F.F. Collectors Bookmarks

Banner from the F.F. Collectors Bookmarks

The F.F. Collectors Bookmarks were a series of five bookmarks released in late 1986 as inserts to certain Fighting Fantasy related publications. Every new Fighting Fantasy book published in October and November 1986 contained a FF Collectors Bookmark. The books were as follows:

• OCTOBER - Masks of Mayhem, Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World, The Riddling Reaver
• NOVEMBER - Creature of Havoc, Helmquest

It is interesting to note that only two of the above were pure gamebooks and one of the books above, Helmquest, was not in fact a Fighting Fantasy publication but was a Fantasy Questbook.

The bookmarks each contained a chapter making up the story of the first adventure of Jerik Kalazar, famed adventurer and treasure seeker. In this adventure, Jerik is given a quest by Varag Hawkflight which takes him northwards from Arantis and the city of Kaynlesh-Ma to Port Blacksand on the Skull Coast, and then inland to the Moonstone Hills.

The bookmarks also introduce two competitions: The Adventurer's Competition and the The Fighting Fantasy Competition of the Century (a.k.a. The Grand Quest). Both competitions involved the reader solving puzzles contained in the five bookmarks. The winner's picture was to have been published in Warlock magazine. However, the closing date for the competition was 31 March 1987, and Warlock's last edition was in December 1986.

Main Characters

• Jerik Kalazar
• Varag Hawkflight
• Unnamed pirate captain
• Abnab the Merchant's apprentice
• Nicodemus
• Oin the Dwarf

Locations

• Jerik's village
• Kaynlesh-Ma
• Pirate Coast
• Port Blacksand
• Stonebridge
• Moonstone Hills
• Firetop Mountain

Encounters

There are no standard encounters in the bookmarks that involve combat. Each chapter leads to an encounter with an individual who will set a puzzle.

Descriptions of the Bookmarks

Each of the five bookmarks had a different illustration on the front, predominantly in black and red with an occasional small white detail. The cover was headed by the green on black FF logo and "F.F. Collectors Bookmarks" title. A line drawn from the bottom left corner drawn diagonally across to the righthand side 2/5 of the way up formed a triangle saying "BOOKMARK" in green text with the number of the bookmark (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) in red.

Opening the bookmark revealed a green interior with black text and with an illustration of a dagger down the entire right hand side of the text. The first two thirds of each bookmark's interior contained a standard text summarising where and when the FF Collectors Bookmarks could be found and then details on the two competitions that could be entered. Then followed the start of that bookmark's chapter in the story of Jerik Kalazar.

The back cover of the bookmark was in pink with black text. This text completed that bookmark's chapter of Jerik Kalazar's story along with setting the puzzle that needed to be solved. If space allowed, an illustration of a potion, small skull and treasure chest followed and then a reminder of where to send competition entries too. On the right hand side of the text was an illustration of a scroll.

The standard text for each bookmark:

FIGHTING FANTASY COLLECTORS BOOKMARKS

Collect the set and enter the FIGHTING FANTASY COMPETITION OF THE CENTURY!

Every new FF book published in October and November contains a FF Collectors Bookmark - these are the books to watch out for if you want to collect the set - OCTOBER - FF 23: Masks of Mayhem, Titan, The Riddling Reaver, NOVEMBER - FF 24: Creature of Havoc, Helmquest

HOW TO ENTER Two gruelling quests that require all your skill and ingenuity. Enter one or both competitions.

then followed details for the competitions, The Adventurer's Competition and the Grand Quest (aka the Fighting Fantasy Competition of the Century)

Competitions contained in the bookmarks

THE ADVENTURER’S COMPETITION

The description for this competition was as follows:

Each bookmark contains a new chapter in the adventures of Jerik Kalazar, famed adventurer and treasure seeker. In each story there is a puzzle which will give you a one syllable word answer. Can you solve the puzzle below? Send in your answer on a postcard and you could win • A complete signed set of FF books • £10 of Puffin Books • Runners up prizes • 100 Fighting Fantasy Posters Closing date: 31st March 1987

The Fighting Fantasy Competition of the Century

PART 2 THE GRAND QUEST If you collect all 5 bookmarks and solve every puzzle you will have 5 words altogether. Take the letters of all of them, jumble them together and you will find the location of Varag Hawkflight's treasure This entitles you to enter the FIGHTING FANTASY COMPETITION OF THE CENTURY. Send your answer, together with the cut-off section on the corner of all 5 bookmarks and you could win an incredible prize!

Prizes for the Grand Quest

• A MONSTER DAY OUT WITH STEVE JACKSON and IAN LIVINGSTONE including a visit to Games Workshop Factory in Nottingham and lunch with the Puffin FF editors
• PRIZES
  • £100 of the latest Games and Citadel Miniatures
  • £100 of Puffin Books
  • Hand-made FF trophy
  • A complete signed set of FF books
  • Your picture printed in WARLOCK magazine
  • Runners up prizes-200 Fighting Fantasy Posters

The entry to this part of the Competition was only valid with the cut-off sections from all 5 bookmarks enclosed. The closing date was 31 March 1987. The entries to be sent to F.F. Bookmarks Competition, Puffin Books, 27 Wrights Lane, London W8 5TZ

The Puzzles and their solutions

1 - from Masks of Mayhem

The puzzle set by Varag

A few days later, young Jerik was saddened to hear that Varag Hawkflight had passed away, but also puzzled, for the old man had left something behind for him; a cloth sack containing a helmet, long dagger, a water bottle, a bag of ten silver pieces and a lamp - and a note. The note read, “My dear young man. Take these few things and become an adventurer like me! But first, prove yourself worthy by solving a little puzzle for me. Pick up one of the items, take what 's left away from what you've got, and you will find yourself holding something that will lead you to treasure! Can you solve the puzzle?

