Al-Haikk, the City of Thieves

December will see the beginning of a new adventure in Al-Haikk.

Participants & Warbands:
Bob--Savage Orcs (Karak Azgul)
Chad--Witch Hunters
Chris--Arabyan Smugglers (Sartosa)
EvilTed--Necrachs
Harganok--Skaven
playtable--Slavers (RotC)
Rob--Skaven
Von Kurst--Arabyan Thieves (Khemri)

Introducing playtable's Khalibon Manpower Exchange, a Slavers warband from Relics of the Crusades:

The lure of Arabian Nights strikes again...OH BABY!  
Khalibon's Crew look TERRIFIC..the merry Fellow with the whip is really cool. WELL DONE, playtable!  

Here is my skaven warband - the Sewer Slinkers

The Rat Guys look SPLENDID...GREAT brushwork & color choices with some OUTSTANDING bases. The Gang will make the Battle Reports a visual treat. VERY WELL DONE!   

+1! That is one great looking warband. Looking forward to seeing them in person.

Week 1--Armed Robbery, Drunkenness and Disorderly Conduct

The Usual Suspects
Bob--Savage Orcs
Chad--Witch Hunters
Harganok--Skaven ( AKA The Sewer Slinkers)
playtable--Araby Slavers (AKA The Khalibon Manpower Exchange)
Rob--Skaven
Von Kurst--Arabyan Thieves (AKA Baba Ali's Gang of Nearly Twenty Thieves)

Fancy Meetin' YOU 'ere!
An inebriated variant of Chance Encounter



It was a wonderfully clear, warm day. Urdu the beggar weaved his way through the morning crowd.  "Almmmms!" he cried.  "Almsss fer poor, bline Urdu!"  

Urdu was blind alright, he was blind drunk without a care in the world.  His fellow citizens of the Maze ignored his cries.  The inhabitants of the Thieves Quarter were used to the sight of Urdu.  Urdu's intended audience were the fools who braved his home during the day: Merchants buying goods of dubious ownership, rich boys from the wealthier areas of the town looking for adventure, sailors looking for a bit of fun.

Urdu saw some likely candidates off to the southeast there.  Outlanders and unbelievers, if he was not mistaken.  Easy marks.  Urdu tottered closer calling his plea for alms.  The Outlanders all stopped what they were doing and watched his approach.   Suddenly an alarm began to ring in the drunken depths of Urdu's mind.  These Outlanders looked wrong.  They looked like, like... Urdu wanted another drink.  The beggar began to stumble away from his erstwhile targets tapping with his staff and mumbling.

One of the Outlanders shouted something behind him.  A hound began to bark.  More of the Outlanders were shouting.  Urdu had the impression they were shouting at him. Urdu was starting to remember what those Outlanders looked like.  They looked like...  A crossbow bolt flashed by Urdu's face.  The bolt embedded itself in someone's thigh.  There was a scream.  Some son of a diseased camel pushed Urdu off balance.  The beggar collapsed in a heap as the crowd tried to flee the square.  Urdu rolled into a ball as people stepped on him, kicked him and tripped over him.  Urdu wanted another drink badly now.

There was a moment when no one was stepping on Urdu.  The beggar chanced a look around.  All he could see were people's legs as the crowd surged back and forth.  Urdu still had his staff, but he had lost the rag that covered his eyes.  Somebody probably stole it.  Cloth fine enough to see through was hard to come by.  Urdu cursed as he levered himself up.  Something struck him hard.  Urdu looked down at the crossbow bolt in his chest.  Law, those Outlanders looked like Law.  That was it.  Laa....

Post Battle
The Nearly Twenty Thieves lost Urdu the beggar and Sala the thief killed.  Two more beggars and another thief were recruited from the slums.  A Lucky Charm was purchased for Baba Ali.

It is possible that one warhound was killed. Otherwise the Witch Hunters made lots of money and began a buying spree.
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Last Orders
Baba Ali took the gang to the Blow Hole to drown their sorrows for the loss of Sala and Urdu.  The tavern was the jewel of Al-Haikk's Smuggler's Row, thus the gang began the night in high spirits despite the somber nature of the occasion.  Just in case several of the gang members had smuggled daggers into the tavern despite the sharp eyes of the bouncers at the door.  Kasim the Knife had been stopped, searched with diligence and ejected.  Ali supposed perhaps Kasim should change his name...

Ali was about to take his table on the deck overlooking the harbor when one of the newly hired beggars rushed up the stairs.  

