Secrets of the Great Race

There was, too, a feeling of profound and inexplicable horror concerning myself. I developed a queer fear of seeing my own form, as if my eyes would find it something utterly alien and inconceivably abhorrent. When I did glance down and behold the familiar human shape in quiet grey or blue clothing I always felt a curious relief, though in order to gain this relief I had to conquer an infinite dread.
   –H.P. Lovecraft, “The Shadow out of Time”

After your first excursion into the rainforest in The Forgotten Age, you swore that you would never go back, but once you learned that your rash actions in the name of discovery had placed Arkham and the rest of the world in danger, you were left with no alternative. You bravely returned to where the trouble began to restore the proper order of time and space, and on your trek, you have been brought to a city beyond anything you could have dreamed to find. But you are not the only one seeking knowledge of what lies beyond your understanding. What will your great discovery cost you?

The City of Archives, the fourth Mythos Pack in The Forgotten Age cycle for Arkham Horror: The Card Game, is on sale now at your local retailer and online through our website!

Face the Strange 

When you first set out on your expedition in The Forgotten Age, you were hoping to make the discovery of a lifetime—one that could reshape human understanding of the world—and now, in The City of Archives, you may well have found it. This Mythos Pack, which can be played as a standalone scenario or as part of The Forgotten Age cycle, takes you to the city of the Yithians, a strange race of creatures that are horrifying to look upon, but who seem to be after nothing more than information about your world, even as you seek information about theirs. But the question remains as to how they will use this information. Are they simply curious, pursuing wisdom for its own sake, or do they have greater plans that they are not telling you?

Throughout The Forgotten Age, you have been forced to question who you can trust, and in the City of the Great Race, this is no different. But regardless of your own feelings toward the creatures, you may need to comply with their wishes, at least for now. Getting out of this strange city alone may be impossible—its halls are endless and filled with complex, futuristic machinery. Without help, you may easily find yourself running wild among a million dead-end streets.

As you explore the City of the Great Race, you will learn about and live among its citizens, until you may feel like you are truly one of them. But you must remember who you are, lest you suffer a brief Out of Body Experience (The City of Archives, 264), shuffling each card from your hand into your deck and drawing an entirely new hand. If this Madness afflicts you, any plans you formulated are instantly destroyed, and worst of all, this madness is certain to return as you must shuffle Out of Body Experience into your deck. You have to get out before you forget yourself entirely!

If you become too familiar with the mindset of your hosts, you may find yourself completely captive in the Body of a Yithian (The City of Archives, 244). While you retain your investigator's deck and any trauma that you have suffered in this form, it does deprive you of your special abilities and skills, setting each of your base skill values to two. However, this is not simply a prison—more of an exchange, and you may still shine in your favored areas of expertise while you explore the city. While you are in the Body of a Yithian, you can double the icons on a card committed to a skill test once per test. And if nothing else, this new form may help you to conduct your investigations unnoticed, simply another alien face in the crowd.

Remember Who You Are

While you will encounter many obstacles in the City of the Great Race, the player cards of The City of Archives cut to the heart of each faction’s true nature to remind you who you truly are. If you align with the Guardian faction, you can pick up a potent M1918 BAR (City of Archives, 229), which features a remarkable eight ammo. During an attack, you can use this weapon to increase your combat value and your damage as much as you want, provided you have enough ammunition to unleash a spray of bullets. Be sure to pack some Extra Ammunition (Core Set, 26) or travel with a Venturer (The Forgotten Age, 18) to get the most out of this Weapon.

Meanwhile, if you lurk among the shadows with the Rogues, you can make the most of extra actions from cards like  Leo de Luca (Core Set, 48) or  Ace in the Hole (Where Doom Awaits, 266) by using Pay Day (The City of Archives, 233) at the end of your turn to gain resources for each action you performed. Finally, if you’re a Survivor who is used to being On Your Own (The City of Archives, 236), you can use your Talent to reduce the cost of a Survivor event by two. This can prove to be a lifesaver when you consider that you can play fast actions like Perseverance (Threads of Fate, 111), Oops! (The Miskatonic Museum, 113), or Dumb Luck (The Forgotten Age, 34) for free!

A New Adventure in a New City

There are secrets hidden in every corner of this city. If you wish to discover the truth of these creatures and the greater mystery that led you here, you must learn to walk among them, but be sure that you always remember who you are. If you lose control now, the entire world will be forfeit.

Pick up your copy of The City of Archives (AHC23) at your local retailer today or on the Fantasy Flight Games website here!