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

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

Apologies for the abrupt slowdown. Regular updates should be underway again by Wednesday/Thursday.

# ? May 18, 2015 02:58

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# ? Jun 5, 2024 04:22

Arcturas: Mar 30, 2011

No worries. I'm looking forward to it continuing.

Also, wear the ring!

# ? May 19, 2015 23:47

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

We're in the endgame anyways, no big rush.

Wear the ring!

# ? May 20, 2015 01:11

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

Page 35 posted:

Elanor, today dressed in a silver gown of gossamer silk, turns to look at you searchingly as you walk underneath the hawthorn arch. She smiles and asks if you are feeling brave today.

You sense a sombre urgency behind her words, and, imitating a courtly bow, you reply, 'My lady, I have never felt more heroic!'

'Good. Do you dare to glimpse your future, my hero?'

You have always avoided fortune-tellers. You have noticed that if a fortune-teller gives good news, people go away happy and expect good fortune to turn up on a plate without them lifting a finger. If the soothsayer prophesies misfortune a sense of helplessness comes over people and they all too often sink into a despairing inactivity which leads to their downfall through sloth. Thus their prophesy is self-fulfilling. It is a well-known fact in Godorno that those soothsayers who always give good auguries are never short of custom, leading you to conclude that they often lie, pretending to see happy events when they should be giving bad news, good fortune when they should be giving bad tidings.

Your worry on this score, however, is soon gone. Looking in the basin of smooth clear water it seems as though an artist is hurriedly painting a picture of ghoulish horror.

'The water shows what will come to pass if you do not succeed in your quest,' says Elanor. The picture is complete now in terrible detail, as if you were actually looking at the burnt remains of the forest. The trees have been chopped down as far as the eye can see. An infernal engine of some kind belches black smoke. Two hundred paces away you see a forge where a gigantic cauldron is suspended over a bonfire; six men constantly feed the fire with wood and charcoal. All the men working there have very pale skins, their faces long and thin, like hatchets. They shout to each other over the din of the engine in a language you don't understand.

Teams of horses harnessed together pull logs to where groups of men cut them up ready for burning. A row of children sit nearby; they are darker skinned than the men and have been set to toil over sharpening the saws.

Where the trees have been felled and stripped, men are torching the underbrush. They seem intent on killing everything that lives in the forest. A pall of smoke hangs like a storm-cloud over the scene.

Then the vision shifts and the men have gone, leaving behind nothing but the grey ashes of death. All that remains of the forest is a few blackened stumps.

Note the codeword Crabclaw on your Adventure Sheet and turn to 26.

: SOOOOOOOOOOT!

Page 26 posted:

'You have seen what will come to pass if you fail in your quest: death and nothing but death. Now let us see whether your future holds something different in store.'

Elanor takes your hand and brushes the surface of the water with your fingertips. A new picture forms and your eyes grow round with wonder. Something that looks like a hill set between tall dark trees is stirring and turning to look at you. It is a dragon, the oldest of the ancient beasts, not quite immortal. Its red eyes contrast horribly with the smooth jade green scales of its body. It snorts and a cloud of green gas rolls towards you. You jerk back from the vision in horror, before you remember it is just a picture on the water. You see yourself darting away from the cloud. Later, the vision shows you riding astride the creature's back while it flexes its wings in flight.

'You must win over the dragon, the most powerful of all the forest's denizens,' says Elanor. 'Then it will fight for you against the Westermen.'

Turn to 41.

: Um, about that...

Page 41 posted:

Elanor takes your hand once more and brushes the surface of the water again. The water is icy to your touch this time. A shiver of indefinable apprehension runs through you.

A new picture forms. Elves with bows throng the depths of the forest. They have pale green skin and hair the colour of rich red wine. They are sniping at the Westermen, unseen. Men fall in swathes, pierced by the elves' arrows, but the Westermen come on and on, advancing towards some unseen goal. The elves fall back; it seems they are looking to you to do something decisive.

A terrible figure stalks into view. You can't tell whether it is a man or some infernal magical machine. It looks like a full suit of armour, large enough for a giant of a man, that hisses steam at the joints. It bears a great sword which whistles through the air as it strides mechanically towards you.

The vision fades.

'Your moment of truth, hero. You must be prepared to fight the smoking man. Remember this vision, saviour, it shows the way to success in your quest,' she says.

She pauses before continuing, 'Tomorrow will be Midsummer's Day. It is time for you to go in search of the elves. But, my hero, you must be careful. Tell them you are a friend of mine and they might not kill you, for they sometimes shoot a man dead with a single arrow before the hapless wanderer knows he is being watched. Harm neither hide nor leaf of the forest. Only by your feeling for nature will the elves judge you. Aside from that they are impartial. You could be a saint or a murderer among men, yet it would count for nothing among the elves.'

When she is sure you know the way she bids you farewell with one last warning. 'The flute will be of no use to you, for I cannot save you from the elves if you anger them. Farewell.'

Turn to 70.

I think that it's inaccurate to refer to this as sequence breaking given that the book is designed to allow for a bit less linearity in your decision making. But something's breaking here, regardless.

Page 70 posted:

~~If you have both the Waterbearer and Bullhorn codewords, turn to 256.~~
~~If you have only Waterbearer, turn to 42.~~
If you have neither codeword, or only Bullhorn, turn to 60.

Page 60 posted:

The hairs on the nape of your neck begin to bristle as you step quietly between the Greenbark trees. You sense you are being watched.

You can hide (turn to 80), stop and look about you (turn to 90), or call out that you are Elanor's friend come in search of the immortal elves (turn to 109).

This brings us to familiar ground. So let's assume that we survived the elves (again) on Midsummer's Day (2.0), rewon the dragon's favor, and called both the name and bluff of the elven king. That would put us here:

Page 126 posted:

You shake your head. 'Better that I retain it for now. If we are to be allies, what better token that I fight for the elves than that their king has entrusted me with his royal symbol?'

He knows you have guessed him aright. If you had returned the ring, the elves would no doubt have found some way to back out of their bargain. Now they are bound to fight beside you, and your carefully chosen words allow the king to accede to this without losing his dignity. His eyes show a flicker of grudging admiration as he says, 'Well spoken, mortal. Now let us feast and discuss our plans.'

Note the Elf King's ring among your possessions, then turn to 232.

