If you've been waiting since August for the third part of The Castle of Lost Souls then I can only apologize that it's taken so long, and thank you for your patience. As already mentioned, this was my first ever stab at a choose-your-own type scenario, first published in White Dwarf magazine in the summer of 1984. The extremely skimpy prose was necessary because I only had four pages for each monthly instalment. Later we were to come full circle, using deliberately pared-down descriptive passages in the Fabled Lands books - though by then Jamie and I had, I believe, learned to write both well and economically.
I was sitting in the White Dwarf offices in Sunbeam Road one morning. Don't be fooled by the name, incidentally; it was on a grim west London industrial estate - there it is below, in fact. The very building. Anyway, the phone rang. "Yes, we do happen to have the writer here," said Jamie, handing it to me. A Scottish chap was on the line, demanding to know what he was supposed to do having triggered a poison trap in one of the episodes.
"Well, you're dead," I said.
"I know that. It says that. But what can I do about it?"
"Nothing - other than starting the adventure again from the beginning."
He sounded disappointed. Even a little peeved. "That's it? Start again, you say?"
He couldn't see me shrug. "Look on the bright side. If you were dead in real life, you couldn't even do that."
Another satisfied customer? No, he most certainly was not!
If you'll willing to risk death, you can find part one here and part two here, though the episodes were designed to be self-contained. If you're just launching in with this instalment, you'll just need the rules but note that you start off with an Honour score of 5 rather than 3. You have those items listed in the first paragraph too (all except the last two).
THE DEMON ROAD
You are the champion of the Greengosh family, chosen by its head, Hogron. He hired you to rescue his father’s soul, captured and taken to the castle of Slank, an ogre or demon. To do this Hogron told you that you needed some magical boots, a teardrop, a fragment of armour from the most chivalrous knight, a four leaf clover, a crystal ball, the ashes of a saint and the hair of a nun. These last two items you have yet to collect, and are hoping to do so during the journey to the castle. When you are ready to start, go to 1.
1: You take breakfast with the Greengosh family. Few of the brothers seem talkative so early in the morning. Some glower from obvious hangovers and one or two stare bemusedly at you as though trying to place your face. ‘This is the noble champion who will rescue our father’s soul!’ declares Hogron suddenly, and everyone sits up. Perterra Greengosh watches you with a look of palpable scepticism which you find disturbing in one so young. The butler brings you your weapons and backpack. ‘I have had Mortlake pack some provisions for your journey,’ Hogron continues. ‘And you will also find in your pack a small pot containing four applications of a magical Salve of Healing’ (a rather foul smelling preparation made from rancid milk, animal fat and rotting vegetables which actually has remarkable healing properties; spreading it on your wounds after a fight will restore 4 points to your Constitution each time it is used. Note it with your other items on the Character Sheet). But note also that you only have enough for four applications.
You take a few moments to prepare yourself for the great trials that await you. Will you succeed, and live on in legends until the end of time? Or will you sink into the mists of obscurity, lost to some nameless fate in a far-off land? Only the future will tell.
You pull on the magic boots and take up your belongings. Hogron, napkin still in hand, accompanies you as far as the dining room door. ‘I wish you good luck in your venture,’ he says through a mouthful of toast. ’I can offer you no help or advice save these two snippets of information. First, I have heard that the two principal goblin tribes of the Mungo Hills are the Drans and the Kabbagoos, and that one or the other tribe are inveterate liars. Secondly, it is said that strange phantasms can appear in the mists enveloping the Swamps of Bosh. These phantasms can cause a traveller no hardship as long as he or she disregards them. And now, farewell!’
You leave the Greengosh mansion and make your way to the town’s west gate. Somewhere on your journey you must find a saint’s ashes and the hair of a nun. But for now all that occupies your mind is that it is a glorious morning and you are about to embark on another challenging adventure. Turn to 42.
2: Ahead of you the horizon is lost in a blur of mist. Realizing that it will be difficult to find wood to start your campfire in the dank Swamps of Bosh, you start to gather kindling as you descend the trail. As you reach the low-lying moors and marshes of Bosh your progress is slowed considerably, for you have to wend your way around tracts of treacherous mire. Out of the corner of your eye you notice something – a crystal ball, of all things, just off the path to your left. It looks unsettlingly like the one you should have in your backpack. Will you go over to this crystal ball to examine it (turn to 25), check that the original ball is still in your backpack (turn to 53) or simply walk on (turn to 94)?
3: You walk on at a brisk pace. You are on your way out of the hills by mid afternoon. Up ahead, you see that the trail forks in two. One way will take you on into the Swamps of Bosh (where you are headed) but the other presumably leads to the notorious Dragonbreath Canyon (where you definitely do not want to go). Beside the fork there is a large flat rock on which squat two tiny, shrivelled goblins with large heads and a shock of white hair over their sharp, wily faces. ‘Are you a Dran or a Kabbagoo?’ you ask the first goblin as you stride up to them. He answers so indistinctly that you cannot hear him, but then the second goblin pipes up: ‘He said he’s a Kabbagoo. Are you deaf or something?’ Ignoring his disrespectful attitude, you demand of the second goblin which route you should take to reach the Swamps of Bosh. ‘Swamps of Bosh?’ he replies. ‘You want to go left.’ As you set off, he calls after you: ‘Go on, push off to Bosh!’ Both goblins start giggling, but you cannot be bothered to go back and teach them a lesson. Will you take the left-hand path (turn to 84) or the right-hand path (turn to 73)?
4: He jumps and weaves with confusing speed, and will be a difficult foe to beat.
TOLL COLLECTOR: Fighting Prowess: 9; Constitution: 10; no armour.
If you win, turn to 18.
5: Your sudden attack surprises the robbers, who took you for a fellow highwayman. You kill one of them with a single blow. Two more are occupied holding the captives, so you have four to fight:
‘HEADCUT’ AHOOL: Fighting Prowess: 6; Constitution: 6; 1-point armour.
IPCOLL THE SOUR: Fighting Prowess: 4; Constitution: 6; 1-point armour.
UKNORTHE BARBARIAN: Fighting Prowess: 5; Constitution: 8; no armour.
LIRRIPON DROOL: Fighting Prowess: 6; Constitution: 5; 1-point armour.
All four of them get to strike at you each round. If you drank the potion, however, you can strike back at three of them every round! If you actually manage to beat them all, turn to 86.
6: The mist’s fingers poke and pry, stroke and search, around your backpack. You realize that the mist is like an entity – a wraith which creates illusions to try and trick you. You are not fooled. Turn to 30.
7: After almost an hour you have not got any closer to your destination. It is obviously time to try something else, and you search in your backpack for inspiration. Turn to 72.
8: It takes real courage to attack a lammasu. No brains, just courage.
LAMMASU: Fighting Prowess: 10; Constitution: 20; fur counts as 1 -point armour.
You can escape after three rounds by running off (turn to 44). If you kill the lammasu, turn to 95.
9: The man, whose name is Garl, feeds you with a delicious and nourishing stew. The wine he offers is also excellent – nothing like the rough homebrew you had expected. Garl is obviously even drunker than you thought. He sits in his armchair watching you eat, taking great gulps from his mug and saying things such as, ‘You are an adventurer who has performed deeds of great credit while I am but a hermit with a dubious past. Yet when we belch, where then is the difference between us?’ Finally, noticing you stifle a yawn, he shows you to your room. Will you go to sleep (turn to 46) or sit up and keep watch (turn to 74)?
10: You identify some tracks leading to the other side of the valley. Following these, you are led to a sort of shrine. Turn to 90.
11: You are walking against a freezing wind. You see darkness on the horizon beyond the castle. The storm will soon engulf you. The whole sky darkens as the clouds billow up from the horizon and white stripes advance to hide the castle from view. Hailstones the size of a man’s fist pound down all around you. If you cannot find refuge from the storm quickly you will be pummelled to death! Even the mist disperses, taking shelter wherever it may. One of the tendrils of mist drifts down into the ground where you see a hole like the burrow of a large animal. If it is a burrow you may have to fight its occupant –but that is certainly better than being battered to death by the hailstones. You descend into the hole. Turn to 21.
12: Roll one die for the damage your arrow does. To bring the chonchon down you must roll 4 or more – otherwise, although winged, it still manages to fly off (turn to 41). If you bring it down, turn to 59.
13: ‘Ho there!’ he cries, struggling with the fishing rod. ‘A fine one has the bait this morning, but I need a net before I land him. Will you hold the rod a few minutes while I fetch one from my cottage? You can do as he asks (turn to 97) or decline and go on your way (turn to 68).
14: Four of the robbers see you coming and leave their comrades to massacre the guard while they deal with you. You will have to fight all four at once. They will each get to try to hit you every round. If you drank the potion, you will get three strikes every round (for duration of this fight only!).
