[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 36 – Armies of Death

[Thaluikhain]

Go left.

(Two headed lizard guard that wants to check the paperwork? Different.)

Zen-Kut-Sedatche does not possess a gold brooch, but an item wish will be used here to obtain one. Please let me know if you object to this. The golden brooch has the number ‘89’ inscribed on it, so we will turn to that section next.

No objection, just wondering if you had to go through the whole book to find that one reference.

[SGamerz]

Go left.

(Two headed lizard guard that wants to check the paperwork? Different.)

Zen-Kut-Sedatche does not possess a gold brooch, but an item wish will be used here to obtain one. Please let me know if you object to this. The golden brooch has the number ‘89’ inscribed on it, so we will turn to that section next.

No objection, just wondering if you had to go through the whole book to find that one reference.

The worst part is, we'd actually still have a 50/50 chance of missing that vital item even if we made all the right choices.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered, Zen-Kut-Sedatche will go left.

85
[spoiler][/spoiler]

The floor of the tunnel becomes steeper, and walking up it is quite an effort. But your legs suddenly feel full of running when you see a patch of white light ahead. The air smells fresher; soon you are out of the cave and standing in broad daylight at the mouth of a cave only a hundred yards away from your men. They are sitting in a circle, patiently waiting for you to appear from the cave that you entered not long ago. You call out to them and run to where they are sitting to tell them of your underground adventure. You decide to return to your waiting army without further delay.

But the journey back starts with an unwelcome encounter. You see a dust-cloud approaching and soon hear the sounds of galloping hoofs. Ten hostile Centaurs charge down upon you. You must fight a Skirmish Battle. If you win, turn to 299.

The battle:
[spoiler]Round 1: Superior Situation, Die Roll: 6, 15 Enemy Troops lost.
15 Allied Warriors Remaining, -5 Enemy Centaurs Remaining[/spoiler]

As somewhat expected, Zen-Kut-Sedatche’s Warriors slaughters the enemy Centaurs without any losses.

299
Two hours later you are back at the watering-hole, where you find your troops fully fit and ready to march. You head east and, after crossing one of the tributaries that feed the River Kok, you come to the edge of the Forest of Fiends. Dark, twisted trees reach up to form a threatening wall. If you have Thog with you, turn to 36. If you do not have Thog with you, turn to 158.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Zen-Kut-Sedatche does have Thog with him.

36
‘Come on, follow me,’ Thog says jovially to hearten the nervous troops. ‘There’s nothing more than a few trees and a couple of monkeys.’ As you venture into the forest, the daylight quickly fades under a thick canopy of leaves overhead, and the whole place is deathly quiet. ‘The creatures are watching us,’ whispers Thog, ‘but the little ones around the edge won’t do us any harm. It’s later on that we should start to get worried. We’ll go right here to avoid the Tree Men.’ Your army threads its way through the forest, and on into its darkest depths. Turn to 180.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

180
You pass by a stagnant pool above which the air is thick with hovering insects. In the middle of the pool you can see the corner of a wooden box sticking out of the weed-covered water. If you wish to wade into the pool to retrieve the box, turn to 325. If you would rather march on, turn to 68.

Please make your votes before 6:00 PM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Thaluikhain]

Retrieve the box.

[SGamerz]

This one feels too much like a trap. Not sure it's worth the risk.

Seriously, we have a group of followers, why can't we just send one of them to pick it up? If we have to wade across ourselves (which sounds like a convenient excuse for the book to spring traps on us where our men are not able to come to our aid in time), I vote we march on.

[Beroli]

Retrieve the box.

[SGamerz]

If we have to go take that box, then please at least take green pill before we do. We're at 3 STAMINA and not likely to survive a trap if there's one.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted, Zen-Kut-Sedatche will wade into the pool to retrieve the box, as that won over marching on by a 2-1 vote. As requested, he will eat the green pill before doing so.

325
You are bitten by dozens of insects as you wade out to the box. You pull the box out of the thick, clinging mud and then climb back out of the pool. You prise the box open – and find that it is full of bones which are of no use to you at all. You hurl the box back into the pool and then suddenly you feel quite dizzy. You are forced to sit down, and you break out into a sweat. Your temperature rises and you are trembling with fever. A mosquito has infected you with a virulent form of malaria. Lose 8 points from your STAMINA. If you are still alive, roll three dice. If the total is the same as or less than your SKILL, turn to 210. If the total is greater than your SKILL, turn to 136.

Thanks to the green pill, Zen-Kut-Sedatche is still alive. Rolling the three dice yielded a 15, which is greater than his Skill.

136
Your temperature increases and the fever becomes worse as the hours roll by. You slip in and out of consciousness, until your body finally gives in to the deadly virus. Your adventure is over.

