Flight From the Dark – Attempt 2, Part 1

Well, unlike real life, you get to have a few trial runs in gamebooks.

Let’s face it, R10s of 2 and 0 (for CS and E respectively) were never going to get me that far, and it only took two fights for this to be demonstrated as correct.

Lone Wolf (the Second) arise from your slumber!

New scores : CS : 17 (!) is a bit better but Endurance is still (!) 20

I get 6 Gold Crowns, and also find an old sword in the ruins of the Monastery.

I essentially travel the same path for the initial path of the book.  I move off the path (warned by my Sixth Sense), and rescue Banedon with a well-timed warning.  He gifts me his Crystal Star as a token of our friendship, and I move on.

I once more decline to investigate the (quiet) village with the tell-tale Giak tracks, and again confront the Vordak with its pet raven.

I manage to slay the Vordak, this time only losing 4 Endurance in the process.  Wary of its burning effects, I leave the Vordak gem in its place, and quickly leave the scene of the crime.

This time, as I force my way through the bushes I only lose 1 Endurance point (but gain 2 due to the passage of two paragraphs).

At this time – E = 17

After another two paragraphs, I once more confront the (supposedly spooky) cave in the mountainside, and resolve to extract a bloody vengeance for my previous incarnation of Lone Wolf!

A remember of the Barrowcrawler’s stats : (CS 17, E 7)

This time, due to some lucky R10 calculations, I actually manage to knock the monstrosity off, without losing a single Endurance point!

Thanks, bro.

 

In any event, I’m now suffering a serious panic attack, given that, so far this morning, I’ve been knocked unconscious, witnessed the aftermath of the massacre of my comrades, endured the attacks by Giaks (and a Vordak!), dealt with the fashion issues caused by my green cloak, muddled through the (foolish!) cave expedition, lamented the lack of WiFi coverage and so forth.

 

The practical effort of these issues is that I momentarily lose my focus, grab something that I think is my belt (!!) from the jaws of the dead creature and flee to the blessed, blessed light of the outside world.

Indeed, sir, indeed.

Back in the land of (relative) sanity I discover that what I grabbed from the monstrosity in the darkness was in fact the belt of a total (and presumably dead) stranger.  My Kai moral compass evidently has no issue with taking the possessions of the dead, so I snaffle 20 Gold Crowns and a Dagger (discarding the Axe, which I don’t feel will be much good moving forward.

As I, weighed down with my new wealth, move through the forest, I spy a bunch of refugees, making their way along the open road.  I can either remain under the cover of the trees, or walk with the refugees, trying to find information.

Given that the whole point of this trek is to bring urgent information (regarding the Kai massacre) to the King, I take it on board that part of my mission is to gain useful intelligence from these people.  I therefore move onto the road, attempting to gain their confidence.

(Endurance back to 20)

What could possibly go wrong?

Stats : CS : 17, E : 20, GC 26,

Weapons : Dagger, Sword

Backpack : Meal

Special Items : Map, Crystal Star

Final paragraph : 157