[Let's Play] Fighting Fantazine Adventure 5: Bones of the Banished

[Queen of Swords]

We finally defeated Thrandeus!

Use the Halcyon Crystal against Wanushu.

[Thaluikhain]

Use magic crystal, yeah.

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote to use the crystal.

[Beroli]

You produce the Halcyon Crystal and hold it before the enslaved Wanushu. It pulses with golden light, its shining rays blasting away the crimson glow that infects the warrior’s eyes. He shakes his head in confusion and then looks upon you with eyes that truly see you.

You quickly cut down Kuwi from the trap. She runs into her father’s embrace, tears streaming down her face. Wanushu explains that he ventured to the Cauldron to hunt the beasts that lurk in the nearby swamps. He had just finished setting his last snare when he blacked out. His face darkens with anger when you explain Valgrek’s treachery.

‘Then we have no time to waste. Follow me!’ With that he bounds off into the bushes. From now on, Wanushu will fight by your side, and you may add 2 to your Attack Strength while he accompanies you.

(If you had failed the Luck test, you would have been the one caught in the snare. Wanushu would have killed Kuwi, after which the gamebook would have checked for Sefu's presence; if he wasn't there Wanushu would use you for target practice and that would be the end of your adventure. Since he was there, he would have achieved mutual destruction with Wanushu, and you'd have a chance to finish the gamebook, with only Paru as your companion.

If you had killed Wanushu, Kuwi would refuse to leave his body and you'd lose her as a companion for the rest of the gamebook.)

Your path is soon blocked by a vast swampland that stretches all the way to the rim of the Cauldron. The most direct route is straight through the reed-choked fens, but it is also the path most fraught with danger. The alternative is to backtrack and take the longer, but safer path through the woods to the north-east.

Cut through the swamp?
Take the longer path through the forest?

Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 10/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: Meal, Meal, Meal, Meal, Rope, strange wood-and-metal staff, Charm of Endurance, Halcyon Crystal, _________, _________
Companions: Kuwi, Paru (+2 Attack Strength), Sefu (+2 Attack Strength), Wanushu (+2 Attack Strength)
Delays: 5
Special Notes: Circlet of Hamaskis, Lung Rot
Deaths: Mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, eaten by a dragon, mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, driven insane by a creature from nightmare, mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, blown up by igniting natural gas

[Queen of Swords]

Take the longer path through the forest.

[Thaluikhain]

Longer and safer.

[Beroli]

You are forced to head back the way you came, rounding the fringes of the swamp and then striking back to the east through a narrow strip of woodland that hugs the edge of the Cauldron. It is a long, tiring trek, but also an uneventful one. Soon you reach the eastern rim of the valley; gain 2 Delays.

At last you have reached the eastern rim of the Cauldron. Thankfully there is a narrow pass that ascends to the lip of the valley through which you can reach the plains. Before you can proceed, however, there is one last obstacle to overcome.

Standing before you is a large beast with a bulky body, standing on four short legs. A short tail hangs behind it. A neck frill that is crowned with six long spikes surrounds the head of the animal. A smaller horn extends from each of its cheeks, and a single long horn protrudes from above its beaked nose. The beast is familiar to you, for it is Longspike, the lifelong companion of your former chieftain, that threw him to his death in a fit of madness. It must have wandered down to the Cauldron after the death of its master, seekng a place where your hunters would not follow.

Longspike stamps the ground with its clawed feet, snorting angrily and tossing about its spiked head. Its hooded eyes radiate a sinister red glow, suggesting that Valgrek has played some part in the beast’s enraged state. Longspike is blocking the pass; if you wish to proceed, you will have to defeat it!

STYRACOSAURUS Skill 12 Stamina 14

Use the Halcyon Crystal?
Fight Longspike (vote on how to use Luck if you choose this one)?

Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 10/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: Meal, Meal, Meal, Meal, Rope, strange wood-and-metal staff, Charm of Endurance, Halcyon Crystal, _________, _________
Companions: Kuwi, Paru (+2 Attack Strength), Sefu (+2 Attack Strength), Wanushu (+2 Attack Strength)
Delays: 7
Special Notes: Circlet of Hamaskis, Lung Rot
Deaths: Mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, eaten by a dragon, mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, driven insane by a creature from nightmare, mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, blown up by igniting natural gas

[Queen of Swords]

If Valgrek has used the Slaver Gem against it, maybe the Halcyon Crystal would help?

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to try out the crystal.

[Beroli]

You point the Halcyon Crystal at Longspike; immediately it flares with golden light. The crimson glow slowly fades from the beast’s eyes as the magic of the crystal undoes the evil of the Slaver Gem. Calm falls over Longspike, and it lowers its great head in subservience.

