Background -
For the reasons behind this wild tale see Start Strider and Chasms of Malice.
Philippa sat facing the table full of suits and army uniforms. One of the Generals was grilling her.
General "For the same cost as the Star Strider project we could have a new fleet of warships!"
General 2 "Yet all you can show for it is two very mediocre books! The traveler will die of old age before we get value back!"
Philippa "I understand your concerns gentlemen. But the Stargate project was a bust, we have to chalk it up to acceptable losses. How were we to know that their universe wouldn't have any gamebook writers? Now though, let me present our latest designs from R&D. I think you will love it!"
General 1 "I am sorry Philippa but no. We need to get a better return on investment. We are firing up the Star Strider again and we are going to see what else we can get from it."
Philippa "What do you mean?"
General 2 "Resources, power, it does not matter, but we are going in."
Philippa "I do not understand, how does that help us write a gamebook?"
General 1 "Not everything is about the gamebooks."
Philippa stands up looking lost and shocked.
Meanwhile Ian is in Luke's room, which is a glorified cell. They are watching the TV.
Luke "So this is called the Olympics?"
Ian "Yes, all the best athletes from across the world to see who is the best!"
Luke "So greatness here is measured by how far you can throw objects?"
Ian "Well yes, among other things."
Luke "Like running fast?"
Ian "Well, yeah.."
Luke "Where I come from intelligence matters more than athletic ability."
Ian "Lets just watch. Look its the 100m final."
Luke "Who is that guy?"
Ian "That's Ben Johnson."
Luke "He looks.... different..."
Ian "erm yeah I am sure they have rigorous testing to make sure no one is cheating."
At this point sirens start going off and red lights are flashing.
Ian "I will go and check it out. You stay here and finish that book you are working on. And please no more random dice rolls. We have skill, stamina and luck for a reason.
Ian leaves the room and makes his way down the corridor as the alarm continues to sound. Armed me are running around everywhere. Philippa is running the other way and intercepts Ian.
Ian "Whats going on?"
She flips him around and walks him in the opposite direction.
Philippa "They reactivated the star strider."
Ian "Why?"
Philippa "They got greedy, but this time something else was waiting on the other side. We are under attack and we are losing. We need to get out of here."
With that they head out the emergency exit.
Its still 1988 and Daggers of Darkness is the third entry written by Luke Sharp (Alkis Alkiviades). I do remember getting this book from the library back in the day. How can you forget that cover?! I do not remember much though about the book content. I am worried though. Sharp's previous two books (Star Strider and Chasms of Malice) have got some of my worst ratings yet. But I do note the the illustrator is the legend Martin McKenna so very keen to see his debut in Fighting Fantasy.
Covers -
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| Almost enough to miss his big cat crotch protector! |
Premise -
We waste no time as I wake up with an assassin trying to kill me. I can not react in time as the dagger plunges towards my throat. Luckily just in time I hear a familiar voice shout out "Begone, creature of the night" along with some words I do not understand. The dagger falls, and just grazes my shoulder instead. I catch a fleeting glimpse of the assassin as I pass out from the fiery pain.
When I wake up my friend Gally is bathing the wound as he chants in a strange tongue. The pain is now just a dull throb. He welcome me back and lets me know he was worried that the daggers power would be beyond his ability to heal. He says well met and calls me a brave Kazanid, one of Segrek's select.
I have many questions but he cuts me off, saying the inn is a dangerous place and he will get me somewhere safe first.
With that my drinking companion Gally leads me into the Keep at Gorak to a room that sounds like a cross between a library and a lab. It is it this point that it dawns on me that this is actually Astragal the wizard. Oh wonderful, another wizard. Wait we know him! He is the wizard from chasms who had the bright idea to send a 3rd assistant rabbit skinner to his doom! Hopefully he has improved!
Astragal explains that Segrek, the ruler of Kazan, died the previous year and that his vizier, Chingiz, has been suppressing the news. Not only that but he has been sending out Mamlik Assassins to kill any of the Select. He heads out and tells the guards no one is to go in. I pass the time by picking up a book about the place and the customs. How very handy!
Kazan - Capital city of Sharrabbas it is in the extreme south west of Khul. Kazan is where the thronne is. The rest of the land is divided into six tribal regions which are described at fierce and warlike. Kazanids are known for their bravery and their acceptance of any creature or being that can stand up to their savage tests. There are rumours of gold in the mountains to the south (Greatere Ilkhans) but no prospector has ever returned. The ritual of succession is very odd. Parents can nominate their children as heirs and they become Select. These babies are taken to Sharrabbas to undergo tests. Ones that pass the tests are then brought up in the approved manner. At nine these children are exiled from Kazan and must roam Khul and learn how to survive. When the current rule dies all the Select are summoned (by messengers leaving secret symbols in traditional locations) back to Kazan where they must enter the great mazes, get medallions and be the first back to sit on the throne. Well I guess it beats a royal family (cough Andrew cough).
