The Keep of the Lich Lord (Fighting Fantasy 43)

[deaddmwalking]

Door to the right wins 1.5-1.

230

The right-hand door opens on to a corridor running the length of the outer wall; it is lit by torches set in brackets on either side. There is a wooden door to either side of you, and ahead the corridor disappears into gloomy darkness. Will you go through the left-hand door (turn to 176) or the right-hand door (turn to 199), or go straight ahead (turn to 140)?

[Beroli]

Go through the lefthand door.

[Thaluikhain]

Left door.

[deaddmwalking]

Seeking balance (???) Seelah immediately corrects her rightward shift by turning hard to the left.

176
You enter a small storeroom, full of jars of wine and rotting food. The Undead have no use for this kind of nourishment any more, so no one has been here for some time. You may stay and hide here for a short while (turn to 318); or you can leave and open the door opposite (turn to 199) or make your way down the corridor (turn to 140).

[Beroli]

Open the door opposite.

[Thaluikhain]

Opposite door.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to leave and open the door opposite.

[deaddmwalking]

199

The door opens into a room overlooking the gate. Arow slits allow thin streams of dust-filled sunlight into the room, creating a latticework of light on the cold stone floor. Suddenly the sound of shuffling and an incoherent bellowing fill you with fear, and from the dark corner of the room three rotting forms stumble towards you! Your nostrils are filled with the smell of the grave and your eyes widen at the hideous sight of living putrefaction, as three undead warriors advance towards you. Test your Resolve. If you succeed, turn to 47. If you fail, turn to 192.

Seelah rolls an 8, passing the test and increasing her Resolve back to the maximum of 12.

147

Stark horror rises like bile in your gorge, but you manage to retain an icy, rigid calm as you prepare to fight the three grisly figures, Add 1 to your RESOLVE.

While you are engaged in close combat with one of the undead archers, the others will try to shoot arrows at you. To determine whether an arrow hits or not, each Attack Round roll two dice for each archer shooting. A roll of 7 or below means that you have been hit: deduct 1 point from your STAMINA. However, a roll of 8 or above means that the shot
has hit the undead creature that you are fighting, and it loses 1 STAMINA point.

First UNDEAD ARCHER SKILL 7 STAMINA 5
Second UNDEAD ARCHER SKILL 7 STAMINA 4
THIRD UNDEAD ARCHER SKILL 7 STAMINA 4

If you defeat them all within eight Attack Rounds, turn to 355. If you are still fighting after this time,
turn to 247.

Round 1: Undead Archer 9+7=16; Seelah 7+13=20; 4 damage to UNDEAD ARCHER 1 (Stamina 1);
Archers: 5: 1 damage to Seelah (Stamina 18); 8: 1 damage to UNDEAD ARCHER 1 (Stamina 0)
Round 2: Undead Archer 7+7=14; Seelah 10+13=23; 4 damage to UNDEAD ARCHER 2 (Stamina 0);
Archer: 3: 1 damage to Seelah (Stamina 17)
Round 3: Undead Archer 7+7=14; Seelah 7+13=20; 4 damage to UNDEAD ARCHER 3 (Stamina 0)

I'm a little confused why it told me to add +1 to your RESOLVE; my understanding is that automatically happens when you succeed on a RESOLVE check. I take it to mean that if you passed this RESOLVE check you would receive an ADDITIONAL +1. However, since that would increase your resolve above 12, I do not think that applies.

365

You kill the three Zombies quickly and efficiently, but in doing so you have made some noise. Add 1 to your ALARM VALUE. Close examination of the room reveals nothing of interest, but one of the Zombies is carrying a pouch. Inside are 10 Gold Pieces and an iron key (note them on your Adventure Sheet) Leaving the room, you continue on your way down the corridor into the depths of the keep. Turn to 140.

140

You pace quietly down the long, dark and dank corridor. Soon it begins to bend around to the left. Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, turn to 164 If you are Unlucky, tum to 288.

Seelah rolls a 6, so is lucky. Her luck decreases from 14 to 13.

164

The sound of slow, shuffling feet reaches your ears. You quickly wriggle into a narrow recess in the side of the corridor and conceal yourself in the shadows. A patrol of two Undead pass by; they reek of death, their flesh is a scabrous grey color and their eyes are twin orbs of blank nothingness. Reduce your Alarm Value by 1. When they are out of sight, you come out of hiding and continue along the corridor. Turn to 324.

