Scenario 30: A New Threat on Rohan's Borders

Despite dealing with an ambitious Freca, Helm's reign still seemed to struggle, even as several years passed by, there was growing discontent among his people and a fear that a King killing one of his own subjects that way would bring an ill omen to Rohan. Héra on one of her frequent and fun rides out was joined by her shieldmaiden Olwyn, the First Marshal of Riddermark and bodyguard Fréleáf and the attentive and worrying Lief, the Page of Helm. On this particular ride however, they discover a set of tracks caused by an unknown creature and on following them the corpse of a Southern mercenary. As they discuss this new information, the creature that caused the tracks appears, a giant rabid Mûmak. All the entourage quickly remount their horses and get ready to ride away, Héra, snatching the horn from the mercenary they found to force the rampaging beast to follow her. Little do they know, on the other side of this woodland area is a lake containing another beast of myth.

Forces of Good:

Héra, Daughter of Helm with Ashere
Fréleáf,  First Marshal of Riddermark with horse
Olwyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan with horse
Lief, Page of Helm with horse

Forces of Evil:

Rabid Mûmak

Additionally, the following rules are in play:

• The Mûmak is rabid and has no commander, crew or Howdah. However, it gains fearless and changes it's movement to 10".
• Anytime the Mûmak takes a wound on a 4+ it is ignored.
• Anytime the Mûmak moves into contact with a tree it will trample it. (Trees are defence 7 and 2 wounds.)
• Héra may blow the horn at the start or end of her activation, the Mûmak then takes an intelligence test. If it fails it moves D3+1" towards Héra, additionally if it hasn't moved yet it must end it's movement closer to Héra. (We changed this to be moves towards Héra completely.)
• Good Models may not enter lake. Additionally, any time the Mûmak ends it's move within 6" of the lake roll a dice, on a 3+ the creature in the lake has been disturbed and removes the Mûmak as a casualty.
• Héra may call a free Heroic March once per game (Bonus for Good winning the previous scenario)

The Scenario ends on either of the following victory conditions:

• If the Mûmak is slain, the forces of Good win!
• If Héra is slain, the forces of Evil win!
• If two or more Good Heroes are slain, the best result for Good is a Draw!

Deployment

The four Rohan heroes quickly mount up ready to flee as quickly as possible from the rampaging beast as it burst through the trees behind them. The Mûmak itself was just ready to run into the first person is saw regardless of what may get in the way.

Head to the Lake

Héra took the lead, having both the fastest horse and the horn lead the way, calling a Heroic March to spur her guards to escape this beast. The lake being the best place they could think off to lead it. Though having to dart in-between the gaps in the trees and avoid any rough ground limited how far they all could go, Héra while knowing Ashere was used to the woodland terrain, knew that her bodyguards horses we not.

While this gave quite a gap the Mûmak was almost as fast and smashed through any trees that got in its way, locked in on chasing the quartet down.

Thinking they had made enough space for a quick breather and the number if trees between them and the beast the heroes slowed down. This however proved to be a mistake and Olwyn had not quite gotten far enough away. The Mûmak trampled into her and while she herself got away with only a minor srape her horse was squashed underfoot. Using her skill with her shield was able to avoid any further damage from combat.

Rescue Attempt

Now the party were split, Olwyn was stuck on foot right next to the beast which was completely focused on her, while the remaining trio were still mounted with space available to escape at the cost of leaving Olwyn behind. At the behest of Olwyn to escape and Héra remembering the horn she had, she pulled away close to the lake to sound the horn to try and force the Mûmak to target her instead. This gained a brief bit of respite as the Mûmak got stuck on a tree heading for Héra. But it quickly noticed Olwyn again who had made her way close to the lake.

Olwyn now having time to get to the lake runs before the Mûmak and gets nearby the lake in hopes that the creature within will deal with the Mûmak before it gets to her. The remaining trio can do nothing but watch as the Mûmak tramples into Olwyn. With some quick thinking and evasive moves despite her age, she is able to stay standing, albeit barely as she is now severely wounded. 

The creature in the lake however has yet to notice the Mûmak and Olwyn again shows off her skill with her shield to survive another attack from the Mûmak.

The Creature Awakens

Not wanting any chance of the Mûmak getting away from the lake and heading towards her allies, thus putting Héra in danger Olwyn ran as close to the waters edge as she dared, knowing the Mûmak would keep following her. This time the risk paid off though at serious injury to herself. Olwyn would fall to the trampling Mûmak just as massive tentacles reached out of the lake and grabbed the rampaging Mûmak. Then a head followed, big enough that a tree had fully sprouted from it and within moments the Mûmak was swallowed alive.

Concerned over Olwyn's fate Lief and Fréleáf rushed over to check on her and in this minor lapse Héra was able to be kidnapped by a nearby hidden General Targg and his fellow wildmen.

While Olwyn was alive, though just barely, there would be no time for rest as now finding and rescuing Héra was of the utmost importance.

Héra, Daughter of Helm with Ashere 3/2/3 2w (alive)
Fréleáf,  First Marshal of Riddermark with horse 2/3/3 3w (alive)
Olwyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan with horse 1/2/0 1w (alive, bravest companion, recovered d6 - 1 might regained)

Lief, Page of Helm with horse 1/5/1 2w (alive and recovered d3 - 1 might and 1 will)

Review 

This was a scenario with only a few turns but they all have such a big impact. This one ran only for five turns but you have to stay ahead of that Mûmak. A bit of miss measuring and bad placement meant Olwyn was able to get caught but it also meant the Mûmak player actually got to do something rather than just chase.

We played this 3 times and this is very very favoured to the Good side which is likely to be expected. Though this may have been the free Heroic March on Héra helping a lot and maybe we should have had more terrain but we did feel the board was quite well covered. We also did an attempt where the heroes turn around and attempt to kill the Mûmak instead which despite bad dice on both sides they were able to do due to having fight value and might for moves.

Good win the scenario so when rescuing Héra they get to make Evil reroll 1 dice every turn when rolling for sentries.

Also please see the masterfully created Watcher in the lake drawn by the well known David Clubley

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