[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 52 - Night Dragon

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 2:00 pm

Technically yes, there is no shortcut back to the door and we have to fight the bloody thing again. So, explore more, or back to the massive dwarven statue?

I'm perfectly willing to rule that we shouldn't have to fight it twice.

Also, there is no dwarven coin here. We missed the chance to get it along the land route in Rentarn.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 3:26 pm

Back to the statue!

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 2:43 am

Imagine, if you will, the Benny Hill soundtrack playing as Dirk retraces his steps back up the staircase and fights the massive dwarf statue in comical fast forward and just as he strikes the killing blow...

Beyond the door lies a hall which almost takes your breath away, such is its sheer size and the intricacy of its decoration. It must measure a hundred metres on each side, with a ceiling fifteen metres high. Standing within the hall are rank upon rank of stone Dwarfs, all staring at the far end of the hall, where three stone Dwarf chieftains stand on a raised dais. On the walls hang flags and pennants, their colours long dulled by age, and racks of battleaxes. A long mural etched in stone runs along the walls, showing Dwarfs at war overcoming their hated enemies, Giants and Orcs and Goblins. You can almost hear echoes of the war cries which must have resounded from these mighty walls. And as you look, the Dwarfs begin to move! Slowly, painfully slowly, and with a stiffness born of centuries of slumber, they turn around and shuffle to look at you. One of the chieftains ponderously stretches out an arm, and a voice so deep it seems to come from the core of the world itself booms, "The hour has come. The Hero has come to lift our curse!" A ragged cheer rises from the hundreds of stone Dwarfs, who begin to throng around you. It seems that your quest must have many goals before you reach journey's end! Turn to 159.

You do not interrupt the chieftain as he explains the plight of his people. They are cursed to live as beings of stone; a Great Wyrm appeared in their mines and turned them to stone with its terrible petrifying gaze. The Dwarfs believed the Wyrm appeared because they disturbed an ancient evil sleeping far to the north when their mines spread far and wide below the Dragon Reaches. They also believe that you have come to slay the Wyrm and lift their curse of ages. They see the torn armour you carry, and they offer to repair this if you slay the Wyrm. You have a horrible suspicion that what they call a Wyrm is in reality a Basilisk, which turns people to stone if they meet its gaze; but you have no choice. You heft your sword and agree to slay the monster. Again the Dwarfs cheer, and they guide you through the great hall to a descending pit cage which leads down to the mines The ancient mechanism which operates it begins to clank, and by some minor miracle it delivers you safely to the deep mines. Add 1 to your Time Track. Opening the barred iron door, you step on to wet, cold rock and breathe in dank air. Water drips everywhere in the gloom here, and the silence is as ominous as the darkness your lantern barely illuminates. You can follow a mine shaft leading in one of four directions; will you go:

North? (turn to 27)
South? (turn to 242)
East? (turn to 14)
West? (turn to 314)

Oh noes, more blind choices!

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11 (+1 from Magic Shield)
Stamina 18/22
Luck 10/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 1
Time Track 56

Gear:
Sword
Leather armor
Magic Armour (rekt)
Magic Shield
Lantern
Backpack
0/17 Provisions
5 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
Smoke powder
Bag of Holding
Tattooing ink and needle
Tome of the Reaches
Magic Mirror
Sphere of Light
2 Striped Seed Pods
Harlequin's winged Boots of Gliding
Amulet of Teleporting

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.
Shield Number: 70
Scalmagzaprin might be someone important, probably in the towers of Carnex was the High Priest of the dragon cult and is now a corpse.
Tome of the Reaches: Ward Runes section starts on page 44
Tome of the Reaches: Riddling section starts on page 191
Tome of the Reaches: Dragon Runes section starts on page 229
Cannot return to Carnex, what a loss.
Mirror Number: 100
Sphere Number: 244
Pod Number: 16
Teleport to Night Dragon's lair by turning to 289.
Armour Number: 12

Death count: 6
- Eating rohypnol biscuits and being sacrificed to the nameless cult of evil
- Slain by the High Priest and his OP panoply x5

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 2:52 am

East, for no reason.

