[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 32 - Slaves of the Abyss

[SGamerz]

You cannot begin to count the number of magical items strewn about you. Several catch your eye: a gem-encrusted breastplate (far too small for you), a huge pair of shiny boots (apparently made of feathers), a golden first, a pearl-inlaid skull, an onyx sceptre and a crystal globe mounted on a velvet plinth. If you wish to take any of these, note down which ones you take on your Adventure Sheet. Then you head into the mist.

Hey, golden fist? Didn't we have one of those before (if only very briefly)?

You make your way through the shifting mists treading carefully on the slipper ground beneath your feet. As you walk, you notice shapes moving beneath the translucent surface. The mist muffles sound, but a screeching whistle penetrates. Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, turn 193. If you are Unlucky, turn to 209.

Dice roll = 4 (Lucky).

LUCK hasn't really be tested much in throughout this book...

A silvery shape shoots past your head and crashes into the ground, shattering into a million milky droplets. These re-form into a grotesque winged reptile, its limbless translucent body pulsing with unnatural energy. A vicious beak protrudes from its bulbous head, and milky eyes full of malice peer balefully around. The Ectovult flounders about until it bumps into a silver chalice, which it greedily consumes. The winged horror then flies off with the chalice still visible, quivering inside its body. If you have a crossbow and wish to shoot the Extovult, turn to 271. Otherwise, turn to 322.

You are surrounded by a shroud of mist, on a featureless plain of crystal. Your only guides are the muffled noises which penetrate the dense white vapour. There are several distinct noises, each coming from a different direction. Do you head for the:

Moaning?
Creaking?
Whispering?

So, yeah, I decided to move on a bit instead of waiting for votes on which magical items to take, because unlike th3 3 potions which can be taken immediately, there was no immediate effect for any of those items, so it can afford to wait a bit.

Now, other than voting on which way to go, please also vote on which of the listed items from the top section that you wish to take, if any.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Dastan
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 12/17
LUCK 9/10
Equipment: Sword of Fangthane steel, leather armour, Reaver's bottle, Blowpipe (used), Ghulsh' potion (turn to 258 when drunk), 'Zazzaz' potion (turn to 369 when drunk), Barolo's buckler (+1 SKILL during combat), Sealed Locket, Jheera torch, whistle
Provisions: 3
Gold & Treasure: 9 GP
Time remaining: 4/20 (turn to 57 when crossing off 18th time unit, and to 326 when crossing off the last time unit)
Notes: Learned the Spitting Fly from Barolo, received a wound that changes colour on left hand, Sige's pomander contains the herbs Paa, Maet and Teth (herbs have been eaten)
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

I vote we take the crystal ball and head for the whispering.

[Beroli]

Take the boots and the scepter. Head for the whispering.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to get the boots, sceptre, and crystal globe, and to head for the creaking, as the creaking seems to be the least threatening sound, in my opinion.

[SGamerz]

Boots, sceptre and globe each received 2 votes, so Dastan picks up all of them.

He then heads towards the whispering.

Before long, you chance upon a host of crystal statues, their serried ranks stretching away into the mist. Looking closer, you see that each is a human entombed within a crystal shell. If you bear the wound which changes colour, turn to 62. Otherwise, turn to 75.

Back when I read this as a kid, I was confused as to where I could have gotten this. It just never occurred to me to note down/remember the details of the wound that Sige inflicted on the PC after she was killed.

Most of the occupants of the frozen cocoon are long since dead, their mummified faces contorted with agony. But as you approach the source of the whispering, your left hand tingles. Within one of the crystal statues you make out the features of Sige, and you can now hear her whisper. "Free me! I can help you defeat Bythos. He has cheated me of my destiny and left me here to rot with his other failed agents." If you wish to smash the crystal and free Sige, turn to 286. If you would prefer to leave her, turn to 75.

Do we trust or want her help?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Dastan
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 12/17
LUCK 9/10
Equipment: Sword of Fangthane steel, leather armour, Reaver's bottle, Blowpipe (used), Ghulsh' potion (turn to 258 when drunk), 'Zazzaz' potion (turn to 369 when drunk), Barolo's buckler (+1 SKILL during combat), Sealed Locket, Jheera torch, whistle, onyx sceptre, shiny boots apparently made of feathers, crystal globe
Provisions: 3
Gold & Treasure: 9 GP
Time remaining: 4/20 (turn to 57 when crossing off 18th time unit, and to 326 when crossing off the last time unit)
Notes: Learned the Spitting Fly from Barolo, received a wound that changes colour on left hand, Sige's pomander contains the herbs Paa, Maet and Teth (herbs have been eaten)
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to leave that fascist to her eternal torment. Freeing her is just asking for a Game Over.

