[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 32 - Slaves of the Abyss

[Thaluikhain]

Wait for it...

[SGamerz]

You spur your horse down towards the horde, trying to quell your rising fears. If is vast, and a foul stench wafts from it. As you near the bottom of the slope, you pass a dark cave entrance. Then you approach the horde. They take no notice of you, but the dark cloud above the palanquin begins to move in your direction. picking up speed. If you have a Jheera torch prepared, turn to 138. Otherwise, turn to 113.

We came prepared!...

Have you lit your Jheera torch yet? If so, turn to 199. If not, turn to 171.

,,,but not fully.

The black cloud is advancing on you with terrifying speed. You fumble with your tinder-box, curing your clumsy fingers. Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, turn to 217. If you are Unlucky, turn to 284.

Dice roll = 9 (Lucky).

A spark leaps from your tinder and lodges in the dry cloth. You cup your hand round it and blow frantically. The spark takes, and the Jheera starts to smoulder. Looking up, you see the pulsing blackness nearly upon you.

The cloud of black hornet swirls round you, and you curse as the breeze picks up, dissipating the Jheera smoke. The hornets are closing in on you. If you flee back up the hillside, turn to 386. If you make for the river which runs along the valley to your right, turn to 42, If you make for the cave entrance you passed, turn to 106.

For what it's worth, I personally agree that it would have been wise not to light the torch too early (I chose that myself the first time I played). But apparently Mason doesn't agree, as we would have been sent to the above section immediately had our torch already been lit, which means we had to go through an additional Luck test for our choice.

Which way do we run?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Dastan
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 12/17
LUCK 9/10
Equipment: Sword of Fangthane steel, leather armour, Sige's Pomander, 'Ghulsh' potion (turn to 258 when drunk), 'Arahl' potion (turn to 285 when drunk), 'Zazzaz' potion (turn to 369 when drunk), Blow-pipe, Foxgloves, Jheera torch (lit)
Provisions: 5
Gold & Treasure: 22 GP
Time remaining: 11/20 (turn to 57 when crossing off 18th time unit, and to 326 when crossing off the last time unit)
Notes: Paths taken in shifting forest: '3'-'2'-'1'. Sige's pomander contains the herbs Paa, Maet and Teth.
[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

Go to the cave entrance.

[Queen of Swords]

There might be something inside the cave, but on the other hand, the river is likely to extinguish our torch. So, cave.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to make for the cave entrance that Dastan passed.

[SGamerz]

Luckily the cave mouth is large enough to take both you and your horse, but a rude shock awaits you within. A pathetic Caveman, clutching a large bone, leaps up to strike you as you enter, knocking the Jheera torch from your hand. You draw you sword and attack.

CAVEMAN SKILL 7 STAMINA 7

If you defeat him within five Attack Rounds, turn to 144. If you are still fighting at the end of five Attack Rounds, turn to 181.

This time, the cave is definitely the sensible and logical option, since an enclosed space works best when you want to use smoke attack without interference from the wind. But we do have to get rid of this pesky SKILL-7 nuisance first...

COMBAT LOG:
Caveman 12, Dastan 19. Caveman is at 5.
Caveman 14, Dastan 19. Caveman is at 3.
Caveman 11, Dastan 23. Caveman is at 1.
Caveman 10, Dastan 19. Caveman is killed.

Got him in 4 rounds.

You snatched up the extinguished Jheera torch and set about relighting it. It is smouldering once more as the first hornets gather in the entrance to the cave. You rush to the back of the cave and watch as the cloud swarms towards you. For a moment you fear that the smoke is not harming the hornets; then they begin to fall. Soon the cave floor is littered with dead and dying bodies. When you are certain that it is safe once more, you ride out and down towards the horde.

You dismount and face the multitude of blank-eyed peasants as bravely as you can. Several of them set down the palanquin they bear, and from it steps a richly dressed man, his face deeply scored, his eyes burning with malevolence. His silent horde makes no move towards you, but the man gestures them to advance, his movements calm and deliberate. He speaks: "You'll pay for the slaughter of my winged servants. You'll pay with your life." Before you stands the unsmiling general of this warped army. Kallamehr's fate lies in your hands. If you have the Reaver's bottle and wish to show it, turn to 55. Otherwise, if you know the Spitting Fly and wish to use it, turn to 260. Or you may attack him.

Alas, we didn't manage to pass either of the item checks!

You charge him, yelling your battle-cry. He blocks your first slash effortlessly, and then launches one of his own. You only half parry it, flinching under the impact. You are completely outclassed - he counters every blow instantly, while the steely eyes which are locked on yours betray no sign of his own moves. Finally you sink to your knees, unable to resist the onslaught. "I will be the Master of this land as I am Master of the Abyss," he says, "and none are left to stop me." His sword scythes down.

