For this first game we used my warband and my ranger, Haela. My son picked out half the miniatures he liked the best and took control of them. Time to head into the deserted village.
Setup
For this scenario we tried to build a nice little fantasy village. A couple of huts, some fields and wooded areas around. Playing a scenario on the right terrain is a great motivator for me, and the barn and fields were finished specifically for playing this one.
The terrain pieces used for setting up this board will be covered in blog posts on this terrain hub. If not posted yet, the blogs will come there later.
Our little band of inexperienced rangers starter in the middle of the village. Something terribly wrong in a village with no villagers moving about their business. Haelga and a few guardsmen from her past took control, quickly forming a defensive circle - as right away zombies started to show from all directions.
Itching for some action, my son took control of two of his companions. Wurt the Woodcutter turned ranger recruit and Bertha the men-at-arms, rushing down a dirt road to dispose of a zombie.
The band of rangers had three bow armed members with them. Two archers and ranger Haelgo. From the safe distance, they started to shoot down the zombies before they could get close.
Having no clear enemies near him a guardsman could run right out and secure the first clue token. Much to my sons delight he found a treasure chest hidden underneath the tree. As so often the case some villagers must have hidden their values when trouble started.
The last model my son controlled was the halfling Topper, who despite being a dagger armed rogue jumped at a giant rat. No doubt the halfling was afraid that a rat would spoil some much needed supplies (who could possibly be looted from the town).
My ranger moving towards another clue token behind one of the abandoned village huts. Making sure no zombies would get to the archers at the same time.
Having disposed of the first walking corpse, Wurt and Bertha attacked a giant rat - who didn't stand a change against the combined axe blades.
The first clue token my ranger investigated turned out to be a cowardly village survivor, having hidden during whatever attack the village suffered. Wasting no time letting a coward hide, Haelga forced the survivor to join the fight. Extra hands to swing weapons at the enemies.
One side of the town secured Bertha moves back to the center, going to investigate some clues behind a hut.
The treasure is being held closely by the guardsman and not wanting to risk losing it, my son moves this guy directly towards a board edge. There's no way he's letting the treasure get into harms way.
After only a few turns the city is cleared of enemies. A few lonely rats and zombies come from the events during the end of turns. But the archers are having no trouble taking out most of what comes along. Still lots to investigate in town. Still no idea what's been going on.
A zombie emerges from the old barn, moving slowly towards the closes target - only to get turned into a porcupine by arrows.
Lots of huts to search for clues as to what's happened to the villagers. The doors prove to be no match for the heavy axes of the guardsmen. While they work the archers keep watch.
The guardsmen find some strange tracks leading out of the house, somebody has been pulled away from here - by something not human.
Topper the halfling rogue uses he skills to pick the lock on the barn and investigates in there. We find a corpse, with terrible bit marks. Something unnatural is happening here, the town wasn't attacked by men.
While Topper is searching the barn another zombies emerges from the trees nearby, another old town citizen. Bertha is ready and attacks it, before it has a change to get to the smaller halfling.
Still zombies come shambling through the woods or crawling out of hiding spaces in the huts. And forcing the survivor to join the fight might not have been the best idea - he's unable to fight the zombie. Perhaps the survivor was able to recognize a former neighbor or something. The result is the same though - he's bitten in the neck. He's scream is short before the blood in the throat stops the sound. Haelga finishes off the zombie.
The group has enough evidence to figure out what's happened. Giant spiders har grown fat, large and bold - the village have been attacked by them. As the ranger and her companions starts grouping up as hut collapses. No one knows how the accident happened, but the dry wooden hut burst into a giant pyre.
We're about finished searching for all the clues. We find multible clues telling us some kind of monsters have been taking the villagers with them. We also find the body of a dead ranger colleague, he's beyond saving.
The ranger must have been an experienced man in high regard because was armed with a masterfully crafted sword. The sword belong with the King's armory, but for the time being Haelga gives it to Wurt the Recruit. Wurt has been using his woodcutters axe to great effect, no reason to think he wouldn't do well with a sword.
The last zombie is cleared out and it seems like no other villagers are around. We find no further survivors and nobody else have been killed here. I looks like the rest of the villagers have been taken and now we hope to find and save them.
To secure the health any remaining survivors and contain any further zombie trouble, all the bodies are thrown on the burning hut. First ranger Avantine is giving an unceremonious funeral, then all dead villagers are burned.
We the town clear we've following the tracks towards the dense forrest near the town.
Aftermath
Our first game of RoSD was a great succes. The survivor died - so we didn't get XP from him. So for the future we know 'survivors are not bait'. The ranger got just short of 100 xp and remains at level 0.
The treasure chest turned out to contain some Anthalas herbs, great for when the Ranger actually goes down one day.
The gang seemed well rounded, archers are good to bring along and saved of for nearly half the dangerous melee fights.
I really like the clue and event mechanics for the game. Especially seeing the look on my sons face when I read the clues aloud in Danish. Excellent stuff.
With their first fight as a gang done as with nothing but a few scratches it's time to head into the dark forest and hunt those spiders.
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