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 3:20 am

Ah yes, I made a small mistake. West should be 14 and East should be 302; with that in mind, if you still want to go East...

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:01 am

Sigh. Yeah, I don't know. East. Whatever. I guess the author got bored with the dungeon delving...

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:12 am

Eastwards lies the Great Mine, the most spacious and extensive of all the dwarven deep tunnels. You stride cautiously along the winding mine shaft, and as you delve deeper you can smell gas in the mine. Even your shuttered lantern may be a hazard, igniting the gas. If you want to dim your lantern, you may be vulnerable to traps! You must also subtract 2 from your Attack Strength in combat here, unless you have a Sphere of Light. If you want to dim your lantern, turn to 317. If you do not dim it, turn to 107.

Going to assume we're going to douse our lantern; no reason not to.

A huge, lumbering grey-brown lizard, some five metres in length, is heading straight towards you! Hisses come from its wide mouth, and its yellow eyes glow in the darkness like those of some wild beast. This is no ordinary Basilisk you face: this is a much larger version: a Mountain Basilisk- and it is a truly deadly foe! You must decide how to fight it here. If you have a Magic Mirror, you know the Mirror Number. Double that number, then turn to that paragraph (first making a note of the Skill and Stamina of the Mountain Basilisk). Otherwise, you can fight the Basilisk using a steel mirror and looking away from the monster, or take a chance and fight normally while looking at your opponent. If you look right at the Mountain Basilisk, you fight normally, but every Attack Round you must Test Your Luck. If you are Unlucky even once, you will be turned to stone and your adventure ends here! If you choose to look away while fighting,you cannot be turned to stone, but you must subtract 4 from your Attack Strength for the duration of this combat. If you fight with a steel mirror, you cannot be petrified, but you must subtract 2 from your Attack Strength every Attack Round. The Mountain Basilisk will not be petrified by looking into a steel mirror; it is so wily and cunning it knows how to avoid such a fate!

MOUNTAIN BASILISK Skill 8 Stamina 13

If you win, turn to 51.

We do have the Mirror, so we turn to 100 x2 = 200.

Fighting the Mountain Basilisk with the Magic Mirror, you must subtract 2 from your Attack Strength each Attack Round. However, before every Attack Round you should Test the Mountain Basilisk's Skill! If you roll 9 or higher with two dice, the Basilisk looks into the Magic Mirror and will be turned to stone by its own gaze! If this happens, turn to 188. If you defeat the Mountain Basilisk normally, turn to 51.

Ahahaha. For once WE have the Fuck You weapon in our hands!

Skill Test 7 (pass) Dirk 14 (6/22) Mountain Basilisk 17 (13/13)
Skill Test 6 (pass) Dirk 13 (6/22) Mountain Basilisk 12 (11/13)
Skill Test 10 (fail) Dirk 16 (6/22) Mountain Basilisk 11 (9/13, instant death)

DESTROYED!

As the Mountain Basilisk turns itself to stone, a great sign resonates through the entire mine complex as the curse of ages is lifted. Your Magic Mirror gains 1 charge as it absorbs the magic of the Mountain Basilisk's being, and you gain 2 Luck points! You return to the pit cage, and the Dwarfs haul you up to the dungeons above the mines. They are returned to their earthly flesh, and they are abuzz with life and energy! Dwarfs scurry to and fro; some are bringing food, magically conjured from a huge stone cornucopia, and they give you all you can take (restore your Provisions total to its maximum). Artisans hurry away, carrying your armour; they head for the smithy, where the forges are already being rekindled. They apologize that they have no Giants to roast for a feast, but if you stay a month or two... of course you cannot. Turn to 127.

I'm going to rule that we snack back up to full health before replenishing our Provisions to max. "All you can carry" also includes "in your belly".

The Dwarfs return your newly repaired chainmail to you (add 2 to your Time Track); the new steel links show hardly any sign of the old rents in the armour. You may add 1 to your Attack Strength in all combats, but when you enter the mountain lair of the Shadow Dragon you may add 3 to your Attack Strength, thanks to the magical properties of this armour! Gain 1 Luck point. Turn to 220.

