First evah event.
It was a glorious sight to step off the train at Banbury in my open waffenrock, backpack and swordbag slung over one shoulder, and see so many folk with bundled up tents, sleeping bags, rolled cloaks and assorted staffs, bows and polearms. I don't think anyone got off the train who wasn't going to Anvil.
But it was half an hour to the coach and the little cafe/shop seating area was soon taken over. Everyone asking questions, ohh is it your first time? Where are you from? Where did you get that axe?
The coach dropped us at the campsite entrance and our little cabal split up. I showed my ticket and was waved towards some tents beyond a wood. The tip of the canvas iceberg.
I had to find God (Game operations desk, actually about ten desks in a big tent) to collect my character pack and then the League camp to find a space for my mini shelter. That was as far as my plans went beyond catching the 'Guide for newbies' talk that was on a couple of times that afternoon.
Joachim (pronounced Yo-achim) Fayn. That's me!
This was done, it was not IC time yet and there was a strange mix of in and out of kit people, bit like first evening at a reenactment. IC is in character, OC is out of character. These terms would come up a lot.
So general mechanics explained. There was some practice skirmishing, I was lent a sword. Most people died quite quickly, a chap called Pedro was impressed by my backstabbing, he would become a friend along with his brother, Terrence, both in the league.
I was then killed by someone whose life I had just saved with my chirugeon skill. We both saw the funny side. No one here was actually dead, it was just practice but it made me think the big battles must be pretty deadly. Most new people are two hits and you are down and will soon bleed out... dead.
We walked back to the league camp in time for the debutantes ball where new players are introduced, and it was IC time.
A casual offer to lend me a halberd for the event proved in vain as the group in question were all at an OC wedding that weekend. Damn. I'd just have to treat myself! and partook to the traders street.
A pole arm that I would come to call 'Ankle biter' purchased I stopped for a drink at the Forge, the tavern that takes barbarian money.. i.e. not IC money, which is fortunate because a lot of folk don't start with much. There I bumped into the guy who killed me earlier and some of his friends. Then some of the League chaps turned up, including 'The grand compagnie di Bastardi'. They had been on a skirmish against criminals.
It had been a long day and I turned in at a moderately sensible time, I think, the two evenings blur in my memory.
Saturday morning. I realised I forgot to sign up for the four o'clock coach on Sunday and made a beeline for God. Not open yet, I chatted with a fellow over a coffee in the small queue. Then sweaty vegan cheese and bread for breakfast.
The first battle loomed, I was in the League national block, we marched up to the battle field and a few drops of rain fell. More than at a reenactment I felt the ominous sense that I might die, it could happen so quickly. Part of me very much wanted to be somewhere else but I went on, we went on.
The plan was a couple of other nations had to collect and transfer some highly volatile explosives to a certain point and set them off to block a mountain path used as a potential invasion route by the Jotun (sort of vikingy orcs). Our lot however was going into the woods to hold them off.
It may be fantasy but people know real world formations and tactics work for a reason. Line fighting is common, the league has a lot of pole arms but so did the Jotun. Groups tend to break when they take casualties and struggle to hold off multiple opponents, or when outflanked, being outflanked really sends a wave of panic through a group, especially when fighting in woodland.
I got wounded twice in the arm but by dint of my endurance (skill pick) wasn't dead yet and got patched up. My fear that battles were deadly proved less so as people defend each other and don't overstretch for fear of being hit themselves. Those who fell can usually be got to a healer just behind the line, unless the unit has to really fall back. Getting left behind is a killer.
'Ankle biter' earnt her name as I lunged at orcs going for people next to me, exposed limbs tend to get hit. It is not the person opposite you have to worry about so much as the one next to them.
Suddenly though a column of Jotun were passing on our right. We had to fall back, trailed by them, occasionally one would charge if someone put their back to them.
Apparently the explosives were set but everyone had to reach minimum safe distance!
We did. I was alive!
Not part of the plot but a nice photo!Back at camp I caught up with Pedro, they'd gone to fight as part of the Bastardi who were having a pic nic with their cicibeo contingent, host/esses with the most/esses. I accepted a drink and talk turned to politics. There was an election for senator of Sarvos and Uberto was in the running.
Soon after we watched the candidates all answer questions from the public. We new guys were mostly from Holberg (N/e) so couldn't vote for a Sarvos issue, we could however for the new master of rings (money) for future considerations, and he seemed genuine.
Cut to the evening we ended up back at the Forge, but it had been cursed! People were falling out and sarcasm abounded until a priest turned up and reversed the curse. Everyone was hugging and patting backs instead.
This and the cheap beer meant half a dozen of us got sworn into the Bastardi. Our faces cut, "This is the last time you will ever bleed for free!"
They'd taken us in, and their main colours were red and yellow, so a no brainer. We got badges.
We then went off to Guise bar, up in Dawn territory for one more, before a bit of singing around the fire. Then sleeps.
Monster morning. Certain nations in each battle are the protagonists, the others are 'the barbarians/orcs'. If you fight in the former you are expected to take part in the later. Red sashes, breastplates and orc masks distributed. We were the 'Anvil breakers', an EMU, elite monster unit.
"We are here for a good time, but not a long time."
Everything we'd been told was the plan didn't survive contact with the enemy. As about two hundred warriors mainly with handweapons and shields charged across the open way we hit them from the side but a second wave hit us. First death and I got looted of my last IC money!
Next we were in the woods and a force of Dawnish (think medieval French glory seekers) got caught with their backs to thick bushes and cut off, many fell but a way was opened up by the marshals because everyone should have a chance to escape. Being attacked by two skirmishers killed me again, as a Jotun I had more hits and a power called relentless so I could ignore crippling limb injuries, I did worry folk might think I just wasn't dying but you can't ask someone.. you can ask a ref to ask if someone thinks something has gone awry though. This hopefully dosen't happen very much.
Back at camp and in League gear once more there was much chat about the future. The event goes on IC until three but heavy, heavy rain was expected and permission to pack tents early went out.
We went up to Guise and just escaped a prolonged downpour.
word was Dawn had sufferred terribly in the battle, about 37 dead, including a general, and a couple well known for an ongoing youtube series on their adventures at Empire. There adventures were over now but apparently they died in each others arms.
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