[Let's Play] GrailQuest 4: Voyage of Terror

[MisterDee]

Key first.

[RogueOne]

Agreed, key.

And calling it now that the beetle is guarding the key and will attack us.

[MisterDee]

And it'll have at least 60 LP and be stronger than Hercules.

[SGamerz]

It's bitten you! The multicoloured little brute has bitten you, clinging to your finger with all six legs and fanging you viciously with multicoloured teeth.

You shake off the beetle which scurries away giggling to itself and suck your finger which, you notice, is turning a curious blend of red, white and blue.

The bite itself is not particularly serious since you have lost only 1 LIFE POINT (although if this kills you, you should go to 14) but there is no doubt it is making you feel most peculiar and turning your entire skin surface multicoloured.

You pick up the key (which got you into this mess in the first place) and stash it away carefully, but as you head back to your ship, you can't help feeling something pretty awful has happened to you.

As indeed it has. Apart from turning your skin multicoloured (which will cause the Argonauts to talk a lot behind your back, although they will be far too polite to say anything to your face), the beetle bite has caused a subtle inner change to occur in you. The next time you find yourself in combat, you will quickly discover you have taken on certain characteristics of the multicoloured beetle itself. For one thing, you will find you have only 25 LIFE POINTS and strike successfully on 7 or better. As against that, your new colouring is extremely confusing to opponents and will make you so difficult to hit that they will strike successfully only every second round whatever the dice indicates. This effect will last for the remainder of your adventure or until you are killed, whichever is the sooner.

Now better return to your ship and Sea Chart to find another destination.

As anticipated, the beetle attacked us.

What we did not anticipate: the beetle wasn't powerful. In fact, it's a wimp, whose wimpiness is unfortunately infectious, and Pip is now as much of a weakling as the beetle! At least this one is more of a mixed blessing/curse. Too bad we used up the Wallbanger. Its effect in combination with the multi-colour effect would have made Pip invulnerable for one fight!

Another slight positive is that we got the plot coupon. Oh, and I guess the fact that Pip's current LP was already below 25, so he didn't lose any extra.

Nothing much we can do now, as the curse will remain until Pip dies or wins this book. Pip pockets the key (the 6th he's found), and sails for the fourth finger at 79:

Cross-eyed navigation roll = 9 (Success).

If these islands were called the Five Toes instead of the Five Fingers, this one would be the little piggie who went 'wee-wee-wee' all the way home. It's the Little Finger Island, or the Pinkie Island, or whatever you want to call it. Which all suggests--correctly--that it's small. Too small for the mother ship to dock, so you make your approach by rowboat and alone, since there is no sense in subjecting the crew to danger. Not that there is much indication of danger. This speck in the ocean looks as peaceful as a village green in Avalon.

You beach and secure your boat carefully like the trusty mariner you are learning to be. Then you look around you. Tiny though it is, the island is fertile. Apart from a narrow strip of sand, grass and shrubs grow everywhere.

You climb on to a nearby height, the better to view the whole. And, somewhat to your surprise, you find this island is not uninhabited. Or at least it wasn't. Set somewhere near the centre is a massive trilithon: two standing stones with a third across the top, rather like those ancient monuments of the Giant's Dance on Salisbury Plain in Avalon. To the north of this structure is another, a ring fort earthwork with a single standing stone set central.

And unless it is a trick of the light, you can see blue light playing around the trilithon and a green light dancing above the standing stone of the ring fort.

If you decide to investigate the ring fort, go to 179.

If you decide to investigate the trilithon, go to 91.

If you decide to investigate neither, you can still return to your ship, consult your Sea Chart and sail off somewhere else.

I don't understand why Pip decided "there is no sense in subjecting the crew to danger" and so doesn't take any of the Argonauts with him. Surely that's much more preferable to "subject himself to danger all alone".

Anyway, where to we investigate first?

