Cities on the Lake (Special Encounter)

Special Encounters of Hastur.

These Special Encounter cards are available when the Cities on the Lake Mystery is active.

ID #	Set	Initial Text	Pass Effect	Fail Effect
1	06	Wandering through the mists on the shoes of Lake Hali, you stumble upon a byakhee engaged in a fight against a mi-go. Resolve the pass effect to assist the mi-go by attempting to banish the byakhee; or resolve the fail effect to remain hidden and let the battle play out.	You focus on a hex that will send the byakhee away, but the thundering sounds of battle threaten to disrupt your concentration (-1). If you pass, the mi-go emerges victorious, and fits you a small token that will return you home; close this Gate. If you fail, the byakhee dispatches the mi-go and then turns its attention to you; a Byakhee Monster ambushes you!	You duck behind an alien rock formation and try to keep silent (-1). If you pass, the byakhee eventually follows the mi-go through the portal as it tries to escape, leaving you a path home; close this Gate. If you fail, you are drawn into the fight; lose 1 Health.
2	06	A stranger in frayed robes advises you that the settings suns of Carcosa will reveal the way home. Resolve the pass effect to try and find the tallest tower from which to view the sunset; or resolve the fail effect to use your knowledge of astronomy to predict where the portal will open.	You wander the maze like streets of Carcosa for hours, searching for a way to reach a distant tower. The lengthening shadows serve to both confuse you and remind you of the impending sunset (-1). If you pass, you locate the tower and spot the portal as it opens; close this Gate. If you fail, you become even more lost; gain 1 Madness Condition.	You draw the necessary calculations onto a dusty stone using your finger (-1). If you pass, you arrive at the precise location of the portal well before it opens; close this Gate. If you fail, your estimation proves incorrect, and you lose your way, become Delayed.
3	06	The Queen of Yhtill is interrogated those skilled in the arcane, hoping to discover a way to magically extend her life and secure her dynasty. Resolve the pass effect to volunteer your services willingly, or resolve the fail effect to resist interrogation.	You concoct a serum that you believe will improve the queen's health (-1). If you pass, the serum is successful, and by royal decree you are allowed to travel the city unhindered; close this Gate. If you fail, you are thrown in the palace dungeon for endangering the queen's life; lose 1 Health.	You claim no magical talent, but the head inquisitor probes your mind to be sure (-1). If you pass, they release you, and you are free to return home; close this Gate. If you fail, you are charged with treason and hunted by the royal guard; gain 1 Pursuit Condition.
4	06	On the far side of Lake Hali, you see the black spires of a dark city rising above the mist. Simply looking upon the city fills you with fear, but your curiosity is overwhelming. Resolve the pass effect to continue to observe the city, or resolve the fail effect to search the library of Yhtill for information.	The longer you look upon the city, the greater the feeling of dread (-1). If you pass, you realize the city's twisted skyline is expanding, as if towers are being built overnight; close this Gate. If you fail, the city beckons to you, and you black out, waking hours later with no memory of what you have done; gain 1 Madness Condition.	You pore over dusty volumes, hoping to find mention of the city on the lake (-1). If you pass, you learn its name to be Carcosa; close this Gate. If you fail, you find nothing, and begin to question whether anything was there at all. Lose 1 Sanity.
5	06	At Queen Cassilda's command, the royal guards have captured you and thrown you in the dungeon, where you await execution. Resolve the pass effect to offer the queen knowledge of the future in exchange for your release; or resolve the fail effect to work with the other prisoners to escape.	Intrigued, Cassilda demands that you divine the future of her dynasty (-1). If you pass, you show her that great prosperity awaits Yhtill, and she lets you go; close this Gate. If you fail, your divination is flooded by visions of Yhtill ruled by the Tattered King; gain 1 Madness Condition.	One of the prisoners is revealed to be Prince Uoht of Yhtill. You plead with him to reason with his mother (-1). If you pass, Uoht convinces the queen to free you; close this Gate. If you fail, you are left to rot in the dungeon; gain 1 Illness Condition.
6	06	At a lavish ball hosted by the queen herself, a masked stranger declares the end of the royal line. The terrified Princess Camilla breaks down in tears and the queen orders the stranger killed. Resolve the pass effect to comfort Camilla, or resolve the fail effect to try and learn the stranger's identity.	You do your best to comfort the hysterical princess of Yhtill (-1). If you pass, she calms down, and thanks you for your loyalty, promising to return the favor however she can; close this Gate. If you fail, she begins to year out her own hair, screaming about the Yellow Sign and the coming of the Tattered King until her voice runs hoarse; lose 1 Sanity.	You conduct a lengthy investigation into the identity of the masked stranger (-1). If you pass, you learn the hideous visage was no mask at all, but his true face; close this Gate. If you fail, the investigation ends in a dead end, and you learn nothing; discard 1 Clue.
