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Go west, young creature
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May 4, 2021 04:58
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Nothing could possibly go wrong in the North!
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May 4, 2021 05:11
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West 
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May 4, 2021 05:31
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FredMSloniker posted:Death #27: You can fight, but you'll only die tired. That is just mean.
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May 4, 2021 13:14
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Reference 299 posted:You leave the building and set off west, the rising sun warming your back. Once you have left the area of the graveyard and the ruined chapel, the way ahead looks bleak. The flat countryside is featureless except for the odd flat-topped T'annum tree and occasional boulders which resemble grains of corn on some gigantic field. You stop by one such boulder to rest in its shade.
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May 4, 2021 18:14
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Go west, life is peaceful there
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May 4, 2021 18:41
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TitanG posted:Go west, life is peaceful there Reference 96 posted:In the distance ahead you can see the bleak wastes of Windward Plain. But before the plain, you reach a junction where another trail crosses your own. You may continue west (turn to 177), or you may turn north (turn to 130) or south (turn to 330). The brute-force solver is now at over four million states scored. I suspect it'll take ages to actually finish, though, if I even have enough memory for it to finish in the first place, so I've started a Monte Carlo solver as well. Monte Carlo simulation is a way to get an approximate solution to situations like this. As its being named after a casino suggests, it involves repeatedly simulating runs through the book and taking the average result. I've set it to make a billion runs through the book and output the odds of reaching the end for every combination of initial stats, as well as the overall odds of reaching the end.
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May 4, 2021 19:40
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Turn on north.
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May 4, 2021 19:42
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BraveLittleToaster posted:Turn on north. Reference 130 posted:You follow the trail northwards. By now it is becoming quite dark. The setting sun gives way to a bright moon which is almost full. Eventually you decide to rest for the night, and you settle down to sleep behind a large boulder. The night passes peacefully and you may gain 4 STAMINA points for the rest. The next morning you continue northwards until you reach a fork in the path. A signpost stands by the side of the road. The way to the south is signposted to "Dree **". To the north-west, the signpost reads "Coven" and to the north-east it reads "Bu Fon Fen". Will you follow the trail to the north-west (turn to 190) or the north-east (turn to 134)?
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May 4, 2021 19:47
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We did the coven already, right? Northeast!
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May 4, 2021 19:48
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Leraika posted:We did the coven already, right? Northeast! We did a coven, not the Coven. Reference 134 posted:The trail eventually merges with another. You follow it over hills and a rickety wooden bridge which spans a fast-flowing river. Eventually you arrive at the outskirts of a gloomy village. No one seems to take much notice as you arrive. It strikes you that all the humans seem to be aged women. They are a dirty lot, wrapped in tattered shawls, and they spit and scratch as they talk to one another, ignoring the scenes of chaos around them. For the other inhabitants are a cacophony of strange creatures - hunch-backed, misshapen, mutilated, wretched things that grub about in the dusty gutters looking for scraps of food. Some hop, some hobble, some cannot move at all and are dying in the street. One legless creature pulls itself towards you by its hands and grabs your ankle. Its bleeding fingers are inflamed and septic and you quickly kick it away. An ugly old crone comes from her hut and flings a bucket of stinking sewage into the street. Immediately, the contents are being devoured ferociously by a dozen of the accursed creatures. Note that the signpost was wrong again. I'm not sure if it's the same deal as before (the exits would make sense if it were rotated) or if it's just a mistake. Reference 134 posted:But your anonymity is comforting. You continue towards the centre of town, where many of the old women are milling around a street market. By the side of the market, performers are showing off their acts. You head towards them, but before you reach the market, you hear a woman's voice calling to you from behind. Will you stop to see what she wants? If so turn to 210. If you want to continue towards the market, turn to 35. The Monte Carlo simulator was looking pretty stable after just a million runs, so I've reset it to do a million more and output based on those.
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May 4, 2021 20:07
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Wait and hear her out.
