Lair of the Troglodytes

This is an 80 reference microadventure with YOU, the reader, starring in the ill-advised role of a
Troglodyte warrior (hey, small adventure, small subject), recovering after a night on the floor.

Rules

You start this escapade with the following statistics =

SKILL 5

STAMINA 5

Pick your jaw up. And yes, no LUCK. Sorry…Combat remains the same, unfortunately for you, with
the following exception – if you fight without a weapon, subtract one from your Attack Strength. You
also have no equipment to begin with, but make sure to jot down whatever you pick up. The local
currency in this Trog hovel is the canine teeth of victims, known affectionately as ‘tusks’. Keep an eye
on these when you acquire them – they are important. Lastly, although it shouldn’t really be said, think
like a Troglodyte. Small, mean, and very nasty…

Background

Since the dawn of time, say the priests of the Small Demons, the Troglodytes had dwelled in the
dwarven halls of the Mountain of Fire. Pickings were rich and the dwarves “fat and complacent” - easy
prey for a few well armed Trog hunters. Then the wizard came from the south and the dwarves fell
before him. Great in his evil, he scoured the halls for recruits and the Trogs suffered under his bullying
minions. One clan, led by the devious Akhuz of the Golden Spear, fled the Mountain of Fire, across the
plain of green blades. Here, the clan came across a faint stench of evil wafting up from an outcrop of
rock and Akhuz investigated, discovering an ancient crypt. They took up residence and the Clan of
Akhuz was born, a warren of tunnels infesting a dank backwater room of the crypt. They were not
alone however, for haunting the central tomb was an evil malicious spirit that the Clan soon learned to
avoid. In addition, numerous beasts wandered in from the waving green blades, making their lairs in
other rooms, and if this wasn’t enough, the occasional Big Folk ventured into the stone chambers,
killing some of the resident creatures but causing the Trogs to seek shelter in their tunnels. The most
powerful of these Big Folk, a bearded sorcerer with a gilded staff, came across Akhuz one day, who
was out on a solo hunting expedition, back in the days when Ilkya the Hag was but an apprentice
priestess. Akhuz, confidently brandishing his Golden Spear, challenged the sorcerer and was slain for
his troubles. His magical spear was lost and the tribe floundered under a series of despotic chieftains
following his death. The latest in this long line of ratbrained tyrants is Chief Vurg, an old yet ruthless
Trog of ever-increasing girth. His last dictate was to send the three greatest heroes (some would say
Vurg’s three greatest rivals) on an expedition to explore the nether reaches of the crypt in a bid to
recover the Golden Spear, that Vurg claimed to have seen in a holy vision. These heroes, Bosha the
Bad, Gazoul, and Kursh Notch Ear, failed miserably, with only the now insane Gazoul returning,
screaming about flaming eyes and magical rings. He disappeared shortly after, presumed drowned in
the Well. YOU are Skuznut, the fourth greatest hero of the Clan of Akhuz, although somewhat given
over to drunkenness following the deaths of your comrades, and your mission is simply to survive a
day in the life of a failed, has been Trog warrior. Turn to 1.

You wake up with a shocking headache and the vaguest memories of arguing with the Chief about
something trivial. You must have taken to the Shroomshine Grog shortly after that as your mouth is
coated with a sickly sweet slime and the whelp currently pounding your head with a rock doesn’t show
any sign of stopping soon. You chance it and open an eye…

Your cave is a shambles. A foul smell that doesn’t bear close contemplation wafts evilly from

one corner of the room, and the floor is covered with the rubble of broken clay gourds. From these
dribbles a trickle of green fluid that has already attracted a growing horde of ants. You flick a couple
into your mouth and munch on them hopefully, pondering your next move. Breakfast is a must in this
state, but before you wander down to the Fungus Gardens for a snack, you could visit Badduz the
Brewer, to see if he’s got something to kick you into shape. Especially since it’s his Shroomshine that’s

causing your present discomfort. Or, to pass the time and shake off the nausea, you could go and see
Shunga and the lads, who are no doubt gambling their fortunes away right now. You grab your
possessions (add the following to your Adventure Sheet = a copper nugget, a flint knife (this counts as
a weapon), and a pouch containing 4 tusks), and lurch out of your chamber, into the main tunnel. Other
Trogs are beginning to awaken in other caves, although you’d be surprised if any were in quite as bad a
state as you.

Where will you go: follow the main tunnel up to Shunga’s Gambling Den (turn to 47) or

downwards to Badduz the Brewer (turn to 65)?

Ilkya hands you a foaming potion that looks and smells disgusting. Still, you’ve drunk worse things in
your time and, shrugging your shoulders, you down it in one. It’s pretty vile; in fact you’re not sure
which is worse, Ilkya’s Elixir or licking the residue barrels at Badduz’s Brewery. However, it does
serve to sober you up and you may delete the word ‘DRUNK’ from your Adventure Sheet if you have
it, and in addition restore any lost SKILL points owing to drunkenness. If you do not have the word
‘DRUNK’ on your adventure sheet there is no effect. You wipe the last of the foam from your lips and
straighten up. If you have two copper nuggets and want to try the Consecrated Mushrooms, cross the
copper nuggets off your Adventure Sheet and turn to 45. If you don’t have two copper nuggets or are
not interested you can go to the Chief’s Room (turn to 34), or the Moon Cave (turn to 54).

On one knee you bend forward, offering the spear on your outstretched palms to Vurg. Two
bodyguards step forward at Vurg’s order to relieve you of the spear. Vurg then strides up to where you
lay on the floor, and pats you roughly on both ears with his dagger.

“Skuznut, for your service to the Clan today I award you the titles of ‘Kneecapper’ and

‘Spearfinder’! Arise…”

You stagger to your feet, bruised and weary. Hands immediately hoist you into the air onto the

shoulders of the guards, and with one voice the Clan of Akhuz lets out a rousing cheer.

“SKUZNUT! SKUZNUT!”
Congratulations! You have survived this adventure and will go down in Clan lore as a hero

worthy of Akhuz himself for the night you single-handedly braved combat with one of the Big Folk
using the Golden Spear of Akhuz. This ordeal is over, although no doubt a new one will await
tomorrow, when you become party to the labyrinthine plotting of Chief Vurg…

You are in a darkened entry chamber with a low ceiling. There are identical stone passages leading
away to the left and right. A more impressive archway directly opposite you would lead straight ahead,
except it is choked with rubble and thus impassable. You notice footprints in the dust on the floor,
showing someone has recently entered the left passageway. Which way will you go? Left (turn to 48)
or right (turn to 56)?

Now you’re in trouble. Here in the bowels of the Warren, smoke and foul gases belch from strange
fissures leading ever downward, whilst loathsome things leap silently from the shadows to rend poor
Trogs with their talons. These are the Dark Places, and there is an excellent chance of some netherbeast
slithering up to do you harm. Roll a die and turn to the paragraph indicated to see what has ambushed
you.

1 Turn to 62.
2 Turn to 36.
3 Turn to 19.
4 Turn to 24.
5 Turn to 43.
6 Turn to 55.

Do you wish to make any further purchases?

Moss dumplings - one tusk each – turn to 63.
Puffballs - two tusks each – turn to 78.
Clay gourd - five tusks – turn to 52.

When your business is finished here, or you can no longer afford to buy anything, you turn to

leave. As you do so Zudda offers you a final bit of advice: “If I were you, I’d go to the top of the
Warren and see Ilkya the Hag. Maybe she can help you with your problems with the Chief.”

You’re about to retort to this but Zudda is already bargaining with a worker from the Gardens,

so instead you consider your choices onwards. There are two major tunnels leading out of the Fungus
Gardens. One tunnel spirals downwards to the Well, where the Clan of Akhuz draw most of their
water. To take this route turn to 8. The other tunnel leads to the Guardroom, which watches over the
only Trog-sized tunnel that connects the Warren to the rest of the crypt. To visit the Guardroom turn to
20.

You float into an immense stone chamber where three corridors converge and twin flanking rows of
skeleton-encrusted pillars support a high arched ceiling. You sense a hideously evil presence which
reveals itself as a black shadowy figure with fiery eyes, rising up from the bier at the far end of the
chamber. It stops when it sees you and you have the uncomfortable impression it is laughing.

“Having fun?” it rumbles in a voice of lead. “Don’t worry - I can’t hurt you whilst you’re in

that state! We’ll meet again sooner or later, and then things may be a little different…”

It gestures with a dark talon and you feel yourself sucked backwards into a corridor, although

you do not know which one. Turn to 76.

