How to play

All you need to be able to play this game is a pencil, paper and two dice. On the paper you will first need to write down your stats; your skill level, stamina and luck. Your skill is how much battle strength or skill you have. You roll one die and add six to it. Your stamina is like your health. You roll both dice and add twelve to the number. Your luck is simply luck. Roll one die and add six to it. When battling you roll one die, add its number to your skill and do the same for the enemy. Whoever has the highest skill wins, the loser then deducts two from their stamina. You repeat this until one of you has no more stamina. Different events throughout your adventure can also have an effect on your levels, and they can fluctuate depending on what items you hold and what you have done. Your luck will be tested in various situations throughout your adventure. To roll for you luck, roll both dice, if the total is less than your current luck you have won. But each time your luck is tested you must deduct one point from your luck level. Remember to note down any and all items you pick up. You never know what may be useful.

About the World

The country in which this story is set is inhabited by mostly magical creatures. The common of which are Wood Elves, who are just normal people. There are also Light Elves, who think themselves superior to the rest of the world, and Dark Elves who are hated by Light Elves for their magical skills. The current king of the country is a Dark Elf, and much to the displeasure of the Light Elves, who want to kill him.

Background
One day whilst on a job youre relaxing at an inn, you keep yourself to yourself and the locals leave you alone. People in places like this dont trust anything born over ten miles away; they treat you like you have a contagious disease. This suits you just fine. You sip your cider and finish the last your meat pie when the door bangs and two more people enter the room. The inn keeper scowls at them, and they exchange whispered words before, to your surprise, they are sent in your direction. The strangers are taller than these elves, and they are dressed in long hooded travelling cloaks, expensively made but showing slight signs of wear. They reach your table and explain that they require your services, asking if there is somewhere quieter you can talk. You take a last gulp of cider and leave a couple of coins on the table as you lead the strangers up to the small room you are renting for the night. Once you are alone they pull back their hoods. They are Light Elves, with piercing blue eyes and long wavy golden hair. And they are straight to the point. The king has recently survived his fifty-first assassination attempt, but the Light Elves will still do anything to have him gone. Initially you turn down the elves; their only reasoning is their racial hatred for the Dark Elf, but the bulging purse of gold they offer in exchange for your services soon sweeps your morals to the side.

~1~
You have visited the Capital before, but the size of it always impresses you. You remember coming here as a young child, back then peasants lived in squalor outside the city gates; poverty and disease were rife among them. Now they live in proper houses, they are clean (more or less) and pay taxes. You feel a prickle of guilt as you wonder how this city may look without their king. Holding your head high you pass through the West Gate, people come and go freely, unchallenged by guards. You feel at your leisure as you enter the busy mess of people and see that there are three paths you can take. North takes you up Willow Street - 74 East is West Street 97

~2~
You quickly run up the gang plank and slip into the ship. You sneak into the first cabin you see inside the ship. Its filled with bunk beds and a jumble of clothes. On one bed is a full guards uniform. You cant believe your luck as you stuff it into your bag and make to leave the cabin. Blocking your way is sailor who doesnt look overly pleased with you rifling through his cabin and attacks you. SAILOR sk 8 st 8

If you beat him, continue on to 17

~3~
The inn falls silent as you enter. Hooded elves sit on small tables in semi-darkness and the barkeeper gives you an overly friendly smile he offers you a pint of his finest ale. Do you pay two gold for suspicious pint? 43 Or do you leave the pub as fast as possible? 28

~4~
You settle down amongst the horses in the straw, hoping for a nap before having to go and perform your duty. Sadly the stable master doesnt take too kindly to suspicious characters in stolen guards outfits and has you removed forcibly from the city. Your adventure is over.