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May 4, 2021 20:22
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BraveLittleToaster posted:Wait and hear her out. Reference 211 posted:You stop and wait as the old hag hobbles up to you. "Praise be to Nanagga that you stopped, strange creature," she croaks, panting from the effort of catching up with you. "My rainwater barrel has fallen from its perch and I cannot lift it on my own. If you will lift it for me I will reward you well. My specialty is potions and I wager a dose of Healing Potion would not go amiss, eh? Well?" Will you help the woman out as she wants? If so, turn to 224. If you would rather not, We'll check out the market later. Reference 224 posted:You follow her round the back of a dirty hovel. The stale smell of human sweat wafts from the run-down shack and round the back you nearly tread on a wild-haired semi-human creature which is lame and cannot move. The wretched thing jabbers at you in meaningless whelps, but you ignore it and concentrate on the woman's plight. She shows you an overturned barrel which has evidently fallen from a platform behind the house. "'Twas the wind last night," she moans. "The barrel fell with a terrible crash! 'Tas full; and it landed on poor Shanga here who was tied up beneath it. Can you put it back for me?" You grasp the barrel around the middle and climb the frame carefully. When you have replaced the barrel, you step down, ready for your reward. "Let me see..." she muses. "Promised you Healing Potion, is that not so? But would you prefer a Potion of Fortune? Perhaps you would. Well?" Which would you prefer? The Potion of Healing (turn to 196) or the Potion of Fortune (turn to 294)?
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May 4, 2021 20:31
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We need some Fortune more than healing.
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May 4, 2021 20:41
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Wow, this place sucks. Crones, please be kinder to your terrible malformed human experimentation failures. And give us some fortune while you're at it!
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May 4, 2021 21:06
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After a million runs through the book, we've got an average success rate of about 25.8%. Not a single run succeeded with minimum stats; with maximum stats, the success rate was about 81.5%. Our average rate of success, based on various stats, is as follows:
Game update incoming.
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May 4, 2021 21:17
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BraveLittleToaster posted:We need some Fortune more than healing. Reference 294 posted:She beckons you to follow her into her home. In one corner of her kitchen, shelves hold dozens of bottles of potions. She takes down a bottle containing a straw-yellow potion and pours it into a bowl for you to drink. The smell and the taste are awful, but you manage to force it down. When the bowl is empty, you turn to go. Bad End #5: Drank the wrong potion in Dree and lost our free will. And as you might guess... Reference 196 posted:She shuffles off into the house for your Potion of Healing. You take a sniff of the yellowy liquid and gag. It smells disgusting! "Come now, it will do you good," coaxes the hag. "Drink it all up. And all your problems will vanish." You take a deep breath and swallow the contents of the bowl. It washes down your throat, leaving a bitter taste in your mouth. You cough a few times, but soon it has settled. You turn to go. Bad End #6: Trick question! There wasn't a right potion. Let's check out the market instead. Reference 35 posted:The old woman can hardly walk and you leave her behind as you head for the market. She wails pitifully as you ignore her pleas, but you have no wish to get involved with her. The sound of the market soon drowns out her cries. You wander round the barrows and begin to head for the street performers, when a fat man comes over to you. He approaches you cautiously and whispers to you: "Pssst. Say, handsome. I got a little... er... proposition for you. Want to hear about it? Come round here." He leads you round a corner to a secluded alley. Death #34: Got involved in an organ-legging operation in the worst way. And that's it for Dree! It is a dreeary place.  Back to 130, we head northwest, supposedly to Coven but actually to...Reference 190 posted:As you follow the trail, the vegetation changes. The flat grassland begins to be replaced by taller reeds. The going underfoot becomes muddier, until eventually you reach an area where bulrushes tower over your head. Will you continue into the rushes (turn to 307), or will you head back to the junction and take the north-east trail instead Reference 307 posted:A trail has been cut through the bulrushes. Your heavy feet splash along the marshy trail until you reach a clearing. The going seems a little more solid and you can see footprints - not human footprints, but the large webbed footprints of some unknown creature. From the clearing there are two ways on, one to the north and one to the north-east. Which one will you choose: north (turn to 132) or north-east (turn to 163)? But this is another trick question, because... Reference 132 posted:Had you been a little more observant, you would have noticed how the footprints all avoided