You follow a much traveled tunnel that winds downwards to the Well, occasionally passing groups of
workers carrying dripping gourds of water up to the Fungus Gardens. The Well itself is a large
chamber with a murky flooded sinkhole, whilst around the hole are several buckets tied to lengths of
rope that are staked to the floor. Recent rumour holds that when Gazoul returned from the expedition
that claimed the lives of Kursh Notch Ear and Bosha the Bad, he hurled some accursed artifact,
acquired on his travels, deep into the Well. He then spent seven nights mourning the loss of his treasure
and on the eighth night he disappeared; popular opinion being he died jumping into the sinkhole to
retrieve the artifact.

If you have the word ‘DRUNK’ written on your Adventure Sheet, turn immediately to 53.

Otherwise, you can throw one of the buckets into the Well and draw up some water (in which case turn
to 16), or you can take the only tunnel onwards, which twists up to the top of the Warren in a tight
ascending spiral (turn to 70).

Foaming at the mouth, you throw yourself at the human adventurer without the slightest regard for your
worthless hide. He takes a half step back before recovering his surprise, and the blue sword swings
around in a deceptively lazy arc that almost decapitates you. You must fight the ADVENTURER.

ADVENTURER

SKILL 10

STAMINA 14

If the ADVENTURER manages to wound you, deduct three STAMINA points instead of the usual 2 as
the magical blade bites deep into your flesh. If the ADVENTURER reduces your STAMINA to zero
turn immediately to 38. If you are still alive after two combat rounds turn immediately to 66 if you
have the Golden Spear of Akhuz. If you do not, turn to 21 instead.

(You are now back in the physical world so you can delete the word ‘TRIP’ from your Adventure
Sheet. You can also use all your equipment again as per normal.)

You find yourself lying prone on the floor of Ilkya’s Workroom, feeling even more

disorientated than normal. Ilkya sits cross-legged on a mat nearby, puffing on the dregs of the water
pipe.

“So, how was it?” she says conversationally, the pupils of her eyes reduced to black slits.
“Um…dunno really… interesting, I guess…” you murmur abstractedly.
“Well Skuznut,” Ilkya replies, taking one long final drag, “I hope it showed you the path to

glory. Never turn that chance down, understand? Now, is there anything else I can do for you?”

If you have two tusks and now want to try the Elixir of Sobriety, cross the tusks off your

Adventure Sheet and turn to 2. If you don’t have two tusks or are not interested you can go to the
Chief’s Room (turn to 34), or the Moon Cave (turn to 54).

You press open the slain beast’s jaws, and using your flint knife as an improvised dental implement,
manage to extract two tusks worth of dentures (don’t forget to add them to the total on your Adventure
Sheet). Then you decide it might a good idea to get of here quick, before something else shows up to
test your mettle. Dimly in the gloom your eyes can make out the shape of the wooden trapdoor leading
back to the Guardroom. If you want to rap on this to summon Hortung, turn to 40. Alternatively, you
also spot the entrance to a tiny tunnel winding in a tight spiral upwards, presumably to the top of the
Warren. Turn to 70 if you want to leave the Dark Places by this route.

“No chance of that!” you snarl at the Chief, staggering to your feet as you do so. “Find it, keep it!”

There is a shocked silence in the Big Room, save for the sound of Chief Vurg sucking in a

lungful of air, his face a mottled purple and his eyes flaming with rage.

“Then die traitor!” he shrieks, charging forwards with his bronze dagger gripped firmly in

hand. Despite his weight he moves with startling agility and his ceremonial weapon gleams coldly in
the dim light. You must CHIEF VURG, leader of the Clan of Akhuz.

CHIEF VURG

SKILL 6

STAMINA 6

If CHIEF VURG reduces your STAMINA to zero turn immediately to 74. If you defeat CHIEF VURG
however, then turn to 80.

A little further down the main tunnel a couple of Trog workers are standing around a figure on the
floor. Moving in for a closer look, you’re momentarily shocked to see Badduz the Brewer sprawled
motionless and bleeding from a cut to the head.

“What happened here then?” you demand.
Moving out of the way of your foetid breath, one worker nervously responds: “Don’t know

boss….saw him running down the tunnel and he just tripped and fell over….”

“Likely story,” you say. “Go to the Brewery and get some help. I’ll take care of him.”
“Sure boss.” The workers depart.
After they’re safely out of sight you rifle through Badduz’s belt pouches, and sure enough,

there’s your copper nugget and all your tusks, plus some extra that must be Badduz’s stash (add two
copper nuggets and six tusks to your Adventure Sheet.) Badduz starts to wake up but you rap him
across the head with the handle of your knife, to knock him out, and keep searching. The only other
item you find is a small clay gourd of Shroomshine Grog, which you may take if you wish (in which
case add it to your Adventure Sheet and note that you can drink it to restore one STAMINA point but
you must deduct one SKILL point and write the word ‘DRUNK’ on your Adventure Sheet. Note that
all ‘DRUNK’ penalties are cumulative, until you find a cure.)

Fully satisfied by your rapid change of fortune, you sneak off down the tunnel to the Fungus

Gardens. Turn to 42.

You are in the workroom of the notoriously bad tempered Ilkya the Hag, head soothsayer and priestess
of the Moon Cave, although recently out of favour following the ascension of the new Chief. You have
no desire to be disrespectful, especially since it is rumoured that Ilkya can read minds, but you cannot
work out if the strange smell in the room comes from Ilkya herself, the mess of entrails and burning
incense sticks on the altar to Small Demons, the riot of gourds, salves, ointments, and powders on her
workbench, or perhaps a mixture of all three. Regardless, your nose wrinkles uncontrollably and your
eyes start watering.
“Skuznut!” shrieks Ilkya, shambling over in her bloody robes, a necklace of crescent shaped skulls
swinging from her wattled throat. “Haven’t seen you in these parts since you drank so much Grog you
mistook the Fungus Gardens for the Dark Places and the Chief made me give you a sleeping draught to
calm down. What brings you here then?”

“Dunno really. Out for a walk I suppose..” you reply, breathing through your mouth.
“Well, you’re looking pretty seedy. Care for an Elixir of Sobriety to cure your drunkenness?

Only costs two tusks….Alternatively, you might like to try some mushrooms that have been
consecrated by the Small Demons. Potent but expensive, I’ll have to charge you two copper nuggets for
them. What’ll it be?”

Elixir of Sobriety – two tusks – turn to 2.
Consecrated Mushrooms – two copper nuggets – turn to 45.

If you decide to make any purchases, deduct the appropriate amount of tusks or nuggets from the total
on your Adventure Sheet and turn to the paragraph indicated. If you cannot afford these purchases, or
are not interested, you have a choice of two ways onward. A tunnel illuminated by a flickering orange
light leads up to the Moon Cave, the highest part of the Warren. Turn to 54 if you want to go here. Or
you can take the low dark tunnel that leads all the way down to the Chief’s Room. Turn to 34 for this
option.

Around Kursh’s neck you can dimly see a bronze amulet engraved with two demonic eyes of fiery
aspect. If you’d like to take the amulet, turn to 73. If however, you’d prefer to extract a few tusks, turn
to 11.

You pick up one of the buckets and toss it into the flooded sinkhole. Roll one die and turn to the
paragraph indicated.

1 Turn to 35.
2 – 4 Turn to 41.
5 Turn to 26.
6 Turn to 53.

That was a bit foolish. Not only are you outnumbered, but you’re also in pretty poor condition right
now. Gubble knocks you flat in a quick rush that you can’t dodge, and follows it up by sitting on your
chest. Shunga then empties your money pouch, whilst Vilkung methodically slaps your nose. (Cross all
the tusks you possess off your Adventure Sheet, and deduct two STAMINA points for your troubles.)
The gamblers then toss you out of the Den, where you land in a bruised heap in the main tunnel.

Waving his chubby fist at you, Gubble shouts “..and stay out you drunken beetlebrain…”

before going back inside.

Picking yourself up, with a worse headache then before, you dust yourself off and lurch down

the main tunnel to the Fungus Gardens, thinking dark thoughts as you do so. Turn to 42.

You reach forward into the eyesocket of the skull, where you find a lever that you pull. The back of
the skull opens, and you race around the altar to see a deep crevice, where something gleams dully.
You stick your hand into the hidden compartment and pull out a magnificent weapon that can only be
the Golden Spear of Akhuz. The workmanship is way beyond anything your primitive clan artisans are
capable of, and you wonder where and how Akhuz originally came into possession of the Golden
Spear. The barbed head is crafted from shining steel and engraved with curious black swirls, whilst the
shaft is intricately carved gold, bound in two places with soft brown leather to form hand grips. The
spear is untouched by time and feels light and well balanced in your hands. Note on your Adventure
Sheet that you now possess the Golden Spear of Akhuz, and that in any future combat you may add a
+2 bonus to your Attack Strength when you use this enchanted weapon.

