Click on the pictures for a larger version.
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Binky and his party arrive at the village. It is
surrounded by flocks and herds kept close in. The grass has almost
been grazed away. A sure sign that the villagers are worried that they
will lose their wealth. |
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In the distance, the forbidding landscape gives even Binky
second thoughts, "Lots of places for ambushes there" he thinks to himself.
The animals are mainly HLBS creatures and some
plastic toys. The arable fields are carpet tiles and the ploughed
fields and ponds are painted card. The stones are, well, stones. |
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Early in the morning Binky leads the way. Overnight
another woman was taken by the Demons. All that was left are a few
lion paw prints inside the village. None at all outside where the
herds passed. He expects to make a kill by driving the Demon Lions
out. He also has a reserve plan - a reconnaissance to find likely
places, then hide from the noon heat, select a position near water and then
make the kill at dusk when most predators come down to drink. It is
hot already. |
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Attraccted by a flock of Irregullah Vultures they close in
on a likely spot. Binky divides the party up into two and they
approach the remains of a kill. It is a Wildebeest and not the
The skeleton is from the Copplestone fossil hunter
set and the vultures from Irregular - hence the name. |
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They stir up a Morvaloon Viper and Henry Jones blows its
head off with his pistol. A good job he did for the bite of the
Morvaloon Viper is the deadliest of all snakes. Gradually it dawns on
the Binky that as the hunting party is too large the lions hear them far off
and disappear. He deftly switches to plan B at the urging of Adrian.
The parties divide and search for good shooting positions near the water
holes. |
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As the day wears on Binky approaches the water hole.
At the same time a family of chimpanzees and a herd of Wildebeest arrive.
The chimps are inquisitive but not aggressive and the wildebeest just ignore
the humans. The wildebeest are HLBS and the chimps
Eureka. The trees are Games Workshop. All the figures are
Foundry except "Lucille" who is from Shadowforge. |
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The heat of the day begins to fade as Adrian's party
surprise a rhino with a calf. They drive both off with some heavy
gunfire.
The rhinos are plastic toys. |
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Meanwhile, back at Binky's water hole the party are enjoying
the shade of the trees and relaxing when a pair of Wahammah Boars charge out
from the undergrowth. they narrowly miss Hassan and Lucille and
thunder off into the distance. Neither had even the opportunity to
fire. Binky has the goat tethered as bait and settles down to
wait. |
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Not far away Adrian finds an excellent spot even if it is
somewhat exposed. He settles down to cover the water hole after
posting the party out as guards and vedettes. |
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Binky and his party after the scare of the Wahammah Boars
all take up positions in the trees. Here it is hotter than on the
ground. Innumerable insects launch assault after assault on them as
monkey gibber and scream until they get bored and depart. A pair of
lions appear and are swiftly dealt with. It looks like the job is
done. |
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At his waterhole Adrian kills a marauding lioness. He
is disturbed a bit by something at the back of his mind. When he
inspects the dead lioness he sees that it is quite normal except that it is
smaller than might be expected. Certainly not capable of dragging off
humans without a serious amount of effort and noise. |
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On the way back Adrian raises his doubts, the tribal
warriors though grateful for the killing of the three lions have to agree.
None seem capable of the killings and abductions. "There is more to
this than meets the eye!" say Binky and Adrian together. And with
Ma'Iti they form a plan. |
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At the village they show their trophies and are feted by the
chief and the villagers. When they are told that there are doubts as
to whether the lions were the real culprits Binky a huge argument ensues
between the Chief's wives and the witchdoctor. |
Adrian and Binky exchange winks. There is
an obvious plot here. The witchdoctor, Veribah Zumell, accuses Skinni
Viggah, the Chief's youngest wife of undermining him and calling down the
demons. She counters with an equally abusive and quite unladylike
tirade that boils down to the fact that the witchdoctor's charms cannot
protect the herds or the people. While, if she was given the chance
she could. The whole tribe falls silent at this. The chief's
wife claiming to be a sorcerer? Then the whole place erupts in noise.
Binky and Adrian call out but are simply not heard. Henry Jones fires
a shot in the air.
In the silence Binky proposes that a trial is held. As soon as he
says this the crowd chants, "Crocodiles, crocodiles, crocodiles."
Binky asks the Chief what this means. He replies that the test of
honesty is to swim across the crocodile pool naked and unarmed. The
truthful one will pass unscathed and the false-sayer will be eaten.
Not happy with this Binky is about to argue when Adrian lays his hand on
his sleeve and nods towards Skinni Viggah. She is trying to escape.
"Stop her!" calls Binky. And several hands hold her fast. She
is dragged before the chief who orders the test. The witchdoctor,
Skinni Viggah are escorted to the crocodile pool, all the way there a match
of spell and counter spell takes place place to no effect. They are
obviously well matched in magic! The witchdoctor makes his incantation
as he strips. But Skinni Viggah continues to taunt him, refusing to go
to the edge of the pool. The Chief orders her stripped and the guards
to throw her in if necessary. At this she breaks down and confesses
all.
She had set up the whole complex plan to discredit the witchdoctor, take
his place and then seize power. She comes from a neighbouring tribe
and her father has a death-grudge against the Chief. The "victims" are
all members of her female only cult and their children. The hiding
places are revealed as the Caves of the Old Ones and warriors despatched to
bring them in.
The Chief orders her death in front of the assembled tribe. |