The Treasures of Toth Amon

The stuff floating around the back room a game store always amazes me. First time a magic card has been pressed into scenery for us.

5.5 Sundayheim in Sartosa.

"X Marks the Spot"
A bright sunny day in Haunted Vermunte. Haroum the Wanderer had never seen the like. He had followed the infidel Sartosans to the spirit ridden port. Praise the One on this trip there had been no delays, no sudden storm, no spirit or haunt to plague them.
The Sartosans objected to the Arabyan's interference. To start they fired harquebus, pistol and arrows. The Believers replied in kind. Men and women fell on both sides.
Despite their casualties the Sartosans gave a ragged cheer as a hidden chest was pulled from a ruined cellar. Most of the Arabyans were too far from the treasure to do anything, but Mad Akbar fired his blunderbuss into the sailors crowding around the discovery.
The Sartosans attempted to withdraw with their loot, but too many had pressed too far forward to disengage from the fight without exposing themselves to hostile fire and vengeful blades. Sartosan stragglers fell throughout the ruins. The Sartosan Captain (who was pinned down inside a tumble down inn) exchanged the treasure for a safe withdrawl.
Arabyans win.
Post Game
All of the Arabyan casualties recover. The treasure and further exploration yield the usual store of food. The chest surrendered gold, light armor and a sword. 2 Sartosans surrendered to the victors and were sold off to man the Sultan's galleys.
The Sartosans consoled themselves with several lucky finds including a Swivel Gunner Hired Sword who owed a favor.

Coming soon: The Journey to Araby.
The Sartosans have acquired extra guns and provisions for their ship, furthermore all of Sartosa island knows that the Pirate King's agents have tirelessly scoured the area for information. As the Sartosans weigh anchor the harbor comes alive with activity as no captain wishes to lose sight of the Bonny Bess.

Week VI—Wooden Ships and Iron Men.
Games played this week represented the adventures that befell the warbands on their voyage to Araby.

“The Sea Wolves”
A Tale of Adventure on the Great Blue
Haroum the Wanderer has sailed the Great Ocean nearly all his days. He has hidden anchorages on many islands. One such is known as the Blessed Isle. There Haroum has fortified an ancient tower, laid in supplies and repaired the old mooring.
On this night the Dancing Cloud lay at anchor with only one crewman left to pace her decks. Another sentry watched from the tower. Two more paced along the beach and the edge of the surrounding jungle.
Haroum had lost the Bonny Bess in a storm some days ago. It mattered not. Al Haikk was the first port she could call at. His spies would tell him if she sailed on from there or if the infidels dared to brave the Great Desert. Thus Haroum had made for safe harbor. Also while he was here he thought to collect a cache of treasure left ashore in more difficult times. Haroum and the rest of the crew slept in hastily rigged tents set up in the shadow of the old tower. Cannon, fire and their faith warded them. But Haroum had forgotten the Sartosan’s Warlock.
The Bonny Bess used the full moon to its advantage. Guided by the Warlock and the unnatural sight of the elf, the small caravel was able to clear the guardian reef and enter Haroum’s hidden cove. The Arabyan sentries cried the alarm, but the Bonny Bess drowned out their cries with the roar of her bow chaser. The Dancing Cloud took the hit amid ships. To the horror of the lone sentry fire immediately licked along the deck.
Haroum awoke to the crash of cannon fire. In the predawn light he could see flames licking the decks of the Dancing Cloud. The tower’s gun spoke. In the growing light of the flames Haroum could see a dark ship sailing parallel to the beach. Its guns raked the Dancing Cloud and the muzzle flashes of small arms winked from her rails.
“To arms! To arms!” Haroum bellowed, “the One has sent us unbelievers to smite. To the ship!”
As the Faithful prepared themselves for battle the sentries fought a delaying action against a landing party that had hidden in the jungle to the east. More infidel pirates appeared in a jolly boat. The odds against the sentries were getting longer. Although two gunners were slightly wounded the Smugglers had survived the surprise of the attack without loss.
Almost as one man the Arabyans rushed out of their shelters armed and armored. The sun rose over chaos. Fire had taken hold on the Dancing Cloud. The tower gun still dueled with the enemy ship, but even the tower had been holed by enemy shot.
One sentry was down, huddled behind a rickety bridge that the Smugglers had thrown over a small stream. Above the wounded man Massad was sheltering behind the railings of the structure as he sniped at the advancing pirates.
Two of the ship’s company did not advance toward the beach. Bin Sadaka took one look at the flames leaping from the deck of the Dancing Cloud and moved quickly toward the western jungle. He was crossing behind the western most tent when he saw the enemy ship come around the small spit of land the tower was built on. Bin Sadaka thought, “praise the One she’ll never clear the shallows.” Then the bow chaser roared and he knew no more.
In his tent Akbar al Kuds dreamed strange dreams. Great beasts roared and the ground shuddered under their footsteps. He knew himself to be floating in a white cloud, yet through the magic of dreams he could feel the tread of the mighty beasts. He smiled. He was safe here in the clouds. Then the cloud ripped apart and he could see the morning sky. Bright sunshine illuminated billowing clouds of black smoke. Men screamed and guns crashed. Suddenly al Kuds came to himself. The camp was under attack! Why had no one woken him? He hurriedly grabbed up his weapons and armed himself.
Akbar stumbled out into the sunshine. Even as he looked around at the chaos surrounding him, he saw a brightly robed man flying toward him through the very air. Ho, ho! This was great sport! Akbar flicked his whip toward the man and was highly gratified when the flying infidel crashed to the ground at his feet. “Praise the One!” He bellowed and strode into the dawn toward the fray.
Rais Haroun surveyed the field as he loaded his harquebus. The fight was going against them. Several of his enemies were down, but twice as many of the Faithful were out of the fight. The Dancing Cloud was merrily aflame from bow to stern. The enemy landing party had cut his men off before they could reach the jetty let alone the ship. He cursed the infidel and himself. He should have used his numbers to cut down the isolated shore party, instead Haroum had held his best marksmen back in an attempt to whittle the invaders down even more. The infidel had used the sun and the cover of the sea wall to thwart him and now his surviving Janissaries struggled in the bloody sand as the fortified raiders held them back from the ship.
It was time to cut their losses.
Post Game.
Al Bobo suffers another chest wound. He is now T1! Bin Sadaka survived a glancing hit from a cannonball, but he will suffer from the wound for the rest of his life. (Old Battle Wound) One of the converted Sartosans who served with the Faithful renounced his vows and rejoined the unbelievers. His name is known and no mercy will be shown should he fall into the Smugglers’ clutches again. Despite the setback the Faithful were able to withdraw in good order deeper into the island’s interior.
The Sartosans had to refloat the Bonny Bess. She stuck fast on the beach effectively removing her cannon from the fight. A couple of the crew were killed in the attack, but the recapture of the Apostate replaced one of them. The thrice damned Warlock recovered. As usual the Sartosans were able to discover a clue that the Arabyans had overlooked.

