Wresting the Rod from the Orcs

Now that we knew where the orcs were, we prepared for action and the Legion marched on their stronghold.

Parlay and Assault

Despite their attacks on us, I decided to give the orcs one more chance for negotiation. I sent a messenger forward under flag of truce to open discussions. But the orcs let loose their arrows. My messenger fell dead.

I took this as a declaration of war and called for an attack.

Gutavh used holy fire to blast open the gate, then he cast confusion on the orcs on the wall. We were able to rush in and cut the defenders down.

Note: I made up this part for narrative purposes. Due to lack of numbers, we did not get to play the assault.

The Shaman Makes a Stand

With Ulveblod, I led the first wave into the stronghold. We systematically searched for the Rod but did not find it until we reached the center of the orc's fort. There, we came across an orc shaman and his bodyguard. In his hands was the Rod.

We charged. I rushed the shaman.

The shaman threw blasts at me but I dodged. He webbed me then used the Rod to destroy my shield. Meanwhile Ulveblod met a bodyguard. The fight did not go well for him and he was forced to retreat. I found myself overwhelmed and I also withdrew.

Our Second Attempt

I received some healing from our priest and then I was back into the fray. This time, Xeno accompanied me. Again, I confronted the shaman. This time I pressed the attack so he could not use his magic. Meanwhile Xeno took the battle to the orcs. He flanked, took out a bodyguard, then attacked the shaman. Pressed from two sides, the shaman had no chance. Soon, Xeno cut down the orc and recovered the Rod. Success!

GAME NOTES

I had plans for a more epic battle, but lack of numbers made that unviable. We had to forego the castle assault. I just made up a story about how we broke into the fort.

We played the shaman's stand. Essentially, it was a one-sided kill the general scenario. The Legion needed to kill the orc shaman. The orcs just needed to defend their shaman.

Robb was the shaman; he had one bodyguard. Two legionaries attacked. I planned to allow multiple waves so that Ulveblod and Xeno had a chance to be attackers. Between waves, players could regain half of their lost hit points. Ulveblod and I lost the first wave but Xeno and I won the second. Xeno was the hero of the day with his speed that bedeviled the orcs.

Where Are the Orcs?

Previously, we learned from the oni that the Stone Claw orcs had acquired the Rod of Demon Slaying. We set sail for the shores of Scymatia, home of this tribe.

A Rude Welcome

We arrived at Scymatia and marched inland toward the stronghold of the Stone Claws. We were ambushed and repelled.

Note - this part is fiction for the purposes of setting up the story.

I decided to send out scouts to determine the location of the orc stronghold. I choose two able warriors and sent them to approach from different directions. Hopefully, at least one would make it through and find the enemy's lair.

Ulveblod's Tale

Ulveblod swung to the west and then headed into a forest. He was confronted by an orc archer. The orc let fly an arrow. Ulveblod dodged, then charged into the battle. The orc dropped his bow and pulled out a sword. The two warriors swung at each other. The clash of swords rang through the woods. Ulveblod proved too skilled, however, and soon he cut down his enemy.

No sooner was Ulveblod victorious than he heard the crash of someone running through the brush. He turned and spotted another orc heading towards him.  Ulveblod charged, slashing at the orc and then running past it. His blow wounded the orc, preventing it from pursuing.

Freed from pursuit, Ulveblod sped through the forest until he found a path. Cautiously following it, he reached a point where he could observe a fort, Orcs patrolled the ramparts. 

This had to be what the Legion was looking for. With that, Ulveblod turned for home.

Diamond's Tale

Diamond headed to the east and slipped by the forward defenses. Then, he was confronted by an orc warrior. This started a running battle that moved steadily north. Diamond's skill proved too much, however, and he ultimately cut down his foe. 

Then Diamond swung west, fighting and dodging other orcs who joined the fray. He overshot the stronghold. When he noticed that the orcs were not pursuing, he turned back. That's when he spotted the path that led to the stronghold. Diamond then rushed back to camp.

