Necklace of Skulls [CYOAztec]

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Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

The intro is a bit long compared to the rest of the book, so here's an obligatory tldr; we're out to avenge/rescue our Mayan twin. Also werewolves are involved, and Necklace of Skulls is a guy. Yes, I realize that Mayan=/=Aztecs, but I hit a creative block when titling the thread. :/

Prologue posted:

Last night you dreamed you saw your brother again. He was walking through a desert, his sandals scuffing up plumes of sooty black sand from the low endless dunes. It seemed you were hurrying to catch him up, but the sand slipped away under your feet and you could make no headway up the slope. You heard your own voice call his name: �Morning Star!� But, muffled by distance, the words went rolling off the sky unheeded.

You struggled on. Cresting the dune, you saw your brother standing close by, staring at something in his hands. Your heart thudded with relief as you stumbled through the dream towards him. But even as your hand reached out for his shoulder, a sense of dread was growing like a stormcloud to blot out any joy. You saw the object Morning Star was holding: an obsidian mirror. You leaned forward and gazed at the face of your brother reflected in the dark green glass.

Your twin brother�s face was the face of a skull.

The soothsayer nods as you finish recounting the dream. He plays idly with his carved stone prophecy-markers, pouring them from one hand to the other with a light rattling sound.

�Today is the day of Lamat,� he says in his thin old voice. �And the symbol of Lamat is the death�s head. On this day, the morning-star has ended its cycle and will not be visible in the heavens for ninety days, when it will reappear as the evening-star. The meaning of the dream is therefore that in the absence of your brother it falls to you, Evening Star to fulfil his duties.�

You cannot resist a smile, even though the ominous import of the dream weighs heavily on your soul. �So it only concerns the importance of duty? I wonder if my clan elders have been speaking to you?�

The soothsayer snorts and casts the prophecy-markers back into his bag with a pretense of indignation, but he has too good a heart to overlook your concern for your brother. Turning at the door, he adds, �The King gave Morning Star a great honor when he made him his ambassador. But it is no less honorable to stay at home and help with the affairs of one�s clan. You are young, Evening Star; your chance for glory will come.�

�Do the prophecy-markers also tell you that?�

He rattles the bag. �These? They�re just for show; it�s the two old stones on either side of my nose that tell me everything I need to know about the future!� He points to his eyes and hobbles out in a gale of wheezing laughter.

You lean back, feeling the cool of the stone wall press against your bare shoulders. The soothsayer intended to set your mind at rest, but you have shared a bond with Morning Star since the two of you were born. To be troubled by such a dream is not, you feel sure, a mere quirk of the imagination. Somehow you sense that something terrible has befallen your brother.

You are still brooding an hour later when a servant comes scurrying into the room. �There is news of Lord Morning Star�s expedition�� he begins, almost too frightened of your reaction to blurt out the words.

You are on your feet in an instant. �What news?�

The servant bows. �The Council of Nobles is holding an emergency session. The rumor�I have heard a rumor that only a single member of the expedition returned alive.�

Pausing only to draw on your cloak, you hurry outside and head along the street towards the city center. All around you sprawl the tall thatched roofs of the city, spreading out towards the distant fields. Each clan or group of families has its own dwellings of stone or mud-brick, according to status. These rest upon raised platforms above the level of the street, their height determined again by status. But not even the most exalted noble has a home to match the grand dwellings of the gods, which you now see towering ahead of you atop their immense pyramids. They shimmer with the colors of fresh blood and polished bone in the noonday sunlight, covered with demonic carvings which stare endlessly down across the city of Koba.

The central plaza of the city is a blaze of white stone in the sunshine. Quickening your step, you approach the amphitheater where the Council of Nobles is meeting. As you step under the arch of the entrance, your way is barred by two burly warriors of the King�s guard, each armed with an obsidian-edged sword. �You may not enter.�

�I am Evening Star,� you tell them. The ambassador is my brother. Has he returned to Koba?�

One of them peers at you, recognition trickling like cold honey into his gaze. �I know you now. Morning Star has not returned, no.�
The other says, �Look, I suppose you�d better go in. One of the ambassador�s retinue came back this morning. He�s telling the Council what happened��

You walk in to the amphitheater and numbly find a seat. You can hardly take in the guard�s words; they sit like stones in your head, impossible to accept. Can it be true? Your twin brother � dead?

