[Let’s Play] ACE Gamebook 05 - 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes tallied; opening the window won by a 1.5-1 vote.

112

Unlatching the window, you push it open, and the sprite bounds through into the cottage. His intentions immediately become plain as he goes to grab you with fingers that are little more than icy needles.

How do you want to defend yourself?

Use The Pen is Mightier special ability?     Turn to 93.
Fight back?     Turn to 268.
Try something else?     Turn to 73.

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

[deaddmwalking]

I'm for fighting back. Guess this is evil Jack Frost. Oops.

[Thaluikhain]

I vote for try something else, suspecting it will involve the mulled wine warming on the stove.

[deaddmwalking]

I'll buy that. Let's see what's on the menu for 'something else'.

[JourneymanN00b]

Trying something else got 2 votes, so Clark will do that.

73

You are going to have to act fast. What do you want to do?

If you want to throw the pan of mulled wine at the hobgoblin, turn to 53. If you want to simply flee from it, turn to 218.

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

[JourneymanN00b]

Since nobody voted; I will have Clark throw the pan of mulled wine at the hobgoblin.

53

Grabbing the pan from the stove, you hurl both it and its contents at the frozen hobgoblin.

Take an Agility test. If you pass the test, turn to 33, but if you fail the test, turn to 188.

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

33

The saucepan hits the hobgoblin, who cries out in pain as he is drenched, from head to toe, in its scalding contents. The cry becomes a shriek, and the shriek a scream, as his icy form immediately begins to melt – ice turning to water, and water turning to steam, as it evaporates.

Soon there is nothing left of your attacker but a puddle of water on the floor.

Turn to 355.

355

The door of the cottage suddenly bursts open and a figure rushes through it, accompanied by a flurry of snowflakes. It is an old crone, bent almost double by a dowager’s stoop, and wrapped up against the cold under a dozen layers of shawls and coats.

Raising the broomstick she is holding in her hands, she shrieks, “Who are you and what are you doing in my home? Were you sent by him?”

“Him?” you repeat, flustered.

“Yes, him! You do know who he is, don’t you?”

“Um… Yes, of course I do,” you reply uncertainly.

“Who is he then?” the crone demands, raising her broomstick, ready to hit you next.

Not wishing to risk antagonising the witch any further, how will you answer?

“Krampus.”     Turn to 375.
“Father Christmas.”     Turn to 406.



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

[deaddmwalking]

I don't like the question 'who WEREN'T you sent by'. It would be much easier to answer 'who WERE you sent by'.

I guess the question we're trying to answer is which of those two is her enemy. Is she an ally of the Krampus, or not?

While I'd like to find some allies, I'm thinking that witches in gingerbread houses are almost always the kind that eat little boys and girls and not the kind that work well with Santa. So if we're trying to identify her enemy, Father Christmas seems slightly more likely than the Krampus. Half vote for saying 'Father Christmas'.

[JourneymanN00b]

Answering as “Father Christmas.”

406

“That’s a relief,” says the witch. “For a moment there I thought you were an agent of that devil Krampus, the goat-leggéd one. Are you a friend of Father Christmas then?”

“Are you?” you counter.

“But of course,” she replies, back on the defensive. “After all, I help make deliveries to the children of Italy,” she explains, “for I am La Befana, the Christmas Witch.”

“Then maybe you can help me,” you go on, opening up to her as you describe the course of events that have brought you to her gingerbread cottage on this cold Christmas Eve. “Father Christmas is in grave danger.”

“I knew it! He must have been abducted by that devil Krampus!” she butts in. “The demon’s agents are everywhere.”

She leans in close, lowering her voice, as if afraid that even the spiders in their webs in the rafters might be among Krampus’s spies.

“Do you know where Krampus has taken him?”

Unfortunately you don’t.

“We cannot delay then. If we travel separately, we might have a better chance of finding them, but then again, two against one is better odds, if we can track them down. What do you think?”

How will you answer?

“Let’s split up.”     Turn to 438.
“Let’s look for them together.”     Turn to 458.

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

[deaddmwalking]

Half vote for together.

[Thaluikhain]

Together.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; answering “Let’s look for them together.”

458

“That’ll probably be for the best,” says the witch.

(Record the code word Kind on your Adventure Sheet.)

The two of you leave the gingerbread cottage and, once outside, La Befana straddles her broomstick, encouraging you to climb on behind her.

