[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 63 - Stormslayer

[Queen of Swords]

Left.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to eat two Provisions and go left, as this is no place to succumb to fascism.

[SGamerz]

The tunnel ascends in a tightening spiral until it emerges onto the inner face of the volcano's crater. Smoke and foul-smelling fumes rise from the bubbling lava that you can see far, far below you, making you gag and your eyes water. The path that you have been following continues as a ledge that curves around until it reaches a nest - of sorts - apparently made from charcoal-black branches in a cleft in the rock. But what sort of creature would build its nest in the cone of a volcano?

That question is answered when you hear a screeching cry and look up. Blinking through the shimmering heat-haze you see a hideous, bat-winged creature flapping towards you. It has ugly, humanoid features, bat-like wings in place of arms and its stringy legs end in razor-sharp talons. Shrieking, the Blisterwing attacks!

BLISTERWING SKILL 6 STAMINA 6

For the duration of this battle, reduce your Attack Strength by 1, due to the smoke and noxious vapours rising from the volcano's cone. If you kill the nasty creature, do you want to climb the ledge to search its nest, or will you re-trace your steps instead, returning to the junction to continue along the tunnel the other way?

COMBAT LOG:
Blisterwing 17, Lisbeth Munroe 13. LM is at 9.
BW 13, LM 16. Warhammer roll = 1. BW is at 4.
BW 9, LM 10. Warhammer roll = 3. BW is at 2.
BW 8, LM 15. BW is killed.

Do we want to climb to the nest?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Lisbeth Munroe
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 9/19
LUCK 7/8
Equipment: Backpack, Leather Armour, Lantern and Tinderbox, Wyrmbiter (+2 Attack Strength & +1 damage against dragonkind), Dragon Tattoo, Hunting Horn, Potion of Giant Strength (+2 SKILL and 1 damage when drink before battle), Rope and Grapple, Potion of Levitation, Warhammer (does +1 damage after hitting an opponent if 5-6 is rolled on 1d6), Clay Statuette ('Arkolith'), Sun Talisman, Breathing Helmet, Dragon Shield, Shell of the Seas (12 spines, 'Oceanus'), Bag of blackpowder and shots
Provisions: 8/10
Gold: 1
Day of the Week:
Stormsday
Moonsday
Fireday
Earthday
Windsday
Seaday
Highday
Codewords: Mortsleam, Enihcam, Noollab
Time Track:
Damage:
Notes:
1) For as long as Brokk is with you in the Fathomdeep Mine, if you find yourself reading a paragraph that has an asterisk (*) next to the number, subtract 50 from that reference and turn to the new paragraph to see what Brokk has to tell you. Brokk will also join in any battles you face underground. When faced with two opponents, you need only fight the first one to win the battle, as the Dwarf will do away with the other with his battle-axe. His attributes are SKILL 10, STAMINA 8. If you face only one opponent you will gain two Attacks, both of which can injure that opponent. In this case, if injuries are sustained they will only affect you on a dice roll of 1-3.
2) To call on the West Wind, intone his name, Zephyrus - may only be done once
Extra Lives remaining: 2/7
[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, check out the nest.

EDIT: Oh yeah, eat twice as voted for below, before we do.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to climb to the nest after eating two Provisions to restore Stamina.

[SGamerz]

Taking 2 meals to restore STAMINA to 17...

Risking life and limb, you clamber up to the Blisterwing's nest, and come face to face with its squawking brood. As you search the nest, the young Blisterwings snap at your hands and arms. (Lose 2 STAMINA points.) You do not find anything of value within the tangle of fire-blackened branches and so carefully make your way back down the inside of the cone. Re-entering the tunnel, you return to the junction and carry on past it.

...and it's back down to 15 again.