However, an orc pursued him. Diamond stopped and engaged. Soon, this orc also fell to Diamond's blade. The scout could then return safely.

What's Next

Now that we know where we are going, I shall plan an advance in force. We are ready to fight for the Rod.

GAME NOTES

Essentially, I ran this like Ring the Bell but with some twists.

• With limited numbers, I ran this as a 2 vs. 1 scenario. The Legion had a single scout against multiple orcs.
• Only the Legion scout can win by "ringing the bell." The orcs are merely defending.
• The scout has 1 life with hit points based on his character while the orcs have unlimited lives with 2 hit points each.
• After "ringing the bell" (which represents finding the enemy stronghold), the scout has to return to base to win,

O(ni) No!

After our previous defeat, the Chimera Legion prepared for a second assault against the oni.

This time, we had Brother Gustavh bless us with powerful divine magic. These blessings should protect us against the oni's magic.

The First Wave

I, Comes Elias, led the first wave into the oni's cave. The blessing was somewhat effective - the oni's freeze spell only slowed us down. Yet that was enough for it to wreak havoc on the company.

The oni used its speed to dash in and out amongst my men. It struck with spells and with a massive club. Legionaries fell or were forced to flee from the cave. We managed to get in a few telling hits, but ultimately the oni's power defeated us. The remnants of our company retreated.

Reserves to the Rescue

Ulveblod commanded the reserve. As we retreated, he led his men in a berserk charge. They chased the oni around the cave, preventing it from getting off a spell. The oni managed to dodge most attacks, but here and there, Legion blades slashed into the demon. Ultimately, it collapsed to its knees.

Ulveblod Commands the Oni

With the oni powerless, Ulveblod laid his blade on its neck and demanded the Rod of Demon Slaying. Cowed by this powerful warrior, the oni pleaded for its life. At first Ulveblod would only promise a quick end. When the oni refused to talk, Ulveblod changed tactics. He would allow the oni to flee from the region, if it told us where the Rod was.

And thus, Ulveblod extracted the tale. The oni traded the Rod to a band of orcs from Scymatia in exchange for some prisoners. We will not relate the horrid fate of those unfortunates.

So now we seek the Stone Claw orcs (for such was their name) on the shores of Scymatia.

GAME NOTES

We ended up with only two people so the battle was simply a straight up fight between us. I played the oni and Brett was Ulveblod. As the oni, I had magic as well as a great weapon.

The part about the first wave is pure fiction. I came up with it to set the stage. Figuring that an oni vs. a lone warrior was not an even match, I downgraded the oni a bit. I explained this by imagining that a prior wave of attackers had worn the oni down a bit.

Brett won by keeping the pressure on me. He chased me relentlessly, preventing me from getting off any spells. He then would get in a strike here and there. I hit him a couple of times, but was too busy trying to recite the spell incantation to mount any effective attacks. Ultimately, Brett wore me down and took me out.

Kudos to Brett for some nice roleplaying at the end, as he interrogated the oni!

For kicks, we reran the scenario with roles reversed. I took a different approach. I advanced on the oni cautiously, dodging spell balls and then dashing in to strike. This tactic also worked, and I won my bout as well.

The Oni

Tracking Sodai

Previously, we learned that an adventurer named Sodai had made off with the Rod of Demon Slaying. With a name like that, he had to be from Teikoku. We returned to our ship and headed off.

It was a difficult journey to Teikoku, but our troubles had just begun. We then had to deal with a suspicious populace, recalcitrant officials, and a language barrier. Nevertheless, we tracked Sodai to an isolated cave. On our way, the locals kept mentioning an oni, whatever that is.

Entering the Oni's Cave

We arrived at the cave and I sent in my first company. After they entered, I heard screams of horror and pain. Then most of the company came rushing out of the cave. Others were forcibly tossed out.

They told a tale of a horrific demon.

This demon used powerful magic to melt their weapons, instill fear, and even knock them about.

Apparently, physical attacks would not work.

Note: All the above is made up backstory to explain why we did not fight. In reality, I had an injury that prevented me from engaging in physical combat.

