The Great Khan has been defeated and now the remnants of his war host are left without direction. You were one of his followers and are now left with a simple choice. To abandon your ambitions and return to your old life, or to press on and succeed where the Khan had failed.
In Victory's Shadow - A Barbarian Warlord Quest
- Thread starter Azel
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- Original Fantasy
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Prelude 1 - The Barbarians Defeat
- Location
- Germany
Prelude 1 - The Barbarians Defeat
For the most part, the world moved in predictable cycles. Every day, the sun would rise and set. Every month, the moon would wax and wane. Every winter had a spring following it. And every few decades, the northern wastelands would have a Khan emerge and terrorize the kingdoms of man before being defeated. The people doing the defeating would be hailed as heroes, peace returned to the realms and all would be in order again.
And on the other side of the battle lines? Well. You too had a pattern to play out.
Of course, that had not been on your mind when you had joined up with Khan Doru. One does not join a warband expecting it to fail. On the face of it, his story was not exceptional. A former slave turned warlord, gathering allies and subjugating foes into his own forces. That is what they all did and every time there was someone who gathered a large enough host, they would inevitably turn their eyes to the lush lands of the south and promise to carve a new homeland for their soldiers out of the rotten and decadent realms crushed beneath their boots. And they all failed.
This time though, you all believed that Fate would have been on your side. Sure. Claiming so was not unusual either, but this time there was an actual Prophecy and every soothsayer, shaman, sorcerer and sage had been reading the same tale from every fish gut, star constellation and mushroom fueled vision. A great leader would emerge from the wastes, hailed as the unifier of his people, and the southern realms would kneel before him in supplication.
It was those portends that convinced you of joining him instead of trying to keep your independence as one of the...
[] [Origin] ... Mountain Clans.
Your people had always been quarrelsome and fiercely independent, often being the last ones to resist a nascent Khans effort to unite the wastelands and the only ones to actually succeed at it more often than not. Living in the high valleys of the Crunugora mountains dividing the south and the north, you were not quite belonging to either side of the eternal conflict, raiding and allying with whoever was the most convenient at the time. You knew the south like few other wastelanders, often fighting as mercenaries in their wars, but always denied a chance to settle in the fertile lands for being considered worthless barbarians. Joining Khan Doru was just a means to finally claim the prize that no southern king ever was willing to grant you.
Skills: Warcraft+, Diplomacy+, Trade+
[] [Origin] ... Sorcerer Kings.
Derisively called Mud Kings by many for ruling in the wetlands of Zelenbahno, few would dare to do so to your face. Your homelands were defined by the cults, witches covens and millenia worth of ruins raised by ambition and reclaimed by the uncaring waters. Wielding ancient mysteries and sorcereries unbound by the rules and dogmas of the southern faiths and academies, you were a terror on the battlefield and staying on top of some of the most ambitious people imaginable also taught you to lead. Most Khans considered people like you dangers to their own rule, though Khan Doru was much more sure of himself. He promised you a chance to plunder the vaults of the southern academies and there could hardly have been a greater reward than that.
Skills: Sorcery++, Leadership+
[X] [Origin] ... Caribou Riders.
Living in the far flung and wild forests of Vililesni with your herds of caribou made you a hardy people. Sweltering heat in the summers, icy cold in the winter and the dark things prowling the nights saw to that. The southerners feared you for it and had build great walls along the frontier just to keep you from wintering in their lands and raiding their farmsteads at a time when their own warriors were ill equipped to fight back. But it was never their lands your people coveted and Khan Doru knew as much. While his other followers dreamed of ruling the south, you just craved its riches. You dreamed of a great city rising in the north. Sturdy walls of stone and iron rising from the wilderness. A gleaming light to push back the darkness of your homelands. A dream as old as it had always seemed impossible.
Skills: Prowess++, Warcraft+
[] [Origin] ... Sea Clans.
From the storm swept beaches and fernlands of the Cervenybreh shores, your people have travelled the western sea for as long as memory reaches back. The salty soil never provided for you and so you leaned to eek out a meagre living from fishing, piracy and trade. Travelling from the southern kingdoms all the way to the endless forests of the far north, your ships were both feared and coveted as they could carry a bounty of furs and amber just as likely as they would bring raiders. To sail for Khan Doru was an easy choice. The prospect of plunder alone could have motivated you already, but he promised even more. The merchant houses of the south brought low, their palaces burned and their cities becoming the new home of the clans.
Skills: Prowess+, Leadership+, Trade+
[] [Origin] ... Vulture Priests.
Life in the endless, arid steppes of Plavylug is often short and brutal as nomads, warlords and petty, tribal fiefs fight one another for the scarce food, water and wealth to be found. And among them, people like you travel from court to court, bearing the name of Vulture Priest with pride instead of the derision many speak it with. Offering wisdom and trying to unravel the twisted paths of Fate for all who have the silver to pay for your services, you have travelled far and wide through the wastes. For many like you, it was only a matter of time until they entered the service of Khan Doru and as long as he had the coin, you gladly served him. Had you just heeded the strange feeling that what all the others read from the portends was not quite correct, even if it meant offending the Khan who had been so generous to you.
Skills: Sorcery+, Intrigue+, Learning+
You truly believed his promises. In some moments, you even believed his vision for a time in which the southerners would kneel to northern kings. How could you not? It was appealing to imagine the fortunes of the world turning in ones favour. To, for once, be the people that Fate and the gods favoured.
