The Witch Fynders

Shortly after the coronation of King Beast  I was working in my office when I received a visit by Chaplain Hawthorne, one of the Wardens' pastors. I invited him in and greeted him warmly, but I was met with a stony stare.

"Brother Rufus," he pronounced haughtily, "you have sinned against the Wardens and against God Almighty himself. You must repent of your evil!"

I was quite taken aback. "How so?" I asked, puzzled by the accusation.

"You have placed yourself in the service of THE BEAST!"

I chuckled, which caused the chaplain to grit his teeth. I continued: "You are mistaken Chaplain. The Wardens support King Beast, a mere mortal who was won the crown of the Shrouded Isles. He has nothing to do with the Beast of Revelations."

"Fool." Hawthorne retorted. "How can you be sure of that? Wisdom dictates that we should have nothing to do with him!"

I brushed aside his concern, but he persisted in his denunciations.

"You have been far too lax in your associations. You ally us with abominations, like those cat-people that attended the coronation. You dabble with heretical, druidic magic. You have turned your back on our beliefs, and disaster has followed!"

"What are you talking about?"

"The Faedwyr, the destruction of Ember Shoals!" Hawthorne shouted and his shook his finger at me.  "All because you have forsaken the True Faith."

"I believe you are mistaken, Chaplain." He would not let me get any further; he continued to rail against me.

After some fruitless argument, Hawthorne concluded with an ultimatum. "Either repent and shake off these impious associations, or we shall have to shake off the dust from our feet!"

"We?" I asked.

"There are others who feel as I do."

Three days later, a ship set sail from Freehaven port, laden with those zealots who followed Hawthorne. They were bound for Ember Shoals, determined to free the island from the control of the "abominations" and "servants of Baal." And thus was born the Witch Fynders.

OOC Notes

• The Witch Fynders were invented by Robb Rodgers as a faction in Ember Shoals's latest midreign. Robb described them as "a splinter sect of the Wardens. Disavowed for their fanatical doctrine & ruthless tactics . . ."
• I got into the spirit of the event by dressing as a Witch Fynder. I enjoyed it so much that I will be creating a new character, one of the Witch Fynders.
• Stay tuned for a report on the Witch Fynders' first combat action . . .

Chasms and Corrosion

Upon learning of the giant attacks in the High Forest, I Rufus organized a force of the Ironheart Accord to provide reinforcements. After landing on the island, we learned that stone giants had abducted some of the local villagers. We rushed to their rescue. The stone giants had set up camp upon a promontory that could only be reached by a natural bridge that wound between gaping chasms. We charged along path to be met by a withering hail of rocks. Then the giants charged. Some of our warriors fell prey to stark terror and ran. The rest of us steeled our nerves and held the line. From then on, I remember few details. I found myself locked in deadly combat with the brutes, while some of our more stealthy party-members, including Varic, sneaked behind the giants and freed the prisoners. With the rescue complete, we were able to retreat and escape.

As we were returning, we passed a cave and heard noises from within. We investigated, and found a horde of club-armed goblins escorting a strange, bug-like beast.

The beast

Upon seeing us, the goblins shouted "Kill the humans!" and attacked. Now battle against some goblins would normally not be particularly hazardous, but the beast changed things. It would strike out at our weapons, which would corrode in our hands. One time, I found myself disarmed and having to protect myself with throwing daggers! Fortunately Ferrum used his healer powers to mend our weapons. We slew the beast and then called on the goblins to surrender. They ignored our offer and paid the price with their lives. With the cave secure, we were able to return to Landfall Castle.

OOC Notes

• The above account describes our battlegames from last weekend. I had the opportunity to play on the side of the heroes so framed the narrative from my perspective.
• The first scenario involved the heroes rescuing "prisoners", represented by heart shaped throwing weapons. The second was a mutual annihilation scenario.
• Robb, who came up with the scenarios, threw in some interesting terrain.

Challenges to the King

No sooner had Beast been crowned than he faced challenges to the security of the Shrouded Isles.

