[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 43 - The Keep of the Lich-Lord

[SGamerz]

You make your way through the trees and into a large clearing, filled with a motley collection of people. There are peasants, farmers, merchants, one or two soldiers and several Wood Elves. A large fire has been lit, and several roasts are turning on spits. Music is being played and jugglers are juggling, dancers dancing and storytellers telling stories A man armed with a halberd approaches you. He says nothing, merely scrutinizes you closely and then nods, as if satisfied. 'You can pass,' he says. You ask him what's going on, and he tells you that these people are refugees from the villages which have been overrun by the Undead and that they have come here because elfin sorcery is preventing Mortis's legions from entering the wood - so far. Near by a man in once-rich robes is hawking goods from the back of a cart. Further on, a small group of Wood Elves are conversing in low tones. Will you see what the merchant has for sale or go over to the Elves?

Apparently, this Mortis guy doesn't employ living people at all. All we had to prove was that we're not Undead and we get a free pass through security.

Shopping, or go show off our new bling (Ring of Fays) to the Elves?

[SlyJohnny]

I think the elves are slightly more likely to have plot coupons and I think we're out of gold anyway?

[Shiritai]

Hanging out with elves has served us well so far; meet the pointy-ears.

[SGamerz]

The Elves look you up and down suspiciously as you greet them. lf you have the Ring of Fays, turn to 153.

Blue option!

One of the Elves recognizes the Ring of Fays on your finger. 'Ah, you must be the one Elindora told us of!' exclaims the Elf. 'Welcome to Shamdabag Wood, our home. I am Pelagon the Speaker. You have done us a great service, for Elindora could not have completed her task without your aid. We are in your debt.'

You mumble something like 'It was the least I could do.'

'You acted nobly, and we feel you should be rewarded further,' says Pelagon. He motions to one of his companions, who takes a round shield that had been slung on his back. It is of polished silver and is highly reflective. 'This may prove useful in your quest. It is of vital importance to us all that you succeed. Please take it as a gift.' He hands you the shield (note that you have the Polished Shield on your Adventure Sheet). As the Undead hate to see themselves reflected, whenever you are in combat with an undead creature and you have this Shield, deduct 1 from your opponent's SKILL. However, you may perform this action on only one Undead at a time.

Then one of the Elves points to a man who has moved to the centre of the clearing and is standing beside the fire. 'Ah, Garond is to sing for us,' says Pelagon. The man holds a lute and is clearly a bard. Will you stay to listen to his song or, if you think you have already wasted enough time, do you leave the clearing and carry on Keladon?

More shiny! And combat bonuses! we're barely halfway through the book and Gonad is already oozing with those combat bonuses.

I find it kind of amusing about their claim that Elindora couldn't have done it without us, considering we basically staked a few vampires while they were completely helpless. It would make more sense if we'd made the wrong choices and had to fight them instead.

Anyway, for those of you wondering about the other option

yes, shopping and talking to the Elves are mutually exclusive options here, and the merchant doesn't sell much useful stuff besides Provisions and a Potion of Skill. The Potion is actually handy, as it adds 1 point of SKILL permanently.....but we won't have enough money to buy it anyway because it costs 50 Gold.

I don't see any apparent reason not to stay and listen to the song, so moving on:

The minstrel introduces himself and begins a rambling introduction to what he is going to sing tonight. He opens with some ballads and then recites an epic poem about the ancient heroes. These are all entertaining - but are of little interest to you. Just as you are on the point of leaving. he begins a song which at once draws and holds your attention. The audience too seems particularly interested in this song, which Garond calls 'The Lay of Mortis and Qadarnai'. It is a tale of the great warrior Qadarnai, called the 'War-Spear of the Sun', who defeated Mortis in his previous incarnation. Some parts of the lay are most intriguing: Garond sings of a charm, known by certain wise women, that unbinds the sorcery which Mortis used to raise his armies from the dead. In his song Garond also tells how Qadarnai used his ivory spear to slay the necromancer. In a mythic interlude dealing with the gods' overwatching of the battle, something called the Finger of Lhyss is also mentioned - Lhyss being the Goddess of Luck, who often intervened on Qadarnai's behalf.

When Garond's song is finished, the crowd applauds and he bows, obviously satisfied with his performance. You can talk to him now or, if you think you have spent enough time here, you can leave and press on to the village of Keladon.

