Only a foolhardy adventurer would embark upon such a perilous quest without first finding out as much as possible about the mountain and its treasures. Before your arrival at the foot of Firetop Mountain, you spend several days with the townsfolk of a local village some two days' journey from the base. Being a likeable sort of person, you found it easy to get on with the local peasants. Although they told many stories about the mysterious warlock's sanctuary, you could not feel sure that all - or indeed any - of these were based on fact. The villagers had seen many adventurers pass through on their way to the mountain, but very few ever returned. The journey ahead was extremely dangerous, that you knew for certain. of those who returned to the village, none contemplated going back to Firetop Mountain.
There seemed to be some truth in the rumour that the warlock's treasure was stored in a magnificent chest with two locks, and the keys to these locks were guarded by various creatures within the dungeons. The Warlock himself was a sorcerer of great power. Some described him as old, others as young. Some said his power came from an enchanted deck of cards, others from the silky black gloves that he wore.
The entrance to the mountain was guarded by a pack of warty-faced Goblins, stupid creatures, fond of their food and drink. Towards the inner chambers, the creatures became more fearsome. To reach the inner chambers you would have to cross a river. The ferry service was regular, but the ferryman enjoyed a good barter, so you should save a Gold Piece for the trip. The locals also encouraged you to keep a good map of your wanderings, for without a map you would end up hopelessly lost within the mountain.
When it finally came to your day of leaving, the whole village turned out to wish you a safe journey. Tears came to the eyes of many of the women, young and old alike. You couldn't help wondering whether they were tears of sorrow shed by eyes which would never see you alive again...
At last your two-day hike is over. You unsheathe your sword, lay it on the ground and sigh with relief as you lower yourself down on the mossy rocks to sit for a moment's rest. You stretch, rub your eyes and finally look up at Firetop Mountain.
The very mountain itself looks menacing. The steep face in front of you looks to have been savaged by the claws of some gargantuan beast. Sharp rocky crags jut out at unnatural angles. At the top of the mountain you can see the eerie red colouring - probably some strange vegetation - which has given the mountain its name. Perhaps no one will ever know exactly what grows up there, as climbing the peak must surely be impossible.
Your quest lies ahead of you. Across the clearing is a dark cave entrance. You pick up your sword, get to your feet and consider what dangers may lie ahead of you. But with determination, you thrust the sword home into its scabbard and approach the cave.
You peer into the gloom to see dark, slimy walls with pools of water on the stone floor in front of you. The air is cold and dank. You light your lantern and step warily into the blackness. Cobwebs brush your face and you hear the scurrying of tiny feet: rats, most likely. You set off into the cave. After a few yards you arrive at a junction.
The bell gives a dull clang and after a few moments
you see a withered old man climb into a small rowing boat moored on the north bank.
He rows slowly across to you, moors the boat and limps towards you.
He asks you for 3 Gold Pieces.
When you protest at the price he mumbles some flimsy excuse about 'inflation'.
He begins to get angry at your protestations.
Do you pay him the
3 Gold Pieces ? or
Do you threaten him ?
You find yourself in a north-south corridor.
To the north the passage turns east some metres ahead.
To investigate.
To the south, the passageway also turns east.
To go south.
A rough timber doorway is on the east wall of the passage.
You listen at the door and can hear a jolly sort of humming sound.
Do you want to
knock on the door and go in ? or
Will you
continue northwards ?
The large solid door has no handle.
You charge it, but to no avail.
The door is not going to budge.
You decide to give up and
go through the opening you passed in the east-west passageway some way back.
You are on the north bank of a fast-flowing river in a large underground cavern,
which you now
explore.
The passage ends at a sturdy door.
You listen but hear nothing.
You try the handle, it turns, and you enter the room.
As you look around you hear a loud cry from behind you
and swing round to see a wild man leaping towards you wielding a large battle axe.
He is a mad BARBARIAN and you must fight him!
There is a door in the north wall opposite,
through which you may
escape during the battle.
Do you
use your sword to fight him ? or
rummage through your bag to find another weapon ?
Amazed at the success of your bluff, you decide to push your luck a little further.
You can either examine the SKELETONS' tools or
pretend you're looking for work-sheets and look through the drawers of the various benches.
If you
choose the tools.
If you
search the drawers.
You hear a noise from behind the north door and realise you will have to hurry!
You arrive back at the junction and turn northwards.
You follow the passage westwards until it turns round a corner to the south.
Just before the bend is a signpost which reads 'Under Construction'
In front of you is the beginning of a stairway leading downwards.
Only three steps have been built so far.
A number of shovels, picks and other tools were lying on the ground by the steps but, as you turned the corner, they suddenly flurried into action and began working on the steps.
You are now watching various tools digging and hammering as if being handled by invisible workers.
A humming chant becomes louder and you recognise it as:
'Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, It's off to work we go ...'
As you stand watching you start to chuckle — the scene is quite amusing.
You sit and watch and even manage to chat to some of the magical tools.
Then turn back up the passageway to the crossroads where you may go either
northwards or
southwards.
As you pull the knob, a deafening clanging noise rings through the passageways.
You frantically push the knob back to stop the alarm, but it has already had its effect.
You can hear footsteps coming closer down the corridor.
You may either return to the junction or
you may push the knob.
Your head hurts and you feel dizzy as you rise to your feet.
The four men stir into action and move towards you in single file with their weapons ready.
You grope your way down the wall for the south door but it will be touch and go whether you make it.
Your foot slips on a loose pebble and you fall to the ground. Before you can regain your footing,
the creatures are upon you.
There are no signs of any secret passages, but you suddenly hear footsteps coming towards you.
To
find out what is coming.
You must fight this creature.
If you defeat the monster.
As you sit on the bench and eat your food,
you begin to feel deeply relaxed and the aches from your body seem to be soothing themselves away.
This resting place is enchanted.
Now with your stamina restored you are ready to
continue on.
You draw your sword, and as you do so the OGRE hears you and prepares to attack.
You can either escape now or fight on.
A viscous battle begins, many painful blows are landed by both you and the OGRE.
After a viscous fight
you defeat him or
you try to leave.
Using the wooden stake and mallet (or makeshift mallet if you aren't carrying one),
you form a cross and move towards the VAMPIRE, backing it into a corner.
It hisses and snatches at you but cannot come near you.
However, it is going to be tricky getting the stake through its heart.
As you advance, you stumble and fall forwards.
As luck would have it, the stake flies forward and plunges into the shrieking creature.
If you are lucky, the stake pierces the VAMPIRE's heart.
If you are unlucky, the VAMPIRE is merely grazed by the wound
and it flings you backwards across the room towards the west door.
You may either:
If you were lucky and killed the VAMPIRE, you may look for its treasure.
You walk westwards along the passageway.
After fifty meters or so, the way turns northwards.
Two or three paces up the passage, you hear a crumbling beneath your feet and you try to leap back as the ground gives way.
Do you wish to
return to the junction ? or
jump down into the pit ?
The two evil creatures are GOBLINS.
They attack you in turn, but you defend yourself with your sword.
Do you use the sword in your
right hand ? or
your
left hand ?
The skirmish commences.
You have your sword, they have their axes.
They come at you one at a time:
If the battle is going your way, you win.
If the battle is going badly, you may escape through the door.
Your choice of weapon was a good one, you have killed them both.
The green blood of the dead ORCS smells foul as it seeps from their bodies.
You step around the corpses and investigate the chest.
It is a sturdy affair, made of strong oak and iron, and it is firmly locked.
You may try to
smash the lock with your sword or
turn to leave it alone and
go through the open door.
You poke around looking for signs of secret doors but can find none.
You pause to ponder your situation and a small jet of gas hisses from the ceiling.
You cough and choke to clear your lungs, but: collapse to your knees.
Your head spins and you flop to the floor in an unconscious heap.
When you come to, you look around in an unfamiliar place.
Press on.
The passageway ends in a solid doorway and you are surprised to see a leather skirt tacked along the bottom of the door.
You listen but hear nothing.
Will you
enter the room ? or
return to the junction ?
After you have suffered your third wound, you notice that your strength is ebbing.
You deduce that this is yet another magical power of this foul creature and you feel a shiver of panic.
Will you continue or run ?
If you want to escape and
flee through the north door.
Otherwise the fight goes on.
If you defeat the creature.
The paintings are portraits of men.
Your spine shivers as you read the nameplate under the one on the west wall - it is that of Zagor,
the Warlock whose treasure you are seeking.
You look at his portrait and realise you are pitting yourself against an awesome adversary.
You have the feeling that you are being watched and notice the piercing eyes following you as you move.
You find yourself drawn towards his portrait and your fear rises.
Do you have the courage to try to combat the Warlock?
You may either
leave through the north door straight-away. or
you may
look through your pack for a weapon to use against the warlock's power.
You remember Di Maggio's small, leather-bound book, and silently mouth the spell contained within its pages.
You shout loudly at the DRAGON and it stops in its tracks.
It cocks its head to one side and eyes you suspiciously.
You fling a stone at its head, and the rock bounces off its nose.
The beast lets out an angry cry and breathes deeply, a roaring sound being created from within its throat.
The DRAGON exhales, and from between its teeth you can see another fireball building up.
You prepare yourself, and as the ball of flame comes from its mouth, you cry:
'Ekil Erif
Ekam Erif
Erif Erif
Di Maggio'
The fireball continues no further.
With an agonised scream, the DRAGON tries to shake the flames from its snout.
But there the burning continues.
Squealing in agony, the DRAGON turns its back and leaps into the blackness, flailing its head from side to side.
Continue on amazed at your success.
The sword is enchanted and will aid you in battle.
As long as you use this sword, it will increase your skill.
You think yourself lucky for finding this sword.
Throw your old sword away and
continue.
The mighty GIANT lies dead!
You search his cavern and find little of use, although a purse in his belt contains 8 Gold Pieces.
You are a little concerned about the second chair; to whom does it belong?
You decide to
leave the cavern the way you came.
After slaying the spider you continue to explore,
apart from the boots, which you decide to ignore, there appears to be little of value in the cavern.
You decide to
head back the way you came.
A loose stone falls out to reveal a rope in the rock.
If you
wish to pull it.
If you feel it would be wiser to leave it alone, you can
return to the crossroads.
You have the jewel from the Eye of the Cyclops, you hold it in front of the Warlock.
His intimidating stare turns to an expression of pain.
He obviously feels the jewel's power.
Suddenly his eyes turn white and his expression goes limp.
Your confidence gains as you realise you have won your first real battle.
Put the jewel into you pack and
leave through the north door.
You toss the cheese across the room at the GIANT RATS and they scramble for it,
nipping and scratching each other as they fight for it.
Having distracted them,
you pass through the room and
leave by the door in the north wall.
The sleeping ORC awakens startled.
He jumps up and rushes at you, unarmed.
With your sword you should be able to defeat him, but his sharp teeth look rather vicious.
You could either
escape through the door ? or
stand and fight ? the ORC who is attacking you.
Looking through the tools, you come across a mallet with a hardwood head and a chisel with a solid silver blade.
You may keep either of these if you are prepared to forfeit one of the items of equipment you are carrying.
The noise from the north door gets louder and you
move up to investigate.
As you step into the room, the door swings shut behind you.
As it closes, there is a click and a hiss.
From the centre of the ceiling, a jet of gas is filling the room with an acrid vapour.
You breathe and cough deeply.
You look at the door and then the key.
Will you
return to the door and escape quickly ? or
hold your breath and dash for the key first ?
The locked door bursts open and a nauseating stench hits your nostrils.
Inside the room the floor is covered with bones, rotting vegetation and slime.
A wild-haired old man, clothed in rags, rushes at you screaming.
His beard is long and grey, and he is waving an old wooden chair-leg.
Is he simply insane as he appears, or has this been some kind of trap ?
You may either shout at him to try to
calm him down ? or
draw your sword and
attack him ?
You open the door to find the WEREWOLFs' larder, a miscellaneous collection of bones and decaying meats
The smell is nauseating, although a jar of pickled eggs seems to offer fairly palatable food.
If you wish to take these with you, there will be enough for two meals.
Back in the room you may now go out through the
south door.
The WARLOCK is surprised as you disappear in front of him,
but he raises his hands as if to cover his eyes and he scans the room with an intense glare.
