[Let's Play] ACE Gamebook 04 - Beowulf Beastslayer

[Thaluikhain]

The gamebook is unlikely to answer your custom riddles.

If the book doesn't answer, doesn't that mean we win?

But yeah, anchor seems to fit.

[angelfromanotherpin]

If the book doesn't answer, doesn't that mean we win?

You would think so, but in fact what it means is that the other guy gets another swing.

118

“I have it!” you declare proudly. “The answer is, an anchor!”

Unferth grunts his displeasure. “Very well, try this one,” he says, belching loudly before continuing.

“Alone I wage war, wounded by steel,
My master I’ll save, though I’ll never heal.
What am I?”

The answer to the riddle is another simple noun. If you know the one-word answer, turn the letters of the word into numbers using the code A=1, B=2… Z=26, add them together, triple the total, and turn to the section with the same number as this final total.
If you cannot fathom the answer, or the section you turn to makes no sense, turn to 392.

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 30

Hero Points: 19
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring
• Meal x2 (not carrying)

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave
Ditch-Digger
Wyrm’s-Weakness

Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse
Four birds helped save my life

[JourneymanN00b]

Aaarrgh. There are several choices that could be the answer. The choices that come to my head are armor, helmet, mail, or shield. Any one of these could be it. I will go with shield as my vote, since many of them bear symbols of the army the master serves. The converted number using shield for the vote is 171.

I so wish we could as Unferth another food related riddle like this:

"A box without hinges, key, or lid,
Yet golden treasure inside is hid."

as it is not a fair battle without the ability of our hero to ask riddles of his own.

[Thaluikhain]

Not sure how "Alone I wage war" relates to any of those, but can't think of what else it relates to.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I’ll go with JourneymanN00b’s answer.

[angelfromanotherpin]

If you enjoy riddles in this mode, here's a classic one:

"Splendidly it hangs by a man’s thigh,
under the master’s cloak. In front is a hole.
It is stiff and hard; it has a goodly place.
When the young man his own garment
lifts over his knee, he wishes to visit
with the head of what hangs the familiar hole
he had often filled with its equal length."

171

“The answer is a shield!” you announce with unabashed delight.

Turn to 252.

252

“I win!” you declare in your triumph, while Unferth skulks away to find a place to sit at the other end of the hall.

Gain 1 Hero Point and turn to 58.

252

Steadily the night’s darkness grows and King Hrothgar’s bodyguards rise to escort their leader, the grey-haired Scylding, from the hall. And you are ready to go to your bed too, after the day’s exertions, brave bondsman that you are.

Fight-wearied, you take your rest, Hrothgar ensuring that all your wants – such as might be required of a sea-faring warrior – are provided for. This night you sleep within the wide-gabled hall until raven’s-crow comes, as dawn gilds the sky.

With Heorot’s curse lifted, you desire to see your homeland again. You and your storm-warriors rise with the sun, eager to set off, wishing to forge far in your ship.

When your company is prepared, your fighting-men armed and ready for the journey, you quit the hall and make your way to the stony beach where the Sea-Wolf lies waiting and renewed. Your spirited warrior-band is graciously greeted by the coast-warden. As he rides down from the cliff-top to meet them, he declares how pleased the Storm-folk will be to see the brave warriors return again in their shining armour.

As you are preparing to set sail, the lord of this land rides down to the shore on his gold-bridled steed. And you, Beowulf Beastslayer, the Joy of the Danes, hail the grey-haired king.

“In your hall we were royally treated, and you, noble Hrothgar, have entertained us well. But we seafarers keenly desire to return to our King Hygelac in Geatland. But if I ever hear that the neighbouring tribes mean you harm, I’ll bring a thousand thanes to aid you in your hour of need.”

Hrothgar answers you then: “Dear Beowulf, you are rich in strength and wise beyond your years, and if spear, sword or sickness should ever take the life of your sovereign lord, your kinsmen, the Storm-folk of Geatland, could not find a better man to be their king and guard their war-hoard than you.”

Then Healfdane’s son, hoary Hrothgar, Shield of the Spear-Danes, presents you with twelve new treasures from his strong-box. Having embraced the old man, who is like a second father to you now, you take your leave of the King. And despite your protestations, you know, in your heart of hearts, that you will never see each other again.

That ocean-wanderer, your proud ship Sea-Wolf, is riding at anchor, waiting for her master, eager to be away over the whale’s-way. The wide sea-boat, with soaring prow, is loaded with battle-raiment, warhorses and arms, but the mast still rises high above the gift-hoard.

