Let's Play: Challenge of the Magi: Mage1

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Mon Jun 19, 2017 5:37 am

If your opponent reduces it to 3 LPs or less, it would run away and come back and report, I guess if it goes from more than 3 LPs to dead in one round it doesn't.

The dragon doesn't come back.

You Invoke the Portals and can travel now to the Scorched Sands of Akhneton, the House of Mausolus or the Forest of Arden WAIT(36) first

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Mon Jun 19, 2017 4:16 pm

House of Mausolus, Shrine. Let's go pick on my surely weakened opponent.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Tue Jun 20, 2017 4:51 am

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(37) before you do so.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Tue Jun 20, 2017 2:24 pm

It appears to be a shrine dedicated to the sorceror mage Emeritus, the very one who is said to have created the Rainbow Land. Some say his powers rivaled those of the gods. As you stand there, a low quit laughter fills the air and a voice, ancient yet strong, sounds in your head.

"A duelist, well, well. It is some time since I have witnessed a good duel and I grow bored. Come, entertain me, mortal." With that, you suddenly find yourself transported to an area of magic, with your opponent before you. Emeritus has brought you together to fight for his own amusement.

527
You are standing on a wide ledge in the Phoenix Crags. At the other end, stands your enemy. (You may describe yourself to your opponent, exchange insults such as 'I shall reduce you to you constituent organs, O hopeless mutation of a perfect creation.' In any case, you must tell him you class of mage and what you are carrying.) You can use red and blue spells here. Prepare for a battle of sorcery.

Your opponent is Lavan Firestorm, a Pyromancer. They carry the Eye of Flame ruby, the Diadem of Rulership, the Bones of the Earth, the gem of the fabled Ring of Summoning, a bag of gold, a sturdy shield, and a scroll.

You will go first, chosen randomly.

You have a zombie, the Sceptre of Doom and a scroll of Hallowed Words and Creeping Doom. You have 19LPs and 11CPs.

You can cast Immolation(3CP), Spirit of Fire(1CP) or Feeblemind(1CP). Or you may flee.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Tue Jun 20, 2017 2:37 pm

Let's open with Feeblemind.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Tue Jun 20, 2017 3:41 pm

(Oh, forgot that they had the Bones of the Earth as well, though not relevant in this fight)

Cross off 1 CP and cast a Feeblemind.

(The book says 2 CPs in this section, but says Feeblemind is 1 CP in the rules at the beginning of the book, and in the decisions section for the Phoenix Crags, so I'm going with that)

You concentrate hard, mumble a few arcane phrases and send a bolt of energy at your opponent's mind. Read this out to your opponent.

'Suddenly, a terrible rush of mental power assaults your mind, trying to drain you of your psychic reserves. I stand before you, brow furrowed in concentration.

And they read out:

'You see me reel back, clutching my head in agony - I am powerless to resist as the Feeblemind leaches me of some of my inner force.'

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:40 am

"So, Boney, still playing with dead bodies, I see! Guess those are the only kind of friends you can ever make, huh?"

Your opponent reads from a scroll, and:

'There is a rumbling sound above you. Looking up you see many large boulders falling from the towering crags right on top of you. You have not seen my cast any visible spell, so you guess this rockfall is the result of a Phantasm. Or is it? Can you stand beneath it and really disbelieve, or will you try to dodge aside.'

50/50 chance. (Shame you can't make a Phantasm of a Spirit of Flame spell or something to trick your opponent)

'You stand resolutely beneath the falling boulders, denying their existence. At the last moment, they disappear, leaving you standing intact and triumphant.'

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Wed Jun 21, 2017 5:21 pm

Boner's face crumples into incoherent rage. "After I'll kill you, it will be YOUR corpse I shall 'play' with! ...wait. no. I mean that my relationship with corpses is strictly... argh! Just DIE!"

Cast Spirit of Flame.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 5:38 am

(It's mentioned that the corpses in the House of Mausolus are naked, so you might have a nude zombie there)

You cast the Spirit of Flame - cross off 1 CP. Read this to your opponent:

"My hands flash through the air in a complicated arcane gesture. A few feet in front of me, a flaring fireball begins to coalesce. Two black shifting spots at its centre seem to denote eyes. The Spirit of Flame, for that is what it is, rushes towards you intent on engulfing you."

Your opponent has the Extinguish counterspell:

'Uttering a Word of Power, I blow hard towards the Spirit. A great blast of wind buffets the living fireball. Suddenly it goes out, like a candle in a hurricane.'

