The Black Orb

By Len Morse

The Rentwicke Forest has been haunted for years, or so the rumors say. Some folks even suspect undead exist in the labyrinth of caves beneath. Now reports of gruesome murders are cropping up from nearby villages, and the king has chosen you, Jonathan of Whitmore, to investigate. But are you truly ready to fight an enemy you don't even know? During your quest, you must remember that one decision can affect the rest of your life. Will you:

--Discover the secret of the mysterious invader's dark powers?
--Befriend the strange wizard, help the vengeful siblings, or fall for the female cleric?
--Fall prey to undead beings or other creatures, or even become one?
--End up imprisoned by the enemy, visit a nearby city, or arrive safely back home?

This illustrated interactive story follows Jonathan, accompanied by faithful amulet Mac, through a classic pick-your-own-path adventure that allows the reader to play through multiple routes to reach a variety of different endings.

Choose wisely!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Len Morse
• Release date: Jun 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311115300

Len Morse

I remember being interested in writing at a single-digit age. I would come up with stories and jot them down. When I was old enough, I would proofread some of my mother’s work documents when asked.When I attended college, my love for music became serious. However, I was told many times that pursuing a music performance degree was fraught with financial danger, so I majored in Geography, since I had also developed an interest in maps. During my last year of college I was able to take a fiction writing course, and then began fleshing out an idea for a novel. My writing muse had returned!After securing a job, I expanded my musical repertoire and writing styles, while continuing to add to my novel. I researched other writing outlets, but I found that traditional publishing was not likely to be my bread-and-butter. Then I discovered Helium.com in 2007.Helium was an online community where authors could sharpen their writing skills and earn money based on the number of people who clicked on their work. I wrote approximately 180 articles on Helium, the highest earner of those being “How to Write a Choose Your Own Adventure Story.”I had not touched my novel for many years, but a visit to the Maryland Renaissance Festival brought back my inspiration with a vengeance. I finished writing my novel and hired a professional editor and cover artist. At this point, my main goal is to get my story out to the public.I am currently writing a book about community concert bands, many of which I've consistently been a member of since 1993.

Book preview

The Black Orb

By Len Morse

Published by Len Morse at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 Len Morse

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away. If you would like to share this ebook, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this ebook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Table of Contents

(Note: To keep the ToC to a manageable size, many sections are not included.)

