Expanded Story Quests

No Rest For The Weary ..............................................................................................1

The Stone of Life..........................................................................................................5
The Mad King.............................................................................................................10
Common People .........................................................................................................14
The Infernal Machine...............................................................................................19
The Story Quests published by MCG so far are skeletal structures that leave many ambiguities in set-
up and resolution. This booklet expands on those Story Quests, suggesting rules and layouts for each
tile.
Suggested Lairs, Hunting Packs and Traps should (of course) be ignored by players wanting to develop
their own adventure-experience. Some of the following Traps are referenced in my Enhanced Traps
Booklet and some of the Quests are found in my Freeplay Quests but the standard Traps and Quests
or those of your own choosing can be substituted.

No Rest For The Weary

Official Text: There have been rumours of
Crawler swarms in the area, but after days of
searching you can find no sign. No tracks or trails
mark their passing. It seems like unfounded fear
has brought you to this place. Having slept in the
weather for a week, you decide to call it done and
seek out the warmth of the tavern you passed as
you entered these woods.
Introduction: An unusual Story that starts
with the Heroes captured and stripped of
their Gear in the middle of a Crawler hive.
They have to fight their way clear, survive a
major Slaughterfield-style assault and then
attack the Inn where the Darkness abides. All
the time, they labour under penalties for
exhaustion that add to APs (making Darkness
especially active) and restrict their Movement.
This is a tough course that is not suited to
starting Heroes. However, the Title gained at
the end is worth the trouble.
Act 1: The Silent Minstrel
Official Text: Ambling up to the Silent Minstrel
for the night, you are keen to get a nice bit of
food, a tasty libation or two, and the warmth of a
friendly hearth. The innkeeper, a rather jovial
fellow, serves you himself. It has just started to
occur to you how empty the tavern is when your
vision blurs. You attempt to rise and stumble to
the floor. The innkeeper’s raucous laughter turns
alarmingly loud as darkness sweeps over you.
You wake to find yourself in a pile of people.
Tile 1 (6x6, Cellar)
Setup: Heroes start with no gear. Each player
chooses 1 Brown Item from their normal
Starting Gear and draws 1 (unseen) Green
Item from the Green Deck. Shuffle these
together and split into two piles, face down.
Quest/Trap: Place two Grave Markers on
the tile, one for each pile of face-down Item
Cards. A Hero adjacent to the Grave Marker
can spend 1MP as a non-combat action to
look through the corresponding stack of cards
a move one to his or her Inventory. Any
uncollected Items are turned face up and
claimed by Heroes as soon as the tile is
cleared.
Lair: Optional; Arachnid if selected
Hunting Pack: 1-2; Crawlers placed
surrounding one or both of the Grave
Markers
Treasure: 6 gold
Merchant: None, but Heroes can use earned
gold to “buy” any Green Items, representing
further loot discovered among the bodies, and
up to 3 Anti-venom Potions for 2 gold each.
Commentary: Heroes like the Archer and
Trickster are severely weakened without their
Starting Gear. The Archer may choose his
Stick & Twine to be among the grave goods
and make do without an Arrow Bag, keeping
only 1 Arrow ready at a time; the Trickster
 Expanded Story Quests
may choose either the Tool Bag or Jagged
Stone to be among the grave goods. At the
end of the first tile, if the other players agree,
they may buy the Quiver, Spanner or Tool Kit
from the Green Item Deck.
Groups without the Archer or Trickster can
do quite well from this tile, ending up with
their most important Starting Gear and
acquiring powerful Green Items into the
bargain.
Placing a Lair in this tile, which the Heroes
may be unable to damage in the first few HCs,
creates much more danger. A single Hunting
Pack, especially a small one, makes for an easy
tile that lets the Heroes equip themselves for
what lies ahead.
Tile 2 (12x12, Underground River)
Quest: None specified. Players may draw
from the Quest Deck or roll on the Arachnid
Quests table:
FD Arachnid Quest
Gunpowder Plot
Prisoners of the Spider
Ritual Mass Suicide
Pest Control
Desperate Pursuit
Rescue Mission
Alternatively, I recommend Ritual Mass Suicide
as fitting the innkeeper’s membership of the
Spider Cult and the later discovery of his
corpse. In this case, move the Heroes to the
centre of the tile and place 4 Grave Markers.
Treat the tile as a Slaughterfield that runs until
all the bodies have been burned. Alternatively,
Desperate Pursuit fits the theme of helplessness
and fatigue; place 4 Runes on the board to
mark out the “route” of the chase. In neither
Quest are Lairs or further Hunting Packs
needed.
Lair: 1 Arachnid (unless using Quests above);
optionally 1 other
Hunting Pack: 0-2; Crawlers if selected
Commentary: You can play this as a simple
12x12 with a single Lair, which is no great
challenge. Adding a second Lair and Hunting
Packs ramps up the difficulty. Wise players will
use the bridges as bottlenecks but Ranged
Crawlers can spit venom right across the
river.
If you use the Ritual Mass Suicide, Heroes can
gather more Treasures through the
Slaughterfield mode treasure popping
mechanic. Desperate Pursuit forces the Heroes
to crisscross the tile while Arachnids enter,
2
Slaughterfield-style, from one edge. In both
cases, the waves can be stopped if four Grave
Markers are burned or 4 Runes are collected.
Tile 3 (6x12, Crypt + Gateway)
Quest + Trap: A Trap can be rolled using
the normal rules or on the table here and set
up inside the Crypt.
FD Trap
Chain Lightning
Choking Cloud
Whirlwind of Steel
Poison Darts
Dragon’s Breath
Poltergeist
A Quest can be drawn from the Quest Deck
or rolled from the Arachnid Quests below.
FD Arachnid Quest
Scent of the Mother
The Spider Cult
Signs of Infection
A Foul Harvest
The Hatchery
Don’t Let It Get Away
I recommend Choking Cloud filling the Crypt
area, which rewards Heroes who can escape
from the Crypt into the open air. The Hatchery
fits the theme of an Arachnid Hive and the egg
sacs could be placed anywhere throughout the
two tiles. If there are egg sacks inside the
Choking Cloud, Heroes will have to hold their
breath long enough to destroy them.
Lair: One Arachnid Lair
Hunting Pack: 1 Crawler Hunting Pack
Treasure: Gold Hoard
Merchant: Draw a random Merchant Card
Commentary: If you don’t use my
suggestions, it still makes sense to place the
Trap in the Crypt and the Lair outside. If
there is also a Hunting Pack in the Crypt, the
Heroes may struggle to fight through to get to
the Lair before it has Spawned again –
remember that the Gateway tile imposes a
bottleneck which can make it difficult for
monsters to enter, but hard for Heroes to
leave. If Heroes are blocked inside the Crypt,
the Choking Cloud will start to take its toll on
them (monsters are immune to it).
With the Lair outside, this is a surprisingly
difficult tile and the Heroes deserve their
Hoard and the appearance of a Merchant
alongside two treasure draws. If you want to
make this tile easier, place the Lair inside the
Crypt and the trap outside, guarded by a
different sort of Hunting Pack (eg Grubbers).
 Expanded Story Quests
Official Resolution Text: The cool wind of
the woods falls upon your face. You have rarely
been so glad to be in a cemetery. You recall the
unkindness of the Silent Minstrel and decide that
a second visit is in order, this time with a torch
and kindle.
Reward: Remove 4 White Treasure tokens,
draw 2 Random Treasure tokens
Act 2: You’re Gonna Die
Here, You Know
Official Text: It seems the Silent Minstrel will
have to wait, the Darkness isn’t done with you.
The brief respite upon leaving the Crawler hive is
shattered as you take your first steps into the
cemetery. What begins as a small chatter rises to
a grating chorus, the crying of a hundred foul
things rises up around you. As you compel your
battle-weary body to defend itself, you look on the
bright side: at least they won’t have to move the
body far to bury it.
Tile 1 (12x12, Cemetery,
Slaughterfield)
Setup: Heroes begin in the centre of the tile.
Quest: All Action Cards add +1 AP to the
Darkness Meter because the Heroes haven’t
had the chance to rest. Play 5 waves of
Slaughterfield. When the 5th wave is cleared, a
Mini-Boss appears.
Wave Monsters
1 12 Crawlers (3 per side)
2 16 Crawlers (4 per side)
3 2 Stalkers (1 per side)
& 2 other Captains (1 per side)
4 6 Crawlers (3 per side)
& 6 other Minions (3 per side)
5 8 Crawlers (4 per side)
& 8 other Minions (4 per side)
6 Mini-Boss
It’s a shame that Myth does not feature an
Arachnid Mini-Boss. If you want to include
one here, use the Stage 1 Terror With 1000
Legs as a Mini-Boss (it is destroyed rather
than mutating into Stage 2).
Lair: None
Hunting Pack: None
Commentary: The AP penalty for playing
Action Cards makes this Slaughterfield
tougher than usual. The arrival of a Mini-Boss
at the end can be overwhelming.
Nevertheless, the enhanced treasure pops
from a Slaughterfield board should ensure the
Heroes are well equipped by the end of it and,
3
if they survive the Mini-Boss, they get 2 more
treasure draws.
Official Resolution Text: Never before have
you been this tired. Your legs refuse to move and
your hands barely grasp weapons soaked in blood.
You think perhaps you’ll rest in the Silent Minstrel
before you burn it down, after dealing with the
owner of course.
Reward: Remove 2 White Treasure tokens,
add 1 Blue Treasure token, draw 2 Random
Treasure tokens
Act 3: The Black Tide
Official Text: The friscalating [sic] dusk-light
makes the woods appear even more sinister than
you remember. You see monsters everywhere. The
uneven ground makes it almost impossible to find
sure footing.
Everything in your being yearns for you to rest, but
march on you must.
Setup: All Action Cards add +1 AP to the
Darkness Meter because the Heroes haven’t
had a chance to rest. Heroes cannot use Move
Cards at all during this Act. (Cards which do
not count as Moves, like the Archer’s Tumble
or the Trickster’s Launchy Pad, can still be
used).
