Merlin posted:

Sit still - I want to cast a spell. And don't fidget! You know how fidgeting upsets me. No, you don't. But you will. Yes, indeed. It's easy to upset people my age. I'm much older than you. I'm also dead. I died hundreds of years before you were even born. But a little thing like that won't make a lot of difference. That's what being a Magician is all about.

Merlin posted:

About the spell. You can't see me, of course. You can't hear me. But you can read what I write. Yes, indeed. Are you nervous? You ought to be: it's a very powerful spell. I don't do this one very often: it takes too long. Some spells you just mumble a word. Others you just wave a wand. But this one you have to write a whole spell book. The book you're holding, just for one spell! I'm nearly too old for this length of spell, but the King insists. Something has to be done about Ansalom.

You're going to have to help, you know. You can't just sit there reading the spell book. Not if you're going to be a big time Magician like me and spend your life being bossed around by the King. No, help is needed. I don't have a body in your Time, that's the trouble. So I need an assistant to fetch things for me. You. You're my assistant. Apprentice, really.

(Sit still. Don't fidget.)

You'll have to get a quill and some parchment. A goose quill. Peacock quills are pretentious. We'll leave that sort of nonsense to Wizards like Ansalom. A goose quill. And a little knife to sharpen it. And some powders and water to mix the ink. Or a pencil and paper would do, if you can't find a goose.

You'll also need two dice. Or one if you can't find two. One will do nicely, but two would be better if you can find them. Ordinary dice. Six sides, little spots. You must have some somewhere. Bring them back here and between us we'll cast the spell.

Back? Good. I'd better tell you about the spell, I suppose, now that you're my Apprentice. I'm going to cast it over you. Don't panic. It's the sort of spell that has to be cast over somebody. Otherwise nothing happens. Nothing at all. Complete waste of a good spell.

I'll tell you what the spell does. It takes you away from where you are now, away from your Time. Well, it takes most of you. The inside you. It leaves your body where it is, so if your parents look over they won't know you're gone. But you will be. Yes, indeed. The inside you won't be in your own Time at all. It'll be in mine. When the inside you gets to my Time, I'll just pop it into another body. Quite a nice one. A young person, much like yourself, except better looking. And stronger. I can't make you any smarter, but you'll have to put up with that.

Merlin posted:

Once you're in that other body, you'll be able to move around in it and get to do things, just like your own. You'll be able to see what things were like in my Time. I think I can even arrange it so you get to meet the King. King Arthur. Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther. Quite a nice man, if he wasn't so bossy. (Younger than me, but then everybody is.) You'll also get to meet knights, and have adventures. You may even get to meet me if I'm not too busy.

You can get back to your own body at any time, of course. You just go. It's very simple. And when you want to come back to my Time, you just continue reading this spell book where you left off. No trouble at all.

You'll enjoy living in my Time. The food's better for one thing. And there's a lot of action. Quests. Battles. Adventures. That sort of thing. Knights in armour clanking around all over the place. Horses - a lot of horses. Castles. Keeps. Fortresses. Towers. And peasants (a smelly lot). We even have a few dragons left. Not many, but in your Time they've died out altogether. And there's a lot of magic about in my Time: much more than in yours. The conditions here are better for working magic. You'll enjoy living in my Time for a time. If you don't get yourself killed.

Merlin posted:

That's the deal. That's the spell. But there are a couple of things you have to do before we're off. Both these things involve arithmetic.

When you arrive in my Time, you won't have any LIFE. No LIFE means you can't do anything. Which isn't much of an adventure. So the thing to do is get a bit of LIFE together before you set off. I'll tell what you do.

First, you take your dice and roll them together. Now, add the two scores. Now multiply your answer by 4. Write down your answer, because that's the number of LIFE POINTS you will have on your adventure when the spell is cast. You'll find you won't have less than 8 or more than 48. (I know that because I'm a Magician.)

Merlin posted:

If you aren't very happy with your score, then roll the dice again. See if that's any better. In fact, you can roll the dice three times altogether and pick the best score out of the three. If you've only got one die to begin with, that's no problem. Instead of rolling the two dice, roll one die twice and add the scores together, then multiply by 4. It's the same thing in the end.

Merlin posted:

I nearly forgot something. You have to learn to Fight. You won't last long in my Time if you don't know how to fight. Nobody does. Knight who can't fight get killed off every five minutes. You find bits of them all over the place. Can't have my Apprentice ending up like that.

The way you fight in my Time is a bit peculiar. You have to roll dice. Two dice together, or one die twice. Doesn't matter which. If you score more than 6 on your two rolls added together, it means you've hit your enemy. Landed him a whopper on the snout or wherever. How about that? If you score 6 or less, it means you swung wildly and missed altogether. It happens. When I was a lad and fighting all the time, I often missed.

Supposing you do hit him - what then? Well, for every point you score above 6, you do him that much damage. If you roll 7 you do him 1 point of damage. If you roll 8 you do him 2 points of damage, and so on. But don't cheat. Cheating messes up the spell. Every point of damage you score against your enemy is subtracted from his LIFE POINTS. Unless he's wearing armour, in which case damage is scored against his armour until you've broken through it. After which all further damage is scored against his LIFE POINTS.

Now pay attention, this is important. When your enemy has only 5 LIFE POINTS left, he will fall down unconcious. If he has NO LIFE POINTS left, you've killed him. Deceased as a door nail.

All this is what happens if you are pounding away at your enemy with your fists. If you happen to be hacking away at him with a sword, or poking at him with a spear, or bonking him with a club, you will score Extra Damage. But don't worry about that just now. You'll learn how to use swords and things when you come into my Time. You'll also learn magic, but that's another story.

Fighting is easy, isn't it? In fact, so far as I can see, there's only one real problem with it. While you're thumping your enemy, he (or she - women were very dangerous in my Time) will almost certainly be thumping you back. Turn and turn about. That's the way it goes.

Your opponent will fight exactly whe way you do: by throwing dice. (Except you'll have to throw them for him, of course, since you're the one with the dice.) If he throws above 6 he's managed to hit you. And every point above 6 scores 1 damage against you - subtracted from your LIFE POINTS (or your armour, then your LIFE POINTS) until you have 5 left, when you fall unconcious, or none left, when you're dead.

Merlin posted:

All right, that's all you need to know about Fighting for the time being. But before I start to cast my spell, I'd better tell you about Sleeping. Sleep is the way to get your LIFE POINTS back. You can Sleep at any time in my Time. (Except in the middle of a fight, of course.) And every time you Sleep successfully, you get back two dice rolls worth of LIFE POINTS.

Merlin posted:

There's a snag though. To go to Sleep you roll one die. If it comes up 1, 2, 3 or 4, you're headed for the Dreamtime, which you'll find at the back of this spell book. And in the Dreamtime you're quite likely to lose even more LIFE POINTS. Maybe even get yourself killed. But that's the way the barm brack bounces. When you need a couple of dice rolls of LIFE POINTS you take your chances with the Dreamtime and just hope you throw a 5 or 6.

Merlin posted:

I nearly forgot something else. When you come to my time, your name will be Pip. I can't help that. It's the name of the body I picked for you. When the King was young, they called him "Wart". Don't ever dare tell him I told you.

Finally you've got to learn about Experience. You collect 1 point of EXPERIENCE every time you win a fight or solve a puzzle. Count them carefully, because every 20 EXPERIENCE POINTS give you 1 PERMANENT LIFE POINT. And you can add a PERMANENT LIFE POINT to your total LIFE POINTS even if it brings you higher than you were when you started out. What's more, you can take up to 10 PERMANENT LIFE POINTS with you into other adventures and add them to whatever LIFE POINTS you happen to roll up. And by the way, a really heroic deed can often earn you more than 1 EXPERIENCE POINT.

This is nearly everything you need for your adventure. You can larn how to use Bribery and how to test for Friendly Reactions as you go along. These rules - and all the others - are on the card at the back of the book, so you can cut it out and use it as a bookmark.

Merlin posted:

Now the Spell.

Friendly Reaction posted:

Roll one die once for your enemy and three times for yourself. If you score less than your enemy, he is Friendly. Proceed as if you had won a fight.

Bribery posted:

1. Bribery is possible in section marked *B. The number of asterisks indicates the amount of Gold Pieces (or objects of equal or higher value) your enemy will accept: *B = 100 GPs; **B = 500 GPs; ***B = 1000 GPs; ****B = 10000 GPs.
2. To offer a bribe, roll two dice: if you score 1-7 your bribe is refused, if you score 8-12 proceed as if you have won a fight.
3. Whether or not you are successful, substract the bribe amount from your gold store.

The Realm of Avalon posted:

It was a wonderful age to live in, despite the dangers. Pendragon's son, King Arthur by name, was on the throne of Avalon, ruling by the right of his great sword Excalibur, which he had drawn from the stone as a boy when strong men could not move it. Arthur brought peace of a sort to the Kingdom. Before his time, the local lords fought and squabbled among themselves like geese so that there was scarcely a minute's quiet from one year's end to the next. But Arthur changed all that; and with just one marvellous invention. Chivalry.



A strange thing, Chivalry. Or strange when Arthur introduced it. We've become accustomed to it now, so that it seems a law of nature, like gravity or the way birds fly south in summer. But in those days it was a strange idea. Then, if you were strong and wanted something that belonged to somebody who was weak, you took it. And if you were a knight and saw a maiden being carried off by a dragon, you let it eat her. (Aye, and if you were that same maiden, the chances were you let it eat you, instead of sticking up for yourself as any self-respecting maiden should.)

But Arthur's strange idea of Chivalry changed all that. It introduced Fair Play and Common Courtesy and Decency and Justice and Good Behaviour and Self Sufficiency, and a lot of other Fine Things that were sadly lacking in Avalon, even in Pendragon's day. (It did not introduce cricket, as many silly people claim. But it did introduce jousting, which was nearly as good. And if anybody tells you jousting is a violent, brutal sport, simply because brave knights will try to knock each other off their horses, you just point out it is a great deal better than what they got up to before jousting was invented. That hardly bears thinking about.)

The centre of all this Chivalry was something else Arthur invented. The Table Round, or Round Table as people insist on calling it. There really was a Round Table, made of oak, mainly, with teak inlay, big enough for a dozen or so knights to sit round quite comfortably, even though knights are very bulky in their armour. But the Round Table was more than that, much more. The Round Table was a way of life.

And it was a way of life that appealed greatly to a certain class of person. When Arthur first set up the Round Table (even before the Master Carpenter finished setting the inlays) knights from all over Avalon were clamouring to join it. There was even one knight who traveled all the way from France – no mean feat in bad weather – to find out if there was a place for him. His name was Monsieur Sir Lancelot du Lac and as it turned out there was a place for him and an important place at that. Anthough they did make him change his name a little so the English could pronounce it: Sir Lancelot of the Lake.

With so many knights clamouring to join, Arthur could afford to pick the best for his Round Table. So he did. There was never so great a collection of knights since the Romans were chased out. Galahad. Percival. Lancelot. Bedevere. Guinevere. The list goes on and on. Except that Guinevere wasn't exactly a knight: she was Arthur's Queen. But she often sat at the Round Table for the sake of the excellent advice she gave and the keen brain in her head.

There was another who often sat at the Round Table, anthough he was not a knight either. He was what they call a Druid, which is sort of priest and sort of miracle-monger all rolled into one. His name was Merlin, which might tell you he was Welsh. The common people called him Merlin the Magician. The Knights, who were mostly afraid of him, called him 'Sir'. Arthur, who knew better, called him 'Silly old fool'. But that was really a term of affection from the King. After all, it was Merlin who set the sword in the stone and helped make Arthur what he is today. That's the truth of the matter, although another Wizard (by the name of Ansalom) took to claiming he was the one responsible.

Nobody liked Ansalom much, although there were few enough prepared to call him a liar to his face, even among the brave knights. Ansalom was a nasty piece of work, and short tempered. The sort of Wizard who would blight your crops as soon as look at you. And since nobody wants their crops blighted, people tended to leave Ansalom alone.

