Light's Gambit Challenger's Handbook
Light's Gambit Challenger's Handbook is found inside Fjord Tavern in Lorel's Crossing, Hallowfall.
Contents
<The tome is thick with instructions, illustrations, and long, flowery descriptions of characters, locations, and magical items.>
<Flip to the "Basic Instructions" section.>
<Flip to the "Greater Difficulties" section.>
<Flip to a random page.>
Basic Instructions
The goal of Light's Gambit is to be the only player with pieces on the board. You win when you have defeated all your enemy's pieces. You lose if your enemy defeats all your pieces.
The Castle piece has a strong ranged attack, but it cannot move.
The Knight piece has two abilities. Divine Explosion damages nearby enemies, so move to use it well. Holy Assault allows the Knight to move and deal damage when landing, but it has a shorter range than the standard move.
The Cleric piece has two abilities. Heal heals nearby friendly pieces, so move to use it well. Smite deals a small amount of damage to enemies at a targeted location.
Enemy attacks are often area-based, so keep your pieces moving to avoid them.
<Flip to the "Greater Difficulties" section.>
<Flip to a random page.>
Greater Difficulties
Most Light's Gambit Challengers meet you where you're at. All Arathi know the standard difficulty bands that help new players learn the game.
At the easiest level, your opponent will only have a Dark Castle piece. This piece does damage to about half the board, and you will need to maneuver to avoid it.
At a medium difficulty, your opponent will add a Dark Cleric to the table. The Dark Cleric may either cast Shadow Bolt on one of your pieces, heal another opponent piece, or try to move away from one of your pieces.
At the hardest difficulty, your opponent will add a Dark Knight to the table. The Dark Knight will pursue your pieces and deal great damage in an area. Be wary! It is a fearsome foe.
<Flip to the "Basic Instructions" section.>
<Flip to a random page.>
<This page appears to be a section on the lore of the fictional universe Light's Gambit takes place in. It describes part of the journey of Gerrigon the Great, who seems to be an important character.>
A depiction of a blasted landscape dotted with ruins stretches across the top of the page. Swirling energy fills the sky, dancing between stars mid-twinkle.
--no prophecy had been foretold. Gerrigon pulled his face from the basin of water and gasped for breath, made furious by what he had seen. "Impossible!" He bellowed in the face of the crone, who grinned her yellowed teeth over him in response. Her features glowed in the dim candlelight and she leaned closer.
<Flip to the "Basic Instructions" section.>
<Flip to the "Greater Difficulties" section.>
<Flip to a random page.>
<This page appears to be a section on the lore of the fictional universe Light's Gambit takes place in. It describes part of the journey of Gerrigon the Great, who seems to be an important character.>
"You have seen for yourself the truth. Now, deliver unto me your Light, or go to a battle you are destined to lose, Great Warrior." She crooned between short, gleeful cackles. Gerrigon the Great went to reach for the hilt of his weapon, defiant, but stopped. He felt his jaw clench. If he was without his Light, then who was he at all?
<Flip to the "Basic Instructions" section.>
<Flip to the "Greater Difficulties" section.>
<Flip to a random page.>
<This page appears to be a section on the lore of the fictional universe Light's Gambit takes place in. It describes part of the journey of Gerrigon the Great, who seems to be an important character.>
--free of the yoke of Thelmith leadership. Gerrigon the Great went on to lead his people in a rebellion that would draw blood from coast to coast.
But when finally Gerrigon the Great did cross the threshold of the Tower of the Damned, capitol of Thelmithal, he was unprepared for what he found. Thelgrish, The Dark Lord, Master of All Shadows, The Speaker of Sin, held Gerrigon's dear beloved captive.
"Fight for me, Gerrigon. Or he will suffer as none have before."
But indeed, have any suffered as Gerrigon has? Gerrigon could not--
<Flip to the "Basic Instructions" section.>
<Flip to the "Greater Difficulties" section.>
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<This page appears to be a section on the lore of the fictional universe Light's Gambit takes place in. It describes part of the journey of Gerrigon the Great, who seems to be an important character.>
--bear to see his beloved come to harm. Nay, he would squash his own rebellion before he would allow such a thing to pass.
And thus did The Rhaemark enter an era of darkness. Just as it was on the cusp of dawn, Gerrigon's turned his Light to Shadow, and abided the will of the Dark Lord.
All was shadow, but little did Thelgrish know of Gerrigon's secret plan...
<Flip to the "Basic Instructions" section.>
<Flip to the "Greater Difficulties" section.>
<Flip to a random page.>
<This page contains drawings of various magical items of the consumable variety. One section that stands out in particular is a section of four potions that could only be described as pink.>
For the back alleys of Neveth are infinitely full of hoodlums and charlatans waiting for a hapless adventurer with coin. It is said you can find anything you're looking for here, but not in the form you expect. One such vendor is the batfolk potion master Mip at the backends of town --in a small little unkempt shop called 'The Blood of the Gods'. The sign out front is covered in a blood splatter, and it takes a few seconds to realize (or hope) that it's intentional.
<Flip to the "Basic Instructions" section.>
<Flip to the "Greater Difficulties" section.>
<Flip to a random page.>
<This page is a lengthy description of a dungeon, with traps, monsters, and characters featured.>
Fearneth's Lair was a labyrinth within the forest of Thalmataf. The walls around the adventurers are, in fact, the roots of the great Wendt trees, the white leaves of which sway so far overhead, they appear as clouds.
The adventurers must be wary, however, of the paths between gently sloping roots. The trees have a habit of shifting... closing their roots around the unsuspecting... then swallowing any poor soul who wanders too close to a crevice within the trunk...
<Flip to the "Basic Instructions" section.>
<Flip to the "Greater Difficulties" section.>
<Flip to a random page.>
<This page includes illustrations of several potions.>
Mip's wares included a box of brightly colored vials - all a similar but slightly different shade. Above the box is a note which reads 'Poshuns of animul talks' in hurried and unsure scrawl. The effects of the vials are as follows.
"The magenta potion allows the imbiber to speak with animals of furry variety for a near hour, but removes the ability to speak with commonfolk. The cerise potion allows the imbiber to speak with birds for half of a clock turn, but everything they say comes out in a trilling song. The carmine potion allows the imbiber to speak with all land animals by turning them into a lynx for but a handful of minutes. And finally - the mulberry potion--
<Flip to the "Basic Instructions" section.>
<Flip to the "Greater Difficulties" section.>
<Flip to a random page.>
<A long, serpent-like beast coils around a fainting knight in this full-page illustration, rendered painstakingly in ink. The serpent's scales are dark purple, its eyes a bright blue. The knight has long, braided black hair that drapes from their shoulders. Their helmet lays on the ground, crushed.>
A moment later, you see a small figure in the corner of the drawing, holding what appears to be a kitchen knife, poised to strike the serpent's tail. You can't help but wonder... will they prevail?
A caption at the bottom describes a battle in the history of the Yarlon people. A fictional race, you surmise.
<Flip to the "Basic Instructions" section.>
<Flip to the "Greater Difficulties" section.>
<Flip to a random page.>
Patch changes
Patch 11.0.2 (2024-08-13): Added.