EMAJ DOGBREATH: Fighting Prowess: 3; Constitution: 5: 1 -point armour.
IPCOLL THE SOUR: Fighting Prowess: 4; Constitution: 6: 1 -point armour.
‘HEADCUT’ AHOOL: Fighting Prowess: 6; Constitution: 6; 1-point armour.
UKNOR THE BARBARIAN: Fighting Prowess: 5; Constitution: 8; no armour.
If you beat all four, turn to 79. If you decide you cannot beat them, you can escape by running off towards the hills (turn to 50).
15: You open the phial and let the tear fall into your own eye, thinking perhaps that it will show you the true route to the castle. Unfortunately this does not work – and you have now used the teardrop (remove it from your Character Sheet). You grind your teeth and trudge on.
Turn to 82.
16: By the time you reach the tree, the strands of of hair are no longer there. Or perhaps they weren’t there in the first place... You continue on your way. Turn to 6.
17: You step back from the door as Garl’s ponderous footsteps approach. You watch as the latch is slowly raised. The door swings open and Garl stands there axe in hand, blinking as his eyes become accustomed to the darkness. With a yell you swing your sword. Turn to 64 for the fight. Because he is surprised, Garl will not get to strike back in the first round.
18: You climb down under the arch of the bridge and search through his belongings. You get 18 Gold Pieces and a magical Potion of Dazzling Speed. Note these down on your Character Sheet. After dumping the toll collector’s body in the river, you press on. Turn to 70.
19: You scramble frantically up the cliff. A voice calls up from below – to your astonishment, the lammasu can talk! ‘Look here,’ it says, ‘for one thing I can jump that high anyway, let alone fly, so you might as well come down. More importantly, I seem to have this bloody great thorn thing stuck right through my paw.’ Will you climb down to help the lammasu (turn to 60), or stay where you are (turn to 35)?
20: Lose another point of Honour – though you must surely have none left by now. You hide the bodies in a ditch by the side of the road. Gorbran had 9 gold pieces in his belt-pouch – a modest profit, but one which warms your evil heart. You continue on your way. Turn to 66.
21: The hole is damp, yet it is a great relief to be out of the icy bombardment. You hear a soft squelching. To your horror the surrounding ‘walls’ are closing in. A liquid oozes from them and trickles down around your feet, and you look down to see you are being sucked into the ‘mud’. An odour like bile rises about you. You cannot escape; your legs are trapped and you feel as though the strength is being drawn from you – as a piece of food might feel in an enormous stomach, perhaps! You have only moments in which to act. Desperately you search your backpack for something to use. Will you try using the ashes (turn to 36), the Salve of Healing (turn to 51), or the teardrop (turn to 77)?
22: The instant you strike the first spark from your flint, the marshons rush forward eagerly towards the source of light. You are engulfed by hundreds of slippery, clambering bodies. More and more marshons surge into the struggling horde, anxious to see the light, and you are soon overwhelmed and crushed by the stampede. Your adventure ends here.
23. You wend your way up to the hut and rap smartly on the door. A small flap opens and a bloodshot eye peers out at you. Then you hear bolts being drawn back and the door is opened by a heavyset man in red and black robes. Seeing you, he smiles and holds up the jug of wine he has in one hand. ‘As the sun sinks in its own blood and night strokes the land with fingers of shadow, let us drink together and pass merry comment on the transience of things!’ It is clear he has imbibed several jugs of wine already, as he seems to be slurring his words somewhat. Will you accept his offer (turn to 9) or decline and leave, preferring to camp outside for the night (turn to 33).
24: It occurs to you that if someone has left fresh flowers by the idol, there may be a religious community nearby. Perhaps you could get one or both of the items you need? Roll two dice, attempting to score less than or equal to your Cleverness. If you succeed, turn to 10. If you fail, turn to 76.
25: A bank of mist rolls in front of you. You walk forward through the mist but cannot find the crystal ball anywhere. Somewhat perplexed, you decide to return to the path and continue on. Turn to 94.
26: You have fallen victim to a spell of blood thinning. In future, whenever you are wounded you must deduct 1 extra point from your Constitution. While you bemoan your ill-luck, the detestable chonchon shrieks with laughter and flies off into the mists. Turn to 41.
27: You trek on towards the castle, but every time you glance away from it you look up to find it is in a different location. Nor do you seem to be getting any closer. You decide to try one of your items. Turn to 72.
28: The gods do not want their shrine sullied by the likes of you. They send one of their servants – a huge, halberd-wielding warrior clad in white armour who steps from a shining rent in the air in front of you. You are so taken aback by his sudden and miraculous appearance that you do not get to strike back on the first round. After that the fight proceeds normally.
ANGEL EXECUTIONER: Fighting Prowess: 8; Constitution: 14; 2-point armour.
If you beat him, he turns into a stream of clear water and flows away. Turn to 39.
29: You help the robbers to kill the last guard. Lose 1 point of Honour. One or two of the robbers start pushing the old man around while the rest go over to look at the palanquin. You hear a shriek and they bundle a white-robed damsel with long black hair out onto the road. One of the robbers shouts out that the old man has only a few gold pieces. ’In that case,’ snarls the leader, spitting into the dust, ‘we’ll have to entertain ourselves as best we can, won’t we, lads?’ You are not quite sure what to do now. You can attack the robbers and try to help the old man and the girl escape (turn to 96) or simply slink away while the robbers enjoy their ‘entertainment’ (turn to 66).
30: Since it is now getting late you start to look around for somewhere to make camp. You soon find a patch of high ground and get a fire going with the wood you collected earlier. After a light supper you settle down and go to sleep.
You come awake suddenly. Hours have passed -the fire is just glowing embers now. Creatures are stirring in the darkness all around you. Slowly you sit up. Your camp is surrounded by hordes of marshons. These are small, hairless, leathery creatures with webbed hands and large lidless eyes. They have been attracted by your fire and the starlight glinting off your sword, stuck in the ground beside you. They move around you like moths around a candle. From what you have heard, they eat only fungus and swamp weed – but nonetheless you are in the most deadly peril from them for, if they press forward towards the light which has attracted them, you will be smothered and crushed by the countless hundreds of bodies.
What will you do? You could toss your sword away in the hope that they will scurry after it (turn to 93), or light your lantern (turn to 22) or – if you have one – you could use your Ring of Light (turn to 67).
31: He scratches the back of his neck. ‘Don’t know about the strand of hair,’ he says after some thought. ‘Isn’t it true nuns shave their heads when they enter a convent, anyway? But there is a sort of shrine not too far from here where some old holy man was buried. Maybe he was a saint.’ He gives you directions and you set off in search of the shrine. Turn to 90.
32: The creatures attacking you are chonchons. These disembodied heads fly using their large veined ears as wings and attack by biting with their chisel-like teeth. Three of them fly in to engage you:
FIRST CHONCHON: Fighting Prowess: 5; Constitution: 8; no armour.
SECOND CHONCHON: Fighting Prowess: 4; Constitution: 4; no armour.
THIRD CHONCHON: Fighting Prowess: 7; Constitution: 5; no armour.
They will each get to strike at you every round, but you can only attempt to hit one at a time-unless you drank the magic potion, in which case you can attempt three blows a round for the rest of this combat. If a chonchon is down to 2 or fewer points of Constitution at the end of any round, it will fly up out of combat. If you are still fighting at least one of the chonchons after four rounds, turn to 65. Otherwise turn to 91.
33: You spot a niche in the ridge and scramble up the slope to it. The ledge is quite wide, and you are able to comfortably stretch out on it. You decide it is a good place to spend the night – wolves and the like will be unable to reach you. You awaken early the next morning. Add 3 Constitution points for your rest. You gather your belongings and continue onwards. Turn to 68.
34: You stumble on, only to trip over a clump of turf and fall flat on your face in the mud. Picking yourself up, you scowl, set your jaw and start trudging doggedly towards the distant castle. You decide to look for inspiration in your backpack. Turn to 72.
35: ‘You’re being remarkably unhelpful,’ says the lammasu coolly. ‘I mean to say, why do you humans have to be so preposterously timid, anyway?’ It walks off as proudly as its limp will allow. After some time you decide it’s safe to lower yourself to the ground and go on. Turn to 3.
36: You empty the ashes into the ‘hole’ and, with a sound very like a cough, it spits you out into the open. Luckily the hailstorm has now passed. Turn to 27.
37: You clamber through the bedroom window and escape into the night. You trek for several miles with only the wan moonlight to guide you. When you stop to check your belongings, you are distressed to find that you left behind half your cash in the hurry to get away. Deduct this from the gold on your Character Sheet. Cold, tired and impoverished you drift into a restless slumber and awake early the next morning. Turn to 68.
38: On a plinth in front of the idol, which depicts the god Lurga during his thirty-seventh Tribulation, you find a vase containing fresh flowers. You should note these down on your Adventure Record if you decide to take them. Will you now carry on towards the Mungo Hills (turn to 71), place an offering of gold on the plinth (turn to 48), or investigate further (turn to 24)?
