Once Upon a Time in [CYOA]rabia

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Once Upon a Time in [CYOA]rabia

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

Azenomei posted:

Just be sure not to try and open any that are locked.

Hey, this seems like a good time to break down a locked door!

No, wait, the other thing. The one that isn't going directly against advice we were just given.

# ? Jul 16, 2016 13:39

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 07:09

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

Darkest Auer posted:

No, seriously, what choice lead to acquiring the cat??

Don't open the door.

Whoops, a bit more researching shows that we actually legit missed acquiring the cat, rather than the book goofing on not giving it to us. I'll show a "proper" way of picking it up along with the next update, but let's roll for now.

Page 300 posted:

You find Azenomei reclining on a divan in one of the citadel�s many rooms. �I thought you said we had to hurry,� you say. �Come on � what if the jinni should return and find us here?�

He rises languidly to his feet. �He has returned. I am the jinni whose palace this is.�

Turn to 247.

Page 247 posted:

Note the codeword Fabric.

Azenomei looks different now. His eyes are gold-flecked, and a cast of evil shadows his features. He moves closer with the drowsy menace of a snake. �So, here I have you at last,� he murmurs. �The infamous Shadow is more gullible than I�d have thought.�

�What are you talking about?� you reply angrily. �You know I�m not the Shadow!�

He shakes his head. �Of course you are. That�s why I allowed myself to be caught and put in the oubliette with you. I�ve pursued you for more than a year. Ever since you stole the gem from my citadel here.�

�Gem? What gem? You�re talking nonsense. I�ve never been here before.�

He ignores your protests. �The gem � a ruby almost as big as the egg of the rokh that perches in its eyrie atop the Isle of Palms � had been given to me for safekeeping by the King of the Sea. If he learns I have lost it, he will sunder me into atoms and constrain my soul within a sealed copper jar for all time. So, here is your chance to save yourself. Tell me where you hid the ruby.�

�For the last time,� you reply between gritted teeth, �this is a case of mistaken identity. I never stole anything from you.�

�You greedy fool,� hisses Azenomei, raising his hands to weave a spell. �Now you will die!�

~~If you possess a black jewel, turn to 293.~~
If not, turn to 315.

Page 315 posted:

Cold tongues of magical flame blast from his fingers. They lick around your limbs and you feel as though shards of ice are being hammered into your bones. Lose 6 Life Points unless you have AGILITY, in which case you dodge the worst of the spell and need lose only 3 Life Points.

~~If you have the codeword Harem, turn to 337.~~
If not, you can use MAGIC and a ring (turn to 359), ~~the Jericho horn if you have it (turn to 381)~~, or you must fight (turn to 410).

: My blood - the cloak does nothing!

Character Sheet posted:

Jay Sherifman the Nomad

Skills: AGILITY, FOLKLORE, MAGIC, WILDERNESS LORE

Life Points: 1

Dinars: 0

Possessions: Ring, cloak, mirror, water bottle (full), sword, cat

Codewords: Hajji, ~~Kismet~~, Fabric

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines, a troupe of post-apocalyptic hell-puppets, a weird future ghost thing, embroyonic cyber-spider mech, pretty much every conceivable thing (x2), the post-apocalyptic speed limit, a second weird future ghost thing (albeit vicariously), the bestest robofriendship we're likely to come across this side of godhood, two traitorous Bocheii, whatever remained of the concept of privacy, Vajra Singh, our last (probably) shot at godhood, the ghoul bros, mamaghoul

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, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd, second shot'd, hypnotic trance'd, reality ripped right out from under us'd, Volent'd, pit'd but not grille'd

# ? Jul 17, 2016 02:23

Cathode Raymond: Dec 30, 2015; My antenna is telling me that you're probably wrong about this.; Soiled Meat

Use Magic on Azenomei of a Thousand Dies

I wish we had more than 1 hp for this upcoming jinni fight.

# ? Jul 17, 2016 02:27

Snorb: Nov 19, 2010

Why fight when we have magic to do it for us?!

# ? Jul 17, 2016 04:19

Brerose: Jun 10, 2016

Use magic! I mean, we're bad at fighting.

So, is he actually evil? I don't blame a guy for trying to trap the dude who robbed him.

# ? Jul 17, 2016 05:49

Darkest Auer: Dec 30, 2006; They're silly; Ramrod XTreme

Magic.

# ? Jul 17, 2016 10:50

Snorb: Nov 19, 2010

Brerose posted:

I don't blame a guy for trying to trap the dude who robbed him.

We didn't rob him! (Right?)

# ? Jul 17, 2016 20:45

Telegnostic: Apr 24, 2008

I do have to question his methodology, though.

