Takshendal Chapter 1

Post game write up.

The game had four players, Oleg (who took all the pictures), Tracey (the only woman in the picture), Peter (grey T shit) and Rasmus (Black T shirt) and I (Red tartan shirt) was DM. The objective of the game was simple. The pirates had to ‘cut out’ the galley Vengeance, and the marines, militia and city folk had to stop them

The game began with the pirate flotilla in their starting positions and the marines on their galley Vengeance watching them approach. Various city folk had gathered to watch and some brave few had picked up weapons and were watching from the buildings along the harbour side.
The pirates began firing arrows almost at once and the city folk were as often as not cut down before they even got to fight. Alesandrox Wormpole (Oleg), a great merchant prince of the city had arrived along with six of his retainers and these were hiding in the chandlery on their horses. As the pirates approached Alesandrox and three of his men charged out and raced for the galley, making a daring attempt at the jetty, which ultimately cost one poor horse its life as it fell into the river. Alesandrox and his men made it to the galley, but the veritable storm of arrows coming from the pirates cut the retainers down before they could even fire back. Armoured and noble in his finery, Alesandrox survived however. He joined Captain Kettlefox (Rasmus) of the marines on the afterdeck of the Vengeance and watched as the pirates drew ever closer.

The river had a fairly strong current so Captain Murder (Tracey), who spent much of the battle skulking down a stairwell, brought his flagship, Esmeralda along side Vengeance as gently as possible. Captain Melodius (Peter) brought his smaller ship Belly Dancer towards the stern where the anchor was keeping the galley in place. The galley was moored up against a strong jetty and held mostly by an anchor from its stern. A further six mooring lines to the shore had to be cut before the Vengeance was freed. The two smaller pirate boats assisted with Captain Hendrix (Tracey) heading for the bow and Captain Jaki (Peter) heading for the stern.


The pirate’s tactic was simple and straight forward. They were attempting to envelope the Vengeance and cut her free whilst pouring arrows into her Marines (who, caught by surprise, had no missiles weapons at hand with which to shoot back). It quickly became apparent however that the marines were very tough. Heavily armoured and having the protection of their warship, they proved invulnerable to the pirates arrows and whilst they had no way of returning fire, they did have some City Militia Guards on the city walls with arbalests (heavy crossbows) who could provide some cover once the Esmeralda came into effective range. By round ten, the fighting had become intense with all the buildings issuing smoke as the pirates fired incendiaries at them, most of the city folk either dead or cowering in terror and the marines, with Alesandrox Wormpole all but surrounded. A small detachment of guards from the City Militia had also arrived and were heading for the battle.


The crew of the Esmeralda were very careful as they brought themselves alongside the galley, but the sheer weight of their ship and the strong current meant that they found themselves being pushed back against the Vengeance and scraping back along her side. Neither ship was seriously damaged but the galley suffered some cosmetic injuries. The pirates quickly threw grappling hooks and some nimble souls jumped onto the Vengeance amid deck. Some of the Marines had concealed themselves below deck but these were not fast enough to prevent one pirate from severing two of the mooring lines. The marines fought well, but they were being swamped. More pirates were sneaking aboard fore and aft and trying to cut the remaining mooring lines. Arrows and quarrels were flying about all over the place, and by round 16 the Esmeralda was grappled to the Vengeance, Alesandrox had rushed to cut the grappling ropes but even as he did, a pirate, clinging to the rear of the Galley cut the aft mooring ropes as Captain Hendrix and his boat crew cut at the forward mooring ropes. The pirates threw more grappling hooks from the Esmeralda and Captain Melodius cut the anchor line. The Vengeance lurched free and began to move downstream, still attached by various lines to the Esmeralda and still fully manned by her compliment of marines, Alesandrox Wormpole and two city militia who had just managed to climb aboard as the anchor line was severed.

A young man on a horse, one of the armed city folk, attempted to bring a rope to secure the galley but he was too late. He was left on the jetty watching as the two vessels slid downstream, Captain Murder shouting orders from the afterdeck of the Esmeralda and the pirates attempting to board the galley from all directions. The game ended with victory for the pirates, though post game dice rolling determined the galley eventually beached itself on a sand bar and the pirates then torched it. Captain Murder and his forces of evil were eventually sent into retreat and Takshendal never saw their like again.

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It was a great game, even despite the time constraint of playing on a week day. Both sides had their strengths and weknesses but largely managed to over come, or play around them. The towns folk were outclassed but such is life for civilians alas. The pirates won by virtue of a straight forward plan (and a few lucky die rolls at just the right moment).

Through out the game, a large gullit made a special 'guest appearance', lurking below the galley and eating the horse which fell into the river. It looks like the word gullit, like so many other internal jokes, may be here to stay with us for a while.