The Dark Path

The Dark Path
Scenario information
Size	Medium
Difficulty	Advanced
Type	Campaign
Level cap	32nd level
Campaign	A Matter of Life and Death
Initial heroes	Alita Eventide, Allenvale
Objectives	Find the pass leading to the Cloak of Darkness.
Loss condition	Lose all towns and armies.
Lore
Factions	Alita Eventide Death's Head Cult
Player identity	Alita Eventide
Previous scenario	The Hidden Hand
Next scenario	The Rescue
Maps
Surface map
Underground map

"With Ring in hand, Alita and Allenvale begin their journey to the area where the Cloak of Darkness is supposed to be. Unfortunately, the informant said the heroes have to find a secret pass located to the east to get there. He also mentioned another group named "Death's Head Cult" who hold sway over the region."

The Dark Path is the third scenario in the A Matter of Life and Death campaign in The Gathering Storm.

Information

"Alita Eventide and Allenvale, obtaining the Ring of Light, must now find the road leading to the Death's Head Cult's main stronghold."

.

As they fought the forces of the Death's Head Cult, Alita Eventide and Allenvale searched for the path onwards, eventually locating it and heading for the Cloak of Darkness.

Strategy

Alita and Allenvale start with a single Haven, with a neutral Stronghold nearby that can be captured early. To the west are two gates, one that only enemies can pass through, and one that only those that own the Necropolis Bones Ville (the eastern red town) can pass through. This means that the only way forward is north, by ferry.

The western ferry landing is blocked by Faerie dragons, but the eastern will take Alita to the town of Bones Ville, where she can take out an enemy town and open the path west from her Haven in a single siege. The two-way portal north of the town leads to the other red Necropolis, allowing her to take out the red player quickly.

In the center of the map is the purple player's Necropolis. Unfortunately, they're protected by a gate that refuses to let Alita or her troops through, making it impossible to take out.

East of the western Necropolis, a quest hut promises 8000 gold for 50 zombies. Unfortunately, there are no Desecrated Graves on the map, and therefore no way to train zombies. North of the town, the underground holds a quest hut trading a Life Shield for twelve vampires. The Life Shield can be traded for access to the red Keymaster's Tent further north, and Alita needs to get past a red gate to finish the scenario. Building a Mansion in the western Necropolis should therefore take top priority.

The two neutral towns near the purple town are both Asylums. East of the eastern one is a quest hut providing access to the blue Keymaster's Tent for eight earth elementals. West of the same town, a quest hut is willing to give 5000 gold, 10 gems, and 10 sulfur, for 50 orcs. Next to it is a tunnel, leading to a small underground with two Altars of Earth, providing Earth Elementals.

Once both Keymaster's Tents have been visited, Alita and Allenvale can head to the northwest, where they find the path they're seeking. After passing through the gates, they'll be attacked by an army of Necropolis creatures - skeletons, zombies, vampires, and bone dragons. When the fight is over, they can head for the nearby trough and finish the scenario.