Again, there doesn't seem to be any reason why we shouldn't be looking for the exposition....especially since there're a references to some things we encountered earlier (Finger of Lhyss, Qadarnai's Spear, etc), so let's hear what he may have to tell us:

Garond acknowledges your compliments to him on his singing and he seems quite happy to chat with you. Will you ask him about the Charm of Unbinding, the Finger of Lhyss, or the ivory spear wielded by the hero Qadarnai?

What do we ask?

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Gonad the Penetrator
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 16/18
LUCK 11/12
RESOLVE: 10 (11 for next test)
Equipment: Sharpened Sword (+1 damage), Leather Armor, Ring of Communing (1 charge remaining), Spear of Qadarnai (double-damage when fighting undead), Golden Whistle, Elixir of Lhyss, Suit of Fine Armour (-1 to all damage taken), Ring of Fays, Polished Shield (-1 SKILL to 1 Undead opponent during combat at a time)
Provisions: 7 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold: 35
Codeword: PIRATE
Misc Notes: 'Blow the whistle at the Finger of Lhyss to win great power'

[Darth Rabbitt]

We know about the spear, so ask about the Finger of Lhyss.

[SlyJohnny]

I vote the charm. We might yet stumble across the Finger and work that shit out for ourselves, but we don't have any leads on this Charm and it sounds just as important as the other two bits.

[Darth Rabbitt]

True dat. Willing to change in order to break a tie.

[SGamerz]

He tells you that, according to legend, the Charm is a powerful spell used by the priestesses of the White Queen, a goddess of healing whom the Elves propitiate under another name. This Charm works on any dead thing, such as bone or unliving flesh, turning it instantly to dust 'The White Queen's followers used it in ancient times,' he adds, 'to lay some of Mortis's undead followers to rest. Regretfully, the Charm is but rarely given to mortals, and there were too few priestesses to make any real impression on Mortis's legions. But that is always the way, as the epics demonstrate time and again: it is not men and women of peace who overcome the world's evils, but brave warriors who are not afraid to shed blood and risk lives!'

Looking at Garond, silently you doubt that he has ever shed blood or risked his own life. Rather than press the point, however, you ask whether he knows the Charm.

'No,' he says. 'The only person who might is Lady Iola, the mother of Braxis. She reveres the goddess, and having met her I can attest to her holiness. But since Bloodrise Keep has fallen to Mortis, it is probable that Lady Iola and her son have been slain. Even if they have not, you have no way to reach them,' he adds sadly.

Will you now ask him about the Spear of Qadamai, or the Finger of Lhyss? Alternatively, you may think it is time to take your leave of Garond and make your way towards Keladon?

Even though the same question options are given, they actually lead to different numbered sections here than the previous, so yes, order of questions does matter.

[Shiritai]

Well, next up is the Finger.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Time to go old school with the Magic Finger of Lhyss.

[SGamerz]

He tells you that various tales exist concerning the Finger of Lhyss. 'One is of local interest,' he says,' because it claims that this ancient artefact n ow lies on Staying Island - indeed, that the Finger of Lhyss is what we now call Whistlestone Tor, just a short walk to the west of here. But personally I believe this to be an over-literal story; my personal view is that references to the Finger of Lhyss were intended by the ancient poets as representing the immanence of Luck in our lives. Still, as ever, the truth is unknowable..'

Before he can launch into a monologue on the features of epic poetry, you make an excuse and leave. You have wasted enough time already, after
all. If you have a whistle from the Temple of Lhyss, turn to 134. Otherwise, you decide it is time to hasten to the village of Keladon - turn to 165.

Yeah we do, that why we were asking!

From your adventure at the altar to Lhyss, you know that you have to blow the whistle at the Finger of Lhyss 'to gain great power'. If, as seems likely, Whistlestone Tor is indeed the Finger of Lhyss, then it might be worth a detour, lf you set off for the tor, turn to 19. If you decide to go straight to Keladon, turn to 165.

Blue option FTW!

To reach Wlistlestone Tor you will have to pass through the western edges of Shamdabag Wood, an area over which the Wood Elves hold no sway. You set off purposefully but soon you lose your direction amid the heavy oaks. This costs you time, and night begins to fall. Soon the wood is in deep darkness and you are forced to male camp for the night. Building a small fire, you cook some of your rations and, having eaten, lie down on a bed of leaves to sleep.