Mission with Mac

Wizard’s House, Michael

Redwood Entrance

Four Trees

Michael and Kreg

Dwarves

Erik and Michael

Marie

Fight Torturer

Chasm

Lester, Musicians

Sakren

Onyx Dog

Darnok

Rotterpillar

Bag of Tricks, The Duel

Poker Game

Ludvick

Skeletons, Attraction

Magic Mouth, Scrolls

Tunnel

Medium

Sleegen’s Revolt

Magvar the Magnificent

City

Mirror and Mina

Ogan and Jim

Flaming Sphere

Muddy Treasures, Marie

Mac’s News

General Pavadeau

Mocker

Erik’s Story

Library Books

The Orb

About Len Morse

Connect with Len Morse

~~~~~~~~~~

Preface

When I was a kid I loved reading pick-your-own-path adventure books. I became immersed in the stories, and I was thrilled to be able to help the various protagonists decide what to do. Then in the 1980s I discovered two amusements: Zork, what many consider to be the granddaddy of text-based adventure games, and Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, the magic-inspired social role-playing game. Again I found myself in fictional settings where I had a hand in how the story progressed. All of these experiences, plus many trips to the Maryland Renaissance Festival, helped inspire The Black Orb. It’s written like a grown-up novel, but with the fun and excitement of a child’s game.

Part of the fun of writing this book was keeping track of Jonathan’s experiences, memories, companions, and inventory to make sure each plot line is consistent. Also, the story is just that – a story. There is NO hidden political, religious, or social agenda. However, it may remind you of a few life lessons.

This interactive novel allows you to experience the plot through the main character’s senses and make decisions that lead him to various fates. When you get to the end of a section, click on the link you want to continue the adventure, until you get to the end. Feel free to go back and take a different route somewhere in the middle, or perhaps start over from the beginning. You should encounter 170 unique endings.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mission with Mac

Life is full of choices.

You are Jonathan, a six-foot-tall Paladin who has just turned twenty-five years old, with chestnut eyes and black hair that comes down to your shoulders. It is a crisp September evening. You stand before a huge forest and listen to the wind sift through the leaves, looking at the darkness within. The setting sun turns the clouds pink, visible everywhere except within this mysterious forest. You wonder what—or who—you might find inside, and think back to what led you here.

King Joseph of Whitmore, your amiable elder cousin, raised you in his castle. He made sure you grew up nourishing your intellect as well as your body, and secured your education in combat training, horseback riding, diplomatic relations, the ways of the aristocracy, and many other topics. Your memory of life before the castle is spotty, but Joseph took care of you, and you were thankful.

Ever since you can remember, you also suffered through many lessons from Joseph’s Court Sorcerer and trusted counselor, Daniel Kiron. You learned as much about foreign cultures, human nature, and magic as you did about math and science, thanks to Daniel’s patience. He was like an uncle to you, and not as strict as Joseph. Sometimes, after a particularly grueling lesson, he would let you ride into the nearby city of Blackstown to relax with friends at one of the pubs. Now and then, a young woman would offer herself to you; you always wondered at this, for you consider yourself of only average appearance, thinking other men much more charismatic. Joseph would always have something for you to do around the castle, however, so you never stayed out too late. Daniel made the captain of the guards aware of your forays into town, which made your return at one of the gate houses easy. In general there was no sign of animosity between you and the guards, nor was there with anyone else in your cousin’s employ. It was an enjoyable, if restrictive way to grow up.

Then the rumors began. You first heard them in town, but they circulated to the castle in less than a week. A rash of murders had begun within ten miles of the mysterious Rentwicke Forest, a place presumed haunted for many years. The forest is three days ride due south, located just beyond the southern border of King Joseph’s territory, where sentries had confirmed a few of these sightings. Some thought a single unknown aggressor was responsible. However, the prevailing story warned that he and his small army used a large cave beneath the forest as a base of operations. Once these rumors reached your cousin’s royal ear, he discontinued your trips into town and started you on an intense training regimen.

The next six months saw you sharpen your skills in various forms of combat, stealth, and reconnaissance. You were to find out as much as you could about this unknown aggressor, with the option of eradicating the enemy without endangering yourself. If the risk was too great, you were to report back to Joseph, who would muster his army and rid the land of this threat.

When the time came to leave, Joseph called you into his private chambers and gave you a black cloak. This should help you hide more easily. You never know what you’ll run into out there. I know Daniel has some magic ready for you, but don’t forget to use your brain, too. Joseph shook your hand, then briefly embraced you. Take care of yourself, cousin.

You went down to Daniel’s lab, your last stop before leaving the castle, where the chubby sorcerer gave you a small leather bag held closed by a drawstring. "There are six cubes in this pouch. Toss one at an enemy while saying ‘Nikelaxum’ to turn him to stone. Each works only once, but remember—you must not hold one when you say the magic word. The cube must have left your hand before you finish speaking. Also…"

He reached into one of the many folds of his light blue robe and pulled out an emerald amulet on a shiny gold chain, made in the shape of a dragon’s head. Wear this always, outside your shirt. It’s called MAC, short for Magical Amulet Companion. I made it decades ago and I know it’ll help you in many ways on your journey. Jonathan, please be careful. He gave you a suffocating bear hug. I almost forgot… He turned to the interior of his apartments and shouted, Fortune! You both watched the empty doorway. She’s very independent, but I want her to wish you luck on your first mission.

A cat with long brown hair sauntered into view, stopped on the threshold to observe you for a few moments, then continued to stroll into the room. The gold and white highlights in her fur became more distinct as she approached and jumped onto a nearby table, mewing once. You raised you hand and she put her paw in your palm then rubbed her head against your outstretched fingers. Her fur was as smooth as silk. Then she walked a few feet away, sat on her haunches, and began cleaning herself.

Well, I suppose that’ll have to do, Daniel said.

With everything ready, you left the castle with a horse and retainer and passed through various towns with no hindrance. Outside of dangerous stories about the Rentwicke Forest, townsfolk were hospitable. Your royal tunic ensured the best provisions and the most luxurious rooms at inns, still leaving you with plenty of money. You reached the forest on the evening of your third day out. You lit one of your torches and gave your tunic to the retainer, then donned the black cloak. You sent him back home with the horse, thinking you would do better on foot at this point.

You had inventoried your belongings as a precaution before exiting the castle gates, and you do so again now. You wear your own cotton shirt, a light chain mail shirt, the black cloak, and the amulet. You also have on your undergarment, sturdy breeches and comfortable boots. Your weapons consist of a bow with a quiver of twenty arrows slung across your left shoulder, a shortsword, and a dagger hidden beneath the sleeve of your shirt. You also have a metal shield that can cover you from neck to stomach. Tied at your waist are a full water skin and a pouch containing two weeks’ worth of food and rations, which do not take up much room. Yet another pouch holds twenty-five copper pieces, twelve silver pieces, and ten gold pieces. You carry flint, steel, three torches, medicine, twenty feet of rope, plus Daniel’s pouch of magic cubes, in a larger sack.

Now covered by a blanket of darkness, you stand at the true beginning of your mission. You enter the dense forest with a burning torch, recalling many rumors as the shadowy branches lean over you like ungodly creatures frozen in mid-attack. Although you cannot see much, the sifting wind makes you wonder what eerie sounds you might hear this night. There is supposed to be a secret underground passage to the cave, but you have no idea how to find it.

Cursed darkness, you say.

You might want to set up camp, instead, a man’s voice says nearby.

You scan your immediate surroundings and draw your sword. Show yourself!

Put your sword away. You don’t need it. If you just look down at your amulet, I’ll explain. You do. Hello, it says.

Daniel never said anything about the amulet talking. You re-sheathe your sword and remove the golden chain from around your neck. The torchlight illuminates the dragon’s head; you can see the mouth moving when it speaks again.

I apologize for alarming you. I didn’t expect you to be so surprised.

Surprised? Try stunned! Why didn’t Daniel tell me you could talk?

I don’t know. I didn’t say anything at the time because I thought you already knew. Still, you can rest assured that I’m no threat to you. In fact, I have a number of spells at my disposal that I expect will come in handy on our mission.

I thought all I had to do was invoke you and you would, um…

I would what? Do exactly what you said?

Um, yeah. Other amulets do that, you say, but Mac seems quite intelligent.

Well, I can converse and think of my own accord, just like you. Daniel also gave me a personality so I’d be as ‘human’ as possible and, supposedly, easier to get along with. I’ve traveled extensively with him and part of the reason we’re on this mission together is so you can benefit from my experience and advice. I’m quite smart, you know.

I see. Bit of an ego, too. So you’re here to help me make decisions and…be my companion?

If I feel you need help, yes, I’ll lend assistance. However, the final decision is yours. For instance, the way I see it, we can camp here for the night—you did point out the darkness was getting in the way—or we can keep looking for the rumored entrance to the cave. What do you want to do?

Set up camp

Keep searching

~~~~~~~~~~

Tired from your trek, you gather some wood and make a small fire for your evening meal. You remain wary of the unfamiliar surroundings outside your warm ring of light.

There’s something I need to tell you about this forest: One of the rumors is true, Mac says.

Which one? You unpack and cook your rations.

These woods are frequented by ghouls, a type of undead that feeds on…uugh, I can hardly say it…they eat live flesh.

Good to know, Mac, but if you have any more gruesome details to tell, keep it to yourself. I’m about to eat.

Still hungry despite this news, you eat your meal and try to get comfortable on the hard ground. Mac does not need sleep, so he offers to keep a diligent watch for any undead or other predators.

