Let's Play Fighting Fantasy #8: Scorpion Swamp

[Darth Rabbitt]

(Also, North from area 26, where we fought the Swamp Orcs. West and then North will take us to the X crossroads.)

The trail takes you to a small open spot where, years ago, a great tree fell and dragged down several others. This is Clearing 32. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has been here before.)

You recognize the clearing where you met the Scorpion and the Dwarf. There is nothing left now but a few scraps of bone and leather armor.

You leave the clearing.

Do you go north or east?

(North leads to crossroads.)

You find yourself at a crossing of paths. Which way will you go?

North?
South?
East?
West?

(Now North.)

The path is narrow here, and winds about to avoid some huge boulders. It is foggy, and you cannot see far. Suddenly the fog lifts and you see that you have entered another clearing. You are in Clearing 19. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has not been here before.) From the top of a boulder, a man hails you. He is tall and bronzed, dressed all in green, and you know he must be a RANGER. "Ho, fighter!" he challenges you. "Do you serve Good or Evil?" (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies' patron is Selator.)

You know that a Ranger is a fighter on the side of Good, and no doubt familiar with the swamp. He can be trusted with your story. He has heard of Selator, and would like to help. He offers you some healing herbs which clear your head and restore 1 lost SKILL point. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has already found the Antherica bush.)

The Ranger approves of your bravery. "Now all you have to do is get out of Scorpion Swamp again. Good luck! Travel south from here, then east, then south again at the Eagle's nest, then west and south, and you will be close to the southern edge of the swamp." You thank him for his help, making a note of his directions, and leave.

There are two paths leading out of the clearing.

Do you go east or go south?

(I assume East, since we haven't been that way.)

The eastward path is well tended; the trees and bushes do not grow across the trail, but are trimmed back. Before long you reach a pleasant clearing. You are in Clearing 27. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has not been here before.) Everywhere different sorts of plants are growing . . . some are flowering, and they all look healthy and attractive. The entire glade looks too beautiful to be natural, and too natural to be a garden. As you look around, a middle-aged man approaches you. He is tall and broad-shouldered, and he wears work-stained clothes. But you know from the silver Flower Amulet around his neck that he is no laborer, but the MASTER OF GARDENS. Your Brass Ring tells you that he is friendly. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies is serving Selator.)

You tell the Master of Gardens about your quest. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has already found the Antherica bush.)

The Master of Gardens is delighted. You promise to ask Selator to send him some Antherica berries, and you describe the path to the place where you found the bush. He gives you a magic gem containing one Good spell (you choose the type.) Then you resume your travels. There is only one path leading from this clearing; you take it, going back to the west.

(So now we know of 5 Masters. But there's something else that is actually pretty damn funny to me. We have 1 undetermined Good spell, 2 undetermined Neutral spells, and 1 undetermined Potion.)

You return to the clearing where you met the Ranger.

(I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies parted from him in friendship.)

There is no sign of the Ranger now; he has melted into the woods.

There are two paths leading out of the clearing.

Do you go east or go south?

(Now I assume we go south.)

You find yourself at a crossing of paths. Which way will you go?

North?
South?
East?
West?

(I imagine we return to the area we were before.)

The trail takes you to a small open spot where, years ago, a great tree fell and dragged down several others. This is Clearing 32. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has been here before.)

You recognize the clearing where you met the Scorpion and the Dwarf. There is nothing left now but a few scraps of bone and leather armor.

You leave the clearing.

Do you go north or east?

(East, and now we're back where we started.)

You are back in the clearing where the great Eagle nested. All you see is the old tree and the nest. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies fought the Eagle.)

You have no reason to linger. You have a choice of three paths. Will you travel:

South?
East?
West?

(I assume south, since the two areas we haven't explored, and the exit, are both that way.)

Ahead of you there is an opening in the trees. You investigate. You are in Clearing 35. You can see the wide Foulbrood River, running east and west. A great stone bridge crosses the river. It looks totally deserted.

Do you go on to the bridge or do you distrust the bridge and rather turn around?

(I assume we cross, since we know it's safe.)

The bridge is old but in good repair. (I'm assuming we choose to go south, as once more going in the direction we came from would be identical to not having crossed the bridge at all.)

You can see that ahead of you two other paths join yours in a small clearing. You are in Clearing 13. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has been here before.)

You have returned to the clearing where you met the horde of Scorpions. You look around to see whether they are still about. Yes . . . there they are, coming towards you from all sides! You are ready for them this time.

Your reactions are quick. You have time to decide how to deal with the Scorpions. Will you:

Stamp on them and strike with your sword?
Cast a Fire Spell?
Leap over them to safety?

(I assume jump, since we know we can't fail with our current STAMINA score.)

Roll two dice. (5,2=7.) If the total is less than or equal to your STAMINA (it is), you jump over them. If the total is greater than your STAMINA, you do not leap quite far enough, and you are stung. Lose 3 points of STAMINA.

Hurriedly, you choose an exit. Will you go:

North?
East?
West?

(Haven't been East of here either. So I assume we go that way.)

You come across a small, overgrown clearing. You are in Clearing 3. You look around, but you see nothing. There are three exits. Will you go:

South?
East?
West?

(South should lead us to where the Swamp Orcs are. East is definitely new.)

As you walk along, you sense that you are far to the east of the point where you entered the swamp. You wonder if you have taken the right paths. Suddenly, you step into a grassy glade. This is Clearing 21. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has not been here before.) There is a crystalline pool in the middle of the clearing, with an inviting sandy beach to one side. There are no other paths leading out. Will you:

Leave and go back to the west?
Watch a while for danger?
Drink from the pool?

I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies
SKILL 8/10
STAMINA 16/20
LUCK 11/11
Equipment: Sword, Chainmail, Brass Ring
Backpack: Antherica Berry
Amulets: None
Potions: 1 potion (Skill, Stamina, or Luck; restores any score to Initial value. Note: this Luck potion does not increase Initial LUCK.)
Spells: Skill x 1, [Any 1 Good Spell,] [Any two Neutral spells]
Map:
..................[19]->[27]....[11]
.....................^................^
[W]....[15]<-[X]->->->->[07]
..^........v......^.................v
[10]<-[28]...[32]<-[16]<-[30]
...............................^
..........[33]->[20]...[35]
............^.......v........^
[14]...FOG....[09]->[13]->[03]->[21]
..^........^.......^................v?
[23]<-[29]->[05]->[24]->[26]
............^.................v.......v
..........[18].............[17]...[08]
............^.................v
..........[34]...............v
............^.................v
..........[04]<-[01]<-[12]->[25]
(Key: Ignore ellipses.)

1: Crossroads and entrance/exit to/from Scorpion Swamp.
3: Nothing here.
4: The now-friendly Master of Wolves' house, where he yiffs lives with his two Wolves.
5: A former battleground. Contents unknown, and now gone.
7: A clearing occupied by a now friendly Giant. He was upset because he lost his handkerchief, which is the Red Cloak that the Thief carried, but we gave it back to him and now he's our BFF.
8: The home of the Master of Frogs. He likes Violet Jewels.
9: A dead Thief's former picnic site. The Thief carried a Red Cloak, which is now ours.
10: An encampment of surprisingly friendly Brigands.
11: The last Antherica plant, guarded by two Wolves.
12: A tree hollow that is the home of a now dead Bear. It has no loot.
13: A clearing filled with Scorpions. Fire repels them but does not kill them.
14: A tropical clearing inhabited by the Mistress of Birds and her Parrot. If you serve Good she will give you a potion and a ride to Clearing 16.
15: Home of some Will-o'-the-wisps.
16: The former nest of a dead Eagle, with a perfectly lootable Gold Chain that is now ours.
17: The abode of the now-dead Master of Spiders, and his Spider Amulet.
18: Home of the dreaded Sword Trees. Fire is not very effective against them.
19: Some boulders which a Ranger perches on. He's friendly to servants of Good.
20: A cliff overlooking a river.
21: A pool of clear water. May or may not be drinkable.
23: The legendary Fear Flowers, which damage the SKILL of any soul unfortunate enough to come across them.
24: A patch of freshly cut Crab Grass.
25: The home of the recently slain Pool Beast. It had a Violet Jewel embedded in its forehead that has been looted.
26: The home of some recently killed Swamp Orcs, whose bows cost you a SKILL point if you don't have a Golden Magnet Charm.
27: The home of the Master of Gardens. As a Good wizard, he is friendly to other servants of Good, and gives them a spell gem.
28: A pool of dead Slime.
29: Home of a healed Unicorn, which gives out two Spell Gems (Luck and Friendship) as a reward.
30. A patch of quicksand. Avoid.
32: The home of a dead Giant Scorpion that had been eating an equally dead Dwarf, carrying a Potion to make Dwarves Handsome (that is detrimental to humans.)
33: A riverbank.
34. A stream, which can be frozen.
35: A bridge which is safe to cross.
W: The town of Willowbend. The Bent Spear is a good place to stay, restoring 2 STAMINA.
X: A crossroads.
FOG: Poisonous fog that deals 2 STAMINA damage when walked through.

