A moonlit night in Pangaea part 1

[Conrad Hawkwood]

A game played in Goulburn  on the 15th of November by  Larkspur, Pz. Ferdinand, Evzone , Loudon and sort of managed by the Cardinal hisself.. from an idea by the PZ, heavily modified by the Cardinal and Loudon  with bits from Algernon Blackwood, John Ford , HP Lovecraft Bram Stoker...Captain W E Johns  , Galton and Simpson   Perry and Croft...and a special thanks to Kate Beckinsale..

Dedicated to the Memory of Kev Jowett

Well it all began sort of, at the Wolf's Head Tavern...

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
A force of 16 Dragoons, under Sgt Major Evzone was to escort Major-Count Lutowski, a rather seemingly pompous staff officer, to investigate a village "that had dropped off the radar" in modern parlance. The reason it had dropped off will become apparent...

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15.


By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
There were an amazing   number of senior staff there giving some rather interesting instructions, some of which, had he known it, would have had Sgt Major Evzone galloping as fast as he could in the other direction.
Lutowski is in his cloak.
To his surprise the Sgt-Major  finds he is saddled not only with a ramrod up his arse  staff officer to nursemaid  but also  with  a rather grim looking group of infantry and  a small group of civilians, that includes a rather alarming looking  ,sword wearing, priest , all   who also travelling to the  town of Wulfsdorf

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
The Sgt Major and his men

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

The Infantry are led by the rather hard bitten(in more ways than one ) Hauptman Kein Namen , assisted a Fahren Junker , the Dal Riadan Archie Kennedy and  8 equally grim looking  rank and file..With the group were a store wagon and two pack horses led by two civilian contractors. In an unusual move, Kein Namen had the priest bless the water barrels in the wagon before the expedition set out.
In addition, the story continues. if the Sergeant-Major knew what both  The officers  were secretly  ordered to do he would have deserted  there and then ...no doubt ..
The Major had further been secretly ordered to make  contact with the Countess , the noble woman of the Village , and to make an attempt to convince her to return with him , he didn't realise one of the crates in the wagon would hold a body...though he was  rather unnerved to realise  upon reading the secret file  that the Countess and he were both  Lutowskis..Kein Namen had been  odered to ensure that the  civilians  survived to reach the village. He was also told that when he reached the  village he was to seach for a chest that contained a vital piece of information that would further make clear his mission..So with a more than a bit of tension already between the staff officer leading his first field command...and the officer who had been involved  in more kleiner krieg actions than the major  had had his boots cleaned they set off..Lutowski established a textbook order of march.so the band proceed for half a day along the track until they reached a point where the track desended into a valley. The valley was deeply shrouded in fog...and in the far distance beyond the bank of fog loomed a dark green band of forest...
They descend the steep track into the fog...


By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

Kein Namen found that the further the travelled his senses of smell, hearing and sight seemed to become more accute...he felt strangely invorgoarted, but his apprehension was also heightened .At this point neither officer had a clue about the implications of the secret nature of their orders. Lutowski completely ignored the civilians other than to rather pompously treat them as hired guides, thought they only had the most rudimentary notion of where they were going. Kein Namen found them puzzling and somewhat disturbing in their tendency to cross themselves and spit whenever the village was mentioned 
 Towards the afternoon, two statues loomed up out of the fog. With a now characteristic series of curt instructions, Lutowski ordered Kein Namen and some of his men to pass between the statures and scout the area. Of interest was the fact that the statues were hard to make out in the fog by all except Kein Namen. There was some sort of perception filter at work....
The point dragoons report the strange structure to their front

Kein Namen and his men are sent forward

The Point dragoons wait in reserve... Kein Namen perceives strange structures in the fog, his men can't really make them out... they move forward

A strange figure appears and beckons to Kein Namen, and ushers him into the tower... he goes... intrigued rather than terrified...

He hears ethereal music, sees strange lights and the figure that beckoned explains that a great evil lurked in and beyond the wood. That he was a lonely survivor of an Ancient Order  bound by oaths and power  to the confines of the tower and the  immediate precinct and that he was no threat  to "one of the brotherhood" and if Kein Namen "paid the price" he would aid him. He offered Kein Namen an amulet "that would allow him to see both backwards and forwards though the doors of perception" .K-N asked what the price was and the figure ignored him and asked would he pay...K-N agreed, took the amuleytand heard a pieceing scream... It was trooper Schmitt of the dragoons who, much to the consternation of his fellows who looked on with horror as his body dissolved in a mass of ruptured flesh and smouldered away. If the Sergeant-Major wasn't happy before he was downright worried now...Kein Namen, with the amulet on realised the figure was gone, and it was replaced by two figures that looked like this...

