Earthborne Rangers: Into the Maw Valley Expansion

Earthborne Rangers: Into the Maw Valley Expansion Rulebook

Table of Contents

Getting Started

Valley expansions can be incorporated into any Lure of the Valley campaign (the campaign included in the Earthborne Rangers base game). Choose one of the following options based on how you want to incorporate this expansion into your campaign and follow the instructions:

I'm starting a new Lure of the Valley campaign: First, add the cards from this expansion to their corresponding sets from the core game and replace the original Biological Outpost location card with the new Biological Outpost location card. Then, start a new campaign using the Getting Started section on page 9 of the rulebook. Finally, record 266.1 above any day on the day track (we recommend around day 30).
I am in the middle of (or have completed) Lure of the Valley: First, add the cards from this expansion to their corresponding sets from the core game and replace the original Biological Outpost location card with the new Biological Outpost location card. Then, record 266.1 above any day on the day track (we recommend around day 30, or the next day on the day track if it is already past day 30).

Campaign Expansions

While valley expansions cannot be fully integrated into campaign expansions (such as Legacy of the Ancestors) for a variety of reasons, some of the new content in this expansion may be used even while playing a campaign expansion. Additionally, if you have completed a campaign expansion, you can return to the Valley after the events of that campaign to continue exploring and play through the new content in this expansion. Choose one of the following options based on how you want to incorporate this expansion into your campaign and follow the instructions:

**I am playing a campaign expansion:**Add the cards from this expansion to their corresponding sets from the core game. Not all of this content will be available in the campaign you are playing, but some (like the Valley set) may appear in that campaign. Use the map included in the campaign expansion.
I am returning to the Valley after completing a campaign expansion: First, add the cards from this expansion to their corresponding sets from the core game and replace the original Biological Outpost location card with the new Biological Outpost location card. Then, return to your Lure of the Valley campaign tracker and resume from the last day you left off. (If you did not play Lure of the Valley, create a new campaign tracker for that campaign, record The Valley's Secrets mission on it, and cross off entries 1, 94.1, and 1.04 on its day track.) Begin at Lone Tree Station, using the Woods terrain set. Finally, record 266.1 above any day on the day track (we recommend around day 30, or the next day on the day track if it is already past day 30).

251. The Gastric Mill

The air is still here, and there is a strangely sweet and nauseating odor. You hear little beyond the squelching sounds of your footsteps and the occasional bubbling and dripping of thick liquid.

It's apparent that all the terravore scoops into its maw gets broken down and digested in these chambers––dirt, grass, trees, solid rock, or whatever else happens to lie in its path. The terravore does not discriminate.

Beneath your feet is a slushy wet mass swimming with partially dissolved clumps of earth and other, unidentifiable forms, slowly losing coherency as they flow into open pits, leading to who knows where. You step carefully so as not to sink too deep into the muck.

252. Intestinal Corridors

As you step forward into the tunnel, you surmise that you are now deep beneath the earth. It's apparent that the terravore's outward appearance––that of a giant worm––belies its true nature. In fact, its organs spread out beneath it in a series of interconnected caverns and tunnels, altering the terrain more profoundly than anyone had previously imagined.

At this depth, the sun can no longer penetrate the outer walls of the great biomeld, yet somehow there is light. Faint though it may be, it's as if the air itself has carried the memory of daylight, drawn into the maw like the rest, unable to escape as it slowly fades.

You see that the passageway before you is composed wholly of flesh, the ceiling dripping with ichor, and the walls slick with digestive juice. Most of what the terravore has consumed has become nothing more than a thick, unrecognizable sludge. The entire corridor contracts and expands with a steady wave-like motion, urging the viscous liquid onward.

You're reminded of the moments you inadvertently swallowed a bug. You suddenly feel an unexpected sense of kinship with those unfortunate insects.

253. Ileocecal Junction

You make your way along a series of twisting serpentine passages. There is little to be heard apart from a low, rhythmic thrum punctuated by regular intervals of protracted silence. If the terravore has a heart, it must be nearby.

You emerge into a cramped chamber where strange organs dangle from the ceiling, suspended by thin, sinuous tendons occasionally secreting liquids that drool lazily toward the floor. There, you see several fleshy valves partially submerged in pools of dark sludge. The valves occassionally quiver, then open, allowing the sludge to pass quietly onward.

253.1

The floor of the chamber suddenly pitches upward, and you are knocked off your feet. You look on in horror as the ceiling descends upon you, and you find yourself immobilized, held tightly between two incomprehensively massive sheets of muscle.

The terravore's flesh presses down upon you, and you reflexively turn your head to the side in search of space to breathe, but to no avail. You feel a warm slime seeping through your clothes to touch skin. You feel it filling your ears and your nose. All grows dark as you accept your fate, certain that you will soon join your ancestors at the source of all creation.

Immediately proceed to the travel phase of the round (even if there are ready cards with the Obstacle keyword in play) and travel to the Abyssal Liver. Build the path deck using the Terravore terrain set. If you were in the middle of a test, discard the current challenge card and do not resolve the remainder of that test. You cannot decide to camp this round.

254. Abyssal Liver

In that moment, however, the muscles contract, and you feel as though you're being moved at great speed down a precipitously steep slope. Unable to breathe, your lungs begin to burn. Just when you feel you won't be able to hold out much longer, you find yourself thrown into the open air. You gasp, falling into space before landing in a deep pool of sludge.

You hurriedly swim to the surface, clear the slime from your mouth, and take a deep breath of acrid air. It burns your throat, but you swear you've never taken a sweeter breath in all your life.

As your heart rate steadies and your eyes adjust, you see that you're in yet another pulsing, organic chamber. Great cascades of ooze pour from the walls to gather below in wide blackened pools.

Here, the digestive sludge seems to be broken down further into a gaseous compound that wafts upward to settle along the ceiling. Perhaps this is very same gas that is exhaled out of the openings on the terravore's back.

