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Down in the dark, twisting labyrinth of Fang, unknown horrors await you. Devised by the devilish mind of Barron Sukumvit, the labyrinth is riddled with fiendish traps and bloodthirsty monsters, which will test your skills almost beyond the level of endurance. Countless adventurers before you have taken up the challenge of the Trial of Champions and walked through the carved mouth of the labyrinth, never to be seen again. Do YOU dare enter?\n\n There is only one true way through Deathtrap Dungeon and it will probably take you several attempts to find it. Make notes and draw a map as you explore - this map will be useful in future adventures and help you to identify unexplored sections of the dungeon. Not all areas contain treasure - many merely contain traps and creatures which you will no doubt fall foul of. There are many 'wild-goose-chase' passages and while you may indeed progress through to your ultimate destination, it is by no means certain that you will find what you are searching for. The 'one true way' involves a minimum of risk and any player, no matter how weak on initial dice rolls, should be able to get through fairly easily. May the luck of the gods go with you on the adventure ahead! \n\n You start the game with a sword, leather armour and a shield, a backpack containing Provisions for the trip, and a lantern to light your way. But you will find lots more items as the adventure unfolds. You may also take a magical potion which will aid you on your quest. Each potion can only be used once throughout an adventure. Each potion, when drunk, restores a chosen score (i.e. Skill, Stamina, Luck) to its Initial level. The Luck potion will also add one point to your Initial level. Which potion would you like?
Despite its name, Fang was an ordinary small town in the northern province of Chiang Mai. Situated on the banks of the River Kok it made a convenient stopover for river traders and passengers through-out most of the year. A few barges, rafts and sometimes even a large sailboat could usually be found moored at Fang. But all that was long ago, before the creation of the Trial of Champions. Now once a year the river is crammed with boats as people arrive from hundreds of miles around, hoping to witness the breaking of an ancient tradition in Fang and see a victor in the Trial of Champions.\n\n On 1 May each year, warriors and heroes come to Fang to face the test of their lives. Survival is unlikely, yet many take the risk, for the prize is great - a purse of 10,000 Gold Pieces and the freedom of Chiang Mai forever. However, to become Champion is no easy task. Some years ago, a powerful baron of Fang called Sukumvit decided to bring attention to his town by creating the ultimate contest. With the help of the townspeople, he constructed a labyrinth deep in the hillside behind Fang, from which there was only one exit. The labyrinth was filled with all kinds of deadly tricks and traps and loathsome monsters. Sukumvit had designed it in meticulous detail so that anybody hoping to face its challenge would have to use their wits as well as weaponskill. When he was finally satisfied that all was complete, he put his labyrinth to the test. He picked ten of his finest guards and, fully armed, they marched into the labyrinth. They were never seen again. The tale of the ill-fated guards soon spread throughout the land, and it was then that Sukumvit announced the finest Trial of Champions. Messengers and news-sheets carried his challenge - 10,000 Gold Pieces and the freedom of Chiang Mai forever to any person surviving the perils of the labyrinth of Fang. The first year, seven-teen brave warriors attempted 'The Walk', as it later came to be known. Not one reappeared. As the years passed and the Trial of Champions continued, it attracted more and more challengers and spectators. Fang prospered and would prepare itself months in advance for the spectacle it hosted each May. The town would be decorated, tents erected, dining-halls built, musicians, dancers, fire-eaters, illusionists and every sort of entertainer hired, and entries registered from hopeful individuals intent on making 'The Walk'. The last week of April found the people of Fang and its visitors in wild celebration. Everybody sang, drank, danced and laughed until day broke on 1 May, when the town thronged to the gates of the labyrinth to watch the first challenger of the year step forward to face the Trial of Champions.\n\n Having seen one of Sukumvit's challenges nailed to a tree, you decide that this year you will attempt 'The Walk'. For the last five years you have been attracted to, not for the rewards, but for the simple fact that nobody has ever yet emerged victorious from the labyrinth. You intend to make this the year in which a champion is crowned! Gathering up a few belongings, you set off immediately. Two days' walk takes you west to the coast, where you enter the cursed Port Blacksand. Wasting no time in that city of thieves, you buy your passage on a small boat sailing north to where the River Kok meets the sea, and from there you take a raft up-river for four days, until finally you arrive in Fang.\n\n The Trial begins in three days' time, and the town is in an almost hysterical mood of excitement. You register your entry with the officials and are given a violet scarf to tie around your arm, informing everyone of your status. For three days you enjoy Fang's greatest hospitality and are treated like a demigod. During the long merriment, you almost forget your purpose in Fang; but the evening before the Trial, the magnitude of the task ahead begins to dominate your thoughts. Later, you are taken to a special guest-house and shown to your room. There is a splendid four-poster bed with satin sheets to help you rest. But there is little time left for sleep.\n\n Just before dawn a trumpet call awakens you from vivid dreams of flaming pits and giant black spiders. Minutes later, there is a knock on your door, and a man's voice rings out saying, 'Your challenge begins soon. Please be ready to leave in ten minutes.' You climb out of bed, walk over to the window and open the shutters. Already people are thronging the streets, moving quietly through the morning mist - spectators on their way to the labyrinth no doubt, hoping to find good vantage points from which to watch the competitors. You turn away and walk over to a wooden table on which your trusty sword lies. You pick it up and cut the air with a mighty sweep, wondering what beasts its sharp edge may soon have to meet. Then you open the door into the corridor.\n\n A small man with slanted eyes greets you with a low bow as you emerge from your bedroom. 'Please follow me,' he says. He turns to his left and walks quickly toward the stairs at the end of the corridor. Leaving your guest-house, he darts down narrow alleyways between houses, and you have to walk quickly to keep up with him. Soon you come into a wide dirt road lined with cheering crowds. When they see your violet scarf, they cheer even louder and start showering you with flowers. The long shadows cast by the people in front of you shrink as the bright yellow sun rises higher in the morning sky. Standing here in front of the noisy and vibrant crowd, you feel strangely alone, aware of your coming ordeal. Suddenly you feel a tug on your shirt and see your small guide eagerly beckoning you to follow him. Ahead you see the looming hillside and the dark mouth of a tunnel disappearing into its inner depths. As you get closer, you notice two great stone pillars on either side of the tunnel entrance. The pillars are covered with ornate carvings: writhing serpents, demons, deities, each seeming to scream a silent warning to those who would pass beyond them.\nYou see Baron Sukumvit himself standing by the entrance, waiting to greet the contenders in the Trial of Champions. You count five others standing proudly in line, their violet scarves displayed for all to see. There are two bare-chested Barbarians dressed in furs. They stand completely motionless, legs straight and slightly apart, arms thrust forward to rest on the hilts of their long, double-headed battleaxes. A sleek, elven woman with golden hair and feline green eyes is adjusting the cross-belt of daggers wrapped around her leather tunic. Of the two remaining men, one is covered from head to foot in iron-plate armour with a plumed helmet and a crested shield; the other is cloaked in black robes, only his dark eyes showing between the swathes of his black face-scarves. Long knives, a wire garrotte and other silent death-weapons hang from his belt. The five contenders acknowledge your arrival with almost imperceptible nods of the head, and you turn to face the exultant crowd for the last time. Suddenly a hush falls over the crowd as Baron Sukumvit steps forward holding six bamboo sticks. You draw one from his outstretched hand and read the word 'Fifth'. Then the Trial begins.\n\n The Knight is first. He salutes the crowd before disappearing into the tunnel, and is followed half an hour later by the elf. Next goes a Barbarian and then the dark assassin. Now it is your turn to salute the crowd. Holding your violet scarf aloft, you take one final deep breath of cool fresh air before turning to pass between the stone-pillared gateway into Sukumvit's corridors of power, to face unknown perils on 'the Walk' through the mighty baron's Deathtrap Dungeon.
The clamour of the excited spectators gradually fades behind you as you venture deep into the gloom of the cavern tunnel. Large crystals hang from the tunnel roof at twenty-metre intervals, radiating a soft light, just enough for you to see your way. As your eyes gradually get accustomed to the near darkness, you begin to see movement all around. Spiders and beetles crawling up the chiselled walls disappear into cracks and crevices as they sense your approach; rats and mice scurry along the floor ahead of you. Droplets of water drip into small pools with an eerie plopping sound which echoes down the tunnel. The air is cold, moist and dank. After walking slowly along the tunnel for about five minutes, you arrive at a stone table standing against the wall to your left. On it are six boxes, one of which has your name painted on its lid.
The scorpion manages to hold you in its pincers long enough to flick its segmented tail forward over its head and sting you with its poisonous barb. The effect is fatal and you slump to the ground in the Arena of Death, wondering if Throm will win through.
The Gnome shakes his head and says, 'I am afraid you have failed the Trial of Champions. Baron Sukumvit's Deathtrap Dungeon will keep its secrets for another year, as you will not be allowed to leave here. You are appointed my servant for the rest of your days, to prepare and modify the dungeon for future contestants. Perhaps in another life you will succeed...'
In the total darkness you do not see the pipe's downward turn. You slip and, unable to get a grip on the slimy pipe, slide over the edge. Your screams echo down the pipe as you fall the fifty metres to the bottom. You have failed the Trial of Champions.
You crawl along the floor and find yourself in the lair of a tribe called TROGLODYTES. As you creep past them, your scabbard bangs against a rock on the floor.
Knowing that the Manticore will fire the spikes in its tail at you, you run for cover behind one of the pillars. Before you reach it, a volley of spikes flies through the air and one of them sinks into your arm.
You waste no time and attack the Manticore with your sword before it has time to unleash more of its deadly spikes.
Before you have time to reach a doorway, the boulder is upon you. You cry out in pain and terror as it crushes you to the floor. Your adventure ends here.
The Mirror Demon grabs you by the wrist. Immediately it starts to pull you towards the mirror. Its strength is incredible, and, despite all your efforts, you cannot prevent it from pulling you relentlessly towards the mirror. When it touches the mirror, it seems to disappear straight through it. With horror you see your own arm disappear, followed by the rest of your body. You are now in a mirror world of another dimension, from which you can never return.
Hobgoblins have nothing of any use to you on them, so you decide to open the bag on the floor. Inside it you find a corked earthenware jug. You uncork it and sniff the liquid inside. It smells sharp and acrid.
Still running as fast as you can, you reach into your backpack and pull out the wooden tube. You plan to lie under the surface of the water, breathing through the tube. With luck, the Troglodytes will assume that you will be swept to your death down-river as the torrent disappears in the depths of the mountain. You seize the tube between your teeth and lower yourself into the water. Holding on to one of the underwater bridge pillars, you keep perfectly still for ten minutes. When you finally think the Troglodytes have gone, you rise to the surface and look around. There is nobody to be seen, so you climb out of the river and cross the bridge to the northern bank. Your Provisions are now sodden and inedible.
You continue to walk through the vast cavern until at last you see a tunnel in the far wall. You walk down it until you come to a heavy wooden door, which is locked.
You look down and see the crumpled bodies of the Flying Guardians lying motionless on the floor. You start to prise out the idol's emerald eye with the tip of your sword. At last it comes free, and you are surprised by its weight. Hoping it may be of use later, you put it in your backpack. What would you like to do now?
The door opens into a large, candle-lit room filled with the most extraordinarily life-like statues of knights and warriors. A white-haired old man dressed in tattered rags suddenly jumps out from behind one of the statues and starts to giggle. Though he looks like a fool, the sparkle in his eyes makes you think there is more to him than is apparent. In a high-pitched voice he says, 'Oh good, another stone for my garden. I'm glad you have come to join your friends. Now, I'm a fair man and so I'll ask you a question. If you answer correctly, I'll let you go free - but if your answer is wrong, I'll turn you to stone!' He starts to chuckle again, obviously pleased with your arrival. Will you:
The tunnel makes a sudden turn to the left and heads north for as far as you can see. The footprints you are following start to peter out as the tunnel becomes gradually drier. Soon you are beyond the dripping roof and the pools on the floor. You notice the air becoming hotter and you find yourself panting even though you are walking quite slowly. In a small recess on the left-hand wall you see a section of bamboo standing on its end. Lifting it down, you see it is filled with a clear liquid. Your throat is painfully dry and you feel a little dizzy from the heat in the tunnel.
The tunnel leads into a dark chamber covered in thick cobwebs. Clawing your way through them, you trip over a wooden casket.
A tickling sensation runs down your spine as you crawl carefully out of the room. Back in the tunnel you breathe a sigh of relief, throw the skull back into the room and slam the door shut. pleased with your good fortune, you set off west again.
You just have time to hear the Gnome say, 'Three skulls' before a white bolt of energy shoots out from the lock into your chest, knocking you unconscious.
You come to and are told by the Gnome to try again. You chose the wrong gems last time, so you won't try that combination again.
You are not strong enough to force open the heavy door. The water is now waist-high and you are exhausted from your efforts. The water level rises quickly and you find yourself floating ever upwards until your face is pressed against the ceiling. You are soon completely immersed and unable to hold your breath any longer.
Luckily for you, the cobra's fangs sink into your leather waistband. The snake recoils quickly, ready to strike again, as the Dwarf tells you to have another try.