"Master, a tribe of savage greenskins has just entered the common room," weezed the beggar.   "There may be trouble!"

"There may indeed," said Al Bobo (there is always an Al Bobo). "Two of the louts have taken your table!"


Post Battle
Most of the orcs were on the first floor of the bar, while most of the Thieves occupied the upper floors.  The Thieves struck quickly and took out a hero and two boyz, which demoralized Bob since the orcs only have four heroes at start.  No one died.

The Thieves rousted a drunk as they left the bar, but he had no useful information.  More thieves are recruited as well as more Lucky Charms.

Illustrated reports to follow once I get them.

More Arabian Tales...OH BABY!    
I, for one, will be looking for the photographic evidence.   

The Eaters of the Dead
Photos by playtable

Snickert twitched his nose. The night smelled of sewage, decay and rot. Ambrosia! The man-thing was there, just ahead, staggering about the square braying some odd sounding noise over and over. Snickert's sensitive ears hurt. He wished he could bury his daggers in the man-thing's throat to stop the noise, but the Supreme Leader had ordered the target captured if at all possible. Snickert rolled the amulet he had been given about in his claws. He was supposed to touch the target with it, to render the man-thing harmless. The amulet looked cheap and useless, Snickert could not see how such a piece of trash would have any magical power.

Other shadows moved in the night. The Clan was in position to secure the target. Snickert heard the signal to advance. Soon the target would be surrounded by the power of Clan Eshin. Even a mad man-thing would squirt the musk of fear before such overwhelming power. Snickert bared his fangs and skuttled toward his target. He held the amulet in one paw, his dagger in another. Snickert would take no chances.

Suddenly a bright sword flashed as the man-thing began to slash the air regularly as he brayed his noise. Snikert paused. There was a new scent on the night air, no several new scents. Blood and death, the reek of a carrion eater wafted about the square. Something that ate the dead was moving in the night. There was also the scent of man, more man-things were coming. Snickert could hear the clumsy things approach from the east. Snickert looked about at his fellow skaven. Perhaps the Clan was already surrounded, they should flee! This mission was a trap.

Suddenly the target roared and rushed right at Snickert. Snickert saved the paw that held the amulet by snatching it back toward his own body as the bright sword slashed toward him. This was not the plan! The Clan was betrayed! Snickert was betrayed!

Snickert confronts the Mad Prince (right in front of the fountain). Witch Hunters rush to save the Prince.


The general melee. Ghouls can be seen lurking at the top of the photo.


In the chaos of the skirmish an old man approached the Assassin Adept, naturally the Assassin cut the fool down. Almost immediately things started to go wrong for the Assassin who now must re-roll all successful die rolls for 3 more games or find a way to lift Gino's Curse. The Skaven suffered a beating from the Mad Prince, then were hit by ghouls on the flanks and the Witch Hunters from the front. It was all too much.

Post Battle
The Skaven may have lost some henchmen of no account. It is possible Snickert suffered a permanent injury as well (his amulet was worthless).

The Witch Hunters eventually calmed the Prince and escorted him back to the palace to claim a nice reward. A Hired Sword returns a favor and other nice things happen.
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The battle between Hargarok and playtable to follow...

The Rat Guys may not be all that formidable or fortunate, but they certainly are an entertaining War Band...from a reader's perspective that is. Another FINE REPORT with COOL Photos...WELL DONE!    

Playtable and I played a scenario (cant remember the name) where his slavers had to move a chest to a waiting ship in the harbor.  The sewer slinkers had gotten wind of the find and decided to surprise the filthy humans before they could depart with their treasures.  We played during the day, normal weather while crowds of seamen, dockhands, and loose women milled about the area making for low visibility and slow movement for both warbands.  (pictures by playtable)

First couple of turns saw playtable move his ogre and some wardogs towards me while the rest of his group began foot-slogging through the crowds to the docks and the approaching ship.  I began moving my entire band across the bridges to the center ‘island’ to meet the ogre head on and chase down the rest of the slavers with the chest.  A few noteworthy events included me riling up the crowds when I took a sling shot at the ogre, my wizard getting knocked into the water for 2-3 turns, and a building bursting into flames (which other than providing a giddy VK the opportunity to use his orange flame markers, didn’t affect either warband).



