Outremer Warband: Brother Karl the Flaggelist

Warband Leader: Brother Karl the Flaggelist

Brother Karl the Flaggelist is the second son of a minor noble from Saxony, who left home at 15 to travel to the Holy Land. He joined the Templar Order soon after arriving having witnessed a raid on a pilgrim group being stopped by the Order. He has risen fast, driven by a doubtless zeal and faith, although more senior knights are concerned about his occasional violent outbursts. He will willingly admit that wrath is his greatest sin, but also claims he make it into a virtue by unleashing it on the infidels.

Traits:

Large Build

Hard to Kill

Aggressive Fighter

Sergeant Recruit: Helmut Janson

Helmut joined Karl on his journey from Saxony as a loyal retainer and long-time friend. He has not taken well to life in the Order, generally avoiding all people except Karl.

Traits:

Loner

Dodge

Sergeant Recruit: John of Winchester

John of Winchester has been in the Holy Land for only a few years, having joined the Order in England and travelling over in company of an English member of the Order who recently died in a skirmish. Having seen Harl's enthusiasm for battle as a chance for revenge and the fast rising knight as a ticket to fulfill his own ambitions he has joined the warband. 

Traits:

Fast Learner

Agile

Chaplain: Silvius the Penitent

Sivlius is a man with a troubled past. He fled Florence after being accused of stealing from his flock. His reputation has not yet reached the Holy Land where he is simply another priest who came on pilgrimage never to leave.

Traits:

Sneaky

He who lives by the sword

Healer

Outremer Campaign: Battle Report: Game 3: Camp Assault

Game 3: Usamah ibn-Munqidh vs Sir William the Carpenter

Usamah was tired, the day had seen a long march to catch up with the small group of Franks that, according to Yakut al-Hamawi's contacts was carrying a chest full of papers from the local Duke to the King of Jerusalem. The opportunity to get hold of such valuable information, and some more money and supplies for their operation was far too good an opportunity to pass up.

This game pitted a camped Crusader forces against an attack from a Damascene band who had been sent to gather information.

The Frankish camp and it's defenders, oblivious to the approcah of Yakut al-Hamawi and the rest of the Damascene warband behind him.

In the opening moves, the Saracens snuck towards the Frankish camp, using the trees for cover, before Yakut al-Hamawi rose from his hiding spot and loosed an arrow at Guibert of Nagent, which missed him.

An arrow proves a rude, if not painful, awakening for the Franks.

 The sudden intrusion led to a flight to the the wadi walls for cover, and Robert of Salerno loosed an arrow.

A mad scramble for cover ensues.

Robert's arrow found it's mark, and Yakut fell.

Yakut falls, clutching the arrow that brought him down.

Both sides spent the remained of the turn rushing into cover, Usamah ibn-Munqidh's crossbow alarming the Crusaders, and Robert of Salerno's dead-eye shot causing consternation in the Damascene ranks.

Brave warriors all, everyone scambles to cover.

Robert loosed an arrow at Usamah, hitting, but failing to wound the Saracen. Clearly irritated by the attempt on his life, Usamah, after retaking his position behind cover, loosed a bolt at the insolent Frank, knocking him out of the fight.

The quick duel between Usamah and Robert ends with the Saracen victorious.

Karajuk stormed across the wadi to threaten the objectives.

With the archer threat eliminated, the Damascenes advance

Ali ibn al-Athir crossed the wadi on the other side of the Frankish camp, running into Ugo.

Steel meets steel.

The fight was brief, and Ugo emerged victorious.

Ugo stands triumphant

Not to be outdone, Sir William the Carpenter charged into Karajuk, wielding his fearsome double handed axe. The Mamluk tried to parry the terrible blow, but was cut down.

Sir William fells a foe

But in this moment of triumph, Sir William had left himself visible to Usamah ibn-Munqidh, who calmly aimed his crossbow and loosed the bolt, striking and felling the knight.

Usamah spies his target

Sir William falls alongside his victim

Rapidly running out of options, and time, Usamah ibn-Munqidh crossed the wadi and moved into contact with an objective. Guglielmo attempted to charge the Saracen, but quailed at the sight of his opponent.

Guglielmo fails to press the attack, while his brother moves towards the threat.

After his initial failure of nerve, Guglielmo recovered and charged home before Usamah could loot anything, eventually, after a brief pause to gather his courage, joined by his brother Ugo.