Tile 1 (4x6, Forest Trail)
Trap: Roll a Trap for this tile. Use the normal
Trap table or this one.
FD Trap
Avatar of Winter
Darkness Falls
Floor Spikes
Rolling Boulder
Avatar of Plague
Enraged Beast
The Enraged Beast works well with or without
a Hunting Pack and, if the thorn is removed
from its paw, the Beast becomes an Ally the
Heroes may call on later in this Act.
Hunting Pack: Optional; any monsters can
be selected here
Commentary: Given the AP penalty the
Heroes already labour under, Darkness Falls is
an unwelcome Trap; the inability to use
Movement Cards also creates problems for
Rolling Boulder which could be lethal. The two
Evil Avatars make modest challenges at this
stage and Floor Spikes is a good tactical Trap if
there is a Hunting Pack on this tile too.
 Expanded Story Quests
Tile 2 (12x12, Mountain)
Quest: None specified. Players may draw
from the Quest Deck or roll on the Mixed
Quests table:
FD Mixed Quest
Gunpowder Plot
The Sacrifice
Ritual Mass Suicide
The Dawn Raid
Desperate Pursuit
Take the Battle To Them
As with the 12x12 tile in Act 1, I recommend
Desperate Pursuit because it fits the theme of
helplessness and fatigue; place 4 Runes on the
board to mark out the “route” of the chase.
Alternatively, Ritual Mass Suicide fits the
innkeeper’s membership of the Spider Cult
and the later discovery of his corpse. In this
case, move the Heroes to the centre of the
tile and place 4 Grave Markers. Treat the tile
as a Slaughterfield that runs until all the bodies
have been burned. In neither Quest are Lairs
or further Hunting Packs needed.
Lair: 1-2; any monsters (unless using the
Quests above)
Hunting Pack: 0-2; any monsters (unless
using the Quests above)
Commentary: You can play this as a simple
12x12 with a single Lair, which is normally no
challenge but becomes more difficult with the
penalties the Heroes are suffering. Then again,
they are well-equipped by now so adding a
second Lair and Hunting Packs greats a more
stressful challenge. This open tile has no
tactical features the Heroes can take
advantage of.
If you use Desperate Pursuit, the Heroes must
crisscross the tile while monsters enter,
Slaughterfield-style, from one edge. In Ritual
Mass Suicide, Heroes can gather more
Treasures through the Slaughterfield mode
treasure popping mechanic. In both cases, the
waves can be stopped if four Grave Markers
are burned or 4 Runes are collected.
However, you might be weary of
Slaughterfield after Act 2.
Tile 3 (4x12, Forest Stream +
Forest Stream)
Setup: Place the two 4x6 tiles at right angles;
this still counts as a single 4x12 tile.
Trap: Roll a Trap for this tile. Use the normal
Trap table or this one. Remember to add 2
bonus Serendipity for disarming or escaping it.
4
FD Trap
Stormbringer
Devouring Earth
Floor Spikes
Rolling Boulder
Hornets Nest
Enraged Beast
The Devouring Earth works well with a Hunting
Pack and, over a double-length tile, all 4
quicksand patches are likely to be revealed.
Stormbringer makes it hard to advance against
a Hunting Pack or use Ranged Attacks. Rolling
Boulder can be fatal on a double-length tile like
this – especially when Heroes cannot use
Movement Cards. If Hornets Nest is used, place
2 nests, one on each tile.
Hunting Pack: Optional; any monsters
Commentary: Not much to say. If you use
the standard traps, then Crushing Walls can
work here (although it’s hard to rationalise)
and Darkness Falls can make the last tile
difficult for weary Heroes.
Tile 4 (6x6, Inn)
Setup: Place an Underground Entrance
(Hole) and a Torch in the two near corners.
Place a Pile Of Wood diagonally opposite
the Torch.
Quest/Trap: At the end of every HC (during
the Quest Phase), 4 Crawlers (2 Melee, 2
Ranged) emerge from the Hole.
Any Hero occupying the same space as the
Torch or the Wood can pick it up by spending
1 MP as a non-combat action. If a Hero carries
both, or two Heroes each carrying one of
these Objects are adjacent, a fire can be lit
during the Quest Phase of any HC. Place a
Fire on the tile adjacent to the Hero(es). The
Fire does 1 damage to anything that occupies
the same squares. On the following HC,
during the Quest Phase, the fire fills the whole
tile, damaging all occupants and closing the
Hole; on the Quest Phase after that, the Inn is
destroyed, killing everything inside. Once the
Fire is in play, Heroes can leave the tile (and
the game) by moving off the edge by which
they entered.
Optionally, place a Grave Marker on the tile
to represent the dead innkeeper. His body
adds +1 AP each HC and, during the Darkness
Phase, turns into a temporary Lair if the
Darkness Symbol is rolled on FD. A Hero
carrying the Torch can burn his remains by
spending 1 MP as a non-combat action,
 Expanded Story Quests
removing his token from the board. The Fire
will also do this.
A second option is to use fire spells to light
the Wood and/or burn the innkeeper’s body.
A spell used this way has no other effect and
the caster must roll their Fate Symbol using
their non-combat dice pool otherwise the
flames do not catch. A Trickster can create a
fire without the Torch, using the Wood and
Bang Powder as a TN 4 non-combat action;
the Bang Powder is lost if the attempt fails.
Glacier’s Grip may be used to create a space
immune to the damaging effect of the Fire for
1 HC, after which the spell must be discarded.
Lair: 1 Arachnid Lair in far corner
Hunting Pack: Optional; instead of a
Hunting Pack, set the Darkness Meter to 3 at
the start of the encounter
Treasure: 6 gold
Merchant: A random Merchant appears once
the inn is destroyed
Official Resolution Text: The fire takes a bit
of coaxing, but soon its tongues reach out and lick
wall and furniture alike.
Long past when you should have left, you stare at
the fire. On this day, you learned two things: it is
comforting to know that quitting never crossed
your mind; the second is not as comforting
The Stone of Life
Official Text: On the edge of the frontier, the
call has gone out. Terror has returned. An ancient
prison has been opened. People are dying. A great
darkness has begun to stalk the night. The
homesteaders of River Falls need Heroes.
Introduction: This is a complex Story with a
memorable opening. The Heroes help the
community of River Falls and save a thief from
a Crawler attack, only to learn that the
community is a Spider Cult who have
sacrificed themselves to free the demonic
Mother. The adventure introduces the
recurring character of Emberweave, the Mini-
Boss Yardu and a chance to tangle with the
Terror With 1000 Legs itself, with a nearby
lever that can end the fight early if the Heroes
are lucky. The actual plot is baffling but I’m
assuming that the Life Stone is in either
Emberweave’s or Yardu’s possession and,
5
because you don’t know if it was willpower or the
desire for revenge that carried you forward.
You are glad the innkeeper was dead when you
arrived, for you are unsure how you would have
responded if he were living. Perhaps you aren’t a
Hero after all.
Reward: Heroes recover the Gear they lost
at the start of the Story.
Either manipulate decks by 1 Card or acquire
the Title Harbringer which prevents monsters
from attacking the bearer if they fail a
Courage Test.
Commentary: This is a tough Quest. If
Heroes survive the first Act, they will usually
pick up Items that are as good as or better
than their Starting Gear, but the AP penalties
mean the Darkness will act much more often
and the Movement restrictions in the final Act
weigh heavily on mobile characters as well as
making some Traps much more deadly. The
final tile is a cramped fight with monsters
pouring in from two sources: wise Heroes will
focus on lighting the fire rather than defeating
the monsters.
Starting players might prefer to avoid this
Quest in favour of The Mad King or
Common People instead. The restrictions
on AP and Movement and the loss of normal
Gear are challenges more experienced players
will appreciate.
once it is acquired, the Heroes can use it to
seal away the Mother for another 1000 years.
Act 1: The Jewel in the Water
Official Text: Ill-fated fortune has brought you
to River Falls. Drawn faces greet you, gaunt and
starving. Dire words follow. The lay-leader,
Warren, weaves a tale of hardship and woe born
from the theft of a sacred jewel, surreptitiously
stolen in the night from the cave behind the now-
dried-up waterfall. For generations, none have
[sic] dared enter the cave, as it had been
prophesised that the jewel and prosperity were
interwoven. To steal the jewel would bring disaster
to the people. Someone or something did and now
doom has found them. The thief was captured but
the jewel was not on his person. As you begin to
ask Warren more, the clicking of the Crawlers
seems to surround you. The ground groans and
lurches and just as suddenly a sinkhole opens
 Expanded Story Quests
under the structure near you, swallowing it
completely, spitting out Crawlers that surge across
the courtyard towards the castle and… the thief.
Tile 1 (12x12, Courtyard)
Setup: Heroes start at one end of the tile
and must exit through the opposite end (the
steps).
Quest: None specified and the urgency of
rescuing the thief before the Crawlers get to
him suggests no additional Quest is needed on
this tile.
Optionally, the Heroes must complete the Act
and rescue the thief before the Darkness
Deck (10 Cards) runs out.
Lair: 1-2, Arachnid only. Since the point is to
exit the tile as quickly as possible, 2 Lairs may
encourage the players to flee rather than
trying to clear the tile.
Hunting Pack: 0-2, Arachnid only. If you
have enough miniatures, the 2 Crawler
Hunting Packs would also encourage Heroes
to flee the tile rather than standing and
fighting.
Commentary: The text suggests the Heroes
should be in a hurry, so either load the tile
with monsters or using the timing device or
both. Remember that if the Heroes leave a tile
before it is cleared, Threat and the Darkness
Meter are not re-set; any Lairs left behind
continue to Spawn and monsters on the
abandoned tile will pursue the Heroes (and
Crawlers move fast).
Tile 2 (4x6, Corridor)
Trap: Roll on the standard table or on this
one drawn from my expanded traps:
FD Trap
Portcullis
Darkness Falls
Temporal Loop
Doppelganger
Falling Ceiling
Crushing Wall
I recommend Falling Ceiling and Crushing Wall
(which requires adding in an extra tile)
because, if the Heroes get through them, they
could make it impossible for Crawlers from
the previous tile to pursue any further.