A man you recognize as one of Morning Star�s veteran warriors stands in the center of the amphitheater giving his report. The seats on either side are crowded with the lords and ladies of Koba, each face a picture of grave deliberation. At the far end is the King himself, resplendent in a turquoise mantle of quetzal feathers, his throne carved to resemble the open jaws of some titanic monster on whose tongue he seems to sit like the very decree of the gods.

��arrived at the Great City,� the veteran is saying. �We found it ransacked � the temples torn down, whole palaces burned. Some poor wretches still live there, eking out a stark existence in the ruins, but it is like the carcass of a beast who lies with a death-wound. Whenever we asked how this destruction had come about, we received the same reply: werewolves from the land of the dead, beyond the west, had descended from the desert and slain all the Great City�s defenders in a single night of carnage.�

There is a murmuring at this. The Great City had endured for centuries before Koba was even built. The King raises his hand for silence. �What was Lord Morning Star�s decision when he heard this?�

�Majesty, he led us into the desert. He believed it his duty to uncover the truth of the matter and report it to you. After many days of trekking almost all our water was used up. We had faced monsters along the way, and many of us bore grievous injuries. Then we came to a place like a royal palace, but entirely deserted except for dogs and owls. We camped outside the walls there, and on the next day Morning Star told us he had dreamed of a sorcerer called Necklace of Skulls who dwelt within the palace. He said he would enter and find out if this sorcerer had sent the werewolves to destroy the Great City. We watched him enter the portals of the palace, and we waited for his return for eight days, but he did not emerge. Then we began the long march back here to Koba, but sickness and the creatures of the desert gradually took their toll, and I alone remain to tell the tale.�

The King rises to his feet. �Morning Star must be considered slain by this sorcerer. His mission shall not be recorded as a failure, since he died attempting to carry out his duty. Prayers shall be said for the safe journey of his soul through the underworld. This meeting is ended.�

The others file out in groups, heads bent together in urgent debate. For most of them the veteran�s report carried that special thrill of distant alarm. A great but far-off city reduced to ruin; a disaster from halfway across the world. Cataclysmic news, but an event comfortingly remote from the day to day affairs at home. A matter for the noblemen to worry over when they sit with their cigars at night. The reverberations of a toppling temple in the Great City will be heard here in Koba as no more than the droning discussions of old men.

For you it is different. Left alone in the amphitheater, you sit like a figure of clay, eerily detached from your own turbulent emotions. Fractured images and words whirl through your stunned brain. Morning Star is dead. Your twin brother, lost forever�

A single sudden thought of burning clarity impels you to your feet. In that instant you seem to see your destiny unrolling in front of you like a long, straight carpet. You turn your face to the west, eyes narrowing in the glare of the declining sun.

Your brother might not be dead. There is only one place you can learn the truth.

You must journey to the western desert, to the palace of the sorcerer called Necklace of Skulls.

Now turn to 1.

Welcome to the 4th installment of Virtual Reality Adventures! This series stood apart from many other contemporaneous CYOAs in that all random elements were removed. All branchpoints are directed by the player's choices, whether made in the moment or farther back, during character creation. You can find the previous books with archives: Green Blood, Down Among the Deadmen, and Coils of Hate. Necklace of Skulls, like Deadmen, is written by David Morris, known best in CYOA circles for Fabled Lands and Blood Sword. This book has also recently been re-released and adapted as an app for both iOS and Droid. But enough background, let's get into creating our guy.

Choose One of These Characters posted:

The Warrior
Skills: AGILITY, ETIQUETTE, SWORDPLAY and UNARMED COMBAT
Profile: A proud noble of the Maya people, and strong in the arts of war, you tolerate no insolence from any man.
Life Points: 10
Possessions: Sword
Money: 10 cacao

The Acolyte
Skills: ETIQUETTE, FOLKLORE, SPELLS, and SWORDPLAY
Profile: You are master of many skills, but you know it is the gods who shape man�s destiny.
Life Points: 10
Possessions:: Magic wand, sword
Money: 10 cacao

The Mystic
Skills: AGILITY, CHARMS, TARGETING, and WILDERNESS LORE
Profile: You feel that others� lives are mundane. You learned your skills from solitary explorations and the dreams that came while you lay asleep under the stars
Life Points: 10
Possession: magic amulet, blowgun
Money: 10 cacao