The brothers hammer away at Usamah

In a somewhat comical (from a neutral perspective at least) final two rounds, the three men were locked in combat, Usamah consistently failing, even with a dice level advantage in some clashes, to hit anything, while making all but one of at least eight 5+ saving throws (all with 5s somehow), causing the Crusader player to develop something of a complex.

And with that farcical combat, turn eight of the game ended, with the defenders having successfully driven off the attack with all objectives intact.

Usamah ibn-Munqidh's arm ached to put it mildly, bruises on his arm marking where the axe blows had fallen on his shield, which was now splintered and near useless. The Franks had fought a good fight, but at least he and his men had escaped relatively unscathed, if empty handed.

Outremer Warband: Sir William the Carpenter

Warband Leader: Sir William the Carpenter

A French nobleman who got his moniker because he is a descendant of Saint Joseph who was a carpenter. Notorious for his faith and strength in battle with his axe, and described by his companions as "powerful with his words." His gregarious attitude has made him the natural leader of the warband he has brought together.

Traits:

Among Friends
Axeman

Monk: Guibert of Nagent

A notable historian and theologian, Guibert has gained notoriety for deserting two previous crusades that he took part in. He has made an effort to reassert his will to face battle, being determined to become a man who lives by the sword.

Traits:

Inspiring Presence
Turn the Other Cheek
Dodge
He who lives by the sword

Melee Milita: Guglielmo and Ugo

Brothers from near Genoa, inspired by William's words and a hunger for battle and adventure. Already familiar with axes from their work as lumberjacks, they have taken to using their trusty tools to reap a new harvest.

Ugo's Traits:

Take Cover
Axeman

Guglielmo's Traits:

Dodge
Axeman

Ranged Militia: Robert of Salerno

Robert attached himself to the merry little band of Sir William's on the ship to the Holy Land. He never speaks of his past, but has proven a useful ally.

Traits:

Long Shot
Slippery

Outremer Warband: Usamah ibn-Munqidh

This group has been sent from Damascus into southern Frankish territory to intercept plans and probe defences. With a mix of experience of covert operations and front-line fighting, as well as a religious student for Allah's blessing, they're optimistic they can get information and get away. Because if they get captured, they know they're more likely to be disowned than rescued.

Warband Leader: Usamah ibn-Munqidh

As a young guard in Damascus, Usamah ibn-Munqidh played a questionable role in the overthrow of its ruler, and soon made himself useful to the new regime. He has enjoyed an interesting rise to power marked equally by unspecified services to the city and unfortunate accidents befalling his rivals.

Traits:

Slippery
Climber
Crossbow Expert

Sub-arif: Ali ibn al-Athir

Made his reputation fighting in Nur ad-Din's army in the attacks on the Franks of Antioch. As well educated and respected as his leader, Ali ibn al-Athir prefers the position of second-in-command, avoiding the politics and pitfalls of power, while making money to send to his family back in Aleppo. He hopes to leave the army intact and use his experience to set up a swordfighting training academy there.

Traits:

Solid Reputation

Mamluk recruit: Karajuk

Enslaved and taken from his birthplace in a fishing village on the Aral Sea, Karajuk carries a part of it with him in the stories he remembers. Caught beween two worlds, he has converted to Islam but has avoided arabicising his name; he is developing a reputation as a fierce soldier, but dreams of fishing in his homeland.

Traits:

Swimmer
Sunder Shield

Askari: Yaqut al-Hamawi

Born in the countryside, Yaqut al-Hamawi came to Damascus from the to seek his fortune. He joined the city guard, and soon came to the notice of Usamah ibn-Munqidh for his shooting skills and flexible morals. In his spare time, he practices trick shots, which only occasionally involve injury, and usually only to other people.

Traits:

Sneaky
Defensive Shooting

Religious student: Diya ad-Din

The fourth son of a successful trading family, Diya ad-Din was packed off to be trained as an Imam. He has a genuine faith and is committed to his studies, but nevertheless yearns for adventure, and seized the first oppurtunity he could to get out into the world and see some action.

Traits:

None

Outremer Campaign: Battle Report: Game 2: Capture the Flag

Game 2: Rashid al-Harith vs Abdul Hameed el-Farah

Rashid looked up from his meal as a shadow fell across him to see his brother Bashhar standing at the entrance to his tent, a mischievous smirk on his face. "We just found a man, badly wounded. He says he is the survivor of a merchant caravan that has been attacked a short way from here."

