The Gaming Den

Take the Black Cube and investigate the body.

Examine latest body.

Climbing down to investigate already received 3 votes, so Hector Eliwood will do that. He will also take the Black Cube since there was already a vote for that as well.

312
[spoiler][/spoiler]

You approach, looking carefully at the scene. The figure is a female warrior and she is about to be dragged into the water by an Octopod creature. Its tentacles already have a hold on one of her legs. You pull out your sword and chop at the tentacle. It takes you three hefty strikes before you cut it off. The woman gets up and runs away from the beach with surprising agility. Do you follow her (turn to 144) or carefully look around for any other creature (turn to 86)?

[spoiler][/spoiler]

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]Hector Eliwood
SKILL: 10 Initial Skill = 10
STAMINA: 11 Initial Stamina = 19
LUCK: 7 Initial Luck = 8
PROVISIONS: 10
CITADEL WALLS: 13/14
Notes:
None
GOLD: 9
CUBES:
5 Black Cubes
GEMS:
1 Star Crystal
CLUES, OBJECTS FOUND:
Potion of Fortune
Sword
Leather Armour
Backpack[/spoiler]

If she's running away from the beach, she may be aware of even more dangerous creatures there, so follow her.

Follow.

Votes registered, Hector Eliwood will follow her.

144
The woman leaps up the cliff-track. She says nothing but when she reaches a certain point, she stops, sits cross-legged and shuts her eyes. You stand next to her, not knowing what to do. Eventually she opens her eyes, points to you and indicates a path that goes back up and along the clifftop. She then smoothes out a patch in the dusty ground and draws a tent with an insignia of Vulture’s Wings. You try to talk to her but she goes back into a trance. You leave her there and take the route she advised, trudging along the cliff.

The track leads you back into the siege lines but down below, amid the mess of a campaign army, you see a series of tents like the one drawn by the woman. Do you go down at once (turn to 338) or stay where you are to observe (turn to 175)?

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

Stay where we are to observe.

Observe.

We followed the direction of the helpful/grateful NPC, so I vote to trust it to the fullest and go down immediately.

Votes counted, Hector Eliwood will stay where he is to observe, since that option won over going down at once by a 2-1 vote.

175
You observe the activity below you in the camp. Suddenly, you hear a twig break behind you (add 1 point to your LUCK score). You turn round to see two rogues creeping up on you. They carry bundles of swag, swords and pieces of armour. You guess that they are making a living by waylaying solitary soldiers. They attack. Fight each in turn.

First ROGUE SKILL 4 STAMINA 6
Second ROGUE SKILL 5 STAMINA 7

If you win, you make your way down to the tents. Turn to 338.

The fights:
[spoiler](First Rogue)
Round 1: First Rogue Attack Strength: 8, Player Attack Strength: 16;
First Rogue Stamina: 4, Player Stamina: 11
Round 2: First Rogue Attack Strength: 12, Player Attack Strength: 19;
First Rogue Stamina: 2, Player Stamina: 11
Round 3: First Rogue Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 14;
First Rogue Stamina: 0, Player Stamina: 11

(Second Rogue)
Round 1: Second Rogue Attack Strength: 11, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Second Rogue Stamina: 5, Player Stamina: 11
Round 2: Second Rogue Attack Strength: 17, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Second Rogue Stamina: 5, Player Stamina: 11
Round 3: Second Rogue Attack Strength: 13, Player Attack Strength: 14;
Second Rogue Stamina: 3, Player Stamina: 11
Round 4: Second Rogue Attack Strength: 10, Player Attack Strength: 16;
Second Rogue Stamina: 1, Player Stamina: 11
Round 5: Second Rogue Attack Strength: 17, Player Attack Strength: 16;
Second Rogue Stamina: 1, Player Stamina: 9
Round 6: Second Rogue Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 16;
Second Rogue Stamina: -1, Player Stamina: 9[/spoiler]

Hector Eliwood kills the two rogues, but takes a lucky blow of 2 Stamina damage from the Second Rogue in the process.

338
[spoiler][/spoiler]

Your eye is distracted by the glow from the Bracelet on your wrist (mark a captured Citadel Wall on the Adventure Sheet). Then, surveying the scene, you can see lots of activity: weapons, siege engines and towers are being moved hither and thither. No one takes much notice of you. All of a sudden a squad of long-nosed Orcs appears. You guess that they are the legendary Sniffer Orcs. They are marching towards you. You know that you must hide. There are three tents in front of you with their own peculiar insignia. Which do you choose to hide in:

The Skull with Horns? Turn to 22
The Clawed Hand? Turn to 384
The Vulture’s Wings? Turn to 223

[spoiler][/spoiler]

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]Hector Eliwood
SKILL: 10 Initial Skill = 10
STAMINA: 9 Initial Stamina = 19
LUCK: 8 Initial Luck = 8
PROVISIONS: 10
CITADEL WALLS: 12/14
Notes:
None
GOLD: 9
CUBES:
5 Black Cubes
GEMS:
1 Star Crystal
CLUES, OBJECTS FOUND:
Potion of Fortune
Sword
Leather Armour
Backpack[/spoiler]

Vulture’s wings.

