Exploring Titan 14: The Crown of Kings

The final book of the Sorcery! epic - The Crown of Kings - deals with the end of the Analander's journey to stop the Archmage.  It covers his trek through the regions of Low Xamen and High Xamen in the Zanzunu Peaks, and his infiltration of Mampang Fortress, the Archmage's stronghold.

THE ZANZUNU PEAKS, LOW XAMEN and HIGH XAMEN

The high mountains that border Kakhabad to the north and west are known as the Zanzunu Peaks, a craggy range whose upper reaches are shrouded in billowing clouds.  Low Xamen and High Xamen are regions in the Zanzunu Peaks.  It may be that these are the only two regions of the Zanzunus, or simply that these are the regions most associated with the Archmage's territory.

Low Xamen begins at the foothills of the Zanzunus.  Its indistinct paths are not often traversed by creatures on foot, although the She-Satyrs sometimes come down this way.  The region has plenty of vegetation, and presumably has a high amount of rainfall; the Analander has to seek shelter from a storm while travelling through Low Xamen.  Among the creatures known to inhabit Low Xamen are Skunkbears and Jib-Jibs, although in general there is little wildlife to be found.

High Xamen covers the upper reaches of the mountains where the Archmage's fortress of Mampang is located.  The vegetation seems to thin out here, making way for steep rocky paths and crags, and the air is thinner as well.  Aside from the denizens of Mampang, High Xamen is home to two notable tribes of creatures: the Birdmen and the She-Satyrs.

Birdmen

The Birdmen make their nests in High Xamen, and are highly protective of their territory.  They are humanoid, held in the air by large feathery wings.  Their beaks are sharp and hooked, they have wild black manes of hair, and all four of their limbs end in sharp talons.

The Birdmen nesting in High Xamen are aggressive, and don't really show much in the way of intelligence, but those who serve the Archmage appear to have the same average intelligence as a human.  I'll discuss those more in detail below.

In the Old World, Bird Men are native to the Zanzunus, but there are Bird Men in the Moonstone Hills of Allansia as well.  One of them was encountered by the protagonist of Caverns of the Snow Witch.

She-Satyrs

The She-Satyrs are a tribe of bestial, goat-legged females who live in High Xamen.  Their goat-legs make them particularly nimble on the rocky paths.  They are said to be unruly, and prone to violent outbursts, but they are not truly evil, and are not aligned with the forces of Mampang.  Although they have a strong desire to visit other lands, this is impossible, as they can only breathe the rarefied air of the upper mountain regions.

The She-Satyrs live in a village that consists of caves on a wide ledge in the side of a mountain. Their current leader is named Sh'houri, and is older than the others of her race.  They are currently at the mercy of a highly contagious trembling disease that spreads through their people like a plague, but they are receiving healing from Colletus the Holy Man.  It is a custom of the She-Satyrs to go off alone and find a cave to die in peace; one of their number - Sh'himbli - recently contracted the trembling disease and left to die alone.

It's not clear if this tribe represents the entirety of the She-Satyr race, or just a part of it.  It's also curious that their race is completely female, and it's not clear how they reproduce without males, but I'm sure they manage. It's far from the oddest thing that goes unexplained in these books.

Colletus the Holy Man

Colletus is a holy man who dwells somewhere in High Xamen, around the approach to Mampang Fortress.  He appears as an old, bald man in a dirty brown robe, and his eyes are painted black to represent the fact that he is blind.  He is difficult to find, but can be summoned at the right location by whistling through cupped hands.  He claims to be the only lawful priest for many days' travel.  (The closest lawful priest in the books is probably the priest of Throff from the ruined temple in The Seven Serpents. It's possible that Colletus once served in that same temple.)  He worships Throff, the goddess of the earth, but also swears by the luck god Cheelah.

As a younger man, it was Colletus's mission in life to destroy the evil within Mampang, but the evil gods of Mampang struck him blind.  Now he roams the passes of High Xamen, and will excitedly tell anyone planning to go to Mampang that they should repent of its evil.  He is currently using his healing powers to help the She-Satyrs with their trembling sickness, in exchange for their protection.

The Traps Protecting Mampang Fortress

There are a number of traps protecting the approaches to Mampang Fortress from intruders.  The simplest of these is a swinging rope that appears to be a way across a narrow crevasse.  When the rope is used to swing across, it stretches so as to dash the person swinging against the crevasse's far wall.

Further along, the path to Mampang leads through a crevasse, and if the Analander tries to pass this way he is caught in a sudden landslide.  This could be a natural hazard, but the inconvenient timing suggests that it could also be a trap.

The most notorious trap protecting the entrance of Mampang, however, is the Groaning Bridge, a wooden bridge with a rope handrail which appears to span the crevasse that borders the fortress.  When the bridge is stepped on, it emits a series of unnerving moans and groans.  The bridge is an illusion, and when the person crossing is halfway across it disappears and sends them plunging into the crevasse as its moans turn to mocking laughter.  The real bridge, which is much stronger-looking, is beside it, hidden with a spell of invisibility.

MAMPANG FORTRESS

Mampang Fortress lies in High Xamen, nestled in a plateau inside an extinct volcano.  It is surrounded by rocky walls, and there is only one pass through that gains entrance to the fortress.

The fortress is imposing, with sharp angles and jagged points protruding on every surface, and gnarled spires twisting upwards toward the sky.  Demonic gargoyles line the outside walls.  The parapets are patrolled by Birdmen, and the front gate is guarded by Beastmen (more on them below).  The entrance to the fortress is a huge wooden gate with a smaller door set into its base.  This door is locked with magic that is too strong to be opened by the Analander's spells.

The fortress is split into five distinct areas.  The first is a small guard post, patrolled by Beastmen and Black Elves.  Beyond that is a courtyard, where the chaotic denizens of the fortress mingle.  Past the courtyard is the inner keep, which among other things houses the barracks of the Archmage's guards and Birdmen servants, the kitchens, and the torture chambers.  Beyond that is a gauntlet of traps, and the office of the captain of the guards. And finally, the Archmage's tower.  All of these areas are separated and protected by the Throben Doors, a series of doors that are magically locked and trapped.  More on those below.  Outside of the fortress is the Archmage's prison tower, hidden with a spell of invisibility, where he keeps his most valuable prisoners.

Very little is said about the origins of the fortress, but what is certain is that it is a place of palpable evil.  In several instances its evil is described as a living thing, and it is watched over by dark powers and Netherworld gods.

The Throben Doors

These four sets of heavy double doors each protect an area of the fortress, and reaching the Archmage's tower requires passing through all four doors.  They were enchanted by the Throben Necromancers' Guild, and each one is wizard-locked and protected with a deadly trap.  Each one requires a specific key or password to open safely.

The first Throben Door lies between the outer guard post and the courtyard. Its door handle is trapped with needles tipped with poison that is fast-acting and deadly.  It's opened by a simple key held by Beastman guards.

The second Throben Doors lies between the courtyard and the inner keep.  Anyone who tries to open it will be struck with complete memory loss.  It requires a password to open, which is kept by Valignya, the first assistant to the Archmage's treasurer.

The third Throben Door lies between the inner keep and the area where the guard captain has his quarters. Beyond the door is the illusion of a fiery inferno, and anyone who steps through will be burned alive unless they are certain that what they are seeing is not real. Naggamanteh the torture-master is one who knows the secret of this door.

The fourth Throben Door protects the Archmage's tower.  It has no special traps, but it is guarded by the Sleepless Ram, and can only be opened by a key held by Cartoum, the captain of the guards.

Other Traps of Mampang Fortress

There is a magnetic post, as tall as two men, embedded in the ground in the courtyard just outside of the second Throben Door.  It is covered in ornate markings, with all manner of faces and symbols cast into it.  The Analander surmises that it might be used by the guards to search prisoners, particularly those with magic powers who may be able to disguise their weapons. It's also used by the guards as a form of amusement, where they hold their weapons towards the pole and try their best to wrench them away.

Beyond the third Throben Door is a room known as the Chamber if Night.  It is completely dark inside.  The floor is made from wooden boards, and sharp blades protrude through them at irregular intervals.  Picking one's way through requires perfect balance, but is not too difficult for someone using a regular candle.  If someone uses a blood candle, however, they will be doomed, as the candle itself has a lust for the life-blood of its victims, and will flicker treacherously.

The final guardian before the fourth Throben Door is the Sleepless Ram, said by some to be the Archmage's deadliest servant.  It is also known as the Marbled Ram. It appears as a marble statue of a ram, and is about the size of a sheep or a large dog.  It attacks by charging with sufficient force to kill an armoured troll.  It seems to be impervious to physical attacks, and none of the spells in the Analander's arsenal are powerful enough to stop it (although a MUD spell can slow it down).  The only thing that can defeat it is a vial of liquid given to the Analander by the sorceress Dintainta, also known as the Sham.  The liquid is pungent and acidic, and when thrown against the Sleepless Ram it causes it to topple over. This effect is temporary, though, and the Ram will recover quickly.

