Before a Throne of Bone - How a Combat Might Go

Many of you are, no doubt, aware that my friend Mavis Cruet is busily designing a megagame inspired, in part, by one of our favourite pastimes: Aye, Dark Overlord! You can read about his progress at http://stormyportgames.blogspot.co.uk

I'm trying to help, but I keep running up against a problem. He is AMAZINGLY productive. His ideas are born, develop, encounter difficulties, evolve and wither before I've got around to checking my email. I could spend a blog entry discussing the ways in which parenting two under-6s severely restricts one's ability to be creative, but we all have stuff to deal with and mine is probably no more or less challenging than yours. So, let's try something a bit more positive.

I want to tell you about the game that I envisioned when I read his blog on Monday morning. By the time I write this, on Wednesday morning, things had moved on and the game I thought was emerging looks to be in danger of washing away on the tide. With a bit of luck, this description will drag some of its best aspects back onto dry land.

We are playing Upon a Throne of Bone. I am Lieutenant Hiss and I answer directly to Queen Cobra herself. It's Turn Six, and Castle Aldheim has been substantially weakened by the forces of Archfiend Mavis Cruet. We all know it's about to crumble, spilling treasures in all directions and rewarding its destroyer with a hefty Terror bonus. I want to steal the victory for my mistress, out from under her rival.

Mavis made his original assault on the Castle, in Turn Four, with the following force:

1 x Giant Guile 0 Magic 0 Strength 4 sWords 1

6 x Orc G0 M0 S1 W0

2 x Battering Ram G0 M0 S2 W0 Siege

1 x Vampire G2 M2 S2 W0 Rise[1]

The Castle has a Location Value of 3, but has been defeated twice, so once more will finish it.
It defends with S10 W2 and has the following pre-requisites: G2+ or M2+, Siege.
In Turns Four and Five, the servants of Mavis defeated the Castle and took a single Strength Point casualty from losing the Swords Round. As a result, only 4 Orcs remain, but his total Strength (currently 14) is still more than enough to destroy the Castle.

I can engage an army and then, if I win, roll on into attacking the location in the same turn, but I will not be able to send additional forces or special effect cards between the two actions. So, I send in every monster I have, with the hope of chasing off Mavis's troops and destroying the castle myself. Here's my roster:

3 x Serpent Assassin G1 M0 S0 W1

6 x Giant Scorpion G0 M0 S1 W1

2 x Burrowing Wyrm G0 M0 S3 W1 Siege

I plan to win the Guile Round (Me 3 vs Mavis 2), sending his Giant home, so that I can go on to win the Strength Round (Me 12 vs Mavis 14-4=10). I will lose the Magic Round (Me 0 vs Mavis 2), but a two-point victory is only enough to exterminate one of my Serpents or Scorpions; the Siege Wyrms will be safe! I'll also decisively win in my speciality, the Swords Round (Me 11 vs Mavis 1-1=0), so I'll be able to spitefully destroy a Battering Ram on the way out. It probably isn't worth targeting the Vampire, as it has the Rise keyword and for 1 glass bead (which represents Chaos Energy) it can be sent home instead of dying. Once the battle is done, I'll assault the Castle. Guile and Magic do not have Rounds at locations, but rather meet pre-requisites. My Guile will still be at least 2, my Wyrms have Siege, and I'll beat the defences in both Strength and Swords, so the Castle will fall and I will get all the Terror and Treasures... Yay me!

So, we arrive. Mavis's lieutenant glowers at me, not impressed at my underhand tactics. We reveal our troops... Aw, hell. Mavis must have guessed what I was up to. He's redeployed his Giant elsewhere and replaced it with 3 additional Orcs. My plan is in tatters, but I might yet win.

Guile Round - Me 3 vs Mavis 2

I still win by 1, but that isn't enough to run rings around his clever Vampire (G2). Irritably, I send home one of his Battering Rams.

Magic Round - Me 0 vs Mavis 2

I smirk, knowing that, though he can now kill one of my Monsters, he has no satisfactory targets to select, but the expression freezes on my face when he opts to convert his winnings into Chaos Energy and takes two glass beads from the Control. What is he planning? I don't have to wait long to find out...

Mavis's lieutenant plays the Spell Card "Champion" along with the glass bead it requires. He may now select one Monster and, for the remainder of the game, its characteristics are one third of the total for all Monsters of the same type in this force (including itself), rounded up. Predictably, he chooses an Orc:

Orc Champion G0 M0 S(7/3 =2.3)3 W0

Effectively, this Strength 3 Orc simply adds 2 to his total Strength, but that's bad news for me.

Strength - Me 12 vs Mavis 13

I have lost the battle and my forces must retreat, allowing him to make his final assault on the Castle. He wins by 3, which is enough to slaughter one of my precious Burrowing Wyrms, which he does. Oh, I'll make him pay! Now, comes the Round I always win.

Swords - Me 11 vs Mavis 0

It's tremendous overkill, but at least I have the satisfaction of robbing Mavis of a valuable pawn. But, which one? His Vampire will just Rise again, and the Orc Champion will grow in Strength as Mavis gains more Orcs. So, that the Champion seems like the obvious choice. Then, it hits me: the Battering Ram! Without it, his attempt to destroy the Castle will be scuppered. I grin horribly and take a breath...

"Wait a minute," says Mavis's lieutenant, "I know what you're thinking, but if you let me destroy the Castle, you can have everything that comes out except the Terror and the Gold."

I'm momentarily paralysed with indecision. Maybe Mavis has done comprehensive surveillance of the Castle and his lieutenant knows that it only contains Gold. Or, maybe there are Spells and imprisoned Monsters inside that I could take back to my dark mistress. Oh, how happy she would be with me then! What do I do?

What Makes a Megagame? - Player Numbers

Don't worry, the title isn't a spoiler. I just wanted to make it clear that we're not discussing every essential element that goes into making a megagame. Rather, this post focusses on the extent to which player numbers are responsible for generating the experience, with side-references to associated roles and activities.
I should be editing Bellerophon's final instalment, or writing up my memories of Planet of the Damned (which was awesome), but my plate's a bit full this week and this post was easier to wrap my head around, so this is what you're getting! :-)

It all started when a member of the Megagame Makers facebook group posed the question

"What's the minimum amount of people you need for a Megagame?"

