The story of Me. No, this isn't my story, it's Me's story. Well, that is to say I am Me. I'm not you, yu, or yoo. I am Me... are you? Anyway, I've been seeing my therapist a lot lately. Ever since my friend has joined this "up and coming" guild, he's been pressuring me to join as well. You may have seen his stats posted on the 342 board from time to time. I don't know why they call their guild 342, but that's the name Neo gave me. Neo's my best friend from childhood... well, okay, so he was always the one getting me into trouble. He's always been quick, and somehow he always manages to vanish just as the adults walk around the corner. They think he's my "imaginary friend", but you and I know better.
He says that he's been into the Dungeons of Doom so many times that it's too easy to get the amulet. I asked some questions and it turns out that you have to remove a mystic amulet of mega monster strength from the 26th floor. See the big problem is in two parts. First, all the monsters you fought on the way down are much stronger on the way back out. Second, you can't take much food with you, seems to bring more powerful monsters higher up the dungeon and the noise scares off their meal and 342 looses face. Neither one wants that so you're sent in with basic equipment and hardly any training.
How can you get an amulet that's been buried for thousands of years due to monster infestation?! Well, to make this even longer, I started having nightmares when Neo began showing up every time I was alone. Do you know how he does that?! These nightmares are intense Doc. Very intense. I've started jumping out of my bed swinging a pencil around, trying to slay the deadly skeletons that haunt my dreams! Now I'm even waking up with scrapes and bruises. Neo keeps telling me that it's all part of the matrix allignment being off, or something like that.
Anyway, here's the latest dream that I've had.... Oh!! I almost forgot to warn you. This has to be a dream right? I mean I keep going down these stairs and the floor shifts every time I step off and I can never find the cursed things again! This isn't a Voldemort thing is it? I don't like snakes. They're mean.... vile.... slithering things that sap the strength right out of you!
The Story of Me
Re: The Story of Me
In this latest dream, I must admit that I'm very nervous about this, I was walking to the grand stair that is the entrance. I put my hand on the door and I felt a little weight being put in my pack. Quick as a wink I took it off and inspected the contents. My food was still there. No one has touched the 32 arrows I was given for the task. My bow was still ready for stringing. My mace was at my side still. Wait! What's this case?! It looked so old and beat up that I almost tossed it aside. It had a strange enscription on it. "mofjes geg" I decided not to try to say the words outloud yet, and turned to the stairs. As I pulled open the doors this time, I wondered if I'd die on the first level and have a pleasantly embarrassingly short nightmare...
I stepped off the last stair and felt the familiar buzz of the stairs shifting away. I quickly pulled out my slightly enchanted mace as I took a quick look around. There were a couple of shiny things on the floor that caught my immediate attention. A small pile of gold and a vial of something. However, what drew my attention more was the mass of cold blue sparkles that was shambling my way. Just my luck to drop into a treasure room right away. Even though it looked to be a very small treasure room, I still would have to fight right away. I took a step and we closed ranks. My first swing was wild from the adrenaline rush, and I got a glancing blow to my shoulder that made it numb for a time. My training, from all of these weird dreams kicked in, and a reverse blow shattered the monster from the waiste up. I felt a calming swell in my heart and I knew that I'd be better prepared for the next fight.
As I stepped over to gather the loot that was left on the floor, I noticed another small case. Another scroll and case! This one was marked "nic xel zop"... Whatever that meant. I gathered the small pile of seven gold coins and the blue potion in the vial, thinking that this was a great reward for a quick fight. If only all my fights could be like this, maybe I'd be able to get the amulet and stop having these dreams.
There was only one door, along the east wall. Don't ask how I know it's east, I just always know directions in my nightmares. I ran along the corridor and came to a 4-way stop. I turned right and went south through a long turn and came to a door. I gently eased it open and found the room fully lit with light from a long crack in the ceiling. There was a shiny spot on the ground here as well! A ring! I noticed that it was carved out of a single piece of topaz. A treasure to find indeed! I should wait until I've gathered more things before I try to figure out what these strange things do. Oh look! Stairs! Argh! They only go down. I had better explore the rest of this level before going down. Increasing my skills as much as possible before getting to he really scary floors was my aim. I took the door from this long room leaving to the west, a little jig later I was at another door.
When I opened this one I nearly dropped my mace in fright! Another Ice Monster! Wait.... is that snoring?! What luck, it's asleep! Hey, another pile oh coins! I snuck over and quietly gathered the seven coins into my padded pouch. This was too small a room to use my bow in so I took a step closer... and got a cold slap across my face! That murderous animated ice wasn't sleeping, it was waiting for an idiot like me to come along. It even hit the same shoulder as the first one did! In a fury, I brought my mace down so hard on it's head that I had three piles of slush splattered across the floor of the room. Now that's how it's done! Now I felt fully relaxed and thought that I had gained two levels of experience. I couldn't find anything else in this room so I went back east and north to the 4-way that I came to earlier.
Since right had worked well I tried it again, heading east from the 4-way intersection. Ah! It turned south and. Bat was right there! Swooped down on me outa nowhere! I hit it, but it raked it's sharp claws across my cheek and I could tell that I'd have welts there when I woke up. It dived again, only to bounce back up into the ceiling with a wet plop as I killed it with a well timed swing. The turn south turned out to be an s-bend and I soon came to another door.
Opening this one gave me a fright! Worse than the Ice Monsters, there was a hobgoblin in this room! He's not moving, even after my frightened squeek... Is it asleep? Awesome!! I quietly strung my bow and stood confidently in the doorway. I knocked an arrow and took my time aiming.... Loose! and before that arrow had a chance to whisper past the hobgoblin's ear, startling it awak, I had knocked another arrow. My heart fell when I saw the monster jerk awake, even if it was funny to see a monster startled, and let fly a second arrow. This one lodged firmly in the thigh of my opponent. My third arrow sank into the hobgoblins throat, just under the chin, and slightly to the side. I carefully removed both arrows and cleaned them on the hobgoblins cloths before managing to locate my third arrow laying on the floor. It seemed to be pointing at a sparkly pile of coins! I gathered the 56 coins and took the opportunity to reorganize my equipment the way I like it.
