The (Solo) Adventures of Solomon Kane

Solomon Kane completes his testimony against the Witchfinder General and the mood of the crowd changes tangibly.

“This is a heretic bearing false witness”, splutters Hopkins desperately. “If you believe this liar, you’re doing the Devil’s work!”

“Get ‘I’m”, shouts someone from the crowd, and as one they surge forward. The Witchfnder’s guards are pummeled and kicked, and beat a hasty retreat. Hopkins draws his sword and slashes at a villager lunging for him, but the blow is deflected by Solomon Kane’s blade. the Roundheads and the magistrate’s guards push through the throng and seize Hopkins.

“What shall we do with him?” the magistrate asks Kane.

Kane turns to Thomas, “Well?”

“My Jessica was ducked in the pond by this monster, I say we give him a taste of his own medicine”.

The verdict is popular and a protesting Hopkins is dragged to the pond and ducked below the surface thrice. His sodden, semi-sensate body is hauled from the water and dumped at the county border. Kane moves on to his next adventure, where some weeks later the news reaches him that the Witchfinder General had died from a flux of the lungs, likely brought about by his ducking. Justice has been served.

New adventures await our indomitable Puritan.

In the centre of Manningtree, Matthew Hopkins has gathered a crowd to hear him speak. Surrounded by his guards, he proceeds to denounce Solomon Kane and the Roundheads.

“A false Puritan has entered thy midst, friends. Let not this charlatan, this devil in the guise of the faithful sway you from the path of righteousness. This county is rife with witchcraft and the machinations of Lucifer, and at the centre of it all is the accursed Solomon Kane and his Roundhead allies. Be not deceived that these soldiers represent the will of the Parliamentary army. Why, liver Cromwell himself is a good Puritan man, and would regard this scum as rogues and heretics, were he aware of how they abuse there office.

:And here they come now, the Devil’s Troupe, come to cloud they better judgement with their lies. Pray with me good people, pray for courage to stand with me against evil.”

And sure enough, Solomon Kane approaches the square accompanied by Thomas Downes and his Roundheads, the magistrate and such villagers who dare oppose the Witchfinder General.

Well, I may have got this slightly wrong as there is a Talk option with Hopkins, so maximum Compassion (which I have) together with the bonus from the Virtue, Providence, should be enough to get the higher level required which is 12+. We will see.

Kane speaks with the villagers and asks them if they have any reason to think any of these women had anything to do with witchcraft before the accusations.

He feels a doubt rising among those who had seemingly pledged their allegiance to Hopkins. In return, the Witchfinder General begins to look abut him with growing alarms as he sees the crowd being swayed by Kane’s declarations.

The more Kane speaks the more the crowd grow restless and turn their ire against this false Puritan, the man who condemned their friends and created such a fear in the village.

This is another Story chapter where the objective is to “Light Solomon’s path”. We are fortunate in that due to the major success in the previous chapter we start with two light tokens already. So with luck this should be fairly easy. BUT of course it depends on what Darkness throws at us with the random cards.

Solomon Kane finds himself back in the office of Magistrate Lowes, along with Thomas Downes.  It is a stark contrast to the filthy, bloodstained cells that lie below. The magistrate sets his quill in the inkwell and regards the pair expectantly.

“Well, Master Puritan, have you any new proof to challenge the conclusions of the Witchfinder General?”

“Aye, sir, we do,” says Kane confidently. “And the proofs lie herein, in your very office, upon yon bookshelf.”  Kane steps across the room to a shelf and selects a volume, opening it, “See here.”

Kane proceeds to relate the details of his interviews in the cells and how the passages in the books prove the women’s innocence. Downes stands nearby, beaming with admiration at Kane’s sharp intelligence.

At last the magistrate sits back and heaves a sigh. 

“Aye sir, ‘twould seem a great injustice has been done here.”

He picks up his quill and a fresh sheet of parchment and quickly pens a pardon for the people held in the cells, then drips wax on the page and impresses it with his seal. 

“Now, what say we pay this Witchfinder General a visit and see what he has to say for himself?”

The chapter process well and I fully complete Solomon’s path, thus giving three stat changes. I increase Strength by 2 and decrease Danger by 1.

Solomon Kane and Thomas Downes are shown into the magistrate’s office: a small but well appointed room, with fine oak furniture and a small bookcase containing a variety of reference works. Magistrate Lowes peers up from a scroll he scratches at and sets aside his quill.

“Are you with the Witchfinder?” he asked Kane.

“Nay sir, but ’tis of the same I wish to speak”, Kane says grimly. “For I fear you have let the devil into your midst, disguised as one of the faithful.”

“That is a serious claim, by what authority do you make it, sir?”

“Why, by God’s authority! And by the duty I swear every day to protect the weak and innocent from evil. Your Witchfinder is an evil man, make no mistake. What know you of his methods?”

“Precious little, I admit, but he has the legal right to do as he does. He has a writ.”

“What f I were to say his methods can be used to prove anything he so pleases. Jasmine as proof of witchcraft? Why, anyone can obtain the scent. Ducking? Ropes may be tied so as to trap air in the subject’s clothing, such as they may float to the surface. The Devil’s Mark? Any blemish may be named as such and the bodkin used to prick it may have a retractable needle, so no blood flows forth. All I ask is that I may speak with the accused to make my own mind up regarding their guilt.”

“Very well, Puritan. You make a persuasive case.”

There is no Chapter 4 on this occasion as that only applies if you’re allied with the Witchfinder General. So we continue with the next scene with Kane and the Officer deciding how to proceed.

Thomas Downes dismisses his Roundheads, bidding them take refreshment at the local tavern while he speaks to Solomon Kane. Together they walk the streets of Manningtree.