The Table Round was set at King Arthur's court, which was at a place called Camelot. It was a remarkable sight, especially in summer with the pennants flying from the spires and the sunshine glinting off the polished armour of the men-at-arms. In winter not so nice perhaps, because the pennants drooped a little in the rain and the armour was prone to rust. But then Arthur very seldom stayed at Camelot in winter. He usually went off to Cornwall.

Not very far from Camelot, if you had a good horse to carry you, was a farm. Nothing grand, nothing large, nothing spectacular, although it was owned by a freeman, not just worked by a serf. The farm was three and a half miles due north of a tiny little marked village called Glastonbury (which was very near Camelot), but the road twisted and turned so much that by the time you reached the farm you actually traveled nearer five miles than three and a half. Not that very many people ever did go to the farm. Why should they? If they wanted farm produce, they bought it in Glastonbury Market. So the farm was very isolated. And this particular farm lacked a great many home conforts and had next to no luxuries at all. In short, when you stopped to think about it, this farm was about as far from the splendours of Camelot as you could possibly imagine.

On this farm lived a young person, adopted child of the freeman farmer, whose name was John, and John's wife, Miriam, or Mary as she was more often called. The young person's name was Pip.

Pip lived a quiet, uneventful life, serene, calm, peaceful, marked by the slow roll onwards of the seasons, interrupted only by the sleepy hum of summer insects or the sound of early morning birdsongs…

Section 0 posted:

'I'm going to kill you, Brat! I'm going to murder you! I'm going to slaughter you! I'm going to beat your head in and tuck it underneath your arm!'

That's Mean Jake talking, pip. A boy three years older than you and a lot bigger. His father's also called Jake – Jake the Maggot. Five brothers: three younger, two older. Four sisters, all older. A bad family, the whole lot of them. They make their living thieving from Glastonbury Market, which is where you are now. It's early morning and nearly deserted: your adopted father, Freeman John, always comes to the market very early to unload his vegetables. Unfortunately, he's gone off to the smith to buy a new bit for the pony. So you're all alone on the cart, with your back against a sack of carrots, and now Mean Jake has turned up out of nowhere. He seems to have it in for you.



'Come on, Brat! Get down off that cart - I'm going to break you into tiny little pieces!'

We might discuss the reasons for Mean Jake's behaviour - the deprived childhood, the lack of a suitable role model - but that won't do you much good now, Pip. Look around you. There's not another soul in the market square. Not one. Too early. And Freeman John won't be back for half an hour.

It looks as if you're going to have to fight him. Either that or get killed and murdered and slaughtered and your head beaten in and tucked under your arm and the rest of you broken into tiny little pieces. Not much of a choice there. Fight or run, and you can't run because Freeman John would never find you. So it's a fight. Got your dice?

Mean Jake has 20 LIFE POINTS, about average for a boy his age. Climb down slowly off the cart, Pip, but keep an eye on him - that one has a habit of rushing at you when you aren't looking. Wouldn't want that, because it gives him the first blow. Keep an eye on him and close in slowly. That way, you might get your punch in first.

Careful now. Throw one die once for yourself and one die once for Mean Jake. Whoever gets the highest score here has the first punch. Circle round him slowly. Keep your eye on him. Don't be in any hurry.

Section 0 posted:

'Come on, Brat! I'm going to-'

He talks too much. That's good. Try to bop him on the nose. It's a bit harder to hit his nose - you need to roll an 8 instead of a 6. But if you do hit him there you score double damage. O.K. not much sense in stringing this out. Get the dice rolling and start the fight!

For all the bluster, this fight won't end up with a murder. It stops when the first fighter loses 10 or more LIFE POINTS.

If the first fighter to lose 10 or more LIFE POINTS is you, then turn to 1.
If the first player to lose 10 or more LIFE POINTS is Mean Jake, then turn to 2.

Section 1 posted:

Oh, dear, he's half killed you. Bruise on the cheek. Sore nose. Skinned knuckles. Clothes all torn and muddy where you were rolling on the ground together. And that eye of yours is going to turn into a beautiful shiner tomorrow.

Don't worry about those lost LIFE POINTS, Pip. You'll have them back in a few hours. Everybody does. (Unless they're dead, of course.) You get 1 LIFE POINT back for every hour that passes after a fight ends. So by this time tomorrow you should be good as new. Apart from the bruises. You never grow back more LIFE POINTS that you had to start with, of course. But that's all right.

'Let that be a lesson to you, Brat! Never tangle with Mean Jake!'

Isn't that just like him? Crowing over an opponent when they're down. Still, it's over now: he's swaggering away to tell everybody how he murdered you. Rotten, isn't it? If only you'd landed on his conk more often. Never mind: it could be different next time. You'll get even. Maybe.

Anyway, right now you have other things to do. Like thinking up a good reason why you're in such a mess. Freeman John doesn't approve of fighting. What on earth will you tell him? Dear, dear, life is full of problems.

Better turn to 3, Pip, before anything worse happens.

Section 3 posted:

So it was for Pip and Freeman John and Freeman John's Goodwife Mary. Life went on its same old uneventful way. The tilling and the sowing and the reaping. The fine days and the foul. And talking of fowl, Goodwife Mary bought some chickens with the proceeds of a particularly good sale of swedes Freeman John made in Glastonbury Market. So now they had eggs to eat on the farm. It might not sound much, but it meant a lot to them. When you're struggling to make ends meet, an egg is a treat. (And very good for you, by the way.)

Pip got the job of feeding the chickens. Silly birds they were. There were six chickens in all and one morning there were seven eggs. Goodwife Mary claimed it was a miracle, although it's much more likely that a chicken simply decided to work overtime. Perhaps because she liked Pip. You get chickens like that sometimes.

While feeding the chickens, Pip used to daydream about leaving the farm and going off to find fame and fortune; especially fortune. There were always stories about adventures which ended in hoards of gold once you killed the dragon, or whatever it was that the adventure was all about. A hoard of gold would come in very handy on the farm, Pip thought. It would stop Goodwife Mary worrying so much. And Freeman John, come to that. The only one who didn't seem to worry all the time was Pip. Probably too busy feeding chickens. (And fighting in the market square, eh? Shhh!)

Sometimes Pip daydreamed of joining the Round Table and riding off on a fine horse our of Camelot to find adventure and a hoard of gold: two hoards of gold even. But it was only a dream, of course. That sort of thing never happens in real life. Not that the Table Round couldn't have done with a little help about that time. Even from Pip. It wasn't all ale and jousting being a knight. Or even a king, come to that. There are times when Affairs of State weigh heavily. Affairs of State can be anything from a bad harvest in the Realm to the threat of another invasion by those Romans. Or even an upsurge of dragons. Dragons are rare enough, but every so often (when it rains the first two weeks of August) they have a good breeding season and the following July the place seems to be infested with them. No jousting for the knights then: they're all to busy racing round like maniacs killing dragons. Or getting treatment for burns.

Still, dragons weren't the problem this time. August last year had been fine. No, the problem was Ansalom. The Wizard Ansalom. In a nutshell, Ansalom was getting far too big for his boots. Hardly a day went past that King Arthur didn't have at least one petition to do something about him.

'Please, sire, he's blighted my corn.'

'Please, sire, he's taken my pig.'

'Please, sire, he's dried up my moat.'

True, all true. Ansalom was a world-class, prime time, A1 nuisance. Worse than the Romans, worse than dragons. The problem was so many of the knights were afraid of him. Knights are fighters, great people in the face of physical adversity, but magic makes them nervous. And everybody knew the Wizard Ansalom had a lot of magic. So when King Arthur suggested to Percival or Galahad or whoever that they should do something about the Wizard Ansalom, he started getting funny answers.

'Of course, sire, except I have this wrong to right in Tintagel.'

'Of course, sire, only I'm just this minute off on a quest for the Holy Grail.'

And so on. Eventually, in desperation, Arthur dispatched the brave King Pellinore to do something about the problem, but Pellinore got lost in the forest outside Wizard Ansalom's Dark Castle. (Poor sense of direction, Pellinore.) Merlin might have been able to do something about it, being a Wizard himself. But Merlin was missing at the moment, with a lot of ridiculous gossip about his having got himself a girlfriend. Nonsense at his age, of course, but he wasn't about, whatever the reason. So the Wizard Ansalom went his merry, wicked way unchecked.

While King Arthur was trying to cope with these troublesome Affairs of State, an odd thing happened that went completely unnoticed in Camelot, although it was extremely noticeable on Freeman John's farm, that being where it happened. Pip was talking to a chicken at the time, on the theory that a little encouragement might increase egg production. And right in the middle of this little chat, Goodwife Mary staggered into the coop, her face as pale as newly milled flour…

'Pip,' says she, and stops. 'Oh, Pip!' And stops again, clinging to a nearby perch for support.

'Mother - what's the matter?' asks Pip anxiously. It was always 'Mother', even though Goodwife Mary was an adopted mother. This being the Age of Chivalry, politeness was important. 'Are you ill?'

'Ill?' She looks around her vaguely, first at the coop, then at the chickens, which have gathered round in a curious circle, bobbing their heads and sussing out the situation with very bright, very beady eyes. 'Ill? No. No, I'm not ill. I don't think so. Oh, Pip, men have come.'

'Men, Mother?' asks Pip, who knows how to frame a stupid question when the need arises.

'Nobles, Pip. Great men. Knights. Knights of the Round Table. With their horses and their pages. They're in the yard now, talking to your father.' She reels a little, as if about to faint, but her secure grip on the perch does its job and she stays upright, eyes as wide as saucers. 'They're asking after you, Pip!'

After you, Pip? What's going on here?

'After me, Mother?'

'After you, Pip!'

'Pip! Pip! Where are you, Pip?' That's the voice of Freeman John, calling you.

So you take Goodwife Mary's arm and lead her out of the chicken coop, forgetting to close the door because of all this nonsense about knights, so that the chickens pile out after you to find out what on earth is going on. But it's true enough; at least is seems to be. The farmyard is full of large men in armour, with swords and halberds and snorting great warhorses. They aren't knights - Goodwife Mary was wrong about that - they are men-at-arms, an escort, so to speak, but definitely from Camelot, for they wear the King's colours and fly the King's pennant. At least twelve of them, half filling the farmyard, and very fierce looking they are. Freeman John is talking to one of them, a burly fellow bursting from his chain mail, with the insigna of a Sergeant-at-Arms.



'Pip,' says Freeman John, who looks just as pale, just as shocked as Goodwife Mary, 'these men want you to go with them.'

'Boss wants a word with you,' explains the Sergeant-at-Arms brusquely.”

'With me?'

'If your name's Pip. It is Pip, isn't it?'

You nod, dumbly.

'Then that's settled, then,' says the Sergeant-at-Arms. 'Bring up the spare horse, George!' And to you, when one of his men has brought the spare horse: 'You can ride an 'orse, can't you?'

You nod again, although this horse is twice the size of the farm pony. (And draped with a coat of arms you don't recognise: a very strange-looking coat of arms, almost sinister in fact. And it's a black horse too, black as night.)



'Orl right then, up you go,' says the Sergeant-at-Arms, pointing towards the stirrup. Then to John, as an aside, 'We'll have the child back in a day at most, Freeman: don't you worry. Take good care, we will, the lads and me. No harm will come to anybody while we're about.' Stout English yeoman type, the ruination of the country.

'Come on, Pip,' he says. 'Up you go!'

Do you go willingly? If so, turn to 4.
Do you protest, or run, or kick and scream and try to make a fight of it? If so, turn to 5.

Pip's Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 36/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:

Section 5 posted:

It’s no good, Pip, there are just too many of them and they’re too fast and too strong. They bundle you up on to that great sinister black horse and tell you that if you don’t behave they’ll tie you up in a sack and carry you that way. It’s probably an exaggerated threat, but all the same you may as well go quietly and turn to 4.

