[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 47 – The Crimson Tide

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, might as well tell the truth. We need help rather than permanent monkhood.

[Darth Rabbitt]

We came here for assistance in our quest, so let’s tell the monks that’s why we’re here.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes acknowledged, Xu Shiyou will ask him for assistance in his quest.

355
‘Your goals are clouded by a crimson tide,’ Dry Jade replies. ‘We cannot help one such as you until you have purged yourself of your pain, and by then you may no longer wish for our help.’ Despite his refusal, Dry Jade offers you a surprisingly hearty meal of beans and pickled radish, and a bed mat for the night.

Next morning you wake up, refreshed and clear-headed. Will you:

Change your mind and ask to become a monk? Turn to 109
Set off back to Traole? Turn to 249
Continue your journey northwards? Turn to 75

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PDT or a 3-vote majority is reached to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Beroli]

Head back to Traole, this has been a waste of time.

[SGamerz]

Since we have a Ferocity stat and are told to turn to a specific section when it goes down to 0, I think part of the purpose of the story is for us to gradually quell the blind rage in us so that we'd be in the right state of mind when we finally go after our enemies and rescue our enslaved mother. Besides, I don't believe the NPCs will keep pointing us to this place if it's a complete waste of time.

Studying with the monks should help us towards that, so ask to become a monk.

[Queen of Swords]

I think we need some course of action that’s better than going from location to location. Try saying we’ll become a monk.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, become a monk.

EDIT: And, oh, we should have named ourselves Ees, then we could introduce ourselves as "The Monk Ees".

[Darth Rabbitt]

Ask to become a monk, because we don’t have any other hooks to work off of.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted, Xu Shiyou will change his mind and ask to become a monk, as that won over setting off back to Traole by a 4-1 vote.

109
The abbot shows you round the monastery, where some two hundred monks study, meditate and train. You are given a red robe (note it down on your Equipment List) and are assigned a mat in the dormitory. The abbot asks which task you would prefer: you may work in the kitchen, help with the laundry, or clean the martial arts practice chamber. Which do you choose:

The kitchen? Turn to 374
The laundry? Turn to 186
Cleaning duties? Turn to 41

Please make your votes before 6:00 PM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Xu Shiyou
SKILL: Temporary: 6 Permanent: Undetermined
STAMINA: Temporary: 7 Permanent: 7
LUCK: Temporary: 9 Permanent: 10
FEROCITY: 7 When FEROCITY = 0, turn to paragraph 200
AGE: 13 Initial Age = 13 When AGE increases, lose 2 FEROCITY
MONEY: 10 Gold Pieces, 30 Copper Coins
EQUIPMENT LIST:
Wooden Sword
Pronged Spear
Wide-brimmed Hat
Walking Sandals
Red Robe
PROVISIONS REMAINING: 1
NOTES:
King
Offers
RESURRECTION USED?: No[/spoiler]

[Darth Rabbitt]

Cleaning is probably the hardest work (potential best stat gains?) but I think kitchen gets us used to cutting things up without getting angry.

[Queen of Swords]

Cleaning duties so maybe we can pick up martial arts techniques.

[SGamerz]

I vote kitchen duties. Old Chinese books/movies are full of secret powerful martial artist hidden and disguised as kitchen staff in monasteries.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes tallied, Xu Shiyou will choose the kitchen over cleaning duties, as that won by a 2-1 vote.

374
You are put to work in the kitchen, chopping up the monks’ food with a cleaver. Days pass and you wonder when you are going to be taught these ‘martial arts’ for which the monks are famous. The monastery is a tranquil place, however, and since you work in the kitchen you are never short of food. Add 1 year to your Age and 2 points to your Permanent STAMINA.

At the end of the year, the abbot visits you and asks how you are progressing. If you tell him you are well pleased with your lot, turn to 53. If you ask to be taught the martial arts, turn to 278.

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PDT or a 3-vote majority is reached to guarantee that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Xu Shiyou
SKILL: Temporary: 6 Permanent: Undetermined
STAMINA: Temporary: 9 Permanent: 9
LUCK: Temporary: 9 Permanent: 10
FEROCITY: 5 When FEROCITY = 0, turn to paragraph 200
AGE: 14 Initial Age = 13 When AGE increases, lose 2 FEROCITY
MONEY: 10 Gold Pieces, 30 Copper Coins
EQUIPMENT LIST:
Wooden Sword
Pronged Spear
Wide-brimmed Hat
Walking Sandals
Red Robe
PROVISIONS REMAINING: 1
NOTES:
King
Offers
RESURRECTION USED?: No[/spoiler]

[SGamerz]

The abbot said they can't help us until we have "purged ourselves of our pain". This may be a test to see whether we're still obsessed with learning to fight to get revenge, so I vote that we try to convince him that we're contented right now.

