The War in the Willows

Arriving at the Den

The Misfits gradually rolled in, each looking worn out from their ordeal. Maverick nodded as each arrived, their faces grim.

“No sign of the Necromouser, jefe,” Maximiliano said, shaking his head. “He’s like a ghost, eh?”

Maverick’s expression was stern. “He’s out there, getting stronger by the minute. We need to find him before it’s too late.”

Morrigan landed nearby, his eyes fixed on some point beyond the group. “I navigated the fog. It was trivial.”

Thomas plodded in, looking sheepish, but Morrigan didn’t even glance his way.

Phillipe slipped in, his eyes darting around the room. “Zut, I have news. I saw Briarbrow, the badger from The Bandits of Bracken Tor. They’re also hunting the Necromouser.”

The group exchanged uneasy glances. Maverick’s expression turned thoughtful. “Interesting. We need to be careful.”

Maximiliano nodded as Bramble arrived, looking relieved. “Sí, mi amor, you’re safe. That’s all that matters.” Bramble nodded, her eyes wide. “I’m okay, but I saw some weird stuff in the fog. Like, shadows moving on their own. And I heard whispers. It was creepy.”

Neville approached Morrigan, his eyes shining with admiration. “Morrigan, how did you get through the fog?”

Morrigan’s response was brief. “I flew.”

____________________

The Next Day

Maximiliano’s sword sliced through the air, the blade flashing in the sunlight as he moved with fluid precision. His training session was intense, his focus solely on the movements.

Hiss… swish… tap.

He spun, the sword arcing through a complex pattern, his eyes locked on an invisible foe.

Bramble crouched in the bushes; her eyes fixed on Maximiliano. She watched, mesmerised, as he moved with a quiet confidence. A small smile played on her lips.

Maximiliano paused, sweat beading on his brow, and caught Bramble’s gaze. He grinned sheepishly. “¡Hola, mi amor! Watching me, eh?”

Bramble’s cheeks flushed, but she didn’t look away. “Just checking you’re not going to chop your ear off.”

Maximiliano chuckled, lowering his sword. “I’ll try my best.” He walked over to the bushes, offering Bramble a hand. “Want to spar with me?”

____________________

The Scouting Party

Thomas, antennae twitching with importance, led the group through the forest, consulting his map and compass. “Alright, according to protocol, we should head due east to reach the old oak landmark.”

Morrigan snorted, flying ahead and hovering near Thomas’s shoulder. “Oh, great, because Thomas’s sense of direction is infallible. Said no one ever.”

Thomas’s face tightened. “I navigated us out of the fog just fine, thank you.”

Morrigan’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Yeah, that’s why you ended up exactly where we started after walking in circles.  Protocol 12, subsection C blah, blah, blah…'”

Neville chuckled, trying to intervene. “Hey, guys, did you hear about the Snail who took his shell off to move faster?”

Thomas and Morrigan ignored him, locked in their usual battle.

Neville tried again. “It just made him more sluggish!”

Thomas sighed, eyes on the map. “Morrigan, can you scout ahead? Just stay within sight.”

Morrigan mock-failed dramatically, plummeting towards the ground before catching himself. “Oh, sure, because I’m the one who won’t get us lost. Famous last words: ‘Thomas knows what he’s doing.”

Neville laughed awkwardly. “Guys, lighten up… how about this one: why did the rabbit go to the doctor?”

Thomas’s patience wore thin. “Neville, not now.”

Morrigan snarked, “Because he had hare-loss?”

The group lapsed into uneasy silence, Thomas’s antennae twitching with irritation.

As the group continued through the forest, they stumbled upon a hidden clearing with an ancient, moss-covered Temple. Thomas’s eyes widened as he consulted his map.

“This is it! The Temple of the Whispering Oak! I’ve studied it in the Guild archives. It’s a key landmark.”

Morrigan raised an eyebrow, hovering near what he would describe as a decrepit ruin. “So, what’s the big deal?”

Thomas’s excitement grew. “I was part of the team that tried to map this place years ago. We got lost… I got us lost. But I knew it existed! This is proof I wasn’t wrong.”

Neville grinned, patting Thomas’s back. “Told you, Thomas! You’re a genius!”

Morrigan snorted. “A genius who can get lost in a broom closet with the light on.”

Thomas ignored him, approaching the Temple with reverence. “This changes everything. I can update the Guild maps… redeem myself.”

The group explored the shrine, finding ancient symbols and etchings. Thomas carefully transcribed notes, his antennae twitching with vindication.

Morrigan leaned against a pillar, arms crossed. “So, Thomas’s Temple of Awesome. What’s the takeaway?”’

Thomas looked up, a rare smile on his face. “It means I’m not crazy. Fate has brought me here.”

____________________

Den Improvements

The Den’s fire crackled, casting a warm glow over the group. Bramble, Thomas, Phillipe, Morrigan, and Maverick sat around the central table, discussing their findings.

“So, the Temple of the Whispering Oak is out in the wilds,” Thomas said, consulting his notes.

Morrigan snorted. “If Thomas didn’t get the coordinates scrambled.”

Thomas shot him a look. “I double-checked.”