As I type this, the answers currently available on the thread are 7, 30 and 40. I found the question really intriguing and read all of the comments with interest. I know I've only been to two megagames, but pretty soon I had some observations that persuaded me to suggest an alternative answer. Before I do so,  let's have a look at my thought processes:

From the article Loners Who Can't Stop Joining Teams
All The Time by Ryan Plummer

You can't play a megagame by yourself, that much is clear, and it sometimes feels like "the more, the merrier". Nevertheless, there is an undeniable attraction to the answer "7". Three teams of two and a Control? Let the negotiations begin! To my mind, though, that game would lack a few dimensions that have made my megagame experiences uniquely enjoyable. So, I want to answer a slightly different question:
"What is the minimum number of people for a megagame experience that ticks all the boxes?"
Or "a megagame experience that doesn't feel like something is missing?"
Or something like that...

Here's my answer:

1. Each standard team needs a leader and two other people with potentially conflicting priorities. In this way, the team is always discussing/debating/arguing and the leader is always making difficult choices. If this isn't happening, I really don't think we're megagaming.

   

   Han Solo doing an impression of everyone in Turn 9.

2. Smooth play can be achieved when each team has a Table Control, or when the systems are simplistic enough that no Control is required. I think, once the systems become that thin, it can come down to whoever talks loudest which isn't necessarily the most satisfying for everyone (or so I'm told!), so let's add a Table Control for each team.
3. There should always be the possibility of allying with one table against another. This suggests a minimum of three tables, but then two teams can gang up on the third in a bit of an ugly and oppressive way, so I'm going to argue for four tables.
4. Then, you'll want the players that your team cannot comprehend or predict. This aspect could take the form of another type of team with different objectives, but that's likely to become player intensive. A similar effect can be generated by having Rogue Agents who move freely in the game-world with a separate ruleset. Ideally, I'd suggest there be slightly fewer of such players than there are tables. This gives greater importance to their movements.
5. The Rogue Agents will have a very different ruleset, unknown to the teams and probably somewhat opaque to the Table Controls. For this reason, they will also require a Control who fully understands their game and can facilitate it.
6. While we're on the subject of Controls, I'd like to throw in two more that I believe have significant impacts: The NPC Control who represents other factions, equivalent to the teams, and can weigh their responses to various stimuli. And the Game Control who takes responsibility for a wider narrative, introducing story elements throughout the day and resolving unexpected occurrences (such as God Duels).
7. Finally, megagames seem to thrive when there is a healthy flow of information and misinformation. There's a lot of work in producing briefings and you don't want this entire team chained to a desk at any point, which means it's rarely a solo endeavour. Whether you choose to call them "the media" or "the voices of the gods", I think at least two players should be starting fires all the livelong day. Let's call them Intelligence Operatives.

   

   Thanks to Tom Mouat for the use of this picture.

So, for those of you who lost count somewhere, that's

4 tables (each with a team of 3 and 1 Control)   = 16

3 Rogue Agents with a Control                          =   4

NPC Control and Game Control                         =   2

2 Intelligence Operatives                                   =   2

It is, of course, possible that my OCD has driven me to massage these figures into a classroom-sized group of people. However, I am hard pressed to see which elements here can be trimmed without a noticeable deficiency appearing in the experience. Thus, I'm going to wander back over to facebook now and post the answer "24". Feel free to add your two penn'orth in the comments below. :-)

Doing Business - Bellerophon's Account (Part Two)

It's time for the second thrilling instalment of Bellerophon's Of Gods And Men Megagame report. When last we saw him (at the end of Turn 2), he had forged profitable relationships with a few gods and, most significantly, the city-state of Argolis. He had come from Eighth Most Glorious Hero to Most Glorious in an astonishingly short time. And, he was starting to fear that he may have peaked too soon. Over to you, Bellerophon...

"My Worries are Fulfilled?
The next turn is a real blur, but I recall spending a long time walking round in search of work and visiting the Oracle to thank the mighty Apollo, Aphrodite and Artemis for their inspiration. At one point I receive a Poker Chip from the Tavern Keeper. He tells me this is a Puissance counter? “What does that do?” I ask (having completely forgotten everything I’d read from the Game Handbook). When I hear the screech of a Banshee (or was that Bruce, the Game Control) uttering the dreaded phrase “we are now entering the Resolution Phase!” I realise this means I've probably missed any opportunity for a battle this turn and get busy working out if I can hunt down and dispatch any beasties. The pickings are slim and I begin to panic that all the other Heroes know what they are doing and I'm lost at sea. Many of the feats on offer are beyond my current abilities (or should I say Hero card skills). I manage to find a Large Wolf wandering the lands of Phokis and using a large number of Hero Cards for a plus 3 slaughter it for the honour of Artemis (although I wasn't able to provide the requested wolf skin coat to the Gods, as I didn't have a ‘Skinner’ follower card). Just another ‘Favour of Zeus’ token would have to do. I am about to return to the Tavern with the heavy burden of such a mediocre haul, when the Phokis Wanax thrusts a quest sheet into my hand. I get excited at this point, but this is short-lived when I realised that the Hellespont Gateway has not yet been opened. The quest for Hippolyta's Belt will require me to battle the Amazons and I will need to amass a great army to conquer these savages. I’ll keep hold of this quest for later, I think. As I haven't been as busy as the previous turns I am not surprised to be told that I am no longer ‘Hero Most Glorious’, although following another ‘Paper-Scissors-Stone’ victory I only slip to fourth place on the Glory table. By this time most of us Heroes are getting into the swing of the game sequence and badge exchange is a routine event. “Just give me my cards!” I hear another Hero cry as we all quickly disperse to the far corners of Hellas.

My rates are reasonable and my service unforgettable. ;-)

I guess it is at this point I begin to realise that I am a prostitute. No work – no glory, no glory – no point. The hunger for glory begins to burn deep inside, but there’s still a part of me that doesn't really know what I'm doing (and it feels like everyone else does). Am I having a panic attack? No, it’s just adrenalin. I turn to my lunch box for inspiration, but looking at its contents I can’t bring myself to actually eat anything. The thought of food starts to make me feel sick…

Now as the day progresses the specifics of turn sequences and when things actually happened become a little hazy. However, the what and why are still etched on my brain and the feelings of sheer immersion are very apparent. I found myself with increasingly less time to make notes of any actions and began falling into the habit of creating a tally chart to rack up glory. I think it was around now when I received another green sticker, only this time from Apollo. Despite my failing memory, I know I was then involved in leading another expedition to new lands. Yet again another City State had the same idea and had their own hero in tow. I was again victorious in a duel against their Hero and was triumphant in our battle against the other City State and the colonies of the new lands. I dispatched a ‘Bard’ (follower card) to sing of my tales most glorious (the folklore of Bellerophon will live on long after my death) and began to discuss with other Heroes what quests they were in search of or if any of them had the right cards to help me with the Hippolyta’s Belt. I was at the Oracle in deep contemplation, when things may have gone out of turn sequence as I was grabbed by the elbow, pulled with an act of desperation, and asked to defend the people of Attika against an invasion on their City State. As I walked toward the Attika table I had a token thrust upon me by the hand of a god. I thanked the God in question for such a divine intrusion. Although, when I looked down I could see this was from Athena and said -1 to all die rolls, Noooo! Seconds after I had another token presented to me from the Hand of Artemis, this said +1 to all die rolls (relief). As I began to realise the Attika nation was under attack by a significant force of two, possibly three, other city states it was clear that I needed to place on the table all the tokens presented to me by the gods as they cancelled each other out, but my Green Sticker granted me +1. The hero in front of me (I don’t think this was Laertes this time) and I decided to Duel. I played a Puissance counter and was successful, although the Wanax from Boeotia (I think) then arrived with a handful of Divine Might counters and attempted to intervene on behalf of a God. Have the Gods developed a franchise system (I thought) or the ability to be in 2 places at once? I know the will and wit of the Gods is a mystery, but what the...

