[Let’s Play] ACE Gamebook 06 – Dracula – Curse of the Vampire

[deaddmwalking]

I don't like what Mina's story looked like as we get close to the castle. Stay as the good doctor.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted; staying as John Seward won by a 2-1 vote.

25

You reconvene later that evening in your suite after supper, at Mina’s request. (Restore up to 4 Endurance points.)

She comes to the meeting armed with all manner of notes, maps and other papers.

“I have been carrying out my own investigation into the matter of how the Count intends to return to Castle Dracula, and I believe I have made a discovery,” she says. “My surmise is this – that in London the Count decided to get back to his castle by water, as the most safe and secret way. He was brought from the castle by Szgany gypsies, and they probably delivered their cargo to Slovaks who took the boxes of earth to Varna, to be shipped to London. Thus, the Count knew who could arrange this service again for the return journey.

“When the box was on land, before sunrise or after sunset, the vampire came out from his makeshift coffin and met with Skinsky, instructing him to arrange carriage for the box upriver. When this was done, he covered his tracks...”

She spreads the map out on a table so that all of you can see it quite clearly.

“I have examined this chart and find that the river most suitable for the Slovaks to have ascended is either the Pruth or the Sereth. Of these two, the Pruth is the more easily navigated, but the Sereth is, at Fundu, joined by the Bistritza which runs up round the Borgo Pass. It makes a loop around Castle Dracula and so is the closest that can be got to his home by water.”

“Now we are on his trail once again!” Van Helsing exclaims in delight. “We may yet succeed in our mission. Our enemy has the start on us, so here and now we must plan what we are all going to do and do it tonight!”

“I shall book passage on a boat travelling upstream and follow him,” says Arthur.

“And I shall hire horses, to follow on the bank in case he puts ashore,” says Quincey.

“Good!” says the Professor. “But neither of you must go alone. There may be the Count’s allies to overcome; the Szgany is strong and rough, and he carries rude arms.”

You speak up quickly, volunteering yourself to accompany one of your fellows, but who do you want to travel with? Will it be Arthur (turn to 219), or Quincey (turn to 249)?

Please make your votes by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

Dr John Seward’s Adventure Sheet

Add 30 to the section number and read that one instead.
Agility = 10
Combat = 8
Endurance = 20
ESP = 6
Terror = 3
The Pen is Mightier: 0 uses
Equipment and Notes:
Winchester Rifle
Holy Bible
Silver Crucifix
Blood: 11
Code Words:
Suicide
Succubus
Spectre
Kereszt
Gonosz
Varázslat
Szerencse
Lángok
Azrael
Bogey
Demeter
Somnambulism
Barbastella
Lunatic
Eptesicus
Exsanguination
Quinquaginta
Orvos
Lycanthropy
Vânători

[Beroli]

Accompany Quincey.

[Thaluikhain]

May as well.

[deaddmwalking]

Yes, let's go with the heavily armed Texan.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; traveling with Quincey.

249

“Excellent!” says Van Helsing once you are paired up. “I will take Madam Mina to Veresti by train, and then by carriage, following the route Jonathan journeyed, from Bistritz over the Borgo Pass, and thus we will find our way to Castle Dracula. There, Madam Mina’s hypnotic power will surely help, for we shall find our way all dark and unknown otherwise after the first sunrise when we are near that fateful place. There is much to be done, and many places to be sanctified, so that his nest of vipers be obliterated.”

*     *     *     *

Less than two hours after your macabre visit to the graveyard of St Peter’s you are on your way, travelling westwards on horseback towards the Carpathian Mountains, following the course of the Sereth River as closely as you can.

If you have the code word Vânători ticked off, turn to 12. If not, turn to 981.

John Seward has the code word Vânători ticked off.

12

The road soon climbs away from the river, as the Sereth enters a steep-sided gorge, and you find yourselves within a range of steep-sided wooded hills.

It does not feel like you have gone many miles from Galatz when you become aware of a slavering panting sound chasing after you along the road.