To be continued.

Week VI
Not many pictures this week.
I have real trouble playing a game and remembering to take pictures at the same time. Anyway...
The Sea Wolves


No task is to hard.
Von Kirst made his own tents.
Not something just anyone could do.

"Week VI—Wooden Ships and Iron Men. (Cont’d.)

The Deadly Channel
The Wasted Privateers were rowing back to their ship after recovering some cached loot. Unfortunately for them the skaven were on a similar errand.
‘Twas a clear night in the barrier islands of Araby's Pirate Coast, so the skaven abandoned stealth and attacked dead on.
A salt-water crocodile attacked one of their rafts. Racidio the
Sorcerer was plucked from the raft and pulled beneath the murky waters. The depleted skaven pressed on without him.
The Wasted met them with blunderbuss blasts. Ineffective blunderbuss blasts.

</A>
One overloaded skaven raft took a direct hit with no casualties! As the shocked men gawked at the invincible rats, the rats swarmed ashore onto the island. A deadly melee was fought and the men were hard pressed.

</A>
Fortunately things did not go so well everywhere in the channel. A bitter fight between 2 rafts to the south tilted heavily in the Wasted’s favor. The skaven fled back into the night.

Post Game.
The Wasted Privateers won. Victory cost the life a newly recruited Mate. No other human casualties are reported.
Clan Pesilens lost Racidio to the crocodile.

As a Child of the 60s I can identify with The Wasted...like Man. COOL PHOTOS!

OH, by the way, Battle reports are from Von Kirst.
Week VI
X Marks the Spot
Haroum led the survivors of his crew deeper into the interior of the Blessed Isle.
They had camped near the treasure cache and settled in for the night when the lookouts spotted skaven lurking nearby.
Haroum made the potentially reckless decision to press on into the night to secure the treasure.
In the darkness it was difficult to see the landmarks he had chosen in daylight long ago.
Then the heavens opened and rain drenched them.
The miserable men pressed on. Soon the scouts were firing arrows into the darkness at scuttling shadows with
red eyes. The giant rodents moved closer. Skirmishes were fought as huge rats bounded out of the darkness to bite and claw at the warriors guarding the flanks.


Then Atabeg’s squad called that they had found the cache.
The crew rallied to the area and the lurking skaven melted back into the rain-drenched night.


In the morning all traces of the skaven menace were gone.
Post Game
Uncovering the cache allowed the Smugglers to replenish their coffers after the defeat at the cove. In addition a parrot flew out of the jungle and lighted on Haroum’s shoulder.
Clan Pestilens lost 2 giant rats to the desperate struggles in the rain. However even if they failed to steal the treasure, they gained much loot from wreckage washed up on the beaches after the storm.

Week VI
The last...no photos (sorry DeafNala). I was too busy getting clobbered.