[Guyr Adamantine]

Stay vigilant, things are rarely as they seem, especially water.

[Omegonthesane]

Remain on the lookout for mutual enemies!

[ishy]

I assume a nice pool in the middle of a swamp with suspiciously no animals around it is perfectly safe. Lets drink some water.

No one has ever mapped them and lived to tell the tale. An evil fog hides the sky, so no one can set a course by the stars. Once you're well into the swamp, even compasses are unreliable. They may point north, west, or south-by-south-east, leading you around in circles until you drop from exhaustion.

The Ranger approves of your bravery. "Now all you have to do is get out of Scorpion Swamp again. Good luck! Travel south from here, then east, then south again at the Eagle's nest, then west and south, and you will be close to the southern edge of the swamp." You thank him for his help, making a note of his directions, and leave.

Why do we even consider this helpful? We're the only ones who even know directions, and we get directions to the place we came from.

[Darth Rabbitt]

(I assume we watch, and then drink if nothing bad happens.)

By now you have learned caution. You watch the pool and the clearing. A large Lizard goes to the pool and drinks, then waddles off again. You see nothing else.

Do you leave the clearing or drink from the pool?

(Nothing bad happened; we drink.)

You feel revitalized. The water in the pool has healing properties. Regain 3 STAMINA points. You leave and go back to the west.

You come across a small, overgrown clearing. You are in Clearing 3. You look around, but you see nothing. There are three exits. Will you go:

South?
East?
West?

(So where now?)

I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies
SKILL 8/10
STAMINA 19/20
LUCK 11/11
Equipment: Sword, Chainmail, Brass Ring
Backpack: Antherica Berry
Amulets: None
Potions: 1 potion (Skill, Stamina, or Luck; restores any score to Initial value. Note: this Luck potion does not increase Initial LUCK.)
Spells: Skill x 1, [Any 1 Good Spell,] [Any two Neutral spells]
Map:
..................[19]->[27]....[11]
.....................^................^
[W]....[15]<-[X]->->->->[07]
..^........v......^.................v
[10]<-[28]...[32]<-[16]<-[30]
...............................^
..........[33]->[20]...[35]
............^.......v........^
[14]...FOG....[09]->[13]->[03]->[21]
..^........^.......^................v?
[23]<-[29]->[05]->[24]->[26]
............^.................v.......v
..........[18].............[17]...[08]
............^.................v
..........[34]...............v
............^.................v
..........[04]<-[01]<-[12]->[25]
(Key: Ignore ellipses.)

1: Crossroads and entrance/exit to/from Scorpion Swamp.
3: Nothing here.
4: The now-friendly Master of Wolves' house, where he yiffs lives with his two Wolves.
5: A former battleground. Contents unknown, and now gone.
7: A clearing occupied by a now friendly Giant. He was upset because he lost his handkerchief, which is the Red Cloak that the Thief carried, but we gave it back to him and now he's our BFF.
8: The home of the Master of Frogs. He likes Violet Jewels.
9: A dead Thief's former picnic site. The Thief carried a Red Cloak, which is now ours.
10: An encampment of surprisingly friendly Brigands.
11: The last Antherica plant, guarded by two Wolves.
12: A tree hollow that is the home of a now dead Bear. It has no loot.
13: A clearing filled with Scorpions. Fire repels them but does not kill them.
14: A tropical clearing inhabited by the Mistress of Birds and her Parrot. If you serve Good she will give you a potion and a ride to Clearing 16.
15: Home of some Will-o'-the-wisps.
16: The former nest of a dead Eagle, with a perfectly lootable Gold Chain that is now ours.
17: The abode of the now-dead Master of Spiders, and his Spider Amulet.
18: Home of the dreaded Sword Trees. Fire is not very effective against them.
19: Some boulders which a Ranger perches on. He's friendly to servants of Good.
20: A cliff overlooking a river.
21: A pool of clear water. The water has healing properties, restoring 3 STAMINA.
23: The legendary Fear Flowers, which damage the SKILL of any soul unfortunate enough to come across them.
24: A patch of freshly cut Crab Grass.
25: The home of the recently slain Pool Beast. It had a Violet Jewel embedded in its forehead that has been looted.
26: The home of some recently killed Swamp Orcs, whose bows cost you a SKILL point if you don't have a Golden Magnet Charm.
27: The home of the Master of Gardens. As a Good wizard, he is friendly to other servants of Good, and gives them a spell gem.
28: A pool of dead Slime.
29: Home of a healed Unicorn, which gives out two Spell Gems (Luck and Friendship) as a reward.
30. A patch of quicksand. Avoid.
32: The home of a dead Giant Scorpion that had been eating an equally dead Dwarf, carrying a Potion to make Dwarves Handsome (that is detrimental to humans.)
33: A riverbank.
34. A stream, which can be frozen.
35: A bridge which is safe to cross.
W: The town of Willowbend. The Bent Spear is a good place to stay, restoring 2 STAMINA.
X: A crossroads.
FOG: Poisonous fog that deals 2 STAMINA damage when walked through.

[Omegonthesane]

Get back home. Leave a last bit of exploration for the evil run.

[Shrapnel]

Yes, I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies needs to give the good wizard his sweet, succulent berry-meat, and then go home, binary bond to Misfire, become a Targetmaster and change his name to Aimless.

Besides, if he keeps running around, the joint that his legs are on will break.



I just made a bunch of obscure references. Can you guess to what?

[Darth Rabbitt]

(OK, we head back. Let's start by going South.)

You are in the clearing where you met the Swamp Orcs. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies slew them.)

You have a choice of three exits from this clearing. Will you go:

North?
South?
West?

(I assume West.)

After a short walk, you enter a pleasant, grassy clearing. You see two other exits. This is Clearing 24. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has been here before.)

You recognize the spot where you were attacked by the Crab Grass. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies killed the Crab Grass.)

There are three exits from the clearing. Will you go:

South?
East?
West?

(South would be the quickest way back.)

You notice that your path is criss-crossed by spiderwebs. There is a clearing ahead. Even before you enter it, you can see that the surrounding trees are thickly festooned with webs, and that there are many spiders there. You are in Clearing 17. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has been here before.)

As you approach the spot where you defeated the Master of Spiders, you begin to feel very hot. Entering the clearing, you see that it is full of roaring flames. You cannot pass. Lose one STAMINA point from the effect of the choking smoke. Turn and leave the clearing by the same path on which you entered.

(So we go West from the Crab Grass clearing. Looks like we'll have to go fight the SWORD TREES!)

The knotted trees give way before you and you enter another clearing. This is Clearing 5. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has been here before.)

You see few signs of the earlier battle. The bodies of the Orcs have gone. A foot-long Scorpion glares at you from a pool as you hurry through the clearing.

There are three paths leading out of the clearing. The one that leads east is somewhat narrower and darker than the others. Will you go:

North?
East?
West?

(West is best for getting to the Unicorn's crossroads.)

The path dips slightly downwards and leads into a grassy clearing. This is Clearing 29. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has been here before.) This is the glade where you met the Unicorn, but there is nothing here now.

There are four exits. Will you go:

North?
South?
East?
West?