~5~
You toss a single coin down to the man. He thanks you heartily and whispers something in Old Solvan. You feel stronger and your stamina rises by one. As you walk onwards you see that everyone is heading for the market, which is just up ahead. Your stomach rumbles as the smell of cooked pork drifts towards you and you walk a little faster Turn to 88

~6~
The house is thick with cobwebs and dirt. You spy a purse hidden in the dust, it has five gold inside it. You slip it into your pocket. A crash upstairs startles you and a strange creature rushes down the stairs to attack you. HOODED CREATURE If you survive turn to 130 sk 10 st 6

~7~
You drink the potion and disappear into the background. The guards are none the wiser as you slip past them to the door. The door is locked, you need a key to enter. Do you have a skeleton key? Yes 64 No 54

~8~
The road is empty, but you notice that the window of one house is open slightly. It looks like a perfect burglary opportunity. Do you take it? 45 Or go back to the main street? 51

~9~
More and more shops are appearing now, and the noise of a crowd gets louder. You must have arrived at the city market Turn to 88

~10~
A loud cheer catches your attention on the left and you turn to see a wrestling match. You wander over out of interest; you just love to see big sweaty men. You are approached by a young man taking bets on the fight. He asks if you want to place a bet. Yes 89 No, you wish to leave the market by North Street 81 Or East Street 142

~11~
You walk more quickly down the path now, but see a small shop selling odds and ends. Do you wish to go in? Yes 92 No 33

~12~
Just as you slip the potion into your bag an old man enters the room. He looks at you, then the counter, then back at you. He immediately screams at you and demands to know why you stole his potion. You start to reply but he pulls out a dagger and attacks you. POTION MASTER If you win turn to 55 sk 8 st 10

~13~
Before you can take another step an arrow flies out of nowhere and pierces your leg. Lose four stamina points. You hear laughing as you pull the arrow out and hobble away as quickly as you can. Turn to 105

~14~
You turn right and hear a dog coming up behind you. You start to run. Roll your luck to see if you outrun him Win 116 Lose 61

~15~
The castle is very beautifully decorated inside, not overly ornate, as per Light Elf style, more exotic and unique. You decide that the best time to strike would be at night and so need to find somewhere to wait until then. Do you hide in the stables? - 4 Or up in the bell tower? 71

~17~
You wander a bit further down the docks and something of interest by the waters edge, do you investigate it? Yes 57 No 38

~19~
You plunge the dagger into his chest. He gasps, and then falls to the floor. The door bursts open. You hear bowstrings pulled back and arrows fired. You feel them pierce your chest and you collapse in a pool of warm blood.

~22~
The guard shouts loudly, alerting others to your presence. You are dragged away from the city. You have failed.

~21~
A cheery Dwarf stands behind the counter. He offers a skeleton key for only three gold. He promises that it will unlock any lock you come across. If you would like to buy one, subtract the money from your purse and exit the shop. Turn to 53

~24~
The guards attack you as soon as you try to pass them. GUARD ONE GUARD TWO If you win, turn to 15. sk 9 sk 8 st 6 st 8

~25~
The guards wave you through without another word and you go on your way, west, into this new white marble neighbourhood. The streets are cleaner here and the houses grander. You get a few dirty looks from passers-by and start to hurry along. You see a street to your left, would you like to go down it? Yes 8 No 51

~28~
You walk alongside the Eastern wall, down towards the docks. You spot something by the side of the road in a pile of rubbish. Upon investigation you find a shiny gold ring. It doesnt appear to have any specific magical properties but you pocket it nonetheless. Continue on to 135

~31~
The guard walks off immediately, as if he hasnt seen you and you leave as well, now walking up the stairs to the kings bedroom. Just outside the room are two more guards. They look alert and less prone to bribery. If you possess the potion of illusion turn to 7 If not turn to 41

~32~
Her smile flickers for a moment but she brings out a tray of small sweets and asks if you would like to try one. Do you decline 107 Or take one 58

~33~
The road splits in two up ahead and you hurry towards the crossroads. From each direction comes a dwarf, each with an axe in their hands. They demand you give up an item in your possession or fight them Do you fight them? 47 Or give them a item? 75