With your mind still reeling from your good fortune, you attempt to come to terms with your

immediate situation. Aside from the hole in the ceiling (which is sacrilege to clamber through), there is
only one way onwards from here; a daunting crack in the floor that leads straight down into the Big
Room. Having no desire to return to Ilkya’s workroom so soon, you take a deep breath and launch
yourself through the crack, knees braced for the hard impact of the stone floor of the Big Room, quite a
distance below…

SPLAT!
Amazingly you are unhurt, and you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and take a look around

your immense new surroundings (turn to 49).

You trip over something in the dark. Picking yourself up, you turn around to confront the hideous
fanged maw of a GRIPWORM. You must fight.

GRIPWORM

SKILL 2

STAMINA 4

If the GRIPWORM reduces your STAMINA to zero turn immediately to 29. If you defeat the
GRIPWORM, its carcass thrashes weakly in the murk, allowing you to turn to 11.

You decide to take the rather dark and less-travelled tunnel that leads to the Guardroom. The Warren of
Akhuz infests one room (conveniently called the Big Room) of a much larger crypt, and the
Guardroom watches over the only connection to the other areas of the crypt, ending in a spying hole for
checking on the activities of the infrequent visits by Big Folk. There is also a heavy wooden trapdoor in
the Guardroom, leading down into the bowels of darkness, a nightmare realm known as the Dark
Places, although Trog shamen debate whether the Dark Places are part of the crypt proper or instead a
manifestation of the Great Underworld itself. On perpetual guard duty is Hortung, a mean loner
prevented from much contact with the rest of the Clan owing to random attacks of insanity. Excellent
guard though…He looks up from sharpening arrows as you enter and you cannot help but flinch at the
demonic mask tattooed onto his face.

“Here, Skuznut! You’ve seen better nights that’s for sure! What brings you to this crack of the

Warren?”

You grin sheepishly. “Just going for a walk. To clear the head, like.”
“Well you can’t go that way,” he says, pointing down the tunnel that leads to rest of the crypt.

“Chief’s orders, you know.”

“Why? What happened?”
“Yours truly spotted a Big Folk entering the crypt. Chief’s planning an ambush right now, and

doesn’t want anyone getting seen before the Big Folk gets to the Big Room.” Hortung starts chuckling,
which makes you nervous because you don’t see anything funny.

You notice in the centre of the chamber that the trapdoor to the Dark Places lies open, and

Hortung, upon seeing you look at it, starts chuckling louder. “Hey, be my guest, but I’ll have to close it
after you!”

Do you want to enter the Dark Places? If so, turn to 5. Otherwise, you can exit the Guardroom

by the tunnel that leads onwards to the Chief’s Room, by turning to 34. Alternatively, if you’re feeling
lucky, you may chance a run for the tunnel leading to the rest of the crypt, although Hortung may well
put a few arrows in your back if you try. Turn to 57 if you favour this option.

Somehow you brave the adventurer’s hail of deadly thrusts. Leaping back from the last sweep of the
glowing blue sword however, you trip and collapse to your knees. Through eyes bleary from smoke
you see him stride forwards, sword raised to deliver the killing blow. You cover your head with your
hands and kiss the dirt in preparation to die…

Suddenly you become aware of a loud cheer, and peering through your fingers you see the

bellcap portcullis raised and the entire Clan of Akhuz come charging out of the tunnel, howling and
waving jagged spears and crude bows. They fire and the adventurer staggers backwards, frantically
covering his face as flint-headed arrows bounce off his iron armour. Then, incredibly, another
adventurer comes storming into the Big Room. The newcomer is a woman with long braided black hair
tied behind her head and she wears a battered suit of leather armour. She too bears a magical sword,
although hers is shrouded in a crackling green flame. Both sides draw back momentarily, before the
woman says “Quick! Melric! This way!” and the two adventurers dive into the second passageway that
leads out of the Big Room. As one, the Clan of Akhuz surge forward, letting loose with another volley
of arrows, but they pull up short at the entrance of the passageway, content instead to utter a few choice
insults at the rapidly fleeing backs of the adventurers. The Great Evil lurks down that way, and it will
no doubt take care of those invading Big Folk in its own inimitable style…

You become aware of the Clan, gathering around you in a wide circle. Chief Vurg strides up

to where you lay on the floor, and waving a bronze dagger, pats you roughly on both ears.

“Skuznut, for your service to the Clan today I award you the title of ‘Kneecapper’! Arise…”
You stagger to your feet, bruised and weary. Hands immediately hoist you into the air onto the

shoulders of the guards, and with one voice the Clan of Akhuz lets out a rousing cheer.

“SKUZNUT! SKUZNUT!”
Congratulations! You have survived this adventure and will go down in Clan lore as a hero

worthy of Akhuz himself for the night you single-handedly braved combat with one of the Big Folk.
This ordeal is over, although no doubt a new one will await tomorrow, when you become party to the
labyrinthine plotting of Chief Vurg…

Despite your drunken state, you somehow extract another tusk from your money pouch and give it to
Badduz, who has returned with a fresh cup of Spleen Eleven. You down this one too, wiping the purple
goop from your mouth with the back of your hand.

“Fantastic!” you say, as a wave of euphoria rises from your stomach to engulf your brain.

(Now you’re even more drunk. Deduct another SKILL point from your Adventure Sheet.)

“So do you want to hear how it’s made?” says Badduz, with his nasal whine.
“Sure,” you say, yawning. “Tell me a story….”
Badduz starts to explain but you’re not listening. Instead your eyes have closed and you topple

over. The stone floor of Badduz Brewery rises up to deliver a sharp tap to your forehead, and you
collapse into unconsciousness. Turn to 71.

Striding into the Big Room like a god comes one of the Big Folk, with a ferociously hairy face and clad
head to toe in iron plates. In one hand the bearded man holds a flaming brand, in the other a
broadsword whose bright blue glow makes your eyes water. He is about to enter the second passage on
his right, but then he notices you attempting to blend into the cracks of the flagstones without
considerable success. That horrible shining sword swings towards you and the man speaks, a lazy smile
visible under his beard.

“You look a little lonely there! ‘Spose the rest of you lot are skulking around ready to jump on

me, right?”

The sword is a bit too close for comfort now, and the smoke from the torch is making your

nose itch. Will you hurl yourself at this adventurer, screaming for the Demons to aid you (in which
case turn to 9), or will you make a dash for the tunnel back to the chief’s room (which the adventurer
doesn’t seem to have spotted yet; turn to 44 for this option)?

There is a sinister sound like cloth flapping in the breeze, before a pale shape darts swiftly at your head,
fangs agape. You must fight the GIANT BAT.

GIANT BAT

SKILL 3

STAMINA 2

If the GIANT BAT reduces your STAMINA to zero turn immediately to 29. If you defeat the GIANT
BAT, its hairy body drops to the cave floor, battered wings enfolding it like a shroud and allowing you
to turn to 11.

No, the atmosphere at the Den today doesn’t feel right somehow..

“Actually lads,” you croak, clearing the phlegm from your throat. “I’ll give it a miss today if

you don’t mind.”

“What?” screeches Vilkung.
“The bloody cheek!” snarls Shunga. “What did you come here for then? Conversation?”
“Knew you were a yellowbelly,” sneers Gubble. “Just like the Chief said.”
If you’re sick of this tirade of insults and want to beat these Trogs to a pulp, turn to 17. If you

merely want to change your mind, turn to 61 to play Spot the Beetle. Otherwise, a quick exit looks
appropriate, in which case turn to 42 to go to the Fungus Gardens.

You strain and heave at the rope, trying to drag the bucket (which suddenly seems a lot heavier), back
to the edge of the sinkhole. When you finally succeed, you see why the bucket was so heavy – filling
the entire bucket is a black slimey mess of a creature, all tentacles and eyestalks, erupting from the
shapeless blob that is the thing’s body. You’ve heard tales of these beasts lurking in the Well, preying
on lone Trog workers, but never actually seen one. Until now that is. Suddenly, several of the eyestalks
focus on you, red eyes gleaming, and with surprising agility the creature’s tentacles propel its body out
of the bucket and straight towards you…Turn to 67.

