"Never trust anyone on the Frontier" an ...epic NWF Campaign

[Mad Guru]

ACTION AT MALAKAND -- JULY 23rd, 1890

We pick up the story of Sgt. Crood, Dirka Grim, & the other Chakdara Outpost survivors where it left off, with Detachmental Bhisti Dirka Grim having just alerted the nearby 9th Gurkhas to their presence on the far side of Malakand Pass...

TURN 1

Sgt. Crood & his 4 men move towards the Pass, Dirka Grim moving to rejoin them en route…



9th Gurkhas advance through the Pass to secure the route for the returning Yorks & Lancs...



Suddenly Sgt. Crood & Co. are CHARGED from the rear by a clan of sword-&-shield-armed Ghazis (20 figs) who were hiding in the rocks at the North end of the Pass…



At the start of the FIRE PHASE a BLACK CARD is drawn and a clan of Pathan Tribesmen (20 figs, 10 w/rifles) pop out of hiding in the scrub-brush along the East bank of the Swat River and FIRE at them from across the river…



The 10 Pathan rifles inflict 1 WIA on their Class II “Open Order” targets...



The 4 remaining British rifles fire back at their Class III “Rough Terrain” targets and also inflict 1 WIA...





The Gurkhas atop Malakand Pass pepper the charging Ghazis with FIRE, scoring 1 WIA + 1 KIA (total 2 casualties)...



MELEE PHASE:

The Ghazis roll to “Close Into Combat” & pass their morale check...

The Brits roll to “Stand & Fight” & also pass...

Melee is joined -- 5 Brits vs. 18 Ghazis...





Brits suffer 2 WIA, 1 KIA, 3 Fall Backs - incl. Sgt. Crood + Dirka Grim (running total 4 casualties)

Ghazis suffer 2 WIA, 1 KIA (running total 5 casualties)

British LOSE the melee and retreat 6”...

Ghazis WIN the melee and occupy enemy’s former position...



TURN 2
 
RED MOVEMENT CARD is flipped first.  Gurkhas atop Malakand Pass CHARGE down at the Ghazis.  Gurkhas roll 4 movement dice & resulting 19 pips/inches allows 12 of them to reach the Ghazis & potentially engage them in melee.

Ghazis attempt to countercharge -- to do so they must first pass Critical Morale check using 2 x D6.  As per the Holy Text (aka: TSATF) low morale die-rolls are good, but the Ghazis roll 12 -- an utter fail which forces them to remain in place.



The Pathans across the river fire at the Gurkhas as they charge thru the pass down at the Ghazis and score 2 HITS: 2 x WIA...



MELEE PHASE:
 
In the D6 roll-offs "Charing Gurkhas" get the "Win Ties" modifier; for the FIRST ROUND OF MELEE ONLY they also get +1 modifier for being on higher ground...





The Gurkhas carve up the Ghazis and WIN the melee, suffering 1 WIA, 1 KIA (running total 4 casualties), while the Ghazis LOSE, suffering 4 WIA, 6 KIA, (running total of 15 casualties).



The surviving Ghazi "Fall Backs" now ROUTE 6" to their rear…



TURN 3:
 
British RED MOVEMENT CARD flipped first, GURKHAS move to take up a firing position on the routing Ghazis who are headed for cover in the rocky rough terrain.  The Routing GHAZIS move 16” into the rocky ROUGH TERRAIN (In the One True Text AKA: TSATF,  Native forces suffer no movement penalty in Rough Terrain)...



The Gurkhas fire at routing Ghazis – land 5 hits on 1-4 CLASS III Rough Terrain targets, 2 WIA, 3 KIA, wiping out remaining Ghazis (final total 20 casualties)...



TURN 4

Gurkhas move to take a firing position on the Pathan Tribesmen across the river; the Pathans remain in place in the scrub-brush Rough Terrain...

FIRE PHASE:
 
RED card drawn first (on this day the cards seemed to favor the Farangis); Gurkhas FIRE on Pathans, score 1 x Rifleman WIA; 3 x Swordsmen WIA; the remaining 8 Pathan Rifles FIRE back at the Gurkhas: score 2 x hits - Gurkha LDR WIA, 1 x Gurkha rifleman WIA (running total 6 casualties)...





TURN 5
 
BLACK Pathan movement card flipped first (FINALLY the Baraka swings to the Faithful!) -- the Pathans decide discretion is the better part of valor, DISAPPEAR INTO THE SCRUB-BRUSH & move off the table, ending the fight...



After the Pathans withdraw, the Gurkhas stand fast as Sgt. Crood, Dirka Grim & Co. head over the Pass...