39: You reach into the silvery glow and take the urn. Peeking within, you see that it contains a handful of ashes. You put the urn in your backpack and set off again. Turn to 71.
40: Norwena runs off shrieking. You roll Gorbran’s body into a ditch – discovering 9 gold pieces in his belt-pouch in the process – and continue on your way. Turn to 66.
41: You continue on for some time, but you still do not seem to be getting any closer to your objective. Perhaps the crystal ball will prove of use now? You take it from your backpack. Turn to 98.
42: You set out at a brisk pace and soon leave the fields and meadows around the town far behind. After some time you come to a river and, seeing a bridge only a few hundred yards away, you walk along the bank to it. As you ,are about to cross the bridge, however, a tall slender man in grey robes appears from under the arch of the bridge and calls up to you that you must pay a toll of 4 gold pieces to cross here. Will you pay him the money (turn to 52), or will you ignore him and cross anyway (turn to 62)?
43: A small band of robbers has attacked a group of travellers. Two guards lie dead in the road and a third is battling against impossible odds to prevent the robbers from getting at the palanquin he was accompanying. You see an old man with a staff cowering beside the palanquin. Will you:
Help the guard and the old man? (turn to 45)
Help the robbers? (turn to 29)
Avoid getting involved at all? (turn to 63)
44: The lammasu swipes at you as you turn to flee. Roll one die to determine the damage done by its raking claws. Your armour protects you from this as usual. If you are still alive, you run off. For some reason the lammasu does not pursue you. Turn to 3.
45: If you have a Potion of Dazzling Speed, there is time to drink it now before you engage the robbers. Considering the odds you face, it may well be a good idea – but of course, perhaps you’d rather save it for when you face the demon... Decide, and then turn to 14.
46: You awaken with a start, instantly aware of danger. You hurl yourself to one side just as an axe crashes down. A fraction slower and your head would have been split like firewood! You find your sword. Facing you in the half-light is Garl, wielding the massive axe as though it were a toothpick. You have removed much of your armour in order to sleep more comfortably – it will only absorb 1 point of damage from Garl’s blows in this fight. Turn to 64.
47: You hastily nock an arrow onto your bow and take aim at the retreating chonchon leader. To hit it, you must roll your Fighting Prowess or less on two dice. You have one chance to do this before the chonchon is out of range. If you hit, turn to 12. If you miss, turn to 41.
48: Deduct the amount you decide to leave from your current gold. You utter a short prayer to Lurga in which you compare your current adventure to his ninth Tribulation. There is no response from the god. Will you now carry on towards the hills (turn to 71), or investigate further (turn to 24)?
49: As you step towards the urn, a shower of glittering particles forms a cloud in front of you. This rapidly coalesces to form a warrior in shining white armour who advances to attack you.
ANGEL KNIGHT: Fighting Prowess: 7, Constitution: 11; 2-point armour.
If you beat him, he vanishes like mist. Turn to 39.
50: The robbers quickly give up the chase and go back to loot their victims. You press on briskly towards the setting sun, determined to put several miles between you and the robbers. Turn to 66.
51: You drop your remaining supply of the Salve into the ’hole’, which is unimpressed by the substance’s foul taste and hurriedly spits you out into the open air. The hailstorm has now passed. Turn to 27.
52: You throw the four coins down to him and he pockets them. You can now continue on your way (turn to 70) or ask him if he knows where you can get the last two items you need (turn to 31).
53: As you open your backpack, a thick bank of fog engulfs you, obscuring your vision for a moment. When you look into the pack, you find that the items you have collected to deal with the demon have gone! What will you do now: go back and tell Hogron that the mists stole your equipment (turn to 80) or walk on (turn to 88)?
54: The girl throws up her arms to the heavens with a howling scream. The skies answer with a thunderous rumble, and you see lightning flash between the clouds. Seeing the power of her prayer, the robbers turn and flee. She goes over to the old man and obviously finds he is still alive, for she revives him with a simple healing spell. They come over to you and the girl tells you that her name is Norwena and the old man is Gorbran. They and their guards were on their way to the convent of the Sisters of Pure Adoration when the bandits attacked. Since they now lack guards, you agree to escort them – Norwena admits that her prayer-magic looks more impressive than it actually is, and a skilled swordsman might come in handy. Turn to 61.
55: As you walk on, a few tendrils of mist return to swirl about you. You do not mind now. The mist is like an old travelling companion. Then, in the distance, you see the Castle of Lost Souls. It cannot be more than a few miles away. However, when you look up again after going only a few hundred yards, you find that the castle is no longer straight ahead of you. You walk towards it for almost an hour, keeping your eyes on it the whole time, but you do not seem to be getting any closer. Presumably the demon Slank has set enchantments around his castle to keep unwelcome visitors away, so what will you do now? You could just continue marching towards the castle, keeping your eyes on it continually so it does not change location again – turn to 11. Or you could use an item from your backpack – turn to 72. If you would like to try something else, turn to 83.
56: You are in a sacred place. The gods look into your heart and see your past actions. If your Honour is 7 or more, turn to 39. If your Honour lies between 1 and 6, turn to 49. If you have no Honour, turn to 28.
57: Since Norwena must have her head shaved anyway when she joins the Order, the Mother Superior is happy to give you a long, black strand of hair. You put this in your backpack and continue your journey westwards. Turn to 75.
58: You ransack his home in search of treasure he may have looted from travellers. You find a Potion of Healing, a Ring of Light and 4 gold pieces. Under the floorboards you are also revolted to discover human bones from over thirty bodies, neatly arranged in boxes with notes on the quality of the meal each person provided. You pass the rest of the night in a fitful sleep full of harrowing nightmares and depart this dreadful place before the sun is up. Turn to 68.
59. You walk over to where the chonchon leader has fallen. The arrow has torn its ear but it is still alive and thrashing. You grind it into the mud with your boot. Noticing a gold ring through its left ear, you take out your dagger and cut this free. The ring is large enough to fit around your wrist and is in fact a Wristband of Lightning. Note this down on your Character Sheet and turn to 41.
60: ‘Awfully decent of you,’ says the lammasu as you draw the thorn from its paw. ‘Rather embarrassing really – can’t think how I came to tread on the damned thing. If you’re heading west let me give you some advice. There are two tribes of goblins in these hills, the Drans and the Kabbagoos. You can never tell the difference between them because they mix freely and wear the same outlandish clothes. The only thing is that the Drans always tell the truth and the Kabbagoos always lie. I hope that’s of some help to you.’ After thanking you again, the lammasu takes its leave. Gain 1 point of Honour for helping this noble beast. Turn to 3.
61: It occurs to you that if you escort them to the convent, the Sisters will probably
be quite happy to give you a few strands of nun’s hair. If you decide to do this, turn to 69. Of course, if you are the treacherous sort you could just grab the damsel right now and shear her hair off (in which case, turn to 89).
62: With astonishing speed and agility he leaps up and lands on the bridge in front of you. As he does so, he draws a long curved sword from the scabbard slung across his back. ‘The fine for non-payment of the toll is 9 gold pieces,’ he says with a wry smile. ‘And the penalty for non-payment of the fine is...’ He glances significantly at the gleaming blade of his sword. Will you now pay him 9 gold pieces (turn to 87), or do you prefer to fight (turn to 4)?
63: You leave the road and sneak around the commotion. You continue on into the hills. Turn to 66.
64: You realize that Garl is not a human being at all, but a cold-hearted Ogre hungry for your flesh!
OGRE: Fighting Prowess: 6; Constitution: 13; no armour.
Because of his great strength, add 1 point to the die when rolling the damage for his blows. If you beat him, turn to 58.
65: The fourth chonchon, which has been hovering over you watching the fight, now starts to beat its ears furiously and fly off across the marsh. If you defeat any remaining chonchons within two rounds (refer back to 32 if you can’t remember their characteristics) you can try to bring down the escaping leader with an arrow (turn to 47). If the combat goes on for longer than two rounds then the leader is out of bowshot; if you kill or drive off the remaining chonchons after that, turn to 41.
66: Night is closing in as you enter the rolling, dusty landscape of the Mungo Hills. High on a ridge you see a ramshackle hut with a narrow, twisting path leading up to it. You can go and seek shelter for the night at the hut (turn to 23) or else make camp out here in the open (turn to 33).
67: You hold up the ring and cause it to emit a brilliant flash. The marshons clutch at their eyes and fall back whimpering, blinded by the light. They scurry off into the safety of the night. Turn to 78.
68: About mid-morning, you are just passing between two hills when you come face-to-face with a lammasu – a winged lion with an almost human face. However, it makes no immediate move to attack. You recover from your moment of petrifaction and consider your next action. Will you draw your sword and fight it (turn to 8), climb the cliff out of its reach (turn to 19) or wait for it to move (turn to 85)?