Hory shiet. It's like Nightstar, but uber-er. And we haven't even found the Magic Sword yet.

Anyone want to name the armor/shield?

If you have a Dwarven coin and wish to give it to the Dwarfs, , you know the number of the paragraph where you found the coin. Triple that number and turn to that paragraph. If you don't have this item, or you don't want to give it to the Dwarfs, turn to 9.

If you are ready now to face the Night Dragon, you known which paragraph to turn to! Otherwise, if you have the Magic Armour, Magic Sword and Magic Shield, and you have not met the Loremaster, you should add the Armour Number, Shield Number and Sword Number together and turn to that paragraph. If you have tried and failed to obtain either Sword or Shield, but you have the other item, turn to 118. If you have neither Sword nor Shield, turn to 41.

So this paragraph is slightly confusing because it does not take into account that this might be your second artifact and that you have not tried to grab the third yet. I'll assume we're meant to take the final option.

The Dwarfs want to know where you are going now, and since you don't want to give away the nature of your quest, you mumble a few words about heading south to some crypts, or maybe far east to explore Giant lands, although you don't mention the Lore-master. A particularly ancient Dwarf sage looks you up and down and says simply, "If you are seeking the sword which was used by the human whose armour you now wear, that does indeed lie below the Mist Crypts. If that is where you wish to travel, Hero,we know an underground passage network that will take you there more swiftly and safely than the hazardous passes of the surface world." If you want to take up the offer of a dwarven guide to take you to the Mist Crypts, turn to 115. Altematively,you can leave Slate Peak and travel overland southwards to the Mist Crypts (turn to 186) or set out east by south for the lands of the Frost Giants (turn to 64).

Man, these guys just don't stop helping, do they?

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11 (+1 from Magic Shield, +1/3 from Magic Armor, )
Stamina 22/22
Luck 12/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 1
Time Track 58

Gear:
Sword
Magic Armour
Magic Shield
Lantern
Backpack
17/17 Provisions
5 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
Smoke powder
Bag of Holding
Tattooing ink and needle
Tome of the Reaches
Magic Mirror
Sphere of Light
2 Striped Seed Pods
Harlequin's winged Boots of Gliding
Amulet of Teleporting

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.
Shield Number: 70
Scalmagzaprin might be someone important, probably in the towers of Carnex was the High Priest of the dragon cult and is now a corpse.
Tome of the Reaches: Ward Runes section starts on page 44
Tome of the Reaches: Riddling section starts on page 191
Tome of the Reaches: Dragon Runes section starts on page 229
Cannot return to Carnex, what a loss.
Mirror Number: 100
Sphere Number: 244
Pod Number: 16
Teleport to Night Dragon's lair by turning to 289.
Armour Number: 12

Death count: 6
- Eating rohypnol biscuits and being sacrificed to the nameless cult of evil
- Slain by the High Priest and his OP panoply x5

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:34 am

Sure, accept their help.

(Did we miss anything important down at the Basilisk level? Also, I suppose the coin was either behind the door opposite to where we found the armor, or behind the other door up the stone steps. I hate leaving doors unpenetrated!)

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:00 am

You didn't miss anything, really. All four paths would give us a chance to encounter the Basilisk, but going East was one of the best routes given our equipment. We didn't have to roll checks and waste time searching for the Basilisk like on the other paths, at the cost of losing 2 to Attack Strength or risking 4 Stamina damage if we didn't have the Sphere of Light... but we did.

The dwarven coin isn't in the mines. On the road to Rentarn from Blacksand, there was an option to explore a trail of smoke in the forest; it would have taken us to a cabin with a dwarf inside who would have sold us the coin for 2 golds if we had traded him a keg of beer/liqueur for a night's rest. That route would have also saved us from running into the Grey Assassins, who had a chance to murder you in your sleep.

On the door opposite the armour room, we would have found the weapons storage, where we could have looted a Magic Sword. +1 to all combats, but reverses to -1 when fighting humans. This is very useful because anything you fight that needs a magic sword to hit isn't human...