Alternatively, I recommend Doppelganger as
fitting the Story’s theme where people are not
as they seem and the Darkness can take many
forms. Heroes need to expose the
Doppelganger before moving on otherwise
they always attract Threat Penalties.
6
Hunting Pack: 0-1; any monster type
Commentary: I’m assuming that the castle is
a big old ruin which the folk of River Falls use
as their gaol but don’t go into the rest of the
time – that explains why there may be traps
and monsters here beside the Crawlers.
The Portcullis Trap is aggravating if the Heroes
are being pursued but it may be a blessing
once the Crawlers are all on the wrong side
of it. Temporal Loop can make things very
difficult indeed, adding new Hunting Packs
while allowing pursuing Crawlers to enter the
tile.
Tile 3 (12x12, Grand Chamber)
Quest: No Quest is specified for this tile nor
may one be needed if the Crawlers are still
giving chase.
Optionally, put a Underground Entrance
(Hole) on the tile to represent another
sinkhole. 3 Crawlers (2 Melee, 1 Ranged)
emerge from the Hole during the Quest Phase
at the end of every HC.
Lair: 1-2, any monster type
Hunting Pack: 0-2 Hunting Packs; one of
them should be Crawlers
Commentary: If you use the optional
Underground Entrance, then the Lair(s) don’t
have to be Arachnids and could be other
monsters haunting the castle and stirred into
activity by the Darkness – Undead or
Grubbers would be ideal.
Once again, loading the tile with 2 Lairs and 2
Hunting Packs (in addition to the
Underground Entrance) would motivate the
players to escape the tile rather than trying to
clear it.
Tile 4 (4x6, Dungeon Corridor)
Trap: Roll on the standard table or on this
one drawn from my expanded traps:
FD Trap
Portcullis
Darkness Falls
Floor Spikes
Doppelganger
Falling Ceiling
Crushing Wall
I recommend Portcullis because the Heroes
may be able to use it to block off pursuit.
Alternatively, Doppelganger creates late-in-the-
day tension and puts the Heroes at risk of
Threat Penalties on the final tile.
 Expanded Story Quests
Hunting Pack: 0-1; any monster type
Commentary: As before, the various Traps
that block off the passage - like Falling Ceiling
and Crushing Wall - may prove to be blessings
for Heroes who did not clear the previous
tile(s). (The Story doesn’t specify how the
Heroes are to get out of the Castle once they
rescue the thief, so I assume there are other
exists beside this one).
Tile 5 (6x6, Dungeon Cells)
Quest/Trap: Place a Fighter in one of the
3x3 cells to represent the thief and another
Underground Opening (Hole) in the other
cell. At the end of every HC, 3 Crawlers (2
Melee, 1 Ranged) appear on the Hole. When
there are 4 Crawlers in the cell, they can tear
down the bars and Move into the thief’s cell.
Thief
Defence 3 Vitality 5
Heroes can open the cell with the Hole in it
as a TN 6 non-combat action; the thief’s cell is
tougher to open and requires a TN 9 non-
combat action. Until then the bars block
Movement and also Line of Sight.
If the thief is adjacent to a Hero, he can move
2 squares during the Refresh Phase. If he is
moved out of his cell, he is considered
rescued and removed from the board. After
this, the Heroes can escape at the end of any
Hero Phase in which there are no monsters
on this tile.
Lair: None
Hunting Pack: Optional; instead of a
Hunting Pack, set the Darkness Meter to 3
Treasure: 6 gold
Merchant: A random Merchant appears once
the thief has been rescued
Commentary: If you are using the optional
rule, then the Crawlers flood the tile (place
one on every empty space) and kill Pete as
soon as all 10 Darkness Cards have been
played and another Darkness Cycle begins.
More conventionally, the Crawlers may kill
Pete by breaching his cell before the Heroes
can rescue him – assume that reaching Pete is
their Highest Priority on this tile, followed by
Proximity to Heroes and with Threat last of
all. Of course, they may still be distracted by
Cards like Your Mother’s A Crawler. If Pete is
killed, the Heroes have to clear the tile to
survive but gain no Reward. They may still
continue to Act 2.
Official Resolution Text: The thief, it seems,
is just a desperate homesteader seeking to
7
placate an undead giant called Yardu. Yardu has
razed everything the sad man has ever loved. A
strange figure appeared in his dreams and
prophesied that everything could be returned, all
reparations repaid [sic], if only the great jewel
from the river was retrieved.
When he, the thief whose name you discover is
Pete, grabbed the jewel, the figure from his dream
appeared and he found himself in the custody of
the people of River Falls.
Warren suggests you seek out Pete’s home, where
it all began.
Reward: Remove 2 White Treasure tokens,
add 1 Blue Treasure token, draw 2 Random
Treasure tokens
Act 2: An Eight-Legged
Question
Official Text: Something doesn’t sit so well with
you as you plod along past through [sic] the feral
places. Where the foolish brave build homes [sic]
and live on their own at the edge of the wilds. You
have heard tales of bad fortune, but nothing like
Pete described. Pete is either cursed or there is
something more sinister at work. The splash of
water shakes you from your thoughts. You do not
recognise this place. Where once a path ran, now
only a small stream [sic]. You turn around but
find nothing but closed-in woods and this gully.
How came you to be here?
Setup: No Move Cards can be played to find
the campfire. If even one is played, at the end
of tile 3, the Heroes find themselves back at
tile 2.
Tile 1 (4x6, Forest Trail)
Trap: Roll a Trap for this tile. Use the normal
Trap table or this one.
FD Trap
Stormbringer
Devouring Earth
Floor Spikes
Rolling Boulder
Hornets Nest
Enraged Beast
The Devouring Earth and Hornets Nest work
well with a Hunting Pack. Stormbringer and
Floor Spikes make it hard to advance against a
Hunting Pack. Rolling Boulder can be fatal when
Heroes cannot use Movement Cards to
escape.
Hunting Pack: 1; any monsters
Commentary: Not much to say. If you use
the standard traps, then Darkness Falls can
 Expanded Story Quests
make the remaining tiles difficult for weary
Heroes. Despite the title of the Act, there
doesn’t seem to be any reason why the
monsters in this Act should be Arachnids. In
fact, since the Heroes seem to have stumbled
into a mystical dimension, odd monsters like
Elementals would not be out of place.
Tile 2 (12x12, Mountain)
Quest: None specified. Players may draw
from the Quest Deck or roll on the Mixed
Quests table:
FD Mixed Quest
Gunpowder Plot
The Sacrifice
Water from a Sacred Well
The Dawn Raid
Hostage Crisis
Rescue Mission
I recommend The Sacrifice because it
foreshadows the Spider Cult’s activities back
in River Falls. Dawn Raid and Gunpowder Plot
both have a feelgood factor to them after a lot
of hard slogging. Water from a Sacred Well fits
the otherworldly vibe of Act 2.
Lair: 1-2; any monsters (unless the Quests
above specify)
Hunting Pack: 0-2; any monsters (unless the
Quests above specify)
Commentary: You can play this as a simple
12x12 with a single Lair, which is normally no
challenge. The inability to use Move Cards
slows Heroes down but they should be well-
equipped by now so adding a second Lair and
Hunting Packs greats a more stressful
challenge. This open tile has no tactical
features the Heroes can take advantage of.
Tile 3 (4x12, Forest Stream)
Setup: The tiles are arranged at right-angles
but still constitute a 4x12.
Trap: Roll a Trap for this tile. Use the normal
Trap table or this one. Remember to add 2
Serendipity to the Reward for
escaping/disarming the Trap.
FD Trap
Avatar of Winter
Darkness Falls
Temporal Loop
Doppelganger
Hornets Nest
The Ashen Touch
Hornets Nest works well with a strong Hunting
Pack: 2 nests should be placed, one on each
tile. Temporal Loop fits in with the back-where-
8
we-started magic at work in this Act. Darkness
Falls and Ashen Touch are particularly punishing
on a longer tile like this.
Hunting Pack: Optional; any monsters
Commentary: See comments for tile 1,
although the Traps here have a more
obviously mystical bent as we approach the
source of the enchantment.
Tile 4 (6x6, Campfire)
Quest/Trap: You can choose either, either
rolling on the standard table/drawing a Quest
Card or rolling on the tables below.
FD Trap
Jove’s Thunderbolt
Flowery Death
Stuff of Nightmares
Poison Darts
Poppies of Lethe
Hurn’s Pitfalls
When the Trap is disarmed or the Quest
concluded, Emberweave appears and any
remaining monsters on the tile disappear.
I recommend Stuff of Nightmares to accentuate
that “what-is-real-anyway?” theme of this act.
Waking the dreamer dispels the nightmare
monsters and Emberweave appears, but a
Hunting Pack guarding the dreamer might
make this more difficult.
FD Arachnid Quest
Treasure Seekers
The Spider Cult
The Child Snatchers
A Foul Harvest
Gathering Flowers
Don’t Let It Get Away
Alternatively, The Spider Cult foreshadows the
revelations in Act 3 and lets the Heroes tangle
with the Terror With 1000 Legs very briefly.
When the Terror leaves, Emberweave
appears.
Lair: Optional Lair
Hunting Pack: 1-2 Hunting Packs
Treasure: 6 Gold
Merchant: Draw a random Merchant Card
Commentary: If you interpret this Story
that Emberweave is the mysterious figure of
Pete’s dream, then he has summoned the
Heroes to him to entrust them with the jewel.
One of the Heroes starts Act 3 in possession
of the Life Stone token. If you prefer to
think that Yardu was behind the jewel’s
 Expanded Story Quests
disappearance, then it must be recovered by
defeating him in the next Act.
Official Resolution Text: ‘So, it appears you
have found me,’ always aloof. Emberweave
appears concerned. ‘If only I knew where you
were.’ He invites you to sit by the fire. ‘It is a cold
night, evil is afoot and you are lost.’ You decide to
nitpick by telling him he was lost first. Instead, you
settle near the fire. Its healing warmth penetrates
your tired muscles and before you know it, or can
even explain why, you begin to tell Emberweave of
your adventure in River Falls and why you find
yourself lost. He seems curiously intent on what
you’re saying.
