Virtual Reality Adventure: Down Among the Dead Men [CYOAdventarrrrrrrrggghh!]

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Virtual Reality Adventure: Down Among the Dead Men [CYOAdventarrrrrrrrggghh!]

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chiefnewo: May 21, 2007

Go west, young man.

# ? Jun 23, 2015 13:06

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# ? Apr 27, 2024 22:44

CzarChasm: Mar 14, 2009; I don't like it when you're watching me eat.

South

# ? Jun 23, 2015 15:08

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

West

# ? Jun 23, 2015 15:09

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

We've got some spare provisions and we've reinforced our boat. Let's go west.

# ? Jun 23, 2015 15:28

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 404 posted:

A storm overtakes you, closing its teeth on your vessel with a screech of creaking timbers. Under a sky the colour of brimstone, you cling to the sides and crouch low, teeth bared in terror as you watch the foaming billows race past. The gale lasts half the night, sporadically spitting rails of icy rain down on your heads until your joints feel as stiff as a day-old corpse. When the sun finally rises, you greet it without cheer, knowing that within hours it will have baked you half out of your wits.

Lose 2 Life Points.

If you have two provisions, cross them both off your Adventure Sheet and turn to 106.
~~If you have only one set of provisions, cross it off and turn to 120.~~
~~If you have no provisions, turn to 277.~~

Death: left exactly as stiff as a day-old-corpse by a gale

I think we had died several times in Green Blood by this point in the book, so good on us!

Page 404 posted:

The clouds are black banners across the scarlet of sunset when, gazing into the face of approaching night, you spy a billowing sail gleaming wanly in the dusk. A ship bound for Leshand! Jumping to your feet, shouting and waving, you wait anxiously until an answering hail tells you they've seen you. The ship comes nearer, her prow sliding through the twilit waters, her sails pinned like sheets of gold against the darkening sky. Faces look down from the rail, and a rope ladder is lowered. You climb rapidly despite your fatigue, gladdened by the friendly welcome.

A hand grasps yours and helps you up. 'Welcome aboard the Jewel of Heaven,' says a Gloriannic voice. You do not reply at once, but fall on your knees alongside Oakley and the others, thanking almighty God for deliverance from the brink of doom.

Turn to 370.

: Wow, I feel reborn after that storm! Hey guys, it's great to see you!

Page 370 posted:

The captain of the Jewel of Heaven is a bluff good-natured man who roars at his crew with gusto. For their part they seem devoted to him - and perhaps a little overawed by his forceful nature and matchless knowledge of the sea. You spend several pleasant evenings sitting in his cabin, where the rum flows free after a good supper. 'Hark to that!' he is wont to say listening to the water lapping against the hull. 'Did you ever hear a mother with babe in arms sing such a sweet lullaby? Ah, the sweet sighing of the sea - it's a sound to seal the hushed casket of a man's soul, my merry lads!'

'Here aboard your fine ship, I'm happy to agree,' laughs Oakley. 'When we were drifting in our boat, though, the sea sang us a more mournful tune!' The captain is glad to have educated company, and you can strike up conversations on various topics.

You can ask for his opinion on pirates (390), on the war between Glorianne and Sidonia (380), on Queen Titania's visit to the New World colonies (403), or for information about Port Leshand (420).

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Waterlogged' Sherman the Warlock

Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, SPELLS, and STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Doubloons: 10

Possessions: Magic amulet, pistol, monkey, book of charts, feather shield, obsidian necklace, wooden sword studded with shark's teeth, wand

Codewords: ~~Fetish~~, Scrip

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd

# ? Jun 24, 2015 03:01

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

If we can do more than one, let's do 'em all.

Otherwise let's find out about our destination and ask about Port Leshand

# ? Jun 24, 2015 05:39

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

I don't understand how we died.

# ? Jun 24, 2015 06:34

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

CirclMastr posted:

I don't understand how we died.

We only had two life points left after fighting the last island's inhabitants, so that "lose 2 life points no matter what you have" killed us outright.

Ratatozsk posted:

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Waterlogged' Sherman the Warlock

Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, and STREETWISE

Life Points: 2/9

# ? Jun 24, 2015 06:52

Ghostwoods: May 9, 2013; Say "Cheese!"

Yeah, play it safe and ask about Port Leshand.

# ? Jun 24, 2015 11:20

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

Why are we not spilling the bad guy's plot regarding Queen Titania?

# ? Jun 24, 2015 18:11

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

420 posted:

The captain chuckles. 'Nominally it is a Gloriannic colony, though I daresay there's a half-dozen rogues and ruffians for every honest merchant. The governor of Leshand encourages buccaneers to drop their anchors there, for as a rule they have a lot of gold to spend and this makes the port grow richer. But never show your face in Leshand if you've preyed on Gloriannic ships - then you'd be seized and hung in chains on the waterfront, see.'

'For how long?' asks Blutz naively.

'Till you turn soft and drop, like venison,' laughs the captain.

'Not for plundering Sidonian ships?' prompts Oakley.

'Of course not! They'd like as give you a medal for that. Glorianne rejoices at each act of piracy the Sidonians suffer, and the governor of Leshand is happy to hand out letters of marque sanctioning such.'

If you have not already done so, you can now turn the conversation to piracy (turn to 390), the war (turn to 380), or Queen Titania's tour of her colonies (turn to 403).
If you've heard enough of the captain's views, turn to 108.

Sorry, got a little bit lazy and could probably have dumped all of these in the last update. Well, no time like the present!

Page 380 posted:

'It is expected to get worse,' is the captain's view. 'The Sidonians rapaciously claim ownership of the whole of the New World; Glorianne and some other smaller nations dispute this. There is great wealth in the New World - why should we not share it? But the Sidonians continue to act like selfish schoolyard bullies, and in the meantime we have a hard time keeping our few colonies safe. Why, I have even heard that the King of Sidonia has put a price on Queen Titania's head: a million doubloons if she's delivered to him alive. The arrogance of the man!'

It makes sense. If the King of Sidonia could force Titania into marriage, he would thereby add Glorianne to his empire without firing a shot. But first he would have to capture her, of course, and now you begin to see the scope of Skarvench's plan. If he succeeds in kidnapping the Queen, he can ransom her to the highest bidder - either back to Glorianne, or for Sidonia's million doubloon reward.

If you divulge what you know about Skarvench's plan to the captain, turn to 11.
Otherwise, if you have not already done so, you can now ask him about pirates (390), Queen Titania's tour of her colonies (403), or Port Leshand (420).
If there is nothing else you wish to discuss, turn to 108.

Multiple paths allow us to divulge Skarvench's plan, so let's explore all our options before facing that choice.

Page 390 posted:

After hearing some of your experiences aboard the Belle Dame, he nods sagely. 'Aye, that Skarvench is a scurvy pitch-hearted fiend sure enough,' he agrees. 'One of the worst pirates on the seas, since he cares not which ships he plunders - those of the accursed Sidonians, or those loyal to Her Gloriannic Majesty. Yet there are other pirates just as greedy, bloodthirsty and full of wickedness. One such is the Sidonian corsair El Draque, who captains the galleon Cold Grue. Bloodthirsty is indeed the word for him, I'm told. It's said he hangs his victims like slaughtered pigs from the yardarm, collecting their lifeblood in a silver goblet to drink by moonlight!'

The captain pauses, regards his own cup thoughtfully for a moment, then refills it. 'Piracy's not a bad business,' he continues, 'so long as you have a clear sense of where your loyalties lie. My advice is to first obtain a letter of marque. Letters of marque are issued by the governors of Gloriannic colonies. Possession of one authorizes you to attack Sidonian ships, in effect enabling you to act as private soldiers of Her Majesty. A fine arrangement which benefits everyone.'

'Except the Sidonians, of course,' you say with a smile.

The captain roars with laughter. 'Aye, the Godcursed bilge suckers!'

If you have not already done so, you can now ask him about the war (turn to 380), Queen Titania's tour of her colonies (turn to 403), or Port Leshand (turn to 420).
If you are done with talking, turn to 108.

Page 403 posted:

He pauses in the act of raising his cup to his lips and glares at you from under beetling brows. 'Eh?' he demands. 'What do you know of that? It is supposed to be a secret, and you'd do well not to blab such delicate matters. A wagging tongue is a tongue worth cutting!' He fingers his sword-hilt, glowering at you sidelong.

If you explain about overhearing Skarvench's plan to kidnap the Queen, turn to 11.
If you keep quiet about the matter, turn to 108.

