[LP] Lesser-Known Gamebooks: The Cretan Chronicles.

Stories about games that you run and/or have played in.

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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Check out the M, as according to plan.
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

As far as I can tell, checking out the M isn't the plan. The plan is more left-hand and Herakles.

East.
Here Herakles performs one of his lesser labours, depicted in fresco on the walls. He seizes a bull sent by Poseidon for a sacrifice, which Minos kept as a token of his power. In his hands the hero holds the knife-sharp horns, and bears it on his great shoulders, heading for Athens and the plain of Marathon, in fulfilment of his seventh task.

• South?
• West?
• East?
• North?

Image
North.
In paint upon the walls of the labyrinth your predecessor Herakles descends to the Thracian coast for his eighth labour. The flesh-eating horses of Diomedes whinny and cry out against their captor. Herakles, hot and tired from his toils, seeks to reach the red-sand shore ahead of his pursuers, the proud king of Thrace and his retainers.

In the centre of the passage there looms the inky blackness of a pit. At great risk you are forced to skirt around it.

• West?
• South?
• East?
The left hand says West.
Around the walls of this room you see depicted a coronation. A man sits on a gypsum throne, and behind him priestesses raise a crown aloft, their arms entwined with serpents. The onlooking crowd bow down and abase themselves in adoration, like people who have seen divinity revealed when one of the gods comes down to earth. On one wall the letter I is painted in large silver script.

• South?
• North?
• East?
• West?
Torch at 15/40.
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Post by Sirocco »

It doesn't even say on which wall. Backtrack & East.
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Post by SGamerz »

Agreed. If the letter meant anything, directions should have been given.
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

In paint upon the walls of the labyrinth your predecessor Herakles descends to the Thracian coast for his eighth labour. The flesh-eating horses of Diomedes whinny and cry out against their captor. Herakles, hot and tired from his toils, seeks to reach the red-sand shore ahead of his pursuers, the proud king of Thrace and his retainers.

In the centre of the passage there looms the inky blackness of a pit. At great risk you are forced to skirt around it.

• West?
• South?
• East?
East.
Image

Herakles now seems to travel to distant lands to complete his ninth labour. Herakles is in the height of battle against the all-conquering Amazons, the warrior women. An Amazon clad in leopard-skin lifts up a great-shafted spear to strike the stranger, but the son of Zeus parries it with a blow, preparing to seize the girdle of Queen Hippolyte.

• West?
• North?
• East?
Left hand says North.
The frescoes on the wall here depict some form of court ceremonial in which the king sprinkles water on his gathered subjects. The atmosphere becomes oppressive, and you feel tired. There on the ground in front of you is a piece of parchment. Perhaps it is a map of the labyrinth.

• Stoop to pick up the manuscript?
• West?
• South?
• East?
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Post by SGamerz »

I don't trust them to give us a map here. Back and east.
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Post by Sirocco »

Agreed.
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Image

Herakles now seems to travel to distant lands to complete his ninth labour. Herakles is in the height of battle against the all-conquering Amazons, the warrior women. An Amazon clad in leopard-skin lifts up a great-shafted spear to strike the stranger, but the son of Zeus parries it with a blow, preparing to seize the girdle of Queen Hippolyte.

• West?
• North?
• East?
East.
A scene is shown of Herakles rescuing a maiden from the jaws of a sea-monster. It is Hesione, sacrificed to Poseidon by her father Laomedon. Herakles, a true hero, drives off the monster and wrings its life from its veins; its blood stains the sea red, like the radiance of the sun sparkling off the waters. Hesione looks on, her chains snapped, but still hanging from her white arms.

• North?
• East?
• South?
• West?
Left hand says North.
The way here is strewn with stones, which have fallen from a weak point in the masonry. You must be careful to avoid death from Daedalus' work.

• North?
• South?
No Herakles. South.
A scene is shown of Herakles rescuing a maiden from the jaws of a sea-monster. It is Hesione, sacrificed to Poseidon by her father Laomedon. Herakles, a true hero, drives off the monster and wrings its life from its veins; its blood stains the sea red, like the radiance of the sun sparkling off the waters. Hesione looks on, her chains snapped, but still hanging from her white arms.

• North?
• East?
• South?
• West?
Left hand says East.
By means of the winged sandals, Perseus mounts up into the air and flies far and long to the very coast of Ocean. The Gorgons, each with a mass of twisting snakes instead of hair, are asleep, and the hissing of their locks does not awaken them. Looking in the mirror, bright-eyed Perseus cuts off Medusa's head, for to behold her directly would transform his body to a stone. Into the wallet Perseus places the Gorgon's head, and eludes the pursuit of her sisters by means of his magic helmet, which renders him invisible.

• North?
• East?
• West?
• South?
No Herakles. West.
A scene is shown of Herakles rescuing a maiden from the jaws of a sea-monster. It is Hesione, sacrificed to Poseidon by her father Laomedon. Herakles, a true hero, drives off the monster and wrings its life from its veins; its blood stains the sea red, like the radiance of the sun sparkling off the waters. Hesione looks on, her chains snapped, but still hanging from her white arms.