Grumbling about not being able to set my own sort order for items without already having them I turned north. A short hallway later I found an empty room... Okay, out the south door then. A long bend east and then a room to the south, small and ACK! A kestral drops on the scroll case right there in the doorway, screeching a challenge at me. My smirk rapidly falls from my face as I shake an empty fist at the angry bird. I forgot to take my mace back out!! Crap! The kestral rakes it's claws along my arm as I pull out my weapon. I'm still so flustered that my swing not only misses, but the mean bird pecks me on my head for my mistake! (that spot still itches) After flinging the angry bird away I got ready. The goofy bird came in like a fastball and I scored a homerun! Now that the pesky kestral was taken care of, I gathered the scroll "geftek raq wur vuf" and 11 coins.
There was only one thing left now, the north passage of the 4-way stop... Ah! Another kestral swooped down on me before I could make it back to the room and turn towards the 4-way. A quick hit and that poor bird was also dead. Just as I was coming back to the 4-way stop, an Ice Monster decided to bar my way... It must have seen that its fellows had numbed my shoulder already, because it hit the same shoulder at the same time I took one of its arms off. My second blow took out the torso and left a slowly melting pile of limbs.
A long s-bend later I have found the last room of the floor! I open the door and I'm almost blinded by the light pouring off of a shrine! Getting close enough to read, I see a plaque that says it was a kind donation from Guild 342?! They exist? There are two coins laying nearby, as if some monster had thrown them at the shrine. Oh! This must not be the last room! There's a black potion over by a door leading off to the west. A long winding corridor and a dead end? I must have spent nearly 45 minutes pouring over every stone in the wall, floor, and the parts of the ceiling I could reach... Nothing was found.
So I started back towards the stairs, wondering if I'd made so much noise that I had drawn out the last ice monster I'd fought. "I must be an adventurer by now," I thought happily to myself as I hear a flutter of small, leathery wings behind me. I spin around just after heading south from the 4-way stop and swing at the bat following me. I missed by a few inches, but the goofy thing just flitted about my head, almost ignoring me. "You don't ignore me!" I yelled as I flattened the poor thing against the wall. Feeling kind of bad, I went to the stairs and wondered what a stair going up would look like.... "Why not see if I could reach it this time?" and with that I took my first steps towards the second level of the Dungeons of Doom.
I stepped off the last stair and felt the familiar buzz of the stairs shifting away. I quickly pulled out my slightly enchanted mace as I took a quick look around. There were a couple of shiny things on the floor that caught my immediate attention. A small pile of gold and a vial of something. However, what drew my attention more was the mass of cold blue sparkles that was shambling my way. Just my luck to drop into a treasure room right away. Even though it looked to be a very small treasure room, I still would have to fight right away. I took a step and we closed ranks. My first swing was wild from the adrenaline rush, and I got a glancing blow to my shoulder that made it numb for a time. My training, from all of these weird dreams kicked in, and a reverse blow shattered the monster from the waiste up. I felt a calming swell in my heart and I knew that I'd be better prepared for the next fight.
As I stepped over to gather the loot that was left on the floor, I noticed another small case. Another scroll and case! This one was marked "nic xel zop"... Whatever that meant. I gathered the small pile of seven gold coins and the blue potion in the vial, thinking that this was a great reward for a quick fight. If only all my fights could be like this, maybe I'd be able to get the amulet and stop having these dreams.
There was only one door, along the east wall. Don't ask how I know it's east, I just always know directions in my nightmares. I ran along the corridor and came to a 4-way stop. I turned right and went south through a long turn and came to a door. I gently eased it open and found the room fully lit with light from a long crack in the ceiling. There was a shiny spot on the ground here as well! A ring! I noticed that it was carved out of a single piece of topaz. A treasure to find indeed! I should wait until I've gathered more things before I try to figure out what these strange things do. Oh look! Stairs! Argh! They only go down. I had better explore the rest of this level before going down. Increasing my skills as much as possible before getting to he really scary floors was my aim. I took the door from this long room leaving to the west, a little jig later I was at another door.
When I opened this one I nearly dropped my mace in fright! Another Ice Monster! Wait.... is that snoring?! What luck, it's asleep! Hey, another pile oh coins! I snuck over and quietly gathered the seven coins into my padded pouch. This was too small a room to use my bow in so I took a step closer... and got a cold slap across my face! That murderous animated ice wasn't sleeping, it was waiting for an idiot like me to come along. It even hit the same shoulder as the first one did! In a fury, I brought my mace down so hard on it's head that I had three piles of slush splattered across the floor of the room. Now that's how it's done! Now I felt fully relaxed and thought that I had gained two levels of experience. I couldn't find anything else in this room so I went back east and north to the 4-way that I came to earlier.
Since right had worked well I tried it again, heading east from the 4-way intersection. Ah! It turned south and. Bat was right there! Swooped down on me outa nowhere! I hit it, but it raked it's sharp claws across my cheek and I could tell that I'd have welts there when I woke up. It dived again, only to bounce back up into the ceiling with a wet plop as I killed it with a well timed swing. The turn south turned out to be an s-bend and I soon came to another door.
Opening this one gave me a fright! Worse than the Ice Monsters, there was a hobgoblin in this room! He's not moving, even after my frightened squeek... Is it asleep? Awesome!! I quietly strung my bow and stood confidently in the doorway. I knocked an arrow and took my time aiming.... Loose! and before that arrow had a chance to whisper past the hobgoblin's ear, startling it awak, I had knocked another arrow. My heart fell when I saw the monster jerk awake, even if it was funny to see a monster startled, and let fly a second arrow. This one lodged firmly in the thigh of my opponent. My third arrow sank into the hobgoblins throat, just under the chin, and slightly to the side. I carefully removed both arrows and cleaned them on the hobgoblins cloths before managing to locate my third arrow laying on the floor. It seemed to be pointing at a sparkly pile of coins! I gathered the 56 coins and took the opportunity to reorganize my equipment the way I like it.
