The Gaming Den

You don't let anything distract you as you run over the slick quaking ground. However, the way ahead is blocked by the huge mound. Will you approach the screaming face, make for the copse which is off to your right, in the hope of veering back south later or retreat and head back north-west, towards the road

The weirdness shows no sign of abating as you enter the copse; nor do the twisted trees offer you any protection from the rain. Suddenly, a fork of lightning cuts down through the darkness and blasts a tree right in front of you. You take another path . . but find your way blocked by another fork of lightning, and another and another! You run, but no matter which way you turn, you come close to being incinerated. It is only after several minutes of this deadly cat-and-mouse game that you realize you are being herded into the heart of the copse; there, you are confronted by a Mahogadon, a long-dormant tree monster that has been stirred into wakefulness by the changes in the earth. One of its boughs swoops down and lifts you up, its leafless branches wrapping round your waist You cry out as the woody tentacle begins to squeeze the life out of you. If you have a vial of Sleeping Draught... √ If you do not, you will have to fight...

Rain pours down your face as you reach into your pack for a vial of the precious potion. The Mahogadon squeezes ever tighter and starts to pull you towards its gaping, gnashing maw. Mere inches away fiom certain death, you open the vial and fling its contents down into the pool of sludge that surrounds the monster's roots. Almost immediately, the Mahogadon sags, limp and unconscious. Its branches unwind and roll you away, down on to the muddy earth. The lightning no longer hounds you as you make your way out of the copse to freedom. If you now wish to continue southwards across more open country, towards Hustings... If you prefer to head back to the safety of the road....

All is dark and a storm rages overhead as you make your way towards Hustings. The road is little more than a track that winds its way across the infamous Hustings moors and, because of the downpour, is submerged in places, becoming part of the mire. Wary of encroaching quicksand, you press on, your efforts aided by the occasional lightning flashes of the storm. Suddenly you catch sight of a peculiar, grinning face. At first you think that someone must be hiding in the reeds, but then you realize that the leafy face is the reeds, moving from clump to clump as if blown by the wind. It speaks in a spry and mischievous voice: "Tis Jack-in-the-Green, the ancient king, here to offer you guidance. The world is dying, the soil corrupt and the trees astir with violence. Warriors five seek their lord, the one who must not be freed. Earth-mother seeks a healing hand, but 'tis proof of your worth she needs.' If you have a green Leaf Brooch,... Otherwise, Jack-in-the-Green will offer you a chance to prove your worth. If you will accept his task... √ If not,...

'There is too much corruption in the world,' says Jack-in-the-Green. 'The sleepers who should not be disturbed have been aroused. Your task is to lay Hustings to rest. Let the earth reclaim its own - but be warned! Violence can never be the final answer. Evil must be left to consume itself, Your duty is to help, not to beget further chaos. When you think you have succeeded, say the word "Cerunnos" in your mind and we will see what unfolds.'

'Troubled times are ahead,'continues the enigmatic figure To help you, the Horned God sends a gesture of goodwill: find the man of numbers, or his book. Without either, you will fail.' Then the face is gone. It seems that Jack-in-the-Green is a messenger for powerful elemental forces, forces which you decide to join. You will strive to be the Earth-mother's champion, against the evil of the Shadow Warriors. Squinting through the blinding rain, you can just make out the lights and rooftops of Hustings. To the right of the town is a slender column of earth which has been forced up out of the ground by magic. Atop this hundred-foot-high pinnacle is a tower made of oozing, living sludge. You hear a slushing sound coming from somewhere just off the road and just as you look a flash of lightning reveals a man rising up out of the bog - at least it looks like a man. If you want to walk the few yards over to the figure... If you would rather stay on the road,....

SlyJohnny wrote:I think he's referring to the pillar of earth and that we're still addressing that by diverting round the zombie and heading for the source?

Successive buffets of sheet lightning enable you to see that, all across the marsh, creatures resembling pumpkin-headed scarecrows are stirring They are the Haggwort. Formed of the earth and roused by the growing corruption in the land. Groaning, the mindless hulks rise and make their sluggish way towards Hustings, their paws gripping a variety of murderous weapons. They are great fighters, but they suffer one weakness: they are animated by mystic fires which are held under pressure within their heads; any cut to the head, no matter how tiny, wlll free the energy, and the sudden release will cause the Haggworts head to explode! Hustings must be warned of the imminent attack, but a Haggwort stands on the road, in your way. Will you:

• Attack it?
• Head out on to the moors in a bid to sneak round it?
• Put on a Chameleon Cloak - if you have one?

The Chameleon Cloak works like a dream: the Haggwort does not see you as you slip past it and press on along the road. Further on you remove the cloak and study your surroundings. The moors look too dangerous, so you decide to keep to the road. Will you now go to the town or towards the strange tower?

The people of the small town are already preparing for war, collecting whatever weapons they can lay their hands on. Upturned wagons, wooden boxes and bits of fencing form a pitiful makeshift barricade between the town and the moors.

Seeing that you are human, and a stout fighter to boot, the townsfolk hurry you through the blockade but they have no time for pleasantries. They tum their abstention back to the dark silhouettes stalking the moors.

Inside the barricade an armoured figure rallies his people with a call to arms: 'Stand fast We must not fall. The witch and her devilry be damned! To arms! To arms! The Haggwort are upon us!' Will you:

• Use the confusion of the battle to flee southwards, out of the town?
• Make yourself known to the brave warrior and offer your services?
• Slip away and investigate the strange tower on the pinnacle?