Five Leagues from the Borderlands: The Vale of Klocke

[ced1106]

 

A Wholly Unnecessary Travel into Parts Semi-Known

 

A little-known land, nonetheless named after the famed third generation artist and sculptor, the Vale of Klocke lies south of Dreadmere, though the maps may tell otherwise. Legend is that his inspiration for his famed sea nymph was indeed real. Each settlement during current times has at least one statue of her in one way or another, and their sand and water clocks often show her depiction. The Monastery of the Hamlet of Mallowbush rings a bell to track the day, and so the timepieces followed.

 

(So I'll be using white text as a spoiler to the lore references. 🙂 The Reaper Sea Nymph figure, originally from the previous generation of Reaper Learn to Paint Kits, used as a time tracker in the game, was sculpted by Werner Klocke. Third generation and Dreadmere refer to to some of the figures -- particularly those I painted for the warbands -- from Bones III and the Dreadmere expansion. Of course, I didn't know there was a Reaper Dreadmere map until after I made mine. 😛 For more about the map, see this thread: https://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/102912-02741-a-wholly-unnecessary-five-leagues-from-the-borderlands-3d-map-thing-that-uses-sprues-and-that-scantily-clad-sea-nymph-from-that-very-old-reaper-learn-to-paint-kit/ )

 

 

 

Prologue: In which several ruffians attack buildings of no particular value in no particular order

 

Rampaging bands of ne'er do wells set upon our heroic bands of ne'er do wells, in the Hamlet of Roseford. Could it be the threat from the east? Word from the Roseford Manor has been set out to the slightly more civilized north to the unfortunate relatives of those fallen in the scuffle, if only to gather more relatives as fodder for any future scuffles.

 

(Introductory skirmish from the 5L rulebook! Miniatures by Reaper and RBJ Hobbies. Terrain by Archon and Battle Systems "Village Set". Terra Tiles by Ravenkeep. A little hard to see the mini's since everyone wears brown around here... 😛 )

 

 

To be continued...

 

[ced1106]

Prologue : Part Next : Another settlement attacked!

 

News from the Hamlet of Roseford is that one of our brave men went down, and another wounded. But the vermin were vanquished! Another report of fiends attacking a nearby farm was found to the north of Newhill! Stalwart heroes defended the farm, with the erstwhile baker now crossbow-woman, quoted as saying, "That stupid elf ran out of ammo on the second shot!" An arrow-wielding enemy took to the barn and tried firing from the second-story entrance, but was hit twice, once on the stairs and once from the barn door. "We would have just burned down the barn," said the woman, zealously. "Noooo, not my barn", said a villager from the cottage. (Another try at the introductory scenario, against one of the warbands. The crossbow "conversion" was a crossbow from the Bones III weapon sprue stuck to a Reaper angry villager's torch with putty! Buildings are from the Battle System's "Village Set". Note the Pathfinder 2e orc 'hero' bravely hiding behind a barn stilt for cover.)

 

Edited May 4 by ced1106

[Froggy the Great]

I love this, you've got an immediacy in your game boards that is lacking in many. 

 

5LftBL is one of my top few favorite games.  

You should share these on the Nordic Weasel Discord too.

[ced1106]

Prologue : Part Yet Again: More Heroes Arrive?

 

"Tell me. Why are we here?"

"You mean in an existential sense, what is our purpose in life? Our meaning? Our destiny we must hold with our very own hands?"

"No. Why are we on a raft saving this village? And I have wings and you have paws!"

"Well, it's much better than running away from that other village."

"Yes, the village I lived in and was run out of."

"Who knew that armor we found on those two dead bodies happened to belong to another townsfolk?"

"Apparently, I didn't!"

"Well, I guess it was fortunate, then, that we met the magic user and her apprentice in the Far North East."

"The ones who actually have a boat?"

"Look! The female is summoning a creature! It sure looks tough!"

"Then why is it hiding behind the town well?"

"Maybe she doesn't quite have it under control."

"You mean like their attempt to steer that boat?"

"Hmm. Maybe we should get off this raft, after all."

 

 

 

*pwing* 

"Drat! Missed!"

"That's the third time! Can't you see them better when you're standing up there?"

"Well, at least I wounded one."

"Yes, the one farthest away from the one who's trying to kill me!"

"At least you have the beast fighting alongside of you. And you have that shield."

"He's wounded and there's four of them here. And the one you wounded is furthest away from me!"

*sudden elf attack and enemy casualty thanks to Foresight taking the initiative and Aura of Winter denying enemy ally assistance*

"Huzzah! We have won! The enemies flee from our might. Drat! Missed!"

"I better stay on her side," mumbled the Preen. "Can we trade a fox for a frog?"