He can sense your presence but cannot make out exactly where you are.
You draw your sword and advance.
He tilts his head and sniffs the air.
You will have to fight him from a distance as,
if he gets his hands on you, your invisibility will be no advantage.
But whilst you remain invisible, you have the advantage.
After you win.
The ear-piercing sound gets louder and louder.
The pain is unbearable.
You begin to grope in the dark for a wall.
Do you head for:
He is a powerful adversary - a WIGHT!
He is large, strong and evil.
The battle commences:
You fight with your sword.
After you have
inflicted your first wound on him.
You eventually arrive at the end of the passage, at a three-way junction.
You may turn either to the
west ? or to the
east ?
Panting after the struggle, you sit down to collect yourself and finish the provisions you started.
Eventually you pack your bag and
wade into the stream.
The cheese hits the portrait and bounces off.
You hear an evil laugh coming from the walls and realise the Warlock is mocking you.
You decide to
leave the room by the north door.
You are standing in a short east-west passageway, with a door blocking the way to the east.
To the west, the passage turns southwards after several metres.
To go round this bend.
To go through the door.
In the middle of the river, the bridge swings to and fro as it strains to take your weight.
The handrail comes away suddenly as you lean on it.
You plunge into the river below or
you regain your balance.
You are in an east-west corridor.
If you go east, you will turn a corner northwards.
To go east.
To go west.
The door squeaks open on rusty hinges.
The room is dark and your eyes begin to adjust themselves as you close the door behind you.
You hear a shuffling in the room but before you can react, a blow to your head knocks you senseless.
Continue.
The slain creature crashes to the ground.
You go through his garments and find nothing, but a small pouch hangs around his neck.
Inside this pouch is a small bronze key, with the number 9 cast into it.
You may take this key with you.
Noting else is of value in the cavern so you turn to leave and
head back to the junction.
You drink the Potion and can see the look of astonishment spread across the TROLL's face.
He comes up to you and feels for you, but you step aside and he gropes the air fruitlessly.
He thrashes around, clutching for you, but you are easily able to sidestep him.
Eventually he gives up and returns to his chamber, just in time, as you feel yourself reappearing.
You now
leave along the passage to the north.
You are standing at a T-junction where a passage to the east comes off a north-south corridor.
To check for secret passages on the way southwards.
You charge the door, hitting it squarely with your shoulder, but does not budge.
Either
try again ? or
continue up the corridor ?
You are standing outside a door at the north end of a north-south passage.
To go south.
To go through the door.
You manage to hold on and manoeuvre the raft across to the north bank.
You arrive safely but as you step on to the bank,
the raft drifts away and makes its own way across the river to its south bank.
You continue along the
north bank of the river.
As your sword splashes into the water, a bubbly voice says'Thank you'
It now seems that the only way onwards is to swim downstream to the east.
you plunge into the water.
As you enter the cavern you hear loud footsteps behind you, crunching heavily on the rocky floor.
You crouch down beside the entrance in a small alcove in the rock.
The steps get louder and you see a great OGRE enter the cavern!
He stands over two meters tall and is dressed in ill-fitting garments made from some sort of hide.
He carries a large wooden club.
You may:
Attack him as he enters ? or
Try to creep out without him noticing you ? or
Try to distract him by throwing something into a far corner of the cavern ?
Cautiously you creep along the passageway.
After a short time it turns sharply to the north.
At the corner there is a bench of solid wood and above the bench a sign reads
'rest ye here weary traveller'.
You may either,
stop and eat provisions here, or
continue on.
You walk westwards for some time,
then north round a peculiar bend which hairpins straight round to the south.
Eventually you wind up at a three-way junction.
You walk along the corridor, only to find that the way westwards is blocked by a heavy portcullis.
You
walk back to where you were.
As you investigate the cavern,
you suddenly hear a scurry of steps behind you
and swing round to face the grotesque black shape of a GIANT SPIDER which has been stalking you.
The Spiders body is at least a metre across and you quickly draw your sword to defend yourself.
Will you choose either your
left hand ? or your
right hand ? to fight with.
You may even
escape by running quickly back down the passageway back to the junction.
You continue along the passageway to the east.
After some thirty metres it turns to the south.
Following it round the bend you eventually come to a stop at a large armoured door.
You try the door ?.
Or if you would prefer you could return along the passage and go
through the narrow opening ?
As you walk along the corridor, you can see ahead that it is getting narrower.
At one point you stoop, and as you do so, a deep, resonating laugh starts up around you.
Do you wish to
continue ? or
turn back ?
The GHOUL dances with glee around your body,
lays it next to the others on the ground,
turns you over and sinks its teeth into your rump.
It is not often it gets fresh meat to feed on.
Your adventure is over.
To start again from the beginning click here.
As you spring at the chieftain, his servant rises to his feet, picks up a hefty wooded stick and joins the melee.
But to your disappointment he attacks you!
Ungrateful wretch!
Seeing this, you may
escape through the door down the corridor or
continue the fight.
The door opens and you find yourself in the passage back to the riverbank.
You return to the river and may either go for
the door in the middle of the rock-face ? or
go down the passage running off eastwards along the riverbank ?
You pull on the rope and a small door swings open revealing a passage into a north-south corridor.
Will you return to the crossroads ? or
go through the secret door ?
The two goblin torturers look at each other amazed, then look at you.
They chatter to themselves and then indicate for you to wait while they go off and get another dwarf to give them some more fun.
They disappear out of the room and you cut down the dwarf who is, as you guessed quite dead.
You decide it best to
leave and press on northwards up the corridor.
Some way along the passage, the corridor bends round to the north and you follow it until you reach another junction.
At this junction you see an arrow cut into the rock, pointing to the north, and you decide to
try this direction.
You follow the cobbled corridor east, then north,
then east again and finally north until
you wind up at a crossroads.
There is a right-hand turn to the north in the passage.
Cautiously you approach a sentry post on the corner and, as you look in, you can see a strange Goblin-like creature in leather armour asleep at his post.
He is snoring loudly.
Do you wish to
wake him up ? or
creep quietly on past him ?
You now have a fresh set of armour, equivalent to your own.
Decide which of the two you wish to keep, throw the other away,
and
continue.
The passage ahead leads you northwards.
The rocky floor becomes sandy until eventually you are walking on a sort of coarse sand.
You notice the passage is widening and ahead you can hear a flowing river.
You continue until you find yourself in a large cavern through which a river flows,
and which you now
investigate.
If you are lucky, you break his gaze and can
prepare to attack.
If you are unlucky, you are under his control and
drop your sword at his command.
You sit back and rest after winning the exhausting battle.
You prise the jewel from the still statue.
It is heavy in your hand and is worth 50 Gold Pieces.
You put it in your pack.
As you explore the room and the statue, you notice that one of its breastplate sections is loose.
When you open this, a small key is inside.
You examine this and notice the number 111 on it.
With a smile you put this key in your pack with the jewel and
set off back to the junction.
You arrive at another junction.
An arrow on the wall points northwards and you decide to
proceed in this direction.
Several meters up the passageway you arrive at a junction where you may turn either west or east.
Set in the rock on the north wall is a small recess where you may rest and eat Provisions without being seen.
After a short rest you decide to press on either
eastwards ? or
westwards ?
The passage ends at a solid wooden door with metal hinges.
Listening at the door, you hear strange mutterings and the clatter of what could be pots and pans.
Whatever is in there, there are several of them.
Do you want to
go through the door ? or
turn back ?
The passageway ends in front of you in a dead end.
If you wish to search for secret passageways.
If not,
return to the crossroads.
The key fits the lock and opens the door.
You find yourself in a large boathouse.
Various boats, in different stages of construction, are lying around.
Apart from the door behind you, there is another in the north wall.
As you enter, the SKELETONS stop their work and crane there bony necks around to look at you.
They pick up planks of wood and hammers and advance towards you.
.There are five of them.
Do you:
Smile nervously and back out of the door into the passage ?
Tell them you've come about buying a boat ?
Tell them you're their new boss and order them back to work ?
A noise startles you, prompting you to leave the room quickly.
You walk up to investigate the north door.
The door opens to reveal a small, smelly room.
In the centre of the room is a rickety wooden table on which stands a lit candle.
Underneath the table is a small wooden box.
Asleep on a straw mattress in the far corner of the room is a short, stocky creature with an ugly, warty face; the same sort of creature that you found asleep at he sentry post.
He must be the guard for the night watch.
You may either return to the corridor and press on
northwards
or creep into the room and try to
take the box without waking the creature,
or you can be bold and
wake him up.
If you are lucky, you make it out through the
north door.
If you are unlucky and
you wake the creature.
The door opens into a small room, comfortably furnished with a table, several chairs and a large bookcase which covers one wall.
Seated at the table is an old man with a long grey beard, and squatting on the old man's shoulder is a small winged beast.
This creature is no more than six centimetres tall.
It has two arms and legs; its skin is a dusty grey colour.
It has tiny sharp white teeth and its wings are folded behind its back.
The old man says nothing as you walk in through the door, but he beckons you over to sit down at the table.
He is tossing in his hand two small white objects. Will you:
You are at a crossroads.
Hint if you are lost in the maze
Turn north
A huge jaw yawns open in front of you.
By the size of it, the CROCODILE you are swimming towards must be at least three meters long.
The beast slaps its tail in the water and glides towards you.
Your combined thrashings attract a 'turbulence' in the water
that you had noticed before and this now makes its way towards your part of the river.
Out of the corner of your eye you notice this and must decide what to do.
You believe that the CROCODILE is on its last legs and
you can win a fight.
Otherwise you can keep the beast occupied
in the faint hope that this mysterious visitor will
help you in some way.
You arrive back at the junction and this time turn northwards.
You enter a small room, bare except for a fountain in the middle.
Not a particularly grand affair, the fountain is a small carved fish, and a short jet of water comes from its mouth.
A wooden sign hangs from the fish and this bears a message.
It is written in Goblin tongue, at which you are not very proficient.
The first word you cannot understand, but the others read: '. . . NOT DRINK' .
But you are extremely thirsty.
Will you
drink from the fountain ? or
Will you pass it by and
leave through a door in the north wall ?
You climb through the opening and find yourself at the top of a narrow staircase leading downwards.
Cautiously,
you descend the stairs...
You open the door into a narrow passage and follow it northwards.
Some meters up the passageway, it turns to the east, then turns to the north.
However, at this second bend, there is a small alcove in the rock.
It seems a convenient hiding place and a large rock forms a comfortable seat.
You stop here and eat provisions for a while.
When you have rested, you continue
northwards.
If you are lucky, your cheating will not be discovered.
You get away with it and win some Gold Pieces.
If you are unlucky, the four notice you are dealing from the bottom of the deck.
They pick up axes from behind their chairs and turn on you.
You arrive back at the junction in the passage.
You look left to see the cave entrance in the dim distance but walk
straight on.
You arrive back at the junction and this time you turn northwards.
You walk along a passageway that runs due south, then turns west.
After several metres, it ends at a three-way junction.
You can check for secret passages along the way ? or
go straight to the junction ?
You find nothing remarkable about the weapons, in fact not a single weapon looks more useful than your sword.
As you search the debris, you hear a deep thumping from the north followed by a scream which sends a shiver down your spine.
You rush to the north door to investigate.
The door opens into a short corridor about fifteen metres long.
There are two doors, one at each end.
You now realise what the noise was.
More SKELETONS! Four of them, armed with swords, are running, down the corridor towards you.
They don’t appear to have seen you and you notice a slight recess in the wall which may be a useful hiding place.
You decide to try it.
A voice bids you 'Come in! and you walk into a small room furnished with a table and chair, shelves, cupboards and the like, all of which have seen better days.
Plates, bowls, cups and hundreds of old books line the shelves.
In the midst of all this clutter, you see a little old man in a grubby white gown swaying to and fro in a rocking chair, still humming happily to himself, his eyes fixed on you, but seeming at peace with the world.
He bids you 'Good day'
Do you:
Start to make conversation with him ?
Draw your sword and charge at him ?
Decide not to waste time with him and leave, going northwards ?
As you crawl into the room, a voice booms out:
'Welcome, adventurer.
I have been expecting you.'
You stop, look around and rise to your feet.
