Joe's Tarot Reading #1: The Witching Hour

The Witching Hour

Pre-Mulligan Hand: Prepared for the Worst, Vicious Blow, Hawk-Eye Folding Camera, Astounding Revelation, Hawk-Eye Folding Camera

Opening Hand: 2x Hawk-Eye Folding Camera, Magnifying Glass, Daring, Take the Initiative

Joe rejects his fate and begins the scenario at Cairn Stones.

1-Card Tarot Draw: Reversed Ace of Cups

How interesting. Joe has rejected his fate and a reversed Ace of Cups signifies repressed emotions. Could it be that in his heart he believes the soothsayer and refuses to accept simply out of being too self-centered? The Witching Hour scenario has a strong theme of separation and so does the reversed Ace of Cups. This could mean that the difficulties of playing solo will be exarcebated during the game. Perhaps we'll not see Mr. Rook until late in the scenario or even at all. Finally, I think we can expect taking lots of horror because the card is associated with with turbulence and tears.

#1

• Hunch: Scene of the Crime
• PLAY Scene of the Crime (1 clue from Cairn Stones, lose 1 resource)
• PLAY Hawk-Eye Folding Camera
• PLAY Hawk-Eye Folding Camera
• Upkeep: draw Enchanted Blade, 1 resource total.

#2

• Mythos: 1/8 doom, Priestess of the Coven
• Hunch: Working a Hunch
• EVADE (commit Daring, 0, draw Prepared for the Worst, exhaust Priestess of the Coven)
• Working a Hunch (1 clue from Cairn Stones, lose 1 resource)
• Hawk-Eye Folding Camera (1 evidence)
• Hawk-Eye Folding Camera (1 evidence)
• MOVE to Witch-Haunted Woods (The Lonely Tree)
• DRAW Astounding Revelation
• Enemy: Priestess of the Coven readies
• Upkeep: draw Strange Solution, 1 resource total.

#3

• Mythos: 2/8 doom, Coven Initiate
• Hunch: No Stone Unturned
• FIGHT (+1, 1 damage to Coven Initiate)
• FIGHT (commit Prepared for the Worst, -1, defeat Coven Initiate)
• PLAY No Stone Unturned (draw Eureka!)
• Upkeep: draw Enchanted Blade, 2 resources total.

Joe has two camera cards, but let's say that represents him actively using it to photograph both the area and the suspects. He wants the pictures to be able to verify their identities. That said, Joe resorted to punching a woman. She's on the ground and out cold. Our detective grits his teeth and leaves her behind. He still has no clear idea on where to go. As far as Joe knows there are no cairn stones near Arkham. He'll search for more distinctive landmarks.

#4

• Mythos: 3/8 doom, Centuries of Secrets (0, no curses)
• Hunch: Delay the Inevitable
• INVESTIGATE (commit Astounding Revelation, -2, 1 clue from The Lonely Tree)
• Hawk-Eye Folding Camera (2 evidences)
• Hawk-Eye Folding Camera (2 evidences)
• MOVE to Witch-Haunted Woods (Abandoned Mine)
• INVESTIGATE (-2, 1 clue from Abandoned Mine)
• Hawk-Eye Folding Camera (3 evidences)
• Hawk-Eye Folding Camera (3 evidences)
• Upkeep: draw Enchanted Blade, 3 resources total.

#5

• Mythos: 4/8 doom, Rotting Remains (, recover Working a Hunch)
• Hunch: Working a Hunch
• MOVE to Witch-Haunted Woods (Tainted Well)
• Working a Hunch (1 clue from Tainted Well)
• PLAY Strange Solution
• Strange Solution (commit Eureka!, 0, draw Prepared for the Worst & Magnifying Glass, Joe identified the solution)
• Upkeep: draw Vicious Blow, 3 resources total.

#6

• Mythos: 5/8 doom, Rotting Remains (. 3 horror)
• Hunch: Logical Reasoning
• MOVE to Witch-Haunted Woods (Hermit's House)
• PLAY Prepared for the Worst ( Astounding Revelation, 2 resources)
• INVESTIGATE ()
• Upkeep: draw Fine Clothes, 4 resources total.

That last Rotting Remains really got to our detective. Let's say it was a body of someone he recognized, an elderly man who seemed to spend most of his time at the market and whom Joe often meet while shopping for groceries. Now, his body was mutilated decomposing and almost certainly the witches were to blame. Notice that at this point there was an opportunity to play Logical Reasoning from the hunch deck and I didn't take it. This is due to the to the increased sanity buffer from our cameras. I'm digging for Joe's signature Colt so that his cameras aren't displaced.