69: You escort Gorbran and Norwena safely to the convent. The Sisters of Pure Adoration are very grateful. If you have any wounds, they use their healing magic (restore your Constitution to its Initial score) and if you are subject to a curse they will remove it. They give you a hearty meal and a comfortable bed for the night. In the morning, will you continue on your journey (turn to 75), or will you first ask them for a nun’s hair (turn to 57)?
70: The path up into the Mungo Hills takes you along a valley. As you walk, you notice a stone idol down in the valley. Will you detour to inspect it (turn to 38), or carry on along the path (turn to 71)?
71: You trudge on for many miles. It is late in the afternoon and the sun is dipping towards the rolling Mungo Hills ahead of you. You are just estimating whether you will be into the hills by nightfall when you see a skirmish of some kind some distance away. Will you go closer to investigate (turn to 43), or will you go out of your way to avoid getting involved (turn to 63)?
72: Which of your items will you use? Perhaps the four leaf clover (turn to 92), the little girl’s teardrop (turn to 15) or the gypsy’s crystal ball (turn to 98).
73: The trail takes you down out of the hills. Increase your Initial Cleverness score 1 point. Turn to 2.
74: After two hours or so you are almost nodding off when a slight noise jerks you awake. You creep over to the bedroom door and peer through the keyhole. Garl is moving around laying the table for a meal. After putting out a fork and long sharp knife he comes to your door. You realize he is about to listen at the keyhole, so you pretend to snore. He turns away from the door. Peering out again, you see he is taking a huge axe out of a cupboard! Will you gather your things and make a getaway via the bedroom window (turn to 37), or draw your sword and get ready to fight him if he comes in (turn to 17)?
75: It is a fine morning and you enjoy your walk up into the rolling landscape of the Mungo Hills. After a little while you come to a stream where a burly man sits fishing. Will you greet him (turn to 13), or pass by (turn to 68)?
76: You cannot find any tracks to support your theory. With a shrug you turn away from the idol and press on towards the hills. Turn to 71.
77: You open the phial and tip out the teardrop, but to no effect. You can feel the stinging secretion on the walls eating into your skin. Will you now use the ashes (turn to 36) or the Salve of Healing (turn to 51)?
78: You drift back off to sleep and pass the rest of the night in comfort, apart from the clouds of gnats and the occasional far-off howl of moorland monsters. You wake at dawn. Add 2 points to your Constitution for the rest. You eat a hearty breakfast and then press on deeper into Bosh. Turn to 55.
79: Seeing you defeat four opponents single-handed, the remaining robbers turn tail and flee. Gain 2 points of Honour for your dashing rescue of the damsel who now steps out of the palanquin. Her expression registers a momentary disapproval at your bloodied and travel-soiled appearance. Then she smiles and thanks you for your intervention. The old man gets up, retrieves his staff and walks over to you. You glance at the guard who was valiantly fighting on to protect the palanquin, but you see that the robbers managed to slay him. The old man explains that he is Gorbran, a servant of the Sisters of Pure Adoration. He was escorting the damsel, whose name is Norwena, back to the convent, where she is to be initiated into the holy order. Since they now lack guards for their journey, you can accompany them. Turn to 61.
80: You make your way back up into the Mungo Hills. The two goblins are very amused to see you returning – so much so that one of them declares between giggles that he is a Kabbagoo. You travel on eastwards and, late in the afternoon of the second day, you arrive back at the town. Hogron is furious. He berates you for your incompetence in losing all the items and finally dismisses you. Your reputation in tatters, you gather your belongings and leave town. You have failed.
81: You resist the spell’s effect. Seeing this, the chonchon snarls and starts to fly away. You can try to bring it down with an arrow. Turn to 47.
82: As you go on a soft, low beating comes across the bleak moors. You listen to the sound and it seems to form words – slay, slay, slay...
You look up to see four dark shapes swooping down through the mist towards you. If you have a Potion of Dazzling Speed, there is time to drink it now before you are attacked. Cross it off your Character Sheet if you do. Then turn to 32.
83: You could try heading for the castle by an indirect route, either to the right or left of where it actually seems to be (turn to 7). You could try closing your eyes and heading on blindly in the direction you last saw it (turn to 34). Or you could use an item from your backpack (turn to 72).
84: You proceed along the trail, hoping that you have made the correct choice and that you will soon be in the Swamps of Bosh. Just then, a rumbling comes from below your feet. The ground shakes and great fissures and cracks appear across the path. You fall and are engulfed by scalding steam that issues out of the depths of the earth. You cannot see, and when you try to cry out the steam sears your throat. You have taken the trail leading to Dragonbreath Canyon, but you will never live to reach that terrible place. Your adventure ends here.
85: The lammasu holds up its paw to show you that there is a large thorn stuck right through it. Then, to your amazement, the lammasu speaks: ‘Um, I seem to have this thorn...’ You realize that the poor creature means no harm and decide to help it. Turn to 60.
86: The remaining two robbers let their captives go. The old man starts to hobble away, only to be felled by a throwing knife in the back. The girl drops to her knees, apparently crying. ‘Impressive,’ growls the leader, referring to your swordplay. ‘I’ve seen better,’ replies his equally laconic accomplice.
BLACK RAT: Fighting Prowess: 8; Constitution: 11; 1 -point armour
FAFNIR: Fighting Prowess: 8; Constitution: 13; 1 -point armour
You will have to fight them both at once. If you drank the potion it has now worn off. If you are still alive after two combat rounds, turn to 54.
87: You grudgingly hand him 9 gold pieces. You can now continue on your way (turn to 70) or ask if he knows where you can find the two items you need (turn to 31).
88: You have gone on only about a hundred yards when you suddenly come upon all your missing equipment. It is lying in a neat pile directly in front of you. Delighted at this happy change in your fortune, you gather up the items before continuing on your way with a spring in your step and a merry tune on your lips. Turn to 6.
89: You seize Norwena and draw your sword to cut her long black tresses. Gorbran thinks you are attacking her and jumps on your back. You shake him off, but he hits his head on a rock and lies very still. Norwena starts screaming and you have to hit her quite hard to shut her up. Lose 1 point of Honour. You cut off Norwena’s hair and put it in your backpack with other items. If you consider Gorbran a saint you can also burn him and collect the ashes. Will you now release Norwena (turn to 40) or kill her as well (turn to 20)?
90: The shrine consists simply of a marble dome supported by three thick pillars. Within, on a table of rock, you can see a verdigris-stained urn. As you step between the pillars, a silvery light appears out of nowhere to halo the urn. If you wish to stay, turn to 56. You can flee to the hills, in which case turn to 71.
91: Hovering directly above your head, the fourth chonchon glares down. ‘Nemo me impune lacessit!’ it hisses. It is obvious that it is not wishing you well, because the next moment you feel a hostile spell closing around you. Try to roll your Magical Fortitude or less on two dice. If you succeed, turn to 81. If not, turn to 26.
92: Some people claim that a four leaf clover placed under the tongue prevents one from speaking anything but the truth. But what use is such an old wives’ tale to you now? You replace the clover in your backpack and trudge on in the direction you imagine the castle to be. Turn to 82.
93: You hurl your sword away and the marshons scurry after it. They seize the gleaming object and carry it off. As they recede into the night you can hear their shrill, bubbly voices disputing ownership of this new prize. You are safe, but from now on you will have to use a dagger instead of a sword in combat, so all your damage rolls must be reduced by 1 point. Turn to 78.
94: Just ahead of you, draped over the gnarled branches of a tree, are several strands of long black hair. Could they have belonged to a nun? You could open your backpack (turn to 53), go over to the tree (turn to 16), or ignore it and walk on (turn to 6).
95: As you step past the lammasu’s body, you notice a large thorn stuck right through its paw. Just as well you killed the creature – it was probably in a vile temper and might have attacked someone. Turn to 3.
96: Do you have a Potion of Dazzling Speed? If so, you would be well advised to drink it before attacking the robbers. Remember to cross it off your Character Sheet if you do so. Now turn to 5.
97: You take the rod from him and soon find that you are barely able to hold onto it – the fish is putting up quite a struggle. Soon the big man returns with a net and takes the rod. With a mighty effort he draws up a spined, vicious-looking fish the size of a large dog. ‘Quite a whopper!’ says the man, showing a set of sharp white teeth as he grins. ‘How rare to find a person in these days of selfishness and antagonism who is prepared to lend a hand to a fellow creature! Allow me to offer my Ring of Light as a gift for your magnanimity. Moreover, and as a special favour to you, today I shall dine on fish.’ You are not quite sure what he means, but you take the magical ring and thank him before going on your way. Turn to 68.