Grumbling about not being able to set my own sort order for items without already having them I turned north. A short hallway later I found an empty room... Okay, out the south door then. A long bend east and then a room to the south, small and ACK! A kestral drops on the scroll case right there in the doorway, screeching a challenge at me. My smirk rapidly falls from my face as I shake an empty fist at the angry bird. I forgot to take my mace back out!! Crap! The kestral rakes it's claws along my arm as I pull out my weapon. I'm still so flustered that my swing not only misses, but the mean bird pecks me on my head for my mistake! (that spot still itches) After flinging the angry bird away I got ready. The goofy bird came in like a fastball and I scored a homerun! Now that the pesky kestral was taken care of, I gathered the scroll "geftek raq wur vuf" and 11 coins.
There was only one thing left now, the north passage of the 4-way stop... Ah! Another kestral swooped down on me before I could make it back to the room and turn towards the 4-way. A quick hit and that poor bird was also dead. Just as I was coming back to the 4-way stop, an Ice Monster decided to bar my way... It must have seen that its fellows had numbed my shoulder already, because it hit the same shoulder at the same time I took one of its arms off. My second blow took out the torso and left a slowly melting pile of limbs.
A long s-bend later I have found the last room of the floor! I open the door and I'm almost blinded by the light pouring off of a shrine! Getting close enough to read, I see a plaque that says it was a kind donation from Guild 342?! They exist? There are two coins laying nearby, as if some monster had thrown them at the shrine. Oh! This must not be the last room! There's a black potion over by a door leading off to the west. A long winding corridor and a dead end? I must have spent nearly 45 minutes pouring over every stone in the wall, floor, and the parts of the ceiling I could reach... Nothing was found.
So I started back towards the stairs, wondering if I'd made so much noise that I had drawn out the last ice monster I'd fought. "I must be an adventurer by now," I thought happily to myself as I hear a flutter of small, leathery wings behind me. I spin around just after heading south from the 4-way stop and swing at the bat following me. I missed by a few inches, but the goofy thing just flitted about my head, almost ignoring me. "You don't ignore me!" I yelled as I flattened the poor thing against the wall. Feeling kind of bad, I went to the stairs and wondered what a stair going up would look like.... "Why not see if I could reach it this time?" and with that I took my first steps towards the second level of the Dungeons of Doom.
Dungeon - 1st floor underground...
I stepped off the stair, and nearly fell when the buzz came this time. I found myself in a long narrow room with a door to the north and a door to the south. I decided to head south an found a wider room that was a bit shorter. To my surprise, I found a bat laying sprawled on the floor sound asleep. I was worried about it waking up before I could get around it so that I could try to work on my archery. I was soo worried that I completely missed seeing the hobgoblin charge into the room, and would have lost my life to the first blow if I hadn't tripped over a loose stone and tumbled at the moment it took a swing at me!
I knew I was in trouble and had to get to my feet. I swung a wide arch and barely missed the hobgoblin, and it seemed content to let me regain my feet before dancing in on the balls of its feet. My return swing must have left an opening I didn't know about because I missed by a New York Mile, but the foot planted into my stomach left me gasping for breath and feeling rather sick. I aimed a shacky swing at the hobgoblin's hip and missed because my head nearly came off from a left hook to my jaw! What in all of these dungeons did I do to desrve a fight with a hobgoblin boxer?! I swung again and felt a jab connect with my shoulder, numbing that arm to uselessness. Another swing-and-miss nearly cost me my mace when a second jab landed on my other shoulder. I knew the next blow to hit me would be my death, so I changed my tactics and dropped my mace to my feet. I tumbled backwards and used all the desperate strength of my legs to slam my mace into the hobgoblin's jaw. The pain in my foot and ankle was almost enough to make me blackout, but I wanted to face death alive and kicking...
I waited for what seemed an eternity for the boot to slam my neck and end this descent. When I heard nothing but an odd squeak coming from the still sleeping bat, I managed to roll onto my hands and knees to check on my foe. I couldn't believe it! The hobgoblin was laying there with its head tilted at an unnatural angle. While my body and mind were screaming at me to pass out, I forced myself to move over to the spot I planned on attacking my snoozing opponent from before following his example and taking a much needed nap.
Awakening refreshed, I quickly readied my bow and took aim. I don't know what happened, but something did. That first shot nearly missed! It skipped off the floor and nicked the giant bat's head, giving its scalp a neat part down the middle. I found the sight so funny that my next two shots at the poor startled bat went wide and missed the angry flying rodent. I managed to calm down and sunk my next arrow deep into the heart and watched as the bat hit so hard the arrow snapped. I thought it was the poor beasts neck or another bone, but soon found it was my arrow. I couldn't find the other arrows that missed, who knows how you can lose an arrow in a brightly lit room, but I lost those two. The only arrow I managed to find was the arrow of neat scalp parting. It had lodged into the ceiling, but I managed to knock it loose using a gold piece (they change from pieces to coins throughout my dream... This is a dream right?!) as I would a rock.
I took the door east, after putting away my bow, and quickly found a small room that had a very angry bird swooping down on me the moment the door opened. I reflexively raised my mace and was shocked to find that I had smashed the poor thing against the door, killing it with the swift movement. I was so shocked that I nearly missed the 66 gold pieces laying on the floor. I was so very happy to have increased my count to 148 pieces because I feel that it somehow measures me against all those that have gone before.
I made my way back to the starting room and took the north door. Boy was I surprised when I had to jump back after rounding that corner. As luck would have it I got a scratch to my ear as I struggled to find another angry bird that just tried to take my head out of the fight. I swung blind and not only did I miss, but I got a scratch on my knee for my troubles. I heard a screech from the bird and quckly jumped forward a little. I was rewarded with the satisfying crunch as I landed on the bird and ended that threat.