The terravore must have a defense mechanism of sorts; it seems to have used it to flush you down into its innermost depths. You wonder what else may be down here…

254.1

You did your best to rest here, cloistered within this secluded organ somewhere deep inside the terravore's surprisingly labyrinthine body, but the pungent odor and chaotic chorus of odd squelching and burbling sounds prevented you from sleeping more than a few furtive moments at a time.

Here you are surrounded by a series of wide blackened pools fed by cascades of ooze that pour lazily from fleshy openings in the walls. The air is thick in your lungs, and try as you might, you cannot get used to the ferocious aroma. It may be best to swiftly accomplish your task, and then search for a way out.

255. Cesspit

As the terravore turns westward, hugging the northern border of the swamp, the waste it produces is drained through an array of many-petaled sphincters that emerge from the wall of a narrow gorge. You trudge through putrid, waist-deep muck as it mixes with syrupy ichor and swamp water. Every now and again, the sphincters disgorge more of the foul-smelling substance. The walls of the pit are covered in slimy moss and lichen, nearly impossible to cling to without slipping. Your only way out is through.

256. Sirisana Mir, Biologist

ENTERS PLAY:

IF YOU ARE ON HELPFUL BIOLOGIST, GO TO 256.1
IF LURES SET, GO TO 256.2
OTHERWISE, GO TO 256.3

CLEAR :

IF YOU ARE ON HELPFUL BIOLOGIST, GO TO 256.5
IF LURES SET, GO TO 256.6
IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 256.7
OTHERWISE, GO TO 256.9

CLEAR : GO TO 256.10

256.1

Not far from the outpost's central building, you spot Sirisana directing a small group of workers as they disassemble a sophisticated-looking piece of equipment and place it carefully into the bed of a wagon.

"Back already?" she asks. "I hope you have good news. As you can see, we've begun the process of packing up the equipment in the terravore's path, but we'd happily put it all back if the crisis has been averted."

Clear Sirisana with [icon] to tell her how it's going.

If you FOUND A BADGE, go to 256.4.

256.2

As you approach the outpost, you spot Sirisana sitting out front, deep in thought as she holds a biosign sensor in her lap. She snaps out of her contemplation as you approach.

"Oh, it's you!" she says, turning back to the sensor. "I'm observing a lot of activity around the lures you helped set up. The results from our little experiement are quite fascinating!"

Clear Sirisana with [icon] to listen to the results of the experiment.

If you FOUND A BADGE, go to 256.4.

256.3

As you walk down the trail that winds around the biological outpost, you come across Sirisana Mir, the Valley's self-proclaimed resident biologist, and the Ranger in charge of the outpost. There is, without a doubt, nobody in the Valley more knowledgeable of the Valley's flora and fauna than she.

She is in the process of filling one of the outpost's many birdfeeders and taking notes in a memorill pad when she spots you approaching. Adjusting her spectacles, she addresses you politely. "Greetings!" she says. "Care to lend a hand?"

Clear Sirisana with [icon] to ask what you can do to help.

If you FOUND A BADGE, go to 256.4.

256.4

Sirisana's eyes suddenly widen as she notices Lil' Lunn—your new crayfish friend—on your shoulder, and his favorite toy: the shiny Ranger badge you found with him inside the terravore.

"Is that…?" Sirisana says, adjusting her spectacles to examine him closer. "My goodness! It is! When Tiella and I camped near the mouth of the terravore, I woke to find that my badge had gone missing. I was thoroughly perplexed! I thought perhaps a mischievous raccoon had stolen it while I slept. Where did you find it?"

You recall your first encounter with the crayfish you've taken to calling "Lil' Lunn" as you pull the badge from the crayfish's clutches once more. Once free, you hand it to Sirisana. She polishes it with her ironwool cloak then pins it carefully to her chest.

"Thank you," she says. "I was beginning to think I'd have to hike back to Lone Tree, and that Calypsa would have made me perform some task or another in order to earn a new one. How embarrassing that would have been for me!"

She turns her attention to Lil' Lunn. "So you're the culprit, eh?" she says playfully. She strokes his carapace until the crayfish clamps the tip of her finger in one of his little claws. "Keep an eye on this one. You may wake up one morning to find he's gone and made off with something important!"

256.5

IF YOU ARE ON INTO THE MAW, GO TO 256.5A

IF YOU ARE ON TIELLA'S INSIGHT, GO TO 256.5B

IF YOU ARE ON AN ALLURING OUTPOST, GO TO 256.5C

IF YOU ARE ON BOGGED DOWN, GO TO 256.5D

256.5A

You and Tiella tell Sirisana that you haven't headed toward the terravore just yet, but intend to do so soon. Sirisana raises an eyebrow. "Well, what are you waiting for? If there is indeed a solution to be found, I would prefer to find it before we finish packing up and moving." You nod and agree to head there shortly.

Discard Sirisana. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

256.5B

You and Tiella tell Sirisana about the plan to plant air samplers in the terravore to determine whether or not it might be lured by something in the air. Sirisana raises an eyebrow. "I don't think you're going to find what you're looking for," she explains. "I can't think of anything in the air that would account for the terravore's change in behavior. That said, I do applaud your application of the scientific method."

Discard Sirisana. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

256.5C

You and Tiella tell Sirisana what you've found—the terravore is indeed being drawn by several of the animal lures, specifically the ones designed to attract biomeld flora, like puffercrawlers. Her eyes widen with incredulity as she looks at the data you have accumulated. "This is…I can't believe what I'm seeing, but the evidence does seem to support what you are saying. Clearly there is more we do not know about the terravore than we thought!"