Yes, keep following the advice of the grateful NPC.

Vulture's Wings to avoid legendary Sniffer Orcs that I've never heard of before.

Choosing to hide in the Vulture’s Wings tent received 3 votes, so Hector Eliwood will do that.

223
[spoiler][/spoiler]

You enter the tent and find a cloaked figure in the dark recesses. He speaks to you. ‘I have been waiting for you. Come, put on this armour.’ You look astonished and distrustful. He sees this on your face. ‘Fear not,’ he whispers, ‘the Word has been written and passed among the Wazarri warriors. They and their allies will help you whenever they can. You are the Prophecy come true of the New Age. The Winter will be over; you will fire the Spring. I am what you may term a spy. I gather information for the Silent Knights. Now, quickly, put on this armour, helmet and visor. You must ride a patrol north. The rest is up to you. Good Luck.’ Add 1 point to your LUCK score. Turn to 154.

154
[spoiler][/spoiler]

You get outside with your helmet on, visor firmly down. You clank off towards a waiting horse that has the same insignia as your armour. Two Dwarfs rush up to help you get on to the horse. They make a mounting block out of their bodies; they are chained up and seem to be around solely for that purpose. You canter off but you are suddenly joined by six other riders.

You ride in silence, far out beyond the siege lines to the north. You know that you must get rid of the patrol so you send five of them on a sortie east. The one remaining rider will not leave you when asked to. She, it appears, is your bodyguard. Do you try to out-ride her (turn to 85) or just turn around and attack (turn to 255)?

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

Attack her.

Take her by surprise and attack.

I don’t think we’re going to get away from her by running, so attack.

Votes registered, Hector Eliwood will turn around and attack.

255
You attack your bodyguard. Although she is not a full knight, she is very well trained.

BODYGUARD KNIGHT SKILL 8 STAMINA 9

If you survive, turn to 206.

The fight:
[spoiler]Round 1: Bodyguard Knight Attack Strength: 17, Player Attack Strength: 16;
Bodyguard Knight Stamina: 9, Player Stamina: 7
Round 2: Bodyguard Knight Attack Strength: 16, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Bodyguard Knight Stamina: 7, Player Stamina: 7
Round 3: Bodyguard Knight Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 20;
Bodyguard Knight Stamina: 5, Player Stamina: 7
Round 4: Bodyguard Knight Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 19;
Bodyguard Knight Stamina: 3, Player Stamina: 7
Round 5: Bodyguard Knight Attack Strength: 12, Player Attack Strength: 13;
Bodyguard Knight Stamina: 1, Player Stamina: 7
Round 6: Bodyguard Knight Attack Strength: 15, Player Attack Strength: 13;
Bodyguard Knight Stamina: 1, Player Stamina: 5[/spoiler]

Alright, so the fight has progressed to the point where the Bodyguard Knight is at 1 Stamina and Hector Eliwood is at 5 Stamina. Should Luck be used for the rest of the fight to reduce the damage that our hero takes?

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

Adventure Sheet
[spoiler]Hector Eliwood
SKILL: 10 Initial Skill = 10
STAMINA: 5 Initial Stamina = 19
LUCK: 8 Initial Luck = 8
PROVISIONS: 10
CITADEL WALLS: 12/14
Notes:
None
GOLD: 9
CUBES:
5 Black Cubes
GEMS:
1 Star Crystal
CLUES, OBJECTS FOUND:
Potion of Fortune
Sword
Leather Armour
Backpack[/spoiler]

Don't use luck here.

(We need food.)

Agreed, our Luck is not that high. One more successful hit should take care of the bodyguard knight.

Don't use luck.

Thank you for your votes. Luck will not be used for the rest of this fight.

The fight, continued:
[spoiler]Round 7: Bodyguard Knight Attack Strength: 14, Player Attack Strength: 17;
Bodyguard Knight Stamina: -1, Player Stamina: 5[/spoiler]

Hector Eliwood manages to score a finishing blow against the Bodyguard Knight without taking any more damage.

206
You get off the horse when all is clear and take off the hot heavy armour. When the armour crashes to the ground, the horse breaks away from the branch you tied it to and gallops off. Inside the armour you find a small purse containing 5 Gold Coins (add these to your Adventure Sheet). You rest and look around (add 2 points to your STAMINA). Then you notice the Bracelet on your wrist glowing (mark a captured Citadel Wall on the Adventure Sheet) and, recalling the urgency of your mission, you get moving again. You find a track leading to what looks like the river (turn to 20) and another leading to a wider road (turn to 365). Which way do you go?

[spoiler][/spoiler]

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]Hector Eliwood
SKILL: 10 Initial Skill = 10
STAMINA: 7 Initial Stamina = 19
LUCK: 8 Initial Luck = 8
PROVISIONS: 10
CITADEL WALLS: 11/14
Notes:
None
GOLD: 14
CUBES:
5 Black Cubes
GEMS:
1 Star Crystal
CLUES, OBJECTS FOUND:
Potion of Fortune
Sword
Leather Armour
Backpack[/spoiler]

Other horseback riders are less likely to find us by a river, if we're still trying to evade them. So go there.

River.

Sure, river sounds good.