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Skizlum Skallaglamm

The hunt for Ruins begins!

Skizlum Skallaglamm's Zargnoth Adventures

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Having sated myself with my helpful killing of Loggerheads, it's time to head out into the wilderness.
Once again my goal: Find a set of Temple Ruins!

Ah, the thrill of the unknown. I quickly leave behind the staid sticks I've been spending time in, and head back into the deep dark jungles of the Zargnoth. These jungles seem to be teeming with life: in quick succession I slaughter a Kabamongoose, a Dragonbat, and two Tawni Snakes. What's this tendril moving above me? Yecch- a Giant Tree Squid. With my Trident, I perforate it easily, doing 133 points of damage to it. In the process, however, it tears at me for 82 points. Ouch! My spells fail to detect anything in range, so I settle in for the evening, relaxing with the biggest plate of Calamari I've ever had...

Still in the depths of the Jungle... Nothing much to be found out here. I meet a Shotgun Serpent, which takes 95 damage to kill (meanwhile, it does a mere 20 to me). The "older" creatures I meet prove tougher- a Red-Eyed Jungle Cat and a Tusker go into my food bag as I hike. Setting up camp, I feast on my 23 excess food. My detection spells, again, prove fruitless, but I'm still a turn or two away from where I expect to be able to start searching for those Ruins...

You know what I just said about "nothing much to be found here"? Last turn was the roller-coaster ride of the century compared to this turn. Starting in the same square as a Red-Eyed Jungle Cat, I hunt one down and kill it. Then... nothing! The remainder of the turn I spend exploring this Jungle, finding no creatures, no monsters, no dark places, no water, nothing, not even any small round rocks. No, wait, what's this? A geyser! Yowza, what excitement...

The search for Ruins: the adventure continues... Another march through Jungle (though I just edge along a small swamp and the Zargnoth River), and once again: Nothing! No creatures, no monsters, no dark places. To wit, my total encounters of this turn: one clear waterhole, and one Shingle Tree. However, I've finally reached the area I want to start searching, so we shall see.

The zigzagging begins... Out of the jungle at last, I slog through some lovely swampland. Once again, nothing new to report though I certainly find more than I have the last two turns combined. Complete list of encounters this turn: a Demon Condor, a Phylo Vine, a Dactyl, a Crocadowder, a Rabid Crestcrawler, and a Jute Vine. Hardly the stuff of legend. I'm beginning to grow desperate for something to Loot 'N' Vandalize...

This is getting weird. The only drawback I saw in running away from the towns as far as is possible to search for Ruins was the likelihood of my Health getting continually lower and lower until I wasn't up to fighting anything. For the first time on the island (that I can recall), I'm in a situation where my Health keeps getting better and better because THERE'S NOTHING HERE TO FIND!!! My findings this turn: a Spark Plant, a Purple Lotus Shrub, a Scatamunga beast, and two Horned Marsh Goats, one of which I didn't bother fighting because, I guess, my friendliness of '2' was too friendly...

More Zzzzzzargnoth excitement, as per usual. This turn's encounters: a Pummel Bear, a Rabid Crestcrawler, a Rock Mushroom Fungi, and a Jute Vine. Spells and eyes still turn up no dark places, no sacrosanct structures. My health continues to rise...

Hey! What's this? There are Dark Places out here in the middle of nowhere after all. I kill a couple minor things (a Stark Sourpuss and a Swampus), passing a Large Cave on the way. Intending to go back to the Cave, just for something to do, I pass a new (to me) plant: a Wind Reed! I'll be back in about five turns to Quest there... Anyway, I mosey on, and stop in some lovely swamp to set up camp. With my back to a lovely patch of Quicksand, I start casting my spells. Detect Sacrosnact Structures finds something! Sorry, just a Kabuki Prayer Stone. Detect Dark Places finds something! A Great Cave! Next turn, I'm there. Forget that lame Large Cave! As I'm exulting, I feel something reaching into my haversack's back pockets. A startled quick spin shows me tentacles coming out of the quicksand after me! I grab my Trident, and the horror and I battle, him doing 50 points of damage to me, me doing 92 to it. It's dead! I examine the corpse, and decide to name it a Tentaculus. It seems these things live in quicksand here in the Zargnoth. I collect some tentacles from the beast's corpse, and quickly move my campsite away from the quicksand...

Skizlum's adventures(?) continue as I try out that Large Cave...

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These articles were taken from Skizlum Skallaglamm's Monster Island Page.
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