Day 9: Murderous Monsters, Spiraling Madness, and the Best Sidearm!

 BoardGameGeek Tuck Bags!

The owner of BoardGameGeek and his friends have been playing Middara and loving it! The friendly folks over there reached out and wanted to make Tuck Bags to hold their stuff between sessions. Of course, we encourage this kind of thing and told them to go for it!

Early Prototypes
Early Prototypes

We're told that these bags will be for sale on the Geek store this month and for sale at their booth during Gen Con. You can check out the store here

We worked with them on dimensions and that sort of thing, but other than that, this was their own passion project. The idea is that you'll be able to replace your plastic zip lock bags with custom Tuck Bags that include artwork for the corresponding character you're playing. 

As far as more specific details we'll just have to wait and see as this is their own project... we're waiting to pick up a set ourselves. 

Though a far call from Arkalla, this Esper is banned from summoning nonetheless. The nature of the beast a well hidden secret, locked deep within the archives of personal collections and hidden libraries. The monster twists the minds of those who summon it, or perhaps it requires a twisted mind to summon... Regardless, the fate of those who have brought it to Middara are well documented tragedies fraught with horrific tales of the lust for power. 

Despite these warnings, there are those who still bring these abhorrent beasts to this realm. The prevalence of such acts even in the face of what many consider a universally bad idea has brought much speculation as to the true nature of how such events actually occur. 

It's theorized that the monster reaches out to the summoner as much as the summoner reaches out to it. It's mantra's and heinous whispers corrupts the individual, allowing it to worm its way into their mind. This would at least explain the one sided contracts that are usually formed. Even in the event that the summoner had much to offer, its been found that the contract was one sided. A literal deal with a devil.

Historians and scholars have in fact tried  to summon the a creature for academic purposes. But we only know this due to the discovery of the slaughtered bodies days after, months in one case. 

The little we know has only begs more questions.  

(girl not included in mini)
(girl not included in mini)

For our Day 9 unlock, we will be adding a miniature to the KS2 Promo Box for the The Murder Advocate. This miniature is typically only a cardboard Standee that is featured in Unintentional Malum: Act 3. 

To be clear, this miniature is part of the KS2 Promo Box and is being given away for free as part of every pledge level at the "Through the Portal" level or higher. 

The cardboard standee version that is already a part of the contents of Unintentional Malum: Act 3 will remain a standee. 

Nyx couldn’t hide her relief when she finally reached the last page of the diary, at least the last page with anything written on it. It hadn’t taken her long to see what the investigator wanted her to find.

“So you see the doom that came to the Ortiz family,” Christopher said, reaching up to something around his neck. A rosary—he clutched it even now, just looking at the diary. “And why I couldn’t be explicit in the report. Brahma has… certain ideas about justice. Noble, but…”

“But sometimes strict rules get in the way of actually getting things done?” Nyx grinned at him. “Guess even a Brahmanian can see how stupid their rules are.” Nyx caught another nervous glance from their waiter. Poor Ruiz was probably having a heart attack, they’d been here so long. All the tables around them were empty now. They didn’t enjoy overhearing tales of distant horror.

“Most of the time rules keep us safe,” Christopher countered stubbornly. “Demon like this Dark Mother is obviously dangerous, if anything in this diary is true. Rules say it’s so dangerous that the only safe thing to do is burn it. Nothing is worth the risk that someone might discover it.”

“And yet.” Nyx pointed to a sketch in one corner of the last page, carefully dodging the brown stain that was almost certainly blood. “You kept it, and now we know where they went.”

“I just can’t give up hope that…” Then he trailed off, apparently processing what she’d said. “You know where this is? I searched all over Brahma for it. Nothing like it anywhere.”

If it was in Brahma you would’ve burned it. “That’s because it’s in Elenia—or near it, anyway.” Nyx rose, pocketing the diary without request or permission. “It’s called the Witch’s Ziggurat. I know where I’m going now.”

“Where we’re going.” Christopher rose at the same moment, tossing a handful of gold onto the table with careless disregard. It wasn’t Elenian currency, but there was so much Nyx knew Ruiz wouldn’t care. “You have a citizen of your nation you hope to save, that Enoch child. But the Ortiz family deserve justice. They deserve rescue, if anyone is still alive in that devil-cursed tower. On my honor, I deliver one or the other. You can help if you want.”

Nyx laughed despite herself. “You think you’re going to make it through a kingdom as dangerous and barbaric as Elenia without a guide?” He was already halfway to the door. She almost let him go. At least if he got himself hopelessly lost, he couldn’t torment her anymore.

Nyx hurried to catch up anyway. If Christopher got too annoying, she could always find an esper hungry for Spanish food.

She made only one stop on the way out of the city, back to the small apartment she kept but rarely used. After what she’d read in Sandra’s diary, she needed to be well-armed. Powerful espers were now involved, suggesting Salma would not be responding to reason.

Once inside, she pushed aside a bookshelf on wheels, revealing her emergency stash. She hesitated a moment, before selecting...

The Drop-leg sheath, which would keep a heavy hatchet near her thigh for practical as well as violent purposes.

or…

The Pearled-necklace sheath, which would conceal a dagger around her neck for emergencies. Less of a punch perhaps, but much easier to conceal.

What Sidearm does Nyx take? 

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