[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 30 - Chasms of Malice

[SGamerz]

The consensus is to rewind to the point before our finger was bitten off. Stats and possessions will also rewind to the status before that point, but note that whatever extra lives we have used up from Tabasha's 9 bonuses will remain depleted. Also note that we will no longer have the Life Spell after rewinding this far back.

Choosing not to join the dwarves fishing would in fact have led us straight to the section after we'd taken the penalty:

"I would never try to fish like them," says Aspra as she looks at the fish on the ground: the hand huge fangs and half their bodies are mouth. However, when cooked, they taste delicious. Soon the others arrive and they all sit in a circle and sing of old times beneath the Mountain. Add 4 STAMINA points. Tabasha finishes off the bones, licks herself all over and settles down to sleep.

After a while Aspra begins to prepare for a raid, and asks if you wish to stay at the camp or go with her to attack one of Orghuz's provision carts. Do you choose to stay, or do you go?

Do we want to join the raid this time?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Sir Gareth
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 15/15
LUCK 11/11
Equipment: Shining Sword, Leather Armor
Provisions: 7
Fuel: 2
Tabasha's Favour: 6/9 (can be used once to restore LUCK to max and increase Initial LUCK by 1)
Abilities:
Khuddam killed:
Extra Lives remaining: 0/3
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to stay this time, as the raid really didn't offer anything good for us.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, agreed.

[SGamerz]

You settle down and get some rest. You talk to one of the Dwarfs called Mithlir, who tells you that they escaped from Orghuz's influence by destroying the spell on the collars, but they still wear them for disguise. He stops for a moment and listens carefully. Suddenly, he calls out: "Batishk, batishk." He lies down and covers his face. Before you can move, a large vampire bat swoops down and bites you. Throw a die and deduct the number from your STAMINA score. Mithlir grabs a small whistle and plays a piercing tune. The batishk leaves you and flies away.

Then Aspra Smoothcheek and the others return. They are laden with loot and Toplander food for Orghuz's own table.

Die roll = 2. STAMINA down to 13.

On your return to camp, all the plundered provisions are laid out and marked by Aspra Smoothcheek. All wounds are attended to, and non-perishable goods taken away and hidden. She tells you that the tunnels ahead are very dangerous; you will find no friends there. All the Gaddon who once owned these lands have been enslaved or killed. She stops talking and stares into the distance. You are given food (mark 2 meals on the Adventure Sheet). You say your farewells and are given a choice of entry into the Lands of Malice - the Crying Spring, or Downdrop Cavern.

Another familiar section. Which one do we take now?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Sir Gareth
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 13/15
LUCK 11/11
Equipment: Shining Sword, Leather Armor
Provisions: 9
Fuel: 2
Tabasha's Favour: 6/9 (can be used once to restore LUCK to max and increase Initial LUCK by 1)
Abilities:
Khuddam killed:
Extra Lives remaining: 0/3
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I still vote for the Crying Spring.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I'm down with Crying Spring.

[SGamerz]

You are taken to a tunnel that slops downwards. In the middle is a shallow stream, which you follow for many hours. The water begins to get hot and you can smell a foul stench is rising from it. Suddenly the stream disappears into the ground and there, ahead of you, stands a gate that blocks the whole tunnel. On the gate is a skeleton hanging by a metal spike. You begin to feel around the gate in the dim light of the Sword. Do you start to the left or to the right?

Let me know if you wish to follow the same directions as before.

[Thaluikhain]

Crying Spring still has 2 Rs in it, so go right.

[JourneymanN00b]

Since resisting fascism did not work out last time for our hero, I vote to embrace it by going right.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, go right this time.

[SGamerz]

You start smoothing away the dust and cobwebs. You feel the following shape:

If you know the Cypher, whisper it now and go to that section. If not, then turn back and take the tunnel for Downdrop Cavern.

Which section do we go?

[JourneymanN00b]

128 + 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 143. So I vote to whisper "143" and go to that section.

[SGamerz]

You are in a room full of dust and cobwebs. In each corner of the room are unlit torches and some rotting leather armour is piled in a heap. On the dust floor, you see small footprints leading from an exit north to an exit south. There are four exits in the room; which do you choose:

North?
South?
East?
West?

Yes, once again, we've been here before, just that this time we got here by a safer way,..

[JourneymanN00b]

Ok, *this* time I vote to stand against fascism and turn left.

[Thaluikhain]

It doesn't say which way we are facing, so left could be any direction except up or down, I guess.

But, assume we are facing north and go west.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Sure, let’s go west.

[SGamerz]

You walk into the corridor and it begins to slope downwards. The walls get damped and you find that you slip on the wet flagstones. You hear an occasional cry, which eventually becomes a distinct call for help. The scream comes from a heavy metal door that is bolted from the outside. Do you go in, or carry on along the corridor?

[Thaluikhain]

Go in to help person needing help or to fight monster pretending to be person needing help.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to go in.

[Queen of Swords]

Sure, let's go in.

[SGamerz]

The door opens easily. In the murky darkness, you discern and Elf - thin, emaciated, chained to the wall, and whimpering for help. Suddenly the door closes behind you and the bolt is pushed home. Now, two plaintive wails will be heard crying for help down the echoing corridor. Your quest is over.

Rewinding and bypassing the door...

You find yourself in an old tunnel that gets smaller and smaller, until you have you walk hunched over. Suddenly it ends in a chasm. You look carefully, but even by the light of the Shining Sword you can see no end to the abyss below. You kick a large rock over, but you don't hear it hit the ground. You cannot see the other side of the chasm. Do you take a chance and leap across, or go back?

We've been here before too. Attempting a leap is a STAMINA test which we have a very high chance of passing (and will pick up the Life Spell after that). Turning back leads to a section we haven't visited before.

Do we leap across this time?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Sir Gareth
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 13/15
LUCK 11/11
Equipment: Shining Sword, Leather Armor
Provisions: 9
Fuel: 2
Tabasha's Favour: 5/9 (can be used once to restore LUCK to max and increase Initial LUCK by 1)
Abilities:
Khuddam killed:
Extra Lives remaining: 0/4
[/spoiler]

[Darth Rabbitt]

Well, combat isn't how we've been dying in this book, so I guess we should see what the section we haven't been to is.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to leap across, as getting the Life Spell is pretty damn useful to have on hand.

[SGamerz]

Without a tiebreaker by tomorrow, I will determine the next move via randomizer. Which would be appropriate in a Luke Sharp book.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I’ll change my vote to break the tie.