When you are finished, he tells you of a myth. The
fire dances with each word, taking shape and
form from the story… you don’t remember falling
asleep. When you awake, Emberweave is gone…
as is the gully and the woods. Your head hurts
with the need to remember something important,
but the myth by the fire is fuzzy. Without a
reason to point to, you hurry back to River Falls.
They are in grave dange.
Reward: Add 1 Blue Treasure token, each
Hero draws a Random Treasure token
Act 3: A Child of the Mother
Official Text: You arrive to find the town
abandoned. As you rush around River Falls trying
to find Warren, the memory of the myth
Emberweave shared shatters your purpose. All
around the small town are signs and reminders of
the tale, silent clues hidden in stores and the
names of businesses that drive back into your
mind the story by the fire: the Crawler Cult
protected the jewel. Once every 1000 years, they
attempt to free their god, an ancient monster of
unknown form called the Mother. The story had
been told a thousand times, but in every telling a
“fire-weaver” laid markings along the river to help
the heroes drive the beast back, behind the
waterfall, sealing the monstrosity away until next
time.
The spider cult wasn’t trying to destroy River Falls,
it was River Falls.
Setup: The Heroes may have acquired the
Life Stone token from Emberweave. If not,
they will acquire it from Yardu in Act 1. The
jewel is carried in one Hero’s Inventory; if
that Hero dies, the Jewel can be picked up like
a Treasure Token by another Hero.
Place 4 Rune Triggers under Quest
Tokens and deploy them on tiles 2-4. Put the
corresponding Rune tokens in a sack. If the
Hero with the Life Stone performs a non-
combat action (spending 1 MP) on a trigger,
9
reveal the Rune Trigger and remove the
corresponding Rune from the sack. By the
time the Heroes reach the last tile, there
should be two Runes left in the sack.
Tile 1 (12x12, Cemetery)
Quest: Place Yardu near the middle of the
tile. If the Heroes didn’t get the jewel from
Emberweave, Yardu carries it and will drop
the Life Stone token when he is defeated.
Lair: 1-2 Lairs; 1 should be Arachnid
Hunting Pack: Optional; any type
Commentary: Other than Yardu’s presence,
this is a standard 12x12 tile. The Heroes
should be well-equipped by now and ready to
tackle a heavily-stocked tile, even with Yardu
on it. Remember, if there are Shamblers on
the tile, Yardu’s presence makes it easier for
them to resurrect. If your preferred
interpretation of this plot is that Yardu first
terrorised then manipulated the hapless Pete
into stealing the jewel, the Heroes must
acquire it by defeating him.
Tile 2 (4x12, Crypt + Cave Stream)
Quest + Trap: Place a covered Rune
Trigger at the back of the second tile, beside
the stream. The carrier of the jewel can
uncover the Trigger as a non-combat action
(spending 1 MP) and the Trigger and
corresponding Rune from the sack are
discarded.
FD Trap
Chain Lightning
Choking Cloud
Whirlwind of Steel
Poison Darts
Dragon’s Breath
Hurn’s Pitfall
A Trap can be rolled using the normal rules or
on the table here and set up inside the Crypt.
I recommend Choking Cloud filling the entire
4x12 area, which challenges Heroes to escape
into the larger tile beyond.
Lair: One Arachnid Lair
Hunting Pack: 1 Crawler Hunting Pack
Treasure: Gold Hoard
Merchant: Draw a random Merchant Card
Reward: Remove 4 White Treasure Tokens,
draw 2 Random Treasure Tokens
Commentary: It makes sense to place the
Trap in the Crypt and the Lair in the cave
beyond. If there is also a Hunting Pack in the
 Expanded Story Quests
Crypt, the Heroes may struggle to fight
through to get to the Lair before it has
Spawned again. If you want to make this tile
easier, place the Lair inside the Crypt and the
trap outside, guarded by a Hunting Pack.
Tile 3 (12x12, Underground River)
Quest: Place a covered Rune Trigger at the
back of the tile, between the river and the
barrels. The carrier of the jewel can uncover
the Trigger as a non-combat action (spending
1 MP) and the Trigger and corresponding
Rune from the sack are discarded.
Lair: 1 Arachnid; optionally 1 other
Hunting Pack: 0-2; Crawlers and others
Commentary: You can play this as a simple
12x12 with a single Lair, which is no great
challenge. Adding a second Lair and Hunting
Packs ramps up the difficulty. Wise players will
use the bridges as bottlenecks but Ranged
Crawlers can spit venom right across the
river.
Tile 4 (6x6, Underground Pool)
Quest/Trap: The Terror With 1000 Legs is
in the middle of the pool. When it is defeated,
remove a Rune from the sack.
Place a covered Rune Trigger at the back of
the tile, between the pool and the edge of the
tile. The carrier of the jewel can uncover the
Trigger as a non-combat action (spending 1
MP). Draw a Rune from the sack: if it matches
the Trigger, the jewel can be returned to its
resting place and the Mother is sealed away
for another 1000 years. If it does not match,
return it to the sack and try again after the
final Rune has been drawn from the sack.
Optionally, allow the other Rune to be
removed from the sack after the Terror’s 1st
Stage has been defeated. The Terror is
automatically defeated if the jewel is placed on
the trigger and the correct Rune is drawn
from the sack.
The Mad King
Official Text: And so it has come to this, the
Hermit King has returned, leading an army of
dark creatures. They have taken up refuge [sic] in
the once mighty Haldor. The razed castle, long cursed,
is said to be the home of a fire drake. Smoke rises from
10
Lair: None
Hunting Pack: Optional; instead of a
Hunting Pack, set the Darkness Meter at 3.
Treasure: 6 gold
Merchant: A random Merchant appears once
the jewel is restored
Official Resolution Text: The Mother is
sealed away once again, but at what cost? The
Crawler cult is no more, having sacrificed
themselves to the snapping mandibles of the
Darkness. Where once was life, now none remain
[sic].
Reward: Either manipulate decks by 1 Card
or acquire the Title Life-Bringer which provides
+1 to base Vitality and confers +1 Vitality
from Heals
Commentary: This is an involved Quest.
There are several appearances by Merchants,
giving Heroes a chance to arm themselves
with very powerful Gear. However, the
opening Act is tough, involving swarms of
Arachnids when the Heroes have not yet
acquired Anti-venom Potions. The final Act
features appearances by both a Mini-Boss and
a Boss, although the Boss can be disposed of
without having to battle it down to zero
Vitality if the players are lucky or choose the
option whereby the fourth Rune is revealed
when Stage 1 is defeated.
This is a tough proposition for a first Story
Quest and starting players might prefer The
Mad King or Common People instead.
The ambiguities in the plot (just who took the
jewel, Emberweave or Yardu? why did the
Spider Cult imprison Pete and why did the
Crawlers come to kill him? what was Yardu
doing in the cemetery?) risk turn this into a
succession of senseless brawls, though I’ve
done what I can to provide some sense of
continuity.
the ruins and the walls are being rebuilt. If the
Darkness is to be pushed back, denied a foothold
among the free, the faithful must rise up and stop a
king driven to madness.
Introduction: A classic Myth Story involving
sneaking into a monster-infested castle and an
 Expanded Story Quests
epic showdown in Act 3. There are tough
fights, so starting players might consider a few
Act Quests to boost their treasure sacks
beforehand. When you get to the final tile in
Act 3, you’ll want Vitality Potions and a few
potent Green and Blue Items in your
inventories – the ability to call on Allies like
Marcus the Ready will be essential too.
Act 1: Circle the Wagons
Official Text: The first course of action is to
create a diversion: destroying their supply chain
will do the trick. It is rumoured the supplies are
being sent through the overgrown forest to the
south and the way is guarded by hundreds if not
thousands of Grubbers.
Tile 1 (6x6, Campfire)
Quest/Trap: None specified, so draw a
Chapter Quest or roll on the table:
FD Mixed Quest
Treasure Seekers
The Face of Darkness
The Savage Rites
Dishonour Among Thieves
Gathering Flowers
Bring Me Its Head
The Savage Rites works well with the Grubbers
dancing round the central fire. Dishonour
Among Thieves fits the Act’s theme of stopping
the Grubbers arming themselves and may help
the Heroes equip themselves for what lies
ahead; however, the inconvenient fire makes
apprehending the treacherous Merchant
difficult and if he gets away the next tiles will
be even harder.
Alternatively, roll for a standard Trap or use
the table below:
FD Trap
Chain Lightning
Flowery Death
Snakepit
Poison Darts
Dragon’s Breath
Hurn’s Pitfall
The central fire may make it particularly
difficult for Heroes to approach the Poison
Darts, especially with a Hunting Pack of
Grubbers guarding the Trap. However, the
cramped conditions make it somewhat easier
for players to get monsters caught in a Dragon
Breath discharge.
Lair: Optional; any monster type
Hunting Pack: 1-2; probably Grubbers
Treasure: 6 gold
11
Merchant: Draw a random Merchant Card.
Commentary: It’s helpful to start with a 6x6
tile because the Heroes get 6+ gold and a
Merchant to spend it on before facing any
serious opposition.
Tile 2 (12x12, Mountain)
Quest: Place a Supply Wagon on this tile.
As long as it survives, +2 Minions will Spawn
from all activated Lairs on this tile.
Supply Wagon
Defence 3 Vitality 5
Monsters will not move onto the Supply
Wagon but Heroes can move onto the
Wagon at a cost of +2 MP and off it at a cost
of +1 MP. While on top of the Wagon,
Heroes receive +1D10/+1FD for Attacks
against targets below them; they also gain +3
Threat (for Priority purposes) and Ranged
Attacks against them are at -2 TN.
Lair: 2; at least one Grubber
Hunting Pack: 0-2; any monsters
Commentary: You have to play two Lairs
on this tile, which always makes for a tough
fight, especially if they are producing different
types of monsters and are positioned close
enough that they both activate at the same
time. To make things easier, position one Lair
close to the Heroes and the other at the far
end of the tile so that, by moderating their
Threat, Heroes can delay its activation. Making
both Lairs of the same type (Grubbers) will
reduce the AP created each Darkness Phase.
