*Note: I apologize now, but I couldn't find any artwork from the book on the net to use and I didn't think to check that before I got into the book, so I'm not going back to try and find the artworks I did run across. Sorry...
I must say that while I wanted to change this year up from
the Fantasy novels of Fighting Fantasy by moving into some of their other genre
type things, that after playing Freeway Fighter (Mad Max) and Starship Traveller
(Star Trek), I’m happy to be back in the setting. Interesting note here; this book is the first
I’ve seen really continue off another book I’ve already played. This one assumes that I am the hero from
Deathtrap Dungeon and that I succeeded in my quest (which we all know I failed…
twice…) so I thought that was neat. If
I’d saved my character sheets I’d use the same stats, but I didn’t so I had to
re-roll and ended up with some mediocre ones instead.
After carousing with my fame and fortune for some time in
the city and surroundings of where Deathtrap Dungeon took place I become a
little bored and want to wander again. I
use a significant amount of my winnings to commission myself a castle to be
built. Then I hear of a rising evil in a
distant land that wants to swallow the earth.
Apparently, a Shadow Demon is amassing his power and this seems like a
tempting challenge to me. I gather to me
a large army of various races and types of troops numbering 220 soldiers and
prepare to march forth to stop this evil before it can begin its frightening
bid for power.
As my army prepares for march I’m approached by the captain
of a ship docked at the town. He offers
my army passage on the ship for a fee and points out all the time we could save
marching by simply sailing down the river.
I agree and though the ship doesn’t look like much, (old and rickety) we
board and head out. Some ways down the
river we come across a floating barrel which we take on board. It is half full of apples which I pass around
to the crew and we enjoy. Later we find
that the apples were poisoned and I lose 10 men to illness, luckily, I overcome
my sickness.
As we round a bend and are attacked by raiders in canoes who
fire catapults at the ship. While they
don’t do tremendous damage, they manage to kill 5 men and the raiders begin to
board the boat. I choose to keep my men
hidden and wait for the inevitable surprise.
As the raiders come over the rail they are quickly taken by my men,
those not killed or who didn’t leap back into the water are press ganged into
the army replacing some of my losses (10 men).
I take a fine shield from the leader of the raiders which gives me some
skill. We sail on. Later we also come across an unconscious man
floating on a log. Nope, not doing that
one, poor bastard can float.
Nearing the end of our day we see a bearded man in rough
furs and cloth at the edge of the river signaling our boat. I decide to let us approach and as we do more
men come from the forest. A northerner
tribe who offers to fight for me (at cost of course) against the evil that
they’ve heard I’m going to counter. I
pay them and they join the army giving me 10 more men. The leader gives me a gift of a tooth of a
yeti that he says will protect me from Lycanthropes and Werewolves; a gift that
I happily accept. At the end of the day
we drop anchor at a slow area of the river.
We have the choice of staying aboard the ship and being somewhat cramped
or going ashore and pitching camp in a field.
I choose to stay aboard.
I am awakened late at night by a sound and as I begin to
explore the deck I narrowly avoid being skewered by a steel triton thrown at
me. The noise wakes others but the
raider has leapt over the side and disappeared into the water. Judging by the wet, webbed foot prints it was
a lone fish person looking for food or some other valuable. We post extra guards and have no other issues
before we set sail in the morning. On
our second day of sail we do not have much better luck. The lookout lets a call of “pirates!” and the
captain and I look through the spyglass.
A large Viking style pirate ship is coming upriver under sail and oar
and is built with a powerful ram on the front.
Having no real options (and remember the description of our ship as
“rickety”) to fight this but having some time to react before they reach us we
make way to the edge of the river and unload the men marching upriver a bit
away from the ship. As the pirate ship comes near I hail the captain telling
him that any treasure he thinks he’ll get has been offloaded with my men, (who
at this point are arrayed for battle) and he is welcome to unload and come get
it. He thinks this over for a bit, but
not long before he moves away and passes our ship by. Good, for both sides I suppose. We board and continue our journey to the next
town down river uneventfully.
Upon reaching the town I put my lieutenant in charge of
camping the men outside the walls of the town while I head into town and the
local taverns to recruit more men for our mission. Along my way I come across a golden ring in
the gutter bearing only a number on it and as I pick it up am accosted by a
large brigand claiming it is his. I look
at his hands and can tell quite clearly it is not so I deny him at which points
fisticuffs ensue. Though bloodied I am
victorious, though I cannot celebrate my victory as the town guards are coming
and I leave the scene heading for the tavern.
I finally reach my destination and enter the den of roguish people where
I order a beer and take stock. There are
some shady rogues, some drunk vagrants and some other choices.
I move onto some vagrants who say for 100g not only do they
know of my quest, but they claim to know of the Shadow Demon, but where he is
at and how I can defeat him. Uncertain
of my ability to trust them this still seems like a good lead so I take
it. They mark on my map the location of
the Demon and tell me of an Oracle at the Star caves whom I should seek for
help killing him. I thank them for their
information and take my leave of the tavern.
I leave the tavern and move on down the street where I come across a pet
shop. I go in and after some talk with
the owner I purchase a magic familiar who looks like a small kangaroo and if
the owner is truthful can turn me invisible when I speak the words one, one,
one. I thank him and move on eventually
coming across a pawn shop where I’m given the option to buy a number of things
and I buy them all, a brass owl, copper lantern, green vase and an ivory box. (The way these books go, I’ll need them).
After some more wanderings in town I come across a small
mercenary headquarters with some soldiers for hire. They look tough and capable and after
sparring with the leader I hire them at a reduced fee to join my army. I leave finally eventually making my way
through the town to a friendly looking inn.
The keeper there seems nice and recognizing me as an adventurer we
exchange stories. He apologizes for
regaling me with tales of his past but I insist they are interesting. Eventually he is so taken with me and my
quest as well that he trades me swords, my good sword for his magical
sword. I pay or the room secure in the
owners’ establishment and get a good rest regaining some HP. The next day after a very short exploration I
leave town and meet up with my army. Our
marching orders are either to the Forest of Fiends where the shadow demon is or
east. Since I need to visit the oracle I
assume east is the way to go. We travel
for some time before stopping to rest where we drink from a natural spring. However, the demon’s spies have poisoned it
and much of the army becomes ill. I
decide to take a small group of men with me and continue to the oracle.
Along our way we encounter an old beggar woman. I give her a gold and she reads my palm. She tells me that my quest is great, but that
if I am to survive I must be sure to drink the water from the fountain of the
gods. We continue until we reach a
junction. I can go to the town of Karn
or into the hills; I choose the hills.
Eventually we reach the Starstone Caves; home of the oracle. I enter (apparently alone like an
idiot). Some exploration leads me to a
puzzle. There are three skulls with
different numbers etched on them and I must choose. I select the middle number and the door
opens. I come to a room with a large
fountain and the statue of a goddess with the name Libra carved into it. I drink from the fountain and though I do not
feel empowered I also do not feel dead, so that’s a win. I head further into the tunnel and reach a
box with a sign that says, ‘give generously’.
I drop 50 gold into the box and continue. I reach a junction that contains three
passage ways, each with a doorway carved in the visage of a monstrous face and
each with a number. I again choose the
middle and head down the hall.
Come back soon for part 2!
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