1. Identify potential robber.
2. Spring him from prison.
3. Accompany him on a grueling, week-long journey across the desert back to your house.
4. Invite him to poke around your house while you lie down for a while.
5. Ask him where your stuff is.
6. If he doesn't answer within five seconds, kill him.

# ? Jul 18, 2016 01:39

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

Magic goooooo

# ? Jul 18, 2016 09:21

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

OK, so this update is going to take us back a bit to repair our broken adventure. Let's start here and take our ghoul encounter in another FOLKLOREish direction that keeps more of our blood inside.

Page 348 posted:

�Bit puny for ghouls, aren�t you?� you say to the brothers as they start to tie you up. The mother overhears this. �Don�t you listen to that nonsense,� she snaps. �Those mortals are sly little wretches.� �What do you mean, puny?� says one of the brothers, ignoring her. You shrug casually. �I�ve seen lots of ghouls tougher than you. Dozens.� The other one glares at you. �What�s your game, eh? I�ll have you know we�re as strong as they come. A good diet of mortal flesh sees to that, eh, Ma?� �That�s right, son,� cackles the crone as she stirs the pot. �Believe whatever you like, if it makes you feel better,� you say. �I�m going to die soon, so it doesn�t matter to me. I�m just saying you�re a pathetic pair of undernourished ghouls.� They fling the ropes aside. �Prove it!� �All right. How about a race around the hill? If you two beat me, you�ll have worked up a good appetite. If I win, you let me go.� �You�ll never win!� they snort. Taking no notice of their mother�s outraged glare, they take you outside. �Back in a minute, Ma!� one of them calls over his shoulder.

~~If you have the codeword Conch, turn to 10.~~
If not, you can use FOLKLORE (turn to 56), ~~CUNNING (turn to 469)~~, AGILITY (turn to 102) or ~~ARCHERY if you also have a bow (turn to 124)~~.
If you have none of those, turn to 147.

Page 56 posted:

You remember the tale of a man who was captured by a family of ghouls. To save his life, he challenged the two sons to a race.

Securing a head start, he hid himself in a thorn bush until they ran past and then doubled back to the hut where their mother was preparing supper. He knew he had to kill her, otherwise her sorcery would find him wherever he ran. Luckily he also knew that steel cannot kill a ghoul witch; only a wooden weapon will do. Taking up a stick, he gave her a single good clout that dashed out her brains. And it was good for him that his first blow was decisive, because although a ghoul can be hurt with one blow, a second blow will only heal its wounds.

Armed with this knowledge, turn to 469.

Page 469 posted:

Looking along the trail, you say, �I think you ought to give me a head start.�

�Pah!� retorts one of the brothers. �You�re all full of bluster after all.�

�It�s not that. It�s just that we mortals don�t see so well in the dark. You want the race to be fair, don�t you?�

�Fair?� The two ghouls look at each other, mouths sagging like sheep. �What does that mean?�

�Or maybe you�re afraid I�ll beat you.�

With their witless pride at stake, they agree to give you a minute�s head start. You race off and conceal yourself behind some rocks. Much less than a minute later, you see the two ghouls go hurtling past on strong thudding feet. Once they are out of sight, you emerge from the rocks.

Will you go back to the hut and deal with the she-ghoul (turn to 34), or try to get back to the merchant caravan (turn to 57)?

Going back allows us to take out mama without the loss of 6 Life Points we'd take beating the sons as well. So then we'll jump fowards to redo our encounter with the pirates here.

Page 262 posted:

If you have SEAFARING, turn to 307.
If you have ARCHERY and a bow, turn to 329.
If neither, turn to 351.

Page 351 posted:

The pirates bear down towards your ship. As they get close, the shadow of their black sails falls across the deck, drawing a groan of fear from your marines.

The enemy�s prow crashes hard into your rail, splintering the planks. Your men go pale with fear, but you are not daunted. Smashing your foot into the broken timber, you cry out: �This ship�s scuppered. Will you wait aboard her till she sinks? Those of you who want to live, follow me!�

You leap across the rail towards the startled pirates. Your marines take courage from your example. The pirates fight furiously, but they are not used to fighting a defensive battle, and soon begin to weaken in the teeth of your onslaught.

If you have SWORDPLAY and a sword, lose 2 Life Points. If not but you have WRESTLING, lose 4 Life Points. If you have neither skill, lose 7 Life Points.

Assuming you survive to see victory, turn to 372.

That stings a bit, but it's worth it!

Page 372 posted:

The pirate leader wore a black jewel on a chain around his neck. The captain of marines hands it to you. �Perhaps you�d like to have this as a keepsake,� he suggests. �We have to take the rest of the booty back to the Sultan, of course.�

When you return to Cairo, the Sultan is overwhelmed with gratitude. �Those pirates had been bleeding the city dry,� he says. �You are our saviour. This reward is hardly enough to express my thanks. On your future travels, always remember that there is a welcome here for you in Cairo.�

Add 1000 dinars to your money. Also note the black jewel on your Character Sheet if you decide to keep it. Thanking the Sultan for his generosity, you take your leave.