Confronting the Oni

Next, I sent in one of our priests, Gustavh, to scout out the situation and test the oni's magical abilities.

Gustavh entered the cave. The oni confronted him. Gustavh demanded to know what happened to Sodai. 

The oni pointed to bones strewn around the cave. "He is here somewhere."

Gustavh then demanded the Rod of Demon Slaying. The oni laughed at him, then spoke.

"I admire your courage, puny mortal. I could crush you like a bug, but I have a more entertaining idea. Let us have a contest, in 3 rounds. If you win 2 out of the 3, I shall reward you."

"And if I lose?" Gustavh asked.

"Then you die."

Bravely, Gustavh accepted the challenge.

The Contest

The first round of the contest was a knife-throwing challenge, using each other as targets.

• Gustavh scored 3 hits on the oni.
• The oni also scored three hits.
• Going into a sudden death tie-breaker, Gustavh missed!
• And the oni hit. The oni won the first round.

The second round was an archery contest - 5 shots at a shield about 20 paces away.

• The oni scored 2 hits.
• Gustavh then missed his first 3 shots.
• Needing a hit to stay in the game, Gustavh's shot whizzed just past the oni's ear! The oni wins again!

Gustavh stoically admitted defeat and accepted his fate. But the oni was not done with him yet.

"That was enjoyable, mortal," the oni said. "I would very much like to try the last challenge, so I'll tell you what. If you win this next challenge, I will spare your life."

Mystical Mayhem

The oni challenged Gustavh to a magic duel.

"In my cave," the oni explained, "my mystical power is unlimited. But for our contest, I will limit myself to a mortal's level."

With that, the battle began in earnest. The last one standing would win!

The oni led off with a fiery blast, but Gustavh dodged. The priest replied with a bolt that wounded the oni.

Next, the oni used a web spell to hold Gustavh in place. It followed with another blast, but missed again! Meanwhile, Gustavh replied with more bolts and blasts that struck and seared his enemy.

Finally, the oni got his aim. His blast struck Gustavh. Flames licked over the priest, but he shook off the burns. His next bolt flew straight and true, striking the oni in the chest.

With that, the oni fell to its knees.

"Enough, mortal. You win. You have saved your life. Now go!"

Aftermath

Gustavh left the cave, returning to our company. He reported his findings to me.

The Rod must be in the cave, but how do we get past the oni? That is the dilemma we must solve.

GAME NOTES

As I mentioned above, I was nursing an injury so I could not engage in physical combat. I decided to turn the confrontation into a 3-part contest.

Throughout the game, I played the oni and Robb was Gustavh.

I believe I recorded the results of the first two contests accurately. Also, I wanted to do the magic duel so I made the proposal that Gustavh could save his life by winning it.

I don't remember all the specifics about the magic duel, so I used some artistic license. Nevertheless, I feel I got the general scene down. I definitely remember webbing Robb and then missing with a blast! My aim was horrible throughout! Ultimately, Robb wore me down and won, saving Gustavh.

The Mummy's Tomb

We managed to cross the croc-infested river with minimal casualties. After a short hike, we entered the Valley of the Kings. The valley was filled with pyramids - the tombs of long-forgotten pharaohs.

We were able to find the tomb of the pharaoh Ank-ma-haren.

The Guardians

I, Comes Elias, led the first company into the tomb. We found ourselves in a large receiving chamber. Suddenly, the tomb guardians awoke and attacked. They were undead minions. I suspect that once they were soldiers for they fought with skill and ferocity,

The first attack whittled down our numbers but we countered with equal ferocity. Hacking and stabbing madly, we cut the guardians down. Then another wave beset us. Ulveblod went down, then some more of our comrades.

I called for reinforcements. The second company entered the fray, but the guardians took a toll on them as well. Next, Basilius went down. Then I waded into the battle. Fortunately, my heavy armor protected me. I was able to lead a counterattack that finally wiped out the guardians.

