[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 58: Revenge of the Vampire

[Beroli]

Votes registered, searching for gold wins 3-0, heading for the west wing wins 2-1.

Luck test: 6, Eric is Lucky and finds the gold.

As you head west past your own bedroom, the doors to the dining hall are to your right and the main doors to your left. Beyond them, there is another door to your left; gently opening it, you find a silent, empty bedroom. Further along there are three doors, two to the north and one to the south. Will you open the first door to the north (turn to 225), the second door to the north (tum to 236) or the door to the south (turn to 381)?

Please vote by midnight EST to be sure it will be counted.

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Eric Cross Brooks
Skill: 8/8
Stamina: 24/24
Luck: 10/12
Faith: 6
Blood Points: 10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Backpack, Lantern
Provisions: 12 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold Pieces: 8
Special Notes:

[Queen of Swords]

Oy vey, more doors.

First to the north, I guess.

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote to open the first door to the north.

[Darth Rabbitt]

First door to the north is fine by me.

[Beroli]

You force your way through the door and find yourself in the kitchens. There is an open trapdoor in the floor here, and the stench of decay drifts upwards from below. You light your lantern and set off down the stone steps towards the corridor you can see below you. <spoilers elided> tum to 293.

You can hear someone muttering to himself--it is Endrell's voice! 'Must have escaped,' he is cursing. 'He will have killed to eat--it's too late to worry now. I must get everything out of here and go to the Master.' Then the voice stops and you stand deadly still, but you can see a light coming towards you from the corridor below.

(The options the book offers you are incredibly misleading, so, rewritten to reflect the actual choice you're making:)

If you opt to attack Endrell, turn to 69.
If you choose instead to play innocent and go along with whatever he demands, even though it will likely mean the end of your ability to search the monastery any further tonight, turn to 316.

Please vote by noon EST to be sure it will be counted.

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Eric Cross Brooks
Skill: 8/8
Stamina: 24/24
Luck: 10/12
Faith: 6
Blood Points: 10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Backpack, Lantern
Provisions: 12 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold Pieces: 8
Special Notes:

[Queen of Swords]

Oof. Can't get out of there before Endrell sees us, I guess.

Doesn't leave much choice but to attack him.

[Thaluikhain]

All these unmarked doors and no monsters, time to kill something.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to attack Endrell.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Attack, and hope a SKILL 8 hero can take on a sus monk.

[Beroli]

Endrell isn't aware of your presence until you leap down the few remaining steps and strike at him with your sword! He is off-guard; Test your Skill. If you are successful, you wound him before he can react. He loses 2 points from his STAMINA and you regain 1 Luck point! Whether you succeed or fail, you must now fight the furious monk.

ENDRELL SKILL 9 STAMINA 11

Skill Test: 7 Success! Endrell is at 9 Stamina.
First round: Eric 16, Endrell 18. Eric is at 22 Stamina.
Second round: Eric 15, Endrell 13. Endrell is at 7 Stamina.
Third round: Eric 14, Endrell 18. Eric is at 20 Stamina.
Fourth round: Eric 13, Endrell 15. Eric is at 18 Stamina.
Fifth round: Eric 13, Endrell 14. Eric is at 16 Stamina.
Sixth round: Eric 18, Endrell 19. Eric is at 14 Stamina.
Seventh round: Eric 15, Endrell 17. Eric is at 12 Stamina.
Eighth round: Eric 15, Endrell 18. Eric is at 10 Stamina.
Ninth round: Eric 13, Endrell 13.
Tenth round: Eric 14, Endrell 15. Eric is at 8 Stamina.
Eleventh round: Eric 12, Endrell 21. Eric is at 6 Stamina.
Twelfth round: Eric 19, Endrell 17. Endrell is at 5 Stamina.
Thirteenth round: Eric 16, Endrell 15. Endrell is at 3 Stamina.
Fourteenth round: Eric 16, Endrell 15. Endrell is at 1 Stamina.
Fifteenth round: Eric 18, Endrell 15. Eric wins.

The corridor leads into a maze of catacombs and passageways. The skeletons of long-dead monks gaze at you from alcoves in the walls, and bones, dust and cobwebs are everywhere. You hardly know where to begin exploring down here. This is going to take you quite some time. Roll one die and divide the number by 2, rounding fractions up; this is the number of Blood Points you lose during your extended search (2). Eventually you see a silver tube gleaming in an alcove, and cautiously you take it down. Inside are some carefully copied notes, made by Sewarth himself. You sit down to read by the light of your lantern, your heart beating fast.