“They’re back,” Quincey mutters and you both know to whom he is referring.

Twisting in the saddle and looking behind you, you see lean dark furred shapes loping along the road on all fours after you, red eyes blazing from the darkness.

If you are in possession of some Silver Bullets, turn to 32. If not, turn to 52.

John Seward is not in possession of some Silver Bullets.

52

Spurring your steed onwards, you race along the road through the night as the twig-fingers of branches reach for you from the side of the road.

Take an Agility test. If you pass the test, turn to 102, but if you fail the test, turn to 82.

Rolling the dice yielded an 8, so John Seward passes the Agility test.

102

“Look!” shouts Quincey and there, two hundred yards away, you make out a wooden bridge wide enough for a cart to cross, spanning the crevasse where a waterfall tumbles down between the hills.

But your attention is drawn back to the pack pursuing you when you hear a savage snarl to your right and realise that one of the Werewolves has caught up with you.

If you want to use The Pen is Mightier special ability, and you still can, turn to 134. If not, turn to 156.

John Seward can no longer use The Pen is Mightier.

156

You have no choice but to fight off your pursuer as best you can, whilst clinging onto your mount’s reins with one hand and taking your sword in hand with the other. (You must reduce your Combat Rating by one point for the duration of this battle, but you have the initiative.)

WEREWOLF     COMBAT 7     ENDURANCE 8

If you manage to slay the Werewolf within 6 Combat Rounds, or you reduce the Werewolf’s Endurance score to 3 points or fewer, whichever is sooner, turn to 188 at once.

Since John Seward has a rifle and the initiative, I will rule that he can use it against the Werewolf, as these rifles can be used one-handed. See John Wayne and the chase scene in the 1992 Dracula film to know what I mean. Rolling the dice for the first Combat Test yielded a 4, so he deals 3 Endurance points of damage to the Werewolf. Rolling the dice for the second Combat Test yielded a 6, so he deals 3 more Endurance points of damage to the Werewolf. With the Werewolf’s Endurance by 2, we will now head to section 188.

188

Reaching the bridge, you spur your horse across it as Quincey uses his lighter to set fire to the rag you realise he has stuffed into the neck of an open bottle of Bourbon rum. Raising his arm, he hurls the bottle behind him.

The Texan’s improvised bomb smashes against the wooden planks, the alcohol splashing across the entire width of the bridge as it bursts into flames.

You hear the Werewolves howl in shock and see the lupine forms of your pursuers come to a sudden stop behind the wall of flames.

Turn to 981.

981

After three days on the road, you are feeling weary, having only had as much rest as was needful for the horses.

At Fundu you hear that the Fantomă, carrying one third of your party, has gone up the Bistritza. It is bitterly cold and there are signs of coming snow.

And then, on the fifth day since you left Galatz, with it having started snowing the night before, you reach the foot of the Borgo Pass.

Pressing on into the night, through the trees and the darkness and the snow, you see the flickering lights of a campfire.

Do you want to turn off the road and head towards the fire, in the hope of maybe warming your bones before continuing on your way (turn to 870), or would you prefer to keep going along the Borgo Pass (turn to 953)?

Please make your votes by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

Dr John Seward’s Adventure Sheet

Add 30 to the section number and read that one instead.
Agility = 10
Combat = 8
Endurance = 20
ESP = 6
Terror = 3
The Pen is Mightier: 0 uses
Equipment and Notes:
Winchester Rifle
Holy Bible
Silver Crucifix
Blood: 11
Code Words:
Suicide
Succubus
Spectre
Kereszt
Gonosz
Varázslat
Szerencse
Lángok
Azrael
Bogey
Demeter
Somnambulism
Barbastella
Lunatic
Eptesicus
Exsanguination
Quinquaginta
Orvos
Lycanthropy
Vânători

[Thaluikhain]

Investigate random fire.

[Beroli]

Keep going along the pass.

[deaddmwalking]

Investigate the fire.

