Arkham Horror: The Card Game – Into the Maelstrom: Mythos Pack Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Scenario VIII: Into the Maelstrom
• Scenario Setup
• Location Adjacency in Y'ha-nthlei
• Location Placement for Act 1
• Keys
• Standalone Mode
• Act 2 Setup
• Location Placement for Act 2
• Flashback XIV
• Resolutions
  • If no resolution was reached
  • Resolution 1
  • Resolution 2
  • Resolution 3
  • Resolution 4
  • Resolution 5
  • Resolution 6
  • Resolution 7
  • Resolution 8

Scenario VIII: Into the Maelstrom

Narrative introduction omitted (see the guide). Proceed to Setup.

Scenario Setup

• Gather all cards from the following encounter sets: Into the Maelstrom, Agents of Hydra, Creatures of the Deep, Flooded Caverns, Shattered Memories, Syzygy, and Ancient Evils. These sets are indicated by the set icons shown in the printed setup.
• Check Campaign Log. Place each of the following keys (blue, red, green, and yellow) as follows:
  • If the investigators possess the key to Y'ha-nthlei, choose an investigator to take control of the blue key. Otherwise, set it aside, facedown.
  • If the investigators possess a map of Y'ha-nthlei, choose an investigator to take control of the red key. Otherwise, set it aside, facedown.
  • If the guardian of Y'ha-nthlei is dispatched, choose an investigator to take control of the green key. Otherwise, set it aside, facedown.
  • If the gateway to Y'ha-nthlei recognizes you as its rightful keeper, choose an investigator to take control of the yellow key. Otherwise, set it aside, facedown.
  • If there are fewer than 4 set-aside keys, shuffle the purple, white, and black keys facedown. Then, one at a time, set each of these keys aside until there are no more than 4 set-aside keys. Remove each remaining key in excess of the set-aside keys from the game. The removed keys will not be used in this scenario.
  • Shuffle each set-aside key so you do not know which is which.
• Put Gateway to Y'ha-nthlei into play. (It enters play partially flooded.) Put each of the 8 Tidal Tunnel locations into play surrounding it (see Location Placement for Act 1 below).
  • Each investigator begins play at the Gateway to Y'ha-nthlei.
  • Set each other location aside, out of play.
• Check Campaign Log.
  • Each investigator who possesses a diving suit begins play with a Diving Suit story asset in their play area.
  • Remove each unused Diving Suit from the game.

Location Adjacency in Y'ha-nthlei

During this scenario, locations are arranged in a set pattern, with each location adjacent to one or more other locations.

• During this scenario, adjacent locations are considered to be connected to one another.
• Locations are only adjacent orthogonally (left, right, above, or below); they are not adjacent diagonally.

Location Placement for Act 1

Place the Gateway to Y'ha-nthlei in the centre of a 3-by-3 grid, with a Tidal Tunnel location in each of the other eight positions (three across the top, one on each side of the Gateway, and three across the bottom).

• Gateway to Y'ha-nthlei: "Y'ha-nthlei. Otherworld." Gateway to Y'ha-nthlei enters play partially flooded (even while it is unrevealed).
• Tidal Tunnel (8 copies): "Cave." No rules text is printed on these locations.

Keys

During this scenario, keys represent the following:

• Red: Information regarding the otherworldly route to Y'ha-nthlei, and the secrets that lie within.
• Blue: A key allowing entrance through the gateway to Y'ha-nthlei and its other thresholds.
• Green: A trophy proving one's worthiness to enter Y'ha-nthlei and commune with its deities.
• Yellow: A badge signifying one's allegiance to Y'ha-nthlei and its deities.
• Purple: A key of shimmering gold for opening the vaults of the deep.
• Black: A key of obsidian used to activate the many traps within the city of the deep.
• White: A key of coral, one of many used to navigate the depths of Y'ha-nthlei.

Standalone Mode

If you are playing in Standalone Mode and do not wish to refer to any other setups or 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, −4, skull, skull, cultist, cultist, tablet, tablet, elder thing, elder thing, plus two further icon tokens. Transcriber's note: the printed sidebar shows these last two as images. One is the elder sign (star-with-eye symbol). The other is a stylised curled glyph with a "2" that could not be identified from the text layer; identify it from the printed page 37.
• The investigators may decide how many of the following entries are true: the investigators possess the key to Y'ha-nthlei, the investigators possess a map of Y'ha-nthlei, the guardian of Y'ha-nthlei is dispatched, and the gateway to Y'ha-nthlei recognizes you as its rightful keeper.
  • For the easiest experience, all 4 are true.
  • For a slightly easier experience, choose 3 entries to be true.
  • For a standard experience, choose 2 entries to be true.
  • For a more difficult experience, choose 1 entry to be true.
  • For the most difficult experience, none of the above entries are true.
• No investigators possess a diving suit.

