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

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, creep up.

[JourneymanN00b]

Creeping up close already received 3 votes, so Xu Shiyou will do that.

134
A short distance from the camp you come upon a low rise and you watch the mercenaries from this vantage point. Sure enough, these are the very barbarians who destroyed your village. As you watch, a group of farmers is driven into the camp by mercenaries wielding whips. Some are tied up and are then suspended, upside down, from poles, while others are pegged out on the ground. Their plaintive cries rise up to you. If you try to help them, turn to 270. If you stay where you are, turn to 329.

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

[Beroli]

Help them, of course.

[Queen of Swords]

Help them, though I really hope this doesn't mean getting caught ourselves (a la the opportunity to help the girl in House of Hell).

[Darth Rabbitt]

I wish we got more specific information about what we were planning to do than "try to help them" since that could mean "run in sword drawn and get beaten up immediately" or "set up an elaborate distraction before going in for the rescue." Guess I'll vote for rescue. See if Paul Mason says we "deserve to die" like UK Steve in House of Hell.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered, Xu Shiyou will try to help them.

270
You sidle down the slope towards the encampment. The shrieks of agony grow louder. If you charge in to attack the mercenaries, turn to 120. If you try to distract their attention, in the hope that some of the villagers will be able to get away, turn to 100.

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

[Queen of Swords]

Thankfully we were offered a choice. Try to distract them.

[SGamerz]

Distract. Otherwise we might as well have marched into their camp earlier.

[Thaluikhain]

I wish we got more specific information about what we were planning to do than "try to help them" since that could mean "run in sword drawn and get beaten up immediately" or "set up an elaborate distraction before going in for the rescue."

270
You sidle down the slope towards the encampment. The shrieks of agony grow louder. If you charge in to attack the mercenaries, turn to 120. If you try to distract their attention, in the hope that some of the villagers will be able to get away, turn to 100.

Huh. Anyway, distract.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered, Xu Shiyou will try to distract their attention, in the hope that some of the villagers will be able to get away.

100
You edge closer to the camp. If you have the word ‘magic’ written on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 396. Otherwise roll 2 dice. If the result is less than your SKILL, turn to 312. If the result is equal to or greater than your SKILL, turn to 261.

Xu Shiyou does not have the word ‘magic’ written on his Adventure Sheet. Rolling the dice yielded a 5, which is less than Xu Shiyou’s SKILL.

312
You untether the horses, then you set light to one of the outlying tents and sneak round to the back of another. When the mercenaries spot the fire, they all rush across to put it out and in the confusion you manage to untie the farmers. As you are leading them out of the camp, however, a sleepy figure emerges form the tent right in front of you.

MERCENARY SKILL 7 STAMINA 10

If you defeat the mercenary in fewer than 10 Attack Rounds, turn to 6. Otherwise, turn to 206.

The fight:
[spoiler]Round 1: Mercenary Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 20;
Mercenary Stamina: 8, Player Stamina: 13
Round 2: Mercenary Attack Strength: 17, Player Attack Strength: 14;
Mercenary Stamina: 8, Player Stamina: 11
Round 3: Mercenary Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 18;
Mercenary Stamina: 6, Player Stamina: 11
Round 4: Mercenary Attack Strength: 18, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Mercenary Stamina: 6, Player Stamina: 9
Round 5: Mercenary Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Mercenary Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 9
Round 6: Mercenary Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 16;
Mercenary Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 9
Round 7: Mercenary Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 12;
Mercenary Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 7
Round 8: Mercenary Attack Strength: 17, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Mercenary Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 7
Round 9: Mercenary Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 16;
Mercenary Stamina: 0, Player Stamina: 7[/spoiler]

Xu Shiyou takes 9 Attack Rounds to defeat the Mercenary, which is barely enough to get to paragraph 6. He loses 6 Stamina in the process.

6
Before the man’s body hits the ground, you are scampering after the farmers. A few arrows swish past your head, but the lumbering, armour-clad mercenaries are too weighed-down to pursue you, and their horses are scattering, away from the fire. Turn to 89.

