Turn 14 - Day 80 - Tidjit

The Temple of Sisyn has been liberated.  Worship of the god, which has been in voluntary or involuntary abettance for quite some years, can now resume.  The High Priestess - daughter of Tidjit's Alderman, but now under the influence of the village's shaman - and that the company had been dispatched to Okerdik to bring back home - can now lead members of a suddenly reappearing cult, to the temple to purify it.

The company continues to be unsure whether the return of this Death God cult is a good thing.  No doubt it will strengthen resistance against the Jungle Deep, but at what cost to the people of these lands ?

What will the quest that Sisyn has set for Drake's Seven, and which they can hardly refuse without losing Tidjit's friendship, allow the Death God to accomplish ?  Will Godric's keeping back of the strange object he found in the Temple, and which surely belonged to a long-dead High Priestess, make any difference to those plans ?

Is it a coincidence that Kehar, the forest shaman who had, far more than any of them, built some link with Sisyn, has fallen in his Temple, and been clearly welcomed into the divinity's arms ?

What is the link between Sisyn, and the mysterious and haunted Taran burial ground located in The Shroud, on some ancient battle site where their chariot-warriors seem to have died in great numbers ?  The company had first crossed paths with Sisyn's white stag shortly after fleeing the baleful site, and the statuettes they had recovered there generated a lot of excitement in Tidjit.  The shaman had called them zilniri, and bought them to prevent Sisyn "leaving his dreams".

Godric and Partheghimeos hope that the scholar from the Cascades, who has just ridden into Tidjit with a small company of Rangers, might be able to consult his colleagues and shed some light on what the Death God and his worshippers have planned.

In the meantime, the agents of the Jungle Deep must be stopped, and the enemy of one's enemy...

 

"Just how much worse can it get ?" shouted Radovan above the howling, bitterly cold wind.  "I've gotten so much air I think I'm actually sober".

The weather was bad, but at least it was keeping the enemies heads down.  It made Tidjit pretty glum, though; market day, usually a much-awaited event which bought the shepherds together in a lively melee in the village centre, was a total wash out.  The enemy raids were still keeping the merchants away, and Godric felt that the townsfolk who bought their goods were doing it more out a desire to please than out of need.  Oh well, at least currency was no longer a problem.  Food costs had however gone through the roof, so Godric thought it better to live off rations, which was making everybody grumpy.  Ruairidh in particular had gotten the idea that he was some great hero, whose talents were wasted sitting indoors eating dry tack.  Even Partho was jittery, unable to concentrate on his studies.

"I've been speaking to the alderman", Ruairidh announced as the wind continued to howl outside.  Given the noise it was making, Godric feared wondered what the bristly hedgehog might actually have heard of the words spoken to him.  "The shaman wants to send us to Mankhandun, to ask the monks for a copy of some of Sisyn's sacred texts, and bring them back here.  The ones the priestess has are incomplete, he says".

"Might be better it stays that way", murmured Parthoghimeos, but Ruairidh ignored him and spouted on about what an honour such a mission was.

"Sisyn might be a Death God", said Radovan, "but I assume he is better off if at least some of his worshippers are still alive ?".  He ironically showed the hedgehog the bottom of his empty beer jug.

"Yes", agreed Godric.  "This wind won't last forever (he hoped), and then the enemy will be be at us again.  Our priority is to clear them away from Sisyn."

"As an early bird we would have more chance of catching the worm", rumbled Mina in her cavernous voice.

"The alderman still has our fur garments", added Radovan.  "Let's put them on and take the fight to the enemy".

Godric raised a surprised brow.  Radovan waved his empty beer jug at his captain.  "Literally nothing is getting through, and I can actually die if I stay sober too long", he commented dryly.

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Scenario Parameters :

This is a Ride Patrol, leading to a Meeting Encounter against The Ruin Within.

The enemy are an Outlaw Gang (p.154).  Unknown Enemy is in play, so there are only 3 enemies, of whom 2 with Slings, as well as 1 Unknown Enemy marker.  They are led by a Lieutenant. [These will be Hu-Man outlaws].

Godric's band have begun winding their way up a narrow path to a rocky hilltop, from which the surrounding countryside is visible for leagues on all sides (the objective is to Scout the Area (p.132)). 

One of the objectives, rather than being randomnly placed, should be atop the highest point, roughly in the centre in the battle zone.  The rock surface is sheer; anyone attempting to climb it must first Interact to pass a 9+ [Travelling] or a 9+ [Pathwise] test, after which they can use Vertical Movement as per the normal rules.