: I beg of you, please don't cut me in the wand. I just got it back!

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Waterlogged' Sherman the Warlock

Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, SPELLS, and STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Doubloons: 10

Possessions: Magic amulet, pistol, monkey, book of charts, feather shield, obsidian necklace, wooden sword studded with shark's teeth, wand

Codewords: ~~Fetish~~, Scrip

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd

# ? Jun 25, 2015 04:32

Ghostwoods: May 9, 2013; Say "Cheese!"

He seems to be on the right side, so explain about the plot I guess.

# ? Jun 25, 2015 10:24

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

He'll run us through if we don't tell him what we know

# ? Jun 25, 2015 12:24

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 11 posted:

'I see,' he says soberly when you have told him all you know. He sets his cup aside and goes to make sure no one is listening at the cabin door. Returning, he drops his voice and says, 'Keep this to yourselves. It may be that we shall yet foil Skarvench's scheme, but we'll have no hope of catching him if word gets out that we're forewarned. Listen now: once you are settled in Leshand, come to my house on Halyard Street. Ask for Master Capstick � that's me. There we'll make our plans to catch that sea rat!'

Turn to 108.

: Aye-aye, Capstick!

Page 108 posted:

The days pass, balmy and full of ease after your long deprivation. With rest and food you recover quickly from your ordeal. You can now restore up to 2 Life Points (but your Life Points score cannot exceed its initial value).

At last you catch sight of land, and after tacking along the coast for a few hours you arrive at Leshand harbour. A forest of masts sways along the wharf, and the sharp smells of tar and fish waft on the air. As the Jewel of Heaven ties up at the quayside, you are anxious to gather your few belongings and go ashore. 'Dry land...' says Oakley, in the tone of a man greeting his long-lost sweetheart. 'I never thought to see it again!' The captain and crew are busy unloading their cargo. You thank them, shaking each man's hand as you press across the deck and make your way down the gangplank.

The dock is a confused bustle, with longshoremen and sailors teeming around and wagons trundling to and fro. Pushing through the milling crowds, you head along a narrow alley in search of an inn.

Turn to 9.

Page 9 posted:

~~If you have the codeword Chancery, turn to 406.~~
If not, delete all codewords and turn to 423.

Chancery is definitely going to be part of the post-book wrap-up. Whoo nelly.

Page 423 posted:

Leshand is a busy port of narrow half-timbered houses with small leaded windows and peaked roofs of olive-green tiles. The town is overlooked by the massive stone garrison fort on the hill above the harbour. It is well known that the governor prefers to rule the colony with a light touch, exercising his authority in as leisurely a manner as possible, openly encouraging buccaneers to put into dock here and spend their loot. But things are different at the moment, and you are struck by subtle but noticeable changes since your last visit. The buccaneers are here as usual, but in fewer numbers and on markedly better behaviour. The soldiers of the city militia are adorned in clean new tabards, which they wear with expressions of pride. There are even a handful of street-cleaners whom you pass scrubbing at the accumulated grime on the cobblestones.

A good meal and a bath go a long way to refreshing you after your weeks at sea. You can now recuperate 3 Life Points (up to the limit set by your initial Life Points score).

If you have STREETWISE, turn to 127.
If you have met Master Capstick and want to pay a visit to his house now, turn to 69.
Otherwise, decide what you'll do next: visit a chandler's for supplies (12), seek out someone who can identify strange items (31), apply for a letter of marque (~~turn to 50 if you have ROGUERY~~, 409 if not), or listen for rumours (88).

: So many options!

Skill-check first:

Page 127 posted:

You soon learn that the governor recently ordered preparations for a state visit by Queen Titania. Sitting in a harbour tavern with an old acquaintance of yours, Black Danny McClintock, you watch amazed as the scar-faced rogue orders a jug of spiced milk instead of his usual shot of strong rum. 'We've been warned off causing any affray, under threat of Moses' Law on our bare backsides,' he explains. 'I'm playing it safe by doing no drinking or gambling for the duration.'

You nod, hiding a smile. Moses' Law is thirty-nine strokes of the birch, but what this pack of dockside villains fear more than the pain is the public humiliation. After strutting like bantam cocks around Leshand's byways for so long, they hate having to knuckle under to the law. Doubtless that's why you can see your old friend Snake-Eyes Johnson in the street just outside helping an old lady with her shopping basket - and not even filching so much as an orange while he does it.

The others listen with interest when you meet up later to tell them what you've learned. "This state visit,' ponders Blutz. 'It must be someone pretty important to cause a clampdown like this.'

If you are to have any hope of catching up with Skarvench you will have to move on soon. He would never show his face around Leshand, with so many murders to his name. But you also have a feeling it might be worth spending a little while digging out more rumours.

If you decide to do so, turn to 88.
Otherwise you can visit a chandler's (to buy supplies (12), look for someone who can identify unusual items (31), apply for a letter of marque (~~turn to 50 if you have ROGUERY~~, 409 if not), or pay a visit to Master Capstick if you met him previously (69).
If you have now completed all your business in Leshand, turn to 107.

We'll just truck through these briskly as we're able to essentially visit them all before leaving.

Page 12 posted:

You make your way along the dockside, threading between the carts and bales and bustling sailors, until you come to a doorway under a painted sign showing a coil of rope and a ship's barrel. This is the shop of Gallowglass, a chandler and general trader from whom you have often bought supplies in the past. Catching sight of you through the open doorway, he beckons you inside. 'Ashore again, eh?' he says jovially. 'But not for long, I'll be bound. What can I do for you?'

He shows you his wares. You can buy anything for which you have the money:

Crucifix 8 doubloons
Pistol 10 doubloons
Sword 10 doubloons
Compass 10 doubloons
Parrot 2 doubloons

Note any purchases among the possessions on your Adventure Sheet, remembering to deduct the money. As he turns to serve another customer, Gallowglass adds: 'You won't be staying in port for the Queen's visit, then?'

'When is she due to arrive?' asks Grimes.

Gallowglass smiles and shrugs. 'A month or so. She's touring the colonies, I hear. Everyone's been told to stay on best behaviour or they must answer to the governor. Perhaps that's why I haven't sold half my usual turnover of gunpowder this week.'

Leaving the chandler's, you consider your next move.

If you have not already done so you can find someone to identify any unusual items you've come across (31), listen for rumours (88), apply for a letter of marque (~~turn to 50 if you have ROGUERY~~, 409 if not), or pay a visit to Master Capstick if he has invited you to do so (69).
If you have now completed all your business in Leshand, turn to 107.

We have 10 Doubloons to play with. Have at it!

Page 31 posted:

In a small courtyard off the fish market lives Doctor Scriptor, a collector of magical curios. You have brought him items in the past, both for identification and to see if he would buy them from you. He looks up from his dusty manuscripts and takes what you have brought to show him, holding up a jeweller's glass and passing each item in turn under the sharp scrutiny of his beady old eyes.

'Well?' you ask.

'One moment.' Scriptor gives a dry cough, perching his glasses on his thin nose and consulting a dusty leatherbound book. 'Hmm. Ah yes, ah yes - eureka.'

What items are you asking him about : ~~a conchshell horn (316), a bat-shaped talisman (335), a bronze helmet (354), or a dragon ring (373)~~?
If you don't have any of these, Scriptor cannot help you and you may as well leave. Turn to 392.

: But this monkey is incredibly unusual! Furious George has never lost a knife-fight in his life!

Page 409 posted:

A letter of marque would allow you to indulge in a spot of honest piracy - or rather privateering, as it is called. Such a letter licenses you to act as a private soldier of Her Majesty's navy, with full entitlement to plunder Sidonian treasure-ships.

'But we'll never be able to get one,' sighs Blutz after you have all spent some time discussing the idea.

'That's right,' growls Oakley. 'I hear it costs almost as much in bribes to get hold of a letter of marque as you're likely to bring in as profit!'

'We may as well try, at least,' you tell them, irritated to hear such pessimism.

You make your way up the narrow streets to the fort, where you lose no time in applying to the Office of Prejudicial Trade for a letter of marque. A blandfaced fellow in a blue velvet doublet listens to your request, then favours you with a prim smile. 'Of course, Her Majesty's government is very keen to see private enterprise flourish,' he murmurs silkily. 'But drawing up a letter of marque is not just a simple matter of putting quill to paper. There are forms to be filled in, credentials to be established, the proper channels to go through, red tape...' He pretends to stifle a yawn. 'It all takes time. And money.'

Grimes nudges you and mutters behind his hand: 'He's angling for a bribe, skipper.'

