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Assault on the Mill |
| 2022-09-28 |
Assault on the Mill
I mastered a one-shot for a friend this week-end. We rolled two characters, he first went for a spellcaster and then rolled a fighter as a sidekick. Decimus is a lombard caster born in a noble family, while Long is a briton whose parents were artisans.
The scene was then set for them, they arrive in a village and request shelter for the night in the largest farm. The servants guide them to the hall where the old master is warming up by the fire.
They are welcomed and given a small room. Decimus sleeps a bit, while Long goes exploring the village. He doesn't spot anything particular expect for a stout young fellow who seems ready for a quarrel.
Long gets back to the farm, wakes up his master and then both head to the hall for the dinner. Decimus is at the table, on the right of the farmer, while the farmer's son sits in front, at his father's left.
The conversation takes place in broken latin, Decimus explains he's coming from Lombardia, south of the Alps. The son inquires about agricultural techniques and productions, while the father is more interested in news from old Rome, but Decimus has to admit that he never visited that city.
At the table set up for the servants, Long is engaged in smaller chat. At some point, Mako, the strong yound lad, arrives discreetly and sits in fromt of our Briton. Arm wrestling ensues and its an easy win for Long. Mako gets mad and wants to start a fight. The old farmer is not too queen on it, but Decimus proposes a fight, as kind of post-dinner entertainment. Things go badly for Long, although stronger he gets knocked out by the better puncher that the young villager is.
During the dinner, Decimus learns that people were gone missing while taking the road to the south, he proposes to investigate. The rumour is that strange people have taken over the mill down by the river where the road bridges. The farmers accept.
Early in the morning, the Lombard and his servant, a bit shaken from his lost fight, follow the road to the bottom of the valley, and encounter a pair of shepherds surrounded by their fold of sheeps, with a few goats. They've heard that the mill is a place to avoid and that's what they did. They did lose two sheeps the previous night and point Decimus and Long at a small wood further west, river upstream, there seems to be a camp there. Effectively, there is some smoke raising from the fog clinging to the river bed.
Decimus and Long decide to change their plan, they will first investigate the small wood. Decimus makes a deliberate approach towards the woods, he notices a diminutive man observing him. Long makes a long hook east, trusting Decimus is monopolizing the attention of any scout in the wood. Their trick succeeds and one observer is captured by Long while the first scout breaks his bow trying to fire at Decimus and fails in his escape attempt, running straight into Long's strong arms.
Our lombard and his servant have captured two goblin observers. They're quite talkative, quite surprised to be still alive, they explain that their encampment is in the middle of the wood. They couldn't resist eating some sheep meat. They accept leading the two adventurers to the camp, where they are met by firing squads in the lower branches of the trees around.
A dialogue with the king of the goblins and his shaman ensues. They exchange information and learn that the mill has indeed been taken over by an evil man and his servants, which the goblins describe as "not fresh". The humanoids deplore the loss of two kids to them. Decimus proposes a common assault on the mill to avenge the kids, the goblins gladly accept and propose the services of Redgard, a young chief, and his squad of eight "bowblins".
The goblins advise to attack at dawn and not during the night, as they affirm that the "not fresh" humans are slower at daylight. The assault is planned and prepared for the morning.
The first step is to disable the dogs. They are as big as poneys. Decimus and the goblins succeed in setting up a firing position in the woods overlooking the road right before the bridge. From there, it's easy to throw some sheep meat to lure the dogs right in the killing zone. As the mastiffs quarrel over the meat, Long, naked but with shield and scramax, crawls out of the river and despatches one of the dogs. The right wing of the goblin squad then spikes the remaining dog. The fight lasts a few rounds, the left wing of bowblins lead by Decimus watching the bridge. When the dogs are both down, the left wing, under cover of the right wing advances towards the bridge.
It's hard to distinguish what is beyond the bridge as the fog is thick. Suddenly a ball of fire, five feet in diameter, emerges and hits the forward team, killing one goblin fighter. Decimus shouts at his covering wing: "let your arrows fly following mine!" and he casts a magical arrow of pain. He has seen the silhouette of the fireball thrower beyond the bridge. The magical arrow hits the man, Decimus hears his cry of pain. The goblins fire a volley where pointed at by Decimus and another cry of pain is heard.
Two zombies place themselves between their master and the assault team. They are quickly despatched by Long. The final part of the fight begins as the wizard has taken refuge in one of the central buildings. He succeeds in killing two goblins with a fireball but he is pierced by a magical arrow cast by Decimus from the window at the back of the house.
The rest of the fight is quickly over, only four zombies were left, resting in the shade of the houses.
The task is successful. The goblins ask Decimus and Long not to mention them to the villagers and they quickly vanish after having taken some of the supplies stored in the houses. The farmer and the other villagers are very happy to have the mill problem solved so quickly.
That's it. A simple one-shot.
