Map: Cave of Dreams (CaveofDr.Mx2)
As in the previous four installments, this map will 
have a supplimentary storyline carried out in text file.
However, I've made them fairly short due to the fact that
it is an extra large map and I'm sure nobody wants to 
read page upon page of text.

Author: Timothy Duncan (tduncan@haverford.edu)




Introduction: Nightmares...

	Even the inaccessable region of Toran Rift isn't
safe from the heat of the deserts that surround it. Lying
in bed and drenched in sweat, you, Corribus, rightful 
ruler of Holbark, are pondering on this very thought 
when a loud thump catches your attention.  Fumbling about
into the moonlit room, you manage to light a candle and
look around.  "Who's there?" you call out.  The room is
huge, and offers numberous shadows in which to hide.
	When you get no response, you grumble something
about the wind, and are about to douse the candle, when
another thump comes from the corner of the room.  With 
lightning reflexes, you grab the long, serpentine dagger
that rests on the nightstand and jump up from under your
sweatsoaked sheats.  "I can hear you," you say sternly
and very loudly.  "Come out, and I won't hurt you."
	A very dull light seems to glow from behind your
wardrobe.  It grows in intensity until taking the shape
of a man - a man you recognize.  In stunned silence, you
let go of the dagger in your hand.  It plummets to the
hard, wooden floor and makes a loud crack, bringing you
back to your senses.  In gaping disbelief, you manage a
whisper: "Father?"
	The ghostly image shuffles forward.  You can 
easily distinguish facial features: the thick, black 
beard, slightly crooked nose, and the very characteristic
noble forehead.  It was certainly you father.  Your 
father, who died more than 10 years earlier.  The sight
brings tears to your eyes as you rush forward to hug 
him tight.  
	But to your dismay, your arms go right through 
him, and you go staggering to the corner of the room.
You turn around and face the ghost once more, taking a 
moment to stare in surprise at your hands.  In an eerie
voice, the apparition speaks, "Son.  It is I, Tomas, your
father.  It has been long since you've seen me."
	You marvel at the voice which echoes what your
real father's once was.  You stammer back, "Long it has
been.  What brings you to me now.  You haunt me in life,
and now in death as well?"
	Tomas shakes his ghostly head. "I know you hate
me for the way I treated you, son.  But training a King
is not easy.  There are things he must learn.  I-"
	The surprise of seeing your dead father begins
to wear off, and long repressed anger begins to surface. 
"You made me kill an innocent man, father.  With my own
hands.  What kind of training was that."
	Tomas seems not to notice your wrath.  "A king 
must do what he must, and not let emotions get in the 
way.  THAT is what it was supposed to teach you.  Which
brings me to the reason that I am here.  I have taken 
notice that you have managed to lose the kingdom that 
has been under the control of our family for hundreds 
of years.  I am done with your world, but I cannot allow
Holbark to fall into the hands of one such as Darrence.
You have shown yourself to be a failure of a King, son,
and though it hurts me endlessly to do so, I must strip
you of your title."
	In shock, you try to find words worth speaking,
but all you can do is sputter and spit.  The spirit 
continues, "It was not my decision, Corribus, but the
decision of forces higher than myself.  Tradition would
mandate that the crown be passed to your sister, but of
course, she is dead -"
	"NO!" you scream.  "She lives!  I know she lives!"
The tears flow freely, and you once again try desperately
to grab onto your father, but to no avail.
	Tomas shakes his head in pity. "I'm sorry, 
Corribus.  But it is so.  I have seen her in the underworld.
You must let it go, son, for if you do not, you will 
never succeed at the tasks before you."
	Sniffing back tears, you stare up at the ghost.
"What tasks?  You have taken my title, and now my only
hope that Catarina lives.  Now all I have is revenge."
	The king holds up an admonishing finger. "No, 
son.  That must wait.  As I have told you.  Since your
sister is... gone... you are the only member of royal
lineage, so you must carry on the throne.  But you have
also shown the spirits that you are uncapable of carrying
such a weight on your shoulders. There is something you
can do to convince them of your worthiness, however."
	"And what is that?" you grumble.
	"Venture to the Cave of Dreams, son, and pass
the tests therein.  Only a true king will be able to 
succeed there and reclaim the ancient armor of our 
ancestors.  It is the only way."
	You are too tired to be shocked.  "Sure, why not,"
you return sarcastically.  "And while I'm at it, I'll 
carry a castle on my back."
	The King sighs.  "With that attitude, Darrence
has already won.  You must go, son.  I believe you can 
succeed, but YOU must believe.  Seek the Cave of Dreams,
Corribus.  That is your first test.  It will be difficult:
Darrence has captured the allegiance of most of your 
former underlords.  I await you there."
	You casually wave the spirit away.  "Leave me,
then, father.  As you did before.  I shall take my 
sword find your Cave, and banish the spirits within.  
And what then?  There is nothing left for me..."
	The King begins to fade into the darkness. "I'm
afraid, Corribus, that you'll find your sword is gone,
as are the rest of your magical trinkets. You must 
win this quest with only your mind and your hands. Only
then can you prove yourself king..."  The spirit 
disappeares completely, leaving you in utter silence.
	After waiting a few seconds, you run to your 
wardrobe and throw open the doors.  It can't be true!
How are you to win without your hard won sword and armor?
You artifacts of power? Seeing the inside of the closet
seems to tear through your insides, and despair overtakes
you. The closet is empty...