~~If you have a diamond with which to bribe the official, cross it off your list of possessions and turn to 244.~~
~~If you prefer to resort to CUNNING, turn to 260.~~
Otherwise, you can take your leave, either to call on Master Capstick if you know him (turn to 69) or to weigh up your remaining options (turn to 107).

Aaaand some rumors to titilate the ears (option from previous page)

Page 88 posted:

Rumours abound in a port like Leshand. Some are mere gossip, some are tall tales, some are outright lies - and a very few are the gospel truth. The trick lies in telling the difference.

You keep your ear to the ground for a day or two, trawling the taverns on the lookout for information.

What are you interested in finding out about?

If you look for rumours concerning the pirate El Draque, turn to 164 if you have STREETWISE, ~~or to 183 if not~~.
If you are more interested in Queen Titania's state visit, turn to 202 if you have STREETWISE, ~~or to 221 if not~~.
If you'd like to hear news of Skarvench, turn to 278 if you have STREETWISE ~~and to 297 if not.~~

These options aren't mutually exclusive, so the plot dump continues.

Page 164 posted:

Haunting moonlit street corners and smoky low-raftered taverns, you gradually piece together a tale of real terror. It seems El Draque was a Carpathian mercenary who arrived in the New World ten years ago and at once embarked on a spree of unrestrained piracy. Instantly recognizable by his filed teeth and acid blue eyes, he inspired such fear that most ships surrendered as soon as he raised his flag. The consensus among everyone you speak to is that he slept by day in a box in the cargo hold of his ship, that he drank the blood of those he murdered, and that he was impervious to mortal injury.

There is one more thing. A month ago, taken unawares by a Gloriannic frigate, El Draque was caught and hanged at sea. His body was then flung overboard. The authorities were satisfied � at least enough to pay out the bounty on his head to the frigate captain who caught him. But then, a week or so later, that same frigate captain was found dead in a harbour-front inn. His throat had been sliced from ear to ear, but the weird thing was that there was hardly a drop of blood...

You've heard enough to guess that the career of the notorious El Draque has not yet ended.

If you now try to find out more about Skarvench's activities, turn to 278.
If you ask around concerning the impending royal visit, turn to 202.
If you've heard all the rumours that interest you, you can now visit a chandler's to buy supplies (12), look for someone who can identify unusual items (31), apply for a letter of marque (~~turn to 50 if you have ROGUERY~~, 409 if not), or pay a visit to Master Capstick if you met him previously (69).
If you have now completed all your business in Leshand, turn to 107.

Page 202 posted:

Queen Titania will be visiting a number of Gloriannic colonies in the New World and is scheduled to finish her tour at the port of Stamboul, where she will reside until after the hurricane season. Since the Sidonians would dearly love to capture her, security for the trip has been made watertight. She will be accompanied by Mirabilis the court sorcerer aboard her flagship the Rose, and escorted by Admiral Lord Calidor with a fleet of twelve galleons.

'The flotilla's security is as unassailable as the Queen's own virtue,' opines one of your informants. From what you have learned you'd be inclined to agree. And yet... Skarvench clearly has some trick up his sleeve.

If you try to find out what Skarvench has been up to recently, turn to 278.
If you are more interested in the notorious pirate El Draque, turn to 164.
Otherwise you can visit a chandler's to buy supplies (12), get your magical treasures identified (31), apply for a letter of marque (~~turn to 50 if you have ROGUERY~~, 409 if not), or pay a visit to Master Capstick if you met him previously (69).
If you have now completed all your business in Leshand, turn to 107.

Page 278 posted:

You have always made sure of nurturing a network of paid informers in large towns such as Leshand, and now your foresight reaps dividends. You soon discover that Skarvench recently collected all outstanding debts and redeemed his treasures for hard cash. The evidence points to some sort of ambitious project for which he will need every bit of finance that he can muster.

'I've heard he's engaged a shipwright in Port Selenice,' one of your informants tells you. 'A special commission it was, for a ship to be called the Moon Dog. Got a lot of odd features.'

'Such as?'

He leans closer, dropping his voice to a whisper. 'Gunports along the keel! And other things, even weirder than that. Perhaps ol' Skarvench has gone mad - but heaven help us all if so, for a mad dog is no nicer than a sane one!'

As you turn away, the informant snatches at your sleeve. 'Here, what about my pay?'

You tug away from his grip. 'For that tittle-tattle you've just told me? It's common knowledge that I could've had from any gossip in the town. That's not what I pay you for, and you know it.'

Ignoring his grumbles, you walk away.

There are other rumours you might look into concerning El Draque (164) or Queen Titania (202).
Alternatively you could go shopping for supplies 12), find someone who can identify magical items (31), apply for a letter of marque (~~turn to 50 if you have ROGUERY~~, 409 if not), or pay a visit to Master Capstick if you've met him before (69).
If you have now completed all your business in Leshand, turn to 107.

: That is indeed weird. I guess it's time to pop in on Capstick.

Page 69 posted:

Capstick has a fine house on Halyard Street, in one of the richest parts of town. Smartening yourselves up to look as respectable as possible, you ignore the sidelong glances and haughty sniffs of the wealthy passers-by, marching straight up to present yourselves at the front door. The servant who answers the door at first mistakes you for beggars, but once you've corrected that small misunderstanding he shows you through to his master's study.

Capstick is sitting by the fire with a book. Seeing you, he gives his great belly-shaking laugh and leaps up to greet you, commanding the servant to bring a bottle of sherry.

'Freshly taken off a Sidonian merchantman,' he says shortly, lifting his glass to savour the smoky gold liquid before drinking. 'And...' he smacks his lips, refills your glasses, 'all the better for being plundered off one of those rascals, eh?'

Soon the conversation turns to the matters you discussed aboard the Jewel of Heaven. At this, Capstick's face falls. 'I have sour news,' he tells you. 'I must sail for Glorianne in two days' time, and so I'll be unable to partner you in your attack on that devil Skarvench. Moreover, I've told the tale to several high officials - but no one believes it's true!'

You give a glum nod. 'Who can blame them, given the source of your information? We are vagabond ex-pirates, which is not the best pedigree for reliable testimony!'

'But I believe you, by God!' He produces an envelope and hands it to you. 'This is a deed of ownership for a sloop that I own in Port Selenice. She's just a small craft, but better than no ship at all. Go to Selenice, get together a crew, and see if you can't beat this Skarvench at his own game!'

Thanking Capstick for his help, you take your leave. 'I'm only sorry not to be sailing with you,' are his parting words.

Add the deed of ownership to the possessions listed on your Adventure Sheet, then turn to 107.

: Sounds like it's finally time for some avasting!

Page 107 posted:

Finding a secluded snug in a tavern away from the docks, you consult with your friends as to what your next move should be.

Blutz is all for telling the authorities what you know. 'They're in a better position than we are to protect Queen Titania,' he argues.

'I disagree,' says Grimes. 'An opportunity like this won't quickly come our way again. It's like the tide: take it at the flood and fortune follows; wait till it's out and you've missed your boat.'

'We should go to Port Selenice,' says Oakley.

'That's where Skarvench will go next. Let's see if we can't steal a march on the fiend and scupper his plans. The Gloriannic authorities will reward us richly, but even more important than that -'

'More important than that, we get our revenge on Skarvench,' you finish.

If you decide to head straight for Selenice, turn to 145.
If you go to the governor first, turn to 126.

So to sum things all up, please vote if/what to spend money on, and whether to bug the governor or not.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Waterlogged' Sherman the Warlock

Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, SPELLS, and STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Doubloons: 10

Possessions: Magic amulet, pistol, monkey, book of charts, feather shield, obsidian necklace, wooden sword studded with shark's teeth, wand, deed of ownership

Codewords: ~~Fetish~~, ~~Scrip~~

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd

# ? Jun 26, 2015 03:37

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

Our monkey needs a parrot friend, we need to fight the devil pirate with a crucifix, and we should sail for Selenice right away,

# ? Jun 26, 2015 06:38

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 145 posted:

Experienced sailors like the four of you have no trouble working your passage to Port Selenice. You sign on aboard a caravel and for the next week or so your days are filled with the familiar routine of life at sea.

'Look at the sunset!' calls Blutz across the deck one evening. He points to where long clouds lie like mauve paint smears across a palette of gloriously mingled gold, scarlet, violet and grey. 'This is the life, eh, shipmates?'

Grimes looks up from trimming the topsails. 'I'll take no pleasure from any such sight until I know that Skarvench no longer lives under the same sky as we do,' he says grimly.

