[Let's Play] ACE Gamebook 04 - Beowulf Beastslayer

[angelfromanotherpin]

165

“Very well,” says the King, “but take your place at the feast and I will command the skald to sing the Lay of Sigmund.”

You and your warriors join the Danes at the feast while the poet takes up his harp and recites the legend of Sigmund. But as the telling continues, the wondrous exploits of the father are soon exceeded by those of his son, Sigurd the Wyrmslayer, and last of the Völsungs.

“You remember how the dvergr Reginn wanted revenge against the wyrm Fáfnir, who had murdered his father and stolen his family’s gold, that was a gift from the gods?” sings the skald. “And you remember how the young warrior Sigurd, of the Völsung clan, promised he would slay the wyrm, if the dwarf would forge a sword for him that was worthy of the task? And you remember how Sigurd took the pieces of his father’s broken sword – shattered by Odin the All-Father himself – and gave them to Reginn, who forged from them a new sword, Gram – which means ‘Wrath’ in the old tongue – that cut through the weapon-smith’s anvil? Then let me tell you how Sigurd best Fáfnir the wyrm in battle…”

Make a note of your current Agility, Combat and Endurance scores and then turn to 11.

11

You are Sigurd, son of Sigmund and Last of the Völsungs, a warrior of Denmark. After Reginn the Dvergr forged the sword Gram for you, you assembled an army of warriors and took to the whale-road with them, sailing to the sovereign lands of King Lyngvi. A series of bloody battles followed, in which you avenged your father’s death and put an end to an ancient blood-feud, by striking down all your foes and winning great renown. You finally returned to Denmark, a true blooded warrior.

(Gain 3 Endurance points, 1 Combat point, and 1 Agility point.)

Soon after your return, Reginn came to you and reminded you of your promise to slay Fáfnir. And so, the very next day, the two of you rode out together – man and dwarf – in search of the wyrm.

---

Day after day, Reginn leads you through empty lands where no one dwells, until finally you come to a lonely heath. There you spy a track, formed of withered plants and worn earth, that leads to a stinking stagnant pool. The track is wide and the extent of the blackened grass and withered plants causes you to wonder as to the size of the beast that made it, thoughts you express to Reginn.
“Do not fear,” the dwarf says. “Dig a pit in the ground and wait within, until the wyrm passes over you. Then you can attack from underneath.”
However, having proposed such a plan, Reginn rides off to find somewhere to hide.
• If you want to start digging, as the dwarf suggested, turn to 92.
• If you would prefer to find somewhere else to hide, while you wait for the wrym to appear, turn to 75.

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 26

Hero Points: 16
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring
• Meal x2 (not carrying)

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave

Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse

[Darth Rabbitt]

Start digging.

[Thaluikhain]

Digging and waiting seems right, based on my non-existent knowledge of the source material.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to dig as the dwarf suggested.

[angelfromanotherpin]

92

Taking up the shovel left you by the weapon-smith, under a sky the colour of beaten metal, you start to dig. It is tiring, back-breaking work, even for a warrior as mighty as you.

As you are digging, you see something coming along the road towards you, but it is not the wyrm. It is an old man, with a long white beard and a patch over one eye. You pause in your labour and he asks you what you are doing.

• If you want to tell him, turn to 149.
• If not, turn to 134.

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 26

Hero Points: 16
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring
• Meal x2 (not carrying)

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave

Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse

[Darth Rabbitt]

I’m guessing this is Odin and he wants to hear some Ninja Honesty. Tell him the truth.

[Omegonthesane]

One eyed beardies with eyepatches should be assumed to be Odin until proven otherwise.

Seconding Ninja Honesty.

[angelfromanotherpin]

149

You see no harm in telling the old man of your plan to kill the wyrm, and after a moment’s pondering, looking at the pit, in a voice cracked with age he says, “Rather than just one pit, you should try digging a series of ditches. That way, the wyrm’s blood will be able to flow away freely and not drown you in your pit.”

• If you want to follow the old man’s advice, turn to 162.
• If you would rather stick to Reginn’s original plan, turn to 134.

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 26

Hero Points: 16
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring
• Meal x2 (not carrying)

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave

Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse

[Darth Rabbitt]

Follow the old man’s advice. I think the god of wisdom has the wiser plan.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to stick to the original plan due to the risk of spending too much time digging.

[Omegonthesane]

Gonna assume Odin is wiser than some dwarf. Dig.

(I like the implication that Beowulf is impacted by how well Sigurd performed.)

[Thaluikhain]

Eh, I see no reason why we can't dig our pit and then improve it with trenches as time allows, so follow the advice.

