[LP] Sorcery! Now Playing: The Crown of Kings

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:32 pm

Try the other door.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:34 pm

Other door.

angelfromanotherpin · Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:47 pm

The handle turns and you push the door open. Expecting the worst, you peer into the room. It is dark, but there is no sound coming from inside. As your eyes adjust to the light, you can see that the room is circular and, thankfully, empty. There is no furniture inside, nor any windows. The walls are smooth and stony, with long scratches stretching from floor to ceiling at several points round the edge of the door. On the far side, you see what you are looking for. The foot of a staircase!

• Enter the room and look around?
• Head across the room for the staircase?
• Ignore this room and try the other door?

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:54 pm

Look around.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 12:35 am

Definitely look; there's probably some sort of trap set up if we just head across. Conversely, only being able to search the room or switch doors in the other room makes me think that one's just a deathtrap.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 1:09 am

The floor of the room is covered in dust and straw. You kick through this and occasionally your foot touches something solid. Mostly these are stones, but one particular object feels light. You bend down and pick up a facemask! It is black in colour and is carved to resemble a grotesque face. Placing it in your pack, you continue to disturb the straw to see whether you can find anything else of value. But suddenly, you stop in your tracks. Your foot has kicked a much heavier stone and immediately a deep rumbling noise comes from under the floor.

imgdragon

The rumbling continues. You lose your footing and stumble forwards and it is only then that you realize what is happening. For that stumble was no clumsiness on your part. The floor is moving! Quickly you glance towards the archway. The dark staircase has disappeared. You can only see a solid wall within the arch! You wheel round to consider your other way of escape but, as if in answer to your question, the door slams firmly shut. Only now can you understand the scratchings on the walls. The floor is rising up towards the ceiling. You are about to be crushed to death!

• Search through the straw on the floor in the hope of finding something that may help you?
• Wait to see what happens in case the floor does not rise all the way?
• Search your own equipment for something to use?

Name: Fletch Beckett
SKILL: 9
STAMINA: 17/23
LUCK: 10/13
Favor of Libra: x

Backpack
Bag of Teeth (3 Goblin, 1 Giant)
Beeswax
Torch
Tinderbox
Gold-Backed Mirror
Incomprehensible Parchment Scroll
Green-Haired Wig
Bracelet of Bone
Serpent Ring
Galehorn
Chakram
Vial of Yellow Powder x2
Crystal Orb x2
Pearl Ring
Brass Pendulum x2
Mail Shirt (+1 SKILL, DR 1 on a 5+)
Snake-Bite Antidote
Hewing Axe (-2 CS)
Vial (for Sleepless Ram)
Sand x2
Stone Dust x2
7 Pebbles
Jewel-Studded Medallion
Calling-whistle
Potion (cures disease)
Potion of Fire Water
Sun Jewel
Nose Plugs
Orange Powder
Throben Door Key
23 Gold Pieces
Vial of Glue
2 Provisions
Ring of Green Metal
Amulet of Luck
Holy Water
Sword (+1 Attack Strength)
Silver Whistle
Blood Candle
Candle
Nest w/Golden Egg
Jewel of Gold
Black Facemask

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:10 am

No spells? I'm thinking this is whistle time.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:15 am

I guess they're both deathtraps, this one kills quickly and the other one slowly, and we missed a hidden reference earlier (like, in the courtyard) to use with the underpants guy and just walked into a deathtrap. This is why the descriptions are sparse.

Anyway, the door we just walked through must be zippable so let's look through the backpack so that we can tell Steve to eat all the dicks again when the green ring is not on the menu.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:27 am

You can find nothing which will be particularly useful, but there is one idea which occurs to you. If you have a strong weapon, such as a sword or spear, you may try to wedge it between the floor and the ceiling, to try to hold the floor down. But the floor seems to be powered by some mechanism that is a good deal stronger than a mere weapon. Nevertheless, you may try this if you wish. And you had better hurry up! The floor's rise is already causing you to kneel down.