The Wayfarer
Skills: CUNNING, FOLKLORE, SEAFARING, and WILDERNESS LORE
Profile: You have travelled widely and witnessed countless strange sights. You wanderings have taught you many useful skills
Life Points: 10
Possession: none
Money: 10 cacao

The Merchant
Skills: CUNNING, ROGUERY, SEAFARING, and SWORDPLAY
Profile: Daring adventure, subtle villainy, and always one eye open for a tidy profit � these are your tenets.
Life Points: 10
Possession: Sword
Money: 15 cacao

The Hunter
Skills: AGILITY, TARGETING, UNARMED COMBAT and WILDERNESS LORE
Profile: You can keep pace with the deer of the woods, wrestle jaguars, and your blowgun can bring down a bird in flight. Your sharp instincts make you almost a creature of the wild yourself.
Life Points: 10
Possession: Blowgun
Money: 10 cacao

The Sorcerer
Skills: CHARMS, ETTIQUETTE, ROGUERY and SPELLS
Profile: Born into a high clan, you were schooled in sorcery by priests and wise men. Now you can twist reality itself to suit your wishes.
Life Points: 10
Possessions: Magic amulet, magic wand
Money: 10 cacao

Alternatively, design your own character, taking any four skills of your choice from the Glossary of Skills on page 9. Your character will also have any possessions needed for the skills chosen (e.g. a wand if you choose SPELLS) and will start with 10 cacao. Your initial Life Points score will be 10.

As before, this last option is off the table to keep things rolling along:

Glossary of Skills posted:

AGILITY
The ability to perform acrobatic feats, run, climb, balance and leap. A character with this skill is nimble and dexterous.

CHARMS
The expert use of magical wards to protect you from danger. Also includes that most elusive of qualities: luck. You must possess a magic amulet to use this skill.

CUNNING
The ability to think on your feet and devise clever schemes for getting out of trouble. Useful in countless situations.

ETIQUETTE
Understanding of the courtly manners which are essential to proper conduct in the upper echelons of nobility.

FOLKLORE
Knowledge of myth and legend, and how best to deal with supernatural menaces such as garlic against vampires, silver bullets against a werewolf, and so on.

ROGUERY
The traditional repertoire of a thief's tricks: picking pockets, opening locks, and skulking unseen in the shadows.

SEAFARING
Knowing all about life at sea, including the ability to handle anything from a rowboat up to a large sailing ship

SPELLS
A range of magical effects encompassing illusions, elemental effects, commands, and summonings. You must possess a magic wand to use this skill.

SWORDPLAY
The best fighting skill. You must possess a sword to use this skill.

TARGETING
A long-range attack skill for both hunting and combat. You must possess a blowgun to use this skill

UNARMED COMBAT
Fisticuffs, wrestling holds, jabs and kicks, and the tricks of infighting. Not as effective as SWORDPLAY, but you do not need weapons � your own body is the weapon!

WILDERNESS LORE
A talent for survival in the wild - whether it be forest, desert, swamp or mountain peak.

STREETWISE from our last adventure has been replaced by ETIQUETTE and TARGETING has come up in the place of MARKSMANSHIP from a book or two back. Otherwise things are similar to previously. Vote for our class, and we'll get this adventure rolling!

Ratatozsk fucked around with this message at 01:16 on Oct 14, 2015

# ? Oct 12, 2015 03:31

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# ? May 3, 2024 08:34

Tuxedo Ted: Apr 24, 2007

Let's be an acolyte, a jack of all trades will be fun.

# ? Oct 12, 2015 03:54

kaosblaze: Sep 26, 2015

What good is an adventure without profit? Putting down a vote for Merchant.

# ? Oct 12, 2015 04:05

Ghostwoods: May 9, 2013; Say "Cheese!"

Ratatozsk posted:

'And the symbol of Lamat is the death�s dad'

Now there's an image to conjure with...

Acolyte sounds fun.

# ? Oct 12, 2015 19:39

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

Yeah, Acolyte seems like one of the more well-rounded skillsets for the mission we're on, although I dunno how much use Etiquette will be.

# ? Oct 13, 2015 02:42

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Acolyte it is!

