Grape Wagon Score

(The crew (group), the Budgie Smugglers, were tasked, by the Scabport Wizards' Guild, to recover six stolen barrels from the Insular Rogues.)

Ronny [ Deacon, Hound (like a ranger) ] was sent down the Fort Augmentin road to scout. He came running back.

"They're coming!" he spluttered. "Six guards and an open wagon full of barrels. At least, I hope it's them."

but with no trees...

The group was at a small stream that flowed off the plains and into the sea. The road crossed this
stream through a ford. This would make a good choke-point.

Here, they hastily placed some vague and make-shift rocks to slow any crossing wagon, and then positioned themselves behind other convenient rocks and the odd bush, ready to strike.

Moonlight Birdsong [ Chris, Druid ] dug a depression in the stream, enough to submerge himself beneath the water. He breathed through a reed tube.

The wagon arrived (lucky it was the right one!) and went down the depression into the stream to cross at the ford. Three of the wagon guards jumped off to clear away the rocks that blocked the way.

"Now!" shrieked party leader Huilam [ Jamie, Spider (mastermind/coordinator/leader) ].

The Engagement roll was three dice: 1D plus 1D from Ronny's reconnoiter and plus 1D from Huilam's feat. The highest value was a 5, which meant "Risky". Risky is normal; other possible results were "Controlled" and "Desperate".

Burrito [ Darryl, Hound ], Ronny and Sorrow [ Jeff, Lurk (thief) ] opened up with their bows...

The logical choice for a bow shot is HUNT Action. Burrito did a Lead-a-Group on the archers which meant he could use the HUNT rolls from Ronny and Sorrow as well. The risk being that any fail rolls (1-3) from any of them would count against his Stress. There were no fail rolls. One of the rolls came up two 6s, which is a "Critical"! 

... and with superb shooting dropped three of the targets.

Hypothetically, what would have happened with other results?

One 6 would have been a "success". The targets would still have fallen, but they'd get a Fortune roll and might be scratched rather than out for the count.  

4 or 5 would have been a "success, but ..." As above, but the "but" would mean maybe some of the party would be wounded by return fire, or the rocks would have been cleared, or the foe might risk taking the wagon through a different route, or risk the wheels on the bad terrain. 

1, 2, 3 would have been a "fail, and ..." As above, but none of the baddies fall or even be scratched.

El Cid [ Shane, Cutter (fighter) ] cried out "Three of you are down! Surrender, or we will drop the other three!"

El Cid did a COMMAND (2D) action on the foe to do this. He also did a Lead-a-Group with Huilam helping with his own COMMAND (2D). A 6 was the highest roll. Success.

Realizing the precarious situation they were in, the other three quickly surrendered.

They were tied up and interrogated. One of the shot ones was at death's door, so Rita  [ Ian, Brightspark (priestess of REAL) ] cast a Cure on him.

The wagon had ten barrels. Rita cast a Detect Magic spell and that showed that six of the barrels were magic.

"These must be the Magic Grape barrels," she mused.

The other four barrels contained only wine.

The leader of this group was a half-elf called Gertrude. Huilam plied them all with wine, and then he interrogated Gertrude. She didn't know much, but they were planning to be met by a group outside of Scabport, and thus sneak the barrels in to the city.

All the sloshed prisoners were loaded into the wagon and covered with a tarp (Sorrow's tarp).
Attlee [ Kevin, Lurk ] drove, with Huilam and El Cid beside him.

Rita and Ronny headed off ahead to go the Scabport to report to the Wizards' Guild. They were faster than the two-horse dray, so were soon out of sight.

After half an hour of travel, Attlee was dozing off, and he misread a corner. The wagon left the road into a steep ditch on the side ...

nearly ...

Attlee used the FINESSE Action (2D) to drive the cart. BUT unluckily, his top roll was only a 3. This is a "fail, and ..." result, so the cart left the road into the ditch. He wisely decided to do a Resistance roll. This uses PROWESS and, for Attlee, was 2D. Kevin's roll was a 5. For Resistance rolls, you subtract this value from seven. So Attlee got two stress points. But it meant he lessened or avoided the bad effect.

... but with a superb piece of skilled driving, Attlee judged the incline angle right, and didn't break a wheel, nor disgorge the wagon contents, nor hurt the horses. With shaking hands and sweaty brow, Attlee resumed the travel.

Half an hour from Scabport, Attlee pulled the wagon off and hid it behind a rise.

Sly Dunbar, WG Liaison

Night fell.

Rita & Ronny by now were in Scabport. They went to the Wizards' Guild. Here they met up with Sly Dunbar and gave him the good news. He furnished them with documentation to get the wagon past the Scabport Night guards.

