Myth: Dark Frontier

I’ve done a lot of work for MegaCon Games over the last few years, writing for their Myth, MERCS, and Emergence Event universes and I’m very excited about their newest Kickstarter, Myth: Dark Frontier.  I’ve had the chance to play this many times, both during the play testing phase and in it’s final version, and (along with Emergence Event) it remains one of my all time favorite games.  One of my favorite things about the Myth universe is the ability to really feel like your characters are in the story. Every game I’ve played has that enjoyably tense feeling that good co-op games should always have. Victory is never easy, but when it comes, it is well-deserved and celebrated.  With this in mind, I wrote up a short, storified version of a battle report of my most recent two-player game of Dark Frontier.   Hope you enjoy!

My Dear Friend Sara,

You have asked for an accounting of the recent events at The Rock, though I would be surprised if you did not know as much as those of us who were there, given your mystic talents, I have shared the most pertinent details below. I hope this missive finds you well, and that we may soon have something of better spirits to discuss than the dire straits we currently find ourselves in.

Upon receiving the message from Sir Roderick Blackstone, First Knight of Farrenroc, our hearts weighed heavy. Having already been on our way to assist Sir Archeron, my companions and I discussed what must be done. Agreeing that neither request for aid could wait, we split our forces, with the Apprentice and I, a lone Soldier, splitting off and heading to The First City, while the others continued on to aid Archeron in his quest.

Approaching Farrenroc, it was clear Blackstone’s plea was not given in haste. The forces of the Darkness loomed large in the lands surrounding the city, but we avoided contact until we could reach the city, and see where we could best help. The Farrenroc Militia bravely manned the walls, but Blackstone was right to be concerned. Even their stalwart force may not have been enough to hold the city from the encroaching hordes.

While Blackstone’s men and women held the walls, it was decided we would take the fight to the enemy.

Farrenroc’s scouts had reported observing strange behaviors from the Grubbers in the area. In past attacks, they had mostly favored a full-on assault, pillaging what they could, with little mind for a cohesive plan. Now, however, they seemed to have other Objectives as well, and the scouts shared with us three main areas of concern:

The nearby Villages suffered not only from the looming external threat, but from an internal one as well. Doomsayers have been inciting hysteria, denouncing those, who like us, stand against the Darkness. We must show them that they do have allies who are not afraid to stand up to this threat, for such despairing talk can grow like a cancer and affect even the stability of Farrenroc itself, if left unchecked.

Long-time beacons of hope and Light, the surrounding Sanctuaries were not immune to the encroaching Darkness. Our goal was to Fortify these ancient places, preventing the Hope they provided from being snuffed out.

Finally, even the darkest, deepest Dungeon was also a concern, providing hiding places for the enemy. We would need to clear them out of these holes, though doing so would cost us valuable supplies, but failure would be even more costly.

With our Objectives now clear, The Apprentice and I set out separately from Farrenroc, to better use our individual talents, though we kept in close communication.

Knowing that entering the Dungeon would require sound Tactics, I set off to make my way there. In the morning, I Traveled to a nearby Village, taking time to Fortify their position during the day. That accomplished, I explored the Village that night, hoping to Encounter an Ally to aid me in our work. Though I met none here, I did pick up a very useful Crossbow, which would no doubt serve me well as my travels continued.

While I was busy in the Village, the Apprentice made her way north, towards a Lair. For though our other Objectives were ever in the forefront of our thoughts, she knew that visiting the Lair would allow her the chance to complete an equally important Quest, perhaps sowing discord among the enemy there, though the risk of failure would be high.

To reach the Lair, she first Traveled to a set of nearby Ruins that morning. This action allowed her to utilize the Arcane power from the Fates to ready one spell from her reserves, she choose Hero’s Edge, readying it for future use. Using the Arcane meant taking a chance on bringing us to the attention of the Darkness, but as you well know, Sara, sometimes it is necessary to take risks to achieve your goals.

Afterward, the Apprentice spent the day Fortifying the Ruins as best she could, knowing that such structures would only prove helpful in the ongoing conflict. Though in doing this action, she could have chosen to utilize Faith from the Fates to heal herself, she was luckily uninjured this early in her journey, so it was not necessary to flirt with the Darkness again so soon. At night, she Encountered a formidable Rift Stalker. Luckily, she knew that despite its eldritch appearance, the dark creature was no foe of the Light, and though it tested her abilities to the limit, luck was on her side and the Stalker agreed to become her Ally in the battles ahead.

The next morning, she Traveled to the Lair. Knowing that there were two Grubbers in the area, the Apprentice prepared to Battle during the day. Quickly, she attacked them both, arcane energies leaping from her hands. One quickly fell to the ground, but the other, with its dying breath, managed to inflict a wound on her as well.

Having taken out the immediate threat, she knew it was time to attempt her Quest, for if the Scheme being plotted within the Lair come to fruition Despair would weigh heavy across the land. This test would take all the Cunning she could muster, and while she would never match our comrade, the Brigand, in sheer Cunning, she was not without such skills herself.

