[Let's Play] Lost in the Sea of Despair

[Queen of Swords]

I have no idea what that plant is, and honestly, no one develops scurvy overnight. We can wait for something safer.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, I don't think eating mysterious plants is a great idea. Those seem way more likely to poison us than crickets.

[SGamerz]

You were right not to eat the plant, in fact, it was a rosary pea, which is very poisonous - just one see could kill you. You do need to eat some fresh fruit or vegetables, though. So you keep on looking.

Turn to 102.

No infodump page opposite, but there's a reference to the page number that gives more details on rosary peas (and it's opposite the page where you eat the rosary pea and die, of course).

You'll need to find plants to eat somewhere. You know that if you don't eat fresh fruit or vegetables, or find some other source of vitamin C, you'll get scurvy - a horrible disease that makes your gum bleed, you teeth drop out, and eventually kills you. You shudder at the idea.

You've spotted some seaweed - maybe you could eat that? Or maybe you should explore a bit further and see if you can find an edible plant somewhere else.

If you decide to eat some seaweed, go to page 106.
If yo decide to look for something else, go to 64.

Surprisingly there's no infodump page on scurvy opposite, considering it's been brought up twice. I've spent days without consuming fruits or vegetables before, and I'm pretty sure we can skip a meal or 2 without them and survive, but the PC seems determined to maintain a strict healthy diet in the face of scarcity and will not rest until he finds it or die eating random plants, it seems.

Do we eat the seaweed?

[JourneymanN00b]

Okay, I have eaten seaweed countless times as an Asian, so I know that it is safe to eat. I vote to eat some seaweed.

[Thaluikhain]

I vote for something else, hopefully that we can recognise, as that might be some rare radioactive seaweed or something.

And you can go for weeks, I think, before scurvy becomes a problem.

[Queen of Swords]

I googled how long scurvy takes to develop once Vitamin C is no longer available. Around three months, so I have no idea why the book is so fixated on this. But I also googled seaweed to be on the safe side, and apparently all seaweeds are edible, so we might as well chow down on some kelp.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, seaweed should be safe to eat.

[SGamerz]

Rosary beads:


And now, seaweeds:

You gather some of the seaweed. It doesn't look that appetizing, but it's an easy way pf getting your greens. You've heard that seaweed is a common food in the South Pacific, and you can see why - there's lots of it.

You clean the seaweed and try a but raw. It tastes OK, but you decide to boil it up in some water over your fire instead. You might like it a but better that way.

Although seaweed is indeed eaten in the South Pacific, you were unwise to eat some without knowing for sure that it's an edible kind. Some types of seaweed can upset your stomach, which is the last thing you need in a survival situation.

It might be good to find some fish to go with your seaweed.

Again with the reader being told he's unwise to eat something he's not familiar with. Well, maybe if you stop insisting that we keep hunting for vitamin C and just be satisfied with the crickets, this would have happened!

Edible Seaweeds:

- Seaweeds are an an important part of the South Pacific diet. They are eaten in Fiji and other South Pacific Islands.

- Several different kinds of seaweeds are collected from shallow lagoons and reefs, mainly by women and girls. The seaweeds are harvested from different areas in a cycle lasting a few weeks, so that they can grow back ready for the next harvest.

- Different types of seaweeds are eaten in different ways. Some are cooked and some eaten raw, with different flavourings, including lemon juice and chili.

- Seaweeds are eaten in many other parts of he world, too. Laver is a type of seaweed eaten in Chona, Japan, and Korea. More and more seaweeds are being eaten in North America now, too.

You sharpen a stick to use as a spear, then you swim out to the rocks/ The water is calm and clear, and you can see little fish darting all around you. You take a deep breath and dive under the water. There are lots of brightly coloured fish here, most of them too small to bother with. But you spot some bigger fish swimming in and around the rocks.

As you get closer to the rocks, your breath almost running out, a white-and-black striped sea snake flashes past you. There's another one disappearing into the rocks. You surface to take a breath.

You are pretty sure that sea snakes aren't dangerous. Should you ignore them and carry on hunting for fish in the rocks?

If you decide to hunt in the rocks, go to page 68.
If you decide to swim away from the sea snakes, go to page 60.

Are we really sure the snakes aren't dangerous?

[Queen of Swords]

I am not messing with sea snakes.

[Thaluikhain]

Stay away from sea snakes. Also, would we go spear fishing instead of looking for fruit or something?

[Darth Rabbitt]

Avoid the sea snakes.

[JourneymanN00b]

My vote is to swim away from the sea snakes, as they are very much poisonous.

[SGamerz]

Also, would we go spear fishing instead of looking for fruit or something?

Apparently, the PC thinks those seaweed are enough vitamin C for him.

Anyway, I've been posting pics in batches thus far, but for once, today's update actually requires the picture for the players to make their choice:

The snakes are indeed venomous, and you were right to get away from them even though you would have to try quite hard to get them to bite you.