While our healers tended to the wounded, I led the remnants of my Legion into the depths of the pyramid.

The Pharaoh

In the lowest level of the pyramid we came to the pharaoh's burial chamber with a majestic sarcophagus. When we entered the chamber, the sarcophagus opened and a figure wrapped in linen strips.

The mummy challenged us. I told it that I had come for the Rod of Demon Slaying. I scoffed when it claimed that the Rod was not there. Then it cast a fireball at me! Ank-ma-haren was more than a dead pharaoh, he was a wizard as well!

I managed to block the fireball with my shield. The Legion rushed into battle, but the mummy used spells to repel us and separate us. It started chasing after Xeno so I rushed to his aid. Ank-ma-haren threw a spell at me but I dodged. Then I charged.

The mummy backed up as it tried to prepare another spell. As I pressed the attack, it retreated right into a stone column. There was a rumble, and suddenly a rain of stone fell onto Ank-ma-haren, burying it, well not quite alive.

A Surprise

We were now free to investigate the sarcophagus. In a hidden niche, we found a golden box. It had to be the resting place of the Rod of Demon Slaying! With great anticipation, we opened the box, and found a piece of papyrus.

On the papyrus was a note that read:

"If you seek the Rod, you are too late! I have claimed it."

It was signed Sodai-san.

We pondered who Sodai-san was. I thought he was a great hero, but Basilius opined that he could be a skilled thief. In either case, his name sounds like he is from Teikoku. Looks like we are now headed to that mysterious island.

GAME NOTES
The day's quest consisted of 2 parts.

First, we had to get past the guardians. The heroes got their usual allotment of hit points but only had 1 life. The guardians were weak, with 2 hit points, but they had 3 lives to represent a horde of them.

I was a hero first, with (I believe) Brett/Ulveblod on my team. Brett fell to the guardians' blades but I managed to defeat them. Then Robb/Basilius and Raf/Xeno took their turn as heroes. Alas, they both died.

I designed the second part of the quest to pit the survivors vs. the mummy. Unfortunately, I was the only survivor so technically I should have faced the mummy alone. Because I designed the mummy to be a match for multiple people, I brought Raf back to assist me. Let's just say that he got healed.

Anyway, the battle went more or less as described, up to the end. Robb played the mummy and was doing quite well against us. Then I charged and he backed into a tree, hitting his head against the trunk. Sorry about that, Robb! Anyway, he needed to recuperate so we declared the Legion victors and came up with the falling stones story.

I made the golden box out of a Chewy box and gold wrapping paper. I wrote the note on parchment paper. I plan to have the heroes go on a bit of a tour through the lands of our world before they get to the Rod.

Across the River

The Journey

After defeating the pirates, the Legion resumed its voyage, and soon landed in Palmyra. In the port of Xandera, we replenished our supplies and found a map to the Valley of the Kings. We then sailed down the Kemi River to a landing site close the the valley. From here, we needed to make an overland trek of about a day's march.

The Tributary

After a few hours, the trail crossed another river, presumably a tributary of the Kemi. Fortunately, a series of boulders served as a natural bridge across this river.

The Attack

We sent a scout across to test the slipperiness of the boulders. He had no trouble, until he reached the middle of the river. Suddenly, a crocodile struck from beneath the waters.

Its fangs clamped onto the soldier's leg and it dragged him under. In seconds, only a crimson stain on the waters remained of our scout.

The Crossing

We had no choice but to attempt the crossing. I ordered the troops to gird themselves for battle. Basilius led the first company across while I awaited anxiously on the bank.

In moments, a swarm of crocs attacked the company. The men fought valiantly, using spears and shield to hold off the brutes. Yet the crocs' bites shattered shields and penetrated armor. Many men suffered wounds. One unfortunate soldier, in his attempt to back away from a croc, fell off a boulder and into the river. The current swept him away.

Nevertheless, Basilius's company made it across. Now it was my turn as I led the second company over the boulders. Again, the crocs attacked, but we held them off. Many crocs fell to our blades. Like Basilius, we made it across. Fortunately, our losses were light.