• Try wedging a sword?
• Try wedging a spear?
• Don't risk breaking your weapon?

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:29 am

Huh. Taken together with the previous choice, I give this a better-than-average chance to be a trap designed to destroy the DMF's signature "hardwood spear which has been blessed by a holy man".
Don't wedge anything.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:04 am

Alternately, the spear could fuck up this trap's shit since it's blessed. But that doesn't matter because we don't have a spear. Also, I agree that the sword will do nothing, so let's not risk losing a weapon better than our pimp hand.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:26 am

Slowly the floor continues to rise, causing you further agonies in your hopeless situation. You must now lie outstretched on the ground and you close your eyes to the sight of the rocky ceiling inching closer and closer... In a last desperate attempt, you raise your arms to press against the ceiling as if your own strength could halt the floor's progress. But it is no use.

You are not destined to die like a fly swatted against the ceiling in the Floortrap Chamber. The purpose of the trap is more cunning than that. For the Archmage can gain no useful information from dead enemies. Much better to frighten them witless and then interrogate them. With the ceiling inches from your chest, and the heat of your own panting breath reflecting back into your nostrils, another noise sounds from above. This one is again mechanical and similar to the floor's motor, but is one which you are truly relieved to hear. A crack appears along the centre of the ceiling and the light floods in!

When you have calmed down from your close call with death, you sit up and look around. Straw lines the floor, but charts and maps are pinned to the walls. Some of these are charts of the heavens and a strange contraption is pointing from the window at the sky. Sitting behind the table across the room is a scrawny looking fellow with black spiky hair. Could this be the Archmage himself?

'And who is it that has been caught in our trap?' he asks. 'As if I did not know. The Analander! I wondered whether you would make it this far. My congratulations on your skill and courage, my friend. But here is where your luck comes to an end. For now you face no cowardly Black Elf, no brainless Klattaman.' You state defiantly that your journey will not end until the Crown of Kings has been returned to its rightful guardians in Analand. 'Ah yes,' he says. 'The Crown of Kings. What say I give it to you now and you be gone. I for one am anxious to remove the cursed thing from here.' This is a strange offer.

Your mission, and your identity, are known to your host. Although you have concealed your journey thus far, it is now common knowledge that you have penetrated the Fortress's defences.

• Accept and ask him for the Crown?
• Draw your weapon and fight him?
Cast a spell?
• GOB
• MAG
• FIX
• KID
• WOK

Technically, that image is attached to another reference, where you enter this room in a different way. But it's been a long walk, you deserve to see him.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:26 am

Don't wedge. This section's deterministic bullshit so I predict rewinding. [Insert Slowpoke image]

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:49 am

Technically, we saw him on the cover. Cute guy (I'm serious).
Holy mindfuck, Steve.
Half a vote for MAG. I recall it's a counterspell, but do we even have a dispel magic?

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:27 pm

He's totally readying to cast a spell, so MAG seems like the best option.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:03 pm

Deduct 2 STAMINA points. Your host watches as you cast the spell. 'Magic!' he exclaims. 'Do we really have a fellow magician with us? Let's see how strong the Analander's magic really is!' He mumbles a few words and points a finger towards a rope lying on the floor. Immediately, the rope flies into the air like a serpent and darts towards you. It is attempting to bind your hands! But the spell has protected you, and the rope halts a couple of feet away, unable to penetrate your defence. The Sorcerer smiles. 'A magical protection spell. I see. Then we will have to use less impressive means to capture the Analander.'

He stands up and shouts a single word: 'Guards!' As soon as he calls, a hidden doorway opens in the wall behind you. Three guards rush into the room and, before you can react, they hold you tight. They bundle you off through the door and up a narrow staircase to the top of the tower. Unlocking a heavy door at the top of the stairs, they fling you inside.

Choo choo!

