The Scenario: Battlesystem Rules
In the second age we find much of the known world explored. Men know of three high elf (Sithi) kingdoms that grace the land, Tinquel, Ethandel, and Mesquentian. There is a rumored fourth hidden kingdom but only of lore and legend. There are seven strongholds in the mountain regions for the dwarves and nine kingdoms for men. All have thrived in the long peace. Wars fought at the beginning of the age were won by overthrowing the Storm King. Now the peace is threatened by an awakening of the minions of the Storm King. Overthrown but not destroyed he stirs in the depths of forgotten places. The Lands of the Dromor again become a land of unrest and disquiet. People who venture to close the ill-begotten fens and swamps seem to disappear. The March Wardens begin noticing the land changing and growing wilder. The borders and watchtowers are strengthened. Marauding wild beasts harass the mountain passes. Mythical beasts appear to create unease among the population. The taverns around the countryside recall wild tales of these encounters. Not all the beasts produce harm.
Only the sages have reference to a Spider Queen cult. Who would serve the dread Spider Queen? The Norns, cousins to the high elves, serve the Spider Queen. There is a book among the wizards that talk of the dark-skinned relatives. They sometimes have also been called Night Walkers, Shadow Folk, for their skin is ebony. They hate the high elves, because they sided with men and dwarves. The high elves procured the downfall of the Storm King. The wars were terrible in its cruelness and slaughter.
The Red Dragon of Belouse has made tentative agreement with the Spider Queen to bring the downfall of man. The Dragon seeing now is the time to break mankind and his allies as they fight among themselves. Remembering the slight they did him injuring him as a young dragon. He brooded for centuries as he grew in size, strength and wisdom. Sitting on his hoard, he envy’s the vast wealth the land of Arden contains. Knowing how to raise the Storm King he knew of the allies he could gather to help him in his conquest. The Red Dragon has begun the process of raising the Storm King. Ancient magic that touches the bones of the world called Earth magic. Only those magicians of great intelligence and strength of heart can manipulate these great powers. The powerful artifacts made in the first age by elves and dwarves tapped this powerful magic. One of those artifacts is located at Castle Naglimund. In a secret chamber made at the time when the elves held Naglimund, the Sword of Sorrow lies entombed within. There lies the Storm King’s Sword.
Two brothers fight for the Throne of Arden, after the death of King John III. The older brother (Prince Elias) seizes the throne that was secretly handed to the younger (Prince Joshua Lackhand). King John III died before completing the public transfer. Prince Elias had become more and more hateful captivated by the High Priest Rostern. High Priest Rostern was a necromancer in secret. Craving power of the old world, High Priest Rostern aligns himself with Prince Elias and crowns him King. King Elias wants his beloved back and his life back from that horribly tragic day. The Norns whisper into Rostern’s ear, they can show him how to raise the dead back to life. Not zombie life but back in human form. High Priest cannot resist the temptation for power. An evil pact is made. The Norns need Castle Arden to raise the Storm King. The three swords are needed to complete the ritual. Castle Naglimund holds the Sword of Sorrow. The Norn’s raised a Trolkin army and promises them all the plunder but one. The Norn army goal is only to obtain the sword.
Battle Report
The battle began in the early morning. Word came that a Trolkin Army under the command of a Giant Ogre named Thorack the Great had gathered in the Vale of Sorrows. Watching the advance for many days Prince Joshua called to arms all people who would defy King Elias and come to the rescue of Prince Joshua Lackhand, younger son of now dead King John III. The outpost was abandoned prior to the advance the Trolkin Army. Behind this army came another army. Not seen for a hundred years and whispered in stories a Sithi Army of Norns cousins to the Elves arrived like ghosts. They truly were the force behind the Trolkin Army. Coming to Joshua’s defense were King Luth and his trusted foot soldiers, crossbowmen, hand gunners, knights and wagons. A dwarven contingent from the Blue Mountains lead by Chieftain Greybard also arrived before the battle. Joshua had a steam cannon and catapults and his own men. Still the defenders were outnumbered. King Luth not one to hide behind stone walls set his wagons end to end to connect the castle to the town.
