Sample:
The Quest for the Gem of Kyos is an adventure gamebook. The reader plays the role of the 'hero' and decides which choices to take by turning to different numbered paragraphs, 1-500. There is an original rule system and imaginary battles against foes are fought using dice. The target reader will range from an advanced 9 year old to a big kid of any age!
Introduction
You are an adventurer. You have spent most of your life travelling around the Old World in the employ of rich nobles, poor villagers, friends and sometimes enemies, seeking to earn a quick pouch of gold. You hack and slash your way through these adventures using your wits and strength as your allies, and succeed in most of your quests. No job is too large or too small for you and a whole manner of quests, missions and errands have been undertaken, whether it was rescuing a princess from a troll, saving a village from a troublesome dragon or simply slaying a few giant rats in some dank town sewers.
You have just returned from a small adventure in the Western Marshes. A tiny hamlet there, Cobden, had been raided by a pack of goblins and wolves every night for a month. The small band of farmers who resided there were weary from guarding their homes night after night, and to make matters worse, the miller, their best fighter, had fallen at the hands of a goblin spearman riding a night wolf. You happened by chance to wander into the local inn looking for a place to rest. After hearing about their plight you decided to help them, despite the fact that they could not offer you much in return besides a hot meal and a wash. That was fine by you though. You haven t chosen your way of life to satisfy your greed, you do it for the thrill and the challenge. That night, the invaders got a battle they would never forget! You managed to slay four of the foul green-skinned creatures and two of their night wolves before they could escape. Never again did they return to terrorize the locals.
After leaving Cobden your luck took a turn for the worse. You were approaching the Westfinger Peaks when you were set upon by a gang of trolls. Taken by surprise you were lucky to leave with your life, if nothing else. Your backpack containing all of your supplies was taken by the trolls. Fortunately they failed to find your gold hidden in a pouch strapped to your leg. You also recovered your weapon, before picking your bruised body from the dust and staggering onward.
Your path has taken you through the Westfinger Peaks on a quiet road. In fact, since you left Cobden four days ago you have barely seen a soul. Even the animals seem to be hidden from you, making hunting difficult. Your last meal was yesterday and consisted of no more than a dish of stewed rabbit and some tough leaves. You are hungry and begin to think about stopping to make camp. You leave the road and head into some woods to the North in search of a deer. Wishful thinking you admit to yourself!
As you move deeper into the woods it turns into a forest, but like no forest you have ever been in. There is certainly something strange about this place and you feel unsettled by it. There are hardly any forest creatures here and the trees are bent over and misshapen. No birds rest in their boughs, in fact, no birds are singing at all. Plants around your feet seem withered and the fresh clean air you would expect from a forest has been replaced with a slightly sulphurous smell, as if decay and disease infest the trees.
As you move into a clearing a sight makes you stop. Huge rocks have been carved and placed in a large circle here. Druids! You have found a druid glade. However, druids dedicate themselves to caring for the trees and animals that live around them. They are renowned across the Old World as being the guardians of nature. Druids possess powers that mean that they can actually draw their strength from the forest energies and can communicate with the spirits that reside in plants and wood.
As you gaze around the clearing wondering why the druids have allowed the forest to get into this terrible state, you are startled by the sound of somebody clearing their throat behind you. You draw your weapon with well tuned reflexes and spin round ready to defend yourself. However, you feel foolish when you see an old man dressed in a white robe gently approaching you.
"I-I m sorry to make you jump", he says, "I was hoping you may be able to help us. Are you an adventurer?" he nervously enquires.
"Yes, I am." you proudly state. "What has happened here? Why are the trees ill? Where are the animals?"
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"Yes! I will travel to Port Nazgard and hunt down Silmon to discover the whereabouts of the Gem of Kyos. If I succeed in locating it I shall return it to you, so its energies can protect your forest," you boldly state.
The druid elder looks excited by your answer, but this quickly subsides to dismay.
"But we cannot reward you with gold or silver. All we can offer you is our friendship in return. You will always be welcome in our forest. We will gladly teach you our ways should you wish to learn but do you still accept our quest?"
"I understand that you do not have wealth and treasure here," you say, "but that is not what I require. It is reward enough that I have another home on this lonely road. I will gladly accept this quest! "
Turn to 1 to begin your adventure.
The Quest for the Gem of Kyos- Book Blurb
Have you ever read a fantasy adventure story and wished that the hero would have done something different? Have you ever wanted to BE the hero and DECIDE what actions you take, which paths you follow and which enemies you fight? Now is your chance
This is an adventure gamebook. If this a new experience for you then please have a look inside, read the rules and play the game. If you are already an experienced gamebook adventurer then you will relish in the excitement and sophistication of The Quest for the Gem of Kyos.
You are an adventurer, struggling to defeat evil in the known lands, gambling with your very life, and desperate to acquire your next gold piece. During your travels you stumble across the isolated village of Laverglade deep in the forest, where you meet your next adventure.
The druids of Laverglade have existed for many centuries, bringing life and peace to their forest through meditation and study, until the sacred gem that has powered their existence there, kept in their holy shrine, has suddenly disappeared!
YOU must solve the mystery of the gems disappearance. YOUR journey will take you far from the haven that is Laverglade to the city of Port Nazgard, on the Western Coast. YOU will decide which paths to follow and which foes to challenge.
Using your wits and skill WILL you recover the GEM OF KYOS for the good druids of Laverglade? Time will tell. Begin your adventure
All you need is two dice and a pencil!
