By Ian Livingstone

Skill: 11

Stamina: 16

Luck: 9

So, we are returning to Firetop Mountain, the scene of the first ever adventure.  Zagor has risen from the dead and is now more evil than ever.  He is still holed up in his lair at Firetop Mountain so I vow to go and slay him.  First of all though, I head to visit Yaztromo the wizard for some help.  Before I can do that, though, I need to take care of some trackers who have seen me and are rushing off to warn Zagor.  With the barman I was talking to, I give chase and slay them.  I take some gold and daggers from their dead bodies but also notice a bit of paper.  I have already gained some goodies from this encounter so this is probably a trap.  I open up the paper and sure enough it is a cure which costs me two skill points.

I head off towards Anvil and come across a guy who talks to me in riddles.  He is clearly high as a kite so I accept his gift of a mushroom with good grace.  When the path forks I head South to find Yaztromo.  On the way I help a guy covered in ants who gives me a ring of invisibility.  When night falls, I am attacked by a vampire bat but nothing else happens and I get to Stonebridge.  Sadly the wizard isn’t here, he is helping some sick people in another town so I hop on a boat to get there…

As we sail down the river I see an apparently dead Orc floating in the water.  Sensing a trap I instruct everyone to sail on.  Correct assumption but the orc throws an axe which thuds into a crewman’s back and kills him.  Sailing on, a dove comes to give us a message.  Unfortunately it is eaten before it can do so – oh. 

When I finally do arrive at the town I am greeted by the wizard himself.  This seems too convenient.  The text goes to great lengths to say he’s got green eyes.  Suspicious…. I decide I have nothing to lose by not shaking his outstretched hand and sure enough, it is a doppelganger.  One touch will kill me so this is a hard fight which I technically have a 50/50 chance of winning.  Thankfully I do. 

When I finally do find Yaztromo he gives me some advice about how to kill Zagor.  Something about throwing dragon’s teeth on the floor.  Before I leave I go to visit Deep Sea’s store for some items but  he’s not in.  A small boy will tell me where he is if I give him a wooden brick but I don’t have one so I have to leave it.  Where am I supposed to get that from?  The orc in the river maybe?

Next I head to Zoot Zimmer who is going to fly me back to the mountain on a huge eagle.  This he does and the flight goes by without incident.  I am put down and enter the mountain….

First choice, I turn left.  Then when given the option head straight on and open a door into a room of skeletons.  I rush to attack them but get no treasure for my troubles.  The next room as a load of rubbish on the floor.  I rummage around and find a few things.  There is also a chain to pull… Hmm.. again, this is probably a trap given I have rinsed this room of valuables but I can’t resist and give it a pull.  This opens up a secret compartment.  I try to put my head in it!  Dear God, I did not ask for that!  It doesn’t fit..  I am then asked if I want to stick my hand in.  I’ve had enough warnings, I’m out of here.

The next room is some sort of armoury.  When I enter, all the weapons animate and threaten me.  There is no choice but to drop my sword resulting in another skill penalty.  This is now at 7! There is nothing else to do but leave so I open the next door.  This is a torture chamber and I notice the long dead victim has a ring on its finger.  Of course I take this.  This is another trap.  A net falls down on me.  Due to my crap skill score I fail the test of skill roll and I am killed by the goblin after being caught in the net.