[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 42: Black Vein Prophecy

[angelfromanotherpin]

An anti-escape orb! TV has taught me they should be punctured, so use sword.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to use the rough wooden pole lying on the deck.

[Queen of Swords]

I agree with the pole votes, though I hope we also get the chance to use our sword if the pole doesn't work.

[SGamerz]

Ab, vg'f cneg bs jung V fnvq urer: viewtopic.php?p=556764#p556764 .

Vg jnf inthr rabhtu gung V qvqa'g ernyyl trg jung lbh zrna ol nhgbzngvp. V nffhzrq gung jr'q trg vg guebhtu gur fnzr rapbhagre ertneqyrff bs gur fpnyrf.

Ol nhgbzngvp, qb lbh zrna bhe punenpgre nyernql fgnegf jvgu nyy gur fcryyf, naq gur ragver rapbhagre jvgu gur zhgnag ubefrzna jnf haarprffnel?

Anyway, I can understand not letting the players read content that only trigger events automatically "if X happened", but hiding all the codewords from players feel odd, especially for those that may give them more options to choose from rather than just automatically trigger events.

****

So there are things in the orbs, and the difference between using sword and pole is presumable that the former will cut it open, so the question is whether we want to open them.

As of now, I don't think the description of squirming dark shapes sounds like it'll lead to anything pleasant, so I vote pole.

[Beroli]

Yes, that is what it means. Fgvyy irel pybfr gb orvat n Bar Gehr Cngu obbx, ohg fyvtugyl zber sbetvivat. Naq V qb nccerpvngr gung abg zragvbavat gur xrljbeqf vf n ovt punatr, ohg ng gur fnzr gvzr gurl'er pbzcyrgryl zrgn naq, va zl bcvavba, gur cynlre(f) znxvat qrpvfvbaf onfrq ba gurz jrnxraf vzzrefvba dhvgr n ovg. Vg'f bayl nf na nagv-purngvat thneq gung gur obbx nfxf--r.t.--"Qb lbh jnag gb fcrnx bar bs gurfr xrljbeqf?" engure guna, "Qb lbh xabj naq jnag gb pnfg n Zhgngvba fcryy?" Nfxf, "Qb lbh unir n fcyvagre?" engure guna "Qvq lbh whfg sngnyyl zrff hc?" Nfxf, "Qb lbh unir gur onaqvg gnggbb?" engure guna, "vf Iryxbf fgvyy nyvir?"

The huge sphere bounces against the ship, and the dark shape within it starts scrabbling frantically. The ball rears up against the rail - it is nearly on the deck. You pick up the pole and swing it two-handed at your opponent. It strikes the membrane where the dark shape is pushing and the ball rears back, splashing into the water below. With another prod of the pole the sphere is sent rolling back into the mist whence it came. As it disappears, you think you can hear a pitiful wailing from within the rubbery prison.

You are very tired now.

Go to sleep?
Struggle to stay awake?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: ????????
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 6/7

Greatsword
Haversack
Provisions: 5
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to struggle to stay awake. Going to sleep in this scenario is just asking for a Game Over.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, it doesn't seem likely that anything really bad will happen if we struggle to stay awake, whereas if we go to sleep, who knows. So, stay awake.

[SGamerz]

Vg jnf orpnhfr guvf jnf n "gehr cngu" obbx gung V gubhtug vg'q or snvere/rnfvre sbe gur cynlref gb frr rknpgyl jung gurl zvtug or zvffvat ba n snvyrq nggrzcg, juvpu fubhyq uryc qhevat ercynlf.

Nygubhtu vs jr'er fgnegvat jvgu nyy gur fcryyf ninvynoyr, V thrff dhvgr n srj bs gur rapbhagref va gur obbx ner tbvat gb orpbzr bofbyrgr hayrff lbh'er erjevgvat gubfr gb nqq fbzr arj checbfr gb gurz.

****

Stay awake.

[Thaluikhain]

Stay awake.

[Beroli]

Though your eyelids hang heavy, you steel yourself to remain awake; you talk with Velkos to take your mind off your exhaustion. She seems reluctant to talk about the past, but since you can tell her nothing of yours, you learn that she has been an adventurer for some years.

As land looms ahead of you, you realize how tired you now are. Deduct 2 points from your STAMINA.