The Valley

As dusk approached, we reached the Valley of the Kings. As we gazed across the plain, we spotted three large pyramids and a myriad of smaller tombs. Our next step is to find the correct tomb, and then find the Rod.

GAME NOTES

This was just a simple scenario played out by Robb and I. One person was the Legion and the other the crocs. We each took turns as the Legion.

We played the scenario on a dirt path in the park. There is a strip of grass and weeds in the middle. This was the boulder bridge. Stepping off the strip meant you got swept away. The legionary had to reach a check point at the end of the path. He could not run because the boulders were too slippery. The legionary player only had 1 life.

Crocs had 2 hit points and did red damage with their bites. The croc player used two swords to represent the jaws. He had to mimic a chomping motion for the attack to be valid. Crocs had unlimited lives.

Robb stepped off the bridge on the first attempt, but he made it across on his second. I went into battle heavily armored, meaning I had 7 hit points. I also had healing spells. This made the scenario a little unbalanced in my favor, but I was not complaining. I also made it across successfully.

A Problem with Pirates

The Next Quest

After examining the clues from the cemetery, we realized that we need to travel to the pyramids of Palmyra. The Imperial government assigns us a ship, a speedy war galley, for our journey. We begin our voyage south.

Trouble Brewing

Along the way we run into a storm. Through the valiant efforts of the crew, the ship is saved. However, we lose much of our supplies overboard. I, Comes Elias, order us to land at a nearby island for replenishing our stock.

While the crew works to repair the ship, I lead a landing party ashore to scavenge for supplies. We find a bounty of fruits and vegetables, in addition to fresh water. After a long day, we have bags of supplies to keep us fit for our journey.

An Unpleasant Surprise

We make camp and prepare to settle in for a restful night. But it was not to be. From the brush surrounding the clearing, a figure emerged.

"I'll be takin' them sacks," the figure stated, pointing to our bags of supplies.

I told him to be off, but he whistled and a horde of pirates emerged from the wood. With a roar, they charged us. We quickly grabbed our shields and weapons then prepared to repel the charge. The pirates crashed into our shield wall, but we held firm and began hacking away at our enemy.

Suddenly, a hail of arrows rained down on us. Ulveblod led a detachment that chased off the archers. But a few pirates snuck around our line, grabbed some sacks, and hightailed back into the woods.

We retired a short distance to protect the supplies. Our defenses held and the wave of pirates slackened.

Then the captain strode forward, two dragonnes in his hands. If you are unfamiliar, dragonnes are weapons that spew out fire and lead shot when you pull the trigger. I knew that these could break our shield wall. Our only chance was to attack.

"Charge!" I cried and rushed toward the captain. He pulled the triggers and . . . nothing. The dragonnes misfired!

"Well, that's inconvenient," the captain said as he dropped his weapons and reached for his sword. I did not give him the chance to draw. I ran at him and ran him through.

With their captain's death, the rest of the pirates fled. We lost some supplies, but we managed to save the bulk. The next day we set sail for Palmyra.

GAME NOTES

This was a spur of the moment lore battle so I wanted to do something simple. I remember running scenarios back in the day where goblins raid a village, looting supplies. I decided to use the same scenario, but with a different enemy.

I purchased some burlap sacks and stuffed them with plastic bags. These were our supplies. I placed them in the middle of a clearing and stationed the legionaries to defend them. Then the pirates started outside the clearing and could attack from any direction. They had to grab the supplies and escape with the bags. Pirates had 2-3 armor points and 2 lives. Legionaries had 1 life but had armor points based on their level and armor.

The account above is an amalgamation of the 2 times I ran the scenario. First, Raph and I were pirates. Raph managed to swipe a bag before Brett hunted him down. Then Brett and Robb were pirates. Brett grabbed another sack. Robb played the pirate captain and really did say "Well, that's inconvenient" when his Nerf pistols misfired. Overall, the pirates only stole 2 of the 6 sacks so I chalk this up as a Legion victory!