The tunnel slops downwards at a steep gradient, always curving round to the left. It is not long before you reach another junction; a new passageway leads off to your right. If you want to follow this new tunnel, turn to 319. If you would rather keep to your current course, turn to 249.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Lisbeth Munroe
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 15/19
LUCK 7/8
Equipment: Backpack, Leather Armour, Lantern and Tinderbox, Wyrmbiter (+2 Attack Strength & +1 damage against dragonkind), Dragon Tattoo, Hunting Horn, Potion of Giant Strength (+2 SKILL and 1 damage when drink before battle), Rope and Grapple, Potion of Levitation, Warhammer (does +1 damage after hitting an opponent if 5-6 is rolled on 1d6), Clay Statuette ('Arkolith'), Sun Talisman, Breathing Helmet, Dragon Shield, Shell of the Seas (12 spines, 'Oceanus'), Bag of blackpowder and shots
Provisions: 6/10
Gold: 1
Day of the Week:
Stormsday
Moonsday
Fireday
Earthday
Windsday
Seaday
Highday
Codewords: Mortsleam, Enihcam, Noollab
Time Track:
Damage:
Notes:
1) For as long as Brokk is with you in the Fathomdeep Mine, if you find yourself reading a paragraph that has an asterisk (*) next to the number, subtract 50 from that reference and turn to the new paragraph to see what Brokk has to tell you. Brokk will also join in any battles you face underground. When faced with two opponents, you need only fight the first one to win the battle, as the Dwarf will do away with the other with his battle-axe. His attributes are SKILL 10, STAMINA 8. If you face only one opponent you will gain two Attacks, both of which can injure that opponent. In this case, if injuries are sustained they will only affect you on a dice roll of 1-3.
2) To call on the West Wind, intone his name, Zephyrus - may only be done once
Extra Lives remaining: 2/7
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to keep to the current course, as fascism is already a big enough threat for our hero to join its destructive movement.

[Thaluikhain]

Half vote for new tunnel.

[Queen of Swords]

Try the new tunnel.

[SGamerz]

After only a short distance, the new tunnel ends at another T-junction. It feels as if the dry air of the Fire Tunnels is getting hotter. For as long as you remain within the volcano you must reduce your SKILL by 1 points, due to the terrible heat. However, if you drank a Potion of Fire Protection before entering, if you are wearing a Wyrmskin Cloak, or if you have a Dragon Tattoo, you may ignore this penalty. Which way will you go now? Left or right?

We have a dragon tattoo, so we're protected from the SKILL penalty!

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to go left, of course. No way am I going to support our hero going fascist at this point.

[Queen of Swords]

Sure, left.

[SGamerz]

The tunnel starts to bend around to the left and with every step you take you feel the air getting hotter. It is not long before you discover the reason why. You find yourself standing on one side of a narrow natural rock bridge that spans a crawling lava flow far below. The heat here is almost unbearable. On the other side of this crevasse another carved, black stone archway opens onto another tunnel. If you are going to get any further, you are going to have to cross this fire chasm, but you are you going to do it? Will you:

Use a Rope and Grapple, if you have one?
Drink a Potion of Levitation, if you have one?
Proceed with caution over the bridge?

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to use the Rope and Grapple.

[Queen of Swords]

Rope and grapple.

[SGamerz]

Holding the length of rope in one hand, you spin the grapple in the other and then let go. The barbed iron head clatters against the rock-face on the opposite side of the chasm and becomes snagged on a ledge. Having tested the rope to make sure that the grapple will hold, with a bold leap into the unknown, you swing across the chasm to land safely on the other side. After some judicial tugging, the grapple comes free again and you proceed on your way.

Well, we got across and we get to keep the rope after, so that makes it a better choice than the potion.

You enter the tunnel beyond the archway and follow its twists and turns until you come to yet another T-junction。 Do you want to turn left or right?

[JourneymanN00b]

Once again, I vote to go left to reject the evils of fascism.

[Thaluikhain]

May as well.

[SGamerz]

Not much further on, the tunnel runs to an end within a spectacular cavern that is thick with huge crystalline growths. They are a myriad of translucent colours. One crystal stands out more than the rest. It glimmers with an inner flickering light. Looking closer you see the crystal's internal fire seemingly form the letter I. (if you want to take it, add the Fire Crystal and its letter to your Adventure Sheet.) Retreating from the dead-end, you return to the last T-junction and take the other path.

Back down the fascist path!

You find your path descending again as the tunnel curves around to the right. The passageway pulses with a suffused orange glow. There is a sudden burst of blazing light, accompanied by a fiery roar. As you lower your hand from before your eyes, you see two ethereal figures hovering in the middle of the passageway in front of you. They look like burning human skeletons, their blackened bones clothed in a body of scintillating flame. Shrieking wildly. the Bone-Fires hurtle towards you, the bony fingers of their burning hands outstretched to grab you and tear your flesh. You must fight them both at the same time.