~34~
You hear noises up a head, and see more crowds. You must be heading towards the market Turn to 88

~35~
You walk down the narrow stinking alleyway, all the doors and shut tight. Right at the end of the road is an abandoned house. The windows are boarded up, but the door is wide open. You decide to explore. Turn to 6

~36~
You approach the counter and inquire about purchasing a guards outfit. The shopkeeper takes one look at you and demands you leave his shop before he calls the real guards. Continue to 101

~38~
At the end of the docks you see two guards in front of a road leading into the rich quarter. You walk casually towards them and hope they will let you pass. They ask why you would want to visit this area of the city. You tell them that you have a relative here that you want to visit Roll for luck to see if they believe you. Win 25 Lose 63

~41~
The guards spot you the moment you appear in front of them and attack you with full force GUARD ONE GUARD TWO sk 10 sk 12 st 10 st 10

If you defeat them, you turn to the door to discover that it is locked. You need a key to enter. Do you have a skeleton key? Yes 64 No 54

~43~
You take a deep drink from the pint, but as soon as the disgusting liquid fills your throat you run out and throw up. You are sure that was horse piss. Lose two stamina. Turn to 28

~45~
You slip in through the open window, but it slams shut behind you, and the floor disappears under your feet. The house was enchanted and now you have been caught in its trap. Its almost a day before anyone finds you, and you are thrown out of the city, never to return again. You have failed.

~47~
The Dwarfs charge at you one after the other FIRST DWARF sk 6 st 8

SECOND DWARF

sk 8

st 10

If you survive you loot the dwarfs and find three gold coins. You can either go left or right at the end of the road Left 102 Right 14

~51~
After the noise of the main city, these streets are eerily quiet. Even the houses look down on you as your weather-worn boots deface their perfect pavements. You walk down this road for several minutes before seeing a road going north up to the castle gates. If you have the guards uniform you quickly pull it on before going up to the entrance, and turn to 15. If you do not have the uniform you will have to fight your way through, turn to 24

~52~
The road is heading south now, and there is an odd shop here and there. You notice a bakery and the display of sweet pastries in the window makes your mouth water. Would you like to go in? 112 Or keep walking? 34

~53~
The next shop of interest in the row is an outfitters. They might sell a uniform that you could buy to help sneak into the castle. Do you go inside? 36 Or go to the next shop? 101

~54~
With no key you have no way of getting into the room, and its only a matter of time before the castle guards catch you and put you to death. You have failed.

~55~
You fear that you have only wounded him and he may wake up any minute. You quickly leave before you are found. Turn to 52

~56~
You drop your dagger to the floor and step away from it the moment the guards enter the room. They forcibly remove you from the room and after a night in the castle dungeon you are beheaded at dawn. Your adventure is over.

~57~
You peer over the edge of the docks trying to see what it was that caught your eye. As you do so, someone pushes against your back and you tumble into the water, hitting your head on the way down. You drown and your adventure is over.

~58~
The sweet is so delicious it melts in your mouth, you close your eyes to fully enjoy its creamy goodness. And you wake up in a street. Your mind is foggy, it must have been a trap! You search your pockets to find that 5 gold has been taken and you have lost 5 stamina points. You curse loudly and scare away some local children. How could you let this happen? Your spirits brighten as you see the market up ahead of you, you shake your head and hobble onwards to it. Turn to 88

~60~
A charming man with a wide smile beckons you over to his small stall, covered in golden beetles, silver stars and other charms. He shows you a small gold snake, he says its his best seller, everyone who wears it instantly becomes more lucky. It has a one hundred percent success rate. No complaints yet. And because he likes the look of your face hell sell it to you at half price, only 10 gold for a good-looking traveller like yourself. Do you buy one? Yes 121 No 133

~61~
The dog catches you and bites your leg. Lose two stamina and one gold that fell from your pocket. After hes had a good mouthful of your leg, the dog lets you go and you hobble away. Do you chose to enter the inn on the corner? 3 Or go south? 28

