Dark Days of Qaarra, Session 8: Torchlight Raids

The club got together again this week for our regular game night. We set up a couple games of Song of Blades & Heroes, and although we weren't running our experienced campaign warbands, it still pleased me to set these games in Qaarra, our campaign world from last summer. So this is session 8, albeit less official than most of our campaign games since we skipped the post-game steps like determining casualties, calculating income and the like. Still, we're building the mythology of Qaarra and that is a good thing.

We set up two side-by-side tables: a windswept wasteland of shattered rocks and stunted trees, part of the Sunderstone Badlands, and the eerie, abandoned village of Windspiel, high on the northwestern coast of Qaarra.

In the Sunderstone Badlands, Terrence's orcs were tasked with retrieving the bodies of two fallen comrades before Tim's nightmarish monstrosities could consume them in a tidal wave of fire, blood and space jelly. Here are Terrence's orcs advancing inexorably across the badlands.

Tim's monsters were freshly painted figures from the Descent board game, and it was really cool to see them on the table. So often these cool sculpts stagnate in board game boxes without ever feeling the soft caress of a paintbrush.

Since their first game ended pretty quickly, Tim and Terrence set up another game, where his orcs were tasked with escorting their rescued buddies across the badlands in a borrowed cart. Alas, they ran smack into Tim's monstrosities and were reduced to a fine red mist.

Across the table, my evil warband (led by Gracklemar the gnoll and featuring more gnolls, ratmen and a nasty troll) encountered Mattias's rowdy band of knaves from the Wyrdwold crowded around a smoky campfire. Here they are, apparently drunk on mead and riding horses around the camp.

Those barrels contained gems and loot from a recent raid, and that was exactly what Gracklemar and his minions were seeking. It was night, so the raid began with stealthy maneuvering. Here the ratman close in on the sentries while the rest of Mattias's guys sit around the fire, oblivious to the coming chaos.

When the alarm went up, the Wyrdwold marauders leapt into action, rallying around their banner to beat back Gracklemar's invaders.

Yep, that standard bearer proved to be a key part of Mattias's victory. Not just another pretty face! In the end, I was able to recover a couple barrels of loot, not nearly enough to win the scenario. My guys looked pretty cool, even in defeat! You be the judge. Here my ratman sneak lurks in a ruined cottage.

And here's a glowering look from my troll as he retreated with the remains of my warband. Don't worry, they'll all live to fight another day.

After that, we switched chairs, shuffled up the terrain and started another game. I was paired with Tim, so we set up a scenario where my ratmen were defending an entrance to their sewer hideout, represented by this low tower. It was surrounded by copses of parched trees.

Terrence and Mattias set up another variation on their "rescue the wounded orcs" scenario, with Mattias's Wyrdwolders trying to haul off the unconscious orcs before their comrades could rescue them. Here's the initial clash.

This scenario ended (as many do in Song of Blades & Heroes) with a gruesome kill by one of Terrence's orc champions. Luckily my camera was there to capture the moment it happened.

Looks like the Lord of Lichens will have to find himself a new horse before the next game!

And here's how my game with Tim finally shook out. This photo, showing my troll beset by fire elementals and star vampires, should give you some idea of my fate.

Yep, pretty grim! My troll scored a lucky hit and prompted Tim's entire warband to rout and run off the table, though. I literally snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

All in all it was another fun, flavorful evening of gaming with our favorite skirmish ruleset. The village of Windspiel was soaked through with blood from the recent conflicts, and the Sunderstone Badlands will no doubt be haunted by the ghosts of those who died in its dusty reaches. Just another day in the chaos-wracked lands of Qaarra.

-- Patrick, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member