[Let's Play] Fighting Fantazine Adventure 5: Bones of the Banished

[Beroli]

Not using luck wins 1 to 0.5.

George Attack Strength: 20, BLACK LION Attack Strength: 19. BLACK LION's Stamina is 9
George Attack Strength: 17, BLACK LION Attack Strength: 19. George's Stamina is 13
George Attack Strength: 18, BLACK LION Attack Strength: 16. BLACK LION's Stamina is 7
George Attack Strength: 21, BLACK LION Attack Strength: 19. BLACK LION's Stamina is 5
George Attack Strength: 21, BLACK LION Attack Strength: 20. BLACK LION's Stamina is 3
George Attack Strength: 14, BLACK LION Attack Strength: 10. BLACK LION's Stamina is 1
George Attack Strength: 22, BLACK LION Attack Strength: 13. BLACK LION is dead.

But you were lucky in another way, anyway.

You may skin the Black Lion for an impressive trophy if you choose to, before setting down to sleep. In the morning, you must eat a Meal (restoring 4 Stamina, which will bring you back to full) or eat the leaves and fruit you can find; the latter will not satisfy you and you will take 2 damage from hunger.

You carefully descend the baobab tree and continue on your way west across the plains.

The day winds on as you cross the vast green savannah. In the distance, you can see its end at a line of rugged cliffs. Suddenly a deafening crack echoes across the plains, causing you to throw yourself to the ground in panic. You cautiously lift your head and scan the horizon. Off to the north you see a group of people standing next to a line of camels. At this distance you cannot make out who or what they are, but you are sure the sound came from that direction.

Head towards them?
Avoid them?

Also vote on whether to skin the Black Lion and whether to eat a Meal.

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 13/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 5 provisions, Rope, Torch, 3 empty slots
Trophies:
Deaths:

[Queen of Swords]

Skin the lion, eat a meal and head towards the people.

[Thaluikhain]

Second that.

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote to skin the lion, eat a provision, and head towards the people.

[Beroli]

Northerners.PNG (173.73 KiB) Viewed 671 times

As you approach, you see that the people are human, but the swathes of loose cloth they wear wrapped around them suggest they are not from around here. A large, carved, wooden throne is strapped to the head camel; the rest appear to carry foodstuffs and equipment. ‘Hey there! Look, Iskander, a native!’

One of the humans points towards you. He is shorter and stouter than the others, with pinkish skin and a huge bushy beard. He too wears cloth robes, but he seems none too comfortable in them; a strange staff made of metal and wood is cradled in one arm. At his side stand three others, two of them are fanning him with large palm fronds. The other holds a rolled up sheet of leather.

The little man jogs over to you, his attendants quickly rushing after him. He extends a hand towards you. ‘Greetings, gentle native! My name is Kilgar Ironlegs of the great city of Vynheim. I have ventured to the savage south in order to bag myself a beast of legend to show the clan back home. But as yet I have found nothing but ill-fortune – swarms of biting insects, thieving cave-dwellers and this blasted, interminable heat! By the great Earth-mother I’ve never sweated so much in all my life! I am starting to think Iskander here has led me astray.’ The attendant carrying the scroll raises an eyebrow in silent protest.

‘Perhaps this hunt is cursed,’ Kilgar sighs and glances at the bizarre staff in his hands, ‘Even this blunderbuss I loaned from my Fangthane cousins is of no help. I couldn’t even hit the side of a mountain with it! It is hopeless!’

Kilgar’s shoulders slump down and he sighs in despair once more.

Offer him a trophy you have gathered:
The Black Lion Pelt?
The Struthiomimus Skull
The Pterodactyl Wing?
The Crocodile Teeth?
The Oldbone Necklace?
The Tattered Lion Pelt?

Leave him to his misery and continue?

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 4 provisions, Rope, Torch, 3 empty slots
Trophies: Black Lion Pelt
Deaths:

[Queen of Swords]

Offer him the trophy, maybe he'll give us his blunderbuss in exchange.

[Thaluikhain]

Seconded.

[Beroli]

You reach into your knapsack and pull out a trophy. Kilgar’s face instantly lights up. ‘What do we have here, then?’ he asks excitedly.

You present Kilgar with the pelt you removed from the Black Lion last night. He holds it before him, turning it about and examining it from all angles. A big grin splits his bearded face. ‘What a magnificent find! I’ve never seen anything like it. Such a lustrous coat, black as night and soft as silk. Iskander, bring me the chest!’ The guide rushes over to one of the camels and returns with a small wooden box. Kilgar opens its lid and pulls out a chunk of gleaming yellow metal. ‘Fangthane gold,’ he says, his face glowing with pride, ‘the purest of the pure, and the most precious metal known to Dwarfkind. I give this to you in thanks for what you have done for me today. May the blessings of the Earth-mother be upon you.’