For a really dangerous brawl, make the Lairs
of two different types and put a Hunting Pack
of a third monster type on the tile.
Tile 3 (4x6, Forest Stream)
Trap: A Trap can be rolled using the normal
rules or on the table here:
FD Trap
Stormbringer
Devouring Earth
Floor Spikes
Rolling Boulder
Hornets Nest
Enraged Beast
I recommend Enraged Beast, since if it is fully
disarmed it becomes an Ally on the next tile,
which could be a needed boost for a starting
group of Heroes.
More experienced players might want to take
on a Hunting Pack fighting into Stormbringer or
through Floor Spikes (caltrops) or Devouring
 Expanded Story Quests
Earth. Without a Movement restriction, Rolling
Boulders pose little threat unless the Hunting
Pack is very large.
Hunting Pack: Optional Hunting Pack
Commentary: Not much to say. There are
no special restrictions on this Quest, so Traps
are mostly just inconveniences and players will
want to hurry on to the next tile
Tile 4 (12x12, Mountain)
Quest: Place another Supply Wagon on
this tile. As long as it survives, +2 Minions will
Spawn from all activated Lairs on this tile.
Supply Wagon
Defence 3 Vitality 5
The same rules apply as on Tile 2.
Since this ends up being a straight re-play of
Tile 2, you might want to vary things by rolling
to see what effect this Supply Wagon has:
FD Supply Wagon
+2 Minions from each Spawn
+1 Captain for each Normal Spawn
Minions receive +1D10 on all rolls if
within 3 squares
3 Grubbers emerge from the Wagon
each Refresh Phase
Wagon adds +1 AP each Refresh Phase
Wagon Attacks during Refresh Phase:
Range 3, TN 7, damage 1, attacks all
Heroes in range
Lair: 2; at least one Grubber
Hunting Pack: 0-2; any monsters
Commentary: This is another fight whose
challenge depends on where the Lairs are
positioned and how many monster types are
in play.
Some of the alternative powers of the Supply
Wagon make the fight much tougher and
necessitate destroying it as a first priority.
The generous Reward at the end of the Act
helps prepare Heroes for what lies ahead.
Official Resolution Text: So far so good. He
will have to spend more resources than necessary
to recreate his supply chain and make sure
nothing disturbs it again.
This should give you just the sort of diversion you
need to get into the ruins of Haldor and kill him.
Reward: Remove 1 White Treasure token,
add 2 Blue Treasure tokens, draw 1Random
Treasure token for each Hero
12
Act 2: The Hall of the King
Official Text: The only way to get to the
Hermit King, short of raising an army, is to go
through the maze of underground passages that
lead under the once-mighty castle. Scouts claim
that there is a way up to the courtyard, if those
passing can deal with a large rock that seems to
be blocking the way.
Tile 1 (6x6, Underground Stream)
Quest/Trap: A Lair is mandated, so don’t
bother with a Quest.
However, roll for a standard Trap or use the
table below:
FD Trap
Chain Lightning
Choking Cloud
Snakepit
Poison Darts
Dragon’s Breath
Hurn’s Pitfall
Choking Cloud imposes a particular problem
dealing with the Lair, since Heroes must
discard Cards while holding their breath.
Lair: 1; any monster type
Hunting Pack: 1-2; any monster type
Treasure: 6 gold
Merchant: Draw a random Merchant Card.
Commentary: Despite the mandatory Lair,
it’s helpful to start with this 6x6 tile because
the Heroes get 6+ gold and a Merchant to
spend it on. After the Reward at the end of
the last Act, the shopping spree from this tile
should make the Heroes a force to be
reckoned with.
Tile 2 (12x12, Underground River)
Quest: Two Lairs are mandated, so there’s
no need to bother with a Quest. The theme
here is insurgency, so players probably don’t
want to be slowed down chasing side-
missions.
Lair: 2; any monsters
Hunting Pack: 0-2; any monsters
Commentary: This is always an interesting
tile, divided by the river and criss-crossed by
bridges. How challenging it is depends on the
placement of Lairs and whether monsters can
be bottlenecked on the bridges. Crawlers can
spit venom clear across the River, but
otherwise tend to queue up mindlessly, as do
 Expanded Story Quests
Undead. However, bottlenecks also make it
harder for Heroes to get at the Lairs.
Tile 3 (6x6, Underground Pool)
Quest/Trap: Place the Boulder token in the
middle of the pool. Moving the Boulder is a
TN 5 non-combat action but this must be
attempted by every Hero in the same HC: if all
of them succeed, the Boulder is removed.
As long as the Boulder is on the tile, a Hunting
Pack enters the tile during the Quest Phase;
there are 5 monsters (any type) in the
Hunting Pack. Once the Boulder is removed,
all monsters on this tile and any uncleared
earlier tiles are destroyed.
Lair: None
Hunting Pack: 1-2; any monster type
Treasure: 6 gold
Merchant: Instead of drawing a random
Merchant Card, Heroes can buy one Potion of
their choice for 2 gold each (or Major Vitality
Potions for 4 gold).
Commentary: If the Heroes are slow or
unlucky at moving the Boulder, the tile will fill
up with monsters very quickly. On the other
hand, since the boulder kills everything in its
path, players may prefer to vacate earlier tiles
before they are cleared and let the boulder
clear the realm tiles for them: this is an
acceptable strategy.
Although the last tile calls for a Merchant, it
seems implausible that a Merchant would
appear here, out of a devastated cavern
system, precisely before entering a monster-
infested castle, so the opportunity to buy/find
Potions is both more plausible and (probably)
more welcome. In any event, the Reward for
the Act gives Heroes the chance to acquire
more Items too.
Official Resolution Text: Finally, the huge
rock begins to roll. Its momentum is agonizingly
slow. Finally, resistance gives way and the boulder
is rolling down the underground river on its own.
Everything it touches is obliterated, causing a
small avalanche as it falls away [in] the direction
you came. You cringe with every collision. The
sound of every bang and boom echoes through
the caverns and, with little doubt, up into the
courtyard.
Just when you think everything is silent and all
damage done, deep in the bowels of the dark
comes a soft rumble, made quiet because of
distance and dense earth. A muted boom,
rhythmic and repeating for two dozen distinct
beats, then silence again.
13
Only after several moments in do you realise how
terrified you are. Grabbing the rock, you climb up
to the grate and enter the courtyard.
Reward: Remove 3 White Treasure tokens,
draw 3 Random Treasure tokens
Act 3: Surprise Party
Official Text: The courtyard is full of Grubbers
and Muckers, and a few things you have never
seen before. They all seem stunned of [sic] the
rolling thunder beneath their feet, or perhaps they
are afraid. The rock may have been a blessing
after all, as it has proved to be a decent
distraction.
Tile 1 (12x12, Courtyard)
Quest: Place the Drain token in the bottom
left corner of the tile (opposite the steps): the
Heroes enter here.
Instead of Lairs, place 2 large Hunting Packs of
two different monster types. Each consists of
3 Minions per Hero; for each monster type,
place 1 Captain if there are 3 Heroes and 2
Captains if there are 5 Heroes.
During the first HC, Hero Cards earn -1 AP
(due to surprise) but return to normal AP
costs after the first Hero Deck Phase ends.
Lair: None
Hunting Pack: See above - Grubbers and
one other type
Commentary: The effects of surprise (no or
minimal AP from playing Cards) will allow
Heroes to cut a bloody swathe through
monsters before the first Darkness Cycle
arrives. Good, they’ll need to with this many
monsters on the tile.
Tile 2 (4x12, Carpeted Corridor)
Setup: The tiles are arranged at right-angles
but still constitute a 4x12.
Trap: Roll a Trap for this tile. Use the normal
Trap table or this one. Remember to add 2
Serendipity to the Reward for
escaping/disarming the Trap.
FD Trap
Portcullis
Darkness Falls
Floor Spikes
Doppelganger
Falling Ceiling
The Ashen Touch
Portcullis and Falling Ceiling both have the
possibility of working in the Heroes’ favour if
they block off pursuit from the previous
 Expanded Story Quests
(uncleared) tile. Darkness Falls and Ashen Touch
can both be punishing on a long tile like this.
Doppelganger is fun and has to be dealt with
before the Heroes move on to the final, epic
confrontation.
Hunting Pack: Optional; any monsters
Commentary: Not much to say. If the
Heroes have spare Serendipity, it might be
wise to summon Talek Three Dunes now for
a final shopping spree.
Tile 3 (12x24, Great Hall + Great
Hall)
Quest: Place 2 Table Tokens end-to-end in
the middle of the board. Heroes and Monsters
can move onto the Tables. Anyone on the
Tables gains +1D10/+1FD against targets
below them but is -2 TN to be hit by Ranged
Attacks; Heroes gain +3 Threat (for Priority
only).
Four Lairs and a Mini-Boss provide plenty of
trouble, but there’s supposed to be a Quest
too. Draw a Quest Card or roll on the table:
FD Mixed Quest
The Gunpowder Plot
It’s a Trap!
The Enemy of My Enemy
The Dawn Raid
Hostage Crisis
Take the Battle To Them
A starting group of players should opt for The
Gunpowder Plot, which arms them with
grenades that might give them an edge, or The
Dawn Raid, which gives them a chance to
inflict heavy casualties before the Darkness’
devastating response.
More experienced groups might want to
subject themselves to It’s A Trap! which keeps
Common People
Official Text: Some days are ever etched in
your mind, today is such a day. Good fortune
followed you. Perhaps, finally, you have become
the Hero you fought to be. Twice you charged the
line at Waconda, fighting fierce foe, facing down
Fate. You drove back the horde and secured
victory for the weak. Tonight, by this fire, with
muscles weary, your rest is earned…
14
“real” Lairs in Shadow until half-strength
exploding decoy Lairs are destroyed.
Lair: 4 + Mini-Boss
Hunting Pack: 1-2; any monster-types
Treasure: Treasure Hoard
Official Resolution Text: The Hermit King
was not to be found. Vacant was his seat at the
table, plate unplaced. In truth, he could be among
the dead, for you know not what he looks like.