Section 4 posted:

Clinging precariously to the back of his huge black horse with its sinister insignia, you are led away from the farm of your adoptive parents, at first on the familiar road to Glastonbury Town, but shortly turning off on to less familiar tracks until, within an hour or so, you are thoroughly lost.

The men-at-arms seem sure enough of their direction, though; and even when they enter a dark forest they show no sign of nervousness. There is a fair amount of chatter amongst themselves (much of it involving the quality of food in Camelot canteen, which is odd since you would imagine the food at Camelot would be very fine: but perhaps it’s only very fine for real knights and nobles, not for men-at-arms).

The going is slow through the forest, so that the sun hangs low in the sky by the time you emerge abruptly into a vast clearing, in the centre of which is a log castle. No, not a log cabin - a log castle. Not very big as castles go, but big enough. Certainly a lot bigger than your home, or any of the houses you’ve seen in Glastonbury. With a log drawbridge spanning a deep, still moat. There are no men-at-arms on the battlements, only crows which raise a raucous alarm as your party approaches.

Since they are going to take you inside this strange castle anyway, Pip, whatever you do, better turn on now to 6 to find out what happens.

Section 6 posted:

The hooves of the horses clatter loudly on the wooden drawbridge before you and your party pass beneath an open wooden portcullis into a stone-flagged yard.

This is the first time you have ever been in a castle (let alone a log castle) but if you expected hordes of servants, you are bitterly disappointed. The only horde that emerges from a small curtained doorway in the north wall of the courtyard is a cross-eyed, shambling huchback in a leather jerkin and tattered leggings. He carries a wicked-looking dagger stuck carelessly in the leather belt around his waist. He is nearly bald and limps on account of a club foot (the left one). His bottom lip hangs. To tell the truth, he looks an awful mess.



The creature drags his club foot in your direction, halting just in time to stop your horse shying away in fright, and stares up at you for a moment with great ugly, rheumy, squinty eyes (both brown, you can now see).

Section 6 posted:

‘Ahr,’ he gurgles after a moment. ‘This be Pip all right. You lot can go now, about your lawful business.’

‘Right, Igor,’ says the Sergeant-at-Arms briskly, obviously scared witless of this creature, but not wanting to show it. He wheels about and the entire armed party rides out of the courtyard across the drawbridge. And behind them, although there is no one about, the portcullis slams down and the drawbridge raises up, leaving you alone with Igor.

‘Down you come,’ says Igor. ‘Just leave the mare: she’ll take care of herself.’

And since there isn’t much else you can do, you climb down from the horse.

‘This way, young Pip, this way. Ahrr,’ says Igor, shambling off the way he came, back in through that little doorway in the north wall. ‘You just follow after me. Ahrr. The Master wants to see ‘ee, ahrr.’ And so forth, rolling like a boat in a swell on account of his club foot.

And since there isn’t much else you can do here either, you follow him down a gloomy, torchlit corridor (but why don’t the torches set the wooden walls afire?) through an arch, along a second corridor and into a small, but well-appointed room with a table and some charis, and leather-bound books on shelves around the walls, and a globe of the world near the table and a map of the heavens on the table, and dividers and compasses and parchment and a goose qull pens and inks and powders and potions and heaven knows what.

Not that you’re paying much attention to the room, because the strangest thing is happening to Igor. His hump is dropping off. And his club foot is straightening. And he’s growing taller and thinner and sprouting long white hair on his head and a long grey beard on his face.

And his clothes are changing: the leather jerkin and those ghastly leggings. And his eyes are unsquinting and changing from brown to blue. It is without a doubt the most amazing, most miraculous, most magical transformation you have ever witnessed. In place of the shambling Igor, there stands in this well-appointed room a tall, straight, blue-eyed, grey-bearded, old man in a long white robe and pointed hat (both embroidered, incidentally, with moons and stars and suns and planets and other curious symbols).



‘That’s better,’ says the old man: and his voice is dry, not at all like Igor’s voice. ‘Shape-shifting’s always a nuisance, but they expect a man in my position to have servants, even if he can’t afford them. So it’s necessary. Yes. Yes, indeed.’

He stares at you with those piercing blue eyes. ‘Well, I see you got here. Made it safely. Spell worked. Knew it would. Enjoying yourself, are you, young Pip? Fighting the village boys, all that sort of thing? Good. Good. But there’s more important work at hand just now.’ He waves you towards a chair with a short movement of one long, bony hand. ‘Sit down. Sit still. Don’t fidget.’

It was in this way that young Pip met one of the oddest individuals ever to walk the face of fair Avalon in the days of King Arthur and the Knights of the Table Round. Although it took Pip quite a time to realise the identity of the old man who could shape-shift into the form of the hunchback Igor (and probably into quite a few other forms if the truth be known). In fact, poor Pip was so confused, the question had to be asked outright: ‘Who are you, sir?’ and the ancient shape-shifter with the piercing blue eyes said, ‘Me? I’m Merlin, of course!’

Merlin. Now there you have it. That explains a lot. Merlin the Welshman. Merlin the Druid. Merlin the Magician, adviser to King Arthur and any of the knights who cared to listen. The old wise man of Camelot, who lived in a log castle in a clearing in the forest (and sometimes lived in a cave and sometimes in a tree trunk and sometimes heaven knew ehre because you could never find him when you wanted him so the King used to say).

You might wonder what a man in Merlin’s position would want with a young farmhand like Pip. You might wonder what would persuade him to send a party of the King’s own men-at-arms to fetch such an unimportant individual. But the fact of the matter was that Merlin was a bit daft. Dulally tap, as they say in Yorkshire; by which they mean someone lacking all his marbles, barmy, not all there, nutty, if not quite a fruitcake, at least a currant bun.

In this state, brought on by old age perhaps, or by chasing after young women - for the rumours about his girlfriend were all too true as history attests - Merlin had formed the strange delusion that Pip was not Pip at all, but a young person from the distant future, drawn by magic to inhabit Pip’s sturdy body. All nonsense, of course, but when a man like Merlin gets an idea fixed in his mind, the devil himself couldn’t shift it. And with this idea roosting in his white-thatched skull, everything that Merlin did next made a great deal of sense. For what he did next was teach Pip the rudiments of magic.

‘Now pay attention,’ Says Merlin. ‘The King has a problem. At least he will have, even if he doesn’t know it yet. Guinevere. The Queen. Delightful woman, but she’s going to be kidnapped. It hasn’t happened yet, but it will.’

He gestures to the parchment on the table, which is covered in calculations and blots. ‘No doubt about it,’ he says. ‘I worked it out by astrology. Saturn trine Jupiter and a very nasty aspect in her Rising Sign. I don’t have to tell you what that means. It means she’s going to be kidnapped. Soon. Seized. Abducted. Snatched right out of Camelot from under our very noses. The Queen herself. Dreadful.’

He walks to a nearby bookshelf and takes down a leather-bound tome, which he opens at page 86. Inside, stuck down rather messily with glue, is a charcoal drawing of a black-haired, black-bearded, black-eyed and extremely villainous-looking man in black robes, holding a wand. ‘And that,’ says Merlin, ‘is the rogue who’ll do it. Ansalom. The one they call the Wizard Ansalom, although in my opinion he’d be hard put to tell a spell from a mangle. Still, he knows a trick or two: have to admit that.’

Section 6 posted:

‘Well now,’ says Merlin, putting away the book again, ‘we have to do something about it. At least-’ And here he turns his gimlet gaze on you, Pip. ‘- you have to do something about it: I’m too busy.’

‘Me, sir?’ you ask, perhaps a little terrified.

‘Yes, you. Of course you. Why do you think I brought you here all the way from your own time? Just to talk to chickens? Oh, no, young Pip: there’s a job to be done and you’re here to do it. But at least it isn’t difficult. All you have to do is get into the Wizard Ansalom’s Dark Castle and rescue the Queen. Nothing to it for a healthy young person like yourself. As long as you avoid the traps. And the monsters. He breeds them, you know, for a hobby, then lets them wander all over his castle: the smell is dreadful, but you’ll get used to it. Stupid things, monsters - most of them. They shouldn’t give you any trouble. Worst that can happen is they’ll eat you.’

He stops, as if he has just remembered something, then goes on, ‘Oh yes, you might as well kill Ansalom while you’re at it. Thorough-going nuisance, that man. Always blighting people’s corn and stealing their pigs and drying up their moats, not to mention kidnapping Queens. So you just kill him. Otherwise he’ll kill you, of course - he's that sort.’

He spreads his hands. ‘So you see, it isn’t much of a job, really. I’d do it myself if I wasn’t so busy. So you just cut along now, Pip, and… Wait. I forgot something.’

So saying, Merlin dives beneath the table with surprisingly agility for such an old man and drags out a large oak chest, bound in iron bands. ‘You’ll need this,’ he says, opening the chest and taking out a sword.

‘This,’ says Merlin, ‘is the sword Excalibur Junior. A magical blade, something similar to the one I made for the King, except smaller. When you use this, you only need to roll a 4 or better to hit somebody. And when you do hit, you can add 5 to any damage caused. It talks too, although not very often. Calls itself “E.J.”‘

Merlin plunges back inside the chest. ‘And you’ll need this,’ he says, bringing out a leather jerkin which, rather miraculously, fits you to perfection. ‘Looks like leather. Feels like leather. Weighs no more than leather. But it isn’t leather: it’s dragonhide. Don’t see many jackets like this about, young Pip. As good as a suit of armour, this one. Anyone hits you when you’re wearing this and it subtracts 4 points from any damage they cause you. 4 whole points. That can make the difference between life and death.’



He closes the chest and puts it away, then walks quickly to a shelf and takes down a small casket, like a jewel box. From inside he takes three small blue glass bottles. ‘Now, potions.’ He hands you the bottles. ‘Keep those carefully. They’re Potions of Healing. A secret blend of castor oil and mugwort. Tastes foul, but it restores LIFE POINTS. Swallow one of these and roll two dice once (or one die twice) and the score shows you how many LIFE POINTS you’ve got back. I can only spare three bottles, but each contains six doses. Try to stretch them out.’

Section 6 posted:

He sniffs. ‘Well, now,’ says Merlin, ‘that’s about it, isn’t it?’ He frowns. ‘No it’s not - you are stupid, Pip. You didn’t remind me to teach you magic. Won’t get far in Wizard Ansalom’s Dark Castle without a bit of magic, will you? Let me see your hands.’

Are you still there, Pip? Reeling a bit from all that, no doubt, but still there, still compos, as they say, mentis, which is an expression the Romans use to denote that you’re still in full possession of your head. Doesn’t he go on a bit, old Merlin. The Welsh are like that, of course: the only time they stop talking is when they’re singing. Fortunately Merlin doesn’t sing. Better show him your hands, Pip, otherwise he’ll go on at you forever.

‘Bit of dirt under your fingernails, I see,’ Merlin says. ‘Never mind, you can wash them later, before you meet the King. I did tell you you’d meet the King, didn’t I? Well, you will. Just as soon as you rescue the Queen and bring her back from Wizard Ansalom’s Dark Castle. You’ll get to meet the King then. If you’re still alive, that is. Might even yourself knighted, you never know. Now, where was I? Yes. Your hands.’

He stares at your hands for a moment, then goes to the table and dips the goose quill in the ink. ‘Hold still, now,’ he says. ‘Don’t fidget.’ And right there in the centre of each palm, he draws a circle with a star inside it. Draws it rather well too. Then, holding your hands tightly to steady them, he draws a second, very tiny circle on the tip of each of your two forefingers, right hand first, then the left.



‘Now,’ he says, ‘I’m going to write something down and I want you to tell me if you can read it.’ With which he tears a piece of parchment off the end of the sheet filled with calculations and writes on it with the quill, then hands it to you.

On the piece of parchment he has written the words:

FIREFINGER 1

If you speak the words aloud in answer to his question, turn to 7.
If you only nod in answer, go direct to 8.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 36/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
- E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage)
- Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage)
- Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18

Section 7 posted:

No sooner have you spoken the words ‘Firefinger 1’ than a lightning bolt leaps from the tip of the forefinger of your right hand, scorching Merlin’s beard and setting light to one of the leather-bound books in the shelves. Surprising though this may be to you, Merlin seems well used to such emergencies, for he only hurls the contents of the ink pot on the book to put it out.