Recover 3 Life Points if you are currently below the maximum set by your initial Life Points score. Eventually you reach port, and the captain of the caravel pays you off with 5 doubloons. Taking up your packs, you stride down the gangplank and along the bustling quay.

Turn to 165.

: That was better than terrible!

Page 165 posted:

Of all the ports in the Carab Sea, only in Selenice - 'the Pirates' Haven' - would it be safe for a bloodthirsty cut-throat like Skarvench to show his face and openly spend his ill-gotten gold. Selenice has no allegiance to any nation. It is ruled by the common consent of the buccaneers who live here � the Brethren of the Coast, as they term themselves - and it is buccaneers and their families that are the town's only citizens.

Curiously, life here is not the lawless mayhem that outsiders imagine. The buccaneers of Selenice arrive here glutted with more than their share of violence and hardship. They want nothing more than to squander their loot on ale, women and dice in peace. One rule that is stringently enforced above all others is an absolute ban on the use of weapons. Normal brawls can and do occur, for buccaneers are hard men filled with pride, and tempers can flare up easily when the rum flows freely. But any brawl is settled barehanded, since to draw a weapon in Selenice is to invite summary justice from the Brethren of the Coast. However you may have fared elsewhere under the laws of civilized kingdoms, you'd do well not to fall afoul of the Brethren.

Passing a pedlar in the street outside the Thorny Knot tavern, Oakley glances across at you. 'Maybe we should do a spot of shopping, skipper?'

'I'd rather do a spot of drinking,' says Blutz, casting a longing eye at the tavern.

Decide whether you will buy something from the pedlar (336), or go into the tavern (355), or wander off to see the local shipbuilder (374).

We've got 5 whole doubloons burning a hole in our pocket!

Page 336 posted:

The pedlar is a thin fellow with a pigtail and a silver ring in his ear. On his shoulder crouches a weasel which is attached to his wrist by a length of twine. As you approach, the pedlar whisks the tarpaulin off his cart and begins describing the jumble of items he has, tossing each aside and grabbing another almost as quickly as he can reel off the prices.

'Steady on, matey,' grumbles Oakley. 'I can hardly keep up. What were you askin' for this here cutlass, now?'

If you have STREETWISE, turn to 393.
~~If not, turn to 410.~~

Page 393 posted:

You recognize the man as Twitchy Pinque, a notorious petty thief who wouldn't hesitate to sell his own grandmother � not that he would get much for her if he did, since she is a known witch with a soul of pure poison. Seizing him by the scruff of his grubby neck, you whisper into his ear: 'It's not stolen, this lot, is it, Twitchy? Not selling stolen goods that you've pilfered here in Selenice? That'd be nothing short of pig stupid, I'd say. I'd only have to give a whistle and some of the nastiest pirates in the Carab are going to fall on you like half a ton of ballast. I wonder what they'd do to you, eh, Twitchy?'

This unorthodox bargaining technique quickly convinces Pinque to drop to rock-bottom prices:

Pocket watch 7 doubloons
Pistol 8 doubloons
Sword 7 doubloons
Hornpipe 3 doubloons
Weasel 2 doubloons
Amulet 12 doubloons

You are dubious about the amulet, but Pinque swears blind it's genuine. 'Belonged to my dear old granny, guv. Still does technically, I suppose, since I never asked her if I could take it.'

Buy anything you can afford, then decide whether to enter the tavern (turn to 355) or go off to see the shipbuilder (turn to 374).

: A chance to complete my menagerie...?

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Waterlogged' Sherman the Warlock

Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, SPELLS, and STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Doubloons: 5

Possessions: Magic amulet, pistol, monkey, book of charts, feather shield, obsidian necklace, wooden sword studded with shark's teeth, wand, deed of ownership, parrot, crucifix

Codewords: ~~Fetish~~, ~~Scrip~~

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd

# ? Jun 27, 2015 06:09

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

Weasal and hornpipe, no question.

# ? Jun 27, 2015 08:55

Ghostwoods: May 9, 2013; Say "Cheese!"

CirclMastr posted:

Weasal and hornpipe, no question.

Definitely. How can we be a proper sailor without a weasel?

# ? Jun 27, 2015 10:28

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Monkey and hornpipe: acquired. Direction:...not so much.

Page 355 posted:

Ducking under the low rafters, you cross the sawdust-strewn taproom and seat yourselves in an alcove. At a able nearby sits a blind old man sipping brandy from a wide saucer-shaped cup. Raucous laughter pulls your gaze to the bar, where three ruffians are amusing themselves at the expense of a gentleman in shabby scholastic robes. One of the ruffians has taken the man's spectacles and is jokingly trying them on, ignoring his short-sighted attempts to grab them back.

If you have STREETWISE, turn to 71.
~~If not, you can talk to the blind man (33), step in to help the scholar (52), or leave to visit the shipyard (374).~~

Page 71 posted:

The blind man is Greymalkin Smith. Once a pirate himself, he was blinded in a powder keg explosion and now ekes out a living running errands around town and swapping gossip for drinks.

You have also seen the three ruffians before. In fact, just a few weeks ago you learned that the governor of Leshand has put a price on their heads.

If you talk to Greymalkin, turn to 33.
If you intervene to stop the ruffians bullying the scholar, turn to 52.
Or you can go off to the shipyard, turn to 374.

: George, you're a registered helper monkey, aren't you?

: *shakes head disconsolately*

: Huh, I coulda sworn. How about you guys?

: Squawk! SQUAWK! SQUAWK!

: *suggestively raises remaining eyebrow*

: On second thought, perhaps that's not the best tac to follow here.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Waterlogged' Sherman the Warlock

Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, SPELLS, and STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Doubloons: 0

Possessions: Magic amulet, pistol, monkey, book of charts, feather shield, obsidian necklace, wooden sword studded with shark's teeth, wand, deed of ownership, parrot, crucifix, weasel, hornpipe

Codewords: ~~Fetish~~, ~~Scrip~~

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd

# ? Jun 28, 2015 03:44

Ghostwoods: May 9, 2013; Say "Cheese!"

Looks like we've got the knowledge to intervene successfully.

# ? Jun 28, 2015 12:11

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

Yeah let's intervene and get that bounty!

# ? Jun 28, 2015 13:29

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 52 posted:

The elderly scholar makes another short-sighted lunge for his spectacles, only to trip over the outstretched leg of one of the ruffians and go sprawling. His tormentors' laughter is harsh and braying. The scholar gets to his feet and brushes the dust off his velvet robe. 'Please...' he says, almost in tears. 'Give those back; I can't see without them.'

~~If you want to use CUNNING, turn to 128.~~
If you try STREETWISE, turn to 147.
~~If you don't have either of those skills, you will have to fight them - either with a sword (166), a pistol (185) or your bare hands (204).~~

Page 147 posted:

Stepping up to the bar, you act as if you'd only just spotted the three ruffians. 'Toby Whipstaff!' you say to the largest of them. 'Why, I haven't clapped eyes on you in a long time! How blows the wind, Toby?'

He greets you with a broad smile, forgetting his sport with the scholar. 'All's well. Last week we took a Sidonian galleon loaded with gold plate; pickings have rarely been richer.'

You nod. 'And not just Sidonian pickings, I suppose, otherwise the governor wouldn't have set a price of a hundred doubloons on your head.'

He fingers his neck nervously. 'Ah, that must be the little business involving the Gloriannic merchantman a while back. I didn't expect them to make so much of it.'

'You're too modest! Five sailors were killed, including the governor's godson.'

Whipstaff visibly pales. 'A hundred doubloons, eh? That much.'

'Your brother's been posted for twice that. No doubt it was his expertise with the flensing-knife that attracted undue attention.'

'My brother? But he's sailing for Leshand this very day! I must get to the docks!' Tossing the spectacles on the bar, he races out with his two cronies behind.

Turn to 223.

: "Flensing"?

: *gestures intricately and extensively for 10 minutes while cheeping excitedly*

: Oh, I see. So THAT'S how we get lamp oil!

Page 223 posted:

Putting his spectacles back on, the scholar gratefully shakes you by the hand. 'This is a place for gentlemen of fortune, not gentlemen of letters,' you tell him. 'I recommend you head on to a lawful port as soon as possible.'

He shakes his head. 'But I've travelled all the way from Glorianne in search of someone: the wizard Mirabilis.'

You nod. 'I've heard of him. Why should you expect to find him here?'

