The Virtual Realm

IN SEARCH OF THE DUNGEON MASTER

SUMMARY

Dungeonmaster has advised them to look for a clue to the way home in “the Forest with no trees”. Eric, in a very disagreeable mood, decides Dungeonmaster doesn’t know what he’s talking about. But they do find talking “Know” Trees, i.e. trees that know.

Meantime, Dungeonmaster and his fairy companion are setting out to meet the kids. But Dungeonmaster is attacked by Warduke and his bullywugs, and captured when Warduke strikes the tree with his magic sword and turning it to ice (or crystal).

Distracted by news that their Guide is in trouble, the kids head off to help, without finding out what the tree has to say about getting home. Dungeonmaster is taken to the caves by Warduke and the kids try to follow. They meet the fairy, who tells them what happened and guides them forward. But Eric is growing more hostile and disruptive.

Meantime, Warduke shows the Dungeonmaster to Venger’s henchman Shadow Demon and wants the right “price” for him from Venger. The light of Dungeonmaster’s medallion is still glowing, so he is still alive. And Venger acts on his servants information, and goes to see Warduke had his prisoner.

The kids have been following the fairy up the hillside on a narrow ledge, but they come to a gap. Before Presto can summon some magic, they get carried across by a group of flying lions.

On the other side, they find a smelly cave full of horrible things and this is the last straw for Eric. He turns round and storms off, determined to find a way home on his own, leaving them to it!

The others continue forward, over a stream of hot lava and into the tunnels beyond. They eventually meet a stone golem and are trapped in a dead end. Sheila uses the Cloak to distract it as the others run. But they run into some Orcs, who capture them and take them to the Slave Mines of Baramore. Sheila follows, still hidden by the Cloak.

Eric is alone in a misty mudhole, and is almost attacked by a tentacle and runs into a zombie, snakes and other horrible things. But he doesn’t turn back and is still intent on getting home by himself.

In the caves, the others are put to work digging, and their weapons taken by the Orcs. They talk to a captive dwarf, that tells them Dungeonmaster is being kept on the other side of the wall, but they have no way to reach him. In return for the information, Hank promises to help free the dwarves, if he can.

Uni is kept to be “dessert” for the Orcs, in a cage by their table. Sheila opens Uni’s cage and the unicorn distracts the Orcs as she takes the weapons and gives them back to the others. They break through the wall to help Dungeonmaster.

But Venger and Warduke are there waiting there already. Venger zaps Dungeonmaster’s life force, and the kids are surrounded. Venger demands their weapons. It looks like they don’t have a choice.

Meantime, Eric is running from a giant tortoise-like beast, and helpfully falls down a fissure. Below, just as the other kids are about to give their weapons to Venger, Eric falls from the ceiling and smacks into Warduke, giving the others enough time to regroup and fight. Hank fires at Warduke’s sword and knocks it from his hand. It strikes the crystal ice surrounding Dungeonmaster and it breaks, setting Dungeonmaster free.

Dungeonmaster sees Venger off with some nifty magic, then they rescue the dwarves. As Warduke and the Orcs give chase, Dungeonmaster unleashes the power of the volcanoes underneath the caves, and drives them off.

After they are safe, they wonder how their guide was captured, especially after seeing what he can do. When challenged, Dungeonmaster says: “the answer does not rest within ones power, it rest within ones self.”

= = =

INTERESTING INFORMATION

Scatter Count - Zero
Presto Hat produces – Flies for the Bullywugs, a stop sign, a puff of black smoke, instead of getting them “out of here”.
Goodies – none
Baddies – Warduke
Walk-ons – Dungeonmaster’s Sprite Companion, the Dwarf Slaves
Monsters – Dungeonmaster’s Giant Snail, Bullywugs, flying lions, zombies, giant tortoise.
Groovy Objects – Warduke’s Sword
Named Places – Slave Mines of Baramore,
Starwars References – “Your powers have grown weak and feeble, old man!” (ok so it’s Venger to Dungeonmaster, but that is almost exactly what Darth says to Ben.
Other References – the World Series.

= = =

Diana figures out the “know” of the riddle.

Dungeonmaster rides on a giant snail with a "Sprite" travelling companion. It is the only time we see him actually “travelling” anywhere, or with anyone else.

“My young adventures are in need of some assistance” – what IS going on here!

Bullywug attack – “I haven’t done this is years… I’d almost forgotten how much fun this sort of thing can be!” Dungeonmaster. Meaning he HAS done “this sort of thing” before.

1981 World Series (Realm) the Greywood Elves (no details of the game);
1981 World Series (Realm) the Dodgers over the Yankies - Four games to two - seems the Know Tree knows what he's talking about. (Thanks Kimmy!)

Why didn’t they find out how to get home before rushing off?

And the crystal with Dungeonmaster in it floats?

“We come in peace!” Hank – “It always works in the movies.” Sounds more like a Star Trek quote to me.

Hank’s Bow can also make fireworks.

Eric – wants an army tank out of the Hat. He always wants stuff like that.

“Buy our way home – with fairy dust” – plus sparkly fingers from Sheila.

Eric produces a wad of notes!! (American money is useless in this world) I count 13 – they are marked with "$100". (Thanks Kimmy!)

Sheila can understand the Sprite – how? Also of note about the Sprite is that according to AD&D Manual (courtesy of Kimmy) Sprites can become invisible at will. A link?

“Time, I have plenty of.” Shadow Demon. Really??

Just what is Wardukes price? Only clue is that Dungeonmaster is worth “ten times the trouble it took to capture you.” And he does have a huge vault of treasure in his fortress already.

“We owe it to Dungeonmaster to go in there and help him.” Dungeonmaster must have been counting on that.

Only Sheila makes any attempt to stop Eric. The rest seem to be glad to be rid of him. But he does offer to send them back the marines!

Hank’s Bow lights the way.

Sheila is pretty confident about distracting the golem.

Venger has waited many years for Dungeonmaster to make his mistake.

“Worse than gym class.” Presto.

Sheila seems to understand Uni ok as well.

Hank’s Bow can burn through rock too!

Venger zaps Dungeonmaster life force – how does he get it back later then?

“For you, the game is over.” Venger to the kids.

Hank’s bow as a rope. (does it make coffee too?)

"Your powers have grown weak and feeble, old man!" Such a quote!

“How come you don’t use your power all the time”, Presto asks. Dungeonmaster says: “the answer does no rest within ones power, it rest within ones self.” That's NO answer!!

And Eric ends up on his backside again, in the water.

= = =

ALTERNATIVES

So the Realm has a World Series, then…??

Perhaps if they had asked the Know tree a different question. Or they had listened to the answer.

And Dungeonmaster set this whole thing up – there are so many ways it could have gone wrong.

What does Warduke want from Venger? And what happens to him afterwards?

Also Shadow Demon's "Time, I have plenty of." is just begging for an explanation.

= = =

FANWORKS

Wallpapers by Wolfman