[Let's Play] GrailQuest 5: Kingdom of Horror

[SGamerz]

You follow the road without incident for perhaps twenty minutes, the serenity of the day broken only by EJ's mumbled conviction that you are going in the wrong direction.

And indeed he might be right, for the countryside around the road is featureless with nothing to indicate any entrance to anything, let alone the Fairy Kingdom you are supposed to be looking for. You are just beginning to wonder if you should turn back when you spot another corpse lying on the side of the road a little way ahead. This one is even smellier than the last.

Are you going to risk the Black Plague by investigating this corpse? If so, hold your nose and turn to 63. Or you can continue north by going to 41. Or you can backtrack to the fork where you have the choice of going south-west at 70 or south at 37 (or risking the Black Plague by examining the hanging corpse at 10).

Dead bodies lying all over the place....did another gamebook PC pass through here some time ago?

Check the body? Continue north? Backtrack again? Go visit Merlin?

[Omegonthesane]

Loot the corpse.

[Darth Rabbitt]

First one was safe, so I suspect that this one isn't. Leave it be and continue north.

[SGamerz]

Any tie break on whether to check the corpse?

[Starmaker]

First one was safe, so I suspect that this one isn't. Leave it be and continue north.

[SGamerz]

The road eventually leaves the plain and enters a valley which narrows quite quickly into a high walled gorge. The road, previously so straight, now begins to twist and turn, and it, too, narrows.

You turn a corner and almost walk into three burly men with short swords moving in the opposite direction. Their leader, a villainous-looking individual whose face hasn't seen the touch of a razor for at least a week, looks you up and down, then turns to grin at this companions.

'Wot 'ave we 'ere, lads?' he asks. 'A young traveller, is it? And one wiv a fine sword to boot, wot any one of us might be proud to own, eh?'

'I warn you, sirrah, keep your hands off Excalibur Junior!' you exclaim proudly, recognizing these vagabonds for the brigands they are.

"'Ere that, lads,' grins the leader. 'This one thinks to give us trouble!'

At which point all three begin to giggle.

Only one way to get past these louts, Pip, and that's to teach them a severe lesson: like death. If you elect to fight, each Brigand has 15 LIFE POINTS, hits on 5 or better and does +2 damage with the short sword. You will have to slaughter all three of them before you can continue north at 79. All three belong to the Brigand's Union and are consequently immune to a Friendly Reaction, even if magically induced. Fooling them in any way will not work either, by reason of their experience: even if you were to feign death, they will not let you pass. In short, the only way north is to kill them.

But there's nothing stopping you running back south, of course, since you're faster than they are and will easily escape. If you do so, you will eventually reach the fork in the road where you can go south at 37, south west at 70 or examine the hanging corpse at 10.

The fight isn't impossible, but because Pip is at low LP right now it's still dangerous.

Do we want to fight? And do we want to use the Sleep Globe if we do?

If we don't fight, then our options are:

1) backtrack, then south and take the cattle track
2) backtrack and check the corpse
3) backtrack, then northwest and take the probably-impossible 25-on-1 fight because we don't have the Right of Passage Token
4) Go to Merlin's house and see if there're equipment available

QUEST JOURNAL:

Pip's LIFE POINTS: 16/51
Permanent Life Points: 15

EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
Excalibur Junior (hits on 4, damage +5)
Sleep-globe (puts x enemies to sleep for 12/x rounds)
Yarrow
Small golden disc
Scrap of parchment ("ZMXRVMG OLIV HVVP GSV TRZMGH WZMXV TLOW WRHX ZXGREZGVH")

EXPERIENCE POINTS: 4
ENEMIES DEFEATED: 1
3 Peasants
PUZZLES SOLVES:

No. of Deaths:
None yet

[Omegonthesane]

Commit three counts of murder.

[SlyJohnny]

Let's retreat and go to Merlin's house first. I don't want to waste the sleep globe or risk losing it.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Let's retreat and go to Merlin's house first. I don't want to waste the sleep globe or risk losing it.

[SGamerz]

Merlin's House:

As you throw your six-sided die, a sudden whirlwind springs up, snatching you away from your current location and spinning you giddily over the Welsh Mountains.

Below, you can see the glistening white cube of Merlin's house, the spots picked out clearly on the roof and sides.

Your die throw determines where you will enter.

Die roll = 3!

The 3 spot entrance give you access to Merlin's stock of magical items, some useful, some stupid, some dangerous and all extremely mysterious. (See page 207) In most instances, only one of the listed item exists, but for a few of them Merlin carries back-up supplies.

You may take ONLY ONE MAGICAL ITEM each time you visit this store. For the magic to work effectively, the item must be chosen sight unseen--that is to say, you must pick your item before turning to the instructions about its powers and use on Page 208. In most cases, a clue to the power and use of the item is its name, so study the list carefully. When you have made your choice, take a note of the NUMBER of the item, then look up that number on the instructions page.