And then he died. And everything was just as it always had been.
The details eluded you. In the end, you had to admit that you had not been that great of a figure in his war host. Not one of the inner circle of the most powerful leaders who had sworn themselves to him. Which, armed with hindsight as you were, was a good thing. Most of them were dead too, while you had been just unimportant enough to survive...
[X] [Defeat] ... the roving band of heroes fighting through them one by one.
There had been no real rhyme or reason when they would strike. For all that everyone had known, the small group seemed to have almost bumbled from one place to the next, yet unerringly met and fought the most important servants of Khal Doru one after another. They were taking the lives of outriders, sorcerers, clan elders and finally the Khan himself as if the vast army he had amassed meant nothing. And then they just left, marching back south to be showered in gold and accolades no doubt. In their wake, the Khan's once mighty host was left in disarray and you could watch day by day as its members just wandered off and disappeared, turning to petty banditry for lack of any other option.
[] [Defeat] ... when a southern army crushed the Khans main host.
It had been a battle for the ages. One the chroniclers would spend oceans of ink to immortalise. Swift nomad raiders harassing the southern armies while the charge of heavy horses made clansmen lines quiver at their approach. Sorcerers called down fire and thunder, taking a bloody toll from both sides, yet even their might turned into a trickle as arrows blotted out the sun and thousands of man clashed with blade and spear. But it was not the Khan who carried the day. The southern armies leader challenged him in the midst of battle and when it was done, the Khan was no more. His host broke at the sight of his severed head and soon it had splintered into hundreds, each led by whoever could wield so much as a shred of authority.
[] [Defeat] ... the Khans grand ritual failed and the backlash killed them all.
Darkest magic, forbidden and forgotten in ages past. It had meant to be his greatest weapon. One which surely would have been enough to break even the mighty hosts of the south. The greatest sorcerers and priests were to conduct it and most of the Khans inner circle was in attendance to witness the event. But they only summoned their own ruin. Some of the prisoners meant as sacrifices managed to escape and the chaos of the ensuing fight led to the rituals unravelling. Arcane energies devastated the land for miles and few escaped the event to tell the tale. The Khans host was largely untouched by the event though and there soon were whispers that its remaining leaders would convene to debate about the future. Perhaps a new Khan would rise soon.
[] [Defeat] ... something turned them against each other and the warhost destroyed itself.
At the time, the events seemed harmless. Every warlord had to deal with grumbling amongst their host and one as great and varied as that of Khan Doru had it even worse. But things did not stay at grumbling. The unrest spread from camp to camp, their leaders speaking of treachery and betrayal by the Khan that had been revealed to them by trustworthy allies. It had soon become so bad that the campaign seemed on the verge of faltering, leading to Doru calling for a meeting of all leaders where they could speak their grievances. It was his last mistake. The Khan was killed by his own subordinates and before his body had even cooled, they had all stormed off to gather their own hosts. They were all certain that a new Khan was needed and only the field of battle would suffice to prove who was the worthiest.
Now, you were just one of many wasterlanders once more. Just one…
[] [Gender] … man…
[X] [Gender] … woman…
[] [Gender] … person…
… among many trying to make it through the chaos left in the wake of a warlords death. The future was uncertain and it seemed Fate was all too eager to play cruel games once more.
AN: Something small and limited in scope that I cooked up to get through my writers block. There will be one more character generation vote after this that will go into further detail, while this one will only establish the very rough lay of the land.
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Character Sheet
- Location
- Germany
Character Sheet
Name: RuoksaitiGender: Female
Ethnicity: Caribou Riders - Matki Vetka
Affiliation: Sakka Jostil Tribe
Patron God: Hora, the Smith and Warrior
Steed: Guoika (War Caribou)
Skills
Skills are rolled in the background for most actions. Usually, that means rolling three dice of the same size, with the size being determined by the rank in the skill, which are summed up. Depending on circumstances, you may have a number of degrees of Advantage or Disadvantage for a roll. In that case, one extra dice is rolled per degree. When you have advantage, the lowest dice are dropped until only three are left, and with Disadvantage, the highest are dropped instead.