They sure look exciting, but what on Olympus do they do?

There was almost an uproar, but fortunately, Bruce was on hand to restore calm and the counters were sent back to the God from whence they came. There was then a long calculation incorporating all the pluses and minuses present around the table. This was a complex scenario for City State control to co-ordinate (but with the help of Bruce it was resolved) and even after a re-roll counter played by the Attika Wanax we still lost. The attacking forces moved on to the Inner Hinterlands. We were able, with the intervention of a God (not sure which), to successfully defend and despatch the invading force back to their homelands, this was counted as a ‘win against the odds’ and I duly ticked that off on my Hero Player Sheet. Feeling very pleased with myself I walked away, only to be tapped on the shoulder by the Hand of Artemis. I enquired at that point if the Hand was allowed to talk to me. “Why of course I am” came the reply as counters were expended. “I would like to present you with this gift” said the God. This was a Quest! (A voice inside in a French accent then said “Tell them we already got one”). The quest to locate and present the head of Medusa to the Gods. Yes! At last, a chance to make a name for the heroic Bellerophon. I thanked Artemis with a wide grin on my face and returned to Attika to claim my Hero Cards for agreeing to defend their nation against the pillaging forces of the Barbarian Horde.

The Hunt for Medusa:
Having skim read the quest sheet I set about thumbing through my now extensive deck of hero cards to determine if I had the prerequisite cards to spell out the word ‘Medusa’ in the Greek alphabet. I had three of the six cards and returned to the Oracle to enquire if the remaining letters were present in any of the God's hero card decks. I continued the search for these cards when back in the Heroes' Tavern, exclaiming that if any other hero were able to locate these cards I would gladly invite them to join me in this glorious expedition. I was so engrossed in my hunt for these cards that I’d missed the opportunity to compete in the (now) traditional round of ‘Paper-Scissors-Stone’ and was duly informed I had lost that opportunity to compete for first place and was now second in the Glory Table (but at least my 100% ‘Paper-Scissors-Stone’ record was still intact). During the Hero Card trading session it appeared that another Hero had also been given the same quest and we agreed to team up to locate the whereabouts of the ‘Grey Sisters’. I had no clue what this meant, but we agreed this was probably an aforementioned ‘Rumour’ and we would share the burden of trying to locate this information. It later transpired that the ‘Grey Sisters Know’ was a token although none of the city states or Gods I spoke to appeared to have any indication. However, Artemis instructed me to return to the Oracle when I was ready, as a God can Teleport anyone to anywhere in Hellas.

The Defence of my Cherished and Lucky Argolis:

Team Argolis: Dressed for Success and Jammy Dodgers.

Turn five began (I think) with me being requested by the Wanax of Argolis to defend the city state from an attack. We were faced with several invading forces. Yet again, I was presented with the Hero Laertes and we began to duel (I hope he’s not taking this personal), he was part of the invading force and I was leading the defence. I felt it was worth expending a Puissance Counter at this point to ensure a +1 on my roll, but I rolled a one!  Laertes rolled his dice and it trickled off the table and was exclaimed by some players as a 6. I had been subject to the fickle nature of the Gods (or it could just be that all their Divine Might for this turn had already been expended). As I turned back to the Argolis table the invading forces and Gods struck me with a feeling of dread. As the battles began our Outer and Inner lands were sacked and slowly the Gods disappeared. As many more counters were expended we were able to defeat the offensive on the Citadel and I asked if this was a “Victory for a lost cause”, the answer was “Yes”. This resulted in me retaining second place in the Hero table.

There followed a “Homeric Interlude” - Bruce provided a summary of the event so far and a number of Heroes were asked to regale the room with their tales of glorious conquests. Laertes was able to provide a tale of being the “Pharaoh of Egypt (for five minutes)” and Autolycus was eloquently able to impress the people of Hellas. So it was my turn, I told the City States and Gods “I have KitKats and spicy treats from far off lands” should they wish to ally themselves with me. Although, I was still not able to eat as it made me feel nauseous.

Poor Boeotia (sob, sob):

Hey Boeotia! If you start something, you'd better finish it!

At the start of this turn I was asked by the Tavern Keeper to roll a dice (arr, the paranoia of unexpected requests to roll a dice check). This was a roll against my Providence to determine if agedness had affected my faculties. The roll was good, but I still received a Black sticker to denote the maturity of my Hero. The action continued with an attack on the Boeotian people by the now leading Argolis City State. As we arrived their Wanax exclaimed “now there’s a surprise”. “Have you come to pick over our bones?” said another player. We quickly progressed through their Outer lands, wounded their Wanax and onto their Inner Hinterlands, when we were interrupted by the City State Control of Lakonia (Tom) to tell us we were starting the resolution turn too early. We all agreed this would have affected the outcome and waited a short while to see if any other City States/Hero’s turned up. Although, I was keen to progress as they did not have a Hero or a Hand of a God present and we did. As we broke through we pressed on to their Citadel and were Triumphant in sacking their city. Not fully understanding the City State protocols I left it up to the Argolis player to decide on the consequences and which two Citadel features were destroyed. I received a significant amount of glory and took the ‘Favours of Zeus’ to the now beloved Artemis. In consultation with the Voice we agreed I would attempt another feat in her honour and I clutched a ‘Luck’ token in my hand as I went on the prowl for something else to kill and to continue my search for those elusive Greek letter cards. Upon inspection of the City States there appeared to be a Giant that I could attempt to defeat, although I did not have the prerequisite cards, but eventually I found a Lion prowling around the lands of Messina. The Wanax (a rather well-dressed gentleman) asked that I attempt to rid them of this terrifying beast in return for a Hero Card. Thankfully I had the required cards to undertake this feat and was triumphant over it. Following the expenditure of a now located “Skinner” card I was able to present a Lion Skin to the voice of Artemis (although later I realised I could have worn that myself for the remainder of the game). The Voice exclaimed that a Lion Skin coat was clearly preferable to that of a Wolf Skin and the “Favour of Zeus” token was exchanged in return for a small green card. I didn’t really understand the information on the Item Card, I smiled, thanked Artemis and bundled it into the deck of Hero Cards I was continuing to accumulate. This most noble sequence of events resulted in the gift of an additional glory point from the Tavern Keeper and my rightful return to the top of the Hero leader board.

