[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 11 - Talisman of Death

Mr Shine · Post by **Mr Shine** » Sun Nov 16, 2014 2:55 pm

Captain DD is down with the kids.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sun Nov 16, 2014 4:30 pm

Children are the future.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 12:30 pm

Attempt to mingle with the toga party.

Also, I'd have thought the +1 SKILL from chainmail would start to be useful the moment our actual SKILL fell below max.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 2:52 pm

Omegonthesane wrote:Also, I'd have thought the +1 SKILL from chainmail would start to be useful the moment our actual SKILL fell below max.

Sounds good. I'll use that if we start losing SKILL points.

You slip inside the huge building and walk cautiously and walk cautiously down empty corridors. You find a reading-room and decide to look at some of the scrolls. You find one which tells you that the women who brought you to Greyguilds worship Fell-Kyrinla. Another lists the different types of magic and the names given to those who practice them: warlocks, shamans, witches, necromancers, elementalists, thaumaturgists, demonists, cabalists, spellbinders and many more. The necromancers' magic interests you, for these are the death-magicians who perform human sacrifices and other unspeakable acts of abominations in their pursuit of power. Then you notice a red book bound in strange multii-coloured scales. It seems to beckon you. Will you open the tome, or leave before you are discovered?

I find it troubling that of all the information we managed to find, it's necromancy and human sacrifices that interests us most. Makes me wonder about Captain Double D's hobbies back in the mundane world.

Do we want to do some reading? (shouldn't we have done this at the library??)

Dr_Noface · Post by **Dr_Noface** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 2:56 pm

Hmmm.... this sounds like a trap, half a vote to leave.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 7:59 am

A book in an evil temple of unspeakable abominations beckoning us?

Yeah, leave.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 10:00 am

How can a nerd like Captain Double D turn down an interesting book?

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 1:19 pm

Check out the interesting book, what's the worst that could happen?

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:11 pm

Read.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 3:42 pm

As you open the book, the scales glitter and seem to change colour. Its title is Tome of Misfortune and the letters on the page seem to glow ominously. You shut the book, but it is too late. You can feel the malice of evil magic. You are the victim of some ancient curse! Lose 1 LUCK point. You leave the Guilds of Learning in disgust.

Well, what did you expect a necromancy-lover to read?

You leave the building and continue on down Booker's Walk. The streets are already deserted and there are few lights in this part of the city. You search for the welcoming light of an inn. Then, without warning, the steel teeth of a hidden man-trap snap shut round your leg, ripping your flesh. You are in terrible pain. Lose 2 STAMINA points. Shadowy figures loom out of the murk all around you. Their faces glow with a sickly pallor in the moonlight. They are wearing black robes clasped at the neck by shrunken human skulls. Do you still have the Talisman of Death? If you do, turn to 162.

Wait...man-trap? I thought we were in Greyguild, not Khare!

Come to think of it....that's more traps in this city than I ever saw in in the so-called "Cityport of Traps".

We still have the Talisman:

'We are the priesthood of Death,' says one of the figures. 'We have come for what is ours.' Your arms are held and you are searched. The Talisman is torn from you by their leader. 'I have, brothers, I have it,' he exclaims in triumph. 'Now, may our Lord enter his kingdom.' The cheer loudly, oblivious to the approach of a large group of riders. 'Stand, make no move,' a woman's voice rings out. It is the Watch. One of the priests mumbles an unholy incantation. You see a wave of fear break over the women and their steeds. Some cannot control their horses, others flee, but the bravest charge the priests with loud cries of battle. The priests are unprepared: some are knocked to the ground, others make good their escape, as silently as they came. The Talisman falls to the ground, its bearer decapitated as he turns to flee. It is caught up by one of the Watch, who announces her intention of taking it to the temple of Fell-Kyrinla. They wheel their horses and ride away, leaving you to rot. You have lost the Talisman. Cursing bitterly, you resolve that if you escape you will not rest until you have regained it.

I'm getting the impression that Death's worshippers just aren't that competent compared to Fell-Kyrinla's. So far we've beaten up every monstrosity Death sent directly at us, but twice we've lost the Talisman to Fell-Kyrinla's warriors. Maybe those gods should have appointed them as the Talisman's guardians instead.