Before I can read any more info dump Astragal rushes back in quite a panic. Unfortunately the dagger I got scratched with has a very strong Death spell on it. The only way to survive is to hand the dagger back to its maker. In this case the Vizier Chingiz. I calmly strap the dagger into the lining of my boots. Which sounds remarkably dangerous, better not lose a toe!
To take the throne of Kazan (and make my parents proud) I must go to the wild lands, take the test of clans, enter the mazes and get the Medallions. Then get to the throne and take out Chingiz. And in the meantime avoid the Necromancers and Assassins Chingiz will send after me. Oh and do all this before the poison kills me.
Playthrough -
Right lets have a look. Skill, stamina and luck all appear to be the standard fare. We have 10 provisions and the potions make a welcome return! I will choose one depending on rolls but very likely to be strength to keep me alive and the blog going longer!
We do have a poison box! If I fill the box we die. Now its not a numerical tracker -
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| The previous book owner got about half way. |
Each time the book tells you, shade an area, if its complete you die. Now it does not tell you which area to shade so you could have one bit in your hand, the next your right toe, then your head. I make it 24 "units".
I also get told about Medallions. Each of the 6 regions have a maze where you can find one (of course its a maze, its a gamebook). Each medallion allows you to walk away from THREE fights. Basically if you lose a battle instead of death you win and get put back to 4 stamina! However each time this happens you lose 1 skill point, 1 luck point and 3 poison units.
Standard currency is the gold coin and I start with 6. However in a twist I only really have 5 and one is sewn into my boot as my lucky coin and can only be used in specific circumstances. My boot is getting really full. I also have a bag of low value iron coins.
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| I got a map in my book this time though! |
Then its just Sword, Leather Armour and Backpack.
Skill - 10
Stamina - 22
Luck - 9
More than happy with those rolls to be honest. I think the prudent choice would be potion of fortune, but will stick with strength to get the stamina back and hopefully keep this going longer.
Right, lets go an claim that throne.
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| Well this looks like a pleasant start! |
Astragal takes me to the edge of Kazan and shakes my hand in good luck. He is not allowed to enter but will try to assist me where he can. As I head into the mountains I feel the pain in my shoulder and have to mark off 2 poison units! I have yet to make a decision and already 2 poison units down! I make my way up into the snow and lose a stamina point! Scared to read on, what's next get frostbite and lose a skill point?
Eventually I make it to Dragos gate which marks the boundary of the frontier. And on said boundary rock is this poor man. Do I want to look at what has fallen out of the backpack or inspect the body first? For sure we need to check the body first.
Turns out its the same kind of dagger I was attacked with. The man is still alive and is able to tell me it was the Mamliks Assassins who have left him for dead, riding off on evil black steeds. Then the death spell kicks in and he dissolves into a skeleton. Alas all his possessions also disintegrate, bugger. I then come to a fork in the path and get a blind left or right.
Of course I go left. The path starts to go downhill and I am watching some birds circling overhead. I come to a fast flowing stream and bend down for a drink. It is then I notice an old crone watching me. She is dressed in old tattered clothes which used to be finery. She introduces herself as Gehlehna and asks if I would do a little job for her for some gold. Well I am going to be the ruler so I better start by keeping the locals happy.
She is very happy and leads me to a blasted oak and explains some fiends have stolen her treasure. I climb in through a hole in the hollow tree and drop down into a large cavern surrounded by tree roots. I spot a metal chest amongst bones and armour and two skill 7 hellhounds come at me. One of them takes a bite out of me before they are both dispatched.
I drag the chest back up at the cost of another 2 poison units (4 down already)! I open the chest and its filled with gold. Do I help myself or (and I quote) let the old hag get her hands on it first. Well I am a man of the people and honour so I let her have it.
She instead casts a spell on it and a golden snake appears and disappears into her pocket. She then gives me a whopping 15 gold! Also she can give me some advice so I tell her what's going on. She laments that Chingiz is overturning the great traditions. She says to follow this path to Uruz, when I stand before the maze look to the top left for the pattern to get through the maze. You must enter the maze from the top or the North, she knows this as she helped create the maze when she was younger and had stronger powers. She leaves and I head in the opposite direction. At the next path junction, I can take the easier flatter route towards some circling birds, or follow the lady's directions. Well she has done me right so far.
As I walk for many hours I come out of the mountains and everything is greener. I come to the edge of a large forest. Inside I can hear a lot of screaming as creatures call to each other. Do I stop for a rest or head into the dark screaming forest? Now normally I would of course just make camp but playing it safe has not gone well lately. And I am a bit worried about wasting time with the poison going through my body so lets go and see what is making the noise.
So I get lost very quickly and come across a Troll staring at tree. I can circle round him or I can approach him. Lets see what he has to say.