(South, I assume.)

The path narrows menacingly. You wonder for a second if you have reached a dead end. Then it becomes wider again. You step into a very small clearing. You are in Clearing 18. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has not been here before.) You see several unusual trees around you. They are dark green and rather small, with snaky limbs. Suddenly you realize that each limb ends in a sword, and they are moving! You are being attacked by the dreaded SWORD TREES! They are all around you now.

Do you want to fight them with your own sword or try a magic spell?

(I'm saying that we cast Skill on ourself, and then attack.)

There are several Sword Trees, but you may fight them as a single opponent. You are lucky in that they cannot see you - they attack by sound. However, there are several trees, each with many bladed branches.

SWORD TREES SKILL 9 STAMINA 12

Combat Log:

Sword Trees 15, Ilot Dome 17. Sword Trees are at 10.
Sword Trees 18, Ilot Dome 20. Sword Trees are at 8.
Sword Trees 17, Ilot Dome 16. Ilot Dome is at 16.
Sword Trees 19, Ilot Dome 14. Ilot Dome is at 14.
Sword Trees 17, Ilot Dome 16. Ilot Dome is at 12.
Sword Trees 17, Ilot Dome 18. Sword Trees are at 6.
Sword Trees 19, Ilot Dome 19. Tie.
Sword Trees 16, Ilot Dome 16. Tie.
Sword Trees 17, Ilot Dome 16. Ilot Dome is at 10.
Sword Trees 15, Ilot Dome 19. Sword Trees are at 4.
Sword Trees 17, Ilot Dome 20. Sword Trees are at 2.
Sword Trees 18, Ilot Dome 14. Ilot Dome is at 8.
Sword Trees 15, Ilot Dome 14. Ilot Dome is at 6.
Sword Trees 18, Ilot Dome 14. Ilot Dome is at 4.
Sword Trees 12, Ilot Dome 18. Sword Trees are dead.

(Ouch, those Sword Trees fucked our shit up something fierce. I'm assuming our Potion is a Stamina Potion and that we drink it now to get back to full.)

You skillfully wield your mighty sword. The Sword Trees are no match for your prowess, and soon each reaching limb has been lopped off. You look around the clearing. You find nothing except a few seeds that look as though they might have come from the Sword Trees. You pocket them and go on.

Even as you pocket the seeds, you see new growth stirring at the base of the trees. You leave quickly. Will you go:

North?
South?
West?

(We're at the last place we haven't explored, if people are curious to check it out.)

I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies
SKILL 10/10
STAMINA 20/20
LUCK 11/11
Equipment: Sword, Chainmail, Brass Ring
Backpack: Antherica Berry, Sword Tree Seeds
Amulets: None
Potions: None
Spells: [Any 1 Good Spell,] [Any two Neutral spells]
Map:
..................[19]->[27]....[11]
.....................^................^
[W]....[15]<-[X]->->->->[07]
..^........v......^.................v
[10]<-[28]...[32]<-[16]<-[30]
...............................^
..........[33]->[20]...[35]
............^.......v........^
[14]...FOG....[09]->[13]->[03]->[21]
..^........^.......^................v
[23]<-[29]->[05]->[24]->[26]
............^.................v.......v
..........[18].............[17]...[08]
............^.................v
..........[34]...............v
............^.................v
..........[04]<-[01]<-[12]->[25]
(Key: Ignore ellipses.)

1: Crossroads and entrance/exit to/from Scorpion Swamp.
3: Nothing here.
4: The now-friendly Master of Wolves' house, where he yiffs lives with his two Wolves.
5: A former battleground. Contents unknown, and now gone.
7: A clearing occupied by a now friendly Giant. He was upset because he lost his handkerchief, which is the Red Cloak that the Thief carried, but we gave it back to him and now he's our BFF.
8: The home of the Master of Frogs. He likes Violet Jewels.
9: A dead Thief's former picnic site. The Thief carried a Red Cloak, which is now ours.
10: An encampment of surprisingly friendly Brigands.
11: The last Antherica plant, guarded by two Wolves.
12: A tree hollow that is the home of a now dead Bear. It has no loot.
13: A clearing filled with Scorpions. Fire repels them but does not kill them.
14: A tropical clearing inhabited by the Mistress of Birds and her Parrot. If you serve Good she will give you a potion and a ride to Clearing 16.
15: Home of some Will-o'-the-wisps.
16: The former nest of a dead Eagle, with a perfectly lootable Gold Chain that is now ours.
17: The abode of the now-dead Master of Spiders, and his Spider Amulet.
18: Home of the dreaded Sword Trees. Fire is not very effective against them.
19: Some boulders which a Ranger perches on. He's friendly to servants of Good.
20: A cliff overlooking a river.
21: A pool of clear water. The water has healing properties, restoring 3 STAMINA.
23: The legendary Fear Flowers, which damage the SKILL of any soul unfortunate enough to come across them.
24: A patch of freshly cut Crab Grass.
25: The home of the recently slain Pool Beast. It had a Violet Jewel embedded in its forehead that has been looted.
26: The home of some recently killed Swamp Orcs, whose bows cost you a SKILL point if you don't have a Golden Magnet Charm.
27: The home of the Master of Gardens. As a Good wizard, he is friendly to other servants of Good, and gives them a spell gem.
28: A pool of dead Slime.
29: Home of a healed Unicorn, which gives out two Spell Gems (Luck and Friendship) as a reward.
30. A patch of quicksand. Avoid.
32: The home of a dead Giant Scorpion that had been eating an equally dead Dwarf, carrying a Potion to make Dwarves Handsome (that is detrimental to humans.)
33: A riverbank.
34. A stream, which can be frozen.
35: A bridge which is safe to cross.
W: The town of Willowbend. The Bent Spear is a good place to stay, restoring 2 STAMINA.
X: A crossroads.
FOG: Poisonous fog that deals 2 STAMINA damage when walked through.

[Omegonthesane]

West, actually - if we've stumbled upon the last unexplored bit, we may as well.

[Darth Rabbitt]

(I assume our last two Neutral spells are Stamina and Ice.)

As you walk west, the swamp becomes even grimmer. Just as you think that you can stand it no longer, the path begins to widen, and you find yourself in a long, narrow opening. This is Clearing 6. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has not been here before.) You look around and see no other paths; you appear to have come to a dead end. You walk towards a large grey boulder, hoping to rest on it for a minute. Suddenly, the boulder moves! You are not looking at grey stone at all, but coarse grey hair. Red eyes glare up at you, and a DIRE BEAST with six clawed legs moves towards you. Will you:

Fight it?
Run for your life?
Try a Fear spell?
Try an Illusion spell?
Try a Growth spell?
Try a Friendship spell?

(This thing is a mutual enemy, so I assume we destroy it.)

You are facing a fearsome creature indeed. The Dire Beast has a tough hide and huge claws. It is also faster on its feet than you are! You cannot escape; you must battle to the finish.

DIRE BEAST SKILL 9 STAMINA 10

Combat Log:

Dire Beast 17, Ilot Dome 19. Dire Beast is at 8.
Dire Beast 16, Ilot Dome 21. Dire Beast is at 6.
Dire Beast 13, Ilot Dome 19. Dire Beast is at 4.
Dire Beast 12, Ilot Dome 16. Dire Beast is at 2.
Dire Beast 18, Ilot Dome 22. Dire Beast is dead.

(Another flawless.)

You have slain the Dire Beast. You cut off a few of its rock-like claws as mementos of your great battle. You search the clearing for other exits, but find none, so you turn round and leave by the way you came, heading east.

(This place doesn't seem worth it, given that we have to fight the Sword Trees again.)

To your dismay, the deadly Sword Trees have already grown back!

Do you want to fight with your sword or would you prefer to use magic?

(I assume we sword the Sword Trees.)

There are several Sword Trees, but you may fight them as a single opponent. You are lucky in that they cannot see you - they attack by sound. However, there are several trees, each with many bladed branches.

