“There is no Yig, Evelia. Pray for Lazaro, and pray for God’s mercy, but do not heed such stories.”

–Father Mateo, The Investigators of Arkham Horror

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The quest to discover the ruins of an ancient Aztec city unites five new investigators in The Forgotten Age! This third deluxe expansion for Arkham Horror: The Card Game invites one to four players to embark on a thrilling expedition through the rainforests of southern Mexico, confronting venomous snakes, deadly quicksand, and unspeakable dangers that watch from the shadows. Thus far, we have met Ursula Downs, Leo Anderson, Finn Edwards, and Calvin Wright.

Today, we are pleased to introduce you to Father Mateo, the fifth and final investigator of The Forgotten Age!

The Priest

Mateo Castile once only thought of demons and devils in the abstract sense, until one fateful night in Iripa changed everything. What he saw—unnatural creatures that shared the likeness of both serpent and man—shattered his understanding of the world and shook his faith to the core. Now, he prays daily for guidance, but finds no answers to the questions that plague him. How could a kind and loving God allow what he saw that night to exist?

Father Mateo is a Warden of his faith, and as such he abhors violence. He would prefer not to raise a hand against another creature if it can be avoided, and therefore, he only has a combat of two. Instead, his strength comes from his religion. Mateo believes that God will protect him from evil, even as he fears what may come, which equips him with a willpower of four and eight sanity. With the Lord as his shepherd, Father Mateo is prepared to face any blasphemous beasts that rise from the depths of Hell.

Even as Mateo walks through the shadow of death, he shall fear no evil. The perils that await investigators in the chaos bag pale before Father Mateo’s special ability. After an investigator reveals the Automatic Failure chaos token, Mateo can immediately choose to cancel the token’s effect and treat it as an Elder Sign token instead. This can turn any negative situation in favor of the investigators, allowing an investigator to use their unique strength at the opportune moment. Regrettably, this miraculous feat requires much of Mateo’s strength and it can only be used once per game.

While Mateo’s mission is to serve God and his fellow man, the most prudent option may be for the priest to use his "once per game" ability on himself. If Mateo uses this ability to cancel his own auto-fail token, or if he draws the Elder Sign token from the chaos bag, he automatically succeeds at the test and he can supplement the effect by either drawing a card and gaining a resource, or taking an extra action if he is using the ability during his turn.

A Sacred Seal

With his entry into Arkham Horror: The Card Game, Father Mateo brings with him a new keyword: seal. In addition to paying a card’s cost, when a card with the seal keyword enters play, its controller must search the chaos bag for the specified token and place it on top of the card, thereby sealing it. If a card offers a choice as to which token to seal, like with The Chthonian Stone (The Forgotten Age, 30), the card’s controller makes the decision. A sealed chaos token is not considered to be in the chaos bag and therefore cannot be revealed from the chaos bag during a skill test or other ability. The card then holds any sealed tokens until it leaves play, at which point the tokens are immediately released, returning to the chaos bag.

For example, Father Mateo’s signature asset, The Codex of Ages (The Forgotten Age, 13), seals the Elder Sign token. As long as The Codex of Ages holds the sealed token, Father Mateo gains +1 Willpower. Then, he can hold its power in reserve until the opportune moment. When Father Mateo would reveal a token from the chaos bag, he may choose to discard The Codex of Ages in order to resolve the Elder Sign token as if it had been drawn from the chaos bag. While the knowledge that you have an ace in the hole is immensely powerful, you must question how long your team will be content to sit by as they must conduct their own tests without the Elder Sign token in the chaos bag.

As easily as seals can act in your favor, they may also be used against you. This blasphemous treachery can be seen in Father Mateo’s signature weakness, Serpents of Yig (The Forgotten Age, 14). These Humanoid creatures may appear to be at least part mortal, but they have not a single ounce of kindness or empathy within their hearts. These monsters hunt Father Mateo with a vengeance, and when Serpents of Yig enters play, Father Mateo must search the chaos bag for the Elder Sign token and seal it on the Monster. Will Father Mateo be able to overcome these trials and strike down the demons that crawl upon the Earth, or will his faith falter and force him to fall into flames?

A Higher Calling

Your expedition team is nearly ready to set out for the rainforests of southern Mexico. There is no telling what horrors await you among the ruins of The Forgotten Age, and it may be wise to bring with you a man whose faith can ward off evil spirits… or at least one who can administer last rites. Add Father Mateo to your investigative team and set out to make the discovery of a lifetime!