[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 14 - Temple of Terror Redux

[Queen of Swords]

Continue south without drinking. We have the Create Water spell if we need any.

[Thaluikhain]

We have create water, so don't drink.

(The birds circling could be carrion birds coming to eat what dies from drinking the water. Or just there to drink the water because it's safe, I guess.)

[Beroli]

A number of people have blogged about playing FF books. One which stuck in my mind, was someone whose attempt at Temple of Terror ended here because he drank from the oasis, even though he knew Create Water. So puzzling. "I have the spell that means I don't need to risk random water...but I will anyway!"

Oh, if you didn't catch the hint, if you choose to drink here, it says, in essence, "It really is a pity the birds were flying too high for you to identify them as vultures."

You suddenly stumble upon a large pile of rocks partly hidden by the wind-blown sand.

Inspect the rocks?
Walk past them?

Adventure Sheet:
Indiana Jones
Skill 11/11
Stamina 15/18
Luck 6/10
Provisions 5
Sword
Leather armor
Backpack
Lantern
Small brass telescope
3 silver buttons
Large pearl
Brass handbell
Onyx Egg
Bracelet of Mermaid Scales
Crystal Key
Bone Flute
Sandworm tooth
Create Water: At will
Read Symbols: 1 Stamina
Detect Trap: 2 Stamina
Open Door: 2 Stamina
Deaths: Eaten by giant sandworm, twice

[Thaluikhain]

Inspect the rocks, but don't drink them.

[Queen of Swords]

A number of people have blogged about playing FF books. One which stuck in my mind, was someone whose attempt at Temple of Terror ended here because he drank from the oasis, even though he knew Create Water. So puzzling. "I have the spell that means I don't need to risk random water...but I will anyway!"

There's a playthrough of Sorcery! on YouTube by these two people who I swear have a death wish. Despite getting hints and warnings from the Serpents in the third book, they either forgot or ignored these in the fourth one. "Beware the breath of the Mucalytic? But I feel sorry for him!"

Back to this playthrough, though... inspect the rocks.

[Beroli]

As you pull away the rock, a scorpion runs out from the shadow of its dark crevice and stings you on the back of the hand. Lose 4 STAMINA points.

You crush the scorpion under your boot and carry on pulling away the rocks. In the middle of the rocks, you find a small white cotton sack, which is tied around a spherical object.

Untie the sack?
Leave the sack among the rocks and resume heading south?

Also highlighting the option to eat here.

Adventure Sheet:
Indiana Jones
Skill 11/11
Stamina 11/18
Luck 6/10
Provisions 5
Sword
Leather armor
Backpack
Lantern
Small brass telescope
3 silver buttons
Large pearl
Brass handbell
Onyx Egg
Bracelet of Mermaid Scales
Crystal Key
Bone Flute
Sandworm tooth
Create Water: At will
Read Symbols: 1 Stamina
Detect Trap: 2 Stamina
Open Door: 2 Stamina
Deaths: Eaten by giant sandworm, twice

[Queen of Swords]

Eat a meal and untie the sack.

[Thaluikhain]

Second that.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Thirded.

[Beroli]

After untying the cord, you slowly pull open the cotton sack. Inside you find a glass ball, inside which a tiny man with pointed ears and wings, wearing a pea-green costume, is jumping up and down in a joyous frenzy. You cannot hear his voice through the glass, but you realize that the Sprite wants to escape.

Release the Sprite?
Put the glass prison down and head south?

Adventure Sheet:
Indiana Jones
Skill 11/11
Stamina 15/18
Luck 6/10
Provisions 4
Sword
Leather armor
Backpack
Lantern
Small brass telescope
3 silver buttons
Large pearl
Brass handbell
Onyx Egg
Bracelet of Mermaid Scales
Crystal Key
Bone Flute
Sandworm tooth
Create Water: At will
Read Symbols: 1 Stamina
Detect Trap: 2 Stamina
Open Door: 2 Stamina
Deaths: Eaten by giant sandworm, twice

[Queen of Swords]

Release the Sprite.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Open the bottle of Sprite.

[Thaluikhain]

Was of two minds about releasing it, but the above pun is too terrible to resist, so open.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to release the Sprite as well.

[Beroli]

You tap the glass ball on one of the rocks and watch it break open like an egg. The tiny Sprite flies out, rejoicing at the top of his almost inaudible high-pitched voice. He thanks you over and over again for releasing him from the entrapment spell. He sprinkles some sparkling dust on your head and says it will bring you good fortune. Add 1 LUCK point. He also advises you to make a headscarf out of the sack and cord to keep the sun off your head, as it is still a long way to Vatos. As you begin to tear open the sack, the Sprite waves and flies away. With your head and neck protected, you stride off south.

Long before noon, you are desperately thirsty.

Do you have a water canister?
Do you have and want to cast Create Water?

Once again, it asks "want to cast" but directs you to "you have no means of drinking" if you say no, so, you automatically choose to cast Create Water.

You cup your hands together and say the words of the Create Water spell. Water immediately fills your hands, and you drink long and hard. Only when you separate your hands does the water stop flowing. Feeling refreshed, you set off in the direction of the noonday sun.

