[Argad AAR] Beltane blood

[Patrice]

This game was played on Sunday 1st May at LudOuest festival in Clohars-Carnoët (south-west Brittany). There were 3 players with simple objectives, and a GM also running the villagers.

A sub-Roman Gaulish village near the Loire estuary in the 5th century:



Kynwyl (...myself, player character) a monk who established a monastery not far from the river Loire in a previous game is trying to gain more believers in nearby areas. He arrives by boat with a few guards.





It is Beltane festival. Villagers have lit bonfires and walk their cattle between these fires to purify them.





Kynwyl is not happy to see this; but he knows that to win these silly souls, diplomacy is better than mere condemnation.

The villagers see his boat coming. After a short time it draws more curiosity than the bonfires.

Kynwyl and his men come ashore, letting three guards in the ship. He begins to talk with the village chief, a man called Arvandus (NPC). Kynwyl desperately tries to invent a Christian religious event or Holy Day that could replace Beltane but has no inspiration, he mutters a few (rather silly) suggestions mixing the names of real Holy Days. Arvandus does not seem convinced and is tired to see too many missionaries on his doorstep all the time.

Noise and moves are heard in the wood near the village. Other newcomers are approaching. An armed troop comes out of the wood, they seem sub-Roman too.



Their chief advances and says his name is Kunan, he is a British chief recently established in central Brittany, which he finds too poor so he regularly rides farther to find more wealth. He says he comes in peace, he will only take all the cattle.

The villagers refuse. The sub-Roman British chief then says he could take only half the cattle and you can keep the rest. The villagers still refuse. Kynwyl is very unhappy about all this and tries to convince everyone that fighting between Christians is a bad idea.



The British advance and seem willing to fight... The villagers decide to attack first! The British counter-charge. Kynwyn still tries to talk with both sides but nobody listens to him. Civilian villagers hastily return their cattle to the village.



Right of picture: an old woman who was playing some part in the ceremony. At one moment she waves her arms and the British seem to lose strength in the next exchange of blows.

Kynwyl sees that he cannot stop the fight. He says that he does not want to take part in it ...but also that he will not let the British enter the peaceful village, and will defend it if necessary.

The Gauls suffer casualties, Arvandus the village chief is wounded; they retreat in the village that Kynwyl is already defending.

[Patrice]

Another troop, all on foot, has been approaching since a while and appears at the end of the valley.



They are Frankish warriors led by a chief called Sigmer. Since years he has seen the Roman Empire collapsing, he was at the Catalaunian Fields, now he would like to own some lands and a workforce and to optimize their production in his own ways. He marched West, there already were too many Visigoths in the South-West, so he arrives here.



Meanwhile, the civilian villagers and their cattle hurry (as fast as they can, which is slow).



While watching the situation, Kynwyl talks with a local warrior who tells hims that a Holy man called Pelo had lived in the area and made many miracles till he was killed by raiders and buried somewhere. Kynwyl is very interested by this, a few relics of this Holy man would increase awareness of all his efforts. He would like to have a look at the place where Pelo lived, but it's outside the village and there is no time for this now.

The British decide to avoid the first wall, and walk uphill (still with their cart) in the direction of the fort.





There they see that they cannot climb inside the fort without losing too much time. The remaining Gaulish warriors fight them but are defeated, Arvandus is killed.



The British catch the cattle which were not yet inside the fort, and bring them to the lower part of the village. Seeing the Franks approaching, they decide to leave the place with their booty.





The British are going away, and the Franks have entered the other part of the village. Kynwyl the monk understands that he must think fast. With most of the village warriors killed there is no point in fighting the Franks if it can be avoided. Although he doesn't like the pagan Franks, he sees no other way than talking with them. He says to the Frankish chief that he will happily welcome them in the village and recognise him as village chief (which he has no power to do, but never mind, as the religious authority he takes responsability) if the Franks settle peacefully and let him build an oratory near the village. The Franks are happy with this, and Kynwyl hopes that with time they will convert to Christianity. The remaining villagers are not happy at all, but Kynwyl tells them that there is obviously no other choice and that anyway it's not a democracy here.

[MaleGriffin]

Absolutely fantastic! Inspiring!

[Atheling]

A lovely looking game Patrice 

[diehard]

Really nice looking table and a great AAR, not your usual dust em up and very well told. Thanks for sharing.

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

Great game and nice terrain.  I am worried that the ship might fall off the edge of the world!
This made me research Argad.  Thanks

[levied troop]

Brilliant game 

[Patrice]

Thanks. 

Inspiring!

Exchange of inspiration is what forums are for. 

not your usual dust em up

Sometimes it's good to gain an advantage without a fight  (or, in this case, after a first fight got rid of some other warriors).

I am worried that the ship might fall off the edge of the world!

Yes there was a risk. 

This made me research Argad.

You'll find that the rules are so simple that they would not fit more competitive games ...but may sometimes look complicated.  They are intended to allow RPG-minded fast moves and actions but only work if all players accept the unusual simultaneous system.

[Khusru2]

A lot of logic in the narrative, and chance taking by the priest. The game flowed well and looks a nice layout

[Pan Marek]

Great looking game, and great narrative.  But how did you put the narrative into action?
Wargame rules do fine for combat and movement.
But how did you deal with the "discussions" between the priest and others?
A dice roll?

[Patrice]

how did you deal with the "discussions" between the priest and others?
A dice roll?

We do real discussion and negociation between the players in their role (they were three player characters, "Kunan", "Sigmer", "Kynwyl") and with the GM (playing the NPC village chief "Arvandus") when characters are in contact with each other, if they want to, as in tabletop RPGs. Sometimes it's better to go out of the room a short time to do this, so other players do not hear.

Dice roll could have been used if a player character had wanted to discuss with, or to ask question to, some individual NPCs (the old witch, or some other villager, etc.) but it did not happen. In this case the rules suggest to use a smiley D6 because it's more fun, but any other die could do.

[Dolnikan]

This looks very interesting, now I will just have to find some people to try this out with!

[Pan Marek]

Patrice-
You must have a group open to touches of RPG.  My group would just devolve into unending arguments without some sort of hard and fast way of ending "discussions" between characters. 
Thanks for the ideas, though.

[Thoronde]

Stunning table! Marvelous!

[James Morris]

A terrific write up and set up. You have genuinely created a little world! Inspiring.