Looking for dragons

So, I've spent too much time in the Z. To find a Dragon, I have to go back west...

A little arm waving, a lot of focussing, and Voila!, I'm at another Temple. I immediately kowtow for new spells, but after all that hanging out with Skizlum, I seem to have forgotten that Kabukians need to kowtow for one more AP than them Shroudies do. Oh, well, I'll get it tomorrow. I do notice that there are no Bloodmite Eyes in storage here, which kind of sucks, but it was a longshot anyway. Still, lots of stuff to do hereabouts, so I step over to a nearby Tomb of Mumi, and put down four Mummies. Treasure is 64 Zoingo Copper Coins and an Iron Greaves, respectively. More stuff to get rid of. I pop in on a Loggerhead (and deprive the world of an Abernathy-Bill), and then make my way over to a campsite right near a Reptron Bird nest. I set up my Bird Trap, and curl up for the night.

There something about not seeing the forest for the trees in all this. After carefully collecting items to make Reptron Salves, I seem to have forgotten that, in a need for cash thirty or so turns back, I sold all my Purple Lotus Leaves. As you might guess, my attempt at making Salves fails. I finish up my travels running through two Temples (learning five new spells) and make camp next to another Reptron Bird. Sigh.

I pick up another spell, and then pop off again. Stopping in twice at a Tomb of Mumi, I collect a Red Bauble, then nothing. I run through a Far Inn, and buy some Purple and White Lotus Leaves (and sell an Oozelet). Then I jog north to a Pond and make... 8 Reptron Salve! Hooray! That's sufficient for my goal...

Back to the Post, and I buy some Blood Mite Eyes (just in case). Back to the Tomb, twice, where I collect 3 Oculars, 84 Bit Coins, and 4 Yellow Baubles first, then a Silver Amulet. A quick teleport. followed by a long kowtow, and I learn one dull spell (Produce Food). I then make camp on a nearby Kabuki Prayer Stone, and change my defensive spell to Battle Dexterity.

I travel south, stopping in three times at yet another convenient Tomb. 3 Oculars and a Silver Coin, followed by two Silver Greaves, followed by nothing. Them Blood Mummies are tough. I move on, and put up for the night in the local Far Inn. I pay for the best room they have, and then start selling off lots of stuff. I also make myself five White Lotus Elixir (one of which I foolishly drink), and change my offensive spell to Enchant Weapon. If only I had full health I'd be just about ready...

Boy, you know, one night in the most expensive room at an Inn and I'm awfully darn close to full health! I sell several small items, throw a little bit of stuff away, and head off. Stopping outside a geyser, I equip my Dragonbone Sword (stopping to sprinkle it with Shingle Poison), equip some Rattler Darts (just in case), pull out my Dragon Flagon, and head on in! There are some nasties to be killed in here, and I do so, starting with a Grabber Bush and followed by two Feeder Crabs, a Roof Spider, and a Lost Soul. By this point, I'm down 68 Health from when I entered, and I'm facing a somewhat sarcastic ViperKahn. As I've never been a big fan of sarcasm, I draw my Dragonsword and we duel. I instantly hit him with 139 points of damage, and he falls at my feet (Wow, I'm good! That was one round of combat!). I do find treasure just past him- Banded Iron Armor, which I'm already wearing. Figures. I also found a Jewelled Temple Sword earlier, and that turns out to be all the physical treasure I'll find in here. In any case, I'm through, and the mist-formed figure of a Dragon rises before me! I sense that there would be a quest to recreate this Dragon to physical form, but through foresight and much guesswork, I am already carrying those items which prove necessary. I remove these items, and the Dragon guides me though the necessary steps. As the geyser erupts, all its power is subsumed into my efforts, and suddenly before me stands a whole and hearty Dragon! The figure of Kadar comes through the flame, and I am made stronger by his spirit. He names me his follower, and teaches me a spell to use in his service. Humbled, I retire from the Geyser, proud to be doing the work of the light...

For those who wish to follow in Reepicheep's footsteps here is a guide to becoming a follower of Kadar.

Well, I have two reptron salves left, so I go ahead and use one the old fashioned way. I mix it up in my Flagon, jump into the geyser, and voila!, my Skin Toughness has improved by 2. That was kind of fun. I also noticed a large friendly winged figure in the mists. I wonder who that could be? In any case, I need to go pick a fight, so I move on. I pop in at a Graveyard three times (gaining A Kwando Guilder Coin, then a Damaged Silver Dagger and 4 Oculars, and then a Silver Knife, 9 Zoingo Copper Coins, and a Silver Amulet). I do notice an odd tombstone message: "Take mushrooms and toadstools to a King Ock Mushroom Grove". As I don't understand why I'd want to do this, I move on. I stick my nose into a Tomb of Mumi. and find a Zoingo Gold Coin, nothing, and five Zoingo Gold Coins. I guess it's a living. Tomorrow, though, I should be able to, I hope, pick a fight...

