You follow Hakasan up the winding staircase to the library, where Yaztromo is pacing anxiously up and down. He smiles on seeing his good friend Nicodemus, and gives him a big bear hug. Hakasan looks out of the window and makes a solemn announcement: 'He's arrived.' You walk over to the window and look out to see Zanbar Bone, scythe in hand, leaning on silk cushions of an ornate gilt throne carried on the shoulders of four skeletons. Returning as a Demon Prince, he is evil personified. His unmistakable spiked skull is now twice the size it was before, and he has grown bat-like wings and cloven hooves. The Skeletons' army parts down the middle to allow their leader a passageway to the front. there is a gigantic five metre-tall tentacled beast following behind the throne, hideous in appearance, the like of which you have never seen before. You hurriedly decide your battle plan with Yaztromo, Nicodemus and Hakasan. You volunteer to lead the attack on Zanbar Bone. Hakasan says she will defend you from the onrushing Skeleton horde. Nicodemus says he will be at your side casting spells. Yaztromo claps his hands, and says, 'And I will stand on your other side casting spells. Good! We have a plan. The Demon Prince will taste our most powerful magic today.' He pours green juice from a stoppered flask into a cup, and tells you to drink it. You immediately feel invigorated. Add 2 SKILL points and 2 STAMINA points. You run downstairs to the ground floor and open the door on to a scene of total chaos. Zanbar Bone is standing on his throne, laughing maniacally. His army of Skeletons are rattling their swords against their shields, a deafening sound of clashing steel which is painful to your ears. Suddenly he raises his arms skywards, and his troops stand to attention, rigid and upright. All is quiet for a few seconds before the silence is broken by the distant sound of buzzing. A dark cloud appears in the sky and the buzzing sound grows louder. The cloud flies down towards you like a large flock of birds. But this is not a flock of birds - it is a plague of insects controlled by Zanbar Bone. (Harry is wearing a dragonfly pendant.)
Silver dragonfly pendants made by Jadan Fam were all dipped in the juice of the ground-up Manglewort root, a very rare plant found only in springtime on Icefinger Mountains. The tiniest amount acts as a potent insect repellent. Only Jadan knew where to find the Manglewort, and he never told a soul where they grew to his dying day. Your pendant acts as an invisible shield, keeping the millions of insects at bay until Yaztromo steps in to blast them with a Volcano Spell, which makes them all explode, showering the skeleton horde with insect fragments. Zanbar Bone rages from his throne, and commands his tentacled beast to attack you.
The unholy beast strides forward with heavy steps which makes the ground tremble. It is grey-green in colour with ugly red veins protruding from its skin. It has giant-sized clawed hands with suckered palms, but the most terrifying thing is its enormous mouth, which is almost as wide as its torso. Its mouth opens to reveal two rows of flesh-ripping teeth, and six long, suckered tentacles which shoot out from its throat, flailing around in the air. The vile beast is QUAG-SHUGGUTH, a Lesser Demon summoned from the Plain of Pain by Zanbar Bone. It has tiny eyes and is virtually blind, but it senses your presence and knows exactly where you are. You have to fight it! (Harry owns a Venom Sword.)
The monstrous creature lumbers forward, its long tentacles curling in and out of its cavernous mouth, trying to snare you. Its iron-like hide is difficult to pierce with normal weapons, but your Venom Sword was crafted with Demon-slayer magic. Add 3 SKILL points.
QUAG-SHUGGUTH SKILL 12 STAMINA 13
Combat Log:
QS 16, Harry 21. QS is at 11.
QS 16, Harry 19. QS is at 9.
QS 16, Harry 23. QS is at 7.
QS 18, Harry 20. QS is at 5.
QS 22, Harry 20. Harry is at 18.
QS 22, Harry 21. Harry is at 16.
QS 22, Harry 16. Harry is at 14.
QS 19, Harry 20. QS is at 3.
(Gonna test Luck on the next hit here, for the same reasons given against the Imperial Guard Troll.)
QS 14, Harry 16. Luck test: 1,5=6;Lucky! Quag-Shugguth is killed!
The death of Quag-Shugguth makes Zanbar Bone go into a frenzy. With maggots pouring from his mouth, he curses your name. Lightning strikes the ground from the darkened sky, and he steps down from his throne to order his Skeletons forward to attack. Yaztromo casts a Warp Spell on the Skeletons to slow them briefly and give you time to advance, whilst Hakasan launches herself at the Skeletons in front of you, swinging her sword back and forth trying to hack a way through to the Demon Prince. The air is putrid with the smell of Skeletons, their bones grinding against each other in the crush to reach you. But you stay calm and ready yourself for the final battle. (Nicodemus is wearing the Ring of Burning Snakes.)
With his clenched fist pointed at the Demon, Nicodemus steps forward and calls on the Ring of Burning Snakes to spit fire. Louder and louder he speaks, using arcane words until a cone of fire shoots out from the mouths of the snakes, enveloping Zanbar Bone in a circle of flame. The Demon throws his head back, laughing manically, the yellow flames merely dancing around his body and causing him no harm. 'White fire! White fire!' Yaztromo screams at Nicodemus, whose pale face is contorted with pain from the effort. Using his supreme mental powers to the full, he shouts even louder, screaming at the top of his voice, which makes the veins on the side of his head pulsate and sweat run down his face. The intensity of heat increases, and the colour of the cone of flame changes from yellow to white, causing the expression in Zanbar Bone's eyes to change from immortal power to extreme fear. 'Now!' screams Yaztromo. 'Now! Bone is trapped in the ring of white flame!' The moment has arrived for you to strike. Will you:
Attack him with your sword?
Fire an arrow at him?
Fire a flintlock pistol at him?
Adventure Sheet
Harry Balzac
SKILL: 12/12
STAMINA: 14/20
LUCK: 11/12
Weapons: Venom Sword, Bow (6 arrows), Loaded Flintlock Pistol (3 spare lead balls,) Pouch of Black Powder
Armor: Shield, Black Chain-Mail Vest, Black Cloak, Iron Helmet, Chaos Warrior Gauntlets
Magic Items: Bracelet of Power, Elven Boots, Cursed Copper Necklace, Tyche Ring, Dragonfly Pendant (worn around neck), Horn of Calling
Provisions: 2 Meals (restore 4 STAMINA each)
Potions: None
Money: 7 Gold Pieces, 14 Copper Pieces
Keys: Iron Key, 20 Brass Keys, Silver Key (in Silver Box), Bunch of Iron Keys
Knives: Long Knife, Serrated Knife
Items: Map, Ball of Twine, Candle, Small Brass Bell, Oil Lantern, 2 Pieces of Chalk, Brass Owl, Rope, Bag of Copper Nails, Water Flask, Unicorn-Head Goblet, 4 Teeth, 3 Silver Buttons, Glass Eye, 3 Polished Stones, Dried Nettles, Cast-Iron Pig Trinket, Locket of Hag's Hair, Box of Fish Hooks, Glass Vial of Green Gas, Brass Compass, Lucky Bones, Large Ruby, Merchant's Pass, Silver Earring
Jars: Rats' Tails, Small Bones, Worms, Dead Flies, Lotus Flower, Noop Powder, Siff-Saff Paste
Running Total of Game Overs: 2
(I love the mental image of a giant skeletal demon shouting "Curse you, Harry Balzac!")