Along the Path, they virtually stumble across the outlaws, who have chosen the place to shelter from the wind. The enemy are too busy huddling around their campfire to attempt to Outflank.

The howling wind is a Story Point. At the start of the battle, and during each Tracking Phase, roll 1d4 to see towards which random table edge the wind is blowing.  Any character moving closer to that table edge gains +1"/+2"; any character moving away from it gains -1"/-2".  Any character shooting at a target closer to that table edge gains +4" range; any character shooting at a target farther away from that table edge loses -2" range.   If in these difficult conditions the heroes Achieve their Objective or Hold the Field, immediately gain 1 Story Point.

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

After setting up, the heroes can attempt to Seize the Initiative (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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Having located the enemy sentries, shuffling uncomfortably in the howling wind and thus giving away their position, Drake's Seven were able to seize the initiative.  Notching one of his finely crafted arrows, and using his keen sight, Krik sent an arrow straight towards the sentry surveying the path.  It bounced off a rock at the last second, stunning the enemy, hard enough to send him staggering into the open, where Krik's second shot killed him instantly.

The enemy lieutenant yelled at his men to scramble up the rock face and engage the enemy.  Atop the rise, he turned around to find himself alone [the second slinger having fled during the Tracking Phase !].

Just as well, for, troubled by the wind, Mina had only just made it to the bottom of the steep cliff she had been tasked to climb, and Godric and Ruairidh were struggling up the path towards the ruined house.  The biting cold was even troubling Partho's magic, as he was unable to cast Guidance.

Nonetheless, whilst Godric and Ruairidh overcame the enemy spearman that was blocking their way forward, Krik made it up the cliff face in time to deflect the enemy leader's attack away from Mina, and buy her time.  He got in a close range bowshot, which the enemy shrugged off.  A flurry of blows sent the insect-man tumbling over the cliff edge, where he crashed to the ground below.

 

Whilst Ruiaridh went forward to the abandoned shelter, benefitting from favourable winds, Godric now had to turn back to deal with the enemy captain.  As he clambered up on to the rise, he came face to face with the rest of the band, four mean-looking brigands.  

 

The fish-man took the risk of exposing his back to them, as he challenged the enemy leader.  The two were evenly matched, but the sudden rush of the mass of bandits took poor Godric over the cliff edge, breaking at least one bone.

Inspired by Partho's Guidance [and in the end using a Story Point, after having failed no less than 4 Proficiency rolls needing only 7+ to succeed !], Mina managed to scramble her way up to the highest summit of the rocky outcrop.  From there, the surrounding land was indeed visible for leagues in every direction.  She carefully noted everything she saw...now the problem would be getting back down again, surrounded by enemies.

 

Parthoghimeos fortunately solved that problem, with an Escape spell that sent such fierce gusts of winds into the enemy's eyes every time they looked in Mina's direction, that she was to all intents and purposes invisible.

The problem now was for Partho, Ruairidh and Radovan to get away, in the face of five bandits.  

 

Fortunately, as Partho and Radovan had come up the path, they had edged around another rocky outcrop, and found a path down.  All they had to do now was reach it.  Partho, the quicker thinking of the three, and Ruairidh the fastest were able to scramble to safety, and Radovan was not far behind when the wind suddenly betrayed him.  As if propulsed by it, his enemies overcame him and he went down to an axe blow in the back...

The company Achieved the Objective, learning much about enemy presence thanks to the incomparable view from the summit of the rocky outcrop, and documents belonging to the bandit leader found in the ruins of the goat herder's ruined house.  Knowledge precious enough to allow the Tidjit militia to strike a series of blows to chase off the enemy and finally reopen the trade routes.

Drake's Seven did not however Hold the Field.  Nonetheless, it is sufficient to gain a Story Point for affronting the dreadful winds [ndlr : if I were to play again, wind direction would be determined by a d6 roll, with a 5 or 6 meaning it continues to blow in the same direction].

It was well deserved, for the wind had played havoc, coupled with the deadly terrain that punished the slightest mistake.  Both Krik, then Godric, had been badly hurt in their falls, and Radovan had taken a potentially fatal blow as he tried to flee.

As it turns out, Godric had merely been stunned in the fall, and Krik was truly blessed (Sisyn watching over him) and suffered only minor damage to some equipment. Sisyn must also have been watching over Radovan, for he would have died had the axe-blow struck an inch to the left.  A patch of armour avoided him both death and even too serious a wound (1 turn recovery time).

Mina achieved level 3, and acquired +2[Expertise].

Pickings were scarce, just a coil of rope picked up from the enemy leader's meagre stash.