98: When you gaze at the castle through the crystal ball, a shimmering path of green light is visible leading through the swamp. Holding the crystal ball in front of you, you make your way along the path. You have been walking for only a few minutes, intent on the ground directly in front of you, when you notice a dark shape looming ahead. You glance up from the crystal ball and almost drop it in shock. You are at the castle gates. A mixture of luck and skill has brought you to the terrible Castle of Lost Souls. You stand where no living person has ever stood. But have you the courage to enter? Find out in the next instalment: ‘The Evil Eye’.
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THE DEMON ROAD
You are the champion of the Greengosh family, chosen by its head, Hogron. He hired you to rescue his father’s soul, captured and taken to the castle of Slank, an ogre or demon. To do this Hogron told you that you needed some magical boots, a teardrop, a fragment of armour from the most chivalrous knight, a four leaf clover, a crystal ball, the ashes of a saint and the hair of a nun. These last two items you have yet to collect, and are hoping to do so during the journey to the castle. When you are ready to start, go to 1.
1: You take breakfast with the Greengosh family. Few of the brothers seem talkative so early in the morning. Some glower from obvious hangovers and one or two stare bemusedly at you as though trying to place your face. ‘This is the noble champion who will rescue our father’s soul!’ declares Hogron suddenly, and everyone sits up. Perterra Greengosh watches you with a look of palpable scepticism which you find disturbing in one so young. The butler brings you your weapons and backpack. ‘I have had Mortlake pack some provisions for your journey,’ Hogron continues. ‘And you will also find in your pack a small pot containing four applications of a magical Salve of Healing’ (a rather foul smelling preparation made from rancid milk, animal fat and rotting vegetables which actually has remarkable healing properties; spreading it on your wounds after a fight will restore 4 points to your Constitution each time it is used. Note it with your other items on the Character Sheet). But note also that you only have enough for four applications.
You take a few moments to prepare yourself for the great trials that await you. Will you succeed, and live on in legends until the end of time? Or will you sink into the mists of obscurity, lost to some nameless fate in a far-off land? Only the future will tell.
You pull on the magic boots and take up your belongings. Hogron, napkin still in hand, accompanies you as far as the dining room door. ‘I wish you good luck in your venture,’ he says through a mouthful of toast. ’I can offer you no help or advice save these two snippets of information. First, I have heard that the two principal goblin tribes of the Mungo Hills are the Drans and the Kabbagoos, and that one or the other tribe are inveterate liars. Secondly, it is said that strange phantasms can appear in the mists enveloping the Swamps of Bosh. These phantasms can cause a traveller no hardship as long as he or she disregards them. And now, farewell!’
You leave the Greengosh mansion and make your way to the town’s west gate. Somewhere on your journey you must find a saint’s ashes and the hair of a nun. But for now all that occupies your mind is that it is a glorious morning and you are about to embark on another challenging adventure. Turn to 42.
2: Ahead of you the horizon is lost in a blur of mist. Realizing that it will be difficult to find wood to start your campfire in the dank Swamps of Bosh, you start to gather kindling as you descend the trail. As you reach the low-lying moors and marshes of Bosh your progress is slowed considerably, for you have to wend your way around tracts of treacherous mire. Out of the corner of your eye you notice something – a crystal ball, of all things, just off the path to your left. It looks unsettlingly like the one you should have in your backpack. Will you go over to this crystal ball to examine it (turn to 25), check that the original ball is still in your backpack (turn to 53) or simply walk on (turn to 94)?
3: You walk on at a brisk pace. You are on your way out of the hills by mid afternoon. Up ahead, you see that the trail forks in two. One way will take you on into the Swamps of Bosh (where you are headed) but the other presumably leads to the notorious Dragonbreath Canyon (where you definitely do not want to go). Beside the fork there is a large flat rock on which squat two tiny, shrivelled goblins with large heads and a shock of white hair over their sharp, wily faces. ‘Are you a Dran or a Kabbagoo?’ you ask the first goblin as you stride up to them. He answers so indistinctly that you cannot hear him, but then the second goblin pipes up: ‘He said he’s a Kabbagoo. Are you deaf or something?’ Ignoring his disrespectful attitude, you demand of the second goblin which route you should take to reach the Swamps of Bosh. ‘Swamps of Bosh?’ he replies. ‘You want to go left.’ As you set off, he calls after you: ‘Go on, push off to Bosh!’ Both goblins start giggling, but you cannot be bothered to go back and teach them a lesson. Will you take the left-hand path (turn to 84) or the right-hand path (turn to 73)?
4: He jumps and weaves with confusing speed, and will be a difficult foe to beat.
TOLL COLLECTOR: Fighting Prowess: 9; Constitution: 10; no armour.
If you win, turn to 18.
5: Your sudden attack surprises the robbers, who took you for a fellow highwayman. You kill one of them with a single blow. Two more are occupied holding the captives, so you have four to fight:
‘HEADCUT’ AHOOL: Fighting Prowess: 6; Constitution: 6; 1-point armour.
IPCOLL THE SOUR: Fighting Prowess: 4; Constitution: 6; 1-point armour.
UKNORTHE BARBARIAN: Fighting Prowess: 5; Constitution: 8; no armour.
LIRRIPON DROOL: Fighting Prowess: 6; Constitution: 5; 1-point armour.
All four of them get to strike at you each round. If you drank the potion, however, you can strike back at three of them every round! If you actually manage to beat them all, turn to 86.
6: The mist’s fingers poke and pry, stroke and search, around your backpack. You realize that the mist is like an entity – a wraith which creates illusions to try and trick you. You are not fooled. Turn to 30.
7: After almost an hour you have not got any closer to your destination. It is obviously time to try something else, and you search in your backpack for inspiration. Turn to 72.
8: It takes real courage to attack a lammasu. No brains, just courage.
LAMMASU: Fighting Prowess: 10; Constitution: 20; fur counts as 1 -point armour.
You can escape after three rounds by running off (turn to 44). If you kill the lammasu, turn to 95.
9: The man, whose name is Garl, feeds you with a delicious and nourishing stew. The wine he offers is also excellent – nothing like the rough homebrew you had expected. Garl is obviously even drunker than you thought. He sits in his armchair watching you eat, taking great gulps from his mug and saying things such as, ‘You are an adventurer who has performed deeds of great credit while I am but a hermit with a dubious past. Yet when we belch, where then is the difference between us?’ Finally, noticing you stifle a yawn, he shows you to your room. Will you go to sleep (turn to 46) or sit up and keep watch (turn to 74)?
10: You identify some tracks leading to the other side of the valley. Following these, you are led to a sort of shrine. Turn to 90.
11: You are walking against a freezing wind. You see darkness on the horizon beyond the castle. The storm will soon engulf you. The whole sky darkens as the clouds billow up from the horizon and white stripes advance to hide the castle from view. Hailstones the size of a man’s fist pound down all around you. If you cannot find refuge from the storm quickly you will be pummelled to death! Even the mist disperses, taking shelter wherever it may. One of the tendrils of mist drifts down into the ground where you see a hole like the burrow of a large animal. If it is a burrow you may have to fight its occupant –but that is certainly better than being battered to death by the hailstones. You descend into the hole. Turn to 21.
12: Roll one die for the damage your arrow does. To bring the chonchon down you must roll 4 or more – otherwise, although winged, it still manages to fly off (turn to 41). If you bring it down, turn to 59.
13: ‘Ho there!’ he cries, struggling with the fishing rod. ‘A fine one has the bait this morning, but I need a net before I land him. Will you hold the rod a few minutes while I fetch one from my cottage? You can do as he asks (turn to 97) or decline and go on your way (turn to 68).
14: Four of the robbers see you coming and leave their comrades to massacre the guard while they deal with you. You will have to fight all four at once. They will each get to try to hit you every round. If you drank the potion, you will get three strikes every round (for duration of this fight only!).
EMAJ DOGBREATH: Fighting Prowess: 3; Constitution: 5: 1 -point armour.
IPCOLL THE SOUR: Fighting Prowess: 4; Constitution: 6: 1 -point armour.
‘HEADCUT’ AHOOL: Fighting Prowess: 6; Constitution: 6; 1-point armour.
UKNOR THE BARBARIAN: Fighting Prowess: 5; Constitution: 8; no armour.
If you beat all four, turn to 79. If you decide you cannot beat them, you can escape by running off towards the hills (turn to 50).
15: You open the phial and let the tear fall into your own eye, thinking perhaps that it will show you the true route to the castle. Unfortunately this does not work – and you have now used the teardrop (remove it from your Character Sheet). You grind your teeth and trudge on.
Turn to 82.
16: By the time you reach the tree, the strands of of hair are no longer there. Or perhaps they weren’t there in the first place... You continue on your way. Turn to 6.
17: You step back from the door as Garl’s ponderous footsteps approach. You watch as the latch is slowly raised. The door swings open and Garl stands there axe in hand, blinking as his eyes become accustomed to the darkness. With a yell you swing your sword. Turn to 64 for the fight. Because he is surprised, Garl will not get to strike back in the first round.