• North?
• East?
• South?
• West?
Left hand says south.
Herakles, nearly overcome by the heat, is shown in a series of paintings shooting at the sun to calm its parching rays, while Helios, the sun, astounded at his boldness, presents him with a boat of beaten gold.

• North?
• South?
• West?
Left hand says south.
A great three-bodied man besets Herakles, its six hands all bearing a sword or shield, malice alive on all three faces. Herakles soon overcomes this creature, Geryon, and its two-headed hound, with daggers for teeth. From these cruel creatures Herakles steals a flock of oxen, destined for his cousin Eurystheus as a token of his completion of the tenth labour.

• East?
• North?
• South?
• Take a hint?
edit: Torch at 4/40
Last edited by angelfromanotherpin on Sat Aug 16, 2014 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by SGamerz »

Only 4 more ticks left on the torch, can't afford to waste too much time (considering the Minotaur has to be the End Boss, I'd hate to run into him with a stat penalty). Add to the affect that hints are only helpful half the time, I say continue with the left-for-Herakles plan until we reach the 12th labour.
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Post by Sirocco »

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say hint.
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

I think we should go for the hint.
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Does Geryon, even though dead, inspire dread in your heart? Take 1 Shame point.
D'oh.

Left hand says east.
The labyrinth walls here display the spectacle of Herakles, his arms bulging with pain, bearing the burden of the earth, as the great Titan Atlas goes into the Hesperides' garden to seize their apples of gold. Yet soon the dim-witted giant, son of earth, bears the world's weight once more, and Herakles is on his way, for he has but one more labour to perform.

Image

• West?
• North?
• East?
• South?
That's a bit of bad mythology, even if it's pretty common; Atlas holds the sky, not the earth.

Left hand says north.
Down into the depths of the underworld goes great Herakles, fearful at his twelfth and final task. Herakles takes the dread dog Cerberus in his bare hands and carries it whining and screaming to the surface, its three heads straining to rend his flesh and send his soul back to its master. Yet Herakles prevails and completes his servitude.

• North?
• East?
• South?
• West?
Left hand says west.
Your legs are weary now, like those of a man who has scaled a great mountain and looks down at the peasants in the valley below, as they toil at their tasks; but he must carry on with his journey. Yet for you there is no open space, only the oppressive dusk of the labyrinth. You come at length to a small circular chamber, surprisingly well lit.

Just out of the corner of your eye you catch sight of a skeleton, still clad in armour, though a gash has been torn from his breastplate. Fear and panic mingle with sorrow as you realize that this is your brother Theseus, the great hero, before whom all foes but one fell. Flung aside beside the wall, like the unwanted scraps from the table, which are tossed to the dogs, is his sword, the sword given by Hera, sword of the goddess. You are moved to tears, and feel your resolve failing.

Image

• Take the sword that you may avenge your brother's death with it?
• Trust to your own skill, and leave the burial rites for your brother until with your own arms you have slain the minotaur – or perished?
Torch at 1/40.
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

We already have a bitchin' sword, and the Minotaur is probably waiting here to gank us if we try looting Theseus' corpse. So let's respect our brother's body and go turn the Minotaur into hamburger.
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Post by Sirocco »

$%&#! I've had it with these motherfucking hints in this motherfucking book! Never again.

Also, looting your own dead brother is too much, especially for this setting. Carry on.
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Post by SGamerz »

I actually want to pick up the sword.

Either way, seems like our torch is going to run out in the next section and I'm really not looking forward to fighting the Minotaur with that stat penalty. If our torch can last longer I would skip the sword, but at this point I think we should look for any possible power-up we can find and that sword might just be that power-up.
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Determination in your heart, you step out of the chamber and laugh grimly at the thought of the fight you face. Yours is the bravery of the boy who faces the foes' champion, armed only with a sling against the great bronze-armoured giant. Hardly have you gone a score of paces, than there he stands, the Minotaur, half bull, half man, and mightier than both or either. His human half is filled with animal fury, his bull's head graven with human hate.

Image
Now, adventurous Altheus, your time is come. This is no game of wooden swords on the palace grounds of Troezen. This is the game of gods, and you are but a small piece. Take your fear and overcome it, banish all thought of loss or victory and steel yourself for the fight. One last muttered prayer to your patron (have 1 Honour point) and the fray must begin, as the battle that is joined between two mighty empires whose armies face each other across the plain, knowing full well that one people, one race, will be broken, there will be no prisoners, and the dogs will feast for days on the dead.

The Minotaur poises itself to charge, and despite yourself you must look at its face, twisted in a terrible grimace, horns sharper than needles, teeth like knives. The beast roars a sound like the crashing thunder of primeval chaos, as both life and death pour forth from it in one great torrent.

The last battle begins. The Minotaur is Might *15, Protection 22.

