Last two game sessions the Northern Rose company helped the sons of Ragnar take over East Anglia. Over the winter they helped pacify the region but an underground resistance of christian priests formed to drive the Danes out. They busted out some Old Testament style miracle and a darkness descended upon the city of Northwick. They claimed that unless the Danes left the area the darkness would increase and kill everyone in it.
The party, even those of Christian faith, deemed this a little extreme, and probably the work of the devil.
Those in the company with knowledge of theology and the occult determined one possible way to counter the darkness would be to use the legendary Flame Banner, which was thought to be held in a monastery to the north.
Pipin, Hakkon, Candice and a small bodyguard travelled 3 days to the monastery, but found the path blocked by a Viking warband.
The vikings had tried to pillage the monastery but were defeated by the young "Red Cap" warriors that defended it.
The vikings settled in to a seige. The party spoke with the vikings, and Hakkon convinced them we also wanted to pillage the monastery and that we would help them get a gate open.
They agreed to let us pass and we went up to the monastery.
The events in the monastery are detailed on my last blog post, but basically we recovered the flame banner. However, 3 days had passed. Clearly we had not kept our deal to help the vikings and we still have to get passed them to go back to Northwick. We hadn't talked with them yet, but we assumed they wouldn't be happy.
Time of the essence, and the Red Caps spoiling for a fight, we recruited them to help us bust through the Viking force.
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| The Vikings have left a guard at the bridge. They see us coming and raise the alarm. |
The first group of Red Caps goes across and punches through.
The Vikings turn out of their billets and begin to form shield wall.
Candice shoots their officer through the eye (he got his shield in the way- but lost his nerve as well as half his vision). White cloak running away.
Sergeant of the Burning Men "Bearded Axe" (our long lost friend Pete) takes his squad around the flank.
The remaining two Red Cap platoons bicker over who should cross next until Candice sorts them out.
The two shieldwalls are finally complete, facing each other, waiting to see who will make the first move.
Candice, from her spot on a nearby roof, launches the "flash" bomb, an arcane device found in the previous session.
Our well drilled troops duck behind their shields on her warning.
The explosion blinds several of the Vikings. "Charge!" Commands Pipin.
The shieldwalls clash. The vikings are stronger, the Red Caps better trained, but the flash device proves to be just the edge needed and several gaps open in the viking shieldwall .
Viking archers go around the right flank.
An arrow wounds one of Pipin's Christian Brotherhood.
Viking first line starts to fall back.
Before they can be reinforced by the Shield Maiden Helga, Beardedaxe comes around the flank and challenges her to fight single combat.
The second platoon of Red Caps drives away the Viking archers.
Helga sends a serious slash across Beardedaxe ' face, enough to kill a lesser man. He flirts with unconciousness. She takes the opportunity to run back to the last line of vikings.
"Parly!" Shouts Jarl Guthred, his men now badly outnumbered , several captive and several fled.
The Danes have a priest among them, who has been trying to convert them. Guthred sends Father Olaf out to negotiate . "How can this end peacefully?" He asks.
Pipin demands the vikings convert on the spot, and accept baptism in the river.
Guthred, who turns out cares for his hide a little too much, hastily agrees to the forced conversion of himself and his men. His daughter Helga, a fanatic of the old gods, will have none of it and stabs him in the back of the neck. A fight breaks out between the remaining Vikings as they choose sides.
