Highland Pursuit

**Highland Pursuit** is a Rank 3 Expedition. It focuses on **Gold** and **Status**. The crew is sent here to retrieve an artifact from a paranoid abbess.

Suggested crew abilities include  Beguiler, Diplomat, Tactician, and Engineer.

## Layout

### Nodes

* There can be a village in need of Tactical Training. Succeeding on a Tactician roll will reward the crew with King Oengus' Crown

## Special Encounters

### The Meadow Castle

A rogue/engineer or quick thinker check is required to bypass a trap (brave characters don't lose resolve). Failing both checks will end the castle exploration. A level 3 Archeologist will reveal the 2nd symbol of the hidden Gargoyle Code. The exploration ends with an encounter that awards the Monymusk Reliquary artifact (avoiding the encounter awards 2 Treasure Hunts, resolving it Friendly awards 3 while Devious and Aggressive award 4).

### Highlander Heritage

The crew encounters despondent highlanders who cannot decipher the script on some ruins, and want to know more about their history. The crew can spend time studying or making up stories to improve their odds of success in lecturing the highlanders, but with each option chosen, one of the five will wander away, reducing the rewards for successfully telling the history. The initial odds of success are 10%, with no modifiers for crew skills or composition. The rewards are as follows:

* 5 highlanders remain: 1  Study, 40  Gold, 40  Status
* 4 highlanders remain: 20  Gold, 20  Status
* 3 highlanders remain: 15  Gold, 15  Status
* 2 highlanders remain: 10  Gold, 10  Status
* 1 highlander remains: 10  Gold

A successful story will also earn you the Highlander Brooch.

Based on your choices to study or lie, you may also earn extra Campaign or Study.

### Noble Troubles

A nobleman begs for help to prepare for a date at his estate.

First, he asks you to help him get his neighbors to stop playing bagpipes. A level 3 Diplomat can resolve the situation without conflict, earning 3 encounter tokens. Otherwise you must complete a difficulty 3 Encounter.

Next, he asks you to help him clean. (The nerve!) Proud or Deadly Serious adventurers may refuse to do so. Otherwise, you make a skill roll with a 50% base chance, with bonuses for Athletes, Scientists, and "hygienic" crew members. Failure costs resolve.

Finally, he will ask you to retrieve flowers for a bouquet. This constitutes a skill roll with a 10% base chance, with bonuses for Grit, Speech Defense, and Survivalist. Failure costs resolve.

Regardless if you succeed on all three accounts, he will not only deliver the promised payment, but a treasure as well! You may choose between a Decorative Tapestry and a Scottish Sculpture, to tilt the odds towards the Unicorn Tapestry or Stirling Head, respectively.

On the way out, you warn his date, who bears a striking resemblance to Maria, that he's not a catch.

### The Shepherd King

As you travel the highlands, you can encounter 3 sheep Wits challenges (one of each Beguiler, Tactician and Quick Thinker). After resolving one of the challenges the sheep will randomly award a Study, Collect or Campaign token while exploring nodes. If you resolve all 3 challenges the shrine for this encounter will be revealed and the event enabled. Also, the sheep will now randomly award a Secret, Discovery or Treasure Hunt when exploring nodes.

As you approach the shrine, you will find the Abbess! A mean or kind crew member may make a comment at this juncture.

Before any consequence can arise of their curtness, however, Muffles the Legendary Sheep will arise, summoned by the horde of sheep following the crew. A rank 4 encounter will ensue, for which you can be tactically prepared.

Resolving this fight in a friendly manner will result in Muffles inviting your leader to reach into its wool and retrieve the Shepherd's Crown. The item is also awarded when resolving aggressively (haggis for everyone!).

## Finale

The expedition is over when the crew reaches the Ruins of Mind, and confronts the abbess.

First, they must gain entry to the Abbey, by talking their way in, busting in, or sneaking in.

Then the crew must complete a Difficulty 4 encounter with the abbess.

Devout believers (like Ivan and Dolores) gain +3 Speech when resolving Friendly, -5 Speech Defense for Devious and -10 Speed Defense for Aggressive.