Let’s Play Warlord Ascendant 2e! The 12th Infernal Legion Part 9
Hello, friends of the abyss. Let’s see how the 12th fares this time.
Management Phase
Management Phase Event
You find a dead warrior, their gear intact. Roll once on the Spoils of War table.
Spoils of War: D10+10 Supplies = 20!
Alright, let’s go!
Upkeep Payment
17 (units) + 2 (Stronghold constructions) - 5 (Mine) = 14 Supplies paid, down to 86.
Warband improvement
Absalom: Presence increased by 2 (76).
Durvael: Defense increased by 2 (65).
Belerion reached level 3!
Close Combat increased by 3 (64).
Combat Maneuver: All or Nothing. During their activation and as a Free Action, the character makes an additional attack, but their Defense is reduced by -30 until the next round.
Feat: Medium Armor Specialist (3 DPs). You suffer none of the penalties associated with wearing Medium Armor.
I’ll try to get him an armor ASAP.
Mahalat reached level 3!
Combat Maneuver: Defensive Stance. As a Free Action, the character’s Defense is increased by +20 for D4 rounds.
Saving her DPs.
I’m spending 1 DP with Absalom so he learns heavy armor Proficiency, then equipping one I looted previously.
Stronghold Management
Not building anything right now. Will get a Warehouse as soon as I can.
Town Management: Winterbury
Town Event
Strange Rumors: Tales of monsters in the nearby wilds or a haunting in the town itself are spreading fear. If Order is 3 or lower, Discontent increases by +1.
Damn it! Order is 3. Discontent increases to 6! That means that Winterbury produces -10 Supplies (5) and -5 Construction Materials (0).
Upkeep: Paid 10 Supplies, received 5.
I’m sending Belerion, Kano, and Oboroto to work for d6 + 1 Supplies each.
Belerion, Kano, Oboro
3d6 + 4: 12 Supplies
Increased to 95.
I’m using Vordana to trade. I’m selling a heavy crossbow, a dagger, a medium and a small shield for 17 supplies total.
I’ll look for a medium armor.
d6 Availability check
Medium armor (4): 4, available!
-10 Supplies, and to Belerion it goes.
Civic Project
Reinforcing Order with Absalom.
Presence check (76): 67, success!
Order in Winterbury increased to 4.
Town Management: Northshire
Town Event
Strange Rumors: Tales of monsters in the nearby wilds or a haunting in the town itself are spreading fear. If Order is 3 or lower, Discontent increases by +1.
Exact same event as Winterbury. Discontent in Northshire increased to 2.
Upkeep: Paid 10 Supplies, received 15, plus 5 Materials.
Civic Project
Reinforcing Order with Durvael here, using Resolve.
Resolve check (42): 91, fail
Boooo!
Exploration
Forward Post
Location: Town!
Town name: Stoneford
Occupied by: Dire wolves
Mahalat
Sending her to the Monastery. +1 XP.
Invasion Check
D10: 1, safe!
The 12th’s reputation precedes them. None dares invade!
Going for the Salvagers Camp or the Workshop would be nice, but I have plenty of Materials for now.
I think a new Town makes more sense, as I get Supplies AND Materials. The problem is, if Discontent increases too much, I start losing resources. It's almost happening in Winterbury.
Well, I think it’s a risk worth taking.
Let’s go for Stoneford!
Combat Phase
My Command Actions
Demonic Terror: The host howls and cackles, terrifying their opponents and forcing all enemy characters to make a Morale check.
Demonic Speed: During this round, Demonic Cohort characters increase their Speed by 3.
Relentless: You get a new turn this round, immediately after your first one.
Corrupted: Pick a friendly character. Their body is ravaged by corruption, causing all opponents to be Frightened of this character for the remainder of the battle.
Battle Event
Strategic Point. The battlefield seems full of opportunities and spots that can change the flow of the battle entirely. Add a second Strategic Point.
Awful starting position, distant from both SPs. I’ll have to make do.
Rounds 1 and 2
I got the initiative on both rounds. Both sides only moved on the first one, then I charged the Direwolves with Absalom, Mahalat, and Durvael.
Absalom had a great hit on Direwolf A for 7 damage.
Mahalat missed Direwolf B with a 92, then I pushed it (MP 4/5). She missed again with a 99! A mark for improvement, at least.
MP Complication
d4: 2 = Physical Toll. The character becomes fatigued, suffering a -10 penalty on all Athletics and Agility checks until the end of combat.
Not great, but I can deal with it.
The Direwolf failed the defense roll, so it took 1 glancing damage. Mahalat uses a war pick and has the Feat Accurate, so her opponents defend with -20!
Durvael charged Direwolf A. He hit with a 58 for 5 damage. The enemy is wounded, so his Executioner Feat adds +1 damage. His two-handed weapon adds another. His battleaxe specialization adds yet another, for a total of 8, felling the beast!
I keep repeating that, but Durvael is insane.
The remaining Direwolves both failed their Resolve checks and the following Morale roll.
They were very close to the edge of the map, and only B was engaged to Mahalat. She hit for 1 glancing damage and it fled. C wasn’t engaged at all and just turned tail.
The battle before Durvael charged. You can see how close to the southern edge the Direwolves were. Their Speed of 4 covers a lot of ground!
With very little effort, the 12th is victorious once more!
+1 XP to all combatants.
Stoneford captured, +1 Loyalty to the Warband.
Loot
d10 Supplies: 9
D6 Construction Materials: 3Spoils of War
- Essence of the Owl (+10 Resolve skill until end of combat)
- Light hammer
Next session, I will start summarizing the Town Management step, as it will get a bit much with three Towns.
I should have used my CA Demonic Speed before engaging the Direwolves. Charging only does regular attacks. If I had reached them before charging, I could have used some Maneuvers right away.
Not that it mattered, but still, a good reminder for myself for next time.
Map and Absalom’s journal next.
Thanks for reading!
Absalom’s Journal
A new town loomed on the horizon. Stoneford, it was called.
On the way, rumors of beasts reached our ears.
A tall, strange man chanted by the road, warning of the dangers beyond. He wore battered black robes marked with the symbol of a severed hand with long nails, and a pentagram carved on its palm.
He claimed to belong to the Order of the Black Oath, whatever lunacy that was. His pale skin and deranged eyes frightened other travelers, but the 12th took kindly to him.
The grunts in particular saw the figure as one their own. Maybe because of the drooping mustache under the long nose and a straight bush of hair crossing his chin. The style resembled a trident pointing down.
He spat and shouted about lupine beasts with sharp fangs and fearsome claws that could tear flesh from bone in the blink of an eye.
I thanked him for his warning, but he continued showering me with saliva.
His head now adorns a wooden spike along the road.
Stoneford stood empty and silent, until fierce howls pierced the air. The lupine beasts had arrived.
Lucifer used to keep hellhounds around his throne. Lilith fed her massive leviathans with dissenters. Marchosias commanded a legion of fire-spewing, winged rabid dogs.
I braced myself and expected the worst.
What attacked us was a pack of fluffy canids. They bared their teeth and charged, but their howling enthusiasm soon met the immovable might of the 12th Infernal Legion.
When the first fell, the others immediately reconsidered the offensive and retreated.
As I admired their shiny coats, lean musculature, and graceful gallop, I swore that one day I would make one a pet. I’d have it shadow my steps, and feed it while I scratched behind its enormous ears.
I felt a deep longing as they disappeared, as if I had lost something dear.
The howling continued for a long while before I finally noticed that it came from Durvael, bloodied and manic, his battleaxe raised high.
The people in this land have no idea what a beast truly is.
Stoneford had caught a brief glimpse of one.
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