18: You climb down under the arch of the bridge and search through his belongings. You get 18 Gold Pieces and a magical Potion of Dazzling Speed. Note these down on your Character Sheet. After dumping the toll collector’s body in the river, you press on. Turn to 70.
19: You scramble frantically up the cliff. A voice calls up from below – to your astonishment, the lammasu can talk! ‘Look here,’ it says, ‘for one thing I can jump that high anyway, let alone fly, so you might as well come down. More importantly, I seem to have this bloody great thorn thing stuck right through my paw.’ Will you climb down to help the lammasu (turn to 60), or stay where you are (turn to 35)?
20: Lose another point of Honour – though you must surely have none left by now. You hide the bodies in a ditch by the side of the road. Gorbran had 9 gold pieces in his belt-pouch – a modest profit, but one which warms your evil heart. You continue on your way. Turn to 66.
21: The hole is damp, yet it is a great relief to be out of the icy bombardment. You hear a soft squelching. To your horror the surrounding ‘walls’ are closing in. A liquid oozes from them and trickles down around your feet, and you look down to see you are being sucked into the ‘mud’. An odour like bile rises about you. You cannot escape; your legs are trapped and you feel as though the strength is being drawn from you – as a piece of food might feel in an enormous stomach, perhaps! You have only moments in which to act. Desperately you search your backpack for something to use. Will you try using the ashes (turn to 36), the Salve of Healing (turn to 51), or the teardrop (turn to 77)?
22: The instant you strike the first spark from your flint, the marshons rush forward eagerly towards the source of light. You are engulfed by hundreds of slippery, clambering bodies. More and more marshons surge into the struggling horde, anxious to see the light, and you are soon overwhelmed and crushed by the stampede. Your adventure ends here.
23. You wend your way up to the hut and rap smartly on the door. A small flap opens and a bloodshot eye peers out at you. Then you hear bolts being drawn back and the door is opened by a heavyset man in red and black robes. Seeing you, he smiles and holds up the jug of wine he has in one hand. ‘As the sun sinks in its own blood and night strokes the land with fingers of shadow, let us drink together and pass merry comment on the transience of things!’ It is clear he has imbibed several jugs of wine already, as he seems to be slurring his words somewhat. Will you accept his offer (turn to 9) or decline and leave, preferring to camp outside for the night (turn to 33).
24: It occurs to you that if someone has left fresh flowers by the idol, there may be a religious community nearby. Perhaps you could get one or both of the items you need? Roll two dice, attempting to score less than or equal to your Cleverness. If you succeed, turn to 10. If you fail, turn to 76.
25: A bank of mist rolls in front of you. You walk forward through the mist but cannot find the crystal ball anywhere. Somewhat perplexed, you decide to return to the path and continue on. Turn to 94.
26: You have fallen victim to a spell of blood thinning. In future, whenever you are wounded you must deduct 1 extra point from your Constitution. While you bemoan your ill-luck, the detestable chonchon shrieks with laughter and flies off into the mists. Turn to 41.
27: You trek on towards the castle, but every time you glance away from it you look up to find it is in a different location. Nor do you seem to be getting any closer. You decide to try one of your items. Turn to 72.
28: The gods do not want their shrine sullied by the likes of you. They send one of their servants – a huge, halberd-wielding warrior clad in white armour who steps from a shining rent in the air in front of you. You are so taken aback by his sudden and miraculous appearance that you do not get to strike back on the first round. After that the fight proceeds normally.
ANGEL EXECUTIONER: Fighting Prowess: 8; Constitution: 14; 2-point armour.
If you beat him, he turns into a stream of clear water and flows away. Turn to 39.
29: You help the robbers to kill the last guard. Lose 1 point of Honour. One or two of the robbers start pushing the old man around while the rest go over to look at the palanquin. You hear a shriek and they bundle a white-robed damsel with long black hair out onto the road. One of the robbers shouts out that the old man has only a few gold pieces. ’In that case,’ snarls the leader, spitting into the dust, ‘we’ll have to entertain ourselves as best we can, won’t we, lads?’ You are not quite sure what to do now. You can attack the robbers and try to help the old man and the girl escape (turn to 96) or simply slink away while the robbers enjoy their ‘entertainment’ (turn to 66).
30: Since it is now getting late you start to look around for somewhere to make camp. You soon find a patch of high ground and get a fire going with the wood you collected earlier. After a light supper you settle down and go to sleep.
You come awake suddenly. Hours have passed -the fire is just glowing embers now. Creatures are stirring in the darkness all around you. Slowly you sit up. Your camp is surrounded by hordes of marshons. These are small, hairless, leathery creatures with webbed hands and large lidless eyes. They have been attracted by your fire and the starlight glinting off your sword, stuck in the ground beside you. They move around you like moths around a candle. From what you have heard, they eat only fungus and swamp weed – but nonetheless you are in the most deadly peril from them for, if they press forward towards the light which has attracted them, you will be smothered and crushed by the countless hundreds of bodies.
What will you do? You could toss your sword away in the hope that they will scurry after it (turn to 93), or light your lantern (turn to 22) or – if you have one – you could use your Ring of Light (turn to 67).
31: He scratches the back of his neck. ‘Don’t know about the strand of hair,’ he says after some thought. ‘Isn’t it true nuns shave their heads when they enter a convent, anyway? But there is a sort of shrine not too far from here where some old holy man was buried. Maybe he was a saint.’ He gives you directions and you set off in search of the shrine. Turn to 90.
32: The creatures attacking you are chonchons. These disembodied heads fly using their large veined ears as wings and attack by biting with their chisel-like teeth. Three of them fly in to engage you:
FIRST CHONCHON: Fighting Prowess: 5; Constitution: 8; no armour.
SECOND CHONCHON: Fighting Prowess: 4; Constitution: 4; no armour.
THIRD CHONCHON: Fighting Prowess: 7; Constitution: 5; no armour.
They will each get to strike at you every round, but you can only attempt to hit one at a time-unless you drank the magic potion, in which case you can attempt three blows a round for the rest of this combat. If a chonchon is down to 2 or fewer points of Constitution at the end of any round, it will fly up out of combat. If you are still fighting at least one of the chonchons after four rounds, turn to 65. Otherwise turn to 91.
33: You spot a niche in the ridge and scramble up the slope to it. The ledge is quite wide, and you are able to comfortably stretch out on it. You decide it is a good place to spend the night – wolves and the like will be unable to reach you. You awaken early the next morning. Add 3 Constitution points for your rest. You gather your belongings and continue onwards. Turn to 68.
34: You stumble on, only to trip over a clump of turf and fall flat on your face in the mud. Picking yourself up, you scowl, set your jaw and start trudging doggedly towards the distant castle. You decide to look for inspiration in your backpack. Turn to 72.
35: ‘You’re being remarkably unhelpful,’ says the lammasu coolly. ‘I mean to say, why do you humans have to be so preposterously timid, anyway?’ It walks off as proudly as its limp will allow. After some time you decide it’s safe to lower yourself to the ground and go on. Turn to 3.
36: You empty the ashes into the ‘hole’ and, with a sound very like a cough, it spits you out into the open. Luckily the hailstorm has now passed. Turn to 27.
37: You clamber through the bedroom window and escape into the night. You trek for several miles with only the wan moonlight to guide you. When you stop to check your belongings, you are distressed to find that you left behind half your cash in the hurry to get away. Deduct this from the gold on your Character Sheet. Cold, tired and impoverished you drift into a restless slumber and awake early the next morning. Turn to 68.
38: On a plinth in front of the idol, which depicts the god Lurga during his thirty-seventh Tribulation, you find a vase containing fresh flowers. You should note these down on your Adventure Record if you decide to take them. Will you now carry on towards the Mungo Hills (turn to 71), place an offering of gold on the plinth (turn to 48), or investigate further (turn to 24)?
39: You reach into the silvery glow and take the urn. Peeking within, you see that it contains a handful of ashes. You put the urn in your backpack and set off again. Turn to 71.
40: Norwena runs off shrieking. You roll Gorbran’s body into a ditch – discovering 9 gold pieces in his belt-pouch in the process – and continue on your way. Turn to 66.
41: You continue on for some time, but you still do not seem to be getting any closer to your objective. Perhaps the crystal ball will prove of use now? You take it from your backpack. Turn to 98.
42: You set out at a brisk pace and soon leave the fields and meadows around the town far behind. After some time you come to a river and, seeing a bridge only a few hundred yards away, you walk along the bank to it. As you ,are about to cross the bridge, however, a tall slender man in grey robes appears from under the arch of the bridge and calls up to you that you must pay a toll of 4 gold pieces to cross here. Will you pay him the money (turn to 52), or will you ignore him and cross anyway (turn to 62)?
