Inferno! – Attempt 1, Part 1

Inferno! – Attempt 1, Part 1

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The final book in the series to be published in the 80s, Inferno has a very mixed reputation among fans of the series.  Further, in interviews published in the last couple of years, it is admitted by the authors that the book was not finished in ideal circumstances, as they were in the midst of negotiations on another series and weren’t treated that well by the Way of the Tiger publishers.

See here for further details (and read that site generally, because it is an awesome hub of gamebook and fantasy activity).

The background to book 6 refers to ‘Peace in the Manmarch’ with the streets of Irsmuncast strewn with flowers upon my return at the end of Warbringer.  Glaivas and Dore le Jeune have apparently become BFFs and, ignoring Gwyneth, have decided to go on a ‘punitive expedition’ to the Rift.  There may well be camping, drinking and fireside stories as well.

Riggggght.  Sure nothing will go wrong with that plan.

Houses that have been destroyed during the battles are being rebuilt (through borrowed funds, no less!) but I feel ‘increasingly uneasy’ as time passes.

Aside regarding rules : It is mentioned that I regain my Endurance, my Shuriken and that my ‘Inner Force has been restored’.  I really don’t know whether that means my Inner Force goes back to 5 or 4 (remembering my penalty from collecting the Amulet of Nullaq in Book 4).

I’m going to go with 4 for the moment, and I’ll assume that I’m not going to use more than 4 points of Inner Force in the first part of the book!

Paragraph 1!

On the fifth day of Pantheos (second cousin to Athos and Porthos) Gwyneth enters the Throne Room, and she does not look happy.  Either she found out about the secret casino I’ve been running out of the Palace kitchens, or there’s trouble afoot (or both).

Apparently some people have come from the Rift, including Foxglove (!).  In case I could possibly have forgotten, the book reminds me that Foxglove was head of the Order of the Yellow Lotus and she fled the city right about when the forces from the Rift were invading.  Gwyneth has no doubt Foxglove’s loyalty (or lack thereof).

Gwyneth mentions that, along with 100 Orcs, ‘they’ are camped on the edges of our farmland.  When I query the identity of ‘they’ Gwyneth describes Foxglove’s companion as a warrior woman with a patchwork armour of scale mail.  Even if I couldn’t remember this part of the book, I’d recognise the description of Cassandra (from Book 2) anywhere.

Decision :

• I can allow the two women amnesty, to hear what they have to say.
• Ask Gwyneth to try and take them prisoner;
• Use my Ninja skills to try to capture them unaided.

As awesome as my ninja-fu may be, I’m not keen on trying to capture two people (one of whom is a skilled warrior) in the middle of an armed camp.

The granting of amnesty to hear what people have to say is a time-honoured tradition, and I as a ruler accept it.  I grant amnesty (using my trusty town crier), and the orcs set up temporary camp on ‘Caravan Field’.

Aside : I have a glorious moment picturing 100 orcs in the middle of a caravan / trailer park, fending off various stereotypes such as meth dealers, teenage runaways and singlet-wearing beer-drinkers.

In any event, my two ‘guests’ are brought into my presence and I am met with a ‘double surprise’.

Is Foxglove now calling herself Brad?

Has Cassandra become a wizard?

Has Avenger finally been put on the front cover of this book, as justice demands?

We shall see.

Final Stats: Endurance : 20, Punch Modifier : +2, Kick Modifier: +3, Throw Modifier : 0, Fate Modifier : +1, Inner Force : 4 (*)

Awesome names : Caravan Field, just for the chuckles it induced.

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June 19, 2016 at 10:08PM