[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 32 - Slaves of the Abyss

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote to leap out and strike at him with our sword, as I do not see any point in removing the element of surprise here.

[angelfromanotherpin]

In the immortal words of Arnold J Rimmer: 'Of course in the back. It's only a pity he's awake.'

[SGamerz]

You take the Gatherer by surprise, your sword smashing him to the round. Beneath the cowls is an emaciated, almost skeletal form.

The chariot seems to be the only way out of this wasteland, but how do you get on to it? If you wrap yourself in the Gatherer's robe, take his silken bag and approach it, turn to 212. If you wish to overpower to the Crystal Sprite, turn to 179.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to wrap Dastan in the gatherer's robe, take his bag, and approach it, as that type of disguise has traditionally worked in Fighting Fantasy scenarios such as this.

[Beroli]

Put on the robe, take the bag, and approach.

[Thaluikhain]

Disguise ourselves and steal the ride!

[SGamerz]

You walk slowly up to the chariot and climb in, while the Crystal Sprite bows reverently. Then he lets out a high-pitched yell, and the Ectovults lurch off. Soon you are skimming across the plain at breathtaking speed. A few minutes later, the spires of a fantastic crystal palace rises up before you, circled by hundreds of screeching Ectovults. You can fully grasp the size of the palace only when you near its enormous entrance. The building is many hundreds of yards high and is formed, it seems, from the same crystal you have been travelling on. You enter a mighty chamber, and the chariot stops. You climb out just as another robed figure rushes up. "You are late!" he hisses. "Our Master returns and his broth is not yet prepared! If you fail, you will suffer his crystal breath. Hurry!" You follow him across the chamber into another of similar size, in which a weird cauldron sits. Approaching, you realize that it is a goblet over three feet high, fashioned for some mighty hand. Another cowled figure sits stirring the brew within, waiting for you to empty your sack. You pour the contents into the cauldron and watch it darken into a murky green. The two cowled figures depart silently, leaving you alone with the goblet. If you drink some of the broth, turn to 45. If you add something to it, turn to 131. If you knock it over, turn to 365.

[Thaluikhain]

Shame we didn't get to ride the magic chariot for long, but we get to muck up a magic potion, so that's fun.

Add something.

[Beroli]

"Magical broth makes the Master of the Abyss." Drink some of it.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to drink some of the broth, as if Bythos is dependent on the broth, it is probably good for us.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Do not drink the ju-juice. Add something to spoil it.

[SGamerz]

Still needs a tie-breaker.

[Queen of Swords]

Drink the broth.

[SGamerz]

Drinking wins over adding ingredients by 3-2.

The broth tastes foul as it slides sluggishly down your throat, then settles unpleasantly in your stomach. You brace yourself against the goblet and take a few deep breaths. If you have drunk the potion labelled 'Arahl', or added it to the broth, turn to 14. If you added the potion marked 'Zazzaz' to the broth, turn to 90. Otherwise, turn to 68.

The door at the far end of the chamber slams open deafeningly, and in strides Bythos. This is not the Bythos you killed earlier, but a towering giant, fully fifty feet tall. His gaunt, leering features are all the more threatening for their size, and his elegant robes billow about his huge frame. If you smashed the goblet, turn to 149. Otherwise, turn to 225.

Bythos strides impatiently towards the goblet. "You were nearly late, Gatherer. You know the penalty for failure!" he says. If you have been told the 'secret of Bythos's power', turn to 374. Otherwise, if you have eaten the herbs from Sige's pomander, turn to 31. If you wish to flee, turn to 335. You may hold up the Golden First, if you have it. Or you may attack him with your sword.

Rather odd that we were given the options to add stuff to the broth, but now we don't get the option to "wait for him to drink the broth with added ingredients and see what happens"....

Check the names of the herbs in the pomander, as marked on your Adventure Sheet. Replace each letter with the corresponding number from the key below. Then add up the numbers that go to make each name. Taking the words in the order you have them written down will give you a three-figure number. Turn to the paragraph corresponding to the number.

P = 0
A = 1
T = 2
E = 1
U = 2
H = 0
M = 3
Q = 4

Alternatively, you may flee by turning to 335.

PAA - 0+1+1 = 2
MAET - 3+1+1+2 = 7
TETH - 2+1+2+0 = 5

We turn to 275:

If you have drunk Bythos's broth, turn to 280. If you have the Golden Fist and wish to hold it up, turn to 141. If you would rather attack Bythos with your sword, turn 78.

