TSURIA
An adventure for Lode Runner: The Legend Continues

	Gods, what a week!  Sometimes you wish you weren't Jake Peril, the heroic bounty hunter and scourge of the Mad Monks of the Evil Empire.  You're exhausted, covered with scratches,  bruises, and burn marks, and you haven't slept for two straight days.  You've just returned from the Eastern border where minions of the Evil Empire tried to enslave the people of your land again.  Your quick actions and thinking repulsed the attack, but you barely escaped with your life.  Again.  As you finally reach home, all you can think of is how good that bed will feel.  If you weren't so wiped out, you probably would notice a strange odor in your house.  But you are and you don't.  You don't even make it to the bedroom.  You just flop down on the couch and in a minute you're asleep.
	You awaken with a start, hearing a clicking noise somewhere near.  You leap to your feet to see an intruder standing a few feet away from you pointing an unusual device at your chest.  He's wearing a dark cloak that hides all his features except for his gleaming eyes and wicked grin.  Could this be the end of your illustrious career?
	"Don't try anything heroic, Mr. Peril.  I'm instructed to bring you back alive, but no one said what condition you have to be in."  His finger twitches on the trigger of the evil-looking mechanism.  It's like no weapon you've ever seen before.  A chill creeps down your spine.  You have the sinking feeling you're going to find out what that weapon can do!
	"Who are you, and what do you want?" you snarl at him.  "Can't you see I was trying to take a nap?"
	The dark figure laughs.  "Yes, and your snoring could wake the dead!"  Another chill slivers along your back.  "My name is of no concern to you, and I'm here to 'offer' you a vacation of sorts."  Sarcasm drips from his words.  "You've won an all-expense paid trip to Tsuria.  You're being conscripted to fight the Evil Empire.  In fact, it's time to go.  Now!"  You try to jump out of the way, but the foreign agent has already fired his weapon.  A cold numbness washes over you spreading from your head to your feet.  Suddenly you can't move any more!  You're completely paralyzed!
	The man walks over to where you're frozen, pulling a round object from his cloak.  You're helpless to move as he attaches the object to your chest.  "This is a transporter beacon," he says as he pulls another object from his cloak and clips it on his own clothes.  "Sorry Jake, but there isn't an in-flight movie on this trip."  You wish you could punch him.  From another pocket he brings out a microburst radio transmitter.  He fiddles with the knobs momentarily until it begins to make a high-pitched steady tone.  "Hold still!" he laughs hoarsely.  His thumb presses a button on the microburst.
	The device on your chest immediately explodes with power.  The energy crawls over every inch of your skin, like lightning writhing over your body.  Then you feel yourself being vaporized as a white light bursts in your mind's eye.  You scream in pain but no sound comes out.  In a few seconds your house is empty again except for a lingering burning smell and two charred spots on the carpet.