Page 1 posted:

Seeking an audience with the Matriarch of your clan, you are shown into a narrow steep-vaulted hall. Sunlight burns through the high window slits to leave hovering blocks of dazzling yellow light on the whitewashed wall, but the room is cool. The Matriarch sits cross-legged on a stone bench at the end of the room, below a large painted glyph which is the symbol of the clan. A stout woman in late middle-age, she has a soft and even jolly appearance which is belied by the look of stern contemplation in her eyes. The beads sewn across her cotton mantle make a rustling sound as she waves you towards a straw mat. You bow in greeting before sitting, and a servant brings you a cup of frothy peppered cocoa.

The Matriarch fixes you with her glass-bead gaze. �Evening Star, I understand you wish to leave Koba and travel in search of your brother.�

�I must learn what has happened to him, my lady. If he is alive, perhaps I can rescue him; if dead, it is my duty to avenge him.�

The Matriarch folds her fat jade-ringed fingers and rests her chin on them, watching you as though weighing the worth of your soul. �You speak of duty,� she says. �Have you no duty to your clan here in Koba? Does honor demand that we lost another scion in pursuit of a hopeless quest?�

You sip at the cocoa while considering your next words carefully.

What will you reply: that the life of your brother is more important than your duty to the clan (turn to 24), that on the contrary clan honor demands that you go (turn to 47), or will you say nothing (turn to 70)?

Character Sheet posted:

Evening Star 'Nesquik' Sherman the Acolyte

Skills: ETIQUETTE, FOLKLORE, SPELLS, and SWORDPLAY

Life Points: 10/10

Cacao: 10

Possessions: magic wand, sword

Codewords:

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd

# ? Oct 14, 2015 01:16

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

Honour demands that we don't let sorcerers mess with our people and get away with it.

# ? Oct 14, 2015 04:35

Ghostwoods: May 9, 2013; Say "Cheese!"

Thuryl posted:

Honour demands that we don't let sorcerers mess with our people and get away with it.

Yeah, worth a shot.

# ? Oct 14, 2015 12:24

Tuxedo Ted: Apr 24, 2007

Honor is a pretty hollow excuse and Star knows it. keep silent snd stew in your own shame.

# ? Oct 14, 2015 13:27

Odysseus S. Grant: Oct 12, 2011; Cats is the oldest and strongest emotion
of mankind

Yeah, let's be a silent protagonist.

# ? Oct 14, 2015 15:57

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

On the contrary clan honor demands that you go.

# ? Oct 14, 2015 23:22

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 47 posted:

What would others think of our clan,' you assert, 'if we meekly ignored the loss of my brother? Honor is like the sun: it cannot hide its face.'

The Matriarch thrusts her head forward and stares at you along the great hook of her nose. Perched thus on her stone seat, she reminds you of a fat owl watching a mouse. You begin to fear you have offended her with your frank answer, but then to your relief she gives a rumble of approving laughter. 'Well said, young Evening Star. How like your brother you are - and both of you like your late father, always brimming over with impatient courage!'

You set down your cup. 'Then...have I your leave to go, my lady?'

She nods. 'Yes, but since your determination glorifies the clan, I feel that the clan should give you assistance in this quest. Consider what help you need most, Evening Star. I could arrange for you to have an audience with one of the high priests, and you could seek their advice. Or I could allow you to equip yourself with the clan's special ancestral treasures. Or would you prefer a companion on your quest?'

If you request a meeting with one of the high priests, turn to 116.
If you ask to see the ancestral treasures of the clan, turn to 138.
If you think a companion would be useful, turn to 162.

: This headdress is ridiculously uncomfortable.

Character Sheet posted:

Evening Star 'Nesquik' Sherman the Acolyte

Skills: ETIQUETTE, FOLKLORE, SPELLS, and SWORDPLAY

Life Points: 10/10

Cacao: 10

Possessions: magic wand, sword

Codewords:

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd

# ? Oct 15, 2015 01:48

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

Loot!!

# ? Oct 15, 2015 02:01

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

Meet the priests. They probably have helpful advice on dealing with sorcerers. (Also secretly I wanna see if we can actually run into an Etiquette check before the end of this book, and that seems like our best chance.)

# ? Oct 15, 2015 02:04

Tuxedo Ted: Apr 24, 2007

Thuryl posted:

Meet the priests. They probably have helpful advice on dealing with sorcerers. (Also secretly I wanna see if we can actually run into an Etiquette check before the end of this book, and that seems like our best chance.)

Agreed. Time to hobnob with the big cheese!

# ? Oct 15, 2015 03:07

sullat: Jan 9, 2012

Companion. You expect us to travel without a servant?

# ? Oct 15, 2015 05:24

Rogue AI Goddess: May 10, 2012; I enjoy the sight of humans on their knees.
That was a joke... unless..?

Talk to priests. Maybe they'll sacrifice some cows to increase our odds in this heroquest.

# ? Oct 15, 2015 10:31

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

If you think a companion would be useful. Servant, sleeping companion, also ablative shield and emergency food supply.

# ? Oct 15, 2015 10:55

Ghostwoods: May 9, 2013; Say "Cheese!"

I'm pretty sure we'll need some random codeword granted by some chunk of arbitrary loot.

# ? Oct 15, 2015 12:27

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 116 posted:

Which temple do you wish to visit: the temple of the War God (turn to 231), the temple of the Moon Goddess (turn to 254), or the temple of the Death God (turn to 277)?

If you do not think any of the priests will be of much help, perhaps you should ask the Matriarch to let you have some of the clan treasures: turn to 138.

Character Sheet posted:

Evening Star 'Nesquik' Sherman the Acolyte

Skills: ETIQUETTE, FOLKLORE, SPELLS, and SWORDPLAY

Life Points: 10/10

Cacao: 10

Possessions: magic wand, sword

Codewords:

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd

# ? Oct 16, 2015 02:36

Tuxedo Ted: Apr 24, 2007

Moon God(dess)? They're usually all about prophecy and mystery.

# ? Oct 16, 2015 02:43

That Italian Guy: Jul 25, 2012; We need the equivalent of the shrimp = small pastry avatar, but for ambulances and their mysteries now.

Death God for a chance to die!

@Tuxedo Ted: thanks for the heads up on the last thread :shobon:

# ? Oct 16, 2015 09:29

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

Moon God(ess). Allah be praised?

# ? Oct 16, 2015 12:42

SatansOnion: Dec 12, 2011

Comstar posted:

Moon God(ess). Allah be praised?

According to Wikipedia, it seems we don't even know what most of these deities' names were, or if they're definitively one sex or another or both or neither, thanks in no small part to almost all Mayan books being destroyed :eng99:

Anyway, I bet she knows what's what, so let's go visit the moon goddess' representatives.

SatansOnion fucked around with this message at 13:35 on Oct 16, 2015

# ? Oct 16, 2015 12:56

sullat: Jan 9, 2012

Death God priest may know if our brother has gone to Mictlan or not, which could be useful to know.

# ? Oct 16, 2015 14:33

Wentley: Feb 7, 2012

Death God, as there was mention of a necklace of skulls.

# ? Oct 16, 2015 20:15

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Coin flip: death!

Page 277 posted:

The high priest of the Death God is a portly short-sighted man wrapped in a black kilt. White paint is daubed in streaks around his belly as if to represent the fleshless ribcage of a corpse - though you cannot help smiling as you reflect how his own ribs are so well covered. His head-dress is a rather intimidating effigy of a skull without its lower jaw, with long earpieces of jointed fingerbones hanging on either side of his rotund face, but the priest removes this as soon as you are both seated in the shade of the outer shrine.

'I have come to you for advice,' you begin by saying. 'I must undertake a journey to the west in search of my brother, Morning Star.'

He wipes a streak of sweat off his brow with one plump hand. 'I have heard the story. Only one man has entered the great desert and left it alive - the veteran who accompanied your brother. What makes you think you will fare better?'

'One man survived. Why shouldn't I?'

The priest shakes his head. 'He was one man from an expedition of thirty. Did you not hear his account of the perils of the desert - the devil-driven sands, the monstrous serpents?'

'Then you counsel me to stay here in Koba? To abandon my quest?'

He casts a quick gaze towards the shadowy archway leading to the inner shrine. 'The advice of the god is not so easily obtained. Are you willing to make an offering?'

If you are prepared to pay him 5 cacao, cross this sum off your Adventure Sheet and turn to 408.
If you cannot spare the money, you had better bid the priest farewell and see about getting supplies for the trip: turn to 93.

: Dude, leave a cacao or two for Maya Charon!

Character Sheet posted:

Evening Star 'Nesquik' Sherman the Acolyte

Skills: ETIQUETTE, FOLKLORE, SPELLS, and SWORDPLAY

Life Points: 10/10

Cacao: 10

Possessions: magic wand, sword

Codewords:

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd

# ? Oct 17, 2015 02:12

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

Let's not waste our meeting. Hand over the beans.

# ? Oct 17, 2015 03:48

Ghostwoods: May 9, 2013; Say "Cheese!"

Thuryl posted:

Let's not waste our meeting. Hand over the beans.

Absolutely.

# ? Oct 17, 2015 11:42

CzarChasm: Mar 14, 2009; I don't like it when you're watching me eat.

Great, not five minutes into this quest and we're already being shaken down by a holy man. Give him the beans

# ? Oct 17, 2015 15:58

Rogue AI Goddess: May 10, 2012; I enjoy the sight of humans on their knees.
That was a joke... unless..?

Spill the beans.

# ? Oct 17, 2015 18:11

corn in the bible: Jun 5, 2004; Oh no oh god it's all true!

I love this book and also Heart of Ice. Please give the beans.

# ? Oct 17, 2015 18:38

Wentley: Feb 7, 2012

Bean him. Though sweaty, peering into the shadows priest is giving off bad vibes.

# ? Oct 17, 2015 20:00

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 408 posted:

The high priest winds a white cloth across your eyes and leads you through to the inner shrine. A deep chill abides here; the thick stone blocks of the Death God�s temple walls are never warmed by the sun. The sweet tarry smell of incense hangs in the air. You feel a hand on your shoulder, guiding you to kneel.

A long period of utter silence ensues. You did not hear the high priest withdraw from the chamber, but you gradually become sure that he has left you here alone. You dare not remove the blindfold; to gaze directly on the holy of holies would drive you instantly insane.

A whispering slithers slowly out of the silence. At first you take it for a trick of your unsettled imagination, but by straining your ears you begin to make out words. �The way to the west lies through the underworld,� the whispering tells you. �Go to the city of Yashuna. North of the city lies a sacred well which is the entrance to the underworld. Take this path, which is dangerous but swift, and you will emerge at the western rim of the world. From there it is but a short journey back through the desert to your goal.�

The whispers fade, drowned out by the thudding of your heart. Frozen with terror at the words of the god, you crouch motionless on the cold flagstones. The cloying scent of incense grows almost unbearable.

Suddenly a hand touches your shoulder. After the initial jolt of alarm, you allow yourself to be led out onto the portico of the temple, where the blindfold is removed. You blink in the dazzling sunlight. You feel as weak as a baby and the smell of incense clings to your clothes. After the cool of the shrine, the heat of the afternoon sun makes you feel slightly sick.

The podgy priest is looking up into your eyes. �You heard the voice of the god,� he says simply.

Record the codeword Cenote and then turn to 93.

Page 93 posted:

Realizing there are things you will need on your travels, you head to the market. Here, under a long colonnade festooned with colored rugs, you can usually find almost anything. Unfortunately it is now late afternoon and many of the traders have packed up their wares and gone home, driven off by the waves of heat rising from the adjacent plaza.

Making your way along the colonnade, you identify the different goods at a glance according to the colors of the rugs. Green indicates sellers of maize, while yellow and red are used for other foodstuffs. Black is the color of stone or glass items, with the addition of grey frets signifying weaponry. Wooden products are set out on ochre cloth, and white is reserved for clay pottery.

Soon you have found a few items which might prove useful. You count the cacao in your money-pouch while considering which to buy:

A waterskin: 2 cacao
A coil of rope: 3 cacao
A firebrand: 2 cacao
A pot of dye: 2 cacao
A bag of chilli peppers: 1 cacao

After deciding your purchases, cross off the money and note your new possessions on your Character Sheet, then turn to 389.

Man, we could have had it ALL if weren't for that darned Cenote codeword...

Page 389 posted:

You decide to set out early the next morning, before sunrise. This will spare your family from farewells. By lantern light in the chill grey predawn, you stand in the antechamber of your family�s house and check your belongings for the journey. You are attended by only one servant, who silently fastens the straps of your pack. Your aunts have left out a parcel of maize cakes for you to eat on the road; note this as a single item on your list of possessions.

There is a knock on the outer door and the servant darts off to open it. Outside you see your friend the old soothsayer standing in the early twilight. You go out and greet him: �Good morning. You came just in time to catch me. I�m about to set out.�

'I know,� he says. �I came to wish you luck. And to give you this.� He holds up a jade bead.