[JourneymanN00b]

Heading towards the fire in the hope of warming our hero’s bones before continuing on his way got 2 votes, so John Seward will do this.

870

Dismounting, you and Quincey lead your horses by the reins between the trees towards the flickering firelight. You emerge into a clearing at the centre of which a large fire is blazing. Positioned around it are a number of brightly-painted and ornately-decorated covered wagons. Sitting around the fire is a group of burly men and slight women, dressed in the native dress of Transylvanian gypsies; the men are wearing thick sheepskin jackets and large, fur-lined hats, while the women’s heads are covered by shawls or bright red bandanas, and all manner of jangling trinkets hang from their wrists and headscarves.

As you approach the camp, several of the men get to their feet and approach you, and you are all too aware of the rifles they are carrying in their hands, not to mention the axes and long knives they have tucked into their thick leather belts.

One of the broad-shouldered men, whose thick black beard is streaked with grey, says something to you in what you assume is his native tongue.

How will you respond? If you want to draw your own weapon, turn to 843. If you would prefer to say something in your own language, turn to 752.

Please make your votes by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

[deaddmwalking]

Speak first.

[Beroli]

Speak to them.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; saying something in his own language.

752

“Ah, English! What-what?” says the older man in heavily accented English, a broad smile splitting his face and a gold tooth glinting in the firelight. “Tally-ho! Stiff upper lip, what-what?”

He bows respectfully then, his moment of frivolity having passed, and says, “Welcome! Come in peace, go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring.”

Take an ESP test. If you pass the test, turn to 723. If you fail the test, turn to 646.

Rolling the dice yielded a 12, so John Seward has failed the ESP test.

646

The gypsies make room for you by the campfire and their welcome warms you even more than the burning logs. You start to relax, feeling the tension ease from your tired body. Soon you find a bowl of goulash in your hands and tuck in gladly to the hot, meaty stew. (Regain 4 Endurance points.)

Someone picks up a mandora and starts playing, while a young woman starts to dance, stamping out the rhythm of the tune as she swirls her bright red shawl around her.

You and Quincey are just finishing your meal when a hush falls over the gypsies and you look up to see another woman emerge from the back of one of the wagons, descend the wooden steps and enter the circle. Her black hair falls in wavy tresses over her shoulders, framing a face that is a picture of beauty. Her olive skin is smooth, her lips are full and red, but it is her eyes that cause you to stare at her for an impolitely long time. They are dark, and ringed with kohl, and while they sparkle in the firelight, you also feel like they are the oldest eyes you have ever seen.

In her hands, she carries a golden goblet and, approaching you, offers it to you. With a nod of her head, she indicates that she expects you to drink from the claret-red liquid contained within.

If you want to drink from the proffered cup, turn to 571. If you want to politely decline, turn to 591.

Please make your votes by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

Dr John Seward’s Adventure Sheet

Add 30 to the section number and read that one instead.
Agility = 10
Combat = 8
Endurance = 22
ESP = 6
Terror = 3
The Pen is Mightier: 0 uses
Equipment and Notes:
Winchester Rifle
Holy Bible
Silver Crucifix
Blood: 11
Code Words:
Suicide
Succubus
Spectre
Kereszt
Gonosz
Varázslat
Szerencse
Lángok
Azrael
Bogey
Demeter
Somnambulism
Barbastella
Lunatic
Eptesicus
Exsanguination
Quinquaginta
Orvos
Lycanthropy
Vânători

[Beroli]

Do not drink the blood.

[deaddmwalking]

Okay. Let's decline, hoping we don't get butchered for only that.

[Thaluikhain]

Don't drink blood.

[JourneymanN00b]

This is a general notice that I will definitely not be able to update until very late tonight due to an emerging work issue. Tomorrow will probably be too packed for me to update until late that night as well.

The weekend is probably okay, but next week will be brutal time wise.


Your patience is appreciated. Thank you to everyone for participating.

[Thaluikhain]

Take it easy, gamebooks aren't important in the grand scheme of things.

[JourneymanN00b]

Thank you very much for understanding, Thaluikhain.

