Reepicheep's Zargnoth adventures...

After my time at the Black Swan...

Rising early in the morning, I equip my shiny Green Iron Helm, and stretch my vocal cords. I kneel for a brief prayer for aid to the ubergod Ke-Ith, swallow a Yellow Lotus Elixir, and yell for all I'm worth. Then, I sit back and wait. What's that growing in the sky? It's a balloon! I'm going across! I eagerly meet Bob, the Kwando Aviator, and we head on across the Crystal Hills. This is a very relaxing way to travel, I must say, but Bob isn't really forthcoming with the details about how to make and operate the balloons. Oh well... Anyway, having been pre-warned about what's coming at the end, I decide to take matters into my own hands, and when we've finally crossed I abandon the balloon before Bob can have me pushed out (I can't decide if I'm saving his Loggerhead the guilt, or if I'm depriving him of his fun). In any case, I aim for a nice soft spot of sand, and land in a painful heap (-106 Health). I'm here! The Zargnoth! I set off at a quick pace southeast, but in the few squares I travel I don't come across anything new (just as well in my weakened state)...

Lots o' jungle, followed by lots o' swamp. Fortunately for me, a couple of acquaintances of mine have been this way before, so I start on a beeline for the troll bridge that will let me across the great river to the west. Not much on my way this time around, so I occupy my time casting Identify Scroll spells, and come up with one new one: Detect Natural Hazards. I make camp, and see a Kongo Mongo tree off in the distance. The gods are offering odd hints about those things, so I'll have to check it out when I wake. One advantage to not encountering much is that my health is rapidly recovering from the fall- I'm up to 64% all ready.

To the Kongo-Mongo Tree... I quickly shinny up it, but see nothing new. I rack my brains in a Quest for Knowledge, with no success. Hmmm. Loot 'n' Vandalize? No effect. Use a torch? Nothing. Use a rope? As if. I seem to be grasping at straws here. Either the rumors were false or I'm missing something. So I move on. Hey, look- there are creatures out here after all! In quick succession, I off a Wanna Bee, a Scatamunga Beast, and a King Stag. Off course, then I end up running from a Chitinous Chaser. These Zargnoth creatures can add up on you...

I meet my first fellow Monster of the Zargnoth. Okay, it's a Loggerhead, but doesn't that count? Sancha-Biles and I exchange some pleasantries, but due to my lingering injuries from last turn, I have to cut short our discussion. Not much else to report. I kill a couple Hilldogs, consider a Plodder (and pass it by, remembering the Troll bridge that lies ahead), and completely miss a Large Cave I had aimed for. One pleasant discovery: I learn that I can Weapon Practice with a Wanna Bee Stinger (Missile Weapon, Damage Class 4). Very convenient, as I'm rather lacking on the necessary funds to buy myself up to Class 5 in the three or four categories I still need to improve...

Make that the two or three categories I need to improve- my first fight of the morning is with an obliging Hilldog, and at the end of it I find I've achieved level 5 in Edged Weapons. Time to switch to a different weapon again... I wander on, gathering up a Fluffy Hogtail from another island native, and set up camp with some not so friendly Bridge Trolls smack dab in the middle of the Bridge across the Great Zargnoth River. We spend a long evening swapping tales of glory before I retire for the night.

Hey- there's someone else out here! I hear a Tarzan-like yell during the night as I sleep- perhaps that Norman whose tracks I've been seeing. In any case, I wake up, pay the Trolls the 50 Oculars they request, and I'm across the river. Not much else to report- I off a Rogue Swine, severely (but insufficiently) bash around a Thermadon Rex (I do 122 damage to it, but it survives to flee), and mangle a Jagwere. Fortunately for me, it's skin is still whole, and I anticipate making myself a lovely Jagwere Haversuit when I hit one of the fabled Zargnoth Towns in about two turns...

Another Jagwere, but a true Knight has room for only one set of clothing, so I leave behind this hide. Not much to see in this section of Jungle. I skip past a Phylo Vine uncaring, and put on the brakes at an Ancient Graveyard that Skizlum was kind enough to tell me about. I prune back a Grabber Bush in the area, and head in. Two trips through nets me a Damaged Iron Greaves, a Zoingo Gold Coin, and ten Zoingo Copper Coins. Being as I'm quite poor right now, so this is a good thing. Hey, someone's buried here: "Here lies Gorakiki, who like Res Derelicta, Darkon Shadowstepper, raunchy Chauncey, and Tonk, met their gods at the hands of Earthshaker."

Well, as long as I'm sleeping in a Graveyard, I may as well continue to try to rid the island of these annoying undead. Two trips in, and I find some more junk- a Damaged Silver Dagger, a Damaged Silver Knife, 8 Oculars, and 5 Zoingo Copper Coins. Not bad for just two trips into an Ancient Graveyard. Oh, yes, more tombstones: "On this spot, Grunge of the Stark Fist of Fuvah slew Mad Manx and Snowflake Hotchisel". "Here lies another piece of Shorty the Fatblob, too big to be buried in one piece." I move on. With my Health exceedingly low, I wander into a square I know has a Loggerhead Camp. However, the Camp seems to be missing today, and I look at half a Kongo Mongo Tree in puzzlement as well. The gods are experimenting with the world again, and out here in the Zargnoth you sometimes find odd results. I continue on, and finally come to my first (and likely only) Zargnoth town, Dillon. I return One Pumped-Up Babe's Oil Lantern to her (what use do I have for it anyway?), and proceed to sell off most of my spare belongings. The Jossman politely makes my Jagwere Skin into a very nice Haversuit, and I settle in for the night at the Slaughtered Plodder. Next turn, I plan on leaving town and heading directly for the Kabuki Temple- in the service of Kabuki, the secret of Teleportation must be mine...