Evidence suggests that the Ram is older than the Archmage.  It is spoken of in a couplet that was told to the Analander by Shinva, the Fifth Noble of Khare.  Shinva has been dead for an unspecified amount of time, but he says that the couplet dates back to ancient days.  So the Ram is very old indeed, and must have been found - or enslaved/recruited if it's actually sentient - by the Archmage in more recent times.

The Archmage

The ruler of Mampang is the Archmage, a powerful figure who has no other name that is known of.  In his most recognisable form, he appears as scrawny fellow with spiky black hair, wearing half-moon glasses and a sinister smile.  He seems to rely more on trickery and cunning than raw power.  When dealing with the Analander, he uses disguises to trick him, and never confronts him by choice unless he has the upper hand.

Even by the end of this book little has been learned of the Archmage's history.  We know already that he rose to power is Mampang some time ago, gathering allies such as the Birdmen of Xamen.  From The Seven Serpents we learned that - about twelve years ago - the Archmage battled and killed a hydra that lived in the caves of High Xamen. Taking all seven of the hydra's heads, he consecrated them to his netherworld gods and created the Seven Serpents, his most trusted messengers and allies.  More recently, with ambitions of uniting the whole of Kakhabad, the Archmage had his Birdmen allies steal the Crown of Kings from Analand.  What the Archmage's ambitions are beyond becoming the ruler of Kakhabad are never made clear.

The Archmage's true nature is ambiguous.  He appears to the Analander in the form described above, but he is also said to be in disguise as the imprisoned weapons specialist Farren Whyde.  When confronted as Whyde, the Archmage takes the form of a Netherworld Demon, and Whyde's body is discarded as a corpse.  After this demon is destroyed, the Analander is certain that the Archmage is dead.  This raises the question of whether the Archmage was ever human to begin with, and whether the version described above and depicted on the cover of the book is some some kind of impostor or stand-in.

As far as the book is concerned, it seems to treat the human Archmage and the demon possessing Farren Whyde as one and the same.  At least, there's no explicit confirmation that the human Archmage is not the real deal.  He certainly acts like he's the real deal.  Perhaps the Archmage was once human, and became possessed by a demonic entity due to his trafficking with netherworld gods.  It's possible that he now has the power to possess multiple bodies, and switch his essence between them, or to control multiple bodies at once.  It's all speculation, of course.  The only other explanation is that the human Archmage is a fake, which I'm not particularly thrilled with.

Farren Whyde

At the time of The Crown of Kings, Farren Whyde is dead, and his body is possessed by the Archmage of Mampang.  When he was alive, he was a scientist from Ruddlestone specialising in weapons. He invented gunpowder, which attracted the attention of the Archmage, who sent his Birdmen to carry Farren Whyde away to Mampang.  Whyde must have remained alive in Mampang for at least a little while, as he had long enough to befriend Peewit Croo and the Samaritans of Schinn.

The Samaritans of Schinn

Although the Birdmen of Xamen are the Archmage's most trusted allies, there is a faction from Schinn, east of the Nagomanti River, that fears his growing power.  They believe him to be a power-crazed madman, and have infiltrated the fortress to plot his overthrow.  Somehow the Archmage has learned of this, and has launched an inquisition, but because it's impossible to tell which of the Birdmen is from Schinn, many wrongful accusations have been made and loyal Birdmen tortured and executed.  The only way to tell if a Birdman is from Schinn is to inquire after their parents; loyalist Birdmen will talk only of their fathers, but those from Schinn worship their mothers.  (The way the Samaritans are spoken of it seems like they are quite numerous, but going back over the books it appears that there are only three of them.  Good luck with that overthrow, lads!)

Valignya

Valignya is the first assistant to the Lord Treasurer of Mampang.  He has his chambers near Mampang's courtyard, and part of his job is to collect taxes.  He is very fat, with brown skin and a turban perched on top of large bulbous ears.  (Possibly this kind of turban is worn by all of those in Mampang who deal with finances; there's a merchant in the inner keep who wears one as well.)

Valignya knows the password to the second Throben Door, but getting it out of him can be a dangerous affair.  Although not much of a physical threat (aside from his pet jaguar, Hashi) Valignya has a murderous passion for gold, and will do anything for the possibility to gain more of it.  Anyone who shows as much as one gold piece in Valignya's presence is almost guaranteed to die by poison, and to have his corpse stripped and dumped in a ditch outside the fortress.

Valignya appears to have at least some resistance to magic.  The only one of the Analander's spells that works on him is NAP, and that is only because he thinks the brass pendulum used for the spell is made of gold.  It's possible that even that spell may not have worked on him if his greed hadn't caused him to let his guard down.

Throg

Throg is a hobgoblin who serves as the head of the kitchens in Mampang, bossing her minions around by barking orders and whacking them on the head with a branch. Her menu is somewhat dubious, consisting of swine offal and lizard entrails, but it is her job to keep the guards fed.  She is very respectful towards the Archmage, and will allow guard officers to eat from her "special larder".  Refusal to eat is considered a grave insult, and she will attack anyone who so refuses her hospitality.  One of the delicacies in her larder are mutant meatballs, which while cause anyone who eats one to mutate in a manner that may be beneficial, detrimental, or outright fatal.

Naggamanteh

Naggamanteh is an ogre who serves as the Archmage's torture-master. He is brutally ugly, with a patch over one eye, and he wields a whip.  A particularly cruel torturer, he will reflect nostalgically on the time he gruesomely tortured a thieving Klattaman if prompted.  Despite his cruelty, he's particularly proud of his torture chamber, and immensely grateful for any praise it receives.  Under normal circumstances, this is the only thing that will get him to reveal the secret of the third Throben Door.  It seems, however, that he has a particularly sensitive nose, and creating a stink with the NIF spell  will also get him to reveal his secrets.

Cartoum

Cartoum is the captain of Mampang's guards, a tall, slim human with long hair down to his shoulders.  He is said to be a renegade from the lands east of Kakhabad.  (This is a detail that got missed by whoever designed the maps for Titan: The Fighting Fantasy World, because there really aren't any lands to the east of Kakhabad.)  Cartoum is loyal to his job, and incredibly difficult to bribe, as he realises that he can just take whatever he wants from his prisoners anyway.  He's not above treachery, and will kill the Analander with a poison dart if he lets his guard down.  At some point in his past Cartoum fell in love with a beautiful woman, and still keeps a portrait of her on his wall.  Whether the woman returned his feelings is unknown, and if she did  there must have been some reason that the two are now apart.  The Analander can find a locket with her portrait inside in The Shamutanti Hills.  How it got there is anyone's guess; presumably the pilfer grass in that area nicked it from someone passing through.  Regardless, the sight of this locket is enough to bring a tear to the captain's eye, and make him give up the key to the fourth Throben Door,

Jann the Minimite

Jann is currently being held in the Archmage's prison tower, where he deserves to be.  Apparently he thought he and the Analander were friends, and that he could be helpful. He followed the Analander across Kakhabad, avoiding Khare, and seeking guidance from the sorceress Fenestra, who he is good friends with.  The Analander crossed Lake Ilklala before Jann arrived, so he was forced to skirt the lake.  At some point he was captured by Red Eyes, had his wings cut off, and was imprisoned in the Archmage's tower.

Jann is eager to help - though not eager enough to kill himself so you can cast spells again - even though he can't escape himself.  He knows all about the Archmage's disguise, and the true nature of the ZED spell.  Casting the ZED spell in his presence makes him die in agony, although it's possible that - due to the time travel nature of ZED - he doesn't actually die at all.

The Beastmen Guards

The guards at Mampang are a race of bestial humanoids, They hail from Tinpang Valley in the Zanzunu foothills, and are described as hairy, black-skinned chaotics.  Otherwise they seem much like humans in terms of intelligence and behaviour.

The Sightmasters

Among the denizens of Mampang is a group of Sightmasters.  A race of spindly humanoids with enormous eyes, they possess the power of "ultravision" and are closely allied to the Analand crown.  A Sightmaster sergeant was one of those who saw the Analander off at the Cantopani Gate, at the beginning of his quest.  These particular Sightmasters are traitors, and may have been exiled from their homeland.  The Archmage has offered them large expanses of Analand in return for their service.

Javinne

Javinne is an old blind beggar who dwells in the courtyard of Mampang. In her youth she was a skilled healer. Her master, an old healer-priest from Daddu-Yadu who had been shipwrecked and washed up on the Earthend beaches, had wanted her to go south and use her skills to aid the lawful nations, but instead she went to live in prosperity at Mampang. Her undoing came when the Archmage recruited the Mucalytics, and she was unable to restore their voices or improve their hearing.  Her punishment was an "accident" that resulted in the loss of her sight.  (There really are a lot of blind characters in this series.) Now she is a beggar, constantly tormented by the Sightmasters, to the point that she will reward the Analander should he kill them for her.  She knows about the Samaritans of Schinn, but is afraid to seek them out for help.