SWORD TREES SKILL 9 STAMINA 12

Combat Log:

Sword Trees 16, Ilot Dome 14. Ilot Dome is at 18.
Sword Trees 13, Ilot Dome 17. Sword Trees are at 10.
Sword Trees 14, Ilot Dome 16. Sword Trees are at 8.
Sword Trees 18, Ilot Dome 13. Ilot Dome is at 16.
Sword Trees 16, Ilot Dome 16. Tie.
Sword Trees 18, Ilot Dome 13. Ilot Dome is at 14.
Sword Trees 12, Ilot Dome 16. Sword Trees are at 6.
Sword Trees 17, Ilot Dome 16. Ilot Dome is at 12.
Sword Trees 18, Ilot Dome 21. Sword Trees are at 4.
Sword Trees 12, Ilot Dome 14. Sword Trees are at 2.
Sword Trees 15, Ilot Dome 14. Ilot Dome is at 10.
Sword Trees 17, Ilot Dome 17. Tie.
Sword Trees 15, Ilot Dome 16. Sword Trees are dead.

(And now we cast Stamina again. I swear the Sword Trees rig my dice roller in their favor.)

You skillfully wield your mighty sword. The Sword Trees are no match for your prowess, and soon each reaching limb has been lopped off. You look around the clearing. You find nothing except a few seeds that look as though they might have come from the Sword Trees. You pocket them and go on.

Even as you pocket the seeds, you see new growth stirring at the base of the trees. You leave quickly. Will you go:

North?
South?
West?

(South this time. We're getting out of here.)

You have crossed several shallow streams, but now you are faced with a deeper one. This is Clearing 34. You see movement in the water below, and you are not sure that you care to wade across. Will you:

Use the Ice spell?
Use the Wither spell?
Wade across, very carefully?

(We freeze that bitch.)

The Ice spell creates a solid bridge which you can cross easily. You may travel north or south from here.

(South.)

You enter a medium-sized clearing containing a small house built of logs. You are in Clearing 4. (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has been here before.)

You are in the clearing of the Master of Wolves. The hut is locked tightly, and there is no sign of anyone.

You have two choices.

(And now we go East.)

You are in Clearing 1. Actually, this is no more than a wide spot where three trails meet. The ground is very shaky and wet, and huge insects flit over the pools of water that dot the ground.

Do you want to step carefully across to another trail, or rather just jump over the soft part?

(I assume we jump again, since we know we can't fail since it works off STAMINA.)

Roll two dice. (5.) If the result is equal to or less than your STAMINA (it is), you made the jump. Otherwise, you fell short, caught your leg in the mire, and twisted your arm slightly when you landed. Subtract 1 point from your SKILL. You may now leave the clearing. Will you travel:

West?
East?
South?

(I assume we go south and exit the swamp.)

It seems to become lighter as you walk along. Through the trees above you, you suddenly catch a glimpse of blue sky! A few minutes later, you see an opening in the trees - and when you step through, you realize that you have left the swamp! If you are not ready to leave Scorpion Swamp, you may retrace your steps and walk back the way you came until you reach the first clearing. If you are ready to return and report the outcome of your quest (I assume we are.)

You feel that you have done all you can. Now you must return to your patron and report your success or your failure.

(I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies undertook his quest for Selator.)

You return to Selator's hut. A merry fire is crackling in the kitchen, and something is cooking that smells delicious. He greets you warmly and asks, "Have you got the berry?" (I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies has got the purple berry of the Antherica plant.)

You reach carefully into a pocket and remove the gleaming berry. "Oh, wonderful!" the old man cries, overjoyed. He plucks it from your hand and carries it out into his garden. Placing it gently in the ground, he begins to hum a spell. Almost instantly, a small plant sprouts . . . and grows into a vigorous bush like the one which you saw in the swamp. Blossoms open, filling the air with fragrance, and clusters of purple berries form. Selator plants some of the new berries, and they, in turn, begin to sprout. Then he looks up at you. "I'm so sorry!" he says. "I was so happy that I forgot for a moment that you were here. Now these bushes will grow up, and I'll send carrier-birds to my fellow wizards with lots of berries. Soon everyone will have Antherica again, and honor you for it. You have done a great deed this day." He offers you healing potions and a hot meal, and you accept gratefully. Over dinner, you speak of many things both great and small. Then you are on your way again, feeling well and happy. You have succeeded in your quest.

I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies
SKILL 10/10
STAMINA 20/20
LUCK 11/11
Equipment: Sword, Chainmail, Brass Ring
Backpack: Sword Tree Seeds x 2, Dire Beast Claws
Amulets: None
Potions: None
Spells: [Any 1 Good Spell]
Map:
..................[19]->[27]....[11]
.....................^................^
[W]....[15]<-[X]->->->->[07]
..^........v......^.................v
[10]<-[28]...[32]<-[16]<-[30]
...............................^
..........[33]->[20]...[35]
............^.......v........^
[14]...FOG....[09]->[13]->[03]->[21]
..^........^.......^................v
[23]<-[29]->[05]->[24]->[26]
............^.................v.......v
[06]<-[18].............[17]...[08]
............^.................v
..........[34]...............v
............^.................v
..........[04]<-[01]<-[12]->[25]
(Key: Ignore ellipses.)

1: Crossroads and entrance/exit to/from Scorpion Swamp.
3: Nothing here.
4: The now-friendly Master of Wolves' house, where he yiffs lives with his two Wolves.
5: A former battleground. Contents unknown, and now gone.
6: The home of a Dire Beast. Probably not worth going to, unless the claws do something cool.
7: A clearing occupied by a now friendly Giant. He was upset because he lost his handkerchief, which is the Red Cloak that the Thief carried, but we gave it back to him and now he's our BFF.
8: The home of the Master of Frogs. He likes Violet Jewels.
9: A dead Thief's former picnic site. The Thief carried a Red Cloak, which is now ours.
10: An encampment of surprisingly friendly Brigands.
11: The last Antherica plant, guarded by two Wolves.
12: A tree hollow that is the home of a now dead Bear. It has no loot.
13: A clearing filled with Scorpions. Fire repels them but does not kill them.
14: A tropical clearing inhabited by the Mistress of Birds and her Parrot. If you serve Good she will give you a potion and a ride to Clearing 16.
15: Home of some Will-o'-the-wisps.
16: The former nest of a dead Eagle, with a perfectly lootable Gold Chain that is now ours.
17: The abode of the now-dead Master of Spiders, and his Spider Amulet.
18: Home of the dreaded Sword Trees. Fire is not very effective against them.
19: Some boulders which a Ranger perches on. He's friendly to servants of Good.
20: A cliff overlooking a river.
21: A pool of clear water. The water has healing properties, restoring 3 STAMINA.
23: The legendary Fear Flowers, which damage the SKILL of any soul unfortunate enough to come across them.
24: A patch of freshly cut Crab Grass.
25: The home of the recently slain Pool Beast. It had a Violet Jewel embedded in its forehead that has been looted.
26: The home of some recently killed Swamp Orcs, whose bows cost you a SKILL point if you don't have a Golden Magnet Charm.
27: The home of the Master of Gardens. As a Good wizard, he is friendly to other servants of Good, and gives them a spell gem.
28: A pool of dead Slime.
29: Home of a healed Unicorn, which gives out two Spell Gems (Luck and Friendship) as a reward.
30. A patch of quicksand. Avoid.
32: The home of a dead Giant Scorpion that had been eating an equally dead Dwarf, carrying a Potion to make Dwarves Handsome (that is detrimental to humans.)
33: A riverbank.
34. A stream, which can be frozen.
35: A bridge which is safe to cross.
W: The town of Willowbend. The Bent Spear is a good place to stay, restoring 2 STAMINA.
X: A crossroads.
FOG: Poisonous fog that deals 2 STAMINA damage when walked through.

(Fun fact: As far as I can tell, there is no Clearing 2, 22, or 31. Whoops.)

In a bit I'll start up our Evil character, but I wanted the last leg of I Live Only to Destroy our Mutual Enemies' journey to be its own post.

[Dr_Noface]

Are the sword tree seeds used for anything?

[Darth Rabbitt]

(When we had the option to cast Growth on the Dire Beast, it would have made the Seeds into Sword Trees. The Sword Trees would fight the Dire Beast and allowed you to get out.)