"

All images courtesy of Jim Wallman (Megagame Makers)

The Right of Reply - Bellerophon's Account (Part One)

Those of you who read my blog about the Of Gods And Men Megagame will remember the significant role played by the city-state of Argolis, their patron Goddess (Artemis) and their chosen champion (Bellerophon). As a Hero-player myself, I was particularly curious about Bellerophon and the thought processes behind the (sometimes surprising) choices he made. For this reason, I am excited and grateful to announce that he has written his own report and agreed for it to be featured here! I hope you enjoy the opportunity to view the game from an alternative perspective. It certainly enriched my appreciation of the events that took place.
(A word to the wise: The Tavern Keeper, or Hero Control, was a man referred to here as “JP”.)

"OK, I'm not normally one for long posts, write-ups, blogs or those kind of things as I'm dyslexic and find it difficult to put my thoughts onto paper, it often feels like I'm having to carve out each word from granite (with a rusty spoon, of course). However, on this occasion I find myself compelled to do so, to try and clear my head of the spinning sensation I'm still suffering from my experience in Leeds.

Expect only the best from Leeds Sword

Friday night thoughts:
Before I received the game pack on Monday I didn't realise how complicated the whole system was going to be. Having read the documentation twice I'm still confused and it is a more complicated system than I expected. The normal game rules and hero handbook seem quite sensible when read in isolation but there are a some significant shortcomings in my understanding of the hero’s processes, especially around the use of cards, the prerequisites for quests, what the heck the rumours are about and I can only hope that in receiving the cards and seeing things in action tomorrow I will understand a little more about how the game sequence works. On a positive note my costume is ready: Cream Tunic, Sword, Greek Leather Belt, Bracers, Helmet and Cuirass. I intend to be the best dressed hero in town and amaze the tavern keeper with my tales of bravery and heroism.

Saturday A.M.:
So, we turn up here to the Megagame in Leeds Royal Armouries and enter the newsroom, as the gods and men arrive and the hero’s tavern begins to fill. Not only do we find ourselves in a position with a lot of new faces to the Leeds Megagame family, but we also find ourselves in the position not especially understanding the rules even though we've read them several times and prepared more for this game than other previous encounters with the Megagame collective. Having consulted “the book of armaments” (or the player Hero sheet) it would appear that I'm an expert Pilot and my starting glory is 13, not really sure if that’s a good or bad thing (13 - a pretty unlucky number, really, is this a bad omen?). However, all those on 13 Glory rolled the dice to determine the Hero ranking. At this point, I realise that Bellerophon is by no means the most glorious Hero and I find myself sat on a bench next to the least glorious Hero in 8th and 9th place. So I ask my fellow Hero (Autolycus) sitting in last place “How does it feel to be sat down at the bottom of the Glory Table?”, he looks at me with wide eyes and says “it feels full of potential”, “Yes, the only way is up” I add. At this point JP (the Tavern Keeper) interrupts the whole proceedings and demands each Hero introduce themselves in Rank order. I so want to impress the city states and gods as being the go to hero, but I'm second last (give me a break)… I guess I’ll have to turn the ‘charm-o-meter’ up to 11. I tell them I'm a ‘Master of War’ and I'm looking for a winged horse, but inside I've no real clue what I'm doing and I think I forgotten everything I read from the game rules! So, the heroes have introduced themselves. A rather impressive cohort of Heroes we have with us today. My objective is to climb to the top of the table, although I've no real idea how to do that. However, there appears to be some stiff competition, most of which appear to be new players and haven’t even bothered to come dressed for the occasion - huff (apart from that ‘Dapper Dan’ that is Autolycus).

To my right, the path to Glory!

The Best Dressed Fighting Combo:
As the first turn begins I plan to go and introduce myself to each table, however, I am strangely interrupted and drawn to the table directly in front of me featuring the best dressed city state of Argolis (the only team in matching full costume). As such, I unexpectedly commit myself to leading an expedition force to colonise new lands. I inform them I'm only doing this as we have made the same effort with costumes and this could be the start of a lasting relationship. We agree it would be good for them to accrue as many boats and forces as possible to make it a strong action and in return for my support they will give me 2 Hero cards (one now and one after the battle is completed). It’s at this point I realised my first mistake. The first thing I should have done is visit the Oracle on Mount Olympus to request advice and try to obtain additional hero cards or divine favours from the Voice of the Gods. Hero cards are really important and the larger the hand of cards you accrue the more likely you are to succeed in a feat or quest. So, I prostrate myself in front of the gods of Apollo, Athene and Artemis. All three Gods inform me they have no more cards left for this turn (I won’t make that mistake again). All the other heroes appear equally busy at this point, introducing themselves to the city states and getting busy preparing. So, I continue to ‘work the room’ (I think my ego may be swelling) and receive several requests of work (swelling further). I inform them all I'm already booked this turn, but we should team up later in the game.

Team Argolis get their International Trade on.

At this point, I receive the nod from Argolis that they are ready to go on expedition. Argolis turn up with a good few boats, an elite force and several armies. However, at the same time two other city states (Attika and maybe Boeotia, I think), with their own Hero in tow, arrive on the same colony (Crete, I think). I also see behind me the hand of a God, this is the God who seems to favour the city state Argolis and who has maybe taken pity on the hero who did not prostrate himself early enough. Some discussion then ensues between the two arriving city states as to how they will approach Argolis. They agree to merge forces in an attempt to remove Argolis from the colony and take the spoils themselves. The poor game control standing opposite looks as confused as we are and we all reach for the game handbook. As the other city states get their act together, they are in deep conference with their hero, Laertes (I think). He appears to have a good grasp of exactly how the game works and is clearly better briefed than I am. Control now asks who is leading each army. I say “I am” and the other states debate who should take the lead a Wanax (King) or Laertes. Common sense eventually prevails and they agree on Laertes. At this point the question appears of “whose is the best leader”? We now agree that a Duel must take place. I roll a 5 and have a combat value of 3 and win a victory, scoring 2 Glory points (Huh-ray). The battle then commences and I roll for Argolis. With the help of the Hand of Artemis we are victorious. I'm not sure how many Glory I should have for all this, but everyone from Argolis is happy and as this battle was fought in the name of Artemis we receive a ‘Favour of Zeus’ token. I then take this to the Oracle. On returning to the Argolis table to congratulate ourselves, they then ask me to help them get rid of some Cattle Rustlers. I have to admit I have no clue what this means, but a passing hero agrees to help us all through the process. Between us we have the appropriate prerequisites and defeat the rustlers.

