[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 42: Black Vein Prophecy

[Beroli]

Examining the object wins 2.5 to 2.

You step gingerly up to the object and reach out to touch it. As you do, you feel your skin start to tingle. A sixth sense warns you that the object is still dangerous.

Handle the object?
Make for the sea walls instead?

[Queen of Swords]

Okay, curious though I am, this seems a good time to leave well enough alone. Make for the sea walls.

[Thaluikhain]

Half vote for handling anyway, as that seems more interesting than not.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to make for the sea walls instead.

[SGamerz]

Head for the sea walls.

[Beroli]

Though scarred and pocked, the seawalls of the city still stand. Flights of stone steps lead up to their ramparts, and you begin to ascend. After a short while you reach a ledge, from which another flight leads upwards. This time the climb takes a little longer, and by the time you reach the next ledge you are panting with the effort. Looking up, you see the top of the wall still rearing far above you. You are halfway up the next flight of stairs when you notice that you are only a dozen steps up from the ground. Below you there is no sign of the ledges on which you rested. Hurrying back down the steps, you look up at the wall from a distance. A single flight of stairs leads up to the top--there is not a ledge to be seen. Puzzled, you abandon your attempt to scale the walls.

Turn your attention to the catapults on the platforms nearby?
Return to the city's ruins?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: ????????
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 7/7

Greatsword
Haversack
Provisions: 5
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to turn our attention to the catapults on the platforms nearby.

[SGamerz]

This might be the way out. I want to stay in the city and explore some more. Back to the ruins.

[Queen of Swords]

I can't see the catapults being of much use, unless we're given the option to send ourselves flying out to sea (though random as things have been so far, maybe it is). Let's get back to the ruins.

[Thaluikhain]

Check the catapults, but half vote to avoid tie.

[Beroli]

You hurry through the city streets and along a series of narrow alleyways, while ahead of you hoofbeats rattle against stone. At a crossroads you catch up with the horse and its multicoloured rider; the two are welded together by some bizarre sorcery. The horse's mouth opens and a piping voice splutters at you: 'Rat trapped in a maze. And how is it going to get out?' The rider stares at you, his eyes blank. 'It needs a friend, it does. Someone to carry it from the city, someone who knows.'

Attempt to befriend the mutant rider?
Leave it and make for the sea?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: ????????
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 7/7

Greatsword
Haversack
Provisions: 5
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to attempt to befriend the mutant rider.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, talk to the thingy...though why is it a mutant rider, and not a mutant ride, if it's the horse talking?

[Beroli]

The creature continues to splutter in its piping voice, and you can't make up your mind whether to look it in the blank eyes of its rider or those of the horse, which are covered with a silvery sheen. Its talk means very little to you: rats, meadows and bright lights seem to be all it cares for. As it speaks, though, you find memories coming back to you. The rider was merged with the horse by the brutal power of a Mutation spell--a spell you are certain you have learned to cast yourself in the past. The spell is likely still active, which would make the unified creature deadly to touch.

Dismiss your memories and take it up on its offer to transport you from the city?
Attempt to examine it more closely without touching it?
Attack it and take it by surprise?
Turn your attention back to the catapults?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: ????????
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 7/7

Greatsword
Haversack
Provisions: 5
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to attempt to examine it more closely without touching it.

[Queen of Swords]

Yeah, I'm guessing that if we get on its back, we'll get combined with it as well (and I only like individuals merging together in Transformers). Attacking it will probably just make it run away. So try to examine it more closely without touching it.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Examine!

[SGamerz]

Examine.

[Beroli]

While the creature babbles, you edge towards it and stretch out your hands. Your fingers tingle, and the creature shies away in fright and gallops off. Now you are left with little choice but to head towards the sea.

The mighty catapults raise the arms towards the heavens, giving you an idea: perhaps you can escape this blighted city using them. The sea will break your fall and you should be able to swim along the coast until you find a safe place to beach. Climbing on to a nearby platform, you heave a large, tar-smeared missile into the waiting basket. You then tug out the wooden pin which frees the catapult bar and watch as the missile soars up and over the city walls. You haven't the strength to winch the arm back, but there is another primed catapult, a short distance away. It is the work of a moment to tie a string to the wooden pin and then clamber into the basket. Offering up a silent prayer to any deities who happen to be listening, you give the string a sharp tug. Test your Luck.

(Roll: 6 succeeds.)

The wind is a wall, and you have just been flung into it. You see a whirl of blue, white and brown, and then you are dropping, spinning in the air. Below you, a tiny boat bobs up and down on the water. The water rushes up to meet you. You suck in as much air as your lungs can hold and hope you know how to swim. You fall into the sea feet first, and the shock stuns you. You see a dimly lit realm of green, blue and silver, then your arms start to work, pulling you up. You break the surface and draw in a deep gulp of air, exhilarated.

Minutes later, a dark wooden hull looms up ahead of you. Strong arms reach down and pull you from the water up into a small boat. Your rescuer is a woman, dressed practically in leather, and with a sailor's long knife at her belt. As you look her over she stares at you, her brows furrowing. 'Who in all the Isles are you?' she cries. 'And what has happened to Thandile?'

Shrug your shoulders and tell her you've never heard of Thandile?
Tell her about the dead man you found? (If you can't remember this, check the very first post.)

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: ????????
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 6/7

Greatsword
Haversack
Provisions: 5
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

I wasn't serious about using the catapults like that!

Oh well. Tell her about the dead man.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to teller her about the dead man we found. And is there a picture that goes with that section? I vaguely remember there being one.

[Beroli]

I honestly can't tell if this is supposed to go with passage 236 (you successfully launch yourself into the water) or with passage 235 (something wholly unrelated to anything you've seen yet happens), but it's sufficiently obscure that I can't imagine anyone finding it terribly spoilerrific here.

BVP Page 140.JPG (122.75 KiB) Viewed 1988 times

[SGamerz]

Tell about dead guy.

(Ab pbqrjbeqf tnvarq? Qvq jr whfg zrffrq hc trggvat gur Zhgngvba fcryy?)

[Beroli]

Ab, vg'f cneg bs jung V fnvq urer: viewtopic.php?p=556764#p556764 . Though one thing I should spell out to everyone is that code words, "did X happen," and so on are something I'll be taking care of behind the scenes rather than directly copying from the book.

You cast your mind back to your first hours of consciousness. Her hard features soften as you describe the body that lay in your tomb chamber. It is obvious that you guessed correctly. She turns to look back at the city, her eyes moist. You say nothing, respecting her moment of private grief. A moment passes, then another. Finally she sighs and turns back to you. 'What are you gawping at?' she spits. 'Get to work on the sails, and thank the gods that I bothered to save you.'

Despite your lack of seacraft, you soon pick up the most important skill--avoiding the boom as it swings backand forth in the wind. Soon the sails are trimmed and ready to catch the faint sea-breezes. You make little progress, however. A dense, clinging mist settles about the boat, limiting your vision to a few metres. The wind finally drops altogether, and Velkos takes the opportunity to catch up on some sleep. You remain awake as look-out. After a while you hear muffled sounds ahead: a slight splashing like the gentle slap of cloth against water. Moments later, a large shape appears out of the mist. It looks like a huge translucent ball with a dark shape squirming within it.

You have a sword. Will you use it against the sphere?
Or will you pick up a rough wooden pole lying on deck?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: ????????
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 6/7

Greatsword
Haversack
Provisions: 5
[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

Rough wooden pole, save our sword.