The next morning, you awaken feeling renewed. Mac reports that nothing unusual happened last night. After a small breakfast and about two hours of travel, you come upon a man lying face down in the thick brush, near a tree. You draw your sword and walk over to him, looking all around, then stoop down and gently shake him by the shoulder.

Hey, friend, this is a dangerous place to sleep alone. You ought to get moving.

You roll him over and discover his throat has been ripped out. His unseeing eyes stare at the treetops from out of an unnaturally white face, and you notice a pool of blood beneath the body. You dart behind the large tree and retch, waiting a while before taking a few swigs from your water skin.

This person needs a proper burial.

Futile, Mac says.

Why?

The ghouls will just come back and dig him up again. They can smell the stench even if the body is covered.

That’s disgusting!

Sorry, that’s how they are. I’m just trying to save you some labor.

You search around the area for logs, branches, and stones for a funeral pyre. It takes about half an hour to build the structure, but you soon wipe away the sweat and let out a satisfied breath as the body burns.

The next two hours pass without incident, as you hike deeper into the forest. You wonder if you will come across another mangled body.

Jonathan, stop! Mac whispers.

What’s wrong?

Your amulet chants a quick spell. I sense a powerful magic. I can’t tell whether it’s helpful or harmful. Either way, it could be dangerous.

Continue on

Go another way

~~~~~~~~~~

Mac, just relax, will you? I have a good feeling about this room.

Okay, but don’t blame me if something happens to you.

You unfurl the parchment and study the contents with interest:

To hear a piece, say the corresponding number.

If you do not say a number, music will not play.

SELECTION / COMPOSER / DESCRIPTION

1 – Festive Overture / Dimitri Shostakovich / Revolt Anniversary

2 – Firebird Suite / Igor Stravinsky / Ivan’s Adventure

3 – Marche Slave / Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky / Veteran Support

4 – Night on Bald Mountain / Modest Mussorgsky / Witches’ Sabbath

5 – Procession of the Nobles / Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov / Celebratory Entry

6 – Troika / Sergei Prokofiev / Triplet Dance

An unbelievable scene of Graylin—sitting here, relaxing, as music flows throughout the room—spins though your brain. Can he really have a taste for classical music, yet still be as ruthless as you’ve heard? Maybe it’s not for him, but the troops? You berate yourself for not paying more attention when the uniformed man left the room.

Either way, your next decision seems rather innocuous: Do you have the time and inclination to listen to one of these pieces, or do you exit?

Listen to piece #1

Listen to piece #2

Listen to piece #3

Listen to piece #4

Listen to piece #5

Listen to piece #6

Exit

~~~~~~~~~~

You go on, concluding you would be safer if you kept moving. Although your torch sheds enough light to walk by, you do not see any clues that might help you find the secret entrance.

Half an hour later you hear a loud rustling in the underbrush and before you can react, a figure stumbles out of the bushes about ten feet in front of you, looking much like a rotting corpse that has escaped its coffin. Dirty gray patches of skin hang from its body, exposing parts of its rib cage and other bones. A lipless, evil grin reveals yellowed fangs and a slavering mouth. When it spots you, an unmistakable hunger sparks in the darkness of the ghoul’s dead eyes. Disgusting claws move toward you.

