Game(s) Played:
No, really, the following post has MAJOR spoilers for the Gloomhaven campaign. This has been your spoiler warning.
Gloomhaven #4 – (4) Crypt of the Damned
Game: Gloomhaven
Designer: Isaac Childres
Players: 1 – 4 Players
Playing Time: 30 – 120 minutes (This Play: 120 minutes)
Main Mechanisms: Role Playing, Legacy, Hand Management
Player(s):
After the somewhat underwhelming excursion to the Sulfur Mine in the previous week, Thalia, Xanna & Rincewind decide to follow-up on the clues regarding the "Gloom" cult hideout. All Might decides to sit out this journey to send Lyramof off at the Wyvern Station, which of course includes the traditional "Titans" send-off of drinking every type of drink in every bar along the way to the station.
Making their way out of the city, the party hears a hissing sound come out of the alleyway… …
We went with Option B which had no impact on us since we have a stellar reputation
As we turn towards the direction of the Still River an unusual sound reaches our ears… …
There being more KFC lovers than animal rights activists amongst us, we went with Option A… and received a KFC blessing
I wonder if they let the people who reply with "Ooops sorry wrong number" leave unscathed?
Facing off against the 2 Living Bones & 2 Bandit Archers, the team is painfully aware that they have entered this den of thieves without a tank to act as a meat shield for the party.
Thalia "Heir of Saint Traft" steps up to the plate even as Xanna & Rincewind launch all manner of spellfire and ranged missiles at the enemy. The first Bandit Archer does not survive the onslaught and is quickly sent to the next world. Facing the 2 elite Living Bones is one too many and the party focuses fire on the Living Bones to their right. Rincewind manages to complete his incantation and launches "Impaling Eruption" at the 3 enemies, the focused Living Bones crumples into dust even as the earthen spikes blast through his torso and the remaining Bandit Archer takes a serious wound to the gut and is quickly dispatched. The last elite Living Bones is quickly surrounded and mauled to a second death after undeath.
Being the closest to the door, Rincewind suggests that he opens the door and proposes to the group a strategy he had heard from the next table over at the Sleeping Lion. A simple strategy whereby Rincewind would stand in an open doorway and put on his Invisibility Cloak, the enemies would try to enter the room but would not be able to pass through the door and would also not be able to attack Rincewind since he is invisible.
Yanking open the door, Rincewind forgets to have the Invisibility Cloak on hand and is immediately shot at by the 3 Bandit Archers behind the doorway before he can get his cloak on. The first two quarrels take him in the shoulder but the third arrow pierces his abdomen and Rincewind is sadly out for the count. Thalia and Xanna look on in horror as the plan falls to pieces but quickly rally themselves even as the 3 Cultists and 3 Bandit Archers begin to make their way towards their room with daggers and bows at the ready.
Rincewind v Death / Exhaustion = 0 – 4
Thalia & Xanna regain their senses and strike down the lead Cultists standing over Rincewind's body then quickly drag Rincewind back into the room. They hear the chanting coming from the 2 Cultists in the back and the resultant crackle of bone on bone makes them realize that the Cultists have summoned even more Living Bones to do their nefarious bidding.
Thalia quickly signals Xanna to hide behind the door even as their enemy undead begin to shuffle into the room, the Bandit Archers using them as cover. Over the noisome clanking and rattling of the Living Bones, the Bandit Archers fail to notice Xanna launch her "Net Shooter" at them from behind. Human flesh being a lot softer than sturdy bones, a quick one-two stab is enough to finish off the two struggling Bandit Archers before they can free themselves.