THE ZED SPELL

The ZED spell has long been shrouded in mystery. It is believed to have only ever been cast once, by a Necromancer from Throben, who was never seen again, but whose notes were found later.  In actual fact, the spell was created in Mampang by sorcerer-priests of Chronada, god of time.  A Minimite stole the secret, and later on sold it to the Throben Necromancer for unspecified favours.

The spell grants its caster the secret of travel through space and time, but unless the caster concentrates intensely upon their desired destination, the place they end up will be random.  It is even possible to end up in the far future or the distant past.  The Analander (assuming he was a wizard) used the spell to circle back in time to confront the Archmage a second time, and uncover his disguise as Farren Whyde.

THE NECROMANCERS OF THROBEN

The Necromancers of Throben are mentioned in relation to a number of things in Mampang Fortress.  The first and most notable of these is obviously the Throben Doors, which they helped to enchant.  It was a Throben Necromancer who was said to have first cast the ZED spell.  And the mutant meatballs were created by an apothecary from Throben, for a rebellious prince from the nation of Brice who wanted to create mutants to bolster his army.  Where Throben is, and who the necromancers are exactly, is never made clear, but it seems likely that it's a region that is close to Mampang, and may be ruled by magic-users.  It's even possible that the Archmage originated from there, assuming that he was ever human.

THE GODS OF MAMPANG

These seven gods are worshipped by the Archmage, and hold great sway over Mampang Fortress.  Such is their power that the goddess Libra is unable to influence events within Mampang.  When the Archmage slew the seven-headed hydra, it was these gods who imbued the heads with their powers to create the Seven Serpents.  They are as follows:

• Chronada, god of time
• Pangara, god of the air, whose bearded, stark-white face has puffy cheeks
• Glantanka, goddess of the sun, who has sharp features, bright orange hair, and burning red fireballs for eyes
• Hydana, god of water, whose face is green and scaly, with a pointed nose and gills in its neck
• Lunara, goddess of the moon, who has a black face with large yellow eyes

Those are the ones specifically named in this book (although I may have missed a reference).  The other two would be gods of fire and earth.  The first of those would be Filash.  As for the latter, the only god or goddess of earth named in the books is Throff, who is a force for good (or neutrality, at the very least).  It seems very unlikely that she would have been involved in the creation of the Seven Serpents, or that she would ever be classified as a "netherworld god".

In later books all of these entities are treated like gods that are worshipped the world over, and were involved in the creation of Titan.  That doesn't really fit with their depiction here, where they seem to much more demonic in nature, and very much localised to Mampang.

CREATURES OF THE ZANZUNUS AND MAMPANG FORTRESS

There are a few creatures returning here from other books: the skunkbear, red-eyes, and black-elves all appeared earlier in the series.  Genies have appeared in the main Fighting Fantasy series, as have wolves.  I'm not sure about whether we've seen a jaguar elsewhere, but I'm not about to bother doing a write-up on a real-world creature.

These are the creatures that are new in this book.  I've already covered the She-Satyrs further up.

Jib-Jib

Appearing as a small,ball of fur on two legs, about the size of a cabbage, Jib-Jibs are harmless creatures, possessing neither teeth nor claws.  Their only defense mechanism is their horrendous voice, which they can use to make themselves sound like dangerous beasts.  They are known to the scholars of Analand.

Mucalytics

Mucalytics are hideous creatures, having bulky, blubbery bodies and elephant-like heads with a short snout.  With their inaudible voices and inability to hear, they can come across as quite pathetic, but their breath is instantly fatal, and it seems that they glean some amusement from using this breath on others.  Javinne mentions that they were cursed by the gods, which might be literal or just a figure of speech, it's difficult to tell.  Their status in Mampang appears to be incredibly lowly; it seems as though many of the other denizens enjoy taunting them.

Spiny Ones

The mysterious "spiny ones" live in a room in Mampang where no light penetrates.  They are never seen, only describes as a dark, bulky shape, and when they move it's said to sound like sticks scraping along the ground.  They kill by firing spines at their victims, like those of a porcupine, with a distinctive ping sound.  Whatever they are, they're incredibly deadly.

Minions

These small goblin-like creatures serve in the kitchens of Mampang, under Throg.  They are introduced as "Servant Minions", which could just be their job description but could also indicate that they were created or bred to be servants.

Goblin Mutants

There's a room in Mampang's inner keep that's filled with mutated goblins.  They seem to be locked in, and at one point the guard captain Cartoum is called away to deal with them, as they are getting agitated.  It seems likely that these goblins are the result of experimentation with the mutant meatballs from Throg's larder.

OTHER NOTES

• The boatman from The Seven Serpents is given the name Tek Kramin, and is said to have been a notorious character; he must be if even the She-Satyrs, who can't leave the mountains, have heard of him.
• Apparently the holy man of Slangg, from Khare, has never revealed his true identity to anybody, and only Slangg knows who he is.
• Shadrack the Hermit, from The Seven Serpents, makes a cameo.  Two days ago the Archmage's servants went to his cave, tortured him for information, and staked him on a cross.  He sends his spirit for to tell the Analander about the Throben Doors, and presumably dies not too long afterwards.
• There's a bald goblin-like creature, who is incredibly muscular but goes down to a single punch.  He's probably just a goblin, but what he is exactly is never specified.
• While the Analander is fighting the illusory hydra, the battlemasters at the Academy at Chawberry are mentioned.

NEXT: At last, I'm done with Sorcery!  I love it, but I'm glad to be moving on.  I was going to read "The Dark Usurper" from White Dwarf, but I might save that one.  I want to get back to the main series, so my next entry will be on Freeway Fighter.

The Crown of Kings: Final Thoughts

And so we come to The Crown of Kings, the final installment of Steve Jackson's Sorcery! epic.  It's been a long road (particularly for this blog; I started The Shamutanti Hills nearly five years ago, and The Crown of Kings in June of last year).  Endings can be very difficult; more than one long-running series has failed to stick the landing, or otherwise been just slightly disappointing.  So how does The Crown of Kings fare?

I'm pleased to say that The Crown of Kings is an amazing end to the series, and is probably my favourite book of the four.  It takes all of the strongest elements from the previous books and mixes them up to make what might just be the best gamebook Steve Jackson ever wrote.  (It's a toss-up between this, House of Hell, and Creature of Havoc to my mind.)

There are some minor problems with the book, to be sure.  It's a little too long and linear, which can make for some tedium on replays.  This is made up for by the incredible variety of outcomes within each encounter; the spell system is used to full effect here, and gives you a lot of options.  That said, the book's deadliness mitigates that variety somewhat.  When you find a safe path through an encounter, it can be a little too risky to try alternate options.

Did I mention that the book is deadly?  Because it really is.  Pretty much every encounter you have within the Fortress of Mampang can lead to death if you make the wrong choice, or cast the wrong spell.  It gives the book a really dangerous air, the feel that at any point you could be killed, or discovered and thrown into the Archmage's dungeons.  This is where it pays off to have played through the earlier books, particularly The Seven Serpents.  There are a lot of hints to be found earlier in the series, and The Crown of Kings definitely rewards someone who has gone through all four books.

Thankfully the book isn't all that deadly statistically speaking: a character with poor stats could get through without major trouble, I feel, especially if they use their magic well.  An extra layer of difficulty is added on with the various keys, passwords and other forms of information that are required or helpful to get through the book.  Steve has been using these techniques since House of Hell, and they've been seen here and there throughout Sorcery!, but here he unleashes every trick that he has, and it makes for a very challenging book.

The encounters in The Crown of Kings may be deadly, but almost all of them are interesting.  Mampang is full of intriguing characters, and memorable monsters.  My only complaint here is with the Archmage himself, who is a bit of an anticlimax after four books of build-up.  I was hoping for a spell duel like the one at the end of The Citadel of Chaos, but instead it ends with a somewhat underwhelming battle with a Netherworld Demon.  Come on Steve, the book is already 800 entries long, surely another 200 wouldn't have been too hard?

Although the final battle with the Archmage is a minor anticlimax, the ending as a whole is excellent.  This is due in large part to the revelation of the true nature of the ZED spell, which was set up as a mystery from the very first book.  It's extremely cool, and the fact that it results in the screaming death of Jann the Minimite is just a little bit of extra icing on the cake.  I'm not sure that the warrior's ending with the genie is quite as impressive, but I doubt many players go through this as the warrior anyway.  (I intend to at some point, perhaps when the secrets of this series are a little less fresh in my mind.)

So that's The Crown of Kings, one of the very finest gamebooks out there.  It's always a good feeling when the end of a series outdoes its predecessors, and I feel like this book does that on every level.

COOL STUFF I MISSED

This is a long, somewhat linear adventure, so I wouldn't have expected to miss a lot.  But while the encounters are linear, there's a lot of variety to be had within each one, so I missed a fair bit.  I never did hook up with the Samaritans of Schinn, for instance, and I completely missed the Goblin Mutants, and the second Mucalytic encounter.  I never fought the God-Headed Hydra, which is a pretty cool encounter (even if I was rather disappointed to discover that it's not real).

