Castle Ironwood

The story of Ironwood was once common among the superstitious.

A power-mad king, a betrayed monk, a library of evil magic, and more...
a story grandfathers told children to thrill and scare. But that was long ago.
Grandfathers no longer tell those stories. Children no longer beg to hear them.

A reference in an ancient book, a drawing and a tale, leads you to Ironwood.

Distant from civilization, halfway up an unnamed mountain, you stand in
front of walls long-unseen. Up here, the air is thin. The world is quiet.
No buildings cluster near the keep. Yet the castle itself still stands.

The tales are too long forgotten to restore, yet something remains.
Adventure well. Those who survive will be forever changed.

Designed and written by Michael Haensel

Playtest thanks to Mike Gibb and David Moskowitz
Tunnels & Trolls is a trademark of Ken St. Andre and Flying Buffalo, Inc.
All artwork is public domain, retrieved from http://antiqueclipart.com/,
http://www.wpclipart.com/, and http://www.clipart-history.com/.
This is a solitaire adventure/puzzle for a single, low-level Tunnels & Trolls character.
All character classes are welcome! This includes wizards and warriors and others.
Where spells have an effect outside of combat, the spell is listed as an option.

Adventurers above level 5 will not find this challenging.

They may come to regret setting foot in the castle.

You may choose to leave the castle at any time

- except in the middle of combat -
by going to paragraph 3A.

Begin your adventure

at paragraph 26A.
3A
You find yourself standing on the grass just outside the castle. The grass soft beneath your feet;
living, green, and reassuring. You turn to find the portcullis lowered. The castle is sealed, and you
cannot return until you've had an adventure somewhere else.

You earn 150 bonus AP for your adventure. Head back towards civilization for food, rest, and
possibly some grooming.

3B
Leather-skinned skeletons are chained to the walls;
their restraints loop through heavy iron rings in the
solid stone walls. A large, hairy, lumpy figure sees
you coming and laughs. It lurches towards you and
roars, “Fresh meat!”

You fight a troll with an MR of 30.

You have time to act (cast one spell, throw
something, etc.) before combat begins.

If you win, go to 4C.

If you try to run, go to 22C.
If you try to talk to it, go to 22D.
If you lose, well, good night.

3C
After a moment's consideration, you say “Beechford”.
The the thing turns and whispers to the thick book,
opened for the first time in centuries. There is silence
for almost a minute.

Then it turns back to you. Its face is still hidden in

the folds of the hood, but its mouth makes its feelings
clear. The copper-red goatee is split by a twisted grin
of exultation, a dark joy that leaves you wondering
what you have unleashed.

“Worth all the years, and the effort,” the thing says, its voice serene. It adjusts its robe and glides
over to you. One hand reaches for your arm; its touch is chilling. “Before you go, I will show my
gratitude. Do you wish a reward fitting a warrior, or a wizard?”

If you want a warrior's reward, go to 7C.

If you want a wizard's reward, go to 14D.
If you don't want anything from this creepy demon, go to 24B.
4A
Cast a level 1 saving throw on strength.

If you make it, the lock breaks open. Go to 5C.

If you miss, go back to 5A.

4B
Cast a level 3 saving throw on dexterity.
You may try three times before the lock
becomes damaged.

If you make it, go to 4D.

If you miss, go to 5B.
If you want to try something else, go to 15A.

4C
The monster crumples to the floor. Soon you see why it was so lumpy; it seems to be made of rocks
bundled together by mud. You search through the rubble and find a large diamond where the troll's
heart should be. It's worth 30 gold pieces if you take it.

The room has nothing else but iron rings and skeletons.

If you go deeper into the dungeon, go to 15A.

If you go back towards the entrance, go to 13D.

4D
The lock clicks and the cell opens. You step inside and carefully
pry apart the mummified fingers of the monk imprisoned here.

You find a stubby key. It looks important. You keep it.

There's nothing else for you in the dungeon. Go back to 5D and explore the rest of the castle.
5A
At the end of the guest quarters hallway, you stand in front of a single wide door. The same wolf
design is carved into it as at the entrance to the castle, and the entrance to the guest quarters.

You try to open the door. It is locked.

If you try to pick the lock, go to 10A.

If you cast “Knock Knock”, go to 13C.
If you try to bash the lock in, go to 4A.
If you can't get the door open, or you just don't care, wave your hands in the air.
Then go back to 11A.

