[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 42: Black Vein Prophecy

[Beroli]

You advance into the hilly terrain, keeping a careful watch about you The land is harsh and unforgiving; the cold wind bites into your exposed flesh. Reaching the summit of a modest rise, you see banners fluttering in the valley below. The regal crest makes it obvious that these are the king's men.

March down the hill to meet them?
Avoid them and continue onwards?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: Maior
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 16/19
Luck: 7/7

Greatsword
Jeweled dagger
Haversack
Provisions: 5
Brooch with Izkhao
Filthy clothes
Chang whistle
Feior's battle-plans
Jar of orange syrup
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

March down the hill to meet them.

[SGamerz]

Yeah, we came looking for them. Avoiding them now makes no sense.

[Darth Rabbitt]

We came here to meet them, and I don't see the point in backing out now.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to march down the hill to meet them.

[Beroli]

You are soon stopped by sentries, who send for an officer to interrogate you. A proud warrior in beautifully lacquered armour and a plumed helmet strides arrogantly up to you and demands to know your business.

Merzei is not with you.

You look the officer in the eye and tell him why you are here. He drops his arrogant tone and salutes you with new-found respect.

The king's forces line the foothills about you, waiting nervously for battle. The officer escorts you through their ranks towards a lavish tent, covered in royal emblems and banners. The troops who surround it seem disorganized and chaotic; infantrymen wander about aimlessly, while sergeants bellow orders at them--to little effect. The scene is one of confusion and apprehension; no one seems to be in charge. You are ushered into the tent and presented to the young king, Poo Ta, whom you find lounging in a sea of cushions. He is waited on by at least twenty servants and is being fed grapes and succulent sweetmeats. The boy points at you with a jewel-laden finger. 'Who is this wretch, and what does he want?' The king gestures the slaves to leave, and half listens to your news while sucking his teeth. 'Heavens!', he cries. 'From the way you talk, you would think that we were all doomed! I have the troops, I have the generals, and history is on my side. I shall take great pleasure in leading a glorious victory against Bezenvial's impudent child!'

'But, your majesty,' interjects a worried-looking officer, 'we have no plan of attack. I have reports that Feior's army far outnumbers our own, we...'

'Silence!' snaps the king. '! am invincible. My family line is unbroken. War is in my blood--I have no need of petty plans!'

The commanders bow their heads respectfully, but you can sense their apprehension.

Volunteer your services as a commander?
Leave the king to blunder into battle without you?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: Maior
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 16/19
Luck: 7/7

Greatsword
Jeweled dagger
Haversack
Provisions: 5
Brooch with Izkhao
Filthy clothes
Chang whistle
Feior's battle-plans
Jar of orange syrup
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to volunteer our services as a commander, as the king will clearly get killed if he is left alone.

[SGamerz]

Volunteer. Doesn't matter if the king is an idiot, at least the officers seem to have some good sense and will probably be willing to listen to us.

And this way, we can coordinate our forces with Merzei when he arrives, so it's perfect.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Volunteer.

[Beroli]

You leave the tent with the officer outside, he tums to you and whispers, 'Do you see what we are up against? It's impossible. He's quite mad. By my reports we're outnumbered ten to one. To die in battle is a glorious thing. But death through the incompetence of a brat is too much to bear!'

Trumpets sound as scouts spot the dark army advancing in the north. The king's troops fall into ranks, and you are assigned a company to command. The dejected officers gather to agree a[sic] plan of attack.

You are expecting Merzei.

Far off in the distance, beyond a small village in the middle of the valley, you espy Feior's army. It is awesome in size, making your forces look pitifully inadequate. Your fellow officers are shocked into silence, and the troops verge on panic. Then you observe another body of men advancing towards you from the hills in the east. Taking up a spyglass, you see an army of peasants, brandishing improvised weapons, and at its head the familiar figure of
Merzei. He calls his people to a halt and waves to you, smiling. With these extra troops, hope returns and you resume planning your attack.

You do have Feior's battleplans.

Much to the amazement of the soldiers, you produce the plans you stole from the envoy: they show Feior's plans of attack, including a number of clever ambushes. Together with the other officers, you scour them for a weakness. There is one: if you can reach the village's central tower and hold it, Feior's men will be forced out into the open, where your archers and cavalry will be able to bear down on them. It is your only hope, and you must try it.

You did merge Credas with the Sitting Prophet.

(So many checks, and any one of them being answered "no" would lead to the next section being "Feior's army turns your army, and you, into mince.")