Back on the plains, skulking Burrito spotted a group of four walking up the road. He quickly told the party, and everyone stayed low and hidden behind the rise, and the four walked blithely past. Burrito returned to his guarding and Sorrow then tailed the four.

Rita & Ronny made their way out on to the plains and headed back towards the party - her searchlight Sunray forehead lighting the way. [ Priests of REAL have a beam-focused bright light on their foreheads ]. Burrito spotted the search-light from leagues away, and by the time the two arrived, the wagon was back on the road and headed towards them.

With the WG paper-work, it was no trouble to get past the Scabport Night guards. They weren't even interested in examining the barrels. 

At the Wizards' Guild, the wagon was unloaded in the WG loading bay. Sly Dunbar then paid Rita the agreed coinage, and then the group took the wagon and horses (now theirs) back to their secret base.

Downtime

BitD/FitD has a concept called Downtime which is done after a Score (Mission). It abstracts into four things:

1. Payoff (good) - The crew (group/party) earns money and reputation. Money is abstracted into units called COIN. This score earned 6 COIN and 3 REP. The crew is an entity in its own right, with its own class (Smugglers), attributes, skills and feats. And REP is how a crew earns experience and advances (and benefits all the members).
2. Heat (bad) - HEAT is an indication as to how notorious the crew is. The more HEAT, the more the big-cheeses or the law start to sit up and take notice. Too much HEAT gets you WANTED.
3. Entanglements (bad) - This is random occurrences that happens to the crew, the members' friends or their vice peddlers. It is a function of HEAT and WANTED.
4. Downtime Activities (good) - Each character can do two of: Acquire Asset (get a temporary toy for one score), Long-term Project (build something or plan something), Heal, Reduce Heat (clear some of the crew's HEAT), Train, Indulge Vice (helps to clear Stress).

Scabport - The Budgie Smugglers

(Courier font for meta comments.)

This new adventure follows the same group of players.

We are using the "Forged in the Dark" system ("FitD"). This was invented in 2014 as a Kickstarter called "Blades in the Dark" ("BitD"), but BitD has a built-in steam-punk setting too. So, we are using the FitD system but with my "Known World" fantasy (& magic) setting.

BitD/FitD is a game-system unlike anything the group has ever played before, so it's a style they will need to get used to, and is a big learning curve. It is story-driven, tactics-light and combat-light, but, honestly, that has been the style of play we've done since 2014 anyway.

We are using the following the BitD Playbooks ("classes"):

• Cutter - Intimidating Fighter
• Hound - Sniper and Tracker
• Lurk - Infiltrator and Burglar
• Slide - Subtle Manipulator and Spy
• Spider - Devious Mastermind

and I added some world-specific priest playbooks:

• Bookworm - Acolyte of Funken Wagnall (god of Knowledge)
• Brightspark - Acolyte of REAL (got of Light)
• Doxy - Acolyte of Soixante-neuf (god of Lust)
• Druid - Acolyte of Caribou Gorn (god of Nature)
• Firebug - Acolyte of Hob (god of Fire)
• Lucky - Acolyte of Vingt-et-un (god of Luck)
• Watergirl - Acolyte of Aquamarina (god of Water)

BitD has two other playbooks we are not using called the Leech (saboteur & alchemist) and the Whisper (ghost-channeler). At some future date, these two will be converted into a Mage playbook.

The party starts in the huge city of Scabport, situated on the Wild Coast. Scabport is one of the largest cities in the Known World with 109,000 inhabitants. It is mostly human, with half-elves and elves making 30%. The "scab" is a name for a type of anemic asparagus with a red secretion on the tip, which goes crusty when it dries. Needless to say, scabs are delicious, and are a major export from Scabport.

The party formed themselves into a crew of Smugglers called "The Budgie Smugglers". They have a hidden base in the Docks area and own a shallop (15-man sail boat).

Huilam Artois

SPIDER and party leader

Jamie
Half-elf from Spite
Background: Maritime
Vice: Obligation - herpetology






Attlee - RETIRED

LURK

Kevin
Human from Scabport
Background: Academic (Scabport IT)
Vice: Gambling




Burrito 

HOUND

Darryl 
Human from Scabport
Background: Underworld
Vice: Obligation - mother & special-needs brother




El Cid ("Vicious") 

CUTTER

Shane 
Human from Scabport
Background: Maritime
Vice: Pleasure - breaking things



Moonlight Birdsong

DRUID

Chris 
Elf from Palantir
Background: Rural
Vice: Weird - abuse magic mushrooms






Rita de Klerk - RETIRED

BRIGHTSPARK

Ian 
Human from Specularum
Background: Academic
Vice: Luxury - boots & fur




Ronan ("Ronny")

HOUND

Deacon 
Human from Scabport
Background: Military
Vice: Gambling





Scott Harrow ("Sorrow")