| Skill Level | Dice |
|---|---|
| Inept | 3d2 |
| Novice | 3d4 |
| Skilled | 3d6 |
| Proficient | 3d8 |
| Expert | 3d10 |
| Master | 3d12 |
Prowess: Expert (3d10)
Warcraft: Proficient (3d8)
Trade: Novice (3d4)
Administration: Novice (3d4)
Leadership: Skilled (3d6)
Diplomacy: Novice (3d4)
Intrigue: Novice (3d4)
Learning: Novice (3d4)
Sorcery: Novice (3d4)
Campaign in Mark Niemitsch
Current Forces
Sakka Jostil Tribe
Led By: You
Warriors: Large
Civilians: Medium
Herd: Large
Loyalty: Absolute
Warriors: Large
Civilians: Medium
Herd: Large
Loyalty: Absolute
Rukses Gahpir Tribe
Led By: Vuoitveahka
Warriors: Tiny
Civilians: Medium
Herd: Medium
Loyalty: Uncertain
Warriors: Tiny
Civilians: Medium
Herd: Medium
Loyalty: Uncertain
Cappat Sealgi
Led By: Ealga
Warriors: Small
Civilians: Tiny
Herd: Tiny
Loyalty: Uncertain
Warriors: Small
Civilians: Tiny
Herd: Tiny
Loyalty: Uncertain
Victory Conditions
Minor Raid
Glory gain: minor
Tasks:
Tasks:
- plunder at least 5 minor villages (0 / 5)
- plunder at least 2 major villages (0 / 2) or 1 minor city (0 / 1)
- leave the Mark Niemitsch to the north or east before or during the first spring
- plunder at least 2 major villages (0 / 2) or 1 minor city (0 / 1)
- leave the Mark Niemitsch to the north or east before or during the first spring
Major Raid
Glory gain: modest
Tasks:
Tasks:
- plunder at least 4 major villages (0 / 4)
- plunder at least 2 minor cities (0 / 2) or 1 major city (0 / 1)
- leave the Mark Niemitsch to the north or east
- plunder at least 2 minor cities (0 / 2) or 1 major city (0 / 1)
- leave the Mark Niemitsch to the north or east
Devastating Raid
Glory gain: major
Tasks:
Tasks:
- plunder at least 2 major cities (0 / 2) or the Kas Vivraine Monastery
- leave the Mark Niemitsch to the north or east
- leave the Mark Niemitsch to the north or east
Minor Occupation
Glory gain: significant
Tasks:
Tasks:
- occupy at least 2 major villages (0 / 2)
- occupy at least 1 minor city (0 / 1)
- remain in the Mark Niemitsch for at least 1 year (0 / 1)
- occupy at least 1 minor city (0 / 1)
- remain in the Mark Niemitsch for at least 1 year (0 / 1)
Major Occupation
Glory gain: major
Tasks:
Tasks:
- occupy at least 4 major villages (0 / 4)
- occupy at least 1 major city (0 / 1)
- remain in the Mark Niemitsch for at least 1 year (0 / 1)
- occupy at least 1 major city (0 / 1)
- remain in the Mark Niemitsch for at least 1 year (0 / 1)
Breakthrough
Glory gain: enormous
Tasks:
Tasks:
- sack at least 2 castles or major cities (0 / 2)
- cross the Habula and leave the Mark Niemitsch to the west
- cross the Habula and leave the Mark Niemitsch to the west
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Prelude 2 - The Road Behind
- Location
- Germany
Prelude 2 - The Road Behind
A fresh dusting of snow was falling onto the world around you as Guoika carried you forward. The great caribou was much calmer lately as the temperatures kept dropping and the damp warmth of the south turned into something closer to the crisp chill of the north every night. The two of you were far from your homeland and had been for a while, so even such a simple thing felt comfortingly familiar.
Though the road you rode on was almost becoming familiar too. Once more, you had ridden to the crossroads, expecting a messenger to pass by with word from what remained of the Gathering. Its numbers had thinned greatly over the last few moons and what had once been an irregular affair, the Gathering had been staying together for a while now. Even the mighty sorcerers and war chiefs that the Khan had gathered sought strength in numbers as theirs dwindled.
Then the Khan had died and the Gathering briefly tried to give orders to what was left of his host. A difficult task, dispersed through the countryside as the host was in preparation for winter. Now though, they too had fallen silent. No orders had reached you for half a moon. The Sakka Jostil tribe was hardly big and important enough to warrant much attention, so you briefly thought they had just forgotten about you. But moving to a village closer to a trade route had not changed anything.
For five days you had left with the first sun and waited near the road to spot a messenger. For five days you returned with nothing to show for it except a growling stomach and legs stiff from staying in the saddle for so long.
As you returned to the village, the usual stares greeted you. Tents surrounded the first houses on the road and people were milling around between them, stopping what they did before to gawk. One group was from your own tribe, keeping lookout and watching you return with resignation. The other was the small number of Cappat Sealgi tribesmen that had come with you for the past moon. They still did not trust you in the slightest, despite the time spent together.
After they lost two war chiefs and a fair number of warriors, the tribe had all but splintered. The gaggle coming with you was mostly warriors with a tiny herd and you could only guess what motivated them. About two dozen of them were fit to fight, but they had no leader and kept to themselves. Hospitality forced you to offer shelter to an allied tribe on raid, and they more or less still were your allies, though the question was for how much longer.
In contrast, the Rukses Gahpir tribe camping on the western end of the village commons was fairly open about their desires. They had not even bothered to name their new leader war chief, instead declaring the raids done and planning to return to the steppes with their herds. With only about ten warriors in fighting shape by your count, it was easy to see why they had no further appetite for war.
As your caribou carried you along the road, children began to surround you and start babbling questions. As usual, you ignored them while their parents or some matron came to get them out of your way. There was too much weighing on your mind and you absently ran your fingers through Guoika's thick pelt. He didn't like the children getting in his way while trotting, though you were not sure if you wanted to calm him or yourself.
Things were tense and it became worse with every day. For now, the villagers were not eager to resist you, preferring to hole up in that temple of theirs and only coming out when something was demanded of them. But the larders were emptying and it was getting clear that they would not support both the villagers and your tribes for even half the winter.
A choice had to be made and soon, though you were unsure how anyone around you would react if you were the one to make it. By numbers, the Sakka Jostil were by far the strongest here. No less than five dozen warriors and a large and healthy herd of caribou. The flip side of having been too far in the back of the host to take part in the plundering was that you likewise had been spared the losses many others had suffered already. As war chief of the strongest tribe, they all should easily followed your lead.
