Scenario 6: Traces to Emprise
The trail of crumbs that passes for information came to the warbands from some dubious sources. In their bid to master the pieces of a puzzle, the warbands descend upon isolated dwellings that lie on the outskirts of the borderlands. The search for the truth ends here. Who will be the first to tie together the facts that will uncover a sinister plot?
terrain
The scenario is set in a village in the Cathayan borderlands territory. Beside forest sections, swamps, and other terrain features, at least six houses should be placed where the Heroes search for information. We suggest that the terrain is set up within an area roughly 4’ x 4’.
warbands
Both players roll a D6 to see who deploys first. Whoever rolls highest sets up first, within 8" of any chosen table edge, and then the opponent sets up within 8" of the opposite edge.
starting the game
Both players roll a D6. The highest scoring player takes the first turn.
special rules
The Heroes move from house to house to gather information points. Each house can only be visited once per warband. Note down information points gathered for each Hero separately. If a Hero is taken out of action, any points gathered are lost.
At the beginning of their turn, a Hero in base contact with an entry point (door, open window, etc.) of an unvisited house may enter it. The player then tries to get some information from the inhabitants.
There are two ways of getting information from the houses' inhabitants: either by questioning or by torturing them. It is up to the players to decide which way works best for their Heroes. After a turn of questioning, a Hero may choose to torture the inhabitants in the following turn to get more information out of them. Only one questioning and torturing can be done per house, and it is pointless questioning inhabitants that the Hero has already tortured!
Questioning:
The Hero makes a Leadership test. For each point the test is passed by, one additional information point is gathered. Heroes cannot benefit from their leader's Ld.
Example: Rolling a 5 with a Ld of 7 grants 2 information points, but rolling a 7 grants none.
Heroes that don’t come from the following races receive a +1 penalty on their Leadership tests because the villagers are less willing to speak with them: all Humans, Elves, Halflings, Dwarfs. Heroes with mutations or wearing Chaos armour always suffer a +1 penalty on their Leadership tests.
Torturing:
The Hero makes a Strength test. For each point the test is passed by, one additional information point is gathered. Weapon bonuses and Mighty Blows do not apply!
Heroes that cause fear receive a –1 bonus on their Strength tests because they are particularly intimidating.
ending the game
Voluntary routs are not permitted. The game ends as soon as a warband has searched every house. To determine which warband wins the scenario, both players compare the amount of information gathered and the one with more information points wins. Alternatively, a routing warband loses as normal.
experience
- +1 Survives. If a Hero or a Henchman group survives the battle, they gain +1 Experience.
- +1 Winning Leader. The leader of the winning warband gains +1 Experience.
- +1 Per Enemy Out of Action. Any Hero earns +1 Experience for each enemy he puts out of action.
information points
After the battle, both players consult the following table to see what the information traces them to. Note that the benefits are cumulative, so gathering 8 information points equates to an additional +1 CP and being able to choose one of your next scenarios.
| Points | Benefit |
|---|---|
| 0-5 | No benefit |
| 6-7 | May choose one of your next scenarios |
| 8-9 | Additional +1 campaign point |
| 10+ | From now on, whenever you may choose a scenario, you may also choose “The Lost Caravans” special scenario. |
In addition, the winning warband may make use of one of the following two special rules once:
Truce:
True to the motto "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", the warband may assist their rivals in the hope of benefiting in the long run. At a cost of –D3 campaign points, the warband may grant any other warband +1 campaign point once. A warband with the Celestial Protectorate objective may not give the campaign point to a warband with the Scion of Chaos objective. Remember that loss of campaign points will never cause a warband to lose any Achievements already earned.
Misinformation:
The warband is spreading falsehoods in order to throw the other warbands off the scent. At a cost of –D3 campaign points, the warband may have any other warband lose –1 campaign point once. Remember that loss of campaign points will never cause a warband to lose any Achievements already earned.