The sun’s relentless heat beats down on you, but there is nowhere on the desolate landscape to offer you shade.

You are wearing a headscarf.

Although the head is insufferable, your headscarf protects you from sunstroke, and you press resolutely on south.

Staring into the shimmering haze, you see a high stone wall, less than half a kilometre away. Various stone towers and roofs inside the wall protrude above it. As you get closer, you see that wind-blown sand has drifted high against the wall and that no trail or track leads to the entrance gate, which is partly blocked with sand. ‘Vatos!’ a voice inside you shouts.

You cannot cast a Jump spell and must open the wooden side-door next to the entrance gate.

The door is locked.

Cast Open Door?
Try to force the door physically?

Adventure Sheet:
Indiana Jones
Skill 11/11
Stamina 15/18
Luck 7/10
Provisions 4
Sword
Leather armor
Backpack
Lantern
Small brass telescope
3 silver buttons
Large pearl
Brass handbell
Onyx Egg
Bracelet of Mermaid Scales
Crystal Key
Bone Flute
Sandworm tooth
Create Water: At will
Read Symbols: 1 Stamina
Detect Trap: 2 Stamina
Open Door: 2 Stamina
Deaths: Eaten by giant sandworm, twice

[Queen of Swords]

Cast the Open Door spell.

[Thaluikhain]

Open door by means of open door spell.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to cast the Open Door spell.

[Beroli]

As you whisper the words of the Open Door spell, with your parched mouth, the door swings slowly inward. (Then you cast Create Water again, since for some reason you're parched.) Take 2 damage for casting the spell. You step through and find yourself in the middle of a deserted square.

Looking around, you see no sign of life. On the opposite side of the square there is a large stone archway. It seems as good a place as any to start your search for the Dragon artefacts. You walk through the arch to a stone stairway which descends to a torch-lit corridor below. As you walk warily down the stone steps, you wonder where Malbordus might be. At the bottom of the steps, you see an iron casket, which probably doesn't have Malbordus in it.

Open the casket?
Continue south past it?

Also highlighting option to eat.

Adventure Sheet:
Indiana Jones
Skill 11/11
Stamina 13/18
Luck 7/10
Provisions 4
Sword
Leather armor
Backpack
Lantern
Small brass telescope
3 silver buttons
Large pearl
Brass handbell
Onyx Egg
Bracelet of Mermaid Scales
Crystal Key
Bone Flute
Sandworm tooth
Create Water: At will
Read Symbols: 1 Stamina
Detect Trap: 2 Stamina
Open Door: 2 Stamina
Deaths: Eaten by giant sandworm, twice

[Thaluikhain]

Open the box, don't eat yet.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, open the box.

[Beroli]

You prise open the chest and find a polished iron helmet inside.

Put the helmet on?
Leave the helmet and walk south?

Adventure Sheet:
Indiana Jones
Skill 11/11
Stamina 13/18
Luck 7/10
Provisions 4
Sword
Leather armor
Backpack
Lantern
Small brass telescope
3 silver buttons
Large pearl
Brass handbell
Onyx Egg
Bracelet of Mermaid Scales
Crystal Key
Bone Flute
Sandworm tooth
Create Water: At will
Read Symbols: 1 Stamina
Detect Trap: 2 Stamina
Open Door: 2 Stamina
Deaths: Eaten by giant sandworm, twice

[Queen of Swords]

Put the helmet on.

[Thaluikhain]

Put on random thingy we found.

[Beroli]

The helmet has been made by a skilful ironsmith. It will afford you greater protection. Add 1 SKILL point. Intent on finding the first Dragon artefact, you walk south along the corridor.

Alas, your Skill is maxed.

As you walk down the corridor, you suddenly feel a light tap on your shoulder. You spin around and see a horrifying creature with ragged clothes on its thin body. Its hollow eyes and mouth are filled with thick slime which makes its voice gurgle as it whispers the word ‘Death’ in your ear. The Messenger of Death then disappears, but somehow you know what has happened. The Messenger of Death is a sadistic killer who plays games with its victims. Staying ahead of you, it will place each letter of the word ‘death’ in various locations. Should you come across and read all the letters of the word, the Messenger of Death will reappear to revel in the sight of your life draining away. Malbordus’s assassin has given your search for artefacts an unwanted twist.

The corridor ends at a T-junction; patterned drapes hang down from ceiling to floor on the far wall.

Pull back the drapes?
Head left along the corridor?
Head right along the corridor?

Adventure Sheet:
Indiana Jones
Skill 11/11
Stamina 13/18
Luck 7/10
Provisions 4
Sword
Leather armor
Iron helmet
Backpack
Lantern
Small brass telescope
3 silver buttons
Large pearl
Brass handbell
Onyx Egg
Bracelet of Mermaid Scales
Crystal Key
Bone Flute
Sandworm tooth
Create Water: At will
Read Symbols: 1 Stamina
Detect Trap: 2 Stamina
Open Door: 2 Stamina
Deaths: Eaten by giant sandworm, twice