After the serpent’s carcass ceases its lashing death throws, you quickly put your flint knife to work, and
skin the reptilian horror, being quite taken with the look of the ivory coloured scales (add a snakeskin
to your Adventure Sheet.) Then you contemplate the great hooked venom fangs in the snake’s upper
jaw… Turn to 11.

“Seek the wrath of Akhuz!” you hear them chant as they disappear inside the altar. In future,

should you find yourself in the Moon Cave, divide the reference number you are on at the time by 3
and turn to the new number indicated (Thus for example, if you were at 21 when you entered the Moon
Cave, you would divide this number by three and turn to 7.) You must remember to do this however, as
no option will be given in the text to do so.

Whilst you ponder the consequences of this, and your whole trip through the mushroom

induced underworld, another enormous invisible hand drags you suddenly down a side passage. Your
last thought is that if this the Moon Cave, then the only room connected to it is that of Ilkya the Hag.
Everything around you then dissolves into blinding white light and something incredibly strong batters
you into unconsciousness….Turn to 10.

You join the numerous ranks of Troglodyte hopefuls who have fallen in battle, out here in the Dark
Places. Your corpse will be unmourned and your memory quicken forgotten by the Clan, leaving
behind, as you did, a legacy of barely fulfilled potential. Your adventure ends here…

Recognising the skulls on Ilkya’s necklace as similar to the ones engraved on the gourd you took from
the corpse of Bosha the Bad, you pull the gourd out of your pouch.

“Do you know what this is by any chance?” you ask the old priestess.
“Where did you get it?” she exclaims.
Normally you’d launch into a colourful lie right about now, but some mysterious force seems

to be compelling you to speak the truth.

“I found it, see?” you find yourself saying, “On the body of Bosha the Bad, down near the

Dark Places."

Ilkya scratches her head, looks at you and says: “Well I guess you might as well keep it now. I

gave it to Bosha before he embarked on that ridiculous quest of Vurg’s, and he obviously never got
around to using it if it’s still sealed up. It’s a Growth Potion, Skuznut, and if I were you, the only place
I’d dare use it would be the Big Room. Otherwise you’re liable to cause a cave-in if you drink it here in
the Warren. Understand?”

“I think so,” you say slowly. If in future, you find yourself at a reference number starting with

the words “You are alone in the Big Room…”, SUBTRACT the number of skulls (sixteen) from the
reference number you are on at the time and turn to the new number indicated (Thus for example, if
you were at 76 when you encountered the above phrase, you would subtract 16 and turn to 60.) You
must remember to do this however, as no option will be given in the text to do so.

Still shaking your head at the concept of carrying a magic potion, you consider your options.

If you have two copper nuggets and want to try the Consecrated Mushrooms, cross the copper nuggets
off your Adventure Sheet and turn to 45. If you have two tusks and want to try the Elixir of Sobriety,
cross the tusks off your Adventure Sheet and turn to 2.

If however you cannot afford these purchases, or are not interested, you have a choice of two

ways onward. A tunnel illuminated by flickering orange light leads up to the Moon Cave, the highest
part of the Warren. Turn to 54 if you want to go here. Or you can take the low dark tunnel that leads all
the way down to the Chief’s Room. Turn to 34 for this option.

Balancing back on its rear tentacles, the creature suddenly pounces, and in your weakened state you are
unable to dodge aside as it comes sailing through the air, straight at your head. Barbed tentacles wrap
tightly around your skull and the last thing you see are myriad rows of spiny teeth rushing towards you
at speed, before the creature buries its fanged maw deeply into your face. You scream and stagger
forward, toppling slowly into the sinkhole, blood streaming from your wounds to discolour the water
with rusty shades you will never see. Other dark shapes now detach themselves from the rock walls,
gliding through the water to fasten hungrily onto your limbs and torso. You do not feel their bites
however, for you are already dead. Your adventure is over.

Gubble rises dramatically to his feet, a difficult feat considering his weight.

“Lads,” he says, pointing a pudgy finger disdainfully in your direction. “Skuz is cheating!”
“What?” you splutter indignantly. “I’d like to know how!”
Gubble points to his head and hisses: “You’re thinking!”
The other two Trogs gasp.
“You’re not using your brain now are you Skuz?” says Shunga, suddenly wearing a rather

nasty grin.

“You know it’s against the rules,” snickers Vilkung the Potter.
All three are now advancing towards you, hands outstretched. Behind them you see the beetle

pop out from under a skull and crawl away into the shadows. Do you want to stand your ground against
these traitorous scumbags (in which case turn to 17), or would you prefer to flee in the direction of the
Fungus Gardens (by turning to 42)?

Remembering the words of Ilkya the Hag, you smash the seal on the clay gourd containing your
Growth Potion, and gulp down the foul-tasting herbal brew. Instantly there is a blinding flash of light
and when you look down, you notice that your are now almost the same size as one of the Big Folk!

(Multiply your current SKILL and STAMINA scores by 2 and note these new scores on your
Adventure Sheet. They will remain at this level until the potion’s effects wear off. All of the items you
possess have also been affected and you may use them as normal whilst in this state, the only exception
being puffballs, which now require you to roll equal to or under your SKILL on TWO dice. Also, don’t
forget to cross the Growth Potion off your Adventure Sheet.)

Suddenly, striding into the Big Room like a god comes one of the Big Folk, with a ferociously

hairy face and clad head to toe in iron plates. In one hand the bearded man holds a flaming brand, in the
other a broadsword whose bright blue glow makes your eyes water. Upon seeing you he yells a
battlecry and charges towards you, the blue sword swinging around in a deceptively lazy arc that you
only just avoid. You must fight the ADVENTURER.

ADVENTURER

SKILL 10

STAMINA 14

If the ADVENTURER manages to wound you, deduct three STAMINA points instead of the

usual 2 as the magical blade bites deep into your flesh. If the ADVENTURER reduces your STAMINA
to zero turn immediately to 38. If you are still alive after three combat rounds turn immediately to 58.

The Chief’s Room is one of the biggest chambers in the Warren, and traditionally home to whatever
despot has managed to bully enough support together from various shamen, bodyguards and warriors,
in order to lead the Clan of Akhuz. Vurg, the current Chief, favours a heavy-handed approach to the
loosely defined Trog ideals of leadership, and as well as the spectacular failure of Kursh Notch Ear’s
expedition that wiped out three of the Clan’s toughest heroes, there have been more than enough petty
acts of ‘discipline’ to make your blood boil. And as you, Skuznut, are one of the last warriors to pledge
your support for Chief Vurg, the feeling is mutual.

This is amply demonstrated when you enter Chief’s Room and Vurg, upon seeing you, rises

from his toadstool throne to point his bone sceptre in your direction and immediately yell: “Skuznut
you blackheart! What in the name of the Great Underworld are you doing back here then?”

The chamber, which is full of warriors, bodyguards, several shamen and diviners (representing

Demons of all sizes), plus a sizeable number of plain courtiers and sycophants, goes deathly quiet.
What will your response be? Anger (turn to 68), submission (turn to 75), or will you offer him the gift
of a snakeskin if you have one (in which case cross the snakeskin off your Adventure Sheet and turn to
59).

You strain and heave at the rope, trying to drag the bucket (which suddenly seems a lot heavier), back
to the edge of the sinkhole. When you finally succeed, you see why the bucket was so heavy – as well
as dredging pebbles from the sinkhole bottom, you’ve also retrieved a huge gold ring that would
comfortably fit around your wrist. It is inscribed with the symbol of two flaming eyes and you wonder
if this is the same artifact that once belonged to Gazoul. In any case it’s too heavy and noticeable to
carry with you now as you’d be robbed by the first gang of Trog workers to lay eyes on it. There’s no
way you’re throwing all that gold back in the water though, so you carefully bury it under a pile of
rubble to retrieve at a better time. You turn and exit the Well through the tunnel leading upwards (Turn
to 70).

You become aware of both a horrible musky stench and a low throaty snarl. Dashing from a nearby
burrow comes the black masked hairy form of a CAVE BADGER. You prepare to fight the feral beast.

CAVE BADGER

SKILL 3

STAMINA 3

During this fight deduct one from your Attack Strength due to the foul smell. If the CAVE BADGER
reduces your STAMINA to zero turn immediately to 29. If you defeat the CAVE BADGER, its lifeless
body slumps to the floor, although the stench remains quite active. Turn to 11.

You reach into your money pouch and hand one tusk over to Badduz. Taking the cup he offers you,
you knock it back in one gulp. For a moment you think you’re going to retch, but it passes, and you’re
rewarded by a warm glow spreading outwards from your guts. You’re also drunk (Write ‘DRUNK’ on
your Adventure Sheet and deduct one point from your SKILL score until you find a cure.)

