Middenhjem Saga 1
Main: Stone Company Saga
Roughing Up Some Thugs
Some thugs in the lower warrens need some roughing up. They have been giving Thane Karleibus Herlesen's tenants some trouble and he can't afford the time to send his own guards to take care of the situation. The newly formed Gunnar's Stone Company decide it best to take the local job before moving on to bigger, more high paying jobs.
The company's captains Guhrdenn Ongersen and Gunnar Skaldaspiller gather what information they can and quickly learn that a gang by the name of The Bronze Needles have their headquarters in the old stockades down by the docks. The fishermen and sailors are careful what they say openly, but it isn't too hard to get them to share what they know.
The gang members wear bronze colored vests, they cook and distribute drugs, and beat up anyone who tries to stop them. Their leader is from beyond Middenvest to the East, goes by the name Tonormo. Be careful, he's unpredictable. Their equipment can't be that good considering they're mostly former gutter-rats and beggars. They have threatened to burn down the homes of those that don't pay them for protection, claiming they brew alchemist's fire.
The Gunnar's Stone Company straps on their armor, sharpens their axes, and proceeds down to the old stockades. The scouts, Bjorninion and Ragugm, quickly take point. As they approach The Bronze Needles headquarters, they quickly ascertain that there are about 9 or so gang members in the vicinity.
One of the gang members looks up from a workbench where he is obviously cooking some sort of herbal drug and shouts out to his fellow gangers that they've got company. Various workbenches can be seen in the large building. You can't tell yet, but if one of the workbenches has alchemist's fire on it, the company is going to want to neutralize it quickly.
Gunnar looks to Guhrdenn trying to determine if they should strike now or give the gangers one chance to surrender.
"I say we bash some skulls and give 'em a reason to surrender," Arnarnar rasps.
The Battle
Round 1
Guhrdenn and Gunnar give each other a quick nod in agreement that hitting them hard fast is best. Gurhdenn steps close to the front doorway with the heavily armed Karlovar while Gunnar heads around a flanking position in the rear with a few others following.
As the company storms in the front, four thugs haphazardly brandish knives, clubs, and staves in a hasty attempt at a defense. Guhrdenn spots an opening and drives his blade into one of the poorly defending thugs. The thug lets out a scream in pain, drops not only his club but his whole self to the ground writhing and waving his hands that he won't put up a fight.
None of the thugs want to get near the heavily armed and charging Karlovar but on his flank, Arninn gives one of the thugs a good gash across his back. The thug staggers a bit, but raises his staff into a defensive position.
Gunnar and Arnanar lead the attack at the rear entrance where they catch a few thugs giving their attention towards the frontal attack. Gunnar's axe blow is deflected but he follows up with a kick to the thugs gut, driving him back and opening up the flank of another thug for Hugum to drive his blade into. The thug reels back, spits blood, and readies his spear for the Stone Companies advance.
Battle Report
- Stone Company +4 PB
- Bronze Needles: 7 armored men, 1 archer, 1 lightly armored aan, and Tonormo. 1 man on knees begging not to be killed.
- Stone Company: gained significant position bonus, no wounded
Round 2
A lanky, deep-tanned, and heavily tattooed man shouts a handful of commands the Bronze Needles from up above in the rafters, "needle out their eyes!"
The Stone Company had them surprised and dealt strong first blows to the Bronze Needles. Unfortunately, it seems now the thugs are prepared to coordinate their defense through commands of their tattooed leader, who you assume is Tonormo, the foreigner from the east.
The Stone Company has secured both doorways and have confined the thugs to attacking from a central pen in the stockade. A quick glance of the workstations nearby show no evidence of alchemist fire, however more workstations lie behind the thugs.
Not wanting to lose their advantage, the Stone Company surges forward! Tonormo shouts back up the stairs for his men to prepare the "yan-jeen" while he and three others form a wall to defend the stairs from the onslaught of viking warriors.
Vollover and Gehdrunn rush the stairs first to meet the three thugs and Tonormo. Gehdrunn easily parries one of the thug's axes and answers back with a thrusting blade clean through the armor and through his gut! The thug lets out a scream, pleading for his life.