Please note that retreading each of these steps is entirely possible with the book's structure, and not averted by possessing the correct codeword.

Page 232 posted:

The Elf King tells you there are about twelve thousand elves here in the forest, and a very few spread across the rest of the world who are too far away to be reached in time.

Write the codeword Waterbearer on your Adventure Sheet.

If you have the codeword Bullhorn on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 256.
~~Otherwise, turn to 42.~~

Page 256 posted:

Later, seated in a ring with the elven elders, you are planning your defence of the Tree of Life when a messenger runs into the clearing and bows to the king. 'The Westermen are moving, sire, in two columns. They are heading for the Tree of Life - more men than there are ants in a Gwelph tree.'

'How long will they take to reach the Tree of Life?' you ask.

'Three days, perhaps four, no more.'

'How long will it take to marshal all your elves?' you ask anxiously.

He returns a bleak time-haunted look. 'A week; it can't be done in less. The forest is so large . . . '

You must think of a way of delaying the Westermen until the elves are ready.

If you have the codeword Scorpion on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 11.
If not, you can try to assassinate the chief of the Westermen (turn to 433), journey to the Bonehill to talk with the dragon (turn to 54), or lead as many elves as you can muster into pitched battle before the Tree of Life (turn to 30).

Page 11 posted:

You know without doubt that your best plan is to call upon the dragon that has promised its help. Certain in the knowledge that it will obey you, you set off for the Bonehill to enlist its help.

The journey passes swiftly with the help of an elf to guide you, and you are soon at the dragon's lair.

You call out its name . . .

Turn to 83.

: Puff - I summon thee!

Page 83 posted:

'Great Garoshtar, aid me now. Listen to and respect your friend's wishes - the forest needs your help.' Garoshtar's great head rises slowly above you and his red eyes bore into yours.

'I need your help now, Garoshtar. The Westermen are marching to uproot the Tree of Life.'

The dragon is ready to bear you and to frighten the Westermen into the bargain. You ask him to attack the head of the Westermen columns as they advance, to give time for the King of the Elves to muster all his available forces. You climb onto Garoshtar's back and sit just in front of the great taut wings that beat the air like mainsails close-rigged in a storm.

You can remain astride Garoshtar's back while he attacks the Westermen (turn to 228) or get him to deliver you to Elvenhame before making his attack (turn to 247).

: If this doesn't make me famous as all get-out, I don't know what will.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Lanky' Sherman the Starveling

Skills: CUNNING, ROGUERY, UNARMED COMBAT, STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Gold: 9/15

Possessions: Emerald ring, Elf King ring

Codewords: Speculum, Bullhorn, Scorpion, Crabclaw, Waterbearer

Kills: Embracer, a guard

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!ed, 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

# ? May 22, 2015 04:03

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

We've just gotta ride the dragon.

# ? May 22, 2015 13:33

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

Can't not ride a dragon when the opportunity presents itself.

# ? May 23, 2015 03:48

Cloud Potato: Jan 9, 2011; "I'm... happy!"

Hmm. Ride the huge dragon into a battle with a load of evil men and tear some poo poo up, or get off the stop before? As it has been prophesied, so shall it be. Ride the dragon.

# ? May 23, 2015 10:50

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

Page 228 posted:

Garoshtar sights one of the columns of men that are blundering their way through the forest, flattening trees and bushes as they go. There are thousands of soldiers, most of them sweating inside chain armour. Near the front is a contingent of three hundred crossbowmen, all dressed in the same mail and uniform, obviously mercenaries. There is no sign of any infernal machines with this column.

You can ask Garoshtar to search out the second column the elven scouts saw advancing upon the Tree of Life (turn to 248), or to attack these men while they are vulnerable in a clearing (turn to 273).

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Lanky' Sherman the Starveling

Skills: CUNNING, ROGUERY, UNARMED COMBAT, STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Gold: 9/15

Possessions: Emerald ring, Elf King ring

Codewords: Speculum, Bullhorn, Scorpion, Crabclaw, Waterbearer

Kills: Embracer, a guard

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!ed, 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

# ? May 23, 2015 18:31

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

We didn't ride a dragon not to attack.

# ? May 23, 2015 19:25

Corzanth: Apr 8, 2011; Rawr!

They don't have what we're looking for, and there's a hundred crossbowmen. Maybe the dragon can survive that, but we certainly can't. Search for the other column!

# ? May 23, 2015 19:38

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

The elves can take them, we've got to stop the machines heading for the Tree itself. Go for the other column.

# ? May 23, 2015 19:55

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

I'm more worried about the other column.

# ? May 24, 2015 10:25

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

Page 248 posted:

Garoshtar's great body puts the men in shadow for a moment as he swoops overhead and you are satisfied to see the soldiers below like helpless little ants on the forest floor.

~~If you have AGILITY turn to 319.~~

Otherwise Garoshtar swoops low, his wings cracking down at the last moment as he swings his head and breathes over the leading company of soldiers, sending a cloud of poisonous gas and acid roiling about them. His wings crack against the air as he struggles to gain height, skimming the treetops. The mercenaries let loose their crossbows as one and Garoshtar is stuck like a pincushion. The dragon convulses in mid air, throwing you off his back and you impale yourself on a branch of the tree below. The forest is doomed.

Death: impaled on a tree

: Did I do it? Did I die famously?

: Personally, I'm a bit surprised that you don't have AGILITY. I guess acquiring those street smarts just took up a bit too much of your formative years.

Page 273 posted:

If you have AGILITY turn to 286.

Otherwise Garoshtar swoops low, his wings cracking down at the last moment as he swings his head down and breathes over the leading company of soldiers, sending a cloud of poisonous gas and acid roiling about them. His wings crack hard against the air as he struggles to gain height, skimming the treetops. The mercenaries let loose their crossbows as one and Garoshtar is stuck like a pincushion. The dragon convulses in mid air, throwing you off his back and you impale yourself on a branch of a tree. The forest is doomed.

Death: impaled on a tree x2

: Seriously?

Let's try NOT riding a dragon.

Page 247 posted:

You wait in Elvenhame until the elven scouts report on Garoshtar's success. They tell you that the great dragon has attacked the Westermen and set them back in confusion. After many attacks, however, he was wounded by many crossbow quarrels and forced to land and sleep so he could heal himself. He has won you precious time, however, and the defence of the Tree of Life is now set in hand.