5B
Despite your best efforts, the lock just won't open. You reach through the bars and grab the monk's
mummified hand. It feels greasy and crumbly, like fatty beef jerky left too long in the drier. By
flaking off skin, snapping off fingers, and wincing a lot, you remove a stubby key. It looks
important. You keep it.

There's nothing else for you in the dungeon. Go back to 5D and explore the rest of the castle.

5C
Now that the lock has given way, you open the doors to the royal quarters. The hallway continues
for a few steps, then splits.

In the dim light you can just make out a “Q” on the left door and a “K” on the right door.

The outline of the door on the right is blurred. When you investigate, you find the door is fused to
the wall. It's not even a door any more.

To go into the room marked “Q”, go to 9B.

To go back to the guest quarters, go to 11A.

5D
The narrow stair curves around. The stone presses in to the sides and above you as you make your
way down into the dungeon.

The door that leads into the dungeons is heavy, with heavy iron hardware and an iron grate that
allows you to peer further in. A few torches light the way into the distance.

If you open the door, go to 3B.

Or, you can go back up the stairs to 9C.
6A
Cast a level 2 saving roll on strength.
You may try three times before the lock is bashed out of shape.

If you make it, go to 4D.

If you miss, go to 5B.
If you want to try something else, go to 15A.

6B
You find yourself standing on the grass just outside the castle.
It's soft beneath your feet; living, green, and reassuring. You turn to
find the portcullis lowered. The castle is sealed, and will not open
again for this adventurer. You did well, and your stats prove it, but
you can never return.

You earn 200 bonus AP for your adventure. Head back towards
civilization for food, rest, and possibly some grooming.

6C
You are suddenly unable to move. The thing glides over to you, floating a short distance off the
floor. It extends a sharp-nailed finger against your forehead. Its touch is deeply cold.

Cast a level 4 saving roll on INT.

If you make it, go to 19C.

If you miss, go to 3A.

6D
You find yourself standing on the grass just outside the castle. It's soft beneath your feet; living,
green, and reassuring. There's a loud rumbling sound behind you. You turn and watch the castle
tumble to the ground. Relax, it's not dramatic. The castle isn't THAT big, and there's nothing
to explode. Whatever force was holding the bricks together just...lets go. The bricks separate
and drop listlessly. Soon the castle is nothing more than a mound of plain old bricks
lying against the mountain.

That beautiful, bleached-stone castle was probably older than anything else you'll ever see.
And now it's gone. Great job, hero.

But hey, at least you gained a level. Head back towards civilization for food, rest, and
possibly some grooming.
7A
You sit at the counter and pick up a spoonful of glop. The goblin eyes you with frightening intensity.
You blow on the stuff to cool it, then put some in your mouth.

Actually, it doesn't taste bad! You tell the goblin so, then eat several more bites. The goblin smiles
broadly and exclaims, “It's good! It's good!” You're starting to feel revived when you feel a sharp
pain in your stomach.

You groan and clutch your gut. A moment later, the food in the bowl vanishes, and the pot is full
again. Your stomach feels empty like you never ate. That's not quite right - you feel hungrier now
than you did before. If you had to guess, you'd say the food took some of you back into the pot
when it returned.

Subtract two from CON.

The goblin is back at the pot, stirring like nothing ever happened. It doesn't look like it knows it
hurt you. On the other hand, it doesn't seem entirely innocent, either.

If you attack the creature, go to 16A.

If you go deeper into the castle, go to 15C.
If you go out towards the side entrance, go to 9C.

7B
The thing crumples to the floor. Its voluminous robes collapse around it. A puddle of viscous green
goo oozes onto the carpet, noisesome and loathsome. You feel oddly squicky even though you gain
enough AP to reach the next level.

You step over it with a sneer and approach the book.

If you have the key and know the name, go to 23B.

Otherwise, go to 21B.

7C
The thing gestures at you. You find yourself affected by a modified Bigger is Better spell. Fully
recover strength and constitution, then multiply each by 3. Grow to 6.5 feet (2 meters) tall, unless
your character is already taller than that. This effect will be particularly dramatic for dwarves.
All characters should adjust their weight accordingly. A character's kindred is unchanged in all
other respects. This is your new normal, permanent size.

All this growth will burst your armor, making it unwearable, unsellable, and generally useless.
Leave it behind and go to 6B, you brute.
8A
You lunge for “Curses and Their Causes”. As your fingers reach the binding, the thing in the robe
shrieks. “You DARE touch my books?”

