by Paul Bellow
A few small cooking fires threw crazy shadows on the walls as I ventured further into the massive cave. I slowed down as I neared a large chamber.
Both Axelrod and Josh stopped next to me. I saw the biggest of the fire giant adolescents throw a boulder at Eric. He fell to the ground, the rock on top of him.
“Let’s go!” I shouted.
Sheldon was nowhere to be seen, and the brownies had been killed, but with Axelrod and Josh, we’d finish the fight. I wondered where Ryu had gone.
“What’s the plan?” Josh asked, surprising me in a good way.
“I’ll summon a few monsters to distract it,” I said, pulling the wand out.
After zapping it three times, a giant eagle, a wolf, and a shark appeared near the fire giant. They caught his attention, giving Eric time to get away.
The eagle flew into the air while the wolf growled then charged at the fire giant. As expected, the shark flopped around on the ground, unable to breathe.
I put the wand away as Axelrod and Josh continued watching.
“Are you two going to help him or what?” I asked.
“I’m pretty beat up,” Josh said.
“Me, too,” Axelrod added.
I sighed then cast my new Lances of Lightning spell with sixty mana for two lances. Both whizzed toward the utterly confused fire giant.
Your lance of lightning WOUNDS the fire giant teen for 16 damage.
Your lance of lightning WOUNDS the fire giant teen for 18 damage.
You have [78/138] mana remaining today.
The fire giant fell to its knees and screamed.
I cast Divine Arrow of Energy at Eric for another twenty-five mana. That left me with fifty-three mana. Not perfect, but workable.
Die, fire giant, die.
“He’s dying,” Charlotte said from my shoulder. “Finish him.”
I sent one last Lance of Lightning at the hulking monster.
Your Lance of Lightning WOUNDS the fire giant teen for 18 damage.
You have [23/138] mana remaining today.
The fire giant adolescent is dead.
Combat is over!
You get 46,400 xp divided by seven party members.
You get 6,629 xp
You have 55,956 xp
Welcome to Level 7 Wizard --> Warlock
You need 21,044 for level 8 Wizard --> Warlock
You gain 10 health.
You have 46 total health.
You gain 52 mana.
You have 190 mana per day.
(+70 from Staff of the Caverns)
My thoughts turned to the brownies who hadn’t made it through the battle.
Was it my fault for not watching them closely enough?
I turned as Eric walked over.
“That was too close for comfort,” he said.
I nodded, my emotions catching up with me.
“Both brownies died,” I said.
Eric frowned.
“We tried to help them,” he said.
“I know, but…”
My voice trailed off.
Axelrod and Josh joined us as Bernard, Ryu, and Sheldon entered the chamber.
“We missed the last of it,” Bernard said. “Anyone need healing?”
“Everyone needs healing,” Axelrod said.
The thought of the dead brownies waking up as NPCs hit me.
“Do you think the brownies will spawn together again?” I asked.
Eric shrugged. “Who knows with this game,” he said.
“Someone needs to watch the tunnel at the other end of the cavern,” Axelrod barked. “We don’t need any other surprises.”
Josh grumbled and walked over to guard the passage.
Axelrod turned to Eric and shook his head.
“You’re crazy running in here alone,” he said.
“Someone had to do something,” Eric replied.
“We should all listen to the leader of the group,” Bernard said.
I glanced over at Ryu and saw him watching us with a grin on his face.
“There’s something over here,” Josh shouted from across the cavern.
“What is it?” I asked, walking toward him.
The others followed as Josh shrugged his shoulder.
“Some kind of game room, I think,” he said.
“Don’t go in the roguelike!” Axelrod shouted.
The dwarf ran toward Josh at full dwarf speed.
“Don’t go through that passage,” he yelled.
Josh held his hands up as we reached him.
“Can you tell us more about the roguelike?” Eric asked.
Axelrod peered into the smooth stone corridor leading away into darkness.
“There’s not much to tell,” he said. “Except I lost friends in it.”
“Maybe I can beat it,” Eric said.
Before I could protest, Bernard yelled, “I found a chest.”
Everyone walked over to him and the wooden chest on the floor.
“Simple lock,” Bernard said. “No traps that I can find.”
“That’s dwarven property,” Axelrod said, pushing his way through.
He stopped in front of the chest, examining the metal lock.
“Do you want me to open it?” Bernard asked.
“Go ahead,” Axelrod said. “But the contents will be divided fairly.”
I turned to Josh.
“Can you help bury the brownies?” I asked.
“Why?” he asked. “It’s just a game.”
“Please?”
“I’ll help,” Bernard said. “They deserve it.”
“We don’t want Magi Inyontoo getting their bodies,” Eric said. “We still don’t know why he’s so interested in bodies of dead player characters.”
“Good points,” I said.
Ryu and Sheldon both kept quiet.
“Let me pick this lock,” Bernard said then got to work.
He opened the lid of the chest a few moments later.
Axelrod peered over the edge, looking inside.
“Green dragon scale,” he said. “Just one.”