[Beroli]

Don't lie. Ask to be taught the martial arts. He can say "no" if he's opposed to our mission, but we're told outright that we're wondering.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Ninja Honesty.

[SGamerz]

^We're in pseudo-China, not pseudo-Japan (that's Hachiman in Titan).

[Queen of Swords]

I don't want the abbot to think that working in the kitchen is all we'll ever want from now on. Martial arts.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes tallied, Xu Shiyou will ask to be taught the martial arts, as that won over telling him that he is well pleased with his lot by a 3-1 vote.

278
The abbot sucks in his breath. ‘It is a shame that you cannot control your emotion,’ he says. Nevertheless he allows you to begin training. Your tutor is Flying Turtle, a short, bald fellow. Every day he takes you out into the woods behind the monastery, shows you a pile of wood, and tells you to stamp on every piece until it is broken. You then carry the broken wood back to the monastery, where it is used to fuel the kitchen fires. You don’t seem to be learning much self-defence but, when you protest, Flying Turtle just shouts at you.

Weeks and months pass. Add 1 year to your Age, 4 points to your Permanent STAMINA and 2 points to your SKILL. Write the word ‘wood’ on your Adventure Sheet. Turn to 300.

300
You are summoned before a council of the highest-ranking monks in Baochou Monastery. Dry Jade tells you that, because of your special qualities, you have been selected to represent the monastery in a quest to recover a sacred relic, a drinking vessel said to have belonged to Shazi, a prophet of Am in ancient times. The relic is hidden in the realm below, a mysterious underworld full of hidden dangers. You are led to the black marble gates which mark the entrance to the underworld, where the monks bid you farewell. Turn to 399.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

399
You start down the steps. Visibility is limited: the tunnel is lit only by a faint luminescence from the walls. Your body feels light and your mood is euphoric. After a while the steps reach a platform, a small square chamber. Out of the shadows emerges an old man, his face familiar but not identifiable. ‘I am Meng Zhidao. I will guide you through these tunnels. In everything there is a pattern, and you will understand only if you observe the pattern. Balance, balance and progress – concentrate on these. Now follow me.’ He turns and starts to descend another flight of steps. As if in a dream, you follow. At the bottom of the stairs another tunnel leads off into the gloom. Without hesitation you follow Meng Zhidao along it. You emerge into a foul-smelling cavern, but you have no time to take in its contents before you become aware of another figure, which has just emerged from a parallel tunnel to your right. If you have a red robe, turn to 27. If you have a white face, turn to 177. Otherwise, turn to 298.

Xu Shiyou has a red robe.

27
The other figure is wearing robes similar to yours, but his face is painted bone white. As soon as he sees you, he crouches. If you have the word ‘wood’ on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 373; otherwise, turn to 132.

Xu Shiyou does have the word “Wood” on his Adventure Sheet.

373
[spoiler][/spoiler]

The figure sidles towards you, moving like an insect. As fast as a praying mantis, his leg sweeps at you. Instinctively, you stamp down, the way you broke wood for Flying Turtle. Your opponent screams in pain. His next approach is more wary.

WHITE-FACED MONK SKILL 8 STAMINA 8

If you defeat the monk, turn to 267. If he defeats you, turn to 93.

The fight:
[spoiler]Round 1: White-Faced Monk Attack Strength: 12, Player Attack Strength: 12;
White-Faced Monk Stamina: 8, Player Stamina: 13
Round 2: White-Faced Monk Attack Strength: 17, Player Attack Strength: 20;
White-Faced Monk Stamina: 6, Player Stamina: 13
Round 3: White-Faced Monk Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 13;
White-Faced Monk Stamina: 6, Player Stamina: 11
Round 4: White-Faced Monk Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 17;
White-Faced Monk Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 11
Round 5: White-Faced Monk Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 12;
White-Faced Monk Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 9
Round 6: White-Faced Monk Attack Strength: 13, Player Attack Strength: 14;
White-Faced Monk Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 9
Round 7: White-Faced Monk Attack Strength: 20, Player Attack Strength: 14;
White-Faced Monk Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 7
Round 8: White-Faced Monk Attack Strength: 17, Player Attack Strength: 12;
White-Faced Monk Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 5[/spoiler]

Okay, so the fight has progressed to the point where the White-Faced Monk is at 2 Stamina, while Xu Shiyou is at 5 Stamina. Should Luck should be used in the rest of the fight to reduce the damage that our hero takes?

