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

[Queen of Swords]

Take the wand, and visit the tombs.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Take wand and I think we want to visit shrines before tombs.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to take the wand and make for the shrines.

[SGamerz]

All the shrines have been either plundered or desecrated - except for one. Amid the destruction one, small, tomblike structure has been left untouched. Nearing the building, you sense a strong aura of Goodness washing over you like a refreshing wave. What could be inside to create this atmosphere of calm? You could open the door of the tomb and enter it or leave here without further delay.

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Boris O’Connell
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 14/18
LUCK 12/12
Poison: 4/18
Equipment: Sword, backpack, Rope and Grapple, Firepowder (can be thrown at opponent at start of combat, hit after successful Skill test for 1D6 damage), Lantern + Skin of Oil (default light source), 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), Jet Cat, Earthenware jar (x4), Gold statue of Cracca, Lord of Rivers and Ferryman of the Gods, Dajaratian Book of the Dead, Falcon Breastplate (60 feathers), Golden Key ('34' inscribed on it), Malachite Amulet, Eye Amulet, Iron Wand
Provisions: 8
Gold: 3
Extra Lives remaining: 1
Notes: We received Cranno's Warning. "And all those who would despoil the shrine of Cracca, Lord of Rivers and Ferryman of the Gods, beware the wrath of the crocodile-headed one." We gained the Wisdom of Khunam (understanding of ancient Djaratian speech - add 30 to section number when spoken to in that language). Dajaratian dead making their journey through the underworld must face thirteen hazards.
[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

Open the door.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to open the door of the tomb and enter it in order to gain essential items for this adventure.

[Queen of Swords]

Yes, let's open the door.

[SGamerz]

You push the door open with ease and enter a lavishly furnished burial chamber. The charms of Good protecting this tomb have saved it from the ravages of the evil ones. Lying on an ornate Djaratian couch is a body wrapped from head to toe in constricting bandages which have preserved it perfectly. As you approach, the Mummy does not move. You cannot help thinking that you may be able to gain further assistance here - but how? If you have some Oil of Lotus, turn to 384. Otherwise, you will have to go out of this tomb, leaving everything in place.

Some intuitive feeling tells you to anoint the Mummy with the oil. As soon as you do so, a shimmering light appears next to the couch and forms into the glowing, blue-white figure of a Djaratian woman wearing fine clothes an a falcon-shaped head-dress. Then the ghostly lady speaks to you in dulcet tones: "Stranger, why do you wake me from my sleep of eternity?" You feel compelled to be truthful, so you relate your mission to her. "I am Princess Nemset, daughter of Horari, twenty-fourth king of Djarat," the ghost says. "and I will help you in your task to destroy the Evil One. But first, I long to play my favourite game, Tenet, again." Nemset points to a table whose surface is divvied into a grid and with playing pieces set up on it. "If I teach you the rules, will you play against me?" the Princess asks sweetly.

Will you grant her request or, fearing that time is running short, will you tell her that you must leave at once?

Do we have time for a board game?

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to grant her request.

[Thaluikhain]

Play random board game, I guess.

[Queen of Swords]

If she'll help in our quest, sure, play the game.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Grant her request.

[SGamerz]

The surface of the gaming-table is divided into fifty squares and at either end is a row of counters; one set is black and one set white. The whole set-up looks like this:



Nemset explains that the idea of the game is to get one of your pieces to the other end of the board; the first person to do so wins the game. Pieces can move one or two squares forward at a time but in no other direction. However, if, on your ham, your way is blocked by a piece directly in front of yours, you may move your piece just one square into an empty space on either side (but not backwards); this is the only time when you can move sideways. A good tactic is to try to trap your opponent's pieces so that they cannot move. Nemset chooses to play white and directs you where to move her pieces, while you are black. White goes first. Test your Skill, adding 2 to the dice roll. If you succeed, turn to 53. If you fail, turn to 129.

Apparently, the game is tough enough that even a guy with max SKILL won't get an auto-win...

Dice roll = 8(+2) = 10. Success!...

You become engrossed in the game, forgetting your worries for a while. Soon the board looks like this:



As you can see, the piece, Black One, is trapped at the moment by White One and White Two. It is your turn; which piece will you move?

Black Two?
Black Three?
Black Four?
Black Five?

...But even with successful roll, we haven't quite won yet...

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to move Black Two and to move it one square down in order to have it get a clear shot to the goal.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, obviously black 2.

[SGamerz]

You move the piece sideways to the left, and Nemset moves White Two, two squares forward. Black One is now free to move. Will you move Black One or Black Two again?

[Thaluikhain]

Black 2 again

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, Black Two again.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to move Black Two again.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Move Black Two again.

[SGamerz]

It is a close-run thing, but you just beat Nemset to the end of the board. You have won! "I congratulate you, adventurer," Nemset says graciously. "For your success you deserve a prize." The ghost directs you to a golden casket inside the tomb. Opening it, you find an amulet on a golden chain, representing the sun, with twenty-four stylized rays of light projecting from it. There is also a small, decorative glass bottle, full of water, etched with the Djaratian symbol for life. "Take the Sun Talisman and the Waters of Life," says the princess, "and may they help you thwart the evil one." If you ever want to drink the Waters of Life (but not when you are in the middle of a combat), make a note of the paragraph you are reading at the time, then turn to 355. For now, add your new possessions to your Adventure Sheet, then turn to 322.

We'd just found another item with the word "Life" in its name, so we gain a new extra life!

"Farewell, brave adventurer," says the ghost. "Remember, Akharis gains strength from his coffin." As you leave her tomb, the spirit of Princess Nemset adds, "May the gods of Djarat favour the noble-hearted."

Well, at least the word "coffin" is in the singular, so we won't have to go around hunting for multiple hidden coffins to destroy like we had to do for Reiner Heydrich!

Will you now make your way to Sithera's forbidding temple or will you first explore the tombs of the Diaratians, if you have not already done so?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Boris O’Connell
SKILL 12/12
STAMINA 14/18
LUCK 12/12
Poison: 4/18
Equipment: Sword, backpack, Rope and Grapple, Firepowder (can be thrown at opponent at start of combat, hit after successful Skill test for 1D6 damage), Lantern + Skin of Oil (default light source), 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), Jet Cat, Earthenware jar (x4), Gold statue of Cracca, Lord of Rivers and Ferryman of the Gods, Dajaratian Book of the Dead, Falcon Breastplate (60 feathers), Golden Key ('34' inscribed on it), Malachite Amulet, Eye Amulet, Iron Wand, Sun Talisman (24 rays of light projecting from it), Waters of Life (can be drunk at any time outside combat, turn to 355 for effect when drunk)
Provisions: 8
Gold: 3
Extra Lives remaining: 2
Notes: We received Cranno's Warning. "And all those who would despoil the shrine of Cracca, Lord of Rivers and Ferryman of the Gods, beware the wrath of the crocodile-headed one." We gained the Wisdom of Khunam (understanding of ancient Djaratian speech - add 30 to section number when spoken to in that language). Dajaratian dead making their journey through the underworld must face thirteen hazards. Akharis gains strength from his coffin.
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

That was a useful encounter. Explore the tombs.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to make our way to Sithera's forbidding temple, as I feel that exploring the tombs of the Djaratians is just asking to get cursed or something.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Eat a meal, then go explore the tombs. Quite possible there’s nothing good there but doing things is more fun than not doing things.

[Thaluikhain]

Explore the tombs.