Earthborne Rangers: Legacy of the Ancestors
Earthborne Rangers: Legacy of the Ancestors Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- The Story So Far
- 1. Missions (LOA)
- 1.101
- 1.102
- 1.103
- 1.104
- 1.105
- 1.106
- 1.107
- 1.108
- 1.109
- 1.110
- 1.111
- 1.112
- 1.114
- 1.115
- 1.116
- 1.117
- 1.118
- 1.119
- 1.120
- 1.121
- 1.122
- 1.123
- 1.125
- 1.126
- 1.127
- 1.128
- 1.129
- 1.130
- 1.131
- 1.132
- 1.133
- 1.134
- 1.135
- 1.136
- 1.137
- 1.138
- 1.139
- 1.140
- 2. Lone Tree Station (LOA)
- 5. Spire (LOA)
- 14. Boulder Field (LOA)
- 15. Ancestor's Grove
- 16. Kobo's Market (LOA)
- 19. The Plummet
- 23. Headwaters Station (LOA)
- 24. Greenbriar Knoll (LOA)
- 25. The Concordant Ziggurats (LOA)
- 42. Topside Mast (LOA)
- 43. Hanging Gardens (LOA)
- 44. Kordo, Ranger Veteran (LOA)
- 45. Spirit Speaker Nal (LOA)
- 47. Hy Pimpot, Chef (LOA)
- 52. Quiet (LOA)
- 56. The Carbon Forge (LOA)
- 57. A Hearty Brew (LOA)
- 58. Arcology Threshold (LOA)
- 59. Dace, Ambitious Shaper (LOA)
- 60. Elder Mora Orlin (LOA)
- 61. Tollin Lang, Sculptor (LOA)
- 71. Ol' Bloody Clicker (LOA)
- 78. Arcology Sinkhole (LOA)
- 79. Ranger Cache (LOA)
- 81. Oura Vos, Traveler (LOA)
- 83. Ren Kobo, Merchant (LOA)
- 85. Calypsa, Ranger Mentor (LOA)
- 86. The Fundamentalist (LOA)
- 88. The Tenebrae (LOA)
- 89. Umbra (LOA)
- 100. The Chimney
- 101. Severed Artery
- 102. Branching Artery
- 103. Terminal Artery
- 104. Mycelial Conclave
- 105. Arboretum of Memory
- 106. The Verdant Sphere
- 107. The Cage
- 108. Drenching Chamber
- 109. Oasis of Sunlight
- 110. Desert of Endless Night
- 111. Cerulean Curtain
- 112. Orlin's Vault
- 113. Scuttler Network
- 114. The Cistern
- 115. Silent Dormitories
- 116. Carbonforged Maze
- 117. Inverted Forest
- 118. The Rootway
- 119. Talpid's Squeeze
- 120. The Plinth
- 121. The Spiral Staircase
- 122. Cryptic Wayfinder
- 123. Lost Lutrinal
- 124. Silaro Mako, Spelunker
- 125. Rift in the Artery
- 126. Quisi Vos, Rapscallion
- 127. Harlan Vos, Explorer
- 128. Decrepit Station Platform
- 129. Wild Scuttlebus
- 130. Progenitor Mushroom
- 131. Gardener Spirit
- 132. The Ferrymen
- 133. Petrified Giant, Petrified Colossus, Petrified Behemoth
- 134. New Growth
- 135. Archivist Spirit
- 136. The Grovetender
- 137. Sap Applicator
- 138. Mysterious Seed
- 139. Familiar Verdessian
- 140. The Heart
- 141. Beat Regulator
- 142. Nutrient Injector
- 143. Vagus Capacitor
- 144. Kal Iver, Proficient Ranger
- 145. The Slumbering Foreman
- 146. Flowsteel Control
- 147. Mutating Galgothrop
- 148. Precarious Wreckage
- 149. Pitch Black Passage
- 150. Fractal Frog
- 151. Wanderer Spirit
- 152. A Shadow in the Darkness
- 153. Trail of Ooze
- 154. Crimson Guardian
- 155. Elevated Passage
- 156. Flooded Passage
- 157. Overgrown Passage
- 158. Locked Passage
- 159. Lunn, Curious Scavenger
- 160. The Heart's Confusion
- 161. The Heart's Anger
- 162. The Heart's Sorrow
- 163. The Heart's Fear
- 196. Rattling the Cage
- 197. Expedition Logbook
- 198. Data Repository
- 199. World Events (LOA)
The Story So Far
You’ve come to the end of a long day’s journey. Your legs ache, yet you feel invigorated. A light breeze rustles your cloak and cools the perspiration on your skin. You take a deep, full breath. Crisp mountain air fills your lungs, and you feel it all the way down to the soles of your feet. You exhale and taste the sweetness of the air on your tongue.
On this day, you’re returning home after a weeks-long patrol of the Northern Pass. The hour is late, and the shadow of Atrox Mountain stretches out before you, reaching eastward across the Valley’s many forests, lakes, and streams.
As evening deepens, the song of frogs and chirping insects rises from the grasslands. Your path has led you out of the mountains and down to the foothills of Atrox Mountain, where tall trees now stand on all sides and the air is rich with the smell of pine and loamy earth. In the distance, you see a welcome sight.
Visible for miles even in the failing light, Lone Tree Station stands out against the evening sky. The sight of your home fills you with relief. After weeks on patrol, you are eager to get a warm meal and a good night’s rest. You hear the distant sound of laughter and merrymaking on the wind.
The sun dips below the mountains, painting the clouds in a rich vermilion. The leaves of Lone Tree glitter in the evening light, and you smell rain on the air.
If you have already completed the first campaign, The Lure of the Valley, go to Entry 1.
If you have not completed The Lure of the Valley, or if you’d like to start fresh with Legacy of the Ancestors, continue reading:
Lone Tree Station towers before you, its great limbs dark against the sky. From its base a warm light glows. A boisterous song fills the air—a traditional tune from the time when your ancestors roamed the Midlands, a song of reverent joy and the beauty of nature. As accompaniment to the song, you smell a savory aroma, one that could only come from the kitchen of Hy Pimpot.
Stomach rumbling, you decide to forego a visit to your quarters and make for the Old Ranger’s Root, the tavern at the base of Lone Tree Station, operated by veteran Ranger and celebrated hunter, Kordo Haverson.
Kordo greets you with a smile, and the gruff but amiable veteran accompanies you to the coziest of the Old Ranger’s Root’s dimly lit corners. You ease back against a smooth wooden bench and take in your surroundings.
The tavern occupies a large hollow at the base of Lone Tree Station. The tree's roots both form the dome of the tavern's ceiling and support its walls. The great room is furnished with artfully crafted wooden tables and chairs. Along the walls, smaller roots serve as benches, worn smooth with use. The tavern is full and spirits are high.
“Back from your patrol of the Northern Pass, eh?” Kordo says. “Find any reclaimers up there? No? If you ask me, I reckon we’ve seen the last of them. Good riddance to bad biomelds, I say!”
Two cycles of the moon have passed since you and your fellow Rangers made safe the Valley from the reclaimers—a rare species of biomeld that endangered all who crossed their path, and that very nearly consumed the village of Spire. Since then, however, the Valley has been comparatively quiet.
Kordo orders a round of Mulcher's Brown—a rich, nutty ale—for the table and sits beside you. After weeks on the trail, it’s nice to be in the company of your fellow Rangers, sharing stories over a hearty brew.
Conversations dwindle, and you look up to see a flamboyantly dressed woman carrying a dolewood lute step up to the low stage near the bar. You recognize her as Sasha Vero, a traveling talespinner from Meadow. An expectant hush falls over the crowd.
Sasha looks out at the patrons and begins to stomp her foot on the stage, pounding out an energetic beat that is quickly taken up by those in attendance. Soon, everyone in the tavern is clapping along, stomping their feet, or keeping time with their mugs on the table.
The tale is half sung, half spoken to a vigorous beat accompanied by percussive strums of the lute. She begins:
Ooooh, let me tell you a tale my friends. My friends, let me spin you a yarn. I sing the deeds of the brave and noble Rangers who saved our Valley from harm.
Rangers Choose
A) That sounds about right. Lean back and continue listening.
You smile as you remember savoring Hy Pimpot’s warm, buttery biscuits. Was that really such a short time ago? That was also the day you met Kal Iver. You remember Kal’s disdainful attitude and let out a laugh, thinking of how your relationship with him has grown. You spot Kal sitting across the room. He catches your eye and gives you a playful wink.
Write STOOD UP TO KAL on the campaign tracker.
B) That’s not what happened.
You lean toward Kordo and tell him that you would never do that! Kordo laughs. “Hy Pimpot would be sorely disappointed to hear it!” He says. “He always bakes more than enough for just such an eventuality.” You settle back into your seat and your mind drifts to memories of Calypsa, your mentor, who made a bet with her patrolmate Kal Iver that you wouldn’t eat any of the biscuits. You smile to yourself, thinking of how you proved that her confidence in you was not misplaced.
Write IMPRESSED CALYPSA on the campaign tracker.
Sasha continues her tale, singing of the shaper, Aell, the dangerous rainstorms he inadvertently summoned, and the subsequent floods that revealed the presence of the invasive biomelds known as the reclaimers. She tells of how the Rangers encountered a mysterious Verdessian, a sentient plant who was unceremoniously killed—eaten by a sitka buck that mistook it for a meal. Was it connected to the reclaimers somehow? We’ll never know!
Rangers Choose
A) Nod in agreement.
You remember that the Verdessian was unlike anything you had ever seen. Its death was a tragedy. The Verdessian had acted with purpose and intelligence. You regret missing the opportunity to learn more about it.
Write VERDESSIAN KILLED? on the campaign tracker.
B) That’s not right.
As the song continues you tell Kordo what really happened. With the help of Spirit Speaker Nal you had a “conversation” with the Verdessian. It was very difficult to understand. In the end, however, you discovered that the Verdessian was trying to lure the reclaimers to Spire for some reason you couldn't discern. Kordo nods, clearly impressed.
Write ANGERED THE VERDESSIAN on the campaign tracker.
C) That’s ridiculous!
As the song continues, you tell Kordo what really happened. With the help of Spirit Speaker Nal you communicated with the Verdessian and discovered that its motives were complex. It was trying to guide the reclaimers toward destroying something beneath Spire, something it viewed as a threat. You wonder aloud what the threat could have been and whether that threat persists. Kordo nods, clearly unnerved by the thought.
Write BEFRIENDED THE VERDESSIAN on the campaign tracker.
Sasha’s song reaches a crescendo! With the whole of the Valley in danger, the only thing to do was to evacuate Spire and move the residents to safety. With only hours to spare, the Rangers came to the rescue and whisked the villagers away.
Rangers Choose
A) Raise your mug to the talespinner. That’s right. We got everyone out of there as fast as we could.
You remember the terror of that day. You managed to get everyone to safety, even as the reclaimers swarmed the village. Spire was heavily damaged before the reclaimers poured into the Arcology Threshold, disappearing into the darkness below.
Write SPIRE FALLEN, DACE'S GROUP SAVED, ELDER ORLIN'S GROUP SAVED, TOLLIN'S GROUP SAVED, on the campaign tracker.
B) No, we summoned a flood!
You tell Kordo of how you sought the help of the shaper Aell, and how he used a special conduit to summon a final, mighty rainstorm to flood the reclaimer nest, washing them away for good. Kordo shakes his head in amazement. “Incredible,” he says. “Simply incredible.”
Write INSPIRED AELL, AELL REDEEMED, and RECLAIMERS WASHED AWAY on the campaign tracker.
C) No, we fed them to the hydraworms!
You describe to Kordo how you worked with Kasende, the hunter from Tumbledown, to lure the reclaimers into the Marsh of Rebirth using a strange white flower as bait. Their appetites were matched—and exceeded—by the hydraworms of the swamp. In a feeding frenzy, the reclaimers were devoured. “I wish I could have seen it!” Kordo says. “That’s what I call nature at work!”
Write RECLAIMERS CONSUMED and KASENDE ALMOST SMILED on the campaign tracker.
With a final, energetic verse and a boisterous stomp, Sasha brings the tale to a close. As the crowd erupts in applause, she makes a sweeping gesture toward you. “To the heroes!” she shouts, and the crowd echoes the toast with raised mugs. “Thank you, one and all! May the ancestors guide you. I’ll be here all week! Good night!”
Kordo claps your shoulder. “Quite the tale,” he says, draining his mug. “Now go get some rest. I have a feeling you’ll be back on the trail before you know it.”
As you leave the Old Ranger's Root, a stiff wind rustles the leaves of Lone Tree. You close your cloak against the chill and head inside the station.
Gain the following reward cards: Biosign Sensor, Gauzeblade, Hy Pimpot’s Secret Recipe, Light As A Feather, Nal’s Understanding, Reclaimer Mucus, and Touch of the Verdessa.
1. Missions (LOA)
To start the campaign, perform the first four steps of setup on page 10 of the rulebook, then return here for the remainder of setup.
You wake with the dawn. The unmistakable aroma of Hy Pimpot’s pancakes rouses you from your slumber. Birdsong drifts through the open window, and you raise your head to see the first rays of sunlight peek over Mount Nim. As a Ranger you’ve grown accustomed to sleeping under the stars, but every once in awhile, it’s nice to sleep in a comfortable bed, sheltered from the elements.
Put the Lone Tree Station location into play in the surroundings.
As you lie snug and warm, you recall a portion of the dream you had last night. You were in a dark cave, your surroundings barely illuminated. You remember the stillness of the air and the sound of a trickling stream. There was a being there with you, cloaked in shadow. As the light crawled slowly over its form, revealing it bit by bit, it turned its head toward you—a head like a many-petaled flower, “grinning” in a fashion that filled you with deep unease.
Your memory of the dream fades as you climb out of bed, and remember that you have an early meeting with Elder Thrush. You dress quickly and head straight to the kitchen for breakfast. You know from past experience that if you don’t hurry, the pancakes will all be eaten and you’ll have to settle for sunberry-mash and cream.
You pull on your tunic, step onto the balcony, and notice a darkened sky to the south. After several weeks of nearly perfect weather, heavily laden clouds have swept up from the Verdessa. It begins to rain.
Put the Downpour weather into play.
You weave your way through the covered stairways of Lone Tree Station, and as you reach Elder Thrush’s ready room, your ears are filled with the rolling thrum of raindrops pelting the roof.
Elder Thrush stands at the far end of a circular table that dominates the center of the room. Carved from the trunk of a giga-redwood slain by lightning, the table bears faint scorch marks beneath a generous coat of lacquer.
In the center of the table sits a marvelous piece of technology: a multi-hued map of kinetic glass, large enough to depict the entire Valley. With a gesture from Elder Thrush, the surface of the Valley lifts, revealing partially mapped passageways in the ground below.
Spirit Speaker Nal and Ben Amon are there as well, speaking quietly to each other. As you enter they sit at attention. Elder Thrush studies the shimmering map for a moment, then gestures for you to take a seat across from her.
“Good morning,” she says in a friendly, no-nonsense tone. “I trust you slept well last night? I know that you were looking forward to some extended free time after your long patrol, but the people of the Valley are in need once again.” You sit up a little straighter. “Do you know Silaro Mako?”
You tell Elder Thrush that you are familiar with the Valley’s foremost archaeologist and enthusiast of Estian lore.
“You may not have felt it since you were patrolling the Northern Pass, but while you were gone, there was a tremor near Spire. It was barely perceptible here at the Station, and it did not last more than a few moments, but there are many who believe it was an event of great importance.
"Silaro Mako is one of them. He believes that something has … shifted deep within the arcology ruin, and he’s eager to investigate. A few days ago, he approached the Council of Elders with a proposal: He wants to lead an expedition into the depths of the arcology to discover the source of the tremor.”
“Elder,” says Ben Amon, raising a finger. “If I may, Silaro’s theory is well founded in historical fact. Long ago, when the Valley was first settled by our ancestors, there was a tremor not unlike this one. Our ancestors already knew of the arcology ruin beneath Spire, but after the tremor, Sal Orlin, Elder Orlin’s father, discovered that a passage had opened near the surface."
Ben Amon gestures toward the map and the kinetic shards reform to show a detailed view of the Arcology Threshold. A passage within leads to a spiral staircase set inside a deep chimney—a narrow, vertical chasm—plunging far below the surface.
"He went in not knowing what awaited him, and he returned with the Carbon Forge; the most valuable piece of technology we have today. I have no doubt that Silaro hopes to find that another doorway has opened somewhere in the ruin, and that beyond lies an equally important discovery.”
Gain THE DESCENT mission.
“May the Spirit of the Valley guide and protect you,” she says. With that, Elder Thrush calls an end to the meeting and sends you on your way.
Travel to the Chimney by way of either the Arcology Threshold (in Spire) or an Arcology Sinkhole (at non-pivotal locations) to meet up with Silaro Mako’s expedition.
Complete setup by finishing steps 8, 9, and 10 on page 11 of the rulebook, using the Woods terrain set for step 8.
The path opens before you. Where you go from here is entirely up to you.
1.101
If you’re RUNNING LATE, go to entry 1.101a. Otherwise, if you don't have the SEARCH BELOW (SILARO MAKO) mission, read the following:
At the base of a massive cylinder of forged carbon, you see several lambance rigs illuminating the space in a wide ring. Within, there are the beginnings of a base camp. The advance team moves about the space, taking stock, unpacking crates, setting up equipment, and building temporary structures. Beyond, there is a vast darkness, sparkling with a strange kind of precipitation that illuminates the boundaries of the cavern as it falls. Shadows move and shift as the droplets pass. The effect is mesmerizing.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” A confident voice cuts through the still air. You turn to see a tall, bearded man with impeccable posture walking toward you. “We’ve been calling it glitterain. Not sure what it is, but it sure is fascinating! I’m Harlan. Harlan Vos,” he says, extending his hand in greeting. “You must be the additional Rangers Elder Thrush promised us.”
You introduce yourself and inquire as to Silaro Mako’s whereabouts.
“Silaro went on ahead some time ago,” explains Harlan. “He got so excited when he arrived that he just had to venture deeper. I’ve never been one to stand in the way of an explorer, so I didn’t protest, but it’s been at least a day since he left. Maybe I should have tried to convince him otherwise.”
You are about to respond when you feel a familiar tug on your backpack.
“Hi!” You look down to see the cheerful face of Quisi Vos looking up at you. Is she … eating your trail mix? “I’m glad you’re here. That other Ranger’s not nearly as fun as you are. What was his name again, dad?”
“Kal Iver,” says Harlan. “He arrived a few hours before you did. Said that we should expect you to be right behind him ‘as usual.’ He went on ahead, but he didn’t seem too worried about Silaro. Can you keep an eye out for him? Silaro is supposed to be leading this expedition, after all. He should probably be here.”
Rangers Choose
A) Of course! Happy to help.
Gain the SEARCH BELOW (SILARO MAKO) mission. Search the Chimney set for Silaro Mako, Spelunker and attach him facedown to the mission card. Cross off 199.2 on the day tracker. Write 199.3 3 days from now on the day tracker. Find Silaro Mako and return him to the base camp at the Chimney.
B) Silaro can take care of himself. I’m sure he’s fine.
Cross off 199.2 on the day tracker. Write 199.3 3 days from now on the day tracker.
1.101A
The expedition’s advance team has all but finished setting up on a large flat landing at the base of the Chimney. It looks like a small village, bustling with activity. Among the gathered crew, you spot the young rapscallion Quisi Vos talking excitedly with her father, Harlan, and your old rival, Kal Iver.
Kal lies back on a hammock suspended several feet above the ground by two memlev devices, one at the head of the hammock and one at its foot. As you approach, he hops off with a grunt of effort and steps toward Silaro Mako, giving you a laconic salute. “You’re in good hands, Silaro,” he says. “Elder Thrush has sent us the absolute best.”
“Of course she did!” says Silaro. “All the Elders know how important this expedition is. They’ll also be happy to know that my theory was correct! New passages have opened up in the arcology! The last time anyone was down here, there was only one passage leading from this chamber. Now there are many more. I’d be willing to bet there are even more beyond those!” With hardly a pause, Silaro turns to you and says: “What I need you to do is a bit of scouting. First, investigate the immediate vicinity, then we’ll see about venturing deeper.”
He rummages in a nearby crate and withdraws a handheld device. “Take this lambance rig with you. Illumination is in short supply down here, and you don’t want to go fumbling around in the dark—not where you’re going!” He claps you on the back. “Drink it in, my friend. Wherever you go, you could very well be the first human to set foot there in over a thousand years!”
Complete THE DESCENT mission. Gain the SURVEY THE DEPTHS mission and the Lambance Rig reward card.
You note that Silaro is truly in his element. If he were any more excited, he may very well float back up to the surface. “While you’re away, I plan on doing some ‘scouting’ of my own,” he says. “I’ve discovered some Estian script that may very well be instructions for how to operate the arcology itself! I just need time to translate it. Perhaps by the time you return, I’ll know more.”
Record CHIMNEY IS SETTLED on the campaign tracker. Then, if 199.4 isn't on your day tracker, record 199.4 7 days from now on the day tracker.
As Silaro departs, Kal pulls you aside. He speaks to you in an uncharacteristically low and serious tone. “Between us, I’m not too keen on being down here,” he says. “I’ve done some scouting, and I rate the stability of this structure as tenuous at best. Tread lightly.”
If SPIRE FALLEN , continue reading:
As you prepare to leave base camp, you take note of the damage done to the Estian ruins by the passage of the reclaimers: claw marks, shredded wall paneling, and the distinctive, all-too-familiar half-melted look indicating the presence of grubs.
Even as you shudder at the memory, you realize that something’s not quite right. Where are the reclaimers themselves? The place should be swarming with them, shouldn’t it? What could have happened to them all?
You draw your cloak a little more tightly as you proceed.
1.102
If it is has been 2 or more days since you began SEARCH BELOW (SILARO), go to 1.102a.
Otherwise, read:
You walk right up to Silaro before he notices you. He is busy studying a wall covered in blocky Estian script, and by the looks of his half-filled notebook, he’s been doing so for quite a while. “Oh, hello there!” he smiles. “Is it time for dinner already?”
When you explain that he’s missed dinner, and perhaps some other meals besides, he shrugs. “That explains why my belly has been rumbling, I suppose. There’s just so much to discover down here! I could spend my entire life in these halls!”
You politely but persistently suggest that Silaro would be better off at the base camp organizing the operation, and that he can send others to scout in his stead. He keeps brushing off your suggestions until he stands up … and almost falls over on his face.
“Oh,” he says when you help steady him. “I guess I have missed a few too many meals. Very well. You win, you win. Let’s return to base camp. Lead the way!”
Complete the SEARCH BELOW (SILARO) mission and gain the RETURN TO BASE CAMP (SILARO) mission. Put Silaro Mako, Spelunker into play within reach of a Ranger. Attach the Return to Base Camp card to him. Do not read his entry.
1.102A
Your search leads you to a narrow passage branching off to the right. You poke your head in and see a vertical shaft about four meters deep. At the bottom is Silaro. His wan features break into a huge grin when he sees you. You quickly rig up ropes and haul the wayward archaeologist out of the hole. He is battered, pale, and has a pronounced limp, but he’s alive.
“Thank the ancestors!” he says as he hungrily devours the trail mix you provide him. “I was going along just fine, following my topographone, as I do. I turned a corner, and boof! A pit! I’ve been stuck there ever since. It’s rather embarrassing, frankly.
“Perhaps I’d better get up to camp and see how they’re getting on,” he says. “I would appreciate your further assistance, of course. I wouldn’t want to accidentally fall into any more pits!”
Complete the SEARCH BELOW (SILARO) mission and gain the RETURN TO BASE CAMP (SILARO) mission. Put Silaro into play within reach of a Ranger. Do not read his entry. Attach the Return to Base Camp card to him. Then the Lead Ranger must search the path deck for the next predator and put it into play.
1.102B
“We’ve made it at last,” says Silaro. “Thank you for finding me … and bringing me back to camp safe and sound. I promise that I won’t go wandering off again!” He claps you on the back and smiles.
“And now that we’re all here,” he says. “There’s some work that needs doing! Come with me, and I’ll explain.”
Shuffle Silaro into the path deck, complete the RETURN TO BASE CAMP (SILARO) mission, and write FOUND SILARO on the campaign tracker. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
Go to 1.101a
1.102C
“Oh! Oooh!” Silaro wails. “My ankle! I don’t think I can walk!” You look Silaro up and down, take a deep breath, firm up your core, and hoist Silaro over your shoulder. “My goodness! You’re stronger than you look!” he says.
Attach Silaro facedown to a Ranger’s role. While Silaro is attached to a role, that Ranger can only have 2 equip value worth of gear equipped.
Arrive at the Chimney to detach Silaro from your role and complete the mission.
1.102D
You wake to the smell of a delicious aroma and find Silaro cooking something in a small pan over a low fire burning with a purple flame. “Mushrooms!” he says, delightedly. “They make for a great fire, and they’re quite edible. Care for some before we head out?”
Put Silaro into play within reach of a Ranger. Do not read his entry. Attach the Return to Base Camp card to him.
Arrive at the Chimney with Silaro to complete the mission.
1.103
The sun peeks through the clouds as you walk down the path toward Kobo's Market, bathing the green in a soft, golden light. The wide terrace of the marketplace is bustling with activity, and you see folk from every corner of the Valley chattering excitedly with one another. It appears as though Ren Kobo's semi-annual swap meet is well underway. Amid the din you can pick out elevated moments of some ferociously good-natured haggling.
If you’ve completed THE VALLEY’S SECRETS mission, go to 1.103a. Otherwise, continue reading:
As you make your way to the terrace, you’re greeted by a throng of friendly faces. Some want to give you a small token by way of thanking you for your service to the Valley. Others are simply excited to see that a Ranger has come to the swap meet (who just might have something interesting to trade)!
Gain the LIMITED TIME OFFER mission if you don't already have it. Complete the LIMITED TIME OFFER mission and gain the KOBO’S SWAP MEET mission.
Search the Valley set for Ren Kobo and put him into play. Do not read his entry. When you build the path deck, instead of using 3 random cards from the Valley set, do so using the other 3 humans from the Valley set.
Search the core game Reward set for all copies of each of the following cards that you have not previously unlocked:
- Ar Tel’s Vaulting Rod
- Dendritic Vine
- Dolewood Canoe
- Gauzeblade
- Harvest Crown
- Kinetic Glass Sculpture
- Lynx Fur Cloak
- Philosopher’s Honey
- Probability Compass
- Quisi’s Favorite Snack
- Sil’s Sketchbook
- Topographone
- Translocator
- Umbral Claw
Shuffle them together to make the “Swappables deck” and place it facedown next to the path deck. This deck operates as its own independent deck, and has its own discard pile for any Swappables that are discarded. Flip the top 3 cards of this deck faceup and place them next to the play area. These items are currently available in the swap meet.
1.103A
As you approach the throng, you feel a gentle tug on your sleeve. You turn and see the venerable Messipian merchant Ren Kobo. He beckons you to a quiet alcove, sheltered from the elements. He eyes the gear hanging from your pack and chuckles appreciatively.
“You’ve been doing well for yourself,” he says. “Some very nice pieces, I must say! But perhaps you’d be willing to trade something for this?”
He steps deeper into the alcove and returns with a truly impressive piece of headgear. “This beauty has been sitting unused in my storehouse for far too many seasons.”
You notice that the hat is nearly identical to Ren Kobo’s own. “I liked it so much that I acquired a spare,” he says. “I’ve never worn it except to try it on.” He looks at the spare hat with great admiration. “Perhaps this one would see use with you? It’s a symbol of great distinction among the most accomplished sailors in the flotilla, and it keeps off the sun and rain to boot!”
You can trade all of your copies of a single unlocked reward for Ren Kobo’s Hat. This exchange is permanent. If you do, gain the Ren Kobo’s Hat reward card, and cross out the old reward on your campaign tracker.
Gain the LIMITED TIME OFFER mission if you don't already have it. Complete the LIMITED TIME OFFER mission. Gain and complete the KOBO’S SWAP MEET mission.
When you build the path deck, instead of using 3 random cards from the Valley, do so using 3 random humans from the Valley set.
1.104
You spend hours at the swap meet, exchanging items and tales in equal measure. Although the new supplies are useful, learning what many of the people of the Valley have been up to since the reclaimer invasion is the most valuable part of the meet.
Eventually, the sun dips behind the mountains, and everyone begins to pack their bags and prepare to leave. You say your farewells and receive many well-wishes. Then, as long shadows stretch across the market lawn, you cinch up your cloak, sling your pack over your shoulder, and head out.
Complete the KOBO’S SWAP MEET mission. Return the Swappables deck and discard to the collection.
1.105
You recognize Tiella, the apprentice biologist from the Biological Outpost, sitting at a circular table near the buffet. When she sees you, her face lights up, and she waves you over. You haven't seen her since she lent you the services of Gus, her trusty mole, whose sensitive nose led you to discover where the reclaimers were nesting.
As you approach, Tiella clears her throat and looks at you expectantly. “I distinctly remember that you promised to return Gus once the reclaimer threat had passed,” she says. “It’s been two whole cycles, and no Gus!”
You apologize, and Tiella’s expression softens. You unhook Gus's traveling cage from your pack and hand him over. “Gus!” she exclaims. “I’ve missed you, little man!”
Gus snuffles happily and she pulls him from the cage so the two can nuzzle one another affectionately. You look at your tiny and stalwart companion, happy to see him reunited with Tiella but sad to see him go.
As you turn to leave, the mole lets out a distressed chirp. Tiella regards him for a long moment.
“I think Gus wants to stay with you,” she says. “Clearly he’s acquired a taste for adventure.”
You protest, but Tiella shushes you. She nuzzles Gus one last time, then sets him gently back into his cage. “Be safe out there, little man,” she whispers. “And come back to see me soon.”
Gain the Gus the Mole reward card. Write REUNITED TWO FRIENDS on your campaign tracker.
1.106
READ THE ENTRY MATCHING YOUR CURRENT LOCATION:
Drenching Chamber
You’re not overly familiar with the workings of the hydroelectric turbines beneath Spire—through which the waters of the Silverfin flow to provide energy to the village—but you’re reasonably certain that this chamber is somehow connected. You find that if you remain still, and listen beyond the sound of dripping water—and that of your own heartbeat—you can perceive a distant thrum coming from somewhere above, reverberating through the surrounding rock. The rhythm of the thrum syncs with the occasional release of water into the chamber from the openings above, followed shortly thereafter by a low gurgling sound as that water is flushed from the chamber. You reflect on how great is the generosity of the Estians that they should leave so many mechanical wonders to be discovered and utilized by a people they would never meet in waking life.
Discard all surveys from the SURVEY THE DEPTHS mission card. Check off the bubble matching your current location next to SURVEY THE DEPTHS on your campaign tracker. If two or more bubbles are filled, go to 1.106a.
The Drenching Chamber has been surveyed. Travel to one of the other two locations to continue the mission.
Orlin’s Vault
As you explore the chamber known as Orlin’s Vault, you recall the story of Sal Orlin—how it is said that the doors to the Vault opened as if operated by an unseen hand, and before him sat the Carbon Forge, illuminated alone in the pressing darkness. You’re surprised then to learn that the Carbon Forge he discovered was but one of many—part of a vast workshop in which much of what the Estians wrought was brought to life and subsequently abandoned. However, these other forges are clearly in a state of horrible disrepair, perhaps beyond salvaging. You also find several depowered and disassembled machines, some as small as your closed fist, but others the size of a stilt horse. You’re guessing the Estians used these machines extensively in constructing and maintaining the arcology, and there are probably more workshops and maintenance bays deeper within.
Discard all surveys from the SURVEY THE DEPTHS mission card. Check off the bubble matching your current location next to SURVEY THE DEPTHS on your campaign tracker. If two or more bubbles are filled, go to 1.106a.
Orlin’s Vault has been surveyed. Travel to one of the other two locations to continue the mission.
Scuttler Network
You determine that the spindlescuttlers must have constructed their nest long after the Estians succumbed to whatever fate befell them. Honeycombed mounds of earth and towers of gathered clay now sit upon the ruin of the Estians’ great achievement. If the Estians were also responsible for the creation of the spindlescuttlers, as is commonly believed, then perhaps it is fitting that the spindlescuttlers should be the ones to continue the Estians' work, building more structures upon the foundation laid by their creators, thriving in their absence.
Discard all surveys from the SURVEY THE DEPTHS mission card. Check off the bubble matching your current location next to SURVEY THE DEPTHS on your campaign tracker. If two or more bubbles are filled, go to 1.106a.
The Scuttler Network has been surveyed. Travel to one of the other two locations to continue the mission.
1.106a
With the goal of completing your surveying task for Silaro in sight, you decide to stop for awhile to rest your feet. In this moment, you become fully aware of the inherent stillness of the arcology, and you wonder: if you weren’t down here tromping around, how much quieter it would be. Would it be wiser, perhaps, to leave this place undisturbed? Your thoughts drift to memories of the open sky and to the sweet scent of sunberries on the breeze.
You’re stirred from your reverie by the sound of approaching footsteps and hushed conversation. To your surprise, Quisi Vos comes sprinting toward you, her way illuminated by a curious lantern—a transparent sphere containing what appears to be a glowing slug. You spot her father, Harlan, and Kal Iver walking calmly behind. Quisi sits down heavily beside you. “This place is INCREDIBLE!” she says. “Look at this slug I found!” Quisi is in the middle of recounting the Finding of the Slug when her father and Kal approach.
“Sorry to interrupt your story, Quisi,” Harlan says. “But we have a message from Silaro for our friend here.” He turns to you. “Silaro’s research has borne fruit, and he’s off to the Concordant Ziggurats to put it to the test. He’s requested your help in whatever he plans to do there, so he sent us on an errand to find you and deliver the message. Before we left, he was going on about the arcology being ‘asleep’ and just needing a nudge to wake up. I’ve never seen him so excited—and that’s saying something.”
Kal steps forward. “I’ll take over the survey mission from here, so you can go help Silaro,” he says. “Silaro had a wild gleam in his eye when we left him. I’m not sure what to make of it. I think he may be more in need of your good sense than anything else you might provide.” You brief Kal on your survey progress and make note of the final location on your list.
Kal claps you on the shoulder. “Leave it to me,” he says.
“And me!” Quisi announces. “Let’s go, Kal! Whoever’s got the slug goes first!” With that, Quisi is off, her father close behind. Kal looks at you pleadingly for a moment, then follows.
Complete the SURVEY THE DEPTHS mission and gain the AN URGENT REQUEST mission. Each Ranger soothes up to 2 fatigue. Write the name of the unchecked location from SURVEY THE DEPTHS followed by UNEXPLORED on the campaign tracker.
If Kal Iver, Proficient Ranger is in play, return him to the collection.
1.107
As you reach the top of a low hill, you see the first of the massive Ziggurats rising out of the forest. Sure enough, you can just make out a figure standing at the top. You head for the first of the meter-high “steps” and gird yourself for the arduous climb.
As you mount the final step, Silaro looks up from his equipment—some sort of kinetic glass display. “Oh good! You made it. And just in time!” he says. “I’ve uncovered something remarkable.”
He gestures around him. “We’ve long suspected that the Ziggurats are some sort of power source; maybe they generate power, or perhaps they bring it from somewhere else. But in any case, in the writings I’ve interpreted, the Estians refer to them as ‘power nodes,’ and together they provide energy to the arcology.
“I believe now that the new passages we’ve been exploring underground have been opened by the arcology itself! Some sort of autonomous reaction! And if that’s true, I wonder what the arcology would do if we gave it a little more juice.”
You ask why Silaro assumes the Ziggurats aren’t sending their power to the arcology already, and he points to his kinetic glass display. “Look at these readings! The Ziggurats are bleeding energy off into their surroundings. It explains why we always feel so edgy around them. But the writings also explain how we can shift them, get the power under control, and redirect it back into the arcology where it belongs.”
Silaro begins to demonstrate the process—using sympathetic resonance with a precise series of whistles—and you look at the other Ziggurats marching away into the distance. Looks like there’s some more climbing in your future.
Complete the AN URGENT REQUEST mission and gain the POWER UP mission. Search the General set for 2 Unstable Ziggurats and shuffle them into the path deck.
1.108
The hair on your arms stands on end as you approach the Ziggurats once more. It seems Silaro is still attempting to send power from the Ziggurats to the arcology below. A growing feeling of disquiet stirs around you, as if permeating the air. You climb one of the central structures, and Silaro greets you at the top.
“Ah, you're here! Fantastic. We have a lot of work to do.” He gestures to several of the other nearby Ziggurats. “If we can redirect the energy emitted by these ‘power nodes’ into the arcology, who knows what we may discover? Do you remember the process I showed you?” He nods before you even get the chance to respond. “Good, good. You know what to do!”
Search the General set for 2 Unstable Ziggurats and shuffle them into the path deck.
1.109
You and Silaro scramble to the top of the last of the Ziggurats. Silaro moves animatedly to the center of the platform.
“This should do it,” Silaro says to himself. “Once we activate this Ziggurat, it will complete the localized circuit and begin transmitting power back into the arcology.”
He pulls out a bronze, multi-toned whistle and begins blowing the precise notes. As he does, you look out over the Valley. Something catches your eye: the Tenebrae, which normally roam implacably near the Ziggurats, are drifting with uncharacteristic haste toward the mountains to the west. You are about to say something to Silaro when he blows the last crisp note.
As soon as it rings out, it's met with a clap of thunder as a massive electrical discharge ignites several meters above your head and leaps from the Ziggurat upon which you’re standing to the next one in sequence, then the next, then the next. For a long moment, the Ziggurats are wreathed in a crackling, blue-white light. Then, the energy seems to flow down the sides of the structures like a blazing flood, spreading out across the Valley floor before vanishing into the air.
