By Keith Martin
SKILL: 9
STAMINA: 19
LUCK: 11
That skill score isn’t great, particularly as a lack of shield at the start means it is actually 8.
In this adventure I live in a fishing village but things have started to go wrong on the nearby island of Solani which is inhabited by wizard. The dead are rising up and attacking people, which is never good!
I, and a bunch of other adventurous locals get in a boat to head to the island and sort things out. Sadly we don’t reach us and our boat is wrecked. I do survive, however, but have to resolve a battle even before the book as properly started as the dead navigator has washed up and is now attacking me. I kill him and decide to head North East along the coast line.
When I get there I go diving at a wreck and pick up some goodies. I find some gold, glue and a sword in a chest along with some olive oil. I fail to get the net though and am attacked by an Octopus. I kill it and decide to head to the hill in the centre of the island. This isn’t the safe haven I think it is, however, and I am attacked by skeletal hands. I run away but suffer some stamina loss.
Next I head to a monastery that I see from the top of the hill. Of course I am attacked by a zombie monk as soon as I enter but I fight off this tricky foe and head through a door I see on my left. The first room is a kitchen so I take some mouldy cheese to add to my provisions. The next room is a cellar that yields a pestle and mortar and some rejuvenating herbal liquor.
In the next room I am fortunate in a search and find a torn up piece of paper which gives me a clue about what happens. It also tells me the hermit’s name is Ralsteen, which I need for later. The room opposite has a trapdoor which needs a gold key that I don’t have to open. I head upstairs and see a pentagram on the floor. I decide to try and remove it with some olive oil but this just succeeds in summoning a golem. I don’t have a magic sword so am forced to flee (again!)
Next I head to the forest.. I end up in a clearing with loads of interesting fungi. I don’t have a book about plants, however, so I can’t do anything here and have to head South. Eventually I find the hermit and am able to ask him about the wizards and other people on the island. I am not convinced this is useful but I also get a pearl. I leave and explore more of the woodland. I find an arch but it doesn’t seem to do anything. I explore further but only have to eat a meal and trip over a rabbit hole. I feel I have wasted enough time here so I head to the marshes.
I decide to climb up to a higher vantage point but am attacked by some Grupplers. I fight them off but there is nothing else up here so I take a different route. I then encounter a Swamp Alligator. I am close to death by now but this doesn’t matter as a roll of 12 for the alligator means the Alligator bites me and I die of Shock!
Damn. This is quite tricky but I did quite like it. It seems to be a good, traditional adventure.