Certainly, his forces are finished, fleeing to the foul
places of the world. Only the foolish would follow
one so afraid – a king bereft of courage is as good
as dead – yes, he must be dead.
Reward: Heroes may manipulate decks by
one Card or earn the Title The Kingslayer,
which gives the +1D10 and -1 TN against
Boss-type enemies
Commentary: An “epic tile” was promised
but, once again, placement of the Lairs will
determine whether or not the opposition is
overwhelming: if Heroes can keep Threat
under control, Lairs at the back of the room
may not activate until the first two or three
have been destroyed.
If this was a starting Quest, players will now
be ready for the weirdness of The Stone of
Life – and that Kingslayer Title will come in
handy in a Story that features both a Mini-
Boss and a Boss. Then, of course, they can
have all their goodies taken away in No Rest
For The Weary.
If players want another straightforward battle,
then Common People is ideal.
Introduction: An exciting Story that has the
Heroes racing across tiles with monsters
pursuing, then defending the town of Fallen
Guard in an unusual Slaughterfield-style siege.
The mechanics are particularly unclear and I’ll
be substituting my own interpretation of how
the last two Acts are supposed to work.
 Expanded Story Quests
Despite the sense of overwhelming odds, this
is a Story that can be attempted by relatively
inexperienced players and Heroes. It makes a
fine sequel to The Mad King and even works
well as a first Quest. However, for continuity,
it makes more sense if Heroes have
completed the For Glory & Honour
Chapter Quest (which introduces Marcus the
Ready as an Ally) and the Light The Fires
Act Quest (which seems to present the
victory alluded to in the Official Text above).
Act 1: Rosy-Fingered Dawn
Official Text: You wake still remembering the
glory of the day before. Stretching, you stand. The
dawn is as striking as it is ominous. Extended out
overhead, clouds of red and pink hue carry with it
the portents of something sinister. Blood was
spilled this night. It seems the Darkness desired
revenge.
In the distance, you see smoke rising. Quickly, you
gather your things and move to investigate.
Setup: Heroes must clear Tile 4 without the
Darkness Deck recycling, otherwise they
forfeit their Reward.
Tile 1 (12x12, Mountain)
Quest: None specified, so draw a Quest
Card (or simply play For Glory & Honour).
Alternatively, roll on the table below:
FD Mixed Quest
The Gunpowder Plot
It’s a Trap!
The Enemy of My Enemy
The Dawn Raid
Hostage Crisis
Take the Battle To Them
It’s a Trap! fits the Theme of the Story, with
the Darkness launching its devious counter-
attack; it slows the Heroes down without
being too great an obstacle. The Dawn Raid fits
the timing of the Act beautifully.
Lair: 1-2; any monster type
Hunting Pack: 0-2; any monsters
Commentary: Since this Act is a race,
setting only a single Lair makes the race easy;
setting 2 Lairs and Hunting Packs makes it
hard. Remember, Heroes don’t have to clear
the tile: they just have to get to tile 4 before
the Darkness Deck recycles and can mop up
pursuing monsters afterwards.
Tile 2 (4x6, Forest Stream)
Trap: A Trap can be rolled using the normal
rules or on the table here:
15
FD Trap
Stormbringer
Darkness Falls
Temporal Loop
Rolling Boulder
Hornets Nest
Enraged Beast
Fighting against a Hunting Pack through
Stormbringer or Devouring Earth presents a
challenge. Rolling Boulders may kill pursuing
monsters, which is delicious irony. Temporal
Loop is particularly punishing in a race like this,
but it fits a strange continuity error (or
temporal anomaly) whereby the sun has risen
at the start of Act 1 but has not yet risen at
the start of Act 2.
Hunting Pack: Optional Hunting Pack
Commentary: Not much to say. These
Traps are just inconveniences for players
wanting to hurry on to the next tile
Tile 3 (12x12, Mountain)
Quest: This is just a repeat of Tile 1; if For
Glory & Honour has been played, draw or
roll for another Quest.
Alternatively, play this tile with no Lairs but 2
large Hunting Packs blocking the way. Each
consists of 3 Minions per Hero; for each
monster type, place 1 Captain if there are 3
Heroes and 2 Captains if there are 5 Heroes.
Lair: 1-2; any monster types. (Alternatively,
no Lairs)
Hunting Pack: 0-2 (or see above)
Commentary: The “blockade” of monsters
fits the theme of this Act well and poses a
fresh challenge, rather than another repeat of
Tile 1, which can get a bit stale.
If pursuing monsters from the previous 12x12
tile are still arriving, this tile becomes slightly
more challenging.
Tile 4 (6x6, Campfire)
Quest/Trap: None specified, so draw a
Chapter Quest or roll on the table:
FD Mixed Quest
Treasure Seekers
The Face of Darkness
The Child Snatchers
Dishonour Among Thieves
Bad Shepherds
Bring Me Its Head
The Face of Darkness allows for a Boss to turn
up briefly and menace the Heroes. If you use
Dishonour Among Thieves and the evil Merchant
 Expanded Story Quests
escapes, all the Hunting Packs in Act 2 will be
armed by him (+1 TN to be hit, -1 TN to hit,
+1 damage).
Alternatively, roll for a standard Trap or use
the table below:
FD Trap
Jove’s Thunderbolt
Consuming Darkness
Snakepit
Poison Darts
Dragon’s Breath
Hurn’s Pitfall
This tile must be cleared before the Darkness
Deck recycles for the Heroes to claim the
Reward. This can be done even if the previous
tiles have not been cleared.
Lair: Optional; any monster type
Hunting Pack: 1-2; any type
Treasure: 6 gold
Merchant: Draw a random Merchant Card.
Commentary: How easy clearing this tile is
depends on the Quest/Trap deployed on it
and whether there is a Lair. It’s acceptable for
some Heroes to hang back on the previous
tile to mop up monsters while others advance
into this tile to clear it; in fact, that might be a
winning strategy.
Official Resolution Text: Beneath you glow
hundreds of fires. Around each fire, perhaps a
dozen creatures severed forever from hope.
Nestled in the centre of an ocean of death-
seekers, shining like a new star, encircled by large
bonfires and ringing bells, lay [sic] the fortified
town of Fallen Guard.
Grim fate sits at her loom, measuring thread,
waiting to weave you into Fallen Guard’s doom.
You need only find a way through the dark host.
Reward: Remove 2 White Treasure tokens,
add 1 Blue Treasure token, draw 2 Random
Treasure tokens
Act 2: Burning Bridges
Official Text: You wait until the dull glow of
soon-to-be-dawn touches the edge of the sky
before you begin. The decision is made: Fallen
Guard or death.
First dew glistens on grass, muffling the sound of
your steps. Hopefully, the mighty host, drunk on
death, is slow to rise. If their fight is fierce, this
folly will be short-lived.
Setup: There are no Lairs during this Act,
nor are any tiles considered cleared. Each
16
Darkness Cycle brings a hunting pack of 5
monsters onto each tile that the Heroes have
entered (including tiles they have exited). The
Hunting Packs never stop following the
Heroes.
Tile 1 (4x6, Forest Stream)
Setup: Hunting Packs enter the tile from
edge by which the Heroes entered.
Trap: A Trap can be rolled using the normal
rules or on the table here:
FD Trap
Stormbringer
Darkness Falls
Temporal Loop
Rolling Boulder
Hornets Nest
Enraged Beast
Escaping a Hunting Pack through Devouring
Earth presents the usual challenge. Rolling
Boulders may kill pursuing monsters and, if it
blocks the entrance to tile 2, prevent further
Hunting Packs from this tile joining the chase.
Temporal Loop is particularly punishing in a
race like this, with new monsters entering the
tile each Darkness Cycle.
Hunting Pack: Optional Hunting Pack
Commentary: These Traps’ main
inconvenience lies in the fact that more
Hunting Packs arrive while the Heroes are
delayed disarming them.
Tile 2 (12x12, Cemetery)
Setup: Place the 6x6 Campfire in the centre
of this tile. Setup rules for this Act replace
normal Quests, so this tile will have a Trap.
Hunting Packs enter this tile by one of the
furthest-away edges that do not have a
connecting tile.
Trap: Place a Trap on the Campfire, rolling
on the standard table below:
FD Trap
Chain Lightning
Consuming Darkness
Whirlwind of Steel
Poison Darts
Dragon’s Breath
Hurn’s Pitfall
Even though the Trap is placed on the
Campfire tile, its range may extend into the
wider 12x12 tile. This is also true of
Consuming Darkness and Hurn’s Pitfall, making
for a particularly nasty obstacle,
Lair: None
 Expanded Story Quests
Hunting Pack: 1-2 on the Campfire tile
Commentary: Heroes will probably try to
“cut the corner” of this tile, spending as little
time on it as possible.
If the Hunting Pack(s) on the Campfire is of
the same type as any that are pursuing the
Heroes, it automatically activates and gives
chase.
Tile 3 (4x6, Forest Trail)
Setup: Hunting Packs enter the tile from the
sides, to the left or right of the Heroes.
Trap: A Trap can be rolled using the normal
rules or on the table here:
FD Trap
Stormbringer
Darkness Falls
Floor Spikes
Snakepit
Hornets Nest
Enraged Beast
Snakepit (from the 6x6 tile) has been
substituted for Rolling Boulder (which would
seal the path and block off all further pursuit).
Hunting Pack: Optional Hunting Pack
Commentary: Once again, the Trap’s main
function is to slow down pursuit.
Tile 5 (12x12, Mountain)
Setup: Hunting Packs enter this tile from the
sides, to the left or right of Heroes.
Optionally, instead of placing normal Hunting
Packs in this tile, place two larger Hunting
Packs blockading the exit. Each consists of 3
Minions per Hero; for each monster type,
place 1 Captain if there are 3 Heroes and 2
Captains if there are 5 Heroes.
If you use the “blockade” option then no
further Hunting Packs will enter this tile –
though they will continue pursuing from
previous tiles.
