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You are Unsel the Fiery, a sorcerer known for his great magicks and feats of
daring. Okay, well, maybe most folk don't recount your tales at night --but they will someday. They will after tonight, because you are going to enter the dreaded Tower of Ronkar, a place from which no one returns. Inside this ancient tower is the coveted Salamander's Pearl, a tiny object which holds great power for the wizard who controls it. Well, what are you waiting for? | Approach the tower. |
| About The Salamander's Pearl | Return to The Salamander's Pearl |
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by Nathan Hill
Copyright 2003 Created with ButtonTalk(tm)
Portions (c) 2000, Stephen Linhart
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You give up your life of wizardry for great fun in the sewer. You carve out
a home in the disgusting nether regions of the tower, inviting your
imaginary friends over for tea. Other wizards try to talk you out of it,
but you love your sewers. They are where your heart is. Two months later, you suffocate and die in your sleep. STAY AWAY FROM THE SEWERS. You died! | Start Over. |
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| You find yourself in a barren hallway. There is a blue door and a yellow door just down the hallway on your right. You also a notice a plain wooden door (which leads to the sewer - yuck) and the secret door. Which shall you investigate? | Enter the yellow door. |
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| Are you going nuts yet? Boy, does this maze ever end? | Go North. |
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| Hmmm... what is that strange button on the floor? Perhaps if I push it, I will finally get out of here. Yes, yes --or I could go... another direction. | Go North. |
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| It's a maze. How fun. How quaint. Don't you just hate these things? | Go North. |
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| You ponder the young wizard's death. Life can be such a sad thing, filled with unexpected surprises and pain. Feeling better on the cosmic scale of things, you return to the real world. | Returning now... |
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| A careful search of the cells reveals nothing useful. You imagine the countless brave wizards who died locked in these cramped quarters. Such sadness and woe! With tears streaming down your face, you are overwhelmed. It is not worth going on in life, when these poor souls had no chance. You will go down into the grave with your comrades. | You end it all. |
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| A careful search of the cells reveals nothing useful. You imagine the countless brave wizards who died locked in these cramped quarters. Such sadness and woe! With tears streaming down your face, you are overwhelmed. It is not worth going on in life, when these poor souls had no chance. You will go down into the grave with your comrades. | You end it all. |
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| For a few moments, your brain wraps around the conundrum of the Salamander Pearl. It is an interesting puzzle. Feeling better, you stop thinking. | Hmmm... What Shall I Do? |
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Your fireball is perfectly aimed, and the poor wizard is sent backwards in a
rush of fire and screams. He slams into the far wall with a sickening
crunch. You smile coldly. Then, you notice the other wizards' wand an inch before your face. The next thing you know, after the loud zap and lightning bolt to your head, is the sweet, sweet feeling of afterlife. You have died! | Return to the beginning. |
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| Alas, you find yourself in one of those terrible mazes. You are going to have to use your luck and your charm to get out of this one. | Go North. |
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The Salamander Pearl A Game of Interactive Fiction By Nathan Hill | Prepare for your journey. |
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Without a second to spare, you form a gigantic cauldron of fiery lava and
tip it onto the talkative wizard's head. His cold smile is suddenly turned
upside down, and his screams are somewhat refreshing. In terror, his friend
turns and flees. A brown wand drops to the floor. You may take it if you wish. | Get the wand and look around. |
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| You are back in the good ol' torture chamber. What do you want to do? | Search the Cells. |
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You proceed up the stairwell and find yourself in the personal study of one
angry wizard. (Hah. I tricked you.) After a short round of insults, he proceeds to blast you into little pieces, finger by finger, toe by toe. Eventually, you are no bigger than a pile of marbles on the floor. He puts you in a jar and keeps you as a souvenir. You have died. | Start Over. |
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| You have died. Are you ready to start over? | Start Over. |
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The tower appears as the limb of some forgotten creature, rising up out of a
blasted chunk of land. It is made out of stone, but it appears to be carved
in gruesome detail, rippling veins of rock and disgusting symbols spread
across it. Directly before you, a tall door is slightly ajar. (Of course, many wizards are not the charge in the front and blast your opponents in the face type. Therefore, Unsel, another option is also provided if you dare to wuss out on the first.) | Enter the door boldly. |
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| After circling the mysterious tower, you find an old lower entrance --a sewer grate. Understanding that discretion is often the better part of valor, you summon a gust of wind to knock away the grate (and some of the odor), and you plunge into the tower's sewer system. | Into the Sewer |
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NOT! There is nothing of interest in that room, except a stinky smell. There is no need to explore the sewers. If you ever want to date again, you won't go into the sewer. | Okay, I won't. |
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Holy wands of lightning.... What just happened? All of a sudden, you find yourself on the stairwell. That was downright weird. | Oh Well. |
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| You fool! All of a sudden, you find yourself in the stairwell. Gosh, this really sucks. No more button pushing, man. NO MORE! | Stupid Stairwell. |
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You push the young wizard's body, making the pearl drop to the floor. Quickly, you pocket the pearl and dash behind some drapes. In a puff of smoke, an evil wizard appears. He looks at the corpse and tilts his head in slight confusion. Sighing in a deep baritone, he then proceeds to search for his precious pearl. Meanwhile, you silently make your way out of the room, out of the tower, and into the legends of all wizards. The Salamander's Pearl is YOURS. | You win. Tally your score here. |
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| You find yourself in the dungeon of the tower. Dingy cells line the walls of this room. A wooden door leads off to the west. Scattered about the room are old torture devices, some with chains and cranks still attached. In fact, you get the feeling that they still get used on occasion. | Search the cells. |
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| You have died. Are you ready to start over? | Yes, let's go. |
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You pop your head inside the massive door and let your eyes adjust to the
dimly lit receiving hall. Ancient wooden chairs and benches line the walls,
and the dusty floor displays a magnificent scene of some long forgotten
battle. You may venture further within toward the stairwell at the back of the room... But wait! You notice a set of footprints in the dust, leading toward the wall on your right. What do you do? | Investigate the stairwell. |
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You find yourself in a viewing gallery of sorts. There are various baubles
and trinkets concealed in glass cases. Signs above each of the displays
read the same warning --"STEAL FROM ME ON PAIN OF HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE NASTY
DEATH." None of the objects are disturbed except for the one in the center of the room. A young wizard, perhaps a few years older than yourself, must have died a day or so ago, as you notice his body hung over the center pedestal. Glass is shattered around it. You are uncertain how he died. On the pedestal is the Salamander's Pearl. |
Grab the Salamander's Pearl and cackle in triumph.
