Snapcase and the Bloody Barrow

The 3rd and probably the final chapter in Sir Verney Snapcase's bid to get free ale at the Dog and Sprocket Tavern in Little Snoring.

The brilliant sunset has turned into a dark brooding night as Sir Verney Snapcase leads his small party towards the Bloody Barrow. Titus Fleming on his right is feeling distinctly nervous about proceedings. When he took the position as Sir Verney’s servant he expected an easy life, carrying wine, eating good left over food, not traipsing around the countryside in the dead of night to do God knows what.

Red Molly had some inkling of what the Bloody Barrow would be like, but it had been years since she had ventured near it. A childhood dare or was it a forfeit, she remembered there were two alternatives, kiss a toad or go and touch the Barrow. She’d kissed many a toad since then and they weren’t half as repulsive or scary as the Barrow.

She knew no one had visited the place in the last 10 years, every since Lucy was found on the sacrificial stone at the mouth of the Barrow.

Lucy was not harmed in any way but had lost her mind in some dark place that she was never able to find again.

Molly wondered if she should have told Sir Verney about Lucy but had decided to keep her own council. After all Lucy was her younger sister and she deserved an accounting with whoever or whatever had stolen her mind.

Molly hoped Snapcase would be that Accountant.

When she had last been there, the ground around the stone circle was difficult going, soft underfoot with undergrowth and brambles waiting to trip the unwary but she knew it would be even harder going now, so many years later.

As they approached she could see it was a tangle of brambles, thorn bushes and deformed, stunted trees surrounding the stone circle. The dark shape in the distance must be the Barrow but it was too dark to make it out clearly.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place” Snapcase asked Molly and she just nodded, her mouth was too dry to speak out loud.

“It all seems quiet” muttered Snapcase, “we’ll just move forward, slowly like, no noise until we can see the Barrow clearly”. “Try and keep low and take advantage of the cover” he added unnecessarily.

As they moved forward the Bloody Barrow came into view, a massive capstone on five upright pillars, what manner of beings had built it or for what purpose, no one knew….indeed no one in the party cared either.

Because the clouds parted and the moon shone brightly on an unearthly tableau.

Translucent wraiths floated around the stone circle, swooping high and low, they emitted a strange whistling sound, eerily like the wind on a bitter winter’s night, as it whistles through the gaps between door and jamb, with steams of cold air piercing the room, sending shivers down your cack and making the fire waver and dance in the draught.

The Wraiths were a shock but then they saw a young woman, tied to two posts in the mouth of the Barrow and another being, possibly a woman in a red shift moving slowly around her. Further away was something, vaguely human shaped, the moonlight reflected off a pallid corrupted creature they could not discern clearly.

“Mistress Pitt” stuttered Molly as she recognised the poor woman between the posts and Snapcase remembered the name as belonging to one of the villagers who had been carried off from Little Snoring at the start of the tale.

“I’ve had enough of this skulking about thought Sir Verney, “follow me he said and moved resolutely forward, that is until he entered the stone circle and felt the chill tremor of fear, he stopped as his nerve failed him. Red Molly went some distance into the circle before she too felt the fear and retreated to stand close to Snapcase, only Titus was able to push forward as the moon rose higher in the sky.

Abstractedly he noticed the Wraiths seemed to be moving in a random manner and hadn’t attacked him yet.

Of course this wasn’t uppermost on his mind because when the apparition in red turned and glared at him with a hypnotic gaze, he felt as if part of his very life force was being drained away.

For a time none of party were able to pluck up the courage and advance, Titus felt weaker the longer the hag in red held him in her hypnotic gaze, and the moon continued to rise.

The Wraiths continued to circle but didn’t attack them, Snapcase was still transfixed with fear on the edge of the ring of stone.

All was not lost though, Molly’s desire to revenge her sister overcame her fear and she slowly moved forward to support Titus.

I realised I’d made it too hard for the party to advance through the fear and slightly changed the criteria.

With a howl of anguish Titus threw off the feeling of lassitude and charged straight at the Hag, just as her protector, the pallid creature stepped in front of its mistress. It was horrific, dark sunken eyes and huge bony fists but Titus overcame his fear and attacked with his sword.

In a contest between bony fists, no matter how big and a sharp steel sword the swordsman will usually win. The creature took damage and a strange black blood dripped from its wounds.