 

 

Edited May 9 by ced1106

[ced1106]

Time: The First (and Second and Third)

 

Miserable Weather besets the Heroes of Tyranny Wound. The skilled Duskling, Summerscar, embarrassedly fails in his attempt to Travel, resulting in our Heroes Camping and Travel again. Nonetheless, the Guide Sternvalor he sees a Choice Animal and suggests a Hunting Expedition! Sadly, the rain has washed away the tracks. Despite (or because of) the rain, Raventrack is a fast learner from Summerscar, and even Sees something in the distance! 'Tis a Unexplored Location! To the north! It will have to be explored later, as it's then south to Town of Newhill to earn a bit of gold. At Newhill, Raventrack hears rumors of a Quest! 'Tis to the mesas of the west. And it seems that Newhill has a Weapons Shortage! The party volunteers to Help the Town Guard for accommodations, then a bit of Scholarly study to gain a new skill. Raventrack, as the former Sheriff of Dreadmere, again proves he is a quick learner, picks up Scouting from his time with the Town Guard. In town, Summerscar purchases a Shield. Through his new Connections, the Town Guards, the Sheriff, their fellow lawman, receives a Quest! The Quest is to Locate an Artifact! To the south is the Site where the Artifact may be found. "So much for that other rumor," snorts Raventrack. South to the Village of Wheatkeep! Absolutely nothing happens on their way to the Village. And they still have no gold to buy anything they want.

 

With bad weather, Sentry of the Fortunate are Completely Lost as well, resulting in a mysterious Traveler Encounter. A Messenger arrives! A rather Unfriendly one. Our Heroes welcome him to the Camp. But the messenger steals Three Marks from the party! Then Feral Voidblood's bow breaks. "You missed most of the time, anyway," says Preen. Dustfallow the Halfling Forages for Herbs, but finds nothing. But when he goes on a Hunting Expedition, he captures and skins some animals for three gold! The party continues their Camp, and must Travel next time. "Say, mind if I sell those pelts in town?" asks the Preen. The halfling (who likes maps), meanwhile, deduces to the east must be another Unexplored Location. But, it, too, must be explored later, as it's now time to go southwest to the Hamlet of Roseford, to replace a certain Feral's bow. Absolutely nothing happens on their way to the hamlet. "We cannot live off the land, nor is there a town watch to aid!" grumbles the Preen as Dustfallow sells of two gold's worth of pelts for the party's Upkeep. Preen equally grumbles doing Hard Work, though his Craft allows him to gain an extra gold. Meanwhile, the Mystic Fey, Braern Elna, secludes herself to Train her skills, while the boys buy some Camping Gear, though Voidblood is still lacking a bow. "We're going camping," says the Preen, ignoring a Wandering Healer in town, er, hamlet. The party stays local to the settlement. And they, too, still have no gold to buy anything they want.

 

 

Prologue: Sentry of the Fortunate arrive in a village to defend it against scurrilous knaves!

Weather was much better that day, too.

 

Next: Just Passing Through / A Hunting Expedition

Edited May 11 by ced1106

[ced1106]

Time: The Fourth (and Fifth)

 

Perhaps the word of Tyranny Wound's Quest has preceded them! "It's good to be the (former) sheriff", says Raventrack about the Supportive locals in Wheatkeep. Again, the party Helps the Town Guard. Raventrack Studies and learns from the local guard some Expertise. The Fey Kymil Farvalue trains with the guard and gains a little experience. But now, it's time to Travel south to the Site to fulfill the Quest for the Artifact! And then they are complete lost. They are approached by a battered Knight who makes a Request for Aid! "You must Eliminate the Enemy", the knight says, breathlessly. "A chance to use my Shield," grins the Darkling Summerscar. (Meeting Engagement, Roadside Enemies. Hold the Field: +1 AP and Friend. Camp.)

 

Meanwhile, the Sentry of the Fortunate camps. And their misfortune continues! Honortrack the Apprentice Injures himself while Foraging! The party is still able to Live off the Land, and the Halfling Dustfallow leads the Hunting Expedition (without the Apprentice Honortrack) and finds... suspicious tracks that suggest enemy activity! "Pah!" exclaims Feathersurge, the Preen. "We still need to get another bow!" The next week, Dustfallow gathers the Lay of the Land, more Living off the Land follows, and another Hunting Expedition. Two animal pelts! "Well, that's worth half a bow," mutters the Preen...

 

 

The map, as the world becomes larger...

(Maps indicate Unexplored Locations. Black tile is a Quest location.)

