CHARACTER CREATION
Get a load of these stats: Skill 12, Stamina 19, Luck 10. It's going to take some genuine stupidity for me to fail with scores like this.
THE ADVENTURE
So, once again I'm back at the start of the adventure, with Mungo by my side, determined to kill the Lizard King and free his slaves. In our last adventure I chose the left path from the beach, and Mungo got nippered by a Giant Crab. This time I opted for the right path, hoping that my old mate would survive.
No sooner had we climbed over the rocks to the next inlet than we saw six pirates preparing to bury a treasure chest. Personally I question the wisdom of burying a treasure chest on a beach. Wouldn't the tide eventually wash it away? I'm not a pirate, though, so what do I know? It seems I have a pirate's greed, however, because I convinced Mungo that we should attack the scurvy dogs. We cut down two of them before they could react, and then I found myself fighting two pirates at once. They were moderately skilled (Skill 7 and 8, respectively), and working as a pair they managed to wound me a few times before I killed them (dropping my Stamina to 13).
I was too late to save poor Mungo, though, as the Pirate Captain (Skill 10, Stamina 6) stabbed him through the chest. I was able to avenge my old friend, but not before the captain wounded me twice (dropping my Stamina to 9). I held Mungo as he died, and listened to his immortal final words: "Make sure you get the Lizard King for me, won't you?" Sheer poetry.
With combat over, and my companion dead, it was time to turn to more important matters: the looting of treasure. It was not to be, however, as the treasure contained nothing but iron bars (no doubt a ruse by the captain to throw off his crew and keep the real treasure for himself). I kept one of the iron bars anyway; this is an Ian Livingstone book, after all.
(On the whole, I think that the path with the Giant Crab is the better one. It only involves one combat, and I feel like the anti-poison is a better reward than the iron bar. I guess I'll find out eventually.)
I climbed a goat track up a cliff and into the jungle, and soon I found myself in territory that I had covered during Attempt 1. I chose not to rest under the tree this time (thus avoiding the strangling vine). The three Headhunters proved to be little trouble; I defeated them and took just one wound, and was able to heal up afterwards with their food and one of my own provisions (restoring my Stamina to 12, and leaving me with 9 provisions). In my last attempt I went north-west to avoid the Headhunters' village, but this time I carried on to the west, as I wanted to get back into unexplored territory.
Soon I heard the sound of drums to the south-west, but I ignored it and continued west. I got lost for a short time, but a glimpse of the sun allowed me to get my bearings, and soon I found myself at the edge of a swamp. (I feel like I got to this point a lot quicker this time; this must be the shortest and safest path through the book. I'll remember it for the times when I really just want to rush through, assuming I haven't missed anything vital.)
As I entered the swamp, a Marsh-Hopper raced past, and I called out to it. I was wary of the danger of following one of these tricksome creatures, but I felt as though I should at least let it guide me for a short time. This I did, but I was careful to break off and head west before it could lead me to my death (as happened in my last game). I got through the swamp safely, but I was disgusted to find that I was covered in Giant Leeches. I was able to remove them with some salt from my provisions, but I was greatly weakened. (You have to roll a die to determine how many leeches are attached to you, and lose this amount of Stamina. I rolled a 5, reducing my Stamina to 7 and my provisions to 8.)
I left the swamp and soon came to a gorge between several hills. I decided to enter the gorge rather than climb the hills, figuring that I should do my best to keep out of sight. It turned out to be a bad decision, as I was caught in a very inconveniently timed landslide, and one of the rocks struck me when I failed a Luck test (reducing my Luck score to 9). I then had to roll a die to determine how badly I had been struck; I rolled a 6, and suffered a glancing blow and the loss of 2 Stamina (reducing my total to 5). Feeling shaken by the ordeal, I stopped to rest and eat some provisions (which restored my Stamina to 9, and left me with 7 provisions).
There were some words carved on a nearby rock: "Turn Back or Die". It wasn't evident which direction the words were meant for, so I pressed on to the far end of the gorge. There I found some footprints and signs of a struggle, and I tracked them until I found a shiny brass snuff-box. Inside was a gold nugget and a piece of paper with a message from an escaped slave of the Lizard King. It indicated the location of his hidden raft, where the gorge meets the river, and also that the mines were nearby. Armed with this knowledge, I went in search of the river.
Before I could get there, though, a Giant Lizard attacked!