'I'm told he sailed for the colonies with Queen Titania. I left after they did, but my ship must have made better headway because it seems the Queen is still at sea and won't reach the colonies for several weeks.'

'It's as you say, but you're mistaken if you think they'll put into port here. Selenice is not under Gloriannic rule.'

He flutters his hands impatiently. 'I know that. But it occurs to me that Mirabilis' half-brother, a man called Skarvench, might know where he's bound.'

The others have come over to join you. 'So Skarvench is half-brother to the Queen's wizard!' says Oakley with a whistle. 'No doubt such news portends mischief.'

'Why do you want to find Mirabilis?' Blutz asks the scholar.

'He paid me to do some astronomical calculations for him. He wanted to know when a certain eclipse of the moon would occur, as apparently he had plans which would be disrupted if the eclipse happened too early. Well, I gave him the results, but after he sailed I double-checked my calculations and it turns out I made an error. I told Mirabilis the eclipse would be at two o'clock on midsummer night, but in fact it will be slightly earlier, at midnight.'

Note the codeword Horal. Assuring the scholar that you will deliver his message personally, you escort him to the harbour and put him aboard a ship bound for Glorianne.

Turn to 374.

Waaaaaay back in the beginning we could have picked up this tidbit by listening outside Skarvench's room following several chances to go gather loot.

Page 374 posted:

You make your way to the eastern edge of town and along the boardwalk into the shipyard. Labourers scurry to and fro ignoring you, for it is their busiest season with the hurricane just a month away. A dozen ships lie here careened - raised up on dry land and tilted on one side so that repairs or routine maintenance can be carried out. The new vessels stand in stocks further back from the water's edge, in varying degrees of construction. You see stacks of oak planks which are used for the hulls, and long straight pine poles that will become the masts.

The Master Shipbuilder, Kemp, emerges from his workshop and comes hurrying over. He is a spareframed fellow with grey mutton-chop whiskers around a face coloured red by harsh coastal winds and nips of brandy wine. 'Greetings!' he says. He is on the point of shaking fingers when he remembers that his fingers are tarry from caulking the new ships. 'Ah well. How can I help you?'

If you tell him you want to buy a ship, turn to 43.
If you enquire whether he has done any work for Skarvench recently, turn to 63.
If you ask what he knows about the ship Cold Grue, turn to 82.

: Wait, have I even heard about that ship?

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Waterlogged' Sherman the Warlock

Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, SPELLS, and STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Doubloons: 0

Possessions: Magic amulet, pistol, monkey, book of charts, feather shield, obsidian necklace, wooden sword studded with shark's teeth, wand, deed of ownership, parrot, crucifix, weasel, hornpipe

Codewords: ~~Fetish~~, ~~Scrip~~, Hora

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd

# ? Jun 29, 2015 04:09

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

Uh, let's ask about Cold Grue!

# ? Jun 29, 2015 06:25

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

We already have a ship waiting for us and I'm pretty sure we don't know any Cold Grue, so let's ask about Skarvench. Maybe we can learn more about those weird modifications he had made to his ship.

# ? Jun 29, 2015 09:16

inflatablefish: Oct 24, 2010

We are in a strait of twisty shoals, all alike. We are likely to be boarded by Cold Grue.

Let's ask him about Skarvench, since we already have a ship.

# ? Jun 29, 2015 18:42

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 63 posted:

Kemp nods. 'Just recently finished. Skarvench took delivery of her two days ago: a fine galleon of forty guns which he means to name Moon Dog. Got some queer features to her, though.'

You press him on the point. 'Such as?'

'Well, first off he had me install gunports along the keel. "The ship'll sink," says I, but Skarvench would have none of it - just chortled like an old crow and showed me the designs he'd brought. "Along the keel," he insists, "and mind you fit the masts thus and so; they've a fair load to lift".'

'Eh?' You're puzzled. 'What did he mean by that?'

Kemp sighs. 'My own guess is worthless, so doubtless your own is better. It's not how I've built any ship before, and I've built hundreds. The timber was too light also - pine is easily split by cannon - but Skarvench only laughed fit to burst and said, "It depends where the cannons be pointing!" So in the end, since his gold was good, I did it the way he wanted. I have other customers to attend to, so I'll bid you good day.'

'Where to now?' says Oakley as you walk back to town.

You think for a moment. 'We'll take rooms at the Sweat o' the Brow inn. If Skarvench shows his face anywhere in Selenice, it'll be there.'

You have never spoken a truer word, for no sooner have you stepped through the doorway of the inn than you are rooted to the spot in shock. There the fiend stands, large as life in front of you. A rum bottle is clutched in his hand and his crew throng the tap-room around him, cowering as he subjects them to one of his thunderous drunken rants.

Then his eye alights on you. His snarling voice is cut off in mid-sentence. A thin line of spittle runs down into his beard as his teeth show shark-like in a vicious grin. It is the moment you have waited for: face to face with your dearest foe...

Turn to 14.

Page 14 posted:

A look of thunder flickers behind Skarvench's eye. 'Still alive, eh? Come and drink with your old cap'n!' He waves the rum bottle as if inviting you to take it, but you'd sooner put your hand in a wolf's mouth. Blutz's blood is up at the sight of your hated foe.

'God rot your one eye, villain!' he screams. 'I'd like to take that bottle and -' There is a crash of breaking wood and Blutz falls with a groan. Glancing to one side, you see he has been hit over the head with a stool. Curshaw stands there grinning, then puts his boot into the unconscious Blutz's ribs. He drops the broken leg of the stool beside him.

Oakley and Grimes stand face to face with the closing circle of Skarvench's men. You whirl to face the pirate captain himself. 'Enough, Skarvench; your quarrel's with me, not them.'

He crows with laughter. 'Ah, that's a right noble sentiment and no mistake! See here, though: my quarrel's with all who'd try'n scupper my plans. I'm aimin' to bag me a queen, no less, an' then sell her to the highest bidder. So I'm goin' to have to do away with you, mate - which I should've done long ago, but I guess my old heart's just too soft!'

His hand goes to his belt. You realize he's reaching for a weapon, and your own fingers close instinctively on something on the table beside you. You raise it, and Skarvench gives a screech of laughter � you're holding only a corkscrew. He has a musket. 'I'll be the wealthiest man on the seven seas,' he boasts. 'And he who would that wealth deny, down among the dead men let him lie!'

There is a flash as he fires. Smoke fills the air and the musket-ball thuds into your chest. You feel an instant of searing pain, then everything goes black...

Turn to 362.

Credits roll.

Page 362 posted:

If you have ~~a pocket-watch~~, a crucifix or a magic amulet, lose 3 Life Points and (if still alive) turn to 242.
~~If you have none of these items, turn to 324.~~

Or do they...?

Page 242 posted:

You sit up suddenly with a groan. Your chest feels as though you've been kicked by a horse, but by rights you ought to be dead. Shaking your head to clear it, you look down and discover that Skarvench's bullet was deflected by the article hanging at your breast. Instead of hitting your heart, it glanced off the metal and only left a long red gash.

Grimes' face comes into focus. 'How long have I been out cold?' you ask him, each breath making you wince in pain.

'At least quarter of an hour, skipper.'

Quite a crowd has gathered around you. As you stagger groggily to your feet, you find you're still holding the corkscrew. (Note it on your Adventure Sheet if you want to keep it.) 'A fat lot of good this did me,' you mutter.

Oakley cracks a grin, relieved to see you're all right, 'dunno, you might've had his remaining eye out with it if you'd been a bit closer.'

An elderly pirate steps out of the crowd. You recognize him as a respected man in the disreputable community of Selenice. 'Skarvench broke the Brethren's law,' he says. 'He's an outcast now. No port on the Carab will give him shelter.'

Blutz is nursing a lump on his head. His nostrils flare in rage as he cries, 'If Skarvench succeeds in abducting Queen Titania he'll be rich enough to buy his own port!'

'He won't,' you say in a voice laced with icy determination. 'We'll stop him.'

Turn to 343.

: Me and my menagerie will see to it!

Page 343 posted:

You make your way outside, where there are more onlookers attracted by news of the shooting. 'Are you the one Skarvench shot?' asks an old man, seeing the blood on your chest.

'Aye,' you say, and you tell him the tale of your lucky escape.

He looks at the article that saved your life. 'A valuable investment. I must buy one myself.'

Blutz chips in: 'Listen, old man, did you see where Skarvench went?'

'Less of the "old" if you please, fatty,' says the old man, bristling. 'And to answer your query, he and his men went chortling their way down this very street in the direction of the waterfront.'

