“I pray God will curse the writer, as the writer has cursed the world with its beautiful stupendous creation, terrible in its simplicity, irresistible in its truth—a world which now trembles before the King in Yellow.”

–Robert W. Chambers, The King in Yellow

Everything has led you here. The King in Yellow was performed in Arkham long ago, and an impossible series of accidents and strange events that followed in its wake drove you across the sea and beyond in search of answers. You have battled cultists, unspeakable monsters, and even your own mind to uncover the cause of the curse upon the play. Now, all shall become clear as you pass beyond our world to the court of the king whom emperors have served in Dim Carcosa.

Dim Carcosa, the sixth and final Mythos Pack in The Path to Carcosa cycle for Arkham Horror: The Card Game is on sale now at your local retailer or online through our website here!

Strange Moons Circle

Welcome to Carcosa, the realm of madness in the stars where Hastur reigns. A once-great city of twisted spires now stands in ruins and you are alone against impossible odds in a place you do not and cannot understand. Among the remains of the city, you may encounter artifacts to help you adapt to this foreign realm, such as the Key of Ys (Dim Carcosa, 315). A Relic of Lost Carcosa, this Item draws madness and insanity to itself—and channels this power into increased skill. When any amount of horror would be placed of you while you control of the Key of Ys, you must place one of that horror on the Key. For each horror on the Key of Ys, you increase each of your skills by the same amount!

When you possess this unearthly Relic that lends you strength with your madness, you may be encouraged to simply let the storm within your mind rage. However, this power also comes at a high price. Once four horror have been placed on the Key of Ys and it leaves play, you must discard the top ten cards of your investigator deck. There is no telling what you may sacrifice in exchange for this power, but this may be your only chance to hold on to your sanity and survive the power of Hastur, at least for a few precious moments longer.

Drawn away from the earth you know and into the world where Hastur reigns, insanity is nearly certain. But perhaps a bit of madness is necessary to see the truth and open your mind to a new form of understanding. During this scenario, you are not defeated when you have horror equal to or greater than your sanity. Rather, your sanity is simply considered to be zero and you are free to continue your investigation. Still, this is not to say that insanity is a desirable condition. You have a mission to complete, and madness will make your task more difficult. For example, if you are jinxed by a Dismal Curse (Dim Carcosa, 337), you must test your willpower or take damage—which can still ultimately defeat you in the realm of Carcosa. If you have no remaining sanity, you'll find it even more difficult to shake off the Dismal Curse, and the consequences if you fail are even more dire. This strange realm may reward those who give themselves to madness, but you must never forget yourself or your home. If you do, the world is lost.

Surrender Your Mind

As you travel through the city of Carcosa, where everything appears at once familiar and alien, even the people you know best may suddenly appear strange. You will be forced to confront a simple, but dangerous question: can you trust your fellow investigators? Is the soul of a friend behind the eyes you see, or have they been consumed by the King in Yellow, who will not rest until he owns the thoughts of men before they even think them?

In Carcosa, you are just players fulfilling your role. Your mind is no longer your own and there is no telling what form your madness may take. Dim Carcosa presents three different forms of Possession. When you draw these hidden perils from the encounter deck, they force you to add this card to your hand and keep it secret from your fellow investigators. From there, you are faced with a difficult or even an impossible choice. If you fight back against the Possession, you do not suffer any immediate effects, but if at any point you suffer horror greater than twice your sanity, you are immediately eliminated and killed. There is no coming back.

But you can choose to free yourself from the risk and the torment… for a price. Unfortunately for the rest of your team, there is no telling what that price will be. If you hold Possession (Torturous) (Dim Carcosa, 341) in your hand, you may use an action to spend five resources and be rid of the Hex. While inconvenient, this is a small price in a land where you are surrounded by danger and madness. However, fate may not be so kind to you. Possession (Murderous) (Dim Carcosa, 342) turns you against those whom you have trusted since the start of your campaign, and your only hope of freedom is for them to not lose their faith in you. If one of your companions remains trusting and wanders close enough, you can force them pay the blood price your place. As an action, you may deal two damage to an investigator at your location to discard Possession (Murderous). Do you have it in your heart to betray your companions in order to save yourself? Will you be able to forgive yourself if you do?

Fin

Do not kneel before the King in Yellow. If you surrender now, the play shall spread like a poison throughout the world, and humanity will be unable bear the strain. Travel to Dim Carcosa, battle Hastur, and bring his reign to an end before the final curtain falls.