The boat slides up on to a shingle beach and you leap out with Velkos, who carries a line to make the boat fast. Then you hurry up the beach to a cave in the cliff face. Velkos looks around then turns to you, frowning. 'Enemies have been here,' she says. 'We can try to flee from them or we can hunt them out and get them before they get us. What do you think?'

Flee (with Velkos)?
Hunt out the enemies (with Velkos)?
Strike out on your own (without Velkos)?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: ????????
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 17/19
Luck: 6/7

Greatsword
Haversack
Provisions: 5
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to flee with Velkos, as I have a feeling that hunting out the enemies with her will lead to bad results, if our track record with FF companions holds in this adventure.

[Thaluikhain]

Run away, run away!

[Queen of Swords]

Velkos seems to know more than we do at this point, so flee with her.

[Beroli]

You head off on foot, soon coming upon a rough dirt track that leads inland. A short way ahead you see the track enter a wide wood of closely spaced conifers. There is the thudding of hoofs on the earth behind you, and you dive for cover. Two well-armed men thunder by, heading into the woods. From where you hide, you can see where the track leaves the wood. Several minutes after the riders enter the trees, they have still not emerged. Velkos is anxious and urges you to skirt the wood with her.

Follow Velkos?
Follow the track into the wood without her?
Sneak among the trees away from the track without her?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: ????????
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 17/19
Luck: 6/7

Greatsword
Haversack
Provisions: 5
[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

Follow Velkos.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to follow Velkos, as she obviously knows the area better than us, and we need as much help we can get at this point.

[SGamerz]

Sneak into the woods. I want to see what the armed men are up to.

Besides, some of you already brought up bad track records with FF companions (both in this LP and the other one). If we keep follow the companion she may inevitably lead us to our death.

[Beroli]

Following Velkos wins 2-1.

The going is rough among the scrub and soft earth, but you make your way around the wood and head up into the barren hills.

As you walk, the land rises around you, and the foliage thins till only hardy grasses cling to the dark rock. Velkos begins to talk of a trove of gemstones that is said to be hidden in a cavern among these hills. A dark opening gapes at you from beside a rock, off to one side. Test your Luck. (11 fails.)

The skittering sound of rocks falling is the only warning of landslide. Velkos grabs you and throws you to one side as stones crash down from the rock, dislodged perhaps by your noisy approach. Your face stings and, when you wipe it, your hand comes away red with your own blood. You stare at the stain, light-headed, not quite realizing that you were hit (deduct 1 point from your STAMINA). A screech! Pounding up the slope towards you are two bald, baboon-like creatures, each madly waving two tails.

Men with whips and nets chase behind the creatures. Somehow you know that they are foreigners to these lands, here to strip it of its wealth. Upon the cliff above the cave entrance you see three more, nets atwirl. The terrified creatures pay you no heed as they rush headlong into the sanctuary of the cave mouth. Velkos curses and turns to run. Stones rain down from above.

Follow the creatures into the cave?
Evade the foreigners by fleeing down the mountainside?
Attack the foreigners?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: ????????
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 16/19
Luck: 5/7

Greatsword
Haversack
Provisions: 5
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to follow the creatures into the cave, as I do not think we should attack anyone yet if we can help it, and fleeing down the mountainside is just going to spell problems.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, follow the creatures.

[SGamerz]

Into the cave.

(JourneymanN00b just missed a great opportunity to meet and potentially befriend an upstanding leader of an anti-Fascism movement due to his previous choice! )

[Beroli]

You dive for the cave entrance, narrowly avoiding the net which spins after you. Down the corridor Velkos follows hard on the heels of the creatures--the name 'Cressents' leaps to mind--and as the light dims you lose sight of her. Where the tunnel branches in two directions you pause to catch your breath. The men have not followed you down the funnel, but as you inhale deeply you catch the whiff of a sweet-scented smoke drifting after you. Two more tunnels lie ahead. The one to the left slopes up, while the right-hand path is downward.

Go left?
Go right?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: ????????
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 16/19
Luck: 5/7

Greatsword
Haversack
Provisions: 5
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Left slopes up? Sounds safer (unless the smoke drifts upwards, but that's a risk I'm willing to take).

[Darth Rabbitt]

Interesting book so far, though iirc it has a reputation for difficulty. Guess we’ll see if that’s warranted since I haven’t played it.

Go left.

[Thaluikhain]

Left and up seems best, I guess.