[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 35 - Daggers of Darkness!

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to play dead.

[Thaluikhain]

Half a vote for fighting it, though I seem a tad unlikely to win the vote even if I put a full vote in.

[SGamerz]

You play dead. The wooden hand of the Kalamite closes around you and lifts you up a little way. The temptation to move is great but the female warrior's eyes implore you to keep completely still. Suddenly she leaps up and strikes out at the hand of the creature, cutting the hand off in one blow. From high above comes a distant scream, as a thick sappy liquid oozes from the severed limb. You are free. You run after the sure-footed warrior as she weaves in and out among the tall reeds. Eventually she stops; you are exhausted (mark off 1 Poison unit), but she's not even out of breath. All at once she announces that she knows you are one of Segrek's Select and that she has something to tell you - but it is up to you to trust her. Do you decide to stay and hear her out or would you rather bid her a hasty farewell and carry on alone, until you find somewhere to rest?

Do we trust her?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Qulan Gal
SKILL 10/10
STAMINA 15/18
LUCK 11/11
Poison: 14/24
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Potion of Fortune (+1 to Initial LUCK, restores LUCK to new Initial value), Flower, Treffilli (2 sprigs)
Provisions: 2
Gold: 14 (1 sewn into boot, lucky piece)
Abilities: Darkfight
Medallions:
Extra Lives unlocked: 3/5 remaining
No. of deaths/failures: 2
[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

She just saved our life, so durrrrr. Trust her.

[JourneymanN00b]

My vote is to stay and hear her out.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Hear her out.

[Queen of Swords]

She didn't steer us wrong the first time. Hear her out.

[SGamerz]

Her name, she tells you, is Adana-Broussah, a member of the nomadic clan of mercenaries known as Beshbalik's Marauders; they are also known in southern Khulas the Scavengers of Slaughter. Her voice lowers and becomes conspiratorial: "Greetings from Astragal. I am a link in one of his chains of information. I am bidden to look out for you and to pass on this message: all the Medallions are taken. Now, by fair means or foul, you must enter the Fortress at Sharrabbas and get to the throne. If you have a Medallion, the task will be easier, for Chingiz and his Necromancers have yet to break into the Heart of the Throne." Now you must decide: do you wish to accompany Adana-Broussah to Beshbalik's camp or do you prefer a lonely path?

Do we want the company?

[JourneymanN00b]

Ouch that we did not get a single Medallion. This is probably going to end in total failure, since there could be a place where we need at least one Medallion to proceed.

Anyway, I vote to accompany Adana-Broussah to Beshbalik's camp.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, to the camp.

Also, we only get to this bit if we've failed to get any medallions? Huh.

[SGamerz]

Also, we only get to this bit if we've failed to get any medallions? Huh.

Huh? Where are you inferring that from? The book hasn't checked us for Medallions. Astragal's message basically means something along the lines of "don't bother trying for another Maze because none of them Medallions in them anymore, just get your ass to the capital with or without one, but of course things will be easier if you DO have any". He doesn't know whether any of the Medallions were taken by us, just that all 6 of them are all taken by someone by this point.

[Thaluikhain]

He doesn't know whether any of the Medallions were taken by us, just that all 6 of them are all taken by someone by this point.

Ah, right, that makes sense, I misread that section.

[SGamerz]

Adana-Broussah leads the way to the camp of Beshbalik's Marauders. "The path to Sharrabbas is full of dangers," she says. "One way will be to go as one of the horde. They are always picking up lone adventurers who can prove themselves." You reach the camp, where you find the Marauders huddled round a camp fire. They are suspicious of you at first, but Adana-Broussah calms them and proposes that you be tested. They discuss the idea for a while and finally agree. You are thrown a large club and then, without warning, two of them attack you. Fight each in turn until the STAMINA of either combatants drops to 4.

First MARAUDER SKILL 7 STAMINA 8
Second MARAUDER SKILL 8 STAMINA 8

If you win (mark off 1 Poison unit on the Adventure Sheet), you are accepted. If you lose, you are taken away and left at a lonely roadside.

Not a fight to the death, at least...

COMBAT LOG:
Marauder#1 12, Qulan Gal 20. M1 is at 6.
M1 11, QG 12. M1 is at 4.
Mrauder#2 12, QG 16. M2 is at 6.
M1 18, QG 17. QG is at 13.
M2 13, QG 16. M2 is at 4.

