Game(s) Played:
No, really, the following post has MAJOR spoilers for the Gloomhaven campaign. This has been your spoiler warning.
Gloomhaven #19 – (24) Echo Chamber
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):
It's been three days since Thalia "Heir Of Saint Traft", Xanna "Master Artificer to the Etherium Crafters" & Splinter "Karoke Kingu" have returned from exploring the mountainside of the Copperneck Mountains. Every night since then, their dreams have been haunted by the Voice, there is no other name for it. It continuously badgers them about going back to the cave they left behind, an endless beckoning call to go deeper into the cave. Xanna woke up and went screaming into the middle of the night and has not been seen since. Before the Voice can drive them to madness, All Might "The Symbol Of Peace" half drags both Thalia and Splinter towards the exit of the Sleeping Lion when there is a knock on the door…
This time we guessed correctly that we could not help him with all of us being muggles
After pointing the Smith in the direction of the Elemental Guild, All Might turns around and lifts both Thalia & Splinter by the arms and directs their feet towards the City Gates. As they begin to leave the city of Gloomhaven, the urgency of the Voice lessens as if satisfied that its victims are finally doing what it wants them to do. Before long, both Thalia and Splinter are themselves once again, realizing that the Vermling is travelling with them once again, Thalia tries to stomp her way back to Gloomhaven only to be assaulted by the Voice in greater volume, causing her to drop to her knees and hold her head in agony.
"Look, this is going to happen one way or another, you might as well get this curse out of your head then worry about the Vermling" says All Might as he picks Thalia up by the shoulder.
"Fine, let's get this over quickly then" says Thalia curtly as she double times her steps towards the cave entrance.
All Might turns to look toward Splinter and they both shrug at each other.
This is the exact same Road Event as our last scenario except these are red birds instead of white! Curse your devious mind, Isaac Childres!
After wiping off the corrosive spit of the SPITTING DRAKES, the party finally arrives at the cave entrance…
So all we have to do is open all the doors? Why does this scenario sound deceptively simple?
Coming through the cave entrance, the party walks into a wide chamber with one exit but it is guarded by a trio of RENDING DRAKES. Thalia looks like she's about to launch herself at them when Splinter's hand touches her shoulder. Pulling back his hand just in time, Thalia turns around ready to lop off Splinter's arm at the wrist with anger in her eyes. Nonplussed, Splinter points towards the shadowy corners of the room, "I've never seen those before".
Turning her attention to the corners, Thalia reacts with shock as the monster's shape undulates before her eyes, never maintaining the same shape from second to second. From within its translucent skin, the remains of its victims can be clearly seen, a skull here, a sword there, even a shiny codpiece.
Turning to the party, Thalia whispers "Those look like the slimes on my homeworld, they spit corrosive acid and are more often than not, extremely poisonous. Best watch out for our belongings."
"I have the least amount of items amongst us, I shall see what they are capable of" says Splinter matter-of-factly before sprinting off down towards the OOZE on the left.
As the OOZE coils itself to strike at the incoming Vermling, Splinter uses the force of his enemy against itself, and flips the OOZE into the trio of RENDING DRAKES. Dodging the flailing, flying OOZE, one RENDING DRAKE takes one step too near to All Might and Thalia. Like a striking serpent, All Might's hand reaches out and grabs the RENDING DRAKE at the base of its neck as Thalia's dirk flashes in a nanosecond behind, decapitating the RENDING DRAKE.
Rule #1 – Always hide behind the tank, always
Seeing that Splinter is about to become corroded shish kebab, All Might jumps into the fray to disrupt the focus of the monsters. Now totally confused, the monsters attack All Might who uses his buckler and armour to good effect, dealing back damage to the monsters in equal measure whilst Thalia and Splinter attack them from the flank. As the party turns to confront the last OOZE left… oozing, they come to a momentary halt as the injured OOZE begins to shiver and shake violently.
"Should we run?" asks All Might.
"I think we're out of range, let's just watch" replies Thalia.
For a brief moment, the OOZE splits into two, but the stress of the mitosis results in the OOZE exploding into little gunks of OOZE over the chamber floor. "Okay, point noted" says Thalia to no one in particular as she turns around and opens the door into the next room.