Run

Fight

Let Mac cast a spell

~~~~~~~~~~

Wizard’s House, Michael

You draw your sword and proceed forward, noticing more birds and small animals. Another mile of walking brings you to a tiny shack with a vegetable garden in front and smoke drifting from the stone chimney. The door opens and out steps a middle-aged man wearing a brilliant red robe with mystical symbols decorating the bottom and cuffs. His curly blond hair has turned gray in a few places, but not in his short beard. He scratches his pointed nose.

Please come in, traveler. I get so few visitors. He seems pleasant enough.

You place your hand on the hilt of your sword. Who’re you? Could this be the enemy you are searching for? A mage?

My name is Erik, he says. Please, you have no reason to fear me.

How do I know you’re not lying?

Mac chants another spell. He speaks the truth.

The first room contains a table with three chairs around it. Various cooking utensils and appliances line the walls, surrounded by a wide assortment of candles: thin, fat, short, tall, cubes, spheres, and some multi-sided shapes you cannot even name. Each is a solid color, and all colors of the rainbow are represented.

Erik offers you a seat. Allow me to get you something to eat, then we can talk. He bustles around the kitchen as he lays out a hearty meal of beef stew, bread, and apple cider, then sits across from you. Welcome to my humble home. What’s your name, traveler?

Jonathan of Whitmore. I’m investigating this forest and I came across an area of magic around these parts. You take a cautious bite of what turns out to be delicious bread.

Oh, that’s mine, Erik says between mouthfuls of stew. I surrounded my home with the magic screen years ago to repel undead. It’s been an immense help against those disgusting ghouls! I hope you haven’t seen too many of them.

Throughout the conversation he seems intrigued by your mission, and he agrees to help you. After lunch you follow him into a small room containing a wooden chair and table, a threadbare rug, a few charcoal drawings hanging on the walls, and many more candles. He picks up a thick green one from the table.

This is one of the most important in my collection. If you should find yourself in any trouble during your quest, light this candle. I have a psychic connection with it, so as soon as you light it I’ll know where you are and I can transport myself to your location. He walks over to the rug. I have another surprise for you. Behold! He lifts the rug to reveal a trap door in the floor. It’s a part of the underground passages your ‘enemy aggressor’ doesn’t know about.

How do you know that? you ask.

We’ve crossed paths before. If you don’t believe anything else I’ve said today, believe this: I despise the man! Erik’s voice turns cold and his eyes become crystal clear. "For years I’ve hunted him, and my research latest research has led me to create the tunnel below us. I’ve been after him for…personal reasons.

At the end of the tunnel, a magic doorway will take you to enemy territory, but it’s a one-way portal—I intended it for myself at a time when I wasn’t sure of my commitment, to keep me from retreating. But that was years ago. Now, I’m ready. As soon as I finish one last bit of research, I can enter. In the meantime, you may use the portal.

You agree and put the green candle in one of your sacks, then light a torch. Erik wishes you luck as you climb through the trap door to a cool tunnel. After about ten minutes, you arrive at the magic portal, which appears pitch black beyond the stone threshold. You hesitantly step through the ominous doorway into total darkness. Your torch flares up again, revealing a twisting corridor ahead and a dead end behind you. You proceed forward until you come to a wooden door at the other end, which muffles two voices on the other side.

The lock appears ancient. You try to slide the rusty latch, but the entire lock comes off in your hands, leaving a small hole in the door. Beyond, two orcs sit on a crude bench, sharing a cheap cigar and talking in the guttural language of their race. Each has only a longsword.

You think back to Daniel’s lessons on the non-human races, but nothing is quite like seeing them for yourself. Each burly orc is between six and seven feet tall, with mottled grayish-green skin. They wear thick leather armor, but no helmets on their bald heads; they are facing away from you at an angle, so you can see the pointy ears and pig-like snout on both. You also detect something akin to body odor.

I think I can take them, you whisper to Mac. I have a plan.

You extinguish your torch, step back into the shadows, and toss the lock just hard enough so the guards hear it hit the door. You ready your sword as one of them draws his weapon. He pushes the door open, his deep-set eyes squinting around the corridor. When he reaches out to close the door, you slice his arm. To stop his screaming, you maneuver your blade inside his leather armor and through his ribs to his heart. You drag him to a tunnel wall, where you clean off and sheathe your sword.

The other guard rushes up to the doorway and shouts something in orcish. His eyebrows lower into a scowl and he grinds the cigar into the palm of his hand. He peers into the silent tunnel and draws his longsword.

Who’s there? Come out and identify yourself!

Nikelaxum! you shout as you throw one of Daniel’s magic cubes at his stomach. He ducks, but the cube hits him in the forehead, leaving him frozen in a rather awkward position. After re-lighting your torch, you haul the orc statue away from the door and search the body, finding that his clothing and personal provisions have also been turned to stone.

You snatch a key ring from the first orc’s body before crossing the room. You head down a staircase, unlock another door, and enter a long room with numerous bars extending from ceiling to floor, forming little cells, one of which contains a prisoner.

You found the prison! Congratulations! Mac says. What do you say we help that poor chap over there?

The stranger has black hair and a light complexion. From the looks of his clothing, he could hail from one of the southern kingdoms. He looks up at you with dark eyes. You don’t look like a guard.

I’m Jonathan of Whitmore and this is Mac. We’re on a reconnaissance mission.

My name is Michael Albert Donavicci and my party was captured a week ago. We’re here for revenge. My sister Abi and our friend James and I came here in search of a man called Graylin. He murdered our father!

I’m so sorry…you have my deepest condolences. Is this Graylin the one in charge down here?

All I know is he killed my father. You let Michael out with the guard’s keys, and you both walk to a door at the other end of the chamber. Some guards took Abi to be interrogated and James was somehow brainwashed. When he came back, I could tell he wasn’t himself. He is tall and stronger than he looks. I think Graylin wants to make him a guard.

You tell Michael of your quest and you both agree this Graylin is the enemy aggressor your cousin sent you to spy on. You reach the door at the other end of the room, and again use the keys. You have taken only a few steps when you hear heavy footfalls and the echoing jingle of another set of keys.

Quick! Get back in your cell! Michael gives you a pained expression, but does as you say. You re-lock his cell and hide behind a corner.

A tall man wearing a guard uniform enters the room. As he starts to unlock Michael’s cell, you sneak up and knock him over the head with your shield. You both tie him up and lock him in the cell, after which Michael keeps the keys, so now you both have a set. You lend Michael your dagger until he can find where his weapons are being kept.

You leave the prison and walk down the damp corridor, soon coming to a door at the end of the short hallway. Just as Michael reaches out, the door flings open, smashing him against the wall. A large orcish guard stands in the threshold, a dirty smile on his face. He whips out his sword and steps toward you. You draw your own sword and, hoping Michael is a fast healer, back away from your ugly opponent.

Painful seconds tick by. Is Michael all right? Is he even conscious? Both you and the orc are still moving away when the door closes, then Michael places your dagger against the guard’s neck from behind. Even though he is more than a foot shorter than the guard, your companion has the upper hand at the moment.

If you want to keep you gullet intact, friend, I suggest you not even breathe loudly. Michael turns to you. Why don’t you tie him up?

After placing your torch in a nearby sconce, you bind the guard’s wrists and ankles with your rope while Michael keeps your dagger at the orc’s grungy throat. You find a dagger in his boot and eleven electrum pieces in a pouch, six of which you give to Michael. You use the orc’s dagger to slice off his boots and clothing, leaving him in his undergarments.

Time for questioning, Michael says as he shoves the guard against the corridor wall. You ready your bow with one of your steel-tipped arrows and point it at the demoralized orc.

Wait a minute, Michael, Mac says. He might look dumb, but he’s still smart enough to lie. I can make sure he gives us the simple truth. Michael nods. Mac chants and the guard’s expression begins to change.

Thanks to the guard’s straightforward answers, you learn that Graylin is preparing Abi for an interrogation of his own, in either the Hanging Room near the Barracks or the Torture Chamber. While answering the questions, the guard also tells you what traps to watch out for and where other guards might be.

When you are satisfied, you both gag the bound guard with a piece of cloth. You grab your torch and exit. According to the guard, to get to the Hanging Room you should go straight, but to get to the Torture Chamber you must turn left.

Head toward the hanging room

Head toward the torture chamber

~~~~~~~~~~

It’s no trouble, really, you tell the gnome.

Here, I’ll show you how easy it is. Your amulet begins chanting. The gnome gasps.

Well done, amulet, Lisiak says. They’re all frozen in place. Now’s our chance.

The three of you continue through the narrow tunnel as before, crawling past the bodies of about two dozen rats. The tunnel slopes down even more.

The elf stops and tells you of a large area just ahead that looks muddy. You can already feel the cold, slick floor beneath your hands and knees. The gnome crawls up ahead of you, then returns after a time.