Record POWERED UP THE ARCOLOGY on the campaign tracker. Add [icon] to the location equal to the number of power tokens on it. Then, discard all power tokens from the location and all path cards. Return both Unstable Ziggurats to the collection.
“Hm,” Silaro says as he sits up. “That was a bit more energetic than...”
Before he can complete his thought, the stone bucks beneath you.
Go to 1.109a.
1.109A
You manage to prevent yourself from being flung from the crown of the Ziggurat. Beneath you, you see the ground shake, spreading through the surrounding forest like ripples on a pond. Trees groan and fall, and everywhere, flights of birds erupt from their roosts in a cacophony of alarm.
As you gather your wits, your thoughts turn to the expedition, and then to Kal, Quisi, and Harlan. A sonorous rumble shakes your bones, and your mind is filled with visions of them lost in the dark, trapped beneath tons of fallen rock. You must venture back underground and ensure their safety before it’s too late!
Complete the POWER UP mission and gain the COLLAPSE! (KAL IVER, HARLAN VOS, QUISI VOS) mission. Reminder: find Kal in the Arcology set and Harlan and Quisi in the Artery set and attach them facedown to the mission card.
Cross off the above-ground weather for today and the next 6 days, record Electric Fog in its place, and swap the current weather for Electric Fog. Then record 199.5 4 days from now on the day tracker.
1.110
ARRIVE LOCATION, GO TO 1.110A
ENTERS PLAY:
- QUISI, GO TO 1.110B
- HARLAN, GO TO 1.110C
- KAL, GO TO 1.110D
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 1.110F
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 1.110G
1.110A
When you arrive, you find that the outer passage has completely collapsed. Tumbled rocks fill the corridor. You shout desperately the names of Kal, Quisi, and Harlan.
At first your cries are met with only a persistent thrumming from below. Then, you hear a muffled voice call out in response. You can’t make out the words, but it sounds like Kal!
You'll need to clear away this rubble as quickly as possible, taking care not to make the situation worse by causing the rubble to shift. You're about to get started when you see a faint red glow rising up from the dark, accompanied by the sound of heavy, metallic footsteps: a pair of Crimson Guardians.
If you haven't already, complete the COLLAPSE! (KAL, HARLAN, QUISI) mission, and gain the BURIED SURVEY TEAM (KAL IVER, HARLAN VOS, QUISI VOS) mission.
Search the General set for 1[icon] Shifting Rubble and 2 Crimson Guardians and shuffle them together to form the Rescue deck. Then shuffle in each subject of this mission (Kal, Harlan, and/or Quisi) who has not yet been rescued (i.e. checked off next to the mission name on your campaign tracker).
Dig out rubble to save your friends before time runs out!
If you are at the Drenching Chamber or Scuttler Network, go to 156.1. If you are at Orlin's Vault, go to 158.1.
1.110B
If Harlan is in play or attached to the mission, go to 1.110E. Otherwise, read:
Grunting and straining with the effort, you shift a large shard from along the passageway wall. Behind it is a dark, cramped alcove containing the battered, dusty, sniffling, but very-much alive Quisi Vos.
She wraps her arms tightly around your neck as you pull her free. Then she looks up, her eyes wide. “Where’s my dad?” she asks, her voice rising in worry. “Dad? Dad!? Where are you??”
Clear Quisi with [icon] to convince her to move to safety, reassuring her that you will find her dad.
1.110C
If Quisi is in play or attached to the mission, go to 1.110E. Otherwise, read:
As you set aside the next rock, you see darkness beyond. Immediately you shine a light into the space, revealing a cramped pocket with Harlan Vos crouched inside. Blood from a nasty scalp wound has caked the rock dust to his face, but his eyes are bright and alert, and he immediately helps you clear more rocks away.
As soon as he is out, he looks around. “Where’s Quisi? Have you found her?” Before you can answer, he strides back to the collapse and begins frantically lifting rocks and casting them aside. “Quisi! Quisi, can you hear me? Don’t be afraid! I’ll find you! I’ll find you!!”
Clear Harlan with [icon] to convince him to move to safety, reassuring him that you will find his daughter.
1.110D
As you shovel piles of gravel out of the way, you suddenly unearth a grasping hand! You grab, pull, and with a roar of effort, Kal Iver erupts from the rubble. Though a little bloodied and covered in dust and grime, he appears to be all right.
Clear Kal with [icon] to convince him to get to safety.
If you STOOD UP TO KAL, continue reading:
Kal smiles, his teeth bright against the grime. “You didn’t think a little cave in would finish me off, did you?” He clasps your hand. “Not me. I’m in my prime!” With that, Kal sits down heavily, and his voice drops in timber. There’s no trace of humor in his tone as his eyes lock with yours. “It’s a good thing you made it back to us in time, my friend. Thank you.”
Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
1.110E
“Dad!” Quisi yells. She runs to Harlan, who scoops her up in his arms and hugs her tightly. “Oh my beautiful baby girl,” he says, his voice choking with tears. In response, Quisi sobs into his chest with relief. “You’re all right," he says softly. "You're all right.” Harlan looks at you over his daughter’s head, his eyes glittering with tears.
Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue. Add 2[icon] [icon] to both Harlan and Quisi.
1.110F
Not far from the collapse, you find an Estian chamber seemingly unaffected by the quakes. Dust falls from the ceiling, but the room is free from any dangerously shifting rubble. Your friend should be safe here for now.
Attach this human to BURIED SURVEY TEAM facedown and check off their corresponding bubble.
1.110G
The ground shakes once more. Your friend shouts in alarm as a fresh shower of rocks falls between you.
Shuffle this human back into the Rescue deck.
1.111
Your work done, you find a place to rest within the sheltered chamber. Harlan dampens a rag with his canteen and begins to wipe the tears and grime from his daughter’s cheeks. Kal unlaces his boots and pours a surprising number of jagged rocks from them onto the floor. No one speaks.
Every few minutes you feel another quake, but with each subsequent tremor, the intensity seems to decrease. Eventually, there is only a deep rumbling sound, coming from somewhere far below.
You hear the sound of approaching footsteps, and then the space is suddenly filled with light. Silaro Mako stands at the threshold, his brightly glowing lambance rig held aloft.
“I thought we might need some light—” he starts, then looks and sees you, Quisi, Harlan, and Kal disheveled, covered in dust, battered, but alive. “Oh, thank the ancestors!” he says breathlessly. “You’re all safe! Oh, thank goodness!”
Silaro slumps against the wall in relief, and for once, his boundless enthusiasm seems to have left him. “When we felt the first quake, I just knew … I knew that I had put you all in harm’s way. ‘Silaro,’ I said. ‘Silaro, if your foolish meddling has gotten your friends hurt … or worse …’ I don’t know what I would have done.” Silaro wipes the tears from his eyes and turns away.
Complete the BURIED SURVEY TEAM mission. Record SAVED THE TEAM on the campaign tracker. Return each card that was attached to it and the remainder of the Rescue deck to the collection. Go to 1.111A.
1.111A
Suddenly, another intense quake rocks the chamber. You instinctively place your hands on the ground or against a wall, trying to maintain your balance. Silaro stumbles, drops his lambance rig, and falls to the floor. Above you, the countless tons of rock and earth groan and creak … but hold.
Without missing a beat, Silaro rolls into a sitting position and places his hands against the wall, feeling the vibration in the rock. When it stops, he opens his notebook and hastily scribbles something on the page. He speaks to himself under his breath, then looks at up at you, his eyes wide.
“It’s as I feared,” he says. “Whatever I did woke up the arcology alright, but not in the way I expected. I thought that maybe the lights would turn on, all the doors would open, or the 'preserved day' mechanisms would stabilize, but instead I think the whole system is trying to reactivate—machinery that’s been dormant for centuries—perhaps attempting to execute some final directive instilled in it by the last of the Estians. There’s no telling what will happen with all systems switched on and no one there to guide them. It could be collapsing on itself! What if the arcology systems somehow caused the Estians’ extinction? The people of the Valley could be next!”
You put a hand on SIlaro’s shoulder and remind him that there is no need to panic. You’ll get to the bottom of this and set things right.
“Of course,” he says. “I’m being foolish. I honestly have no idea what’s happening or what will happen in the days to come. All I know is that this is all my fault. I’ve put the entire Valley in jeopardy with my shortsighted behavior.”
Silaro’s voice is grave and firm. “Whatever I hoped to learn down here doesn’t matter anymore. We need to find whatever it is that's causing these quakes—perhaps a malfunctioning engine of some kind—and shut it down.” He looks at you, his eyes grim. “I must ask for your aid once again, my friend. Please, help me correct this grievous error.”
Gain THE LONG DARK and RATTLING THE CAGE missions.
If you FELT A SUDDEN QUAKE, continue reading:
You tell Silaro that you'd be happy to help, but that you need to know more about what happened first.
“Of course," he says. "It was at the Concordant Ziggurats where it all went wrong. You see, I had found references to the Ziggurats in the Estian engravings down here. I've always theorized that the Ziggurats were once a power source for the arcology. Then I found another translation that spoke of an ‘activation sequence.’ This was my chance to put my theory to the test!”
“I assumed that if I could activate the Ziggurats, they may give the systems down here in the arcology a boost. Perhaps they would cause some new passages to open, or power up a few ancient machines that we could investigate. Only I severely ... ah ... miscalculated. I had no idea how much power the Ziggurats would generate, nor how that power would affect the arcology.”
“What's more, not only do we now have these earthquakes, but when the Ziggurats discharged their power, they also blanketed the entire Valley in electric fog!”
Silaro bows his head, clearly mortified.
1.112
Lunn was right. You’ve found no shortage of the curious "quantum cubes" he told you about, but only a precious few still carry a charge.
Cautiously, you hold one of the glass cubes over the square recess on the underside of the underwater-breathing device, then plug it into place.
The light at the center of the cube pulses. Then golden lines, moving like poured honey, travel along the surface of the collar until it is covered with a fine, luminous tracery. The glow eventually subsides, leaving behind Estian script painted in burnished gold.
You place the collar over your head, and when it makes contact with your shoulders, it projects a shimmering bubble around the mantle, just wide enough to surround your head. Now that the device is functional, all that remains is to put it to the test.
Complete the BREATHE EASIER mission. Write ACQUIRED A REBREATHER on the campaign tracker. Gain the Rebreather reward.
Each Ranger may suffer 2 fatigue to swap a card in their hand for one copy of the Rebreather reward (this counts as swapping in a reward card as described on page 31 of the rulebook).
Now that you have a way to swim the Flooded Passage, you’ll be able to reach new areas within the arcology.
1.114
After gathering up the last few specimens you notice something. Some of the spores—those that come from the more dangerous varieties—cause the plants they touch to writhe and recoil. Could this be some sort of survival mechanism for the fungi?
You wonder what application you might have for the spores when it occurs to you that they might be just what you need to clear away the aggressive vines preventing you from reaching certain areas of the arcology.
You quietly thank Sirisana for sending you on this peculiar errand and tuck the spore specimens carefully into your beltpouch.
Complete the SPORE SPECIMENS mission. Write TESTED THE SPORES on your campaign tracker. Gain the Repellent Spores reward card.
Each Ranger may suffer 2 fatigue to swap a card in their hand for one copy of the Repellent Spores reward card (this counts as swapping in a reward card as described on page 31 of the rulebook).
Now that you have a way to clear the Overgrown Passage, you’ll be able to reach new areas within the arcology.
1.115
READ AN ENTRY BASED ON YOUR PROGRESS ON ARTIFICIAL ADAPTATION:
A) ♢♢♢
You take a moment to examine the adapters you’ve gathered, and after attempting to slot them into Lunn’s scrap-built door opener, it looks like only one of them is compatible with the device. You marvel at Lunn’s ingenious yet somewhat inefficient design and determine that you’ll need to find at least two more compatible adapters, then find somewhere where you can weld them into place, in order to get it working again.
Discard all adapter tokens from the mission and check off one bubble next to this mission on the campaign tracker.
B) ♦♢♢
You pause to sort through your growing collection of Estian power adapters and are delighted to find another to be compatible with Lunn’s device. Your enthusiasm, however, is somewhat tempered. Although you only need to find one more, you’ll still need to find somewhere in the arcology to fuse them to the device it once you do. You tell yourself that next mission you’ll be sure to pack some soldering gear.
Discard all adapter tokens from the mission and check off one bubble next to this mission on the campaign tracker.
C) ♦♦♢
Removing the power cell from its casing, you examine it closely and find that it possesses precisely the last bit of circuitry you need to repair Lunn’s door opener. All you need to do now is find a place with the equipment necessary to put it all together. Then, it dawns on you. What better place to find artificing equipment than in Orlin’s Vault, the great workshop of the Estians? You carefully wrap the adapters in gauzeweave, tuck them gently into your pack, and continue on your way.
Check off the last box next to this mission. Complete the ARTIFICIAL ADAPTATION mission and gain the ASSEMBLY REQUIRED mission.
1.116
READ AN ENTRY BASED ON HOW MANY ERRORS ARE ON ASSEMBLY REQUIRED:
0-1 Errors
You weld the final adapter into place, and as the last tendril of smoke clears, you look over your work with pride. Lunn would be impressed. You’ve fulfilled your promise and repaired his custom-made door opener. You might even go so far as to say that you’ve even improved on it a bit!
Gain the Lunn's Door Opener reward. Each Ranger may search their deck or hand for a card to swap for one copy of the Lunn's Door Opener reward (this counts as swapping in a reward card as described on page 31 of the rulebook).
2-3 Errors
When you accidentally melted one of the adapters, you were certain that you’d need to head back into the depths to find more. Fortunately, however, you were able to cobble together a functional whole using the extras you had on hand. You hold your breath as you check the flow of power into Lunn’s device. With a crackling sound, golden sparks leap from the connectors. Then, after a moment, it hums pleasantly. Lunn’s door opener is fully functional once again.
Gain the Lunn's Door Opener reward. Each Ranger may suffer 2 fatigue to swap a card in their hand for one copy of the Lunn's Door Opener reward (this counts as swapping in a reward card as described on page 31 of the rulebook).
4+ Errors
Hours of labor leave you just about to throw up your hands in frustration, but eventually you work through the cuts on your fingers, bruises on your hands, and a couple of minor electrocutions to force-fit the adapters into place. You check the flow of power into the device, and even though tiny arcs of energy leap from it in places, you’re reasonably certain that it’s not going to explode. Lunn’s door opener is functional once again.
Gain the Lunn's Door Opener reward. Each Ranger suffers 2 fatigue.
Now that you have a way to open the Locked Passage, you’ll be able to reach new areas within the arcology.
Complete the ASSEMBLY REQUIRED mission. Write REPAIRED AN INVENTION on the campaign tracker.
1.117
While exploring the arcology’s depths, you've discovered many monuments to the Estians' greatness, but nothing could have prepared you for this.
When Silaro shared with you his theory of an engine, it evoked images of a hulking machine with a searing energetic glow at its center, or perhaps a device similar to the Waterspinner that powers Tumbledown.
But no. At the center of the space, guarded by a gigantic ribcage of gleaming metal and composite struts, you can see a massive beating heart; a heart, to all appearances, of flesh and blood.
Complete THE LONG DARK mission.
The heart’s beat is arrhythmic and erratic. As it stutters, you watch the attendant machines in the chamber judder in response, and occasionally you hear a groaning and rumbling in the distance.
The heart’s arrhythmia seems to be destabilizing the arcology’s systems, and possibly the entire structure. There can be no doubt: this is the source of the earthquakes.
If you don’t do something about the heart, you worry that the entire arcology could collapse upon itself, and as Silaro suggested, swallow up the entire Valley in the process.
Rangers Choose:
A) Destroy the heart immediately.
Clearly, the simplest solution is to destroy the heart. It’s sad to destroy such a marvel of bioengineering, but with the heart stilled, the rest of the arcology and the Valley will be safe.
Complete all story and interlude missions except for RATTLING THE CAGE. Gain the HEART ATTACK mission.
B) Search for another solution.
Surely, there must be a better way to address this problem than simply destroying this wonderous being. At the very least, you’ll need to learn more about how the heart operates and why the Estians created it. Maybe some records still exist after all this time. Given their proximity to the Cage, perhaps you can find more information in the other locations on this level of the arcology.
Gain the TO THE HEART OF IT mission.
1.118
You sit cross-legged on the rocks and begin to empty your mind. As you do, you hear Nal’s voice echoing in the distance. It’s strange; you can’t make out the words she says, but you understand the meaning. She is asking if you’re prepared to join her, but at the same time, she is warning you that you should be rested and ready.
Rangers Choose:
A) Perhaps another day.
You sense feelings of reassurance and understanding. You know that Nal will be happy to wait until you are ready.
Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
B) Now is the time.
In your mind's eye, you step forward into a dense mist, and after a moment you emerge … on Greenbriar Knoll. While familiar, your surroundings have a shimmering, dream-like quality to them, and as you look up, you see in place of the sky is a swirling tempest, reaching impossibly upward, though you feel no breeze nor wind.
“Fear not,” says a familiar voice as Nal steps up to the stone plinth at the center of the knoll. "You are safe here." For a disconcerting moment, you think you also see Nal sitting motionless on the stone, eyes closed, hands at her knees. Nal follows your gaze.
“Yes, in the physical world, I am sitting atop Greenbriar Knoll, but I am also here, in the land of the spirits. Thanks to the power of this place, I'm able to share in this journey with you, so that we might work together to learn what we can from the spirits of the Estians.”
Go to 1.118A
1.118A
Discard all non-spirit path cards from play. Then, set aside the current location and its tokens and replace it with Greenbriar Knoll. Set aside the path deck and discard and create a new path deck by shuffling together the Old-Growth, Grasslands, and Ravine sets.
Search the Lone Tree Station set for Spirit Speaker Nal and put her into play along the way. Do not read her entry.
Nal continues. “While you were busy exploring the arcology in the physical world, I was exploring it as well, but on an energetic level. As various places became known to you, they became easier for me to access as well. So when you discovered the heart, I was able to see it clearly in my mind's eye, and much more besides.”
She closes her eyes and touches her fingers to her forehead. “I can see pain and anguish billowing from the heart like black smoke,” she says. “It's become so accustomed to its despair and anger that it sees them as part of its very being, necessary to its survival.
“If we hope to help it, we must first learn more about it, and who better to ask than the Estians themselves? Together, we will seek them out, and learn what we can from them about the heart and its history.”
You ask how to find the spirits, and Nal gestures toward a path leading away from the knoll. “Let the Valley guide you, for I have called upon her and she has agreed to help us. Follow the Valley’s familiar paths, and they will lead you to these Estians.
"Your presence in the arcology is key. There are powers at work there that make it difficult to access remotely. To say it another way: I can't do this without you. You must gather the Estian spirits. I will be here to assist you in whatever way I can.”
Search the General set for the Wanderer Spirit, the Mycelial Conclave set for the Gardener Spirit, and the Arboretum of Memory set for the Archivist spirit (if they have not been removed) and shuffle them into the path deck.
Any of these Estian spirits that have been previously removed from their sets can instead be added to a Ranger's hand. For each spirit, one Ranger may search the unlocked reward cards, their Ranger discard, and their fatigue stack for the reward card version of the spirit and add it to their hand.
Flip CONTACT NAL over to the SPIRIT COUNCIL side, but don’t alter the mission log. If you don’t complete SPIRIT COUNCIL by the end of the current day, you will need to contact Nal once more before you can try again.
Lastly, perform a refresh phase and begin a new round of play (with each Ranger drawing a path card as normal).
Journey with Spirit Speaker Nal to find the spirits of the Estians.
1.119
ENTERS PLAY: GARDENER, WANDERER, OR ARCHIVIST SPIRIT, GO TO 1.119A
CLEAR [icon]:
- NAL, GO TO 1.119B
- GARDENER, WANDERER,OR ARCHIVIST SPIRIT, GO TO 1.119C
CLEAR [icon]: NAL, GO TO 1.119D
1.119A
READ AN ENTRY BASED ON WHICH SPIRIT ENTERED PLAY:
Gardener Spirit: At first you don’t recognize the slender woman who crouches by the trail. Then you see the patch of mushrooms she is tending. In this dreaming place, the Gardener is whole once more, and looks no more or less living than you do.
With her knowledge of the mycelial network that exists within the arcology, the Gardener knows not only a great deal about biology, but also about the link between biology and emotion. You ask her to follow you, and the Gardener straightens and falls into step behind you, still cradling a tiny fungal cap that glows a crackling pink.
Wanderer Spirit: The way this faceless spirit strides purposefully forward before briefly pausing to study his surroundings is unmistakable to you. You recognize him as the Wanderer, the spirit who roams the halls of the arcology ceaselessly. In this dreaming place, he looks like he could be just as alive as you, though his face remains hidden.
You feel that the Wanderer, of all the spirits, has the greatest understanding of the arcology. If part, or all, of the place is alive, he will understand it as few others can. You ask him to follow, and he bows as if to say, "Of course."
Archivist Spirit: Before you stands a solitary tree from the Arboretum of Memory, its branches swaying in an inperceptible breeze. At its base, you find the archivist in the middle of some task as he places his hand upon it and records something on his scroll. The spirit and the tree glow with a pale white light. He regards you for a moment, then returns to his work.
If anyone would know precisely what happened to the arcology and its heart, it would be the Archivist. You ask him to follow, and after jotting a few more notes, he tucks his scroll away and walks forward.
Then, if all three of these spirits are in play, continue reading:
The spirits begin to speak to each other, but you cannot understand them, for they speak in what must have been their ancient tongue. As they talk, however, you soon get the sense that you need only walk with them awhile, and they will share their knowledge with you soon enough.
Travel away from Greenbriar Knoll to complete their communion and get the answers you seek.
1.119B
Your mind drifts as mundane thoughts intrude upon the journey, but whenever the vision begins to fade, Nal is there to help you focus on the task at hand. You wonder, are you sharing Nal's vision? Or is she sharing yours? Or is all this in your mind, nothing more than a product of your imagination?
"It matters not," Nal replies, though you did not speak your questions aloud. "Such is the nature of being. Awake or dreaming, all is real. All is relevant. The Shapers understand this, and use tools which nullify the distinction. In this place, we need no tools, for we have our highest selves to guide us."
She gestures toward the path, and you see with the eyes of a sparrowhawk as the way forward comes into glorious focus.
You may move each being. Then discard all [icon] from Nal. She remains in play.
1.119C
As you continue on your journey, you ask your new traveling companion what they can tell you about the arcology and its heart. The spirit listens to you patiently, then gives you a lengthy response in Estian that you can’t make any sense of.
While you don't understand their words, the sentiment is clear. They will share what they know once all are gathered, and not a moment before.
Discard all [icon] from them. They remain in play.
1.119D
Nal's expression darkens. "There is some other power at work here -- an unfriendly force that does not wish us to complete our task," she says. "I will keep it at bay as best I can. Try your best to visualize a clear path; one free of danger, and free from worry."
Each Ranger suffers 3 fatigue. Then discard all [icon] from Nal. She remains in play.
1.120
As the third spirit joins you, you walk around the next bend of the trail and suddenly find yourselves standing atop Greenbriar Knoll once more. The sky has cleared during your journey, and where once was a tempest, now stars burn in the firmament with an almost painful intensity, each a different color that, somehow, you know is entirely unique.
Nal is there, and she gestures for everyone to join her in a circle. You and the spirits take a seat, and it is not long before they begin to speak once again. This time, however, their ancient dialect seems to blend and harmonize. Nal begins to hum, low and resonant, and somehow the hum clarifies their voices as words take shape. After a moment, you realize you can now understand exactly what they are saying.
“They wish to know about heart,” the Wanderer says to the Archivist.
You say that you do indeed, and ask them why there is a living heart at the center of the arcology.
At this, the three spirits laugh. “The heart is alive because the body it inhabits is alive,” says the Gardener. “How could it be otherwise?”
You ask her what body she's referring to.
“Why, Vista, of course," says the Archivist. "That which you call ‘the arcology.’ Know that many arcologies were built long ago, but Vista was the greatest of them all. Vista is the body, and the heart pumps its blood.”
Nonplussed by their response, you ask the spirits if they can tell you why the heart is malfunctioning.
“We all absorb the traumas that befall us,” says the Wanderer. “Vista, the heart, they are no different. The flood was a trauma to us all, and while most of us were fortunate enough to perish when it came, the heart lived on. Left alone to grapple with the death, the destruction, and the loss; then, being left alone in a darkened chamber for centuries. Its beating slowed as it slept to hide from its grief. Then power surged through it once more. In a moment it was jolted awake, and in that moment, it recalled a thousand years of grief, anger, and despair. It was too much for it to bear. It wishes only to forget. To sleep.”
“Soothe the heart.” the Gardener says. “Heal its trauma. Only by bringing it peace will the people of the Valley be safe.”
Nal’s song fades, as so do the spirits. The tableau of Greenbriar Knoll begins to unravel as your physical surroundings nibble at the edges of the horizon. But even as the voices fade, you hear the Archivist, as if he was speaking directly into your mind.
“Be warned!” he says. “Just as your mind and body are linked, so it is with the heart. If you wish the heart to live on, you must heal its physical ailments in addition to its emotional ones. You must be workers of flesh as well as the spirit.”
Complete the CONTACT NAL mission and return SPIRIT COUNCIL to the collection. Record CONSULTED THE SPIRITS on your campaign tracker.
Return the path deck and discard, the location, and all non-Ranger path cards in play to the collection along with any Spirit reward cards you had to search for. Then place the set-aside location and path deck and discard back into play. Finally, perform a refresh phase and begin a new round of play (with each Ranger drawing a path card as normal).
If you are at the Cage, read 107.1. Otherwise read:
Return to the Cage to heal the heart's trauma so that it may be at peace. If you want it to live, however, you will need to heal it physically as well.
1.120A
The image of the Valley around you begins to fade into the mist.
"The sun sets on our journey," Nal says as her voices grows distant. "Worry not. I will be here when you're ready to try again."
At that, your eyes open in the waking world.
As you end the day, record the set-aside location and terrain type on your campaign tracker. You will need to contact Nal again if you wish to learn more about the heart from the Estians.
1.121
ARRIVE: VERDANT SPHERE, GO TO 106.1
ENTERS PLAY: FAMILIAR VERDESSIAN, GO TO 1.121A
CLEAR [icon]: FAMILIAR VERDESSIAN, GO TO 1.121B
CLEAR [icon]: USE THE NORMAL ENTRY
1.121A
As you pull at the densely-packed vines, you hear a sound like dried leaves being crushed underfoot. You turn, and, to your surprise, see a familiar Verdessian standing behind you.
It regards you for a long moment, then its attention is drawn to the curtain of vines. Slowly, it moves toward them, its arms stretching like newly sprouted plants yearning for the sun.
Clear the Familiar Verdessian with [icon] to observe its behavior.
1.121B
The Verdessian reaches out with its long-fingered hands and grasps the vines. Its fingers appear to dissolve into them, and as you watch, the vines slowly start to wither, as if the Verdessian were draining them of moisture. Then, with a sudden wrenching motion, the Verdessian rips several vines away. Apparently, it wants to help.
Move 2 vines from Prototype to the Familiar Verdessian. Then discard all [icon] from the Verdessian. It remains in play.
1.122
You clear away the last of the vines and are able to get a clear view of the prototype heart: at least two meters tall and connected to a series of wires and cables that lead to other machines positioned throughout the room. You're surpised to find that it appears to be fully functional, and unlike its counterpart, it beats at a steady rhythm.
After several hours of study, the evidence seems incontrovertible. Calling this a “heart” is too simplistic; the being the Estians created is that and so much more.
The way the nerves link to wires and machine interfaces, plus the pseudo-biological liquids pumped through the valves and aortas, leaves no doubt. The Estians designed the entire arcology as a single living organism, and this device was grown to be its literal heart, but also its mind. You shake your head as you grapple with the immense skill and towering ambition of the Estians. To create such a thing -- to give it life, and then live within it -- no idea could sound less appealing to any who live under the open sky.
Nevertheless, the actual heart in the center of the arcology is clearly not operating as it should. It's clear from what you've observed of the prototype that it beats in response to electric pulses sent to it from the regulator. You wonder if perhaps delivering an electric shock to the heart might cause the system to reset, and return its rhythm to normal.
You consider working only with what you have at hand, and think back on all that you've discovered on your journey through the arcology. You begin to put together a mental list of components, starting with a capacative leech …
Complete the OVERGROWN mission and gain the JURY RIGGED mission.
1.123
You take a moment to pause and review the items you’ve collected: a squirming leech, a few meters of multicolored cabling stripped from panels behind the corridor walls, and a pint of noxious black liquid derived from boiling a particular type of mushroom.
You begin to assemble the device. The leech provides the electricity, the wiring delivers it, and the highly toxic mushroom reduction serves as a numbing agent. All together, you’ve crafted a scratch-built power source capable of delivering short, intense blasts of electricity. Surely, nothing can go wrong.
Complete the JURY RIGGED mission. Record JURY RIGGED A SOLUTION on your campaign tracker.
If you are at the Cage, read 107.1, otherwise read:
Return to the Cage to heal the heart's arrythmia. If you want it to continue to live, however, you will need to learn more of its life and history before you do.
1.125
The chamber shakes as the heart's attendant systems shut down one after the other. Somewhere, a massive slab of support buttressing peels away from the cavern wall and goes tumbling to the floor with a thunderous crash and a cloud of dust.
You feel deep regret at destroying the heart, but you know that this was the only way to ensure the people of the Valley would remain safe. You pause, then after a deep breath, you yank the last of the components free.
Go to 1.125a
1.125A
The heart’s beat begins to accelerate, thumping frantically with fluttering spasms. The floor shakes beneath your feet. Jets of vaporized nutrient fluid vent from split conduits as rocks fall from the ceiling. The heart gives one last arrhythmic beat, then seizes up and spasms before growing still.
All around, the hundreds of lights within the chamber begin to wink out one by one, and the chamber’s ceiling continues to send down an intermittent rain of loose rock. Even as the girders groan and creak high above, the last of the lights die out, plunging you and the chamber into total darkness.
Complete all Story and Interlude missions. Cross off any numbers starting with 199 above the day track. Record KILLED THE HEART and record 1.129 above the next day on the day track.
End the day.
1.126
After helping the heart to confront and release each of its trapped emotions, you feel a kinship with it that you would not have previously believed to be possible. For a two thousand year old, bio-engineered organism, it seems to you strangely ... human. In that moment of understanding, you are met with a vision.
In the vision, you are the Valley; the entire Valley. Your body stretches from the northerly mountain passes to the towering precipice of Tumbledown Falls, and everything in between. You watch as the Estians flourish, living within you, both above and below the surface. You nuture and protect them, and you are content.
Then you watch in horror as the great dam breaks, and a towering wall of water sweeps it all away. People run, panicked. People die, drowned, or swept are over the falls, or trapped within your subterrean chambers with no hope of escape. And all the while, you can do nothing.
The sorrow you feel is overwhelming. You want only to withdraw, to seal yourself off from the agony of witnessing those who gave you life, who lived within you, who you came to view as your children, perish. Surrounded by horrors and with nobody to turn to, you sink deep into despair.
Centuries pass. The wilderness reclaims the surface as you steadily crumble and corrode.
Then, one day, you see something unexpected. Humans! People have arrived from the East, and they settle at the very place where your life began. They call it Spire. You use all of your remaining strength to offer them a gift, and open the way to the Carbon Forge. Soon they spread throughout the Valley, forming villages, transitioning from a nomadic people to a settled one. There is life in the Valley once again, and it brings you a measure of joy to witness it.
But even as you watch these humans flourish, you see that your body, the arcology, is no longer within your control. It shakes and trembles in spite of your efforts, and every time it does, the new people of the Valley are put in greater danger. Perhaps, after so many centuries, you are finally ready to let go. With a deep sadness, you suspect that the only way to ensure their safety is to make the greatest sacrifice of all …
Then, with a gasp, you return from the vision. You look up at the heart, and sadly, you know precisely what it intends to do.
If you are on THE CAGE CRUMBLES, go to 1.126a
If you have completed CLEAR!, go to 1.128.
Otherwise, continue reading:
Rangers Choose
A) Let the heart pass away.
You look at your jury-rigged device, so small and frail next to the titanic heart. You know that by the time you get it powered on, it will be too late. Though the idea seems abhorrent, you realize the heart is right. The only way to save the Valley is to let it pass away.
Go to 1.126a
B) Use your device to save the heart.
As you look at your jury-rigged device, you can sense the heart preparing to pass away. No! The thought lances through the heart’s consciousness, empowered by every ounce of will you possess. You must wait, you tell it. Your plan will work, you just need a little more time.
Complete the CARDIAC THERAPY mission.
Complete CLEAR! to save the heart.
1.126A
You feel a few last thoughts from the heart. Relief, that its long and lonely vigil is finally over. Sadness, that it did not have a chance to get to know you and all the new people who call the Valley home. And … pride. Pride that, in the end, it could save the Valley’s new inhabitants, even if it couldn’t save the old.
Then, quietly and without a fuss, the heart stops. You feel tremendous grief at the passing of such a unique being well up within you, but it’s tempered by the knowledge that this was what it wanted.
For a long moment, you stand silently, staring at the heart. But then you hear a loud crack from the vaulted ceiling above. The stone sunders, and at the center of the chamber, a large chunk falls to the ground with a terrific boom. The lights go out, and all is plunged into darkness.
Complete all Story and Interlude missions. Record SILENCED THE HEART and record 1.129 above the next day on the campaign tracker.
End the day.
1.127
Arms straining and your own heart pounding in your chest, you scramble up the skeletal framework surrounding the heart. Quickly, you reach the connections where your jury-rigged defibrillator has been secured to the surface of the heart. You set the last few links, then nervously you reach down to the electric leech and scratch its belly with your gloved hands.
The leech contorts, and you jerk your hand away as a massive shock fires through the device and into the heart’s flesh. A few moments later comes another jolt, and then another and another. Over the constant cracks and through the strobing flashes of arcing electricity, you hear the heart beating steadily. You did it! The heart's been stabilized.
You hastily remove the device. The heart’s beat remains regular, but the beats seem to be growing weaker. Something is still very wrong.
If you are on THE CAGE CRUMBLES, go to 1.127a
If you have completed CARDIAC THERAPY, go to 1.128.
Otherwise, continue reading:
Rangers Choose
A) Let the heart pass away.
You've done all you can. Even though the heart is beating steadily, it's clearly lost the will to live. Perhaps this is for the best, for its long years of torment will finally be at an end.
Go to 1.127a
B) Don't give up!
You can tell that the heart is tormented; even someone with no sensitivity to such things can perceive the raging emotions emanating from it. Now that the heart's beating steadily, you just need a little more time to help it release its emotions. Perhaps then it will come to see that life is still worth living.
Complete the CLEAR mission.
Complete CARDIAC THERAPY to save the heart.
1.127A
Quietly and without a fuss, the heart stops. You feel tremendous grief at the passing of such a unique being well up within you, but it’s tempered by the knowledge that it's now at peace.
For a long moment, you stand silently, staring at the heart. But then you hear a loud crack from the vaulted ceiling above. The stone sunders, and at the center of the chamber, a large chunk falls to the ground with a terrific boom. The lights go out, and all is plunged into darkness.
Complete all Story and Interlude missions. Record SILENCED THE HEART and record 1.129 above the next day on the campaign tracker.
End the day.
1.128
For a long moment, the heart stops. You look up at it, trying through sheer force of will to convince it to live. Then, after what seems like an eternity, it begins to beat once more.
The beats come faster now, strong and steady, with no arrhythmic fluctuations. The arcology ceases shaking, and you feel the tension drain from the room. In fact, you feel the best you've felt since this expedition began.
You wonder for a moment at what this could mean for the people of the Valley. How will the arcology behave now that it's fully awake and alive? What will that mean to the villages built upon the arcology itself?
As you begin to grapple with these questions, you remember your Ranger training. It's best not to dedicate too much thought to speculating about the future. All will be revealed in time.
To the sound of a steadily beating heart, you gather up your gear and prepare to return to the surface.
Complete all Story and Interlude missions. Record SAVED THE HEART on the campaign tracker. Permanently remove the Crimson Guardian from the Arcology set. Gain THE FINAL ASCENT mission.
You may end the day. If you do, you are considered to have camped.
1.129
Your eyes shoot open and you sit up, startled. A smothering darkness envelops you. The air is dusty and still, and you begin to fear that you might be trapped.
Then you hear the rumbling thunder of tumbling stone, and you're met with a sudden current of fresh air. There must be a way out of the Cage up ahead. The chamber rumbles again, and as you nearly lose your balance, you feel an urgent need to escape. If you can reach an area above the arcology's lowest substructure, you think you might be safe. You shudder to think of what might happen if you don't.
Do not put the Heart into play at the Cage as usual. Instead, gain the ESCAPE! mission and follow the remaining setup on the back of the location.
1.130
You’re running up the sloping tunnel when the rock groans around you. You jump into an alcove just off of the passageway, covering your head as the top of the tunnel begins to split apart with a dreadful grinding sound.
Suddenly, with an awful roar, the ceiling gives way! Tons of fractured stone pours into the passageway you just vacated, enveloping you in an thick cloud of choking dust. You wait several heartbeats for the air to clear, wrapping your cloak around your face, taking shallow breaths to avoid filling your lungs with grit. Eventually, the dust settles, and you're able to take a look around.
Sure enough, the passageway is filled with debris. You shine a light on your surroundings, but there is no other way in or out. You're trapped.
As you sit confined to your tomb, you lose all sense of time. You do your best to ration your food and water. Days seem to pass. Your supplies are growing uncomfortably low. Suddenly you think you hear a scraping sound coming from the other side of the cave-in. You shout and hear muffled voices in reply.