Maverick nodded thoughtfully. “Where’s Max and Neville?”

Bramble checked the clock. “They should be back by morning. Max said they were just picking up a few things.”

Morrigan raised an eyebrow. “With Neville as shopping buddy? Sounds like a recipe for disaster.”

Bramble smiled. “Neville’s learning. And Maximiliano’s keeping him out of trouble.”

____________________

Maximiliano and Neville stood outside the darkened schoolhouse, the loud snoring of Neville’s former wizard teacher, Professor Pembly, echoing through the windows.

“Alright, Neville, we need to get in,” Maximiliano whispered, gesturing to the upper window. “See that window up there? Looks ajar, sí?”

Neville’s eyes widened. “But… isn’t this breaking in?”

Maximiliano winked. “Borrowing, Neville. We’re borrowing books. For a good cause, amigo.”

Neville looked uncertain, but Maximiliano boosted him up to the window.

They slipped inside, finding themselves in Professor Pembly’s cluttered library. “Ah, perfecto,” Maximiliano whispered, scanning the shelves. “Look at the top shelves, amigo.”

Neville’s eyes widened. “Ooh, you mean the… the restricted ones?”

Maximiliano grinned. “The ones Professor Pembly said you weren’t ready for. But we’re on a mission, sí?”

Neville hesitated, looking torn. “I… I wasn’t allowed to touch those…”

Maximiliano chuckled. “That’s why we’re perfecto for the job. We’re resourceful, Neville.”

Neville’s gaze landed on a book with a gleaming silver clasp. “Ooh… ‘Learn Lightning Bolt’…”

Maximiliano followed his gaze. “Ah, sí… tempting, isn’t it, amigo?”

Neville’s eyes sparkled. “I always wanted to learn that one…”

Maximiliano laughed softly. “Remember, it’s not stealing, we’re liberating the books, freeing them from the confines of the shelves, comprende?”

Neville carefully pulled down the “Learn Lightning Bolt” book, his grin growing wider. “Just for reference, of course.”

Maximiliano chuckled, tucking a few other books into a bag. “Of course, amigo. Let’s go.”

As they slipped back out the window, Neville whispered, “This is going to be epic…”

____________________

The Library 

Maverick surveyed the stack of books on the Den’s table, his eyes widening. “Where did all this come from?”

Maximiliano grinned sheepishly. “Neville and I… uh… ‘borrowed’ them from Professor Pembly’s.”

Maverick facepalmed. “Max, we don’t need more trouble with Magic users of any kind.”

Bramble intervened, sorting through the books. “But think about it, Maverick. This is gold. We could learn so much.”

Maverick’s expression turned thoughtful. “Alright. Phillipe and I will set up a library. We can study, improve our skills.”

Bramble’s eyes lit up. “I’ll help! We can organise it, make it a proper resource.”

Phillipe, hovering nearby, nodded enthusiastically. “Ooh, une bibliothèque! I can help cataloguer!”

Maverick nodded. “Phillipe and I can do the heavy lifting. Let’s make it happen.”

The group set to work, transforming a corner of the Den into a cosy library. Neville slipped in, “Learn Lightning Bolt” book peeking from his bag.

Bramble smiled. “Perfect timing, Nev. We need your expertise.”

As the library took shape, Maverick smiled, a rare sight. “This’ll make us better, stronger.”

____________________

The group stood amidst the burgeoning library, books stacked haphazardly, awaiting organisation. Maverick turned, a nod to Thomas. “Thomas, you’ve got the most… organisational experience. How about you take charge as librarian?”

Thomas’s antennae twitched with excitement. “Me? Really?”

The group nodded, expectant.

Morrigan’s face contorted in horror. “No, no, no! Thomas, you can’t be serious! He’ll… he’ll…”

Morrigan trailed off, realising he was volunteering. “Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll be the librarian.”

Thomas looked crestfallen, then resigned. “I’ll… help Morrigan.”

Morrigan glared at the group. “This is a catastrophe.”

Bramble chuckled. “Morrigan, you’ll be great. And Thomas can be your… assistant?”

Morrigan’s expression darkened. “Thomas, don’t touch anything without asking.”

The group laughed, relieved. The library was in… questionable hands.

______________________________

And what did all that mean?

The group once again survived without so much as a scratch.

Maximilliano did some training to get the extra XP he needed, which in turn enabled him to get a roll on the advancement table.

My Scouting party, led by Thomas, went into the wilds where they located a Temple of Light.  This meant that Thomas would start the next game with an impressive 5 fate points.

Maverick, Bramble and Phillipe did some labour, so I could build a Den upgrade.  After a little thought, I settled on a Library.  My decision was heavily influenced by the fact that the entire Warband got to roll on the advancement table this round and almost all the rolls were for shooting skill upgrades, except for Bramble, my primary archer, who got to increase her concealment and Morrigan, the only other model armed with a bow, who got an increase to his fortitude.

A library would allow me to slightly adjust future advancement rolls by +/- 1 giving me a little more control over what upgrades each character gets.

I assume that Bramble has been sneaking looks at Maximilliano, and Morrigan’s close call with death in the first battle has had some kind of lasting impression on him.