When you have taken a magical item, it must be crossed off the list. If it runs out in use, you may not pick that item again, unless it is one of the few where the list shows more than one in stock.

Once you have all that sorted out, return to the section you were in when you threw the die.

APPENDIX VI:

MAGIC ITEMS

1. Aborigine Pointing Bone
2. Bolt Through Neck Instructions
3. Boots of Speed (2 Pairs)
4. Crystal Ball (Broken)
5. Deathbell of Demonic Summoning
6. Egyptian Death Mask
7. Eye of Horns
8. Indian Rope Trick Instructions
9. Laughing Globe (2)
10. Levitation Tablet
11. Lightning Rod
12. Lightning Wand
13. Lucky Coin
14. Magic Fireball (2)
15. Mask of Friendship
16. Orb of Incredible Destruction
17. Portable Decoder
18. Psionic Helm
19. Rainbow Bubble Pipe
20. Resurrection Wand
21. Sanctuary Scroll
22. Seeker Needle
23. Sleep Globe (3)
24. Smarm Oil (2 Vials)
25. Vorpal Sword
26. Xerox Copy

Which of the above do we take for this trip?

And after that do you guys want to have another go at the Dice house? (Remember, Merlin warned that bad things happen if we roll 1 or 6.)

[Darth Rabbitt]

Take a pair of boots of speed, then take the cattle track.

[SlyJohnny]

Sure, let's give it a shot. If it turns out to be a bust, we can always try again with the house. Hopefully the 1 and 6 aren't instadeath, and we have enough HP to weather the bad effects.

[SGamerz]

Pip grabs the Boots of Speed:

Wearing this item doubles your speed factor during combat with the result that you will automatically get in two blows for every one from your opponent. Furthermore, you cannot be Surprised, whatever the dice may say.

The bad news is that the item wears out after only three combats. (There is, however, one reserve in Merlin's store if you can get back there successfully . . . and haven't already used it.)

On to the cattle track:

Oh, no--you've ended up, in a herd of cows! They're all over the place, and they've churned up the ground so much it's impossible to see where the track leads.

A harassed cow-herd is racing around with a stick trying to get the animals into some sort of marching order, but without any real degree of success.

If you're feeling benevolent, you can give the cow-herd a hand with his cattle at 100. Or search for the continuation of the track at 140. Or throw your hat at it and backtrack to the fork where you can go south west at 70, north at 4 or search the hanging corpse at 10.

Try our hand at cow-herding? Continue on the track? Or backtrack?

QUEST JOURNAL:

Pip's LIFE POINTS: 16/51
Permanent Life Points: 15

EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
Excalibur Junior (hits on 4, damage +5)
Sleep-globe (puts x enemies to sleep for 12/x rounds)
Yarrow
Small golden disc
Scrap of parchment ("ZMXRVMG OLIV HVVP GSV TRZMGH WZMXV TLOW WRHX ZXGREZGVH")
Boots of Speed (hit all opponents twice per round in combat, cannot be Surprised, 3 uses remaining)

EXPERIENCE POINTS: 4
ENEMIES DEFEATED: 1
3 Peasants
PUZZLES SOLVES:

No. of Deaths:
None yet

[Darth Rabbitt]

Try out being a cowboy.

[Omegonthesane]

Clearly this is now a Western because we're briefly a cowboy.

[SGamerz]

It's fortunate you have a bit of experience in farming as the adopted child of Freeman John and Goodwife Mary, otherwise you'd be trampled by these stupid cows. Nonetheless, you persevere and between yourself and the cow-herd, the herd is eventually back together again.

'Oi be thankful to 'ee, young traveller,' exclaims the cow-herd gratefully, wiping his brow with a bit of straw. 'Them beasts be roight tricky to handle. Oi bain't got no mutt nor woife nor kin to give a helpin' hand. Happen 'ee moight loike to stay a while and work for Oi? A groat a year be the goin' rate, wi' a bed in the byre and all the mangleworzels 'ee can eat on Thursdays.'

Even a portable translator wouldn't make much of that lot, but you concentrate hard and conclude this rural entrepreneur is offering you a job.

'Thank you, no,' you refuse politely. 'I fear I already have a job as a professional adventurer.'

'Oh ahr,' nods the yokel sagely, fumbling in the pocket of his smock. 'Then take 'ee this here Right o' Passage token from the Official Peasant Rebellion Organization Committee of which Oi be shop steward. It moight be of use to 'ee sommat sometoime.' With which he hands you a small copper disc with a crude 'X' scratched on to one side.

'Thank you,' you reply, pocketing the token and wondering if he might have escaped from a funny farm. Then, as an afterthought you ask, 'I don't suppose you might know where the entrance to the Fairy Kingdom is hereabouts?'

