The Caverns of Kalte (20 page)

You discover a curious Triangle of Blue Stone attached to a chain. It is held tightly in the skeletal hand of one of the corpses, and you are forced to smash the finger-bones in order to examine the necklace more closely. If you wish to keep this Blue Stone Triangle, slip it over your head and wear it inside your jacket. Mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item.

You may leave the chamber by a tunnel in the far wall, by
turning to 315
.

Or you can retrace your route and take the other tunnel by
turning to 125
.

Unless you have used the Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter, bolts of blue energy leap from the black staves and catch you squarely in the chest. You are thrown backwards by the force of the charge, and left lying on the cold temple floor. You lose 2
ENDURANCE
points. If you used the Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter, the raw energy arcs harmlessly between the two staves and you are not injured.

If you wish to try to activate the buttons again,
turn to 65
.

If you wish to leave the temple,
turn to 306
.

For three days and nights, you trek northwards across the bleak and inhospitable glacier. Irian and Fenor have both suffered from severe snow-blindness, and the relentless north wind seems to sap everyone's strength. On the morning of the fourth day on the glacier, the wind finally drops. A bearing can now be taken to find out your exact position. To everyone's dismay Irian announces that you have veered a long way off course.

You turn to face the ancient grey peaks of a mountain range, looming up out of the northern snow. It is a bleak and forbidding sight. ‘The Myjaviks,’ says Dyce, disappointment written all over his bearded face. ‘We've come too far east.’

The Myjavik Mountains now lie between you and Ikaya. To cross them will mean having to leave the sledges and Kanu-dogs, packing your equipment on your backs and continuing on foot. There is an alternative, but it could lose you two precious days: you can retrace your route to the glacier and resume the march from there.

If you wish to abandon the dogs and sledges, and cross the Myjavik Mountains on foot,
turn to 12
.

If you decide to lose two days and trace your way back to the Viad Glacier,
turn to 238
.

‘We're on the same level as the Hall of the Brumalmarc,’ whispers Loi-Kymar, peering through a crack in the kitchen door. ‘It's at the end of this corridor.’

Two Ice Barbarians stand beside the jewel-encrusted doors that lead to the great hall. They are covered from head to toe in strange bone armour, and armed with crystal swords. The old wizard steps back from the door and says: ‘We must deal with them silently and swiftly.’ He takes three jars from his pockets and mutters a strange incantation as he mixes the contents together in a stone bowl. There is a pitcher of water on the table. He splashes a few drops onto the herbs, and wisps of blue smoke arise. ‘This will silence the guards if we can move it close enough to them.’

If you have the Kai Discipline of Camouflage,
turn to 122
.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter,
turn to 228
.

If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting,
turn to 347
.

If you do not possess any of the above Kai Disciplines,
turn to 179
.

You have descended over two hundred feet before you finally reach the bottom of the crevasse. It is completely dark except for a pinpoint of light in the far distance. You head towards the light, but progress is slow and painful. Large chunks of broken rock and ice litter the crevasse floor, and in the darkness you are constantly walking into, or falling over them.

Pick a number from the
Random Number Table
. If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, you may add 2 to the number you have picked.

If your total is now 0–1,
turn to 37
.

If your total is now 2–7,
turn to 193
.

If your total is now 8–11,
turn to 243
.

You insert the Key and turn it clockwise. A
click
confirms that it works. Slowly the shank of the Key slips from your grip and disappears into the lock and the great stone lid opens to reveal a magnificent Silver Helm. (Remember to erase the Ornate Silver Key from your
Action Chart
.)

If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense,
turn to 127
.

If you wish to put this splendid Helm on your head,
turn to 308
.

If you decide to leave the Helm where it is, you can explore the stairs by
turning to 323
.