MISTAKES AND RED HERRINGS

I could be mistaken here, but I'm pretty sure that paragraph 548 is orphaned, and can't be reached.  I checked this pretty thoroughly, but if anyone knows different I'd love to be proven wrong.

The encounter with the Sleepless Ram gives you the option of using a "yellowfruit skin" against it, but no such item is ever found during the series.

And now, here is the complete list of items that serve no purpose at all during the Sorcery! epic:

• Death-hound, ape and Snattacat teeth, found in The Shamutanti Hills
• A huge, broken stool, found in The Shamutanti Hills
• A net with a wide mesh, found in The Shamutanti Hills
• A giant skull, found in The Shamutanti Hills
• Various other parts of a dead giant, found in The Shamutanti Hills
• A parchment scroll, found in Khare
• A vial of poison, found in Khare
• Some moldy goat's cheese, found in Khare
• A rat's spine, found in The Seven Serpents
• Leaves, found in The Seven Serpents
• Yellow bird feathers, found in The Seven Serpents
• A long horn, found in The Crown of Kings
• A flask of oil, found in The Crown of Kings
• A bird's nest with a golden egg, found in The Crown of Kings

The vast majority of these are obvious rubbish to be discarded (although in Fighting Fantasy you can never be sure), or found so late in the saga as to serve no purpose.  Again, if I've made any mistakes here I'd like to know.

BEST DEATH

If I've counted correctly, there are 43 instant death paragraphs in this book, which is a lot even for such an oversized adventure.  A lot of them are extremely cool, so I had some trouble deciding this one.  This is what I went with:

There were loads of contenders, but in the end I went with one of the endings resulting from the ZED spell.  How could I not?

S.T.A.M.I.N.A. RATING:

Story & Setting: In some ways the story is is a rehash of The Citadel of Chaos, with your goal being to infiltrate an evil fortress and assassinate its ruler.  In terms of this category, however, it exceeds that book in almost every way.  Mampang is a functioning place in a way that the Black Tower wasn't, complete with a hierarchy and court intrigue.  Where it perhaps falters at the end is in it's final confrontation with the Archmage, which doesn't match up to the wonderful spell duel with Balthus Dire, but the revelation of the true nature of the ZED spell more than makes up for it.  Plus, this book bears the burden of being the climax to a series, and on that score it's very satisfying.  Rating: 7 out of 7.

Toughness: Make no mistake, this is a tough book, especially if you're tackling it as a solo effort.  Almost every encounter has the potential to end your quest if you make the wrong decision, but smart play and clues gathered from earlier books do a lot to mitigate that.  Thankfully, it's well balanced statistically, with no difficult combats that can't be avoided.  Yes, this book is hard, and very challenging, but it's pretty fair.  I might ding it a point for a couple of arbitrary instant death paragraphs though.  Rating: 5 out of 7.

Aesthetics: John Blanche really is on top form once again, and alongside the good illustrations this book probably has my favourite cover of the series (at least in its original form).  Steve Jackson's writing provides a lot of atmosphere, and overall this is a great-looking book.  Rating: 6 out of 7.

Mechanics: The Sorcery! epic as a whole has done well in this category, as the spell system really is very well done.  The Crown of Kings follows that trends, and backs it up with some extra tricks: Steve Jackson brings everything he has to this one.  If I have one complaint, it's that there are a number of spells that never get a chance to shine.  Rating: 6 out of 7.

Innovation & Influence: I have this book being released around February of 1985, so I feel pretty safe in saying that it beat Joe Dever's Shadow on the Sand to the bookshelves.  That would make it the first gamebook to close out a continuing series, and it does that in real style.  Steve Jackson also takes a lot of the tricks that he first used in House of Hell and ramps them up here.  These are the kinds of tricks that other gamebook authors will be using to make their books more difficult to come, so I feel like The Crown of Kings should rank highly here. Rating: 5 out of 7.

NPCs & Monsters: There are hardly any throwaway encounters in this book.  Everyone you encounter is a character in their own right, and their various quirks have the potential to end your quest if you aren't paying attention.  From Valignya to Naggamanteh to Throg to - and I hate that I'm saying this - Jann the Minimite, everyone in this book is intriguing and fun to interact with.  I have just one complaint, and that's the Archmage himself.  As the antagonist for Steve Jackson's magnum opus I was expecting more, but he never quite rises above the evil wizard stereotype, or inhabits it with a memorable personality like Balthus Dire did.  Rating: 6 out of 7.

Amusement: There's a lot to see in this book, and every encounter can play out in any number of ways.  But while the conclusion with the ZED spell is excellent, I couldn't help but feel a slight sense of anticlimax at the final encounter with the Archmage in his Netherworld Demon form.  Rating: 6 out of 7.

The above scores total 41, which doubled gives a score of 82.  I'll award this book the discretionary bonus point, which gives it a S.T.A.M.I.N.A. Rating of 84. That puts it equal second overall, on a par with House of Hell, a very good showing for the ultimate conclusion of the Sorcery! epic.  With seven-and-a-half out of the top ten books on the list so far, Steve Jackson is really racing ahead.

NEXT: I know I promised a mid-week post, but it didn't happen, sorry.  This quarantine has made me think I have more time than I actually do.  I'm back to work next week, so expect the final Exploring Titan for this series.  Then it's either on to Freeway Fighter or a detour to "The Dark Usurper", a three-part FF adventure from White Dwarf magazine which came out around this time.

Sorcery! Attempt 15 and 16 - Books 1-4

On my last attempt, I made it all the way to book 4, and did quite well I thought. Of the four Throben Doors I had to penetrate to make it to the Archmage, I got through two. That's seems pretty good to me for my first serious foray into Mampang Fortress, especially in a book that's renowned for being pretty tough. I'm feeling confident about this one.

For attempt 15, I rolled a Skill of 6, a Stamina of 19, and a Luck of 9. I played this ages ago, and I don't know why I never wrote about it. My memories are vague, but looking at my notes I can see that I died in Book 3 to an illusionary Deathwraith. Normally I would have dispelled this thing with a MAG spell, but I only had 2 Stamina left and no recourse but to fight it. Obviously, I lost. Perhaps I was so demoralised by my failure that I couldn't bear to post about it, but it's long ago enough that I don't remember.

For attempt 16, I rolled a Skill of 8, a Stamina of 20 and a Luck of 8. It doesn't get any more average than that. Stats aren't as important in Sorcery! as they can be in the main series, but I was still a little nervous about this guy.

I got through the first three books with no problems, and started The Crown of Kings with the following scores: Skill 10; Stamina 20; Luck 9; 0 gold pieces; 5 provisions; a sword, a backpack, a broadsword (+1 attack strength), a bamboo pipe, a silver key numbered 111, an Armband of Swordmastery (+2 AS with swords), a skullcap, a magic chain, a mirror, a green wig, a lucky talisman (no Luck lost when unlucky), a bow and silver arrows, another broadsword (-1 AS, +1 damage), a tinderbox, a serpent ring, a galehorn, a chakram, a crystal orb, a suit of chainmail (+1 Skill, -1 damage on  a roll of 5-6), a hewing axe, a pearl ring (worth 10gp), a brass pendulum, Sham's vial, a serpent staff, some sand, a whistle numbered 199, and a cure disease potion. I had also lost the sight in my right eye while fighting a Baddu-Beetle, which hasn't had any negative effect on me so far. Finally, I defeated all seven serpents during book 3, so I could be confident that I was entering Mampang in secret (I could deduct 40 from the current paragraph whenever someone called me the Analander).

Climbing up the Zanzunus towards Mampang Fortress, I had the choice of three caves in which to take shelter for the night. One of those had hoof-prints leading inside. Despite the potential danger, I decided to enter that cavern and see who the hoof-prints belonged to.

Inside, I saw a human-like figure leaning against the cavern wall. It's legs were like those of a goat, and it was unmoving.

This one's for the furries AND the necrophiliacs.

I called out to attract its attention, but got no reaction. Warily I reached out to touch it, and to my shock I found that it was dead. I probably should have found another cave to sleep in, but I was already here, and what could possibly go wrong for me if I bedded down next to the fresh corpse of a goat-man? I ate a meal (leaving me with 4) and went to sleep.

In the morning I left the cave, taking some pebbles and a handful of stone dust with me. There were two paths onward: one via a rope bridge over a gully, and another winding up the mountainside. I chose to go up.

Further along the path I encountered a pair of goat-women, who got my attention by hurling spears at me. They were obviously of the same race as my sleeping companion from the night before, so I told them about their dead friend. They were grateful, and explained that Sh'himbli had disappeared from the village days before, presumably to die of fever in peace. They offered to take me to their village, and I accepted.

At the village I was taken to the leader, who I told about Sh'himbli. She nodded gravely, and informed me that Sh'himbli's disease was contagious, and that by sleeping with the corpse the night before I had almost certainly contracted it. Luckily, they had recently learned that Colletus the Holy Man was able to cure the disease, and that by whistling in a certain way at the right place (and by subtracting 30 from that paragraph) I'd be able to call him. I was also offered a selection of items that I could trade for, but I opted not to trade anything. (It looks like, by getting infected with the disease, I missed out on getting the blessed spear. Hopefully it's not too important.)

