From TES issue 4 (September 1996)
The Team: Ross Dennis (dungeoneer), Gavin Twigg, Fu Wung and Shezhad Khan

The Quest : To free Mellisandre

In my opinion, the third series was by far the best series, and I doubt this will ever change. Anyway, as you can see above - this is a review of Ross and his teams thrilling quest. I can vividly recall watching this whole quest back in 1989, and I can assure you it was very very scary indeed.

Strangely, this team never really struck me as being anything special. Indeed, you could say that they were rather lucky to blunder through much of level one, although to be fair they became better and more confident as their their quest developed. Still, enough of my opinions, here are the facts!
Level One: In only his second room, Ross was quickly drawn into a game of hide & seek with Mellisandre - however, Melly's biding place was far from devious. The teeter found her in the very next chamber, standing in the middle of the room, on top of a huge trapdoor. Sure enough. the trapdoor opened, meaning a huge fall for Melly " The team later encountered Brangwen in the clue room. After answering 2 out of three correctly, the team learned that their quest was "to free the maid that was your playmate". Ross was also told was the first step was the handshake, and was advised to collect a fishing rod plus a rotten egg from the clue room, leaving behind a red gem.
The egg soon came in handy. as they used it to upset the stomach of the serpent whose mouth they had previously blundered in to. Meanwhile, the rod was also invaluable - the team came across a room with no doors, and only a huge pool of water. Using the red, Ross was able to fish out a handy door, through they made their escape. Elsewhere in this level, the team solved a riddle from Motley to earn a BIG spell, which they used on Ross when faced with Olaf. The Viking guard soon departed when Ross became a giant!.
Even the wellway chamber was struggle for the team, as they limped to the end of level one. The guiders' view of the room Was impaired by a grid, with letters to form an anagram of 'THE MAID'. [See: panel puzzle.] After much thought. the team cracked it, and were quick to disappear down the well into level two.
Level Two: As with most quests in this series, Ross landed on the 'Spindizzy' at the beginning of level two. With five doors surrounding the rotating disc. they elected to go through the door featuring a symbol of Mellisandre above it. Ross later learned that the third step was the crown - from the bizarre crow on a perch! [See: talking bird.] After negotiating the corridor of spears moving in and out, Ross arrived in Merlin's throne room - and successfully invoked the three steps he had been given to reach Merlin's throne. Merlin had to cast VIM to restore Ross' fading energy, and Ross returned the favour by answering correctly both of Merlin's riddles. This was enough to earn the spell 'TWIST'.

Another close escape followed this chamber, as Ross entered the Corridor of the Catacoumbs' [sic], in which two goblins lay in wait at the opposite end. Immediately they began to scuttle towards Ross, who was swiftly guided through a doorway on his right. and along a red dwarf tunnel.
The tunnel led to an upside down room, leading to the obvious decision to cast 'TWIST', thus presenting doorways for Ross to leave by. However, as he departed, the crazed Scotsman - McGrew charged towards Ross threatening to kill him - believing he was a 'Campbell'. Ross pleaded his innocence - leaving McGrew feeling very guilty. Guilty enough. in fact, to offer companionship to Ross through the rest of the level. The pair of worthy questing men (!) reached a narrow bridge - upon which stood the imposing figure of a monk, although the voice of the monk sounded worryingly like Mogdred.
McGrew could not resist insulting the man who blocked their path, and he was promptly turned into a toad, before Mogdred departed into echoes of mocking laughter. The team, by this point, were becoming more confident, and quicker of thought - they immediately [dispelled] leaving McGrew grateful as well as guilty!!

Next came the inevitable cavern series - always at the end of level two in this series, and unfortunately always infested with goblins! As Ross collected the letter 'F' - the first letter of 'FREE', McGrew fought off two magical ghost swords. At this point a pack of goblins began to advance, as the pair hurried away - reaching the final chamber of the level.

As always, the final chamber featured a minecart on rails - but blocked by a force field. Ross enlisted the help of McGrew for the final time, by asking him to push him through the forcefield, while he sat in the minecart. With a mighty heave from McGrew, Ross surged into a very long tunnel - lit by flickering, burning touches. The tunnel appeared to be endless, until - with a mighty crash - Ross landed safely (?) in level three...

Level Three: Treguard gave the team an ominous warning of the perils lying ahead in level three. No sooner had he spoken, when two skull ghosts began to circle Ross, hurrying the team into guiding Ross through the left hand door, noting the trail of bones leading into the right hand exit!!

Immediately, level three offered a tough challenge to the team. With the evil image of Morghanna looking on from the darkness, Ross was faced with an extremely narrow, winding path leading to the only exit - at other side of the vast chasm. Morghanna began to speak, and wasted no time in promising death for Ross, before unleashing a flashing haunted axe in Ross' direction. The team wasted precious seconds in trying to spot an easier exit to reach, before realising they would have to negotiate the pathway. Fu was given the task of guiding Ross, which he did very well albeit slowly!
The axe remained a threat, and as it closed in on Ross, he was hurried just a fraction, and strayed slightly from the path. Suddenly, Ross had strayed too much, and he dropped agonisingly down into the chasm, only inches from the door.

His quest was over.

SUMMARY: A good team, perhaps lucky however as they were often hesitant. Having said that - level 3 in a tough series, cannot be ignored

TEAM RATING 7 out of 10

LEVEL REACHED Level Three

ROOM COUNT 23 Rooms and 7 dwarf tunnels

Written by and submitted with the kind permission of Paul McIntosh.

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