With every remaining member of your party on board, the Sea-Wolf divides the deep water, leaving Denmark behind.

Turn to 383.

383

A special sail is hoisted, bearing the image of the bee-wolf – the bear – and belayed to the mast, and the beams speak then. The wind does not hinder the wave-skimming ship as it runs across the sea, but the Sea-Wolf, with foam at its throat, furls back the waves.

But as you ride the waves, you hear again the last words the sea-hag’s head spoke as she died:

“Suffer the fury of fire and flood,
And may the sea-tide turn red with your blood!”

How many of the following do you have recorded on your Adventure Sheet? The kenning Desire’s-slave, the Sea-hag’s Curse, and the Helruna’s Curse.

• None? Turn to 432.
• One? Turn to 36.
• Two? Turn to 467.
• Three? Turn to 343.

467

• If you have Loki’s Favour or Njord’s Favour recorded on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 36.
• If you have neither of these favours, roll one die; if the number rolled is odd, turn to 343, but if the number rolled is even, turn to 36.
• Alternatively, if you are able to, you may spend 1 Hero Point and turn to 36 no matter what.

36

Your ship’s ring-bound prow planing the waters, on the second day after leaving the Land of the Danes, you catch sight of the cliffs and headlands you know so well. The hull of the Sea-Wolf drives ahead, urged by the breeze, and beaches on the shore.

The harbour-guard is waiting at the water’s edge – having scoured the stretches of the great sea-flood ever since you left, hoping to one day espy the returning host of heroes – and now he moors your broad-ribbed boat in the sand, held fast with hawsers so no heft of the waves should drive that trusted vessel to the flood once more. He has your heroes’ hoard brought ashore, while you go to meet your long-missed lord, Hygelac, at the hall where he dwells with his own hero-band, hard by the sea-wall.

It is a handsome hall, but nothing like Hrothgar’s gold-gabled Heorot. High within it sits King Hygelac, son of Hrethel, and a warrior of great courage, with his consort, Queen Hygd.

The news of your return has already reached the chieftain-king: the Shield of Warriors, his own battle-companion Beowulf, has returned from Hrothgar’s kingdom, alive and feted, as a noble hero should be.

Hygelac welcomes you warmly, a feast is prepared, and you sit facing the King, kinsman to kinsman, while Hygd carries the mead-horn about the hall, presenting it to each of your storm-warriors in turn. Curiosity burning within him, Hygelac presses you to tell him of your adventures in the Land of the Spear-Danes.

And so you tell your lord of your battle with the arch-fiend Grendel, and – after the monster’s mother sought revenge for her son being death-taken by Geat war-spite – how you penetrated the monster’s lair, there to slay Grendel’s dam, while the world’s candle sinks below the sea-horizon to the west.

Your tale concluded, you tell your uncle-king, “The Lord of the Scyldings bestowed upon me many treasures, which now, brave king, I give to you. Joy, for me, lies in the giving, and I have little family in the world, Hygelac, beside yourself.”

You bid the harbour-guard bring in all the gifts the generous ring-giver Hrothgar gave to you.

And Hygelac rewards you just as richly. He lays a royal sword – bright-gleaming Naegling – in your lap, and bestows upon you an estate of seven thousand hides, a chief’s stool and a hall of your own.

Add the sword Naegling to your Equipment List and then turn to 310.

310

And it comes to pass, after Hygelac falls fighting the Frisians, and his son-heir Heardred, your cousin, dies in battle against Onela, King of the Swedes, the throne of the Kingdom of the Storm-folk comes, in turn, to you, and you become King Beowulf Beastslayer!

For half a century you rule your people wisely, defending them against attacks from Swedes, Frisians and Franks, while the oaths of friendship you swore with the Spear-Danes endure, until you have grown grey in your guardianship of the land.

(Restore your Agility, Combat and Endurance scores to the levels they were when you first embarked upon this adventure, and cross off any Meals you may have remaining from your Adventure Sheet. If you wish, you may buy additional Agility, Combat and Endurance points, at a cost of 1 Hero Point each, up to a maximum of 1 Agility point, 1 Combat point, and 4 Endurance points.)

As the icy grip of winter seizes hold of the land, the Geats gather at year’s end, and a great feast is held, in celebration of the occasion you became King of the Storm-folk.

Warm inside your hall, with all manner of meat roasting over the cook-fires, your people eat, drink and are merry, as your skald sings the Lay of Beowulf, relating your battles with the monster Grendel and his mother, and how you defeated them both in the shadow of the misty fells of Denmark.

