Binky and the Hyena Trail (Part 1)

THE SLAVE MARKET - Umpire

At the Lodge

 

Helen Damnayshin

 

Although usually unarmed she is a passable shot and has been on several hunts with mixed success.  She can call upon d6 native musketeers and d6+2 spear armed warriors.  These are armed mainly with muskets.  It will take her 2 d6+3 turn to rouse them though she can call immediately on the foreman and 3 rifle armed servants from the hunting lodge.

 

The villagers have herds of cattle that they will not leave untended.  There are two boys with each herd.

 

Helen: Vet; Mo 5”, W 3,4, Cr 5, D6, Sw 3; Me -1 Healer

Pistol: 4” 4+, 8” 5+ Str-3;

Lodge Foreman: Vet, Mo 6”, W 3,4 Cr5, D6 Me +1 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 5+, 16” 6+, 24” 7+, 32” 8+ Str -1

Lodge Servant: Av, Mo 6”, W 3,4 Cr5, D6 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 6+, 16” 7+, 24” 8+, 32” 9+ Str -1

Lodge Servant: Av, Mo 6”, W 3,4 Cr5, D6 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 6+, 16” 7+, 24” 8+, 32” 9+ Str -1

Lodge Servant: Av, Mo 6”, W 3,4 Cr5, D6 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 6+, 16” 7+, 24” 8+, 32” 9+ Str -1

 

Typical

Tribal Musketeer: Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr 4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Musket 6” 6+, 12” 7+, 18” 8+, 24” 9+ Str -2

Tribal Spearman: Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr 4, D5 Me 0 Spear IRB +1, Str 0; knife -2 Str-3

Throwing spear 4” 6+, 8” 7+, Str -3;  Shield parry 7+

 

The Slave Market

 

A “secret” slave market is revealed by a Christian native – a convert from the congregation of “Dinger” Bell (father of Clarissa) – as being held in a clearing not far away.  Actually it is on the far side of the river – natives here are never exact in case evil spirits overhear and wait for them.   It will start at Moonrise – about 10pm when there are expected to be about 200 slaves and maybe 4 or 5 bidders.  Will the party attack or attempt to buy?  The male slaves will be about 4 for a Maria Theresa and the young females about 8.   If there are any eunuchs then they will be about 10 Maria Theresas. 

 

By the time the adventurers get there, guided by the native most of the bidding is done except for the prize exhibits.  Two white females.  Only the Arab and the Portuguese bidders are present as they are the only ones with the silver and gold in enough quantity to buy.  The price for the first has already reached 3 Maria Theresas – a high price and she is not the golden haired one!  She will fetch 4 or 5 golden Mohurs!

 

The slaver, under the black, white and green flag of Mustapha Ginnis, is none other than Maqa Buqattu from Zohme el Ohle.  The buyers are an Arab under the red banner of Marzibar, Sheikh Gizan Udah Wann, and the Portuguese is a well known trader Loadzi Bravadho.   Each has a small force of escorts and a string of recently purchased slaves.  The two females we have met before – Binky (& Gerald)  immediately recognises his former paramour the golden haired  Cynthia Wannamaker and the others recognise Lucille Astique. 

 

Maqa Buqattu Vet, Mo6”, W 3,4 Cr 5 D 6; Me +2; Scimitar 0 Str+1

pistol 4” 5+, 8” 6+ Str-1;

Falog Emhard Slave foreman; Vet, Mo6”, W 3,4 Cr 5 D 6; Me +2; Whip -2 Str-4

pistol 4” 6+, 8” 7+ Str-1

Ghimmi Daqash Treasurer; Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr4, D5 Me 0 scimitar -1 Str0

pistol 4” 6+, 8” 7+ Str-1

Blaqan Blu guard Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 6+, 16” 7+, 24” 8+, 32” 9+ Str -1

Wizi Dehr guard Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 6+, 16” 7+, 24” 8+, 32” 9+ Str -1

Diya Siyit guard Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 6+, 16” 7+, 24” 8+, 32” 9+ Str -1

Suqit Ansi guard Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 6+, 16” 7+, 24” 8+, 32” 9+ Str -1

 

Sheikh Gizan Udah Wann; Vet, Mo6”, W 3,4 Cr 5 D 6; Me +2; Scimitar 0 Str+1

pistol 4” 5+, 8” 6+ Str-1

Q’tan Haq Slave foreman; Vet, Mo6”, W 3,4 Cr 5 D 6; Me +2; Whip -2 Str-4

pistol 4” 6+, 8” 7+ Str-2

Bitim Ard Guard; Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 6+, 16” 7+, 24” 8+, 32” 9+ Str -2

Darqar Guard; Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 6+, 16” 7+, 24” 8+, 32” 9+ Str -2

Izitim Guard; Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 6+, 16” 7+, 24” 8+, 32” 9+ Str -2

Wazi’ihn Guard; Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 6+, 16” 7+, 24” 8+, 32” 9+ Str -2

 

Loadzi Bravadho Vet, Mo6”, W 3,4 Cr 5 D 6; Me +2; Scimitar 0 Str+1

pistol 4” 5+, 8” 6+ Str-1

Haqim Inbitz Slave foreman; Vet, Mo6”, W 3,4 Cr 5 D 6; Me +2; Scimitar 0 Str+1;

Whip -2 Str-4; pistol 4” 6+, 8” 7+ Str-1

Bruze El Bo NCO Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Rifle 8” 6+, 16” 7+, 24” 8+, 32” 9+ Str -2