Turn to 8.

Section 8 posted:

’You see,’ says Merlin, ‘this is an important bit of magic I’ve given you. A spell you might say. Every time you say “Firefinger 1” a bolt of lightning will jump from the tip of your right forefinger and hit anything you’re pointing at in the same room. All you need do is point: it never misses. And it causes 10 points of damage to anything it hits. 10. Imagine that. More dangerous than a sword, that is. And if you say “Firefinger 2” the same thing will happen with your left forefinger.’

He regards you severely. ‘Now remember two things. The first is that the spell only works five times for each finger. So you have only ten Lightning Bolts in all, so don’t waste them on any nonsense like target practice or showing off. That’s the first thing. The second thing -’ and here his face grows even more grave if that is possible ‘- is that you must never, never say “Firefinger 1” or “Firefinger 2” while your hands are in your pockets, otherwise you will do yourself a dreadful injury.’

Section 8 posted:

The lone, bony finger comes up and points directly at your nose so that you begin to hope Merlin himself has no Lightning Bolts concealed in his fingers. ‘But that is not all, young Pip. No indeed. Not by a long chalk. In the palms of your hands you now have concealed two huge, magical fireballs. Two only. One in each hand. These are your most powerful weapons. They do 75 points of damage each if they hit. 75! Yes. Yes, indeed. That’s enough to put paid to old Ansalom, I’ll be bound.’ He coughs. ‘The problem is, they don’t always hit what you aim at. Have to throw dice, exactly the way you do when you’re fighting. If you can’t manage at least a 6 with two dice (or one die rolled twice) then you’ve missed. Missed completely. Wasted your Fireball; and you’ve only two altogether. So make sure to roll well. You launch your Fireball by shouting - good and loud, mark you - "Fireball Away!” Then you roll your dice to see if it’s hit anything. That’s the way to do it. Save your Fireballs if you can, Pip, and use them on Ansalom, look you, Dai bach,’ says Merlin, lapsing into Welsh in his excitement.

At which very point the conversation (or monologue, as it might be better described) there is a great commotion outside, like men pounding on the log walls and ringing bells and shouting to get somebody’s attention. Which is likely exactly what they are doing, since the drawbridge is up and there is no way in.

Merlin smiles to himself. ‘There,’ says he, ‘that will be the King’s messengers with the news of the Queen’s kidnapping. Right on time, according to the ancient pyramidic scrolls. But we’re ready for them, eh Pip? At least you are. I’ll just go and tell them you’ll sort it all out.’

And off he goes, shape-shifting into Igor in the corridor, to tell the King’s messengers that Pip, brave Pip, is all prepared to rescue Queen Guinevere from the Wizard Ansalom’s Dark Castle.

Section 8 posted:

THE DARK CASTLE OF THE WIZARD ANSALOM

What a scandal! What a fuss! What a fluttering in the dovecotes, to use a picturesque expression. It was panic stations throughout Camelot, throughout the whole of Avalon for that matter. The Queen kidnapped! Impossible! Such a thing had never happened before! But it had happened now.

And the way it happened was extremely creepy. No warning. No declaration of war. No attack on the castle. No peasant or noble revolt. In fact, it had been a fairly ordinary day, all things considered. There was a meeting of the Table Round in the morning, with nothing terribly exciting on the agenda. All the discussions were perfectly routine. Lancelot tabled a list of wrongs to be righted and the knights shared them out equitably. Bedevere complained about the drains (he had a thing about drains). Galahad gave a brief report on the dragon situation, which was actually well under control. Percival suggested somebody should go looking for King Pellinore, who was still lost in the forest, and everybody agreed to refer the matter to a sub-committee for further study. All absolutely routine, with not a hint of trouble.

After that, King Arthur led his usual Public Audience, during which he judged disputes and listened to complaints. (‘Please, sire, the Wizard Ansalom stole my pig.’) But even here, Ansalom was proving no more a nuisance than usual.

Queen Guinevere, meanwhile, had not attended either the Table Round or the Public Audience, since a look at both agendas had convinced her the problems were so simple even men could handle them without help. So she went off to her study to write some important letter to a Scottish cousin about the possibility of increasing his country’s haggis exports.

She was attended in the study by two ladies-in-waiting and three maids of honour, that being the usual custom at Camelot. She was also attended by a contingent of men-at-arms, an honour guard, who waited stiffly outside the door, their hands on their swords, looking fierce, that being the custom too. There was only one door into the study and consequently only one door out. It was a small room, with very few - if any - places to hide.

Nobody expected any more trouble than the occasional inkblot (and not even that, really, since the Queen was noted for her penwomanship), but all of a sudden the men-at-arms outside heard the ladies-in-waiting and the maids of honour inside suddenly begin to scream their heads off. Naturally the men drew their swords and rushed in, making a great fuss as men do in an emergency, to find the Queen had vanished.

They couldn’t get a lot of sense out of the ladies or the maids, who all claimed Guinevere had simply disappeared while she sat behind her desk. One minute there, the next minute gone, with not even a puff of smoke to mark her departure. The Sergeant-at-Arms had a shrewd suspicion they hadn’t been paying attention and called for a thorough search of the room, paying particular attention to secret panels and the like. But there proved to be no secret panels, and no Queen either. Reluctantly everyone reported back to Arthur, who was just finishing up his Public Audience when the news arrived.

Arthur was, of course, terribly upset and lost his temper for a while, shouting all sorts of threats at his guards. But he calmed down very quickly and ordered a thorough search of the entire castle, particularly of the grounds (fearing Guinevere might have fallen out of a window). When this produced no indication of the missing Queen, he began to suspect sorcery afoot; and having suspected sorcery, he naturally thought of that pig-stealing, moat-drying, crop-blighting nuisance, the Wizard Ansalom.

‘Lancelot,’ said he to his bravest knight, ‘the time has come to do something about the Wizard Ansalom. Permanently.’

Section 8 posted:

And Lancelot, who was really a bit too fond of the Queen for his own good, promptly agreed. ‘I will ride, sire, this instant to the Dark Castle of the Wizard Ansalom and there I shall single-handedly fight my way through his guards and his monsters and put the villain to death with my trusty sword!’

‘Don’t talk rubbish,’ Arthur said, in no mood for that sort of chivalrous nonsense. ‘You wouldn’t get beyond the courtyard. What’s needed here is somebody devious, somebody sneaky, somebody with the sort of convoluted animal cunning which will get him past Ansalom’s tricks and traps.’

‘Merlin!’ Lancelot breathed.

‘Exactly,’ Arthur said; and forthwith dispatched messengers to Merlin’s famous log castle with the news of the Queen’s disappearance.

The messengers returned, but not with Merlin. They returned with a very nervous and confused young person, equipped with a sword that looked suspiciously like a sawn-off version of Excalibur and mumbling some nonsense about Lightning Bolts and Fireballs.

It didn’t sound much of an answer to the greatest crisis the realm had ever faced, but Arthur knew how stubborn Merlin could be, and for all the Druid was an old fool, Arthur still had a sneaking regard for his judgement. So he ordered the Quartermaster General to pack some sandwiches and fruit in a lunchbox and check out a standard issue backpack with ropes and climbing spikes and other odds and ends of use to commandos, then called a thirty-six strong guard to escort this young person to the forest on the outskirts of Wizard Ansalom’s demesne.

The guard carried out their duties as ordered, escorting the young person into the forest and leaving rather promptly on account of the magical atmosphere that surrounded anything to do with Ansalom. It was only when they returned that everyone realised they had forgotten to ask the young person’t name. As Percival remarked, they would have nothing to put on the tombstone.

Section 8 posted:

THE ADVENTURE

Well, here you are, Pip, in the dark, dank forest that lies on the approach to the Dark Castle of the Wizard Ansalom. What an adventure, eh? What a jolly jape! What a lighthearted frolic! Well, perhaps not. Let’s see what you’ve got inside your backpack: that might cheer you up.

Now, let’s see…

A coil of stout rope, fifteen metres long, which is useful. A dozen climbing spikes: could come in handy. Six good torches, their ends well dipped in pitch; a lantern and three - no, four - flasks of oil; and a tinderbox to help you light them; a lunchbox with bully-beef sandwiches and two apples; some sheets of parchment, qull and ink for mapping; and, look, a dagger for you to hide in your boot (that will give you +2 damage if you manage to stab somebody with it); some salve for wounds (restores 3 LIFE POINTS immediately, with enough for five applications); some garlic to give your sandwiches a bit of bit; a mirror made of polished metal; a hammer, some nails and a saw. There’s also a lodestone in a little pocket in the side. You can use that as a compass if you’re stuck: just mark one end and hang it from a piece of twine (there’s some twine in there if you look). It will spin a bit but end up pointing north/south. Useful enough, that lot.

It’s a nasty forest. Very gloomy; and the paths are all overgrown. Look at the way those trees are all twisted and gnarled, branches like old wizened hands reaching out at you. Notice you don’t hear any birds singing. Not one. Never mind: you’ve a choice of paths. Both look equally unpleasant. And both look as though they might be going to the Wizard Ansalom’s Dark Castle. Isn’t that annoying? Ok, Pip, which is to be: the right-hand path or the left-hand path?



If you pick the right-hand path, turn to 9.
If you pick the left-hand path, turn to 20.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 36/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5 Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)

Section 8 posted:

If you pick the right-hand path, turn to 9.
If you pick the left-hand path, turn to 20.

Section 20 posted:

The path gets narrower and more and more overgrown. Eventually you find you are actually having to push your way through the undergrowth. Then, suddenly and without warning, you are in a clearing; and in the middle of the clearing is the ruin of an old stone building, a ruined abbey perhaps, with ivy clinging to the walls.



Since there doesn't seem to be any immediate way out of the clearing, it may be no bad idea to explore the ruin. Even if it is haunted, which, of course, it isn't. Nobody believes in ghosts nowadays. Except it isn't nowadays, isn't it? It's back in the days of King Arthur. Oh, dear.

As you are a brave soul, you explore anyway, despite the ghosts. As you enter the ruin, you feel a sudden chill. It seems darker even than the gloomy forest. There are small scuffling sounds in the crumbling walls.

'Stop. Halt. Cease. Not one step further, what?'

A man's voice. And out of the gloom steps (or rather clanks) a massive figure in jet-black armour.

'Halt! I say,' he says, even though you have certainly halted. 'Who are you? What are you doing here? Speak up and answer before I slit your gizzard!'

Could this be the notorious Black Knight your adopted father, Freeman John, used to speak about in whispers by the fireside of an evening? If it is, he is known as the most evil, fearsome opponent in the realm (next to the Wizard Ansalom, of course).

If you feel like fighting him, turn to 17.
If you don't (and who could blame you), speak to him politely and turn to 25.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 36/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)

Section 20 posted:

If you feel like fighting him, turn to 17.
If you don't (and who could blame you), speak to him politely and turn to 25.

Section 25 posted:

'What's that?' asks the Black Knight. 'Pip, you say? Well, Pip, it's no place for a young person to be wandering. Get lost very easily. Don't tell me - I've been lost for weeks.'

At which he removes his helmet to reveal a florid, but otherwise friendly face. 'King Pellinore at your service,' he says. 'Well, not exactly at your service, since I've work to do. But nice to have met you just the same.'

Then he takes his leave of you, mounting a sag-backed old horse tethered at the back of the ruins and riding off to disappear into the depths of the forest, silly old fool.

If you search carefully, you will find a path out of the clearing which eventually takes you to 22.

Section 22 posted:

On this path you eventually note a junction on your right which joins up with the path described in 10. If you have already been that way, you will presumably ignore it. If not, you are free to take that route if you please.

Assuming you continue on the main path, you will travel for nearly half a mile before reaching a leafy screen. Break through that and, can you believe, you are in sight of...