As you charge towards the village and into the heart of battle, an enormous, dragon-like beast takes to the air behind Feior's lines. It swoops towards you, releasing a fiery bolt of energy which smashes into your troops, instantly disintegrating those it hits. The beast nears, and you watch in horror as it releases hundreds of squirming, leechlike creatures from its underbelly on to the people below. You turn your gaze towards the village's river and spy the golden figure of the Sitting Prophet as he wades into battle, leading a mass of screeching Kreehuls. Credas has returned with his force! The swamp beings spill out on to the banks and attack Feior's men, while their idol waits for the Sturramak to near him. The two magical beings lock in fierce combat, gradually working their way towards the tower.

You have not previously found one of Feior's officers tied up.

The first wave of your attack holds well. You dismount and follow your men into battle. Soon you are in the midst of the fray, fighting for your life. Two of Feior's foot soldiers break free and chase you. You must react instantly and defend yourself.

First SOLDIER Skill 6 Stamina 5
Second SOLDIER Skill 5 Stamina 6

Fight them one at a time.

(What do you know, this gamebook does have combat after all.)

[spoiler=First Soldier]
Round One: Meior 21, Soldier 15. Soldier is at 3 Stamina.
Round Two: Meior 15, Soldier 12. Soldier is at 1 Stamina.
Round Three: Meior 22, Soldier 13. Soldier is dead.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Second Soldier]
Round One: Meior 15, Soldier 13. Soldier is at 4 Stamina.
Round Two: Meior 19, Soldier 12. Soldier is at 2 Stamina.
Round Three: Meior 17, Soldier 9. Flawless victory.[/spoiler]

The battle rages on. Your battle plan begins to take effect: Feior's men are gradually being divided and pushed to the outskirts of the village, where wave after wave of cavalry tears into them, inflicting heavy losses. Poo Ta's knights, being heavy and cumbersome in their armour, fare less well in the street-fighting. The enemy hold their ground and even threaten to counter-attack. Meanwhile the struggle between the Sturramak and the Prophet reaches a climax, and the golden idol smashes aside a blast from the catlike dragon. The beast backs off and retreats to a group of enemy soldiers. Victory is in the balance, and one final push will tip the scales.

You did not hire the mercenaries earlier. (Is this disaster?)

Success! You finally punch a hole through Feior's lines. Your peasant marauders swarm into the gap and rout the enemy, who fall back to open ground, only to be cut down by the waiting archers and cavalry. Slowly your army forces home its advantage, and the battle seems won. All that remains of the village centre is charred ruins. The Sitting Prophet lies flat, barely moving. Above him, ready to strike, hovers the Sturramak.

(In fact, if you had hired the mercenaries, they would show up there...and cost you the game by betraying you and joining Feior.)

The ghostly image of Credas appears above the Sitting Prophet. 'I am lost against this beast. Do not waste your time saving me.' He points to a lone rider, who is galloping away into the foothills. 'Your brother. Go after him, before he summons the darkness. Be quick!' The image fades as the Sturramak dives.

Do you pursue Feior?
Or do you flee?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: Maior
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 16/19
Luck: 7/7

Greatsword
Jeweled dagger
Haversack
Provisions: 5
Brooch with Izkhao
Filthy clothes
Chang whistle
Feior's battle-plans
Jar of orange syrup
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to pursue Feior, as that fascist cannot be allowed to escape.

[Queen of Swords]

Of course, pursue Feior.

[Thaluikhain]

Pursue!

[Darth Rabbitt]

Pursue.

[SGamerz]

Our brother is apparently so identical in appearance to us that even the commander of his own army couldn't tell us apart. We need to hunt him down immediately while we're both in the same place, or else there's no limit to the amount of mischief he can cause in our name.

[Beroli]

Grabbing a horse, you ride off quickly in pursuit of Feior, while Credas and the Prophet hold off the monster.

(Stamina check, three dice against current Stamina: 16 just barely succeeds.)

Feior makes his way up to a pointing finger of rock, high up on the mountain. With a great effort you find an exposed perch of your own and face him. 'Only one of us can take up the mantle of our dear father,' he taunts, 'and I was always the stronger.' He raises his hands in the air and begins to tremble, so strong are the forces he is conjuring. His face reddens and a trace of smoke seeps from his robe. You must prepare a counter-spell now.

If you also cast a Disruption spell, the spell he appears to be conjuring, it will produce an explosion that will likely kill you both.
If you cast a Harmonization spell, it will communicate to him that you don't wish to fight and calm him down...neither of which strikes you as terribly likely to be helpful here.
A Mutation spell is slower than a Disruption spell; you doubt you would live to see it completed.
A Lock spell should freeze his fireball and render it harmless.
Alternatively, you could try to dodge his Disruption spell.

