INTERACTIVE STORY
-
There was a blinding flash and blue smoke filled the small area they were all crowded into.
"Who...eh-heh...who dares...khah khah!" Hordriss flapped his arms around, trying to find a place where he wouldn't choke. "What is the...eh-hah...meaning of bringing one into this...stuffy...small...khah!"
They all flapped their arms until the smoke had cleared, Hordriss looked quite embarrassed at his bungled entrance. He turned to reprimand Gibbet and Mellisandre but stopped, mouth hanging open as he saw what was suspended in the air behind them.
"Sidriss! My dear Sidriss!"
Hordriss grabbed for her ankle to use a re-awakening spell on her, which required contact, but his hand passed right through Sidriss' leg. Mellisandre and Gibbet looked puzzled, but a look of pure venom was in Hordriss' eyes.
"What on earth is wrong with the poor dear?" Cried Mellisandre. Gibbet just scratched his head.
"She looks like a ghost, almost."
Hordriss turned briefly to them, but didn't look into their eyes. "Nearly correct, Gibbet. This is not Sidriss...not all of her, anyhow. This is but her soul, captured here. This is the spot where she was apprehended." His voice was full of sorrow. "This mean that Sidriss is wandering the levels somewhere, a phantom, if you will. Most likely thinking she is still alive..."
Melly gasped. "Sidriss? She's dead?"
"Not quite. Mellisandre. We have until fifteen O'Clock strikes to bring her lost body-spirit back to her soul, or she will be lost from us forever. It will be hard, for this is not the work of Mogdred alone."
Gibbet was confused. "Not only him? But who? Why?"
Hordriss gazed into his daughter's soul's eyes, his face black as thunder.
"Damn your mother, Sidriss."
-
Back in the corridor of blades things were not going at all well. Although Treguard and Lord Fear had dodged several sets of blades they now looked in awe at what was ahead, well in the distance.
"A complete blade blocking....the...entire...corridor" stammered Lord Fear, "how in Marblehead do we get past that?"
Treguard took stock of the situation. They'd not yet come across any items or spells in Level Two and looking at the blade, there was really no hope for them. Suddenly he saw a brief flash in front of him. He strained to see what was going on and saw a lump of charcoal that seemed to shimmer as if it contained magic. A look of revelation and joy appeared on his face. He ran to the coal and picked it up and started to draw with it on the wall.
"Treguard what in blazes are you doing? We're about to get sliced for lunch and you take to doing doodles? Have you finally lost your mind?" mocked (and exclaimed) Fear.
"This coal is magic," started Treguard, "We are in Level Two which was Merlin's domain in the old phase."
"Your Merlin has a very odd way of helping out" scoffed Fear obviously understanding his meaning, "so what are you doing with it?"
"Once a quest involved a dungeoneer having to draw a wellway to continue, I'm betting this is the same thing..so I am drawing a portal"
"Well you'd better hurry up, the blade is getting a bit close for comfort" said Fear noticing the corridor conveyer was accelerating.
Treguard continued to make the portal, not even noticing the approaching blade.
"COME ON!!!" shouted Fear as the blade got within 10 metres of them. If they didn't get out of there then, they never would.
"Done" exclaimed Treguard. He grabbed hold of Fear and the pair of them fell through the portal just as blade skidded past where they had been standing seconds before
-
Scarkill and Lissard were traipsing through a tunnel of their own - and had emerged in a large sewer. The walls were cracked and caked in slime. It looked disused. Lissard smiled - this was his preferred choice of environment. Scarkill, however, was not impressed and was retching due to the overpowering stench of the place.
"This is very un-lovely!" he spluttered. "I don't know how you stand it!"
"I think it's quite charming!" said Lissard in his usual snake-like tone.
Eventually, they found a boat moored at a jetty on a vast lake of green goo. Scarkill got in and began to row. Lissard, naturally amphibious, jumped into the lake. He had reached the other side before Scarkill was even halfway. Eventually, he caught up, tieing the boat to the side.
"Where is this, anyway?" breathed Scarkill.
"The Sewers of Goth," replied Lissard. "Or what's left of them, at least."
Unbeknown to them, however, something was watching them, having decided that they would make a really rather nice dinner...
-
- Feed me...for I hunger so...flesh is quick...knowledge is substantial...lasting...do not run...why do you run...yet another question...shall feed...*
The creature was submerged, face up on the bottom of the slimy sewer river, and was following below the boat they were rowing in. Thinking, it chuntered a little more to itself.
