You are 32 years old and the third son of the Podesta (Judge) of Ekthalon. You were destined for the church of Eru but with your Uncle Everard and both your brothers Theodore and Bertrans being knights you wished to become one too. So as a compromise you joined the Order of St. Judas. This militant order was set up to combat heresy and witchcraft within the Kingdom of Foix (Now split into the Kingdom of Thentis and the Grand Duchies of Perigord, Fara and Bara.) You have served mainly in Ekthalon and Jossigny and have been stalwart in deterring these crimes against the Church. Many soldiers returning from the wars have been found to have lax attitudes to these matters. As a relatively senior knight it was no more than your due, when you were sent to start building the new Suscita Preceptory two years ago. This was to be a combined one shared with the nuns of St. Chiara. Work has been slow, as both orders have been hard up. It was on the manor of Surmener owned by the Order of St. Judas near to the nun’s manor of Cuisant. These manors were given to the Stetian witch Maudette by King Reginald but claimed by the church when she was burnt for witchcraft. Unfortunately a new witch pretending to be her, claimed the diocese of Bara and killed in battle that devoted supporter of the church, Basylt Devisage. The pretender Maudette then abolished church law in Bara and proscribed your Order of St. Judas! Then that lax supporter of Eru King Eudes confiscated your two manors and offered them to the pretending witch! In fact they took your destrier as well saying that it belonged to the manor! You and the Chiaran sisters took refuge in Uncle Everard's estate near Fleur Espine. Then came the news from your sister Alice who married the Baratrean knight Sir Terence Lambert. Maudette’s witch servant ‘Two Unicorns Morgana’ had imprisoned Sir Terence’s brother Sir Christopher along with an Abbot and a Vicar of the church of Eru! Alice suggested that your family the Avoirdupois support the Lambert’s and others angry with Maudette’s iniquities. Word has been sent round to likely quarters and has been assisted by the news that Maudette intends to marry a pagan from Oblivia, Doze Handor! Initially, the thought was to mount a revolt in Bara but now a new opportunity to strike has arisen. The witch Maudette with her coven is to come to claim in person the Surmener and Cuisant manors. This will be from the Duke and Duchess of Rathen, acting on behalf of the Regency Council, which is running Thentis during the absence of King Eudes on crusade. The crusade has drawn many devoted knights away but also some of Maudette’s adherents too. The Prioress Livelihood of Cruas is a Lambert and has the support of Frida her Abbess. As a result the Lambert’s supporters assembled at the Abbey in hiding whilst you with Sub Prioress Psalma went to Rues village to win support from the people there. In this you have had a fair success, so many are ready to help fight the witch and her confederates. The village gates were rotten and were taken away years ago but they have carts ready to block the way when necessary.
When the news came that Maudette was on her way, Sir Terence Lambert reconnoitred the forest for where to hide his troops. The plan you concocted is to let the head of Maudette’s column reach into the village before blocking the far gateway and having Sir Terence’s force emerge out to come behind them. However news also came that the Duke and Duchess of Rathen have moved to their estate of Ferneaux which is too close for comfort! You did not want to have to fight them as well! So last night with others from the village you raided Ferneaux and burnt the stables with all their mounts in them. You did not want to shed any Thentian blood unnecessarily. So you had Sister Magdalene who had a scandalous past, until confined in a convent, distract the two stable guards before knocking them out. You then made sure the blaze was going well enough to doom all the horses. Then you returned to Rues to set your forces for the coming engagement. During the night Sir Terence brought up his mounted force to hide in the forest. The villagers not involved were herded into the church, to keep them safe. Sir Terence had scouts out as the expectation was that Maudette’s force would arrive in the late afternoon of this the Tenth of the Tenth Moon. They returned around the fifteenth hour to say she would be at Rue within an hour! All forces hid themselves as planned and awaited her arrival. May Eru defend the right!
Sir Eustache, Sir Esher, Sub Prioress Psalma, Sergeant Relic, Corporal Lene, Vicar Isiah, Curate, trumpeter, 2 nuns, 4 sword familiars, 4 crossbow familiars, 4 medium (Devisage) spearmen, 6 militia spearmen, 5 militia bowmen, Strehn, 7 pitchforkmen, Decream, 3 firepot women, Kruisa, 3 pitchfork women. = 49
Sir Eustache Lea, Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR +3, SR +2, D-7, C-6, W -5, A -2, Ob 0.7, Me +3 –2 = +1 p.axe st +4