There’s a wall right in front of us. It looks unstable. I think it’s made of earth, not rock. He crawls away and pokes around some more. A large portion of the wall crumbles away to let in intense light, and you can now see the gnome kneeling and pointing out of the new hole. We made it! We found the outside!

Your two companions are all for leaving this dreadful place, but you think of the other former prisoners who took the opposite tunnel. It would just not be right to simply leave. I think I should go back and tell the others, you say.

Suit yourself. Good luck. The elf turns to the hole in the wall.

You light a torch and crawl back up the muddy slope into the dark tunnel. Now you can see without having to deal with infravision.

Mac, how long does that freezing spell last?

It should not be a problem, but I wouldn’t dally, just in case.

You reach the level area as one of the rats begins to move. You use a cube against it, but the others start coming out of their frozen positions. You cannot get through.

As you turn, the rats start down the tunnel after you and you throw a handful of rations behind you. Many go for the food, but a few do catch up and nip at your feet. You dispatch them with your torch; otherwise you dare not look back. After what seems like an eternity, light appears up ahead as the sloping tunnel exits into the muddy room. You slide down to the hole and slip through, spurred on by visions of ugly rats feasting on your carcass.

You fall into cold water that snuffs out your torch. You are so relieved it takes you a few moments to realize the rats are climbing out of the hole after you. You swim for the light and navigate through a cove to a narrow strip of beach. The elf and the gnome are here and they help you out of the water as you tell them of your encounter. Looking back, you do not see any rats and assume they do not like to swim, though they seemed famished.

You collapse onto the sand and stare up at a cloudless sky, resting your sore muscles. The beach follows high cliffs that stretch down the coastline until it curves out of view. When everyone is ready, you wring out what clothing you can and start hiking. Shadows become longer as the day wears on. You converse to relieve boredom and eat when you are hungry, but the miles slip by and the high cliffs keep you from venturing inland.

Finally, near dusk, your party agrees to camp on the beach, amid a cold ocean breeze. You build a fire using driftwood and after a hot meal, you bed down for the night while Mac keeps watch. With the harrowing adventure behind you and the confidence that your expedition will eventually turn inland, a deep slumber comes quickly.

THE END

~~~~~~~~~~

You head up, wanting only to get out of this infernal dungeon in one piece. At the top of the stairs, another well-lighted corridor twists and turns down a steep slope. You soon find yourself in a large cave.

No more than fifty feet away stand the main gate, walls, ramparts and towers of an immense citadel. The front wall alone is at least three hundred feet long and the entire building is made of white marble. You stand in front of the wooden drawbridge that is suspended by two huge chains, offering safe passage over a wide moat. You dust yourself off and prepare to enter, continuing to gaze up at the impressive castle.

Continue

~~~~~~~~~~

You select #6 and are surprised to hear a buoyant, happy style of music. You imagine horses running and playing in the snow, with no humans or other creatures around for miles. It’s a lovely piece and you are disappointed when it ends. You sit there for a few moments longer, but Mac urges you to keep moving, so you get up and exit.

Continue

~~~~~~~~~~

You run from the gruesome sight and dodge a second ghoul. You scamper through the brush and chance a look back, seeing one only ten feet behind you. When you throw your torch the monster just knocks it out of the way. You are hit from the side and fall, and the other ghoul starts slashing at your back and head as you struggle to get free. The other hobbles up and they both turn you over. Your last thoughts are those of your amulet sticking out of a ghoul’s mouth and a feeling of many dirty claws gripping your head and shoulders. You feel a mighty tug…

THE END

~~~~~~~~~~

Redwood Entrance

With Mac’s direction, you manage to avoid the area of magic. After about three days of travel and no other encounters, you enter a section of the forest that contains only giant redwood trees, which ignites an idea.

Mac, can you check to see if we can get underground through one of these redwoods?

Well, I can’t guarantee anything, but I’ll give it a try. Please don’t move—it may disturb my concentration. A minute of soft chanting goes by. I detect magic, but it’s very faint. If you head northwest, we might find the source.

You hike in the suggested direction, checking all the nearby trees for anything unusual. After following Mac’s directions for half an hour, during which you wait a few times while he gets his bearings, then tells you to stop. The entrance should be right in front of you.

In front of you is a redwood with a trunk the size of a house. You search around and eventually find a well-hidden cut in the wood, outlining a door. You try to push—no good. Neither can you find anything to pull, tilt, turn or twist. You stand next to the huge tree and ponder this new problem. How am I going to get this door open?

I could cast a nullification spell on it. That should counter whatever magic is keeping the door closed.

No, you’ve done enough. Save your spells. Let me keep looking… You continue your search for a trigger, finding a small knot situated about a foot above your head, around one side of the tree. You push on it and the door opens with a small creak.

The hollowed trunk of the giant tree forms a round wooden chamber that houses a stairway leading below ground. When you get to the bottom, you pass under an arch and stop at an intersection of corridors heading off in different directions.

Well done, but be careful: Watch for traps wherever you go, Mac says.

Enter the left tunnel

Enter the middle tunnel

Enter the right tunnel

~~~~~~~~~~

You draw you sword and level it at the ghoul. It tries to hit you, but you block the attack, thus beginning an exchange of blows and parries. One robust hit knocks the sword from your grasp, but Mac chants and shoots flames that engulf the ghoul’s arms and head. You retrieve your weapon, and with a few well-placed swipes you put the flailing ghoul out of its misery.

You encounter nothing else until around noon of the fifth day, when you come upon a part of the forest that includes giant redwood trees. When you step on one of the oversized roots, it tilts into the ground and you fall down a narrow, steep tunnel. You slide out of the tunnel into a foggy cavern with a faint yellow glow. In spite of this eerie light, you light a torch, hoping the flames will cut through the fog and allow you to see more. Everywhere, stalagmites and stalactites rise and descend out of the gloom like huge dragon teeth.

At the other end of the cavern a rocky tunnel winds away into the darkness, eventually leading you to an intersection where you hear faint voices. You back up and crouch in the shadows as the voices get closer. Two men wearing armored uniforms walk by making derogatory remarks about someone called Graylin, who apparently enjoys a high rank in the organization. You follow the two guards under cover of darkness, but hear no other useful information. You find yourself standing at a wooden door as the two men walk off. You hear nothing from the other side of the door, so you try the latch and soon shine your torch into a small room.

You enter the cool chamber and your torch illuminates a spherical, floating creature with one large eye in the center of the body, facing you. It also has seven tentacles on top with an eye at the end of each and a gruesome, slobbering mouth filled with sharp teeth down below. You have heard of this creature—it is called a watcher.

Leave

Fight

~~~~~~~~~~

Four Trees

Mac, can you do anything? you ask.

