The Circle Undone Blind Run #7: In the Clutches of Chaos

In the Clutches of Chaos

The last time we've seen her Jenny failed to prove her worth to the Silver Twilight Lodge and barely escaped with her life. If it wasn't for the soothsayer pushing her in the right direction she would watch the events unfold from afar. As for the upgrades, we've got 4XPs to spend and that's just enough for Hot Streak. There's also the newest Rogue permanent, Another Day Another Dollar. It's definitely good value, but I think this particular deck prefers to get 7 resources late-if-ever than to get 2 resources at the beginning and actionless.

Jenny starts the scenario at Southside with 1 Mental Trauma. Breaches are placed on Merchant District and Hangman's Hill.

Pre-Mulligan Hand: Physical Training, Enchanted Blade, Jenny's Twin .45s, Emergency Cache, Elusive

Opening Hand: Physical Training, Enchanted Blade, Leo De Luca, "Watch this!", Cat Burglar

#1

• PLAY Leo De Luca
  • So… doom accumulation works differently in this scenario. It’s based around breaches and incursions. Since Leo is here with Jenny I think we can afford to do some scouting to see how hard it’ll be to keep things under control.
• MOVE to Merchant District
• Merchant District (discard 5 cards, move 1 breach to act)
  • I’m getting The Boundary Beyond vibes. Please, let it not be another The Boundary Beyond!
• MOVE to Uptown
• Upkeep: draw Elusive, 2 resources total.

#2

• Mythos: 0/7 doom, breaches on Rivertown & French Hill, Mysteries of the Lodge, Chaos Manifest (-1, breach on Hangman's Hill)
  • It’s a scenario specific card. As it distributes breaches amongst different locations I don’t expect it to be too impactful.
• MOVE to Hangman’s Hill
• Hangman’s Hill (1 damage to Leo De Luca, 1 damage, move 2 breaches to act)
• Dark Knowledge (1 clue on Southside)
• MOVE to Uptown
• MOVE to Southside
• MOVE to French Hill
• Upkeep: draw High Roller, 4 resources total.

#3

• Mythos: 0/7 doom, breaches on Hangman’s Hill & Silver Twilight Lodge, Secrets of the Beyond, Hunting Shadow (2 damage)
  • We surged through Secrets of the Beyond. Same as last round, I can’t see this encounter card posing much danger. Or, to put it differently, if it ever is dangerous that means things had already spiraled out of control.
• PLAY Enchanted Blade
• French Hill (discard High Roller, move 1 breach to act)
• MOVE to Silver Twilight Lodge
• Silver Twilight Lodge (Lodge Neophyte at French Hill, move 1 breach to act)
  • Given the choice everyone’ll search for Neophytes, won’t they? These locations are much milder that I’ve expected. Still… better watch myself and not slip into overconfidence.
• Upkeep: draw Switchblade, 3 resources total.

#4

• Mythos: 1/7 doom, breaches on South Church & French Hill, Lodge Neophyte (at Southside)
• PLAY Physical Training
• MOVE to French Hill
• PARLEY (0, remove doom from Lodge Neophyte)
• MOVE to Rivertown
• Upkeep: draw Enchanted Blade, 3 resources total.

#5

• Mythos: 1/7 doom, breaches on South Church] & Hangman’s Hill, Hunting Nightgaunt
• FIGHT with Enchanted Blade (2 charges left, commit "Watch this!", bid 3 resources, , 2 damage to Hunting Nightgaunt)
  • One thrust. Efficient and clean. Alas, not that impressive to look at apparently.
• FIGHT with Enchanted Blade (1 charge left, -2, defeat Hunting Nightgaunt)
• MOVE to Southside
• PARLEY (, remove doom from Lodge Neophyte)
• Upkeep: draw Unexpected Courage, 2 resources total.