Joshua fortified the town and sent his knights forward on horseback to delay the advance of the coming army. Joshua hoped to delay the advance as long as possible before the siege set-in, hoping for more help to arrive. The knights engaged the Trolkin army. Joshua’s horse guard and King Luth’s heavy cavalry lead charge after charge disrupting and routing many goblin, orc and cavalry groups, but fell back after a Fire Wall appeared among the group killing several knights. The goblin wargs scored a devastating hit against King Luth’s exhausted knights as they fell back. The attackers could smell blood. At first dismayed by the cavalry attacks, a grizzly hurrah was shouted by the attackers when the knights were finally driven off.
The defenders marveled at the siege engines and towers dragged forward by giants of all kind. Terror was felt at the sight of the Giant Skeleton monsters pulling these engines into place. The siege engines began smashing the walls and the defenders manning the walls. The Trolkin Army moved across the front to the far left of the castle avoiding King Luth’s deployed wagon lager and steam cannons. Arriving at the town large ships of unknown origin glided into port. The attacker’s thinking it was more friends cackled in glee. The defenders ready to give up and run as the battle seemed lost. Out poured Elves, a sight unseen for 100 years. Just as shouts of dismay had been moaned the defenders saw a new chance to survive. Elves friendly to Joshua’s cause made their way to the castle. It was a needed and uplifting relief to add such allies to the mix. The men could hardly believe what they saw as figures out of stories standing at the battlement ready to support their cause. Joshua did damage as the Trolkin maneuvered across the front. In past battles the orcs, goblins and such lead uncoordinated attacks, lining up and rushing a position. Here was a coordinated attack. From the battlement we saw massive towers creaking forward. Pulled again by giants and skeletons, the men were afraid and horror-struck by the numerous giants, skeletons and monsters. As the towers rolled forward the Norns appeared. King Luth made several charges against the Trolkins and harried their progress. As the Norns came on King Luth’s men fell back to their wagon lager.
The air was tense as a pause occurred on the field. The Trolkin army began the assault on the castle with a wave of several hundred spiders. They came on and climbed straight up the wall. Fear griped the men at the wall. What madness drives these creatures? Furious fighting occurred at the wall for an hour. A hero rallied the men as the line wavered. Eventually the spiders were killed or driven off. The ladders, rams and towers rolled forward. A fireball hit a section of wall, killing many men. The commanders and heroes rallied men again and again. (Bless, Prayer, and Chant spells saved many a group of defenders).
The knights sallied forth from a secret doo r to take out the small artillery brought up on the right side of the castle. The towers clanked forward. As the largest tower reached its position and insect plague swarmed down on the tower. Many Trolkins fled the tower. The 2nd tower lowered the ramp and a devastating volley from the clerics and dwarves killed the first wave of Trolkins. The Lich conjured two earth elementals. The earth elementals made steady progress to the upper levels. The trolls and ogres manned most of the ladders and made the dash up the ladders.
At the front of the castle the 1st gate was broken thru. The lower level was overwhelmed and soon the men were falling back to the 2nd gate. The Arden Pikemen held the 2nd gate along with the dismounted knights. The League of Scrolls provided two high level mages. Several clerics from the rival faction came to bolster the defenders. Elves, dwarves and human worked together to stop the rise of the Storm King. Giant eagles swooped down and cleared the ramparts of orcs, goblins and trolls toward the end of the battle. This is where the battle ended.
Designer Notes
As game master it was fascinating to watch the reactions. There were 7 attackers each having a command and 5 defenders each having a command. The defenders had two overall commanders Prince Joshua and King Luth. This simulated those under the command in the castle and those outside the castle. The Attackers had two overall commanders Giant Ogre Thorack of the Trolkin army and the Norn Commander.
It was fascinating to hear the defenders complain of how much ground they needed to defend. They had port city that was also an avenue of escape, the land between the town and castle and the castle itself. Prince Joshua commanded the Castle. He devised the overall strategy for the coming battle. King Luth held the town and created a wagon lager connecting the town, which allowed his numerous cavalry a chance to roam the battlefield causing damage. It was a good use of the mix of men and horse for the coming battle. The cavalry provided local attack forces and the numerous artillery caused long range fire and casualties on the attacker. I had the overall commanders on each side roll dice. The winner and difference determined who would receive reinforcements and what type of reinforcement, based on a chart I drew up. The defenders won and the difference was large. At worst King Elias and part of his army could have arrived.