He felt no fear took his leave and the force travelled quickly past//Lutowski perceived the tower, and on the battlement he saw the figure of the man and next to him the form of trooper Schmitt. He kept this knowledge to himself.
Kein Namen had been warned not to spend the night with in the wood so the band camped   100 paces before at a fast flowing stream. The flowing water made most of them sleep that little bit easier, though the significance of the running water had to explain to the Major... during the night a bat swooped low through the camp, and in the moring   paw prints were found outside the perimeter. If the Sergeant -Major was worried he hid it very well...so at the crack of dawn the force readied itslef and entered the dark wood where the canopy covered the track and they move in a kind of dark twilight...
The camp is set up



Kein Namen explaining the potential danger facing the force


Kein Namen was most urgent about completing the passage of the woods before night fell. The column moved as quickly as possible. The ever-present trees were quite claustrophobic and while the air was, still the trees rustled and the sharp eyed saw eyes, many eyes staring back. Around mid afternoon the track made a turn and the point reported a clearing ahead...Kein Namen urged speed, Lutowski, in his usaul fashion ordered K-N to investigate the clearing...There was a large rock, and the mouth to a cave. Kein Namen felt a growing sense of fear, and his hearing picked out muffled human voices from with the cave and....then
Spiders...
The Sergeant Major was to get his own bit of Arachnid horror as one of the very largest spiders attacked him, and though he easily sabred it into little pieces. He was really wondering about this operation.

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
At the rear of the column was seen

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
The spiders displayed themselves, did all the spider things that usually spiders do when in great fear and trying to   make nasty intruders leave

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
In addition,   in a final panic the Spiders attacked!

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15Only Kein Namen understood but frankly things had gone too far by this stage

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
..Wagoners had been injured and a dragoon killed and Lutowski ordered the band to cut their way out... Kein Namen hesitated as he clearly heard voice in the cave, covered by his men and surround by a sort of Arachnid Mai Lai Massacre. He entered the cave and found, trussed up, but vey much alive.  A man, Von Helsingr and a girl who called herself Buffy.

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
With the coast relatively clear, Kein Namen was pleased to rejoin the group and exit the wood. Lutowski showed absolutely no interest in the freed captives.

The spiders, like most spiders, looked a lot more fearsome than they actually were

[Conrad Hawkwood]

Larkspur takes over the narrative at this point. What he doesn’t tell yet is what he has learnt about the Major and the countess...
Now read on...
The incident of the spiders created a sense of urgency in our merry band. Tension was growing between Lutowski and Kein-Namen and it threatened the stability of the group.
The Major grew suspicious of Hauptmann Kein-Namen's interest in the old man and the girl and contemptuous of his regard for the ragged group of crucifix and garlic-ridden camp-followers. It seemed to the Major that he was a sole voice of rationality in an uncertain environment. More and more, he relied on the support of his loyal Sgt-Major. If it came to a struggle, Lutowski always favoured fire-power over mysticism.
Therefore, it was that the troop came in sight of their objective - Wulfsdorf.
It had been a prosperous town. Anyone could see that. There was a large town square, a mayoral mansion, several streets of fine houses and an enervated Chinese restaurant. Granaries, barns and stables spoke of a once solid regional agriculture. However, the streets were quiet and the people few and almost furtive. The storehouses were not well-stocked, the stables unkempt and the houses tired and dispirited.
Lutowski decided this backwater needed an immediate show of force to establish the force of the Empress's authority. He called an immediate troop parade in the square and issued a demand to an alarming looking local that he wished to see the mayor "without delay".
 
