[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 61 - Bloodbones

[Queen of Swords]

Thirded. We have a good weapon, so let's not push our luck.

[Beroli]

Leaving the hills behind you, you set off northeastwards, towards the centre of the island again. Your route takes you through the easternmost part of the marsh once more, back in the direction of the dense jungle. Roll one die; the result is a 2.

Yammering cries, the shrieks of strange birds and the chittering of insects fill the jungle with a constant cacophony. But what was that? Something else is close by. Roll two dice; the result is 5.

On your trek through the jungle you come upon two strange plants. One is a large bush with serrated-edged leaves and the other is a palm-like tree, the fronds of which are striped orange and black. The leaves of the Blade Bush are strong enough to be used as weapons, but you have two weapons already and no need for a replacement. The Tiger Palm is known to help in the healing of wounds. You may take some of the fronds which when applied to injuries after one battle will restore up to half the Stamina points lost in that battle.

Dusk is falling as you come to the outskirts of a group of mud huts in a large clearing in the jungle. You can see tribespeople going about their business within the village but how do you think they'd react to a stranger not native to Bone Island?

Enter the village?
Give it a wide berth and camp for the night in the jungle?

Name: Bonnie Blood
Sex: Female
Age: 22
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 17/20
Luck: 10/11
Weapon: Bone Sword
Backpack contents: Lantern, Tinderbox, Shark's Teeth Bracelet, Magic Compass, Rope, 3 Gas Globes (when you choose to smash one before an enemy at the start of a battle, that enemy fights the battle with a -2 Attack Strength, provided they are not immune; Undead, Demons, and magical creatures are immune), Throwing Dagger (Test Skill before a fight to do 2 damage), Crab Doubloon, 7 Meals, candle, 2 dice, burned letter, Bottle of Rum (+4 Stamina), Map of Bone Island, Sword, Tiger Palm (restore half Stamina lost in one battle)
Spells: Insect Repellent (will repel any number of insects of any size for the duration of one encounter; inflicts 2 damage on caster when cast)
Gold Pieces: 38
Time Elapsed: 7 Hours
Deaths: Contracted fast-acting malaria from a giant mosquito

[Thaluikhain]

Enter.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to enter the village.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, enter the village.

[Beroli]

As you stroll boldly into the village you are immediately surrounded by several warriors.

You do not have a Darkwood Armband.

You are led to the largest hut in the village where you are brought before a lithe, beautiful woman dressed like the other warriors, only with a more elaborate headdress. 'I am Queen Zyteea of the Usai tribe,' she says in a tongue you understand. 'What are you doing on this island?' You decide you have nothing to lose by telling Queen Zyteea the truth and so you relate your story to her.

You have not helped anyone from this village before.

When you have completed your tale, the Queen speaks: 'Your cause is a noble one but we have had dealings with the cult of Quezkari ourselves. How do we know that you are not lying to us in order to ensnare us to the Evil One? We must be sure. You must take the Test of the Warrior.' If these people are to trust you, and you are to gain their help, you can't deny Queen Zyteea's decree. You are led to a pool of bubbling mud. Sulphurous fumes rise from it and a tree trunk has been laid across the middle. You are then blindfolded and told to walk across the log. Judging your position by touch alone, your head spinning from the fumes, you take your first step. Test your Skill twice with a -1 penalty each time; 9 and 8 succeed.

You cross the log safely and once you are on the other side the blindlold is removed and you are taken before Queen Zyteea again. 'You have passed the first part of your test,' she says. 'For the second and final part will you choose the Challenge of the Cat or the Challenge of the Shell?'

Name: Bonnie Blood
Sex: Female
Age: 22
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 17/20
Luck: 10/11
Weapon: Bone Sword
Backpack contents: Lantern, Tinderbox, Shark's Teeth Bracelet, Magic Compass, Rope, 3 Gas Globes (when you choose to smash one before an enemy at the start of a battle, that enemy fights the battle with a -2 Attack Strength, provided they are not immune; Undead, Demons, and magical creatures are immune), Throwing Dagger (Test Skill before a fight to do 2 damage), Crab Doubloon, 7 Meals, candle, 2 dice, burned letter, Bottle of Rum (+4 Stamina), Map of Bone Island, Sword, Tiger Palm (restore half Stamina lost in one battle)
Spells: Insect Repellent (will repel any number of insects of any size for the duration of one encounter; inflicts 2 damage on caster when cast)
Gold Pieces: 38
Time Elapsed: 7 Hours
Deaths: Contracted fast-acting malaria from a giant mosquito

[Queen of Swords]

Without knowing what either of these are, I’ll pick the Challenge of the Shell.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to pick the Challenge of the Cat.

