Tuesday 15 August 2017

St Nectan's cross

Sven Erisksen has heard that the hermit at St Nectan's cross in West Wales (Cornwall) knew valuable information about the Whorled Cup and its treasure. The vikings have landed and travelled inland to visit the hermit and obtain as much information from him that they can ....

---oXo---

While Sven Eriksen and the bulk of the crew are inland, the rest of the men set up the camp and start cooking a wild boar ...
 Sven Eriksen had a long and deep conversation with the hermit at St Nectan's cross...
 After which they set off back to the ship ....
 a lone wolf howled ....
 as a  group of men crossed over the rocky crag wolves rushed up towards them ...
 and attacked them ...
 they fought them off as best they could ...
 finally the wolves had enough and they slunk away down the hillside, but two men had been killed ....
what was left of the group of men that encountered the wolves join up with the rest after passing through a rocky cleft ...
Some of the men spotted a few deer, they try their luck with the bow but don't hit the mark....
 the party skirts round one of small ponds in the marshy area ....
 Sven and his men reach the camp site and are looking forward to a good meal after their exertions...

Tuesday 1 August 2017

hunting party ....

Ragnald's hunting party had been unsuccessful, so they headed back to the ship (- Sven Eriksen would not be happy, food was running short ....)

They skirted the woodland ...
 and as they passed through a large copse, a bear loped towards them... bear ! shouted Ivar
 the bear lumbered towards them rearing up on its hind legs to attack.. the bear pushed away Ivar's spear but Cerdic's spear got the bear in the stomach ....
 with the bear wounded, they set about it with their spears ....
 till it fell to the ground dead ....
well done all said Ragnar - looks like bear meat tonight ....

Friday 3 March 2017

Another Day, Another Temple.

Moaned Cedric to his fellows as Sven lead his men onwards.

All were battered, very few did not carry wounds, it seemed that the Gods have deserted them.
And still Sven was driven further and further by his vision.
  They had landed to search for the temple of Diana, unsure as to its exact location, Sven had split his band into three parts to speed the search.
As his own small band approached, they could see Ragnar already at the site.


Sven held the bulk of his force back as a shieldwall, whilst he sent a few brave men through the woods to the temple. If he could delay Ragnars men long enough his own men could come up and he could win control from them and seize the goblet.





The two forces clashed and Svens men were forced back. He's done it again mumbled Ulff to Hagar.







They fought on bravely, knowing that the rest of the boats crew would soon be on Ragnars flank and rear.



More of Svens men fell wounded. What was keeping the rest of the crew? They must be moving at a snails' pace.







Sven and his men were forced back.





Ragnars men had found the chalice and were retiring, Sven and his men could only shadow them, too few remained fit to fight.



Too late and too few, Some of Svens men appeared on Ragnars flank, but were helpless in the face of the archers.




They too could only watch as Ragnar led his men away to the ship.








Sven surveyed his weary band, much as he hated to admit it for the moment they were beaten.
The wounded must be treated, The dead given the funeral they so richly deserved, but as the smoke rose from the funeral pyre. Sven could only hope to see Ragnar atop the next.

For now he must lead his men to a quiet spot, to rest,drink and eat well,tell tall tales and prepare for their next voyage.
  He had heard rumours of  a Golden Sheepskin.

Tuesday 21 February 2017

Rules used for games...

I forgot to update the rules link when my ISP pulled my free webpage storage space. I have now moved the rules to my google drive, full path link is ...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwW7pyxbU9oVZERWSUQ4VG9lcG8/view?usp=sharing

The rules link in the side panel has been fixed as well. I'm pretty sure I've got the permissions right right for all to see the file.

Sunday 19 February 2017

The Island of Brunsee.

Sven and his party have finally reached the land of Pul and landed on the shores of the Island of Brunsee, in the distance they can see the ruins of an old castle or temple.
 
 They hurry forward, but not without incident, Leofric leads the way, an arrow nocked and ready, but he fails to see a large serpent hidden at the edges of the marsh.

He goes down screaming, racked with spasms of agony, then lies still.
The serpent disappears back into the marsh and Sven has difficulty keeping his men moving.
A rustling in the marsh brings them to a halt, as a herd of Wild boar rush across their path.