You take it with a quizzical smile. �What�s it for?�

�There are some who�ll tell you that the quickest route to Necklace of Skulls lies through the underworld. It is true, but that way is also fraught with peril and you will need certain safeguards if you hope to pass through in safety. Now, beads such as this are placed under the tongue of deceased nobles for them to use as currency in the afterlife. If you should enter the underworld, be sure to place the bead under your tongue and to keep it there until you reach the crossroads. Got that?�

�I suppose so,� you say, not really following his drift at all. But you pocket the jade bead; add it to the list of possessions on your Character Sheet. As you set out along the road, you pause and glance back, adding, �You were wrong about the dream. It seems my brother was dead after all.�

He shrugs. �Right� wrong� The world isn�t quite that simple, Evening Star.�

Bidding him farewell, you set off towards the edge of the city. Even at this early hour, traders are already carrying their wares to market. Out in the fields, moving shadows in the smoky blue twilight show that the farmers are hard at work. It is strange to think that you might never again see this great city of Koba, which has been your home since childhood.

You turn your gaze to the west, putting such thoughts out of your head. From now on, you must think only of the success of your quest.

Turn to 25.

: See? That bead'll do just fine for Mayaron!

: I'm stuck with you for this adventure?

: Could be worse. It's tough to sleep when moonie's in full.

Page 25 posted:

The causeway to Yashuna is an arrow-straight road of packed limestone raised on stone blocks above the level of the countryside. As you walk, you scan the swaying fields of maize, the orchards and the ranks of cotton plants that stretch off as far as the eye can see. Low stone walls mark the irrigation channels that ensure as much water as possible reaches the crops at this arid time of year. Peasant dwellings are scattered here and there across the countryside: oval single-story buildings with sharply peaked roofs of dry thatch. It makes you thirsty just to watch the peasants at their back-breaking work, gathering cotton in long sacks under the sweltering sun.

A dusty grove of papaya trees overhangs the causeway. Your mouth waters as you look at them. Surely no one would mind if you took just one papaya? As you reach up to pick one of the fruits, there is a sudden flurry of movement from the bole of the tree. You go rigid, and a thrill of clammy fear chills you despite the heat of the day. Poised atop the fruit is a tarantula! Its huge black forelimbs are resting on your fingers, and you can see the wet coating of venom on its fangs.

~~If you have WILDERNESS LORE, turn to 48.~~
If not, decide whether you will jerk your hand away quickly (turn to 71) or slowly reach around with your other hand to seize the tarantula from behind (turn to 94).

So, please vote both for what we're picking up at the market with our 5 remaining cacao, and what we're doing with the tarantula here.

Character Sheet posted:

Evening Star 'Nesquik' Sherman the Acolyte

Skills: ETIQUETTE, FOLKLORE, SPELLS, and SWORDPLAY

Life Points: 10/10

Cacao: 5

Possessions: magic wand, sword, jade bead

Codewords: Cenote

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd

# ? Oct 18, 2015 03:50

MinistryofLard: Mar 22, 2013; Goblin babies did nothing wrong.

Tarantulas aren't venomous! Grab it!

# ? Oct 18, 2015 07:16

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

Buy the rope and dye and grab that tarantula.

# ? Oct 18, 2015 07:20

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

Rope and waterskin seem like the most useful items.

In real life tarantulas are covered in irritating hairs that would make grabbing one a bad idea. Of course in real life tarantula venom isn't very dangerous, so all bets are kinda off here. Eh, might as well vote to pull away.

# ? Oct 18, 2015 07:32

CzarChasm: Mar 14, 2009; I don't like it when you're watching me eat.

Agree with rope, pick a pack of peppers while you are at it. That way we have at least one bean to last us.

Also, the market description reminded me, in the last story did you explain how we were supposed to know which Jade Warrior we were supposed to go after?

# ? Oct 18, 2015 07:34

Odysseus S. Grant: Oct 12, 2011; Cats is the oldest and strongest emotion
of mankind

Rope and waterskin, and slowly grab the spider.

# ? Oct 18, 2015 08:03

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# ? May 3, 2024 08:34

Ghostwoods: May 9, 2013; Say "Cheese!"

Cathulhu posted:

Rope and waterskin, and slowly grab the spider.

I like this combo.

# ? Oct 18, 2015 12:44

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Necklace of Skulls [CYOAztec]

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