Combat was centered around the ogre and wardogs trying to stall me in the middle while the rest of playtables band moved around to race toward the ship.  In short, I was able to take out a wardog, but due to both warbands being continually knocked over by the fleeing crowds, neither side could bring a full force to bear.  Rot-Gut (my rat ogre) was shot by a cannonball from the docked ship and was dealt 3 wounds, but managed to shrug off the lethal part of the blow and was only stunned.  My leader was left hanging by himself and was charged by the ogre who took him out of action in one go.  But for all playtables cunning, the rats would not be denied.  I eventually managed to sling the ogre out of action at close range and chase down the group protecting the chest carriers with giant rats and black skaven.  The game could have gone either way for a while, but when playtable missed a shot on 2 of my lined up heroes from his ships cannon (by less than an inch I might add), I was able to bring the numbers in and start taking his henchman and a couple of slaver heroes out of action.  Playtable eventually chose to rout, leaving the victory and the treasure chest to the rats.

The ogre and dogs face off to block the oncoming skaven



Sight from the ship as it sends a cannonball down the dock to smash into the rat ogre



The skaven begin chasing down the slavers carrying the treasure chest



The slavers are overwhelmed just before they can reach the docks




During the battle I lost 2 giant rats but both survived - and my leader ended up with a smashed leg so he can’t run now (dammit).  Playtable lost a dog, and I think maybe a hero died, but his ogre survived.  I rolled 5’s and 6’s for every treasure in the chest and got all of it including some cool heavy armor that I can’t drown in, a whalebone charm, a free traders badge, some gold, and an extra warpstone shard.  All in all, a good haul and a good game.

The Rats have had their day...COOL REPORT & PHOTOS!    

playtable wrote:

Nice report.
2 heroes, 2 dogs, the slave, and the ogre went OOA.
Fathi and a war dog died.
I hired Fathi's twin brother, Fathi II.
I recalculated and found I went up from 88 to 88 1/2 [warband rating].
But still shy a wardog.

Other news from Chad and Rob's battle:

Chadwicc wrote:

I lost two zealots. But I gained a flagellant hero with an extra attack, bought a Dimashqine sword for the Captain, and rolled the spell to increase our decrease the cost of an item category for the priest of Ranald.

Robperk wrote:

Nope, nobody died. One of my night runners has to sit out a game with a smashed leg and my leader has to re-roll his successes for a few games for killing that guy Gino.

Harganok wrote:

Here is my skaven warband - the Sewer Slinkers

Awesome skaven you field to battle.

I love the rat ogre. It ismy favorite skaven model.

It looks like the incarnation of pure brutality!

And I love the battle reports.

I believe you guys play as many campaigns as I play single games.

Thanks SerialMoM, Ive never painted up or played skaven, but these guys were about the quickest models I've ever done thanks to an airbrush. Really cuts down on the basecoat time. That rat ogre was done start to finish in about an hour and a half.

Week 2--The Crime Wave Continues in Al-Haikk

Perps
Bob--Savage Orcs
Chad--Witch Hunters
Chris--Araby Smugglers
Harganok--Skaven ( AKA The Sewer Slinkers)
Myth--Chaos Dwarfs
playtable--Araby Slavers (AKA The Khalibon Manpower Exchange)
Rob--Skaven
Von Kurst--Arabyan Thieves (AKA Baba Ali's Gang of Nearly Twenty Thieves)

[The following are reports from Dec 19th.  I'm a bit slow what with the Holidays and everything.]

Sirrah, Ye Lie! Part I
The Khalibon Manpower Exchange confronts the Chaos Dwarfs

playtable wrote:

Market stroll;Daytime. Clear weather.
Due to crowd knocking things down, I stayed away from the Chaos dwarfs as long as I could. After a consolidation of late comers, I attacked first. John's blunderbuss did nothing memorable.  Event: Assassin! Assassin failed to hit on first round, then got swarmed and taken OOA.  

Awesome wardog took out the bull centaur!


The ogre and a hero took out hobgoblin and a Choas Dwarf.  


Myth ran and lost all 3 henchmen.

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Sirrah, Ye Lie! (Part II)
The Arabyan Smugglers cross the Witch Hunters near the Gate of Fortune in the Arabyan Quarter.

The Watch patrolled the Bazaar heavily.  One patrol entered as a random event on the first turn.  Another group of guards rushed to the market after a fight broke out between the heathen Witch Hunters and the Sons of the Faithful.
The Hand of the Caliph fell heavily on both the Unbeliever and the Faithful.

chadwicc wrote:

Yeah, I won. I lost 2 zealots.