You cannot resist the Medusa's beguiling gaze as she looks into your eyes. You feel your limbs begin to stiffen and you panic helplessly as you turn to stone.
Only your incredible strength could withstand the poisonous spider's bite. However, you are weakened and you notice your hand trembling as you pocket the gold piece.
You curse the person who dropped the backpack and set off north again.
The wound has no effect on the Bloodbeast, and it continues to attack you as furiously as before.
Although you are slightly uneasy in each other's company, knowing that there can only be one winner in the Trial of Champions, you are both content to share the benefits of a temporary alliance. You begin to tell each other of your exploits so far, of the monsters and traps encountered and the dangers overcome. Walking along, you soon come to the edge of a large pit. It is too deep and dark to see the bottom. The Barbarian offers to lower you to the bottom with his rope, saying he has a torch which he can light for you to use. What will you do?
The paper bears a simple warning written in dried blood: 'Beware the Trialmasters'. You replace the paper on its nail and run back down the tunnel to rejoin the Barbarian.
Set back in an arched alcove in the tunnel wall you see an ornate wooden chair carved in the shape of a demon-like bird of prey.
Although the temperature in the tunnel is higher than you could normally tolerate, the liquid in the bamboo keeps you alive.
The pill makes you feel dull and lethargic.
The Dwarf tells you that you can now progress to the second stage of the test. He reaches for a wicker basket and tells you that there is a snake inside it. He tips up the basket and the snake drops onto the floor; it is a cobra and it rears up into the air ready to strike. The Dwarf says he wants to test your reactions. You must grab the cobra bare-handed below its head, avoiding its deadly fangs. You crouch down on the floor, tensing yourself for the moment in which to seize it.
You step up to the frightened man and cleave the chains with your sword. He drops to his knees and bows, thanking you over and over again. He tells you that four years ago he entered the Trial of Champions but failed. He fell down a pit and had to be rescued by a Trialmaster, one of Baron Sukumvit's dungeon administrators. He was offered a choice between death or servitude in Deathtrap Dungeon as the Trialmaster's minion. Choosing the latter, he worked like a slave until he could stand it no longer and tried to escape. Alas, he was unsuccessful and was captured by the Trialmaster's wandering Orc guards. To teach him a lesson, they cut off his hand and condemned him to a year's imprisonment in this cell. You ask him whether he has any information that might be of use to you. 'Well, I haven't exactly done very well in here myself,' he says, 'but I do know you need to collect gems and precious stones if you hope to get out. I don't know why, but there it is.' Without another word, the ragged prisoner dashes out of the room, turning left into the tunnel. You decide to keep heading north and turn right into the tunnel.
The dwarf's chainmail coat is of finest-quality iron, obviously made by a master armourer. You strip it from his body and place it over your head.
There is nothing else of use to you in the chamber, so you decide to investigate the new tunnel.
The tunnel leads north for some distance before coming to a dead end. The mouth of a chute protrudes from the tunnel's eastern wall. It seems to be the only way out. You decide to risk it and climb into the chute. You slide gently down and come out in a room, landing on your back.
Taking a step forward, you leap towards the far edge of the pit.
The Gnome smiles and says, 'Good. Now, do you have a sapphire in your possession?'
You soon come to another junction in the tunnel. One branch leads east, but the wet footprints you have been following continue north and you decide to follow their trail.
It was a mistake to reach into the hole with your sword arm. It is covered with round sucker marks and feels like it has been crushed.
You peer into the hole and see the bleeding tentacle stump hanging limply. You carefully pull out the grappling iron and leather pouch, in which you find a tiny brass bell. You pack away your new possessions and head north.
You try to force the point of your sword under the emerald eye. Much to your surprise, the emerald shatters on contact, releasing a jet of poisonous gas straight into your face. The gas knocks you out and you release the rope, bounce down the idol and crash on to the stone floor.
The tunnel continues west for several hundred metres, finally ending at some steps leading up to a closed trapdoor. You climb the steps slowly, hearing muffled voices above you. In the dim light you can see the trapdoor is not locked.
You run faster than you have ever run in your life before, but still the boulder is catching up with you.
The passage opens out into a wide cavern which is darker but much drier. Ahead you see the footprints gradually fade, then disappear. There is a large idol in the centre of the cavern, standing approximately six metres high. It has jewelled eyes, each as big as your fist. There are two giant stuffed bird-like creatures standing on either side of the idol.
The man stands by silently while you gulp the water and wolf down the bread. A sharp pain grips your stomach and you fall to your knees.
The old man looks at you scornfully and says, 'Well, if you will eat poisoned food, what do you expect?' He shuffles off, leaving you writhing in pain on the floor.
You manage to evade the outstretched legs of the diving Giant Fly. Stepping back, you draw your sword and prepare to fight the hideous insect as it turns to attack you again.
You call out to the Dwarf that you are ready to fight the MINOTAUR. The wooden door rises slowly and you see the fearsome beast, half man, half bull, step into the arena. Steam blows from its nostrils as it works itself up into a rage, ready to attack. Suddenly it rushes forward, swinging its double-headed axe.
You walk slowly over to the alcove, carefully checking the floor for any more hidden traps. You see that the goblet contains a sparkling red liquid.
The cobra's fangs sink deep into your wrist and you feel its poison starting to creep through your body.
The Dwarf has no mercy but to tell you to try again.
The tunnel turns sharply to the right and continues north for as far as you can see. There is a door in the left-hand wall which is ajar. You hear someone cry for help from the other side of the door.
You are only a few metres from the doorway when you hear the old man utter some strange words. Instantly your muscles harden and you feel your skin becoming taut. You start to panic, but there is nothing you can do to stop the petrification of your body.
The razor-sharp disc thuds into your back with terrible effect.
You struggle to pull the disc from your back as the Ninja throws yet another one at you.
You lower yourself carefully down the idol and, wasting no more time in the cavern, run forward to the tunnel in the northern wall.
You check your backpack to see if you have a hollow wooden tube.
Only your immense strength and grim determination keep you from falling unconscious to the floor. You grit your teeth and press on resolutely.
You peep around the corner and see two small creatures running away from you. Both are dressed in baggy clothes and wear pointed floppy hats. They are mischievous LEPRECHAUNS.
You wake to find Throm pulling the ring off your finger. He puts it on the floor and crushes it with the head of his battleaxe. Then, grunting to show his disapproval of you, he strides off east. You stand up slowly and stagger off after him.
The Hobgoblins are unprepared for your attack, and you are able to kill the first one before he can draw his sword. You turn to face the remaining Hobgoblin, who snarls at you with hatred.
As you open the book, it starts to disintegrate and the pages turn to dust in your hands. You manage to keep a few fragments and read the handwritten script. The book appears to be about monsters, and from what you can make out it contains a full description of a monster called the Bloodbeast. It is a horrific bloated creature with tough, spiny skin and facial blisters which burst open to become mock eyes, evolved to hide the Bloodbeast's only weak spot - its real eyes. Bloodbeasts usually dwell in pools of fetid slime which give off a poisonous gas. This gas is so strong that it can easily knock people unconscious. The Bloodbeast, although to bulbous to haul itself out of its slime pool, has a long and vicious tongue which it wraps around its victims before it drags them into its pool. As the victim's flesh starts to decompose in the vile slime, the Bloodbeast will feed from it. You tell Throm about the grotesque Bloodbeast, but he merely shrugs his shoulders and tells you to get going.
The Bloodbeast is too bulbous to climb out of its pool, but its long tongue whips out and tries to wrap itself around your leg. Fortunately, you have fallen beyond its reach. The air at ground level does not contain any of the poisonous fumes, but you wake with a pain in your throat. You cover your mouth with your sleeve so that you can breathe through it, and decide what to do.
The lasso loosens itself and you are able to shake it free of the idol's neck. It falls to the floor with a loud clatter. You quickly coil the rope again and put it in your backpack. Wasting no more time in the cavern, you run forward to the tunnel in the northern wall.
With lightning speed, you thrust your hand out and grip the cobra just below its open mouth. You lift it up and, arm outstretched, dangle it in front of the Dwarf. He doesn't flinch but says in his calm expressionless way, 'Please put the cobra back in the basket and prepare for the final part of the test. Follow me.' You do what he says and follow him back into the chamber, where Throm is pacing up and down, obviously ill at ease. You wave to him while the Dwarf opens a second secret door and tells you to walk on through and wait for him. Again you comply, and you find yourself in another circular room, although this one resembles a small arena. Opposite the secret door by which you entered is an ominous-looking wooden door. Suddenly you hear a shout, and you look up to see the smiling Dwarf standing on the balcony. He throws two pieces of paper down to you. On one of them, the words NO CROP IS are written; on the other, RUIN MOAT. In his ever-calm voice he says, 'If you rearrange the letters of the words, you will find the names of 2 creatures. You may choose which one to fight in my Arena of Death.' Please identify a creature by rearranging the letters NO CROP IS or RUIN MOAT.
You see that the obstruction is a large, brown, boulder-like object. You touch it with your hand and are surprised to find that it is soft and spongy.
Although you check the chest carefully for any hidden devices, you are unable to see the trap inside it. As you lift the lid, an iron ball hanging on a cord swings back, shattering the glass capsule fixed inside the lid. A cloud of poisonous gas is instantly released into the air and you stagger back coughing and spluttering.
You step slowly between the poles, taking care not to touch any of them.
Ahead in the far distance you hear the sound of slow footsteps coming towards you. Unsure of what might be approaching, you look around for a place to hide. You find a large crack in the tunnel wall which lies in shadow.
The tunnel ends at a large oak door. Throm wastes no time in testing the handle and is somewhat surprised to find the door unlocked. He pushes it open and walks into a torch-lit chamber. Sitting alone on an ornate chair is a DWARF, who bids you enter the chamber. As you do so, the oak door swings shut behind you. 'Adventurers, you have done well to get this far,' says the Dwarf in a deep voice. 'However, as you both know, there can only be one winner in the Trial of Champions. As Trialmaster, it is my duty to Baron Sukumvit to let only the most able continue. Therefore, I must devise a test of wits and strength to eliminate one of you. Please do not attempt to dispose of me. It would be utterly pointless, for, as you can see, there is no obvious way out of this chamber and only I know where the hidden exit lies. Now if you would care to decide between you who will go first, I shall make the necessary preparations.' You look at Throm, suddenly angry that your effective partnership might come to an end. He leans over and whispers in your ear that you should try to kill the Dwarf and worry about the exit later.
Despite the terrible ringing sound in your ears, you hear footsteps coming down the tunnel. Your loud screams have attracted a tunnel guardian. Standing over you is a HOBGOBLIN. His face bears a sickly smile as he presses the point of his sword against your neck. You are unable to defend yourself and prevent the Hobgoblin from running you through. Your adventure ends here.
The Gnome jumps in the air, yelling, 'Well done - nobody has ever managed to find all three gems before! Now get ready for the final test, which I will explain once and once only. As you can see, the lock on this door has three slots, labelled A, B, and C, each of which is built to accept a specific gem. You have to put one of your three gems in each of the slots in the correct order. If you manage this at the first attempt, fine. However, if you put the gems in the wrong slots, you will be blasted by a bolt of energy from the lock, causing you injury. Anyway, as I said, I am allowed to help you a little. If you place one gem in the correct slot but get the other two wrong, I shall shout, "One crown and two skulls." If you place all three gems incorrectly, I shall shout, "Three skulls." You will be allowed to try again and again until you either succeed or die. Are you ready?' You signal your readiness with a nod of the head, and walk forward to place the three gems in the slots.
You tie the rope around your waist and take hold of the lighted torch given to you by Throm, as your Barbarian ally calls himself. Taking hold of the slack rope, Throm lowers you slowly over the edge of the pit and down into the dark depths below. You can see by the light of the torch that the sides of the pit are extremely smooth. You drop about twenty metres before hitting the bottom of the pit. There you see another tunnel heading north and you call up to Throm and tell him of your discovery. He calls back, saying he is going to tie the rope around a protruding rock on the edge of the pit and will come down and join you. You hear him climbing down and soon you are together again. Throm retrieves his rope by shaking it off the rock, and you set off north along the new tunnel.
As soon as you put the ring on your finger, your whole body starts to shake.
Have you drunk a Potion found inside a black leather book?
After walking down the tunnel for a few minutes, you come to a junction. A white arrow painted on one wall points west. On the floor you can see wet footprints made by those who entered before you. It is hard to be sure, but it looks as though three of them decided to follow the direction of the arrow, while one decided to go east.
You grab onto one of the underwater bridge pillars and cling onto it, holding your breath. Meanwhile the Troglodytes reach the river bank and decide that you must have been swept to your death downriver as it disappears into the depths of the mountain. By now your lungs are bursting for air.
You walk down the passage and soon find yourself standing at the edge of a deep, dark pit. The passage continues east on the other side of the pit. You think you could probably jump over the pit, but you are not sure. There is a rope hanging down from the ceiling over the centre of the pit.
Ivy does not notice you opening the door. You slip out of her room, close the door quietly behind you and find yourself at the end of another tunnel.