- How...why...when...what...what is this here...do they seek the She...the She who glows green...and takes others...I may ask them...I may not...I should like to...the She took one in the tunnels...the girl...the child...why all the movement...the commotion...so many people in the dungeons...almost as many as in Cornwall...why do I know this name...I know not of this Cornwall...why do I remember it so...the child...the She...those above me...where do they go...I shall ask...I shall ask many questions...*
It moved towards the boat and peered up through the bottom of it. It listened.
-
"Lord Fear ain't too 'appy is 'e?" muttered Skarkill, unaware of the giant blue face under his feet. "Ye'd think 'e'd got summat against this...this...Mogdred."
Lissard contemplated, also unaware. "I heard of thisss Mogdred...many yearsss ago."
"Don' care." sniffed Skarkill. "'E's best left to 'is own devices if you ask me."
"You heard the Lordnesss - thisss sssorcer isss dangerousss."
"What is the source of this danger?" droaned a voice from below, questioningly.
Lissard and Skarkill looked down, and both jumped backwards with a yelp. The Brollochan, presumed lost since it went on the run from Lord Fear a season ago, was staring dormantly at them from the bottom of the boat.
-
Skarkill and Lissard almost fell out of the boat.
"Whatsssss that doing here?" shouted Lissard
"It's stupid remember", whispered Skarkill "We can tell im anythin an be fine"
"Please answer my question" said the Brollochan.
"ne how", continued Skarkill, "ee may be useful for us, I rekon we can tell im whats goin on"
Lissard looked doubtful but grudgingly agreed, it was better than being eaten. Skarkill and Lissard told the Brollochan about Mogdred and what was going on in the dungeon, but they didn't expect the reaction they got from it.
"So this Mogdred is powerful....perhaps he will give me my knowledge back" it said.
"Don' count on it" said Skarkill, "His lordship got rid of that a long time ago".
A booming laugh made the pair jump again, it was Mogdred.
"Amateur magicks! Brollochan, I can indeed return your knowledge....if you serve me. I've been looking for you for some time now and thanks to these bumbling idiots I have found you.."
If the Brollochan was human it would have been smiling by now.
"My knowledge? I was told you were evil. No evil entity would do something so....nice" the Brollachan said.
"Did they tell you I was evil?" said Mogdred shocked, "I am one of the most respected denizens of the dungeon. I will give you your knowledge back...and much more, but as I said, I would wish you to serve me as repayment"
The Brollochan thought about it and then agreed.
"The first task I require of you is to feed, feed on these wretched creatures that led me to you" commanded Mogdred.
Knowledge seeping back into it, the Brollochan lifted itself out of the water and prepared to eat. What seemed to be an look of anticipation with maybe the hint of a smile appeared on the Brollochan's "face". Lissard and Skarkill froze in fear of both the scenario of being eaten alive....and the realisation that Mogdred had been true to his word about the giving more, he'd given the Brollochan emotions.
The Brollochan began to edge towards the boat....
-
"Wait!" cried Lissard. "How can you trust him?"
"Yeah!" shouted Scarkill. "How will you know it was your own knowledge that he gave back? If at all!"
Scarkill was quite pleased with himself for that flash of deduction.
"It is still my best chance of regaining knowledge," droned the Brollochan and continued to move towards them. Mogdred laughed.
-
Suddenly there was a blinding flash, and the Brollachan stalled, seemingly wanting to know why there had been a flash.
"Mogdred! Pack it in, you fool!"
There was another flash and the pair in the boat took the risk of looking up to see what was going on. Modgred was now flinging fireballs up towards the ceiling, which, on closer inspection, had a balcony just below it. Leaning over the balcony, hurling green bolts at Mogdred, was Fear - chanting whilst gripping Treguard's wrist and firing the bolts from Treguard's hand.
"How dare you!" roared Mogdred. "You shall get your come-uppance, I shall see to that."
A loud crack later, Mogdred was gone. Fear slapped his hands togather as if brushing off dust, and leaned further over the balcony.
"Master?" droaned the Brollochan. A small smile crept to Lord Fear's lips.
"Yes..." he muttered, surveying the scene below him. "This is most satisfactory."
Treguard grabbed Fear by the sleeve and waved his hand briefly. The sewers turned upside down and they found themselves on a little jetty but a few meters from the boat. The Brollochan swan through the green murk, pulling the boat to the jetty after it.
"You are not associated with this Mogdred, my old Master? Please tell me, for there is only one thing that is worse than ignorance, and that is confusion..." it drawled.
