The Dungeons of Torgar – Background

Before I say anything else, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge, with heavy heart, the appalling mass murder in Manchester.  The mindset necessary for a ‘person’ (and I use the term advisedly) to specifically target children, and then to consider themself morally superior, is beyond me.

I don’t know if it is or is not the best summary of the feelings, but the wistful sorrow of this song has been running through my head for several days.

“This life, well its slipping right through my hands /

These days turned out nothing like I had planned…”

Now – back to your regularly scheduled snarking about obscure gamebooks.

First of all – what’s with the non-ominous title?  After a veritable cascade of scary nouns (‘Doom’, ‘Horror’, ‘Terror’, ‘Death’ and ‘Fear’) I now have to gird my loins for The Dungeons of…..Torgar.

I guess maybe ‘Torgar’ is one of those place names in Magnamund that is meant to cause Pavlovian levels of dread (similiar to locations on Earth like Birkenau, the Bermuda Triangle and New Jersey).

Anyway.

The Background section (and get ready for a torrent of fantasy-esque names) lets me know that :

• Prince Graygor, ruler of Eru drops by for a glass of brandy and a bit of a chat.
• The Prince, in between gossipping about the latest Hollywood scandals, exchanges nominations for beautiful atresses.  Lone Wolf, of course mentions Julie Delpy, and then…
• ….
• ………….

I GET REMINDED OF ROSE BYRNE, ARGUABLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AUSTRALIAN ACTRESS OF ALL TIME – GET IN YOUR BOX NICOLE KIDMAN.

Ahem.

• One of the Prince’s patrols conveeeeniently found a single soldier wandering aimlessly near the borders of the ‘Hellswamp’.
• Aside : I bet Joe Dever wishes he thought of that name before he came up with ‘Daziarn’.
• This anonymous soldier has escaped from the ‘city-fortress’ of Torgar, but not before supposedly observing three ‘radiant gems’ being brought there from the Darklord city of Mozgoar.
• Apparently the evil magicians who serve the Darklords, known as the Nadziranim, are using all of their powers to try and destroy the Lorestones.
• I must therefore move at all possible speed to Eru, and then to Torgar, on order to try and infiltrate the city and retrieve the Lorestones.

Aside :

This is (or should be) Lone Wolf right about now :

I mean, seriously?  One lone soldier manages to, not only observe the exact item(s) I’m seeking being transported into the city, but is then able to single-handedly escape the impregnable city-fortress??

This screams one thing, and one thing only :

We’ll see how this develops.

In the meantime, I need to pick another Kai Discipline.  I don’t think Psi-Surge is worth it at this time.  The ‘extra’ two points of Combat Skill (or four if the enemy is immune to Mindblast) is of marginal use when balanced against the compulsory loss of two ‘extra’ Endurance each round.  I therefore take Psi-Screen, with a view to completing the Lore Circle of Spirit at the end of this book.

I indicate my thanks to the Elder Magi for looking after my Sommerswerd for me, and return it to its scabbard at my side, handing over the Dagger of Vashna for safekeeping.

The Senate of Tahou has voted that I can take anything I want from their stores, since I saved their city and so on.

Oh, did I say ‘anything’? Nope.  I might get the metaphorical ‘key to the city’, but they still won’t let me take more than 10 (!) Gold Crowns and only five (!!)  items from a very limited list (!).

I put my Receipt, Sacks of Silver and Invitation into storage, and take the following :

• Potion of Laumspur (+4 Endurance).
• Potion of Alether (+2 Combat Skill for one combat).
• One Meal

My new Magnakai rank is ‘Mentora’ (!) and it gives me the following improvements to Disciplines :

• Weaponmastery – additional +2 to all missile weapons, whether Bows, Daggers or otherwise.  If I read this right, I get a total of +8 (!!) to all checks when using my MEGABOW!

Pathmanship – I can cross any terrain without leaving tracks, even snow (!) (that is becoming EXTREMELY Avenger-esque)

Psi-Screen – Greater ability to protect myself from incorporeal spirits and other things which attack with psychic energy

Divination – An ability to detect past events at certain locations by ‘reading’ the psychic residue left by significant happenings.

Before I begin, the stingy Senate hands over a map of the area surrounding Torgar.

Project Aon link – Map of Torgar and surrounds.

I was going to give a description of pargraph 1, but then saw what a massive info-dump it was, so that’s a problem for a couple of days’ time.

Oh yeah –

One. More. Thing.

Base Stats : CS : 19, E : 25, GC 10

Final Stats : CS : 34/34, E : 31/31

Weapons : Sword, Dagger

Weapon-Like Special Items : Silver Bow of Duadon (+3), Sommerswerd (+8 CS)

Backpack : Vial of Gold Dust, Rope, Lantern, Potion of Alether, Potion of Laumspur (2), Meal

Special Items : 1. Sommerswerd (+8 CS) 2. Platinum Amulet, 3. EMPTY 4. Shield (+2 CS),           5. Padded Waistcoat (+2 E), 6. Chainmail Waistcoat (+4 E) 7. Blue Stone Triangle Pendant, 8. Psychic Ring 9. Quiver (6 arrows), 10. Fireseeds (6), 11. EMPTY 12. Silver Bow of Duadon.

Kai Monastery storage :

• Backpack Items : Sack of Silver (3)
• Special Items : Mao of Tekaro, Diamonds (2), Boat Ticket, Power Key, Copper Key, Ornate Silver Key, Jewelled Mace, Sommerswerd, Brass Whistle. Quiver (4 arrows), Pass, Vial of Clear Liquid, Crystal Star Pendant, Receipt, Invitation

Magnakai Rank : Mentora

Magnakai Disciplines : Weaponmastery (+3 CS in Sword, Bow, Mace, Dagger, Spear, Quarterstaff, Broadsword), Pathmanship, Huntmastery, Divination, Invisibility, Nexus, Psi-Screen

Lore-Circles : Fire (+1 CS, +2 E), Solaris (+1 CS, +3 E)

Kai Disciplines : Camouflage, Animal Kinship, Tracking, Hunting, Sixth Sense, Healing, Mind Over Matter, Mindblast (+2CS), Mindshield, Weaponskill (+2 CS in Short Sword)

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