The first choice to receive a 2-vote majority will be used to resolve the rest of the battle. If no choice has a winning margin before 11:00 AM PDT, I will make the choice based on which votes are cast.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Xu Shiyou
SKILL: Temporary: 8 Permanent: Undetermined
STAMINA: Temporary: 5 Permanent: 13
LUCK: Temporary: 9 Permanent: 10
FEROCITY: 3 When FEROCITY = 0, turn to paragraph 200
AGE: 15 Initial Age = 13 When AGE increases, lose 2 FEROCITY
MONEY: 10 Gold Pieces, 30 Copper Coins
EQUIPMENT LIST:
Wooden Sword
Pronged Spear
Wide-brimmed Hat
Walking Sandals
Red Robe
PROVISIONS REMAINING: 1
NOTES:
King
Offers
Wood
RESURRECTION USED?: No[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

Hmmm, we can probably defeat him without using luck, but to be sure, I vote that we attempt to use luck to reduce damage the second time he hits us again, if that happens, and to eat our provision (which is very old at this point) after the fight.

[JourneymanN00b]

The single vote called for using Luck to reduce damage the second time that Xu Shiyou takes damage, so the rest of the fight will commence with that directive.

The fight, continued:
[spoiler]Round 9: White-Faced Monk Attack Strength: 17, Player Attack Strength: 14;
White-Faced Monk Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 3
Round 10: White-Faced Monk Attack Strength: 12, Player Attack Strength: 19;
White-Faced Monk Stamina: 0, Player Stamina: 3[/spoiler]

Xu Shiyou takes a further 2 points of Stamina damage from a single blow from the White-Faced Monk before he manages to win the fight. Afterwards, Xu Shiyou eats his remaining hardtack Provision (which has a long shelf life) to restore his Temporary Stamina to 7.

267
The monk’s body lies still. As you watch, it gradually fades until nothing is left. You notice Meng standing near by. ‘The way lies ahead,’ he says, pointing to a wide corridor leading out of the chamber. This in turn leads to a similar chamber. The first sight to greet you here is your father, holding out his hands to you. ‘He can be freed if you will but give him your most prized possession,’ Meng says. Do you:

Give him your most prized possession (underline the item on your Equipment List)? Turn to 387
Attack him? Turn to 117
Ignore him and walk on? Turn to 209

Please make your votes before 1:00 PM PDT to ensure that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Xu Shiyou
SKILL: Temporary: 8 Permanent: Undetermined
STAMINA: Temporary: 7 Permanent: 13
LUCK: Temporary: 9 Permanent: 10
FEROCITY: 3 When FEROCITY = 0, turn to paragraph 200
AGE: 15 Initial Age = 13 When AGE increases, lose 2 FEROCITY
MONEY: 10 Gold Pieces, 30 Copper Coins
EQUIPMENT LIST:
Wooden Sword
Pronged Spear
Wide-brimmed Hat
Walking Sandals
Red Robe
PROVISIONS REMAINING: 0
NOTES:
King
Offers
Wood
RESURRECTION USED?: No[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

This scenario looks hinky. Ignore him and walk on.

[Beroli]

This is certainly a test. The question is, is it a test of gullibility ("You didn't ask who 'he' was who would be freed, fool! You just assumed he really was your father because he looked like him!") or of selfishness?

Give him the wooden sword.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I’ll lean towards giving him the wooden sword. I’m not sure if giving him a weapon will convince the monks we value weapons too much (since we’re suggesting it’s our most prized possession) or rather that we’re willing to give weapons up to save our father. I’m hoping for the latter.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes tallied, Xu Shiyou will give him his wooden sword, as that won over ignoring him and walking on by a 2-1 vote.

387
Your father smiles. He passes the item back to you in silence, then his image slowly fades away. Deduct 2 points from your FEROCITY. Turn to 19.

19
[spoiler][/spoiler]

Meng points to the double doors at the far end of the chamber. Each of the elegantly designed doors has a handle. If you open the left-hand door, turn to 85. If you open the right-hand door, turn to 363. If you push both handles together, turn to 307.

Please make your votes before 3:00 PM PDT to ensure that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Xu Shiyou
SKILL: Temporary: 8 Permanent: Undetermined
STAMINA: Temporary: 7 Permanent: 13
LUCK: Temporary: 9 Permanent: 10
FEROCITY: 1 When FEROCITY = 0, turn to paragraph 200
AGE: 15 Initial Age = 13 When AGE increases, lose 2 FEROCITY
MONEY: 10 Gold Pieces, 30 Copper Coins
EQUIPMENT LIST:
Wooden Sword
Pronged Spear
Wide-brimmed Hat
Walking Sandals
Red Robe
PROVISIONS REMAINING: 0
NOTES:
King
Offers
Wood
RESURRECTION USED?: No[/spoiler]