Duel on the High Seas
The Bonny Bess haunted the sea-lanes hoping to further discourage her
pursuers. Eventually the Wasted fell into the trap. The Bonny Bess
had the wind abeam. The ship drove forward to close as fast as it
could. The great gun boomed from the bow and the Wasted wailed as the
heavy ball crashed into their ship.
The Wasted lived up to their name. Their ship made little headway
despite also having the wind abeam. The Sartosan captain brought the
Bonny Bess in close and raked the Wasted decks with small arms.
However, the great gun exploded and caused great carnage on the bow of the
Bess as well. Still having the smaller crew, the Wasted had been hit
harder. No gunners lived to man the larboard gun and many privateers
lay wounded on the decks. Captain Higgins ordered the colors struck.
The Sartosans won their second fight of the night. They claimed much
cargo from the Privateers as well. However they failed to learn
anything of Toth Amon from the clueless Wasted.
The Wasted lost 3 gunners. No mention was made of the Sartosans
pressing the swabs or of any cargo found.

Next the continuing saga of Og Bigfeather."

6.5 Sundayheim.

"The Hulks"
Og visits the Ship's Graveyard

Og.
Kaptain Og Bigfeather sat in the bow of the jolly boat puffing on a cigar. Og hadn't been using these boom-sticks long, but he hated the slow match going out. And he was Boss so he could smoke the cigar. This trip was looking like another of Magog's stupid ideas. Og would have told him so too, except the git was on the other side of this little island, off there in the fog to the starboard.
Og looked around. He could sort of see Alee Babhla and the Bliddy Red Banna on the stern of the other jolly boat. Og think maybe he should move to the back of the boat. Inspire the lads, like.
Really Og couldn't see nothing. White mist all around. Og rest the booma in his lap hold his right hand in front of his face, see if he can see it. Oy! Almost burn his hand on the cigar! From out in the mist there come the roar of a croc. Maybe a splash. It pretty quiet. Too quiet.
"WHEEEEEEE!" The joyous scream came from starboard. There was a thump and a yelp ahead.
The fog cleared a bit. Og could see a big humie ship up looming up ahead of them. A turbaned green head popped over the rail. Bin Sin waved the all clear. Then he shouted, "Oy! Magog! Mind the landin' nex, hey!"
"Shut yer gob an' look lively! Mate Mork iz bringin' Todder aboard!"
Todder got as far as a startled look at Magog and a "Wot?" Then he was scooped off the raft and deposited on the ship beside Bin Sin by a transparent giant green hand.
Magog was showing off again.
"Ize feelin da neg'tiv vibes." Magog complained. There was a roar and a scream from the direction of the raft. It was followed by a gunshot and war-cries.
"Oy! Croc et ol' Dyca!" came Magog's report. "Dat's wot come from neg'tiv vibes!"
Og directed the crew as they drew alongside the wreck.
"Bring 'er about! Na dere! Oy! Lubbers da lot o' ya! Like diss."
Under his expert guidance the jolly boat crashed into the larger ship, knocking them all off balance. No one fell overboard. Astern of them, Alee Bahbla brought his boat smoothly alongside the ship and the larboard lads swarmed up it's sides. Og considered having him keel hauled, but let it go.
Goochi Hoochi.
Goochi Hoochi climbed over the splintered rail of the wreck and took a look around. Right off he spied Todder looking off into the mist. Goochi nudged him with the barrel of his booma.
"Permishon ta comes aboard?"
"Wot?"Todder got a bit paler looking into the bell of the booma. "Er, grant-ed. Ossifer on dekk!"
None of the lads were paying attention to them. They were crowded around the larboard rail staring at something. Goochi left off poking Todder and looked hard into the mist. Oy! There was a pale humie Nob kinda floating alongside the wreck. He was coming right at them through the air. Oh Mork!
No he wasn't! There was a plank there. The flash git was walking toward them on a boarding plank! Just a trick of the mist! Hur!
"Youse lot!" Goochi bawled at his crew, "kill dat git!"
As the lads fitted arrows to their bows and fumbled with throwing knives, Goochi made a place for himself at the rail and readied his booma. A nasty little dart appeared in the wood my his left hand. He looked down.
Right below him two rafts full of, well full of dedfings, were paddling toward him. There was a big ded orc with a bow to the fore. They were lined up leet! Goochi swung the booma so it covered both craft and triggered the gun. BOOM!
Og.
Og pushed the clumsy git off of him. His cigar was bent. One of his feathers had broken in two and hung in his eye. His lads were giggling and pushing each other and generally having a lark. Og drew a big breath for a tirade.
"Kap'n!" Magog hardly ever called him captain. Og began to suspect trouble.
'Kap'n! Dere be dedfings rowin ups da channel! Avast!"
The raft was closer now. Og could see Magogs ugly mug. The git was pointing off into the mist beyond the bow of the wreck.
"Shove off, ye lubbers" Og commanded. "Look lively wit yer oars. Row fer da channel!"
The gits hopped to and the little boat swung clear of the wreck and glided into the open water beyond. Oh it was glorious. There in the channel were two makeshift rafts full of Brain-eatas and Ded-eatas. Og saw humie ded uns and ratfing ded uns and damn his eyes if that wasn't a orc ded un. That elffing there, with the funny crossbow, he looked a little too chipper for a ded un.
"Fire as ye bear!" screamed Og. BOOM! BOOM!
Of course being ded fings, they were hard to kill. The rafts emptied out right nice though. The nearest was still being crewed by a ded-eata and the ded un orc. The far vessel was empty except for one sickly looking humie. Then the hands started rising out of the mist shrouded water. Groping for the sides of the rafts or slowly swimming toward Og and his little boat.
"Keep em off me!" screeched Og. The ratfing ded un was getting closer. Most of its skull was gone. Og put an arrow through its remaining eye socket and the thing sank out of sight. Sorted. Og stopped gibbering.
Goochi Hoochi.
Goochi stared through the mist and gun smoke at the carnage he had wrought.
"Ya sees dat?" Goochi nudged the git next to him with the stock of the booma. The git fell right over. Goochi looked down and noticed the git had no head. Looked like Bin Sin, what was left. Goochi jumped back.
The pale flash git was doing one of those fancy, swooshy sword jiggs the humies favored. Goochi noticed the flash git had two or thee knives sticking in him and a bunch of arrows. Didn't seem to be bleeding much. Or slowing down.
Beyond him Goochi glimpsed that ogre from the cave. Ogre was cutting on somebody. Looked messy. Goochi looked around. Only Todder and Slyca were still standing.
"Keep em busy!" ordered Goochi. "Ize git hep!" With that he sprang to the aft rail and jumped into the thickening mist.