	You struggle awake to find yourself in a tiny stone-walled cell with no windows and no doors.  Shades!  You ache all over, remembering how much you hate transporters.  And being flash-frozen didn't help either.  Oddly though you feel somewhat refreshed.  Maybe you've slept a long time.  On the floor you notice a tray of food and realize you're starved.  In a moment the food is gone, since you figure if they wanted you alive they wouldn't poison you.  You hope!  Suddenly one of the walls starts to glow around the edges, and where a stone wall used to be a force field appears.  Beyond it is the man who brought you here.  Maybe you'll get to punch him this time.
	The black-cloaked man presses a button on his side of the wall and the force field fades away with a crackle.  "Pleasant trip?" he asks snidely.
	"The trip was fine, but the service sucked," you say stretching your arms and yawning.
	The man's face clouds.  "You can bring that up with management," he smirks.  "In fact, they're waiting to see you."  He waves an ion pistol at you.  "You have an appointment.  Let's not keep them waiting."
	He leads you from your cell down a stone corridor.  Portable ion lights brighten the hallway at intervals.  A door stands open wide at the end, opening to a large round room with balconies ringing the center pit.  The man ushers you to the center and closes the door.  You feel like a gladiator about to be sacrificed to the lions.  "Nice place you got here," you comment.
	"It's only temporary," he barks.  Just then on the first row of balconies ten black-robed figures shuffle into view.  At least they aren't red robes, you think.  They sit in a semi-circle staring down at you.  You can't see their faces, but they don't seem happy to see you.  The agent that kidnapped you lowers to one knee and bows his head.  You have no such desire to do so, so instead you glare up at your captors.
	Finally one of them speaks.  "Welcome, Jake Peril."  You don't feel welcome.  "We are the Council of Tsuria.  We have brought you here because we need your help."
	"A simple postcard would've been easier," you reply.  "Why should I help anyone who abducted me?"
	"Because you have no choice," says another councilmember, a woman's voice.
	The first speaker continues, "Currently we are fugitives from our land.  The Evil Empire attacked us and drove us into exile.  We need you to enter Tsuria covertly and recover our treasures.  With your help we will be able to push back the Mad Monks and reclaim what is ours."  Fat chance, you think.  You remember hearing of the small nation Tsuria, a mysterious and secretive place northwest of your land.  Almost no one was allowed into their country, and it's people weren't allowed out either.  Their oppressive society was maybe one step up from the Evil Empire itself.  Well, a half-step.
	Something still doesn't make sense.  "Why did the Empire invade Tsuria?" you ask.  
	The woman speaks this time, "They attacked us because we were developing a new weapon, a device which you have first-hand experience with."  You suppress a shudder.  She grinds her teeth.  "The ion stasis laser.  We were about to mass-produce it when the Evil Empire assailed us.  With our new weapon they would be invincible!  We were able to hide the plans from them, but we had to flee for our lives."
	With a weapon that could paralyze anyone from a distance, the Mad Monks could overthrow any country it desired.  They would be unstoppable!  But you're uncomfortable with the thought of that weapon in the Tsurian's hands also.
	The first councilmember starts again, "We must recover those plans before the Monks do.  The schematics are divided into ten parts, hidden within golden skulls in the Temple of Tsuria.  You must make your way to the Forbidden Temple and recover those skulls.  The way to the temple is treacherous and filled with the minions of the Empire.  You must not fail."
	Time out here, you think.  "And why should I do anything for you?"
	The first councilor raises his hand, clenching a remote device and pressing a button.  Behind you you hear a crackling noise.  Turning, you see the square sides of a Portal flare brightly, then the interior of the square fills with swirling ion energy as the Portal readies for transport.  "In the temple the last Portal will return you to your land.  That is your only way home.  If you wish to do so, through Tsuria is the way you must go."  The councilor waves at the Portal.  "You will go through that Portal, either by your own will or we will send you through paralyzed by the stasis laser."  Your blood turns to ice.  The Mad Monks would love to see you frozen and helpless!
	"Any other treasure you find you can keep, so this journey may be profitable for you also.  Before you go, we have something that may help you."  He nods to the agent behind you, who gives you a tiny handheld computer.  "Our spies have retrieved some information on the Monks' movements in Tsuria.  This computer contains transcripts from their recordings.  It may be of some help."  You slip it into your pocket.
	All councilors lean over the railing to stare down at you.  "You must not fail.  Failure means your death and the subjugation of all people if the Evil Empire gains control of the stasis laser plans.  Good luck."
	You turn and face the Portal.  The agent looks at you coldly, then smirks at your situation.  That's it, you think.  Before he can act you swing your fist and give him a right hook that sends him sprawling on the floor.  Well, you feel a little better.  Without a look back you sprint towards the Portal.  As you cross the threshold, you feel that familiar lurch in your stomach like your lunch stayed behind as a tingling fire sweeps over your body.  Then you're on the other side and get your first glance at Tsuria.

	You find yourself on a platform looking down at the entrance to a crystal mine.  Several Mad Monks are scurrying around below you but haven't spotted you yet.  It doesn't look that difficult, you ponder, but you pull the tiny computer from your pocket to see what you're getting into.  As the information scrolls by, you see it's a transcript from a voice diary, possibly from several different Tsurian spies.  You read further, and suddenly in shock you realize that these aren't diaries from Tsurian spies, but from other thieves and bounty hunters like yourself!  You're obviously not the first smuggler they've kidnapped for their dirty work.  You seethe in anger and resentment.  You're determined now to make sure those plans don't fall into anyone's hands except yours.  And when you get them, they're history!  You study the diaries again, hoping for some clues to help you get out of this alive, although it looks like none of the others did!


	Tsuria - Entrance to Muria Mines

	Grey Fox here.  Damn those Tsurians!  Like I don't have anything better to do than save their asses!  Shades!  Well, might as well get to it.  The Muria Mines are on the south border of Tsuria.  It's an underground network of caverns threading deeper into Tsuria.  This mine seems all played out, and there's only a few of those blasted Monks around.  Looks like things'll get hairy around the handrails, but that's about it.  Somehow I think it's going to get harder the deeper in I get!