Discard Sirisana. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

256.5D

You and Tiella tell Sirisana about the plan to bring the biomeld flora lures down to the swamp and plant them somewhere in Michael's Bog in order to steer the terravore back to its original course. She gives your solution some thought before she nods along. "Seems like a good plan," she finally admits. "Great work. I look forward to hearing how it goes. And do take care of my apprentice, won't you? The swamp can be a dangerous place." You nod and promise to keep Tiella safe.

Discard Sirisana. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

256.6

Sirisana ushers you over to the sensor and points to some of the dots of light scattered across its surface. "The lures we set up are drawing species from all over the Valley. I suspect the height of the mound is increasing their potency," she explains. "We can even tune the lures to attract specific animals. If there's a particular species you want to be drawn to the lures, just let me know and we can make that happen." Sirisana's enthusiasm is infectious. You can't help but consider all of the possibilities.

Discard Sirisana. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

Search any terrain set for any two beings and set them aside. For the remainder of the day, those beings are not considered to be a part of that set and are not found whenever a search is performed. Only two beings can be set aside in this way at a time.

256.7

If you are at Mound of the Navigator and Animal Lures is in play, go to 256.8. Otherwise, continue reading:

Sirisana stops you for a moment and rests by the side of the trail. "Thanks again for your assistance," she says after catching her breath. "Mound of the Navigator is quite far to carry all of these lures by myself. Don't worry, once we get there, I'll set them up properly." After a few more minutes of rest, she hops back onto her feet. "Well, shall we continue?"

Rangers Choose

A) Continue helping Sirisana.

Discard all [icon] from Sirisana.

Bring Sirisana and Animal Lures to the Mound of the Navigator, then clear her again with [icon] to set them up.

B) Part ways.

Discard Sirisana and return HELPING HAND to the collection. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

256.8

You circle the pillar, setting up lures along its perimeter. The work is strenuous, but finally you set the last of the feeders by the base of the switchback trail leading up to the arboretum.

Sirisana wipes sweat from her brow and dons her spectacles once more. "Well, I'm glad that's over! Would have taken me far longer without your help, that's for sure. I'll stick around here for a bit and watch for any fauna that might be attracted to the lures. Come meet me back at the outpost sometime if you want to hear my observations." She shakes your hand and heads up to the arboretum, presumably to keep watch over the surroundings.

Return Sirisana and HELPING HAND to the collection. Remove all [icon] from Animal Lures. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue. Record LURES SET on the campaign tracker.

256.9

"I've nearly finished replenishing these bird feeders, but there is something else that you could help me with," she says, tapping her chin with a memorill stylus. "I've been wanting to test the true potency of our animal lures for years, but haven't yet had the oppotunity to do so. I've finally gotten the pheromone emitters working at peak efficiency, but this area is already so dense with fauna that it's a bit like catching fish from a barrel. A true test of their efficacy, however, would be to set them up someplace more remote so we can see if any animals feel compelled to reach them, regardless of the distance. I think the Mound of the Navigator fits the bill, but I need more than one person to haul the equipment to the summit of the mound. Would you care to join me?"

Rangers Choose

A) Sounds fun! I'd be happy to help.

Discard all [icon], and attach the HELPING HAND mission to Sirisana.

Bring Sirisana and Animal Lures to the Mound of the Navigator, then clear her again with [icon] to set them up.

B) Some other time perhaps.

Discard Sirisana. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

256.10

Sirisana groans and slumps to the ground. You rush to her side and sit her down, examining her injury. While not life-threatening, it's bad enough that she probably shouldn't continue without intervention. You rummage through your pack for medical supplies. This may take a while.

End the Day.

257. Tiella, Mir's Apprentice

ENTERS PLAY:

IF YOU ARE ON HELPFUL BIOLOGIST, GO TO 257.1
IF YOU COMPLETED BUTTERFLY EFFECT, GO TO 257.2
IF YOU ARE ON BUTTERFLY EFFECT, GO TO 257.4
OTHERWISE, GO TO 257.5

CLEAR :

IF YOU ARE ON HELPFUL BIOLOGIST, GO TO 257.6
IF YOU COMPLETED BUTTERFLY EFFECT, GO TO 257.7
IF YOU ARE ON BUTTERFLY EFFECT, GO TO 257.8
OTHERWISE, GO TO 257.9

CLEAR : GO TO 257.10

257.1

Tiella waves to you from the outpost's garden enclosure when she spots you and Sirisana walking down the trail that winds around the outpost. "What are you still doing here?" she calls out to you. "Shouldn't you be out in the field?"

If you POSSESS THE BUTTERFLY, go to 257.3. Otherwise:

Clear Tiella with [icon] to tell her how it's going.

257.2

You find Tiella sitting by the steps near the entrance to the outpost, sketching a hummingbird as it flits from one cherry moss bloom to another. At your approach, she sets the stylus of her memorill sketchpad aside and looks up at you with a warm smile.

"Well, if it isn't my research assistant," she says with a chuckle. The hummingbird Tiella was sketching zooms off, and she lets out a grateful sigh. "Lovely," she says as she begins to pack up her sketchpad.

If you POSSESS THE BUTTERFLY, go to 257.3. Otherwise:

Clear Tiella with [icon] to ask what she's learned about the butterfly.

257.3

Tiella's eyes widen when she notices the butterfly fluttering around your vivarium. "Oh, wow, you actually found it!" She leans in close, examining the butterfly. "You must feel all cooped up in there, my little friend! Come on, let's get you to the enclosure so you have some room to stretch your wings."

You and Tiella bring the butterfly to the enclosed garden behind the outpost and release it from the vivarium. Tiella looks on in delight as it flies around the enclosure.

"Thank you for helping me with this," she says. "I can't wait to study it. Oh, and feel free to hold onto that bug net. There are no shortage of fascinating insects in the Valley. Who knows? Maybe you'll even be inspired to take up entomology. We could always use more biologists around here!"

Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue. Cross off POSSESS THE BUTTERFLY on your campaign tracker.