The Tavern Keeper and his Board of Glory

I then hear a call for the heroes to return to the Tavern. The Tavern Keeper asks us all to reveal how much Glory we have earned. JP helps us all understand how much glory we should have accrued and asks us to regale him with tales of our conquests. It appears most heroes received a minus score in the first turn and then JP instructs us all to sit down again as he calculates the leader board. Before the verdicts are revealed some of us are asked to face off in order to finalise the leader board. How should such an important deadlock be decided? Yes, you guessed it ‘Paper-Scissors-Stone’ (and where’s the ‘Lizard-Spock’ I hear from a voice deep inside). I pull out the ‘Paper’, as does my fellow Hero. So, I go again with the trusty ‘Paper’ and I win – Yes! Mainly due to this, or possibly the victorious duel and battle, I move from eighth place to fourth overall. Unfortunately, the passing hero that helped me with the cattle rustlers was then informed he must lose one Glory point as he helped a hero lower than him in the glory table and let me lead a combat - Harsh. It’s clear that this hero game is a cut-throat business. I feel unusually guilty about this and quickly offer to trade cards, or provide him help in the future to reciprocate the favour. The Tavern Keeper then redistributes the hero badges and we all receive to additional hero cards. I'm still trying to work out how these hero cards really work, but I'm sure all will become clear as the day progresses.

Turn Two Begins:
Turn two begins with another approach from Argolis, who wish to take a raiding party to another city state, Lakonia. “Are you up for it?” Asks their Wanax. I'm very interested, but before I do anything else I must visit the Oracle to ensure I pay respects to the appropriate gods and request favours from them in advance of any action. This proves very fruitful as Artemis remembers the bonuses provided by allying with the number one team of Argolis and Bellerophon. I receive a Hero Card and a ‘Green Sticker’. I think this is a good thing, but have to ask a passing game control what this means. As the resolution turn begins I'm grabbed once more by my Argolis friends and thrust into the front line. Who do I see before me but my old pal Laertes. Again, we duel and again I win, but this time with a Triumph. As the battle then begins the Hand of Artemis and the hand of another god appear (Ares I think). We are left equal after the die rolls despite having the best leader and outnumbering the Lakonians. However, Argolis play a ‘Luck’ token and we re-roll a Victory. We continue onto the Inner Hinterland, roll and again are equal on the points, but Artemis clearly wants a Triumph at any price and expends a large amount of Divine Might to offset the other god's attempts – Huzzah! We agree to call it quits at this point and not ride our luck by attempting a move on their citadel. Although, in the confusion it was unclear if anyone had notified the game control that the battles were fought in honour of Artemis, but given the direct involvement of the Hand of Artemis an agreement is reached. I again visit the Oracle and then return to Argolis to collect my Hero cards. As I wander around the room I'm pulled over to Phokis, by their Wanax who appears to be wearing a Toga and sporting a rather impressive mitre. They would like me to rid them of a Sea Monster. I ask if this would be in honour of any particular god, I think he exclaimed “Apollo” (but he may have said Aphrodite). I agree on two conditions: 1) in exchange for this I would like a Hero card and; 2) I must revisit Mount Olympus to pray for guidance in advance of any action. The people of Phokis agree. This again proves fruitful as I receive a ‘Luck’ token from the Voice of the Gods, somehow manage to accidentally have the correct prerequisite cards in my hand and (after a re-roll) Triumph over the beastly creature. Another, ‘Favour of Zeus’ and after returning to the Tavern I am able to impress the proprietor with my adventures. Thus I receive an additional Glory and am proclaimed the ‘Hero Most Glorious’! Although, I worry I may have peaked too early...

"

All images courtesy of Jim Wallman and Andrew Hadley (Megagame Makers)

The Battle for Argolis - Megagaming in Leeds (Part Three)

Autolycus reached into his knapsack and drew out the jar of ointment he had been given by Medea. Blood pumped hotly from the spear wound in his side and the bright colours worn by the defenders of Argolis seemed to swim slowly all around him. There was a label on the jar that he'd never thought to read before and now seemed the appropriate moment:

"Apply to thy skin at dawn and ye shall be invulnerable 'til nightfall."

Broken and burned, Autolycus still could not help but laugh.
"Sir?" The men that followed him into battle stared at their leader in wide-eyed horror.
"I just wish I'd read this label last night!" A split second later the sky was rent by a final thunderbolt, the laughter of Autolycus rose briefly into a roar of pain, and nothing remained of him but ash on the breeze.

Now, you might be thinking, by Hades! When did Argolis become relevant? And, you'd be right to, because this is going to take some back-story. It is worth taking the time to understand the role of Argolis in this tale, however, as it was the site of Autolycus's most honourable and most foolish hour as well as, if I may be so bold, the greatest mistake made by Artemis. The city-state of Argolis stands on the eastern peninsula of Peloponnesus, east of Arkadia (where I wanted to take the Golden Fleece) and north-east of Lakonis (where Ares demanded that I take it). Either way, my return journey from Colchis took me through the lands of Argolis and I found it to be an affluent and flourishing region.

Let's hear what one of the rulers of Argolis had to say at this point in the day.

For many years, the city had fostered good relations with the hero, Bellerophon. He slew beasts for them, led their armies and took Quests in their name. They had also built an enormous temple to Artemis who favoured them in return. This was very much a city-state that believed in keeping all their eggs in a single basket.

The Proud Nobility of Argolis and Faithful Bellerophon.

I knew by this point that I would disobey Ares, but I had no idea how the games of divinity are played and I thought it best to seek the advice of Artemis. So, entering the temple and kneeling before the oracle, I recounted the events that had taken place and requested guidance. The Voice of Artemis promised me that I would be protected and I should dedicate the Quest for the Golden Fleece to the goddess as I had planned. I agreed, but inquired where I should take the Fleece as it was a tremendously prestigious item for any city-state to possess. Here, I feel, the goddess misstepped. Wherever the Fleece was deposited was bound to attract a great deal of unwelcome attention but, underestimating her rivals, the oracle told me simply to present it to the Wanax of Argolis with the warning that it must be protected. I did as the goddess bid me, even though I could almost see the Hand of Ares standing beside me saying "WHAT THE F...?!!"

