The Caverns of Kalte Read online

92

  You walk along the passage for several minutes until it takes a left turn. To your dismay, you see that a huge fissure has opened, destroying most of the walls and floor of this new passage. The gaping hole is dark and wide.

  If you have a Rope, turn to 133.

  If you do not possess a Rope, you will have to retrace your steps and explore the other tunnel. Turn to 297.

  93

  You struggle for nearly five agonizing minutes before your will completely drains away. You have become a mindless automaton. Unable to resist Vonotar's psychic commands to kill yourself, you throw yourself on the blade of the Sommerswerd.

  Your life and your mission end here.

  94

  You have slipped and fallen into the icy water; the shock makes you scream out in pain as cramp bites into your legs. You fight with all the strength you have to reach the bank, but it is a desperate struggle.

  Pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If the number you have picked is 0–6, you are lucky. You drag yourself from the icy water and lie exhausted on the bank. Lose 3 ENDURANCE points and turn to 176.

  If the number you have picked is 7–9, the icy water soon paralyses your arms and, within minutes, you drown. Your mission ends here.

  95

  The intense cold and relentless buffeting of the cyclone quickly drain all your reserves of strength. A numbness sweeps over you as the Ice Demon claims your body for itself, eager to begin a new and powerful existence. For the creatures of Ikaya, and eventually all of Kalte, it is the dawning of a new and terrible age of tyranny, but one which you will not live to see.

  Your life and your mission end here.

  96

  Wrapping yourself in your white cloak, you take cover behind a stalagmite near to the lake's edge. Holding your breath and keeping as still as possible, you listen to the footsteps and growls of the Kalkoth, as they draw nearer and nearer.

  To see if your Kai skill has saved you from detection, pick a number from the Random Number Table.

  If at any time you have smeared Baknar oil into your skin, add 2 to the number you have picked.

  If your total score is now 0–8, turn to 59.

  If your total score is now 9–11, turn to 214.

  97

  This corridor is lined with arched stone pilasters, several feet thick, behind which you can hide. Twenty yards ahead, you see an Ice Barbarian warrior standing guard at the bottom of a flight of wide stone steps. Moving quickly to one side, you realize that if you are to get past this guard successfully, you will either have to distract his attention or silence him for good.

  If you possess a Diamond, turn to 24.

  If you wish to distract him with some Gold Crowns, turn to 152.

  If you decide to attack him, turn to 208.

  98

  You sense the presence of someone or something lurking inside the fissure, although you cannot tell if their intentions are good or evil.

  If you wish to explore the fissure, turn to 49.

  If you wish to return to the tent, turn to 212.

  99

  As you draw your mighty blade, a golden glow illuminates the darkness of the passage. The Helghast shrieks and steps back, its eyes glowing red with hatred and fear. It recognizes the power you wield, a power that can bring about its eternal destruction. In desperation, 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 that you fight this creature. The Helghast is immune to Mindblast, but as one of the undead it is especially vulnerable to the Sommerswerd. Be sure to double all ENDURANCE points it loses due to the power of the Sommerswerd.

  Helghast: COMBAT SKILL 22 ENDURANCE 30

  If you win the combat, turn to 230.

  100

  The hunchbacked traitor gasps with astonishment at your sudden appearance, but quickly regains his senses and makes a dash towards a door in the far wall. The Ice Barbarians draw their swords, but their reactions are slow and unsteady. You knock them aside before they can strike at you, and sprint after the disappearing magician.

  The door leads to a landing with two staircases. A spiral staircase descends to your right, and a small flight of stairs ascends to an arch to your left. There is no sign of Vonotar in this chamber.

  If you wish to descend the spiral staircase, turn to 148.

  If you wish to ascend the stairs to the arch, turn to 61.

  101

  You are most fortunate that Baknar sleep long and deeply, sometimes for up to three days after a large meal. But you have now made sure this creature will never waken.

  Leave the chamber and turn to 235.

  102

  A secret compartment slides open at the base of the left altar staff. Inside, you discover a small statuette, a Stone Effigy of a strange tentacled creature.

  If you wish to keep this Effigy, slip it into your pocket and mark it on your Action Chart as a Special Item.

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

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

  103

  The following day, a strong wind rises from the north. Hour upon hour, it blows relentlessly into your face. The Ljuk ice shelf becomes a mass of twisted slabs of ice, jutting upwards at every angle. Progress is slow and difficult. By midday, you are shivering with cold; your lips are cracked and bleeding and the icy blasts have covered you with a thin film of snow.

  You steer your sledge through a narrow passage at the edge of the ice shelf where it meets the Hrod Basin. Here you are sheltered from the wind, and for the first time today you can see ahead quite clearly.

  Illustration VII—The three Baknar jump from the ice wall and land with a crash on the sledges.

  Suddenly, shrieks from above warn you that you are not the only creatures seeking shelter here. Within seconds, three large Baknar jump from the ice wall and land with a crash on the sledges. Your fellow driver, Irian, is thrown against the ice and collapses unconscious. You are prevented from going to his aid by a hungry carnivorous Baknar. There is no hope of evading it; you must fight it to the death.