"The lawlessness grows worse." Rashid growled. "Where is this man?" 

"He died of his wounds shortly after we spoke." Bashhar's grin faded briefly "A bad way to go. But he did tell us where the merchant's camp was, and that the raiders had been driven off. The goods should still be there." Rashid knew they desperately needed funds.

"Get everyone ready, we move as soon as we are able." 

In this game, two groups of Saracens found out about the abandoned camp of a merchant caravan, with the goods intact, and arrived to try and seize it. 

The merchant's camp, abandoned by the few survivors of the bandit raid.

Apologies in advance for the lack of photos in this report, I completely forgot to take any up until the second turn, in what turned out to be another very brief game. 

In the merchant's camp itself, Abdul Hameed el-Farah and his Mamluk Recruit Arshad el-Sader advanced into range to contest the objective, dodging the occasional bowshot from Sa'id al-Mansur, while the rest of the their warband faced advanced on the far side of the wadi, running into the rest of Rashid's warband. 

In the flurry of exchanged shots, Khalid ibn Masruq of Rashid's warband took a wound, while Munjid al-Zaher and Aaish el-Sylla were felled, at which point Adbul conceded the field and withdrew. 

Aaish el-Sylla takes an arrow in the arm and falls. 

Munjid al-Zaher also falls in the face of the bulk of Rashid's warband

In the post game tidy up, Aaish el-Sylla was found to have a crippling arm wound, and was ejected from the warband. 

Outremer Campaign: Battle Report: Game 1: Camp Assault

Game 1: Camp Assault, Sir James the Second vs Beowulf the Powerful

Sir James was furious, something his father had always warned him against. "An angry man can be fooled, cannot make a wise decision and will get his followers killed." he had said repeatedly, often in the face of the gravest provocations. But it was a hard mantra to follow. 

He drew in a breath, glad his helmet covered his face so none of the men around him could see his consternation. The tracks of the grave robbers, who had plundered the tomb of a slain Templar Knight, lay ahead of him. He would catch them, and retrieve what had been stolen. 

This game had a Templar force raiding the camp of a Crusader force, with four objectives (the piles of goods and chest around the central campfire in the picture below). 

The Templars approach the camp

The game itself was fairly brief. One of the crusader warriors, Llewelyn, spent the game advancing on Lorencio, who had taken cover beyond a field behind it's wall. Despite repeated shots at the advancing warrior, Lorencio failed to take down his target. 

Lorencio faces down Llewelyn while the action rages nearer the camp

Around the camp itself, Ulrich the Mad charged into Beowulf the Powerful, their melee lasting most of the game until Ulrich managed to take down the dismounted knight, despite several close calls that nearly saw his horse killed under him. Meanwhile, Sir James cut his way through Bedwyr and Turi in quick succession, shrugging off their missiles as he moved into range.

Templar knights tear into the camp's defenders

At the end of the third turn, the Crusaders withdrew, leaving the Templars to loot the camp, claiming all the objectives. 

Sir James was pleased with how his warband had performed, the enemy hadn't harmed one among them, and had paid for their crimes in pain and blood. Ulrich was gradually calming down a short distance off, while Lorencio was gathering up the supplies and loot in the enemy's camp. 

The Templars smash their way into the enemy camp, forcing their enemy to flee.

Picture Dump:

Ulrich the Mad and Beowulf the Powerful face off

Geoffrey leaves Lorencio to deal with Llewelyn, sensing a chance to loot an objective

Sir James' first victory of the day.

Outremer Warband: Rashid al-Harith

Warband Leader: Rashid al-Harith

Rashid organised this band after discovering that the increasing marginalisation of Sunnis in Cairo was driving his family's always marginal finances into decline. He is a skilled warrior and a calculating tactician, driven by plans and not passion.

Traits:

Slippery
Hard to Kill
Expert Bowman

Arif: Bashhar al-Harith

Fiery and passionate, Bashhar is Rashid's brother and the youngest of the band. Driven by a combination of regigious fervour nd a desire for action it was his initial idea to leave Cairo and join the defense against the infidels. The rest of the group are Rashid's friends, not Bashhar's, and tend to condescend to him a little.

