Let's Play: Challenge of the Magi: Mage1

Stories about games that you run and/or have played in.

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Thaluikhain
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Post by Thaluikhain »

You clamber up the treacherous rocks until you have reached the op of the towering crag. You have some some great bird's nest, but it is in disarray as if from some recent conflict. There is an ear-splitting screech. Looking up you see a great golden bird, yellow flames licking across its body. It is the phoenix, preparing to attack the invader of its haven. There is nothing here of value and rather than risk yourself in unnecessary battle you Invoke the Portals.

You can go to the Scorched Sands of Akhneton, the House of Mausolus, or the Forest of Arden, but you must WAIT(13) before doing so.

(If you'd been affected by Origob, Demonlord of Slime, you get cured by an angry Phoenix here)
Thaluikhain
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Post by Thaluikhain »

Your enemy has acquired the power to see you where you are at all times through magical means. He knows you've just been chased into the Nexus by the Phoenix.
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

...Wonderful. Well, House of Mausolus, then.
Thaluikhain
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Post by Thaluikhain »

You find yourself in a tall dark room of cold black marble. You know immediately that this is a place without magic. White pillars march around the edge and the middle of the room is taken up with row upon row of stone slabs. On the slabs rest naked corpses, cold and still. You have arrived in the House of Mausolus, the place of the dead, where heroes and people of import in the Rainbow Land lie preserved in death for ever. Beside you stairs lead down to the crypt. Will you go down into the crypt, investigate the bodies, examine the small shrine dedicated to some god or other nearby, or Invoke the Portals and go either to the Caverns of Perdition or the Phoenix Crags. In any case you must WAIT(14) before you do so.
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Crypt.
Thaluikhain
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Post by Thaluikhain »

753
You descend the steps into a dark, dusty antechamber. In the centre of the room rests a stone sarcophagus. Some ancient rues tell you this is the tomb of the ancient necromancer, Lichtos. Beyond the sarcophagus yawns a black tunnel. As you step forwards, a figure leaps up from behind the sarcophagus. It is a man, dressed in rags, a tomb robber. He attacks you, hoping to rob you. He rolls one die, and has 8 LPs. You may flee at any time by Invoking the Portals, WAIT(15)ing and going to the Caverns of Perdition or the Phoenix Crags.

If you kill the tomb robber, you find he has a bag of gold which you may take. You may enter the tunnel ahead, or Invoke the Portals and go to the Caverns of Perdition or the Phoenix Crags, but you must WAIT(15) first.

(There's no codeword for killing the tomb robber. It seems the spectre was keeping that lot out)
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Fight him, then go into the tunnel.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

Boner rolls 1(+1), robber rolls 6, boner takes 3
Boner rolls 3(+1), robber rolls 1, robber takes 2(+1)
Boner rolls 6(+1), robber rolls 2, robber takes 3(+1)
Boner rolls 3(+1), robber rolls 2, robber takes 1(+1)

So, down to 6LPs and 6CPs, but with another bag of gold.

733
The tunnel opens out into an ornate chamber. The atmosphere is oppressive, heavy with ancient evil and malice. An altar, bedecked in black velvet, stands at the opposite wall. Cabalistic symbols, representing various demonic forces and runes of black magic adorn the velvet. The place seems to be some sort of shrine. Will you pray at the altar, stride forward and destroy the altar, or Invoke the Portals and go either to to the Caverns of Perdition, or the Phoenix Crags? In any case, you must WAIT(16) before doing so.
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Pray.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

5
You kneel at the altar to evil and pray to dark gods. Your prayers are answered - you are infused with a sense of malice that fills you with joy. Restore up to 4 LPs. As you stand up there is a flash of light and a crash of thunder. A sulphurous smell fills the air. Atop the altar stands a demon. It is cloven-hooved, dressed in fine black robes. Two horns sprout from its head and the face is inhumanly handsome, save for the all-black eyes that glint with malevolent glee. You recognise the Demon Prince of Darkness, one of the three demon princes that inhabit the Rainbow Land. 'Foolish mortal', it murmurs and steps towards you. The Demon Prince will not care if you are a necromancer or a wizard, he just wants to feed. You know your Books of Lore, the Words of Command that will immobilize the demons of the Land, but which is it that controls the Demon Prince of Darkness?

Will you say Barack, Ashmodel or Mamaal? WAIT(17) before doing so.

There is a picture here

(Back to 10 LPs)
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Ashmodel.

So now I'll have three bags of gold... the embuggerance is that I probably won't get to spend any of it. If I was my opponent, I'd be making a beeline for me right now.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

613
You shout out Ashmodel in desperation. A brief flicker of rage passes over the demon prince's face before he freezes, immobile. You do not have long to act before he recovers. You may either steal the small gold ring that adorns the demon's taloned hand, or overturn and destroy the altar, but not both. If you destroy the altar, record the codeword HERESY on your character sheet. The ring is not magical but it is of some value. It will serve as a substitute for a bag of gold.

Afterwards you you quickly Invoke the Portals and enter the Nexus. WAIT(18) and then go either to the Caverns of Perdition or the Phoenix Crags.
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Caverns of Perdition
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Post by Thaluikhain »

You step out of the portal. Hot, parched air hits you as if you'd walked into a wall. You find yourself in a large cavern, the rough cracked walls burning-hot to the touch. The rock around you is of strange reddish material inlaid with skeins of black onyx. The very air itself is alive with the distinctive resonance of black and red magic. Tow tunnels, a cave mouth and a large ironbound, grotesquely-carved door serve as exits.

