Arkham Horror: The Card Game – A Phantom of Truth: Mythos Pack Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Doubt and Conviction
• Scenario VI: A Phantom of Truth
  • Introduction
  • Dreams
  • Awakening
• Setup
• Suggested Location Placement
• Standalone Mode
• Resolutions
  • No Resolution
  • Resolution 1
  • Resolution 2
  • Resolution 3

Doubt and Conviction

Some story resolutions and interludes in The Path to Carcosa campaign instruct the players to "Mark one Doubt" or "Mark one Conviction" in their Campaign Log. This is done by filling in one of the boxes next to "Doubt" or "Conviction" at the bottom of the Campaign Log.

Later in the campaign, some scenarios may be changed or altered depending on whether the investigators "have more Doubt than Conviction" or "have more Conviction than Doubt."

The investigators have more Doubt than Conviction if the number of boxes filled in next to Doubt is greater than the number of boxes filled in next to Conviction (and vice versa). Doubt and Conviction are shared among all of the investigators, and they are not tied to any specific investigator. Doubt and Conviction have no game effect except when explicitly referenced by the Campaign Guide or by a card effect.

Scenario VI: A Phantom of Truth

Introduction

Check Campaign Log. If the King claimed its victims: Read Intro 1. Otherwise, skip to Intro 2.

Intro 1: Several months have passed since The King in Yellow came to the Ward Theatre. You and your companions have been investigating the strange incidents that followed in its wake. What you have found makes you question the wisdom of continuing your investigation, but the truth calls out to you, and you cannot help but answer. It seems you weren't the first to piece together the strange happenings surrounding The King in Yellow. Another group of investigators had been researching these events as well. Just a matter of days after the performance in Arkham, they were admitted to the asylum, ranting about the King's return and the "monsters" that had attacked them. Somehow this doesn't surprise you. Their fate makes you all the more certain you are on the right trail... And all the more certain that you should stop while you still have the chance.

You've found the records those investigators kept before their incarceration, and picked up the trail where they left off. They had interviewed some of the cast and crew of The King in Yellow, and discovered several pieces of vital information. Their research also contains notes about their discoveries in Arkham's Historical Society, and accounts from their time spent in the asylum, including interactions with a patient named "Daniel Chesterfield." After a long night of compiling and comparing notes, you fall into a deep slumber. In your dreams, you are subjected to visions of Carcosa—its black stars, twin suns, shattered moons, and twisted spires.

Continue to Dream 1. Don't get lost.

Intro 2: It has been several weeks since the events in the asylum, and you are still no closer to the truth about The King in Yellow and Carcosa. You have scoured the city for signs of the others Daniel had mentioned—the ones who are "opening the path to Carcosa"—but found nothing. Either the trail has gone cold, or they're no longer in Arkham. Perhaps Daniel truly was insane, and you are only following him deeper down the rabbit hole. Every night, you toss and turn as you are subjected to vivid dreams of Carcosa—its black stars, twin suns, shattered moons, and twisted spires.

Continue to Dream 1. Don't get lost.

Dreams

Dream 1: You fall through the empty abyss of Hali. Creatures of unknown and impossible origin lurk just beyond the darkness of your sight. Hastur looms above you, magnificent and yet bound in his prison of madness, manipulating your torturous descent with a sole outstretched arm.

Each investigator has earned the Lost Soul weakness (The Path to Carcosa #227) (does not count toward deck size). Shuffle one copy of this weakness into each investigator's deck.

Continue to Dream 2.

Dream 2: Constance takes your hand and pulls you onto the polished dance floor. "Come now, don't be shy. Tonight is a night for dancing! For celebration!"

Check Campaign Log.

• If the King claimed its victims, continue to Dream 8.
• If the above is not true, if you intruded on a secret meeting, continue to Dream 3.
• If you slayed the monsters at the dinner party, continue to Dream 4.
• If none of the above are true, continue to Dream 6.

Dream 3: "Ah, if it isn't our esteemed guest," the man with the mustache and the silver-handled cane says. He grabs a bottle of wine from the nearby countertop and pours you a glass. "I hear you have taken quite the interest in our little production," he says with a smile. "Tell me: how are you enjoying Act 2, so far?"

Continue to Dream 6.

Dream 4: Smoke and embers float upwards into the starless night sky. The screams of burning creatures fill you with a horrid sense of accomplishment. They almost sound human, you consider. But you know that isn't true.

