Stone Company Saga

Main: Middenhjem

The following are tales of the exploits of the Gunnar's Stone Company.

Roughing Up Some Thugs

Faereyjar, Lower Warrens
213 Syklus | 23 Waking Blålystid | Opening Crescent

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.

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.

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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

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'.

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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)