The mayor, Herr Wulf, appeared along with his odd clerk and a strange manservant called Max as a small and sullen crowd gathered to hear the Major. He noted with disapproval that Kein-Namen appeared to be talking with several of the villagers and made a mental note to do deal with the upstart later.
Lutowski's brief was short and sharp. Wulfsdorf’s revenue returns had dwindled to nothing in recent years. This must stop and restitution must be made. The Empress had great plans for the area – including a new high speed carriageway to the national capital that would bypass the town entirely if they weren’t careful. The money had to come from somewhere and it had been decided that Wulfsdorf would be that “somewhere”.
The speech was well and crisply delivered. If the Sgt-major hadn’t been standing at attention he would have applauded. Kein-Namen did not seem as convinced by the rhetoric but admired Lutowski for his loyalty and sense of duty.
The mayor came forward and delivered a series of bizarre excuses for the lack of revenue – no decent carriages, a severe drought, the breakdown of the town’s only revolving church (which was now locked facing northeast towards the Countess’ estates) and the departure of every barber from the town centre. The new graveyard, he claimed, was bringing in return business and he had high hopes for a spiritual well-being centre and spa being established by the Countess. But it was a long term project that still required the approval of the Town Council over its environmental impact.
Lutowski had heard this sort of thing before and was unimpressed. He gave the mayor three days to gather the outstanding revenue and directed him to establish patrols and inspections throughout the town” to encourage the villagers in their revenue compliance activities. He accepted the Mayor’s offer of accommodation in the mayoral residence and directed the Sgt-Major and Kein-Namen to billet their men in some nearby barns and the derelict church.

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
As night fell, the air grew close. The Major dined with the Mayor, his chief clerk and Kein-Namen. The tone of the conversation left Lutowski with the uneasy sensation that another quite cryptic conversation was taking place between Kein-Namen and the town officials. One that excluded him quite deliberately!!!!
“Masons?” he wondered and decided to show his intriguing connection to the town.
“I have a relative living here, y’know” he said to the Mayor who, for some odd reason, was shaving the back of his hand with a paring knife. The clerk looked askance at Kein-Namen who seemed to have tensed slightly. “
“Quite a famous one, actually. I believe I am a distant relative of the Countess Lutowski.”
The room went quiet. That’s better, thought Lutowski. A countess rates higher than a village freemason. He pushed his momentary tactical advantage.
“And I will be visiting her tomorrow as a matter of family courtesy. Herr Mayor, could I borrow your PreussWay street directory so I could find out where she lives?”
“Pleased though I am to find you have local family connections, Herr Major” the mayor said “You may find the Countess Lutowski rather indisposed at the moment. She has been developing several plans for the township lately. The work is very draining.” He looked at his clerk “For all of us.”
“Nonetheless, it is important to me to visit the Countess and to deliver my warmest personal regards.”
Kein-Namen looked levelly at Lutowski. “Major, may I make a suggestion?” he said “The Countess would perhaps regard your unannounced arrival as a breach of family etiquette. Might I recommend that I and my men travel to the chateau tomorrow morning?

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
Kein Namen and his strange visit to the Chateaux.

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
Despite Kein-Namen's suggestion, Lutowski felt bound to make the attempt to visit the chateau. It was strange, almost a compulsion that led him with a group of his men to the door of the crumbling mansion.

The reception, while not hostile, was certainly discouraging. A burly servant and several Cossacks informed him that the Countess was not receiving visitors. Lutowski was no fool. He knew that something was amiss. He saw an opportunity to use Kein-Namen's suggestion against the Hauptmann.

Therefore, he ordered Kein-Namen and his men to go to the chateau and be "robust in their enquiries". It suited both men's purposes. Lutowski could control Kein-Namen's insolence by "cutting the wretch down a peg or two" and Kein-Namen could pursue the darker thought that had formed in his mind. The Major also wished to question Archie, Kein-Namen's friend without the presence of the Hauptmann.

Kein-Namen walked down the road towards the chateau. A taciturn man at the best of times, he was sorely tested by the competing demands of his duty and his knowledge. He knew that the major was in terrible danger but, trapped as he was by rank and inclination, he was unable to warn Lutowski of the risks. At best, he may be able to keep him alive or at worst, give him a quick death.

From the moment he had met the creatures at the gate, Kein-Namen knew this was no ordinary revenue smash and grab. He could hear the voices, the thoughts of others and could sense the danger ahead. The sight of the wolves had also awoken a long-suppressed yearning for the freedom of their company.

 
Kein-Namen was wulfen. Loup-garou. Shape shifter. Werewolf. All just names for those who followed the Hunt. In addition, mortal enemies of the kind they knew as wampyr, the drinkers of blood. His sole strength was the ability to control the Change. Unlike most of his kind, Kein-Namen could maintain his form if required and in the strict world of Preussia that was a valuable ability.
 
He also knew the reason for the Mayor's reticence and the Countess' absence.
 
This town was at war with itself.
 
