Ursula's Expedition Journal #4: The Boundary Beyond

The Boundry Beyond! It easier without encounter cards in the exploration deck, but as I've learned in prior runs it can still pull the rug from under your feet. Not to mention, since there are no clues on present-day locations and because doom dictates pacing even more than usual Ursula is not well suited for this scenario. The goal is to clear four ancient locations. Three to satisfy Ichtaca and one extra to defend against the random Elder Thing token. If the scenario doesn't force it I won't explore on Temple Ruins and Metropolitan Cathedral this is because there are variants of Templo Mayor and Temples of Tenochtitlán that allow you to get two clues testlessly. If at all possible I want to cut down on risky token pulls during Agenda 3. Enjoy!

The Boundary Beyond

Supplies: Binoculars, Blanket, Canteen, Chalk, Compass, Gasoline, Map, Medicine, Mysterious Specter, Provisions, Rope

Pre-Mulligan Hand: Burning the Midnight Oil, Inquiring Mind, Pathfinder, True Understanding, Crack the Case

Opening Hand: Inquiring Mind, Pathfinder, Persuasion, Eureka!, Dr. William T. Maleson

Ursula begins the scenario with 2 additional resources.

Zócalo

#1

• PLAY Dr. William T. Maleson
• MOVE to Xochimilco
• Xochimilco (Lake Xochimilco)
• advance act (1A→2A, commit Eureka! & Inquiring Mind, -3, draw Perception)
• Upkeep: draw Relic of Ages, 2 resources total.

#2

• Mythos: 1/8 doom, From Another Time (, Brotherhood Acolyte at Lake Xochimilco)
• RESOURCE
• PLAY Pathfinder
• INVESTIGATE ()
• Pathfinder to Coyoacán
• Upkeep: draw Manual Dexterity, 1 resource total.

#3

• Mythos: 2/8 doom, From Another Time (commit Perception, , 0, draw Crystalline Elder Sign)
• Coyoacán (1 damage to Dr. William T. Maleson, Sacred Woods)
• DRAW Pathfinder
• DRAW Dark Pact
• Pathfinder to Lake Xochimilco ( INVESTIGATE, -2, 1 clue)
• Upkeep: draw Ichtaca, 2 resources total.

I've nearly played that Pathfinder in my opening action. You cannot gain resources on Xochimilco and it costs three to explore, so I've congratulated myself on avoiding a misplay. But would that actually be a misplay? I could've move Ursula from Xochimilco after scouting it. Hard to judge. In any case, these three rounds don't look overly efficient with all that drawing, resourcing and backtracking. At least nothing overly important was lost to Sacred Woods, expect for one copy of the Dream Diary. I'm perhaps a bit too reliant on that card, but let's hope Ursula finds the duplicate.

Board State Reminder: 7 health, 7 sanity, 2 resources, 1 clue

In Play: Dr. William T. Maleson (1 damage), Pathfinder

In Hand: Persuasion, Relic of Ages, Manual Dexterity, Crystalline Elder Sign, Pathfinder, Dark Pact, Ichtaca

#4

• Mythos: 3/8 doom, Window to Another Time (1 doom)
• Pathfinder to Sacred Woods ( INVESTIGATE, commit Relic of Ages, -5)
• MOVE to Chapultepec Park
• RESOURCE
• PLAY Crystalline Elder Sign (seal +1)
• Upkeep: draw Occult Invocation, 1 resource total.

#5

• Mythos: 5/8 doom, Brotherhood Acolyte (at Lake Xochimilco, 1 doom)
• Pathfinder to Sacred Woods ( INVESTIGATE, 0, 1 clue)
• MOVE to Chapultepec Park
• Chapultepec Park (, Chapultepec Hill, discard Ichtaca & Occult Invocation, move to Sacred Woods)
• Upkeep: draw Occult Invocation, 2 resources total.

#6

• Mythos: 7/8 doom, Merging Timelines
• Pathfinder to Chapultepec Hill ( INVESTIGATE, -3, 1 clue)
• INVESTIGATE (-5)
• INVESTIGATE ()
• INVESTIGATE (, 1 clue)
• Upkeep: draw Burning the Midnight Oil, 3 resources total.

Three missed investigations. Ursula's on the slower side and the doom clock is ticking, but I've got three locations cleared and nothing too dangerous is happening near our investigator. An ill-timed Merging Timelines could be crippling. I hate this card, but it's probably my favourite design from the Return. I'm not feeling the pressure from the Brotherhood Acolytes though. If those were Broods of Yig I'd be in trouble. So, three cheers for the Ichtaca route!