The little old man has changed.
He is not so old and grey any more, and he's of an imposing height.
His eyes are deep and black and they are fixed on you relentlessly.
You dread what will happen next....
The passageway runs eastwards.
Ahead of you, you can see that a solid-looking door blocks the passage.
You step up to investigate.
Hesitantly, they agree to let you join in.
As you play and chat, they loosen up and eventually you are all laughing and exchanging stories.
They seem quite harmless.
You may play cards either fairly or you may try to cheat.
If you wish to play fairly.
If you wish to cheat.
Your lucky throw catches the VAMPIRE unaware and he shrieks in agony as the stake sinks into his heart.
You leap over and thrust it further into his body.
His death cries grow weaker and his lifeless body slumps to the floor.
You celebrate.
The door is not locked and opens.
The room in front of you seems to be a small torture chamber, with various torture devices around the walls.
In the centre of the room, two small, hunchbacked creatures are having their fiendish way with a Dwarf, who is tied to a hook in the ceiling by his wrists.
The two hunchbacks are poking and cutting him viciously with their swords.
The Dwarf lets out a final scream and falls silent, eyes closed.
His captors make disappointed noises and look round angrily at you as if it were your fault that the Dwarf has collapsed.
You must act quickly.
Will you:
Close the door quickly and continue up the corridor ?
Draw your sword and try to fight the creatures ?
Stride over to the dwarf, give him a jab with your sword and put on a evil laugh for the torturers ?
You feel a stone move and behind it you find a lever.
Will you pull the lever, or leave it and return to the
crossroads ?
If you dare pull the lever.
If you go back to the crossroads.
You find yourself in a short, narrow passageway with a door ahead to the north.
You try this door.
You rummage through your haversack.
What is in there ?
You may attempt to use any of the following items if you have them on your equipment List:
The passageway ahead runs northwards for sometime. You may rest along the passage to eat provisions.
It then bends to the west and begins to get quite narrow.
You reach a small rocky arch which you will have to stoop to get through.
On the other side of the arch you pause and look around.
You are in a large cavern which disappears into distant blackness.
The cavern is partially lit by natural light which streams in through a hole in the roof.
You cannot see a way through.
As you shine your lantern around the cavern, you hear a rumble.
A dull glow flickers in the blackness.
Suddenly, a jet of fire shoots from the depths of the cavern,
narrowly missing you and singeing the mossy growths on the wall!
You throw yourself on to the ground and look up to see a large DRAGON stalking out of the darkness towards you.
Smoke curls from its nostrils.
Its scaly red skin glistens with an gaily covering. The beast is some fifteen metres long!
How will you attack the creature?
You tiptoe through the room, up a narrow staircase, ending up at the top of the stairs in a passage.
'That was easy,' you think, and you begin to have second thoughts about whether it would have been worthwhile to search the bodies.
You may want to
return and search the bodies ?, starting with the third.
or
You may want to
press on ?
The moment your foot touches a hand tile, you feel a vice-like grip on your ankle and look down to see a ghostly white hand gripping you leg.
You fight for your balance and manage to re-gain it.
But to your horror you see that, from every hand-shaped tile in the floor, a similar apparition has appeared, and the floor across to the door is now scattered with ghoulish hands, flexing and snatching in the air.
Will you
draw your sword and chop at the hand ? or
will you
use your own hands ? to fight off these ghostly white hands that are attacking you ?
The liquid is smooth and watery and, as you drink it, you begin to glow.
You feel euphoric and a little drunk at the same time.
Your confidence grows and your weariness disappears.
The bottle contains HOLY WATER, blessed by the Overpriest of Kaynlesh-Ma.
It has restored your stamina almost to full strength.
If you have already looked at the parchment, you may
leave the room northwards.
If you have not,
you may look at it or you may forget about it, and go northwards anyway.
You are now 8 Gold Pieces richer.
You also find another 2 Gold Pieces in his boot, hidden there for safety.
You place all these in your rucksack.
Continue.
He will not be pacified.
As you shift uneasily around the room,
he shouts a word at the dog.
You see nothing in the room likely to help you in your battle.
Will you:
You arrive at another junction in the passage.
You may either go
northwards ? or
continue
eastwards ?
The passage goes south, then east and you eventually find yourself at a crossroads.
Continue.
The poor wretches lying dead at your feet almost lock happy to be relieved of the burden of life.
But as
you look down at them, you sense that you are not the only one to know of their deaths.
Looking around the room, you may:
Investigate the weapons lying around ?
The two drunken ORCS you now face are obviously startled at your entrance and,
quickly as they are able, they fumble around for their weapons.
If you decided to attack them their drunken state would give you quite an advantage,
so you can either
attack them ? or
escape ?
As you approach he rises from his coffin, spreads his cloak and takes you under it.
Your last living memory is a flash of pain as his sharp teeth sink into your neck.
You should never have let yourself get into eye-contact with a VAMPIRE!
To start again from the beginning click here.
You open your pack and reach inside for something suitable to throw across the cavern.
The only suitable thing you can find is a Gold Piece, so you throw this across the cavern where it lands with a clatter.
The OGRE looks towards the noise, and goes over to investigate.
Meanwhile
you creep out, down the passage and back to the junction.
You leave the chamber, walk down a short passage and reach a staircase going up.
You climb the stairs and
arrive at the top in a passageway.
The corridor goes east for several metres, then south, then east again, where it finally ends.
Will you investigate the dead end ? or
return to the crossroads ?
You awake with a throbbing head and look around.
The room is about eight meters square, with doors on the north and south.
You have been dumped in the south-west corner.
Standing motionless in the centre of the room are four men.
At least, they appear to be men.
There skin is a greeny-grey colour.
Their clothes are tattered and torn - and they are all staring vacantly at the ceiling.
One carries a club, one a scythe, one an axe and one a pick.
They are ignoring you completely.
Around the room are various peasant-style weapons (pitchforks, axe-handles, pointed sticks, etc.), one or two shields and several barrels.
In the north-east corner is a human corpse with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.
You move your hand up to your head to feel for signs of blood and you are relived to find you are not bleeding.
But as your hand moves, the strange creatures in the centre of the room turn their eyes down towards you.
Do you:
Will they believe your story about buying a boat ?
Skeletons are pretty simple-minded, which means they believe you, and they all go running through the door in the north wall,
leaving you alone in the Boat House.
They're not sure of your story.
They send two of their members through the north door whilst
the other three watch you with their makeshift weapons.
Your are out of luck and
they definitely don't believe you and keep on advancing.
The door opens into a wide passageway and you follow this for some distance before reaching a junction.
Here you may either
go northwards ? or
turn to the east ?
You pick up the rope.
It looks normal.
In fact it looks as if it might be quite useful.
You open your pack to put it in.
Suddenly, it comes alive in your fingers, snakes quickly up your arm and attempts to wrap itself around your neck.
You struggle to cut the rope with your sword before its grip tightens.
Finally you manage to defeat the rope and
leave through the north door.
Does the name 'Farrigo Di Maggio' mean anything to you ?
If not,
you must fight the DRAGON.
If it does.
He doesn't take at all kindly to your threats.
As you argue and his anger builds, you notice a transformation taking place.
He begins to straighten up and grows physically stronger in front of your very eyes.
His face and arms grow hairy.
His teeth become sharp and pointed.
You must make a quick decision.
Will you offer him 5 Gold Pieces ? to calm him down or
prepare to attack him ?
You hear a deep rumbling noise and the ground begins to shudder.
Slowly and noisily the portcullis rises into the ceiling.
You may now walk to the junction.
Will you turn
west ? or
east ?
You return to the riverbank and decide to try the door in the middle of the rockface.
The old man asks you your stake.
You bet 2 Gold Pieces. He tosses the white dice he has been playing with to you and asks you to roll.
Of course you lose, time and again, until you decide that this is obviously fixed and make excuses to play no more.
You leave through the door and
return to the junction.
You chat about various things and they seem eager to be friendly.
They feel lonely in the dungeon with so much evil about and are happy to speak to visitors of a lawful disposition.
They tell you that you are in The Maze of Zagor.
The only way out is to go deeper into the dungeon.
They tell you that the way through the maze is to leave the room, turn right, right, left, keep going straight ...
and then they begin to get a bit vague.
They're not entirely sure it is correct.
You may, if you wish, eat a meal from your provisions, but you will have to share it with them.
Eventually you thank them and
leave the room.
The shield is a standard wooden type.
You may keep it or throw it away.
You are in a north-south corridor which ends in a dead end.
You look around the rock face for signs of anything interesting,
when suddenly a rock breaks loose above you and lands on your head.
Although the blow was not particularly hard, you find you are feeling dizzy.
You fight to remain conscious, but are unable to do so.
You slump to the ground.
When you open your eyes,
you are at a junction.
The room is unoccupied and there seems to be no other means of exit. In the centre of the floor stands a table, and on this table are two helmets; one of bronze and one of iron.
Both are about your size.
Will you try one on, or is this worth the risk ?
The WIGHT lies in a heap in the corner of the room.
You approach his desk and open the box.
There are 18 Gold Pieces within the box.
You may take these with you.
After defeating the creature and may rest a while to take some provisions.
When you are ready, you may
leave by the north door.
You arrive at the door, struggle with the lock and open the door.
You burst out, closing the door behind you and take several deep breaths before
returning to the junction.
You find no secret passages, but as you press the wall, you hear a click.
You feel dizzy and slump to the ground.
When you come to, you do not recognise your surroundings.
Continue.
The passage widens and you realise you are about to enter a large cavern.
You can hear noises coming from the cavern ahead and you proceed cautiously.
As you approach, you can make out a large figure in the distance and you are overawed as you realise that this oversized human must be at least three metres tall!
Dressed in a leather tunic, the creature is absorbed in a meal he is eating at a table.
The cavern is at least a hundred metres across and must be the home of this GIANT.
A large table and two chairs are along one of the walls, and it is here that the creature sits.
Intent on his meal (a large pig), he is unlikely to notice you.
Around the rest of the cavern you can see his straw mattress a great furry pelt which may be his blanket or a shawl, and a huge stone-headed hammer, which you would have no hope of budging.
A fire burns in one corner of the cavern, under a hole in the ceiling.
There appears to be no other way through the cavern.
Will you
take on this brute ? or
return to the junction ?
During your adventure, you will have come across various keys and should have collected some of these.
You may now use three of these keys to try to open the locks on the chest.
Each key is identified with a number.
To determine whether you have the right keys, add their three numbers together.
If your total is 321
click here.
If your total is 182
click here.
If your total is 198
click here.
.If your total is 387 click here.
.If you do not have three numbered keys, this is the end of your journey.
You sit on the chest and weep as you realise that you will have to explore the mountain once more in order to find the keys.
To start again from the beginning click here.
The SKELETONS advance and force you back to the door.
The leader approaches, with two behind, and the final two behind them.
You must resolve the battle by first fighting the leader: and then fighting the pairs.
Either you win and
celebrate your victory ?, or
you back off and escape ?
When the old man learns of your quest for treasure he becomes angry and bids you begone
— he will have nothing to do with fortune-hunters.
His dog senses his anger and snarls menacingly.
You may either smile, thank him and
exit through the south door ? or
you may stay to try to pacify him ?
The WARLOCKS booming voice calls out, 'Poor fool.
Do you think you could match my power with your puny weapon ?'
You continue with determination.
'If it is a simple brawl you want, stranger, then I shall give you your last!'
and with these words, he vanishes and reappears behind you.
You swing round to face him and the fight starts.
But this is a battle to the death.
There is no escaping here.
If you win
If you lose.
You squat on the sandy bank.
As you prepare your meal you notice a movement in the sand a couple of meters to your left.
The movement becomes quite turbulent and you spring to your feet, sword at the ready.
Suddenly a large tubular head breaks through the surface, twists around in the air and picks up your scent.
The smooth, segmented body of a GIANT SANDWORM rears up and sways over in your direction.
As it does so, a large orifice, with short teeth, opens in what must be its head.
You may
escape by quickly diving into the river and swimming downstream ? or
You must do battle with this creature.
Will you use
your left hand ? or
Your right hand ? to start the fight.
The VAMPIRE catches your eye with its own gaze and you find yourself unable to control your own actions.