LURK

Jeff 
Half-elf from Palantir
Background: Maritime
Vice: Obligation - always helps half-casts

_____________________________________________________

Argile

CUTTER

Richard
Human from Scabport
Background: Underworld
Vice: Gambling







Dee Dee

SLIDE

Steven
Gnome from Scabport
Background: Trade
Vice: Pleasure





Tylin

SLIDE

Ian
Elf from Palantir
Background: Underworld
Vice: Obligation




William Lamb ("Lammy")

WIZARD

Kevin
Human from Scabport
Background: Academic
Vice: Weird





Sly Dunbar, Liaison of the Wizards' Guild, gave them a 6 COIN job (as an introduction to FitD), to recover five stolen magic grapes barrels (each about 20kg) that were expected to be brought into Scabport by another group called the Insular Rogues.

They setup an ambush two hours along the Fort Augmentin road (to the right on that map above)...

The Pig Skull

Fri 4-Jul-1603 (24-jun) cont...

The fighters in the party (Ab Siddy [Darryl], Elrick [Ian], Sean [Shane], Baron [Deacon], Joseph [Chris] and Art [Jeff]) had mistakenly engaged with eight O'Neill rebels. Three of the O'Neills were dead, with two unconscious and three still standing. Elrick and Sean were injured in the exchange. The rest of the party sheltered in the wagon; the non-combatants Thomas [Kevin], Sister Margaret [Charlotte], and the three girls Orla, Brigid and Eileen.

Sister Margaret said some words over the fallen, and then they were buried. The party then put the unconscious ones on the wagon, and the other three walked beside.

After an hour's trip south, they came to the secret pathway to the O'Neill fort. The group split up here: Art, Joseph and Baron continued with the wagon south to Bandon Bridge, and the rest headed to the O'Neill fort. They stretchered the unconscious ones to the camp.

Catriona was away - she was away until Monday, and the camp was run by a Lieutenant Casey.
The party stayed the night. Sister Margaret did her best to tend the unconscious ones. But one died during the night from extra injuries sustained when Sean tried to help.

Sister Margaret did her witch-finding in the camp to see if there was anything suspicious here. The only thing that made her stick shake was Ab Siddy. And shake it did; in spades.

Sat 5-Jul

Elrick's septicemia

It was a quiet night.

They left the O'Neill camp, returned to the road and walked to Bandon Bridge to reunite with the rest of the party. Elrick's gunshot wound had gone septic and was now a weeping mess. The helpful English soldiers stationed there offered him the gunpowder cure, but he respectfully declined.

Sister Margaret tended it dutifully with some first aid. There was a church in Bandon Bridge, so she tried curing his wound with her magical Chapel Heal, but with no success.

Sun 6-Jul

In the morning they left Bandon Bridge and headed for Kinsale. There was an English patrol en route who had not heard of the TTTT. So the wagon was summarily searched and the Spanish match-locks and gunpowder was threatened with confiscation. But some fast-talking and dropping hints about Colonel Cholmondeley manage to assuage the patrol.

They arrived in Kinsale just after lunch.

Sister Margaret happened to be checking with her witch-finding stick in the streets. Ab Siddy stood out like a sore thumb, of course, but she got a very strong indication coming from below the party's TTTT wagon.

Upon closer investigation, there was a pig skull screwed into the base of the wagon. They instantly suspected a Pig Peeker.  Their coach had been in the Witch-finder's possession in Corke for two days, so his men could have done anything to it. And their Pig Peeker had been confiscated, but this one was a bare skull and wasn't clad in pickled meat, so they didn't know if it was theirs. And as Art pointed out, it could well be a Pig Hearer, or a Pig Sniffer or a maybe Pig Locator, if they exist.

It was unscrewed and dutifully crushed into splinters with a wrecking hammer.

Elrick needed to rest a few days to let his wounds heal, so that presented an opportunity for Ab Siddy to go herb-hunting. So he and Art left Kinsale and headed north into the wilderness to search.

Mon 7-Jul

Ab found two batches of healing herbs.


Tue 8-Jul, New Moon

Ab found one batch of healing herbs and one of love.

Wed 9-Jul

Back in Kinsale, Ab stewed up the herbs in a cauldron to make four potions (3 Heal, 1 Love). Herbs distilled into potion form was the best way to preserve their magic [ -1 per week ]. Trying to preserve the herbs by drying degrades faster [ -2+ per week ]. Or doing nothing was even worse [ -3 per week ].

Witch-finder's Coach

That same day, the Witch-finder's iron coach arrived at Kinsale. It was assumed that the Witch-finder lost the Pig Peeker connection when the skull was smashed a few days ago, so had left Corke for Kinsale. He had a compliment of heavily-armed soldiers.

He summoned Sister Margaret to report her progress, and was not at all impressed when she admitted she didn't know where Ab was.