[Beroli]

Going to need a tiebreaker.

[Queen of Swords]

I'll change my vote to the Challenge of the Cat.

[Beroli]

Your weapons are taken from you and you are taken to a pit into which you are lowered while a bamboo gate on the other side is raised. Instantly, a snarling jaguar springs into the pit and lashes out at you with its claws. Unarmed, you must wrestle the predatory cat. You have a -2 Attack Strength penalty for the lack of weapon. However, if you win two consecutive Attack Rounds or reduce the Jaguar's Stamina to 2 or less, something will happen. If you are reduced to 3 Stamina or less, the villagers will rescue you from the pit.

JAGUAR Skill 8 Stamina 7

Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 13, JAGUAR Attack Strength: 16. Bonnie Blood's Stamina is 15
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 21, JAGUAR Attack Strength: 19. JAGUAR's Stamina is 5
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 16, JAGUAR Attack Strength: 19. Bonnie Blood's Stamina is 13
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 16, JAGUAR Attack Strength: 16.
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 14, JAGUAR Attack Strength: 18. Bonnie Blood's Stamina is 11
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 19, JAGUAR Attack Strength: 17. JAGUAR's Stamina is 3
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 20, JAGUAR Attack Strength: 20.
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 14, JAGUAR Attack Strength: 13. JAGUAR's Stamina is 1

Bad rolls there, but:

Trapping the jaguar in a headlock, you beat the cat into submission. Victorious, you are pulled from the pit and have your weapons returned.

You are acrepted as a fellow warrior by the Usai and as a sign of this are given a Wristband of White Feathers, as worn by the other warriors of the tribe (regain 1 LUCK point). Queen Zyteea invites you to stay in the village that evening to share in their feast and you happily accept. Marlin's log was totally wrong about the inhabitants of Bone Island. Rather than being cannibals they are actually peaceable, intelligent, civilised people. With the moon now high in the night's sky, you dine on exotic fruits and spit-roast gazelle (restore up to 4 STAMINA points). As you eat Zyteea tells you that the Usai people live in fear of Ramatu, the High Priest of Quezkari who lives in a temple in the mountains. He sends dark spirits against the tribespeople, carrying off warriors to become his Zombie slaves. Suddenly there is a scream from a tribesman on guard at the edge of the village. Everyone rushes to see what the disturbance is. The guard is suspended in mid-air and struggling as if in the grasp of some great creature. For a moment you think you seethe shadowy outline of whatever is attacking the man. It is only momentary but you get the impression of a horny hide, large tusks, clawed hands and hairy, hooved legs, as if the thing were an amalgam of several different wild animals. The near-invisible Spirit-Beast roars and you run at it with your weapon drawn.

Your primary weapon is a Bone Sword.

Seeing you wielding the bone sword, Zyteea calls out, 'Nightdeath, aid us now!' Instantly, the blade glows with magical fire! You strike the thing with your curious weapon and it lets out a shrill cry of pain. Dropping the tribesman, the shadowy beast tums on you. Without further hesitation you attack the conjured spirit.

SPIRIT-BEAST Skill 10 Stamina 12

Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 22, SPIRIT-BEAST Attack Strength: 15. SPIRIT-BEAST's Stamina is 10
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 18, SPIRIT-BEAST Attack Strength: 13. SPIRIT-BEAST's Stamina is 8
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 22, SPIRIT-BEAST Attack Strength: 12. SPIRIT-BEAST's Stamina is 6
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 20, SPIRIT-BEAST Attack Strength: 22. Bonnie Blood's Stamina is 13
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 18, SPIRIT-BEAST Attack Strength: 22. Bonnie Blood's Stamina is 11
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 20, SPIRIT-BEAST Attack Strength: 21. Bonnie Blood's Stamina is 9
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 24, SPIRIT-BEAST Attack Strength: 13. SPIRIT-BEAST's Stamina is 4
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 18, SPIRIT-BEAST Attack Strength: 12. SPIRIT-BEAST's Stamina is 2
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 18, SPIRIT-BEAST Attack Strength: 19. Bonnie Blood's Stamina is 7
Bonnie Blood Attack Strength: 23, SPIRIT-BEAST Attack Strength: 19. SPIRIT-BEAST is dead.

The Usai are full of gratitude for you now that you have rid them of the High Priest's Spirit-Beast. Queen Zyteea explains that the evil wizard summoned it to destroy another village on the island and that it had also 'haunted' them for several nights. Looking at the bone weapon Zyteea says, 'I am sure that with Nightdeath in your hands you will be able to vanquish both Ramatu and Cinnabar. But to help you further I give you this Bolarang.' She hands you a peculiar looking wooden cross with struts of equal length that end in curved points. The Bolarang is used like a throwing dagger but always returns to its owner once thrown. (You can throw either this or your existing Throwing Dagger before a fight, which means you have little reason to ever use the Throwing Dagger again, unless you lose this.) At dawn, with the tribespeople's praises ringing in your ears, you leave the village. Zyteea also told you that her warriors had seen a ship anchored in the lagoon to the southeast.