Board State Reminder: 7 health, 7 sanity, 3 resources, 4 clues

In Play: Dr. William T. Maleson (1 damage), Crystalline Elder Sign (+1), Pathfinder

In Hand: Pathfinder, Persuasion, Dark Pact, Manual Dexterity, Occult Invocation, Manual Dexterity

#7

• Mythos: 8/8 doom, agenda advances (1A→2A, Harbinger of Valusia at Metropolitan Cathedral), Merging Timelines (discard Manual Dexterity, lose 1 action)
• Pathfinder to Temple Ruins
• DRAW Expedition Journal
• DRAW Jake Williams
• Enemy: Harbinger of Valusia hunts to Zócalo
• Upkeep: 1 horror to Dr. William T. Maleson, reshuffle, draw Deduction, 4 resources total.

#8

• Mythos: 1/5 doom, Hand of the Brotherhood (at Sacred Woods)
• Pathfinder to Zócalo
• EVADE (commit Pathfinder & Burning the Midnight Oil, , 1 additional clue at Lake Xochimilco, Harbinger of Valusia attacks, defeat Dr. William T. Maleson, 1 damage & 1 horror)
• EVADE (, exhaust Harbinger of Valusia)
• MOVE to Lake Xochimilco ( INVESTIGATE, , , 1 clue, × Hand of the Brotherhood, 1 doom)
• Enemy: Harbinger of Valusia readies
• Upkeep: draw Eureka!, 5 resources total.

#9

• Mythos: 3/5 doom, Timeline Destabilization (, 1 damage & 1 horror, shuffle)
• Pathfinder to Zócalo
• PLAY Occult Invocation (commit Expedition Journal, , , Harbinger of Valusia vanishes)
• Zócalo (discard Persuasion & Jake Williams, Canals of Tenochtitlán)
• INVESTIGATE (0, 1 clue, × Hand of the Brotherhood, 1 doom)
• Upkeep: draw Crystalline Elder Sign, 4 resources total.

Yes! Cheeky, but that last investigation paid off. However, Ursula is out of position for the final round. Our intrepid explorer had to recover from that botched evade attempt during round #8, so there's no Occult Invocation to nail Ms. Armita outside Templo Mayor. Still, the scenario looks perfectly winnable. The plan from the beginning is paying off. When the agenda advances we can get testless clues from Temples of Tenochtitlán, so there's just one evasion Ursula needs to pull off. With the cards she has right now I'd be 7 vs. 3. Good odds, but small margin for error.

Board State Reminder: 5 health, 5 sanity, 4 resources, 6 clues

In Play: Crystalline Elder Sign (+1), Pathfinder

In Hand: Dark Pact, Deduction, Eureka!, Crystalline Elder Sign

#10

• Mythos: 5/5 doom, agenda advances (2A→3A, Padma Amrita & Serpent of Tenochtitlán at Templo Mayor, × Temples of Tenochtitlán, 1 doom), Shadowed (1 doom, , 1 additional clue at Canals of Tenochtitlán, 2 horror)
• PLAY Dark Pact (2 damage)
• DRAW Veda Whitsley
• DRAW Expedition Journal
• Enemy: Padma Amrita hunts to Temples of Tenochtitlán
• Upkeep: draw Perception, 3 resources total.

#11

• Mythos: 3/6 doom, Brotherhood Acolyte (at Lake Xochimilco, 2 doom)
• Pathfinder to Temples of Tenochtitlán
• EVADE (commit Veda Whitsley, -5, exhaust Padma Amrita)
• Temples of Tenochtitlán (1 doom)
• MOVE to Templo Mayor
• R1.

Minus Five! Thanks to Veda that is good enough! I've got a feeling that our botanist had some choice words for the woman who doomed her previous expedition. Fitting. No more comments from me, I'm just relieved I did better than during the trial run, where I've lost quite spectacularly. Next time we'll meet Ursula and Veda in Heart of the Elders. Bye!

Campaign Log:

The Untamed Wilds: Ursula interpreted the dreams. Ursula cleared a path to the Eztli ruins. Ursula earned Ichtaca’s trust. Alejandro chose to remain at camp. 8 XP, 1 Physical Trauma, Yig’s Fury: 1.

The Doom of Eztli: Ursula recovered the Relic of Ages. The Harbinger is still alive (0). Ursula gave custody of the relic to Harlan Earnstone. Alejandro is continuing his research on his own. 4 XP, Yig’s Fury: 4.

Threads of Fate: Ursula found the missing relic. Ursula rescued Alejandro. Ursula forged a bond with Ichtaca. Ursula recruited the help of another expedition. The Harbinger is still alive (1). 6 XP, Trauma Healed, Yig’s Fury: 4.

The Boundary Beyond: 4 paths are known to Ursula. The Harbinger is still alive (3). Ichtaca has confidence in Ursula. Ursula mapped the way forward. Ichtaca's faith is restored. 4 XP, Yig’s Fury: 4.