The Banana-Run to the Dragon Shrine

Kurt, Sorcall and me founded an own guild called The Pilgrims. To become a member, everybody (even ourselves) has to pass The Banana-Run to the Dragon Shrine. That is a membership ritual, where you have to enter the Destard dungeon level 1, armed to the teeth with bananas and nothing else! You have to reach the shrine in level 1 by foot and mark a rune there. Then you should take the rune and the bananas safely back to the exit.

I made the start and jumped into the dark entrance. It was tough, for I often had to escape poisoning snakes and dragons. When I finally reached the shrine, a big dragon was awaiting me and casting a fireball on me. I hid and waited, but the dragon didn't leave. So I had to take the risk and mark my rune. Damn! The spell fizzled about ten times, and as it finally worked I was almost dead.
I ran back as fast as I could to reach the safe exit.

Breathless I was stepping out of the dungeon and my friends welcomed me. I showed them my banana and the rune, then Kurt prepared for descent. I took his whole equipment, giving him a short description of the way and warning him of the dragon at the shrine.

Kurt was ready to go. He disappeared in the darkness. We waited. After some time he finally returned and we cheered at him. He had also made it. I welcomed him to The Pilgrims and he presented the marked rune. He had not lost many hitpoints, so he must have had less problems with marking.
Then it was Lorin's turn.

We waited long for Lorin, until some other fighter who came out of the dungeon told us, that the entrance was crammed with monsters. Lorin was stuck at the shrine. The bridge near the shrine was also guarded by a drake.
We decided to help a little, so Kurt and me recalled to the shrine. Lady Seth'LeNara was waiting outside, for she held Lorin's stuff and could not move.

On the bridge in front of the shrine lay the corpses of other fighters. Lorin awaited us, he was still alive! The dragon had done a good job! We killed the dragon with spells while Lorin continued his run. Suddenly a breathless fighter approached, telling us that the entrance was haunted by murderers. They had killed Seth'LeNara! Damn. All of Lorin's equipment was lost and Seth was dead. That was sad.
But we would not give up and continue our test some other time.

05/98

[ Back to the main page ]