You just manage to dive to the side before the boulder smashes into the tunnel floor, splitting the stone. As you dust yourself off, you suddenly notice daylight at the end of the tunnel. You run forward towards a beautiful sight of blue sky and green trees. Running out of the tunnel, you expect to be greeted by cheering crowds, but are horrified at what you do see. There is no hero's welcome from the people all around you. All are dead. You are in fact standing in a cold chamber littered with armoured skeletons and bodies - the exit to victory was just an illusion! Only the corpses of past adventures are real. You run back towards the tunnel, but hit an invisible barrier. You are trapped and destined to end your days in the chamber of the dead.
Once again you reach for the parchment, only this time it is lying amidst a pile of broken bones. Unfolding it, you see a map of a room with a drawing of a hideous creature inside it. Beneath the monster is a rhyme which reads: 'Should you meet the Manticore, \nOf its tail beware. \nShield yourself against the spikes \nFlying through the air.' You fold up the piece of parchment and put it in your backpack. Repeating the rhyme over and over to yourself, you walk across to the alcove.
The Mirror shatters, sending fragments of glass flying everywhere. The Mirror Demon's four faces cry out in agony, and cracks appear all over them. Then they too shatter and fall to the floor in a pile of broken glass. Unfortunately, you cut your sword arm badly while smashing the mirror. Although your strength is unaffected, your weapon skill is diminished.
You continue your journey north.
If you have already searched the Barbarian, then you leave the chamber to turn west.
The tunnel takes a sharp right turn and you find yourself in some sort of gallery lined with mirrors for some twenty metres. A human skeleton appears to be pulled halfway through the mirror along the right-hand wall. Suddenly a grotesque being with four arms and four screaming faces emerges from the mirror, barring your way ahead. It walks slowly towards you, each arm outstretched to grab you. It is a MIRROR DEMON from another dimensional plane, come to take your spirit.
You rub the liquid into your wounds, but they do not heal. Staring into the empty bottle, you wonder exactly what the liquid was.
You step round the great bulk of the dead Rock Grub and peer into the darkness of its borehole. You can only see a few metres, but are able to make out that it inclines slightly and is wet from the secreted slime of the Rock Grub.
You stagger through the open doorway into another tunnel, at the end of which is the welcome sight of daylight. Much to your surprise, you see the Gnome lying dead halfway down the tunnel. A crossbow bolt protrudes from the side of his head. The Gnome, in his bid for freedom, has fallen foul of Baron Sukumvit's final trap. You walk past him and out into brilliant sunshine.
There is an open pipe in the right-hand wall, about a metre in diameter. It is too dark to see far down it. You shout into it and hear your voice echoing down the iron pipe until eventually the sound fades away.
You grip the arms of the chair tightly, half expecting a surge of energy or pain to rush through your body.
You take your time and manage to step over the last pole without having touched any of them. You hurry on east, still following the two pairs of footprints.
The only furniture in the Goblin's room is a table, two chairs and a cupboard on the wall. There are two closed doors, one in the west wall and the other in the north wall.
As the Pit Fiend slams its body against the wall, you let go of the rope and drop safely to the floor. You run towards the double doors and are relieved to feel them swing open as you push on them. You let them swing shut behind you and head north along the tunnel.
The passage soon leads to a junction. You notice more footprints on the floor, possibly as many as three pairs, heading north from the south passage. You decide to follow them.
Two dice are being rolled, and the next situation will depend on whether the total is more than eight or at most eight.
Before you are able to do anything else, the old man mumbles a few strange words into the air. You feel your muscles harden and your skin go taut. You start to panic, but there is nothing you can do to stop the petrification of your body. Your adventure ends here.
The key turns in the lock and the door opens into a four-way intersection of the tunnel. There is nothing to be seen east or west apart from the now familiar ceiling crystals giving off their dim light. Suddenly you hear a voice calling you, 'This way, this way. You are on the right track.' It seems to be coming from somewhere directly ahead of you. Your curiosity gets the better of you and you decide to walk towards the beckoning voice.
The door opens into a large room.
As soon as they see you, the TROLOGDYTES raise their bows and run to surround you. To your horror, their leader then steps forward and declares that you are their prisoner and must subject to trial by their ancient rite, the Run of the Arrow.
Back on solid ground once again on the cavern floor, you try to shake the rope off the idol's neck.
As soon as you stand up, you are confronted with the most repulsive sight you have ever laid eyes on. There, in front of you, is a bulbous creature too horrible to be believed. Its body is green and covered with fearsome-looking spikes. Its face is a mass of criminal blisters, one of which suddenly bursts to reveal yet another of its sinister, all-seeing eyes. A narrow path runs around the edge of the of the pool and leads into another tunnel in the far wall.
The Orc's morning star thuds into your arm, knocking your sword to the floor.
You must fight them bare-handed for the duration of the combat. Fortunately, the tunnel is too narrow for both Orcs to attack you at once. Fight them one at a time.
Summoning all your strength, you deal the Mirror Demon one final blow with your sword. With an ear-splitting sound, cracks begin to run across its face and limbs. Its many mouths cry out in the agony of its death throes before the Demon shatters completely and falls to the ground in a pile of tiny fragments. You heave a huge sigh of relief and then hurry on past.
The door opens into a small dark room, which is empty apart from a sturdy wooden chest lying on a shelf on the far wall. The floor is thick with dust, and you can clearly see fresh footprints leading from the door to the chest and back again. You wonder whether one of your rivals is still ahead of you on 'The Walk', or whether the chest has only recently been placed on the shelf by one of the Trialmasters.
Taking a deep breath, you lean over the pit and plunge your forearm into the mass of wriggling worms. They are cold and clammy and extremely nasty, but at least they are harmless and you are able to seize the dagger by the hilt. You give it a hard tug and it comes away from the crack in which the tip was embedded. Admiring its beauty, and wondering whether it might once have belonged to some luckless contestant, you put the opal-studded dagger firmly in your belt and leave the cavern.
The iron ring is attached to a small trapdoor. It lifts up easily, and inside a small compartment you find a finely crafted shield made of the purest iron. Marvelling at its splendour, you strap it onto your arm.
You walk towards the double doors and push them open.
Your second blow also fails to smash the mirror. The Mirror Demon reaches out, grabs your wrist and starts pulling you towards the mirror. Its strength is incredible, and, despite all your efforts, you cannot resist. With every second you come closer to the mirror. When the Mirror Demon touches the mirror, it seems to disappear straight through it. With horror you see your own body disappear through the mirror too, and the rest of your body soon follows. You are now in a mirror world of another dimension, from which you can never return.
Unknown to you, the Bloodbeast has only one weakness: its real eyes. More by chance than design, you plunge your blade deep into one of them, and the Bloodbeast immediately slumps back into its pool. After a few massive convulsions, it sinks beneath the oily surface of the pool. Not waiting to see whether it will recover, you run into the tunnel, anxious to get away from the Bloodbeast's toxic chamber as fast as possible.
Lifting the goblet releases a sprung catch, and a dart shoots out of the wooden table leg.
Smiling, you tell Ivy that you think she and Sourbelly look very alike. Then, while she stares admiringly at the painting, you pick up a broken stool, creep up behind her and smash her on the back of the head as hard as you can. To your immense relief, she slumps unconscious to the floor.
Only a few metres further down the passage, you see another closed door in the left-hand wall. The letter X is scratched into his centre panel. Putting your ear to the door, you listen intently but can hear nothing.
The river current is very strong and, encumbered by your armour and backpack, you are unable to swim against it. Within seconds you are swept under the bridge. Standing on the river bank, the Troglodytes look on laughing and jeering as you drift to your death down-river in the depths of the mountain.
You enter a room which is small and completely empty. As soon as you are inside, the door slams shut behind you. Suddenly a voice booms out of nowhere, shouting, 'Welcome to Deathtrap Dungeon, the ingenious killer labyrinth of my master. I trust you will pay your respects to my master by shouting out his name?'
You breathe in the poisonous gas and start to choke.
Reacting quickly, you manage to jump over the outstretched tongue and run into the tunnel, leaving the Bloodbeast wallowing in its pool to await another victim.
Your reflexes are sharp and you quickly jump aside. The dart whistles past, only just missing you, and thuds into the opposite wall. You see the goblet lying on the floor and the red liquid running away in rivulets over the grey stone. At least the goblet may be of use, so you put it in your backpack.
Squeezing the arm of the chair triggers a secret panel which springs into the air. You find a glass phial lying in a cavity. You pick up and read the label: 'Doppelganger Potion - one dose only. This liquid will make your body take on the shape of any nearby being.' You place the strange potion in your backpack and continue north.
You come to an arched doorway set in the right-hand wall of the tunnel. The heavy stone door is closed, but there is an iron latch and a round handle.
There is a large panel of glass in the left-hand wall of the tunnel. Through it you can see a bright, torch-lit room teeming with GIANT INSECTS of every possible description. Bees, wasps, beetles, ticks - even the mites are over six centimetres long. The noise is threatening. In the middle of the room, a jewelled crown lies on top of a small table. What looks like a large diamond is set in the middle of the crown.
You arrive at another junction in the tunnel.
The tunnel takes another sharp right turn. Following it east, you arrive at a strange obstruction: a line of twelve wooden poles across the tunnel. They are fixed to the walls about half a metre off the floor and spaced a metre apart.
You wipe the vile yellow slime from the blade of your sword and walk quickly to the door, back into the tunnel and head north.
Apart from two portions of your Provisions which were saturated and are now inedible, all your other possessions remain intact.
You repack them carefully inside your backpack and set off north again.
The wooden ball whistles past the skull, hitting the far wall with a loud 'crack'.
The Caveman is wearing a leather wristband with four small rats' skulls hanging from it.
Your body continues to vibrate intensely and you feel as if you are about to pass out. But your strength is great, and you manage to withstand the tremendous shock to your system. Finally you calm down and begin to feel the ring's beneficial powers working on you.
You see Throm looking at you anxiously, so you reassure him that you are fully recovered. He strides off east and you follow him eagerly.
You cannot believe that the Bloodbeast is unaffected by its new wound. You hesitate a moment too long and it lunges forward, cracking your skull with its jaws. Then it drags you into its pool, where you will be predigested and later consumed by the hideous creature.
After a long walk down the tunnel, you come to a dead end. A large mirror reaching from the ceiling to the floor hangs on the end wall, and in the dim light you can just about make out your own reflection.
Despite the stalactites crashing all around, you manage to dash through the archway without injury. You look around and see Throm thundering towards you, one arm held over his head for protection. He dashes into the tunnel and leans against the cold wall, panting heavily. He apologizes for starting the rock-fall and offers you his hand to shake. You tell Throm that maybe he should use sign language in future, even for laughing! You both smile and head east once more.
Although you can see a large obstruction on the tunnel floor, although it is too dark to make out exactly what it is. The wet footprints you have been following carry on towards the obstruction.
Lying in a hole about a metre deep, you see a grappling iron and a leather pouch.
The Dwarf looks at the dice. 'Not very good at playing the odds, are you?' he sneers. 'I regret you must suffer a penalty before you can continue.' From out of his pocket he produces two pills. One is stamped with the letter S and the other stamped with the letter L. He asks you to choose one and swallow it.
In front of you are two flights of stone steps separated by a banister of rats' skulls.
The necklace is an amulet of strength.
You continue your quest north.
You throw the trapdoor open and run up the steps into a bright, lantern-lit room. Two GOBLINS are sharpening their short swords on a stone set in the middle of the floor. You catch them momentarily off guard, but they quickly recover and both rush forward to attack you.
You tiptoe towards the door while Ivy prattles on.
The pouch on the Barbarian's belt is empty apart from some strange-looking dried meat wrapped in a cloth.
The only possible way out of the hall as far as you can see is by using the chute in the northern wall. You decide to give it a go and climb into the chute. You slide gently down and emerge into another room, landing on your back.
At the back of the alcove are some steps leading down into a cellar. Cobwebs brush your face as you descend. The cellar ceiling is quite low, and the floor is strewn with rubbish and debris. In the middle of the wall opposite you is an archway which leads into another crystal-lit tunnel. There are large mushrooms growing on the rubbish to your right.
You tie the rope over the grappling iron and hurl it over the top of the wall. Its hooks dig into the stone and you begin to haul yourself up. Peering over the top of the wall, you see an enormous dinosaur-like monster trashing about in a sand-covered pit. Its tough hide is a mottled green colour, and it stands some ten metres tall on its muscular hind legs. Rows of razor-sharp teeth line its gigantic jaws, which open and close with bone-snapping power. There is a large double door in the wall on the far side of the pit, which appears to be the only way out of this section of the dungeon.
The Hobgoblins stop their fight immediately. They do not understand what you are saying and snarl at you viciously. Then they draw their short swords and run forward to attack you.
The crossbow bolts fly over our head and thud into the opposite wall; fortunately you are still crouching on the floor. Now that the trap has been sprung, you can leave the room by the door through which you entered. Back in the tunnel you head on west.
You just have time to hear the Gnome say, 'One crown and two skulls', before a white bolt of energy shoots out from the lock into your chest and locks you unconscious.
You come to and are told by the Gnome to try again. You know that you placed one gem in the correct slot, but which one? You sigh and tentatively try a new combination.