The Lizard wasn't all that tough (Skill 8, Stamina 9), but I was a bit worried due to my low Stamina. I needn't have been concerned, as I killed it without a scratch. (Another pointless encounter. Livingstone strikes again.)
Soon I came to a pond, and I decided to take a drink despite the layer of green algae floating on top. The pond was home to a Spit Toad, but I was able to avoid the jet of liquid it shot from its mouth with a successful Skill test.
I quickly killed the feeble Toad (Skill 5, Stamina 6), and took the drink I had been after in the first place (which restored my Stamina to 10). At the bottom of the pond I noticed a wooden casket, so I waded in to retrieve it. Inside was a veritable trove of items: a phial of liquid, a velvet pouch, a gold ring and a pair of red leather boots. Fired by insatiable curiosity, I tried them all. The phial was a Potion of Clumsiness; from now on I would have to roll a die at the beginning of every combat, and if I scored a 1 I would automatically lose the first Attack Round. The pouch was a Pouch of Unlimited Contents, which had the ability to store large and heavy objects in an interdimensional space (a find which restored my Luck back to 10). The boots had no evident special qualities, aside from being snazzy. Finally, the ring was a Ring of Confusion, which caused me to lose 2 Skill points (dropping my score to 10). All told, I feel like I got hosed with this particular selection of items, but I'm sure some will come in handy later.
As I continued travelling a wild boar crossed my path, but I had no spear to catch it. Further along I came to a river, and I remembered the note that I had read earlier. I searched in the bushes, found the raft hidden there, and set off upstream.
I had not gone far before my boat was attacked by a Giant Crocodile. Normally this would have meant a fight, but I was able to wedge its jaws open with the iron bar I had found earlier. Let's hear it for ultra-specific, one-use item applications! (At least I hope it's one-use, I'll be furious if I need that bar later on.)
As I drifted on, a prisoner in rags appeared on the shore, waving to me frantically.
I stopped to talk to him, which turned out to be a terrible idea. The man was delirious with fever, and he attacked me with a dagger. I was forced to fight him bare-handed (reducing my Skill in this fight to 7), and despite his low scores (Skill 6, Stamina 5), he hit me twice before I defeated him (reducing my Stamina to 6). I didn't have to kill him, though, as my second blow sent him flying off my raft and into the water. I ate another of my provisions before continuing on (restoring my Stamina to 10, and leaving me with 6 provisions).
Eventually I came to a collection of huts, and I steered the raft towards the bank so as not to be seen. Near the huts was a pair of Lizard Men, and I knew from the note I had read earlier that I had found the gold mines. I decided to ignore the Lizard Men, and sneaked past them to enter the mines.
I explored a torch-lit mine passage, and soon came to a T-junction, where I turned right. At the next junction I went straight ahead, and found an over-turned cart with the skeleton of a Dwarf lying nearby.
There was a bore-hole in the wall nearby, and I found myself wondering if the Dwarf had been killed by a Rock Grub (huzzah for monster continuity). Despite my knowledge of Rock Grubs, and against my better judgment, I decided to take a look inside the bore-hole. It was dark inside, and I had the option to turn back, but I ignored it. Soon it became apparent that the bore-hole wasn't going anywhere, so I had to flip around awkwardly and make my way back to the mine passage. While I was doing so an item fell out of my pack (bye-bye note from the snuff-box), which caused me to lose a Luck point (reducing my Luck to 9).
The mine passage ended at a junction, and I turned left. This tunnel soon ended at a vertical shaft, which looked cracked and dangerous. The thought crossed my mind that the boots I was wearing might be magical, and after some testing I figured out that they gave me the ability to walk on walls. I explored the bottom of the shaft, and found a superbly crafted sword. Taking it added 2 to my Skill (which restored my score back to 12), and I was also able to restore my Luck to 10 due to my good fortune.
(I can't quite recall, but I'll bet those boots aren't used at any other point in the book, despite how obviously handy they would be. I'll be keeping an eye out to see if my suspicions are correct.)
I walked back to the junction and continued straight through. The floor of the tunnel was strewn with what appeared to be coconuts, but were actually tiny creatures known as Grannits.