First BONE-FIRE SKILL 7 STAMINA 6
Second BONE-FIRE SKILL 6 STAMINA 6

(If today is Fireday, increase the Bone-Fire's STAMINA scores by 2 points each.) If you best these hellish spectres - the ghosts of other adventurers who died a fiery death within these tunnels - at your killing blow, their fires are snuffed out and their blackened bones turn to ash. The way ahead cleat again, you press on.

Good thing it's not Fireday!

Targeting the weaker one first..

COMBAT LOG:
Bone-Fire#1 17, Lisbeth Munroe 13. LM is at 13.
Bone-Fire#2 14, LM 11. LM is at 11.
BF1 16, LM 11. LM is at 9.
BF2 17, LM 17. Tie.
BF1 12, LM 16. LM avoids damage.
BF2 16, LM 17. BF2 is at 4.
BF1 13, LM 19. LM avoids damage.
BF2 12, LM 16. BF2 is at 2.
BF1 16, LM 12. LM is at 7.
BF2 14, LM 16. BF2 is destroyed.
BF1 15, LM 12. LM is at 5.
BF1 12, LM 11. LM is at 3.
BF1 13, LM 14. BF1 is at 4.
BF1 13, LM 16. BF1 is at 2.
BF1 17, LM 19. BF1 is destroyed.

Another ugly battle, with Lisbeth barely surviving with 3 STAMINA remaining.

In time you come to another junction; a new tunnel branches off from the main passageway at a right angle, and ahead you can see the tunnel you are following now ends at what you take to be the bank of the lava river you had to cross earlier. Do you want to follow the new branch to the left, or would you prefer to keep heading towards the magma flow?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Lisbeth Munroe
SKILL 9/9
STAMINA 3/19
LUCK 7/8
Equipment: Backpack, Leather Armour, Lantern and Tinderbox, Wyrmbiter (+2 Attack Strength & +1 damage against dragonkind), Dragon Tattoo, Hunting Horn, Potion of Giant Strength (+2 SKILL and 1 damage when drink before battle), Rope and Grapple, Potion of Levitation, Warhammer (does +1 damage after hitting an opponent if 5-6 is rolled on 1d6), Clay Statuette ('Arkolith'), Sun Talisman, Breathing Helmet, Dragon Shield, Shell of the Seas (12 spines, 'Oceanus'), Bag of blackpowder and shots, Fire Crystal ('I')
Provisions: 6/10
Gold: 1
Day of the Week:
Stormsday
Moonsday
Fireday
Earthday
Windsday
Seaday
Highday
Codewords: Mortsleam, Enihcam, Noollab
Time Track:
Damage:
Notes:
1) For as long as Brokk is with you in the Fathomdeep Mine, if you find yourself reading a paragraph that has an asterisk (*) next to the number, subtract 50 from that reference and turn to the new paragraph to see what Brokk has to tell you. Brokk will also join in any battles you face underground. When faced with two opponents, you need only fight the first one to win the battle, as the Dwarf will do away with the other with his battle-axe. His attributes are SKILL 10, STAMINA 8. If you face only one opponent you will gain two Attacks, both of which can injure that opponent. In this case, if injuries are sustained they will only affect you on a dice roll of 1-3.
2) To call on the West Wind, intone his name, Zephyrus - may only be done once
Extra Lives remaining: 2/7
[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

New branch to the left.

[Queen of Swords]

Follow the new branch.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to follow the new branch to the left to rid our hero of the evils of fascism, and to eat four Provisions.

[SGamerz]

There is a nose-curling smell of rotten eggs coming from this passageway and it is getting worse the further you go. The air ahead of you starts to cloud with thick yellow smoke. The noxious-smelling gas soon fills the entire width of the tunnel. If you are to proceed any further, you are going to have to pass directly through the gas cloud. If you are happy to do this, turn to 53; if not, you must return to the main passageway and carry on along it towards the lave river.

STAMINA still at 3, btw, so someone might want to second the vote to eat...especially if you intend to pass through noxious gas clouds...

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to pass directly through the gas cloud after eating four Provisions.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, eat and go through the cloud.