From TES issue 6 (March 1997)
SERIES 3 : QUEST FOR THE CHALICE
DUNGEONEER : Leo SmithGUIDERS : Matthew Johnson, Simon Grace, James Huckle
Level One: The team’s coolness and confidence was evident in only the second chamber, a heavily haunted cavern. They passed through with ease, and went on to meet Mellisandre the maid. Melly was just about to give the team some useful advice about a "moving wall", when.... A trapdoor opened beneath her, causing her to fall out of the room ! Treguard assured the team that she would be alright, so they moved onward. Next came the clue room, where the team came face to face with the Brangwen she. With three out of three riddles answered correctly, Brangwen was able to pass on maximum information. They learnt that their quest was for the Chalice, and they were assisted in their choice from the table's contents of a Jesters stick, a gold bar, and a key. "Fools gold is soon frittered, locked doors lie ahead" was their clue. Leo took the wand and the key, acting on the advice.
Brangwen also gave them the first step - the dance. The key soon proved to be important, as they encountered a locked door in the spectral scorpion chamber. By holding out the key as he ran past the scorpion, Leo was able to move on once again. Olaf appeared to be a threat on a cliff edge, but Motley arrived to save them. By giving him his stick, Motley was able to charm Olaf. He thanked the team for the stick before telling them to depart whilst Olaf is still under his charm. Next came the great corridor of the catacombs, in which the wall began to close in on Leo. The team calmly guided Leo through the right hand door which took them to the wellway ! Melly is waiting for them on top of the well, and she gives them some food first of all. Before leaving, she also reveals that the second step is the prayer. As she departs, Leo's path to the well is hindered by an axe haunting. However, they avoid it well, and descend into the next level...
Level Two: Leo finds himself on the spindizzy, and leaps from this to eventually meet up with the Oracle [having negotiated a giant foot on patrol and a second moving axe, pictured]. Amongst its confused ramblings, Leo obtained some vital clues, "Go left when faced with death", and also the third and final step - the bow. The information is instantly required, as Leo encounters some advancing goblins in the next chamber, and turns left out of the corridor. Merlins chamber followed, and after using the steps, they answer both of his riddles correctly. In return they receive the spell SWORD. After negotiating the cavern range, where they find a piece of Chalice despite the advancing goblins, they become the first team ever to encounter Hordriss the Confuser. Atop a bridge, Hordriss refuses to allow Leo past him. By using the SWORD spell, Leo forces Hordriss to beat a hasty retreat ! After dispelling, they depart. The hall of spears proves the final obstacle before the minecart chamber - the last challenge of level two, and the path to level three ! Motley, who is already in the room, asks them to tell him a joke. In doing so, Motley returns the favour by pushing them down the mine and into level three - the first team to reach the level in series three....
Level Three: Treguard gives the team the low-down on what to expect in the level. Almost immediately, Leo finds himself in a chamber with two Cavernwights ! Thankfully, they are asleep, but a piece of chalice lies between them. Carefully, Leo crept along and reached it, but in doing so, he woke the creatures ! Thankfully, they are slow to react, and Leo has time to grab an urgently needed sprig of energy before dashing out of the chamber ! Next, the team encounter Merlin for the second time, and he rewards their progress with two spells - GRIP and ENERGY. Wishing them luck, Merlin then disappeared. GRIP is required immediately, in order to freeze the face of Medusa, whose gaze would surely have otherwise killed them. Sadly, the next chamber sealed their fate. A gargoyle posed a particularly tough riddle, which they could not answer. With no information, they carry on regardless, but with slightly less optimism than before...
A meeting with arch-enemy Mogdred soon follows, and he grants them the spell GLORY before departing in a fit of cackling laughter. Also in this chamber, they are able to choose stardust and a shield from a table, leaving behind a dagger. Near disaster is averted soon afterwards, when the ENERGY spell rescues Leo's life force. Later still, Leo collects the final piece of the Chalice, before reaching their final chamber. A dark room, dominated by a huge stained glass window. Unable to select from the 4 paths available, they try using the stardust, but with no effect. With no clue from the gargoyle, they head down the third pathway, and fall off a huge cliff edge to their doom. Quest over, but what a team ! What a series !!
Summary: A superb team - no question. Maybe Knightmare's finest ? A cruel way to go. Very, very unlucky.
9 out of 10
Level Reached: Level Three
Room Count: 27 (and 10 tunnels)

Written by Tim Morris

[Previous team: Team 3 of Series 3
Next team: Team 5 of Series 3]

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