324

You continue along the corridor. After walking a short distance, you notice a door on your left marked 'Chapel of the White Queen'. The White Queen is a local goddess of love and life. Will you enter the chapel (tum to 266) or keep going along the corridor (turn to 31)?


Seelah
ALARM VALUE: 1
Skill: 13* [12**] *includes +1 from Ring of Skill; includes +1 (316)
Stamina: 19 [21*] *includes +4 (316)
Luck: 13 [16*] *includes +1 (382)/+3 (316)
Resolve: 12 [7]
Treasure: 15 Gold
Remaining Provisions: 6
Equipment List
Spear of Qadamai (double-damage against Undead)
Sword (+1 additional damage)
Heavy Iron Mace (117)
Leather Armor
Shadow Cloak, Reduce Alarm Value by 1 to a minimum of 1 (33)
Backpack
Golden Whistle
Iron Key (365)
Scroll (blow the whistle at the Finger of Lhyss to win great power)
Healing Herbs (+6 Stamina) (398)
Elixir (turn to 35 then resume current chapter)
Ring of Communing [2 charges remaining]
Ring of Skill
Notes:
Sword has been sharpened, providing a +1 damage bonus (392)
Ring of skill adds +1 skill (64)

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to enter the chapel.

[Thaluikhain]

Enter the chapel.

[deaddmwalking]

266

Stepping into the chapel you are struck immediately by the scent of the place: clean and wholesome and without that rotting smell of decay that permeates the lest of Bloodrise Keep. The chapel is small: just a few pews and, at the far end, an altar draped in gold-edged white linen. On it rests a beautiful ivory statuette of the White Queen. Someone dressed in rich black robes is sitting in front of the altar. It is a middle-aged woman, noble and beautiful. For a
moment you stare at each other in fear, until you both realize that neither of you is undead. You tell her of your mission, and she says, "I am Iola, the mother of Braxis, the castellan. He has been taken prisoner and is held in the east tower. Please release him - if you do he may be able to help you destroy the evil Mortis". You express concern over her safety. "As long as I remain in the chapel I am completely safe. No Undead can enter here, not even Mortis himself; the power of the White Queen keeps them out. I will aid you in your noble quest, for I know a magic charm that I can teach you: it will disrupt all Undead within hearing, causing their bones to dissolve and their flesh to rot to dust. Use it
wisely, however, for it can work once and once only. Now go," she says. "I will pray for you and for my son." She turns to kneel at the altar of the White Queen.

You leave the chapel and continue along the corridor towards the east tower. Turn to 123.

123

You now have the Charm of Disruption. As Iola told you, you can use it once and only once, so choose your moment wisely. When you decide to invoke the Charm, note the number of the paragraph you are reading at the time, then turn to 253. Now turn to 31.

31

A short distance further on, the corridor opens out into a vestibule, with ragged banners draped along the side walls. Three closed doors of wine-dark mahogany face you. Each has a symbol daubed on it in scarlet: the first (on your left) shows a picture of a poisonous serpent, the middle door has a picture of an upraised sword, and the right-hand door bears a stylized picture of an oak tree.

As you step forward across the hall, you get a sudden shock when you notice for the first time the grotesque figure of a hunchbacked jester sitting, slumped, against the wall. Instead of being dressed in the customary multi-colored motley, his costume consists of drab patches of black and grey. His clowning stick ls lying across his knees: on the end
of it is a painted wooden skull with a movable jaw. This macabre fellow must be Mortis's jester; he seems to be asleep.

If you want to shake him roughly awake with the point of your sword at his throat, turn to 77. If you wake him quietly and ask him for directions from here, turn to 233. If you think it it wiser to leave him sleeping, you can press on through either the left-hand door (turn to 172), the middle door (turn to 326) or the right-hand door (turn to 100).