At the crest it's not just the village of Dargai visible below, but also the newly-erected cantonments of 1st Brigade Peshawar Field Force...










Sgt. Crood & Co. are met by a detachment of 23rd Sikh Pioneers, Dhoolies for the wounded, and a Troop of 12th Bengal Cavalry, who escort them to the Cantonments...







All of this is keenly watched by an Officer & NCO of 92nd Gordon Highlanders on watch atop one of the Guard Towers as the Union Jack snaps in the wind behind them...





...And also by a sharp pair of eyes beneath a familiar BLUE TURBAN belonging to none other than MAYANK JAN, "True Son  & Loyal Devotee of Sarban Khan the Light of the Yusufzais, Defender of the Faithful, Enemy of Infidels" -- who appears to have decamped from Peshawar city & followed in the wake of 1st Brigade, Peshawar Field Force...

[giorgio]

Dear Reader, today you can find the Saturday illustrated insert with main gossip from the Frontier. The military situation is  in a stalemate. Davenport is happy that Fullerton returned with almost all the column, Simmons is packing his goods ready to give a warm welcome to the new General  Sir John Percival "Mandrake" Aubrey-Smith,  Chitralis are still sieging our boys in the fort, Black Mountain is pacified after the death of Sikander khan and from Swat columns are ready to support Gen Mc Guinness to recover Chitral.
But today it is time to enjoy our Week end illustrated insert with numerous interesting articles of fashion, culture, sport… and gossip of course. In this issue you’ll find all this and much more!
yours faithfully
Reginald Winkie

[Mad Guru]

SHOCKING READERSHIP ACROSS THE FRONTIER…

Unlikely as it seems, we have learned that one of the most faithful readers of Reginald Winkie and the Peshawar Tribune is none other than the Mad Guru himself!

In this brief series of Silver Prints from the studio of Kodak Effendi (one of Turkey's first Itinerant Photographers) the legendary or notorious (depending on your point of view) spiritual figure is pictured having the latest edition of said periodical read aloud to him at one of his favorite spots: the "Garden of Martyrs Cemetery" near Chakdara.

In tumultuous times such as our late 19th Century, we hope these images will serve to remind us that while matters such as conquest and rebellion (or wargame rules preference) may kindle harsh conflict, other things can bring us together -- if only for long enough to enjoy a diverting gossip column or a piece of bold sporting news...

[MaleGriffin]

This keeps getting better and better! I'm inspired to work on my NWF stuff~

[LordSpode1879]

I am just loving this thread.... . All the contributions are top notch and so inspirational!

My thanks to all involved!

[giorgio]

Dawn of a new day, Khurd Kabul pass is dominating the rocky dusty landscape; a long caravan is approaching from Kabul.
“ Mustafa now is the moment, follow me”
“Muletail, ooohm I mean Hussein, are you crazy? Half a dozen against all those Pashtuns?”
“Not against, my friend, hide your tulwars and look”
The old caravan bashi is leading the long row of animals and afghans.

“The Old Rule blessing upon you, young boys. We are going in peace and in peace we want remain, but we will not hesitate to show you that we can be as dangerous as wolfs”
Muletail thought “yes but if you can be wolfs, I can be as lethal as a waziri panther or as foxy like a snake”
“The old Ruler be with you, wise Bashi, we are just Bunelwars pilgrims returning to our homes. In peace we came and in peace we go”

“Good, I heard that many Bunewairs were accepting the false rules, abominable ones” said the old Afridis spitting aside.
“you are right my brother, many have deviated and we devoted to the True Words must be very careful, they are even starting to prosecute us”
“yes bad time, but it is not wise to walk alone, join our caravan and we’ll give you a good company up to Jalalabad.”

“thank you brother, may the Merciful Ruler give you joy and happiness and accept you in his Paradise!” yes the Paradise of the heretics… thought Muletail and then loudly:
“Well friends let’s accept the generous offer and join these brothers in faith”, then whispered
“See Mustafa, mixed with these well known merchants nobody investigate when we will arrive to cross the pass, you see the panther can be a fox!”
“A snake my friend, a snake”

At the pass some Afridis sentinels are patrolling the entry.

