Mission 3 ~ Last Stand

Having collected themselves, tended their wounds, taken some rest and food from their dwindling supplies, the rangers once more set out. Under lowering skies amidst gloom and poisonous, clinging vapors they make their way out of the swampland and onto dryer footing. After a day of hard travel, ahead of them sits a ruined farm house. Movement can be seen within. Telling the others to wait and watch, Hwyll creeps forward to spy out the situation and to determine who they have come across.

Inside people move, and Hwyll hears voices speaking the Lorenthian tongue. Calling softly, and speaking to the leader of the occupants, Sir Covith, both parties see that the other could prove to be potential allies for the future. As the rangers approach the buildings, a lookout calls a warning, A group of orcs can be seen in the distance but, more importantly, a group of undead have emerged close to the farm itself...

Mission 3 ~ Descent into Darkness

Scenario 3 ~ The Last Stand

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Hwyll is now Level 5 which isn't a huge difference as it gives increases to Skills (not to be confused with Abilities such as fighting, shooting etc). His companions are the same with the only difference being that Gawne the archer, is infected and has a -3HP dedution and a -1 penalty to all rolls.

There are 7 survivors in the houses: 1 Man at Arms, two Archers and 4 Civilians. I rolled and passed a TN 12 Leadership Roll (Hwyll has Leadership +10 (due to an Amulet of Leadership) so the Man at Arms was promoted to a Knight. Another TN6 (that's Target Number 6), Traps Roll would give me a free +3 Shooting attack during the game. Vlaka the rogue has +5 Traps, so he could only fail on a roll of a natural 1. So he rolled a 1. No free shot.

Because the buildings I'm using are multi-level as opposed to the buildings described in the scenario, I decided to add two rules: TN8 Climb to climb the outside walls and 1 movement action to ascend or descend one level when inside the buildings.

Three initial cards are drawn and a troop of Gnolls (I'll be using orcs), Zombies (I'll be using skeletons for a change) and a Giant Spider, are randomly placed.

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As Hwyll and his companions parlay with the Lorenthian knight, Sir Covith when a shout goes up from one of the look-out's: Undead are approaching from the rear!

The rear of the main building has been destroyed. A simple barricade

has been erected which can be destroyed with a TN Roll of 8.

They Lorenthian's have all entry points covered.

As the undead approach the barricades, the rangers, move into the buildings. Hwyll spies a troop of orcs approaching so he, Mouni, Gawne & one of the archers each let loose an arrow before retreating to the safety of the buildings. Hwyll wounds one orc but the other arrows have no effect.

As the undead approach the barricades the civilian guard is attacked by a giant arachnid which he kills with a well placed blow from a length of timber. The heroes are inside awaiting the attack except for Vlaka who has gone to retrieve an object that he spied amongst some bushes... (A treasure token).

A call from one of the archer guards' alerts Sir Covith to the adventurous rogues' danger. So the brave knight moves forward to confront the orcs face to face in open combat.

Hwyll draws his sword and takes the time to cast an elfish rune running his hand along the blade which begins to glow with a magical gleam (He cast Enchanted Steel +1 magic weapon for the scenario). He commands the civilian guard and they both man the barricades. 

The undead attack. The civilian, emboldened by his encounter with the giant spider, is no match for the dead wariors and a long corroded bronze blade strikes out, catching him in the throat. As one of the dead warriors pulls down the makeshift barricade Hwyll stikes the creature but is not able to slow it's attack. (He won the combat but didn't cause any damage.)

Meanwhile, Sir Covith is beset by enemies. He strikes one dead with a swift blow but is quickly overwhelmed by the foe. An axe blow gets past his shield and he is struck a severe blow that almost drives him to the ground. (The knight was down to 1HP. The orcs won big and inflicted heavy damage.)

Meanwhile, Vlaka finally sees his folly as a troll emerges from behind a rock and stomps forward towards the house, swinging it's club and smiting the ground with great, crashing thuds.

Seeing Sir Covith sorely pressed, Malaka and Mouni race out to his aid. Mouni make it to the knight's side but Malaka is stopped by an orc and is scratched by it's thrusting spear point. 

Knowing that he is no match for the troll, Vlaka tries to help against the orcs. He see the knight strike a severe blow against one of his opponents and tries to get his sneaky dagger past the orc's guard but fails to do so.