Turn to 349.

: LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTT!!

This allows us to buy out the oasis. Then, when in the pit...

Page 61 posted:

His eyes widen as he notices the bundle of rope over your shoulder. �I travelled far and wide in my youth,� he says. �Now, don�t tell me � let me guess. That�s Indian hemp, isn�t it? I saw some bizarre little conjuring tricks that used a coil of rope just like that, during my time in the east.�

If you tell him about the Indian rope trick, turn to 110.
If not, turn to 61.

Let's just be friendly...

Page 110 posted:

You can escape at any time, so there seems no need for haste. Making a mattress out of handfuls of grimy straw, you lie down to get some rest. At the top of the oubliette, beyond the grille, the last silvery gleam of daylight is fading from the sky. You yawn, dimly aware of your eyelids fluttering closed...

You wake up abruptly in a cold sweat. It is pitch dark. You were dreaming of being carried to the graveyard outside Baghdad. In the dream, you were alive but unable to move. You could not tell anyone you were still alive.

You reach out a hand towards your belongings. The Indian rope is gone! As your eyes adjust to the gloom, you see the old man is no longer beside you. He stole your rope and used it to escape.

Cross the Indian rope off your Character Sheet. You notice that the old man has left his long-tailed cat behind.

You can keep it if you wish (note it on your Character Sheet if so) and then turn to 61.

If we use this (or the slippers) at the later choice and not now, we get to the grate and have to ROGUERY/magic/hawk our way out. Let's get a cat instead. We're almost caught up to our location, except...

Page 293 posted:

Cold tongues of magical flame blast from his fingers to lick around you. The jewel absorbs the brunt of the spell but is destroyed in the process.

Cross it off your Character Sheet.

~~If you have the codeword Harem, turn to 337.~~
If not, you can use MAGIC and a ring (turn to 359), ~~the Jericho horn if you have it (turn to 381)~~, or you must fight (turn to 410).

I figure we can assume we bought a second black jewel, just in case...I guess. OK, back in to the action!

Page 359 posted:

A swirl of vapour emerges from the ring, clotting in midair into the shape of your jinni. He looks across the chamber with a groan of dread.

�Azenomei al-Umara!� Turning to you, he mutters, �This is one of the lords of the jinn. He is far mightier than I. If you send me forth to battle him, it may mean my death.�

�Your life�s purpose is to serve me,� you retort. �Attack!�

Taking the form of a shaggy black lion, he leaps on Azenomei. The tumult of roars, shrieks and bone-crunching blows is enough to freeze your blood. It is soon clear that your jinni was right � he�s no match for Azenomei.

If you recall the jinni and attack Azenomei yourself, turn to 112.
If you watch to see how the fight goes, turn to 43.

: I'm so confused. What's going on now?

: So you went back in time and defeated some dude who stole this djinni's gem, and then you bought another one of those gems (I guess they come in 6-packs now?), and now he's pissed at you and you've summoned a counter djinni.

: This seems complicated.

: Oh, and you legit own that cat now.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay Sherifman the Nomad

Skills: AGILITY, FOLKLORE, MAGIC, WILDERNESS LORE

Life Points: 3

Dinars: 0

Possessions: Ring x2 , mirror, everfull bottle (full), black jewel x1, antidote, cat, sword

Codewords: Hajji, ~~Kismet~~, Fabric

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines, a troupe of post-apocalyptic hell-puppets, a weird future ghost thing, embroyonic cyber-spider mech, pretty much every conceivable thing (x2), the post-apocalyptic speed limit, a second weird future ghost thing (albeit vicariously), the bestest robofriendship we're likely to come across this side of godhood, two traitorous Bocheii, whatever remained of the concept of privacy, Vajra Singh, our last (probably) shot at godhood, the ghoul bros, mamaghoul, approximately one crew of pirates

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, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd, second shot'd, hypnotic trance'd, reality ripped right out from under us'd, Volent'd, pit'd but not grille'd

# ? Jul 20, 2016 02:19

Cathode Raymond: Dec 30, 2015; My antenna is telling me that you're probably wrong about this.; Soiled Meat

drat.

Wait and see if our lovely jinni can kill the bigger jinni because we sure as hell can't.

# ? Jul 20, 2016 03:18

TheGreatEvilKing: Mar 28, 2016

Charizard, return!

We're boned anyway, maybe he'll honor our courage?

# ? Jul 20, 2016 03:32

Snorb: Nov 19, 2010

Recall the djinn. If he is killed, we might not be able to get another.