Traits:

Climber
Agile
Hit and Run

Arif: Khalid ibn Masruq

Keener on study than on warfare, Khalid had hoped to become an imam, but his family could not afford to send him to one of the madrasa that teach those of elevated birth. He still reads from the Koran often, though he is more interested in the theological and logical aspects of the faith than in teaching or in fighting a holy war.

Traits:

Hard to Kill
Faithful
All around awareness

Arif: Sa'id al-Mansur

Sa'id is a quiet figure, always keen on hunting and who often suplemented his family's income in this fashion, though custom dictated everyone act as if he was only hunting for sport. He speaks little and often finds excuses to be apart from the group, whether scouting for enemies or foraging for food

Traits:

Loner
Resilient
Sniper

Arif: Abu Hassan al-Nisawi

When the group purchases supplies it is always Abu who does the haggling, not because of his fast talk (he says little and often that in a whisper) but because of his tenacious nature, attention to detail and a piercing stare that unsettles merchants and enemies alike. Abu's family has teetered on the edge of penury for as long as he has lived, and he has learned to never pass up an opportunity

Traits:

Take Cover
Solid Reputation
Increased Javelin Capacity

Arif: Hamid al-Madini

A towering, burly figure, Hamid is loud, outspoken and often uncouth. He is also almost irritatingly gregarious - though the lone Shia in a band of Sunnis he never lets religious differences or anything else come between him or his friends, and he will proclaim that loudly and repeatedly at any opportunity.

Traits:

Among Friends
Hard to Kill
Corrective Shooting

Outremer Warband: Abdul Hameed el-Farah

Sand. Nothing but baking hot sand. Of all places, why did they have to abandon him here? Munjid cursed his luck. He scoured his surroundings. To the North and West dunes, but to the East, in the distance, mountains. He started walking, grimacing with each step. They’d really done a number on him. A man steals some bread, sure, take his hand; a man defends his family? Beat him and throw him into the desert to die… Well, he wasn’t dead yet, but he knew he wouldn’t last long.

As the sun set, his pace had slowed to a crawl. Walking through the desert was suicide. At least he was a lot closer to his goal. If he could only make it to the mountains. There had to be water there. On a whim he took a glance behind. His heart sank. Five men, one leading a horse were broaching the summit of a dune he had passed not an hour earlier. Bandits? They had to be tracking him. He mustered all his strength and started to run.

The men were on him before he could make it to the first of the big rocks. Munjid could discern their shouts now, imploring him to stop. Their screams sent a chill down his spine. Then, the unmistakable thunder of hooves. He dropped to his knees and prayed.

“Allah won’t save you now my friend,” the rider chortled.

Munjid opened an eye, “Please don’t behead me.”

“I may still,” the rider cautioned sternly. “I am Abdul Hameed el-Farah. Now, what’s a man with no supplies doing in this place?”

“I’m a criminal,” Munjid spoke frankly after some hesitation, “a neighbour assaulted my wife so I broke his leg… Oh how stupid I’ve been. How will Meena fare now I am banished?”

“A fighter who doesn’t think of the consequences of his actions eh?” Abdul paused a moment. “I’ll level with you, I should kill you on the spot. It would be a kinder fate than dying of thirst out here.”

Munjid looked towards the mountains.

“There’s no rain this time of year. Believe me, you will die.”

Munjid rose to his feet. “Then do it. If you’re going to kill me just get it over with.”

“Shut up you fool, I will not. Join me and my men. We could use another hand in the task we’ve set out to achieve.”

The others had arrived now, rallying round Abdul. Two bowmen, a swordsman and a priest… It was like the start to a joke.

“Your only chance is with us. Stay and die here if you prefer,” Abdul surmised, turning his back.

“No, wait! I’ll join you, I can still fight!”

“Good. You better not let me down.”

Warband Leader: Abdul Hameed el-Farah

Traits:

Slippery
Faithful
Solid Defence

Peasant: Munjid al-Zaher

Traits:

None

Imam: Jareer al-Beshara

Traits:

Resilient
Sage Council

Askari: Aaish el-Sylla 

Traits:

Hard to kill
Trained Shot
Main arm wound (now crippled, left the warband)

Askari: Annees al-Hammoud

Traits:

Huge Build
Corrective Shooting

Mamluk Recruit: Arshad el-Sader

Traits:

Take Cover
Knife/Dagger Fighter