“Muhammad old Kabuli, where are you going with all these goods?”
“Rashim, young jackall, you want to kid me. These goods are just poor things of an old poor man. Since the Ferenghees looting and destroying all Spinwam lands, my business is ruined. I will end my days asking for a sip of water and a spoon of chickpeas to merciful pilgrims”-
“Old snake, every time you have an excuse for not paying for our protection. But this time you could do me a greater present. We are looking for some khafiris who are trying to return to Waziristan. They were going Southward and you may have known something about them”
“No we are all good faithful Afridis plus a bunch of Bunerwals who have remained loyal to the True Rule and are returning to their land”

“Ok but keep your eyes and ears ready to detect any information. You know Umra can be very generous. Or very ruthless!
“Thank you, if I hear something I’ll report, I promise”

“Now go with the Ruler and may your camels have a +2 in difficult terrains”
“May the Almighty Ruler give you eagle eyes to detect the heretics and get the retribution for them”

Hidden among the camels Muletail aka Hussein and his friend Abdul Kareem aka Mustafa with their Bunerwals friends go on towards Jalalabad.

[Tom Dulski]

EPIC!

[Umra Khan]

Peshawar, a maze of squares, alleys, courtyards, palaces, temples where an immense mass of people move ... Pashtuns, Sikhs, Punjabi, Arabs, Muslims, Bengalis, Hindus, Afghans ... among many busy people screaming they bargain...



... Zibbib Khan also moves, trader of horses, mules, camels ... weapons. Zibbib Khan wants to go unnoticed, he moves through the alleys in the shadows, his goal is the carpet shop of Ibrahim Dast ...



"Ibrahim may Allah protect you ... I need information from you who know everything that happens on the Frontier"


"Hosoor that Allah has mercy on your enemies, your visit worries me, you are the bringer of death ... what does Zibbib Khan want to know from a poor old man that he does not already know?"


"Ibrahim I heard that there is a caravan that left Kabul with a particular load, two young panthers, my clients will pay me very well ... 50,000 Rupees for the Red Panther and 25,000 for the other ... You surely know something about it ... "


"Zibbib Khan what are you going to do to these two young panthers?"


"Ibrahim old flea do not ask questions ... I do not ask my clients, what do you know about these two travelers?"


"Allah protect me from your anger Zibbib ... I have heard from some Bashi who passed here in recent days that two young men are traveling in a caravan with some pestiferous Bunerwals ... followers of the False Rule, look for the black men and you will find your prey"



"Thank you Ibrahim may Allah make you find another young wife and money to feed her "


"Go Hosoor, go your own way and don't say you saw me ... here in Peshawar even the walls have ears, the believers in the False Rule Book are everywhere."


Zibbib Khan walks away from the carpet shop and dives back into the dark alleys of the City of Flowers ... now he has some information to provide to his Clients ... this is the Great Game, on the Frontier there is not a single truth and he knows how to tell them all ....."

[giorgio]

The last lights of the day shows Jalalabad in all its beauty, down in the valley, few walking hours only.

“Mustafa look our journey to Jalalabad is ending. Thank you old Bisha, we have to thank you again for your hospitality. “said Muletail aka Hussein. 
Mustafa “Yes Hussein, and especially for those delicious tamarind pancakes”
“ahah it is a duty of the pious devotee to help pilgrims like you. I’m sorry that our caravan will deviate towards SpimWam while you aim to Khyber Pass and from there to Peshawar and then to Buner. May the Holy Ruler bless your path and provide a plus one to your tulwars. Unfortunately, where I go we’ll find destruction and bankruptcy, but with the help of the Ruler I hope to arrange some little business to provide a warm dinner to my old bones”.
“Thank you old Muhammad- said Hussein - may the Ruler help your business and double your profits. You have no idea how much you were precious for us”
Mustafa. “can we have a last dinner before leaving the caravan? It is not for the tamarind pancakes, I liked also rice and dry fish…”
“Don’t worry my friend Mustafa, Jalalabad is home to a large number of fruits. Various types of citrus fruits like orange, tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, lime. The orange narindj has yellow skin and its taste is a combination of orange and grapefruit. And the grapefruits grown here have a diameter up to nine inches. We’ll buy these fruits in local markets with a local variety of sugarcane, the vatani , full of sugar. We’ll made a big supply to last up to Peshawar”
“yes, but before leaving we’ll celebrate the safe end of this journey with a great party and exhibitions of our tribal dance and all of you are invited to attend or to dance if you like. And by the way there will be a large distribution of tamarind pancakes” said Muhammad blinking to Mustafa.
“I’m volunteering for dancing!” exploded Abdul Kareem aka Mustafa in a cascade of laughter.

Few hours later in the astonishing Jalalabad.
“Mustafa stop to indicate every attraction, or we’ll be noticed, is the fourth time you want to pass in front of these shops and every time you buy more fruits”
“ ’Cause I’m provident and I don’t want surprise before arriving into Peshawar”


“Now stop it and let’s prepare to go to Buner. We will change our tunics to have a look more “Bunerwals” like and include also some tulwars under the clothes.
 
