Barnabus, Vicar of Claux Church of Eru
In preparation for your attack on the tax assessor you have moved from Claux to Big Harm the giant Swineherd’s, Boise Swynwald hide. This is a camouflaged dugout in the wood. Since the Hunnish raid most of the peasantry hereabouts live in these hides in the woods. It has made it easier to conceal from the authorities that the manors are under cultivation. Your first line of defence is young Flambert the brother of your hearth maid Clovys. He is a servant in the kitchen of the Traveller’s Hostel at the St. Rollo Monastery. You have given him poison to add if possible to the food or drink of the Tax Assessors party with the Assessor the main target. Your Sexton Blackke is a former soldier who fought at Lungstrete four years ago. He has little faith in Flambert who he thinks will be too afraid to act. He believes that you should attack the Assessor in the Hostel at night. He knows that Chestnut Charm has obtained information about the hostel from Flambert. Chestnut was a member of the Valles thieves guild until things got too hot for him. A long-term member of Humfon’s outlaw band you suspect he planned burglary at the hostel!
You assumed that any night attack would have to go over the bridge in the teeth of the village militia who man it night and day. Though you might overpower them they would warn the Abbey and raise the villagers against you. Further to get into the Abbey that way you would go via the gate locked and guarded by an old soldier, the Abbey Porter. But Blackke and Chestnut have a much better plan. They say that at this time of year the river Dengle can be forded just west of the Abbey. From there one can climb over the wall near the cloister but better may be to try the upstairs windows of the hostel, which face west to the outside of the walls. Whilst the downstairs windows are leaded glass like most of the monastery, the upstairs ones are plain wooden shutters. Though these might be left open on a hot night they will be more likely secured closed. However even a club or a sword should be enough to prise them open from a ladder. In this quince-growing area ladders are plentiful. Flambert has provided a charcoal sketch showing the normal occupants of the rooms. He with the other kitchen staff will be sleeping in the kitchen. The refractory is usually empty at night unless there have been more guests than the upstairs rooms can take.
At half past the twentieth hour Colafelt your clerk arrives. He has been watching the road to Charles beyond St. Rollo. “Lady Sabine Flaneur with three other women has arrived with the Assessor and gone into the Monastery. Their escort is seven soldiers. A funny thing is that one of the women has a horse dyed blue! It must be some new fashionable fad!”
Humfon says “We must assemble our men in readiness to attack tonight!” Then he makes the owl hooting call to summon them. Presently you hear it repeated from some distance away and then again from further yet.
You say “Remember, whilst we must kill the Assessor and all his men the Abbey staff must be only stunned or tied up!”
“What about Lady Sabine and the other women?” asks Colafelt.
“We shall take them hostage. Then we shall try them for witchcraft. It is rumoured that the new usurper has dealings in black witchcraft so it as well to be careful.”
* * *
You went with the others to the boundary menhir in the dark and soon other members of the band began to trickle in. After about an hour a woman Maid Tuffa comes in from a vantage far to the east where she was keeping watch. “I have seen a knight and seven mounted soldiers coming from the north-east! I think they must be some of the Tax Assessors men! Since they are mounted they could be at the Abbey within an hour or two!”
“We should stop them reaching it!” growled Big Harm.
“But likely them at the Abbey may hear of it and be on their guard!” objected Humfon.
“Our main objective is to kill or capture the Tax Assessor!” you told them.
“Then we must go for him first. It will be him that carries the money chest anyway. That is what we really want eh lads?” grinned Humfon.
“Aye” growled several voices.
“Then I think we have enough here to do the job. The others can stay here to help us clean up in the morning.” So Humfon led the score or so of the band towards the monastery. They carried two ladders and Chestnut Charm explained that they must go for the two right-hand upstairs windows of the hostel. “These will hold the soldiers, asleep I trust for we must overwhelm them first. Then into the hall and to the further right hand room for that is where the Tax Assessor will be lurking. It will be as well if some of the lads go over the wall to guard the outside door of the hostel. We do not want him to escape that way!”
“Right that is what we will do!” Humfon agreed.
They crept forward to the meadow beside the river until there was a whinnying noise followed by loud flapping. Humfon gripped your arm, “All is well Vicar! It be but some Pegasauri fleeing. They often graze around here at night. They hide in the forests during daylight hours.” Your belief was that Pegasauri were fanciful beasts only to be found in children’s goblin tales but fact can sometimes be stranger than fiction.
Soon you found yourself wading over waist deep through the very cold river. The Abbey wall lay to the left, with the vast bulk of its tower at the limits of visibility. At that moment its bell tolled once and everyone froze in their tracks.
“The Compline bell, calling them to the Abbey church.” Colafelt said.
“Right enough. We have heard it many times! Carry on lads, it will be as well if the monks are busy when we call. I just hope the Tax Assessor does not join them!” said Humfon.
“An official of the usurper is not like to be an Eruvian never mind a churchgoer!” you told them.