 

Next: Dust Dogs and Living off the Land

Edited May 11 by ced1106

[ced1106]

Time: The Sixth 

 

The doggish curs repelled, Tyranny Wound hears further news from the North -- a caravan arriving in Town, and a Hamlet under attack by an Aberration! "Where were you when we were fighting off the dogs?" growls. "We had to rely on the knight who entreated us for help. I shot those mangy creatures twice with my crossbow before they fled! The knight says that they are under control of a hideous werewolf to the north!" "To the south, then," replies Ravenkeep, studiously studying his map. "We must find the artifact!" "Less dangerous than fighting a werewolf," mutters Cragstream, displacing her temper towards the elf. "And you better hit something this time!" she says, waving her baker's pin.

 

[ced1106]

A New (More or Less) Beginning

 

We were asked by the locals to patrol the settlement, and, after proper negotiations, entered a wooded area to check the ruins for mischief and activity, when we were attacked by hungry wolves. We did not succeed in placing our men on the ruins in time, but held our ground, felling the beasts, with an unknown number running off as their more aggressive brethren were shot and slaughtered! The Mystic herself dealt as many a blow as her protective armored escort, so did not have the opportunity to cast a spell rearming one of the halfling's quiver! Regretfully, the followers didn't even make the first ruins, as the terrain was less than helpful...

 

Restart! Turns out Elves are better at melee than other races, as they negate their enemy's ally combat bonus, and can reroll initiative. And Halflings are not only better at hitting enemies with Cover, but have a Wilderness proficiency bonus which means your party can perform Hunting Expeditions and make a fair amount of Gold through pelts and reduce upkeep by finding food for Rations. And Mystics can wear armor and use weapons (though have a slower progression with combat abilities?). Crossbows and Bastard Swords have bonuses to defeat Armor and Toughness (though Toughness is more important earlier in the game). You don't have enough Gold to buy enough for your party, so it's pelt-hunting for several turns, and a whole bunch of interesting random encounters! You can start with Full Armor, which is a Rare item, so is difficult to find, or some armor for each party member. So we fully armored one of the Elves and went pelt-hunting to buy more armor as well! The Mystic chose Summon and Darts, which negates the dreadful Out of Ammo result, which happens on a 1 when you roll a d6 for a ranged attack. Summon can only be used if you have less than six members in your party, but the summoned creature is stronger than your starting Follower and you don't have to find pelts to equip it! We still started with two Followers (as meat shields) and acquired another Follower during our travels. Or at least in Town.

 

Miniatures by Reaper and CMON. 

Battle mat by Loke Battle Mats. Loke will have a mega-map KS later this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ced1106]

A Routine Patrol?

 

We landed upon the shores of the old church on the outskirts of town, only to see a horrid sight. The priest and nuns were evidently escaping, only to have fallen before they could flee. The bandits were as much brave as foolhardy, reducing our numbers by two, and a lucky shot nearly felling the Mystic. Our meek forester guide is no longer with us, and the youngster feral recovers from his injuries. We did find a hefty sword and a bow in the muck. The Mystic arms herself with these weapons as trophies from her near-fatal hit. What bothers me are the accursed altars and curious pillars the bandits emerged from. The church was built too close to an accursed place...

 

2D battlemats by Loke Battle Mats, "Box of Adventure: Coast of Dread". Good boxed set of loose maps you can use to make approximately 3x3 setups.

3D terrain by Archon, "Encounters: Swamps of Doom".

Miniatures by Reaper, Bones miniatures.

Fallen miniatures by Tiny Furniture.

Loke Battle Mats will have their Mega-Maps KS later this year, as will Tiny Furniture with their "Harvest of War 2: Creatures" casual markers KS!

 

 

[ced1106]

We Were Too Late

 

Another grim day on patrol. Those townsfolk are sure getting their gold mark's worth. No mere encounter with a wandering traveler at all. Our objective was to investigate a river on our untrustworthy boat, and we saw smoke in the distance. A campsite of fellow adventurers, perhaps? But we spied as well some horrible carnivorous fiends, and not an uncorrupted man in sight. We got our crossbows ready, as our meager transport bumped aimlessly along the shores of the river...

 

Meeting Encounter with some Fiends. 

Map by Loke Battle Mats, Wilderness Map book. VTT mega-map KS coming.

Campsite terrain by Archon, Elven Woods.

Fiends are Mantic ghouls. Pain to assemble and scrape off mold lines.

Corpses are "Tiny Furniture's Harvest of War" miniatures. Sequel campaign coming!