You wake up with a start A sound has disturbed your slumber. It is still the dead of night. You listen, ears straining to filter the sounds of the forest. A faint, ghostly wail comes to you through the blackness and grows louder and more insistent, until you recognize the baying of wolves. But this is not quite the same sound a normal wolf-pack would make. If possible, it is more bestial, more feral You realize with a thrill of horror that the sound is growing much closer and its timbre is changing. Whatever they are, the creatures have picked up your scent and are closing in on you. Will you make a run for it, hoping to get out of the forest before they reach you or quickly build up the fire and make a stand here?

Hmmmm.....strangely it mentions that we used up some rations here but didn't tell us to deduct Provisions. Do you guys think we should deduct 1 meal anyway?

And run or confront?

[Darth Rabbitt]

I think it's time Gonad made a stand.

Also, I figure that dinner was enough food to keep Gonad from starving, but not enough to refresh his STAMINA (a proper Meal). So keep the Provisions.

[Shiritai]

Agreed on both counts.

[SGamerz]

A few dry branches set the fire well and truly ablaze. You plant a couple of flaming torches to either side of you and stand, your back to the fire and sword drawn, awaiting whatever is coming at you out of the night. The howling stops. In the darkness ahead you can make out several glowing pinpricks of reddish light: your would be assailants. Then, snarling, they burst out of the shadows and pause, unsure about the flames. There are three of them, and at first glance they look like over-large timber wolves. But they have long, lash-like tails lined with wicked-looking blades of horn., and their eyes are bright with cunning. They are Whipperwolves and you must fi8ht them. Because of the position you have taken up by the fire, they have to come at you one at a time.

First WHIPPERWOLF SKILL 7 STAMINA 8
Second WHIPPERWOLF SKILL 8 STAMINA 7
Third WHIPPERWOLI SKILL 8 STAMINA 9

If you roll 11 or 12 for a Whipperwolf's Attack Round, whether or not you beat its score, it lashes you with its tail for 1 point of damage. If you win, turn to 196.

Thrasher and Whipperwolves....the authors like their beasts-with-mutated-tails.

Anyway, since our shiny armour deducts 1 point from ALL damage taken.....we are immune to their tail-attacks!

COMBAT LOG:

Whipperwolf #1 18, Gonad 19. WW#1 is at 5. WW#1 also hits Gonad with its tail, but Gonad shrugs it off thanks to the armour!
WW#1 12, Gonad 14. WW#1 is at 2.
WW#1 15, Gonad 15. Tie.
WW#1 17, Gonad 17. Tie.
WW#1 15, Gonad 11. Gonad is at 15.
WW#1 14, Gonad 18. WW#1 is killed.
WW#2 14, Gonad 13. Gonad is at 14.
WW#2 16, Gonad 13. Gonad is at 13.
WW#2 16, Gonad 18. WW#2 is at 4.
WW#2 16, Gonad 18. WW#2 is at 1.
WW#2 11, Gonad 18. WW#2 is killed.
WW#3 10, Gonad 17. WW#3 is at 6.
WW#3 14, Gonad 15. WW#3 is at 3.
WW#3 19, Gonad 16. Gonad is at 12. WW#3 also hits Gonad with its tail, but Gonad shrugs it off thanks to the armour!
WW#3 14, Gonad 14. Tie.
WW#3 19, Gonad 15. Gonad is at 11. WW#3 also hits Gonad with its tail, but Gonad shrugs it off thanks to the armour!
WW#3 18, Gonad 17. Gonad is at 10.
WW#3 13, Gonad 16. WW#3 is killed.

Without our armour we would have been at 1 STAMINA at the end of that fight (including tail-inflicted damages)......and that's even with our sharpened sword taken into account!

The last Whipperwolf lies dead at your feet. You are able to pass the rest of the night in undisturbed sleep. Next day, you leave Shamdabag Wood without any further trouble, and you soon spot the tor, pointing like a finger at the sky, a short distance to the west.

