When last we saw Balthazar and his team in the Battle of Carn Vorn, the team discovered that some evil magic was imbueing creatures with the rejuvenation abilities of a Troll. The team lost their scout Adeline but they won the battle. They have been tracing the source of these creatures. The team encounters a caravan of human peasant refugees fleeing the area who tell them of a research facility in Tharbad. The peasants say a Night Hag conducts experiments there and has attracted the eye of Nyarlathotep himself who has sent a Shoggoth to make sure the Hag's R&D continues. Balthazar sends Prince Arioch, McGirk, and Mordecai the Butler to escort the peasants to safety. A group of dwarves from Moria appear and present themselves as allies. King Gourd of the dwarves means to destroy the Shoggoth. So the current mission is set. Destroy the Tharbad Research Facility and then... destroy the Shoggoth! King Gourd also says, the ruins of Tharbad might have mystic items that could help destroy or at least weaken the Shoggoth.
Left to Right: Karnov the Barbarian, Lenore the Valkyrie, Balthazar the Blue, Malekith the Anti-Paladin
Balthazar: Alrighty team. We are down a few members from our usual roster but we must destroy the Tharbad Research Facility or Trollish nature will be on the rise.
Lenore: I shudder to think of such a world! Those pesky Valar-damned trolls!
Balthazar: So here's how I feel about what we gonna do here. Either you're in 100% or your out. I dont like to effin dabble. If I go in, I like to go deep under cover. Thats where I go in. Know what Im saying buddies? Im going in like Gandalf did! Full force!
Lenore: Got it boss, full force.
Left to Right: Dwarf soldiers, King Gound, Priestess Phoebe
King Gourd: Dwarves! We have our 1st assignment since returning to Middle Earth, lets give it our best, eh? Lets show these humies that we dwarves dont mess around.
Dwarves: *cheering* Moria! Beer! Roast meats!
On the eastern half of the board, Balthazar and King Gourd and a few dwarves deploy.
Closer to the Tharbad Research Facility, Malekith leads a contingent of knights, archers and handgunners.
Malekith: Shoggoths are timid, easily frightened creatures. It's best to greet them with a twitching, thrashing peace dance while wearing a garland of goats entrails.
On the western half of the table, Lenore, Karnov, and their henchmen deploy.
Closer to the Tharbad Research Facility, Priestess Phoebe leads dwarf warriors and some ranged troops.
Priestess Phoebe: Well, the army seem to be in good spirits at least. Valaya preserve us in our hour of need!
~~~
THE BATTLE OF THARBAD PART DEUX
Summary
The Nighthag Esmerelda has been experimenting with imbueing monsters with Trollish Regeneration. She has been using the local monsters of Tharbad for her experiments. She must be stopped before she creates more abominations. Nyarlathotep is interested in supporting the Nighthag's research facility to help him in his Mythos invasion of Middle Earth. A Shoggoth has been sent to Tharbad to protect these bio-weapon factories from any meddlesome humans. Our heroes, Balthazar and friends, have received orders from the White Tower to sabotage the Tharbad facility and slay the Shoggoth. Dwarf allies have arrived on scene to assist!
Board Setup
The table size is 22" x 60" (two mats). Place a ruin in the center to represent the Research Facility. Also place 4 clumps of terrain - trees, rocks, walls, statues. Clumps must have at least 4" of open space around them and at least 2" from a board edge. Also place 4 small ruined buildings or crypts.
Deployment
- Esmerelda the Nighthag Witch and 3 Beastmen are placed in the center Ruin. 6 more Beastmen are placed in two groups within 6" of center ruin. Place 6 Item Counters face down around the board but no closer than 6" to each other or board edge. Monsters are not aware of Heroes. Monsters alerted if in LOS and in 12" of Heroes or already alerted monster.
- All Heroes and allies must deploy within 3" of southern edge.
Reinforcements
- DM Only Info
Special Rules
- The Heroes may search an Item Counter if adjacent to it. On a roll of 4+, they may pick it up. Dwarves get a +1 to the roll. 3 counters are cobwebs (useless), If 3 items are brought together and crafted as an action, a Mythos Bomb-Omb is created that can be activated at any time to cause 6 Wounds on a Shoggoth in LOS. One time use.
- The Research Facility has 10 Health and no Save.
Victory Conditions
- Game ends on Turn 10. Heroes win if the Research Facility is destroyed AND the Shoggoth is slain.
The game begins with King Gourd approaching a crypt. He avoids being spotted by some Beastmen, but something stirs in the crypt... something slimy. Its the Avatar of Dagon!
Avatar of Dagon: The Beercart Pony might have escaped my grasp last game and that loss still sticks in my craw... so, I will make these dwarves suffer greatly!
Balthazar and dwarf warriors approach a gate in a wall and see the Avatar of Dagon coming out of a crypt.
Balthazar: Shhhh... King Gourd agro'ed the beast... let him deal with it! If it doesnt see us, we should be ok. We will go around it and complete the mission.
Malekith and friends approach an item stash and discover... cobwebs. Malekith orders his range troops to fire on some distant Beastmen who havent yet spotted them. The arrow misses, no casualties.
Malekith: Use arrows only, no guns. Dont want to sound a general alarm, yet.
On the western half of the table, an archer misses its mark.
Some knights approach a crypt in the west and awaken a slumbering feline terror. It yawns and streches, as tentacles sprout from its back. It spots the knights and a shimmering field surrounds the beast, making it hard to see its true position. Its a Displacer Beast!
Knight: What is that thing?
An archer hits a Beastmen and kills it, but its nearby friends are alerted! One goes to a crypt in the north and 6 Orcs emerge. The other Beastmen is heading for the Research Facility. To raise a general alarm surely.
Time to go loud! The heroes give the word to start using gunpowder weapons. Some henchmen in the center, reach another item stash and discover a Servitor Flute! But they are too close to another crypt. A snake demon woman known as a Marilith emerges!
Snake Lady: Mortals, come willingly into my lair. Come here juicy creatures! What a fine meal you will make.
As Balthazar and dwarves approach the gate confident that the Avatar of Dagon hasnt seen them, it pokes its head out of the archway!
Avatar of Dagon: Boo!
~~~
Next post: The Return to Tharbad continues!
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