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: Maior
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 16/19
Luck: 7/7

Greatsword
Jeweled dagger
Haversack
Provisions: 5
Brooch with Izkhao
Filthy clothes
Chang whistle
Feior's battle-plans
Jar of orange syrup
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

Given the hints of what would happen if we tried each spell, I vote to cast Locking, as freezing the fireball is obviously the most desired outcome.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Based off of the hints, I think yeah, Lock is most useful.

[SGamerz]

Eh, I'm not even sure why we need to pause for a vote here, given that Beroli essentially gives away the right answer in plain speech (yeah, the "hints" are from Beroli, not from Mason or Williams).

(Choosing randomly gives us only a 25% chance of getting it right, and the fact that there'll be a series of such choices in succession is probably why he gives us the break here.)

[Beroli]

(Indeed. You might recognize from his symptoms that he's casting Disruption, but the book doesn't tell you what to expect from casting any spell as a "counter" to it; "Mutation takes longer," "you auto-lose ties if you also cast Disruption," "Lock works on things that aren't water," and, "Harmonization will just get shrugged off," are all things you learn by...in three out of four cases...dying. Which brings it way too close to the worst parts of Sky Lord for my tastes. On a wholly unrelated note, if I ever run Sky Lord at some point in the future, there will be a whole lot of "AS YOUR CHARACTER KNOWS, this is what the specific advantages and disadvantages of time travel over light travel are...")

A gentle heat pricks the tips of your fingers, and a scintillating ball forms there. Feior looses a gout of cascading flame, which streaks towards you. Almost casually, you gesture with a finger, and your spell flies to meet it. They collide, and the disruprion solidifies, then is blown away in the wind like streamers of fine rice paper. Feior screeches in anguish then raises his arms once more. Even at this distance, you can see his face contorting with the effort, and two pulsating globes of purple begin to form around his hands.

(From Beroli: you know that he's casting Mutation and that Harmonization will protect you from its harmful effects, which makes the choice a gimme again.)

Tendrils of purple magic stream out from Feior's hands, but you are prepared. You stand calmly, concentrating on the faint patterns in the air around you. When the spell strikes you, it plays gently up and down your body, changing colour from purple to a mild green.

Now is your chance to act. The vast power Feior has been wielding has singed his finery, and the rock around him bears the scars of magical force. He looks tired, but you are certain his reserves of power still exceed yours. Do you know an offensive spell to which he does not know the counter?

Cast Disruption?
Cast Harmonization?
Cast Lock?
Cast Mutation?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: Maior
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 16/19
Luck: 7/7

Greatsword
Jeweled dagger
Haversack
Provisions: 5
Brooch with Izkhao
Filthy clothes
Chang whistle
Feior's battle-plans
Jar of orange syrup
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I will guess that Feior's Disruption can neutralize a Lock Spell, and Harmonization will do nothing against Feior in that state. Since offensive magic is obviously Feior's specialty, he probably has something similar to Lock to counter any Disruption Spell Maior casts. I vote to cast Mutation and hope that he doesn't know Harmonization, as I do not think Feior has bothered to learn a defensive spell such as Harmonization.

[SGamerz]

I will guess that Feior's Disruption can neutralize a Lock Spell.

I'm not sure how you came by that conclusion logically, especially since the Lock Spell neutralized Disruption last time.

Also, if he can cast still a Disruption spell, then Mutation wouldn't work, since Beroli made a point of specifically warning us that Disruption works faster than Mutation he can hit us before we hit him.

With that said, though, I'm voting for Mutation too. I'm guessing the point about him looking tired is that he doesn't have it in him for another Disruption for a short while. And if that's true, it means we don't have it in us either, since "his reserves of power still exceed ours". And Mutation is the only other offensive spell we have.

It'd be interesting if we can somehow Harmonize him and cause him to lose the urge to fight us, and we walk away together as loving reunited brothers, but I don't think that's going to happen in this book.

[Thaluikhain]

Mutation seems an over the top spell, and this is the arch-enemy, so yeah, turn him into a Lovecraftian monster.

[Beroli]

You control your heaving stomach and send ghastly purple shapes groping out towards Feior. He stares at them in panic, and flails desperately with his arms. The shapes grip him, and he wails frantically. Now is your chance to finish the duel.

Cast Disruption?
Cast Harmonization?
Cast Lock?
Call upon Izkhao?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: Maior
Skill: 10/10
Stamina: 16/19
Luck: 7/7

Greatsword
Jeweled dagger
Haversack
Provisions: 5
Brooch with Izkhao
Filthy clothes
Chang whistle
Feior's battle-plans
Jar of orange syrup
[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

Izhkao must be good for something, so try calling, I guess.