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

Outremer Warband: Sir Egbert the Careless

Warband Leader: Sir Egbert the Careless

Sir Egbert has come to the Holy Lands in search of atonement for several unfortunate incidents in his past. He earned his unfortunate moniker when, at the celebration of his 16th birthday, he joined the entertainers in breathing fire. Unfortunately, his inexperience in the technique and enthusiasm lead to him accidentally igniting a tapestry in the hall where the feast was taking place. The ensuing inferno killed Egbert’s sister and several guests. In penance, he set out on his pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, dogged by misfortune along his path, including a shipwreck, accidentally alerting the sentries at a bandit camp while assisting the local magistrate in eliminating their group, making what could have been a simple fight much harder. 

Despite these difficulties, he did eventually arrive in the Holy Land, and his natural charms and affable nature allowed him to attract several warriors to accompany him. When he isn’t seeking atonement, his main pride and joy is his horse, Charger, who he lavishes constant attention and care on. The lands he has been granted in the Kingdom of Jerusalem are not the largest, but provide a steady income that allows him to maintain his warband and horse, while he lives in a relatively frugal style as part of his search for atonement.

Traits:

Fast Learner

Shocking Blow

Melee Militia: Gareth of Ascalon

Gareth of Ascalon was born in the port city, the son of a local Christian woman and a merchant captain who vanished at sea. His mother and he lived a poor life, nearly starving on several occasions. On one occasion, the pair only survived due to the timely intervention of the local preacher, an act that cemented Gareth’s faith and devotion to the Church. He often talked to the various pilgrims, knights and warriors passing through the city on their way to the heartlands of the Kingdom, learning much of the world beyond and developing a strong desire to follow the warrior’s path. One knight who resided in the city took a shine to him, and taught him to use a sword.

When he was old enough he joined the city watch, earning enough to keep him and his mother in a level of comfort they haven’t experienced since his father vanished. He rapidly proved one of the most capable of their number, catching the eye of Sir Egbert as he passed through the city on his pilgrimage. The two struck up a friendship, and Gareth chose to join Sir Egbert. He still regularly sends home most of his earnings to ensure his mother lives a good life, and visits whenever their warband passes nearby.

 

Traits:

Faithful

Swordsman

Melee Militia: Matthew the Merry

Matthew the Merry was born into the service of Sir Egbert’s family and accompanied the knight from their estates to the Holy Lands. He is a positively boisterous fellow, always to be found in the centre of the largest party, down in the tavern or out carousing. He is also frequently found in the middle of a fist fight, often one he starts. Despite the occasional incident he causes, Matthew’s fighting prowess makes him an invaluable member of the warband.

Traits:

Amongst Friends

Aggressive Fighter

Ranged Militia: Stephen Longdeath

Stephen Longdeath is a man who talks very little of his past. He recently joined up with Sir Egbert’s group after running into them while he was working as a caravan guard and Sir Egbert’s men joined them to fend off a determined bandit assault. Impressed by his clear skill with the bow, Sir Egbert persuaded Stephen to join up with him. Longdeath has proved his usefulness since, quick on his feet and utterly lethal, he can be relied upon to take out hard to reach targets, even if his tendency to take first pickings of the loot gains him some resentment from the others.

Traits:

Expert Bowman

Fast

Outremer Warband: Beowulf the Powerful

Warband Backstory

Beowulf, Bedwyr, Turi and Llewelyn were thieves in a previous life, Bedwyr was the lookout, Beowulf was the force, Llewelyn made the heist and Turi was the brains behind the operation.

They were once ambushed by those they once stole from. Inches from death, Thomas forced the enemy to redo their previously-successful attacks, causing them to fail the second time round and flee
the group did not know Thomas but were inspired by his willingness to even protect criminals, and soon became fast friends.

Now they travel together, using their powers for good and helping the helpless.

Warband Leader: Beowulf the Powerful

Traits:

Sneaky

Aggressive Fighter

Melee Militia: Llewelyn

Traits:

Sneaky

Focused Thrust

Ranged Militia: Bedwyr

Traits:

Sneaky

All-around awareness

Levy: Turi

Traits:

Sneaky

Loner

Monk: Thomas

Traits:

Dodge

...shall die by the sword

Outremer: Faith and Blood Campaign

Outremer Campaign

So we've decided to kick off a campaign of the new Outremer: Faith and Blood rules from Osprey, so far we've got about 9 warbands assembling (which will be listed below once their backstories etc are complete). 

We're aiming to maintain a rate of about 1 game a week (excluding when the umpire is away from work). 

Warbands:

Sir James the Second - Templars

Beowulf the Powerful - Crusaders

Sir William the Carpenter - Crusaders

Sir Egbert the Careless - Crusaders

Brother Karl the Flagellist - Templars

Hasan ibn Quasim - Saracens
Abdul Hameed el-Farah - Saracens
Rashid al-Harith - Saracens
Usamah ibn-Munqidh - Saracens

Games:

Game 1: Camp Assault, Sir James the Second vs Beowulf the Powerful
Game 2: Capture the Flag, Abdul Hameed el-Farah vs Rashid al-Harith
Game 3: Camp Assault: Usamah ibn-Munqidh vs Sir William the Carpenter

Outremer Warband: Sir James the Second

Warband Leader: Sir James the Second

As the eldest son of Sir James the Calm, the hero of Al Qosimah, Sir James II seeks to follow in his father's footsteps and earn glory on the battlefield. Like most noble sons, he has been trained in the art of warfare, but Sir James II had the additional benefit of a war hero father experienced in fighting the Saracens. Thanks to his father's teachings, Sir James II is well-prepared to deal with the archer-heavy Saracen forces.

Traits:

Fast

Knife Fighter

Take Cover

Knight: Ulrich the Mad

Even amongst the knights of the Holy Order, Ulrich is particularly pious. This is likely because he quite literally hears the voice of the Lord in his head. The Lord's voice, however, is sometimes drowned out by the chattering voices of demons seeking to turn Ulrich away from the righteous path. To combat this and expel the demons from his mind, Ulrich practices self-flaggellation and constantly recites verses from the Holy Bible. To those around him, Ulrich's mutterings and the wounds from his flaggellation have earned him the nickname "Ulrich the Mad", although none would dare say this in his presence. Those who have seen Ulrich in battle find the name even more appropriate, as the tolerance to pain he has built up allow him to fight on even with the most grievous of wounds.

Traits:

Hard to Kill (twice)

Unstoppable Force

Templar Sergeant: Lorencio

On the journey to the holy land, Sir James' party stops at Lisbon to rest and resupply. There he meets Lorencio, a local hunter/trapper making his living off the wildlife in the surrounding hills and forests. To pass the time waiting for his ship to be readied, Sir James accompanies Lorencio on a hunting trip and is so impressed by the man's skills that he asks Lorencio to accompany him on his crusade to the holy land. Lorencio initially declines, as he has a family to take care of and no interest in fighting the wars of others. He is, however, later "persuaded" to join the group by Geoffrey and Ulrich who remind him that God's wrath may befall any who reject His holy mission.

Traits:

Sure footed

Climber

Chaplain: Geoffrey

Geoffrey was an ordinary priest, contentedly spreading the word of the Lord to the local townsfolk. Unfortunately, his imposing stature and at times overzealous speeches often had the opposite of the desired effect, scaring people away rather than bringing them into the church. Hearing of this, the local bishop decides that Geoffrey's talents could perhaps be better used elsewhere and encourages him to join Sir James II.

Traits:

Large Build

The Lord's Light

Healer