ADVENTURE TIME

It's Autumn 1988, and you're about to take a trip through the Knightmare Dungeon. Keep your wits about you and remain true to the Code of Chivalry and you may go far. You may need a six-sided die on this adventure.

Treguard welcomes you into his Dungeon home. As you have no advisors to aid you on this quest, he does not blindfold you to the way ahead.

"Do not underestimate the challenges of my Dungeon, though, young adventurer," Treguard warns you. "You will still need all your skill if you are to conquer it. Now, face the Dungeon door and step boldly forwards."

You are in a blue room with three doors. Folly the jester is here waiting for you.

"Welcome, bold adventurer" Folly greets you. "I am here to start your quest with a game. The name of the game is Chase the Lady, and it's very easy to play."

The three doors suddenly become blocked by three playing cards - the King of Spades, the Queen of Clubs and the Knave of Hearts. On the floor is a card featuring one heart symbol, one spade symbol and one club symbol.

"Pick a card" Folly instructs you. "And don't forget the name of the game, or you'll surely go wrong!"

If you tread on the heart, go to 30.

If you tread on the club, go to 40.

If you tread on the spade, go to 20.

You are in Mildread's cave. The ugly old witch is hunched over her cauldron and smiles toothily as you enter.

"Eye of newt and bald-rat brew, who will get to level two?" Mildread cackles. "Not you, my young hero, if you can't give me what I want for my cooking pot. Well, what have you got?"

If you offer her gold, go to 13.

If you offer her bats' wings, go to 41.

If you have neither of these items to offer, Mildread seizes you and dumps you straight into her pot instead. Your adventure ends here.

You turn your attention back to the objects – gold, a talisman, a dagger and a candle. Decide which two you wish to take, then leave the room by going to 33.

You are in the Troll's chamber. The huge hairy face looks down at you and a long tongue extrudes from the creature's mouth to moisten its lips.

"Ah, meals-on-wheels" the Troll nods approvingly. "Well, meals-on-feet anyway. All that remains is to remove the tin lid, then it's time to feast on what lies beneath."

A large hand reaches for you with alarming speed. You must hurry now because the Troll will soon pop you into his enormous mouth!

If you offer him bats' wings, go to 21.

If you swallow the potion, go to 46.

If you offer him gold, go to 12.

If you throw the potion at the Troll, go to 37.

You are on a very narrow bridge over an unfathomably deep precipice. It is quite wide enough for you to cross safely, but the way is blocked by Olaf, the Viking guard.

"Ah, an intruder in the level, I see" Olaf says in his strong Scandinavian accent. "Much lootings, I am thinking. Be halting, strange person. What loot you got for Olaf, then, eh?"

If you offer Olaf a talisman, go to 22.

If you offer him gold, go to 32.

If you offer him a candle, go to 43.

If you try to fight him with a dagger, go to 44.

If you cast the spell FREE in order to escape from the vale, go to 47.

The glowing symbol of a chalice is revealed above the left-hand door. Now you must make your choice.

If you go left, go to 16.

If you go right, go to 20.

The correct answer is wart charming.

If you answered correctly, go to 31.

If you answered incorrectly, you must pass on without Merlin's help. Resist the urge to cheat, remember, because the only person you'd be fooling would be yourself. Go to 5.

Oh dear me, what a silly idea! You walk straight into the cavernwight's clutches and your adventure ends here.

"Pah!" Cedric scoffs. "Unlike some drunken dogsbottom guards on this level, Cedric of Wraswby is not susceptible to bribery. You've insulted my integrity, kettle-head! Prepare to perish!"

If you have the WEB spell, go to 23.

If you don't have this spell, Cedric conks you on the head and your adventure ends here.

The answer to the riddle is the phoenix. If you answered incorrectly, Igneous devours you at once; your adventure ends here. If you answered correctly, continue.

"Truth accepted" Igneous snorts. "You may pass, adventurer. Your quest is for the Chalice, but you may not drink from it. All that glitters is not always good company. Now, rock I was and rock I now become."

Decide which two objects you wish to take from the choice of the potion, the bats' wings and the gold, then go to 4.

You hold the shield up before you, blocking Medusa's stare just long enough for you to secure your escape. The next chamber is the stained-glass window room. Two of the four paths have crumbled away, but two remain to form narrow bridges to two possible exits. You will have to choose one of them.

If you go to the door furthest to the right, go to 20.

If you go left, go to 30.

If you cast the REVEAL spell, go to 6.

The Troll is not remotely interested. He grabs you in his colossal hand and you are soon being ground to bits between his teeth. Your adventure ends here.