An eternity later, you can hardly believe it when a large rock falls away to reveal the faces of Kal and Calypsa on the other side. Along with several other Rangers, they pull you free and guide you toward the surface.
Each Ranger adds 2 Lingering Injuries to their deck. Complete the ESCAPE! mission. The lower levels of the arcology have completely collapsed. Record STRATUM 3 LOST on the campaign tracker. You can no longer travel to the Stratum 3 map. Gain THE FINAL ASCENT mission.
Mark your current location as the Branching Artery and your terrain as Ancient Ruins on your campaign tracker.
1.131
The passageway groans and shakes around you, but ahead you see the distinctive hatch leading into the Arteries. With a final burst of effort, you run as fast as your legs will carry you and leap through the hatch as the tunnel behind you collapses with a roar.
Slowly, you stagger to your feet. Rock dust fills the air. You peer back down the passageway from which you came, and sure enough, it's completely collapsed and filled with debris. There will be no returning to the lowest level of the arcology.
As you catch your breath, and the tremors subside, you grow increasingly confident that you're no longer in any immediate danger. You sit down heavily and breathe a sigh of relief, for soon you'll be back on the surface, and in this moment, you feel that day cannot come soon enough.
Complete the ESCAPE! mission. The lower levels of the arcology have completely collapsed. Record STRATUM 3 LOST on the campaign tracker. You can no longer travel to the Stratum 3 map. Gain THE FINAL ASCENT mission.
1.132
After all you’ve been through, the final ascent to the Chimney nearly did you in. You’ve climbed mountains that felt easier than this particular climb, but in the end you did not falter.
Complete THE FINAL ASCENT mission.
Here you find the base camp much as you left it, though it feels somehow more permanent, more lived-in than the last time you were here. Lambance rigs fill the chamber with light, and you smell something delicious cooking over the sol coils.
You see Silaro, Kal, and the rest of the expedition team gathered to welcome you home. You also spot a number of other Rangers including Kordo, Nal, and even Elder Thrush. All of them stop what they are doing and turn to face you as you approach, eager for news of what transpired below.
You slip off your pack, and roll your tired shoulders. You take a deep breath and begin your tale.
READ THE TEXT FOLLOWING EACH ENTRY THAT YOU HAVE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRACKER:
STRATUM 3 LOST:
Silaro’s face goes ashen when you tell of the collapse of the lower level of the arcology. “By the ancestors!” he says. “You mean to say it's just ... gone? Destroyed? All that history, all those records, buried forever.”
Kordo shakes his head, and claps you on your shoulder. “It doesn’t matter,” he says bluntly. “The important thing is, you’re safe. Your lives, and the lives of all our expedition members, matter far more than any dusty old tome.”
Silaro slowly nods. “You’re right, of course.” But you can see the gleam of unspilled tears in his eyes.
SAVED THE HEART:
“By the ancestors, you did it!” says Silaro, grinning from ear to ear. “After my foolish mistake with the Ziggurats, I thought I had doomed us all! But not only did you save the Valley, you preserved its heart as well! Amazing!”
“More than simply amazing.” You didn’t see Ben Amon arrive, but there he is, arms crossed and a smile on his face. “We’ve already started to notice changes on the surface. It appears as though some of the ruins are repairing themselves! There's no telling how our lives will be affected by this development, or what it will mean for future generations. A living, intelligent structure! It boggles the mind.”
Elder Thrush puts a hand on Ben Amon's shoulder. “Only time will tell," she says. "In the meantime, we will continue to safeguard the Valley, and all that lives within it.”
She turns now to you. “You should be proud! You've lived up to the highest standards of our order, protecting all life, even one as strange as the ancient marvel you've discovered. We all owe you a debt of gratitude. The people of the Valley will not soon forget what you've accomplished. Well done!”
SILENCED THE HEART:
Silaro’s face looks pained as you finish your story. He takes a deep breath and speaks, his voice quavering.
“How tragic! I knew my error with the Ziggurats had put us in a dire situation. That you were able to discover the heart, and even tried to help it … well, that’s far more than anyone could expect.” Elder Thrush nods in agreement. “Indeed. You lived up to the highest standards of our order, protecting all life in the Valley to the best of your ability. Even the heart, however strange was the life that it lived.”
You all stand silently for a moment. Then Silaro speaks up. “It might be cold comfort,” he says. “But thanks to your efforts, the structural integrity of the arcology has been largely preserved. One can only imagine what we might learn from continued study of this place.”
Conversation continues throughout the night, and as the hours pass, and dawn approaches, you feel yourself drawn more and more to the surface. After so many days underground, you're feeling ready to walk again under the open sky.
You excuse yourself, and ascend the spiral stairway. Time seems to slow to a crawl, but soon enough you reach the final steps, and then find yourself beneath the towering spike of gleaming carbon for which the village of Spire was named.
The sun is just rising above the mountains, warm winds and clear skies heralding the summer day to come. You close your eyes and feel the sunlight on your skin. You breathe deep and savor the sweetness of the air. Birdsong mingles with the burbling sound of the river, and as you open your eyes you behold the Valley in all its glory, painted in vibrant colors by the early morning sun.
Welcome home.
The story of the Estian arcology is now complete. Continue playing to discover all that you may have missed. Gain THE ARCOLOGY’S SECRETS mission.
You may end the day. If you do, you are considered to have camped.
1.133
Building a hunter’s blind has proven difficult without trees or underbrush, but after some effort, you think you’ve found a solution in the form of a couple enormous mushroom caps, some wall paneling, and plenty of vines to disguise the shape. You sit inside, and wait.
Soon, you hear a rumbling down the main tunnel, and the vibrating rustle of hundreds of legs tipped with chitinous spikes. Another moment, and the scuttlebus emerges from the gloom, barreling toward you.
Flip the ONE THOUSAND LEGS (WILD SCUTTLEBUS) card over to the BEFORE THE MANDIBLES side, but don’t change your mission log. If you don’t complete the confrontation today, you will have to track it down again.
Put the Wild Scuttlebus into play within reach of a Ranger of your choice and attach BEFORE THE MANDIBLES to it. Do not read its entry. Return all set-aside features to the collection.
If you have STAGED THE HUNT, go to 129.1.
1.134
Clinging to the back of the scuttlebus, you dodge stalactites and maneuver around barbs and thrashing antennae. As you strike the final blow, the biomeld crashes to the tunnel floor. Leaping clear, you land in a dramatic crouch.
As you inspect the once-majestic biomeld, you see a bolt of fabric hooked and twisted around one of its many "teeth." Wincing, you reach in and pull the fabric free.
It's a cloak; torn but salvagable, and not of Estian make. With a sickening feeling you realize to whom, in all likelihood, this cloak once belonged. You're certain you've discovered the fate of at least one member of the lost expedition, and you give thanks to the ancestors that the same fate did not befall you.
Complete the ONE THOUSAND LEGS (WILD SCUTTLEBUS) mission. Permanently remove the Wild Scuttlebus from the Artery set. Gain the “Lucky” Cloak reward card. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
If Kordo, Ranger Veteran is in play, continue reading:
Kordo whistles. "Well, I think you have outdone even my reputation as a hunter! Thank you for letting me tag along. Though now I need some well-earned rest back at Lone Tree. I'll see you when you resurface."
Discard Kordo, Ranger Veteran.
1.135
After what seems like hours of careening down darkened tunnels while clinging to the back of the scuttlebus, dodging hanging debris, stalactites, and the scuttlebus’s frenzied swipes with its many, many legs, you feel it finally begin to slow.
You take this opportunity to swing down, unlatching the hatch built into the being’s head, and swing inside what looks like a cockpit, not unlike that of the Swift, complete with a pilot's seat and controls. You sit down and place your bare hands on the leathery skin that makes up the "console” and hold them there until the scuttlebus comes to a complete stop. When it does, several hatches open along its length, and from each extends a ramp.
You step off of the bus, and cautiously walk away before the hatches close, and it scuttles off into the darkness. It seems like the scuttlebus is back in service.
Complete the ONE THOUSAND LEGS (WILD SCUTTLEBUS) mission. Permanently remove the Wild Scuttlebus from the Artery set. Gain the Call the Scuttlebus reward card. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
If Kordo, Ranger Veteran is in play, continue reading:
Kordo laughs. "Well now I've seen everything! Nal would be proud. And you know what, connecting with that thing was as hard as any hunt—but don't tell her I said that. I'm going to head back to Lone Tree for some well-earned rest. I'll see you when you resurface."
Discard Kordo, Ranger Veteran.
1.136
After plenty of searching and pushing your way through feathery mycelial fronds and ducking under jutting giant shelf fungi, you finally find a properly dense clump of mushrooms. Clearing a spot in front of the towering stalks, you kneel down, close your eyes, and attempt to listen to the murmuring voices.
Almost at once, you notice the voices of the mycelial network seem louder and clearer. You extend a word of cautious greeting, and are thrilled when you hear an echoing greeting return! The voices are muddled and many are speaking a language you don’t understand, but you can sense some of the personalities behind them. Some of the words resemble the bits of the Estian tongue that Silaro shared with you, and you start to suspect that this network was used to preserve the thoughts of the Estians. You’re not sure if this was done on purpose, or if the fungal network grew into the bodies of some unfortunate Estians and absorbed their intellect. Then you hear a voice that speaks in your own tongue. “Hello?” it says. “Are you there? Who are you?”
You try and respond, but the voice immediately fades, only to come again from farther away. You call out, and it moves again. It’s almost like the voice is leaping from mushroom to mushroom like an echo bouncing through a cave. Unless you can isolate the sound, you don’t think you'll be able to effectively communicate with it.
Flip MYCELIAL NETWORKING over to its GHOST IN THE MYCELIA side, but don’t change your mission log. If you don’t track down the voice today, you will need to find a large group of mushrooms again.
Place a voice token onto a flora. This is the voice you have heard. Clear the flora holding the voice token to attempt to speak with it.
1.137
Before discarding the cleared flora, move the voice token to another flora. Then check off a bubble next to MYCELIAL NETWORKING on the campaign tracker.
READ THE ENTRY CORRESPONDING TO YOUR PROGRESS ON MYCELIAL NETWORKING:
A) ♦♢♢
Focusing your mind on chasing the voice doesn’t do you any good. However, as you follow it, you start to see the pattern; the voices move like a wave, crashing towards you before receding back into the network. You wait, timing your effort to when the voice is closest. Then you reach out with your mind, pinning the voice in place with a pointed query as to its identity.
The voice responds with surprise. “This is Yara Mercir. I’m a Ranger with an expedition that set out to explore the arcology. I think I’ve been down here awhile though. Too long maybe. Who are you?”
If you are on THE EXPEDITION’S PATH, continue reading:
You feel a thrill run through you. You hadn’t dared hope that you’d find one of the members of the lost expedition alive. Even if you’re unsure that Yara is technically alive, she can still talk. A talking mushroom! This means Silaro could actually get some answers directly from a member of the previous expedition! Before you report back, however, you should probably do some more investigating of your own.
Check off the middle bubble next to THE EXPEDITION’S PATH on the campaign tracker.
B) ♦♦♢
Yara’s voice has a hollow, echoing quality that resonates oddly with the background murmur of other voices, but you can still hear the confusion in her tone.
“I don’t know exactly how I got here,” she says. “I remember I had been hurt. It was bad. I hid in the fungal forest, but I had lost a lot of blood, and I just wanted to sleep. I remember that I had a very vivid dream, but I can't remember the details. I just remember there being mushrooms. Mountains of mushrooms. Then I woke up here. Wherever ‘here’ is. You’re from the Valley? Do you know where I am, and how long I’ve been here?”
Your heart sinks, even as Yara’s story confirms your suspicions. She must have died in the fungal forest, and at the moment of her death, her intellect was absorbed by the mycelial network. You've never heard of mushrooms with this kind of capabilities. They must be the result of another Estian experiment, designed to preserve their consciousness.
C) ♦♦♦
You spend long moments conversing with Yara, theorizing on what you believe happened to her. Eventually, the former Ranger’s confusion lessens, and you can hear acceptance in her voice. “Well, maybe this whole situation was a gift in disguise,” Yara says. “I may be dead, but at least something of who I was can live on, albeit as a mushroom.”
You laugh despite yourself, and then Yara’s voice takes on a thoughtful tone. “I'd like to offer you a gift for helping me. Do you see those little glowing green mushrooms over there?”
You look around and spot them. “Good!” she says. “Those mushrooms have special qualities. If you burn them as an incense, and inhale the smoke, I reckon that you'll find plants to be a lot more relatable. Farewell!”
Gain the Mycelial Incense reward card. Complete the MYCELIAL NETWORKING mission.
1.138
You come through the half-sealed hatchway, only to have your head nearly taken off by a snapping vine. In the distance, writhing masses undulate and slither along the walls and floor. The vines in this series of chambers are much larger and more concentrated than normal. In places, they’ve sprouted voracious, thorn-lined mouths; to all appearances overgrown carnivorous plants.
You recall that these vines grow from large central roots. Although you don’t relish trying to weave among them to find their origin point, you know that if you destroy the roots, the vines will go with them.
If the path you used to travel here was not Deep Roots, search the Deep Roots terrain set for Snarling Roots and 1[icon] Snapping Maws and shuffle them into the path deck.
If you are at the Rootway, search the General set for the Locked Passage and put it into play.
If SPIRE FALLEN, continue reading:
As you’ve traveled through the arcology, you constantly wonder where all the reclaimers have gone. Now, you have at least part of an answer. If you look carefully, you see the flashing hints of seekers lurking among the vines. They lash out at the plants, tearing and rending. The vines seem to be getting the better of the fight, however, as every so often you see one of their vine-trap “mouths” scoop up a reclaimer whole.
Search the General set for 2 Reclaimer Seekers and shuffle them into the path deck. Flip the AT THE SOURCE card over to its RECLAIMERS’ FATE side, but don’t change your mission log.
1.139
You follow the vines to their root, taking care not to catch on any thorns or disturb any of them, lest you be gobbled up by one of their many snapping maws. Taking a moment to catch your breath and study your surroundings, you see that the several large roots twist around each other, growing in nearby chambers and beyond. From each root, inumerable vines grow, too abundant and tenacious to do anything about.
If RECLAIMERS’ FATE is in play, flip it back to its AT THE SOURCE side. Check off the bubble corresponding to your current location next to AT THE SOURCE on the campaign tracker.
Then, if both bubbles are checked off, continue reading:
A strangely twisted knot of vines and shadow catches your eye. Something seems familiar to you about its shape. Then it shivers and moves, and you slowly you see the Verdessian assume its shape before your very eyes. It steps forward.
You’re not sure if a Verdessian’s body language matches yours at all, but if it did you’d say the being seems frustrated. It "stares" for a long time at the endlessly twisting roots. After a time, it slowly turns to face you, and your eyes are drawn to the patterns on its face. They seem to morph in strange patterns, and you feel almost like you're falling asleep. In that moment another vision fills your consciousness.
You see the massive rolling green of the Verdessa, stretching away to the south. The scene seems idyllic, but as you look closer, you see something writhing and twisting beneath the canopy, causing the treetops to rustle and buck in long, winding rows. Something is growing there, just out of sight. Something big, and destructive.
A feeling of foreboding looms over you, and you know that the feeling is coming from the Verdessian, not you. While you're still unsure as to what it was hoping to achieve down here, or what it's relationship was to these vines, it's clear that it has bigger problems on the horizon.
As the vision clears, you look around. Perhaps unsurprisingly, you find the passageway empty. The Verdessian has vanished.
Gain the Grasp of the Verdessa reward card. Record VISIONS OF THE VERDESSA on the campaign tracker. Complete the AT THE SOURCE mission.
1.140
You pause for a moment to consider all that you've accomplished. From the lowest depths to the highest peak, you feel as though you've traversed every inch of the Valley and more, yet somehow you get the feeling that there will always be more to discover.
For it was not long ago that you were completely ignorant of the wonders to be found in the arcology ruin. You had lived your entire life not knowing that they were there, just under your feet. Who knows then what revelations the dawn might bring? You, for one, have learned to open yourself to whatever may come, and to the endless possibilities inherent to your own existence.
Complete THE ARCOLOGY’S SECRETS mission, and gain the As Above, So Below reward card.
Your story will continue, but for now, you must rest. You have fully completed the Legacy of the Ancestors campaign. Thank you for spending so much time with Legacy of the Ancestors! We love you!
2. Lone Tree Station (LOA)
Standing high above the western shore of White Sky Lake, Lone Tree Station towers over the surrounding highland plains. The wind rustles the leaves of its great boughs, and the verdant garden boxes that hang from those branches sway in turn. Wide, well-trodden paths lead from the Station in each of the cardinal directions, and you see several cloaked figures coming and going; fellow Rangers busy with missions of their own.
If you have STAGED THE HUNT but have not completed ONE THOUSAND LEGS (WILD SCUTTLEBUS), remove Kordo, Ranger Veteran from Lone Tree Station set before constructing the path deck.
If SPIRE FALLEN, continue reading:
You can also see the last few tents and lean-to shelters, scattered remnants of the hundreds of temporary dwellings that surrounded the base of Lone Tree for the past two cycles. Those shelters were inhabited by the displaced inhabitants of Spire, though in the past couple of weeks, many have returned to their old homes.
5. Spire (LOA)
Rising out of an island in the middle of the Silverfin, the first thing you spot is the landmark that gives the town its name. A massive gray spire at the center of the island towers over the cottages, workshops, and trade halls that make up the rest of the town. As impressive as it is, you know that it is but a protrusion of the ancient arcology that extends deep into the roots of the Valley. The entrance to that arcology lies beyond the Arcology Threshold.
If SPIRE FALLEN, continue reading:
Now, however, the spire is surrounded by scaffolding, cranes, and a few plumes of smoke from ferro-kilns and glassblowers. Hoversleds laden with stone and carbonforged beams hang in the air as artisans and willing citizens work side-by-side to repair the rooftops and walls. In just two months, much of the damage from the reclaimer attack has already been repaired.
14. Boulder Field (LOA)
Long ago, a great mountain once stood here, but as the millenniums passed, it steadily split and crumbled. At the edges of the boulder field, the ground is littered with round rocks the size of apples. As you head deeper in, however, the boulders grow larger until you find yourself weaving between what you imagine to be the bones of the lost mountain, pillars of rock that reach toward the sky.
15. Ancestor's Grove
IF AELL LOST, GO TO 15.1
IF KASENDE LOST, GO TO 15.2
OTHERWISE READ:
A reverent calm suffuses your being as you step into the Ancestor’s Grove. Each of the trees, from the smallest sapling to the towering giants at the grove’s center, has been planted over the final resting place of a loved one. You move with care through the grove. You see several people, some keeping to themselves, some speaking softly, some bearing gifts, all here to commune with those who have passed. You pause and give thought to your ancestors.
15.1
A reverent calm suffuses your being as you step into the Ancestor’s Grove. Each of the trees in this grove, from the smallest sapling to the towering giants at the grove’s center, has been planted in memory of a loved one. Often, that loved one has been interned beneath the roots of their tree.
Near the edges of the grove, you see one sapling that has only just sprouted. You recognize the memorial site for Aell, the young shaper. His body was not buried here, having been lost in his last stand to remove the reclaimers and save the Valley. What is there, clustered around the sapling trunk, are the countless gifts, flowers, and mementos left by the people of the Valley. He died a hero, and you know his memorial will never go unadorned.
15.2
A reverent calm suffuses your being as you step into the Ancestor’s Grove. Each of the trees in this grove, from the smallest sapling to the towering giants at the grove’s center, has been planted in memory of a loved one. Often, that loved one has been interned beneath the roots of their tree.
Near the edges of the grove, you see one sapling that has only just sprouted. You recognize the memorial site for Kasende, the dauntless hydraworm hunter. Her body was not buried here, having been lost in the Marsh of Rebirth during the great fight to lead the reclaimers into the jaws of the hydraworms. What is there, clustered around the sapling trunk, are the countless gifts, flowers, and mementos left by the people of the Valley. She died a hero, and you know her memorial will never go unadorned.
16. Kobo's Market (LOA)
IF YOU HAVE NOT COMPLETED THE LIMITED TIME OFFER MISSION, GO TO 1.103
OTHERWISE, READ:
Given Ren Kobo’s Messipian heritage, it’s not surprising that he set up his market next to a clear, spring-fed lake. You see the market, bathed in sunlight, bursting with wares from both inside and outside the Valley. You hear the joyful chatter of bartering customers and merchants as you approach.
19. The Plummet
IF DACE IS IN PLAY, GO TO 19.1
OTHERWISE, READ:
The Plummet is visible from kilometers away, a perfectly vertical, sheer cliff looming over the Valley. It’s said to be impossible to climb, so the only way to the top is to traverse a series of dangerous trails around the edges, to make an approach along the lip of the Valley from the north, or to zip to the summit on a spiderline.
19.1
The Plummet is visible from kilometers away, a perfectly vertical, sheer cliff looming over the Valley. Dace laughs and claps you on the shoulder. “Hah! There she is! You ready to see the impossible?”
You strain to see what she is pointing at and spot a small figure prepping for a climb.
Shuffle Oura Vos into the path deck.
23. Headwaters Station (LOA)
The current strengthens as the river narrows, flowing swiftly from a claustrophobic canyon up ahead. Your boat bucks against the fast-moving water, but you finally make it past the mouth of the canyon and find a rope rigged along the rock wall, perfect for pulling yourself along. After long minutes of hauling, the canyon widens and you pull yourself into a circular basin. Several small waterfalls form a droning chorus, drowning out all other sound as they feed the sapphire-blue pool.
23.1 (LOA)
You were told the waters of Headwaters Station had magical properties, and when you dive into the deep blue pool, you can see why. The water is cold but not unpleasant, and you feel tingles run down your arms as effervescent bubbles play across your skin.
As you swim deeper, the darkness seems to be illuminated by an expanse of gleaming sand, but as you swim closer, you realize that it’s a field of stars.
You plunge into the starry expanse, the shapes moving with you and carrying you along. Then, as you begin to rise back upwards, you unexpectedly break the surface, finding yourself in a pocket of air trapped in an underwater cave. The cave glitters with an ethereal light, and you look up to see the same stars glittering across the ceiling of this cave. You step from the water and onto fine sand, enraptured by the starscape above.
When you finally break from your reverie, you turn back to the water and find it gone. You stand in a sea of sand under the earth, but that doesn’t bother you as much as you think it should. Somehow you know you were meant to be here, and that you will find your way in this strange place.
You may immediately proceed to the travel phase and travel to the Desert of Endless Night (even if there are ready cards with the Obstacle keyword in play). Build the path deck using the Flooded Ruins terrain set. If you choose to travel in this way, discard the current challenge card and do not resolve the remainder of this test.
If you choose not to travel, add [icon] to Headwaters Station equal to your effort and resolve challenge effects as normal.
24. Greenbriar Knoll (LOA)
The head-high grass makes it impossible to spot the knoll until the ground slopes upward, and you begin to climb a gentle grade.
As you finish your ascent, you find yourself on a hilltop. At the summit, you find a dais of time-worn and lichen-crusted stone, with narrow threads of metal woven through it. You can see the dulled and patinated threads form distinct patterns—the mark of the Estians.
If Spirit Speaker Nal is in play, go to 24.1.
24.1 (LOA)
Nal strides to the center of the knoll with a surety of purpose. She shakes a carbon-forged rattle, and calls upon the seven directions, the spirits of the elements, and the spirit of the Valley. She kneels and traces her hands lightly over the chiseled threads in the stone, then she places her hands lightly upon it, sits, and closes her eyes. You set aside your pack and sit quietly across from her. She speaks. Her voice carrying an almost dreamlike quality.
“Interesting," she says. "I can sense the presence from before, but it remains elusive. But there are others. Three, specifically. The spirits of Estians, bound to their former lives, unable or unwilling to cross over. I see three of them, and all are in need of assistance, though they might resist.”
The sun moves steadily across the sky, and eventually Nal opens her eyes.
“There’s nothing I can do for them from here unfortunately,” she says. “I tried, but there is still something standing between us; something that doesn't appreciate me snooping around in the arcology. I'm unsure of what or who it could be.”
You hand her your canteen, and she smiles in thanks. “You know,” Nal says. “If you happen across those spirits while you’re exploring the arcology, you may be able to communicate with them. And, if you feel up to it, you may even be able to help them come to terms with their deaths so they can finally be at peace. Then, maybe, they'll be willing to cross over.”
Gain Echoes of the Estians reward card. Discard Nal and return HELPING HAND to the collection. Record LEARNED OF THE LOST on the campaign tracker.
25. The Concordant Ziggurats (LOA)
IF YOU'VE POWERED UP THE ARCOLOGY GO TO 25.1
As the plains around Meadow rise up to meet the cliffs on the western edge of the Valley, you reach the first of the Concordant Ziggurats. Some say that they belong to a network of power stations, but no one knows for sure. There are five intact ziggurats in the Valley, along with the ruins of several others. Travelers from beyond claim to have seen them in distant lands as well.
As you near the base, you feel a resonant thrum. It vibrates the very air around you, causing pressure to build inside your head. The Ziggurats—whatever they are—yet live.
25.1 (LOA)
Since Silaro activated the Ziggurats, the humming sound is both louder and lower, resonating at a level that is almost beyond hearing. You can feel it profoundly in your chest, however, down into your bones.
You feel the hairs on your body stand on end. Touching anything metallic results in a powerful shock, and the very air seems filled with electricity.
Each Ranger either discards 1 FIT energy or suffers 2 fatigue.
42. Topside Mast (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY GO TO 42.1
CLEAR [icon] GO TO 42.2
42.1 (LOA)
High atop Lone Tree Station, you see the familiar gleam of the Swift’s hull perched on the series of circular platforms of polished wood and forged carbon.
As you look at the airship, you feel a surge of excitement. You remember the feeling of exhilaration on your first flight all those months ago as the Swift launched high into the air—then, the tranquility as its wings unfurled and the glider soundlessly soared toward the horizon, steadily descending as it flew en route to its destination.
Working away on the airship, you see none other than Ben Amon, making adjustments to the Swift's launching mechanisms. A small group of apprentice artificers gather 'round to watch a master at work.
Clear Topside Mast with [icon] to take the Swift for a ride.
42.2 (LOA)
Ben Amon hops into the pilot’s seat with a grin on his face. “Strap in!” he says, lowering a pair of goggles over his eyes. “You’ve always been good at convincing the crew,” he says with a smile as he flips a series of switches and you feel the Swift come to life. “But I needed no convincing to show off these new enhancements I’ve been adding.”
You may immediately proceed to the travel phase and travel to any location on the Valley map except Headwaters Station (even if there are ready cards with the Obstacle keyword in play). Use the terrain type of the last path you crossed over. If you choose to travel in this way, discard the current challenge card and do not resolve the remainder of this test.
If you choose not to travel, discard Topside Mast and resolve the remainder of the test as normal.
43. Hanging Gardens (LOA)
High above the ground, you step out of the doorway from the trunk of Lone Tree and onto a wildly swinging catwalk. You keep a firm grip as you make your way toward the massive boxes, each as large as a flatboat and overflowing with plants that hang from the tree’s thick branches. As the wind shifts, you catch the heady aroma of blooming flowers and ripe vegetables.
44. Kordo, Ranger Veteran (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU’VE STAGED THE STAGED THE HUNT AND COMPLETED ONE THOUSAND LEGS, GO TO 44.2
- IF YOU’VE COMPLETED LIMITED TIME OFFER, GO TO 44.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 44.3
CLEAR [icon]
- IF YOU’VE STAGED THE STAGED THE HUNT AND COMPLETED ONE THOUSAND LEGS, GO TO 44.5
- IF YOU’VE COMPLETED ONE THOUSAND LEGS, GO TO 44.6
- IF YOU ARE AT A LOCATION IN THE ARCOLOGY, GO TO 44.7
- IF HELPING HANDS IS ATTACHED, GO TO 44.4
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 44.8
CLEAR [icon] GO TO 44.9
44.1 (LOA)
As you walk around the wide base of Lone Tree Station, you come across Kordo Haverson sitting at a table set outside the entrance to the Old Ranger’s Root. The old Ranger has his sphere cam longbow disassembled on the flat planks and seems to be tinkering with it intently.
Clear Kordo with [icon] to ask what his plans are for that bow.
44.2 (LOA)
You see Kordo sitting alongside the path. His feet are propped up on a large log, and at first you think he’s asleep. Then you notice the twinkle of his eyes from beneath his hat.
Clear Kordo with [icon] to ask how he’s feeling now that he’s returned.
44.3 (LOA)
You find Kordo in Lone Tree’s mud room, lacing his boots, his well-stocked backpack and hunting bow sitting on the bench beside him. Before you can say hello, you hear the clop of stilthorse hooves outside. Soon after, the double doors to the mud room swing open and Zek Tsal stomps in, water running in rivers off his hat and cloak.
“Ho there!” he says cheerfully. “It’s a fine day for a ride. A fine day!”
“Hello, Zek!” says Kordo. “What news from the trail?”
Zek removes his cloak and starts the hopeless process of shaking it dry. “Everyone is all abuzz about the expedition, of course,” he says, frowning at his drenched garments. “I’ve also heard that Ren Kobo is hosting a swap meet at his market … starting today! Sounds like anyone with something to trade will be there. Might be worth stopping by; you could trade for some really exceptional gear! I’m headed there myself tomorrow to see about a new saddle, and maybe a water-repellent cloak.”
Gain the LIMITED TIME OFFER mission. Write 199.1 three days from now on the day tracker.
Travel to Kobo’s Market to participate in the swap meet. There you’ll have the opportunity to gain some of the reward cards you may have missed from the Lure of the Valley campaign.
Clear Kordo with [icon] to find out where he’s off to.
44.4 (LOA)
Kordo smiles at you. “Well? What say we push off up that way? I think I remember a sinkhole past those hills; maybe it’s deep enough to take us into the arcology?”
Rangers Choose
A) Continue helping Kordo search for a sinkhole. Discard all [icon] from Kordo.
B) Say goodbye for now. Discard Kordo. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
44.5 (LOA)
Kordo slaps you on the back, the friendly gesture sending you staggering forward a few steps. “Alright,” he says. “Thrush has you on plenty of important tasks, and I don’t want to distract you from them. We’ll share another hunt someday soon!”
You say goodbye, and watch the old veteran stride off, whistling an old hiking tune.
Discard Kordo. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
44.6 (LOA)
Kordo passes you a flask. You take a cautious sip, catching the pungent whiff of moss cherry cordial, and he smiles. “Strong stuff, eh? So, let me tell you about some of the really nasty things you can run into down in the arcology.”
You excitedly interrupt him; telling him the thrilling story of your Scuttlebus hunt. Kordo listens raptly the entire time, even forgetting to take pulls from his flask. As you complete your tale, his face breaks into a wide, amazed grin. “That’s damned impressive, my friends. Damned impressive! I just wish I could have seen it. But I look forward to you retelling this tale back at the Root!”
Gain the Audacity of the Estians reward card. Discard Kordo, Ranger Veteran.
44.7 (LOA)
Kordo gives you a grin and lets out a whoop that echoes off of the underground chamber walls. He is on the hunt, and nothing is going to distract him.
If the Wild Scuttlebus is in play, add 3 [icon] to the Wild Scuttlebus and discard all [icon] from Kordo (he does not discard). Otherwise, discard Kordo and each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
44.8 (LOA)
Kordo passes you a flask. You take a cautious sip, catching the pungent whiff of moss cherry cordial, and he smiles. “Strong stuff, eh? Well, you’ll need something strong to fortify you before you encounter the really nasty things down in the arcology.”
The old Ranger proceeds to tell you about the dangerous biomelds and other predators you may encounter in the arcology. His stories range from repulsive carrion and garbage eaters to strange robotic guardians and, of course, the fearsome spindlescuttlers. Unsurprisingly, the gigantic insectoids love to inhabit the arcology’s tunnels.
“And there’s one, a really big scuttler, that’s apparently even bigger than Ol’ Bloody Clicker himself,” Kordo says. “I guess it’s some sort of biomeld, created by the Estians for who knows what reason.” He thinks for a long moment. “You know, that would be a great hunt. I remember finding some of those really deep sinkholes back in my patrolling days. I think some of them might get all the way down to the arcology, even.”
Rangers Choose
A) Help Kordo find a sinkhole down to the arcology. Discard all [icon] and attach the HELPING HAND mission to Kordo.
B) Some other time. Discard Kordo. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
44.9 (LOA)
Kordo stumbles and falls to the ground. He grips his leg, wincing in pain.
“My own fault,” he grunts. “I don’t think I’ll be moving anywhere soon. Sorry about this, friends, but I’m going to need your help to get patched up.”
End the Day.
45. Spirit Speaker Nal (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU’VE LEARNED OF THE LOST, GO TO 45.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 45.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 45.3
- IF YOU’VE LEARNED OF THE LOST, GO TO 45.4
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 45.5
CLEAR [icon] GO TO 45.6
45.1 (LOA)
Although Nal’s expression is still of someone intensely preoccupied with something only she can see and hear, at least this time she sees you approach. “Hello there,” she says in greeting. Her smile lights up her tired face, but you can tell in her expression that something is still troubling her.
Clear Nal with [icon] to ask what's troubling her.
45.2 (LOA)
You find Spirit Speaker Nal sitting in quiet contemplation within a small gazebo in one of Lone Tree’s many gardens, her legs crossed and eyes closed. She doesn’t stir as you approach, but when you call out to her in greeting, her eyes flutter open.
“Oh, hello,” she says with a wan smile. “Give me just a moment.” She cocks her head to the side, as if she’s listening to someone.
Clear Nal with [icon] to ask her more about the presence she sensed in the arcology.
45.3 (LOA)
Nal catches up to you. “We’re making good time,” she says as she wipes sweat from her brow. “If we still plan on reaching Greenbriar Knoll today, however, we’ll have to move more quickly still.”
Rangers Choose
A) Accompany Nal to Greenbriar Knoll. Discard all [icon] from Spirit Speaker Nal.
B) Farewell for now. Discard Spirit Speaker Nal. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
45.4 (LOA)
“I’ve been hearing messages from Estian spirits who persist within the arcology,” she says. “I do not think it a coincidence that they became more vocal just before Silaro Mako petitioned for his new expedition.
“These spirits are those of Estians who have not crossed over. They cling to their former lives, reluctant or unable to move on. They are stubborn and fearful, which makes them more difficult to reason with, but I can sense them and their emotions. They are distressed and unsettled—as though they have been jostled awake in the midst of a dream.
"If you encounter any of the spirits on your expedition, my hope is that you may be able to interact with them and help them find peace.”
You remind Nal that you hardly have her experience in these matters. The spirit speaker waves her hand. “Do not discount the power of compassion. Even while communing with the departed, it is sometimes all that is required. If you need me, however, I am here for you. Thanks to Ben’s mirror, I can be anywhere and everywhere at any time. You need only think of me, and I will help however I can.”
Discard Nal. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
45.5 (LOA)
Do you remember how I spoke of this presence I’ve felt during our meeting with Elder Thrush—the stirring unease of some undefinable presence within the arcology? I’ve been attempting to reach it to no avail.
“I think, however, that I may have a solution: Greenbriar Knoll. It is a place of great power. Were we to go there, I should be able to harness that power and, with the help of the spirits, use it to penetrate whatever barrier stands between me and the elusive presence.
“Do you have time to accompany me to Greenbriar Knoll? I would certainly appreciate the company.”
Rangers Choose
A) You can count on me. Discard all [icon] and attach the HELPING HAND mission to Spirit Speaker Nal. Accompany Nal to Greenbriar Knoll.
B) Sorry, Nal. Greenbriar Knoll gives me the creeps. Discard Spirit Speaker Nal. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
45.6 (LOA)
With a yelp, Nal falls to the ground. You move to help, easing her onto her feet. “Thank you,” she says. You help her to safety, supporting her weight as you go.
End the day.
47. Hy Pimpot, Chef (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU’VE SAMPLED A NEW RECIPE, GO TO 47.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 47.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 47.3
- IF YOU’VE SAMPLED A NEW RECIPE, GO TO 47.6
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 47.7
CLEAR [icon] GO TO 47.8
47.1 (LOA)
“Well hullo there!” The distinctive gnomish face of Hy Pimpot peers over the brim of his massive stewpot. “Good to see you again! Feeling hungry, I wager? A craving for mushrooms perhaps?”
You can help Hy Pimpot by gathering ingredients for his traditional stew, or you can clear him with [icon] to take him with you once more.
47.2 (LOA)
The rich aroma of meaty smoke fills your nostrils as you come up a staircase and find Hy Pimpot on his balcony. Long strips of sitka deer meat have been stretched across a drying rack, and below it, a low, smoldering fire sends up pungent clouds to slowly smoke the meat into preserved jerky.
Hy is carefully flipping one of the strips of meat when he sees you. He waves, then gives you a mock scowl. “Well, well! I know what you’ve come around for,” he says. “But the jerky isn’t ready yet! You’ll have to come back later, you bunch of hungry scrofs!” He waves his finger in admonishment, and you can’t help but burst out laughing at his comically exaggerated gesture.
You can help Hy Pimpot by gathering ingredients for his traditional stew, or you can clear him with [icon] to ask if he has any new recipes.
47.3 (LOA)
“Come on!” You’ve only stopped for a few minutes, and already Hy is pacing around restlessly. “We’ve still got plenty of mushrooms to find for my stew! If you’re too tired to help, I’ll head off on my own!”
Rangers Choose
A) Continue gathering mushrooms. Discard all [icon] from Hy. Make a stew using only cards with the Mycelial keyword to achieve Hy’s goal.
