Well, here I go yet again. My character
– probably sighing and shaking his head – has made his way all
the way back to the main gate of Khare, no doubt swearing when he
realizes that he doesn't have the key that would allow him to simply
walk through again...because for some reason, probably
absent-mindedness, he's decided to walk out of the city back towards
Analand. Maybe he got drunk. Who knows. Anyway, I get thrown back
into my old cell, and astoundingly, the crazy old man is back again.
No sign of my boots, though.
I'm not
sleeping this time...which means my Stamina is down to a pathetic
seven, and something I need to worry about – though given the
paucity of fights I experienced last time, probably not too
much. Finding a shop in this city that sells food – and swords,
come to that – is a bit of a top-priority for me. I've got
gold...but nothing to spend it on! Walking back into the city, I
immediately come across a fight. Sigh. This is not
a Zombie, but a Living Corpse. Pretty soon it is an Unliving
Corpse, and some passing Gnomes toss me five gold pieces. Shame they
couldn't have tossed me a sandwich instead.
After
the battle, I see some poachers doing something with a pig –
deciding to avoid it, I press on. Frankly, I want to get into the
Badlands...and a poacher isn't going to have the spell I need. Unless
he did. Oh, damn it! It is then I realize that I had the third line
all along. Written on a sheet of paper. It didn't make any sense
before...but that damn beggar had it. Smacking myself
on the head, I at least console myself that I am only scouring Khare
for one damn missing line. I have two of the three numbers – this
being Fighting Fantasy, I'm trying to put together a three-digit
paragraph number – and they are two and four. Presumably in that
order, as I got 'two' very early on, and 'four' right at the end.
Likely the number I am looking at is in the middle. I'm feeling
confident.
Walking
to a fair, I take a look at the dancers, and decide to join in.
Apparently random passers-by can jump onto the stage and boogie...and
it actually gives me a Stamina point! Then I get another one. This is
great! Unfortunately all that rubbish in my pockets then leads to a
problem. To get out of
the dance, I have to roll equal to or more than the number of items I
have, or lose stamina. So that's thirteen to
roll on two dice, then. Sigh. I'm going to try – and count a
'twelve' as a win. Unsurprisingly, I collapse to the ground...down to
four Stamina points.
Staggering
away, I go and watch a fight between an Ogre and a Barbarian, on
which I am invited to bet. I decline; money isn't a problem right
now. I'm offered the chance to fight the Ogre myself, for fifteen
gold – and if I had more than four points of Stamina left, I'd
probably do it as I outmatch him, but I don't think it's worth taking
the risk. Not with only one line to find! Instead I go into a Fortune
Teller's tent, only to find that I've spent two gold to play Fantasy
Deal or No Deal. Yes, I roll a
dice and take whatever is in the box. Sigh. At least I can Test My
Luck to improve my chances. I end up with a pair of magical
darts...excellent. Feeling tired, and badly wounded, I head for the
docks again, and spend the night at the Inn. Of course, the innkeeper
tries to kill me again. Sigh.
I got
seven Stamina points overnight, so I'm back to fighting trim again,
determined to get that last line. It must
be around here somewhere. Leaving the inn, I head down a long street,
hoping to at last find some shops.
Instead, I find a gang of hooligans on the street, and being a truly
sensible person, run like hell down a side street until I find
sanctuary in the hut of a Gnome. Who has stuff to trade! Wow! And
I need one of them badly – it will apparently take me to the last
line of the spell. An Enchanted
Compass – it must be mine! I manage to swap it for my Gold-Backed
Mirror, and off I go! Only to find out it will take me to the damn
beggar. Sigh.
Bored,
I head for some Gambling Halls. Nobles go to casinos, don't they?
It's about all I can think of. No luck; just a couple of games, so I
try my luck...and win ten gold pieces on my second try! Fantastic!
That's more like it...and leaving the halls, I find a market. Selling
things. Like Provisions!!!! And a Sword!!! At last, someone in this
damn city that is selling stuff.
I'm down to six gold, but with two sets of Provisions, bow
and silver arrows, and some
stuff that will be
needed in the Badlands – snake-bite antidote and a tinder box. This
looks very promising. Though I have a sneaky suspicion that I'm going
to have to go around Khare yet again. I
decide to try the crypt again – maybe that was the place...and sure
enough, there is a Deathwraith for me to fight. Thank Libra for the
Silver Arrows making the battle fairly short.
And He
Had The Last Line! I now have the combination...and I think I can be
excused for going right to it, as I'm just bypassing the beggar and
the idol. Paying the guards a bribe, I yell out the spell...which I
am not going to repeat
here...and the gates open! I've made it through!!!! Racing out into
the Badlands before the guards can stop me, I do a little dance.
Before realizing that I've abandoned myself in one of the most
dangerous parts of the world, left what passes for civilization, that
I am still half-wounded and mostly-broke, and that the next book is
called 'the Seven Serpents', which sounds a bit ominous. Still, I
have lived through Khare, and my pockets still loaded with worthless
crap, I stride off into the future...
My Character
Skill: 10
Stamina: 11/17
Luck: 11/11
Gold and Treasure
2
Equipment (Provisions: 2)
Sword
Bow and Silver Arrows
Key, Numbered 111
Key, Numbered 206
Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 to
Attack Strength using a Sword)
Chain
Enchanted Compass
Green Wig
Unreadable Scroll
Poison
Essence of Bark
Silver Serpent Ring (130 in Book 3)
Medicinal Potion
Tinder Box
Snake-Bite Antidote
Two Magical Darts (Inflicts a hit on a
Test of Skill)
Bonuses, Penalties, Curses
Friendship of Flanker (79 in Book 2)
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