Turn to 57.

: Though he only fought for us briefly, he did so fiercely. His flame will be our guiding light.

: Yeah, but I never was one for all the pyrotechnics that accompany a dragon in full conflagration. They're just tacky.

: So are you saying he burned like a-

: Garish-star?

: I think we might pay a price for that.

Page 57 posted:

By the time you are directed to where the King of the Elves is preparing the defences, he is in position with his elven army in the trees around the Tree of Life itself.

The forest falls still. There are thousands of elves in the trees around the clearing but they make no sound. Even the animals and birds have fallen unnaturally silent. You look around and savour the beauty of this enchanted place, the fountain of all life. This may well be the last chance you ever have to revel in the natural glory of the Forest of Arden.

The sun breaks through the rolling clouds and bathes the clearing in brilliant light. The trumpets of the tree lilies swing round to greet the sun. You expect to hear the elves cheer at this good omen, but they remain grimly silent.

The oppressive din of the tramping of feet of thousands upon thousands of enemies grows inexorably closer. There is a crack like a firecracker as a tree is split and knocked to the ground by the passing of one of the great metallic monsters.

Turn to 434.

Page 434 posted:

A faint hissing can be heard above the heavy tramp of feet. The thick trees dampen sound so they must be very close. The Elf King and his subjects are ready in the branches with their bows. A few of the bravest elves gather around you beneath the great Greenbark trees. The Westermen have come to the Tree of Life. The fate of the whole world hangs in the balance. The hissing of their infernal engines grows louder, a foreign unnatural sound, a desecration of nature. Birds fly up from their path and the animals of the forest run in panic from the clanging metal monstrosities. The two columns of men are converging on the tree at the same time from opposite directions.

Will you stand your ground before the main column from which the hissing and clanging sounds come (turn to 423)?
Or will you make a stand first against the soldiers and crossbowmen in the smaller column (turn to 413)?

: While this would usually be the time to run back and forth making an inspiring speech, you sylvan-heels made every step of the way here miserable. You're on your own for this.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Lanky' Sherman the Starveling

Skills: CUNNING, ROGUERY, UNARMED COMBAT, STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Gold: 9/15

Possessions: Emerald ring, Elf King ring

Codewords: Speculum, Bullhorn, Scorpion, Crabclaw, Waterbearer

Kills: Embracer, a guard

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!ed, 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

# ? May 24, 2015 19:58

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

Man. That dragon really has a problem with the whole concept of "flying high enough not to get shot". Dumb lizard.

Let's go take on the stompy mechabots at 423.

# ? May 24, 2015 22:18

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

Let's be brave and stupid on page 423.

# ? May 25, 2015 00:35

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

Take on the robots.

# ? May 26, 2015 01:39

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

Page 423 posted:

You stand your ground bravely and the elves are ready to fight beside you, hidden in the trees, from where they can shoot with deadly accuracy. A group of men surrounded by shieldbearers shuffle forward and hew down two great trees at the edge of the clearing. The air is alive with the whine and whoosh of the elven arrow shafts, many of which find their mark with uncanny accuracy, but whenever a Westerman is dropped to the floor two others take his place in the struggle to bring their engine of destruction to bear.

There is a groan of splitting wood matched by one from the elves as the beautiful trees crash to the ground: the Infernal Statue is revealed in all its terrifying metallic splendour.

Turn to 390.

: Fame and glory, here I come!

: Infernal...Statue?

Page 390 posted:

The Westermen fall back behind their weapon of destruction and the shieldbearers cluster around the statue itself, behind which a great cylinder on huge wheels hisses and steams. The massive boiler is connected to the armoured statue by a hose. Suddenly a plume of steam rises out of the top of the statue's helmet with a shriek like a banshee, and its face, which had been resting on its huge iron chest, slowly rises to look at the tree. There is a great roar from the Westermen. They look upon this thing with awe. It is their talisman, a moving demonstration of their invulnerability. Its powers to wreak havoc must be terrifying if a whole army of cruel slavers like the Westermen look upon it with such reverence.

Looking around you you see a look of bewilderment in the faces of the brave elves. No man can daunt them but nothing has prepared them to face this awful apparition from the underworld. Perhaps if you show the lead they will rally but for the moment at least you must face this Infernal Statue alone.

Turn to 369.

: Oh, look who's suddenly unprepared to just shoot anyone and everyone through the lungs first and ask questions later. Almond-eyed jag-offs!

Page 369 posted:

The statue is shaped like a man, bearing a ten-foot sword and clad head to toe in plate armour. Steam hisses out of vents behind its ears giving it a supernatural horror. The hose which joins it to the great boiler snakes out across the grass behind it, slithering on as the Infernal Statue takes slow strides towards the Tree of Life with the great sword held high.

You can rush between it and the Tree of Life (turn to 359) or wait to see what it will do (turn to 349).

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Lanky' Sherman the Starveling

Skills: CUNNING, ROGUERY, UNARMED COMBAT, STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Gold: 9/15

Possessions: Emerald ring, Elf King ring

Codewords: Speculum, Bullhorn, Scorpion, Crabclaw, Waterbearer

Kills: Embracer, a guard

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!ed, 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

# ? May 26, 2015 03:43

Corzanth: Apr 8, 2011; Rawr!

Let's try and stop it with our bare hands.

# ? May 26, 2015 05:08

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

Yeah, we should get in the way.

# ? May 26, 2015 12:40

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

Protect the primary! (rush it)

# ? May 26, 2015 14:43

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

Page 359 posted:

You must decide how you will face this monstrous machine of destruction.

~~If you have SPELLS and a wand, you can turn to 339.~~
You can face it barehanded or with UNARMED COMBAT: turn to 327.
~~If you have SWORDPLAY and a sword, you can turn to 295.~~
~~If you have CHARMS and an amulet you can turn to 391.~~
Or you can try something else: turn to 84.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Lanky' Sherman the Starveling

Skills: CUNNING, ROGUERY, UNARMED COMBAT, STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Gold: 9/15

Possessions: Emerald ring, Elf King ring

Codewords: Speculum, Bullhorn, Scorpion, Crabclaw, Waterbearer

Kills: Embracer, a guard

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

Ratatozsk fucked around with this message at 03:33 on May 29, 2015

# ? May 27, 2015 13:50

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

Go for the power cord, 84!