“Great stuff!” you hiccup.
“Glad you like it,” smiles Badduz. “Do you want another one?”
“Free?” you say hopefully.
“Come off it! It’ll cost you another tusk you fool!”
If you would like to drink a second cup of Spleen Eleven, cross one more tusk off your

Adventure Sheet and turn to 22. Otherwise, if you think your liver has absorbed enough punishment for
the moment, you bid Badduz goodbye and lurch down the main tunnel to the Fungus Gardens. Turn to
42.

Who are you, a mere Troglodyte clad in rags, to test your mettle against a battle scarred and heavily
armed adventurer? The human swats aside your assault with a low sweep of the torch, and as your
stagger back, blinded by smoke, he brings the sword down in a vertical stroke that almost cleaves you
in two. Your carcass peels apart, slowly and messily and your adventure is now over...

You drift through the air into a square stone antechamber, where corridors lead from all four walls,
except one, which is grandly arched and choked with rubble. In the centre of the room is an immense
black chest, bound with dull iron. As you approach the chest, the lid suddenly flips open and three
wisps of hooded shadow emerge, like the tiny tattered children of a ghost.

“You are the saviour,” whisper the three ghostlings. “Deliver us from the bearded lord.”
They rise up and you follow them out of the antechamber, down the corridor on your

immediate right as you face the rubble-choked portal. The corridor ends at a passage going from left to
right, and the trio of shadelets float to the right, one of them turning its tiny cowled head to make sure
you follow. You turn right also, and float into a strangely familiar room…

Turn to 60.

You rap on the trapdoor, and are rewarded when it opens and Hortung’s hand reaches down to pull you
through into the Guardroom. As he does so, something snaps at you ankle and your hear the sounds of
teeth clashing together, but you have no chance to see what it was as Hortung hurriedly slams the
trapdoor down after you.

“You’re a crazy fool Skuznut,” he says, shaking his head. “I can’t believe people think I’m

mad compared to the insane things you get up to. Get outta here!”

“Hey,” you say, shrugging your shoulders as you leave the Guardroom. “Normally I wouldn’t

do stuff like that but I’m feeling a bit strange right now.”

You take the tunnel that winds along to the Chief’s Room. Turn to 34.

You strain and heave at the rope, eventually succeeding in pulling the bucket of water back to the edge
of the sinkhole. The water is clear and refreshing to drink, aside from a slight tang of iron, and you may
restore one STAMINA point if you are currently wounded (although you cannot exceed your Initial
STAMINA score of 5). Tipping the rest of the bucket’s contents over your head to ease the last fading
memories of your hangover, you consider a course of action. If you want to draw up another bucket of
water, turn to 16. Otherwise you may enter the tunnel leading upwards, in which case turn to 70.

Wandering down the main tunnel, you arrive at the Fungus Gardens, a mazelike series of damp
catacombs where most of the Clan of Akhuz are hard at work harvesting mushrooms, toadstools, spore
balls, slime moulds, bellcaps, and other more exotic subterranean fungi. Set up under a particularly

large red toadstool is a small market, run by Zudda, a female Troglodyte famous for her beautiful nose
of truly aquiline proportions, as well as her finely honed bargaining skills.

“Here, Skuznut,” she says when she sees you. “Heard you made the Chief look stupid. You

better watch it, you know what his temper’s like!”

“Did I?” you reply. “Honestly I can’t remember.” That’s true, you can’t. “Anyway, I’m

hungry. What have you got to eat?”

Zudda sells the following –

Moss dumplings - one tusk each – turn to 63.
Puffballs - two tusks each – turn to 78.
Clay gourd - five tusks – turn to 52.

If you decide to make any purchases, deduct the appropriate amount of tusks from the total on your
Adventure Sheet and turn to the paragraph indicated. In addition, if you have a clay gourd containing
Shroomshine Grog, Zudda will trade you a moss dumpling for it should you wish (in which case cross
the gourd off your Adventure Sheet and turn to 63).
If you cannot afford to buy anything, or are not interested, you have a choice of two major tunnels
leading out of the Fungus Gardens. One tunnel spirals downwards to the Well, where the Clan of
Akhuz draw most of their water. To take this route turn to 8. The other tunnel leads to the Guardroom,
which watches over the only Trog-sized tunnel that connects the Warren to the rest of the crypt. To
visit the Guardroom turn to 20.

You hear a grating screech and the sound of claws on stone as a grey furred form launches itself
through the air, oversized incisors ready to tear your throat out. You face a GIANT RAT.

GIANT RAT

SKILL 4

STAMINA 2

If the GIANT RAT reduces your STAMINA to zero turn immediately to 29. If you defeat the GIANT
RAT, it collapses in a heap, allowing you to turn to 11.

You turn tail and throw yourself at the portcullis, screaming “Lads! Lads! Let me in you bastards!”

The only reply is a low chuckle behind you and you sneak a look over your shoulder to see the

adventurer leaving the Big Room via the second passageway, shaking his head at some private joke.

“Sod you big man!” you yell at his back, “Only the Great Evil lies that way…urk…”
Suddenly, there is a rather sharp and unexpected pain in your guts. Turning back to the

portcullis, you see Chief Vurg standing behind it, flanked by guards. His arm pokes through a gap in
the bars, and in it he holds a bronze dagger smeared with blood…yours, of course.

“You’re a coward Skuznut,” growls Vurg, eyes blazing a fiery gold with rage, “and as such,

you deserve to die…”

You slump to the floor of the Big Room, clutching your stomach in a frantic and ultimately

unsuccessful attempt to halt the impressive flow of blood. Your adventure is over…

“Alright!” you say, slapping down two copper nuggets on the flattened fungal table that serves as
Ilkya’s workbench. “Give us some of those mushrooms then.”

“Here, take care! My lunch is on there somewhere!” she splutters before accepting your

payment.

She digs around a bit and then produces a large water pipe that looks a bit too dwarfish for

your taste. You’re also horrified to see she doesn’t bother changing the water and you swear you saw
something move in there. Nevertheless she dusts off the bronzework at the top, ignites a couple of
brown cubes, and hands you the mouthbit. You smoke away for a bit but nothing seems to be
happening. Looking at Ilkya with a shrug, you’re surprised to see her chuckling away.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Look down Skuznut..” she says, gesturing at the floor.
You look at the floor. It takes a while to work out but eventually you realise there shouldn’t be

that gap between you and the floor. Yes, that’s it…you’re floating. You look back at Ilkya for
confirmation only to see she has changed colour. Actually, everything is changing colour, accompanied
by a buzzing drone in your ears, and Ilkya suddenly seems a lot older and a lot bigger. She leans over,
her face blocking out the light with its sudden immensity.

“Go!” she commands, and you turn to see she is pointing behind you, with an impossibly long

finger, at a tunnel in the wall that you know leads to the shrine known as the Moon Cave. You are then
wrenched by an enormous invisible fist that drags you screaming down the tunnel and into the Moon
Cave, before being jerked up through a hole in the shrine’s roof, and out into the emptiness where the
Beast of a Thousand Eyes holds court with the Moon. Here, you spin in the void, looking down at a
nightmare landscape of blue arms writhing in waves, before hurtling towards them at speed. Moments
before impact you are dragged sidewise, skimming the tops of the thin bladelike arms, and looking up
you see a dark mountain ahead of you. You shoot past some sort of black haired guardian, through a
gaping maw in the side of the mountain, before being spat out on to a stone floor.
(Write the word ‘TRIP’ on your Adventure Sheet and note that until you come to a reference telling
you to erase the word ‘TRIP’, you cannot use any of your possessions.)
Turn to 4.

To pass the time at the Brewery, waiting for that thief Badduz to show up, you decide to do a spot of
looting. A quick ransack of the chamber turns up 2 tusks and a gourd of Shroomshine Grog stashed in
an old box that you painstakingly smash against the wall (add these to your Adventure Sheet. Also,
regarding the gourd of Shroomshine Grog, note that you can drink it to restore one STAMINA point
but you must deduct one SKILL point and write the word ‘DRUNK’ on your Adventure Sheet. Note
that all ‘DRUNK’ penalties are cumulative, until you find a cure.) There’s nothing else of interest
however and after a while your stomach starts reminding you that something to eat might be a good
idea. Still cursing the Brewer, you shamble out of the chamber and down the main tunnel to the Fungus
Gardens. Turn to 79.

