After my joint meditation / jam session with Daon, we continue down the proverbial (and actual) road and come across Gorobei.
Aside : What’re the odds? Does anyone walk along this road who isn’t an ally or sworn enemy? Aren’t there any vaccuum cleaner salesmen or wandering buskers?
In any event, Gorobei is our lucky talisman, because, due to what I call “Prequel Survival Guarantee”, Gorobei must live due to our future honorary combat at the start of Avenger!
Interestingly, it is noted that I recognise Gorobei from his ‘tall and muscular frame’.
As you do.
We head off together, but not until I turn my ninja costume inside out, in the hope that the white shade will camouflage me as we enter the mountainous snowy ground.
I renew my previous editorial comment that there is no word as to whether this shade of white serves as a particular protection against the, you know, freezing weather.
Daon ‘raises an eyebrow’ at the idea of wearing an all-white costume during the winter. I guess he was expecting these colours :
For non-Australians, just take my word for it that the above are the colours of the GREATEST SPORTING TEAM OF ALL TIME!!!!!
Ahem.
I am told we leave Aiko’s grave behind us. Since the alternative was, presumably, bringing it with us, I’m not entirely surprised.
The three of us move forward, exchanging theories about who could be behind these attacks against us. the name of Yaemon is thrown up, but the magical nature of these attacks renders that possibility unlikely. However, it is worth mentioning that Yaemon did, despite not being a ‘wizard’ use sorcery to impersonate a monk of Kwon when he stole the Scrolls of Kettsuin.
Thanks for reminding me of that.
In a minor Easter Egg for fans of the series, Gorobei laments his previous loss in the Grandmaster Trials to a Whirlpool Throw, and confirms that he will take ‘measures’ to ensure that doesn’t happen to him again.
We further discuss whether the contest now has any meaning, given that these forces are abroad trying to kill us. It should be noted that its Daon, who doesn’t have two flags, who is pushing for this approach.
We all hear an ‘eerie whimper’ and notice a foreboding figure, in silhouette, with a serpent staff and red eyes.
I assume they look like the above picture, and if they don’t, well they should.
This foreboding creature is clearly a bad guy. Does anyone in fantasy fiction with red eyes end up being a good guy? Asking for a friend.
Before we can get into serious discussions about the eye colour of potential villains in genre fiction, the minions of this figure crawl over the horizon, being winged dogs with yellow eyes.
Oh, and blue tongues. Did I mention that? They’ve got blue tongues.
In any event – bring it, mysterious robed dude!
Daon charges at the silhouette. I can go with him, or join Gorobei in a defensive position. Since the silhouette is almost definitely a projection of some kind, and since I know that Gorobei will survive, I adopt the defensive option.
The flying dogs, apparently known as ‘Hainu’ swoop down on Gorobei and I.
We’re facing 10 (!!) of them.
Luckily I have the Poison Needles skill and the spiderfish poison to use it!
Round 1
My Needle spits true (!) and one mangy flying dog drops dead. In true Arnold-esque fashion, Gorobei smashes the heads of another two dogs together.
Endurance : Me 20, Dogs remaining – 7
Round 2
My needle misses, due to a fault, no doubt, in my spitting technique. Gorobei continues to hold up his side of the bargain, taking another 2 Hainu out of the frame, although I am, due to my miss, bitten for 2 damage.
Endurance : Me 18, Dogs remaining 5
Round 3
My needle finds its mark, and Gorobei once more takes some dog skulls out to the proverbial woodshed!
Endurance : Me 18, Dogs remaining 2
Round 4
Another dog / Hainu collapses to die whimpering and alone, while Gorobei takes out the remaining mangy mutt.
Meanwhile, back in Texas, Daon charges towards our mysterious nemesis, and an arcane wind starts howling around the battle.
Cool cliffhanger, right?
Stats : All modifiers : 0 Endurance : 18, Inner Force 2, Shuriken 3
THE WAY OF THE TIGER PLAYTHROUGH 
???? How come noone else has replied? I’m pretty darn late as it is. Enjoyed your post as always.
In fairness to Gorobei’s appearance, I get the impression that you’re on the main crossing from the east of the Island to the west and especially Iga so its sort of where you’d be expected to meet everyone. And yes, Gorobei HAS a very tall muscular frame, I remember thinking I might be like that someday 😦 At least I’m about his weight, if not his height 😦 The dilemma, chocolate may be fattening but it helps you to cope with the effects of itself as well as the rest of the world.
And if I can’t trust a lawyer as to the greatest sporting team of all time then who can I trust?
You know, despite all the times I’ve played through this part I never twigged that Daon was suggesting we call the contest off because he’d already lost it … David Walters! Was that deliberate?
Re Red Eyes, it was the Submarine Sage Spongebob (trying saying that 5 times quickly) who said “It’s the red beady eyes that’s a dead giveaway for the evil fellas” so that proves its true. You may have to break it gently to your friend. HOWEVER in Science Fiction Rom (the toy and the comic) had RED eyes. However they were meant to be green and the original cartoon was black and white but the toy was given red eyes to save on money so the colour comics were red eyes also. So technically as it was a cynical marketing ploy to deprive kids of their parents money it could be argued that he was evil, or good, depending. See how your loyal fan base goes running off to bring you tit bits of absolutely useless information 🙂
Good move sticking with Gorobei, the first time i went with Daon and boy did I regret it. Still you’ve beaten the red-eyed menace twice by now so it should be plain sailing from here on …
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Between you and Bryan my Trainer, my aesthetic sensibilities are under weekly attack..an appalling colour combination (obvious connotations aside) anyone with any fashion sense, would not be caught dead in this colour scheme….top team or not…image is everything…!
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But maybe you’ll come to appreciate the colour coordination, after all you’re the one who pointed out that anything in the universe is possible 😉
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Yes Fenrir, Daon’s position is coloured in part by his lack of two flags! Also he’s keen to focus on some payback on those attacking the group, since he was driven off the island as a boy with the other monks during the Black Lotus Rebellion.
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I am SO unaware. I knew Daon took too much pleasure in throwing the dead monks in the river but I never gave thought to what he was thinking here (ironically thats partly cause I was so obsessed vith vengeance myself). Neat writing David, as well as enjoying Tim’s writing I’m also enjoying the different perspective he’s giving to the sections.
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Character motivations in a gamebook are usually simple, but the novel author in me just can’t help making them more complex. One subtle thing about the throwing of dead monks into the river since you mention it: the move you see him do on the bridge is the move not to use against him should you two fight (since he has trained in the move he knows how best to guard against it)…
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