Armed and Dangerous

Some people know things about the universe that nobody ought to know, and can do things that nobody ought to be able to do.
   –H.P. Lovecraft, The Thing on the Doorstep

In the Strange Remnants expansion for Eldritch Horror, you are fighting no mere embodied Ancient One, but the entire cosmos itself. An imminent alignment of the planets and stars, foretold by prophets thousands of years ago, threatens to open up a terrible portal that will swallow Earth whole. Your only hope for combatting this celestial collusion is to uncover the secrets of the world’s ancient, ruined monuments. In these haunted stone remnants, those long-dead prophets concealed the means of human salvation. 

To wage a war against the very machinations of the universe you need a team of intrepid explorers, canny negotiators, and cutthroat fighters. In today’s preview you’ll learn about three new investigators ready and willing to undertake this tremendous struggle – a fourth investigator, Tony Morgan, was introduced earlier. They all hail from disparate backgrounds, and possess very different talents, but share an unflinching determination to defeat the evil that threatens them all.

 A Bayou Girl with the Voice of a God

Blues fans in America, Europe, and Asia alike know Marie Lambeau as “The Smoky Velvet,” a singer with a stunning and magical voice. Thanks to her smooth tones and captivating style, Marie has become a very influential young woman, able to win over club goers in Shanghai, ambitious young actors in Syndey, and even ancient Japanese ghosts . But before she became a star, Marie lived in the Louisiana bayou with her Cajun grand-mère, who sang her nursery rhymes in a language that wasn’t English or French and made mysterious potions that Marie was never allowed to taste. On her death bed, Grand-mère told Marie to go to Southeast Asia to fight an old, old evil. She handed Marie a strange knife  and said it would be useful for rituals and Spells.  

Like any entertainer in the bustling, modern 1920s, Marie moves quickly. She can perform any action twice in the same round, or use the Voice of Ra to perform a third action if she’s in a hurry. Voice of Ra is one of the new Glamour Spells, which unlike Incantations and Rituals have passive effects that don’t rely on external triggers or require extra actions. Glamours can be incredibly powerful: Markings of Isis , for example, increases all of a character’s skills as long as the character retains control over the magic. With Grand-mère’s dagger in hand and her childhood exposure to arcane powers, Marie can easily hold on to any Spells she finds. 

An Ex-Convict with Lady Luck on his Side

Skids O'Toole robbed more than a few banks during his criminal career – but spent the prime of his life in jail to make up for it. In the confines of his cement jail cell he met Brad Hollins, who was doing time for murder. Hollins was always rambling about the “Ancient Ones” and saying that an alien creature made him kill, and Skids thought his cell mate was just plain cracked… until the day that he spontaneously combusted right before Skids’ eyes. When he got paroled, Skids decided he should go look into the trouble that had got Hollins so shook up. 

As a former inmate, Skids knows how to barter pretty well. He can discard an Asset to gain a different Asset of equal or higher value from the reserve, maybe trading a Gruesome Talisman for an Expedition Map before venturing to Chichen Itza, or even a pair of Handcuffs for an Arcane Blade . Being in jail also toughened Skids up a bit. With a strength of four, he never has to back down from a fight. But what enabled Skids to rob so many banks before he got caught was his luck, and Lady Luck is still on his side. She enables Skids to reroll any “1” rolled during a test, increasing the odds of his success no matter what he encounters out in the free, ill-fated world.

Faith, Prayer, and a Kitchen Knife

Skids saw his cellmate burst into flame, but Zoey Samaras watched her own parents die in a house fire when she was little. Nevertheless, as the flames consumed her home, God spoke to Zoey and gave her a special task – to strike down evil wherever it arises. Now she travels the world, working as a chef by day, hunting out villainy at night, and relying on her faith to direct, fuel, and protect her. It gives her an unbreakable Will that prevents her from being easily frightened or defeated. It even enhances her physical strength in Combat Encounters, as long as her Sanity remains intact. 

Zoey is never without a divinely ordained task before her. As an Action, she can gain a Task Unique Asset if she has fewer than two on the table. Completing one Task often helps complete another: through Prayer  Zoey might gain the Focus that she needs for Exploring the Ruins . A powerful force for good on her own, when teamed up with investigators as strong as Marie and Skids, Zoey is truely remarkable.

Take Up Arms

Weapons come in all forms. Marie’s voice, Zoey’s faith, and Skids’ luck can be just as lethal as any blades, guns, tentacles or claws. Yet only as a team, using every weapon they know, can they uncover the secrets of Earth's ancient ruins and combat the mammoth cosmic forces now threatening their survival. 

What arms will you wield on your quest to save the world?

Prepare to take on the universe. Pre-order Strange Remnants from your local retailer today!