Five Leagues Turn 15 - Someone think of the children!

I'm really behind with posting at the moment!  This is the second Five Leagues from the Borderland game from the 'Hen Night Weekend' (which was so long ago the wedding has now happened, the little miniature being a very proud bridesmaid for her Auntie).  This was a bit different for a number of reasons - bit the most interesting one was that the (now not so) little miniature joined me, helping set up the scenario and make choices for our brave heroes!

The turn started poorly, with the group waking up to find that some swine had swiped 12 gold marks from them.  A heated discussion followed as Robert accused Will of the crime, with Gregory and Thomas having to defuse the situation.  The situation was compounded by the band now being so large that they had to pay two more marks for upkeep, and another for more arrows.  Gregory put his skills to use earning back three marks helping out on the farms around the village whilst Giacomo visited the town healer to get himself back in action.

Almost back up to strength (Oswald still needed another turn to recover), our heroes went out adventuring, only for Thomas to come across something completely new: Monster Tracks!  Perhaps drawn by the chaos following the border incursion, two ogres had come down from the mountains and were preying on the nearby farms [I rolled up 'tough battle', which adds an extra enemy - I'm not sure it is supposed to apply to monsters but, as ogres are relatively weak, and the band quite strong, I went with it].

 

"Must be sumfink 'ere wurf eatin'.  Let's 'ave a butchers!"

(Mordheim Mercenary ogre and Citadel Ogre Brigand) 

Following the tracks brought them to a farmstead, just as the ogres closed in for the attack.  To complicate matters, Giacomo, Thomas and Gregory found the fleeing family who told them in a panic that they had been unable to get to the children, who had been playing in the edge of the woods! [I rolled up 'Fetch' as the objective, and thought it would be a good opportunity to us the Hasslefree Brats that I had painted up].

"Someone save the children! (keep up Grandad!)"

"and the sheep, if you can!"

The poor mites, busy pulling the wings off flies and blissfully unaware of what awaits on the other side of the farmhouse!

Thomas immediately volunteered to dash around the back of the longhouse to rescue the brats little ones, while the rest of the band would draw the ogres away.  Will, Jocelyn and Raymond would do their best to turn the beasts into pincushions while Robert and Guy, and Giacomo and Gregory, led two groups at each ogre.

The battlefield, beautifully (and convincingly) prepared by Rosa! (Heroes entering from the right)

"Over here foul creature, meet your doom on my sword!"

Robert and his faithful retainer, Guy, rushed forwards on the left; keen for the glory of felling the great beast!

But sadly, for Robert's ego at least, it was not to be; As two dead-on shots from Jocelyn saw the first ogre fall to the ground dead [I know that's not Jocelyn in the picture, but I didn't catch one of the momentous event], leaving Robert yelling in frustration!

On the right, the second ogre smashed aside the hay cart, to be met by Giacomo, Gregory and Finan.  The ensuing melee gave Thomas his chance to dash over the road to the farmhouse unseen.

Initially beaten back, another great shot from Jocelyn wounded the axe wielding brute, distracting it long enough for Giacomo to dart in and thrust his sword into the creature's black heart!

 

"Come with me if you want to live!"

Thomas finally reached the children, and successfully persuaded them to come with him, but by then the danger was all over.  At least he was able to hand them safely back to their worried families with no bits nibbled!

"Your children are safe!"

"Great, but what about the sheep?"

As if losing his 'kill' to an archer wasn't bad enough for Robert, he had now had to see Giacomo 'steal' the glory.  Another heated 'debate' between the knight and the archers broke out until Gregory was able to restore order!

The mopping up phase saw the grateful farmers dig deep and reward the adventurers which, along with some coins 'rescued' from the ogre's loot, saw the band regain all of the twelve marks they had lost at the start of the turn.

 

Other loot included a 'quick' light weapon, which Jocelyn took to replace his existing knife, and some torches .  The ogres had also clearly encountered some other brave adventurer who had been less fortunate as, stuffed in the ogre's bag with various unsavoury items stored (presumably) as a snack for later, was a full set of knight's armour and an enchanted weapon, a 'Heart Seeker'!