He is very polite and bows, introducing himself as Skrutch, one of the Viziers Trollfighters. Oh dear he works for the Vizier. Unfortunately he is also lost and is meant to be on guard duty on the Bogomil road. I agree to help him out which is nice. He has a map but he is lost as he has it upside down. Using the map we get back to the Bogomil road. We meet up with the other trolls who immediately draw their swords and start shouting abuse at poor Skrutch. And now I must make a run for it, either left or right.
Always Left! I can hear crashing behind me and in my flight I come face to face with Skrutch. But he just looks embarrassed and turns away. So I find a tall tree and hide up there for a while and wait for the heat to go down before climbing down.
I am on the main road now and I hear the sound of a rider behind me. Do I want to hide in the grass or face them? Well going by that the bad guys know I am on this road so I decide to hide.
The rider eventually moves on but I am unaware if I was seen or not. Do I want to stay on the road or go over the plains? I do not think the road is safe anymore so head over the plains.
Unfortunately the plains are lies and its actually a marsh. I have no idea if I am going the right way anymore as a bird circles me and flies off. I eventually find a Marsh Goblin burying something near a dead body. He is skill 6 and I dispatch him easily. But it does cost me two more poison ticks. But I do get 25 more gold! But I hear riders again. I am clearly being tracked. I can hide or run back to the road.
I manage to find a good place to hide and actually have a great rest for 2 stamina points! However when I get up the horsemen have found me. Gryphawks are hovering above them and they have a chained orc. One of the riders introduces himself as Bhoriss Canterstrike who demands to know what I am doing in Bogomils. Do I tell the truth or tell them I am a merchant. Well these are going to be my people so lets tell them.
The horsemen take notice and Bhoriss worries about the difficult path ahead and says I need to be tested, which apparently I can not refuse. So the test. They stake me to the ground and they bring in a wild stallion. I have to roll a die for each limb and roll for the horse. If the number matches I get stamped on and lose 4 stamina and 2 poison. However if I take two hits I die. So it is pure luck.
Left arm - 2 and 5
Right arm - 3 and 5
Left leg - 1 and 3
Right leg - 1 and 3
Okay I make it through the very random test and they give me a horse as we set off to the next test.
We reach a settlement of stone buildings and horns get sounded and a lot more riders appear. I am led into a clearing with a large wild white stallion kicking and bucking and I have to ride for as long as possible. Two horseman lift me up onto the saddle and I have to roll a dice. A 1 or 2 means I fall off and lose 2 stamina. I have to do this five times. If you fall off three times the horse tramples you and you die. So another really random test or die.
I only fall off the once and I am told to mark off another poison unit. I am now at 7.
Heading into the maze, there are two huge horse statues and a women speaks to me. She says I have been granted the honour of entering the maze to seek out the medallion. To the sound of trumpets I head in and get a North, West or East. This is not the maze I got advised about. Lets go West.
I find the word THE engraved on the wall. I can keep going West or change North. I will keep going West. I find a black horse waiting and it charges at me, do I get my sword out or flatten against the wall?
I crack out the sword and lose 1 stamina point straight away due to being overwhelmed. But it turns out it was just an illusion and it passes straight through me.
I find a women sitting on the floor and decide to go over and see if she is ok.
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| Ah yeah this might have been a mistake. |
She is surrounded by rubble which looks like she has fallen through the roof. As she begs for help I notice and she notices at the same time that half the face is peeled off and she is a Mamlik Assassin. Skill 8, Stamina 10. Not much of an Assassin as I only get hit once. I sit down for a bit of food and note the word "Ten".
I find myself in a stone trench and a wisp of smoke transforms into a figure which says congrats on getting through the maze. Hope you picked up a medallion on your way. Oh crap.
Climbing out of the maze I make camp. In the morning a green and red bird wakes me up and scratches the rune A into a stone. Turns out its a message from Astragal. Through the bird he tells me that all the medallions have been found. Oh great I have none. I must make for Sharrabbas and enter the fortress by fair means or foul. For help go to "mmm...Vetch" and the bird flies away.
I then get yet another blind left or right choice. Left.
I get the option to go into the mountains or the forest. I decide to go the forest, mountains sound cold. I follow some cart tracks and pass a bunch of black pools. One pool has a fishing rod and its being pulled at. Yeah I think ill leave that.
Next I come across a scene of carnage with dead orcs and trolls. Amongst them is a body of a dead adventurer and I get a luck point back for not having to be involved in the fight. Lets have a look in his pockets. Hopefully he has a medallion. Alas no, just a note saying "The Wolfsbane at the Street of the 40 Guilds". I salute the body and make my way to another, you guessed it, blind left or right choice. Left we go!
