The Caverns of Kalte (15 page)

Suddenly the Kalkoth stop roaring. They have picked up the scent of Baknar oil on your skin. Within seconds they appear and charge towards you.

If you wish to stand and fight them,
turn to 263
.

If you wish to turn and run,
turn to 277
.

A small spy-hole has been cut into the centre of the door. You cautiously peer through and see the old man in blue robes who you saw before through the portal above the cell.

If you wish to open the door, pull the lever in the nearby wall and
turn to 56
.

If you wish to ignore the old man, continue along the corridor towards the junction by
turning to 276
.

Baknar are fierce and dangerous creatures. They are afraid of only one thing — fire. Grabbing a torch from the pile of equipment, you light it and leave the tent.

The wind has become much stronger since you first made camp. It whips the fine snow into small whirlwinds that sting your eyes. A moving shadow to your right betrays the Baknar as it lopes towards you. It is preparing to pounce when it sees your guttering torch and shrieks in terror. Seconds later, it has disappeared into the darkness. A quick check of the Kanu-dogs reveals that they are all safe, although still understandably nervous. To ensure that the Baknar does not attack again, you all take it in turns to sit watch that evening, torches and weapons at the ready.

Turn to 134
.

During the night, a fierce blizzard rages, burying your makeshift shelter in over twelve feet of snow. The cold numbs your hands and feet and slowly drains the strength from your body. You slip into a sleep from which you will never awake, for you suffocate to death beneath the snows of Kalte.

Your mission and your life end here.

Holding your equipment and your breath, you try to land as quietly as you can on the dusty floor of the corridor. Unfortunately, you twist your ankle in the fall and cannot stifle a yelp of pain. Lose 1
ENDURANCE
point. Then, to your horror, you see an Ice Barbarian seated less than thirty feet away to your left. His head is slowly turning in your direction. However, a quick glance to your right reveals another corridor heading north, less than fifteen feet from where you now kneel.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Camouflage,
turn to 74
.

If you do not have this skill, you can try to run for the north corridor and pray that the Ice Barbarian does not see you.
Turn to 183
.

If you prefer, you can attack and attempt to silence the Ice Barbarian before he can raise the alarm, by
turning to 161
.

You can see the shadowy outline of the hideous creature as it charges towards you along the tunnel. It is blind with rage and hungry for blood. You suddenly realize that if you dive aside as the creature leaps from the tunnel, it may just miss you and plunge headlong onto the thin ice of the lake.

If you wish to try to dive aside when the Kalkoth charges from out of the tunnel,
turn to 80
.

If you wish to stand and fight it when it appears,
turn to 253
.

The Ice Barbarian sees you approach and draws his bone sword. He moves to the centre of the bottom stair to prevent you running past him.

Ice Barbarian:
COMBAT SKILL
 17   
ENDURANCE
 30

If you win the combat within four rounds,
turn to 4
.

If you win the fight in more than four rounds,
turn to 81
.

All night you cling to the frozen rock-face. The icy wind whips you and you shiver uncontrollably as you fight to stay conscious. You lose 2
ENDURANCE
points. However, the Baknar oil keeps you from losing all your essential body warmth and on this desperate occasion, it saves your life.

Turn to 155
.

A tooth-encrusted Bone Sword lies at the Barbarian's side. You may take this weapon if you wish. You search his body and also discover a Gold Bracelet on his left wrist.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 316
.

If you wish to take the Gold Bracelet,
turn to 236
. (Put it on your wrist and mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item.)

If you do not wish to take the Bracelet, make your way quickly along the corridor towards a distant junction by
turning to 215
.

The cyclone is tearing at your clothes and bombarding you with chunks of ice and rock. You grit your teeth and try to run but the cold saps your strength, and you are forced to claw your way along the wall to avoid being sucked into the swirling vortex.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If your current
ENDURANCE
point total is less than 10, deduct 3 from the number you have picked.

If your number is now -3–3,
turn to 95
.

If your number is now 4–9,
turn to 196
.

When you arrive back at the tent, Dyce cooks a delicious meal that fills your stomach and raises your spirits. You have made good progress and, in spite of the physical hardships, you feel confident and eager to continue.

Irian fetches the sleeping furs from the sledge and you all prepare for a good night's sleep. The only clothes you ever remove are your boots — the few days that you have spent in this desolate land have taught you much about survival. As you take off your boots, you take care to leave them in the shape of your feet: in these temperatures, your soft boots soon freeze as hard as stone, making them agony to put on next morning if you don't. Unlacing the boots requires bare fingers, and you constantly have to pause and thrust your hands back into your mittens to avoid frostbite setting in. Curled up in your furs, your teeth chattering, and the wind howling outside, you eventually fall into a deep sleep.

Turn to 238
.