B) Some other time. Discard Hy Pimpot. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
47.4 (LOA)
If all flora attached to Hy Pimpot have the Mycelial keyword, go to 47.5
Otherwise, read:
As you begin unloading ingredients from your haversack, Hy springs into motion. He moves like a man possessed; his strong fingers quickly breaking down the nuts and roots, chopping the vegetables, and dressing and trimming the meat. He sets a pot upon a single Sol coil and fills it with water sprinkled with herbs. Soon the broth is boiling, and Hy throws both handfuls and pinches of herbs in equal measure into the pot.
Though the stew seems to take an eternity to cook, the first bites are well and truly worth the wait. You comment to Hy that you don’t understand how each of his creations tastes better than the last, and he smiles a little wistfully.
“You’re too kind,” he says. “However, I do wish I could try making a meal out of nothing but mushrooms. Cooking up the choicest morsels those arcology tunnels have to offer, well, that sounds like a real challenge! Stop in the next time you’re at the Station, and perhaps we can make some magic.”
Discard each flora attached to Hy Pimpot. Each Ranger soothes 4 fatigue.
47.5 (LOA)
Hy can barely contain his excitement as he cleans and prepares the colorful and varied mushrooms you’ve gathered. He sets a pot upon a single Sol coil and fills it with water sprinkled with herbs. Soon the broth is boiling, and he adds the mushrooms, each type, at seemingly predetermined moments. After what feels like an eternity, the stew is ready. It smells both earthy and delicious. As you go to take a bite, Hy clears his throat. “Just to warn you,” he says. “These mushrooms are not for the faint of heart. I’d be willing to bet that they might have something of a … mind expanding effect.”
Rangers Choose
A) Down the hatch! Go to 47.5a.
B) On second thought, I need to keep my wits about me. Discard each flora attached to Hy Pimpot. Discard Hy Pimpot and return HELPING HAND to the collection. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
47.5A
You take a spoonful, and then another. You don’t feel anything at first, but shortly after you finish your bowl, a strange sensation comes over you. It’s like your feet are sinking into the earth at the same time that your head is rising above the clouds that flow over the Valley. You look down, and you see the Valley and the arcology as it must have been thousands of years ago. The Fractured Wall is whole again, with a vast lake behind it. In place of Spire is a glimmering structure, glowing blue-white with the energies flowing to it from the Concordant Ziggurats. And, beneath the surface, you can somehow feel the many tunnels stretching out to all corners of the Valley, and far below them, a beating heart.
After what could have been mere moments, or could have been a day, you open your eyes. You are sitting back at Hy Pimpot’s portable kitchen, an empty stew bowl in your hand. The gnomish little chef looks over at you, his eyes wide and smiling. He shows you his own empty bowl. You and he share a long, hearty laugh, then settle back, enjoying your new perspective on life and the history of the Valley.
Discard each flora attached to Hy Pimpot. Each Ranger may choose to return their role card and/or their aspect card to the collection and choose a new role from their specialty and a new aspect card. This alteration is permanent. Note: Altering your aspects may cause certain cards in your deck to become unplayable. Swap at your own peril!
Record SAMPLED A NEW RECIPE on the campaign tracker. Discard Hy Pimpot and return HELPING HAND to the collection. Each Ranger soothes 4 fatigue.
47.6 (LOA)
Hy sets down his kitchen multi-tool and addresses you with a smile. "I've already used up the mushrooms you brought me last time. Care to take me down to the arcology again to scrounge up some more? I'll make you the same stew as last time!"
Rangers Choose
A) Sure! I know a shortcut. Discard all [icon] and attach the HELPING HAND mission to Hy Pimpot. Make a stew with Hy Pimpot’s test using only cards with the Mycelial keyword.
B) Some other time. Discard Hy Pimpot. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
47.7 (LOA)
As Hy presses several swampberry-syrup candies into your hands, you ask what new recipes he’s been experimenting with. He smiles. “Well, I have to admit that ever since Silaro started going on about his great expedition into the arcology, it’s gotten me thinking about all the mushrooms that must be down there. The fungi you can find up here in the Valley are just fine, of course, but just think of all the different species you could find down in those tunnels! Why, I bet I could make a stew entirely out of mushrooms, and it would be the best thing you’ve ever tasted!”
You agree that it could be possible and speak of other things. However, this idea clearly has hooked Hy. Finally he looks up at you, his eyes clear and bright. “You know, I don’t think I can pass up this opportunity. Would you accompany me down into the arcology, so I can make for you the greatest mushroom stew ever created?”
Rangers Choose
A) Absolutely! Discard all [icon] and attach the HELPING HAND mission to Hy Pimpot. Make a stew with Hy Pimpot’s test using only cards with the Mycelial keyword.
B) Some other time. Discard Hy Pimpot. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
47.8 (LOA)
Hy Pimpot yelps. “That … hurts … so … bad!” he gasps. “Oh my, oh my, oh my.”
His face pales, and you’re worried he might faint. You’ll need to stop to give him time to recover and to treat the injury.
End the Day.
52. Quiet (LOA)
You stare at the bushes ahead for a few minutes. Something seems wrong, but you can’t spot anything dangerous. Then, slowly, you make out the large, lean body covered in a white coat of fur. The paws, each as big as your hand, and sporting shining black claws. One of the ears, shredded and covered in lumps of pink scar tissue. And finally, the shining red-yellow eyes, staring back unblinking.
You’ve heard stories about the bearded lynx they call Quiet: that she hunts bearsloths for sport; that she relentlessly stalks prey from one end of the Valley to the other; that she attacked and killed the traveling artist Mars Keller, leaving only his sketchbook to bury at the Grove. Now, seeing her for yourself, you believe them.
56. The Carbon Forge (LOA)
IF SPIRE FALLEN, GO TO 56.1
OTHERWISE, GO TO 56.2
56.1 (LOA)
The muted roar of the Carbon Forge and sharp tang of ozone in the air are ever-present here since the reclaimers tore through Spire. It has been over a century since Sal Orlin first discovered the Forge in the arcology ruins beneath Spire. Now, the device is being worked tirelessly to craft materials for repairing the damaged buildings. Artificers shovel graphite shards into the small hatch on the side of the forge. Blue sparks flicker within, and your hair stands on end as the Forge reforms the graphite into nanoassembled carbon items.
56.2 (LOA)
You hear the muted roar and smell the sharp tang of ozone before you can see the Carbon Forge itself. It has been over a century since Sal Orlin first discovered the Forge in the arcology ruins beneath Spire. Now, it is worked to reassemble simple graphite into carbon wonders. You watch as several artificers pull what look to be pieces of a winch or crane from the blue flames within. They're probably on their way to help Silaro with his expedition down into the very ruins that once held this machine.
57. A Hearty Brew (LOA)
IF SPIRE FALLEN, GO TO 57.1
OTHERWISE, GO TO 57.2
57.1 (LOA)
The Hearty Brew is a sad reminder of the damage the reclaimers caused. The once-red roof is marred with acidic pockmarks, and the windows that normally twinkle with multicolored light sit dark. But out in front of the building, the people of Spire still sparkle with life. Under a large, newly constructed awning, food and drink are being prepared and served to those working on Spire’s reconstruction. Even though the tavern itself is unusable, the crowd is as lively as ever, bustling with conversation around a buffet laden with the usual wonderful-smelling delights.
If you have completed the FIND THE NEST mission but you haven’t REUNITED TWO FRIENDS, go to 1.105.
57.2 (LOA)
You hear the murmuring of a dozen different conversations as you walk through the tavern. It’s common knowledge that news spreads faster in A Hearty Brew than anywhere else in the Valley. You imagine that if you needed to find someone—or something—asking around here would be a good way to start.
If you have completed the FIND THE NEST mission but you haven’t REUNITED TWO FRIENDS, go to 1.105.
58. Arcology Threshold (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF SPIRE FALLEN, GO TO 58.1
- IF YOU'RE ON THE DESCENT, GO TO 58.2
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 58.3
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF YOU'RE ON THE DESCENT, GO TO 58.4
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 58.5
58.1 (LOA)
Nowhere is the passage of the reclaimers more evident than here. Every one of them passed through this threshold on their way down into the arcology ruin, and the signs of their passage are still evident today. The parts of the carbon-forged exterior not dissolved by the corrosive saliva of the reclaimer grubs are covered in crisscrossing claw marks of the seekers. Other, far more important areas of Spire have been the focus of attention during the reconstruction. However, this area is filled with people going about another purpose.
If you’re on THE DESCENT, go to 58.2. Otherwise, go to 58.3.
58.2 (LOA)
You’ve never seen the Arcology Threshold bustling with so much activity in all your life. Villagers of all ages come and go, some carrying supplies and equipment for the expedition, others simply observing the spectacle. You imagine that this is what it must have been like when Sal Orlin led his expedition into the arcology over a century ago: a community gathered for a singular purpose, prepared to venture into the unknown, unsure of what they might find or what fate awaits them.
Amid the throng, you spot a broad-shouldered man carrying a notation scroll, directing traffic and taking inventory of the supplies as they arrive. As you approach, he looks up from his work and smiles. “Welcome!” he says. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Al Grim’s the name. The Elders put me in charge of gathering and organizing the supplies for Silaro’s expedition.”
A boy pushing a hoversled laden with carbonforged crates passes you on your left, making for a cordoned-off section of the threshold. Al Grim turns and calls after him, “Not that way, Nojj! Your other left! That’s it. Well done, boy!” He turns back to you. “Like my mother always says, once a shepherd, always a shepherd. Now, what can I do for you?”
Clear the Arcology Threshold with [icon] to talk to Al Grim and travel to the Chimney.
58.3 (LOA)
Although the expedition is well underway, there remains a contingent of villagers in the Arcology Threshold who continue to gather supplies and offer their support, ready to provide aid at a moment’s notice.
Clear the Arcology Threshold with [icon] to travel to the Chimney.
58.4 (LOA)
You explain to Al Grim, who is busy coordinating the expedition's supplies, that you’ve been sent by Elder Thrush to meet up with Silaro Mako and the rest of the expedition. He nods.
“Most of the expeditionary team is still here in the threshold, as you can see, including yours truly,” he says. “Silaro left with an advance team not but two days past. He could barely contain his excitement when the Elders approved his petition. He almost ran off without so much as a rope or a candle!” He chuckles to himself. “Come with me,” he says.
Al Grim leads you to an area deeper within the threshold, where suspended orbs of light are all that chase away the encroaching darkness. He looks you up and down for a moment, opens a crate, and begins handing you supplies.
“You look to be well-equipped, but traversing the arcology isn’t the same as patrolling the Valley. For one, it’s almost entirely uncharted, so you need to be prepared for anything! Next, and most importantly, it can be darker than even a moonless night, so you’ll need a light source.” At that he pauses. “I’ll be planted! It looks like the advance team took the last of the lambance rigs! You’ll need to get by on whatever natural light there is for now.
“Well, I must return to my duties,” Al Grim says after he’s certain you have everything else you need. “Perhaps I’ll see you down there! Good luck!”
You may immediately proceed to the travel phase and travel to the Chimney (even if there are ready cards with the Obstacle keyword in play). If you do, build the path deck using the Ancient Ruins terrain set. If you choose to travel in this way, discard the current challenge card, and do not resolve the remainder of this test.
After traveling, add [icon] to the location equal to the number of Rangers.
If you choose not to travel, discard the Arcology Threshold and resolve the remainder of the test as normal.
58.5 (LOA)
You stand before the yawning darkness, and after a moment’s hesitation, you leave the surface and head into the labyrinthine depths of the arcology ruin.
You may immediately proceed to the travel phase and travel to the Chimney (even if there are ready cards with the Obstacle keyword in play). If you do, build the path deck using the Ancient Ruins terrain set. If you choose to travel in this way, discard the current challenge card and do not resolve the remainder of this test.
59. Dace, Ambitious Shaper (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY: GO TO 59.1
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 59.2
- IF YOU HAVEN’T MADE THE CLIMB OR STAYED PUT, GO TO 59.3
- IF DACE'S GROUP SAVED, GO TO 59.4
- IF AELL LOST AND RECLAIMERS WASHED AWAY, GO TO 59.5
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 59.6
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 59.7
59.1 (LOA)
As you walk along the trail, a breeze suddenly whips up around you, scattering leaves and dust. You have only a moment to notice that the wind doesn’t seem to touch the trees just a few meters away when Dace gracefully descends on a column of whirling air.
Clear Dace with [icon] to ask what she’s been up to.
59.2 (LOA)
Dace skips ahead along the trail, a puff of air lifting her briefly off the ground. “We’re still headed for the Plummet, right?” she asks over her shoulder. “Oura may already be there; you know how quickly she can hike!”
Rangers Choose
A) Continue accompanying Dace to the Plummet. Discard all [icon] from Dace.
B) Some other time. Discard Dace. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
59.3 (LOA)
“Well, since you asked, I’ve received a really interesting request,” Dace says. “You know Oura Vos, right? Well, with Harlan and Quisi traveling on their own, I guess she’s decided to have her own adventure. She’s planning on free climbing the Plummet!”
You can’t help but feel impressed as you remember the towering cliff rising above the Valley. Did Oura approach Dace because that’s where Dace learned to shape the winds and fly?
Dace shakes her head. “No, no. Every time I’ve visited the Plummet, I’ve either been flying above it or falling past it! I wouldn’t know the first thing about climbing the cliff.”
She pauses for a moment, and you see a hint of the old nervousness in her eyes. “I … don’t suppose you’d be willing to come with me? Watch Oura make her big climb?”
Rangers Choose
A) Accompany Dace to the Plummet. Discard all [icon] from Dace and attach HELPING HAND. Search the Valley Set for Oura Vos, Traveler and set her aside.
B) Some other time. Discard Dace. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
59.4 (LOA)
“Oh, Aell and I have been keeping plenty busy,” Dace says. “We’re helping rebuild Spire, you know! Plenty of opportunities for us to use our talents, and even when there aren’t, the townsfolk can always benefit from a couple extra pairs of hands.” She opens her palms, and you smile to see the thick calluses.
“You know it’s funny,” Dace continues after a moment, “but even when we’re hauling beams or shifting bags of rubble, the work feels so … satisfying! And working alongside Aell, well, it’s honestly brought us closer together than we’ve been in years. That alone makes me grateful.”
You note that the work rebuilding Spire has been going well, and Dace nods in agreement. “I just wish the Shapers up on Blind Peak would come down to help out too,” she adds. “But on the other hand, perhaps Elder Cress feels like Aell and I are the appropriate amount of aid.”
You acknowledge that it might be so, and also note how inscrutable Cress tends to be. Dace laughs. “That’s the truth! Might as well try and talk to a thunderstorm. But anyway, I’d better be off. More work to do, you know. Good luck on your adventures!”
A puff of wind, and she’s gone.
Discard Dace. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue. Search the Spire deck for the Arcology Threshold and put it into play. Then, each Ranger may place their [icon] on it.
59.5 (LOA)
Dace gives you a small, sad smile. “Honestly, Rangers, I’ve been grieving. I spend a lot of my time meditating, and I make a steady trip up to Aell’s memorial in the Grove.” Her smile turns a bit wry for a moment. “Admittedly, that’s easier to do when you can fly.”
She stares over the Valley for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “You know, it’s strange. Since his body got washed away, it’s hard to believe he’s really dead. Sometimes, when I hear a really close thunderstrike, I look up, half expecting to see Aell with that impish grin on his face.”
She shakes her head. “But the Spirit Speakers all say his spirit is at peace. And that is certainly a lot.”
You nod silently, remembering the last time you saw Aell—his arms spread wide as he summoned the storm, standing defiantly as the waters swirled around him, refusing to cease his call until the reclaimers were all washed away, even as the waters swept him from view. After a minute, you mention that his legacy is one the Valley will remember for generations.
“Thank you,” Dace says. “Well, I should be going. I hope your expedition fares well, and be safe.”
Discard Dace. Each Ranger soothes 1 fatigue. Search the Spire deck for the Arcology Threshold and put it into play.
59.6 (LOA)
Dace shrugs. “Oh, just sharpening my craft. I practice with the winds, levitating myself in place or letting the air currents carry me aloft. As you can see," she says as she hops upward, a small jump that turns into a graceful bound over your heads, "I'm getting pretty good at it."
“However,” she smiles wryly, “most of my time is spent deep in meditation. As the shapers say, ‘you can’t shape the world around you without understanding the shape of your own spirit.’ I admit, it’s been helpful.”
You agree, noting that her control seems to be much better. Dace bows slightly. “Thank you! And I guess that means I’d better get back to it, huh?”
She bids you farewell and leaps into the air, vanishing into the sky with a puff of wind.
Discard Dace. Search the Spire deck for the Arcology Threshold and put it into play.
59.7 (LOA)
Dace howls in pain. As you rush to help her, you see the injury looks serious. You pull out your medical supplies and start looking around for a place to set up a shelter. You’re not going to be able to move until you treat her, and that’s going to take a while.
End the day.
60. Elder Mora Orlin (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY: GO TO 60.1
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF ELDER ORLIN'S GROUP SAVED, GO TO 60.2
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 60.3
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 60.4
60.1 (LOA)
You hear the loud whistling long before you see the muscular form of Elder Orlin walking purposefully up the trail. She pushes an empty slabsled ahead of her, and a heavy walking staff hangs loosely in one of her hands.
Clear Elder Orlin with [icon] to ask what she’s up to.
60.2 (LOA)
You call Elder Orlin’s name, and she looks up with a glare. “Who’s that shouting at me?” she growls. Then her eyes focus on you, and her expression softens slightly.
“Well! I didn’t recognize you for a minute.” She moves up to you and clasps your hands, your bones creaking in her powerful, gnarled grip.
“Glad to see you. I thought I heard you were heading through here. Something about that expedition heading down into the arcology?”
You tell her about your new duties, and she grunts. “Good thing you’re heading along, Silaro too often has his head in the clouds. All right, good luck. Wish I could sit around and gab, but me and every one of my artificers are busy repairing Spire. Plus making all the supplies for Silaro’s expedition! Be safe!”
She heads off, shoving her sled and whistling cheerily.
Discard Elder Orlin. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue. Search the Spire deck for the Arcology Threshold and put it into play. Then, each Ranger may place their [icon] on it.
60.3 (LOA)
You call Elder Orlin’s name, and she looks up with a glare. “Who’s that shouting at me?” she growls. Then her eyes focus on you.
“Oh, it’s you,” she says gruffly. “Well, I’d love to sit around and gab, but I’m busy right now. Me and every one of my artificers are busy crafting every bit of gear for that expedition of yours and Silaro’s. Good luck on that, and I’ll see you later.”
Discard Elder Orlin. Search the Spire deck for the Arcology Threshold and put it into play.
60.4 (LOA)
Elder Orlin staggers but doesn’t fall despite the painful wound. You move toward her, hesitant to suggest she needs help, but she reaches over and grabs your shoulder for support. You need to help her to safety before you go on.
End the Day.
61. Tollin Lang, Sculptor (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY: GO TO 61.1
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 61.2
- IF YOU HAVEN'T TUNED THE LITHOPHONE, GO TO 61.5
- IF TOLLIN'S GROUP SAVED, GO TO 61.6
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 61.7
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 61.8
61.1 (LOA)
You step into the clearing that Tollin has utilized as his studio, and find the young sculptor surrounded by shimmering and shifting sculptures of kinetic glass. You look more closely and see that some of the sculptures are actually three-dimensional landscape portraits of the ancient Estian buildings scattered around the Valley.
Tollin Lang is bent over a thick dolewood bole that he’s turned into a worktable. He seems to be messing around with a collection of flowsteel plates arranged in a row.
Clear Tollin with [icon] to ask what he’s up to.
61.2 (LOA)
Tollin lets out an exasperated breath as the device continues to spit out the wrong notes. A look of concern flashes across his face. "This is taking longer than I expected, although we are making steady progress. Are you sure you have time to continue helping me?"
Rangers Choose
A) Help Tollin tune the lithophone. Discard all [icon] from Tollin and go to 61.3.
B) Stop tuning the lithophone. Discard Tollin and return HELPING HAND to the collection. Return the 5 Aspect cards used to create the lithophone and each energy token above them to the collection. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
61.3 (LOA)
You strike two of the flowsteel panels and listen for the resonance of fifths or thirds as Tollin tweaks the size of each plate.
Choose two cards in the lithophone to strike, flipping them faceup. For each aspect whose value is the same on both of the struck cards, take an unused energy token of that aspect and place it above the lithophone. Then, flip both struck cards facedown, keeping them in the same order. If there is at least one energy token for each of the four aspects above the lithophone, the lithophone is tuned. Go to 61.4.
Clear Tollin again with [icon] while HELPING HAND is attached to continue helping him tune the lithophone.
61.4 (LOA)
With your keen ear to help guide Tollin’s hand, you painstakingly tune each individual plate of flowsteel so that it sounds a specific note when struck. Tollin then arranges each plate by note, keeping them suspended by magnetic resonance. By the time you are done, the device in front of you is a curving, twisting array of flowsteel suspended about a foot off the ground.
At that moment, drawn by the sound of music, Elder Orlin approaches and watches you practice. “Is that a lithophone made out of … flowsteel?” she asks in amazement.
“It is!” Tollin says proudly. “I believe I’ve outdone myself this time, although I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help of my friend here,” he explains, motioning to you. “In fact, I’d like you to keep it.” He steps aside and presents the lithophone to you.
When you ask if he’s sure he wants to give up his new invention, Tollin grins. “My artistic skills lie exclusively in physical media,” he says. “Believe me, you don’t want to hear me play this! There’s a reason I asked for your help tuning it. Just ask my childhood lute instructor!”
Gain the Flowsteel Lithophone reward card. Discard Tollin and return HELPING HAND to the collection. Return the 5 Aspect cards used to create the lithophone and each energy token above them to the collection. Record TUNED THE LITHOPHONE on the campaign tracker.
61.5 (LOA)
Tollin smiles at you and waves you over. “Come see what I’m working on! Ever since I was able to install my masterpiece on the Stoneweaver Bridge, I’ve been experimenting with new subjects, and even some new materials!” He points at the collection of plates he’s assembled. “This, for instance, is going to be a musical instrument!”
You ask him what kind of instrument he’s making, and his smile turns a bit sheepish. “Well, I’m not sure yet. It’s all flowsteel, so it can take whatever shape we want it to. But while I was toying around, I did notice that the size, shape and concavity all change the note produced when struck. See, listen!”
He strikes one of the plates with a metal rod, and it resounds in a hideous note that makes your entire body cringe. “In any case, I’m really happy to see you,” Tollin continues. “You see, I’m skilled at creating things, but I’m not exactly musically inclined. I can shape each of these plates to produce a specific note, but I have no idea how to tune it as a whole. Perhaps you’d be willing to help me shape these plates into a workable instrument? It might take a while, though—I’ll understand if you’re busy!”
Rangers Choose
A) Help Tollin tune his prototype instrument. Discard all [icon] from Tollin and attach HELPING HAND. Shuffle each unused Aspect card and deal 5 of them facedown in a row outside the play area. This is the lithophone. Clear Tollin with [icon] while HELPING HAND is attached to help him tune the lithophone.
B) Some other time. Discard Tollin. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
61.6 (LOA)
“Hello!” Tollin jumps up, setting his tools down and grasping your hands warmly. “It’s so good to see you!”
He looks bashful for a second. “Listen, I just wanted to thank you again for saving my life during the reclaimer attack. I’ve been spending every spare moment helping to rebuild Spire. Apparently,” he smiles and looks a little embarrassed, “my ability to quickly construct maquettes is very useful when we need to figure out how to rebuild a structure. It’s what’s gotten me interested in sculpting Estian architecture, actually.”
“In any case, I’ve heard you’re going down below to help explore the arcology! That sounds fascinating! I wish you all the best.”
Discard Tollin. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue. Search the Spire deck for the Arcology Threshold and put it into play. Then, each Ranger may place their Ranger token on it.
61.7 (LOA)
“Hello!” Tollin jumps up, setting his tools down and grasping your hands warmly. “It’s so good to see you!”
“I don’t know what you’ve been up to recently, but I’ve been busy helping Elder Orlin and her artificers produce devices for Silaro’s expedition. I can make maquettes—scale models—and then the artificers can turn them into pulleys, collapsible shelters, archaeological scaffolding, you name it. It’s been an absolutely fantastic challenge!”
“In any case, I hope you’ll put my designs to good use down in the arcology! I wish you all the best.”
Discard Tollin. Search the Spire deck for the Arcology Threshold and put it into play.
61.8 (LOA)
Tollin looks confused for a moment. Then suddenly, he collapses. You rush to help him, and he shakes his head groggily. “The strangest thing just happened…” he murmurs.
His injuries look bad enough that you’d better set up camp. Treating them may take a while.
End the Day.
71. Ol' Bloody Clicker (LOA)
You pause as you hear a faint sound. Not even daring to breathe, you strain your ears and in the distance you hear a … click … click … click … like metal shards dropping one by one onto a piece of glass.
You wait, and the clicking subsides. With a shudder, you let out your breath and take a step … only to jump away as the ground collapses right in front of you. A huge spindlescuttler—all shiny brown carapace, slicing mandibles, and hundreds of legs—rears above you.
78. Arcology Sinkhole (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY: GO TO 78.1
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF KORDO, RANGER VETERAN IS IN PLAY, GO TO 78.2
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 78.3
78.1 (LOA)
You stand on the edge of a large pit, where it looks like an entire grove of trees has collapsed into the ground not long ago. Among the tangled mass of splintered trunks, you can make out what appears to be a broken carbonforged archway and cracked pipes leading into darkness. The sinkhole may have exposed a route into the old arcology beneath the Valley.
Clear the Arcology Sinkhole with [icon] while a [icon] is on it to travel to a location on the Stratum 1 map.
78.2 (LOA)
You scramble down the last bits of sloping rubble and find yourselves standing on the flat floor of a straight tunnel, stretching off into the darkness.
Kordo grins at you. “Excellent! Now we’re in.”
He unslings his pack and begins withdrawing the disassembled parts of his longbow. As he puts them together, he continues speaking.
“The Estians needed a means of traveling through their arcology. You’d think they’d make some sort of pincrawler or motorized cart, but that didn't match their sheer audacity, oh no! They took a spindlescuttler, then they made it even bigger. And once it was huge enough, they got to work with their biological tricks and grew compartments on their creation, and even clear panels to serve as windows! And that’s how they made their scuttlebus.”
Kordo finishes the assembly, experimentally notches an arrow and pulls on the string. Satisfied, he turns back to you. “I’ve heard it’s as lethal as a spindlescuttler, and twice as hungry. Look for it wherever it lurks!” Then he stalks down the arcology corridor and vanishes into the dark.
Gain the Audacity of the Estians reward card. Return Kordo, Ranger Veteran and HELPING HAND to the collection. Record STAGED THE HUNT on the campaign tracker.
You may immediately proceed to the travel phase of the round (even if there are ready cards with the obstacle keyword in play). If you do, you can travel to either the Drenching Chamber or the Scuttler Network. Build the path deck using the Cave System terrain set. If you choose to travel in this way, discard the current challenge card and do not resolve the remainder of this test.
If you choose not to travel, discard the Arcology Sinkhole and resolve the remainder of the test as normal.
78.3 (LOA)
You climb around a half-collapsed rubble pile, then push away some sodden wooden logs. Beneath them you find a narrow passageway that leads into a steeply sloping vertical descent. As you eye the pitch darkness ahead, you’re sure this must be the way!
You may immediately proceed to the travel phase of the round (even if there are ready cards with the Obstacle keyword in play). If you do, you can travel to either the Drenching Chamber or the Scuttler Network. Build the path deck using the Cave System terrain set. If you choose to travel in this way, discard the current challenge card and do not resolve the remainder of this test.
If you choose not to travel, discard the Arcology Sinkhole and resolve the remainder of the test as normal.
79. Ranger Cache (LOA)
You barely notice the sigil carved into a nearby boulder. You don’t see any sign of the Ranger cache, but you whistle the five tones known to all Rangers of the Valley. The illusion of the lichen-covered boulder flares and fades as the lenser deactivates, revealing four carbonforged chests bolted to the ground.
81. Oura Vos, Traveler (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU'VE MADE THE CLIMB OR STAYED PUT, GO TO 81.1
- IF DACE IS IN PLAY, GO TO 81.2
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 81.3
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF DACE IS IN PLAY, GO TO 81.4
- IF YOU'VE MADE THE CLIMB OR STAYED PUT, GO TO 81.5
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 81.6
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 81.7
81.1 (LOA)
You see Oura Vos walking along the trail, a walking stave in her hand and her eyes constantly scanning the horizon. She sees you about the same time and gives a friendly wave.
“Good to see you!” she says as you draw closer. You greet Oura, and she smiles. “So, everything going well? Have you been back over to the Plummet, lately?” You see the almost wistful look in her eyes, and can tell she is remembering her strenuous but rewarding climb.
Clear Oura with [icon] to ask what she's up to.
81.2 (LOA)
“Ah! There she is,” says Dace. Oura turns and waves. She stands at the base of the Plummet, the sheer rock wall rising before her. She removes her hat and overcoat, then turns her gaze upward. You note how small Oura seems framed against the monolithic face of the cliff.
“I just need a minute,” she says. She pulls on a pair of spiderpad gloves. They hum and crackle with energy. “All right. Let’s do this before I lose my nerve!”
Clear Oura with [icon] to see her off.
81.3 (LOA)
You see Oura Vos walking along the trail, a walking stave in her hand and her eyes constantly scanning the horizon. She sees you about the same time and gives a friendly wave. “Good to see you!” she says cheerfully as you get closer. “I have to admit, I’m a little adrift right now!”
You ask her what she means, and she laughs. “Well, I’m not chasing my rapscallion of a daughter around the Valley, for starters!”
Clear Oura with [icon] to ask what she's up to.
81.4 (LOA)
Dace places a comforting hand on Oura’s shoulder. “You’ve nothing to fear,” she says. “If you fall, I will summon a cushion of air to carry you gently to the ground.”
“Are you sure it will work?” asks Oura. “You’ve done this before, right?”
“Of course!” says Dace, displaying the same brand of confidence you’ve witnessed in her brother. “I’ve carried myself on the wind dozens of times. Hundreds! Theoretically, carrying someone else should be more or less the same. It’s perfectly safe.”
Oura’s eyes widen for a moment. Then, with a look of determination on her face, Oura nods, turns, and begins her ascent.
As you watch her climb, you feel a sudden stir of emotion.
Rangers Choose
A) You feel inspired to join her.
Without giving it a second thought, you remove your pack and follow Oura’s example. After hours of climbing, you reach the summit shortly after she does. Dace didn’t need to so much as lift a finger. Exhausted but invigorated, you gaze upon the Valley. “I can’t wait to tell Quisi,” says Oura.
Each Ranger discards all their FIT energy and soothes all fatigue. Record MADE THE CLIMB on the campaign tracker.
B) You feel relieved to be on solid ground.
You watch Oura climb. It takes her many hours to reach the summit. When she does, you hear her whoop in celebration. “Ready to come down?” Dace shouts. In answer, Oura leaps from the cliff. After the longest moment of your life, Dace gestures toward her with her conduit. You feel the wind whip around you, then you watch in amazement as Oura floats gently to the ground.
“You see?” Dace says with a grin. “Perfectly safe.”
Record STAYED PUT on the campaign tracker.
Gain the Carried By the Wind reward card. Discard Dace and Oura. Return HELPING HAND to the collection.
81.5 (LOA)
“I have to admit,” Oura says. “I wonder how Quisi and Harlan are doing.” She looks wistful for a moment, then she smiles. “I’m sure she’s running my husband absolutely ragged! I just hope they’re having as much fun exploring the arcology as I’m having traveling across the Valley.”
Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue. Discard Oura.
81.6 (LOA)
“I’m surprised you hadn’t heard,” Oura chuckles. “You’re a part of Silaro’s expedition, right? Well, my daughter Quisi and my husband Harlan have joined it too!”
You ask her why she didn’t join her family, and she sighs. “Honestly? I would have, but I can’t stand caves. I once went into the arcology’s atrium and my skin got all clammy and I felt like I was choking. No, open sky is what I need, thank you!
“However, as long as Quisi and Harlan are down below, I’m going to take some time to try something I’ve been thinking about doing for a long time.” You ask her what that is, and her eyes gleam. “Oh, I’m going to try to free climb the Plummet!”
Your face must have shown some surprise, because she holds up her hand and laughs. “Oh, don’t worry. I don’t want to slip and fall to my death, so I asked Dace to spot me using her shaper ability to manipulate the air. Actually … if you end up in Spire and you see Dace, can you tell her to hurry up? I don’t want to spend days camping out there waiting for her.”
She thinks for a moment, then looks at you with suddenly serious eyes. “Oh, and when you’re down in the arcology, can you keep an eye out for Quisi and Harlan? I swear my daughter grows more and more like him each day. There’s always a chance one of them is going to get the other in trouble.”
Discard Oura. Add 1[icon] [icon] to the location.
81.7 (LOA)
Oura barks out in pain and staggers against a nearby tree. Although she denies it, you can tell the injury is bad. You go to her side and pull out your medical kit. This is going to take a while.
End the Day.
83. Ren Kobo, Merchant (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU'RE ON LIMITED TIME OFFER, GO TO 83.1
- IF YOU'VE COMPLETED LIMITED TIME OFFER, GO TO 83.2
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 83.3
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 83.4
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 83.5
83.1 (LOA)
Even from a great distance, the figure of the venerable trader Ren Kobo, is unmistakable. He sees you and tips his hat in your direction. As you approach, he smiles warmly and speaks with the unmistakable, confident drawl of the Messipian seafolk. “Greetings!” he says. “A fine day for a swap meet, don’t you agree? I’m on my way to the market now. You should join me! The journey is always more pleasurable when shared with a friend. Don’t you agree?”
He gestures toward his hoversled, which appears to be even more packed with goods than usual. “Of course, we can always do a spot of trading along the way.”
Clear Ren Kobo with [icon] to trade with him.
83.2 (LOA)
The man’s familiar, broad face has been weathered by years of strong wind, and his eyes are surrounded by a forest of wrinkles from a lifetime of squinting into the sun. He pulls his hand out of the pocket of his long coat and thrusts it forward.
He speaks with the drawl of the Messipian seafolk. “Always good to see a Ranger,” he says. “Perhaps you’d like to make a trade? If not, we can simply share the road; I see we’re traveling in the same direction.”
Clear Ren Kobo with [icon] to trade with him.
83.3 (LOA)
The man’s familiar, broad face has been weathered by years of strong wind, and his eyes are surrounded by a forest of wrinkles from a lifetime of squinting into the sun. He pulls his hand out of the pocket of his long coat and thrusts it forward.
He speaks with the drawl of the Messipian seafolk. “Always good to see a Ranger,” he says. “Perhaps you’d like to make a trade?”
Clear Ren Kobo with [icon] to trade with him.
His smile broadens. “Also, perhaps I can interest you in attending the swap meet at my market? People are coming from all over the Valley to trade items of great significance. I’m sure you’d find it incredibly beneficial—both spiritually and commercially! I’m on my way to the market now. You should join me! The journey is always more pleasurable when shared with a friend. Don’t you agree?”
Gain the LIMITED TIME OFFER mission. Write 199.1 three days from now on the day tracker.
Travel to Kobo’s Market to participate in the swap meet. There you’ll have the opportunity to gain some of the reward cards you may have missed from the Lure of the Valley campaign.
83.4 (LOA)
“Excellent. Let’s trade!” Ren Kobo claps his hands and rubs them together. He goes to his hoversled and starts pulling out items. “Now, let’s see if I can find something to tickle your fancy.”
Discard Ren Kobo. Each Ranger may return a gear from their hand to the collection. If they did, they then choose a starting gear card from the collection for which they meet the aspect requirement and add it to their hand. (This alteration to their deck is permanent.)
If you don’t trade with Ren Kobo, soothe 2 fatigue.
83.5 (LOA)
Although he insists he’s fine, you can tell the old Messipian is in trouble. You’ll have to stay here for the remainder of the day so you can take the time to treat him properly.
End the Day.
85. Calypsa, Ranger Mentor (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU'VE CLOSED THE BOOK, GO TO 85.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 85.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF A RECLAIMER SEEKER IS IN THE PATH DISCARD, GO TO 85.3
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 85.4
- IF YOU'VE CLOSED THE BOOK, GO TO 85.5
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 85.6
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 85.7
85.1 (LOA)
As you come up the trail, you see your mentor and trainer in the Rangers, Calypsa, sharpening a carbonforged machete on a whetstone. She looks up and gives you a friendly wave.
Clear Calypsa with [icon] to ask her if she’s still hunting reclaimers.
85.2 (LOA)
As you come up the trail, you see your mentor and trainer in the Rangers, Calypsa, cleaning her carbonforged machete in a rushing stream running down the rocks. You recognize the weapon as one that Calypsa has been using to hunt down reclaimers alongside you and the rest of the Rangers. The last two cycles have seen some dangerous hunts, but the veteran Ranger doesn’t seem any worse for wear as she sees you and waves hello.
Clear Calypsa with [icon] to ask her how the reclaimer hunt is going.
85.3 (LOA)
Slowly, cautiously, you approach the lone reclaimer. However, as it backs away, its movements feel more … lethargic than those of the reclaimers you faced two months ago. As you surround the reclaimer and cut off its escape routes, you wonder what’s different about this one.
Calypsa approaches, machete out and a somber frown on her face. She looks over at you. “One more …” she says. “One more, then we’ll be able to leave this invasion in the past where it belongs.” She sets her hand on your shoulder. “You’ve done good work. Why don’t you let me finish this chapter?”
