text: [Themes: fantasy]
  
  Great!
  
  Now you have one end of the rope tied to the arrow, and the other end tied fast to the tower.
  
  The goblins look up! They've seen you!!
  
  Hurry!
  
  > fire an Arrow into the Center of Camp
  The arrow flies hard and true, where it lands with a THUNK in a wooden post at the center of camp.
  
  The blue-skinned man looks confused. He gazes about, searching for the source of the sound.
  
  Meanwhile, the goblins have started swarming up the tower!
  
  You see the first one poke his head over the edge of the platform.
  
  Go!! NOW!!!
  
  > slide down the rope to the center of camp!
  You grab the rope, in your hands, and begin to slide down it, just as the goblins reach the top of the tower!
  
  Their hands clutch at you, swiping at your back and missing you by inches.
  
  You zip down the rope, zooming towards the center of camp. You can see tents whooshing by as you hurtle towards the center, you can see the blue-skinned man on his throne look up in shock and surprise, as you careen wildly towards him....
  
  Then you let go of the rope, and go tumbling into the center of camp.
  
  You bolt to your feet, crossbow already drawn, already pointed at the general's heart.
  
  Dozens of goblins surround you, their weapons outstretched, but you don't care.
  
  You made it.
  
  > threaten the General
  "NOBODY MOVE!!" you scream. You hold the crossbow steady.
  
  The blue-skinned man raises an eyebrow.
  
  "Well, well, well," he hisses. His eyes are serpentine. A forked tongue flickers from his lips. As he rises from his stone chair, his cape swirls dramatically.
  
  "So you've come to face me, hm? Me. LARCASSIO?!"
  
  What is it with this guy and saying his own name?
  
  "Yeah, that's right," you say, grimly. "I've been dying to meet you. And now you're gonna be dying. But not to meet me. Just the regular kind of dying."
  
  Dangit. That was your one chance to say something cool.
  
  "Oh, my dear boy...." Larcassio says, "You do realize you'll be dead half a second after you pull that trigger...don't you?"
  
  "Of course I know that," you say, "But I don't care. Maybe with you dead, Lyestra will have a fighting chance. It's not much, but it's all I can do."
  
  "Dear me," Larcassio says, "So you don't care if you live or die. How noble. But....what about....."
  
  He lazily raises a finger towards the sky. You follow his gaze.....looking up.....and your heart sinks.
  
  > look Up
  High, high above the camp, attached to one of the siege towers, a cage swings freely in the open air.
  
  And in that cage....
  
  "Arakhan!!" A pair of gloved hands grip at the bars of the cage. "You're alive!! You made it!!"
  
  You feel sick. You recognize the green cloak of your friend and fellow guard--
  
  --It's Anaria.
  
  "So....I, uh....caught the trail of this Larcassio creep," Anaria shouts down at you, "I--uh, I almost had him! But he--um, kinda got the jump on me." She grimaces. "Sorry, boss."
  
  Larcassio chuckles.
  
  "If you shoot me with that bolt, that cage goes crashing to the ground," Larcassio says smugly, "And do you think your dearest friend Anaria could survive such a drop? I think not."
  
  "HEY! Boss! What's he saying down there?!" Anaria shouts down at you, "Whatever it is, don't listen to 'im! Kill the slimeball!!"
  
  Your hand falters. You don't know if you can do it.
  
  "Oh bother," Larcassio says. His forked tongue flickers. "It seems that we're at a bit of a stalemate now, aren't we? I can't kill you, because then I might end up dead. And you can't kill me, because you're a sad excuse for a man. Whatever shall we do?"
  
  > offer another solution
  "Alright," you say. You point at him. "Let's make a deal. You. Me. One on one. A duel of honor."
  
  Larcassio cocks his head.
  
  "A pretty desperate attempt..." he says, "I have you surrounded, you know...."
  
  "Yeah, and that's SO brave of you, isn't it?" you say, "You're the mighty Larcassio, right? Pretty tough when you've got a hundred goblins backing you up. But if you're too scared..."
  
  "SCARED??" Larcassio bellows. He marches forward, and his cape swirls across the ground. He gets so close to you that the tip of your crossbow bolt digs into his chest. He's face to face with you. "I'm not scared of ANYTHING!" he proclaims.
  
  He holds his hands high in the air.
  
  "I burned your puny little village to the ground! And I will kill you easily, boy!" He extends his arm. "My fencing sword, if you please!"
  
  The goblins scramble.
  
  "NOW!!" he roars.
  
  Finally, a wizened goblin hands Larcassio an elegant sword. The hilt is flamboyant, encrusted with diamonds and pearls. The blade itself gleams brightly, reflecting the torchlight.
  
  "Let's end this embarrassing display of resistance, shall we?" Larcassio mocks, and slashes his sword at the ground. "And then, we'll get what we really came for...."
  
  "Fine," you say, "But if I win, Anaria and I go free."
  
  Larcassio laughs hysterically.
  
  "En garde!" he cries.
  
  > fight for your Life
  You grab a fencing sword from the ground and defend yourself awkwardly.
  
  Larcassio paces back and forth, watching you and smirking.
  
  "This will be even easier than I thought..." he mutters.
  
  The goblins have encircled the two of you, and they are cheering Larcassio on.
  
  You frantically try to remember everything you know about fencing.....it isn't much.
  
  > assume a defensive position
  You and Larcassio square off.
  
  A moment passes, both of you waiting to see what the other will do.
  
  Then, Larcassio lunges at you, blade outstretched!
  
  > Attack
  Larcassio's blade plunges into you.....
  
  The world is spinning.
  
  You see a pair of snake like eyes, and a sharp-toothed grin, and everything fades away......
  
  > Have died.
  Sadly, you have died.
  
  However, this is not the end! It can't be the end!
  
  Try again! You must avenge your village. If you don't, who will?
  
  You have reached a save point.
  
  You may either restart from the beginning, or from the beginning of the duel.