Trouble in Somerlisse - Part 3 - The Quarry at Lier

Trouble in Somerlisse is a Savage Worlds campaign using the Hellfrost setting. The Games Master is Mark Hamilton and play takes place every Friday night at Dragons Keep Roleplay Club.

Athura Magnusdottir - a healer - Tony
Thingol Chillblane - a paladin - Tony
Vigo - a rogue - Martin
Vissarel - a mage - Kat

The Quarry at Lier

Our heroes have been tasked with a most urgent mission. They must find the source of the poison which afflicted the Ridder's daugter Aylsluf and the quarryfolk of Lier. They don't know how long these people have and the urgency of the mission weighs heavily on their minds. Athura assembles a quick breakfast and they head out.

Passing by the gaol hut they notice that the door is ajar. They rush in to find the orc lying dead on the floor still chained to the post but with his throat slit. Someone has murdered him in the night. 

Thingol states grimly 

"Well that saved me the bother of hunting it down and killing it" 

and casts a knowing glance at Vissarel.  Athura sighs, says a quick prayer to the Goddess Eira and replies "It is done and there is naught we can do but focus ourselves on the task at hand, saving the people of Lier.  We must hurry"

Athura's words kindle a new sense of urgency and they ride out with haste on the snowy path to the quarry.  

It is not long before the path through the hills gets more rocky and they must dismount to lead their horses on foot.  By late morning they crest a hill to find the valley of Lier stretched out before them.

Searching the Abandoned Quarry  

200 yards outside the stead on the left hand side of the rode lies a small patch of tilled ground which must be where the quarryfolk grow food. The ground is frozen into neat littel rows and furrows but the shape of a dead body is clearly visible in the snow in the snow.

Thingol dismounts and approaches cautiously. He brushes the freshly fallen snow from the body and discovers a man lying face down in the snow, naked from the waist down.

“Thingol what do you see?” Arthura demands. He turns over the body, there are no signs of obvious wounds. his eyes are open and his face contorted in agony. One leg is frozen solid from the mid calf Down. He is missing one leg of his hose, he didn't die of exposure, he died of a sudden extreme exposure to cold.  Searching nearby Vigo find his missing clothes with some money, a travelling bag and a short bow. Vissarel thinks he has been exposed to cold fire, magic quite a powerful frost mage spell or a breath weapon from a hell frost dragon. 

Thingol and Arthura carry the corpse and place it on the large funeral pyre standing just outside of the palisade. Someone had been preparing to burn many dead here judging by the size of the pyre and the many booted prints surrounding it. Despite being covered in last night's snow they are clearly visible and could be from one or more of the quarryfolk, it is hard to say for sure.

The Barn

Vigo and the Vissarel take the horses and investigate the barn inside the pallisade. It contains some livestock, sheep, goats, chickens, sacks of grain and the body of a dead goblin. It has been beaten to death and there is plenty of blood on the ground. The animals keep their distance from the goblin and seem content to munch on spilt grains and straw. As Vissarel ties up the horses, Vigo takes the opportunity to check the dead mans travelling bag. It contains some dried meat, snares and other small items consistent with that of a woodsman trapper or hunter.

The team briefly unites at the barn and share what they have found. The quarry looks deserted and they agree to split up and cover more ground. They need to make this place safe quickly. Thingol and Sister Athura head for the first house just inside the pallisade walls. It has been ransacked by something, probably goblins. They scour the ground floor for evidence of poisoned food and collect some scraps in a sack.  

Vissarel crosses the snow to the second house. She is stopped dead in her tracks by an ice zombie who bursts out of the snow to attack her. It whirls its clawed hands at her but misses and is inceremoniously sliced to pieces by a flurry of air daggers unleashed from her hands with elemental wizardry.

Vigo checked out house number three and finds it is in good order. It has not been ransacked and he spends some time rifling through the owners precious items before uncovering a shard of fired green pot clay. "Didn't someone say this stuff is valuable?" he mutters to himself.

The sounds of conflict bring Athura and Thingol running to Vissarel's aide but as they arrive Vissarel is dusting off the remnants of the snow that showered her when the zombie attacked. She can handle herself well if need be. The Engro is nowhere to be seen.  

