Akachi Hunts the Rougarou (Solo, Achievements)

I've spent one of Akachi Onyele's experience points to slot in this side story before tackling Return to The Midnight Masks. Let's see if that proves a wise or foolish decision!

SESSION REPORT SIDE STORY: CURSE OF THE ROUGAROU

• Opening Hand: Shards of the Void, Arcane Initiate, Fearless, Arcane Initiate, Drawn to the Flame
• Kept: all but one Arcane Initiate
• Replacements: Flashlight
• Starting Location: Forgotten Marsh (Riverside locations removed from play)

A weapon, ally, and investigating tools. Seems a good start.

R1 (0D, 3H, 5$, 0C): 0/5 doom

• Encounter: None
• Play Shards of the Void [-3$, seal 0]
• Play Flashlight [-2$]
• Move to Wilderness-A = Twisted Underbrush [-0$]
• Draw Drawn to the Flame [+1$]

R2 (0D, 3H, 1$, 0C): 1/5 doom

• Encounter: Spectral Mist attaches to Forgotten Marsh
• Play Arcane Initiate [-1$] with +1 doom
• Use Arcane Initiate: Draw Rite of Seeking
• Play Drawn to the Flame: Encounter Bog Gator [spawns and engages] [+1C, +1 Victory]
• Use Shards of the Void [unseal 0]: Fight Bog Gator, 5 vs. 3 ( is +1) [+1* on Shards of the Void]: pass [+2D, defeated]
• Draw Flashlight [+1$]
• Use Arcane Initiate: no draw

Moving smoothly so far.

R3 (0D, 3H, 1$, 1C): 2/5 doom [+1 on Arcane Initiate]

• Encounter: Ripples on the Surface, 5 vs. 3 (-4): fail by 2 [2H discards Arcane Initiate]
• Move to Forgotten Marsh
• Advance Act to 1b [-1C]
• Act 1b: Lady Esprit appears at Forgotten Marsh, locations enter play [Cursed Shores, Foul Swamp, New Orleans-A/B, Unhallowed Land-A/B], The Rougarou spawns at Unhallowed Land-A, encounters added and reshuffled, receive Curse of the Rougarou]
• Move to Foul Swamp [-1$]
• Move to Unhallowed Land-B = Ritual Grounds
• Ritual Grounds: draw Storm of Spirits [1H]
• Curse of the Rougarou: [1H]
• Draw Mists of R'lyeh [+1$]

That bad Ripples on the Surface pull means the horror is quickly mounting up. At least the Overgrown Cairns are nearby to bring some of that back.

R4 (0D, 5H, 1$, 0C): 3/5 doom

• Encounter: Bog Gator spawns and engages
• Use Shards of the Void [-1*]: Fight Bog Gator, 5 vs. 3 (0 [sealed]): pass [+3D, defeated]
• Use Flashlight [-1S]: Investigate, 2 vs. 0 (+1): pass [+1C, +1 Victory]
• Move to Unhallowed Land-A = Overgrown Cairns
• Draw Lita Chantler [+1$]

Lita's costless 3/3 soak, and extra damage against The Rougarou, is a very welcome sight.

R5 (0D, 5H, 2$, 1C): 4/5 doom

• Encounter: On the Prowl [surge, The Rougarou moves to Wilderness-B, 1C on Overgrown Cairns, Foul Swamp, Forgotten Marsh]
• Encounter: On the Prowl [surge, The Rougarou moves to New Orleans-A, 1C on Wilderness-B, Forgotten Marsh, Cursed Shores]
• Encounter: Beast of the Bayou [+1 doom]
• Play Lita Chantler
• Use Overgrown Cairns [-2$]: heal 2H
• Move to Ritual Grounds
• Ritual Grounds: draw Unexpected Courage [1H on Lita Chantler]
• Curse of the Rougarou [1H on Lita Chantler]
• Draw Mists of R'lyeh [+1$]

Well, The Rougarou got away before I could attack it, but at least Beast of the Bayou was a whiff (especially given where we are on the doom clock). I'm now waiting for it to return to the clue-free Ritual Grounds with the Agenda flip.