Not far out of the village I found an alcove where I stopped to eat (leaving me with 3 provisions). Inside I saw a message written on the wall, telling me that Colletus could be found at the Groaning Bridge.

Further along the path I saw a narrow crevasse, and a rope that could be used to swing across, but I thought better of it. Continuing along the path, I came to another crevasse blocking my way. There was a bridge spanning the crevasse, but when I stepped upon it, it let out a series of disturbing groans. This was obviously the Groaning Bridge, so I whistled to summon Colletus.

The blind holy man appeared, and I ask about his powers of healing. He was more than happy to cure me, and did so with a simple palm on my forehead (or at least so he claimed; it's not like I'd had any negative effects, so how would I know if he's legit?). I questioned him further about Mampang, and he revealed that the Groaning Bridge was an illusion, which would have disappeared once I was halfway across. He summoned the real bridge, and I was soon on my way. Before I left, he gave me three items to help me: a skullcap, some holy water, and a medicinal potion. He also gave me a blessing of good luck (that increased my initial Luck score to 10).

I crossed the real bridge and entered a pass leading to Mampang Fortress. The sight was imposing (lowering my Skill by 1 until I was inside). I crept cautiously, looking out for guards, and was able to sneak past a pair that were asleep (with a successful Luck test that reduced me score to 9).

I found a sheltered spot to sleep in, but during the night I was contacted by my goddess, Libra. She informed me that the netherworld deities that ruled Mampang were strong, and that she could not aid me once I was inside. She also told me of another follower of hers, who had escaped from the fortress via a secret door. She told me the password, and I took note of it before going back to sleep. (When I wanted to use the password, I could subtract 92 from the passage I was on.)

(At this point, Libra also told me about the effects of the trembling disease. Apparently, I wouldn't be able to regain any Stamina, and when choosing spells I'd have to roll a die, and only have the option of casting the spell that was randomly selected. Nothing's said here about being cured by Colletus, so I could interpret this as meaning that the old charlatan hoodwinked me. He's on the level about everything else, though, so I'm choosing to believe that I've already been cured.)

In the pre-dawn gloom I approached the fortress and made my way to the front gate. I gave it a knock, then climbed to a perch above. A guard came out to investigate, but didn't spot me hiding. I decided to wait, and a second guard appeared. Still I waited, until a third and a fourth guard appeared. Then I dropped to the ground, and slipped inside the gate while they were preoccupied.

Ahead of me were two double doors, and there were also doors leading left and right. I took the left-hand door, opening it as silently as possible (with a Luck test that reduced my score to 8). It opened into a short passage, with a door at the end and another to the right. I opened the door to the right, despite the horrid smell coming forth.

That Gandalf rune cracks me up.
What was he even doing here? Nobody in
Lord of the Rings poops.

It was a latrine, and I had to resist the urge to vomit (reducing my Stamina to 19). I decided to search the room anyway, and although I was able to once more resist vomiting (with a Luck test that reduced my score to 7), the flies buzzing around had given me an unpleasant illness. (I immediately lost another point of Stamina, reducing me to 18. I also lost 1 Skill point for battles only. The disease would progress further by the time I first encountered the Archmage, and would seemingly be fatal. It was all pretty moot, because I cured it immediately with a cure disease potion that I had found during book 3.)

Ignoring the door at the end of the passage, I went back to the entrance and chose the left door. I could hear gruff voices beyond, so I kicked the door down to murder whoever lay beyond. It was another pair of Guards (Skill 8, Stamina 6 and Skill 7, Stamina 7). I was able to kill them with the element of surprise, but not before one of them was able to wound me twice (reducing my Stamina to 14). In a drawer I found some keys, which I used to unlock the double doors and progress further into the fortress.

I was in a courtyard, milling with inhabitants of the fortress. I tried to cross as inconspicuously as possible, but a group noticed me and headed in my direction. Trying to avoid them I veered to the left, heading towards a pillory.

Stock image.

A pitiful man was held captive in the pillory, He asked for some food, and I gave him one of my provisions (leaving me with 2). I stopped to chat, and he revealed that he had been placed in the stocks because of his wagging tongue. He then asked if I was another of the Archmage's warmongers, before stopping himself, afraid that he might have gone too far. I threatened him unless he told me more, but he refused to get himself into more trouble. Figuring that I didn't want to be caught freeing prisoners, I left him to his fate.

There were some guards ahead, but I instead turned aside to investigate a ragged shape on the ground. It was a toothless old woman, who held out a hand and begged me for a copper piece.

That's some very chill, casual begging.

I wanted to give her a gold piece, but I didn't have any. Instead, I reluctantly parted with my pearl ring, which was worth 10 gold pieces. She gave me words of thanks, then went to shuffle off, muttering something about her friends from Schinn. I questioned her about them, but she was reluctant to reveal anything until she had touched my face to discern whether I was trustworthy. I let her do so, and she told me that the Samaritans of Schinn were a faction among the Archmage's Birdman allies that were plotting his overthrow. I was told that I could identify the Schinns by asking about their parents; loyalists would only talk of their fathers, while the Schinns would honour their mothers. (My Luck was restored to 9 by learning this information.) I asked her how to get through the doors ahead, and she told me a little about the Throben Doors, but nothing of use. I bid her farewell.

To my left were some guards, and to my right another group who looked vaguely familiar. I ignored them both and went straight ahead, where I saw some double doors. There was also a door in the corner of the wall, and I investigated this. Inside, a short stocky man asked if I was here to torment the Mucalytics. There were two doors onwards, and the left led to the Mucalytics, so I chose that one.

Inside was a room covered in filth. A strange, elephantine creature was slumped in the corner. I decided to ignore it and leave through another door, but it got to its feet and swiped at me with a blubbery arm. I slowed it down with a DOZ spell (reducing my Stamina to 12), but I still had to fight the Mucalytic (Skill 4, Stamina 9). I made short work of it with my broadsword, and searched through the filth. I found a rusty sword, which I left behind, a bracelet made of bones, two goblin teeth and 5 gold pieces.

Going through the door opposite, I entered a passage with a small chamber off to the side. Seeing a raised portcullis over the entrance, I decided not to enter, and continued up the passage. Passing through another door, I entered a plush chamber. A man in a turban with a pet jaguar under his table greeted me. He said that I had to give him a gold piece to enter. Instead I asked him his name, and learned that he was Valignya, First Assistant to the Lord Treasurer of Mampang.

I had been warned about Valignya by one of the seven serpents, so I continued to refuse to give him any gold. Instead, I gave him my serpent ring, which I no longer had a use for. In return he gave me the password for the next Throben Door: "alaralatanalara". I thanked him and left, swiping a pouch containing 10 gold pieces on my way out (raising my total to 15, and restoring my Luck to 10).

I was able to return to the courtyard and the double doors without incident, where I used the password to get through. (I would have been accosted by guards here, but because I'd slain all seven serpents I was able to avoid this encounter.)

Beyond there were two doors leading into the inner keep. The main entrance looked to be guarded by Birdmen, two of which nipped inside while I was watching. The other appeared to be unguarded, but I decided that I wanted to contact the Samaritans of Schinn, so I headed for the main gate.

The door was unlocked, so I slipped inside. I was in a wide hallway, and I could hear Birdman voices approaching. Without much time to think, I had a choice of doors to the left and right. I nipped through the right door. The room was uninhabited, but the Birdmen outside had heard me, and a trio of them entered. I asked them about their mothers, but this only angered them further, as they told me that they had been taught to hunt and kill by their fathers. These were obviously not Samaritans, so I drew my sword and attacked the three Birdmen (Skill 8, Stamina 10; Skill 9, Stamina 8; and Skill 8, Stamina 9). Luckily they could only attack me one at a time, and they only managed to wound me once before I killed them all (reducing my Stamina to 10).

Looting their corpses, I found 6 gold pieces, (raising my total to 21), some worms, and enough bread for two meals. I ate some of the bread right away (restoring my Stamina to 12, and leaving me with 3 provisions).

Leaving quickly, I came to a T-junction. One of the passages ended in a metal door, with a noose hanging over it. This path looked more interesting than the other, so I tried to metal door. It was locked, so I tried the silver key that I had found all the way back in the Shamutanti Hills. To my surprise, it fit, and I was able to enter, avoiding a spiked mace that had been set up as a trap (weirdly, there were no rolls to avoid this, it just happened automatically).  The room beyond was a torture chamber. The torturer was an Ogre, with an eyepatch and a whip.

Naggamanteh does not care for leg day.

He didn't recognise me (because I'd killed all of the seven serpents), so he made me an offer: he would give me what help I asked for, then he would ask me a question. If I couldn't answer, I would be his "amusement" for the rest of the day.