257.4

Tiella is restocking one of the nearby birdfeeders when she spots you walking by. "Hello, research assistant!" she says with a grin. "How goes the hunt for the glass butterfly?"

Clear Tiella with [icon] to ask her for advice on how to find the butterfly.

257.5

You spot Tiella Jakarra outside the garden enclosure behind the outpost, where a wide variety of flowering plants hang from a laquered wooden lattice. She alternates between tending to the flowers and making notes in her journal.

She perks up when she notices you. "Oh, hello. Don't mind me, just…testing a theory." She walks over to a workbench cluttered with gardening supplies, and whisks together a watery green solution in a clay cup. She returns and pours it into the soil of a hanging lobelia.

"Alright," she says to herself. "If this doesn't doesn't draw you here, I don't know what will…"

Clear Tiella with [icon] to ask what she's up to.

257.6

IF YOU ARE ON INTO THE MAW, GO TO 257.6A

IF YOU ARE ON SIRISANA'S HYPOTHESIS, GO TO 257.6B

IF YOU ARE ON A SOPORIFIC SOLUTION, GO TO 257.6C

IF YOU ARE ON DEAD SLOW, GO TO 257.6D

257.6A

You and Sirisana tell Tiella that you're just wrapping up some things, and you'll be heading out shortly. "Better get a move on soon! That terravore is heading right for us!" she jokes, well aware that it will be months before that happens. You roll your eyes, but cannot help smiling.

Discard Tiella. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

257.6B

You and Sirisana tell Tiella about the plan to take samples from the terravore's interior and analyze them for suspicious compounds. "Wish I could be there to see the results," Tiella says. "Just think about what else you might learn about the terravore's physiology!" She wishes you good luck before returning to attend to her duties.

Discard Tiella. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

257.6C

You and Sirisana tell Tiella about the plan to capture a puffercrawler so you can extract some of its spores and use them to create an ointment for the terravore. "Good luck!" Tiella says. "Capturing puffercrawlers can be quite tricky. Just…take good care of my mentor. Wouldn't want her asleep on the job." You promise to keep Sirisana safe, sensing that there is real worry behind Tiella's teasing.

Discard Tiella. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

257.6D

You and Sirisana tell Tiella about the plan to administer a puffercrawler-based ointment to the terravore's internal organs in hopes that it will cause the terravore to slow down. "I hope your plan works. Once this crisis is over, I'd love to explore the inside of the terravore myself!"

Discard Tiella. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

257.7

You ask about the butterfly you helped capture, and Tiella lights up.

"I've been studying it day in and day out," she says. "Given its obvious anatomical similarities to natural butterflies, I'm reasonbly certain that it was created to aid in the pollination of flowering plants, but what is most fascinating to me is that unlike so many other biomelds, it has not evolved into something outwardly monstrous or enigmatic in its purpose. Whoever conceived and created it should be applauded for their foresight…and their impeccable sense of style."

You note that the terravore, while perhaps not as visually appealing as the glass butterfly, has also seemingly not strayed from its originally intended purpose.

"Right you are," says Tiella. "Though who among us can truly know for certain what the ancestors intended? Personally, I just think it's fun to speculate, and then test my theories against observable reality––whatever it is!"

You and Tiella share a laugh, then sit quietly, sharing space as the leaves rustle overhead and unseen birds sing in the distance.

Discard Tiella. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

257.8

You ask Tiella whether she has any advice for finding the glass butterfly.

"I'm not sure how much more I can help," she says. "The butterfly is practically transparent, so it's well-camouflaged to say the least––especially in the Philosopher's Garden where it's already difficult to perceive illusion from reality. You'll need some keen senses and a little luck if you're going to have any hope of finding it. Keep your wits about you and keep that bug net I gave you at the ready. You'll need it!"

Discard Tiella. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

257.9

You ask Tiella what she's doing, and she smiles amiably. "Just a little experiment," she says, pouring more of the mixture into the soil of a nasturtium. "I'm trying to sweeten the scent of some of these flowers in hopes of attracting an incredibly unique insect I encountered recently. It's a bit of a longshot, but you never know!"

Tiella sets aside her tools before continuing. "You see, I was walking through the Philosopher's Garden last week, enjoying the spectacle of that strange place, when I came across a peculiar species of insect. It was like a butterfly, but larger, with two long tails. Its wings were transparent like glass, and its antennae were long and hooked at the end. I've never seen anything like it! Unfortunately, it flew away before I could catch it, and I was unable to find it again thanks to its natural camouflage and the nature of the garden. I think it might be a biomeld of some kind. I suppose I could head back up there and try to track it down, but I fear the chances of encountering it again are slim to none."

She looks up suddenly as though struck by inspiration. "Unless…an enterprising Ranger would be willing to try? I promise you've never seen anything like this butterfly. Imagine, discovering a biomeld not even Sirisana Mir has encountered before! If you can capture it for me, I'd be incredibly grateful. What do you say?"

Rangers Choose:

A) Agree to capture the butterfly.

"I knew I could count on you! Stay right there." She bounces off into the outpost's main building and erupts from the door moments later, holding what appears to be a bug net made of a thin nanoweave fiber.

"Just swing and flick the switch to keep it trapped inside," she says, demonstrating. As she switches the net on, a field of electrostatic force materializes around its rim. "It might feel like you're looking for a needle in a haystack, but I promise you, you'll know this butterfly when you see it; it's quite unique."

Gain the BUTTERFLY EFFECT mission. Discard Tiella.

B) Not today.

Discard Tiella. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

257.10

Tiella lets out a hiss of pain as she collapses to the ground. You rush to her side, help her up, and then move her to safety. It'll take you a while to ensure that her wounds are thoroughly treated.

End the Day.