For years, Wulfburg had been a quiet unremarkable town returning average revenue with no spectacular rise or fall. There had never been a reason to investigate the place. Its very ordinariness was its most valuable weapon. For most of the town, Kein-Namen knew by now were also wulfen. One by one, as they had scented him out, the villagers had been approaching him with signs and indications that they knew his true nature. Moreover, there was the woman as well.


By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
 
Archie had seen her first, trailing along behind the group. Tall, (in trousers!) and holding a cross-bow easily as if born to the skill. She had briefly spoken to the Hauptmann and Archie of a document that would show the true nature of the "Countess" and her brood. This parchment indicated that the Countess was almost 250 years old, that she was indeed a Lutowski and that she was definitely wampyr. The villagers had told Kein-Namen of the gradual rise in power of the wampyr brood through the Countess and her hell-spawn daughter's tender night-time visits. While the wulfen had managed to protect much of the village, they were not strong enough to deal with the menace of the Undying. They appealed to Kein-Namen for help.
 
All this the Hauptmann knew as he strode towards the entrance of the chateau. The Cossacks from the earlier encounter were still there. They blocked his way. Kein-Namen demanded entry to see the Countess. Like Lutowski, he was treated dismissively.
 
If the Hauptmann had a major flaw, it was impatience. He shouldered the men aside and, ordering some of his troops to keep the Cossacks at bay, he and the rest of the troop proceeded to search the chateau. After several hours, Kein-Namen admitted defeat. The Countess was nowhere to be found. He and the men quit the chateau and walked back up the road. One of the men indicated a cemetery with a large vault on a small hill near the crossroads to town. Kein-Namen cursed inwardly as he realised the missed opportunity.
 
For now, there was a new problem. As he and his men had searched the chateau, a crowd of sullen field workers and a small unit of Cossacks had gathered to cut off the road to the cemetery. It was a standoff. Kein-Namen knew his men's discipline would count for everything but the numbers were overwhelming. Therefore, it was that he made a fateful decision, before retiring to the safety of the township. 
 
There is an old Polonian proverb: Cut off a head of the hydra and you have fewer of the bastards to worry about.

[Conrad Hawkwood]

Therefore, he ordered a volley into the Cossack who seemed to coordinating the peasantry. It was clean and well-aimed firing, the Cossack fell like a duck and the crowd gasped. A few seconds passed and Kein-Namen knew the game had changed. For the Cossack rose slowly to his feet, looked evilly at the troop and burst into laughter. Undying, unable to be killed with conventional musketry!!!! Who knew how many of them? Thought the rattled Hauptmann as he odered his men to begin a facing withdrawal to the township. The peasants and the cossacks came closer. The old man and the girl followed at the head of the little troop.
 
Suddenly, a shout! There coming over the bridge into the town, the sgt-major appeared with his dragoons. Kein-Namen withdrew under their cover, acknowledging the sgt-major's help as they passed. The peasantry ceased their advance. After all, they had the night to come.
 
By the time, Kein-Namen had returned to the town square, he had formulated a plan. It would be risky and would require the full cooperation of the Major. He hoped Archie had completed the work on the parchment. It would be needed to persuade the Major.

It was at that moment that Kein-Namen heard a scream. He knew that shrill Priscilla Queen of the Desert tone anywhere. It was Archie!
Behind the Tavern
By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

Inside the Tavern

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
The vampire hunters meet behind a house.

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
The Countess Lutowski and her daughter

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
Somewhere in the story, the count had also visited the chateaux

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
Another shot of the entry into the town

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15
Kein Namen's men

By Conrad_Hawkwood at 2009-11-22

Kein Namen and Archie mounted

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-22

The mysterious civilians

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-22

The ancient creature in its human form

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-22

The staff officers

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-22


By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-22


The Sgt-Major was not amused. Aristocratic officers with no idea of how
to handle themselves in a shooting party made him very tired. It also
didn't help when they bought their little playground feuds onto a
killing ground like this one.

 The Sgt-Major knew risk. He also knew danger and could feel something
bad was abroad in this town. Clapp's death played on his mind. He had
known the young dragoon, knew him to be fit, sober and a credit to his
troop. It didn't make any kind of sense as he had watched him tumble
stone dead from the saddle without warning. Even that didn't shake as
much as the sensation that he had seen Clapp standing in the tower next
to two other men only a few minutes later.

