As the clock ticks down and their goal grows nearer, the cultists grow bolder and more aggressive, staging a raid on the 2nd National Bank during business hours. The Webster Street Irregulars are on the scene, and need to act fast to figure out what the cultists’ aims are and shut them down before the police arrive. This is an important fight – the head of the coven has shown up to personally oversee the proceedings.
"You sure about this, Lisa? Last time it didn't work so well..." Paul kicked a can, watching it bounce down the alleyway.
"Yes, I'm sure. Last time was a fluke." She gently inserted a bent piece of wire into the security box. She twisted slightly, holding her breath as she did so. She felt a lot less confident then she'd forced herself to sound.
With a chirp, the security system deactivated.
"Hah! Told you!"
[With a success, the Hunters "won" the narrative scene, and they get to deploy on any side of the table, within 1 move of the edge, effectively gaining a free move.]
Turn 1
Lisa darts forward, picking up the ringing pay phone.
"Hello?"
"Time's running out, Lisa," the voice from her dreams whispered through the receiver. "Make your choice, or I'll make it for you."
Steve moved forward and began searching the van that had been left idling with the door open. Paul and Guy took up overwatch positions.
Carrie approached a pair of nervous-looking bankers. "What have you seen?" She asked.
Portals 2 and 4 belched; a robed cultist emerged from each, and a gargoyle atop the bank sprang to life and swooped down.
[The gargoyle is an Alpha Dark Spawn, similar to the rat queen and giant rat in Game 3.]
Fortunately, Paul was in position, and snapped off a shot at one of the cultists, killing him.
The second cultist charged towards Carrie but didn't have enough actions remaining to be able to attack, while the gargoyle flapped its wings and swooped towards Steve. It swiped with its claws but failed to connect.
Additionally, the Nexus rumbled up out of the ground.
Turn 2
Guy charged, swinging his tonfa. It connected with the gargoyle's chin, knocking the monster off its feet but not harming it.
[The gargoyle has the trait "Tenacious" - only critical hits and aimed shots can actually damage it, other attacks just knock it prone.]
Steve joined in attacking the gargoyle, though his knife was no more effective.
Lisa moved up to the Nexus, drawing a clue from it as well as a stunning 10 Arcana.
Paul turned back towards Carrie and dashed forward, pausing to aim before squeezing off a shot that took out the cultist threatening her. Nodding gratefully to the ex-cop, Carrie then cast "Deja Vu" on Guy, allowing him to activate again, before turning her attention to the Nexus.
Guy, re-energized, brought his tonfa down on the gargoyle's head hard enough to shatter the animated stone. Barely pausing to look at the fallen monster, he then darted inside the bank, collecting some financial information dropped by the cult.
More cultists spawned at Portals 1 and 3, and the leader of the coven emerged from Portal 4.
 |
| Another Alpha Dark Spawn. |
One of the cultists ran into the bank, slashing wildly at Guy, injuring him, while the other crept more cautiously through the Urgent Care.
The coven leader swept forward imperiously, raising a hand and making a complicated gesture, his fingers slashing glowing runes into the air. A blast of black, evil energy erupted, washing over Steve and Paul.
Turn 3
Paul and Steve blinked as the dark energy faded.
"Huh, couldn't touch us! We're made of tougher stuff than that, hoss!" Paul said as he raised his pistol. One shot later, the coven leader slumped to the ground. The occult glamour hiding his features faded, revealing...
"Mayor Goodenough? Aw man, I voted for you!"
Paul spat, then turned and darted across the street, drawn by the sight of a red robe through the window of the Urgent Care. Again the pistol barked, and another cultist fell over dead.
Lisa pulled another 10 Arcana from the Nexus before moving on towards Portal 2, ready to close it. Carrie drew 8 Arcana from the Nexus, then shut it down.
Steve moved towards Portal 4, ready to harvest Arcana and close it, while Guy clubbed the cultist attacking him into submission.
Two cultists spawned at Portal 2, charging and attacking Lisa, injuring her, and approaching Carrie but not having the action dice available to attack.
Turn 4
Steve managed to harvest 5 Arcana from Portal 4, and Guy moved up and into contact with Portal 1.
