Warlock of Firetop Mountain

It having been the first of the gamebooks, it is only fair to discuss it first…

I have always been fascinated by the refreshing simplicity of its plot. There is a warlock, you see, who happens to have lots of gold. So we go and mug him; slaying him in the process.

Thus, we are to assume, but for an isolated adventurer's greed and persistence ( you must grant him persistence for getting himself through that labyrinth ), Zagor never would have become that super-evil world-threatening overlord we see in Return to Firetop Mountain and Legend of Zagor.

Of course, we are TOLD in Creature of Havoc that he was Very Evil. However, all we have is second-hand tales about him, which we should be careful with. It is after all a time-honored practice, after you have slaughtered whoever stood in your way and appropriated their valuables, to make them out as the bad guys. In short, it well may have been some clever story planted by his murderer (us).

You know what? When I played it, I never asked myself about the moral ambiguity of the "hero". The Warlock doesn't even seem to be doing evil and I commit large-scale home invasion while he is just minding his own business. Yet, I was just thinking "It's a game and I have to beat all the monsters till I get to the boss to win."

Quite funny, that for the very first book in the series, you play as a sociopath!

You play a man who loves gold. The last words of the § 400 are :
"With this (spell) book, unlimited power is yours ...
... Or, if you prefer, you could remain as master of the Firetop Mountain "

Quite evil, for the first gamebook ...

Since the warlock is evil, it isn't a bad thing to steal his gold. Perhaps, the hero at the end of the adventure will share out what he has won with people who deserve it (wishful thinking?).

VIC a écrit:

You play a man who loves gold. The last words of the § 400 are :
"With this (spell) book, unlimited power is yours ...
... Or, if you prefer, you could remain as master of the Firetop Mountain "

Quite evil, for the first gamebook ...

The hero may become a good master of Firetop Mountain.

Sphigx a écrit:

Since the warlock is evil, it isn't a bad thing to steal his gold.

But you're starting on an unsubstantiated assumption. To the best of my knowledge, he's never shown doing anything evil.
We are not out to kill an evil warlock and get rich while at it. We're out to grab money and power.

If you ask me, the next thing we do is use this spellbook to become Zanbar Bone

Here is Zanbar Bone's story, if you wish to become him:

http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Zanbar_Bone