Titus followed up his attack with a further sword thrust and the creature dropped to the ground too hurt to continue the fight.

Meanwhile Snapcase was still at the edge of the stone circle, unfortunately for him he was just inside the circle and was attacked by wraiths as they flew over him. A coldness overcame him and he felt significantly weaker, he slashed with his sword but it just went straight through the translucent Wraiths causing no discernible damage.

Maybe they can’t be killed he thought weakly.

Molly stood firm and hadn’t been affected by the creature’s horrific mien, and once he was down, she had a clear sight of the Hag and fired her pistol. Relief was one of the emotions when she saw her ball strike the Hag in the belly and blood started to pour from the wound. The creature could be hurt, maybe even killed.

The moon continued to rise.

With a scream of frustration the Hag transformed into the Red Woman, at the same time more horrific creatures erupt from the mouth of the Bloody Barrow.

The Hag’s frustration is the knowledge that she can only complete the sacrifice either as the Hag in semi human form or by using Agroth, her creature, as a proxy to perform the act. Once she is the ethereal Red Woman, a spirit being, she can not die but can not wield the knife necessary to perform the ritual killing of Mistress Pitt. The damage from the pistol ball almost killed the Hag and so she had no choice other than to transform.

Mistress Pitt is safe from sacrifice, at least until the astral planets align in the requisite manner, that is approximately 135 years in the future but can the Snapcase party survive the attack of the Pumpkin Heads?

Indeed if they can not hold out until the moon is full there is still a chance that the Red Woman can transition back into the Hag and finish the job.

Snapcase has escaped from the Wraith’s but along with Titus and Molly he fails his Horror test for sighting the Pumpkin Heads and they all draw a Horror Card.

Molly promptly faints and is unconscious for 5 turns, Titus is Transfixed by the Horror and remains so for 2 turns but finally Sir Verney shows his true mettle and attacks the nearest enemy, he will continue to do so until they are all dead.

Or of course, until he’s dead.

Sir Verney attacks his nearest enemy and loses the fight, then losses again and he’s down on the ground.

As he falls the moon turn from its normal colour to a blood red.

Having defeated the brave (finally) Sir Verney the monstrous Pumpkin Head turns towards the transfixed Titus as the Red Woman screams again in frustration knowing her dreams have crumbled into ashes.

The moon slowly turns from red back to its normal white light and her opportunity is gone.

With the changing of the moon the supernatural beings disappear as if they were never there.

Titus looks around bewildered, sees Snapcase on the ground, hurt but still breathing and goes to his aid. Molly wakes from her swoon and sees no danger, no Wraiths, no Red Woman and no Pumpkin Headed apparitions, she goes to cut Mistress Pitts bonds.

There is only the return journey across Snoring Moor to be undertaken and Snapcase can almost taste the next free pint of Buggers Bitter or even hopefully a small glass of the Black Pony Ale he left with Hellfire Demfore and Brigstock Jenkins - The Vagabond.

If indeed there is still a small glass left in the barrel.

Hope springs eternal. So they say.

Cheers

Snapcase on Snoring Moor

Continuing from the previous adventure, “Snapcase on The Road to Snoring Moor” it has now become unsurprisingly “Snapcase on Snoring Moor” and with a modicum of luck for the scenario writer will become “Snapcase and the Bloody Barrow” as opposed to “Snapcase Snuffs it on Snoring Moor” or “Snapcase Succumbs to the Peril of the Bloody Barrow”.

With grave misgivings Sir Verney Snapcase and his remaining band of warriors continued in the quest for free beer. Snapcase’s misgivings centred around leaving the barrel of Black Pony Ale in the hands of the trio of hard drinkers he’d left behind. Red Molly, Titus Fleming and Annie Duck’s misgivings centred around what the immediate future might hold for them.

That’s when they heard more howling up ahead.

Good grief, more wolves….how are these random events! However these looked like small bears, rotund and stout. Obviously they’re well fed. Will they be more difficult to deal with than the leaner but more poorly painted wolves that they’d already encountered.

“Stand firm men”, Snapcase commanded, “there’s only 4 of them and we’re fully loaded” he continued.

Even as he was uttering these wise words 2 pistol shots rang out, followed almost immediately by a further 2 shots. Red Molly and Annie Duck fired without waiting for his word of command.

