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FEATHERS OF THE PHOENIX by KIERAN COGHLAN AMATEUR ADVENTURE DESCRIPTION: We are proud to present this exclusive and original amateur adventure on the Official Fighting Fantasy™ Gamebook's web site, written by Kieran Coghlan. BACKGROUND You press Vincenzo against the wall and punch
him across the face again. He gives a short cry of pain and
falls to the floor, his mouth drooling blood. You hear Vortigen
snickering behind you and you smile as you give Vincenzo a hearty
kick in the ribs. "If Branno wanted you dead, you would be", you gloat, "but as it happens he doesn't want to lose such a valuable friend as you just yet. Consider this your warning", you finish with another hearty kick in the ribs. Vortigen continues to guffaw at Vincenzo's plight. Branno, one of Port Blacksand's most powerful and feared crime lords, had asked the two of you to teach Vincenzo a lesson after Branno discovered he had been embezzling some of the money made from burglaries. It strikes you as odd that Branno did not simply wish him dead, he is not known for his mercy and you and Vortigen have killed for him many times before. Perhaps he simply did not want to lose such a competent bookkeeper. Regardless, the job is done now and Vortigen is eagerly going through Vincenzo's drawers in the hope of finding, what he calls his "Hard Work Bonus". Sadly, there only seems to be a few trinkets of little value, hardly the biggest haul you've ever had. Disappointedly Vortigen continues his rummage...and
finds something. From the very back of a small cupboard he pulls
out a red feather, glowing faintly in the dim light. On seeing
what Vortigen has uncovered Vincenzo awakens out of his dazed
stupor and gives a start. "You'd be surprised what you can live through", you reply curtly, drawing your knife and glancing at his ear menacingly. This is more than the cowardly bookkeeper can bear. He reveals that the feather Vortigen is holding is that of a Phoenix, a legendary bird with supposed powers of rebirth. Apparently if four such feathers are collected, it will reveal the location of the phoenix egg, a treasure much more valuable than any gold, as anyone with a phoenix as their pet will gain eternal life. "I know that one such feather is possessed by the merchant Sylees in Blacksand itself", Vincewnzo continues. "I had hoped to acquire all four and get my hands on that Phoenix Egg, but you have put paid to my aspirations." The bookkeeper hangs his head dejectedly and you guess that this is all he knows. With a nod and a cruel smile, you and Vortigen leave his house to the murky Blacksand street outside. "It appears that we are about to embark on quite a quest", says Vortigen with a devilish glint in his eye. You agree that you should both try to track down the remaining feathers, but one of you should report to Branno first to tell him that Vincenzo has been taken care of for it would not be wise to have an angry Branno on their tails during this enterprise. Vortigen agrees and says he will take the feather and discover the whereabouts of this Sylees, while you report to Branno. You can then meet at the Red Lantern Tavern on Gallows Street at eleven o' clock to discuss your next actions. You concur, and set off towards Branno's headquarters, eager to begin your hunt for the feathers of the phoenix. Read on…Turn to 1 AUTHORS NOTES Equipment and Potions You will start your adventure with a bare minimum of equipment, but you may find or buy other items during your travels. You are armed with a sword and are dressed in chain mail armour and carry ten gold pieces. You also have a knife, which you use while making threats to the scumbags that inhabit Port Blacksand .You have a backpack to hold your Provisions and any other items you may come across. In addition, you may take one bottle of a magical potion, which will aid you on your quest. You may choose to take a bottle of any of the following: A Potion of SKILL restores SKILL points These potions may be taken at any time during your adventure (except when engaged in a battle). Taking a measure of potion will restore SKILL, STAMINA or LUCK scores to their initial level (and the Potion of Fortune will add 1 point to your initial LUCK score before LUCK is restored). Each bottle of potion contains enough for one measure; i.e. the characteristic may be restored once during an adventure. Make a note on your Adventure Sheet when you have used up your potion. Remember that you may only choose one of the three potions to take with you on your trip, so choose wisely! Hints on Play This adventure is dangerous. You might well fail on your first attempt. Make notes and draw a map as you explore - this map will prove invaluable when making further forays in this adventure, and it will enable you to progress more rapidly to unexplored sections. Remember: when you are traveling through any environment, it is a good idea to make a note of where such encounters lie in the adventure ahead, including useful objects and information to aid you on your dangerous quest. Be wary about testing your Luck, unless a paragraph instructs you to do this! When it comes to fights, you should Test your Luck only to keep yourself alive if an opponent's blow would otherwise kill you. However, be warned! If you decide to use Luck in this way, be certain your adversary is worth it- Luck points are precious! You start this mission with very few possessions, but will be given opportunities to collect food, weapons, and items. However, choose your equipment carefully - although many are precious or magical, others are red herrings and of no real value at all. You will soon realize that paragraphs make no sense if read in numerical order. It is essential that you read only the paragraphs you are instructed to go to. Reading other sections lessens the excitement and surprise during play. The only true way to success in this adventure involves minimal risk; even if your character scores are low, you should be able to find magical artifacts and weapons that may increase your chances of victory in battle. Play Online: Click here to play online - Read Rules: Click here for rules This item has been published here with permission from the author(s) and may not be reproduced without permission. This is a fan submission and its contents are completely unofficial. Some characters, places, likenesses and other names may be copyright Fighting Fantasy™ - Wizard Books®. |