Stage 1 Minimum Level: 1600 Location:Castle of the Dead (11, 19) Required Item: None Required Kills: None

You've continued through the Forest and found a castle which seems ominously quiet. There's a low moaning drifting on the air. It makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end! You entered the castle cautiously and meet a bedraggled looking King stands in the gloom of the castle. You cautiously approach the King. He looks up with hollow eyes and slowly manages to focus on you. 'You're.....not dead?' The question baffles you a little and you confirm that you are, in fact, alive.

Stage 2 Minimum Level: 1600 Location:Castle of the Dead (11, 19) Required Item: None Required Kills: None

The King seems to wake up a bit. 'You're alive? You should get out of here! This castle is cursed! I'd married my Beloved, but the Queen Mother did not approve of her. She used fell magics to murder my sweet wife, but the dark forces she released were beyond her control.' The King sighs, shoulders slumped. 'The Queen. She rose from the dead and tore the Queen Mother apart. I do not blame her but whatever has happened to her, she started stalking the castle, murdering our subjects! They now roam the castle as undead, killing all they find. For some reason, neither the Queen nor the Subjects attack me. Using this, I was able to trap my Beloved in her rooms but it's too late. My Subjects continued where the Queen left off. The only person who has stayed dead is the Queen Mother, though I know not why.' You listen and wonder about what you've heard. This is a slightly more obscure tale than you've heard but you think you might have an idea of how to dispel the Cursed Bards corrupting influence. You tell the King 'I think I know what's happening here. There may be a way to make this right. Where is the Queen Mother's body?' The King tells you where to find your quarry. You nod, tell him to stay safe and that you will do what you can to set this right.

Stage 3 Minimum Level: 1600 Location:Castle of the Dead (17, 3) Required Item: None Required Kills: None

You find the body of the Queen Mother. The King hadn't been kidding. Her new Daughter-in-Law had torn her limb from limb! You search through the ruin of what had been the Queen Mother and find a list of items she'd gathered and used to lay an enchantment upon the Queens Choker. It looks like the enchantment went wrong, and the Queen was turned into something close to Undead but, you think the spell can be reversed, returning her to full life, along with the castles subjects. Nothing can be done for the Queen Mother though. You make a few notes and adjustments to the enchantment and think that you might just be fix this. You'll need the Choker though so decide to return to the King to ask if he knows where it is. You receive 'Recipe of Queens Purified Choker'.

Stage 4 Minimum Level: 1600 Location:Castle of the Dead (11, 19) Required Item: None Required Kills: None

You return to the King. 'Have you had any luck with this wretched curse?' he asks. The King blinks. 'The Choker? The one my foolish Mother used to spring this horror into motion? I know my Beloved had it on initially but as she was rampaging through the castle, I noticed she was not wearing it any longer. It must have come off in the fighting. Why do you ask?' You explain your theory and your belief this can be fixed. The King is not convinced. 'How can you bring back the dead? That's foulest necromancy!' Again, you explain that according to the scroll you found on the Queen Mother's corpse, the Queen, and indeed all the Subjects touched by her, are not actually dead. It's some strange magical affliction. If you can get the Choker and purify it, then get it on the Queen herself, it ought to undo the curse and spread to everyone afflicted. At this, the King's face brightens. There is a glimmer of hope in his eyes. 'This can be fixed? My Beloved and my people can all be returned to me? What of my Mother?' You confirm that you believe the Queen and the subjects can indeed be saved, however, the Queen Mother is beyond your abilities. The King nods. 'Probably just as well. I would not have relished having to execute my own Mother for treason. The Choker must be in the Castle somewhere. The Queen is locked in her Quarters. But....what of the subjects? They will attack you?' You smile and say 'I can take them out without killing them, though there may be some minor injuries. They, like the Queen, are innocent in all of this.' With that, you turn and walk into the gloom of the castle, determined to find the Queens Corrupted Choker and end this.