 Movement behind the marsh catches their attention, they halt again, It is Ragnar, how did he get here?

All Svens efforts to keep his men moving are in vain, he has to harry them forward.

Ragnar has no such problems and his men race across the grass, to reach the ruin.

Some are detached to keep Sven away whilst the rest attack the defenders.
The women beat off attack after attack, and Ragnar seeing the best of his men fall wounded, sends a small group around to attack from the rear.
  Svens' party is still embroiled with the boars, two men have been gored and one driven into the marsh.

Finally Sven gets his men moving forward, they reach a gap between the rocks to be assault by Ragnars archers to the front and a pack of wolves to their flank.

They manage to drive off the wolves and advance towards the tower, where Ragnars' men are still struggling to overcome the defenders.

Attacked from both sides the second defender falls and the lone survivor is driven off into the woods

Sven drives the wolves towards the enemy and hurls his men forward.

But they are driven back.

As the Skald enters the ruins he tells the raiders that they are looking for a Grecian urn.
 Whats a Grecian urn? mumbles Cedric, about 4 marks replies his brother.

The skald shakes his head in wonder, Fighters they may be, but Thinkers?

 As they search in the corners and under piles of rubble the Skald spots it resting on a ruined plinth in front of the statue.

A successful day for Ragnar and a poor one for Sven,

 The two parties, battered and bloody make their way  back to their ships.




Leaving the Valkyrie to gather the slain and lead them to Valhalla.


This lead to a discussion on Norse Mythology, with my young assistant who wanted to know

"Why haven't those ladies have any clothes on Grandad?"


The story pauses as we paint the Teddy Bear pirates for "Adventures in Eclectica"

Monday 13 February 2017

Lost scrolls The Saga of Eric Redbeard.

Ragnars Homestead.
Ragnar Brown Eyes has learnt of Sven's search and his intention to sail to the Isles of Per Beck.
Hoping to steal a march on his rival he calls for his men to join him and sets about equipping his ship for the journey, supplies are gathered and loading commences whilst he waits for two other ships to join him.

   But other eyes are watching the preparations.
Sven has learnt of the preparations and sent scouts to discover the state of Ragnars ships.
They report that supplies for a long voyage of probably more than one ship have been gathered and loading has commenced, He decides to strike and waiting till the midday meal, when few men are left on guard he prepares his forces.
 Whilst the sentries on the headland are busily scanning the horizon for the forces that are expected to join them that day, a large hunting party has been sent out to gather food for the great feast planned for the evening.
Svens men move down to the boat and piled provisions, ready to destroy everything.
Two of the ship guards fall to the advancing archers as Sven and his men sweep down on their unsuspecting foe.
A shepherd spots the enemy and the alarm is sounded.
Ragnar is the first from the hall, to see Eric, the sole remaining Boatguard facing the enemy horde, whilst old Hagar the shepherd holds the palisade.
Svens men reach the piled stores and immediately smoke rises as they commence the destruction.
But Ragnars men are pouring from the houses and forming up to see off the attackers, if Eric can just hold on the ship could be saved.
 Eric continues to defend the longship, three of the foe go down beneath his spear, his tale will be sung in the great hall tonight.
  Hagar has fallen and Svens men start dumping stores into the sea.
The slaughter of the livestock begins, as more of Svens men storm the longship, Eric fights on attacked from all sides, he is helpless to stop the ship being fired.
 Eric falls as the ship catches light and drifts away from the shore, some of Svens men are still aboard and are forced to swim for it to avoid a true viking funeral.
The shield walls meet, Svens men have the advantage and force back the defenders.
Everything is ablaze and Sven gives the signal to fall back, His men break off the attack and head back to their own ship moored a few miles down the coast.
Whilst the rearguard holds off Ragnars men, the bulk of the attackers retreat.
The Rearguard break away, leaving Ragnar to call his men to salvage what they can.

Svens forces halt at the rise and survey the results of their raid, a good days work Ragnar will be unable to follow to the Isle of Brun See and the temple of the Phoenicians.
A horn is heard in the distance, and as the hunting party returns, Sven leads the rest of his men away to the ship.
The sentries on the headland can only watch as their lords longship drifts past on fire and sinking.
Ragnar will not be pleased.