A bat slamming into my face cut my sigh of relief short and I swiped it off my head with a rough slap. It just fluttered about, maybe confused by the death of a partner. I swung and missed, so the bat decided to slam into me again and bite me correctly this time. That little bite hurt and I roared my defiance at the bat, knocking it into the air and trying my best to end its miserable existance. I missed because I ducked the following swoop attack. I took a blind swing around me, and though I could hear it, the bat did not attack me that time.I saw a flicker of movement and swung again, barely missing the bat, and it missed me. It tried to divebomb my head again and I managed to kill it before it could land on me and cause any more irritating wounds.
I entered another small long room. On the way towards the east door I found a black potion! I took the door east and followed a very long hallway before opening a door. Not far away I saw another kestral that was approaching me because of the movement. I readied myself and then slammed the door into the face of the kestral just as it dove for a killing blow. Satisfied with my timing I stepped into the room and found a pile of 20 gold pieces. I quickly pocketed the coins and saw a small box put of the corner of my eye. It was a scroll case that looked somehow familiar... I had found another "mofjes geg" scroll.
This room looked very defensible, might as well find out what all the items I've picked up earlier can do. Time to tempt fate! Up first is a black potion... Ugh! That was just nasty! Why do I feel so weak all of a sudden? What's going on? Was that poison?! I'd better be careful of those from now on! Let's see, next I'll read a scroll outloud. MOFJES GEG! Cough, cough, there was a lot of smoke just now... AH! I just managed to duck the killing swipe of a kestral!!? I swung and missed, but the bird missed as well. I nicked its wing and thought I could win when it used the wobble to doge my followup and sunk its beak into my pack strap and shoulder. That hurt badly! Fortunately I was able to kill it as it pulled free from my shoulder. The scroll must have created the kestral. I'm going to save it until after I've cleared out the rest of the level.
Hmmm, blue's always been a lucky color for me! Down goes a blue potion and I felt a weird sensation in my head. I could feel parts of my mind stretching it seemed and I knew that there were only a few items left as well as only a few monsters. The rest was empty. Wow! Must have been a potion of clarivoyance. Next I'll try another scroll. NIC XEK ZOP! I was wondering what that topaz ring would do as I read it and I suddenly knew that it would emit a very annoying sound that would echo through the whole floor. I doubted it would come off when I put it on. One last thing to try, GEFTEK RAQ WUR VUF! What the?! I felt like I was being yanked like a piece of taffy. Stretching out like a human rubberband! After the sensation left me I blinked again. Where'd that mace come from? Um, did the room grow? Oh! The stuff I sensed earlier is now to the north. I must have been transported to the souteast room.
As I move to grab the mace, I notice a monster headed towards me. I decided to wait and it was a kestral. Best way to find out if a new weapon is magical or not is to use it. I flung it at the bird and missed. It came at me angrier than before and I killed it with my first swing. At least my new mace doesn't break as easily as armor does. Armor always seems to break, even out in an open room with nothing else around but you and a monster. I take the door north and gathered up a pink potion (would it be an evil potion?) and 65 more coins. Huh! What was that just now? A new monster suddenly appeared in my minds eye. I'll find out later. I continued north towards an unmoving monster.
I carefully peaked around the door and saw a sleeping hobgoblin. Recalling my near-death experience with the last one, I carefully brought out my bow, and readied my new mace. I flung the mace first, just missed. I threw the topaz ring as well, and saw that it didn't go as far as I thought it would. I quickly grabbed and arrow and fired without thinking. !! Holy! Was that an arrow of slaying just now? The hobgoblin twisted slightly as it fell with my arrow sticking out of its no vacant eye. I carefully removed the arrow and wiped it down. No, just my arrow of neat scalp parting... not an arrow of slaying after all. I found the ring broken into seeral pieces and didn't mind that I had lost the cursed item. I picked up my frustratingly unknown mace and prepared to face the last unmoving monster to the north of me.
I carefully entered and found another bat sawing logs. Poor thing. I moved a little distance away and flung my mace, missed again. I had a chance for two quick shots from my bow and both missed the swooping bat. I quickly dropped my bow and pulled out my trusted mace. I struck the bat a glancing blow, and saw that it seemed to ignore me so I swung again. Not only did I almost spin around completely when I missed, but the bat did to... was it mocking me? I swung an over hand strike and pinned the bat to the floor. It's much easier to locate all the gold pieces in the dust with this claivoyance. I gathered 6 more and found the stairs heading down.
First, I wanted to leave an empty level behind me, I turned towards the first monster to come here. First monster?! Oh! Another has come to see what all the noise is about. The first joiner seems to be following me. I go west with it and then draw it into a long hallway. I fling my unkown mace and hear it thunk into something solid. A cold shriek of defiance sends a chill racing along my spine as I realize I'm facing an ice monster. Ice monster! I threw myself to the floor and was happy to feel an icy blast of air blow through where I was just standing. Charge! I got close and missed, it seemed stunned that I would charge in to close range so I swung again. The poor monster shattered into a gusted bits of ice and water sprayed everywhere. I was happy to have that explosive victory to celebrate my advancement to the rank of fighter. (Don't ask me how I know these things. I know I started as a Novice and now, at this point, I'm a fighter)
I gather up the mace and find dissapointment in my heart. It's just an ordinary mace. At least it should hurt the critters a bit more than anything else I can throw at them. I race off to the west to face the last monster of this level. I feel the pains of hunger start as I enter a long room and find the kestral winging towards me as fast as it can fly. I see it set up for a dive down onto me and fling the normal mace at it. Missed, but the kestral has to dodge the falling ceiling tiles allowing me to kill it in one blow. Quick! Back to the stairs before anything else can come!
I entered the hallway at a run, sensed a monster as I neared the end of the hallway and opened the door. My mace was on an upswing, intending to knock whatever was there into the ceiling, when a sharp jab turned me slightly to the side... The poor hobgoblin, he caught my mace in his crotch and doubled up instantly. I wondered if the sudden stillness was going to end, but no. It was good and dead. I quickly check the room to the south of the test room and found it as expected, empty. I made my way back to the stairs.