# ? Jul 20, 2016 04:47

Brerose: Jun 10, 2016

Come back, djinn!

We have a sword now, we can totally survive, right?

# ? Jul 20, 2016 22:31

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

Recall the djinni

I'm annoyed we didn't get a choice when he said he couldn't beat the lord. It's pretty aresholeish to just go "tough poo poo, go in there and die for me".

# ? Jul 21, 2016 01:45

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

Page 112 posted:

Azenomei�s golden eyes flash with eagerness for the kill. Pulling his sword from his belt, he leaps forward to match you blow for blow. Both of you suffer dreadful wounds, and red human blood soon mingles underfoot with the black ichor of jinni�s veins. You feel yourself weakening, but you are determined to make this a fight to the bitter end.

If you have SWORDPLAY and a sword, lose 2 Life Points. If not but you have WRESTLING, lose 4 Life Points. If you have neither skill, lose 6 Life Points.

If you survive, turn to 89.

Death: Rubbed out by a djinni in a battle

More observant readers may note that we picked up a second ring at the oasis. This means our skill is a little bit less one-shot.

Page 43 posted:

Your jinni utters a last forlorn cry which echoes in the air as he fades into wisps of torn vapour. Cross the ring off your list of possessions, as it is useless to you now the jinni has been destroyed.

Azenomei leans back gasping against the wall. Now, while he is still stunned from the fight with the jinni, you have a chance to act.

You can either attack him (turn to 423) or run for it (turn to 445).

: I feel a little bit sad, but there's always more ifrits in the sea.

: You're overreaching with that one.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay Sherifman the Nomad

Skills: AGILITY, FOLKLORE, MAGIC, WILDERNESS LORE

Life Points: 3

Dinars: 0

Possessions: Ring x2 , mirror, everfull bottle (full), black jewel x1, antidote, cat, sword

Codewords: Hajji, ~~Kismet~~, Fabric

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines, a troupe of post-apocalyptic hell-puppets, a weird future ghost thing, embroyonic cyber-spider mech, pretty much every conceivable thing (x2), the post-apocalyptic speed limit, a second weird future ghost thing (albeit vicariously), the bestest robofriendship we're likely to come across this side of godhood, two traitorous Bocheii, whatever remained of the concept of privacy, Vajra Singh, our last (probably) shot at godhood, the ghoul bros, mamaghoul, approximately one crew of pirates

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, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd, second shot'd, hypnotic trance'd, reality ripped right out from under us'd, Volent'd, pit'd but not grille'd, dreadful wounds'd

# ? Jul 23, 2016 00:47

Cathode Raymond: Dec 30, 2015; My antenna is telling me that you're probably wrong about this.; Soiled Meat

jinni. You really deserved better than us

So, uh, we should really try and get the gently caress out of here, right?

# ? Jul 23, 2016 01:05

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

Pretty sure the djinn could just track us down with ease. Let's finish this.

# ? Jul 23, 2016 06:53

TheGreatEvilKing: Mar 28, 2016

END HIM

# ? Jul 23, 2016 09:46

Snorb: Nov 19, 2010

Avenge our jinn friend!

# ? Jul 23, 2016 15:54

Parenthesis: Jan 3, 2013

Finish him

# ? Jul 23, 2016 19:40

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

Page 423 posted:

You seize a candelabrum and raise it above your head. Azenomei looks up at the last moment, his mouth opening to start a spell. He is too late. The candelabrum falls, breaking open his skull.

Turn to 89.

: Dude, I'm not even the guy you're looking for. Listen up next time!

Page 89 posted:

Azenomei lies motionless at your feet. Slowly he begins to dissolve into a thick black miasma. A stench like burning sulphur fills the room. When his body has completely vanished, the only thing left is his sword, which you can take if you wish.

~~If you have the codeword Harem, turn to 20.~~
If not, turn to 66.

Page 66 posted:

Lose the codeword Harem if you have it.

You start back across the baking desert sands. Billows of heat rise off the ground, making the horizon tremble. Rocks and dust lie in all directions as far as the eye can see.

If you have a full water bottle, mark it as empty and lose 1 Life Point. If you did not have a full bottle, lose 2 Life Points. (Lose 1 less Life Point if you have WILDERNESS LORE.)

Assuming you survive, turn to 454.

I feel like having the ever-full bottle should allow you to skip and Life Point loss, but we're walking away unscathed anyhow.

Page 454 posted:

After several days you stumble across a well. It is a curious sculpted bowl of clear blue stone into which the faces of fantastic animals have been carved.

If you have FOLKLORE, turn to 464.
Otherwise, decide whether you wish to draw water from the well. If you do, turn to 472.
If not, turn to 71.

