Shadow of the Sphinx "During this scenario"

[Scott Rogganbuck]

During scenario 3 of adventure 4, it says to examine the top card of your location deck if you defeat a bane by 3 or more. Questions:

1. If I defeat the henchman by 3 or more, do I examine and then attempt to close the location?

2. If I defeat the villain by 3 or more, do I examine and then auto-close?

Bonus Question:
Unrelated, but, why does the henchman, Rathos, a human fighter, look like a crocodile man?

[Mike Selinker]

This is why:

Secrets of the Sphinx, page 34:

Formerly the Forgotten Pharaoh’s second-in-command, Rathos was demoted when he ran afoul of the glabrezu Ninureset. The glabrezu offered a wish to Rathos, who foolishly wished to be the strongest warrior for a hundred miles. Ninureset granted the wish by transforming Rathos into a pain-wracked mockery of a strong warrior—a crocodile-headed monstrosity with massive stone arms.

[Scott Rogganbuck]

Mike Selinker wrote:

This is why:

** spoiler omitted **

Thank you for this enlightening lore.

Silly Rathos.

[Longshot11]

Scott Rogganbuck wrote:

During scenario 3 of adventure 4, it says to examine the top card of your location deck if you defeat a bane by 3 or more. Questions:

1. If I defeat the henchman by 3 or more, do I examine and then attempt to close the location?

The examine and the close are triggered at the same time (when you defeat the henchman), but the closing attempt must happen "immediately", and as such takes precedence (if you fail to close, or if for whatever reason there would remain any cards in the closed location - you can still examine afterwards).

I guess the same applies for your second question, but I don't have the exact Villain timing rules on hand.

[Vic Wertz]

For question 2, you defeat the villain during the "Encounter the Villain" step of the Encountering a Villain rules, which comes before "If You Defeat the Villain, Close the Villain’s Location." So first you examine, then you close.