The Watermill 

The group approaches the water mill, outside its walls the snow has been disturbed by lots of footprints. Thingol opens the door and is surprised by five goblins who immediately attack. Vissarel kills two with a flurry of air bolts. Athura pushes past the paladin and attacks a third with her mace a solid hit which momentarily shakes the creature. 

Thingol boldly strides straight into the centre of the mill and casts a trio of fire bolts one bolt for each goblin. They all strike their targets but he only succeeds in shaking two of them who recover immediately. Athura brings her mace down on the head of one near her killing it. She apologises to the goddess.  Vissarel lets fly a trio of air stars which wheel around the big frostborne paladin and slam into their targets stunning them.

Thingol attacks the remaining goblins with his warhammer but today luck has abandoned him. Vissarel weaves the elements together into a great spear which shoots across the room impaling the pair of goblins onto one of the mills supporting wooden beams. 

As the magic dissipates they slump to the floor quite dead.

Sessions

• Session 1 - Trouble in Somerlisse - A Savage Worlds Hellfrost Campaign
• Session 2 - What Ill has Befallen Sommerlisse?
• Session 3 - The Quarry at Lier
• Session 4 - Well, Oh Well, Oh Well  
• Session 5 - The Thrymstone Curse

Trouble in Somerlisse - Part 2 - What Ill has Befallen Sommerlisse

Trouble in Somerlisse is a Savage Worlds campaign using the Hellfrost setting. The Games Master is Mark Hamilton and play takes place every Friday at Dragons Keep Roleplay Club.

Athura Magnusdottir - a healer - Tony
Thingol - a paladin - Tony
Vigo - a rogue - Martin
Vissarel - a mage - Kat

The Aftermath of the Bridge Attack

On the bridge which crosses the moat our heroes try to calm the sole surviving and now captured orc. Sister Athura orders the guards to fetch The Ridder. The stunned militiamen look at each other in confusion and run off into the town. They soon return accompanied by a man who announces that he is Oswulf, the Hurscarl.

They drag the bound orc to a well built round hut, which passes for a gaol, and tie him to the central post which supports the roof. Vigo searches the orc and finds 4 silver shields. Oswulf posts a guard and orders "none may enter and if the orc tries to escape... kill it". 

Meeting The Ridder 

The heroes are led to the house of The Ridder and to the Great Hall where the are fed a hearty meal of meat stew and bread. The Ridder, Penrick, enters accompanied by a Taiga Elf who he introduces as Runa a priestess of Eostra the provider of bread.  

Penrick says that the orcs have not been this bold in over 15 years. Vigo presents Runa with the four silver shields. 

They have heard nothing from one of the outlying steads so a rider was sent to visit the Brinya Family and get them to retreat to the safety of the town. 

There was an incident at the quarry at Lear. A number of the miners became sick of a fever and died, those that could fled to Somerlisse where many have become sicker and died. Runa tends them in the infirmary.

The Ridder explains that his own daughter, Alsluf, has come down with a sickness and Runa takes Sister Athura to examine her. Despite the windows to her bedroom being wide open, Alsluf is sweating and feverish. Athura examines her and finds a fresh wound on the falm of her hand which does not appear to be healing. This must be the source of her affliction and is likely to have been inflicted by someone she knows.

The Ridder tells them that he has arranged for lodging at the Copper Kettle Inn and his Huscarl Oswulf will give them any assistance that they need. 

The Interrogation 

With Oswulf leading, they return to the gaol and interrogate the orc. In orcish, Sister Athura promises the orc that no harm will come to him if he tells them what they want to know. He will be released to return to his tribe. It is hard to say if Athura's kindly manner and soothing tongue are more persuasive than the imposing shadow of Thingol Paladin of Kenza which looms over the orc.  

With a grunt, Thingol leaves for the sanctuary of the inn and ale. The thought of aiding an agent of the Hellfrost does not sit well with him and he wrestles with his conscience as he slakes his thirst.

The orc tells them that they were paid to raid the human settlements. He does not know who paid them, he was just told to attack anyone trying to get to the town. The tribe numbers 20 to 30 orcs but he does not know where they will attack next or in what numbers.

Athura opines that attacking the steads is not normal behaviour and the incident at the quarry seems far too coincidental to be such. She suspects that the raids are a diversion and that they should strike out for the quarry in the morning. She tells the orc that he will be escorted out of the town in the morning and he can return to his tribe. The Huscarl tells the guard that he has done a fine job and that he is relieved.