I agreed to his offer. Earlier, one of the seven serpents had given me a clue: "pay your respects to Naggamanteh the torture-master". With this in mind, I complimented him on his torture chamber before asking what he knew of the Throben Doors. Naggamanteh was quite touched by my compliment, and told me that the next Throben Door would be open, but when I entered I would be seemingly plunged into a pit of hell-fire. This would be an illusion, and I would be best to ignore it. (I was told to turn to paragraph 399 when stepping through the door, rather than the paragraph indicated.) Naggamanteh had forgotten about his own question, so I slipped away while he was distracted.

I left through a door to the left, and soon came to a small courtyard. There was a passage onward, with a door to the left, and another to the right. The right door had a sign that said "Nylock - Merchant", so I walked up to investigate. The room was lined with shelves filled with objects, and Nylock eyed me suspiciously from behind his table.

Check out the pictures of Ian and Steve.

I bought the following from Nylock: a rusty cutlass, two candles, a nest containing a golden egg, and a pouch containing four ancient silver pieces. These cost me 11 gold pieces (leaving me with 10). The cutlass was not enchanted, and would reduce my Skill by 1 if I used it in battle. The candles were normal, one made of wax and the other made of blood from a Firefox. The egg was a mystery. The coins were cursed; a short time after placing them in my pack, they burned a hole in the bottom and fell out. This also caused me to lose my silver key. (I was told to cross off the third item on my equipment list.)

I followed the passage around through a door. Ahead of me were two double doors, probably the next of the Throben Doors for me to confront. Off to the side was another door, but I decided to ignore this and make my way through the double doors. As soon as I stepped through I was confronted by a fiery inferno, but armed with knowledge I had gleaned from Naggamanteh I was able to step through safely.

The next chamber had a sign that said "Chamber of Night". I opened the door and stepped through into a pitch-black room. One of the Seven Serpents had warned me about this room, and that I should not light the blood candle. Instead I lit the regular candle, revealing that there were many spikes protruding through the wooden floorboards. I slowly and carefully picked my way across the room, and was able to get through without injury.

No sooner had I left the room than a pair of guards seized me by the wrists. They bundled me into another room, where I met Cartoum, Captain of the Guards. I decided to hear what he had to say.

There's meant to be a clue in this picture,
but I don't see it. It's probably the portrait
on the wall?

I was not recognised (again, because I'd killed all of the serpents), and the captain asked what my business was in the fortress. I decided to bluff, telling him that I had a message for the Archmage. He believed me (which required a successful Skill test), and offered to escort me to the Archmage personally. Along the way another guard appeared to tell him that some mutants had gotten out of hand. The captain had to rush off, but before he did he gave me a key (numbered 17) that he said would open the next Throben Door.

I continued on, and the next chamber I entered was large, with an enormous carving of a ram in the centre.

BAA RAM EWE

As I stepped carefully across the room, the stone ram came to life, to absolutely nobody's surprise. It charged at me, but I was able to avoid it (with a Luck test the reduced my score to 9). It smashed into the wall behind, giving me a few moments to think. I remembered the Sham, who I had encountered in the Baklands, and the vial she had given me to counter the "Sleepless Ram". I still had the vial, so I threw it at the ram. The liquid inside gave off an acidic smell, and caused the stone ram to steam. It toppled over, and I raced for the far doors. Before the ram could recover, I opened the doors with the key the captain had given me, and escaped.

I was at the foot of a spiral staircase, and I climbed up, anticipating my imminent meeting with the Archmage. I stepped through the door at the top, expecting an elegant study, but what I found was quite different.

Maybe the most legitimately frightening thing
I've ever encountered in a gamebook.

Instead, I was in a squalid cell. I was confronted by a man in long undergarments, wielding a brass pot. He was obviously reluctant to attack me, so I spoke to him to calm him down. He introduced himself as Farren Whyde, a renowned inventor of weapons from Ruddlestone. The Archmage had kidnapped him for his knowledge, and imprisoned him in the tower. I asked him where I might find the Archmage, and his reply filled me with dismay. Apparently the Archmage rarely visited Mampang, and had a secret fortress elsewhere in the Zanzunus. Farren Whyde shouted some magic words out of his window, revealing the fortress to me. I asked how I might get there quickly, and he told me of a secret passage that could be opened with a password. Unfortunately, Farren Whyde did not know the password.

I took my leave of him and investigated the wall where the secret passage was said to be. Remembering the password I had been told of by Libra, I tried it. It worked, and the door opened into a dark tunnel that zig-zagged down to a door that led outside. Ready to confront the Archmage, I raced over to the second tower and bashed it down with my shoulder (and a successful Skill test).

Inside was a simple, bare room, with two doors leading on. I took the right door, and entered another room with a staircase at the far end. I started to ascend the staircase, but was startled by a sudden rumbling: the floor beneath me was rising! There was no escape as floor slowly raised, threatening to crush me against the ceiling. I tried to wedge it with my rusty cutlass, but it snapped. I tried searching in the straw for anything that could help, but found nothing. All I could do was wait for death.  My adventure was over.

THE POST-GAME

Well, that was disappointing, to come so far and fail at the final hurdle. I'm not sure how I could have avoided it, unless I was supposed to take a different path. There were no other options offered. Maybe there's an item I missed that might have given me a secret way out?

Hang on.

Wait.

I'm not dead?

No, this was not a deathtrap, but rather the Archmage's Floortrap Chamber, which he used to frighten potential enemies into surrender. A crack opened in the ceiling, and I found myself in a chamber lined with star-charts and a telescope. A scrawny fellow stood across from me, perhaps the Archmage himself. He knew who I was (even though I had killed the serpents), and he offered to give me the Crown of Kings, saying that he would be glad to be rid of it. I was suspicious, so I cast a MAG spell (reducing my Stamina to 10), and he was shocked to find that I was a magician. He tried to capture me with an animated rope, but my anti-magic spell protected me. Instead, the Archmage summoned some guards to take me away.

I was in a cell at the top of the tower. A squeaky voice greeted me, and to my horror I was face-to-face with Jann, the Minimite who had accompanied me in the Shamutanti Hills. With him around, I would be unable to use my magic to escape. Apparently Jann had followed me all the way on my journey, but had been captured by Red-Eyes and had his wings cut off. He also explained that I was in a prison tower, and I had been tricked into thinking that the Archmage lived here.  I told Jann about Farren Whyde, and he informed me that Whyde was actually the Archmage in disguise. (I was told that should I encounter him again, I could deduct 111 from the paragraph to expose him.)

I asked Jann for his opinion about how we should try to escape. He said that maybe I could ambush the guard when he brought me some food, or wait until the Archmage called for me. There was also the possibility of using magic, but only the very strongest of spells would work in Jann's presence. We went through my spells, and as I had "strength to waste" (my Stamina was greater than 8), Jann was happy to hear me out. He was shocked to learn that I knew the ZED spell, even though I had no idea what this spell was for. He explained that the purpose of the spell was to travel through space and time. With proper concentration, I would be able to arrive at the desired time and place. (I was told that I could turn to paragraph 631 after casting the spell.)

I prepared to cast the spell, ignoring my weaker options and going for the ZED spell. The strain was enormous (reducing my Stamina to 3), and Jann was killed by the power of the magic. (Good riddance.) I could feel myself hurtling backwards in time, so I mustered all of my concentration. Past adventures flashed before my eyes, but with the knowledge given to me by Jann I was able to fix the destination in my mind rather than stopping at random.

I was back at the bottom of the staircase leading up to Farren Whyde's chamber. I climbed up, but this time when he confronted me I exposed him as the Archmage. Whyde's expression changed, and he offered me his admiration. He stepped across to a drawer, and pulled out the Crown of Kings. While I was distracted by the crown, he stepped out of my sight. By the time I turned around, the form of Farren Whyde was lying on the ground, and a horrible demon stood before me.

I'm so tired. Why did I commit myself to
putting captions on every image in this
stupidly long post?

With precious little strength left (my Stamina score was 3), I couldn't risk a spell, so I stepped forward with my sword at the ready. The Netherworld Demon was still transforming, and was still weak (Skill 7, Stamina 7). Even so, it managed to hit me once; luckily my chainmail armour softened the blow (leaving me with 2 Stamina points). I killed the demon quickly, and took the Crown of Kings. I had almost reached my goal.

The only thing left was for me to escape the fortress and return to Analand. I didn't fancy my chances of making my way back through Mampang, but I didn't have anything useful in my backpack. I considered the spells I had at my disposal. ROK would turn someone to stone, which didn't seem all that useful. NAP would put someone to sleep, which again seemed useless. LAW, to command someone? SIX, to create duplicates of myself? Neither seemed applicable, and LAW would definitely kill me in my weakened state. The only spell left was RES.  I cast it (surprisingly with no reduction in Stamina).

I sprinkled some holy water on Farren Whyde's body while casting the spell. He woke up, and I explained the situation. Whyde (the actual person, not the Archmage), offered to get the Samaritans to help me. Pulling forth a crystal ball, he summoned an image of Peewit Croo, birdman leader of the Samaritans. He then gave me a silver whistle, and said that I could use it to summon the birdman.