  Baknar: COMBAT SKILL 19 ENDURANCE 30

  If you win the combat, turn to 305.

  104

  You eventually arrive at a large stone door. Unlike the others, this has no lever to activate it, but you do notice that a small slot has been cut in the nearby wall.

  If you possess a Blue Stone Disc, turn to 135.

  If you do not have this item, you will have to return along the corridor and head south by turning to 330.

  105

  You have fallen over a hundred-and-fifty feet into a massive snow drift. You are shaken and winded but otherwise unharmed. It takes nearly half an hour to tunnel your way clear and when you finally stagger out of the powdery snow, you are astounded by the sight that greets you. A huge underground cavern spreads into the distance. Stalactites of crystal hang from the icy ceiling and the constant dripping of melting snow fills this ice world with an eerie, musical sound. You are looking at an uncharted world that few Sommlending have ever seen, for you have fallen into the caverns of Kalte. This chamber is a tiny part of a massive underground labyrinth built by the Ancients, many ages before the Sommlending or even the Darklords set foot in Magnamund. Its wide avenues, temples, and halls once echoed with the sound of a race of creatures for whom the ice was a natural home. M'lare bowls still hang from the roof, bathing the chamber with their eternal light.

  You shout towards the opening high above, but there is no reply. Irian and Fenor have given you up for dead, and they are now trying to make their way back to the Cardonal.

  The sides of the cave are steep and sheer. To climb up to the surface from here would be impossible. In the distance, to the north, you notice a rough-hewn tunnel. There is also a similar tunnel to the west.

  If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 64.

  If you wish to explore the north t
unnel, turn to 321.

  If you wish to explore the west tunnel, turn to 275.

  106

  As you leap to your feet, you see three Ice Barbarians advancing towards you along the corridor. The fur-clad warriors are armed with vicious bone swords, each encrusted with sharp teeth along the blade. Even in the surprise of their attack you notice the strangeness of their eyes: they are completely white and have no pupils at all.

  They attack you as if they were possessed of one mind, lunging at you simultaneously and dodging your blows in unison. You must fight them as one enemy. They are immune to Mindblast.

  Ice Barbarians: COMBAT SKILL 19 ENDURANCE 36

  You may evade at any time by crawling back into the chamber and escaping by the north passage. Turn to 145.

  If you win the combat, turn to 338.

  107

  As you peer into the large ice cavern beyond, you are horrified to see three large, ugly creatures fighting and clawing at each other. They are fighting over the mutilated carcass lying at their feet. They are Kalkoth, savage predators of Kalte.

  If you have smeared Baknar oil into your skin, turn to 202.

  If you have not coated yourself with Baknar oil, you can avoid the Kalkoth by retracing your steps back to the other tunnel. Turn to 284.

  If you wish to attack the squabbling creatures, turn to 138.

  108

  You see the patrol march past and you wait until their footsteps start to fade before you climb the stairs. A sudden cry from inside the chamber startles you, and you spin round to see an Ice Barbarian looming out of the dark. He is attacking you with a bone-tipped spear.

  Ice Barbarian: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 24

  You can evade combat after one round by running up the stairs.

  If, at this time, you wish to head south (right), turn to 330.

  If you wish to head north (left), turn to 198.

  If you win the combat, turn to 282.

  109

  Your attack is swift and deadly. Neither of the Kalkoth will ever wake from their sleep. You make a quick search of the cavern floor but find nothing of value. A growl in the distance makes you anxious, and you quickly leave via the north tunnel.

  Turn to 235.

  110

  The stone door grinds open to reveal a small, dimly lit chamber. A black monolith, eight feet high, stands directly in front of you. It is covered with strange symbols. You advance to get a clearer look, when the door suddenly begins to close behind you. There is no lever inside this chamber.

  If you wish to take a dive through the shrinking gap, turn to 283.

  If you prefer to stay where you are, turn to 256.

  111

  The door slides open to reveal a wide, well-lit corridor running north to south. The low rumbling noise you detected earlier seems much louder here than in the darkness of the passage behind. To your left you see a door and in the distance, a junction.

  If you wish to investigate the junction, turn to 254.

  If you decide to close the secret door and to continue exploring the dark tunnel, turn to 336.

  112

  Before you all bed down for the night in your warm sleeping furs, Fenor prepares a nutritious meal of dried meat in Wanlo, a potent spirit.

  With the strong wind beating upon the roof of the tent, you slip into a deep sleep. But your dreams are nightmares filled with ghastly images of Vonotar the Traitor.

  Turn to 291.

  113

  Your lightning reactions have enabled you to avoid being crushed by the closing door. You adjust your equipment and set off along the corridor.

  Turn to 63.