the centre of the clearing. As you step towards your chosen trail, your foot sinks deep into mud. This happens too quickly for you to pull yourself back and, to your horror, you find yourself sinking deep into the muddy swamp! There is nothing around for you to grab hold of. If you have a length of rope, ...we can't avoid... Reference 163 posted:Had you been a little more observant, you would have noticed how all the footprints avoided the centre of the clearing. As you step across towards your chosen trail, your foot sinks deep into mud. This happens too quickly for you to pull yourself back and, to your horror, you find yourself sinking deep into the muddy swamp! There is nothing around for you to grab hold of. If you have a length of rope, Reference 83 posted:Your situation is hopeless. With nothing to grasp to pull you from the mud, you cannot hope to do anything but struggle vainly as you sink deeper into your grave. The mud reaches your chest, then your neck, then begins to fill your mouth and nose. You take your last breath... Death #35: I've got a sinking feeling... So let's rewind again, this time to 96: Reference 96 posted:In the distance ahead you can see the bleak wastes of Windward Plain. But before the plain, you reach a junction where another trail crosses your own. You may continue west (turn to 177), or you may turn north If we go south, we come to: Reference 330 posted:You follow the path. After a long trek southwards, the trail sweeps round to the east. It begins to widen into a well-used road just as you reach the outskirts of a dusty village. On your left you pass a run-down building which could prove a useful place of shelter for you. But a growing commotion ahead brings your attention back to the road. A number of villagers are beginning to bar the road. As you step forward, one picks up a stone and hurls it at you. It lands close by your foot. A second villager throws another stone, and this one bounces off your chest! Lose 1 STAMINA point for the painful blow. They cheer and grab more stones to throw at you. It seems you are not welcome here and you decide to turn back before you are hit again. Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, none of the villagers manage an accurate shot. But if you are Unlucky, you must take another 2 STAMINA points of damage from their stones. You retrace your steps to the crossroads and this time you may either turn west (turn to 177) or carry on north So west it is. Reference 177 posted:The trail leads to a small copse growing on a solitary hillock which is the only noticeable feature of the otherwise flat countryside. When you reach the hillock, you can see a face of bare rock. Set in this rock are a number of small cave entrances facing the trail. In the centre of these, backed up to the rock-face, is a hut, and smoke drifts lazily from its chimney. Someone is at home. Looking out westwards beyond the hillock, the ground is flat for as far as you can see. Your eyes scan the inhospitable wastes of the Windward Plain. Nothing about its bleakness looks inviting. You turn your attentions once more to the hut. Will you enter through the front door (turn to 252), or will you try one of the caves set in the rock-face (turn to 340)?
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May 4, 2021 21:48
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Front door.
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May 4, 2021 21:59
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I have no doubt that if we did have a length of rope it would turn out to be a deadly rope snake and strangle us while we sink. Let's try a cave.
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May 4, 2021 23:13
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BraveLittleToaster posted:Front door. Reference 252 posted:You enter the hut and find yourself in a room decorated with intricately woven cloths in rich colours, which hang from the walls and ceiling, making hte room itself dark and mysterious. A long, thin stick smoulders in a brass pot which stands on a table at one end of the room and as it burns it gives off a heavy, perfumed smell. There is also a pack of cards on the table, next to a clear glassy orb. You can see the hanging cloths behind the table rustling and a voice breaks the silence: "Who calls on the powers of Rosina of Dree? Who wishes to know his destiny? Speak!" You wait and watch as an old woman, plump and stooped, shuffles out from behind the curtain into the room. She is dressed in brightly coloured robes and she sits down behind the table. She squints as she tries to focus on you. We do have two Gold Pieces - we looted them off the guy the Manic Beast killed - but do we want to spend them?
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May 5, 2021 01:27
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Pay the lady.
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May 5, 2021 01:28
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Let's get our fortune told.
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May 5, 2021 01:45
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We've seen three settlements. One conscripted us into slavery or escape into death, another threw rocks at us when we got close, and when we tried to go to the market in the third settlement, we were killed and eaten. Where else are we going to spend this gold? Pay the woman.