You spot several fish that look as though they'd make a good meal. But you know that there are some poisonous fish that live in tropical reefs and lagoons. Which of these fish should you spear and eat?

If you spear fish A, go to page 66.
If you spear fish B, go to page 75.

There's a reference to the page that gives more info on sea snakes, which is of course opposite the page that you die from their bite. Apparently sticking you hand into the rocks is considered "trying hard enough" to make them feel threatened and get them to bite you.

So, after having told the player twice that he shouldn't be eating stuff he can't identify, the book then proceeds to make the same player choose between fish that he possibly may not be able to identify as well, without a third option that says, "screw this, I'd just stick to the crickets and seaweed now that I know they're safe". The PC MUST HAVE HIS FISH DIET DAMMIT!

Which of those 2 fish do we like the look of?

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to spear fish B, since that looks like a classic fish with scales. Fish A does not look like a traditional fish, and looks like a spotted trunkfish, which secretes a ciguatera toxin that is dangerous to ingest.

[Queen of Swords]

My knowledge of fish is limited to sharks, so I'll go along with JourneymanN00b's suggestion.

[SGamerz]

You manage to spear the fish and triumphantly take it back to the beach. You feed the ebers of your fire, roast the fish on a stick, and dig in.

You've caught a jackfish, and it tastes delicious. It's just as well you didn't catch the other kind. Your jackfish was fine, but sometimes eating certain kinds of larger fish caught on reefs, such as barracudas, groupers, and snappers, can give you ciguatera poisoning. Symptoms include stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea. It can last for weeks, although most people recover over time. The fish aren't usually poisonous, but they can carry poisoning from eating contaminated seaweed. You might be better off sticking to a vegetarian diet from now on.

Go to page 96.

Uhm...so then why were we compelled to catch one of the fish anyway??

And telling us to stick to a vegetarian diet right after mentioning contaminated seaweed somehow doesn't sound that convincing.

Anyway, this was the right option, because the other fish is a Pufferfish (that hasn't been puffed up yet. In fact, the PC was apparently so good at spearing fish that he killed it before it realized it was in danger and never showed him the puffed-up spiky form that would have otherwise put him off).

There doesn't seem to be any people living on the island, but you haven't explored it yet. There could be a village on the other side, for all you know. Some uninhabited islands in the South Pacific have vacation homes for tourists who want to experience life on a desert island. Even if there aren't any signs of life, you decide it would be silly not to explore it.

The island rises steeply in the middle - it's probably an ancient volcano. From the top of the thickly forested hill, you'll get a good view of the whole island. You set off, taking a bottle of water with you.

Go to page 52.

Volcanic Islands:

- A volcano arises from a split in Earth's crust where hot molten magma from deep inside Earth erupts. Volcanic islands are formed when undersea volcanoes erupt over a long period of time, growing in size until they break the surface of the sea to form an island.

- The Hawaiian Islands are a chain of volcanic islands caused by a hot spot under one of the tectonic plates that forms Earth's crust. As this plate moves over the sea bed over millions of years, it moves the old volcano with it, and a new volcanic island is created over the hot spot. In Hawaii, the oldest island is a volcano millions of years old, that is no longer active. In the distant future, new volcanic islands will probably form in the chain.

- The Galapagos Islands were also formed in this way, and so were the islands of Japan. In 2013, a new volcanic island popped up in the Pacific off the coast of Japan.

- Volcanic islands are also known as high islands. There are lots of volcanic islands in the South Pacific, some with volcanoes that are still active.

You sweep a stick in front of you to check for creepy-crawlies on the forest floor but, in fact, you don't need to worry too much. There are very few creatures that can hurt you - at least not seriously.

The island becomes quite steep as you move towards the middle, and it's tough going in the heat. At least you're shielded from the hot sun by the canopy of trees above you.

You suddenly get the feeling that you are being watched. You hear a sound and freeze, looking around you warily. Goosebumps prickle on your skin as you listen. There it is again! You swallow hard. Maybe there's someone there. You call "hello". Your voice sound small and shaky, but loud enough for whatever is there to here you. There's no reply. The sound seem to come from your left, through some dense foliage. Maybe you should go and investigate.

If you decide to investigate, go to page 108.
If you decide to ignore it and keep goin, go to page 105.

Investigate the mysterious sound?

[Thaluikhain]

Investigate.

[Queen of Swords]

Sure, let's investigate.

[SGamerz]

You look up, and almost scream from fright. About 25 pairs of eyes are staring at you from a tree a short distance away!

They are huge, furry bats hanging upside down from the branches, with their leathery wings wrapped around them. Most of them are asleep, but some have opened their eyes and are staring at you with interest. Now that you're over the initial shock, they look kind of cute, with beautiful big brown eyes. You don't go any nearer - you don't want to alarm them. But you watch them for a bit before you head back uphill, towards the middle of the island, leaving the bats to go back to sleep.

Go to page to 103.