Oakley cries out an oath. 'They'll have set sail! We need a ship of our own.'

If you have both a ship in a bottle and a corkscrew, turn to 261.
If not but you have a conch-shell horn, turn to 280.
Otherwise, perhaps you have a deed of ownership (turn to 318) ~~or diamonds with which to buy a ship (turn to 299)?~~
~~If you have none of these items, you have no hope of catching Skarvench and your adventure grinds to an abrupt end.~~

: A deed indeed!

Page 318 posted:

You present the deed of ownership to the harbour master and he leads you along the quay in the direction of a sterling galleon whose proud figurine juts imposingly against the sun. 'Why, she's magnificent!' says Blutz, starting up the gangplank. 'We'll soon blast Skarvench out of the water in this beauty, shipmates.'

'Avast there, ye fat swab!' snarls a man from the deck, shaking his fist. 'Get off me gangplank afore ye breaks it!'

The harbour master had gone striding on ahead. Hearing the commotion, he comes back and tugs your sleeve, pointing to a much smaller vessel at the end of the dock. 'No,' he says, 'that is your ship.'

You look her up and down without enthusiasm. She sits slightly lopsided in the water, and her few guns show patches of rust. You cannot imagine a small sloop like that tackling Skarvench's mighty galleon.

Oakley pats you on the shoulder. 'Buck up, skipper. We'll just have to make the best of her.'

You nod in agreement and go aboard to inspect your first command: the Lady of Shalott. Turn to 300.

Page 300 posted:

Somehow you have to get a bigger ship, as your current one is no match for Skarvench's heavily armed galleon. Sitting in your cabin aboard the Lady of Shalott, you mull over the options open to you.

If you met Timmy Mortice and he told you about El Draque's treasure, turn to 319 if you want to go looking for that treasure.
If you steered far south after escaping from the Belle Dame and saw a ship frozen in ice, turn to 338 to sail in search of it now.
Failing either of those choices, you might prefer to make some money from plain dishonest piracy - in which case turn to 357.

The term seems redundant, but either way let's get our pirate on!

Page 357 posted:

After signing up a small crew, you spend the next few weeks plying the main shipping-lanes in search of spoils. You succeed in waylaying a couple of Sidonian merchantmen, but they prove to have little of worth in their holds. After tallying the profits and deducting each crewman's share, Blutz comes to you. 'At this rate it'll take us months to earn enough for a decent warship, Cap'n,' he says.

You gnaw your lip � the only outward sign that you are concerned. Other than that, your face remains an impassive granite mask. Gazing dead ahead, you say, 'You've a suggestion, Mister Blutz?'

'Aye, Cap'n. I know you won't like it, seein' as how you hail from Glorianne yourself, but if we didn't just confine ourselves to Sidonian ships - that is, if we was to plunder Gloriannic vessels too � we'd earn what we need in half the time.'

It is your judgment call. What order will you give?

'Continue to prey only on Sidonian ships!' Turn to 376.
'Attack both Sidonian and Gloriannic ships from now on!' Turn to 395.
'Reduce the crew's share of plunder!' Turn to 412.

: Argh! My moral compass!

: *grins and eagerly sharpens a tiny knife*

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Waterlogged' Sherman the Warlock

Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, SPELLS, and STREETWISE

Life Points: 7/10

Doubloons: 0

Possessions: Magic amulet, pistol, monkey, book of charts, feather shield, obsidian necklace, wooden sword studded with shark's teeth, wand, deed of ownership, parrot, crucifix, weasel, hornpipe, corkscrew

Codewords: ~~Fetish~~, ~~Scrip~~, Hora

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd

Ratatozsk fucked around with this message at 02:52 on Jun 30, 2015

# ? Jun 30, 2015 02:48

wiegieman: Apr 22, 2010; Royalty is a continuous cutting motion

Prey only on those dirty foreigners.

# ? Jun 30, 2015 03:18

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

Foreigners only. We'll need all the help we can get to fight this airship Skarvench's brewing up.

# ? Jun 30, 2015 04:42

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

Sidonians only!

# ? Jun 30, 2015 04:47

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 376 posted:

The next few days see an upswing in your fortunes as treasure ships, anxious to be well clear of the region before the onset of the hurricane season, come sailing to your clutches like fish into a net. You board three well-laden galleons and carry off a fine haul in gold coins, jewelled trinkets and rich sea-coloured silks. You pace to and fro as Blutz's quill scrapes on the pages of the account book, tracing the growth of your riches. At last he looks up with a sigh, sets aside his quill and cracks his knuckles. You, Grimes and Oakley leap forward like expectant fathers waiting for a midwife's news. 'Well?'

'We've enough loot to buy us one of the finest warships on the Carab Sea!' declares Blutz with a broad grin.

'Excellent news!' You race up on deck. 'Hoist the mainsail! Helmsman, five points to starboard! We're bound for home!'

A cry from the crow's nest warns of a dark cloud on your horizon of hope. 'A Gloriannic warship in sight off the port bow!' calls the lookout. 'She's raising signals. The order is for us to heave to and prepare to be boarded.'

'Brandy and bilge-water!' swears Grimes, joining you on the poopdeck. 'What's it to be, Cap'n - do we let those lubbers come aboard, or give 'em a run for their money?'

You can drop sail and allow the warship to come alongside (24), try outrunning her (214), or turn and make a fight of it (252).

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Waterlogged' Sherman the Warlock

Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, SPELLS, and STREETWISE

Life Points: 7/10

Doubloons: 0

Possessions: Magic amulet, pistol, monkey, book of charts, feather shield, obsidian necklace, wooden sword studded with shark's teeth, wand, deed of ownership, parrot, crucifix, weasel, hornpipe, corkscrew

Codewords: ~~Fetish~~, ~~Scrip~~, Hora

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd

# ? Jul 1, 2015 02:42

Tuxedo Ted: Apr 24, 2007

It's a fact that our current ship is a piece of crap. Probably can't outrun or outfight a warship. But if we let them aboard they'll probably take all the treasure, so let's at least take a stab at Fighting.

# ? Jul 1, 2015 04:38

wiegieman: Apr 22, 2010; Royalty is a continuous cutting motion

We've only attacked Sidonians, so let them aboard.

# ? Jul 1, 2015 05:18

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

It's time for the white flag. Let them board.

# ? Jul 1, 2015 06:21

Oblivion4568238: Oct 10, 2012; The Inquisition.
What a show.
The Inquisition.
Here. We. Go.; College Slice

We haven't been attacking them at all, they might be coming over to give us a letter of marque and then pay us to loot more Sidonians. Let them board.

# ? Jul 1, 2015 07:19

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

Let them board, it's the only option with this tub (although it's really awesome at plundering Sidonian ships, somehow).

# ? Jul 1, 2015 07:36

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 24 posted:

The warship's captain comes aboard with a party of heavily armed marines. He casts a pebble-eyed glance at the assorted rogues of your ship's company, then turns to address you. 'I take it you are the captain of this rabble. I put it to you that your business on the high seas is nothing but common piracy and, this being so, I hereby take charge of your vessel in the name of Her Majesty the Queen.'

~~If you have a letter of marque, turn to 92.~~
If not, turn to 111.

Well, we TRIED to get one. Shouldn't that count for something?

Page 111 posted:

A rope is slung over the yardarm. The warship captain personally ties the end into a noose. As he puts it over your head, you cannot resist a few futile words of defiance. 'You enjoy your job, don't you?' you snarl at him.

He gazes back at you coolly. 'I serve my queen and country. That is all; there's nothing personal about this.' He turns to the marines holding the end of the rope and gives a curt nod. You are hauled aloft to kick out your life under the shadow of your own ship's yardarm. It is a fate that awaits many pirates, and a far cry from the glorious destiny you dreamed of.

Death: Hung for piracy

Well, we had one vote for fighting. Let's see how this turns out.

Page 252 posted:

The warship stands much taller than your own vessel, making your few cannon-shots largely ineffective. Your shells smack into the warship's strong oaken flanks with hardly more effect than grape-shot. If only you could score a hit on the enemy's rigging...

The warship does not return fire. Those mighty guns could easily blast you to kindling, but instead she is steering to pull alongside for a boarding action.

If you want to use SPELLS (with a wand), turn to 35.
~~If you want to use AGILITY, turn to 54.~~
~~Alternatively you could use a thundercloud fan (turn to 263) or a bronze helmet (turn to 282) if you have them.~~
Failing any of these options, turn to 73 and stand by to repel boarders!

