feet from the base of the ice staircase, you become dizzy and lose your footing. You try desperately to hang on to the rock-face, but your fingers are numb with the cold and you fall to your doom in the valley below. The perfectly preserved remains of your body will be found by explorers, two thousand years from now.
Your mission and your life end here.
249
You sense that a group of warriors is approaching from the south.
Take the north corridor by turning to 104 .
251
In the afternoon, your journey towards the glacier gradually becomes far more laborious. The blood vessels in both your eyes begin to swell until you feel as though your eyeballs are being tattooed with red-hot needles, or as if your eyelids are full of grit and sand.
Fenor is the first to notice your condition, and he halts the sledges. ‘Snow-blindness,’ he says, tearing an old rag into long strips of bandage. ‘If you go on like that, you'll go mad with pain before nightfall.’
You lose 2 ENDURANCE points. Your sore eyes are swathed in bandages and you are made to lie amongst the equipment at the rear of the sledge. Then the trek continues. By nightfall, you reach the edge of the Viad Glacier.
Turn to 62 .
252
‘Your time has come,’ shouts a voice, but it is Loi-Kymar and not Vonotar who now speaks. A knot of herbs flies through the air and hits Vonotar squarely in the chest. In an instant, the hunchback wizard is engulfed in a tangle of vines that ensnare him from head to toe. Loi-Kymar bridges the moat with more creepers and joins you on the platform.
Illustration XIV —In an instant, the hunchback wizard is engulfed in a tangle of vines.
‘Be sure to remove his rings and amulets,’ he says, as he busily searches for his Guildstaff. ‘He is a master of trickery. We would not want him to miss the special homecoming that awaits him in Sommerlund.’
You marvel at the old man's composure. After such a desperate fight, he seems completely unruffled. ‘Ah! Here she is,’ he announces triumphantly as he withdraws his Guildstaff from beneath the Brumalmarc throne.
You pass him your map of Kalte and point out the location of the
Cardonal
. ‘I'll not be needing that,’ he replies, a little contemptuously. ‘Maps are invariably wrong — I prefer to rely on my own sense of direction.’ The old magician raises his staff and a dazzling beam of light shoots from its tip. He makes three wide sweeps of the air and the Hall of the Brumalmarc is transformed into an umbrella of colour.
Turn to 350 .
253
The Kalkoth hits you with such force that you tumble backwards onto the thin ice of the lake. You are concussed, and unconscious of the sharp teeth that now engulf your sinking body.
Your life and your mission end here.
257
A shiver runs up your spine as Dyce's screams fade away into the dark gorge. You are staring into the inky blackness when Irian suddenly shouts: ‘There … over there. I'm sure I saw something.’
You turn to see him pointing not at the gorge but towards the west. ‘Look, over there,’ says Fenor, who is also pointing, but at a ridge of ice in the middle distance. Two fur-clad warriors are standing on top of a large slab of ice. They stare in your direction, alerted no doubt by Dyce's scream.
‘Ice Barbarians,’ whispers Irian, his voice shaking with fear. ‘If they reach Ikaya before us, we're as good as dead.’
You are still fifteen miles from the ice fortress and less than three hours of daylight remain.
If you wish to try to outrun the Ice Barbarians and press on to Ikaya, turn to 327 .
If you decide to attack them to prevent them raising the alarm, turn to 307 .
259
Fenor suddenly leaps to his feet and grabs his sword. ‘It's a Kalkoth. Quickly, arm yourselves or we are done for.’ The others fumble for their weapons as Fenor disappears out into the snow. Almost immediately, there is a piercing scream of agony and something is hurled against the tent. The tent collapses and you find yourself
Your mission and your life end here.
249
You sense that a group of warriors is approaching from the south.
Take the north corridor by turning to 104 .
251
In the afternoon, your journey towards the glacier gradually becomes far more laborious. The blood vessels in both your eyes begin to swell until you feel as though your eyeballs are being tattooed with red-hot needles, or as if your eyelids are full of grit and sand.
Fenor is the first to notice your condition, and he halts the sledges. ‘Snow-blindness,’ he says, tearing an old rag into long strips of bandage. ‘If you go on like that, you'll go mad with pain before nightfall.’
You lose 2 ENDURANCE points. Your sore eyes are swathed in bandages and you are made to lie amongst the equipment at the rear of the sledge. Then the trek continues. By nightfall, you reach the edge of the Viad Glacier.
Turn to 62 .
252
‘Your time has come,’ shouts a voice, but it is Loi-Kymar and not Vonotar who now speaks. A knot of herbs flies through the air and hits Vonotar squarely in the chest. In an instant, the hunchback wizard is engulfed in a tangle of vines that ensnare him from head to toe. Loi-Kymar bridges the moat with more creepers and joins you on the platform.
Illustration XIV —In an instant, the hunchback wizard is engulfed in a tangle of vines.
‘Be sure to remove his rings and amulets,’ he says, as he busily searches for his Guildstaff. ‘He is a master of trickery. We would not want him to miss the special homecoming that awaits him in Sommerlund.’
You marvel at the old man's composure. After such a desperate fight, he seems completely unruffled. ‘Ah! Here she is,’ he announces triumphantly as he withdraws his Guildstaff from beneath the Brumalmarc throne.
You pass him your map of Kalte and point out the location of the
Cardonal
. ‘I'll not be needing that,’ he replies, a little contemptuously. ‘Maps are invariably wrong — I prefer to rely on my own sense of direction.’ The old magician raises his staff and a dazzling beam of light shoots from its tip. He makes three wide sweeps of the air and the Hall of the Brumalmarc is transformed into an umbrella of colour.
Turn to 350 .
253
The Kalkoth hits you with such force that you tumble backwards onto the thin ice of the lake. You are concussed, and unconscious of the sharp teeth that now engulf your sinking body.
Your life and your mission end here.
257
A shiver runs up your spine as Dyce's screams fade away into the dark gorge. You are staring into the inky blackness when Irian suddenly shouts: ‘There … over there. I'm sure I saw something.’
You turn to see him pointing not at the gorge but towards the west. ‘Look, over there,’ says Fenor, who is also pointing, but at a ridge of ice in the middle distance. Two fur-clad warriors are standing on top of a large slab of ice. They stare in your direction, alerted no doubt by Dyce's scream.
‘Ice Barbarians,’ whispers Irian, his voice shaking with fear. ‘If they reach Ikaya before us, we're as good as dead.’
You are still fifteen miles from the ice fortress and less than three hours of daylight remain.
If you wish to try to outrun the Ice Barbarians and press on to Ikaya, turn to 327 .
If you decide to attack them to prevent them raising the alarm, turn to 307 .
259
Fenor suddenly leaps to his feet and grabs his sword. ‘It's a Kalkoth. Quickly, arm yourselves or we are done for.’ The others fumble for their weapons as Fenor disappears out into the snow. Almost immediately, there is a piercing scream of agony and something is hurled against the tent. The tent collapses and you find yourself
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