Let's Play - The Eye of the Dragon (Golden Dragon Fantasy Gamebooks 4)

[JourneymanN00b]

Sure, I vote to use an item.

[Thaluikhain]

Makes sense to try that first, but I suspect a Burning Tiger will be needed.

[deaddmwalking]

233

You can think of at most two items which might prove useful. If you have them, you may try either a jeweled harp (turn to 195) or a bottle of vinegar (turn to 167). Failing that, you could cast your Burning Tiger spell (turn to 104) if you have not yet used it, or you could simply hack at the block with your sword (turn to 149).

Alcina has both a jeweled harp and a bottle of vinegar. Which would she prefer to try?

[Beroli]

Vinegar can melt ice, so try it.

[Thaluikhain]

I guess, not seeing how the harp would help, so try vinegar.

[deaddmwalking]

167

You pull the cork from the bottle and cast its contents over the surface of the crystalline block. If you had hoped to see the mysterious substance fume and dissolve away, you are disappointed. You cast the empty bottle aside. You are fairly confident, at least, that the vinegar would not have been of any use to you. If you now wish to abandon the block and go downstairs, turn to 241. If you still wish to free the entrapped figure, you may use a jeweled harp (turn to 195), a Burning Tiger spell (turn to 104) or a blow from your sword (turn to 149).

[Thaluikhain]

Can't hurt to try the harp next.

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote for the harp.

[Beroli]

Use the jeweled harp.

[deaddmwalking]

195

The first harp string that you pluck causes a ringing note to start up within the block of crystal. You are about to play on, but the note is getting louder and louder and you can see that the edges of the block are blurred by vibration. Covering your ears against the deafening whine, you throw yourself flat just as the block explodes into a thousand glassy fragments. You hear them whistle like a volley of razor-tipped arrows over your head, but none hits you. With the echo of the note still ringing in your ears, you get up and look around. Turn to 276.

276
The robed figure stands motionless for a few moments before clambering gingerly out of the ruins of his icy prison. His gangling body seems oddly misshapen under the folds of heavy maroon cloth, and for some reason he is wearing a large black mask with overlapping face-plates and eye slits set with faceted lenses. It is only when he speaks, and you see the plates at the bottom of the mask whirring in motion, that you understand that it is not a mask at all. It is the face of a gigantic insect.

‘Ezzteemed friend!’ says the insect-man in a buzzing imitation of human speech. ‘You have freed me from a mozt unpleazzant incarzeration.
For thiz, you have the gratitude of Lord Mantizz. Let me take you down to my treazure room, where we can dizcuzz your reward.’ He heads off towards the stairs, beckoning you to follow with a sweep of his knobbly chitinous hand. On the other hand, you notice, he wears a glowing silver gauntlet.

Lord Mantiss leads you down one flight of stairs and then through a maze of drear galleries. At last the two of you emerge on to a balcony high above a marble-floored hall. Lord Mantiss pauses for a moment as if sunk in thought, then his long arms reach out to encircle a huge chunk of masonry which he lifts up as though it were made of cardboard! A narrow doorway is revealed in the wall behind the block.

“My zecret treazure room,’ announces Lord Mantiss, inclining his head towards the dark doorway. ‘Pray enter and zelect what pleazzes you . . .’

Will you go through the doorway (turn to 71), or will you refuse to do as he asks (turn to 105)?

[Beroli]

Go through the doorway.

[Thaluikhain]

Go through, but I'm a bit concerned.

[deaddmwalking]

71

You enter a chamber which, although small, is lavishly festooned with sparkling gems, antique jewelery and piles of glistening gold coins. With many a nervous glance back at the doorway, you begin to look for items of particular interest. Lord Mantiss stands outside on the balcony, holding the stone block and bobbing his huge head approvingly. Although he seemed to suggest you could help yourself, you decide not to take too much for ear of seeming ingracious. Will you select:

Two handfuls of gold coins? Turn to 123
An electrum locket? Turn to 23
A silver figurine with seed pearls for eyes? Turn to 250

[Beroli]

Hm. Take the locket.

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote for the electurm locket.

[deaddmwalking]

23

‘Pizh and tozh!’ exclaims Lord Mantiss as you hold up the item you have chosen. ‘That iz a cherizhed heirloom. Anything elze, you could have taken with my blezzingz — but now, I regret to zay, you have offended me.’ Bowed down by what seems to be genuine sorrow, he effortlessly slides the stone block back into place across the doorway. You curse and yell at the mad insect-man at the top of your lungs, but there is no reply. You soon realize -you will never shift the massive block. For an imagined slight, your deranged captor has condemned you to a slow and lingering death by starvation. You have failed in your quest.

We can reset to any point in the narrative if there is desire to do so, including making a different choice for treasure, or going back further.