The answer:

• MAP
• Why?: pick up the "lamp" and take "l" (what's 'left') away from what you've got. This leaves amp...rearrange and you have 'map'.

2 - from Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World

The puzzle set by the pirate captain:

"Well, young hero," the captain grinned, "Do you want to feed the sharks - or shall we see how clever you are? Tell me the answer to this riddle and you can come with us as far as Port Blacksand; get the answer wrong and you'll be shark-bait!

Five little men standing in a row.

They walk just ahead of you everywhere you go,

Helmets on their heads off to war they go.

But be careful you don' t step on one or you'll hurt a - what?’' Can you solve the puzzle?

The answer:

• TOE
• Why?: five toes are ahead of you wherever you walk, with toenails as helmets. A singular is then asked for in the last line.

3 - from The Riddling Reaver

The puzzle set by the apprentice of Abnab the Merchant:

"Tell you what,” said Jerik, "if I help solve your problem will you show me where Nicodemus the wizard lives?” The young man looked at him with a start, but then agreed. "That old wizard isn’t liked much 'round here, cos’ 'e's too nice, but yeah, I’ll show yer where he lives. Me problem is this: a pound each of Silver, Copper, Lead and Tin costs 200 gold pieces; Silver and Copper together costs 90 gps; Copper and Lead costs 80 gps; and a pound of Lead costs 10 gps. So which metal costs 40 gold pieces a pound? It beats me!" Can you solve the puzzle?

The answer:

• TIN
• Why?:
  • NOTE: the problem is actually set out incorrectly. Instead of "Silver and Copper together costs 90gps", it should have said "Silver and Lead together costs 90 gps".
  • If Lead costs 10gps and Copper and Lead together costs 80gps, then Copper must cost 70gps. If Silver and Lead together costs 90gps, then Silver costs 80gps. If Silver, Copper, Lead and Tin costs 200 gps and we know that Silver (80gps) + Copper (70gps) + Lead (10gps) = 160gps, then Tin must cost 40gps.
  • Using the published wording that "Silver and Copper together costs 90gps", would lead to Silver being valued at 20gps which would result in Tin costing 100gps and therefore none of the metals equalling 40gps.

4 - from Creature of Havoc

The puzzle laid out by Nicodemus (but set by Varag)

Oho, I’ve just remembered, that crafty old Hawkflight left me a message for you many years ago, when he came by after burying the hoard. Hang on just a moment and I’ll hunt it out.” The old man shuffled around the room searching for something, before suddenly crying "Here it is! I knew I hadn’t lost it. The first part says ‘My friend’, because I worked that bit out. Can you work out the rest and discover the name of the dwarf you seek? The message goes PMCQB TFDLT THEYR EBFRO TDIZQC” Can you solve the puzzle?

The answer:

• OIN
• Why?:
  • solve using a cypher.
  • Cypher set up by PMCQB TFD = MY FRIEND
  • We have PMCQB TFDLT THEYR EBFRO TDIZQC and using the key above we know this means "MYFRI END?E E???? ?IN?? ED??RF"
  • We need to then work out the question marks. We know the person we need to name is a dwarf, and this appears to be the final word so ZQ = WA. The word before that is therefore probably "THE" so R = T and O = H. We now have "MYFRI END?E E???T ?INTH EDWARF"
  • It is a case of working out what words fit between "My friend," and "the Dwarf" in a message telling us to find the named dwarf. One word must be the name which must come before "the dwarf". An instruction to find something is "seek out". This fits which makes E = O. So the name is OIN and the full message: MYFRI ENDSE EKOUT OINTH EDWARF ("My friend, seek out Oin the Dwarf")

5 - from Helmquest

The puzzle set by Oin:

If I am to tell you where the treasure is, you must answer one last riddle:

• It comes in all kinds of colours and hues,
• It’s found in fawns, but not greens or blues.
• In mountains you’ll find it, and close to the summit,
• It's soft and warm and everyone wants it.

• It’s part of regal and royal and princely and pure,
• If you’re like me, you’ll always want more!;
• It marks the difference between rich and poor-
• So tell me, human, what I’m hunting for!"

Do you know what the dwarf is hunting for? Can you solve the puzzle?

The answer:

• FUR
• Why?:comes in all colours; fawn is a colour shade as well as an animal with fur; as mountains get higher they get colder which is where fur is needed more; its soft and warm; it is associated with royalty; Oin is a trapper (evidenced by the snare trap) so always wants more fur and is hunting for it; fur was seen as an expensive item hence the difference between rich and poor.

The Fighting Fantasy Competition of the Century

Once you had the five words from the answer from each bookmark you were asked to take the letters of all of them, jumble them together and then arrange them into the name of the location of Varag Hawkflight's treasure. Then you could enter the FIGHTING FANTASY COMPETITION OF THE CENTURY.

Nicodemus, in bookmark 4, had told Jerik that the treasure was buried near a mountain in northern Allansia. Oin then told Jerik that the treasure was not far from where they were in the western Moonstone Hills. These two facts could help with arranging the letters:

MAP TOE TIN OIN FUR into FIRETOP MOUNTAIN