[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 23 - Masks of Mayhem!

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Mon Feb 15, 2021 7:08 pm

Take the orb

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 9:00 am

If you still have your helmet, turn to 161; if you have lost your helmet, turn to 74.

It was possible for the helmet to be stolen while we were at Hever's castle, if we'd gone to our room first before the feast, or if we'd let the servant take our staff up to the room during the feast. But we'd also be given the chance to track down the thieves and get it back, and it's not that hard to do so, so at least that wasn't a very harsh trap option.

It is, however, a straight Game Over if we try to get the Orb without our helmet.

The skeleton's empty eye-sockets blaze into chill life, but it offers no resistance. You take the orb and swim over to the northern shore. When you clean the mid off the orb, you discover the following legend: "Twenty-one is the number of the ruler's sway." You stow the orb safely into your pack and climb up the cliff. Once at the top you estimate your position. You think that you have come so far west that the dreaded Marsh Vile now lies to the north, and the foothills to the mountain range of Krill Garnash to the north-east. You know you should avoid Marsh Vile if you possibly can, but will you head north for a while or north-east?

I'm actually not sure why we should avoid Marsh Vile, since we know nothing about it, other than the fact that the name is probably meant to suggest that it's not a pleasant place.

Should we still hold our course?

JourneymanN00b · Post by **JourneymanN00b** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 9:32 am

My vote is to head north for a while. Maybe we can evaluate the danger of Marsh Vile before having King Arthur enter it.

Queen of Swords · Post by **Queen of Swords** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 1:02 pm

Agreed, let's head north.

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 5:57 pm

Sure, North seems good. I presume we're going to the Marsh Vile to sneak in one last side quest before the end game.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 8:13 am

As you continue north, you soon begin to see, some way ahead, the pall of vapour which continually covers Marsh Vile. Among the many streams and rivulets which crisscross this part of the plain, you come across one which has been reduced to a mere trickle; the exposed mud is till damp. Will you follow it upstream to find out what is blocking it or continue north?

Are we interested in finding out what's blocking the river?

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 8:29 am

Follow it upstream. We were looking for a non-marsh sidequest and found it here.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 10:10 am

Send Arthur to unblock a drain.

JourneymanN00b · Post by **JourneymanN00b** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 10:26 am

My vote is to follow it upstream to find out what is blocking it. Maybe there is another essential item that we need to get there.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 12:29 pm

Oh, we've become the hero from a cartoon with an environmental message, go fix the water.

Queen of Swords · Post by **Queen of Swords** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 12:48 pm

Sure, let's see what's blocking it.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 5:34 pm

I mean Arthur is basically Mario at this point: associates with royalty and can kick a lot of ass in combat, but adventures with nothing but the minimum of starting equipment, picking up gold coins and special items when the kingdom is in danger. So he might as well fix the river's plumbing.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:23 am

Darth Rabbitt wrote:I mean Arthur is basically Mario at this point: associates with royalty and can kick a lot of ass in combat, but adventures with nothing but the minimum of starting equipment, picking up gold coins and special items when the kingdom is in danger. So he might as well fix the river's plumbing.

If only we're as good at picking up coins as Mario is...going by the Marios game's scoring system, we're severely short on points.

Not far upstream you come across the prostrate body of a hill-tribe warrior. It is this that is blocking the stream. Several arrows are protruding fro her, but she is just alive. If you bought a Healing Potion from the alchemist and have not used it on yourself, you can use it on her, if you want; otherwise, turn to 300.

Well, we don't need a plunger to clear this drain. But we don't have a healing potion either. We skipped it in favour of the Invisibility Cloak, which we then wasted.

The warrior dies. Will you continue north or turn north-east?

Wait, we're not even going to remove the body from the river? Arthur would make a terrible plumber hero. Just as well that he isn't one.

Continue the course?

JourneymanN00b · Post by **JourneymanN00b** » Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:36 am

My vote is to continue north.

Queen of Swords · Post by **Queen of Swords** » Thu Feb 18, 2021 1:38 pm

We don't even search the body?

Oh well. Go north.

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Thu Feb 18, 2021 1:43 pm

That's rather underwhelming. Continue north, I guess.

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Thu Feb 18, 2021 4:34 pm

I'd go for northeast, I think we found the Vile Marsh side quest, but North is fine.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Fri Feb 19, 2021 8:29 am

You camp for the night on the borders of Marsh Vile. All night long, within the mists and vapours which shroud this ill-famed region, lightning flashes, and the bubbles of marsh gas which form on the surface or the stagnant pools pop and explode. In the morning will you at last turn to the north-east, or will you explore Marsh Vile?

Do we explore the vile marsh?

Thaluikhain · Post by **Thaluikhain** » Fri Feb 19, 2021 9:30 am

Explore the thingy.

Queen of Swords · Post by **Queen of Swords** » Fri Feb 19, 2021 11:37 am

One more side-quest. Explore the marsh.

JourneymanN00b · Post by **JourneymanN00b** » Fri Feb 19, 2021 12:07 pm

My vote is to explore Marsh Vile. Yes, King Arthur knows that he should avoid Marsh Vile if he possibly can, but I think another important quest item is there.

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Fri Feb 19, 2021 9:44 pm

If we're already here then we may as well go for it. My current instinct with gamebooks is that if they ask you three times, then you should probably say yes to all of them.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sat Feb 20, 2021 1:39 am

Boggy ground soon turns to pools with no more than occasional mounds of earth to support you. There is nothing of interest to be seen. Will you turn back and then head north-east towards Kill Garnash? Or will you jump from mount to mound, deeper into the marsh, to the left, right or straight on?

JourneymanN00b · Post by **JourneymanN00b** » Sat Feb 20, 2021 1:45 am

My vote is to jump from mound to mound, deeper into the marsh, straight on. I think that this is a time to remain moderate and not go off to an extreme. I do want King Arthur to be on the ideological mainstream at times, and this is one of them.

pragma · Post by **pragma** » Sat Feb 20, 2021 2:35 am

Sure. I'm surprised we're not going left, but I can dig it.