Post Game
Da Red Banna Boyz. Og's lads lost Bin Sin and Dyca. They found a castaway humie git later and helped him on his way. Og recruited some likely gobbo lads to fill the ranks once they reached Araby.
The Fallen. Marcus's lads lost a ghoul and Dead Snaroose. The Fallen get rich off the Hulks again. A dreg is sold to the Pits, where he looses an eye.

Reporting for Von Kirst. (Sorry DeafNala, no pictures of this one.)
Von Kirst writes:

Week VII—Assassins!

“Assassination I”
The Sartosans landed in Al-Haikk, the City of Thieves, confident that they had thrown their pursuers into confusion and disarray. The Bonny Bess was loaded down with plunder stolen from the Wasted and the Arabyans, so they set off for the Thieves Quarter to visit a reliable fence.
Later in the evening they were returning from their negotiations when they became aware of the emptiness of the streets. The captain hurriedly ordered the crew to form up. As they cautiously moved through the deserted streets the shadows of doorways, windows and alleyways became more menacing. Someone or something was watching them. The captain knew it.
Suddenly, the hired elf pitched over. The crew searched the darkness to the north for the source of the attack. Someone thought they had spotted the assailant and raised the hue and cry. But nothing was found.
When they returned to the elf’s body they discovered that the hired warlock they had left to guard him was dead, killed by what looked like a minor wound. The crew drew away from the corpse in fear. The elf recovered. It was most strange. Perhaps there were unknown enemies in this new land.
Post Game
Clan Pestilens successfully tweaks the Sartosan’s nose. 3 heroes gain much experience and a nice fee for killing the warlock. (The elf was the actual target, but the warlock’s death makes a better story.)
The Sartosans go on a hiring spree. (Apparently last week was
deadlier than I had thought, despite the victories.) They also
uncover another clue.

More from Von Kirst:

“Pressgang!”
The Wasted found a drinking den down in the Thieves Quarter.
Captain Higgins declared it the perfect place to gather new recruits.
In the course of their sweep they ran into a crew of belligerent Norsemen.
(Playtable) It was a very dark night, no moonlight, no streetlights.
Vision was 6", perfect to foil the Wasted's shooting advantage.
But one 3-man-hit blunderbuss shot did take out one 2-wound Marauder.


The Norse were also on a recruiting drive.
The Wasted attempted to discourage the intrusion.
Pistol and cutlass armed pirates fought against Viking axmen.
Here the Marauder leader tries to come around the back of the bar.
The Wasted try to stay within 8" to keep them from running and stay farther than 6" so as not to get charged.
Sometimes you fall down when you run in the dark.

</A>
The general melee continued until the last standing drunk was bundled off by the Wasted.
Post Game
The Wasted had recruited 4 drunks but one was roughed up a bit too much and died on them.
The Marauders had collected 3 drunks, all of which lived.
Tie game.
The Wasted press all of their drunks into service for the march
inland.
The Marauders collect a finder’s fee from the captain of a local galley.

