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This is the story of Dendor of Nogrod's unfortunate and untimely death at 600' in his quest to claim a Silmaril from Morgoth's Iron Crown.
Editorial comments will be in italics, and may end up longer than the story. I'm on a quest to get a Sil winner from each race. As Scatha pointed out once, I've now got all of the Children of Iluvatar covered (Noldor, Edain, and recently Sindar) basically playing the same type of character (sneaker/singer).
I decided that would probably not fly with the Naugrim, so I've been teaching myself how to fight and smithy with the Children of Aule. I recently had two (back-to-back!) very decent games, before that my characters would all die at exactly 350'. I thought I would write one of them up and hopefully get some feedback and suggestions from other players.
The first thing I learned is that armor is very important for this type of character, particularly as a Naugrim (with the Archery penalty). "Counter battery" archery doesn't really work if you're a crap archer--you just become a pincushion. Armored pincushions last longer.
Dendor was bumbling along, killing some wolves and the occasional orc and whatnot. Workaday stuff. Happily, he came across a forge. Knowing more than a little about smithing (being a proud craftsman from Nogrod, after all) he made himself some fancy magical armor, and all was well.
He also came across an enchanted Battle Axe of Orc Slaying, which would serve him quite well for the rest of his brutally shortened life. Indeed, he slew so many orcs with this axe that in short order most of them would run at the mere smell of it. Most of the time this was useful, unless he wanted to kill them in which case it was a bit annoying. Dendor had always preferred it when his meat did not try to get up and walk off his trencher.
Just one flight of stairs below his first forge, Dendor found a second. He was fairly pleased, things were working out well for the craftsman. Dendor actually felt thankful for all of those hours pounding out shovels, pickaxes, and little decorative candlesticks and napkin rings when he was younger. He lovingly worked up a pair of boots, functional in appearance but interwoven with powerful spells of quickness and running. Glancing at his trusty axe, he also thought it wise to make some rings for striking his enemies, and some other protective gear.
At this point, Dendor was feeling pretty good about himself, and could feel that his dream of clasping a Silmaril was within reach...Right as he bumbled around a corner into an orc patrol led by none other than the infamous Gorgol the Butcher himself! The slaying of Gorgol sent his retinue into a panic, and Dendor's axe made short work of the lot.
Well, at this point I was feeling like this was my luckiest start ever on this character, which was probably true. The Battle Axe of Orc Slaying was absolutely invaluable in the early levels, as it does lots of damage to one of the more common and deadly monsters at shallow depths. I've never really played around with armor very much, but that will change now that I've discovered how powerful and useful it is. And I think I got seven forge uses by 150', which was also a tremendous stroke of luck and enabled him to armor up.
By the time he had gotten to about 350' (Dwarves have an excellent sense of depth into the ground or in a cave or fortress, you know), Dendor found another of Morgoth's forges sitting idle, so he made himself a few more things including a nice helm. He thought about making one of the frightening (and signature) battle masks his people wore, but decided against it. This may well have proved to be his undoing, as will later be seen.
As he continued downward toward Morgoth's lair, Dendor thought back on all of the great legends and texts he studied in his days as an apprentice, with their descriptions of objects of legend. He even remembered a song to the Queen of the Stars, called Elbereth by the Elvenfolk that would occasionally serve him well in Angband.
Around the time my inventory starts filling up, I like to have Lore Master, so I don't throw away anything useful. As it turns out, this game was a real beauty--I also lucked into an early Potion of Strength and about six Potions of Quickness.
He found a shaft leading down to about 450', but he got into a bit of a sticky situation with some of the Servants of Morgoth. Feeling a bit out of his depth (quite literally), Dendor headed back up the shaft to 350'. He must have taken a wrong turn, though, because rather than going back to where he had been, Dendor found himself in a completely new area of the fortress. He bandaged his wounds and continued on. Not long thereafter, he stumbled upon another forge!
This time, Dendor made himself a pair of gauntlets and put spells of strength and fighting on them, upgraded his magic rings, and made himself a good mattock for digging. Somehow it felt better to have a good mattock to hand, just in case. Dwarves are like that, you know. Anyway, he felt a little spent after the exertion, but he drank a potion and felt much better.