Stare at the Salamander's Pearl thoughtfully. Ponder the young wizard's death. Use the young wizards' corpse to knock the pearl off of the pedestal. |
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| Feel better? The imaginary audience is simply amazed at your sorcerous skills. Now get on with the game. | Grab the wand and take a gander around. |
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You follow the footprints up to the wall and discover a secret door. You decide to pass through it. | Secret doors are fun. |
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| Okay, you haven't even begun the game and yet --here you are, ready to throw in the towel. Look --if you want to be a great wizard, you are going to have to take a few risks. It comes with the territory. I never met a good wizard who stayed home on his couch all day. | Alright, fine, I'll go. |
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Overcome with fear or frustration, you flee the tower and return to your
parents' abode. You head up to your room, slam the door, and crank up your
favorite wizard metal band. Your parents don't understand. No one
understands! NO ONE! You die peacefully in your sleep later that day. You died! | Start Over. |
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| More maze. More maze. Oh boy. These halls are starting to look all the same. I wonder if I'm clinically insane yet. | Go North. |
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| Mazes are great for the whole family. Which way, friend? | Go North. |
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Hey, let's build a snowman! Which way, gangsta? | Go North. |
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You pass through the door and find yourself in the presence of two
despicable wizards. They are both robed in dark camoflauge, and one has an
intricate wand in his right hand. They scowl at you. "How dare you infiltrate the Tower of Ronkar! Like other wizards, you too will die." The first says with clarity, his voice a chill construct of evil. The second sputters, "Yeah, yeah, yeah.... Don't mess with us, FOOL!" He glances at his companion for reassurance. | Blast the stupid one with a fireball for being such a loser. |
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You let out a cackle of triumph (one of your best, I might add), and grip
the pearl in victory. Before you can launch into the speech you prepared
for this moment, you feel a dark presence over you and notice a powerful,
brooding wizard standing nearby. You gently place the pearl back to its rightful place and smile. The wizard then proceeds to boil your blood. You have died! | Start over. |
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The wand will be proof that you destroyed a wizard on your journey. You discover that you are in an old dank study, mostly empty except for a couple of old cots and a barren desk in one corner. Unfortunately, it is a dead end. | Return to the torture chamber. |
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You find yourself outside the Tower of.... Hah. Just kidding, You didn't really end it all. You aren't that deep, are you? Heck, those wizards that died in those cells probably deserved it. | Return to the Torture Chamber. |
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You find yourself outside the Tower of.... Hah. Just kidding, You didn't really end it all. You aren't that deep, are you? Heck, those wizards that died in those cells probably deserved it. | Return to the Torture Chamber |
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| You decide, for some odd reason, to hide. After a few moments concealed behind a couple of crates, nothing happens. Feeling somewhat embarassed, you step out of your hiding place and leave the room. | Leave the room, silly. |
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The sewer reeks, and it appears to be used on occasion by some of the
tower's inhabitants. Ripping holes in your best robes, you claw your way
into the tower, finally depositing yourself into a dark room. You smell
very badly now. (Here is hoping you have an extra robe at home.) The room appears to be an old storage area of some kind, with a few crates and dusty tables scattered about. A single door leads out. | Leave the Room. |
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| The central stairwell for the Tower Ronkar is a beautiful piece of architecture, but you didn't come here for a guided tour. You can go up or down. (Either way looks fine to you, but you have a feeling that you need to go up. Call it a hunch.) | Up. |
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Your name is circulated among your peers. Unfortunately, the Salamander's
Pearl turns out to be nothing more than a green marble. Oh well --you'll
know better next time. You get 50 points for getting the Salamander's Pearl. You get another 50 points if you end up with a wand at the end of your story. (If you didn't find the wand, explore the game a little more.) You also get 10 points if you go to www.key20.com/eak and order a copy of Eldritch Ass Kicking the Roleplaying Game today. | Return to the Start. |
Title Page
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