From von Kirst:

“Assassination II”
Haroum led the Faithful through the Gate of the Leviathan into the heart of the old city. The Sons of Araby reveled in the sights of home. However, the crew stepped cautiously through the crowded streets for the enemies of home are just as deadly as foreigners.
Still when the attack came it was from a totally unexpected quarter. There was a surge in the crowd, Then two old beggar women, one of them blind, attacked Surlo Furryfoot and bin Sadaka. Surlo fell stunned, but bin Sadaka was totally incapacitated. Before Haroum could order revenge, the women disappeared back into the frightened crowds.
Post Game
The Nuns of Nonnburg Abbey gained a hefty reward for their attack on the Arabyans. They also discovered a clue to help them on their quest. Without bin Sadaka the Faithful had less success with their trading, but they were still able to secure several rare items and 2 new recruits to fill out the expedition.

from Von Kirst:

“Fancy Meetin’ YOU ‘Ere I”
Flushed with success the 2 bands of assassins stumbled into each other in a darkened alley in the Thieves Quarter. The Skaven ranks were fairly tipsy, while the Sisters had resisted temptation.

</A>
Once again the Nuns broke the power of Clan Pestilens. The brand new censor bearer was killed along with another hero.
(I think the Plague Priest gives the censor to the guy he hates most, ‘cause that guy is always killed shortly thereafter.)
Post Game.
All of the discussion was about the awful luck Skaven have had during the campaign.

From you-know-who

“Fancy Meetin’ YOU ‘Ere II”
Once bin Sadaka recovered from his wounds, the band was able to visit a fence in the Theives Quarter and gain more wealth. Unfortunately, drunken pagans set upon the Faithful as they set out for their lodgings. Despite their sobriety the Faithful were plagued by clumsiness in the dark streets.
</A>

Whole ranks falling over one another destroyed their initial charges.
However despite their lack of grace the Arabyans were the veterans in the fray.
</A>

The less experienced Norse were slowly cut down until only 2 remained conscious. (Not standing, conscious.)

Post Game.
Arabyans—Omar the Janissary was killed. Al Bobo was captured. All of the treasures the Norse were carrying ended up with the Arabyans.
Marauders—Nicked Al Bobo’s treasure. However the Norse Chieftan had cut his way deep into the Arabyan ranks before Senior Rufio cut him down. The Arabyans capture the Chieftan, so a swap is arranged rather than the hefty ransom that the Norse had hoped for. One Norseman takes a Deep Wound but will only miss one fight. Another suffered multiple injuries including the familiar Chest Wound, Nervous Condition, Hatred and a missed game result.

Last one for now.
Von Kirst:


“Last Orders”
The Sartosans ran into the Wasted at a dockside bar in the Merchant’s Quarter.
(Top floor)

</A>

</A>

The two crews proceeded to punch each other out and wreck the bar in the process. </A>

The Wasted’s new snake charmer sat in the courtyard and entertained late night crowds to pass the time.

In the end the Wasted ran for the exits.
Post Game.
The Wasted search for a number of rare items and loot a crate of food from the bar’s kitchen. (So much for paying their tab.)
Two of the men pressed in the Thieves Quarter escape in the confusion.
The Sartosans sound as though they emerged unscathed.

Week 7--Halftime.

The campaign is 7 weeks old. In our cycle that means that it is half over Where are we with our story?

The warbands have reached Al-Haikk. Everyone has noticed the change in the weather. (6 games without a rain storm.)

The Sartosan Pirates know a great deal about the path to Khemri. They have discovered the following clues:
#7--A rumor of a buried treasure in the Skull Sands.
#10--A map showing the location of a treasure in the Cave of the Damned. (The Wasted Privateers stole the treasure. However they were unable to decipher the next clue.)
#11--A rumor about a rival warband. (The rumor was false.)
#15--A partial map of the Great Desert detailing the area around the Pools of Despair.
#17--A rumor that allows them to play the special scenario The Battle of Al-Haikk.
#26--Another rumor that allows them to pick a specific scenario at the Pools of Despair.

The Nuns of Nonnburg have discovered one clue and hold a minor artifact from Toth Amoms tomb.
#28--A partial map of the Great Desert detailing the area around the Ruins of Bel Alaid.

The Fallen have discovered secrets about the ruling family of Al-Haikk that may aide the Undead in their quest. (Clue #20)

The Estalian Pirates (controlled by the same player as the Sartosans) have Clue #16, a rumor about the location of the Oasis of 1001 Camels.

The Arabyans followed Clue #18 to defeat at Haunted Vermunte. (The Nuns discovered the artifact instead.)

The race for the treasure nears its goal as desperate warbands trek into the vastness of the Great Desert. Soon they will wish for horses, camels and water as well as gold.

You failed to mention that the Wasted Privateers don't have a clue.

I always seen to need to search for things like henchmen, heroes, common items, Lucky Charms (finaly have 6 again). The few times I have searched I've found nothing. Prospects are looking dimm.

Week 7.5--Sundaysmearheim!
A bit of Mordheim on a holiday weekend. It was RACE DAY in Speedway IN, but we missed it.

"Guard Me Well"
Kurtis Burdau wrote this scenario originally. Its available from Mordheimer and it was re-done by the TC crew as "The Bodyguards" (TC #23). It is a multiplayer scenario, but since it fits with an urban, piratey theme, I've adapted it for a 2 player game using the TC version as a base. The idea is one warband has been hired by a merchant as guards and the other warband has been hired to kill him or deliver him to his enemies for vengeance.