At the barricades Hwyll is surrounded by three dead warriors. All he can do is stand firm and make his blows count. But as he prepares to sell himself dearly a flash of cleansing light emanates from behind. One of the undead turns to dust before his eyes and another is partly obliterated. (Osimund cast Burning Light - Killing one and wounding another.) It was then that the earth shook in a short but massive quake. (Each figure had to make a TN16 roll or fall to the gound and miss their activation in the following turn.) 

As the earth shook, Hwyll focused his mind and weathered the storm and stayed on his feet. (He used his Focus Heroic ability to gain +8 to his TN roll.) As the undead fell to the ground, Hwyll leapt the barricade and slew the creature at his feet, as two civilian women leapt on the other with rocks in their hands and smashing it into broken bones and dust. 

Hearing the cries of, "Troll! Troll!" by the guard, Hwyll races as fast as he can to face the giant. (He used his Dash, Heroic Ability to get there). The troll had fallen during the quake and was now back on its feet. Bellowing it's hatred, lumbered toward the Autumn Elf.

Mouni and the Lorentian Knight were betting the best of their opponents. Sir Covith slew one with a mighty chop that took the orc's head from its neck. Mouni's opponent was bested but it's shield was enough to keep her staff from striking the killing blow.

Both Malaka and his foe were knocked down by the earthquake and as they both tried to get to their feet the orc thrust it's spear as the guard captain struck with his sword. The spear caught the captain on the helm knocking him senseless as his sword thrush between his opponent's rib bones.

The troll charged with it's last few steps, swinging it's heavy stone club and bellowing a challenge. The elfin ranger managed to sidestep the blow but he realized that he was going to have a hard fight if he was going to best this ferocious foe.

At the back of the farm a smaller but no less desperate a fight was happening as the civilian guard, was attacked by a giant fly. He was holding his own for the moment but could he ground the flying menace? 

Getting the wounded Sir Covith back to the relative safety of the farm house, Mouni stops to catch her breath for a moment.

The battle with the troll continues. Hwyll ducks blow after powerful blow unable to get his blade through the creatures tough scales. As he ducks a vicious claw the stony club comes crashing towards his head. (15HP damage!) But no... In the very nick of time he manages to get his blade up to turn the blow aside where it thuds into the dirt.  (He used the one single Blocking effect of his sword. The sword was now just a normal hand weapon. Blocking means that he still lost the fight but took no damage.)

Meanwhile at the rear of the farm, the civilian guard, clearly happy that he's still alive, kills the giant fly and brings it to the ground for the fatal blow. In the other part of the house a swarm of insects descends biting and blinding those within. As soon as they come they are off again to torment some other poor souls. (Event Card - Insect Swarm - Osimind and Vlaka failed a TN roll and took damage.)

Urged on by the lookout, Mouni charges in to battle the troll alongside the hard pressed elf. Together they try to out maneuver the beast from the bog.

Emerging from a fold in the ground, a troop of orcs lead by a big chieftain approached the rear of the farmhouse. Crying out orders the chieftain send two of his soldiers to the back door as he and another approach the broken barricades.

The epic battle with the troll continues. A claw catches Mouni opening up a minor wound and Hwyll is also caught a minor blow by the creatures club. Once again sneaking in form the side, as if from nowhere, Vlaka strikes a blow with his dagger, which is turned by the the creatures thick hide and scales. Distracted, Hwyll finally manages to get past the monster's guard and drawing forth a cry of pain and rage.

With few troops to guard the rear, the orcs close in. From his perch on the broken building, Osimund prepared a spell and a ball of fire shoots forth from his staff. The orc chieftain caught the brunt of the fireball and was badly burned. An arrow from Gawne, who was still chewing on some Farlight Leaves, burned up before it could harm the big orc. (The leaves give him +1 Shoot, so they off set the -1 for being infected.)

Osimund, calling forth one of the Lorentian archers directed him to shoot the orc chieftain. He did and his shaft was true, taking the orc in the heart and dropping the brute to the floor.

The troll was getting desperate with the three companions darting in and out of it's clutches. Wildly swinging it's massive club the beast was getting more and more bewildered. As the monster made another mighty swing, Mouni's staff strick it right between the eyes and sent a bolt of Elemental Force into the thick skull-bone. The beast stopped dead. It's eyes rolled into its head and it toppled forward like a falling tree, into the trampled dirt. (Mouni used the last charge of her Elemental Strike staff. Now it's just a normal staff.)

