ADVENTURE TIME

In this age of heroes – which began in December 1995 - the score is Dungeon 9, Humans 4. Now let’s see what further challenges await Toby in the second level.

Toby lands in a room that has five doors around a circular wall. There is a table in the vicinity of the doors, at which a red-robed figure sits. There is an empty seat opposite him.

  “I see that here you have encountered Hordriss the Confuser, Toby,” remarks Treguard. “Doubtless he is anxious to use his oh-so-extensive knowledge of everything to help you begin this level. Pay attention, team.”

  “Ah, yes, the next offering,” Hordriss remarks in Toby’s general direction. “Please, won’t you take a seat?”

Toby’s advisors direct him to the chair and he sits down. Hordriss nods approvingly.

  “Now then, young adventurer, what is your name?” Hordriss asks.

  “Toby,” comes the reply.

  “Now listen, Toby, very carefully,” Hordriss advises. “The doors behind me have each been demarked with a letter, from A to E in alphabetical order, going from the left hand to the right, which is of course on my left. I must tell you that all the doors named with vowels are deadly, as is the other one that can sometimes be applied to a road. It is also considered most perilous, of course, to go straight ahead. There now, that couldn’t be clearer, could it? If you do manage to make it through, remember this: the third step is foot stamping. Now, be off with you.”

Toby stands up as his advisors consider which door to take.

  “We mustn’t take either of the end doors,” says one advisor. “They’re A and E, which are vowels. The door straight ahead would be C, so it’s either B or D that we need.”

  “It’s D,” states another advisor. “You get B roads, but you don’t get D roads, do you?”

The advisors are happy with their choice, so Toby is directed through the second door from the right. It takes him into the level two clue room, where a bone, a gauntlet and a key are waiting for him. There is also a scroll, which Toby unrolls.

  “Accept the challenge,” Toby reads out. “Unlock the path to truth.”

In the light of this, Toby is told to take the key and the gauntlet. The next room is Merlin’s throne room. Toby is directed to stand in front of the pit, opposite the wizard’s throne.

  “You have reached a magic place, team,” says Treguard. “But what steps can you take to release that magic?”

Toby claps his hands, snaps his fingers and then stamps his foot to complete the path. When Toby has crossed the pit, Merlin appears on his throne.

  “Ah, very nicely done, young Toby,” the wizard commends him. “But, if you are to survive this level, you’ll have to do even better. I seek two truths from you, and here is the first. He who uses it knows it not. He who makes it has no use for it. It is the dead carrying the dead. What is it?”

  “A coffin,” is the team’s reply.

  “Truth accepted,” Merlin smiles warmly. “Here is the second. It can make you laugh, or it can make you cry. It can bring back the dead. It is born in an instant, but can last a lifetime. What is it?”

The team discuss this at some length, but no answer is forthcoming.

  “Come on, team, lest you fail to remember the answer before you forget the question,” Treguard urges them.

  “A memory,” Toby tells Merlin confidently, after hearing Treguard’s clue.

  “Truth accepted,” Merlin replies. “Congratulations, Toby, you have answered both correctly. I reward you with the spell RUST. Use it wisely, for you may use it but once!”

With that, Merlin disappears. Toby’s team direct him out, into a room with four doors. Three of these have portcullises blocking them, and the fourth has a golden keyhole. Before there is time to take any action, however, a transparent image of Mogdred manifests between Toby and the doors.

  “Ah, greetings, Toby,” Mogdred booms. “We meet at last. If you continue on this path, you are likely to meet a terrible fate. Pledge yourself to me and I will save you from the invincible terror that lies beyond this room. Do you so pledge?”

  “Yet another decision, team, and it’s one you must take,” Treguard informs the twittering advisors. At last, they reach a decision.

  “No!” Toby cries defiantly.

  “Very well!” Mogdred sneers. “Then face your fate unaided!”

The image disappears. Although the meeting has clearly rattled the advisors, they direct Toby over to the door with the keyhole. He holds out the key, and is able to exit the chamber.

  “Warning, team!” Treguard exclaims before the advisors have even had time to take in the features of the next chamber. “A catacombite is guarding this chamber. All contact with this creature is deadly, for it must be handled with kid gloves.”

Toby faces the marauding skeletal monster that is guarding the only exit from this room. He is told to put on the gauntlet, which he does. A larger version of the gauntlet, balled into a fist, descends from the ceiling and crushes the catacombite’s warped, enlarged bones to powder. Toby is then directed out, and emerges into a small cave with a large metal doorway as the only exit.

  “You have almost reached the end of the level, team,” Treguard congratulates them. “However, don’t get too comfortable just yet.”

The door rattles up to reveal the Descender beyond. However, the Automatum clanks out from the lift and into the cave, and begins to make straight for Toby.

  “It looks like the Automatum has just reached his floor,” Treguard chuckles chillingly. “You must deal with him, or your quest ends now.”

The Automatum raises his morning star as he clanks steadily towards Toby. However, the advisors are not unduly worried.

  “Spellcasting:” says the spellcaster. “R-U-S-T.”

The Automatum creaks and groans, and then falls to the floor. Toby is directed into the Descender, which clanks and rattles its way downwards. It stops at a door with a frightknight’s helmet emblazoned above it, through which Toby is directed. He has reached the third level.

Do Toby and team have what it takes to survive the Dungeon’s toughest challenges in level three? Read the next Adventure Time to find out.