As King Beast and the ambassadors of the various islands sat at the coronation feast, a horde of snake-men rushed into the hall. Their target was the representative of the Meow'tzlan. Beast rallied his loyal retainers and they drove off the assassins.

A few weeks later, an army of giants came crashing through the High Forest, destroying villages in their path.

From http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=8476867&postcount=360

The Sentinels sortied from their stronghold, engaged the giants, and drove them away from the villages. The giants then assaulted one of the Sentinel's castles. At first, the giants strove in vain, as Ferrum with a polearm and Slab with a bow slaughtered the enemy as they tried to cross the drawbridge. But then, more giants smashed through the wall and rushed into the castle. The defenders retreated toward the courtyard, where they found themselves surrounded.

That was when horns sounded from outside. King Beast had arrived with a relief force! He rushed into the castle, catching the giants in the rear. None could withstand his blade; the enemy was cut down in droves. The giants had enough, and fled!

OOC Notes

• This account briefly summarizes events at the last two High Fantasy Society days at Sherwood Forest park
• Last month, after Beast was crowned, I ran a game with snake-men assassins. It was essentially Kill the King. Beast led the good guys while Xhorja stood in as the snake-man leader.
• This month, I ran some scenarios revolving around a giant invasion. The first scenario featured 5 control points representing villages. In a timed battle, the giants had to destroy the villages while the humans tried to stop them. The giants managed to destroy 3 of the 5 for a marginal victory.
• The second scenario featured a castle battle, with the castle walls made from ropes tied between trees. The giants had to cross a drawbridge, get through the gate, and reach a control point before they ran out of lives. It was a drawn out battle but the humans held (with Ferrum and Slab performing great feats). We then switched teams; this time the giants won multiple times (with Varic managing to slip through defenses).
• The final scenario was to be a last ditch defense, but I was too exhausted to run it, and the players decided on a full class free-for-all instead. I think Beast won. Regardless, I turned to a bit of fiction to round out the account.

On Being Knightly

At one point, I googled the word "knightly". Here is what returned:

associated with or typical of a knight; chivalrous.

"a knightly quest"

synonyms: gallant, noble, valiant, heroic, courageous, brave, bold, valorous; chivalrous, courteous, honorable

Notice what's not listed? There's nothing about personal achievement, either on the battlefield or in crafting. This is why I disdain the "lifetime achievement award" that most take when determining knighthood. Instead, I feel that knighthood should be about chivalry and service, which is the approach taken by the Order of the Morning Sun (the official order of knighthood for the Free Kingdom of the Shrouded Isles). 

A King for the Isles

Earlier this month, the inhabitants of the Shrouded Isles met at Freehaven to formalize our new kingdom.

Coat of Arms of the Free Kingdom of the Shrouded Isles

The representatives of the various islands signed the appropriate treaties; we were now pledged to the realm. But who would be the monarch?

Lord Xhorja, a half-orc leader, first put his name into the mix. Others quickly stepped up - Rage and Ferrum from the Sentinels of the High Forest and Beast, a former Sentinel. We decided to have a grand melee to decide the matter.

The candidates formed their supporters, lay on was called, and the combatants charged one another. Ferrum soon lost his healer to a dagger (or axe?) thrown by Lisander. Rage was eliminated, although one of his supporters (XIII) remained to plague the other forces. Xhorja, using his bardic powers, seemed to be doing quite well. Ferrum's and Beast's armies were whittled down.

At this point, Beast issued a challenge to personal combat to the remaining candidate. He first faced off against Ferrum and defeated him. Then he turned on Xhorja. With a scowl, Xhorja strode out from his battle line and engaged Beast. The clash of their arms echoed across the valley of Freehaven. Ultimately, Beast prevailed, and was declared the first King of the Shrouded Isles!

All hail King Beast I!

Paying the Piper

Despite the threat from the Faedwyr, some brave (or foolish?) souls have returned to Lander's Edge. However, during the nights they have been plagued by rat creatures. When the Piper arrived and offered to get rid of the rats, the settlers agreed. When they could not pay his fee, however, he led off their children. The Iron Heart Accord heard their lamentations and we offered to assist. Led by Ferrum, a cleric of the Sentinels, and with me (Rufus) in attendance, our party traveled to Lander's Edge.