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Last Orders (Part I)
A large brawl between the Nearly Twenty Thieves and both Skaven warbands

Baba Ali took a deep draw on the pipe when it was passed to him.  Since he and the lads had defeated those scum of the desert, the Savage Orcs, his gang was welcome at any tavern in the Thieves' Quarter.  Tonight he had decided to visit the palatial Golden Unicorn.  Although Baba Ali had checked his weapons at the door, all of his lieutenants were armed as well as his most trusted henchmen.  The new man Salim had been searched and ejected from the tavern, but Ali felt well guarded.

Still all was not well.  Baba Ali noted that many of the kitchen staff were hunched scabrous rouges, who went hooded even indoors.  Many of tavern's patrons were of the same ilk.  Earlier a huge, cloaked giant had trod heavily up the stairs accompanied by several of the hunch-backed fellows.  Ali had sent Al Bobo to follow them.  There was something up. By the One, Ali had even seen a huge rat peering from the shadows under the stairs there.  Rats here at the Golden Unicorn!

Baba Ali, Abu the Monkey Man and a beggar are surrounded by Skaven on the ground floor.


The Beggar King (my beggar Hired Sword) bravely holds off the Rat Ogre.


Harganok's Rat Ogre herds the Nearly Twenty Thieves toward Rob's Sorcerer.


Sewer Slinkers mass in the kitchen.


Al Bobo and Kasim the Knife were blasted out of action by Warpfire.  The Nearly Twenty Thieves fled.  My impression was that the Rat Ogre went on to clear the bar for Harganok's Sewer Slinkers.

Post Battle
Al Bobo was Hardened by the Warpfire.  Kasim fully recovered.  No one died.

Robperk wrote:

Everyone lived. My hero made a full recovery.

Rob's Assassin Adept was tossed out the bar for attempting to smuggle a dagger.

Harganok wrote:

I just had all of my giant rats go OoA, but all survived.

______________________________________________________________________________
More to come...

HOORAY! More Arabian Fights!    
It's good to see you all survive Christmas...mostly.   

In my 2nd game vs. The Khalibon manpower exchange, I played very un-skaven like and met playtable in the middle for a slugfest. Not a good idea! A black skaven was killed (another was hired) and another was taken out and has to miss next game. I fled after taking a beating to plot my revenge on the wicked man-things.

Week 2 (cont'd)

Last Orders (Part II)
The Nearly Twenty Thieves rumble with the Smugglers at the NCO Club

Baba Ali threw down his tankard with a curse.  "You will pay me or my men will drive your whelps from the harbor!" he cried.

"Never!" growled the haughty Ghutani Rais. The infuriating woman strode back into the upper room.  Her startled henchmen lurched to their feet, but they were too slow.  Amra was already on his feet with his dagger drawn.  Kasim the Knife followed their Rais.

Ali gripped a bottle by the neck and smashed it against the table as one of the smugglers swung a fist into Amra's jaw.  The stunned thief flipped over the low parapet and fell off the roof. Hasam drew his dagger and slashed at the smuggler before she could turn.


The Smugglers only numbered eight warriors.  The Thirteen Thieves fell upon them with glee. Salim failed to sneak a dagger into the bar again.  
On the ground floor four Thieves faced four Smugglers, but my henchmen had daggers...


On the roof four Smugglers faced all five heroes and three armed henchmen.


Post Battle
The Smugglers fled the bar as soon as they could.  All of their casualties survived.  No Thieves were seriously injured.  A beggar became a hero. Exploration supplied the Thieves with 5 toughened leathers.  More Lucky Charms and henchmen were acquired.

Thanks Al. Playtable did a nice job the other night, eh?
______________________________________________________________________________
Skirmish (Part I)
The Witch Hunters defeated the Savage Orcs

chadwicc wrote:

I won both games. I lost a warhound. The hero flagellant got another attack, he's up to three, and a zealot is up to two, but other than that nothing happened. The war priest took a loss to his I, but got that back with an advance.

______________________________________________________________________________
Skirmish (Part II)
A deadly rematch between Harganok and playtable

The Khalibon Manpower Exchange pose before the battle.


The Sewer Slinkers deploy.


Follow the Ogre!