89
Once you are all safe, the farmers kneel down before you. ‘Young Deliverer,’ one of them says, ‘we are for ever in your debt. If ever you need our help, we will provide it.’ You take them up on their offer by returning with them to their village. The other villagers are overjoyed and, although the mercenaries had stolen most of the food, there is enough for you to have a light meal, before you lie down to rest on a comfortable mat. Recover 2 points of STAMINA. After you have rested, it is time to consider the situation. Turn to 131.

131
It would be far too dangerous to approach the camp, now that the mercenaries are alerted. If you wish to keep close to the mercenaries, shadowing them and awaiting an opportunity for action, turn to 82. If you decide to travel back south, in search of something or someone to help you in your quest for revenge, turn to 273.

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

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Xu Shiyou
SKILL: Temporary: 10 Permanent: Undetermined
STAMINA: Temporary: 9 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]

[Darth Rabbitt]

I feel like following the mercenaries is more concrete a goal than “look for something to help us” on our quest for vengeance. So follow.

[SGamerz]

Travel back south. A single mercenary took out half our STAMINA. We need an army or something to help deal with this.

(Also, the Age system means that theoretically we have 3 more years to "grow" to our full potential, so I don't think the final confrontation is meant to take place this early...and I don't think we'll be spending years shadowing the group and be able to get away with it.)

[JourneymanN00b]

Thank you for your votes. I will break the 1-1 tie by having Xu Shiyou travel back south, in search of something or someone to help him in his quest for revenge.

273
You turn back southwards, through the mountains. Although you are impatient to deal with your enemy, you must find a way of ensuring that he will receive his just deserts. Note down the word ‘to’ on your Adventure Sheet. If you have a red robe, turn to 129; otherwise, turn to 235.

Xu Shiyou does have a red robe.

129
[spoiler][/spoiler]

Walking through the night gloom, you almost bump into what – at first sight – looks like a tree-stump. With a jolt, you realize that in fact this is the stationary figure of a man. He raises his head to gaze at you, and you catch the glint of sharp eyes from beneath bushy white brows. The old man reaches up to stroke his long white beard. Then he mutters something incomprehensible and beckons to you with his finger. You notice that he has a sword at his belt. If you launch a surprise attack on him, turn to 211. If you show him respect and follow him warily, turn to 50.

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

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Xu Shiyou
SKILL: Temporary: 10 Permanent: Undetermined
STAMINA: Temporary: 9 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
To
RESURRECTION USED?: No[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

Show him respect and follow him warily. We're not the villain, we're not even ferocious anymore.

[SGamerz]

Show respect and follow.

[Queen of Swords]

Show him respect. If I learned anything from Kill Bill it was that martial arts masters who stroke their long white beards are not to be trifled with.

[JourneymanN00b]

Showing him respect and following him warily received 3 votes, so Xu Shiyou will do that.

50
The old man leads you along the path, through a ravine and into a narrow valley. You follow him into a small hut, sparsely furnished, where he lights a fire and starts to brew some tea in a battered old kettle. Only when you are seated, with a steaming bowl of tea before you, does he speak. Turn to 150.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

150
‘My family name is Yao,’ he begins, ‘though I seem to have forgotten my other names…’ He pauses to sip his tea. ‘I don’t have many visitors here; I’m in retreat from the world – all that hustle and bustle, it’s not for me. I just look for a simple existence in which I can practice my little tricks and try to stop thinking about things.’ He peers at you. ‘What brings you here?’

If you tell him that you are seeking the murderer of your father, turn to 39. If you tell him you seek to learn his wisdom, turn to 367.

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

[SGamerz]

Tell him the truth, that we're seeking our father's murderer.

If he can't even remember the rest of his own name, he probably doesn't expect people outside to know about him, so I doubt us telling him that we specifically came here seeking to learn from him will be believable.

He may yet have wisdom to impart to us anyway, but let's not get caught in a blatant lie first.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, tell him the truth.