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May 5, 2021 02:31
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Jade Rider posted:Let's get our fortune told. Reference 11 posted:"Thank you," she smiles, depositing the coins deep in the folds of her clothing. "Now we may see what fate has in store for you. I will shuffle the Pack of Fate and you must tell me when to stop." She picks up the cards and begins to shuffle them slowly, staring deep into your eyes as she does so. You grunt when you want her to stop. She then starts turning cards over. Reference 386 posted:You head off back towards the crossroads and turn this time to the north. Turn to 130. We've been to 130 before, but we didn't have the rope. With that we can go to 307, then to either 132 or 163, and then... Reference 23 posted:You uncoil the rope from around your shoulder and search for something to lasso. But there is nothing around that would seem solid enough to let you pull yourself out. The bulrushes are certainly not strong enough to bear your weight. You have now sunk to your waist and unless you spy something soon, you will not be able to throw the rope! Frantically you search for something as you slip deeper and deeper into the mud. Then, hidden behind the rushes and reeds, you catch a glimpse of a tree-stump. It is not tall, but it looks sturdy enough. But how can you rope it? You fling the rope towards it - and something miraculous happens. FredMSloniker fucked around with this message at 23:26 on May 6, 2021 |
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May 5, 2021 03:17
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Ah great, more coin flips! I'm feeling North East.
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May 5, 2021 03:21
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Concurring with Northeast.
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May 5, 2021 03:29
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BraveLittleToaster posted:Concurring with Northeast. Reference 114 posted:You follow the trail until you reach another clearing. Turn to 315. Reference 315 posted:There are two ways on from this clearing and while you are deciding which to take, you are startled by a loud croaking noise which seems to come from immediately behind you. You spin round to find yourself facing a creature almost as large as you, with a huge head on a puffed-out body with warty skin. Its feet and hands are webbed. It opens a cavernous mouth and lets out a deafening croak, while its two glassy eyes blink slowly. In one hand it grasps a trident and it seems to want you to back into the centre of the clearing. But having seen the sloshy mud in the centre of the clearing, you are not sure whether you are all that keen to oblige. Will you back towards the centre of the clearing as the Toadman wishes (turn to 68), or would you rather fight the creature (turn to 143)? As you can no doubt guess, if we obey the Toadman... Reference 68 posted:He shoves you back into the centre of the clearing and your feet splash in the wet mud. Suddenly you stumble as your foot sinks deep. You try to step out, but it is no use; the more you tread with your feet, the deeper you sink... The mud reaches your chest, then your neck, then begins to fill your mouth and nose. The Toadman watches your final struggles and a smile spreads across his toothless mouth... Death #36: Never trust a Toadman. So let's not. Reference 145 posted:The Toadman feints at you with his trident and you leap into action. Resolve your battle with the creature: Reference 287 posted:As the Toadman staggers and falls, you see more of the creatures hopping out from the reeds. What can you do against so many? A stabbing pain in the back reminds you that you will not have much choice in the matter. One of the creatures is behind you, jabbing you with a trident. Another steps forward and speaks to you. "None may enter the fens of the Toadmen," he announces. "Our marsh and our herb gardens are holy. They are for no eyes but our own. There is only one punishment for disobeying this law. That is D E A T H..." Death #37: Croaked by some Toadmen. Let's rewind to 23 and go north instead of northeast. Reference 267 posted:You follow the trail as it winds through the reeds. More than once a slippery Swampsnake slithers across your path, but thankfully they have no interest in you. Several types of croaking noises can be heard, but the one that worries you the most is a loud, booming croak which sounds more like a throaty belch. This particular sound is regular, and similar croaks seem to echo it from various parts of the marsh. Ahead of you, the trail is opening up as it reaches a river-bank, where a wealth of colourful plants line the river. But as you stand and watch the river flowing past, you notice a pair of eyes in the reeds! Two large, bulbous eyes blink slowly as you stare at them. When the owner of the eyes realizes you have seen him, he turns and you can see a bulky, rough-skinned shape - rather like a huge stone - shuffle off noisily into the reeds. Will you follow this creature (turn to 53), would you rather investigate the plants by the side of the river (turn to 380), or do you want to leave as quickly as possible (turn to 18)? If we follow the creature... Reference 53 posted:You crash off through the reeds in pursuit of the creature, though the going is difficult. You catch sight of it again and this time it seems to be hopping rather awkwardly through the reeds. Your foot slips and you sink up to your knee in muddy water, but this does not deter you. However, following the creature is quite difficult. You lose sight of it and must now follow by the sounds of it crashing