The craggy rock, over five metres high, stands motionless before you like some primordial leviathan of stone. It is heavily eroded, pitted and scarred by wind and rain. You stand at its base and gaze up at the brooding, lifeless rock: it seems to exude an atmosphere of foreboding. Raising the whistle to your lips, you blow one short, shrill blast. For a moment a deathly silence falls across the land - and then suddenly everything changes. You find yourself standing on a broad, flat expanse of black and featureless sand. The sky is dark and threatening, filled with storm clouds. Lightning crashes and thunder booms. A deluge of rain lashes at your face. You are alone, save for the towering rock. A bolt of lightning strikes the rock with a flash and it begins to creak and sway ominously. Stepping back, you watch with growing panic as it starts to change before your eyes. The stone begins to move, and rocky limbs like crystal form around it. The shape resolves itself into a giant, four-armed, two-legged Rock Golem with eyes of coruscating blue plasma. A nimbus crackling energy plays about its body like fire. You must fight it.

ROCK COLEM SKILL 9 STAMINA 17

Each time you hit the Golem, deduct damage in the normal way and then roll another die. On a roll of 1, turn to 276. Otherwise, fight on. If you defeat the Rock Golem, turn to 316.

Our sharpened sword is so awesome that it can cut through rocks normally, apparently.

COMBAT LOG:

Golem 13, Gonad 14. Golem is at 14. Gonad rolls a 6 and nothing happens.
Golem 14, Gonad 15. Golem is at 11. Gonad rolls a 6 and nothing happens.
Golem 13, Gonad 18. Golem is at 8. Gonad rolls a 1!

The Golem gives a deafening bellow of rage and twin bolts of lightning leap from its eyes towards you. Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, tum to 236. If you are Unlucky, turn to 256.

Die roll: 6+3 =9 (Lucky!)

At the last moment you dodge to one side and the bolts of plasma crash into the sand behind you, fusing it into a sheet of glass. Return to 216 and fight on.

Let's hope it doesn't happen too many times, or our LUCK will be drained down even if we don't get hit.

And the fight continues!

COMBAT LOG:

Golem 9, Gonad 9. Tie.
Golem 19, Gonad 14. Gonad is at 9.
Golem 19, Gonad 15. Gonad is at 8.
Golem 16, Gonad 15. Gonad is at 7.
Golem 15, Gonad 13. Gonad is at 6.
Golem 17, Gonad 16. Gonad is at 5.
Golem 14, Gonad 18. Golem is at 5. Gonad rolls a 3 and nothing happens.
Golem 18, Gonad 12. Gonad is at 4.
Golem 17, Gonad 19. Golem is at 2. Gonad rolls a 1!
Golem fires his eye-beams, but Gonad rolls a 7 for his LUCK test and dodges them.
Golem 19, Gonad 12. Gonad is at 3.
Golem 19, Gonad 17. Gonad is at 2.
Golem 16, Gonad 16. Tie.
Golem 16, Gonad 20. Golem is defeated!

That eye-beams really put Gonad off balance, and he rolls really badly for the second portion of the fight, but thanks to all the stacked bonuses we made it!

The Golem totters and falls to the sand with an earth-shaking crash; you have defeated it . . . Then you are back at Staying Island. Beside you, the tor is nothing but a heap of shattered rubble. Suddenly and without any warning a cloud of blue energy rises from its remains and arcs towards you. Before you can do anything about it, you are bathed in an electrifying aura of energy. There is a moment of utter agony . . . and then it is gone, leaving you feeling stronger and mightier than before. Lhyss, the Goddess of Luck, has favoured you. Add 3 to your Initial and current LUCK, 1 to your SKILL and 4 to your STAMINA. You decide to continue with your trip to Keladon.

Unfortunately, it doesn't say the SKILL boost and go above out Initial.

Still, our Initial LUCK is now a whooping 15!

At last you can see the village of Keladon ahead. However, everything seems strangely quiet, save for the occasional faint sound of shouting. Plumes of black smoke spiral skyward from some areas of the village: it appears to be on fire. Black crow-like birds circle in the air, cawing desolately. As you draw nearer, no one comes out to challenge you and then you notice a couple of bodies by the wooden gate, slumped on the ground. The road branches here: one way leads to the village, the other down to the cove where Keladon's fishing vessels are usually tethered Will you enter the village or head for the cove to see if there is anyone at the quayside?

Village or cove?