[Thaluikhain]

I'm in favour of getting his wisdom.

[Darth Rabbitt]

We might not be Avenger, but I still think Ninja Honesty is the way.

[Beroli]

Hm. I think we can use his wisdom to avenge our father, potentially. Then again, this is the Isles of Dawn, maybe his wisdom will be "you shouldn't fight" like in Black Vein Prophecy.

Still, I vote for wisdom.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes tallied, Xu Shiyou will tell him that he is seeking the murderer of his father, as that won over telling him that he seeks to learn his wisdom by a 3-2 vote.

39
‘Well, a sage once wrote that no man may live under the same sky as the killer of his father,’ Yao says. ‘But another sage wrote that nothing justifies murder. For myself, the only sage I believe in is the herb which goes into my cooking pot.’ He stares deeply into his bowl, then continues. ‘I may be able to help you, but first you must do me a small favour. A month ago, an eager young fellow called Suiyan came to me and asked if I would help him in his cause – something to do with restoring justice to the land. I said I’d help him, but I must confess that it has slipped my mind until now. I really don’t want to get involved in politics, but I do have an article that you could take to aid the young man.’ He hands you his sword. ‘This is the Sacred Sword of Tsui. Guard it carefully and take it to Suiyan in Traole. Do this for me and I will help you in your quest.’ Note down the Golden Sword on your Equipment List. If you use it in combat, it will add 2 to your Attack Strength.

You stay a night with Master Yao, then set off back to Traole. Turn to 235.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

235
You pass through the gates into the bustling town. A wave of confidence sweeps over you as you look around. It’s time to make a few enquiries here. Turn to 375.

375
You are treated with suspicion by everyone you approach. You soon learn that there have been attacks on prominent citizens and officials: a band of revolutionaries is active, and the Dragon Guards are using brute force in their attempts to bring the rebels to justice. Somehow you sense that you share some of the goals of the rebels, but it’s hard to find out how to contact them. If you are to locate the rebels, you must put your trust in someone. Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, turn to 24. If you are Unlucky, turn to 108.

Rolling the dice yielded a 3, meaning that Xu Shiyou is Lucky.

24
You talk to an old barber who is plying his trade in the streets. He is friendly towards you and, when you guide the conversation round to the subject of the rebels, he makes it clear that he knows something about them. He agrees to arrange for you to meet them later that night, inside a deserted building full of machinery. He warns you that, if you go along, you have to consider yourself as one of them. Several hours later, you follow the barber’s directions to the building and soon find yourself in the middle of a gathering of desperate revolutionaries. Turn to 290.

290
[spoiler][/spoiler]

There must be almost fifty people crammed into the strange building. Intricate machinery stands idle, waiting for the combination of knowledge and motive power that will set it going. The imposing figure of the rebel leader climbs on to a squat cylinder. Although quite old, she plainly has plenty of energy. Most of her speech makes little sense to you, with its references to ‘Merzei’s great vision’ and ‘government by council’: but there’s no doubting the enthusiasm of the assembled group. You push your way towards the front as the leader introduces Suiyan, a young man who urges the assembled crowd to arm for the struggle. Then everybody is chanting: ‘Down with the tyrant!’ The atmosphere is electric. You can feel the violence hanging in the air like a heat-haze before a storm. If you leave the building before the storm breaks, turn to 49. If you join in the chanting, turn to 162.

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

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Xu Shiyou
SKILL: Temporary: 10 Permanent: Undetermined
STAMINA: Temporary: 9 Permanent: 13
LUCK: Temporary: 8 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
Golden Sword (+2 Attack Strength)
PROVISIONS REMAINING: 0
NOTES:
King
Offers
Wood
To
RESURRECTION USED?: No[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

Merzei does have a great future. Which will hopefully not include us becoming Unnamed Casualty #58 of Feior's army. Join in the chanting.

[Darth Rabbitt]

We’re here to deliver the sacred sword to Suiyan so joining in the chanting at his rally seems like a good introduction.