I had barely finished relaying the words of Artemis to the Wanax of Argolis, when a fully armoured soldier made of solid bronze strode into the court, marble slabs cracking under his mighty footfalls. Ares had manifest once more and was demanding that the Fleece be surrendered unto him. Suddenly, a terrible roar shook the building. An enormous tiger with silver fur that shimmered like moonlight, bounded into the space between Ares and the Fleece, baring its teeth and lashing its tail from side to side. Apparently, the gods were willing to duel for ownership of this iconic trophy, and Argolis would be the unhappy hosts of their conflict.

"Of course," Autolycus mused aloud, "if another goddess were to support Artemis..."

I'd like to say that, at this point, I left Argolis to battle monsters in distant lands or set out upon another Quest, for that is the work of heroes and, if I intended to maintain my position as Most Glorious Hero, I had a good deal more to do. However, in spite of the fact that I could never hope to influence the outcome of a contest between deities I stood (alongside almost every other player in the room) and watched in dumbstruck awe as the battle played out.

"It's one of those classic megagame 'everybody crowds round one table' moments!" - Bruce Walton

First, Ares struck with his enormous spear, but the tiger-form of Artemis was quick and lithe. She dodged the blow and the first round was a draw. Then, Artemis drew on her divine grace and delivered a strike to Ares that, though invisible and utterly incomprehensible, was felt by all those present. Finally, Ares fell back on his cunning. Feigning defeat, he waited until the tiger drew close, then he rose in a flurry and buried a dagger in the great beast's chest. Artemis vanished, Ares claimed the Fleece and then he stalked from the hall. No one could fail to appreciate the gravity of the situation; Autolycus was a dead man walking, but worse, he would likely take the city-state of Argolis with him.

As I stumbled away from the table, head reeling, still failing to engage in the tasks that would keep me from losing the lead over my rival heroes, I was approached by representatives of two city-states. Apparently, it was known throughout Hellas that Argolis and Artemis had been delivered a crippling blow. Therefore, a mighty host was marching from several neighbouring city-states, with the blessings (and potentially corporeal manifestations) of Ares, Aphrodite and Athena, to exploit the vulnerability of Argolis and raze their city to the ground. I ran to the temples of Apollo and Artemis with warnings and appealing for aid, then I made the long walk back to the Argolis table. A wiser man might have stayed away. Ares would be occupied by the battle and likely wouldn't catch up with me for some time if I went abroad on a Quest. A more unscrupulous man might have joined the invading army. The god of war was unlikely to strike down a general in the armies that marched in his name. But I'd decided long ago that Autolycus was far less wise than he was honourable, so I took my position on a hillside overlooking Argolis and awaited my fate.

If Artemis can be said to have misjudged anything, it would be the danger posed by a god with nothing to lose. Unbeknownst to mere mortals, the resolution of the Quest for the Golden Fleece had left Ares in an unsalvageable position with no way to seek greater satisfaction than petty vengeance. If Artemis can be said to have been at all unwise, it would be in the loyalty she showed to her servant. The armour Autolycus wore sparkled with myriad stars, his sword arm moved with a grace and alacrity that could only be divinely inspired. The goddess had sunk the remainder of her strength into this man. Did she believe he was not doomed? If so, she was the only one. Perhaps her greatest weakness was that she was willing to back me all the way, and I was damned if I was going to let her regret that.

The Battle for Argolis draws the attention of all but the most competitive (and those who cannot leave their tables).

"MORTAL!" Predictably enough, Ares had taken physical form once more and had interrupted the resolution of the actual invasion to pick a personal beef with me. There are those who say that mortal veins are spiked with just a drop of Titans' blood. I don't know how true that is, but in that moment I could certainly believe it.

"What do you want, Ares?" A few players looked to Game Control in shock. Surely, I couldn't be permitted to talk to a god that way? Game Control waved them back, my fate was sealed - may as well let me enjoy it. The god of war accused me of acting with dishonour and foolishness when I disobeyed his will. "All I ever did was refuse to be pushed around by you, you whining bully!" That, believe it or not, was all the god was willing to take from me. He hurled his spear in my direction. Fortunately, at the last second, one of my companions (a legendary archer) loosed an arrow into his eyes, turning his aim slightly so that the blow dealt was not fatal. I spent all the divine favour, puissance and lucky re-rolls that I had amassed through the game to weave across the battlefield with superhuman agility. Ares followed up the assault with a shower of lightning bolts, however, which proved more than enough to destroy my fragile mortal body.

After that, I think I shut down altogether. The hunger and fatigue that I'd been holding at bay overwhelmed my senses. I'm pretty sure Argolis took a beating. In a particularly memorable moment, the city's favoured hero, Bellerophon, lead an army of enemy forces into the main square and set the Temple of Artemis ablaze - uncool, Bellerophon, but a fascinating plot twist. In the next turn, Hero Control would announce my death to the whole room and I would be given a round of applause. He would issue me with a new hero, carrying over all of my glory and achievements (see how much I should have kept questing?). And I would play out the final turn of the day as Eurytus, successfully slaying a giant bear and a giant, erm... guy, before ending the day in third or fourth place. In all honesty, I don't remember. Dying rather took the wind from my sails and the last hour or two of the day passed in something of a blur.

I wish I could tell you that I took the defeat of Autolycus with good grace. In truth, though, I ran around desperately trying to locate the card for the Ointment of Medea which, at the time, I believed would cure any wound. When a fellow hero piped up that he had the card, I discovered to my horror that it should have been declared before dice were rolled. Game Control comforted me by saying that it was never intended to thwart the gods and that, had it come up at the table, he would have simply made Ares spend twice as much divine power to destroy me. Imagine my heartbreak when, in the hotel bar after the game, the Hand of Ares told me that it had cost nearly all the divine power he had to take me down. I said I was fine with it, but for hours I was tortured by the thought that I could have survived. Finally though, I realised how lucky I had been. The way events turned out had given me the one thing I wanted from my experience more than anything else: a fantastic story. Autolycus was a joy to play and got the spectacular finish he deserved. In addition, I got to meet a host of wonderful people who I sincerely hope I'll be gaming with again in the near future.

This picture was taken at the end of the day... I'm still grinning!

Would I recommend Megagaming?
I'll let you guess the answer to that one. :-)

Images courtesy of Alexander Porter, Andrew Hadley (Megagame Makers) and Leeds Sword

The Rise of Autolycus - Megagaming in Leeds (Part Two)

"You may present the Golden Fleece in a city-state of your choice, as long as you dedicate your Quest to the honour of Artemis..."

