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This is copied from a nearly successful competition 129 entry by clouded; I really thought it deserved a wider audience. It starts with him just having pilfered Gothmog's Hall and made off with Anglachel...
After finding Anglachel I decided to go for the gusto and do the throne room right away. Looking over my dump I had high enough stealth and song and lots of consumables, so why delay? I scanned over the 950ft I had just explored looking for a great axe, should I need one - but all were sitting under dragons, so I went down.
Upon arriving I used my last charge of treasures, but I saw nothing of interest, though I did notice an unusual amount of loot in the semi-oval room to the SE, I assumed Glaurung was there. So, I headed to the right first to get a look at him and collect some XP. I opened to double doors to the throne room to have a peek in... Since I was generating the throne room with danger, I knew Gorthaur would be there, which made me very anxious. Of course, he was in the worse spot possible - right in front of Morgoth.
I moved back up around the right, to the stairs and then to the NW room, finding the secret passage, which I headed down. Coming out behind Morgoth I quaff a grace potion and sing my soothing song, putting him to sleep within a few turns. Moving on top of the crown I fully buff myself - I knew there was a chance he would wake up and wanted to be prepared. This is where the game ruins my life. As I've done many times before, I cut out the sil. With Anglachel it only took one attempt. "But you have no room!" Oooops. The sil slides right under Morgoth. Not going to lie, I got quite upset at this point.
I curse for a while and then cut the second sil out. I have one, Morgoth has one, and there is still one in the crown. Now I wonder what to do. In hindsight, one option would have been to move back up to the north of the map and break tension, hopefully vanishing from everything - and causing Morgoth to move off the sil. I didn't think this at the time however. I had to get the third sil out. Still buffed, I go for it... Obviously, this was the time Anglachel breaks. And yet more obviously, Morgoth wakes up.
I'm now standing next to the alert Vala, a few steps from the back passage. The rest of the room is still asleep - if I remember correctly. There is potential here to dance around him and try and get the sil, but there is no chance I could do it without the rest of the room waking, and with Gorthaur so close I thought it a foolish plan. I flee back into the passage. A small way in, perhaps past the silent watcher, Morgoth creates an earthquake. Not much damage, nothing else seems to have become aware of me, so I keep going. Once I reach the NW rooms, I close some doors and stand still, trying to vanish. A waste of time, you can't hide from a wrathful god!
Because of the setup of these rooms, I thought I would draw Morgoth and loop around, running back into the passage for the sil. So I did, though I wasn't running as fast as I could, because Morgoth wasn't too far behind. Once I get near the silent watcher I notice something: Morgoth's earthquake had blocked my path. The door to the east of the watcher was now rubble, but no big deal - I have my trusty mattock. Now I make a mistake. I swing at the the rubble without thinking, the watcher wakes up. I should have sung silence first. My path is clear, but I am stunned, afraid and the shrieks have woken the main hall.
I had to get to the sil. No matter what was ahead, Morgoth was behind. No going back at this point. I move foward a few spaces, but the silent watcher had heavily stunned me at this point. I use one of my miruvor potions and get some buffs on too. Morgoth wasn't too far behind now and an ancient serpent had come into the entrance of the passage. Dearly wishing I hadn't been a fool, neglecting to save experience for exchange places I sing Lorien, hoping I can kill my way to the sil. The serpent falls asleep instantly, while I am now next to it. I wish I had to time to focus my attack, but I don't. I pray and hit, managing a killing blow. Now I am at the situation seen in this screenshot.
Well okay, apparently that was before the serpent? Since I am holding the mattock, I must have killed that orc before the serpent came, it's a bit blurry at this point. You can see how close Morgoth was behind me... I think he may have even been next to me while I stabbed the serpent.
Anyway, after I had managed to overcome this, death was staring me truly head on.
Standing on the silmaril was Gorthaur. What hope had I at this point? I was injured. I would like to heal, if I did Gorthaur would move forward and I would be completely trapped. I had no choice but to step forward. As I stepped towards my doom, I was bitten. No damage, but now I had a large amount of poison, Gorthaur, Morgoth and probably that amythest serpent standing next to me. Have to heal. I did, and I survived. Now I don't know what happens, I was still singing Lorien so I would think the serpent had already fallen asleep next to me. I must have stabbed it, because I had an opening to move. Away from Morgoth is a good direction in my book, so let's go there. Still alive somehow, and probably injured, more healing required. Gorthaur's pack of werewolves had closed in at this point, but I still had space to move. Where would I even go? But I had to keep moving at least, staying still wouldn't do anything. A move, and more healing.
Now I am on my last turn, the next would be my death. Desperately I see an open path, away from wolves next to me and between an orc and some trolls. I try, but no. Now it all ends...