Page 464 posted:

You once heard a tale concerning a well like this one. Racking your brains, you finally remember the details. It was a story about a man who wandered for his whole life in the desert. He never escaped because he kept coming across the well, and each drop drawn from the well doubled the distance to the desert�s edge.

Turn to 71.

: Xeno's aqueduct?

Page 71 posted:

It feels as though you have no strength left in your body. You are simply stumbling on, each step a miracle in itself. Sometimes you half faint, tumbling down a dune only to pick yourself up and somehow find the will to carry on.

Lose 2 Life Points (or only 1 Life Point if you still have a full water bottle). If you are still alive, you eventually see a swaying patch of greenery ahead and give a parched croak of joy when you realize it is the edge of the desert.

Turn to 113.

Page 113 posted:

Falling in with a group of travelers, you return at last to Baghdad. Recover 4 Life Points if you are injured. Almost a year has passed since you left, and a lot has changed in that time. Soldiers patrol the streets and a curfew forces everyone off the streets after evening prayers. The City of Peace has become a city of fear. Whenever you ask the reason, people compress their lips and warn you to keep silent, until finally a blind old woman tells you: �The Caliph believes the city is on the brink of revolt.�

�And is it?�

She shakes her head. �Not to start with � but the more he tightens his grip, the more likely it becomes.�

�This is Jafar�s doing.�

�Perhaps.� She tilts her head at the sound of the muezzin�s echoing chant. �The curfew. I must find a place to shelter for the night.�

As she hobbles off, you consider your options.

If you have the codeword Zebra, turn to 205.
If not but you have the lamp of Antar, turn to 45.
If you have neither of those but you have a diamond, turn to 194.
Otherwise turn to 251.

: Seriously?

: That's a bit disappointing.

: All that blood and scheming and nothing!

: You'd think we'd have walked away with something useful after all that. Jerkwad jailor!

Page 251 posted:

~~If you have STREETWISE, turn to 68.~~
Otherwise you must present yourself at the palace and request an audience with the Caliph (turn to 22).

Page 22 posted:

The chamberlain receives you with an unctuous smile. �You wish to see the Caliph?� he says. �Naturally it is not quite as simple as that. There are many complicated arrangements in the running of a palace. When the Caliph gives an audience, a hundred officials are sent into a flurry of activity. I myself am only one cog in the wheel.�

You know what is expected: a gift of gold.

If you offer 1000 dinars or less, turn to 443.
If you offer more than 1000 dinars, turn to 426.
If you have no money to give, you are ejected from the palace at once � and promptly arrested for breaking the curfew: turn to 405.

: DAMNIT!

Page 405 posted:

You are thrown into prison. This time there will be no escape. A stake is already being sharpened. Tomorrow at dawn you will be impaled, and your warnings against Jafar will just be put down to the frantic last gambit of a convicted criminal.

Death: Impaled on a stake (eeesh)

OK, this has been a bit of a long update, so we'll talk about backtracking and making this all come together next time. Any guesses where we could have chosen otherwise?

Character Sheet posted:

Jay Sherifman the Nomad

Skills: AGILITY, FOLKLORE, MAGIC, WILDERNESS LORE

Life Points: 6

Dinars: 0

Possessions: Ring , mirror, everfull bottle (full), black jewel x1, antidote, cat, sword, candelabrum +1 of braining

Codewords: Hajji, ~~Kismet~~, Fabric

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines, a troupe of post-apocalyptic hell-puppets, a weird future ghost thing, embroyonic cyber-spider mech, pretty much every conceivable thing (x2), the post-apocalyptic speed limit, a second weird future ghost thing (albeit vicariously), the bestest robofriendship we're likely to come across this side of godhood, two traitorous Bocheii, whatever remained of the concept of privacy, Vajra Singh, our last (probably) shot at godhood, the ghoul bros, mamaghoul, approximately one crew of pirates, a jerk jinni

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, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd, second shot'd, hypnotic trance'd, reality ripped right out from under us'd, Volent'd, pit'd but not grille'd, dreadful wounds'd, frantic gambit'd

# ? Jul 23, 2016 20:38

Cathode Raymond: Dec 30, 2015; My antenna is telling me that you're probably wrong about this.; Soiled Meat

Well, that jail really hosed us. I am guessing we need 1000+ dinars to get the best ending?

# ? Jul 23, 2016 20:46

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

The "this time there will be no escape" line from that death sort of suggests to me that the first prison sequence is unavoidable, so if we want to get a bunch of dinars it'll have to happen after that. I'm thinking maybe this time we should ignore Azenomei and go look for that treasure we'd heard rumours about throughout the book.

# ? Jul 24, 2016 03:12

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

Clearly we should focus on getting the Harem codeword :heysexy:

Did we lose all our dinars when we got thrown in jail the first time? I thought a redo of the pirate section got us 1000.

