Our GM for this game (actually the guy running the campaign) wrote on the Yahoo HOA group;
"Well, we fought the first battle in our Darkest Africa Rules for
Expeditons (DARE) campaign last night.
Phew! What a great game it was as Sukram the Arab Slaver fought off
wave after wave of the screaming Nektia Tribe, desperate to protect
Der Dimaryd (the Red Pyramid, so called because of it's beauty
reflecting the rays of the setting sun).
Sukram (alias Marcus), had been serenely sailing upstream on the
Gnidniw River, when he spotted Der Dimaryd. Always with a nose for
plunder, he alighted with his followers to rummage the edifice when
he was surprised.
Chief Leifitalone, head of the Nektia Tribe (played by the fierce
Jon), had been gathering the local warriors to oppose the Arab
caravan, when news reached him of the violation of Der Dimaryd. To
add further to his anxiety, he had just days before secreted an
ancient and revered relic among the ruins of the pyramid. King
Niftie's Stool – a local museum piece that had assumed the status of
a shrine among the Nektia was now, unwittingly in the Arab's path,
and in danger of discovery. Seething with righteous anger, he stormed
to the site to surprise Sukram in an early morning raid.
Sukram, alerted by his scouts of the presence of the Nektia, hastily
summoned the rest of his force from the River to join him at the
Pyramid, they arrived in dribs and drabs throughout the action.
Chief Leifitalone urged his warriors along the narrow paths, between
the dense thickets of elephant grass. He had the foresight to throw
out flanking forces of musket armed tribesmen, though these were
delayed by the thick vegetation surrounding the pyramid.
Sukram hastily formed his men in to a defensive circle around the
pyramid, with his bodyguard of swordsmen in the centre. Just in time!
The Nektia warriors poured down the track towards the pyramid, and
were met with a ragged volley from the bodyguard who managed to drop a couple of unfortunates. Within moments the screaming tribesmen were upon the Arabs and a confusing fight sprawled around the base of the pyramid. More and more Nektia slipped from the fringes of the elephant grass to attack the caravan and the fight crept ever outwards towards the flanks where rival musketeers and Askari took pot-shots at one another. The tension became almost unbearable as the fight swirled at the feet of the pyramid, now red with things other than the sun's rays.
Meanwhile, Snook - a Nektia witch-doctor, had slipped behind the
melee to check on King Nifite's Stool – all was well, it was
undisturbed. The fight wore on, as the sun approached and passed it's zenith.
Then, as the last of the day's rays smote the walls of the pyramid
and turned it's surface crimson once more, the Nektia were broken.
Sukram's reinforcements began to arrive, which finally gained him the
upper hand and threw back the tribesmen.
As evening approached, Sukram, though shaken, could congratulate
himself on the outcome. He had captured several Nektia spearmen who
would gain a good price on the auction block in Zanzibar, and nervous
locals were already gingerly approaching his camp with tokens of
tribute.
For his part, Chief Leafitalone slunk back into the dark, dripping
jungles to lick his wounds and console himself with his concubine
Orulgoblind. "Never mind", he was heard to say, "there will be
thousands more of us tomorrow."
I've placed a few photo's in the DARE (In the Heart of Africa Yahoo group) album for those interested.
Thanks, Svend."
Hopefully I will be able to post some more pics later today.
29 November 2006, 09:31:04 AM