Okay, I go back into this Tomb three more times, and two out of three Blood Mummies kick the daylights out of me. The third dies easily, and I take my grand prize of one Silver Knife. Yes, my ego is back where it belongs now, thank you very much. I toddle into some nearby high Jungle, but the Bodden I'd been told about aren't where I expected them to be, so my travels are something of a waste. Moderately down, I turn and trudge back to the Inn, and put myself up for the night. I need to go pick a fight with someone...

I unload a bunch of stuff, and trudge back to the Tomb, where I find a Silver-Tipped Spear. Whoopee. From there, its a short jog back to the Temple, and a quick teleport to another Temple, where I learn two new spells, including the much-hoped for Heal Self. Another teleport moves me to yet another Temple, and I set up camp there for the night.

Short and quick. I kowtow and learn Anti-Spell. Teleport, kowtow, and Kabuki says "There are no new spells I can teach you yet!" I think Kabuki forgot about one, so I decide to teleport and try again at another Temple in the morning. I do throw my Jewelled Temple Sword into the Treasure Room, and am shocked to learn that its a Talisman. That's my second.

This is going to suck. Yesterday, I set up my Bird Trap at turn's end on a whim. Today, I have something to do, so I plan to kill the creature I captured, and set the Bird Trap up again. However, the Bird I was looking for slipped my trap, and so my actions cause me to _not_ set up my trap today when its important. Sigh. In any case, I kowtow again, with the same results as at the last Temple, and move on. I pop to one Temple, and grab a Xanxu Webbed Feet and a Detect Plants Scroll (which I promptly read and learn). I pop to the next Temple, and head out into the wilderness. Hey, there's someone here! I wave hello to Kindness D Viper, and stop to pass along some of my somewhat confused wisdom about Dragons. He has some nice things to say about my tattoos. Then, I head another square or two away, and set up camp next to some Reptron Birds, who are probably _not_ going to be entering my closed Bird Trap tonight.

A quick Jazzercize, and I jog north and peek into a convenient Tomb of Mumi. One dead Mummy later, I have a second Large Lockpick. Okay, I jog a little south, and do some digging around in a King Ock Mushroom Grove. I find my way into the Fungal Forest, light my torch, and stand there on the lip staring in. Hmm. I think next time I'll try using my Jute Rope instead of a Torch. I turn, and head back to where I started. I set up my Bird Trap, and settle in for the night.

Hmmph. When did my Riskiness drop so low? Somehow, despite 100% Health and some easy recent battles, my Riskiness has slipped to 6. I decide _not_ to explore the dark places I'd planned to, and return to the Temple I just came from. A quick peek within the store room reveals that I seem to have hit somebodys private storage area, and I see wealth such as I've not dreamed of. However, I leave it all alone, and one big 'pop' later, I'm back in the Zargnoth! Of course, given that this Temple is located in High Jungle, I'm nowhere near prepared, and I set up camp in the Temple, rifling through a much less impressive store room.

Well, as long as I'm here... I help myself to a Grasping Scourge, some Emu Darts, and a PigIron Shield, all of which are a great improvement over what I have. In return, I leave my Bird Trap, just in case I have to go back out and make some more Salve for OPUB. Boy, I hope not. Then, out into the High Jungle, which is remarkably empty of life. I do pop in at a King Ock Mushroom Grove, and do my first in-depth exporation. It's awfully yucky down here. I purge the place of a Fungus Beast, a Water Gremlin, and a Spore Flower (my three Dragon Breaths do 30, 38, and 25 respectively!). In return, I find five Yellow Baubles, a Cavalry Sabre, and a very useful magical statue which increases my Badness! Interesting...

Several creature die easily as I travel, and I finally pull up outside a Geyser I've passed before. I pull out my Silver Dragon Statue, one of my Dragon Ichor, and one of my Dragonbone Necklaces, and sit down and focus my will. Lo and behold, I have created my second Silver Dragon! Kadar speaks to me again, and I am rewarded with mystical Dragonhide Armor. I bow my head in humble thanks and set up camp.

Well, I need to go back to town and help out a friend.