: *anxiously signs "WHAWAWWTUI" in HMSL*

: But I don't speak Helper Monkey Sign Language!

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Waterlogged' Sherman the Warlock

Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, SPELLS, and STREETWISE

Life Points: 7/10

Doubloons: 0

Possessions: Magic amulet, pistol, monkey, book of charts, feather shield, obsidian necklace, wooden sword studded with shark's teeth, wand, deed of ownership, parrot, crucifix, weasel, hornpipe, corkscrew

Codewords: ~~Fetish~~, ~~Scrip~~, Hora

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd

# ? Jul 2, 2015 04:14

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

We have spells and we wish to use them.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 06:12

wiegieman: Apr 22, 2010; Royalty is a continuous cutting motion

We Have a Wand and We Wish to Use it.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 06:21

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 35 posted:

'Sidonian men-o'-war hard astern! Turee of 'em!' cries your lookout. The Gloriannic warship sees them too and alters course to engage the enemy. Forgotten for the time being, your own ship is able to slip away. Oakley joins you on the poopdeck. 'They're almost over the horizon,' he says, glancing back. 'A nice bit of luck, those Sidonian ships turning up just when they did. But I'm a bit surprised at you making a run for it, skipper. I'd have thought you'd order us to muck in and help the Gloriannic captain.'

You smile and pat the wand tucked into your belt. 'Help him, Mister Oakley? Against what - those magical mirages I conjured? They'll be fading like a morning haze as soon as we're out of sight.'

He laughs heartily to hear this.

Turn to 16.

: So that's how spells are supposed to work!

Page 16 posted:

You sail back into Selenice harbour with a hold full of treasure and hearts full of confidence. News of your fortune spreads rapidly, bringing the master shipwright himself hurrying down to the quay to greet you.

'Come aboard, Master Kemp,' you say, heartily pumping his hand as he steps off the gangplank. 'We've found rich pickings on our travels. Perhaps now you can sell us a ship more suited to our needs?' With that, you throw open the hold covers with a theatrical flourish.

The sunlight reflects off your haul in patterns of gold, silver and ruby-red across Kemp's face. He looks up with as broad a smile as a mouth could manage and says, 'Why, captain, I have the very ship for you moored just along the quay.'

You turn to look where he is pointing, a gasp of admiration escaping your lips as you do. The ship is a proud tall-masted galleon with sixty cannon bristling along her gunwales. Her figurehead is a painted oak mermaid of almost supernatural beauty. 'The Faerie Queen,' says Blutz, reading the name emblazoned on the prow. 'I think I'm in love.'

'That's the one for us,' you concur. 'Master Kemp, you keep the sloop and the loot here in the hold. We'll have the Faerie Queen.'

Kemp nods, stunned at having made the quickest sale of his life, while you stride down the gangplank and along the quay to take command of your new vessel.

Turn to 184.

Page 184 posted:

Record the name of your vessel on your Adventure Sheet. (She does not count against your limit of possessions, of course, because you don't have to carry her!) Next to the name, put a number of stars as indicated here - one star if you're sailing aboard the Lady of Shalott, and so on:

The Lady of Shalott *
The Shivered Timber * *
The Queen's Ransom or the Faerie Queen * * *
The Meteor or the Octavius * * * *
The Providence or the Calypso * * * * *

Having done that, turn to 320.

Word of advice. Don't get too attached to the Faerie Queen. In both a good and bad way, as you'll soon see.

Page 320 posted:

Selenice is a veritable haven for pirates, and a large and experienced crew flocks to your cause. Some have heard of your exploits and are eager to join the quest for gold and glory. Others, having learned of your hatred of Skarvench, take grim pleasure in joining the battle against him; they, like you, have old scores to settle.

While you are signing on the last few crewmen, Blutz comes bustling along the dock full of urgent news. 'I met a bloke in a tavern,' he manages to pant out, leaning on a stanchion to recover his breath. 'He was employed as pilot to steer Queen Titania's convoy past the Smoking Islands. He told me the convoy's heading for Port Tudor where they'll sit out the hurricane season.'

'The hurricane season!' scoffs Oakley. 'The hurricane's not due for a month.'

Blutz shakes his head. 'This bloke I was talking to said they think it's going to hit early this year. Apparently the Queen's wizard cast a horoscope and he's sure of it.'

Grimes grabs you by the shoulder. 'Skipper, you know what this means. If Skarvench intends to go through with his attack on the Queen's convoy, he'll have to do it before they reach Port Tudor!'

'By thunder, you're right! All hands to their posts. We sail for Port Tudor, and there isn't a moment to lose!'

Turn to 138.

: Alright lads, let's ship out!

Page 138 posted:

A strong breeze stretches your ship's sails wide against the sky, driving you on towards your destiny. But you have no time to brood on what the future may hold; you have a ship to command. Seeing the way her prow cleaves the water, and the jaunty courage of your crew as they go about their chores, your heart brims with optimism. Soon Skarvench will see his last sunset in this life - of that you feel sure.

More than a week goes by, and you can recover 2 Life Points if injured. On the ninth day, you stand on the deck watching the sun slide out of the sky. Long blazing beams of orange light turn the green waves to liquid gold. And then - in the blink of an eye - this idyllic scene is transformed. A purple murk rises from the western horizon, blotting out the afternoon sun behind thick thunderclouds. A cold gust blows in your face, setting the sails to a pensive fluttering like frightened birds. You know well the taste of that chill wind; it is the harbinger of the hurricane.

'This is but the twitch of the lion's tail compared with what will come,' mutters Grimes. 'We'll have to put about.' He calls to the crew: 'Strike the main topsail.'

You turn. 'Belay that striking order! Lash it!'

Oakley stares at you. 'Skipper, the hurricane'll tear us apart.'

The first rain spits into your face, icily intense. 'We're going in, hurricane or not. God is master of the heavens and all the world - but, by all that's holy, I'm master of this ship!'

You can use ~~a thundercloud fan (18)~~, an amulet with CHARMS (37), or ~~SEAFARING (397)~~.
~~If you have none of those, turn to 75.~~

Charming as always.

Page 37 posted:

The storm turns the sky to boiling pitch, and in your fancy it seems that you would be swamped by celestial fires if it were not that the sea now boils up to the edge of heaven, hissing those fires into smoky darkness. Your crew cling to whatever comes to hand as mighty waves come heaving over the side. You see one man lose his balance and go hurtling across the deck � only saved at the last moment by catching hold of the mainsail shrouds.

'Cap'n!' cries the helmsman, peering into the thundering curtains of rain. 'I cannot see to steer her!'

You hold your amulet before his eyes. Its burnished gold surface sparkles in the flicker of lightning. 'Focus your gaze on this,' you tell him. 'Have faith.'

He stands fast as though entranced, turning the whipstaff to follow each swing of the amulet. The sails strain, drawing shrieks of protest from the masts, and high waves crash around your bows, but you plunge on directly towards the heart of the storm.

Turn to 94.

Page 94 posted:

It seems like hours. At last the storm blows over. The full moon appears - a blazing white beacon. The clouds go draining away like pools of quicksilver in the vast dark blue dish of the sky.

'Ship ahoy!' cries the lookout. 'She's the Rose!'

It is indeed the Queen's proud flagship, her spars snapped and rigging torn from the storm she's just weathered. Even so, she is a daunting oaken fortress on the slow swell of the ocean. There is no sign of the escort fleet - presumably scattered or sent to the deeps by the recent hurricane. You order a cautious approach, wary in case the Rose's gunners open fire on you out of panic.

But this uncanny night still has surprises in store, it seems. As you draw closer to the drifting Rose, thick white fog boils out from nowhere and spreads rapidly across the sea. Within a minute it has entirely obscured your view of the ship. You gaze out at the blanket of fog, luminous in the moonlight, sitting on the waters like a malevolent entity. Tendrils drift across your own deck, and the crew look up at you with expressions of confusion and fear.

You sniff the air. 'There's a smell of sorcery here, my lads,' you say to the others.

'Look up there!' cries one of the sailors, and suddenly there is a moan of awestruck amazement from everyone on deck. You lift your eyes towards the sky and feel a sudden chill of supernatural dread. Sailing down out of the scattered clouds, her silver sails filled with lunar light, comes Skarvench's enchanted galleon: the Moon Dog.

If you have the codeword Horal ~~and a pocketwatch, turn to 189.~~
~~If you have a bat-shaped talisman and want to use it, turn to 151.~~
~~If you have a black kite and want to use it, turn to 170.~~
Failing any of those options, turn to 208.