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Gonad the Penetrator
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 6/18
LUCK 12/15
RESOLVE: 10 (11 for next test)
Equipment: Sharpened Sword (+1 damage), Leather Armor, Ring of Communing (1 charge remaining), Spear of Qadarnai (double-damage when fighting undead), Golden Whistle, Elixir of Lhyss, Suit of Fine Armour (-1 to all damage taken), Ring of Fays, Polished Shield (-1 SKILL to 1 Undead opponent during combat at a time)
Provisions: 7 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold: 35
Codeword: PIRATE
Misc Notes: 'Blow the whistle at the Finger of Lhyss to win great power'

[Darth Rabbitt]

That monster haxx. Graveler can't learn Thunderbolt!

Anyhow, Gonad should stuff his face and then go to the cove. Probably isn't anything good at the village if it's on fire.

[Shiritai]

Sooo, we just beat Emerald Weapon. I feel the boss may be a letdown in comparison... But anyways! Eat three meals, and we may as well down that luck potion. Let's hit luck 16!

Also, I vote to go to the village. Things on fire are the best things.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I'll change my vote to the burninated village, but it makes no sense to down the luck potion when our LUCK's at 12 (and thus it's literally impossible for us to fail a LUCK test.)

[Shiritai]

Eh, true. I guess I was just giddy with potential power; I'll change my vote to conserve the potion.

[SlyJohnny]

Head for the cove, we can maybe work our way into the village from there, but busting in through the front door of a village that's probably swarming with undead doesn't seem shrewd.

[SGamerz]

We've gone through 2 sections after that last combat, so we down 2 meals, one in each, before heading into the village.....

You see that the bodies are those of two of the village militiamen, one killed by an arrow, the other slain in combat. A half-starved dog yaps savagely at you as you enter the village The acrid odour of smoke fills your nostrils, mingled with the heavy, sickly-sweet smell of death. The place seems deserted, but for a few corpses scattered about. Most are villagers, while others appear to be outlandishly-dressed outlaws, mostly human. One or two are Orcs or Hobgoblins. On close inspection it would appear the bodies are dead pirates; in the service of Chaos, to judge by their insignia. Keladon has been sacked in a raid and most of the people have fled or been carried off. From another street you hear the sound of voices - the pirates have left a few of their number here! Will you leave the village and investigate the cove; or will you take this opportunity to search some of the larger houses in the village, the village hall or temple, these being the only buildings of interest in the village?

The option to leave and go to the cove leads to the same section as the previous one.

Where to go?

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Gonad the Penetrator
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 14/18
LUCK 12/15
RESOLVE: 10 (11 for next test)
Equipment: Sharpened Sword (+1 damage), Leather Armor, Ring of Communing (1 charge remaining), Spear of Qadarnai (double-damage when fighting undead), Golden Whistle, Elixir of Lhyss, Suit of Fine Armour (-1 to all damage taken), Ring of Fays, Polished Shield (-1 SKILL to 1 Undead opponent during combat at a time)
Provisions: 5 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold: 35
Codeword: PIRATE

[Darth Rabbitt]

Check out the temple. Temples are always good.

[Omegonthesane]

Seconding temple.

[SGamerz]

lf you have already searched all the places of interest in Keladon, turn to 91. If you have not yet searched all these places, turn to 38.

We've only just begun searching, but it sounds like something happens if we search all the areas. Might want to keep that in mind....

The strange sound of atonal chanting wafts from the temple. Its two large oak-bound doors have been blown open by some powerful force, and from inside a blackish smoke that smells absolutely disgusting billows out. Over the doors, the embossed words, 'Church of the White Queen', have been defaced crudely; someone has scrawled above them in charcoal: 'Shrine of the Chaos Gods'. Looking inside. at the far end of the temple you see a robed figure sweeping the contents of the altar to the ground and generally desecrating the temple. He appears to be human and wears dirty-brown robes, covered in strange-looking sigils and talismans. However, when he tums his face you see that his head resembles nothing human - it is, rather, the head of some strange beast of your nightmares. It has the eyes and horns of a goat and vicious-looking fangs, The creature seems to be reconsecrating the temple to the Chaos Gods. Will you attack this shaman or, deciding that it is none of your business, turn and leave?

Do we attack?

[Omegonthesane]

Raise our long hard shaft and pierce and impale this violator!

[Darth Rabbitt]

Attack!