#7

• Mythos: 6/8 doom, Frozen in Fear
• Hunch: No Stone Unturned
• PLAY No Stone Unturned (draw Mr. "Rook")
• PLAY Mr. "Rook"
• Mr. "Rook" (2 secrets left, draw Crack the Case)
• INVESTIGATE (-1, 1 clue from Hermit's House, discard Take the Initiative)
• × Frozen in Fear (-3)
• Upkeep: draw Daring, 2 resources total.

#8

• Mythos: 7/8 doom, Evil Past
• Hunch: Scene of the Crime
• Mr. "Rook" (1 secret left, Paranoia, lose all resources, draw Crack the Case)
• PLAY Scene of the Crime (1 clue from Hermit's House, discard Magnifying Glass)
• Crack the Case (4 resources)
• Crack the Case (4 resources)
• DRAW Detective's Colt 1911s
• PLAY Detective's Colt 1911s
• × Frozen in Fear ()
• Upkeep: draw Emergency Cache, 5 resources total
• advance act (move to Unhallowed Ground, , 1 damage & 1 horror to Mr. "Rook", Goat Spawn, , Witch Hauntings).

#9

• Mythos: 8/8 doom, advance agenda (Coven Initiate, The Night Howls), Ancient Evils
• Hunch: Logical Reasoning
• Mr. "Rook" (no secrets left, Astounding Revelation, 2 resources, draw "I've got a plan!")
• FIGHT with Detective's Colt 1911s (3 ammo left, -2, defeat Coven Initiate, recover Scene of the Crime)
• FIGHT with Detective's Colt 1911s (2 ammo left, commit Enchanted Blade & Vicious Blow, , recover Scene of the Crime, defeat Goat Spawn, defeat Mr. "Rook", recover Working a Hunch)
• × Frozen in Fear ()
• Upkeep: draw Emergency Cache, 6 resources total.

OK, those were three productive rounds. See that Paranoia recover? It's thanks to Mr. Rook finally being out on the table. In contrast there's nothing I can do about Frozen in Fear. Logical Reasoning appeared when Joe was engaged with two opponents. In theory I could've Joe take two attacks of opportunity to play it regardless, but with Evil Past in the background I'm concerned about stacking even more horror on him. As such, our detective can't consciously process information and relies on muscle memory to shoot at the enemies.

#10

• Mythos: 2/12 doom, Dissonant Voices
• Hunch: Logical Reasoning
• MOVE to Hermit's House
• DRAW Fine Clothes
• × Frozen in Fear (0, discard Frozen in Fear)
• Upkeep: draw Eureka!, discard Emergency Cache, 7 resources total, discard Dissonant Voices.

#11

• Mythos: 3/12 doom, Diabolic Voices (commit Eureka!, , × Evil Past, 2 horror, +1, discard Evil Past)
• Hunch: Scene of the Crime
• advance act (Paths into Twilight)
• advance act (Anette Mason, A Circle Unbroken)
• MOVE to Witches' Circle
• FIGHT with Detective's Colt 1911s (1 ammo left, commit Daring, , draw Vicious Blow, 2 damage to Anette Mason)
• FIGHT with Detective's Colt 1911s (no ammo left, commit Enchanted Blade, "I've got a plan!" & Vicious Blow, -3, defeat Anette Mason)
• R1.

In the end "I've got a plan!" hasn't been used. The plan was to put the strange solution in a hip flask and make the head witch drink it. Why didn't it happen? The Ace of Cups was reversed and everything spilled out! Quite a literal reading, wouldn't you say, Joe? All predictions from the beginning of the game were broadly confirmed, especially note that Joe finished will full health and almost depleted sanity. He definitely has the motivation to pursue this mystery. He'll soon discover it ties closely to the dissaperance of his friend, Jerome Davids. We're over a year after the original release, so I won't transcibe the prologue as we all know how it plays out.

Campaign Log:

Disappearance at the Twilight Estate: Jerome was taken by the Watcher. 6 pieces of evidence were left behind.

The Witching Hour: Joe has rejected his fate. Joe identified the solution. The witches’ spell was broken. 8 XP (Anette Mason, Abandoned Mine, Cairn Stones, The Lonely Tree, Tainted Well, Hermit’s House, 1 bonus XP), Mementos: Mesmerizing Flute & Ritual Components.