STALKER7

“When moonless night has cloaked the sky
And black winds whisper passing by,
Cold earth stirs beneath the stone,
The dead arise where death was sown.
Candles burn and bones align,
Wake and walk – the Bonewife’s rhyme.”

The CCWC got together this past Saturday after a long interlude. What with schedule conflicts and massive snowstorm disruption, it had been well over a month.

Even then, we were still short two regulars, so we set the Symbaroum campaign aside in favor of a quick witch hunt. Nothing like a dash of righteous smiting to go with your pizza and seltzer, right?

Our Heroes versus Old Hesta

This scenario’s Nightwatch crew consisted of Matt G’s Mancer, Gage’s Tracker, Matt B’s Blade (Rogue) and newcomer Nephew Wesley’s Blade (Warrior)

Accompanying them was a pair of stout fighters recruited from a nearby village with promises of silver, local renown, and fast -tracked applications to the Nightwatch Guild Academy – if they survived.

Facing them was Old Hesta the Bonewife, lurking with her entourage in the abandoned ruins of Bittervale.

Four Points of Interest and one Objective – a large set of rune-marked, bronze doors, levitating ominously at the far end of the abandoned town. Neighbor Mike and I collected the Dark Spawn minis into one large tray and prepared to run the Forces of Darkness.

The Nightwatch arrived just as Old Hesta was starting her dark ritual to open the aforementioned doors and let whatever was on the other side into our realm.
Our heroes were greeted warmly by a local welcoming committee. In the distance, they could see the Bonewife scuttling through the ruins toward the floating portal.

Brawl in the Town Square
Not to sound disparaging, but the Nightwatch strategy seemed to be ‘grab another slice of pizza and charge straight up the middle.’ Which worked brilliantly until it didn’t.
Not only did the Dark Spawn appear from two of four locations each turn, as usual, Old Hesta cast her ‘Call the Crawling Things‘ spell to summon even more vermin to skitter, gnaw, and swarm the meddling interlopers.
The result was a fantastic scrum of zombies, ghouls, rats, and red widows all competing to take a bite out of our heroes in the open space between the fountain and the old market place.

The two locals put forth a valiant effort but were soon overwhelmed by the tide of evil. (Do we still need to pay them?)

However, some very impressive sword-n-board work from Wesley’s Blade combined with flamboyant pyrotechnics from Matt G’s Mancer kept the bulk of the baddies occupied. And eventually rendered them permanently dead.

Meanwhile, Matt B’s Rogue advanced against constant opposition through the ruins on the east side of the street, intent on interrupting the ritual and stopping Old Hesta. He was expertly supported by Gage’s Tracker with his big bore black powder rifle. “Yes, this IS my boomstick.”

Nearing the Finish Line
Whose finish was still anyone’s guess.
Old Hesta had deftly juggled dual responsibilities: command her minions to delay and destroy the Nightwatch, and advance the dark ritual to get those arcane gates open.

Step five out of six, the situation looked dire; ill-winds moaned in a darkening sky, runes glowed malignantly on the portal… It’s a Do or Die moment.

Matt B’s Rogue caught his breath long enough to quaff down an Invisibility Potion and dash the final stretch toward the witch. (It pays to check those POI.)

The Mancer and the Blade broke free of the mob and rushed to assist. A brave but foolhardy move; The Bonewife’s champion, Halbrecht the Iron Revenant, stomped out of the shadows swinging his massive blacksteel mace, Grief.

While they fought against ever-increasing numbers, the Rogue crept toward the witch. Confident of triumph and completely absorbed in completing the vile ritual, Old Hesta had no idea he was there until one of his daggers sunk into her back.

A shriek. Another dagger strike. A piercing howl of pain and frustration. Matt B’s Rogue inflicted 2 out of 3 wounds on her – serious damage. Not enough to stop her completely though.

Old Hesta turned, a charred gnarlwood wand in her clawed grip, and…

BOOM!
The Tracker’s Black Powder rifle spoke over the ring of clashing steel and cries of battle. Old Hesta’s wand fell from her grasp as she clutched at the gaping wound in her chest. She fell face forward, emitted a long hiss, and died on the filthy cobblestones of a dead town.
The foul powers of re-animation ceased with her death and all the minions – including Halbrecht – collapsed in a heap dry bones and putrid flesh.

The Nightwatch prevails once again. A close call – but a sweeter victory for it.

Pizza gone, seltzer cans empty, it was time for our heroes to ride off into the sunset. Another game session complete.

***
Thanks for stopping by. More Scrapjacks content coming next.
In the meantime, if you’d like to run your own Nightwatch games, you can pick up a copy at Amazon or WargameVault.

Until next time – Good Hunting!