We were taken to a long abandoned entrance to the city's sewers. Its grate, rusted shut from decades of disuse, appears to have been ripped from the wall & carelessly tossed to the side. Heaps of debris, old crates, & other trash clutter the catwalk. The air reeking of night soil & sea water. It is here we stopped, just outside of the gaping maw to the under city.

"Here, this be where he led them," wheezed our guide, a scrawny, toothless old rat catcher, "good luck in this fool's errand."

With that he limped off into the fog, leaving our party at the entrance.

Cautiously, we entered the catacombs and made our way steadily through the twisting passageways. On occasion. corridors led off to the right or left, but we continued along the main way. Finally, we came to a gate; alas it was locked! Someone suggested that there might be a key hidden in one of the chambers we passed so we decided to backtrack.

When we entered the first room, we immediately noticed a small chest on the far side. Then a foul stench assaulted our nostrils. We began to gag and our eyes watered. I had to drop my shield and place my hand over my nose in order to function. That's when we heard the skittering/ A swarm of reptilian humanoids crawled out from the murk and rushed us.

Their advance was initially inexorable and we were driven back to the doorway. But then we steeled ourselves and began to push back. We made progress through the room. That's when disaster struck me. A powerful blow knocked my sword from my hand. I had to twist and dodge to recover it. However, I think this setback turned toward out favor. The troglodytes, witnessing my discomfiture, shambled in my direction. Ferrum rushed past them on the other side of the room, grabbed the chest, and made his escape. My compatriots came to my rescue, allowing me to retreat from the room. Once we escaped, the troglodytes ceased their pursuit.

Outside the room, we checked the chest. There was a key, but it would turn out that it was not the right one. There was also a trinket that would prove useful; an amulet that allows one to track an enemy.

In the next room, we were swarmed by goblins. Though we hacked and slashed unceasingly, it seemed that they would not stop coming. We were beaten back and on the verge of defeat. Then I saw Slab the Druid (one of the Sentinels) in one corner chanting. His exhortations seemed to feed the strength of Ferrum,who waded into the enemy and would not be defeated. His example inspired me; I called to my companions "Let's help him!" and I too rushed into the foe. We became a whirling scythe of death. The tide turned and the enemy fled! Our exaltation in our victory was matched by excitement when we found a chest. In it was a key! We ran to the locked gate; it opened it!

We passed through the gate into a large chamber. We were greeted with the sight of a score of rat-faced humanoids.

They were herding another of their kind, but this one was humongous! Behind them was a man (or it appeared to be a man but I believe it was a Faedwyr). He was playing the pipes, which sent the rat-men into hysterics. They madly charged us!

Once again we were locked into deadly combat. The rat-men were not difficult to defeat, but they would not stop. One of our party noted "We need to kill the Piper!" We tried to surge forward, but the rat-ogre would rush into the fray and scatter us.

We had been pushed back to the gate when Ferrum called to me. "Rufus, come with me!" Reaching him, he laid a hand on my shoulder and uttered an incantation. Suddenly, we were transported across the room and faced the Piper. Suddenly, I was fired with a holy rage. I rushed into the attack. Scores of rat-men blocked my path to the Piper but I mowed through them like summer grass. I found myself face-to-face with the rat-ogre. Our battle raged but I managed to say him, and now I faced the Piper.

I heard a roar behind me. Turning, I saw the rat-ogre looming over me! Although bleeding from a mortal wound, it was determined to fight on and take me out! I readied my shield.

Suddenly, there was a mad rampage. The rat-men started rushing from the room in a panic! Their rush got in the path of the ogre. It too was swept out of the room. I then realized that something was different; the pipes had stopped. I looked around and saw that the Piper lay dead upon the ground.