through the reeds. You climb on to a bank and find yourself in a circular clearing. All is quiet; there are no signs of the creature. But then suddenly the reeds behind you part, and you spin around, just as the wide-mouthed Toadman you have been following springs at you. ...and we get swamped again. Nopeing out gets us... Reference 18 posted:You turn to leave the river-bank. But something is not quite right. You came along a trail, but that trail has now disappeared! Where you had expected it to be is now overgrown with tall rushes and the only trail leading away from the bank is the one to your left. Bewildered, you follow it until you reach a clearing. ...which leads to the Toadmen encounter we can't escape. That just leaves... Reference 380 posted:The riverside is a place of great natural beauty. At least, it seems to be natural, but there is always the possibility that someone has planted the colourful plants in their beds along the banks of the river. A tall green-stemmed reed is topped with coiled trumpets of purple flowers which hang down facing the river. These flowers are so beautiful that they have a hypnotic effect on the fish of the river, which are attracted to the water beneath the reeds and can be seen swimming beneath them. Another blue-stemmed plant has no flowers but its glistening colour is quite remarkable and it has a strong herbal odour. Yet another plant has leaves which are perfect circles, red in colour. As you watch, one of the leaves drops into the river. The leaf seems to have some purifying effect: as soon as it touches the water, all cloudiness is gone from the area around the leaf; the water becomes crystal-clear until disturbed by the flow of the current. Another plant, out of reach in the water, has delicate flowers of silver. As the wind blows, the flowers whistle and tinkle together with an eerie, calming sound which makes you feel quite relaxed. You may, if you wish, gather a few of one of these types of plant before you leave. Which will you choose: the one with purple flowers (turn to 325), the one with a blue stem (turn to 106) or the one with the red leaves (turn to 181)? Okay, here's the thing. Reference 380 is on the winning path, and we have a 1/3 chance of making the right decision here through sheer luck - and we have the information we need to make the correct decision. However, no matter what we choose, we wind up at 18, and from there death by Toadmen. We don't have what we need to survive them. We've also bypassed a large chunk of the book, and we can't get anywhere new from here that we can't also get from the winning path. So we pause on the way back to briefly check what would happen if we turned north after going west from the church... Reference 433 posted:Following the Jabberwing's advice, you set off northwards. You pause on top of a hillock and survey the area. In the distance to your right you can see a great forest and straight ahead a river cuts through the landscape like a gaping wound. You head on and, a short distance after you have left the hillock, another trail joins yours from the right. That's the path into Dree. Then we rewind some more, to 324, where we woke up after accepting our mission from the Sisters of Dree. South is still the correct path, and we've just seen everything going west has to offer. Should we go east (turn to 304) or north (turn to 301) next?
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May 5, 2021 04:36
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Ever eastwards.
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May 5, 2021 04:59
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Hm, east or north for paths that lead to territory we've seen before or that leave us dead or worse... East seems likelier to take us somewhere new, north somehow feels like it will take us to the poo poo river or woods.
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May 5, 2021 07:20
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Ignatius M. Meen posted:Hm, east or north for paths that lead to territory we've seen before or that leave us dead or worse... Let's find out! Reference 304 posted:You leave the building and continue past the yard of stones. You join a path which leads east over a stile and through a field of crops being gathered by peasants. Heads bob up over the tops of the plants as, one by one, the peasants notice your presence. Screams come from a couple of the women and the men rush towards you, hurling stones. They keep a safe distance, but their missiles are landing close. Will you quicken your pace and make off across the field away from them (turn to 87)? Or will you react to their attack by turning on them (turn to 421)? You may also decide to settle down in the field and eat some crops (turn to 270). Examining these options in order, we have: Reference 87 posted:They chase after you, hurling their stones and abuse until you are well out of their field. Luckily, no stones hit you and you are soon out of range. You continue along the path, which winds towards a spreading forest, until you reach a sign which reads: "Knot Oak Wood". The path leads deep into the forest and you follow it. Reference 421 posted:You turn angrily towards the peasants as a stone hits you on the shoulder. Lose 1 STAMINA point. The men and women are yelling at you, trying to get you off their land. But you are furious and rush towards them through the crops. They beat a retreat, keeping their distance, and hurl more stones. Again you charge forward, again they retreat and again comes the hail of stones. This time another stone hits you in the chest. Lose another STAMINA point. After two more charges, you realize that your efforts are