Four forges, with something like 13 or 14 uses...Obviously, this was ideal for me. Really, I was kind of out of good stuff to make, though that changed when I later found the Gloves of Celebrimbor and a few herbs of restoration (I was just hoping for another forge...) Plus I was starting to accumulate a pretty good skillset and having an easier time taking on harder monsters.
All was going well for Dendor. He slew an Orc Lord, and a Captain of the Easterlings, and even a Giant, who were clearly high in Morgoth's esteem. His body was hardening and getting more powerful as he went further down into Angband, and he was learning to listen for subtle sound cues in the fortress. He did have a little mishap with a false floor (the Enemy is always deceitful...), but after dusting himself off he forged ahead in his quest.
Then one day, Dendor knew fear. His first or second encounter with a serpent (poisonous serpents weren't so much trouble, but...) ended in a hasty retreat from its flames. He continued ahead, but was later trapped between a serpent of cold and one of fire in a narrow hallway.
Dendor battled valiantly, but eventually succumbed to the licking flames of the fire serpent and the freezing breath of the ice serpent. As he felt his body go numb and his life slip away, his last thought was, "I should've made that mask instead of this stupid helmet." And thus ended Dendor of Nogrod.
And here's the dump! Comments/suggestions solicited. What did I do wrong? What could I have done better? How can I improve my chances of survival? Thanks!
Editorial comments will be in italics, and may end up longer than the story. I'm on a quest to get a Sil winner from each race. As Scatha pointed out once, I've now got all of the Children of Iluvatar covered (Noldor, Edain, and recently Sindar) basically playing the same type of character (sneaker/singer).
I decided that would probably not fly with the Naugrim, so I've been teaching myself how to fight and smithy with the Children of Aule. I recently had two (back-to-back!) very decent games, before that my characters would all die at exactly 350'. I thought I would write one of them up and hopefully get some feedback and suggestions from other players.
The first thing I learned is that armor is very important for this type of character, particularly as a Naugrim (with the Archery penalty). "Counter battery" archery doesn't really work if you're a crap archer--you just become a pincushion. Armored pincushions last longer.
Dendor was bumbling along, killing some wolves and the occasional orc and whatnot. Workaday stuff. Happily, he came across a forge. Knowing more than a little about smithing (being a proud craftsman from Nogrod, after all) he made himself some fancy magical armor, and all was well.
He also came across an enchanted Battle Axe of Orc Slaying, which would serve him quite well for the rest of his brutally shortened life. Indeed, he slew so many orcs with this axe that in short order most of them would run at the mere smell of it. Most of the time this was useful, unless he wanted to kill them in which case it was a bit annoying. Dendor had always preferred it when his meat did not try to get up and walk off his trencher.
Just one flight of stairs below his first forge, Dendor found a second. He was fairly pleased, things were working out well for the craftsman. Dendor actually felt thankful for all of those hours pounding out shovels, pickaxes, and little decorative candlesticks and napkin rings when he was younger. He lovingly worked up a pair of boots, functional in appearance but interwoven with powerful spells of quickness and running. Glancing at his trusty axe, he also thought it wise to make some rings for striking his enemies, and some other protective gear.
At this point, Dendor was feeling pretty good about himself, and could feel that his dream of clasping a Silmaril was within reach...Right as he bumbled around a corner into an orc patrol led by none other than the infamous Gorgol the Butcher himself! The slaying of Gorgol sent his retinue into a panic, and Dendor's axe made short work of the lot.
Well, at this point I was feeling like this was my luckiest start ever on this character, which was probably true. The Battle Axe of Orc Slaying was absolutely invaluable in the early levels, as it does lots of damage to one of the more common and deadly monsters at shallow depths. I've never really played around with armor very much, but that will change now that I've discovered how powerful and useful it is. And I think I got seven forge uses by 150', which was also a tremendous stroke of luck and enabled him to armor up.
By the time he had gotten to about 350' (Dwarves have an excellent sense of depth into the ground or in a cave or fortress, you know), Dendor found another of Morgoth's forges sitting idle, so he made himself a few more things including a nice helm. He thought about making one of the frightening (and signature) battle masks his people wore, but decided against it. This may well have proved to be his undoing, as will later be seen.
As he continued downward toward Morgoth's lair, Dendor thought back on all of the great legends and texts he studied in his days as an apprentice, with their descriptions of objects of legend. He even remembered a song to the Queen of the Stars, called Elbereth by the Elvenfolk that would occasionally serve him well in Angband.