And yet, you doubted. Your choice, yet to be made. Your leadership even. Unlike many you had met in Khan Doru's host, you could not look back on decades of leading your people. It was not all that long ago that you were…
[] [Youth] ... taught to lead by your father.
Before your own ascension, your father had been chief and perhaps one of the best the Sakka Jostil had in living memory. It was unusual for the child of a previous chief to be picked by the tribe to lead them, as the people saw it as one family seizing power from the tribe at large, though his certainty that you would make a fine leader one day helped you greatly. You always tried to live up to his hopes, valuing his lessons on how to lead and argue instead of relying on the strength of your arm to force your will onto others.
Skills: Leadership+, Diplomacy+
[] [Youth] ... a humble artisan.
You spent most of your youth with little ambition towards leadership, instead pursuing skill in bone carving and leather working. There was little room for frippery in your homeland and things had to be functional first, pretty second or not at all. Nonetheless, you had a good hand with the knife and from that sprung success in haggling and trading with the merchants and clansmen your tribe occasionally did business with. An uncommon set of skills for a war chief and one that came in quite handy when dealing with the realities of being part of a roving army in the southern lands.
Skills: Diplomacy+, Trade+
[] [Youth] ... a shaman's apprentice.
While there was only ever one shaman in the tribe, they took many apprentices to ensure their skills were passed on. How to honour the gods properly, read the signs they sent to mortals and the secrets they had given the people to live in their harsh homeland. You had not felt the calling to become a shaman in full, being too attached to worldly matters to completely dedicate yourself to the studies, but you learned plenty none the less and the old wisdoms and hidden truths of the world served you well as a chieftain.
Skills: Sorcery+, Learning+
These doubts were hardly new. You had them for a while after being named chieftain, though you thought that you had overcome them for good as you had settled into your role. Having followed Khan Doru and seeing him fail so utterly had brought them back. It had become much easier before your mind's eye to dismiss your achievements and only see your weaknesses, like that you were…
[] [Weakness] ... too trusting.
Your people were straightforward and duplicity punished harshly, making it rare that you had to deal with liars and cheats. Once you had met the Khan's host though, you were startled just how many of those existed in its ranks. Constant petty infighting seemed normal among the southerners and you kept struggling to know whose words you could accept as truth and who was planning to betray you for the faintest of advantages.
Skills: Intrigue-
[] [Weakness] ... too blunt.
Needlessly wasting words on simple matters had never come easy to you and neither did you ever understand why others insisted on doing so. The truth was the truth and should be spoken as such, even if it was uncomfortable for some. For some reason though, few people seemed to appreciate that habit and even some of the nomad tribes of Plavylug had called you a rude barbarian for it.
Skills: Diplomacy-
[] [Weakness] ... bad with money.
Bartering was simple and straightforward, but when you had listened in on some Sea Clan traders discussing these things they might as well have talked about sorcery as far as you were concerned. It just sounded so very complicated for no good reason and the way they spoke about "bookkeeping" just strengthened your resolve to leave those matters to other people.
Skills: Administration-, Trade-
They had chosen you in the end though. Twice even. Once as the chieftain and then once more as the war chief when you had sworn your tribe to the Khan's banner. And for all the uncertainty gripping the tribe, none had so far voiced any desire to replace you. They truly trusted your judgements, even if you had often felt that what had gotten you elected in the first place was mostly …
[] [Achievement] ... the daring raid in the south.
For all the effort that went into maintaining the frontier walls of the southern kingdoms, it could be quite easy to slip through them. One winter, you had heard from a trader that two petty lordlings in the south were feuding to the point where blood had been spilled and with some other daring riders, you set out to make a fortune. The traders brought your offer to one of the lords and a fortnight later, you were let into the south to raid his enemy, leaving a month later with plenty of riches in your saddlebags.
Skills: Warcraft+, Intrigue+
[] [Achievement] ... slaying a Stallo.
After one of the harshest winters you had witnessed, a Stallo had been spotted near your tribe's grazing lands. The bloodthirsty giant gave no sign that he would return to the frozen mountains and its haggard appearance made it clear that it was maddened by hunger. While most wanted to simply leave the area for other pastures, you argued that slaying the beast was easier than finding new grounds for your herds. With a spear in hand and some bold archers to distract it, you faced the creature and returned with its skull in hand to your people.
Skills: Prowess+, Warcraft+
[] [Achievement] ... brokering peace with another tribe.
When a few of your caribou disappeared and another tribes scouts were spotted near your lands, there nearly was a war being assembled, had you not dared to speak with them. They too had lost caribou and blamed you in turn, though over the course of a moon, you managed to convince everyone that it was likely a beast that had slain the caribou and that war between your people would have been pointless.
Skills: Leadership+, Diplomacy+
Guoika was not entirely oblivious to your ruminations. He sure took his time to move through the village and to the manor house overseeing it from the hill. Who the lord of this place was, you had no idea and neither did you care. The man had not been seen for moons by the villagers and it seemed he was not well liked either as they cared fairly little that you were pitching your tent there and using the halls. Smoke was coming from the chimney, carrying the smell of roasted meat and apples to you.
