The mercenaries drag their aching limbs over the final ridge and tumble through a hole into a moonlit cavern. Even Killian Vane III stares open-mouthed for a moment, transfixed by the beauty of the mythical Wellspring. Its crystal-clear water offers no reflection, but seems to beckon the beholder closer.

GOAL: The pirates seek to turn the Wellsprings against their masters with poison. Aquilla’s loyal retainers seek to defend the spring, and warn their General of the danger.

SETUP: Place the figures where shown on the map. Place the Glyph of Brandar on the indicated space on the track below.

VICTORY: The Pirate player wins if they successfully poison the Wellspring. The Aquilla player wins if they successfully ward the Wellspring with magic, protecting it. If the battle is not won by the end of round 5, the battle breaks off, and whichever player has the Glyph closer to their end of the tracker wins.

SPECIAL RULES: Drinking from the Wellspring is dangerous, sacrilegious, and foolish to attempt without cause. Its magic is formidable and difficult to control. Just standing this close to the magic water has its side effects:

Figures cannot be destroyed. Visions of their own destruction bombard them, saving them from death’s embrace as they stagger clear of impending doom. When a figure would be destroyed, do not give that figure its final Wound Marker (leaving it with one less Wound Marker than would destroy it). Instead, the opposing player may move it up to 2 spaces, following all normal rules for movement.

A figure with only one wound remaining is sickened by the incessant visions the Wellspring’s water sends uncontrollably through their skin. When a figure with only one wound remaining attacks, after it chooses a target figure, it rolls the 20-sided die. Subtract 3 from the result if the figure is on a Wellspring water tile. If the result is an 8 or below, the figure is confused, and lashes out. The opposing player chooses a new target for the attack within the attack’s normal range. A figure may attack itself this way.

Other waters near the Wellspring are more diluted, and far safer. When a figure ends a movement on a water space (that is not a Wellspring water space) it may remove all Wound Markers from its Army Card.

To poison the Wellspring, a figure controlled by the Pirate player must begin its turn on a Wellspring water tile. Instead of moving, that figure rolls combat dice equal to its Attack Value. For each skull in the result, move the Glyph of Brandar one space toward the Skull end of the track. If the Glyph reaches the Skull space on the track, the Pirate player wins.

To ward the Wellspring, once per Order Marker, a figure controlled by the Dryan player must begin its turn on a Wellspring water tile. Instead of moving, that figure rolls combat dice equal to its Attack Value. For each shield in the result, move the Glyph of Brandar one space toward the Shield end of the track. If the Glyph reaches the Shield space on the track, the Dryan player wins.

If the battle is not won by the end of round 5, the combatants are too sickened by the Wellspring to continue fighting. The player with the Glyph of Brandar closer to their end of the track wins.

Outside of the Wellsprings in their full glory, tiny pockets of mystical water can be found throughout Valhalla. These lesser springs are diluted, but still powerful. When building your own maps, use these rules for Wellspring water tiles:

Diluted sources of Wellspring Water exist throughout Valhalla. At the beginning of a round, you may roll the 20-sided die for each Hero you control on a Wellspring water tile. If the result is 12 or higher, that Hero may remove 1 Wound Marker from its Army Card. If the result is a 1 or 2, that Hero becomes confused by visions and suffers 2 wounds. Wellspring water is a type of water, and follows all normal water rules in addition to the rules described above.

Player 1

1. Fia Bonny the Void Siren

2. Bok-Bur-Na

3. Killian Vane III

Player 2

4. Ewashia, Master of Tides

5. Kita the Springrunner

6. Onshu the Welkineye