Longspike will now accompany you in your journey. He has a Skill of 12 and a Stamina of 14. Riding atop the beast will allow you to proceed with great speed, but there is only room atop him for yourself and Kuwi. Paru, Sefu, and Wanushu will need to follow along behind you as quickly as they can. Reduce your Delays by 4.

Leaving the steaming jungles of the Cauldron behind at last, you race across the Plain of Bones, hot on the heels of the traitors Valgrek and Ogil, and your enslaved tribe. The hours fly by as the sweat pours off your brow in the scorching sun. Then you see it, a huge plume of dust kicked up by the passage of Valgrek’s convoy. As you get closer, you can see the bone-barred cages that hold your people, dragged along behind enormous scaled beasts. At the head of the convoy rides Valgrek, mounted atop the most feared predator of all time–-the Tyrant King. The conclusion of your quest is within sight, but how long as it taken you to get here?

Your Delays is less than 4.

Valgrek glares at you from the harness affixed to his monstrous mount. ‘Wretched hunter, you are no different to the rest of those muscle-bound fools. Real strength lies in magic, not physical strength! It is I that should have led the tribe, not some dim-witted warrior-chieftain. Now you will all pay the price for your ignorance!’

You close in on the evil shaman and his monstrous mount. Before you can reach him however, a great flying reptile intercepts you. It descends from the clear sky and lands in front of you; its beady eyes burn with the red flame of the Slaver Gem’s influence. Sitting astride the broad-winged beast is Ogmil. ‘I told you I would looks after things,’ he grins slyly.

You move forward to end his pitiful life once and for all. You must fight Ogmil and his flying mount at the same time.

OGMIL Skill 7 Stamina 7
PTERANODON Skill 8 Stamina 9

Use the Halcyon Crystal?
Let Longspike fight Ogmil and his mount (if you choose this one, you cannot participate in the fight, but will need to finish it if Longspike is killed)?
Fight Ogmil and his mount (vote on how to use Luck if you choose this one)?

Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 10/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: Meal, Meal, Meal, Meal, Rope, strange wood-and-metal staff, Charm of Endurance, Halcyon Crystal, _________, _________
Companions: Kuwi, Longspike (Skill 12, Stamina 14)
Delays: 3
Special Notes: Circlet of Hamaskis, Lung Rot
Deaths: Mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, eaten by a dragon, mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, driven insane by a creature from nightmare, mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, blown up by igniting natural gas

[Queen of Swords]

See if the Halcyon Crystal works against the Pteranodon.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to use the Halcyon Crystal.

[Thaluikhain]

Use crystal, hopefully so it throws it's rider.

And...we've got lots of companions and they haven't died right away yet, odd.

[Beroli]

Once more you reveal the Halcyon Crystal. The golden light flows from it towards Ogmil, softening his hate-filled face. ‘I didn’t know what the Gem could do,’ he moans, ‘Valgrek sent me to the Cauldron to search for it, but I had no idea what he had planned. You have to believe me.’

His expression hardens. ‘Still, what’s done is done. Master has promised me Kuwi as my bride. We shall be together at long last!’

A dry chuckle, like the rustling of dry parchment, echoes across the plains. ‘Fool!’ cries Valgrek, seated in his harness atop the terrible Tyrant King, ‘The girl will be sold to the Lizard-folk, same as the others. Her unmarked hide will fetch a high price!’

Ogmil stares at the shaman in shocked silence. ‘But… you promised me!’ he sputters, his features contorting in anger. The apprentice strikes at his winged mount, forcing it up into the air. ‘You promised me!’ Ogmil screams as he directs the flying reptile towards Valgrek. Before the old shaman can react, the creature swoops down and plucks him from his seat. The beast, master and apprentice ascend into the sky, higher and higher, until there is a blinding flash. All three then plummet from the sky, spiralling through the air before crashing into the hard dirt of the plains. The smoking bodies of Ogmil and his mount lie still, but there is life in Valgrek still!

The Tyrant King, supreme lord of all carnivores in the Plain of Bones, now stands before you. The monster stands some five metres high on two large and powerful hind limbs. A long, heavy tail swings behind it. Two tiny forelimbs extend from his chest; above these, a short, muscular neck connects to the creature’s massive head, the jaws of which are lined with curved, dagger-like teeth.

The killing machine steps towards you, ready to tear you limb from limb.

Valgrek has been knocked off his mount.