She surreptitiously tried her witch-finding stick in his vicinity. His heavy iron coach went off the scale, but he himself did not register at all.

And More Outlaws

Wed 2-Jul-1603 (22-Jun)

Sister Margaret Orleans [Charlotte]

The whole group was still staying in the Docks Lookout Inn (Thomas [Kevin], Roma [Chris], Elrick [Ian], Sean [Shane], Baron [Deacon] and his wife Orla, plus Eileen, and Brigid). Art was still wounded. And Ab Siddy [Darryl] was still staying in the TTTT cart in the Inn stables. Roma was no where to be seen.

They now had a new member in the group, Sister Margaret Orleans [Charlotte], who was a nun on retainer to the Witch-finder. She was here, at the behest of the Witch-finder, to find the witches Ab Siddy and Roma. Ab Siddy was surreptitiously told about this, so he stayed well clear, and out of Margaret's sight.

Joseph Hildenhall [Chris]

Roma was still no where to be seen.

Thomas met up with an old friend, a fellow thespian from London, called Joseph Thaddeus Hildenhall [Chris's new character]. Joseph was a tall solid, stolid handsome chap, but with many scars and missing pieces (ear tip, half a finger, tongue-tip, septum, foreskin). His forte was shooting and sword play, plus he could actually read. Now the group had two members who could read - Sister Margaret being the other one.

Art had been given an official-looking document by the Witch-finder. He knew that it had his name on it, but he could not read the rest. So, he showed it to Margaret. It was a warrant for Art Bowman's arrest "for AWOL" from the Baltimore Barracks, signed by Captain Carmichael. It was also a warrant for Baron Bliss's arrest "for Treason". In both cases: "Use of excessive and indiscriminate force approved."

"Best not let the English soldiers see that," warned Margaret.

Thu 3-Jul

A peaceful night.

Around noon, Art was healed well enough to leave his sick bed. So the group decided that they were leaving Corke; there were some malcontents in Fallis that needed contenting.

Ab Siddy hid under the bench seat of the wagon, to avoid the prying eyes of Sister Margaret. Joseph sat on the seat over his position and had to take the blame for the foul stench emanating from beneath him.

Eau de Siddy

"Did something die?" quipped Baron. "Smells like a dead cat."

When the TTTT wagon got to the South Gate of Corke, the gate guards gave them an honour-guard as they left through the gate.

After an hour or two, they arrived at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. This was convent that Tess was staying at, and was also Sister Margaret's "home" convent.

Mother Superior there insisted on a Full Mass and prayer session. She freely used her cane to enforce attendance and behaviour.

Fri 4-Jul

A peaceful night passed; the TTTT camped in the convent grounds.

They left in the morning. It would be an easy day's travel to make Bandon bridge.

They met an English patrol on the road who knew the TTTT, and waved them through. The sergeant did warn them of outlaw activity.

They passed through Killrea (where Deacon was married) before noon, and didn't stop.

Halfway through the afternoon, the eagle eyes of Sean and Baron spotted a suspicious group of eight shadowing the cart off to the east side. The road was curving in that direction, so they suspected an ambush.

The best sneakers, camouflaged Ab, Sean and Elrick, circled around and got behind the eight, and their ambush position. Then opened fire.

There was a short battle; three of the ambushers were killed (two in cold blood), two were severely wounded and unconscious, and two were captured. Elrick and Sean received one wound [day to heal] each.

Unfortunately, it turned out that this eight were O'Neill rebels, under Catriona.

"... Then why'd you attack us?" said Art.

"YOU shot first! We were about to make demands when you shot," protested one of the captives.

Sister Margaret was hiding in the wagon, with the other women, throughout the whole battle, and keeping her head down. Now that the fighting had stopped, she emerged. It was at this stage that Ab decided to reveal himself to her. She confronted the ugly witch, and he promised to voluntarily return to the Witch-finder "when next in Corke".

Joseph was relieved; he no longer need to take the blame for being the source of the dead cat smell.

Interview with the Witch-finder

Sat 28-Jun-1603 (18-Jun)

The whole group was in the Docks Lookout Inn (Thomas [Kevin], Roma [Chris], Elrick [Ian], Sean [Shane], Baron [Deacon] and his wife Orla, Eileen, and Brigid, and the wounded Art [Jeff].) Ab Siddy [Darryl] was staying in the TTTT cart in the stables.

Art was still badly wounded from the Fallis outlaws attack of two days' ago, so the plan was for the group to stay in Corke to heal him back to 100%. This would take a week. [ scratch=15mins; wound=1 day; severe wound=1 week ]

Colonel Cholmondeley

Esther told the group that a man from the Witch-finder had been asking about them.

