The Gaming Den

Wait.

The tea is refreshing and you may restore 1 STAMINA point. Also restore 1 LUCK point for making the right choice. You notice that the woman is cursing and her actions are becoming slower. She creeps slowly off into the kitchen and you see her gulping down another drink. Then she comes back and questions you about your journey. She is particularly interested in knowing whether you came across an old man.

You do have a spellbook page.

You describe the old man you encountered and her eyes light up. She asks whether you stole from him a page from a Spell Book and is overjoyed as you pull the page from your pack. Giggling with glee, she snatches it from you.

'Four days ago I was visited by a traveller such as yourself,' she explains. 'The rogue was leafing through my book when I caught him and as I challenged him he raced off, taking this page with him. He must have been a wizard of some power, considering the speed with which he vanished. I cast an Ageing Spell at him, but it seemed to do no good.' She thanks you for bringing it back and offers to show you how useful it is. She will rid you of the Minimite pest if you wish.

Have her send away Jann?
Do not?

(Jann is one area where some of the plotting was sloppy. If you're a wizard, his company is potentially deadly, as he prevents you from casting spells while mysteriously not stopping anyone from casting spells against you. If you're a warrior...you have no real reason to want him gone but the gamebook still tacitly assumes that by the the end of the book, you do.)

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: 1 Meal, Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), spellbook page 102, beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords
Gold Pieces: 4
Libra's Favor: Used
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

Bye Jann.

I vote to have her send away Jann.

Squealing loudly, the Minimite disappears from your shoulder. The old woman allows you to leave and you continue along the path.

It is now late afternoon. You pass over the brow of the next hill and below you is a village. The path leads into this village and you have little choice but to enter Torrepani.

Torrepani is inhabited by the SVINNS, an aggressive-looking race of man-orcs. But as you enter the village, an air of depression hanging over the place becomes quite apparent. The Svinns take no notice of you and you sit down on a tree stump in the centre of the village surveying the miserable creatures.

Head for the inn to spend the night?
Attempt to make contact with the villagers?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: 1 Meal, Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), spellbook page 102, beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords
Gold Pieces: 4
Libra's Favor: Used
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote to attempt to make contact with the villagers.

bother the man-orcs

Sure, talk to them.

You approach a group of Svinns deep in conversation and take a seat with them. They are discussing a friend, apparently killed in the night by an assassin's blade. (Possibly Flanker?) Gradually you work your way into the conversation and you soon learn the reason for the depression which hangs over the village. The village chief's daughter has been captured by a band of marauders and offered as a sacrifice to a powerful cave demon. According to an ancient prophecy, a dreadful scourge will overrun the village if the chief's line ever ends-–and his daughter is the chief's only heir.

You tell them of your own travels and the creatures you have met. They realize you are truly a heroic adventurer and become very interested in you. Suddenly one springs at you while another runs off into the village. You are held fast in a vice-like grip, but as you struggle, more Svinns arrive. They march you off to a hut at the edge of the village.

You are thrown into the hut and the door is locked. You are their prisoner. You spend half an hour looking for a possible escape but there does not seem to be one. If you wish you may sit down and eat (restore 2 Stamina points if you do that as it would be your first meal today).

Settle down to sleep for the rest of the night?
Stay awake and on your guard?

Also vote on whether to eat the one Meal you have.

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: 1 Meal, Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), spellbook page 102, beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords
Gold Pieces: 4
Libra's Favor: Used
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote to settle down and sleep for the rest of the night, and half vote to eat the one Meal Jason has.

I vote to sleep, but not eat our last meal yet.

Agreed, sleep but don’t eat.

You awaken early the next morning. You restore 2 Stamina for rest, then lose 3 Stamina for not having eaten the previous day.

An hour after daybreak you hear noises outside. The door opens and five Svinns come in followed by an old man with grey hair and colourful robes. He announces himself as Proseus, the Svinn chief, and apologizes for having captured you. He nods to a menial who brings in bread and milk. You may eat this meal and restore 2 STAMINA points.

The chief explains that you have a mission of the utmost importance ahead of you. His young daughter, his only heir, has been captured by marauders and is being offered as a sacrifice to a powerful cave demon. Several of his own men have tried to rescue the girl but so far with no success. 'We are a desperate people,' explains the chief. 'You must be our champion and rescue our heir. If you succeed you may choose your own reward.'

It is clear that, in spite of the chief's apparent good nature, you have little choice in this matter. You are taken out of the village and along a meandering path up another hill. On the top of the hill is a hole in the ground and the Svinns prepare a basket to lower you down into what must be a secret entrance to the demon's cave.

Try to escape?
Cooperate with this forced mission?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 18/19
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: 1 Meal, Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords
Gold Pieces: 4
Libra's Favor: Used
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

Co-operate with enforced sidequest, we don't get to have hang out with fierce man-orcs that much.

EDIT: Hang, not have.

Cooperate.

I also vote to cooperate.

You are lowered down through the blackness until eventually you reach the ground below.

You do not have Jann, the Minimite, with you. (And thus you do not get a warning that you can't use magic here.)

You peer around in the blackness. The Svinns throw you down a torch and tinderbox to light your way. Lighting up the torch you can see you are in a large cavern. Two passageways lead onwards.

Go right?
Go left?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 18/19
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: 1 Meal, Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords, torch, tinderbox
Gold Pieces: 4
Libra's Favor: Used
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote to reject fascism and go left.

Sure, might as well try left.

May as well.

The passage slopes downwards and you soon reach a fork where you may:

Go right?
Go left?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 18/19
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: 1 Meal, Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords, torch, tinderbox
Gold Pieces: 4
Libra's Favor: Used
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I again vote to go left, as fascism is too strong today for our hero to indulge in it.

Sure, left.

May as well.

Some way down the corridor you hear whimpering and your torch lights up a frail shape. Hiding in the shadows is the young Svinn girl! You take her up and comfort her, and she clings to you for safety. Now all you have to do is escape!



Behind you a roaring puts you on your guard. The walls of the corridor begin to shake and crumble and you are forced to venture further to avoid the collapse which is sealing off your exit. Ahead of you now, a narrow shaft of light gives you cause for hope. Perhaps there is another exit? The roaring sound gets louder as you step from the corridor into a large cavern. Suddenly you gasp as you back against the wall, shielding the child from the sight you have seen.

Standing before you on four legs is a huge MANTICORE-–a hybrid creature with a lion's body and a scorpion's tail. Its face is that of an old man and as it sees you it rears back, flapping two great wings.

You draw your weapon and fight.

MANTICORE Skill 12 Stamina 18

Each time the creature wins an Attack Round, you must roll one die. On a 5 or 6 you have been hit by its venomous tail; take 6 damage instead of 2, or Test your Luck and, if you succeed, take normal damage.

Vote on how to use Luck here.

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 18/19
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: 1 Meal, Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords, torch, tinderbox
Gold Pieces: 4
Libra's Favor: Used
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé