- Sneaky Fast
- Apr 24, 2013
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Tackle him we cannot die so scrapes and bruises won't hurt
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Nov 23, 2015 02:27
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- Adbot
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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May 3, 2024 10:17
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- Ratatozsk
- Mar 6, 2007
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Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...
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This coming section may be a bit lock-step, so updates will be brief and accelerated when possible to keep things moving.
Page 111 posted:
You slam into him. For a creature formed of living shadow, he feels very solid. Lose 1 Life Point as a result of the jarring impact.
If you have UNARMED COMBAT, you get possession of the ball and send it bouncing against the end zone, scoring a point: put one tick on the bottom of your Character Sheet. If you do not have UNARMED COMBAT, your opponent gets the ball and scores a point: put a cross on the bottom of your Character Sheet.
Now turn to 226.
Page 226 posted:
Now it is the opposing team’s turn to serve. They send the ball skidding along the side wall in a long arc, and the enemy offensive player comes towards you.
You can move aside and let him past (turn to 249), make a tackle (turn to 272), or retreat ahead of him (turn to 295).
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Nov 24, 2015 04:55
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- Sneaky Fast
- Apr 24, 2013
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Retreat
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Nov 24, 2015 06:48
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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Retreat ahead!
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Nov 24, 2015 09:45
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- Ratatozsk
- Mar 6, 2007
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Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...
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Page 295 posted:
With a breathtaking lunge he catches up with the ball and strikes it a sweeping blow which sends it thudding up against the scoring zone. Put a cross at the bottom of your Character Sheet.
The ball rebounds towards you. Unless you have CHARMS and an amulet, you are unlucky and it catches you a hard blow on the side of the head, inflicting a 1 Life Point wound.
If you are able to play on, turn to 66.
Page 66 posted:
On a signal from the chief courtier, both teams return to the end zones of the arena. It is your turn to serve again. You raise the ball and consider your best tactics. The first team to reach seven points wins the contest.
If you think it is time for a long shot, turn to 89.
If you prefer to be cautious and go for a safe point, turn to 112.
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Nov 25, 2015 03:51
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- Thuryl
- Mar 14, 2007
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My postillion has been struck by lightning.
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Yeah, we're behind but not that far behind. Score a point.
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Nov 26, 2015 00:29
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- Ratatozsk
- Mar 6, 2007
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Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...
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Page 112 posted:
You slam the ball against the side wall then run backwards into the middle of the arena, keeping your eye on it as it bounces. A blow with your wrist sends it spinning up to strike the low-score zone, giving your team another point. It ricochets towards your opponents, who eagerly seize possession.
Turn to 181.
Page 181 posted:
You were just beginning to feel confident, but now the shadow men make a daring play which abruptly turns your hopes to bleak despair. You watch aghast as they launch the ball in a smooth trajectory which carries it through the stone ring at the top of the wall. It is a one in a thousand shot, and by the rules of the contest it means that they have won.
Necklace of Skulls’ pronouncement falls like an icy wave across the arena: ‘The losers’ lives are forfeit.’
A flat metallic twang builds rapidly in the dry air. There is a sour taste on your tongue, and you can feel your hair standing on end. You glance at your partner just in time to see him explode in a blossom of silent white sparks, leaving nothing but a scorched black patch on the dusty ground.
Necklace of Skulls has vaporized him — snuffed out his life with a casual flick of sorcery! You are horrified by the callous murder, but you cannot waste time brooding on it now. If you don’t act quickly, you will be next.
Lose the codeword Venus if you have it, then turn to 19.
 : Well, at least you've still got me to kick around-
 : YOU DOUBLE BROTHER MURDERING MONSTER!
Page 19 posted:
You have time to take a single step towards the black pyramid, then a howl rings out from the shrine — a howl of such gruesome fury that your sweat runs icy on your brow. The courtiers abandon any semblance of human form and, transforming into wild dogs, scatter with yelps of fear.
The shadow men dissolve as Necklace of Skulls draws all his power back into himself. There is a rumbling from deep within the pyramid. The roof of the shrine trembles, then splits apart as something rises up through it. The pillars topple; masonry blocks crack open. Necklace of Skulls stands revealed atop the pyramid.
He is twice the height of a man — a parody of human form with dead grey features and grotesquely long limbs with too many joints. The eyes are deep sockets under a caul of shriveled flesh. His robe is sewn from ragged strips of blood-drenched skin; you realize with a shudder they are the flayed skins of men. Around his neck hangs a long chain of gore-spattered skulls, each with living eyes filled with eternal torment.
Necklace of Skulls stands in the rubble of his shrine like a loathsome insect just emerged from a chrysalis. He points a thin finger at you. ‘Evening Star,’ he hisses. ‘Now you will know the taste of death.’
You can use TARGETING and a blowgun (turn to 204) or SPELLS and a wand (turn to 227).
If you have neither of those, you had better close in for melee —either by charging straight at him (turn to 250) or zigzagging as you run (turn to 273).
: Oh, I'm quite familiar with death, Necklace. I think you'll enjoy it. It's a tad - SALTY!
: That block of salt is the worst investment I've ever seen.
Character Sheet posted:
Evening Star 'Nesquik' Sherman the Acolyte
Skills: ETIQUETTE, FOLKLORE, and SWORDPLAY
Life Points: ∞/∞
Cacao: 0
Possessions: magic wand, sword, rope, salt, wad of dragon phlegm, your brother's skull, a heap of questionable wisdom, >3 boots full of sand, hydra blood ball, stone, charcoal
Codewords: Cenote, Psychoduct, Pakal, Salvation
Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the [i]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, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus
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, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd
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Nov 27, 2015 19:22
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- Odysseus S. Grant
- Oct 12, 2011
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Cats is the oldest and strongest emotion
of mankind
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Charge! Zigzaging will most likely just save us some damage, which we don't care about.
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Nov 28, 2015 01:21
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- Thuryl
- Mar 14, 2007
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My postillion has been struck by lightning.
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Yeah, I think getting to him before he finishes casting the person-exploding spell is a better move than trying to dodge the person-exploding spell. Rush him.
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Nov 28, 2015 03:20
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE
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Nov 30, 2015 00:47
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- Ratatozsk
- Mar 6, 2007
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Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...
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Page 250 posted:
You do not even get a dozen paces. Contemptuously, Necklace of Skulls raises one of his many-jointed limbs and brings a gout of celestial darkness streaming down from the cobalt sky. You are engulfed in icy shadow, and can only writhe in silent horror as the spell sucks you out of this world and carries you down through the ground towards the abode of ghosts. You have failed.
Death: Sucked out of the world and sent to chill with some ghosts
Hey, I'd have agreed with the logic put forth to support this decision if I hadn't already read the results of that choice.
Page 273 posted:
As you race along the arena and up the steps of the pyramid, Necklace of Skulls conjures down a storm of blazing meteors. Lose 3 Life Points (unless you have AGILITY, in which case you move too fast for him and need only lose 1 Life Point).
If you are still alive after that, you close with your foe for the final battle.
If you have the codeword Venus, turn to 240.
If not, turn to 296.
Page 296 posted:
Necklace of Skulls towers over you, his grotesque head looming like a pallid mushroom against the deep blue bowl of the heavens. His sword descends in a jagged sweep, and you throw yourself to one side. You hear it clash against the stone steps. At the same time as fighting you physically, he also uses his magic — unleashing tendrils of poisonous gas from his throat and enchanting the skulls hanging at his chest so that they strain on their cords to snap at you.
Lose 9 Life Points. The following skills will help in the battle, causing you to lose 2 fewer Life Points for each of these skills that you have: SWORDPLAY (and a sword), CHARMS (and an amulet) and UNARMED COMBAT. (So if you have two of those skills, for example, you will lose only 5 Life Points.)
If you survive, turn to 342.
: More like necklace of skut, if you ask me!
: Ehhhhh...
: Necklace of dull?
: Somehow even worse.
: Any suggestions?
: Tough to beat the classics.
: My name is Jay Montoya Sherman. You killed my brother. Prepare to die.
: ...
: Well?
: Less bad. I'll give you that.
Page 342 posted:
You have defeated the sorcerer. His monstrous body topples onto the steps of his black pyramid and begins to seethe with putrid vapors. With the magic that sustained him unnaturally throughout the centuries now broken, Necklace of Skulls decomposes into dank grey dust.
The walls of the palace begin to stir. You can feel the ground trembling underfoot. You hurry back through the courtyard and out of the gates. After a dozen paces you cannot resist the urge to look back. The pyramid and surrounding buildings are sinking into the sand. In minutes they have vanished entirely, and there is no sign to show that this was the spot where Necklace of Skulls once dwelt among his bestial courtiers. You look around for the courtiers, but see only a pack of malnourished dogs slinking off amid the dunes. It is over. You turn your face to the east. You have a long journey back to civilization. If only you had been able to save your brother…
You dismiss such thoughts with a shrug. It is too late for regrets. At least you avenged Morning Star’s death and rid the world of an evil monster. One of the dogs gives a howl. You look round, into the glowering darkness along the western horizon that marks the boundary of the Deathlands. That is where your brother is now.
You look east, then west again. Civilization – or further adventure? Only you can decide which way your destiny beckons.
THE END
What? A book ending on 342? There must be some other kind of way out of here. Plus we managed to neatly sidestep just about the entire underworld, so we'll take a pass through that before hitting a more optimal ending. But first, let's take another run at that first vote:
posted:
If you request a meeting with one of the high priests, turn to 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 think a companion would be useful, turn to 162.
We initially took advice from the Death Priest that we went out of our way to ignore, so I figure we might as well check up on some other options as well.
Character Sheet posted:
Evening Star 'Nesquik' Sherman the Acolyte
Skills: ETIQUETTE, FOLKLORE, and SWORDPLAY
Life Points: ∞/∞
Cacao: 0
Possessions: magic wand, sword, rope, salt, wad of dragon phlegm, your brother's skull, a heap of questionable wisdom, >3 boots full of sand, hydra blood ball, stone, charcoal
Codewords: Cenote, Psychoduct, Pakal, Salvation
Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the [i]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, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls
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, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd
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Nov 30, 2015 04:49
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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Death: Sucked out of the world and sent to chill with some ghosts
Imagine I put a Dark Souls screenshot of fighting Nito with "YOU DIED" here.
We initially took advice from the Death Priest that we went out of our way to ignore, so I figure we might as well check up on some other options as well.
I can't even remember the death Priest's advice. Oh well - let's talk to the War God!
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Nov 30, 2015 05:33
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- Thuryl
- Mar 14, 2007
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My postillion has been struck by lightning.
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Ancestral treasures! Maybe that's where we can get the Man of Gold that got checked for about a million times during the book.
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Dec 1, 2015 06:56
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- Sneaky Fast
- Apr 24, 2013
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What did we do to the guy to kill him? It seems like he attacked us then keeled over
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Dec 2, 2015 14:44
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- Ratatozsk
- Mar 6, 2007
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Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...
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Ancestral treasures! Maybe that's where we can get the Man of Gold that got checked for about a million times during the book.
Heck, let's go with this.
Page 138 posted:
The Matriarch speaks to a servant, who goes bustling out and returns shortly leading two slaves bearing a large wooden chest. This is set down in front of the Matriarch’s seat and the two slaves are ushered outside before it can be opened. The Matriarch beckons you over. ‘These,’ she says, delving into the interior of the chest, ‘are the treasures of our ancestors.’
A golden figurine catches your eye. It is in the form of a muscular naked man with an elongated forehead. ‘What is this?’ you ask.
‘The Man of Gold — most ancient of all our treasures. It is said that in the earliest days of the world, the gods experimented with various substances to create life. One of the lesser gods tried using gold, but because it was so scarce he could only make a small human.’
You lift the Man of Gold with a sense of awe. ‘Is it alive, then?’
‘If you hold it in your hands long enough, it will come to life through your body’s warmth. Then it will serve you with great strength and skill — but only once.’
‘Only once?’ you ask. ‘If it only works once, how does anyone know this?’
The Matriarch responds with a sly wink. ‘You have to trust your elders sometimes, Evening Star. Now, do you want the Man of Gold or would you rather take a look at the other treasures?’
If you take the Man of Gold, note it among the possessions on your Character Sheet and turn to 93.
If you want to choose from the rest of the treasures, turn to 185.
The other objects are a green mirror which purports to see the future, a jade sword (a nod to Coils of Hate?) and a magic drink which can "heal grievous wounds." We'll go with the Man of Gold, because MAN OF GOLD.
Page 231 posted:
The high priest of the War God is a grizzled old soldier, sturdy in spite of his years. You find him at the arena practising the ball contest which is both a sport and a sacred ritual for your people. Clad in heavy protective padding, he swipes at the rubber ball with his forearms and knees, now and again running up along the slanting walls of the arena to drive the ball towards the goal: a stone ring set high up off the arena floor. You watch for a while, marvelling at his strength and grace. Each impact of the ball costs him an effort which can be heard in his grunts and gasps, but he plays on despite the heat of the afternoon, which has sent many a younger man off to a siesta.
At last he concludes his practice. Pulling off his protective helmet, he wipes back his sweat-soaked greying hair and walks towards you. ‘So you’re Evening Star,’ he says, clasping your hand. ‘Going after your brother, are you? Good, I admire that! Sort that damned sorcerer out, eh?’
It is not the custom of your people to be so direct, and his manner leaves you discomposed. ‘Um… your ball practice was very impressive,’ you say lamely.
‘For someone of my age, you were going to say?’ He laughs heartily. ‘Well, I prefer a bit of killing, if the truth be told, but Koba’s not at war with anyone at the moment. Now, as to this quest of yours — I take it you’ll be going by the land route? Take the causeway as far as Yashuna, then turn south and head cross-country for Nachan. There’s fine deer to be had in the forest, I can tell you. You are taking all this in, aren’t you?’
‘Er, yes.’
‘Good. Now, watch out for the stabai when you’re in the forest. They’re sort of magical nymphs — can be mischievous, or downright nasty. After Nachan you’ll head up through the mountains to the western desert. Make sure you’ve got a waterskin, by the way, or you won’t survive two days in the desert. Do you want to make an offering to the god?’
An offering might bring you good fortune on your journey.
Decide how many cacao you will give (if any), cross the amount off the money recorded on your Character Sheet, and then turn to 301.
Page 301 posted:
If you gave an offering of 5 or more cacao, turn to 323.
If you gave less than 5 cacao, turn to 346.
I'm a bit glad we didn't chose this way as I'd have had to concoct some Cretan Chronicles levels fake choice to space between the choice of how much to donate and advancing to this.
Page 323 posted:
‘A generous donation.’ The high priest puts the money into his belt-pouch. ‘I shall see that a ritual of benediction is performed for you at the temple tomorrow morning. You will carry the blessing of the god.’
The blessing of the War God means that you can ignore any one injury taken at any point of your choice during the adventure. For example, if you were hit by an arrow and told to lose 4 Life Points, you could proceed without losing any Life Points. Note this ability on your Character Sheet — and remember that it only works once. ‘How about a spot of ball practice?’ suggests the high priest.
If you agree to join him for a practice bout in the arena, turn to 368.
If you think you had better get on with the rest of your preparations for the journey, turn to 93.
Page 93 posted:
He flings the ball against the slanting wall of the arena and it bounces towards you.. Leaping up with all your strength, you manage to strike it a glancing blow with your arm. A moment of stinging pain is followed by numbness, and the ball thuds to the court at your feet.
‘No, no!’ says the priest, stepping forward to retrieve the ball. ‘You have to judge the angle of impact perfectly, otherwise you end up bruised and the ball goes nowhere.’
He demonstrates, swinging his hips for momentum as he slams his muscular forearm against the ball. It goes careering across the arena to ricochet off the side wall. This time you manage to intercept it, sending it skidding back along the slant of the wall towards the priest.
‘You’ve got the hang of it now,’ he says some time later, leaning on his knees to get his breath back. ‘The object is to keep the ball from touching the ground. It represents the sun, you see, so it has to stay aloft or else it’s “eclipse”, meaning you lose a point.’
You toss the ball up and catch it, enjoying the contest now you know more about it. ‘And what about the stone rings at the top of the wall?’
‘Ah!’ says the priest. ‘If you can get the ball through the ring then you’ve scored a “sunrise” and you win outright. But it’s not as easy as it looks, believe me.’
You stare up at the ring. It is three man-heights off the ground and barely wider than the ball itself. ‘But it doesn’t look at all easy!’
The priest grins. ‘Precisely.’
It is now getting late. Thanking the priest, you make your way back home. Tomorrow you will set out in search of your brother.
Note the codeword Poktapok on your Character Sheet, then turn to 389.
The encounter with the War Priest is pretty beneficial, but it does come at the expense of a visit to the first market. But anyhow, moving along, let's head north from here:
Page 120 posted:
Following the crowds, you pass under an archway at the north edge of the city. People go milling past and you find yourself carried by the surge of bodies along a plaster-paved causeway that leads through light woodland. You are surprised to see no buildings on this side of the city. The crowds are all eagerly discussing some great spectacle that lies in store, and you catch snatches of conversation as you are borne along. ‘Now the Rain God will no longer forsake us,’ says one man. A woman who is carrying two squalling brats shouts back over her shoulder: ‘Just so long as the sacrifice pleases him! Don’t forget that.’
Then the trees give way to an immense clearing. At first you cannot tell what lies ahead, but by pushing your way forward you reach the front of the crowd. Your breath escapes from your lungs in a gasp of awe. The clearing is formed by a gigantic hole in the ground. It looks as though the crust of the earth has simply crumbled away to reveal an entrance into the underworld. The sinkhole is more than twenty metres deep and even a strong man could never hope to cast a spear right across to the far side. The sides of the pit are raw limestone clothed in a dry tangled mass of roots and creepers, dropping right down to the murky lake that occupies the bottom of this vast cavernous gulf.
‘What is it?’ you ask a priest standing beside you.
When he answers, you discover that your first wild impression was correct. ‘This is the sacred well of Yashuna,’ he replies in a stately voice. ‘It is the mouth of the underworld.’
If you have a serpent bracelet, turn to 257.
If not, turn to 234.
We learned of this well from the Death Priest.
Page 234 posted:
A young man and woman are brought forward by the priests and led to a shrine at the western edge of the hole. A steep flight of steps descends from the shrine towards a platform covered with sacred glyphs. As golden pectorals are placed over the couple’s shoulders, it becomes clear that they are going to be sacrificed. They have been chosen to jump into the sinkhole, carrying the people’s prayers to the Rain God who dwells under the world.
If you have the codeword Cenote, delete it now and turn to 103.
Otherwise turn to 127.
We also received that keyword from him.
Page 103 posted:
‘Wait!’
All eyes turn in your direction. The high priest scowls. ‘Who is this outsider who dares to interrupt the sacred rite?’
‘Release them,’ you say, ignoring him. ‘I shall carry your petition into the underworld.’
The priest strides over, pressing his face inches from yours with a look of black fury. ‘You? Why should I let you undertake this journey?’
‘Because I was sent here by a god.’
He has no answer to that. For a moment his mouth works silently, ready to frame a protest, but he has already seen the light of truth in your eyes. Stepping back, he gives a nod and the young couple are set free.
If you are ready to jump into the sacred well, turn to 327.
If you have SPELLS and a wand and want to cast a protective enchantment first, turn to 304.
We've covered a lot of ground here. So, do we want to utilize SPELLS?
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Dec 3, 2015 06:45
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- Ratatozsk
- Mar 6, 2007
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Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...
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Page 304 posted:
From what your friend the old soothsayer told you, it is unwise to speak once you enter the underworld. You had better cast your spells now, while you still can.
‘Allow me a moment to compose myself,’ you say to the high priest.
‘It is irregular…’
‘I am about to meet a god,’ you point out.
Stepping away a few paces, you murmur the words of an incantation which renders your body as buoyant as wood. You gaze down into the depths of the well. At least now you can be sure of not drowning – but if this is truly the entrance to the underworld, there will be other dangers which you cannot yet even guess at.
You turn to the assembled crowd and announce, ‘I am ready.’
You are led to a shrine at the western edge of the hole. From here, a steep flight of steps descends towards a platform covered with the hieratic glyphs of the afterlife. A vest of golden plaques is fastened across your chest and the high priest places a tall helmet of gold and copper on your head. The burden of so much metal makes you stoop. These artifacts are beyond price, since gold is not found in this part of the world. It is a lavish offering to the Rain God, but it also serves a secondary purpose: the great weight ensures you will be carried deep under the water.
Several junior priests come forward with dishes of blue dye, which they use to paint spirals across your face and limbs. ‘Thus you are consecrated to the Rain God,’ they explain. ‘Go now into the other world, and carry our plea for rain to refresh the arid fields.’
If you still have the jade bead given to you by the soothsayer, you remember to slip it under your tongue as he advised. Then you descend to the platform overlooking the well and prepare yourself for the most uncanny voyage anyone could ever attempt: a leap into the underworld.
Turn to 411.
Not sure how you can lose the bead besides inventory overload, so onwards!
Page 411 posted:
The high priest watches the sun decline across the treetops to the west. ‘The moment has arrived,’ he intones to the waiting crowd. ‘This ambassador will bear our message to the Rain God.’
You stare down. A gulf of dozen man-heights separates you from the grim watery gate of the afterlife. Even with your spell in force, you cannot suppress a qualm as you step out into space.
The gasp of the crowd is lost in the rush of wind as you go plummeting down. The white root-tangled walls of the sinkhole flicker past your vision. An instant later there is an icy impact and then darkness and eeriness surround you.
If not for your magic, the golden regalia you are wearing would bear you down to a watery grave. You struggle free of the fastenings and allow the vest of gold plaques to sink out of sight in the murk, but you keep the golden helmet tucked under your arm as you go shooting up towards the surface. Note the helmet among your possessions if you decide to retain it.
You break the surface like a log bobbing up out of the depths. There is a weak glow here, but it is not daylight. You are no longer at the bottom of the sinkhole, but in a vast underground cavern. You stagger up onto a rocky shore before your spell can wear off.
The sound of oars reaches your ears. Approaching you across the lake comes a long canoe crewed by two weird figures that seem to have strayed out of a feverish dream.
Turn to 97.
: A golden man AND a golden helmet! Everything's turning up Milhouse!
Page 97 posted:
The oarsmen are demons with squinting eyes and shrunken toothless gums. Stingray spines hang from their brows and upper lips where a mortal might have hair, and their flesh is a sickly blue-white colour. One wears a headdress in the shape of a shark’s fin, the other has a jaguar-pelt skullcap. As the canoe draws nearer, you see they have no lower limbs: their torsos end in shapeless blobs.
‘You wish to be conveyed to the Deathlands,’ says the shark paddler.
‘We will take you there,’ adds the jaguar paddler.
Loathsome as these creatures are, you see no alternative. You climb into the boat and wait as they row through the wanly lit gloom of the cavern. Ahead lies a tunnel, but before you reach it the canoe glides to a halt beside a shelf of rock. You look up to see a narrow crevice in the wall of the cavern. It looks far from inviting, and you detect a gust of noxious air wafting out of the darkened interior.
If you disembark and climb up to the crevice, turn to 74.
If you wait for the strange demons to row on, turn to 258.
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Dec 6, 2015 08:30
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- Thuryl
- Mar 14, 2007
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My postillion has been struck by lightning.
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Presumably they know this place better than we do, so if they're stopping here this is probably the best place to disembark.
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Dec 6, 2015 08:35
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- SatansOnion
- Dec 12, 2011
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Presumably they know this place better than we do, so if they're stopping here this is probably the best place to disembark.
Counterpoint: This would be the sensible option among the living, but underworlds throughout history are traditionally a gauntlet of counterintuitive bullshit tricks and riddles. Therefore, I don't want off this ride just yet
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Dec 6, 2015 13:30
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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Stay aboard - no reason why they wouldn't say "get off here" when the right time comes.
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Dec 7, 2015 03:44
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- Ratatozsk
- Mar 6, 2007
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Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...