Once again the mysterious voice calls out, only this time its tone is full of contempt and derision. 'So, we have a snivelling weed in our midst, do we?' sneers the voice. 'My master has a special gift for you, loathsome creep.' Suddenly water starts pouring into the room through a hole in the ceiling. It soon rises above your ankles, and there is no apparent way of escape. You wade back to the door. It is firmly locked, but in desperation you try ramming it with your shoulder.
The tunnel leads into a large room, its ceiling supported by several marble pillars. As you enter the room, you suddenly see a strange beast to your right. It had the body of a lion with dragon-like wings attached to it, but its head is like that of an old bearded man.
Passing the Rock Grub's borehole on your left, you soon arrive at the junction. You take a quick look south, but do not see anyone approaching. Quickening your step, you hurry on east.
The door opens into another tunnel, which rises gently into the distance. After walking uphill for a while, the tunnel levels out and you soon arrive at a door in the right-hand wall, to which a withered hand is nailed.
Walking along the tunnel, you are surprised to see a large iron bell hanging down from the ceiling.
The book's pages are sealed together, but a small hole has been cut out in the middle of them, just large enough to hold a small corked bottle containing a clear liquid. You show it to Throm, who holds up his hand, indicating that he does not want you to come anywhere near him with it; his distrust of anything unknown is strongly evident.
As you try to escape, Ivy whirls around and picks up a broken stool. She is angry and attacks you ferociously.
You manage to draw your sword and fight back.
You try to force your sword under the emerald eye. Much to your surprise, it shatters on contact, releasing a jet of poisonous gas into your face. The gas knocks you out and you fall backwards, bouncing down the idol to land on the stone floor. Your adventure ends here.
The Mirror Demon is almost on top of you when, summoning all your strength, you strike one final blow against the mirror with your sword.
There is a new branch in the tunnel on your left, and ahead you see two bodies lying on the floor. You stop and peer down the tunnel, but seeing no doors and creatures you decide against walking down it. With your sword drawn, you walk over to where the bodies lie.
You call out to the Dwarf, telling him to send in the SCORPION because you are ready to fight. Slowly the wooden door rises, and a huge grotesque black Scorpion squeezes underneath it and enters the room. You draw your sword in readiness and prepare to fight the sinister creature with its huge pincers and deadly sting.
Still smiling, the old man looks at you and says quietly, 'Wrong.'
The Dwarf is expecting your move. Furthermore, you are not as fast as you should be because of your recent ordeal, so he easily evades your punch, saying, 'I could kill you now if I wished, but I yearn for a hand-to-hand fight.' Then he throws down his crossbow and draws an axe from his belt. Despite your fatigue, you think only of vengeance.
The pain in your lungs forces you to rise to the surface for air. Fortunately, none of the Troglodytes see you and they all disperse. You climb out of the river and cross the bridge to the northern bank. Any remaining Provisions you may have had are now inedible.
You continue to walk through the vast cavern until at last you see a tunnel in the far wall. You walk down it until you come to a heavy wooden door which is locked.
The water in the bamboo pipe is welcomingly refreshing.
It also contains a magical solution which will enable you to be exposed to melting-point temperatures without harm. Discarding the bamboo, you start off north again in good spirits.
There is nowhere to go except down the steps towards the barking dogs. You reach the bottom and, with your sword drawn, face the two huge black GUARD DOGS, which leap at you one at a time.
You let go of the rope and hear it fall to the bottom of the pit. The Barbarian curses, promising to kill you if your paths should cross again. You step back and take a running jump. You land safely on the far side of the pit and continue west. Further down the tunnel, you step on a floor stone which tilts forward, triggering a trap which releases a boulder loosely set in the ceiling. You look up just as it is about to crash on top of you.
Having had the sense not to put your sword arm into the hole, the effects of the tentacled arm are not too serious.
You reach back into the hole and pull out the grappling iron and the leather pouch. Inside the pouch you find a tiny brass bell. You pack away your new possessions and continue north.
As you touch the idol's emerald eye you hear a creaking sound below you. Looking down, you are shocked to see the two stuffed birds flying off. Their wings flap in jerky movements, but they are soon above you and look set to attack.
You fight the FLYING GUARDIANS one at a time, but your skill is reduced by 2 because of your restricted position.
The Dwarf congratulates you for guessing correctly. He tells you that you must now progress to the second stage of the test. He reaches for a wicker basket and tells you that a snake is held within it. He tips up the basket and the snake drops on to the floor; it is a cobra, and it rears up in the air ready to strike. The Dwarf tells you that he wishes to test your reactions. Bare-handed, you must grasp the cobra below its head, avoiding its deadly fangs. You crouch down on the floor, tensing yourself for the moment to seize it.
The door opens into a small room in which there is a human skull with jewelled eyes resting on top of a marble plinth. A row of loaded crossbows is fixed to the left-hand wall, and two small wooden balls lie on the floor just inside the door. Will you:
Running down the tunnel, you soon catch up with the Barbarian and tell him that the eastern passage comes to a dead end. He nods his head in silent understanding and sets off towards the west with you at his side.
The words of her poem flash through your mind: 'When corridor doth water meet, do not make a quick retreat . . .' Of course, it is here that she wants you to dive into the water. Now you must decide what to do.
The small plate slides open easily, and you find yourself peering into a room with a deep pit in the floor behind the door. On the opposite wall there are two iron hooks, on one of which hangs a coil of rope.
The casket opens easily, and inside there is a black velvet bag containing a large pearl.
After putting the pearl in your pocket, you press on through the cobwebs.
You lift the jug to your lips and take a swig of the liquid. It burns so much that you drop the jug and grab your throat in agony. You have swallowed acid!
Your reactions are still slow because of the poison in your system, and although you try to jump over the outstretched tongue, your legs let you down. The sticky tongue wraps itself around your leg, flipping you over, and starts to pull you towards the pool. Your sword has slipped out of your hand and you start to panic.
Your armour and sword weigh you down, but you just manage to land safely on the far edge of the pit. You waste no time and head east.
You push past the two Leprechauns and head off north, the noise of jeering and laughter ringing in your ears. Further up the tunnel you stop to rest and check your belongings. If you had any gems, they are now gone; the Leprechaun who landed on your back stole them from your backpack. You curse the thieving Leprechauns and set off north again.
Removing the box lid by the light of the tunnel, you find an iron key and a large gem. It is a sapphire.
Placing the items carefully in your backpack, you set off north once again.
The Dwarf calls down from the balcony, congratulating you on your victory. He throws a sack down into the arena and tells you to relax and regain your strength for the final part of the test. Then he walks off, saying he will return in about ten minutes. You open the sack and find a jug of wine and a cooked chicken.
As you walk along, droplets of water again start falling from the tunnel ceiling. You see wet foot-prints, made by the same boots that you followed earlier, heading west. The footprints lead to a closed iron door in the right-hand wall of the tunnel, but do not seem to go any further.
There is a slot in the padlock into which you place the coin. Immediately the lock clicks apart, and you are able to unchain the stilts. You place them on your shoulder and once again set off north.
As you touch the idol's emerald eye you hear a creaking sound below you. Looking down, you are shocked to see the two stuffed birds flying off. Their wings flap in jerky movements, but they are soon above you and look set to attack.
You fight the FLYING GUARDIANS one at a time, but your skill is reduced by 3 because of your restricted position.
You swing the grappling iron around your head and hurl it at the beast below. The Pit Fiend's huge jaws snap tight over the grappling iron, then it jerks its head back. Still holding the rope, you are pulled off the wall and tumble to the bottom of the pit.
Lifting the latch and pushing the heavy stone door open, you find yourself in a large cavern. The light is dim and murky, but as your eyes begin to adjust, you see that the walls are covered in green algae and running with moisture. The floor is strewn with straw. The atmosphere is warm, damp and fetid, and a soft humming sound fills the air. You step gingerly through the straw towards a corner of the cavern, where there appears to be a shallow pit. Peering warily into the pit, you are disgusted to see a mass of pale writhing worms, some as much as half a metre long. Utterly nauseated, you are about to turn away when you notice that their undulating bodies are swarming around a dagger, its point held fast in a crack in the pit floor. The hilt is cased in black leather studded with opals, and the blade is fashioned from a strange reddish-black burnished metal you have never seen before. You long to touch the dagger, but this would mean plunging your hand in among the writhing worms.
He eyes you suspiciously as you offer him a portion of your Provisions. But hunger overcomes his fear and he crams the food into his mouth. You ask him what he is doing in the tunnels, and he explains that he is a servant of one of the Trialmasters, Baron Sukumvit's appointed controllers of sections of his dungeon. He tells you he would like to escape, but no one is allowed to leave the dungeon in case the secret of its construction is revealed. You tell him that you are a contestant in the Trial of Champions and that you would appreciate any help. Rubbing his chin, he turns to you and says, 'One good turn deserves another. All I can tell you is that in a northern tunnel there is a wooden chair carved in the shape of a demon bird. There is a secret panel in the arm of the chair which contains a potion in a glass phial. It's a Doppelganger Potion. Now I must go about my duties. Good luck. I hope we can meet again outside these infernal tunnels.' The man then shuffles off and you continue your journey west.
As you approach the prostrate figure, you see that it is one of your rivals in the Trial of Champions. It is in fact the Elf, and she is fighting for her life in the bone-crushing grip of an enormous BOA CONSTRICTOR.
The door swings open into a small room, but before you know what is happening, you find yourself falling through thin air - there was a pit behind the door which you did not see. You land heavily at the bottom and wince with pain.
The pit walls are roughly chiselled and have plenty of toe- and finger-holds, so you are able to clamber out quite easily. You curse your own eagerness and tell yourself to be more careful in future when entering rooms. Inside the room you see two iron hooks on the wall opposite the door. A coil of rope is hanging on one of them. You put it in your backpack, jump back over the pit to leave the room and head north.
Remembering the description of the vile Bloodbeast and the warning about toxic gas rising from its pool, you cover your mouth with your sleeve and step forward with your sword drawn, wary of the Bloodbeast's tongue. As you step round the side of its pool, it rolls forward and flicks out its tongue, but you are ready for it and cleave it with one swipe of your sword. The beast howls in pain and stretches forward frantically, trying to clasp you between its blood-filled jaws. You start hacking at its hideous face in an attempt to pierce its real eyes.
The cool water is refreshing and comes from a source which has been sprinkled with Pixie dust.
As you make your way back to the doorway, the buzzing sound increases in intensity, and you look around desperately to discover where it is coming from. Glancing up in the nick of time, you see the huge and grotesque black shape of a GIANT FLY emerging from a recess high up in the cavern wall. As it gets closer, you realize that it is at least one and a half metres long. Its opaque wings vibrate, making the sickening buzzing noise you can hear, and its six black hairy legs are poised to grab your body. Below its multi-faceted eyes is a long, shiny, black proboscis, which darts in and out venomously. You have stolen the Giant Fly's treasure from her brood of maggots, and you must take the consequences.
Attached to the collar of one of the Guard Dogs is a metal capsule. You prise off the top and find a small tooth inside. It is a Leprechaun's tooth which will bring you good fortune.
You put the tooth in your pocket and set off east along the tunnel.
Treading carefully, you slowly make your way up the steps. You soon reach the top without mishap. Continue along the new tunnel.
You just have time to hear the Gnome yell, 'Three crowns!' before the lock clicks open. As the heavy door swings slowly outwards, the Gnome rushes towards it, hurling the glass ball at your feet. Green gas escapes from the broken glass, and you try to avoid inhaling it.
The door cannot withstand the furious battering you are giving it. The centre panel cracks and splinters, enabling you to kick a hole in it large enough for you to squeeze through. Wet but happy to have survived your ordeal, you set off north again.
As you rush towards the Dwarf, he pulls two hand darts from his belt and he throws them at you and Throm, hitting both of you in the leg. You are both instantly paralysed by the poison on the tip of the dart.
As though glued to the floor, you can only watch as the Dwarf retrieves his dart from your thigh. He asks you whether you are willing to enter his contest now. You strain to nod your head. Slowly, the effects of the poison wear off and mobility returns. The Dwarf beckons you to follow him, telling Throm to await his return. He opens a secret door in the chamber wall and you follow him into a circular room. He closes the door behind you and hands you two bone dice, telling you to throw them on the floor. You roll a six and a two, a total of eight. The Dwarf asks you to roll again, but this time you must predict the total: will it be the same, or higher or lower than eight?
As you make a lunge at the Bloodbeast, you suddenly start to feel faint. The gas rising up from the pool is highly toxic and you slump to the floor unconscious.
The tunnel leads into a marble-floored hall with pillars rising right up to the ceiling. As you cross the floor, your footsteps echo through the hall. The hairs on the back of your neck start to prickle as you sense unseen eyes watching you. Unknown to you, one of your rivals is hiding behind a pillar. It is the NINJA, the deadly assassin dressed in black robes. Without a sound, he steps out from behind the pillar and throws a star-edged disc at your back. Instinctively, an inner voice tells you to duck.
The temperature continues to rise and you find yourself dripping with sweat. As you struggle on, the heat intensifies until it feels like white heat and becomes so unbearable that you begin to pass out.
You climb on to your stilts and take a few tentative steps across the floor. Your confidence grows, and you soon feel able to tackle the walk across the slime. Smoke rises from the base of the stilts as the slime starts to burn them away. You plod stolidly on and finally reach firm ground again. Unfortunately, the stilts are still covered in slime and you are forced to dump them. Setting off north, you come to a junction.
The Barbarian, who tells you he is called Throm, ties the rope around his waist, giving you the free end. As he lights the torch, you see a look of distrust in his eyes. Slowly, he climbs over the edge of the pit while you brace yourself and take the strain of the rope. As you lower him little by little, you see the smooth sides of the pit illuminated by Throm's torch. He finally reaches the bottom and calls up to you, saying that there is another tunnel running north. He tells you to secure the rope around a rock protruding from the edge of the pit and lower yourself to the bottom.
The Troglodytes are too involved in their tribal dancing to hear the clatter of your sword, and you crawl past. When you think you are far enough away, you stand up and run across the cavern floor. Ahead you see an underground river running east to west through the cavern with a wooden bridge crossing over it. Hearing a noise, you glance back and realize you have been spotted. The Troglodytes are chasing you.
Slowly and carefully, you begin to climb the idol. You are about to grab hold of its large ear when suddenly your foot slips.
The tunnel bends sharply to the right, and around the corner you see a little old man with a long beard, cowering behind a large wicker basket. The basket is tied to a rope, the other end of which disappears into the ceiling. The old man sounds very worried as he says, 'Do not attack me, stranger. I pose no threat to you. I am here simply to help you. If you would be so kind as to offer me some sort of remuneration, I will gladly haul you up in the basket to the upper level. And believe me, that is where you ought to be.'
The tunnel starts to slope downwards and finally comes to an end at a deep pool enclosed by the tunnel wall.
The Orc's morning star sinks agonizingly into your left thigh.
You stagger backwards, but manage to regain your balance in time to defend yourself. Fortunately, the tunnel is too narrow for both Orcs to attack you at once. Fight them one at a time.
Your body vibrates wildly and you are unable to stop yourself from passing out.
Walking along the tunnel, you notice an iron grille in the floor.
The acid burns through your stomach wall, eating its way into your vital organs. You collapse unconscious, never to recover. Your adventure ends here.
On a stone ledge in the tunnel wall you see two dusty leather-bound books. Throm grunts his contempt for the written word, urging you to leave the books and hurry on. Will you:
You draw your sword and rush towards the old man. He raises his left arm and suddenly you hit and bounce off an invisible shield. 'Do not be foolish, my powers are great,' the old man says calmly. 'If you do not believe me, watch this.' From out of nowhere a flying fist appears, which smashes into your face before you can duck.
You shake your head and rub your jaw. You appear to have no alternative but to try to answer his question.
You raise your shield in front of you just in time to protect yourself from a volley of spikes released from the Manticore's tail and aimed straight at your heart. They sink into your shield and you remain unharmed. Swiftly you draw you sword and advance on the Manticore.
Mercifully, the temperature now starts to drop rapidly, and soon it feels almost cool again. On the left-hand side of the tunnel is a closed door. It has a small iron plate in it, which might possibly slide open. Will you:
Once the gas has cleared, you walk back to the chest and look inside. There is a pendant chain lying in the bottom of it, but somebody has already removed the stone from its setting. This annoys you so much that you throw the chain on to the floor and storm out of the room and up the tunnel.
The crossbow bolts are far too many to evade.
You must rest here a long time to recover from your wounds. When you eventually feel strong enough to carry on, you leave the room and continue west along the tunnel.
The door opens into a small room with a straw-covered floor. In the centre of the room there is a large draped cage standing some two metres high. There is a cord fixed to the top of the drape which runs up through an iron ring in the ceiling and hangs down to the floor.
You search through the cupboards and boxes in Ivy's room, but you find nothing except for an old bone. A door lies in the east wall of the chamber and you decide to leave, taking the old bone with you. You now find yourself standing at the end of another tunnel.
The cobra's reactions are quicker than yours, and its hooded head shoots forward to bite you.
You stagger to your feet and draw your sword. You are only just in time, for the fearsome beast is closing in on you fast. This is going to be one of the toughest fights of your life.
There is an unseen pressure plate on top of the plinth, and as soon as the skull is put back on it, the device is sprung. Immediately the crossbows release a shower of bolts across the room.
Running after the Leprechauns, you hear more laughter, only now it is behind you. You look around and see six more Leprechauns emerging from behind a hidden door in the tunnel wall. Suddenly, yet another Leprechaun drops on your back from a ledge fixed to the ceiling. Shaking him off your back, you draw your sword, whereupon the Leprechauns laugh even louder.
The stalactites continue to fall all around you, but you haven't enough strength to do more than crawl towards the archway. Suddenly you feel an arm around your waist picking you up, and realize in your semi-conscious state that Throm is carrying you. He lays you down in the safety of the tunnel, and tends your wounds. You decide to eat some of your Provisions to help regain your strength, and you also give one portion to Throm in gratitude for his rescuing you. He apologizes for starting the rock fall and offers you his hand to shake. Despite the pain, you manage a smile and shake his hand. When you have finally recovered, you stand up and head east, with Throm leading the way.
You take off your shirt and tear it in half. You wrap a piece around each foot to give yourself some sort of protection against the corrosive slime, and dash across it in giant leaps. On the firm ground beyond the slime, you frantically try to rip the burning shirt off your feet with your sword. However, some of the slime has eaten its way through to your ankle.
Setting off north again, you come to a junction.
The door swings open into the room, and you step back and jump over the pit. You put the rope in your backpack and jump back over the pit to leave the room and head north.
You are dismayed to find that not only are all your remaining Provisions saturated and inedible, but one of the treasures you found is missing.
You carefully repack your remaining possessions and set off north again.
You enter a room in which a man in tattered clothing is standing chained to the wall by his left arm. You see that his right hand is missing and realize that his must be the hand nailed to the door. Pleading for mercy, he cowers back from you as far as his chains will allow.
You manage to free yourself from Ivy's grip and draw your sword. Picking up a broken stool as a weapon, she advances towards you.
Gripping the rope firmly, you step back to take a running jump. However, in the dim light you do not notice that someone has cut the rope almost in two just a little way above the section you are holding. As you swing out across the pit it suddenly breaks, and you scream with fear as you plunge headlong to the depths below.
The tunnel soon divides in two. You hear a buzzing sound coming from the western branch.
Walking along, you see a red line painted across the tunnel floor and notice a sign on the wall which reads: 'No weapons beyond this point'.
You sword easily pierces the thin outer casing of the giant spore ball. A thick brown cloud of spores bursts out of the ball and envelops you. Some of the spores stick to your skin and start to itch terribly. Great lumps come up on your face and arms, and your skin feels as if it is on fire.
Frantically scratching your itching lumps, you step over the now deflated spore ball and head east.
Recognizing the snake-like head of the Medusa, you close your eyes to avoid her deadly stare that would turn you to stone.
The passage slowly starts to climb, leading you relentlessly northwards. You do not come across a single junction. There are no doorways or even an alcove to investigate, and you become less guarded as you plod on. After a while you become so nonchalant that you fail to notice a thin tripwire stretched low across the passage. It is only when your foot catches it and you hear a distant rumble that you realize your mistake. The rumbling sound swells to an almost deafening level, and suddenly out of the gloom of the tunnel you see a massive boulder rolling towards you, gathering speed with every second. Dropping your shield if you have one,
you turn to flee the incoming boulder.
You soon arrive at a double door in the left-hand wall. You listen at the door but hear nothing. You try the handle, it turns and you open the left door slightly and peer through the crack. An armed warrior is lying face down on the floor of a bare room with smooth walls and a low ceiling. He is presumably dead, for he makes no movement even when you call out to him. A large jewel, perhaps a diamond, lies just beyond his outstretched arm.
The pain in your lungs forces you to rise to the surface for air. Unfortunately, one of the Troglodytes sees you and yells to his comrades. You watch helplessly as the bowmen take aim, and a hail of arrows falls on you with fatal impact. Your lifeless body floats down-river, down into the hidden depths of the mountain.
A dull 'bong' sounds from the bell like a death toll. Everything around you starts to vibrate, and you grit your teeth as your head too starts to shudder. Your whole body is trembling and you fall to the floor. You quiver and shake, writhing convulsively on the floor at the vibrations intensify.
You search desperately for a way of stopping the bell.
The tunnel leads into a damp, high-ceiling cavern with a rock-strewn floor. Long dripping teeth-like stalactites hang down threateningly, their constant dripping creating milky pools on the floor. The tunnel carries on through an archway carved in the shape of a demonic mouth.
You recognize the beast - it is a MANTICORE. Taking heed of the poem's warning, you watch out for its tail which sprouts a profusion of shark spikes, thick and hard as iron bolts, at its tip.
You step confidently onto the first pole and stride across to the next. As you land on the third pole, it immediately releases a shower of sharp splinters, each several centimetres long. They fly out in all directions at great speed, and you cannot avoid getting hit.
You manage to scramble over the remaining poles and sit down to the painful task of removing the splinters from your body. After resting for a while, you set off east again.
There does not appear to be any way of travelling further north. You turn around and walk back down the tunnel, passing the wooden chair. You soon arrive at the junction and turn right to head west.
You react quickly and manage to cleave the Bloodbeast's outstretched tongue with one swipe of your blade. The beast screams in pain and hurls itself forward to try and clasp you between its blood-filled jaws. This will be a fight to the death.
The meat contains herbs which will increase your strength.
Still smiling, the old man looks at you. 'Wrong,' he says quietly.
You reach down into the hole. Suddenly your blood runs cold as you feel something warm and sticky wrapping itself around your arm. You manage to pull your arm out of the hole, but a hideous tentacled limb with unbelievably strong suckers is clinging to your arm. By the time you manage to cut yourself free, your arm is trembling with pain.
As soon as your head goes under the blue light, you hear the sound of muffled voices. Their faces are no longer laughing, but have changed their expressions to ones of despair and anguish. A young girl's sad face hovers in front of you, and she begins to whisper a poem. Transfixed you listen intently, believing she has a special message for you as she recites: \n\n'When corridor doth water meet, \nDo not make a quick retreat. \nTake a breath and jump deep in \nIf your trial you hope to win.'\n\nMemorizing the spirit girl's poem, you step through the shaft of light and quickly head on north.
The tunnel starts to widen, and ahead you see it open into a huge cavern from where you can hear the sound of many high-pitched voices. You creep up to the entrance and take a look inside. There are about twenty tiny people in long noses and ears running in a circle around a large golden effigy. Will you:
You find a pool behind the dead Hobgoblins and take great gulps of the cool water as fast as you can. This neutralizes the acid and slowly you begin to recover. Still in pain, you stand up and set off north.
You break off a large piece of the mushroom and bite into it eagerly. Immediately your stomach feels bloated and you can even see it beginning to bulge below your belt. Your whole body starts to expand, bursting out of your clothes with a loud ripping sound. You grow bigger and bigger, and soon your face is pressed against the ceiling. The mushrooms you have eaten are much sought after by wizards for their growth potions, but to you they spell doom. You are too large ever to leave the cellar, and your adventure ends here.
A little father on you come to a section of the tunnel which is covered with thick green slime. It looks threatening, so you decide to test it first with a piece of cloth. The slime's corrosive jelly burns the cloth instantly, leaving no trace.
You have no time to react before the dart thuds into your thigh.
The fist retracts and prepares to strike again. With your free hand you draw your sword and try to cut the handle of the door. Although you do not recognize it, you are being attacked by the fluid form of an IMITATOR.
The tunnel makes a sudden left turn and continues north for as far as you can see. You soon arrive at a closed wooden door in the left-hand wall.
As you fall, you manage to grab the rope with your hands. Slowly you haul yourself over to the far side and scramble up on to the floor. You lift the helmet off the pole and put it on your head. It has been made by a highly skilled ironsmith.
Not wishing to risk walking back across the tightrope, you decide to crawl along it. Safely back on firm ground, you step through the archway and head north up the tunnel.
Not much further down the tunnel you come to a closed door on your left. Putting your ear to the door, you listen intently but hear nothing.
You look down and see the crumpled bodies of the two Flying Guardians lying motionless on the floor. You start to prise out the idol's emerald eye with the tip of your sword. At last it comes free and you are surprised by its weight when it falls into your hand. Hoping it may be of use later, you put it in your backpack.
A brown velvet curtain is draped over an archway in the eastern wall of the tunnel.
You shake your head, trying desperately to stop yourself from blacking out, but the heat is too much for you and you fall unconscious to the floor.
Covering your nose and mouth with your hand to avoid breathing in the gas, you follow the Gnome through the open door. You enter another tunnel, at the end of which is the welcome sight of daylight. Much to your surprise, you see the Gnome lying dead halfway down the tunnel. A crossbow bolt protrudes from the side of his head. The Gnome, in his bid for freedom, has fallen foul of Baron Sukumvit's final trap. You walk past him and out into brilliant sunshine.