The nauseous feeling you had when you drank Bythos' brew returns even more strongly. You gag involuntarily, then whine in pain as your body twists and buckles. Your robe is split as you burst out of it, growing all the time. Bythos stands aghast, watching your transformation. "No! Not you! There can be only one Master!" he howls. He draws in his breath sharply, then lets out a freezing blast at you. The crystal which form on your skin quickly melt and drip from you, and you advance on him. He dodges to one side, then leaps for the wall. With a blow from his fist, he smashes a jagged hole in it and leaps through. If you leap through the hole after him, turn to 299. If you leave the chamber through the door you came by, turn to 354.

[Queen of Swords]

Leap through the hole after him!

[Thaluikhain]

Pursue through the hole.

[Beroli]

Rather odd that we were given the options to add stuff to the broth, but now we don't get the option to "wait for him to drink the broth with added ingredients and see what happens"....

We're right in front of him, and if we haven't drunk the broth he has enough power to deal with us. If he'll die next time he drinks the broth, it's still a bad ending for us and for Kallemehr's kidnapped people if we won't be there to see it.

After him!

[SGamerz]

We're right in front of him, and if we haven't drunk the broth he has enough power to deal with us. If he'll die next time he drinks the broth, it's still a bad ending for us and for Kallemehr's kidnapped people if we won't be there to see it.

We're in disguise for a reason, and it clearly worked, since he called us "Gatherer". Unless we did something to expose ourselves (like knocking over his drink), we shouldn't have to attack or run immediately. At least it would make sense for the choice of waiting to be there, even if the author decides it won't work.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to leave through the chamber through the door we came by, as I think the hole might be host to a trap or instadeath here.

[SGamerz]

You are right behind Bythos as he flees across the crystal wastes. He finally slides to a halt at a place where a chain leads up into the clouds from a hoop in the ground. He grabs it and starts to tug, but before he can break the chain you are upon him.

BYTHOS SKILL 10 STAMINA 10

You may not use your sword, so you may not strike killing blows. If you have it, you may not use Barolo's buckler either, so you lose the SKILL bonus it normally gives you. if you defeat Bythos, turn to 108.

When we were both regular human-sized, he was apparently so good that he auto-wins a swordfight against us, but now his stats look kind of underwhelming. Maybe he's not used to his new giant body? (But then so should we be.) Or maybe all his skill lies in the sword, and he's not that good at fighting barehanded? Either way, at least these things don't penalize Dastan in anyway.

COMBAT LOG:
Bythos 18, Dastan 18. Tie.
Bythos 15, Dastan 17. Bythos is at 8.
Bythos 19, Dastan 17. Dastan is at 10.
Bythos 18, Dastan 22. Bythos is at 6.
Bythos 16, Dastan 21. Bythos is at 4.
Bythos 19, Dastan 21. Bythos is at 2.
Bythos 16, Dastan 18. Bythos is defeated!

Bythos topples to the ground, shattering into a myriad tiny fragments. You reel in the chain until the wall of cells breaks through the clouds; you then rip the bars off, freeing its miniature occupants. Thousands upon thousands of them totter feebly out of the cell and mill around, gazing about them in wonderment. When they have all emerged, you lead them back across the crystal wastes into the palace. There you are greeted by the cowled Servants; they bow low and proclaim you the new Ruler of the Abyss. Now you must find a way of returning to Kallamehr, so you ask them how it is done. They tell you that Bythos used a rare blue crystal, powdered and dissolved in water, to travel to the earthly plane. Some remains, stored in the palace, and the Servants se about preparing the potion. Time passes as they complete their task. Finally they present to you a huge vessel full of clear blue liquid. The newly appointed Gatherer steps forward and speaks. "Majesty, a great quantity of this potion is required to transfer your mighty being We have prepared as much as we could, but unfortunately there are not enough both for you and for all these spirits to be returned. You must make a choice." If you drink the blue liquid yourself, turn to 206. If you divide it among the citizens of Kallamehr, turn to 250.

Apparently, these captured souls, with their actual physical bodies still in their home planes, are somehow still able to consume drinks...

Who gets to drink the potion?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Dastan
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 10/17
LUCK 9/10
Equipment: Sword of Fangthane steel, leather armour, Reaver's bottle, Blowpipe (used), Ghulsh' potion (turn to 258 when drunk), 'Zazzaz' potion (turn to 369 when drunk), Barolo's buckler (+1 SKILL during combat), Sealed Locket, Jheera torch, whistle, onyx sceptre, shiny boots apparently made of feathers, crystal globe
Provisions: 3
Gold & Treasure: 9 GP
Time remaining: 4/20 (turn to 57 when crossing off 18th time unit, and to 326 when crossing off the last time unit)
Notes: Learned the Spitting Fly from Barolo, received a wound that changes colour on left hand, Sige's pomander contains the herbs Paa, Maet and Teth (herbs have been eaten)
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to divide the liquid among the citizens of Kallamehr, as Dastan needs to be selfless if he is to truly fulfill his mission.