# ? Jul 27, 2016 01:58

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

MysticalMachineGun posted:

Clearly we should focus on getting the Harem codeword

Did we lose all our dinars when we got thrown in jail the first time? I thought a redo of the pirate section got us 1000.

That was prior to getting hucked into prison, and besides we spend a good chunk of that on the indian rope, a second ring, and the everful bottle at the oasis before having the remainder confiscated. Since we now know that Azenomei is not to be trusted, let's distrust his instructions here.

Page 300 posted:

The door frame splinters under the force of a kick, and you step through into a scented chamber curtained with diaphanous silks. A raven-haired girl reclines on a golden couch in the middle of the room. She looks up as you enter, and her expression is a mixture of fear and hope as she says, �Have you come to free me?�

You notice that her ankle is chained to the floor, the chain being fixed by a huge padlock. �Who are you?� you ask.

�Ayisha, the daughter of the Caliph. I was stolen from Baghdad in the middle of the night by a powerful jinni who brought me here to his citadel.�

You go closer and test the strength of the padlock. It is easy to see that you could never hope to break it. �Perhaps Azenomei has a key to fit it.�

�Who is Azenomei?�

�I am.�

You turn to see your friend standing in the doorway. He slowly runs his hand over the broken wood and then shakes his head regretfully. �I did tell you not to open any locked doors.�

�Azenomei...� You take a pace towards him. �Look, I�ve found your sister.�

His only answer is a soft mocking laugh. After a moment, Ayisha says, �He lied to you. He isn�t my brother. This is the jinni who abducted me!�

Get the codeword Harem and then turn to 247.

The codeword enables the later option in the encounter here:

Page 337 posted:

Ayisha sings a spell which sends a hail of hard pebbles flying from nowhere into Azenomei�s face. He falls back, dazed, with blood streaming from a dozen wounds.

�Quickly!� shrieks Ayisha. �Get him while he�s still stunned.�

If you attack him, turn to 423.
If you run for it while you have the chance, turn to 445.

One candelabrum to the brain later:

Page 20 posted:

Now that the danger is over, you find you are trembling in shock. You sit on the end of Ayisha�s couch while you recover. �Where did you learn sorcery?�

�My old nurse taught me,� she replies, smiling. �Alas, she never told me any spell to undo these enchanted chains.�

�There must be a key.�

Ayisha nods. �There is. It is in the nest of the giant bird known as the rokh. If you�d agree to try and get it, I could send you there with another spell I know.� She pauses and adds hesitantly, �It would be dangerous, of course.�

If you agree to try, turn to 114.
If not, you must bid farewell to Ayisha and turn to 66.

66 is familiar ground, so let's agree!

Page 114 posted:

Ayisha first casts a spell of healing. If you were injured, you can now restore your Life Points to their original score.

She follows this with another, more powerful enchantment. A dark whirlwind springs up around you. You feel yourself being flung across vast distances. For a moment you taste rain, and see the flash of lightning behind a leaden cloud. Then there is sun on your face, and you are dropping towards a verdant island set in a sparkling blue sea.

You land with a thump and the whirlwind swirls away. Picking yourself up, you look around. You are beside a sheer pinnacle of rock that rises from the center of the island. You cannot see the top because of the clouds above.

Turn to 136.

Page 136 posted:

As you stand gazing up the daunting pinnacle, a great black blot comes dropping through the cloud towards you. At first you feel a stab of terror because you think it is a dislodged boulder. You step back, fearing you�ll be crushed, but then the shape opens its wings and goes swooping out across the island.

You can only stand dumbstruck. It is the rokh. None of the tales prepared you for the true sight of it: a great soaring raptor whose shrieks rattle the rocks around you, and whose claws are big enough to carry off an elephant.

The rokh settles on a sheep, pressing the terrified animal down with a lazy sweep of its talons. One peck is enough to end the sheep�s life. The bloody flesh drips from the rokh�s beak � no more than a morsel for such a giant creature.

~~If you have ROGUERY or the lamp of Antar, turn to 158.~~
If not, you could start to climb (turn to 181) or look through your possessions (turn to 204).

page 204 posted:
You might use a long-tailed cat (turn to 316), ~~a pair of magic slippers (turn to 338), or an Indian rope (turn to 360).~~
Failing any of these, you must either climb up to the nest (turn to 181) or abandon the whole quest (turn to 142).

Or, if the sight of the rokh has given you second thoughts, perhaps you are ready to give up and go home, in which case turn to 142.

: ...wow. Second thoughts...third thoughts...fourth thoughts...

: You could park a trireme in that beak!