[JourneymanN00b]

Boy, was that an unfair death. I’m sure that our hero might have been willing to pick something else if asked to do so.

I vote to try the figurine.

[Beroli]

Yes, ask for the figurine. And if he kills us again for it, rewind to refusing to go into the doorway.

[deaddmwalking]

After seriously considering the locket, Alcina instead chooses the silver figurine.

250

Lord Mantiss watches you askance with his sparkling faceted eyes as you leave the treasure room. You have the weird impression that he is disgruntled by your choice of item. He drops the huge block back into place. It crunches down heavily, just missing your toes. ‘Now go,’ sighs Mantiss with a heavy heart. You back away at his waspish gesture and hurry down through a series of ramshackle halls to the ground floor. Turn to 241.

241

You wait until the Kappa have all gone and then edge cautiously around the quadrangle. The moon hangs mistily above the drizzle; its reflection is a silvery smear on the wet ground. Twice you have to retreat back into the darkness of broken doorways to avoid Kappa patrols, but eventually you reach the point where you first entered the quadrangle. Without warning, a black shape almost a metre across darts out of the shadows nearby and swiftly moves towards you. It makes a sound like bones rattling together as it runs. Before you can react, or even discern the details of its form, it has reached you. A stabbing pain lances up your leg. Lose 2 VIGOUR and, if you are still alive, turn to
60.

Alcina was at 9 Vigour; this attack reduces her to 7.

60

You are being attacked by a Sentinel Crab. The Kappa train these huge crabs and use them like guard dogs. You draw your sword and fend away the one that has just wounded you, but even as you do so you see more of the horrible creatures scuttling across the cobblestones towards you. There are too many of them to fight — and rather than waste your spells you decide to run for it.
Which way will you go:

South, to the Avenue of Sphinxes? Turn to 158
East, back along the narrow alley to the plaza by the Temple of Swords? Turn to 85

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to go south to avoid the temptations of fascism.

[Thaluikhain]

May as well.

(Sentinel Crabs are also in Dragon Warriors, mentioned to be used as servants for kappa, and also hunted by humans for food)

[deaddmwalking]

158

You blunder straight into a host of the murderous monsters. Hard snapping claws rip your clothing, tear bloody chunks from your flesh. You scream once, and the shrill cry echoes back unheeded from the empty buildings as the Crabs swarm over you. They are a ravenous black tide, with no thought but to glut themselves on your torn flesh. Your adventure has come to a sticky end.


And you thought choosing the locket was an unfair death. This is pretty brutal.

Anyone care to reset back to an earlier point?

[Beroli]

Go back along the narrow alley to the plaza.

[JourneymanN00b]

Okay, fine. I vote to succumb to fascism and head along the narrow alley to the plaza. The right seems to be all the rage nowadays...

[deaddmwalking]

85

You stumble desperately along in near-darkness. Behind you, the Sentinel Crabs pour like a hungry black tide into the alleyway, eager to tear your fragile flesh with their hard, snapping claws. In your panic-stricken flight you blunder into the corpse of the pirate. Stumbling, you stare for moment straight into the shadowy lines of his dead face. You regain your footing and scramble breathlessly on. The clattering sounds of pursuit stop abruptly. You glance back over your shoulder and see why, and the sight makes your stomach churn with revulsion. Chancing upon the pirate’s corps the Crabs are unable to resist the lure of carrion meat. They swarm all over the body, plucking at it ravenously. In their senseless exultation at the grisly feast they have forgotten you entirely. You hurry east to the plaza and make your way south to the Bridge of Blue Skulls. Turn to 108.

108

The curiously-named Bridge of Blue Skulls once spanned one of the proud canals of ancient Thalios, but as the land sank the sea gradually crept in. The bridge now links an island to the main part of the city. On a hill ahead of you, stark against the starry sky, looms the brooding Citadel of Conundrums. You glance down as you cross — the ground under the bridge is impassable sludge. At high tide the supports will be under several feet of water. As you reach the south end of the bridge and start up the rough pathway to the Citadel, a ragged figure shambles from behind a gnarled tree. Startled, you jump back with your sword half-drawn. In the moonlight you see nothing more threatening than a filthy old beggar. He wanders up to you with palm outstretched and you can smell his rancid breath as he croaks, ‘Money for a poor old man, noble friend. I expect no more than one piece of gold, though I'll not refuse more!’ If you wish to give the beggar a Gold Piece, turn to 130. If, in a mood of reckless charity, you choose to give him two Gold Pieces, turn to 217. Remember to cross the cash off your Character Sheet. If you have no gold, or decide not to give any to him, you can ignore his grumbled curses and pass on up the path to the Citadel (turn to 41).

Alcina still has the 10 gold pieces she originally started with.