I have registered your votes to politely decline.

591

Putting up your hand you politely refuse the drink, expecting the woman to move on to Quincey or offer it to someone else. But she is insistent. Perhaps you have offended her by not drinking but you make your excuses, explaining that you still have some way to go this night and need to keep a clear head. And yet she still will not take no for an answer and tries to put the goblet to your lips.

If you have the code word Lycanthropy ticked off, turn to 571.

If not, Take a Combat test, adding 1 point to the dice roll if you have the code word Lyssavirus ticked off. If you pass the test, turn to 844. If you fail the test, turn to 571.

John Seward has the code word Lycanthropy ticked off.

571

You cannot resist. Accepting the cup, you drink deeply. It tastes like one of the full-bodied rustic reds you have been forced to tolerate whilst travelling through Eastern Europe.

Turn to 78.

78

The gypsy camp suddenly melts away and you unexpectedly find yourself in a dank crypt, staring into an open stone sarcophagus. You are holding a sharpened stake of whitethorn wood in one hand.

Lying within the sarcophagus is the monster you have travelled all this way to kill, the tips of his elongated fangs resting on his full, ruddy lips.

The monster’s eyes snap open and he rises from his tomb, giving a snake-like hiss of triumph. You lash out in fear, plunging the tip of the stake into his left eye. But rather than recoiling in agony or giving a cry of pain, the vampire starts to laugh. You are paralysed with fear, unable to tear your gaze from the Count’s remaining, pulsing red eye, and at the periphery your vision starts to dim.

And then the glowing red eye is no longer an eye but the sun, setting behind the familiar silhouetted skyline of London, capital of the British Empire. You can see no signs of life as you gaze out across the deserted city, until the sun disappears beneath the horizon, as the inhabitants of the necropolis awaken and rise from their graves. London has become a city of the dead, populated by walking cadavers. An animated corpse, wearing the rot-ruined face of your beloved, reaches for you, white worms wriggling free of her decayed flesh, a fat maggot writhing within the pit of a hollow eye-socket.

And then it isn’t a grave grub emerging from her eye-socket but a monstrous albino serpent emerging from the mouth of a shadowy cave, jaws opening wide, deploying fangs as large as elephant’s tusks, ready to sink them into your helpless body.

Add 2 points to your Terror score and then Take a Terror test. If you pass the test, turn to 111, but if you fail the test, turn to 222.

Rolling the four dice yields a 13, so John Seward passes the Terror test.

111

And then the nightmarish visions fade, and you find yourself back in the gypsy camp.

You are horrified to see that Quincey is putting the golden goblet to his lips, moving as if in a trance.

Without a second thought, you smash the cup from his hands. He looks at you then, blinking repeatedly, as if coming to from a drowsy reverie.

Shrieking in rage, the gypsy-witch throws herself at you, trying to rake your face with her long fingernails.

If you want to use The Pen is Mightier special ability, and you still can, turn to 167. If not, turn to 144.

John Seward can no longer use The Pen is Mightier.

144

You only just have time to arm yourself before the witch is upon you. (In this battle the witch has the initiative.)

SZGANY WITCH     COMBAT 7     ENDURANCE 7

If you kill the witch, turn to 191.

The fight:
Round 1: Dr John Seward’s Combat Rating: 5+8=13, Szgany Witch’s Combat Rating: 5+7+1=13;
Die Roll: 3, Dr John Seward’s Endurance: 22, Szgany Witch’s Endurance: 7
Round 2: Dr John Seward’s Combat Rating: 10+8=18, Szgany Witch’s Combat Rating: 11+7=18;
Die Roll: 3, Dr John Seward’s Endurance: 22, Szgany Witch’s Endurance: 7
Round 3: Dr John Seward’s Combat Rating: 7+8=15, Szgany Witch’s Combat Rating: 5+7=12;
Dr John Seward’s Endurance: 22, Szgany Witch’s Endurance: 5
Round 4: Dr John Seward’s Combat Rating: 9+8+1=18, Szgany Witch’s Combat Rating: 8+7=15;
Dr John Seward’s Endurance: 22, Szgany Witch’s Endurance: 3
Round 5: Dr John Seward’s Combat Rating: 10+8+1=19, Szgany Witch’s Combat Rating: 10+7=17;
Dr John Seward’s Endurance: 22, Szgany Witch’s Endurance: 1
Round 6: Dr John Seward’s Combat Rating: 6+8+1=15, Szgany Witch’s Combat Rating: 8+7=15;
Die Roll: 6, Dr John Seward’s Endurance: 21, Szgany Witch’s Endurance: 0