Lair: None
Hunting Pack: 0-2 (or see above)
Commentary: The “blockade” option gives
the Heroes some ranks to fight through, while
monsters are still arriving at their backs –
though some doughty Hero might hang back
to delay pursuers. The alternative is to place
0, 1 or 2 normal Hunting Packs on the tile and
allow addition 5-strong Hunting Packs to keep
arriving from the sides of the tile every
Darkness Cycle.
17
Tile 5 (6x6, Gateway)
Setup: Hunting Packs enter this tile from the
sides, to the left or right of the Heroes.
Quest: If, during the Quest Phase, the
Heroes outnumber the monsters on this tile,
then the gates of Fallen Guard open for them
and they can leave the tile without having to
clear it.
Lair: None
Hunting Pack: 1-2; any type
Treasure: 6 gold
Merchant: Draw a random Merchant Card.
Commentary: If the Heroes do a good job
slaughtering monsters on the previous tile,
then moving onto this one before any new
monsters show up is quite easy. The main
problem with this Act is created if you deploy
several different monster types who may
generate enough AP during the Darkness
Phase to trigger another Darkness Cycle,
leading to the arrival of more Hunting Packs.
Official Resolution Text: The mighty oaken
doors crash behind you, sealed. Now safe inside
Fallen Guard, you come to realise your foolishness.
Weary eyes look at you, not trusting to hope. As
they begin to realise you are alone, expectation
flees battle-worn faces.
You do not waste words, nor whispers of comfort.
You accepted your death before crossing over; if
death wants to find you, it knows where to look.
“HA!” The voice is one you know. Turning, you
see Marcus striding across the courtyard, his voice
is loud for all to hear. ‘By God, you are a sight for
sore eyes and arms.’ He clasps you tightly and
slaps your back. Turning to those given over to
despair, he adds, ‘My friends, do not let fear take
you. Each Hero before you is worth a thousand.
Did they not cross over to be with you at this dire
hour? These are Heroes and they will defend
Fallen Guard with their lives. Can any more be
asked?’ Finishing, he turns to you with a smile and
a glint in his eye. ‘I am not sure you made the
right choice this time,’ Marcus winks at you and a
big toothy smile splits his face, ‘but I am glad you
did.’
Reward: Add 2 Blue Treasure tokens, draw 1
Random Treasure token for each Hero
Act 3: Fences Make Good
Neighbours
Official Text: The circumstances are indeed
dire. There is no amount of sugar that will make
this meal palatable… but there is hope. If the
 Expanded Story Quests
Darkness can be held back just enough to repair
the walls, Fallen Guard could very well wait them
out. They have access to water and plenty of dry
good.
The plan is simple. Basically, you have to repair
the walls… while driving back the Darkness…
while defending the people… and protecting
yourself. You know… simple.
Tile 1 (12x12, Courtyard)
Setup: Place Marcus the Ready in the centre
of the tile along with the Heroes. Place the
Well on top of one of the central benches.
Place the Rock Pile 2 squares away from the
large hole in the wall opposite the Well. Place
the Bucket on the Well and the Pick Axe
and Hand Space on the Rock Pile.
The Rock Pile blocks Movement and Line of
Sight; the Well blocks Movement but not Line
of Sight. Any miniature moved into the Well is
removed from the board.
This tile is a Slaughterfield except that the
waves enter through the 3 holes in the walls
(2 on one side, 1 on the other near the Rock
Pile).
Wave Monsters
1 3 Minions per hole
2 4 Minions per hole
3 1 Captain per hole
4 3 Minions through one hole, 3
Minions of another type through
each other hole
5 4 Minions through one hole, 4
Minions of another type through
each other hole
6 4 Minions & 1 Captain through one
hole, 4 Minions & 1 Captain of
another type through each other
hole
7 2 Captains through one hole, 2
Captains of another type through
each other hole
8 3 Minions & 1 Captain through each
all, all different types
9 4 Minions & 2 Captains through each
all, all different types
10 2 Captains through each hole and a
Boss accompanies one group
Quest: Heroes must fill the gaps in the wall
or survive all 10 Waves.
Collecting the Pick, Spade and Bucket is a
non-combat action for an adjacent character
involving 1 MP and a TN 3 roll.
18
Carrying the water requires that a Hero
discards all Cards from his hand.
A Hero can carry either the Pick or the Spade
in their Primary Slot – but not both.
The Pick, Space and Bucket tokens can be
dropped in the squares of a hole in the wall by
a Hero carrying them as a free non-combat
action. When all 3 are present, rebuilding the
wall is a TN6 non-combat action requiring 2
MP. The three tokens are returned to the
Rock Pile and Well. If successful, place a
Crushing Wall token in the gap.
Once a hole is filled, no Wave of monsters
enters through it; when all three holes are
filled, no more Waves will come and the tile
can be cleared.
Heroes can stand in the holes in the wall to
block entrance. Monsters outside may attack
them at -1 TN. A hole in the wall may not be
repaired while a character is occupying one of
the spaces.
Lair: None
Hunting Pack: None
Commentary: Allocating one Hero to wall-
building is a good idea, especially one who can
play Cards based on his or her Secondary
Slot. Carry water from the Well is the most
arduous task. Monsters move straight over
dropped resource tokens without disturbing
them.
Official Resolution Text: The walls hold. A
great cry rises up from the adversary, now unseen,
hidden from sight.
Marcus’ roar of relief resounds across the
courtyard, ‘YESSSSS!’ It even drowns out the wails
of an enemy driven to madness. Suddenly
renewed, full of energy, Marcus ascends to the
rampart, three steps at a time, unslings his short
bow and starts shooting everything… laughing all
the while.
You can’t help but smile yourself and move
towards the battlements on the other side of the
courtyard. Now the fun begins.
Reward: Heroes can manipulate their decks
by one Card or earn the Title Light of Freedom,
which makes the Hero immune to being
knocked Prone or Captured.
 Expanded Story Quests
The Infernal Machine
Official Text: It seems Fate has marked your
journey and brought you to the edge of fame. The
festival of the maiden is nigh. Long ago, before
history recorded such deeds, a special device was
commissioned to test the worth of a Hero. A
widowed queen, blood-kin of Ildari, fashioned a
contest to see if any could earn the title
Nemozne Král, or King of the Impossible. Many
have tried, all have failed.
Introduction: This is an unusual dungeon-
crawl, into the bowels of a magical machine
containing traps and puzzles. Whereas most of
the other Story Quests can be played in any
order, this Story is clearly designed to be held
off till last. The final Act is particularly
challenging and the climax is a confrontation
with a Boss that cannot be avoided.
Act 1: Festival of the Maiden
Official Text: To even get to the trial, Heroes
must be prepared to overcome much. The journey
is not for those weak in courage or dulled steel.
The home of the machine is a long-abandoned,
trap-infested castle. The castle has never fallen to
ruin, because nothing lives there long enough to
use it.
It is said the machine is always running. While
that may or may not be true, the gate only comes
down for a fortnight, one time each year.
Setup: Every tile has a Trap instead of a
Quest, even 12x12 tiles that don’t usually have
this feature. Hunting Packs all consist of 6
monsters.
Tile 1 (4x6, Carpeted Corridor)
Trap: None specified, so roll on the standard
table or the one below:
FD Trap
Avatar of Winter
Fiery Chute
Temporal Loop
Doppelganger
Avatar of Plague
The Ashen Touch
Doppelganger nicely foreshadows the eventual
climax, where the Machine and the Maiden are
not as they seem.
Hunting Pack: Optional; any monsters
Commentary: The mystical nature of this
setting invites some of the stranger monsters
– Elementals work particularly well. In view of
19
the eventual Boss, Crawlers are appropriate
too. Undead always work well in enchanted
castles.
Tile 2 (12x12, Great Hall)
Trap: Place Dragon’s Breath 2 squares away
from where the Heroes enter.
Lair: 1; any monster type
Hunting Pack: 1; any monster type
Commentary: As usual, it’s more
challenging if the Hunting Pack protect the
Trap or are sheltered by it. Smart players will
trigger the Trap while luring the monsters
into the flames but Fire Elementals might ruin
this plan.
This is a big tile so thought needs to go into
placement of the Lair: too close and the Trap
scorches it, too far away and the Heroes may
bypass it altogether - unless it is of the same
type as the Hunting Pack and activates with
them, in which case the further away it is, the
more of a challenge it provides.
Tile 3 (4x6, Dungeon Corridor)
Trap: None specified, so roll on the standard
table or the one below:
FD Trap
Avatar of Winter
Fiery Chute
Temporal Loop
Doppelganger
Avatar of Plague
The Ashen Touch
Fiery Chute is a scary alternative to the Rolling
Boulders and seems appropriate for this
location. It’s dangerous even without a
Hunting Pack and potentially lethal with one in
play.
Hunting Pack: Optional; any monsters
Commentary: No further comments.
Tile 4 (12x12, Great Hall)
Trap: Place Chain Lightning 2 squares away
from the edge opposite where the Heroes
enter.
Lair: 1; any monster type
Hunting Pack: 1; any monster type
Commentary: As before, it’s more
challenging if the Hunting Pack protect the
Trap. This Trap doesn’t attack monsters so
 Expanded Story Quests
the Lair can be placed nearby with the Trap
protecting it.
When the tile is cleared, the Heroes can
approach the Machine.
Official Resolution Text: You are not alone.
More surprisingly, there are actually quite a few
here. Several appeared [sic] to have already
made an attempt at the machine, judging from
the maimed limbs, broken bones and bleeding
heads.
Reward: Remove 3 White Treasure tokens,
draw 3 Random Treasure tokens
Act 2: Picking Up the Pieces
Official Text: After studying the Machine for a
bit, you pick up on something. At first, you think
you must be imagining it, but, after a few more
people have been tossed, cleaved and bludgeoned,
you are certain there is a rhyme and reason to
this contraption.
You need to find a spherical object, something to
hold water and a fishing pole.
More importantly, you can’t go in one-at-a-time. It
can only be solved by several people working in
unison.
Setup: The Heroes must recover 3 “Infernal
Parts” from different parts of the castle: the
Mysterious Skull, the Bucket and the
Fishing Pole.