# ? May 27, 2015 14:26

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

Yeah, they've mentioned the hose twice now and it's a pretty obvious weak point so try something else and hope we get the option to target it.

# ? May 28, 2015 05:30

Astus: Nov 11, 2008

I love how the unarmed combat choice is worded so that any character can pick it, makes it really obvious that it is a really dumb idea.

So let's go to 84 and unplug this thing.

# ? May 28, 2015 05:37

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

Ugh. Posting from awful app messed up the previous update. Will fix that later on a more wieldy platform. EDIT: fixed.

Page 84 posted:

As the Westermen close in on you with swords and maces, you defend yourself as best you can while the Infernal Statue hews great lumps of green stained wood from the trunk of the Tree of Life. You fight like a hero, but for every foe you kill two more take his place. At the last your feet are knocked out from under you and your body is pierced by countless sword thrusts. You have failed the forest: it will be destroyed by the Westermen.

Death: Countless Sword Thrusts to the everywhere

We've picked up on the important clues, but the book wants us to get there via another route.

Page 327 posted:

As you get close to the Infernal Statue you realize there is nothing you can do against it with your bare hands. It must have been designed by a genius. There is no weak spot you can see. Your fists and feet pound the metal casing but it is only you who is getting hurt. You cannot even stop it chopping at the tree. It just ignores you as though you were no more than a flea. Several Westermen close in, intent on finishing you off while the machine destroys the tree. You will have to think of something else.

You can retreat to a safer spot and consider your strategy (turn to 144), fight on where you are (turn to 409), make a dash for the hose that connects the statue to the great boiler (turn to 397), or spend a precious moment or two looking closely at the statue for a weakness (turn to 420).

For any metagamers out there, this book has 500 pages.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Lanky' Sherman the Starveling

Skills: CUNNING, ROGUERY, UNARMED COMBAT, STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Gold: 9/15

Possessions: Emerald ring, Elf King ring

Codewords: Speculum, Bullhorn, Scorpion, Crabclaw, Waterbearer

Kills: Embracer, a guard

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

Ratatozsk fucked around with this message at 03:34 on May 29, 2015

# ? May 28, 2015 16:37

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

Something something something...

hosed.

Cue scream.

# ? May 28, 2015 19:31

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

Yeah, hose it up.

# ? May 28, 2015 21:24

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

Page 397 posted:

A sudden leap not only carries you to where the hose lies unprotected on the ground but temporarily leaves your many assailants behind. You have one chance to sever the hose with your dagger. If you take it you will be surrounded by the enemy.

Will you seize the moment to sever the hose (turn to 28) or back off to nearby safer ground (turn to 144)?

OK, I think it's clear where we're headed.

Page 144 posted:

You back off and reach a rock behind which you can take cover.

The Infernal Statue recovers its equilibrium and hacks into the trunk of the Tree of Life once more. The sword bites deep and one of the tree's great branches cracks and falls to the ground, killing and maiming more than twenty of its assailants. At the next sword blow another branch cracks and falls, and those not dead or trapped fall back as the machine completes its job of destruction.

You screw up your courage and rush once more against the machine but you are too late. One last great blow splits the trunk in the middle and the tree is dead. The destruction of the Tree of Life shatters your hopes. Utterly dejected you do not resist as the Westermen take you prisoner. The only certainty about the future is that you will be a slave of the forces that you should have defeated.

Great job guys. If you had picked up on the deeply buried, subtle clues, you'd have chosen to take the dagger-

: What dagger?

-take the dagger and finish this for good!

Page 28 posted:

Fearing death at any moment, plunge your dagger into the rubber hose that connects the great boiler to the Infernal Statue, which is still hacking chunks out of the Tree of Life. The hose breaks and the ends whip round with dreadful force. The Westermen coming to attack you are scythed off their feet by the hose, and you are bathed in a fog of hot steam. You stagger out of the fog where you were safe, because it is unbearably hot, and watch as the Infernal Statue seems to run down like a clockwork toy. It bends, bows and then rolls down into the deep blue pool.

The Westermen give a howl of dismay and begin to retreat, harried by the arrows of the elves.

: Finally! Fame and fortune here I come!

Page 500 posted:

The Westermen are routed. They have faced a dragon, the elves and a hero among mankind and they have had enough. They are easy to pick off as they flee through the forest much more slowly than the elves can follow. In their panic, they break into smaller and smaller groups and the elves have no difficulty in killing them. They show no mercy: the Westermen die in their tens of thousands. They will leave the forest, never to return. The Tree of Life lives on and Elanor and the elves will tend it till it has made a full recovery.

Without you, the elves and the whole forest would have been doomed. Without the forest the whole world's atmosphere would have been thrown into imbalance. Elanor greets you as the forest's saviour she had always known you would be. Now everything that grows in the great Forest of Arden is your friend. You will not be famous when you return to the lands of men. No one will ever know what great deeds you performed here, but it doesn't matter. You know you are a hero.

: Oh damnit all.

: The real treasure is right there inside you.

: My miraculously appearing dagger will be right there inside you if you lay a finger on me.

: So now what?

: Maybe if we hoof it fast enough, we can still catch some of that innkeeper's feast. At least then I won't be pissed off and starveling.

:downsrim:

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'Lanky' Sherman the Starveling

Skills: CUNNING, ROGUERY, UNARMED COMBAT, STREETWISE

Life Points: 10/10

Gold: 9/15

Possessions: Emerald ring, Elf King ring

Codewords: Speculum, Bullhorn, Scorpion, Crabclaw, Waterbearer

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it

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

# ? May 30, 2015 01:17

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

While I haven't taken part in any votes - yet - well done everyone on getting to the ending! Looking forward to the next book.

Hopefully our allies are more useful in future

# ? May 31, 2015 06:57

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

It wasn't that desperate a battle, we had infinity freed villagers backing us up :v:

# ? May 31, 2015 15:17

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

So that's a "successful" run of Green Blood, although if it were truly fame we were seeking we might have hit the jackpot with the innkeeper's feast about halfway through. At least, that's the closest we got to making a name for ourselves.