That’s better shooting he nodded approvingly as 2 of the rotund wolves fell to the opening salvo. Annie had fired first, missing with her first shot she had stunned one of the wolves with her second but Red Mollies two shots had hit and killed each time. Unfortunately her first shot hit the one that Annie had stunned or it would have all been over straight away.

The third wolf rushed at Titus but before it could attack Annie drew her 3rd pistol and fired as it ran towards them. An accurate chest shot that stopped the wolf dead and the fourth one ran for the hills, although on the moor it’s fairly flat so he’ll have to run a long way before he finds a hill so they’ll not see him again.

Feeling slightly relieved at their better fortune they continued on their way across the now trackless moor. “That was easy” remarked Sir Verney to no one in particular and no one answered him because it had gone very quiet.

Sir Verney hadn’t noticed yet as he went on, “if we don’t get lost and fall in a bog we should be there in an hour or so”, then the hairs on the back of his neck started to prickle.

Looking over his shoulder he saw the strangest sight. Two creatures in straight jackets and one wild fellow with an axe but the apparition in purple sent shivers down his spine.

She shrieked like the Devil and two of her creatures Stumper and Smiles, stated to run at Snapcase’s party. Red Molly took to her heels immediately, wolves were one thing but this was something else and she ran as fast as she could or the rough moorland allowed.

This unnerved Sir Verney and Titus, at least that’s what Snapcase said afterwards and they swiftly followed the retreating figure of Red Molly.

Smiles, who is one of the straight jacketed creatures, chased after them, howling and snarling as he went.

I imagine most of us would be slightly unnerved by this fellow, well at least until we realised his hands were strapped down and the worse he could do would be to bite.

Although on reflection, that’s not very reassuring.

Anyway, fear leant wings to their heels and they outdistanced Smiles.

Only then did Snapcase count his party….there were 3.

Annie Duck was missing.

Stumper the axe carrying creature had charged straight at Annie but she hadn’t given way to her fears and run. Blowing a handful of powdered hashish in its face did no good, it just snarled in response but she still had Spike in her left hand.

Spike by the way is her stiletto, a long intimidating dagger. Of course a madman with a two handed axe isn’t going to be intimidated by a knife, no matter how thin and pointed it is. The fight went back and forth, neither of them gaining an advantage in the initial set too.

Annie is fast and nimble and might have been able to deal with one opponent.

But as the other two ran towards her, she failed her Brains test and past her Guts test, so didn’t run. There were now three of them, as Samantha Chit-Chat and her lackey The Quiet One joined Stumper in the titanic struggle.

Even for a canny and vigorous fighter such as Annie, the odds were stacked high against her.

There was only one way this was going to end and the inevitable happened. She was beaten to the ground and is Oof, or out of the fight.

Leaving Annie for dead the wild woman and her crew chased after Snapcase, but he had a good start and they eventually gave up the chase, as he and the rest of the runners escape.

“Where the hell are we” Sir Verney asked Red Molly for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. They had outdistanced their pursuers and been floundering in the soggy peat for some time. “I don’t know” she replied, “I’ve never been on this part of the moor before”. “I just ran blindly, not knowing where I was headed, I just wanted to be away from that devil’s brew”.

“Well I only followed because I thought you knew where you were going” Snapcase snapped. He was feeling a little guilty about leaving Annie behind, only a little guilty mind and was a bit tetchy because of this unaccustomed feeling. That, and the damp peat was ruining his best boots which didn’t cheer him up at all.

This was instantly forgotten when they heard another shriek closer than any of them would like it to be, a shriek that they recognised immediately.

No…it wasn’t wolves!

The Samantha Chit Chat had been tracking them with her hounds, the Quiet One and Smiles.

They had been able to follow the scent of fear quite easily.

Molly reacted quickly, she was not as surprised this time and didn’t run. Instead she fired both her pistol’s at the wild woman in the purple shift and was rewarded by seeing her fall. Hit in the leg she is badly hurt and Oof, not dead though. Death has a way of avoiding Samantha Chit Chat, even Death is a little afraid of her.

This should have had the effect of dispiriting her minions and sending them running across the moor, but they know no fear.

The Quiet One mourned his fallen idol, snuffling and making strange mewling sounds he tried to comfort her.

But the other two flew at Snapcase and Titus. Who, having witnessed Molly’s bravery, they couldn’t really run, well could they? So they stood like statues made of stone, ready to receive the onslaught, possibly inwardly quaking…..almost certainly inwardly quaking but they’re never going to admit that, are they?