I catch up to the cart just as it is being forced to pay a toll of 3 gold to get past. I suspect the trolls are pocketing most of the gold. I can try and bribe them but I have to pick a number of gold then roll 2d6 to see how much they want. Or I can just fight them. I have plenty of coin that I have not used yet and any kind of fight is causing the poison to go up so I decide to be careful. I know it wont be more than 12 so I go for a safe 9. I roll 6 so they accept my bribe. The cart driver is annoyed as their never used to be tolls and offers me a lift.
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| I made it to the city, shame I do not have a Medallion. |
The cart is being driven by Flaxwort who has figured out I am a Select. But he warns that they are looking to kill any lone adventurers so he decided to disguise me as his assistant. It works and we get past the Orcs guarding the entrance. Guess what. Do you want the cart to go left or right? Always Left.
My buddy Flaxwort drops me off in a busy lane next to a trading post. He wishes me success before driving off. Worried that a lot of people will be paid informers I try to look the part and head to the trading post to try and use all this gold I have.
But alas all I can do is get money for gems and rings which I have zero of. An urchin comes up to me and offers his services as a guide for money. Nah I have played City of Thieves so no thanks.
There is a large crowd up ahead watching a procession so I decide to check it out.
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| A sighting of my foe Chingiz! Don't suppose you fancy holding onto this dagger for me? No Reason. |
A random person next to me is not impressed, calling him filth. He then rather oddly states that he thinks Vetch should kill him, there is Vetch over there next to Mandrake Wolfsbane smoking his infernal pipe. I look over and see Vetch is dressed like a warrior while Mandrake is like a blacksmith. Do I want to tail either of them or head to the fortress. Well Mandrake Wolfsbane is named after not one but two plants! Oh and the note I found said Wolfsbane so lets tail him.
So it turns out I am not very good at tailing and lose him. I get the choice of going to the street of 40 guilds, the stonemasons or the swordsmith. Well double checking my note it says 40 guilds.
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| Honestly, if this place was not full of double crossing informers it would be a great place to live! |
The street of 40 Guilds is actually the street of 4 Guilds as all the others are shut and padlocked. We can go for the keys, Frying Pan, Hammer and Anvil or the Prancing Pony. Well as the keys are the first choice we will head there.
Inside I see a sign saying Mandrake Wolfsbane, Locksmith and Saddlemaker. Well that's a stroke of luck! He is puffing away on his pipe while filing a key. I tell him who I am but he just stares and says he has no idea what I am talking about. But he blows a magic ring in the shape of a red A and says if I am looking for somewhere to stay, try the Dragons Wings tavern. At the same time he is using chalk to write a message, telling me welcome but beware, eyes and ears everywhere, keep to the shadows and he will meet me at the inn in a few hours.
I go out the back door into the alley. Do I want to go left or right? Wait! Did he not at least point me in the direction of the Inn?! Sigh, lets go left.
I come to a space and I notice the glare of a spyglass, someone is watching me. Just then two Grypvultures come flapping out of the tower and drop a pair of Khomotad's for me to fight. I would love to tell you what these are but zero description. They hit me three times so after the fight I tuck into a sausage roll. But it also costs 2 poison ticks.
Falling in behind a cart I try to look like a local as Orcs and Mamliks wander around. Then another messenger bird lands on my shoulder and I head to a quite alleyway and it writes the normal A icon before writing the rest of the message. He tells me to make contact with Mandrake Wolfsbane and no other. Well thanks Astragal, bit late to the party. Find him at the Dragons Wing Tavern, yep got that. But we do get some new info. Astragal's brother Geronicus will be signaling by creating puffs of smoke from the chimney.
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| If you two are the resistance we are in a lot of trouble! |
I follow the smoke signals and make it to the tavern. It is packed with many fires going. But the smokiest corner is these two. We get what happens if you have not met them yet but I have indeed. They tell me Chingiz is trying to spellbreak the ancient secret entrances to the fortress. Geroonicus alone possesses a set of phials that point the way to hidden gates and open them for Select. The rest of them are in the possession of Necromancers trying to use them to break in. I am the last hope and must enter medallion or not and take the throne from Chingiz and his deadly daughter Meghan-na-Durr. Hmm first mention of her. Which vial do you drink? Dagger, Half Moon, Cross or Holy Triangle?
Well the cross looks like poison. Ill go dagger in hope of a skill boost.
All three of us leave the tavern through the back and follow the back streets closer to the fortress. I drink the phial and I feel it does me good (but no in game benefit) and I am dragged through the stone itself leaving me in a corridor.
I am in front of a panel of six circles, each with a different animal. Do you have a medallion? Nope.
So instead a deep booming voice says "your path will be hard, you must be brave and have faith in your true purpose". Torches lit up and a door opens and large black bull charges out. Its only skill 7 though so its dispatched easily. Left or right door again. Lets keep going left.
The new room has carvings of birds and two of them come alive and the two grey eagles attack. They are Skill 6 but Stamina 11 is quite high, and they get one lucky shot in so I have another snack. It is another left or right door choice so we keep going left.