[angelfromanotherpin]

162

Seeing the wisdom of the old man’s advice, you set about digging more holes in the ground. The sweat beading on your brow, you take a break to thank the old man, only to discover that he has vanished.

(Write the kenning Ditch-Digger on your Adventure Sheet.)

Resuming your work, you hope that you can finish the series of ditches before the wyrm comes this way, heading to the glassy-pool to drink.

• Take an Endurance test. If you pass the test, turn to 226. If you fail the test, turn to 204.
• Alternatively, to avoid having to take the test at all, you may spend 1 Hero Point and turn to 226 straightaway.

Not a failable test.

226

Having finished digging, you climb down into the hole to wait, with only the whistling of the wind to keep you company on the desolate heath.
Time passes, and still there is no sign of Fáfnir.

• Do you want to continue to wait, crouched in the ditch (turn to 259),
• or do you want to climb out of the pit and go in search of the wyrm (turn to 372)?

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 26

Hero Points: 16
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring
• Meal x2 (not carrying)

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave
Ditch-Digger

Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse

[Omegonthesane]

We didn't just dig all these trenches to NOT use them. Continue to wait.

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote to wait.

[angelfromanotherpin]

259

You continue to wait, until you feel a tremor pass through the sides of the pit, and then another. It is followed by another, and another, as something large approaches your position. It can only be the monster that made the trail, the wyrm Fáfnir!

• If you want to spring out from the pit to surprise the wyrm, with Gram in your hand, turn to 357.
• If you do not want to diverge from the dwarf’s plan and decide to stay put, turn to 330.

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 26

Hero Points: 16
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring
• Meal x2 (not carrying)

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave
Ditch-Digger

Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse

[Omegonthesane]

We have a plan and should stick to it.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to stick to the dwarf's plan and stay put.

[angelfromanotherpin]

330

Steadily the noise grows, as does the shaking that has seized the ground, as Fáfnir approaches. The overgrown wyrm crawls along the track, on four heavy legs, and spewing a cloud of poison before it. But you remain protected by your position in the ditch.

As the monster’s great bulk passes over the ditch, almost blocking out the dim daylight altogether, you take Gram in your hands and drive the blade into the wyrm’s body, up to the hilt!

Add the kenning Wyrm’s-Weakness to your Adventure Sheet.

• Now, if you have the kenning Ditch-Digger recorded on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 448.
• If not, turn to 312.

448

Blood pours from the wound in the wyrm’s underbelly, soaking your hair, your clothes and your skin. And there is so much of it! It is a red tide that rapidly fills the pit with a crimson flood. However, because you dug a series of ditches rather than a simple pit, enough of the vile fluid runs off into the other trenches that you don’t drown in the wyrm’s blood.

Fáfnir thrashes its long neck and tail in its death-throes, gouging the earth and tearing up plants in its thrashing frenzy, roaring in pain at the mortal wound you have dealt it.

Fighting the blood-muddied sides of the pit to clamber out again, with your wrathful war-tooth in hand, you prepare to finish the beast. (In this battle you have the initiative.)

FÁFNIR     COMBAT 6     ENDURANCE 6

If Fáfnir wins a Combat Round, roll one die – if the number rolled is odd, you must lose an additional 1 Endurance point as the monster’s toxic breath poisons you.

• If you slay the monster, turn to 490. However, if Fáfnir kills you, turn to 464.
• If you wish you may spend 1 Hero Point to automatically win your battle with Fáfnir – turn to 490.

Round 1: Us [2d6:9]+12+1=22 vs Them [2d6:2]+6=8; Faf's at 4.
Round 2: Us [2d6:5]+12+1=18 vs Them [2d6:6]+6=12; Faf's at 2.
Round 3: Us [2d6:8]+12+1=21 vs Them [2d6:6]+6=12; Faf's defeated!

448

Feeling its life slipping away, with its last breath, the wyrm suddenly gasps, “You have bested me, warrior, and for releasing me from my self-imposed curse, I reward you. Ride away from this place and leave my treasure-hoard untouched, for if you take even one piece from the hoard a great doom will find you.” With that, the mighty wyrm dies.

Pulling Gram from the wyrm’s body, you wipe the bloody blade on the withered grass of the heath. As you are returning the sword to its sheathe, Reginn the dwarf rides up and gazes at the monster’s corpse with greedy eyes.

“Since it was I who forged the blade that killed the wyrm,” he says, hungrily, “might I have the honour of eating its heart?”

The dvergr is right – without his help, and Gram in your hand, you doubt you could have slain Fáfnir.

“It would be my honour,” you tell the dwarf, “and I will even cook it for you.”

