The Warlock of Firetop Mountain: 366, 89, 286, 294, 275, 230, 64: Henrietta gets it in the End

     Oh, let's stick ourselves in the hole.

Choice: Opening: 89

     Why... why is this its own section?

Choice: Turn: 286

     I let out a sigh. More death and mayhem. Well, might as well check none of them are alive or... or whatever to do me ill after I pass by.

Choice: First Body: 294

     Ooh, Luck goes up to 9, Gold to 18.

     I apologize to the poor corpse for robbing him of what little he has, and then again for cutting off his head. No more zombies, please. I shuffle on down to the next body.

Choice: Second Body: 275

Yeah, "accidentally".

     "Oh dear!" I exclaim. "I am very sorry, sir, I mean no disrespect to the dead. It really is-"

Can't I just ditch the Stamina and keep the Luck?

Test of Luck: 4

Luck: 9-1=8

     With a hop, skip, and I dare say a mighty fine jump, I leap aside from the creature and scowl viscously at it.

     "Look, I meant you no harm, dead sir, would you just let me lay you down to rest and be on... with... it..." I trailed off as a fully beheld the monstrosity.

     "Oh dear." I get out my sword.

Choice: Turn to: 230

More hissing! Are the undead all leaking helium?

     I do love the description of the tongue flailing about. This much more lithe and dangerous undead.

     Okay, my first fight with a Skill higher than mine. But, 7 Stamina to my 16, and I've got Luck still. I can do this. Shouldn't be too bad.

     Oh, wait, there's more text...

     Oh... oh no... only 4 hits...

Round 1

Henrietta: 12

Ghoul: 13

Henrietta: 16-2=14

1 Hit

     I duck and weave, and make a daring slash into the creature's belly. It ignores the blow entirely, though it opens its decaying carcass. Instead of defending itself, it reaches out and scratches my flesh. I draw back in horror. My arm begins to go horribly cold and numb.

Round 2

Henrietta: 17

Ghoul: 15

ToL: 8

Henrietta: 14

Ghoul: 7-4=3

Luck: 8-1=7

1 Hit

     Okay, so he doesn't mind a bit of scratching on the belly. Well, then, let me see how he likes being declawed. When his ugly, diseased finger reaches out again, I cut off the whole hand, and let it drop to the floor.

Round 3

Henrietta: 15

Ghoul: 18

Henrietta: 14-2=12

Ghoul: 3

Luck: 7

2 Hits

     The hand, freshly sliced, flies off to the side, but even before it hits the ground the creature is lunging with the other. It scratches my leg up quite painfully... but then the pain stops. I find myself limping back way.

Round 4

Henrietta: 11

Ghoul: 15

Henrietta: 12-2=10

Ghoul: 3

Luck:7

3 Hits

     I stagger back. Half my body is already numb, all pins and needles worse than ever I felt them before. The creature lunges forward again. I try to move aside, but I can't I'm too slow. Too numb.

Round 5

Henrietta: 9

Ghoul: 14

Henrietta: 10-2=8

Ghoul: 3

Luck: 7

4 Hits

     I try to hold my sword up to defend myself, but my arms will not move. The creature comes towards me once more, this time digging its teeth into my flesh.

     Nothing I could do, really. If I'd hit it again I could have swigged the Luck potion and guaranteed a kill, but Luck has no power to upset who wins the roll, only to add damage.

Choice: Paralysis: 64

The Butt Muncher strikes again!

     Wow. Okay. Two things: "dances with glee"and "sinks its teeth into your rump". Did you see that awesome rot monster a few pages ago? That thing was so cool, and this is how it behaves? Tone's elastic band must've snapped back. 

     "Your adventure is over" is a pretty understated way to say, "You died horrifically, eaten alive by a dancing gadabout."

     I can barely even feel the teeth sinking into my flesh. It doesn't even hurt.

     Well, I tried my best. I really thought I might have made it. The adventure's over. Back home now. Back to Marcus.