You shamble along up the main tunnel, dodging a few altogether more sober Trog workers along the
way, until you get to Shunga’s Gambling Den. Tall and thin for a Troglodyte, Shunga also wears a dark
hooded cloak of dubious origin, underneath which is strapped a small arsenal of vicious flint knives.
With him tonight are Gubble, an obese Trog currently off duty from bodyguarding the Chief, and
Vilkung the Potter, who makes the gourds for Badduz’s Shroomshine. Now there’s a memory to make
you shudder…

“All right Skuznut! What’s up?” says Shunga as you enter the Den. “Heard you had a big day.

I must say it certainly looks like it…”

He glances sidelong at Gubble who tries hard not to snigger. Having composed himself, the

fat bodyguard then turns to face you, saying: “You made the Chief mad, Skuz. He don’t like looking
the fool. If you know what’s good, you’ll keep out of his ears for a few nights, okay?”

Unable to speak with a mouth full of dry mucus, you resign yourself to staring balefully at

Gubble, who takes a step backwards.

“People, please!” says Vilkung the Potter. “We’re supposed to be gambling here, not

threatening each other. Sit down Skuznut and have a small wager with us…”

They’re playing Spot the Beetle. The sawn-off top halves of three Trog skulls lie on the floor

in front of Shunga, and under one he places a spikey black beetle, before shuffling the skulls around.
You then have to guess which skull conceals the beetle. If you would like to bet a tusk or two and play
this game, turn to 61. If gambling’s not to your taste however, turn to 25.

Still floating, you rise from the floor, following the footprints into the left corridor. From a great
distance you seem to hear the sounds of fighting and you soon bob into a dank cavern where a bearded
knight with a glowing sword is engaged in mortal combat with an immense wingless dragon. Not
wanting to bother them too much, you dart quickly towards the exit, a stone corridor on your
immediate right. On the way you can’t help but duck your head and look down, where you spot a stone

amulet that you’re sure belonged to a Trog you used to know. Strange…Floating down the right
corridor, you see a another corridor branching off again from the right. Will you continue straight
ahead (in which case turn to 76) or will you take this new passageway on the right (turn to 39)?

You are alone in the Big Room, surrounded by cyclopean stonework totally unlike the crude burrows
of the Warren of Akhuz. Across the dusty floor you see the portcullis that guards the tunnel to the
chief’s room, and above you, sadly out of reach, is the jagged crack that leads to the Moon Cave. More
impressive however are the two enormous corridors gaping from the walls of the Big Room and
extending into the rest of the crypt. From one you hear the heavy tread of approaching footsteps (turn
immediately to 23).

Drifting wispily through the portcullis and down a tunnel, you enter a room that even you cannot fail to
recognise. A small horde of Trog warriors, shamen, and general hangers-on, is crammed into a largish
chamber, in the centre of which is a toadstool throne. Sitting on this is an immensely fat Trog,
scratching himself with a bone sceptre and talking with one of his bodyguards. This cave is none other
than the Chief’s Room of your very own Clan of Akhuz, with Vurg himself lounging on the throne!

“…of course I’m quite partial to snakeskin…..” you hear Vurg murmur to a bodyguard.
“…dunno chief, makes my skin itch…replies the guard.
Suddenly , as you ponder the consequences of this, and your whole trip through the mushroom

induced underworld, another enormous invisible hand drags you suddenly down a side passage. Your
last thought is that if this the Chief’s Room, then one of the other chambers connected to it is that of
Ilkya the Hag. Everything around you then dissolves into blinding white light and something incredibly
strong batters you into unconsciousness….Turn to 10.

You think drinking that stuff looks like a particularly bad idea.

“Look, it’s alright,” you tell Badduz. “I’m feeling better already. I think I better get some food

in me.”

“Are you really sure?” says a disappointed Badduz. “It’ll really put a good zap in your

appetite.”

Last chance. If you decide to change your mind and you now actually feel quite keen for a

drink, cross one tusk off your Adventure Sheet, and turn to 37. However, if you’re dead certain you
don’t want it, you bid Badduz goodbye and lurch down the main tunnel to the Fungus Gardens.

“Should charge you just for sniffing it,” mutters Badduz as you leave. Turn to 42.

Note that Zudda has only one clay gourd available to sell. It contains a healing draught that will restore
your STAMINA score to its maximum level. It’s good for one dose only, after which you must cross it
off your Adventure Sheet. Turn to 6.

Woops! You overbalance, and with arms flapping in futility, go sailing over the edge into the murky
depths of the sinkhole. Luckily, it’s only a short fall, broken by the icy waters of the Well, and you rise
to the surface unscathed. Congratulating yourself on your good fortune however, you fail to see a dark
shape detach itself from the side of the rock wall, and glide through the water to probe at one of your
legs with a long black arm. All you feel is a burning pain in your leg, and tearing yourself free you
clamber out of the water and frantically up the walls of the sinkhole, using the stone-carved emergency
footholds. Safe at the top, you look back into the water to see a black shape hover briefly under the
surface before sinking into the depths.

Looking down at your wound, you see your leg has been torn badly by lots of tiny hooks, and

you must deduct one STAMINA point because of your injury. However, the whole frightening
experience, not to mention the unexpected bath, has served to sober you up so you may delete the word
‘DRUNK’ from your Adventure Sheet if you have it, and in addition restore any lost SKILL points

owing to drunkenness. Exiting the Well with a shudder, you take the small tunnel leading upwards.
Turn to 70.

You pick you way out of Ilkya’s cave and up the flickering orange tunnel to the Moon Cave. This the
holiest of the clan’s shrines, a dry cavern at the top of the outcrop, with a hole in the ceiling that allows
moonlight to bathe the altar. The altar, an enormous polished skull with a single eyesocket and
fearsome tusks, was carried with Akhuz on the great journey from the Mountain of Fire. Its polished
surface reflects the flames of a hundred tallow candles, placed in hollows about the shrine. Aside from
the hole in the ceiling (which is sacrilege to clamber through), there is only one way onwards from
here; a daunting crack in the floor that leads straight down into the Big Room. Having no desire to
return to Ilkya’s workroom so soon, you take a deep breath and launch yourself through the crack,
knees braced for the hard impact of the stone floor of the Big Room, quite a distance below…

SPLAT!
Amazingly you are unhurt, and your pick yourself up, dust yourself off and take a look around

your immense new surroundings (turn to 49).

You glance around, staring hard into the shadows for any sign of danger. In your haste your bare foot
comes down on what looked like a long pale tree root. It feels a bit too dry and warm for part of a tree
though, and then it moves, sliding out from under your foot. You turn very slowly around to see a thin
white shape rising up from floor. The VENOMOUS SNAKE emits a loathsome hiss, before striking,
droplets of poison scattering through the air. You must fight.

VENOMOUS SNAKE

SKILL 5

STAMINA 2

If the VENOMOUS SNAKE manages to wound you, deduct four STAMINA points instead of the
usual 2. If the VENOMOUS SNAKE reduces your STAMINA to zero turn immediately to 29. If you
defeat the VENOMOUS SNAKE, you lop off its head and the coils flop about helplessly. Turn to 27.

Still floating, you rise from the floor, and into the right corridor. You soon arrive at a half-finished
stone chamber, with a floor covered in rubble. You bob down the only other exit, a passageway
immediately on you left, and before long you float into another room. This room has two exits, a
corridor going straight ahead, and another in the wall on your left, but what is immediately arresting is
the skeleton of one of the Big Folk sprawled out half-crushed on the floor. You notice a charm of sorts
around the skeleton’s neck, but in this state you are unable to take it. Which way will you go, straight
ahead (turn to 72) or left (turn to 39)?

You catch Hortung totally by surprise with your mad sprint down the tunnel that leads into the crypt.

“You fool Skuznut!” he yells. “I just dug a new….”

Strange, there doesn’t seem to be any ground under your feet. You look down to see yourself tumbling
into the black depths of a yawning pit, not even having time to scream before you slam into the rubble
on the pit floor. Deduct two STAMINA points, and if you survive, turn to 69.

Suddenly you feel the Growth Potion begin to wear off, shrinking you and your equipment back down
to your original size. (Divide you current SKILL and STAMINA scores by 2, rounding any fractions
up, and note these new scores down on your Adventure Sheet.)

Fearing sorcery, the adventurer takes a few steps back, but once he realises you are now even

more harmless than ever, he charges forward again, chuckling nastily. Do you have the Golden Spear
of Akhuz? If you do turn to 77. If not, turn to 21 instead.

Much to every Trog’s surprise, including your own, you bow down to Chief Vurg, offering him the
milky scales of the snake you slew earlier. The Chief rises to his feet and walks forward to take the gift,
getting guard to check it first in case it’s still alive.