The book stays in place as if glued there. You turn for the door, but suddenly feel sharp pains all
over your body. Before your next step reaches the floor, your body fractures into bite-sized pieces
that themselves fracture, and fracture, until the fine dust of you drifts harmlessly to the floor.

8B
“That's stupid,” you say. “You are stuck here. You can't leave the castle! You know all those spells
and you didn't think of that?” You start to laugh.

The thing swells visibly under its robe, but then deflates abruptly. It begins to chuckle also; it's a
harsh, raspy sound. “Spoken plainly, like one I...remember...” The thing turns for a moment.

“I regret not the loss of the outside world. Only one thing vexes me.” It points to the corner.
“Almanson's Augmented Appendices is locked and spelled, and all my sorcery aids me not.”

“Perhaps if someone else had more success than me at finding the key...” It looks at you pointedly.

If you have the key, go to 21A.

Otherwise, go to 14A.

8C
The room is empty and still. Still, you can't help feeling you just avoided some imminent disaster.
The room has nothing useful for you.

Go back to 11A.
9A
A floorboard pivots beneath your foot; a dart shoots out from the side and hits you in the neck.
You take 1 damage against CON immediately.

Unfortunately, the poison on the dart is still effective.

If you know a way to cure poison, do so and go to 22B.

Otherwise, you need to return to civilization immediately.

Go to 3A and go get yourself cured.

9B
When you step into the room, you check the writing on the
door again. The door says “Q”, but the room is clearly set up
for a man. The armoire to the side is open. Piled remnants of
regal gowns and robes lie mildewed beneath hooks that once
held them at the ready. The bed is large and was probably
comfortable once, although you wouldn't want to touch the
rotten mass now.

You are startled to see a pair of eyes looking at you from the
corner of the room. The eyes belong to a shade that
separates from the gloomy corner and steps towards you.

Cast a level 1 saving throw on charisma.

If you make it, go to 23A.

If you miss, go to 12B.

9C
You walk over to a small side entrance on the right side of the main building. The door opens easily
to your touch. A short, dusty hallway leads towards a dark room; heat and the smell of food are
palpable from here. A narrow stairway curls down into the darkness below.

If you go down the hallway, go to 12A.

If you go down the stairs, go to 5D.
10A
Cast a level 1 saving throw on dexterity.

If you make it, go to 5C.

If you miss, go back to 5A.

10B
The balcony begins to separate from the wall.
The gap shows you just how far you have to fall.
You lunge towards the door.

Cast a level 1 saving throw on dexterity.

If you make it, go to 11A.

If you miss, go to 15B.

10C
You cast ESP on the overweight, heavily-cloaked, red-goateed thing in front of you.
You are overwhelmed by a sense of greed and desire. The thing wants knowledge so badly it has lost
almost all other drives. Almost. You've aroused its interest temporarily. It will have its way with you
before it goes back to its studies.

When you glance at the books off to the side, you sense a lethal possessiveness from the thing.
There's no mistaking how it feels about its library.

If you just want to kill it, go to 21C.

If you ask about the library, go to 25A.
If you grab “Monstro! Monstro!”, go to 16C.
If you grab “Curses and Their Causes”, go to 8A.
If you grab “Zappio's Guide to Temporal Fluxes”, go to 13B.
If you mention a key you found elsewhere in the castle, go to 21A.
11A
You step onto the solid flooring of the guest quarters. A hallway leads further back into the castle.
There are two doors to each side, then another wolf-faced door at the end of the hall.

The guest quarters have letters on each door: A, B, C, and D.

It looks like you have some exploring to do. On the other hand, having managed the balcony once,
you're pretty sure you could get down again without trouble.

To go to room A, go to 14B.
To go to room B, go to 16B.
To go to room C, go to 11C.
To go to room D, go to 18C.
To go back to the foyer on the main floor, go to 17B.
To go deeper into the castle through the wolf-carved door, go to 5A.

11B
You look around the room. In the dresser, you see a map with an island circled. Near the island is a
rocky point labeled “Beechford”.

You consider this for a moment, then search some more. You find a jewel-encrusted crown made of
actual gold worth 50 gp. Everything else that's portable is lost to time and rot.

But now you know the name. It sounds important.

Go back to 17B. Do not come upstairs again; the stairs won't survive a second trip.

11C
You step into guest room C.

The room was once spare, but some effort was made to make it
comfortable. That effort happened so long ago that it makes the
room more funerary than welcoming. A vase dried flower stems sits
dusty and moldy on the table in front of dim, flaked mirror.
The shadow of a person sits at the table.

If you search the room, go to 16D.