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Page 74 posted:
You glance back to reassure yourself that the demons are not going to abandon you here. ‘We will wait,’ says one with a raw-gummed leer.
‘Take your time,’ cackles the other, nodding in grisly encouragement.
You brace yourself on the edge of the crevice and peer within. As your eyes adjust to the darkness, you see a narrow tunnel leading to a chamber inside the rock. Something gleams dully in the grey light. The smell is of rotting things: dank leaf mold and stagnant slime.
If you return to the canoe, turn to 258.
If you have ROGUERY and wish to sneak into the tunnel, turn to 282.
If you enter the tunnel but do not have ROGUERY, turn to 140.
Page 140 posted:
You steady yourself against the rough stone walls, only to recoil with a gasp of disgust. The brief contact has left an unpleasant coating of slime on your hands. You hurriedly wipe it away on your cloak. The stench grows stronger with each step you take until it is almost unbearable. You feel sick, but you manage to reach the chamber and stoop to inspect the item that caught your eye. It is a bowl of polished stone incised with the emblem of the Creator God, who gave life to all things. You need no special senses to recognize the aura of divine magic. This can only be the fabled Chalice of Life in which the gods brewed the primordial potion that birthed the ancestors of mankind.
Add the Chalice of Life to your list of possessions if you decide to take it. As you rise to return to the boat, however, a trickle of viscous slime drips from the roof of the chamber across your face. Spluttering, you look up. A shiver of horror runs through you as you see the creatures whose lair this is. There are about a dozen of them, clinging to the walls and ceiling of the tunnel like bloated pods. They are about as big as large dogs, humanoid in the upper body but with the hindquarters of giant snails. Their flesh, where it is exposed from their shells, glistens with thick mucus. Their features are horribly unformed, like babies torn prematurely from their mother’s womb, and they utter soft bleating cries as they close inexorably to block your escape.
If you want to use an item, turn to 305.
Page 305 posted:
Which of these will you use:
The Man of Gold? (Turn to 351)
A parcel of salt? (Turn to 372)
A firebrand? (Turn to 393)
If you have none of the items listed, you will have to fight: turn to 328.
: You are undeniably the worst demihumans I've ever encountered.
: Holy...I'll never make fun of a satyr again.
Ratatozsk fucked around with this message at 09:15 on Dec 7, 2015
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Dec 7, 2015 09:13
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- Thuryl
- Mar 14, 2007
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My postillion has been struck by lightning.
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After spending the entirety of the last run uselessly toting around that parcel of salt, I think we almost have to use the salt here.
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Dec 7, 2015 10:39
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- Odysseus S. Grant
- Oct 12, 2011
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Cats is the oldest and strongest emotion
of mankind
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Salt is probably a good weapon against snails.
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Dec 7, 2015 10:45
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- Ratatozsk
- Mar 6, 2007
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Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...
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After spending the entirety of the last run uselessly toting around that parcel of salt, I think we almost have to use the salt here.
To be fair, I do think we sprinkled some of it on our neck to avert the nightcrawler thing we saved that lady from. I just kinda minimized that fact...
Page 372 posted:
Ripping open the packet, you scatter a handful of salt into the face of the closest snail-creature. It emits a ghastly whining cry and pulls back into its shell as the salt stings its sensitive flesh like acid.
You advance, casting more salt at any of the creatures that are bold enough to try to stop you. It is hard going, for they are clustered thickly in the tunnel and you are shuddering with terror by now, but at last you reach the canoe. Scattering the last of the salt back to deter pursuers, you jump into the canoe and gesture for the demonic oarsmen to cast off.
Delete the salt from your possessions and turn to 258.
: SUCK ON THAT, SLUGTAURS!
Page 258 posted:
The strange pair guide their canoe into a tunnel leading off the side of the cavern. As you proceed, the roof of the tunnel gets lower until finally you have to crouch down to avoid bumping your head. The tunnel is so narrow by now that the sides of the canoe are scraping against the rock walls. You begin to worry that you will get wedged in the tunnel, unable either to go on or turn back, but the two unhuman oarsmen are entirely unconcerned. Pressed into the bottom of the boat, you can hear them sniggering to themselves.