Gain the Fate of the Reclaimers reward card. Discard Calypsa and return HELPING HAND to the collection. Record that you CLOSED THE BOOK on the campaign tracker.
85.4 (LOA)
As you stop for water, Calypsa pats the scabbard of her machete, as if to reassure herself of its presence.
“We still have some distance to travel to find the last reclaimer,” she says. “Are you still up for this hunt?”
Rangers Choose
A) Continue helping Calypsa look for the reclaimer. Discard all [icon] from Calypsa. Clear Calypsa with [icon] while a Reclaimer Seeker is in the path discard to analyze it.
B) Leave her to her task. Discard Calypsa. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
85.5 (LOA)
Calypsa smiles at you. “Actually, I think I have some good news. That reclaimer we hunted may have actually been the last one in the Valley! I’ve been keeping to my searches and checking with the various villages, but nobody has seen one, or even any tracks, for weeks!” She clasps your hand. “I’m glad we can finally put that chapter of the Valley’s history behind us.”
Discard Calypsa. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
85.6 (LOA)
Calypsa looks thoughtful. “Well, some good news at least. It seems the reclaimers are getting rarer and rarer. Not what I would have expected when I started hunting them, to be honest. Given how quickly they spawned two months ago, I was worried this would be a fool’s errand. But now I can go several days without receiving reports of any or uncovering any new tracks.”
She shrugs. “Perhaps this is their life cycle, like a locust swarm: over as quickly as it comes. But in any case, I have been on the trail of one for most of today. I think I’m getting closer, but I could use some help with the tracking; the trail is starting to get fainter. Care to lend a hand?”
Rangers Choose
A) Help Calypsa look for the reclaimer. Discard all [icon] from Calypsa and attach HELPING HAND. Search the General set for a Reclaimer Seeker and shuffle it into the bottom 5 cards of the path deck. Clear Calypsa with [icon] while a Reclaimer Seeker is in the path discard to analyze it.
B) Some other time. Discard Calypsa. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
85.7 (LOA)
Calypsa gasps and drops down on one knee. As you move over to her, she looks up. “I’ll admit it,” she says. “I’m hurt.” She winces as you take out some medical supplies and get to work treating her injuries.
End the Day.
86. The Fundamentalist (LOA)
ENTERS PLAY: GO TO 86.1
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 86.2
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 86.3
86.1 (LOA)
You hear a quiet, tuneless humming from around a switchback on the trail. You step back from the main path, and soon you see the distinctive figure of Tykor Hum, the so-called “Fundamentalist” of the Valley. He pauses often to study plants growing along the trail, and occasionally he flicks his hand across a flower, gathers a dusting of pollen, then reaches back to rub one of the flowers peeking from his pack.
When Tykor straightens up, stretching and cracking his back, he catches sight of you. He tips his broad-brimmed hat in greeting.
Clear the Fundamentalist with [icon] to ask him how he's been.
86.2 (LOA)
Tykor strokes his chin and hums to himself. “Yes, the reclaimers. A good example of why meddling with nature is a bad idea, isn’t it? This expedition down into the old arcology is just another example.”
Tykor paces back and forth, warming up to his topic. “As long as we insist on clinging to the relics of ancestors, we’re never going to be able to live harmoniously with our surroundings. Those relics are always going to conjure forces like the reclaimers, tempting us to invent new technological solutions to solve the problem.”
He shrugs. “Maybe next time something like the reclaimers shows up, we’ll embrace the opportunity to break away from that cycle. This expedition into the arcology is just a fool’s errand. The Estians were wiped out for a reason, and I can’t think of any good that’s going to come from disturbing their bones.”
Tykor stops, breathing deeply. Then he looks at you as he gets himself under control. “If you plan on going down there, I sincerely hope that you'll be careful, lest you tempt a similar fate for us. Trust in nature. Trust your instincts. Be well.”
Discard the Fundamentalist. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
If you’ve BEFRIENDED THE VERDESSIAN but haven’t MET THE MOLE, continue reading:
As you chat with Tykor, you notice that he seems hesitant about something. It almost seems like he’s nervous, or even feeling … guilty?
Tykor hems and haws for a bit, then looks at you. “The truth is … a little while back, I found a little mole. He was injured, and even though it was against my better judgment, well, I just couldn’t help nursing him back to health. I even gave him a name: Gus.”
He sighs. “It goes against everything I believe in to take an animal from its natural fate and care for it, but Gus was just so friendly and cute. And now …” he reaches into his pack and pulls out a small cage. Inside, a plump and obviously happy mole chirps and snuffles when he sees you.
You see Gus's adorable face reflected in the glass of Tykor's goggles. “I can’t return him to the wild now. That would just compound the mistake I made. Also, he seems to enjoy the companionship of people. Maybe … maybe you could take him instead? I think he’d like the company.”
Gain the Gus the Mole reward card. Write MET THE MOLE on your campaign tracker.
86.3 (LOA)
The Fundamentalist collapses silently from his injuries. When you get to him, he’s seems barely conscious. “Is it my time?” he whispers. “Do I go now to join the ancestors?” His eyes close. Despite his words, you see his injuries are treatable, though it will take some time.
End the Day.
88. The Tenebrae (LOA)
As you walk the path, you suddenly feel a tingling chill run over your skin, as if thousands of tiny spiders were delicately plucking at the hairs of your body.
It is then that you realize you’ve been surrounded by looming, shadowy shapes. The bulbous tenebrae hang in the air, their drapery of tendrils waving slowly, caught in some invisible current. You jump back as one emerges from thin air right in front of you, as if it drifted out from behind a curtain. The tendrils move toward your face … only to fade again to nothing before they touch.
You watch them drift and sway, seemingly phasing in and out of existence, sometimes near, sometimes far. You wonder at their nature. Are they truly creations of the ancestors, or something else entirely?
89. Umbra (LOA)
A dark shadow flashes over your head, and you duck as the shadow banks around and heads back toward you. You raise your hand to shield your gaze and stare up, quickly spotting the terrifying form of the massive raptor, her body as big as a stilt-horse and her massive beak open in a terrifying screech.
100. The Chimney
You find your way through small, quiet passageways until they open into a walkway running to a towering spiral stairway that hangs in the middle of a wide vertical shaft. The previously dark chamber now glows with a soft light from deep at the bottom. Silaro’s team has set up its equipment and bustles around on the floor of the Chimney, analyzing maps and preparing members of the expedition to head into the ruin.
If you have not FOUND SILARO, or if you are on the POWER UP mission, do not include Silaro Mako, Spelunker when constructing the path deck.
101. Severed Artery
You come to an excavated chamber. In one direction, it recedes into complete darkness; in the other, it ends abruptly. Judging by the tumbled boulders and the state of the Estian transit line, there was a cave-in here long ago, causing the line to twist and rip like the green branches of a sapling.
If Kal Iver is in play and you have not BESTED KAL, go to 102.1.
If Kal Iver is in play and you have BESTED KAL, go to 102.2.
102. Branching Artery
You find yourself at the edge of a wide opening that plunges deep into the earth. You’re unable to make out the bottom of the shaft, but rising from below you see a diffuse blue-green glow like a luminous mist. You note a slight, coppery tang in the air as though a smoldering cauldron of molten metal lies beyond the mist.
Before you, a massive carbonforged structure hangs above the opening. Dim lights pulse along its length, and you can hear a nearly subsonic hum of energy beneath the heavy blanket of silence.
If Kal Iver is in play and you have not BESTED KAL, go to 102.1.
If Kal Iver is in play and you have BESTED KAL, go to 102.2.
102.1
“Well, well!” You hear Kal calling from behind you. “You’re pretty quick on your feet, even in the dark!”
He sits down on a nearby rock and takes a quick swig from his infusion canteen. He smiles, teeth flashing in the gloom. “You won fair and square, even if I was only a few steps behind you!” He reaches into his pack and hands you a compact parcel marked with the Orlin sigil. “A gift to commemorate your victory,” he says. “When I beat you next time, I don’t want you complaining that you were too tired to race!”
Gain the Memlev Hammock reward card. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue. Discard Kal Iver and return HELPING HAND to the collection. Write down that you BESTED KAL.
If you are at the Terminal Artery and traveled there from Carbonforged Maze, go to 158.2. Otherwise, if you are at the Terminal Artery, go to 158.1.
102.2
You sit down on a rock and wait, your heartbeat thumping so loud in your ears you’re a bit surprised you don’t hear it echoing from the nearby walls. After a few minutes, your heartbeat slows, and the sweat begins drying on your skin. Then you hear footsteps, and a minute later, Kal Iver jogs into view. When he sees you, his eyes widen in surprise, then he shakes his head ruefully.
“I’ll be planted! You beat me again!” he says, shaking his head. “Whenever you’re ready for a rematch, you know where to find me.” Kal gives you a playful salute, and continues on his way.
Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue. Discard Kal Iver and return HELPING HAND to the collection.
If you are at the Terminal Artery and traveled there from Carbonforged Maze, go to 158.2. Otherwise, if you are at the Terminal Artery, go to 158.1.
103. Terminal Artery
The arterial system ends here in a large cavern. Where the suspended track terminates, you see a towering structure. What purpose it served you cannot tell, but judging by the many stairs and interior chambers, it must have been a place of great activity in the ancient past. Here marks the breadth of the Estian subterranean expansion. You wonder, why did they choose to end here? Are there other, narrower passages leading farther East, beneath the mountains beyond?
If Kal Iver is in play and you have not BESTED KAL, go to 102.1.
If Kal Iver is in play and you have BESTED KAL, go to 102.2.
If you traveled here from Carbonforged Maze, go to 158.2.
Otherwise, go to 158.1.
104. Mycelial Conclave
The cavern before you is overgrown with mushrooms of all shapes and sizes, from delicate frilled growths creeping along the floor to towering specimens as tall as cedars. Many glow with a vibrant luminescence, displaying a kaleidoscope of color. The smell of decay fills your nostrils, and drifting clouds of spores hang lazily in the air.
Although the room is cloaked in silence, you can sense a presence here. It's as though the mushrooms themselves were watching you—a fungal quorum wordlessly discussing what, if anything, should be done with you.
If you have not received the SPORE SPECIMENS mission, continue reading:
Beneath a mushroom the size of your childhood home, you spot the glow of a lambance rig. You draw closer and find that it's Sirisana Mir, the Ranger from the Biological Outpost south of Branch. You haven't seen her since the business with the reclaimers!
You see that she's hunched over a cloth that, when you get closer, you discover is covered with what appear to be small clumps of dirt. She methodically picks at them.
Sirisana looks up from her work. “Oh, hello!” she says. “So good to see someone else this deep! What a tremendous opportunity this expedition is turning out to be, isn't it? I haven’t seen so much unrecognizable animal feces in decades! Just look at it!” She puts her hands on her hips, looks down at her handiwork, and smiles broadly.
“You know," she says. "It’s fortunate that you came along when you did. I’m so very busy, and since my apprentice Tiella remained on the surface, I simply haven’t had the time to do all the research down here that needs doing,” she says. “My fellow Ranger, I bestow upon you the honor of gathering spore samples from the multitude of mushrooms down here and testing their effects on some of the local flora and fauna. There’s no telling what we might discover regarding their properties and uses!”
Without waiting for your agreement, Sirisana thrusts a curious device into your hand. You inspect it, noting a narrow vacuum tube connected to a rotating drum housing six individual glass vials.
“Just point this device at the bio-sample and pull the lever,” Sirisana explains. “The sample is drawn into the vial, and once inhaled by the collector, it creates a seal around the vial. Then, just insert the vial into the applicator and squeeze to release the spores. It couldn’t be simpler!"
Gain the SPORE SPECIMENS mission, put it into the mission area with the Gathering side faceup.
Travel along Fungal Forest paths to collect spore samples.
105. Arboretum of Memory
The rounded chambers of the Arboretum of Memory are not the largest or the most awe-inspiring spaces you’ve found within the arcology. However, something about the solemnity of the groves hushes your voices and leads you to walk quietly between the towering giants.
The trees of the copse are each multi-trunked giants, growing out of a joined root structure and reaching close to the curved and gently glowing ceilings many meters above you. Here they merge again into a thicket of leafy branches. Otherwise, the trunks are smooth save for the curves of the wood and faint ridges of the outer bark.
You head deeper into the chambers, and soon you start to find live trees outnumbered by dead ones whose upper branches have been pruned back to stumps like monstrous fig trees. You look closer, and are surprised to find that the trees aren’t dead, they’re actually petrified! Some mystery of the Estians has turned the towering trunks to stone, a process that should have taken ages to complete.
You study the ancient Estian text carved into the walls of the chambers and using the translations Silaro taught you, you realize with a start that this is an Estian data storage facility! Somehow, the Estians stored yottabytes of information into the structure of each tree, then when the trees were fully grown, induced petrification to preserve the information forever. You look at the massive copse of petrified and living trees around you and wonder just how many secrets this place holds.
If you are on TO THE HEART OF IT, go to 105.1.
105.1
You study the petrified giants, trying to figure out how to read information from their stone hearts. This is probably the best place to find useful information regarding the founding of the arcology, and hopefully the trees will tell you more about the creation of its heart. What was (and is) its purpose? Why did the Estians create it? You just hope the information lies hidden within the ancient trees.
106. The Verdant Sphere
Thanks to the wide hole in the ceiling, little in this place has remained untouched by centuries of rain and runoff. All is stained and weathered, and has long ago fallen apart. You find several species of plant growing here that you recognize from the surface, and a few that you don’t. Here also grow the large carnivorous plants that move with an intelligence that belies their appearance.
It is only upon entering the sphere itself that you are able to venture a guess as to the former function of this place. Wondrous machines lie about a vast open arena in various states of disrepair, and you imagine that this is where the Estians engineered their biomelds like the spindlescuttlers, hydraworms, and countless others.
If you are on TO THE HEART OF IT and haven’t received or completed the OVERGROWN mission, go to 106.1.
106.1
You are about to be on your way when something on the other side of the chamber catches your eye: a narrow, overgrown hallway leading deeper into the facility. Your interest piqued, you make your way to it and head inside.
Within, you find the interior space is largely dominated by a twisted knot of thick vines. Pushing aside as many as you can, you find they’ve grown around an enclosure made entirely from a smooth, jade-green compound in the shape of a ribcage. With a shock, you realize this looks exactly like the enclosure for the arcology’s heart—but in miniature. Could this be some kind of prototype? If so, it might provide valuable insight into how to treat the actual heart. To find out, you’ll need to clear away a lot more of these vines.
Gain the OVERGROWN mission. Search the general set for the Prototype and put it into play, (Contracted) side up. Add 3+[icon] vines to the Prototype.
107. The Cage
IF YOU ARE ON TO THE HEART OF IT, GO TO 107.1
Otherwise, read:
A massive chamber of curving machinery rumbles and hums as you step into the Cage. A steady thumping echoes through the chamber and vibrates in your chest.
107.1
At the far end of the chamber, the heart beats—powerfully enough to rattle your diaphragm even from hundreds of meters away.
As you watch, it judders, and you hear the almost subsonic booming rhythm pause for a long moment. Then, with a rattle, it begins again, and you feel the whole arcology shake in response. To fix the heart’s arrhythmia, you’ll need to be as prepared as possible, for deep down you know that you will get only one chance.
Rangers Choose
A) Continue working on a solution:
You shake your head. There has to be a solution to this problem. The Estians grew the heart; they had to have created means to heal or repair it should something go wrong. You think if you find where the Estians developed the heart, you may also find answers. Alternatively, if you can gain access to their records, that may help as well.
B) Finish this. You are ready to confront the Heart:
You square your shoulders. There’s no more time for research and planning. It is time to deal with the heart once and for all.
Go to 107.2
C) Rest and start fresh tomorrow:
You know you need more time, and some rest, before you confront the heart. Withdrawing from the Cage, you find a structurally sound side tunnel and set up camp.
End the day. You are considered to have camped.
107.2
IF YOU CONSULTED THE SPIRITS AND JURY RIGGED A SOLUTION, GO TO 107.2AIF YOU ONLY CONSULTED THE SPIRITS, GO TO 107.2BIF YOU ONLY JURY RIGGED A SOLUTION, GO TO 107.2C****OTHERWISE, READ:
You wish there was another solution; but you have not been able to find one. That leaves only one choice. As unfortunate as it is to destroy such a creation, the heart must be stopped if the Valley is to survive.
Complete all story and interlude missions except for RATTLING THE CAGE. Gain the HEART ATTACK mission.
107.2A
Your research has been long and grueling, but in the end, extremely worthwhile. You’ve come to understand that the last millennia have inflicted severe emotional and physical trauma on the heart. Thanks to Nal's spiritual guidance, and your journey to speak with the Estians, you now understand that the heart's spirit has been choked and withered by the events that led to the death of the Estian civilization. At the same time, its form has suffered from thousands of years of wear and tear without any maintenance or healing. Only if you can treat both issues do you think you can save the Valley: by shocking the heart to stabilize its arrhythmic beating while confronting the negative emotions that have festered within.
Gain the CARDIAC THERAPY and CLEAR! missions. Search the General set for the following cards and shuffle them into the path deck:
- [icon] copies of Crimson Guardian
- The Heart’s Confusion
- The Heart’s Anger
- The Heart’s Sorrow
- The Heart’s Fear
Complete both missions before the end of the day.
107.2B
Your studies of the Estians' records have been worthwhile. Thanks to Nal's spiritual guidance, and your journey to speak with the Estians, you now understand that the heart has suffered severe emotional trauma over the past millennia. The death of the Estians has left a festering emotional wound, and you will have to help the heart confront that wound in order to heal it.
As you step into the Cage, you see the heart shudder. Flashing red lights blink around the chamber. The arrythmia is getting worse! You’ll have to hurry.
Gain the CARDIAC THERAPY and THE CAGE CRUMBLES missions. Search the General set for the following cards and shuffle them into the path deck:
- [icon] copies of Crimson Guardian
- The Heart’s Confusion
- The Heart’s Anger
- The Heart’s Sorrow
- The Heart’s Fear
Complete the Cardiac Therapy mission before the end of the day.
107.2C
Your research into the heart’s development and creation has proven most worthwhile. As you suspected, a millennia of deferred maintenance and caretaking has left the heart in rough shape. Specifically, it seems the heart would not be able to hold a regular beat forever, and so would need to be re-calibrated every so often.
It’s no small task, but you think that if you deliver to it a powerful enough electric shock, you can stabilize the heart and bring it back into rhythm, thereby saving the arcology and the Valley above.
Gain the CLEAR! and THE CAGE CRUMBLES missions. Search the General set for copies of Crimson Guardian equal to the number of Rangers and shuffle them into the path deck.
Complete the Clear! mission before the end of the day.
108. Drenching Chamber
IF THE RECLAIMERS WASHED AWAY, GO TO 108.1****OTHERWISE, READ:
The first thing you hear as you enter the chamber is the constant plip and plop of water droplets falling into the still water that pools around your ankles and gurgles into cracks in the floor and passages along the chamber walls. Every so often, the relative quiet is interrupted by a surge of water pouring in from the large circular hatches in the ceiling. Based on your internal compass, you’re willing to bet that this chamber lies not but a few meters beneath the bottom of the Silverfin River.
If you traveled here from Severed Artery, go to 156.2.
Otherwise, go to 156.1.
108.1
The first thing you’re struck by when you enter the chamber is the surprising presence of tangled branches, clumped vegetation, and other detritus deposited here from the surface. Judging by the high water mark and streaks of mud on the walls, the water here was at least three meters deep not long ago.
You surmise that the Silverfin, swollen as it was by Aell’s flood, must have drained at least in part through the series of circular hatches in the ceiling of this chamber. Even though several of them are now choked with leaves, clumps of dirt, and uprooted trees, streams of water continue to flow lazily into the chamber from above.
It’s then that you notice, tangled in the debris, the moldering corpses of several reclaimers being picked apart by small, eyeless, white-shelled crabs. Drawn by a morbid curiosity, you move closer, fascinated by the tiny, subterranean crustations. You’ve heard tell of such beings from the Messipian, Ren Kobo, but have never seen one for yourself. Suddenly, you hear splashes and the sound of breaking branches behind you. You spin around to see a pair of reclaimers clambering over the tangled mass toward you!
Search the general set for 2 Reclaimer Seekers and shuffle them into the path deck.
If you traveled here from Severed Artery, go to 156.2.
Otherwise, go to 156.1.
109. Oasis of Sunlight
IF YOU HAVEN’T RECEIVED OR COMPLETED THE BREATHE EASIER MISSION, GO TO 109.1****OTHERWISE, READ:
In the maze of broken stone west of the Fractured Wall lies a wide, overgrown sinkhole. From it, one can access the ancient tunnel network of the Estian Arcology in the form of yawning caves that lead far beneath the surface. You stand at the conjunction of two such passageways. A subterranean breeze stirs your cloak, urging you to explore the arcology’s depths.
109.1
Somewhat disoriented from your journey underground, you’re unsure of where in the Valley this massive sinkhole is located, but it must be well guarded by the surrounding wilderness and inaccessible to any but the most intrepid and reclusive of explorers. Wherever you are, you welcome the sight of clouds overhead and breathe deeply, the fresh air a tonic to your lungs. As you marvel at the exposed earthen walls, shot through with intricate root systems entangled with Estian ruins, you discover a series of climber’s pitons wedged into a narrow fissure, describing a path up to the surface. Judging by the cleanliness of the pitons and the marks on the wall, you determine that someone must have climbed down here fairly recently.
Search the General set for Lunn, Curious Scavenger and shuffle him into the path deck.
110. Desert of Endless Night
For a moment, you think you’ve taken a wrong turn and left the arcology entirely. Ahead of you is an endless expanse of sand, sculpted by a faint breeze that causes your cloaks to flutter slightly. And above you …
Above stretches the night sky, pitch black except for thousands of glimmering stars.
As you study your surroundings carefully, you realize you are still deep beneath the earth, in a truly enormous cavern. The “stars” are clusters of tiny, bioluminescent fungi that grow along the ceiling, and upon the stalactite columns that stretch towards it from the dunes. Air must flow in from some distant passage, providing the finishing touches for the illusion as it gently scatters the fine grains of sand into ever-changing dunes.
If you are on THE EXPEDITIONS PATH, continue reading:
In the shadowed spaces beneath a rocky outcropping, you notice stones arranged in a circle. Closer inspection reveals a firepit and a space where the sand has been cleared for a bedroll or sleeping bag. Someone was staying here for a time, although the ashes in the fire are cold and covered with a fine dusting of sand. Given how desolate this place is, you suspect the person left to seek greenery and water deeper underground. In any case, there’s not enough here to provide Silaro with information.
111. Cerulean Curtain
IF THE MYSTERIOUS SEED IS IN PLAY, GO TO 111.1****OTHERWISE, READ:
A pounding roar echoes in your ears for hours before you carefully clamber through one last mud-slicked tunnel and emerge in the misty haze of the hemispherical chamber.
Now you see the source of the deafening thunder. The far side of the chamber is a crashing wall of water, which the sun illuminates into a curtain of flickering blue-white light. With a start, you realize what you’re seeing. This is the base of Tumbledown Falls, viewed from behind. Nobody knew that just behind the roaring cataract was an entrance into the depths of the arcology.
If you traveled here from The Cistern, go to 157.2.
Otherwise, go to 157.1.
111.1
Your boots splash and slip across the muddy cavern floor as you walk quickly towards the thundering blue curtain of water. Even as you clutch the seed protectively in your arms, a small part of you wonders why it has brought you here. Then you’re standing just behind the cascade, buffeted by gusts of cold, spray-soaked wind, and you feel the impulses flowing through you change. Instead of protecting it, the seed now wants you to … throw it away?
You feel a sudden compulsion to hurl the seed from you. You struggle against it for a moment, then give up and throw the seed into the crashing water where instantly it is swept away towards the deep jungles of the Verdessa. As the seed’s influence leaves your mind, you’re surprised to feel a wave of gratitude sweep over you. You think that perhaps you’ve gained something in your time with this strange plant.
Gain the Bursting with Life reward. Discard the Mysterious Seed and return HELPING HAND to the collection. Write OBEYED THE SEED on the campaign tracker.
If you traveled here from The Cistern, go to 157.2.
Otherwise, go to 157.1.
112. Orlin's Vault
Although the arcology’s designers clearly had worked to blend form and function in their architecture, the hallways you find yourself in have a markedly utilitarian cast. Rust-frozen gravlifters dangle from low ceilings, and your footsteps echo off the bare metal floor. In places, the walls have collapsed in piles of rubble, and in other chambers you catch the musty whiff of the strange fungi that infest these depths. Even so, you can tell these were once workshops and manufacturing centers. It seems that much of what was created down here was done through automation, in stark contrast to the residents of the Valley today, who work by hand and rely only on their own craft.
Among the detritus and debris, you catch the glint of metal and carbonforged alloy beneath mounds of rock and mushrooms. Perhaps you might find something useful if you search here.
If you traveled here from Branching Artery, go to 158.2.
Otherwise, go to 158.1.
113. Scuttler Network
The tunnels you’ve been walking through have seemed much rounder and rougher than most Estian construction, but you don’t put the clues together until you step into a larger junction of tunnels and the dry, musty scent of spindlescuttlers fills your nose. You must be in an underground network of tunnels they bored through the rock, and based on the gouges left on the tunnel walls by their mandibles, these spindlescuttlers are big.
If you traveled here from Terminal Artery, go to 156.2.
Otherwise, go to 156.1.
114. The Cistern
You’ve explored vast swathes of arcology tunnels, but the bulky rounded hatchway before you is entirely new. You press your hand into a faint depression in the hatch’s center, and suddenly the hatch shatters into shards that smoothly and silently retreat into the ceiling and walls of the passageway.
You step through the hatch, only to find yourself on a platform suspended at the roof of a cyclopean well. The space seems to stretch off in all directions for kilometers, interrupted only by gargantuan hexagonal stone pillars covered in strange silver machinery. And beneath that …
Far below, the remnants of a vast ocean lap at the bases of the pillars. The sea is illuminated by a diffuse glow that seems to come from the very air of the well, and with it you can see the water is crystal clear, without the slightest impurity or living thing. You’ve found yourself in a monstrous storage well in the arcology’s depths, one that clearly used to store a sterile sea. But what did the Estians need with so much purified water?
115. Silent Dormitories
Given the vast caverns and vaulted stone cathedrals that make up the Estian arcology, you didn’t expect their living quarters to be so … cozy.
However, the clusters of habitations you pick your way through are exactly that. Most are single rooms designed for one or two people, with beds, cabinets, and shelves cunningly shaped into the walls. The effect is that the rooms were somehow grown from carbonforged composites.
Most of the rooms have been somewhat or fully overgrown with moss, greenery, and the seemingly ever-present fungi, but you still find traces of their former owners. Cups and bottles sit on dust-covered shelves, warm golden light radiates from a few of the large globes inset into the walls, and in a couple of rooms, you swear you hear the faint sound of birdsong—although you can’t find any living birds anywhere.
If you haven’t received or completed the ARTIFICIAL ADAPTATION mission, continue reading:
As you explore the habitation areas, you find one room where the bed isn’t buried under a thick layer of dust. You see tracks on the floor and evidence that someone was using the shelves, but it isn’t until you find bits of a disassembled Sol coil and a broken gauzeblade hilt left carelessly in a corner that you realize that this was Lunn’s campsite. The Ranger certainly has made it deep into the arcology!
Search the General set for Lunn, Curious Scavenger and shuffle him into the path deck.
116. Carbonforged Maze
As you move through the arteries, you come across gusts of warm, moist air rising up from shafts you spot beneath them. When you eventually find a stairway running down one, you begin to check it out.
The further you go into the shafts, the warmer and wetter the air grows. However, when you touch the walls, they feel dry. Soon the stairwell opens into a labyrinthine network of dark, cramped passages, run through with pipes, wires, conduits, and ducts. You can’t be sure, but they all seem to be meandering downwards, leading to some deep heart of the arcology.
117. Inverted Forest
By your estimations, you should be beneath the giant cistern. At least that would explain the steady drips of water falling from above. But nothing prepares you for the twisting tree roots that crawl across the ceiling, bunching into knotty bark-covered trunks that stretch all the way down to the cavern floor. There they expand into thick mats of leaves—an inverted forest.
The whole scene is illuminated by the steady glow of bioluminescent fungi growing from the ceiling. In fact, as you kneel down to look at the leaves and see just how pale they are, you suspect this entire forest lives off the dim but constant light.
If you are on THE EXPEDITION'S PATH, continue reading:
As you weave through the tree trunks, you see a strange, angular shape in the roots above your head. You look up and shift your lambance rigs around to reveal that it’s some sort of treehouse wedged into the tangled roots.
You scramble up the trunk and, with some effort, you’re able to swing into the entrance to the treehouse. Within it, you find a terrible sight. A pitiful collection of bones lies in the corner, still wrapped in the rotten scraps of a gray, ironwool cloak. A quick inspection of the remaining belongings confirms your suspicions: this is one of the members of the expedition.
You check over the body and do not find any evidence of animal attack or injury. What you do find, however, are empty food sacks and provision pouches. You wonder if the expedition member ran out of food. You haven’t seen many possibilities for forage in the Inverted Forest, and perhaps they grew too weak to return to the surface. In any case, this is something you need to tell Silaro.
Check off the right bubble next to THE EXPEDITION'S PATH on the campaign tracker.
118. The Rootway
The tunnels ahead have been taken over by verdant growth and countless woody, tangled roots, many having ripped through the wall panels as if they were paper.
Growing among the roots, you spot a familiar white flower that you've spotted growing here and there around the Valley. You gently hold a bloom in your hand, careful not to inadvertently pluck it, and discover that the flower has no odor.
You look around and see that there are flowers blooming throughout the passage, cheerfully dotting a dense forest of dark overgrowth.
If you traveled here from The Cage, go to 158.2.
Otherwise, go to 158.1.
119. Talpid's Squeeze
For the past few hours, you’ve been following passages deeper than anything you’ve yet found. You’ve been tracing power conduits, data linkages, and clusters of clear pipes full of thick gurgling liquids in varying hues of green, blue, and deep arterial crimson.
But your explorations come to a halt when the shaft you’re climbing ends in a clump of splintered rocks and twisted composite wall paneling. The damage seems recent; you suspect that an earthquake must have caused this. You’ll need to find a way to clear the rubble in order to proceed.
If you traveled here from The Cage, go to 157.2.
Otherwise, go to 157.1.
120. The Plinth
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF THE CHIMNEY IS SETTLED, GO TO 120.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 120.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF AT LEAST ONE [icon] IS ON THIS FEATURE, GO TO 120.3
- OTHERWISE, DISCARD THE PLINTH.
120.1
The Plinth is almost unrecognizable from when you first visited. Silaro’s team has rigged up heavy lambance rigs that illuminate the entire space in a warm, golden glow that reminds you of the sunrise over Blind Peak. Even as it dispels the ominous aura that once filled the space, the light lets you appreciate its true grandeur. From distant walls, the roof rises in graceful, bounding arches. Far above, they meet at a cluster of strange spherical structures from which the Chimney descends.
You see that Silaro and the rest of his team have cleared away any rubble and set up a proper base camp, complete with sleeping tents, a kitchen, research stations, and what appears to be a trading post. You see the quartermaster, Al Grim, inspecting the expedition’s stores.
Clear The Plinth with [icon] while your [icon] is on it to trade with the expedition’s quartermaster.
120.2
The base of the spiral stair opens onto a vast, flat expanse, punctuated by broken sections of flooring that expose deep pits. The darkness keeps you from judging the full size of the chamber, leaving you with only a confused impression of echoing, vaulted spaces. As you survey the broken floor around you, you hear the far-off clattering of disturbed rocks in the murk. Then, the smothering silence returns.
Search the path deck for the next feature and put it into play.
120.3
Al Grim, the quartermaster, greets you warmly. “Ah. It’s good to see you again!” he says. “See anything you like? No need for bartering with me. I’m no Messipian merchant! Just be sure to leave something in place of whatever you take.”
Each Ranger with their [icon] on this feature may return a gear or attachment from their hand to the collection. Then, choose a starting gear or attachment card from the collection that they meet the requirements for, and add it to their hand. (This alteration to their deck is permanent.) Discard the Plinth.
121. The Spiral Staircase
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF THE CHIMNEY IS SETTLED, GO TO 121.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 121.2
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 121.3
121.1
The Spiral Stairway is now well lit by heavy lambance rigs, and well cleaned by Silaro’s team. In the light, you can appreciate the cunning design that went into the Spiral Stairway’s construction. Instead of a perfectly symmetrical stairway, the structure twists and winds like a tree. As it rises, additional stairways branch off from the central structure and rise up into the Chimney, leading off into side passages and chambers.
Clear The Spiral Stairway with [icon] to travel to Spire.
121.2
The massive, twisting form of the Spiral Stairway rises out of the gloom. In the dark, it is impossible to see where it reaches, but you think you can make out branching paths leading to far edges of the chamber. As you cautiously step onto the sloping steps, you think you see flickers of movement in the distance.
Search the path deck for the next being and put it into play.
Clear The Spiral Stairway with [icon] to travel back up to Spire.
121.3
You continue to climb the stairway until you spot the familiar trappings of the threshold. Several members of the expeditionary team still linger here, setting up various equipment and carrying supplies down into the Chimney. From here, you can head back up to Spire through the arcology threshold, if you wish.
You may immediately proceed to the travel phase and travel to Spire (even if there are ready cards with the Obstacle keyword in play). If you do, build the path deck using the Ancient Ruins terrain set. If you choose to travel in this way, discard the current challenge card and do not resolve the remainder of this test.
122. Cryptic Wayfinder
ENTERS PLAY, GO TO 122.1****CLEAR [icon], GO TO 122.2
122.1
The long, oval room looks strangely familiar. You study the waving lines engraved along the walls and notice the odd, rippling patterns in the floor. Then you realize—the lines on the walls are the mountain ranges that surround the Valley. The rippling floor is inert flowsteel, which suggests that if you activate it, the entire space may become a map of the Valley and the arcology.
Clear the Cryptic Wayfinder with [icon] to view the map. Adding marker tokens will reveal additional information.
122.2
With a with a dry ozone smell and a deep thrumming that causes your teeth to ache, the floor begins to ripple and morph, rising into a topographical map of the Valley! Flowsteel extrudes beneath your hands to form a control panel. With growing confidence, you begin to manipulate the device.
Soon, the flowsteel is shifting like water in response to your commands. You determine how to switch the map to a top-down image of the arcology’s levels. You quickly enhance the image so you can see a detailed view of your surroundings, and your eyes widen. There is a tiny representation of the partial tunnel collapse you had to navigate. And there you can see the flowsteel rippling in a flat pool where you remember a flooded maintenance passage. The map is a live representation of the arcology.
Exhaust any number of other features.
This map can be a valuable resource, but you need to reference it relative to the markers you’ve already placed. Even as you begin to navigate the displays, the thrumming seems to be getting quieter. You may get only a couple of chances to view the relevant maps.
YOU CAN READ ONE ENTRY FOR EVERY TWO MARKERS ON THE CRYPTIC WAYFINDER:
A) Chart a Course to the Arteries.
You focus the map on the arterial passageways and can see the telltale rippling sign of deep water. It looks like the route is completely blocked by flooding. You won’t be able to make it there without some means of breathing underwater. If such a device exists, the Ranger Lunn would know of it. For that matter, he may already have something in his collection of rare artifacts and curiosities from afar that could help.
B) Chart a Course to the Verdant Sphere.
The passageways to the Verdant Sphere seem to be completely choked with twisting knots of vines or roots. As you look closer, however, you see an open space where the vines end well short of clusters of the local mushrooms (themselves rendered in minute but precise detail). Perhaps the mushrooms hold the growth at bay somehow. You determine that the only way to know for sure is to visit the Mycelial Conclave and see for yourself.
C) Chart a Course to the Arboretum of Memory.
The passageways to what appears to be a carefully arranged copse of trees seem clear of flooding or strange plant growths—possibly because the routes are sealed off by heavy vault doors. You’ve encountered these before in the arcology. All were shut, and whatever alloy they were made of resisted the strongest cutting tools the expedition brought.
As you scan away from the passageways, the flowsteel shifts quickly into a series of habitation blocks. Suddenly, you stop and zoom in. The map shows one of the vault doors in the Silent Dormitories of the Estians, but this one is open! If you inspect it, perhaps you can figure out how the Estians opened these doors.
Discard the Cryptic Wayfinder.
123. Lost Lutrinal
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF THE LUTRINAL FLED, GO TO 123.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 123.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF YOU ARE AT A LOCATION ON THE VALLEY MAP AND THERE IS A WATER FEATURE IN PLAY, GO TO 123.3
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 123.4
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 123.5
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 123.6
123.1
You hear a familiar, trilling chirp. Sure enough, you turn a corner and see a lutrinal with the same markings as before scampering down a side passageway. At a glance, it appears to be injured.
Add 1 [icon] to the Lost Lutrinal.
Clear the Lost Lutrinal with [icon] to gain its trust.
123.2
At first, you think you’re hearing things after being so long underground. When you turn the corner of the passageway, however, you do in fact find a miserable ball of fur huddling in the corner. When you get closer, you see that it’s a lutrinal, with three distinctive stripes down its head. The poor being may have come from the surface, perhaps swept down by the floodwaters or possibly simply lost. Whatever the case, perhaps you can help it make its way back to its holt.
Clear the Lost Lutrinal with [icon] to gain its trust.
123.3
You have to admit, as you watch the lutrinal dive into the water with an almighty splash and playfully chase after a couple of its kind, that this brief sojourn to the surface has been good for your spirits. You smile to yourself and prepare to head out.
Search the Lakeshore set for the Lutrinal Holt and put it into play.
