Do you want to see true magic?

For Dexter Drake, the magic of fairy tales and myth had been a lifelong fascination, but it wasn’t until the chance discovery of an old book page during the Great War that Drake opened his eyes to the possibility that magic might truly exist.

Years later, the promise of arcane tomes locked away in Miskatonic University’s special collection drew the stage magician to the sleepy town of Arkham, where the weird and the unusual are hidden beneath a thin layer of normalcy. Lured to an auction of occult items, “Drake the Great” and his assistant Molly Maxwell now find themselves targeted by the depraved servants of an otherworldly force of disease and corruption. It will take more than a little misdirection to get the performer out of this scrape.

A Fatal Invitation

Author Richard Lee Byers returns for his second foray into the Arkham Horror Files universe after his first novella, Ire of the Void, that followed the misadventures of astronomer Norman Withers. Now, Blood of Baalshandor takes you back to the halls of Miskatonic University where the clever Dexter Drake is attempting to gain access to the Necronomicon, an arcane tome safely locked away in Orne Library. When Dr. Armitage is unimpressed by the magician’s ‘credentials’, it would seem that hope of unlocking any eldritch secrets is lost, until an invitation to a secret auction promises perhaps not the Necronomicon, but many books like it, along with all the occult knowledge they hold.

The auction itself is filled with colorful characters, psychics and fortune tellers and members of the so-called “Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn”, but the most interesting things are the books themselves, only one of which is in English. Blood of Baalshandor is to be Dexter Drake’s prize, but when the evening turns deadly, he and his assistant will be lucky to escape with their lives. With enemies at every turn, Drake’s greatest feat will be to save himself, Molly, and the rest of Arkham from the dark designs of the city’s most depraved citizens.

In addition to the story itself, Blood of Baalshandor includes fifteen pages of full color inserts. These primary sources provide you with the same evidence that led Dexter Drake to Arkham and that has helped him throughout his investigations there. These include newspaper clippings, maps, letters, sketches, journal entries, and all the evidence you need to follow the investigation alongside Drake and immerse yourself in the Arkham Horror Files universe.

The Magician

After you have accompanied Dexter Drake on his adventure through Arkham’s most dangerous hidden corners, you may choose to ask for his assistance in your own investigations. Blood of Baalshandor includes four promotional cards that allow you play as the magician in the Arkham LCG. While he will make an official debut in a later set, this novella marks Dexter Drake’s first appearance in Arkham Horror: The Card Game.

As a talented stage magician, Dexter Drake's (Blood of Baalshandor, 16) ability is based off of the idea of sleight of hand, moving assets into and out of play faster than you can blink your eye. When you are playing as Dexter Drake, during your turn you may use a fast action to discard an asset you control and replace it with a different one from your hand, reducing its cost by one. The asset you play must have a different title from the first (no one would be impressed if you transfigured a white dove into an identical white dove), but the ease that comes with always having the proper implement for the proper moment opens a world of deckbuilding that every apprentice magician will want to explore.

Accompanying Drake on his journey to Arkham is his wonderful assistant and the brains of the operation, Molly Maxwell (Blood of Baalshandor, 17). Going under the stagename The Exotic Morgana, Molly is an invaluable Ally for the magnificent magician. As a fast action, Molly may exhaust and receive one horror in order to allow you to pull off an incredible feat of summoning with your investigator deck. First, you simply name any trait. Then, one at a time, you reveal cards from the top of your deck until an asset with the named trait is revealed. Finally, you draw that asset, shuffling each other revealed card back into your deck. With Molly on your side, you can have anything you need at hand, whether it be a Spell, Charm, Ritual, Relic, or Tome, almost like magic.

However, Drake’s sleight of hand tricks may come to a screeching halt if he hits his signature weakness, Yaztaroth (Blood of Baalshandor, 18). A simple Curse but a wretched one, this weakness goes into Dexter Drake’s threat area and prevents him from putting any assets into play. For the price of two full actions, nearly an entire turn, Yaztaroth may be discarded. For a performer whose survival is dependent on his speed, this delay may prove devastating, but with the help of a fellow trained investigator such as yourself, the final curtain may not fall on Dexter Drake just yet. 

True Magic

To save Molly, Arkham, and the world, Drake will need more than his wits and quick hands. He must turn to the dangers of real magic, even if it risks his mind, body, and spirit. Are you ready join the investigation? Add Blood of Baalshandor to your collection and uncover the secrets the would drive many to murder or madness!