	Cavia Dhargenia

	Man, I can't believe my luck!  This was supposed to be an easy take, but somebody screwed me and then those rotten Tsurians nabbed me.  When I find out who sold out the Rat, I'll sell them to the Evil Empire slave traders!  I could make a lotta dough from this run, though.  So now I'm in these creepy purple caves with slimy pools of water or something.  There's four of them red buggers, but it'll take more of 'em then that to trap this master thief.
	Got most of the gold without breakin' a sweat.  Just a few more and I'll be outta here.  Whoa!  No!  Oh no!  They're coming!  I'm trapped!  I-----


	Magimia

	Whew!  Scoundrel here, and is it ever hot in here!  This place is full of lava pools, handrails, transporters, and those damn Monks seem to be everywhere!  Gotta keep your eye on them, or they'll be waiting for you when you transport up.  Plus they'll steal treasure right from under you, and you gotta wait till they drop it to get it.  They seem to stay on one side unless they spot you.  There's an opening.  Here goes!


	Hall of Ka-Tsuria

	This next place seems to be an ancient hall where the Tsurians kept some of their precious stuff, but most of it's been nabbed by the Red Wackos.  Slim Jim's the name, and gettin' rich and stayin' alive is my game.  But I like games when they're fixed my way, not against me.  There're only three of 'em, and so far it's been a piece of cake.  Blast!  Two of 'em are hangin' around up top.  How'm I gonna get the gold up there?


	Khatsia Forest at Night

	Grey Fox again.  Finally moved above ground and wish I hadn't.  This place stinks!  The forest smells like it's decaying, and it's even worse at night.  There's two guards posted around here somewhere, but I'll be damned if I can spot 'em in time before they jump out at you.  It's going to be tough finding all the gold and the blasted exit in this darkness.  Shades, there's one of the Monks now!


	Ghorghia

	Karvan here unfortunately.  And I thought the forest smelled bad!  Well, there's only two Monks after me.  That gas canister might come in handy, especially if I get stuck in that lower area where my blaster won't work on the ground.  Wait!  I almost missed it.  There's a bomb over there, but only one.  I better be careful where I use it!


	Vojhia

	This place gives me the creeps.  Sometimes I wish that Scoundrel wasn't quite so well-known so that the Tsurians hadn't heard of me.  This nasty place is like a maze for lab rats.  There's three keys and three locked Portals.  Damned if I know which one to take.  Supposedly there's three different tunnels through Katan-Tsur that leads to the Temple.  I hope I make it that far to choose which door to take!


	Katan-Tsur I

	Slim Jim again.  Looks like I picked the easy one, but something's not right.  The four wacko monks are all over the place, until I try for the lower area and then they're right on my butt.  Where's the damn exit Portal?  I-- whoa!  Blast!  Those Monks are on both sides of me!


	Katan-Tsur II

	Kavran's Tsurian diary:  Gods!  It's like I'm trapped in some kind of nightmare!  Ladders, handrails, Mad Monks and gold everywhere.  I shoulda picked one of the other doors back in Vojhia.  One slip on those handrails could cost you your life.  Got most of the gold; now to--  Oh no!  I slipped!  AAARRRGH!!!  [Shredding noises.]


	Katan-Tsur III

	Hang those portals!  Right from the start three of those Monks are right on my tail!  Lucky they're slower in that orange muck than Scoundrel is.  Got to get through before they get here.  Whew!  Not so bad yet.  Blast!  How'm I gonna get down there!  Okay, got the key, but--  No!  There's too many of them!  I--YEEAARRGH!!!  [Crunching sounds.]


	Ischia Labyrinth

	Slim Jim here, almost to the end.  Somewhere in this frozen maze of icicles and crevasses there's a Portal to the Forbidden Temple.  Gods, I'm so cold and tired!  My hands can barely hold on to my pistol to blast through this ice.  I almost got trapped once, but I fooled those scarlet creeps.  Almost done.  No!  My hands... so cold... can't hold on to the rails...  NOOOO!!!


	The Forbidden Temple of Tsuria

	Grey Fox here, finally at the Temple.  Run!  Right off the bat it's a race to the top of the Temple, with four Monks chasing behind me and four more trying to beat me to the top.  Now to get the ten skulls and destroy the plans hidden in them and get the hell out of here.  Gods, I want to go home!  I hope the Tsurians rot for what they've done.  Now, I--  What?!?  GODS!  Run!  RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!!  AAA---  [End transmission.]

