Q17: Minos Pass

[Count Mohawk]

This is the third quest in the Cultist / Undead arc. The first two are "Q15: The Ruins of Direburg" and "Q16: The Silent Crypts".

HQ25 Quest 17.png

QUEST 17: Minos Pass

It has become clear to me that the Cult of Chaos is a major threat to the peace and security of the Empire. Loretome has revealed to me that their citadel lies at the far end of a mountain pass. The crags are treacherous, but of greater concern are the two minotaur brothers that guard the pass. These beasts demand tribute from any who would pass through their mountains. Choose wisely whether to pay or fight them, for their toll is as high as they are cruel.

NOTES—
A One random Spell Scroll rests on this table.
B When a Hero Searches for Treasure in this room, ask him if he wants to pry open the tomb of a great warrior. If he does, he will find a Shield in pristine condition lying on top of an old corpse.
C These two Minotaurs are brothers who guard the mountain pass from invaders. They demand 100 Gold Coins in tribute each time a Hero enters this room. If the tribute is paid, they will neither move nor attack the Heroes.
If the Heroes choose to fight the minotaur brothers, as long as both of them are alive, each of them defends with two additional Combat Dice.
The treasure chests each contain 150 Gold Coins. (Edit: "...plus any gold paid as tribute earlier in the Quest.")
D The cultists here wear gaudy robes signifying their higher rank in the Cult of Chaos. On their turn, if all three cultists are still alive, they can collectively cast a spell of banishing instead of attacking of casting a Spell as normal. This spell sends all Heroes in the room back to the iron entrance door of the Quest. The cultists may only banish the Heroes once.
E This stairway leads into the Citadel of Chaos, and marks the end of the Quest.

Wandering Monster: Beastman

[Count Mohawk]

I knew that I would want to borrow some of the other HQ25 monsters at some point during this Quest Pack so as to increase the Heroes' exposure to the different varieties. The two Minotaur brothers are the most complicated part of the Quest, although the correct response to the question they pose will be to fight them a great majority of the time, since except for the minotaurs themselves, the rest of the monsters are not overly threatening.

In any case, this Quest does afford the Heroes a minor breather before the Citadel of Chaos, which I intend to make more challenging, as befitting of a boss level.

[knightkrawler]

As far as I'm concerned, 'borrowing' monsters from other chapters is highly recommended as long as the spotlight is not taken away from that chapter, so yeah, I welcome a pair of monotaur brothers in this story arc. Doing that helps weaving all the parts together in a coherent and cohesive storyline.

[Daedalus]

I assume killing the Minotaurs regains any paid tribute. I like the special Banishment spell for 3 Cultists that goes beyond their standard abilities--nice implementation of the idea. This can present a major penalty if the Heroes paid tribute to pass earlier, but if they killed the Minotaurs it mainly serves to only extend the game. The spell could be made more dangerous if it stated one Hero or all the Heroes in LOS may be returned back to the entrance.