John Seward only takes 1 Endurance of damage before killing the Szgany Witch.

191

The gypsy hetman and his tribe stare at you in horror as the witch slides free of your blade and falls to the ground, dead. But not one of them makes a sound or moves to stop you as you back out of the camp – Quincey keeping his Winchester trained on them the whole time – and return to your waiting horses.

Mounting up, you spur your steeds into action and gallop away into the Borgo Pass.

Turn to 26.

26

You push your horses hard, barely resting, so desperate are you to reach Castle Dracula before your quarry does.

At dawn on the sixth day of November, from your position atop the Carpathian crags, you see a party of Szgany ahead of you, dashing away from the river with their leiter-wagon. They are surrounding it in a cluster, and hurry along as though beset.

The snow is falling lightly and there is a strange excitement in the air. Far off you hear the howling of wolves; the snow brings them down from the mountains, and they present another danger you may have to face in time.

Your horses ready, you are soon off, in pursuit of the wagon and the gypsies.

If you have the code word Lángok ticked off, turn to 991. If not, turn to 207.

While John Seward has the code word Lángok ticked off, section 991 obviously is meant for Jonathan Harker alone, so we will turn to section 207 instead.

207

It is late in the afternoon when you finally catch up with your quarry.

You have been climbing steadily ever since following the spur road from the Borgo Pass that leads to Castle Dracula. From this height, as you approach the top of the peak of the crag, it is possible to see a great distance; and far off, beyond the white waste of snow, you can see the river lying like a black ribbon in kinks and curls as it winds its way through the mountains.

The snow starts to fall more heavily, and swirls about fiercely, for a high wind has started to blow. And then, straight ahead of you, through pauses in the snow flurries, you see your quarry – a band of Szgany gypsies accompanying a leiter-wagon carrying the great square chest, inside which Count Dracula must be hiding.

Beyond the swirling wall of snow, you make out the looming sinister, shadowy presence of the Count’s decaying home, silhouetted against the sinking red orb of the sun.

“They are racing for the sunset!” Quincey shouts over the panting of the horses, the pounding of their iron-shod hooves on the road, the clatter of the wagon, the moaning wind, and the howling of wolves. “We may be too late!”

If you have the code word Ţigani ticked off, turn to 304. If not, turn to 234.

John Seward does not have the code word Ţigani ticked off.

234

If the Blood score is 15 points or higher, turn to 304. If it is lower than 15, turn to 76.

The Blood score is lower than 15.

76

Your heart leaps when you realise that the other members of your party, separated from each other for almost a week, are converging on this spot as well. Mina and Professor Van Helsing are rushing down the snowy slope from the direction of the castle, kicking up great flurries of white powder as they descend, while you can hear the remainder thundering along the road behind you, also on horseback.

The wolves scatter, while the Szgany are momentarily thrown into disarray. Perhaps you are not too late after all!

(Add one use of The Pen is Mightier special ability to your Adventure Sheet.)

The wind comes now in fierce bursts, furiously driving the snow before it and sweeping around you in circling eddies. You can distinguish the individual gypsies quite clearly now, as they redouble their efforts to reach the castle as the sun drops lower and lower in the sky.

“Halt!” you shout as you catch up with the cart at last.

The gypsies rein in their horses, and at the same instant the two of you draw up on one side of the wagon, as your companions come alongside it on the other.