~62~
A small old man appears, whose beard reaches past his belt. He greets you with a friendly smile and asks if you would like to buy one of his potions. You may only choose one out of Levitation , Illusion and Healing and you must pay 5 gold. You make your choice and leave the shop, bidding the old man good day. Turn to 52

~63~
The guards dont believe you and they attack you GUARD ONE GUARD TWO sk 7 sk 6 st 6 st 8

If you survive, you quickly run away in case other guards appear. You enter the rich quarter and keep your head down as you acquire more than one dirty look from the pristine locals. You see a road leading off from your left. Do you wish to go down it? Yes 8 No 51

~64~
The key turns in the lock and the door opens. You close the door behind you quickly. You see the king sat by the fire, he closes the book he was reading and turns to you. He congratulates you, no assassin has gotten this far. You must be the best. You see that he has not aged well for a Dark Elf. At fifty years old he is younger than you, but looks so much older. You falter and momentarily forget why youre here. He stands up and tells you to just do it. He would rather be killed by the best than by some shaky child with a bow and arrow. Your dagger is in your hand. There are voices on the stairs behind you, its now or never. If you decide to go through the deed turn to 19 If not turn to

~65~
You keep your head down and hurry past the man. He sees you and shouts after you that he knows why you are here, that you are the devil and you should be hung. He shouts something you dont know and a feeling of dread comes down on you, you lose two stamina. Not for the first time you wonder if you sold your morals too easily. You try to shake the thoughts from your head as your path opens up into a bustling and loud market place. Turn to 88

~70~
Your hand closes around the ring and you feel a hand close around your throat. You spin around, but there is no-one there. The Elf behind the counter looks at you with an evil smile as you claw your own throat out in an attempt to stop this phantom strangler. Your adventure is over.

~71~
You sneak into the bell tower and wait there until the castle goes dark and the bell tolls midnight. The castle is empty and you run quickly to the tower of the king. You bump, literally, into a guard in one of the corridors, he knows that youre not supposed to be here but promises he wont tell on you if you give him a golden tricket (but not a coin). If you have such a trinket in your possession turn to 31 If not turn to 22

~72~
You continue through the hustle and bustle of the market and see a palm reader. Instead of a stall she is in a small caravan with a purple roof, and a bright blue bird in a cage outside. The reading costs 5 gold. Do you wish to see your fortune? Yes 146 No 10

~74~
You have clearly headed down a residential road, and it is remarkably quiet after the crowds at the gates. The you hear voices from within some of the houses and a tabby cat runs past you, rubbing itself against your ankles. You are careful not to lose your guard in this homely setting, which is just as well as you hear a bow string being pulled from not far away. Roll for your luck Win - 127 Lose 13

~75~
You quickly take an item from your pack and throw it to the Dwarfs. They seem satisfied, but still kick you as you pass them. Lose one stamina. Do you wish to take the left path 102

Or the right one? 14

~81~
You head northwards, the houses get closer together here, and it begins to smell. You are heading into a poorer area of the city. On your left in a dark alleyway, would you like to investigate it? Yes 35 No 11

~88~
You enter the market, the bustling hive of the city and probably the most culturally diverse area in the country. Brightly coloured stalls cover the square and voices shout out latest wares and their prices. Theres a smell of cooking meat in the air as a man walks past you selling what he claims to be pork sausages, although you have your doubts. You remember coming here as a child and eating as many sweets as you could get your hands on, more than you had seen before. You hope that wherever you move to has the same vibe and feel of excitement. In the corner of the market is a fire eating display. Do you go to watch? Yes 157 No 72

~89~
You chose which of the two fighters you support, and cheer with the rest of the crowd as the match continues. Test your luck to see whether or not you win. If you win, add 5 gold. If you lose, deduct 5 gold. You can leave the market by North Street or East Street North Street 81 East Street 142

~92~
Inside the shop is a Dark Elf who gives you a menacing look as soon as you enter. He demands to know what you want, you stutter and he tells you that you have no place here. He tells you to leave immediately. You spot a pretty ring on the counter by the door, do you try to steal it to spite this rude Elf or do you just leave?