The defenders deployed first. The defenders moaned when they saw all the figures march on table. I had them move on grand tactically until they reached their first encounter. The attackers crying foul when the knights came out of hiding (mass invisibility) and mowed down the first advance group. When the attack petered out and a counter-attack mustered, both sides experienced elation and depression in this first battle. The catapults came up onto the hill. When the first shot hit home the wall begin to crumble the defenders cried foul. The siege engines were magically enhanced and controlled by giant skeletons. The siege engines could only shoot every 3rd turn. The artillery concentrated on the catapults and siege towers. Attackers moved to the left of the castle to avoid some cannon fire. First to attack were the giant spiders, used to pin down the archers on the rampart. When the giant spiders appeared it brought a sense of laughter from the defenders how were spiders going to attack the wall. The spiders climbed right up the wall the defenders were frantic not thinking they would be able to enter the castle.
Victory Conditions:
Defenders:
I gave them victory points for owning/losing the town, the wagon lager and Castle.
Attackers: The Trolkin Army
- Minor Victory – Ransack the town
- Victory – Drive the enemy from the field
- Major Victory – Take the Castle
- Victory – Seize the Sword of Sorrows
Order of Battles (1 figure equal 10 men/fantasy figure)
Prince Joshua’s Army
- Royal Household Men-at Arms 003 (2 commanders/1 Hero)
- English Men-at-arms 024
- English Archers 064
- 1st German Foot (Pikes) 010
King Luth’s Army
- Scot's Guards* 003 (2 commanders/1 Hero)
- French Men-at-Arms 030
- Scot's Men-at-Arms 024
- Hussite - Taborite Standard 003 (Magical standard part of the Mixed Spears unit)
- Hus - Mixed Spears, Flails, Halberdiers 128
- Hus- 4 Horse Wagon 010
- Hus - Bombard, mounted 4 horse wagon 003
Total 121
- Hammers 024
- Battleaxes 024
- Crossbows 024
- Archers 036
- Swordsmen 030
Eagles Total 012
Grand Total 373
Trolkin Army
- Ogre Thorack 01
- Evil Lich 01
- Trolkin Stone Throwers 30
- Catapults 02
- Trolkin Battle Axes 24
- Beast Riders 12
- Trolkin Clubs 15
- Earth Elementals 02
- Goblin Chariots 02
- Fire Demon 01 (Hero)
- Elephants/Riders 04
- Trolls 06
- Pterodactyls 02
- Ogres Clubs 11
- Giants 02
- Ogres Maces 13
- Ghost Monster 01 (Hero)
- Ogres Battleaxes 07
- Wolves 08
- Ogres Axes/Swords 13
- Spiders 25
Norn Army
- C-C on Snake 01
- Knight Guards 24
- Night Arrows 08
- Norn Sacred Altar 01
- Queen’s Guard 06
- Magi Assassins 27
- Norn Spearmen (Red) 21
- Norn Spearmen (Black) 18
- Norn Spearmen(R/B) 12
- Norn Crowsbow 24
- Norn Warriors 21
- Mounted Wizard 01 (Hero)
- Mounted Female 01 (Hero)
- Witch 02 (Shaman)
- Leader 01
- Catapults 02
- Skeletons 21
- Bats 16
Orc Army
- Red Orc Band 24
- Black Orc band 24
- Towering Bows 18
- Goblin warg Riders 12
- Goblin SBow 20
- Goblin Raiders 36
- Goblin Sliners 18
- Shaman 01 (Hero)
Blackbeard Dwarves
- Crosbowman 12
- Batle Axe 12
- Boar Riders 12
- Leader 01
- Cleavers 12
Grand Total Figures (Evil) = 605
The main table was 6’ x‘13’ with a 4’x 8’ added opposite the castle side.
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