“It is late, hurry up”
“I can’t hide my scimitar, Hussein”

 “I told you only tulwars, now let’s go. We must leave the town before evening”

Follow me and try to mix with other merchants, Mustafa the city gates are in that direction, stop eating oranges!”

Few hours late, leaving Jalalabad
“My friends we have to march all night following the banks of the river Kabul , tomorrow we’ll be in sight of Khyber pass, march and be silent”

[CPT Shanks]

Emergency Dispatch Hazara Field Force
Captain L. Gie Signal Corps
Village of Serai
BG Channers and his Political Officers taken hostage during jirga BREAK

Protection force and one signaled killed BREAK

Tower is currently burning BREAK

Pathans falling back BREAK

[giorgio]

Gentlemen, this topic was opened on June 4th and in less than 2 months and half we have overcome 10.000 views with more than 200 replies.
We have constituted a bunch of friends, 5 are actual players, 10 have provided occasionally some hints, many others have provided positive feedbacks privately, all messages to encourage and push the development of stories and AARs.
I want to remind everyone that this club is open to new players, provided they want to actively participate with the right attitude, and there are many interesting tribes still waiting for their Khans to fight for the True Rule, whatever you will decide is the right one.
Only limit is an yearly subscription to Peshawar Tribune that you can manage directly with Mr Reginald Winkie. The subscription will provide different benefits: not only you can have a direct and trusty view of what is happening at the Frontier with different point of views and interviews to multiple characters, but also you will gain many discount by our Sponsors, who made all this possible.
At this point I want to thanks all of them:
•   Guns and guns – Edinborough - the rifles for the discerning khan;

•   Tulwar Rizah and you know what you are knifing;

•   Stop buying new ammo: with Alì Hussein’s hammers reshape the stolen cartridges;

•   Hashad’s camels: new and used sale. The best carrier in town;

•   Amindullah's the mules for all ground;

•   The reign of the carpet: in Peshawar carpets are only at Ibrahim Dast's, fly safe with Ibrahim's carpets;

•   Anglez fired your house? No issue: Sikander Brothers building materials are available at discounted prices;

•   Parties, ceremonies, processions? to remember the best moment ... Kodak Effendi, Photograph shop;

•   Mustafa's Food & Beverage the best mutton on earth;

•   Ali Murtaz and Ali Yussuf’s: Pistols, Guns and Grenades splendid reproductions. Darra Adam Khel Kohat Road n. 145;

•   For your daughter’s best day only the best: give her an extraordinary wedding In Rajasthan with Ahmed’s travel and rifles, the event not for all the tribes!

Last but not least I would get the chance to get your feedback, please post your opinion if you’d prefer more battles or characters histories, preferred heroes (but I have to warn you that answers not including Muletail will be erased), summary maps, more summary of armies situation , new characters you’d like to meet, more/less Peshawar Tribune articles, inserts etc and all you want to add, included congrats Mulehead you deserve to became Khan of all Punjab! (especially this last one… ).
That's all folks and looking forward to meeting you at next posts!

[Mad Guru]

URGENT SIGNALS

Early morning August 1st, 1890...



The sun rises over the Malakand Pass, and Captain Carey's Signal Section stationed on the tallest peak thereof...





They spot a FLASHING GLINT from a distant heliograph and receive the following MESSAGE:

EMERGENCY DISPATCH Hazara Field Force

Captain L. Gie, Signal Corps

Village of Serai

BG Channers and his Political Officers taken hostage during Jirga

--BREAK--

Protection force and one signaler killed

--BREAK--

Tower is currently burning

--BREAK--

Pathans falling back

--BREAK--



Captain Carey rapidly relays the message to Brigadier Gnl. Ruff-Husband, Commander 1st Brigade, Peshawar Field Force, at their Cantonments on the South side of the pass...







The Brigadier quickly consults with his staff, who cross-check their map with Google Sahib and confirm that Serai Village lies 22 miles distant on foot (as opposed to via one of those newfangled Horseless Carriages) from their present position alongside Dargai Village, as seen here...



The Brigadier dashes off his reply, entrusts it to the fastest rider in his Brigade -- Daffadar Ishar Singh, 12th Bengal Cavalry...



...who rides through the pass at whirlwind speed...



...and hands the message to Capt. Carey...



...who uses the Heliograph to send it to his counterpart at Hazara Field Force, Capt. L. Gie...



FROM: BGnl Ruff-Husband, Commander 1st Brigade Peshawar Field Force
TO: Current Commander Hazara Field Force

My brigade is 1 day's forced march from your position at Serai

--BREAK--

Request you advise immediately if you require relief

--BREAK--

[giorgio]

Dawn is rising and in the landscape Khyber Pass is emerging, terrible and full of dangerous promises.