Now it's time to make an Evil character!

(I'm going with the name Sir Puppykicker unless someone has a better name.)

Sir Puppykicker has:
SKILL 11
STAMINA 16
LUCK 11

(Our STAMINA is pretty damn bad, but our other stats kick the ass of anyone not named Dirk.)

Grimslade lives by himself in a tower very near the swamp. When you ask for directions, no one wants to talk to you; one old lady makes the sign of the evil eye at you, and a young girl flees. Finally, a skinny ruffian in the market-place gives you directions, and you set off to meet the wizard whom everyone fears. As soon as you see his tower, your Brass Ring begins to get hot. Grimslade is evil - very evil indeed! The feeling grows stronger as you approach the dark, jagged tower, with its strange arches and its gruesome statuary.

Do you go up on to the door or turn back and return to the village?

(Fuck that. We're working for Evil. No wussing out now.)

You control your fear and approach the gloomy tower. Bats circle around the upper story. As you step towards the great iron door, you see a hideous face sculpted on it. Then the door swings open before you! Grimslade stands waiting. He is tall and skeletally thin. The crimson designs on his black robe seem to glow. He greets you pleasantly, but your ring, hot on your finger, continues to warn you that you are in the presence of evil. "I know all about you," he says. "You want to explore the swamp. That meddling fool Gronar sent you here. But what makes you think you are worthy of my time? I need a hero who is afraid of nothing." Will you:

Challenge him to a combat?
Explain that you are a hardy warrior and that your magic ring will prevent you from losing your way?
Smile and say that you fear nothing?

Sir Puppykicker (name subject to change)
SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 16/16
LUCK 11/11
Equipment: Sword, Chainmail, Brass Ring
Backpack: None
Amulets: None
Potions: None
Spells: None
Map:
..................[19]->[27]....[11]
.....................^................^
[W]....[15]<-[X]->->->->[07]
..^........v......^.................v
[10]<-[28]...[32]<-[16]<-[30]
...............................^
..........[33]->[20]...[35]
............^.......v........^
[14]...FOG....[09]->[13]->[03]->[21]
..^........^.......^................v
[23]<-[29]->[05]->[24]->[26]
............^.................v.......v
[06]<-[18].............[17]...[08]
............^.................v
..........[34]...............v
............^.................v
..........[04]<-[01]<-[12]->[25]
(Key: Ignore ellipses.)

1: Crossroads and entrance/exit to/from Scorpion Swamp.
3: Nothing here.
4: The Master of Wolves' house, where he yiffs lives with his two Wolves.
5: A former battleground. Contents unknown.
6: The home of a Dire Beast. Probably not worth going to, unless the claws do something cool.
7: A clearing occupied by a good-hearted Giant. He is upset because he lost his handkerchief, which is the Red Cloak that the Thief carries.
8: The home of the Master of Frogs. He likes Violet Jewels.
9: A Thief's picnic site. The Thief carries a Red Cloak.
10: An encampment of surprisingly friendly Brigands.
11: The last Antherica plant, guarded by two Wolves.
12: A tree hollow that is the home of a Bear. It has no loot.
13: A clearing filled with Scorpions. Fire repels them but does not kill them.
14: A tropical clearing inhabited by the Mistress of Birds and her Parrot. If you serve Good she will give you a potion and a ride to Clearing 16.
15: Home of some Will-o'-the-wisps.
16: The nest of an Eagle, with a perfectly lootable Gold Chain.
17: The abode of the Master of Spiders, and his Spider Amulet.
18: Home of the dreaded Sword Trees. Fire is not very effective against them.
19: Some boulders which a Ranger perches on. He's friendly to servants of Good.
20: A cliff overlooking a river.
21: A pool of clear water. May or may not be drinkable.
23: The legendary Fear Flowers, which damage the SKILL of any soul unfortunate enough to come across them.
24: A patch of Crab Grass.
25: The home of the Pool Beast. It has a Violet Jewel embedded in its forehead that has been looted.
26: The home of some Swamp Orcs, whose bows cost you a SKILL point if you don't have a Golden Magnet Charm.
27: The home of the Master of Gardens. As a Good wizard, he is friendly to other servants of Good, and gives them a spell gem.
28: A pool of Slime.
29: Home of a Unicorn, which gives out two Spell Gems (Luck and Friendship) as a reward for healing it. Or for a Lucky person who kills it and loots its lair.
30. A patch of quicksand. Avoid.
32: The home of a Giant Scorpion that eating a Dwarf. The Dwarf is carrying a Potion to make Dwarves Handsome (that is detrimental to humans.)
33: A riverbank.
34. A stream, which can be frozen.
35: A bridge which is safe to cross.
W: The town of Willowbend. The Bent Spear is a good place to stay, restoring 2 STAMINA.
X: A crossroads.
FOG: Poisonous fog that deals 2 STAMINA damage when walked through.

[Username17]

(When we had the option to cast Growth on the Dire Beast, it would have made the Seeds into Sword Trees. The Sword Trees would fight the Dire Beast and allowed you to get out.)

But... then you have to fight the Sword Trees again? That's extremely pointless.

In any case, it's time to smile and tell him we isn't afraid of anything.

-Username17

[Omegonthesane]

"Grimslade appears to serve the forces of evil, though a simple man like myself cannot be sure about such things."

I can only assume Gronar is very big on innocent until proven guilty, given he's seen Grimslade's tower and how everyone reacts.

In any case, tell Grimslade we aren't afraid, 'cause a challenge will go down badly whether we win or lose and we don't want to tell him we have an evildar ring.

[ishy]

Telling him we aren't afraid of anything might be an instant loss though.
I'd say challenge the wizard.

[Darth Rabbitt]

(2-1 for telling him we doesn't afraid of anything. Actually, attacking him leads to much of the same options.)

"Fine," he replies, smiling. You see that his teeth are pointed. He waves his hand at the wall, where a STATUE OF A GOBLIN is standing. It quivers and moves towards you, brandishing a stone sword.

Do you want to run away or do you choose to fight the Statue?

(I assume we fight Grimslade's Pokemon.)

As the sorcerer laughs, his stony creature shuffles towards you. You realize that your sword will be of little use against a creature made of living rock. Thinking quickly, you bring your sword down on the wizard's table, instead! Your blade cleaves the wood, cutting off one of the table's legs. You scoop up the improvised club, dropping your sword, and face the statue with this much more appropriate weapon. Grimslade, impressed by your strength and quick wits, has stopped his evil laughter, and watches attentively as you fight.

GOBLIN STATUE SKILL 7 STAMINA 6

Combat Log:

Statue 11, Puppykicker 18. Statue is at 4.
Statue 12, Puppykicker 20. Statue is at 2.
Statue 14, Puppykicker 15. Statue is dead.

(Flawless Victory.)

You are breathing heavily, but you are still alive. Your opponent has been reduced to a heap of gravel which is scattered over the floor. You laugh at Grimslade and toss the table leg over your shoulder. It lands with a thump amid the remains of a bookcase knocked over in the fight. Grimslade is eyeing the wreckage of his parlor.

(Sir Puppykicker was not wounded in the fight.)

Grimslade is impressed with you. He claps you on the back. "You're the one I've been looking for, truly. Come with me, and we shall discuss how we can make ourselves rich. But first, here's a gift." He reaches into his robes and withdraws a miniature sword, which grows to full size when he hands it to you. It is a magic sword; add 1 to your SKILL whenever you use it. As you examine the sword, Grimslade touches you with his wand. If you had used up any LUCK during your fight, it is now back to its Initial level.

(Since it's impossible to lose any SKILL points before this fight, I imagine that this sword adds to Initial and current.)

You are seated in Grimslade's study. An ornate mirror hangs on one wall - at least, it looks like a mirror, but the scene it shows is constantly changing. The walls are covered with dusty shelves, full of huge books, odd-looking bottles, strange objects that might be mummified animals, and other weird objects.