futile. They will always be able to move faster than you through the crops, as your greater bulk is slowing you down. You eventually turn from them and return to the path. They follow you, once more jeering and shouting, until you have left their field and are well out of range of their stones. We've already been to 244; it leads to quite a large part of the book, including one part of the winning route, but without the things we need to actually win. So what about door number three? Reference 270 posted:You ignore the peasants and sit down in the field. They continue their yelling and the stones still land close by, but you are hungry! You grab an ear of corn and put the whole thing in your mouth. The peasants dare not come too close to you, but they will keep up their barrage of stones until you leave their field. There is a chance you may be hit by one and you must roll one die six times. Any time 6 comes up, you have been hit by a stone for 1 STAMINA point of damage. After you have rolled the die six times, you can leave the field So that's east explored. What about north? Reference 301 posted:North of the building, the countryside is almost featureless. After walking for some time, you come across a solitary tree stangin by the side of the path. It has a dark brown - almost black - trunk and the leaves are brilliant green. They shine unnaturally, as if they might glow in the night. Among the higher branches, large round fruits hang. You study these, considering how you may get them down. You are certainly not built for climbing trees, but you may be able to shake one down. If you wish, you may Test your Luck. If you are Unlucky, you do not manage to shake any fruits from the tree. If you are Lucky, one of the nourishing Chubbley tree fruits falls to the ground. You may then eat this juicy fruit and will gain 4 STAMINA points. When you are ready to leave, turn to 45. Reference 45 posted:You leave the Chubbley tree and continue along the trail. A little further on you pause on top of a hillock and survey the area. In the distance to your right you can see a great forest, and straight ahead a river cuts through the landscape like a gaping wound. To the left, the green colour of the grassy countryside fades to sandy brown as the bleak Windward Plain stretches west as far as you can see. You head on and, shortly after you have left the hillock, another trail joins yours from the left. 134 is the path to Dree. So that just leaves heading south to... Reference 95 posted:Just a short distance south of the building and the graveyard lies the peasant village of Coven, whose inhabitants live in constant fear of the evil that surrounds them - the growing power of Zharradan Marr and his ruthless henchmen and the devilry of Dree, haven of witchcraft. Its buildings are basic and the main route into the village is dusty and bumpy. There is nothing to suggest anything but poverty. As you follow the trail, villagers are going about their daily business ahead of you. But when they see you, they rush quickly away and hide in their wooden shacks. Eyes watch you from within the hovels, but no one dares venture into the street. Some of the huts have signs above them. One reads "Provisions" and another reads "Medicine-Man". Will you see what you can get in the way of provisions (turn to 32), visit the medicine-man (turn to 211), or will you leave Coven along a street leading west (turn to 274)? You'll notice that two of the references here are marked as 'correct'. That's because, if we go into the shop... Reference 32 posted:Inside the shack, sacks of grain and nuts lie on the floor, and strips of dried meat hang over the counter; loaves of bread and other foods are also to be found. Behind the counter, a puny villager is cowering behind a sack of weedroots. When you enter, he tries to hide from you, but you have seen him. If you have any coins, you may buy some provisions. If not, you may try to steal some, or you can leave. If you wish to buy provisions, you may spend 1 Gold Piece (turn to 131) or 2 Gold Pieces (turn to 146). If you want to try stealing, turn to 410. If you leave and head west out of the village, turn to 274. ...we have the opportunity to walk right back out again. However, interacting with the shop at all dooms us. Let's see what happens if we visit the medicine man, then. Reference 211 posted:Strange smells of boiling herbs reach your nostrils as you enter the shack. Inside, the room is cluttered and disorganized and the pungent smell of the boiling herbs is particularly offensive to you. Standing over the pot of herbs is an old, white-haired man holding a ladle in one hand and an open book in the other. He wears a long, black robe and is concentrating intently on his potion. You stare at him for a few moments. He does not even notice you until you accidentally kick a large, round vegetable and send it scuttling across the floor. The man throws back his long hair and glances up at you. He seems to look through you; you are not sure whether he is seeing you or not. He waves you over to a chair to wait until he has finished. Will you do as he wishes (turn to 316), or do you refuse to wait (turn to 195)?
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May 5, 2021 17:40
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I decided to stop the solver. When I did, it was up to 4.9 million scored states and about 11 gigs of memory usage. It took several seconds just to free up the virtual memory it was using so it could stop.
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May 5, 2021 17:49
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Let's listen to him. Nothing bad has every happened to us with potion makers, right?