Congratulations, everyone. Your decisions have revealed the exact death that my character suffered when I first played this gamebook. Our sole rewind will be used to put Zen-Kut-Sedatche back to the section 180 before he took the green pill and went into the pool. Now that we know that doing so risks a likely death without giving him anything useful, I will have Zen-Kut-Sedatche march on instead.

68
You come to a wide clearing in the forest in which there is a large boulder. The clearing is strewn with bones and the boulder is spattered with dried blood. If you wish to wait on the edge of the clearing with your army to see if anyone or anything will come back to it, turn to 252. If you would rather walk through the clearing, turn to 312.

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PDT or a 3-vote majority is reached to guarantee that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Zen-Kut-Sedatche
SKILL: 10 Initial Skill = 10
STAMINA: 3 Initial Stamina = 17
LUCK: 3 Initial Luck = 7
SOLIDERS:
WARRIORS: 95
DWARFS: 50
ELVES: 50
KNIGHTS: 20
RIVER RAIDERS: 10
NORTHMEN: 10
MARAUDERS: 10
GOLD PIECES: 110
TREASURE:
Shield
Key with the number ‘222’
Yeti tooth
Axe
Ring with the number ‘45’
Hopper (Say “One, one, one” to turn invisible if hopper is sitting on shoulder)
Copper lantern
Helmet
Ivory box
Obigee’s sword
Green pill (+8 Stamina when used)
Gold seal with the number ‘332’
BOONS:
3 Restorations
2 Item Wishes[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Ominous clearing is ominous.

Wait to see if anything will come back to it.

[SGamerz]

Yes, wait and see.

[Thaluikhain]

Last one was trap, so I'm guessing maybe something useful.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered, Zen-Kut-Sedatche will wait on the edge of the clearing with his army to see if anyone or anything will come back to it.

252
[spoiler][/spoiler]

Half an hour later, you see some figure walk into the clearing opposite you. Two Dwarfs, their hands bound behind their backs and their necks held by a pole forked at both ends, are being pushed towards the boulder by a group of Hobgoblins. You count fifteen of them in total. One of the Dwarfs is cut free of his neck pole and is then forced to his knees; his head is pushed down on to the boulder as another Hobgoblin approaches with a two-headed axe. To halt the execution, you run into the clearing with twenty-five of your Warriors. Fight a Skirmish Battle. If you win, turn to 191.

The battle:
[spoiler]Round 1: Superior Situation, Die Roll: 3, 5 Enemy Troops lost.
25 Allied Warriors Remaining, 10 Enemy Hobgoblins Remaining
Round 2: Superior Situation, Die Roll: 5, 10 Enemy Troops lost.
25 Allied Warriors Remaining, 0 Enemy Hobgoblins Remaining[/spoiler]

Not too surprisingly, Zen-Kut-Sedatche’s Warriors slaughters the enemy Hobgoblins without any losses.

191
You free the captured Dwarfs and hear how they had been ambushed in the forest while looking for caves to explore for gems. For saving their lives, they offer to enlist in your army and arm themselves with weapons from the Hobgoblins. A search of the Hobgoblins’ bodies yields a gold necklace and a war-banner that was tied to a spear. Its emblem is a red dragon holding a curved sword, against a white background inside a gold circle. You pack away the necklace and banner and give the order to march on through the clearing. Turn to 312.

312
You come across a path that has been cut through the undergrowth. It runs north and south. Will you:

Continue east? Turn to 349
Go north along the path? Turn to 233
Go south along the path? Turn to 6

Please make your votes before 6:00 PM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Zen-Kut-Sedatche
SKILL: 10 Initial Skill = 10
STAMINA: 3 Initial Stamina = 17
LUCK: 3 Initial Luck = 7
SOLIDERS:
WARRIORS: 95
DWARFS: 52
ELVES: 50
KNIGHTS: 20
RIVER RAIDERS: 10
NORTHMEN: 10
MARAUDERS: 10
GOLD PIECES: 110
TREASURE:
Shield
Key with the number ‘222’
Yeti tooth
Axe
Ring with the number ‘45’
Hopper (Say “One, one, one” to turn invisible if hopper is sitting on shoulder)
Copper lantern
Helmet
Ivory box
Obigee’s sword
Green pill (+8 Stamina when used)
Gold seal with the number ‘332’
Gold necklace
War-banner
BOONS:
3 Restorations
2 Item Wishes[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

If we are going east, north is left.

[SGamerz]

For the same reason, I vote east, because I always prefer the moderate path over the extreme.

Also, we're supposed to be the EASTERN warlord, so we should be at home going that way, >.>

[JourneymanN00b]

Thank you for your votes. I will break the 1-1 tie and have Zen-Kut-Sedatche continue east.