The book experiments a bit with removing some of the linearity that CYOAs are often forced to employ, but with some mixed effects. We were a single choice away from completing the game without really knowing why we were doing what we were doing, or exactly why the Westermen were so darned evil. Granted, we also neatly sidestepped the chance to get an earlier introduction to the whole shebang. Had we spoken to the old lady in the inn at the start, we get a quick little motivation check. Sucessfully answering that yields:

Page 14 posted:

'Yes it would, more terrible than you can know. The stench and dross of the cities is purged and cleansed by the forest. The trees absorb the foul air of man's pollution, his burning and smelting, and give it back to the world again clean, fresh and ready to breathe. The forest is the lifeblood of the world; without it the world will choke, gag and die. The sin of man, his waste, his poisons, are made good again by the life force of nature. You feel something of this, don't you?' The woman looks at you approvingly.

Sensing that you can trust her, you ask about the Tree of Knowledge.

'If you come to my bower in the forest I can take you to the Great Tree. But I must warn you that if you harm so much as a leaf on your way there you will never leave the forest. When you enter the forest follow the Burgstream to the great Sirion river and then walk down the eastern bank. My followers will bring me word of your progress.'

She takes up her staff and taps it once on the table. Her gnarled old staff turns into a little flute, which she hands to you with the words, 'Blow this at need in the forest and my friends will help you.'

You murmur your thanks and fall to wondering how she can make the animals of the forest do her bidding. As the fire burns down, the woman goes to sleep in her chair. Not wishing to disturb her, you take a room at the inn for the night.

Note the maple flute on your Adventure Sheet and turn to 333.

The flute protects us from getting eaten by a tree and this intro also might lead the reader to more readily trust the talking owl and hit the plot dump before acquiring the alliance of all our NPCs.

Regarding the final encounter, there actually are multiple ways to defeat the Infernal Machine, although our path is open to pretty much any character. If we decided to look for a weakness, and had AGILITY, however...

Page 157 posted:

Squirming quickly round to the statue's back you work at the screws. Two come free and the head starts to tilt. With one great forearm smash you knock it off and the Infernal Statue lurches back from the Tree of Life. Inside the machine is a small man who cannot defend himself. You rain blows down on his head and he slumps forward, knocking the strange levers inside the machine and sending it striding towards the deep blue pool.

So ripping the damned thing's head off is a possibility. There are also a few possibilities through SPELLS that may initially strike the reader as counter-intuitive. Most of these target the above mentioned pilot of the machine, who can be mind controlled, baffled, or just plain nauseated with the common end result of tripping into the pool. CHARMS and SWORDPLAY are both non-starters and default to the UNARMED passage.

I'll be covering messing around with the dragon and the elf king in the next update, and any other points readers may have been particularly curious about. With those all wrapped up, we'll be moving on the the second book.

Quick little bit about the second book. I really appreciate those who've stuck with the thread through a bit of an uneven update schedule and a few missteps in getting things going. I usually like to keep series in a single thread to make it more approachable for those who may join at a later date, but I'm also a bit tempted to start a new thread to grab a few more readers/voters. I fully plan on completing the series one way or another, but it's much more enjoyable for me if there's a bit more chatter between updates. Just thought I'd throw that out there - if you have particularly strong feelings one way or another, please feel free to discuss in the thread or via PM. If not, just pretend this paragraph never existed.

# ? Jun 2, 2015 04:22

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

Ratatozsk posted:

So ripping the damned thing's head off is a possibility.

Ratatozsk posted:

Quick little bit about the second book. I really appreciate those who've stuck with the thread through a bit of an uneven update schedule and a few missteps in getting things going. I usually like to keep series in a single thread to make it more approachable for those who may join at a later date, but I'm also a bit tempted to start a new thread to grab a few more readers/voters. I fully plan on completing the series one way or another, but it's much more enjoyable for me if there's a bit more chatter between updates. Just thought I'd throw that out there - if you have particularly strong feelings one way or another, please feel free to discuss in the thread or via PM. If not, just pretend this paragraph never existed.

While more readers would always be a plus, having the whole series in one thread is easier for archiving purposes. Just link it here if you decide the new thread is the way to go.

# ? Jun 2, 2015 05:45

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

So let's talk about the Elf King. There were several possible ways to "defeat" him and gain his help. Without FOLKLORE or the codeword Speculum, we have to face a challenge of some type, options including ARCHERY, CUNNING, and a few others. Let's explore magic first. If we ask to prove ourselves in a magic duel against a Westerman (our obvious foes) rather than the Elf King, we meet:

Page 92 posted:

'You would have us risk our lives in battle with a hundred thousand Westermen, yet you will not dare to face one elfin a duel? You are no better than the other humans.' The king's voice is loaded with contempt. 'We will have no dealings with you. Slay the coward.'

You begin to expostulate, but they are already drawing back on the bowstrings.

'All right, I'll fight the duel,' you cry. 'It won't prove anything, aahhh!' The first arrow pierces your windpipe - it is followed by many more. You die spurned by all elvendom.

This is actually the result of asking for any trial (combat, etc) vs a Westerman rather than the appointed elf. But anyways, back to the magicking. The easiest way to navigate that is to cast Choking Fog which hits the king pretty hard. He submits almost instantly, and we're given the choice to cancel it, or let it run it's course. The result of the fun choice here?

Page 365 posted:

The King of the Elves is retching helplessly on the floor. The look of horror on the faces of the other elves is of embarrassment and shame as much as fear for their king. He can no longer even speak - this spell seems to have dire effects on elves. He is dying. The hard look on your face as he gives up the ghost with a ghoulish death rattle turns to one of fear as you realize the elves are going to kill you. You should have spared their king. Twenty arrows all find their mark in your body and you too are dead.

Anyhoo, the king summons illusions of doubles so there's some 1/3 guessing (I don't believe there's a tell) for targeting your spells, but Visceral Disruption correctly aimed will also bring a quick victory. Bafflement buys a turn to select a better spell, though it does allow us to force a submission out of the king via Tower of Will, a spell that the immortal monarch is reasonably otherwise immune to.

So let's check out what happens when we cross arrows with elves first.

Page 159 posted:

A slender elf with moon-coloured hair steps forward to answer his monarch's summons. He carries a bow of silver-chased ivory, and the fletching of the arrows in his quiver is purest white. 'Your opponent will be Hundranas,' the Elf King tells you. He points to a tall tree. 'That branch will be the target.'

You look where he is pointing, then glance back at him. 'Which branch?'