• Engage in battle!
• Take a hint?
I'm willing to say that the torch doesn't burn out juuust yet, but even with our divine gear's extra bonus kicking in, we are almost completely boned. Basically, we have to bank on first strike advantage and burn Honour like a bandit; and I mean, spend it below our Shame and hope that victory will reward us with enough to keep above suicide level.
Altheus the Adventurous, Son of Aegeus
MIGHT: 10 (4 Natural +6* Divine Sword)
PROTECTION: 16 (10 Natural +6* Divine Breastplate)
HONOUR: 19
SHAME: 10
ENDURANCE: 26
INTELLIGENCE: 4

Possessions
Mother's Gem
Ball of Wool
Small Golden Bull
Torch [0/40]
Divine Breastplate (Protection 4/6*)
Divine Sword (Might 4/6*)
[Secreted: Rusty Helmet (Protection 2), Greaves (Protection 1), Shield (Protection 2), Harpoon (Might 3), Divine Shield (Protection 4/6*)]

The Gods
Zeus (Listening)
Aphrodite (Patron)
Asclepius (Favour)
Hera (Favour)
Athena (Favour)
Dionysus (Favour)
Hecate (Disfavour)
Hephaestus (Favour)
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Post by SGamerz »

I know I've stated before that I abstain from voting on random hints that I can definitely remember, and I DO remember what this hint does......but just this once I really can't resist, so I'm putting my vote in spoilers for the benefit of those who don't want to know:
I vote to take this hint, and then take the double-hint again in that hint paragraph.....just because the text is by far the most hilarious and representative of the random hint system in this entire book. :biggrin:

If I get out-voted, I'd like to request that angel post the paragraph after the playthrough is done. That section is simply a must-see!


I think the authors are particularly mean for this fight. We had to leave most of our protective gear behind, and I think the only way to be able to bring those along is to
be in Demeter's Favour, which we could only have done in last book. Speaking of which, I'd like to request a post of that section later as well. I don't think a idea of someone being literally turned into a pile of fruits has ever been done in any other gamebook.
And then there's the light source factor. I can't see new players being able to reach the Minotaur before the torch run out.

All in all, if a player chose to start playing in this book (which means they won't even have Hephaaestus's special equipment), the fight is bordering on unwinnable even if they burn Honour like crazy.
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Post by Dr_Noface »

the metaphors in this book are way too long. take the hint!
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Given that this guy has a pretty good chance of stomping us, take the hint.
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Post by CapnTthePirateG »

It's hint time!

I suspect insta-death or something dumb.
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Do you quake so close to your quarry? Lose 1 Honour point.

• Proceed?
• Take another hint?
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Post by SGamerz »

Just in case my last vote didn't count:
TAKE THE DOUBLE-HINT!
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Post by Dr_Noface »

fuck, lets take the double hint
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

You are indeed right to shake at the sight of the Minotaur, for, after all, your brother, a distant relative of the beast, was not spared its wrath. Theseus was probably in fact only your half-brother (have 1 Shame point), with Poseidon as his true father. Although the origins of the bull which sired the Minotaur are shrouded in sea-spray, according to the most reputable sources Poseidon had a hand in its conception. The bull ravished Minos' wife, Pasiphae, who gave birth to the Minotaur. Theseus was the half-uncle of the Minotaur. For unravelling the genealogical complexities of the situation at such a stressful moment, have 3 Honour points.
That nested hint is probably the hint system at its most nonsensical.

And now, the fight! There are options to surrender or retreat, but it's no stretch to guess that those don't end well. We also know that Zeus probably can't save us. So it's swing away!
Altheus spends 6 Honour and rolls 10+6+7=23. The Minotaur is Wounded!
The Minotaur rolls 9+15=24. Altheus is wounded!
Altheus spends 6 Honour and rolls 10+6+9=25. The Minotaur is Seriously Wounded!
Ah, Altheus, not so easily can the Minotaur be destroyed. Its thick hide and evil heart sustain it and turn aside your blows. The Minotaur will fight as though the last hit did not take effect (and is therefore not Seriously Wounded, and needs two more hits to kill it).
Fuck. Even if it had been SWd, Al would need to spend Honour to not get SWd himself. Now he has to do that twice, at greater cost, and twice more on the attack, even then it won't be a sure thing and the budget just isn't there. It's not there, I tell you.
Altheus spends 7 Honour. The Minotaur rolls 15-7+8=16. Altheus is Seriously Wounded!
And that's the end of our ability to win this fight. Not even any point in rolling further. When we die, we pray to Zeus (even if we wasted calling on him for some honour earlier), there's literally no 'if you die and don't pray' option.
'Fool!' cries the majestic voice of the king of the gods. 'Expect no aid from me, only your just deserts.' With that your spine is snapped, and your spirit shrieking in its agony starts on the swift flight to Hades, where it will be permitted no respite, no soothing drink from the cool waters of Lethe that banish all cares and memories, no eternal bliss in the fields of Elysium. For you, adventurous Altheus, there will be everlasting torment in the deeps of Tartarus, and you will gasp out for succour, but none will come. Your quest and life are over: both failed.
Harsh.

So do you want to start over, try some other paths? Or maybe just a brief rewind and see if your brother's sword will help? Other?
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

I'd suggest seeing what happens if we pick up the sword.
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