THE WIZARD ANSALOM'S DARK CASTLE!

Turn quickly to 19.

Section 19 posted:

This is it, Pip. This is where the trouble really starts. This is the Wizard Ansalom's Dark Castle. Just look at it, looming up there out of the mists like some huge, sodden tombstone. Seven towers (count them) and not one under twenty metres in height. Great dank stone walls, dripping slime. And a still, dark moat that's probably full of the most loathsome creatures you could imagine. Did you ever see such an evil-looking place? Fear sets your teeth on edge to think of the lovely Queen Guinevere languishing in some deep dungeon inside.



The drawbridge is down, Pip, and the portcullis raised. Not a guard in sight. They say the Wizard Ansalom doesn't need them: nobody in their right mind would risk entering his Castle without an invitation. so he leaves the drawbridge down and the portcullis open. "Come into my parlour," said the spider...

There are monsters in there, Pip. And traps and tricks and all manner of evil magics, so they say. But the Queen is there too, so there's nothing else for it but to put on a brave face, keep old EJ handy, and put the best foot forward.

Just a couple of points before you start, Pip. the Castle lies directly in front of you, to the north. From now on, all your directions will be given as north, south, east or west. (Which is handy for drawing a map: and you'll certainly need a map, especially if you're killed and have to go back again.)

Directly ahead of you (i.e. north) is a hundred metres wide area of barren, stony scrubland, then the moat, drawbridge and ghastly Castle. Off you go, Pip, onwards to 23. And good luck.

Section 23 posted:

Having crossed the drawbridge and entered the enclosed archway tunnel which leads to the open portcullis, you have a choice of making a dash for the portcullis before it closes, or creeping along carefully and slowly, examining everything as you go.

If you make a dash for it, turn to 30.
If you creep along slowly and carefully, turn to 13.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 36/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)

Section 23 posted:

If you make a dash for it, turn to 30.
If you creep along slowly and carefully, turn to 13.

Section 13 posted:

You notice a series of holes in the tunnel above your head and by keeping close to the walls, manage to avoid the boiling oil which suddenly pours through them. You reach the portcullis in one piece and thus gain entry to 32.

Section 32 posted:

You have entered a vast, open courtyard, its unflagged floor composed of beaten earth. Fifty metres north are closed wooden double doors set in the far wall of the courtyard. Over by the eastern wall are two carts, six crates and about a dozen barrels. Stone steps on the western wall lead upwards to the battlements and towers. There are about a hundred Chickens, scratching about in the courtyard.

If you run directly towards the double doors in the north wall, turn to 15.
If you move east to examine the carts and barrels, turn to 18.
If you move west to climb the steps to the battlements, turn to 29.
If you stop to have a little chat with the Chickens, turn to 27.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 36/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)

Section 27 posted:

Dumb move, Pip. These are Savage Chickens. The Wizard Ansalom breeds them as courtyard guards.

The Savage Chickens fling themselves on you (savagely) and though each peck only does 1 LIFE POINT of damage, there are so many of them that they could easily kill you. Roll two dice to find out what happens.

Score 1-6 and the Savage Chickens peck you to death. Go to 14.
Score 7-10 and you escape with half your current LIFE POINTS. Go to 32 and reconsider your options.
Score 11 or 12 and you manage to fight off the Savage Chickens without injury. Go to 32 and reconsider your options (the Chickens won't attack again).

Section 14 posted:

You're dead. Dead as a coffin nail. Finished. Done for. The late Pip. Draw a thick black border round this Section for future reference. You may be back here again before you're much older.

Most people get deaded sooner or later the first few times they try to go through this adventure. Don't get too depressed about it. What you have to do now is go back to the beginning of the forest, where the King's Guard left you, and try again. You'll rescue the Queen sooner or later. What's more, you can safely ignore the monsters and villains you have killed the first time round, since these will only be harmless ghosts and illusons when you go in again.

When you go back, you'll need to roll up your LIFE POINTS again. No good trying to return to your adventure with no LIFE POINTS. So roll them up exactly as you did the first time. And here's a tip. Draw a map as you go along. Especially a map of the Wizard Ansalom's Dark Castle. It will help you find your way around a lot better the second time. Make a note on the map of what you encountered. Second time around, a map is as good as an extra sword - even an extra Fireball.

Now back you go to the beginning of the forest, Pip. With luck you won't be seen round here again.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 40/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)

Cthulhu Dreams posted:

Can we go back and see section 10? I'm conscious it's blocked, so let's do it on the way in as Pip 2 Pip harder.

Section 9 posted:

You follow the right-hand path (which twists and turns a lot) with no more incident than the odd bramble bush tearing at your clothing, until about 400 metres further on where you reach a clearing. At the far side of the clearing, the path branches again, right and left. But before you pick one of these two new paths, you have a bit of a problem. There's a Wolf in the clearing. It's a big, savage-looking grey brute and it's sniffing the air as if it's caught the scent of your bully-beef sandwiches. Or you.

Section 9 posted:

This is time for quick thinking, Pip. You can run like mad back the way you came and hope the Wolf doesn't catch you. You can fight the Wolf, then pick your new path if you kill it. You can try making friends with it by offering a bit of bully-beefsandwich.

If you run back, turn to 11.
If you decide to fight the Wolf, turn to 21.
If you want to try to make friends, turn to 31.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 40/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)

Section 9 posted:

If you run back, turn to 11.
If you decide to fight the Wolf, turn to 21.
If you want to try to make friends, turn to 31.

Section 31 posted:

Trying to make friends, huh? What a dumb thing to do. Still, it's your choice. Take out your bit of bully beef and walk (slowly) towards that ravening Wolf. Hold the beef out and say things like 'Nice Wolf... that's a pretty Wolf... Beautiful Wolf... good Wolf...'

Now roll one die.

If you score 3 or more (good heavens!) the Wolf will take the beef, give your hand a bit of a lick, and let you go on your way unmolested. This means you can now either go back and take the path to 20, go on and take the new right-hand path to 10, or go on and take the new left-hand path which leads to 22.

If you score a 1 or 2, the Wolf takes your throat out. Turn direct to 14.

Section 10 posted:

This path is fairly open, fairly easy going for several hundred metres. Eventually it begins to swing left until up ahead you can see it joins another path. Unfortunately, between you and the intersection, there is a wild Boar. The bad-tempered beast has seen you and it's charging. No choice here, Pip. You fight it or get killed.



The Boar has 25 LIFE POINTS. It does +4 damage if it gets its tusks in you. Roll dice to see which of you gets in the first blow.

If you kill the Boar, go on to the intersection. This joins your path to the path leading to 22.
If the Boar kills you, go to 14.
If the Boar knocks you out you will wake up twenty minutes later with the Boar gone. Proceed to 22.

Section 32 posted:

You have entered a vast, open courtyard, its unflagged floor composed of beaten earth. Fifty metres north are closed wooden double doors set in the far wall of the courtyard. Over by the eastern wall are two carts, six crates and about a dozen barrels. Stone steps on the western wall lead upwards to the battlements and towers. There are about a hundred Chickens, scratching about in the courtyard.

If you run directly towards the double doors in the north wall, turn to 15.
If you move east to examine the carts and barrels, turn to 18.
If you move west to climb the steps to the battlements, turn to 29.
If you stop to have a little chat with the Chickens, turn to 27.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 39/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 2
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches , Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic , Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)

Section 18 posted:

The carts are in a pretty broken-down condition and are more or less unusable. Two of the crates contain old sacks, one is full of rotten apples and the rest are empty. Three of the barrels contain cider, the rest wine.

If you drink any cider, turn to 12.
If you drink any wine, turn to 16.
If you leave this load of old rubbish and go to the double doors in the north wall, turn to 33.
If you move west to climb the steps to the battlements, turn to 29.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 39/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 2
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)

Section 18 posted:

If you drink any cider, turn to 12.
If you drink any wine, turn to 16.
If you leave this load of old rubbish and go to the double doors in the north wall, turn to 33.
If you move west to climb the steps to the battlements, turn to 29.

Section 12 posted:

Good cider. Don't take too much or you'll get drunk. Go to 32 when you've finished and decide what you want to do now.

Section 32 posted:

You have entered a vast, open courtyard, its unflagged floor composed of beaten earth. Fifty metres north are closed wooden double doors set in the far wall of the courtyard. Over by the eastern wall are two carts, six crates and about a dozen barrels. Stone steps on the western wall lead upwards to the battlements and towers. There are about a hundred Chickens, scratching about in the courtyard.

If you run directly towards the double doors in the north wall, turn to 15.
If you move east to examine the carts and barrels, turn to 18.
If you move west to climb the steps to the battlements, turn to 29.
If you stop to have a little chat with the Chickens, turn to 27.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 39/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 2
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)

Section 32 posted:

If you run directly towards the double doors in the north wall, turn to 15.
If you move east to examine the carts and barrels, turn to 18.
If you move west to climb the steps to the battlements, turn to 29.
If you stop to have a little chat with the Chickens, turn to 27.

Section 29 posted:

You climb the stone steps to the battlements and...

Section 29 posted:

Good grief! the battlements and towers are guarded by a horde of Archer Insects! These horrifying creatures are nearly two metres tall, each one looking for all the world like a giant Preying Mantis, each one armed with a bow and a quiver of twenty arrows. There are hundreds of them skulking up here! No chance to fight so many. Roll two dice to find out if you can make it safely back down the steps to the yard.

Score 1-4 and you're skewered with 750 arrows, killing you instantly. Go to 14.
Score 5-8 and you are wounded by three arrows (total damage 10 LIFE POINTS) but make it back to the yard. Return to 32 and reconsider your options.
Score 9-12 and you reach the yard safely without being wounded. Return to 32 and reconsider your options.

Section 15 posted:

As you reach the centre of the courtyard, you fall down a secret trapdoor, well hidden and covered with compressed earth. Go to 36.

Section 36 posted:

You are in a gloomy, stone-flagged corridor, three metres wide, three metres high, with rough stone walls, dripping slightly with dampness and covered in mildew. (If you fell in through the trapdoor, deduct 5 LIFE POINTS: there are easier ways of getting here.)

Section 36 posted:

Behind you is the iron-runged ladder to the trapdoor and courtyard above, and behind that is a solid stone wall. Before you, running north-east a distance of twenty metres, is the unlit corridor. Better get your torch lit, Pip, or your lantern. When you do so, you will see dimly that the corridor seems to open up into some sort of cave mouth at the far end.

If you plan to follow the corridor (and, honestly, what else can you do?) go to 53.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 24/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 2
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)

Section 53 posted:

You've fallen down a pit trap! It was ten metres along the corridor, a flagstone that swivelled, dumping you into the black depths five metres below. There are poison spikes set in the bottom of the pit trap. Roll dice to see if you missed being skewered on the spikes.



Score 1, 2 or 3 and you were skewered. The poison will kill you in five seconds. Wait five seconds, then go to 14.
Score 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 and you missed the spikes, but fell badly. Deduct 20 LIFE POINTS. If this kills you, go to 14.
Score 11 or 12 and you're shaken, but unhurt.

Section 53 posted:

If you survived this nasty, use your rope and spikes to climb out and continue down the corridor to 40.

If this is your second time around and you're working from a map, it's obvious you would manage to avoid the trap, in which case go to 40 uninjured.

Section 40 posted:

The corridor slopes downwards quite sharply for most of its length, then widens abruptly into what seems to be a natural cave. Although far too irregular to map properly, the cave dimensions are roughly twelve metres north/south by fifteen metres east/west. There is a wide opening in the south-eastern wall, leading into a further cave. The floor of this first cave is littered with dried bones. Several of them look suspiciously like human bones.

If you want to search this cave in the hope of finding something useful, go to 51.
If you prefer not to waste time, go to 54.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 4/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 2
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)

Section 51 posted:

Nope,nothing here. What did you expect among a load of old dried bones? Go to 54

Section 54 posted:

This second cave is rather larger than the first. Again accurate mapping is impossible, but approximate size is twenty metres north/south by fifteen metres east/west. There is an exit to the eastern side of the north wall. In the middle of the cave floor is what appears to be a Compost Heap.