Each investigator suffers 1 mental trauma. Continue to Dream 6.

Dream 5: You peer in the mirror, and your reflection gives you a curious glance. "Wait a second, this isn't Dream 1," you say.

Continue to Dream 1.

Dream 6: The lights of the theatre dim and a spotlight shines on the stage. "Welcome, ladies and gentleman!" the creature exclaims. Its many tentacles reach across the stage, up into the rafters, and throughout the aisles. It tears the curtains down, and tattered red cloth falls over its bulbous form.

Check Campaign Log. If the police are suspicious of you, continue to Dream 7. Otherwise, continue to Dream 8.

Dream 7: You find yourself inside the Arkham Police Department, desperately trying to explain to the desk sergeant what happened in the Ward Theatre. He scoffs and refuses to believe you. "We know what you're really up to," he says, and claps a pair of handcuffs over your wrists. "You're under arrest for larceny. Boys, take 'em away." Several other cops flank you and prevent any escape. Your protests go unheard as you are firmly escorted down a flight of concrete stairs and hurled into a cold jail cell. "Maybe some time in lockup will change your story," the desk sergeant shouts. He slams the door behind him, leaving you with your spiraling thoughts. How did they find out? How could they possibly know?

Choose an investigator. The chosen investigator has earned the Paranoia weakness (Core 97) (does not count toward deck size). Shuffle 1 copy of this weakness into that investigator's deck, if able.

Continue to Dream 8.

Dream 8: You peer in the mirror, and the Stranger peers back at you. His gaze drills into your mind. The mirror shatters.

Check Campaign Log. If there are 3 or fewer tally marks under "Chasing the Stranger," continue to Dream 9. If there are 4 or more tally marks under "Chasing the Stranger," continue to Dream 10.

Dream 9: You chase the Stranger through dark, chilly passageways composed of hundreds of thousands of skeletal bodies. Skulls watch as you run, their mouths rattling a mocking taunt as you pass. The Stranger reaches a solid wall of bone, and is grabbed by bony hands and pulled into the wall. Their mocking laughs reach an awful crescendo.

Continue to Dream 13.

Dream 10: You chase the Stranger up a steep staircase of broken stone, a torrent of rain crashing upon your back as you run. Lighting flashes in the distance. A vortex of swirling black clouds looms above you, threatening to swallow the world whole. The masked man dashes through a wide set of doors atop the stairs, and you follow close behind. The sound of crashing thunder is muffled as the doors close behind you. Looking up, you see a familiar depiction in stained glass. "Beautiful, is it not?" the Stranger says quietly.

The investigators must decide (choose one):

• "How could any of this be beautiful to you?" Continue to Dream 11.
• "What exactly am I looking at?" Continue to Dream 12.

Dream 11: You avoid looking at the stained glass. If this vile man considers it to be beautiful, it is probably some trap meant to ensnare your mind. You clench your fist until your knuckles are white and step forward to confront the Stranger.

Mark one Conviction in your Campaign Log. Continue to Dream 13.

Dream 12: You peer up at the stained glass, curious. What is the shape of the shadow along the window? What is the meaning behind this strange design?

Mark one Doubt in your Campaign Log. Continue to Dream 13.

Dream 13: Daniel's voice calls out to you. "They are opening the path to Carcosa."

Continue to Awakening.

Awakening

Awakening: You awaken from your fitful dream, sweating and gagging. This cannot go on any longer. You have only one option if you are to continue your investigation. You must find Nigel Engram, director of The King in Yellow, and architect of this madness. Only he will have the answers you seek. You pack your bags and plan your trip to Paris, the City of Lights.

Check Campaign Log. If Jordan Perry is listed under VIPs Interviewed: Proceed to Jordan's Information. Otherwise, skip to Setup.

Jordan's Information: According to Mr. Jordan Perry, who had financed several performances of The King in Yellow across the world, Nigel Engram was an eccentric and impassioned man, almost to the point of mania. Rumor was, he hadn't directed any other works since discovering The King in Yellow. Jordan had first met with Mr. Engram at a café in Montparnasse, "L'agneau Perdu." You travel there first, hoping to find Mr. Engram...

• Each investigator begins the game with 3 additional resources. Instead of the normal starting location, each investigator begins play at Montparnasse.

Proceed to Setup.