A trilling noise stops you, and you turn to see the lutrinal looking inquisitively in your direction. You take a few steps away, but after a moment, it bounds a couple steps closer. You shoo the little scamp back toward the water, but it seems it will not be deterred. Suddenly, it leaps upon you, and both you and the lutrinal tumble to the ground. It sits victoriously on your chest and licks your face with its rough tongue. Clearly, you’ve made a friend for life. You decide that "Stripe" would be a perfect name.
Gain the Stripe, Loyal Lutrinal reward card. Return HELPING HAND to the collection. Record RETURNED TO THE HOLT on the campaign tracker. Return Lost Lutrinal to the collection and permanently remove it from the Chimney set.
123.4
The lutrinal bounds forward a dozen paces, then stops and looks back at you quizzically, waiting for you to continue to “chase” it toward the surface.
Rangers Choose
A) We can’t abandon it now. Discard all [icon] from the Lost Lutrinal. Get the lutrinal to a location on the surface with a water feature in play and clear it with [icon] to release it.
B) We’ll find you again, little friend. Discard the Lost Lutrinal. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
123.5
After chasing after the lutrinal for the better part of an hour, you’ve either convinced the lutrinal you mean it no harm, or it’s simply grown tired of playing. Whichever it is, it doesn’t flee as you approach this time, and it seems much calmer.
Rangers Choose
A) Guide the lutrinal home. Discard all [icon] from the Lost Lutrinal and attach the HELPING HAND mission to it. Get the lutrinal to a location on the surface with a water feature in play and clear it with [icon] to release it.
B) Maybe it likes being down here. Discard the Lost Lutrinal. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
123.6
The lutrinal yelps and scurries away. You lose sight of it almost immediately.
Discard the Lost Lutrinal. Each Ranger suffers 3 fatigue. Record LUTRINAL FLED on your campaign tracker.
124. Silaro Mako, Spelunker
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU'RE ON AN URGENT REQUEST, GO TO 124.1
- IF YOU'VE RECEIVED THE EXPEDITION'S PATH, GO TO 124.2
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 124.3
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF YOU'RE ON THE EXPEDITION'S PATH, GO TO 124.4
- IF YOU'VE COMPLETED THE EXPEDITION'S PATH, GO TO 124.5
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 124.6
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 124.7
124.1
You ask around for Silaro, and Al Grim gets your attention. “Oh! What a coincidence,” he says. “He’s getting things ready for his trip to the Ziggurats. Here, I’ll take you to him.” He guides you to a cluttered staging ground, where Silaro’s equipment lies scattered about, his pack half-filled with supplies for his journey to the surface.
If you’ve received THE EXPEDITION'S PATH, go to 124.2.
Otherwise, go to 124.3.
124.2
You find Silaro bent over a flowsteel mirror, a half-disassembled lightbringer beside him. Even as you watch, the mirror ripples. Estian script sinks into the surface, and Silaro grunts and moves something in the machine in response. A small burst of sparks erupts, and he sighs.
“Researching ancient technology is a lot easier when you have years to do it,” he says when he notices you. “Hopefully you’ve been having better luck than I.”
Clear Silaro Mako with [icon] to chat with him about what you've discovered.
124.3
You find Silaro with his nose buried in an old book. Knowing Silaro, that isn’t so remarkable, but then you notice that the book is not one of Silaro's own scrolls or journals. Judging by the weathered and beaten cover, you figure that it must be some kind of relic recovered from the ruins. Whatever the book’s origin, Silaro is clearly absorbed by its contents. He takes no notice of you as he turns the page, thoughtfully mumbling to himself.
Clear Silaro Mako with [icon] to ask him about the book.
124.4
READ ONE:
If THE EXPEDITION'S PATH mission has all 3 checkmarks:
You find Silaro attempting to manipulate a power conduit built into the wall. He sighs as you approach. “Ah, hello. I’m trying to trace the power leads from the ziggurats above to see if we can shut them down or even moderate them. I was hoping to quell some of the quakes, but no luck. How have your travels gone?”
You explain what you have learned about the expedition and its fate, and Silaro’s eyes go wide. “By the ancestors, I wasn’t sure what you’d find, but this is fascinating! Please, start at the beginning and leave nothing out!”
So over the next few hours, you do just that, with Silaro taking copious notes and interrupting you several times for clarification. As you finish, he sits back, the worry in his face temporarily erased with fascination.
“Then we finally know what happened to Hollan and her team. We had long assumed that they had passed on, but it seems at least one of them is still alive! Hm, if the remains in that inverted forest are the scout Xavi, the presence in the mycelial network must be Yara. I guess she learned far more about those mushrooms than she expected. The cloak you spotted in the scuttlebus’s teeth is probably Hollan herself. That means the survivor is Timo. It seems that he preferred the company of the machines and ruins to that of people on the surface. Can't say there aren't days I feel similarly, but I don't know if I'd take it to that extreme!”
The fascination has faded, replaced with sadness. Silaro sighs. “In the end, they underestimated the dangers down here, and each went alone to be consumed by them. A good lesson for us all to learn from.”
Discard Silaro Mako. Each Ranger soothes 3 fatigue. Complete THE EXPEDITION'S PATH mission. The Rangers gain the Silaro’s Fastidiousness reward card. Record that you COMPLETED THE JOURNAL in your campaign tracker.
If THE EXPEDITION'S PATH mission has fewer than 3 checkmarks:
After reviewing your progress on exploring the arcology and marking down several new passageways and tunnels on his ever-growing sets of maps, Silaro sets his work aside and looks at you. “Now, if you have a minute more, please tell me what else you’ve learned about the Hollan Expedition. Any detail could be crucial!”
You spend a few minutes updating Silaro on what you’ve learned. As you get up to leave, you see him turn back to his work with a bit more of a spring in his step.
Discard Silaro Mako. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
124.5
Quickly, you and Silaro settle into a conversation about what you’ve discovered in the abandoned passages, vaults, and chambers of the long-lost people known as the Estians. The archaeologist enjoys attempting to “think like an Estian,” as he calls it, and you end up spending several spirited hours theorizing about the purpose for various machines and structures you’ve found in your travels.
Discard Silaro Mako. Each Ranger soothes 3 fatigue.
124.6
Silaro hands the book to you. “An interesting find, to be sure,” he says. “This was bound by Dorrin Qur, one of the last he made before he passed five summers ago. Old Dorrin made a set for the Hollan Expedition, though it’s remembered now only as the 'Lost Expedition.' Hollan Helgur organized a team of would-be explorers—including some Rangers—and ventured into the depths of the arcology, never to return.”
You recall Elder Thrush’s description of that ill-fated expedition. You had thought that no trace of them was ever found; and you say as much to Silaro.
The archaeologist nods, and you catch a glimpse of Silaro’s old enthusiasm beneath his somber demeanor. “Correct you are, and many of us spent our fair share of time looking. But as I searched the maze-like corridors to the north of here, I came across this in the midst of what appeared to be an old campsite.”
Silaro leans closer and opens the book, pointing to several entries in turn. “It’s incomplete, and there’s been some damage. But this is definitely the expedition’s logbook! I think if I review the entries and crosscheck them with some of the things we’ve discovered in the last few days …” His voice trails off, and the brief enthusiasm fades. “But I fear I have no time to investigate this further at the moment, intriguing as it may be.”
You do not hesitate to offer your assistance, and suggest that if Silaro doesn’t have time to follow up on this, you just might. After all, you reason, once you review the logbook, it won’t be too difficult for you to keep an eye out for clues as to the expedition’s fate.
Silaro thinks for a moment, then to your surprise, grabs you in an awkward but genuine hug. “Thank you,” he says, his voice husky. “I’ll give you the book and eagerly await what you learn.”
Gain the Expedition Logbook reward card and THE EXPEDITION'S PATH mission. Discard Silaro Mako.
124.7
“Ooohhh! My hands!” Silaro wails. You spin around just in time to see him collapse. You rush to Silaro’s side to check on him. While his injuries don’t appear to be dire, you’ll still need time to get him back on his feet.
End the Day.
125. Rift in the Artery
ENTERS PLAY, GO TO 125.1****CLEAR [icon], GO TO 125.2
125.1
As you proceed along the main passageway, you notice a patch of deeper darkness along the walls. As you look closer, you see that the recent tremors have torn apart the carbonforged panels. Behind the rubble, you can see some sort of smaller passage heading off in another direction. You’re not sure where it leads; it might be a maintenance tunnel. Perhaps it could be used to shortcut your way to other locations, but do you want to leave your planned route to explore it?
Clear the Rift in the Artery with [icon] to explore routes to distant locations.
125.2
The tunnel led far away from the main passages of the arcology. You found yourself climbing up and down sharp inclines, weaving between towering columns that hum with concealed energies, and squeezing through ventilation shafts that vent gusts of freezing air. Eventually, however, you emerge into a network of vents. These could be used to get to nearby locations very quickly!
You may immediately proceed to the travel phase of the round (even if there are ready cards with the Obstacle keyword in play). If you do, you can travel to any location within 2 paths (the standard rules for locks still apply). Use the terrain type of the last path you crossed over. If you choose to travel in this way, discard the current challenge card and do not resolve the remainder of this test.
If you choose not to travel, discard the Rift in the Artery and resolve the remainder of the test as normal.
126. Quisi Vos, Rapscallion
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF HARLAN VOS IS IN PLAY WITH HELPING HAND ATTACHED, GO TO 126.1
- IF YOU REUNITED QUISI AND HARLAN, GO TO 126.2
- IF HARLAN VOS IS IN PLAY, GO TO 126.3
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 126.4
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED TO QUISI, GO TO 126.5
- IF YOU REUNITED QUISI AND HARLAN, GO TO 126.6
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 126.7
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 126.8
126.1
“Dad!” Quisi runs ahead and into the arms of her father. Harlan scoops her up and gives her a big hug.
"How did it go?" he asks.
Harlan and Quisi unfurl their scrolls, then roll them together. Delicate traceries of glowing blue and yellow lines drift toward each other over the curved surface, and with a brilliant flash of light, they meet.
“Perfect!” Harlan pats Quisi's shoulder proudly. She beams up at him. “Looks like we successfully charted a route through the artery! Now what should we do?”
"I told you already, Dad. I want to see what's deeper down there! I bet it's treasure!" Harlan laughs. "So do I. Let's see first if we can get your mom to come along. What do you say?"
As you turn to go, Quisi pipes up. “Wait!” she yells. Then, solemnly, she hands you her lantern. “If I can't see what's down there yet, then at least Slugmund can.” The glowing slug undulates against the glass. Quisi waves goodbye.
Discard Quisi and Harlan Vos and return HELPING HAND to the collection. Gain the Quisi’s Lantern reward card. Record that you REUNITED QUISI AND HARLAN in your campaign tracker.
126.2
Just ahead, you spot two figures sitting on a pair of smooth rocks: Harlan Vos and his daughter Quisi, both poring over the map of the arteries they’ve created with their two linked scrolls. “Oh, hey hey hey!” Quisi shouts as she sees you approach. “How’s Slugmund doing? What are you up to now? Where are you headed?”
Harlan simply chuckles.
If Harlan Vos is not in play, search the Artery set for him and put him into play. Do not read his entry.
Clear Quisi or Harlan with [icon] to see how their map is coming along.
126.3
You hear a shout from further up the passageway, and see Quisi run over to give her father a big hug. Harlan crouches down to speak with his daughter. The two chat briefly as they look over a pair of scrolls made of light—one gold, one pale blue. You’re not sure what they’re doing, but after a moment they give each other a playful high five and head off in different directions. Perhaps when you see them next you'll learn what they're up to.
Each Ranger soothes 1 fatigue. Discard Quisi and Harlan Vos. Draw 1 path card.
126.4
“Hiiii!” The unmistakable sound of Quisi Vos's voice echoes down the passageway. Quisi herself is not far behind.
She climbs over a pile of debris, skipping down its side to meet you. "It sure is dark down here, isn't it?” she says. "That's why I love Slugmund, my slug friend." She holds up her lantern, revealing a glowing slug within a bell of glass. "He's not afraid of anything! He's the bravest slug I've ever met. And that's saying a lot! He's been helping me and my Dad make a map of this place. What are you doing here? What's THAT?”
With a sigh, you wonder where her father is.
Search the path deck for Harlan Vos and discard him.
Clear Quisi or Harlan with [icon] to ask her what she's doing.
If someone has Quisi’s Favorite Snack equipped:
Before you finish explaining why you're traversing the artery, Quisi’s eyes suddenly light up. “You have my treats!” she cries, reaching into the bag tucked in your cloak pouch and grabbing a handful. Quick as a dormouse, she pops one into her mouth.
Discard 1 bite from Quisi’s Favorite Snack.
“Bleck!” She spits out the food. “That’s really stale! How long have you been carrying these anyway?”
126.5
Quisi finishes her story "... and just when I thought it was empty, I found the treasure! It wasn't in the box. The box was the treasure!"
Rangers Choose
A) Continue to help Quisi find her father. Discard all [icon] from Quisi. Each Ranger soothes 1 fatigue. Help her track down her father, Harlan Vos.
B) Good luck, kid! Discard Quisi. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
126.6
You patiently answer Quisi’s many questions and assure her that the slug living inside her lantern is just fine. The beaming smile on her face is infectious. Before she can ask a cavalcade of follow-up questions, you ponder aloud what the two of them are up to now that their map of the artery is complete.
“Well, we’ve mapped out the main tunnel, but there are all kinds of other branches down here. Most of them are dead ends, but some of them might lead elsewhere,” Harlan explains. “We figured we’d map those out, too. I’m not letting this one out of my sight again, though.” He pats his daughter’s shoulder playfully.
“But Daaad!” she protests.
“Before we leave, do you want to take a look at our map? It might help you figure out where to head next,” Harlan offers.
Place 1[icon] [icon] on the location or on a feature in play (2[icon] instead if there is [icon] on both Quisi and Harlan). Discard Quisi and Harlan Vos.
126.7
Quisi holds up a scroll of light. On its surface you see a delicate filigree of pale blue. “This is a mapping scroll, see? I just trace my route with this fancy stick, and it remembers it!”
Quisi tucks it back into her shoulder bag. “When I meet up with my Dad, we'll combine my scroll with his and it'll make a super scroll!
“But first, we need to explore as much of this place as possible. Otherwise, the map will be incomplete.
"Do you want to come with? I know Slugmund wants you to come! Let's see if we can find my dad. It'll be fun!"
Rangers Choose
A) Let's go find your dad. Discard all [icon] from Quisiand attach the HELPING HAND mission to her. Help her track down her father, Harlan Vos.
B) You can find him. Discard Quisi. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
126.8
Quisi yelps, collapsing and clutching her leg.
You quickly kneel down and take a look at her injury. Even as Quisi does her best not to cry, tears stream down her face. It doesn't look terrible, but you'll need to stop here to treat it all the same.
End the day.
127. Harlan Vos, Explorer
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF QUISI VOS IS IN PLAY WITH HELPING HAND ATTACHED, GO TO 126.1
- IF YOU REUNITED QUISI AND HARLAN, GO TO 127.1
- IF QUISI VOS IS IN PLAY, GO TO 126.3
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 127.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED TO HARLAN VOS, GO TO 127.3
- IF YOU REUNITED QUISI AND HARLAN, GO TO 126.6
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 127.4
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 127.5
127.1
Just ahead, you spot two figures sitting on a pair of smooth rocks: Harlan Vos and his daughter Quisi, both poring over the map of the arteries they’ve created with their two linked scrolls. “Oh, hey hey hey!” Quisi shouts as she sees you approach. “How’s Slugmund doing? What are you up to now? Where are you headed?”
Harlan simply chuckles.
If Quisi Vos is not in play, search the Artery set for her and put her into play. Do not read her entry.
Clear either Quisi or Harlan with [icon] to see how their map is coming along.
127.2
As you cross a walkway, you hear footsteps from the chasm below you. You peek over the edge and see the explorer Harlan Vos walking along a platform several meters below. He notices you and waves.
What's he doing down there?
Search the path deck for Quisi Vos and discard her.
Clear Harlan with [icon] to ask him what he's doing.
127.3
Harlan takes a sip from his canteen. "Can you imagine what this place must have been like 1,500 years ago?" he asks, somewhat rhetorically. "Bustling with life, I'm sure! Shall we continue?"
Rangers Choose
A) Let's keep looking. Discard all [icon] from Harlan Vos. Each Ranger soothes 1 fatigue. Help him track down his daughter, Quisi Vos.
B) I'm sure Quisi will turn up. Discard Harlan Vos. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
127.4
Harlan waves you closer. As you approach, you see that he's holding a scroll of light. You watch as he traces delicate sparkling yellow lines over its surface with a golden stylus.
“This marvelous device is a mapping system," he says. "As I explore the tunnels, I trace my route through the environment on the scroll. Quisi's doing the same. Once we’ve finished exploring the artery, we'll combine the information in her scroll with mine and create a reasonably accurate three-dimensional map of the entire area that we can reproduce in flowsteel.
"I was just about to finish up here. Care to help me track down my daughter? She's around here somewhere!"
Rangers Choose
A) Let's go find Quisi. Discard all [icon] from Harlan Vos and attach the HELPING HAND mission to him. Help Harlan Vos find his daughter, Quisi.
B) I'm sure she'll show up. Discard Harlan Vos. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
127.5
With a surprised-sounding grunt, Harlan collapses. As you rush to help him, he grabs your arm with surprising strength. “Don’t worry about me."
You inspect his injuries. Fortunately, it doesn’t look like they’re critical, but they will require treatment. Despite Harlan’s protestations, you need to care for him before you do anything else.
End the day.
128. Decrepit Station Platform
At first the cavern reminds you of a dried riverbed, as unusual as that seems. The stairway takes you to a broad platform surrounded by broken railing, save for one section that simply drops off with little warning. The platform appears to lead nowhere—it simply sits several meters above the ground, with no apparent function. A segment of wall is covered in large flowsteel panels, some of which still have power.
When you activate the panels, the rippling metal forms into a recognizable map of the arcology, bisected by tunnels. You find your own location, then realize that your first impression was not entirely wrong. This appears to be some sort of underground road, dotted with periodic stations like the one you stand in.
129. Wild Scuttlebus
You hear a skittering, scuttling sound, as if hundreds of claws were scraping rock. You peer down the transit tunnel just in time to see a massive being burst out of the shadows and lunge at you!
At first you think it’s some sort of gargantuan spindlescuttler, but as you duck out of the way, you see that what first appeared to be a single bulbous reflective eye is actually a rounded glass viewport embedded in the top of the creature's head. The smaller glass portals and hatchways embedded in its chitinous carapace confirm your suspicions: This being used to be some sort of living transit system for the Estians!
Now, of course, it just wants to eat you.
Record ENCOUNTERED THE SCUTTLEBUS on the campaign tracker.
If you have STAGED THE HUNT, go to 129.1. Otherwise, if you are on THE EXPEDITION'S PATH, go to 129.2
129.1
Over the sound of the biomeld, you hear a loud, echoing whoop reverberate down the tunnel.
You look around and then spot the source of the whooping. Kordo Haverson, his gray cloak whipping around him, has latched into the being’s armored hide with a long hooked polearm. Despite the imminent risk of being crushed against the wall, he is hollering and grinning wildly. Looks like the old Ranger found his quarry!
Search the Lone Tree set for Kordo, Ranger Veteran and put him into play. Do not read his entry. Add 3 [icon] to the Wild Scuttlebus.
If you are on THE EXPEDITION'S PATH, go to 129.2
129.2
The clacking mandibles and fang-filled maw bite through a metal brace right above your head. You raise your arms to ward off the steel splinters, and as you do you catch a glimpse of a ragged gray cloak flapping from between its teeth. With a sinking heart, you realize you’ve likely discovered the fate of at least one member of the expedition. Unfortunately, given how voracious this scuttlebus seems, you doubt you’ll be able to find out anything more.
130. Progenitor Mushroom
ENTERS PLAY: GO TO 130.1
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 130.2****CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 130.3
130.1
The towering mushroom looming over you seems so large that, at first, you think it’s some sort of sculpture or artificial creation of the Estians. But no, its dry, leathery skin sinks slightly under your fingers, and the faint bioluminescent glow within pulses like a faint heartbeat. The surface is as wrinkled and thick as an oak tree, and you assume it must be truly ancient.
On an impulse, you thump the stalk of the mushroom with your fist. A pulse of neon light radiates out from the impact, running up and down the mushroom, then into the twisting mycelial network beneath your feet. As you watch the ripples reverberate on other mushrooms all around you, you realize that anything done to these progenitors would have lasting consequences to the entire network.
130.2
You move carefully past the giant fungi, ensuring that each of your steps avoids the twisted mycelial knots that run across the caverns beneath your feet. Best to leave these ancient mushrooms be.
Attach the Progenitor Mushroom facedown to the location as a reminder. The next time you travel, the lead Ranger searches for the next 2 flora and puts them into play during arrival setup.
130.3
With heavy, sure strokes, you chop into the stalk and cap of the mushroom. As you do, pulses of blue-violet light ripple out across the mycelia, reverberating into the surrounding fungi. Some of the smaller ones wilt and collapse almost immediately, and even larger ones begin to droop.
Attach the Progenitor Mushroom facedown to the location as a reminder. The next time you travel, randomly remove 3 flora from the terrain set during arrival setup at the new location.
131. Gardener Spirit
ENTERS PLAY: GO TO 131.1
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF NEW GROWTH IS IN PLAY, GO TO 131.2
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 131.3
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 131.4
131.1
From somewhere in the gathered darkness, you hear someone humming a tune. It’s not one you recognize, but it stirs something in you nonetheless, as if it was able to awaken an emotion long forgotten despite its unfamiliar melody. For a moment, the humming seems to fill the room, then you hear it just over your shoulder, coming your way.
A woman in peculiar dress walks past you carrying a tray of mushrooms in individual containers. You catch the scent of freshly turned earth, and notice that while her body seems to glow with a faint white luminesence, it has a certain solidity to it. She gestures toward a raised garden, overrun with a wide variety of mushrooms as if to say "Follow."
Clear this spirit with [icon] to follow.
131.2
As the spirit steps into the brightly lit spaces of the arboretum, you see her ethereal form sink slightly into the thick loam and small bits of soil drift up, merge with her body.
She wanders around the multi-trunked trees, occasionally bending to inspect how they have rooted themselves into the earth. Then, she pauses next to one particularly ancient tree that has petrified into stone, and you see her bow her head.
She reaches out to touch the tree, and you see her hand sink below its stony surface. She speaks again in her ancient tongue, and while you are unable to understand her, the sentiment is clear. The spirit is in mourning for someone who was dear to her.
She steps away from the tree, and you see her take notice of the new growth sprouting nearby. She cocks her head, indicating her surprise, and kneels down beside it, her back to you. Then her shoulders begin to shake. Though you first assumed her to be crying, she instead begins to laugh. Softly at first, then uninhibited and joyful.
She looks back at you, and you see the purity of her spirit shining like a light before you. She smiles, and bows her head in thanks as she dissapears into thin air.
Discard the Gardener Spirit and permanently remove her from the Mycelial Conclave set. Return HELPING HAND to the collection. Gain the Gardener Spirit reward card.
131.3
As you spend more time with the spirit of the gardener, you find yourself wondering more and more about the nature of existence. How is this spirit visible to you? Is it something about the arcology that makes it possible? When you die, is there a possibility that you too will be tethered to the physcial plane? It's almost too much to contemplate.
Rangers Choose
A) Continue following the spirit. Discard all [icon] from the Gardener Spirit. Travel to the Arboretum of Memory and clear the Gardener Spirit with [icon] while New Growth is in play.
B) Let the spirit go on her way. Discard the Gardener Spirit. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
131.4
You watch quietly as the spirit goes about her work. With reverence, she takes mushrooms from the tray, one by one, and places them gently in the planter. It’s as though you can see what she sees—this chamber as it was over one thousand years ago—while at the same time seeing it as it is now: disused, encrusted with sediment, and overgrown.
She speaks, but in a language that you do not understand. You're able to pick up familiar sounds and letter combinations, but are unable to make sense of any of it. She looks at you with pleading eyes, then abruptly touches her index finger to the center of your forehead.
In your mind's eye you see a vast chamber bathed in warm light. Massive white trees fill the space. You get a strong feeling that she wants you to accompany her there.
Rangers Choose
A) Accompany the spirit. Discard all [icon] from the Gardener Spirit and attach the mission HELPING HAND to her. Travel to the Arboretum of Memory and clear the Gardener Spirit with [icon] while New Growth is in play.
B) Another time perhaps. Discard the Gardener Spirit. Place 1 [icon] on each flora in play.
132. The Ferrymen
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU HAVE COMPLETED MYCELIAL NETWORKING, GO TO 132.1
- IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY ON MYCELIAL NETWORKING, GO TO 132.2
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 132.3
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF YOU HAVE COMPLETED MYCELIAL NETWORKING, GO TO 132.4
- IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY ON MYCELIAL NETWORKING, GO TO 132.5
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 132.6
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 132.7
132.1
In the distance, you see the towering twin shapes of the Ferrymen. You focus your mind, and almost immediately you hear a familiar voice. “Hello, friendly voices from afar. It's good to hear you again.”
Clear the Ferrymen with [icon] to use your connection to more easily navigate the fungal forest.
132.2
You see the two tall, distinct mushrooms you’ve dubbed the Ferrymen. As you approach, the voices whispering on the edge of your conscious start to get louder again. You know that if you want, you can speak to those in the network once more.
If there is a voice token in play, you may move it to the Ferrymen.
Clear the Ferrymen with [icon] to use their connection to to the network.
132.3
You spot something unusual in the fungal groves: boot prints. Somone else has been here. Then, your attention is drawn by two towering, identical mushrooms that loom over the others in the area. They seem different from the other fungi you’ve been moving through—taller, more statuesque somehow. As you approach them, coughing as you try to clear your lungs of the choking clouds of spores, you start to hear … something in the air. Is it a murmur? A voice? Can you sense a presence somewhere?
Clear these strange mushrooms with [icon] to speak with the voice.
132.4
You focus your mind, and soon you hear the echoing voice of Yara. “I've missed chatting with you!”
You spend some time talking with Yara. Although you have to constantly redirect her onto the topic at hand, you continue to learn more about ‘life’ inside the mycelial network. “You have to understand,” she says. “The mists around me extend in all ways, and if you try to push through it in one direction, you will become disoriented and lost. You need to think of where you want to be, then let your mind flow in all directions until you reach it.”
Discard the Ferrymen. Each Ranger may add 2 [icon] to a flora.
Check off the middle bubble next to THE EXPEDITION'S PATH on the campaign tracker if you are on that mission.
132.5
You relax your mind and let it drift along the myriad paths that lead out from these particular mushrooms. As your consciousness spreads, you can now hear the voices more clearly. Even better, you can sense where in the cloud of the network they seem to emanating from.
Discard the Ferrymen. If there was a voice token on it, add 2 [icon] to the flora you moved the voice token to. If there wasn’t, you may search the path deck and discard for the next flora and put it into play.
132.6
You hear the whispering voices on the edge of your consciousness. They’re too faint to understand, so you take shallow breaths, try to ignore the mouthful of spores, and close your eyes.
You focus your spirit, and the voices begin to grow louder and more distinct, becoming a cacophony of whispers. You realize with a start that the voices aren't coming from one mushroom. They're coming from all the mushrooms.
You move towards a grove of mycelial growths, and the voices grow even stronger. Now you can hear individual voices, vague and jumbled, but you still can’t make out what they’re saying. You wonder if you could hear them more clearly if you found a larger group of mushrooms. Perhaps you could even speak to them and get a reply.
Rangers Choose
A) Take on the mission of searching out mushrooms. Discard the Ferrymen. Gain the MYCELIAL NETWORKING mission.
B) Leave these mushrooms in peace. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue. Discard the Ferrymen.
132.7
The voice grows quieter. You try to focus your mind, grabbing hold of the connection more tightly, but it’s as if you’re trying to hold water in your fist. The whispers slip through your mental fingers like mist flowing through trees, and in a moment the voices from these mushrooms have gone silent. You’ve lost your chance to communicate with the mycelial network here, but perhaps there are other such mushrooms in the arcology? Maybe they offer a similar opportunity?
Discard this flora.
133. Petrified Giant, Petrified Colossus, Petrified Behemoth
This tree looms above its fellows in the grove. Unlike the trees on the outer edges, this is fully petrified, with the branches above the tree’s crown having long since broken free. Or perhaps they were cut free, you wonder as you look closer, because the stumps seem smooth and regular.
You inspect the stone, and as you do, you see small grooves running up and down the trunks. It’s as if something has climbed up and down the trunks so often it has worn channels into the rock surface. Perhaps if you can find that something, you can learn more about these trees and their purpose.
134. New Growth
Among the roots of the towering petrified trees of the Arboretum of Memory, you find what can only be saplings growing. They are slight, slender things, with only a few trunks and branches holding up shining greenish-purple leaves. But in them, you can see the reflection of the giants around you.
You study the trees further and see that each of the saplings has roots that stretch off across the ground, holding onto the surface of the soil with feathery growths. Intrigued, you follow one of these roots to the wall of the Arboretum of Memory. You expect to see the root shrink and end, or maybe be trying to burrow into a crack in the wall.
What you do not expect is the root growing up into the electronics on the wall, meshing and blending with them. Every so often, blips, symbols, and information ripple across flowsteel there, passing across the flowsteel and down toward the root. You look long and hard at the lone root as suspicions begin to grow in your mind.
135. Archivist Spirit
ENTERS PLAY: GO TO 135.1
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF THE HEART IS IN PLAY, GO TO 135.2
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 135.3
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 135.4
135.1
As you stand among the trees of the Arboretum of Memory, the hairs of your arms stand on end and you feel the faintest tingle of energy on your tongue. You look around and see a flickering light moving through the trees.
You step closer, then stop. A figure is walking there, moving from tree to tree and occasionally passing through them. At first, you see a bearded man, wearing strange clothes, and stranger gear, but then he seems also to be made up of flashes of different people, places, and even emotions, although if asked how you "see" emotions in the spirit, you could not say. Something about the colors and shapes, and the way they shift and move, speaks to you in a strange and marvelous language.
Clear this spirit with [icon] to interpret its strange appearance.
135.2
As you stand in the center of the Cage, you watch transfixed as the spirit of the archivist moves effortlessly through the space. It drifts and dances through the various machines, and as it does, you see flashes of this place as it once was.
The vaulted roof arches overhead, gleaming in the clean white light that seems to emanate from everywhere at once. You sense the presence of hundreds of people around you, all working with excited, nervous purpose. You know that you’re inside the arcology when it was new, and you can feel the will of its creators.
Then the scene shifts, and you see the heart. You feel it beating, strong and sure, its energy flowing through the arcology. You also see a long line of people standing before the heart. One by one, they step forward. Each greets the heart in turn, introducing themselves and giving thanks. And, somehow, you sense the heart reply, greeting them with equal friendship and warmth.
Then the image fades, and you are left standing in the darkened Cage. The archivist spirit has vanished, but it has left within you a profound feeling of peace and gratitude.
Discard the Archivist Spirit and permanently remove it from the Arboretum of Memory set. Return HELPING HAND to the collection. Gain the Archivist Spirit reward card.
135.3
As you spend more time with the spirit of the archivist, you find yourself wondering more and more about the nature of existence. How is this spirit visible to you? Is it something about the arcology that makes it possible? When you die, is there a possibility that you too will be tethered to the physcial plane? It's almost too much to contemplate.
Rangers Choose
A) Continue to lead the spirit. Discard all [icon] from the Archivist Spirit. Travel to the Cage and clear the Archivist Spirit with [icon] while the Heart is in play to learn more about it.
B) Let the spirit go on its way. Discard the Archivist Spirit. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
135.4
As you observe the spirit's movements and gestures, you begin to understand. The spirit is something of a historian, but more like a talespinner than an academic like Silaro. Or maybe, you think to yourself, he's a little of both.
When the spirit touches one of the petrified trees, he seems able to show you stories of the ancient past. By changing from one form to another, the spirit sets the stage, introduces the players, and then tells his tale. While an imperfect storytelling method, you find yourself understanding more than you do not. It seems clear to you now that the spirit is doing this for your benefit. It seems truly energized to once again have an audience. You wonder if you bring the spirit to the Cage, perhaps he will tell you a story that reveals something vital about its construction.
Rangers Choose
A) Lead the spirit to the Cage. Discard all [icon] from the Archivist Spirit and attach the mission HELPING HAND to it. Travel to the Cage and clear the Archivist Spirit with [icon] while the Heart is in play to learn more about it.
B) Let the spirit go on its way. Discard the Archivist Spirit. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
136. The Grovetender
ENTERS PLAY: GO TO 136.1
136.1
The rounded, beetle-like metallic shell of the machine crawls up one of the towering, petrified trunks within the Arboretum of Memory on its multiple, spidery limbs. When it reaches a certain point it burbles and chirps to itself. Then a metallic cuff hisses out of its torso and wraps around the trunk. The machine continues to chirp happily to itself as it reads the data stored within the tree.
Use the Grovetender to read information from plant life.
136.2
The data running through the grovetender’s processor begins to spill onto a makeshift interface you have rigged up. The random strings of numbers and letters begin to shift and reorganize as the machine interprets the data it has read. The script appears as glyphs and symbols that you recognize from the other Estian ruins, but then, miraculously, it forms something comprehensible. You're not sure how, but the information seems to reformat so that you can interpret it.
READ AN ENTRY BASED ON THE CARD TO WHICH THE GROVETENDER IS ATTACHED
Flora with Mycelial Keyword: The machine chatters and the cuff wraps around the stalk. It takes several long moments as it tries to adjust, but finally it clicks and data starts to flow onto the interface. Instead of neatly organized information entries, you see something on the interface that looks like a cloud of gauze full of glowing nodes. Glinting lights float along the entries, moving at random. Zooming in on a single glinting light reveals cobwebs of light and ever-increasing complexity. They almost seem like … neural networks?
Soothe fatigue equal to the number of flora with the mycelial keyword in play.
New Growth: For a long moment, the machine doesn’t seem to fit on such a small trunk. But it shifts and adjusts itself, and then data flows onto your interface. You’re not sure how to read all of it, but it does seem to be a bunch of machine reports on the current functions of the arcology. You notice a series of alerts that coincide with the earthquakes that have been shaking the Valley. They also are linked to a series of “beat failure” reports originating from a space called “the Cage” in the very depths of the arcology.
Petrified Giant: Go to 136.3
Petrified Colossus: Go to 136.4
Petrified Behemoth: Go to 136.5
Other Flora: The interface lights up with information almost immediately, but it’s just a mass of gibberish. The machine must work only with specific, genetically modified plants.
136.3
The grovetender clicks and whirs, then with an electronic burbling, an avalanche of data spills onto the interface. For a moment, the information is far too chaotic to interpret, but then it resolves into a complex but orderly tree of data that you can navigate.
You start sorting through the information. It appears that the petrified tree contains a wealth of information about the arcology, specifically about the structure’s construction and expansion. It all seems to have been logged by someone named ARCHIVIST RAL, and this person’s notes cover generations of development. You realize that the most difficult part of this process isn’t going to be accessing the data, but sorting through the entries to find the most valuable bits!
The database lists excavation efforts throughout the generations. Each entry is sorted by the arcology population at the time of the excavation and the method used for the excavation. By inputting those two pieces of data, you can look up different bits of stored history. What do you input?
Information marked in blue may be useful to you outside of this entry. You may want to record it somewhere.
Rangers Choose
Input 425,336 and Hydraworms: Go to 198.05
Input 23,956 and Spindlescuttlers: Go to 198.03
Input 425,336 and Spindlescuttlers: Go to 198.04
Input 1,965 and Machines: Go to 198.01
Input 23,956 and Hydraworms: Go to 198.09
136.4
The grovetender clicks and whirs, then with an electronic burbling, an avalanche of data spills onto the interface. For a moment the information is far too chaotic to interpret, but then it resolves into a complex but orderly tree of data that you can navigate.
You find yourself scrolling through a long list of entries that seem to be organized by whichever of the 425,336 residents logged the information. Which resident do you want to search for?
Information marked in blue may be useful to you outside of this entry. You may want to record it somewhere.
Rangers Choose
Input Scientist Henderton: Go to 198.03
Input Engineer Galt: Go to 198.08
Input Professor Borral: Go to 198.06
Input Archivist Ral: Go to 198.02
Input Hydrologist Able: Go to 198.07
136.5
The grovetender clicks and whirs, then with an electronic burbling, an avalanche of data spills onto the interface. For a moment the information is far too chaotic to interpret, but then it resolves into a complex but orderly tree of data that you can navigate.
As you scan through the entries, you determine that this section is an extensive log of the arcology’s expansion using SPINDLESCUTTLERS to excavate the tunnel network. You shudder a little bit at the thought, but realize there’s a certain logic to using the massive, burrowing organisms to dig tunnels.
You can look up any area’s excavation record. What area would you like to look up?
Information marked in blue may be useful to you outside of this entry. You may want to record it somewhere.
Rangers Choose
Input The Chimney: Go to 198.10
Input Arteries: Go to 198.11
Input Verdant Sphere: Go to 198.12
Input Arboretum of Memory: Go to 198.13
Input The Cage: Go to 198.14
137. Sap Applicator
At first, you're not sure what the device is. A large glass tube filled with amber liquid sits cradled within its enclosed metal cylinder, with no obvious mechanism for dispensing. Just then, you watch as its metallic casing unfurls to reveal a host of small applicators, dripping with that same thick amber liquid. Simple pictographs on the metal casing reveal that this applicator seems designed to dispense some sort of regenerative sap for injuries.
