almost run into the deadly creatures, but you manage to weave aside just in time to avoid their snatching hands and stabbing spears. Thankfully, by
keeping on the move, the undead are unable to catch you.

‘I got a plan to defeat Mortzilla,’ says Boom, perching for a moment on a vine-covered wall.

He sounds barely out of breath, while you are panting and gasping in the stifling heat.

‘What’s the plan?’ you croak dryly, wiping the sweat from your eyes. ‘Tell me it doesn’t involve more running . . .’

He gives a hooting laugh. ‘We almost there. Listen. Mortzilla not harmed by weapons of this world. Too powerful a spirit. But the spirits of his world . . . they can do him
harm.’

The shaman leaps off the wall, landing, rolling, and then springing back to his feet. ‘We use the boom stick,’ he shouts, waving the staff. ‘It eat the spirit energy. Then we
use it against Mortzilla. Make him go boom!’

You slide down off the wall, joining him at the centre of a circular courtyard. Beyond the shifting veil of mist, you see a series of buildings – mostly ruined and overgrown. As Boom
promised, the undead have not followed.

‘See this,’ the shaman displays his rune-carved staff. ‘This will hold magic of three spirits. You defeat spirits and I put them into boom stick. Once we got three, we go pay
Mortzilla a visit.’

You nod, squinting in the ghoulish light. ‘And where are the spirits?’

‘There be five,’ he grins, displaying the number with a raised hand. ‘They inside the temples. But remember, we needing only three. Choose and we go boom them.’ Turn to
510
.

400

With the stone guardians defeated, you advance on the black temple. It is an imposing structure of spine-like towers, arched windows and high columns. The mist has receded, but
in its place is a presence – thick and palpable. It pushes against you like an invisible hand, forcing you to grit your teeth as you struggle onwards, your will matched against that of some
unseen foe.

Bea is the first to stumble, falling to her knees. ‘I can’t . . .’ she mutters weakly.

You notice Ventus staggering as if blind, his fists batting away at some invisible foe. Benin has also stalled, gripping his staff with white-knuckled hands. You go to his aid but the priest
puts out a hand to stop you. ‘No . . . continue . . . if you can . . .’ He gasps, struggling to draw breath.

Alone, you clamber up the stairs of the temple, crawling the rest of the way to finally reach its dark, imposing doorway. Turn to
419
.

401

The trapped wisps provide just enough light for you to see by. Leaning over the hole, you can make out a metal floor several metres below. Deciding to take the risk, you slide
your legs over the edge of the opening and drop down.

You find yourself in a narrow passageway, your shoulders brushing against the warm metal walls. Beneath your feet grey smoke spirals up through the meshed floor, carrying a noxious-smelling
stench. Choosing a direction at random you head along the passage, your footfalls clanging and echoing noisily in the claustrophobic space. After several hundred feet you come to a symbol, marked
out on the floor in what looks like grime and oil. As you ponder what it might mean, your eyes catch some words daubed on the wall. They read:

Seeing is believing

Ignorance is blind

Turn around bright eyes

Tell me what you find

Three symbols are drawn underneath the words, one of which matches the shape you are standing on. Turning on the spot, you notice that the floor is divided up into square
grilles, forming a maze. Some contain numbers, others have been left blank. You wonder if this is some type of puzzle.

Then you hear a child’s voice, echoing through the walls. ‘Someone’s come to play! Tell me the number or here you’ll stay!’

‘What number?’ you growl angrily, scratching your head in confusion.

(The following diagram is a top-down view of the maze you are standing in. The dark blocks represent walls and the square grilles represent the floor panels.)

If you are able to solve the puzzle, then speak your answer and turn to the corresponding entry number. Otherwise, frustrated and angry by this child’s silly games, you demand to be let
out of the maze. Turn to
43
.

402

(If you have the word
explorer
on your hero sheet, turn to
515
.)

You put out a hand to greet the scholar. In his haste the man knocks straight into you, dropping his charts and scroll cases onto the dusty promenade. You offer an apology, stooping down to help
retrieve his belongings.

‘Flaming flummoxes!’ The man pats at various pockets, finally hoisting a pair of spectacles onto the end of his nose. He glares down at you with his widened, magnified eyes.
‘Wait, you’re the new one, aren’t you? How bothersome – not sure we have the room. But then, you won’t be around long. We’ll get you started straight away.
Follow me. Keep up, Andos.’

He hurries off again, leaving you clutching the various charts and scrolls. As the ginger-haired youth stumbles past, he leans around his pile of books and gives you an apologetic smile.
‘He’s like that all the time. I think it’s the heat.’

‘What are all these for?’ you ask, walking beside him.

‘His lordship’s studies,’ Andos replies. ‘Our last place fell down. Again. So, we’re moving. Again.’

The scholar turns down a side path, which winds back through the trees to a more secluded area of the beach. Here you find a large two-storey building of white stone – a veritable mansion
compared to the others you have seen.

‘This belongs to the harbourmaster,’ says the youth. ‘Price we paid for a room, you could have bought the king’s palace five times over. Rip off, if you ask
me.’

‘Stop dilly-dallying!’ snaps the scholar, removing his straw hat to fan his bright red face. ‘Let’s get those things safe inside – then we can get you briefed and
started.’ He disappears inside the house. Andos gives you a pitying look before staggering after him. Turn to
386
.

403

Amongst the creepers and brambles, you spy an object resting on the stone. It looks like a cone-shaped seed, pulsing with a golden light. You may now take the following
item:

As you step out from the hollow tree, you realise that you feel different. Something has been awakened inside you, a vibrant force that throbs with energy and life. Looking
around, you see glimmering lines cutting across the floor of the cave. They pulse with an ancient magic, as old as the land itself. Ley lines. You realise that the roots of the elder tree are
tapping into these lines, greedily sucking at the magic to nourish and sustain itself. It is an appetite you now share – your body filled with a constant craving for this raw energy, to fuel
your newfound powers.

The druid has the following abilities:

Thorn cage (co + pa)
: Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can cast thorn cage. It automatically encases one opponent in a cage of
thorns, inflicting 1 damage die (ignoring armour). It also inflicts 1 point of damage to the same opponent at the end of each combat round for the duration of the combat.
Thorn cage
can only
be used once per combat.

Ley line infusion (co)
: Call on the fickle powers of nature to aid you. Instead of rolling for a damage score, roll 1 die. If the result is:

Both you and your opponent take 1 die of damage, ignoring
armour
. Roll separately for each.

or
You are healed for 5
health
and your opponent
takes 1 die of damage, ignoring
armour
.

or
You are healed for 8
health
and your opponent
takes 1 die of damage, ignoring
armour
.