Setup

• Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: A Phantom of Truth, Evil Portents, Byakhee, The Stranger, Agents of Hastur, and The Midnight Masks. These sets are indicated by the following icons: [six encounter-set icons, one per set, as printed].

  When gathering The Midnight Masks encounter set, only gather the 5 treachery cards (2x False Lead and 3x Hunting Shadow). Do not gather the location, act, agenda, or scenario reference cards from that set.

• Check Campaign Log. If you have more (or equal) Doubt than Conviction:

  • Search the gathered encounter sets for both copies of Twin Suns and all 3 copies of Hunting Shadow, and remove them from the game.
  • During this scenario, use Act 1—The Parisian Conspiracy (v. I). The other version of Act 1 is removed from the game.

• If you have more Conviction than Doubt:

  • Search the gathered encounter sets for both copies of Black Stars Rise and both copies of False Lead, and remove them from the game.
  • During this scenario, use Act 1—The Parisian Conspiracy (v. II). The other version of Act 1 is removed from the game.

• Choose one of the two Montmartre locations, one of the two Opéra Garnier locations, and one of the two Le Marais locations, at random. Put the chosen locations into play. Remove the other versions of those locations from the game.

• Put the remaining locations (Montparnasse, Gare d'Orsay, Grand Guignol, Canal Saint-Martin, Père Lachaise Cemetery, Notre-Dame, and Gardens of Luxembourg) into play. (See below for suggested placement.) Each investigator begins play at Gare d'Orsay.

• Set the double-sided The Organist enemy aside, out of play.

Suggested Location Placement

The printed page shows a suggested layout of the locations as a grid of location cards, reproduced here as a list of the locations shown. Upper part of the layout: Grand Guignol (left), Canal Saint-Martin and Père Lachaise Cemetery (right), with Montmartre between them. Middle part: Opéra Garnier (left) and Le Marais (right). Lower part: Gare d'Orsay (left), Gardens of Luxembourg (centre), and Notre-Dame (right). Bottom: Montparnasse (centre). The printed flavour text of each location is not reproduced here.

Standalone Mode

If you are playing in Standalone Mode and do not wish to refer to any other setup/resolutions, you may use the information below when setting up and playing this scenario:

• Assemble the chaos bag using the following tokens: +1, 0, 0, –1, –1, –1, –2, –2, –3, –3, –4, three Skull tokens, and two further tokens printed as icons [two chaos token icons, names not confirmed from the glyph set].
• Randomly choose one of the following tokens (Cultist, Tablet, or Elder Thing). Add 2 of the chosen token to the chaos bag.
• During setup, choose one: Doubt or Conviction.
  • If Doubt is chosen, for the remainder of this scenario, you are considered to have more Doubt than Conviction.
  • If Conviction is chosen, for the remainder of this scenario, you are considered to have more Conviction than Doubt.
• Throughout the setup of this scenario, there will be several references to events in your campaign log. None of these events happened. Additionally, there are no tally marks under "Chasing the Stranger," and Jordan Perry is not listed under VIPs Interviewed or VIPs Slain.
• Do not take the Lost Soul weakness as instructed during this scenario's introduction.
• The lead investigator adds The Man in the Pallid Mask weakness (The Path to Carcosa #59) to his or her deck.

Resolutions

DO NOT READ until the end of the scenario.

No Resolution

If no resolution was reached (each investigator resigned or was defeated): You lose track of yourself within the city as you flee for your life. Your feet move of their own accord. The beating of sinewy wings and screeching of creatures above you spurs you onward. Soon you find yourself running down a narrow avenue, passing a set of heavy iron gates. You are in a dead end—a court with tall, old houses on either side. You turn back toward the entrance to find the shapes of many winged creatures barring your path. They are perched on the gates and on the balconies above, awaiting your doom. Walking with cold, sinister confidence, the man in black opens the iron gate and enters the court. His face gleams in the darkness. His eyes pierce your soul. For a moment, you recognize him for what he truly is. It is the last you remember of that night.

• Record in your Campaign Log that you did not escape the gaze of the phantom.
• Remove all Cultist, Tablet, and Elder Thing tokens from the chaos bag. Then, add 2 Elder Thing tokens to the chaos bag.
• If Jordan Perry (An Imposing Presence) is in the victory display, record his name in your Campaign Log, under "VIPs Slain."
• Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display.

