[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 52 - Night Dragon

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 1:45 pm

Challenge!

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:50 am

Tattoo on arm? He's probably one of the assassins. Challenge him and kill him for loot to restock our gold!

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:50 am

Drawing your weapon, you advance on the grey-robed man, but two heavily-built ruffians step into your path. "We don't have any trouble," one of them says as he looks down at you. It's easy for him to look down on you, sincd he's built like an Ogre! The entire tavern is staring at you, and word of your foolhardiness is going to get around. Add 1 to your Nemesis score. As you back down, the grey-robed man slips out by a side door and is gone. Lose 1 Luck point. Now will you:

Leave and buy some supplies? (Turn to 373)
Leave and explore Ismater, if you haven't done so? (Turn to 10)
Leave Ismater and head elsewhere? (Turn to 268)

Well, that was a bust. Since we only have one real choice...

Add 2 to your Time Track for time spent in the village. If you have not yet been to the Dragon Conclave, you must do so now; march off east-north-east and turn to 23. Otherwise, you must march on to a location you haven't been to before; add 2 to your Time Track. Will you journey:

Eastwards to the land of the Frost Giants? (Turn to 334)
North then north-east to Slate Peak? (Turn to 217)
South then west to the Mist Crypts? (Turn to 2)

So yeah, only half that paragraph was relevant. Dragoncock is going to meet the dragonkin!

Travelling along this broken trail is tricky. Test your Skill. If you are successful, you negotiate it safely; if you fail, you stumble several times on the treacherous, rocky ground and twist your ankle, losing 2 points from your Stamina. Add 2 to your Time Track, and you must now eat a meal. It is mid-afternoon when you see a large winged creature in the sky, certainly no bird; your hope, that it may be a Dragon, is rewarded. But what a surprise you get - this is a green Dragon, normally a dweller in forests or jungles, not in the cold wastes of the northern lands! The beast lands close by and simply nods his massive head towards you.You clamber on to his back and hold on for dear life as he rises into the sky and flaps imperiously to a distant peak, where he lands and deposits you beside a huge cave mouth. Stepping off your enormous mount, you see that the tunnel opens into a vast crater in the mountain, probably half a kilometre wide. Within the crater, awaiting your descent down a seemingly endless set of chiselled stone steps, is a circle of six huge adult Dragons - black, white, red, green, gold and silver. You are one of a mere handful of people alive on Titan ever to have been invited to such a conclave! Turn to 49.

Dirk does not fail, and he does not take 2 Stamina.

The Dragons are silent as you clamber down the steps and stand before them with your head bowed. The Gold Dragon speaks, his voice booming in this vast auditorium. "It is not often that Dragon Elders meet in this way, human. We only meet when a great danger threatens us all. We have to turn to a human for help against the waking menace we all face. You have been chosen." The Gold Dragon pushes his huge, three-metre head in your direction. His eyes are red and rheumy with age, but they shine with expectation and vigour despite his untold years.

The Silver Dragon speaks next. "Our messenger told you of the Night Dragon?" You nod slowly. "Then all you need to know is the reason we have asked you to come before us. The Ancient was overcome before by human heroes. They had powerful magic with which to defeat him. We know where that magic may be found. There is a greatsword, hidden in the desolate Mist Crypts south-west of here. The entrance to them lies below a tall mountain with a streak of fool's gold near its peak. To the north-west lies magic armour, crafted by the greatest dwarven artisans of their age and lost when their clan disappeared from Titan. Slate Peak was their old fortress home. Far to the east and south can be found a magic shield,lost among the Jublez - the Frost Giants,a much tougher race than most of their kind. All these artefacts have great power against the Ancient. An exceptional hero armed and protected with these could vanquish him, should he be encountered before his sleep is wholly ended. You may even prevail without all these things - though without at least two you would find it impossible to overcomr the Night Dragon." Thee is only one obvious question left: where is the Ancient? Turn to 309.

More exposition!

The Black Dragon grins in a way you do not find entirely wholesome; he has a hungry look about him. "The Ancient lies to the north of here. But we do not know where; the Loremaster knows how to find the Ancient's caves. We know that, if you find sword, shield and armour, you will find him; we also know that he has a wandering servant of strange aspect who travels in the Icefinger Mountains. By great good fortune you may encounter him - though from what little we know, he will not be what you expect!"