Next room is a very odd trap with three stones and a bunch of snakes. Oh and the room fills with boiling hot water so I need to jump between them. Its another roll 3 dice for the snakes, 3 for the leaps and if any match I get bit and lose 4 stamina and 1 poison. Amazingly I do not hit any.
The next room is full of tombs with skeletons and the voice of the heart of the throne speaks to me (whatever that is). It basically asks me for a second medallion. I of course do not have one and instead head into another room.
Said voice is still going and tells me I am in the chamber of ancient magic spells. Here is where the power of kings and queens are determined. It has three bottles and three jars. I must now take the trial of the Gnossis (whatever that is) and mix a bottle and a jar and drink it. And I have to do this twice. By the way three combos will kill you. Choices are -
Eye of Newt
Vipers Tongue
Ground Dragons Claw
And mix with -
Volcano Dust
1000-Fathom Seawater
Mist from the Mither Forest.
Oh boy. Okay Dragons are a good one and we have just come from that tavern so I choose that and the cool sounding mist. This is the Power of Fortune. In any situation that depends on luck I am automatically lucky! Nice. Does not say if this means combat as well though.
I am going to stick with the Dragons claw. Seawater is not good for you so I go for volcano dust, sounds like a good dragon combo. This gives me the Power of Persuasion, well at least I am not dead!
The voice continues, you have passed through the heart of the throne and have no rival. Walk forth and take your throne and adulation. The mist parts and the doors open. And two Mamliks stab me for 4 stamina and 1 poison before running off. I eat a chicken shawarma wrap.
Yet another left and right choice. I come across a mass of dungeon beasts, but I do not have the power of storm bringing so I am forced back the other way. This way I come across 4 Orcs. But I have the power of persuasion and use it to so they let me past without a fight! But I have to tick off 3 poison units! Up to 13 now if you are keeping track.
I enter a new room and its full of bodies. Mamliks, Trolls, Orcs, Knights all dead and a crazed Necromancer laughing over it all. He throws a mass of small knives at me and I must test my luck. Not so fast sir, I am very lucky so I do not need to. Unfortunately this is Zizzadek and he transformers into a Skill 11 Dragon! He is Stamina 14 so I have an 8 point stamina advantage but he has 1 skill point more. This is by far the hardest combat so far. But with not having to do luck tests anymore I decide to use my luck in combat instead.
I win the first round and successfully test for luck! Win the second combat and just pass a luck test. No more of that but all of a sudden down to 6 stamina! He ends up only hitting me twice and one banana later and its like the combat never happened. I thought I was in serious trouble there. As he screams I mark another 2 poison units (15, getting worried now) and I get another left or right door choice.
In the next room are Chingiz's personal guard. Skill 4 Gremlins?! They do knock me down a skill point though before the fight which is always brutal. One actually hits me before all three are put down. The fourth is currently locking a door with a massive key which he then swallows. Do I have the power of persuasion? Yes I do but I fear for what I am about to ask. Luckily he just vomits up the key and opens the door for me (17 poison units now).
And just like that I am in Chingiz's bedroom! The man himself is on a four poster bed and talks to me weakly. "So you have made it Select, I suppose you are wondering where the throne is?" He starts to keel over but I quickly get my dagger out and put it in his hand! He remarks about how clever I am but can you defeat my deadly daughter. And then he falls over dead with a dagger already in his back! He has been backstabbed, literally!
I get four stamina back for free for feeling much better and do not need to mark off any more poison units!
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| What are you doing with these Ogres young lady? |
The women welcomes me. After admitting her father and the Mamliks found me a difficult foe but she will not let me have the throne as it is hers. She jumps up and runs at me with her dagger and I calmly catch her arm and squeeze her wrist. She drops the dagger which burns the floor and she collapses and tells me to sit on the throne to let her ogres tear me limb from limb. The chains of the Ogres are released and they come at me. I can either fight them or walk straight to the the throne. That seems an oddly specific choice so I try it out.
You might think since I won this time that my playthrough covers most of the notable encounters. Nope! Did not even scratch the surface.
You go through all the tests of the Yigenik and get to their maze entrance, only for an Orc being carried by a Grypvulture to be flown out the maze with the medallion in his grip! Cue a chase!
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| Khul's version of Total Wipeout! |
Watch out for that snail! Oh and the goblin stabbing at you and the copious amounts of arrows. You never actually catch your quarry but the funniest ending has to be when you grab onto the Grypfalcon (it bizarrely changes race during the chase lol) and it flies you straight into a cliff!
It does appear that the flying creatures (throw Gryp in front of a bird name and you have a fantasy version of it) act as some kind of taxi service. They regularly appear to take you to completely different areas of the map. Either with your consent or not.
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| The Boulyanthrop (such as Greyfeather) are the 5 star rated of the aerial Ubers. |
You can meet Geronicus a lot earlier in the game. Although he is so forgetful he will not remember it later on. He provides you with the chance to learn the Necromancer fighting ability. This is very useful as a lot of the time they can auto kill you. Just a shame its next to impossible to get it.