Yeah, there's no way to avoid the Talisman falling into Hawkana's hand one way or another in this book. Part of the book always involves trying to stealing the Talisman back from her.

You are left alone to wonder how the law-keepers of this city could be so cruel as to leave an innocent person in such dire straits. You tear feverishly at the trap, terrified of some footpad slitting your throat for his own vile amusement. Soft footsteps approach. You look over your shoulder and see a man approaching. 'Here,' he says, 'let me rescue you from this trap.' He steps on the release catch, which had been out of your reach and the trap springs open. You step free and he walks along by your side. 'Have you a place to stay tonight? Perhaps you would like to sleep in my humble abode?' he asks, looking sideways at you. You are curious that he should be walking the streets alone at night, but you are also exhausted. Will you accept his offer and go home with him, or decline his offer?

Does Double D want to go home with the nice man?

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Captain Double D
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 19/21
LUCK 10/12
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Golden Apple (+4 STAMINA)
Gold: 10
Provisions: 9 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Potion: Potion of Fortune (restore Luck to Initial value, +1 to Initial Luck)
No. of Re-boots in this playthrough: 1

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 5:48 pm

It's that or the street, so go with him.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 6:06 pm

Eh, go with him. What's the worst thing that can happen?... (famous last words)

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 3:00 am

Go with the creepy man.

Dr_Noface · Post by **Dr_Noface** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 4:56 am

yeah, we don't have the talisman anymore, nobody probably wants to killl us

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 12:55 pm

The man's house is a small stone bungalow. He leads you a straw-filled mattress behind a curtain. Thankful for the chance to rest, you go to sleep without asking any questions. You sleep deeply and regain 4 STAMINA points. You wake to find that your host is sitting watching you. 'I hope you are well rested. You talked in your sleep.' He smiles at you and says, 'Do you need help? Has someone stolen something from you? How did you come to be trapped, alone on the street late at night?' If you want to tell him the whole story and ask him for advice, turn to 98. If you would prefer to say that you cannot answer, turn to 92.

No, Captain Double D totally does not find anything creepy about waking up in some male stranger's (we don't even know his name yet) bedroom to find that he's been sitting there watching her sleep the whole time.

Not creepy at call.

Do we want to trust him further?

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Captain Double D
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 21/21
LUCK 10/12
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Golden Apple (+4 STAMINA)
Gold: 10
Provisions: 9 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Potion: Potion of Fortune (restore Luck to Initial value, +1 to Initial Luck)
No. of Re-boots in this playthrough: 1

Dr_Noface · Post by **Dr_Noface** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:50 pm

trust the creeper

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 3:14 pm

Trusting creepy strangers has paid off so far.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Nov 19, 2014 11:34 pm

Might as well go all the way and trust the creepy guy.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 7:47 am

We can always murder him later if he turns out to be untrustworthy.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 7:51 am

I like that plan.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 3:00 pm

You tell him everything and he listens with growing amazement. He introduces himself as Apothecus, a sage of history. 'I have heard of the Talisman of Death. You must recover it at all costs.' He suggests that you enlist the help of the Thieves' Guild, as he doesn't think you can recapture it alone. 'It will be in the Temple of Fell-Kyrinla by now, I'll warrant. Hawkana, the High Priestess, will be holding it there. Go to the Red Dragon Inn on the Street of Seven Sins. It is dangerous, but you may make contact with the thieves there. He gives you a breakfast of savoury pancakes and invites you to dinner that evening, saying that he will try to discover more to aid you. "in the meantime,' he says, 'take this.' He hands you five pieces of gold and a ring. 'It is a ring which increases your skill at arms.' Add 1 to your SKILL score while wearing this ring. As you leave he gives you a jade rose. 'When you return this evening show this and I will know you are not a shape-changer.' You thank him for his help and leave the bungalow. Will you go to the Red Dragon Inn, or head for the temple?

So Captain D had to spend the night in some abandoned stable, and Double D gets to sleep in a bungalow, receives gifts, and gets invited to dinner the following day. Orb is a world of sexists.