If you talk to the shadow, go to 22A.
Otherwise, go back to the hall at 11A.
12A
This room is less gloomy than it seemed from outside. Corridors lead deeper into the castle and out
towards the side entrance. A short, round creature bustles around, stirring things, whisking things,
beating chunks of things until they stop moving. It sees you and smiles with far too many teeth.

“A taster! It's been so long since I had a taster in my kitchen.” It grabs a bowl and ladles a chunky,
gravy-covered substance into it. It shoves the bowl across the counter in your direction. “Eat! Eat!”

You look at the bowl dubiously. Then you look at the creature. Its rings look valuable. On the other
hand, the knives it wields also look very sharp.

If you eat the food, go to 7A.

If you attack the creature, go to 16A.
If you go deeper into the castle, go to 15C.
If you go towards the side entrance, go to 9C.

12B
The shade hisses and attacks. It has a MR of 25. It is too fast for you to do anything before
combat begins.

If you cast “Oh, Go Away”, go to 13A.

If you fight it and survive, go to 11B.

12C
Now that the room is cleared out, you look under the bed and in the chest. The bed is bare and
looks really uncomfortable. You wonder how the three goblins were managing. Then you open the
chest and find a ruby worth 50 gold pieces.

Now you know why the goblins were hiding out; they're notoriously greedy for jewels. You're done
with room A.

Go back to 11A.

12D
“Most learned elder,” you say. “Doth not your plan have a flaw? For if the spell is on the castle, then
truly you can never leave!”

It shrugs. “I have spent centuries already, yet barely scratched the surface of these tombs. I mean
tomes. Only one vexes me.” It points to the corner. “Almanson's Augmented Appendices is locked
and spelled, and all my sorcery aids me not.”

If you have the key, go to 21A.

Otherwise, go to 14A.
13A
Before the shade disappears, it starts to speak. “Beech...” Then it vanishes.

You look around the room. In the dresser, you see a map with an island circled. Near the island is a
rocky point labeled “Beechford”.

You consider this for a moment, then search some more. You find a jewel-encrusted crown made of
actual gold worth 50 gp. Everything else that's portable is lost to time and rot.

But now you know the name. It sounds important.

Go back to 17B. Do not come upstairs again; the stairs won't survive a second trip.

13B
You lunge for “Zappio's Guide to Temporal Fluxes“. As your fingers reach the binding, the thing in
the robe shrieks. “You DARE touch my books?”

The book stays in place as if glued there. You turn for the door, but suddenly feel sharp pains all
over your body. Before your next step reaches the floor, your body fractures into bite-sized pieces
that themselves fracture, and fracture, until the fine dust of you drifts harmlessly to the floor.

13C
You cast “knock knock”. The lock clicks.

Go to 5C.

13D
You're in a room with leathery skeletons chained to the wall, and the rubble of a monster you killed
earlier.

If you go deeper into the dungeon, go to 15A.

If you go back towards the entrance, go to 5D.
14A
The thing hisses at you. “You have WASTED my TIME!” It begins to glide towards you
threateningly, then pauses. “But then, perhaps not. This conversation need never have happened.”
It does something.

You find yourself back in the corridor outside the library. Maybe you should explore more of the
castle before coming back here.

Go to 15C.

14B
You step into guest room A.

The room is almost bare: all that survives the passage

of time is a chest, a bed, and a table. You see a small
huddle of something off to one side.

Cast a level 2 saving row on charisma.

If you make it, go to 25C.

If you miss, go to 25B.

14C
Cast a level 2 saving throw on luck.

If you make it, go to 8C.

If you miss, go to 9A.

14D
The thing gestures at you. You find yourself affected by a modified Bigger is Better spell.
Fully recover intelligence and your spell point stat (strength/power/wizardry, whichever you use),
then multiply both by 3. These are your new permanent stats.

Unfortunately, the moment you start using your amazing new brain, your new wizardly might
shatters your staff. If you are not using a staff, you lucked out without needing a saving roll this
time.

Go to 6B, genius.
15A
You step into the cells of the dungeon. Iron bars block the access to four dank nooks where
prisoners were kept. Even now, the smell has not quite left this place: a sour, fertile scent that
pervades the air.

Using the light from a lit torch still in its holder, you examine the four nooks. Three are empty. One
holds a leather-skinned skeleton in monks' robes. One hand is wrapped tight around something.

You try to open the cell. The bars are locked solid. You look back the way you came; there are no
signs of keys anywhere in this place.

If you pick the lock, go to 4B.