“Hold on tight,” she says, as the broomstick shoots up into the sky.

The clouds have cleared now, and by the light of the moon you can see the forest laid out beneath you. Beyond the trees lie the jagged teeth of the mountain range, but as you rise higher, buffeted by the cold wind, you can just make out a bleak white icefield beyond it. And there, in that frozen wilderness, you can see the warm orange glow of distant lights.

Your view is suddenly obscured as a flock of bats rises into the air ahead of you. But as you draw closer, you realise they aren’t bats at all, but hideous winged imps – tiny airborne devils.

“What did I tell you?” calls La Befana over the wail of the wind in your ears. “The devil’s agents are everywhere!”

And then the winged imps are upon you.

If you want to use The Pen is Mightier special ability, and you still can, cross off one use and turn to 6. If you want to use the Naughty or Nice special ability, and you still can, turn to 478. If you do not want to use either special ability, or you cannot, turn to 498.

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

TWAS – The Krampus Night Before Christmas Adventure Sheet
Clark
Agility: 11
Combat: 11
Endurance: 22
Equipment:
Pyjamas
Dressing-gown
Bed Socks
Pair of Slippers
Blacksmith’s Axe (+1 Combat Rating in battle)
Special Abilities:
The Pen Is Mightier: 3 uses
Naughty or Nice: 1 use
Meals: 4
Codewords:
Kold
Kruel
Kind

[deaddmwalking]

Half vote for not using any ability (498)

[Thaluikhain]

Still have three pen is mightier, so I vote to use one of those.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted; using The Pen Is Mightier ability won by a 1-0.5 vote.

6

The flock of imps suddenly flies away, heading north, towards the mountains… or so it seems.

In that moment of distraction you do not realise that one of the horrors has remained behind, until it descends and grabs you by the shoulders, pulling you from the back of the broomstick.

As La Befana is about to give chase, the flock of devils returns to torment her, their diabolical ruse having worked, and stop her from coming to your aid. As the imp carrying you flies away northwards, over the wintry wilderness, you fight to free yourself from its clutches.

Take a Combat test; if you pass the test, turn to 26, but if you fail the test, turn to 46.

Rolling the dice yielded a 12, so Clark fails the Combat test.

46

You are unable to free yourself from the imp’s claws, which cut into the flesh of your shoulders, drawing blood. (Lose 2 Endurance points.)

However, as the winged devil flies on northwards, it begins to tire from having to carry you such a long way, until eventually, overcome by exhaustion, it lets go of you anyway.

You drop like a stone, but fortunately land in a deep snowdrift which breaks your fall. Clambering out of the drift, you realise that the forest is now half a league east of your current position, and you are, in fact, standing at the shore of the vast frozen lake.

Turn to 200.

200

You set off around the edge of the lake, not wanting to remain out in the open any longer than is really necessary. But then the wind starts to rise again and you are forced to fight for every step as you advance through the biting blizzard.

Between the gusting flurries of snow, you see something through the whiteout; something that is only a little darker than the snow shrouding it. And then you see the red stains besmirching the snow.

As you draw closer still, there is a temporary respite from the gale, as the wind drops, and the macabre scene is revealed.

Lying in the snow is the body of what is clearly a dead reindeer. And picking at the carcass are a pair of large, white wolves.

There is no indication that the wolves have seen you, and you are down wind of them, so they can’t have picked up your scent either.

What do you want to do? Will you:

Try to sneak past the feeding wolves?     Turn to 130.
Take to your heels and run as fast as you can?     Turn to 449.
Attack the wolves, before they can attack you?     Turn to 19.
Attempt to cross the frozen lake instead?     Turn to 370.

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

TWAS – The Krampus Night Before Christmas Adventure Sheet
Clark
Agility: 11
Combat: 11
Endurance: 20
Equipment:
Pyjamas
Dressing-gown
Bed Socks
Pair of Slippers
Blacksmith’s Axe (+1 Combat Rating in battle)
Special Abilities:
The Pen Is Mightier: 2 uses
Naughty or Nice: 1 use
Meals: 4
Codewords:
Kold
Kruel
Kind

[deaddmwalking]

Half vote for sneaking

[JourneymanN00b]

Trying to sneak past the feeding wolves.

130

You heart thumping against your ribs in fear, you try to keep low and creep through the blizzard, hoping that the wolves don’t see you, and that the crunching of your footsteps on the snow doesn’t have them pricking up their ears.