The Dragons give you further information. The Stalkers which serve the Ancient are reptiles, mutated Dragon hatchlings stolen and distorted by magic. The Dragons look angry when they speak of these creatures and they warn you that Stalkers grow more numerous as time passes! There are also robed men, acolytes and assassins, who serve the Ancient, and they hold sway over the town of Carnex - beware that place! All this takes time to learn, so add 1 to your Time Track. The Conclave has told you the essence of your task now: to find sword, shield and armour, and the Loremaster too. It is time to meet your destiny! Turn to 378.

Ruminating over where to go next, you are only a short distance from the cave when the Green Dragon which brought you here comes yp behind you and hails you, so you turn to hear what he has to say. "Listen, brave one. I know the task which awaits you. I can tell you more about what you need to know, and I can even fly you to a place to which you should be taken. I know where the sword, shield and armour lie - although, but giving you such direct help, I may violate the Oath of Kilanirax. And I will suffer for that." The Dragon shivers, and your eyes dilate at the thought of what could scare a twenty-meter Dragon! If you want to accept the Dragon's offer, turn to 240. If you decide not to do so, turn to 136.

Kilanirax is the creator of Dragons. Apparently their oath is more extensive than we first thought.

So, decide!

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11
Stamina 16/22
Luck 9/12

Honour 1
Nemesis 2
Time Track 26

Gear:
Sword
Leather armor
Shield
Lantern
Backpack
3/12 Provisions
0 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Bottle
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
2 bottles of Larssen's Firewater
Smoke powder

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:03 am

It's almost too obvious to take his offer, which makes me suspect that this is a test of our character by the dragons. But the offer of more useful information is too tempting to not take his offer. So I think we should take it.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 9:50 am

Looking for a set of sword, armour and shield to combat the Big Bad? This reminds me of the LP I'm currently running....but I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering they're written by the same guy.

The offer sounds too good to be true. I say refuse.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:09 pm

I'm disinclined to trust any chromatic dragon. Especially those that offer to "fly us to a place to which we should be taken". Then again, these *are* extenuating circumstances...

I dunno, half a vote not to take him up on his offer.

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 11:11 pm

So 1 vote for and 1.5 votes against. If I don't get a deciding vote in 2 hours'time, I'll go with Team No.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 11:20 pm

I'll change my vote to "against."

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:05 am

You tell the Dragon that you do not want him to suffer the curse an Oath-breaking brings, and he looks at you with mingled relief and uncertainty. Gain 1 Honour point. Now where do you want to go to?

South-west to the sword? (turn to 288)
North-west to the armour? (turn to 217)
South-east to the Frost Giants and the shield? (turn to 39)

Slight spoilers: Evil Nevill would have told us about the death curse for oathbreaking too, if we had asked him about the Dragon Conclave. More spoilerishly:

The offer was genuine, but would have raised our Nemesis score and the dragon would have suggested that we seek out a specific magic item at the Loremaster's.

We do have firewater and a trick to deal with Frost Giants...

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11
Stamina 16/22
Luck 9/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 2
Time Track 26

Gear:
Sword
Leather armor
Shield
Lantern
Backpack
3/12 Provisions
0 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Bottle
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
2 bottles of Larssen's Firewater
Smoke powder

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 3:15 am

I was going to recommend going to the Frost Giants for that very reason.

Dr_Noface · Post by **Dr_Noface** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:04 am

giants

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:17 am

You head south-east towards the icy peaks of the Frost Giant Mountains in the far distance. Add 4 to your Time Track, and you must now eat one meal to supplement your foraging. You find yourself at a parting of the ways: the south-eastern trail continues on towards the Frost Giant peaks (if you wish to take this path, turn to 334), while a southbound trail heads for the town of Ismater. If you wish to go there, and you have not done so before, turn to 122.

We've already been to Ismater, so the choice has been made for us.

Another weary day is done as you head into the high foothills that border the mountains; add 2 to your Time Track, and you must now eat a meal. If you have a Nemesis score of 5 or higher, and your Time Track score is 45 or higher, turn to 294. Otherwise, tum to 239.

We have neither, so we move on!

This is one of the few times in the book where a high Nemesis score is a bad thing, since we get to fight a Stalker.

Not greatly refreshed by your sleep this bitterly cold night, you continue your journey next morning and at midday you find yourself on top of a rocky outcrop, looking down at a Frost Giant herding some goats in a shallow valley below. The fur-clad Giant stands some six metres tall, and his stone axe may be crude but it's probably bigger than you are. He's sitting with his back to you, eating one of the goats, so you could probably surprise him with a sneak rear attack if you want to (turn to 134). If you would rather try talking with him, turn to 153. If you want to ignore him and sneak past him and on eastwards, turn to 371.

Sneaky, stabby or talky?

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11
Stamina 16/22
Luck 9/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 2
Time Track 32

Gear:
Sword
Leather armor
Shield
Lantern
Backpack
2/12 Provisions
0 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Bottle
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
2 bottles of Larssen's Firewater
Smoke powder

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:21 am

We're supposed to get on their good side, so be chatty.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:34 am

Talky.

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:55 am

The Frost Giant leaps to his feet and holds his axe threateningly over his head, but something tells you he's rather wary of you and his gesture is just bluster. "I'm looking for the chieftain of your people," you say with all the authority you can muster.

"Oh, really? And why would the Great Jarl want to see you, Shorty?" You both bluster for a while, but what it comes down to in the end is that the Frost Giant will take you to the Great Jarl's village if you give him an appropriate gift. You will have to give the Frost Giant 4 Gold Pieces, a bottle of firewater or a flask of liqueur as a bribe. If you are willing to do this, amend your Adventure Sheet accordingly and turn to 190. If you don't have any of these items, or are simply too mean to give him anything, matters are going to be much more difficult for you; turn to 371.

We have 2 bottles of firewater, and nothing else.

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11
Stamina 16/22
Luck 9/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 2
Time Track 32

Gear:
Sword
Leather armor
Shield
Lantern
Backpack
2/12 Provisions
0 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Bottle
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
2 bottles of Larssen's Firewater
Smoke powder

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:43 am

Better give him one then.

Mr Shine · Post by **Mr Shine** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:52 am

We've got a trick that requires both bottles though, some extra trouble getting into the camp is probably woth it, if once we're in there we can use our trick. I say don't give him anything.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 10:27 am

Well, to be precise, we need one bottle of firewater, which we have, and one bottle of water, which we don't. I don't know if we'll get the chance to use this trick, whereas I do know that this particular giant won't take kindly to our stringiness.

Also, metagaming-wise, the paragraph we turn to if we give him nothing is the same as the one if we (try to) sneak past. I don't think that bodes well.

Mr Shine · Post by **Mr Shine** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 11:41 am

Ok change my vote to a half vote then. I still think we should keep the firewater in case the trick comes up, I don't know whether it'll give us an explicit oppurtunity to pour the firewater out and replace it with water, but it's something that could be done off camera at virtually any time.

However I'm not that fussed and happy to give it away if no-one else says anything.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 11:44 am

Sirocco wrote:Well, to be precise, we need one bottle of firewater, which we have, and one bottle of water, which we don't. I don't know if we'll get the chance to use this trick,

I think we'd just need an empty bottle (which we bought) to fill up with water later.

I don't think our quest is doomed if we chose to sneak past, just that there'll be more dice rolls and stats test. If I'm right, then I think our chances may not be too bad given our solid stats. I vote to keep the firewater.

Dr_Noface · Post by **Dr_Noface** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:51 pm

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:08 pm

I'd say to give one of our Firewaters and use our remaining one and one empty bottle for the inevitable trick.

Mr Shine · Post by **Mr Shine** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:12 pm

SGamerz wrote: I think we'd just need an empty bottle (which we bought) to fill up with water later.

We didn't buy any empties. We bought 2 full bottles and nothing else.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:15 pm

We have an empty bottle, just not one of Firewater. Hopefully the Giants won't be able to tell the difference.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 2:15 pm

Mr Shine wrote:
SGamerz wrote: I think we'd just need an empty bottle (which we bought) to fill up with water later.
We didn't buy any empties. We bought 2 full bottles and nothing else.

We bought 'glass bottle' at the Rentarn trading outpost (and had the opportunity do the same back in Blacksand). I think those for meant for this purpose.