As Vollover steps alongside Gehdrunn and lifts his sword, he takes his eye off of the lithe Tonormo who slips a thin stiletto dagger under his shield and in between the ribbing of his armor! Blood gushes from the wound and Vollover staggers back, unable to gain any ground on the stairs.
Gunnar reaches the defended stairs, who drives his axe into the leg of one of the thugs. The thug tumbles off of the stairs and, while grasping at his bleeding leg, he sounds as if he is crying and calling for his mother.
The opening is quickly filled with another thug who drives a spear into Gunnar's chest! It hurts like hell, but he can still fight. However, if he gets hit like this again, it might mean his life or at best an inability to defend himself.
Seeing his captain wounded, Arnanar surges forward to drive his spear, in return, to the offending thug. The thug drops his spear and clutches Arnanar's spear still impaling him as he falls to his ass grimacing in pain.
Blood may be flowing from both the Bronze Needles and Stone Company alike, but a handful of the thugs have dropped their weapons and are plead for their lives. Tonormo has thwarted the advance of the viking warriors at the expense of blood in hopes that his minions will have prepared the 'yan-jeen'.
Battle Report
- Stone Company +4 PB (no change)
- Bronze Needles: 5 armored men (1 reeling), 1 archer, 1 lightly armored man, and Tonormo. 3 are cowering on the floor.
- Stone Company: Vollover (reeling), Gunnar (wounded)
Round 3
Without missing a beat, Gehdrunn surges forward up the stairs trying to break through the line towards the alchemy tables! He shouts for his troops to fill in behind, but the charge is a bit haphazard. As The Stone Company tries to spread out as they head up the stairs, Tonormo and his men part ways to simply allow the mercenaries to fill the stairs.
"Now," shouts Tonormo!
Just then, a lightly armored and pale-skinned man jumps from the back line and tosses something in the air at the approaching storm of warriors! Something bounces off the stairs between the warriors and takes a wide bounce. To the company's left flank, the thug's makeshift kitchen erupts in flames in mere seconds! You glance at each other to realize none of you are... burning. You quickly make a prayer to the gods for such luck and push forward.
One of the more armored thugs stands there in disbelief as the fire had no effect. With his guard down, Arnanar and Milsar flank him and drive their axe and blade into his gut, spurting forth pools of blood.
Tonormo falls back at the approaching company only to be met by the advancing Gehdrunn. Shaken a bit by the fire and with no one at his side, Gehdrunn faces the needle-blade wielding Tonormo alone. Tonormo dodges Gehdrunn's lunge deftly and thrusts the needle into the young warriors left shoulder! Seconds pass, blood flows, Karlovar is still a few more seconds behind.
"It's now or never," Gehdrunn thinks to himself.
The men cannot witness their leader falling in their first battle. If The Stone Company is to be the best in Middenhjem, then their commander must deliver by blade, now!
Tonormo gives a black-rotted tooth smile as his needle-blade whistles through the air towards Gehdrunn.
It's now or never. Tonormo is fast, but the young warrior faster. The needle-blade whistles past a side-stepping Gehdrunn. Tonormo is over-extended! In one swift motion, Gehdrunn side-steps and drives his sword into Tonormo's back! His black-rotted teeth turn red as he clutches the wound and staggers back.
Battle Report
- Stone Company +4 PB (no change)
- Bronze Needles: 4 armored men (1 reeling), 1 archer, 1 lightly armored man, and Tonormo (reeling). 4 are cowering/bleeding on the floor or ran away.
- Stone Company: Vollover (reeling), Gunnar (wounded), Gehdrunn (wounded)
Round 4
The Viking warriors press the attack! Tonormo staggers and shouts commands in between coughs of blood, "get the yan-jeen, meet up at the treehorn! Karufald, grab the maps!"
At that, the Bronze Needles begin fall back, though still with their shields and axes still between them and the invaders. Karufald, the yan-jeen thrower and lightly armored man, makes his retreat towards a shelf to grab a handful of papers.