‘The water level’s higher than last time,’ calls back the one in front.
‘It’s a tight squeeze,’ agrees the other. ‘We might have to go under.’
Go under? Do they mean submerge?
If you tell them to take you back to the cave and find another route, turn to 237.
If you let them row on, turn to 261.
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Dec 8, 2015 09:05
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- Thuryl
- Mar 14, 2007
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My postillion has been struck by lightning.
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We're not allowed to talk yet, so let them row.
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Dec 8, 2015 09:26
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- MysticalMachineGun
- Apr 5, 2005
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Row on!
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Dec 8, 2015 10:33
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- Ratatozsk
- Mar 6, 2007
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Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...
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Page 261 posted:
Just when it seems certain that the canoe will get stuck in the passage, immuring you below the earth for ever, you realize that the gap is widening. The canoe drifts on into a vast tunnel through which runs a wide underground river. Misty blue light sparkles on the water and trickles across the glistening rock. It appears to emanate from veins of glassy stone which you can see running through the walls of the tunnel.
The demons maneuver their craft between a forest of stalagmites which protrude from the water like thin fangs. Once on the open river they begin to ply their oars with vigour, propelling the canoe amid whoops of crazed glee.
You gaze in awe at the wondrous sight surrounding you. The tunnel is far wider than any stream to be found in the dry countryside around Koba, with walls rising almost vertically to a shadow-filled roof a hundred metres above your head. The air here is hot and musty and has a vile taste that makes you cough, but other than that you could almost imagine you are being steered along a canyon in the open air.
Rounding a bend in the river, you notice a series of stone doors set off a ledge high up in the right-hand wall of the tunnel. ‘The cave tombs of the first ancestors,’ says the demon in the back of the boat when he sees where you are looking.
‘I expect you’ll want to take a closer look,’ says the other demon and, without waiting for a reply, they row over to the side of the river and steady the canoe below the ledge.
If you have AGILITY and want to climb up to the tombs, turn to 190.
Or, if you have SPELLS (and a wand) and also have a length of rope, you could use magic to get up there: turn to 213.
Otherwise, if you cannot or do not wish to explore the tombs, turn to 236.
We do indeed have rope, so...
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Dec 9, 2015 08:21
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- Oblivion4568238
- Oct 10, 2012
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The Inquisition.
What a show.
The Inquisition.
Here. We. Go.
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College Slice
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Events where using SPELLS also causes the loss of SPELLS or a wand so far seem to have been clearly marked as particularly taxing beforehand. So, whenever we have an option to use SPELLS in a way that is not a miracle, and we don't have a better option, let's just do that SPELLS choice automatically. Oh, and of course we want to go to the tombs, our guides have taken us there.
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Dec 9, 2015 08:40
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- Ratatozsk
- Mar 6, 2007
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Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...
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Page 213 posted:
With a wave of your wand and a muttered incantation, you animate the rope. Guiding it like a snake charmer, you impel it to rise up to the ledge above. Unfortunately, if you had the jade bead it rolls out of your mouth while you are speaking the spell and is lost in the water; delete it from your Character Sheet.
A tug on the rope confirms that it is taut. You climb up to the ledge without any trouble. The doors of the tombs are massive slabs of stone, each with a bas-relief carving of the occupant. At first glance they look impregnable, but then you notice that there is one slab which has a crack running right across it. Even better, you discover a hammer lying on the ledge. (Note this on your Character Sheet if you intend to keep it.) You estimate that it would be about an hour’s hard work to smash a way into the tomb.
If you have ROGUERY, turn to 283.
If not, you can either smash the tomb open using the hammer (turn to 329) or else use the Man of Gold if you have it (turn to 306).
If you decide against violating the tombs, you can return to the canoe and continue on your way: turn to 167.
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Dec 10, 2015 11:38
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- Thuryl
- Mar 14, 2007
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My postillion has been struck by lightning.
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Welp, we're already gonna get cursed somehow for losing the bead. Might as well get something out of it. Use the hammer.
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Dec 10, 2015 13:39
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