A short tuck on the reins made Guoika stop entirely and you gazed up at the stars slowly showing themselves on the darkening sky. The breeze was cold and carried the faintest smell of the sea with it. 'What to do?' You asked yourself and the stars, almost hoping the gods would show themselves and tell you the right path to follow. An unlikely thing to happen and in the end their attention was just as likely to make your lot worse than it was to improve it.
As you slid from the saddle and stretched your stiff legs, you nonetheless vowed to make some offerings the first chance you got to your patron…
[] [Patron] ... Beaivi, the goddess of the sun.
Worshipped by all tribes in the north, Beaivi receives many offerings and celebrations. In spring, she and her daughters are given gratitude for banishing the winter. In summer, people thank her for the warmth and growth she brings. The most fervent please though are spoken at the winter solstice, when people plead for her to return soon. You remember pleading with her to make you grow tall and strong when you were a little girl and have shown your gratitude for that gift ever since.
[] [Patron] ... Jabme Akka, the lady of the dead.
Rarely invoked outside of funerary rites, Jabme Akka has often been reviled by many tribes. While she cares for the dead and will protect them for the right offerings, she also is the patron of the vile sorceries that call back the twisted spirits of the deceased as servants. For you, she has always been a goddess to be feared and respected in equal measure and you hope that she will remember you kindly when your time has come to cross into the other world.
[] [Patron] ... Lihkku Akka, the lady of luck and fate.
Only a fool would not pay homage to her when granted a boon by her, but only the greatest fool would draw her attention willingly. Hers is the clinking of dice and the arrow that only grazed your skin, but she is also the mistress of tragedies and shattered hopes who gambles for mortals souls with Jabme Akka. Something you could never name drew you to her since you could walk and while she seemed no more or less helpful or cruel to you than to others, you sometimes dread the day you will find out what connects you to her.
[] [Patron] ... Hora, the smith and warrior.
Maker of tools and slayer of monsters. Hora is rarely depicted without his two iron hammers, which summon lightning and thunder when struck together and which felled many fell creatures. After a Stallo tried to steal his hammers to weaken him, he slew the creature and made an unbreakable rope from his beard to tie his hammers to himself. You had always striven to become a great warrior like him and like many of his followers, you wear a necklace made of hair with two iron hammers woven to it.
[] [Patron] ... Vuovdaisit, the master of the forest.
The old man who dwells in the trees and knows every secret, good or ill, that the forest ever witnessed. Shamans sometimes plead to him for knowledge, while hunters ask for his blessings to find the best quarries. He can appear as any creature that he wishes and has a feud with Hora ever since the warrior mistook Vuovdaisit for a regular bear and struck him with his hammers. You have often called to him for knowledge and guidance yourself and a certain that he subtly answered those please a few times.
That was for the future though and as you took the reins and saddle off Guoika to let him join the herd, you focused on the options before you. Waiting any further was not one of them. Every day you waited, the people ate and the travel provisions available to you shrunk. Sure, you could instead have tried to gather more warriors to your banner and attack the nearby city, as the Khan had originally planned, but that seemed all but impossible with his host being scattered by the wind before your very eyes.
Taking your warriors further south would have been much easier. Fertile farmlands waited there, only lightly defended most likely and there was little risk of any reinforcements coming to their aid. The southerners did not fight well even in the mildest winter, while you felt the weather in these lands to be barely an inconvenience. There would be plenty of plunder to be had before spring forced you back to safer lands.
Of course, that was only true if things were as usual. Now though, there were other tribes, clans and sorcerers in the area that might have been much more dangerous than some southern peasants with whatever pointy stick they could muster. To stay in the south at all meant fighting with them over whatever spoils there were to be had and to be drawn into whatever power struggle would be the legacy of Khan Doru.
Which left returning to the wastelands. The steppes most likely, since you needed a winter quarter and with so many nomads gone, there should have been plenty of grazing lands in reach before the snows forced you to make a permanent camp till spring. Though if the other tribes returned just as quickly as you did, the risks might have been severe. Your tribe had not the numbers or the supplies to fight over hills that had barely enough shrubbery for a few caribou.
No matter what, there were risks. Plenty of them. But you were the war chief of the Sakka Jostil and they would follow you. Maybe, if you managed to convince them of the wisdom of your actions, the other tribes would too. By the time you were done packing away your saddle, you were ready to face them in the manor.
You had decided to…
[] [Action] ... to move south.
You needed provisions for the winter and preferably some coin to show for all the troubles that joining the Khan had brought you. Both were plenty in the south. You just had to be ready to fight for them.
[] [Action] ... to stay and gather strength.
Even if food was an issue if you stayed, it was an even greater one if you decided to travel into the unknown. The tribe would stay here, raid and talk with others, and once your numbers had grown enough, you would attack the southerners' city and feast the winter away from its full larders.
[] [Action] ... to move north.
The Khan was dead and so was this campaign. Only death and misery would await those staying and trying to scrounge for scraps. You would pack your things and return to the wastelands. Maybe you would even be able to profit somewhat from the fact that so many had left.
AN: This kept growing and growing. After this, char gen is wrapped up. Take note that the choice of a patron deity has no direct mechanical impact, but it will impact the narrative. Potentially heavily so.
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Prelude 3 - The Road Ahead
- Location
- Germany
Prelude 3 - The Road Ahead
The cheer in the manor house was forced. You had heard as much from outside and now that you had entered, the room fell silent as the winter forest. One of the villagers that had been pressed into serving the tribe leaders approached you cautiouly to take your mantle while you studied the other two leaders sitting there.