Steal the ring 70 Leave 33

~94~
The woman behind the counter picks out a large chocolate covered pastry for you and you place it in your bag. She thanks you for your custom and you leave the shop. You see that the road ahead is busier, and louder. You must be walking towards the market Turn to 88

~97~
As you float along in the steady stream of people you see a few stalls by the side of the road. Do you wish to view their wares and see what trinkets they sell? Yes 60 No 133

~101~
The last shop before the docks is a leather-works. You always find something in a leather shop and decide to go in. You enter and discover the store are having a sale; buy either a belt, boots or gloves for a special price of three gold. Choose one from: Lucky Belt (add two luck) Skill Boots (add two skill) Stamina Gloves (add two stamina) Make your choice and leave the shop Continue to 135

~102~
You turn the corner and immediately two kids run over to you asking for money for sweets. You try to fob them off but another one sneaks up behind you and takes two gold coins from your purse. They run off before you can do anything and you decide to take the other path instead Turn to 14

~105~
The road turns right and nestled among the deceptively chocolate-box houses is a shabby looking potions shop. The windows are dusty but the door is ajar.

Do you wish to investigate? Yes 143 No 52

~107~
The woman looks disappointed and you leave the shop immediately as you fear that all is not as it seems. Turn to 88

~112~
Inside the bakery a jolly looking woman greets you, with a strange smile and asks if you would like to purchase a cake. They can restore 5 stamina points and costs 2 gold Do you decline? 32 Or accept? 94

~116~
Luckily you escape the dog and see an inn on the corner ahead of you. Do you go in? 3 Or continue around the corner? 28

~121~
You happily attach the golden snake to your cloak, but you feel no different. You realise that youve been fooled and furiously turn back to the man. You intend to demand your money back but he has disappeared somewhere in the crowd and cannot be seen. Annoyed with yourself as much as the trickster you continue on Turn to 133

~127~
Your lightning quick reflexes burst in action and you speed away, hearing a clattering of arrows and a string of illegible swear woods behind you. Turn to 105

~130~
You think it best to leave the house straight away, walk quickly back down the alleyway, and re-join the main path

Turn to 11

~133~
You keep walking east and happen to notice a man in a doorway. He begs you for gold coin. What do you do? Give him a coin 5 Ignore him 65

~135~
The docks are busy and stink of fish; people come and go with crates of food and goods from far away. You see an opportunity to sneak onto a boat and explore it. Would you like to go on the boat? 2 Or continue across the dock? 17

~142~
You appear to have come across a street of trade shops. You see a locksmith, would you like to enter? Yes 21 No, continue to next shop 53

~143~
You push open the door and see a small room, with cupboards around the edges and a counter in the centre. On the counter are three vials. They are labelled Levitation, Illusion and Healing. You hear footsteps just outside the room; do you quickly take one of the potions or wait to see who will appear? Take one 12 Wait 62

~146~
You step inside the dark caravan, and the strong smells of incense fill your nostrils. A lady, dressed in colourful scarves and skirts, beckons for you to sit down. She takes hold of your hands in her own. She begins to give you some generic facts to move she is the psychic she claims to be. Youre in town on business. You dont normally come this way. But soon youll be rich beyond your wildest dreams and such fortune will shine on you. At this point you sigh, dramatically, and make to leave, but she pulls you back. She says a shadow lurks in your future. It will not go to plan, she says, you should leave while you still can. You leave immediately, slightly shaken by this encounter and re-join the crowds in the market.

~157~
The fire eaters put on a good, dressed in motley red and gold as they spin fire-sticks while the audience oohed and ahhed appropriately. After a good twenty minutes the shows finishes to a great applause. You turn to go, but realise that two gold coins have been stolen from your purse while you were watching the show. Go to 72