"I am a collector," Grimslade tells you, "of knowledge and artifacts. Not long ago, something strange happened. Several wizards moved into Scorpion Swamp - wizards whom I know nothing about! Their powers are great but limited, and they seem to be involved with nature. One, I know, controls wolves. Another seems to be a master of plants. My mirror cannot get a clear view of the swamp, but I have spied on them as much as I could. Their powers come from the silver Amulets they wear."

"Well, what exactly do you want me to do?" you ask. "And what will you pay me?" He replies, "I want those Amulets. I want at least three of them; if you can get more, so much the better! I don't care how you get them. I will pay you five hundred gold pieces for each one you bring back."

"And what magical aid can you give me?" you ask. Grimslade laughs. "I can make you a wizard - well, almost. I will give you six enchanted Spell Gems - no more. But that should be enough to see you through, considering the sword arm you've shown me."

You talk with Grimslade about the spells you will use. Refer to the Magic Spells list in the front of the book and pick six spells; you must pick from the Evil and Neutral lists, and not from the Good list. You may choose a spell more than once, as long as the total is six. Write down the spells on your Adventure Sheet.

You take your leave of Grimslade, and head towards the marsh. Scorpion Swamp seems cheery and inviting after the evil wizard's tower! Your quest is this: get the Amulets of at least three of the Masters, and bring them back to Grimslade. Turn and begin your journey.

You are on the southern edge of Scorpion Swamp. Thanks to the Brass Ring, you will always know which way is north . . . but you must still make a map! You decide to map each path you follow, and each clearing you enter, so that you will know which way to go if you return to a clearing.

You quickly find a path leading north into the swamp. A huge sign, crudely painted on a boulder, reads: "STOP! SCORPION SWAMP! TURN BACK!" A skull and cross-bones completes the grisly picture. Bravely, you stride past the warning and enter the swamp. You see that it would be foolish to step off the path into the much, so you follow the trail where it leads.

You are in Clearing 1. Actually, this is no more than a wide spot where three trails meet. The ground is very shaky and wet, and huge insects flit over the pools of water that dot the ground.

Do you want to step carefully across to another trail, or rather just jump over the soft part?

(So what spells do we want? The Evil list looks fun.)

Sir Puppykicker (name subject to change)
SKILL 11/11 (12/12 when using Magic Sword)
STAMINA 16/16
LUCK 11/11
Equipment: Magic Sword, Chainmail, Brass Ring
Backpack: None
Amulets: None
Potions: None
Spells: [to be determined]
Map:
..................[19]->[27]....[11]
.....................^................^
[W]....[15]<-[X]->->->->[07]
..^........v......^.................v
[10]<-[28]...[32]<-[16]<-[30]
...............................^
..........[33]->[20]...[35]
............^.......v........^
[14]...FOG....[09]->[13]->[03]->[21]
..^........^.......^................v
[23]<-[29]->[05]->[24]->[26]
............^.................v.......v
[06]<-[18].............[17]...[08]
............^.................v
..........[34]...............v
............^.................v
..........[04]<-[01]<-[12]->[25]
(Key: Ignore ellipses.)

1: Crossroads and entrance/exit to/from Scorpion Swamp.
3: Nothing here.
4: The Master of Wolves' house, where he yiffs lives with his two Wolves.
5: A former battleground. Contents unknown.
6: The home of a Dire Beast. Probably not worth going to, unless the claws do something cool.
7: A clearing occupied by a good-hearted Giant. He is upset because he lost his handkerchief, which is the Red Cloak that the Thief carries.
8: The home of the Master of Frogs. He likes Violet Jewels.
9: A Thief's picnic site. The Thief carries a Red Cloak.
10: An encampment of surprisingly friendly Brigands.
11: The last Antherica plant, guarded by two Wolves.
12: A tree hollow that is the home of a Bear. It has no loot.
13: A clearing filled with Scorpions. Fire repels them but does not kill them.
14: A tropical clearing inhabited by the Mistress of Birds and her Parrot. If you serve Good she will give you a potion and a ride to Clearing 16.
15: Home of some Will-o'-the-wisps.
16: The nest of an Eagle, with a perfectly lootable Gold Chain.
17: The abode of the Master of Spiders, and his Spider Amulet.
18: Home of the dreaded Sword Trees. Fire is not very effective against them.
19: Some boulders which a Ranger perches on. He's friendly to servants of Good.
20: A cliff overlooking a river.
21: A pool of clear water. May or may not be drinkable.
23: The legendary Fear Flowers, which damage the SKILL of any soul unfortunate enough to come across them.
24: A patch of Crab Grass.
25: The home of the Pool Beast. It has a Violet Jewel embedded in its forehead that has been looted.
26: The home of some Swamp Orcs, whose bows cost you a SKILL point if you don't have a Golden Magnet Charm.
27: The home of the Master of Gardens. As a Good wizard, he is friendly to other servants of Good, and gives them a spell gem.
28: A pool of Slime.
29: Home of a Unicorn, which gives out two Spell Gems (Luck and Friendship) as a reward for healing it. Or for a Lucky person who kills it and loots its lair.
30. A patch of quicksand. Avoid.
32: The home of a Giant Scorpion that eating a Dwarf. The Dwarf is carrying a Potion to make Dwarves Handsome (that is detrimental to humans.)
33: A riverbank.
34. A stream, which can be frozen.
35: A bridge which is safe to cross.
W: The town of Willowbend. The Bent Spear is a good place to stay, restoring 2 STAMINA.
X: A crossroads.
FOG: Poisonous fog that deals 2 STAMINA damage when walked through.

[Username17]

We still need a Skill gem. And at least one Stamina gem. Other than that, let's go brutal. No Ice, no Fire, just murdering things. We should take a Curse and a Wither. But we only need to go through the Sword Trees once, so even if withering them makes you insta-win, it's not even worth it compared to just chopping through with a magic sword and using the stamina gem iff we need it.

We are therefore not withering and cursing things because we need to, we're just doing it to see what happens. My suggestion:

Wither, Wither, Curse, Curse, Stamina, Skill.

Let's start kicking puppies. Literally. Let's go over to the dog house and stab the master of wolves right in his face.

-Username17

[Omegonthesane]

Shiv the Master of Wolves.

Then go murder the Mistress of Birds for being cross-aligned to Grimslade.

[Darth Rabbitt]

(I'll go with Frank's suggestion for spells.)

Roll two dice. (2.) If the result is equal to or less than your STAMINA (it is), you made the jump. Otherwise, you fell short, caught your leg in the mire, and twisted your arm slightly when you landed. Subtract 1 point from your SKILL. You may now leave the clearing. Will you travel:

West?
East?
South?

You enter a medium-sized clearing containing a small house built of logs. You are in Clearing 4. (Sir Puppykicker has not been here before.) You hear the low growling of a dog. Then you see that it is not a dog, but a Wolf, watching you from beside the house. The door opens, and a big burly man steps out. Another Wolf follows him. The man carries a sword and is dressed as a forester, but you know from the silver Wolf Amulet he wears that he is the MASTER OF WOLVES. You hail him in a friendly fashion. He answers gruffly, ordering you away. Will you:

Obey and leave?
Cast a Fear spell?
Cast Friendship spell?
Cast a Curse spell?
Cast a Fire spell?
Attack him?

(I'm assuming either attack or Curse. Which would we like to do?)

Sir Puppykicker
SKILL 11/11 (12/12 when using Magic Sword)
STAMINA 16/16
LUCK 11/11
Equipment: Magic Sword, Chainmail, Brass Ring
Backpack: None
Amulets: None
Potions: None
Spells: Curse x 2, Wither x 2, Skill x 1, Stamina x 1
Map:
..................[19]->[27]....[11]
.....................^................^
[W]....[15]<-[X]->->->->[07]
..^........v......^.................v
[10]<-[28]...[32]<-[16]<-[30]
...............................^
..........[33]->[20]...[35]
............^.......v........^
[14]...FOG....[09]->[13]->[03]->[21]
..^........^.......^................v
[23]<-[29]->[05]->[24]->[26]
............^.................v.......v
[06]<-[18].............[17]...[08]
............^.................v
..........[34]...............v
............^.................v
..........[04]<-[01]<-[12]->[25]
(Key: Ignore ellipses.)