The mighty sword illuminates the passage with its golden glow. The Helghast shrieks a hideous cry and retreats, its eyes glowing a fiery red with hatred and fear. It recognizes the power you wield, a force that spells death and eternal destruction to its kind. In blind panic, it attacks you with a powerful Mindblast. Unless you possess the Kai Discipline of Mindshield, you must lose 2
ENDURANCE
points for every round of combat you fight with this creature. It is immune to Mindblast. However, because the creature is one of the undead, remember to double all
ENDURANCE
points that it loses due to the power of the Sommerswerd.

Helghast:
COMBAT SKILL
 22   
ENDURANCE
 30

If you win the combat,
turn to 20
.

The heavy beast rolls off the sledge and lies motionless on the ice. Fenor has managed to light a torch and is thrusting the flaming brand at the other two Baknar. They are terrified by the fire and quickly turn and flee. You cheer as they disappear and turn to congratulate your brave guides, but are stunned to see that they have already started to skin the dead Baknar. You watch with disgust as Dyce opens the beast from throat to belly with his sharp hunting knife. He quickly pulls back the white fur and scoops out handfuls of thick oil from under the skin. The smell of this oil is horrible, so horrible in fact that even the Kanu-dogs bury their noses into the snow to avoid it. You cannot believe your eyes when the two guides start to rub this vile oil all over their faces and inside their clothes.

Illustration XVII
—They have already started to skin the dead Baknar.

‘Baknar oil,’ shouts Fenor enthusiastically. ‘Nothing like it for keeping warm and dry.’ He pulls his hand from the dead beast and offers you a fistful of the putrid jelly.

If you wish to accept his offer,
turn to 8
.

If the thought of smelling like a vat of rancid cheese does not appeal to you,
turn to 281
.

As you pass through the archway, you notice a lever set into the dark stone wall. You pull it and a door slides across, sealing the temple behind you. The temperature is warmer and you can hear a low rumbling sound somewhere in the distance. Ahead, you can see a light at the end of a dark passageway. You discover that it is shining out of an oblong portal, close to the floor, through which you can see a corridor ten feet below.

If you wish to squeeze through the portal and drop into the corridor,
turn to 206
.

If you decide to continue along the passage,
turn to 6
.

Preparing yourself for combat, you signal to the others to attack. The Ice Barbarians soon realize the danger and flee towards the west. To your dismay, you see that they are equipped with skis and can make a speedy escape. They have small poles attached to their fur-clad backs from which strange blue flags flutter. ‘Convoy scouts,’ says Irian, shielding his eyes from the glare of the snow. ‘Their blue “Banach” — their back flags — mean they're scouts from a sledge pack. They're probably on their way back from the trading post at Ljuk; their convoy can't be more than a few miles away — five at the most.’

If you wish to press on to Ikaya and try to outrun the Ice Barbarians before they return with reinforcements,
turn to 327
.

If you wish to follow the scouts westwards and find out more about their convoy,
turn to 178
.

Despite its size, the Silver Helm feels light and comfortable. Mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item. If you are already wearing another Helmet, you must discard it if you wish to keep the Silver Helm. If worn during combat, it will increase your
COMBAT SKILL
by 2 points. The lid of the chest slowly closes and you leave the chamber, elated by your magnificent discovery. You continue along the corridor and explore the staircase ahead.

Turn to 323
.

You make a quick search of the bodies and discover that one of them has a triangle of blue stone hanging by a chain around his neck. If you wish to keep this item, put the chain round your neck and mark it as a Special Item on your
Action Chart
.

You are very hungry and you quickly consume the cooked animal, pausing only to spit out its bones. Then you notice that the fire is burning in a strange, half-spherical metal bowl. The other half of the sphere lies on the icy floor nearby. You find that both halves fit together perfectly. When you open them, you discover that the fire still burns inside.

If you wish to keep this Firesphere, put it inside your jacket and mark it on your
Action Chart
as a Special Item.

You finish the last scraps of food, and return to the tunnel.

Turn to 132
.

You break open the Firesphere and an intense howl fills your ears. The cyclone halts. It will not advance towards you whilst you hold this sphere of guttering flame.

If you wish to leave the temple,
turn to 306
.

If you wish to search the altar and alcove,
turn to 72
.