Missile shield parry 7+ St 4 Speaks Simnith, Edin, Reads Tengthin
Sir Esher Off, Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR +3, SR +2, D-6, C-5, W -4, A -2, Ob 0.7, Me +3 –2 = +1 p.axe st +4
Speaks Simnith, Edin, Reads Tengthin
S.P. Psalma Off Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR +1, SR 3, D-4, C-3, W -2, A -1, Ob 0.8, Me -3 -2 = -5 st -3
Sgt Relic Ind, Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR +1, SR + 0, D-5, C-4, W -3, A +1, Ob 1.3, Me +2 -0 = +2 st 0
Shield parry 7+ St 4 Speaks Simnith, Edin
Vicar Isiah Off Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR +0, SR +1 D-4, C-3, W -2, A +1, Ob 1.1, Me -1 – 2 = -3 stun st –1
stun 4, Staff. Speaks Simnith, Edin Reads Tengthin
Curate Ind Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR +0, SR +1 D-4, C-3, W -2, A +1, Ob 1.1, Me -1 – 2 = -3 stun st –2 stun 4
Carries Cross counting as a Standard. Speaks Simnith, Edin Reads Tengthin
Cpl Lene Ind, Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR +1, SR + 0, D-5, C-4, W -3, A +1, Ob 1.3, Me +1 -2 = -1
+2 1st rd bill st+3, Speaks Edin
Strehn Ind Mo 6", Fa 7/14, TR +2, SR +1 D-4, C-3, W -2, A +2, Ob 1.4, Me +1 –1 = 0 sp club st –3
Speaks Edin
Decream Ind Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR 0, SR -1, D-4, C-3, W -2, A 0, Ob 0.9, Me –1 – 1= -2 dagger st 0
2 Firepots 3” 6+ st –7 but 3+ to burst Fire strike +5 Speaks Edin
Kruisa Ind Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR 0, SR -1, D-4, C-3, W -2, A 0, Ob 0.9, Me –1 – 1= -2 Cleaver st +1
Trumpeter Fol Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR 0, SR + 0, D-4, C-3, W -2, A +1, Ob 1.2, Me -1-1 = -2 dagger st 0
Trumpet signal 48” rally music 60” Speaks Simnith, Edin
Nun Ind Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR -1, SR 1, D-4, C-3, W -2, A -1, Ob 0.8, Me -3 -2 = -5 st -3
Varlet Fol Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR +0, SR +0 D-4, C-3, W -2, A +1, Ob 1.3, Me -1-1 = -2 dagger st 0
Carries First Aid satchel & tinderbox
Sword Familiar Fol, Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR +1, SR + 0, D-5, C-4, W -3, A +1, Ob 1.3, Me 0 -0 = 0 st 0
Shield parry 7+ St 4 Speaks Edin
Crossbow Familiar Fol Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR 0, SR + 0, D-5, C-4, W -3, A +1, Ob 1.3, Me -1 –1 = -2 st 0
Latch Crossbow 5" 6+, 10" 7+, 15" 8+, 20" 9, St -4 +1 to hit if rested. 12 quarrels Fires alternate moves Speaks Edin
D. Spearman Fol Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR +1, SR + 0, D-5, C-4, W -3, A 0, Ob 1.3, Me +1 –1 = 0 +2 1st round
spear st 0, Shield Parry 7+ St 4 Speaks Edin, Simnith
Militia spearman Fol Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR 0, SR + 0, D-5, C-4, W -3, A 0, Ob 1.4, Me 0 –1 = -1 +2 1st round
spear st 0, Speaks Edin
Militia Bowman Fol Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR 0, SR + 0, D-5, C-4, W -3, A +1, Ob 1.3, Me –1 –1 = dagger st 0
Selfbow 5" 5+, 10” 6+, 15” 7+, 20” 8+ St -4 quiver of 12 arrows Speaks Edin
Pitchfork man Fol Mo 6", Fa 6/12, TR 0, SR 0, D-4, C-3, W -2, A 0, Ob 1.4, Me 0 - 1 = -1 +2 1st rd st 0
Pitchfork woman Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR -2, SR -1, D-4, C-3, W -2, A 0, Ob 0.9, Me –2 – 1= -3 +2 1st rd st 0
Firepot woman Fol, Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR -2, SR -1, D-4, C-3, W -2, A 0, Ob 0.9, Me –2 – 1= -3 knife st –1
2 Firepots 3” 6+ st –7 but 3+ to burst Fire strike +5 Speaks Edin
Reeve, 5 peasant men, 14 peasant women, 5 unfit women, 4 mother & child, 2 boys 2 girls = 33
Reeve Ind, Mo 6", Fa 7/14, TR +0, SR +0 D-4, C-3, W -2, A +2, Ob 1.4, Me 0 –1 = -1 dagger st 0
Peasant Man Fol Mo 6", Fa 7/14, TR +0, SR +0 D-4, C-3, W -2, A +2, Ob 1.4, Me 0 + W Fs
Peasant women Ind Mo 5", Fa 5/10, TR -1, SR 0, D-4, C-3, W -2, A 0, Ob 0.9, Me -2 + W Fs
Unfit woman Fol Mo 4", Fa 4/8, TR 0, SR 1, D-4, C-3, W -2, A -2, Ob 0.8, Me -4 + W Fs
Mother & Child Fol Mo 4", Fa 4/8, TR -2, SR + 0, D-4, C-3, W -2, A -1, Ob 0.7, Me -3 -1 = -4 st –1
Boy Fol Mo 5", Fa 4/8, TR -1, SR +0 D-4, C-3, W -2, A +2, Ob 1.1, Me -3 + W Fs
Girl Fol Mo 4", Fa 3/6, TR -3, SR 0, D-4, C-3, W -2, A +1, Ob 0.7, Me -4 + W Fs
1. Sergeant Relic, 4 Devisage spearmen, 4 Familiars Nortth of East entrance
2. 5 militia bowmen South of East entrance
3. Corporal Lene , 6 militia spearmen further South of East entrance
4. Vicarage 1st floor, 4 Familiar crossbowmen
5. Top of church tower Sir Eustache 2 nuns, trumpeter 20 handstones 4” 7+ st -3
6. In square Vicar, Curate with cross, Strehn, Varlet with first aid satchel, 7 pitchforkmen
7. Sub Prioress Psalma, Kruisa & 3 pitchfork women & cart by West entrance
8. Church with 33 non-combatants in it. Can serve as the cowards refuge for fleeing troops.
9. Sir Alard Inn. 1st floor 10 handstones 2nd Floor 2 handstones, 3” 6+ st –4
10. Shop locked & empty
11. Stable empty
12. Lining Southeast corner Decream & 3 firepot women 3” 6+ st –7 but 3+ to burst Fire strike +5
The Action in pictures and words