Lisa tasered the cultist in front of her in the neck, dropping her, though she failed her Dodge Defend roll against the cultist's "Self Defense" trait and took a wound. Pulling a Healing Potion from her vest, Lisa downed the syrupy, foul-tasting concoction and let it work its magic, restoring both lost wounds.
Carrie shot her cultist in the belly, successfully dodged his violent death throes, and took up an overwatch position in case more cultists emerged from Portal 2.
With no-one to fight, Paul moved into contact with Portal 3.
FOUR cultists emerged from Portal 2.
"Got you, you sons'abitches!" Carrie snarled, carving the lines of a spell in the air and blasting them with a full-power casting of "Elemental Fury."
Three of the four cultists failed their Dodge Defend rolls and snuffed it. The last one charged forward, slashing Carrie, wounding her.
Turn 5
Steve successfully closed Portal 4, and Guy managed to harvest 4 Arcana off Portal 1. Paul harvested another 3 Arcana from Portal 3 and closed it.
Lisa moved up to Portal 2 and harvested 5 Arcana from it.
Carrie shot another cultist in the belly.
Succubi spawned from Portals 1 and 2, a pair of luscious, lascivious demonic beauties that giggled and... flirted on appearance. One sprang forward towards Lisa, kissing her before sinking long fangs into her face, while the other twirled her fingers in Guy's hair before kneeing him in the groin.
Because of the succubi's "Dreadful" trait, both of them took enough hits to necessitate a Dread roll. Both hunters collapsed to the ground, curling into the fetal position and sobbing as their demonic foes capered and taunted them.
Turn 6
Guy and Lisa lose their actions this round to Dread.
Carrie hurled an Arcane Bolt at the succubus standing over Lisa, who easily ducked the glowing magical dart.
"Is that all you've got, Carrie? I can smell that you're out of magic..." The demoness taunted.
"I might be out of spells, but I'm not out of options," Carrie retorted, raising her pistol and squeezing off a shot. The magically-enhanced bullet ripped into the succubus' chest, banishing it back to Hell.
Two more succubi quickly sprang up from Portal 2, however, and Carrie, Steve and Paul were forced to retreat. Hopefully there would be enough left of Guy and Lisa to retrieve later...
***
Again, a victory, but at what cost? The Webster Street Irregulars were doing really well against the cultists, especially now that all of them have Arcana-upgraded weapons. The succubi are fast-moving and nasty, however, with each hit dealt in combat counting double when it comes to testing for existential Dread.
We did harvest an incredible 45 Arcana over the course of this game thanks in no small part to Lisa spending a total of four actions to harvest Arcana from the Nexus.
I am glad that both Lisa and Guy, when they rolled for Dread, got "Freeze" as their result; if they'd rolled "Flee," they would have been unavailable for the next game and I would have been going up against the final boss with only three Hunters.
Since both of them were "killed" by succubi, they're coming back a little weirder. Guy is now Bloodthirsty the same way Paul is, while Lisa has the same sort of PTSD that Guy has had for a while now. Both of them have Fiend's Flaws, an ability to recognize weaknesses in their enemies and give the other Hunters a bonus to attack and defense against them. Lisa previously gained this ability in game 3, though I've been forgetting to make use of it; whether or not I'll stack them and let her use the ability twice in Game 6 remains to be seen.
***
Carrie frowned and fidgeted in her chair. She sat next to Lisa's hospital bed, watching the younger woman sleep fitfully under the effects of heavy painkillers. Fortunately, the ER doctors had believed their story about a dog attack. Steve and Paul were sitting a similar vigil with Guy. She went over the clues they'd gathered so far in her head.
"Carrie..." Lisa moaned weakly.
"I'm here, kiddo," the older woman said softly. "Try not to talk, you'll pull your stitches. You did good today, just focus on getting better."
"Gotta tell you," Lisa mumbled.
"Tell me what, hon?"
"Knight...asshole...in my dreams. Talking to me..."
"He's talking to you in your dreams?" Carrie's eyes hardened in recognition. "Don't worry, kiddo. I know what to do about that. You rest up and let me take care of it, okay?"
"Okay...thanks Carrie..."
Lisa dozed back off. Carrie sighed. She'd need to harvest more wolfsbane for this.
***
Game 6 is all set to be played on Halloween.
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