If you bash the lock, go to 6A.
If you cast “Knock Knock”, go to 4D.
If you go back the way you came, go to 13D.

15B
The balcony shifts further, then the flooring drops beneath your feet. You accelerate towards the
ground below, flailing desperately. The carpet might once have cushioned your fall, but it's centuries
too old to be any use. You slam against the still-solid oak flooring.

You take 3 dice of hits; armor will protect you as in combat.

If you survive, go to 17B.

If not, well, good night.

15C
You're in a small, narrow corridor. A heavy quarter-sawn oak door
leads off to one side and is firmly closed. In one direction, the
corridor grows warm and smells like food. The other direction
becomes chilly and dusty.

If you cast Detect Magic, go to 19A.

If you cast “Knock Knock”, go to 18D.
If you try to push open the door, go to 24A.
If you go towards the cold and dust, go to 17B.
If you go towards the heat and smell, go to 12A.
16A
The kitchen-creature sees you preparing to fight.

“More meat for the pot!” it screams, as it launches itself at you. It's surprisingly fast; you find
yourself in combat before you have a chance to cast a spell or use any ranged weapons.

The kitchen creature is a very fat goblin with a MR of 30. You can try to run; the thing doesn't look
smart enough to remember you if it sees you again.

If you win the fight, go to 19B.

If you run from the fight, go to 15C.
If you lose, too bad and good night.

16B
You step into guest room B.

The room is empty except for a cabinet, a bed, and a table.

The bed is bare and looks really uncomfortable.

If you search the cabinet, go to 21D.

Otherwise, go back to 11A.

16C
You lunge for “Monstro! Monstro!”. As your fingers reach the
binding, the thing in the robe shrieks. “You DARE touch my
books?”

The book stays in place as if glued there. You turn for the door, but suddenly feel sharp pains all
over your body. Before your next step reaches the floor, your body fractures into bite-sized pieces
that themselves fracture, and fracture, until the fine dust of you drifts harmlessly to the floor.

16D
Keeping a careful eye on the shadow sitting at the table, you begin to look around the room.
When you open the top drawer of the dresser, the shade rises to attack you. It has a MR of 25,
but no special abilities. You half-expected the attack, but it's too fast to for you to do anything
before you're engaged in melee combat.

If you win the fight, gain a bonus of 50 AP and go to 25D.

If you lose, well, good night.
17A
You eye the gap in the balcony carefully. The left side is clearly unstable. You go up the stairs on the
right. The wood feels hollow and insubstantial beneath you, like driftwood that has desiccated on a
beach. However, the stairs that are anchored into the wall support you just fine.

You inch across the balcony towards the door in the center of the wall. The drop to the carpeted
floor below makes you a little dizzy. You keep your feet against the wall, trying to minimize your
weight as you move closer to the gap on the other side of the door. The balcony rattles as you shuffle
towards your destination.

Cast a level 1 saving throw on luck.

If you make it, go to 11A.
If you miss, go to 10B.

17B
The grand entrance looks taller than you'd expect. The entire
room is one big open space. You step onto carpet so old it is
moldering into a thick, crumbly mat on the floor. The
remnants of banners lie in piles on the floor beneath the
windows, the colors long since decayed past recognition. You
close the door behind you; the opening to the deserted
courtyard is worse than being shut in.

Two dim shafts of light through the narrow windows to

either side of the door barely illuminate the room. Stairs to
the left and right lead up to a balcony. There's a door visible
in the middle of the balcony. Something about the mezzanine
doesn't look right; the flooring is warped and a piece has
fallen all the way to the floor below. Looking at the height
makes you nervous.

At ground level, the floor is covered by very thick dust that

might once have been carpeting or an enormous rug. Two
large doors form a grand opening to another room further in.
Small doors lead elsewhere to the far left and far right of the
rear wall.

If you go up the stairs, go to 17A.

If you go back to the courtyard, go to 26A.
If you go to the door on the left, go to 15C.
If you go to the door on the right, go to 18A.
If you go through the grand entrance at floor level, go to 20B.
If you cast Cat's Eyes, Will O' Wisp, or you can see in the dark, go to 20A.
18A
You approach the small door on the right. Its outline is blurred; close inspection reveals it has
somehow fused into the wall. It can't be opened. It's not even a door any more. Go back to 17B.

18B
You sniff the various pots of foodstuffs. None of them really look appetizing. When you try to force
yourself to eat some, you have to spit it back out right away.

If you go deeper into the castle, go to 15C.

