The next look at the upcoming Talisman: The Dungeon expansion.
originally published 3 April 2009
We don’t know how much longer we must venture. The way has been hard, and we have lost two of our party so far. One fell in battle against a gargantuan beetle that broke through a wall and pulled him away before we could react. The other fell through the floor, a cunning trap door hidden from our eyes until too late. We press on, but I fear morale is low. We must find the fabled Treasure Room soon if we are to have enough strength to record what is held within. I pray there is a way to avoid the terrible Lord of Darkness…
The Dungeon provides an alternative to the Regions, but it is not without its own dangers. From the denizens housed within to the lures and booby traps designed to ensnare the adventurers, this path is not easy. At the end of the path lies the Treasure Room. This magical space will give you access to the Treasure deck. This deck of cards contains a number of awesome artifacts and magic objects. Included in this are the Cloak of Feathers, the Book of Lore, and the game changing Clockwork Owl.
Pressing on, we pass through many corridors and hallways, tunnels without light. Adversaries appear throughout, forcing us into desperate battles. We found a captive held within the cells beneath the earth, and our party did grow. We have seen the results of the former search party, bones moldering in the empty Torture Chamber. We have hidden to avoid the fearsome Bronze Dragon, and run past Living Statues. At last we enter a room with a giant circle inscribed on the floor. Entering the room causes a light blue glow to emanate from the circle. A low humming fills the chamber, and a horse with a mane of flame crackles into being in front of us! We draw swords, and begin to encircle it.
Be warned, the treasure has a fearsome guardian, the Lord of Darkness. This grim visaged foe has Craft and Strength to spare, easily doubling the strength of the mighty Troll! Even more, no follower may fight in your stead, you must face the Lord of Darkness on your own. The fight will be fierce, and only those who can best him by Strength or Craft will be able to claim a treasure. Even further, those who defeat the Lord of Darkness will be teleported out into the world. The mightier the champion, the closer to the Crown they emerge!
A massive oaken door stands before us. We have come far, and the way is now littered with the slain. Not all those who fell were our enemies, friends lay among them. Of the starting party only myself, our mage, and the Gladiator remain. I draw my sword, found among the debris in the tunnels behind us. The Gladiator wields an axe, our mage armed with scrolls and spells of wonder. We push open the door, and the sight awaiting us strikes us dumb. Gold and silver, weapons and artifacts too numerous to count. The hoard of treasure shuts down my brain, greed pulses through my body. That is, until the most terrible abomination in existence steps out of a recess in the wall. “You have found your way into my lair. Congratulations. Now you pay for the sight with your lives.”
Do you possess the courage and cunning to descend into the Dungeon? Will you emerge rich and powerful, or will you emerge battered and broken? The final message from our expeditionary team will be revealed next week, along with the another piece of the dungeon.
For the first glimpse of the Dungeon, check out The Path Ahead.