Once again the backdoor to the farmhouse is threatened, this time by a more determined foe. The civilian guard is no match for the orcs and he is slain where he stands and the orcs force their way into the back passage!

The other orc breaks into the building and immediately charges one of the women. She fights well and manages to wound the creature. Can she hold her own until help can arrive?

Unaware of the danger lurking behind, Osimund looks on helplessly. At the last moment, hearing the click of many feet on the boards behind him, the mage turns just as the giant arachnid strikes. Surprising himself, Osimund makes a single trust of his staff that strikes the creeping monster amidships and killing it with a satisfying authority!

Below, Sir Covith comes to the aid of the civilian woman smiting the orc with a single blow, splitting it from head to belly (20! Critical Hit). Gawne sees something amidst the rubble. "Is that a quiver of arrows?" No... It's just a an old wicker broom." (TN6 Peception Roll - He has +3 Perception. He only needs a 3. But he gets -1 for being infected. He rolled... 3... -1... a 2 for a total of 5. He would have gained a quiver of +3 arrows!!!)

With the troll dead Hwyll  re-entered the house. Seeing the wounds to Sir Covith he cast his healing rune restoring health to both himself and the Lorenthean Knight. (He used his new Split Cast Heroic Abilty to cast two heal spells.) But no sooner has he cast the spell than the back door burst asunder and a pair of orcs charged into the room.

Hwyll held his ground against the charge wounding one of his enemies. Turning and coming to the elf's aid, Sir Covith feeling revitalized swung another mighty blow and another orc head sprang from it's place and landed on the flagstones (20! Another Critical Hit!)

The Final Onslaught

As the last orc fell, a signal from Gawne brought the exhausted ranger to a hole in the wall. Looking outside, Hwyll saw a troop of undead moving forward from the gloom. It was getting darker... The light was fading fast. Arrows flew as the elf, Mouni and Gawn let fly. The long dead soldiers of ages past felt advanced. One fell to the arrows whilst another lost a bony arm and shield.

Several cries broke out at once. Another party of orcs came at the barricades. More flies came from the north and another troop of orcs could be heard behind the zombies (they must be pushing them forward.)

Arrows flew from all directions and Gawne felled another of the undead.  But this time some of the arrows were orcish barbs. They'd brought their own bows to bear. One of the Lorenthean archers fell with a black fletched arrow in his chest and one of the women was wounded in the leg.

Again the orcs tried to force the back passage and two of their kind entered the unguarded portal. The chieftain and one of his troops moved to the broken barricades. As they approached Osimund spake a magic word and a bolt of magic burst forth towards the orc chieftain. But the orc caught  the bolt on his iron blade and it defeated the magical blast (Osi, cast a fizzer of a Magic Bolt Spell - He rolled a 2 and the Chieftain rolled a 20.)

Leaving the zombies and giant flies to Mouni and Gwane, Hwyll stepped back inside and prepared himself for a mighty effort. Ignoring the arrows falling around him, the orc chieftain, seeing the knight of Lorenthia called him out to single combat. Sir Covith came forth.

Charging through the backdoor with an ancient war cry on his lips the elf struck the orcs with total surprise. The first fell to his enchanted steel before it could even raise it's blade and fell to the flags like a rag doll. (20! Critical Hit) Little did Hwyll know that yet another troop of orcs had stepped from the gloom following behind the undead.

Sir Covith and the Chieftain fought hard, each without mercy knowing that there was no quarter to be expected. The big orc was getting the better of the wounded and exhausted knight, but still the Lorenthian fought on.

Attacking the undead warrior, Mouni strikes a damaging blow and steps back toward the safety of the building should she need to retreat.

 As the newly arrived enemy close in Hwyll strikes a killing blow at his second foe, leaving his way clear to come to come to the trackers' aid.

Seeing the brave Sir Covith under pressure one of the women defenders tries to come to his aid but the orc chief stirikes her down with a single slash of his cruel, crooked sword. 

With the danger getting closer, Gawne puts a shaft through one of the giant flies knocking it out of the air. Vlaka moves to Mouni's side to give what help he can.

Watching as her sister was killed the last civilian, although wounded in the leg, staggers into the fight but her attack is brushed aside and the tough orc chief and the knight continue to trade blows.