[Queen of Swords]

Sayonara, Sige!

[Beroli]

Leave her there.

I guessed that that was the wound it meant, but I still find the description confusing; it sounds like the wound's supposed to keep changing color, not stop when it gets to red.

[SGamerz]

Leaving the crystal statues to their frozen contemplation, you press on into the mist. Soon you can hear an ominous creaking from up ahead.

This takes us to where the creaking sound from the previous option leads.

Cautiously you advance, observing more of the darting shadows beneath the crystal floor. The creaking gets louder, and suddenly a crack appears almost beneath your feet. Then the crystal shatters and a black shape erupts through it, spraying you with oily black water. The black shape shoots up into the clouds, and you scrabble for a footing on the shifting crystal. Roll two dice. If the result is less than your SKILL, turn to 339. If the result is greater than or equal to your SKILL, turn to 93.

Dice roll = 9 (Success).

The chunk of crystal you are standing on starts to turn over, and you leap from it just in time. You land on the slippery crystal, unable to keep your balance. Flattened against its oily surface, you watch in horror as the black shape slams down on to the crystal a few yards away. and advances on you.

The Anemorus is black and obscenely blubbery. Though limbless, it has a powerful tail which it uses to push itself towards you. A writhing mass of pinkish tentacles sits where its head should be. If you do not have your sword, turn to 184. Otherwise, you must fight the Anemorus.

ANEMORUS SKILL 5 STAMINA 10.

If you kill the Anemorus, turn to 357.

COMBAT LOG:
Anemorus 8, Dastan 19. Anemorus is at 8.
Anemorus 14, Dastan 22. Anemorus is at 6.
Anemorus 8, Dastan 17. Anemorus is at 4.
Anemorus 16, Dastan 24. Anemorus is at 2.
Anemorus 16, Dastan 22. Anemorus is defeated.

A flawless, predictably. Dastan would have to try really hard if he wants to lose this one!

No sooner have you slashed the Anemorus into a blubbery mess than two more erupt from the water. You prepare to do battle with them, but are beaten to it. Three silver flying Ectovults smash into them and you flee, to the sounds of screeching.

Beneath your feet the crystal surface begins roughen and slope upwards. More Ectovults pass screeching by, and you scramble up on to the rim of a crater. Looking down, you see a bowl-shaped depression, made of smooth veined rock, with regular grooves, A warm glow radiates from golden sand strewn in its middle. If you wish to go down into the bowl, turn to 103. If you wish to wait and see if anything happens, turn to 330.

[Beroli]

Go down into the bowl.

[Thaluikhain]

Half vote for waiting.

[Queen of Swords]

I'd rather wait and see.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to wait and see if anything happens, as the glow from the bowl is far too suspicious for my tastes.

[SGamerz]

With a shriek, one of the circling Ectovults dives into the bowl and shatters. As it re-forms and flies off, you see that it has left behind a brilliantly polished gold shield. You watch as more Ectovults crash into the bowl, depositing other glittering treasures there. Then there is a lull. Six Crystal Warriors march over the far rim of the crater, each wielding a massive hammer. They form a circle and raise their hammers together. After five minutes they have pounded the magical relics into glowing powder; they then leave with the same clockwork precision. Soon you hear the sound of a feeble chanting approaching. If you hurry down to the middle of the bowl, turn to 228. If you would rather stay hidden, turn to 245.

Have we waited enough yet?

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to stay hidden, as we still don't want to expose ourselves without any further information.

[Beroli]

Stay hidden and I hope I don't regret that vote.

[Queen of Swords]

I'm not sure which way to go, so stay hidden.

[SGamerz]

A tall cowled figure walks into the bowl, chanting all the time, and reverently collects up the golden powder into a silken sack. He is chanting "Broth for my Master! Broth for Bythos! Magical broth makes the Master of the Abyss!" If you spring to attack him, turn to 154, If you creep round the rim of the bowl to surprise him as he leaves, turn to 40. If you follow him as he leaves, turn to 112.

[Beroli]

We need that cowl. Surprise him as he leaves.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to creep round the rim of the bowl to surprise him as he leaves, as having the element of surprise will maximize our odds of eliminating him.

[Thaluikhain]

Surprise as he leaves.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, surprise him as he leaves.

[SGamerz]

You make your way stealthily round the edge of the crater. A short distance away to one side, you can see a crystal chariot with two Ectovults tethered to it and a Crystal Sprite standing patiently by. You hide behind a crystal outcrop until the cowled Gatherer approaches. If you leap out and strike at him with your sword, turn to 85. If you challenge him, turn to 154.

[Beroli]

Little point in changing our approach to a non-stealthy one now. Leap out and strike at him.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, take him by surprise.