He takes your Gold Piece and tells you that in a northern tunnel there is a wooden chair carved in the shape of a demon bird. In the arm of the chair is a secret panel which contains a potion in a glass phial. 'It's a Doppelganger Potion, if I remember right. Good luck. I hope we meet again outside these infernal tunnels.' The man shuffles off and you continue your journey.
You have no choice but to open the door, as the wall is too smooth to climb. Taking a deep breath, you turn the handle and enter a sand-covered pit. There, standing some ten metres tall on its huge hind legs in front of large double doors in the opposite wall, is an enormous dinosaur-like monster. It has a tough, mottled green hide and a mouth lined with razor-sharp teeth. Its jaws open and close with bone-snapping power, and even you cannot help trembling as you approach it with your sword drawn.
Despite being as careful as possible, your leg brushes against one of the poles. It immediately releases a shower of sharp splinters, each several centimetres long. They fly out at great speed and in all directions, and you cannot avoid being hit.
You sit down to the painful task of removing the splinters from your body before setting off east.
The beast before you is the dreaded MANTICORE. The tip of its tail sprouts a protrusion of sharp spikes, thick and hard as iron bolts. Suddenly it flicks its tail, sending a volley of spikes flying towards you.
You stagger forward to attack the Manticore with your sword before it has time to unleash any more of its deadly spikes.
The doors open into a tunnel running north. You close the doors behind you and set off once again.
You just have time to hear the Gnome say, 'One crown and two skulls' before a white bolt of energy shoots out from the lock into your chest, knocking you unconscious.
You come to and are told by the Gnome to try again. You know you placed one gem in the correct slot, but which one? You sigh and tentatively try a new combination.
As you run for the door, the old man calls out behind you, 'Do not run, nobody escapes me. Stop, or I shall turn you to stone this instant!' Will you:
Once again the mysterious voice calls out, only this time, to your great surprise, in a far less threatening tone, 'Good, my master likes those who show spirit. Take this gift to help you. It will grant you one wish, but one wish only. Farewell.' A gold ring magically appears out of nowhere and lands at your feet with a gentle tinkle. You pick it up and put it on one of your fingers. The door opens and you step back into the tunnel to continue north.
The tunnel continues north for quite a distance before coming to a dead end. The mouth of a chute protrudes from the western wall, and it appears to be the only alternative to turning back. You decide to risk it and climb into the chute. You slide gently down and emerge into a room, landing on your back.
You take the bone out of your backpack and throw it down the stairs. The barking grows louder, changing to snarls and growls when the bone lands on the floor. You walk slowly down the steps with your sword drawn and see two huge black GUARD DOGS fighting over the bone. You run quickly past them and on down the tunnel.
You draw your sword and advance slowly towards the huge, slimy Rock Grub.
As you run round the narrow path, you suddenly start to feel dizzy. The gas from the pool is taking effect: your vision starts to blur and you lose your balance. You are only half aware of the Bloodbeast's tongue as it wraps itself around your leg and drags you into the pool of slime. After being predigested by the vile slime, the hideous Bloodbeast will consume you at its leisure.
Remembering the old man's advice, you search the arm of the chair for a secret panel. You find an almost invisible crack in the arm, which you start to press and squeeze. Suddenly a tiny panel springs out of the arm and you see a glass phial lying in a cavity. You pick it out and read the label: 'Doppelganger Potion - one dose only. This liquid will make you assume the shape of any nearby living being.' You place the strange potion in your backpack and continue north.
Inside one of the Orcs' pockets you find one Gold Piece and a hollow wooden tube.
You put your findings in your backpack and set off west.
You are exhausted and sit down for a rest on the tail of the dead beast. Looking down at your feet, you suddenly notice an iron ring poking up through the sand.
Ignoring the pain, you run on. Ahead you see an underground river running east to west through the cavern, with a wooden bridge crossing over it. You look behind and see the Troglodytes in hot pursuit.
You just manage to grab the idol's earlobe and regain your footing. You scramble over its face and sit down on the bridge of its nose. You draw your sword and consider which jewelled eye to prise out first.
Despite all your efforts, you cannot get the lasso off the idol's neck. Finally you give up and abandon it to whoever may come after you. There is nothing else of interest in the cavern, so you walk over to the northern wall and enter the tunnel.
The door opens into another tunnel running north. Ahead you see two stone fountains, one on either side of the tunnel, carved in the shape of cherubs. Water spouts from their mouths and cascades into small bowls at their feet.
The door opens into another tunnel. Walking west, you soon arrive at a door in the north wall.
Ahead in the dim light you see two HOBGOBLINS fighting, punching and kicking each other furiously. There is a leather bag lying on the floor, and it seems to be this that they are fighting over. Will you:
You rub your magic ring and wish for the Mirror Demon to be transported back to its own world, never to return. Still advancing towards you, it starts to shimmer and fade away. Then it vanishes completely, and you are able to continue your quest north.
You search through the cupboards and boxes in Ivy's room, but you find nothing except an old bone, which you take with you. Leaving the chamber by the east door, you now find yourself standing at the end of another tunnel.
The tunnel ends shortly at a junction. Looking left and right, you see a narrow passage disappearing into the dim distance.
You leap forward and try to grab the leader as a hostage. However, the Troglodytes are ready for your move, and six of their bowmen immediately shoot their arrows at you. Their aim is deadly accurate, and all six arrows find their mark. Lifeless, you fall to the floor. The Troglodytes have ended your journey abruptly.
You empty the contents of the jar into your hand and apply them to your wounds. Their healing powers take immediate effect and you feel yourself growing stronger.
The lid of the box lifts off easily. Inside you find two Gold Pieces and a note written on a small piece of parchment addressed to you.
After placing the gold in your pocket, you read the message, which says, 'Well done. At least you have the sense to stop and take advantage of the token aid given to you. Now I can advise you that you will need to find and use several items if you hope to pass triumphantly through my Deathtrap Dungeon. Signed Sukumvit.' Memorizing the advice on the note, you tear it up into tiny pieces and continue north along the tunnel.
Just as you are about to release the shield and throw it over the pit, it slips from your fingers and rolls away. You are unable to catch it before it falls over the edge of the pit, clattering down its sides to the bottom. The loss of your shield reduces your fighting ability.
Cursing your own clumsiness, you step forward, leap across the pit and land safely on the other side. You waste no time but head off east.
Although the Bloodbeast is too bulbous and heavy to climb out of its pool, its long tongue stretches and wraps itself around your leg. Still unconscious, you are dragged into its pool of slime. After being predigested by the vile slime, the hideous Bloodbeast will consume you at its leisure.
The wooden ball smashes into the skull, knocking it off the plinth and onto the floor. Much to your surprise, the crossbows do not release their deadly bolts. You step into the room cautiously and pick the skull up off the floor. You recognize the yellow stones as topaz, and eagerly pluck them from their sockets. You put them in your backpack, wondering whether or not a trap still awaits you in the room. Will you:
You step nervously on to the rope, not daring to look down. Halfway across, you start to panic and lose your footing.
Thick smoke rises up from the floor where the acid has fallen from the broken jug. You crawl along the floor desperately trying to find drinkable water in the shallow pools of the dripping tunnel.
As you try to charge down the door with your shoulder, you hear the shrieking voices of the Troglodytes coming down the tunnel. You are trapped and draw your sword. The Troglodytes approach you, their bows drawn, and a hail of arrows strikes you with fatal impact. Your lifeless body slumps to the ground in the depths of Deathtrap Dungeon.
The tunnel takes a sharp right turn and then, a hundred metres ahead, comes to a junction. Looking left, you see two bodies lying on a floor. You decide to go and investigate.
Your blade strikes one of the Bloodbeast's real eyes with devastating effect. It slumps back into its pool, thrashing about in a frenzy. You seize your opportunity and run round the side of the pool to the tunnel exit.
You arrive at a junction in the tunnel. A new branch leads west, but the wet footprints you have been following continue north. You decide to keep following the footprints.
The tunnel continues east for quite a long way before reaching a junction. The walls, ceiling and floor of the tunnel leading south are covered with a thick green slime. You decide it would be safer to head north.
With one swipe of your trusty blade you behead the Boa Constrictor. You uncoil its massive body from around the Elf and try to resuscitate her. Her eyes open a little, but you can see that there is no hope. She looks at you and smiles, then says in a whisper, 'Thank you. I know it's too late for me, but I will tell you what I have learned. You way out lies ahead, but you need gems to unlock the final door. One of them is a diamond, but I do not know what the others are. Alas, I have not found a diamond, but I would urge you to look for one. Good luck.' Her eyes close and she slumps down onto the cold floor. You watch sadly as she breathes her last. Knowing she would not mind, you take two of her daggers and search her leather backpack. Inside you find some unleavened bread, a mirror and a bone charm in the shape of a monkey.
The tunnel soon ends at a junction. Standing there alone and wondering which way to go is one of your rivals. It is one of the Barbarians. You call out to him, but at first he does not answer, he merely stares at you coldly, his hands firmly gripping his axe. You walk up to him and ask which way he is heading. He grunts his reply, saying that he is going west, and that you may go with him if you wish.
You have to squeeze yourself deep into the crack to conceal yourself completely. From this cramped position you are unable to see the owner of the feet that shuffle slowly by. A minute later all is quiet again, so you pull yourself back out into the tunnel and head west.
You land heavily on your back, but luckily your backpack cushions your fall.
The darkness is almost pitch black at the bottom of the pit, and you crawl along the floor, groping in front of you. Suddenly your hand touches something cold, hard and smooth. The object is small and round, but you cannot figure out what it is. You place it in your backpack, hoping to see what it is once out of the pit. You continue to crawl forward and soon reach the pit wall. It is too smooth to climb, and you have to cut hand- and toe-holds in it with your sword. This takes a long time, but finally you climb out of the pit in the east side. You immediately check out the object in your backpack, and discover that you have found an orb of blood-red ruby. You are absolutely delighted and head off east in high spirits, whistling softly under your breath.
It was obviously a mistake to drop your weapons earlier, but at least you can now take those of the dead Ninja. You select one of his long knives and his long curved sword. Its steel cutting edge is exceptionally hard, and you cannot help but admire its awesome beauty.
You just have time to hear the Gnome say, 'One crown and two skulls' before a white bolt of energy shoots out from the lock into your chest, knocking you unconscious.
You come to and are told by the Gnome to try again. You know you placed one gem in the correct slot, but which one? You sigh and tentatively try a new combination.
You look to your left and see Throm standing over the Cave Troll he has slain. Blood is pouring out of a deep cut in his shoulder, but it does not seem to worry him. You search the bodies of the Cave Trolls, but find nothing apart from a bone ring on a leather cord hanging around the neck of one of them. The ring is engraved with a symbol which Throm recognizes. he explains that it must have belonged to druids of the north and that an ancient talisman such as this will increase your powers if your body is able to accept it. Throm will not touch it, and advises you to leave it well alone.
The drape rises to the top of the cage and there, to your horror, you see the face of an aged woman whose hair is a mass of seething snakes. It is the dreaded MEDUSA!
Two dice are being rolled, and the next situation will depend on whether the total is eight or not.
The tunnel continues north a long way before turning sharp right. Around the corner you come to a dead end. Only the mouth of a wooden chute in the wall offers any hope of further progress. You decide to take a chance and climb into the chute. You slide gently down and emerge into a room, landing on your back.
A door comes into view in the left-hand wall of the tunnel. You listen carefully at the door but hear nothing. The door is not locked and the handle turns easily.
Following the three sets of wet footprints along the west passage of the tunnel, you soon arrive at a junction.
You pull the dagger from your belt with your free hand and hack at the Bloodbeast's tongue. The beast screams in pain and rolls forward as far as it can to try and clasp you between its blood-filled jaws. You must fight it from the floor with your dagger.
You are not fighting with your sword, so your skill is reduced.
Running towards the archway, you stumble over a rock and lose your footing. You land sprawled on the floor, and before you have time to get up again, a stalactite crashes down on top of you, its pointed tip piercing your legs.
Ahead you see that the tunnel turns a corner, beyond which it continues north. You stop before the corner, startled by the sound of high-pitched voices whispering and sniggering.
Losing your hard-earned possessions is becoming a bit of a problem.
Without even pausing to thank you, Ivy pushes you out of her chamber through a door in the east wall, and you find yourself standing at the end of another tunnel.
You see a backpack propped up against the tunnel wall. You wonder if it belongs to one of your rivals.
The door opens into a large chamber, where you are shocked to see one of your rivals, who has obviously met a sudden gory death. It is one of the Barbarians, and he is impaled on several long iron spikes which are fixed to a frame that has sprung out of the floor. A lot of rubbish and debris litters the floor, concealing a hidden trip-wire which he must have stepped on and thus released the spiked frame. In the far wall is an alcove, in which you can see a silver goblet standing on a small wooden table. Will you:
You swing your sword against the mirror with all your might, but to no effect: the mirror does not break, and the Mirror Demon keeps advancing.
The pipe is wet and slimy, but you crawl on into the dank darkness, slithering and sliding as you go. Suddenly your hand touches something hard and square which feels as if it is made of wood. It rattles as you shake it, and you decide you must be holding a box.