They say that pride comes before a fall. I'd like to add that the pride is often accompanied by a full stomach and sleepy head. We overheard someone say that Quests get harder, whispered Brain as he drifted off, but you're allowed to team up. My time is at hand, announced my heart, follow me to certain Glory! Thus, filled with quixotic bravery, I stepped aboard my ship once more. "To Colchis!" I exclaimed. The skeleton crew regarded me expectantly for several awkward moments."Nobody knows where Colchis is, do they?"

I know Colchis is in this room somewhere... any clues?

It was time to mingle with my fellow heroes. Broadly, they fell into two camps: those who languished at the bottom of the Glory rankings and those who were dead on their feet. I selected two: Peleus was a mighty warrior whose big blue eyes seemed to cry out, "please, just point me at something. I can think for myself no longer!" Coronus was an unassuming fellow of considerable Cunning. He wore the Cap of Hades, which allowed for undetectable escape, it seemed dishonourable to me, but I held my tongue. More importantly, he knew the location of Colchis, so the three of us set sail each in their own vessel. Had my brain been awake, he would have said, three ships, eh? Have you considered taking troops with you? Instead, however, he merely snored.

Coronus took the lead on the arduous journey to Colchis. It was the right choice, as he proved a superb navigator, but allowing another to lead my Quest did not sit well with me. Once we arrived in Colchis, we were met by King Aeëtes and his enchanting daughter, Medea. Accepting their hospitality, we were given leave to Quest for the Golden Fleece, providing that first we harness the fire-breathing Oxen of Aeëtes and use them to sow a field with dragon's teeth. At this point, the Tavern-keeper (Hero Control) appeared before me. He placed a Puissance counter in my hand, refreshed my Hero Cards and struck me ceremonially on the forehead. I peered up at him, utterly perplexed. "The gods have seen fit to bestow upon you the Divine Gift of Song," he declared.

"Do you wish to interact with Medea?" Quest Control, Paul, enquired. I remembered my very first conversation with Aphrodite, all those hours ago. I opened my mouth and Heart spoke for me, "I wish to use my Divine Gift of Song to win her heart." The dice clattered on the table and love found a way. Medea told me of her father's intention to betray us and gifted me the Ointment of Medea which granted the user invulnerability for a single day. I relayed what I had discovered to my companions. "Time to don the Cap of Hades and depart?" Coronus wondered.
"Nay," cried my heart, unwilling to abandon Medea. "Let this treachery come. We shall defeat it!"

Peleus had yet to enjoy her moment in the spotlight, so we stood back and watched as she harnessed the terrible oxen. Then, we sowed the teeth and the betrayal was upon us. Animated skeletons sprang from the earth and closed on us with malicious intent. If Brain had been present, he'd have pointed out to me that we had no army. He might have shouted to the room for a copy of the Ointment of Medea card, so I would actually know what it did. Best of all, he could have reminded me that we'd spent half an hour collecting Hero Cards that spelled out the word "φλεεχε", which may have been enough to convince Quest Control that I had the wit of Jason and could cause the skeletal warriors to fall upon one another. Brain, however, was still out to lunch and it appeared that our Quest would end in ignominy and death.

Lightning rent the skies and before our eyes had chance to recover from the blinding flash, we heard the voice. "MORTALS! LOOK UPON ME AND QUAKE!" Our battlefield had been darkened by the shadow of a thirty-foot tall, bronze warrior; the preferred form of Ares manifest. "I SHALL MOVE THIS OBSTACLE FROM THY PATH. IN RETURN YOU WILL DEDICATE YOUR QUEST TO ME AND DELIVER THE FLEECE TO MY FAVOURED CITY OF LAKONIA."

I peered up at the fixed expression of the avatar of war. I had so wanted to deliver the Fleece to my old friends in Arkadia, but they were not expecting such. The goddess on the other hand... how could I turn my back on her now? "I quest in the name of Artemis, great Ares, but in appreciation of your intervention I will deliver the Fleece to Lakonia!"

"I HAVE NOT COME TO BARGAIN, MORTAL. YOU WILL OBEY, OR ELSE."
With that, Ares struck his heel thrice upon the earth and the skeletons crumbled to dust.

The Quest for the Golden Fleece was almost complete and the news reached me that I had risen through the ranks to the prestigious title of Most Glorious Hero. Thus it was with great ambivalence that I led our motley trio of heroes back to the Quest table for the third and final time. The Fleece was guarded by a hideous serpent that never slept. Musick, however, has charms to sooth a savage breast. So, we formed a quartet; Peleus was a talented singer, I had the Divine Gift of Song, Coronus could just about hold up a tune and, best of all, he'd brought a professional bard. Before long the serpent was happy to lie peacefully at the roots of the tree while we retrieved the Fleece from its branches. Finally, we had to flee Colchis before the king became aware of our success and tried to make good on his betrayal. As far as I was concerned, Aeëtes had disgraced himself when he moved against us, so I saw no dishonour in now making use of the Cap of Hades. We took flight unhampered and, at Hellespont, we went our separate ways.

Oh. how high you will climb, little man.

The Hand of Ares was at my back; I felt the urgency with which he desired his prize. I must attend to my affairs, my heart spoke aloud, then I shall settle my account with you, Ares. I stepped across the threshold of the Heroes Tavern and set my goblet upon the table. The Tavern-keeper looked up at me quizzically. "I am pretending to have business with you, o Tavern-keeper, until the gaze of Ares is elsewhere." I was pleased to see his expression of surprise. He asked me if I thought it wise to cross the gods. I looked down at my name sticker, it bore four black markers of age, "old men do not fear death." I smiled wryly, he laughed, and my guts turned to iron...

Images courtesy of Jim Wallman (Megagame Makers)

Of Gods And Men - Megagaming in Leeds (Part One)

"And finally, the ninth and least glorious of our heroes..."

That is literally, word for word, how I was introduced at the start of the day. It was almost ten o'clock in the morning, and I had come to the Royal Armouries in Leeds for a Megagame. I stood uncertainly and looked out on a hall of more than sixty unfamiliar faces. A character sheet clutched in one hand, a satchel of food and drink at my feet. My only armour; a distinctive styling of my facial hair that I had adopted the night before which allowed me to believe that I wore a disguise of impenetrable cunning.

"I am Autolycus," I mumbled, before gesturing to the eight other heroic characters. "Anything mysterious you've ever heard about that couldn't be attributed to one of them... this guy."

Awkwardly, I returned to my seat. My heart was thundering; my ears roared, vision narrowed, limbs shook, breath shortened. Even the intermittent lower back pain, that I always attribute to being tall and utterly uninspired by sports, throbbed with the surges of tension pouring through me. This must be a panic attack, I thought, the important thing is to remain hydrated and not let it spiral out of control. I took my silver chalice (a much treasured gift) from my satchel, opened a cheap litre bottle of fizzy energy beverage and carefully drank the vessel dry three times. I think people were talking to me and someone put a few Hero Cards in my hand. I probably smiled and agreed a lot.

