The Caverns of Kalte (9 page)

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
.

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.

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.

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.

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
.

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
.

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
.

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
.

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
.

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
.

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
.

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
.

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
.

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 tunnel,
turn to 321
.

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

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
.

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
.

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
.

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
.

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
.