Feeling better when I got there, I decided to drink the pink potion. I winced as I expected to be sent on a strange trip where everything was all gloriously pretty. Instead I found that I could catch my breath finally and my pack felt much lighter. Instead of the cold of poison, I felt the warm of life! A potion to restore strength?! In a pink potion? Cool! I read my last creat monster scroll, now more confident than ever, and only just managed to dodge the first attack of the bat. I must have been working on an adrenaline rush because I missed twice and it only tried to hit me once. My third swing found a home and the bat expired on the top step of the stairs leading down.
"This isn't so bad" was my thought as I again, descended the stairs into the lower levels of the dungeon...
I knew I was in trouble and had to get to my feet. I swung a wide arch and barely missed the hobgoblin, and it seemed content to let me regain my feet before dancing in on the balls of its feet. My return swing must have left an opening I didn't know about because I missed by a New York Mile, but the foot planted into my stomach left me gasping for breath and feeling rather sick. I aimed a shacky swing at the hobgoblin's hip and missed because my head nearly came off from a left hook to my jaw! What in all of these dungeons did I do to desrve a fight with a hobgoblin boxer?! I swung again and felt a jab connect with my shoulder, numbing that arm to uselessness. Another swing-and-miss nearly cost me my mace when a second jab landed on my other shoulder. I knew the next blow to hit me would be my death, so I changed my tactics and dropped my mace to my feet. I tumbled backwards and used all the desperate strength of my legs to slam my mace into the hobgoblin's jaw. The pain in my foot and ankle was almost enough to make me blackout, but I wanted to face death alive and kicking...
I waited for what seemed an eternity for the boot to slam my neck and end this descent. When I heard nothing but an odd squeak coming from the still sleeping bat, I managed to roll onto my hands and knees to check on my foe. I couldn't believe it! The hobgoblin was laying there with its head tilted at an unnatural angle. While my body and mind were screaming at me to pass out, I forced myself to move over to the spot I planned on attacking my snoozing opponent from before following his example and taking a much needed nap.
Awakening refreshed, I quickly readied my bow and took aim. I don't know what happened, but something did. That first shot nearly missed! It skipped off the floor and nicked the giant bat's head, giving its scalp a neat part down the middle. I found the sight so funny that my next two shots at the poor startled bat went wide and missed the angry flying rodent. I managed to calm down and sunk my next arrow deep into the heart and watched as the bat hit so hard the arrow snapped. I thought it was the poor beasts neck or another bone, but soon found it was my arrow. I couldn't find the other arrows that missed, who knows how you can lose an arrow in a brightly lit room, but I lost those two. The only arrow I managed to find was the arrow of neat scalp parting. It had lodged into the ceiling, but I managed to knock it loose using a gold piece (they change from pieces to coins throughout my dream... This is a dream right?!) as I would a rock.
I took the door east, after putting away my bow, and quickly found a small room that had a very angry bird swooping down on me the moment the door opened. I reflexively raised my mace and was shocked to find that I had smashed the poor thing against the door, killing it with the swift movement. I was so shocked that I nearly missed the 66 gold pieces laying on the floor. I was so very happy to have increased my count to 148 pieces because I feel that it somehow measures me against all those that have gone before.
I made my way back to the starting room and took the north door. Boy was I surprised when I had to jump back after rounding that corner. As luck would have it I got a scratch to my ear as I struggled to find another angry bird that just tried to take my head out of the fight. I swung blind and not only did I miss, but I got a scratch on my knee for my troubles. I heard a screech from the bird and quckly jumped forward a little. I was rewarded with the satisfying crunch as I landed on the bird and ended that threat.
A bat slamming into my face cut my sigh of relief short and I swiped it off my head with a rough slap. It just fluttered about, maybe confused by the death of a partner. I swung and missed, so the bat decided to slam into me again and bite me correctly this time. That little bite hurt and I roared my defiance at the bat, knocking it into the air and trying my best to end its miserable existance. I missed because I ducked the following swoop attack. I took a blind swing around me, and though I could hear it, the bat did not attack me that time.I saw a flicker of movement and swung again, barely missing the bat, and it missed me. It tried to divebomb my head again and I managed to kill it before it could land on me and cause any more irritating wounds.
I entered another small long room. On the way towards the east door I found a black potion! I took the door east and followed a very long hallway before opening a door. Not far away I saw another kestral that was approaching me because of the movement. I readied myself and then slammed the door into the face of the kestral just as it dove for a killing blow. Satisfied with my timing I stepped into the room and found a pile of 20 gold pieces. I quickly pocketed the coins and saw a small box put of the corner of my eye. It was a scroll case that looked somehow familiar... I had found another "mofjes geg" scroll.
This room looked very defensible, might as well find out what all the items I've picked up earlier can do. Time to tempt fate! Up first is a black potion... Ugh! That was just nasty! Why do I feel so weak all of a sudden? What's going on? Was that poison?! I'd better be careful of those from now on! Let's see, next I'll read a scroll outloud. MOFJES GEG! Cough, cough, there was a lot of smoke just now... AH! I just managed to duck the killing swipe of a kestral!!? I swung and missed, but the bird missed as well. I nicked its wing and thought I could win when it used the wobble to doge my followup and sunk its beak into my pack strap and shoulder. That hurt badly! Fortunately I was able to kill it as it pulled free from my shoulder. The scroll must have created the kestral. I'm going to save it until after I've cleared out the rest of the level.
Hmmm, blue's always been a lucky color for me! Down goes a blue potion and I felt a weird sensation in my head. I could feel parts of my mind stretching it seemed and I knew that there were only a few items left as well as only a few monsters. The rest was empty. Wow! Must have been a potion of clarivoyance. Next I'll try another scroll. NIC XEK ZOP! I was wondering what that topaz ring would do as I read it and I suddenly knew that it would emit a very annoying sound that would echo through the whole floor. I doubted it would come off when I put it on. One last thing to try, GEFTEK RAQ WUR VUF! What the?! I felt like I was being yanked like a piece of taffy. Stretching out like a human rubberband! After the sensation left me I blinked again. Where'd that mace come from? Um, did the room grow? Oh! The stuff I sensed earlier is now to the north. I must have been transported to the souteast room.
