Oliver D. Bernuetz's Regions - The Border Marches - The Hunt for Red Kare

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The Decision

The Amberi have finally neared Balmyri land where they are met by their scouts.  The scouts greet the Amberi and tell that they have found the hideout of the notorious Gagarthi bandit Red Kare.  It's up to the Amberi whether or not they decide to attack this vile bandit but of course this would be a very friendly thing to do for the Balmyri since Gagarthi never stay in one place for long.  

The Clan Chieftain, Blunt Ash-bjorn's is torn.  He likes smashing scum like this but at this time he feels that they really  don't need to go looking for trouble at this time.  He does ask the assembled full ring for their feedback though.  The farmer faction for the most part while hating and despising bandits like Red Kare's riders doesn't really want to risk any more of the fyrd on such an action.  Iskalli Endalson, the new war leader also does not think this is a good idea and will speak against it.  Branbig Slayer, the clan champion is always willing to kill people and Gagrthi make good alternatives to slaughtering Chaos so he's all for it.  Angorri Farnanson, devotee of Issaries speaks up for attacking them as these sorts of bandits are bad for trade and inter-clan relations.  Rasmus Borngoldson, devotee of Odayla has had dealings with Gagarthi in the past and is prepared to vote either way.  This is how the inner ring is prepared to vote :

Both Blunt and Rasmus are prepared to be swayed by popular opinion.  Prominent outer ring members and their votes are :

This places the general vote at :

It's up to the players to persuade Rasmus and Blunt that this is what the Amberi should do.

Persuading Blunt and Rasmus (5W): Heortling Customs, Mythology of Orlanth, Mythology of <deity> -5.

There are strong mythic arguments for attacking the Gagarthi (and equally strong arguments for leaving them alone).  Any degree of success will result in swaying Rasmus and Blunt into voting yea and getting Blunt to decide to attack Red Kare in his lair.  Blunt will agree to send forty volunteer fyrdsmen and at least four weaponsthanes.  Ashart Bolison is chosen to lead the warband.  Jarang Hauberk and Branbrig Slayer both volunteer to go.  Since Branbrig's four weaponstorms go along as well that makes seven weaponsthanes.  Dag Haukson is also asked along since he'd proven so good at calming Branbrig before.  Eight healers will go along to hold the horses and patch the survivors up.

Early the next morning the entire band groups.  It's a rainy day and a light fog covers the ground.  Blunt asks the gods to favour the warband and to watch over them.   They ride off following the two Balmyri scouts.

Red Kare

Red Kare and his followers are followers of Gagarth the Wild Hunter.  They are holed up in an abandoned stead south of the Balmyri lands.  Red Kare has roughly sixty of his vile followers with him at this time.  The Balmyri scouts have located him and his band and can lead a war party to attack him.  He and his followers are not particularily alert and he has a hard time getting his followers to do a decent outer patrol so they shouldn't be too hard to sneak up on.

As the raiding party nears Red Kare's hideout they will need to avoid the outer patrols.  The outer patrols are made up of four average Gargarthi.

Avoiding the tula patrols (17): Hide in Cover, Acute Vision (-5), Acute Hearing (-5)

Any Victory: The heroes avoid patrols on their way to the stead.
Minor Defeat: The heroes and the patrol encounter come upon each other at close range.
Major or Complete Defeat: The heroes are spotted by the patrol at a distance who when they see the size of the attacking force will flee to warn Red Kare.

If they make it past the patrols they get very close to the stead.  Around the stead at irregular intervals are severed heads attached to wooden stakes. 

Surprise the stead (2W): Hide In Cover, Warband Tactics, Ambush
Complete Victory: The heroes are able to sneak close to the stead and are unnoticed as they sneak up. This gives them a two free rounds in their assault and a +4 bonus.
Major Victory: The war party reaches the stead unnoticed.  They get a free round in their assault and a +2 bonus.
Minor Victory: The war party reaches the stead unnoticed.  They get a free round in their assault.
Marginal Defeat or Marginal Victory: The war party reaches the stead unopposed but the raiders are alerted.  No free rounds.
Minor Defeat: The war party is spotted when close to the stead; alerting the raiders who have time to call upon their defensive feats.
Major Defeat: The war party are spotted halfway to the stead; The Gargarthi have the time to get their weapons and to call upon defensive and offensive feats.
Complete Defeat: The war party is spotted when one of them trips over a Gagarthi going to the washroom.  His screaming alerts the rest of his band.  The Gargarthi have the chance to don some armour, prepare weapons and call on feats.

The stead itself is composed of two longhouses placed twelve meters apart.  Over the entrances are nailed more heads of their foes and victims and spread out to cure on the left longhouse is the hide of a woman who made the mistake of spitting in Red Kare's eye.  The two longhouses are the only buildings still standing fairly intact.   There is a third longhouse about 18 meters from the closest, the left hand one but it is falling down and is only used to stable mounts.  This longhouse holds horses and some Praxian mounts, i.e. two bison, a high llama and six sables.  These Praxians joined Red Kare's band for the plunder and the change of scene it offered.  They fight much like their Heortling brethern.