It beckons you forward.
You move slowly towards it with your mouth gaping open.
It tells you to throw down the stake.
As you look down at the stake, you suddenly feel a surge of power return to your own will,
and you fling the stake at him from close range.
If you are lucky
the stake plunges into him.
If you are unlucky
the stake misses him.
The box has fallen to the ground during the fight with the snake
and out of it has fallen a bronze coloured key with the number 99 carved into it.
You take this key with you and
leave the room.
You find no secret passages.
You return to the cross-roads and proceed either
northwards ? or
westwards ?
You leave the room and open the box in the passage.
Inside you find a single Piece of Gold and a small mouse, which must have been the creature's pet.
You keep the coin and feeling lucky, release the mouse, which scurries off down the passageway.
Then you
continue northwards up the passageway.
As you search the body, you try to avoid looking at the terrible face, grey and decomposing.
Maggots crawl from its nose and mouth.
You jump back startled when its eyes suddenly flick open!
Just in time you avoid a vicious slash from its long sharp fingernails.
It quickly springs to its feet and eyes you with a sadistic leer spreading across its mouth.
Move on.
As you watch the living mural, you are unaware of the speed with which your candle is burning.
Suddenly it flickers and goes out!
You again begin to hear the piercing screams and their pitch grows to an unbearable level.
You drop to knees clutching your ears and crawl towards the wall.
Which wall will crawl towards:
You are at a three-way junction.
Hint if you are lost in the maze
Turn north
You gain ground on the 'Turbulence' in the water but a few meters from the north bank you notice tow sinister reptilian eyes on the surface of the water watching you.
You are swimming straight for them.
If you decide you'd rather not face the owner of the eyes,
you may
turn round and head straight back to the south bank at full speed - you arrive exhausted.
Alternatively you can
risk the eyes ahead, or
you
may try a detour which will send you nearer the 'turbulence'
You must resolve your battle with the DRAGON.
You exchange many blows with each other.
After a long and exhausting battle,
you win.
As you put the two swords into your belt, your new one seems to take on a mind of its own.
It cuts your leg and, as you draw it out, it turns rubbery in your hand.
It's useless now so you fling it into the river.
It seems that the only way forward is for you to swim eastwards down the river.
you plunge in and start swimming.
As you move, the creature's eyes flash open.
He sees you and slowly gets to his feet.
His breathing becomes heavy and he stalks towards you.
You must stand and fight him.
This time the door splits along its length and you can wrench the timbers apart to let yourself in.
A torch hangs from one wall lighting up a small armoury room stocked with swords, shields, helmets, daggers, breastplates and the like.
You examine the weaponry and find nothing appearing superior to your own sword. however, a circular iron shield with a golden crescent at its centre catches your eye.
You pick it up and feel its weight on your arm.
If you wish to take this shield it will aid you in battles by helping fend off wound damage inflicted by a creature on you.
However, the shield is heavy and you will have to leave behind one item of equipment to be able to carry it.
You now
leave the room and continue up the corridor.
You charge the door with your shoulder but it only shudders at your attempt.
Do you wish to
try again ? or
return to the junction ?
The door opens into an east-west passage, which turns north after several metres.
To follow this direction.
If you decide against going through the door.
The water around you bristles with activity, as if an invisible hand is dropping unseen pebbles into the river.
You gulp - PIRANHAS! - and you begin to feel their sharp teeth biting into your flesh.
You kick with your limbs and slash with your weapons to keep them off until you reach to south bank.
You manage to scramble out of the water and lie panting on the south bank.
You may eat provisions here before continuing.
You open the door into a large room which can only be the dining room of the same warty-faced creatures you now recognise.
Sitting round a large table are five ORCS busily drinking and dribbling their bowls of rat-gizzard soup.
All are involved in a rowdy argument as to who will get to chew the rat bones left in the large soup cauldron, so they do not see you enter.
You may be bold and
prepare to attack them ? or
You may not relish the prospect of taking on five of these creatures and
escape ?
You follow a long, narrow passageway which goes south,
then east, then south again until you eventually find yourself at a crossroads.
Carry on.
Your tappings and scrapings at the rock face
as you search for secret doors and passageways resound through the dungeon corridors.
Various creatures roam freely through the underworld
and your noises have just attracted the attentions of one of the monsters.
Continue on quietly.
The passageway ahead runs northwards and you follow this until you reach another junction.
Here you may either
continue northwards ? or
you may turn westwards ?
You draw your sword and enter the cavern.
The GIANT stops in the middle of a mouthful, raises his head and sniffs the air.
He swings round and catches sight of you approaching.
Roaring loudly, he flings the pig's carcass at you, but luckily misses.
Then he picks up his hammer and prepares to club you with it.
You may either
escape quickly down the passageway where he will not be able to follow you or
choose whether to
attack him with your sword ? or
rush around to try and find another weapon ?
to see if you can win the battle with the GIANT.
You realise that the two SKELETONS who have just run off will soon return and expose your bluff.
You must react quickly.
Will you
beat a hasty retreat through the door behind you ? or
draw your sword and lash out at the remaining ones ?
The old man thanks you and rather sheepishly ties up his boots.
You explain that you mean no harm and he calms down, calling off his dog.
He tells you that this area is the only passageway through to the inner chambers.
Some years ago the river swelled after a particularly severe spring thaw and cut off supplies from the outside world.
All the area’s inhabitants starved to death but the Master,
realising he needed defences against the outside world, put a curse on the area.
The last remaining creatures became the Undead and now guard the passageways through.
He starts to inquire about you. Will you:
Be straight with him and tell him of your quest ?
You land in the icy water and frantically swim for the south bank.
To your amazement the raft turns round in mid-stream and makes its own way back to the south bank.
You quicken your pace, aware that your splashings may at any time
attract the attentions of any underwater creatures living in the river.
Either
you make it safely back to the south bank ? or
you end up in the river ?
You find a secret door which opens into the bend where two passageways meet.
To the north a short passage runs into a dead end, and to the east, the passageway reaches a crossroads.
If you will step through this secret door into the passageway.
If you decide against going through the secret door, close it
and
return down the passage to the crossroads.
You open the door to a large room. a large chair behind a solid-looking table suggests to you that someone, or something, of rank uses this room.
A chest in the centre catches your eye.
In a corner of the room stands a man-sized creature with a warty face, standing over a smaller creature of similar race.
With the whip in his hand, the ORC CHIEFTAIN has been beating his servant, who is whimpering beneath him. will you:
Spring at the chieftain in the hope that his servant will help you ?
One by one all the keys click and turn in the locks.
You have placed them all correctly!
As the last key turns, the lid of the chest comes free and you open it.
Click here to see what lies within.
The crucifix is solid silver and worth 4 Gold Pieces.
Add this to your rucksack and
continue on.
You are standing at the north end of a short north-south passage.
You are at a dead end.
To investigate the wall.
To go southwards.
The old man's eyes flutter open.
He sees you and grabs for a half oar lying buy his bench.
You tell him you mean him no harm but he remains on guard and eyes you cautiously.
Although he looks harmless enough, his dog could be dangerous.
The man's boots are undone.
Will you:
Rush the dog with your weapon drawn ?
Silver weapons only will be effective here.
When the creature inflicts its third wound on you.
If you defeat it before this happens, or
You may escape through the north door.
You are standing in a narrow corridor.
Behind you is a secret door to the east.
Ahead of you is a crossroads.
As you walk up the passage, it visibly widens and eventually you find yourself standing at the mouth of a rough cavern, a natural cave in the rock.
As you look into the darkness, the cavern appears to be about 30 meters deep, with no visible exit.
Do you want to
go into the cavern ? or
go back to the junction ?
You are standing in a north-south passage.
To the north you can see a passage off to the east.
To
investigate this.
To the south, the passage turns westwards.
You may go to
the southern end of the passage.
In the west wall in front of you is a secret door.
To
go through this.
You tiptoe precariously across the room to the door in the north wall.
You open the door and
proceed through it.
You have entered a large square room.
Broken pottery lies scattered all about.
One large clay vase is untouched and is full of clear liquid.
A large bowl is full of gold coins.
As you enter the room the door slams behind you and you swing round to face a strange-looking creature, half man, half bull — who is glaring at you.
He is a MINOTAUR, and he stalks towards you!
He lowers his head, horns pointing at your chest, and charges.
You must fight him:
After three attacks, you manoeuvre yourself round to be able to run through the door.
If you wish to escape at this time.
The passageway goes west and then south.
Finally you come to a stop at a dead end.
You may return to the three-way junction and
go east or
go north, or
you may
investigate the dead end.
You run along the wall searching for a door but find none.
Your ears are on fire with the agony!
You may try either
the west wall ? or
the north wall ?,
but you must find a way out soon!
Two of the keys fit the locks perfectly.
The other doesn't.
You leap to one side as a jet of clear liquid spurts from the chest.
It just misses, but the liquid emits an acidic vapour which makes you cough and choke.
You return to the chest and try another combination of three keys.
If you have no more keys to try, you sit down exhausted and in despair after having got so near to your goal.
Remember to look for keys next time you enter the dungeon!
To start again from the beginning click here.
After killing the biggest ORC first, the smaller ones were easily despatched.
You search the bodies of the dead ORCS but find only a few teeth, nails, bones and knives in their pockets.
You search the cupboards around the room but find only crude bowls, plates and spoons.
But under the serving hatch you find a thin leather case half a metre long.
You may
open the case or
you may leave it behind and
walk out of the door feeling very proud of your victory.
You are alone in the Boat House and have some time to search before the SKELETONS will inevitably return.
You may either
search the drawers in the room ?, or
you may investigate the tools ? before they come back.
As you begin to search you hear a noise from behind the door in the north wall.
As you draw your sword the hand withers and shrinks back into the floor.
At the same time, the other hands stop dead and slowly fade away downwards into the tiles.
You decide this time to step on the star-shaped tiles, and step carefully across to the door in the north wall.
the door opens.
You are standing in the corner of a bend in the passage.
To the north the passage ends in a dead end.
To investigate this.
To go eastwards.
He now stands just under two metres tall.
He advances towards you.
His body is hairy.
His teeth are pointed.
His eyes flash.
His fingernails are sharp claws.
His nose has become a rat-like snout.
He is a WERERAT
You must battle with him.
Either
you win your fight or
you decide to escape and
run over the rickety bridge.
The door opens into a short corridor which ends several meters ahead at another door, similar to the one you have just come through.
You listen and hear nothing.
You try the handle and it turns, allowing you into another room of a similar size.
But this room is splendidly decorated, with a polished marble floor and rough walls painted white.
On each of the four walls hangs a painting, and there is another door in the north wall.
You can either
go straight through the room ? or
you may
stop and look at the paintings ?
You are in a narrow north-south corridor.
There is a dead end to the north.
You may check the dead end or
give up and return to the crossroads.
He shrieks and hides behind his desk.
He is terrified of your aggressive manner.
His squeaky little voice explains that he is the Mazemaster in charge of The Maze of Zagor.
You talk to him and reassure him that you mean no harm and he eventually comes out from behind the desk.
He sits down and as his confidence returns, a strange thing happens.
His manner becomes firm and self-assured.
He refers to a book, points his finger and the book slips from the shelf and floats on to the desk in front of him.
You deduce that he is a Wizard of some power; perhaps even the dungeon Master himself, come to investigate you.
You ask him the way out of the maze.
He tells you to leave by the south door, walk past a door on your right until you can go no further and turn left.
Go over a crossroads and turn left at the next one.
If you take his advice, leave through the south door
and
keep going until you reach the second crossroads
If you leave through the south door but intend to make your own way round
If you leave via the west door
The door opens and you enter a small room.
Your eyes widen as you look around to see that the walls of the room are covered in ornate stonework.
Mosaics and marble inlays give this room a kind of beauty you have never seen before.
In a corner of the room is a large metal statue of a one-eyed creature.
In its single eye is a sparkling jewel.
As there appear no other ways through the room, you will have to go back to the junction - but that large jewel is very tempting.
Will you leave it alone and
go back to the junction ? or
try to take the jewel with you ?
You load the bow and fire,
but despair as the arrow flies through the air directly at him,
stops centimetres from his chest and falls to the floor.