43: A small band of robbers has attacked a group of travellers. Two guards lie dead in the road and a third is battling against impossible odds to prevent the robbers from getting at the palanquin he was accompanying. You see an old man with a staff cowering beside the palanquin. Will you:
Help the guard and the old man? (turn to 45)
Help the robbers? (turn to 29)
Avoid getting involved at all? (turn to 63)
44: The lammasu swipes at you as you turn to flee. Roll one die to determine the damage done by its raking claws. Your armour protects you from this as usual. If you are still alive, you run off. For some reason the lammasu does not pursue you. Turn to 3.
45: If you have a Potion of Dazzling Speed, there is time to drink it now before you engage the robbers. Considering the odds you face, it may well be a good idea – but of course, perhaps you’d rather save it for when you face the demon... Decide, and then turn to 14.
46: You awaken with a start, instantly aware of danger. You hurl yourself to one side just as an axe crashes down. A fraction slower and your head would have been split like firewood! You find your sword. Facing you in the half-light is Garl, wielding the massive axe as though it were a toothpick. You have removed much of your armour in order to sleep more comfortably – it will only absorb 1 point of damage from Garl’s blows in this fight. Turn to 64.
47: You hastily nock an arrow onto your bow and take aim at the retreating chonchon leader. To hit it, you must roll your Fighting Prowess or less on two dice. You have one chance to do this before the chonchon is out of range. If you hit, turn to 12. If you miss, turn to 41.
48: Deduct the amount you decide to leave from your current gold. You utter a short prayer to Lurga in which you compare your current adventure to his ninth Tribulation. There is no response from the god. Will you now carry on towards the hills (turn to 71), or investigate further (turn to 24)?
49: As you step towards the urn, a shower of glittering particles forms a cloud in front of you. This rapidly coalesces to form a warrior in shining white armour who advances to attack you.
ANGEL KNIGHT: Fighting Prowess: 7, Constitution: 11; 2-point armour.
If you beat him, he vanishes like mist. Turn to 39.
50: The robbers quickly give up the chase and go back to loot their victims. You press on briskly towards the setting sun, determined to put several miles between you and the robbers. Turn to 66.
51: You drop your remaining supply of the Salve into the ’hole’, which is unimpressed by the substance’s foul taste and hurriedly spits you out into the open air. The hailstorm has now passed. Turn to 27.
52: You throw the four coins down to him and he pockets them. You can now continue on your way (turn to 70) or ask him if he knows where you can get the last two items you need (turn to 31).
53: As you open your backpack, a thick bank of fog engulfs you, obscuring your vision for a moment. When you look into the pack, you find that the items you have collected to deal with the demon have gone! What will you do now: go back and tell Hogron that the mists stole your equipment (turn to 80) or walk on (turn to 88)?
54: The girl throws up her arms to the heavens with a howling scream. The skies answer with a thunderous rumble, and you see lightning flash between the clouds. Seeing the power of her prayer, the robbers turn and flee. She goes over to the old man and obviously finds he is still alive, for she revives him with a simple healing spell. They come over to you and the girl tells you that her name is Norwena and the old man is Gorbran. They and their guards were on their way to the convent of the Sisters of Pure Adoration when the bandits attacked. Since they now lack guards, you agree to escort them – Norwena admits that her prayer-magic looks more impressive than it actually is, and a skilled swordsman might come in handy. Turn to 61.
55: As you walk on, a few tendrils of mist return to swirl about you. You do not mind now. The mist is like an old travelling companion. Then, in the distance, you see the Castle of Lost Souls. It cannot be more than a few miles away. However, when you look up again after going only a few hundred yards, you find that the castle is no longer straight ahead of you. You walk towards it for almost an hour, keeping your eyes on it the whole time, but you do not seem to be getting any closer. Presumably the demon Slank has set enchantments around his castle to keep unwelcome visitors away, so what will you do now? You could just continue marching towards the castle, keeping your eyes on it continually so it does not change location again – turn to 11. Or you could use an item from your backpack – turn to 72. If you would like to try something else, turn to 83.
56: You are in a sacred place. The gods look into your heart and see your past actions. If your Honour is 7 or more, turn to 39. If your Honour lies between 1 and 6, turn to 49. If you have no Honour, turn to 28.
57: Since Norwena must have her head shaved anyway when she joins the Order, the Mother Superior is happy to give you a long, black strand of hair. You put this in your backpack and continue your journey westwards. Turn to 75.
58: You ransack his home in search of treasure he may have looted from travellers. You find a Potion of Healing, a Ring of Light and 4 gold pieces. Under the floorboards you are also revolted to discover human bones from over thirty bodies, neatly arranged in boxes with notes on the quality of the meal each person provided. You pass the rest of the night in a fitful sleep full of harrowing nightmares and depart this dreadful place before the sun is up. Turn to 68.
59. You walk over to where the chonchon leader has fallen. The arrow has torn its ear but it is still alive and thrashing. You grind it into the mud with your boot. Noticing a gold ring through its left ear, you take out your dagger and cut this free. The ring is large enough to fit around your wrist and is in fact a Wristband of Lightning. Note this down on your Character Sheet and turn to 41.
60: ‘Awfully decent of you,’ says the lammasu as you draw the thorn from its paw. ‘Rather embarrassing really – can’t think how I came to tread on the damned thing. If you’re heading west let me give you some advice. There are two tribes of goblins in these hills, the Drans and the Kabbagoos. You can never tell the difference between them because they mix freely and wear the same outlandish clothes. The only thing is that the Drans always tell the truth and the Kabbagoos always lie. I hope that’s of some help to you.’ After thanking you again, the lammasu takes its leave. Gain 1 point of Honour for helping this noble beast. Turn to 3.
61: It occurs to you that if you escort them to the convent, the Sisters will probably
be quite happy to give you a few strands of nun’s hair. If you decide to do this, turn to 69. Of course, if you are the treacherous sort you could just grab the damsel right now and shear her hair off (in which case, turn to 89).
62: With astonishing speed and agility he leaps up and lands on the bridge in front of you. As he does so, he draws a long curved sword from the scabbard slung across his back. ‘The fine for non-payment of the toll is 9 gold pieces,’ he says with a wry smile. ‘And the penalty for non-payment of the fine is...’ He glances significantly at the gleaming blade of his sword. Will you now pay him 9 gold pieces (turn to 87), or do you prefer to fight (turn to 4)?
63: You leave the road and sneak around the commotion. You continue on into the hills. Turn to 66.
64: You realize that Garl is not a human being at all, but a cold-hearted Ogre hungry for your flesh!
OGRE: Fighting Prowess: 6; Constitution: 13; no armour.
Because of his great strength, add 1 point to the die when rolling the damage for his blows. If you beat him, turn to 58.
65: The fourth chonchon, which has been hovering over you watching the fight, now starts to beat its ears furiously and fly off across the marsh. If you defeat any remaining chonchons within two rounds (refer back to 32 if you can’t remember their characteristics) you can try to bring down the escaping leader with an arrow (turn to 47). If the combat goes on for longer than two rounds then the leader is out of bowshot; if you kill or drive off the remaining chonchons after that, turn to 41.
66: Night is closing in as you enter the rolling, dusty landscape of the Mungo Hills. High on a ridge you see a ramshackle hut with a narrow, twisting path leading up to it. You can go and seek shelter for the night at the hut (turn to 23) or else make camp out here in the open (turn to 33).
67: You hold up the ring and cause it to emit a brilliant flash. The marshons clutch at their eyes and fall back whimpering, blinded by the light. They scurry off into the safety of the night. Turn to 78.
68: About mid-morning, you are just passing between two hills when you come face-to-face with a lammasu – a winged lion with an almost human face. However, it makes no immediate move to attack. You recover from your moment of petrifaction and consider your next action. Will you draw your sword and fight it (turn to 8), climb the cliff out of its reach (turn to 19) or wait for it to move (turn to 85)?
69: You escort Gorbran and Norwena safely to the convent. The Sisters of Pure Adoration are very grateful. If you have any wounds, they use their healing magic (restore your Constitution to its Initial score) and if you are subject to a curse they will remove it. They give you a hearty meal and a comfortable bed for the night. In the morning, will you continue on your journey (turn to 75), or will you first ask them for a nun’s hair (turn to 57)?
70: The path up into the Mungo Hills takes you along a valley. As you walk, you notice a stone idol down in the valley. Will you detour to inspect it (turn to 38), or carry on along the path (turn to 71)?
71: You trudge on for many miles. It is late in the afternoon and the sun is dipping towards the rolling Mungo Hills ahead of you. You are just estimating whether you will be into the hills by nightfall when you see a skirmish of some kind some distance away. Will you go closer to investigate (turn to 43), or will you go out of your way to avoid getting involved (turn to 63)?
