The Crown is Mine! Victory in Mampang, Part 4

Our brave hero (that is I) continues needling his way through the Archmage’s fortress, and referring to himself in the third person. In yesterday’s episode, I threatened a goblin and got directions, befriended the head torturer who turned out to be a nice fella once you get past how horrible he is deep inside, walked through the third Thorben Gate and through a room with swords, and got arrested.

The good news is that they don’t recognize me; they think I’m just some knob who wandered too far. I fast talk them successfully, and the captain of this guard actually gives me the key to the next gate. What a hoser, eh?

Guarding the gate is a status of a ram. I’ve been warned about this Sleepless Ram, and was given some sleeping gas to help. The gas works a charm, knocking the thing down long enough for me to get through the door. And that was Thorben Door number four… the last one!

But instead of the Archmage’s chambers or a throne room, I find a run-down room fit for the lowest peasant. And there’s a little old man poised to crush my head with a vase, but he doesn’t. Well that’s nice of him. We sit and chat a bit, and he tells me that the Archmage doesn’t even live in the fortress, but in a tower next door. What the heck? The good news is that there’s a secret door; the bad news is that… hey wait, Libra told me in my dreams how to get through a secret door. And it works! Presently I’m outside and at the foot of the Archmage’s real tower.

But again, it’s not right. The inside isn’t a wizard’s tower, but more like a hovel or a jail cell. I do find the Archmage all right: waiting for me, here in his special prison tower.

Arrested again. What a lousy day.