He looks: up and smiles at you with an evil, gloating smile.
What else can you do:
This is a rather unlikely story, considering that they see very few humans around,
Nevertheless, SKELETONS are pretty dim — you knew this and that’s why you tried the story.
They don’t believe you and keep on advancing.
They aren’t sure, and send two of their number off through the north door
whilst
the rest hold you at bay with their weapons.
They've believed you and they all get back to work.
You search the room.
Try as you may you cannot find the secret switch to open the door in the bookshelf - the old man must have locked it from the inside.
You do find 5 Gold Pieces in a drawer in the table.
You decide to take these with you and
return to the junction to the south.
At the top of the stairs the passage turns sharply to the east.
As you pause to get your bearings, you hear a creaking in the rock behind you.
You spin round in time to see a heavy portcullis drop to seal off the passageway behind you.
Your only way now is forward!
You may either
press on forward ? or
you may
check the walls for secret passages ?
One of the keys turns, but the other two will not fit.
As you struggle to try to make them turn, you hear two small clicks
and then 'pings' as two miniature darts shoot from the chest at you.
You leap backwards to try to avoid them,
crack your head on the wall behind you, and stump to the floor, unconscious.
You are lucky, the darts miss you, and you awake with a sore head.
If you have tried all combinations for the keys that you have,
you bury your head in your hands and weep after having got so far.
You are so near to achieving your objective, but you will have to try again.
Re-enter the dungeon but remember to look for keys as you progress!
To start again from the beginning click here.
The passageway ahead widens and you can see ahead a large cavern.
As you shine your lantern around it you can see crude stone weapons on the floor and a smouldering fire in the centre of of the cave.
But you see no way through.
As you turn to make your way back you stop in your tracks to see two Neanderthal CAVEMEN barring your exit.
They grunt aggressively at you.
You draw your sword and must prepare to fight.
Will you use either
your left hand ? or
your right hand ? during the fight.
You sink to the floor.
You pull the dart out and decide to bandage the wound.
This gives some relief, but you still feel weak.
You decide to take it easy and examine the contents of the chest.
There are 25 Gold Pieces and the label on the bottle shows it to be a potion of invisibility, good for one dose.
The glove is a mystery.
You put all of these into your haversack and leave the room.
You place the helmet on your head. It fits well.
Suddenly a searing pain flashes across your forehead.
You cannot think straight.
This helmet is cursed and, try as you might, you cannot remove it!
The pain soon subsides, but you still cannot shift the helmet.
You
stagger back to the junction, trying desperately to compose yourself.
After defeating the WEREWOLF you rest and eat provisions.
As you look around the room there appears to be little of use,
although the bunch of keys looks interesting, particularly the one marked 'Boat House'.
None are numbered.
You may take the keys with you if you wish.
There are doors to the west and south.
Take the
west door ? or the
south door ?
The old man does not look up from the table,
but his devilish little pet eyes you suspiciously and starts chattering in a small squeaky voice.
The old man grunts and asks you whether you are game for a wager.
Will you
accept ? if not,
you may either
leave the room ? or
attack the man ?
The door opens and you find yourself in a dark crypt of some kind.
The room is very large.
At one end is an altar, and various coffins are strewn about the room.
There is a door behind you in the south wall, and also one in the west wall.
Do you want to
investigate the room further ?,or
if the place gives you the creeps,
you can
leave via the west door ?
You enter a large square room.
In the centre of the room is a grey-haired old man sitting at a desk.
His desk is covered in papers and parchments of various sorts and he holds a long quill pen.
He is surrounded by books.
Thousands of them line the shelves around the walls, from floor to ceiling.
As you enter he looks up at you.
Will he recognise you ?
If you have been in this room before
if you have not.
Going through the door you enter a large room.
Various bits of wooden debris are strewn untidily across the floor.
Apart from your entrance door, there is also a door in the north wall.
In one corner is a crude wooden desk with a box on it.
In another corner, apparently asleep (or dead),
is a hideous-looking man-sized creature with warty skin, wild hair and long claws for fingernails.
Will you
tiptoe out through the north door ? or
tiptoe across to the desk to look at the box ?
Further up the passage along the west wall you see another door.
You listen at it but hear nothing.
Do you want to try
opening the door ?, or
continue northwards ?
The timbers of the bridge are rotting and decayed from years of neglect.
A single plank snaps under your foot, and sends you
splashing into the river below.
If you regain your footing you can
continue across.
Shortly along the passage you arrive at another junction where you may go either
straight ahead westwards or
turn right northwards.
WIGHTS are vulnerable only to weapons made of solid silver.
If the weapon you are using is not made of silver, you only have one more attack.
Remember that any wounds he inflicts on you will count against you,
but your wounds will not harm him, and he will still be at full strength unless you have chosen a silver weapon.
If you have a silver weapon, you had better
use it now.
If you have not, or if you have suffered enough damage, you'd better
run for the north door.
Remember that you are escaping here and he inflicts a final wound as you flee.
The parchment is well worn and almost illegible.
It is a map of some sort, headed 'The Maze of Zagor'.
You can make little sense of it, although a room to the north is marked '.., GER'
and another to the east is marked 'SM... P...LE'.
You fold up the map and put it in your pocket.
If you have not yet tested the liquid
and wish to do so.
Otherwise, you can make your way
northwards.
The door is locked.
Do you wish to
charge it down ?or
progress further up the passage ?
Facing northwards, the rock face is smooth and glistening with moisture.
Moss of many different hues grows on the surface.
There is an eerie silence punctuated only by the splashings of the river as it flows behind you.
You have three options.
Take the passage which runs off to the north-west ?
Open the large timber door which is directly in front of you in the middle of the rock face ?
You reach into your pack for the stick only to find it split in two pieces!
It has broken during your adventure.
What else can you try:
The water is refreshing.
As you drink more you feel a glow spreading through your body as if you were drinking at the fountain of life.
This restores your stamina no end.
The fountain of life for you must be the fountain of death for the evil GOBLINS.
You may eat provisions here.
When you have rested
leave through the north door.
The stake narrowly misses the VAMPIRE's head.
As you watch it travel, you pick up the creature's gaze again.
He beckons you towards him once more.
Your will has gone.
Continue.
You are on the south bank of an underground river facing across its black depths.
There appear to be four ways of crossing.
To your left, a rusted bell bears the sign:
'Ferry Service 2 Gold Pieces - Please Ring'
There is a small raft in front of you on the bank with a long stick resting beside it: you could punt across the river.
A rickety old bridge crosses on the right.
You could even swim across.
He is enraged by your pleasantries.
He waves his hand in the air, mumbles a few strange syllables and then points at you.
You feel your head spinning and pass out.
You awake in a dead-end passage.
What are these mysterious items you have collected ?
Which is the most important item in your rucksack ?
You walk up a long corridor, round a sharp hairpin bend at the top
and finally along an east-west corridor, eastwards to a
crossroads.
The door is firmly locked.
You may try to
force it open ? or
you may
continue along the corridor ?
As your eyes watch the creature’s movements, they suddenly make contact with its piercing stare.
You are mesmerised and, as it beckons you towards it, your will disappears.
Continue.
The passageway continues westwards and then turns due north.
Some way up, you reach a junction where a narrow passage runs off to the west.
Will you
continue northwards ? or
take the west way ?
You walk a short distance south and find yourself at a crossroads.
The door opens and you find yourself in a small, smoke-filled room.
Sitting in the room around a wooden table are four tiny men,
each about one metre tall, but all are apparently fully mature,
with weathered skin and long, bushy beards.
They are cursing, laughing and joking as they play a card game.
Each one is leaning back on his tiny chair, puffing a long clay pipe.
On the table are a number of copper coins and four mugs of ale.
As you walk in, their merriment stops.
They are on their guard but don’t appear to be too dangerous.
One stands up and makes some comment about your lack of manners, not knocking before you came in.
The others nod their agreement.
Do you:
Chat to them and try to befriend them ?
Apologise, bow and leave the room ?
Offer to join in their card game ?
You find no secret passageways.
You are careful not to make too much noise in case you attract any wandering creatures.
You stop and listen but cannot hear anything.
You return to the crossroads.
You arrive back at the junction and this time turn right.
The creature now standing before you is a semi-decayed man.
His quick eyes dart from side to side watching you.
His long tongue flashes out with a hissing noise.
His teeth and nails are sharp and he doesn't seem to be afraid of your weapon.
He is a GHOUL! He has the ability to paralyse you if he scores four separate wounds on you during this battle, so beware!
If you defeat him.
If he kills or paralyses you.
Almost exhausted after your awkward fight with the spider, you set to work on hacking the boots off with your sword.
Eventually they come free and you may leave the cavern down the passageway and
back to the junction.
You find no secret passages.
However, your rummaging's
attract the attentions of something sinister....
You follow the passage westwards, then it turns sharply to the north and, some meters further on, a passage runs off to the west.
Do you wish to
take the west passage ? or
carry on northwards ?
The battle commences.
The SKELETONS attack you one by one:
You move swiftly down the passage and arrive back at the junction.
Turn northwards this time.
You think back to the words of the old man.
'You might need it sooner than you think . . . '
You grope in your pack and pull out the candle.
Immediately it lights itself of its own accord.
The howling stops and the room appears bathed in a blue light from the candle.
On the walls, the figures in the mural are moving!
They are mouthing silent screams as if trapped in a two dimensional hell.
On the wall opposite is another door, which you may
leave through or
you may
stay to investigate.
The box is light, but something rattles within.
You open the lid and a small snake darts out to bite at your wrist!
You grab your sword and slash at the snake killing it instantly.
You then
look around for the box again,
which got dropped during the fight.
As you attack the portrait with the wooden stake, you feel a wrench of pain in your wrist.
You are forced by some unseen power to drop the stake.
You decide to run and
leave through the north door in awe of the warlock's power.
The door opens to reveal a small, dimly lit room.
The walls are hung with ornate curtains, laced in silver and gold.
A single flame burns in one corner, throwing light on a low table in the middle of the floor.
On this table is a large chest.
You step up to investigate the chest and from all around, yet from nowhere, a
mysterious sound fills the room.
It sounds like the rumbling of thunder clouds preparing to make storm.
You approach the chest and can see that it is held shut by three locks.
As you approach, the noise gets louder.
Will you:
Hack at the box with your sword to try to split it open ?
Search through your bags to see if you can find keys to fit ?
To your horror, you realise that this dummy lever was a trap! although it looked like a handle, it was in fact a wax-coated sword blade and it takes on a life of its own, attacking you all by itself, flying through the air and slashing at you.
Will you
try to catch the sword ? that is attacking you, or
use your own sword ? to fight off the attack
The passage runs northwards, and ahead you can hear the splashings of an underground river.
The air becomes cool and fresh.
You soon reach a wide opening of a river bank but despair as you look across to see no way through on the other side.
To the east the river flows through a cave in the rock.
You may either
sit, rest and eat provisions or
Continue by what seems to be the only way forward,
jump into the river and swim downstream.
You set off south along a cobbled passageway.
It swings west, then south, then west again until you find yourself at a three-way junction.
Hint if you are lost in the maze
Turn north
He is a little startled by your onslaught, but simply raises his hand.
As he does so, you suddenly collide heavily into . . . apparently nothing.
You sit on the floor in a heap, rubbing your nose.
The old man chuckles and says,
'You poor fool. Did you think I was defenceless in such a den of evil as this? You will regret your folly'
You rise to your feet and
return to the passageway, turning north up the corridor.
The creature that has just awakened is an ORC.
He scrambles to his feet and turns to grasp at a rope which is probably the alarm bell.
You attack and defeat him very quickly then
continue on up the passage.
The dog springs as you move.
Its hideous black teeth are coming straight for your throat!
Two meters from you, a blast of fire shoots from its mouth right at your face!
You duck just in time but must now fight the beast.
The old man watches the fight but does not move unless you kill his dog.
If you kill the dog you may
escape through the south door, but you will not have time to take anything with you.
You may wish to stay and fight the dog.
You are in a short passageway which comes to a dead end several metres ahead of you.
You study the rock face carefully but there appears to be no way through.
You return to the crossroads and this time
continue straight ahead northwards.
The passageway twists sharply northwards and ahead you can hear water flowing.