I don't believe we ever had sufficient funds to purchase a pocketwatch. That, and our little zoo would be much less impressive.

Page 208 posted:

There is not enough wind to bring you up to the fog bank before the Moon Dog. You watch her descend until she is hovering above the fog, sails shimmering with occult energy. Ropes are dropped down from her rail, and hazily you make out the shapes of men descending on these ropes like a dozen web-spinning spiders.

'Not enough breeze for the sails,' you groan. 'I'd give half my life for a single gust of that hurricane now!'

The fog envelops your bows. 'We'll have to heave to, skipper,' cautions Grimes. 'We might run smack into the Rose in this pea-souper.'

You are forced to agree. Tense minutes pass. Straining your ears, you think you can hear muffled shouts from far off: 'The Queen! They've got the Queen!' and 'Where's their ship?'

As suddenly as it arose, the fog disperses. The Rose looms close ahead of you, and now you can see figures milling across her deck in panic. You look up to see Skarvench's flying ship appear as a gaunt shadow across the moon for a moment; then it disappears into a rack of cloud.

Soldiers come rowing out from the Rose and clamber aboard without waiting for permission. You find yourselves staring down the barrels of thirty muskets. 'What is this?' you demand angrily. 'We're not your enemies - we came to save the Queen!'

Admiral Calidor stares at you like a hawk. He is obviously in a state of anguish but he struggles to control it as he says flatly, 'The Queen has been kidnapped by your accomplices. You're going to tell me where they've taken her.'

'I don't know!' you yell back at him. 'They weren't our accomplices. I told you, we're on your side!'

Your arms are seized by soldiers and you are bundled into a rowboat. 'These pirates are all the same,' mutters Calidor to his sergeant of marines. 'Distasteful though it is, we'll have to put them to torture.'

You are a long time dying on the rack in the bowels of Calidor's ship. But what makes your death all the more bitter is that you are being punished for the crimes of your arch enemy, the evil Captain Skarvench...

Death: Tortured to the grave

OK, now we're starting to make up for lost time. 2 deaths in 2 updates! Unfortunately, resolving this one is going to take a little bit more tweaking. So let's reach waaaay back to Ejada's island and proceed as if we hadn't burnt our wand out at the very first chance.

Page 384 posted:

Ejada throws back her glossy green hair and laughs. 'A wizardry duel? So be it - centuries have passed since any mortal mage dared to pit his sorcery against mine!' So saying, she raises her hands and begins the incantation of a spell.

If you summon a gust of wind to lift her off her feet, turn to 62.
If you unleash a blast of flame to burn her up, turn to 81.

I'm going to skip this vote so that we don't lose too much track of the plot.

Page 62 posted:

A funnel of wind whiplashes down out of the sky. As she feels it engulf her, Ejada gives vent to a cry of alarm and tries to catch a handhold on the palace wall. Her hair and robes billow in the wind and she is sucked inexorably into the air. To your amazement, you can now see something like green shoots or rootlets dangling from the soles of her feet. As soon as these are tugged out of the ground, she begins visibly to weaken and soon is begging for mercy.

Turn to 157.

Page 157 posted:

Now you guess the truth. As daughter of the Earth Goddess, Ejada received unending strength and vitality as long as she remained in contact with the ground. Now she is like an uprooted flower wilting in the hot sunlight. 'Restore me to the earth,' she begs, 'and all my treasures are yours.'

'They are anyway.' You've learned never to trust a sorceress. Wedging her on a high cornice of the building, well clear of the soil that would regenerate her power, you go inside to explore. You soon find a hoard of magical treasures comprising a magic wand, a potion of healing, a ship in a bottle, and a black kite. The potion can be drunk once at any time to restore your Life Points score to normal. The other items may or may not come in handy later.

Returning to the beach, you quit Grimoire Island without further delay.

Turn to 137.

: Odyssey, the voyage of the Argo, the journeys of Heracles...they all start to blend together after awhile, don't they?

This ALSO enables us to upgrade our ride from a few updates back. Since we're dipping back in time anyhow...

Page 261 posted:

You look at the corkscrew in your hand. 'Of course! This is how we'll get our ship.'

The others watch you with rekindled concern. 'Maybe you ought to lie down for a bit, skipper?' suggests Blutz. 'You took a nasty knock back there.'

In answer you give only a triumphant laugh, setting out towards the harbour with a determined stride they are hard-pressed to match. Now you see clearly that it was divine providence that guided your hand to the corkscrew - the same divine providence that deflected the bullet and saved your life. The force of conviction bears you on like a gale until you stand on the quayside, a smile playing on your lips as you gaze at the lapping waves.

The others come up just as you are withdrawing the cork from the bottle. They gasp in astonishment to see a weird green vapour billow out, spreading to lie in a thick fog-bank beside the quay. A wind arises, stirs the fog, then dissipates it like a puff of steam.

Someone mutters an oath. Where the green fog hung moments before, a ship now lies moored - a fine gilded galleon with a figurehead in the shape of a lion's head. Cannons fashioned to resemble leonine paws adorn her flanks. Her furled sails blaze like sunlit clouds against the azure of the sky.

'A magic ship!' breathes Blutz. 'What'll we call her?'

'She's the Providence,' you reply. 'Gentlemen, shall we go aboard?'

Turn to 184.

Aaaaaand finally back to the present (with a maximum number of cryptic *'s after our boat, by the way), with our spiffy black kite to fly!

Page 170 posted:

Handing the kite to a sailor, you tell him to go up into the rigging and cast it towards the sky. 'What good will that do, skipper?' asks Oakley as you watch the man climb.

'Call it a hunch, Mister Oakley. That witch Ejada wouldn't treasure anything so mundane as a kite unless it possessed some kind of magical power. Now we'll find out exactly what.'

'It's a long shot,' says Blutz, watching the Moon Dog dip lower in the night sky with silver sails gleaming.

You watch the sailor reach the top of the mast and throw the kite up into the heavens. Caught by some wind that the sails do not feel, it soars aloft higher and higher, seeming to grow larger as it goes so that it spreads like an inkblot against the moon.

'The dragon wing of night o'erspreads the world,' breathes Grimes, his voice barely a whisper. And the last of the moonlight is blotted out, leaving only the gleam of ships' lanterns on the low bank of fog and the spangling of a million stars in the clear blackness above.

Turn to 246.

: *jumps up and down, excitedly signing*

: Now that's a hell of a spinnaker!

Page 246 posted:

Without the lunar wind to fill her sails, the Moon Dog drops quickly. You hear her splash down some distance off your starboard bow.

'Now Skarvench's seaborne like us,' says Oakley with a fierce smile. 'If not for this damned fog, we could give him a battle he'd not soon forget!'

~~If you have a thundercloud fan and want to use it, turn to 265.~~
If you want to disperse the fog with a wand and SPELLS, turn to 284.
~~If neither option is open to you, turn to 303.~~

Page 284 posted:

A steady wind arises quickly in answer to your magical summons. It is not strong - you dare not tamper with the elements too much - but it is enough for your purposes. The fog swirls and breaks apart, swiftly dispersing into wispy tendrils. You now have a clear view of both the crippled Rose and, nearer to you, Skarvench's ship the Moon Dog. She is standing at two o'clock off your starboard bow, just within cannon range. You have the weather gauge, meaning that the wind is blowing from behind you towards the Moon Dog - the ideal position for a sea battle.

'Now we have a choice,' says Oakley. 'We can sail in for boarding, or stand off and rake her with our guns. What's it to be, skipper?'

A snap decision is needed.

Will you steer in towards the Moon Dog (turn to 322) or unlimber your cannons (turn to 341)?

: I'm here to avast and chew ambergris. And I'm aaaaallll out of ambergris.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Waterlogged' Sherman the Warlock

Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, SPELLS, and STREETWISE

Life Points: 9/10

Doubloons: 0

Possessions: Magic amulet, pistol, monkey, book of charts, feather shield, obsidian necklace, wooden sword studded with shark's teeth, potion of healing, ship in a bottle, black kite, wand, deed of ownership, parrot, crucifix, weasel, hornpipe, corkscrew, Providence *****

Codewords: ~~Fetish~~, ~~Scrip~~, Hora

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd

# ? Jul 3, 2015 03:37

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Apr 27, 2024 22:44

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

All these checks for items and nobody cares about the zoo. What a drat shame.

That being said, cannon time.

# ? Jul 3, 2015 03:59

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Virtual Reality Adventure: Down Among the Dead Men [CYOAdventarrrrrrrrggghh!]

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