Also, most of the chambers in the dwarven dungeons are wastes of time. The forge gives 1 gold if you search it, but everything else gives nothing or hurts you.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:01 pm

I see no reason not to accept the free guide.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 2:00 pm

Well, given that we're questing a legendary armor, shield, and sword set, in order to defeat an evil dragon, I think we should name them Erdrick's Shield, Erdrick's Armor, and Erdrick's Sword (assuming we eventually get the Sword). Because Dragon Warrior. I'm open to other, better suggestions though.

Anyhow, accept their help, because these Dwarves know their shit better than anyone (barring maybe the Dragons, but even then it's close).

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 2:33 pm

Your dwarven guides lead you along endless gloomy passages, but their exceptional undergground senses alert them to prowling monsters before even you would have detected them. Your feet are sore with marching for two days (add 4 to your Time Track) by the time the Dwarfs show you to a descending, fog-occludes chamber. "There lie the Mist Crypts," your guide says grimly. "May the gods go with you there! What you seek lies in their depths; be sure to keep heading downwards." You make your way across the slippery floor of the cavern and, peering through the gloom, you see a door emerging from the mists directly ahead of you. There is also a side passage leading upwards. If you choose to make your way upwards, turn to 356. If you decide to open the door instead, turn to 132.

Down and deep / dark and dank / below our feet / below they sank
Under waves and / under ground / no light we have / no hope for sound
Beneath us still / sea and mound / remember will / with silence found

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11 (+1 from Magic Shield, +1/3 from Magic Armor, )
Stamina 22/22
Luck 12/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 1
Time Track 58

Gear:
Sword
Magic Armour
Magic Shield
Lantern
Backpack
17/17 Provisions
5 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
Smoke powder
Bag of Holding
Tattooing ink and needle
Tome of the Reaches
Magic Mirror
Sphere of Light
2 Striped Seed Pods
Harlequin's winged Boots of Gliding
Amulet of Teleporting

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.
Shield Number: 70
Scalmagzaprin might be someone important, probably in the towers of Carnex was the High Priest of the dragon cult and is now a corpse.
Tome of the Reaches: Ward Runes section starts on page 44
Tome of the Reaches: Riddling section starts on page 191
Tome of the Reaches: Dragon Runes section starts on page 229
Cannot return to Carnex, what a loss.
Mirror Number: 100
Sphere Number: 244
Pod Number: 16
Teleport to Night Dragon's lair by turning to 289.
Armour Number: 12

Death count: 6
- Eating rohypnol biscuits and being sacrificed to the nameless cult of evil
- Slain by the High Priest and his OP panoply x5

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 2:34 pm

Door! We must leave no doors unopened like any true adventurer!

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 2:35 pm

Open the door.

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:22 pm

Beyond the door, you walk along a short and very narrow length of cut stone passageway until you come Lo a second door, which you open with ease; stepping into the chamber beyond, the door closes silently behind you, and now it is absolutely flush with the wall. You realize how well designed a secret door it is from inside this room and you wonder whether you should look for other similar hidden portals within the crypts beyond. Turn to 201.

Moving on...

You stand in a small, oval-shaped cavern; its ceiling is obscured by mist and two doors stand at opposite ends of the room where the walls have been chiselled and cut into straight lines. Neither door has any distinguishing marks but from beneath one you think you can see wisps of bluish mist gently drifting into the chamber. Will you open the door with the blue mist behind it (turn to 326) or the other door (turn to 247)?

OK, I've never actually gone on this route before, but it seems the dwarf shortcut is one hell of a dungeon bypass.

