Dread Tide!

This season has been kind of slow.  Armies are being built, and the tournaments are restructuring.  That doesn't mean that we've been utterly idle - in fact, new forces are about to clash as the last month of our 2015 season begins!

So where are we at now, with Western Immoren?

For us, the factions are solidifying together nicely.  We've got a large collection of models, and despite our best attempts at marshaling the growth and keeping it in check, it's gotten away from us a bit.  Gatekeepers just like the models.  It's a no-brainer.

So, like our other games, we'll be focusing on specific conflicts as we grow and develop our armies. The Cygnar Royal Army, the Northern Crusade Army and the Nightmare Army will be the "big three" each made up of , and Retribution will gain the Mercenary forces of the Highborn Covenant as part of the Vindication Army.  These armies will form the focus for our club for the next few years as we explore two major skirmishes along the Cygnar border.

Marked on the map above are the incursion zones.

The green area marks increased Cryxian activity.  Something horrific is no doubt brooding on the horizon for this area, and rumor has it trencher units are being directed to the westmost terminus of the Twelve Day Road.  The proximity of the nearby Garlghast Island has always been a concern, but the goings-on of late have been full of sinister omens.

The purple area marks the area where the Northern Crusade Army finds itself under attack by Retribution forces.  These highly disciplined and motivated forces are augmented by Mercenary companies from the Iron Kingdoms - an interesting development indeed.  The Protectorate has ordered these supply caravans to be defended at all cost, as they are critical to continued activity further north.

At the outset, the Vindication Army has a foothold in the north - but the Protectorate has yet to mount a meaningful attack on this position.  Cryx's outward feeling tendrils have been clipped, but Nightmare Army forces fester all over the countryside, waiting for the right time to attack.  It is a time of tense skirmishes, but very soon the entire region will be embroiled in dire warfare.

This season is therefore preparatory time for next year's hardcore tournaments.  With painted warriors and a nice terrain set, we will make the Iron Kingdoms just as realized as any other game we've played.  It's almost Season 4, though...and the Wargate waits.

Heroes of the Sword Coast (Sessions 10, 11 & 12)

These sessions were orignally recorded 07/12, 07/19 and 08/02/2015.



From the Journal of Lydia the Halfling 

(07/12)


Day 1

As we make our way through the mines, a door ahead of us opens and several ghouls come out to greet us.  Just as we finish them, another group wanders up ehind us.  They manage to hurt us all pretty badly but we manage to dispose of them.

We huddle in a room and try to mend our wounds.  We aren't doing so well, but after resting a few hours we patch up as much as we can.  We head deeper into the mines.

After traveling a short time we come upon a room that contained a flaming skull that hovered in the center above a floor littered with bones.  We fight the skull and win, but not without injuries.  We're not sure what it was.  We have to rest again.

(07/19)

Day 2

The next day we start out down a path that we have not been down.  We find a room that is covered in moss and fungus.  After much deliberation on if we are going into the cave, Betsy the dragon decides to enter the room iwth a wet cloth on his face.  He falls but manages to cross the room unharmed.  

The wizard burns a path across the room and makes it across unharmed as well.  When the rest of us try to follow, I get sick and start to retch and vomit.  So does the cleric.  We are slightly injured before we manage to make it out of the room.

After a few minutes we seem to be ok but the druid cast some spell on us to be sure.  We continue to the next room and stumble across a wraith.  We defeat the monster, and find a chest full of gems and books.  We take the things in the chest with us and rest for a while.

We find a room that has a beholder-like monster in it.  We defeat it.

We head further into the mine and find a room containing three bugbears and a doppelganger.  There is an attempt made to charm the doppelganger but it runs off.  The sorcerer Zinge goes after it, and we get ready to fight the bugbears.

The halfling throws some ball bearings on the floor in an attempt to throw our enemies off their footing, but after they throw some javelins at us we run up to them and try to hit them and put a rope over their head.

We defeat the bears, but there is no trace of Zinge.

(08/02)

6:42

We head off to see if we can find Zinge.  We find a room with two dark elves.  They have a dwarf sitting against a wall.