[lets play] Fighting Fantasy (Scholastic 16): Assassins of Allansia.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, look at the books.

[Thaluikhain]

Books.

Ok, was expecting the red-haired assassin next...and that was a pretty wimpy ninja.

[SGamerz]

I was expecting the woman to be the assassin in disguise (hair colour is one of the easiest things to hide), but as mentioned before, I think we're supposed to actively look for the assassins and kill them anyway.

Reading time.

[Beroli]

Look at the books.

[Dogopolis]

You glance at the titles of the books on the shelves. They are all books on magic with intriguing titles like The Secrets of Sorcerers and The Grimoire of Magic Missiles, but the one that really catches your eye is a small, red leather bound ancient tome held shut by a brass clasp. The book is entitled The End of Time, which is printed in large gold-leaf lettering on the cover. Do you want to open the book or do you want to walk up the stairs and go back outside?.

[Thaluikhain]

Open the box book.

[SGamerz]

Open the book.

[Beroli]

The End of Time? Leave.

[Queen of Swords]

Open the book.

[Dogopolis]

You undo the clasp and open the book to find that all the pages are hollowed out of the middle and there is a finely engraved gold ring wrapped in wool lying in the cavity. There are no words in the book other than an instruction on the title page penned in elaborate italic gold writing, which reads,

"Kiss the Warp Ring to go back one minute in time. Choose your moment carefully because this can be
done but once."

The chance to go back in time is impossible to resist and you slip the ring on to your middle finger. You turn it round and round on your finger as you walk back up the stairs to go outside with your mind spinning, thinking about what it might be like to go back in time.

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You open the door just wide enough to look outside and are relieved to find that the Orcs are nowhere to be seen. You slip outside, closing the bark-covered door behind you, which fits into the trunk so snugly that nobody would know it was there. You make your way northwards through the trees to where the wood opens out on to a huge grass-covered plain where you see two paths. One path heads north towards a forest and the other leads off it and heads north-east towards a town in the far distance. Do you want to follow the path north towards the forest or do you want to follow the path north to the junction and turn north-east towards the town?

[Queen of Swords]

Try the forest, seems less likely that assassins will be lurking in a forest.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to follow the path north towards the forest.

[Dogopolis]

The sweeping plain is tall grassland as far as you can see, all the way to the forest in the dim distance. The path cuts straight through the long grasses, which sway slowly from side to side in the gentle breeze. Walking along, you see a pair of legs sticking out of the grass up ahead and an open backpack next to them. Whoever it is, they are groaning loudly and appear to be in a lot of pain. You draw your sword and approach cautiously. Do you want to investigate or do you want to ignore the person and keep walking along the path?

[SGamerz]

Investigate.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, investigate.

[JourneymanN00b]

Also vote to investigate.

[Thaluikhain]

Investigate.

[Dogopolis]

You part the tall grass with your sword and see a man dressed in green-and-brown woodsman’s clothing lying face down with a dagger sticking out of his back. He groans loudly when you turn him on his side. “It’s too late for me,” he whispers slowly, staring at you with unblinking eyes. “Two Hobgoblins jumped me. I fought them off, but there was another one hiding in the long grass who stabbed me in the back. They took everything I had and left me for dead.” The man grimaces in pain and breathes in hard before carrying on. “The cowardly dogs missed my gold. Take it.” The man’s eyes suddenly widen, and he goes listless. There is nothing you can do to save the woodsman. You find a hidden pocket in the seam of his tunic containing 3 Gold Pieces which you place in your pocket and continue your journey.

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There is a gap up ahead in the tall grass on the right where a path joins the path you are on. A cloud of dust rises into the air from somebody or something running towards you along the path from the east. You reach the junction and see a tall, barefooted warrior woman sprinting towards you. She has striking silver markings covering much of her bronzed skin and her hair is close-cropped and dyed scarlet-red. She is a ZENGIAN ULTRA, a fearless and fanatical fighter armed with throwing spears. She lets out a shrill war cry and throws her spear at you. If you have a shield....

We do have a shield
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The warrior’s aim is deadly accurate, but you just manage to raise your shield in time to meet the spear, which clatters off and falls harmlessly to the ground. The warrior is only twenty metres away and closing in fast, wielding two long knives. Do you want to reach for her spear and throw it back at her or do you want to draw your sword and ready yourself for combat?.

inella Noland
Skill 9/9
Stamina 19/21
Luck 10/11

Potion of Strength
Provisions:9
Silver necklaces: 5
Dagger
Skeleton key (44)
2 diamonds.
12 Gold, 1 Silver
Rusty Knife
Shield of the Sentinels. (+1 Attack strength)
Astral Sword. (+1 Attack strength)
Bow and arrows
Food (+4 Stamina)
Bag of Holding
Elven Boots
Bracelet of Power (+3 SKILL when used)
Healing ring (+6 stamina)
Scroll of Invisibility
Magic Flute
Chainmail (+1 Attack strength)
Box belonging to Balthazar Whittle
Headband
Warp Ring
Bone Dice

Deaths:
1 by Gretta Morg's Death Hand

[Thaluikhain]

Half vote for throwing the spear back, since it's not an option we come across very often.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, try throwing the spear back.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to draw Finella's sword and get ready for combat, since doing so is faster than reaching for the spear, which will probably involve a Skill or Luck test.

[SGamerz]

I think the assassin will be better at countering her own weapon. Draw sword.

[Dogopolis]

On preview: SGamerz is slightly too late.

There is not enough time to pick up and throw the spear before the warrior is upon you, wielding her long knives around furiously. She strikes you twice before you even draw your sword to defend yourself. Lose 4 STAMINA points. You stagger backwards and watch the wild-eyed warrior stand still for a second with her head tilted to one side before uttering her shrill war cry and attacking you again in a flurry of flashing blades.

ZENGIAN ULTRA SKILL 9 STAMINA 6

Code: Select all

F18 Z21 F at 13
F18 Z17 Z at 4
F18 Z14 Z at 2
F19 Z15 Zed's dead baby.

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You are relieved to have survived another assassination attempt. The first thing that catches your eye is the warrior woman’s silver necklace with the now familiar scorpion pendant hanging from her neck. You snatch it from her and place it in your pocket with the others. You also take the snake-shaped gold armband from her right bicep and empty her leather pouch, which contains 2 Gold Pieces. Do you want to try on the armband or would you rather place it in your backpack?

[Queen of Swords]

Try it on.

[Thaluikhain]

Try it on.

(Also, these assassins are a bit weedy)