If you go out towards the side entrance, go to 9C.

18C
You step into guest room D.

The room was obviously set up for important guests;

thick fabric and heavy furniture makes the gloom lumpy
and oppressive. The room is quiet and lifeless.

When you step further inside, you hear a click.

Cast a level 1 saving throw on dexterity.

If you make it, go to 8C.

If you miss, go to 14C.

18D
You cast Knock Knock on the door. The spell rebounds at you.
You take damage as if you cast Take That, You Fiend against yourself. How diabolical!

If you survive, you still have options.

If you try to push open the door, go to 24A.

If you go towards the heat and smell, go to 12A.
If you go towards the chills and dust, go to 17B.
19A
You cast Detect Magic and are immediately surprised. The door glows bright red, a clear warning
signal. Magic will have a different effect than expected on this door. But you also feel magic coming
from everything around you - a powerful, pervasive vibe of being altered, down to the very nature of
things.

If you cast “Knock Knock”, go to 18D.

If you try to push open the door, go to 24A.
If you go towards the heat and smell, go to 12A.
If you go towards the chills and dust, go to 17B.

19B
Fatally wounded, the fat goblin tumbles to the ground. Once you get up close, its rings are clearly
cheap fakes. You frown and look around. It turns out the silverware is actually silver, and the set is
worth 30 g.p.

The food is still bubbling away in the pots where the goblin made it.

If you eat the food, go to 18B.

If you go deeper into the castle, go to 15C.
If you go out towards the side entrance, go to 9C.

19C
The thing murmurs with pleasure. “I don't normally bother with intruders, but you...you know
enough about the world to spend a few moments on.” It presses both hands to your head.

Your eyes roll back as every bit of knowledge is sucked from your brain. Every spell you've learned,
every adventure you've had, every monster you've fought, the cities you've been through, who your
parents were, your age, your name, how to fight, how to speak, how to walk, how to breathe.

When your body appears outside the castle entrance, it drops uselessly to the green grass. It's just a
warm sack of uncoordinated bones and organs. It takes a few moments for you to fully die, but it
doesn't matter. There's no “you” any more.
20A
The gloom lightens for you; you can see more. The tattered top section of two banners hang mutely
on either side of the heavy doors that lead outside. Twin piles of decayed fabric rest on the floor
beneath the hangings, bearing the faded colors of some long-forgotten king. Grime-crusted window
panels, placed so the morning sun would have shone brightly on the banners, glows sullenly. A
heavy iron chandelier dangles from the distant ceiling, half-burned candles dotting its outer rim. The
staircases to either side rise steadily to a balcony so high above the floor that it seems to float just
under the ceiling. The railing across it is sinuously carved so it looks to be a single unbroken piece of
wood. A door leads from the center of the balcony further back into the castle. The door bears the
same carved wolves as the front entrance, but of a lighter material. Most of the balcony is still level,
but a section as long as a man is tall tilts downward dangerously. You survey the yawning emptiness
the flooring tips towards, a drop that falls the full height of the stairs to land off somewhere to the
left of the large center door. At floor level, pair of stout oversized doors lead further back in the
castle. Of course, there are still doors to the far left and far right sides of the main ones.

If you go up the stairs, go to 17A.

If you go back to the courtyard, go to 26A.
If you go to the door on the left, go to 15C.
If you go to the door on the right, go to 18A.
If you go through the oversized doors, go to 20B.

20B
You step into a room you can barely see. The room has a subaural echo; it's almost the size of the
grand entrance, but hard-surfaced and unornamented. The floor is covered with a fine layer of dust,
but even in the dim light the quality of the wood beneath your feet is obvious. Mirrors are arranged
at ground level on all four walls. The antique mirrors cast dim, shadowy, uneven reflections of your
profile. You take a few steps into what seems to be a ballroom.

You break into a cold sweat and your stomach tightens. Your gorge rises; you're almost ready to
vomit. Your temples throb.

Swallowing hard, you wonder what could cause this effect. You look around. There's nothing -
absolutely nothing in the room with you. The space is dead and empty. But you notice broad
splashes, stains dried on the floor so ancient they are part of the finish. You unsteadily approach a
wall; the splashes go up onto the barely-seen paneling, leaving trails of dark mayhem high above
your head.

Not only do you feel horrible, but there is nothing here for you. The room is utterly empty. You
leave and close the doors behind you. Whatever happened in that room should stay there.