As I move to grab the mace, I notice a monster headed towards me. I decided to wait and it was a kestral. Best way to find out if a new weapon is magical or not is to use it. I flung it at the bird and missed. It came at me angrier than before and I killed it with my first swing. At least my new mace doesn't break as easily as armor does. Armor always seems to break, even out in an open room with nothing else around but you and a monster. I take the door north and gathered up a pink potion (would it be an evil potion?) and 65 more coins. Huh! What was that just now? A new monster suddenly appeared in my minds eye. I'll find out later. I continued north towards an unmoving monster.
I carefully peaked around the door and saw a sleeping hobgoblin. Recalling my near-death experience with the last one, I carefully brought out my bow, and readied my new mace. I flung the mace first, just missed. I threw the topaz ring as well, and saw that it didn't go as far as I thought it would. I quickly grabbed and arrow and fired without thinking. !! Holy! Was that an arrow of slaying just now? The hobgoblin twisted slightly as it fell with my arrow sticking out of its no vacant eye. I carefully removed the arrow and wiped it down. No, just my arrow of neat scalp parting... not an arrow of slaying after all. I found the ring broken into seeral pieces and didn't mind that I had lost the cursed item. I picked up my frustratingly unknown mace and prepared to face the last unmoving monster to the north of me.
I carefully entered and found another bat sawing logs. Poor thing. I moved a little distance away and flung my mace, missed again. I had a chance for two quick shots from my bow and both missed the swooping bat. I quickly dropped my bow and pulled out my trusted mace. I struck the bat a glancing blow, and saw that it seemed to ignore me so I swung again. Not only did I almost spin around completely when I missed, but the bat did to... was it mocking me? I swung an over hand strike and pinned the bat to the floor. It's much easier to locate all the gold pieces in the dust with this claivoyance. I gathered 6 more and found the stairs heading down.
First, I wanted to leave an empty level behind me, I turned towards the first monster to come here. First monster?! Oh! Another has come to see what all the noise is about. The first joiner seems to be following me. I go west with it and then draw it into a long hallway. I fling my unkown mace and hear it thunk into something solid. A cold shriek of defiance sends a chill racing along my spine as I realize I'm facing an ice monster. Ice monster! I threw myself to the floor and was happy to feel an icy blast of air blow through where I was just standing. Charge! I got close and missed, it seemed stunned that I would charge in to close range so I swung again. The poor monster shattered into a gusted bits of ice and water sprayed everywhere. I was happy to have that explosive victory to celebrate my advancement to the rank of fighter. (Don't ask me how I know these things. I know I started as a Novice and now, at this point, I'm a fighter)
I gather up the mace and find dissapointment in my heart. It's just an ordinary mace. At least it should hurt the critters a bit more than anything else I can throw at them. I race off to the west to face the last monster of this level. I feel the pains of hunger start as I enter a long room and find the kestral winging towards me as fast as it can fly. I see it set up for a dive down onto me and fling the normal mace at it. Missed, but the kestral has to dodge the falling ceiling tiles allowing me to kill it in one blow. Quick! Back to the stairs before anything else can come!
I entered the hallway at a run, sensed a monster as I neared the end of the hallway and opened the door. My mace was on an upswing, intending to knock whatever was there into the ceiling, when a sharp jab turned me slightly to the side... The poor hobgoblin, he caught my mace in his crotch and doubled up instantly. I wondered if the sudden stillness was going to end, but no. It was good and dead. I quickly check the room to the south of the test room and found it as expected, empty. I made my way back to the stairs.
Feeling better when I got there, I decided to drink the pink potion. I winced as I expected to be sent on a strange trip where everything was all gloriously pretty. Instead I found that I could catch my breath finally and my pack felt much lighter. Instead of the cold of poison, I felt the warm of life! A potion to restore strength?! In a pink potion? Cool! I read my last creat monster scroll, now more confident than ever, and only just managed to dodge the first attack of the bat. I must have been working on an adrenaline rush because I missed twice and it only tried to hit me once. My third swing found a home and the bat expired on the top step of the stairs leading down.
"This isn't so bad" was my thought as I again, descended the stairs into the lower levels of the dungeon...
Third Floor - Second below ground
Wow, a nearly square room with one exit this time? Somehow the dream taking it easy on me isn't comforting. Oh! Hey! I can't sense anything anymore! Man! When are they gonna make these potions more potent? Oh well, off to find the stairs again. I go east and come to a T-intersection... and a kestral attacks! I barely miss it as it scratches my arm in the dim corridor. The dumb bird screaches it's attack and I swing, and manage to hit it as it's claws dig deep into my shoulder! Shocked by the excellent hit I swing with my good arm over my head and slam the bird against the wall with my own excellent hit. Nice! I ponder which way to turn, north or continue east, while I bandage my shoulder.
Continuing east I begin feeling weak from the growling in my stomach. I remind myself that I should wait a bit longer before eating my food. Huh? The hallway ends!? What? I spend the next several minutes hunting for a secret door, but don't find one. Back to the north then. Ack! A slime!! I manage to hit it, and splatter myself with it's acidic juices. I miss my next hit because the thing divides and blocks the hallway even more, ew! I can never get used to that sound, and you never can forget it... nor can it be described. I score an excellent hit that scatters the slime up the wall, killing it... and then I blacked out for a bit. I really should eat!!