Valgrek may have been dismounted from the Tyrant King, but the fearsome carnivore remains under the malign influence of the Slaver Gem. Then you see it, fastened into a harness that sits about the monster’s head. The evil artefact pulses with the same fell light that emanates from the creature’s eyes. If you were to get your hands on the Gem you may be able to undo its magic. Armed with this knowledge, you prepare to fight for your life!

TYRANNOSAURUS REX Skill 13 Stamina 25

I would pause to ask if you want to use the Halcyon Crystal, but doing so merely tells you that the Halcyon Crystal won't work this close to the Slaver Gem.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex fights you and Longspike together. Each time it wins an Attack Round, roll one die; on a 1-2 it does 4 damage to Longspike, on a 3-6 it does 4 damage to you. If you (or Longspike) wins two consecutive Attack Rounds you can attempt to strike a blow at the Slaver Gem. If the fight is still going after six rounds something will happen.

Bearing all of that in mind, vote on how to use Luck here.

Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 10/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: Meal, Meal, Meal, Meal, Rope, strange wood-and-metal staff, Charm of Endurance, Halcyon Crystal, _________, _________
Companions: Kuwi, Longspike (Skill 12, Stamina 14)
Delays: 3
Special Notes: Circlet of Hamaskis, Lung Rot
Deaths: Mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, eaten by a dragon, mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, driven insane by a creature from nightmare, mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, blown up by igniting natural gas

[JourneymanN00b]

Use Luck to deal extra damage.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed.

[Beroli]

Round One: George 18, Tyrannosaurus Rex 20, Longspike 20.
Round Two: George 16, Tyrannosaurus Rex 18, Longspike 15. Tyrannosaurus Rex does 4 damage to George.
Round Three: George 20, Tyrannosaurus Rex 16, Longspike 20. Both of you hit the Tyrannosaurus. Luck Test succeeds with a 2. The Tyrannosaurus Rex takes a total of 6 damage.
Round Four: George 20, Tyrannosaurus Rex 24, Longspike 17. Tyrannosaurus Rex does 4 damage to George.
Round Five: George 12, Tyrannosaurus Rex 23, Longspike 19. Tyrannosaurus Rex does 4 damage to George.
Round Six: George 18, Tyrannosaurus Rex 22, Longspike 21. Tyrannosaurus Rex does 4 damage to Longspike.

A horn blasts in the distance behind you to the east. You turn to face a veritable battalion of Lizard Men charging towards you, each mounted on a lumbering, spiky beast. The buyers that Valgrek was going to sell your enslaved people to have arrived to claim their goods! You do not have long before they are upon you.

You do have delayed companions.

However, they are all human and unable to do anything to stop a horde of Lizard Men.

There is nothing you can do as the Lizard Men surround you and cut you to pieces. Rewinding...

[Beroli]

I'm actually going to call back to Revenge of the Vampire and take a vote on which save point to reload now.

Attack the sleeping Dragon?
You must reload this save point if you wish to gain a magical weapon during this adventure.
Stay away from the tomb?
Take the swamp path?

[Queen of Swords]

Might as well try attacking the sleeping dragon, I guess.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to attack the Dragon, as we really messed up by not following the advice to do so.

[Beroli]

The chamber is rent by a narrow but deep chasm that stretches across your path from one wall to the other. Water must be flowing through the rift somewhere far below. The only way across the chasm is via a stone slab that someone has placed here in ages past. You cross over the makeshift bridge and continue to the far side of the cave, which narrows to a tunnel once more before again opening up into another chamber.

You have entered a vast stone vault that lies at the very heart of the dark mountain. The chamber is so large that you cannot see its ceiling or the other side-–the walls simply dissolve into inky blackness. What you can see, however, chills you to the bone.

A mighty winged beast lies curled before you, its red, scaly hide glistening in the torchlight. Its four enormous limbs end in shining, armoured talons, each as long as your arm. Resting on one clawed forelimb is a long, lizard-like head, dominated by a fang-filled maw that splits it in two. Thankfully, its eyes are closed – the RED DRAGON appears to be asleep.

You have not caused a loud noise earlier in the complex.

You tiptoe towards the slumbering beast, weapon at the ready. Test your Luck; a 9 succeeds.

You strike the monster a powerful blow directly between its lidded eyes for 4 damage.

The beast’s eyelids flick open, revealing twin golden orbs that fix you with a heart-stopping gaze. You have woken the Red Dragon from its decades of uninterrupted slumber! The reptilian monster rears up on to its hind legs and unfolds its vast wings, filling the cavern with its wingspan. All you can do is grip your weapon and prepare for the epic confrontation.