Gagarthi Abilities

Physical Abilities:
Close Combat (Spear Fighting, Sword and Shield Fighting), Maintain Pursuit, Ranged Combat (Thrown Spear), Ride Horse, Acute Hearing, Hide in Cover, Running, .
Mental Abilities:
Boast, Bully, Mythology of Gagarth, Resist Authority, Taunt, Recognize Foe, Stay Awake.
Virtues:
Cruel, Violent.
Affinities:
Wild Hunter (Long-reaching Spear, Never Lose Spoor, Run Down Prey, Spot the Weakest)
Wild Wind (Abrasive Wind, Howl Like the Wind, Stinging Hail, Direct Tornado, Windwalking Steed)

The majority of the Gagarthi have these abilities and affinities at 17.   They are all armed with spears, axes and or swords and wear mixed leather/and or furs and metal armour with shields.

Close Combat ^3
Ranged Combat ^3
Armour ^3

Wild Hunter Abilities

There are nine Praxian followers of the Wild Hunt as well present.   They are all 17 in their abilties as well.

Physical Abilities:
Close Combat (Mounted Combat, Spear Fighting), Endure Sandstorm, Maintain Pursuit, Ride , Spinstorm Dancing.
Mental Abilities:
Boast, Bully, Resist Authority, Spirit Combat, Taunt, Wild Hunter Tradition Knowledge.
Virtues:
Cruel, Violent.
Traditional Spirits:
Hunter Spirits (These spirits are similar to nature spirits, and typically have abilities such as Find Trail, Never Lose Spoor, Spur Steed, Undetectable Ambush)
Whirlwind Spirits (These nature spirits typically have abilities such as Burning Wind, Dust-in-Eyes, Howling Wind, Whirlwind Leap)

Their combat abilities are fairly similar to the Gagarthi but they really prefer fighting mounted so their first instinct is to get on their mounts.  They will use Dust-in-Eyes fetishes to blind their opponents.

Close Combat ^3
Ranged Combat ^3
Armour ^3

Bison

Weapons and Armour : Butt 18^1, Thick Skin ^2

Significant Abilities : Charge at Foe 5W, Large 10W, Run Fast 18, Scent Predator 18, Strong 10W

High Llama

Weapons and Armour : Kick 18^1, Thick Skin ^2

Significant Abilities : Hardy 15, Large 5W, Run Fast 2W, Spit 18, Strong 5W, Surly 12, Tall 12W

Sable Antelope

Weapons and Armour : Butt and Kick 12^1

Significant Abilities : Large 18, Run Fast 15, Scent Predator 1W, Strong 18

Red Kare

Red Kare is a Torkani who managed to escape being killed by his clan after he killed his own brother when he was caught by him while sleeping with his wife.  He has successfully led his raiders in terrorizing all travellers passing north to Dragon Pass, exorting tolls or raiding strong parties and destroying weak parties.  Both the Torkani and the Balmyri have long tried to kill him but no one has found his hideout before now.  He is called Red Kare because of a) his temper; b) his red hair; c) his bloodthirsty temper; d) his red clothes; or e) all of the above.  Answer : all of the above.

His cruelty, violence and brutality are legendary.  His most famous characteristic is his unique Two Sword Whirlwind Fighting technique which he does using two iron bastard swords.

Physical Abilities:
Close Combat 18W (Spear Fighting, Sword and Shield Fighting, Two Sword Whirlwind Fighting), Maintain Pursuit 5W, Ranged Combat 7W (Thrown Spear), Ride Horse 12W , Acute Hearing 15W, Hide in Cover 9W, Running 13W
Mental Abilities:
Boast 9W2, Bully 19W, Mythology of Gagarth 9W, Resist Authority 5W2, Taunt 9W, Recognize Foe 3W2, Stay Awake 18W, Spirit Combat 7W
Virtues:
Cruel 19W, Violent 5W2
Affinities:
Wild Hunter 9W (Long-reaching Spear, Never Lose Spoor, Run Down Prey, Spot the Weakest)
Wild Wind 12W (Abrasive Wind, Howl Like the Wind, Stinging Hail, Direct Tornado, Windwalking Steed)

Red Kare has also incarnated a Gagarthi spirit with a Might of 10W from Prax that gave him his characteristic fighting technique.

Armour : Iron chain and shield ^7
Iron chain ^6

Whirlvish

Red Kare's ace in the hole is a whirlvish spirit given him by a Gagarthi shaman from Prax.   The Whirlvish has been imprisoned in an bone bottle made from a giant's leg bone which has to be smashed open to release it.  Once releashed the whirlvish will not obey Red Kare but will slay non-Gagarthi first, then turn on any Gagarthi present.   Red Kare can use this whirlvish to cover his escape.  This whirlvish is large enough to attack two people physically.

Might: 15W.
Weapons and Armor: Abrasion 15W^0.
Innate Magical Abilities: Fly 15, Move Quickly 15, Resist Damage 15W, Spirit Combat 15W.
Tactics: Whirlvishes attack and seek to kill any living thing they encounter. They blast the victim with sand and grit, until nothing remains but a skeleton scoured clean by the wind. A person wholly encased in thick cloth, armor, or other protection may delay this fate, but the only way to avoid it is to destroy the whirlvish. Even magical protection spells are worn down by the evil winds and cannot save the victim.

At the same time, the whirlvish attacks its victim spiritually as well, bombarding them with sensations of hatred, pain, and loss. Both attacks occur simultaneously; depending on the needs of the story, the narrator can augment one ability with the other, or can treat each attack as a separate opponent (forcing the victim to take appropriate penalties). Most whirlvishes can engulf only a single target, but more powerful whirlvishes may be large enough to engulf (and thus
attack) several targets at one time. A whirlvish never takes a penalty for attacking multiple targets physically, but can only spiritually assault one victim per round.

Last updated January 10, 2017

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Email me at bernuetz@mymts.net