Act 2 Setup

When setting up act 2, first set up the locations as depicted below. Then, depending on the number of investigators in the game, do the following:

• If there are exactly 4 investigators in the game, no changes are made.
• If there are exactly 3 investigators in the game, remove the Y'ha-nthlei location marked as "C" from the game, sliding each of the three locations on the row below it upwards once.
• If there are exactly 2 investigators in the game:
  • First, remove the Y'ha-nthlei location marked as "A" from the game, sliding the three locations to its left (the two on the same row and the Y'ha-nthlei Sanctum on the row below them) each once to the right.
  • Then, remove the Y'ha-nthlei location marked as "B" from the game, sliding the three locations to its right (the two on the same row and the Y'ha-nthlei Sanctum on the row below them) each once to the left.
• If there is exactly 1 investigator in the game:
  • First remove the Y'ha-nthlei location marked as "C" from the game, sliding each of the three locations on the row below it upwards once.
  • Next, remove the Y'ha-nthlei location marked as "A" from the game, sliding the two locations to its left on the same row once to the right.
  • Finally, remove the Y'ha-nthlei location marked as "B" from the game, sliding the two locations to its right on the same row once to the left.
• Each location should be adjacent to at least 1 other location.
• Do not look at the revealed side of any location removed from the game.

Location Placement for Act 2

The grid is read from top to bottom (rows) and left to right (columns); the top row has seven positions, and the other rows are centred beneath it.

• Top row, centred: Gateway to Y'ha-nthlei.
• Row 1 (seven locations, left to right): Y'ha-nthlei Sanctum; Y'ha-nthlei; Y'ha-nthlei marked "A"; Y'ha-nthlei; Y'ha-nthlei marked "B"; Y'ha-nthlei; Y'ha-nthlei Sanctum.
• Row 2 (three locations, under columns 2, 4 and 6): Y'ha-nthlei Sanctum; Y'ha-nthlei marked "C"; Y'ha-nthlei Sanctum.
• Row 3 (three locations, under columns 3, 4 and 5): Lair of Hydra (High Temple of Mother Hydra); Y'ha-nthlei; Lair of Dagon (Sanctuary of Father Dagon).

Card text for these locations:

• Gateway to Y'ha-nthlei: "Y'ha-nthlei. Otherworld." Enters play partially flooded (even while it is unrevealed).
• Y'ha-nthlei Sanctum (4 copies): "Y'ha-nthlei. Sanctum." Enters play fully flooded (even while it is unrevealed).
• Y'ha-nthlei (7 copies, including those marked "A", "B" and "C"): "Y'ha-nthlei." Enters play partially flooded (even while it is unrevealed).
• Lair of Hydra: "Y'ha-nthlei. Lair." No rules text is printed on this location.
• Lair of Dagon: "Y'ha-nthlei. Lair." No rules text is printed on this location.

The flavour quotations and descriptive prose on these location cards are omitted.

Flashback XIV

Do not read unless you are instructed. Narrative omitted.

• In your Campaign Log, under "Memories Recovered," record a stinging betrayal.
• The investigators must decide (choose one):
  • Help Agent Harper complete her mission. Put the set-aside City of the Deep (v. II) into play next to the current act. It provides a new alternate objective.
  • Defy Agent Harper. Search each player's hand, deck, discard pile, and all play areas for Elina Harper and remove her from the game. Put the set-aside City of the Deep (v. III) into play next to the current act. It provides a new alternate objective.

Resolutions

Narrative prose in the resolutions is omitted. Each resolution's instructions are reproduced below, in the order printed.

If no resolution was reached

Do not read until the end of the scenario. If no resolution was reached because each investigator was defeated, the closing narrative is read (omitted here), and then:

• Proceed to Resolution 8.

Resolution 1

Do not read until the end of the scenario.

• In your Campaign Log, record the investigators escaped Y'ha-nthlei.
• Add both Dagon and Hydra to the victory display. Each investigator earns experience equal to the Victory X value of each card in the victory display.
• Each investigator suffers 2 physical trauma from their ordeal beneath the waves.
• Check if Act 2b—"Shattering the Alignment" is in the victory display.
  • If it is, proceed to Resolution 2.
  • If it is not, skip to Resolution 3.

Resolution 2

Do not read until the end of the scenario.

• In your Campaign Log, record the plot of the Deep Ones was thwarted.
• The investigators win the campaign!
• Check if another act card is in the victory display.
  • If Act 2b—"Conspiracy Fulfilled" is in the victory display, proceed to Resolution 4.
  • If Act 2b—"Conspiracy Dismantled" is in the victory display, proceed to Resolution 5.
  • If neither is in the victory display, skip to Epilogue.

Resolution 3

Do not read until the end of the scenario.

• In your Campaign Log, record the flood has begun.
• Check which act card is in the victory display.
  • If Act 2b—"Conspiracy Fulfilled" is in the victory display, proceed to Resolution 6.
  • If Act 2b—"Conspiracy Dismantled" is in the victory display, proceed to Resolution 7.

Resolution 4

Do not read until the end of the scenario.

• In your Campaign Log, record Agent Harper's mission is complete.
• Each investigator earns 3 bonus experience.
• Proceed to Epilogue.

Resolution 5

Do not read until the end of the scenario.

• In your Campaign Log, record the riches of the deep are lost forever.
• Each investigator earns 3 bonus experience.
• Proceed to Epilogue.

Resolution 6

Do not read until the end of the scenario.

• In your Campaign Log, record Agent Harper's mission is complete…but at what cost?
• Each investigator suffers 2 mental trauma as they realize the world will never be the same.
• The investigators win the campaign…?

Resolution 7

Do not read until the end of the scenario.

• In your Campaign Log, record the riches of the deep are destroyed…but at what cost?
• Each investigator suffers 2 mental trauma as they realize the world will never be the same.
• The investigators win the campaign…?

Resolution 8

Do not read until the end of the scenario.

• In your Campaign Log, record the Deep Ones have flooded the Earth.
• Each investigator is killed.
• The investigators lose the campaign.