Let's Play Fighting Fantasy 41: Master of Chaos

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 1:49 pm

Catch the thief; maybe we'll get to fight some children.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 6:08 pm

You make a grasp for the boy, but he swerves deftly away and ducks down a back-alley, out of sight! (We have the Tracking skill)

Skilfully pursuing the criminal, you manage to lay hands on the lad as he is about to disappear into a crowded bazaar. You grasp the bag, but the little thief squirms free of your grip and scuttles off. The merchant and his men arrive soon after, and the fat man congratulates you on recovering his stolen wares; as you hand over the bag, he presses 6 Gold Pieces on you as a reward (add this to your Treasure). 'Fine fellow! He says. 'Do you need work? I have a cargo in today and I could use a strong fellow like you to help unload it. I'll pay you a fair wage.'

Tracking in big cities is 'nearly impossible', eh? The hell you say.

There's a choice here about whether we accept the offer of work or whether we decline politely and either go shopping or go elsewhere, but to get back to the interesting choices, I'm going to assume we take the offer of work because that's what we came here for, and there's no reason not to do it.

You spend the day heaving unwieldy crates in a warehouse. It's heavy work, but you are given good meals to keep you going, and you are paid 4 Gold Pieces. You also get a place to sleep for the night; regain 4 STAMINA points.

In the morning, you can stay in this district or go elsewhere.

So, +10 gold from this foray.'Going elsewhere' leads us back to the same list of district choices as before. If you want to vote for that, list which district you think Huge should thrust himself into next.

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 11/17
LUCK 12/12

Notoriety: 0/8

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking

Equipment: 2/4 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
18gp (including 2 hidden)

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 4:21 am

Stay and see if there's anything else to do here.

...You Lost Me · Post by **...You Lost Me** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 7:23 am

Of course stay here. 10 gold happened in just 1 day, imagine what tomorrow will bring!

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 10:43 pm

Today there is no work to be had in the Warehouse district; all the merchants have enough labourers, it seems. However, just as you are deciding to try your luck elsewhere, a small, slender figure in brown robes sidles up to you. You see brown, ferrety eyes under the cowl, and a tanned, nut brown skin over a thin, sharp-featured face (Record in the Notes Box of your Adventure Sheet that you have met Vesper!)

'Interested in making some easy money?' he says casually as he tugs you by the sleeve into the shade under the eaves of a building. You say you are; you can hear him out, at least. 'Be here at nine tonight. Between now and then, just sit around, down the road from Morganstern's warehouse-' he points this out '-that's where I have my little job planned. I just need a good look-out man. Plenty of easy money to be made, my friend.'

It's obvious what he means. Will you:

Agree to his plan?
Decline, and go shopping for items you need?
Decline, and go elsewhere in town?

The decline options take us to the paragraph number for the shops and the “travel hub”, respectively. If you vote to go elsewhere in town, also post your vote for which district you want to go to.

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 7/17
LUCK 12/12

Notoriety: 0/8

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking

Equipment: 2/4 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
18gp (including 2 hidden)

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sun Oct 19, 2014 3:05 am

More money is good. Agree.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sun Oct 19, 2014 3:18 am

Agree.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 2:49 am

'Fine,' says Vesper the thief, and he gives you a handful of small coins to buy food and some of the local hot herbal tea, to keep you refreshed during the day. You wolf down the food (regain 2 STAMINA points), sip the tea under the warm sun, and rest, waiting for the night to come around . . .

. . . And when it does, the little thief arrives with it. He has a bag containing picklocks, crowbars, jemmies, some rope . . . and heaven knows what else in it. You set off down the dark streets to the warehouse, and Vesper tells you to keep watch in the shadows while he slips inside and begins work. You settle down to keep watch. (We have the Blindsight Skill)

Soon you see some patrolmen making their way towards you, so you slip round the comer and hide in the shadows out of the moonlight.

After a short wait, Vesper climbs out through a small window at the back of the warehouse, with his sack well stuffed. 'Good man,'he whispers. 'Let's go and share this out!' In no time, you are weaving through a maze of small streets in the Old Quarter of the town, where Vesper lives. Rowdy drinking dens, gambling houses and even more dubious establishments line the filthy thoroughfares, and drunks and wide-eyed smokers of suspicious-looking water-pipes reel around. At last Vesper arrives at his home, unlocks the door and ushers you in; after feeding his cat, he sits down with you.

Soon you are feeling refreshed by a meal of cold lamb and a mug of mulled wine (regain 4 STAMINA points), and enriched by four bags of saffron. 'Two hundred and forty grammes in total,' Vesper says. 'you can get a good price for that in the markets.' (Add this to your Possessions, and be sure to record the Weight!) 'Don't go back to the Warehouse district, though - I have a feeling we may have been seen as we ducked past that last bunch of guards, coming out.' The thief is happy to let you sleep on his floor, and in the morning will you:

Talk further with Vesper?
Head for the markets to sell the saffron?
Go somewhere else in town?

Usual deal, if you want to go somewhere else, also vote which district.

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 17/17
LUCK 12/12

Notoriety: 0/8

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking

Equipment: 2/4 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
18gp (including 2 hidden)
240 grammes of saffron

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 1:39 pm

Talk further.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Mon Oct 20, 2014 2:24 pm

Exposition.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 6:06 pm

Definitely talk.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Tue Oct 21, 2014 10:19 pm

Vesper sits drinking tea with you. 'I don't have long,' he says quietly, 'I've got a little job to do this morning. Nothing you could help with, I'm afraid.' But he does tell you some things about Ashykos. You know about the unpleasant militia and the brutal city ruler, Marshal Lakatos, but other snippets of information are interesting. First, Vesper saw a Dark Elf about town yesterday, inquiring about boats going upriver to Rahasta. Dark Elves are rare in Khul! Also, if you want further employment, Vesper knows that a Necromancer has arrived in town recently. 'l was offered the chance to do some grave-robbing for him, but it's not my line really. Pays well, though. If you're interested, try Stavian's in the Old Quarter - just down the road, in fact.'