The Copper Kettle Inn  

Retiring to the warmth of the Copper Kettle Inn, the group rest. Athura excuses herself from the party and goes to the infirmary to see if she can be of any use. Vigo tells tall tales to the through out the night to anyone who will listen. He gathers a crowd around him as he tells of Athura the midwife who saved the golden calf. Thingol takes this opportunity to satisfy his religious code which demands that he destroy the orc, as he cannot in good concious allow aid as agent of the Hellfrost. He sneaks out of the inn and heads to the gaol, Vissarel follows him in the shadows.

Athura meets Runa and her assistant at the infirmary. The room is full of people exhibiting the same symptoms as the Ridder's daughter. Examining them she discovers that unlike Alsluf, none show any signs of physical injury and surmises that they have ingested a poison. She tells Runa that whoever poisoned Alsluf is probably here in Somerlisse and possibly travelled with the miners. The Ridder needs to be told and if the poisoner is human then there is some other plan at work. Tomorrow they will ride out for the quarry and try to bring back samples of food and water. If they are lucky they will find the source of the poison and can treat these unfortunate people. She returns to the inn.

The Orc

Thingol approaches the unguarded gaol hut in the darkness and opens the door. The orc is slumped on the floor still tied to the post and asleep. He readies his warhammer raising it over his head to deliver a killing blow when a hand reaches out of the darkness and grasps his arm softly. 

"A quieter approach is necessary on this occasion" whispers Vissarel and she walks around the other side of the post slitting the orcs throat with her dagger. The pair close the door and walk back to the inn confident that the fresh snow fall will cover their tracks.

Thingol Chillblane - Original art by creativeuncut.com

Sessions

• Session 1 - Trouble in Somerlisse - A Savage Worlds Hellfrost Campaign
• Session 2 - What Ill has Befallen Sommerlisse?
• Session 3 - The Quarry at Lier
• Session 4 - Well, Oh Well, Oh Well  
• Session 5 - The Thrymstone Curse

Trouble in Somerlisse - A Savage Worlds Hellfrost Campaign at Dragons Keep Roleplay Club

Trouble in Somerlisse is a Savage Worlds campaign using the Hellfrost setting. The Games Master is Mark Hamilton and play takes place every Friday at Dragons Keep Roleplay Club.

A Cold Day in Watch Gap Fort

It was a cold day in Autumn when our heroes were summoned before Sword Commander Unrock one of the most respected Hearthknights that manned the 150 strong garrison at Watch Gap Fort.

The fort is nestled in the Ice Barrier Mountains which form the last bastion of defence against the encroaching winter and the spawn of Hellfrost contained within.

Heligioland in Rassilon

Our assembled heroes are:

Athura Magnusdottir (Tony) - a Saxa (human) and member of the Sisterhood of Mercy, a reknown healer tasked by her order to bring the Goddess Eira's gift to the folk who eke a living in the winter lowlands of Heligioland.

Vigo (Martin) - An engro of varied and useful talents who has a propensity for getting himself in and out of tight places.

Vissarel Nerinen (Kat) - A Taiga Elf with some mastery of the element of air.

Thigol Chillblane (Tony) - A Frostborn Saxa and Paladin of Kenaz the Lord of Volcanoes. A stoic and fierce warrior dedicated to erradicating the agents of Hellfrost in whatever form they appear.

Commander Unrock revealed that they had received word from fastriders that the town of Somerlisse and its steads had recently been attacked by orcs. The farmers are scared and some have fled their steads to the safety of the town.

The town lies in the Southern Greenpot Hills some 3 days ride from Watch Gap. Its population number some 2,000 with a small militia ill-trained and ill-equipped to deal with an orc incursion. Our mission is to travel to the town and meet with the Ridder Penfrick Scalsooner to find out what is going on.

The Greenpot Hills are craggy and difficult terrain for horses but the ore that is mined there is an important resource of great value to the region which must be protected.

Our heroes set out on what turns out to be an uneventful journey stopping at inns and steads along the way to shelter from the bitter cold night. Winter seems to come earlier every year these days.

Arrival at Somerlisse

On the third day they reach Somerlisse which lies in a shallow valley surrounded on all sides by the Greenpot Hills. As they cross the small moat bridge and begin to enter the protection of the towns stout wooden pallisade walls an arrow thunks into the right guard tower.