I’m casting. Don’t move.

The ghoul’s eyes grow wide with terror as Mac chants. In a heartbeat, it is gone among the trees. You let out a breath you did not realize you were holding.

We should be safe from undead for a while, Mac says. My spell lasts for three days, which should buy us some time to find the secret entrance.

That evening you camp in a small clearing. You build a meager fire to heat yourself and cook some of your rations. As you eat you look towards the west, trying to see a bit of the sunset through the dense forest, but only slivers of bluish-pink sky are visible through the leaves. You finish your meal as the area outside of your encampment turns pitch black. Mac tells you he does not need sleep, and will warn of scavengers or other dangers. You make yourself comfortable by the fire, soon dreaming of opening the tree canopy and connecting uncountable stars with a celestial quill.

The next two days are uneventful. The sun beats down, although the massive canopy of vines and leaves keeps the woods cool. The trees are bigger as well. Daniel had told you about these giant trees—they are called redwoods, and they are harmless. On the afternoon of your fifth day, you arrive at another large clearing with a group of four giant redwoods growing close to each other. You manage to climb up in between two of the massive trunks and look down into a man-sized hole in the center of the group.

You drop a lit torch down the hole. After about ten minutes of descending, using your back and legs for support, you drop out into a small passageway. As you retrieve your torch, you see a faint green glow ahead. Behind you a corridor extends into the darkness with a doorway on the left.

Move toward the green glow

Move toward the doorway

~~~~~~~~~~

You hike into the right tunnel entrance and down a cool hallway that ends at a door upon which is drawn, in fine detail, a skull and crossbones. Despite a severe warning from Mac, you draw your sword and depress the latch. Then you ease the door open, causing a slight scraping from above. You step back just before a bucket of bubbling, black ooze splatters all over the stone floor in front of you.

You sidestep the disgusting puddle and light a torch. As soon as you enter, the door slams shut and locks with an audible click. The long, well-lit chamber looks empty as you stand at one corner, so you take a step forward.

A grinding noise makes you turn to see the entire thirty-foot wall at this end of the room moving toward you. You spot two doors at the other end of the room, so you take your shield off your back and hold it ahead of you as you progress forward. Your eyes dart to the walls, floor and ceiling, then you walk into an invisible barrier. You feel your way along the unseen wall and move forward when you reach an opening, but find another invisible wall. Daniel had taught you how to get out of mazes: follow one wall with your hand until you get out. In a few minutes you find the invisible exit, but the sound of shattering glass tells you the moving wall has begun to destroy the maze.

As you leave the maze behind, you notice many tiny notches in the walls on either side. You step forward and hear a small tip as a thin dart shoots into your torch.

Not good. I can’t protect both sides with one shield, you say.

I know a protection spell that just might help our situation. Mac chants a few words of magic. Okay. We should be safe now.

You take one step forward. A dart shoots from the left-hand wall, but it bounces away about ten inches from your shoulder. With more confidence, you stride toward the two doors no more than thirty-five feet away. Tiny darts bounce off you like hailstones, and the grinding you now hear must be the wall shoving broken glass in front of it. You do not trust the clear space ahead.

A huge axe blade swings down from the ceiling and only knocks you down, instead of cleaving you in half, thanks to Mac’s invisible body shield. Still, that costs you valuable time.

You dodge many swinging axes until you are about fifteen feet from the doors, but the moving wall is close behind and coming fast.

Try the left door

Try the right door

~~~~~~~~~~

You follow the left-hand corridor until you reach a three-way intersection. You turn left, but slam into a stone wall, finding that it is nothing more than a detailed mural, painted to look like a corridor. You step back, rubbing your nose, then turn around and walk toward the other end of the corridor, hoping the other side of the intersection will not have such misleading structural abnormalities. Mac warns to be careful.

The other hallway is indeed real, but the floor tilts down and drops you onto a slide. You manage to roll from your stomach to your back, still holding the torch, before the shaft curves to the left and ends. You shoot out like a cannonball, feet first, and land on your back on something soft. You sit up, torch still in hand, in the middle of a tiny room containing mounds of feathers, some still fluttering down from your forceful landing. You look up and see a large handle in the low ceiling, no more than five feet from your head. Digging through the feathers only reveals more feathers, and you consider investigating the handle.

Grab the handle

Ignore the handle

~~~~~~~~~~

You walk straight across the intersection and continue through the corridor. As soon as you reach a well-lighted room, a stone block slams down right behind you. The room contains a number of wooden bunk beds, some tables, chairs, and weapons on unsteady racks. You recognize the unsavory stench of urine, and various undergarments litter the floor. On one of the tables, a crude dish contains what looks like bones and dried blood. Another door is forty feet ahead.

You move toward a weapons rack where you try to take one of the spears. It is wedged in tight, so you yank harder, causing the other spears to come loose and clatter to the floor. Five orcs dressed in various pieces of clothing and armor spring from the next room.

An ace of diamonds falls from a sleeve. You’re in big trouble, one of them says with a toothy grin. We don’t like interruptions when we’re playing’ Pinochle! Each orc guard pulls a sword and attacks.

Defend yourself

Dash for the door

~~~~~~~~~~

You turn around and leave the smoky doorway behind. It just doesn’t look right. You continue on until you reach the place where the rocky corridor splits, and wonder whether or not you should go back even further. You stand there for a moment and make your decision.

