Turns 5 and 6 - Days 20 to 23 - Tidjit

The company was in bad shape, it was impossible for Godric and Krik alone to continue to explore this place.  To make matters worse, when they crept downstairs, they found that Radovan was shaking with fever.  One look at his wounds made it obvious that they had become infected, and Parthoghimeos was out for the count.

However Krik did it, Godric did not want to know.   He hawked up for long minutes, worrying the little fish-man to death, and brought up some thick, bile-like substance which he used as a cataplasm for Radovan's wounds.  Within a couple of hours, the weasel was still running a fever, but it no longer seemed life threatening.

Godric marvelled at the ingeniosity and the tirelessness of the Insect-Folk, as Krik unspokenly read his intentions, and went outside to scout a path away from this doom-laden temple.

The company limped back to Tidjit.  The village was licking its wounds from the enemy raid two days ago, but there was some good news - a small caravan had made it up the Vale to the town.  Well, it seemed good news, until Godric learned why.  The Jungle Deep, it seemed, was laying siege to Tidjit, and had cut the trade routes with the south.  The merchant had been obliged to flee for his life, leaving half his goods on the road behind him.

 

That evening, Godric took a long, hard, look at his company.  Rest at Tidjit had done Ash a lot of good.  Kehar was back on his feet, but more unsteady than he should have been.  Krik was unreadable, as always.  Both Parthoghimeos and Radovan would live, but they all had tales to tell and were not telling them.  The temple had not defeated them, but it had shaken them all up; too many close calls.

In that temple, they had found some coins of ancient manufacture, bearing strange symbols that looked like stylised animals, but of unusual proportions. Godric showed them to Tidjit's shaman, who got very excited, jabbering something at the village headman, who looked dubious.  

 

Out came two gold marks anyway, and Godric accepted them without argument.  For he had come to a decision.  They had been very frugal out in the wilds east of Tidjit, so Godric dipped into his purse, and bought a Delver's Kit off the merchant, chock full of useful stuff.  He had the village blacksmith fix up his shield, and hang the spider fang from it on a chain.

He put everybody to work, helping the villagers repair the damage that had been done during the raid.  Krik's six arms made him worth his weight in gold.  He discreetly made sure that his company were well fed, and coaxed the merchant into bringing out a couple of bottles of Tollonian wine.

It was on the evening of the second day that Ash came up to him, shyly.  "Thanks, boss.  We all appreciate it.  Those of us who can stand...well, we are ready now".

Godric smiled back.  "We need one more thing.  We need to teach the enemy a lesson.  That is exactly what we shall do come dawn".

The Tidjits knew their land well, and made excellent scouts, quickly noticing anything that was out of order.  Godric had been working with them.  Enemy incursions had been identified, and had been carefully channeled, coming to just the right place with just the right amount of misplaced confidence.

With the first rays of the sun coming over the mountains at their back, Godric, Kehar, Krik and Ash left the cover of the barn.  The enemy patrol, made up of Hu-Mans, had just looted the shepherd's home.  Godric had made sure neither he nor his family were there, of course, but had asked him to leave his flock.  The enemy soldiers were herding it away when the company suddenly struck.  This would be a battle to the death, revenge for Tidjit.

 

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Scenario Parameters :

This is a Ride Patrol, with Signs of Danger, leading to a Meeting Engagement against The Ruins Within.

The enemy are Well Armed Brigands.  Unknown Enemy is in play, so there is only 1 with a Self-Bow, and a Captain, as well as 1 Unknown Enemy marker.  [Use primitive Hu-Mans, with the Captain being a Hu-Man from a more advanced culture].

The theme for the terrain is Settlement Outskirts.

The Objective is to Eliminate the Enemy (p. 132).

Terrain is set up as per the generic rules (p.128-129), and for set-up see p.134.

Under Siege (p.219) is in effect, so should a Unique Foe appear during the battle, and is not slain, a roll must be made on the Enemy Plans Table (p.207).

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