Even as foes mass from without, the Steward of Minas Tirith fears there are enemies within. You have been asked to investigate the possibility of a conspiracy within the White City...
Setup: Create the underworld deck. Remove Roots of Mindolluin from the encounter deck and set it aside, out of play. Shuffle all Villain cards and randomly set one aside, out of play, without looking at it. Remove the others from the game. Repeat this with all Plot cards.
When Revealed: Search the encounter deck for The Fourth Star and make it the active location. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Forced: After the active location leaves play as an explored location, place 1 resource token on this quest.
If there are 4 or more resource tokens on Conspiracy, advance to the next stage.
You begin your investigation at The Fourth Star, a popular tavern...
You have uncovered crucial information about the dissident plot, and even gleaned hints of teh conspirator's secretive leader. Clues have led you to a cavern deep in the heart of Mount Mindolluin. As you descend into the ancient rock, you begin to suspect the clues that led you here may have been misleading... that you may have been lured away from the city streets for a purpose.
When Revealed: Reveal the set aside Plot card and add it to the staging area.
When Revealed: Make Roots of Mindolluin the active location, returning any other active location to the staging area.
Forced: After the active location leaves play as an explored location place 1 resource token on this quest.
If there are 4 or more resource tokens on The Grand Design, advance to the next stage.
You have unmasked the conspiracy and its champion is upon you. The wheels of treachery are in motion, and only a heroic effort can stop the cabal's plan in time...
When Revealed: Reveal the set aside Villain card and add it to the staging area.
When Revealed: Shuffle the underworld deck into the encounter deck.
The players cannot defeat this stage while a Villain is in play. If this stage is defeated, the players have won the game.
2
2
2
Underworld Dissident gets +1 for each Underworld location in play.
Shadow: If this attack is undefended, remove 1 token from the current quest.
5
3
5
Daughter of BerĂșthiel cannot be optionally engaged.
Forced: After Daughter of BerĂșthiel attacks, return her to the staging area. The engaged player may raise his threat by 4 to prevent this effect.
4
3
6
Forced: After The Hand of Castamir attacks, reveal the top card of the encounter deck, resolve its effects, and discard it.
Forced: After a treachery card is revealed from the encounter deck, The Hand of Castamir makes an immediate attack against the first player.
3
2
7
Forced: When Telemnarâs Bane attacks, discard the top 3 cards of each player's deck.
Forced: After a player plays an event card, Telemnarâs Bane makes an immediate attack against the first player.
When Revealed: Place the top card of the underworld deck facedown underneath the active location, if able.
Each location in the staging area gets +2 quest points.
"Were it buried beneath the roots of Mindolluin, still it would burn your mind away..." –Gandalf, The Return of the King
Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +1 (+2 instead if undefended.)
Great stores of goods and food, and beer, were found that had been hidden away... –The Return of the King
Forced: After Houses of the Dead becomes the active location, exhaust all characters.
"The houses of the dead are no places for the living." –Gandalf, The Return of the King
X is the number of players in the game.
Response: When The Fourth Star leaves play as an explored location, each player may draw 1 card.
When Revealed: End the quest phase without resolving the quest.
Shadow: If this attack destroys a character, remove all tokens from the current quest.
Forced: At the end of the round, place 1 resource token on Up in Flames and discard the top X cards of each player's deck. X is the number of resource tokens on Up in Flames.
If any player has no cards in his deck, the players have lost the game.
At the end of each round, raise each player's threat by 2.
"... whispering was in your ears, poisoning your thought..." –Gandalf, The Two Towers