The Dark Elves end up as the defender. They are outnumbered 2 to 1 by the goblins. The Elves elected to defend a long narrow hallway that we were using as a building. (Its part of an unfinished Khemri theme dungeon that Playtable started years ago.)
After the goblins deploy and advance the Dark Elves get tired of their building and some abandon it. (This hastens their doom.)
Missile fire is exchanged. (Only the DE Highborn has a missile weapon.) He elects to duel with the 8 BS4 goblin henchmen from behind a solid stone wall. He is killed by Magog's Mate Mork's Fire. Blunderbuss and throwing knives down the Cold One hounds. Then the Red Toofs start cutting on heroes. The surviving elves and the traitorous goblin git, da Leech, flee screaming.
Post Game
Da Red Banna Boyz. No one dies. Banna Boyz get rich off the bounty for the merchant's head. The exploration phase is lost as they try to find someone in the Black Market who will trade with goblins and fail.
Dark Elfs. Almost half die. Not good when all you have is 6 heroes and 2 Hounds. They lose the Highborn Ezbat Darkeye. Fell Blade, Windmaker, died as well. A Cold One hound that had not moved for its last fight because of its penchant for drooling was caught in a blunderbuss blast and died of its wounds.

"Last Orders"
Og likes his likker and the ladz don't argue. There was no Blow Hole in the Thieves Quarter so Og was some put out. End up in this dark, windowless dive, Og likes it. Except it had an ELF infestation. Sorted that. Killa got throwed out right away 'cause the git try to keep his elf-sticka. Og apologize for Killa's lack of manners while giving up his choppa. Da ladz fill a couple of boxes with hidden weapons. Then the ladz circulate through the crowd kinda sneaky like. Try to find that git da Leech. Gee Haad forget to be sneaky and start a scrap with elf. Elf break Gee Haad's zoggin neck. Big scrap break out. Goblin start throwing bottles. Ding ol' Beast-Luver. Duff up those pointy ears pretty good.
Leech and the pointy ear duppy doxie fort up in a corner room. Goblins have a giggle about that. Hur! Try to kick in door. Break door down. Nobody in room! Tricksy elfsies scram out the back!
Post Game
Da Banna Boyz spend a bit o' gold on replacing ol' Gee Haad. Find Black Market and buy a Rabbit Foot for Og.
Efls--No one dies. Elfs don't make much cash so they hire a Shade off the docks. Then they hit the bazaars searching for information about Toth Amon. They find clue #29 (#8 on the Al-Haikk table.)

"Assassination III"
Word get out that the 'hit' is on for da Red Banna Boyz. Og don't know who his enemy is. Them Estalian gits? Pointy ears? Dat git merchant wit no head? Na, can't be that git, he got no head! Don't matter. Og sneak out of town. Hur! Got to cross through the old temple district. Nothing there but abandoned humie gods. Duppy all the same.
Dark night. Shadow everywhere. Og no like. Magog call on Mate Gork. Move the ladz along. Couple of them shadow is Elf! The ladz duff them elf up. Hur! Still get all spread out like that, the ladz get fractious. No good. Start scrappin with each other. Sometimes get a little carried away. Like da Red Toofs. Don't diss da Red Toofs. Red Toofs cut a couple of gits bad.
All of a sudden old Beast-Luvva show up. Start in the whippin and the cuttin. Seems a bit more focused on it then before. Not good. And the git is skippy and hoppy. Og and Spyka they empty they booma at the git. He hop and skip, no hit with booma! This bad. Lots a gits swarm around the Beast-Luvva. He cut them down.
Da ladz start gettin nervous. Og can tell 'cause they backing away faster than Og. Og say "he only one git! Kill 'im!" Of course Og running for the Old Temple Gate while he say this.
Dark Elfs win their first game.
Post Game
Dark Elf--Windbreaker II dies. Elf spend all their gold on recruiting another Fell Blade. Get lucky and find clue #31 too.
Da Banna Boyz legged it but they hit the jackpot for killin elfs. Slyca and al Gobo git rubbed out though, so the ladz spend a bit of coin on new hires.

“Defend the …”

By Von Kurst

This game started out as a Defend the Oasis and then mutated into a multi-player version of Defend the Find.
(Which didn't work at all!)
The Undead set up 12" in...(The Freiendly flag is not friendly in this game.)
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The Wasted Privateers set up.
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Which meant the 3 players set up their models, Skeptic (Undead) moved once,
as did 2 lions that came from the edge of the board.
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The Plague Monks couldn’t reduce his numbers and the game was over. (Yawn.) I’m not sure if the Wasted even moved. I’m told 2 random lions did appear, but the game ended before it encountered any victims.

Post Game

Everyone made money and the vampire killed a giant rat. All of the participants encountered the Unscrupulous Merchant.

“Treasure Hunt”

by EvilTed

The 3 winning warbands all converged on a ruined tomb deep in the desert. Sadly for the Sartosans the sun had gone down before they reached the tomb.