If you have the word Krumbly recorded on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 289. If not, turn to 315.

Clark does not have the word Krumbly recorded on his Adventure Sheet.

315

Roll one die (or pick a card). If the number rolled is odd (or the card is red), turn to 339. If the number rolled is even (or the card is black), turn to 378.

Rolling the die yielded a 5.

339

A keening howl cuts through the blizzard, alerting you to the fact that the wolves have sniffed you out. Leaving the reindeer’s carcass, they lope towards you over the snow.

Do you want to run for it (turn to 449), or will you stand your ground ready to fight (turn to 19)?

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

[Thaluikhain]

Half vote for fighting.

[deaddmwalking]

I want to kill the wolves. We'll warm ourselves by bathing un their life blood. The Krampus will learn we are the mo ster to fear!

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes recognized; standing his ground ready to fight.

19

You suspected that it would come to this in the end, and so steal yourself to fight.

If you want to use The Pen is Mightier special ability, and you still can, turn to 52. If not, make a note that you have the initiative and then turn to 203.

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

[Thaluikhain]

Hmm, half vote for another Pen is Mightier.

[deaddmwalking]

It sounds like they're trying to tempt us into it. I don’t think it’s a good idea, but I will vote for it too because now I want to know. Is there any pattern to these types of 'are you sure?' questions?

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; using The Pen Is Mightier special ability.

52

As the wolves race towards you, suddenly from out of the blizzard appears a huge white stag. Much bigger than a reindeer, its antlers spread out from its head like the branches of an ancient oak. The stag gives a bellow and, head down, charges the wolves, catching them on the prongs of its horns and tossing them into the air.

Giving your unanticipated saviour a shout of gratitude, you hurry away through the night and the snow, not bothered by wolves anymore.

Cross off one use of The Pen is Mightier special ability and turn to 83.

83

You finally make it to the far side of the lake, without falling foul of any other creatures that might be looking for prey on this freezing night.

Turn to 446.

446

You stand in the shadow of the craggy foothills of the mountain range. Rising from amidst the icy, snow-capped peaks is a colossal edifice that looks like it has been carved from ice, complete with sturdy towers and frost-rimed flying buttresses. The whole castle looks like it wouldn’t be out of place as a decoration on an extremely grand Christmas cake.

Leading to a glacial gatehouse is a bridge of blemish-free ice that spans the deep crevasse that rings the fortress. As far as you can tell, there is no one about.

If you want to cross the ice bridge with the intention of entering the castle, turn to 401. If you are uneasy about entering the edifice and would rather steer well clear, turn to 421.

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

TWAS – The Krampus Night Before Christmas Adventure Sheet
Clark
Agility: 11
Combat: 11
Endurance: 20
Equipment:
Pyjamas
Dressing-gown
Bed Socks
Pair of Slippers
Blacksmith’s Axe (+1 Combat Rating in battle)
Special Abilities:
The Pen Is Mightier: 1 use
Naughty or Nice: 1 use
Meals: 4
Codewords:
Kold
Kruel
Kind

[Thaluikhain]

Always enter weird castles.

[JourneymanN00b]

Vote acknowledged; crossing the ice bridge with the intention of entering the castle.

401

Warily, you step out onto the ice bridge, but when you see that it can hold your weight quite happily, you hurry across it, pass beneath the frozen gatehouse, and enter a wide courtyard.

The moon shines brightly overhead, bathing the fortress in its monochrome light. You can see now that not all of the castle is made of ice; the walls, and the towers that sit at the four corners where the walls meet, are all constructed from stone. However, the central keep does indeed appear to have been put together from great blocks of ice.

The place is eerily silent – as quiet as the grave, in fact – but you are not alone here; the courtyard is full of the most intricate ice sculptures of people, but they are contorted into all manner of agonised shapes, with tortured expressions frozen on their faces. Their presence here is unnervingly chilling.

You have two options open to you: you can either explore the frozen castle, or leave. If you want to explore, where do you want to go first?

The south-east tower?     Turn to 148.
The south-west tower?     Turn to 89.
The north-east tower?     Turn to 205.
The north-west tower?     Turn to 34.
The central keep?     Turn to 424.

If you would rather leave, without exploring the castle first, turn to 421.

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

[deaddmwalking]

Half vote for the North-West Tower.

Guessing there's some kind of ice-medusa about. Maybe a Narnian Queen.