Welcome to the Jungle

“When I drew nigh the nameless city I knew it was accursed. I was traveling in a parched and terrible valley under the moon, and afar I saw it protruding uncannily above the sands as parts of a corpse may protrude from an ill-made grave.”
   –H.P. Lovecraft, "The Nameless City"

There will be no rest for you on this expedition.

Everything you think you know about the history of our world is about to be undone. Like any expedition, your journey is fraught with dangers, but these threats appear more unnatural the further you trek through the jungle. To help you survive the unimaginable horrors that haunt your team, today, we are pleased to offer you a closer look at the new dangers that await you in The Forgotten Age deluxe expansion for Arkham Horror: The Card Game!

Fight for Survival

As a member of an expedition team, you and your allies have the chance to become five new investigators as you search for the ruins of a lost Aztec city-state that you believe lies undiscovered deep in the rainforests of southern Mexico. Descriptions of this place defy all understanding of history, and if you manage to uncover the remains of this society, it could lead to fortune and fame within the intellectual community. You cannot allow this chance to pass you by.

If you wish to head deep into the rainforest, you must make the proper preparations, carefully deciding which Supplies to take with you. Supplies differ from cards like Emergency Cache (Core Set, 88) that bear the Supply trait. In The Forgotten Age, Supplies do not have designated cards, but they are recorded in your campaign log, and what you have in your possession can trigger certain card effects. Whereas you can store extra Item or Supply cards in a Backpack (The Forgotten Age, 37), you only have the capability to carry a certain amount of Supplies. You cannot bring everything. Rather, you must listen to your gut and attempt to anticipate what you will need on your expedition. Is it important for you to carry a length of rope for climbing and spelunking, or would you rather keep a cache of medicine in case of infection or disease? It will be possible to restock your Supplies at certain points, but there is no telling when this will occur or how often you will be able to replenish your reserves. Hundreds of miles away from civilization, you must choose wisely.

Once you are ready for the journey, you will embark on a mission through uncharted areas in two new scenarios that challenge you to become not only an investigator, but a trailblazer. The rainforest is dense, with only scattered speckles of sun breaking through the canopy, and there is no telling what sort of threats lurk in the impenetrable underbrush just off the trail. In our first look at The Forgotten Age, we looked at the new Explore ability, which you can use to search the treacherous territory in the hopes of discovering new locations to further your expedition. The jungle becomes safer the more you Explore, but as you search the undergrowth, you may encounter a plethora of venomous serpents and other dangers. You must be careful not to come too close to the vicious vipers, lest you become Poisoned (The Forgotten Age, 102). If this occurs, you simply put a set-aside Poisoned weakness into your threat area. This permanent treachery does not harm you on its own, but it may cause other effects to trigger. You may never even come across the dangers that the poison would trigger, but the longer you leave your ailment unattended, the greater risk you take. How long do you have until your luck runs out?

Shadows in the Trees

The Forgotten Age forces you to make impossible decisions as you must choose whether or not to kill the creatures you encounter. This dilemma is not born of some secret mercy within your heart, but rather due to the inclusion of the new Vengeance keyword. Contrary to victory points, Vengeance represents the awareness and animosity you draw from the Father of Serpents, the malicious entity who watches over the venomous beasts of this region. Like Victory, when you defeat an encounter card with the Vengeance keyword, such as a Pit Viper (The Forgotten Age, 78), you must add it to the victory display until you complete the scenario. While Vengeance points have no impact on the game unless specifically referenced by another card, it may be best to avoid incurring the wrath of the Father of Serpents while you are in the heart of his domain.

In The Forgotten Age, you will endure the worst the rainforest has to offer from dangerous terrain to poisonous reptiles, all while staving off starvation and exposure, but the very thing you seek poses your greatest threat. The closer you come to reaching the supposed location of the Aztec ruins, the closer you come to danger, encountering enemies in strange garbs that appear to be from an entirely different time. While their weapons may appear primitive, those who wield them are deadly. The Forgotten Age increases the peril you find yourself in with the new Alert keyword. Alert enemies like Ichtaca (The Forgotten Age, 52) strike with the speed of a viper. Each time you fail a skill test while attempting to evade them, the Alert enemy performs an attack against you, and to make matters worse, they don't become exhausted following the attack! But perhaps violence is not the answer. Maybe there is another way to reach the ruins without angering the people who dwell there. Either way, you must stay on your toes if you wish to communicate with them, or at the very least, survive.

No Risk, No Reward

Now that you have been given the opportunity of a lifetime to make a world-changing discovery, you must decide whether the adventure is worth the risk. Ready your supplies, prepare for danger, and embark on a journey into The Forgotten Age!

Pre-order your copy of The Forgotten Age (AHC19) at your local retailer today or on the Fantasy Flight Games website here!