You take the chunk of metal from Kilgar, although you are unsure what use it will have. Kilgar starts to walk away but pauses and looks back at you. ‘You know what? You may as well take this too.’ He tosses you the odd metal-and-wood staff. ‘I won’t need it anymore and it should make your job a mite easier. Handle it with care, though, for it is loaded and primed to go off at the drop of an axe!’ With the help of his aides, Kilgar mounts his camel and starts his long journey home to Vynheim. You also have some way to go before your quest is over. Restore 1 Luck point.

Eventually the land before you begins to rise into a series of jagged granite ridges, from which sprout sporadic tufts of wiry yellow grass. You are getting close to the territory of the Oldbone tribe, mortal enemies of your people, whose village lies just past the first ridge in a deep gorge. You must tread carefully, for the vile Oldbones will attack you on sight.

Venture a little further and risk an encounter with Oldbones?
Turn away from the ridges to flatter and safer ground?

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 4 provisions, Rope, Torch, weird metal-and-wood staff, 2 empty slots
Trophies: Fangthane Gold
Deaths:

[Queen of Swords]

Go to the flatter and safer ground.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to head to flatter and safer ground.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, avoid them on the flat ground.

[Beroli]

Your journey takes you to a copse of baobab trees, standing alone in a sea of grassland. You decide to enter, seeking relief from the scorching rays of the afternoon sun. After hours of travelling across the wide-open plains, the densely-packed woods feel positively claustrophobic. Nevertheless you pick your way through the trees and enjoy the shade of their leafy limbs. The leaves, fruit and seeds of the baobab are edible; you can spend some time collecting supplies if you wish (roll one die and halve the result, rounding down. Add that many meals to your Adventure Sheet. If you roll a 1, add 1 meal to your Adventure Sheet).

Eventually you come across a small pool of water fed by some underground spring that has given life to the surrounding oasis. A four-legged beast the size of an ox and covered in leathery green skin is drinking at the water’s edge. A row of orange plates runs down its spine, which ends in a short tail studded with stubby spikes.

Approach the baby Shingleback and also partake of the fresh water?
Ignore the feeling of thirst and press on?

Also vote on whether to collect food and--should you happen to roll a 6 if you do--what to leave behind, as two more meals will mean your rucksack is full.

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 4 provisions, Rope, Torch, weird metal-and-wood staff, Fangthane Gold, 2 empty slots
Trophies: Fangthane Gold
Deaths:

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to collect food, but not leave anything behind in the process, and to approach the shingleback.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, second that.

[Queen of Swords]

Thirded.

[Beroli]

4: You collect 2 Meals.

You approach the inviting pool, eager for a drink from its cool waters. The young Shingleback notices you and emits a panicked squeal. Almost immediately a chorus of similar calls, but ones much deeper and far more troubling, answers it. A pair of adult Shinglebacks, each around nine metres long, appear nearby. They thunder through the woods towards you, smashing aside fully-grown trees as if they were mere twigs. One attends to the distressed baby while the other charges you, trumpeting furiously and swinging a massive tail lined with spikes as long as your legs!

Stand and face the overprotective parent?
Turn and run for your life?

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 6 provisions, Rope, Torch, weird metal-and-wood staff, Fangthane Gold, 0 empty slots
Trophies: Fangthane Gold
Deaths:

[Queen of Swords]

Half a vote to stand and face the Shingleback just to see what happens, and because turning and running might give it the chance to mow us down from behind.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to stand and face the overprotective parent, and to use the gun if necessary.

[Beroli]

You ready your weapon and prepare to face the fully-grown Shingleback, which stands over twice your height. You pray that the gods will see you through this epic confrontation.

STEGOSAURUS Skill 12 Stamina 18

The stegosaurus' massive tail swipes deal 4 damage instead of the usual 2. You may attempt to Escape at any time (this will take you to the same entry as if you had fled rather than standing your ground, but, of course, you will be automatically hit, for 4 damage). George does not associate that weird wood-and-metal staff the short human gave him with anything that might be relevant here.

Vote on how to use Luck and under what circumstances to Escape.

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 6 provisions, Rope, Torch, weird metal-and-wood staff, Fangthane Gold, 0 empty slots
Trophies: Fangthane Gold
Deaths:

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to immediately Escape, as not being able to use the gun against the Stegosaurus probably means that George will die if he fights it.

[Beroli]

Realizing that you are unlikely to escape the enraged beast on foot, you look for a place to hide. You dive inside the hollow trunk of a fallen tree and pray that the Shingleback will leave you alone. The maddened creature thrashes its huge tail at the log, battering it relentlessly. Test your Luck; an 8 succeeds and you suffer no injuries. Eventually the beast loses interest and lumbers away to join its family. You wriggle out of the hollow log and leave the woods as fast as your feet will carry you.