It's time to leave Vesper now, so will you:

Head for the markets to sell the saffron?
Go to the Old Quarter?
Go somewhere else in town?

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 17/17
LUCK 12/12

Notoriety: 0/8

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking

Equipment: 2/4 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
18gp (including 2 hidden)
240 grammes of saffron

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 2:21 am

Let's go sell our stolen loot at the market before we get caught with it.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 4:12 am

Agreed.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 5:01 am

Thirded; Huge Nuge should find a fence while this shit is still fresh.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:48 pm

Looking carefully about the market, you find a seller of fine spices and herbs, and offer him the saffron. After some haggling, he makes you a final offer of 15 Gold Pieces for the rare and much-prized spice, which you are only too happy to accept! Now, will you:

Hang around in the Market district?
Go and spend some money at the shops?
Visit some other part of town?

I guess fences are for pussies. Huge Nuge hawks his stolen goods right in the middle of the street, like a real man. Maybe it's just that kinda town.

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 17/17
LUCK 12/12

Notoriety: 0/8

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking

Equipment: 2/4 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
33gp (including 2 hidden)
240 grammes of saffron

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Oct 22, 2014 9:20 pm

Hang around, see what else is up.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 3:49 am

Hang around.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 2:06 pm

Huge Nuge always lets his stuff hang about.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:59 am

Sorry for the delay, guys, thought I'd already posted the next bit.

Looking around, your attention is caught by an ill-tempered, ugly man kicking a mongoose which he has on a leash; the little animal is trying to evade his blows. You move up, hoping to shame the brute into stopping his abuse of the little creature, which he does.

He turns to you and spits on the ground. 'Little swine!' he says, aiming a half-heated kick at the mongoose. 'Supposed to be trained, innit? Does tricks, I were told. Won't do no tricks fer me.' Suddenly his eyes are full of that 'could this stranger be gullible?' look. 'Want to buy the little fleabag fer three Gold Pieces? You could make a big tasty pie out of ‘im, and 'is skin could make you a fair pair of gloves. (We don’t have the Animal Wisdom Skill)

Do you want to buy the mongoose? The man won't haggle, so you will have to pay the asking price of 3 Gold Pieces. If you haven't got the money, or you don't want the mongoose anyway, turn to 181. If
you want to buy it, tum to 160.

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 17/17
LUCK 12/12

Notoriety: 0/8

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking

Equipment: 2/4 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
33gp (including 2 hidden)

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri Oct 24, 2014 11:26 am

Buy it because why not?

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Fri Oct 24, 2014 12:48 pm

Aww. Buy it off the brute's hands.

SlyJohnny · Post by **SlyJohnny** » Fri Oct 24, 2014 8:52 pm

The man hands over the leash as you pay him the money, and he also gives you a small silver whistle. 'Supposed to come when 'e's called wiv that,' he snarls, 'but I never let him off his leash, little varmint.' You pocket the whistle as you stroke the soft fur of the mongoose. (Add the Silver whistle to your Possessions.)

To your total amazement, the mongoose twists its head around to look at you and then says 'Thanks. I'm a talking mongoose,' it adds unnecessarily. 'He was a hateful brute, but I've got a feeling that you are a decent person and will treat me fairly. Shall we go for a stroll?' Jesper the mongoose heads off towards the market stalls, pulling you along behind him - you are too dumbfounded to do anything but follow! Gain 1 LUCK point for finding this companion.

To the market do we go, then!

Merchants are buying and selling all kinds of wares in the markets: everything from food and fabrics to Basilisk-skin cloaks, kegs of Guursh (the unspeakable Orcish brew), and magical pots and pans that clean themselves after use! The merchants themselves are very varied: humans, Dwarfs, one or two Elves, here and there a furtive Gnome, Man-Orcs, and even a Lizard Man peddling patent medicines and necklaces of shark's teeth for charms. (We do have Jesper with us.)

'Buy a couple of those weird-looking eggs on that stall,' the mongoose advises you sagely. 'We can make some money out of them.' The Man-Orc merchant wants 1 Gold Piece each for the two large, brown-veined, yellowish eggs which, he says, are local delicacies, very tasty indeed. If you want both the eggs (he won't sell them singly) you will have to pay him 2 Gold Pieces for them.
If you can't pay for them, but want to have them:
If you have the money but won't pay for them:

So what do we think? Is the talking mongoose on the up-and-up, or with the introduction of the weird eggs is this all getting a bit too Fear and Loathing for our liking?

Adventure Sheet

Huge Nuge

SKILL 11/11
STAMINA 17/17
LUCK 12/12

Notoriety: 0/8

Skills: Blindsight, Acute Hearing, Tracking

Equipment: 2/4 Provisions
Boots with hidden coin compartments
30gp (including 2 hidden)
Silver Whistle

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri Oct 24, 2014 9:19 pm

I'm getting Cephalo Squirrel vibes from this, so let's buy them.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sat Oct 25, 2014 1:45 am

What's the point of buying a talking dog if we're not going to take its advice? Of course we buy the eggs!