 

[ced1106]

Calm Before the Swarm

 

The noble, Edwin Hamiltone, had entice us with gold to perform another Ride Patrol, and, like fools, we sailed again on the most unsturdy boat. Our task, this time, was to Investigate the Area, to find a precious bauble that had been lost there. It was trivial enough to let the boat drift towards our destination, where we did indeed find the item, thanks to the Summoned beast that our lady had created, floundering in the water. But what was not so trivial were the Roving fiends that found us. We had hoped the boat, which was mildly controllable, would drift us by their idle threats, but it wavered towards the wrong bank, where they were waiting for us! Sorry crossbows ran out of ammo, and two of the cannibalistic creatures even boarded our boat, one fell back over into the water, the other slain by myself. Our companion, Myria, fell over the side, but, thankfully, recovered well without injuries after the fight. The noble would be quite happy to pay us for his toy, but we would have another task ahead...

 

5L doesn't have actual rules for boats, so I made some up with the proficiency rules. Basically, the boat can safely move 4" during the Slow Actions Phase, and you make a Proficiency Check, either Pathwise or Expertise. If you succeed, you can do something useful with the boat, such as move forward an additional distance, choose the direction in a fork, or land on the bank. Unfortunately, just after this picture, the roll failed, and the ship moved next to the rocks where the fiends were waiting!

 

Heroes by Reaper Miniatures, Bones line.

Fiends by Mantic, undead ghouls.

Terrain by Archon, Elven Wood set.

Map by Loke Battlemats, Wilderness Books. Loke KS for their MegaMaps coming soon!

 

[ced1106]

End of a Contract

 

A third ride. A third battle. The lord is indeed working us hard for his gold. The adventurers last sent to investigate these ruins and fend off the bandits have not returned. Rumors we have gathered persist that the dead are slowly taking over. Bandits alongside undead suggests more than mere bandits. And rumors also hold of enemy plans or other evidence that will aid us (or at least a more heroic "us") to take down the threats of this valley.

 

Map by Loke Battle Mats, Wilderness Map book and Big Book of Battle Mats. VTT mega-map KS coming.

Ruins terrain by Archon, Lands of Giants. Bridge from the Mines half-wall set, and Fantasy Dungeon terrain. Cathedral from Cursed Cathedral and Stretch Goals II sets.

"Squealers" miniatures by RBJ Games

Corpses are "Tiny Furniture's Harvest of War" miniatures. Sequel campaign coming!

Stone walls by Acheson Creations. May be OOP.

Red-grey ruins by Secret Weapon Miniatures. OOP.

Heroes and Skeletons by Reaper, Bones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ced1106]

The Cursed Cathedral Again

 

"Get up you bag of bones!"

 

The Cathedral called once again, to animate the bones of myself and my fallen comrades. We had assaulted the Cathedral, only to find the bony fate that would beheld us once we fell as well. Tired, desiring even a slumberless rest, not all of us knitted back our bones to obey the needs of the Cathedral. Its prey of flesh was across the river, and we trudged forward, dimly aware of their living, but not of the bolts and arrows that pelted our bodies. The Cathedral even summoned a boatload of undead, led by a Grim Knight, though I saw it fallen first with a well-placed bolt to the head. As we made our way across the river, I saw the boat, the lifeless undead returning to mere lifelessness. As arrows pierced my body, I returned to nothingness as well, free of the Cursed Cathedral.

 

Map by Loke Battle Mats, Wilderness Map book and Big Book of Battle Mats. VTT mega-map KS right now on KS!

Ruins terrain by Archon. Cathedral from Cursed Cathedral set.

Corpses are "Tiny Furniture's Harvest of War" miniatures. Sequel campaign coming!

Miniatures by Mantic Games.

Debris pile made with cork and sprues! 😄

[ced1106]

Avenged! (Sort of)

 

*thunk*

 

Scute never did like that his almost-twin brother, Cod, ran off with that "From the Woods" warband, much less that his brother was the only one to die on their watch. Scute's only reminder of his brother was his brother's scarecrows, three rather unwholesome looking things that stood over his unimpressive plot of land. Cod was buried under one of the trees on the farm, next to his scarecrows that he was unwholesomely fond of. And the "From the Woods" warband had the temerity to return, requesting lodging as part of their Ride Patrol. Freeloaders. But, that morning, Scute would feel a little grateful of the warband's presence as they refreshed themselves near the village well, and send arrows and bolts into the attacking robbers, the last of whom fled away, leaving two arrows in his felled fellow townsfolk, and one more in the still-standing scarecrows.

 

Map by Loke Battle Mats, Wilderness Map book. VTT mega-map KS right now on KS!

Trees and rock by Archon. Elven Woods set.

Village terrain by Battle Systems. Village set.

Scarecrows are "Tiny Furniture's Harvest of War" miniatures. Sequel campaign coming!

Miniatures by Reaper, except for cultists, by Blacklist Games. Fantasy Series I.

 

 

Edited June 30 by ced1106