After about twenty minutes the Dwarf reappears on the balcony. He calls down to you, saying 'Well, I do have an interesting problem on my hands. Prepare to fight your next opponent.' The wooden door rises once again and you are surprised to see a familiar face. It is Throm! He is cut and badly bruised, and doesn't seem to recognize you. He is clearly delirious as he staggers forward with his axe raised to attack you. The Dwarf laughs and says 'The cobra bit him, but he has the strength of an ox and managed to carry on, even though most men would have died. Now you must fight him to decide finally which of you will continue the Trial of Champions.' You shout abuse at the Dwarf, protesting against the cruelty of such a contest. He merely laughs, and you have no option but to defend yourself against poor Throm. Despite his wounds, Throm is immensely strong.
With your free hand, you reach into your backpack and take out the jug. Uncorking it with your teeth, you pour the acid over the door, which is in fact the fluid form of an IMITATOR. A jet of smoke rises from it with a loud hissing sound as the acid immediately starts to burn the Imitator. It melts rapidly and you are able to step away unharmed. Having no other choice, you somewhat apprehensively turn the handle of the other door.
There is a single Gold Piece lying in the bottom of the backpack. As you reach for it, you suddenly feel a light tickling movement on the back of your hand. You withdraw your hand slowly, trying to control your mounting panic, and are horrified to see a BLACK WIDOW SPIDER. Before you can shake it off, it sinks its poisonous fangs deep into your wrist.
The tunnel ends at a flight of stone steps leading downwards. From the floor below you can hear the sound of barking dogs.
Before you can take a single step towards the Leprechauns, one of them throws some sparkling dust at you. You are immediately frozen to the spot, unable to move a muscle. You watch helplessly as the Leprechauns rummage through your backpack and run off with all your possessions, leaving your backpack empty.
About an hour later the freezing effect of the dust wears off and feeling returns to your limbs. You are angry at your loss and stomp off north, determined to have your revenge.
The cupboard contains a wooden mallet and ten iron spikes, which you put in your backpack while wondering which door to open.
The Medusa shrieks as you enter her cage, keeping your eyes firmly closed and slashing your sword wildly from side to side. You feel the blade sink deep into her side and hear a loud thud as she slumps heavily to the ground. You open your eyes again and shudder at the sight of the prostrate figure of the Medusa. Her gown is fastened by a large brooch bearing a single bright red gem. It is a garnet, and you prise it out of its setting, put it in your pocket and leave the room to head north.
You scramble frantically around the floor in search of a pool of water, but do not find one. The acid burns with a searing pain deep down in your throat.
You reach the far wall of the chamber and see two doors.
The Barbarian reluctantly agrees to your alternative suggestion. You both step back and take running jumps over the pit. Landing safely on the other side, you continue down the tunnel. The Barbarian, who is leading the way, suddenly stumbles on a floor stone which tilts forward, triggering a boulder loosely set in the ceiling. It crashes down on top of him, knocking him to the floor and crushing his skull. You must continue your quest alone.
The razor-sharp disc whistles past your head and bites deep into one of the pillars. Turning to face your would-be assassin, you prepare yourself as he advances, his long sword drawn.
The tunnel ends at a junction. The footprints you have been following turn north and you decide to stay with them.
Your sword cleaves the handle and, being separated from its parent body, you watch the membrane shrivel away and drop onto the floor. Having no other choice, you somewhat apprehensively turn the handle of the other door.
The tunnel veers sharply to the left and comes to an end at a high wall in which there is a door. You hear a ferocious roar from the other side of the wall and you wonder what gargantuan beast could make such a noise.
The tunnel continues for quite a distance before you reach a junction.
Tapping the side of the borehole with your sword, you tread your way blindly through the sticky slime. You follow its twisting and turning for what seems an age and begin to wonder where it might lead. Suddenly you hear a slithering sound up ahead. You freeze with fear, your eyes desperately trying to pierce the pitch-black darkness. Before you realize what is happening, you are gripped round the neck by the powerful mandibles of another Rock Grub. It is the mate of the Rock Grub you killed and has been attracted by the smell of blood on your sword. It squeezes harder until your neck snaps like a small twig. Your adventure ends here.
After crossing the bridge, you run across the cavern floor. At last you see a tunnel in the far wall, which you race down until you reach its end at a heavy wooden door. The door is locked.
Your armour and sword weigh you down more than you think. In mid-air you realize with horror that you are not going to reach the other side of the pit. You crash into the side of the pit, some two metres below the rim, and tumble head over heels to the bottom.
You decide to search the Ninja and find a cloth bag in the folds of his robes. Inside it is a flask of water, some rice wrapped in a palm leaf, a jar of ointment and a beautiful diamond. Will you:
You pull the cord and watch the drape as it rises up the sides of an iron cage. The woman's voice urges you to be quick, telling you that the room is booby-trapped so that the floor will fall away in one minute because of your extra weight.
You pass the wooden chair and soon get back to the junction, turning right to head west.
After tying the rope around the rock, you lower yourself slowly to the bottom of the pit. Throm retrieves his rope by shaking it off the rock, and you set off together down the new tunnel.
You stand up and carry on down the tunnel. Suddenly you see daylight at the end of the tunnel. You run forward towards the most beautiful sight you have seen for a long time, a clear blue sky and green trees. You walk as fast as you can towards the end of the tunnel and emerge expecting to see the welcoming sight of cheering people. But there is no hero's welcome from the people all around you. They are all dead. You are standing in a cold chamber littered with armoured skeletons and bodies. The exit to victory was just an illusion. Only the corpses of the past adventurers are real. Utterly dejected, you walk back towards the tunnel, but hit an invisible barrier. You are trapped in this ghoulish place and destined to end your days in the chamber of the dead.
Ahead you see the tunnel turns sharply to the left. You turn the corner and almost bump straight into two fierce-looking ORCS, armed with morning stars and wearing leather armour. You are totally unprepared, and as you draw your sword, one of them swings its morning star at you.
The Mirror Demon, being solely intent on grabbing your arm, makes no attempt to defend itself.
You gaze round Ivy's room. Seeing a painting of another Troll hanging on the wall, you ask her if he is any relation. Suddenly her mood and expression change. She loosens her grip on you and smiles, saying, 'Oh yes. That is my dear beloved brother, Sourbelly. He has done very well for himself down south in Port Blacksand. He is now an Imperial Guard in Lord Azzur's elite troop. I'm very proud of him.' Ivy stares at the painting and continues to praise her brother.
You step up to the mirror and are amused by your distorted reflection. Your head looks as large as a pumpkin and your face is exceedingly strange. Suddenly, without warning, a terrible pain pounds through your head and you try to look away from the mirror, but you are unable to. Some evil force is keeping your eyes glued to your own reflection. You grip your head with your hands and realize with horror that it is expanding. You can withstand it no longer and, blacking out with the pain, you fall unconscious to the floor, never to wake.
The Ninja's rations are basic but welcome.
Touching the parchment has precisely the effect you had feared. The skeleton lurches forward and, rising from its chair in a series of jerky movements, raises its sword to strike you. Lunging sideways, you draw your sword to defend yourself.
Your gem drops into the pool with a dull 'plop'. As you wait for something to happen, you start to feel faint. The gas rising from the pool is toxic, and you slump to the floor unconscious.
You hear footsteps and suddenly the trapdoor is thrown back. For a few seconds you are completely blinded by the bright light from the room above and do not see the Goblin thrusting his spear downwards, or hear his sadistic laughter as the point pierces your neck. Your adventure ends here on the stone steps of the tunnel.
You try to wrench the tongue from your leg with your bare hands, but fail. Slowly you are dragged into the pool of slime, where you will be predigested and later consumed by the hideous Bloodbeast.
Still running as fast as you can, you dive into the river.
The wristband was made and cursed by a Hag. It slows down your reactions and dulls your senses.
You kick the tunnel wall in anger and stomp off north.
The cool water is refreshing, but comes from a source which has been cursed by a Hag.
The bodies are those of two Orc guards. At least one of your rivals in the Trial of Champions must still be ahead of you. A quick search of the bodies produces nothing apart from a necklace of teeth hanging around the neck of one of the Orcs.
As you touch the door handle, it goes soft in your hand, and when you try to pull your hand away, you find it is glued to the handle. A giant fist then forms in the centre of the door panel and shoots forward, punching you in the stomach.
Your fear gives you a new surge of energy and somehow your tired legs manage to kepe you in front of the boulder. Ahead on your right you see the welcome sight of a doorway. You lunge at the door and mercifully it flies open. The boulder thunders past and you are left lying exhausted on the floor of a large room.
A crippled man with shackled feet shuffles into sight carrying a wooden tray laden with bread and water. He looks tired and miserable and, quite unmoved by the sight of you, tries to walk past. Will you:
Your reactions are slow because of the poison in your system, and although you try to jump over the outstretched tongue, your legs will not lift you high enough. The sticky tongue wraps itself around your leg and starts pulling you towards the pool. You are dragged to the ground and are unable to unsheathe your sword.
In their twittering voices, the Troglodytes explain the rules of Run of the Arrow. They will shoot an arrow into the distance, and you will be allowed to walk unharmed to the point where it lands. However, you must walk barefoot, and you can see that the floor of the cavern is littered with sharp stones. As soon as you reach the arrow, the Troglodytes will start to chase you, and if they catch you, they will kill you. Suddenly one of the Troglodytes releases an arrow high into the air. It lands a long way away, and immediately the Troglodytes urge you to walk towards it. As you walk slowly towards the arrow, you hear the Troglodytes screaming excitedly behind you. On reaching the arrow, you look round to see the Troglodytes wave their arms in the air and set off after you. You start running as fast as you can, your feet bleeding from the cuts inflicted by the sharp stones and rocks.
Ahead you see an underground river running east to west across the cavern floor, with a wooden bridge crossing it.
The tunnel twists and turns but keeps steadily north. Ahead you see a thin shaft of blue light streaming down from the ceiling to the floor. It sparkles and shimmers, and you can see images of laughing faces in the light.
You are about to enter the room when the Potion of Trap Detection begins to work and you are filled with a terrible premonition of danger. The room is set with a deadly trap. You decide not to go in and continue north along the tunnel.
You pull your boot off your foot and force yourself to reach up and hold it against the bell. Slowly the bell stops vibrating and the pain in your body gradually eases. You manage to stand up, but you do not release your boot from the bell until it becomes completely still. You put your boot back on your foot and then continue your journey west.
The Dwarf shakes his head, saying, 'All brawn and no brain is not enough to master the Trial of Champions. I regret you have failed. You will not be allowed to leave in case you impart its secrets to others. However, you have done well to get so far and I will appoint you my servant for the coming years to prepare the dungeon for its new contestants.
You lunge at the Bloodbeast, trying to avoid the tongue which flicks out to grab your leg.
You lower yourself down the rope into the pit with one hand, using the other to grip your sword. The Pit Fiend is one of the most fearsome beasts you have ever seen, and you know this is to be one of the hardest fights of your life.
The Giant Fly dives down and seizes you with four of its legs. It climbs quickly back to the roof of the cavern and you find yourself dangling helplessly in its grasp. Then, to your horror, it suddenly releases its grip and you fall ten metres to the floor, landing heavily.
You draw your sword just in time as the Giant Fly swoops down to try and recapture you.
The idol is very smooth and difficult to climb.
Ahead you hear the sound of rocks being ground and crushed. The noise grows louder and suddenly you realize that the wall on your right is starting to collapse. Terrified, you watch as a large, hideous worm-like creature with a gaping mouth and extraordinarily powerful mandibles slithers through a hole in the wall. Its great jaws continue to crunch the rock as it turns its head slowly from side to side, feeling the cool air in the tunnel. It appears to be totally blind, but seems to know of your presence, perhaps sensing the heat from your body. It starts to slither towards you with its mandibles wide apart to attack.
Before you have time to get out of the way, the boulder smashes into your shoulder.
The pill makes you feel as though the whole world is against you.
The Dwarf tells you that you can now go on to the second stage of the test. He reaches for a wicker basket which, he informs you, contains a snake. He tips up the basket and the snake drops out onto the floor. It is a cobra and it rears up in the air, ready to strike. The Dwarf tells you that he wishes to test your reactions. You must grasp the cobra bare-handed below its head, avoiding its deadly fangs. You crouch down on the floor, tensing yourself for the moment at which to seize it.
You creep up behind the fighting Hobgoblins and, leaping out of the shadows, push them into the wall as you run by. You look back to see them sprawled on the floor and chuckle to yourself as you hurry on north.
There is an opening on the left-hand side of the tunnel wall. You are standing at the entrance of a large cavern, from which you can hear a girl's voice crying for help. You can just make out the shape of a human figure rolling about on the floor at the back of the cavern.
The Bloodbeast flops around awkwardly in its pool and the smell of the poisonous fumes makes you retch as gas bubbles break the surface and contaminate the atmosphere. Will you:
You lose your balance and tumble headlong to the floor.
You decide against trying to climb the idol again, and run forward to the tunnel in the northern wall.
You fall off the rope and tumble head over heels into the chasm. You smash your head on a rocky outcrop, and by the time you hit the bottom of the chasm you are already dead.