Searching for an Infernal Part in the right
location is a TN 6 non-combat action
requiring 1 MP; if the search roll fails, a
Hunting Pack of 6 Crawlers enters the tile; if a
10+ is rolled the searcher may draw a Green
Item as well as acquire the Part.
Infernal Parts must be carried in either a
Primary or Secondary Slot – so no Hero can
carry more than two.
Tile 1 (4x6, Dungeon Corridor)
Trap: None specified, so roll on the standard
table or the one below:
FD Trap
Avatar of Winter
Fiery Chute
Temporal Loop
Doppelganger
Avatar of Plague
Crushing Wall
The Avatar of Plague foreshadows the dead
bodies to be searched in the next tile.
Hunting Pack: Optional (probably Crawlers)
20
Commentary: Since Crawler Hunting
Parties turn up to interrupt searches, it seems
appropriate to use them as Hunting Parties
throughout this Act.
Tile 2 (12x12, Great Hall)
Quest: Place the Burned Bodies token in
the middle of the right-hand wall. If this is
successfully searched, the Mysterious Skull
resource will be acquired.
Lair: 1-2; any monster type
Hunting Pack: 0-2; any monster type
Commentary: No comment.
Tile 3 (6x6, Cellar)
Quest: Place the Well token in the middle of
the furthest wall. If this is successfully
searched, the Bucket resource will be
acquired.
Lair: Optional; any monster type
Hunting Pack: 1-2 (probably Crawlers)
Commentary: No comment
Tile 4 (4x6, Dungeon Corridor)
Trap: None specified, so roll on the standard
table or the one below:
FD Trap
Avatar of Winter
Fiery Chute
Temporal Loop
Doppelganger
Avatar of Plague
Crushing Wall
Avatar of Winter would be appropriate if the
Avatar of Plague has already appeared.
Hunting Pack: Optional (probably Crawlers
or Shamblers)
Commentary: No further comments.
Tile 5 (6x6, Dungeon Cells)
Quest: Place the Drain token at the back of
one of the 2x2 cells. If this is successfully
searched, the Fishing Pole resource will be
acquired.
The interior walls are bars that can be crossed
by spending +1 MP.
Lair: Optional (probably Crawlers or
Shamblers)
Hunting Pack: 1-2; any monster type
Commentary: If Tile 4 was sealed off by the
Fiery Chute or Crushing Wall, assume there is
 Expanded Story Quests
another route to return to Tile 3, if the
Heroes still need to explore it.
Official Resolution Text: All seems to be
ready. No one has made it past the second
section, so you are merely guessing on the last
section. You hope this works.
Reward: Remove 4 White Treasure tokens,
draw 2 Random Treasure tokens
Act 3: The Key
Official Text: Confidently, you stride up to the
first section. When the observers see that you are
bringing friends, most laugh. An anonymous voice
from the crowd begins to say something about not
forgetting your mum, but it is lost on you. As quick
as lightning, you are through the opening and into
the heart of the Machine.
Setup: The first three tiles form a continuous
section, so the Darkness Meter is not re-set
when moving from one to the next.
Heroes gain +2 Serendipity from disarming
each of these Traps.
Tile 1 (4x6, Dungeon Corridor)
Trap: Poison Darts and Chain Lightning are
both on this tile, facing each other from
opposite walls, 3 squares from the far end of
the tile.
Chain Lightning can only be disarmed by the
Hero carrying the Bucket.
Hunting Pack: 1; any monsters
Commentary: Given the ‘reveal’ at the end,
Crawlers make good monsters for the inside
of the machine, as do Undead and Elementals.
Tile 2-3 (4x12, Carpeted
Corridor)
Trap: The entire 4x12 section is affected by
Falling Ceiling. Floor Spikes affects the first tile
and Consuming Darkness affects the second tile.
The second tile has a Whirlwind of Steel against
one wall, 3 squares from the end.
Floor Spikes can only be disarmed by the Hero
carrying the Mysterious Skull, however this
Hero doesn’t need to be affected by the Trap
to attempt to disarm it.
Consuming Darkness is disarmed normally but a
Hero with the Fishing Pole can attempt to
disarm it if within 3 squares of an affected
Hero.
Hunting Pack: 1; any monster type
21
Commentary: All three of the “Infernal
Traps” (Chain Lightning, Floor Spikes, Consuming
Darkness) must be disarmed before the tile is
considered cleared. The Hidden Shrine still
appears when Floor Spikes are disarmed.
Interlude: You made it. Unbelievably, you did.
Never has anyone seen this side of it. The
Machine stops. There before you, almost as
stunned as you, is the most beautiful woman you
have ever seen.
‘So, someone finally saw the secret within the
system.’ Her words, washed in power, are
measured in a cadence unknown to you. Her
movement is otherworldly. Gliding over the floor
towards you, she continues, ‘The secret has always
been friendship and cooperation, two things
apparently I lacked. Even among the Dark, you
must play a part or be exiled. I was sent adrift in
an ancient world. My Mother rejected me.’ The
malice in the last phrase and the aggressive
nature of her movement puts you on edge.
You realise that this is no woman, but a fiend of
the dark. And that the Infernal Machine wasn’t a
test of valour, but a lock and you were the key.
‘The Machine wasn’t a test, but a prison?’
‘Oh?’ she says in mock surprise. ‘Come, poor fools.
Come and claim your prize!’ The woman before
[you] begins to transform with screams, a
snapping of bone and a crunching of cartilage.
Tile 4 (12x12, Great Hall)
Quest: Place the Terror With 1000 Legs in
the middle of the tile surrounded by 8
Crawlers (4 Melee, 4 Ranged).
Lair: Optional
Hunting Pack: See above
Commentary: This is a Boss fight. There
seems to be no particular reason why the
Arachnid Boss should be trapped within the
Machine, so any Boss could be used.
It’s not specified whether there are Lairs on
the tile. Heroes who deem themselves more
than a match for the Terror (perhaps they
have Titles like Kingslayer and awesome Gear)
can include them to even the odds.
Official Resolution Text: Some days are
ever etched in your mind, today is such a day.
With sorrow, you leave the newly-returned body of
the beautiful woman behind. It is a small step one
takes to sink into disappointment.
Reward: Heroes can manipulate their decks
by 1 Card or earn the Title King of the
Impossible that lets them ignore all Attacks for
one Darkness Cycle, once per Act
 Expanded Story Quests
Evaluation
Story Quests are an important aspect of Myth
– they are how you earn Titles, which in turn
is how you hold onto your Gear between
games. These Stories, then, will be an
important feature for anyone looking for a
measure of long-term play and character
advancement in Myth. That there are five of
them is important too: by completing all of
these Quests, it’s possible for a Hero to have
earned five Titles and therefore be retaining
the Gear in each of their five Item Slots
between Quests. Presumably, such Heroes
are ready for promotion to the Journeyman
level of play.
These Quests are important in other senses
too. For one thing, they indicate how the Myth
core mechanics can be adapted to different
situations – surprise attacks, capture, siege
warfare, chases. They help develop the
“shared world” of Myth, important for a game
that won initial interest from its vivid and
evocative art. They are also statements of
intent from the designers at Megacon: this is
how we see our game being played.
So how do they measure up?
As Stories, these Quests deliver some
memorable moments: the Crawlers swarming
towards the castle in River Falls, breaking the
siege of Fallen Guard, the Infernal Machine
itself, all good fantasy fare, as good as anything
in a RPG. Anyone playing through all five of
these Quests will have enjoyed a satisfying
epic and the flavour text strives for a degree
of psychological and emotional weightiness to
balance out the carnage.
The mechanics show themselves to be flexible
too. APs can be used to regulate stealth or
exhaustion; Slaughterfield is a useful mechanic
for different types of mass combat; Lairs and
Hunting Packs can be rearranged to create
chase-scenes; non-combat actions can be
applied to a range of situations besides
disarming traps.
Nevertheless, there are disappointments. The
Quests are skeletal structures and frequently
the instructions are ambiguous or
inadequately thought-through – hence, this
expansion document. That’s a minor criticism
in the long run because Megacon’s ‘Patches’
contain more developed Quests, showing the
direction they’re going in.
22
Some Quests are inadequately filled-out: too
many big tiles full of monsters, sometimes
replicating an encounter the Heroes have
already been through. In Act Quests, players
will use their own creativity to make each
encounter distinct, but in a pre-written Story
Quest that shouldn’t really be necessary. I’ve
taken the liberty of suggesting alternatives in
some of these cases.
The flavour text itself is erratic, both in terms
of grammar and style. Sometimes can be
pretentious, at other times juvenile. Naming
conventions are unfortunate (Warren and
Pete are awful fantasy names). Two key NPCs
are introduced – Emberweave and Marcus the
Ready – but they are very simplistic fantasy
tropes, the charismatic barbarian beloved of
adolescent boys and the dotty wizard (who
may be more than he seems). Despite the
battles and sieges and tournaments, little care
has been taken to present the Heroes as
moving through a consistent fantasy world.
The flavour text adopts the perspective of an
ambitious warrior – in game terms, the
Soldier – and a man. A player who relates
strongly to the Brigand, Acolyte or
Apprentice, especially in their feminine
identities, may find the missions and
aspirations in the Quests pretty opaque. Of
course, it’s hard to please everyone, but one
Story themed around the Brigand’s or the
Apprentice’s ambitions would have been nice
– acquiring a fabled spell book, perhaps, or
kidnapping a crimelord’s family member.
Of course, the Story Quests need to be seen
in a wider context: there are the Chapter and
Act Quests which introduce the Priests, Sir
Archeron and Sister Sarah. Then there are the
Kickstarter Exclusive Story Quests, which
certainly hint that Emberweave may be more
than just a wizard and contain scenarios of
emotional drama and personal choice missing
from these adventures. They are also even
more cryptic in format, dating, perhaps, from
an earlier stage in Myth’s gestation.
Overall, there’s a lot of promise and potential
in these five Stories and they vindicate Myth as
a flexible mechanic for fantasy storytelling as
well as tabletop skirmishing. My wish list is
more world-building and material for the
other Hero Classes.