Ahead of you a thin, barely passable tunnel leads to the left. You may go down it, straight ahead, through the door or into the cavemouth, out of which emanates a strong, musty animal smell. Alternatively, you could Invoke the Portals, step into the Nexus and travel to the Greenwood, the House of Mausolus or the Silvered Spire. You must WAIT(19) before going anywhere.
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Straight ahead, cross the bridge.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

You walk down the wide corridor. The temperature rises rapidly as you go. There is a strong, sulphurous smell and a bubbling sound. You come out on a rocky ledge. A chasm drops away beneath you, one hundred feet or more, where a great lake of lava lies heaving and pulsing below. A very thin stone bridge spans the chasm to the other side, about 80 feet away, where another tunnel yawns invitingly. You can cross the bridge. Alternatively, you can Invoke the Portals and go to either the Greenwood, the House of Mausolus, or the Silvered Spires. Whatever your choice you must WAIT(20) before going on.
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Cross the bridge, and kick that dumb salamander's teeth in.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

Gingerly, you edge out across the narrow bridge. After a few traumatic moments you manage to reach the other side safely and can go on into the tunnel. It opens out into a large cavern, the lair of a salamander.

The salamander, a six-legged lizard-like being with cracked scales that glow with heat, glares at you with red blinking eyes and hisses horribly, jets of noxious steam shooting from its nostrils.

(You had the chance to refill your bottle at the Rainbow Inn)

Thinking quickly, you consider what you know of the strange magical salamander. Pure water is a deadly poison. Desperately, you uncork your bottle and hurl the contents at the beast. (Note down that your water bottle is now empty.) Instantly the beast screams in pain, seeming to melt away in a ball of steam. Moments later, all that i left is a pole of steel-hard scales. Record the codeword VELLUM.

Beyond the body, amongst a heap of old bones, lies half of a finely crafted ivory rod, with a carved eagle at one end and a hole at the other, presumably where the other half fits. You recognise is as the legendary Rod of Summoning.

You decide to Invoke the Portals. You may travel to the Greenwood, the Silvered Spires or the House of Mausolus, but you must WAIT(21) before you do so.

(If you had the other half as well you'd be able to teleport you and your opponent to outside the Rainbow Inn to fight there whenever you wanted.)
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Only outside the Rainbow Inn? Damn, that's no good. Well, at least he can't have it now, either.

Is there also a ring of summoning, too?

Greenwood next.
Last edited by SlyJohnny on Sun Jul 09, 2017 11:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
Thaluikhain
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Post by Thaluikhain »

Your opponent has part of the ring of summoning, yeah.

You appear in a rich, dark forest. All around stretches row upon row of trees, shrouded in gloomy darkness. The air is resonant with a sharp smell of pine and the sounds of many woodland animals. The forest seems wholesome enough, but you feel claustrophobic in the close confines of the thickly carpeted trees. From the moment you arrive you know that this place is utterly devoid of magic.

A thin forest trail leads away ahead of you and a densely-wooded hill rises to the left. At the base of the hill is a cave mouth. You can follow the trail, climb the hill, plunge into the wood to your right or enter the cave. Before you make your decision, you must WAIT(22)
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Post by Thaluikhain »

As you are looking around there is a commotion behind you and you turn to see the pieces of a broken vase bouncing on the ground. A man dressed in grey knocks into you. You hadn't heard him coming and in fact you could have sworn no one was nearby but there he is, picking himself up and running off. In a panic you realize that he was a thief and you set off after him but he cries, 'You won't catch Mercurio the master thief as easily as you think,' and he runs along he rubs a gold ring he is wearing and disappears into thin air.

Mercurio has stolen one of the gold rings you stole from Ashmodel.
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

So he's at the inn as of wait 21, or 22? I suppose I have no way of knowing if he targeted the ring, or if he stole an item at random?

Trail.
Last edited by SlyJohnny on Sun Jul 09, 2017 4:34 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Thaluikhain
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Post by Thaluikhain »

553
You follow the woodland trail. After a short time, it opens into a clearing, the sunlight bright and clear. In the middle of the clearing is a fountain, sculptured in stone to portray a leaping dolphin, from whose mouth flows clear clean water. You may drink from the fountain, or Invoke the Portals and travel to the Caverns of Perdition or Tower of Immutable Paradox.

(As written, you have to WAIT(23) if you drink, not if you Invoke the Portals. Also, you could wash off insects if you'd been Creeping Doom-ed)
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Drink.

When did I get stolen from, on wait 21 or 22?
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Post by Thaluikhain »

You were robbed between WAIT21 and WAIT22. That is, you were at the Greenwood and just reached WAIT22 before deciding to go to the trail, your opponent went from WAIT21 to the section about robbing you then WAIT22 immediately after.

...

The water is wholesome and refreshing. It has magical properties that galvanize your body. Restore up to 4LPs and 3CPs. Moments later, you find yourself at the Nexus, two portals on either side of you amidst the vast expanse of myriad colours. WAIT(24) and then you may go to either the Tower of Immutable Paradox or the Caverns of Perdition.

(The book asks if you've drunk here before, BTW. You are on 14LPs and 9CPs)
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