You eventually reach the south bank of an underground river.
As you stand on the pebbled bank you hear a fluttering of wings and look up to see three GIANT BATS swooping down on you to attack.
You draw your sword to begin the fight.
Choose
your left hand or
your right hand to start the fight, or
you may
escape by jumping in the river.
You pull the lever and, with a great groaning noise, the rock face in front of you and the ground you are standing on start to move.
As if you were on a giant rotating table, you spin round until you stand on the other side of a rock face in a north-south passage.
Will you go north ? or
will you go south ?
The passageway ends in another wooden door, this time a small one with a carved bone handle.
You listen but hear nothing coming from inside.
You try the handle and the door opens into a pear-shaped room with a rough stone floor, making walking across it somewhat awkward.
In one corner of the room is a pile of rubbish, mainly stones and dust, but there are also two odd-shaped pieces of wood and a length of rope.
A door in the north wall leads on.
Will you:
The silence is deathly.
A slow drip startles you as you creep around the coffins.
The altar is ornately carved and studded with jewels.
Beautifully woven drapes hang from the walls although they are threadbare in places.
There are three coffins in the room.
A creaking noise makes you whirl round and the light from your lantern falls on the largest coffin.
It is opening! As you watch, a tall man with a white face sits upright.
His eyes open and fall on you.
His expression changes from one of tranquillity to one of abject hate.
His mouth opens and a terrifying hiss comes from his throat.
His teeth are wolf-like.
He beckons you to come over.
Do you:
Draw your sword and prepare to fight ?
The passageway ends in a sturdy wooden door.
Do you want to
try opening it ? or
go back to the junction and
try another route ?
You are at a junction where
you may go north,
although this passage ends shortly in a dead end.
You may go west or
you may go south.
The passageway runs straight for several metres and then ends at a wooden door.
You listen at the door and hear angry shouting coming from within.
Will you
investigate ? or
turn back ?
You sort through the broken pots and find little of interest.
The liquid looks, smells and tastes like
water.
The coins in the pot are a fraud.
Eight genuine Gold Pieces lie on the surface of the pile {and you may take these)
but underneath are merely painted pieces of pot.
As you tip the vase out it slips and breaks.
A red-coloured key appears, hidden inside a false bottom in the bowl.
You may take this key.
It is inscribed with the number 111.
You may rest here and eat some provisions.
You think yourself lucky for defeating the MINOTAUR.
Finally you leave the room.
As you swim to the bank away from the CROCODILE you look back
to see the mysterious 'turbulence' approach the reptiles body,
break into a frenzy and then move off, leaving not a trace of the animal.
Thankful that you were not there to find out what it was,
you lift yourself out of the water on the north bank to
move onwards.
You find no secret passages.
If you are on your way north.
If you are going south.
You reach the junction and continue eastwards.
Some way up the passage, you reach another junction where you may either
go eastwards or
turn westwards.
You shout: 'YOU ARE FREE, OLD MAN!' at the top of your voice.
Instantly, his rantings cease.
He stops dead in his tracks and sinks to the floor, weeping loudly.
As he gradually composes himself, he thanks you many times.
You talk with him in the hope of discovering some of the secrets of the mountain and he begins to tell his story.
Many years ago he was an adventurer like you in search of the warlock's treasure.
He was captured by the ORCS and thrown into his solitary cell as a sort of pet for the creatures.
You ask whether he would like to accompany you into the mountain, but he simply wants to leave and see the world again.
You ask him for advice but he says he knows little.
He advises you to pay your respects to the boatman.
He tells you that you must pull the right-hand lever on the wall ahead to open the iron gate at the end of the passage.
He has also learned that the keys to the boat house are guarded by a man and his dog.
You shake hands,
leave the room and go your separate ways.
There is no way you are going to charge the door down, as it is twelve centimetres of solid oak!
You bruise your sword arm at the attempt.
You can only get through the door if you have the
Boat House key
(if you have this key, use it and more fool you for not using it straight away).
Otherwise you will have to
return to the riverbank and try again.
You grope around the length of the wall and find a door.
Quickly you fumble with the handle.
it opens!
The case opens easily and inside you find a magnificent bow and one silver arrow.
An inscription on the case says:
'the giver of sleep to those who never can'.
You put the bow, silver arrow and case in your pack and
leave the room, pausing for a while to eat some provisions.
You now stand at a crossroads.
Hint if you are lost in the maze
Turn south
Their vocabulary is limited to a series of moans and groans.
They appear not to be intelligent at all.
Furthermore your conversation merely serves to attract their attention to you.
They grip there weapons and it looks as though you will have to fight them.
However, there is a slim chance that you could make it to the door you came in through.
Do you want to
escape though the door ? or
have you
resigned yourself to a battle ?.
You arrive back at the junction and turn westwards.
You enter the cavern and look around to see dozens of beautifully coloured stalactites and stalagmites bordering the perimeter.
Numerous drips can be heard, but the whole place seems like a magic grotto.
Near the back of the cavern, you come across a pair of boots, which seem to have been made quite recently.
Will you:
The short passage begins to narrow and ends a few meters ahead at a doorway.
Either
go through the door ? or
go back to the river ?
He calms down, takes the Gold and rows you across to the north bank.
After mooring the boat he ambles off down a passageway.
You continue on.
The BARBARIAN lies defeated in a heap on the floor.
A search of the room reveals nothing of any value,
although an old box in the corner contains a wooden mallet and five stumps of wood, sharpened at one end.
You may take these if you wish, and can now
leave through the door in the north wall.
You leave the cavern along a long, narrow corridor.
After several hundred metres, it ends at a large wooden door which is slightly ajar.
Carefully you case it open a little further and poke your head around the side to see what is in the room.
You see a small old man sitting at a table on his own, playing with a pack of cards.
He looks quite a harmless old soul, grey-haired and bearded.
He is seated.
What will you do:
Burst through the door, sword drawn, to surprise the old man ?
Knock on the door and enter, greeting the old man courteously ?
Get down on all fours and try to creep into the room unnoticed ?
As you move over towards the second body, you accidentally kick the third corpse on the floor.
Its eyes flick open and it quickly sits up and slashes at you with its long, sharp fingernails.
You are unlucky, it has caught you across the leg and you suffer a slight wound.
Continue.
You are in a short passageway which comes to a dead end several metres ahead of you.
You may search for secret passages, or
you may return to the crossroads and either
follow the passage ahead
to the north, or turn
to the west.
The passageway soon comes to an end at a locked wooden door.
You listen at the door but hear nothing.
Will you
charge the door down ?
or
turn back to the junction ?
The creature you are facing is a VAMPIRE!
You have various lines of attack.
Your sword will do little real damage.
A Crucifix will hold him at bay but will not kill him.
If you have either of these you may use it to get you through
the west door.
If you are determined to kill the VAMPIRE, you must overpower it and drive a wooden stake through its heart.
If you have a wooden stake and wish to
try to kill the VAMPIRE.
If you have none of these,
draw your sword.
You arrive back at the junction and this time take the passageway to the east.
The passageway runs for several paces eastwards, then turns
north.
The narrow passageway eventually becomes too small for you to walk along.
You get down on your hands and knees, and crawl.
Eventually, you will get no further and there seems to be no way through, so you decide to return to the main passage.
You
head for the junction.
The four creatures shuffling towards you are mind-less ZOMBIES.
Their vacant eyes suggest that their actions are controlled by a will which is not their own.
You are still too dizzy to think properly, but you must act quickly.
The first ZOMBIE reaches you and prepares to swing his club.
You must fight him first, and then turn to face the other three.
Eventually you defeat all four.
You arrive back at the junction and progress westwards.
'You again?' says the Mazemaster, obviously annoyed at being disturbed.
'You are disturbing my concentration.
Be off with you!'
You begin to explain that you only returned by mistake,
but as you open your mouth, an icy glare from the old man silences you.
You decide to leave him to it.
To leave by the west door.
To leave by the south door.
You see a well-used door on the right-hand (east) side of the passageway.
With your ear to the keyhole, you listen and hear a man screaming for help from inside.
Will you
open the door ? or
walk on ?
The narrow staircase is cut into the rock and there are about twenty steps a passageway leads you into a large
open chamber.
This chamber stinks of putrefying flesh.
The smell is so bad that you are tempted to turn back.
Three bodies lie in the chamber.
You may either search the bodies, or tiptoe quietly through the room.
What will you do:
The passage continues for quite some time, then you reach the foot of a staircase cut into the rock.
You ascend the stairs and they end at a wooden door with rusty hinges.
Listening at the door, you can hear some scratching sounds.
You try the handle and the door creaks open.
You step into a bare room scattered with bones.
There is a door on the wall opposite.
Gnawing at the bones are three GIANT RATS which stop to look at you as you enter.
Each is at least one metre long and their tatty coats indicate that they are fighters.
You will have to
take them on if you are going to get through the room, as they no doubt see you as a tasty meal or
you could
try offering them some cheese from your rucksack.
You look frantically round the room but can see nothing to aid you.
Suddenly your eyes stop on the pack of cards he was fingering as you entered,
and you remember the rumours and stories the villagers told you:
'The WARLOCK's power comes from his cards,'
The sorcerer sees your interest in them and you both rush for the table.
You get there first.
'Leave those alone,' he screams, 'or you risk my fullest wrath!'
But you move backwards and set fire to one with your lantern.
He cries out wildly and then begins to plead with you to leave them alone.
One by one you burn the cards and, as you do so, the WARLOCK diminishes in stature.
As the last card goes up in flames, he stands facing you, a broken man.
'My book!' he croaks, and he tries to unlock the door on the far side.
You race across to him with your sword drawn and spring at him.
If you win
If you lose.
You are standing in the middle of an east-west corridor.
To the east is a dead end, which you can
investigate.
To the west is a familiar junction. To
go this way.
Another passageway — quite a short one — leads off to the north and ends in a large wooden door.
If you wish to
try the door.
Northwards the passageway ends at a solid wooden door.
You listen at the door but can hear nothing.
There appears to be no choice but to open the door and enter the room, which you do.
It's a large,square room.
You flash your lantern around the room and catch a quick glimpse of its emptiness - although there are murals on the wall - before your lantern suddenly goes out.
You try to re-light it, but it will not catch.
In the blackness you hear a succession of frightful noises.
Howls screams, cries and wails are getting louder and louder until they reach the pitch where you must cover your ears.
Do you want to
risk lighting your blue candle ? which will give your position away or
struggle on in the darkness ?
You arrive back at the junction in the passage and walk straight on eastwards.
You find 5 Gold Pieces in the pockets of the corpse.
You place these in your rucksack.
You may now either:
You find no secret passages.
However, your explorations attract some sort of creature,
and as you listen you can hear something coming down the corridor towards you.
You press on down the passageway anyway.
The box contains a small leather-bound book entitled The Making and Casting of Dragonfire.
You open the pages and begin to read.
Fortunately it is written in your own language and so was probably not understood by the ORCS - otherwise this treasure would certainly not be as loosely guarded as it was.
The book is written in tiny handwriting by Farrigo Di Maggio.
In it he tells of his life's work; the creation of the Dragonfire spell with which to fight evil Dragons.
You read how, in his last years, Farrigo finally perfected his spell but by then was too old to make use of it.
So he completed his book, locked it in a chest and hid it in the depths of Firetop Mountain, afraid that it might fall into the wrong hands.
The last page reads:
You say these words slowly and softly. suddenly the pages seem to glow and as this glow disappears, so do the words on the pages of the book.
You repeat the spell to yourself to memorise it and
leave the room.
You are in an east-west corridor with a T-junction at both ends.
To go westwards.
To go eastwards.
Hint if you are lost in the maze
Turn west
The bridge is slippery from the splashings of the water.
At one point you slip on a tuft of wet moss covering the timbers.
You slip from the bridge into the water below and start swimming for the nearest bank.
If you managed to hold on,
you reach the north bank.
The passageway runs east for several metres and then runs north.
You walk along way northwards.
You may check for secret passages along the way or
simply proceed northwards.
Hint if you are lost in the maze
Proceed northwards
On the east wall of the passage you see another door, this time made of solid metal.
Listening at the door you hear the sound of tortured screams coming from within.
Do you wish to
try opening the door ? or
ignore it and
continue up the corridor ?