'The one where the orchid grows.'

You look back. You had not noticed before the flower blazing like a pale jewel against the black bark of the tree. Hundranas gestures for you to take the first shot. You nock on an arrow and send it sailing up towards the branch. It strikes wide of the orchid, but it was only intended as a ranging shot. At least now you have a good sense of the allowance you need to make for height and wind speed. Huldranas' arrow flashes from his bow. It impales one of the petals of the orchid. He turns to you with a casual look that betrays neither arrogance nor tension. Again without a word, he gestures for you to shoot.

As you sight along your arrow, you consider what to do.

You could go for a cautious shot, since Huldranas' first arrow might have been lucky (turn to 320).
Or you could attempt a shot slightly better than his, perhaps striking the orchid in its centre (turn to 469).
Or will you try an extremely difficult but impressive shot, such as shooting through the thin twig at the end of the branch (turn to 276)?

The first option is a bit dull; we trade shots then default to combat. The second gives us the chance to "push your skill to the very limits in an attempt to prove beyond argument who is the better archer" while Huldranas attempts to match our shot, which leads to us shooting his arrow in half in midair. There is something to be said for not having to muck about with a luck roll to pull something like that off. The third option is simply further evidence that the Elf King is a jerk. Our shot is clearly the superior and the king magics the retort (which he insists upon) to match it.

If we go the route of CUNNING, the king throws a few tricks at us, starting with one similar to Daedalus and the conch shell and escalating to a response requiring SPELLS. If we at any point insist that he respond to a challenge that we set:

Page 221 posted:

You go to stand in front of the Elf King. Then, smiling, you stand on one foot and spin around in a complete circle. You end with a bow, like a dancer acknowledging applause. 'That's the task,' you say. 'Just do as I did: turn around.'

He stares at you, violent emotion surging behind his eyes. For a long moment the two of you stand face to face, unmoving. The Elf King twitches at the hem of his cloak, grinding his feet into the sward of the forest clearing. 'Curse you!' he says at last. 'Avert your gaze and I'd do it in an instant!'

'It wouldn't count if I didn't see it,' you reply. Do you accept that you can't do the task?'

His regal tones are laced with sullen annoyance as he says, 'Yes, you have won the contest, mortal. I'll agree to be your ally.'

Going for a challenge of UNARMED COMBAT is simply a matter of grappling the lighter elf opponent we're given, and SWORDPLAY is just a matter of attacking our opponent's weak side and not bleeding out in the process. That's about it for the King. Next time we'll hit some highlights from the dragon, and barring any pending requests to fill in some gaps for the readers, we'll head on to the next book.

# ? Jun 3, 2015 03:21

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

So wait, why can't the Elf King turn around?

# ? Jun 3, 2015 04:11

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

For an immortal perfect being, the elf king really has some strange quirks. Is the circle dance some sort of elf folklore or just too embarrassing for the king to complete?

# ? Jun 3, 2015 05:00

Arcturas: Mar 30, 2011

Yeah, I'd probably go with a new thread that you link here. Not a big deal either way.

# ? Jun 3, 2015 16:07

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

MysticalMachineGun posted:

So wait, why can't the Elf King turn around?

I think we're to assume that his immortal pride will not be sullied by such an undignified act or something.

Anyhow, on to the dragon! There aren't as many ways to wrangle him, but they are nonetheless entertaining. We are of course unable to kill the dragon by any method. If we choose to ask it to teach us the wonders of magic:

Page 185 posted:

The dragon tells you that because you have disturbed it from its slumbers it seems appropriate to begin by teaching you the spell of sleep. It starts to recite the words of the spell, but chooses to demonstrate on you to show what the effect is like. Unfortunately it is a dragon sleep-spell and will keep a puny mortal like you asleep for a hundred years. By the time you awake the forest will be no more. Your selfish thirst for knowledge has sealed the destruction of the forest and all the things that live in it.

That's a bit of a downer. For something a bit lighter (figuratively speaking, at least), let's ask it for treasure.

Page 194 posted:

The dragon flicks its tail and licks its lips. 'Walk into the cavern and behold my hoard. It has been garnered from the palaces of the whole world. Many of my pieces are old, so very old, that they have a tale to tell.'

The dragon rolls over so you fall to the ground on your feet. With a sweep of its massive claw, it ushers you forward into the dark cavern.

'All the gold and jewels you can carry I give to you.'

As you stare in awe at a pile of coins, goblets, candelabra and jewellery, some of the coins fly up into the air and push themselves against you. Soon they are covering you in a crust, like barnacles on the hull of a ship. They leave your arms and legs free but you are terribly weighed down by the gold that has stuck to you. You try to prise the coins away but they are stuck fast by the magic of the dragon.

Turn to 19.

This just gets better...

Page 19 posted:

The dragon bats you out of the cavern and sends you rolling down the bank like a golden cannonball. You struggle to your feet while the ancient beast mocks you.

'It is a long time since I spied a golden turtle in these parts.' He laughs and hisses as you stagger away from the Bonehill.

Weighed down by gold, you have no chance of completing your quest unless you head back to Burg and find someone to remove the precious metal. No matter, you will be rich beyond your wildest dreams. . .

Turn to 39.

...and better.

Page 39 posted:

Your plight is hopeless. You will never stagger out of the great forest weighed down as you are. One of the dark denizens of the deepest dark tracts of wood will catch you and skin you for the exotic hide you now wear. You will never escape. Because of your greed, the Forest of Arden is doomed.

So, with that we have the end of Green Blood. We'll have a change of scenery for our next adventure - Down Among the Dead Men. See you there soon!

# ? Jun 4, 2015 03:22

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

As a brief aside, this title has been adapted for the iOS by Inkle, also known for translating the Sorcery! series and the absolutely fantastic 80 Days. Check it out here.