The whole band crept along the wall until beside the hostel building. The two ladders were raised and Big Harm and Chestnut Charm began to climb them. To their surprise and delight they found that the shutters were left half-open. Humfon ordered some outlaws to scale over the Abbey boundary wall. Then they heard “Burglars! Sergeant! Squire Sir! We have burglars!” from the soldiers room. The windows were manned and Chestnut fell down to be replaced by Sexton Blackke. He fell in turn as did Big Harm!
“Big Harm is killed! Exclaimed Maid Tuffa examining him. A Babble of voices broke out . “They have killed Big Harm! We are betrayed! They are ready for us! Flee!” and the outlaws broke and fled back to the river and you left alone perforce had to follow them. Bracing yourself you plunged through the icy river waters once more.
Arriving back at the menhir you found Humfon and some of the others, plus more who had come too late. Within half an hour the band was stronger than it had been before, although Clerk Colafelt and some others did not return.
“We had best head to see what these soldiers of Tuffa’s are up to.” Declared Humfon. “Yes and arrange an ambush for the Tax Assessor in the morning!” you suggested. So the band headed east towards the Verston Manor owned by Sir Leon Perdieu.
You then take four moves getting to the boundary menhir where Humfon’s men will assemble. 2048hrs throw AvD for moves until you start drawing arrivals cards.
At the Menhir you have two ladders laid ready 4 men can carry at –1” move rate or 2 men at –2” move rate! You may move off as soon as you feel you have enough force to attack successfully. Later arrivals will stay by the Menhir. If your attack is beaten off
Vicar Barnabus Big Harm
Stun 4. E4 I5 M4 G5 I4 L3 D4 Speaks Simnith, Edin, Quenith (P) Reads Tengthin, Lerumint (P)
3rd Level Magician 3MPU per move max 12. Spells: Blinding Flash, Charm Sing, Crumble Paper, Detect Magic, Frightening Thought, Magic Bolts Magic Illumination (of Cross) Breaching Bolts, Sooth Mind, Creature Taming, Rest Undead, Temporary Wound Nullifying
Humfon Off Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR 0, SR + 0, D-5, C-4, W -3, A +1, Ob 1.3, Me +1 –0 = +1
Selfbow 5" 5+, 10” 6+, 15” 7+ St -4 quiver of 12 arrows Speaks Simnith tinderbox
Big Harm . Off Mo 7", Fa 7/14, TI 3, TR +4, SR + 1, D-5, C-4, W -3, A +2, Ob 1.6, Me +4 -2 = +2 Bill 1st rd +2 st +4. Thrown Cleaver 4” 4+ st –2. Speaks Simnith E4 I4 M3 G3 I5 L3 D3
Speaks Simnith, Edin, reads Tengthin Runes (P)
Thrown dagger 3” 4+, st –2 Speaks Simnith, Edin. tinderbox
Gros Club Ind Mo7", Fa 7/14, TR +2, SR +0 D-4, C-3, W -2, A +2, Ob 1.4, Me +2 –1 = +1 stun st –1 stun 5 Speaks Simnith, first aid kit. Gags Rope & cords
Speaks Simnith
Clubman Fol Mo 6", Fa 7/14, TR +0, SR +0 D-4, C-3, W -2, A +2, Ob 1.4, Me 0 –1 = -1 stun st –1 stun 5
Swordsman Fol Mo 6", Fa 7/14, TR +0, SR +0 D-4, C-3, W -2, A +2, Ob 1.4, Me 0 –0 = 0 st 0
Slinger Fol Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR 0, SR 0, D-4, C-3, W -2, A +2, Ob 1.4, Me 0 –1 = -1 dagger st 0
Sling 4” 5+, 8” 6+, 12” 7+, 16” 8+ st –4, 12 stones Speaks Simnith
Woman Fol Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR -2, SR -1, D-4, C-3, W -2, A 0, Ob 0.9, Me -2 –1 = -3 knife st –1
Boy Fol Mo 5", Fa 4/8, TR -1, SR +0 D-4, C-3, W -2, A +2, Ob 1.1, Me –3 –1 = -4 knife st -1
Joker Maid Tuffa arrives from keeping watch from a vantage point to the east. “I have seen a knight and seven mounted soldiers coming from the north-east! I think they must be some of the Tax Assessors men!
Since they are mounted they could be at the abbey within an hour!” Should you carry on with the attack before they arrive or wait to fight in daylight? You could try and ambush them but that would leave your main target the Assessor free and warned.
AC Gros Club KC 3 x Clubmen QC 2 x Clubmen JC 2 x Clubmen
7C 1 x Clubman 6C 1 x Clubman 5C 1 x Clubman 2C Boy
AS Gros Blade KS 3 x Swordsmen QS 2 x Swordsmen JS 2 x Slingers
8S 1 x Slinger 7S 1 x Slinger 6S 1 x Slinger 5S 1x Slinger
3S Woman 2S Woman
The Action in Words and pictures