[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 59 - Curse of the Mummy

[SGamerz]

(FF wikia says that Magehunter and this book are the only gamebooks with Dracons in them, but doesn't say if Magehunter named it as such and I don't have that book to hand to check)

The combat section in Magehunter lists it as Golden Lion Lord. I posted a reference and picture in the Magehunter LP thread at the end.

The path you are following leads towards a narrow, steep-sided gorge, the land on either side of it rising up to the cliff-tops. If you have Cranno's Warning written on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 310. Otherwise, turn to 298.

We do...

Remembering the actor's words about the primitive inhabitants of these parts, you can well imagine that this gorge would make a perfect place from which to ambush unwary travellers. Will you carry on directly through the gorge regardless, or will you detour to one side and climb up to the cliff-top in order to avoid the route between them?

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, thinking maybe we should detour here.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, detour.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Take the detour.

[SGamerz]

You half walk and half climb towards the cliff-tops. In a few places you slip, sending a cascade of stones down into the gorge, but eventually you reach the top safely. You must now eat a meal or lose 2 STAMINA points. Looking down at the landscape from your lofty vantage-point, you can see clearly as far as the edge of the hills to the Desert of Skulls and as far south as the Bay of Elkor. If you have a Brass Telescope and wish to use it, tum to 256. Otherwise, turn to 235.

We traded away the telescope earlier...

Crouching low against the top of the cliffs, you encounter no hostile denizens of these parts and, once past the gorge, you follow a stony track down towards the lower ground and rejoin your original path.

As you reach the top of yet another ridge you pass an outcrop of rock, and suddenly your goal becomes visible. At the edge of a vast mesa that stretches to the east and north, rising up between two of the sandy hills is a tall pinnacle of rock, its sides almost vertical. A massive boulder, which appears to be precariously balanced, rests on its flat top. The boulder is covered in swirling patterns formed by veins of some crystalline substance. There is a strong aura of elemental energy about the place and a voice inside your head tells you that this must be Spirit Rock. A thin trail of smoke rises into the air from the top of the boulder, and you can just make out a small cave entrance at its base where it rests on the pinnacle. The Shaman must live at the top of the rock and, from all appearances, you assume that he is there at the moment. However, the only way you are going to gain access to the cave is to scale the pinnacle. If you are determined to seek the Shaman's aid and want to make the dangerous climb, turn to 152. If you would rather abandon this approach and set off in search of the temple once more, turn to 178.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to climb of course.

[Queen of Swords]

We didn't come this far to give up, so make the climb.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Climb.

[Thaluikhain]

Climb peak to ask wise person questions.

[SGamerz]

I just realized I forgot the picture of the (trapped) Dracon in an earlier post. The picture has now been inserted, in case anyone is interested.

The sun is low in the sky by the time you begin your ascent. In this light, Spirit Rock takes on a deep red hue and the veins of crystal sparkle as they catch the sun's last rays. If you have a rope and grapple, tum to 333.Otherwise turn to 391,.

If we have no climbing aids, we need to pass not 1, but 3 SKILL tests (although our SKILL-12 character wouldn't have failed any). Failing any of them leads to us falling off, but the book actually makes it a bit more realistic by making the sequence of the tests important: if we fail the 3rd roll, it means we're close to the top, and falling off is lethal. Failing the 1st roll only causes some slight damage because we only fall a short distance.

You manage to make your way safely to the cave entrance at the base of the great boulder. After a few metres the rough-hewn tunnel opens out into a vast chamber in the centre of the massive boulder. A fire bums in the middle of the chamber, the smoke rising up through a hole in the roof. Sitting, cross-legged, on the far side of the fire is the figure of a man, his head bowed. "Who seeks Lopar, the Shaman of Spirit Rock?" the man asks from the shadows. Sensing the man's aura of Goodness you announce yourself. "And what is your purpose in seeking me?" he asks. Quickly you explain your quest to Lopar. When he looks up suddenly, by the flickering firelight you see that his head is that of a dog. Woven into his fur are various beads and feathers, and his hands resemble paws. "Knowledge can be a dangerous thing in the hands of the ignorant," the Shaman says sagely. "Having braved Spirit Rock you must prove that you are worthy to receive my wisdom by solving my riddle." Startled, you listen to Lopar's conundrum:

"No army can stand against my might,
I am greater than the wind or sea.
All succumb just as day follows night.
High mountains turn to dust before me."