138. Mysterious Seed
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU OBEYED THE SEED, GO TO 138.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 138.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 138.3
- IF YOU OBEYED THE SEED, GO TO 138.4
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 138.5
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 138.6
138.1
As you press forward, you suddenly find yourself confronted with a familiar sight: a huge, spherical, gently glowing seedpod. But there is something different. A slight flicker and a haze around the edges give you the impression that this is naught but a memory. But the memory fills your head all the same, and a familiar compulsion pushes to the surface: You must protect this seed.
Clear the Mysterious Seed with [icon] to take care of it.
138.2
You push away a thick curtain of vines and notice a softly glowing light. It appears to be coming from a massive, rounded seedpod, covered in a thick, barklike shell. The longer you stare at it, the more it feels like the seed is pulling at your attention, drawing you to study it more closely. You’ve never felt like this before, but you can sense a strange certainty in your mind. If you investigate this seed further, you may be in for quite an endeavor.
Clear the Mysterious Seed with [icon] to understand why you’re being compelled in this way.
138.3
Whenever you close your eyes, you see the thundering, shimmering waterfall dancing in your mind. You’ve been carrying this large seed to the Cerulean Curtain … and you can’t remember why?
Rangers Choose
A) Continue helping the seed. Discard all [icon] from the Seed. You must bring the Seed to the Cerulean Curtain to help it.
B) Stop … actually, why don’t you continue helping the seed? Discard all [icon] from the Seed. You must bring the Seed to the Cerulean Curtain to help it.
138.4
As soon as your fingers brush across the surface of the seed, you’re struck with a single, all-consuming thought. You must protect this seed … Wait, you’ve been here before. You shake your head and snap back to your senses.
Discard the Mysterious Seed. Each Ranger may either soothe 2 fatigue or gain 1 FOC.
138.5
As soon as your fingers brush across the surface of the seed, you’re struck with a single, all-consuming thought: You must protect this seed. Even as you snatch up the spherical object and cradle it protectively in your arms, visions dance through your mind. You see the endless green expanse of the Verdessa. Then a towering, blue-white column … Wait, that’s Tumbledown Falls. As soon as you recognize it, you’re filled with certainty of purpose—you must take the seed to the Cerulean Curtain.
Rangers Choose
A) Help the seed. Discard all [icon] from the Seed and attach the HELPING HAND mission to it. You must bring the Seed to the Cerulean Curtain to help it.
B) No … actually, why don’t you help the seed? Discard all [icon] from the Seed and attach the HELPING HAND mission to it. You must bring the Seed to the Cerulean Curtain to help it.
138.6
The seed slips out of your arms. You scrabble desperately for it, but it rolls away from your straining fingers and tumbles into a nearby crevice, vanishing into the darkness below. You suddenly feel a shooting pain spear through your head. You howl in agony, desperately clutching your skull … then in a moment, the pain is gone. You stand there, confused. Why were you carrying this strange seed around? What was so important about it?
The Ranger with the Seed within reach suffers 1 injury. Then, discard the Seed.
139. Familiar Verdessian
ENTERS PLAY: GO TO 139.1
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF YOU ARE ON AT THE SOURCE, GO TO 139.6
- IF YOU HAVE COMPLETED AT THE SOURCE, GO TO 139.7
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 139.8
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 139.9
139.1
As you push your way through the overgrowth that fills the abandoned laboratories and walkways of the Verdant Sphere, one of the vines writhes under your touch. You leap back as the vines twist together and rise up to form a bipedal figure. It's a Verdessian!
IF YOU BEFRIENDED THE VERDESSIAN, GO TO 139.2
IF YOU ANGERED THE VERDESSIAN, GO TO 139.3
IF VERDESSIAN KILLED?, GO TO 139.4
OTHERWISE, GO TO 139.5
139.10
As you and the Verdessian stare at each other, the patterns on its face shift and change, and suddenly your vision … flickers. For a moment, you see the vines that fill the Verdant Sphere growing, reaching, wrapping around the arcology. You feel a sudden panic mixed with awe that feels like it’s coming from the Verdessian, not yourself.
You gasp and the vision vanishes, leaving you to stumble and go down onto one knee. You desperately shake your head to clear the ringing, and realize this must be how it communicated with Spirit Speaker Nal when the three of you were at Tumbledown together. Without her help, however, it feels like the Verdessian’s “speech” might be near impossible for you to interpret.
Clear the Familiar Verdessian with [icon] to attempt to communicate with it.
139.2
The Verdessian stands completely still, watching you with its eyeless sight. The thicker leaves that make up its torso unfurl, and the swirling green-on-green patterns bring forth memories of your adventures several cycles ago. You’re pretty sure this is the same Verdessian you encountered during the Reclaimer Crisis.
Place 2 [icon] on the Familiar Verdessian. Go to 139.10.
139.3
You shrink back as the Verdessian looms over you, arms raised. The last of these things was trouble enough, but now you have to deal with another. You notice then that the pattern on its “face” does look familiar. You feel a twinge of doubt. Is this the Verdessian you previously encountered?
Each Ranger suffers 2 fatigue. Go to 139.10.
139.4
The Verdessian slowly circles you, its eyeless head scanning back and forth. Although wary, you get a sense of recognition from it, or perhaps the patterns on its “face” look vaguely familiar. But that doesn’t make sense … the last Verdessian that you encountered was killed. Or at least, that’s what you thought. Your mind is filled with questions about the Verdessian's true nature.
As you and the Verdessian stare at each other, the patterns on its face shift and change, and suddenly your vision … flickers. For a moment, you see the vines that fill the Verdant Sphere growing, reaching, wrapping around the arcology. You feel a sudden panic mixed with awe that feels like it’s coming from the Verdessian, not yourself.
You gasp and the vision vanishes, leaving you to stumble and go down onto one knee. You shake your head to clear the ringing. This must be some means of communication for a being without a means to vocalize. But how to interpret it?
Clear the Familiar Verdessian with [icon] to attempt to communicate with it.
139.5
The Verdessian stares at you, eyeless head shifting back and forth. You’re not very familiar with Verdessians, though you’ve heard of them before. This one at least doesn’t seem to be hostile.
As you and the Verdessian stare at each other, the patterns on its face shift and change, and suddenly your vision … flickers. For a moment, you see the vines that fill the Verdant Sphere growing, reaching, wrapping around the arcology.
You gasp in panic and the vision vanishes, leaving you to stumble down onto one knee. You shake your head to clear the ringing. This must be some means of communication for a being without without a means to vocalize. But how to interpret it?
Clear the Familiar Verdessian with [icon] to attempt to communicate with it.
139.6
The Verdessian turns to you and spreads its hands. Unsure of what this gesture might mean, you carefully and slowly do the same.
It remains motionless for a long moment, then suddenly, you catch a brief vision of thick, tangled roots. Are these the roots it wants you to destroy? You nod in agreement, then realizing the Verdessian might not understand your gestures, you try to focus your mind on the concept of agreement.
After another long moment, the Verdessian strides down the corridor; stopping every few meters, seemingly to make sure you're still following. And follow you do, through overgrown passageways until you see the tangle of roots from the vision as if you had imagined them into existence.
You turn to thank your inscrutible ally, but instead you find the passageway empty.
Discard the Familiar Verdessian. Search the path deck for a Snarling Roots and put it into play.
139.7
You’re not sure if a Verdessian’s body language matches yours at all, but if it did, you’d say the being seems frustrated. It slowly turns to face you, and your eyes are drawn to the patterns on its face. They seem to morph in strange patterns, and you feel almost like you're falling asleep. In that moment another vision fills your consciousness.
You see the massive rolling green of the Verdessa, stretching away to the south. The scene seems idyllic, but as you look closer, you see something writhing and twisting beneath the canopy, causing the treetops to rustle and buck in long, winding rows. Something is growing there, just out of sight. Something big, and destructive.
As the vision clears, you look around. Perhaps unsurprisingly, you find the passageway empty. The Verdessian has vanished.
Discard the Familiar Verdessian.
139.8
You try and focus your thoughts, sifting through the chaotic jumble of images that bombards your mind. Suddenly, you recognize one: a reclaimer!
As if in response, the images seem to flow and sort themselves into some sort of order. Trying to understand them is like reading a book covered in mud, but eventually you start to make sense of what you’re seeing.
You see the Verdessian commanding the reclaimers with the help of a small white flower, sending them down into the arcology where they begin to melt away debris. You see the Verdessian trying to direct them either away from or toward the strange, carnivorous plants you've encountered. Then you watch as the reclaimers are gripped and consumed by them.
Finally, you see a particularly large and almost pulsing root, from which the carnivorous plants are growing. Is the Verdessian trying to destroy these plants at their source? Is it asking you for help?
Rangers Choose
A) Agree to help eradicate these plant. Gain the AT THE SOURCE mission. Check off the right-most bubble next to it. It is not used for this mission. Cross off REFUSED THE VERDESSIAN if it is on the campaign tracker.
B) Refuse the Verdessian's request.
The petals of the Verdessian's face ripple and twitch. It then twists upon itself until it becomes a willowy stalk, and then retreats into the floor, like a sapling growing in reverse, and is gone.
Discard the Familiar Verdessian. Record REFUSED THE VERDESSIAN on the campaign tracker.
139.9
You hear a splintering crack like a thick branch breaking and see the Verdessian collapse. At one point you might have thought it dead, but now you’re not so sure. Given what you’ve already seen, you think that it will return, but there's no telling when.
Discard the Familiar Verdessian. Each Ranger suffers 2 fatigue.
140. The Heart
You hear a terrible screeching sound that echoes throughout the massive cavern. Gouts of sparks erupt up the wall, and you realize with horror that they parallel a line of support struts to the cage surrounding the heart. With a groan and then a deafening rumble, the housing around the heart collapses.
Read 1.125a.
141. Beat Regulator
The curving, bronze pipework and smooth, ashen plating arches over your head. This is the beat regulator, one of the many machines that provide life-giving sustenance to the heart. Even behind the thick shield plating, you can still hear its pumps rumbling rhythmically with an almost sub-sonic hum.
142. Nutrient Injector
Thick tubes gurgle as a syrupy goo flows through them, down towards the large spider-like device that latches onto the side of the heart. The syrup is a complex mixture of nutrients and essential vitamins that keeps the heart alive.
143. Vagus Capacitor
The sparking electrical nodes run down the height of the cavern, with regular crackling arcs of electricity snapping across the lower nodes to play across the heart. These arcs help keep the heart beating regularly and allow it to send energy back into the arcology systems.
144. Kal Iver, Proficient Ranger
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU'VE BESTED KAL, GO TO 144.1
- IF YOU'VE STOOD UP TO KAL, GO TO 144.2
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 144.3
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 144.4
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 144.5
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 144.6
144.1
You stop for a moment to rest your tired legs. Feeling the aches in your muscles beginning to fade, you're starting to feel thirsty. Without looking, you reach for the canteen you leave hanging from your pack … only to have it pressed into your hand.
You jump and turn, only to see Kal Iver sitting next to you and barely containing his laughter. “You should see your face!” he cries. “Ah, sorry to startle you,” he continues, wiping tears from his eyes, “but I just couldn’t resist. You’re looking pretty tired—hopefully not too tired to keep up.”
Place 1[icon] per Ranger on Kal Iver.
Clear Kal with [icon] to challenge him to yet another race.
144.2
You stop for a moment to rest your tired legs. You’re feeling the aches in your muscles starting to fade and are just taking a swig from your canteen when you feel something hard poke you in the small of your back.
You leap to your feet and see Kal Iver standing behind you, walking staff in hand. “Got to watch your back down here,” he grins smugly. “Never know what might be lurking around the corner.”
Place 1[icon] per Ranger on Kal Iver.
Clear Kal with [icon] to challenge him to a race.
144.3
You stop for a moment and sit down to rest your tired legs. As the aches fade from your muscles, you hear footsteps from one of the passageways up ahead. In a moment, you see a bobbing light, then a familiar figure in a blue Ranger’s cloak rounds the corner.
“Good day! Or, at least what passes for day in this sunless place,” Kal Iver says. “How are you faring?”
You let him know what you’ve been up to, and he nods, then relays his own explorations. “All in all, I think I’ve explored at least 10 kilometers of passageways today,” he finishes. A pause, then he continues, his voice turning a bit more lighthearted. “How many kilometers have you gone?” When you tell him, you see a faint smile creep into his expression. “Well, I was going to see if you could keep up with me on this next leg of my explorations,” Kal says. “But perhaps you’re feeling a bit too worn out?”
Clear Kal with [icon] to challenge him to a race.
144.4
“You’re not ready to give up, are you?” says Kal from a short distance ahead. “I’ve barely worked up a sweat!”
Rangers Choose
A) Not on your life, Kal Iver! Discard all [icon] and 1 edge from Kal. Each Ranger soothes 1 fatigue. Travel to one of the Artery locations before Kal gains the edge over you.
B) I suppose I am. Each Ranger soothes 1 fatigue. Discard Kal Iver.
144.5
Kal wipes the sweat from his brow and takes a sip from his canteen. “Challenging terrain down here. Wouldn’t you agree?” he says. “Say, I have an idea. Care for a little friendly competition? I planned to reach the Arteries today and set up camp. Why don’t we see who can get there first?”
Rangers Choose
A) You're on! Discard all [icon] and edge from Kal and attach the HELPING HAND mission to him. Travel to one of the Artery locations before he gains too much of an edge over you.
B) Sorry, Kal. We’ve got work to do! Each Ranger soothes 1 fatigue. Discard Kal Iver.
144.6
Kal hisses in pain and collapses. As you rush to help him, he manages to give you a wan smile. “Guess it’s a good thing I kept you around, huh?”
You look at his injuries, and note that while they’re not life-threatening, they require some immediate treatment. You’d better find a side passage and set up camp while you give him first aid.
End the day.
144.7
READ THE FIRST ENTRY YOU MEET THE CONDITIONS FOR:
If you are on Buried Survey Team:
Kal works to help you with single-minded focus, but you can see him wince with every motion. When he spots you watching, he gives you a weak grin.
"What? I can do this! ... Ok, ok, I see that look in your eye. And I know you can handle this on your own. I'll wait over in the safety of that passage."
Kal heads off, but can't stop himself from shifting one more piece of rubble on his way out.
Add 3 [icon] to a feature, then attach Kal to BURIED SURVEY TEAM facedown and check off his corresponding bubble.
Helping Hand is attached:
You run through the passageways, quickly choosing a different route from Kal as you strive to beat him to the arteries. Several times you find yourself moving along the bottom of large arched caverns, only to catch sight of Kal traversing some scaffolding or suspended walkway near the ceiling.
Now, however, you realize you haven’t seen or heard Kal for over an hour. You’re guessing he’s pulled ahead of you. You doubt you’ll be able to win the race to the arteries, but maybe you can meet up with him later and challenge him to a rematch.
Discard Kal Iver. Return HELPING HAND to the collection. The lead Ranger draws a path card.
Helping Hand is not attached:
As you head out again, Kal takes a last pull from your canteen and hands it back to you. “So long,” he says. “Stay wary down here.”
He heads down a side passageway and across a narrow walkway bridge. In a moment you’ve lost sight of him, but you’re sure you’ll run into Kal again down here in the maze of passageways.
Discard Kal Iver. The lead Ranger draws a path card.
145. The Slumbering Foreman
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU'VE SEEN THE LIGHT, GO TO 145.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 145.2
CLEAR [icon] POWERED [3]:
- IF YOU'VE SEEN THE LIGHT, GO TO 145.3
- IF YOU ARE AT ORLIN'S VAULT, GO TO 145.4
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 145.5
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 145.6
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 145.7
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 145.8
145.1
The familiar shape of a maintenance machine looms out of the darkness. You check and, sure enough, this one has the recognizable blue flower designs. It seems like it returned here to try to complete its previous task after leading you to the maintenance hatch.
Power up the Slumbering Foreman to reactivate it or clear it with progress to walk on by.
145.2
The massive shape looming out of the darkness sends you scrambling backwards … only to realize it’s one of the many-limbed maintenance machines you’ve seen scattered around the arcology. The machines resemble flamboyant beetles, covered with frilled antennae. This one catches your eye, however, because long ago someone inlaid cobalt flower designs around the main photoreceptors.
You examine the ancient machine. It appears to be in some sort of deep hibernation. Perhaps if it were powered it would wake from its slumber.
Add power tokens to the Slumbering Foreman, then clear it with [icon] to reactivate it.
145.3
The machine once more stirs with a series of beeps and boops. It turns to face you as if it recognizes you, its sensors gliding over your arms and shoulders. Another series of high-pitched beeps chime, but this time the machine doesn’t immediately march off. Instead, several power cells eject from its casing, clattering onto the floor in front of you. Then, with a steady hum, it clumsily trudges away from you. Is it offering you a gift in return for helping it?
Discard the Slumbering Foreman. You may distribute all power that was on it among other machines in play. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
145.4
You follow the machine to a room that has half a dozen bays for maintenance machines, some of which are occupied by badly rusted occupants. The air is thick with the cloying smell of ancient lubricants as you follow the machine to the back of the workshop.
Your mechanical companion stops before a rugged hatch. Then its photoreceptor flashes, and the hatch grinds open. Inside you see stacks of supplies, including carbon-forged paneling, flowsteel vats, and hundreds of esoteric components. The machine seems to think for a moment, then grabs a heavy floor panel and begins to leave. You have just a moment to grab a compact, useful-looking device and jump out of the storage bay before the hatch slams shut again.
Gain the Portable Generator reward card. Discard the Slumbering Foreman. Return HELPING HAND to the collection. Record SEEN THE LIGHT on the campaign tracker.
145.5
You slow, and with a confused “boop” the machine turns to face you. For a moment, its long, feathery sensors brush lightly over your face and body. Then, with a resolute “beep,” it turns on its dozen legs and continues lumbering down the way it was headed.
Do you want to continue to escort the machine?
Rangers Choose
A) We should see this through. Discard all [icon] from the Slumbering Foreman. Escort the machine to Orlin’s Vault and clear it with [icon] to find out where it’s headed.
B) More pressing matters have come up. Let it go on its way. Discard the Slumbering Foreman. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
145.6
You finish linking the last of your universal power cells (plus the energy reservoir to the broken Sol coil you’d never quite gotten around to fixing) into the machine’s main motivators. Then you flip the switches—and leap back as the machine springs to life!
The machine spins around, legs and manipulator arms flailing in all directions. Then it smacks into a nearby wall and tumbles to the floor. It sits, legs sprawled in every direction, for a long moment before climbing back to its feet. You could swear you see it shake itself like a massive, clumsy dog before stomping off down the hallway.
As you follow, you think you remember that some Estian workshops lie in this direction. Maybe the machine is headed there. However, you also know that something this noisy and cumbersome is going to attract a lot of predators and other dangers. There’s a good chance it won’t make it to its destination without protection.
A) Escort the machine to its destination. Discard all [icon] from the Slumbering Foreman and attach HELPING HAND to it. Clear the Slumbering Foreman with [icon] at Orlin’s Vault to discover its destination.
B) We don’t have time for this. Discard the Slumbering Foreman. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
145.7
Unpowered as it is, the machine sits in deep slumber, unable to budge or perform its duties. Although you really don’t have time to mess with ancient machines, a part of you can’t help but wonder what would happen if you linked the machine to some of the external power sources you carry with you.
Rangers Choose
A) We should power it up. Discard [icon] from the Slumbering Foreman until it has 1 fewer [icon] than its threshold. (Add power tokens to the Slumbering Foreman to reactivate it, then clear it with [icon] to proceed.)
B) More pressing matters have come up. Discard the Slumbering Foreman. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
145.8
With a scream of shearing metal, the machine collapses. Black lubricant sprays everywhere, and you have to duck as a decapitated sensor frond spins past your head. Another irreplaceable piece of Estian technology has been lost.
Each Ranger suffers 3 fatigue.
146. Flowsteel Control
ENTERS PLAY: GO TO 146.1****CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 146.2
146.1
A strange, circular pedestal rises up from the ground, and although the attached metal plates are as solid as the surrounding walls and bulkheads, something about it seems strangely amorphous. You study the wavy ripple patterns in the material and realize that this is definitely flowsteel.
You study it further and spot several subtle bulges and depressions scattered across the surface in regular intervals. This … this looks like a control panel. Perhaps you can figure out how to work it, and it may give you some control over nearby arcology systems.
Clear the Flowsteel Controls with [icon] to figure out the controls.
146.2
After long minutes of touching, pushing, caressing, and eventually punching the various controls, you touch the right combination of “buttons.” The whole panel suddenly ripples, steel flowing and splashing like a vertical pool, before a three dimensional map of the nearby arcology corridors rises up out of the quicksilver substance. You touch more controls, zooming in on a specific part of the map.
Rangers Choose:
A) If you are at a water location, reroute the flow of water: Discard Flowsteel Controls. Move any number of beings. Then each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
B) If you are at a ruins location, open a nearby door: Discard Flowsteel Controls. Place 5[icon] on a feature or 3[icon] on the location.
C) If you are at a trail location, access map data from the terminal: Discard Flowsteel Controls. Scout 3 path cards, then each Ranger scouts 2 Ranger cards.
D) If you are at a cave location, illuminate floodlights installed in the area: Discard Flowsteel Controls. Exhaust any number of beings or place 3[icon] on the location.
E) Activate the arcology's artificial weather system: Discard Flowsteel Controls. Return the current weather to the collection and put A Preserved Day into play.
147. Mutating Galgothrop
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU'VE COMPREHENDED THE GALGOTHROP, GO TO 147.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 147.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF EACH RANGER’S [icon] IS ON THIS CARD, GO TO 147.3
- OTHERWISE, DISCARD MUTATING GALGOTHROP.
147.1
In a shadowed alcove, you see a familiar-looking misshapen heap of detritus: a galgothrop, munching on its meal. Its gargling hiss sends shivers up your spine, but now that you understand better how it fits into the arcology’s ecosystem, it doesn’t alarm you nearly as much as it did on your first meeting.
Exhaust Mutating Galgothrop and add 4 [icon] to it. Then, add 2 [icon] to another being.
147.2
Your nostrils are filled with a dank and moldering odor; something rotten, like decaying meat. Then, the darkness beside you seems to spring to life and you’re hit by a blast of hot, rancid breath. A massive bulk surges toward you, its distended maw hanging open and ratty tentacles whipping at your head. You hear a wet, gurgling growl from somewhere deep within its chest.
Clear the Mutating Galgothrop with [icon] while each Ranger’s [icon] is on it to gain a greater understanding of it.
147.3
Observing the galgothrop has been one of the more unpleasant tasks you’ve taken on as a Ranger, especially as you watch its consumption-and-regurgitation eating cycle, but it’s given you some valuable insights. Two of the most important are that galgothrops prefer only the deepest shadows, and while carnivorous, they are opportunists, not hunters. They lurk complacently in dark passages or beneath unstable piles of rubble, hoping for an easy meal.
Record COMPREHENDED THE GALGOTHROP on the campaign tracker. If you had already COMPREHENDED THE GALGOTHROP, each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
148. Precarious Wreckage
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU'VE MAPPED THE WRECKAGE, GO TO 148.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 148.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF EACH RANGER’S [icon] IS ON THIS CARD, GO TO 148.3
- OTHERWISE, DISCARD PRECARIOUS WRECKAGE.
148.1
You’ve come across another teetering mass of wreckage, forming a walkway over a wide, open space. This time, however, you can immediately recognize where upon it you should step, and where you should not. So much so, in fact, you feel that if you follow this path, you may actually make better progress than if you were to take another route.
Exhaust Precarious Wreckage and add 3 [icon] to it.
148.2
The way forward looks dangerous. The surrounding chamber must have suffered from a cave-in at some point in the distant past, and your only way across the open space before you is a narrow walkway of twisted arcology wreckage. When you put your weight on it, you can feel it creak and shift. You’ll need to proceed with caution; one wrong step may cause it to collapse.
Clear the Precarious Wreckage with [icon] while each Ranger’s [icon] is on it to discover the safest route across.
148.3
You move carefully onto the walkway, testing each step as you go. In the darkness to either side, you see vague forms move and shift. You’re certain that something below you is eager for you to fall. As you make your way across, you take time to observe how the dim light reveals subtle differences between portions of the walkway that are solid and sturdy and those that are on the verge of collapse. The more time you spend on the walkway, the more obvious those differences become, and before you know it, you’ve reached the other side safe and sound.
Record MAPPED THE WRECKAGE on the campaign tracker. If you had already MAPPED THE WRECKAGE, add 2[icon][icon] to the location.
149. Pitch Black Passage
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU'VE BRAVED THE DARK, GO TO 149.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 149.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF EACH RANGER’S [icon] IS ON THIS CARD, GO TO 149.3
- OTHERWISE, DISCARD PITCH BLACK PASSAGE.
149.1
Having conquered your fears, the darkened passage before you does little to dissuade you from continuing on your present course. And while galgothrops may dwell within, you feel confident that you can avoid them by their smell alone. You fasten your cloak and prepare to step into the darkness.
Exhaust Pitch Black Passage and add 5 [icon] to it.
149.2
There are very few places in the arcology ruin that anyone would consider to be “well lit,” yet many chambers and passages are at least partially illuminated by bioluminescent plants and fungi, or by what remains of the artificial lighting the Estians installed. This passageway, however, is the darkest you have seen. It’s as though it emanates darkness, projecting it outward to swallow the light. There could be any number of dangers within. You stand before the opening, knowing that you must enter, but hesitant to do so.
Clear the Pitch Black Passage with [icon] while each Ranger’s [icon] is on it to overcome your fear of the unknown.
149.3
Although your first thought is to return to base camp and retrieve a lambance rig or two, you quickly realize that the space is far too large to light permanently. Instead, you need to venture forward with whatever gear you have at hand, insufficient though it may be to fully chase away the darkness or your feelings of trepidation.
As you progress steadily through the passage, you become more and more aware of the sounds made by dangers lurking within, and the odors they emit, and are thus able to avoid them without much difficulty. By relying on your full range of senses and following your instincts, you become more and more comfortable in the darkness until—at last— it no longer troubles you.
Record BRAVED THE DARK on the campaign tracker. If you had already BRAVED THE DARK, add up to 1[icon][icon] to each feature in play.
150. Fractal Frog
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU MADE WHOLE THE FROG, GO TO 150.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 150.2
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 150.3
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 150.4
150.1
As you walk along, you suddenly hear an all-too-familiar “ribbit” from a dark corner. You look over, and sure enough, the fractal frog stares at you with its bulging eyes. As you watch, it begins to vibrate.
Search the general set for a Fractal Frog and shuffle it into the path deck.
Clear Fractal Frogs with [icon] to catch them.
150.2
A frog lazily creeps out from its hiding spot and stares at you with bulging eyes. When it suddenly makes a gurgling “ribbit” sound, you can’t help but laugh. Its already huge eyes widen further in shock. Apparently, you startled it. But instead of hopping away, it shakes as though gripped by an unseen hand and splits in two! Before your eyes, a whole new frog grows out of the first one and quickly hops away. The other frog sits there, blinking lazily, then gurgles again.
What an incredible being! You wonder, if you catch them and then place them close together, would they reunite.
Search the general set for 1[icon] Fractal Frogs and shuffle them into the path deck.
Clear Fractal Frogs with [icon] to catch them.
150.3
Before the frog can leap away, you scoop it up. It starts to gurgle and kick as you place it into the biggest and deepest pocket of your cloak.
Return this Fractal Frog to the collection. Search the path deck and discard; if there are no Fractal Frogs in the path deck, path discard, or in play, go to 150.5.
150.4
The frog trembles, then with a “pop” of displaced air, a second frog launches itself from the space the first still occupies. They hop away in opposite directions as fast as their lanky legs can launch them.
Discard this Fractal Frog. Search the general set for a copy of Fractal Frog and shuffle it into the path deck.
150.5
You place the last frog into your very full cloak pocket. There’s another familiar “pop,” and suddenly the weight hanging from your cloak lessens considerably.
Cautiously, you peek into your pocket, only to see a single frog crouched at the bottom. You take it out of your pocket, carefully set it down, then slowly back away.
For a long moment, the frog stares at you. Then it lazily licks its eye and begins to hop away with languid leaps.
Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue. Record that you MADE WHOLE THE FROG. Gain the A Frog this Way Comes reward card.
151. Wanderer Spirit
ENTERS PLAY: GO TO 151.1
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED AND YOU ARE 3 OR MORE PATHS AWAY FROM THE NOTED LOCATION, GO TO 151.2
- IF HELPING HAND IS ATTACHED, GO TO 151.3
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 151.4
151.1
You hear rhythmic footsteps in the distance, echoing across the cavern walls. But something about the quality of the sound feels off—not like the soles of a boot on a cavern floor. You follow the sound and soon discover why.
A tall, broad-shouldered figure in exotic dress walks down the hall, staring up at the ceiling as he strides forward slowly and methodically. His face is obscured by a hat and tattered scarf, although two pinpricks of light peek out from within the darkness where his face should be. You can't be sure, but his body seems slightly translucent, and clouds of mist swirl about him.
If you had to guess, you’d assume this is an Estian spirit. You wonder what he's looking for.
Clear this spirit with [icon] to discern what he is looking for.
151.2
When you first began your journey with the wanderer, he was hesitant to follow, but as the hours passed and you spent more time in each other's company, he began to speak to you like a friend, pointing out places of interest, and seemingly telling you stories of his life and the people he knew, until eventually you began to understand him, after a fashion.
You get the sense that this spirit was someone who shouldered a great burden of responsibility in life. Perhaps he was something like an Elder or even a Ranger. Whatever his former role, he clearly cared deeply for the people who lived here, and still holds a great deal of grief for their loss.
As you reach the threshold of the next chamber, the spirit stops, and seems to look at something in the far distance. He turns, and places his hands on your shoulders. He levels the pinpricks of light that are his eyes with yours and speaks softly. While you don't understand the words, they still have an effect, and you feel a pleasant warmth grow in your chest.
The spirit then walks forward into the chamber, and as he goes, his figure is infused with golden light, and then, in a heartbeat, he is gone.
Discard the Wanderer Spirit and permanently remove it from the Arcology set. Return HELPING HAND to the collection. Gain the Wanderer Spirit reward card.
151.3
As you lead the spirit steadily away from the path that he has trodden for centuries, you find yourself wondering more and more about the nature of existence. How is this spirit visible to you? Is it something about the arcology that makes it possible? When you die, is there a possibility that you too will be tethered to the physcial plane? It's almost too much to contemplate.
Rangers Choose
A) Continue leading the spirit. Discard [icon] from the Wanderer Spirit. Travel to a location three or more paths away from the noted location, then clear the Wanderer Spirit with [icon].
B) Let the spirit go on his way. Discard the Wanderer Spirit. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
151.4
As you observe the spirit, you note that he moves with a certain practiced repetition, as if he is deeply familiar with his current path. At a turn in the passage, the spirit pauses, and finally acknowledges your presence.
He speaks to you in a startlingly deep voice, gesturing with his hands as he does. The language is that of the ancients, and while you are unable to understand it, you can still make out many familiar sounds. That, however, is where the similarites to your language end.
Despite this, you get the strong sense from his tone that he desires to be free. Perhaps he has been doomed to walk the same path for centuries, revisiting a past he would just as soon forget. If you can help this spirit break free from his familiar patterns, he might be able to move on.
Rangers Choose
A) Lead the Spirit on an unexpected journey. Discard all [icon] from the Wanderer Spirit and attach the Helping Hand mission to him. Then note your current location. Travel to a location three or more paths away from the noted location, then clear the Wanderer Spirit with [icon].
B) Let the spirit go on his way. Discard the Wanderer Spirit. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
152. A Shadow in the Darkness
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU'VE COMPLETED ONE THOUSAND LEGS (WILD SCUTTLEBUS), GO TO 152.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 152.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF YOU’VE COMPLETED OR CURRENTLY HAVE ONE THOUSAND LEGS (WILD SCUTTLEBUS), GO TO 152.3
- IF YOU'VE ENCOUNTERED THE SCUTTLEBUS, GO TO 152.4
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 152.5
152.1
You feel a tingle run up your spine and turn, only to see a shadowy figure duck into a side passageway and vanish some meters away. You call out to them, but they do not emerge. However, when you approach the passageway, you can see them lurking at the far end. As soon as they see you, they slip around a distant corner.
It seems that the figure wants you to follow them again.
Clear the shadow with [icon] to attempt to follow the furtive figure again.
152.2
You see … something flit across your peripheral vision. You turn your head, but see nothing but shadowed halls and gloom. However, a sense of unease stirs within you, and you stay on the alert.
Over the next hour, you think you see something twice more. Once, another shadow (or the same one?) moves among rubble piles at the edge of your light. And the second time, you spot a shadowy figure hunched on a balcony meters above your head.
Whatever it is, it’s not behaving like any being you’ve ever encountered in your travels.
Clear the shadow with [icon] to attempt to follow the furtive figure.
152.3
You’re pretty sure this room is different from the last one you were led into. This one looks a bit more lived-in, with a disc-shaped rock that serves as a table, and another stone slab that could be a bed. The figure invites you to sit on the floor in front of the table and begins heating something up on a portable stove. A couple of minutes later, they place a carved-out bowl of hearty mushroom stew and a cup of what appears to be steaming tea in front of you. They sit and watch from the shadows as you sip the stew cautiously. Are they trying to thank you for helping them?
As you hungrily consume the rest of the meal, you notice more paintings on the wall of this chamber. These seem a bit older. Some depict submerged passageways that seem very familiar, being navigated by figures wearing tiny rebreathers on their faces. Others depict locked doors, but next to the doors the figure has illustrated an angular, sharp-pronged device. More figures plunge the device into the center of these doors, and the doors swing open in response.
Discard A Shadow in the Darkness. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
If you are on THE EXPEDITION’S PATH, go to 152.6
152.4
You follow the shadowy figure through tunnels and maintenance corridors, up ramps and stairwells, and across a passageway that, through flooding, has turned into a shallow underground river. All the time, you stay close enough to continue the chase, but never close enough to catch them. Perhaps, you realize, that is exactly the shadowy figure’s goal.
Just as you wonder if you should break off your pursuit, you emerge into a large chamber lit by dozens of phosphorescent mushrooms. There is no sign of the figure, but as you search the room, you find the walls adorned with a series of simple and elegant paintings. They depict a terrifying monster resembling a massive spindlescuttler with a bulbous head chasing a group of figures. One is caught and devoured, the rest are separated and scattered. You recognize this being, you’re sure it’s the one you encountered in the arteries.
Then your eye catches the last painting in the series. This one seems very recent; when you touch the wall, your finger comes away with traces of wet pigment. You see the being again, but this time, it is being hunted by figures wearing cloaks. When you notice that the cloaks on the figures are the same color as your own, you realize what this unknown individual wants you to do.
Rangers Choose:
A) Decide to hunt the Scuttlebus for them. Gain the ONE THOUSAND LEGS (WILD SCUTTLEBUS) mission. Search the Artery set for the Wild Scuttlebus and attach it facedown to the mission card. Discard A Shadow in the Darkness.
B) You can't risk your greater mission chasing down this biomeld. Discard A Shadow in the Darkness.
If you are on THE EXPEDITION’S PATH, go to 152.6
152.5
You follow the shadowy figure through tunnels and maintenance corridors, up ramps and stairwells, and across a passageway that has flooded to become a shallow underground river. All the time, you stay close enough to continue the chase, but never close enough to catch them. Perhaps, you realize, that is exactly the shadowy figure’s goal.
Just as you wonder if you should break off your pursuit, you emerge into a large chamber lit by dozens of phosphorescent mushrooms. There is no sign of the figure, but as you search the room, you find the walls adorned with a series of simple and elegant paintings. They depict a terrifying monster resembling a massive spindlescuttler with a bulbous head chasing a group of figures. One is caught and devoured, the rest are separated and scattered.
You don’t know what this being is, or what the stranger is trying to ask of you. Perhaps if you can find a being like this and then return to him, you can glean more information.
Discard A Shadow in the Darkness. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
152.6
You count the number of figures, and note the gray cloaks they wear. This seems like the lost expedition! And if true, that would make this shadowy figure a survivor. Silaro would give just about anything to interview a living member of the first expedition; he should be informed.
Check off the left bubble next to THE EXPEDITION’S PATH on the campaign tracker.
153. Trail of Ooze
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU'VE TRACKED DOWN THE OOZE, GO TO 153.1
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 153.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF YOU ARE AT A CAVE LOCATION, GO TO 153.3
- IF FOLLOWING A LEAD IS ATTACHED, GO TO 153.4
- IF YOU'VE TRACKED DOWN THE OOZE, GO TO 153.5
- OTHERWISE, GO TO 153.6
153.1
As you walk through the dark corridors, your feet suddenly slip out from under you and send you sprawling! As you climb up, you realize with disgust that your hands and back are coated in that translucent ooze you found earlier. Sure enough, a trail leads away into the darkness. Perhaps there’s another being like that shapeshifter you found?
Clear the Trail of Ooze with [icon] to track it again.
153.2
You’ve seen plenty of ruined equipment throughout the arcology, but something about this broken meter-high cylinder catches your attention. After a moment you realize that the interior and exterior of the shattered glass are covered in a thick, translucent goo that still glistens in the light of your lambance rigs. Then you see a trail of the same substance heading away from you. This cylinder must have broken recently. More importantly, whatever was in it has escaped.
Clear the Trail of Ooze with [icon] to track it.
153.3
As you follow the trail of ooze, you notice that it seems to be growing … wetter. You must be closing in on whatever it is that escaped. Then you spot it!
You suppose you shouldn’t be surprised. The jelly-like mass lurking in the rubble-strewn corner looks just like a blob of ooze. You’re trying to decide what the best way to capture it would be (or if it’s even worthwhile to do so) when you notice ripples flowing down its outer surface. Slowly, sinuously, limbs elongate out of the blob, the surface takes on a darker color and rougher texture, and a head begins to emerge. The blob is transforming into something else entirely!
