While I have been busy writing short stories for the Blog and increasing the Narrative output the Trolls decided to give the stories a bit of a boost by playing some linked Ambush games to further flesh out the campaign we have started. They liked the story with the Dwarf Rangers rescuing the Spear Levy at the Battle of Hofts Farm.
Continueing on from that story, parties of Free Dwarf Rangers were dispatched from Cartref Newydd in an attempt to locate and rescue the hostages taken from the farm by the despicable Ratkin Raiders. The setting for this series of games was not the plains to the South of the Trough of Bowland but rather the Forests to the West of the Stronghold.
The search for the Captives has coincided with a raid by the Abyssal Dwarfs in search of the rare and valuable Hydras eggs as it is nesting season for these shy and secretive Titans. The First Game in the series has an Abyssal Dwarf Company , which having located a Hydras nest in an abandoned human settlement deep in the forest near to some of the Elemental crystal formations that grant the Green Lady her powers, hasten to claim the prize for their evil masters. As they near the Hydras nests the Abyssal Dwarfs are pleased to see that the Mighty creatures are away from their unborn young, this glee soon turns to dismay as they encounter the Nursemaids that the Green Lady has tasked to guard the nests while the Parents are absent hunting for food.
For this encounter the Scenario was Plunder as the Trolls thought this would be very apt. The Abyssal Dwarfs took the offensive and advanced eagerly towards the counters representing the Hydras nest sites across the centre of the table, for these narrative games the Trolls use a series of 3'x3' mats to represent different terrains. this mat is our "green" mat with Hills and terrain to match.
Turuck,the Abyssal Dwarf Ironcaster, urged his troops forwards to claim the Hydras Eggs before the Forest Guardians could prevent their theft. He could see the flickering lights of the Fey Fyre Elementals through the branches of the trees ahead and he heard the snorting and hissing of Salamanders as they jogged forwards to protect their Forest Kins Young.
Ozias Eltertouch cursed the perfidy of the Dwarfs as he rallyed his forces to protect the Hydras spawn. Under the charge of the Gladewalker druid was but a small force of the Fey Fire Elementals peculiar to the Forests of Bowland, he had summoned them to augment his personal Bodyguard of Slamander Primes the Omiros Lidia and his scouting force of the Azule Tempest Scorchwings Bevy. As they hurried towards the evil Dwarfs he was gratified to see that the local Tree Spirits , the Thorn Bearers, had responded to the presence of the Intruders and were striding forth from their grove of trees to help repel the incursion.
The Abyssal Dwarfs commence the attack by pushing forwards and the Abyssal Halfbreeds with the Helm of the Drunken Ram charged into the Fey Fyre Elementals in front of them while the Mutated Mastiffs , Decimators and Turuck himself subjected the Omiras Lidia Salamanders to a veritable hail of throwing Mastiffs, Blunderbuss shot and Fireballs which , despite their tough hides and thick armour, obliterated them completely. Likewise the charge of the Halfreeds resulted in the demise of the Serafina Magenta Fey Fyre Elementals.
Ozias rallyed his forces that were reeling from the vicious attacks of the Abyssal Dwarfs and sent them back into the fight, the Jelio Celeste Fey Fyre Elementals charged into the woods to attack the second troop of the malformed Halfbreeds while the Thorn Bearers crashed into the First Halfbreed Troop to exact revenge on their fallen friends. The Scorchwing Bevy crushed the foul Gargoyle troop in short order while the Elementals succeeded in causing their opponents to stand about confused for a few seconds before they rallyed in turn to continue the fight ( the Trolls remembering they have Fury)
Before the Scorchwings could aid their fellows they succumbed to the fiendish fire of Turuck and the Decimator regiment which then turned around and treated the Thorn Beaarers to the same fate while they stood over the bodies of the fallen Halfbreeds. the Furious counter attack of the other Halfbreed troop saw off the Jelio Celeste Elemental regiment dispersing them back to the primal fires of the forest and leaving only the Gladewalker Druid standing on the battlefield. buoyed by their success he was pursued and brought down by the Mastiff Hunting pack and the Decimators regiment in a flurry of teeth and blunderbuss clubbing.
The Hydra Eggs were then gathered ready to be taken back to the Abyssal Dwarf Fortress at the Crater of Nas'Teel to be subjected to whatever foul experiments and diabolical sorceries the Ironcaster and his Masters could conjure.
The Game lasted only five turns before the Forces of Nature succumbed to the Firepower of the Abyssal Dwarf Raiders and their foul scheme appears to be headed for success....... or is it ?