This scenario is inspired by Le Village Abandonné, from the mini-campaign L'Abomination de la Rivière Noire by Nicolas Texier
After parting ways with Rudraige and then Gawayn, Chimène rides to northern Turan, to the town of Yaralet, to try to warn the future victim of the five brothers, and hence put an end to Hyperborean machinations.
In Yarelet, she hears of the exploits of a Turanian diplomat named Zoraya, who slew one of five brothers in the midst of a bear hunt. Certain that is no coincidence, the Warrior Nun of Mitra seeks her out.
Her information, drawn from the scroll deciphered in the Aifreweia, gives Zoraya the key to the conspirators' intentions, whilst for Chimène, their intentions become obvious. The demon of elder days that the Hyperborean Witchman will raise for them, is obviously intended to put one of the five - well, four now - brothers on a new throne carved out of northern Turan. As a Hyperborean puppet, he will be a threat to all of the North. The two women pledge to fight for their common cause; Brude stands with them, although Sathach thinks it wiser that she stays in Yaralet, to watch over the ship that will take Zoraya home.
In the meantime, the Hyperborean emissary who recovered the scroll from Rudraige's body, has been in contact with her Witchman master, through magical means. With the plot uncovered, time is running out. Although the ritual was intended to be held in Hyperborea, the Witchman decides, instead, to set out for Turan and carry it out there. That a Witchman sets foot outside of his homeland, demonstrates the great importance of this event.
He meets with his Emissary at a cursed site in Turan, where she hands over the scroll. She has already summoned the brothers, who she now marches eastwards to meet. The four surviving brothers leave Yaralet just hours ahead of Zoraya, Chimène and Brude, making haste towards their father's estate of Arkamir. Once there they overpower his guards, and take him prisoner.
It is at this moment, face to face with the consequences of his deadly pact, looking at his father abased by his own power-hungry kin, that one of the brothers decides to back out. Unfortunately he acts too rashly and is quickly overpowered. Whilst the last three emirs head west, their sibling is left under guard, to be dealt with later.
The Hyperborean Witchman, however, who is following all this through a scrying mirror, has no such clemency. He summons creatures of the shadow to kill the traitor, knowing that they will also devour those around him. It is at the very moment that a hideous giant spider is sinking its venom-soaked fangs into the unfortunate brother's neck, that the adventurers come in sight of Arkamir.
Objectives
- The Heroes win if at least one of them leaves the village by the end of turn 7. Carrying off as many clues as possible regarding the ritual to come will be of great help for the final showdown
- For the Overlord, victory comes from stopping the Heroes from achieving their goal
Game length
The scenario lasts 7 turns. The Heroes play first
Scenario Map
The playing surface is 6 x 6 hexes, gridded A to F (rows) and 1 to 6 (columns). It portrays the heart of a Turanian nobleman's estate, with houses, orchards or vineyards, and perhaps a small shrine.
Heroes
In the campaign setting, the following heroes take part in the adventure, with any equipment they had or have acquired, and spells selected using the campaign game method.
Zoraya (set up in A1)
Brude (set up in A1)
Chimène (set up in A1)
All begin with 5 Energy Gems in the Fatigue Zone. If any heroes are bearing wounds from previous adventures, the effect of this is now taken into account.
The Overlord
The Overlords forces are as follows :
5 Grey Turanian Cavalry (who use the Hyena tile) (set up in B2, B3, C2, C5, D4)
1 Giant Spider (set up in C3)
The Overlord begins with 5 Energy Gems in the Available Energy Zone and 5 in the Fatigue Zone. He or she recovers 5 each turn.
Ravens
When an Event is played, the Overlord can choose between the following. Each Event may be played only once :
Reinforcements : 5 Reinforcement Points
The Crawler in the Shadows : the Overlord places a Giant Snake on the tabletop in hex A1, with 8 wounds, and places its tile at the end of the River.
The Hound of Hell : the Overlord places a Dire Wolf on the tabletop in hex D6, with 4 wounds, and places its tile in position "3" of the River.
Barbarian incursion : taking profit from the weakening of their enemy, Turanian Bandits swoop down on the village. Place 8 of them in hex F3, four of one colour and four of another. Place one of the tiles in position "1" of the River, and the other in position "4". The Reinforcement event may bring Turanian Bandits back into play.
The River
1 : Grey Turanian Cavalry
2 : Giant Spider (6 wounds)
3 : Raven
4 : Empty
5 : Empty
6 : Empty
7 : Empty
8 : Empty
Reinforcement Zones
There is one reinforcement zone, in hex F1.
Equipment Cards
8 Treasure Chests are placed (in B4, C2, C3, C4, D2, D5, E3, E4). The Equipment deck is made up of cards A to E, representing clues about the riual, with an encumbrance value of 0; a Zingaran Breastplate, a Hyrkanian Sword, and the spell Rage of Bori.
Opening a treasure chest is a Complex Manipulation requiring once success.
The "Treasure Chest" in C4 represents the brother. Unless all the clues have already been uncovered, he communicates, with his dying breath, two clues drawn from the Equipment Deck.
The spell "Rage of Bori" may be cast only by the character that finds it, whether he or she is a magic user or not. It may only be cast during the scenario, beyond it the spell is lost.
Terrain
If the game is played on 3D terrain, the House Rules for this apply.
The Giant Spider may freely climb over any terrain, with no movement penalties. It may not, however, enter a building or a tent.
The Heroes may leave the board by any edge hex, but once they do, they may not return.
All doors are initially closed, and require 1 additional movement point to go through. Once opened, this no longer applies.
Other House Rules
If players are in agreement, any or all of the other House Rules may apply
SSRs
- Horsing about
A Turanian Cavalryman who moves into combat, gains two additional yellow combat dice for each full two hexes crossed, taking the shortest path to the target from his starting position. If using 3D terrain, only hexes moved through in a straight line, without crossing any obstacle higher than 3cm, count. A Turanian cavalryman cannot enter a house or a tent.
A Turanian Cavalryman may, when targetted by an attack, choose to dismount. He permanently becomes Turanian Infantry. If the first to do so, place a Turanian Infantry tile (of any colour) in any chosen space of the River. If a subsequent cavalryman does so, it is as if he was a reinforcement.
- We may be on the wrong side here...
As time goes by, it is increasingly obvious to the Turanian soldiers, that the summoned creatures will kill them too. Asking for Zoraya's protection, as an emissary of the Turanian court, will seem like an increasingly wise idea...
A Hero in the same hex as a Turanian (cavalry or infantry) may try to persuade him to change sides. This is a Complex Manipulation, requiring as many successes as half the current turn (rounded up). The attempt suffers from hindrance as would any other complex manipulation.
If the attempt works, a Turanian cavalryman will automatically dismount (see SSR "Horsing about"). The Turanian becomes an ally, who can be commanded by any Hero. Such an ally may leave the playig surface as a Hero would. He is no longer available as a reinforcement for the Overlord.
If a Turanian ally is killed during the scenario, roll one yellow die for him at the end of the game. If no hit is showing, the ally was only stunned, and may take part in the next scenario.
Indeed, these Turanian allies, if they survive, will stay with the Heroes through to the end of the campaign, so use them wisely !
- So that is what it is all about...
The more clues the Heroes acquire, the better they will be able to understand how to stop the ritual. Beyond that, however, all Heroes, except those who finished the scenario with all their energy gems in the Wound Zone, gain +1 XP if all five clues were found.
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