72: Which of your items will you use? Perhaps the four leaf clover (turn to 92), the little girl’s teardrop (turn to 15) or the gypsy’s crystal ball (turn to 98).
73: The trail takes you down out of the hills. Increase your Initial Cleverness score 1 point. Turn to 2.
74: After two hours or so you are almost nodding off when a slight noise jerks you awake. You creep over to the bedroom door and peer through the keyhole. Garl is moving around laying the table for a meal. After putting out a fork and long sharp knife he comes to your door. You realize he is about to listen at the keyhole, so you pretend to snore. He turns away from the door. Peering out again, you see he is taking a huge axe out of a cupboard! Will you gather your things and make a getaway via the bedroom window (turn to 37), or draw your sword and get ready to fight him if he comes in (turn to 17)?
75: It is a fine morning and you enjoy your walk up into the rolling landscape of the Mungo Hills. After a little while you come to a stream where a burly man sits fishing. Will you greet him (turn to 13), or pass by (turn to 68)?
76: You cannot find any tracks to support your theory. With a shrug you turn away from the idol and press on towards the hills. Turn to 71.
77: You open the phial and tip out the teardrop, but to no effect. You can feel the stinging secretion on the walls eating into your skin. Will you now use the ashes (turn to 36) or the Salve of Healing (turn to 51)?
78: You drift back off to sleep and pass the rest of the night in comfort, apart from the clouds of gnats and the occasional far-off howl of moorland monsters. You wake at dawn. Add 2 points to your Constitution for the rest. You eat a hearty breakfast and then press on deeper into Bosh. Turn to 55.
79: Seeing you defeat four opponents single-handed, the remaining robbers turn tail and flee. Gain 2 points of Honour for your dashing rescue of the damsel who now steps out of the palanquin. Her expression registers a momentary disapproval at your bloodied and travel-soiled appearance. Then she smiles and thanks you for your intervention. The old man gets up, retrieves his staff and walks over to you. You glance at the guard who was valiantly fighting on to protect the palanquin, but you see that the robbers managed to slay him. The old man explains that he is Gorbran, a servant of the Sisters of Pure Adoration. He was escorting the damsel, whose name is Norwena, back to the convent, where she is to be initiated into the holy order. Since they now lack guards for their journey, you can accompany them. Turn to 61.
80: You make your way back up into the Mungo Hills. The two goblins are very amused to see you returning – so much so that one of them declares between giggles that he is a Kabbagoo. You travel on eastwards and, late in the afternoon of the second day, you arrive back at the town. Hogron is furious. He berates you for your incompetence in losing all the items and finally dismisses you. Your reputation in tatters, you gather your belongings and leave town. You have failed.
81: You resist the spell’s effect. Seeing this, the chonchon snarls and starts to fly away. You can try to bring it down with an arrow. Turn to 47.
82: As you go on a soft, low beating comes across the bleak moors. You listen to the sound and it seems to form words – slay, slay, slay...
You look up to see four dark shapes swooping down through the mist towards you. If you have a Potion of Dazzling Speed, there is time to drink it now before you are attacked. Cross it off your Character Sheet if you do. Then turn to 32.
83: You could try heading for the castle by an indirect route, either to the right or left of where it actually seems to be (turn to 7). You could try closing your eyes and heading on blindly in the direction you last saw it (turn to 34). Or you could use an item from your backpack (turn to 72).
84: You proceed along the trail, hoping that you have made the correct choice and that you will soon be in the Swamps of Bosh. Just then, a rumbling comes from below your feet. The ground shakes and great fissures and cracks appear across the path. You fall and are engulfed by scalding steam that issues out of the depths of the earth. You cannot see, and when you try to cry out the steam sears your throat. You have taken the trail leading to Dragonbreath Canyon, but you will never live to reach that terrible place. Your adventure ends here.
85: The lammasu holds up its paw to show you that there is a large thorn stuck right through it. Then, to your amazement, the lammasu speaks: ‘Um, I seem to have this thorn...’ You realize that the poor creature means no harm and decide to help it. Turn to 60.
86: The remaining two robbers let their captives go. The old man starts to hobble away, only to be felled by a throwing knife in the back. The girl drops to her knees, apparently crying. ‘Impressive,’ growls the leader, referring to your swordplay. ‘I’ve seen better,’ replies his equally laconic accomplice.
BLACK RAT: Fighting Prowess: 8; Constitution: 11; 1 -point armour
FAFNIR: Fighting Prowess: 8; Constitution: 13; 1 -point armour
You will have to fight them both at once. If you drank the potion it has now worn off. If you are still alive after two combat rounds, turn to 54.
87: You grudgingly hand him 9 gold pieces. You can now continue on your way (turn to 70) or ask if he knows where you can find the two items you need (turn to 31).
88: You have gone on only about a hundred yards when you suddenly come upon all your missing equipment. It is lying in a neat pile directly in front of you. Delighted at this happy change in your fortune, you gather up the items before continuing on your way with a spring in your step and a merry tune on your lips. Turn to 6.
89: You seize Norwena and draw your sword to cut her long black tresses. Gorbran thinks you are attacking her and jumps on your back. You shake him off, but he hits his head on a rock and lies very still. Norwena starts screaming and you have to hit her quite hard to shut her up. Lose 1 point of Honour. You cut off Norwena’s hair and put it in your backpack with other items. If you consider Gorbran a saint you can also burn him and collect the ashes. Will you now release Norwena (turn to 40) or kill her as well (turn to 20)?
90: The shrine consists simply of a marble dome supported by three thick pillars. Within, on a table of rock, you can see a verdigris-stained urn. As you step between the pillars, a silvery light appears out of nowhere to halo the urn. If you wish to stay, turn to 56. You can flee to the hills, in which case turn to 71.
91: Hovering directly above your head, the fourth chonchon glares down. ‘Nemo me impune lacessit!’ it hisses. It is obvious that it is not wishing you well, because the next moment you feel a hostile spell closing around you. Try to roll your Magical Fortitude or less on two dice. If you succeed, turn to 81. If not, turn to 26.
92: Some people claim that a four leaf clover placed under the tongue prevents one from speaking anything but the truth. But what use is such an old wives’ tale to you now? You replace the clover in your backpack and trudge on in the direction you imagine the castle to be. Turn to 82.
93: You hurl your sword away and the marshons scurry after it. They seize the gleaming object and carry it off. As they recede into the night you can hear their shrill, bubbly voices disputing ownership of this new prize. You are safe, but from now on you will have to use a dagger instead of a sword in combat, so all your damage rolls must be reduced by 1 point. Turn to 78.
94: Just ahead of you, draped over the gnarled branches of a tree, are several strands of long black hair. Could they have belonged to a nun? You could open your backpack (turn to 53), go over to the tree (turn to 16), or ignore it and walk on (turn to 6).
95: As you step past the lammasu’s body, you notice a large thorn stuck right through its paw. Just as well you killed the creature – it was probably in a vile temper and might have attacked someone. Turn to 3.
96: Do you have a Potion of Dazzling Speed? If so, you would be well advised to drink it before attacking the robbers. Remember to cross it off your Character Sheet if you do so. Now turn to 5.
97: You take the rod from him and soon find that you are barely able to hold onto it – the fish is putting up quite a struggle. Soon the big man returns with a net and takes the rod. With a mighty effort he draws up a spined, vicious-looking fish the size of a large dog. ‘Quite a whopper!’ says the man, showing a set of sharp white teeth as he grins. ‘How rare to find a person in these days of selfishness and antagonism who is prepared to lend a hand to a fellow creature! Allow me to offer my Ring of Light as a gift for your magnanimity. Moreover, and as a special favour to you, today I shall dine on fish.’ You are not quite sure what he means, but you take the magical ring and thank him before going on your way. Turn to 68.
98: When you gaze at the castle through the crystal ball, a shimmering path of green light is visible leading through the swamp. Holding the crystal ball in front of you, you make your way along the path. You have been walking for only a few minutes, intent on the ground directly in front of you, when you notice a dark shape looming ahead. You glance up from the crystal ball and almost drop it in shock. You are at the castle gates. A mixture of luck and skill has brought you to the terrible Castle of Lost Souls. You stand where no living person has ever stood. But have you the courage to enter? Find out in the next instalment: ‘The Evil Eye’.
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Had the pleasure of rereading "Freeze thy blood less coldly". Any chance of another midwinter themed Dragon Warriors adventure in time for Christmas?
ReplyDeleteI have in fact just written one (see recent comments) which is unusual, as most of my scenarios consist of very sketchy notes - not "written" as such. But I might put this one up for Christmas. It's not as good as Steve Foster's, though!
ReplyDeleteThe whole year has passed, but we have not seen the fourth part yet. What a cruel world!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, would you mind if the first three parts (and the fourth one) will be translated in Russian and published in my LiveJournal? Of course, I'll credit both authors.
PS Rather funny, your blog don't want to read my LJ ID. Why?