[Fighting Fantasy] Caverns of the Snow Witch

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Suddenly, I hear a human voice through the snow and a roar of some mighty beast.

Through the snow, I can see a fur trapper fighting a gigantic bear-like beast with long white fur and sharp tusks protruding from its jaws. I've heard the stories -- it's a yeti, and likely the beast that killed the Northmen we were to have traded with.

The yeti slashes at the trapper with his claws, sending him face down into the snow.

It's time for this beast to die.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

As I run, I remember the trapper's spear and raise it to throw at the yeti.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

((Roll 1d6.))

((Roll a 1, turn to 157))
((Roll a 2 or greater, turn to 219))

 

[Joshua Randall]

<insert “Roll A D6” song reference here>

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

((I get a 3))

The spear strikes the yeti in the chest. It roars in pain but remains on its feet. I draw my sword and attack.

((Yeti has Stamina 6, Skill 8.))

((I roll a 5, for a total of 14. The yeti rolls a 3, for a total of 11. I do 2 points of Stamina damage.))

((I roll a 5, for a total of 14. The yeti rolls a 4, for a total of 12. I do 2 points of Stamina damage.))

((I roll a 9, for a total of 18. The yeti rolls an 11, for a total of 19. I take 2 points of Stamina damage.))

((I roll a 6, for a total of 15. The yeti rolls a 9, for a total of 17. I take 2 points of Stamina damage.))

((I roll a 5, for a total of 14. The yeti rolls an 8, for a total of 16. I take 2 points of Stamina damage.))

((I roll a 5, for a total of 14. The yeti rolls a 2, for a total of 10. I do 2 points of Stamina damage, killing the yeti.))

((Stamina 8/15, Skill 9/9, Luck 11/12, Potion of Fortune and 8 provisions in my backpack. I also have leather armor and my sword.))

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I kneel down beside the trapper. I'm wounded, but I'll live. The trapper is in much worse shape.

His eyes barely open and blood cakes his lips. There yeti has gouged huge slashes through the trapper's chest. He'll be gone soon.

I lean close as the trapper whispers his last words.

"Thank you," he whispers, his voice barely audible above the wind. "I found the Crystal Caves ..."

I start to pull away to ask a question, but the trapper grabs the back of my neck.

"The Snow Witch wants to use her powers ... spread winter across the world. The entrance to her caves is high up this mountain ... an illusion of an ice wall. I marked it with fur hanging over the entrance."

I still have a million questions. Why was a trapper seeking this witch? How does he know any of this? But he's running out of time to answer these -- or any -- questions.

"Find her. Kill her. ... Great treasures frozen into the wall of her lair."

And then he's gone.

I look over at the yeti I've just killed.

Fifty gold pieces is nothing compared to "great treasures."

It won't hurt to look and see if there is really fur hanging above a wall of ice, I suppose.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

What?!? We're half-dead in a blizzard, and we'll go out of our way to kill a random spellcasting woman because a dead trapper said she's wealthy? He added that she's looking forward to spread winter across the world, which is actually a great opportunity of advancing knowledge in geo-engineering before our civilization is confronted to global warming. Also, he could, you know, be misinformed about the woman being a witch, or actually lack any kind of evidence...

I'd say we should get back to the camp, restore strength, and gather information before trying to steal this random woman's retirement investments. At least we could get back to the hut where we stole weapons and food earlier to rest... (and by the way, that throwing spear was certainly useful, I hope we won't forget to take it back after use). She doesn't seem to be on the run anyway.

Oh, what? We're heroes? Ah, yes, indeed,sorry, let's kill her and take her stuff! Silly me. Onward to trespassing on her property!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Oh, Lucky isn't a hero. This is about the treasure. He (canonically) wouldn't kill the yeti unless he could extort a reward out of Big Jim Sun, remember?

I'm sure this personality trait won't come back to haunt him in any way.

 

[Joshua Randall]

There are two kinds of people in the world. The people who hear about an ice witch and run away, and the people from the U.S. Marines commercial who charge into the water to fight sharks.

OK. Mixed metaphor. But the point stands.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

For the record, Fighting Fantasy books make tropical islands even more unpleasant than they do the Icefinger Mountains. Bloody British.