QUEST JOURNAL:

Pip's LIFE POINTS: 19/25
Permanent Life Points: 15

EQUIPMENT CARRIED:
Piece of Driftwood (weapon, +2 damage)
Sword (hits on 6, damage +3)
Spear (hits on 6/thrown 8, damage +5/thrown +10, only attack once every 2 rounds/thrown once every 3 rounds)
New Dagger (hits on 6, damage +1, attack twice per round)
One-piece armour (worn) (damage -2, shatters on 12 after taking the 1st hit in every combat)
Spare armor x2 (damage -2, shatters on 12 after taking the 1st hit in every combat)
Rope (50ft coil)
Grappling hook
Backpack
Flint and steel (for lighting fires)
Ceramic lamp
Box of biscuits
Golden Key (x6)
Bottle of Grog

MONEY: 10900 GP

EXPERIENCE POINTS: 4
ENEMIES DEFEATED:
Old Sea Dog (2x)
Poisonous Spider
Ship's Cook (2x)
19 Guards
10 Scoundrels (3x)
Rock Thern (2x)
T-Rex
Greater Spotted Pondoozlewazzle Bird
PUZZLES SOLVES: 5

No. of Deaths:
1) LP drained by Shadows on Skull Island
2) Devoured by a T-Rex on Dragon Island

[RogueOne]

Apart from turning your skin multicoloured

Wait, are we no longer a glowing green?? All that manure rolling for nothing..

And it looks like we're closer to the trilithon than to the ring fort (based on the illustration, anyways). So let's do trilithon, then check out the ring fort if possible.

[SGamerz]

Wait, are we no longer a glowing green?? All that manure rolling for nothing..

If we're checked for the manure-effect later, I think I will rule that we still retain whatever benefit it has. I don't think the beetle is supposed to cancel that out.

As you approach the trilithon, you can see the blue light was no illusion: it dances over the entire structure, forming a sheet of light between two uprights. The only thing is, are you prepared to enter that blue light by passing through the structure itself?

If you decide to enter the blue light, go to 185.

If not, you'll find little else of interest here, so you may as well return to 79 and pick another option.

Are we prepared to step into the light yet?

[Omegonthesane]

OOO SHINY

Go into the light.

[Thaluikhain]

That sounds like a terrible idea, so go into the light.

[RogueOne]

Ehhhh, why not.

Penetrate the light!

[Darth Rabbitt]

Light.

[SGamerz]

Pip can't wait to be Enlightened!

You've been teleported! No doubt about it, you're back aboard the Argo, surrounded by a bemused crowd of Argonauts.

Which means the only thing you can do is risk Cross-Eyed Navigation trying to get back, or alternatively pick another island altogether.

Do we want to sail back there again to check the fort? Or proceed to the next island?

[Thaluikhain]

Not what I expected.

I suggest going back and checking the fort.

[Omegonthesane]

Agreed. On both counts.

[SGamerz]

Cross-eyed navigation roll = 11. Pip makes it back to the "wee" finger island and checks the ring fort:

Trouble, with, as they say, a capital 'T' (or in this case, a capital 'H' since there is a Hydra lurking in the ring fort). The huge seven-headed snake appears to be guarding a very small casket, which may or may not contain something of value.

Although not exactly pleased to see you, the Hydra will not attack unless you make a move for the casket. Should you decide to do so, it's best to know the creature has 10 LIFE POINTS per head and you will have to slaughter each of them separately before it becomes a late Hydra. In combat, each head will strike one after the other, with all seven striking before you get your turn. Each head requires 6 or better to hit and scores +1 damage. In other words, a very nasty monster unless you happen to have a bit of magic that might work against it.

Should you fight and successfully defeat the Hydra, you may search the casket at 168. If the monster kills you, the only thing you can search is 14.

Should you decide to avoid the Hydra (and who could blame you) then you may still investigate the trilithon at 91 or even return to your ship and pick a new destination on the Sea Chart.

This seems like the kind of opponent the Wallbanger was meant for. Alas, we no longer have that.

Do we fight it now, or wait till we find another good weapon somewhere else?

If you want to fight, let me know which weapon/combo you prefer to use for this opponent, and whether you want to put on the spare pieces of armour for this fight (our LP is at 19 right now).

[Thaluikhain]

Come back later, perhaps?

And, am disappointed by having a bunch of Argonauts that don't want to do anything.

[Omegonthesane]

Proceed to the next island. And fucking shoot whoever decided we should have a bunch of Argonauts who don't actually do anything after taking back the ship.

[SGamerz]

Cross-eyed navigation roll = 6 (Success). Pip sails to the last of the Five Fingers.

