The Gaming Den

Before you can go any further you will need a source of light. Will you take down the pine torch, or would you prefer to light up your lantern?

Holding up your lantern, you cross over to the archway - only to find that the passage beyond ends in a blank wall after only a few yards. You search in vain for a secret panel, but you are finally forced to accept that it is a dead end. Puzzled, you return to the hallway and try the stairs.

You climb up to the first floor landing. From here you can go left or right.

You advance along a narrow corridor illuminated by the amber glow of oil lamps. Shortly you come to a door in the left-hand wall. A few metres further, on the other side of the corridor, you see another door. Will you:

Try the door to your left?
Try the door to your right?
Continue along the corridor?

The door seems to be barred or barricaded shut. If you wish to knock, turn to 180. Otherwise, you may try the door in the other wall or carry on to the end of the corridor.

You pound the door with your fist, producing a booming echo. After a few moments a small panel slides back and the occupant of the room examines you. You see his eyes alight on the talisman Jasper gave you; immediately he gives a cry of delight and starts to clear his barricade from the other side of the door. You wait nervously in the passage, praying that all this noise won't alert the demon. Finally the door opens and the old man ushers you in. The place is a vast, vaulted library with all manner of books and pamphlets lining every inch of the walls from floor to ceiling.

'You've come at last!' says the old man, crying with joy. 'I knew my lads wouldn't let me down - I'm Luther Faze, of course.' He shows you to a leather armchair by the fireplace and thrusts a glass of tawny port wine into your hand. Obviously, although Slank's prisoner, he is. not completely without creature comforts. He takes down a musty tome and opens it at a chapter headed Dealing with Demons. 'Now listen carefully, for there isn't much time. You should have a number of items, and this book describes how each item will affect Slank. Firstly, a four leaf clover will have much the same effect on him as a crucifix has on a vampire - he won't want to touch it or go anywhere near it. Second, if you throw my daughter's teardrop into his left eye you'll blind him completely, as I've already managed to destroy his right eye. Now, do you have the fragment of knight's armour and the hair of a nun?'

If you have both these items turn to 169. If not, turn to 10.

Following instructions in his book, Luther affixes the sliver of armour to the point of one of your arrows. He then restrings your bow using the nun's hair. This will kill Slank at once if you shoot him through the heart,' he explains. 'Lastly, then, do you have the ashes of a saint?'

If you do, turn to 275. If not, turn to 88.

'Excellent. After killing Slank you must scatter the ashes over his body. Now, I wish you good luck.' You shake hands before taking your leave of him and continuing along the corridor. Behind you, you hear him pushing the library furniture back against the door.

You pause a few metres beyond the library, beside the other door. If you wish to open it, turn to 264. If you wish to continue on along the corridor, turn to 135.

JourneymanN00b wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 15, 2022 5:36 am

I vote to open the other door.

You step through the doorway and advance along a dank passage. Peering through an archway to your right, you espy the scarlet and gold outlines of a bizarre demonic face hanging in the blackness before you. A luminous mask on the far wall of the chamber, perhaps? You thrust your lantern forward, but it does little to pierce the thick shadows. If you wish to go through the archway, turn to 298. If you would rather continue along the passage, turn to 251.

Holding your lantern aloft and treading warily in the deep darkness, you approach the glinting lines of the demon-mask. A sob of terrified breath catches in your throat as you hear an ominous hiss - you know at once that you are not looking at a mask but at the head of a Giant Cobra! It turns towards you, and its scales glisten like polished jet in your lamplight. As it rears up and slithers across the flagstones, you see its slender tongue dart in and out like a flickering red flame. Its jaws are wet with lethal venom, and you quickly prepare to defend yourself from its attack.

GIANT COBRA VIGOUR 12

Roll two dice:
score 2 - Turn to 31
score 3 to 5 - You are hit; lose 3 VIGOUR
score 6 to 12 - The Cobra loses 3 VIGOUR

If you FLEE back to the passage and hurry on, turn to 251. If you kill the Giant Cobra, turn to 123.

If you were bitten by the Giant Cobra, turn to 250. If you have come through the fight unscathed, turn to 304.

Roll four dice (or roll one die four times). If the total exceeds your current VIGOUR score, turn to 94. If not, turn to 226.