The Gaming Den

The College of War is easy to find; it is a huge five-sided building built all of brick. If you have been here before, turn to 332. If you have not been here before, keep reading. A robot of unfamiliar design is standing in front of the building. You recognize it as a Karossean military robot. What will you do:

Attack immediately?
Try to pass as one of the invaders?
Leave before you are noticed?

If you are wearing an enemy uniform, turn to 177. If you do not have a uniform, Test your Luck: if you are Lucky, turn to 199; if you are Unlucky, turn to 223.

Your gamble is successful. The enemy pilot has no reason to believe that any Thalians are awake, so he assumes you must be a friend. He ignores you as you go past him peacefully.

You park your robot beside the door and enter the College of War. You are alert for other Karosseans, but apparently the sentry outside was the only one. The halls and rooms are littered with beribboned generals, fast asleep.

Following the signs, you head for the library to see what you can learn. But, just as you get there, you hear a roaring sound from outside. Looking out of the window, you see three sleek fighter-planes hurtle down, sprout legs and turn into robots like the sentry outside. The Karosseans are arriving in force!

You quickly look around the room. There are several volumes on the counter, as though someone was trying to check them out just before the sleeping sickness hit. The books are too large to carry, and you have time to look at only one. Which title will you choose:

The City of Guardians?
Emergency Prodedures?
Karossean Military Robots?

Looking out of the window, you see three sleek fighter-planes hurtle down, sprout legs and turn into robots

The book gives you the location of the City of the Guardians, the secret base that is the headquarters of the army of Thalos. The map reference is 22. Make a note of this number. Substitute it for 'XX' when you are given the option to visit the City of the Guardians. You may find another use for the map reference as well. For now, of course, you must deal with the Karosseans outside the building you are in！

You realize that you must leave quickly. Looking outside, you see that the Karosseans have entered the building. The fools have left their robots outside and unguarded, parked near yours, You spring out of the window and run for them. If you get back into your own robot, turn to 322. If you get into a Karossean robot instead, turn to 345.

Laughing, you scramble into an enemy combat robot! The Myrmidon is the standard combat robot. It has two forms - humanoid and fighter-plane.

MYRMIDON
Human Form ARMOUR 12 SPEED Medium COMBAT BONUS +1
Plane Form ARMOUR 10 SPEED Very Fast COMBAT BONUS +1
SPECIAL ABILITIES: The Myrmidon can change shape - from humanoid to aircraft, and back.

The Myrmidon takes one combat turn to change forms. During that turn, the robot makes its normal combat roll, but if it wins, it does no damage to the foe- it just defends itself. If you are not in combat, the robot can change shapes freely, with no penalty of any kind, except that if the robot is in humanoid shape and has 2 or less ARMOUR points, it will fall apart if it changes to a plane!

The controls are unfamiliar. If you have read the manual to Karossean robots, turn to 322. If not, turn to 3.

Because you are not familiar with this type of robot, you do not get the normal COMBAT BONUS with it - in fact, your SKILL is 1 less than usual while you use it. You realize that you had better get out of here while you can.

You are leaving the College of War. Where will you go:

The College of Medicine?
The Thalian Museum?
The Dinosaur Preserve?
Another city?

You are leaving the City of Knowledge...hopefully, wiser than when you came. Where will you travel now:

The City of Industry?
The City of the Jungle?
The City of Storms?
The City of Worship?

You are in the City of the Jungle. If you have been to this city before, turn to 349 immediately. If this is your first visit (no matter how many places you have already been in the city) keep reading.

This is a relatively small city, a home for explorers, gatherers of valuable plants and lovers of the wilderness. Wild dinosaurs often walk the very streets of the City of the Jungle. What will you do here:

Explore the city?
Explore the jungle?
Leave the city?

Thaluikhain wrote: ↑

Fri May 12, 2023 2:42 pm

"If this is your first visit (no matter how many places you have already been in the city) keep reading". Hmmm?

You decide to explore the city. If you explore the northern portion, turn to 16. If you explore to the south, turn to 225.

Thaluikhain wrote: ↑

Sat May 13, 2023 10:56 am

Well, if it's your first visit, then the number of places you've already been in the city is zero, surely?

You turn north through the deserted city. You see few people lying in the streets here; thinking of the jungle so close by, you shudder. You fear you know what has happened to the people here. Then, rounding the corner, you see that you were right. A Nothosaurus is coming towards you, long tongue flickering. This dinosaur walks on all fours or swims in shallow swamps. It is both a predator and a scavenger. If you flee immediately, turn to 331.Otherwise, fight the creature:

NOTHOSAURUS ARMOUR 7 SPEED SLOW SKILL 9

If you kill the Nothosaurus, turn 51. If your own robot's ARMOUR is reduced to 0, turn to 279. If you Escape, turn to 331.