And here's our first failed attempt! There are many cases in FF of being 1-shottted in a Boss confrontation with with the right quest items, but most of the time it involves the PC dying to a powerful sorcerer/demons spell or magical servant/construct. It's actually pretty rare for an FF PC to die from being outright outclassed in terms of swordsmanship in an insta-death section (although there probably are many cases of them getting killed in normal combat by SKILL 13+ Bosses).

As stated before, I will be rewinding back to the first time where we left the true path...which was actually shortly after we departed on our mission, the day after the Black Elves' attack. The correct choice was to go to the Temple of Fourga to spend the night, as recommended by Dunyazad.

I will put the "re-load" on a separate post.

Adventure Sheet at the time of the 1st failed attempt:
[spoiler]Name: Dastan
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 12/17
LUCK 9/10
Equipment: Sword of Fangthane steel, leather armour, Sige's Pomander, 'Ghulsh' potion (turn to 258 when drunk), 'Arahl' potion (turn to 285 when drunk), 'Zazzaz' potion (turn to 369 when drunk), Blow-pipe, Foxgloves, Jheera torch (lit)
Provisions: 5
Gold & Treasure: 22 GP
Time remaining: 11/20 (turn to 57 when crossing off 18th time unit, and to 326 when crossing off the last time unit)
Notes: Paths taken in shifting forest: '3'-'2'-'1'. Sige's pomander contains the herbs Paa, Maet and Teth.
[/spoiler]

[SGamerz]

We rewind back to the point where we get to choose to go to the Temple this time. The Adventure Sheet has been reset to that point, except we're now on 17 time units remaining instead of 18, as a penalty from our previous failed attempt.

Fourga is the god of pride, and his priests here in Hasrah certainly have their fair share! The old man who admits you to the Temple looks you up and down coldly, saying not a word. You are led in to see the High Priest, a wrinkled, venerable old fellow who eyes you with distaste. "So, the lone dog dares to darken our portal once more with its presence!" he snarls in a voice surprisingly firm for one of his age. "Perhaps you would care to empty your backpack for us?" If you agree to empty your backpack, turn to 15. If you refuse, turn to 390.

Give our previous experience on the last attempt, I think we may have some idea about the reason for their hostile attitude...

Do we allow them to search us?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Dastan
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 17/17
LUCK 10/10
Equipment: Sword of Fangthane steel, leather armour, Sige's Pomander, Golden Fist Statuette
Provisions: 5
Gold & Treasure: 22 GP
Time remaining: 17/20 (turn to 57 when crossing off 18th time unit, and to 326 when crossing off the last time unit)
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to empty our backpack.

[Queen of Swords]

Sire, let's try emptying it.

[Beroli]

Empty our backpack.

[Thaluikhain]

Empty backpack (and not going to mention that I half voted to visit the temple the first time, because that would be petty).

[SGamerz]

You tip all your possessions out on to the floor before the High Priest, wondering what the old fool is trying to prove. Priests of Fourga aren't usually quite so arrogant. If you have the Golden Fist, turn to 73. IF you don't have the Fist, turn to 379.

And indeed they were looking for the same item we were caught with the last time...

As the Golden Fist tumbles out of your backpack, a sigh goes up from the priests. "Caught red-handed!" snaps the High Priest. A priest lifts the Golden Fist reverently from the ground and places it carefully on a plinth in the centre of the Temple. His fellows then join him in a circle around it, and they begin to chant. As the priests seem to have temporarily forgotten you, you would like to make a stealth exit from the Temple, but your feet are rooted to the spot. The priests' chanting swells, and a warm green glow begins to seep through the fingers of the Fist. As you watch, the fingers uncurl, revealing a green gem. It floats lazily above the now open palm of the golden hand. Its glow is too bright for you to bear. Then it subsides, and you find yourself free to move. The priests have been transformed; no longer heavy with years, now they are young, fit fighting-priests. Two of them break from the circle and gesture for you to accompany them. They lead you down a corridor to a cell. Cross the Golden Fist off your possessions.

You spend an unpleasant hour pacing up and down the cell, wondering what can have gone wrong. Dunyazad told you to stay at this Temple. Why should the priests be so hostile? Eventually you are released. The High Priest explains that he has spoken with Dunyazad, and you are not to go free to continue your mission. He seems loath to release you. Nevertheless you soon find yourself back in the streets of Hasrah with your possessions returned.

