Quest 4: The Defense of Castle Daerion

Act I 2 Encounters

Quest 4: The Defense of Castle Daerion

Introduction

"This business with the Overlord is ruddy bad," says Baron Greigory through his white mustache. "That chap who was murdered when you first came to town, he wasn't just anyone. That was Vicerny Pellin. He was a hero like you, in his younger days. He and his fellows, they called themselves the Shadow Binders."

"We don't think his death was happenstance," says Baron Zachareth, stroking his dapper beard. "This Overlord is clever, whoever he is. We have to assume he's after all the Shadow Binders."

"Koth traveled with Pellin," says Greigory. "He's Cardinal, now; set himself up at the Cathedral to Kellos in the Carthmounts. Best hurry off and make sure he's alive. He's got the Staff of Light, too—might need it, wot?"

As you approach the Cathedral, the day grows dark. Suspiciously you ready your weapons and nearly kill the young initiate who calls to you from behind a rock. "Please, faithful! The Cathedral is besieged. The Cardinal invoked the Ward of Flame, but that Lord Merick was already inside! He knows that Koth can only be harmed by a faithful man—he's raising the dead in our own graveyard and sending them to kill the Cardinal. You must find the Relic of Dawn to get through the ward and stop Lord Merick before his zombies overcome Cardinal Koth!"

Monsters

Setup

Place Merick Farrow on the Exit as indicated. Place the flesh moulders on the Caravan. Place the open group on the Ruins. No zombies are placed during setup.

Place search tokens based on the number of heroes. The unique search token is the Relic of Dawn.

Place 4 red objective tokens faceup on the Graveyard as indicated. These are gravestones.

The locked door is a mystic portal.

Special Rules

The mystic portal does not block line of sight for Lord Merick Farrow, but he cannot move through it; the mystic portal blocks line of sight and movement for all other figures. When the heroes discover the Relic of Dawn, immediately remove the mystic portal.

Once per turn, if Lord Merick Farrow is adjacent to a gravestone, he may attempt to raise a zombie as an action. He tests [Willpower]. If he passes, remove the gravestone and place 1 minion zombie in that space. Zombies cannot activate the turn they are raised (still climbing out of the ground!). While the zombies are at their group limit, the Overlord cannot raise more zombies. Also, see "Reinforcements."

The zombies may move off the map through the Exit. Each time this happens, the Overlord places 1 fatigue token in his play area; they will be important in Encounter 2.

Reinforcements

Before the mystic portal is opened, the Overlord may place 1 monster from the open monster group on the Entrance tile at the end of each turn in which Merick tries and fails to raise a zombie. After the mystic portal is opened, the Overlord may place 1 monster from the open group on the Entrance at the end of each Overlord turn, regardless of whether a zombie is raised. In both cases, the Overlord must respect group limits.

Victory

Hero Victory

If the heroes defeat Lord Merick, read the following aloud:

In a puff of smoke, Lord Merick Farrow vanishes. His voice lingers. "Blast and damnation! I won't be beaten this easily, you meddling whelps. I'll be back!"

From within the cathedral you hear the crash of breaking glass. No time to bask in your victory—the Cardinal is in danger!

The heroes win this encounter!

Overlord Victory

If there are ever no zombies and no gravestones remaining on the map, read the following aloud:

"That should do it," gloats Lord Merick as the last of his zombies shambles through the doors. "Prophecies and curses... ha! There's always a way around them." There is a flash of light and a puff of smoke, and then he is gone.

From within the cathedral you hear the crash of breaking glass. The Cardinal is in danger!

The Overlord wins this encounter!

Introduction

The cathedral seems unnaturally still and dark. Above the door, carved in stone, you see the words "The Righteous Have Nothing to Fear From the Faithless"—that must be what the initiate was referring to, that Koth could only be harmed by the faithful.

Then you hear the scraping of a stone and a deathly moan. Lord Merick is still raising the dead beneath the cathedral floor—faithful men, now enslaved to the Overlord's will! You only have moments to find a way through the locked door to the Cardinal's library and get him out alive!

Monsters

Lord Merick Farrow
Zombies
3 open groups

Setup

Place 1 open monster group on the Chapel. Place 1 master zombie on the Library as indicated. For each fatigue token in the Overlord's play area (from Encounter 1), place 1 minion zombie on the Library, ignoring group limits. Lord Merick Farrow and the other 2 open groups are not placed during setup.

Place search tokens based on the number of heroes. The unique search token is the Rune Key.

Place the white objective token faceup as indicated. This is the Altar. The villager token is Cardinal Koth.

Special Rules

Doors

When the door to either the Tomb or the Stairs is opened the first time, the Overlord places 1 of his unused open groups on that corresponding tile. When the other door is opened, the Overlord places his other open group on that tile. Only a hero may open those doors for the first time. After the doors have been opened, they are treated as normal doors in all respects.

The locked door to the Library cannot be opened until the heroes find the Rune Key.

Cardinal Koth

Treat Cardinal Koth as a hero with the following exceptions:

He cannot recover [Stamina] by normal means (see "The Altar")
He may only be attacked by zombies

When a hero is adjacent to Cardinal Koth, he is rescued (see "The Second Wave"). Once rescued, at the end of the last hero turn each round, Cardinal Koth performs a single move action (Cardinal Koth is controlled by the hero player who takes his turn last).

Cardinal Koth Stats:

Health: 16
Stamina: 0
Speed: 4
Defense: 1 black

The Altar

A hero adjacent to the Altar may attempt to activate it as an action. To do so, the hero tests [Willpower]. If he passes, that hero rolls 1 red power die. Cardinal Koth recovers [Stamina] equal to the [Stamina] rolled on the red power die (regardless of where he is on the map). If he fails, there is no effect.

The Altar may only be successfully activated once per round.

Reinforcements

None (see "The Second Wave" below).

The Second Wave

When a hero first opens the door to the Library, read the following aloud:

The Cardinal holds aloft a staff that glows with a bright light. "Thank Kellos you're here," he says. "Quickly, let's get out of here."

The Cardinal is now rescued, and the Overlord must try and stop him. Place Lord Merick Farrow on the Entrance. From now on, at the start of each Overlord turn, he may place 1 zombie on either the Library or the Entrance, respecting group limits. Furthermore, if a monster group has not yet been placed in either the Tomb or Ancient Stairs, place it now. That group activates as normal and may open the door to that room.

Victory

Hero Victory

If Cardinal Koth moves off the map through the Entrance, read the following aloud:

Outside, Koth lifts the Staff of Light aloft. It flares like a second sun, and when the light fades the Overlord's minions are gone. Koth presents the staff to you.

"Thirty years ago, my friends and I used this staff to help us bind Gryvorn of the Shadows. Now, it is yours." Then he lifts his palm and the Flame of Kellos flares to life. "Go with Kellos' blessing, faithful. Bring the Light into dark places."

The heroes win!

Overlord Victory

If Cardinal Koth is defeated, read the following aloud:

"I'll take that," says Lord Merick. He gestures and the Staff of Light flies from Koth's corpse and up into his hands. Instantly, the light goes out, replaced by a nimbus of shadow. "Thanks for the help." With a smirk, the evil lord raps the butt of his new staff against the stone floor and vanishes in a flash of shadow.

The Overlord wins!

Rewards

Win or lose, each player receives 1 XP.

If the heroes win, they receive the "Staff of Light" relic.

If the Overlord wins, he receives the "Staff of Shadows" relic.

Map Tiles

Encounter 1:

Caravan
Graveyard
Ruins
Entrance
Exit

Encounter 2:

Chapel
Library
Tomb
Ancient Stairs
Entrance