Further Adventures in The Scarlands - part 9, Sailing Against the Tide

"You did well lads; This be a fine pile of loot!" said Krashhart with a booming laugh that echoed between the trees.

The crew grinned at one-another and told their tales of the fights they had won to gather the piles of treasure they now lugged in heavy bags.

The sky darkened as the Swordfyshes made their way back through the forest toward Brackenthorn Tower, it looked like a big rainstorm was coming. The past two weeks had been dry and hot but it looked like that was about to change.

Their buoyant mood made them careless though - they didn't notice the gnoblars watching them from the bushes.

Sinka, Battendown and Barnacle Nog jumped as Skargat suddenly appeared on top of a rocky hill.

Krashhart, Mr Flea and Hook heard Cargo before they saw him. He was clearly very drunk and singing a loud and tuneless shanty.

Krashhart signalled Sinka and the cunning orruk took his Boyz under a stone archway, drawing the Tyrant away from the rest of the crew.

Rain started falling as Cargo slammed into Krashhart's mob. Flea was hit hard by his shoulder-barge.

But the orruks ducked under his clumsily swung cutlass and anchor. The Swordfyshes dodged away from him at speed. The gnoblars squeaked as the pirates bore down on them.

Barnacle Nog spotted an opening and broke away, heading for the rocky hill halfway between Sinka and Krashhart.

Mainstay was hit like a ton of bricks fell on him.

Then the skies really opened and torrential rains hammered the forest clearing.

Battendown, dakmeff and Flotsam arrived, a few minutes after the fight started.

Krashhart broke through the gnoblars and led the way toward safety.

Sinka was waylaid by Poka - a gnoblar with a makeshift spear. He swung his kutlass at the creature but slipped in the mud that the pouring rain had created.

The little git was shockingly good at taking advantage of his clumsiness - the crude spear-tip found its mark, painfully.

Sinka roared with annoyance and stamped the unfortunate Poka into the mud, drowning him in the slop.

Hook leapt up onto a rock and was surprised to see more gnoblars and an ogor Crusher waiting for him.

Cargo's drunkeness made him lash out randomly, but this time he stumbled backwards and caught the injured Mr Flea with a downswing the orruk drummer hadn't realised was coming. A big leather bag, full of coins, dropped onto the muddy forest floor.

Skargat rounded on Sinka as he was proccupied by squishing the unlucky gnoblar's lifeless body into the sodden ground. Sinka was sunk.

Battendown tried to pick up the bag of loot as Flotsum distracted Cargo by hooting and hollering as he sprinted past.

Hrothgur, the Crusher, barrelled into Hook and hit him hard in the belly. The orruk had still not recovered from the gut wound he had received a couple of weeks earlier and he blacked-out and folded.

Skargat the Tyrant floored Sinka with an almost disdainful swipe of his massive axe.

Cargo slowly realised what trick the orruks were attempting to pull and rounded on Battendown instead.

Gnoblars swarmed after Krashhart, he pushed one of them aside and kept going. Barnacle Nog appeared on the walkway behind Hrothgur, panting from his long run. He looked around in dismay at the unhappy situation he found.

dakmeff tried to sneak past the Tyrant, but Skargat spotted him.

And slammed into him.

"Come on ladz!" Krashhart yelled, "We can easily outrun this fleet of worm-eaten carracks. They're a deal too broad at the beam to overhaul us!"

He made a dash for it, and disappeared off into the woods. He was safe, and so was the bag of booty he carried.

Cargo seemed to sober-up a little and made Battendown pay for the hang-over that seemed to have immediately set in. The bag of treasure burst when it hit the ground - the coins scattered across the waterlogged forest floor.

The Maneater left the coins where they fell and set off after Flotsam.

Flotsum took stock: Hook's bag of coins lay ahead of him; the contents of Mr Flea's were scattered behind him; and two ogors were headed straight at him.

Meanwhile Krashhart wondered where the others had got to. He was sure they had been right behind him a moment or two ago...

Now it was just them left, with no loot in-hand and nowhere to run, Flotsum and Barnacle Nog realised the rest of the crew had been bashed and the treasure had been dropped when their mates fell.

They looked at each-other and shrugged. They both knew they only had one option left: The two of them legged-it!

The ogors watched them run while gnoblars scrambled to gather the remaining loot up.

~ ⦽ ~

While most of the crew were laid-up in camp with various injuries Barnacle Nog and Flotsum went exploring. Flotsum had been mightily pleased with himself when he returned to Brackenthorn Tower carrying a hideous grub, famed for its healing properties...

Until he opened the door and found Barnacle Nog presenting Krashhart with the fabled Gristle Grinder! When he realised no one cared about his Itxi Grub in the slightest he unceremoniously dumped it on the table.

~ ⦽ ~

Deployment: Battle Lines

Victory: The Delivery

Twist: Torrential Rain

This was another fantastic game - The story almost writes itself with games like this!

Viktor won the priority roll and chose to be the attacker (partly to slow my Quest!). The Deployment card was symmetrical but it suited the Victory card we drew next. He picked his board edge as the escape route - it was the only logical option! I considered splitting the treasure between my Hammer, Shield and Dagger but eventually picked to put them all with the boss, so I could try to use Waaagh! and launch the others across the board.

I tried to play all three groups like they had treasure, and it worked for a while. Viktor's Tyrant was isolated from the action to a certain extent, by taking out my Dagger on his own (but he did a very good job of that!).

Once the jig was up, I charged all of my Hammer to support the Shield as they rushed for the escape line. I hoped that if any of them fell I would be able to scoop up the loot with the second wave and still have a chance.

It almost worked! I got Krashhart and his stash of treasure to safety but only Flotsum was in a position to get to the edge in the final turn, and since there was no way (with only Barnacle Nog to help him) that I could stop at least one of the swarm of Gnoblars (and two ogors) from getting within an inch of him after his last move we called the game. The Ironforged won again.

Viktor's version of this adventure can be found here.

Dramatis Personae

The Swordfyshes

• Lord Krashhart - Warchanter Explorer
  Agile Warrior, 1 Renown, The Gristle Grinder (+3 Damage on Hits and Crits)
• Kaptain Battendown - Ardboy with a cloak and a squig-parrot
  2 Renown, Blind in one eye! (-1 Attacks!)
• Sinka - Brute with red bandana
  Concussion (-1 Ability Value)
  Itxi Grub (Consumable, bonus action. Heal D3 damage)
• Hook - Brute with a hook hand
  1 Renown
• Flotsum - Brute with blue bandana
  Carnosaur Elixir (Consumable, 1 activation, Crits on 5+)
• Mr Flea - Ardboy Drummer
• dakmeff - Ardboy with a barrel on his back
• Barnacle Nog - Ardboy with a bag of bones
  2 Renown
• Mainstay - Ardboy with red shoulder-plate and bandana

In the after-game sequence Battendown was Blinded in One Eye and Sinka lost a point of Renown; both from from injuries. The other casualties all recovered with no ill effects. Hook recovered from the Gut Wound he received in the last game but Sinka was still Concussed. Krashhart and Barnacle Nog both gained a point of Renown each. Flotsam was sent forth to explore the forest and found an Itxi Grub.

Quest Progress: Completed!
Barnacle Nog was also sent forth, to continue the search for the Treasures of Gorkamorka, and I rolled just high enough to complete the quest - Krashhart will now wield The Gristle Grinder, a fearsome weapon!

New Quest: Secure a Powerful Ally

Now I have a new Weirdnob Shaman I want to add him to the crew!