349
You walk through a section of the forest where there are several mounds of earth into which clay dolls have been half buried. If you wish to take one of the dolls, turn to 226. If you would rather leave them where they are and press on, turn to 134.

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PDT or a 3-vote majority is reached to guarantee that they will be counted.

[SGamerz]

Zen-Kut-Sedatche is too old to play with dolls. Leave them.

And since we're back to 3 STAMINA again, I vote to use the green pill again.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, don’t pick up any of the dolls. Keep going.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered, Zen-Kut-Sedatche will leave them where they are and press on. He will also use the green pill to restore 8 Stamina.

134
[spoiler][/spoiler]

A large rock in front of you suddenly moves. Then you realize that it is not a rock, but the back of a Rock Man. It stands awkwardly on its rocky feet and turns to face you. Like a tall man with rough, rock-like skin, the waiting servant of Agglax stretches out to grab you and squeeze the life out of your body.

ROCK MAN SKILL 10 STAMINA 6

If you lose any Attack Rounds, turn to 202. If you win without losing any Attack Rounds, turn to 55.

The fight:
[spoiler]Round 1: Rock Man Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Rock Man Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 11
Round 2: Rock Man Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 18;
Rock Man Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 11
Round 3: Rock Man Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 18;
Rock Man Stamina: 0, Player Stamina: 11[/spoiler]

Surprisingly, Zen-Kut-Sedatche manages to win the fight without losing any Attack Rounds.

55
The servant of Agglax lies still on the ground, your sword having penetrated the only soft spot on its body, a small section of its otherwise rock-like stomach. Satisfied that the Rock Man will not fight on the side of Evil again, you give the order to march on. Turn to 114.

114
You come to a long, deep chasm which is too steep to climb down and too wide to jump across. If you wish to follow it north, turn to 241. If you would rather follow it south, turn to 327.

Please make your votes before 6:00 PM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Zen-Kut-Sedatche
SKILL: 10 Initial Skill = 10
STAMINA: 11 Initial Stamina = 17
LUCK: 3 Initial Luck = 7
SOLIDERS:
WARRIORS: 95
DWARFS: 52
ELVES: 50
KNIGHTS: 20
RIVER RAIDERS: 10
NORTHMEN: 10
MARAUDERS: 10
GOLD PIECES: 110
TREASURE:
Shield
Key with the number ‘222’
Yeti tooth
Axe
Ring with the number ‘45’
Hopper (Say “One, one, one” to turn invisible if hopper is sitting on shoulder)
Copper lantern
Helmet
Ivory box
Obigee’s sword
Gold seal with the number ‘332’
Gold necklace
War-banner
BOONS:
3 Restorations
2 Item Wishes[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Let's try north.

[JourneymanN00b]

Vote registered, Zen-Kut-Sedatche will follow it north.

241
[spoiler][/spoiler]

Up ahead a wooden bridge spans the chasm but you see that it is guarded by five Knights on horseback. When the Knights see you, two of them dismount and walk to the bridge, each carrying an axe. Poised to cut the securing ropes, they stand with their axes raised above their heads. The other three Knights, still mounted, raise their visors and say in turn from left to right, ‘I am Sir Pierce’; ‘I am Sir Dean’; ‘I am Sir Trevor.’ The one who introduced himself as Sir Dean then continues: ‘We are the guardians of the Twisted Bridge. If you wish to cross it, you must answer a question.’ If you wish to hear the question, turn to 248. If you would rather attack the Knights, turn to 148.

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PDT or a 3-vote majority is reached to guarantee that they will be counted.

[SGamerz]

Shouldn't hurt to at least hear the questions. They didn't say there'll be penalty if we get it wrong, so I think at worst we don't get to cross here and have to look elsewhere. Let them ask the question.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, let's hear the question.

[Thaluikhain]

Hear the question.

[JourneymanN00b]

Hearing the question received 3 votes, so Zen-Kut-Sedatche will agree to this.

248
‘We are the White Knights and we fight on the side of order,’ Sier Dean says in a loud voice. ‘If you are to prove to us that you also are aligned to order and are worthy of our help, you must answer this question. Which of the three star pupils who trained at the school of the Grand Wizard of Yore was was the son of a priest from Salamonis?’ Will you reply:

Yaztromo? Turn to 174
Nicodemus? Turn to 291
Pen Ty Kora? Turn to 391

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PDT or a 3-vote majority is reached to guarantee that they will be counted.

[Queen of Swords]

How does knowing this prove anything? I know Balthus Dire's father's name; does that mean I'm evil?

Still, if they want an answer, it's Yaztromo.