Go back to 17B.
21A
You reach into your pocket and feel the key. The thing seems to sense something. It gestures.
Suddenly it's reaching for the book, and the key is...not in your pocket.

The ancient lock turns beneath the ancient hand. The thing hisses audibly. “Yes...now just the word!
The name that allows it to be read!” It looks at you expectantly.

If you know the name, go to 3C.

Otherwise, go to 14A.

21B
Unfortunately, the book is attached firmly to the table it rests on. Without the key, you can't open it,
and it's spelled so nobody can read it without the required name. You consider taking other books,
but feel strongly compelled to leave them in place. You settle for taking an oil lamp with you.

After you leave, you'll find out the lamp not just antique, it's a unique antique. You can trade it for
any single weapon/armor item of your choice, or trade it to the wizard school to learn any single spell
regardless of level. If you'd rather have gold, receive 1000 gp when you sell.

Go to 6D.

21C
You decide to do combat with the thing in the robes. Its magical protection gives it a MR of 300, but
it won't attack you physically. Instead it alternates “freeze please” with a spell that disrupts your
very existence. Either hits for 6d6+100. Armor can take hits for “freeze please”. The disruption spell
hits directly against CON. Because of its vast magical knowledge, the thing is immune to
all magical attacks. Period.

If by some miracle you win the battle, go to 7B.

21D
The cabinet opens easily. Unfortunately, it's also empty. But then you look closely at the fabric liner
of the bottom drawer. A dark shape is visible, and the fabric is easily torn. You find a dagger.

Since there's nothing else in the room, go back to 11A.

22A
You approach the shadow and try to speak to it. It doesn't respond.

If you search the room, go to 16D.

Otherwise, go back to the hall at 11A.

22B
You treat yourself for poison, gain 50 AP, and toss the dart
away angrily. Whoever this trap was set for is long dead.
A search of the room turns up nothing else interesting.

Go back to 11A.

22C
Cast a level 2 saving roll on dexterity.

If you make it, go to 4C.

If you miss, go to 3B.

22D
You try to start a dialogue with the lumpy misshapen thing. It's too dumb. Fight a troll with MR 30.
Since you tried talking to it first, you can't do else anything before combat begins.

If you win, go to 4C.

If you lose, well, good night.
23A
The shade speaks to you. Its voice is quiet and sad. You have to lean close to hear, even in the
silence of the castle.

“I was betrayed. Kembell tried to warn me. Lann tried to destroy the books. But we were too slow.
Too late.” There is a pause. The shade wavers, becoming even more insubstantial. “But he doesn't
know where it came from. The name. Without the name, the book means nothing.”

There is little left of the shade. All you see are two faintly-glowing silver eyes. The shade's last word
is “Beechford”. Then it is gone.

You consider this for a moment, then look around the room. You find a jewel-studded crown made
of actual gold worth 50 gp. Everything else that's portable is lost to time and rot.

But now you know a name. It sounds important.

Go back to 17B. Do not come upstairs again; the stairs won't survive a second trip.

23B
You open the book with the key, then say “Beechford”. The words swim on the page, then become
clear to your vision. The brown-red letters burn themselves into your brain.

You now know Occidental Occlude*. You doubt this is what the creature wanted from the book,
but it seems this is what you will get. If you're a warrior, you now know something of absolutely no
use to you. Having left you with its questionable gift, the book slams itself shut. The key has
disappeared and the book is firmly attached to the table it rests on. You consider taking other books,
but feel strongly compelled to leave them in place. You settle for taking an oil lamp with you.

After you leave, you'll find out the lamp is not just antique, it's a unique antique. You can trade it for
any single weapon/armor item of your choice, or trade it to the wizard school to learn any single spell
regardless of level. If you'd rather have gold, receive 1000 gp when you sell.

Go to 6D.

* Occidental Occlude, a level 3 spell, stops up all the openings on any creature not facing East at
the moment it is cast. It affects all living things in earshot, including your party.
It costs only one point of spell statistic (strength/power/wizardry) to cast, but has a 1-in-6 chance of
backfiring on the caster. When you cast it, roll one die. A 2-6 means the spell works normally.
A 1 means you occlude yourself and have thirty seconds to cast a spell with no verbal component to
fix it. Otherwise you suffocate in a terrible state: blind, deaf, dumb, constipated, and worse.
Party members with sharp weapons can create new emergency openings for you, but this tends not
to work out well.
24A
You push on the door. It opens easily. You feel a brief tingle as you step through, but seem no worse
off for exposure to strange magic.