Head southeast toward this ship?
Head into the mountains to find the Temple of Quezkari?

Also highlighting the option to eat here, or to use the Tiger Palm leaf to regain 4 Stamina.

Name: Bonnie Blood
Sex: Female
Age: 22
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 7/20
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Bone Sword
Backpack contents: Lantern, Tinderbox, Shark's Teeth Bracelet, Magic Compass, Rope, 3 Gas Globes (when you choose to smash one before an enemy at the start of a battle, that enemy fights the battle with a -2 Attack Strength, provided they are not immune; Undead, Demons, and magical creatures are immune), Bolarang (Test Skill before a fight to do 2 damage), Throwing Dagger, Crab Doubloon, 7 Meals, candle, 2 dice, burned letter, Bottle of Rum (+4 Stamina), Map of Bone Island, Sword, Tiger Palm (restore half Stamina lost in one battle)
Spells: Insect Repellent (will repel any number of insects of any size for the duration of one encounter; inflicts 2 damage on caster when cast)
Gold Pieces: 38
Time Elapsed: 7 Hours
Deaths: Contracted fast-acting malaria from a giant mosquito

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to go to the mountains to find the Temple of Quezkari.

EDIT: I also vote to use the Tiger Palm to restore Stamina.

[Thaluikhain]

The ship seems like a sidequest, so half vote for that first.

(And the weapon is a cross, with curved ends? Sounds not unlike a swastika)

EDIT: And Tiger Palm sounds like a good idea.

[Queen of Swords]

I'll go with the ship as well.

[pragma]

I haven't been playing, but the tiger palm seems like an ok deal here.

[Beroli]

Coming to the edge of an escarpment you find yourself looking out over the sparkling waters of a large lagoon, linked to the sea by a narrow channel on the far side. And sure enough, at anchor in the bay is the Virago itself, flying the skull and crossbones. Hearing a noise behind you, you look round to see four scurvy-looking characters advancing on you, weapons at the ready. 'You'll not be getting away this time,' sneers one of them and then the pirates charge at you. Fight them two at a time.

First you fight Iorga the Bear (Skill 9, Stamina 10) and Beastface (Skill 8, Stamina 8). Then you fight the Bosun (Skill 9, Stamina 9) and One-Eyed Lagan (Skill 10, Stamina 7). Vote which one to use your bolarang on and target first in each pair, as well as whether/how to use Luck.

Name: Bonnie Blood
Sex: Female
Age: 22
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 11/20
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Bone Sword
Backpack contents: Lantern, Tinderbox, Shark's Teeth Bracelet, Magic Compass, Rope, 3 Gas Globes (when you choose to smash one before an enemy at the start of a battle, that enemy fights the battle with a -2 Attack Strength, provided they are not immune; Undead, Demons, and magical creatures are immune), Bolarang (Test Skill before a fight to do 2 damage), Throwing Dagger, Crab Doubloon, 7 Meals, candle, 2 dice, burned letter, Bottle of Rum (+4 Stamina), Map of Bone Island, Sword
Spells: Insect Repellent (will repel any number of insects of any size for the duration of one encounter; inflicts 2 damage on caster when cast)
Gold Pieces: 38
Time Elapsed: 7 Hours
Deaths: Contracted fast-acting malaria from a giant mosquito

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to target Iorga the Bear and One-Eyed Lagan, and not to use Luck.

[Thaluikhain]

Makes sense, use bolarong on One-Eyed Lagan.

[Beroli]

You throw the bolarang, hitting Iorga the Bear.
Round One: Bonnie Blood wins. Iorga the Bear is at 6 Stamina.
Round Two: Bonnie Blood ties with Iorga the Bear.
Round Three: Bonnie Blood wins. Iorga the Bear is at 4 Stamina.
Round Four: Bonnie Blood wins. Iorga the Bear is at 2 Stamina.
Round Five: Bonnie Blood wins. Iorga the Bear is dead.
Round Six: Bonnie Blood wins. Beastface is at 6 Stamina.
Round Seven: Beastface wins. Bonnie Blood is at 9 Stamina.
Round Eight: Bonnie Blood wins. Beastface is at 4 Stamina.
Round Nine: Bonnie Blood wins. Beastface is at 2 Stamina.
Round Ten: Bonnie Blood wins. Beastface is dead.

The Bosun and One-Eyed Lagan step up to fight, and you throw the bolarang, hitting One-Eyed Lagan.

