The fury of the Northmen. Einar's saga chapter four

Einar and Fafnir finally reach the city of Gartenmeerstadt, at the very south of Altengard and in front of the Sea of Stryfe. Looking for a passage to Treyine they are told of a long boat with people from the north like them, which is expected in a few days; therefore they decide to stay in the inn of the Dry Anchor at the port, where those northmen use to go for a drink, and wait for them. In the meantime they get some rest and take the opportunity to recruit some more men to accompany them in their quest to the lands of the Dwarfs in the far East.

As the word is spread that they are looking for men, a young and wild looking woman appears in the tavern. She presents herself as Tiku, an adventurer expert in the Two Heaven Sword Sisters Fighting School from Valkae. Lilu is a Valkae Rep 4 fighter and she is armed with two twin curved swords. Fafnir smiling like a horse, gives her a warm welcome before Einar can say a word. Later that night, a mature man with grey long hair and bear gently introduces himself a Rialto, magician and healer, and ask to accompany them in their journey for while. Rialto is equipped with his staff and a knife, his Rep yet undetermined.

After two weeks of patient waiting, the long boat arrives, and soon a noisy group of tough looking men dash into the inn demanding some drinks. Einar shouts a scream of joy when he recognises the leader of these men as his cousin Egil. After a week of drinking, telling tales and causing trouble to the city, Einar and Egil reache an agreement. Egil will take Einar and his men in his boat to Treyine, and in return they will help Egil to raid the temple of Rania, the mermaid goddess of the Sea of Stryfe, where it is said their worshippers hold a huge treasure in silver. Thus they set sail to the temple of Rania in the north coast of Treyine.

As they don't know well those shores, the ever vigilant monks of the temple spot the ship before they can avoid it. The surprise attack is now spoiled so they set direct course for the village whereas the alarm is sounded. Egil's men get angry as they see how all the cattle, women and valuable items are taken away towards the castle of the lord of these lands. But they get mad as they approach when they witness how all the men of the village, together with the monks from the temple, prepare themselves to fight them off. How they dare!
Rialto, giving a step back, observes how Einar, Fafnir and even Tiku fall in this same mood, and how all the crew now starts to beat their shields with their swords and spears, and sing about blood and death.

The village peasants lead by the monks await for them behind the walls and fences to gain some advantage in the melee, with some arches interspersed and ready to shoot as many arrows as possible before the inevitable clash. As soon as the drakkar prow reaches the sand, the northmen jump out and dash towards the village. Egil and most of his men on the left flank whereas Einar with his companions and a few Egil's men go for the right flank.

The board is 2'x2' (60x60cm) and all measures are halved. All pics clickable

Egil and his men charge like mad dogs towards the peasants, and so not giving them a chance to shoot their arrows; four of them and the monk who was leading them, fall in the first clash. Two more peasants rout horrified of the massacre and of these blood thirsty sea wolves.
On the right flank Einar and his group does exactly the same and with similar results; although some peasants and one monk gather some courage to charge them, but only for the monk impaling himself into the spear of a north warrior.

Storming the first line of defense. Left and right flank

The defending villagers and monks from the temple are mercilessly slaughtered without the raiders suffering not even a single casualty. On the left flank Egil keeps pushing and reaches the second defending line, whereas in the right flank Tiku chases the last remaining peasants, as the rest head for the temple.

- Kill 'em all!

Now there are only two remaining monks defending the only access to the temple, determined to stop the savages from the sea, and praying to Rania for their Lord to come in time to save the temple and kill the heretics. But the monks are quickly dispatched and the raiders enter the temple and start to loot it.

-Get out of our way, old men!

But suddenly the lord and his retinue arrive, and a cry of anger rises from the guards as they see all the villagers and monks slayed. The raiders quickly come out from the temple and run for their lives to the boat. Einar forms a shieldwall in the beach to allow the stragglers to reach safely. A spearman positions himself to stop the charge of the lord on his warhorse whereas the berserker hides in ambush behind the house. Meanwhile, Egil, Tiku, Rialto and many warriors run down the road as fast as they can.

- To the boat, run!

The lord has brought with him seven infantrymen and nineteen archers who quickly start to spread in a long line to shoot at Einar's shieldwall, whereas the lord and the infantry charge towards the stragglers. But the charge is stopped as the spearman manages to halt the charging knight, and Rialto casts a spell and puts fear into the hearts of all the infantrymen (Rialto's Rep is now revealed and is seven but is lowered down to Einar's Rep, which is five).

The lord kills the berserker but the spearman holds the place. Some men from the shieldwall falls to the arrows while his mates keep runnning.

-We cannot hold any longer, faster!

The spearman finally dies and the knight and the infantry charge the raiders, whereas the archers release a final salvo of arrows. Some raiders fall but the majority holds. Now all depends on who activates first. Miraculously the raiders activate first and can leave the battlefield and flee in their boat, although they had to leave behind eight men, some of them still alive.

The raiders didn't have time to get the treasure and lost eight men. Egil keeps his promise and brings Einar and his friends to a point of the north coast of Treyine, and then heads back to the Dry Anchor to lick up his wounds.

Einar raised his Hardiness to four, but Fafnir lowered his Rep to four and Hardiness to two. Tiku also lowered her Rep to three but raised her Hardiness to two. Fafnir and Tiku didn't like much to run and leave their comrades at the hands of those bastards. Also Rialto raised his Rep to 6 and his Hardiness to two.

One of the men of Egil (Rep 4) decided to go with Einar's group and he was given the magic bow they had gained in the last encounter.

The group starts walking East, crossing Treyine and heading to Hykar, the land of the horse people.