Alas! Fate was not on her side, and she failed the test. Knowing the penalty for failure was steep, she called on the magic of Hero’s Edge, allowing her another chance to complete this task. It was well-used, completing the Quest and earning us three of any Resource (Supply, Influence, or Hope) which we added to the Farrenroc Reserves, and automatically defeated one Captain, postponing the menace that Mucker was ready to dish out elsewhere.

On my end, I left the now-Fortified Village and Traveled into the Dungeon that morning. As I Encountered the Dungeon during the day, I came across an old friend. Even from behind, I would have recognized him as he planted a foot on the chest of a Grubber and jerked his weapon out its skull. Quickly he spun around and the battle-hardened face split into an easy grin as Marcus the Ready stepped towards me, his blood-smeared hand extended. “My friend! I am so glad you found me here. These things are everywhere!” he gestured to the green pile of crushed bones and pulverized meat at his feet. Quickly I filled him in on my plan and he joined me as an Ally.

As night fell, a group of three Grubbers and a massive Mucker moved into the area. Luckily, I had prepared for just that eventuality, and was ready to battle that night. Before drawing my weapon, however, I noticed that our Fate Pool contained a Nature symbol. Drawing on its power, I pulled a lone Grubber from the Sanctuary to the east into our position. Another dead Grubber is always a good thing.

Keeping in mind my Objective which would give me bonuses for each minion I defeated, I choose to Battle the Grubbers, even though it meant not utilizing Marcus’s substantial aid against the tougher Mucker at this time.

I was successful against all four and quickly their bodies lay at my feet while Marcus laughed. Seeing an additional opportunity, I utilized my Crossbow to take out the remaining enemy in the nearby Sanctuary, meaning one less piece of trouble for later.

Quickly I chose to test my Tactics, the four dead enemies making it a much easier task. Success! I spent the required resources and claimed this Objective, denying the enemy and easy way to spawn in this location.

Marcus and I did not yet leave the Dungeon but instead avoided the remaining Mucker the next morning (though this chafed at Marcus mightily), and Fortified our position. Having taken care of the fortifications, I decided it was time to engage the Mucker.

Seeing our Fate Pool contained a Rage, I discarded a Fury token, earned in recent slaughter of Grubbers, to resolve a Battle Action, allowed by my Fortify Action. I rolled, and Fate was mostly with me. I dealt a damage to the monstrous Mucker, though this barely seemed to slow him down. If I am being truthful, Sara, my blow was clumsier than it should have been which left me open to the creature’s return strike, which wounded me in turn.

As morning turned to day, I performed my actual Battle Action, again landing a successful blow against the Mucker, and I must have learned my lesson because this time I danced out of his way before he could attack. As I lifted my weapon for another blow, Marcus jumped in and dealt the final wound to the Mucker, though the force of his blow made it clear he would need a moment to rest before performing such a feat again.

Sara, for brevity’s sake I will leave out every blow by blow, here. But our battle for Farrenroc continued in much the same way for many days. At some points, we found ourselves with the upper hand, finding Items and Allies to bolster our quest and shore up Farrenroc’s Reserves. At other points, I am ashamed to say, we nearly lost all Hope as the Corruption, Devastation, and Despair grew throughout the land. It often seemed that we would never stem the tide of Darkness. Though the Farrenroc Militia fought bravely, each time the enemy managed to destroy a piece of the great walled city, the crashing stone echoed throughout the land like the wails of a dying friend, wrenching at our hearts.

Though the cost had been high, the city itself still stood and we felt a flicker of hope again as we grew close to our Final Objective, revealed only after we had taken care of the three I mentioned earlier. To stop the Darkness, our best hope was to keep them from Unlocking an Ancient Evil, in the nearby Ruins locations. Disrupting the rituals took a great deal of coordination, but as you know, I could not have asked for a better companion than the Apprentice. We worked closely together, planning our every move and depending on our Allies and those items we had gleaned through our travels around Farrenroc.

As we neared our final goal, it was clear we must hurry. Orcneas, Master of Masters, had arrived to see to the final destruction of Farrenroc himself, and his forces were even now closing in on the city. The Siege had begun in earnest. Though we could have chosen to face him directly, we had made too much progress toward our Final Objective to give up now. If we could disrupt the rituals, the loss would drive Orcneas and his minions back into their holes and deny them the power needed to crush Farrenroc.

Sara, I will admit to you here, that I was not sure this was the best plan. Marcus, in particular, seemed eager to face Orcneas himself, and I was not immune to his urging. However, cooler heads prevailed, and we sought out the Ruins.

Once inside, what we found does not bear describing here. We gathered our Spirit, vanquishing the grotesque being leading the ritual at both sites, putting an end to whatever eldritch power was fueling Orcneas and his army.

Their power greatly diminished, the enemy slunk off back into the shadows, and though it was a near thing, the city still stands. The walls, which have been repaired countless times throughout the centuries, will be repaired again. As long as those that follow the Light will stand beside it, Farrenroc endures, as it always has, and always shall.

I remain, yours in the Light.

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