You point the Sommerswerd towards Vonotar's crystal rod. In an instant, the cone of frost arcs away from the bridge and shatters against the golden sword. You hear Vonotar curse you as, once again, the power of the Sommerswerd saves you from his destructive magic.

Turn to 252
.

Unfortunately, the Kalkoth has picked up your scent and launches an attack on your hiding place. Its huge paw swipes at you and claws open the sleeve of your jacket. You lose 2
ENDURANCE
points. You realize you can only escape this creature by running across the lake.

If you wish to escape from the Kalkoth,
turn to 322
.

If you wish to fight it,
turn to 123
.

Turning a corner, you breathe a sigh of relief. Behind you all is silent. But you become aware that the low rumbling sound you detected earlier is much louder in this corridor. A few yards along to your left, a short passage leads to a closed stone door.

If you wish to investigate the door,
turn to 13
.

If you wish to continue along the corridor towards the north,
turn to 254
.

You have covered less than a mile when the first of the Ice Barbarian scouts appear to the north on skis. At first, there are only two of the fearsome warriors, but they are soon joined by three others. They are large, muscular, and bedecked with furs. Some of them wear bone armour. Despite their size, they glide across the snow with an almost feline grace and speed. Each of them has a pole attached to his back from which a small flag flutters.

Suddenly, a bone-tipped arrow whistles past your knee and embeds itself in the sledge. An Ice Barbarian scout skis past to your right. He is less than ten yards away and you can clearly see his slanted eyes and sharp cheek-bones. You suddenly realize that what you had mistaken for muscle and fur is in fact an Ice Barbarian child. Each scout is carrying a large backpack containing a small child. These children are armed with small bone bows, and they fire a constant stream of arrows as their fathers ski nearer and nearer.

Illustration XII
—Each Ice Barbarian scout is carrying a backpack containing a child armed with a bone bow.

Suddenly Irian falls, an arrow buried in his back. Dyce runs to his aid but is shot down before he has taken a dozen steps. Fenor is hit. An arrow passes straight through his throat. He bravely staggers on for nearly a minute before collapsing in the snow. You are on your own. An Ice Barbarian scout skis past to your left and returns towards you head on. He has a spear under one arm, which is levelled at your chest.

If you wish to fight the Ice Barbarian scout,
turn to 158
.

If you wish to try to escape,
turn to 149
.

The monolith suddenly explodes, sending hundreds of razor-sharp shards screaming through the air. You are pierced by the stone shrapnel and thrown to the far wall by the sheer force of the blast. You lose 10
ENDURANCE
points.

If you are still alive,
turn to 154
.

The bone box contains a beautiful Diamond. Its many facets gleam and sparkle, even in the dim half-light of the ice hall. In Sommerlund, a jewel of this size and quality would be worth thousands of crowns. If you wish to keep the Diamond, slip it into your pocket and mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item.

You can now examine the fortress door by
turning to 52
.

You sense that the low rumbling noise echoing throughout this part of Ikaya is much louder along the west corridor than the east. There is something unnatural about its tone that makes you feel uneasy. You decide to avoid the west corridor and set off towards the east.

Turn to 349
.

The next day is bitterly cold. A strong wind from the west blows relentlessly as you steer your sledge towards the Hrod Basin. The snow clogs your eyes and your lips crack and bleed, but by midday you reach the edge of the basin. Irian and Dyce's sledge arrives at the ice wall first and they eagerly encourage you onwards.

Without any warning, a great crack appears between the two sledges, opening with a tremendous roar, until you are faced by a huge dark crevasse. Frantically you pull on the reins but it is too late to prevent your Kanu-dog team from disappearing into the void. Your sledge is left balancing on the edge of the crevasse, while the team of howling Kanu-dogs dangle helplessly in their harnesses below you. Very carefully, you risk a glance into the chasm. You see that the first two dogs have broken free and dropped over one-hundred-and-fifty feet to a ledge below. One of them appears to be dead. The other is badly injured and whimpers beside the still body of its comrade. Suddenly, a shudder jolts the sledge and you gasp with fright.

If you wish to crawl with Fenor to the rear of the sledge,
turn to 146
.

If you decide to try to leap clear of the sledge onto the cracked ice,
turn to 29
.

The corridor in which you now stand is far warmer than the icy cavern outside. For the first time in many days, you can lower the hood of your cloak and remove your mittens without risking frostbite.

You notice that the stone passage ascends to a landing where another passage branches off to the east. M'lare bowls hang at regular intervals along the arched ceiling, their unnatural light illuminating the carved walls.

As you approach the landing, you notice an archway leading into a small room beyond. A strange sight meets your eyes. Ragged furs, pottery shards, and the debris of hundreds of years seem to have been thrown into this chamber. A large lever protrudes from the wall beside the archway.

If you wish to enter the room and investigate the contents,
turn to 38
.

If you wish to pull the lever,
turn to 163
.

If you wish to explore eastwards along the passage,
turn to 237
.