Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 3:05 am
Blue option!You try to open the eastern door, but it is locked. Do you have an Ebony Key? If you do, tum to 201. If you don't, turn to 113.
Again, there's no reason why we'd waste time using a plot coupon and then just leave without getting anything. Especially when we've not been told about any specific danger beyond "it's dark".The Ebony Key slips silently into the keyhole, and the door opens slightly. Beyond, there is nothing but pitch-darkness, and you must have a light source to see by. You can either enter the room or return to the main passage and open the door at the end of it.
We're in fairly good condition for once, and our new shiny chainmail gives us a nice edge over it...By your light source, you see that just beyond the doorway is a small alcove which opens into an almost circular room with a high domed ceiling. The walls are streaked with slime and mould, and the air is damp and stale. In the centre of the room, on a stone pedestal, is a chest made of rosewood, heavily banded and bound with black iron. The chest also has a guardian!
You glimpse an extraordinary creature flying towards you. Its body is a sphere of slimy grey-green scales, and two glowing, slitted red eyes glare at you. There is a small central fanged mouth on the sphere-body, but this is clearly not what the monster attacks with: it has two sharply clawed pincers that trail at the ends of two black-flecked green tentacles hanging below the body, The Diadrone is a strong guardian, and you will have to fight it; it flies too fast for you to escape.
DIADRONE SKILL 8 STAMINA 12
If you win, turn to 12.
COMBAT LOG:
Diadrone 15, Harry 17. Diadrone is at 10.
Diadrone 12, Harry 15. Diadrone is at 8.
Diadrone 12, Harry 16. Diadrone is at 6.
Diadrone 15, Harry 14. Harry is at 13.
Diadrone 16, Harry 18. Diadrone is at 4.
Diadrone 17, Harry 19. Diadrone is at 2.
Diadrone 16, Harry 17. Diadrone is killed.
Diadrone 12, Harry 15. Diadrone is at 8.
Diadrone 12, Harry 16. Diadrone is at 6.
Diadrone 15, Harry 14. Harry is at 13.
Diadrone 16, Harry 18. Diadrone is at 4.
Diadrone 17, Harry 19. Diadrone is at 2.
Diadrone 16, Harry 17. Diadrone is killed.
Dice roll = 9 (Unlucky - even a powder wouldn't have saved us)Obviously, whatever is in the chest must be of value, Given the nature of its guardian; so you move closer to examine the chest. You try to open it; now you must Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, tum to 399. If you are Unlucky, turn to 164.
Dammit! We just lost our new SKILL bonus again. (Although since it doesn't take away from our Initial score we should be able to regain it if we can find a way to restore SKILL later).As you attempt to open the chest, a scything blade swings up from a crack in the stone floor and cuts deeply into your flesh. So severe is the wound that you must lose 1 point from your SKILL and 6 points from your STAMINA. If the injury is not enough to kill you, you give a scream of agony and pass out from pain and shock. When you come round, you can try again to open the chest or go back to the main passage and open the door at the southern end of it.
Let's not leave this place empty-handed, considering what we've had to go through...
That's got to be the most checked item in this book. Good thing we do have it!You cannot easily open the locked chest without a special item to help you. Do you have an Ebony Key? If you do, tum to 355. If you don't, turn to 81.
Not our treasure key! Let's hope the rewards is worth it....The Ebony Key shrinks a little in size to fit the small keyhole of the chest, which springs open. However, the Ebony Key immediately vanishes! Cross it off the list of Equipment Carried on your Adventure Sheet.
Inside the chest you find a small casket of fragrant sandalwood, inlaid with fine mother-of-pearl. This contains two items, wrapped in silk. One is a bronze ring; you do not know what this does. The other is a tiny platinum amulet with ornate marks etched very finely on it, on a silver filigree chain. You know intuitively that this has some magical power, but you can't tell what this might be. You can carry, or wear, either or both of these items; if you do, add the Bronze Ring and/or the Platinum Amulet to the list of Equipment Carried on your Adventure Sheet. Leaving this room, you go back to the passage, and open the door at the south end of it.
We do have some gold left for the fountain, if we believe it works.You open the door and walk into a large chamber constructed of bare stone with high walls, lit by torches which bum and spit, giving off blue light and faintly greenish smoke. This smoke is unpleasant, irritating your throat and nostrils. There is a half-open door in the east wall, from behind which a red glow spills into this room. There is another door in the west wall, and this is made of very stout black wood with massively thick iron banding and fittings. In the northeast corner of the room is a fountain with a thin jet of liquid spraying several feet into the air. Will you:
Drink some water from the fountain?
Toss a Gold Piece into the fountain and make a wish?
Open the west door?
Cross to the east door and look round it?
What do we do here?
Adventure Sheet:
Name: Harry Balzac
SKILL 9/10 (+1 from Chainmail Armour)
STAMINA 7/20
LUCK 6/10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Lantern, Jar of Ointment, Message Scroll ('350'), Silver Medallion, Luck Powder (x1, +1 LUCK), Silver Feather, 15-foot length of rope, Phial of White Oil, Pair of Bone Dice, Silver Ring, Crowbar, Chainmail Armour (+1 SKILL), Bronze Ring, Platinum Amulet
Provisions: 2 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Treasure: 7 Gold Pieces
SKILL 9/10 (+1 from Chainmail Armour)
STAMINA 7/20
LUCK 6/10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Lantern, Jar of Ointment, Message Scroll ('350'), Silver Medallion, Luck Powder (x1, +1 LUCK), Silver Feather, 15-foot length of rope, Phial of White Oil, Pair of Bone Dice, Silver Ring, Crowbar, Chainmail Armour (+1 SKILL), Bronze Ring, Platinum Amulet
Provisions: 2 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Treasure: 7 Gold Pieces