Even though this looks the same as what happened on our last attempt (us getting imprisoned by the priests and then released when Dunyazad intervened), this one leads us to an entirely different section:

Your journey continues once more, as you attempt to make up some of the time you have lost. If you decide to cut across country, turn to 287. If you stick to the roads, turn to 256.

I think we were advised to stick to the roads...also by Dunyazad. Do we want to take her advice this time?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Dastan
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 17/17
LUCK 10/10
Equipment: Sword of Fangthane steel, leather armour, Sige's Pomander
Provisions: 5
Gold & Treasure: 22 GP
Time remaining: 17/20 (turn to 57 when crossing off 18th time unit, and to 326 when crossing off the last time unit)
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, let's stick to the roads.

[Thaluikhain]

Don't leave the path road.

[SGamerz]

The road is deeply rutted, as if it is often used, but you meet no other travellers. On the slopes around you the vegetation grows thicker, and soon you are riding through woodland. Then, ahead of you on the road, you see a charging ox. It thunders past, bellowing madly. A little further on, you see the cart that it had been shackled to, ditched by the roadside. Nearby lies the still body of another ox; you sense movement behind it, and hear revolting sucking noises. You canter up cautiously. Suddenly your horse whinnies, and a black-swathed figure looks up. You cannot penetrate the darkness beneath its hood, but you feel a malevolent gaze trained upon you. With an inhuman shriek, the figure races off into the undergrowth with a loping gait. If you give chase, turn to 296. If you examine the ox and cart, turn to 13.

[Beroli]

Examine the ox and cart.

[Queen of Swords]

Sure, examine.

[Thaluikhain]

May as well examine the cart.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to examine the ox and cart.

[SGamerz]

The ox lying before you is horribly mutilated; a grey slime seems to have eaten into its flesh. Involuntarily you gag, and turn you eyes away from the foul sight. As you do so, you notice something lying in the grass near by - something pink, resembling an uneven shallow bowl. Curious, you pick it up and discover that it is a mask. When you turn it over you stare at it in disbelief. Your own face, modelled in soft wax, stares back at you! You crumble the imposter's mask in your hand and fling it angrily away.

And now we know why those priests were certain that we stole their stuff even before they searched us...

Shaken by your experience, you return to your horse. Soon you are riding once more through the woodland. Tick off a time box. The road begins to slope downwards, and you wend your way along its many curves until you are following the banks of a fast-flowing stream. The sun is lowering in the sky behind you, and the air is alive with noises of insects. Ahead of you is a crude stockade. You ride in and are quickly surrounded by a dozen curious villagers. They seem much friendlier than most others you have encountered so far, and you begin to hope that you will be treated hospitably here. Sure enough, you are invited inside for a meal and a drink (restore up to 4 STAMINA points). Soon you are relaxing in the pleasant company of these simple folk. After a while you hear a commotion from outside your hut, and several villagers slip out. If you follow them outside, turn to 66. If you stay with your hosts in the hut, turn to 385.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Dastan
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 17/17
LUCK 10/10
Equipment: Sword of Fangthane steel, leather armour, Sige's Pomander
Provisions: 5
Gold & Treasure: 22 GP
Time remaining: 16/20 (turn to 57 when crossing off 18th time unit, and to 326 when crossing off the last time unit)
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to stay with our hosts in the hut.

Also, I want to give a personal update. I am better from my covid experience, and was able to get enough money to buy a copy of Sky Lord (Book 33). However, since the purchase was from international channels, I will not be able to run the book for several weeks, as that is how long it will take for the book to arrive. I appreciate your patience through this whole ordeal. I will hopefully be back and hosting soon enough.

[Beroli]

I'm glad to hear you're feeling better, JourneymanN00b!

Follow them outside.

[Thaluikhain]

Glad things are looking up for you!

Follow outside.

[SGamerz]

Also, I want to give a personal update. I am better from my covid experience, and was able to get enough money to buy a copy of Sky Lord (Book 33). However, since the purchase was from international channels, I will not be able to run the book for several weeks, as that is how long it will take for the book to arrive. I appreciate your patience through this whole ordeal. I will hopefully be back and hosting soon enough.

Glad to hear that!

****

Outside in the twilight you see the villagers gathered around someone who is talking in a scratchy, high-pitched voice. This must be a wise woman or perhaps a witch, for the villagers are listening respectfully to her witterings. Then she whirls and points at you. "It is that one!" she screeches. "The prophecy of the winged messenger is fulfilled! Our Protector has come to save us from the creeping horde! Tell us that you will stay with us and deliver us from evil." If you agree to the old woman's demands, turn to 208. If you tell her she is mistaken, turn to 160.

Do we want to be their Saviour?

[Beroli]

Agree to her demands.