258. Animal Lures

Installed around the biological outpost are a series of sophisticated animal lures designed by Sirisana Mir and constructed under her supervision by the Artificers Guild of Branch. Each contains several carefully crafted subsonic wavelength emitters and pheromone disseminators that can be tuned to draw the attention of specific animal species, as well as traditional feeders filled with a variety of seeds and nectar.

The animal lures were designed to be portable, so that with a twist and a flick they can be collapsed into a tidy, meter-long bundle, weighing only a few kilos, to be hand-carried elsewhere, should the need arise.

259. Pulsating Vesicle

ENTERS PLAY, GO TO 259.1

CLEAR : GO TO 259.2

259.1

You move closer to one of the moist, throbbing organs that hang from the ceiling of the chamber. Through its thin, translucent surface, you can see some kind of liquid pumping within. Curious, you prod it gently with the tip of your finger, and to your surprise, it reacts. The surface of the organ quakes as it secretes a copious, thick ooze. Apparently you've found one of the terravore's sensitive spots. You wonder what might happen if you applied a firmer touch.

Clear the Pulsating Vesicle with [icon] to see how the terravore reacts.

259.2

The vesicle suddenly contracts, squeezing itself down to a third of its original size as it disgorges the entirety of its contents. You barely manage to get out of the way as the gout of ooze pours forth.

In that moment the entire chamber shudders. You struggle to maintain your balance as the ground beneath your feet pitches and quakes.

Attach this Pulsating Vesicle facedown to the location.

260. Dank Pit

ENTERS PLAY:

IF LURKER CLEARED OUT, GO TO 260.1
OTHERWISE, GO TO 260.2

CLEAR :

IF LURKER CLEARED OUT, GO TO 260.3
IF EACH RANGER'S  IS ON DANK PIT, GO TO 260.4
OTHERWISE, GO TO 260.5

260.1

Once again, you approach the steaming, bubbling lake of sludge produced by the terravore. It wouldn't be particularly pleasant, but you could swim to the other side now that the biomeld that took refuge in its waters has been dealt with.

Clear the Pit with [icon] to circle around it, or clear it while 1 or more Ranger's [icon] is on it to swim safely to the other side.

260.2

You come to a notably wide, steaming lake of oozing, viscous liquid. The stench here is somehow stronger than even the most herculean odors you've encountered so far on your intrepid journey through the terravore's internal organs.

While the other pools in the chamber possess a certain stillness, the surface of this particular lake swells and subsides as though something large and serpentine is moving slowly beneath the surface.

Clear the Pit with [icon] to circle around it, or clear it while each Ranger's [icon] is on it to investigate what lies beneath.

260.3

You take a deep breath and hold your nose as you swim across the thick, buoyant sludge. Emerging on the other side, you try in vain to clean the muck from your clothes and your gear. You feel thoroughly soiled, but console yourself with the fact that you're one step closer to returning to the surface, where perhaps a warm bath at the nearest village awaits.

For each Ranger whose [icon] is on Dank Pit, add 2[icon] to the location.

260.4

You wade several feet into the lake and try to get a glimpse of what's moving beneath the surface. That's when you spot it—a ridge that emerges from the thick sludge––the back of an enormous entity, easily six or seven meters long, if you had to venture a guess.

While there's no way to know for sure, you get the sense that this being is an intruder here, and that perhaps its presence is causing the terravore intestinal distress––a parasite of incredible size, grown to match the tremendous scale of its host, siphoning nutrients and disrupting the terravore's normal digestive processes. You can recognize the fact that you're taking some big logical leaps in reaching this conclusion, but your village elders always encouraged you to trust your instincts, and your instincts tell you that something here in this grotesque, nightmarish pastiche of bubbling fluids, glistening flesh, and sickening odors is entirely out of place.

A) Confront the entity in the lake.

Discard all [icon] from Dank Pit. Gain the OUT OF ITS DEPTH mission.

Discard Dank Pit.

260.5

As you round the lake and turn your back to it, you hear a loud splash. Turning, you catch only a glimpse of something re-entering the lake. There seems to be something living inside here, and whatever it is, judging from the size of the ripples, it must be huge.

Discard Dank Pit.

261. Furtive Troglobite

ENTERS PLAY:

IF YOU ARE AT THE GASTRIC MILL, GO TO 261.1
IF YOU ARE AT THE INTESTINAL CORRIDORS, GO TO 261.2
IF YOU ARE AT ILEOCECAL JUNCTION, GO TO 261.3

CLEAR :

IF YOU ARE AT THE GASTRIC MILL, GO TO 261.4
IF YOU ARE AT THE INTESTINAL CORRIDORS, GO TO 261.5
IF YOU ARE AT ILEOCECAL JUNCTION, GO TO 261.6

CLEAR : GO TO 261.7

261.1

As you explore the innards of the terravore, you spot the glimmer of something shiny in the muck. Approaching slowly, you see the culprit—a blind albino crayfish, about the size of your hand. Noticing the troglobite holds something in his claw, you crane your neck to look closer, and you spot—wait, is that a Ranger badge? Sure enough, the little troglobite holds a shiny Ranger badge in his claw. He begins to scurry away the moment he senses you approaching.

Clear the Troglobite with [icon] to attempt to catch it.

261.2

Something glints in the distance as you trudge through the terravore's forward stomach. It's that crayfish again! He's still holding a Ranger badge in his claw. Is somebody else down here? A sudden pang of worry hits you, along with the image of an unconscious Ranger, slowly being devoured by acidic ichor. If someone is here, they could be in danger. You decide to continue following the troglobite, hoping to get to the bottom of this.

Clear the Troglobite with [icon] to attempt to catch it again.

261.3

As you cross a stream of ichor, you spot a familiar sight: the troglobite you've been chasing, still clutching a Ranger badge. You wonder whom it belongs to. Your earlier fears seem to be unfounded, and there's only a handful of Rangers who would head inside the terravore—perhaps it belongs to one of them. Regardless, if you're going to return this badge to its rightful owner, you'll have to catch this crayfish first.