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| Start at A. Roll a dice, 5-6 go up one. 2-4 go right. 1 lose a stamina point. Make it to the top of 8,7 or 6 and you gain that number as your necromance fighting skill. |
The odds of making it are very slim. If you are lucky you can get to 6. But as most Necromancers are skill 8/9 so they will beat you anyway.
There is another forgetful wizard (one is not enough) called Icaricus. Who also transformers into a bird and drops you somewhere else.
Torrez is in an interesting visit. Its full of funfair games like a test of strength, its a good way to make money. And most importantly you get to broker a major truffle deal and make a heap of money as well.
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| A callback to Chasms of Malice! |
Alkis Fearslicer (got to love these names) is a blind sensewarrior, the sect of people we met in book 30. I do like the world building here. But not only do you get through a fight together, he can teach you the Darkfight skill, get you over a bridge and help you pick the right drink at the tavern! A useful man to know, just a shame you never see him again after you both get kidnaped by slavers.
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| Going through the mountains can get you captured by a Mammoths Trunk. |
Escaping the camp is interesting. By far the most entertaining way involves an improvised sledge down the mountain at breakneck speeds.
Our man on the front cover turns out to be Beshbalik. He is a mercenary who has fallen out with Chingiz so has basically taken to raiding and causing all sorts of problems for the Vizier. You can join in his band and raid some Trolls. If you run foul of Beshbalik he ends up hunting you but you only end up fighting the Fang Tigers and his Gryphawk before he nods with respect and lets you go on your way. However, by far the more fun thing is to get on his good side and you also get a pair of Fang Tigers to ride just like the cover! I doubt you ever get more badass than that in any Fighting Fantasy book!
Obviously I went the wrong way in the Bogomil maze but if you go the correct way the words spell out that the medallion weighs 10 coins. You then have to do the old Indiana Jones switch.
There are also some furry creatures that get very angry if you do not pet them, I have to deal with that in real life.
The Korkut maze is very different. Its all about chance. First you have to make it through another strange game.
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| Get form A to B, but if you land on a snake lose 3 stamina. 5/6 and you can go up or down, 3/4 you can go left or right, 1/2 lose 1 stamina. And you cant return to a block you have already been on. If you cant move also lose 1 stamina. |
Yeah quite a horrible one there. Chance can see you through with no problem or you can die here. But that is just the start. Once through you go to this one -
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| Roll a dice and move to that square and go to the corresponding paragraph. |
Its essentially a giant game of snakes and ladders. Each encounter is unique and a one off but some have stairs that you can climb to get further ahead or snakes eating you and sending you back to an early stage of the map. The medallion is near the end but can easily be missed just by not getting the right dice roll.
The Uruz maze is my favorite of the mazes though. It starts off as a traditional Greek mythology having a couple of minotaur's in the maze with you. But it quickly changes as Chingiz forces arrive and tunnel in and start searching for you and the medallion. The forces of Uruz mobilize in defence of their maze and a full blown battle kicks off as you try and make your way to first find the medallion, avoid the minotaur, avoid Chingiz's troops and get away!
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| Randomly you can end up in a jousting tournament. |
Getting into the city has a few good encounters that I did not see. One involves sneaking into the lair of the Necromancers through the window and hiding of behind the furniture. Or befriending the Elf, Lightfinger.
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| Or if they cant find you a Necromancer just decides to take everyone out with a tidal wave. Got to admire that ruthlessness. |
Plenty of interesting things when you are in the city as well such as helping a Dwarf escape an execution. A little girl with a crazy good scam going on. Not to mention getting captured and having to drop down a tower. Before getting back in the tower and climbing through the chimney!
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| This may look bad for you but don't worry, you kick a hole in the castle wall! |
Artwork -
So I made a big deal about the art of Martin McKenna and looking forward to it. But initially I was disappointed. The art is good for sure but it was not top tier. Then I read that he was actually 16 when he did this and it blew my mind. How on earth has a 16 year old done this. I can only imagine the pressure he must have been feeling. I know this art is not his favorite, and its not mine either, but my word I think under the circumstances of being that young he should be very proud.
From my playthrough my favorite is the Assassin I met in the maze. But I also really like the city scenes. The one when you see it for the first time and also the street of the 40 guilds.
But did anyone notice this?
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| The throne has each of the four creatures that dominate the game and the lands. But I am pretty sure thats two puffin logos on either side! Philippa would be proud! |
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| The entrance to the maze cleverly has the solution on the top left corner. I love artwork that affects the gameplay as well. |
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| The Kalamite is my favorite piece in the whole book though. This is 10/10. It really captures the tense atmosphere of the scene in the book. |
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| All the Assassins are really well done as well. |
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| Indy would not like this scene either. |
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| This guy is just Chillin. |
Its not all brilliant though, I do have a few pieces I am not so sure about.