"Less of the 'old', supersulk." snapped Fear. "In rescuing both you and my hopeless minions here I have endangered us all - we are NOT in Mogdred's good books."
"Oh good - you noticed your huge mistake." said Treguard acidly. "I wondered whether you had a death-wish or if you really were as ignorant as you seem. You have also broken one f the laws of the dungeons - it is highly illegal to spellcast using the hand of another!"
Fear glared at him with a stare to rival Treguard's own.
"I suppose I'm right in assuming you wouldn't rescue your own assistants, old one?"
Treguard saw what he meant - perhaps Fear wasn't quite as heartless as he had presumed. Or maybe it was a coer-up for the fact that he liked having things to boss around.
"Fair point, Fear." He said, wanting to keep the tone less than sour for the time being. "I think we should move towards Mount Fear - I have a feeling there is something amiss there..."
"What makesss you sssay that?" hissed Lissard.
Treguard pointed upwards. Through a porthole in the roof of the sewers a red glow was seeping in, most brightly from the direction of Lord Fear's old domain.
"The She..." groaned the Brollochan.
-
[That's better! ]
"What she?" asked Scarkill nervously.
"Just as things couldn't get any worse," muttered Treguard.
The red glow had by now filled the area. The walls shook. The Brollochan looked nervous. A second wall monster appeared in the wall, it's features emerging from the rock.
"I am the Brangwen-She!" its voice said, rattling off the walls.
"What the ruddy hell is that?!" cried Scarkill.
"We haven't robbed you, Brangwen!" shouted Treguard.
"I have not come to test you!" cried Brangwen. "I have come to offer my services!"
-
"Ah..." said treguard. "This is the She you speak of!"
The Brollochan's face changed ever so slightly, and in Brollochan terms was clearly an 'oh-for-gods-sake' look. "No...no...this is not the She. This is the Brangwen-She - I learnt this in my travels - we are aquainted with one another...the She, however..."
"What?" yelled Lord Fear impatiently. "What is this She?"
"The She looks mortal, but is powerful...the She has taken her own child..."
"Whatssss that?" cut in Lissard, pointing towards the far end of the jetty. They all turn (those that had necks, anyhow) in time to see a white-grey, transparent figure disappear through the portal. A flutter of skirts was all they saw, and nothing more. The sound of a young girl's voice sobbed through the echoing blackness and faded away.
"What the devil was that?" exclaimed Treguard.
"Another useless poltergiest, if I am correct..." stated the Brangwen-She.
"Good, good." Lord Fear turned away. "Absolutely nothing to worry about, then."
-
Meanwhile, Mellisandre, Gibbett and Hordriss were trying to help Sidriss.
"Who is her mother, Hordriss?" asked Mellisandre.
"Her name is Morghana," said Hordriss through clenched teeth. "A powerful and malicious sorceress, who I had the misfortune of getting involved with."
"How come you were hitched up with a wrong-un like that?" asked Gibbett. Hordriss shuffled about.
"I used to be rather nasty myself," he said slowly. "It was when I saw that Sidriss started to become evil too that I realised I was witnessing the corruption of an innocence. I realised that I didn't want to see that happen - especially not to any child of mine. That was the turning point for me, and for her."
"I take it that Morghana did not take kindly to that," said Mellisandre dryly.
"I sent Sidriss away," replied Hordriss. "I didn't want her to have to confront her mother. She was nowhere near powerful enough." He spoke with a tear in his eye, gazing upon Sidriss's suspended body. "She still isn't."
"It was only when she was trapped in Merlin's trap chamber, along with Mogdred, that I allowed her to join me."
"And now this happens," said Gibbett. Hordriss glared at him.
"Indeed it does," he said sharply.
"So, what should we do?" asked Mellisandre.
"It is clear that Morghana is still inhabiting Sidriss's body," said Hordriss.
"But she isn't moving!" cried Mellisandre.
"She is in a state of transience," said Hordriss. "Morghana is traversing the dungeon, but is still rooted in Sidriss's body. Most sorcerers do that."
"How do we save her?" asked Gibbett.
"We must find Sidriss's soul quickly, exorsise Morghana and possess Sidriss's body with her soul."
"How do we do that?!" cried Mellisandre. Hordriss thought for a while.
"I shall give everyone a BAG spell," he announced. "If anyone comes across Sidriss's soul, they should use it and then call me."
Hordriss closed his eyes. Suddenly, everyone across the dungeon had a scroll appear before them.
"What is that?" asked Brother Mace.