Bernard and Josh wandered out of the cavern as I watched Axelrod pull the huge scale out of the chest. It was large enough to use as a shield.
“Do you want me to identify it?” I asked.
“No,” Axelrod said. “It’s not magic.”
“What do you know about the roguelike?” Sheldon asked.
Axelrod turned around and frowned.
“I liked you better when you kept quiet,” the dwarf said.
Sheldon pressed his lips together.
“The roguelike’s a game embedded within the Tower of Gates,” he said. “Once you go in, you start a new character in a randomly generated dungeon. If you manage to defeat the Wizard of Yendro and get the Amulet of Yendro, you’re supposedly able to use it outside the roguelike in the main Tower of Gates game.”
“Maybe it’s worth the risk,” Eric said. “Could be a way out of here.”
“I’ve heard rumors that death in the roguelike means death in the real world,” Axelrod said. “But nobody’s come out to confirm it. I told Alex and Regina not to go in, but they didn’t listen to me, and now they’re trapped in a game within this miserable game.”
Axelrod snorted in derision then walked toward the tunnel leading back outside. I turned to Eric. He bobbed his head back and forth, thinking hard.
“Possible permadeath isn’t worth the risk,” I said.
“Yeah, but I’m sure I could win,” Eric said.
Ryu laughed. I turned to him.
“What’s so funny?” Eric asked.
“Nothing,” our healer said.
“We should go help the others,” I said. “The brownies deserve it.”
“I’m going to stay and scout a bit,” Ryu said.
“On your own?” I shook my head. “That’s not a good idea.”
“You’re not the boss of me,” he said.
“What are you, five years old?” I asked.
>
He smirked. Why had we let him into our group?
“Come on,” Eric said. “Let’s go help the others.”
“Wait for me,” Sheldon said. “This is so exciting.”
After finding the others outside, we gathered out equipment out of the wagons. Josh finished burying the brownies then untied the horses, yelling to scare them.
They ran in every direction, reminding me we only had one way forward. Could we survive the Mines of Oriam? We’d already encountered a lot.
“Let’s go,” Axelrod said in a commanding voice. “I want to get deeper into the mountain before we stop and camp for the night. The giants won’t go too far in.”
“That’s good to know,” Bernard said. “Everyone healed up?”
“I’m fine,” I said.
As the others nodded or called out, I glanced over at the two fresh mounds of dirt. The brownies didn’t deserve to die, but Josh was right, in a way. It was just a game.
They’d spawn again…wouldn’t they?
So much of the Tower of Gates remained a mystery. We’d been trapped for months, but I still felt like a stupid beginner.
Our group of seven made our way back into the cavern where we’d defeated the last fire giant. I saw Ryu standing next to the wall across the chamber.
“Found something,” he yelled. “It’s a button.”
“Don’t press it,” Axelrod said, too late to matter.
The wall opened, revealing a hidden chamber. I sighed as two metal bulls with fire coming out of their nostrils charged forward.
Ryu stepped out of the way then disappeared. Invisibility?
The question slipped from my mind as Axelrod, Bernard, Eric, and Josh rushed the bulls.
“Watch out!” Eric yelled then dodged and rolled to avoid a cone of noxious vapors that shot out of the secret room.
Axelrod continued forward, unaffected. Josh stopped as he turned to stone.
“No,” I yelled then let loose with a spell.
Your three Lances of Lightning MAIM the gorgon for 54 damage.
You have [100/260] mana remaining today.
“Let me help you,” Ryu said as he stood beside me.
I glanced at him as he put his hand on my neck.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
A blue wave of energy washed over me.
You feel refreshed.
You have [190/260] mana remaining today.
Ryu grinned, keeping his hand on the small of my back.
“Thanks,” I muttered then stepped away.
How powerful of a priest had we let in the party? Ryu had talked little about anything real. He stayed in character almost all the time.
I pushed the other thoughts aside and turned back to the battle. Axelrod smashed the gorgon that had used its breath weapon while Eric struggled against the one I’d damaged.
Would Josh be okay? I cast again.
Your three Lances of Lightning DEVASTATE the gorgon for 48 damage.
The gorgon is dead!
You have [100/260] mana remaining today.
Combat is Over!
You get 9,600 xp divided by seven party members.
You get 1,371 xp
You have 57,327 xp
You need 19,673 xp for level 8 Wizard--> Warlock
I ran over to Josh. Eric came up beside me, breathing heavily.
“He’ll be okay as long as he wasn’t hit a second time,” he said.
“Are you sure?” I asked, unsure of his knowledge.
“It’ll wear off,” Axelrod said as he walked over. “Stupid gorgons.”
“That was too close yet again,” Eric said.
“Where’s Ryu?” Axelrod asked, looking around. “I told him not to press that button.”
Everyone turned to the healer. He grinned sheepishly.
“You told me after I’d pressed it,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter now,” I said. “We won the fight.”
“How long will Josh stay petrified?” Bernard asked.
“Not long,” Eric said. “According to what I know about gorgons.”