“The pistol 'umies fought in the dark mostly out of sight of da boyz. Screams were heard and roars of anger from unknown assailants. As the ladz advanced the 'umies disappeared. Soon the fog rolled into the desert night air as ded' fings shambled across the sands.
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Sartosans get pummeled in the dark.
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One large and sturdy ogre and a va......... vamp...vampire dug into da ladz.
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When the dust settled and the ladz were able to retreat from the skirmish, the tally was grim. Of the 7 treasures available in this treasure hunt, none were claimed by da ladz or da shooty 'umies. 4 choppa ladz died, 2 of gooba's ladz died but Gooba did not, Gooba's squigz died, all two of dem, and Dragga da Newer died too. Da odd fing, Dragga walked off towards the ded fings even though we were sure he was ded.

Of the lots of ladz we had (18) only 9 survived.”

Post Game.
The Sartosans were heard from no more.
The Cracked Moons were driven blindly into the desert and became lost.
The Fallen become very rich and retire toward Al-Haikk to spend their gold. Minotauro the “Ogre” is reported killed by orcs. The Fallen allow they can afford a replacement

“Horse Thieves I”
By Von Kurst

The Marauders and the Plague Monks both discovered a group of Turjuks and their horse herd sheltered within a bowl of sand dunes.
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The Marauders decided to attempt to cut the herd during the daylight to deny the Skaven any advantage. The rats stampeded the herd into the startled Marauders by picking a Turjuk off with a slingstone.
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The Marauders avoided the maddened horses for the most part. The Turjuks were unhorsed and killed, as were many of the horses since wolves and giant rats have a hard time with the concept of capturing prey. (One warhorse stood surrounded by the bodies of downed wolves before being overwhelmed.)

The Marauders captured the most horses and held the field.

Post Game.
Plague Monks—Another initiate becomes a hero and is given the cursed Censor to bear for the rest of its short life. The Monks only capture one horse alive due to the ravenous giant rats.

Marauders—Capture 3 horses alive, one of whom may have been the valiant wolf killing warhorse. They strip the meat from the fallen horses and gather their growing herd and ride for Al-Haikk to re-supply.

“Horse Thieves II”
By Von Kurst

Haroum staggered under the unrelenting sun. Short weeks ago he had cursed the endless rain of Sartosa’s southern coast. Now he longed for a drop of water. The men rode east toward the still elusive oasis. They were fewer in number now and with the loss of the excellent Master Furryfoot, their simple camp fare had grown tasteless and bland. Still their spirits perked up when the scouts reported a group of nomad herders ahead.

No one suggested that they trade with the nomads, instead with the bloodthirsty zest of their own nomad ancestors, the crew plotted to steal the distant herd. Their mounts were in no shape for a running fight so the smugglers dismounted to attack on foot. The plan was to work around the nomads and attack from all sides. The plan never developed. One of the crew took one look at the scattered herd and recognized his ancient tribal enemies, the hated Turjuk.
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The ambush dissolved into a chaotic mess.
The horse herd stampeded as the first guard fell. The stampede thundered away from the Arabyan sailors and revealed that some infidels had also been plotting to steal this herd.
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The Faithful hardly had time to consider the infidels. Two of the Turjuks charged McFusson and a general melee ensued.
Men struggled in the heat and dust. Panicked horses ran in several directions.
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The Wasted Privateers fight a mounted guard and another one who's mount got spooked and left him.
(These nomad horse hearders are darned thin!!!)
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The Wasted had a small cannon that added it's thunder to the chaos.
As the Arabyans jogged forward past the bodies of the guards the Wasted met them with leaden gales of gunfire. The charging infidel pirates followed hard on the volleys of grapeshot overwhelming those who survived.
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Post Game.

The Wasted capture 2 of the Faithful and 1 Turjuk, they also capture 3 horses. All of their fallen warriors and snakes fully recover. (The Wasted hired a Snake Charmer awhile back. One of the snakes appeared crushed by the stampede, but it got better.) Once again they encounter the Unscrupulous One (he gets around, he does).

The Arabyans captured 2 Arabyan Steeds and 2 Turjuk guards. Another veteran Janissary dies. Their headlong flight into the desert disorients even the Ancient, McFusson, who had to be carried unconscious from the field. Haroum and his crew are well and truly lost, although bin Sadaka’s studies of the ancients finally bear fruit. Amid the desiccated remains of another lost warband the Merchant discovers a map of the territory surrounding the Oasis. (Clue #40) The expedition continues.

Aftermath.
The Cracked Moons and the Arabyans are lost in the desert. Despite their respective reversals both warbands have significant reserves of wealth. The Cracked Moons murdered a Revered Cleric of the One and stole his Holy Tome.
The Arabyans have 2 Arabyan Steeds.
Both warbands will suffer from Dehydration in their next game.

The Wasted are trading with the Unscrupulous Merchant somewhere near the Oasis of 1001 Camels. They remain clueless but have a small horse herd.