If you know the answer to the riddle, convert the letters of the answer into numbers using the code A = 1 ,B = 2, C = 3...Z = 26. Add the numbers together, then turn to the paragraph whose number is the same as the total. If the paragraph makes no sense, or if you cannot solve the riddle, turn to 161.

Titan already has its own Death god, so poor Anubis has been demoted to a mere Shaman.

Do you know the answer to the riddle?

[Darth Rabbitt]

Time, I believe? So 20+9+13+5=47.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, everyone's read the Hobbit, it's time.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, time.

[JourneymanN00b]

The answer is time.

[SGamerz]

Yeah, everyone's read the Hobbit, it's time.

Thankfully, Jonathan Green is not quite dickish enough to have Lopar ask us what it has in his pockets.

"That is correct, Lopar murmurs "Now sit, and I shall tell you what I know of the Cult of the Cobra and the Curse of Akharis." You sit opposite the dog-headed Shaman and listen to his tale. "The Cult of the Cobra are followers of Sithera, the ancient Djaratian Goddess of Evil. Sithera is, in fact, the Demon Prince Sith in the guise of a four-armed woman with a snake's head. The Djaratians worshipped many of our gods and demigods in the form of animal-headed humans, such as the cat goddess Meerar whom they knew as Seket, Goddess of Joy. The Djaratians also believed strongly in the power of charms. The Cult of the Cobra practise the curse-magic of their long-dead high priests, and you will no doubt need amulets and talismans to protect you from their spells." You ask Lopar how he knows so much about the sect and the history of Djarat. "I was not always as I appear now," he says, sombrely. "When I was a foolish young scholar with a lust for knowledge, searching in the desert I stumbled upon some of the ruins of that once great civilization. I filled my mind with everything and anything I could discover about the race, but I pried too far and disturbed the resting place of a high priestess of Sithera. Inadvertently I released her spirit into the world and suffered her cruel vengeance, before I managed to banish her spectre. However, if you do not stop the Cult, and if Akharis should be returned to this world, the fate of hundreds of innocent people will be much worse than mine. Do all you can to thwart their nefarious plans!" If you have any items in your possession that you wish to ask Lopar about, turn to 194. Otherwise, the Shaman says to you: "Now lie down beside this fire and sleep. You still have a long way to go before you meet your destiny."

[Queen of Swords]

Ask Lopar about the papyrus scroll.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, ask about scroll.

(Also, he didn't actually say if time was the correct answer, it could have been mite, or item or emit. Or other words such as admit which have the same value)

[SGamerz]

The Shaman can tell you more about an object only if you have a number associated with it. If you do have such an item, multiply the appropriate number by thirty, then turn to the paragraph whose number is the same as the total. After you have discovered more about your object, you will be returned to this paragraph. When you have finished showing Lopar your items, he says to you, "Now lie down beside this fire and let sleep take you."

There are already 2 votes to show him the scroll. It's split into 5 columns, so 5x30 = 150:

Lopar unrolls the Papyrus Scroll and scans the columns of picture script. "Ah," he says, "do you know what you have here?" You shake your head. "This is a copy of the hieroglyphic alphabet that was used, centuries ago, by the people of Diarat." The Shaman explains to you how to translate the hieroglyphs into Allansian. If you ever come across any of this hieroglyphic script, you will be able to translate it by subtracting 20 from the number of the paragraph you are on at the time, then turning to the new paragraph number.

More numerical mechanisms unlocked, so this is clearly useful.

Any other items we want to ask him about? You can vote on all the items you wish to show him.