Ah well... Frustrating death, that it all came from one mistake - not thinking about the sil overflowing. I had done it this way many times before. Now I've reflected on it, at least I can say it was memorable.
Upon arriving I used my last charge of treasures, but I saw nothing of interest, though I did notice an unusual amount of loot in the semi-oval room to the SE, I assumed Glaurung was there. So, I headed to the right first to get a look at him and collect some XP. I opened to double doors to the throne room to have a peek in... Since I was generating the throne room with danger, I knew Gorthaur would be there, which made me very anxious. Of course, he was in the worse spot possible - right in front of Morgoth.
I moved back up around the right, to the stairs and then to the NW room, finding the secret passage, which I headed down. Coming out behind Morgoth I quaff a grace potion and sing my soothing song, putting him to sleep within a few turns. Moving on top of the crown I fully buff myself - I knew there was a chance he would wake up and wanted to be prepared. This is where the game ruins my life. As I've done many times before, I cut out the sil. With Anglachel it only took one attempt. "But you have no room!" Oooops. The sil slides right under Morgoth. Not going to lie, I got quite upset at this point.
I curse for a while and then cut the second sil out. I have one, Morgoth has one, and there is still one in the crown. Now I wonder what to do. In hindsight, one option would have been to move back up to the north of the map and break tension, hopefully vanishing from everything - and causing Morgoth to move off the sil. I didn't think this at the time however. I had to get the third sil out. Still buffed, I go for it... Obviously, this was the time Anglachel breaks. And yet more obviously, Morgoth wakes up.
I'm now standing next to the alert Vala, a few steps from the back passage. The rest of the room is still asleep - if I remember correctly. There is potential here to dance around him and try and get the sil, but there is no chance I could do it without the rest of the room waking, and with Gorthaur so close I thought it a foolish plan. I flee back into the passage. A small way in, perhaps past the silent watcher, Morgoth creates an earthquake. Not much damage, nothing else seems to have become aware of me, so I keep going. Once I reach the NW rooms, I close some doors and stand still, trying to vanish. A waste of time, you can't hide from a wrathful god!
Because of the setup of these rooms, I thought I would draw Morgoth and loop around, running back into the passage for the sil. So I did, though I wasn't running as fast as I could, because Morgoth wasn't too far behind. Once I get near the silent watcher I notice something: Morgoth's earthquake had blocked my path. The door to the east of the watcher was now rubble, but no big deal - I have my trusty mattock. Now I make a mistake. I swing at the the rubble without thinking, the watcher wakes up. I should have sung silence first. My path is clear, but I am stunned, afraid and the shrieks have woken the main hall.
I had to get to the sil. No matter what was ahead, Morgoth was behind. No going back at this point. I move foward a few spaces, but the silent watcher had heavily stunned me at this point. I use one of my miruvor potions and get some buffs on too. Morgoth wasn't too far behind now and an ancient serpent had come into the entrance of the passage. Dearly wishing I hadn't been a fool, neglecting to save experience for exchange places I sing Lorien, hoping I can kill my way to the sil. The serpent falls asleep instantly, while I am now next to it. I wish I had to time to focus my attack, but I don't. I pray and hit, managing a killing blow. Now I am at the situation seen in this screenshot.
Well okay, apparently that was before the serpent? Since I am holding the mattock, I must have killed that orc before the serpent came, it's a bit blurry at this point. You can see how close Morgoth was behind me... I think he may have even been next to me while I stabbed the serpent.
Anyway, after I had managed to overcome this, death was staring me truly head on.
Standing on the silmaril was Gorthaur. What hope had I at this point? I was injured. I would like to heal, if I did Gorthaur would move forward and I would be completely trapped. I had no choice but to step forward. As I stepped towards my doom, I was bitten. No damage, but now I had a large amount of poison, Gorthaur, Morgoth and probably that amythest serpent standing next to me. Have to heal. I did, and I survived. Now I don't know what happens, I was still singing Lorien so I would think the serpent had already fallen asleep next to me. I must have stabbed it, because I had an opening to move. Away from Morgoth is a good direction in my book, so let's go there. Still alive somehow, and probably injured, more healing required. Gorthaur's pack of werewolves had closed in at this point, but I still had space to move. Where would I even go? But I had to keep moving at least, staying still wouldn't do anything. A move, and more healing.
Now I am on my last turn, the next would be my death. Desperately I see an open path, away from wolves next to me and between an orc and some trolls. I try, but no. Now it all ends...
Ah well... Frustrating death, that it all came from one mistake - not thinking about the sil overflowing. I had done it this way many times before. Now I've reflected on it, at least I can say it was memorable.
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