And the damned spiders. What on earth was that about? The Sgt-Major had
always had a healthy respect for anything with fangs. It just didn't
seem right to have to kick a spider to death. The more he saw of
Kein-Namen, the stranger it became. The Hauptmann had waded in to that
little melee as if he knew exactly what was there. The S-M had seen a
lot of things in his time but spiders as big as landaus weren't meant to
be taken so...casually.

The Major was more of a known quantity. Sober, professional, addicted to
duty and procedure. He'd draw little pictures of camps and marching
orders for the S-M. Him! Who'd been doing that sort of thing when the
Major's only concern was his wet-nurse!

Then this odd little town with its sideways folk. Always looking at you
sideways as they hurried away, talking to everyone else but him. And
finally that thing with the Countess. It was only chance that had him
with a few men ready to back up Kein-Namen's scuttling retreat from the
chateau. He may be good but he's a musket-ball magnet, he thought as the
Hauptmann entered the village and should be watched closely.

The S-M had a retirement plan. Live through this, get a little feed
store or stable business going, a place with a view and just be left
alone to get on with the rest of his life. It wasn't a big dream but he
reckoned it was achievable.

Then he heard the scream. It was Kein-Namen's friend. The Major had
probably twisted his arm for something or other. Lutowski was running
out of patience. He needed information so he'd taken the direct route
for a change. The S-M saw Kein-Namen break into a run towards the Major.
There was a lot of shouting.

That wasn't good. You don't shout at a superior officer unless you're
prepared to kill him. Because he'll kill you, later. The S-M rolled
easily towards the fracas. Once again, I have to keep the kids apart, he
sighed.

"You idiot!" Kein-Namen was shouting. "You really have no idea what's
happening here! I've been trying to keep you alive and I have no idea
why!"

"Calm yourself, Hauptmann. You have concealed information from me. You
have lied and deceived me. You have not behaved like an officer. I want
to know what is going on here."

"Alright, you rationalist puppet. Your precious relative is a little
older than you think. About two centuries older. Yes. Think about it
major. What sort of things come out at night, won't be seen in full
daylight. I shot a man out of his saddle. He just got up again and
laughed at me. She's a damned wampyr and you have the family stain. If
she wants you, all she has to do is call and you'll be one of them..."

The Major stared and laughed thinly "You cannot be serious. If I
accepted this kind of supernatural rubbish then what hope is there in
the world? It's nothing but an infernal trick. Sgt-Major, take this man
under arrest for insubordination. Now!"

The Hauptmann glared back. The S-M felt he looked ready to do something
fast and hard. He barely had time to press a pistol against the
Hauptmann’s neck.

"Calm down, sir. Best to follow orders, eh?" He smiled "We'll sort this
out one way or another."

"It'll sort itself out, S-M. Yes it will."

"Throw him in the mayor's cellar until I can work out what to do."

The Major turned on his heel and affected not to notice as Kein-Namen
was led away. He gestured to the Mayor and his creature. "You, here,
and now"

The Mayor came forward but seemed to be different, more determined than
he had been only a short while ago.

"You have made an error, Herr Major. That man is a friend to this town.
He may be the difference between survival and ruin. Tonight is the full
moon and Herr Kein-Namen speaks the truth. That woman is wampyr. For years, she has plotted the destruction of Wulfburg. We have kept her at
bay all this time. However, she grows ever stronger and we grow fewer.
Tonight will be the night she tries for a conclusion. "

"What on earth? Have you also taken leave of your senses, Herr Mayor?
Is everyone in this town deranged? You have only one concern. The
revenue. Think on that."

The S-M reappeared. "Prisoner secured, sir. Permission to post sentries.
It's just past nightfall."

"Granted. And get these people out of my sight." The major affected to
study the documents he'd taken from Kein-Namen's friend.

The S-M had lied.

For the first time in his military life, he had lied to a superior
officer. There was no way back from that, he knew, even if he was the
only one who knew. He had led Kein-Namen to the residence all right but,
just as he began to climb the stairs, some sense made him glance down
the road towards the chateau. His skin began to crawl as he saw the
movement of a long dark cavalcade in the distance streaming towards the
town in silence. The S-M knew danger when he saw it. He thought his
decision was the rational one. If his men were to be attacked then he
needed the help of every able body.

"Go sir, get your men. There's trouble."

Kein-Namen looked at the S-M. "Get your own men ready. Get to high
ground. The feed shed near the bridge should give you a good vantage
point. In addition, for the sake of the Crucified, stay away from any
villagers. They're too dangerous for you, S-M. Good luck." Kein-Namen
slipped away.