"It says "'Use BAG to capture Sidriss's soul, then call Malefact three times!'" said Brother Strange.
"A spell, I presume," said Mace.
"Indeed," replied Strange.
-
[Sorry to reply to my own post, but I've had another brainwave!]
Having been summoned away, Hordriss had left Grimaldine on his own. He was now traipsing through a long, dark tunnel, wondering when it would end.
He began to hear a noise in the distance. Squinting ahead, he could see the faint colours starting to change and the walls contort. All of a sudden, the far end of the tunnel began to rip itself up, flying away into nothingness. The destruction began moving down the tunnel towards him.
"Perhaps it is time to leave," he said to himself and promptly turned and ran. Looking over his shoulder, he could see the destruction was catching him up. A gale began to blow through the tunnel towards the wake. He found it more and more difficult to keep up the pace. Concentrating intensely, he cast a charm to get in contact with Hordriss.
"What are you doing, Hordriss?" asked Mellisandre to Hordriss, who was sprinkling purple powder in a circle around Sidriss.
"I am preparing a powerful locking charm," he replied. "It will hopefully keep Sidriss, or at least her body, here while we look for her soul. Should Morghana regain consciousness she won't stay here for long. I think that....." he trailed off.
"What's up?" asked Gibbett. Hordriss raised a hand. From it, he projected an image onto the wall. It was Grimaldine, running from the wake - until a large wall stopped him, accompanied by a peal of Mogdred's laughter. Grimaldine began to spellcast an ESCAPE spell but the wake caught up with him, and he was flung into nothingness without a trace. The image on the wall wavered, and then died out like a candle starved of oxygen.
"What happened?!" screamed Mellisandre.
"Level Two," muttered Hordriss.
"What about Level Two?" demanded Gibbett.
"It is....disintegrating."
-
"We have to get off this level," urged Gibbett.
"But we can't leave Sidress!" cried Mellisandre. Hordriss thought for a moment, and then waved his hand to conjure up a small bottle. It had a label on it which read "PRESERVATIVE". He placed it underneath Sidress's body. There was a brief sound of sucking air, and then a loud pop. Sidress's body had shrunk and was in the bottle. Hordriss picked the bottle up, and put it in his pocket.
"Let's hope Morghana hasn't noticed," he muttered.
"What's that?" cried Mellisandre. Everyone listened. There was a faint noise from far away. Gibbett realised first what it was.
"It's the wake!" he cried. "We have to leave now!"
So, Hordriss, Mellisandre and Gibbett began to run down the tunnel, desparately looking for a path that might lead to Level Three.
Treguard and Fear had finished reading Hordriss' scroll. They looked at each other.
"Do you think that was Sidriss' soul that we saw?" asked Treguard.
"Could have been, me old salt," replied Fear.
"Then we'd better get after it!" Treguard announced.
"Why should we?" asked Scarkill.
"Because I have an issue to resolve with Morghana!" bellowed Fear.
"What's wrong with the Brollochan?" asked Lissard. Everyone turned and looked. The Brollochan had a strange expression on its face.
"Stop sulking!" barked Fear.
"Something has happened," said the Brollochan slowly. "Something terrible."
"What?" asked Scarkill.
"I do not know," the creature replied.
"We're wasting time!" cried Fear. "Everybody; follow that soul!"
So, everyone took off after Sidriss' soul.
-
Meanwhile back in Level One, Pickle, Majida and Kully had found their way to the wellway room.
"Eees looks dark eeen there" moaned Majida looking down the well, "are you sure thees will take us to Leveel two?. Normally ees always been lift" she said looking at Pickle.
"Yes, these wellways were the original routes in the old realm".
"Well I'm not climbing down there" said Kully. Suddenly a deafening roar was heard followed by a coarse shout
"SHAAT UP FESTUS!!" the voice commanded. The voice belonged to an old woman who the trio could now see. The old woman saw them, "oh hello dearies, have you come to see old Mrs Grimwold?"
"No we ees trying to get to Leveel two" Majida replied
"ooooh, level two eh? Well just climb down that well there and that'll take you.....oooh I don't think you can do that" she looked at the wellway with a strange look.
The three looked at the wellway to see that a strange multicoloured glow was eminating from the once dark hole accompanied by an increasing rumble.
"oooh that doesn't look good at all, looks like you can't get to Level two at all...I'd say its not even there anymore from that glow" she continued
"She's right," said Pickle, "I've seen this glow before, its a 180 degree phase shift, the end of the dungeon...but usually it affects everything all at once, not just one level." He turned to face Mrs Grimwold. "Do you know any other way we can get away from here? Maybe straight to Level three?"