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11 (+1 from Magic Shield, +1/3 from Magic Armor, )
Stamina 22/22
Luck 12/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 1
Time Track 62

Gear:
Sword
Magic Armour
Magic Shield
Lantern
Backpack
17/17 Provisions
5 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
Smoke powder
Bag of Holding
Tattooing ink and needle
Tome of the Reaches
Magic Mirror
Sphere of Light
2 Striped Seed Pods
Harlequin's winged Boots of Gliding
Amulet of Teleporting

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.
Shield Number: 70
Scalmagzaprin might be someone important, probably in the towers of Carnex was the High Priest of the dragon cult and is now a corpse.
Tome of the Reaches: Ward Runes section starts on page 44
Tome of the Reaches: Riddling section starts on page 191
Tome of the Reaches: Dragon Runes section starts on page 229
Cannot return to Carnex, what a loss.
Mirror Number: 100
Sphere Number: 244
Pod Number: 16
Teleport to Night Dragon's lair by turning to 289.
Armour Number: 12

Death count: 6
- Eating rohypnol biscuits and being sacrificed to the nameless cult of evil
- Slain by the High Priest and his OP panoply x5

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 6:44 am

Investigate the interesting thing.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 9:24 am

Blue option! Literally!

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 9:57 am

The mist behind the door thickens into blue fog a few metres beyond along the irregular, winding passage which lies beyond it. The stony ground is slippery and treacherous, and you can hear the slow drip of water in the distance echoing in some great space. As the mist begins to thin, you find yourself at the edge of a huge underground cavern, scores of metres across. Opposite you, there is an underground glacier or frozen waterfall rising some thirty metres up to a rocky ledge! There doesn't appear to be any other exit or entrance, so you'll have to climb up the glacier to get to the misty ledge above. To do this, you have two choices. One is to use a magical seed pod, if you have one. If you do, turn to the paragraph with thr same number as the pod has stripes. Alternatively, if you don't have this pod (or don't want to use it), you must Test your Skill successfully, adding 4 to the dice roll. If you have spiked boots, you need only add 1 to the dice roll. If you have an ice pick as well, you can Test your Skill without adding any modifier. If you are successful, turn to 145. If you fail, you fall during the climb; roll one die and lose that many Stamina points. You can climb as many times as you like; if you decide to give up, or if you don't want to attempt the climb anyway, turn to 54.

Too bad we can't bust the roof of the mountain off with our magic beanstalk...

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11 (+1 from Magic Shield, +1/3 from Magic Armor, )
Stamina 22/22
Luck 12/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 1
Time Track 62

Gear:
Sword
Magic Armour
Magic Shield
Lantern
Backpack
17/17 Provisions
5 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
Smoke powder
Bag of Holding
Tattooing ink and needle
Tome of the Reaches
Magic Mirror
Sphere of Light
2 Striped Seed Pods
Harlequin's winged Boots of Gliding
Amulet of Teleporting

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.
Shield Number: 70
Scalmagzaprin might be someone important, probably in the towers of Carnex was the High Priest of the dragon cult and is now a corpse.
Tome of the Reaches: Ward Runes section starts on page 44
Tome of the Reaches: Riddling section starts on page 191
Tome of the Reaches: Dragon Runes section starts on page 229
Cannot return to Carnex, what a loss.
Mirror Number: 100
Sphere Number: 244
Pod Number: 16
Teleport to Night Dragon's lair by turning to 289.
Armour Number: 12

Death count: 6
- Eating rohypnol biscuits and being sacrificed to the nameless cult of evil
- Slain by the High Priest and his OP panoply x5

Mr Shine · Post by **Mr Shine** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 10:06 am

Test our skill normally. Keep the magical seedy goodness for later.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 10:22 am

I forgot, were we ever told that there are other uses for the seedpod?

Anyway, we have a SKILL of 11 and all the necessary climbing gear we need. Might as well try the climb on our own, since we're highly unlikely to fail.

Mr Shine · Post by **Mr Shine** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 11:52 am

It's a magical item with it's own number, it gives you the option not to use it, and the use we're being offered semms to be a rather mundane, beat a Test your Skill. I guess if we use it here we'll miss out on an oppurtunity where it really will do something important.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 12:33 pm

Thirded.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:11 pm

All the climbing shit we bought won't be in vain! Climb without the aid of any magic seeds.