I blew the whistle, and Croo appeared. He gripped me in his claws, and we flew away from Mampang. The fortress was powerless now without the Crown of Kings, and I had succeeded in my mission. And best of all, Jann the Minimite was dead forever.

THE ACTUAL POST-GAME

What a relief. Especially so, given how dangerously low my Stamina was. I had a little bit of confusion at the end; when looking for items I could use to escape the fortress, I was asked if I had a silver whistle or holy water from the Tinpang River. I had a whistle, and I had holy water, but I suspect that these weren't the items I was being asked for. Also, I should have lost a Stamina point while casting RES; at least that's what it says in the spell book. I'm a little annoyed by it, to be honest, because I'd really like to have finished with only 1 Stamina point.

Regardless, finishing at all feels pretty great, especially having done so by treating Sorcery! as one huge gamebook. It feels like an achievement, albeit a fairly pointless one. Ah well, pointless achievements are about all I have in me these days.

NEXT: With one daunting task behind me, I have another one ahead of me. First, I need to give my Final Thoughts on each of the four books in the series, and to prep for that I have to thoroughly read through every path in each book. Then, I have four Exploring Titan posts lined up to cover the series. So for the next eight weeks, at least, the blog will still be stuck in Sorcery! mode. After that, it's back to the main series for Freeway Fighter.

Sorcery! Attempt 14 - Books 1-4

My regular readers will be aware that I've been having all sorts of trouble reaching book 4 of the Sorcery! epic.  Despite these failures, I don't feel like that time has been wasted. I'm now very familiar with Books 1-3, and am pretty sure that I've found the optimum path through all of them. Now, dice willing, I shouldn't have too much hassle getting to The Crown of Kings, and taking a real crack at finishing this series up once and for all.

For my 14th attempt, I rolled Skill 10, Stamina 18 and Luck 10. The dice gods were starting out by showing some kindness.

I know I'd said that I thought I'd found the optimum path, but sometimes it's hard not to go exploring. I realised that I'd never been into the dark passageway behind the blind goblin in the Schanker Mines, so I decided to risk it and take a look; if I failed, at least it I wouldn't have lost much time. The tunnel collapsed as I entered, and I decided to throw myself forward rather than retreat. Groping in the dark, I found a pair of Borrinskin Boots, which I know will get some sort of reaction out of the snake charmer in Book 3. The tunnel soon emerged into daylight, and I was able to resume my quest and finish book 1 with no trouble. (In the end, I didn't follow the path to the snake charmer, and I traded the boots in somewhere along the way. I'm not sure you can visit him and defeat all of the Archmage's serpents.)

Book 2 was similarly easy, although I did have a ridiculous battle at the end that featured myself, two harpies, two summoned goblins, and a blind beggar. It resulted in an excessive amount of dice rolling, so I won't be casting GOB during that battle again any time soon.

In Book 3 I followed the same path as my last attempt, except this time I turned right instead of left after fighting the Fire Serpent in the Forest of Snatta. I found Fenestra, so I was able to summon the ferryman and make it across Lake Ilklala to the end of the book. Along the way I killed all seven of the Archmage's serpents, which grants loads of benefits: not just the seven clues from the serpent ring, but a +2 bonus to initial Skill, a +1 bonus to initial Luck, and the option to start Book 4 at reference 237 instead of reference 1.

As I started Book 4, I had a Skill of 12, a Stamina of 18, and a Luck of 12. I had no gold, 1 provision, and I was carrying the following: a backpack, a bamboo pipe, a broadsword (+1 attack strength), a silver key with the number 111, an Armband of Swordmastery (+2 attack strength with swords), a green wig, a mirror, a lucky talisman, 4 goblin teeth, a giant's tooth, a bow and silver arrows, some snake-bite antidote, a tinderbox, another broadsword (-1 attack strength, but +1 damage), a galehorn, a chakram, a crystal orb, a brass pendulum, a hewing axe, a suit of chainmail (+1 Skill, -1 damage on a roll of 5-6), and Sham's Vial. Using my best items, I could have an effective Skill of 16.  Using my second broadsword, I would have an effective Skill of 14, but deal 3 point of damage per blow. The foes in Sorcery! rarely have a high skill, so I was using this one more often than not.

The seven clues I had garnered from the serpents were as follows:

1. Four guards protect the entrance to the Fortress of Mampang.
2. Offer no gold to Valignya if you value your life.
3. Eat not from the larder of Throg if your journey should cause you to meet her.
4. Beware the breath of the Mucalytics.
5. In the dark chamber of night, do not light your way with the blood candle.
6. Pay respect to Naggamanteh the torture master should you meet him.
7. The Archmage is not as he seems. He may be disguised in Mampang.

Before starting out, I had a look at reference 237. As I had defeated all of the serpents, the Archmage had no idea I was coming. If at any point during The Crown of Kings someone referred to me as "Analander", I could subtract 40 from the reference and turn there instead. Hopefully the element of surprise will help me win through.

My quest resumed at the base of the Zanzunu Peaks; I climbed up through the foothills until evening. I had the option of three caves to take shelter in: one was small, one had hoof-prints outside, and the other had no markings to distinguish it. I chose the latter of these, feeling my way into the darkness. It seemed to be uninhabited, but there were still some dark recesses at the back that I hadn't checked. Not wanting to take any risks, I double-checked the shadows. My foot kicked something soft, and a large animal reared up and knocked me sprawling (reducing my Stamina to 16). It was a Skunkbear (Skill 7, Stamina 6), and I decided to draw my sword and take some revenge on the vile thing.

SKUNKBEAR!!!!

Before the battle, I cast a DOZ spell (reducing its Skill to 4, and my Stamina to 14) . I killed the Skunkbear in just two quick blows, but not before it could spray the cave with its foul stench. (This happens after two rounds of combat. The thing is, I killed it in the second round, so it shouldn't have been able to spray its stench at all. Had it still been alive my Skill would have been reduced by 2 for the rest of the battle.) I left the cave, returning to sleep only when the smell had dissipated. I was refreshed by my sleep, but quite hungry as I had not eaten at all the day before (reducing my Stamina to 13).

Further up the mountains, the trail split in two. The left path led to a bridge (where you may recall I died in Attempt 10 while investigating a nest), but I ignored it and went right. As I climbed, a spear whizzed past my head and shattered on the rocks. I took cover, but before I did I caught a glimpse of my attackers and their disturbing boobs.

One for the furries

They were she-satyrs, which explained the hoof-prints I had seen on the path earlier. (Apparently I could have met one earlier in the book. I suspect it's in one of the caves.)  I cast a SUS spell (reducing my Stamina to 11), but there was no trap to warn me about aside from the obvious. They told me to step forward, calling me a "weak-bowelled cur", and explain my business.  Being rather proud of my bowel-strength, I fired back with some equally choice insults. This amused their leader, and they decided that I should accompany them back to their village. I agreed to go with them.

At the village I was taken to see Sh'houri, their leader. Rather than wait to see what she would do with me, I started regaling her with tales of my great exploits. Other she-satyrs gathered, enraptured by my tale, but saddened by the death of the boatman of Ilklala (did I leave out the part where I totally murdered him?). Once my tale was finished, Sh'houri told me what she knew of Mampang. Four "Throben Doors" blocked passage to the inner keep, each one deadly to those who didn't know how to open it. She also gave me a hardwood spear, saying that I should find Colletus the Holy Man and get him to bless it. (When I found the place I thought Colletus to be, I was instructed to subtract 30 from that paragraph to summon him.) Finally, I was shown a collection of artefacts that would help me with my spells, and told me that I could take any so long as I left behind an item from my own pack. I didn't want to get rid of anything, so I didn't take any of Sh'houri's items.

I continued on, getting closer to Mampang, and came to an alcove where I stopped to eat. Written on the wall of the alcove was a message from Colletus, warning travellers to turn back from Mampang. It said I could meet him at the Groaning Bridge. I finished my meal (restoring my Stamina to 13) and marched on.

Soon the path split in two. One path continued on, and the other stopped at a crevasse. There was a rope for travellers to swing across, but I thought better of it took the path. It curved around, and the crevasse was blocking my way to Mampang, but I soon came to a bridge. As soon as I stepped on it, the boards gave a low moan. Every step produced a moan, and although the bridge was sturdy enough I was loathe to cross it. Besides, this was obviously the place where I might find Colletus, so I called out to summon him (subtracting 30 from the current paragraph).

Colletus appeared, and with his eyes painted black it was obvious that he was blind. I asked for his services as a holy man, deciding to steer clear of the subject of Mampang for now. He blessed my spear when I asked, and I then told him about my quest. He explained that the destruction of Mampang had once been his own mission in life, but the cursed gods of the fortress had struck him blind. He also explained the the Groaning Bridge was an illusion, and that halfway across I would have been dropped into the crevasse. The true bridge was invisible, and he summoned it with a wave of the hand. Finally, he gifted me with a medicinal potion and a vial of holy water, before wishing me "the luck of Cheelah". (This raised my initial Luck to 13. At this point, I had probably the strongest character I'd ever played in any Fighting Fantasy, with the possible exception of the Silver Crusader.)

