The War in the Willows

So, what really happened in the final battle?

Well, it’s pretty much as the story goes.  This was a 6-player game, plus the addition of the Necrowmancer and a ton of Ghasts.

This is the briefing from David, the campaign organiser.

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‘All paths converge upon the ruined hamlet at the centre of the Mercia forest—some of you were led by uncovered clues, others by grim visions, and some by following the trail of foxes through briar and ash.

At the hamlet’s heart stands a broken chapel, encircled by four ancient standing stones carved with forgotten runes. As the parties arrive, each stone exhales a sickly green glow, and from that light spill Mist Wraiths—skull faced and whispering—guardians bound to a deeper, darker will.

Here the truth is finally revealed: the necromouser was no master of death, but a pawn, sent ahead to prepare the way.

Above the chapel ruins, wings beat once in the gloom as the true enemy makes himself known—the Necrowmancer, an ancient crow steeped in death magic, reigning from this blighted lair.

With the Mist Wraiths closing in and the standing stones pulsing with foul power, the final battle is at hand.

If the Necrowmancer falls, the spell upon the land will break, the dead will rest, and word of the victory will reach the prince, who waits to reward those brave enough to end the darkness. Should they fail, the green glow will spread, and the hamlet will be only the first shadow cast across the realm.’

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Being more than slightly scared of the Mushroom Warband, Koda’s Templers and the Nercowmancer and his Death Magic, I decided that I would try to use Hercules to manipulate the position of people if possible.  If I ever got my hands on some precious loot, it was going to be down to Morrigan to secure it with the intent of passing it on to Thomas to keep it safe.

I would allow the other Warbands to draw as much attention from the Ghasts as possible.

As it happened, the Templars and Mushroom Men not only killed the Necrowmancer between themselves but then also took on each other up to the point where the Templars withdrew.

That opened up a window of opportunity which I exploited by flying Morrigan to start the relay race to get the head of the Necrowmancer off the table.

Hercules then transposed Morrigan and Thomas, allowing Thomas, who is much tougher, to haul the heavy load.

The Transpose spell was perfect and worked like a charm.

After that, it was a matter of keeping Thomas healed up whilst making sure that Neville didn’t get taken out of action.

The plan worked perfectly despite at one point having to take on 3 full Warbands, all intent on taking Thomas down.

Here is the after-action report as written by the event organiser, David.

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After Action Report – The Ruined Hamlet

The parties closed in on the ruined hamlet from all sides, with the Misfits and Mushrooms arriving ahead of the rest.

As the final approach was made, the chapel was swiftly encircled by a ring of ghosts, their number swollen by ancient, mythical owl‑bears drawn from legend and death alike. Moments later, that spectral cordon was itself surrounded as the remaining warbands took up position, steel, spell, and malice hemming in the heart of the battlefield.

Koda’s Templars struck decisively, gating Barry directly into base contact with the Necrowmancer, who had shifted away from the densest concentration of enemy warbands.

Two brutal swings shattered the crow’s protective magics and left the Necrowmancer clinging to the last threads of life, perfectly set for Koda to finish the deed. Bellowing, “That thing is mine! No‑one steal my kill!” Koda surged forward—only to watch a bolt of fire erase the final vestiges of the crow’s existence before the charge could land. Fury replaced focus.

Turning on the Squirrel Wizards, Koda’s Templars abandoned the fallen Necrowmancer entirely, but a disciplined barrage of spells forced them into an organised retreat rather than the revenge they sought.

Elsewhere, having secured their secondary objective, the newest party withdrew voluntarily, settling into the tower ruins to observe the remainder of the clash from a position of relative safety.

Sensing opportunity, the Misfits moved with ruthless precision. Morrigan swooped in, seized the chest, and passed it cleanly to Thomas. The snail once again proved why the role of tank suited the creature perfectly, absorbing a punishing barrage of spells and charging mushrooms alike while Neville kept the creature moving with timely healing.

What followed was a manoeuvre straight from the Hamchester United playbook: the prize passed from Thomas to Morrigan, then to Rose, who vanished into the forest with the loot.

Against all odds, the Misfits pulled off the greatest heist of their career—and now stand poised for an audience with the Prince himself.

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I will write up some ‘What Happened Next’ soon.