Seelah
ALARM VALUE: 1
Skill: 13* [12**] *includes +1 from Ring of Skill; includes +1 (316)
Stamina: 19 [21*] *includes +4 (316)
Luck: 13 [16*] *includes +1 (382)/+3 (316)
Resolve: 12 [7]
Treasure: 15 Gold
Remaining Provisions: 6
Equipment List
Spear of Qadamai (double-damage against Undead)
Sword (+1 additional damage)
Heavy Iron Mace (117)
Leather Armor
Shadow Cloak, Reduce Alarm Value by 1 to a minimum of 1 (33)
Backpack
Golden Whistle
Iron Key (365)
Scroll (blow the whistle at the Finger of Lhyss to win great power)
Healing Herbs (+6 Stamina) (398)
Elixir (turn to 35 then resume current chapter)
Ring of Communing [2 charges remaining]
Ring of Skill
Notes:
Sword has been sharpened, providing a +1 damage bonus (392)
Ring of skill adds +1 skill (64)
Charm of Disruption (123); usable once; when activated turn to 253

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to shake him roughly awake with the point of our hero's sword at his throat for safety reasons.

[Thaluikhain]

Half vote for waking him quietly.

[Beroli]

Leaving him be might be wiser, but to avoid a three-way tie, wake him quietly.

[deaddmwalking]

233

The jester's eyes snap open and he gets to his feet without a sound. You watch him warily, and he stares back with dull eyes set in a livid white face. His painted smile looks eerie and insincere. At last you break the silence: "Which door must I take to reach Mortis's sanctum?"

He bares his moldering teeth in a crooked, crafty smile, "Ah,"he says, "it depends on whether you know how to get two things out of one, and how to make sense out of a mix-up." You stare at him as though he were mad, which he probably is. "Password! Password!" he snaps at you suddenly. "Are you a dullard? Password, I say!"

You don't know any password, so you snarl at him in frustration and draw your sword before turning to inspect the three doors. One of them presumably leads to the tower where Mortis has his lair- but you have no way of knowing what traps might lie behind the other two, nor how to distinguish them from the correct door. Or do you. . . ? Choose
which door you will take:

The door with the snake symbol? Turn to 172
The door with the sword symbol? Turn to 376
The door with the tree symbol? Turn to 100

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote for the tree symbol. Maybe we need to follow Mortis' fascist ways to get to him?

[Beroli]

Take the door with the tree symbol, sure.

[deaddmwalking]

The oak tree is the right answer. I can see how the other two can indicate traps (and they do) but I don't see how the jester's answer is supposed to suggest oak. I get that it says he's probably crazy, but if someone has figured that out and wants to explain it to me, I'd appreciate it.

100

The door opens without setting off any traps. You have made the right choice, it seems. If this was the first door you tried, regain 1 LUCK point.

Beyond the door, a passage disappears into cob-webby gloom. Steeling your nerves, you set off along it. Turn to 330.

330

The corridor runs for a shott distance, then opens out into the stairwell of the east tower. A spiral staircase leads up and down. Beside it stands a Zombie guard; it turns its ravaged, dead face to you and its dead-fish eyes glitter menacingly in the torchlight. To your horror, you recognize an old friend and veteran of the White Tiger Legion, Davmori, who joined the border guards for a quiet life. He staggers towards you, spear in hand. He must have been killed by a blow to the body before he was brought back as undead, for a wound in his chest gapes horribly. A vile stench wafts over you, making you gag in disgust. You call out his name, but all intelligence has left this mindless thing. Revulsion and horror course through your veins like fire. Test your Resolve. If you fail you scream in horror and must add 2 to your Alarm Value. If you succeed, you manage to stifle your fear. Whatever the result, you must fight your old friend, Davmori.

DAVMORI THE UNDEAD Skill 7 Stamina 8

If you win, turn to 290

Seelah rolls a 6 on her RESOLVE check, easily passing. Her Resolve is currently the maximum possible, so it does not increase. Since she passed the test, the ALARM VALUE remains the same.

Round 1 DAVMORI 5+7=12; Seelah 5+13=18; 4 damage to Davmori (Stamina 4)
Round 2 DAVMORI 11+7=18; Seelah 5+13=18; No Damage
Round 3 Davmori 7+7=14; Seelah 5+13=18; 4 damage to Davmori (Stamina 0)

It doesn't look like Seelah is trying her best, but she still easily dispatches the clumsy Zombie. Don't relax too much - there are higher skill opponents to be found.