CHOOSE ONE OF THESE CHARACTERS

posted:

The Adventurer
Skills: FOLKLORE, ROGUERY, SEAFARING and SWORDPLAY
Profile: You have explored haunted castles, ruined cities, dank crypts and desolate forests in your constant search for gold and glory. Now try your luck on the high seas.
Life Points: 10
Possessions: Sword
Money: 10 doubloons

The Buccaneer
Skills: CUNNING, MARKSMANSHIP, SEAFARING and SWORDPLAY
Profile: You're a clever and resourceful pirate, loyal to your comrades and a deadly foe to anyone who crosses you.
Life Points: 10
Possessions: Pistol, sword
Money: 12 doubloons

The Changeling
Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, SPELLS and WILDERNESS LORE
Profile: Your origins are shrouded in mystery. A misfit in your own homeland, you wander far and wide in search of the truth.
Life Points: 10
Possessions: Magic wand
Money: 10 doubloons

The Gipsy
Skills: BRAWLING, CHARMS, FOLKLORE and ROGUERY
Profile: Fleeing persecution in the Old World, you have come to the colonies of the New World to carve a new life of fame and fortune.
Life Points: 11
Possessions: Magic amulet
Money: 10 doubloons

The Mariner
Skills: AGILITY, SEAFARING, STREETWISE and WILDERNESS LORE
Profile: Born on the deck of a ship and raised with the salt breeze in your face, you have been toughened by the experience of a hundred ports and desert islands. No one can match your knowledge of the seven seas.
Life Points: 11
Money: 15 doubloons

The Swashbuckler
Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, STREETWISE and SWORDPLAY
Profile: With your dashing good looks, gallant wit, aristocratic manners and flair for stylish derring-do, you're a hero to your friends and a real pain in the neck to your enemies!
Life Points: 10
Possessions: Sword
Money: 10 doubloons

The Warlock
Skills: CHARMS, MARKSMANSHIP, SPELLS and STREETWISE
Profile: Your scholarly appearance disguises the fact that you are one of the most powerful opponents a pirate captain could ever fear to face.
Life Points: 10
Possessions: Magic amulet, pistol, magic wand
Money: 10 doubloons'

: I can be a Mariner, Adventurer, Swashbuckler, or a Buccaneer? Why the hell is Warlock even on that list?

Glossary of Skills posted:

AGILITY
The ability to perform acrobatic feats, run, climb, balance and leap. A character with this skill is nimble and dexterous.

BRAWLING
Fisticuffs, wrestling holds, jabs and kicks, and the tricks of infighting. Not as effective as SWORDPLAY, but you do not need weapons - your own body is the weapon!

CHARMS
The expert use of magical wards to protect you from danger. Also includes that most elusive of qualities: luck. You must possess a magic amulet to use this skill.

CUNNING
The ability to think on your feet and devise clever schemes for getting out of trouble. Useful in countless situations.

FOLKLORE
Knowledge of myth and legend, and how best to deal with supernatural menaces such as garlic against vampires, silver bullets against a werewolf, and so on.

MARKSMANSHIP
A long-range attack skill for both hunting and combat. You must possess a pistol to use this skill.

ROGUERY
The traditional repertoire of a thief's tricks: picking pockets, opening locks, and skulking unseen in the shadows.

SEAFARING
Knowing all about life at sea, including the ability to handle anything from a rowboat right up to a large sailing ship.

SPELLS
A range of magical effects encompassing illusions, elemental effects, commands, and summonings. You must possess a magic wand to use this skill.

STREETWISE
With this skill you are never at a loss in towns and cities. What others see as the squalor and menace of narrow cobbled streets is home to you.

SWORDPLAY
The best fighting skill. You must possess a sword to use this skill.

WILDERNESS LORE
A talent for survival in the wild - whether it be forest, desert, swamp or mountain peak.

MARKSMANSHIP takes the place of ARCHERY, BRAWLING replaces UNARMED, and we add SEAFARING as another option. These give us some possibilities to mull over, but let's check out the scene on which we enter this mess:

Prologue posted:

'Pirates!' The roar of cannonfire thunders across the waves as the word leaves the captain's lips. Hurtling out of the billowing plumes of smoke comes a barrage of iron shells. Each is larger than a man's fist, and strikes with a force that splinters the oak beams of your ship and shatters men's skulls like eggs. The mainmast takes a direct hit and topples, crushing the sailors standing under it.

A grappling hook latches onto the rail. The pirates are getting ready to board. Rushing to the side, you see their sinister vessel drawing alongside. Black sails flapping in the breeze like a carrion-bird's wings, her prow has the face of a medieval gargoyle. You read the name painted on her bows: the Belle Dame. But there is no look of beauty about her, nor hint of mercy on the faces of the brigands lining her rail.

A crewman standing beside you utters a groan of fear. 'It's Skarvench's ship.'

'Who's he?' you ask, having to shout over the din of cannon shots and the pirates' battle-cries.

He stares at you as though you are a simpleton, and then remembers that this is your first voyage to the New World. 'The worst man that ever lived,' is his blunt reply. And then the ships come together and the pirates are upon you.

Rushing headlong into the terrified crew, the pirates cleave a swathe of gory death across the ship's deck, their cutlasses rising and falling like scythes. You see the ship's officers valiantly fighting to defend the helm, but they are hopelessly outnumbered and soon butchered at their post. The fierce grins on the pirates' faces tell you that they expect easy pickings. You narrow your eyes as anger wells up inside you. You know that you will die today, but you feel no fear - only a cold determination to sell your life dearly. Two pirates lunge towards you. You duck the swing of the first, catch his arm and throw him against his crony. The sword intended for you ends up embedded in a pirate's belly, and his knife comes up by reflex to slash at the man who has inadvertently impaled him.

'Two down...' You turn, and then for the first time you clap eyes on Skarvench himself. He stands on the rail, grasping a grappling-line in one hand and a pistol in the other, whipping his sea-dogs into a killing frenzy with his evil laughter. His broad back and gangling limbs make him look like a massive crow. His beard is as long and lank as seaweed, and a single eye blazes beneath his bald brow - the other is covered by a leather patch.

He is raising his pistol. You are rooted to the spot under his baleful stare. It can't be fear you're feeling, surely...

'Ah, matey,' he says with a brown-toothed grin. 'Got to kill you again, 'ave I?'

Again? You have no time to ponder this enigma. In the next instant, he fires his pistol and your whole world goes black.

You sit up with a gasp, sweat soaking your clothes. 'You've 'ad that dream again, eh?' says a voice.

You look around, your memory trickling back as the dream recedes. The slow creaking of a ship's timbers, the unhurried heave of the waves... you are in the stuffy confines of the Belle Dame's bowels. Sailors snore fitfully around you, catching some sleep between chores. In the glimmer of an oil lamp sits Old Marshy, the ship's carpenter, whittling at a stick of wood. He glances across at you, shaking his head sadly. 'It was two years ago,' he says. 'Don't know why you can't stop 'aving the dreams.'