Resolution 1

Resolution 1: You can only assume this house belongs to Nigel Engram, the director of The King in Yellow. At last, you have finally found your quarry…and yet, it is little relief to your straining sanity. You feel like a dog being led by a leash, your fate decided by a cruel master who has long kept you in the dark. You push these gloomy thoughts to the back of your mind and knock on Mr. Engram's door. There is no response but a flock of magpies that scatter from the rooftop at the sudden noise. You try the doorknob, hoping you won't have to resort to more forceful measures. To your surprise, you find the door unlocked.

Inside, Nigel's home is a mess of notes, old books, and strange diagrams. Covering the coffee table in his living room is an old, faded map, bearing many fold creases and tattered edges. It looks to be an incomplete map of the catacombs beneath Paris, or at least a section of it. The food in his pantry is old and rotten. There is no sign of anyone having lived here for years, and yet the ink upon the living room walls is wet and fresh. Over and over, across nearly every inch of the wallpaper, it reads:

He is already here.

• Record in your Campaign Log that you found Nigel's home.
• Remove all Cultist, Tablet, and Elder Thing tokens from the chaos bag. Then, add 2 Cultist tokens to the chaos bag.
• If Jordan Perry (An Imposing Presence) is in the victory display, record his name in your Campaign Log, under "VIPs Slain."
• Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display.

Resolution 2

Resolution 2: You can only assume this house belongs to Nigel Engram, the director of The King in Yellow. At last, you have finally found your quarry…and yet, it is little relief to your straining sanity. You feel like a dog being led by a leash, your fate decided by a cruel master who has long kept you in the dark. You push these gloomy thoughts to the back of your mind and knock on Mr. Engram's door. A flock of magpies scatters from the rooftop at the sudden noise. Then, to your surprise, the door opens.

Across the threshold of the doorway stands a tall man with a thick, brown mustache. A familiar silver-handled cane leans against the wall next to his coat hanger. "So it's you," he says. "Come in. I have expected you for some time now." He turns away and walks toward his kitchen. You can hear a teapot whistling, as though he'd been preparing for your arrival. You enter his home, unsure of what to do next. This gentle, unassuming man is not quite what you had expected. Nigel's home is a mess of notes, old books, and strange diagrams. Covering the coffee table in his living room is an old, faded map, bearing many fold creases and tattered edges. It looks to be an incomplete map of the catacombs beneath Paris, or at least a section of it. Mr. Engram returns moments later with hot tea and a plate of cheese and crackers. "I assume you are here to find the path to Carcosa?" he asks, wearing an excited grin. You shake your head in response, but he doesn't seem to notice. He paces back and forth around the room as he speaks rapidly. "He told me that you would be arriving soon. That I should… Prepare." Nigel turns toward you as he reaches the wooden door across from you, his eyes flashing. "Don't worry. All is ready. The way is paved." He opens the door to his study and steps inside, leaving you behind to interpret his cryptic comments. You wait a few minutes for him to return, but when he does not, you begin to worry. Then you notice that mold has already begun to grow over the cheese he'd brought you. "Mr. Engram?" you call out, and you hesitantly knock on the door to his study. There is no response. When you enter the room, you find him hanging from the ceiling fan, his body rotting from weeks of decomposition.

• Record in your Campaign Log that you found Nigel Engram. Each investigator suffers 1 mental trauma from the shock of their discovery. Each investigator earns 2 additional experience as they gain insight into the machinations of the Tattered King.
• Remove all Cultist, Tablet, and Elder Thing tokens from the chaos bag. Then, add 2 Tablet tokens to the chaos bag.
• If Jordan Perry (An Imposing Presence) is in the victory display, record his name in your Campaign Log, under "VIPs Slain."
• Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display.

Resolution 3

Resolution 3: As the sun rises once more over the skyline of Paris, you lose sight of the mysterious figure. Frustrated at your failure, you return to your hotel to sleep and recover from the horrors of the past few nights. Your fitful dreams return—dreams of Carcosa, of the King in Tatters, and of the shadowy figure whom you had pursued through the streets of Paris. When you awaken, you are no longer in your hotel room.

• Record in your Campaign Log that you were unable to find Nigel.
• Remove all Cultist, Tablet, and Elder Thing tokens from the chaos bag. Then, add 2 Elder Thing tokens to the chaos bag.
• If Jordan Perry (An Imposing Presence) is in the victory display, record his name in your Campaign Log, under "VIPs Slain."
• Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display.