You leave the copse behind you and continue on your way. The rest of the journey is uneventful and soon the familiar site of Boneridge Village comes into sight.

Evening is falling when the welcome sight of Boneridge Village appears, bathed in the fiery glow of the setting sun. After two days of exploring the deadly Plain of Bones you can finally return home and stake your claim as chieftain of the tribe.

You do not have a companion.

At last you have returned home! You walk down the main path that leads to the village, proud of what you have achieved, but no one comes out to greet you. In fact, as far as you can tell the entire village is deserted. There are no fires lit, no smells of the evening meal being prepared, and no voices of the returned candidates swapping tales of adventure. You appear to be utterly alone.

By the time you reach the first clusters of tents, your fears are confirmed. You poke your head into the dwellings, only to find each one deserted. You rush to the meeting circle in the centre of the village, but it is also deserted, the fire pits cold and dead. It is as if your entire tribe has vanished into thin air!

You hear a voice coming from somewhere to the west. You race towards the sound, ducking and weaving past tents and the netting that is strung up between the bones of great beasts to protect against the harsh sand storms that sometimes afflict the area. On the fringes of the village, standing on the edge of the cliff overlooking Boneridge Valley, you find Ogmil, the apprentice of Valgrek the village shaman. He spins around to face you.

‘Kuwi?’ he cries, ‘Oh, it’s you. I wondered whether you had the fortitude to survive the Rite.’ You have never gotten along well with Ogmil, but now his words seem particularly laced with venom. You ask him what happened to your people.

‘They have been taken far away from this place. I know where. Come, I will show you.’ He beckons you to join him at the cliff’s edge.

Join him?
Stay where you are?

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 11/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 6 provisions, Rope, Torch, weird metal-and-wood staff, Fangthane Gold, 0 empty slots
Trophies: Fangthane Gold
Deaths:

[Queen of Swords]

Yeah, we stay where we are rather than giving him the chance to push us over the cliff's edge.

[Thaluikhain]

Stay.

[Beroli]

You stand your ground and demand a straight answer from Ogmil. His face is contorted with fury. ‘Fool!’ he spits, ‘you’re no different from the rest of them-–thick-skulled bullies, one and all! But no longer! Finally I will receive my reward, just as master promised. And you?’ Ogmil reaches into a pouch tied to his waist, ‘You will soon be joining the spirits of our ancestors in the Abyss!’

With that, the apprentice flings a handful of red dust at your face. It feels as if your head has been plunged into the heart of a blazing furnace. You scream in agony, blinded and wracked with awful pain. You take (1d6) 3 damage and can do nothing but lie on the ground until the agony subsides.

And, mercifully, it does. You crawl over to some water and wash the burning dust from your face. You can see again, but not very well, and it will be some time before your vision fully recovers (lose 1 point of Skill).

Ogmil is nowhere to be seen. Whatever has happened to your people, you are certain that he has something to do with it. You are pondering what your next move will be when a voice calls out to you. ‘Bless the ancestors you’re alive!’

A striking young woman emerges beneath a heap of netting, her face beaming with joy. It is Kuwi, the daughter of the village’s lead hunter. She rushes over and embraces you. ‘I thought you had perished out there! Most of the other candidates had already returned and we thought you lost. By Courga it is good to see you again!’

You ask Kuwi what terrible fate has befallen your village. Tears spill down her cheeks as she recounts the tale. ‘As I said, we thought everyone who would return had already done so. Valgrek called for the candidates to assemble in the meeting circle and present their trophies for judging. When they had done as he had asked, Valgrek held up a strange red gem, as big as his fist, which glowed with a fell light. One by one, the hunters seemed to fall under a spell. Their arms fell limp at their sides and their eyes shone with the same light as the cursed gem. The wicked shaman ordered them to round up the rest of our people – and they did so, as if they had no will of their own! It was terrible. My own father tried to hunt me down!’

Kuwi breaks down at the awful memory, her body wracked with heavy sobs. The tears subside and she regains her composure. A grim look is in her eyes. ‘I managed to give him the slip. I think I have learned more from him than he realises. Everyone else was gathered up and held prisoner until the Oldbones arrived.’

‘They came riding terrible lizards. Each had the same vacant expression and glowing eyes as the candidates that Valgrek had enchanted. At his command, our people were loaded into cages that were pulled along behind the great beasts. And with that they left! Only Ogmil stayed behind. I think he was looking for me.’

You let Kuwi’s story sink in. Using some evil stone, Valgrek has enslaved both your people and the rival Oldbone tribe--but for what purpose? Ogmil must be in league with the traitorous shaman, for he did not appear to be under the thrall of the mysterious gem.

Your course of action is now clear. You must rescue your people from whatever foul fate Valgrek has planned for them. Unfortunately, you have no clues as to where they have been taken, but Kuwi has an idea.