290

You stand over the fallen body of your former friend, cursing Mortis's perverted mind for transforming Davmori into such a hideous unliving travesty. Wiping tears of rage from your eyes, you scan the stairwell for exits. A short distance along the wall, another archway leads out, but when you look down it you see it gives on to a long stretch of
empty corridor. Squinting up the stairs, you see a golden shaft of sunlight, which must be shining through one of the arrow slits high in the wall, transforming the dust in the upper levels of the tower- From the angle of the beam of light, you judge there to be perhaps an hour of daylight left. In the other direction, the stairs descend to a padlocked door of stout mahogany. In the wan light filtering down, the dark wood seems the color of bloodstain.

If you go up the tower, tum to 163. If you go down to the locked door, turn to 343. If you decide to lie low here for a while in case Mortis's undead patrols are scouring the castle for you, turn to 293.

Seelah
ALARM VALUE: 1
Skill: 13* [12**] *includes +1 from Ring of Skill; includes +1 (316)
Stamina: 19 [21*] *includes +4 (316)
Luck: 14 [16*] *includes +1 (382)/+3 (316)
Resolve: 12 [7]
Treasure: 15 Gold
Remaining Provisions: 6
Equipment List
Spear of Qadamai (double-damage against Undead)
Sword (+1 additional damage)
Heavy Iron Mace (117)
Leather Armor
Shadow Cloak, Reduce Alarm Value by 1 to a minimum of 1 (33)
Backpack
Golden Whistle
Iron Key (365)
Scroll (blow the whistle at the Finger of Lhyss to win great power)
Healing Herbs (+6 Stamina) (398)
Elixir (turn to 35 then resume current chapter)
Ring of Communing [2 charges remaining]
Ring of Skill
Notes:
Sword has been sharpened, providing a +1 damage bonus (392)
Ring of skill adds +1 skill (64)
Charm of Disruption (123); usable once; when activated turn to 253

[Beroli]

Go down to the locked door.

[Thaluikhain]

May as well.

[deaddmwalking]

343

You test the padlock and find the door securely locked. If you have an iron key (whether a single key or a bunch), turn to 254. If you haven't. you are unable to open the door and must go up the tower instead turn to 163.

Seelah has an Iron Key.

264

To your relief the key fits and you are able to remove the padlock. Gently swinging the door open, you are greeted by a stench of filth and stale air. You grimace as you step into the blackness beyond.

As your eyes adjust, you can make out a heavy bronze grating covering a pit in the floor.

You step over to it and the sound of your tread awakens its occupant. He calls out in a weak voice. Peering down through the bars of the grating, you see it is Braxjs, the young castellan. The dank, cramped confines of this shallow cell force him to squat, bent almost double in his own filth. The marks of a brand across his face and the congealed blood staining his tattered tunic tell you that he has been cruelly tortured. His eyelids flutter weakly as he tries to speak. If you unlock the grating and haul him out, turn to 278. If you first give him time to speak, turn to 33.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to give him time to speak.

[Thaluikhain]

Give him time to speak.

(Oh, just realised that Davmori is Dave Morris)

[deaddmwalking]

"Don't touch the grating," Braxis gasps. "Mortis sealed it with his own black-gloved hand, and there is no doubt that a sorcerer such as himself would know if anyone were to disturb it. You can come back for me later if your mission is successful."

You grudgingly admit thar he is right. "Endure this humiliation but a few hours more, then, castellan," you mutter, turning to go. "By nightfall, if the gods smile on us, Lord Mortis will have died another death." Turn to 146.

146

As you depart, the castellan calls after you in a voice made whisper-faint by fatigue and pain: "Mortis has built a dam to block the stream feeding the moat and make it stagnant; he boasted of his plans to me. His undead troops can cross water that is stagnant. If you can smash the dam, fresh water will once again flow down around the castle - running water that will wash away the infection of necromantic magic and his legion will be trapped within."

Looking up the spiral well of the stairs, you see that the beam of sunlight above is now slanting up, indicating that the sun must be sinking close to the horizon. Pausing only to reassure the castellan that you will return, you hurry back up the stairs. You can now either ascend the tower (turn to 163) or, if you think you have any means of destroying the dam, you can head back outside the castle (turn to 396).

[JourneymanN00b]

I am not sure if our hero can destroy the dam, so I vote to ascend the tower.