Waluigi decides to also pay a visit to the Elfbane Bar in this alternate timeline, because there's nothing more important that tasting the ale in every single bar he can find in town.
A skein of geese in V-formation wings its way overhead as you tum into the bar - maybe this is a good omen. You sit on a high stool at the bar and try to engage the landlord in conversation, but he is too busy to do more than grunt. Mind you, your neighbour tells you that that's the most intelligent comment he's heard from the landlord in years. You swivel around on your stool to survey the scene. At that moment a vile-lookrng old crone walks into the bar, clutching some withered sprigs of heather She is clearly a well-known figure, because she hardly has lime to utter, "Buy my lucky heather," before the landlord has hustled her out through the door, prodding her with the brush end of a broom. Will you follow the horrid crone out into the street or investigate the gambling wheel at the back of the tavern?
Heading for the gambling wheel this time...
The huge, gaudy gambling wheel stands upright against a wall at the back of the tavern. If you pay her a Gold Piece, the innkeeper's beautiful assistant will spin the wheel for you If the wheel stops at the number you bet on, you win double your stake; if not, you lose. Tonight your luck is in, Roll one dice. This is the number of Gold Pieces you win at the Wheel of Fortune. If you won 5 or 6 Gold Pieces, turn t o 329; otherwise, turn to 388.
I'm not sure why the author even bothers telling us the rules, since we don't get to decide how much we bet, and we automatically win anyway.
Die roll = 2.
Oh well, at least we got back what we spent at the Bushel.
Rolling 5 or 6 is actually not a good result here.
After with that, we leave the inn and return to our boat for the night again:
You return to your boat for the night. In the early hours of the morning, two fish-like shapes pull themselves over the side of your boat. Scarlet pearls are sacred to Pelagines, and they have sent a raiding party to recover the one you 'stole' (as they see it) from Takio. Under their law, this crime is punishable by death. Pelagines are an amphibious race, equally at home on land or under water. Their fish like heads belie cunning and intelligence, and the scales that cover their humanoid bodies are like armour plating. You can inflict only 1 STAMINA point of damage on them (unless you use LUCK too) in each Attack Round that you win. The male wields a trident, while the female advances tossing a coral-handled dagger from one hand to the other. In the narrow confines of your cabin, they have to approach one at a time.
PELAGINE SKILL 7 STAMINA 8
PELAGINETTE SKILL 6 STAMINA 5
If you win, you decide to slay awake for the rest of the night. In the morning, will you leave Arion to seek out Telessa's kidnappers or will you remain in the city for a while longer?
(Waluigu actually no longer has the scarlet pearl due to using it to purchase an extra life, but the entire item was completely useless anyway other than being used as a flavour explanation for why these 2 creatures attack us. That's why I decided to make it a tradable/spendable item. I'm not sure why Waterfield decided that we should have it on our Adventure Sheet.)
COMBAT LOG:
Pelagine 14, Waluigi 17. Pelagine is at 7.
Pelagine 11, Waluigi 17. Pelagine is at 6.
Pelagine 16, Waluigi 17. Pelagine is at 5.
Pelagine 15, Waluigi 16. Pelagine is at 4.
Pelagine 12, Waluigi 20. Pelagine is at 3.
Pelagine 9, Waluigi 17. Pelagine is at 2.
Pelagine 15, Waluigi 17. Pelagine is at 1.
Pelagine 14, Waluigi 15. Pelagine is killed.
Pelaginette 15, Waluigi 16. Pelaginette is at 4.
Pelaginette 15, Waluigi 15. Tie.
Pelaginette 13, Waluigi 14. Pelaginette is at 3.
Pelaginette 9, Waluigi 16. Pelaginette is at 2.
Pelaginette 12, Waluigi 14. Pelaginette is at 1.
Pelaginette 9, Waluigi 11. Pelaginette is killed.
Still a tedious dragged-out fight due to their scales (and Waluigi bizarrely kept rolling the same Attack Strength for most of the rounds in the first half of the battle), but this time Waluigi gets a flawless win!
Assuming you have nothing better to do, will you go to the market-place or hang around the docks?
Oh, but this time we do have something better to do! We have an appointment with the City Guards at their office!
You present yourself at the guardsman's office. "Good work," he says. "Good observation. Your one-eyed chappie broke down (with a little help from our resident torturer) and confessed. Anytime you want a job, just come and talk to me. In the meantime, you can choose one of these three rewards: a Truthstone, 25 Gold Pieces, or a shield. Which do you want?" If you decide on the Truthstone, turn to 95; if you go for the money, turn to 357; if you choose the shield, turn to 381.
Good to know we have an open job offer available if we screw up the princess-rescue mission (although I'm not sure the king would allow us to work in this kingdom if we fail and get his daughter killed).
Choose your reward!
Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Waluigi
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 16/16
LUCK 10/11
Equipment: Sword, leather armour, Potion of Fortune, King Jonthane's letter (number '88')
Provisions: 10
Gold: 11
Boons: Cape Feather (x1), Magic Mushroom (x1)
Notes: Visit the City Guard station at room 56 next morning to check if the murderer has been arrested.
[/spoiler]