Oh no! The other slime! How can this thing miss?! I'm passed out on the floor!! I know that's a little weird Doc, but it is a dream right? ... right?? ... Okay, then, well anyway, it missed me twice, then managed to hit me twice, and then it missed three times before finally getting some of its acid up my nose. I guess it's not as smart as B.O.B. is... must have formed from a different gelatin substrate. It missed me, then hit and finally missed me before I could jerk awake. My first swing went wide because I had to sneeze and cough to clear the gunk out of my nose, and this one divided!! That's three slime's in a row I'm gonna end up fighting!! and the slime hit me while I was shuddering from the sickening sound. Because I didn't want to pass out again, I quickly ate my food, and dodged a swipe of slime. Fortunately I finished my food as I swung again, because it hit me with an upswing and got a bunch up my nose again. I bet you're as tired of this as I am, but I got another splash hit, then I got hit again when I missed, and then I tried something novel... I kicked it and it joined its parent's splattering on the wall.
I took a few breaths and waited for the third generation of this slime to come forward. It sure took a while, but that was good for me, I quickly swung and missed. It tried the upswing trick and only managed to singe some hairs from off my head.... See, I can learn too! I hit it, but it got my nose again!!! Ugh, I'm gonna have bloody boogers for a few days and may loose my nose altogether if this keeps up. Very mad now I kicked it and splattered almost half of it down the hall. I don't know how I managed to dodge the backsplatter from that awesome kick, but it just missed me. I then hit it with a mighty golf swing and scattered the rest of it across the ceiling.
What!? That was an angry squeak from a bat... Batter up! Swing and it died stuck to the wall by the dead slime juices. HOLY BUCKETS OF SNOT!!! A Hibgoblin!? After all that!!! AAAAAaaaaaa.... I ran back to the entrance room as quickly as I could to try to give my body a chance to recover from all the abuse and give me a moment to collect my thoughts. After a few steps, I stopped suddenly and spun, nearly getting knocked over by the hobgoblin and plantig a lucky elbow in its throat. I recovered faster than it did and slammed its head inside-out with my mace.
My health! Ugh, I really need a nap! I drug my battered and sore body back to the first room and curled up in a corner to take my nap. It felt like many years I laid there and slowly recovered from my wounds, but it was most likely no more than a couple hours. Okay! Now back towards the northern path... Slowly! There was a small room that had a book on a pedestal labeled as "ruzbuq gufjei zeheim vuj" and a small box for storing darts. It had 14 darts in it. These should really help out. I head out the door to the west and find a room with a hobgoblin waiting for me there.
Sweet! I'm going to find out what kind of darts I have! I begin flinging them as fast as I can... Wide, hit the leg, short, arm, eye!! I killed a hobgoblin with darts? Cool! I even found all my darts, and they just weren't anything special, just a few lucky shots it seems. Oh! He was killed over the stairs! Found 'em! There's still another monster here, a quick flick of the wrist and I peg the bat to a spot on the ceiling. Fortunately for me it was low enough to retreive my dart. I also found 65 coins nearby and brought my total gold up to 304 pieces. Another bat is here!
I missed the first time and the goofy thing kept fluttering around. Another miss and it seems the bat doesn't know that I'm even here! I missed a third time and it finally attacked, barely missing my eyes. In reflex I dropped down and kicked my foot up. It was a good move because it slammed the bat up into the ceiling and killed it. I found a scroll nearby and gathered it up. Cool! I have another identify scroll for use when I need it. I left this small room to the north, and only a short distance later ran into another room.
A medium sized room that had a tangerine potion, until I added it to my pack. I left to the west again and ran into another vicious hobgoblin! I took a step closer and caught a glancing blow to the shoulder. Why do they always hit the same stinking spot!!? In a rage I kicked the smaller creature in the groin so hard it slammed into the ceiling that was barely tall enough for me to walk in. Poor thing broke its neck.
I opened the door at the end of this hall and found a flurry of feathers greeting me with a screech. I missed, it was because I was startled okay, startled, no need to laugh at me Doc.... and it raked sharp talons along my leg. What are you asking me that for? I told you I was startled! I had jumped up and grabbed the top of the Door frame. How else was a bird supposed to leave these furrows in my leg!? Now do you see why I want to know if these are dreams!!? May I continue? .... Yes, you can laugh, just not too loud to listen. I lashed out with my foot and landed a weak kick to the bird as it dove for my face. I screamed and fell off the door frame. It was the perfect thing to do. The confused bird landed on my chest and I snapped its neck with my bare hands.
I was a little sore again, but the glitter of 22 coins and another tangerine potion really helped me to get past that. Wow, this room barely has enough room for me to turn aroun in. Is this a closet of some kind? No exits so I'll head back to the previous room and head east. Another room... and FOOD!! Cool. With some food in my pack I take the door from this room heading south.
There's an odd looking animal... Is that's llama? No, am emu? I take a step closer and it spits at me, but misses as I duck. I instinctively swing my trusty mace up and cause the emu to miss its bite. My next strike slams into the critters neck as I step into the swing and kill the emu.
Making my way back to the stairs, I'm feeling pretty good about myself and my wounds are mostly healed from the battering they've received, at least I can move almost as easily as I could when first coming into this place. I pull out the ruzbuq gufjei zeheim vuj scroll and make the room with the stairs ring with the words..... ZZZZZzzzzZzzzzzzZzzzz *yawn* *wakes up* Huh? Wha? Oh well, at least I'm not tired anymore and the twinges are no longer there, just a little stiffness from my previous fights. A scroll of sleep huh... Well the potion should at least taste well, even if it's bad for me. Down the hatch!!! I cringe as a strange sensation spreads from my tummy. My arms and legs feel stronger! They even look a bit bigger!!!! YES! I quickly drink the second one, welcoming the citrus flavor as my muscles get even more toned from the effects of the potion. At least it wasn't grey, or *gag* black this time around. Time for the wrenching sensation of the stairs!
Continuing east I begin feeling weak from the growling in my stomach. I remind myself that I should wait a bit longer before eating my food. Huh? The hallway ends!? What? I spend the next several minutes hunting for a secret door, but don't find one. Back to the north then. Ack! A slime!! I manage to hit it, and splatter myself with it's acidic juices. I miss my next hit because the thing divides and blocks the hallway even more, ew! I can never get used to that sound, and you never can forget it... nor can it be described. I score an excellent hit that scatters the slime up the wall, killing it... and then I blacked out for a bit. I really should eat!!