Round One: Bonnie Blood wins. One-Eyed Lagan is at 3 Stamina.
Round Two: Bonnie Blood wins. One-Eyed Lagan is at 1 Stamina.
Round Three: Draw.
Round Four: One-Eyed Lagan wins. Bonnie Blood is at 7 Stamina.
Round Five: Bonnie Blood wins. One-Eyed Lagan is dead.
Round Six: Bonnie Blood wins. The Bosun is at 7 Stamina.
Round Seven: Bonnie Blood wins. The Bosun is at 5 Stamina.
Round Eight: Bonnie Blood wins. The Bosun is at 3 Stamina.
Round Nine: Draw.
Round Ten: Bonnie Blood wins. The Bosun is at 1 Stamina.
Round Eleven: Draw.
Round Twelve: Bonnie Blood wins. The Bosun is dead.

Trying to board the Virago seems impractical and, upon reflection, pointless; you are sure Cinnabar is at the Temple of Quezkari.

(So, you were half right; it wasn't a side quest, but it was side.)

You soon leave the jungle, with its strange sounds and rank smells of rotting vegetation, and find the ground rising as you head into the foothills of the mountains. As the sun climbs higher in the sky so you climb higher into the mountains.

Do you wish to eat before you go further?

Name: Bonnie Blood
Sex: Female
Age: 22
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 7/20
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Bone Sword
Backpack contents: Lantern, Tinderbox, Shark's Teeth Bracelet, Magic Compass, Rope, 3 Gas Globes (when you choose to smash one before an enemy at the start of a battle, that enemy fights the battle with a -2 Attack Strength, provided they are not immune; Undead, Demons, and magical creatures are immune), Bolarang (Test Skill before a fight to do 2 damage), Throwing Dagger, Crab Doubloon, 7 Meals, candle, 2 dice, burned letter, Bottle of Rum (+4 Stamina), Map of Bone Island, Sword
Spells: Insect Repellent (will repel any number of insects of any size for the duration of one encounter; inflicts 2 damage on caster when cast)
Gold Pieces: 38
Time Elapsed: 7 Hours
Deaths: Contracted fast-acting malaria from a giant mosquito

[Thaluikhain]

Eat 2 meals and continue.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to eat 3 meals.

[Queen of Swords]

Agree with two meals and continuing.

[Beroli]

Eating two meals wins 2-1.

You have not previously fought a Chameleonite.

Test your Luck; a 3 succeeds.

Almost no vegetation grows in the dusty, windswept highlands. Entering a steep gully, you are horrified to see that it is lined with stakes on which are human skulls, picked clean by vultures. At the top of the gully you find yourself at the edge of a precipitous gorge, at the bottom of which, one hundred metres below, is a fast-flowing river. The stakes mark out the path to a rope bridge slung across the chasm, which leads directly into the side of a cliff into which has been carved a massive skull with a feathered headdress. In the distance, surrounded by rocky crags, you can also make out a stepped stone building. You know that you have found the Temple of Quezkari! You have no option but to cross the rope bridge. Test your Luck; a 10 barely succeeds.

Although the ropes and planks of the bridge creak and groan at your passing, the whole thing holds and you enter the cliff-face through the skull's open mouth. You find yourself in a high-ceilinged, torch-lit tunnel, which cuts its way deep into the mountain. It is not long before the tunnel opens out into a large, square chamber. Hideous painted carvings adorn the walls here but there is nothing else of interest in the room. However, three archways in the opposite wall lead onward into the temple.

Go through the archway to the left?
Go through the archway in the center?
Go through the archway to the right?

Name: Bonnie Blood
Sex: Female
Age: 22
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 15/20
Luck: 9/11
Weapon: Bone Sword
Backpack contents: Lantern, Tinderbox, Shark's Teeth Bracelet, Magic Compass, Rope, 3 Gas Globes (when you choose to smash one before an enemy at the start of a battle, that enemy fights the battle with a -2 Attack Strength, provided they are not immune; Undead, Demons, and magical creatures are immune), Bolarang (Test Skill before a fight to do 2 damage), Throwing Dagger, Crab Doubloon, 5 Meals, candle, 2 dice, burned letter, Bottle of Rum (+4 Stamina), Map of Bone Island, Sword
Spells: Insect Repellent (will repel any number of insects of any size for the duration of one encounter; inflicts 2 damage on caster when cast)
Gold Pieces: 38
Time Elapsed: 7 Hours
Deaths: Contracted fast-acting malaria from a giant mosquito

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to eat a meal and go through the archway to the right, as I want to see whether becoming a fascist is the way to go in an evil temple such as this.

[Thaluikhain]

May as well.