Continue

~~~~~~~~~~

You scramble out of the room and shut the door. Fighting a watcher is not my idea of fun. You wonder just for a moment what the watcher was guarding.

You re-trace your steps and turn left at the corridor you passed earlier. As soon as you get ten feet past the intersection, you fall through a trap door and your torch is blown out. You land on your back on something soft, yet sticky enough to keep you from sitting up. Only by using your peripheral vision do you see you are lying on a giant spider web, where your torch-bearing left hand is stuck fast.

A hairy, dog-sized spider ambles onto the web from a nearby wall, but even if you could retrieve and re-light your torch, the sticky strands would ignite and you would not have time to avoid the flames. You manage to unsheathe your blade with your free right hand and level it at the spider as the web sways with its lumbering steps. It is almost on top of you when you jam your blade into its black head. With an ear-piercing scream, the spider scurries toward the edge of the web and falls off, taking your sword with it.

You unsheathe your dagger and slice the web, intending a gradual descent to the bottom of the pit. Unfortunately, your perception of the ground’s location is a bit off, for after a few swipes with the dagger, you again fall through the air.

Mac! A spell!

The amulet chants and you close your eyes, hoping for the best. You land on something spongy. Mac says one magic word and begins glowing, illuminating a mound of cotton that stretches from wall to wall.

Great idea, Mac. You’re a life-saver!

Oh, go on. Just doing my job, right? Now… Mac chants some more. I found a secret door. Look to your left.

As you wade through the cotton, you come across the giant spider’s carcass and yank your sword out with little effort, then clean off the slimy blood. You step through the cotton and sink to the floor, where your foot rolls off something big. You dig deep and come up with a gem, then delve back to floor level and root around, soon finding another gem and a small length of pearl necklace. You leave the necklace but drop the gems into your money pouch for safekeeping. Once you exit the pit, Mac extinguishes his glow, after which you light a new torch and exit into a hallway. You can go to the left and examine a boarded door, or to the right, down some stairs.

Go left

Go down

~~~~~~~~~~

You grab your sack of magic cubes and toss one at the watcher, saying the magic word, but the cube flies between two of the watcher’s eyestalks. The watcher’s large eye blasts a sharp blue ray just above your head and you duck. Part of the wall behind you shatters into a thousand pieces with a hammering blow. You get back up and pelt the watcher with another cube, yelling, Nikelaxum! It hits the monster right in the central eye and, true to form, your enemy is now a ball of stone.

Neat, clean, and no bloodshed, Mac says. All you need is good aim.

You open the watcher’s door and step into a lighted chamber. A small table in the center of the room holds a black bag about the size of an orange, so you approach the table after a cursory examination of the rest of the room.

I don’t understand; I thought guarded treasure rooms were supposed to have full treasure chests, piles of coins up to the ceiling…stuff like that, you say.

"Where is that written? Jonathan, life rarely happens according to your expectations, or popular belief. Just because something is supposed to be a certain way, doesn’t mean it will be that way. Besides, we should probably be thankful this treasure is so small. That’s probably why the watcher didn’t put up much of a fight."

Mm, good point. Let’s see what we have here.

After Mac casts a spell to detect magic but finds none, you open the velvet bag and remove a pendant made of platinum, inset with a clear, yellow-green gem. The sparkling pendant must be worth tons. The next item is a thin, gold bracelet with five clear gems around the outside. Each light green jade gem has been shaved thin. A pair of silver earrings is next out of the bag, each shaped like a teardrop, with a deep blue gem in the middle. The last piece of jewelry is another silver item, a ring, with the blackest of gems set inside. This gem is also opaque, but its luster shines through in the numerous facets along the sides and top, reminding you of opal. Daniel’s lessons on the properties and values of certain gems come screaming into your memory.

What do you think, Mac? Total value of everything here: Twenty thousand gold?

Maybe more, I’d say twenty-six or twenty-seven. That pendant looks exquisite. But we should ask a jeweler to get the true value, and we’re not even close to completing our mission.

I know. You replace the small trove and drop the bag into your money pouch. You pass the ugly stone watcher on your way back into the corridor and come upon a shallow alcove to your right. The corridor continues straight on, then turns right up ahead.

Check the alcove

Pass the alcove

~~~~~~~~~~

You head toward the green glow, among the damp walls of solid rock. You get about thirty feet from the glow when you hear footsteps behind you and turn around in time to see a heavily armed human sprinting toward you, about fifty feet away.

Intruder! I’ll be roasting your carcass for supper, criminal! The uniformed man’s battle cries echo off the stone walls.

He’s pretty big. I’d leave right about now, Mac says.

You unsheathe your sword and wield it in front of you. You also back away, toward the green doorway.

Die, reeking scum! the guard yells.

Dammit, Jonathan, I’m trying to keep you alive, here! Our job is reconnaissance, not vigilantism!

Fight the screaming guard

Chance the glowing doorway

~~~~~~~~~~

You extinguish your torch and sneak up to the room. A light shines from above onto a struggling woman chained to a stone slab set at an angle. She has wavy blond hair and seems about your height, with torn clothing and bloody marks on her face and muscular body.

Stupid girl! You though you could get away from a guard of Doctor Graylin! A large uniformed man walks into view with his back to you. He stares down at her. You’re lucky the master wants to question you before he unleashes me upon you. He strokes a coiled bullwhip hanging at his side.

You won’t get anything from me, you perverted monster! She spits on the huge man. He just laughs and turns away, but then spins back around. The back of his hand knocks her head against the stone. Her body slumps as she loses consciousness, leaving only the chains to hold her up. The big man begins to unlock her shackles.