“I’m impressed Skuznut! This is a wonderful gift! Such generosity should be rewarded, and so

I present you with this - ” he produces a bronze dagger and hands it to you (add the bronze dagger to
your Adventure Sheet and note that when you use it in battle you may add one to your Attack
Strength). “Just don’t stand behind me alright?”

“Look, sorry Chief, I was way out of order last night. If there’s anything I can do…”
“Actually,” interrupts the Chief and you do not like the gleam that comes into his eyes. “We

have urgent need of someone with your talents right now. Guards! Take him to the Big Room!”

You don’t like the sound of that but there is not much you can do as six burly Trog guards

armed with spears bustle you down the main tunnel. With a shove they push you out into the Big Room
and a crude portcullis of bellcap stalks drops down behind you. Turn to 49.

The three tiny ghosts have led you into a large stone walled chamber that looks vaguely familiar. There
is another corridor leaving the room from the wall next to you, but there are also two other exits, both
of which resound with such a feeling of déjà vu that you feel strangely compelled to investigate them.
One is a small Trog sized gateway, guarded by a portcullis, that lies across the dusty floor at the base of
one of the other walls. The other is above you, and within floating distance; a jagged crack that leads
directly upwards.

“Come with us Skuznut….” Wail the ghosts in soft tones, rising up through the crack.
Where will the answer to this bizarre experience lie? Up, with the ghosts, through the hole in

the ceiling (Turn to 28) or down, through the portcullis (turn to 50)?

You sit down and dig around in your money pouch for some tusks to bet with. To play Spot the Beetle,
write down a number from one to three, then roll a die and consult the following chart.

1-3 If it’s the same as your number then you win one tusk. If it’s different, loose one tusk.
4 The beetle crawls out from under one of the skulls. Shunga swears and reshuffles. Roll

again.

5 Gubble accidentally eats the beetle and Shunga has to dig around the Den to find another.
Roll again.
6 Turn immediately to 32.

You have to play at least once. If you have no tusks left, or when you want to stop playing, you rise,
making your excuses before wandering off down the main tunnel in search of the Fungus Gardens.
Turn to 42.

You hear footsteps in the darkness. Troglodyte footsteps. A familiar shape lurches silently into view
and judging by the shape of the ears it can only be the infamous Kursh Notch-Ear! You run forward to
greet the adventurer, only to pull up short when your nose warns you of the hideous odor of rotting
flesh. Kursh staggers towards you, claws outstretched, now little more than a corpse and obviously
possessed by evil spirits. You must fight the ZOMBIE of one of the Clan’s greatest heroes.

ZOMBIE

SKILL 4

STAMINA 4

If the ZOMBIE reduces your STAMINA to zero turn immediately to 29. If you defeat the ZOMBIE
turn to 15.

At anytime during your adventure, except when fighting of course, you may eat a moss dumpling. In
which case cross it off your Adventure Sheet and restore one STAMINA point. Now turn to 6.

You float gently up through the crack and into a room that you cannot fail to recognise. In front of you
is an immense skull, surrounded by softly glowing candles, and above the skull is a hole through which
the Moon Demon shines. This chamber is none other than the holiest shrine of your very own Clan of
Akhuz! As you ponder the consequences of this, and your whole trip through the mushroom induced
underworld, another enormous invisible hand drags you suddenly down a side passage. Your last
thought is that if this the Moon Cave, then the only room connected to it is that of Ilkya the Hag.
Everything around you then dissolves into blinding white light and something incredibly strong batters
you into unconsciousness….Turn to 10.

Whilst your stomach gurgles away in drunken hunger, you stagger down the main tunnel, passing other
Trogs lower on the pecking order and off to work in the Fungus Gardens. They wisely keep out of your
way, though whether through fear or disgust you can’t tell. After a small eternity you arrive at the
warm, smelly chamber of Badduz the Brewer, and promptly collapse on the floor.

“….urgh….” you croak, or something to that effect.
Badduz, a pot-bellied Trog with hands stained green from a lifetime of distillation, shambles

over from one of the huge clay vats he’d been inspecting.

“Skuz! You’re looking a little seedy this evening. Enjoy the Shroomshine did we?”
“….aargh….” you reply.
“Excellent! Thought you would. What can I do for you tonight then?”
“….oof….” you exhale.
“Right, sounds like you need a pick-me-up my friend.” Badduz walks off to the back of the

chamber and returns with a tiny clay cup. He lowers it to the floor, your current operating level, where
you peer inside dubiously with one bloodshot eyeball. You have a quick glimpse of some viscous
purple syrup, before your nose catches a whiff of the stuff and you almost gag.

“What is it?” you cough.
“Well,” chuckles Badduz, “at least you can speak now.”
He gestures at the cup.
“It’s a new one and it’ll cost you one tusk. I call it Spleen Eleven because I make it by

taking ..”

“I don’t want to know what’s in it!” you interrupt.
“Well, do you want it or not?” says Badduz, miffed at not being able to finish his explanation.
If you want to drink a cup of Spleen Eleven, cross one tusk off your Adventure Sheet and turn

to 37. If however, you think you’ve drunk enough for a while, you can decline by turning to 51.

Somehow, with the Golden Spear of Akhuz in your hand, you beat back the adventurer’s frenzied
assault. You wack him across the shins with the shaft, and when he stumbles, prepare to hurl the spear
at his chest. A loud cheer sounds behind you however, and momentarily distracted, you turn around to
see the bellcap portcullis raised and the entire Clan of Akhuz come charging out of the tunnel, howling
and waving jagged spears and crude bows.

They fire and the adventurer staggers backwards, frantically covering his face as flint-headed

arrows bounce off his iron armour. Then, incredibly, another adventurer comes storming into the Big
Room. The newcomer is a woman with long braided black hair tied behind her head and she wears a
battered suit of leather armour. She too bears a magical sword, although hers is shrouded in a crackling
green flame. Both sides draw back for an instant, before the woman says “Quick! Melric! This way!”
and the two adventurers dive into the second passageway that leads out of the Big Room. As one, the
Clan of Akhuz surge forward, letting loose with another volley of arrows, but they pull up short at the
entrance of the passageway, content instead to utter a few choice insults at the rapidly fleeing backs of
the adventurers. The Great Evil lurks down that way, and it will no doubt take care of those invading
Big Folk in its own inimitable style…

You become aware of the Clan, gathering around you in a wide circle. Chief Vurg strides up

to where you lay on the floor, waving his ceremonial bronze dagger.

“Okay Skuznut. You can hand the spear over now. Congratulations…” he splutters.

You, kneeling on the ground, are too exhausted to offer resistance as two guards step forward

at Vurg’s order to relieve you of the spear. Vurg then strides up to where you lay on the floor, and pats
you roughly on both ears with his dagger.

“Skuznut, for your service to the Clan today I award you the titles of ‘Kneecapper’ and

‘Spearfinder’! Arise…”

You stagger to your feet, bruised and weary. Hands immediately hoist you into the air onto the

shoulders of the guards, and with one voice the Clan of Akhuz lets out a rousing cheer.

“SKUZNUT! SKUZNUT!”
Congratulations! You have survived this adventure and will go down in Clan lore as a hero

As well as waving numerous hooked tentacles, a gaping needle-toothed maw opens in the creature’s
body as it advances towards you, spitting bile. You must fight the TENTACLED SPAWN.

TENTACLED SPAWN

SKILL 4

STAMINA 4

If the TENTACLED SPAWN reduces your STAMINA to zero, turn immediately to 31. If however you
manage to defeat it, you hurriedly take the small tunnel leading upwards. Turn to 70.

“Sod you Chief!” you yell, “Why should I lick your feet then? You sent three of our greatest warriors
to their deaths…”

You don’t have a chance to continue in this vein however, as Chief Vurg, mushroom-purple

with rage, screams “Guards! Seize the worm!”

Before you can draw your knife, your arms are pinned to your sides by several of the burlier

bodyguards and you can feel the tips of flint edged spears scraping your grimy back. Chief Vurg walks
right up to you, and although you try to stare him down, it’s impossible. His eyes are like flaming
golden spheres and when you flinch back he suddenly slams his fist into your guts. Lose one
STAMINA point. As you retch you feel your knife being taken off you (cross it off your Adventure
Sheet and note that until you find another weapon you must deduct one from your Attack Strength in
every battle you fight), before several guards herd you out of the chamber. You stumble down the main
tunnel and are prodded out into the midst of the Big Room, whilst a crude portcullis of bellcap stalks
slams down behind you, preventing you re-entering the Warren. Turn to 49.