Stage 5 Minimum Level: 1600 Location:Castle of the Dead (1, 9) Required Item: None Required Kills: None	You hunt through the gloom of the castle. You see something glimmering in a corridor corner. Sifting through the wreckage, you find an ornate spoon. Sighing, you drop it to the floor and continue the search.

Stage 6 Minimum Level: 1600 Location:Castle of the Dead (20, 1) Required Item: None Required Kills: 25 x Dead Subject

As you hunt through the castle, you find something glinting in another corridor, close the where the Queen Mother met her messy end. As you bend down to examine the item, a crowd of Dead Subjects appear, see you and charge towards you! Remembering that these poor unfortunates are not truly dead, you subdue them with as little injury as you can. Once this has been done, You return to examining the glimmering item. Uncovering it, you find a golden tea pot. You place it back on the ground and continue your search.

Stage 7 Minimum Level: 1600 Location:Castle of the Dead (18, 14) Required Item: None Required Kills: 25 x Dead Subject

As you cautiously walk through castle, you come to a small room and you see another glimmer in the detritus scattered around. You'll have to clear out the milling group of Subjects before you can see if it's the Choker. It does not take long to incapacitate the Subjects. With them down, you search through the rubbish and lo! It's the Queen's Corrupted Choker! Now that you have this, you'll have to merge it with Lute Strings from the corrupted Bards lute. That ought to break the spell if the twisted story. Time to visit the Queen!

Stage 8 Minimum Level: 1600 Location:Queens Quarters (4, 10) Required Item: Queens Purified Choker Required Kills: 1 x Murdered Queen (Elite)

You cautiously enter the Queen's Quarters, checking corners, behind doors and screens and for all your caution, she still appears out of no where, shrieking like a banshee when she's close. As the Queen leaps at you, you manage to get your shield up and catch her clawing hands against it, using your greater strength and weight to pin her to the wall. You drop your weapon as the Queen bucks against your weigh and manage to bring out the choker. With a deft move, you slip the choker over her head and, as it settles around her neck, it pulses once before it unleashes and magic blast that hurls you across the room!. The Queen is held aloft in the middle of the magical maelstrom, pure light burning away the darkness. Another pulse of light bursts from the swirling magic and flows throughout the castle and everything does dark! You pick yourself up and VERY cautiously move to the collapsed Queen. She stirs and you see she looks healthy and whole! She sees you and yelps! 'What're you doing in my chambers? Who are you? Why's it so dark?' You assure the Queen that everything is okay now. That the King is worried sick about her and that you've come to help her. She seems a little sceptical but agrees to allow you to escort her to her husband.

Stage 9 Minimum Level: 1600 Location:Castle of the Dead (11, 19) Required Item: None Required Kills: None

You escort the Queen through the castle. Everywhere you turn, you see her subjects have been returned to full health, with no memory of the horror that was inflicted upon them. The Queen often stops to help her people but you gently continue to guide her to the King. Eventually, you reach the gatehouse area the King spent his time. You see that he too has been assisting the people of the castle. The Queen catches sight of him and stops in her tracks, hand going to her mouth. The Queen hesitantly steps forward, just as the King turns and catches sight of her. You shake your head. You know the area of the forests are about stories but can't help grinning like an idiot as the King and Queen run towards each other to embrace like an old romance pulp leaflet. The Royal couple's embrace ends and they both turn to you, happy smiles upon their faces. The King is the first to speak. 'You found her and returned her to me healthy and whole! I can never repay you for what you have done here. And my subjects! They are returned to us too! Truly, all would have been lost had you not come to this castle! I only wish we actually had a way to repay you but the castle is in ruins and we only have food and a warm bed, though it'll take a little time to get the castle into any worthy shape. You thank the two Royals, tell them you'll accept their hospitality gladly, but that you'll lend a hand in the clean-up. You head off to join a small group that looks like they could do with some help. You get the castle straightened out in no time and after a delicious repast bed down for the night. You awaken the next day refreshed and after further discussion with the Royal Couple, take your leave and head for the next section of Storybook Forest. You receive 16,117,922 XP.