by Neil Thomson
Image Courtesy ofscreamingtruthIt's exciting times people...I have a new girl and she loves games!
[username=alice87]
More than that she is playing with me through Mice and Mystics, her first story-based, die-rolling combat styled game and she is really enjoying it. So come along for the ride. If you wish to subscribe to this report I will make a comment when the next one goes up so you can stay in the loop.
Flight to Barksburg
[microbadge=24660]Attempt [microbadge=24660]
Hero Call
[microbadge=24836] Colin - Backlash Skill / Collin's Sword & Leather Breastplate
[microbadge=24836] Tilda - First Aid / Tilda's Mace & Leather Breastplate
[microbadge=24836] Nez - Set Trap / Nez's Hammer
[microbadge=24836] Maginos - Mystic Blast / Maginos' Staff
The preamble...
Well yes this was our 4th attempt at the first adventure thanks largely in part to some rules errors and just plain bad rolling - Annie likes to roll cheese for the minions!
In truth we may have made it through on play #2 had I now screwed up in the Kitchen. There one of our heroes earned the Roachmaster achievement and I stupidly thought that the consequence was to advance the hourglass instead of advancing the Chapter End Marker to give us more time!
Not surprisingly we lost but we were flying on that run and I can only think of what may have followed. Tales of nobs and tools eh? 
So realising that this game was a little more involved than I thought I did the due diligence and watched some video play throughs and the FaQs to make sure I had things right.
Then it was time to try again.
4th Flight Lucky
[microbadge=24674] The Guardroom -
Colin - Our Fearless LeaderThings started off well enough as we were skilled in this the opening room. Maginos managed to find the Tinkerer's Treasure (which gave Nez some much needed extra protection given his propensity to charge the enemy) and the 3 rats on guard were no match for our furry fighters. They did acquire some cheese though...more than we would have liked. In the blink of an eye though we were plunging into the cold waters of the sewer.
[microbadge=24674] The Sewer - Things started out well here. We decided to keep the Fishhook and Thread we foud in the dirty waters in case we made an attempt at the Kitchen. Colin managed to get up out of the water and the 5 Roaches we were facing all moved to slow to get in an attack and Maginos managed to kill one with a ranged attack.
Tilda was next to get hauled out of the wet stuff thanks to Colin's chivalrous help but now the Roaches were upon us and despite killing a few, a surge occured and a nasty Cave Centipede was keen on dismembering our mammalian protagonists!
Nez was next to escape the flow of the sewer and Colin had managed to borrow a leg or to from our Cenitpede friend. Then things got a little tricky as Colin realised that holes in his fur were not conducive to a long live. He was soon scurrying behind the party but not before he handed over some cheese to Tilda and she began to do her 'nursey' routine, patching up holes in Colin and then Maginos, who had managed to get out of the water but soon realised that he couldn't dodge like he once used to and the multi-pedal beast fancied him for a pin cushion.
Nez did his beast to cut the Centipede in half but could not quite finish it off and Maginos showed the young whippersnappers how it gets done, taking the kill and savouring the screech of its final thrashing moments. Strike 1 for the Staff of Maginos!
A subsequent search also revealed the Fishscale Armour and Maginos rather liked his new external hide.
But as we heeded into the Kitchen Tunnels on Page 1 (Page 6 and it's all over) with half a wheel of cheese...we were not certain if the Kitchen's were an option.
[microbadge=24674] The Kitchen Tunnels - We got lucky enough to only encounter more Roaches in these tunnels but they did ambush us and closed the gap before we our eyes could accustom to the darkness.
The party had a few wounds going into these tunnels but things started well enough with Colin able to use his Backlash ability to down a couple of Roaches and we knew we could aim for the Roachmaster ability. They acquired some cheese and managed to inflict a wound before Colin had dispatched 2 more to acquire the Roachmaster ability. But now we had a problem because due to initiative order we could not finish off the last Roach and get out before a surge occured.
So we shuffled around and got Tilda towards the exit but the time we had taken wound prove crucial. Some bad rolling saw the Roach acquire enough cheese to cause a surge and in the blink of an eye...well many eyes...we had a filthy Black Spider in the tunnels. The hairy adversary took his toll and with one fatal leap Maginos could be seen by Tilda from here high vantage point falling to the earthen floor of the tunnel. Our brave grand master had been bested and needed rescuing. Nez and Colin renewed their efforts, anger fueling the muscles in their tiny arms. After several rounds of combat it was the blunt face of Nez's Hammer that managed to come down with all the force a mouse can muster to introduce the Spider's head to the dusty floor below. Maginos was rescued but regretted the loss of his armour.