'Oh ahr the Kingdom of Horror,' he replies, smiling broadly, 'you be needin' the Goiant's Dance, you be. Take 'ee the road backaways till 'ee finds the hanged man, then turn 'ee south west and mind yourself.'

Which makes as much sense as anything he's said, although the instructions seem to be clear enough. If you want to follow them, go to the fork where you can search the corpse at 10 or go south west at 70. (Or north at 4 if you want to be awkward.) Alternatively, you can ignore the cow-herd and look for the cattle track to continue south at 140.

So we now know where the Giant's Dance is and we have the token to pass the 25 men guarding that way. Do we want to go there yet, or check the other places we haven't explored first?

Besides the Heading straight towards Giant's Dance, we can still:

1) Continue up the Cattle track we're on
2) Try to fight past the 3 bandits in the north and see what's beyond?
3) Check that second corpse we skipped
4) Back to Merlin's house and see if we can pick up more useful loot

QUEST JOURNAL:

Pip's LIFE POINTS: 16/51
Permanent Life Points: 15

EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
Excalibur Junior (hits on 4, damage +5)
Sleep-globe (puts x enemies to sleep for 12/x rounds)
Yarrow
Small golden disc
Scrap of parchment ("ZMXRVMG OLIV HVVP GSV TRZMGH WZMXV TLOW WRHX ZXGREZGVH")
Boots of Speed (hit all opponents twice per round in combat, cannot be Surprised, 3 uses remaining)
Right o' Passage token

EXPERIENCE POINTS: 4
ENEMIES DEFEATED: 1
3 Peasants
PUZZLES SOLVES:

No. of Deaths:
None yet

[Darth Rabbitt]

I'd just go directly to Giant's Dance.

[SGamerz]

Alright, so Pip backtracks and heads back southwest again:

Ah, the joys of life on the open road! Trudging along without the slightest notion of where you're supposed to be going or what to do when you get there. But it's a lovely day, the birds are singing, the air is fresh and the only thing you have to worry about is that huge group of ugly looking peasants with pitchforks bearing down on you.

In a moment they have completely blocked your path. There must be at least 25 of them, looking grim and suspicious, not to say threatening.

'Stand aside,' you say bravely, fingering the hilt of your sword (although in truth you know you wouldn't stand a chance against so many in a fight).

'Not until ee shows us your Right of Passage token, properly inscribed,' growls their leader, hefting his pitchfork menacingly.

If you have a Right of Passage Token, simply hand it to the leader and you will be allowed to pass on without hindrance to 111. Alternatively, you might just be in a position to fight all these idiots using magic. (Or, if you're really nuts, you could tackle all 25 without using magic and hope EJ is in good form: each has 30 LIFE POINTS, strike on 6 and does +2 damage with those pitchforks.) If you succeed, go to 111. If they kill you, go to 14.

Finally, you can always return the way you came. When you reach the fork, you can go north at 4, south at 37 or search the corpse at 10.

And this time Pip hands over his newfound token and gets past the checkpoint.

You follow the road as before until your eagle eye catches sight of a signpost off the road across the broad surrounding plain. The signpost (burned into wood with a red hot poker by the looks of it and rather neatly done as well) says

TRZMGH WZMXV

If you feel like following this mysterious signpost, go to 128. If you want to stick to the road, go to 150.

Do we follow the sign?

And while it's not necessary, decoding the sign with get Pip another puzzle point.

[Starmaker]

GIANTS DANCE
using the key previously found by SlyJohnny here:

Assuming that the disc is relevant to this and is therefore one of the four-letter words, and that the three letter word is "the", I make it:

"ancient lore
seek the giants dance
gold disc activates"

And yes, we should probably follow it.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Follow puzzle sign.

[SGamerz]

This looks really interesting. You've reached a massive ring of Standing Stones: monoliths, megaliths, trilithons--the whole bag! This must be what they call the Giant's Dance locally, although you have some faint memory that the Romans (when they were in Avalon) called it Apollo's Temple and in a later age--the one you've come from thanks to Merlin's Net Spell--this is the ancient construction known as Stonehenge. Now you know where you are! Salisbury Plain! But how can this be the entrance to the Fairy Kingdom or the Kingdom of Horror, as some people seem to be calling it?

You'd better do a little exploration and see if you can find out. There is a neat map of the Giant's Dance on page 221 with various places numbered. Use it to decide where you are going next.

GIANT'S DANCE:

Which stone do we start exploring?

[SlyJohnny]

I have no idea, but what about 15?

[SGamerz]

There's probably a very good reason why this mound is marked on the Plan, but it's certainly not very obvious. You search about for ages without finding anything more interesting than a straightforward mound of earth, then return to your plan to try another destination (muttering grimly to yourself).

Nothing here....so next option?

[Omegonthesane]

16, if that doesn't do things 26, if *that* has nothing 5

[SlyJohnny]

Sure.