Gehdrunn shouts a few commands of his own and the Stone Company quickly surrounds half of the Bronze Needles blocking off their escape! Gehdrunn delivers another deep cut across Tonormo's chest. Pumped with adrenaline, amazingly the foreigner still stands!
Karlovar chops up one of the other thugs to send him reeling back. Arninn closes the distance with their archer and makes quick work of him sending him to the ground, pleading to let him live!
Battle Report
- Stone Company +7 PB (+3 in round)
- Bronze Needles: 4 armored men (1 wounded, 2 reeling), Karufald (wounded), and Tonormo (hanging on to consciousness). 5 are cowering/bleeding on the floor or ran away.
- Stone Company: Vollover (reeling), Gunnar (wounded), Gehdrunn (wounded)
Round 5
Tonormo can clearly see the writing on the wall. He can barely stand and The Stone Company has them surrounded. Begrudgingly, he offers a parley, "enough... *cough*... bloodshed".
Gehdrunn holds up a hand for the Company to halt to hear what this Tonormo is offering. Before Tonormo continues, Gunnar quickly demands, "get your man away from that table now and then we'll discuss the terms of your surrender."
The Bronze Needle stops inching his way to the table and looks to Tonormo for his command. Wiping blood from his chin while simultaneously self-applying pressure to a deep wound on his chest, Tonormo coughs up, "step back... they have us beat."
At that he turns his attention to Gehdrunn and Gunnar who he quickly recognizes as the leaders of the Stone Company and asks, "why have you attacked us?" He continues, "you know Helion is going to get word of this and he is not take kindly to those who disrupt his business."
"Shut-up, throw down your blades, and maybe we'll let you live," barks Gunnar as he waves a few fingers to his men to surround the Bronze Needles.
At that, Tonormo tosses his blade to the ground. You're not sure if he did it as a response to your intimidation or if he needed the second hand to hold in his guts. He falls to his knees, barely staying conscious. Seeing him throw his blade down and go to his knees, the other thugs follow suit.
End of Battle Report
- The Bronze Needles have surrendered.
- Bronze Needles: 4 armored men (1 wounded, 2 reeling), Karufald (wounded), and Tonormo (hanging on to consciousness). 5 are cowering/bleeding on the floor.
- Stone Company: Vollover (reeling), Gunnar (wounded), Gehdrunn (wounded)
The Aftermath
Having the most experience patching up troops, Gunnar quickly bandages up Vollover to stop his bleeding, then a couple minutes bandaging up Gehdrunn and himself. He then continues to bandage up the Bronze Needles slowly, maintaining an edge in any negotiations.
After a few hours of rifling through the warehouse and assessing/interrogating the prisoners, the Stone Company finds and learns a few things:
- The Bronze Needles are a gang affiliated with the Kelgik tribe, Strios Thium.
- Tonormo is a dokrari, originally from somewhere south in the Lysogild deserts. His command of his gang has deteriorated. The thugs begin pleading and making offers for their lives, talking over Tonormo.
- Karufald (mennesker) has little training in combat, but dabbles in alchemy. He quickly pleads that he has no allegiance to Tonormo, the Bronze Needles, or Strios Thium. He just wants to be let go, or maybe that he can work for you? Tonormo isn't pleased. Karufald presents to you a couple of maps to bargain for his release/hire.
- Two other thugs (Kvivnor, Good Militia Equipment; & Ragredam, Poor Militia Equipment) also say they're willing to work for you too. Just don't kill us.
- All of the thugs still live. One will need serious medical care.
- The maps plot a route in the Mørkogis, west of the Mydalrfjell Mountains to an ancient temple that is rumored to have treasure. Gunnar shares a tale of the legendary Bountyhunter Thorik, who traveled into the Mørkogis to destroy a cursed battleaxe. In the tale, he came to an ancient Dokrari temple - which was undoubtedly strange as the Dokrari hail from the Lysogild deserts. Tonormo interjects that he wishes to see the temple of his ancestors and that he was planning to do so as soon as Karufald brewed enough 'yan-jeen' to fend off the wyrmlings and other beasts of the cold north. He states the obvious, that you are much better trained than the rabble he has found and that you would fare better against such creatures in a trek to the ancient temple. He offers that he will take you there in exchange for letting him go afterwards.