Mead is drunk aplenty while the hall-servants parade great platters of steaming flesh before your table.

Which meat would you like to partake of?
• Venison? Turn to 7.
• Boar? Turn to 38.
• Salmon? Turn to 66.

The stat-buying would be more interesting if we weren't already at the hard caps.

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 30

Hero Points: 20
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Naegling
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave
Ditch-Digger
Wyrm’s-Weakness

Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse
Four birds helped save my life

[Darth Rabbitt]

That riddle sounds like the answer is “a penis.”

Unless I’m missing something, it sounds like the book is telling us to set our stats to what they were at the beginning of the adventure, which I think sets it back to 11 agility /11 combat/20 endurance? In which case spending 6 hero points to get 12/12/24 seems reasonable.

As for the meal, eat boar, I guess? Seems like the most dangerous animal of the lot is the most “heroic” to eat.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Unless I’m missing something, it sounds like the book is telling us to set our stats to what they were at the beginning of the adventure, which I think sets it back to 11 agility /11 combat/20 endurance? In which case spending 6 hero points to get 12/12/24 seems reasonable.

You are correct, I misread somehow. That's a weird choice, because the book doesn't have anything like initial scores and no reason to expect that a player remembers what their starting values might have been.

[Omegonthesane]

48

Making your way back through the network of caves you come to the chamber that has become the warrior’s ill-deserved tomb.

At once, the same glow that greeted you before fills the narrow cave and the warrior’s spirit-form appears before you. As you present the axe and the brooch, laying them on the ground beside his mortal remains, a smile forms on the phantom’s lips.

“Thank you,” comes the ghost’s echoing voice. “You are truly a noble warrior. There is little I can give you in return for reuniting me with my possessions, other than to share the knowledge and experience I gained in life.

“While dining upon the meat of the deer will bestow a measure of the animal’s agility upon a noble soul, and the flesh of the boar will impart a portion of the truffle-hunter’s ferocity, the humble salmon offers the greatest reward, for eating of it can grant a man knowledge. And now I bid you farewell, brave Beowulf.”

Literally the quest reward for reuniting a ghost with his old shit was that we were told to dine on salmon. So I vote we dine on salmon.

Agreed with the proposal to spend 6 of our remaining 20 hero points to get back to autopass in every stat.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, try the fish.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I totally forgot about that hint. Changing my vote to salmon.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to eat the salmon.

[angelfromanotherpin]

66

The Celtic people of the western isles of Bretland believe that eating the delicate flesh of the salmon imparts knowledge to the one who consumes it.

Write the kenning Salmon-Wise on your Adventure Sheet and make a note that if you should ever come across a section number with the symbol of a salmon beneath it, rather than read that section, deduct 50 and turn to this new section instead, before proceeding.

Gain 2 Endurance points and then turn to 390.

390

While you are enjoying your meal, the evening’s celebrations are interrupted by the arrival of your cousin Wiglaf. He advances through the hall, kicking a wretched slave before him.

“What is the meaning of this?” you demand of the young prince.

“I beg your forgiveness for interrupting the night’s festivities,” the thane begins, “but I have dire news.”

“Tell it then!” you command. You were never one to shy from dire revelations.

“This luckless slave has brought a curse down upon all our heads!” Wiglaf says, and casts a golden cup – a jewelled drinking-vessel the like of which you have never seen – at your feet.

“Where did you get this?” you ask, picking it up and marvelling at the craftsmanship of the gilt-smith who made it. (Record the Golden Goblet on your Equipment List.)

“Answer the King!” Wiglaf barks, giving the slave another savage kick. “Tell him what you’ve done!”

“There… There is a high barrow raised above the moor, my lord,” the wretch stammers.

“And what were you doing there?” you demand, in a voice that is barely more than a growl.

“The sin-tormented soul had run from a flogging,” Wiglaf interjects. “He hoped to flee and never return.”

“I would have returned, master,” the slave protests. “But as I say, there is a barrow-mound, such as the ancient kings used to raise. A narrow access leads underground. Seeking shelter from the ice and snow I felt my way inside. And that is where I found the treasure-cup.”

“Tell the King what else you found,” Wiglaf snaps.



“I did not know the treasure was guarded, but as soon as I realised that it was, I was seized with sudden terror and fled.”

Engrossed by the runaway slave’s tale, you ask him to elaborate further, pressing him for more information. But what do you want to ask him first?

“What is this barrow like?” Turn to 420.
“Why did you take the treasure-cup?” Turn to 438.
“What did you find there guarding the hoard?” Turn to 457.

