Highland Pursuit

Highland Pursuit is a Rank 3 Expedition. It focuses on Gold and Status. The crew is sent here to retrieve an artifact from a paranoid abbess.

Suggested crew abilities include Beguiler, Diplomat, Tactician, and Engineer.

Nodes

 * There can be a village in need of Tactical Training. Succeeding on a Tactician roll will reward the crew with King Oengus' Crown

Highlander Heritage
The crew encounters despondent highlanders who cannot decipher the script on some ruins, and want to know more about their history. The crew can spend time studying or making up stories to improve their odds of success in lecturing the highlanders, but with each option chosen, one of the five will wander away, reducing the rewards for successfully telling the history. The initial odds of success are 10%, with no modifiers for crew skills or composition. The rewards are as follows:
 * 5 highlanders remain: 1 Study_icon.png Study, 40 Gold_icon.png Gold, 40 Status_icon.png Status
 * 4 highlanders remain: 20 Gold_icon.png Gold, 20 Status_icon.png Status
 * 3 highlanders remain: 15 Gold_icon.png Gold, 15 Status_icon.png Status
 * 2 highlanders remain: 10 Gold_icon.png Gold, 10 Status_icon.png Status
 * 1 highlander remains: 10 Gold_icon.png Gold

A successful story will also earn you the Highlander Brooch.

Based on your choices to study or lie, you may also earn extra Campaign or Study.

Noble Troubles
A nobleman begs for help to prepare for a date at his estate.

First, he asks you to help him get his neighbours to stop playing bagpipes. A level 3 Diplomat can resolve the situation without conflict, earning 3 encounter tokens. Otherwise you must complete a difficulty 3 Encounter.

Next, he asks you to help him clean. (The nerve!) Proud or Deadly Serious adventurers may refuse to do so. Otherwise, you make a skill roll with a 50% base chance, with bonuses for Athletes, Scientists, and "hygienic" crew members. Failure costs resolve.

Finally, he will ask you to retrieve flowers for a bouquet. This constitutes a skill roll with a 10% base chance, with bonuses for Grit, Speech Defense, and Survivalist. Failure costs resolve.

If you succeed on all three accounts, he will not only deliver the promised payment, but a treasure as well! You may choose between a Decorative Tapestry and a Scottish Sculpture, to tilt the odds towards the Unicorn Tapestry or Stirling Head, respectively.

On the way out, you warn his date, who bears a striking resemblance to Maria, that he's not a catch.

The Shepherd King
As you travel the highlands, you will almost certainly encounter sheep. If you resolve your encounters with them kindly, they may follow you. If enough sheep start following the crew, they will lead them to this encounter, which will otherwise not be accessible.

As you approach the shrine, you will find the Abbess! A mean crew member may make a comment at this juncture.

Before any consequence can arise of their curtness, however, Muffles the Legendary Sheep will arise, summoned by the horde of sheep following the crew. A rank 4 encounter will ensue, for which you can be tactically prepared.

Resolving this fight in a friendly manner will result in Muffles inviting your leader to reach into its wool and retrieve the Shepherd's Crown.

Finale
The expedition is over when the crew reaches the Ruins of Mind, and confronts the abbess.

First, they must gain entry to the Abbey, by talking their way in, busting in, or sneaking in.

Then the crew must complete a Difficulty 4 encounter with the abbess.

Ending Friendly may result in pious characters earning +3 Speech.