The Compagnye get word of an enemy hideout further into the scorching environs of the Dijabringabeeralong Desert. Apparently, there is a gang there called The Ossies. Relatives of the Ice Heart Court and the forest folk, these Ossies are desert folk. They dress in green, like the forest folk, as they believe that the colour green reflects the heat. The Ossies reside in Walkabout Creek, almost the very centre of the island of Jhamjarhi.
In addition to being mostly uninhabited, the centre of the Dijabringabeeralong Desert is diverse, where it consists of semi-desert grassy or mountainous landscapes, xeric shrubs, salt pans, gibber deserts, red sand dunes, sandstone mesas, rocky plains, open tree savannahs and bushland with a few rivers and salt lakes, which are mostly seasonally dry and often have no outflow. Walkabout Creek is one of the very few inhabited locations and visitors here are a rarity.
Here is the table set-up, but we are really only using the right hand end, about 3’ x3’.
Here is Walkabout Creek, with the Walkabout Creek Taberna, in the centre. In the second photo, you can see Alligator Dunkeld, the proprietor of the Taberna, polishing his flagons.
The Ossies…
Here we see the Ossies set up for a raid on their hideout. Captain Priscilla, self-styled Queen of the Desert is cracking open a few tinnies with Lieutenant Bruce and Sergeant Sheila, by the taberna. The rest of the gang are on sentry duty, surrounding the Taberna.
Apropos of nothing, Old Bob Menzies (the Walkabout Creek hermit) is caught short and makes a rush for the dunny.
The scene is set for the Compagnye’s raid.
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.
The raid rules allow for stealth moves by the attacker, until discovered. This gave us plenty of time to manoeuvre into position.
In the opening turn, both Thorvald and Ilsa take out an Ossie sentry, with the assistance of Tiffany’s mark spell. Hugh wounds another.
Incensed by this outrageous and unexpected attack, Priscilla orders the Ossies forward.
Barney, Cuthbert and Lew all loosed arrows and missed! Bara hit the Queen of the Desert, but only wounded her. She regenerates at the end of the turn and is as good as new for turn 2!
Tiffany again casts her mark spell, this time on Priscilla herself. Hugh takes advantage of the spell, unleashes an arrow and kills Priscilla. At this moment, you could feel the heart going out of the enemy.
Sergeant Sheila rallies the Ossies though and the advance continues.
Bara wounds an enemy archer. Thorvald wounds another Ossie. Cuthbert shoots at Lieutenant Bruce, stuns and wounds him. Ilsa, seeing this, looses a bolt from her crossbow and the Lieutenant is dead. The Ossies Captain and Lieutenant both down in turn 2.
Meanwhile, some of the desert folk have crossed the creek at the ford. With a mighty war cry, Starc charges.
Heartened by Starc’s attack, Cummins leads another attack, directly across the creek.
Tiffany marks Sergeant Sheila and with this, Hugh wounds her. Lew misses his target, whilst Thorvald stuns another Ossie. Ilsa shoots at the wounded Sergeant and ends her suffering.
Only just visible to the right of the Taberna, an Ossie archer has turned tail and run.
Bara stops Cummins dead in his tracks with a well-aimed shot.
Meanwhile, on the left flank, Starc is down, but Stoinis is still game and charges.
Watch out, Lew!
Finch climbs out of the creek…
But seeing the opposition, he changes his mind and runs away.
The Compagnye feel that they have the upper hand now.
Stoinis is cut down.
The Compagnye prepare to charge and engage in some fisticuffs, but the remaining Ossies have had enough and have it away on their toes.
A victory cheer erupts from the parched throats of the stalwart Compagnye.
“Let’s get over to that Taberna and see whether they have any of that Fourecks”, shouts Bara.
30 July 2020, 06:16:43 PM
