Although you both try to call to the old man, your voices seem thin and useless. He does not stir, and since there seems to be no exit from this marbled hall, you have little choice but to walk towards him.
You walk down the marble hall towards the seated old man. Part-way along, the floor beneath your feet begins to drop away from you. Make an Agility roll.
If you succeed in rolling less than or equal to your Agility score, turn 59.
If you fail, turn to 275.
Dice roll = 7 (Success).
There's a 2-player grid here, but it's not about choices, but rather a similar stat test at Darian's end...
You have both managed to avoid falling into the pit that has opened up in the floor of the marble hall. Cautiously stepping around it, you continue together towards the sleeping old man.
The old man still slumbers peacefully on his throne. Your next steps send up a shower of sparks and a terrible shock rushes through your body, but you continue.
With your next step your whole surroundings alter. Although the old man still slumbers peacefully on his throne, you are now both outside, standing in a broad, circular arena. As you look around, Darian shouts a warning and you turn to see a terrible creature running towards you. It has the body of a man but the head and strength of a bull - a minotaur! There is no alternative: the two of you must fight it. The minotaur will attack you each in turn and you should be wary - its horn are so lethal that you must lose 4 Strength points every time it hits you.
Minotaur: Horns 8 Strength 14
If Darian is killed at any time during the fight, you should turn at once to 143.
If you manage to kill the minotaur and you both survive, turn to 236.
Without the use of magic there's not much strategy to speak of. Pretty much the only thing Darian can to is to keep swinging his sword and hopes he scores a double-2. The Minotaur can potentially kill both of you in 3 rounds each while Issel needs 7 to kill it without rolling a double-2. Your best prayer is that it will miss at least twice....
However, there is an annoyingly ambiguous point about combat. The book states that if the PC is fighting more than 1 opponent at a time, he needs to split his swordsmanship skill by he number of opponents. It DOESN'T say that opponents need to do the same if they have to fight both PCs simultaneously, though, even though it would make sense.
In light of how difficult this fight is otherwise, I'm going to rule that the enemy has to go through the same penalty, otherwise your chances are low.
COMBAT LOG:
Darian rolls 6 and misses.
Issel rolls 7 and hits. Minotaur now at 12.
Minotaur rolls 4 and hits Darian. Darian now at 8.
Minotaur rolls 7 and misses Issel.
Darian rolls 4 and misses.
Issel rolls 10 and hits. Minotaur now at 10.
Minotaur rolls 7 and misses Darian.
Minotaur rolls 8 and misses Issel.
Darian rolls 7 and misses.
Issel rolls 8 and hits. Minotaur now at 8.
Minotaur rolls 7 and misses Darian.
Minotaur rolls 12 and misses Issel.
Darian rolls 6 and misses.
Issel rolls 8 and hits. Minotaur now at 6.
Minotaur rolls 3 and hits Darian. Darian now at 4.
Minotaur rolls 11 and misses Issel.
Darian rolls 7 and misses.
Issel rolls 7 and hits. Minotaur now at 4.
Minotaur rolls 7 and misses Darian.
Minotaur rolls 4 and hits Issel. Issel now at 6.
Darian rolls 9 and misses.
Issel rolls 3 and hits. Minotaur now at 2.
Minotaur rolls 9 and misses Darian.
Minotaur rolls 8 and misses Issel.
Darian rolls 2 and scores an auto-kill. Minotaur is dead!
.....yeah, Darian got his auto-kill....but Issel would have killed it in that round anyway. :/
As the minotaur dies, the arena shimmers and fades, and you find yourselves back in the marble hall. The old man is still sitting peacefully, but you are sure by now that he cannot be asleep. Taking another step towards him, you are shocked to find the floor beneath your feet has taken on the shape and solidity of a cloud! You are now both walking across a white cloud towards where the old man floats in his throne.
Do you believe that the clouds are solid? Of course not, but you must believe it now. Concentrating as hard as you can, you try to believe that the white, fluffy substance across which you are walking is actually firm enough to support you.
To concentrate on this idea, you must strain so hard that you expend 1 Strength point. (If your Strength level has fallen to zero then you are dead.)
To test if your belief is strong enough, you should roll two six-sided dice.
If the number you roll is 8 or more, turn to 122.
If the number you roll is less than 8, turn to 166.
Strength is now down to 3....
Dice roll = 9.
Although you manage to concentrate on believing that that substance you are walking on is not cloud at all, Darian has obviously failed to do so. His body sinks from sight and you are left to face the old man alone in the marble hall. Continue to call out the choices you make, however, even though Darian is no longer with you.
Taking another step forward, you find yourself at the base of the marble dais which contain contains the throne ad the old man. Rising imperiously, he asks your name and purpose. Puzzled, you tell him what he wants to know, and he nods wisely.
"Issel," he says, staring down at you and fingering the jewelled hilt of his sword, which is buckled around his belt. "I do not think you will find what you are seeking."
Unwilling to believe him, you ask him why you will not be able to gregain your heritage.
"It is simple," he tells you, and his lips curve into an evil smile. "I will take your place and overthrow this false King myself. Do you not recognize me? My name too is Issel, your great-grandfather! It is your duty to give up your life and let me return to the world of men in your place!"
Shaken, you recognize the great Seal of Franzoe on a ring that he wears on his right hand. But you cannot allow this old man to take your place. His time has gone, and it is your turn now. You tell him this and he leaps from the dais and attacks you without saying another word. You must fight your great grandfather to the death!
King Issel I: Sword 10 Strength 4
If you win, turn to 267.
If you die, call out the number 162 for Darian, in case he still lives: your own adventure ends here.
COMBAT LOG:
Issel rolls 7 and hits. Great Grand-dad is at 2.
Issel I rolls 6 and hits. Issel is at 3.
Issel rolls 7 and hits. Great Grand-dad is dead...again!
The old man lies dead, sprawled across his throne. Moving closr, you find yourself removing the ring with the Seal of Franzos from his finger and placing it securely in your pocket. Perhaps with this you will be able to reclaim your lost heritage.
When did you and Darian part?
Was it when you fought the minotaur?
Or was it when you walked on the clouds?
Closing your eyes, you relax and take a deep breath. When you open them again, it is to the sight of the Glade of Dreams. Darian is bending over you anxiously.
Rising wearily, you tell him what happened in your dream, and he tells you what happened to him after he fell through the clouds. The ring that you took from your great grandfather's finger is still safely in your pocket.
When you have discussed the meaning of it all, turn to 164.
Stiff and sore from your efforts in your dreams, you walk around the Glade of Dreams for a while before sitting together by the pool to discuss your options. It seems that if here is more than one person in the dream, they both dream the same thing, so you decide to take the dreams in sequence: first Darian will try to dream about changing lead to gold and you will try to help him. Then, if that dream is successful, you will both try to dream of making you King. If neither dream is successful, then you will have to decide which of you will leave the glade while the other dreams alone.
You rest and eat (restore your Strength to its original value). Then you lie down once more and, concentrating on Darian's quest, try to fall asleep.
Opening your eyes you find that nothing has changed. You are still in the Glade of Dreams. Beside you, Darian too has his eyes opened and seems equally puzzled. You are a little suspicious and, talking it over with Darian, you suggest that you are in fact dreaming now. There appears to be one easy way to test this. In the last dream magic did not work. If it does not work now, then you will know you are dreaming.
Will you attempt a spell?
Or will you let Darian try one?
Again, you are to come to a consensus on this with Darian's player, so discuss this in the main thread. You may also tell him about what happened after he fell out of the dream, if you wish.