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 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(26) before going anywhere.
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Straight ahead.

No, ironbound door.
Last edited by SlyJohnny on Sun Jun 11, 2017 5:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thaluikhain
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Post by Thaluikhain »

43
You heave the ironbound door open and step through it. You stand in a large cavern, the edges of which seem to burn voraciously, flames leaping high. It is like a furnace. Before you, on a cavern throne, sits a demon, twelve feet tall with skin as red as fire and eyes as black as coal. By his side rests a chest.

'Welcome to the Caverns of Perdition, mortal,' thunders the demon, his voice resonant with evil. He stands and steps towards you, obviously intent on destroying you. having read A treatise on the Demons of the Rainbow Land, you recognise him as a the Demonlord of Flame, one of there demons of the Rainbow Land. Each can be imprisoned for a short while by uttering a Word of Power, their true names. You know them all, but which is the one which imprisons the Demonlord of Flame. Try as you might, you are not sure which one to use. You may attack him immediately, or say one of the Words of Power, either 'Barack', 'Ashmodel' or 'Mamaal'. Alternatively, you could Invoke the Portals and travel to the Greenwood, the Silvered Spires, or the House of Mausolus. But whatever you choose, remember to WAIT(27) before going on.

There is a picture here
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Let's try Ashmodel.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

As the Demonlord rushes to the attack, you shout Ashmodel at the top of your voice. The demon only laughs wildly at this and then is upon you before you have time to utter another sound.

You strike at the demon but it ignores your blows as if they were nothing. Twin bolts of energy leap from its eyes to hit you and you are flung back. Lose 5 LPs. If you still live, you realize you cannot stand against the Demonlord. To escape, you Invoke the Portals and find yourself at the Nexus. There are three portals before you. Thankful to escape the Demonlord, you may choose to travel to the Greenwood, the House of Mausolus or the Silvered Spires. However, whatever your choice you must WAIT(28) before going on.
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Well, that could've been worse. Heal, then Silvered Spires again. To meet the court, this time.

There were no codewords to any of that, right? I can just go back and try the exact same situation again?
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Post by Thaluikhain »

To the Demonlord? Yeah, you could keep going back and forth until you got it right, I guess.

(Now, I have this weird image of people going to demons houses and shouting "Aaaaaa" through to "Zzzzzz" to eventually find their real name)
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Heh, maybe he's just bad with faces.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

The sight which greets you as you step from the darkness of the portal is a stunning one. Tall spires glitter like steel in the afternoon sun. A white wall surrounds a small city built atop two green hills in the midst of rolling downland. The Spires are the tallest buildings in the Land, taller even than the tallest pines in the Forest of Arden. People dressed in simple homespun come and go, young boys herd sheep towards the fleecing pens.

WAIT(29)

You pass beneath the city archway. The gates are flung wide and the guards pay you no attention. Will you visit the magnificent cathedral to the Gods of Good or pay your respects at the court of the Round Table, where the Knights Templar hold council?

If you prefer to Invoke the Portals and leave immediately, will you journey next to the Sea of Glass, the Forest of Arden, the Rainbow Inn or the Caverns of Perdition?

...

127

As you approach the Round Hall a large group of knights emerge, mount waiting steeds and canter out through the city gates. The Paladins are riding to war. When you walk into the hall itself there is only one of the Knights Templar left, Helm the Confessor, the illustrious head of their order.

At one side of the hall a glass case emitting a pulsing purple light lies on a court cupboard. It contains the dreaded Sceptre of Doom. Helm himself slew its maker, the philosopher-demon, Alctheus, author of the Book of Unholy Words. Helm is a tall clean-limbed man, his white sword sings at his chest and he wears full armour emblazoned with a silver cross.

Will you ask for his aid in the duel, or will you try to take the sceptre?

There is a picture here
Last edited by Thaluikhain on Wed Jun 28, 2017 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Clearly I have a holy duty to relieve this philosopher-murdering zealot of this dangerous artefact.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

Helm strides towards you. You haven't much time in which to act. Will you run and smash the glass case, try to kill Helm, or offer him gold for the Sceptre. WAIT(30) before doing so.
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Run and smash the case.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

As you walk towards the glass case, Helm begins to run towards you.

(There's a couple of ways of getting it without fighting, but not for necromancers)

There is no way of getting the Sceptre and avoiding Helm so you are forced to give battle.

207
You have decided to attack one of the best swordsmen in the Rainbow Land. Not only is he a ferocious battler, his sword, glowing white, dispels any magic before it can affect him.

Helm has 32 Life Points and you should add 2 to his dice rolls in combat.

You may flee at any time by Invoking the Portals (to the Sea of Glass, the Forest of Arden, the Rainbow Inn or the Caverns of Perdition). If you are still alive after five attacks Helm will yield the Sceptre to you.

(If you choose to fight him, your spectre from the Witch-King will take up the first 2 rounds of combat, so you'll only have to survive 3, but your spectre will then be used up)
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Man, this blows. I wanted to save that sceptre.

Fight I suppose.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

So, you start on 19 LPs and two heal spells left (and 11 CPs)

A spectre frightens Helm for 2 rounds
Round 3, Boner rolls 4, Helm rolls 2+2, draw
Round 4, Boner rolls 2, Helm rolls 2+2, and 2+2 damage
Round 5, Boner rolls 4, Helm rolls 2+2, draw again

Only lost 4 LPS, I was expecting that to be worse.

...

