After reading the votes, I will break the 1-1 tie by having Icarus Morningstar leave the property. Icarus Morningstar will also eat the crab meat and dried fruit, since there were votes to do so.
149
You leave the house and ponder where your investigations should take you next.
You hear a
howl from a nearby coppice of trees and an ape-like Howl Cat swings down from the branches and lollops towards you, razor sharp teeth bared and slashing claws ready to tear you apart.
HOWL CAT SKILL 8 STAMINA 9
Each time the Howl Cat suffers a hit, it will utter a ferocious battle cry that will deduct 1 point from your Attack Strength for the duration of the next Attack Round. However, this also reduces the Howl Cat’s
STAMINA by 1 additional point. If you win, turn to
302.
The fight:
Round 1: Howl Cat Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 17
Howl Cat Stamina: 5, Player Stamina: 16
Round 2: Howl Cat Attack Strength: 13, Player Attack Strength: 14
Howl Cat Stamina: 1, Player Stamina: 16
Round 3: Howl Cat Attack Strength: 17, Player Attack Strength: 19
Howl Cat Stamina: -3, Player Stamina: 16
To no surprise, Icarus Morningstar flawlessly smashes the Howl Cat to a pulp.
302
You manage to dispatch the Howl Cat, but you can’t help feeling like someone sent it after you. You decide where to go next.
If you have the codeword
Vizigg written on your Adventure Sheet, turn to
126. If not, turn to
214.
Icarus Morningstar does not have the codeword Vizigg on his Adventure Sheet.
214
You’re increasingly feeling like you need to get to a more populous part of the island, rather than keep wandering around out here on your own.
You decide to head north-east back to the maze of workshops and laboratories. Turn to
111.
Back at section 111, Icarus Morningstar has already investigated the strange piece of metal which fell on one of the workshops, and has already headed towards where the residents of Asperitas lives. He will therefore prepare to leave the island and return to Incus, which brings us to section 379.
379
You reach the nearest charging station. It requires 1 Gold Piece to use.
If you have no gold, then you can return to the previous section and continue exploring Asperitas until you find some.
If you have explored all you can and still have no gold, then your adventure is over.
To fly to Matix on Incus deduct 1 Gold Piece from your Adventure Sheet and turn to
226.
Icarus Morningstar has the gold to use the charging station.
226
Everything looks different from the air, but you listen out for the sound of banging and cussing, and soon manage to guide your hovers to Matix’s workshop.
The Goblin pops her head out, grinning from beneath her usual grimy exterior.
“Well, what have you got for me?”
If you have located the Thingie, turn to
125. If you have obtained a Wotsit, turn to
375.
Icarus Morningstar has located the Thingie.
125
You pass the Thingie to Matix and she looks delighted. “That’s a hell of a Thingie you’ve found. Well done, Officer!”
If you have a Wotsit or Doobry, and haven’t already given the item to Matix, you can do so now, by turning to
375. If you have now given Matix everything she requested, turn to
187. If you need to get your hovers charged up again, turn to
396.
Icarus Morningstar has a Wotsit and has not already given one to Matix.
375
You hand the requested object to Matix and she holds it almost reverentially. “Wow, that is one of the best I’ve ever seen. This will definitely work!”
If you have a Thingie, and haven’t already given it to Matix, you can do so now by turning to
125. If you have now given Matix everything she requested, turn to
187. If you haven’t collected all the items Matix needs yet, you will need to get your hovers charged up again – turn to
396.
Icarus Morningstar has now given Matix everything she requested.
187
“OK, I think I can get her shipshape in a few hours, Officer. Why don’t you take a kip in the back there? You’re going to need your strength.”
You head to the back of the workshop and see a pile of blankets. You’re uncertain how clean they are, but you’re exhausted, and they do look cosy.
You drift off to sleep, lulled by the sound of
thunks,
clangs and the occasional
ouch!
A few hours later, Matix shakes you awake. “The
Barnacle’s ready to go. Hope you are too!”
You’re not sure that you are, but you follow Matix to the bathysphere, which has been moved to the nearby dock. (Restore up to 2
STAMINA points.)
On the way she explains the
Barnacle’s controls to you. She also tells you how to engage the
Barnacle’s weapons, which come in the form of large, pincer-like arms, in case you encounter any dangers. There is also a large suction system on one of the pincers for picking up interesting finds you may unearth and bringing them inside the bathysphere.
Matix also tells you she has fitted the
Barnacle with a special gadget that conducts and amplifies sound, which will allow you to hear better underwater, even from inside the bathysphere.
Upon reaching the
Barnacle, you climb into the small, one-person cabin, and store your weapons and backpack inside.
“Right! The
Barnacle’s storm crystals will allow you to float down to the water. You won’t find she’s as manoeuvrable as your hovers in the air, but once she’s in the water, she’s a dream! It’s all up to you now, Officer. Pangaria’s counting on you!”
Matix shuts the lid of the bathysphere and you begin your descent to Nimbus. Turn to
54.
54
You’re glad to finally be on your way to Nimbus, but at the same time you’re terrified of what you might find down there. Beyond the storms, is the Nimbus still afloat, or has it sunk into the ocean depths? Are any of your friends in the Sky Watch still alive?
The bathysphere shakes a little as it passes through the turbulent storm clouds, but soon you feel it land with a large splash in the water. Rain drums on the top of the bathysphere and the waves toss you from side to side, making you feel ill. The Ocean of Tempests is living up to its name.
From now on, unless you exit the bathysphere or you are specifically told to use your personal
SKILL and
STAMINA score, you must use the bathysphere’s
SKILL and
STAMINA scores instead.
BATHYSPHERE SKILL (see below) STAMINA 20
The bathysphere’s
SKILL score is equal to your
Initial SKILL score, minus 1.
Any bonuses or penalties you have as a result of using particular weapons do not apply for as long as you are using the bathysphere’s
SKILL and
STAMINA score. (Make sure you continue to keep a careful record of your personal stats.) Now turn to
186.
186
You engage the bathysphere’s controls and decide whether to explore the surface, or dive beneath it.
If you want to dive, turn to
150. If you want to explore the surface, turn to
312.
Please make your votes before 7:00 PM PDT or a choice receives 3 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.
Adventure Sheet
Icarus Morningstar
SKILL: 11 INITIAL SKILL: 12
Bathysphere SKILL: 11
STAMINA: 18 INITIAL STAMINA: 20
Bathysphere STAMINA: 20
LUCK: 12 INITIAL LUCK: 12
ITEMS:
Clothes
Backpack
Lantern
Hovers
Healing Potion (+4 STAMINA)
Calming Potion
Coin Bag
Dried Fish (+2 STAMINA)
Dried Cuttlefish (+2 STAMINA)
Methedus’s Shard
Aeronaut’s Helmet (+1 SKILL, can go above Initial level, -1 damage taken on a roll of 5 or 6)
Cabbage Leaf (+2 STAMINA)
Hand Axe
Incus Ledger Page
2 Fire Oils (3 STAMINA damage to opponent if used at start of battle)
Corrosive Grapes
GOLD: 13
PROVISONS: 0
WEAPONS:
Short Sword
Ornate Dagger (+1 Attack Strength)
War-Hammer (-1 Attack Strength, +1 Damage)
Crab Pincer (-1 Attack Strength, +1 Damage)
CODEWORDS:
Hazi
Bubble
HOME ISLAND: Cumulus
RESURRECTION USED: No