Board State Reminder: 5 health, 6 sanity, 2 resources, 0 clues

In Play: Leo De Luca (1 damage), Enchanted Blade (1 charge), Physical Training

In Hand: Cat Burglar, Elusive, Switchblade, Enchanted Blade, Unexpected Courage

Breaches: 2 on Act, 1 on French Hill, 1 on Rivertown, 2 on South Church, 2 on Hangman’s Hill

#6

• Mythos: 0/7 doom, breaches on Southside & Silver Twilight Lodge, Chaos Manifest (commit Unexpected Courage, 0)
• Southside (discard Enchanted Blade, move 1 breach to act)
• Dark Knowledge (1 clue on Uptown)
• MOVE to Hangman’s Hill
• INVESTIGATE ( +3 , +1, 1 clue from Hangman’s Hill)
  • I'll have Jenny hang around for a bit and not just because it makes for a good pun, but in case more breaches appear on this location.
• RESOURCE
• RESOURCE
• Upkeep: draw "I'm outta here!", 4 resources total.

#7

• Mythos: 0/7 doom, breaches on Hangman’s Hill & Silver Twilight Lodge, Daemonic Piping, Dissonant Voices
  • Great! No immediate problems, no extra breaches, so I think just moving one more breach to the act will be enough. I could move two of them if Jenny recruited a Cat Burglar to do the dirty work, but resources are a bit tighter than I would prefer.
• Hangman’s Hill (1 damage, move 1 breach to act)
• MOVE to Uptown
• INVESTIGATE ( +3 , -2, 1 clue from Uptown)
  • Notice how the chaos bag is on our side during this scenario? We're mostly getting what we need and when we didn't the consequences weren't too dire so far.
• MOVE to Southside
• RESOURCE
• Upkeep: draw Intel Report, 5 resources total, discard Dissonant Voices.

#8

• Mythos: 0/7 doom, breaches on Southside & Uptown, Hunting Shadow (lose 1 clue)
  • It's a delay, but Jenny is a bit bruised already.
• MOVE to South Church
  • Oh... I didn't expect there to be a resign option in this scenario. Perhaps it's a trick like back in Where Doom Awaits?
• South Church (On Wings of Darkness, commit "I'm outta here!", 0, move 2 breaches to act)
• Dark Knowledge (1 clue on South Church)
  • Nice!
• INVESTIGATE (, 1 clue from South Church)
• MOVE to Southside
• Upkeep: draw Chronophobia, 7 resources total.

#9

• Mythos: 0/7 doom, breaches on Southside & Silver Twilight Lodge, False Lead ( +3 , , drop 1 clue, breach on Rivertown)
  • Turns out Leo and Jenny were wrong all along! In that case we'll outsource the investigation.
• PLAY Intel Report (2 clues from Southside)
• advance Dark Knowledge (v. II) to New World Order
  • Well... That's a problem... No, wait. He spawns at the Silver Twilight Lodge, not directly on the investigator. That means Jenny has the time to prepare. In fact... Yeah, I think I'll have her ignore Chronophobia.
• PLAY Switchblade
• RESOURCE
• RESOURCE
• RESOURCE
• × Chronophobia (1 horror)
• Enemy: Carl Sanford hunts to French Hill
• Upkeep: draw Lone Wolf, 5 resources total.

#10

• Mythos: 0/7 doom, breaches on Southside & Uptown, Hunting Nightgaunt
• EVADE (commit Cat Burglar & Lone Wolf, 0, exhaust Hunting Nightgaunt)
  • Nice!
• RESOURCE
• RESOURCE
• RESOURCE
• × Chronophobia (1 horror)
• Enemy: Carl Sanford hunts and attacks (1 horror to Leo De Luca, 1 damage & 2 horror), Hunting Nightgaunt readies and engages
• Upkeep: draw Leo De Luca, 10 resources total.

