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Mike Montesa
United States
El Cerrito
California
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This is a recounting of the finale of the Mouse Guard campaign I ran last year. The session took place in September, and since it was the last session, no prelude for the following session was made (since the one immediately afterward was the Winter session).
Anyway, I've tried to remember what happened although it may be more a general outline than a blow by blow account.
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Mice in attendance were:
Hafgan (Chris) - Session Goal - I will capture Viero myself.
Marren (Jack) - Session Goal - I will capture Viero myself.
Eodwina (June) - Session Goal - Convince Hafgan to be my mentor.
Abrahm (Mike) - I will prove to Eodwina that I am worthy to be her mentor.
After exposing the spy ring in Darkwater, the patrol learned that Viero and his pirates were planning a major raid on the coastal town of Dawnrock, to take place during the Morten Harvest festival.
Gwendolyn, acting on consul from her best Guard Captains, has decided to engage the pirates. Secret, sealed orders have gone out to every Patrol in the Territories that can be spared to head for Dawnrock. Likewise, certain trustworthy merchants and friends of the Guard have volunteered their ships for this action.
Once assembled, the Guard is to help the Dawnrock militia and the volunteer flotilla lay a trap for Viero and his band.
The scene opens in Dawnrock. The town is preparing for the Morten Fest, and at the same time, to defend itself from Viero’s pirates. Most of the townsfolk are ignorant of the marshalling of forces, and Guard members have been instructed to keep mum about why they are in town. Fully ten Guard Patrols, including our heroes, are present.
A meeting is taking place in the militia barracks. Present are Corwyn, leader of the town militia, Lynelle, the mayor, Owain, Guard Captain and military tactician, and Master Garret, commander of the merchant fleet. Since they are the ones who uncovered the conspiracy and delivered the information in the first place, the Patrol is expected to give their input on plans for the upcoming confrontation.
Marren gives a quick briefing on the situation. Viero could have as many as 250 pirates if all four of his ships have full crews.
Dawnrock’s defenders include:
The Dawnrock militia – 100 militia-mice
Mouse Guard – 35 Guard Mice in 10 Patrols
Merchant Flotilla – 3 ships, approximately 120 crew mice total
Corwyn and Lynelle are opposed to Owain’s plan to allow the pirates to land and engage them in the streets of Dawnrock. At the same time, Master Garret and his flotilla moves to block the harbor and prevent the pirates escaping.
But Corwyn and Lynelle want the fight taken to the pirates and says the Guard should engage them at sea using Master Garret’s flotilla. Master Garret so far has not supported either course of action but wants to minimize the risk to the ships in his fleet.
The discussion is heated and an argument ensues. Marren, backed by Abrahm and Hafgan, push for allowing the pirates to land and then ambushing them. Mayor Lynelle and Corwyn plea with them to consider the risks and the potential damage. Marren says there are always risks in war and sacrifices have to be made, and not very politely suggests that the Mayor and Corwyn are just a couple of shirking violets. Abrahm points out that if the pirates are engaged at sea they could probably get away and come back again.
When the argument is settled, the Guard's plan to allow the pirates to land prevails, though the Dawnrock city council is greatly disturbed.
Preparations are made. A watch is posted at the lighthouse on the point of land outside the harbor. Townsmice are told to stay in their homes, doors barred and weapons ready, if they have any. Easily mobile barricades are constructed from wagons enabling streets to be closed off in a hurry. The militia is turned out, and Guard patrols dispersed around town. The docks, where the pirates are likely to land, are also made ready. Militia and Guard squads take up hiding places. Hafgan, Marren and Eodwina decide they will lead the town militia at the docks, and be the first to engage the pirates when they land.
The following morning, as the fog lifts, Abrahm is on his watch at the lighthouse. Offshore he sees Viero's pirate fleet approaching. He rings the lighthouse bell as a warning and then runs back into town. As he races along the shoreline path, the pirate ships sail past toward the docks.
Everyone stands to arms and awaits whatever happens next. The pirate ships approach the Dawnwater docks, but in the slowly lifting fog, they see no one there. The streets are empty! Perhaps thinking that the townmice have fled, the pirates dock their ships and greedily swarm off onto the piers. Guard Captain Corwyn signals Hafgan to blow the charge.
A short bugle call raises a battle cry from the hidden militia mice and Guard Patrols. They charge out of their hiding places and charge into the pirates on the docks!