The toom you are in is at the top of the tower. A single window lights the room, which is bare except for a shiny plate on the floor behind the door. The remains of a meal are on the plate. Your immediate thought is worrying. Are you alone in this room? The answer, quite clearly, is no, and this is confirmed when you feel a slight tugging at your elbow.

'Are you all right? Have you been injured?' A squeaky little voice is addressing you. You whirl round. A smile spreads across your face as you recognize Jann, the Minimite you met just outside Birritanti! 'The gods be praised!' he says. 'My friend from Analand! Oh dear, I hoped this would not happen. I'm sure your capture is my fault.' Your smile drops as you remember how troublesome the little creature was. You were quite happy to rid yourself of the Minimite at the time and perhaps his reappearance will be bad, rather than good, fortune. Nevertheless, you certainly want to know how he came to be trapped in the Archmage's tower.

'Our departure was a sad occasion for me,' he starts. 'I felt I had found a good friend, and one who certainly needed my help in crossing Kakhabad. I came after you. I missed you in Kharé – for I will not venture into the cityport – and searched for you in the Baklands. Fenestra the sorceress is one of my good friends and she told me of your movements. I almost caught you at Lake Ilklala, but you crossed in the boat before me. I could not fly that far without rest and had to skirt the lake.' You notice the creature's wings – or lack of them. 'These black-faced, swill-bellied butchers!' he moans. 'They cut my wings! I was captured by the Red-Eyes and brought to this place. My wings were clipped to prevent me escaping.'

You ask Jann why the Archmage himself should want to bring you into his own tower. 'No my friend, you have it wrong.' He shakes his head. 'This is not the Archmage's tower. This is a prison tower! The Archmage's most prized prisoners are kept here.' You are astonished.

• Will you tell him Farren Whyde's story?
• Or do you think you ought to try planning an escape?

I always feel really bad for poor Jann.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:42 pm

We'll plan our escape in due time, meanwhile, perhaps Jann can enlighten us what to do with the underpants guy.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:52 pm

Agreed. Tell Jann a story.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Fri Jun 06, 2014 7:22 pm

Yeah, let's see Jann's take on all this.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Sat Jun 07, 2014 1:29 am

brb 300, I'll be trying to check the thread from the dumbphone every once in a while.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Sat Jun 07, 2014 2:05 am

You tell Jann of the ageing weapons specialist who revealed the tower to you. The Minimite smiles. 'Farren Whyde is no "weapons specialist" at all,' he sniggers. 'This man was the Archmage himself in disguise! And what a crafty demon he is. He has persuaded you to enter his own prison and become his prisoner – almost of your own accord!' You cannot believe your ears. You have already met the Archmage – and you have let him go! This is valuable information. Should you once again meet Farren Whyde, you will know his secret. Deduct 111 from the reference you are at if you come across him again and turn to this new reference to expose him. Now you had better plan an escape from this tower.

Your situation looks hopeless. The door is sturdy and you have already seen the size of the lock on the door. The window is one possibility, but it is a long way up. A jump would certainly kill you. Perhaps you could plan to ambush one of the guards when you are brought your food? Will you:

• Try to break the door?
• Ask Jann his opinion?
• Use something from your pack?
Or will you cast a spell?
• NIP
• WAL
• ZEN
• FAL
• ZIP

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sat Jun 07, 2014 2:15 am

I suspected as much.

Ask Jann, while we still have the chance.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Sat Jun 07, 2014 9:18 am

If Jann isn't still blocking our magic, FAL will remove the risk of jumping out the window.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sat Jun 07, 2014 12:03 pm

We have no idea whether or not Jann's AMF still works. If it was generated by his wings, we're fine, but if not we're dead.

But if we don't want to risk wasting time with Jann, we have a whistle that would be of great help in this situation. We know that Birdmen can easily carry us around, because we suffered an auto-death for that exact reason way back outside the fortress.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Sun Jun 08, 2014 10:32 am

Whistle for a cabride.