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 11:12 pm

You are almost at the top of the glacier when a clatter of rocks comes tumbling down on your head! Lose 2 Stamina points. One heavy stone hits you on the forehead and dazes you; you must subtract 1 from your Attack Strength for the combat you're about to face. You manage to hang on to the ice and not be swept off by this assault, gain 1 Luck point. When you get to your feet on the ridge you face a skeletal attacker armed with a long, barbed polearm weapon with which it has a long reach, making it difficult to get at. It manages to wield this with one bony hand while gripping a curved dagger in the other lo attack you if you do manage to get close! If the Skeleton rolls 17 or higher for its Attack Strength, it will hit you even if you have the higher Attack Strength (if you have, you both land blows in the same Attack Round), and if you don't Test your Skill successfully after such a blow you will slip and fall on the ice. If you fall, you must subtract 4 from your Attack Strength in the next Attack Round.

SKELETON Skill 8 Stamina 7

If you win, turn to 276.

FIGHT!

Dirk 21 (20/22) Skeleton 15 (5/7)
Dirk 22 (20/22) Skeleton 16 (3/7)
Dirk 22 (20/22) Skeleton 15 (1/7)
Dirk 22 (20/22) Skeleton 16 (-1/7, destroyed)

VICTOLY! Though the seed pod would have skipped that fight.

Across the ledge, a shadowy figure is materializing out of the thick blue mist; a wraith-form, shrouded in a silvered black cape, half substance and half ghost, gripping a black, iron-tipped staff! You can perform two actions before it is ready to fight you; you cannot harm it until it has fully materialized. Eating a meal, drinking a Potion, drawing a charge from a Magic Mirror (if you have one) or using some other magical item, each comprises one action. Decide what you're going to do, and then ready yourself for combat! The materialized Wizard-Wraith which stands before you is a terrifying opponent. For the first four Attack Rounds, he will try to strike you with his staff. If he has the higher Attack Strength, he will discharge a vicious electrical shock into you, using up the magic of his fell
weapon, and you must lose 4 Stamina points. Afterwards, the Wizard-Wraith will rend at you with his bony, talon-hands; these blows inflict the usual 2 points of damage to your Stamina.

WIZARD-WRAITH Skill 10 Stamina 14

If you win, the Wizard-Wraith may have drained some of your Skill. If he struck you with his claws (a hit from his staff will not have this effect), roll one die. If you roll 1-4, the chill of his touch has drained 1 point of Skill from you. Turn to 81.

This guy's pretty nasty, but not nearly as bad as the high priest. FIGHT!

Dirk 25 (20/22) WW 16 (12/14)
Dirk 17 (16/22) WW 18 (12/14)
Dirk 15 (14/22) WW 18 (12/14)
Dirk 22 (14/22) WW 14 (10/14)
Dirk 16 (12/22) WW 22 (10/14)
Dirk 21 (12/22) WW 16 (8/14)
Dirk 18 (10/22) WW 20 (8/14)
Dirk 19 (8/22) WW 20 (8/14)
Dirk 15 (6/22) WW 18 (8/14)
Dirk 23 (6/22) WW 18 (6/14)
Dirk 19 (6/22) WW 15 (4/14)
Dirk 19 (6/22) WW 18 (2/14)
Dirk 20 (4/22) WW 21 (2/14)
Dirk 22 (4/22) WW 21 (0/14, defeated)

Wow, that was a long fight. And the dice weren't kind to us. Still, victory!

Also, rolling that dice to see if we lost skill:

3

Sadness. I think that one hurts more than any amount of Stamina lost.

The Wizard-Wraith dissolves into wisps of acrid smoke as you strike the final blow. His staff remains, but it is an evil thing and you do not wish even to touch it. However, exploring the back of the rock ledge reveals 6 Gold Pieces - and a beautiful sword which positively crackles with magical energy. This is what you came for, and, as you take it, its balance feels perfect in your hands. Across the hilt and pommel is set a broad band of tiny moonstones; 80 in all (make a note of the number of gems; call it the Sword Number). The Magic Sword adds 1 to your Attack Strength in all combats, but when you fight a Stalker or the Night Dragon itself, this sword will add a full 3 points to your Attack Strength! You hold the sword aloft in triumph and, as you do so, you notice a very thin line in the rock face at the back of the ledge. Your fingers soon find a secret door, flush with the rock face, and a narrow, ascending passage beyond. In less than an hour, although it seems much longer, you are out of the Mist Crypts and staring at the setting sun.