Taken totally by surprise, the pirates simply fight for their lives, all thoughts of looting forgotten. The pirate leader Viero rages from the deck of his ship at his mice, trying to encourage them forward, but most of them seem only interested in fleeing back aboard their ships.
Hafgan, Marren and Eodwina are at the head of a column of militia and Guard mice driving through the press toward Viero's ship. They mean to take him down one way or the other! Marren exults in her swordplay, skewering pirates left and right, while Hafgan dispatches the sea-going thug-mice with aplomb (and a good whack from his axe). Eodwina pincushions pirates with her arrows.
But the pirates aren't done yet. One of their ships landed further away and the pirates from that ship are moving up on the Dawnrock defenders' flank. But Abrahm, running back into town, sees this and commandeers another group of militia mice and Guard patrols. At the head of this flying column, Abrahm hits the pirates from behind in an attack so powerful that the pirates are overwhelmed and quickly surrender.
On the deck of Viero's ship, the Patrol furiously presses forward. Marren is in rage and furiously goes blade to blade with Viero. The pirate leader can't sustain the blows and falls to his knees on the deck. He surrenders his sword to Marren and is taken prisoner. The battle ends in victory for the defenders of Dawnrock!
Afterward, most of the Patrol spends time resting and recovering from their wounds and other conditions. Hafgan, however, goes back to Lockhaven. Viero is to be tried and punished, but before this, Hafgan wants to interrogate him. The pirate leader, already broken and despondent says that his entire operation was financed by "foreigners". "And who are these 'foreigners'" Hafgan asks?
"The weasels," comes Viero's hissed reply.
Viero is sentenced to banishment beyond the Scent Border, and a patrol escorts him to his doom the next day.
Although Hagfan and Marren both wanted to capture Viero, Marren succeeded though Hafgan was hardly upset about it. Through his leadership Abrahm did manage to convince Eodwina of his sincerity. Eodwina herself perhaps matured a bit and let go of her grief over Theo's death, finally accepting Abrahm as her mentor.
Fall begins to give way to Winter, and the mice of the Territories settle in.
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The session ended there. We followed that up a month later in October with the Winter Session and our campaign ended there (hoping to continue, which we haven't done yet).
In the Winter Session, you do some housekeeping and review of the events of the year. Characters rest and recover, practice skills, and reflect on what happened and how it affected them. This is a very important part of the game as characters may change Traits.
Marren seemed to have unlocked a lot of old ghosts, changing most of her Traits. In the seasons to come she will be known for being Clever and Forceful, and having a reserve of Rage she'll have to struggle to keep in check.
Abrahm finally got his head out of the clouds to focus more on the here and now, becoming more Determined than ever in his duty to the Guard.
Hafgan realized the value of teamwork and swore an oath of Loyalty to his Patrol-mates. He spend most of his Winter writing an account of the Battle of Dawnrock (and his part in it of course) that goes on to become a bestseller in the Territories.
No longer the selfish and independent Tenderpaw, Eodwina left those traits behind. In the years to come, she would be more known for her Quick Wits and Decisive manner.
In a mid-Winter ceremony, Abrahm, Hafgan and Marren looked on with pride as Eodwina was awarded her cloak and promoted to the rank of Guardmouse.
At the start of the new year, 1154, the Patrol gathered on the Lockhaven terrace to remember their departed comrades, Arkady and Theo.
The rest of the Winter passes without major incident. As the first days of Spring arrive, so does a haggard and half-dead Guardmouse, last survivor of a patrol sent out just before the new year. His message is grim and terrible.
Pebblebrook is lost. The weasels have taken the town...
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And we stopped there. The campaign is currently on hiatus. I don't know if or when we'll start up again, but I know I'd be happy to get back to it!
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Michael Erb
United States
Parkersburg
West Virginia
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Mike, excellent session report. Makes me want to try out the game.
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Jason Carter
United States
Waldorf
Maryland
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merb101 wrote: Mike, excellent session report. Makes me want to try out the game.
Agreed, excellent session report. I borrowed a friends copy but am holding out for the box set before I buy it!
Mouseguard Box Set: http://davidpetersen.blogspot.com/2010/10/mouse-guard-rpg-bo...
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Yoki Erdtman
Sweden
Södertälje
Handsome devil huh?
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Great session report and campaign wrap-up (pause?) Mike, sounds like a great session.
Stinger wrote: In a mid-Winter ceremony, Abrahm, Hafgan and Marren looked on with pride as Eodwina was awarded her cloak and promoted to the rank of Guardmouse.
What color cloak did Abrahm award Eodwina?
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