Clear the Troglobite with [icon] to attempt to catch it one last time.

261.4

You finally manage to catch the crayfish, but he wriggles free from your grasp and scurries off into the darkness. You'll have to follow him deeper into the terravore to find him again.

Return Furtive Troglobite to the collection and permanently move it to the Intestinal Corridors set.

261.5

You snatch the crayfish, but he quickly pinches you with his claw, and you instinctively drop him. Before you're able to grab him again, he slips away, squeezing into a dark crevice leading into the depths below the surface.

Return Furtive Troglobite to the collection and permanently move it to the Ileocecal Junction set.

261.6

You've finally backed the crayfish into a dark corner. It's now or never. With a dash, you scoop him up into your hands and pry the Ranger badge out of his clutches. Setting the crayfish down upon the ground once more, you examine the stolen item. There's no indication of whom it belongs to, but it's still in good condition—someone must have dropped it near the terravore's entrance in the past couple weeks.

You thank the crayfish and start to walk away, but he follows in your footsteps. Does he really want that badge so badly? Or does he just want company? You pick him up again and watch as he snaps his claws at the Ranger badge in your other hand. If you didn't know any better, you'd think he wants to be a Ranger just like you. He's actually quite cute what with his little mustache and penchant for pinching. Now that you think of it, he's a little like Lunn, the mustachioed Ranger who guards the northern outpost. He even shares Lunn's love of rare and shiny objects.

Ironically, now that you've finally caught him, you can't seem to be rid of him. Ushering him to a place of honor on your shoulder, you decide to let him tag along until you figure out whom the badge belongs to. In the meantime, you hand the badge back over to him. It looks better on Lil' Lunn anyway.

Return Furtive Troglobite to the collection and permanently remove it from the Ileocecal Junction set. Gain the Lil' Lunn the Crayfish reward card.

If Sirisana Mir, Biologist is in play, go to 261.6a. Otherwise, record FOUND A BADGE on your campaign tracker.

261.6A

Sirisana returns from having briefly scouted the path ahead, and her eyes suddenly widen as she notices Lil' Lunn on your shoulder, his shiny Ranger badge still in his claws.

"Is that…?" Sirisana says, adjusting her spectacles to examine him closer. "My goodness! It is! Last time Tiella and I camped near the mouth of the terravore, I woke to find that my badge had gone missing. I was thoroughly perplexed! I thought perhaps a mischievous raccoon had stolen it while I slept. This little scamp had it the whole time?"

You pull the badge from the crayfish's clutches once more and hand it to Sirisana. She polishes it with her ironwool cloak then pins it carefully to her chest.

"Thank you," she says. "I was beginning to think I'd have to hike back to Lone Tree, and that Calypsa would have made me perform some task or another in order to earn a new one. How embarrassing that would have been for me!"

She turns her attention to Lil' Lunn and strokes his carapace until the crayfish clamps the tip of her finger in one of his little claws. "Keep an eye on this one. You may wake up one morning to find he's gone and made off with something important!"

Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

261.7

Sensing danger, the crayfish immediately turns tail and flees back where he came from. You'll have to head back to where you started if you're going to track the troglobite down again.

If you are at The Gastric Mill, discard Furtive Troglobite. Otherwise, return Furtive Troglobite to the collection and permanently move it to the The Gastric Mill set.

262. Undulating Walls

The walls of this fleshy corridor expand and contract in rolling waves. Though the motion is slow, it's clear that the force of the muscled walls is crushing when they constrict, making them hazardous to traverse.

Strangely, the walls seem to relax at your touch. It's as though an ancient safeguard was instilled into the terravore's being by its creators—the touch of a human hand enough to forestall but for a moment the autonomic process of consumption and digestion that seemingly defines the great biomeld's immortal existence.

263. Mobile Custodian

ENTERS PLAY:

IF YOU RELEASED THE CUSTODIANS, GO TO 263.1
OTHERWISE, GO TO 263.2

CLEAR :

IF YOU RELEASED THE CUSTODIANS, GO TO 263.3
IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 263.4
OTHERWISE, GO TO 263.6

CLEAR : GO TO 263.7

263.1

You encounter one of the many pillbug machines you released into the swamp earlier. It is currently repairing an ancient Estian structure using some kind of fusible alloy. It hails you with a series of beeps as it finishes up and begins to patrol the area.

Add 3 power to Mobile Custodian.

Clear the machine with [icon] to receive help from it.

263.2

Sitting on a flat rock, surrounded by mud and ichor and partially concealed by a tangle of trees, you find a surprising sight. What you initially mistook for a spherical stone appears to be a machine of Estian design. It resembles a curled up pillbug, about a meter and a half tall, its rear plating covered in grime. It doesn't seem to react to your presence—perhaps it's out of power.

You wonder how long this machine has been sitting here undisturbed. Did it make its way here of its own accord, or did the terravore scoop it up? And for what purpose was it created? Regardless, it won't be doing much of anything without your help.

Clear the machine with [icon] to try to reactivate it.

263.3

The automaton's outer shell retracts, and from inside it deploys a series of metallic appendages, equipped with a variety of different devices. It seems the machine wants to help you.

You may discard all power from Mobile Custodian. If you do…

READ AN ENTRY BASED ON YOUR CURRENT LOCATION:

A) If you are at The Frowning Gate, it illuminates the area: Add 2[icon] to each path card in play.

B) If you are at Michael's Bog, it purifies the air: Add or discard up to 4 toxins from the location.

C) If you are at The Cypress Citadel, it guides you to a shortcut: Exhaust up to 3 path cards.

D) If you are at Sunken Outpost, it redirects the flow of water: Discard 4 water from the location.

E) If you are at The Greenbridge, it repairs the bridge: Add 4 struts to the location.