Adana-Broussah is pleased. She tells you that Beshbalik has been away, making final preparations to carry out a small job: an attack upon a large group of bandit Trolls who are preying on a local village. A horn-blast greets the arrival of Beshbalik who comes charging across the shallow river, riding two Fangtigers and with a Grypfalcon perched on his shoulder. He enters the camp at an incredible speed.

The attack is prepared; there is no spare mount for you, so you must join the rabble who run behind the horses (deduct 1 point from your STAMINA). By the time you reach the others, the Marauders have already engaged the Trolls in battle. Arriving at the scene of battle, you walk straight into a huge, wounded Troll who swings a giant scimitar at you.

BANDIT TROLL SKILL 9 STAMINA 9

If you win, (mark off 1 Poison unit on the Adventure Sheet). do you join a large group who seem to be dividing the spoils among themselves or will you stay in the shadows of the Troll huts?

As you may be able to tell from the text descriptions, yes, Beshbalik would be the person depicted on the front cover art.

COMBAT LOG:
Bandit Troll 15, Qulan Gal 16. BT is at 7.
Bandit Troll 15, Qulan Gal 16. BT is at 5.
Bandit Troll 16, Qulan Gal 14. QG is at 10.
Bandit Troll 14, Qulan Gal 18. BT is at 3.
Bandit Troll 18, Qulan Gal 21. BT is at 1.
Bandit Troll 14, Qulan Gal 18. BT is killed.

Join the crowd or hide in the dark now?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Qulan Gal
SKILL 10/10
STAMINA 10/18
LUCK 11/11
Poison: 16/24
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Potion of Fortune (+1 to Initial LUCK, restores LUCK to new Initial value), Flower, Treffilli (2 sprigs)
Provisions: 2
Gold: 14 (1 sewn into boot, lucky piece)
Abilities: Darkfight
Medallions:
Extra Lives unlocked: 4/6 remaining
No. of deaths/failures: 2
[/spoiler]

[Darth Rabbitt]

With no more medallions to potentially pick up and poison ticking away I think hiding is the wiser option.

[Queen of Swords]

I'm oddly pleased that we met the guy who was water-skiing on the backs of two tigers with a hawk on his shoulder. That was the most surreal cover image.

I'd go for dividing up the spoils. Not likely there's a medallion among these, but I feel like we haven't really accomplished much in this story so far, so we might as well get some loot.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, see if we can get some loot.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to join the large group.

[SGamerz]

You think that you'll be better off mingling with the crowd. In the middle of the group you see Beshbalik dispensing gold coins to the Marauders - then suddenly, close to him, you spot a Mamlik who is standing staring at you. He pushes his way through the mob towards you and the poison in your blood throbs (mark off 1 Poison unit). Do you turn and rush into a nearby hut or just stay where you are in the crowd?

Hide in a hut or in the crowd?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Qulan Gal
SKILL 10/10
STAMINA 10/18
LUCK 11/11
Poison: 17/24
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Potion of Fortune (+1 to Initial LUCK, restores LUCK to new Initial value), Flower, Treffilli (2 sprigs)
Provisions: 2
Gold: 14 (1 sewn into boot, lucky piece)
Abilities: Darkfight
Medallions:
Extra Lives unlocked: 4/6 remaining
No. of deaths/failures: 2
[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

He's already seen us and he's coming straight toward us. Go into the hut.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, go into the hut.

[JourneymanN00b]

I actually vote to stay in the crowd, as I think we should stand and fight the Mamlik.

[Queen of Swords]

If the Mamlik tries to attack us in the crowd, wouldn't we have the Marauders on our side?

I'm voting we stay in the crowd for that reason.

[Thaluikhain]

Stay with the crowd.

[SGamerz]

You stay in the middle of the group of Marauders, knowing that there will be a confusion of smalls. The Mamlik passes by you, and returns to Beshbalik. They start an argument, but eventually the Mamlike, fuming, rides off on his black steed.

Adana-Broussah joins you. While she wipes blood from her sword, she chatters animatedly to you, "There has been some dispute with Chingiz about the cost of the proposed operation. Beshbalik is determined to continue rampaging around as a free agent. I'm afraid it won't be as easy as I had thought to approach Sharrabas." Do you now wish to slip away and travel on your own or stay with the Marauders?

Staying with the crowd worked out last time, but should we continue to do so?

[Darth Rabbitt]

Well, the Mamlik is gone now, so I think it’s safe to travel alone.