[Argad AAR] Blood on the road to Quintin

[Patrice]

Another adventure in our late 16th century campaign in Brittany! During the “war of the League“ in the 1590s, supporters of the new king Henri IV of France (Protestants and moderate Catholics) allied with England are fighting against the Très Sainte Ligue (Holy League, ultra-Catholic) allied with Spain.

On Saturday 6th July we were playing in a small cultural festival in Quintin (Brittany) a historical town. During this war this place belonged to the counts of Laval, an important Protestant family (most of the population was Catholic). There were two players (“François de la Nouë“ & “Jenovefa Kloar“) and a GM (running a lot of NPCs). Ruleset: Argad.

After the previous adventure in this campaign (related there:)...
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=145578.msg1861190#msg1861190

...François de la Nouë, a Royalist protestant officer, is going to Quintin to meet his chief Yves de Liscouët and receive new orders.

There is a house and a small hut near the road.  A local family runs away when they see soldiers coming. An old woman is selling fruits near the hut, La Nouë asks her if anyone is around, she says there are armed men inside the house.
La Nouë's men approach the house, an arquebus is fired from a window without effect, a group of men looking like brigands comes out of the house and run on the road. The Royalists run after them and kill the slowest ones without hesitation.





A cart and two unusual characters follow La Nouë's troop since the end of the last adventure. One is an Engliish trader (and gunner) who bought cloth from local merchants (who where previously selling it to Spaniards) to begin such a trade with England. The other one is a prisoner, a Spanish officer, in peasant disguise because La Nouë feared he could be recognised and killed.



The local family, and a monk, run away by a sunken path, going to the village.





Overall view:



Normal activity in the village...





Other people are going to the village. A couple; and also some soldiers walking behind, through the fields.





Three men, probably defenders of the village, see them coming and ask who they are.



Not far from there, four mounted men have appeared from behind the earthen banks and trees.

[Patrice]

These mounted men are Ligueurs ! They shoot at villagers with arquebus and pistol!



The little group of travellers is accepted in the village, and runs to help the local people against this attack.



The mounted Ligueurs see they cannot pass. One of them goes back to the main road...



...where La Nouë, still following the last brigands, suddenly sees other men on foot on each side of a small wood.



Spaniards block the road, and Ligueurs walk towards the village!





La Nouë tries to continue his way to Quintin, avoiding the Spaniards. But they are threatening, and the remaining brigands (who are loosely their allies) have reached the wood, and the Ligueur cavalry is back from the village.



La Nouë sends a pikeman to negociate, he would free his prisoner if they allow him to pass on the road. They hesitate, then refuse. Shots are exchanged but there are not many musketeers on each side.

The Ligueurs on foot, coming through the fields, try to attack the village.



The group of newcomers enters the fight to help the villagers.



Now that the villagers know it we can tell who are these people. The woman who leads them has thrown her gown away and is fighting in male clothes. Her name is Jenovefa Kloar (Breton for: Geneviève de Clohars). She wants to save her uncle, an old Protestant soldier captured by Ligueurs some time ago. She was not able to free him in the previous adventure and wants to ask the help of a Royalist chief, Yves de Liscouët who now is captain of Quintin; an officer in the village says he is in this town. She is accompanied by some fighters, friends of her family.



Hard fighting, casualties on both sides!





...eventually the Ligueurs flag falls on the ground, its bearer killed.

[Patrice]

Heavy fighting also on the main road where La Nouë is still trying to advance but he must also protect his Englishman, cart, and Spanish prisoner. The four mounted Ligueurs are now using caracole tactic to threaten his rearguard... but their leader is killed.





La Nouë is lucky: two musket shots kill (at random in the enemy group) two Spanish officers! The other Spanish soldiers hesitate, but are still encouraged by their flag-bearer and drummer.
The surviving brigands, loudly encouraged by Ligueurs and by a woman in red clothing, advance ...slowly. The three remaining mounted Ligueurs come behind them.



La Nouë tries his luck once more. He manages to kill more Spaniards and to take their flag. The brigands look at each other, hesitating. The woman in red avoids musket fire and retreats.



It will not be enough. His enemies are disorganised but La Nouë understands it's a great risk to stay on the road. He decides to go to the village where he will be more safe. He takes the Spanish flag as trophy.





Near the village, some Ligueurs fire at his troop, from too far. Defenders of the village also threaten to fire because of the Spanish flag in his cart, he has to explain.

A fanatic monk hidden in a field, who was invoking divine wrath against the Royalists, runs to escape bovine wrath.



Jenovefa Kloar receives praises from the local officer for her help. On this side of the village the path to Quintin seems open. She takes with her an enemy flag. She notices that the last house belongs to a rich merchant who did not look happy when the attack was repulsed.



She decides to search the house, ignoring the objections of the owner (and the astonishment of the GM). She finds a chest with good money in it, and says that this ...voluntary... contribution will help her to pay a ransom for her uncle. In doing so she risks to stain her newly earned reputation! ...But she is lucky, it appears that most villagers dislike this merchant and will not speak for him, and he is afraid to be considered a League supporter so he will not complain much.

[Codsticker]

Love the photos. Your buildings and terrain boards are very nice.

[ColdWarCommander]

Wonderful AAR as always Patrice. Bravo 👏

[Patrice]

Thanks.

It's a pleasure when players get into their role and take unplanned initiatives exceeding their basic mission...

Almost all the terrain is scratch-buit (except the last merchant's house). The two rural houses with stone effect around the windows have been scratch-built by a friend whose actual job is to repair masonry on old houses and manors.

[Vagabond]

Patrice, as always I enjoy reading your game reports. There is always so much happening, somethings are relevant and some not so relevant.  I do wish I  was there to try and follow all the events as they happen and try and get into the mind of the games master.

Thanks for posting this and I  look forward to the next installment.
Cheers

[Patrice]

Thanks. 

I do wish I was there to try and follow all the events as they happen and try and get into the mind of the games master.

All GMs have their own ways... When that's me I have some events planned, then I don't think much about strategy for my NPCs actions I let my NPCs react as I think I would do in their situation, perhaps a bit more suicidal
(...actually I don't like to do much strategy when I am a player either, I tend to role-play my troop instinctively, that sometimes leads to disaster).