Emsone's Castle (comic story)

Emsone's Castle was a comic story published in Doctor Who Annual 1979. It featured the Fourth Doctor and Leela, and was adapted by Brian Bolland as Dr. Who for Lyncross in 1979, though thw adaption was never published.

Summary
The Fourth Doctor and Leela are on Zorka, the uncharted planet, a strange twilight world in variable orbit. The Doctor is undertaking research into the medicinal qualities of a rare Zorkan mountain weed when he is confronted with a strange sight - a walking, talking skeleton asking for his aid! He finds himself thrown into a conflict with the malevolent mystic Emsone, but unbeknownst to the Doctor, Emsone has a deep-laid plot, and his target is - the Doctor himself!

Plot
The Fourth Doctor and Leela are on the planet Zorka, a mysterious world in a variable orbit, where the Doctor is investigating the medicinal properties of a rare Zorkan mountain weed. They are interrupted when a walking, talking skeleton calling for help. The skeleton explains that his name is Krass, and he is an inhabitant of Zorka. He was a perfectly normal humanoid before Emsone, a mystic from a neighbouring mountain, invited him to his castle. There Emsone made Krass' flesh and clothing disappear, leaving him the animated skeleton he now is. But if the Doctor is familiar with the properties of M-rays, he can help. The Doctor is capable of creating a system that can restore Krass, but, as he is carrying out the procedure, Emsone's trusted assistant, Gurk, attacks. The Doctor, intent on the restoration procedure, does not see Gurk, and Krass, who does, is incapable of warning due to the procedure. Gurk knocks the Doctor unconscious, and while Leela leaps to the attack, she is no match for Gurk's strength and is captured.

It is some time before the Doctor recovers, and, when he does, he sees that Krass has only been partly restored due to Gurk interrupting the experiment. The Doctor asks where Leela is, and Krass tells him that Gurk has taken her to Emsone's castle. He has a hover-car, and with Krass as navigator, the Doctor sets out for Emsone's castle.

As they cross the swamp, the Doctor becomes aware of strange thoughts invading his head, telling him to fly into the swamp. Suddenly a dinosaur-like monster appears, and the Doctor tries to fly down to avoid it. Krass warns that it is just an illusion to make him crash. There are no further attacks during the journey through the swamp, and the Doctor is able to land safely at Emsone's castle, where he finds the doors open, and deduces that Emsone is expecting them. He must block the thoughts of the malevolent mystic until he reaches him. As he walks through the castle, while Emsone continues his psychic attack, the Doctor forms the single image of an impregnable wall in his mind. The wall holds firm until they reach Emsone's chamber, where the mystic sits upon a throne surrounded by human skulls set on poles.

Emsone explains his plan to the Doctor. Using all his knowledge of science and the black arts, the mystic has built himself a machine that will make him very powerful and very rich. There is only one snag - to complete his machine he needs one more component - the living brain of a Time Lord. All that has happened is part of Emsone's plan to secure the Doctor's brain. A battle of wills begins in silence, but soon the psychic energy generated begins to shake the castle walls. Emsone believes it is an illusion created by the Doctor, but the Doctor knows it is all too real. With Emsone preoccupied, Leela is freed, and the Doctor takes her and runs for the door as the castle walls begin to fall., with a huge chunk of masonry falling directly on Emsone, crushing him as he continues to deny the reality around him.

With Emsone dead, the Doctor completely restores Krass' body, and he, Leela, and Krass relax in Krass' home.

Characters

 * Fourth Doctor
 * Leela
 * Krass
 * Emsone
 * Gurk

Worldbuilding

 * An Emsone used an M-ray on Kass to make his skin and clothes disappear.

Continuity
to be added