Team 4: January, Sarah, Sarah and Sian from Shrewsbury.
The fourth quest of Series 6 was for the Crown and lasted 35 minutes.
Pre-quest
Lord Fear appears in the viewing screen to gloat over the death of the previous dungeoneer.
Treguard predicts that he will 'shrink before the next challenger', but January doesn't look particularly threatening. He tells Fear to clear off.
Lord Fear: "Bye bye, January. Be seeing you"
Level 1
January chooses the Crown and enters a dwarf tunnel.
- Pickle: "They're too narrow. Meet something coming towards you and there's no chance of escape."
- Treguard: "Well, I suppose you could always turn around and run away."
- Pickle: "But then you'd be forgetting your own rules, master. The only way ahead is onwards - there is no turning back."
January arrives in a forest clearing, where she finds a miniature Motley!
He tells a tale of unrequited love. Sidriss has shrunk him to the size of a mouse, so he must hide in a box to avoid her 'familiar', which is a cat.
January offers to take him to Sidriss so she can return him to normal size. It gives her a dilemma when they reach the clue objects in the next clearing.
The clues are: a bar of gold, a green gem, and some 'defrost' powder. The scroll reads: "Sprinkle to defrost. Remember to be odd."
- Pickle: "This is unfair, master! January should be able to choose two objects. But with Motley in that box, she's only got one spare hand."
- Treguard: "A dilemma, certainly, but not one without a solution. They could simply choose to abandon Motley. After all, he's of doubtful value..."
Motley manages to convince them that he is worth keeping as one of their two objects. They also take the powder (mispronounced 'deforest' by January!).
Spyglass: Lord Fear and Hordriss are having an almighty row. Sidriss has been captured and held to ransom.
- Hordriss: "If one hair of one's daughter's head is harmed and if she is not returned forthwith, then I shall split Mount Fear in two and turn the remains into volcanic dust!"
- Lord Fear: "Either you surrender and give your bonded agreement never to advance aid to another dungeoneer or I'll have her clapped into the goblin pens!"
January almost goes astray on the causeway, as her team are deceived by the pattern of odd numbers. The clock goes noticeably slower to allow them time to recover.
They find someone frozen in a blue room. Motley confirms it is Sidriss. He tells January how to release her using the powder, just as the goblins arrive to collect her.
Sidriss struggles to get them all free. They run straight into the goblins in the dwarf tunnels!
Eventually, she gets everyone into a boat and crosses the lake.
Once returned to his normal size, Motley gives January the password.
She bypasses the Dreadnort and uses the descender to reach Level 2.
Level 2
Ridolfo is in the stocks following an indiscretion with Count Brinkatore, a friend of Lord Fear.
Once January releases him, he accompanies her to the undercroft cavern and offers clues about Witch Haven and the causeway.
Level 2 clues: a ring, a bag of silver, and a firestone.
Spyglass: Lord Fear's ring of power has been stolen. He tells Count Brinkatore and Sylvester Hands to get looking for it.
Lord Fear: "I've got a dirty job needs doing, and you're the dirtiest person I've ever met."
Hands asks what happens if someone tries to use it. Fear says the ring impersonates him, but that he can track it once it is worn.
The team take the ring and the firestone. January is chased by a geist.
Next, a castle courtyard, where January is approached by Julius Scaramonger.
He wants the ring for his mother's birthday, but the team persuade him to take the firestone instead.
However, they hesitate over what they want in return. He glosses over the witch-amber he is carrying, and instead gives them what is assumed to be a spell scroll.
The outskirts of Witch Haven. Sylvester Hands appears. He tells her to wait while he blows his horn.
Death
January shows him the ring. Hands chases her, ties her up, and takes her away.
Watch the poor girl retreat! Terrifying.
Treguard: "Ooh, nasty. The ring wasn't for selling, girls. It was for using!"
Did you know?
January was meant to be one of the advisors for this team - not the dungeoneer.
But she ended up standing in for Sarah Halsall, who suffered an unfortunate accident shortly before their quest began. Sarah explains:
I took the huge splint off for the cameras, and just left the bandage on. The funniest thing was that I was going to be the dungeoneer until it happened, but January had to do at the last minute because I couldn't really walk!
See the full story in The Quest:
