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Flashing Steel Scenario

The Village of Muchputup-on-the-Wold

A pleasant rural village in the Gloucestershire countryside has been raided by a rough group of Parliamentarian soldiers, mainly Dragoons out on patrol. Tasked with gathering supplies they have settled in the tavern and appropriated the villager’s resources in exchange for promissory notes. These are obviously considered worthless by the poor villagers who have been soundly beaten into submission should they voice any objection.

Worse still the Dragoons have with them the fiery Protestant preacher Bernard Bostlethwaite who senses the taint of Popery about the Church (far too high Anglican for his tastes) and is threatening the locals with hellfire and damnation in the village square.   He has even placed the poor vicar in the stocks!

Sojourning in the Tavern is the famous Parliamentarian Grandee the Earl of Stilton with his Red Guards. The former is rightly respected as a fearsome soldier but the latter appear to have a reputation for poltroonery and wearing clean uniforms whilst defending the baggage train.

The local physician is setting some broken bones whilst the Dragoons sample the Tavern’s wares at the Inn and Stilton beats them at cards.   Meanwhile some brave lads have alerted the King’s soldiers to come to their aid. Seeing an opportunity to strike at the Parliamentarians and perhaps earn some much needed supplies in return Captain Reynolds has graciously agreed to intervene. On the way he happens upon a stroke of luck! No less than the King’s own three most loyal Cavaliers from his very ownLifeguard are out “on patrol” and agree to assist in his endeavours. Somehow the mere mention of an Inn-keeper being distressed by the dastardly Parliamentarian Dragoons being enough to convince Sir Richard to join forces (and Sir Adam has unfinished business with Stilton).

The Forces

Parliamentarians

Dragoons (Highwaymen) and the Earl of Stilton (Guards)

Royalists

The Royalist Soldiers (Military) and the Cavaliers

Aims

First Scenario

The Dragoons wish to hold the village. The Royalists wish to capture it. Stilton will stop at nothing to see Sir Adam dead and the feeling is mutual. Sir Richard is very thirsty.

The Physician will move and heal injured combatants within a short move.

Second Scenario (time permitting)

A group of Dragoons have managed to get away with a second cartload of supplies that was hidden in a barn. Worse still they have taken the farmer’s daughter hostage!

Can the Dragoons get the slow moving cart off the road edge before the Royalists can stop them?

Songs of Blades and Heroes using the Dungeon supplement with a The Hobbit flavour.  Thorin and his Company (Darryl) against Bolg’s Hunters (Mike) with GM Phil running the Denizens.

The scenario was set in a lost Dwarven Hold high in a mountain range.  Once a proud dwarven citadel now lair to foul creatures and near forgotten. Thorin and his company enter through the Northern Portculis Gate set on looting the treasure and securing in particular an heirloom in a certain treasure chest deep within the citadel. Meanwhile Bolg and his Hunter Orcs have been sent to thwart their plans, climbing through the windows in kitchens to the South; a climb long thought impossible. Bolg and his Orcs with the aid of dark magic are ready to kill Thorin and stop the dwarves succeeding in their quest.

Bolg’s Hunters to the South

Thorin’s Company to the North.

To the South Bolg sends his archers to the western corridor only to find it held by undead skeleton guards (once humans in service of the dwarf lord now turned to darker purposes by the evil within the citadel). Realising their arrows are useless against such foes Bolg sends in the Shaman to use magic and shatter their bones.

Skeleton Guards defend the corridor

To the Northwest the dwarves take a leisurely approach and smoke their pipes whilst Kili their thief picks the locks on the strong dwarven door.

The Orc Shaman is dumbfounded by the skeleton guards who resist his magic and shatter his staff (3 fails). They advance towards the hapless magic user. The Dwarves open the door to find a Cave Troll blocking the narrow passage. Oin casts chains of iron about the Troll (transfix). Who is held in place whilst the dwarves gather for the kill.

Things do not go so well for the Orcs who repeatedly fail their activations whilst the skeletons attack the shaman and the Fimbul the Savage Orc Warrior for several turns.

The dwarves having made short work of the Troll burst into the feasting hall and slay two hapless Dunlending warriors in short order. They then send Kili over the debris strewn narrow corridor and barricades to investigate the main treasure room, discoloured by a strange red coppery-iron ore. Meanwhile Bolg has taken charge personally and is advancing towards the skeletons who are still holding off his slow witted orcs.

Kili advances slowly towards the red door only to find it eerily open itself in a gust of wind to reveal a Copper Dragon standing wide awake on a vast horde within. Of course Kili is well hidden but the clumsy Bofur clambering over the debris is easily targeted by his fiery breath attack.

It’s a Dragon and it’s awake!

Meanwhile Bolg is fighting skeletons…

Bolg decides to deal with the skeletons himself…

Kili sneaks into the room and secures the treasure chest bearing the sigil of Thorin’s family. The other dwarves rush the Dragon led by Dwalin the Dragon Slayer who is quickly knocked over and at a disadvantage against he firsome foe! Fortunately Thorin and his comrades drive the dragon back to the rear of the chamber (free disengage with flying). Kili now spots a secret door at the rear of the chamber providing an alternative exit point. This is especially useful as Bolg and the Orcs have now finally dispatched the skeletons and entered the feasting hall.

The Dragon proves difficult to kill because whenever he is surrounded he uses free disengage to fly across the chamber and the dwarves short legs make the distances too difficult to move and attack (this actually spoils the game a bit to be fair ruining the momentum and wasting time). Bofur opens the secret door with his usual clumsiness and alerts the sentry Troll in the Guard Chamber who proceeds to stab wildly through the narrow gap with his spear thus blocking the escape route. Kili sighs.

Bolg and his Orcs begin clambering over the debris towards the Dwarves and the Dragon, but are in no great haste to “help” in the fight. Oin rushes into the chamber and soon has the Dragon in chains (Transfix) when it can finally be killed by Dwalin once surrounded, trapped and wounded.

Bolg rushes into the chamber but is in turn transfixed by the cunning curses of Oin. At this point victory is awarded to the Dwarves who have amassed 16 victory points against the Orc’s 3. Well done Darryl.