"Yeees there eeees a short cut, we need to find zee corridor of blades" Majida spurted in enthusiam.
"No dearies, theres no corridor here, but I tell you what, tell me how to get out of here so me and me Festus came be safe and I'll show you another way to Level Three" Mrs Grimwold offered.
The three thought it over together and agreed, telling her where to go. In return Mrs Grimwold gave the trio some mints and told them to go through the other door in the room.
The trio went through the door and walked out onto a dragons' back.
"Smirkenoff!" exclaimed Pickle and Majida
-
[Brilliant!]
"What do you want?" asked Smirkenoff lazily.
"We have to get to Level Three!" cried Pickle.
"No can do, I'm afraid," said Smirkenoff flatly.
"Why not?!" demanded Majida.
"Too far. Level Two is the best I can do."
"There is no Level Two!" said Kully. "Something's happened to it."
That got Smirkenoff's attention.
"Romanha?" he asked nervously.
"We don't know," replied Pickle softly. Smirkenoff shook himself.
"Well, I suppose it will have to be Level Three," he said. "Rather unusual, but then today's a rather unusual day."
"You got that right," replied Majida.
Smirkenoff took off. It was a long journey, and with three passengers instead of one, Smirkenoff was exhausted by the time they arrived at their destination.
"Where are we?" asked Pickle.
"This is thee Tower of Linghorn!" cried Majida.
"Are you alright, Smirkenoff?" asked Kully.
"No," panted Smirkenoff.
"Would a Dragonmint or three help?" asked Pickle.
"It's a start," gasped the dragon. They placed the mints in the saddle pouch, and disembarked, leaving Smirkenoff to catch his breath.
Linghorn looked derelict. Neglected. It looked like no-one had lived there for years. Decades, almost. Kully shivered.
"I know," whispered Majida. "Eet is very creepy."
Unbeknown to them, three sorceresses were watching them from the Tower of Marblehead.
"Visitors already!" crooned Maldame.
"They should not be here," remarked Aesandre. "They can be anywhere but here."
"Aesandre, have you lowered the temperature?" asked Greystagg, shivering and irritated.
-
Smirkenoff was still panting when another dragon landed in front of him. He almost didn't notice, but when he did he was startled - he'd not seen another dragon for a very long time.
"Who are you?" asked Smirkenoff.
"My name's Owen," replied the dragon.
Elsewhere, Folly and Motley had wandered into a system of caves.
"I don't like this at all!" whispered Folly.
"Well, we won't be here for long," muttered Motley. Folly looked around, and then up at the cave ceiling. He saw about fifty poisonous bats clinging to the stalagtites and yelped. Motley looked up.
"Don't make any noises, you berk!" Motley spat.
"I'm sorry!" whimpered Folly. "It's just that I don't happen to like those things."
A goblin horn sounded. The bats, startled, immediately took flight. For a terrifying thirty seconds, the cave was alive with venomous bats. Motley and Folly covered their faces. When the bats had all flown away, they checked themselves over and were relieved to find that they had not been bitten. The goblin horn sounded again.
"Oh, no!" shrieked Folly.
"We have to get moving!" announced Motley.
The two jesters marched through the caves and into a corridor. The horn sounded again, much closer this time.
"The right-hand door, quickly!" ordered Motley. They ran towards it, only to jump back in fright at the sight of three goblins emerging from it.
"The left-hand door!" cried Folly. They spun around only to be faced with more goblins.
In a matter of seconds they were completely surrounded.
"We're done for!" screamed Folly. Motley gulped.
"I wish I'd learnt Goblinese," he muttered. And then something happened that made them quiver with fright. A hobgoblin emerged from the darkness and marched to the front of the army of goblins surrounding the jesters. It looked at them. They looked at it. Then, the hobgoblin did something quite unexpected - it beckoned the jesters to follow. Folly and Motley looked at each other.
"It wants us to follow!" whispered Motley.
"Why can't they just put us out of our misery?!" whimpered Folly.
The jesters followed the hobgoblin, flanked by the thirty goblins who trapped them. They were led through a system of dark caverns until they arrived at a huge cave. It stretched out for hundreds of meters in all directions. Colourful minerals shone with the fluorescent light of algae on the rock next to them.
The jesters were led to the centre of the cave. The goblins formed a circle around them. The hobgoblin turned and faced them.
"We need your help," said the hobgoblin.
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