CHAPTER ONE - Actions of the Enemy, Part I

	The dungeons of Castle Holbark were like the 
dungeons of any other castle: dark, wet, and musty.  
Councilor Darrence steps gingerly over a puddle in the
cracked floor as he makes his way down the dimly lit
corridor.  Once again, a man waits for him, pacing back
and forth and nervously twirling a dagger in his 
nimble fingers.  At the Councilor's approach, the man
sheathes the dagger and bows.  "My Liege," he says in
a gruff voice.
	Darrence nods his head, approaching the man.  
"I trust you have succeeded, Jarrod.  Is she here?"
	The rogue smiles, showing his missing bottom 
teeth.  "Yes, my Lord.  She was a fiesty one, she was,
but she came all the same."
	Darrence lets out a grunt. "Good.  You've done 
well.  I was hoping you wouldn't have to kill her.  I 
have some things I'd like to... discuss... with her 
first."
	Jerrod motions for Darrence to follow.  The two
make their way deeper into the catacombs. Eventually, 
Darrence is forced to remove a torch from a sconce on
the wall because of the pressing darkness.  Several times
Darrence trips in a puddle or a crack and curses loudly.
Jerrod seems unaffected by the rough, uneven ground, 
moving dextrously along like a spider on its web.
	The rogue stops suddenly and gestures to an old
wooden door that is barely visible in the dark hallway.
"She's in there my Lord."
	Darrence utters a quick thanks and reaches for
the handle of the door, but one of Jerrod's own hands
darts out and grabs Darrence's wrist.  "I hate to be
rude, yer highness," he says, half mockingly, "But there
is the matter of your part of the deal."
	The Councilor considers killing the filthy man,
but decides against it.  The prospect of disposing of
another body is unappealing to him at the moment. 
Darrence nods his head and replies, audibly annoyed, 
"Don't worry, little man.  You'll get your money." He 
pulls out a small sack and hands it to the rogue. "Just
gemstones, like you requested."
	Jerrod opens the sack and peers into it. For a 
moment, he is silent, as if counting the contents.  
Then he closes the sack and affixes it to his belt.
"I consider our business concluded then," he says. The
Councilor nods, and like magic he darts into the shadows
and disappears.  
	Shaking his head, Darrence unlocks the lock on the 
door and cautiously open it.  The darkness beyond is
oppressive, and the stench is worse.  Wild eyes stare at
him from the darkness. The Councilor smiles sinisterly.
"Well, well, my dear.  Look who has the upper hand now."

END CHAPTER ONE








CHAPTER TWO - The Goddess of Peace

	The lush moutain valley narrows ahead, so that 
only several horses can pass at one time.  The air is
sweet, and smells of fresh spring flowers.  You are 
comforted by the familiar sounds of the forest: birds
and insects chirp, water gurgles, and deer crash through
the undergrowth.  It almost makes you never want to 
leave.  Almost...
	The valley turns to the east, and as you emerge,
you find yourself almost face to face with one of the
most beautiful women you've ever seen. She stands proudly
in the middle of the narrow valley and eyes you lazily.
You jerk your mount to a halt, and raise a hand, 
signalling the others to do the same.  In almost a daze,
you dismount and approach.  Her face is nearly perfect,
not to mention her...
	In an instant, you turn your head to the side,
so that your eyes are averted from her.  So enthralled
were you with her presence that you didn't even notice
that she was entirely naked.  You can smell the scent
of flowers upon her as she comes closer.  It is almost
intoxicating.
	"Corribus," she says in almost a whisper.  You
can tell her lips are mere inches from your ears.  "I've
been waiting for you a long, long time..."
	You clear your throat, and can feel your face
heating up.  You figure you must be beat red.  "Uh.."
you stammer in embarassment.  You swear you hear a 
snicker from one of your captains behind you.  What a
sight you much be, standing awkwardly next to a woman
wearing not even a stitch of clothing.
	You back up and turn to face her, making sure 
not to let your eyes wander.  "Yes, well, I've been,
uh.. waiting.. to get here too."  You inwardly chastise
yourself.  What are you, twelve years old?
	She smiles, and begins to walk away.  "You've 
passed the tests so far, Corribus.  I'm very proud of
you.  You know now that a King must have might, and 
the courage to use it when he must.  But you also know
that a King must have the wisdom and the intelligence
to know when it is that he must use it.  There is only
one more test before you, Corribus, and I am it."
	You don't know what to say, so you blurt out,
"May I have your name?"
	She smiles again.  "My name is Morephiel, 
Corribus.  I am the Goddess of Peace.  But now you must
fight me, Corribus, and show that you have the courage
to use your abilities to fight when you must.  Beyond
lies the last piece of the armor for which you seek.
Defeat me, and you shall have it.  Now, be on guard,
fair knight.  Though I am the archetype of peace, I am
not without power of my own..."
	With that said, she begins chanting.  The skies
above begin to darken, and the plants around you seem
to shy away from the mysterious goddess.  Then in shock,
you watch as Morephiel begins to change shape, from that
of a beautiful woman to  an enormous, hideous three 
headed lizard.  She grows and grows, until she is 
easily taking up the entire width of the valley.  One of
the heads turns toward you and spreads its lips, showing
you a set of long, razor sharp teeth.  A forked, red 
tongue darts between the gaps of the fangs as the beast
hisses in delight.  "Come, Corribussss.  It'sss time to 
show me what a man you are!"  The head strikes at you. 
Without hesitation, you raise your father's sword above
your head and charge to beast.  The men waiting behind
you don't lose a second, and quickly plunge themselves
into the fray...




