Game(s) Played:
No, really, the following post has MAJOR spoilers for the Gloomhaven campaign. This has been your spoiler warning.
Gloomhaven #11 – (21) Infernal Throne
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):
Last week on Gloomhaven… …
Despite the horror standing in front of them, the implied threat rankles each of the adventurers and even All Might who is being helped along by both Thalia and Rincewind looks up with a sneer and speaks for everyone on the team.
"Just bring it."
"Stand and fight you cowardly cur!" bellows All Might as the Prime Demon ninjas his way out of the situation with a puff of smoke. All Might continues to rant at the empty air, calling the Prime Demon's legitimacy of birth into question, as a Sun Demon and Frost Demon materialize out of thin air to do their liege lord's bidding. At this stage, Thalia would be jostling for leadership with All Might but she is surprisingly inconspicuous, making her silence conspicuous to the suspicious.
If the success of dungeon raiding is dependent on preparation, we're off to a great start here
Whilst the demons are focused on the noisome Inox in the centre of the group, Thalia slips into the shadows only to reappear next to the Sun Demon with a downward slash that cuts the demon just above its clavicle. The Sun Demon writhes in agony at the touch of cold steel drawing the attention of the rest of Thalia's party members like piranhas smelling blood in the water. The Frost Demon manages to cut off All Might and Rincewind before they can reinforce Thalia but Xanna dodges around the Frost Demon to shoot the lights out of the Sun Demon. Too late, the Frost Demon realizes that it is now caught smack dab in between mercenaries to its front and rear and is quickly cut down by All Might from its blind spot.
Not waiting to communicate via hand signals, All Might indicates that he will open and go through the door to the right in his traditional approach of "see door, kick door". The doorway is quickly swarmed by Night Demons and Wind Demons but All Might and Thalia manage to plant their feet in the entryway and hold off the demons as Rincewind continues to throw bolt after bolt of mana at the enemy whilst Xanna is industriously constructing her Battle Bot in the background.
"It's done" whispers Xanna as she tightens the last bolt into place. Seeing the monstrosity that Xanna has built into being, Thalia quickly makes way for the Battle Bot to take its place at the front lines. Built like a Droideka but wielding two short swords instead of automatic blasters, the Battle Bot carves right into the Night Demon that foolishly attempts to block its way, chopping it apart like a master chef quartering a whole chicken for sale at the market.
In Ortum De Machinis
After the spectacle of Night Demon parts flying into the air has ended, All Might realizes that Thalia has disappeared in the distraction, his last glimpse of her was as she disappeared through the doorway connecting to the door heading left at the entrance to the temple.
We all cheat in our own way
Left with only the Wind Demon as a legal target, the Battle Bot pivots on its legs and bowls over the Wind Demon. Left on the ground with arms and legs akimbo, the Wind Demon stands no chance as the Battle Bot's swords rise and fall in a methodical manner, leaving a gruesome mess on the floor.
The Battle Bot is earning exp faster than any of us can
As the echoes of the Wind Demon's dying screams quiet down, All Might hears the steady thumping of Earth Demons closing in on their position. "I'm so going to strangle Thalia when she gets back here" mutters All Might. In the meantime, Rincewind and Xanna are standing a few feet away looking at a magnificent doorway, etched with lifelike gargoyles in the frame, and three pulsing runes glowing in the centre of the door.
"It says, 'Enter…'" starts Rincewind.
"Cool" says Xanna as she swings the door open. "… and die" finishes Rincewind lamely. Xanna rounds on Rincewind and lays into him, "You know, you really need to work on saying the important bits first!" She then notices the size of Rincewind's eyeballs and asks "It's time to run isn't it?" and Rincewind nods so fast it looks like he's having a partial seizure.
The flavour text gives too much away though
Even as the Prime Demon completes his shell of protection, the altar fades out of view and appears in the midst of Rincewind and Xanna. A loud droning issues from the altar and a Frost Demon pops out of thin air above the portal, landing next to the altar, snarling and snapping at Rincewind.
Mercenaries guide to looting: "If it ain't nailed down…"
The group are now surrounded on all sides as the altar teleports further towards All Might's position and summons a Wind Demon this time. His survival sense tingling, Rincewind unrolls his magic carpet to "RIDE THE WIND" to safety back into the starting room outside the temple. Seeing her compatriot, Xanna panics and starts running for the exit as well with the Prime Demon close on her heels. Meanwhile, Thalia's body finally breaks invisibility in an empty room on the other side of the building…
Our version of teamwork is to leave all men behind
Xanna is running back towards the exit but MOVE 2 can't beat a teleporting altar of demon summoning. Just as she is about to reach the door, the altar phases in to being right in front of her and a Wind Demon jumps out of the summoning circle above the altar. With smoke bombs costing a premium in Gloomhaven these days, Xanna pulls out her "INK BOMB" and launches it at the Wind Demon, blasting it back to the demon realm.
Luck is part of the adventurer's skillset
Before anyone can blink, Xanna uses the opportunity of her distraction to squeeze her way between All Might and the Earth Demon, fleeing back whence they came. "Come on All Might! Let's get out of here!" Xanna yells as she breezes past the Inox.
All Might is however distracted by the loot dropped by the defeated demons and wanders over to pick the coin up.
Insanity is the Dr Jekyll hidden in all of us
His greed having no bounds, he wanders over to the other dropped loot, not realizing that he's boxed himself in, surrounded by the enemy, before it is too late.
And sometimes we take our insanity too far
The Frost Demon huffs and puffs and blows a cone of cold towards the feet of All Might, IMMOBILIZING him to the ground, whilst the Earth Demons and Prime Demon unload all manner of damage on All Might. Full of bruises and cuts, All Might look like he's about to meet his maker. And the turn in initiative passes to Rincewind standing in front of the altar in the next room.
The agonizing cries around the table at All Might's poor luck are not reflected in the eyes of his "teammates" who are silently thinking that the greedy bugger deserves what's coming to him.
Justin (Rincewind): Wait! Wait! If I pull a double damage modifier I can destroy the altar and All Might survives!
And so Rincewind calls on the mana stream and pours forth a "FLASHING BURST" directed towards the altar and the mana hears Rincewind's plea, making the burst two times hotter and brighter than usual…
And the award for top deck of the year goes to... ...
The cries of exultation, anguish, unbelief and awe mix together in a cacophony of people gone mad. We did it! The Prime Demon is no more!
As they pick up the loot from the palace and return back to their realm, Thalia casually states "Well that wasn't so hard really" drawing the eyes of All Might, Rincewind and Thalia boring into the back of her head. Someone's going to find ground up flies in their mince pie for dinner tonight.
Now let's cut to the action in real time!
Results Of Game(s)
Winners:
Justin aka Rincewind "I'm calling it now! Double Damage! BOOOYAAAH!!!" – 13 Exp & 56 Gold & 2 Ticks
Moses aka All Might "sh*t" –71 Gold
Sean aka Xanna "My new name is Killa! Xanna Demon Killa" – 18 Exp & 53 Gold
Gideon aka Thalia "I wonder how I knew where the treasure was going to be" – 18 Exp & 54 Gold & 1 Tick
We will be back with more Gloomhaven in two weeks' time.
Until next time, keep calm and play better.
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