R6 (0D, 3H, 1$, 1C): 6/5 doom

• Agenda advances to 1b: encounters reshuffle, The Rougarou moves to Ritual Grounds [1C on New Orleans-A, Cursed Shores, Foul Swamp]
• Encounter: Cursed Swamp, 5 vs. 3 (0): pass
• Engage The Rougarou [-1C]
• Use Shards of the Void [-1*], 7 vs. 3 (-2): pass [+3D], The Rougarou moves to New Orleans-A [1C on Ritual Grounds, Foul Swamp, Cursed Shores, -1 Victory]
• Use Flashlight [-1S]: Investigate, 2 vs. 0 (): fail
• Ritual Grounds: draw Holy Rosary [1H]
• Draw Delve Too Deep [+1$], discard Flashlight and Mists of R'lyeh

Good, over halfway done. The Flashlight search pull is just kind of annoying but things are still in decent shape.

R7 (0D, 4H, 2$, 0C): 1/6 doom

• Encounter: Slime-Covered Dhole spawns at Twisted Underbrush
• Use Flashlight [-1S]: Investigate, 2 vs. 0 (-2): pass [+1C, +1 Victory]
• Move to Foul Swamp
• Move to Cursed Shores
• Curse of the Rougarou [1H]
• Slime-Covered Dhole moves to Forgotten Marsh
• Draw Storm of Spirits [+1$], discard Mists of R'lyeh

R8 (0D, 5H, 3$, 1C): 2/6 doom

• Encounter: Swamp Leech spawns at Forgotten Marsh
• Play Holy Rosary [-2$]
• Play Delve Too Deep [-1$]: Encounter Marsh Gug, spawns at Forgotten Marsh [+1 Victory]
• Move to New Orleans-A = Garden District [discard Unexpected Courage]
• Curse of the Rougarou [1H on Holy Rosary]
• Slime-Covered Dhole and Marsh Gug move to Cursed Shores
• Draw Angered Spirits [+1$]
• Use Angered Spirits [-1* from Shards of the Void]

Arrrrgh. Angered Spirits is a terrible sight. I could finish things next turn (assuming The Rougarou doesn't prowl away), but is it possible to draw things out and escape that phyiscal trauma? I'll need to defeat the hunting enemies coming in. The doom clock isn't so much the problem - my dwindling reserves are. Let's try it.

R9 (0D, 5H, 1$, 1C): 3/6 doom

• Encounter: Cursed Swamp, 5 vs. 3 ( and is -2): pass
• Move to Foul Swamp [Slime-Covered Dhole and Marsh Gug engage]
• Use Shards of the Void [unseal 0]: Fight Slime-Covered Dhole, 6 vs. 2 (+1): pass [+3D, defeated]
• Use Shards of the Void [-1*]: Fight Marsh Gug, commit Fearless, 7 vs. 3 ( is -2): pass [+3D], heal 1H
• Marsh Gug attacks [1H, 2D on Lita Chantler
• Draw Mob Enforcer [+1$]

Double arrgh! Back-to-back weakness pulls. At this point, I don't have the resources to finish off all of these foes (especially when another enemy shows up at the start of the next round). Time to eat attacks of opportunity and finish off The Rougarou while I just barely still can. The Angered Spirits are just going to have to remain angry.

R10 (0D, 5H, 2$, 1C): 4/6 doom

• Encounter: Marsh Gug spawns at Foul Swamp
• Move to Garden District, Marsh Gug and Mob Enforcer attack [3D/1H]
• Take a resource, Marsh Gug and Mob Enforcer attack [2D, 1D/1H discard Lita Chantler] [+1$]
• Play Storm of Spirits [-3$]: Fight Marsh Gug, commit Drawn to the Flame and Storm of Spirits, 8 vs. 3 (-3): pass [+2D to Marsh Gug, Mob Enforcer, and The Rougarou; Marsh Gug and The Rougarou defeated]
• Act 2a: Resolution 2 [+1 physical trauma from Angered Spirits]

Resolution 2

• The Rougarou is destroyed, and the curse is lifted
• Curse of the Rougarou removed
• Lady Esprit joins Akachi
• 3 experience (3 Victory)
• Total trauma: 1 physical, 3 mental

Left a victory point location on the table (but managed one Delve Too Deep). The physical trauma is frustrating but I do still think the extra 4 experience (taking into account Arcane Research), as well as another high-soak ally in Lady Esprit, will prove important. Time to upgrade a bit and next challenge Return to The Midnight Masks!