Around the time my inventory starts filling up, I like to have Lore Master, so I don't throw away anything useful. As it turns out, this game was a real beauty--I also lucked into an early Potion of Strength and about six Potions of Quickness.
He found a shaft leading down to about 450', but he got into a bit of a sticky situation with some of the Servants of Morgoth. Feeling a bit out of his depth (quite literally), Dendor headed back up the shaft to 350'. He must have taken a wrong turn, though, because rather than going back to where he had been, Dendor found himself in a completely new area of the fortress. He bandaged his wounds and continued on. Not long thereafter, he stumbled upon another forge!
This time, Dendor made himself a pair of gauntlets and put spells of strength and fighting on them, upgraded his magic rings, and made himself a good mattock for digging. Somehow it felt better to have a good mattock to hand, just in case. Dwarves are like that, you know. Anyway, he felt a little spent after the exertion, but he drank a potion and felt much better.
Four forges, with something like 13 or 14 uses...Obviously, this was ideal for me. Really, I was kind of out of good stuff to make, though that changed when I later found the Gloves of Celebrimbor and a few herbs of restoration (I was just hoping for another forge...) Plus I was starting to accumulate a pretty good skillset and having an easier time taking on harder monsters.
All was going well for Dendor. He slew an Orc Lord, and a Captain of the Easterlings, and even a Giant, who were clearly high in Morgoth's esteem. His body was hardening and getting more powerful as he went further down into Angband, and he was learning to listen for subtle sound cues in the fortress. He did have a little mishap with a false floor (the Enemy is always deceitful...), but after dusting himself off he forged ahead in his quest.
Then one day, Dendor knew fear. His first or second encounter with a serpent (poisonous serpents weren't so much trouble, but...) ended in a hasty retreat from its flames. He continued ahead, but was later trapped between a serpent of cold and one of fire in a narrow hallway.
Dendor battled valiantly, but eventually succumbed to the licking flames of the fire serpent and the freezing breath of the ice serpent. As he felt his body go numb and his life slip away, his last thought was, "I should've made that mask instead of this stupid helmet." And thus ended Dendor of Nogrod.
And here's the dump! Comments/suggestions solicited. What did I do wrong? What could I have done better? How can I improve my chances of survival? Thanks!
Code:
[Sil 1.0.2 Character Dump]
Name Dendor Age 71 Str 3 = 2 +1
Sex Male Height 4'5 Dex 3
Race Naugrim Weight 157 Con 4
House Nogrod Gra 3
Game Turn 13,581 Melee (+13,3d7) Melee 13 = 10 +3 -1 +1
Exp Pool 671 Bows (+2,1d10) Archery 2 = 0 +3 +3 -4
Total Exp 32,171 (+2,1d10) Evasion 11 = 10 +3 -2
Burden 106.8 Armor [+11,8-19] Stealth 1 = 1 +3 -3
Max Burden 172.8 Perception 11 = 8 +3
Depth 600' Health -2:41 Will 10 = 7 +3
Min Depth 550' Voice 34:34 Smithing 11 = 6 +3 +2
Light Radius 2 Song 6 = 3 +3
You are one of two children of a Dwarven Warrior. You are the black
sheep of the family. You have dark brown eyes, straight brown hair, a
three foot beard, and a dark complexion.
[Last Messages]
> You hit the Sapphire serpent.
> The Cave troll misses you.
> The Sapphire serpent misses you.
> You hit the Sapphire serpent!
> The Cave troll misses you.
> The Sapphire serpent bites you!
> You are covered with frost!
> You miss the Sapphire serpent.
> You hit the Sapphire serpent!
> The Cave troll hits you.
> Low hitpoint warning!
> *** LOW HITPOINT WARNING! ***
> The Sapphire serpent breathes frost.
> The Ruby serpent is badly hurt.
> You die.
[Screenshot]
% #
%s%
#T%
%@% %
##s#%#
##.....
'.....