If you want to search the Compost Heap for anything useful, go to 35.
If you decide to press on through the exit, go to 48.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 33/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 2
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x13 , Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)

Section 35 *B posted:

It's not a Compost Heap - it's something big and nasty and alive! And it didn't like the way you poked it, Pip. This vegetable (but certainly not vegetarian) monster is rising up to a height of over two metres and attacking. What's more, since you were poking around searching for heaven knows what, it has the first strike against you.

Section 35 *B posted:

The creature has 35 LIFE POINTS and does an additional 4 points of damage every time it lands a blow, on account of its great strength. And since it's so big, it only needs throw a 5 or better to hit you. No fun at all. Get those dice rolling, Pip, and see what happens in this fight.

If the monster kills you, go to 14.
If you kill the monster, go to 39.

Section 39 posted:

As this shambling brute sinks down bleeding clorophyl from every wound, something catches your eye on the floor, half hidden by the massive body. On closer inspection, you discover it is a leather purse. Open it (carefully) and inside you will find 10 - yes, 10 - solid Gold Pieces. Not exactly a Queen's ransom, but enough to buy a whole heap more chickens for your adopted mother, with cash left over for a lot of other necessities about the farm. (Alternatively, you could spend it all on sweets.)

Section 39 posted:

Pop the gold in your backpack, Pip. You're entitled to keep any booty you find in this place. Just don't forget you can't take it with you if you're killed. Should you find yourself back at the dreaded 14, there will be no gold, or anything else you may have collected, in your backpack. And booty, once collected, won't be here second time around either. Still, you have it for now and with luck you may survive. Leave the cave by going directly to 37.

Section 37 posted:

The cave exit leads into a corridor running north only six metres before turning sharply west and running west for twenty-five metres before ending in a stout wooden door. The corridor is empty and there are no traps, so what do you do when you reach the door, Pip?

If you knock politely and wait for an answer, go to 38.
If you run at the door with your head in an attempt to break it down, go to 34.
If you try turning the heavy iron handle, go to 45.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 22/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 3
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x13, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x10

Section 38 posted:

Nothing happens. Better go back to 37 and reconsider your options.

Section 37 posted:

If you knock politely and wait for an answer, go to 38.
If you run at the door with your head in an attempt to break it down, go to 34.
If you try turning the heavy iron handle, go to 45.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 22/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 3
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x13, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x10

Section 45 posted:

Would you believe the door swings slowly open, that being what handles are for, obviously. You are looking into a six metre (east/west) by fifteen metre (north/south) chamber, the door set in the northernmost two metres of the east wall. This room is actually lighted - by torches set in iron brackets around the walls. There is, however, no sign of anyone in here. A flight of stone steps leads upwards to a small door high in the north wall. There is a second door (at ground level) set to the southern end of the west wall.

If you decide to climb the stone stairway to the high door, turn to 55.
If you prefer to try the door in the west wall, go to 44.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 22/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 3
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x13, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x10

Section 55 posted:

You climb the stone stairway. At least you climb the first five steps. The remaining steps, like the door, are, unfortunately, an illusion created by the Wizard Ansalom. You discover this by the simple process of falling through them once you reach step six. You plunge downwards into sudden darkness and even your own torch goes out abruptly as you strike the bottom somewhere below the level of the floor of the room you have just left.

Section 55 posted:

As you lie winded in the darkness, roll one die to find out how many LIFE POINTS you lost in the fall. (If this kills you, go to 14.) Then go to 46.

Section 46 posted:

If you use your rope and spikes to climb out of this black pit, go to 45.
If you decide to relight your torch and explore the pit, go to 43.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 28/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 3
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x11 , Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x10

Ratatozsk posted:

I'm leery of wasting too many of our potions. Let's take a nap the next time our Life Points take a hit.

Section 43 posted:

It takes a little while to get your torch lit again. (Torches are never easy, especially in an emergency.) And when you do get it lit, you discover something very disturbing. You are not alone in the pit!

Crawling towards you across the rough stone floor, no more than two or three metres away, is a giant Spider. This great hairy monster is the size of a Great Dane. A big Great Dane. Swiftly you draw Excalibur Junior. Bravely you leap towards the monster.

'Hey, wait a minute!' screams Excalibur Junior. 'We can't fight a thing that size! I hate spiders.'

Section 43 posted:

So there you are, faced by a giant Spider the size of a big Great Dane and probably poisonous if the truth be told, with a shivering cowardy-custard sword in your hand, a torch that looks as if it might go out any second, and no easy escape.

Isn't this exciting?

If you're mad enough to try to make friends with the Spider, go to 70.
If you decide to force E.J. to fight the Spider, go to 64.
If you fancy your chances of climbing out of the pit, go to 66.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 28/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 3
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x11, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x10

Section 66 posted:

You make a mad, panic-stricken leap upwards, scrabbling desperately at the wall, Excalibur Junior clenched between your teeth. Roll two dice to see if you make it.

Score 1-6 and you fall back into the Spider's lap (yeuch!). Go to 64, with the Spider getting first strike.
Score 7-12 and you make it out of the pit. Go to 45.

Section 44 **B posted:

The door opens into a large, ten metre (north/south) by twenty-five metre (west/east) hallway, entirely lined, floor, walls and ceiling, in shimmering green-veined marble. A curtained doorway stands in the western end of the north wall. Between you and it, ranged in two rows of three, are six (yes, six)...

ZOMBIES!

This is not good news, Pip. There are very few pretty Zombies anywhere, but these six are ugly even for Zombies. And big. Furthermore, they are very badly dressed, in mouldering rags.

Zombies move slowly. (They are moving towards you now, Pip.) So you have lots of time to draw old E.J. and take the first strike. In fact, you can get in two strikes before the Zombies get their mouldy old hands on you. The trouble is, being Undead, a Zombie can only be stopped by rolling a 9, 10, 11 or 12 on two dice. Nothing else works. Nothing else does damage.

Section 44 **B posted:

For this fight (and if you don't fight you're dead, Pip) the sequence runs:

1. You strike one Zombie.
2. You strike a second Zombie.
3. Unless you got lucky and killed them, Zombie No. 1 strikes back.
4. Then Zombie No. 2 strikes back.
5. Then Zombie 3.
6. Then Zombie 4.
7. Then Zombie 5.
8. Then Zombie 6.
9. And then you strike again.
10. And you again.
11. Then the Zombie.

And so on.

The Zombies are not armed, so score only damage shown by the dice. However, if they kill you (go to 14), you will turn into a sort of half Zombie yourself, which slows you down. In this case, next time around, you will NEVER get the first strike in any fight.

If you manage to kill the Zombies, go to 42.

Section 42 posted:

Nice going, Pip. Hold your nose and search the Zombies. One is wearing a silver ring with strange hieroglyphic writing inscribed around it. Put it on (you'll notice a slight tingling as you do so) and go to 49.

Section 49 posted:

You draw back the curtain from the doorway leading out of the marble-lined room and find yourself looking at a torchilit corridor which runs directly north. Then metres ahead, further corridors branch off east and west, while the main corridor continues north and ends in a door.

If you decide to move up this corridor searching carefully for pit traps, go to 75.

Section 75 posted:

No pit traps, Pip, but better safe than sorry, eh?

Now, you've got a choice here. You can keep going north. Or try the eastern corridor. Or try the western corridor. You listen carefully, but there is no sound anywhere. The whole place is silent as the tomb. If there are any more monsters, they're waiting for you to make your choice. So what's it to be, Pip?

Go north and turn to 74.
Go west and turn to 71.
Go east and turn to 76.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 27/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 4
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x11, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x10, Silver hieroglyph ring

Section 74 posted:

Some twenty-five metres beyond the junction where you made your choice, the corridor ends abruptly in what appears to be a solid stone wall. Since it seems a bit daft to have a corridor leading nowhere, your suspicions are instantly aroused, as well they might be. Thus you begin to search very carefully, feeling along the wall for cracks. Roll two dice to see if you find anything.

Score 1, 2 or 3 and go to 58.
Score 4 or above and go to 78.

Section 58 posted:

No luck so far, Pip. Maybe you should go back to 74 and try rolling those old dice again.

Section 78 posted:

Nice bit of close observation there, Pip: you've found a secret door! As you press against it, a whole section of the stone wall slowly pivots with a loud, echoing, grinding noise, revealing a flight of damp stone steps descending into total blackness.



If you nerves will stand it, follow the steps by going to 63.

Section 63 posted:

Mind those steps - they're very slippery. Your torchlight reflects from the damp sheen that's over everything down here. In fact, the walls are actually dripping, running little rivulets of water. The whole place smells damp.

You reach the bottom of the steps and find yourself in another corridor, but much wider than any you've been in so far. Also, shorter. After only about fifteen metres (and a wet fifteen metres it is) you emerge into a vast, underground caver, almost totally filled by a huge, still, dark lake.

The cavern swallows up the light from your torch, so that all is gloomy and pitch dark outside a narrow circle of torchlight, except for the occasional reflected glint of natural crystals in the stone of the walls.

All is still. All is silent. You can hear your heart beat. (Maybe because it is beating rather loudly.) Then, just as you are wondering what on earth to do next, you hear a sound, a whisper.

'Pip...'

Somebody... something... is whispering your name.

'Pip...'

You look around you, your heart racing even faster. There is no indication of where the sound originates. Sound echoes in this cavern. Impossible to say where it is coming from.

'Pip...'

The word is hollow, fearful, like some lost soul wailing in the wilderness.

'Pip... Let's get out of here!'

It's E.J.! It's that stupid talking sword, mumbling into its scabbard.

'Shut up, E.J.,' you tell it firmly. 'We're not going anywhere.'

'But I don't like it down here,' E.J. protests. It's dark - there might be spiders.'

'There aren't any spiders,' you reassure E.J., although in truth you don't really know what might be down here. All the same, you aren't about to turn tale and run just because you have a neurotic sword.

'Well, don't blame me if we get in trouble,' E.J. sulks.

And as if the words were prophecy, a small blue dot of light appears far out across the lake. But moving closer.

You stand mesmerised, watching, while E.J. shivers in the scabbard. In a moment, the light has grown sufficiently for you to see the outline of a boat, moving silently without sail or oars, across the still, dark surface of the lake. Gently, without a sound, the boat draws up to the lake's edge where you stand. Once again, Pip, it's your choice.



If you want to risk your life (and give E.J. a bad case of rust) in this leaky - but glowing - old tub, go to 57.
If you have any sense at all, return to 75 and choose some other direction.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 27/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 4
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x11, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x10, Silver hieroglyph ring

Section 57 posted:

You step into the boat and at once it pulls away silently from the shore. Within minutes, you can no longer see land... only the still, dark waters of the lake gently reflecting the glow from the boat itself. From the scabbard by your side, E.J. continues to mumble discontentedly.

Around you, the air grows chill. Where are you going? Was it a mistake to climb into the boat (as E.J. seems to be claiming)? What mysterious force is guiding it? More to the point, where is it being guded to?

The journey seems to last forever. Then, distantly, across the water ahead, you make out a dim white glow. And it is towards this that the boat is heading. Soon the glow resolves itself into the shape of an island set in the centre of the lake, an island that seems to be illuminated by bright moonlight - although an underground moon is obviously impossible.

Soon the boat beaches on a sandy shore. As you step out, your attention is immediately attracted by the soaring columns of a Grecian temple set no more than a hundred metres away acros the sand. The boat pulls away of its own accord, quickly disappearing into the darkness over the lake. You are marooned with your reluctant sword.

What now, Pip?

If you wish to explore the island, go to 60.
If you wish to explore the temple, go to 62.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 27/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 4
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x11, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x10, Silver hieroglyph ring

Section 60 posted:

As you leave the beach, the going underfoot becomes rocky, with only a few leafless shrubs to break the monotony. The moonlight plays strange tricks with the rock shapes, turning them into grotesque monsters until you come close enough to see they are nothing of the sort.