Search the Mountain Pass set for a Pouncing Atrox, the Old-Growth set for a Dozing Bearsloth, and the Grassland set for a Bloodbeckoned Velox and a Hungry Scrof. Shuffle these together to form the Shapeshifter deck. Draw a being from the Shapeshifter deck and put it into play. Attach Trail of Ooze to that being.
Clear the shapeshifting being with [icon] to subdue it.
153.4
The trail of ooze is growing easier to track. However, it seems to be leading far away from your original destination. Given the chaotic nature of the arcology ruins around you, you’re starting to worry about how long it will take to find your way back.
Rangers Choose:
A) Resolve to track the being. Move all [icon] from Trail of Ooze to the location. Clear the Trail of Ooze with [icon] while at a cave location to discover what made it.
B) This is leading us off course. Discard the Trail of Ooze and return FOLLOWING A LEAD to the collection. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
153.5
Just like the original trail you found, this one looks like it leads out of the laboratory and into the nearby caves. You could follow it, but you’re not sure the ooze poses a dire threat to the arcology’s ecosystem, and you doubt you’re going to find any valuable technology or artifacts in the caves.
Rangers Choose:
A) Follow the trail. Discard all [icon] from Trail of Ooze. Attach the FOLLOWING A LEAD mission to Trail of Ooze. Clear the Trail of Ooze with [icon] while at a cave location to discover what made it.
B) We don't have time for this. Discard the Trail of Ooze and return FOLLOWING A LEAD to the collection. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
153.6
As you see more of the strange slime, you notice that it’s not translucent so much as iridescent. You think it even appears to change color subtly. The trail leads out of the lab. You realize that whatever this entity is, it has to be very viscous and likely susceptible to dry conditions. It would likely head towards the dark and damp of a cave.
Rangers Choose:
A) Follow the trail. Discard all [icon] from Trail of Ooze. Attach the FOLLOWING A LEAD mission to Trail of Ooze. Clear the Trail of Ooze with [icon] while at a cave location to discover what made it.
B) We don't have time for this. Discard the Trail of Ooze. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
153.7
Abruptly, the slippery surface of the ooze loses its texture and color. For a moment, it seems to be shifting back into its original blobby form. Then the ripples run across its skin, and the entity begins to take on a new form!
Replace the being that Trail of Ooze is attached to with a random being from the Shapeshifter deck. Attach Trail of Ooze to the new being and move all [icon] and [icon] to the new being. Shuffle the previous being into the Shapeshifter deck. Then, if the new being has ambush, resolve it.
153.8
READ ONE:
The being that Trail of Ooze is attached to is cleared with [icon]:
After what felt like hours of fighting, coaxing, and trying to avoid getting hit by the being’s attacks, the ooze finally seems to understand that you’re not a threat. It begins to shift again, but this time, it does so slowly and almost sheepishly. Instead of shifting into another predator of the Valley, it takes on a form that appears to be its actual self—a small and vulnerable slug-like being.
As you approach it carefully, you realize that the shapeshifting ability must be the entity’s defense mechanism. By appearing to be a much larger and more fearsome predator, it can probably scare off most things that want to eat it.
Discard Trail of Ooze and return FOLLOWING A LEAD to the collection. Return the cards in the Shapeshifter deck, and the card to which Trail of Ooze was attached, to their respective sets. Gain The Shapeshifter reward. Record TRACKED DOWN THE OOZE on the campaign tracker.
The being that Trail of Ooze is attached to is cleared with [icon]:
With a final, squelching blow, you strike the shapeshifting monstrosity. It shudders and collapses before slowly spreading into a pool of clear ichor. As you step gingerly around the liquid, you can’t help but wonder: Did the shapeshifter actually have a true form?
Discard Trail of Ooze and return FOLLOWING A LEAD to the collection. Return the cards in the Shapeshifter deck, and the card to which Trail of Ooze was attached, to their respective sets. Each Ranger soothes 3 fatigue.
154. Crimson Guardian
A red glow illuminates the hall ahead, and you hear a low, mechanical growl. The sound of heavy footsteps precedes a hulking form that all but fills the passageway.
It stops, and projects several thin, red bands of light that seem to scan its surroundings. You stand stock-still as the lights move across your body. First horizontally, then vertically. Then, suddenly, the machine turns, and a powerful, blood red light shines upon you.
155. Elevated Passage
The narrow suspended walkway rises sharply into the gloom above. It seems navigable, but the steepness of the grade and the trickling water running down the slope should make the climb more difficult.
Travel while all [icon] are on this feature to move to a location on a higher stratum.
155.1
If you are on Stratum 1, go to 155.2****Otherwise, read:
You scramble up the final few meters of the slope, feet sliding on the slippery surface. You emerge onto a landing. Doorways lead into higher levels of the arcology, and to one side, another walkway stretches upward, rising to some higher level still.
Travel to any location on the map one stratum above your current location (if you are at a location on Stratum 3, travel to any location on Stratum 2, and if you are at a location on Stratum 2, any location on Stratum 1). Use the Cave System terrain set when constructing the path deck.
155.2
You scramble up the last few meters, your feet sliding on the slippery surface. As you do, you realize that the ground is now coated with mud, not water. The passage ahead has narrowed, and you see it’s choked with roots and mud.
You push through the curtain of spidery roots and emerge in a shower of dirt into bright sunlight. You’ve reached the surface of the Valley!
Travel to any location on the Valley map except Headwaters Station. Use the Cave System terrain set when constructing the path deck.
156. Flooded Passage
You slip the rebreather over your face and plunge into the water. The dark passageway leads on through many twists and turns, and you encounter many dead ends that require you to double back and search for another way forward. Surely, you would have perished here had you attempted this feat without the aid of the curious Estian device.
You can travel from this location along routes locked by the [icon] icon. Discard all [icon] from Flooded Passage and attach it facedown to the current location as a reminder. When you travel, return Flooded Passage to the general set.
156.1
The only path you spot heading deeper into the arcology has flooded with water. The water is right up to the top of the passageway, and it stretches further than you can see. Not knowing where the passage leads, nor how long and winding the course may be, you’re confident that you do not have the lung capacity to both navigate the passage and make it through safely to the other side.
Search the general set for the Flooded Passage and put it into play.
If you have not ACQUIRED A REBREATHER continue reading:
If you had something that could allow you to breathe underwater, you could continue beyond this flooded passage. If such a device exists, the Ranger Lunn, collector of exotic gear and artifacts that he is, would know of it. He's likely to be poking around the arcology anywhere it's been exposed to the daylight.
Be on the lookout for Lunn somewhere in the arcology. He might be able to help.
156.2
You leap down to your destination from an elevated passage that was not submerged. Unfortunately, it’s too high and too slippery to climb back up, and the only other route is completely flooded. If you wish to descend again from here, you’ll have find a way to breathe underwater.
Search the general set for the Flooded Passage and put it into play.
157. Overgrown Passage
You open the pouch of spores and, with a gentle puff of breath, blow them towards the vines. The reaction is almost instantaneous. The vines shiver and recoil from the spores, revealing a previously unseen passageway.
You can travel from this location along routes locked by the [icon] icon. Discard all [icon] from Overgrown Passage and attach it facedown to the current location as a reminder. When you travel, return Overgrown Passage to the general set.
157.1
There is a passageway here leading deeper into the arcology, but it has become completely overgrown with massive vines. If you could somehow clear a path, you think you could proceed deeper into the arcology.
Search the general set for the Overgrown Passage and put it into play.
If you have not TESTED THE SPORES continue reading:
You’ll need to find something to help you clear out the vines. You remember that the biologist Sirisana Mir came along on the expedition with a particular interest in the mycelial network of mushrooms that grows down here. Of anyone you know, she would be able to provide some insight. She's likely to be wherever the mushrooms are densest.
Be on the lookout for Sirisana somewhere in the arcology. She might be able to help.
157.2
As you make your way to your destination, slithering vines unfurl around you, once more blocking your descent. You’ll have to clear out these vines somehow if you wish to take this route again.
Search the general set for the Overgrown Passage and put it into play.
158. Locked Passage
After a thorough examination of the doorway, you string a connection from Lunn's door opening device to the socket. At first nothing happens, but then you hear a loud “thunk” as the mechanisms behind the massive door spring to life. Then, with a grinding squeal that sets your teeth on edge, the portal slowly opens, revealing a darkened passageway beyond, leading you deeper into the arcology ruin.
You can travel from this location along routes locked by the [icon] icon. Discard all [icon] from Locked Passage and attach it facedown to the current location as a reminder. When you travel, return Locked Passage to the general set.
158.1
As you explore your surroundings you discover a massive, sealed door. Try as you might, you’re unable to open it. It’s far too large to force open, and whatever mechanisms once moved it seem to have grown inert.
Search the general set for the Locked Passage and put it into play.
If you have not REPAIRED AN INVENTION continue reading:
As you inspect the door further, you discover that a critical component appears to be missing—a power source. You spend a few moments rummaging through your gear, but find nothing compatible with the Estian technology. If a replacement power source exists, you're certain you'll find it down here in the arcology. But where?
The moment you have the thought, you spot something at the foot of the door, covered in dust: a note scrawled in a hasty script.
"I couldn't wait any longer. I'm going beyond the flooded passage, beneath the main artery, to the chamber where the Estians once slept. Don't worry, Hollan, I can handle myself. —Timo"
You recall that Hollan was the name of the leader of the lost expedition. Perhaps if you follow, you'll learn of the team's fate.
Find where the Estians once slept.
158.2
As you cross the threshold into your destination, a massive door slams behind you. Try as you might, you’re unable to open it back up. You’ll have to restore power to the door in order to descend via that same passage ...
Search the general set for the Locked Passage and put it into play.
159. Lunn, Curious Scavenger
ENTERS PLAY:
- IF YOU ARE AT THE OASIS OF SUNLIGHT, GO TO 159.1
- IF YOU ARE AT THE SILENT DORMITORIES, GO TO 159.2
CLEAR [icon]:
- IF YOU ARE AT THE OASIS OF SUNLIGHT, GO TO 159.3
- IF YOU ARE AT THE SILENT DORMITORIES, GO TO 159.4
CLEAR [icon]: GO TO 159.5
159.1
Not far from where you discovered the pitons, you come across a man wearing an oversized Ranger’s cloak, closely inspecting an exposed section of arcology ruins. Beside him sits a backpack bursting with supplies from every pouch and pocket. “Oh!” Lunn yells, startled. “I didn’t expect to run into anyone else out and about, what with everyone congregating at the Chimney and all. What a pleasant surprise!”
He beckons you closer. “I know what you’re thinking. Who’s watching over the Northern Outpost if I’m down here in this hole? Well don’t you worry about it,” he says with a wave of his hand. “I’ve been stationed in that dark old forest for years. It practically takes care of itself! Besides, I wasn’t about to sit around while everyone else was off exploring the arcology. Imagine all the Estian gadgets sitting in the dark, collecting dust, just waiting to be found!”
Lunn gestures to his overstuffed pack. “You never know what you’ll need out in the wilderness, let alone in this strange, subterranean maze. Why just a few days ago, a little deeper in, I found a completely flooded passage. Couldn't get through no way no how, but then I remembered the devices I got from Ren Kobo a few years ago—devices that let you breathe underwater! Imagine that! I ran back to the Outpost and dug them out of storage. Got ‘em right here … somewhere …”
Clear Lunn with [icon] to ask him about the devices.
159.2
Standing before the open doors of a massive structure in the courtyard, you find Lunn once again. From his lap spills a haphazard tangle of cables, connectors, and other Estian bric-a-brac. Many cables lead to an exposed panel in the wall beside the open door. Lunn looks somewhat perplexed as he thoughtfully bites his thumbnail.
Clear Lunn with [icon] to ask what he's doing.
159.3
You ask Lunn about the devices that allow you to breathe underwater and the eccentric Ranger lights up. “One of the most interesting devices I’ve ever seen. Estian no less!” he says, producing a small case of brown, lacquered wood from his pack. Inside are several intricately crafted collars.
“I went to the Golden Shore to give them a try. Ren Kobo warned me that they were running low on juice, and he wasn’t wrong! After about a minute of breathing easy as can be, the thing stopped working. I had to swim for my life!” He shakes his head. “You know me. I love to tinker! But I couldn't get it to work with our power cells. I thought maybe I’d find something down here that could help. It runs on the quantumly entangled photons contained in these little glass cubes the Estians were fond of. Let's call them 'quantum cubes' for short. I’ve found some in the rubble, but so far they’re all either dead or broken.”
Lunn lifts a collar from the case. “You know what?” he says. “I think you should take them with you. Usually, I’d want something in trade, but the universe conspired for us to cross paths here in this isolated sinkhole, and I have a feeling this is the reason.” He hands you the case and gathers his pack. “You’re sure to find some of those cubes on your journey. Just keep your eyes open for piles of rubble. Once you do, just insert the cube into this here socket, and it should power right up!”
Gain the BREATHE EASIER mission. Discard Lunn. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
159.4
You ask Lunn what he's doing.
“Trying to get this contraption working again,” he says, holding up a handheld device cobbled together from scrap.
"It's a custom built Estian door opener. The power cell adapters I was able to scavenge shorted out as soon as I used it." He points to several scorch marks on the device. "I don't have the replacements here to fix it, so I suppose I’ll have to be content with exploring this place." He gestures toward the open door with his thumb. "Those locked passages with their giant doors will just have to wait!"
You recall the locked passage you discovered, and wonder aloud if the device could open it. Lunn nods. "Almost certainly," he says. "Tell you what: I'll give you my one-of-a-kind, artisanal door opener if you promise to fix it. Deal?"
You agree and shake on it. Lunn hands over the device and gathers up his pack. "Good luck," he says. "It's more complicated than it looks!"
You've found a key to the locked passage. Now you just need to fix it.
Gain the ARTIFICIAL ADAPTATION mission. Discard Lunn. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.
159.5
Lunn groans and collapses. The wound doesn’t seem life threatening, but when you try to move him, he curls up and moans. You get out your medical supplies and set to work treating him. This may take a while.
End the day.
160. The Heart's Confusion
You look up at the heart, and as you do, you feel an invisible force, like a pulse of energy, wash over you. In that moment, you sense feelings of astonishment and dismay. Nothing makes sense!, a voice in your mind screams. How could this have happened? Why did they do it? How could they not have seen? You reel backward and grasp your head as you steadily return to your senses.
161. The Heart's Anger
The Cage echoes with the sound of the heart struggling to find its rhythm. Anger roils inside it like White Sky Lake in a storm. Waves of anger crash against you with every labored beat. Scattered visions of the Estians fill your mind. You see thousands of faces, their features distinct for but a moment as they morph from one to the next to the next—all lost in the flood.
When the vision clears and you return to yourself, you find your hands clenched in tight fists. You must help the heart release its anger if it is to be made whole once more.
162. The Heart's Sorrow
The heart's sorrow ebbs and flows like the tide crushing you with waves of despair. So much loss. So much destruction. The pain is unbearable. Tears cloud the edges of your vision. Grief grips you like a vise. It's as though the heart has lost all hope, and with it, the will to live on.
163. The Heart's Fear
You reach out to the heart and feel a weight upon you like a blanket of dread. The past, unchangeable; the future, uncertain. Time is a tortuous construct—a prison from which the heart cannot escape. And it is terrified—of what came before, of what comes after, and everything in between.
196. Rattling the Cage
196.1
Before you can get on the trail, a massive tremor shakes the stone beneath your feet. The reverberations of the quake continue to echo back to you for minutes afterwards. These earthquakes have been getting more common across the last few days. Whatever Silaro did to the arcology changed something, and it’s getting worse.
196.2
Yet another tremor shakes the Valley. You hold on to something and ride out the upheaval. The last few days have made it clear to you that whatever is happening in the arcology is getting progressively worse. If the earthquakes continue growing like this in frequency and intensity, there is going to be a point of no return in another six days or so.
196.3
You jump as an ear-splitting crack rings out. Some nearby stone cracks in half as the ground begins to twist and writhe! The earthquakes have not slowed down. You think you only have a few more days until whatever is happening reaches its conclusion.
196.4
Something is very wrong. The earthquakes happen nearly constantly now, sometimes mere moments apart. The arcology beneath the valley seems to almost cry out in pain. Whatever else you were focusing on seems to pale in comparison to the importance of this cry. The time for research or exploration has passed, and you will need to take action if you are going to stop this.
196.5
You barely got any rest last night. The earth twists and shakes constantly now. A feeling of pain, dread, and finality suffuses the air. Somehow, you know that if you don't get to the source of this by the end of today, it will end without you.
196.6
If you are not at the Cage, go to 196.7. Otherwise, read:
You awake to the Cage shuddering and shaking all around you. It’s time to finish this. It’s now or never.
Record 196.7 1 day from now on the day tracker. Read 107.2.
196.7
READ ONE:
If you are at a location on Stratum 3:
You're startled awake by the roar of an earthquake. The ground shakes as you grope in the dark for something to hold on to. The chamber rumbles again, and you hear the sound of falling rock echoing up from below. As you nearly lose your balance, you feel a sudden and urgent need to escape. If you can reach an area above the arcology's lowest substructure, you think you might be safe. You shudder to think of what might happen to you if you don't.
Complete all Story and Interlude missions. Record UNKNOWN FATE on the campaign tracker. Gain the ESCAPE! mission.
Otherwise:
You wake to a shuddering and shaking beneath your feet. The ground leaps as you struggle to keep from falling over. You hear a terrible groaning all around you, and then as suddenly as they began, the tremors cease and all is silent.
You gather yourself and wonder as to the source of the quake. Perhaps you should check in with Silaro and ensure that the expedition is safe.
Complete all Story and Interlude missions.
The lower levels of the arcology have completely collapsed. Record UNKNOWN FATE and STRATUM 3 LOST on the campaign tracker.
You can no longer travel to the Stratum 3 map. Then gain THE FINAL ASCENT mission.
197. Expedition Logbook
Each time you read this entry, choose one of the following Venture to the Depths passages to read.
Venture to the Depths: Days 1–3
You read through the first few entries, which was kept by Hollan Helgur herself. Besides Hollan, the expedition's three other members were a shaper named Yara, an explorer named Xavi, and an artificer named Timo. Much of the logbook details the preparations for the expedition: records of food and supplies, training runs on caves along the western edge of the Valley, and endurance hikes up and down the Silverfin. Then, the expedition sets off from Spire.
The first three days are spent cataloging and mapping the spaces just below Spire. You know they are pretty well explored, but as you go through Hollan’s notes, you realize that you had no idea just how extensive even those passageways are. It appears Hollan planned to be extremely thorough as she and her team hoped to map the enitrety of the arcology from top to bottom.
Venture to the Depths, Day 4
With only an hour before the noon mark, we broke through a small cave-in and found ourselves entering a vast, empty shaft. The space rises vertically above us some dozen meters or more, and it descends to an impenetrable darkness. Xavi dropped a 500 meter plumb line without hitting bottom, so we knew we had quite the descent ahead of us.
The shaft can be traversed by a wide spiral ramp. Platforms and walkways split from it at intervals. I think there was some order to them once, but many have sheared off or collapsed. So far, Yara's foresight has helped us safely navigate the ramp's many fissures and gaps.
By evening, we had descended well past 500 meters, but the bottom of the ramp was nowhere in sight. It is difficult for me to imagine how Sal Orlin and his apprentices were able to transport the Carbon Forge to the surface using this passage. It must have deteriorated greatly in the one hundred years since.
The gloom is absolute, and the light of Timo's lambance rigs reaches only a sort distance. After making camp on the ramp, we had a spirited debate on whether we should be exploring the passageways that branch off from the shaft, but I have decided that we will first find the bottom of this pit as a group.
Venture to the Depths: Day 5
We have reached the bottom of the shaft. It opens into an echoing hemispherical space. It appears to be at least half a kilometer across at the base, but the floor is covered in great mounds of rubble and debris that make estimation difficult. Yara is exhausted from manefesting our safe passage, but Xavi is anxious to explore what lies beyond the chamber. Timo has already begun investigating the remnants of Estian technology strewn about.
I have decided to send Xavi, an experienced explorer, to scout ahead. When he returns, we will venture deeper.
Venture to the Depths, Day 6
We woke this morning after a fitful night's sleep. In the middle of the night, we heard shuffling noises approach our camp from the northernmost tunnel. We grabbed for our darters and staves, and flared the light of our lambance rigs. It was an autonomous machine of some kind. Apparently disinterested in us it continued south through a darkened passage. Timo wanted to pursue it, but I convinced him to wait until we were more thoroughly prepared.
Xavi returned from his scouting expedition in time for breakfast, having discovered a chamber he described as "another world with a night sky all its own." He provided us with directions and a crude map so that we might see it for ourselves, but stayed only long enough to eat and resupply before he struck off once again on his own.
Yara, Timo, and I gathered our gear and went in search of Xavi's discovery.
Venture to the Depths, Day 9
It has been three days since Xavi left our company. His absence most worries Yara, who has begun to advocate that we go in search of him. That would be foolish. We would only become lost ourselves.
I have begun mapping the central, arterial corridor that seems to span the entirety of the underground complex, and found that there is energy still running through this place as well as pipes filled with clean, flowing water. The presence of the ancient Estians is palpable in their works. Much of it still stands, and resembles somewhat the ruins found on the surface.
Yara and I argued about where we should focus our priorities. Timo might have been the tie breaker, but he was busy investigating the wreckage of what he has dubbed a "lightbringer;" a type of ambulatory machine that we have spotted on more than one occassion, busied with some unknown purpose, while carrying with it a warm, illuminating glow.
Timo is clearly in his element. He feels a kinship with the Estians, who he sees as exemplary artificers from whom there is much for him to learn.
Venture to the Depths, Day 10
We awoke in the night to find that Timo had wandered off. Yara found him in a nearby passage, deep in thought, like a shadow in the darkness. He said that someone called to him in his sleep, and that he then, like a spirit speaker, spent the next several hours in deep conversation with the lost spirit of an engineer who described to him the former function of much of the technology that Timo has catalogued on the journey. As a result, he has become even more enthralled by this place.
In the afternoon, Yara found something of interest: a patch of mushrooms the likes of which we have never seen. I didn't take her for a botanist, but she has somehow become convinced that these mushrooms are the biggest discovery down here, despite being surrounded by the inumberable wonders devised by the Estians.
The day ended with no sign of Xavi. Yara is ready to abandon the expedition to go in search of him, but I believe that he is safe, and will find his way back to us in time.
Venture to the Depths, Day 12
Xavi has not returned. I fear the worst. Yara was right to worry. Timo has grown strange. I'm starting to think we might be out of our depth.
Venture to the Depths, Day 13
Yara has convinced me to return to the surface, but before we do, I have asked that she first investigate the fungal forest we've discovered, which she was more than happy to do knowing that our time down here is nearing its end. Yara believes the mushrooms to be evidence of some grand biological experiment. I don’t think it a radical hypothesis.
In the meantime, Timo and I will continue to investigate the branches of the main artery, and then begin our ascent once Yara returns.
Venture to the Depths, Day 14
Timo has wandered off again, leaving me alone to walk the arteries as I await Xavi and Yara’s return. I swear sometimes I hear rumbling, like the great transitways are running once again, but it is surely my imagination.
I long for home.
— Hollan Helgur
198. Data Repository
198.01
You open the entry and begin to scan the small, tightly packed text. Quickly, you realize you’ve uncovered a wealth of information about the first days of the arcology’s construction.
Each Ranger may soothe 1 fatigue. If you are on TO THE HEART OF IT and have not gained or completed CONTACT NAL, continue reading:
As you read word after word of densely packed text, your eyes grow tired. The words swim before your eyes, and you begin to nod off. Then you see … or maybe you hear … someone at the edge of your perception.
In a moment of lucid dreaming, you suddenly see Spirit Speaker Nal standing before you. She speaks, but you can't make out the words. At that moment, another quake rumbles through the chamber, and you snap back awake. The vision fades.
You know that Nal does not reach out to Rangers in the field on a whim. Whatever she has to say must be important. Perhaps, if you could quiet your mind, you might strengthen your connection with her and receive a clearer message.
Gain the CONTACT NAL mission.
198.02
It looks like Archivist Ral was involved in a lot of different endeavors. You can read more about the excavation of the underground tunnels and the things that were found while creating the breadth of the arcology, or read about his involvement in the creation of the Cage in the lowest parts of the arcology.
Rangers Choose:
Read about the excavation: go to 198.04
Read about the Cage: go to 198.01
198.03
You access the entry, only to find a mish-mash of indecipherable, jumbled symbols. Looks like this data has been irrevocably corrupted.
198.04
These entries seem to be what you’ve been looking for. The first section contains a series of logs detailing spindlescuttler excavation efforts and describing how these have proven much more useful than other methods. Ral caustically notes that the success of the spindlescuttlers has finally shut down attempts to dig the caverns using “quark waveform detonations” and their “only .1% chance of unleashing a cascading collapse that would destroy all of Colorado.”
It seems like the Estians were in a hurry to construct Vista (which you think is the name they gave the Arcology) because of worsening lightning storms. The spindlescuttlers were essential to dig out the arcology, even as a massive reservoir was excavated just beyond the Bitter Pass, at the head of the Silverfin, to capture the excessive rain and prevent the Valley from flooding. A hydroelectric dam was then constructed to supply the arcology with power.
Several entries later, you find the first references to the arcology needing more power than the dam could provide, and the development of some sort of “perpetual biofusion reactor” being grown for eventual installation in the arcology’s depths. Later references refer to the reactor being given autonomous control over Vista’s various mechanical systems.
The later entries you find seem to be concerned with resources being devoted towards two competing projects that were taking up more and more attention within Vista. The entries don’t say what those projects are, but you do find their names. One is the Arbol Initiative. The other is the Mycelium Distributed Cognition Network. There are also entries referring to arguments between the supporters of each, and some strong arguments about the dangers of the Arbol Initiative.
The final entry is a transcript of an emergency broadcast across Vista’s systems. The dam at the head of the Valley suffered a catastrophic explosion due to a sudden, massive surge of energy. In a moment, the entire contents of the reservoir beyond the dam burst forth. Your blood runs cold as you imagine the implacable wall of water rushing toward the arcology, destroying everything in its path. There would have been no escape.
Gain The Ambition of the Estians reward card.
198.05
The records on the use of hydraworms seem garbled and mixed with other records, and you quickly find yourself reading meticulously kept records of the menus for all cafeterias and dining facilities in the arcology for the first hundred years of its existence. Besides learning that most Estians living in the arcology subsisted primarily on flavored protein paste, it tells you nothing useful.
198.06
This entry contains Borral’s meeting minutes for an organization called the “Rocky Mountain Alliance” that this arcology seemed to be a part of at some point. The minutes would have been a trove of valuable information. Unfortunately, bad connections meant the participants spent most of the time asking if their fellows could hear them through the static.
198.07
This entry has been badly corrupted into a jumble of letters and numbers. You spend some time just to be sure, but it is, in fact, just random data.
198.08
It looks like Engineer Galt was keeping a database of poetry. While you find yourself intrigued by works written by mysterious individuals like William Shakespeare, Samuel Taylor Coolridge, and Pablo Neruta, their work doesn’t answer any of the questions you have about Vista.
198.09
You find yourself scrolling through pages and pages of soil sample records across a 211 year period. While the soil was certainly relevant to the excavation of the arcology, this doesn’t seem pertinent to your current situation.
198.10
This entry turns out to be a series of construction blueprints for the Chimney. It also has a series of briefings on the purpose of the massive stairway and the Chimney’s vast, plaza-like chamber floor. Unsurprisingly, both the stairway and the chamber floor are described as the most important thoroughfares connecting the arcology’s upper levels to one another. The Chimney is also the main access point to the outside of the arcology, although the blueprints show some other secondary access points scattered across the Valley.
198.11
This entry is a layout of the transit arteries that spread across the Valley. You even find a map of the arteries and various transit stations. You note how the entry mentions some sort of biomeld called a Scuttler Metrobus. Based on the references, you infer that the biomelds traveled through the transit arteries, and the arcology denizens must have ridden them somehow.
You also notice that one of the transit arteries runs south out of the Valley and beneath the Verdessa. It seems to be the only artery that runs outside of the arcology proper.
198.12
You find a record of works undertaken in the Verdant Sphere, the arcology’s principle biotech laboratory. You realize that the Sphere was not only a place of experimentation; it also was capable of mass-producing biomelds and other bio-engineered creations. In essence, it was a biological factory that could populate thousands of square kilometers with plants and animals in a few short years. The various biomelds created here include many of the biomeld species found in the Valley (particularly spindlescuttlers, hydraworms, and puffercrawlers), as well as ones you’ve never heard of (such as a species referred to only as "the descendants").
198.13
You uncover a “guardian protocol” relating to the Arboretum of Memory. The protocol talks about the various security measures put in place to defend the trees and the information stored within them. These measures are physical, electronic, and even psychological (although you’re not sure what that means).
It looks like most of these security measures must have failed or shut down over the centuries (otherwise, your attempts to access the Arboretum would have been a lot more exciting). But the interesting element is just how important the Estians considered the Arboretum of Memory. It served as the data archives for the entirety of Vista while also storing so much information from the ancient world. Although the sheer amount of information makes searching for specifics problematic, you know that you hold the entire history of the Estians in your hands.
198.14
This entry is partially corrupted, but seems to refer to the earliest construction of the arcology. There is mention of the Cage in the deepest part of the arcology (mostly in reference to how hard it was to excavate), but any references to what that chamber was for have been lost. However, peculiarly, the record notes that MACHINES were used to excavate the Cage, poorly, before the Estians introduced a biomeld that could do the job instead. That information might be useful for identifying information specific to the Cage.
Blue text may be useful to you. You may want to record this somewhere.
199. World Events (LOA)
199.1
READ ONE:
If you’ve completed Limited Time Offer:
You look over your new supplies and equipment and can’t help but grin. You left Kobo's Swap Meet with some truly cunning trades, and you’re excited to put them to use.
Each Ranger may search their deck for a gear and equip it without paying its energy cost.
If you haven’t:
Your eyes blink open. You stretch and sit up in your bedroll. For the 3rd morning in a row, you wake with the thought: "Perhaps today is the day I'll visit Ren Kobo’s Swap Meet." Then you think for a moment longer, and realize what day it is. The Swap Meet has ended. No matter. You already have all that you need.
Each Ranger may scout 1 Ranger card.
Complete LIMITED TIME OFFER.
199.2
READ ONE:
If you’ve completed The Descent:
Journeying underground has given you an even greater appreciation of the world above—the open sky, the sweet smell of sunberry bushes, the song of meadowlarks. The chorus of life sings a different melody underground. Strange, but beautiful.
A small white crab scuttles by at your feet. It stops, faces you, then raises one claw into the air. After a moment, you raise your hand in response. Finding this acceptable, the crab continues on its way.
Each Ranger gains 1 additional energy of any type for the first round.
If you haven’t:
You have yet to meet up with Silaro at the Chimney. You know that every day you delay you run the risk that he'll get himself into trouble, but you're reasonably certain that he'll be fine until you get there. You set about preparing breakfast.
Record RUNNING LATE on your campaign tracker. Write 199.4 7 days from now on the day tracker.
199.3
READ ONE:
If you’ve completed Return to Base Camp (Silaro Mako):
You are awoken by a strange phenomenon. Looking up, you see streams of golden light, like fast running, winding rivers, chasing each other over the low ceiling of looming rock. You sit up and see that the lights run on into a larger cavern and beyond, illuminating the area around you. The moisture on the rock glitters in the light, and you can easily see your path laid out before you.
Along the way and within reach are illuminated for the first round. Add 1[icon][icon] to the location.
If you’re on Return to Base Camp (Silaro Mako):
You wake to the smell of a delicious aroma and find Silaro cooking mushrooms in a small pan over a low fire burning with a purple flame. “You’re welcome to some mushrooms,” he says. “For my part, I’m ready to eat something a little less … fungal … for my next meal.” He puts his hands on his hips. “I tell you what. You can keep exploring, but I should really get back to the Chimney. I promise you I won’t get into any more trouble. Meet me there when you can!”
Complete RETURN TO BASE CAMP (SILARO MAKO). Record RUNNING LATE on your campaign tracker. Write 199.4 4 days from now on the day tracker.
Otherwise:
You are awoken by a sudden flash of light. You sit up with a start and find Kal Iver sitting cross-legged at the foot of your sleeping bag, shining the light of a lambance rig in your direction. You shield your eyes and squint.
“Another day dawns,” he says. “At least, I think it’s dawn. I’m beginning to lose track.” He sets down the lambance rig. “Speaking of losing track, I thought you’d like to know that Silaro wandered back to base camp yesterday, bruised, bloodied, but none the worse for wear. He’s all abuzz about some discovery or another. You should stop and speak with him if you can spare the time. Until we meet again!”
If you are on SEARCH BELOW (SILARO MAKO), complete it. Record RUNNING LATE on your campaign tracker. Write 199.4 4 days from now on the day tracker.
199.4
READ ONE:
If you have completed POWER UP:
All around you, you hear a low humming that vibrates almost beyond your hearing. Lights and other strange simulations flicker on through the tunnels underground, and the very air around you feels charged. Whatever you did with Silaro at the Concordant Ziggurats has energized the entire Valley in a way none of you have experienced before.
If you are on an arcology map, replace the weather with A Preserved Day.
If you are currently on POWER UP:
You start your day atop a Ziggurat. You wake to find Silaro already hard at work. Suddenly he yelps in surprise.
"Ohh! That was a bit more energetic than—”
Before he can complete his thought, the platform bucks beneath you.
Read 1.109a.
If neither of the above is true, and you are at a location on the Valley map:
The air around you feels dry and charged. You feel your clothes crackle with static, and can taste copper at the back of your throat. It’s almost like you’re in the midst of an approaching thunderstorm, but this is far more intense than any thunderstorm you’ve ever seen. Then, suddenly, the ground bucks and shakes beneath you! You hear a roaring deep in the earth for several minutes before the shaking stops. When it does, you leap to your feet. You realize with a sickening lurch that people within the arcology could well have been trapped or injured by that earthquake!
Record FELT A SUDDEN QUAKE on the campaign tracker. Cross off the above-ground weather for today and the next 12 days and record Electric Fog in its place and swap the current weather for Electric Fog. Then read 199.4A.
If neither of the above is true, and you are at a location on the Valley map:
With a crackling whoosh, lights flicker on through the tunnels. Machines begin to hum, some exploding in showers of sparks as the power surge overloads their circuits, others rumbling into motion as they perform inscrutable tasks.
Then, the tunnels jolt and shake all around you! You try to support yourself as the earth groans and heaves for several minutes before falling silent. Then you pick yourself up. You look around. This part of the tunnels survived, but with a sickening lurch, you realize that your friends down here may not have been so lucky!
Record FELT A SUDDEN QUAKE on the campaign tracker. Cross off the above-ground weather for today and the next 12 days and record Electric Fog in its place and swap the current weather for Electric Fog. Then read 199.4A.
199.4A
If you don’t have any locations marked as unexplored on your campaign tracker, record ORLIN'S VAULT EXPLORED.
If you have the SEARCH BELOW (SILARO), SURVEY THE DEPTHS, THE DESCENT, or AN URGENT REQUEST missions, complete them.
Gain the COLLAPSE! (KAL IVER, HARLAN VOS, QUISI VOS) mission and record 199.5 3 days from now on the day tracker.
199.5
READ ONE:
If you’ve completed Buried Survey Team:
You wake up, sitting up in your bedroll. As you do, something slides off your chest and lands on the ground next to you. You feel around for it, and find a bundle of Quisi’s favorite snacks! Looks like she and her father passed by your camp while you were asleep and left you a small treat.
Each Ranger gains 1 additional energy of any type for the first round.
If you’re currently on Buried Survey Team:
You wake to find Silaro leaning over your sol coil, apparently making breakfast. He nabs a morsel from the pan and eats it.
“You can rest a little longer,” he says, chewing. “It's done. They're safe! Thank goodness for Kal Iver! If he hadn't been there at just the right moment ... why ... I can hardly imagine!” Silaro hands you a bowl of your own food. "You did your part too, of course."
Record KAL SAVED THE TEAM on the campaign tracker. Complete the BURIED SURVEY TEAM (KAL IVER, HARLAN VOS, QUISI VOS) mission. Each Ranger suffers 3 fatigue. Then read 1.111A
If neither of the above is true:
As you make breakfast, you see a light bobbing in the distance. Soon it resolves into the lean form of Kal Iver. He stops near your sol coil with a grim look on his face.
“Still in one piece, I see," Kal says. He sits down heavily. "I thought you were trapped by a cave-in! How else could you explain not coming to my rescue? Or the rapscallion's? Or her father's?" He playfully harrumphs. "Lucky for you, I rescued myself. Though it took some time to dig out Quisi and Harlan. Once they were safe, I tried to convince them to go back to the surface, but they wouldn't hear it. Though I suppose it's not much safer up there right now, what with the electric fog everywhere."
Kal sighs. “But that's not why I'm here. Silaro's found something in the old Estian records. There appears to be some sort of apparatus in the very depths of the arcology, in a chamber the Estians called 'the Cage.' We need to get down there and find out what it is. It’s possible that it’s some sort of ... engine for the arcology. Silaro believes that it's responsible for these quakes.”
Record KAL SAVED THE TEAM on the campaign tracker. Complete the COLLAPSE! (KAL IVER, HARLAN VOS, QUISI VOS) mission. Gain THE LONG DARK and RATTLING THE CAGE missions. Each Ranger suffers 3 fatigue.