Later that day, some soldiers arrived from the New Fort. Colonel Cholmondeley (commander of the English forces in Corke), had invited Sean for luncheon. So, encouraged by the group to get info on the Witch-finder, Sean reluctantly went with them.

It was a sordid meal, but between gropes, fondles and unwelcome forays to his nether regions, Sean quizzed the Colonel and his adjutants about the military's connection to the Witch-finder. The Witch-finder and his soldiers were under tacit control the Church, so there was not much interaction between the groups. The Witch-finder was formerly with the Catholics, but after the Henry VIII schism, and like the Archbishop of Armagh, he managed to straddle the religious fence and represent both the Church of Ireland and the Catholics: "Witches come in all flavours" Galatians 5:20.

Sean politely declined the offer for a massage and a lavender bath.

Sun 29-Jun

It was a quiet night.

At mid-morning, another patrol of English soldiers came for Sean again; another luncheon invitation. Esther met them this time, and Sean managed to avoid them seeing him, but they were most insistent that, when Sean turned up, that he was to report to the Colonel.

Sean got Esther to teach him how to swim. His plan was to get out of Corke and away from the handsy Colonel, so he jumped into the Lee, next to the Inn wharf, and used his new swim skills in an attempt to swim for the Water gate. But, like the futile attempt by Art a few weeks ago, it was a sad and pathetic attempt indeed; he managed three feeble strokes before he started flailing and breathing water. He grabbed hold of the wharf ladder, coughing and spluttering, and pulled himself up.

Then, with gritty tenacity, he made one further attempt; but this was even worse. Esther was watching the drowning fiasco with growing concern (or was it contempt?); she had to fish him out with a boat-hook.

So, Sean took some of his share of the party funds, about five shillings [$6000 in today's money], and sought out one of the Corke whore houses. Here, he spent up large to be entertained and, more importantly, housed by the ladies. This would keep him away from the prying eyes of the Colonel's soldiers

Around midday, two different soldiers came into the inn. They were dressed in the grey and white livery of the Witch-finder. They went to the counter where Esther was on duty.

"Looking for the TTTT. They are staying here?"

Esther glanced over at Elrick and Eileen, then back to the soldiers.

"Yes, but they are all out."

"I see. Tell them his lordship wants to see them," one muttered. He added: "And they better not to leave town." Then they left.

Roma's rubbish trinkets

Later on in the day, Roma noticed that there were new Witch-finder guards at the two Corke road gates. And even one stationed by the Water gate.

So Roma set up a stall (cost one shilling) selling pikey rubbish trinkets on the street near the entrance to the Witch-finder's tower, so that he could keep a weather-eye eye on the place. This was a tall black imposing building near the South gate.

Mon 30-Jun

It was a quiet night.

Roma left first light to get back to his stall near the Witch-finder's tower. Just as he arrived, a squad of eight soldiers in Witch-finder livery, heavily armed, came jogging down the road and rushed past him. Roma carefully followed them.

The soldiers burst into the Docks Lookout Inn, at all three doors, and into the stables, simultaneously. They first rounded up the half-awake Elrick and Thomas, and broke down Art's door and hauled him out of his sick bed. And grabbed Baron, too, from his bridal suite and startled wife Orla.

They were led by a Captain Henri of French descent: "Heez Lordsheep wants a word."

Ab Siddy slept in the TTTT wagon in the stables. When the soldiers burst in, he used his Camouflage ability, and scurried up into the rafters.

stocks

The soldiers hauled the four off to the Witch-finder's tower, and hitched up the TTTT wagon and took it too.

At the Witch-finder's residence, they were summarily beaten, then put in standing stocks and left for a couple of hours, bent over.

Captain Henri and some of the guards idly questioned them, asking about the rest of the group.

A bit later, the room went cold. A figure in a black robe drifted in. This was the Witch-finder himself.

He started with Thomas, but was more interested in the exploits of the TTTT than serious questions. Apparently, he had been to a show. He finished with "Why do we hold an Englishman?"

So, Thomas was released.

The Witch-finder (Corke Tourism Board)

Next was honest Elrick. A few questions later, Erick was released.

The Witch-finder was looking for Ab Siddy and Roma, of course, the two witches who murdered little boys in Baltimore, and used their blood for witchcraft and deviltry.

He seemed to know all about Art's AWOL, and of Baron's connection with the Baltimore soldiers. Baron was originally tasked from Captain Carmichael of the Baltimore barracks to catch up to the group, and then report them to Sergeant Ken Tucky at Bandon Bridge. Apparently, Carmichael was even more furious about this treachery than Art's AWOL. Art would be flogged for his crimes, but Baron was scheduled to be hanged. But, the Witch-finder was not connected with the military, so he wasn't going to turn them over.

He was also interested in the party's encounters and experience with the sidhe.

Art and Baron were housed in the "Apartment" for the night. This was a cell, of course, but it did have a pallet bed. The Witch-finder had a nun on retainer: Sister Margaret. She fed the two prisoners a watery gruel, and tended their bruises and wounds from the severe beatings.

Tue 1-Jul

An hour after dawn, Captain Henri went into the cell. He told Art and Baron that the Witch-finder had decided to let them go (had the Colonel interceded after all?), but would be sending Sister Margaret to travel and stay with the group. Her mission was to find any sign of the witches Ab and Roma, and would report regularly. Should she go missing, it would not go down well. Besides, who would dare to harm a nun?

The TTTT wagon (and horses) was returned too, but it had been gone over with a fine-tooth comb, the Pig Peeker and the Spanish snaphance muskets had been confiscated.

Sean returned from the whores with one doxy in tow, which he had hired to be his wife. Accompanied with this new "wife", Sean went and saw the Colonel for luncheon. The presence of the girl certainly helped parry the Colonel's strongest and most insistent advances, and Sean had a delicious lunch; it only cost a few well-meaning gropes. This helped to ameliorate the Colonel's interest in Sean.

Back to Corke

Thu 26-Jun-1603 cont... (16-Jun)

In Killrea, Baron [Deacon] finished consummating his wife Orla while the rest of the group (Art [Jeff], Ab Siddy [Darryl], Thomas [Kevin], Brigid, and Sean [Shane, absent]) got the wagon loaded for the muddy trip to Corke.

Elrick [Ian] had already arrived in Corke with Eileen, having travelled by shallop up the Corke harbour from Terryhaven (from Fallis). He had the dory in tow with the intention of selling it in Corke.

At noon on the road to Corke, Thomas and Art were sitting on the bench seat of the TTTT wagon and watching the country side drift by.  Art now had the teamster skill, so they no longer needed Baron to walk next to the horses to whisper at them and keep them controlled. Baron had stopped taking the Clough Caint each morning since his accident. Roma now had it.

Suddenly, there was a flash up ahead and two musket balls struck home. One knocked Thomas into the back of the wagon, and one winged Art. Art decided a charge was in order, so ran down the road towards the shooters. He was hit again; a severe wound this time. Ab melted off to the side and camouflaged using his spell, and got into a position to use his bow. Roma, helped by Brigid, started loading the many muskets they had in storage.

Sean climbed onto the roof of the wagon and shot at the bandits with his heavy crossbow, and took one down. [ This was a major mistake; Sean should have been marmalading. A character whose player is not present can not do anything pro-actively. He is magically safe from injury too (unless total-party-kill). ]

There were eight malcontents and a short missile battle ensued. Two of the men were dropped [ was three, but the one Sean shot was resurrected ]. And the rest scattered over the country-side. Mention in dispatches to Ab Siddy and Art. But the group had suffered some major wounds. With no curing in the party now, apart from Ab's healing potions (of which there were none), it would be a long road to recovery [ scratch =15mins, wound=day, major wound=week ]. The bodies were looted and slung in the back.

Healing with gunpowder

An hour later they met an English patrol. These ones knew the TTTT and offered to cure the wounds. So, the soldiers sprinkled some gunpowder on each of Art and Thomas's wounds, held them down, and ignited the powder. There was a bright flash and ... each received another major wound.

"Gee, thanks."

"You are very welcome," said the friendly Sergeant. "I am sure."

The party showed the bodies of the two bandits to the patrol. They had anchor tattoos on their arms.

"Oh, those are from Fallis," said the knowledgeable Sergeant. "The Fallis Outlaws, in fact."

That was valuable information.

"Do you want the bodies?"

"Just their ears." The soldiers hacked off the ears, and chucked the corpses over the bank.

Another hour later, they got to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, where Tess was residing. So they drove into the convent and met some old faces.

Mother Superior (OLoPS)

Tess managed to convince the Mother Superior to bless the wounds of Art, Thomas and Baron (his wrist wound from that unfortunate crossbow accident). So, in the chapel, the Mother poured stinging holy water on each wound, in turn, and said some prayers over them (2nd Thess 2:9), and lo and behold, with a bit of spectacular luck, all three wounds were healed! Sadly, only the recent gunpowder wounds for Art and Thomas - they still had their shot wounds. But Baron was happy to get his left hand back

"One miracle per wound," said the Mother Superior bluntly.

"But I have several separate wounds," protested Art.

"Then one miracle per person," she said, holding out her hand. "Mark six five."

They gave the nuns all the money they had looted from the bandits: 12 pennies [ $120 ].

"I cin see that the good Lord hasn't blessed ye with generosity," sniffed the Mother. Then added: "First Peter four ten."

Later that afternoon, they arrived in Corke. The gate guards were more than happy to usher them and their cargo of gunpowder and arms inside. They went to Ye Docks Lookout and met up again with Esther.

Elrick and Eileen were already here since yesterday. He had failed to sell the Dory.

A shady looking man approached them: "The eagle has landed."

powder barrels

Was that a password? They suspected this man was Catriona's contact. He knew about the four smuggled gunpowder barrels, and said he'd bring a wagon to the stables, to load, tonight "when the moon is highest in the sky".

Moon tables and nautical almanacs weren't in proliferation in 1603, and anyway, none of the party could read, but Esther, the font of all knowledge, seemed to know: "The moon was full on the thirteenth; three days ago. Full moons are highest at midnight, and the moon rises about an hour later every day. So, work it out."

Ab Siddy, El gato and Roma were set to guard the wagon. Baron was in a separate room with his beloved. Art was too sick to do anything, still wounded, so wasn't on watch. Sean was poorly with marmalade. That left Elrick, Thomas, Eileen and Brigid to be available for extra support during the night, if needed.

Some time after dark, there were some suspicious noises at the stable door. It was way too early for Catriona's man, so Ab and Roma set a trap, They caught two malcontents breaking and entering; both were dropped by Ab's bow. Ab was about to cut their throats and dump the bodies in the Lee, but Roma noticed one was of Romany extraction. So, still unconscious, the two thieves were spared and reunited with the other Romanies in Corke. Roma was wanting to stay on good terms with that group anyway.

Fri 27-Jun (17-Jun)

Catriona's contact's wagon did eventually arrive. They unloaded all the arms and munitions into it.

In the morning, the TTTT planned a show for tonight. Esther was happy to cater and liquor it again and the party would get the usual 20% cut. Roma invited his pikey mates in to work the crowd, for his usual cut.

The day was uneventful, and it was soon show time.

After a terrible start, the show went surprisingly well, better than Bannon Bridge three nights ago.

• Thomas's flageolet playing was the worst it had ever been. Vaudeville critics described it later as "two enraged cats fightin' in a bag". 
• But Roma's mad king Charles VI went well and his talking goose head managed its witty ad-libs with aplomb. 
• Art was too sick for the interpretive dance this eve, so Sean stood in for him, taking Brigid's hand. Surprisingly, the trio (Sean, Elrick & Baron) danced with grace and style, and managed to get the interpretive meaning across to the audience with alacrity.
• The marksmanship exhibition was Sean only (he seemed to rise above his marmalade malaise), and he shot the apple off Elrick's hand, pinning it to the far wall, with no problems. 
• Roma had the Clough Caint and he ordered the greased pig to bite Sean. So, it ended up dragging the shrieking Sean about the stage by his beard, then it squatted on him and emptied its foul pig bowels all over him. This brought the house down.

Takings were good: 315 pennies (incl Esther's share).

Colonel Cholmondeley, commander of the New Fort, was in attendance, with his entourage and adjutants. He had taken a liking to the rotund Sean last time the party was in Corke ("Got to love the beard! Something to hang on to.") so he graciously offered to take the injured Sean back to the barracks to tend his wounds ("sans gunpowder"). Roma graciously agreed in Sean's stead.

lavender oil

Later on that night, Sean was returned to the inn, still bearing the pig bruises and pig bites, and now bearing some other bites. He walked gingerly and had trouble sitting too. But at least he had been bathed, and reeked no longer of sweat, lard and pig faeces, but of carbolic soap and lavender.

On the Road

Wed 18-Jun-1603 (8-Jun)

The party (Art [Jeff], Roma [Chris], Sean [Shane, absent], Thomas [Kevin], Ab Siddy [Darryl], Baron [Deacon], and Elrick [Ian]) was in the Rebels' secret Rinalmead Fort. Catriona wanted them to  embark on smuggling missions for the rebels, because the English patrols were happy to let the party's T.T.T.T. wagon into towns unsearched. (T.T.T.T. was, of course, Thomas's Travelling Troupe of Tempests). But TTTT needed to increase their repertoire and needed a new show, so Thomas set to work and brainstormed with the others. After a bit of thought, they settled upon a mash-up between the battle of Agincourt, 1415, and the story of St Crispin (after all, the actual battle took place on St Crispin's day, 25th October).

St Crispin & Crispinian

Twins Crispin and Crispinian were born in Faversham, Kent, about 260 AD. They were Christians and fled persecution for their faith, ending up at Noviodunum in Gaul (now Soissons near Paris), where they preached Christianity to the Gauls whilst making shoes by night. They became superb cobblers and got rich, and gave aid to the poor. Their success attracted jealous ire of Rictus Varus, governor of Belgic Gaul, who had them tortured, but the first miracle occurred and the torturers' weapons magically attacked the torturers (see right). Then the governor had the twins boiled in tar, but the second miracle occurred and they survived. Then he had them thrown into the river with millstones around their necks, when the third miracle happened and they survived that too. But then they were finally beheaded in 25-Oct 286.