I crossed the real bridge, and followed the path around into the mountain pass leading to Mampang. The sight of the fortress was unnerving (resulting in the temporary loss of 1 Skill point). I crept forward cautiously, looking for guards. I passed a guard post where two drunken sentries were asleep, and I was able to slip quietly past them (with a successful Luck test that reduced my score to 12.)

They love a horned skull in Mampang.

Further on I found a place to hide and rest before my ordeal in Mampang. As I slept, I was contacted in a dream by my goddess Libra. She said that she was proud of my progress, and informed me that I would not be able to call on her help with the fortress. She also told me of a secret door that one of her followers had once used to escape Mampang, and gave me the password. (When I wanted to try this password, I could subtract 92 from the current paragraph.)

I woke up hungry (reducing my Stamina to 12). Reasoning that I should use my prayer to Libra now while I still could, I had her restore me to full strength.

In the darkness before sunrise I crept up to the main gate. I didn't think a spell would be helpful so I knocked on the gate, then hid on the ledge above. A guard came out to investigate, and I decided to nip inside while he was distracted.

Do I have a torso? Or are my eyes in my groin?

Unfortunately there was another guard there, and I soon found myself surrounded. I took one of them out with a DIM spell (reducing my Stamina to 16), which caused him to rave like a beast, but I still had to fight the remaining three.

Even with superior numbers the guards were no match for me, and I killed all three without them wounding me at all. Only the fourth one caused me any trouble, striking me from behind in his beast-like frenzy (and reducing my Stamina to 14).

Nipping inside, I saw doors to the left and right, and some double doors ahead. The latter of these was probably the first of the Throben Doors I'd been warned of, so I went left instead. The door wasn't locked but its hinges were squeaky. I tried my best to open it quietly, and luckily the noise did not alert anyone (this required a Luck test that reduced my score to 12). Beyond was a short passage, with a door at the end and a door on the right. I investigated the door ahead.

I could hear voices from inside, and stopped to listen, but before I could react the door opened and I was dragged inside by a trio of Black Elves. They insulted me and the paleness of my skin, and I decided to laugh and play along by quipping that at least it meant I would not lose myself in the dark. They found this amusing, and I pushed ahead with another racist joke. Luckily, I was able to calm them down (with a Luck test that reduced my score to 11).

Just a couple of friendly racists.

I asked them how to get further into the fortress. They explained that I'd need a key to get through the Throben Door, saying that I might try being charming to the guards across the way. I went back to the double doors, and this time took the door on the right.

There were voices behind this door as well, and listening I overheard a conversation about Birdmen, and a group known as the Samaritans of Schinn. One of the guards got up to check on the front gate guards, so I hid behind the door as it opened. It was a poor hiding place, and I was soon spotted by the guard (Skill 8, Stamina 6). He managed to wound me (reducing my Stamina to 12) before I could kill him. A second guard stepped out behind him (Skill 7, Stamina 7) but I made short work of him.

Inside a drawer in the guard room I found a key, and I was able to use it to unlock the double doors. I had passed through the first of the Throben Doors!

Beyond was a courtyard, with inhabitants of the fortress milling about in small groups. I tried to cross without being noticed, but one group pointed me out and headed in my direction. Changing course, I moved around closer to another group, hoping to avoid them. The second group had a familiar look about them, and as I drew closer I saw that they were Red-Eyes, a people that I had encountered in Khare.

Are these three all wearing one cloak?

They beckoned me over, and I approached and told them I was from Khare. They were delighted that I hailed from their home, and asked me if I remembered the name of the high priest of Slangg. I was aware that I was being tested, so I replied truthfully that I had no idea. This was apparently the right thing to say, as they let me go peacefully on my way.

Moving on I saw a bundle of rags, but I also saw a group that looked familiar to me. My curiosity was piqued, so I went over the the group. They were Sightmasters, an order that used their special eyesight in service of Analand. I approached them quickly, wondering what purpose they had in Mampang.

Why did I ever trust these creepy motherfuckers?

They had recognised me as an outsider, and offered to give me advice for 3 gold pieces. I had no gold, so I had to refuse them. The Sightmasters were incensed, and drew their swords. Acting on a strange impulse, I pulled out my blessed spear. With ease I stabbed one through the eye, the other through the chest, and the other in the back as he was fleeing. (This isn't me embellishing things, it's just a rad moment straight from the text.) Nobody paid any attention to the battle I looted the corpses of the Sightmasters, finding 20 gold pieces, some sand, a vial of glue, a ring of green metal, and three provisions.

I came to two large wooden doors, which I suspected were the second Throben doors. In front of them was a metal pole, carved with faces and symbols, with axes and swords melded into the base. I decided to ignore this for now, and turn back to the doors. As I watched, a bulky creature approached the door and put his mouth close to the handle. They opened and he went through. I was still wary of the doors, so I decided to take a look at where the creature had come from.

In the right-hand corner of the courtyard I found a door, and went inside. I was greeted by a short stocky man, who asked if I was there to torment the Mucalytics. When I said that I wasn't, he exclaimed that surely I wasn't there to meet the spiny ones. There were two doors onwards, and I chose the one on the left, where the man had gestured when talking about the Mucalytics.

Beyond was a disgusting room covered in debris and thick slime. Slumped in a corner was a bulky creature with a trunk-like snout: a Mucalytic!

I'm not even touching this one.

It looked like it was trying to listen to me, so I stopped to talk to it. No matter how loudly I shouted, it seemed the creature couldn't hear me. It's own reply was little more than a croak. Remembering the serpent's warning about it's breath, I decided not to let it whisper in my ear, but when I tried to exit the room it attacked me. The Mucalytic (Skill 8, Stamina 9) was strong, but I was able to kill it without being harmed.  In the muck I found a rusty sword (which I didn't bother to take), a bracelet of bones, and 5 gold pieces.

There were two doors leading on, and I chose the one opposite where I had entered from. Inside I saw an alcove where I could rest and eat, but I decided to ignore it and enter another door with a sign: "Enter Only Those Who Will Pay the Price". Inside I saw a large man wearing a turban, with a jaguar lounging under his table.

Someone needs to cosplay this guy at FF Fest.

The man told me that I could not enter without paying him a gold piece. I countered by saying that he looked like he could use a bodyguard, and that I was offering my services. He decided to test me by making me fight his Jaguar (Skill 8, Stamina 7). I wounded the beast and allowed it to retreat. The man was impressed, but he still would not let me enter without payment. I learned that his name was Valignya, and my caution had paid off: I had been warned about giving gold to this man by the serpents. I continued to refuse payment, but he insisted that I give him something valuable from my pack. I gave him the Serpent Ring, and he informed me that I would need a password to get through the Throben Door: alaralatanalara. On the way out I snatched a pouch with 10 gold pieces from his desk (and restored my Luck to 13).

Heading back to the courtyard (and avoiding an encounter due to having arrived at Mampang in secrecy), I walked up to the Throben Door and said the password. It opened and I was able to pass through. (At this point I restored the Skill point I had lost due to fear at seeing the fortress. I'm not sure that there's a specific place that tells you to restore it, but I don't think there is. I figure that this counts as being inside.)

The path branched in two beyond the doors. One led to the keep's main gate, which looked to be guarded by Birdmen. The other led to a smaller door, with steam and voices coming from within. I entered the smaller door, into a kitchen.

She probably pays better than George Calombaris.

I tried to sneak through, but the kitchen mistress spotted me. Mistaking me for one of the Archmage's officers, she introduced herself as Throg and insisted that I have something to eat. I was led down into her larder, but once again I had been warned against this by the serpents. I refused to eat her food, until she became murderously angry. She attacked me (Skill 7, Stamina 7), but fled after I had wounded her a couple of times.

I left the kitchen through another exit. I could hear guards ahead, so I hid in an alcove where I accidentally opened a secret passage. The passage led beneath the ground level, eventually coming back up and ending in a door, which I opened. I was in a yard, beneath a cloister. Edging around I came to a short passage, where there were three doors. The one on the left had a sign that said "NYLOCK - Merchant - Open". I decided to ignore this door, and chose to go through the unmarked door on the right.

The passage beyond was dark, but I was forced to enter by the sound of approaching guards. Eventually it ended at another door, which I opened. Inside was a dirty living quarters.

I've lived in worse.

I decided to check the walls for secret passages. While I was searching a heavy portcullis dropped, barring my exit. I had wandered into a cell, and now I was captive. My adventure was over.

THE POST-GAME

Aaaaahhhhhhhh! Done in by the absolute worst trick in the Steve Jackson playbook. Ian likes to get you for not having the correct items, but Steve likes to throw in a path somewhere that leads to inescapable death. For the most part he's a great designer, and his books are fair, but these moments are the biggest black mark on his record. It sucks to lose this way, and I've never been more tempted during the course of this blog to flip back and keep going from an earlier point. (And yes, I tried Libra's password here. No luck.) Still, I feel like I made some pretty good progress for my first proper venture into Mampang. If there aren't any more stupid moments like this one, I should be able to make it even further next time.