Midnight Masks

[Tabs]

In the wake of the disaster at your home, Lita Chantler, the red-haired woman from your parlor, lays out a tale that - even in light of what you have just witnessed - strains the limits of your belief. "The creatures in your home," she claims, "are called ghouls - cruel beings who plague the crypts, caverns, and tunnels beneath the city of Arkham..."

"These creatures feed on the corpses of humans, and they are served by a dark cult within Arkham whose members have inexplicably come to worship the ancient master of the ghouls. This cult has been killing innocent people and feeding them to the ghouls, satiating a monstrous hunger. A dark balance was maintained. Until now. Recently," Lita continues, "one of their lairs, where the corpses were stored, was destroyed. Since then, the ghouls have been more active than usual. I have tracked their movements and tried my best to stop them from running amok throughout the city. But I think there is something worse going on. The cult has been planning something darker, and more ominous, than anything I have yet observed. Indications are that this plan shall come to fruition tonight, shortly after midnight. Beyond that, I cannot fathom what to expect."

"Many of the cultists," Lita continues, "will seem like everyday people, despite their foul intentions. Whenever the cult meets, its members don masks shaped like the skulls of various animals to protect their identities from one another. These masks are our mark. Symbols of death and decay. We must unmask the cultists to expose and derail their plans. We have but a few hours. The more cultists we find before midnight, the better."

OOC:   I'll post our starting hand tomorrow.

[Tabs]

OOC:   What do you think? Take a mulligan if you wish.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,No mulligan for me, I love my starting hand! Getting the Old Book of Lore at the outset is great, and Scrying in conjunction with Drawn to the Flame is awesome! The other cards are nice too.

[Tabs]

1 doom [Acolyte at Southside]

[Investigators]

[Tabs]

Skids's house burned. "I only had the one picture of my mother--in a frame, on my desk." He leant against the warehouse wall, watching the water ripple and bubble. "I guess it's gone by now." He said to Daisy: "Let's clean up this place," and pulled a .41 Derringer out of his jacket pocket.

OOC:   I propose that Skids plays .41 Derringer, moves to Southside, and fights the cultist.

[Mr. Handy]

Turn 1 Investigation Phase

"Right," says Daisy with a determined nod. "If we split up, we can cover more ground in less time. I'll start by looking for information in this neighborhood."

OOC,Sounds good. I think I should play the Old Book of Lore, use it (for free), and investigate twice to try to find both clues, which I will as long as I don't roll tentacles. It may be best if I go first. That way you can be the one who draws three cards and chooses one this turn, and if for some reason I miss a clue here, you could have a crack at it before moving. I was going to say that a location is missing, but when I looked at arkhamdb I saw that one of them was Your House, which is now gone.

[Tabs]

OOC:   Okay. Old Book of Lore may prove very useful.

[Mr. Handy]

Turn 1 Investigation Phase

Daisy looks through an old book she managed to salvage from the house before it burned down and finds some useful bits of information that she shares with Skids. Then she scours the neighborhood for clues as to where the members of the cult might be found.

OOC,We're going to need the Easy/Standard side of the scenario card. Action 1: Play Old Book of Lore. 3 resources spent. Action (Free): Activate Old Book of Lore. [b]Skids[/b] searches the top 3 cards of his deck, draws one, and shuffles the others back into his deck. Action 2: Investigate: Intellect 5 vs. Shroud 1: [dice]0[/dice] Success! 1 Clue gained. Action 3: Investigate: Intellect 5 vs. Shroud 1: [dice]1[/dice] Success! 1 Clue gained. Elder Sign effect causes me to draw 3 cards. Wow, we're off to an excellent start! :D .

[Tabs]

OOC:   Midnight Masks scenario card is now up.

Skids draw,[img]https://arkhamdb.com/bundles/cards/01048.png[/img]

OOC:   Superb!

[Tabs]

Turn 1 Investigation Phase

Action 1: play .41 Derringer; spend 3 resources.

Action 2: move to Southside.



Action 3: Fight [.41 Derringer] the cultist.



Spend 1 ammo. Strength 3 +2[.41 Derringer] Chaos token [dice]0[/dice] [skull -1] vs. 3

Acolyte added to our victory display [1].