Ealga of the Cappat Sealgi was not a chieftain, just the warrior with the most seniority left in the small splinter making camp with you, though that made little difference in practice. He watched you wary as ever, almost as if he expected you to try and make a lunge for him. It was baffling how man could be this tense at all times.
In contrast, chief Vuoitveahka of the Rukses Gahpir did his best to appear cheerful. Before his gut rested the remnants of an entire goose and even your appearance was no reason for him to stop gulping down his ale. He made a show of it by slamming down the empty mug and he almost fooled you, with his antics, but he was just as nervous as everyone else.
"Still nothing from the Gathering," he stated plainly.
You just shook your head as you walked to the chair kept free for you directly before the fireplace. "Nothing and I think there won't be coming anything either."
Silence descended again, only broken by the servant placing a plate of roasted meat and a mug of ale before you. It smelled great and the southern ale was at least tolerable, but you had no mind to eat right now. "I have decided that our tribe will march south before winter settles in. The Cappat Sealgi and Rukses Gahpir are invited to join us in this."
"And why would we?" Ealga asked while staring into his cup. "The Khan is dead and your tribe is not strong enough to break the southerners."
Warcraft: 3D8 => (3 +3 +3) = 9
Diplomacy: 3D4 => (4 +3 +1) = 8
Diplomacy: 3D4 => (4 +3 +1) = 8
"So? We don't have to." You picked up your own cup and gestured wide with it. "There are hundreds of tribes and war bands still on their lands, and some of the larger hosts are likely still sieging cities and castles. They got far more pressing problems than us. A band of our size can easily move around their strongholds, especially in winter."
"Think about it," you said before pausing to take a swig of ale. "If we return to the wastes, what can we expect? The winters there are harsh enough at the best of times and now the lands will be full of tribes that return from campaign with empty saddlebags and diminished herds. It will be a fight to the knife there and being a small band with food wandering alongside it makes us a target."
While taking another sip, you eyed the two of them carefully. Vuoitveahka was clearly wavering and it was easy to guess why. His tribe had elected chief instead of a war chief on purpose. They had neither the will, nor the strength to keep fighting. "There is plenty of grazing lands here and the larders of the villages are full enough. Would you rather have your people fight their own caribou for lichen and birch bark or dine like kings in a warm hall?"
He hesitated just a moment longer before raising his mug towards you. "Hear, hear," he answered before drinking.
On your other side, Ealga had begun whispering with one of his warriors sitting to his right and you gave them some time to finish. "And what do you say?" you asked him after his attention was back on you.
The war chief kept staring at you, or more precisely on the necklace from woven Stallo hair you wore. "Modest goals," he ground out after a while. "Fighting soft southerners for our provisions sounds better than having to war with other tribes. We will ride with you for this winter, Ruoksaiti."
"Well." Vuoitveahka clapped his meaty hands together and rose from his seat. "If we are to keep travelling together, then let me show you something."
He motioned for the servants to clean up one of the tables for him and once they did so, he grabbed a large case from his travelling pack leaning on the wall. "I managed to get something quite valuable from a merchant caravan we plundered a moon or so ago. Meant to give it to you as a parting gift for having us at your fire for so long, but now it will come in handy." As he spoke he drew a large rolled parchment from the case and spread it out before you all.
The map on it was of fairly good quality by your reckoning, though you could not read all the text on it. The little drawings of villages and castles got the contents across well enough though.
"That is right south of us," Ealga noted while pointing to the upper edge of the map. "I've seen a bigger map with those two rivers during a war council. Could be there in a few days by going through the forests. Those lands a rich from what I heard."
"Quite so," the other chief agreed cheerfully while pointing to the hills near the eastern river. "Good vineyards there, and fertile farmland all around. The trader we plundered had been bringing food and weapons from there, so there should be plenty for us to take."
You idly ran your fingers over the parchment, trying to imagine the lay of the land. The sprawling farmlands of the southerners were still strange to you after all this time in the Khan's war host, but you had gotten familiar enough to have a few plans form in your mind. "Not enough room to make a hidden camp along the rivers, but we can stay hidden if we stick to the hills and forests."
Ealga pointed to the city on the top left where the rivers met. "I know some of ours were sent to this place. They were meant to siege the city so that no one could move from there into the Khan's flank. We might find a larger host to join there, or at least some allies if it dispersed."
While you nodded along to his words, you were hesitant to agree with the idea. That seemed to be a major city and there were plenty of castles to the south of it. If the southerners had any soldiers ready for a fight, then they would likely be there too, and you would have preferred to not draw attention to yourself. "It might be safer to stick to the forests further east and send out scouts to the city."
"We could go even further east," Vuoitveahka noted while tapping on the large lake surrounded by forests. "It will take a bit longer to get there if we have to go through the hills, but this area seems fairly isolated. Plenty of room to make camp and enough villages around to keep us fed."
"That's more than a bit longer," you noted while trying to estimate the extra distance. "We will either have to raid a few villages on the way, making that trek even slower, or arrive there with nearly empty packs."
The argument went on a for a while longer, and in the end, you decided to...
[] [Destination] ... approach Lubwerda from the north and look for other remnants of the Khan's host.
[] [Destination] ... move further east and make camp near the village of Dresda to send out scouts.
[] [Destination] ... raid the remote villages of Duxat and Soplitz for supplies before going further east.
