The Keeper of the Seven Keys

The Keeper of the Seven Keys is an unpublished (and probably unwritten) Fighting Fantasy gamebook by Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson.

Background

The Keeper of Seven Keys was to be set near the city of Arkand in Khul, and in it you play Karabane, the Banelord, hated by the people of Arkand, who send groups of adventurers to destroy you:

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In actual fact you are not really the bad guy, but a misunderstood sorcerer whom everybody thinks is bad, but actually you're the only person who is able to keep the Archdemon bound. This gamebook was going to be unique in that you find lots of "good guys" invading your castle - a bunch of martial artists, an Amazon and a team of Barbarian Dwarfs, etc. Sadly, the editors at Penguin decided against it. Maybe they didn't like the humorous approach or something, he doesn't know. He still has all the maps and the intro somewhere.

”

Another description of the abandoned adventure is thus:

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This book is certainly the most original and most surprising of all Challenges Forgotten, even of all Fighting Fantasy confused. You play not the adventurer goes to explore a terrible dungeon / forest / temple / city infested with monsters and traps to overcome a terrible Sorcerer / Fiend / Tyrant / Undead (sometimes all at the times), but the Master Places in person. You are Karrabane the Guardian of 7 keys, Member of the Honourable Society of the Sages. There are two centuries ago, you fought the Demon Lord Gagrash. You managed to get the upper hand, but not enough to destroy it. So you trapped in a dimensional prison to prevent terror on Khul. But in order to keep in prison, you must annually perform a ritual. Can not rely on anyone else for this mission, you have worn evil magic to prolong your life, and you did yours the house of your enemy: the Tower of Doom, and his servants (orcs, gremlins, gargoyles , and others). Furthermore, in order not to be bored in your never-ending mission, you did your monsters prowling around your turn, and have used visible disturbing magical effects in any area, to remove all forms of curious. Alas, if it helps remove the common man, you are quickly found confronted with people who you have had serious concerns: Heroes. So far you've managed to repel, and the nearby city Arkand live in your fear. But among the people, the beautiful, cultured and tolerant Araminta princess learns your knowledge and decides to visit you. And you can not say no to a human presence, something that you have not known for a long time. The princess is very interested in your knowledge and your library and decides to stay home! And what had happened: the city you suspect of having kidnapped for obscure rituals. King launched a new advice and heroes (Knight, Wizard, Samurai, Amazon ...) stormed your dungeon, and the same day of the year where you have to make the crucial ritual to protect the world from the terrible Demon. You must set traps and monsters in your tower, while performing your ritual 7:00 to close the seven locks of magical prison. The day may be hectic, especially after two centuries of routines!

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It was in the planning stages when Puffin Books ceased publication of the original series.

Synopsis

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This gamebook is intended as something original, markedly different from all previous gamebooks, and with a vein of humour running through it. The pattern of all gamebooks to date has been hero setting out to destroy the evil lord/demigod/demon, battling against great odds. The Keeper of the Seven Keys sets out to reverse that role. The reader plays the so-called Evil power beset by the fanatic forces of good. The book presents things from the viewpoint of the poor persecuted Lord of Darkness! So as to avoid any moral dilemma for younger readers, the so-called "Lord of Darkness" is actually no villain but a much-maligned hero.

”