[Queen of Swords]

This is like the choice at the end of Doomwalk. Let the citizens have the potion.

[Thaluikhain]

Give it to the citizens, as we should stay here and run the place having offed the last ruler, I guess.

[SGamerz]

You watch as the former prisoners each take a sip of the blue liquid. One by one they dissolve away in a blue glow, until you are left with only the Servants for company. You look down sadly at the empty bowl, wondering how long it will be before the Servants can fill it once more. You can only guess. The Servants explain that, as Ruler of the Abyss, you gain the power of all the lost magical items of Allansia which are drawn to this realm, but it is small consolation for your exile here. If you have the wound which changes colour, turn to 400. If you, turn to 119.

While searching through the palace you have inherited, you come upon a scrying mirror, set into a wall of crystal. A Servant shuffles forward and shows you how to use it; you train it on Kallamehr, hoping to see the fruits of your sacrifice. Sure enough, the fields are full of villagers once more and the land is rejoicing under its new Baron Madhaerios. You look with pride upon a land which is freed from Bythos's clammy grip and Sige's nefarious scheming. Feeling that your sacrifice is bearable, you leave the mirror and make your way to one of the towers of the palace. As you gaze out at the vast swirling plans of the Abyss, you hear the sound of a thousand leathery wings. Soon the air is thick with circling Ectovults. For a moment, you are gripped by fear; is this some last trick of Bythos? But they have only come to salute their new Ruler. Then something coils around your legs, pulling you off balance. You crash to the ground and find yourself face-to-grinning-face with Caduceus the Serpent. "Much wisdom is mine," he says, "and I have much time to share it with you. I hope you will find me an entertaining companion." Given a choice, you might have preferred lighter company; but you soon find that the serpent is as wise as he claims. With his great knowledge to guide you, you uncover secrets beyond your imagination. You power grows ever greater, until the memory of your former life in Allansia becomes a distant dream. Finally, you unravel they mystery of travel between the planes, and embark upon an adventure which spans the comos and concerns the gods themselves. But that is another tale, to be found in the books of myth and legend...

As you can probably guess, not having the wound means that we haven't settled the issue with Sige back in Kallameher before coming here, so the ending would have revealed that she's taken over as the new ruler, and Kallameher is now ruled by a new tyrant (and you being trapped in the Abyss means you can't go back and stop her).

Anyway, congratulations for reaching the successful ending! Only 2 failed attempts, which is a pretty good record for one of the more difficult books in the series.

As you can see, this is one of the more unconventional good endings to FF gamebooks. Apparently, it was originally written to feel more like a classical tragic story with the heroic sacrifice and the protagonist being forever trapped in the Abyss in his attempt to save the people. But one of the top brass (I think Steve Jackson) was said to object to the tragic ending and prefer the usual "hero wins lots of treasure and glory for his heroics" ending that the kids are more used to. A compromise was made when Mason altered the ending slightly to give it more positive spin, with the PC being rewarded with greater power and knowledge for what he did (eventually to the extent that he was no longer constraint to stay in the Abyss if he doesn't wish to).

Thanks to everyone who participated. Hope you'd enjoyed this one. Tomorrow, I will post some of the stuff we missed (not much of that left, I think), as usual, and again feel free to ask about any particular thing about the book you wish to know more.

Final Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Dastan
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 10/17
LUCK 9/10
Equipment: Sword of Fangthane steel, leather armour, Reaver's bottle, Blowpipe (used), Ghulsh' potion (turn to 258 when drunk), 'Zazzaz' potion (turn to 369 when drunk), Barolo's buckler (+1 SKILL during combat), Sealed Locket, Jheera torch, whistle, onyx sceptre, shiny boots apparently made of feathers, crystal globe
Provisions: 3
Gold & Treasure: 9 GP
Time remaining: 4/20 (turn to 57 when crossing off 18th time unit, and to 326 when crossing off the last time unit)
Notes: Learned the Spitting Fly from Barolo, received a wound that changes colour on left hand, Sige's pomander contains the herbs Paa, Maet and Teth (herbs have been eaten)
[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

Thanks for running this, SGamerz!