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| The guy in the coffin just looks like he was living there. |
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| And the witches look a bit too cartoony and evil for me (they actually help you). |
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| And from the tidal wave earlier this just made me giggle. |
All in all though its been a really positive start and all things considered you have to applaud it. And it only gets better going forward.
Big Bad -
So the person waiting for you at the end is Meghan-na-Durr, the daughter of Chingiz who has assassinated her own father to claim the throne. But be under no illusion here, the big bad of this book is Chingiz. And he is a refreshing big bad in that he is not an evil wizard or dark creature. He is just a power hungry politician whose weapon is his mind. It is his machinations that allow him to make a play for the throne and to overturn the established order.
And how does he do that since he is not an evil wizard? Well he surrounds himself with his own secret police, in this case Necromancers and Mamlik Assassins. He controls the military as well, using a force of Orcs, Goblins and Trolls. Not only that but he knows the traditions well and has set about eliminating them. First by claiming all the medallions for himself, he has no qualms about smashing through the mazes. Its like by any means necessary. And finally by removing any competition, using the Daggers of Darkness to hunt eliminate any of the Select.
All in all he is the perfect dictator really. I know the final fight is none existent but that's fine, it shouldn't be a fight against someone like this. His presence is keenly felt throughout the adventure, and you can even bump into him a couple of times. But you never feel that you get a break from being hunted by his proxies and therefore him.
Menagerie -
There is quite a mix here. Between random dungeon monsters, to themed enemies depending on the location and of course Chingiz's forces.
The Necromancers are the ones to worry about most. Without the ability to fight them you have to avoid them. They have that feeling of dread as even a Skill 12 monster warrior can not do anything about it.
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| Mamlik Assassins will also popup from anywhere! Quite good at disguise despite their looks. |
As mentioned before their are a lot of bird themes with the word Gryp in front of them. Not only are they searching for you but quite often get involved in a fight.
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| And of course act as transport for other troops such as the Khomatad, the result of mixing an elf and an orc. |
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| Plenty human enemies as well. You have to fight the Marauders in order to earn their respect. |
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| Its not recommended to go fishing. |
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| I mean this tree looks fine doesn't it? Do not wait around to put your boots on. |
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| Acquiring Medallions was never going to be straight forward. The Maze fiend here heating it up. |
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| Panthers feature heavily. They are not a good sign as tend to be followed by Necromancers. |
All in all a nice mix of the usual fantasy creatures and some nice new additions. The Kalamite was my favorite though. Everything though made sense for where they popped up.
Entertaining Deaths -
It is actually really difficult to get an instant death in this book. Most deaths are related to you not making a dice roll (either a skill test or more likely a random dice roll) but there are some.
Electing not to escape when captured. An Assassin eventually turns up and stabs you.
Accepting a lift from a horsemen, you are ambushed and it transpires you have been glued to the saddle.
Refusing to carry a Wizard, so he cant warn you about the Orc spike trap.
Mixing yourself a potion of the Luckless. You suffer an agonizing death.
Pulling out your sword in front of the throne. Its a double KO though as Meghan-na-Durr has also drawn her weapon so you both collapse as skeletons.
But my favorite by far is -
Mixing yourself a potion of exploding death. Your insides make a conscious decision to leave your body.
Pete's Corner -
"A Horse Stood on Me."
Final Thoughts -
This felt massive! It took me so long to map this out. A new record seven tabs and even then I am not sure I got it right. How Sharp managed to fit so much in within the 400 paragraphs I have no idea.
I would describe this as a tour de force. It never seems to let up and keeps you engaged with set piece after set piece. If you like your Fighting Fantasy full of action then this is for you. And its not even done with combat after combat, its much more clever than that. This is like fantasy Uncharted.
I think this is some of the best world building I have seen as well. The lands of Kazan are huge and varied. The city of Sharrabbas is my favorite. It has the feeling of being not a safe place, with enemies around every corner. But they are not obvious, they are stalking you from the shadows and setting traps. I love a city environment.
But its not just there. Each of the settlements you can visit has its own unique culture. You have Uruz, Korkut, Bogomil and even Torrez. And even the lands in-between feel fleshed out. The woods of Owlshriek or making your way through the mountains or the marshes. Nowhere feels empty and no where feels just like filler.
The people, creatures and culture all make it feel like you are more immersed in your adventure. This is a place where other things happen around you. By that I mean its not just you affecting the world, other people and players have their own plans and its happening around you. The best example of that is the attack on the Uruz maze. Or even the locals getting annoyed at all the things that are changing for the worse such as tolls and searches as they travel. And I even forgot Beshbalik and his crew rampaging around. You are swept up in another persons adventure there.