(If only you still had your magic bag, your opponent's counterspell would be useless and you'd have got him. And I wouldn't have "Candle in the Wind" stuck in my head)

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 12:13 pm

Fucking with the druids was such a a bad idea. But I wanted those sweet, sweet dark side points.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 12:56 pm

"Whoa now, touchy, aren't you? Why so serious? Can't take a joke? You need to lighten up a little.....wait, did I say lighten up? Why, I believe I did! In fact, here's a better idea: why don't I lighten you up......IN A BLAZE OF FIRE! MUAHAHAHAHAHAH.....!"

'My finger points at you and, suddenly, you are bathed in flames. It is as if you had spontaneously caught fire. The agony is unbearable as the fire rages for several seconds. All your body hair has been burnt away but, oddly, your clothes and equipment remain untouched. Lose 3 LPs.'

You have 16LPs left and 9CPs.

You can cast Immolation(3CP). Or you may flee.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 6:59 pm

Man, that spell sucks. I guess I'll respond in kind anyway.

"Your cheap parlour tricks won't save you. My power is REAL magic!"

((Immolation))

"...Except that one. You have that one, too. But I cast it better."

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 7:38 pm

Read this to your opponent:

'My finger points at you and, suddenly, you are bathed in flames. It is as if you had spontaneously caught fire. The agony is unbearable as the fire rages for several seconds. All your body hair has been burnt away but, oddly, your clothes and equipment remain untouched. Lose 3 LPs.'

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:36 pm

"Ugh....copycat. You know what, I got better things to do. I'll finish you off in my on time. See you later, Bonehead!"

Your enemy is trying to flee. Read this out to him:

'You turn and try to get out of sight before Invoking the Portals but, acting fast, I pick up a rock and hurl it at you with surprising accuracy. It smacks into one of your legs and you topple over the ledge into the chasm. You crack your ribs painfully on a boulder and lose three Life Points but have the presence of mind to Invoke the Portals in midair. You can go to the Scorched Sands of Akhneton, the Forest of Arden or the House of Mausolus. But WAIT(1) for me first.'

You stand alone at the Phoenix Crags. You can either Invoke the Portals and go to the Scorched Sands of Akhneton, the Forest of Arden or the House of Mausolus. Alternatively you can explore the Phoenix Crags. You can head for the hut on the slope, enter the cave mouth, climb the path of the Crag or climb the almost sheer face of the Crag. WAIT(1) until your opponent is ready before deciding.

(Resetting the wait count, it's 1 since last you saw your opponent)

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:42 pm

House of Mausolus. Let's go down into the crypt. And I'll use my last Heal immediately.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 3:11 pm

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(2) before you do so.

773
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 forward, something begins to coalesce above the tomb and you stiffen in horror and fear. It is a spectre, a formless shadowy being that swoops to attack you. You must fight it. It rolls one dice, but whenever it hits you you lose 2 CPs instead of LPs. The Spectre has 10 LPs. You may flee at any time by Invoking the Portals and going to the Caverns of Perdition, or the Phoenix Crags.

You have 20 LPs and 6 CPs.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 5:25 pm

Oof. Well, let's fight it out.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Sat Jun 24, 2017 2:29 pm

Boner rolls 6(+1), spectre rolls 4, spectre takes 4+1
Boner rolls 6(+1), spectre rolls 6, spectre takes 1+1
Boner rolls 2(+1), spectre rolls 4, boner loses 2 CPs
Boner rolls 1(+1), spectre rolls 2, draw
Boner rolls 3(+1), spectre rolls 3, spectre takes 4+1 and is defeated

Boner has 20LPs, 4 CPs and now the codeword GOBLET.

You may continue down the tunnel or Invoke the Portals and go to the Caverns of Perdition, or the Phoenix Crags. But you must WAIT(3) before doing so.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Sat Jun 24, 2017 2:31 pm

I'm not leaving until I get treasure. Down the tunnel!

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Sat Jun 24, 2017 3:18 pm

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(4) before doing so.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Sat Jun 24, 2017 4:03 pm

I'm about to be healed, aren't I. Bugger, what a waste of a Heal.

Pray.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Sat Jun 24, 2017 5:12 pm

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(5) before doing so.

There is a picture here

(So, yeah, you just got healed, but you might get un-healed or something as well.

As an aside, this seems not to be the Altar of Darkness that undoes a Hallowed Word spell, though if you'd been cursed to lose one spell, you'd get it back from paying here.)

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Sat Jun 24, 2017 6:42 pm

Ashmodel!

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Sun Jun 25, 2017 2:53 pm

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(6) and then go either to the Caverns of Perdition or the Phoenix Crags.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Sun Jun 25, 2017 3:25 pm

Swipe the gold. Caverns of Perdition, and go straight ahead, next.