Thursday, 22 September 2022

Further Adventures in The Scarlands - part 7, the Ambush


The Swordfysh turned on its mooring slightly as the breeze shifted direction by a few points. The anchor watch stopped what they were doing and checked the ropes. They followed the moorings as they went down through the trapdoor on the top floor and made sure they were still securely tied around the wooden beams of Brackenthorn Tower's roof supports beneath. When they were satisfied there was no slippage and the ropes weren't rubbing badly they went back to drinking and dice games on deck.

After having spent a few days setting up camp (they had tied a sail as an awning, packed supplies away safely and made sure the hill the tower stood upon was easily defendable), the Swordfyshes set out on a foray from Brackenthorn Tower. They had left a few members of the crew to guard their gear and supplies, and to keep watch over the skyship.

As the expedition hacked their way through grasping vines and entangling roots, Krashhart was uncharacteristically withdrawn and quiet. The pounding beat of Gorkamorka was loud in his ears and thumping in his chest. This place was absolutely overflowing with wave after wave of roiling magical energies ebbing and flowing across the land. Something was awakening in the forest. Something old and powerful. The spirits of the Scarlands had been disturbed over the last few months; they were riled-up and fighty.

~ ⦽ ~


The Swordfyshes were spread out, searching the forests. They called out to each other to be sure of each-other's location and avoid getting too separated or lost. But this gave away their location to the Ironforged Ogors. Skargat apparently wanted to smash Krashhart again and when he and his big mates arrived Mr Flea started drumming rapidly and Sinka yelled for the crew to rally on them:

"On deck, ya dogs, all hands on deck! Smartly now, the fight is a-brewing!"

Skargat barreled forward in a fearsome onslaught - he surprised Krashhart with the ferocity and suddenness of the attack and the Warchanter didn't even have time to grab a weapon, let alone parry the blows.


Flotsum, Barnacle Nog and Dakmeff heard the shouting and ran to help.


A Gnoblar charged at Krashhart, still stunned from the ogor's attack, the orruk tried to squash the little git so he could back off from the Tyrant but it took two goes to get the nippy little blighter, and then another Gnoblar took his place!


Mr Flea smacked the second Gnoblar out cold with his heavy drumstick without missing a beat of his drumming!


Jade rains started falling and Krashhart felt his wounds closing in the healing waters. But Skargat swung his grand-axe again, just over the head of a terrified Gnoblar, and caught Krashhart with a mighty blow. The Warchanter was thrown onto his back and the battle ended as suddenly as it had begun!

~ ⦽ ~

As they carried the unconscious Krashhart back to the tower camp, Hook and Barnacle Nog boasted of their successes while scouting the forests around the encampment before the ogors had interrupted.

Nog hadn't found any treasures as such, but he had fought a massive Pale-Wailer and he'd brought its carcass with them on the trek back to camp for the crew to eat.

Hook showed off a fragment of stone slab carved with the image of a hulking, but somewhat saintly-looking warrior, wielding a massive glowing weapon - he claimed it was the first clue to the location of the Gristle Grinder. No one argued with the claim but as none of the crew really knew what the Gristle Grinder actually was they didn't want to pipe-up and let on their ignorance.

~ ⦽ ~


Deployment: Decimation
Victory: Cut Off The Head
Twist: Rainstorm of Ghyran

Dramatis Personae

The Swordfyshes
  • Lord Krashhart - Warchanter Explorer
    Agile Warrior, 1 Renown
  • Kaptain Battendown - Ardboy with a cloak and a squig-parrot
    1 Renown
  • Sinka - Brute with red bandana
    1 Renown
  • Hook - Brute with a hook hand
    1 Renown
  • Flotsum - Brute with blue bandana
  • Mr Flea - Ardboy Drummer
  • Dakmeff - Ardboy with a barrel on his back
  • Barnacle Nog - Ardboy with a bag of bones
    1 Renown
  • Mainstay - Ardboy with red shoulder-plate and bandana
Quest Progress: 4/15

Our first game of the Narrative campaign-proper (after 5 Open Play warm-up games) was very short and very brutal. Our leaders were deployed within 6" of each other and the Victory card for the game made killing the enemy leader the only thing needed for an instant win. Viktor won the Initiative in both the first and second round. He pinned my leader and badly wounded him in the first round and took him out in the first dice roll of the second round!

Krashhart survived the injury roll in the after-game sequence with just a flesh wound (no further effects), and the two fighters I sent forth both did okay - Hook got me an extra 2 points of progress on my Quest for the Gristle Grinder. Barnacle Nog explored the forests around their encampment and while he didn't find any treasures he fought a Ghurran beast and gained a point of Renown.

Viktor's side of the story is here.

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