From TES issue 59 (September 2009)
Series 2
Quest: The Chalice.
Dungeoneer: Stuart Etherland.
Advisors: Neil, Greg and Neil.

Home town: Leicester.
Team score: 4 out of 10.

I have never found this team to be very engaging or particularly memorable, but their moment in the spotlight has arrived nonetheless! As you will see, they (unlike Jamie’s team) have no one but themselves to blame for their level two demise.
Level One: After pulling the lever at the Wheel of Fate, Stuart gets straight into a particularly tricky game of Combat Chess, which I actually found quite exciting when I first rewatched series 2 on video, although I knew he was going to win in the end. A leisurely stroll through the Fire Cave then leads to the chamber of Igneous, where the team just about manages to score two out of three with a little help from Treguard. Stuart picks up a key and a white silken glove from the table, rejecting a gauntlet, as Igneous has averred that "she will not wear a man’s glove".
The sting of the spectral scorpion is then avoided with very little trouble, before Stuart arrives in Lillith’s lair. Unusually, Lillith herself is absent; even more unusually, the lever from the Wheel of Fate stands at Stuart’s right hand. Pulling the lever summons Lillith’s causeway, whereupon Lillith herself flounces into the chamber and accuses Stuart of being a burglar. The silken glove is required to pacify her: ”Before I allow you to leave, you must present me with some lovely thing.” – Lillith. A locked door awaits in the next chamber, where the Automatum is close behind Stuart, but despite some panic and dithering from the advisors, the exit is reached and the key is used successfully. The Automatum continues to chase Stuart towards the wellway, but a fairly speedy dash is all that is required to reach level two.
Level Two: Unsurprisingly, Stuart lands in Cedric’s room. Cedric appears to be standing by the door with his back to the team, but to everyone’s surprise and horror, the robed figure is actually Mogdred! A fairly one-sided conversation ensues, as Mogdred attempts to entice the team to serve him, and gifts them the spell POWER. The clue room is next, where the fatal mistake is made. The choice is between a dagger, a divining rod and a pot of honey. Treguard very quickly guides the team into choosing the honey, but they then decide to take the dagger as well, with very little thought or discussion! What a silly mistake to make, yet they carry on in blissful ignorance.
Olaf is on guard in the next chamber, and seems very reluctant to let Stuart pass. However, he is attacked by a swarm of bees when he opens the honey pot, allowing Stuart plenty of time to make his escape. The four-door chamber that is often seen at the start of level one follows, and Treguard explains that they needed the divining rod to show them which door to take. Stuart is guided through one of the doors on the right, but ends up back in the same room! They then try another door, but the same thing happens. Stuart’s life force runs out very quickly, and Treguard tells the team in no uncertain terms what dullards they are, before getting rid of them: ”Starvation can be so debilitating. You’re out I’m afraid, boys, but there again, at least you’re off this Dungeon roundabout.” – Treguard.

Summary: A fairly average attempt that culminated in a classic mistake – avoid the weapons of your enemies, as the Adventurers’ Code instructs, or you die!

[Previous team: Team 7 of Series 2
Next team: Team 9 of Series 2]

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