The island, you quickly discover, is very small and largely featureless except for the temple... and for a cave entrance set into a cliff at the northern edge.

If you decide to explore the cave, go to 100.
If you prefer to return to the temple, go to 62.

Section 100 posted:

There is definitely something peculiar about this cave. Maybe it's the shape of the cave mouth: from certain angles, it looks like the outline of a hollow, grinning skull. Probably doesn't mean anything, of course. Although you do move rather warily as you go inside; and even old E.J. has stopped mumbling.

Once inside, the cave mouth narrows dramatically, becoming little more than a fissure cleft in the rock face. You actually have to turn sideways to squeeze through, praying this isn't the time you're going to meet something nasty.

But nothing attacks you and soon you are safely through the cleft into what your torchlight shows to be a smallish, bone-dry cavern. The cavern is empty except for a signpost.

Section 100 posted:

A signpost? Well, it's definitely a signpost. And when you think of it, that's probably no more odd than a lot of other things you've discovered in the Wizard Ansalom's Dark Castle.

The signpost points north, south, east and west. The arms pointing north, south and west all carry the same message:

NOWHERE.

The arm pointing east reads:

TO THE CRYPT OF THE FIEND
(Ancient Monument)

Less than three metres away from the signpost, set into the east wall of the cavern, is a well-made wooden door bearing a highly polished brass plaque on which are engraved the words:

THE CRYPT OF THE FIEND
(Please Knock)



There are no doors or other exits from this cavern.

If you have not already explored the temple and now think this might be an excellent time to do so, go to 62.
If you want to risk entering the Crypt of the Fiend, go to 101.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 27/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 4
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x11, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x10, Silver hieroglyph ring

FredMSloniker posted:

Ah, the Fiend. I remember the Fiend. (That doesn't mean I remember whether going to the Temple instead is a good or bad idea. But I definitely remember the Fiend!)

Section 101 posted:

The door is unlocked and opens creakily at your touch. You find yourself standing on a glistening floor of jet-black marble in a twelve-metre-square chamber, all walls of which are draped solemly in black velvet.

In the exact centre of the camber is a dais and on the dais a large ebony coffin. Your torch flickers alarmingly in here, although the air is still, casting dancing shadows. It is cold, silent, and very, very still. Your footsteps echo as you walk, reluctantly, towards the coffin.

There is a large silver plaque bolted to the dais, on which has been cut the following inscription in very tiny letters:

_{Hail brave warrior and adventurer bold
You have reached the Crypt of the Fiend
Established in the days of old.
And a very poetic Fiend he is
(Much better tha the Wiz
-ard Ansalom)
So he's been told.
So if the poetic Fiend you wish to arouse
Sleeping as he is in his coffin-like house
You must first find the answer hid
To the puzzle on the coffin lid.
Then praise his poetry to the skies
Even if this means telling a few lies
And the Fiend will help you on your way.
Otherwise you won't live a single day.}

When you finally recover from this truly awful piece of poetry, you step on to the dais and examine the plaque on the lid of the coffin. This reads (in fairly average-sized lettering):

To open coffin and meet the world-famous Poetic Fiend, simply follow the instructions.
Please fo so carefully, otherwise the coffin will explode, destroying the Wizard Ansalom's Dark Castle, the Realm of Avalon, the entire world, the universe, and, quite possibly, you.

Instructions
If the word 'if' is the second word in this sentence, knock twice. Otherwise knock three times, unless birds can fly, in which case knock only once, except for those of you who know Merlin who should knock four times unless the word 'if' was the third word in the first sentence in which case you should only knock once.

You have five seconds to start knocking before the coffin explodes.

If you knocked once, go to 84.
If you knocked twice, go to 104.
If you knocked three times, go to 109.
If you knocked four times, go to 102.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 27/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 4
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x11, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x10, Silver hieroglyph ring

Section 102 posted:

You step back hurriedly as the lid of the coffin slowly starts to open. A white gloved hand emerges to grip the side, then, slowly, terrifyingly, the Fiend himself begins to rise up from the velvet and satin-lined interior.

Section 84, Section 104, Section 109 posted:

BOOOOOOOOOM!

Go to 14.

Section 102 posted:

The Fiend is tall, slim, chalky white and dressed (rather oddly for King Arthur's day) in a long black opera cloak over white tie and tails evening suit. His eyes are very large and very dark. Two of his top teeth protude over his lower lip, like fangs. Slowly he turns those great dark eyes towards you...

Don't wait a moment, Pip. Turn to 111.

Section 111 posted:

'Hello, Duckie,' says the Fiend. 'What a pleasure to find an intelligent visitor for a change. Most of them blow themselves up, you know. Very painful. Now, what is it you want of me?'

Since you don't really know what you want of him, you simply stare dumbly as he climbs out of his coffin, stretching to get the stiffness out of his joints.

'Don't you know what you want?' asks the Fiend, kindly enough. 'It's always the way, even with the clever ones. Do you like my poetry, by the way? I wrote the verse on the plaque.'

Do you praise his poetry, comparing him to Milton, Keats, Shakespeare and Pam Ayres (none of whom he will have heard of, since they were not yet born in King Arthur's day)? If so, go to 87.
Do you tell the truth? If so, go to 117.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 27/40
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 4
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x11, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x10, Silver hieroglyph ring

Section 117 posted:

The Fiend fangs you. Go to 14.

Section 87 posted:

'Very kind,' the Fiend murmurs modestly, obviously extremely pleased, even though he looks a little puzzled by the names you mentioned. 'Very kind indeed.' He begins to pace dramatically up and down the floor of his crypt, in the manner of a Shakespearian actor, declaming the following worthless doggerel:

Oh what a joy it is for me
To be
Truly
Appreciated by someone who has obviously more intelligence than a flea!

He smiles. 'A little extempore ode to mark the occasion. But now to business, since it is seldom I meet anyone with the critical faculties to appreciate my genius. Since you have been kind enough to listen to my little verses, I shall return the compliment.' With which he produces a sheet of blank parchment from the breast pocket of his tail coat and a most peculiar feather from the inside pocket. (On close inspection, the latter turns out to be a fountain quill.)

'Take these,' he says, 'and forthwith compose and ode, ballad, limerick, haiku, or some suck similar verse for our mutual edification and delight. Make it as long as possible, but be certain that every second line rhymes with the one before, in this manner:

I'm going now
To milk a cow.
And when I do
I'll have you know
We'll soon have milk
As smooth as silk.

'And so on, for just as long as you can make it.'

The Fiend is obviously a nutcase, Pip, but rather likeable. Better humour him and compose a poem as he says. Who knows what might come out of a little courtesy in the Age of Chivalry.

Use the blank page which follows to write down your poem, then turn to 112.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 36/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
None

Carbon dioxide posted:

idonotlikepeas posted:

Pip's poem for the Fiend posted:

There was once a nice guy known as Pip
Merlin sent him on a lengthy trip
Pip did have to lie
To make the Wiz die
And the Fiend would retrieve the lost ship

There was once a wizard as dark as pitch
Who opined that Pip's plan was quite rich
But, using a map
He could beat each trap
And Pip would make Ansalom his bitch

All we really had to do was lie
But some goons desperately wanted us all to die
They bade us speak true
Which we then had to do
It bit us in the rear
Now we've reset our gear
Including that garlic
Which would be really useful in this situation if the hero of the book weren't a little thick
But we lost our loot
Which isn't a hoot
Anyway what's the deal with this Pip
He's kind of a dip
Why can't we use the garlic on this vampire
Seriously, this dude is just straight-up a vampire... which arouses my ire
Come on, why do you even include suspiciously obvious garlic in a list of things that an adventurer has if you aren't supposed to use it to fight a vampire at some point that's just common sense much like that possessed by your dad
You cad

Section 112 posted:

'What a delight! What a masterwork!' exclaims the Fiend when you hand him the completed poem. 'For this, you shall be richly rewarded.'

And for every line of your poem, he hands you a Gold Piece! You're doing rather well for Gold Pieces now, Pip. How many is that altogether? Don't forget to keep a careful tally.

Section 112 posted:

'Now,' says the Fiend, 'since my arithmetic is rather weak, you must tell me if there are more than ten lines in your poem.'

If there are, in fact, more than ten lines in your poem, go to 81.
If there are only ten lines or less, go to 116.

Section 81 posted:

'More than ten lines!' squeals the Fiend delightedly. 'What sterling work! What poetic effort! What creative herculean labour! This too must be rewarded!'

And from the pocket of his trousers, he hands you a small wooden duck, rather garishly painted yellow, red and brown. It seems to have had wheels once, but these are broken off.

'This,' says the Fiend, 'is my most precious possession; and now it is yours. It's a magic duck.'

'Magic?' you echo, getting a word in edgeways for the first time in ages. 'What does it do?'

'I don't know,' admits the Fiend. 'And you mustn't know yet either. But should you ever find yourself in great danger from any form of evil magic, you may shout:

Magic duck,
Come to my aid:
I'm not afraid!

'And turn at once to 119 where you will find out about the duck's magic. But don't turn to 119 until you really need to use the duck, because that dispels the magic and you can only use it once.' The Fiend yawns. 'Now, my dear young friend, although it has been a great pleasure meeting with you, I grow tired. If you will excuse me, I shall return to my coffin and rest to await my next visitor.' With which he sweeps back his black opera coat, favours you with a dazzling smile, leaps into his coffin and pulls down the lid. Nor will any number of knocks persuade him to open it up again.

Since there doesn't seem much else you can do here, turn to 62 and find out what's in the temple.

Section 62 posted:

As you approach the temple, your eye catches a flash of movement from within the colonnade. You stop at once and draw Excalibur Junior, ready for any eventuality.

But a soft, melodious voice says kindly, 'Put away the sword, Pip: you are in no danger from me.' And out of the shadows of the colonnade steps the most beautiful lady you have ever seen, tall, serene, stately, gowned in white gossamer. Could this be the Queen? You realise suddenly you have never met Guinevere, hence do not even know what she looks like. And this lady certainly seems regal enogh to be a Queen.



'How flattering, Pip,' remarks the White Lady, as if she had read your thoughts. 'But I am not Guinevere. Indeed, I am not even mortal, as you understand the term. If you require a name for me, use that which Arthur sometimes uses - the Lady of the Lake. Although this dark place is not the lake where he first saw me.'

Section 62 posted:

She beckons you to follow and returns to the interior of the temple. Inside, you find a simple chamber with mosaic inlay on the floor and a white block marble altar on which stands a jewelled chalice and a glistening gemstone on a velvet cushion.

'This temple does not exist in the world as you know it,' says the Lady of the Lake. 'In fact, this whole island does not exist in your world, and will disappear forever once you depart from here. I have come because I am the avowed enemy of all things evil and the Wizard Ansalom, whom you seek, is undoubtedly evil. In the past, I have aided King Arthur to fight against the forces of darkness; and now, if you wish it, I shall aid you.'

You nod, vigorously. You need all the help you can get.

The Lady smiles. 'Very well, Pip: first drink of this chalice.' And she hands you the jewelled chalice from the altar.

If you are prepared to drink, go to 103.
If you feel it wiser not to, go to 108.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 36/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher), Magic Duck (Dispels magic, probably? 'Magic Duck, Come to my aid: I'm not afraid!', and turn to 119)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x26

Section 103 posted:

The chalice contains a clear, cool, blue-green liquid which tastes of honey and blackcurrants. As you drink, a feeling of great well-being flows through your body.

If you are currently under your full total of LIFE POINTS you will instantly be restored to complete strength.
Furthermore, the liquid provides you with a temporary LIFE POINT buffer of 25 LIFE POINTS. What this means is that you have an additional store of 25 life points over and above your full total. Any damage scored against you will now be taken from the additional 25 first before being deducted from your actual LIFE POINTS. The buffer is, however, temporary, so once you have used it up, it's gone for good.