They're kind of adorable, or at least I thought so until one of the buggers bit me through my shoe (reducing my Stamina to 9). One of them attacked me, but with a Skill of 4 it might as well not have bothered. After dispatching the first I tried to kill the other three with a single stroke of my sword, but rolling a 1 on the die meant that I missed them all. Much like the first Grannit, however, their attacks on me were futile. (Skill 3, Ian? Stop wasting my time, mate.)
With the Grannits defeated, and no paths onwards, I made my way back past the cart and the skeleton. I continued on past the mine entrance, and came to a vertical shaft with a ladder leading down. It seemed to me that the mine-workers must be down there, so I descended the ladder.
At the bottom of the ladder I could hear the faint sound of singing. I headed towards it, but some footsteps behind me sent me scurrying into the shadows. A Lizard Man walked past my hiding place, and I decided to follow it. I was unable to be stealthy, however, as the Potion of Clumsiness that I had drank earlier was still in effect. I dropped my sword, but a successful Luck test (reducing my Luck to 9) meant that the Lizard Man was too deaf to hear. Stoked by my good fortune, I picked up a rock and smashed the Lizard Man's head in before it could react.
Following the singing, I emerged into a chamber where six Dwarfs were toiling under the whip of a Lizard Man guard.
Incensed with rage, I attacked the Lizard Man (Skill 8, Stamina 7). I struck it two solid blows before the Dwarfs took up their hammers and bludgeoned it to death. The Dwarfs were more than willing to join up with me on my quest to kill the Lizard King, and they agreed to lead me to the other prisoners. I disguised myself by wearing the Lizard Man's cloak, but a failed Luck test (reducing my Luck to 8) meant that I had to fight the next Lizard Man I encountered. It was no problem, as my Dwarf buddies tore him apart after a single attack round. (Why don't I take these guys with me everywhere? I could stick them in my Pouch of Unlimited Contents and smuggle them into Deathtrap Dungeon.)
A pair of Orcs were the next to fall to my Dwarven comrades (after another Luck test, which reduced my score to 7). Together we freed more slaves, including Elves and Men, and we ran riot through the mines, freeing the other prisoners and killing the guards. I had to roll a die to determine how many wounds I sustained during the battle. I rolled a 1, which meant that I lost 4 Stamina (reducing my total to 5).
The mines were soon over-run, and I was the leader of a band of 63 rescued slaves. We proceeded to throw a party, complete with jig-dancing Dwarf, but soon enough a brooding Elf decided to ruin the fun. This Elf had some proper foreboding exposition to drop on me: the Lizard King had bonded with a parasite known as a Gonchong, which made him invincible. Apparently, only the island's Shaman knows of the Gonchong's weakness, and the Elf recommended that I go looking for him. I sent my small army to lay siege to the Lizard King's fort, while I went in search of the shaman.
With no knowledge of where the Shaman might be, I struck out for the island's volcano. I went back to my boat, but the current was now too strong, so I decided to travel overland. Soon I found a bush with raspberries, which I ate (restoring my Stamina to 6). A failed Luck test (reducing my score to 6) meant that I had to battle a Giant Wasp, but I was able to defeat it without being wounded. (It looks as though something bad happens if you take any wounds in this fight. I haven't looked, but I suspect an instant death by stinger).
Continuing on, I found a bulging sack hanging from a tree. I cut it down, and out spilled honeycomb, wheatcakes and fruit. I ate it all (along with one of my Provisions, restoring my Stamina to 12), but a rustling in the bushes alerted me to danger. BEAR ATTACK!
Apparently this was the ninja of bears, because it had a whopping Skill of 10. Even so, I killed it without taking a scratch. Because I am the ninja of adventurers. The bear had a brass whistle on a collar around its neck, and I was quick to loot it. At this point I decided to drink my Potion of Fortune, which raised my Luck score to 11.
As the sun was setting, I found a place to camp. I successfully tested my Luck (reducing my score to 10), and the night passed without incident. In the morning, as I was filling my water bottle, I noticed some chalk marks on a nearby rock. It was a message from the Shaman, telling me that if I desired peaceful contact with him I should tie a feather in my hair.
I set off to find a feather, but instead I found a hostile Hill Troll that instantly attacked (dammit Ian). The Troll (Skill 9, Stamina 9) hit me thrice before I could kill it (reducing my Stamina to 6). It also had no loot, further reinforcing the pointlessness of this encounter.
I pressed on, and soon I found a dead seagull and tied one of its feathers in my hair. Nearby I saw the mouth of a cave, and went to investigate. As I drew near my foot caught on a string that tumbled some rocks, alerting the Cavewoman who lived inside.
