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

[Thaluikhain]

Wait, could be explodey things ahead.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to wait by the entrance, as pressing on into the darkness is just asking for trouble.

[SGamerz]

Wait by the entrance... for what? Another flare of color to appear?

Possibly, yes, if it can illuminate the darkness long enough to reveal nasty stuff that we won't be able to see in the dark.

Wait by the entrance.

[Beroli]

You crouch just inside the opening, taking comfort from the dim radiance which seeps through it. But the pressure inside is mounting again. Ahead of you, another flare bursts on the chamber floor. You think you can discern another opening on the far side of the chamber, so you prepare to make a dash across the riddled floor.

You bound out into the blackness, trying not to stumble on the rough, cratered floor. You feel an odd sense of energy in the air. It tempts you to stop and try to touch it...but you force yourself to keep moving.

Another red wax seal bars your progress, but once again it has been breached. As you squeeze through, the pressure in your head eases and you notice that the air has lost its musty tang. Ahead of you is a small, rough-hewn chamber, dominated by an imposing flight of stairs which ascend steeply into darkness. The chamber is illuminated feebly by two blue-flamed torches, which also give off a delicate scent. The stairs give you hope of escaping this eerie realm, and you make for them with renewed vigour.

You are no more than halfway up when a voice behind you stops you dead. 'Wait!' it grates with a dry, rattling timbre. The voice is familiar and you are gripped by the same foreboding you felt when you awoke.

Wait?
Ignore the command and continue up the stairs?

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to ignore the command and continue up the stairs. I feel that this is just going to be another trap that will cause our Very Confused hero to get killed.

[Thaluikhain]

It's like when the police yell stop at someone running away in a cop show. Keep going.

[SGamerz]

So far almost every choice has been something to distract or delay us from escaping this place. Keep going.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, no more waiting.

[Beroli]

You quicken your stride, taking the steps three at a time, for your head is pounding once more. The stairs seem increasingly to be laden with thick dust, which shifts underfoot. It soon dawns on you that the stairs are crumbling and you can find little purchase on the disintegrating surface. Frantically you claw your way up, flattening yourself against the slope. Dust fills your lungs and eyes; exhaustion is close.

(Now the book tells you to roll two dice. However, I am instead going to roll four dice, set two aside for now, and have you pick two for this. 2, 1, 5, 6. Which two of those dice do you wish to add to 12 to become your Stamina?)

At the top of the stairs you are confronted by yet another seal. You scramble through the opening and find yourself in a low-ceilinged corridor which snakes off ahead of you. On the floor beside you, neatly laid out, are a greatsword and a haversack. If you wish to take either or both of these, you should add them to your Equipment List - the haversack contains fresh food equivalent to 5 Provisions. You continue along the passage, passing through another three seals. You notice that the pressure builds as you advance, then drops again when you pass through each seal. The corridors tremble spasmodically the further you progress, and by the time you approach the seventh seal loose pebbles are raining down upon you. Breaking into a run, you make a dash for the sunlight which streams through the seal ahead of you. (Choose one of the remaining two dice to add to 4 to become your Skill. Then make an immediate Skill check, and so I stop there.)

[Thaluikhain]

Um...6 for the skill, 1 and 2 for Stamina and keep 5 which likely will be luck.

Take sword and sack, of course, and I like the way the stats are created, weird, but not really too weird if you've played FF before.

[SGamerz]

I'm withholding my vote on the stat assignment.

Take all the stuff.

[angelfromanotherpin]

5+2 for STAMINA, 6 for SKILL, 1 for LUCK.

[Thaluikhain]

I'll change my vote to agree with angelfromanotherpin if there's a tie otherwise.

[Beroli]

Note if you're voting based on meta-considerations: Jr ner nyernql cnfg gur cneg jurer lbh abeznyyl unir gb snvy lbhe svefg Yhpx grfg. V fnvq V jbhyq or hfvat ubhfr ehyrf, naq bar bs gurz vf gung ertnvavat gur novyvgl gb hfr zntvp vf nhgbzngvp.

[Queen of Swords]

I'll go with angel's suggestion too.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to get the greatsword and haversack, assign 6 to Skill, 5 to Luck, and 2 and 1 to Stamina.

[Beroli]

Skill 10, Stamina 19, Luck 7 wins 3 to 1. Skill check 7: Success.

You dive through the opening in a single fluid motion. As you roll down a short flight of steps, a gout of dust is forced out of the hole. There is a distant roar of collapsing masonry, then the hanging cloud of dust is sucked violently back into the depths, tugging at your clothes as it retreats. You have escaped.

You bask in the comforting rays of the mid-day sun; a light wind brings the welcome tang of sea-salt to your nostrils. After a while your eyes adjust to the brilliant light and you gaze in wonderment at your surroundings. Around you is a scene of spectacular devastation. The remnants of a magnificent city stand, charred and distorted. Massive archways are riddled with clusters of tiny holes, as if consumed by ravening worms. Towers are contorted, the stone melted and warped. Houses are stained and spattered by a myriad colours, their walls jagged and jumbled. Mighty gashes scar the earth, filled with bubbling quagmires which give off noxious fumes. The air itself seems charged with magical powers. You are alone.

You are in a large open square surrounded by the bizarre wreckage of some diabolical battle. To your right, facing into the sea-breeze, you can see battered city ramparts and the arms of mighty catapults. To your left you can make out the imposing arch of the city gates. Will you:

Head for the gates?
Investigate the sea-wall?
Search among the ruined streets?

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

Greatsword
Haversack
Provisions: 5
[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

Ruined streets, I guess.

[Queen of Swords]

Sure, ruined streets.

[Beroli]

The ground between the buildings is scored by deep, long ruts. You trace these marks to some of the most violently disfigured houses. The walls around here have a metallic sheen, and the smell of sulphur in the air increases. You soon discover the source of the ruts when you come upon a marrow-shaped object as thick as your waist. Its husk is intricately woven from wicker and it lies at the end of a deep gash, resting at the foot of an undamaged wall.

Examine the object?
Ignore it and make your way to the sea wall?
Continue searching among the buildings?

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

Greatsword
Haversack
Provisions: 5
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to continue searching among the buildings.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Examine!

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, let's examine it.

[SGamerz]

Continuing searching. If it's the "source of the ruts" it might very well be highly combustible and explosive.

[Thaluikhain]

Half vote for examine.