  114

  You have covered less than fifty yards when you arrive at another cavern. Lying upon a raised dais of ice in the centre of the frozen chamber is a Baknar, a fierce and carnivorous ice creature. It seems to be sound asleep and the remains of an animal lie scattered around the slab. In the far wall of the chamber lies another tunnel.

  If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, turn to 279.

  If you wish to creep stealthily past the Baknar, turn to 23.

  If you wish to attack the creature, turn to 101.

  115

  You discover that many of the bones scattered among the stalagmites are of human origin. Shattered skulls, skeletal hands, and rib cages lie half buried in the ice. You are about to abandon your search when a small box made of carved bone catches your eye.

  If you wish to open this box, turn to 218.

  If you prefer to leave it, you can examine the fortress door by turning to 52.

  116

  You pour the healing Potion onto your sore and broken skin. Immediately, you feel the soothing effects of the fluid. The pain fades and the swelling begins to subside. The Glowing Gem is a cursed Doomstone, and the power it contains is deadly to all living creatures. Had you not possessed a Laumspur Potion, the effects of the Doomstone would certainly have killed you. You discard the deadly Gem and the now empty vial of Laumspur.

  Make the necessary adjustments to your Action Chart and continue along the corridor by turning to 97.

  117

  The gale dies away during the night and dawn arrives calm and still. On the horizon to the far north, you can see Ikaya, the ice fortress. The huge crystal-towered stronghold is a wondrous sight, made all the more marvellous because it appears to hover upside down upon a large cloud. ‘Kalte mirage,’ says Dyce. ‘There's no dust in the air here — the land is reflected in the clouds. That's Ikaya, but the real fortress is over the horizon. It cannot be more than forty miles away now.’ Dyce grabs a spade and starts to dig out the Kanu-dogs that have been buried by snow. You wake the others and eat a meal before setting off once more.

  It is midday when you reach the edge of a deep gorge. It is over forty feet wide, and there appears to be no way of crossing it. You are forced to travel along the gorge to the east. Eventually, after three miles, you discover a narrow ice bridge. However, the centre of the bridge is frighteningly thin and narrow: it looks incapable of supporting the weight of a loaded sledge.

  You can now see the real Ikaya upon the horizon.

  If you wish to risk taking the sledge across the ice bridge, turn to 73.

  If you wish to unload the sledge and ferry the equipment across piece by piece, turn to 162.

  If you decide to leave the sledge here and continue on foot, turn to 223.

  118

  He is frail and weak, far too weak to climb. You tell him to tie the rope around his waist so that you can haul him out of the prison. Slowly he follows your instructions. As you draw him up, you are shocked to discover that he weighs no more than a child. You quickly pull him to the comparative safety of the passage. Now you must find out who he is.

  Turn to 56.

  119

  Great chunks of ice are falling away from the underside of the bridge, and a wide split appears. You manage to keep the sledge on course and reach the far side of the gorge, but you soon discover that a sledge runner is broken and irreparable. You are forced to abandon the sledge and continue on foot, but it still contains some useful equipment. Some of this you may take and store in your Backpack (remembering your maximum of eight items in total):

  Enough food for up to 5 Meals (each counts as 1 item)

  Sleeping Furs (counts as 2 items)

  Tent (counts as 3 items)

  Rope (counts as 2 items)

  Fenor, Irian, and Dyce quickly follow you across, but as they reach the centre of the bridge, disaster strikes. Dyce catches his foot in the cracked surface and trips. You watch in horror as he slips over the edge. But he catches the edge and hangs on by his fingertips.

  ‘Help me, help me!’ he cries, slowly losing his grip.

  If you want to try to rescue Dyce, turn to 19.

  If you feel it is too dangerous to try to rescue him, turn to 257.

  120

  The raging wind tears at your clothes, and bombards you with sharp flumes of ice and rock. As you ra
ise the Sommerswerd, an intense howling fills your ears. It is a cry of horror and desperation. You strike at the core of this demon, slicing through the cyclone and into the fabric of its being. In an instant, the wind and the ghastly wailing cease — all that remains are the shattered pieces of a hollow statue scattered on the floor.

  If you wish to search the altar and alcove of this temple, turn to 274.

  If you wish to leave, you may exit via the northern archway. Turn to 306.

  121

  You are on the very brink of losing your concentration when the rope around your foot loosens and drops away. You dive from the sledge barely seconds before it crashes into the crevasse. The dreadful cries of the Kanu-dogs can be heard as they plummet hundreds of feet into the darkness. Quickly, Fenor runs to your side and drags you away from the crumbling ice edge. You have lost your dog team, your sledge, and most of your food, but at least you are still alive.

  You and Fenor jump the widening gap and join the rest of your party. After much discussion, the guides agree to continue with the mission even though the hardships will now be doubly severe. In the distance, you see a narrow passage at the edge of the ice shelf where it meets the Hrod Basin. By nightfall, you reach the shelter of this icy pass and camp there for the night. A quick check of your remaining food reveals the need to cut rations by half if all of you are to reach Ikaya. You lose 1 ENDURANCE point due to the poor evening meal.