The fight was long and hard, Smiles and Titus inflicted wounds on each other, Snapcase took an almighty blow from Stumpers axe and only just survived before stabbing his opponent in the leg. Molly drew her knife and came to his aid, between the two of them they managed to get the better of the axeman.

Titus striking with his long sword eventually disabled Smiles who has his hands tied behind his back….well done Titus.

“Kill them” screams Chit-Chat to The Quiet One and he attacks, only to be shot in the leg by Red Molly. In spite of this he continues to advance but is beaten down by Sir Verney and Titus whose combined attacks eventually defeat an unarmed man in a straight jacket.

The trio of mad men die, foaming at the mouth, but die they do and Snapcase, Fleming and Molly survived intact. Well not really intact because they all carried wounds either from this or the first encounter and if it hadn’t been for the thought of free, Old Buggers Bitter, Sir Verney would have abandoned the quest here and now.

As he looks out over Snoring Moor the sun is setting in the West and he cheers his men up by telling them that it’s not far and they should be at the Bloody Barrow before nightfall, and even if it takes a little longer they shouldn’t worry because it’s a full moon tonight, indeed he’s certain that it’s a full, Blood Red moon tonight and that must be a lucky omen…..mustn’t it……

The sunset pictures are from Doug's collection, it would appear that down south they have sunshine, lucky beggars.

Snapcase and the Road to Snoring Moor

The Road to Snoring Moor

You may remember, or if your memory is like mine you may not remember or heaven forbid you may be in total ignorance of Sir Verney Snapcase’s famous exploits. In his last adventure he had volunteered to guard the lives of Pearl de Ville, and Molly Bright, the landlady and barmaid of the Dog and Sprocket Tavern in Little Snoring.

This task had gone well for Snapcase but not so well for one of his two men. Titus Fleming had survived the encounter but not so Edmund Mansfield, who was struck down by a Werewolf. He is, even now, lying in the small hovel that the Widow Tuppence’s calls home. Tuppence sleeps on the floor with her sour faced daughter Martha, because Mansfield occupies the only bed in the hovel.

Conditions are cramped but in spite of Martha’s constant whingeing, the Widow Tuppence is happy, Snapcase has given her a whole thruppence, with the promise of another to come, but only if Mansfield survives.

If you don’t remember the werewolf, the rest will be an even deeper mystery, but Snapcase in an effort to get a long term, free supply of Old Buggers Bitter and Black Pony Ale has agreed to rid Little Snoring of the horror that plagues the village. However to do this he must journey up onto Snoring Moor, specifically to the clearing in the old oak woodland that contains the Bloody Barrow.

The Bloody Barrow stands inside a stone circle surrounded by the remnants of the woodland; these trees are blasted and twisted by some malevolent force. A force so strong, that the trees lean in towards the Barrow as if pulled by an unseen hand.

Listlessly reviewing his options in the Snug of the Dog and Sprocket, they don’t look too promising. His man Titus Fleming is still fit for duty, using the term rather loosely; Samuel Gerard has recovered sufficiently from his previous wounds to be able to join them. Best of all Molly Bright the barmaid has agreed to guide them to the Bloody Barrow. However four is a very small number to ensure success and more importantly Snapcase’s survival; he prefers better odds than that.

He’s also concerned about the supernatural element of his task, the Werewolf had been killed with a mortuary sword but the Red Woman was only driven off by pure luck and Snapcase was not a man to rely on luck to stay alive. So he was somewhat relieved when the door of the Snug was thrown open revealing three hard bitten characters, two of whom he knew personally. Hellfire Demfore strode into the room, as always clutching his well thumbed bible in one hand and a tankard of ale in the other. He was followed by Brigstock Jenkins, a dangerous cutthroat sometimes known as ‘The Vagabond’ and with them was a dark skinned woman that Snapcase recognised immediately. She was the infamous Annie Duck.

(Unfortunately Ann was born about 100 years after this tale but her life of crime makes a good read, not many women are hanged at 27 for crimes of violent robbery usually against men).

The stories about Annie were legend, many of them created deliberately to frighten her victims so they wouldn’t testify against her in court. One such story was that she could gaze into your eyes and inflict visions of hell and damnation, that’s when you’d lose consciousness, sometimes never to regain it. Of course myth is one thing, reality is another and the reality is that she blew powdered hashish into the victim’s eyes and nose, visions ensued and then a very deep sleep. Sometimes you even awoke.