You drag your aching body off the floor of the pit and look around. In front of you is a tiny tunnel that
looks more like an animal burrow. Still, it’s better than facing the immediate wrath of Hortung, who
you can hear pounding down the tunnel above you, so you dive in. The tunnel winds steadily
downwards, and for much of the time you’re crawling on your belly, brushing aside dirt and stone with
your hands. Eventually it opens into a small grotto and lying on the floor in front of you is what looks
suspiciously like the decaying corpse of Bosha the Bad, last seen embarking on the Chief’s expedition
with Kursh Notch Ear and Gazoul. Clutched in his dead hands is a stoppered clay gourd, engraved with
crescent shaped skulls. You have a bit of difficulty counting them but finally you realise sixteen skulls
are carved around the base of the gourd. You may take it if you wish – add the stoppered gourd to your
Adventure Sheet if you do so. In the future, if you meet somebody who you think may know something
about the gourd, simply add the number of skulls (sixteen, if you’re a little slow) to the reference
number you are on at the time and turn to this new reference number. If the reference makes sense then
you have obviously found the right person. You must remember to do this however, as no option will
be given in the text to do so.

Exiting the grotto by the tunnel opposite, you eventually emerge into a shadowy series of

chambers. Turn to 5.

The tunnel is a steep climb and you’re soon out of breath. At one point another tunnel winds up from
the depths to join yours but despite your tiredness you keep going up and not down, much as you
would like to. Eventually, with sweat running in rivers down your back and just when you feel your
legs about to give way, the tunnel straightens out and enters a large chamber from which wafts the
thick cloying stench of fungal incense. Turn to 14.

Strange, this isn’t your cave! In fact it looks suspiciously like the Brewery. It’s all very weird

because you’re damn sure you made it back to your place last morning to finish drinking the
Shroomshine you bought from Badduz. Then you see the small clay cup in front of you, with a foul-
smelling purple residue congealing in the bottom, and it all begins to come back. Slowly….

You sit up and look around the Brewery but Badduz is nowhere to be seen. Absently touching

a new bump on your forehead, you look down at your money pouch to see it open, and, unsurprisingly,
empty.

“Bastard!” you scream and jump unsteadily to your feet in a rage (cross all your remaining

tusks and your copper nugget off your Adventure Sheet.) Swearing vengeance on the thieving Brewer,
assuming you can find him, you grind your fist into your palm and consider a course of action. Will
you do a little searching here in the Brewery whilst waiting for Badduz shows up (in which case turn to
46), or will you head down the main tunnel towards the Fungus Gardens to find him (turn to 13)?

You float down the stone corridor into a jagged cavern. You briefly glimpse a passageway to your
immediate left, before you are attacked by a huge giant, whose flesh is horribly decayed and covered in
matted clumps of reddish hair. The enraged creature swings a gnawed and bloody bone at you,
however, his club seems to pass straight through you, a point he finds extremely confusing, and you
take advantage of this by swiftly bobbing into the entrance on your left. Turn to 7.

Holding your nose with one paw, you reach out with the other to snatch the amulet from around
Kursh’s rotting neck. The craftsmanship is superb and you’ve never seen its like anywhere. You give it
a bit of a wipe in the dust, to get rid of most of the bits of Kursh still attached to it, and sling it around
your neck.

Instantly, your body is wracked by searing pains, and before your very eyes, your flesh begins

to peel and blister, rapidly decaying from your puny frame in long festering strips. You scrabble
furiously at the amulet but you can’t dislodge it, and the effort of doing so only causes more pain and
more decay. Then two pale lights seem to appear before you through the darkness, and as they get
closer you notice with a shiver of fear that they are two fiery eyes identical to those on the amulet. You
hear a deep rumble – laughter – and then a leaden voice speaks in a low growl. “Excellent! I see I have
a new seeker! Well my tiny friend, I need you to find something for me, a ring to be precise. It was
stolen not so long ago by one of you lot and I would so much like it back.”

These last words however, have become a mere babble of sound as the decay spreads like a

fire up your neck, and across your face and skull. You try to scream, but merely gargle blood, and
collapse on the rubble floor of the Dark Places, bleeding from a thousand weeping sores. You have
become a ZOMBIE like Kursh, controlled by some malevolent power, and your adventure ends here…

It’s no use, you are simply too exhausted after fighting the human adventurer. Despite the latent powers
of Akhuz’s Golden Spear, Vurg manages to dodge aside one of your tired thrusts and embed his bronze
dagger right up to the hilt in your chest. With a vicious twist he yanks the serrated blade free and you
slump to the floor of the Big Room, clutching your ribs in a frantic and ultimately unsuccessful attempt
to halt the impressive flow of blood. You have died at that last chance for redemption, and, what is
worse, you have died a traitor. Your adventure is over…

Much to every Trog’s surprise, including your own, you bow down to Chief Vurg.

“Look, sorry Chief, I was way out of order last night. If there’s anything I can do…”
“Actually,” interrupts the Chief and you do not like the gleam that comes into his eyes. “We

have urgent need of someone with your talents right now. Guards! Take him to the Big Room!”

You don’t like the sound of that but there is not much you can do as six burly Trog guards

armed with spears bustle you down the main tunnel. With a shove they push you out into the Big Room
and a crude portcullis of bellcap stalks drops down behind you. Turn to 49.

You float down the corridor and into a large stone walled chamber that looks vaguely familiar. There is
another corridor leaving the room from the wall next to you, but there are also two other exits, both of
which resound with such a feeling of déjà vu that you feel strangely compelled to investigate them.
One is a small Trog sized gateway, guarded by a portcullis, that lies across the dusty floor at the base of
one of the other walls. The other is above you, and within floating distance; a jagged crack that leads
directly upwards.

Where will the answer to this bizarre experience lie? Up, through the hole in the ceiling (Turn

to 64) or down, through the portcullis (turn to 50)?

They fire and the adventurer staggers backwards, frantically covering his face as flint-headed

You become aware of the Clan, gathering around you in a wide circle. Chief Vurg strides up

to where you lay on the floor, waving his ceremonial bronze dagger.

“Okay Skuznut. You can hand the spear over now. Congratulations…” he splutters.
You are kneeling on the ground, a filthy Trog warrior smeared with the blood of the human

adventurer. Will you offer the Golden Spear of Akhuz to Chief Vurg (if so turn to 3)? Or, will you keep
it for yourself (in which case turn to 12)?

You can’t eat these, but before combat you may throw a puffball at your foe. Roll one die. If you roll
equal to or under your SKILL score then your throw hits and you may deduct 3 STAMINA points from
your opponent’s score as the puffball explodes in a mist of poisonous spores. If the roll is greater then
your SKILL score however, you miss and nothing happens. In either case cross the puffball off your
Adventure Sheet. Now turn to 6 to continue your adventure.

You stalk the main tunnel, muttering foul thoughts to yourself, until the sight of an unconscious Trog
sprawled on the tunnel floor stops you short. Incredibly, it’s Badduz, bleeding from a nasty cut to the
head and down for the count. However, rifling through the Brewer’s pockets turns up nothing – the
robber was apparently robbed in turn. Cursing both your illfortune and the Trog who now has your

stash, you stumble angrily off to the Fungus Gardens, although not before poking Badduz in the ribs
with your toe a few times. Turn to 42.

It is no use. Vurg’s lifetime of wily tricks and fake counterattacks is no match for you, with Akhuz’s
spear in your hand and cold fury in your blood. The final straw is when his dagger clangs onto the
spear’s shaft and promptly shatters into a hundred pieces. Bloody and beaten he slumps to his knees,
bawling for his bodyguards to slay you. Too late, you dispatch him with a vicious sidewise twist that
disembowels his girth and he collapses gasping on to the dusty flagstones of the Big Room, breathing
his last.

There is an unearthly quiet as almost the entire Clan contemplates this apparition of a gore

soaked Trog warrior, standing in their midst raising the newly found tribal relic above his head. You
hadn’t noticed her before but you hear Ilkya shriek “All hail the new Chief! Skuznut! Heir of Akhuz!”
and all the Trogs drop to the floor, grovelling before you. The chant goes up in a low murmur of
religious awe:

“SKUZNUT! SKUZNUT!”
Congratulations! On this, strangest of nights, you have become the new Chief of the Clan of

Akhuz, a position unthinkable when you lurched out of your chamber a few hours earlier. The only
question remaining is whether you will lead your clan to future greatness or base mediocrity….

THE END

Document Outline

Lair of the Troglodytes
Rules
Background
THE END

Wyszukiwarka

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