DTTF Contest: Mark's Visit to the Asylum

Deck based upon Mark Harrigan in The Unspeakable Oath. Built for Drawn to the Flame Podcast contest. May contain spoilers for The Unspeakable Oath.

The basic concept with this deck is to highlight Mark being at or near the end of his rope. He witnessed not just the horrors of war, but also strange beings in the trenches during the war. To top it off, after coming home Mark witnessed his wife being eaten alive from the inside by a strange creature.

The subtext of this deck is in the cards in the deck. You might notice the build is very unusual for Mark, he doesn't have many of the standard cards one might expect a Guardian to have.

This is because the deck is built with the idea in mind that Mark is actually a patient at Arkham Asylum, who was driven insane by witnessing Sophie's death. You can read the introduction to the scenario as his altered perception of his being committed to the asylum; from his perspective, he's there to continue his quest to destroy the monsters responsible for his wife's death. From everyone else's perspective, he's a man in need of care.

From there, you can probably see how the deck is employed. Mark only has an Improvised Weapon, since he would not be allowed to bring a Machete in with him. He is allowed to keep his Trench Coat, which is his last connection to his old life. Many of the other cards are ones pointing to Mark's continuation of his quest and his personality, being Ever Vigilant, being On the Hunt, conducting a Desperate Search for the enemies he continues to try to find.

Brother Xavier, seen by Mark as an ally in his quest to destroy the monsters in the asylum, is actually one of the nurses who takes a special interest in trying to help Mark in his recovery. Mark sees this special attention but perceives it instead as a stalwart ally, willing to fight and die in the same war Mark is waging.

Items such as Elusive, Combat Training, Barricade and Hiding Spot point more toward what the nurses and doctors at Arkham might experience caring for Mark, where he causes them untold trouble with his abilities by hiding from nurses, evading them outright or barricading himself in his room.

Overall, the deck is meant to provide a window into Mark's view of his world. The scenario can still be played exactly as designed, with Mark exploring the asylum and seeing what he expects to see; enemies around him, monstrous creatures working to stop him at every turn. By the end, his escape may even be real, and the Straitjacket he is put in to keep him safe can also enable his escape from the Aslyum, to allow him to continue his quest.