To your left, on the west face of the passage, there is a rough-cut wooden door.
You listen at the door and can hear a rasping sound which may be some sort of creature snoring.
Do you want to
open the door ? or
press on northwards ?
You arrive at the end of the passage, where it meets another going east-west.
But an iron portcullis blocks your way and no amount of charging is going to budge it.
On the wall to your right are two levers and it seems likely that these levers have something to do with raising the portcullis.
Do you wish to pull
the right lever ?
or
the left lever ?
The old man is furious at your killing his dog!
His eyes turn white with anger.
He slowly rises from his seat and as he stands he appears to gain in size and stature.
He is changing in front of your eyes.
He sprouts hair on his face and forearms.
His nose lengthens and becomes dog-like.
His teeth are pointed.
He is a WEREWOLF and he advances toward you.
You can escape only through the door behind you to the south.
You set off across the room not taking any notice of the pattern on the floor.
You continue ahead.
You still find no secret passageways.
But coming towards you down the corridor you can see a creature-like shape.
To find out what is coming towards you, and be
prepared to fight.
If you kill the creature you encounter, you can
go back along the corridor.
The passage twists and turns and eventually ends in a solid iron door.
You listen but hear nothing.
You can
try to open the door ? or
you can
go back to the junction ?
You are standing at a crossroads.
To the west the passageway goes on a few metres and turns northwards.
To the north the passageway ends at a door.
To the east the passage continues and eventually turns southwards.
Looking south, the passage goes on as far as you can see.
You draw your sword and wait for the GIANT RATS to spring.
As the leader prepares to jump, you shout loudly and leap forward at it.
Your cry frightens off the other two and they scamper back a few paces.
At least you only need to fight them one at a time.
Choose whether to fight
the left hand one first ? or
the right hand one first ?.
Something is not quite right.
You landed a fair blow on him, but he appears not to have noticed the wound!
You deduce that this Undead creature is not vulnerable to normal weapons.
But for the moment you have to continue with your trusty sword.
The passageway ends in a door at which you listen but hear nothing.
Trying the handle, you find that the door opens to reveal a large, square room.
The room is completely bare, but the floor is covered in a mosaic of tiles.
Two shapes stand out on the floor; star-shaped tiles and hand-shaped tiles.
A door on the opposite wall is the only way through. Will you:
Walk across the room to the door ?
You follow a long, narrow passageway which goes north,
then west, then north again and
you eventually find yourself at a crossroads.
You check over the body.
The poor wretch was obviously caught in the same way that you were, but his weaker skull shattered under the club's blow.
He wears a suit of leather armour no better than your own,
holds a wooden shield on one wrist and clutches a steel-bladed sword in his other hand.
In his pockets are 8 Gold Pieces and around his neck is a silver crucifix.
You take the sword and the 8 Gold Pieces and continue onwards.
Further up the passage you see a door in the east wall.
You listen hard, but can hear no sound.
Do you want to
open the door to investigate ? or
carry on walking up the passage ?
The dead-end appears to have no secret passageways, but
you can check.
If you
don't want to double-check for secret passages.
The water is icy cold.
You start to swim and notice that your splashings are attracting a moving 'turbulence' in the water.
You are not sure if your strength and stamina will hold out in this cold water.
Do you believe you can make it across and
swim furiously for the north bank ? or
Do you decide not to risk it and
return to the south bank ?
After a fierce fight you defeat the two GOBLINS and you cut down the dwarf.
He is, as you guessed, dead.
Going through the pockets of the two GOBLINS, you find a large piece of sweet-smelling cheese.
You decide to take this cheese with you, and after a last look around
leave the room northwards.
The passageway ends in a dead end.
You may either
return to the crossroads ? or
search for secret passageways ?
To find the secret of the second item you have collected,
investigate.
If you have already investigated both items.
You run out of the room and slam the door shut behind you.
You turn
northwards up the passageway, passing a similar-looking door further up.
The drawers are all full of nails, tacks and miscellaneous bits and pieces.
In one drawer is a copper-coloured key, inscribed with the number 66 which looks interesting.
You may keep this key if you wish. The noise from the north gets louder.
You go to the north door to investigate.
After a few meters you reach another three-way junction.
you may go either
northwards ? or
eastwards ?
As you burst through the door, the old man turns to look at you,
not in the least perturbed by your intrusion.
Suddenly he vanishes!
He re-appears against the wall and, as you spin round to see him, he laughs.
Not the feeble cackle of an old man, but the booming laugh of a much younger man.
Again he disappears, and re-appears in another corner of the room,
glaring at you and taunting you with his evil laugh.
You swirl round just in time to see him disappear again.
This time he re-appears in the air above you and slowly floats down to you.
His glaring eyes make you shiver as they approach.
You shake in anticipation.
You place the helmet on your head. It fits well.
A glow begins to fill your body and you seem to possess a power and confidence beyond anything you have felt before.
The helmet is blessed with magic and will increase your strength during combat so long as you wear it.
You now leave and
return to the junction.
You enter a small room with bare, rocky walls.
On the far wall hangs a golden key.
There appears to be no way through the room.
Do you want to
go for the key ? or
leave it and return to the junction ?
The body on the floor turns visibly older in front of your eyes.
The face looks fifty, then ninety, then well over a hundred years old.
The skin rots and the eyes decompose as you watch.
You notice a movement coming from the creature’s chest.
As the remnants of the VAMPIRE decay, a small black face breaks through its chest.
It resembles a small black shrew, but as it frees itself and unfurls its wings you realise it is a bat.
You lunge at it, but it flaps away into the darkness.
You search the whole chamber quickly
(remember, there are several other coffins there!)
and find 30 Gold Pieces, a book, and a Y-shaped stick.
You may take these items if you will leave behind one item of equipment you are already carrying.
You can
leave through the west door.
If you are hungry you may take provisions here, and you can think yourself lucky for defeating the VAMPIRE.
Both pieces of wood are Y-shaped and smooth, as if washed up from a river.
You put these in your pack and then either
leave through the north door ? or
stay and examine the rope ?
You set off and find yourself in the middle of a north-south passageway.
There is a door in the western wall of the passage.
Opposite the door is a passage going off eastwards.
To the north you can see a door some metres ahead.
To the south you can see a junction.
Which will you choose:
Hint if you are lost in the maze
Turn east
The barrels contain a clear brown liquid. You sniff it.
It smells like rum. You taste it. It is rum.
You cup your hands, pour some in and take a swig.
You gasp — by golly, it's good!
You feel restored and move on.
The creature is man-sized but its long arms look very powerful.
Use either
your left hand ? or
your right hand ? to start the fight.
You find yourself at a door blocking the east end of an east-west passage.
To go through the door.
Looking westwards, the passage turns to the north.
To go north.
As you swing your sword at the creature, a VAMPIRE, it reaches out and catches the blade in its hand!
Your weapon is almost ineffective against the considerable strength of the creature.
You realise this and panic, but you must fight on.
If you are lucky you
defeat the VAMPIRE.
If you wish to try to escape, you may
retreat through the west door.
If you are unlucky the VAMPIRE
defeats you.
As you speak the old man rises to his feet.
'Oh my, oh my, a stranger!' he starts.
'Well do come in, the shop is open.
What can I get you? What would you like to buy? What takes your fancy? Which way are you headed? North? Well?'
You tell the old man your story.
He listens intently and replies, 'Oh yes, in that case you will undoubtedly need one of my Blue Candles.
That will be 20 Gold Pieces please.
Cash if you don't mind. Yes I know it's expensive, but isn't everything these days?
Not so long ago these were only 5 Gold Pieces each:
but you know what happened to the price of candle wax since the Long Dark Night
- oh, but you probably don't since you don't come from these parts.
Never mind. I can guarantee it's still worth the price.
You might need it sooner than you think . . .'
You decide to buy a candle, pay for it and add it to the collection of items you are carrying.
You are getting a little tired of his constant prattling, so you leave and
carry on northwards.
You are in a small, foul-smelling room.
You notice two doors: one to the west and one behind you to the south.
The furniture in the room is sparse and has been made mostly from bits of old boats.
There appears to be nothing of value in the room, but a bunch of keys hands on the wall.
An old man in ragged clothes is slumped asleep on a 'bench' made from half a rowing boat, snoring loudly.
Next to him a viscous looking brown dog with red eyes and black teeth, whom you have awakened and who is now eyeing you suspiciously.
A deep growl is coming from its throat.
You may:
Tiptoe an exit though the south door ?
Bang on the door behind you and cough a few 'Ahem's' to wake up the old man ?
You find no secret passages, but as you press the walls, you hear a click.
You feel dizzy and slump to the ground.
When you come to, the surroundings look strange.
You press on.
You approach the statue cautiously.
A scampering behind you makes you flash round . . . but it is only a rat.
You feel at the jewel, but it is solidly in place.
You try to work your sword in behind it and as you work, you hear an ominous noise.
To your horror the statue is beginning to move!
You jump down and draw your sword.
The IRON CYCLOPS cranes its head round towards you and steps down from its pedestal.
You must either
escape now ? or
risk a fight ?
The lock was obviously inadequate; it flies off and lands on the floor several meters away.
You lift up the heavy lid and your eyes widen as you see the gold sheen coming from within.
A fair number of Gold Pieces are inside.
In one corner lies a small black bottle with a tight glass stopper, containing a liquid of some kind.
Also in the chest is a silky black glove.
But as you are admiring this treasure you here a soft click and wince in pain as a small dart shoots forward into your stomach.
Will you attempt to
pull the dart out to reduce the pain ? or
will you
hold the dart in to reduce the bleeding ?
You try various items of equipment against the gaze of the painting, but none seems to work.
You may try any of the following.
Slash the painting with your sword ?
Hold a jewel up in front of it ?
The old man glares at you as you enter the room.
You may either apologise, explain that you lost your way and
leave through either the door in the west wall or
leave through the door in the south wall, or
alternatively you may try to talk to the old man.
If you want to talk to him,
you can either be pleasant or
you can demand that he answers your questions.
The WERERAT slumps to the ground.
You search his body and find 2 Gold Pieces, his fare from the last crossing.
You curse him for trying to overcharge you.
Add the 2 Gold Pieces to your Gold and row yourself across the river.
As you moor the boat on the north bank you look back at the body.
It has vanished!
Continue on.
The door bursts open and you fall headlong into a room.
But your heart jumps as you realise you are not landing on the floor, plunging down a pit of some kind!
Luckily the pit is not particularly deep and you land in a heap less than two metres down.
You climb out of the pit into the room and leave through the door, heading
westwards.
You sheath your sword and walk up to the water.
Is it safe to swim?
Although you cannot see any immediate signs of danger either in the water or around its banks, there is no way through on the north side of the river.
You suddenly notice a gleaming sword lying on the river bed several steps in.
You wade in to retrieve it.
It is light in your hand, far less cumbersome than your own weapon, and it has a keen edge.
This marvellous weapon will add to your skill whilst you use it.
A mysterious voice speaking directly to your mind seems to be telling you to throw your own sword into the river.
Will you
keep both swords ? or
throw your own sword into the river ?
You follow the passage eastwards for several meters, then it turns to the north.
Shortly you reach another junction where you may either
go straight on or
you may
turn right, into an eastwards passage that soon turns north.
The luck of the cards must be with you.
You win 6 Gold Pieces.
Which you add to your collection.
When this is done, continue on.
You have been defeated, you have been killed by the BARBARIAN.
Your body lies in a pool of blood, in a heap on the floor.
To start again from the beginning click here.
You are in a pit, a little bruised but not too seriously hurt.
You look around as you get on your feet and can see two passageways: a short chamber, and another heading northwards.
You are a little worried about the crash your fall has made, and even more by the grunting's you can hear coming from the chamber to the south.
Before you can collect your thoughts, a large ugly head pokes around the corner and a TROLL emerges from its chamber.
Your ankle is twisted and you cannot move quickly, but the TROLL is ready for a fight.
You will have to
face the brute.or
If you are quick you could
try the potion of invisibility.
You walk a few metres down the passage and find yourself at a dead end.
You may either
return to the crossroads ? or
investigate the end of the passage ?
As the 'turbulence' surrounds you, you can feel the jostling of many small fish.