'Heydrich knows of our letters. I believe he has even corrupted this place with his influence. But is it Endrell, Marcus or Sandar he has tainted? All of them avoid me now, yet none is a vampire himself--I am sure of that. Heydrich must have corrupted his victim with the lure of power, or hypnotized him into his service. I must send word to Henrik regarding the Soul Gem the Vampire now has; until it is found, he will be invulnerable, it will be absolutely impossible to slay him. I know who crafted it, and what magic was used- I have recorded these facts in my Codex, which I have hidden carefully. And I know where Heydrich has made his home in these lands.'

Alas, the map that was sketched below these notes is illegible--it is smeared and smudged. However, you are sure that, wherever the monster may be, he lies to the northeast from here, but you cannot tell exactly where. But at least you have learned of some secret of his, a magically crafted gem, so gain 2 Blood Points. Of the precious Codex, which could tell you so much, there is no sign. Tum to 2.

You hear a flapping, scraping sound behind you and, looking around,you see a huge black bat grinning at you! Its fllght is cumbersome in these enclosed passages, and it has to draw its wings round itself, but it is making its way towards you and can it can move faster than you can. The thing has evilly glowing red eyes, long sharp teeth and wickedly curved claws as long as your fingers. You will have to fight it here.

But first, vote on how many Meals to eat between the Endrell fight and the vampire bat fight. Please vote by midnight EST to be sure it will be counted.

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Eric Cross Brooks
Skill: 8/8
Stamina: 6/24
Luck: 11/12
Faith: 6
Blood Points: 10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Backpack, Lantern
Provisions: 12 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold Pieces: 8
Special Notes:

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to eat 4 meals to get to 22 Stamina.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, Eric should stuff his face.

[Beroli]

HORNED VAMPIRE BAT SKILL 8 STAMINA 10

Round 1: Eric 18, Bat 17. Bat is at 8 Stamina.
Round 2: Eric 14, Bat 17. Eric is at 20 Stamina.
Round 3: Eric 13, Bat 16. Eric is at 18 Stamina.
Round 4: Eric 15, Bat 11. Bat is at 6 Stamina.
Round 5: Eric 15, Bat 12. Bat is at 4 Stamina.
Round 6: Eric 15, Bat 20. Eric is at 16 Stamina.
Round 7: Eric 15, Bat 14. Bat is at 2 Stamina.
Round 8: Eric 14, Bat 19. Eric is at 14 Stamina.
Round 9: Eric 18, Bat 15. Bat is at 0 Stamina.

If you win, you decide that it is high time you got out of this place. You reckon that Sewarth must be dead--he learned too much. On the way out, you spot the gleam of gold at the bony feet of one of the skeletal monks. Taking this would be dishonourable--the gold must have been buried with the monk, perhaps as an offering to one of the gods. If you want to take the 7 Gold Pieces that are here, you must lose 1 FAITH point. Make your decision, then head on upwards. Turn to 125.

As you leave the kitchen, a chilly draught tells you that the doors to the monastery are open. There is no sign of any monk, but the southern door in the west wing is open and the corpse of a monk has been dragged to the doorway; blood has seeped along almost the whole passageway. You gape at the terrible sight, then you hear the sound of horses whinnying outside. You rush to the door in time to see a black coach with its driver pulling on the reins of four black stallions, as a caped figure disappears into the coach! If you want to attack the occupant of the coach, turn to 214. If discretion makes you decide not to do this, turn to 371.

I need votes on: whether to eat Meals and how many; whether to take the gold; whether to attack the mysterious caped figure. Please vote by noon EST to be sure it will be counted.

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Eric Cross Brooks
Skill: 8/8
Stamina: 14/24
Luck: 11/12
Faith: 5/6
Blood Points: 10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Backpack, Lantern
Provisions: 8 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold Pieces: 8/15
Special Notes:

[Queen of Swords]

I don't think attacking the occupant of the coach would be a good idea - we don't know who it is and we don't have anything that could affect a vampire.

Take the gold.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to eat 2 meals to get to 22 Stamina, *not* to take the gold to preserve our Faith points, and not to attack the caped figure.