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May 5, 2021 17:49
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Let's wait to ask the potion seller for his strongest potions.
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May 5, 2021 17:55
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He seems trustworthy, hear him out.
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May 5, 2021 17:56
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Arzaac posted:Let's listen to him. Nothing bad has every happened to us with potion makers, right? Reference 316 posted:"Be patient!" he says, scratching his head. "Now what was it to add next? Ah yes, Sculliweed! Now where are those Sculliweed seeds?" Your eyes follow his round the room until they reach a jar which has "Sculliweed Seeds" on its label. The jar is empty. "drat! And drat again!" he curses. "Now I shall have to visit those scoundrels in Dree to buy more. Blast!" He turns away from his pot and towards you. "So much for my Potion of Fortune," he says. "Not much use having a Potion of Fortune without the luck herb. Right then, what can I do for you. Oh, my goodness! You're a beast! Er, um... Do you need a healing balm? Or perhaps you would like me to remove a curse? Ah, just name it! I-I'm sure Euphidius can help." Will you allow him to use healing balm on you (turn to 426), or do you want him to remove a curse (turn to 188)? If you want neither of these, you may leave him and head out of the village by turning to 374. There are two places we've seen where we could have been cursed: by messing with a vampire's coffin, or by drinking the blue potion that was on the corpse of the human the Manic Beast killed. We can avoid both of those, however, and we can only get to this reference in a losing state. If we did wind up here with a curse or curses, though, we could go to: Reference 188 posted:The old man fusses about with his jars of potions. He is nervous in your presence and his hands shake, rattling the bottles. "I-I think th-this will do it!" he stammers, pouring the contents of two bottles into a saucer. "C-c-come over here and put your head over this saucer." You are suspicious, but you do as he says. When your head is in position, he grinds a little powder into the liquid with his fingers. The effect is startling and you draw your face back as the liquid vaporizes as thick brown smoke. You cannot help but inhale the smoke, and you cough and splutter, rubbing your watering eyes. But the medicine-man has not deceived you. His herbal medicine is able to remove curses and the effects of any curse you may have had cast upon you is now neutralized. Still coughing and rubbing your eyes, you leave the shack and head out of town. Turn to 374. Or we can ask for healing: Reference 426 posted:The medicine-man shuffles over to a shelf full of jars and takes one down. "This healing balm," he boasts, "is the finest south of Dree. But I have never had the chance to test it on a creature such as you. Please allow me to try it." He spreads some of the ointment across your chest and rubs it deep into your scales. He continues until he has rubbed it all over your body. The effect is almost immediate. You begin to feel strong and rejuvenated. His healing balm actually works better on you than it does on humans. You may restore your STAMINA to its Initial level. Then you leave the village of Coven by turning to 374. 374 is a general 'leaving Coven in a losing state' reference. If we backtrack to 211 and choose not to wait on the medicine-man: Reference 195 posted:You growl impatiently at the medicine-man, but he is adding ingredients to his herbal broth and continues to ignore you. Finally you will wait no more. You step up to him and swipe at the boiling broth. Most of the liquid splashes up into the face of the medicine-man, who screams in agony and clutches his eyes. He falls to the floor, sobbing and moaning. When he eventually looks up, his sightless eyes search aimlessly around the room. He is totally blind and is in no fit state to help you. You may leave him and the village by turning to 374. Or, if you prefer, you may put him out of his misery (turn to 456). Reference 456 posted:The pitiful figure whimpering on the ground puts up no resistance as you end its miserable life. You may feast on the body and, if you do so, you will gain 4 STAMINA points. Then leave the village of Coven by turning to 374. So we backtrack to 32, the shop. We have to leave it immediately (or not go in it in the first place) to win. But can we do some shopping instead? Well, we can spend one of our two Gold Pieces... Reference 131 posted:The shopkeeper is amazed when you offer him the gold coin. He shuffles diligently around the shop, gathering together for you a generous collection of provisions. You receive two strips of dried wildcat meat, a bag full of Jimweed root from the sack on the counter, a skin of mulled wine and a fresh loaf of corn bread. You then leave his shop, and sit down outside to eat. Add 4 STAMINA points for the meal and continue out of the village by turning to 374. ...or two of our two Gold Pieces... Reference 146 posted:You follow the nervous shopkeeper round and corner him. His terrified expression turns to one of astonishment when you hold out the gold coins. When he sees that you have come to eat his wares, not him, he rushes off round his shop to