"Much appreciated, Miss Walker," said Skids.

He whistled as he walked over to Southside. The inviting aroma of hotpot drew Skids into Ma's Boarding House, a regular haunt of his, where he was soon sat at table, armed with his racing spoon before a steaming dish of stew.

"What's the meat, Ma?" he asked the elderly proprietress. "Smells," he inhaled appreciatively, "mighty good!"

"Hell man! What the fuck you talking' about?" spat out a guest, who had been glaring at Skids ever since he entered Ma's' dining room. "It's dog, can't you see the snout?" Skids looked into the dish... there was something odd about the stew... "Now calm--" he started saying.

The absurd man pulled a mortified-looking Ma downward and plunged her face into the scolding stew.

"Bastard!" cried Skids, and shot the cultist between the eyes.

[Tabs]

Turn 1 Upkeep Phase

Skids: and gain 1 resource.

Daisy: and gain 1 resource.

[Tabs]

Turn 2 Mythos Phase

Place 1 doom on the agenda [1/6].

Skids:

OOC:   Skids has Unexpected Courage [+2], but discarding his .41 Derringer wouldn't be a huge loss...

Revelation: Willpower 2 Chaos token [dice]0[/dice] [0] vs. 4

Discard .41 Derringer.

Daisy:

Attached to Southside.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,That locked door isn't as much of an obstacle as it seems. If I go first, I can move to Southside, use the Old Book of Lore for free so that you can draw another card (you'll need a new weapon, and my hand is full already), play the Disc of Itzamna, and then use Drawn to the Flame to grab the two clues in Southside (which does not count as an Investigate action). If the encounter card I draw is a monster you can't handle, I can use the disc to get rid of it. Then on your turn, you can spend the 4 clues to draw a Cultist.

[Tabs]

OOC:   I like it when you plan the move. Yes, sounds good. I've played this scenario solo, twice before, but didn't advance the act or agenda. Seems promising so far...

[Mr. Handy]

Turn 2 Investigation Phase

Having discovered an important lead, Daisy slips on the strange amulet Lita had given her and hurries after Skids to fill him in on what she's learned and check out an address there that may have significance. While the door proves to be locked, she discovers an open window. Throwing caution to the wind, she climbs inside.

OOC,Action 1: Play Disc of Itzamna. 3 resources spent. Action 2: Move to Southside Action (Free): Activate Old Book of Lore. [b]Skids[/b] searches the top 3 cards of his deck, draws one, and shuffles the others back into his deck. Action 3: Play Drawn to the Flame. Encounter card drawn.

[Tabs]

Play Drawn to the Flame...

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,Nuts, I was hoping for a second Locked Door that would go to Rivertown and do nothing. I'd rather not lose either of my Assets, but that's highly likely to happen if no cards are committed. Do you think it's worth it to use Unexpected Courage, and I could us Fearless? Then my odds would be pretty good.

[Tabs]

OOC:   Yes. Disc and Old Book are worth hanging on to.

[Mr. Handy]

Turn 2 Investigation Phase

Daisy finds that the interior of the house is bitterly cold, and she shivers as her teeth chatter. She is tempted to light a fire in the empty hearth, but the only flammable thing she has is her book, and she cannot give that up, so she toughs it out. Eventually her search uncovers the name and address of a member of the cult, and she goes back outside to tell Skids.

OOC,Will test (3 + 2[Unexpected Courage] + 1[Fearless] = 6 vs. 4): [dice]0[/dice] Success! No effect from Crypt Chill. [b]Skids[/b] draws a card. 2 clues discovered from Southside.

[Tabs]

"Ruth Turner," read Skids, "a mortician at St. Mary's Hospital." He noticed how cold Daisy was, and gallantly hung his jacket over her shoulders. "Good work," he tapped the address book which Daisy had found. "It's a big place--this Ruth Turner may be tricky to find."

OOC:   Gain a resource, move to St Mary's, and evade Ruth Turner--if I add Pickpocketing to the test, that's 5 vs. 5, any negative modifier and Skids will play Sure Gamble?