He hands you the Sceptre. You take it and leave before Helm changes his mind and calls more knights instead of praising your bravery and prowess at arms. Record the codeword ARISTOTLE.

Once outside the city you Invoke the Portals.

WAIT(30)

Where will you adventure next: the Sea of Glass, the Forest of Arden, the Rainbow Inn or the Caverns of Perdition?

(As an aside, given that you can fight, but not kill him, I suspect he's a pet character of the authors, like those 3 from the Ninja series or that FF book by the same authors. Giving you the sceptre cause you're not just an evil necromancer, but good in a fight...yeah, that's a bit thick)
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Heh, maybe he should be duelmaster.

Pop a heal, and back to the caverns. Iron door and try Mammon this time.
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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(31) before going anywhere.

...

You heave the ironbound door open and step through it. You stand in a large cavern, the edges of which seem to burn voraciously, flames leaping high. It is like a furnace. Before you, on a cavern throne, sits a demon, twelve feet tall with skin as red as fire and eyes as black as coal. By his side rests a chest.

'Welcome to the Caverns of Perdition, mortal,' thunders the demon, his voice resonant with evil. He stands and steps towards you, obviously intent on destroying you. having read A treatise on the Demons of the Rainbow Land, you recognise him as a the Demonlord of Flame, one of there demons of the Rainbow Land. Each can be imprisoned for a short while by uttering a Word of Power, their true names. You know them all, but which is the one which imprisons the Demonlord of Flame. Try as you might, you are not sure which one to use. You may attack him immediately, or say one of the Words of Power, either 'Barack', 'Ashmodel' or 'Mamaal'. Alternatively, you could Invoke the Portals and travel to the Greenwood, the Silvered Spires, or the House of Mausolus. But whatever you choose, remember to WAIT(32) before going on.

There is a picture here

As the Demonlord rushes to the attack you shout Mamaal at the top of your lungs. Instantly the demon, howling in rage and anguish, suddenly goes rigid, straining to break the hold you have over it. Hurriedly you skirt the quivering demon and approach the chest.

The chest if of iron, hot to the touch. It is unlocked and you heave it open. Inside is a scroll upon which are inscribed eldritch runes. Note it down on your character sheet. The scroll enables you to cast the spells Hallowed Words and Creeping down at the cost of 1 CP each. Whatever class of mage you are the spells can only be used once each. The Demonlord begins to move again so you hurriedly Invoke the Portals to find yourself back in the Nexus once more. Will you travel to the Greenwood, the House of Mausolus, or the Silvered Spires? You must WAIT(33) before doing so.
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

House of Mausolus, corpses.
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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(33) before you do so.

You wander amongst the strangely-preserved bodies. You recognise several legendary figures from the history of the Rainbow Land. Lord Javhak of Mayhem, slain by Ilexmana, Mantillo the Magician, reputed to be the creator of the Ring of Summoning, some great Paladin and many others.

You know Mausolus to be a great necromancer, one of the lords of your order. This place is ripe for the use of certain death magics. You may cast the lesser magic of Raise the Dead here. If you do so, cross the spell of your sheet. One of the bodies' eyes flick open and it sits up slowly to stand beside you. You now have a zombie slave which will fight for you in combat. This gives you +1 in combat. You decide to leave the pleasant surroundings of the House of Mausolus and Invoke the Portals. You can go to the Caverns of Perdition or the Phoenix Crags, but you must WAIT(34) before doing so.
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Raise a zombie, then Phoenix Crags, and claim my reward at the hut.
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Post by Thaluikhain »

You are at the Phoenix Crags. You step out onto a ledge at the side of a great mountain. You can sense the presence of magic here. Red and blue spells may be cast in this area. Below you a chasm yawns, a thin sliver of blue marking the distant river at the bottom. Up above tower magnificent, awe-inspiring crags, clawing at the yellow skies with gnarled fingers. It makes your head spin to look up or down.

A path leads from the ledge to an easily accessible mountain slop on which rests a hut. Another goat trail winds up a great crag directly above you. This crag is also accessible by a straight climb upward. Behind you, a cave mouth opens invitingly. You may cast an Ambuscade here if you have one.

You can investigate the hut, follow the goat track, climb directly upwards or enter the cave, but you must WAIT(35) before you do so.

...

The old man steps out of the hut once more.

647
Behind the old man is the daughter you rescued, in human form. Suddenly the old man seems to melt and change - within moments he has turned into a great white dragon, wisps of flames flashing from his nostrils.

'I am in your debt, mortal,' the dragon thunders, 'and I now grant you a boon. I will perform a service for you. I can fly across the plains to your enemy and attack him, or, perhaps steal something from him. What is your wish?'

There is a picture here

(If you want him to steal something you have to choose one item in particular in advance. It doesn't clearly specify that here, I think that's bad writing.)
Last edited by Thaluikhain on Sun Jun 18, 2017 1:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Maybe the dragon will actually attack him. If I chose to steal an item, do I get to pick from his inventory? Or is that option basically useless unless I've already encountered him and know what he's carrying?
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Also, am I on 18hp now, or is it back up to 20?
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Post by Thaluikhain »

By my count, you've lost 9 LPs, and healed twice (1 heal left), so should be at 19. Also at 11 CPs.

You have to pick an item in advance, and the dragon will fly off to take that and leave everything else alone. So you have to either know or guess what your opponent is carrying.
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SlyJohnny
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Post by SlyJohnny »

Alright. Attack my opponent, friendly dragon!
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