The screams of agony assault the minds of the entire party, as a group of LIVING SPIRITS cry out their curses that cause ill luck to follow the affected mercenaries. More a nuisance than posing any actual danger, the group dispatches the LIVING SPIRITS with efficiency, but they are now injured, cursed and have no healer. Nevertheless, the Inox Brute's spirits are still high.
Let the possibility of treasure be our guide
Pushing through into the next room, Thalia spies a lonesome RENDING DRAKE and jumps in for the kill. Unfortunately the curse comes into effect immediately and a nearby sleeping bat is awoken and flaps at Thalia's head, causing her to miss the killing blow. The RENDING DRAKE cries out in anger and suddenly Thalia is about to be surrounded by two other RENDING DRAKES who were guarding their nest nearby. With no remaining options to save Thalia's life, Splinter rolls up his sleeve and taps the tattoo on his forearm with his fingers, causing two dozen kunais to appear in the air around him with a puff of smoke. In a whirlwind of movement, he grabs each one and throws them with devastating precision at the RENDING DRAKE about to attack Thalia and it goes down in a hail of kunai.
Turning toward the panting Vermling, Thalia takes a moment before saying "I owe you one" begrudgingly. Always late to the party, All Might crashes into the other two RENDING DRAKES with an almighty clichéd cry of "NEVER FEAR! FOR I AM HERE!" as Thalia and Splinter turn around to assist All Might in taking out the remaining RENDING DRAKES.
Buoyed by his own sense of invincibility, All Might crashes through the next door, fortuitously taking out the RENDING DRAKE that was poised behind the doorway thoroughly by accident. But even an Inox has a miniscule sense of danger and All Might looks up to see a horde of OOZES sliming their way towards him.
Treasure changes the impossible to die trying
Turning towards Thalia, Splinter looks her in the eye and says, "The Inox has become treasure-mad, I have no desire to hear that Voice tell me to come back here again. It's time to cut our losses."
Thalia reins in her disdain for the Vermling Mindthief, "Agreed, let's just get this over with."
All Might calls out the play "MIDNIGHT HUNT 34!"
Sighing in resignation, Thalia jumps into the group of OOZES and chants the incantation for the RING OF SKULLS. A SKELETON rises up from the ground and wraps itself around the nearest OOZE, holding it in place as Thalia's dirk flashes deep into the OOZE'S core, not only destroying it in one blow but freeing up space for All Might to jump in and annihilate two OOZES, thrusting his sword like a piercing spear in a straight line.
In the meantime, Splinter pulls on his INVISIBILITY CLOAK and heads for the door into the next room. Pushing it open, he sees another trio of OOZES who don't notice him as he heads towards the next door.
The two OOZES jump on Thalia injuring her to the point where she has a single hitpoint remaining. Getting the SKELETON to cover her retreat, she opens the nearest door but ignores the hissing of the disturbed RENDING DRAKES within to make her escape back towards the entrance. The OOZES however are not giving chase but starting to shake and shiver like the first OOZE at the entrance chamber. Calling out to whoever can hear her, Thalia shouts "They're going to split again!"
Hearing the warning, All Might and Splinter have different reactions. All Might makes the quick leap over the trap to kick open the Treasure Chest, whilst Splinter rushes forward and yanks open the last door in the cave system.
Success is in the eye of the beholder
Fetch quests usually don't involve the possibility of mortal peril
As the dust settles from the fancy monster disintegration, All Might reaches into the Treasure Chest…
Foiled again!
Now let's cut to the action in real time!
Results Of Game(s)
Winners:
Justin aka Splinter "Kuchiyose: Raiko Kenka" – 18 Exp & 2 Ticks (+1 PERK!)
Moses aka All Might "My life for the TREASURE" – 24 Exp & 21 Gold & 1 Tick (+1 PERK!)
Gideon aka Thalia "I died and lived again" – 21 Exp (LVL UP!) & 21 Gold
+1 Reputation
We will be back with more Gloomhaven in two weeks' time.
Until next time, keep calm and play better.
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