Quest 10: The Shadow Vault
Quest 10: The Shadow Vault
Introduction
"The Shadow Binders were instrumental in the defeat of a being known as Gryvorn," says Baron Greigory's librarian as she adjusts her half-moon spectacles. "According to the Shadow Binders, he was a dragonlord—but that's preposterous. In any case, they bound—or re-bound—Gryvorn into a runestone, which they then broke in half."
"Zachareth insists the Overlord must have one half," says Baron Greigory. "If so, he's looking for the other—the half Pellin and his chaps locked away in that Shadow Vault. Of course, no one seems to know where that blessed thing is or how to get inside, but we've sussed it out!" The old baron puffs up with pride. "Well, simple thing, then, really—go there and fetch the wretched thing, then come back quick as you can."
With Greigory's maps and notes, finding and getting into the Shadow Vault is easy, and soon you find yourselves picking up a lead casket, locked tight—it must contain the Shadow Rune!
Before you can go, however, you find your exit blocked by an unexpected figure: Baron Zachareth! And he's holding what must be the other half of the Shadow Rune! "Thanks for doing the hard part," he sneers, "Now I'll just kill you and take it."
You and Zachareth are both trying to escape with the casket.
Monsters
- Baron Zachareth
- 3 open groups
Setup
Heroes place their figures on the Shadow Vault in the squares marked with an "X."
The hero players choose one hero and place the green objective token on that hero's Hero sheet—this is the casket, and that hero is carrying it.
Place Baron Zachareth and 1 of the monster groups on the Cave. Place 1 monster group on the River's Edge. The third monster group is not placed on the map.
Place search tokens based on the number of heroes. The unique search token is the key to the locked rune door.
Place 2 red objective tokens faceup as indicated. These are staircases.
Special Rules
Monster Activation
The monsters on the River's Edge cannot be activated until the first hero enters a space on the Caravan. After this happens, they may be activated as normal.
Doors, Keys, and the Map
The unique search token in the Shadow Vault is a Rune Key. After any hero has discovered the Rune Key, any hero may open the locked door to the Cave.
The objective tokens are staircases. A figure may spend 1 movement point while on a staircase to move to the other staircase as if they were adjacent spaces.
The door between the Caravan and the River's Edge is stuck. When a figure attempts to open the door, that figure must test [Strength]. If he passes, the door is opened. If he fails, there is no effect.
Swimming
As an action, a figure may swim from any of the water spaces on the River's Edge tile to the water space on the near edge of the Stream tile. To do so, that figure performs an action and tests [Strength]. If he passes, he moves to a water space on the Stream closest to the River's Edge. If he fails, there is no effect.
As an action, a figure in a space along the edge of the Stream closest to the Waterfall may hurl himself over the waterfall. To do so, place the figure in any empty water space along the edge of the Waterfall nearest the Stream. Roll 1 red power die; the figure suffers damage equal to the [damage] rolled.
Baron Zachareth may move through any door as if it were not there. When he swims through the Stream or hurls himself over the Waterfall, he need not test or suffer any [damage]—he simply moves as described above.
If Baron Zachareth is defeated, read the following aloud:
"Only a minor setback!" the dark baron howls, his body dissolving into a burst of dark fire. "I'll be back!"
Then place Baron Zachareth on the Entrance.
The Casket
The heroes begin the quest with the casket (represented by the green objective token). They can choose which hero carries it at the start of the quest; if they cannot decide, give it to the hero with the highest [Strength] (break ties randomly).
As an action, a hero can hand off the casket to an adjacent hero.
A figure who is defeated while carrying the casket drops it in an adjacent empty space (or as close as possible).
As an action, any hero or Zachareth can pick up the casket while in an adjacent space.
Reinforcements
At the start of the Overlord turn, he may place 1 monster from 1 of his monster groups on the Entrance, respecting group limits.
Victory
Hero Victory
If a hero moves off the map through the Entrance while carrying the casket, read the following aloud:
You hear the baying and growling of the Overlord's minions, hard on your heels! Your heart seems to be thundering against your chest, and your raspy breaths taste like copper and bile. You're running harder than you ever have in your life. You burst through a line of bushes and into a column of soldiers wearing the livery of Baron Greigory. The old baron rides at the head of the column and tugs furiously at his mustache. "He jolly well pulled the wool over my eyes, but I figured it out in the end! Are we too late? Does Zachareth have the Shadow Rune?"
Gasping for breath, you offer the casket to Greigory. Fishing a key from a silver chain around his neck, Greigory tries the lock, opens the casket, and reveals a twisted piece of angry black stone, throbbing with power. "Well," says Greigory. "That will be it, wot? Come! Back to Arbynn; he shan't have it!"
The heroes win!
Overlord Victory
If Zachareth moves off the map through the Exit while carrying the casket, read the following aloud:
Zachareth strides imperiously ahead of you, his tabard whipping in the cold breeze of his victory. You race after him, cutting down another wave of his minions. Suddenly, the way forward is blocked by a massive figure in dark, heavy plate mail: Sir Alric Farrow. With a resounding thud, the dragon-hybrid Belthir lands off to one side. Behind you, Splig the Goblin King stands above more goblins than you've ever seen in your life. Zachareth stops his march and, smirking, hands the casket to Lord Merick as Lady Eliza helps him into a hooded black robe.
"I win this round, heroes. So sorry. Still, I couldn't have done it without you—I need loyal subjects like you when I become king, you know. So... I think I'll let you live. For now."
Laughing, the Overlord and his lieutenants vanish into the gathering night. What are you going to tell Baron Greigory?
The Overlord wins!
Rewards
Win or lose, each player receives 1 XP.
If the heroes win, they receive the "Shadow Rune" relic.
If the Overlord wins, he receives the "Shadow Rune" relic.
Map Tiles
- Shadow Vault
- Cave
- River's Edge
- Caravan
- Stream
- Waterfall
- Entrance
- Exit