Warzi Gohn Askari; Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr 4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Musket 6” 6+, 12” 7+, 18” 8+, 24” 9+ Str -2

Fawzi Hayer Askari; Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr 4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Musket 6” 6+, 12” 7+, 18” 8+, 24” 9+ Str -2

Yalu Teef Askari; Av, Mo 6”, W 2,3 Cr 4, D5 Me 0 knife -2 Str-3

Musket 6” 6+, 12” 7+, 18” 8+, 24” 9+ Str -2

 

NEW The Hungry Night

 

The people of Morvalistan are very much in touch with the spirit world and magic.  Not the secret magic of Europe but an open and common magic.  Death is quite normal and so long as the natural order is maintained and the living made sure that the sprits of the dead and hunted were placated life would flourish.  But when the natural order was upset by incomers, by strange unnatural devices and foreign beliefs then it was that a new kind of spirit came from the carcass of a fresh kill or a recently deceased ancestor.  These spirits came out of the darkness. 

 

Howling and shrieking at their frustration of being in a bodiless state they took over the bodies of the living wherever they could find them alone or in small groups.  Normally peaceful animals might suddenly become man-eaters, people were seized by madness, souls were possessed by evil and most horrible of all the bodies of the recently dead would rise again.

 

At first the witch doctors and shamans believed that these insane spirits had been torn from their original bodies in some particularly horrible or painful way that left them in perpetual agony that they sought to alleviate by inflicting suffering and pain on the living.  Those who were possessed would indulge to excess in all the pleasures of the flesh, would kill indiscriminately, take delight in torture and enslave their fellow creatures. 

 

The shamans and witch doctors created great spells and wards to protect their tribes and families.  But there are too many evil spirits and too few shamans.  Great heroes stood in the path of the spirits and many passed into legend.  They gained the time for the shamans to cast their spells and work their magic.  These powerful magicians achieved a stalemate many centuries ago with the shamans controlling the day where their spells held sway and defeated all but the most determined assaults by the spirits.  But night is an altogether different prospect.  It is in the dark that the spirits roam wide and far attacking the unwary.  Day is the time of Man and night belongs to the spirits.

 

The spirits are immortal, intangible, invisible and possessed of powers beyond imagining.  If you cannot see them, touch them or even comprehend them how can you fight them?

 

Is it any surprise that the natives carry fetishes against the spirits?

 

The most common fetishes are:

Danger Ward – allows the wearer to avoid a spirit ambush.

Spirit Ward – a figurine or amulet that protects the home or wearer from spiritual possession. 

 

Occasionally, an ancestral spirit will choose to aid its offspring and become a guide or protector.  This can be enhanced by propitiating the spirit with a suitable sacrifice and/or the wearing of a suitable amulet.

 

The people who use magic are the witchdoctors.  They perform many roles in tribal life as well as in the spiritual battle.  Witchdoctors who have fallen under control of evil are known as witches (abaTagati) and cannot be distinguished from a true witchdoctor except by witch smelling. 

 

Witchdoctors have some common roles to play in the constant war between man and spirit including:

Common

Less Common

Constructing Fetishes

Propitiating Spirits

Obtain Spirit Guide

Withering Glare

Declare Taboo

Warding

Exorcism 

Witchsmelling

Summon Spirit

Bind Spirit

 

 

Natives at Night

 

All tribal figures suffer a morale and decision making penalty at night if they are outside their homes or villages where the wards are strong enough to repel all but the most determined attacks.  These penalties are strongest before moonrise and after moonset.  Wearing a fetish or amulet can help but night is still a terrifying place.

When a native is called upon to venture out into the night a morale test is required at -2 (with protection -1).  However, the presence of a witchdoctor means that the morale test is taken without penalty.

 

Playing the Hungry Night - demons and evil spirits.  

 

When I play these I place a Fantasy demon or other suitable creature.  I picked up mine at Bring-And-Buy stalls or anywhere that I could get them cheap.  Many are plastic Dungeons and Dragons models - sometimes a repaint them.  A fearsome look with wings, horrific faces etc is what you are looking for and so much the better if they have an African look.  It is the look that you need because, in reality, the monster or sprit does not actually exist, what you are playing is the physical part of the fear in the mind of the tribesmen.  They take  a morale test, add for fetishes, wards and witch doctors; deduct for darkness, thick vegetation, previous events and so on.

The River

 

The Grisiwatta River is slow moving and shallow here.  The large stones mark the drift where the cattle (and slave) route crosses the river.  The move deduction here is 1” per 2” travelled whilst elsewhere the penalty is 1” per 1” travelled.  There are, of course, crocodiles and hippos.  Though the crocodiles are sluggish at night and the hippos are feeding on dry land.  Most other animals are near the water and lions can be heard roaring in the distance and sometimes not so far away. 

 

Event Cards 

Event cards are very much up to Umpire in this game and the umpire should not put in too many cards that need violent action.  Remember this is a night action and the players need to be fairly secretive about their movement so as not to give an early alert to the Arab Slavers.  They will probably decide on no firing until Binky or another fires first.  If they do then any any shot might turn into a massive volley whether or not there are any Arabs in the area! 

 

The cards should include:

Night animals event cards - hunting lions, angry lone elephant male, hyenas (with or without prey), some herbivores.

Natural event cards - trips, falls, raised morale when a joke is told or a song is sung etc.

Nothing Happens Cards are important as well as event cards because the game will grind to a halt if too much happens. 

 


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