If you;re ready to face the Night Dragon, you know which paragraph to turn to! If you now have the Magic Armour, Magic Shield and Magic Sword but you have not yet met the Loremaster, add the Armour Number, Shield Number and Sword Number together and turn to the paragraph with the same number. If you have the Sword and the Armour, and you have tried and failed to get the Shield, multiply the Armour Number by 4, add the Sword Number, and subtract 10 to get a total; turn to the paragraph with that number. If you still seek either Armour or Shield, turn to 359.

Awwww yiss. Badassful sword get! Also, we know where to go: 289.

When you have a chance to check lhe contents of your backpack, you find that the Loremaster's magic has replenished it for you during your magical journey here: you now have a full supply of Provisions with you! Now you must head north to the final, desperately dangerous nemesis you will have to face. Turn to 18.

I'm going to assume jellied eels to full before this refill.

You set off into the frozen wastes of the northern Dragon Reaches. Almost nothing grows here; there are few animals around, and even the migrating birds high in the sky are few and far between. Guided by a burning desire to complete your quest and by an intuition that guides you ever onward, you press on through the snow and ice to your destiny. Add 2 to your Time Track. You must now eat a meal, unless you have a longbow or crossbow; if you have either you can preserve your Provisions by hunting instead. If you hunt, you do not need to eat a meal, but you must add an extra 1 to your Time Track for time spent hunting. After a night's restless sleep in the bitter cold of the far north, you set out once more under leaden, snow-filled skies. If your Nemesis score s 6 or higher, turn to 353. If your Nemesis score is 5 or below, turn to 161.

Our Nemesis score is lone because we leave their corpses in our wake.

The new day is bitterly cold. You lose 2 Stamina points because of the wind chill as a gale whips across the frozen plains, unless you have some Firewater. If you have, sipping it will keep you warm and you need lose no Stamina points (since you take a sip only, you do not have to remove the Firewater from your Adventure Sheet). You are now closing in on the mountain range to the north, and to your left you see, some distance away, a column of figures heading north. Taking care to conceal yourself, you approach them to take a closer look. You see that a hundred or so
ragged folk, chained together, are being shepherded along by a group of four grey robed men; periodically the slaves are being struck with cruel whips by their captors. If you decide to leave well alone here, turn to
258. If you decide to attack the grey-robed men, even though four of them are a force to be reckoned with, turn to 69.

Incidentally, the Magic Mirror can restore lost Skill points; all of them in one go, in fact. However, this is also the same resource pool that restores ALL Stamina in one shot and powers the explosive self destruct function.

Anyway, decide.

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 10/11 (+1 from Magic Shield, +1/3 from Magic Armor, +1/3 from Magic Sword)
Stamina 22/22
Luck 12/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 1
Time Track 62

Gear:
Sword
Magic Armour
Magic Shield
Lantern
Backpack
17/17 Provisions
5 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
Smoke powder
Bag of Holding
Tattooing ink and needle
Tome of the Reaches
Magic Mirror (4 charges)
Sphere of Light
2 Striped Seed Pods
Harlequin's winged Boots of Gliding
Amulet of Teleporting
Magic Sword

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.
Shield Number: 70
Scalmagzaprin might be someone important, probably in the towers of Carnex was the High Priest of the dragon cult and is now a corpse.
Tome of the Reaches: Ward Runes section starts on page 44
Tome of the Reaches: Riddling section starts on page 191
Tome of the Reaches: Dragon Runes section starts on page 229
Cannot return to Carnex, what a loss.
Mirror Number: 100
Sphere Number: 244
Pod Number: 16
Teleport to Night Dragon's lair by turning to 289.
Armour Number: 12
Sword Number: 80

Death count: 6
- Eating rohypnol biscuits and being sacrificed to the nameless cult of evil
- Slain by the High Priest and his OP panoply x5

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 3:53 am

Our mirror has 4 charges, and each function costs only one charge. However, 1 SKILL point isn't worth it.

As for the current situation at hand, Dirk does not allow grey-robed men to live.