Vanguard: Seeking Sanctuary, Chapter 2: Restlessness

Another image heavy posting today with the second chapter in the Vanguard saga.

Having escaped the city, the carriage slowed. Civilians and mercenaries alternate between walking and snatching fits of sleep inside the carriage. Morning finds them haggard and hungry. Despite the warnings from the mercenaries, the townspeople spread through the forest in search of food. Some stay along the road, others are drawn deeper into the woods, perhaps further than they ought to be...

To prep for this scenario, I gathered some paper tree kits from which I made a 'dead' tree, two large evergreens, and a log. I also happened upon eight Christmas village trees (along with two rolls of burlap the wife can use) at a thrift store. I followed the method used by YouTube channel Black Magic Craft to strip the trees of their snow flocking and stick on my own so that they don't look so blue. The hills and rock outcrops are some of the islands I made for age of sail gaming.

I started this chapter with a spawning of monsters. This time, for grunts, I also roll to see whether a ranged unit or a melee unit appears (50% chance). A boss and three grunts appear (2 ranged).

    Turn 1:

The mercenaries feel the slight rumble, then hear a familiar, unearthly cry. Two townspeople are close enough to jump on the carriage immediately. Fenrir jumps on the carriage and takes aim at a monster he can just see over some bushes. He finds some satisfaction in seeing the thing fall over (+1 to roll from proximity to Ivor).

Elan runs toward the first civilian she sees, taking a shot at the horrible creature just behind. Her shot is true, but is deflected by the armour-like shell these things have.

Emeralda, Katya, and Turok are all able to retrieve a charge to bring to the carriage.

The grunt knocked over by Fenrir's shot gets up and rushes at Katya.

A grunt claims the first of the civilians to be killed in this scenario.

Another boss and three grunts emerge from the unnatural pits.

Turn 2:

A civilian gets the carriage moving, not that the horses mind getting out of here! Emeralda and Katya get their charges aboard while Fenrir jumps off to knock down that same grunt again! Emeralda casts a buff on Fenrir's armour (+2 0n next defence roll).

The grunt that Elan had fired at charges her, but she knocks it over as she races for the civilian. Ivor steps in to take the heat off of Elan.

Two more civilians lost to enemy archers.

Ivor gets charged by the one that Elan knocked over.

Two grunts run for the carriage while a boss targets two townspeople.

After knocking over the monster he baited, Ivor joins Elan and her escortee. Turok heads for another civilian. Off camera, Emeralda casts a buff on Katya's armour (+2 on next defence roll).

A boss attacks Elan, who manages to block it.

Turok narrowly escapes an invader's shot!

A sneaking grunt...

A boss and a grunt down two more civilians!

Turn 3: 

An elite and more grunts emerge from their holes. The carriage moves close enough to Turok that he can throw the civilian up into it and run to help Elan.

Turok and Elan team up to take down a boss! Ivor ignores a grunt coming at him, yells encouragement to Elan and Turok (+1 action each), then runs off to help elsewhere.

Turok engages the grunt Ivor left while Elan delivers another civilian to the carriage. Elan then takes some shots to down a grunt.

Emeralda reaches another civilian, but can't get out of range of the nearest grunt.

Sneaky the grunt swipes at a civilian, misses.

Grunt on the right fires on the horses and misses. Fiends make their way around the rock pillars left of the carriage. One reaches Emeralda, but misses its attack. Katya runs to help her. However, three grunts in the rear catch up to the carriage. Spawned: A boss, an elite, and a grunt.

Turn 4:

Emeralda brings in another civilian. Fenrir dispatches their grunt assailant and knocks down an elite.

Elan climbs aboard an also manages to knock down one of the pursuing grunts.

And Katya runs to the aide of one of the final remaining civilians not already picked up or picked off. Turok dispatches another grunt (no picture).

The luck gods favour Turok as zero out of four shots taken at him miss and he fends off the grunt in melee. Unfortunately, a boss takes down one of the horses. 

Two of the trailing grunts also manage to get onto the carriage! Four civilians are put to the task of pulling the carriage with the horses.

Turn 5:

Fenrir knocks down a grunt on the right side of the carriage and Emeralda grabs the civilian it was attacking.

Ivor, hanging out the side door, manages to kill one of the unwanted hitchhikers and calls out to Elan and Fenrir, to get their attention to the left. They manage to knock down one grunt and kill another. Katya gets on board with the last civilian left and kills the other riding attacker.

To keep some of the pursuing enemies off the carriage's trail, Turok throws himself into their midst and though he put up a mighty defence, he is slain. If this monstrous blight can be stopped, Turok will be remembered in story and song for his bravery, strength and sacrifice.

Turn 6:

Katya jumps down with the horses to defend them, and defend them she does, as she fends off all the attacks of a boss and two elites, finally using up her armour buff. No one scores any hits. 

For some unexplainable reason, the monsters turn back and leave the fleeing carriage. 

For as bad as the rolling seemed to be for their turns, the refugee band was incredibly lucky, losing only five civilians and one mercenary. At one point my son came to watch and I let him roll for some of the encounters. He asked if I was going to play again, which I of course said yes and that he can play too, which will be great!

One thing I'm currently undecided about is what to do with the loss of Turok; whether I want to use the same figure/character in the next chapter or replace him with a new one. There's still one or perhaps two other classes I'd like to try out, so I'm leaning towards replacement. It would be more realistic, I suppose, even if realism isn't really the point of this exercise.

Anyway, another enjoyable play. Time to prep for Chapter 3. Though I might play something else before I get there.