The Fallen and the Marauders returned to Al Haikk to spend their wealth.

The Plague Monks and the Sartosans have not reported their current location. Scouts are searching the desert for word.
Edit: The Sartosans are lost in the desert as well.

Only the Arabyans and the Plague Monks failed to find a trail to the Ruins of Bel Alaid by winning a game. The Sartosans already have a map to take them to the Pools of Despair and beyond.

8.5 Sundayheim in Indianapolis.
EvilTed stopped by to give his nearly massacred warband a fresh start. His lads emerged from the deep desert little worse for wear. None were bothered by dehydration. (All warriors passed their toughness tests, even the goblin.)

"The Caravan"
Ever since I saw "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" I've liked the idea of the mule train being ambushed at the narrow pass. Of course sometimes mules become camels...

Og.
Og could hear them long before he could see them. Someone had an impressive command of the profane, the obscene and above all the angry use of the orcish, Imperial and Arabyan tongues. Og was trying to remember as many of the more inventive curses as he could for motivational talks to the crew later.

The Bliddy Red Banna Boyz had spotted the humie column a couple of days ago. Og had force marched the ladz ahead to these hills, clever-like, to surprise the humies. Now the slow moving gits had finally arrived at the killing ground. A damn good thing too, the ladz were getting antsy waiting under the hot sun. Og would have hit them last night but as they were getting ready to move out the goblins heard a big hullabaloo from the humie camp. Magog, he decide the omens bad.

With much cursing and bawling the caravan rounded the bend and moved into the narrows of the trail. Og squinted his eyes against the glare. Something was not right.
"Kap'n! Kap'n yer Great Bossness!" A git was tugging on Og's gold braid.

"Git yer paws off! Ize kill ye!" Og growled quiet like as he watched the big humie drag the stubborn camel closer. Mork's Big Toof, that humie was huge! Bigger than old Rippa Jak over there. And Ripper a right big orc.

"O Mork! O Kap'n Sur! Der a big zoggin' bug comin' fer uz!"

Og couldn't concentrate. He grabbed his choppa and turned on the git figuring to kill him quick and quiet like, so he could get back to the ambush.

"Zoggin' 'Ells!" Og screamed. "Wot in Mork's Stinkin Green Dung iz dat!" There was a big damn bug-fing right over there! Waving big clacky claws at him, it was! Og pushed the whiny git at it, backed up a bit and grabbed his bow.

"Rub it out, ye poxed lubbers!" The world went mad around him.

Later that evening, Og in a reflective mood. Scorpion not too bad when there lots of it. Camel, camel good eats, too. Taste kinda funny, good. Even some tough orc. Stringy. Killa he say, heart his. His kill. Every damn thing Killa's kill. Hope the git choke! Killa in a mood but he back up, Rippa Jak claim heart of scorpion. Or what might of been the heart. Kinda hard to tell, scorpion. Even that damn big.

Magog say them orc, they da Cracked Moons, them. Tough damn bastids. Not as many of them as Og had heard. Would a been a harder scrap, they more. Walk right into the arras, them. 5, 10 arra stickin in them, every which way. Hur! Hacka, if that big git was Hacka, he shot full of arra. Keep coming. Good thing Hacka decide to fight Magog, Todder, them. Og, he'd a rub that Hacka out, Hacka fight Og! Hur!

Post Battle.
Bliddy Red Banna Boyz win. (Cracked Moons fail their first rout test. Hur!)
Most of the damn camels run away but one got itself killed. So the Banna Boyz get some loot. All of the goblin wounded recover.
Cracked Moons--one of them boyz dies. Killa might've stuck him. Or one of his own may have hacked him down in a temper. "Ded iz ded." Og say. Shaman git take Deep Wound, miss a game.
Both warbands end up returning to Al-Haikk to trade. Og get some Nomad Robes. Look like Alee Bahbla. Hur!

"Desert Skirmish"
The Bliddy Red Banna Boyz run into them Estalian humies again. Been awhile. This time the Boyz try sneaking up on 'em in the dark. Run right into another big damn scorpion. Magog burn it with Mate Mork's fire. Og put a nice lucky arra in it. Damn thing blunder off into the night. Run right through the humie camp. Ruin surprise again. Still it meant there were fewer humies.

Humies still got them traitor gits, Noob and Jaf'r. Uppity basidids all of them. This humie git kill old Wassis Whossis (he was new). Killa and the ladz rub that doxie out. Humies leg it out of there. Hur!

Post Game.
The Bliddy Red Banna Boyz find themselves some pilgrims. Og kills 'em all. Take they stuff, sell to the Unscrupulous Merchant. Merchant buy, but no want to dicker. Og got no time for this. Don't buy nothing.
The Estalians lose a Mate named Marsha. One of the crew get promoted, get a bit uppity and challenge the el Capitain by the code. Capitain shoot at him, miss. Git shoot back, miss. Captain runs over, hits him with the butt of the pistol. Settles that. Git go stupid. Hur!
Estalians make it back to Al-Haikk to trade.