Your rowboat beaches gently and you step out on to the little island, pausing only to give a cheery wave to the crew of the Argo which is standing to offshore. Almost at once you hear a distinct call for help from somewhere inland.

Quickly (but cautiously since you've been caught out far too often on these adventures) you race in the direction of the cry. After hacking your way through some shrub, you burst into a clearing then stop in amazement.

Tied to a stake in the middle of the clearing is the ugliest brute you have ever seen, a villainous, bald-headed giant of a warrior, his bulging muscles straining vainly against the bonds.

'What on earth happened to you?' you ask, not at all sorry he's tied up.

'I was overpowered and captured by a beautiful young Princess who wanted to marry me for the sake of my muscles,' growls the warrior. 'When I refused, she tied me to this stake and left me to perish from hunger and thirst if the wild animals don't get me first. You must release me.'

Do you believe this story? If so, you can release the ugly brute at 165.

If not, better turn to 182.

By this point, Brennan's stopped bothering to come up with explanation on why Pip hasn't brought any of the Argonauts along with him.

Release the ugly?

[Omegonthesane]

I remember it ended up fine when we bought the vampire carrot's bullshit, and logic is clearly in short supply since we're still leaving the god damn Argonauts behind instead of shaming them into coming to every trip, so we release the ugly brute.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, obviously terrible idea, so lets do that.

[RogueOne]

He really doesn't look that ugly..

And that being said, he also doesn't have green skin, which surely means (by the logic of these books) that he's a Good Guytm.

Release Mr. Muscles.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Presumably Pip's only met beautiful people before this, since this beefy guy looks pretty average for an 80s gamebook illustration of a beefy guy.

Free the average-looking beefy guy.

[SGamerz]

You move (a little reluctantly) to the stake and begin to unknot the warrior's bonds.

'Stop!'

You stop and turn to find a beautiful young woman has entered the clearing. She stares at you angrily. 'That is my future husband you are messing around with! If you insist on releasing him, it will be the worse for both of you!'

The warrior pales and slumps in a near faint. 'Save me!' he moans. 'I'm far too young to marry!'

'I'm warning you...' the beautiful young woman threatens.

You do still have a choice. If you decide to leave this ugly brute to a fate worse than death, you can slip away quietly and return to your ship.

But if you insist on freeing him, the chances are you will have a fight on your hands at 155.

Seems like Pip doesn't have enough muscles to be attractive to the princess himself.

Are we sure we want to rescue the muscular brute from the maiden?

If not, please choose which island to sail for next.

[RogueOne]

Yes, rescue beefcake from Calypso.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, she's confirmed his story, so rescue him.

[SGamerz]

Quickly you jerk knots on the principle that if you're into a fight, it will do no harm to have an ally--even a great, ugly, musclebound ally like the warrior. But no sooner has he been freed than the man races away as fast as his huge legs can carry him, leaving you to face the beautiful young princess alone.

'Now you've really made me mad!' she hisses, raising one slim hand and pointing a finger in your direction. Hurriedly you dive aside as a flare of brilliant purple light erupts from her finger and sweeps towards you.

This beautiful young female is obviously a witch. But the important thing is whether you have reacted quickly enough to dodge her magic. Throw two dice separately. If the score on your second throw is greater than the score on your first, then go to 200. If it is less, then go to 171.

1st roll = 9.
2nd roll - 9.

As usual, these books don't make allowances for "what if both rolls are equal" scenario. So re-roll:

1st roll = 6.
2nd roll = 7.

Well done--she missed you with that purple light. But now she's racing towards you, determined to do you mischief.

'I'll teach you to mess around with Princess Hecate,' she cries, aiming a karate kick at your head.

Hecate has 25 LIFE POINTS, hits on 4 or better and scores +2 on damage on account of her long fingernails.

If you are killed in the ensuing hassle, go to 14.

If you survive, you will find a small golden key and a magical scroll on Hecate's person. The scroll contains a once-only spell for changing a single opponent into a pig with 15 LIFE POINTS, hitting on 6 or better and doing only dice damage. It's a nifty spell, but requires you to throw a 4 or better on double dice to set it going. And once you've used it, successfully or not, it's gone forever.

Now return to the Argo and pick another destination on the Sea Chart.

What weapon do we use here? Also, since she has a high hit rate (and higher LP than us right now), do we want to gamble on using our spare armour?