Introduction

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You are Karabane, Master of the Seals and Runes, Knower of the Way and Member of the Honoured Society of Sages, an ancient and venerable society now all but extinct. Many years ago you set out on a quest to defeat a powerful demon lord who threatened the continent of Khul. Unable to completely destroy this entity, you were forced to bind it with powerful spells into a dimensional cage. Since then, you have dedicated your life to maintaining its imprisonment and have been forced to take up residence in the ancient castle of the demon lord. Through the intercession of divine forces of Good you have extended your life to carry out this mission. Each year for the last two centuries you have performed the rituals of binding. Unfortunately the people of the land have come to view you as a force of Evil, the fearful inhabitant of the Tower of Doom, for your home is a fell forbidding place. They know you as Bane, or the Banelord, the Evil One, He who Sits in Malice, the Purveyor of Terrors, and so on. They call the old castle the Tower of Doom, The Place from which None Return, the Citadel of Illimitable Agonies, and the like. They call your servants the Creatures of Hell, Banebeasts, Servants of the Dark One, Fanged Horrors of the Tower of Doom, etc. Well, most of your servants are the original inhabitants and are indeed evil beings - but you have bound them to your will and thus the service of Good. After all, they are more reliable then mere humans. For a time you played along with popular belief. You caused illusions of evil magic's to light up the night sky around your home. You sent demons, flapping and cawing, to circle your tall towers and baroque battlements. This suited your purpose, for you wished to remain undisturbed by prying eyes, to execute your mission alone. Better for the safety of others that they continue to regard you as evil, and thus keep their distance. But now it seems that policy has backfired. The nearby city of Arkand lives in fear of you. Poor harvests, blighted crops, disappearances, murder and so on - all are laid at your door. Crazed prophets, eager for congregations and donations, talk of your rise to power and the threat to civilization you are supposed to represent, and of how you must be destroyed, excised from the land like a canker. Kings and lords offer rewards for your death. Several times in the past you have had to fight off fanatic heroes and adventurers who sought to penetrate your citadel and slay you. Most failed to get past your wards and servants, but some have won through to your Inner Sanctum and you were then forced to use your sorcery to defeat them. This saddens you for they are great and good heroes, but you have been unable to reason with them. Many times you tried but they would clap hands over ears, yelling things like "Avaunt ye, spawn of Hell! I will not listen to your vile blandishments and devious words, O Lord of Lies!" You have never ceased to marvel at the determination and courage of these heroes. By your sorcery they are all kept safely in a millennial slumber, bound inside blocks of adamantine crystal. Regretfully you cannot free them, as they would merely attack you once more. All you have ever wished for is to be left alone. But it is not to be. This time, things are bad. The beautiful Princess Araminta, fancying herself a scholar, scoured the Great Library of Arkand in her quest for knowledge. She discovered the history of the Society of Sages and the truth about you - who you really were and your real purpose. Curiosity aflame, she set out to visit you. Many tried to dissuade her but she crept out of the city at night, in secret. She came to you and you welcomed her, not only out of courtesy but because you were eager for the company of another human after so long. She loved your books and ancient artefacts and has spent days studying in the castle library where she is even now. But she is outstaying her welcome. The townsfolk say that you bewitched her and that foul demons spirited her away to your tower. The King of Arkand has promised her hand in marriage or a reward of 50,000 crowns to the hero or heroine who will rescue her from your "evil clutches". Many heroes and adventurers flocked to Arkand and, in fear of your life; you went to Princess Araminta and begged her to return to her father's court. Absently she refused, patting you fondly on the head while she studied an ancient mirror that reflects the enhanced image of those who look in it so that they appear ten times more beautiful than they really are. She said she was enjoying herself too much and was not ready to leave. What could you do - short of throwing her out by force? And that, of course, would be quite wrong ... Some of the most powerful heroes and heroines of the age, mighty warriors and skilled sorcerers, have gathered at Arkand to pursue the quest. Their vow: "to slay the evil Banelord who has cast a dark shadow across the land for too long." Even now your outer defences have begun to sound the alarm. Winged Homunculi and Lesser Imps have come to you bearing messages. Groups of adventurers are heading towards the citadel and they look tough. And worse still, tonight is the very night you must perform the Rituals of Binding that must be performed each year to seal the demon lord Gagrash, Devourer of the Living, Bestower of Death, Giver of Unimaginable Sufferings, in his prison once more. If he escapes, the whole land could be destroyed! What are you going to do?

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Special Rules for The Keeper of the Seven Keys

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The player will generate his or her character as normal for Fighting Fantasy (Skill, etc). Then some additional preparation is necessary. Essentially, the reader examines the map of the castle and places the defences and snares at his or her disposal so as to prevent the entry of three groups of heroes. Some of the heroes will inevitably win through to the Inner Sanctum for a climactic battle, but with skilful choice of defences the reader should be able to minimise the threat. At the same time that this is going on, the reader must perform the rituals to bind the demon lord. Thus he or she also faces a race against time. There are also various other options and puzzles that must be solved - the reader will not just be sitting in the Inner Sanctum directing things. Time Hourly rituals involving the use of the seven keys must bind the demon lord and thus the book will be divided into seven chronological stages. During these stages the rituals must be performed, the heroes will be penetrating further into the castle, and the reader will be taking defensive steps as needed. Passage of time is recorded by crossing off hours when directed to in the text: Hour of the Wolf Hour of the Dragon Hour of the Bear Hour of the Wyvern Hour of the Tiger Hour of the Unicorn Hour of the Moon (Midnight) A map of the castle will be provided, as below: The Tower of Doom, or The Place from which None Return, or The Citadel of Illimitable Agonies, or "Home Sweet Home". Your Servants A list of the reader's servitors will also be given, as below: 20 Demonkin Winged Gargoyles from another plane. You travelled there and bound them to your service a century ago. 50 Orcs - You must dress as a hideous demon and constantly display your powerful magic's whenever an Orc is about. They believe you to be a demon and worship you. You must bind them to your will with fear, for fear is all these filthy orcs understand. 2 Hellgaunts Demons of the Abyss. You have bound them to you - in your Sanctum you have two vials containing their smoking black hearts. Whoever possesses the hearts controls the Hellgaunts. 4 Winged Homunculi - Little creatures like tiny winged old men. You created them in your laboratory using secrets of alchemy you found in an old parchment. The homunculi are useful as spies and messengers. 4 Lesser Imps - Slightly larger than the homunculi. Hideous little winged beasts that you won to your service using sorcery when you first defeated the demon lord Gagrash. Again useful as spies and messengers, although some also know rudimentary attack spells. 2 Automata of the Wizards of Qor Two mechanical warriors that you created following ancient texts from the legendary land of Qor. Soulless creatures of ivory and iron with visors that spit lightning-bolts. Beasts - In the Beastpits you keep various hideous beasts you have created or captured and enslaved. They can be released in certain areas but are equally likely to attack anyone (including you and your servants) who enters their assigned area. The Enchanted Gate - The gate of the keep. Anyone who passes with evil intent against your person triggers the gate. It screams a warning that can be heard throughout your Citadel. The Castle Defences At the start the reader is provided with a chart to fill in, placing his defences as he wishes: (AREA) / (SERVANT) Wall A / Wall B / Wall C / Wall D / Tower of Night / Tower of Stars / Tower of the Moon / Tower of the Sun / Maingate / Postern Gate / The Well / The Rivergate / The Orc Barracks / The Demonkin Barracks / The Hall of Ancient Artefacts / The Beastpits / 1st Floor of Keep / 2nd Floor of Keep / Inner Sanctum / Cellar / To place: 2 Hellgaunts (separately, one in each area) 2 Automata (separately, one in each area) 2 units of 25 orcs each 2 units of 10 Demonkin each 2 groups of 2 homunculi 2 groups of 2 imps The beasts, set to patrol area, will attack all comers: The Manticore The Gorgon The Wyvern The reader will also have the following creatures in his Sanctum at the beginning of the adventure: 1 Orc messenger, 1 Demonkin messenger, 1 homunculus and 1 imp. Artefacts In addition to three Potions of Strength and one Potion of Fortune, the reader will also have several wondrous items at his disposal: The Orb of All Seeing - This enables you to examine any area of the citadel at will, though it takes some time to examine an area. The Staff of Might - Adds 1 to skill and 1 to damage done in combat. The Ring of Excellent Defence - Subtracts 1 from any Stamina loss that results from a wound taken in combat. Book of Spells - Enables Karabane to cast various spells: Lightning Bolt - an attack spell that inflicts the loss of 1-6 Stamina points. Battleskill - adds 1 to Skill for the duration of a single encounter. Healing - restores one die's worth of lost Stamina. Confusion - reduces the target's Skill by 1. Teleport - enables Karabane to teleport back to his Sanctum. These spells will generally be usable when indicated in the text. Other items are held either in the cellar or in the Hall of the Ancient Artefacts. Karabane will have to take time fetching these if he thinks they might be needed. Such items are those whose name and general function is known, but whose precise powers must be tested (possibly with unexpected results) during the course of play. They include the Mirror of Reflecting Thunderbolts, the Iron Bell of Meragren, the Shield of Ice (said to absorb flame), and so on. These things may become useful depending on how the plot develops.

