Chapter III : Set a trap to catch a rat

Number of heroes : 3

Difficulty :2

Set a trap to catch a rat

Based on "L'Ombre Rampante" (by Pascal Bernard)

Nuala learns more and more about the Kothian Desert from the animals that people it, slowly transforming a hostile environment for her companions into a more forgiving one.  Above all, she learns of a city in its midst, named Ula Aethel.  Until a generation ago it was a thriving place, until the crazed ambitions of a wizard bore forth, from its entrails, an evil entity from before the Cataclysm.  Before meeting a most terrible fate, the sorceror sealed off the city from the outside world, sealing its fate, for the serpent Stthag hunts for human flesh.  Driven into the arms of the black lotus by their despair, the inhabitants of the lost city have slowly plunged into torpor.  Now and then, they brutally awaken from it, to be beset by madness.

With the desert as their eyes, the company entice Stygian scouts to the outskirts of Ula Aethel, before disappearing into the city.  The news quickly reaches Aetulla, who arrives before the ancient and abandoned place two days later.  He is met at the city gate by a most seductive woman who goes by the name of Thalis.  The necromancer is assured that Nuala and her fellows have not come out, and taken into the city by the outstanding beauty, the charmed and over-confident necromancer leads his men into a deadly peril.

Nuala has, however, greatly underestimated the danger.  The presence of strange blood whips Stthag up into a frenzy, whilst the twisted souls of the Stygians, far more potent than the dulled inhabitants of Ula Aethel, might actually provide enough energy to set the demon free, which would be the start of a vortex of destruction among the surrounding lands.  Realising this belatedly, she cries to a startled Brude to join in the fight.


In this scenario, Aetulla and the Stygians are the "heros", fighting against the Overlord, the dark threat in the entrails of Ula Aethel.  They are however joined by one of the true "Heroes" of the campaign, who should be run by one of their normal players.


Objectives
-  Aetulla wins if Stthag is killed, or stopped from absorbing the energy she needs before dawn (turn 9)

-  The Overlord wins if Stthag absorbs 15 energy or more before the end of turn 9


Game length
The game lasts 9 turns.  Aetulla plays first.

Scenario Map
The game is played on a 8 x 7 hex surface.  It portrays a decaying city.
For set-up purposes, A is the leftmost hex column, and 1 the topmost hex row.


Heroes
Aetulla, played using the Pelias Hero Card with the following spells : Morsure de Set, Bad Luck, Lightning Storm, and equipped with a Staff of Mitra.  He sets up in A1

A Stygian Assassin, played using the Savage Bêlit Hero Card and equipped with Pirate Saber and Pirate Saber.  He sets up in G3.

Brude, who can begin the game with any equipment possessed by his party, hastily pressed on him for this most unusual mission.  He sets up in G8.


Aetulla and Brude begin with 0 gems in the Fatigue Zone, the Stygian Assassin with 4 gems.

To represent the obvious lack of cooperation between the Aetulla - Stygian faction and Brude, each faction plays in turn, it is not possible to alternate between them.  The controlling player decides, however, which faction opens play.



The Overlord

The Overlord has :
Stthag (use the Thog tile) (set-up in D4)
Thalis (G8)
1 Kothian Captain (use the Captain Tile) (E7)
5 Orange Kothian Infantry (2 in C3; 2 in F2; 1 in E7)
7 Grey Kothian Infantry (Bossonian Guard) (5 in A7; 2 in E5)
5 Purple Kothian Archers (3 in D1; 2 in D7)

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

At the beginning of the game, the "Devoured Energy" marker is placed on 0.


Ravens
When an Event is played :

Shadow of the Serpent : the Heros lose their base movement on their following turn

The River

1 : Thalis (5 wounds)
2 : Orange Kothian Infantry
3 : Stthag (10 wounds)
4 : Purple Kothian Archers
5 : Raven
6 : Kothian Captain (1 wound)
7 : Stthag
8 : Grey Kothian Infantry


Reinforcement Zones
There are no reinforcement zones


Equipment Cards
There are eight treasure chests (two in A7, two in G8, one in D1, one in F2, one in D4 and one in E4). The equipment cards are made up of two Xuthal Crowns, two healing potions, two explosive orbs, one coat of chainmail and one crossbow.



Terrain

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

A Hero may not leave the board until the end of the 9th turn.

All doors must be opened by the Heroes with a Complex Manipulation requiring two successes.  The door can also be attacked in combat, and is destroyed once it has taken five hits.  Thalis, the Kothian soldiers and the Kothian Captain can move freely through doors, but closing and locking a door behind them requires one movement point.

Only doors and interior walls 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

-  Black Lotus

Black Lotus plunges those who take it into a comatose state, interspersed with periods of terror and paranoia that are akin to an awakened nightmare.  The Kothian Infantry and Archers, and the Captain, are under its spell.  Their figures are laid down, cannot be attacked in this state by the Heroes, but do not cause hindrance.  As soon as the Overlord activates the matching tile, he may stand up any or all of the figures. Once stood up, a figure may not be laid back down again.

-  Xuthal Crowns

These two magical artefacts help maintain Stthag in Ula Aethel.  The first time each crown is discovered, the turn counter immediaely moves one space forward.

-  Stthag

Once each time she activates, before any movement, the serpent can freely devour any other Overlord-controlled figure in her zone (Kothian soldiers, Kothian Captain or Thalis).  When she does so, she absorbs 1 point of energy.

Stthag also absorbs 1 point of energy for each wound she causes to a Hero (not an Ally).

The "Devoured Energy" marker keeps track of these gains.

Stthag is immune to all spells.


-  Stygian Scepter

Thalis, a corrupted priestess of Ula Aethel allied to Stthag's cause, and gradually transformed by the creature's magic into a being from before the Cataclysm, has a Stygian Scepter, who bonus she uses when she attacks.  Each time a Hero is wounded with this weapon, he screams in pain.  This galvanises Stthag, who gains 1 movement point that the Overlord must spend immediately.


-  XP gain

Only Brude can gain XP from this mission, and keep any objects.
If Brude slays Stthag, it is worth 3 XP to him.