The Lady of the Lake smiles at you. 'Feel better now, Pip?'

You nod and smile back.

'Well,' says the Lady, 'I have one more small gift for you...'

And she takes the glittering gemstone from the altar and places it in the palm of your outstretched hand.

'This,' says the Lady, 'is called a Luckstone. A magical gem, which only works for those of brave, honest, good, loyal and true heart. While you possess this Luckstone - and it is yours to keep so long as you don't get yourself killed - you may add, or substract, 3 points to or from any dice roll you may make. This means that when you are fighting, you can add 3 points to your roll in order to gain a successful blow; or add 3 points to the damage caused if your blow is already successful. In fact, any circumstance which requires a dice roll from now on, you may add or substract 3 to or from your total in order to achieve the result you wish.

'Furthermore,' says the Lady, taking a deep breath, 'if you manage to survive the present adventure so that your Luckstone is intact at the time you leave the Wizard Ansalom's Dark Castle, you may keep this luckstone and bring it with you on subsequent adventures.'

Section 103 posted:

A gem indeed, Pip! 'Thank you, Lady,' you breathe gratefully and place the Luckstone carefully away in your pack. As you do so, the Lady and the temple begin to fade gently away, leaving you standing back in 75. Frantically, you open your backpack. The Luckstone is still there! Fantastic!

Now turn to 75 but ***NOTE*** you will NOT ever again be able to find the secret door to the north, whatever it may say in your spell book, either this time round, or at any other time should you be killed and return this way. Remember that, Pip. Trying to go through the Lady of the Lake again will break the spell.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 61/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher), Magic Duck (Dispels magic, probably? 'Magic Duck, Come to my aid: I'm not afraid!', and turn to 119), Luckstone (plus or minus 3 on any dice roll)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x26

Section 76 posted:

This corridor runs due east for twelve metres and ends in a door. Or what used to be a door. This one is badly splintered and is hanging from one hinge as if something terribly big burst through it some time ago. The problem is, did something terribly big burst out or burst in? There is no light beyond the hanging door, but if you listen very, very carefully, you should just be able to pick up the sound of breathing from the darkness.



Going in, Pip? Then go to 77.
Or you could always go back to the corridor at 75.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 61/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher), Magic Duck (Dispels magic, probably? 'Magic Duck, Come to my aid: I'm not afraid!', and turn to 119), Luckstone (plus or minus 3 on any dice roll)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x26

Section 77 posted:

Don't like the sound of that breathing, Pip. Still, it's your skin...

You poke your lighted torch into the room, but nothing happens. The torch doesn't light it up! There's magic afoot here, Pip. Still want to go in?

If so, go to 72.
If not, you can still retrace your steps to 74.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 61/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher), Magic Duck (Dispels magic, probably? 'Magic Duck, Come to my aid: I'm not afraid!', and turn to 119), Luckstone (plus or minus 3 on any dice roll)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x26

Section 72 posted:

Nervously, you edge your way forward in total darkness, one hand against the rough texture of the stone wall for guidance, the other firmly gripping the hilt of faithful Excalibur Junior. The breathing is louder now, closer.

'Who's there?' you call.

The breathing stops.

Better go to 67 before the tension gives you a nervous breakdown.

Section 67 posted:

You are attacked savagely about the ankle.

Ankle?

Yes - ankle! And if it's funny, it's also very painful, not to say damaging. (Deduct 4 LIFE POINTS immediately for ankle damage: if this kills you, go to 14.)

Let's recap your situation. You can't see a thing, being surrounded by magical darkness. Your torch won't work (and though you haven't tried it, you can be pretty sure your oil lamp won't either). You are being savagely attacked at a rather low level. What are your options?

Well, you can obviously try to fight back. The only problem is that you can't see. So you're going to have to swing wildly. And your chances of actually hitting anything aren't much good. So if you decide to fight, you will have to roll 10 or better on your two dice to score a hit. (So any damage you might do, if you do connect, is that much smaller.) Or you can try to make friends, which doesn't sound too hopeful, since whatever it is seems to be chewing away at your ankle even at this very minute. Or you can try to do something about the darkness.

The problem there is - what? It's magical darkness. Torches don't work. Lamps don't work. Only some form of magic will work. A Fireball - if you have any left? Or a Firefinger Lightning Bolt - if you have any left? But should you waste them here or save them for what could be worse nasties to come? Life is full of hard decisions, Pip, when you get yourself into one of these magical adventures.

If you decide to fight, go to 90.
If you decide to try to make friends, go to 92.
If you decide to use a Fireball or a Lightning Bolt Firefinger to get a bit of light in here, go to 97.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 57/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x9 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher), Magic Duck (Dispels magic, probably? 'Magic Duck, Come to my aid: I'm not afraid!', and turn to 119), Luckstone (plus or minus 3 on any dice roll)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x26

Section 97 posted:

It worked, by Jove! (As the Romans used to say.) The darkness has gone, your torch - which was still lit, remember - now shows you a smallish, ten-metre-square, stone-lined chamber. Gnawing furiously at your ankle is a Leprechaun.

If you want to fight the Leprechaun, go to 90.
If you want to try to make friends now, go to 92.
If you want to make friends by promising to buy the Leprechaun a drink, go to 120.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 57/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x8 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher), Magic Duck (Dispels magic, probably? 'Magic Duck, Come to my aid: I'm not afraid!', and turn to 119), Luckstone (plus or minus 3 on any dice roll)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x26

Section 120 posted:

The darkness vanishes and your torch abruptly lights up a smallish chamber. Lying on the floor, carefully extracting his teeth from your ankle, is a Leprechaun!

Section 120 posted:

'Sure and begorrah,' says the Leprechaun with a thick Irish brogue (you wouldn't expect him to come from Israel, would you?). ' Isn't it sorry I am to be after biting your poor ankle, but wasn't I thinking you might be a monster or that wicked Wizard Ansalom and didn't I launch meself without thinking. But I could tell from the taste you had good decent blood in ye, so let me make amends for the damage.'



With which he hands you a small leather purse and, in the manner of Leprechaun, vanishes.

Go to 114 to discover what's in the purse.

Section 114 posted:

What's this? More gold? It is, you know - fifty Gold Pieces and a double-headed copper coin. What a bit of luck!

Section 114 posted:

But there's more! Tucked away in the bottom of the purse is a parchment scroll. There's something very familiar about this type of scroll. It looks very similar to the scrolls lying about in Merlin's log castle: the ones he uses to write spells on. Get your dice rolling quickly, Pip, to find out what is written on the scroll.

Score 1 or 2 and go to 113.
Score 3 or 4 and go to 88.
Score 5 or 6 and go to 83.
Score 7 or 8 and go to 106.
Score 9 or 10 and go to 93.
Score 11 or 12 and go to 98.

Section 88 posted:

The scroll contains a Healing Spell!

Now that's a really lucky find. Next time you're running a bit low on LIFE POINTS, all you need do is read the scroll and you will be instantly restored to full strength again. (The spell will only work once, though, so make sure not to use it until you really need it.)

Section 88 posted:

There are no exits from this room, so you'd better return to 75 and reconsider your options.

Section 71 posted:

The corridor runs due west for no more than ten metres before you reach the entrance to a large, circular chamber. Set in the centre of the chamber, on a polished granite pedestal, is a statue of a tall, black-bearded man with sharp features and (so far as one can tell from a lump of stone) dark, piercing eyes. He is dressed in dark flowing robes and wears the same sort of pointed hat Merlin wore. In one hand he carries a sack from which protudes the head of a pig. In the other hand he holds a long Magician's wand.

A smart adventurer like you, Pip, might guess this to be a statue of the Wizard Ansalom, and you would be right. But better be careful that you aren't dead right, for the moment you step into this chamber, it revolves, sealing off the doorway and revealing no other entrances or exits.



In short, Pip, you are well and truly trapped! You scrabble a bit at the wall behind you where the door used to be, but there is no sign of any control mechanism. So you begin to examine the rest of the chamber.

Probably the first thing you would notice is the small wooden chest on the floor behind the statue. This is less than a metre long and half that in height, but it is very well made, bound in brass with a brass-hinged, upward-lifting lif. You will also notice, set into the floor about three metres away from the chest, a metal lever.

And if you can keep your busy little hands off these two for a moment, there is also an inscription cut into the base of the statue. The inscription reads:

Take heed, Young Woman or Young Man,
This friendly word from Ansalom.
To get out of this room again,
You'll need to exercise your brain.
So take care to remember that
'Twas curiosity killed the cat!

Which just goes to show that however good Ansalom might be as a Wizard, he ins't much of a poet. In fact, as you continue to read the inscription, you find it degenerates into pure gibberish:

Up sfpqfo epps
Hp ejsfdu up tjyuz pof.

Section 71 posted:

Well now, Pip, here you are in this stupid circular room all set to starve to death. (Have a bully-beef sandwich to help you think.) What now?

You can try to decode those two lines of gibberish, if you like.
You can try opening the little chest, in which case go to 59.
Or you can try pulling that lever, in which case go to 56.

Wonder what he meant by 'curiosity killed the cat'?

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 57/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 1
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches sandwich , Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x8 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher), Magic Duck (Dispels magic, probably? 'Magic Duck, Come to my aid: I'm not afraid!', and turn to 119), Luckstone (plus or minus 3 on any dice roll), scroll of Healing Spell (heals back to full, single use)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x56 , double-headed copper coin

Aithon posted:

What if breaking ciphers is curious?

Section 61 posted:

You did it! By George, that was clever! Now you can get out simply by pulling gently downwards on the wand held by the statue. Go on: it won't hurt you. There, see? The room is revolving again, opening up the entrance so you can go back to the junction and decide what to do next.

Go north to 74.
Go east to 76.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 57/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 2
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches sandwich, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x8 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher), Magic Duck (Dispels magic, probably? 'Magic Duck, Come to my aid: I'm not afraid!', and turn to 119), Luckstone (plus or minus 3 on any dice roll), scroll of Healing Spell (heals back to full, single use)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x56, double-headed copper coin

Section 33 posted:

The double doors are closed, but not locked. You step through to find yourself in a second courtyard, stone flagged this time and without Chickens. On the eastern wall this time is a flight of stone steps up to the battlements and towers. About thirty metres in front of you is a whipping post with a manacled Skeleton hanging from it. The total area of the entire courtyard is about eighty square metres. Along the north wall of the courtyard is a row of four three-metre-high stone buildings, each with a closed wooden door. Near the west wall is a three-metre-square wooden building, the door of which is closed and barred with a large iron bolt. By the east wall is another building of stone, six by three metres with its door slightly ajar.



If you decide to climb the steps and investigate the battlements, go to 29, but return to the present Section (33) when you've finished. (Unless you're killed, of course, in which case go to 14.)
If you decide to take a closer look at the Skeleton, go to 24.
If you decide to investigate the row of buildings near the north wall, go to 26.
If you decide to investigate the barred building to the west, go to 28.
If you decide to investigate the half-open door of the building to the east, go to 50.

Pip’s Stat Block posted:

LIFE POINTS: 57/36
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 2
INVENTORY:
E.J. (hits on a 4, +5 damage), Dragonhide jerkin (-4 damage), Healing potion (heals two dice rolls) x18, Rope (fifteen metres), Climbing spikes x12, Torch x6, Lantern, Oil flask x4, Tinderbox, Bully-beef sandwiches sandwich, Apple x2, Parchment, quill, and ink, Dagger (+2 damage), Wound salve (heals 3 LIFE POINTS) x5, Garlic, Mirror, Hammer, nails and a saw, Lodestone and twine
MAGIC:
Lightning Bolt x8 (10 damage, automatic hit), Fireball x2 (75 damage, hits on a 6 or higher), Magic Duck (Dispels magic, probably? 'Magic Duck, Come to my aid: I'm not afraid!', and turn to 119), Luckstone (plus or minus 3 on any dice roll), scroll of Healing Spell (heals back to full, single use)
MONEY AND VALUABLES:
Gold Piece x56, double-headed copper coin