Mildread plonks the bullion into the pot, but it has no effect on her magic brew.

"Hmm, needs a little more" Mildread muses. "Ah, I know!"

Mildread seizes you and dumps you straight into her pot as well. Your adventure ends here.

You hold up the magic candle and the room is flooded with light. The wellway is there waiting for you, so you waste no time in descending to level three. You land in the large green clue room. On the table are a large round shield, a bar of gold, a jewel and a key. When you have decided which two of these you wish to take, you turn your attention to the two exits. You see to your horror that a cavernwight is coming out of the exit to the right - you will have to get out of here quickly!

If you go left, go to 28.

If you go right, go to 8.

Mogdred says nothing, but melts away like a ghost. With nothing to bar your way, you leap through the door while the blade is raised and land on a pink arrow. Now, Merlin said you would need to spellcast in order to seal your victory - which spell will you use?

CUP. Go to 45.

VICTORY. Go to 26.

CHALICE. Go to 18.

You are now in the final chamber. A chopping guillotine guards the exit, which leads into a star-filled night sky. There is a shining golden lock on the door.

If you have a key, go to 38.

If you do not have a key, go to 19.

"Thank you" the wraith says gratefully. "At last I am free of the talisman - do not take it, for ill fortune will surely follow! I will go now, but first I will give you a gift. It is called WEB. Good luck with your quest."

Go to 3.

A shimmering image of the Chalice appears before you as Merlin's voice booms out of nowhere.

"Congratulations, you've mastered the Dungeon," it tells you. "The silver spurs of squiredom are yours and you have proven to be a worthy champion."

Well done for winning series 2, but some say that series 3 is the toughest one ever - can you beat its challenge next issue?

There is no way for you to reach your goal and you must frustratingly abandon your quest on the very brink of victory.

You walk through the door and are immediately burned alive by a blazing inferno. Your adventure ends here.

The Troll is not remotely interested. He grabs you in his colossal hand and you are soon being ground to bits between his teeth. Your adventure ends here.

Olaf laughs heartily at this before clouting you on the side of your head with his club. You overbalance and are doomed to fall through the bottomless depths of the precipice forever. Your adventure ends here.

Cedric is instantly trapped in a sticky web that holds him fast to the wall. He shouts some colourful insults at you, but you've no time to waste on the likes of him. Pass through the door to 27.

You fumble about in the darkness in a vain attempt to find the well, but you are not successful. Perhaps you would have found it given long enough, but the carnivorous creatures that dwell in the Dungeon's darkness soon overcome you. Your adventure ends here.

You approach Gretel and cast the spell. The web disappears and you bundle Gretel through the door before she can accidentally get you trapped again. You both emerge into a deserted stone room.

"Thank you so much for rescuing me" Gretel simpers when she has her breath back. "I'm afraid I have only my good wishes to give you for your quest. The wellway room is nearby somewhere - I hope you've got a candle, though, because the lights around here haven't been too reliable recently. Bye."

Perhaps you would have preferred help of a more practical nature from Gretel, but be assured that you did the right thing by rescuing her. There is one doorway in this room, which leads into a room that is bathed in darkness just as Gretel warned it might be.

If you have a candle, go to 14.

If not, go to 24.

That sounds like the sort of megalomaniacal spell Mogdred would award, not Merlin. You blew your quest, I'm afraid.

You are in Merlin's study. The old wizard is waiting for you on his throne, and he smiles warmly when you enter.

"Ah, well done for coming this far, brave adventurer" Merlin commends you. "But if you are to survive this level you will need my magical assistance. Tell me the answer to this, if you can. A common magic, far from grand, removes small blemishes from one's hand. What is it?" When you have an answer, go to 7.

You now find yourself in Merlin's level three chamber. You go up to the table and touch the glowing letter M that is there waiting for you, causing a large transparent image of Merlin to arrive in the room with you.

"Congratulations" Merlin says. "Your quest has brought you far and is almost at an end, one way or another. As a reward for your progress, I gift you the spell REVEAL. You will also need to spellcast at the very end of your adventure, and the spell to use should be obvious to you. Look out for Mogdred, my evil alter-ego, on this level - do not trust his words. Now, be brave for you have only a short way to go."

You leave the room by going to 36.

You are in the clue room, where a cavernwraith floats menacingly to your right. It is clearly on guard, but it is not blocking your path to the table. You approach the table, where the choice of a bar of gold, a talisman, a candle and a dagger awaits you. Before you can make it, the wraith speaks to you in a thin wispy voice.

"Release me," the tortured ghost implores you. "The Talisman holds me in its thrall. To release me, turn it over."

If you decide to do this, go to 17.

