The Walls of Spyte

General Information:

ISBN : 0-340-49168-x
Numbered Sections : 550
Pages : 313
(C) : 1988
First Published : 1988 Knight Books

Summary:

The apogee of your quest. All these years of struggle will bear fruit here, for you confront the Magi themselves in the ruined city of Spyte. The fate of the world rests in your hands (where have we heard that before?)

Prance around the ruined city of Spyte, picking up magical artifacts conveniently left around. There are no major branchings in the storyline, with only minor side "quests" for you to gain more magik.

One infuriating thing about the Book (or rather, the end of Book 4) is that you lost all your items at the end of the book. In other words, painstakingly playing through Books 1 to 4 was a waste of time! (though we all enjoyed ourselves) Should've saved the money... :)

Rating : 5/5

Blurb (on back cover):

"An Arctic wind freezes your bones, but ahead of you lies a smoking chasm as it goes right down to the glimmering fires of hell. You stand at the top of the abyss which surrounds Spyte, the ruined fortress of the Lords of Krarth.

In the darkening sky above, five ominous stars have come into conjunction for the first time in 200 years. Out of the vault of the sky they cast their baleful influence across the frozen landscape. They are disembodied spirits of the last of the Magi seeing the return to the mortal world at midnight and ushering in a new era of terror

Introduction (at book front):

It is Midwinter’s Eve of the year 1000. The Great Fear sweeps across the civilized world. Everyone knows that the Day of Judgement is at hand. It is seven hours to Doomsday.

An arctic wind freezes your bones, but ahead of you lies a smoking chasm that goes right down to the glimmering fires of hell. You stand at the lip of the abyss which surrounds Spyte, the ruined fortress of thel lords of Krarth. In the darkening sky they cast their baleful influence across the frozen landscape – unearthly objects, but far from heavenly ones. They are the disembodied spirits of the last of the Magi, seeking to return to the mortal world at midnight and ushering in a new era of terror.

You wield the sole force in the world capable of destroying the Magi. The Sword of Life is mankind’s only hope – but it is no guarantee of victory. The Magi have had two centuries of exile to plan their reincarnation. Their power has grown immeasurably since they last walked upon Middle-Earth. You will need greater courage and strength than ever before, but you are determined to succeed in your sworn quest. You will prevent the Magi from bringing their unholy force back into the world – even at the cost of your own life!

Introduction (before the first paragraph):

INTRODUCTION

It has been many years since you were given your quest by a mysterious troubadour whom you met in the forests of southern Krarth. As he lay dying after a murderous attack, he told you of the entities known as the True Magi, sorcerers of ancient times who died in the cataclysm of the City of Spyte. They became the Five Stars, small luminous objects visible in the night sky, and since that far-off day they have laid plans for their return to earth at the end of the millennium. To the ruins of Spyte they will return - ruins that have stood dark and de- serted these last two centuries - and from there they will spread their despotic rule over the lands of men, encircling the world in a sorcerous thrall that none can escape.

To help you in your quest to prevent this, the troubadour entrusted you with the holy relic known as the Sword of Life - the Blood Sword. Its power is the only thing that will be able to destroy the reincarnated Magi. Its power . . . And your own steadfast courage.

Now it is the year 1000. After many years of wandering across the world, your have returned to Krarth to fulfil your destiny. In all the lands you have travelled through, plague and famine have cut a swathe through people's lives. It is the time of the Great Fear. Everyone has become lethargic and terror-stricken, for it is known that the world will end at midnight on Midwinter's Eve. Then, as the clerics and theologians foretell, God will summon all the dead back to life for the Day of Judgement.

Only a week ago, you met a trader on the road who was frantically giving all his furs and silk gowns to the poor. 'Sic transit gloria mundi!' he said

to you, eyes frantic with the thought of the judge- ment to come. 'By distributing my wealth now to these wretches, I make myself a pauper and secure a position in Paradise. At the same time, by enriching them I disqualify them from entry. This ensures that those of us who are admitted to Paradise will not have to tolerate the company of unworthy peasants.' His sentiments were typical of the venality and selfishness which many people are giving them- selves in to in the extremity of their fear. You sense that God's judgement of such individuals has already begun.

However, you have also encountered good people. As you journeyed northwards across the ice-locked wastes of Krarth, many poor peasants have given you shelter and shared what little food they had. One told you of ther Krarthian folk tales concerning the Magi: 'Since the Blasting of Spyte the world has been in a deep sleep. The dread gods are still there, and they will bring their Sacerdotes, the True Magi, back from the heavens. We will awaken then back into the nightmarish tyranny of reality. All this will happen at the midwinter festival of this year, which is the three thousand, one hundred and twenty-fifth year of the Old Calender. So it is written.'

Another way of looking at things. The people of Krarth are not of your faith, but many of them live virtuous lives all the same. The details vary in their belief, but all are agreed on the final outcome: the world will end at midnight on Midwinter's Eve.

And that is tonight . . .

Resources

Cover of Book 5. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version (40KB)