Landi Kotal, few miles west of Khyber pass, the Sun is celebrating its triumph in this hot August 1st.
Few shadows are moving cautiously among the bushes which surround the dusty road. Some words are whispered, but in the solid silence explode like gun shots.

“Hussein please, another orange, I swear the last one”.
“Mustafa you have depleted all our reserves, we have only few fruits and we must spare them up to Peshawar…”.
“Oh oh what we have got here” said suddenly a voice from top of some rocks “Naik Amir Alì I got some fishes who was proceeding hiding behind bushes in a very suspect mood”.

“Well done Omar, another bunch of smart Pashtuns, too intelligent to pay the entry ticket, isn’t it?”said a nasty voice belonging to the pride Naik, walking in the center of the road, as if he was the Khan of all Landi Kotal surroundings.

“No most honorable Naik Sir” said Muletail aka Hussein “we are not trying to avoid paying for crossing the Khyber pass.”
“No? you seem Bunerwals, so to go home you have to cross the pass, don’t you?”said the triumphing Naik “We don’t like lairs” continued changing the mood.
In the meantime, a company of Khyber Rifles appear from nothing all around our friends looking at them with malevolent sights. Khyber rifles are halfway between real soldiers and policemen, usually hired among Afridis.

“Better get free of these gentlemen as soon as possible” thought Muletail. And remembered what told him the old bashi about the atrocities made by the feringhees.

You see brother Naik, we are Bunerwals coming from a pilgrimage to Kabul. We are followers of the True Rule and we swore to spend one season of penitence fighting for Omar the beautiful to vindicate the atrocities made by Anglez in Spimwam and there we go. You see we do not need to cross the pass and we do not want to evade the right fee”
“Mmmmh pilgrims or Bunerwals you have to pay”
“Excuse me Naik” said the first private, uneasy “It is not good taking money from pilgrims fulfilling their holy votes”

Naik knows his soldier is right but cannot admit he was wrong in front of all his men, atmosphere is becoming electrical “Well let me see inside your camels panniers.”

Inside the panniers there is also the holy flag sewed during the long nights in Kabul. It is written One True Rule, and as t is good for every faithful they obtained the help of some pious women, believing it was for the Old Rule. This time Mustafa has a smart solution
“Well brothers, no issues. We will give you the money not for the pass entry but because we want to have a good lunch with our friends. And as we cannot eat chicken and mutton until vote fulfillment, we’ll give you the money and you will eat and toast to our health!”

A second of silence than Naik smiles and all the soldiers dismiss and smile thinking how to spend the easy money.
“This is a change of program” Muletail thought“ now we cannot cross the Khyber pass and must direct southwards in direction of Bara river, we are entering deeply in Afridis lands, but it is funny: Umra is searching us from Khost to Buner while we are marching straight on within his own territory!”

Private “Naik something is strange”
Naik “What, eating free chicken and dry fish with a bowl full of free rice?” ahahah
“No I mean, do you remember my sister Anisa?”
“Ah the second one, married to an old merchant in Peshawar?”
“No not Amina, Anisa, the one who was married with our uncle Hamman, in Torwarsak”.
“Ah yes, I remember the big wedding party…”

“Naik I had a lot of cousins and friends among Bunerwals until they started to leave the True Faith, and I know very well their peculiar dialect; well those two guys, the ones in front of the group, they spoke with a strange accent, was like Bunerwals but a little bit forced and exaggerated.”
“mmmh better we speak of this with the Havildar”

[CPT Shanks]

Bebe Sahib, blessings be upon you. By now I'm sure you know of my treasured guests Channers Sahib and his envoys, alas Asmani Raja declined our invitation preferring his own company in the TorGhars perhaps he will find the lions he seeks.  As agreed to during our jirga Channers Sahib will remain my guest until such time all of the Anglez have left the TorGhar and returned to Abbottabad allowing the Hassanzais and Akazais to rule our people according to the one book TMWWBK.
Channers Sahib had these odd papers on him, at first my warriors wanted to use them for toilet paper or jezzail ball wadding but brought them to our learned scholars to interpret their true meaning. Fortunate that Channers Sahib is my honored guest for the punishment of possessing such heretical texts is blinding of the eyes. Is it the position of the Queen in Engleez to not only tell us how we should live but also how we should fight?
I await the word from my scouts telling me the last of the farenghee have left the TorGhar so I may allow my guests to return unsullied to their cantonment.
Your humble servant
Sardar Gul Akbar

[Mad Guru]

Who is this "Bebe Sahib" you speak of...?