We searched the rest of the catacombs, found the children, and escorted them to safety. I did recommend that the settlers abandon Lander's Edge until we can be sure that the Faedwyr could not return. I am not sure if they will follow that advice.

I am certain that this account has slighted some of my compatriots by ignoring their contributions. In my defense, I can only say that I was heavily engaged in combat and failed to witness all the acts of bravery that occurred. I can assure you that our entire party fought gallantly. In the end, we were victorious and the children were saved. That is what truly matters.

OOC Notes

• This is a recounting of the "dungeon crawl" scenario from last Sunday's battlegame.
• There were supposed to be 5 rooms but we ran out of time and had to cut if off at 3.
• I have occasionally altered events for dramatic for dramatic or narrative purposes. For example, we never made it through the locked gate. Due to time constraints, the scenario was changed so that we faced the Piper in one of the rooms. I changed the narrative slightly because it made a better story.
• I have been playing "barbarian" but am changing some of the abilities to match my persona better. In this account, I describe Fight After Death as a holy rage.

Knights of the Isles

Over on the Dagorhir boards, Primarch Ser Hivemind Saligia of The Cairnhold Legion wrote "knighthood should be about virtue and service, not about how many people you can beat with a foam bat." It is an attitude with which I heartily concur. Even the term itself leads to such an interpretation, knight stemming from a Middle English word meaning servant.

With this in mind, knighthood in the Free Kingdom of the Shrouded Isles eschews the lifetime achievement award approach that is common among LARP groups Instead, knighthoods are awarded primarily for service to our realm.

Squires
Our Kingdom's Council will invite members to serve as squires. These candidates must have some experience (at least a year), have their own garb and weapons, have a reputation for being honorable, courteous, and helpful, have provided service to the realm, and have some skills that can benefit the realm.

The squire will serve in that role for at least a year, and must perform a series of quests.

The Quests
The Council will determine the exact nature of the quests, and will tailor them to the individual. For example, someone whose primarily ability is in crafting won't be expected to perform a bunch of combat-related quests. Here are some sample quests:

• Quest of Knowledge - pass a test on the rules of the game
• Quest of Service - design and reeve a number of battlegames
• Quest of Prowess - use your primarily skill to serve the realm (e.g. a tailor could make monster garb for a quest, etc.)
• Quest of Dedication - stand before the Council as they scrutinize your performance as squire
• Quest of Courage - undertake an in-persona role-playing adventure

Once the quests are completed, the Council will vote on the candidate. If approved, the squire will be granted the title of Knight Companion of the Order of the Morning Sun. Why the morning sun? Because the morning sun burns off the mist that shrouds the Isles. Similarly, knights of the Order are expected to be beacons of chivalry that cut through the haze of incivility.

A Few Points

• Note that there is both a virtue and role-playing aspect to becoming a knight. In the Quest of Dedication, the Council should examine a squire's chivalrousness and their dedication to the RP aspect of the hobby.
• In my opinion, following the code of chivalry is what distinguishes a knight from a standard fighter. The squire should demonstrate the virtues of chivalry in his/her everyday playing of the game.
• Role-playing is important for a knight of our realm! After all, the game is about more than beating on people; it is really about creating a shared fantasy world. Squires should serve the realm by helping to create that world. They do not have to go into full actor mode, but they must contribute something. For example, they must be wearing garb and it is helpful if they have a backstory.
• We will not have a Circle of Knights making decisions. I feel that a circle can potentially lead to cliquishness. Instead, the realm Council, as representatives of the populace as a whole, shall make the determination on who should be squired and knighted.
• Fear not, visitors and migrants to the realm. If you come bearing a title, you will not be asked to drop it. The Free Kingdom will acknowledge such foreign titles and consider you a knight errant (this also means you could adopt a title for role-playing purposes; we won't raise a stink). If you wish to be part of the Order of the Morning Sun, however, you will need to receive an invitation from the Council and complete the quests.
• Finally, becoming a Knight Companion is not the final destination for our aspiring beacons of chivalry. There are also higher ranks of knighthood - Knight Commanders and Knight Champions - that one can attain through additional quests.