Fruit Bats:

- Fruit bats are also known as flying foxes or megabats, and are some of the world's largest bats. There are lots of different kinds - the largest have a wingspan of up to 5.5 feet (1.7 m). The smallest kind is only 2 inches (6 cm) long.

- On some South Pacific islands, fruit bats (and sometimes other smaller bat species) are the only native land mammals.

- As the name suggests, fruit bats eat fruit, and some eat nectar from flowers. On some Pacific islands, they're seen as a pest and are hunted.

- These large bats don't use echolocation like other bats do. Instead, they use a highly developed sense of smell, and large eyes that are adapted to seeing in twilight and dark forests. There's one exception: the Egyptian fruit bat uses echolocation.

- Fruit bats are sometimes hunted for food in the South Pacific - apparently they taste delicious.

- Fruit bags have been known to carry viruses that are fatal to humans, though the bats don't get sick themselves. So it's just as well you didn't get too close.

The climb becomes steeper, and you're puffing and panting as you reach the top. You climb up on to bare rock above the tree line. There's a crater in the middle of the island. This must once have been a volcano, but it doesn't look as though it has erupted recently. You turn and look out across the island.

Your island is a circle of green in a turquoise sea. You can see the silver sand beach and cove where you've made your shelter. Rocks surround the rest of the island, which is covered in dense forest. It's beautiful, but there is no sign of humans.

Close to the island the water is light blue, becoming darker as the water deepens. As you scan the sea farther from the island, you spot something that makes your heart p8und - it's a ship! You have to get back to the beach before it passes by!

Go to page 94.

You run downhill as fast as you can, leaping over fallen logs and rocks, pushing aside creepers, your heart pounding. You have to get down to the beach and signal to the ship!

You fall, scratching yourself on a thorny plant, but get yourself up and dust yourself off before plunging onward to the beach. When you finally get there, you're completely out of breath. Panting, you put your hands on your knees and scan the sea for the ship.

It's there - but quite a long way away now. Is it worth sending up a distress flare?

If you decide to send a flare, go to page 73.
If you decide not to and wait for another ship, go to page 47.

Shall we use the flare now?

[Thaluikhain]

Don't waste a flare on a ship in the distance going away.

(Also, fruitbats means there's fruit to eat, so we are likely not to die of scurvy within the next 2 hours)

[JourneymanN00b]

I believe we have more than one flare that we can use, so I vote to send a flare.

[Darth Rabbitt]

If we have more than one flare there’s no reason not to fire one now.

[Queen of Swords]

Do we have more than one flare?

[Darth Rabbitt]

The life raft comes equipped with various items to help you survive: a bailer, paddles, a knife, a mirror for signaling, a flashlight, a horn and a whistle for making noise that's more likely to be heard than shouting, a compass, a first-aid kit, sponges, flares, seasickness pills and sick bags, a pump to top up the inflatable compartments of the raft, a fishing line and hook, and a repair kit.

Flares being plural suggests we have more than one.

[SGamerz]

You remove the cap and fire the flare, which makes a spectacular blazing arc high into the sky. Just in case, you take the other one and fire that off, too. Now the ship is bound to see you.

You wait expectantly. The ship continues on its way, showing no sign that it has seen you. You gaze out at the ship as it sails past. How could no one have seen your flare? But the ship is quite a long way away now, and someone would have to have been looking in the right direction to have seen the flares. You've been unlucky.

Muttering curses, you throw the flares case onto the sand. Unfortunately, you don't have any flares left for when you see another ship.

So...we did have more than one, but choosing this prompts the PC to use them both up.

BUT...while this may be technically the "wrong" or worse option, it actually doesn't lead to a doomed ending:

By now, you've gotten used to fishing and collecting fruit to survive. You've spent time making improvements to your shelter. It's now more like a treehouse on stilts to keep you away from the ants, spiders and other creepy-crawlies that sometimes crawl out of the forest. You don't often go into the forest and, every time yo do, you make a careful search of the horizon for ships. You use rocks to spell out SOS in enormous letters on the beach, in case of a passing plane or helicopter.

After a few weeks, you see another ship. You don't have any flares left, but you make a smoky fire and jump up and down on the beach, shouting and waving. The ship doesn't see you.

You survive for several months on the island. Thankfully, in the end, you're rescued even without a distress flare. A small plane spots your SOS and sends a rescue helicopter. Soon, you're looking forward to seeing your family and friends again. You are overjoyed when the pilot tells you that your uncle was found by fishermen only a day after the storm that washed him overboard.

The end

So...yes, congratulations, you still survived. And you came across only 1 bad ending in this playthrough, so good job!

The other ending where you don't use the flare simply has you rescued months earlier(by the second ship which is a vacation cruise ship), and in both endings you learn that your uncle survive.

Thanks to everyone for participating. As usual, if you want more information on any specific subject in this book, post your request and I will answer them. But I won't be doing an overall run-through for this short book.

The next gamebook LP, which will be Chasms of Malice (FF30) will be started this weekend.