‘Defenders cannot retreat. Great Old Ones are unforgiving masters, and don’t look kindly on worshippers who run away…’
If, after a second combat segment, the Attacker’s forces into a Node still have not defeated the Defenders’ forces, the Attacker must retreat. Retreating pieces move directly back to their Node of Origin – they do not have to make a roll on the Gate Mishaps Table as the gate is still open.
If, for whatever reason, their Node of Origin is now uncontrolled, the Attacker’s pieces are discarded and lost in the Void. Also, if another Great Old One plays an Arcana Card that closes the Gate at the moment of retreat, all of the Attacker’s forces are similarly lost in the Void.
Servitors must accompany fleeing Cultists back to their Node of Origin. If this Node is unoccupied, they are also lost to the Void unless they can move to an adjacent friendly Node and do not exceed that Node’s stacking limit of three (3).