- You find nasty drugs in the warehouse, which you dispose of in the river.
- You can steal all of the thugs equipment but am not sure if you are hiring any of the troops.
- Kvivnor (Militia Good Training/Good Equipment) - offering to join you
- Ragredam (Militia Average/Poor) - offering to join you
- Tonormo (Infantry Elite/Fine damaged) - offering to take you to temple
- Karufald (Militia Inferior/Poor) - offering to join you as alchemist
- Arngge (Infantry Inferior/Basic damaged) - wants to be let go
- Gunnoyid (Infantry Inferior/Poor damaged) - wants to be let go
- Torredum (Archer ?/Good damaged) - unconscious
- Borast (Infantry ?/Poor damaged) - unconscious
- Veluve (Infantry ?/Basic damaged) - unconscious
- Kvivion (Infantry ?/Poor damaged) - unconscious
- Ellunn (Infantry ?/Poor damaged) - unconscious
- You also find various loot:
- ₡309 in coins.
- 4 vials of Alchemist Fire
- They have a lot of various things in the warehouse too as if they have lived here for a time. It seems a haphazard slew of things probably taken from the locals in drug deals, protection promises, etc. Unfortunately, you aren't sure who or what organization would be good to go through the warehouse to benefit the people of Faereyjar. Your mercenary, Arninn suggests, "why don't we just take whatever we fancy from these pieces of shit on account of them giving you two and Vollover those wounds? Then the folk can do what they will with the rest of the stuff." Vollover waves his hand as if he wants nothing to do with it and shares that the Sisters of Jarva could help distribute what was taken to the poor. Both Gunnar and Gehdrunn nod in agreement and soon the Sisters are contacted and all is arranged.
- Kvivnor & Karufald join the Stone Company. Kvivnor seems especially excited, saluting his new captains.
- All arms and armor are taken from remaining Bronze Needles (see email)
- You take: ₡309 in coins, x4 vials of Alchemist Fire
- You get paid 785 by Thane Karleibus Herlesen.
After a couple hours, Gunnar & Gehdrunn have made up their minds. Gehdrunn whispers to Gunnar, "there is really only one appropriate option in the traditions of the Kelgik."
He then turns to Tonormo, "Gøzjek! You have dishonored yourself and your clan by surrendering your weapon in battle. Shall you further dishonor yourself by crawling away with your guts dragging through the mud, or would you instead regain some honor by choosing to dying by your opponents blade?" Guhrdenn draws his blade and awaits Tonormo's response.
Just a few hours ago Tonormo was a big fish in a little pond. He was the boss to the Bronze Needles! The gang that had terrorized the lower ward of Faereyjar and took what they wanted from whoever they wanted. A bigger fish came in to town that day and now he's on the wrong end of the blade. He doesn't look like he's been in this predicament before as his confusion quickly turns to fear. Fear that his life will end. That he will be no more.
Simultaneously, a few of the more veteran Bronze Needles flash back to the brutal display of mercilessness of their boss and how he treated the weak recruits. One of the thugs glances at the string of teeth nailed to a post of those that didn't pass "the initiation". They've never seen Tonormo on the wrong end of a blade - and on his knees!
Tonormo pleads with the young Kelgik warrior, "You... cough... bested me, true. Bested me... shown me... shown my men that you are far worthier in battle."
He struggles to get to his feet, his face pale with the loss of blood. "I accept... accept your offer but... take me to the graves of my ancestors where I might join them Beyond the Beyond. I believe you and your men can make the journey, far better than... my men."
It's unclear whether he is telling the truth, playing you, or simply trying to stall the inevitable - but it is clear that Tonormo best knows how to get to the supposed ancient temple and that the maps might not be enough.
"Those weren't the options I gave you," Gehdrunn calmly reminds his bested foe before turning his back upon one who is unworthy of a second more of his time. Tonormo's pleading trails off as he passes into unconsciousness and, ultimately, disgracefully to Beyond the Beyond.
As the deluke comes to an end, the Sisters of Jarva tend to your wounded as a thank you for your generosity and bravery.