F) If you are at Mound of the Navigator, it scans the area: Add 3 routes to the location.

G) If you are at Marsh of Rebirth, it defends itself with a gout of flame: Add 6[icon] to a path card in play.

H) If you are at The Cesspit, it clears a path through the mire: Discard 3 muck from the location.

I) If you are anywhere else, it offers you a ride: Add 5[icon] to the location.

263.4

If there is an Overgrown Reactor in play, go to 263.5. Otherwise, continue reading:

You stop to take a quick rest, but the pillbug-shaped machine nudges your feet several times as if to urge you onward. It's very insistent, but you still have some ways to go before you can reach one of the reactors it's seeking.

RANGERS CHOOSE:

A) Continue searching for a reactor.

Discard all [icon] from Mobile Custodian.

B) Leave it behind.

Discard Mobile Custodian and return HELPING HAND to the collection. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

263.5

You roll the machine over to the reactor. It latches itself to the side of the overgrown ruin, extending and connecting its proboscis to a hexagonal port in the reactor's side. A few moments pass as it whirs incessantly.

Suddenly, there is a loud abrasive sound of metal grinding on metal as the upper portion of the reactor turns, slowly rising upward to reveal a hidden layer of the structure. There, in the newly exposed cylinder, you see several spheroid shapes spaced evenly upon its surface, nested in circular sockets engraved with Estian script.

Slowly, the script fills with rich golden light. There is a hiss of air as steam ejects from edges of the spheres. They dislodge from their sockets and roll down the slope of the reactor to come to rest at the base.

The custodian then ambles over to each, running its feelers over them one by one as they unfurl to reveal themselves to be mobile custodians themselves. All gathered, the machines chatter in their odd insectoid speech, discussing who knows what after perhaps hundreds—or even thousands—of years since they last spoke with one another.

The machine wasn't looking for any old power source, after all—it was looking to reuinite with its kin! It must have activated some kind of protocol within the ruins.

You watch in amazement as the machines say their goodbyes and roll through the muddy waters heading to destinations unknown. You wonder what function they might serve.

Maybe next time you spot one, you should interact with it and see what happens…

Return Mobile Custodian and HELPING HAND to the collection and permanently move Mobile Custodian to the Swamp terrain set. Record RELEASED THE CUSTODIANS on the campaign tracker. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

263.6

With a series of insectoid clicks and chattering sounds, the machine comes alive, gradually unfurling itself segment by segment. It runs its antennae slowly over your body, then lets out a droning whir. Finally, as if in response to your presence, it rises to its full height, and a long, metallic proboscis emerges from a circular hatch on the underside of its body. At the end of the proboscis something resembling a six-fingered claw flexes, grasping in vain for something it is unable to find.

If you had to wager a guess, it's looking for a power source, perhaps one of the ancient reactors left behind by the Estians. You recall that there are many such reactors among the ruins in the swamp, though it's dangerous territory.

The machine awaits a response of some kind. When you gesture in the direction of the swamp, it drops back onto its myriad legs and starts following you.

RANGERS CHOOSE:

A) Sure, why not. Come along.

Discard all [icon], and attach the HELPING HAND mission to Mobile Custodian.

Take the machine to an Overgrown Reactor in the swamp, then clear it with [icon] again to power it up.

B) Stay here for now, little buddy.

Discard Mobile Custodian. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

263.7

The machine furls back up into a ball and begins to buzz alarmingly. A thin stream of smoke rises from within the ball, along with the hissing of something being soldered. You think it's entered some kind of automatic self-repair state. You decide to leave it to its repairs. Perhaps if you come back later, it'll be back to its normal self.

Each Ranger suffers three fatigue. Return Mobile Custodian (and HELPING HAND, if attached) to the collection.

264. Signpost

Not long after the Valley was first settled, its people spread out from the village of Spire to make their homes in locations that called to them. Before even formal trails were cleared between those locations, such as the well trodden path between Spire and Branch, signposts were placed to help those out in the wild safely reach their destination. The signposts were therefore the forerunners of the trail network, creating the hubs from which trails radiated toward settlements and homesteads.

The script on the signposts, however, has not been kept up-to-date with the ever-changing geography, so that instead of a sign pointing to the village of Meadow, for example, the sign reads "To the Dolewood Stump in the Field" or in place of Tumbledown, "To the Great and Terrible Falls."

Encountering a sign post is like coming across a memory of the past, captured in moss-covered stone, standing undisturbed in the wildness, waiting patiently to be recalled.

265. Zek Tsal, Courier

ENTERS PLAY:

IF YOU COMPLETED PARCEL DELIVERY, GO TO 265.1
IF YOU ARE ON PARCEL DELIVERY, GO TO 1.272
IF YOU ARE ON DESTINATION UNKNOWN, GO TO 265.2
OTHERWISE, GO TO 265.3

CLEAR :

IF YOU COMPLETED PARCEL DELIVERY, GO TO 265.4
IF YOU ARE ON PARCEL DELIVERY, GO TO 1.272
IF YOU ARE ON DESTINATION UNKNOWN, GO TO 265.5
OTHERWISE, GO TO 265.6

CLEAR : GO TO 265.7

265.1

You smell the smoke of the campfire before you come to its clearing. Zek sits on a log, stirring a pot of stew that sits over the flame. Nel stands nearby, loyal as ever. Her saddlebags are filled to the brim with letters and packages for Zek to deliver. "Oh, hey there!" he says as you approach. "Care for some stew?"

Clear Zek with [icon] to ask if he has a delivery for you.

265.2

Ahead, you spot Zek and his stilt-horse Nel, headed in the opposite direction as you. He waves as you approach, pulling gently on Nel's reins to get her to slow. "Hello!" he calls out. Then he spots the parcel you're carrying, and a snicker escapes from his lips. "I take it you haven't found that parcel's owner yet?"

