ADVENTURE TIME

In this age of heroes, the score is Dungeon 11, Humans 5. Following hot on the heels of winning dungeoneer Katie, a new quest begins today. Will dungeoneer Cameron fare so well? Read on, and discover.

Cameron’s quest begins in the level one clue room, where there is a table containing a bar of gold, a firestone and a potion bottle labelled Dreadful. Cameron describes these objects to his advisors.

  “It seems that Fate has been kind to you, team, and brought you straight to the level one clue room,” says Treguard. “However, if you are to earn your quest, you must still face the challenge of the living wall.”

The wall in front of Cameron shifts and reshapes itself into the gigantic face of Phelheim, the wall monster.

  “Look upon the face of Phelheim!” the guardian thunders. “Answer me with truth now, dungeoneer, and I may yet be persuaded to your cause. Fail my challenge, and I feed on you. I have three mysteries, and here is my first. It is always in front of you, but can never be seen. Think of tomorrow, you’ll know what I mean.”

The advisors discuss this briefly, before giving Cameron an answer.

  “Future,” says Cameron.

  “Truth accepted,” Phelheim replies. “Here is my second. It is easy to bite, can be wagged of you must. Always wet, but never will rust.”

The advisors are stumped by the obscurity of this riddle, and can not come up with an answer they are happy with.

  “Tail,” Cameron eventually ventures.

  “Falsehood!” Phelheim proclaims. “Tongue was the truth I sought. Here is my third. Often soft, and always light. It could pen you this riddle, will you get it right?”

  “Feather,” Cameron responds confidently, amazed at the easiness of the final riddle.

  “Truth accepted,” says Phelheim. “Two is the score, you may learn more. Your quest is to find the Talisman, yet you may not hold it. You’ll need to pay your toll if you are to reach level two. The first step is the sniff. The walls await me!”

  “Now, team, make your choice, and exit fast,” Treguard advises.

The advisors tell Cameron to take the bar of gold straightaway, but they have trouble deciding between the other two objects.

  “I think I should take this Dreadful potion, because it’s unusual,” Cameron suggests, and the advisors agree.

Cameron is directed out of Phelheim’s chamber, into a red-brick room where the Automatum stands between two doors. There is a scroll just in front of the door to the left.

  “Extreme warning, team, the Automatum can be deadly!” exclaims Treguard. “Find what exit you may as quickly as you can, but make sure you don’t leave this chamber without a vital clue!”

The Automatum clatters and whirs into life, and begins to clank forwards, towards Cameron. The advisors direct him towards the left-hand door, which causes the Automatum to change direction.

  “Hurry!” urges one of the advisors, as the Automatum closes in.

  “Grab the scroll!” adds another.

Cameron scoops up the scroll on his way past, and rushes through the door in front of him. He emerges into a dwarf tunnel, where he is instructed to read the scroll. It contains a single word: Chivalry. Once the advisors have written this down, they direct Cameron through the dwarf tunnels, which lead onto a narrow rocky ledge, next to a cliff face. The way is blocked by Fatilla, the barbarian guard.

  “Ooh, a dunger-person,” Fatilla remarks. “Well, I know what to do with dunger-persons. First I blip them, and then I blop them!”

  “Quickly, team,” Treguard urges. “You must find some way to get past this guard or your adventure ends here!”

  “I’ll give you this bar of gold if you let me pass,” Cameron offers.

  “You offer gold to old Fatilla, do you?” chuckles the barbarian. “Well I like gold, but I don’t like it when I let you dungeoneers go free and Mogdred gets cross with me. No, I think I’ll kill you first, and then take the gold from you. Well, you’re not going to need it anymore, are you?”

Fatilla advances menacingly towards Cameron. Treguard again urges the team to take action. One of the advisors comes up with the bright idea of swallowing the potion. Cameron does this, and he immediately transforms into Mogdred!

  “Well, this potion certainly does have a dreadful effect,” Treguard remarks. “Let’s hope you can use it to your advantage, team.”

Fatilla is very confused by this turn of events. He blinks and stares at Cameron curiously, not quite sure whether or not to believe his own eyes.

  “Let me through, you insufferable oaf!” Cameron commands, in Mogdred’s voice. “I have important business to attend to.”

  “Yeah, but hang on a minute here…” Fatilla begins to object.

  “Do you dare to defy your master?” Cameron interrupts. “Get out of my way, you imbecile, or I shall become very cross with you!”

  “Yes, Master,” Fatilla is forced to agree, as he presses himself up against the cliff face so that Cameron can walk past. “But what happened to the dungeoneer?”

  “I have dealt with him,” Cameron replies loftily. “I had to, seeing as you are so incompetent. Pray that I don’t have to bail you out again, as you value your neck.”

  “Ooh, yes Master,” Fatilla quivers. “Thank you, Master.”

Cameron strides past Fatilla, and continues along the ledge. A portal soon comes into view, and Cameron exits through it. He finds himself standing in front of a small house with a thatched roof, which is set in the middle of some scenic countryside.

  “This is Holngarth, team,” Treguard explains. “Cameron, you did very well convincing Fatilla to let you go, but I sense that you’re about to meet another guard who will not be so easily persuaded.”

Sure enough, a guard emerges from the thatched house. This one, however, is not human, but a whirring metal robot.

  “Warning, team, this is Dreadnort,” Treguard explains. “We haven’t seen him around the Dungeon for a while, but I think we can still guess what he’s after.”

  “I seek a word!” Dreadnort intones. “Give me the correct word, or I take a limb instead. Maybe an arm, maybe a leg, or perhaps a head! Give me a word!”

  “Chivalry,” says Cameron.

  “That word is the right word,” Dreadnort grates. “You may pass, friend.”

Dreadnort clanks and stamps his way off-screen, and the advisors are able to direct Cameron to the door of the house. It takes him into Mildread’s cave, where the old witch is stooped over her cauldron as usual. She looks up when she sees Cameron enter.

  “Well, look at that,” the witch sniffs disinterestedly. “Yet another dungeoneer blunders onwards. What is your name, young mugwump?”

  “Cameron,” he replies.

  “Such a strange name,” Mildread remarks casually. “Well, Cameron, if you want Mildread’s help, you’ll have to make it worth her while. What have you got, then?”

All Cameron has left is the gold bar, so he holds it out to her.

  “Well, would you look at that!” Mildread exclaims. “You’ve brought the means to pay your toll, so you should easily be able to get to level two without my help. I’m off! You can just stew by yourself. You can go to pot!”

Mildread begins to shuffle out of the cave, but then she turns back to look at Cameron once again.

  “Oh yes, by the way,” she adds. “If you do manage to pay your toll, you’d do well to remember that the second step is the cough.”

And with that, Mildread departs. There is nothing left for Cameron to do other than drop the gold into the cauldron. This he does, and the vessel immediately transforms into a wellway. The advisors direct Cameron into this, and he descends to level two.

Will Cameron survive the rigors of the second level? Read the next Adventure Time to find out.