Fanciful tales or not she would be a powerful ally against some of the mysterious creatures who were said to inhabit Snoring Moor and Snapcase was keen to enlist her aid.

The next morning Snapcase was up early, he rounded up his band of miscreants but couldn’t find his man Titus Fleming. Fleming was eventually discovered in the bed of the Widow Tuppence, indeed he was with the Widow Tuppence. Poor Mansfield had been turned out on to the floor next to sour faced Martha, he was weak but still alive. Words were said, harsh words, and then the party set off for Snoring Moor.

Molly Bright or Red Molly as she was sometimes known, led the way forward. Annie Duck and Tom the Tavern Boy followed. Tom had a most important role, he was leading the Black Pony and on the cart behind the Black Pony was a barrel of…yep, Black Pony Ale. Sir Verney and the Vagabond ensured that the Ale stayed on the cart and Hellfire Demfore followed to make sure the barrel didn’t leak. Titus led the pack horse with the rest of the supplies and Sam Gerard brought up the rear.

Even here, on the very edge of the moor, the trees were twisted and dead, the land was desolate and they encountered no one.

With all the supplies they’d taken you may be wondering how long they expected to be journeying to get to the Bloody Barrow. Well it’s only about 5 miles but the road runs out after a couple of them and the rest of the way is over rough ground. Snapcase erring on the side of caution had taken food to last 3 days and Ale to last 7, better to be safe than sorry was his motto.

Well one of his mottos.

In the distance you can see that the road becomes no more than a peddlers track and the going will get slower.

That’s when they first heard the howling. An unnatural sound, like the wind keening in the trees on a cold winter’s eve with the frost so hard it burned your throat. Red Molly whispered “The Barguest”.

“Ehh, speak up lass, what did you say” asked The Vagabond.

“The Black Dog, The Barguest” Molly whispered again.

“Dogs!…..Dogs!….you say” Sir Verney queried, “we aren’t afraid of dogs, black ones, white ones or any other colour, blast their eyes”.

“Look, there’s only 2 of them, just shout ‘cushtie’ and keep walking, it works with my cattle, they’ll just run off” he continued.

As they drew closer he re-thought his strategy. They were a bit on the big side these Barguest’s

“They might not understand ‘cushtie’, it’s a Scottish term, just shoot them, that should do the trick”. Snapcase said reassuringly to Red Molly

As the first one ran towards her Molly fired her pistol, and…..missed. This was to be a bit of a re-occurring theme throughout this encounter.

At the same time, Sam Gerard ran forward but he couldn’t get there before the Barguest attacked Molly.

She fights with all her might but armed only with the unloaded pistol she’s no match for the Black Dog and is driven back, suffering minor injuries on the way. The Barguest is able to lock its teeth around her forearm and proceeds to shake her violently.

Sam Gerard finally came to her aid stabbing at the hound with his sword. The Barguest let go of Molly’s arm and attacked Sam, who now thought he might have been a little hasty. He suffers bite wounds and backs away from the Black Dog.

Annie reacts next and fires her pistol at the Hound but also misses; she then fires her second pistol and misses again. Bugger! She’s a good shot but the stress of the situation is affecting her composure. I imagine having a 5ft tall, black hound, with it’s slobbering jaw’s only inches away from your face might have that effect on most of us.

The other hound rushes forward and attacks poor Sam Gerard, the fight is brutal, and both Sam and the hound are wounded in the encounter.

The fighting becomes confused, Hellfire Demfore rushes forward to help Sam, Hellfire slashes at the hound and draws blood, but then the hound bites him, they both howl in pain.

‘The Vagabond’ fires a pistol at the other hound and…..misses.

Red Molly fires her second or third pistol at a hound and misses. I did say the fighting was confused, even more so for the narrator.

Snapcase wishes he had a pistol but he doesn’t, so with the Snapcase family war cry of “OOH ERRR” he charges straight at the nearest hound.

Actually I don’t think that is the authentic war cry but it sounds very similar.

It’s effective though because the Barguest is hurt badly and then when Annie Duck wades into the fight to help him, they manage to kill the creature.

One down, one to go.

Hellfire Demfore and Sam together manage to inflict sufficient damage on the remaining Barguest so that it too falls to the ground, dead.