She ran forth and hurled a spear at me. I successfully tested my Luck (reducing my score to 9), and the spear sailed over my head. I easily killed the Cavewoman, and set about looting her home. The only item of interest was a bowl of red dust she kept near her bedding. I decided to experiment with it by daubing some on my face, and was rewarded with the knowledge that the powder would protect me from mind control. With my Luck restored to 11, I left the cave and continued on.
Soon I reached the foot of the volcano, and rather than skirt around I decided to climb directly up the side. I soon came to a circle of polished stones, with a pile of crude items inside. I thought that perhaps this was a place where visitors could leave gifts for the Shaman, so I decided to leave something in the circle. At this point, I had a gold nugget, a Pouch of Unlimited Contents, Boots of Climbing, a Ring of Confusion, a superbly crafted sword, and a brass whistle. The only item here that I didn't want was the ring, and that's what I left. I really shouldn't have, as it's cursed, and the description when you put it on specifically states that it can't be removed. I'd forgotten that at the time, and I reasoned that the Ring wasn't having a mechanical effect on me now that I'd found the sword. So I left it as my offering, when I really shouldn't have. (As it turns out, keeping the ring would have served me far better.) Despite my flagrant disregard for the spirit of the rules, a line of rocks turned red to form a path to the Shaman.
I followed the path, and soon an old man with a feathered staff popped out from behind a rock. I had found the Shaman at last.
The Shaman was convinced of my good intentions by the feather in my hair (seriously, this guy would be so easy to murder), and listened while I explained about my mission to kill the Lizard King and the Gonchong. He did a comical leap in the air when I mentioned the Gonchong, but despite his shock, and the altruism of my goals, he said that I would have to earn his help by passing three "disturbing and painful" tests. At this point the book gave me the option to leave, which is tempting to try out one day to see exactly how helpful the Shaman is in finishing the book. (What I would really like is the option to just not bother looking for the Shaman at all. It would shave off a considerable part of a quite long book.)
I was game for the tests, and he gave me six options to choose from: Luck, Fear, Pain, Revulsion, Strength, and Dexterity. The first test I chose was Fear. The shaman filled my head with "terrible and threatening images", but I was able to resist them due to the magic powder I had on my face.
The next trial I chose was Pain. He told me to hold two bones, and suddenly I felt as though I was going to explode. This was dead easy to pass. There's an option to cry out for him to stop, and an option to suck it up and take the pain. It's pretty obvious which is the correct one, and if you choose it it's an automatic pass. No troubles here.
For the final test I chose Revulsion. The Shaman tapped me with his staff, and suddenly my whole body was crawling with maggots. "You feel them writhing around inside your mouth and ears." At this point the book asked me if I was wearing the Ring of Confusion. If you'll recall, I had taken it off and left it as a gift for the Shaman. I was feeling pretty good about not having it (albeit a little guilty for what was probably cheating), but as it turned out the ring would have helped me pass the test somehow. Without the ring I was unable to bear the experience, and to my surprise the Shaman told me that he could not share his secrets. What, I only get one failure? Disappointed, I began the long trek back down the volcano to find my army.
After a time I came to a ravine, and the only way across was a stone arch guarded by a Hobgoblin.
By this point I was weary of the constant grind of battle, so I decided to bribe my way across the bridge with my gold nugget. The Hobgoblin was very happy to accept the bribe, and allowed me to cross with no trouble. I'm wondering now if he knew what was waiting for me on the other side.
I travelled for a short time across rocky terrain, but soon I was intercepted by a Lizard Man riding a Styracosaurus.
It was at this point I realised, to my horror, that I only had 6 points of Stamina. The Styracosaurus was tough (Skill 11, Stamina 10), but through judicious use of my Luck score I was able to defeat it with my own Stamina reduced to 2. I wasn't so fortunate with the Mutant Lizard Man, who jumped from the back of his dead steed and killed me with a single blow.
THE POST-GAME
I have nobody to blame here but myself. I was growing weary of the book, to be honest, and not being all that careful. I still had plenty of Provisions left, and I really shouldn't have entered that fight with such a low Stamina. There's really no excuse for not finishing this book with the stats I had, and it can only come down to poor play on my part. Next time I start getting bored, I'll put the book down and play video games or something.
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