Abruptly, a darkness now descends seemingly with a will of its own. A cloying cloud of black ash fills the air, darkening an already dark twilight. It stings the eyes and fills the lungs making each breath difficult and lethal... (Event Card - Ash Storm)

Thinking that he is charging into the flank of an unsuspecting enemy, Hwyll falters when that enemy turns and delivers and terrible wound from it's spiked mace. Mouni continues to fight and strikes down the last undead warrior. (Hwyll took 15pts damage. Lucky he healed the previous wounds when he healed Covith.)

Gawne is attacked by the last remaining giant fly and is no match against it in his weakened state. He falls to the ground and the horrid thing prepares to feed on him...

Hwyll is wounded and now in a fight for his life as a pair of orcs attack simultaneously. The first orc attacks but Hwyll wins the fight, he does no damage but elects to push it back giving the next attacker less advantage. This almost doesn't work as the orc wins and will inflict enough damage to kill the elf. But he uses his Parry Heroic Ability to win the fight. He does no damage but he pushes back this one too.

 There is a brief stand off. The two heroes have the advantage now but who will win the day?

Behind the fight, Vlaka has seen Gawne fall to the deck with the giant fly hovering over him. With a leap and a yell he strikes and his dagger hits home spilling fly guts all over the dank grass.

The orc chieftain and Sir Covith are almost spent. The orc, though uninjured is tired and the knight is beyond exhausted. The black ash fills their every breath. The orc makes a final lunge and catches the knight a heavy blow to the helm but brave Sir Covith's own blade pierces the orc chieftains black heart. and they both fall to the gound in an embrace of death.

The orc rolled 20 (+3) for 23

Covith rolled 17 (+4, +2 for the civilian ally for a total of +6) for 23.

A Draw. Covith had 7HP so he died. The Orc had 12HP so: 23 - 11 for armour was 12 Damage.

Both dead.

A mournful horn sounded in the near darkness. The orcs facing Hwyll and Mouni backed away into gloom and with their fellow soldiers left the field. With their great chief dead, the orcs decided that living another day was better than risking death. 

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That was the end of turn 12. They only just survived & did better than I expected. Malaka was a casualty again  and so was Gawne. It was another nail biter of a game and I really had to do some tactical thinking as the heroes against the very simple game AI mechanics. Hwyll was down to 3HP, Mouni was down to 5. Osimind and Vlaka were also at about half their starting HP mainly due to game effects such as the earthquake and the ash cloud.

There was one thing that I was disappointed in and that was that I didn't draw the Burrow Worm card which would have seen a giant worm erupt into one of the building through the floor. After the game I looked at the card deck and the card had sitting on the bottom of the pile for the whole game. I really would have liked the worm to appear and cause havoc. I had one of my purple worms on stand-by and ready to burst out and everything.

That said, the big fight against the troll and the climactic final dice roll that saw Sir Covith and the orc chief kill each other was pretty good ending. Speaking of the orcs; it was great that they kept coming from the rear. It was totally the random dice rolling that came up with those placements. It made it seem as if there was some tactical orcish trickery at play. And... Yes. I was going to name him Sir Covid but I decided on a minor change.

Aftermath

Malaka rolled and made a full recovery. He must have been feeling the ill effects of the previous scenario but kept his condition to himself. How else could this mighty warrior fall so easily?

Gawne is badly injured and Diseased form the giant fly attack. He will be at -8HP for the next game (He's getting slowly less able, game by game...).

The treasures collected were: a Light Sword (Light meaning that it's not heavy and takes up no item slot) and a Spell Ring with the sell Fireball. Osimund has this one and Malaka has the sword.

Will there be a 4th scenario?

Yes. Even thought the mission ends with this scenario, I think Hwyll and and his companions need to make their way home again. So at this stage, I'm planning to replay a version of the Guarded Bridge scenario again with some teaks. Gawne will be there as a casualty taking no part in the fighting and getting him back safely will be part of the scenario.

And they'll be taking along new companions... Hwyll has the recruitment points (due to high his Leadership Skill and an Amulet of Leadership), so for 10pts, the young woman civilian who survived is now: Recruit Carryl. She has proved that she can fight and survive and she wants revenge upon the servants of the Shadow Deep for the death of her sister.

The Lorenthian Archer will also be coming long to take Gawne's place. His name is Barse and he will have a crossbow.