Quest 10: Saradyn in Flames

Act Interlude 1 Encounter Requires: After Caladen's Crossing (Quest 8)

Quest 10: Saradyn in Flames

Encounter 1

Introduction

At first, the defenders held the cliff. The enemy fell beneath their arrows and swords, unable to gain a foothold. However, when night fell, winged horrors took to the skies and no man was safe from their assault. With no warning but the briefest flutter of wings, soldier after soldier was torn from their post and thrown into the darkness below.

By sunrise, the outer wall of the monastery was the last remaining defense. All was quiet but the cold, whistling wind. The wounded lived or died, and despair settled in the hearts of every survivor. As the shadows clambered down the cliff beneath the setting sun, dark dragons appeared on the horizon. The walls were abandoned within the hour.

Now, you wait for the breach of the final gate to the lower halls. Many search for escape, a secret entrance to the tunnels and halls that permeate the cliffs, but none has yet been found. Suddenly, the gates buckle, as if pulled outward. They groan, pop, and are gone, leaving only a cloud of dust. Between you and the inferno outside stands a single dark knight. "Tyrus," he calls out, slow and rumbling. "Bring me Tyrus." You ready your weapon and Tyrus ducks behind you. "Very well," Alric murmurs. He strides forward with pounding steps, and the burning monastery crumbles into ruins behind him.

Monsters

Setup

Place Lady Eliza Farrow on the Depths (1B). Place 1 open monster group on the Depths (1B). Place the cave spiders on the Spider Den (15B). Place the zombies on the Burial Chamber (10B). Place the second open monster group on the Stairway (19B).

Sir Alric Farrow is not placed during setup. He arrives during turn 2 (see Special Rules).

The heroes must secretly designate two allied tokens to escort:

Choose 1 hero to carry the green objective token, which represents Helena, the elder-priestess. The token is placed on that hero's Hero sheet.
Choose 1 hero to carry the white objective token, which represents Tyrus, the boy heir. The token is placed on that hero's Hero sheet.

Place 4 red objective tokens and 4 blue objective tokens facedown and shuffle them. Place them randomly on the spaces marked on the map. These are fellow clergy who have survived the initial assault. No players should know which token is which.

Place search tokens based on the number of heroes. The unique search token is the key to the hidden escape route.

Special Rules

Into the Depths

Sir Alric Farrow pursues the heroes relentlessly through the crumbling monastery. As Sir Alric moves, the monastery collapses behind him.

At the start of turn 2, place Sir Alric Farrow on the Depths (1B) as close as possible to the Stairway (19B).

After Sir Alric Farrow performs a move action that brings him within 3 spaces of a tile edge where no hero currently stands, the Overlord may demolish the tile Sir Alric just left. Remove that tile from the map entirely. Any figures or tokens on the demolished tile are immediately defeated (for monsters) or moved to the closest available empty space (for heroes and allied tokens). Any hero moved this way suffers 2 [damage] from the falling debris and must test [Agility]. If he fails, he suffers an additional 1 [damage].

Tiles are demolished in the following order (if still present): Depths (1B), then Stairway (19B), then Spider Den (15B), then Burial Chamber (10B).

If Sir Alric enters a space containing a hero carrying Helena or Tyrus, that hero must test [Agility]. If he fails, Sir Alric wrests the token from the hero. Place the token on Sir Alric's base. The hero carrying the token may attempt to reclaim it by testing [Strength] as an action while adjacent to Sir Alric. If he passes, return the token to his Hero sheet.

Find the Boy

The lieutenants are searching for Tyrus. When Lady Eliza Farrow or Sir Alric Farrow performs an attack targeting a hero, after the attack resolves (whether it dealt damage or not), the Overlord may flip 1 facedown objective token adjacent to that hero or within 2 spaces, if any remain. When an objective token is flipped faceup, read the results based on the color:

Red token: Read the following aloud: A terrified acolyte stumbles out of the shadows. Place a villager token in the space. This is a helpless survivor. The survivor remains in place and blocks movement. Monsters may attack the survivor; if defeated, discard the token.
Blue token: Read the following aloud: A wounded soldier of the monastery staggers forward, weapon raised. Place a villager token in the space. This is a guard (see guard stats in Special Rules: The Guards). The guard activates as normal.