7	06	You wander aimlessly through the streets of Carcosa, unsure whether hours have passed or weeks. You wish only to return home, but the city seems intent on keeping you here. Resolve the pass effect to look for illusions; or resolve the fail effect to try to find a local willing to help.	You focus your thoughts and try to separate what is real from what is not (-1). If you pass, the buildings seems to ripple and vanish, revealing a path you have not yet walked; close this Gate. If you ail, the city shifts around you, and each time you glance behind, a new building has occupied what was once an empty street; gain 1 Madness Condition.	You find a man standing atop a spiral stairwell, and ask him for directions (-1). If you pass, without turning to face you, he points to a nearby spire; close this Gate. If you fail, he turns to stare at you, and his pale mask makes your skin crawl; lose 1 Sanity.
8	06	In a dark alley on the outskirts of Carcosa, you find a simple wooden door upon which someone has inscribed the infamous Yellow Sign. Resolve the pass effect to knock on the door; or resolve the fail effect to erase the evil symbol	The door squeaks slightly ajar and a gruff, hooded man demands to know if you serve the Yellow King (-1). If you pass, he opens the door and allows you inside; close this Gate. If you fail, he allows you to enter, only to turn violent and attack you; a Cultist Monster ambushes you!	You work to erase the sign, but it cannot be removed by traditional methods (-1). If you pass, the symbol disappears, and the entire building vanishes before your eyes; close this Gate. If you fail, your hands are bloody and raw from the attempt; lose 1 Health.
9	06	The captain of the royal guard has arrested you, believing that you have etched the Yellow Sign onto one of the palace garden's golden monuments. Resolve the pass effect to prove your innocence to the captain; or resolve the fail effect to bribe him.	You relay your story to the captain, sharing every detail you can remember (-1). If you pass, you recall seeing a man in tattered robes enter the garden just before the sign was discovered; close this Gate. If you fail, you manage only to dig yourself deeper, and the captain beats you, demanding a confession; lose 1 Health.	You attempt to talk your way out of captivity, promising riches to the captain if he lets you go free (-1). If you pass, he believes you; close this Gate. If you fail, he demands immediate payment and confiscates your possessions; discard 1 Item Asset.
10	06	In the port district of Yhtill you search for a way to cross Lake Hali and investigate the fabled lost city. Resolve the pass effect to find a ferryman willing to take you; or resolve the fail effect to find a vessel and navigate yourself.	Many of the locals refuse to go anywhere near the lost city, saying that those who return do so under the influence of the Yellow King (-1). If you pass, you find a local fisherman willing to take you; close this Gate. If you fail, the guards are alerted that someone suspicious is looking to visit the lost city; gain 1 Pursuit Condition.	You find an unattended boat and attempt to abscond with it before anyone notices (-1). If you pass, you glide silently away from the docks; close this Gate. If you fail, you are spotted trying to steal the boat and beaten by a gang of citizens; lose 1 Health.
11	06	Dark thoughts fill your mind as you navigate the twisted streets of Carcosa, and you fear that in this dark place, your imagination will give them form. Resolve the pass effect to purge the ill thoughts from your mind; or resolve the fail effect to find shelter quickly.	You try to calm your thoughts (-1). If you pass, you manage to quell your overactive imagination and traverse the city streets unharmed; close this Gate. If you fail, a terror from the deepest recesses of your mind manifests itself before you, hungry for your flesh; a Monster ambushes you!	All around you, voices chatter incessantly. You bang on the door of a nearby dwelling, begging to be let inside (-1). If you pas, a pale child lets you inside; close this Gate. If you fail, you are left alone with your thoughts; gain 1 Madness Condition.
12	06	A shimmering apparition of the Tattered King floats before you on one of the black spires of Carcosa, shredded golden robes flapping gently, despite the absence of wind. Resolve the pass effect to kneel before the king; or resolve the fail effect to face him in all of his terrifying glory.	You kneel before the Yellow King in hopes that he will spare you (-1.) If you pass, the apparition regards you for some time and then dissipates; close this Gate. If you fail, the king waves his hand, and a rending shriek tears at your body and mind; lose 1 Health and 1 Sanity.	You feel his dark presence sifting through your thoughts and hammering at the cracks in your ego (-1), If you pas, the apparition fades; close this Gate. If you fail, the Yellow King bestows his blessing upon you; gain 2 Madness Condition.