[Thaluikhain]

Don't take gold and we've killed some things recently so don't need to randomly kill someone else just yet.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, Luck is something I'm willing to burn for gold because we have a lot of the former and not the latter, but we don't have a lot of Faith. And we don't have the Skill to just fight everyone we come across.

[Beroli]

Leaving the gold wins 3-1, not attacking the coach occupant wins 4-0, eating 2 meals wins 1-0.

The black coach vanishes in the darkness. Somehow you have to pursue it in order to find out where the creature which has brought death and mayhem to the monks has gone. <misleading option elided>

Villagers and other monks are already streaming towards the monastery, attracted by the sound and the sight of the fleeing coach. The bodies of several monks are brought out by men with ashen faces. One monk from a neighbouring monastery mutters something about Ghouls, and people are beginning to look uneasy and afraid. It seems that only one of the young monks from the monastery is left alive. If you want to try to talk to him, roll one die and add 4. (The result is 10; that's higher than your Faith and so he will not talk to you even if you want to delay to talk to him, so you pursue the coach.)

By great good fortune you come across a simple farmer leading a horse back to his farmstead. 'Darned thing escaped again. He loves running away, the wretch. Must have been all the noise of folks getting up at nights that roused him,' the old farmer grumbles. The horse looks distinctly perky and frisky, not the usual farm workhorse at all. You bring up the idea of buying the horse, and the farmer agrees to sell him--but for no less than 7 Gold. Buy the horse (turn to 87) or continue on foot (turn to 203)?

Please vote by midnight EST to be sure it will be counted.

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Eric Cross Brooks
Skill: 8/8
Stamina: 22/24
Luck: 11/12
Faith: 6
Blood Points: 10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Backpack, Lantern
Provisions: 6 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold Pieces: 8
Special Notes:

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to buy the horse.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, buy the horse.

[Beroli]

Only one road leads eastwards away from the monasteries of Lake Libra, so you gallop along it. By good fortune, after you have ridden for an hour you come upon a coach which has stopped at the roadside with a broken axle; asking the coachman, you find out that the black coach which you are pursuing was seen heading eastward along this road barely half an hour ago. Regain 1 Luck point. Your horse seems delighted to get a decent gallop, and it's almost dawn by the time he begins to flag. Now you see a coaching inn by the roadside, not far ahead. Test your Skill. 9 fails.

You unsaddle your horse and request that he be fed and watered, then you enter the coaching inn. You ask the landlord if a man wearing a black coat has just arrived and taken rooms. He looks at you quizzically then says in a dull voice, 'Ain't no one come yer this morning.' When you ask again, he repeats the same Iine. Test your Spot Skill. 6 succeeds; you notice that he sounds hypnotized.

Will you:

Book into the inn? Turn to 289.
Look for somewhere else to stay and sleep? Turn to 323.
Leave but keep watch over the inn from a distance? Turn to 394.

Please vote by noon EST to be sure it will be counted.

Adventure Sheet:

Name: Eric Cross Brooks
Skill: 8/8
Stamina: 22/24
Luck: 12/12
Faith: 6
Blood Points: 10
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Shield, Backpack, Lantern
Provisions: 6 Meals (+4 STAMINA)
Gold Pieces: 8
Special Notes:

[Darth Rabbitt]

Leave but keep watch.

[Queen of Swords]

If we book into the inn, would we get the opportunity to search it and find the man in black?

[Beroli]

That does not sound like a question I should answer.

(When the book says, "Do you attack him, or confront him?" and only after choosing the "confront" option do you find out that "and go meekly back to your room when he leads you there and posts another monk to guard the door" was assumed, I'll translate it to what you would reasonably know IC; on the flip side, I've also been hiding spoileriffic information from you--for example, you didn't learn from me that when you spoke to Marcus there were options for "if Endrell attacked you." But here, you know everything OOC that you would know IC; one option involves paying to stay in the inn, whatever you might or might not be able to do after that, the other two involve immediately going back out through the door you came in.)

[Queen of Swords]

That makes sense. I'd prefer to book into the inn. Hopefully this doesn't lead to a paragraph saying, "You pay for a room and go to sleep. Sometime in the night you wake up just as a vampire's fangs sink deep into your throat. Your adventure is over." I'd like to think this wouldn't happen, but who knows.