Attack the guard

Follow the guard

~~~~~~~~~~

You choose to go straight, for you presume Abi’s life is in danger, while James is safe for the moment. Further down the corridor you notice a slender wire strung across the hallway at about chest level. You point it out to Michael. As you both duck under it, you trip on a wire near ankle level and crash to the floor, where a series of nets shoot from the ceiling with incredible force. You are pinned to the hard stone, unable to get to your weapons. Mac cannot help with a spell, for he is trapped beneath your body.

You and your companion lay immobile for a few seconds before many orcish guards come to retrieve you. They rip the nets off you, then they bind and gag you and take your armor, weapons and other possessions, including Mac. If you try to move, they just shove you back to the floor. You and Michael are dragged by your feet through the halls, up some stairs and through numerous doorways.

They arrive at two trap doors in the floor, where they untie your hands and lift you to your feet. An orc looks you in the face. Have a nice trip! He throws you into one of the holes and you land on a metal floor. You wince from the pain and close your eyes, then hear another thud behind you. The snickering guards slam the trap doors and leave. The air smells briny and you feel a sensation of swaying. Someone mutters nearby, so you sit up, trying to ignore your multiple bruises, and look around.

You are in a small cage hanging about ten feet below the ceiling of an enormous, well lit chamber. Michael sits in a similar cage about twenty feet away, rubbing his sore shoulder and cursing under his breath. Many other cages hang in a grid that extends all the way to the stone walls, at twenty-foot intervals. About sixty feet down, crystal-clear water covers a large cave surrounded by tons of sand and some boulders. Various species of harmless-looking fish swim everywhere, and many sea anemones cling to the rocks and aquarium walls. You wonder if anything lives in the cave.

You and Michael agree on trying to get out, but both of you are bruised up quite a bit. Wishing you had your medicine handy, you check your numerous injuries and flex your hands and arms; everything seems okay, just a little painful. You can either attempt escape now or wait and see what plans your captors have.

Try to escape

Wait for a better time

~~~~~~~~~~

Following the directions of your previous captive, you make a number of turns, while also ignoring many dark passages and avoiding any traps. You finally reach a dead end with a door on the left that, according to the bound guard, leads into the Torture Chamber. You hear nothing behind the locked door, but Michael uses the key ring to gain access. He eases the door open and looks inside, then signals you to follow him in.

The room contains at least a dozen machines designed to break the body and the will, such as a rack, a coffin, a thumbscrew, stocks, and other sinister contraptions. You are relieved to see no previous victims’ remains. Michael asks whether you want to stay and look for clues about Graylin or try to find the barracks.

Search the chamber

Go find the barracks

~~~~~~~~~~

Michael and Kreg

The handle’s obvious placement makes you suspicious, so you continue sifting through the feathers and eventually find a brilliant purple plume stuck into the floor. You pluck it from its hole and the feathers are swept into a sudden updraft, surrounding you in a white whirlwind. The plume is blown from your grip as the flames from your torch frolic in the magical gale. The wind dies down and the feathers drift to the floor.

As the air clears, you see a new doorway, just large enough for a dwarf to pass through. You follow the undersized corridor into a dim dungeon with five cells on either side of a narrow hall. A short man with dark hair and a mustache rushes to the bars of his cell.

Are you from the outside? he asks. You nod. Please let me out! I must kill Graylin!

Who are you?

Michael Albert Donavicci. Three days ago I came here with my sister Abi the Archer and our friend James, to avenge our father’s murder. Graylin killed him.

I’m Jonathan of Whitmore. And this Graylin is…?

The leader of this complex. Please, you must help me! They took Abi for interrogation and I have no idea where James is.

Of course we’ll help, Mac says. Jonathan, hold me up, please. When you do, he chants and a gas spews from your amulet onto many of the iron bars. I just weakened the bars. You should have no trouble getting out now. Just pull.

Hesitating, Michael pulls on the bars and they bend quite readily.

Well done, Mac. I didn’t know you could weaken metal, you say.

One of my more useful spells.

Your group leaves, and you follow a lighted corridor. After about a minute a section of the corridor drops with a jolt. Michael sprints ahead, but by the time he reaches the end, you are too deep to climb out. You hear the echo of clanking machinery nearby.

About ten seconds later, the hall stops descending. The far end of the floor springs up as the wall blocking the close end slides away. You and Michael roll out of the trick corridor onto a smooth chute that takes you down to a lighted holding pen.

Another cage! Michael pounds the floor with his fist. Now what?

You spot an orcish guard slouching on a stool, watching you with a lethargic expression. You attempt to shoot him, but when your arrow passes through the bars, it disappears. The guard gives a derisive snort.

Enchanted cage, Mac says as you look around.

An old man dozes in a cell far to the left, and the cell to your immediate right sits a young man with dark-blond hair. Michael has settled himself and the three of you share rations as you converse. The guard does not seem to care. During your meal you, Michael and Mac tell of your various reasons for being in the underground complex, doing so in low voices, so as not to alert the guard. The blond man, Kreg, was captured two weeks ago; he was Graylin’s scribe. The guards caught him dabbling in magic.

Continue

~~~~~~~~~~

You step into the alcove, where the back wall rises straight up into the rocky ceiling, and you walk through this new portal, sword drawn. The secret hallway leads to a black curtain, the other side of which hides the back of a large throne facing the interior of a chamber.

Many ensconced torches around the perimeter illuminate a minimum of furniture—just the throne and some tables—supposedly for when Graylin grants an audience with someone he considers important. The floor, ceiling and walls are carved from the same stone as the rest of the complex, yet they give off a brilliant luster. A purple carpet stretches from a set of double doors, across the room and up three steps to the foot of the jeweled throne.

There is movement at the entrance, so you put out your torch and duck behind the throne. An attractive blond girl enters, wearing a ragged frock, a frayed skirt and soft, knee-high boots. She carries a wooden bucket and dingy rag to the wall, kneels, dips the rag into the water-filled bucket and wipes the wall with slow, lethargic strokes.

Graylin has slaves! you whisper.

Yes, and this one might appreciate a chance at freedom, in my opinion.

It is up to you: Make yourself known to the cleaning girl or stay hidden until she leaves.

Move

Stay

~~~~~~~~~~

Dwarves

Your strong pull on