RED DRAGON Skill 12 Stamina 2016

Every time your opponent wins an Attack Round, roll one die and consult the table below to see what attack it uses against you (you may Test your Luck to reduce the damage inflicted in the normal way):
1-2 Tail Swipe – your opponent whips its tail at you, inflicting 2 stamina points of damage and knocking you off your feet. Fight the next round with a -1 penalty to your Attack Strength as you get to your feet.
2-4 Claws – the Dragon swipes at you with its wicked claws, inflicting 3 stamina points of damage.
5-6 Fireball – a ball of fire bursts from the Dragon’s jaws, scorching your hair and exposed flesh. Lose 4 stamina points.

After four rounds, something will happen.

Vote on how to use Luck here.

Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 15/15
Luck: 9/10
Weapon: Dagger
Rucksack contents: Meal, Meal, Rope, strange wood-and-metal staff, Fangthane Gold, Charm of Endurance, _________, _________, _________, _________
Companions: None
Trophies: Fangthane Gold
Special Notes: Circlet of Hamaskis, lit torch
Deaths: Mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, eaten by a dragon, mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, driven insane by a creature from nightmare, mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, blown up by igniting natural gas, torn to shreds by Lizard Men

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to use luck to deal extra damage.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed.

[Beroli]

Round One: George 15, Red Dragon 17, Dragon swipes with claws. George Stamina: 12.
Round Two: George 19, Red Dragon 23, Dragon swipes with claws. George Stamina: 9.
Round Three: George 19, Red Dragon 20, Dragon lashes with tail. George Stamina: 7.
Round Four: George 18, Red Dragon 21, Dragon swipes with claws. George Stamina: 4.

Once more the enraged Dragon swipes at you with its claws. This time you are too slow in dodging its attack, and the beast smashes your weapon out of your hand. It skitters away into the darkness and out of reach.

You do have a strange wood-and-metal staff.

Unarmed and desperate, you rummage through your carry sack for something to aid you. Your hand finds the odd device of metal and wood that Kilgar gave you. Figuring that an unconventional weapon is better than no weapon at all, you whip out the staff and prepare to do battle once more. Roaring in fury, the dragon sweeps its massive head towards you, cavernous jaws threatening to swallow you whole. Skillfully you sidestep the incoming attack and rap the staff across the monster’s snout. Test your Luck; a 5 succeeds.

An ear-splitting boom shakes your bones as you strike the dragon, a blast of fire and smoke shooting out of the flared metal end of the staff and filling the cavern with ochreous light for one brilliant moment. In disbelief you watch as the dragon totters about on unsteady limbs before crashing to the floor with an earth-shaking thud.

As the smoke clears, you find your titanic opponent lying dead before you, a scorched, ragged hole where its left eye used to be.

You have achieved the impossible and slain the Dragon! Restore 2 Luck points for overcoming such an awesome foe. After taking a moment to recover your strength (and collect your weapon if you lost it) you set to work on cutting out a worthy trophy from your fallen foe (you now have the Dragon’s Eye).

As you are about to leave, you notice the glint of metal. A pile of coins and trinkets lies trapped beneath the heavy bulk of the creature. It is the treasure hoard that the Dragon has accumulated over the years from countless victims. Nothing in the pile is of any use to you except for a shining blade of exotic design. Although you have little experience in wielding such a weapon, some intuition compels you take it with you; the Shining Sword is a magic weapon. Your torch is beginning to sputter out, so you set to work on looking for a way out.

By chance you find a twisting passage that leads you back to the entrance cave. You decide to leave the gloomy peak behind and return to the more familiar surroundings of the open plains.

Evening approaches swiftly, and it is time you made your way back to Boneridge Village for the completion of the Rite of Banishment.

Take the most direct route home through a small forest?
Take the longer route home through wilder territory?

Feel free to vote as far in advance as your vote is "do the same thing we did last time." Also, you can eat up to three Meals for the three noncombat passages following the Dragon's death.

Name: George
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 4/15
Luck: 10/10
Weapon: Shining Sword
Rucksack contents: Meal, Meal, Rope, Dragon's Eye, Fangthane Gold, Charm of Endurance, _________, _________, _________, _________
Companions: None
Trophies: Fangthane Gold, Dragon's Eye
Special Notes: Circlet of Hamaskis
Deaths: Mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, eaten by a dragon, mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, driven insane by a creature from nightmare, mercilessly crushed by Thrandeus, blown up by igniting natural gas, torn to shreds by Lizard Men

[Queen of Swords]

Nice, the blunderbuss came in handy!

Take the most direct route home.