serve you. He gathers together for you a generous collection of provisions. First of all he gives you three small bags of Abundance Nuts. You also receive two strips of dried wildcat meat, a bag full of Jimweed root from the sack on the counter, a skin of mulled wine and a fresh loaf of corn bread. You leave his shop and sit down outside to eat. You eat everything but the Abundance Nuts, as the shopkeeper recommended that you take them with you for later in your journey. Add 4 STAMINA points for the meal. You may eat a bag of Abundance Nuts at any time during the rest of your adventure except when in battle. Each bag will restore 4 STAMINA points when eaten. You can now continue out of the village by turning to 374. ...or zero of our two Gold Pieces. Reference 410 posted:The terrified shopkeeper will give you no trouble as you help yourself to provisions. You feast on the food while he cowers helplessly in the corner. Test your Luck. If you are Unlucky, you eat a handful of poisonous herbs and are violently ill (lose 3 STAMINA points). If you are Lucky, you avoid the poisons and can add 4 STAMINA points for your meal. When you have finished here, you may leave the village by turning to 374. And that's all the ways we can reach 374. Reference 374 posted:On the way out of the village, you pass more huts and more of the villagers, who rush across the road to avoid you. Ahead of you is a figure slumped face down on the ground. When you get closer you can see that it is a dark-skinned Half-Orc, and that it is dead. Do you want to investigate the body (turn to 91), or will you ignore it and continue (turn to 107)? Loot! Reference 91 posted:There are 3 Gold Pieces lying on the ground next to the creature's body. You may take these with you. If you want to eat the creature, take it with you out of the village and eat it at your leisure for 4 STAMINA points of nourishment. Leave the village of Coven by turning to 107. Reference 107 posted:You continue along the trail which leads out from Coven. It winds past a disused building, now mostly rubble, and sweeps round in a northerly direction. Eventually you come to a crossroads where you may turn either west 177 is on the path to the fortune-teller's hut; there are places we haven't been from there, but we'll visit it later. 130 leads either to Dree or to the fen, which we can't get through yet. That leaves... Reference 203 posted:you follow the trail east for some time, until a familiar shape looms on the horizon. The building in which you met the Women of Dree! You realize that you have retraced your journey, so you decide to return to the crossroads. Lose 1 STAMINA point for the wasted journey. At the junction, will you turn north Okay. Let's get back on the winning path. By not lingering in Coven, we come across this scene still in progress: Reference 274 posted:You head west out of the village. The peasants walking towards you gasp when they see your shape and cross over the road to avoid you. You ignore them and continue. Ahead you can hear sounds of excited voices coming from one of the buildings. As you approach this hut, the sounds become louder. You hear a sharp crack, the door of the hut bursts outwards and a tumbling figure rolls out of the door and straight into you! As the dark-skinned Half-Orc picks himself up, another figure steps through the doorway. This one is a broad-shouldered human with a bare chest.  Reference 274 posted:The small crowd behind the human is urging him to finish off the Half-Orc, but the noise dies down when they notice you. Will you join in the fight? If so, will you come to the aid of the Half-Orc (turn to 291) or the human (turn to 251)? If you do not wish to get involved in the fight, you can leave them to it and continue your journey by One of the bolded choices is correct. The other is not. You make the call! FredMSloniker fucked around with this message at 17:30 on May 6, 2021 |
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May 5, 2021 22:00
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Let's aid the half-Orc
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May 5, 2021 22:06
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Let's get ourselves a half-orc buddy.
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May 5, 2021 22:19
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Given that the half-orc is dead if you dally in town, I'm going to guess that we need him alive for something. Help the half-orc
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May 5, 2021 22:24
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Ah, this is where the dead half-orc came from. We weren't around to help so the human killed the half-orc. So that means that helping the Half-Orc is probably the correct choice. This book is not about making the right choices. Attack the Half-Orc.
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May 5, 2021 22:25
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FredMSloniker posted:I decided to stop the solver. When I did, it was up to 4.9 million scored states and about 11 gigs of memory usage. It took several seconds just to free up the virtual memory it was using so it could stop. That is uuuh, some dedication to us not solving this adventure legitimately.
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May 6, 2021 00:28
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