If you do not wish to help the cavernwraith, go to 3.

You walk through the door and are immediately burned alive by a blazing inferno. Your adventure ends here.

"Truth accepted" Merlin beams. "Well done, adventurer. Your reward is called FREE. It may serve you - and perhaps others - well, but serve you only once."

You can now leave Merlin's study by going to 5.

"Ah, yes, very nice" Olaf says approvingly as he takes the gold and steps aside. "You may pass, adventurer."

You can now cross the bridge to 47.

You are in a small chamber with a single exit. Unfortunately, it is blocked by Cedric the monk, who hefts his quarterstaff when he sees you.

"Intruder alert, level two" Cedric yells. "The password, intruder, or you perish!"

Well, you don't have the password, but clearly you'll need more than riddling skills to get you past Cedric this time.

If you offer him gold, go to 9.

If you fight him with a dagger, go to 42.

If you have the spell WEB given to you by a cavernwraith and decide to make use of it, go to 23.

Failing any of these options your adventure ends right here.

How could you have fallen for that one? Mogdred smiles evilly and grabs your neck before thrusting your head right into the path of the chopping axe. The deadly blade descends and your head is neatly severed. Needless to say, your adventure ends here.

You cast the spell and the web disappears, and you escape from Ariadne as quickly as you can. You are astonished to find yourself back in the Great Hall of Knightmare Castle. Treguard is standing by the fire, glaring at you with a black look.

"That was unwise, adventurer" Treguard scolds you. "A true champion of chivalry would never have abandoned in innocent in distress. Perhaps Gretel would have done little or nothing to aid you in your quest, but that spell could have helped both of you escape. The only reward you should have expected was her gratitude - now you have failed in your quest."

Your adventure ends here.

You are in the chamber of the Medusa. The Gorgon’s stare bears down on you and threatens to turn you to stone at any moment. You must act quickly.

If you cast the REVEAL spell, go to 39.

If you have the round shield and wish to make use of it, go to 11.

Failing either of those options you are turned to stone and your adventure ends here.

Good thinking! The Troll disappears out of sight as he shrinks further and further down into the blackness of the precipice. You can now walk at your leisure to the exit. Go to 2.

You unlock the door and are about to step through it when Mogdred appears in front of you. He laughs evilly and then smiles insincerely at you.

"So, we meet at last" Mogdred rumbles. "You have almost reached your goal, and yet a sharp obstacle bars your path. Trust in me and I'll see that you get what's coming to you. Well, will you agree to put your trust in me?"

If you agree, go to 34.

If you do not agree to this, go to 15.

The spell has no effect on Medusa's stare. You needed the magic shield for this situation. Even if you do have it, you have wasted too much time and you are now doomed to remain a stone statue forever. Your adventure ends here.

You find yourself in the level one clue room. There are three objects on the table: a SMALL potion, a bar of gold and a jar of bats' wings. Before you can take anything, of course, the face of Igneous appears on the wall.

"Beware, intruder," Igneous bellows. "None may pass here without pleasing me. To earn your quest you must tell me this: What is the name of the bird that is reborn when it burns?"

Once you have your answer, go to 10.

"Ah, well done" Mildread congratulates you. "Just what I need to create a way down to the second level. Wing of bat, make a spell, conjure up a deep dark well!"

The cauldron transforms into a wellway, which you use to descend to level two. You land in an empty room with exits to the left and right. Which way will you choose?

Right: Go to 29. Left: Go to 20.

Cedric laughs in your face as you wave the dagger feebly at him, and you are dead before you realise that you've had an accident. Your adventure ends here.

You've got the right idea, but perhaps you've forgotten that this is series 2 - the Chalice won't be called the Cup for another two years! You blew your chance.

You immediately shrink to a small fraction of your former size. The Troll can no longer see you, but his rapidly descending hand looks set to squash you flat! Roll a die.

If you score one or six, the giant fingers miss you and you scurry to the exit as the effects of the potion begin to wear off. Go to 2.

If you roll anything else, you are squashed like a bug and your adventure ends here.

You find yourself in Ariadne's chamber. The enormous spider looms overhead, and has blocked the only two exits from the chamber with her deadly webbing. Suddenly a cry catches your attention.

"Help me, dungeoneer!" Gretel calls from behind one of the webs. "Ariadne has trapped me here and she's going to eat me! Please help me."

Well, if you don't have the FREE spell - either because you didn't earn it or you wasted it escaping from Olaf - you can help neither yourself nor Gretel and your adventure ends here.

If you have the spell and wish to use it to help Gretel, go to 25.

If you approach the other door and use the spell for yourself, go to 35.