Thursday 29 December 2011

Adventures in Fabled Lands {Gamebooks}



Yesterday I picked up Fabled Lands again to have another go after my previous two characters were killed (one in a shipwreck and the other by a falling boulder). I created a rogue this time around and decided to dedicate her role to thievery and assassination. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Fabled Lands is a range of gamebooks that, instead of being contained stories, offer a sandbox world to play in. While the characters aren't as memorable as those in say Fighting Fantasy, it's a trade-off for a massive world where you can do pretty much anything.

My rogue, Marana, began in Marlock City, the capital of Sokara. With only 16 shards (cash) to my name I decided try mu hand at gambling. I emerged with 0 shards to my name. Being destitute, I needed a job to get money. I travelled to Yellowport and was given the opportunity to go and assassinate the exiled king who was hiding in the mountains like a sissy. With an offer of 500 shards, of course I took the job.

I killed the king, got my money and was now on my way to success. I started doing jobs here and there, finding thievery work where I could in Sokara and Golnir (the country in the second book, Cities of Gold and Glory) which included stealing a priceless gem from some sailors and doing some sword-for-hire work. I finally had enough for a medium-sized boat, so I bought one and called it The Kraken. I hired the best crew money could by and began trading cargo between Sokara and Golnir, making some nice profit. I even invested money in the merchant's guild in hope of gaining mass interest later in the game.

I eventually decided to take my toughest assassination job yet and travel to the far north (The Plains of Howling Darkness), sneak into the enemy camp and kill the ex-commander-in-chief of the previous regime who were battling in the Steppes. I managed to pull this off and was handsomely rewarded by General Marlock, the new ruler of Sokara. I was feeling confident, so I bought some textiles as cargo and set sail for the south. This, as it turns out, was a mistake.

You see, boys and girls, in the south there are pirates galore and you'll be spending a lot of time in the ocean.  I was looking for a place to sell textiles when one night my helmsman went mad and ran the ship aground. The helm split in two and the ship was destroyed. I was the sole survivor as I drifted for days on a bit of wood, eventually washing ashore on Copper Island, which is where I currently am.

Injured and without a ship, what will happen next in the adventures of Marana? Will she brave the seas once more for gold and glory? Or will she return to Golnir to find more work as a master thief? Tune in next time...


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