Oh no! The other slime! How can this thing miss?! I'm passed out on the floor!! I know that's a little weird Doc, but it is a dream right? ... right?? ... Okay, then, well anyway, it missed me twice, then managed to hit me twice, and then it missed three times before finally getting some of its acid up my nose. I guess it's not as smart as B.O.B. is... must have formed from a different gelatin substrate. It missed me, then hit and finally missed me before I could jerk awake. My first swing went wide because I had to sneeze and cough to clear the gunk out of my nose, and this one divided!! That's three slime's in a row I'm gonna end up fighting!! and the slime hit me while I was shuddering from the sickening sound. Because I didn't want to pass out again, I quickly ate my food, and dodged a swipe of slime. Fortunately I finished my food as I swung again, because it hit me with an upswing and got a bunch up my nose again. I bet you're as tired of this as I am, but I got another splash hit, then I got hit again when I missed, and then I tried something novel... I kicked it and it joined its parent's splattering on the wall.
I took a few breaths and waited for the third generation of this slime to come forward. It sure took a while, but that was good for me, I quickly swung and missed. It tried the upswing trick and only managed to singe some hairs from off my head.... See, I can learn too! I hit it, but it got my nose again!!! Ugh, I'm gonna have bloody boogers for a few days and may loose my nose altogether if this keeps up. Very mad now I kicked it and splattered almost half of it down the hall. I don't know how I managed to dodge the backsplatter from that awesome kick, but it just missed me. I then hit it with a mighty golf swing and scattered the rest of it across the ceiling.
What!? That was an angry squeak from a bat... Batter up! Swing and it died stuck to the wall by the dead slime juices. HOLY BUCKETS OF SNOT!!! A Hibgoblin!? After all that!!! AAAAAaaaaaa.... I ran back to the entrance room as quickly as I could to try to give my body a chance to recover from all the abuse and give me a moment to collect my thoughts. After a few steps, I stopped suddenly and spun, nearly getting knocked over by the hobgoblin and plantig a lucky elbow in its throat. I recovered faster than it did and slammed its head inside-out with my mace.
My health! Ugh, I really need a nap! I drug my battered and sore body back to the first room and curled up in a corner to take my nap. It felt like many years I laid there and slowly recovered from my wounds, but it was most likely no more than a couple hours. Okay! Now back towards the northern path... Slowly! There was a small room that had a book on a pedestal labeled as "ruzbuq gufjei zeheim vuj" and a small box for storing darts. It had 14 darts in it. These should really help out. I head out the door to the west and find a room with a hobgoblin waiting for me there.
Sweet! I'm going to find out what kind of darts I have! I begin flinging them as fast as I can... Wide, hit the leg, short, arm, eye!! I killed a hobgoblin with darts? Cool! I even found all my darts, and they just weren't anything special, just a few lucky shots it seems. Oh! He was killed over the stairs! Found 'em! There's still another monster here, a quick flick of the wrist and I peg the bat to a spot on the ceiling. Fortunately for me it was low enough to retreive my dart. I also found 65 coins nearby and brought my total gold up to 304 pieces. Another bat is here!
I missed the first time and the goofy thing kept fluttering around. Another miss and it seems the bat doesn't know that I'm even here! I missed a third time and it finally attacked, barely missing my eyes. In reflex I dropped down and kicked my foot up. It was a good move because it slammed the bat up into the ceiling and killed it. I found a scroll nearby and gathered it up. Cool! I have another identify scroll for use when I need it. I left this small room to the north, and only a short distance later ran into another room.
A medium sized room that had a tangerine potion, until I added it to my pack. I left to the west again and ran into another vicious hobgoblin! I took a step closer and caught a glancing blow to the shoulder. Why do they always hit the same stinking spot!!? In a rage I kicked the smaller creature in the groin so hard it slammed into the ceiling that was barely tall enough for me to walk in. Poor thing broke its neck.
I opened the door at the end of this hall and found a flurry of feathers greeting me with a screech. I missed, it was because I was startled okay, startled, no need to laugh at me Doc.... and it raked sharp talons along my leg. What are you asking me that for? I told you I was startled! I had jumped up and grabbed the top of the Door frame. How else was a bird supposed to leave these furrows in my leg!? Now do you see why I want to know if these are dreams!!? May I continue? .... Yes, you can laugh, just not too loud to listen. I lashed out with my foot and landed a weak kick to the bird as it dove for my face. I screamed and fell off the door frame. It was the perfect thing to do. The confused bird landed on my chest and I snapped its neck with my bare hands.
I was a little sore again, but the glitter of 22 coins and another tangerine potion really helped me to get past that. Wow, this room barely has enough room for me to turn aroun in. Is this a closet of some kind? No exits so I'll head back to the previous room and head east. Another room... and FOOD!! Cool. With some food in my pack I take the door from this room heading south.
There's an odd looking animal... Is that's llama? No, am emu? I take a step closer and it spits at me, but misses as I duck. I instinctively swing my trusty mace up and cause the emu to miss its bite. My next strike slams into the critters neck as I step into the swing and kill the emu.
Making my way back to the stairs, I'm feeling pretty good about myself and my wounds are mostly healed from the battering they've received, at least I can move almost as easily as I could when first coming into this place. I pull out the ruzbuq gufjei zeheim vuj scroll and make the room with the stairs ring with the words..... ZZZZZzzzzZzzzzzzZzzzz *yawn* *wakes up* Huh? Wha? Oh well, at least I'm not tired anymore and the twinges are no longer there, just a little stiffness from my previous fights. A scroll of sleep huh... Well the potion should at least taste well, even if it's bad for me. Down the hatch!!! I cringe as a strange sensation spreads from my tummy. My arms and legs feel stronger! They even look a bit bigger!!!! YES! I quickly drink the second one, welcoming the citrus flavor as my muscles get even more toned from the effects of the potion. At least it wasn't grey, or *gag* black this time around. Time for the wrenching sensation of the stairs!