1: Crossroads and entrance/exit to/from Scorpion Swamp.
3: Nothing here.
4: The Master of Wolves' house, where he yiffs lives with his two Wolves.
5: A former battleground. Contents unknown.
6: The home of a Dire Beast. Probably not worth going to, unless the claws do something cool.
7: A clearing occupied by a good-hearted Giant. He is upset because he lost his handkerchief, which is the Red Cloak that the Thief carries.
8: The home of the Master of Frogs. He likes Violet Jewels.
9: A Thief's picnic site. The Thief carries a Red Cloak.
10: An encampment of surprisingly friendly Brigands.
11: The last Antherica plant, guarded by two Wolves.
12: A tree hollow that is the home of a Bear. It has no loot.
13: A clearing filled with Scorpions. Fire repels them but does not kill them.
14: A tropical clearing inhabited by the Mistress of Birds and her Parrot. If you serve Good she will give you a potion and a ride to Clearing 16.
15: Home of some Will-o'-the-wisps.
16: The nest of an Eagle, with a perfectly lootable Gold Chain.
17: The abode of the Master of Spiders, and his Spider Amulet.
18: Home of the dreaded Sword Trees. Fire is not very effective against them.
19: Some boulders which a Ranger perches on. He's friendly to servants of Good.
20: A cliff overlooking a river.
21: A pool of clear water. May or may not be drinkable.
23: The legendary Fear Flowers, which damage the SKILL of any soul unfortunate enough to come across them.
24: A patch of Crab Grass.
25: The home of the Pool Beast. It has a Violet Jewel embedded in its forehead that has been looted.
26: The home of some Swamp Orcs, whose bows cost you a SKILL point if you don't have a Golden Magnet Charm.
27: The home of the Master of Gardens. As a Good wizard, he is friendly to other servants of Good, and gives them a spell gem.
28: A pool of Slime.
29: Home of a Unicorn, which gives out two Spell Gems (Luck and Friendship) as a reward for healing it. Or for a Lucky person who kills it and loots its lair.
30. A patch of quicksand. Avoid.
32: The home of a Giant Scorpion that eating a Dwarf. The Dwarf is carrying a Potion to make Dwarves Handsome (that is detrimental to humans.)
33: A riverbank.
34. A stream, which can be frozen.
35: A bridge which is safe to cross.
W: The town of Willowbend. The Bent Spear is a good place to stay, restoring 2 STAMINA.
X: A crossroads.
FOG: Poisonous fog that deals 2 STAMINA damage when walked through.

[Omegonthesane]

CURSE, because I feel like draining Puppykicker's stamina it's one of the last things not displayed, and explicitly has a plot variable effect.

[Guyr Adamantine]

CURSE, because you can.

[Darth Rabbitt]

You throw your Curse spell at the Master of Wolves. He clutches his throat in pain, but raises his sword nonetheless. Then you feel the effect of the Curse upon you. Roll one die and lose that many STAMINA points. (1.) If you live, you still must fight the Master of Wolves, but you can subtract 2 points from both his SKILL and STAMINA scores when you do.

(Pretty good trade-off, actually.)

The Master of Wolves gestures, and his two WOLVES run towards you. You must fight each of them in turn. If you kill them both, you must fight the Master of Wolves himself.

First WOLF SKILL 7 STAMINA 5
Second WOLF SKILL 6 STAMINA 6
MASTER OF WOLVES SKILL 11 9 STAMINA 10 8

Combat Log:

Wolf A 13, Sir Puppykicker 17. Wolf A is at 3.
Wolf A 15, Sir Puppykicker 20. Wolf A is at 1.
Wolf A 17, Sir Puppykicker 16. Sir Puppykicker is at 13.
Wolf A 14, Sir Puppykicker 21. Wolf A is dead.
Wolf B 13, Sir Puppykicker 19. Wolf B is at 4.
Wolf B 16, Sir Puppykicker 22. Wolf B is at 2.
Wolf B 16, Sir Puppykicker 23. Wolf B is dead.
Master of Wolves 20, Sir Puppykicker 17. Sir Puppykicker is at 11.
Master of Wolves 15, Sir Puppykicker 20. Master of Wolves is at 6.
Master of Wolves 18, Sir Puppykicker 19. Master of Wolves is at 4.
Master of Wolves 18, Sir Puppykicker 23. Master of Wolves is at 2.
Master of Wolves 19, Sir Puppykicker 22. Master of Wolves is dead.

(This guy is probably the toughest fight in the swamp, and is definitely the toughest if you include his pets. Even with the Curse making him significantly weaker.)

The only thing of interest that the Master of Wolves had was his Wolf Amulet. You take it and then go and investigate his hut.

There is nothing more you can do here unless you can get into the hut - but it appears to be magically locked, and you can find no way to open it. You decide to leave.

You have two choices.

Do you go north or go east?

Sir Puppykicker
SKILL 11/11 (12/12 when using Magic Sword)
STAMINA 11/16
LUCK 11/11
Equipment: Magic Sword, Chainmail, Brass Ring
Backpack: None
Amulets: Wolf Amulet
Potions: None
Spells: Curse x 1, Wither x 2, Skill x 1, Stamina x 1
Map:
..................[19]->[27]....[11]
.....................^................^
[W]....[15]<-[X]->->->->[07]
..^........v......^.................v
[10]<-[28]...[32]<-[16]<-[30]
...............................^
..........[33]->[20]...[35]
............^.......v........^
[14]...FOG....[09]->[13]->[03]->[21]
..^........^.......^................v
[23]<-[29]->[05]->[24]->[26]
............^.................v.......v
[06]<-[18].............[17]...[08]
............^.................v
..........[34]...............v
............^.................v
..........[04]<-[01]<-[12]->[25]
(Key: Ignore ellipses.)

1: Crossroads and entrance/exit to/from Scorpion Swamp.
3: Nothing here.
4: The now dead Master of Wolves' house, where he yiffed lived with his two equally dead Wolves.
5: A former battleground. Contents unknown.
6: The home of a Dire Beast. Probably not worth going to, unless the claws do something cool.
7: A clearing occupied by a good-hearted Giant. He is upset because he lost his handkerchief, which is the Red Cloak that the Thief carries.
8: The home of the Master of Frogs. He likes Violet Jewels.
9: A Thief's picnic site. The Thief carries a Red Cloak.
10: An encampment of surprisingly friendly Brigands.
11: The last Antherica plant, guarded by two Wolves.
12: A tree hollow that is the home of a Bear. It has no loot.
13: A clearing filled with Scorpions. Fire repels them but does not kill them.
14: A tropical clearing inhabited by the Mistress of Birds and her Parrot. If you serve Good she will give you a potion and a ride to Clearing 16.
15: Home of some Will-o'-the-wisps.
16: The nest of an Eagle, with a perfectly lootable Gold Chain.
17: The abode of the Master of Spiders, and his Spider Amulet.
18: Home of the dreaded Sword Trees. Fire is not very effective against them.
19: Some boulders which a Ranger perches on. He's friendly to servants of Good.
20: A cliff overlooking a river.
21: A pool of clear water. The water has healing properties, restoring 3 STAMINA.
23: The legendary Fear Flowers, which damage the SKILL of any soul unfortunate enough to come across them.
24: A patch of Crab Grass.
25: The home of the Pool Beast. It has a Violet Jewel embedded in its forehead.
26: The home of some Swamp Orcs, whose bows cost you a SKILL point if you don't have a Golden Magnet Charm.
27: The home of the Master of Gardens. As a Good wizard, he is friendly to other servants of Good, and gives them a spell gem.
28: A pool of Slime.
29: Home of a Unicorn, which gives out two Spell Gems (Luck and Friendship) as a reward for healing it. Or for a Lucky person who kills it and loots its lair.
30. A patch of quicksand. Avoid.
32: The home of a Giant Scorpion that eating a Dwarf. The Dwarf is carrying a Potion to make Dwarves Handsome (that is detrimental to humans.)
33: A riverbank.
34. A stream, which can be frozen.
35: A bridge which is safe to cross.
W: The town of Willowbend. The Bent Spear is a good place to stay, restoring 2 STAMINA.
X: A crossroads.
FOG: Poisonous fog that deals 2 STAMINA damage when walked through.

