Chapter II : Hunger Games

Number of heroes : 3

Difficulty : 2

Hunger Games

This scenario is largely based on L'Enfant de Jhebbal Sag (by Nicolas Texier)

Having to unexpectedly flee the temple of Ibis with the Priestess in tow, and pursued by a horde of angry Stygians driven on by a powerful necromancer, Nuala, Brude and Ethelglyth had little other options than to run for the Kothian Desert.

Unfortunately this was the very route that Aetulla had planned to take, and he had prepared his return.  As the four companions drive deeper into the rocky desert they begin to suffer from hunger and thirst, whilst the Stygians head for one of their stockpiles.

Afar from atop a rocky outcrop, Brude watches them break out food and drink.  After conferring with Nuala and Ethelglyth, it is decided to attack the camp at night, carry off what might be, and destroy as much as possible of the rest.

Objectives
-  To win, the Heroes must take all the food and drink offboard by the end of Turn 8 and Icilia must not be removed from play

-  The Overlord must keep the food and drink onboard by the end of Turn 8; or remove Icilia from play


Game length
The game lasts 8 turns.  The Heroes play first.


Scenario Map
The game is played on a 8 x 7 hex surface.  Aetulla having set up his stockpile in a small farm that he emptied of its inhabitants, the playing surface includes a house, various outbuildings, and an orchard. The surrounding land consists of rocky desert and outcrops.


Heroes
In the campaign setting, the following heroes take part in this adventure, with any equipment they had or have acquired, and spells selected using the campaign game method.

Nuala
Brude
Ethelglyth
One Lioness Ally (unnamed, see Campaign Rules and use the Conan's Lion tile), with 4 wounds who can be commanded only by Nuala
Icilia as an Ally (use the Thalis tile), with 3 wounds, who can be commanded by any Hero.  Her "Fascination" trait works on the Overlord's tiles.

The Heroes set up together in any of the three hexes of the first row of the lower left-hand side of the board.

All the Heroes begin with 4 gems in the Fatigue Zone.

If any Heroes have been wounded during the campaign, the effects of this must now be taken into account.


The Overlord

The Overlord protects his camp with :

Aetulla with the following spells : Deceleration, Bad Luck, Changing Destiny
A Stygian Assassin
A Stygian Archer Captain (use the Balthus tile)
3 Red Stygian Infantry
3 Blue Stygian Infantry
3 Orange Stygian Archers

Aetulla sets up in the centre hex.  Otherwise only the Red, Blue and Orange groups are initially on-board, with two characters per hex maximum, all in the four uppermost hex rows.

The Overlord begins with 4 gems in the Available Energy Zone and 5 in the Fatigue Zone, and recovers 3 per turn.


Ravens

When an Event is played :

Sound the Alarm ! :  each figure of one chosen Overlord tile benefits from a free movement; the Overlord may spend additional gems to increase this movement

He sleeps lightly ! : the Overlord reveals token n° 1 or token n°2, and must also reveal one other token of his choice, which is then removed if it is a token n° 4 to n° 8.  The token n° 1 or n° 2 is replaced by the appropriate figure, and its tile placed at the end of the River.  This event may only be played once.

Deep shadows : the Overlord swaps two tokens of his choice, leaving them face down.  This event may only be played once.

Reinforcements : 4 pts of reinforcements




The River

1 : Red Stygian Infantry
2 : Orange Stygian Archers
3 : Aetulla (7 wounds)
4 : Raven
5 : Blue Stygian Infantry
6 : -
7 : -
8 : -


Reinforcement Zones
The central hex is the only reinforcement zone


Equipment Cards
Six treasure chests are placed at random.  They require a Complex Manipulation to open with 1 success required.

They contain an Elixir, Pictish Alcohol x 2, a Black Staff, an Axe and an Ecu.
An Elixir has no effect during the game, but if consumed during the post-game sequence, allows a recovery attempt even if one is not normally allowed.
Pictish Alcohol allows a Hero to transfer four gems from his Fatigue Zone to his Reserve Zone, but causes an immediate wound with no possible defense; the Pictish Alcohol is then discarded.


Terrain

If the game is played on 3D terrain, the House Rules for this apply.

A Hero may leave the playing area but may not return if he or she does so.

The walls of all buildings and outhouses are vulnerable to the Wall Breaker skill.




Other House Rules

If players are in agreement, any or all of the other House Rules may apply



SSRs

-  Alchemy

A character with the Alchemy skill who has Pictish alcohol in their possession, may administer it to themselves, or to another character with a Simple Manipulation, and instead of taking an immediate wound, transfer instead an additional gem from the target's Fatigue Zone to their Reserve Zone.

-  Softly softly

On the first turn, the Heroes may only use their free movement.  Allies can use their full movement.  Attacks are allowed.


-  The camp a-slumber

During the set-up, the Overlord secretly places the tokens numbered 1 to 8, four of them adjacent to the central hex, and the other four two hexes away from any one of the initial four tokens.  Each token must be in its own hex.

A token is revealed as soon as a Hero or an Ally enters into the hex.

The token n° 1 reveals the Stygian Assassin who is placed on the board, and added to the beginning of the river with 8 wounds.
The token n° 2 reveals the Stygian Archer Captain who is placed on the board, and added to the beginning of the river with 6 wounds [this being a lot for a mere Captain, it is to be imagined that he has a token bodyguard by his side]

The token n° 3 represents the food and drink that the Heroes must carry off.  When revealed, it is left face-up in the hex (or replaced by an appropriate element of terrain)

The other tokens (n°4 to n° 8) represent slumbering Stygians.  The token is initially replaced with a grey Stygian Infantryman, but no tile is added to the river.  Whilst "grey" the character may be attacked by the Heroes (and the Overlord can defend it).  If killed, it becomes a potential reinforcement.
At the end of the Heros' turn, any "grey" Stygian Infantry become Green Stygian Infantry, the appropriate tile is added (or moved, if already in play) to the beginning of the river, and the Overlord gains one gem which he places in his Available Energy Zone.


-  All you can eat and more !

The token n° 3 can be picked up by a Hero by a Complex Manipulation requiring 2 successes.  When picked up, it becomes two objects each with an encumbrance of 1.  They may be dropped but may not be thrown.
The Heroes win if both objects are carried off board from any of their three initial starting hexes.