They have been followed by a scouting party of 2 orcs and 3 goblins. The fight does not last long and the agents of Hellfrost are slain with the exception of an orc which Thingol successfully wrestled to the ground.

Perhaps it will divulge some useful information if it values its life.

Sessions

• Session 1 - Trouble in Somerlisse - A Savage Worlds Hellfrost Campaign
• Session 2 - What Ill has Befallen Sommerlisse?
• Session 3 - The Quarry at Lier
• Session 4 - Well, Oh Well, Oh Well  
• Session 5 - The Thrymstone Curse

Vintage Miniature - The Chainsaw Warrior

I've blogged before about my passion for collecting boardgames and in particular my mission to collect all of the bookcase format Games Workshop boardgames released in the 1980s.

Chainsaw Warrior is one of those games.

Chainsaw Warrior (1986)

Chainsaw Warrior (1987) is a solo game where the titular character climbs a New York skyscraper fighting off zombies and other evil minions in a race against time to find and destroy the ultimate evil Chaos.

It's peculiar in that the game is dominated by amazing artwork from 2000AD artbot Brett Ewins yet is not a miniatures game and in fact does not have a single pawn in the game.  

However, that didn't mean that Citadel wasted this opportunity and launched a series of Chainsaw Warrior minis for fans of the game which could be bought as a single blister pack - C100.  Exactly how you used them in game was not proscribed, I guess you could use them as a turn marker. 

They also released a Chainsaw Warrior as part of the Talisman Timescape miniature range to accompany the Talisman expansion of the same name.  A masterstroke in marketing to use a massively popular boardgame to shift a metric ton of lead.

Citadel also made 3 bad guy minis directly culled from the card art used in the game.  These were only available as a very limited release and command insane prices on the secondhand market.

Three Bad Guy / Zombie Cards

I've had this one mini kicking around since 1987, I must have the other two but only God knows where they are.  At the time I must have been going through a Blanchitsu phase as he was painted white with black checkerboarding all over him.  

You do stupid things when you are young, innocent and influenced by the 'Eavy Metal pages of White Dwarf.

The Myth The Mini

As I recently rescued my copy of Chainsaw Warrior it seemed only fitting to rescue this one mini.  Sadly time had not been kind and he had lost the blade of his Chainsaw.  

The mini has a weird "braced for action" pose which makes him look all hunched over.  

Cling Film to the Rescue!

I scratch built a new chainsaw out of a plastic cling film (saranwrap) cutter blade and some scraps of styrene plastic I recycled from ancient W3C Web Accessibility Initiative business cards.  I knew I would find a use for them one day.

The Chainsaw Warrior - a vintage Citadel miniature from 1987

I consulted the box art and some original painted examples for a muted military olive drab kind of colour scheme.  The chainsaw of course got the defacto hazard stripes and some oil washes to make it stand out as the most important thing in the room.

The only thing left to do now is actually play the game...

Reaper Bones #38 - Harpy

Another Mythical Monster chalked off the list, this time it's a Harpy

Harpy - Julie Guthrie (SKU 77041)

Harpy by Julie Guthrie

Julie Guthrie does it again with another wicked sculpt.  The last time I painted a Harpy was 30+ years ago when I painted the one from the Citadel C18 Night Horrors line.  Judging from the mini I believe this might have been sculpted by Aly or Trish Morrison.

Citadel C18 Harpy

You can tell that things have moved on both technically and aestetically in the last 30 years.  This is a much more interesting less cartoony sculpt and doesn't have the classic overblown features or the flattop haircut.  In particular I love the inclusion of the half demonic wings which give this mini a sense of the evil rather than just being some half human half chicken monster.

Harpy Mythology

Probably the most famous Harpy story is that of King Phineas of Thrace who was granted the gift of prophecy by Zeus until he gave away the Gods secret plan. Zeus blinded him and then left him alone on an island but tormented him with Harpies who would steal all the banquet food the Gods left him.  This is most famously depicted in the movie Jason and the Argonauts (1963) where Phineas is played by the second Doctor Who Patrick Troughton.  

Needless to say Jason fights off the Harpies and saves Phineas who then tells them how to pass through the clashing rocks (Symplegedes) further angering the Gods.

Bones Progress