December 26th: Results

Weather: Kings are on the move, seeking the King of Kings, and an uneasy Dread Lord shudders

A large wagon train flying the banners of Porcus Orcus sits just a few miles from the tower.  It should have arrived today, but it just sits there...waiting for something.  The Dread Lord scowls in unfulfilled expectation.

Random Encounters

30HD of human crusaders move into Lorem Ipsum's abandoned village.

Khaleb Ghinez discovers something strange out in the grasslands.

Carnatium Raids

None

Kor Torrigan Raids

None

Goblintown Raids

None

Nirumbee Encounters

None

Map Moves

The heavily laden treasure wagons of Grimdark, Rockbrain, and Klon race for the magic portal and the safety of Malturrim.  It will be a near-run thing, but with their head start, they should reach the portal with time to spare.  The allied force from the north must see this, and still they race south for the portal.  It makes little sense to the three orc chiefs until they remember what power Holleyfelled possesses.

That small force on the far side of the magic portal sits and waits patiently until the time is right, and then their shaman opens his bag of north winds.  All the freezing hate of the far, cold north pours forth, and along with it great and powerful blasts of snow and ice.  The entire hex is consumed in a furious storm of arctic proportions, and the treasure wagons grind to a painstaking halt, less than a mile from the magic portal.

[GM Note:  The way we have used weather effects to date, they prevent the movement of treasure wagons, and not raiding forces unencumbered by loot.  Hence, the attackers can close in on, and attack the treasure wagons.] 

Which paves the way for a force of six orc warbands totalling 2,310HD worth of troops to hit the defenders.  With just the three defenders totalling just 850HD, that's a 2:1 advantage, but wait!  What's this?  The remnants of Lorem Ipsum's band - one subchief and 150HD worth of troops who have been riding with Garek Bloodtide for days - turns on his ally and throw in with Grimdark's alliance!  That makes the totals 2,200HD vs. 960HD.  It's still a 2:1 advantage for the attackers, but depending on the outcome, that little bit of extra oomph could make a big difference.  With Garek Bloodtide, and experience BattleMaster, on the field the odds tilt to 3:1 in favor of the attackers.

It all comes down to one die roll on the combat CRT.

Which, in retrospect wasn't designed for this.  The combat CRT is an all or nothing proposition to deal with random encounters and patrols of humans and elves.  It wasn't designed to determine the fate of entire armies.  To keep the game from blowing up to early, these fights should have been determined using the Siege CRT or some equivalent.  But the rules are what the rules are, and we're too deep into the soup to tinker now.

One single die roll.

Six!

The enemy - meaning the guys with the treasure - is eliminated!  And worse - half their boys (400HD) see the writing on the wall and save their green hides by agreeing to fight for the victors.  

• Klon is killed in the action, killed atop a massive pile of his enemies, as is his subchief and shaman present at the battle.  His last subchief still commands a large home defense force, but cannot leave that hex without forfeiting the ability to gain reinforcements.
• Rockbrain and Grimdark remain in the game, but they have taken a terrible blow.

The victors divide the spoils in equal measure to the forces that they brought to the fight.

Leaderboard

Klon Grushnag: 79 points

Grimdark Morbad: 61 points

Khaleb Ghines: 61 points

Porcus Orcus: 54 points

Kul of the Dripping Blades: 54 points

Hollyfelled: 54 points

Lorem Ipsum: 38 points

Garrek Bloodtide: 32 points

Kris Karnhell: 34 points

Sivor Khalid: 30 points