Sorry for the delay, folks. My nap took a lot longer than expected. I have counted your votes to turn Jang Mistral’s pistol on them, since that option won over kicking the spiders by a 3-1 vote.
228
After you have zapped several spiders, the others beat a hasty retreat, to plan a new attack. You reach the top of the pillar, but you do not have to wait long before their next assault. This time there are many more, armed with hardy shields of interwoven webs, impervious to laser fire.
Test your Luck. If you are Lucky, turn to 298; if you are Unlucky, turn to 210.
Rolling the dice yielded an 8, meaning that Jang Mistral was Lucky, to nobody’s surprise.
298
Only after a fierce struggle do you manage to repulse the spiders. Those still alive retreat a short distance away and spend the entire night nursing their wounds in a hollow near by. At dawn, as you are squatting miserably on top of the pillar wondering how to escape, you detect a faint humming. In the distance you perceive a large, flat air-barge skimming towards you, its distinctive red-and-white pennant fluttering in the breeze. Soon the barge is hovering only twenty feet overhead, dropping a rope ladder to you as it sends the spiders scuttling from the path of a heat-ray. You have been saved! Turn to 289.
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]
289
An enormous nose appears over the side of the barge, accompanied by a small, bug-eyed face. ‘Ahoy there, stranger!’ yells this creature, the captain. ‘I’m short on crew; if you’ll climb aboard, I’m sure we could come to some arrangement.’ Wishing to put some distance between yourself and the desert spiders, you climb the rope ladder and enter the barge. Turn to 364.
364
You agree with Captain Long-nose to act as lookout and air sailor, in return for a voyage to Central City, where he intends to make repairs to his ship. The barge takes off and, at a height of fifty feet, cruises towards the city walls. After a few hours, you notice another ship approaching at speed from the south. It is the barge of Captain Big-ears, your captain’s rival. Roll one die. If you roll a 1, turn to 329; if you roll 2 or 3, turn to 286; if you roll 4 or 5, turn to 249; if you roll a 6, turn to 172.
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]
Rolling the die yielded a 5.
249
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]
The enemy, now at close range, casts a volley of grappling irons into your barge, drawing the two vessels together. The enemy captain, a rodent-faced creature with enormous ears, leads his cut-throats across a gangplank. You must fight.
CAPTAIN BIG-EARS SKILL 8 STAMINA 8
POT-BELLIED CUT-THROAT SKILL 7 STAMINA 6
If you win, turn to 136.
The fight:
[spoiler](Captain Big-Ears)
Round 1: Captain Big-Ears Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Captain Big-Ears Stamina: 6, Player Stamina: 13
Round 2: Captain Big-Ears Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Captain Big-Ears Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 13
Round 3: Captain Big-Ears Attack Strength: 13, Player Attack Strength: 20;
Captain Big-Ears Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 13
Round 4: Captain Big-Ears Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Captain Big-Ears Stamina: 0, Player Stamina: 13
(Pot-Bellied Cut-Throat)
Round 1: Pot-Bellied Cut-Throat Attack Strength: 17, Player Attack Strength: 20;
Pot-Bellied Cut-Throat Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 13
Round 2: Pot-Bellied Cut-Throat Attack Strength: 12, Player Attack Strength: 21;
Pot-Bellied Cut-Throat Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 13
Round 3: Pot-Bellied Cut-Throat Attack Strength: 13, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Pot-Bellied Cut-Throat Stamina: 0, Player Stamina: 13[/spoiler]
Jang Mistral flawlessly takes down Captain Big-Ears and the Pot-Bellied Cut-Throat.
136
The crew manage to repulse the attackers after a fierce struggle. But your ship is crippled and must soon put you down to lighten its load. Turn to 32.
32
The enemy’s barge eventually disappears from sight over the dunes, and you continue your journey in peace. Late in the day, only a few miles from the city, you come upon a tall metal structure. At first glance this resembles a peculiar, mushroom-shaped sculpture. Then you realize it is creaking; expanding out and up – it is alive! On a boulder near by squats an odd toad-faced creature, half your size. In a dignified voice, it speaks to you, ‘Ah, sir, would you be so kind as to assist me? A precious heirloom of minr has been stolen by a scurrilous bandit – a human, in fact. He is locked in his dwelling yonder’ pointing to the metal mushroom, ‘and will not come out.’ At some small inconvenience, you agree to aid the creature. Turn to 92.
92
The toady creature points out to you the heavily barred entrance to the strange dwelling. In a short time, you cut the bars and enter a dim passage. Suddenly, you hear a high-pitched whine from the darkness ahead. Will you kneel down and draw your laser-pistol (turn to 183), or brace yourself, ready to throw your electro-javelin (turn to 220)?
Please vote before 9:00 AM PDT or a 3-vote majority is reached to guarantee that it will be counted.
Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Jang Mistral
SKILL: 12
Initial Skill = 12
STAMINA: 13
Initial Stamina = 24
LUCK: 11
Initial Luck = 12
RATING: 6
CREDITS: 10
Initial = 10
OXYGEN SUPPLY POINTS: 10
Initial = 10
NOTES AND ITEMS:
10 Provision Tablets
RESURRECTIONS: 4[/spoiler]
Space Combat Sheet:
[spoiler]STARSHIP:
STARSPRAY
DATA: 4 HIGH POWER LASERS L
8 FORCE SHIELD PODS S
YOUR VEHICLES:
None[/spoiler]