‘Whenever I have questions that need answering I pray to our ancestors for guidance. They are wise beyond knowing and must be able to help us. Follow me.’

Kuwi leads you to a large, forbidding tent made from the black hide of some thick-skinned beast. It is Valgrek’s lair, a place you have always been forbidden from entering. Apprehensively you part the entrance and step inside.

The tent is brimming with countless oddities and esoteric devices. In one corner the severed claws of some nameless horror lie beside the carved stone figure of a tentacled god. In another corner a basket of sweet-smelling herbs lies atop of a stack of bundled parchments-–indecipherable writings from some far-flung corner of the world. A large area of the tent’s hide is covered with a map of the Plain of Bones, scrawled by Valgrek with charcoal and covered with his mysterious notations.

In the centre of this arcane assemblage stands a stone altar. It is here that the shaman came to seek divine guidance from the spirits of your long-dead chieftains. Now it is your turn to seek answers from the shades of your forefathers.

‘First you must prove yourself worthy of an audience with the spirits,’ Kuwi says, ‘place your offerings on the altar and pray that the ancestors are pleased by them.’

During the Rite of Banishment you will have gathered various trophies from the creatures you have slain.

Values:
Tattered Lion Pelt Special
Crocodile Teeth 1
Lizardman Scimitar 1
Oldbone Necklace 1
Oldbone Spear 1
Sickle Claw 2
Bull's Horn 2
Aardwolf Skin 2
Nandibear Claw 2
Struthiomimus Skull 2
Pterodactyl Wing 2
Allosaurus Tooth 3
Black Lion Pelt 3
Quetzalcoatlas Egg 4
Fangthane Gold 4
Chieftain’s Crown 5
Dragons’ Eye 7

You have one trophy: the Fangthane Gold, and so your total is 4. Compare your total to the roll of 2d6: 3 is lower than your total.

You place your trophies upon the altar and beseech the spirits of your ancestors to help you in your quest. At first, silence is your only response, but then a powerful gust blasts into the tent, sending Valgrek’s mystic paraphernalia flying into the air and threatening to uproot the tent itself. Voices can be heard on the wind, speaking as one and carrying the combined wisdom of the ages.

‘You must save our people. Your heart is true and your offering is worthy. You shall join our ranks and become the next chieftain of the tribe.’

The charcoal map on the side of the tent begins to glow, its once-black lines now shining brilliantly in gold. The glow starts in the spot where Boneridge Village is marked out; it then moves southwards, tracing a path to a large, roughly circular area deep in the south of the Plain of Bones.

‘Seek the wizard’s crystal that was made to undo the evil of the gem. Seek the resting place of the mighty lords of old. You must save them...’ The glow fades from the map and the voices die away on the wind. You have your answer. Restore 2 Luck points.

Now you know your destination – the Cauldron: a vast and verdant valley that lies far to the south of Boneridge. According to the ancient tribal tales it was once the site of a powerful and wondrous civilization, but their people grew too proud and their kingdom was cast down. Now the Cauldron is said to be a cursed place, populated with giant monsters and haunted by the spectres of the vengeful dead. Nevertheless, that is where you must go if you are to have any hope of saving your people.

It is now the middle of the night. You decide to find a place to sleep and set off at first light. The rest does you well, and you can restore up to 4 Stamina points.

As the sun rises on another morning, you and Kuwi set about gathering some supplies for the journey ahead. You may take up to five Provisions and five flammable torches with you, but remember that you can only hold ten items in your rucksack at a time. I will assume you eat one Meal to be restored to full Stamina.

Kuwi is now your travelling companion, and she will aid you in battle against any opponents you may face. You may add 2 to your Attack Strength while she accompanies you.

You did not have another companion.

You hurry south; knowing that time is of the essence. Valgrek and his captives have quite a head start on you and any delay on your part could see your people lost forever. You now have a stat called Delays; it begins at 0.

The further you travel south, the greener the scenery gets; dry, barren dirt turns to lush, grass-covered plains sprinkled with clumps of shrubs and spindly, leafy trees.

By mid-morning you reach the pile of stones that marks the southernmost border of Boneridge territory. Beyond this point lies the forbidden land that leads to the Cauldron. For the first time ever, you step beyond the marker, into a realm of ghosts and ancient evils.

Eventually you come across a vast clearing in the middle of the grasslands. The sandy ground is carpeted with bones of all shapes and sizes.

Cut directly across the clearing?
Take time to skirt around it?

Also vote on how many Meals and/or torches to take; you have two empty slots, more if you wish to discard anything you currently have listed.

Adventure Sheet
Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 10/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: 5 provisions, Rope, Torch, weird metal-and-wood staff, 2 empty slots
Delays: 0
Deaths:

[Queen of Swords]

The bones might be a warning sign, so skirt around the clearing.