“Whither are you bound?” asks Downes.

“I travel where destiny and the dawn lead, seeking out the Devil’s work so I may expose it and banish it”, says Kane somberly, a faraway look in his icy grey eyes.

“Then I pray of you, take around these streets and tell me, see you not the Devil at work here?”

Kane does as he is bid by the young fellow and in truth, the villagers seem afflicted with a pall of dread; an oppressive atmosphere of mistrust and fear infects the village.

“Aye sir. The Devil is here right enough and I shall meet him as I have done many a time before.”

“My heart s glad of that”, says Downes, “For the man they call the Witchfinder General is the very devil you seek. Even now my fiancé, Jessica, languishes in gaol awaiting execution thanks to the treachery of Hopkins and his thugs. The wretch makes baseless accusations of witchcraft against innocent women, then finds them guilty by most dubious methods, such as the ducking stool, or pricking with the bodkin. All methods which by sleight of hand can be made to show any result.”

“Then I will aid you, master Downes,” says Kane. “Gather your men and tell me where I an needed.”

“Thank you, Puritan. The gaol is our goal, to speak with the Magistrate and plead for the accused ones’ pardon.”

Kane and Downes made her way through the streets of Manningtree stopping periodically to talk to villages and gain an understanding of the feelings of the village.

Most villagers speak openly about their fears of the Witchfinder General and of their own friends or loved ones found guilty of witchcraft. They re appalled and growing more angry at Matthew Hopkins’ conduct, and offer to assist both Solomon and the Roundheads in getting rid of him.

Eventually the growing crowd reach the Magistrates officers and confront the Guards at his door.  Seeing the crowd and the determination on their faces, the guards stand aside, one muttering, “you may pass.”

Solomon Kane and Thomas enter the magistrate’s offices.

Kane talks to the villagers and it is clear that the Puritan Hopkins is not a God fearing man, but a charlatan using his authority, it is is real, to pursue a strange dislike of females, with wild accusations of witchcraft. His purpose is clear. This man must be defeated else more innocent women are killed by this wild and evil person. The fight continues anew with a determined ambition to bring God’s truth to bear on this unholy man who disgraces the Puritan spirit.

Hopkins rushes through the throng to attack Kane with a fever in his eye and a wild swing of his rapier. 

Resolving Fights used specific Fight cards. These are drawn as identified by the Discovery card. As with other random tests, they use the numbers on an Event card. There are three types of character who use one of the three test scores.

Heroes (e.g. Kane and “Nemesis” characters) use the Right hand score, which is the highest with an average score of 4. In this case, Hopkins is classified as a Nemesis (an anti-Hero) and scores 5, this is the lowest result on his fight card and two effect cards are drawn. In this case Virtues remove a saved die (our choice) but receive a die in return.

Perhaps I should mention the dice at this point. There are 5 possible results. Two are the same, a cross which can be used as a “wild” dice result, although no more that one Wild die can be used for a single action. There are one of each other result. Bravery vs Fear; and Determination vs Pain.

So in conclusion, this first fight had little effect on anyone.

Kane flies into the battle on the side of the young Roundhead officer. He wishes to see off this false Puritan, the one they call the Witchfinder General and his thugs before any lives are lost. Kane clashes steel with the guards and his presence turns the tide of battle effectively.

Kane pushes through to face the Puritan himself, the so called Witchfinder General.  He is proficient enough, but Kane parries the wild swing of Hopkins blade and drives his own rapier in a quick repost, striking the man with a slash across his arm. Moving quickly aside he sees an opportunity to strike at one of Hopkins’ allies and delivers a blow to a thug close at hand. The man grunts as Kane strikes his leg, slowing the man down.

But Hopkins is not out of the game and closes in once more to drive Kane back. He attacks without thought or skill and Kane easily parries and block his unthinking attacks.

Driving forward with the advantage, Kane pushes Hopkin back and strikes another fierce blow against this immoral Puritan.  As he stumbles back, Kane knocks the fight out of him with a strike of the basket grip of his rapier and the man falls to the ground, defeated, albeit still alive.

No one is seriously wounded and none lie dead, thanks be to God, muttered Kane looking around at the chaos this pointless fight had created. 

“I name you traitor!” screams Hopkins, rising slowly from the ground where he lay. “Heretic! You shame our Puritan brethren” he shouts as he is led away.

Kane turns to the young officer who greets him. 

“My gratitude, sir, especially since you are also of the Puritan faith, but clearly a man of honour, unlike that cur Hopkins. I am Thomas Downes, at your service”.

Solomon Kane makes his judgement on which side he must support, a visceral decision.  He pushes his way through the crowd and as he does so, overhears remarks from the gathered villagers in support of one side or the other.

Kane overhears fewer opinions that support his choice of whom to side with than are for it, and he finally bursts forth from the crowd, sword and pistol in hand, just as the men on both sides of the conflict draw arms and go at each other. With the crowd behind him, Kane knows he has made the right decision.

The timing of each Chapter in the game depends on the number of “Darkness” cards available at the beginning of the scene. Different Actions by the Virtue can increase or reduce this time. Note that each Darkness card has a negative impact on Kane’s ability to complete the objective but equally more time is often needed to succeed. Getting that balance right can be the difference between winning or losing.

In this case there are 12 darkness cards, which suggests that this will be a long slog to complete the objective. Luck (or Providence) will be one factor, and decision making the prime other!

As the scenario gives an option to Talk to the villages, this is probably a good thing to do. But of course when you take any Action, the result might not always be a good one.

So, a successful talk leads to drawing two more random cards which show an increase in Strength of +1 (might be useful in a later fight). If a further Puritan or Roundhead card is drawn, this may have positive or negative impact! Scary!