[Equipment]
a) a Battle Axe of Spider Slaying (-3,3d4) 4.0 lb
It slays spiders. It does extra damage when wielded with
both hands.
b) a Longbow of Quickness (+1,1d10) [-1] 2.4 lb
It grants you the ability: Rapid Fire. It can shoot arrows
15 squares (with your current strength).
c) a Sapphire Ring of Accuracy (+2)
d) a Sapphire Ring of Accuracy (+2)
e) a Silver Amulet of Constitution <+0>
It increases your constitution by 0. It sustains your
constitution.
f) a Brass Lantern (with 3834 turns of light)
g) a Mail Corslet of Protection (-1) [-3,2d5]
It cannot be harmed by the elements.
h) a Cloak of Protection [+1,1d1]
It cannot be harmed by the elements.
i) a Round Shield of Deflection [+2,1d3]
It cannot be harmed by the elements.
j) a Helm of Clarity [-1,1d2]
It provides resistance to confusion, stunning, and
hallucination.
k) a Set of Gauntlets of Power (-1) [+0,1d1] <+1>
It increases your strength by 1.
l) a Pair of Leather Boots of Speed [+0,1d1]
It grants you the ability: Sprinting.
m) The Arrow 'Dailir' (+11)
It cannot be harmed by the elements. It can be shot 15
squares (with your current strength and bow).
n) 47 Arrows (+3)
They can be shot 15 squares (with your current strength and bow).
[Inventory]
a) 2 Russet Herbs of Restoration
b) 3 Dark Potions of True Sight
c) 3 Sparkling Blue Potions of Slow Poison
d) 2 Violet Potions of Quickness
e) 2 Brilliant Blue Potions of Strength
f) 2 Black Potions of Dexterity
g) 2 Brown Potions of Grace
h) a Twisted Staff of Freedom (5 charges)
i) a Golden Staff of Light (5 charges)
j) a Gnarled Staff of Slumber (8 charges)
k) a Topaz Ring of Sustenance
It reduces your need for food.
l) a Garnet Ring of Strength <+0>
It increases your strength by 0. It sustains your strength.
m) an Adamant Ring of Free Action
It grants you freedom of movement.
n) 4 Wooden Torches (with 2000 turns of light)
o) a Helm of Defiance [-1,1d2] <+1>
It improves your will by 1. It provides resistance to fear.
p) The Set of Leather Gloves of Celebrimbor [+0,1d1] <+4>
It improves your smithing by 4. It grants you freedom of
movement. It cannot be harmed by the elements.
q) a Shortsword of Brilliance (+0,1d7) [+1] 1.5 lb
It lights the dungeon around you.
r) a Longsword of Rauko Slaying (+0,2d6) [+1] 2.9 lb
It slays raukar.
s) 2 Throwing Axes of Final Rest (+0,2d4) 3.0 lb
They slay undead. It can be thrown effectively (9 squares).
t) a Battle Axe of Orc Slaying (-3,3d4) 5.2 lb
It slays orcs. It does extra damage when wielded with both
hands.
u) a Mattock (-5,5d2) <+2> 6.9 lb
It improves your tunneling by 2. It requires both hands to
wield it properly.
[Notes]
Dendor of the Naugrim
Entered Angband on 13 Apr 2012
Turn Depth Note
352 50 ft (Charge)
700 100 ft (Armoursmith)
700 100 ft (Enchantment)
1,403 150 ft (Keen Senses)
1,903 150 ft Lucked out, second forge!
1,903 150 ft (Jeweller)
2,123 150 ft Slew Gorgol, the Butcher
3,031 200 ft (Song of Elbereth)
3,917 250 ft (Lore-Keeper)
5,234 350 ft Another forge! Wooha.
6,729 450 ft (Lore-Master)
6,769 450 ft (Dodging)
8,171 350 ft Must be a lucky game. Forge.
8,172 350 ft (Weaponsmith)
9,078 400 ft Found The Set of Leather Gloves of Celebrimbor
9,707 400 ft (Finesse)
10,038 500 ft False floor...
10,080 500 ft Slew Othrond, the Orc Lord
10,266 500 ft Slew Ulfang the Black
10,266 500 ft Found The Arrow 'Dailir'
10,585 500 ft (Listen)
10,804 500 ft Slew Gilim, the Giant of Eruman
11,789 550 ft (Hardiness)
11,849 550 ft Slew Orcobal, Champion of the Orcs
12,126 550 ft (Poison Resistance)
13,581 600 ft Slain by a Sapphire serpent.
13,581 600 ft Died on 13 April 2012.
['Score' 012086419]
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