An Encounter at Arithdale continued

I hope everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas, and as well as plenty of festive cheer you were all deemed to have been good enough to receive some goodies from Santa!

All went according to the "grand plan" here at TWA Towers, and I managed to get some gaming time (albeit in short sessions) to continue the game from the previous post: Part One


The group of musketeers who had left the lane made their way forward - and promptly encountered the first PEF which was skulking along the hedgerow

the hidden enemy turned out to be Old Mother Bankes "pets" - Rogue and Josh, her pair of hell hounds!

As the first men rounded the corner of the hedge, they were charged by a pair of vicious looking barghests, mauling the nearest of the men who tried fighting them off with clubbed muskets..
Meanwhile, the remaining ("remains") of the villagers were staggering along the main street of Arithdale towards Sergeant Jones' position at the mouth of the lane (and unseen PEF's lurked on either side of the street)

The fight with the barghests was brutal and very one sided, as the beasts tore into the surprised soldiers. Rogue decapitated his hapless victim, but Josh's opponent managed to fend the beast off - suffering a badly injured arm (which would impede his later actions)

With their blood up, Rogue and Josh followed up their attack (using the barghest "Pounce" ability) with Josh trying to finish off the wounded musketeer and Rogue attacking the next nearest human along the hedgerow.,

and at this point, the Dice Gods decided to intervene in spectacular fashion!
"Fisticuffs" in WfG involves opponents both throwing a pair dice. Red 'Attack' dice (plus appropriate modifiers) are then compared against white 'Defence' dice (plus modifiers) as the combatants "have at it".
The barghest following up on the wounded musketeer threw an appalling pair of 1's and lost the fight despite of the minus 1 modifier due to his wounded arm, while the other Hell Hound had decent dice but the musketeer had a pair of 6's!

Beaten off by their opponents musket butts, Rogue and Josh recoil from the fight.....(ending their go and handing initiative over to the men of the Trained Band)

...giving the two musketeers chance to take aim and fire while their nearest companion also moved into a firing position

Obviously hampered by his mutilated arm, Jeremiah's shot was wide of the mark. Thomas however had inflicted another wound on Rogue

While Jeremiah and Thomas began reloading their pieces, William, now with a clear line of sight, took aim and fired - another hit on Josh, and both abominations were now badly wounded.
How different things would have been if their attack hadn't been stalled!

The second PEF moved into view as it joined the zombie villagers making their way towards the lane

Two more foul abominations step into view,

and Sgt Jones directs the fire once again,

and once again musket balls clearly find their mark but the foul creatures are not killed by them! (three hits but no headshots)

The zombies continue to advance, and the second rank now give fire.

Meanwhile, the third PEF had moved forward along 'back' of the village, and was spotted and identified as a nocterlinger by Hugo -

who returns to the lane to warn Captain Jessop, as another shot is fired at the approaching horrors in the street,

leaving only one zombie standing -

but the nocterlinger has reached the hedgerow and is getting close!

Over to their right, the remaining musketeer now has a clear shot atone of the wounded beasts

From the village, Old Mother Bankes sees her beloved pet fall and frantically calls off Rogue to save him

With his men reloading their muskets Sgt Jones attacks the remaining zombie with his halberd (they don't like it up 'em), and Rogue pelts along the hedge and presents a difficult target (moving fast and in cover) so the parting shots from the musketeers are futile.

Just then the terrifying nocterlinger bursts from cover and charges sergeant Jones,

and once more the God Of The D6 decided to be fickle - the nocterlinger failing to land a blow on the valiant sergeant, who in turn was unable to strike his foe and the round of Fisticuffs was a stalemate.

Then a single musket shot rings out.....

....and Old Mother Bankes took to her broom as the corpse of the noctelinger fell among the carnage in Arithdale.

After the action, Captain Jessop's men searched the village for survivors but found none - which explained the lack of communication with All Hallows that the recently deceased Preacher Samuel was so concerned about.
After burning the afflicted bodies on Hugo's advice, and finding a hand cart at the millers cottage, the Trained Band loaded up the corpse of the musketeer killed by the barghest and set off to give him a burial in sacred ground back at All Hallows.

Hugo spent the whole journey pondering the best course of action to deal with the scourge afflicting the area, and agreed with Captain Jessop that they needed the assistance of a Witchfinder........ but where does one find a Witchfinder in these troubled times?

Many thanks for reading post number One Hundred and One, and what will probably be my last post for 2018, so may I take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for the coming New Year - I'm off to pour myself a glass right now and shall be raising it to toast you all!!