Character Sheet posted:

Jay Sherifman the Nomad

Skills: AGILITY, FOLKLORE, MAGIC, WILDERNESS LORE

Life Points: 10

Dinars: 0

Possessions: Ring , mirror, everfull bottle (full), black jewel x1, antidote, cat, sword, candelabrum +1 of braining

Codewords: Hajji, ~~Kismet~~, Fabric, Harem

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines, a troupe of post-apocalyptic hell-puppets, a weird future ghost thing, embroyonic cyber-spider mech, pretty much every conceivable thing (x2), the post-apocalyptic speed limit, a second weird future ghost thing (albeit vicariously), the bestest robofriendship we're likely to come across this side of godhood, two traitorous Bocheii, whatever remained of the concept of privacy, Vajra Singh, our last (probably) shot at godhood, the ghoul bros, mamaghoul, approximately one crew of pirates, a jerk jinni

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, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd, second shot'd, hypnotic trance'd, reality ripped right out from under us'd, Volent'd, pit'd but not grille'd, dreadful wounds'd, frantic gambit'd

# ? Jul 27, 2016 02:40

Snorb: Nov 19, 2010

When a beautiful princess requests you rescue her, YOU SAY "YES!"

The climb itself may be too dangerous, though. Our long-tailed cat will come to our aid once more!

# ? Jul 27, 2016 02:57

Parenthesis: Jan 3, 2013

Lie to the cat like you have never lied before.

# ? Jul 27, 2016 11:22

Decoy Badger: May 16, 2009

Hopefully she has a spell to either retrieve us quickly or feed herself, otherwise she's in for a very long wait for us to get back. Use the cat.

# ? Jul 27, 2016 15:47

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

Page 316 posted:

You tell the cat a couple of lies. Its tail grows a few inches but then, as before, shrinks back to its original length.

If you have ~~STREETWISE~~ or FOLKLORE, turn to 382.
~~If not, you realize that you will have to find something else to use: turn to 204.~~

: Cat, I'm gonna give you a run for your name.

Page 382 posted:

You know more tall tales than all the sailors of Suhar, more unlikely yarns than the storytellers of Basra, and more outright lies than every beggar in Baghdad. Within minutes the cat�s tail has soared up out of sight among the clouds. You tell it a few more falsehoods for good measure, since you want the tail to stay extended long enough for you to get what you came for, then you rapidly climb up to the top of the pinnacle.

Turn to 325.

: HOW MANY FIGS???

: That, dear Hajji, is a tale for another day.

Page 325 posted:

The legends were true. The rokh�s nest is strewn with fragments of diamond, some of them as big as a large shield. Any one of them would make your fortune � which is just as well, because you could only carry one on the precarious descent.

There is something else in the nest: a jewelled metal key as long as your forearm. You lick your lips uncertainly. Which is it to be: the jewelled key, or a fragment of diamond? You can only choose one of these. Add your choice to your list of possessions. Then you descend the same way you came up.

If you have the codeword Harem, turn to 159.
~~If not, turn to 480.~~

We'll need a decision on this one before moving on.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay Sherifman the Nomad

Skills: AGILITY, FOLKLORE, MAGIC, WILDERNESS LORE

Life Points: 10

Dinars: 0

Possessions: Ring , mirror, everfull bottle (full), black jewel x1, antidote, cat, sword, candelabrum +1 of braining

Codewords: Hajji, ~~Kismet~~, Fabric, Harem

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines, a troupe of post-apocalyptic hell-puppets, a weird future ghost thing, embroyonic cyber-spider mech, pretty much every conceivable thing (x2), the post-apocalyptic speed limit, a second weird future ghost thing (albeit vicariously), the bestest robofriendship we're likely to come across this side of godhood, two traitorous Bocheii, whatever remained of the concept of privacy, Vajra Singh, our last (probably) shot at godhood, the ghoul bros, mamaghoul, approximately one crew of pirates, a jerk jinni

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, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd, second shot'd, hypnotic trance'd, reality ripped right out from under us'd, Volent'd, pit'd but not grille'd, dreadful wounds'd, frantic gambit'd

# ? Jul 28, 2016 03:02

Cathode Raymond: Dec 30, 2015; My antenna is telling me that you're probably wrong about this.; Soiled Meat

I'm betting that the princess will fetch a higher cash reward than a diamond fragment, so take the key.

# ? Jul 28, 2016 03:13

ChaseSP: Mar 25, 2013

Take the key. We are a honest man who would never betray a princess, especially when riches are in the horizon.

# ? Jul 28, 2016 03:19

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

Well, we do know that a diamond can probably buy us passage into the endgame, but we'd have to be kind of a dick not to take the key.

# ? Jul 28, 2016 03:37

Snorb: Nov 19, 2010

We said we're going to rescue the princess, and we are a man of our word. We're bringing the key from the rokh's nest.

# ? Jul 28, 2016 05:12

Parenthesis: Jan 3, 2013

Take the key.

