Loss of Faith (A Touch of Evil)

I've had A Touch of Evil lying around unpacked for almost four months now.

When a friend visited me back then, I thought that I'd actually try to play a "solo campaign" of sorts, with only one Hero, and that's why I didn't re-pack the game in the first place.

Now, during a sleepless night, I finally got around to start this.

Liliana, Lost Soul seemed story-wise a perfect Hero for a solo play. Also, since during this blog no games have been played against Spectral Horseman, I picked him as the Villain.

I used Shadowbrook and The Coast maps, as I didn't want the game area be so huge for just one Hero.

And again, A Touch of Evil didn't let me down - it told me an awesome story.



Liliana started out as an outcast. She trusted everyone as little as they trusted her. This was made apparent by Lord Hanbrook and Reverend Harding and their Order's Influence. Mysteries ran rampant around the abode of higher class - The Manor. And if Liliana stopped at a Town square, some religious nuts were quick to come and ask a few questions in the form of Order of the Crimson Hand.

It surely didn't help at all when during a visit to Manor (yes, Liliana was actually at the Manor when it happened!) Lady Hanbrook and Liliana got into a fight and Liliana accidentally murders Lady Hanbrook (Traitor's Blood).

Then, something happens. Lost Ship appears on Icy Waters. Spectral Horseman makes his first Relentless Charge - and from the Icy Waters square. That can't be coincidence, right? A ship appeared out of nowhere, and dropped its supernatural payload on the shorest of Shadowbrook. That's when the undying Barghest Hounds also appeared.

Liliana saw all of this - she had tons and tons of Investigation points. Did anyone listen to her? No, she was repeatedly beaten down by Order of the Crimson Hand, Barghest Hounds and whatnot. "They Brought This Evil!" card was drawn, too, which told that whole community was accusing Liliana for anything evil that happened. They couldn't be blamed too much, though - when she was trampled upon the hooves of Spectral Horseman during one of his raids, a Devil's Mark appeared on Liliana.

Spectral Horseman wasn't the only evil the Lost Ship left to the shores. Also a powerful ghost in the form of Hauntings came into being - straight in the The Coast town squares, and attacked Liliana just after she had been interrogated by Order of the Crimson Hand.

The Haunting was no other than The Outcast. Maybe it was because they were, in essence, kindred spirits Liliana made an unlikely ally from this Outcast (Outcast did only one wound to Liliana, and Liliana managed to defeat The Outcast in just one turn, without getting Knocked Down in the process).

Liliana heard the story of the Lost Ship from The Outcast and that Spectral Horseman could be easily tricked into coming to the Lighthouse (bought Lair card with Investigation from The Outcast).

Liliana would, however, need a powerful ally well versed in ghostly matters. Very slowly and with great suffering she managed to convince Reverend Harding that there was, indeed, a ghost responsible for all the horrifying murders that had happened lately (took a total of 17 Investigation Points to remove Servant to Darkness secrets and reveal a Little Secret with buying Harbor Log & checking a Secret).

With Reverend Harding she traveled to the Lighthouse, and after a desperate fight (okay, it wasn't desperate at all, Liliana rolled godlike dice, so well in fact that I wanted to see if I could have actually won by playing with Hunter difficulty) Harding and Liliana succeeded in trapping the foul spirit forever, but tragically Reverend Harding fell to Spectral Horseman's blade.

So, unable to prove that she didn't kill Reverend Harding or that she actually saved the whole damn village, no wonder she suffers from a Loss of Faith...



I was thinking that I would play first game with Normal difficulty, next with Hunter difficulty and so on, but since it wouldn't change anything, I thought that this particular game was already with "Hunter" difficulty.

I hope I actually play another solo game soon enough, because here sure is a continuable storyline. Next game, if played, will be against a random Villain and with Liliana's current Investigation points (5) and Devil's Mark (-1 Combat). I got to keep the very same (not looked) Secrets on town villains, except for Reverend Harding that obviously needed a new one. I guess Lady Hanbrook wasn't actually killed, only severely maimed by the fight between Liliana and her. Reverend Harding was probably beaten up so badly by Spectral Horseman during showdown that he just doesn't remember anything from the encounter...

Master Hunter difficulty looks horribly intimidating, so that's probably where Liliana's story ends, unless it ended already to another four month wait.