[Username17]

It's now time to walk over to the Master of Spidars and stab him in the face. The Spider master is kind of a punk, so we might as well just sword him.

But first: do we detour to kill the creature in the pond for a shiny purple jewel? I would say yes. Sir Puppykicker wants the shinies.

-Username17

[Darth Rabbitt]

You are in Clearing 1. Actually, this is no more than a wide spot where three trails meet. The ground is very shaky and wet, and huge insects flit over the pools of water that dot the ground.

Do you want to step carefully across to another trail, or rather just jump over the soft part?

(I assume we jump again.)

Roll two dice. (8.) If the result is equal to or less than your STAMINA (it is), you made the jump. Otherwise, you fell short, caught your leg in the mire, and twisted your arm slightly when you landed. Subtract 1 point from your SKILL. You may now leave the clearing. Will you travel:

West?
East?
South?

(East leads to Master of Spiders and the Pool Beast.)

Ahead of you is a clearing. Unlike the last one you found, the ground seems to be solid. This is Clearing 12. (Sir Puppykicker has not been here before.) You see several large flat stones, a huge hollow tree, and two other paths leading out. Will you:

Sit down and rest on a stone?
Investigate the hollow tree?
Leave the clearing immediately?

(The Bear has no loot, so I assume we leave it be.)

You have a choice of three paths. They all seem rather swampy and hazardous. Will you go:

North?
East?
West?

(East to Pool Beast, then back North to the Master of Spiders.)

You continue to walk eastward for some time. Ahead, you see a clearing with a small pool. You are in Clearing 25. (Sir Puppykicker has not been here before.) You walk closer to investigate . . . and a great, brown, rubbery creature rears up from the pool and lashes at you with a tentacle! You jump backwards. The POOL BEAST shambles after you. You see a beautiful Violet Jewel glinting in its forehead. Will you:

Run away?
Attack with your sword?
Cast a Wither spell?
Cast a Fire spell?
Cast a Fear spell?

(Swording worked pretty well on this thing before, and unlike Curse which we're mostly using for the lawlz we probably want to save our Wither spells for Fear Flowers and their ilk.)

The jewel looks valuable, so you draw your sword and attack the beast. It strikes at you with its rubbery tentacles.

POOL BEAST SKILL 8 STAMINA 10

Combat Log:

Pool Beast 13, Sir Puppykicker 21. Pool Beast is at 8.
Pool Beast 16, Sir Puppykicker 17. Pool Beast is at 6.
Pool Beast 17, Sir Puppykicker 22. Pool Beast is at 4.
Pool Beast 14, Sir Puppykicker 23. Pool Beast is at 2.
Pool Beast 16, Sir Puppykicker 16. Tie.
Pool Beast 12, Sir Puppykicker 22. Pool Beast is dead.

(Flawless Victory. Sir Puppykicker seems better at kicking Pool Beasts than kicking puppies.)

At last the Pool Beast is dead. You use your sword to cut the great Violet Jewel from its forehead. The only exit takes you back to the west.

You are in the clearing with the hollow log. (Sir Puppykicker did not see what lived in the log.)

You see nothing in the clearing this time except for a few gnawed bones. You hurry on your way.

You have a choice of three paths. They all seem rather swampy and hazardous. Will you go:

North?
East?
West?

(Now North.)

You notice that your path is criss-crossed by spiderwebs. There is a clearing ahead. Even before you enter it, you can see that the surrounding trees are thickly festooned with webs, and that there are many spiders there. You are in Clearing 17. (Sir Puppykicker has not been here before.) In the center of the clearing there is a sumptuous pavilion, which seems to float above the marshy ground. It is silver-grey and it shimmers like woven spider-silk. Seated in the pavilion is a tall man. His thick beard and eyebrows are white, and his robe is as silver-grey as his tent. Around his neck hangs a gleaming silver Spider Amulet. You know that you are in the presence of the MASTER OF SPIDERS. As he regards you from his burning green eyes, you feel your Brass Ring warning you of evil. Will you:

Cast a Friendship spell?
Cast a Curse spell?
Cast a Fire spell?
Attack immediately?
Talk to him in a friendly fashion?

(Frank wants to sword him, and we know that works well. Does anyone want to Curse him instead? It could be pretty awesome, but it would hurt us and also use up our last Curse. On the other hand, the only other thing we could Curse were the Brigands, and they're easily dealt with using the Friendship gem I assume we're going to loot from the Unicorn, along with its horn.)

Sir Puppykicker
SKILL 11/11 (12/12 when using Magic Sword)
STAMINA 11/16
LUCK 11/11
Equipment: Magic Sword, Chainmail, Brass Ring
Backpack: Violet Jewel
Amulets: Wolf Amulet
Potions: None
Spells: Curse x 1, Wither x 2, Skill x 1, Stamina x 1
Map:
..................[19]->[27]....[11]
.....................^................^
[W]....[15]<-[X]->->->->[07]
..^........v......^.................v
[10]<-[28]...[32]<-[16]<-[30]
...............................^
..........[33]->[20]...[35]
............^.......v........^
[14]...FOG....[09]->[13]->[03]->[21]
..^........^.......^................v
[23]<-[29]->[05]->[24]->[26]
............^.................v.......v
[06]<-[18].............[17]...[08]
............^.................v
..........[34]...............v
............^.................v
..........[04]<-[01]<-[12]->[25]
(Key: Ignore ellipses.)

1: Crossroads and entrance/exit to/from Scorpion Swamp.
3: Nothing here.
4: The now dead Master of Wolves' house, where he yiffed lived with his two equally dead Wolves.
5: A former battleground. Contents unknown.
6: The home of a Dire Beast. Probably not worth going to, unless the claws do something cool.
7: A clearing occupied by a good-hearted Giant. He is upset because he lost his handkerchief, which is the Red Cloak that the Thief carries.
8: The home of the Master of Frogs. He likes Violet Jewels.
9: A Thief's picnic site. The Thief carries a Red Cloak.
10: An encampment of surprisingly friendly Brigands.
11: The last Antherica plant, guarded by two Wolves.
12: A tree hollow that is the home of a Bear. It has no loot.
13: A clearing filled with Scorpions. Fire repels them but does not kill them.
14: A tropical clearing inhabited by the Mistress of Birds and her Parrot. If you serve Good she will give you a potion and a ride to Clearing 16.
15: Home of some Will-o'-the-wisps.
16: The nest of an Eagle, with a perfectly lootable Gold Chain.
17: The abode of the Master of Spiders, and his Spider Amulet.
18: Home of the dreaded Sword Trees. Fire is not very effective against them.
19: Some boulders which a Ranger perches on. He's friendly to servants of Good.
20: A cliff overlooking a river.
21: A pool of clear water. The water has healing properties, restoring 3 STAMINA.
23: The legendary Fear Flowers, which damage the SKILL of any soul unfortunate enough to come across them.
24: A patch of Crab Grass.
25: The home of the once more dead Pool Beast. It had a Violet Jewel embedded in its forehead, which is now ours. Again.
26: The home of some Swamp Orcs, whose bows cost you a SKILL point if you don't have a Golden Magnet Charm.
27: The home of the Master of Gardens. As a Good wizard, he is friendly to other servants of Good, and gives them a spell gem.
28: A pool of Slime.
29: Home of a Unicorn, which gives out two Spell Gems (Luck and Friendship) as a reward for healing it. Or for a Lucky person who kills it and loots its lair.
30. A patch of quicksand. Avoid.
32: The home of a Giant Scorpion that eating a Dwarf. The Dwarf is carrying a Potion to make Dwarves Handsome (that is detrimental to humans.)
33: A riverbank.
34. A stream, which can be frozen.
35: A bridge which is safe to cross.
W: The town of Willowbend. The Bent Spear is a good place to stay, restoring 2 STAMINA.
X: A crossroads.
FOG: Poisonous fog that deals 2 STAMINA damage when walked through.

EDIT: fixed typo.

[Korgan0]

Let's not risk the curse fuckin up our stamina, given how many Masters are left. Let's just sword him.