Board State Reminder: 3 health, 3 sanity, 10 resources, 0 clues

In Play: Leo De Luca (1 damage & 1 horror), Enchanted Blade (1 charge), Switchblade, Physical Training

In Hand: Elusive, Leo De Luca

Breaches: 2 on Rivertown, 2 on Southside, 2 on Uptown, 2 on South Church, 1 on French Hill, 2 on Hangman’s Hill, 3 on Silver Twilight Lodge

#11

• Mythos: 0/7 doom, breaches on Rivertown & Southside, Rotting Remains ( +1 , -1)
  • There's nothing there. Jenny focuses on her opponent.
• FIGHT with Enchanted Blade (0 charges left, +2 , -3, 2 damage to Carl Sanford)
  • Carl Sanford caught the blade in his hand. Jenny could feel the strength of his grip. She stared at his hand, desperate to see whether blood was drawn or not. Yes! Yes, it was. Jenny let concern show on her face. Not too difficult to fake, given that in an instant the man has drained all the magic from her blade.
  • "You? I believe I've already ordered you dead. How are you standing before me now?"
  • "Because you've made a mistake! I was loyal. I was always loyal. I failed to be there when the Lodge triumphed, but if it weren't for me and the puzzle box we couldn't have trapped the Watcher in the first place. I do not deserve death!"
  • "Truly? Just now you've risen your blade against me."
  • "How else could I get your attention now, that you are so far beyond the rest of us? I beg of you, let me back to the Silver Twilight. I'm worthy. Surely, you know now? You know that I would stop at nothing, just as I've never stopped searching for my sister."
  • The man didn't immediately respond. He apparently needed that moment to think of Jenny's sister. Jenny took the opportunity to come closer and reach into her coat, as if for Izzie's picture.
• FIGHT with Switchblade ( +3 , , 1 damage to Carl Sanford)
• FIGHT with Switchblade ( +3 , , +1, 2 damage to Carl Sanford)
• FIGHT with Switchblade ( +1 , -1, defeat Carl Sanford)
• R2.

Nailed it! The odds were on my side, but one miss would've meant losing the scenario. In retrospect could've taken it slower given that I've had Elusive and there wasn't that much doom on the table. In the end I was lucky over the course of the entire scenario and now only the finale remains. We'll see how it goes given that Jenny has no mementos and the interlude outright states she's woefully unprepared. As for this scenario, I'm eager to replay it, both in solo and at higher player counts. It could well be that Leo de Luca and the gentle chaos bag carried me over the entire scenario and I definitely want to see some chain incursions happening.

Campaign Log:

Disappearance at the Twilight Estate: Valentino disappeared into the mist. 4 pieces of evidence were left behind.

The Witching Hour: Jenny has rejected her fate. The witches’ spell was broken. Mementos: Mesmerizing Flute & Ritual Components. 8 XP (Anette Mason, Cairn Stones, Child's Tree House, Tainted Well, Hermit's House, Delve Too Deep, 1 bonus XP).

At Death's Doorstep: Jenny is on Valentino’s trail. Jenny escaped the spectral realm. Jenny rescued Joseph. Jenny is a member of the Lodge. 5 XP (Office, Delve Too Deep, 2 bonus XP).

The Secret Name: Jenny told the Lodge about the coven. Mementos: Gilman’s Journal, Keziah’s Formulae & Worn Crucifix. 4 XP (City of Elder Things, Twilight Abyss, 2 bonus XP), 1 Mental Trauma.

The Wages of Sin: 4 heretics were unleashed unto Arkham. Mementos: Wisp of Spectral Mist. 1 XP (Haunted Fields).

For the Greater Good: Jenny discovered how to open the puzzle box. Jenny was inducted into the Inner Circle. 2 XP (Library, Nathan Wick).

Union and Disillusion: Jenny sided with the Lodge. Valentino is alive. Carl Sanford possesses the secrets of the universe. 4 XP (Misty Clearing, Moss-Covered Steps, Haunted Spring, The Geist-Trap).

In the Clutches of Chaos: Jenny asked Sanford for assistance. The path winds before Jenny (2). 3 XP (Carl Sanford, Hangman’s Hill)