We waited for half an hour for Josh to come around. Immediately after he did, Axelrod had us walking two-by-two down a slightly sloping tunnel that led deeper into the mountain.
“This place scares me,” Charlotte said.
“Me too. Keep your eyes open.”
No one talked as we walked further into the dwarven mines. I imagined all the PCs and NPCs who’d been through the area before. What were their stories?
Step by step, we descended by the light of a brilliance spell I’d cast on my Staff of the Cavern. The extra mana the staff gave me had already come in handy.
I hoped Axelrod might be able to give us something even better—a way out of the game. We continued walking into the depths of the abandoned mountain kingdom.
Five hours later, we arrived at a large chamber with only two doors to guard. Axelrod stopped in the middle and looked around while holding his battle-axe.
“We’re camping here for the night,” he said. “We’ll need one guard on each of the two doors. I don’t want to take any chances.”
“Good idea,” Eric said. “I’ll take first watch.”
“Me, too,” Josh added. “I can’t sleep after that battle.”
As the others unpacked, I sat on the floor with my back against a smooth stone wall. With the level gain, I wanted to check the new spells I had available.
New Level One Spell: You need to find divine scrolls to add more level one spells.
New Level Two Spell: You need to find divine scrolls to add more level one spells.
New Level Three Spell:
The Three Lesser Chants of Platinum – (20mp) Change one bronze piece created with Conjure Bronze to platinum for each level of spell caster.
New Level Four Spell:
Hypnotize Barbarian – (40mp) Hypnotize a Barbarian down from a rampage.
New Level Five Spell:
The Five Fortuitous Castings of Tiaras – (50mp) Requires The Three Lesser Chants of Platinum. Change one platinum piece created with other spell to five platinum pieces—up to one coin per level of caster.
Choose a New Level Six Spell:
Evokers' Clouds of Flame – (60mp) Clouds of flame form above target and move down dealing 1d50 fire damage.
The Ration of Soldiers – (60mp) Targets all need no sustenance for 1d4 days per 60mp spent.
Illuminated Water Shields – (60mp) Target is protected by glowing shield of water, preventing all fire damage.
Marvelous Ice Web – (10mp per ten-foot square area) Cold webs of icy tendrils block the way and stop anyone hit.
Thought Negation – (30mp/60mp/90mp) Target who fails saving throw (INT) can’t remember last X minutes/hours/days where X is the level of caster. Varied cost depending on length of memory erasure.
Human Seeking – (50mp) Given enough information about a target, you’ll know if they’re within 1 mile per level of caster.
While we didn’t need money right away, I wondered how powerful the create wealth spells would get as I leveled up. The choice for my sixth level spell wasn’t as easy.
The Ice Web sounds nice, but Water Shields or Clouds of Flame might also be useful. Why does the game make it so difficult to choose?
I took a deep breath, unable to decide.
“With limited food underground, Ration of Soldiers might be prudent,” Charlotte said.
“You’re right, I think, but Human Seeking and Thought Negation are good too.”
“It’s your call, Sarah.”
Playing it safe, I went with Ration of Soldiers. Dying of hunger in the Mines of Oriam would not be cool. The spell might end up saving us.
“You should’ve asked Ryu what spells he has for food,” Charlotte said.
“Great timing,” I thought, wondering if she picked up on the sarcasm.
“You were so busy, Sarah. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, Charlotte.”
Troglodytes?
“Sarah, wake up,” Charlotte said in my dream.
“Huh? What’s going on?” I looked around the gazebo I found myself in—a green field stretching in all directions around me. “What’s happening?”
“You’re dreaming,” Charlotte’s replied.
Her voice calmed me. I looked over at my left shoulder.
“Where are you, Charlotte? I can’t see you!”
“I’m not in your dream, she said. In the real world, you’re walking out of the chamber. The others are asleep.”
“What? I don’t understand.”
“You’re walking in your sleep, Sarah. I’m scared.”
“Wake me up, Charlotte. Do it now.”
“I’m trying, Sarah, but you won’t wake up.”
“What else can you see?”
“Nothing, Sarah. I’m sorry. Should I bite you?”
“No,” I thought then reconsidered. “Go ahead and try. Maybe it’ll wake me up.”
“It’s not working, Sarah. You’re still walking in your sleep.”
“Calm down, Charlotte. You’re not helping.”
“I’m usually the one telling you to calm down,” she said.
“Maybe someone cast a spell on me?”
“Who?” Charlotte asked.
“I don’t know, but at least you’re awake. This is weird hearing you in my dreams and realizing I’m dreaming. I’ve never had a lucid dream before.”
“You’re walking further away from the others,” Charlotte said.
“Wasn’t someone on guard duty? Didn’t they stop me?”
“Ryu was at the door opposite the one we came in, but he was looking the other way.”
“This isn’t good. Maybe the black dragon somehow cast a spell on me?”
Despite screaming in my mind, I couldn’t open my eyes and wake up.
My body continued walking forward, my destination unknown.
17