[] [Destination] ... take a careful route through the wilderness and look for an easy target around Calaw and Luken.
[] [Destination] ... do something entirely different. (Write-In)
There was also talk about how much travel supplies you were to take from the village you were making camp in.
[] [Supplies] Leave the villagers enough to get over the winter. (Start with 1 moon of supplies.)
[] [Supplies] Take everything you can carry. (Start with 2 moons of supplies.)
Campaign in Mark Niemitsch
Current Forces
Sakka Jostil Tribe
Led By: You
Warriors: Large
Civilians: Medium
Herd: Large
Loyalty: Absolute
Warriors: Large
Civilians: Medium
Herd: Large
Loyalty: Absolute
Rukses Gahpir Tribe
Led By: Vuoitveahka
Warriors: Tiny
Civilians: Medium
Herd: Medium
Loyalty: Uncertain
Warriors: Tiny
Civilians: Medium
Herd: Medium
Loyalty: Uncertain
Cappat Sealgi
Led By: Ealga
Warriors: Small
Civilians: Tiny
Herd: Tiny
Loyalty: Uncertain
Warriors: Small
Civilians: Tiny
Herd: Tiny
Loyalty: Uncertain
Victory Conditions
Minor Raid
Glory gain: minor
Tasks:
Tasks:
- plunder at least 5 minor villages (0 / 5)
- plunder at least 2 major villages (0 / 2) or 1 minor city (0 / 1)
- leave the Mark Niemitsch to the north or east before or during the first spring
- plunder at least 2 major villages (0 / 2) or 1 minor city (0 / 1)
- leave the Mark Niemitsch to the north or east before or during the first spring
Major Raid
Glory gain: modest
Tasks:
Tasks:
- plunder at least 4 major villages (0 / 4)
- plunder at least 2 minor cities (0 / 2) or 1 major city (0 / 1)
- leave the Mark Niemitsch to the north or east
- plunder at least 2 minor cities (0 / 2) or 1 major city (0 / 1)
- leave the Mark Niemitsch to the north or east
Devastating Raid
Glory gain: major
Tasks:
Tasks:
- plunder at least 2 major cities (0 / 2) or the Kas Vivraine Monastery
- leave the Mark Niemitsch to the north or east
- leave the Mark Niemitsch to the north or east
Minor Occupation
Glory gain: significant
Tasks:
Tasks:
- occupy at least 2 major villages (0 / 2)
- occupy at least 1 minor city (0 / 1)
- remain in the Mark Niemitsch for at least 1 year (0 / 1)
- occupy at least 1 minor city (0 / 1)
- remain in the Mark Niemitsch for at least 1 year (0 / 1)
Major Occupation
Glory gain: major
Tasks:
Tasks:
- occupy at least 4 major villages (0 / 4)
- occupy at least 1 major city (0 / 1)
- remain in the Mark Niemitsch for at least 1 year (0 / 1)
- occupy at least 1 major city (0 / 1)
- remain in the Mark Niemitsch for at least 1 year (0 / 1)
Breakthrough
Glory gain: enormous
Tasks:
Tasks:
- sack at least 2 castles or major cities (0 / 2)
- cross the Habula and leave the Mark Niemitsch to the west
- cross the Habula and leave the Mark Niemitsch to the west
AN: I'll point out if there are any egregious issues with write-in plans, as you got more than enough warcraft to not blunder like that, but feel free to ping me with any questions. Keep in mind that your knowledge of the area is limited, so scouting will be a fairly important activity.
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Turn 1 - Into the Fray
- Location
- Germany
Turn 1 - Into the Fray
On the very next day, you broke camp, laden down with a decent share of the villages larders. The southerners were not at all happy that you took even more from them. The few picked to show you where they hid everything were tense all the while, just barely keeping their tongues quiet, though when they noticed that you only took the easily portable foods, they quieted down. None of them seemed eager to push their luck when they still would be left with enough for themselves.
The ride south was luckily quite uneventful. Moving through hills and deep forests, you rarely even crossed a road, let alone met anyone save a few lone villagers fleeing towards Walden. With the snows intensifying, you could almost forget you were even in the south. Moving through the underbrush as cold and silence were only pierced by the caribou and your fellow riders. By the third day, you were half expecting a Heagga Hagga to accost you, even though it was likely a full moon or two of riding to a pace where the blighted things roamed.
Your first stop, the village of Duxat, brought you back to reality. The local manor lord had holed up in his home with a few arms-men and tried to shoot your scouts when they approached the village. By the time you learned of it though, the problem had already resolved itself. The fool had horses saddled and ordered his men to give chase to your scouts. The vanguard was already done picking over their bodies when the bulk of your host passed them by.
As a result, the reception in Duxat was much more tense, the villagers expecting you to retaliate against them. Ealga halfheartedly suggested as much, though he seemed to do it mostly to have you dismiss the notion in front of his warriors instead of any real desire to see the village razed. Still, you did not linger. After two days, the mansion had been stripped of anything valuable and your packs re-filled from Duxats granary.
Compared to that, Soplitz is an uneventful stop on your journey. The village is barely worth the name, with only three houses still occupied and the rest evidently abandoned years ago. None of the villagers have much worth taking, except for a hunter who is happily sharing some fresh bowstrings and arrows in return for the village being left alone by your host. With daylight to spare, you oblige him and march on towards the wilderness once more.
