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."

"The early bird does catch 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. [Use ragtag Elain for the Petty Robbers, no doubt rounded up during a raid and pressed into duty; the Ruthless Killer is a Hu-Man terrorising them into service].

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)). 

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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