Tall shelves of books, and scrolls, and folios stretch off to either side. The room is dimly lit by oil
lamps. At a reading stand a short distance away, a green glow illuminates a robed figured and the
book in front of it.

The figure turns and looks at you. It is heavy-set, and a cowled monk's robe drapes thickly over its
body. Its face is mostly hidden in the shadow of its hood. A copper-red goatee, framing thick tight-
pressed lips, is all that is visible.

“An intruder?” it says. Then it says something you don't understand.

Cast a level 1 saving throw on luck.

If you make it, go to 26B.

If you miss, go to 6C.

24B
Your voice sounds less authoritative then you might desire as you say, “I don't want anything
from YOU!” You try to pull away.

The thing frowns. “I will not be in your debt.” It gestures, then releases your numb arm.

You find yourself holding a small bag. You open it to reveal far more gold coins than that small bag
could hold. Later, you'll count them to discover you've gained 1000 gp, but the bag is light enough
for any adventurer to carry. The bag can't be reused for other purposes, but will work until you get
back to civilization to make use of your newfound wealth.

Having all that gold makes you more persuasive. Add 10 to charisma. Keep the charisma even after
you've spent the gold.

Go to 6B, moneybags.
25A
You ask about the library. The copper-goateed thing beings to talk.

“This is the largest collection of arcane, dark knowledge of which I am aware. I spent a lifetime
collecting books from far corners of the world. The king who...supported my efforts no longer lives.
But I cast a spell on the castle that keeps it, and me, and my books, protected forever. I study them,
and cross-reference them, and learn secrets only I can glean from their depths.”

You start to say something. You feel its gaze on you. Cast a level 1 saving roll on charisma.

If you make it, go to 12D.

If you miss, go to 8B.

25B
As you approach, the huddle breaks apart into several small figures with beady eyes and sharp
teeth. They run past you, screaming. That's right: you scare them. A few moments later, their screams
change in pitch. You hear some thuds, and the screams cut off abruptly.

Gain 100 AP for scaring three goblins to death, then go to 12C.

25C
As you approach, the huddle breaks apart into
several small figures with beady eyes and sharp
teeth. You're beset by goblins!
Fight three goblins with a MR of 15 each.
If you want to cast a spell or use a ranged
weapon, you have just enough time for one
attack before the goblins reach you.

If you survive, collect 100 AP, then go to 12C.

25D
You return the dresser drawer that angered the shade. Inside, you find a small diary. The diary is so
old it crumbles in your grip. Whatever secrets the thing wanted to protect are now safe forever.

Searching the rest of the room turns up a ring worth 15 gold pieces and a dirk. Take them if you
want.

Go back to 11A.
26A
You stand at the entrance to an old castle built up against the side of a steep mountain. A flat, grassy
area abuts the walls and spreads out in front for a short distance, mounded with small hills and
occasional bits of rubble from what might long ago have been buildings. Beyond the grass, the
hillside drops steeply, along with the path which led you here.

You step through the gaping opening into the courtyard. The castle stands before you. It's not as
imposing as you expected, maybe two stories tall and just barely wide enough to be impressive. The
structure is solidly built, and the stones have bleached from centuries in the sun.

On the facing wall, two windows peer down from high above the thick wood doors. The doors have
carvings of snarling wolves, much degraded with time.

Outside the walls, the grass doesn't quite touch the battlements; inside the walls, nothing grows.
You hear no crickets, no birds, no sign of life of any kind. Yet your hair on the back of your neck
rises as if you are being watched.

If you go through the main doors, go to 17B.

If you want to look around the building, go to 9C.
If you don't feel up to investigating the big scary building, go to 3A. Nobody will think less of you.

26B
The thing blinks. You blink back. Nothing seems to have happened.

It scowls and glides towards you. “I dare not cast that again so soon. The backlash might damage...”
Its hand glides over the spines of several books as it approaches you. It stops and sizes you up.

“Well, it seems you are here in my castle. In my library. You have questions, yes?”

You look off to one side. A shelf of books is in easy reach. You could grab one and try to run.
The thing looks portly enough to not be very fast. The very foolish could attack the thing directly.
Or, you could try diplomacy.

If you cast ESP, go to 10C.

If you just want to kill it, go to 21C.
If you ask about the library, go to 25A.
If you grab “Monstro! Monstro!”, go to 16C.
If you grab “Curses and Their Causes”, go to 8A.
If you grab “Zappio's Guide to Temporal Fluxes”, go to 13B.
If you mention a key you found elsewhere in the castle, go to 21A.