Supplies gained: 1 month
Minor Villages raided: +1
The weather takes a turn for the worse in the days after, slowing you down as the clouds sap the precious daylight ever earlier, and crossing the river turns into a two day affair as the snow covered ice is too thin to walk over, but makes it hard to find a safe place to cross. There is some grousing from all three tribes under your command, though nothing that some fresh horse meat couldn't quiet down in the evening.
Further south though, you begin to see signs of settlement once more. Your path crosses a minor road once more and unlike the last one, this time there are signs of recent travel. The snow is trampled down and bears markings of feet, hooves and wagons. With the aid of the map he procured, Vuoitveahka determines that you likely arrived somewhere between Batzeck and Lebguin, which is good enough for your purposes. A more permanent camp is made in the deeper forest and the scouts send out to learn more about your surroundings.
The first group reporting back was from the south, where village of Wildern stood. Now it is deserted though and your scouts report fresh graves dug and the manor house burned. Whoever came through here was less kindly than your host when they took what they needed and you have some inkling who might have done it. From further east, the scouts report a large camp in the village of Calaw, guarded by caribou riders. They could not approach close enough to learn more, but the tracks they found in the forest implies that it is not just nomads who are campign there.
Further up the small river, the village of Lebguin was overrun with refugees. Some living in makeshift tents not fit for the winter, others sleeping on wagons or the overcrowded houses. Soldiers wearing two different sets of colors are among them, but they are few and disorganized, your scouts not even having to worry about any patrols from them. From what you had seen in other villages, they would likely soon run out of food and had to either move again or starve.
Lastly, to the west, the village of Batzeck was recently site of a fight. Crows still circle the meadows north of the village and a small number of soldiers guard the roads leading into it from makeshift barricades. From a nearby hill, your scouts could see them gathering wood for pyres on the village commons, but they are not for the bodies. A stake is at the center of each of the five piles, and you are reminded of the stories of the southerners burning people who they think to have offended their gods. Maybe they caught some sorcerers.
While hearing all these reports with you, neither Ealga nor Vuoitveahka offered much of an opinion of their own, except for teasing out a few details from the scouts here and there. Both your allies seemed content enough to let you take the lead for now.
Turn 1 - 12th Moon of Khan Doru - First Winter Moon
You have
Current supplies will last you 2 moons.
Warfare
[] Send out scouts. (Write-In where, Write-In number)
-[] (Optional) Lead them personally (Costs 1 Action)
You need to learn more about your surroundings and what is going on. Send a group of caribou riders to scout out a location.
[] Send a raiding force. (Write-In where, Write-In number)
-[] (Optional) Lead them personally (Costs 1 Action)
You have enough food for a while longer, but more is always better and you found little in valuables so far. Send some riders out to raid a nearby settlement.
[] Set patrols. (Write-In where, Write-In number)
While your camp is already guarded, it might not hurt to set up patrols in your surroundings to watch for movements on the roads.
[] Attack Batzeck (Costs 1 Action, 4 Warriors)
Whoever the southerners intend to burn in Batzeck will likely make for valuable allies. Ones who will owe your life to them at that. From the reports of your scouts, you already prepared a rough plan and while you will need to bring most of your warriors, you are confident that you can take them on.
Diplomacy
[] Send an envoy to Calaw (Costs 1 Warriors)
There are clearly splinters of Khan Dogu's host camping in Calaw and both of your hosts will have an easier time surviving in the south if you make common cause. Send some warriors to serve as your envoy's and see if they are willing to talk.
[] Travel to Calaw (Costs 1 Action, 1 Warriors)
Another war chief will likely respond better if you come in person to talk with them instead of sending an envoy. Ride to Calaw and see for yourself what people these are and what they want.
[] Travel to Lebguin (Costs 1 Action, 1 Warriors)
The people in Lebguin won't survive the winter as it is, but at least a few of them know how to fight. Maybe you can offer them something to fight for you instead. The Khan managed such feats all the time, so how hard can this be?
[] Spend time with Vuoitveahka and the Rukses Gahpir tribe (Costs 1 Action)
While the old chief is affable, you know for certain his people have little interest in further war, following you mostly since they fear to be killed if they traveled alone. Try to get to know him and his people better and perhaps improve your relationship.
[] Spend time with Ealga and the Cappat Sealgi warriors (Costs 1 Action)
The man who is war chief of the small splinter group in all but name remains a mystery to you. Always guarded and tight lipped, you can only guess at his motivations. Maybe if you spend more time with him, you can pry something out of him.
Administration
[] Help to prepare the Solstice Festival (Costs 1 Action)
The winter solstice is not far away and while its a shamans task to prepare for it, you could lend a hand yourself. A bigger celebration might serve to raise spirits in your host and make the gods better inclined to you. (Note: Can be taken this turn or next turn.)
Personal
[] Learn to read and write (Costs 1 Action)
Not being able to read the lettering on the map was a bit embarrassing, even if it is rare for anyone except maybe a shaman to be literate in the tribes. Still. Better spend some time to rectify that.
Only voting by plan please. Warriors not given other tasks will be added to the camp guards for that turn.
AN: Spelling it out here since this aspect of my quests has often stumped people: Not all information you receive is perfectly accurate. Your own scouts are more reliable than hearsay or just a map, so you should always consider how reliable the source of your information is before acting on it.