The Bandit Archers never saw the grinning diminutive Quatryl aiming down the sights of her "Net Shooter" behind them
The Cultists standing outside congratulate themselves with the waggling of their eyebrows (as per the sacred cult guidebook) for a job well done at only the cost of a ceremonial slashing of forearm to summon the Living Bones. That is until they realize that all has gone silent in the room, and none of their minions have come back. Wondering if one of the inquisitive intruders managed to get off a spell of silence, one Cultist decides to head on in to investigate. Sensing their plan had worked, Xanna runs across the room squealing "Weeeeeeeee", drawing the attention of the curious Cultist whilst Thalia jumps in from the opposite direction and stabs the now-forever-curious Cultist in the back.
Feeling that something has gone awry, the last two Cultists outside the room arm themselves but they no longer have the advantage of numbers even as Xanna & Thalia burst out of the room, each individual mercenary clearly stronger in weapons at arms against the bookworm Cultists.
Stopping to take a breath, Xanna & Thalia find themselves in a long hallway that extends to their left, with one door in front of them and another door further down the hallway. After a furious discussion on Psych 101, Thalia gives in and they decide to rush the right door.
Elemental Demons… … We should call ourselves the Ghostbusters!
Even as the Earth Demon begins stomping towards them, Thalia looks over at Xanna and tells her "Pretend to look tasty". Even as Xanna looks at Thalia in bewilderment, Thalia steps up to the Earth Demon and, hoping it speaks Common, points at Xanna saying "Quartyls are made of fat, salt, pepper and soft muscle. I'm made of bitter blood, tough muscle and chlorophyll. Eat her!" The Earth Demon considers this for a moment then sensing the Quartyl trying to escape, it bounds after her.
Not one to miss an opportunity, Thalia slides down on her knees in front of the chest but even as she reaches out to lift the lid, alarm bells start ringing in her head and she manages to hold her breath even as a cloud of sickly green vapour comes out from the empty chest.
Responding to Xanna's sounds of resistance to the Earth Demon, Thalia jumps into the fray once more and before the Earth Demon can respond, she carves off both the Earth Demon's lumbering legs from behind. As the Earth Demon begins to fall, Xanna braces a nearby piece of wood against the ground and the Earth Demon falls right through it, snuffing out its life energies and returning it to a pile of inanimate earth and rubble once more.
Feeling that something is desperately wrong in the atmosphere, Thalia leads the way through the next door, only to discover that the last remaining idiotic Cultist had managed to summon two Wind Demons into our realm. Even as Xanna's cross bolts whistle right through the bodies of the Wind Demons, Thalia remembers from "Year 1: The Adventurer's Introduction to Monsters" that Wind Demons cover their small bodies with wind armour and promptly launches herself into the air and drop kicking the Wind Demon in front of her on its very visible head. Noticing the shiny gleam of a treasure chest deeper in the room, Thalia yells to Xanna "USE BIGGER ATTACKS!" before rushing off into the gloom.
Here we see the human psyche taking over Thalia, a friend abandoned for the possession of treasure
Taking Thalia's advice, Xanna promptly picks up the hapless Cultist and launches it at the remaining Wind Demon. Even as the groggy Cultist tries to stand, his eyes widen in surprise and a soft "Oh" escapes his lips before he crumbles to the ground again, a dagger in his back and Thalia standing behind him with the design plans for a "Ring of Skulls" looted from the chest, held in her hand.
Hmmm… … how unusual to come across an opportunity to convert to the dark side
With nothing else to do, Thalia and Xanna return back to the first room to pick Rincewind up as he grimaces through the pain and asks "What did I miss?" The party head back to the Sleeping Lion to rest up and down a few drinks before the next big adventure.
Now let's cut to the action in real time!
Results Of Game(s)
Loot!:
Gideon aka Thalia "All I do is Crit, Crit, Crit, no matter what" – 10 Exp
Justin aka Rincewind "I knew I should have labelled the Invisibility Cloak!!!" – 6 Exp & 2 Gold
Sean aka Xanna "AOE attacks for daaayyysss"
It is International Tabletop Day and we are celebrating by doing three Gloomhaven scenarios in a single day! Lookout for Part #5, #6 and even Part #7 which happened on Labour Day!
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