Harganok wrote:

In my 2nd game vs. The Khalibon Manpower Exchange, I played very un-skaven like and met playtable in the middle for a slugfest. Not a good idea!
Eekreek, a black skaven was killed. (He was replaced by his brother, Eekreek II.) Another hero was taken out and has to miss next game. I fled after taking a beating to plot my revenge on the wicked man-things.

playtable wrote:

Skirmish, daytime.
All shooting was lousy.
Battle was me castled up on center.
Lots of charges on both sides.
Rat ogre and my ogre fought for 4(?) rounds. Rat ogre lost even though he is S5.
Other HTH fights, my guys held on until help arrived and with concentrated charges I took out a lot of rats.

I lost none in 2 games.

YET MORE COOL PHOTOS...AND very few unpainted minis in sight!   

Week 3--Is Cancelled!

Due to inclement weather playtable cancelled Week 3.  Of course I never check my e-mail or Facebook so I drove on down to the Game Preserve through ice and snow.

People of Dubious Judgement
Bob--Savage Orcs
Chris--Araby Smugglers
Von Kurst--Arabyan Thieves (AKA Baba Ali's Gang of Nearly Twenty Thieves)

The Wizard's Mansion
The Smugglers (Warband Rating--137) versus the Savage Orcs (Warband Rating--140) and The Nearly Twenty Thieves (200)



The mob had rampaged through the wizard's mansion earlier in the day.  The Magus had fled or been saved by the Djinn or been stoned by the mob or... There were as many rumors as there were tongues in Al-Haikk.  The Magus had lived on the edge of the Thieves Quarter near the ruins of the Old Temple Quarter.  Naturally he was rumored to consort with evil Djinn, with the Old Gods, with the Abominations of the Outer Dark.  And quite naturally he was rumored to be rich, fabulously wealthy in fact.  The priests of the Temple of the One had preached jihad against him. The mob had come to batter down the doors.  Now scant hours later the mansion was a ruin.  Its doorways shattered, the rooms stripped bare.  Still the mob was unsophisticated, there were bound to be secret places.  Hidden treasures waiting for someone with more imagination, more experience, more right to know the mansion's secrets. Someone better able to appreciate the concealed wealth of the vanished Magus.  Someone Baba Ali thought, like himself.  Thus, long after the sun had set, the Nearly Twenty Thieves (fifteen in number) had crept through the ruined arches and entered the looted ruin.

"Shhhh!" cautioned a thief.  "Quiet, lest some nosy neighbor come to investigate."

"Sush yourself, dog!" growled Al Bobo. "I must have a light."

"No lights!" said Baba Ali. "We have the moons above and all night if we are cautious.  Patience my friend, you must have patience.  For is it not written that good things will come to those who but seek for them?"

Al Bobo growled under his breath, but kept his thoughts about seeking good things with lights to see by to himself.  Suddenly the quiet of the night was broken by the call of the wounded dove.  The thieves froze.  A trap door opened above them.  The thief, Farid, who had been on watch on the tower's roof, nearly blocked the light of the moons above as he climbed down into the room.

"Master, someone comes!" said Farid.  "From the north and from the south they come.  At least a ten of men from both sides, though the shadows of those who move from the south are those of Djinn!"

The men immediately drew weapons and moved toward the open windows.  Outside nothing could be seen but shadows.  But the sounds of a crowd moving nearer in the darkness carried on the still air.  From the south the thieves heard the sound of a body falling and an oath.

"Amra, Kasim, Mustafa! Come with me to the tower door." Baba Ali ordered. "The rest of you follow on my signal."  

As the thieves climbed down into the tower, a shrill whistle pierced the night.  "Halt thief!" cried a loud male voice.  "Halt in the name of the Caliph!" The Watch had come to the Thieves Quarter!

Post Battle
The Nearly Twenty Thieves were undone by darkness and the arrival of the Town Guard.  Oram the Beggar was captured by the Smugglers and sold as a slave. Amra the Nubian was killed by the Savage Orc Chieftain as Amra held the tower door.

The Savage Orcs fled the authority of the Watch.  A Spotta must miss a game due to an arm wound.

The Smugglers were lucky the Watch showed up nearby.  They found many valuable things including 3 doses of Mandrake Root, 3 doses of Crimson Shade and the Tome of Magic.  In addition a hired sword returns a favor.  Boo!  
No news of the fate of the warrior Oram bested in a desperate bid for freedom.  (Yes, a beggar put a Smuggler down before the curs bore Oram down with numbers.  Three Ghutani to best one beggar!)

You have my condolences, V.K.....partially for the loss, but mostly for the miserable weather. Aside from Walter O'Malley & Robert Moses, there is nothing I detest so much as snow. The report was cool nonetheless.   

Very interesting reports and great photos too !