And so you prepare a fire and set the wyrm’s heart on a spit over it, to roast. In time you put a finger to the heart to see if it is cooked but burn yourself. Without thinking, you stick your finger in your mouth, to cool the burn, and in doing so taste the monster’s blood.

Suddenly, hearing the twitter of voices, you turn to see four birds hopping about on the heath, brave now that the beast is dead. But, unbelievably, you can understand what the birds are saying.

“You cannot trust the dwarf,” says one of them, clearly addressing you.

“He plans to eat the heart to gain wisdom and the power of prophecy,” twitters another.

“Then he will murder you and steal Fáfnir’s treasure,” chirrups a third.

“Better you should eat the heart yourself and do away with your treacherous companion,” whistles the fourth.

You look across the fire at Reginn and see the truth of what the birds have told you in his eyes.

So, taking the wrathful blade Gram from its scabbard once more, you strike the dwarf’s head from his shoulders before eating the wyrm’s heart yourself.

Leaving the bodies of Reginn and Fáfnir behind, you mount your horse and ride to the wyrm’s lair, where you find a king’s ransom in gold and jewels. Ignoring the wyrm’s talk of curses, you load everything – every last coin and gem – onto your horse, and head for home.

Gain 3 Hero Points, make a note of the fact that four birds helped save your life on your Adventure Sheet, and then turn to 479.

448

“And so ends the Saga of Sigurd, Last of the Völsungs,” announces the skald with one final flourish, rippling his harp strings.

Restore your Agility, Combat and Endurance scores to the levels they were before the poet started his recitation, and then turn to 89.

89

As before, as guests of the hall, you are treated to a glorious feast. (Gain 6 Endurance points.)

But while you are enjoying Hrothgar’s meat and ale, Unferth approaches, in his cups once again.

“I challenge you, Beowulf!” he roars, and the hall falls silent. “To a battle of riddles!”

Anxious silence is replaced by relieved laughter as the nature of Unferth’s challenge is revealed.

• If you good-humouredly accept Unferth’s challenge, turn to 455.
• If you decline, turn to 58.

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 30

Hero Points: 19
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring
• Meal x2 (not carrying)

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave
Ditch-Digger
Wyrm’s-Weakness

Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse
Four birds helped save my life

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to accept Unferth's challenge.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Accept the challenge.

[angelfromanotherpin]

455

“Very well, friend Unferth,” you declare with good cheer, “I accept your challenge.”

“Then here is my first!” Unferth says, clearing his throat.

“I’ll fight with the wind, and war with the wave,
But if stones hold me firm, the ship I’ll save.
What am I?”

The answer to Unferth’s riddle is a single simple noun.
• If you know the answer, turn the letters of the word into numbers using the code A=1, B=2… Z=26, add them together, double the total, and turn to the section with the same number as this final total.
• If you cannot solve the riddle, or the section you turn to makes no sense when you read it, turn to 487.

Character Sheet

Beowulf, son of Edgetheow

Agility: 12
Combat: 12
Endurance: 30

Hero Points: 19
Crew: 12

Equipment:
• Sword
• Spear
• Axe (decorated with the etched heads of four wild boar)
• Shirt of mail
• War-helm
• Golden Brooch (decorated with twelve freshwater pearls)
• Golden Arm-Ring
• Meal x2 (not carrying)

Kennings:
Dane-Friend
Dark-Mere
Shadow-Fast
True-Sight
War-Rage
Hero's-Promise
Wound-Serpent
Desire's-Slave
Ditch-Digger
Wyrm’s-Weakness

Other
Njord's Favour
Slew seven sea-monsters
Wealhtheow’s Blessing
Odin's Favour
Slew five giants
Loki's Favour
+1 CR vs Dragons/Wyrms
Sea-hag's curse
Four birds helped save my life

[JourneymanN00b]

Hmm. This is a tough one. I believe that the answer is either an oyster or an anchor.

The case for an oyster: They will not open to wind and water, but if stones are used to open the oyster, then its meat could be used for sustenance to save the ship's crew.

The case for an anchor: They obviously will not move to water and wind. If they are attached to the ship to the stones below the water, the anchor will save the ship from drifting away.

Out of these two possible answers, I will vote for the anchor, which translates to 118.

After that, I vote to respond with the following riddle for Unferth:

"Thirty white horses on a red hill,
First they champ,
Then they stamp,
Then they stand still."

[angelfromanotherpin]

The gamebook is unlikely to answer your custom riddles.

[JourneymanN00b]

I meant that riddle as a joke, as Bilbo vs. Gollum immediately came to mind when it came to a battle of riddles.

*Politely leaves the thread for a bit due to the awkwardness.*