The S-M strode back to the Major. "Prisoner secured, sir. Permission to
post sentries. It's past nightfall."

"Granted. And get these people out of my sight." The Major looked down.

"Sir? May I suggest stationing someone on that feed shed near the
bridge? It will give us a good vantage point."

"Do whatever you feel is necessary, Sgt-major. I am busy."

"Yes, sir."

A few barked orders and the men were deployed. The S-M was too busy to
pay attention to anything else for awhile. He climbed to the top of the
feed shed and looked around. Kein-Namen was right. It was a good vantage
point for a man with a brace of pistols, a sword and very little else.
The dark little cavalcade was nearing fast.

Then everything happened way too quickly.

The Major was shouting. Again. This time he had noticed Kein-Namen
deploying his men and moved to seize the escapee. The mayor and his two
offsiders were moving towards the major. The strange thing was that they
seemed to be getting bigger as they advanced. Their clothes appeared to
be shredding as they ran.


By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

And the S-M finally understood. Werewolves. Authentic bloody werewolves.
The Mayor was a metamorph. Was anyone what they seemed in this town? As
he looked about him, men, wolves and in-betweens were coming from
everywhere, most of them heading for the major and the men he had with
him.

The bloodbath began.


By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-15

The mayor's "men" now fully transformed leapt at the Major. His men went
down almost immediately but the major's reflexes saved him in the nick
of time. He backed against the wall of the residence and began fighting
his way up the station. Despatching a wolf to his front he was attacked by a transformed Max,
and though grievously wounded 
Max went down to his keen sword.

By conrad_hawkwood, shot with E8800 at 2009-11-15
Wolf and wolf threw themselves against him but
he managed to fend them off until he could disappear into the residence,
slamming the heavy oaken door behind him. The S-M noted curiously the
wolves didn't seem to be attacking Kein-Namen’s' men. He stood atop the
shed looking down at the melee and calculating. A blur in the corner of
his eye drew him around in time to unload a pistol-ball into a wolf
leaping up at him and across the roof. A second followed straight after
and won the lottery - pistol, sword and boot to send it screaming back
to ground. It was getting kind of warm here.

By conrad_hawkwood

Kein-Namen was screaming at the wolves now and ordering them back from
the S-M's men. Incredibly, they seemed to be listening. There was
slackening in the fighting. The S-M had time to look down the road. The
little freak show was almost at the bridge now. Yes, they were wampyr.
He did some quick calculations and came up a life or two short. Great,
two empty pistols, all alone on a bloody rooftop facing a bunch of
bloodsuckers and crazed wulfen. I really am a great fan of my work.

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-16

The front line of Kein-Namen's men dropped to their knees and readied to
fire. The second line was ready for one solid volley. As the wampyr
reached the crest of the bridge, the volley cracked out. Some fell so
they weren't all undead. That was handy. A bad looking Cossack surged
forward then was thrown forward. A cross-bow bolt stuck out of his back.
The S-M tracked the line of the shot and saw that fine looking woman in
the trousers busily reloading. She still had time to throw a tight wave
of her hand. He tipped his hat.

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-16
The Cossack leader was definitely vorvolaka. He ran straight at
Kein-Namen who fired two pistols into his throat. He went down with the
impact but started to get up as Kein-Namen kicked him back to the
ground. From somewhere, he produced a long wooden stake which he drove
deep into the Cossack. Dusted. Their advance stopped.

By conrad_hawkwood,
The S-M saw a shadow pass overhead. What now, he thought? He watched as
the figure flew directly towards the top of the mayoral residence's
tower. He knew instinctively it was the Countess. Equally, he knew
who would be there.

There was a weak cry of horror. Despair that died on the lips of the
victim. In addition, just like that, the major was gone forever. The Countess
seized his body up like a child's rag-doll and flew from the tower back
towards her damned pit. Her minions withdrew from the bridge and
followed her. She had what she wanted. The rest could wait.

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-16

Back on the road, Kein-Namen was counting casualties. The wolves seemed
to have calmed, some had even reverted to their human form. The S-M
heard the edge of a conversation between the Hauptmann and the mayor who
seemed to be bearing up well given he was now a stark naked middle-aged
man in a crowd.