'Dreams? Nightmares!' you say, mopping the sweat away. As you do, you feel the scar across your forehead where Skarvench's bullet struck you. A finger's breadth to the right � one less tot of rum for Skarvench's breakfast that fateful morning! - and your brains would have been blown out. As it is the bullet grazed you, leaving only the visible mark on your head and the scar of hatred deep in your heart.

Now that the nightmare has washed away, you recall the two years that have passed since that day. When you were first brought aboard the Belle Dame, Skarvench deemed you too insignificant to ransom and too close to death to be worth pressing into service. He would have cast you into the deep and never had a qualm - that was the fate of most who survived the battle - but Old Marshy undertook to nurse you back to health. You can well remember the weeks it took to get your strength back - weeks experienced like glimpses through broken glass, because of fever. You remember Old Marshy holding the wooden spoon of gruel to your lips until his thin arms trembled with tiredness, urging you to eat. You remember the shouts of the pirates as they toiled in the rigging, and their drunken laughter under the stars at night. And most of all you remember Skarvench, looming through your thoughts like the embodiment of cruelty, striding the deck and waiting for you to die.

You did not die; thanks to Old Marshy you regained your strength. But death might have been better than the living hell you have had to endure these two years as an ordinary seaman aboard the cruellest ship to sail the Carab Sea. Skarvench metes out discipline as the whim takes him, revelling in the suffering of others; pain is his wine, and death his meat. Often you have had to stand by and watch a man whipped for the slightest mistake. Sometimes you have felt that whip yourself- all to the raucous laughter of Skarvench and his vicious pirate band.

'All hands on deck!' Hearing the command, you shake the other sailors awake and hurry up out of the dingy confines of the orlop deck into the blaze of daylight.

Skarvench stands on the poopdeck. The ox-like first mate, Porbuck, gives you a shove and growls, 'You, get up in the rigging.' As you climb, you glance out to sea. A small ship lies off the port bow and the Belle Dame is rapidly closing on her. You see a tall wooden crucifix standing amidships; she has no cannon. That is foolhardy: 'Go to sea on a prayer,' as the adage goes, 'but take a keg of powder too.'

You understand the reason for the other ship's lack of weaponry when you get a better view of the men lining her rail. They are all monks!

Skarvench's voice goes snarling across the water.

'Heave to or be blown out o' the water!' he calls. 'We'll be takin' your treasure, holy or not!'

'We have no treasure,' calls back one of the monks. 'We are poor brothers of the Saviour, travelling to the New World to spread His message to the heathen.'

Skarvench smiles � always a sign of his bad temper - and says, 'Is that so? Well, I know of no place more heathen than the ocean bed.' He leans on the poopdeck rail and calls to the master gunner: 'Mister Borograve, prepare to give 'em a broadside. I want their shaved heads sent forty fathoms deep, where heaven can't hear their mealy-mouthed prayers!'

The monks know they cannot outrun the Belle Dame. As Borograve orders the cannons primed, they begin to sing a hymn. It is a glorious and peaceful sound that reminds you of the meadows and villages of your homeland. Most of the sailors pause in their duties, overcome by the melancholy beauty of the song. Even one or two of the pirates look uneasy at what they are about to do.

'Prepare to fire,' says Skarvench, keen as a hound at the scent of a kill.

'No!' A carpenter's hammer goes flying through the air and strikes Skarvench's head with a crack loud enough to carry up to where you sit in the rigging. Skarvench remains as steady as a rock, his hand flashing out with startling speed to snatch the hammer out of the air as it falls. Then he turns. His face is a mask of white fury. The fact that there is a stream of blood flowing from his temple only makes him look all the more terrible. His gaze bores along the deck and finds:

'Mister Marsh! This your hammer, is it?'

Old Marshy quails, his one jot of boldness used up. 'B-but, Cap'n... they're holy men! I don't think...'

Skarvench tastes his own blood on his lip and savours it with his tongue. He gestures to a couple of the pirates, and Old Marshy is seized and dragged up to the poopdeck. 'Lay his head on the rail there, lads,' says Skarvench in a voice like honeyed venom. He raises the hammer. 'You're right, Mister Marsh; you don't think. That's the trouble with having nothin' in your brain-pan, see?'

Far too late, you realize what Skarvench is going to do. You give a gasp and start down through the rigging. But even as you act, you know there is nothing you can do...

The hammer smashes down. It sounds like a wineflask breaking. The ordinary seamen look away in horror. The pirates grin gleefully like their captain, excited by the grisly sight. The corpse slumps to the deck.

'God curse you, Skarvench,' you mutter under your breath as you reach the foot of the mast. 'I'll see you dead for that.'

'You're not alone in wishing that,' whispers a voice, 'but I'd stow such talk unless you want your own skull under the hammer next.' You look around to see three of the crew - Grimes, Oakley and Blutz - men who, like you, were taken off plundered ships and forced to work for the pirates. 'We've a plan,' continues Grimes in a low voice. 'If we stay aboard this devil ship our days are surely numbered, so tonight we plan to jump ship. We're scheduled to take the evening watch. We'll lower the jollyboat with a few supplies, then strike out towards Port Leshand.'

'Five hundred leagues of open ocean in a tiny boat like that!' you gasp. 'It's near certain death.'

'Better than certain death, which is what we can expect here,' mutters Oakley. 'Look, you've got a reputation of being a handy customer to have along in a tight spot. To be honest, we haven't got much of a chance without you. Now, are you with us?'

You glare back up at the tall stooped figure on the poopdeck. He stamps to and fro, the brain-smeared hammer still in his hand, annoyed that the monks made their getaway while he was distracted by Old Marshy. You'll make him pay for his crimes one day, but you know the moment is not yet right. You turn to Grimes and the others and give a swift nod. 'I'm with you,' you say.

Now turn to 1.

Well, that's a hefty lead-up. So please vote on our character class and we'll be rolling in a day or two!

# ? Jun 4, 2015 03:51

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

We have to be a Warlock because reasons.

# ? Jun 4, 2015 03:55

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# ? Jun 5, 2024 04:22

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

Warlock gets the best starting gear.

# ? Jun 4, 2015 05:16

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

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