[Queen of Swords]

The golden cross the Dracon gave us has twelve gems set in it, so ask Lopar about that too.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to ask Lopar about the statuette and golden cross.

[SGamerz]

First we show Lopar the "gold cross":

As soon as Lopar sees the golden T-shaped cross, he gasps in amazement. "My friend, you have here one of the most highly venerated and powerful artefacts of the ancient Djartians. This is the Ankh, the Key of Life. Guard it well, for it may be precisely what you need to defeat the Cult and Akharis, should he return!"

And this is the first item we found with the word "Life" in its name/alias, and hence we gain an additional Life!

Now, the statuette:

You take the sandstone statuette from your backpack and show it to the Shaman. He explains that the deity it represents is Assamarra, the now almost forgotten God of the Sand.

There doesn't seem to be an equivalent God of Sand in the modern Titan Celestial Court. Maybe it really is forgotten, as Lopar says!

You wake up as the sun is rising over the eastern hills. You are lying in the middle of a dusty track that wends its way north-westwards through the wilderness. Behind you, many kilometres away on the horizon, you can see the silhouette of Spirit Rock. Lopar has helped you once more on your quest (regain 1 LUCK point and 2 STAMINA points). With renewed vigour you proceed on your way.

Under Glantanka's unrelenting gaze you travel on through the heat of the day. The uneven path leads you further into the wildereness that fringes the Desert of Skulls. You follow the route north-westwards across boulder-strewn hills and through narrow valleys. As you pass through one rocky gully you notice a large hole at its base, leading underground. Do you want to stop and investigate this entrance into the earth or will you continue on your way without hesitation?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Boris O’Connell
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 16/18
LUCK 12/12
Poison: 0/18
Equipment: Sword, backpack, Rope and Grapple, Firepowder (can be thrown at opponent at start of combat, hit after successful Skill test for 1D6 damage), Torch (x2), Lantern, Skins of Oil (x2), Oil of Lotus, Crystal Pyramid, Papyrus Scroll (subtract 20 from section number to translate hieroglyphic script), Statuette of Assamarra, God of the Sand, Ankh (Key of Life, set with 12 precious stones)
Provisions: 7
Gold: 3
Extra Lives remaining: 2
Notes: We received Cranno's Warning,
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Investigate everything.

[Thaluikhain]

Everything must be investigated.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to stop and investigate this entrance into the earth.

[SGamerz]

There is a hole and of course Boris must penetrate it.

The hole is actually the entrance to a natural funnel. The air inside it is hot and dry. The tunnel does not go very far before opening into a small cavern. At this time of day the sun's rays penetrate even this subterranean chamber. Suddenly you hear the grating sound of scales on stone and the scratching of claws. You spin around, to see a large, reptilian creature with a long, dragon-like head and fang-filled mouth running at you from out of the shadows on six crocodile legs. A black tongue snakes out from between the Rasaur's jaws as it dashes towards you. You must fight this carnivorous
reptile.

RASAUR SKILL 8 STAMINA 9

If the Rasaur wins an Attack Round, roll one dice. On a roll of 4 to 6, it will hit you with its tongue, on the end of which is a poison gland (deduct 1 further STAMINA point and add r to your POISON score). If you win, turn to 282.

COMBAT LOG:
Rasaur 16, Boris O'Connell 19. Rasaur is at 7.
Rasaur 17, BOC 18. Rasaur is at 5.
Rasaur 14, BOC 22. Rasaur is at 3.
Rasaur 14, BOC 19. Rasaur is at 1.
Rasaur 12, BOC 21. Rasaur is killed.

Boris manages to flawless the creature without ever coming close to getting hit by its poisonous tongue.

Wiping the lizard's blood from your sword, you survey the cavern. On the far side you can see a mound of loose earth with a hollow in the top, in which rest two sandy-coloured eggs. Around the nest are scattered the bones of wild dogs and even pieces of a human skeleton. If you want to search the debris, tum to 65. Otherwise, you have no option but to leave the Rasaur's cave,