If Tyrus (the white objective token) is revealed from a hero's possession, place the white objective token faceup in the space where it was revealed. Tyrus becomes a target for the lieutenants. Lady Eliza Farrow and Sir Alric Farrow will move toward Tyrus as their highest priority when selecting targets and movement.

The Dark Knight

Sir Alric Farrow cannot be immobilized by any effect. If Sir Alric Farrow would be moved off a tile, he instead moves to the closest empty space still on that tile.

If Sir Alric Farrow would be defeated, instead of removing him from the map, place him on his side and place 3 damage tokens on his reference card. He is unconscious. While unconscious, Sir Alric cannot be targeted by attacks and does not block movement. At the start of the next Overlord turn, remove all damage tokens from Sir Alric, stand his figure upright in the same space (or the closest available empty space), and he activates normally.

If Sir Alric is unconscious and the tile he occupies is demolished, he is not defeated by the demolition. Instead, move him to the closest available empty space on any remaining tile and stand him upright. Remove all damage tokens from him.

The Guards

The blue objective tokens that reveal guards are treated as hero figures with the following exceptions:

They cannot recover [Stamina] by any means
They are immune to all conditions
They pass any attribute test they are called upon to make

Guard Stats:

Health: 6
Speed: 4
Defense: None (gray die)
Attack: 1 blue die + 1 yellow die

Each guard on the same tile as either a hero or a monster activates at the end of the last hero turn each round; they are controlled by the hero player who takes his turn last. When activated, each guard moves directly toward the closest monster. If he ends his movement adjacent to it, he performs an attack targeting it. When 2 monsters are equally close, the heroes choose which monster the guard moves toward.

Reinforcements

At the start of each Overlord turn, he may place 1 monster from 1 of his monster groups on any Entrance tile still present on the map, respecting group limits.

Sir Alric Farrow cannot be reinforced by this rule; he returns via his The Dark Knight special rule.

Victory

Hero Victory

If the hero carrying Tyrus (the white objective token) exits the map through the secret escape route (the Exit), read the following aloud:

You burst through the hidden passage into the cold night air. Behind you, the monastery collapses in a roar of stone and flame. Tyrus clings to you, trembling but alive. "Helena?" he whispers. You lower your head. The elder-priestess did not make it out. Her sacrifice bought you the time you needed. You swear that it will not be in vain.

The heroes win this encounter! The heroes receive 100 gold as reward for saving Tyrus.

Proceed to Army of Dal'Zunm (Quest 11). Read the Act II introduction on page 46.

Overlord Victory

If Sir Alric Farrow captures Tyrus (the white objective token is on Sir Alric's base at the start of an Overlord turn), read the following aloud:

Sir Alric lifts the struggling boy by the collar. Tyrus screams and kicks, but the dark knight is implacable. Lady Eliza appears from the shadows, her hand reaching out to stroke Tyrus's cheek. "There you are, little heir," she whispers. "Welcome home." She turns to you with a predatory smile. "You fought well. But this valley belongs to me now."

The Overlord wins this encounter! The Overlord receives 1 additional XP.

The Overlord receives the Scorpion's Kiss relic.

Proceed to Prison of Khinn (Quest 13). Read the Act II introduction on page 46.

Rewards

Win or lose, each player receives 1 XP.

If the heroes win, they receive 100 gold.

If the Overlord wins, he receives 1 additional XP and the Scorpion's Kiss relic.

Map Tiles

Burial Chamber (10B)
Stairway (19B)
Depths (1B)
Spider Den (15B)
Entrance
Exit