Sitting now on Page 2 (with a new end-game of Page 7) and with all but 1 cheese off another surge...the mice decided that Mrs Maggie in the Kitchens above would have to wait...time was of the essence.
[microbadge=24674] Tunnel Entrance - The mice were still looking ok, but they were faced by another Cave Centipede and 2 Rats in these tunnels and again they were ambushed.
Colin went about using Backlash to target the Rats, of which he killed one but the other defended stoicly. Nez set about taking on the Cave Centipede and did some minor damage. The remaining Rat could not score a mark on Colin but the Cave Centipede took a small chunk out of Nex and managed to force a surge.
This was bad as it brought on two more Rats and suddenly our mammalian heroes had their hands full. Attacks flowed, wounds were inflicted and Tilda was healing mice as fast as she could. Maginos was doing well to score a few ranged attacks and before long the Rats were no more and the Centipede was at half strength.
The mice then began a rearguard action as they headed toward the exit and Maginos fired off ranged attacks, which alas failed to find their mark. Nez was at the front of the retreating column as he coul not be stunned by the insect's attacks.
Soon enough he fell and a search discovered a Lucky Scullcap, which was again given to Maginos. It's ability to ignore all hits from one attack (at the expense of it's demise) could prove handy in the courtyard.
Taking a wound each (except for Tilda) into the Courtyard, whiskers wiggled with excitement...they were close now.
[microbadge=24674] The Courtyard -
Tilda - The Mace Wielding Field Medic In the blinding light of the open courtyard were waiting a Cave Centipede and 2 Rats. More concerning though was an ear-chilling caw from somewhere above...a Crow was in the vicinity!
Time and time again that blasted Crow would swoop down and peck away at our diminutive daredevils. Whilst both Rats were done away with easily enough a surge could not be avoided. That took our group to Page 3 and soon after it was onto Page 4 thanks to some quite dire rolling.
But there was a blessing to be had here because the Surge result was a Centipede and with it already in play we were all but immune.
But we had bigger problems as both Tilda and Nex had only made it 2/3rds of the way to the great tree and their escape but they were down to their last life. Colin was also in poor shape thanks to the Centipede and if the Crow should strike one more time then more surges could take place and that could run awfully close to defeat.
The leader in Colin realised the dire situation they were in and called for a backs-to-the-wall retreat towards the trunk of the great tree. Colin made it first and then held his breath as he watched Tilda make a run for it. He could see her tiny heart beating in its chest as she ran and the Crow began its dive for here, sparked into action by the shadow of her sprint...boom boom...boom boom...by the narrowest of margins she made it into the comforting arms of Colin. She quickly administered some bandages to him before making her way into the great tree. She was save.
Despite wanting to stay and fight, Colin convinced Nez that he too had to go and protect Tilda from whatever was on the other side. Amazingly he too managed to evade the Crow's clutches and make it to safety. Earlier in the courtyard though he had managed to fell a Rat and in doing so he felt a surge of knowledge wash over him. Through his experience he had learned a new method for Protect-ing his companions. No doubt this new found skill would come in handy for the perils that lay ahead.
Tilda had managed to cast a Slow Scroll before her departure so the Cave Centipede had to bide it's time and Colin and Maginos stood ready to fell the last adversary.
The battle lasted for what seemed an eternity and Colin was dangerously close to defeat and was stunned to boot. He considered the need to leave Maginos but the leader in him could not do it. The mage himself was dangerously close to defeat, but he had the added protection of the Lucky Skullcap and decided to unleash another Mystic Bolt at his foe, the 3rd such magic attack he had unleashed in the Courtyard so far.
This attack seemed to be fuelled by the level of his concern for his courageous companion. It flew straight and true...severing the head from it's many-legged body. As it fell to the ground and the dust stirred in the breeze, Colin and Maginos supported one another as they hobbled into the safety of the great tree. A final caw of frustration could be heard from the courtyard as they closed the door and turned to see the wonder that was Barksburg!
[hr]
The Kill Count
Well it was Colin that took the applause of the crowd in this one -
[microbadge=24841] Colin - [microbadge=24841]
6 Roaches
3 Rats
2 Cave Centipedes (I must have missed one somewhere in my report)
Achievements - Roachmaster
[microbadge=24841] Tilda - [microbadge=24841]
2 Rats
2 Roaches
[microbadge=24841] Nez - [microbadge=24841]
2 Rats
1 Spider
1 Roach
[microbadge=24841] Maginos - [microbadge=24841]
1 Cave Centipede
1 Rat
1 Roach
Knock-Outs = 1
[o]So we take some time to recover in Barksburg and then we head out to help rescue the Mayor's Daughter as we get ready for - Lilly's Tale![/o]