Finale - Once a King, Always A King.

	Surprisingly, the armor fits perfectly, and once
on, you can feel the magic surging through your body.
Then it suddenly occurs to you that you have no way to
leave this place.  The sound of soft footsteps on grass
cause you to turn your head.  Approaching you from 
the trees is the ghost of your father and, probably 
even more surprising, Morephiel herself.  This time,
she wears a loose blue gown that doesn't cover up more
than what she had on before, which was next to nothing.
	Your father steps forward and places a hand on
your shoulder.  "Son, I knew you would succeed.  You 
have proven yourself King.  Now you will surely defeat
Darrence and bring peace again to the world."  
	You shrug and give a nearly mute acknowledgement
of your father's praise.  Morephiel frowns.  "What is
wrong, Corribus," she says in a voice as sweet as fresh
honey.  You droop your eyes to avoid looking at her
directly, for fear of blushing again.  This only makes 
look even more sullen.
	You sigh, and reply, "And what am I to do once
Darrence has been dealt with.  Catarina is dead, and I
am to blame.  I should never have left her on that 
island."
	Morephiel stares at your father.  Tomas puts his
arm around you.  "Son, your sister lives still.  Darrence
holds her in his - your - castle."
	You raise your head and stare at your father in
surprise.  "But why did..."
	Tomas eyes you sternly.  "Because if you knew 
she was still alive, you would have gone chasing after
her like a madman and been skewered by Darrence's forces
or the magic of that heathen Mok Choi. I know you too
well, Corribus."
	You smile, and laugh.  Despite the fact that you
were lied to, you can't help but feel happy.  It almost
seems like things will be going alright.  Morephiel 
smiles back, but her words are serious, "Be careful,
Corribus.  Take to heart what you've learned this day.
Darrence is not without power."
	You nod and surreptitiously plant a kiss on the
goddesses' cheek.  The experience leaves you dizzy with
euphoria.  She kisses you back (which is even more fun!)
and your father gives you a large hug that forces the
breath from your body.  "Father," you manage to reply,
"You are ... solid!"  
	Tomas bursts out laughing.  "Just for now, son.
Just for now...  But we must be going Corribus.  You 
have tasks now, and we do not belong on this plane. I
bid thee farewell and wish you luck in the trials to 
come."  He waves at you and disappears in a flash of
light.  
	Morephiel turns to leave, but not before blowing
a kiss your way and smiling seductively.  You consider
trying to embrace her again, but think better of it
(long distance relationships never work out).  "Goodbye,
Corribus. Bring peace to Holbark and the continent of
Corgarian.  And maybe I'll... see... you again sometime."
With a wink, she vanishes.  
	Suddenly, your world is filled with light.  You
feel weightless, as if submerged in water, and for
several long seconds, you are almost certain that you 
can see Morephiel floating in the distance.  Then the
light is gone and you are standing in the midst of a 
snowy plain.  Ahead, the great Nortland Castle looms
like a crouched giant.  Your army is behind you, and 
you notice your father's sword in the scabbard at your 
hip.  Bred is suddenly standing next to you, staring at
you curiously.  He waves a hand in front of your eyes, 
and says in a joyous voice, "Hello??  Anybody there?"
	You look at him in confusion.  "Hey, Corribus,"
he chides, "Snap out of it.  You've been standing there
for nearly an hour.  Sir John is expecting you."
	"Sir John?" you ask, perplexed.
	Bred sighs.  "Yes, Sir John Tale, the son of Sir 
Edard of Nortland.  He wants to pledge his armies to 
the king!  What has gotten into you?"
	You smile.  "Nothing, Bred.  Let's go see this
Sir John.  We have much work to do, and my sister waits."
	Bred's eyes come together in a frown. "What do 
you mean, she waits?"
	You laugh.  "It's a long story, my friend. The 
war is far from over.  But I think for now, we can afford
to take a break..."


END, The Cave of Dreams.  Part V of Last Hope.
Please play the next episode, Last Hope Part VI,
Retribution.  Coming soon to an Astral Wizard Site
Near You!

Questions/Comments?  Email tduncan@haverford.edu