After paying off the old man, you climb into the wicker basket and watch as he tilts his head back and shouts, 'Pull it up, Ivy!' The rope goes taut and the basket rises jerkily off the ground. As you are hauled higher and higher, the old man calls out to you, saying, 'You'll like Ivy, she's a nice girl. We call her Poison Ivy!' He starts to laugh uncontrollably and you wonder somewhat apprehensively just who is hauling you up. The basket goes through the ceiling and you find yourself in a small chamber, face to face with an ugly old female TROLL. Her face is hairy and covered in warts. With a huge hand she reaches forward and hauls you out of the basket, which she then lets fall to the floor below. She grabs you round the throat and says in a husky voice, 'I want paying too!' Will you:
The Pit Fiend's jaws snap at the monkey charm and pluck it out of the air. Suddenly its jaws spring open again, forced apart by the charm, which has expanded to fill its mouth. While the Pit Fiend thrashes around in the pit, trying to get rid of the charm, you lower yourself down into the pit to reach the double doors. In its mad rage, the Pit Fiend tries to crush you against the side of the wall with its massive body.
The tunnel veers sharply to the right and continues north for as far as you can see. You hear a tremendous commotion in the distance, growling and snarling and howling. You draw your sword and set off in the direction of the noise.
The food and drink are excellent, and you feel much better.
Fully satisfied, you sit down and await the Dwarf's return.
As you are wiping the manticore's blood from your sword, you are surprised to see a small man with a large nose suddenly jump out from behind one of the marble pillars. He is dressed in a tight-fitting green tunic and looks quite harmless, although you are wary of the way he is holding an opaque glass ball with a shimmering green light. 'Greetings,' he says cheerfully. 'My name is Igbut the Gnome, and I am the Trialmaster for your final test. Needless to say, my magical powers are great, so you should not try to attack me. You may have learnt during your quest that gems play an essential part in the Trial of Champions. The iron door in front of you is the victory exit, but there is only one way of opening it. Three gems have to be put into the lock mechanism, in a particular order, for the door to open. Each gem radiates a unique energy which will trigger the mechanism - if you do it correctly, that is. I will help you to a degree, but first we need the correct gems. Have you an emerald?'
You tell Throm that there is no point in killing the Dwarf as you will never find your way out of the chamber alone. You argue that an opportunity of tricking the Dwarf might arise later, once you have found the exit to the chamber, so you intend to go through with the Dwarf's test. You tell the Dwarf that you are ready and he beckons you to follow him, telling Throm to wait for his return. A secret door opens in the chamber wall and you follow the Dwarf into a small circular room. He closes the door behind you and hands you two bone dice, telling you to throw them on the floor. You roll a six and a two: a total of eight. The Dwarf asks you to roll them again, but this time you must predict whether the total will be the same as, or less or more than eight.
The temperature continues to rise steadily, far beyond the limits of human tolerance. Lying on the near-molten floor of the tunnel, you fail to regain consciousness. Your adventure ends here.
He looks at you warily when you tell him you are a contestant in the Trial of Champions. You ask him what he is doing in the tunnels, and he replies rather reluctantly that he is a servant of one of the Trialmasters, Baron Sukumvit's appointed controllers of sections of his dungeon. After chatting for a while, he admits that he would like to escape, but no one is allowed to leave the dungeon in case they reveal the secrets of its construction. He tells you that he hopes to one day bribe his way out, and that for one Gold Piece he will tell you where some treasure is hidden.
Leaning against the left-hand wall of the tunnel, you see a pair of bamboo stilts. They are securely chained, and you see a label attached to a padlock which reads: 'The price of these stilts is one Gold Piece. Place the coin in the slot to release the lock.
The tunnel turns sharply to the right, continuing east for as far as you can see. Throm stops and tells you to halt as well. He turns his head slowly from side to side, listening. 'I hear footsteps coming down the tunnel towards us,' he whispers. 'Draw your sword.' You both crouch down to hide in the shadows, and not a minute too soon, for a moment later you see the silhouette of two armed figures approaching. Throm jumps out and dashes forward, screaming a loud battle-cry. There are two CAVE TROLLS in front of you. Throm attacks the first one with his battleaxe, and you run to his aid and attack the second Cave Troll.
As your run round the side of the pool, the Bloodbeast flicks out its long tongue once again.
You take aim and hurl the wooden ball at the skull.
You finally reach the warrior's body, but as soon as you touch the jewel, both it and the warrior vanish into thin air. You hear the door slam behind you, followed by a sudden ominous rumbling above you. You look up and see the ceiling start to lower. You run to the door to try to escape, but it is locked and there is no handle on the inside. The ceiling gradually drops, until you are forced to lie on the ground, trying to halt the ceiling's progress with your hands and feet. But it is a hopeless task, and you are crushed to death in the stone vice.
You clamber on to the soft boulder, half expecting to be engulfed by it at any moment. Getting over it is difficult, as your limbs sink into its soft casing, but eventually you manage to struggle over it. Relieved to be back on firm ground, you head east.
You walk around the cavern, but find nothing of interest. Throm calls out behind you, saying that he has found a leather pouch under a pile of rocks. Opening the pouch he laughs out loud as a tiny mouse runs through his fingers and scurries off into a crevice between two boulders. Suddenly you hear the sound of cracking rock above you, and look up to see stalactites breaking off the roof. Throm's booming laugh, which still echoes through the chamber, has made the stalactites vibrate and break off. You yell at Throm to run through the archway as the stalactites start to crash to the floor.
Acrid smoke rises from the jug as you lower the cloth into it. The liquid is unmistakably acid. You recork the jug and place it in your backpack, hoping it may be of use later. You sheathe your sword and press on northwards.
The Gnome, still smiling, says excitedly, 'Excellent! Just one to go. Do you possess a diamond?'
The huge beast slams its body against your arm, and you lose your grip on the rope. Crying out in pain, you tumble to the bottom of the pit.
Somewhat nervously, you take a deep breath and dive into the dark pool. The northern wall does not project very far beneath the surface of the water, and you decide to take the risk and swim under it. You soon start gasping for air, and are forced to swim upwards. You try not to think that you may be trapped in an old submerged tunnel and are very relieved when you surface into cool air. You are on the other side of the wall, and can see the tunnel rising out of the water and continuing north into the distance. You wade out of the water and check the contents of your wet backpack.
Exhausted by your long duel, you fall to your knees. As you stare at Throm's still body, a bitter loathing for the Dwarf fills your heart. Somehow you will avenge Throm. Engulfed in your hatred, you do not notice the Dwarf enter the arena until he is standing right in front of you, a loaded crossbow aimed at your chest. 'I know what you are thinking,' he says calmly, 'but remember that only I know the way out of here. Get up, it's time for you to leave.' Once on your feet, the Dwarf indicates you should walk ahead of him. Back in the chamber, he crosses over to the northern wall and presses against one of its stones. A door-like section of the wall swings out, opening into another crystal-lit tunnel. With his crossbow still aimed at your chest, the Dwarf smiles, saying, 'Good luck.'
The Orc's morning star crashes into your shield and bounces off harmlessly. The tunnel is too narrow for both of them to attack you at once, so you are able to fight them one at a time.
You look round the room and see nothing of interest apart from an alcove in the west wall and a stone chair in the middle of the room. Sitting in the chair is the skeleton of an armed warrior, possibly a contestant from years gone by. The skeletal fingers of its right hand are gripped round a piece of parchment.
The old man points at one of the statues, and you recognize it immediately. It is the knight who started the Trial of Champions, the agonized look on his face locked in stone for eternity. The old man smiles, saying, 'This man weighs 100 pounds plus half his weight. How much does he weigh?' What will you answer?
Much to your surprise, nothing extraordinary happens to you while you are sitting in the chair. There is nothing else to do but continue north up the tunnel.
The fourth step suddenly gives way under your weight. Your leg sinks into a deep hole, and before you have time to pull it out, you feel a pain in your foot as unseen sharp teeth sink into it. The high-pitched squeaking you hear below is being made by rats. They are starved, and rip into your foot, hungry for your flesh.
You regain your balance and manage to pull your leg out of the hole. Three rats are still hanging on to your foot with their teeth. Kicking frantically, you smash their heads against the banister until they let go. You then wrap crude bandages torn from your shirt around your bleeding foot and climb the stairs to set off north again.
You pour the contents of the glass phial into your mouth and swallow the clear liquid. Although you do not feel any immediate change, you hope that the potion will create the illusion that you are a TROGLODYTE just like the ones in front of you. Taking a deep breath, you step boldly into the cavern. The Troglodytes continue their tribal dance, believing you to be one of them. You walk past them casually and head north. Unfortunately, the effects of the potion are short-lived. Suddenly you hear a shriek behind you as one of the Troglodytes spots you, and you are forced to run across the cavern floor. Ahead you see an underground river running east to west through the cavern and a wooden bridge crossing over it.
You walk no more than three metres west before you hit an invisible barrier. It starts fizzing and crackling, and you are thrown back. You have hit an energy screen.
There is no alternative but to walk back to the junction and head north.
Ahead you hear the thud of heavy footsteps approaching. Out of the gloom steps a large, primitive being dressed in animal hide and carrying a stone club. On seeing you, he grunts and spits on the floor, then raises his club and lumbers on towards you, looking anything but friendly. You draw your sword and prepare to fight the CAVEMAN.
The tunnel soon comes to a dead end. A piece of paper, brown and curled with age, is pinned to the end wall.
Without your weapons you are more vulnerable, and the loss of your sword leaves you feeling almost naked.
Wondering whether you have made the right decision, you follow the tunnel north.
You crouch down beside the plinth below the crossbows' line of fire. You reach up and pull the skull off the plinth, expecting your action to trigger off the crossbows. Much to your surprise, nothing happens.
Still crouching, you pluck the jewelled eyes out of the skull. You recognize the yellow stones as topaz, and place them in your backpack. Looking at the row of crossbows, you wonder whether a trap still awaits you in this room.
Still smiling, the old man looks at you and says, 'Well done, Stranger. You have answered correctly. I wish you good fortune during the rest of the Trial of Champions, and, to this end, I shall increase your powers.' He then mutters a few more unintelligible words and you feel a powerful surge soar through your body.
You bid the old man farewell and leave his room to continue north along the passage.
You just have time to hear the Gnome say, 'Three skulls', before a white bolt of energy shoots out from the lock into your chest, knocking you unconscious.
You come to and are told by the Gnome to try again. You didn't get any of the gems right, so you won't try that combination again.
You enter a cold room divided by a deep chasm. A rope is stretched taut across the chasm to the far side, where a magnificent winged helmet rests on top of a pole.
You smash the glass with the hilt of your sword, making a hole big enough to climb through. Immediately the Giant Insects start swarming and jumping towards you. Wasting no time, you clamber into the room, grabbing one of the lit torches to defend yourself. The fire keeps most of the Insects at bay, but by the time you have snatched the crown and climbed back into the corridor, some will certainly have stung you.
The Giant Insects do not chase you, preferring the bright light of the room they are in. You examine the crown, and see with disgust that it is merely painted iron, and the 'diamond' is just glass and totally worthless. You throw it on the ground in a rage and wonder which way to go next.
On hearing the noise of your scabbard, one of the Troglodytes raises the alarm. You stand up and run as fast as you can through the cavern. One of their bowmen lets fly an arrow as you run. It pierces your shoulder with deadly accuracy.
You make the rope into a lasso, whirl it above your head and throw it at the idol's head, smiling happily as it falls around its neck. You then tighten the noose and start to climb, hauling yourself up the rope. You are soon at the top of the idol, sitting on the bridge of its nose and holding onto the rope. You draw your sword and wonder which jewelled eye to prise out first.
The liquid is a magical potion which will enable you to detect hidden traps.
Although you cannot see any visible trap, you have a strong feeling that the chest contains a hidden danger. The Potion of Trap Detection is working well. You stand to one side of the chest and lift the lid with your sword, holding it at arm's length. As the lid rises, an iron ball hanging on a cord swings back and breaks a glass capsule fixed inside the lid, instantly releasing a gas. Fortunately, you have time to jump back without inhaling the poisonous fumes. Once the gas has cleared, you walk back to the chest and look inside it. There is a pendant chain lying in the bottom, but somebody has taken the stone from its setting. You feel so annoyed that you throw the chain on to the floor and storm out of the room up the tunnel.
The bread contains secret elven healing herbs.
Feeling sad yet strong, you pack away the mirror and the charm and leave the cavern to head north.
As soon as you appear at the tunnel exit, a large crowd of people begins to cheer and shout. You walk down a path lined with jubilant people towards a small rostrum, and there, sitting under a colourful bamboo umbrella, is Baron Sukumvit. He looks astonished, as if he never expected anybody to come through his Deathtrap Dungeon alive. Now the secret of Fang is known. As the Baron rises from his chair, you climb the steps to the rostrum, bow down before him and watch as his cold eyes stare at you in utter disbelief. You smile grimly as he offers you his outstretched hand. To the deafening noise of the cheering people of Fang, Baron Sukumvit opens the chest containing your prize of 10,000 Gold Pieces. Then he places a laurel crown on your head and proclaims you the Champion of Deathtrap Dungeon.