The leader of the gypsies waves them back, and in a fierce voice commands the Szgany to keep going. But your party of fearless Vampire-Killers raise their guns and order the Transylvanians to stop.

*     *     *     *

If you want to continue the story as Mina Harker, turn to 34. If you would rather continue the story as either Jonathan Harker or Dr Seward, turn to 14.

Please make your votes on who to continue the story as by 7:00 PM PDT or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

Dr John Seward’s Adventure Sheet

Add 30 to the section number and read that one instead.
Agility = 10
Combat = 8
Endurance = 21
ESP = 6
Terror = 5
The Pen is Mightier: 1 use
Equipment and Notes:
Winchester Rifle
Holy Bible
Silver Crucifix
Blood: 11
Code Words:
Suicide
Succubus
Spectre
Kereszt
Gonosz
Varázslat
Szerencse
Lángok
Azrael
Bogey
Demeter
Somnambulism
Barbastella
Lunatic
Eptesicus
Exsanguination
Quinquaginta
Orvos
Lycanthropy
Vânători

[Thaluikhain]

Hmmm, Harker and Seward both have the same section. Anyway, I vote to stay with one of them, so will vote for Seward.

And then the glowing red eye is no longer an eye but the sun, setting behind the familiar silhouetted skyline of London, capital of the British Empire. You can see no signs of life as you gaze out across the deserted city, until the sun disappears beneath the horizon, as the inhabitants of the necropolis awaken and rise from their graves. London has become a city of the dead, populated by walking cadavers. An animated corpse, wearing the rot-ruined face of your beloved, reaches for you, white worms wriggling free of her decayed flesh, a fat maggot writhing within the pit of a hollow eye-socket.

According to the Daily Mail, isn't that what London is normally like?

[Beroli]

I vote to take the instruction to turn to a Jonathan Harker-only passage as an unstated "become Jonathan Harker" option, do so, and go to 991.

Failing that, become Mina Harker.

[deaddmwalking]

I think we should try to finish as Harker (given our choices).

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to take the instruction to turn to a Jonathan Harker-only passage as an unstated "become Jonathan Harker" option, do so, and go to 991.

Failing that, become Mina Harker.

It’s not possible to go to section 991 by becoming or switching to Jonathan Harker before section 76, as doing so would majorly mess up the story mechanics and throw some serious logical errors that I am not in the mood of resolving/retconning.

If I am reading this correctly, the current vote count is one for each character. Does anyone want to change their votes?

[Thaluikhain]

I'll change my vote to Jonathan Harker to avoid a tie.

[JourneymanN00b]

After accounting for the vote change, we will be switching to Jonathan Harker.

14

The leiter-wagon slews to a halt in the snow and at another command from their hetman, the gypsies instantly surround the cart, jostling one another in their eagerness to carry out his orders.

Do you want to try to leap onto the cart, to get to the box of earth secured there (turn to 366), or will you prepare to fight the gypsies (turn to 733)?

Please make your votes by 9:00 AM PDT or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

Mr Jonathan Harker’s Adventure Sheet

Add 10 to the section number and read that one instead.
Agility = 8
Combat = 8
Endurance = 16
ESP = 7
Terror = 15
The Pen is Mightier: 0 uses
Equipment and Notes:
Golden Crucifix
Good Luck Tokens
Flask of Plum Brandy (4 measures, +3 Endurance per measure, -1 Combat next combat for each measure beyond the first in one go, -1 Terror if 2 or more measures are consumed at once)
Map Showing 30 Rooms
Skeleton Keys with The Tag ‘145’
Revolver
Large Knife
Electric Lamp
Silver Crucifix
Garlic Garland
Sacred Wafer
Golden Ducats
Blood: 11
Code Words:
Suicide
Succubus
Spectre
Kereszt
Gonosz
Varázslat
Szerencse
Lángok
Azrael
Bogey
Demeter
Somnambulism
Barbastella
Lunatic
Eptesicus
Exsanguination
Quinquaginta
Orvos
Lycanthropy
Vânători