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 26

Hero Points: 14
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Naegling
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring
• Golden Goblet

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave
Ditch-Digger
Wyrm’s-Weakness


Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse
Four birds helped save my life

[Darth Rabbitt]

I figure “what’s guarding the hoard” is the most important question.

[Omegonthesane]

What is our last glorious kill guarding the hoard does indeed seem the most important query.

[angelfromanotherpin]

457

“A dragon, such as in the legends of old, sleeps within the barrow, its coiled body encircling the hoard,” whimpers the slave.

“Or at least it did!” Wiglaf wails. “The guardian might have been caught sleeping by this cunning cup-thief, but it sleeps no longer, and in fury at discovering its loss has roused itself and left the barrow, seeking revenge.

“Fire has been seen to the north, a forest burnt to ash by its furious flame-rage. The Dragon has woken from its sleep of centuries and is heading this way, seeking the wretch who stole from its hoard!”

The situation is dire indeed! Never have your people needed their strong-defender more than now!

• Will you order your men to move against the Ravager without delay (turn to 476), or
• Will you wait within your hall and prepare for the Dragon’s coming (turn to 495)?

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 26

Hero Points: 14
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Naegling
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring
• Golden Goblet

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave
Ditch-Digger
Wyrm’s-Weakness


Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse
Four birds helped save my life

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to wait and prepare for the Dragon's coming, as that will allow more time to prepare our offense against the dragon.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, sending out our men without preparation or planning seems like it’s just going to lower our Crew score.

[Thaluikhain]

Prepare. Give the cup back and apologise, imprison the thief for theft, but then release him from slavery when he's released.

[angelfromanotherpin]

495

While your warriors ready their weapons, you set your liege weapon-smith to work. But what do you want him to do?

Sharpen your sword? Turn to 321.
Fashion you a new shield? Turn to 344.

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 26

Hero Points: 14
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Naegling
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring
• Golden Goblet

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave
Ditch-Digger
Wyrm’s-Weakness


Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse
Four birds helped save my life

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to sharpen our sword here.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I’m wondering if that riddle’s answer being “shield” is supposed to be a hint that we want to get a shield now.

[Thaluikhain]

That might be true, and in any case, we've played with fancy weapons for a bit, time for a new shield.

[angelfromanotherpin]

344

You command Weyland the weapon-smith to make you a marvellous shield, worked all in iron, for a shield of linden-wood would be of little service against the fire-breathing serpent.

At last it is ready, and a mighty defender it is too, taller even than you, mighty hero-king, and bearing the image of the dragon you intend to slay upon it.

Add the Dragon Shield to your Equipment List and turn to 303.

303

Then the Dragon comes, swimming through the night on wings wreathed in the flames that vomit from its mouth.

Longer than a dragon-prowed wave-rider and as merciless as a volcano’s fury, the winged serpent descends upon your hall – that finest of buildings and gift-seat of the Geats – swallowing it in fire.

Grief strikes at your heart. What can you have done to deserve such a visitation? And then the words of the sea-hag echo down through the years to you again:

“Suffer the fury of fire and flood,
And may the sea-tide turn red with your blood!”

Spewing tongues of fire from afar, the dragon will not dare face you in single combat. The roof of your hall a field of flames, thick smoke rising from the rafters, the oaken beams burn through and the structure caves in.

Amid the screams of women and the shouts of your storm-warriors, you have no choice but to flee the burning hall yourself.

• Take an Agility test. If you pass the test, turn to 264, but if you fail the test, turn to 282.
• Alternatively, you may spend 1 Hero Point to avoid having to take the test at all, and turn to 264 straightaway.

Not a failable test for us.

264

You may be old, but you are as fleet-footed as a man half your age.

Escaping the hall with your warriors, you regroup outside the burning building and watch as the flame-red monster flies back to its barrow-cave lair, on wings underlit by the fires left in its wake.

Everything is aflame around you – from your high-gabled hall to the proud stockade and settlement that surround it.

You cannot let this crime against you and your people go unpunished, and so you set off in pursuit of the vile worm. But how do you want to approach its wilderness lair?

• By sea? Turn to 132.
• By land? Turn to 175.

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 26

Hero Points: 14
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Naegling
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Dragon Shield
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring
• Golden Goblet

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave
Ditch-Digger
Wyrm’s-Weakness


Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse
Four birds helped save my life

[Thaluikhain]

If the sea is going to turn red with our blood, lets go by land.