by lactamaeon
IN WHICH
... Renown Is Demonstrated
... Dark Temples Are Discovered
... There Is Gold Beyond Measure
... Inspiration Is Provided
... The First Colonies Are Founded
... Devices Are Thwarted
After a long holiday break from Seafall, our group gathered again to play Game 6! An eventful game, to be sure.
As before, I will not be hiding SPOILERS, so proceed with caution!
Princess Dot of the province of Mainframe has retained Ray Tracer (The Navigator) from the previous game, and is hoping to either establish a colony or discover another Ancient Tablet this game. We have a total hold of only 5. In the previous session, she kept finding goods in Ancient Tombs that she was unable to utilize effectively; however, finding a relic would make colony-building more difficult.
A Charter is issued from the continent, lowering the price to purchase goods. Dot hires on Jessica (The Spice Merchant), and sends her to the island of Stygios to purchase four goods.
Before long, the Pirate King begins to Demand Respect from the provinces. Our Adventurous Princess hires on an advisor named MaLynn (The Treasure Hunter), with orders to research (collecting a total of five cards!), sail to Bermuda, and explore one of the Tombs within. There, we meet a native shaman who demands that we leave. We stand our ground for some time before he curses The Saucy Mare, gaining some reputation with the natives. The Pirate King raids Prenderthale's Council Room, kidnapping one of their advisors.
Our Princess orders Ray Tracer to make another endeavor into the Tomb, under cover of Fog. This time we impress the shaman, and he shows us wondrous things before slipping into a spice-induced stupor. While he slumbers, we make off with his Inscribed Tablet and a chest of gold, some of which Ray uses to help fund some research. Meanwhile, ships from Prenderthale discover a Temple of Bones on the Island of Lost Angles, bringing home ludicrous amounts of gold.
Now facing Turbulent Waters, we are stuck with one ship unable to turn due to the shaman's curses. We sail into the uncharted sea and discover some dangerous waters. Fortunately, we are able to navigate around them to another island. Back home, the Princess raises a bit of tax revenue in hopes of building a Museum in the future.
Back near the mainland, Restless Bones rise from beneath the waves to attack ships belonging to the Lord of Arrakeen. Countess Talina of Prenderthale shows off her Gold Beyond Measure. Dot hires on Hardboot (The Grizzled Veteran) this time splitting our ships. The Saucy Mare reaches the Bikini Atoll, lifting one of its curses, and the Hardboot leads the SS Doyle in a raid on the docks of Amity, capturing some Bold seamen to serve on her crew.
The Pirate King begins to Demand Gold, and turns his eyes to the vaults of the Lord of Arrakeen. The Baroness of Leicester builds the first colony from the mainland, Virginia, on Amity Island, where her ships are now able to repair. Countess Talina orders her funds used to buy treasures and construct the Museum ahead of us. Our Princess hires on Elton (The Madman) to sail back to the Tomb on Bermuda and explore within once more. This time we provide some inspiration to a mystic scribe, and he begins to draw us some charts (4 research cards, emptying the deck*)
After the Winter Harvest, the turn order is unchanged. The augurs espy Good Omens. The Lord of Arrakeen orders his ships to destroy Countess Talina's Museum, delaying her victory for a crucial turn. The Countess's ships discover a Temple of Skulls, bringing a wealth of goods. Our Adventurous Princess Dot orders MaLynn to sail to Amity Island and explore its last remaining site. We burn 5 research cards and discover a wood market (the second such market on this island). MaLynn then performs her research, drawing all 5 cards back and leaving the deck empty.
On the final turn, a Market is declared, increasing the sale value of goods. Lord Hulk of Arrakeen builds the colony of Alpha on Treasure Island, where he will be able to buy two additional goods in future games. Baroness Jane of Leicester sends her ships (laden with iron) into the Tomb on Bermuda, and her captain is able to correctly judge the weight to counterbalance a Sacred Amulet. Countess Talina of Prenderthale sails into uncharted waters, discovering a new current and also the island of Innsmouth, putting her well over the glory target for the game. Our Princess of Mainframe sends Ray Tracer to explore a site on Tasmania, where we find some linen production and "take care" of one of Prenderthale's advisors.
*If I hadn't spent a chart on this, the deck would have only had three cards left, and I would have been allowed by the entry to take the fourth from another province! What a neat possibility.
This session was a lot of fun for most of us, I think. Our Lord may be having some issues, as he has been lagging behind and only now claimed his first extra thing to carry from game to game (the colony of Alpha). I've helped put together a strategy for his next game, though, and he's got a decent shot at another colony, a milestone, and possibly even the game win bonus. All of this is uncertain, however, as it's very likely that the next box will open in the middle of game 7 now that we are finally building colonies.
Thanks for reading!
-Lactamaeon