The Gaming Den

After many days at sea your vessel is within five kilometres of Tower Island itself. Even from that distance you can see the great towered mass of Castle Argent rising into the leaden skies just beyond the shoreline. The galley can go no further in the shallow bay, so you thank the crew who brought you here and take your belongings into the stout rowing boat being lowered for you. Carannus shakes your hand firmly and says, 'We head for the River Geld and, hopefully, a greeting from my own people - those few who remain in the lands upstream. We will come back for you when the moon is new, hoping for your safe return - and news of a triumph. If you are not waiting,' he pauses, 'we will come once more, when the moon is new over the world. All our hopes ride with you.' You leave and row for the shore; turn to 75.

You stand on the shoreline of Tower Island. Before you is a long, straight stone road leading up to the gates of Castle Argent itself, but on either side of that road are many ruined buildings, razed by Orcs and Zombies in the war against the Bone Demon. In the shattered ruins, little or nothing of any value or use to you is likely to be left after the destruction here. There may be some remnants of the Demon's armies here, scrounging what they can. However, if you want to explore the ruins, you may do so. Will you now:

Explore ruins to the west?
Explore ruins to the east?
Head straight for Castle Argent

Darth Rabbitt wrote:No, always go right. This is a Livingstone book.

ashimbabbar wrote:There's an error in the combat log, we began at 21 (3 Stamina lost for wyvern bad breath )

Otherwise, since we have been going to the SW, West is right and East is left. So my vote is, explore Eastern ruins and hope the book works that way.

You spend some hours sifting through the least destroyed homes, so you must eat a meal. You find a 10-metre length of rope and an empty glass bottle. You also find some gold; roll one dice to discover the number of Cold Pieces you find hidden in a leather purse that has been stuffed into a hole in a wall. However, you also run into a prowling group of Orcs as you make your way back to the main road. Three of them jump out from behind a crumbling stone wall and, while their armour is ragged, their axes look sharp enough. To your dismay, you observe that these are Great Orcs - and, worse still, one of them is a mutant with exceptionally powerful limbs and shoulders. You must fight them all together as they encircle you!

First GREAT ORC SKILL 7 STAMINA 6
Second GREAT ORC SKILL 7 STAMINA 6
MUTANT ORC 8 STAMINA 9

If you win, the Orcs have no treasure and you cannot eat the rats they have in their food pouches! If you want to search the ruins on the other side of town, not having already done so, turn to 351. If you want to make straight for Castle Argent, turn to 192.

Mr Shine wrote:How are you interpreting the loss of MP for spells life Fireball that fail because we lose the combat round? Do we still lose the MP?

SGamerz wrote:

Mr Shine wrote:How are you interpreting the loss of MP for spells life Fireball that fail because we lose the combat round? Do we still lose the MP?

I think it makes sense that we should lose the MP as long as we try to cast a spell, even if it doesn't work.

Sirocco wrote:Thirded. Also agreed on using a SKILL spell if things go sour.

Sirocco wrote:If we have to eat a meal, do we get the +4 STAMINA bonus?

There is neither treasure nor anything else of use to you among the razed and looted buildings on the east side of town. You must eat a meal during the time you spend here. However, on your way back to the main road you stumble across a small stone well, which has no buckets beside it and no mechanism for drawing up water. Then you remember dimly that there was said to be a Well of Visions outside Castle Argent; is this small, inconspicuous well that very one? If you want to pitch a Gold Piece into it to find out, turn to 240. Alternatively, you can explore the western side of the ruins if you haven't done so, or make for the castle itself.