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Heroes

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The reader will also be provided with a list of the heroes gunning for him and some useful information about them. These are: Barak Arakyn the Berserk - a berserker warrior in light armour who wields his 2-handed battleaxe "Slayer". A peerless fighter of heroic strength and endurance. Sir Gondris of the Order of Knights Errant - a paladin of an order dedicated to destroying evil everywhere. Wears full plate: the Armour of Purity, the Shield of Truth and the Sword of Wrath. A renowned knight of unswerving purpose and redoubtable might. Kalara of Arkand - a noted adventurer and suspected thief. Has a reputation of being a rogue. She wields the Longbow of Qor and the Arrows of Flame. Arcos Arcanus - Master of Magic's and Doctor of Marvels. A powerful wizard of great power and repute. Mogresh - Alchemist of Fernor and Priest of the Holy Ones. A famous "smiter of evil". A fanatic priest and creator of many herbal potions which can be used in combat. Uldarik Hsao - Master of the Martial Arts and Supreme Sensei of Unarmed Combat. A martial artist from Hachiman, skilled in all forms of unarmed combat. Fudoshin Raiko - a lordless Samurai from Konichi in Hachiman. This famous master of the sword has sworn to destroy Karabane even at the cost of his own life. Syrena, Amazon of Kelados - a mighty fighter, she is known to wield the Helm of Thunderbolts, and the Sword and Shield of Chrysos (an ancient legendary hero). Prince Chemcho of Sariandor - a noted warrior-mage. Wields a slender sword of night-black steel. This dashing roguish adventurer is said to know some powerful spells. During the book the reader will have the opportunity to consult his library about the heroes and their weapons and abilities. The heroes are divided into three groups of three: Group A - Sir Gondris, Mogresh and Fudoshin Raiko. Group B - Kalara, Prince Chemcho and Barak Arakyn. Group C - Syrena, Uldarik and Arcos.

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Events

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The following would not be known to the player, but it demonstrates the general course which the book would take and is divided into stages, corresponding to the hours. Stage Examples Of course, some heroes may not even get all the way through, depending on the reader's actions. The optimum conclusion leads to the remaining heroes witnessing the start of Karabane's battle with the demon lord. If Karabane can convince them where the true evil lies, they will help destroy the demon lord forever and Karabane will have succeeded in clearing his name. This conclusion requires the reader to act with restraint, putting himself into danger at some points in order to achieve a non-violent resolution to his battle with the nine heroes.

”

Future of the Book

There have been no indications that Wizard Books plan to publish this book.

See Also

• Curse of the God Kings
• Dinosaurs of Death
• Labyrinth of Death
• Sword of the Samurai
• Talisman of Death
• The Keep of the Lich-Lord
• The Mists of Horror
• The Thief of Arantis
• Unpublished Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks

External Links

• A lost Fighting Fantasy gamebook