A toll-bridge, deep in the depths of the Pit...

The Bridge of Bones (#29/30, #272/360)

"A rickety-looking bridge, made entirely from white bones, spans across what appears to be a bottomless black chasm.  A giant stone statue stands next to the bridge, and animates at your approach. It is a five metre tall Rock Golem, with four arms and eyes of coruscating plasma.

'Each of you must choose! Face myself in combat, or face a lesser foe, such as yourself,' it rumbles."

Contents: Each Hero must answer the Rock Golem's challenge to use the bridge. If they say 'Yourself', they must fight the Rock Golem in single combat. If they win, they can cross the bridge to the other side, while the Rock Golem magically reappears, apparently completely unharmed, to challenge the next Hero.

If they say 'Myself' they must fight a Mirror Image of themselves that has the same stats but no special gear or abilities. The Mirror Image appears in the middle of the bridge and walks towards them; Heroes can fight the duplicate on the bridge or wait til it reaches their side. If they defeat the duplicate, it fades from view and they can cross the bridge safely.

Anyone fighting on the bridge who rolls a Fumble has fallen into the chasm and takes 10d6 STAMINA damage when they hit the bottom. At the bottom are the bones of the bridge's victims that have not been incorporated into its architecture, as well as various scavengers - roll on the table below to see what lurks here.

If the Heroes try and cheat by all fighting the Rock Golem at the same time, a Mirror Image of each hero will appear in the middle of bridge and attack them as well, all together.

Stats:

ROCK GOLEM, SKILL 9 STAMINA 17, 4 Attacks, Unarmed (Large), Heavy Armour, Double Damage. Every time the Rock Golem is hit, roll one die: on a 1 searing blasts of plasma shoot out from its eyes at whoever wounded it, causing 5 STAMINA damage unless a successful Test for Luck is made.

MIRROR IMAGE, SKILL as Hero STAMINA as Hero, Weapon as Hero, Armour as Hero.

Roll a die for scavengers at the bottom of the chasm, if the Heroes get down there:

1-2. 1-6 ZEYJUV, SKILL 9 STAMINA 10, 2 Attacks, Large Bite and Acid Vomit, Light Armour. Test for Skill/Luck to avoid Acid Vomit once per battle, cause 4 STAMINA damage and has to be wiped off. Like their prey, can turn Invisible and flee if the battle is going badly. See the Rough Guide to the Pit, p. 36.

3-4. 3-18 CASTLE IMPS, SKILL 5 STAMINA 4, Bone needle (1 Damage). Fighting Castle Imps in the tunnels is at a -3 penalty to the assailant's Attack Strength.

5-6. 2-12 BLACK MILLI-WYRMS, SKILL 8 STAMINA 5, 2 Attacks, Small Bite and Fire Breath, Medium Armour. Excellent eyesight gives them the Awareness Special Skill. Also breath fire; roll one die every Attack Round, on a 1 or 2 the enemy is burnt for 1 STAMINA damage. See the Rough Guide to the Pit, p. 36.

Among the bones at the bottom of the chasm (and there are a lot!), can be found the following: 83GP in mixed coins, a cracked glass jar, an empty backpack, an untarnished grappling iron, 2 Red Jewels (worth 10GP each), a Hellfire Stone and a Demonstooth Amulet.