# ? Jul 28, 2016 06:00

Comstar: Apr 20, 2007; Are you happy now?

A princess's reward is supposed to be MORE THAN WE CAN IMAGINE. And I can imagine quite a lot. Take the key.

# ? Jul 28, 2016 08:35

dscruffy1: Nov 22, 2007; Look out!; Nap Ghost

I kinda wonder what happens if you tell the cat a logical paradox, like "this statement is false". GRAB THAT KEY

# ? Jul 28, 2016 10:14

Lemniscate Blue: Apr 21, 2006; Here we go again.

dscruffy1 posted:

I kinda wonder what happens if you tell the cat a logical paradox, like "this statement is false". GRAB THAT KEY

He'll probably yakk on your shoes that night. We are talking about a cat.

Take the key.

# ? Jul 28, 2016 14:13

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

Page 159 posted:

There is a sudden gust of occult wind, and you are sucked back in a dark spiral which conveys you to the Citadel of Bronze. Ayisha awaits you. She is still chained to the gold couch, but whereas before her pose was languid and resigned, now she is sitting forward eagerly.

�Did you get it?� she asks. �Did you get the key?�

If you have the jeweled key, turn to 424.
~~If not, turn to 91.~~

FYI the diamond is worth 50,000 dinars if we come by it through another route that doesn't acquire Harem.

Page 424 posted:

You turn the key and the lock drops from Ayisha�s shackles. She springs up at once with a cry of delight. �Excellent! Now we can return home.�

�And we must make all speed. I have to warn the Caliph about his evil vizier, Jafar, who has been plotting to overthrow him.�

She nods thoughtfully. �I believe it was Jafar who summoned the jinni to abduct me. Prepare yourself...�

Raising her hands and chanting the words of a spell, she conjures another whirlwind that whisks the two of you halfway across the world in the blink of an eye. As the wind dies down, you stagger giddily out of the vortex to see that you are now in the Caliph�s throne room. Jafar is also here, and his look of astonishment is soon replaced by one of outright hatred when he sets eyes on your face.

Ayisha kisses the Caliph. �Father, I have returned.�

The Caliph is almost speechless with amazement. �My heart is brimming with joy. But, Ayisha, who is this you�ve brought with you?�

Turn to 477.

: Only the slayer of some steam-punk mech that hates elves, vanquisher of Necklace of Skulls, some weird Samson/David Judain hybrid...dude-

: A hero of the realm, your majesty!

Page 477 posted:

You tell the Caliph the whole story. As he listens, his countenance darkens with rage. At first you feared he might not believe you, but so many elements add up. Now he understands the true source of rebellion was never his loyal subjects, but the detestable Vizier in whom he placed his trust.

�Jafar!� roars the Caliph. �At last the hours of your worthless life have run out!�

Freezing in the act of sidling from the room, Jafar raises a knife. The blade drips with toxic green fluid. �It is your own life that will end now, al-Rashid,� he replies.

Jafar is about to throw the knife.

~~If you have AGILITY, turn to 228.~~
~~If you have ARCHERY (even without a bow), turn to 494.~~
If you possess a cloak and want to use it, turn to 273.
Otherwise, you only options are to leap bravely in front of the Caliph (turn to 295) or do nothing (turn to 317).

I realize that I kinda unceremoniously dumped our cloak when we hit the oasis and acquired a second black jewel and ring without consulting the thread. So with that in mind I'll leave that in our inventory and allow us a choice at this juncture.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay Sherifman the Nomad

Skills: AGILITY, FOLKLORE, MAGIC, WILDERNESS LORE

Life Points: 10

Dinars: 0

Possessions: Ring , mirror, everfull bottle (full), black jewel x1, antidote, cat, sword, candelabrum +1 of braining, a flea-ridden cloak, jeweled key

Codewords: Hajji, ~~Kismet~~, Fabric, Harem

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines, a troupe of post-apocalyptic hell-puppets, a weird future ghost thing, embroyonic cyber-spider mech, pretty much every conceivable thing (x2), the post-apocalyptic speed limit, a second weird future ghost thing (albeit vicariously), the bestest robofriendship we're likely to come across this side of godhood, two traitorous Bocheii, whatever remained of the concept of privacy, Vajra Singh, our last (probably) shot at godhood, the ghoul bros, mamaghoul, approximately one crew of pirates, a jerk jinni

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, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd, second shot'd, hypnotic trance'd, reality ripped right out from under us'd, Volent'd, pit'd but not grille'd, dreadful wounds'd, frantic gambit'd

# ? Jul 31, 2016 08:19

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 07:09

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

That flea-ridden Chekhov's Gun will save the day! Activate cloaking device!

# ? Jul 31, 2016 08:25

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Once Upon a Time in [CYOA]rabia

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