That leads me onto my next point. So many named characters. Ok not many last more than a paragraph or two but it all adds to the flavour of the world. The names of some of these people are not the most imaginative (looking at you Mandrake Wolfsbane) but it just a minor quibble.
The story also gets a thumbs up for me. The twist at the end is ok, nothing amazing but the build up is good. From the very beginning you are thrown into the action by being stabbed by the magic dagger, which turns it into a frantic race against time. Everything in the prologue sets up to explain what you are doing (as opposed to just randomly going from town to town to exploring mazes). But I never felt like I was going off mission, get medallions, stay out of the bad guys clutches.
The writing is also a step up from previous Luke Sharp entries. The description of the scenario I felt were more detailed which also helped me feel really immersed in it.
Its fair as well. I am not just saying that as I won but when you map it out you realise their are pletny of different ways to win and no must have items or must go to locations. The battles are infrequent and usually can be avoided and even then there are no killer high skill monsters you are forced to fight. In fact the mechanism of the poison every time you fight or exhert yourself feels like the biggest concern as you play.
A different type of villain to go up against was refreshing, so happy to not face another evil wizard but a character we can see happening in real life. All in all sounds fantastic right? Right? Well....
I am not convinced about the mechanics in this gamebook at all. Number one is that this book is absolutely loaded with random dice rolls. And I mean packed with them. What is the point on having stats if you hardly use them? Random chance really annoys me.
The worst offenders are the two I mentioned before. Trying to acquire the Necromancer Fighting ability is horrible. Who is going to roll 5 or 6, six times in a row? Its beyond broken and you need 8 or at the very least 7 to have chance against a Necromancer. Or the snakes and ladders maze which is pure random dice rolls to see if you get the medallion. The other one is the chamber of chance, its a bit more possible but its not fun. But there is more -
Rolling dice to compare your weight to how much an ice bridge can take, you die if its too much.
Throw a dice for where you are standing and another for where spike shoots out, you are killed if it hits.
Throw 1 dice for yourself v 1 dice for your opponent at the jousting. you loose stamina and skill if you get knocked off.
Roll 2d6 to see how high your stone horses jumps against 2d6 for the height of the poles. If you hit the poles the horse smashes and you die.
The test of the horsemen to stay on the horse. Roll a dice 5 times. If you roll a 1 or 2 twice you die.
When you get trapped in a tunnel, roll 2d6 for the air in your lungs against 2d6 for the amount of air you need. If its not enough, you die.
Throw a dice 6 times to see where rocks fall and then roll to compare your run for cover, skill and stamina loss.
3 dice for falling blocks, pretty much same as above.
Throw 3 dice to see where snakes are and throw 3 for where you jump. Poison and Stamina damage.
Trying to shoot a dragon from the ship. Roll 1 dice for the position if the dragon and roll for where you shoot.
The test I did in my playthrough to survive the horse stamping.
Ah you get the point, I could go on though! There are even more test or die encounters in here but they make sense. Like roll 2d6 and compare to your stamina to see if you make it. But I do not mind that as its testing against your actual stats.
My other big gripe is the endless Left or Right choices. You know how much I hate a blind T-junction. What makes it so galling is that most of the books prose is good. And we do get some left and rights with good choices, such as left to the mountains or right to the forest. So he can do it, but my word there are so many where we do not get anything. Do you run off to the left or the right? Do you jump off the left or right? Left or right door? So So So many.
I never got to try out the medallion mechanics, but I think they sound ok, will keep the game going longer. You can also learn Darkfight but its only useful in a couple of places, and I am pretty sure at least one of those places its impossible to know it but my mapping might be off. It was very confusing!
Other specials you can get right at the end -
Invulnerable to Sword Strike
Great Wisdom
Power to Change Metal Objects
Power of Persuasion
Stormbringing
Power of Fortune
These sound cool but they come so late in the game they do not have a big impact. It would have been better to introduce these a lot earlier as they feel a bit tacked on.
Normally these issues would be gamebreakers for me. But here they are just an irritant. The reason for this is you can avoid a lot of them. The book does not punish you unfairly for missing an item on a random roll. There is always another way or another chance, yes you may be killed unfairly but their is always another route. There are so many different ways to finish this book. It is almost too easy, I mean I feel you should have to at least get one medallion. Its just so alien not to require anything to complete a Fighting Fantasy. But that is crazy talk, after all the impossible ones this should be a positive. I would just feel bad if someone went oh well finished it and never went back as there is just so much more in this book.
It really depends on what you look for in a gamebook. If mechanics is your thing you will be disappointed with all the random dice rolling. If it is multiple tough playthroughs to eventually figure out the path, nope. If it is to create a map, this one might tip you over the edge. But if its an immersive world of non stop action, this is the one for you.
I ask myself did I have fun? Yes I did.
Would I play it again? Yes.
Is it perfect? No not by a long shot, but its one that appeals more to me.
Tough one to score, but lets not forget how awesome the cover is!