The wulfen, Kein-Namen's men, the old man, the girl, those lunatic
followers all retreated. The sgt-major knew they were quitting the town.
Maybe they'd retreat to the forest and regroup. He didn't know any more.
He was uncomfortably aware that his own men had disappeared as well. So
much for Preussian discipline. He sat down on the roof and gazed around.

It's not so bad he thought. I'm on top of a feedlot business, I've a
very fine view and there's no-one bothering me at the moment. This must
be what retirement feels like. He sat there a very long time.

Then he heard a voice calling to hi from the ground just below the shed.
"Soldier? Soldier? Are you still there?" It was the young woman with the
crossbow. "If you're not too busy right now, would you like to come
down? I have a few things to do and I could do with the company." He
could feel a smile in her voice.

What the hell? Why not. Retirement's already boring, he thought.

"I'll be right down, woman. I'm Rheinhardt. What's your name, anyway?"

"They call me, Lola, Rheinhardt. Pleased to meet you."
Naughty Lola on the right..

By conrad_hawkwood at 2009-11-16

[Hammers]

A quite heafty read but very entertaining! Must have been some game.

[Conrad Hawkwood]

indeed a lot going on..

[Gluteus Maximus]

Probably the longest game report I've read, but very imaginitive and entertaining.

I loved the way it seemed to start as a fairly conventional 18thC scenario, then developed into all kinds of madness 

Looks like it was a great deal of fun to play and thanks for putting all that effort into the report 

[Blackwolf]

And it was great fun! Thanks to C. Hawkwood.


  PS Loudon is my alter-ego,my 18th century guise

  PPS and  our good friend Starkadder wrote alot of the above,he's a fine story teller

[argsilverson]

WoW it seems a great game!
(i do not like quite the fantasy elements, but this is something different. Combines both traditional and fantasy elements)

a couple more questions:
.- countess: who makes this mini?
.- what rules have you used?

[Conrad Hawkwood]

The rules are very minimalist. in essence none..all a free kriegspiel with me  using a pair of d6 to decide things..really played all out of my head.. the countess which version the one in the fur hat is a pirates of the seven sees figure I picked up in a remainder bin somewhere.., she doubles as the Queen of Polonia in our Pangaean campaign..

[argsilverson]

The rules are very minimalist. in essence none..all a free kriegspiel with me  using a pair of d6 to decide things..really played all out of my head..

I would always liked some fresh ideas. If you have something please post.

[Conrad Hawkwood]

Well the umpire keeps total control and it is a series of exchanges about what is going on  and what they will do..all the essential of role play.. some basic  ratings from peasants  6 , down to heroes 3..all actions that need decisions require a roll that equals or beats the rating.. the rating also   designates the number of attacks .. attack to be successful equal or beat the rating  and a second dice  give damage  1  a scratch 6 , pretty bad..  movement is objective, more episodic than directly linear heroes and   some others can do a " heroic " roll whenever they need to  The major survived a number of fairly grisly attacks bu resorting to his heroic roll but when  he faced  4"attacks" from the vampire he failed..because of his injuries I had  made his rating a bit higher, he became a "4" rather than a "3' his number of attacks dropped as well and he couldn't beat the "damage" and thus entered the twilight world.. our vampires are a lot more robust than the crop of modern wimpy vampires  so we have the Lutowskiss out here somewhere if we need to play another game..i work on theprinciplee that the players are better off knowing as little as possible about the rules..observant players pick up the rhythm unobservant one usually are killed fairly promptly.
with the spiders, who were actually terrified by the  band  fought remarkably badly and died remarkably quickly.the band response would not have been anywhere near as interesting if they had known  the spiders' abilities. that is it  broadly speaking ..Grey wolf no doubt has some observations on the rules..

[Conrad Hawkwood]

but essentially it was all in my head, and played out as planned quite well..the last phase was a bit  truncated as it was getting late and sevral players had a very long and tiring   drive home..there was another strand that was not  used as a player didn't turn up..it was the John Ford "the  Searchers" inspired bit,,but we can use that bit somewhere else another time.... my trick is to visualise the whole event   and break it into episodes and then play each episode..

[Conrad Hawkwood]

and absolutely nothing was written down, if I , or grey wolf can't remember it then it couldn't have been that important.. we covered eveyrthing we wanted to , it would have helped if we had a vampire hunter player as they sort of paled a bit towards the end..  but  a rather involved scenario work very well

[white knight]

So much great terrain. Where's this building from, if I may ask:

[Conrad Hawkwood]

I bought it off someone here in Sydney, it is 20mm actually  not sure of the brand