They start ripping your flesh with vicious bites and you realise that you are surrounded by deadly PIRANHAS.
During your struggle with the CROCODILE, you have wounded it,
and you are lucky that most of the fish attack the bleeding reptile.
You may eat provisions here and restore your health.
You can now swim to shore.
You arrive back at the junction and turn eastwards.
As you approach you feel his eyes burn into you with considerable power.
You begin to weaken under his gaze. You are gradually losing your own will.
Will you try to
draw your sword and fight him ? or
look for
some other means of attack in your bag ?
You lunge at the old man as he leaps towards you with out-stretched arms - and run him through the chest with your sword.
You curse as you realise that he was making no attempt to attack you; his wild excitement must merely have been relief after having been imprisoned for what had apparently been a very long time.
You will now get no information out of him on the perils of the adventure ahead.
You leave and
progress up the passageway.
You are standing at a bend in the passage where you may go either west or south.
If you want to check for secret passages on the way westwards.
.You grope along the wall but can find no way of escape.
The noise is causing you to scream in pain!
You may try either
the east wall ? or
the north wall ?
The old man looks at you, accepts your greetings and bids you sit down.
You sit at the table and notice that he is glaring at you.
His piercing stare is becoming hypnotic, but you realise this and break eye contact.
He opens his mouth to speak and to your amazement,
instead of an old man's voice, the whole room resonates
to a powerful voice which seems to be coming from the walls themselves.
You throw a glance back at the man and can see him changing before your very eyes.
He is of imposing height.
His tattered old rags have become robes of velvet and gold.
His black eyes are fixed directly on yours.
He has been expecting you....
The passage runs for some distance northwards and then starts to open into a large cavern with rough walls.
There appears to be no way through.
Will you
return to the junction ? or
enter the cavern ?
The battle will call upon all your reserves of strength and cunning.
Your adversary has disappeared,
and now stands at the far end of the room in front of a door with two locks.
How will you approach him:
Grip your sword firmly and advance towards him ?
Look through your pack for a weapon to use ?
Look around the room for another means of attack or defence ?
You are at a crossroads.
Hint if you are lost in the maze
Turn west
The door slams shut with a loud bang behind you.
You find yourself in a passageway running ahead northwards.
You follow it for several metres, until it bends to the west, and continue onwards.
Some way down the passage you come across a narrow opening in the north wall
and decide to
go through.
You snatch the key from its hook.
It has the number 125 inscribed on it.
But your lungs are bursting and you must get back to the door to
escape from here quickly.
As you try the walls up the passageway,
a secret door opens up along the west wall.
Further up the passage on the west wall you see another similar door.
You listen at the door and grimace to hear the worst singing you have ever heard in your life!
Do you want to
go into the room ? to investigate this hideous din or
walk on up the passageway ?
As you push the knob, a small stone doorway slides open.
You can either ignore it and
return to the junction ? or
you can climb through ?.
You must make your decision quickly, as the door shuts of its own accord in a minute's time.
A viscous and bloody battle ensues as the ORCS attack you.
Will you choose to
deal with the biggest one first ?
or
take on the group of smaller ones first ?
you may even wish to
escape this battle.
You are following a passageway which leads ahead to the north.
After several metres it bends sharply to the east.
You continue eastwards until you eventually come across a narrow opening in the north wall.
You may
go through this opening ? or
continue eastwards ?.
The WARLOCK's laugh resonates in his chamber.
'We will see which of us is the mouse!' he cries, and he holds his hand in the air.
As he snaps his fingers, a blue flame streams from his hand at you.
You will have to try something else:
After some trepidation,
you swallow some of the liquid.
The door opens to reveal a small room. the room is dirty and unkempt.
A straw mattress lies in one corner.
In the centre of the room is a wooden table upon which a candle burns, lighting the room with its flickering flame.
A small box rests under the table.
Seated around the table are two small creatures with warty skin, dressed in leather armour.
They are drinking some sort of grog and, by the way they stagger to their feet on your arrival, you assume they are very drunk.
You may either
draw your sword ? and leap forward at them or
slam the door quickly and
run on up the passage ?
Safe for the moment, you investigate the cavern and find a passageway which
continues to the west.
You may rest and eat provisions before you continue, and think yourself lucky for defeating the DRAGON.
The battle commences! do you use your
trusty sword ?
or rummage through your rucksack to find
another weapon ?
You are at the south end of a north-south passageway — at a dead end.
If you go northwards you will reach a crossroads.
Continue.
The SKELETONS do not notice you and disappear through the door into the Boat House.
Breathing a sigh of relief, you press on to try the door at the north end of the passage.
But before you go, you may eat some Provisions.
You think yourself lucky for evading the SKELETONS and
press on.
You arrive back at the junction and this time turn northwards.
You may collect all the copper pieces on the table.
They are worth a total of 4 Gold Pieces.
Then you can
leave through the door.
You may pause to eat provisions.
As you draw your sword, the WINGED GREMLIN flaps into the air and attacks you, while the old man rushes over to the bookshelf, touches a book and escapes through a secret doorway that opens for him.
But you must fight his pet.
Will you use
your left hand ? or
your right hand ? to start the fight.
You easily defeat and kill the drunken ORCS.
You wipe your bloodied sword on the mattress.
The green blood leaves a slimy stain on the straw.
Stepping over the bodies towards the table you flinch at the fowl stench of the creatures.
You pick up the box from under the table and examine it.
It is a small wooden box with crude hinges.
The name 'Farrigo Di Maggio' is inscribed on a brass nameplate on its lid.
Do you wish to
open the box ? or
leave it behind and
leave the room ?
As you prepare to strike the box, the rumbling sound gets louder.
You lift your sword high and prepare to strike.
As your blade comes down on the box, a loud crack deafens you and, from one corner of the room,
a small bolt of lightning darts through the air to the sword hilt, sending you reeling across the room.
You are lucky, your sword has shattered and lies on the floor,
but you managed to release your grip just before the lightning struck.
Next time, do not try to strike the chest!
You may try to use keys from your rucksack.
You are in a narrow east-west corridor.
Looking westwards you can see a crossroads ahead.
You go on to the crossroads.
The passage ends at a wooden door, trimmed in iron.
Various inscriptions adorn the door, but none makes any sense to you.
You listen, but hear nothing.
You may either
open the door ? or
return to the junction ?
You hold the Eye up in front of him and the jewel gives off a dull glow.
You point it towards him and he shrieks!
He backs away into a corner and a beam of light shoots from the jewel.
As it falls on him he sinks to the floor and a remarkable transformation takes place.
He starts to shrivel and grow visibly old in front of you.
His skin wrinkles and cracks and he slowly becomes an amorphous heap in the corner.
After some moments, the jewel stops glowing
and you approach the lifeless bundle of cloth; his robes are all that remain.
You approach with caution.
A sign above the door reads 'Boat House'.
The door is firmly locked but a small barred window allows you to look inside.
You can see a number of Skeleton-men working on building a boat of some sort.
They move in a series of quick, jerky actions rather insect-like.
Do you have a key clearly labelled 'Boat House' ?
Do you want to try to break the door down ?
Do you want to return to the riverbank and try another route ?
The door opens into a passage which you follow northwards.
Shortly you reach a bend and follow it round to the east.
Several meters on, you reach a junction at which you may either
go north ? or
continue eastwards ?
You travel westwards for several paces, then the passage turns to the north.
Some way up, you reach a junction.
You may go south or
you may go west.
To the north, the passage ends shortly at a dead end.
If you wish to go up here.
Hint if you are lost in the maze
Turn west
You climb on to the raft and start to punt your way across the river.
The going is not easy. In the middle of the river the raft seems to take on a will of its own and bobs up and down dangerously.
You realise it is attempting to capsize itself and throw you into the river!
You may either trust your strength and luck to hold on and keep punting to the north side ? or
Jump into the water and attempt to
swim back to the south bank ?
You try the keys.
Not one will turn.
As you try to turn the third key,
small catches drop and your last memory is a sting of pain as three small darts pierce your skin.
Each is treated with a quick-acting poison.
Remember not to use this combination of keys next time!
To start again from the beginning click here.
Your sword flies out of your hand, into the air and you must leap aside as it comes down on you.
It grazes your cheek as it falls.
You decide you'd better pick up your sword and
leave the room.
The GHOUL twitches and dies at your feet.
You search its body and find little of interest.
A couple of earrings, worth 1 Gold Piece between them, are in one of its pockets.
You may take these.
If you haven't already searched the first body, you do so and find 5 Gold Pieces, which you may also take.
You may also stop here, rest and eat provisions.
You think yourself lucky for killing the GHOUL.
Now you may either
press on northwards ? or
search the second body ?
You are at the south end of a north-south corridor.
Looking northwards, you can see a passage coming off from the east wall.
Do you want:
You are in a north-south corridor.
You may go either
northwards through a large wooden door ? or
southwards ?
You search the pockets of the other body and find 8 Gold Pieces, a bottle of liquid and an old piece of parchment.
You may take these items.
To
read the parchment.
To
test the liquid.
The boots are well-fashioned in a deep red leather.
They are much sturdier than your own and fit you well.
You try a few steps but are horrified to find that you cannot move, and the boots seem to be gripping your feet with considerable force.
As you struggle to free yourself, you hear a crack and a smash as a stalactite falls from the roof; you crane round to see a large black shape shifting towards you.
As it approaches, you turn cold.
Several metres away is a GIANT SPIDER, at least a metre across, advancing towards you on spiny legs, mandibles clicking nervously in anticipation of its next meal.
You draw your sword to defend yourself as it stalks you.
But you still cannot move because of the boots grip.
Will you choose
to try and take the boots off first ? or
will you fight on despite them ?.
You step over the bones on the floor to take a closer look at the Boat House.
You pick up and study a few of the tools scattered around: hammers, nails, chisels and the like, but they appear very ordinary.
You hear a banging sound coming from beyond the north door and have time for one further search before you must react.
Do you
look through the drawers of the benches around the room ? or
check the tools more carefully ?
With the WARLOCK now defeated, you know your quest is almost over.
You approach the door with two locks.
There are no keys around.
You retrieve two keys from your pack and try them in the locks.
They turn!
You open the door and peer round.
If you have no keys, you may try to break down the door,
and this you will do at the cost of almost all your stamina.
You then enter the room.
The door opens to reveal a small room with a stone floor and dirty walls.
There is a stale smell in the air.
In the centre of the room is a makeshift wooden table on which is standing a lit candle.
Under the table is a small box.
In the far corner of the room is a straw mattress.
You may either
open the box ? or
leave the room ?
You feel around the rock face at the end of the passage.
One rock comes free and reveals a small knob with a handle on the end.
Will you push it ? or
will you pull it ?
The current is strong and takes you swiftly down-stream.
You are washed along through a narrow opening and out into a large cavern with banks on both sides.
The current washes you on to
the south bank.
You quest is over.
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is no more and you are now the owner of the Sorcerer's riches.
At least a thousand Gold Pieces, jewellery, diamonds, rubies and pearls are in the chest.
Hidden under these you find the Warlock’s spell book and as you leaf through the pages, you realise that this tome is probably more valuable than all the treasure.
Instructions are given for the control of all the secrets — and the creatures — of Firetop Mountain.
With this book, unlimited power is yours and the safety of your return to the village is ensured.
Or, if you would prefer, you could remain as master of the domain of Firetop Mountain.
After a long and tiring fight you manage to defeat the creature.
You can now pick up the box and
leave the room.
You have been defeated, you have been killed by the GOBLINS.
Your body lies in a pool of blood, in a heap on the floor.
To start again from the beginning click here.
Eventually you finally manage to beat the possessed sword that flew around on its own attacking you.
It now lies defeated and broken on the floor at your feet.
You can now
pull the other lever.
A mighty battle begins in which many blows are landed by both sides but you manage to out manoeuvre the IRON CYCLOPS and make good use of your heavy sword.
Either you
defeat your enemy ? or
you try
to escape the fight ?.
You have been defeated, you have been killed by the ORCS.
Your body lies in a pool of blood, in a heap on the floor.
To start again from the beginning click here.
You have been defeated, you have been killed by the WARLOCK.
Your body lies in a pool of blood, in a heap on the floor.
To start again from the beginning click here.