Thu 19-Jun

Catriona gave them their first mission. To smuggle all the gunpowder and arms from Fallis (from the Spanish which the party had helped land two weeks ago) into Corke. It would be enough to fill their cart. She wrote them a letter to give to the headman of Fallis, to explain this.

So they left on foot, to pick up the TTTT cart in Bannon Bridge.

Then a hard day's ride from Bannon Bridge to Kinsale and then to Fallis.

When Art approached the Fallis headman, he refused to give over the arms, asking for a five poiund fee for the rent of the barn where the stuff was hdden.

He claimed that this was agreed by Catriona and that her letter confirmed this. No-one in the party could read, so they could not confirm this.

Fri 20-Jun

So Art grabbed a horse and left for the rebel fort, to get confirmation from Catriona herself.

He got to the fort just before dark. She confirmed that the headman was talking crap.

"You're a big boy, Art," she said. "Deal with it."

Sat 21-Jun

Art headed back to Fallis, but he thought he'd try a quicker a cross-country short-cut. But he got totally lost, so had to retrace his steps back to the main road. This wasted so much time that he had to spend the night in Bannon Bridge.

Sun 22-Jun

Art took the normal route, and got back to Fallis about lunch time.

Art, Elrick, Sean and Baron confronted the headman. He had two bully boys with clubs, but he soon backed down when confronted by the armed party.

So they loaded up the cart, ready for the morning. The four large barrels of gunpowder and 25 Spanish match-locks certainly filled up the cart. They painted the powder barrels in garish colours to make them look like stage props, in case they were searched by English patrols.

The party's shallop was docked here at the Fallis wharf, and Elrick planned to take it to Terryhaven to collect the dory in the morning. And then head to Corke where he would meet the party.

But Elrick's Weather Sense predicted a storm tomorrow.

Mon 23-Jun (Full moon)

Baron's wrist

Sure enough, a big storm arrived, with heavy rain and large seas. Not willing to travel today, they waited in the Fallis tavern all day. They practised their new show. Unfortunately, while doing marksmanship experimenting, Sean fired his heavy crossbow at Baron who was holding an apple, and missed. The heavy bolt passed right through Baron's left wrist [ -4 fumble ], blowing a hole the size of a fist.

Ab had two Heal potions he had brewed a few weeks ago, so Baron drank these to try to heal, but they had both degraded [ potions don't keep ] so there was no effect.

Tue 24-Jun

Elrick took Eileen to keep him company and help sail the shallop. They left at first light. The trip to Terryhaven was straight forward, and there were still two English warships at the heads of Corke harbour.

They stayed that night in the barn in Terryhaven.

The rest of the party travelled from Fallis through Kinsale to Bannon Bridge. They were met by English patrols on the road who insisted that they perform at Bannon Bridge that night. The group agreed as it would give them a chance to try out the new show.

• Thomas's flageolet playing went well and his voice was good. He set the scene of the Crispin twins and the french preparations for battle.
• Next came Roma's ventriloquism act. This time he was the mad French king Charles VI talking to the devil (skull on his shoulder) and goose head which stuck out his fly. (Thomas had seen Shakespeare's Henry V, from four years ago, so he couldn't help but take some ideas from that).
• Then Ab Siddy's Death, which was always a success.
• Interpretive dancing was the trademark of TTTT, so they made full use of it. The two rebel girls Brigid and Orla were good dancers, so took Art and Baron through their paces.
• Shooting and heavy crossbow marksmanship went well.
• The greased pig was always popular, so the show finished with Sean riding a rented pig.

They made 80 pennies.

Damiana

Wed 25-Jun

The roads were still muddy from the heavy raid two nights ago, so they could not get to Corke in a single day, and would thus make for half-way; Killrea instead.

During the trip, Orla was making doe eyes at Baron, sitting next to him, and whispering sweet nothings in his ears.

When they arrived in Killrea that afternoon, Ab Siddy went to the local midwife and got some damiana and hensbane. With this, he got out his cauldron and brewed up a Love Potion IX using his Magic Herb Lore spell. This was given to Baron under the pretense that it was a Heal potion to cure the wrecked wrist, and he happily drank it.

Orla and Baron

Ab made sure that it was Orla to be the very first person Baron saw after consuming the potion. This done, now Baron only had eyes for her. In order for them not to break Catriona's command, the group took the two lovers to the local priest from Killrea, and he was happy to perform the marriage ceremony.

"Now are they not twayne then, but one flesh. Let not man therfore put a sunder, yet which God hath coupled together," said the Priest. "I now pronounce you man and wife."

The priest found a house for the happy couple to spend the night in.