Sir Verney’s party heave a collective sigh of relief at this and think happy thoughts.

The relief is short lived though, because from the same direction that the Barguests came, they hear more howling. This is higher pitched, longer and louder so when a pack of wolves arrive, they’re not too surprised. The wolves have been attracted by the noise of fighting and the smell of blood, they’re loping towards them with malicious intent.

It’s a large, if poorly painted, pack of 7 animals and they increase their pace as they close the gap between themselves and their source of protein.

Red Molly was badly hurt in the fight with the Barguests and so she steps back to avoid another hand to teeth conflict, loading her pistol with consummate skill and dexterity as she does so.

“To me men” shouts Snapcase and he steps forward to form the centre of a defensive line, Annie Duck stands firm on his right with Sam Gerard on his left. I’m not sure if this was so Sir Verney could provide morale support to his men or because it was the safest place for him to be. Hellfire and Brigstock take the dangerous position on the flanks of the line and prepare to sell their lives dearly. I’ve done the 2/6 joke before so won’t do it again, even though it makes me smile.

Hellfire Demfore was pulled to the ground by an enormous grey wolf, he’d also suffered damage from the fight with the Barguest and this was just too much. Next down was Sam, the cumulative damage had him on his knees and then on the ground.

Sir Verney and Annie cut at their opponents but couldn’t make the killing blow.

The Vagabond levelled his pistol and fired. Unsurprisingly, he missed but did have the satisfaction of seeing his target stop in its tracks. Growling dangerously the wolf halted, which was a relief because The Vagabond had fired all his pistol’s, he drew his knife and waited for the onslaught.

This was not long in coming, the wolves that had taken injuries retired but their places were quickly taken by the rest of the pack. Red Molly was able to fire her 2 loaded pistols, one miss but one hit, things are improving.

At the back of the convoy Titus Fleming has finally managed to tie the pack horses bridle to the wagon, this will enable him to join the fight, which I suppose might be the reason it took so long in the first place.

The hand to fang fight continues.

Brigstock Jenkins, The Vagabond is down but Titus has now joined the line of desperate fighters. Even young Tom had picked up Hellfire Demfore’s sword and swinging it wildly steps into the fight. Annie Duck is on her last legs having taken another wound from the fangs of a wolf.

It was a desperate fight, Tom and Snapcase each killed a wolf, but Snapcase was badly bitten in this exchange. Titus also kills one before turning to aid Annie Duck, together they drive off the wolf that’s been getting the better of her.

The remaining wolves retire from the fight, leaving just one of their number still savaging Sir Verney.

But with young Tom’s help, Sir Verney finally sends it packing and it slinks away to join the rest of it's kin.

The pack howl in frustration, as Snapcase and his men howl back…..insults not just howls, that would be too much even for them. Annie and Red Molly sensibly start to reload their pistols.

Then the wolves fail their Guts test and retire, looking for easier prey.

Well that didn't go as easily as I thought it might, so much for random encounters.

Left to right, Sam Gerard, Hellfire Demfore and Brigstock Jenkins ‘The Vagabond’ are too badly hurt to continue and have to remain behind to recuperate, or possibly die.

Sir Verney Snapcase as an act of benevolence leaves young Tom to look after them.

Having seen how the track becomes a narrow path he has to make the heart rending decision to leave the Black Pony Ale wagon behind.

Consoling himself with the thought that the Barrow is only 2 or 3 miles further on and the wounded men can’t drink that fast, and so there should be some ale left when he returns, Sir Verney leads the remnants of his party onto the wastes of Snoring Moor.

Red Molly, Titus Fleming and Annie Duck follow him, wondering what else the road ahead holds in store and how many of them will return to see Little Snoring again.

Next in what should be a three part adventure will be "Snapcase on Snoring Moor". The boards are small, two foot squareish and I'm using a deck of cards - Jack, Queen, King and Ace are encounters and the party moves 6" per turn unless engaged in an encounter. So if nothing is encountered in 4 turns the game is a non event but in this case because they were delayed by the Barguest the wolves also arrived, fortunately not at the same time.

I’m using a very simple tracker for health, although when I tried to explain it here, I realized it was a bit more complicated than I thought. Characters have a level of health or constitution and in a fight this is reduced by damage until they are out of the fight. Then after the game they can get better, stay the same or get worse and die on the roll of a die. A bit like life itself.

Cheers