The Firmaz River action 28th Eleventh Moon 706ATN
To HRH Maudette Grand Duchess of Bara
Your Royal Highness,
I write this at the Stetian port of Crujirmaz whilst our steeds are being unloaded. This morning eight vessels opposed the crossing of the River Arwyn by my party. With your Harbourmaster Sir Ralph Rendet we had suspected their intent, as they lay anchored in three units on the river. Two, lurking near Crujirmaz were feluccas already suspected of smuggling. Your Admiral Sir Albert Batelier took possession of the Urca Sir Richard and loaded our party into it and the Lady Abigail. As soon as we cast off all eight vessels sprouted men and began to weigh anchor. The initial threat came from a Varadh Cog and a Thentian Lymphad the St. Brigid. We steered SE out into the river to engage them first, knowing that the current would carry us down to Crujirmaz in due course. Both vessels sailed to engage the Sir Richard which indeed endured the bulk ok of the fighting. Missiles were exchanged with them and four lighter craft sailing up from the NE. Since we were winning the missile fight the Admiral sought to avoid a waist to waist melee for as long as possible. In fact the thinly manned (dwarved?) cog was cleared of opponents by missiles. Archer Toxo is to be commended for his effectiveness in this action. The enemy St. Brigid dropped a dolphin on the Sir Richard, which penetrated to the hull bottom. In return we dropped two, one of which holed the Lymphad. The St. Brigid and the lighter vessels managed to attach grapnels to the Sir Richard but only to the castles. There their men durst not try to climb up. In fact for a while the Sir Richard was towing a smack called the Mona. Another, the Cilla fled, drifting downstream, followed by the unmanned Cog. As the smuggler feluccas came up to engage, the lymphad headed away with its men bailing frantically. One felucca the Algytha, on which was seen Sir Terence Lambert, boarded the Cog transferring its entire crew. Of the other two feluccas, one was driven off by missile fire and the other after a brief melee. After some problems with controlling the cog Sir Lambert decided to abandon the action and allowed it to drift downriver. The Lymphad meanwhile managed to grapnel the abandoned felucca Algytha and transfer all its crew just before it sank! They also drifted downriver and thus the action ended. We landed at Crujirmaz to discover that Sir Lambert had fourteen horses there and that these had been led away by Lady Nicollette Decre. Presumably they will meet up with him downriver somewhere and we may well encounter him again ere we return. I have to say that I suspect that Hidalgo Enrico Aparil, the harbourmaster of Crujirmaz is in league with the smugglers. Admiral Sir Albert says that there is a large overall smuggling organisation which can be very ruthless in its methods. It is called the Larete Balokha and he learned about it in his years sailing on Thentian lymphads. I have suggested that he take an interest in countering them on the Arwyn. Sir Ralph Rendet says that he is handicapped by having lost his guard boat, during the civil war. I would suggest that a replacement be bought from Faralon or Borolon as a matter of urgency. The Varadh cog Peronelle was the one earlier captured by Don Incio smuggling women for the procuress Ewerba in the Sundering Sea. The sunk Lymphad St. Brigid, tragically is owned by our true friend Duchess Marie of Rathen, whom we met at Rues! How its crew came to be fighting against us is uncertain but I suspect Eruvian fanaticism. The other vessels involved were the Feluccas Algytha, Anne and Avice and the Smacks Ann, Mano and Cilla. Our only loss was hobilar Bernadot whilst the enemy may have lost as many as a score! I shall now entrust this letter to be dispatched by Admiral Albert and shall set out on our mission to find your fiancé.
Your Obedient Servant Morgana Lefey
* * *
To Lady Alice Lambert nee Avoirdupois
Dearest wife,
I am writing this from Redono in Stetia on the 28th of the Eleventh Moon. Alas our operation with the Larete Balokha has not fared well. With the support of a Varadh Cog, a Stetian Lymphad and six smaller craft we tried to prevent Maudette’s force crossing the Arwyn. The enemy employed two great Urcas and their missile power was too strong. The Lymphad the St. Brigid was sunk by a dolphin and I believe we lost some eighteen men altogether. This included only two of our billmen the rest being shared between four dwarves, four Thentians and eight smugglers. Lady Nicollette drove our steeds to here so our mounted force remains intact ready to dispose of Doze Handor. Luigi Ruffiani has given us a man to contact.
Your faithful husband Terence Lambert
* * *
Umpires Account
In this the allies were conspicuously less lucky in their missile firing throws. Except until right at the end they failed to get shock troops into melee against the more vulnerable waists of the Urcas. This was partly due to the Baratrean player deliberately avoiding being grappled in such a way and partly due to the allies players inexperience. It would have been a hard fight even so. For the Marshal Morgana story line the significance is that first Sir Terence’s mounted force can assemble intact at Redono further down the River Arwyn and can thus carry on attempting his mission. Marshal Morgana’s mounted force has lost only one hobilar and can proceed to attempt her mission. Though the allies lost eighteen (plus one wounded) including three vessel skippers the only significant character lost was the Dwarf Captain Swartze. Having failed the apparent ‘Adventurers Apparent Death Dicing’ he is definitely dead! There may well be saga implications for both the Peronelle being taken over by the Thentians and for the loss of the St. Brigid. The friendly Duchess consort of Rathen, who happens to be one of King Eudes of Thentis’ sisters, owned the latter! Her lozenge coat of arms was depicted on its sail. The other sail coats of arms are those of Sir Richard Nogent Constable of Charles on the Sir Richard and the late widow lady Abigail Clove on the Lady Abigail. The flags flown on the vessels were those of their respective states: The St. Brigid flew the arms of the King of Thentis, the Peronelle those of the dwarf King of Varadh and the Sir Richard that of Grand Duchess Maudette of Bara. Though destined to become part of the Stetian Fleet, the Lady Abigail still flies the flag of the Grand Duke of Fara as it was built in Faralon.
To Player Briefing Larete Balokha
To Player Briefing Sir Terence Lambert