Clear Zek with [icon] to ask for his advice.

265.3

Coming to a clearing by the side of the trail, you spot Zek Tsal sitting near his trusty stilt-horse Nel. Zek and his steed are familiar faces. As a courier, Zek is tasked with delivering letters and packages to villages and homesteads throughout the Valley.

He looks up as you approach, then turns his attention back to the object in his hands: a small parcel wrapped in twine and preserved vine, and covered in beautiful blue wisteria flowers. He turns the box over and over in front of his eyes as though searching for something.

Clear Zek with [icon] to ask what's in the box.

265.4

You ask if Zek has anything for you. "Actually, I just might!" He rummages through Nel's saddlebag and finds…

DISCARD THE TOP CARD OF THE CHALLENGE DECK AND READ THE ENTRY THAT CORRESPONDS TO ITS CHALLENGE SYMBOL:

[icon]:

…a package labeled for you! A grateful villager must have sent you something valuable in return for helping them out.

Each Ranger either soothes two fatigue or searches their Ranger deck for a gear and equips it (without paying its energy cost). Discard Zek.

[icon]:

…a letter addressed to you, from one of your friends back home! They update you on everything that's been going on in their life and ask you to visit soon.

Each Ranger either soothes two fatigue or shuffles two cards from their discard pile back into their Ranger deck. Discard Zek.

[icon]:

…nothing, unfortunately. "Oh well," Zek says, "maybe next time!"

Discard Zek. Each Ranger soothes two fatigue.

265.5

You ask Zek if he has any inkling whom the parcel might belong to. "No clue, but like I said earlier, your best bet is to ask around the places it passed through. I originally picked it up in Kobo's Market, but I know it passed through Crossroads Station on its way there, and probably originated in Meadow. Somebody in one of those places must know something. If you do happen to figure out the destination or the recipient, bring it back to me and I'll add it to my route. Sound good?"

Discard Zek. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

265.6

You greet Zek and ask him what's in the package he's holding.

"Truth be told, I have no idea," he says with an exasperated sigh. "I left Kobo's Market a few days ago and took with me all of the packages and letters that were gathered there. This is the last of them. I hadn't realized at the time, but the address on this particular package seems to be missing."

It's very frowned upon for couriers to open packages that aren't meant for them, so you know that's not an option. You ask if there's any other way for Zek to know whom it's meant for.

"Lots of people handle letters and packages before they're ever handed to a courier," Zek explains. "The best course of action would probably be to trace the places this package passed through and talk to the people who handled it. Maybe one of them remembers whom it's meant for. That was going to be my next course of action, but…" he takes a heavy breath and gazes elsewhere. Clearly something is weighing on his mind. You ask what the trouble is.

"Well…my mother passed just a couple days ago. It was very sudden. I'm currently headed over to Ancestor's Grove for her service, and then I have to head back home and sort through all of her old belongings. So I won't have time to loop back around to any of these other places for weeks, and by then the people there will probably have forgotten everything about this package. So, I'm in a bit of a bind."

Rangers Choose

A) Offer to investigate whom the parcel is meant for.

"Really? Thank goodness," Zek says as you take the parcel out of his hands. "Maybe it'll get to its rightful owner after all!"

You shake it gently in your hands and feel a light weight shifting inside. There's something in there, all right. You can't help but wonder whom it's meant for, and what might be inside.

"I picked it up in Kobo's Market, but it was in at least two other places before then," he explains. "The wisteria vine wrapping is something that's done with packages that pass through Crossroads Station. And I happen to know that this particular kind of twine is often used to seal packages in Meadow. So those are the three places I'd consider checking."

Gain the DESTINATION UNKNOWN mission. Discard Zek.

B) I hope you find whom it's meant for.

"Yeah, me too," Zek says with a chuckle. Then he rises to his feet with a groan and places the parcel back into Nel's saddlebag. "Well, I suppose I have no choice but to keep it with me for now. See you around!" He hops onto Nel's back and rides swiftly down the trail.

Discard Zek. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.

265.7

Zek leans on Nel as his wound grows steadily worse with each step. "Okay, I think I need a breather," he says, slumping against Nel's side. You sit Zek down and examine his injury—he should heal on his own, but riding Nel isn't going to make his recovery any easier. You decide to take the time to perform first aid and advise Zek to rest for a bit so as to not aggravate the wound.

End the Day.

266. World Events (ITM)

266.1

You wake in the early morning. Songbirds call in greeting to one another. You emerge from your tent to breathe the cool air, but instead of your campsite, you find yourself somewhere else entirely: standing before the wide mouth of the terravore, the great biomeld to the east. The birds go quiet, and the air grows still. Then you hear strange, unfamiliar animal sounds—or perhaps those of a biomeld—coming from within the terravore’s cavernous interior.

You sense that you’ve found yourself in a vision projected into your mind by Spirit Speaker Nal from her chambers within Lone Tree Station, the animal sounds an invitation to follow. With curiosity, you step into the maw.

Once inside, you emerge into a grotto. At its center is a large, flat boulder. Thick green moss grows on its surface, and there, in a pool of sunlight, you see the biological outpost in miniature. The small forms of its inhabitants go about their business, collecting samples, rehabilitating wildlife, and other, more mundane tasks. Your eye settles on Sirisana Mir, the Valley’s self-proclaimed resident biologist. You hear her murmuring in a tiny voice befitting her miniature form, but you can’t make out the words. She is clearly perturbed.

You hear the strange animal sounds again, louder and closer. You wheel to face them, then wake with a start.

You clear the sleep from your eyes, Nal’s psychic message received. You must journey to the biological outpost and speak with Sirisana Mir. Something stirs within the terravore.

Gain the CALLED TO THE OUTPOST mission.

Head to the biological outpost to check in with Sirisana Mir and her apprentice, Tiella.