409 - Apr 10
Aradec and Taryyn are commanded by
Lucius Marcellus to take a patrol of four Legionnaries from Eboracum and head
to a farm about 6 miles NW where it is rumoured a party of Picts is
rampaging. The Picts have stolen 12 horses earmarked for the Roman Army.
Lucius wants the Picts dealt with and the horses recovered.
The patrol heads off on April 10. It comes across the ravaged farm where the mutilated corpses of a man and a woman (the latter raped) are found in a farmhouse. Aradec finds a silver amulet in the shape of a bat while searching a barn. A trail of horse and sheep prints leads from the farm to the SW. The patrol follows it.
Moving on the patrol comes to another plundered farm tastefully decorated with a man impaled on a pole. Taryyn notices movement coming from an open window in the farmhouse. Suspecting Picts are nigh the patrol swings into action.
Aradec, displaying formidable skills of stealth, sneaks up to farmhouse while Taryyn forms a skirmish line of three Legionnaries (leaving one behind to guard the horses) and advances boldly to the farmhouse after cutting the impaled man down. As he does so Aradec creeps up to the side of the farmhouse. As he sneaks up he notices a Pict slumped against the wall at the side of the house, apparently asleep.
As Taryyn and the boys approach the farmhouse they suddenly hear Picts babbling and something else speaking atrocious Pictish in an outrageous accent. Four Picts appear at the windows and proceed to shower Tarryn's little force with sling stones, though with little effect as they are terrible shots.
The babbling wakes up the sleeping Pict. He spies Aradec and lurches somewhat unsteadily towards him. Aradec inflicts a flesh wound with his shortbow and then prepares for melee by drawing his shortsword.
Taryyn's men surge towards the farmhouse. The front doors suddenly swing open and five Picts rush out swinging clubs.
A confused melee ensues with the Legionnaries getting the upper hand over the poorly armoured Picts. Taryyn has some difficulty managing his bastard sword.
Meanwhile Aradec engages his drunken foe and eviscerates him with a brutal sword slash.
Just as it looks as if the Picts are done for a huge Bugbear emerges from the farmhouse swinging a worryingly large morning star. He appears to be in some sort of berserk rage which is not a welcome development.
The hulking brute manages to pulverize two of the Legionnaires with fearsome blows and drops a third (badly wounded). His Pictish allies meanwhile lose interest in the proceedings. One surrenders and the others flee but all save one are cut down. The sole survivor hoofs it across a field but is then intercepted by the horseholding Legionnaire who, displaying commendable intiative, rides the Pict down and takes him prisoner.
Meanwhile Aradec and Taryyn take on the Bugbear executing a superb flanking action marred only by Taryyn's difficulty in keeping hold of his sword and Aradec getting his own blade tangled up in the Bugbear's harness.
Eventually good truimphs and the Bugbear falls bleeding from several wounds.
The Pict prisoner at the farmhouse attempts to run away dragging a swag of loot but is shot dead by the resourceful Aradec. The swag contains 180gp and two flagons of good wine worth 60gp each). The party also recover two more of the bat amulets which Taryyn identifies as some sort of Pictish totem ornament.
The patrol (sadly minus two members) recovers the 12 missing horses and also scores 14 other horses used by the Picts. They also find two sheep.
Flushed with victory the bold adventurers return in triumph to Eboracum
ENDS
Aadec and Taryyn having returned to Eboracum spend the next few weeks on uneventful garrison duty. Until you are sent to Fort Vitellus to find out what happened to the party sent previously to find out what happened to the Fort's garrison.
You leave Eboracum on May 13 and reach the Fort early on the 15th. You are unaccompanied.
Lucius wants the Picts dealt with and the horses recovered.
The patrol heads off on April 10. It comes across the ravaged farm where the mutilated corpses of a man and a woman (the latter raped) are found in a farmhouse. Aradec finds a silver amulet in the shape of a bat while searching a barn. A trail of horse and sheep prints leads from the farm to the SW. The patrol follows it.
Moving on the patrol comes to another plundered farm tastefully decorated with a man impaled on a pole. Taryyn notices movement coming from an open window in the farmhouse. Suspecting Picts are nigh the patrol swings into action.
Aradec, displaying formidable skills of stealth, sneaks up to farmhouse while Taryyn forms a skirmish line of three Legionnaries (leaving one behind to guard the horses) and advances boldly to the farmhouse after cutting the impaled man down. As he does so Aradec creeps up to the side of the farmhouse. As he sneaks up he notices a Pict slumped against the wall at the side of the house, apparently asleep.
As Taryyn and the boys approach the farmhouse they suddenly hear Picts babbling and something else speaking atrocious Pictish in an outrageous accent. Four Picts appear at the windows and proceed to shower Tarryn's little force with sling stones, though with little effect as they are terrible shots.
The babbling wakes up the sleeping Pict. He spies Aradec and lurches somewhat unsteadily towards him. Aradec inflicts a flesh wound with his shortbow and then prepares for melee by drawing his shortsword.
Taryyn's men surge towards the farmhouse. The front doors suddenly swing open and five Picts rush out swinging clubs.
A confused melee ensues with the Legionnaries getting the upper hand over the poorly armoured Picts. Taryyn has some difficulty managing his bastard sword.
Meanwhile Aradec engages his drunken foe and eviscerates him with a brutal sword slash.
Just as it looks as if the Picts are done for a huge Bugbear emerges from the farmhouse swinging a worryingly large morning star. He appears to be in some sort of berserk rage which is not a welcome development.
The hulking brute manages to pulverize two of the Legionnaires with fearsome blows and drops a third (badly wounded). His Pictish allies meanwhile lose interest in the proceedings. One surrenders and the others flee but all save one are cut down. The sole survivor hoofs it across a field but is then intercepted by the horseholding Legionnaire who, displaying commendable intiative, rides the Pict down and takes him prisoner.
Meanwhile Aradec and Taryyn take on the Bugbear executing a superb flanking action marred only by Taryyn's difficulty in keeping hold of his sword and Aradec getting his own blade tangled up in the Bugbear's harness.
Eventually good truimphs and the Bugbear falls bleeding from several wounds.
The Pict prisoner at the farmhouse attempts to run away dragging a swag of loot but is shot dead by the resourceful Aradec. The swag contains 180gp and two flagons of good wine worth 60gp each). The party also recover two more of the bat amulets which Taryyn identifies as some sort of Pictish totem ornament.
The patrol (sadly minus two members) recovers the 12 missing horses and also scores 14 other horses used by the Picts. They also find two sheep.
Flushed with victory the bold adventurers return in triumph to Eboracum
ENDS
Aadec and Taryyn having returned to Eboracum spend the next few weeks on uneventful garrison duty. Until you are sent to Fort Vitellus to find out what happened to the party sent previously to find out what happened to the Fort's garrison.
You leave Eboracum on May 13 and reach the Fort early on the 15th. You are unaccompanied.