The Infested Fortress

The Infested Fortress
◄Eamon adventure #141►
Authors	Mike Hamaoka Paul Hamaoka
Released	January 1987
Revised	14 January 1994
EAG number	141
EDX number	15-16
EDX set	Classic Eamon Adventures, Vol. 3
Native format	Apple DOS 3.3
File	Eamon 141 - The Infested Fortress.dsk

The Infested Fortress is an Eamon adventure written by Mike Hamaoka and Paul Hamaoka.

Background

On Twitter in 2023, Mike Hamaoka recalled that he wrote the adventure when he was about 17 years old and his brother Paul about 10. He said that Paul remembered that they made it as part of a contest; the timeframe suggests it was probably the AAA Eamon Adventure Contest of 1986 which led to at least 11 new adventures being made. Mike wrote, "We were just two kids who loved AD&D, computers, and adventure games!"

Premise

From the adventure's introduction:

Many years ago, Kildarin's fortress was known for its hospitality and excellent food & drink. Two months ago, however, his fortress was taken over by a party of monsters led by Gakkian warriors. Kildarin put up a great fight, but was greatly outnumbered. He fled to the nearest city to seek aid.

Kildarin has hired you to recapture his fortress. Your pay will be whatever treasure you find on you way. He has also provided a paladin from his own ranks to aid you in the quest. As you ride off toward the fortress, he blesses you with a medallion of Hupp the Great Wanderer of the North.

Prepare yourself for... the Infested Fortress!

Walkthrough

Adventure map by Huw Williams

Clearing the interlopers out of Kildarin's fortress is a relatively straightforward affair: just push your way through the (mostly) linear progression of chambers, battling every hostile creature you find along the way, and collecting all the loot you can carry. The fortress consists of just 40 rooms — 16 on the surface and 24 in the dungeons below — and has no secrets or locked doors.

Surface level

1. Beginning at the entranceway, find your companion Sarrak and fight the Gak and the Ogre.
2. Step into the south courtyard and dispatch the guard and warrior, then check the east torture room (and kill the executioner) and the south supply room.
3. Go north to the central courtyard and explore the side rooms: the stables to the west are occupied by some giant bugs, and the quarters and treasure room to the east contain some valuable metal treasures.
4. Go north to the north end of the courtyard and clear out the guard hall to the west and the workers' quarters to the east.
5. Go north once more and you'll be in a slave room; defeat the slave master.
6. Take the east exit first, going through the unused room to the area of ruined stones. Kill the rock creature.
7. Return to the slave room and go west to reach the entry to the dungeon. Descend the stairs.

Dungeon level

1. From the dungeon entryway, first go west into the Hall of Statues. Defeat the evil imp, take the crown, and check the Trophy Room where the friendly Aaron Tyers will join you.
2. Next go east into the Marble Hall and the north side chamber, defeating Death and Plague.
3. Go south to the main hallway. Check the pillared hall to the east for a jeweled artifact.
4. Continue south to the "turning point" where exits lead south and east.
5. Check the south exit first: it leads to two rooms occupied by giant rats and giant spiders.
6. Take the east exit from the turning point, which leads down an east/west hallway. Check the curtained rooms to the north and south for monsters.
7. At the east end of the corridor, first go north, then east, and defeat the leprechauns. Return to the corridor's end.
8. Go south and you'll enter a temple. Kill the lich and his two death guards.
9. Go down the stairs into the "Grand Finale". Touching either the glowing gem or the pile of coins will magically transport you home, so take the other treasures first, then collect one of the two to end the mission.

Reviews

Pat Hurst, writing in the October 1987 issue of the club newsletter, called Infested Fortress a "routine kill-the-monsters dungeon" and gave it a poor review, criticizing its lack of tasks, puzzles, effects, or other special features, but noting that its writing was cleaner than most. Hurst wrote that he wouldn't recommend the adventure unless the player was looking for "a mindless kill campaign."

Location

Kildarin's fortress lies somewhere generally east of Evenhold, which the introduction suggests may be the nearest city to the fortress.

External links

• Eamon Adventurer's Guild Library Master List
• The Interactive Fiction Database: The Infested Fortress
• Interactive Fiction Reviews: The Infested Fortress