Ares is unimpressed by your tiny mortal drinking vessel.

I need a plan, said my brain, something to give me an edge. I had one friend in the room: Mavis Cruet was part of the team that represented the city-state of Arkadia. That's not enough you buffoon, scoffed Brain, all the heroes will know people in the city-states. If I want stories told of my exploits, and boy do I ever want that, I need a fistful of destiny. My eyes fell on the temples of the oracles. At this moment, the god teams (each comprising a Mind, a Voice and a Hand) were discussing tactics and the temple chairs were sitting vacant, but I knew immediately what I would do.

My feet carried me to the temples, where I strolled up and down hoping to catch the a god's attention. This won't work; gods don't want to be summoned! I went to my knees. Other heroes nearby glanced at me suspiciously, no doubt wondering if I knew something they didn't. All I knew was, if I was playing a god, I'd like being prayed to. But time was passing, behind me I could hear heroic characters forging alliances and making pacts with city-states. Had I been foolish? Wasn't I just hiding from interaction because I was so nervous? My will broke easily, I stood and turned away.

"Where do you think you're going?" The voice that rang out was that of Aphrodite and with a sudden rush of joy I spun on my heel and went back to my knees. Moments later, Bruce announced the commencement of the first turn and suddenly oracles appeared. Athena came first, inquiring how I intended to honour her. One of the few parts of my character sheet that I understood was that I had a Talent: Piloting. "I plan to embark on a long sea voyage," I improvised madly, "and would be grateful for your wise guidance." This garnered me another of these mysterious Hero Cards, so I tried again with Aphrodite. "The love of my youth died many years ago, and I am weary of mourning. I sail to distant shores in search of love..." another Hero Card. Artemis made me work a little harder. I had to promise that I would sing of her grace in the Heroes' Tavern "loud enough that it may be heard on Mount Olympus." I gave my word and two Hero Cards were forthcoming. Onward, to the temple of Ares.

That's right, while I addressed the Voice of Ares, the Hand of Ares loomed over me.
Because, if there's one thing the god of war is really into, it's intimidation.

"What could Ares possibly want of Autolycus, least glorious of heroes?" The Voice of Ares sneered and craned over my shoulder in search of more worthy worshippers. A little crestfallen I decided to see what my Hero Cards could do, so I sought out my friend in Arkadia. As it happened, they were plagued by a sea serpent and were looking for a hero to deal with it. Defeating the sea serpent was a Feat, this meant that certain requirements had to be fulfilled before one could face it. These requirements were usually met by demonstrating ownership of certain Hero Cards. My hand of cards matched some of those required, but three deficiencies remained: someone to pilot the boat (which fortunately I could do myself), a superhuman strength at arms and, perhaps predictably, a boat. My first really good bit of luck was when the Arkadians revealed that they had a magical, unsinkable boat, which I could use and then keep. All that remained was the strength so, with a heavy heart, I returned to the temple of Ares. My memory has drawn a veil over the begging and grovelling that then took place, but in the end I succeeded. As long as I promised to dedicate my victory to him (by handing over the Favour of Zeus tokens I would receive), Ares agreed to grant me the requisite strength. I made the attempt (which required me to discard two of my precious Hero Cards), got lucky with dice and achieved my first victory. By the end of turn one, I had slain the sea serpent, earned Prestige for Arkadia in doing so, grudgingly dedicated the victory to Ares, won myself a magical boat and risen in the ranks to seventh most glorious hero.

The city-state of Arkadia fends off invasion, while I vanquish the Sea Serpent and Ares watches over us all.

Thinking that I had now completely grasped my role in the game, I spent the next couple of turns stalking the lands of ancient Hellas, slaying beasts, honouring the gods and collecting Hero Cards. At one point, I drifted into the path of an army and, though I literally could not tell you who was fighting whom, I found myself leading an army to defeat and was injured for my efforts. The wound healed well, but meant that each subsequent turn I had to roll for Mortality, which brought the risks of death or ageing. Battle suited me ill. Fortunately, good old Arkadia let me know that the Hind with Golden Antlers had been sighted in their lands and bid me slay it that they might mount its head upon the wall of their throne-room. Hunting, I thought, I know which two gods I'll be checking in with. However, when I told Artemis of my plans and how I'd sing her praises in my telling of the hunt, the look on the oracle's face filled me with doubt. Oh, I wish I'd read up on my mythology before I came! Surprisingly, in response to my prayers, she granted me two Hero Cards and a token of Divine Good Fortune. Without uttering a word she had chastened me and I knew this mission would be a turning point for Autolycus. My subsequent visit to Apollo granted me a window into the lives of the gods. The oracle complained that I could do nothing for him as he knew that I would dedicate the hunt to his sister-goddess, Artemis. I swore that, if he aided me, I would not forget it and he would have my praise for a future victory. After weighing me up for a moment, Apollo provided my tenth Hero Card and I set out after the Hind. Choosing to test my Cunning, rather than Combat, meant that I could not apply the bonus from a magical bow that had been lent to me by Boeotia, but it did mean that I could capture the beast alive. I presented it, bucking and whinnying at the Arkadian court and strolled away.

"So, the secret to making a good cocktail is that you have to shake it really well." - Jaap Boender

Some sort of Arkadian courtier hurried after me, inquiring whether I still sailed in their boat. I admitted that I did and he asked if I would be so good as to sail it around Hellespont, thus opening the Black Sea region to trade and exploration. It seemed a reasonable request, but first I had boasting to do. I dedicated my Feat to Artemis and announced it at the top of my voice from the door of the Heroes Tavern. Hopefully, that fulfils my promise of a song, I thought.

Could you say that again for the camera?

The Voyage around Hellespont proved to be a Quest and this was where the game really got going. Employing the aforementioned Boeotian bow, I rid a blind seer of the harpies that plagued him. I dedicated this act to Apollo, clearing my divine balance sheet, and pressed onward. The seer advised me to follow the heron that flies through the crashing rocks. I did so, and with a little help from two heroic allies, piloted my ship to the end of the Quest. By the end of the turn I had reached the dizzying height of third most glorious hero, and by the gods it felt earned. I quaffed the remainder of my energy drink and devoured the contents of my satchel; an apple, a plum, two carrots, and an Eccles cake. We must have been going for four hours or more, but there was no time to rest. The Voice of Artemis was sending me on another Quest. This time to Colchis, for the Golden Fleece...

All images courtesy of Jim Wallman (Megagame Makers)