Now we have 2 SKILL bonus that we can't use until we lose some SKILL points. (Which reminds me, I forgot to add the chainmail to our equipment, will correct it in this post)

We know what happens if we go to the Temple without any help, so let's just proceed to the Red Dragon....which leads us to this section:

You take a side street which leads to the Street of Seven Sins and are almost pushed aside by a couple of students in blue togas. They are quarrelling and begin fighting in front of you. It seems one of tem disagrees violently with something the other has said. As they tussle, you notice that the angry young man has dropped a small brass tiger charm. Will you:

Interrupt the quarrel and give the charm back?
Ignore them and go on your way?
Pick up the charm?

Do we want to do something different this time?

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Captain Double D
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 21/21
LUCK 10/12
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Golden Apple (+4 STAMINA), Chaimail (+1 SKILL), Apothecus' Ring (+1 SKILL) , Jade Rose
Gold: 15
Provisions: 9 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Potion: Potion of Fortune (restore Luck to Initial value, +1 to Initial Luck)
No. of Re-boots in this playthrough: 1

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 3:09 pm

Ignore them.

Dr_Noface · Post by **Dr_Noface** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 4:15 pm

can we fast forward to after the bar? we already survived it once, and i don't think we're going to make different decisions...

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Thu Nov 20, 2014 5:14 pm

Fast-forwarding up to the bar sounds like a good idea. Once we get to the bar, I suggest we hit up the old man for info this time.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:13 pm

Yeah, I was about to fast forward a bit shortly after this. I left that last option to a vote because there's the possibility of picking up a new item, which might change things.

Skipping this encounter, we head on to the inn:

You come out into the Street of Seven Sins and soon find the Red Dragon Inn. Steps lead downwards and the sound of raucous laughter floats up from the smoke-filled gloom below. You enter and walk over to the only part of the dive where it is light enough to make anything out. Passing tables and stools, you come to the bar, behind which stands the bulky proprietor of the inn. Do you have the brass tiger charm? If you do, turn to Section 11. If you do not, turn to Section 3.

You ask the barman for a mug of ale. While he pours you your drink, your eyes adjust to the gloom and you survey his customers. You have never seen a more disreputable bunch of villainous-looking cut-throats. The barman says, "That will be one Gold Piece." You hand over the money. As you open and close your money-pouch, a dozen pairs of eyes watch closely. The only one who doesn't is a stooped old man, cleaning slops off an empty table.

Will you:

Talk to the barman?

Walk over to the old man?

Approach six surly-looking roguish fellows?

I've got one vote to move forward as before till "after the bar", but I also have one vote to talk to the old man this time. From our last playthrough, we know the option to talk to the old man is no longer available f we talk to someone else first, so let's got for him:

The toothless old man mutters at you. He tells you that this ale cellar is a dangerous place. Having given his warning, he shuffles fearfully away. Will you go back to that bar, or go over to the table where six surly-looking men are sitting.

Not very helpful there....although at least it's harmless.

From there we go through the same actions taken by Captain D, chatting up the bartender and hearing his story about the infamous Tyutchev. Then we leave the bar and head for the 6 thieves:

You introduce yourself to the motley group of villains. They do not reply. You persevere, saying that you only wish to speak to them for a few moments. One of them, whose face is marked by a jagged scar, running from ear to chin, fixes you with a stare and grates, "We don't care for the law, so watch yourself. You could be dead before you knew we'd moved."

Will you:

Ask them the way to the Thieves' Guild?

Say you need help with some unfinished business?

Boldly retort that their threats don't scare you?

Technically, we've left the 'bar' (but still in the tavern), so a slight pause here:

1) Do we want to set up a meeting with the thieves exactly as we did last time?

2) Do we want to try something different with Tyutchev & Cassandra (or even provoke a fight, now that we have a much higher SKILL)?

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Captain Double D
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 21/21
LUCK 10/12
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Golden Apple (+4 STAMINA), Chaimail (+1 SKILL), Apothecus' Ring (+1 SKILL) , Jade Rose
Gold: 14
Provisions: 9 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Potion: Potion of Fortune (restore Luck to Initial value, +1 to Initial Luck)
No. of Re-boots in this playthrough: 1