[HH23] Farmer's Market Frenzy

[Mr. President]

Dreamling Blacksmith: You're really a knight of Aslantaine? Wow!

Syr Evan: A Knight-Errant, yeah. I've got more quests to complete before I become a Knight of the Realm.

Blacksmith: So are you on a quest now?

Evan: Sort of, yeah. I was sent here by Syr Roderick of L'Anse aux Meadows . . .

Blacksmith: Yes?

Evan: . . . To buy a pumpkin.

Blacksmith: That . . . doesn't seem like a very knightly quest.

Evan: Everyone starts somewhere.



Blacksmith: That's a fair point. And you've come to the right place - our village is famous for its pumpkins, and the harvest has just come in!

Evan: That scarecrow . . . is that . . .?

Blacksmith: John Barleycorn, the Lord of the Harvest.

Evan: I'm just not used to his icons being so . . .

Alfhild the Singer: They've hired men with the scythes so sharp, to cut him off at the knees . . .

Blacksmith: John Barleycorn harvests more than just pumpkins.



Evan: You must be the mayor.

Mayor: MacGuffin's my name! Welcome to the village, syr knight! Are you here for a pumpkin?

Evan: I am! Do you still have any?

Mayor: We do, yes, but you'll have to be quick. Some other of your folk are passing through right now - they're in the inn, so maybe you'll get to meet some of them later . . .



Mayor: . . . but I know these gentlemen here were definitely after some.



Evan: . . . the Azure League. Ugh.

Merchant: How much for all of the pumpkins, Mayor?

Evan: What? All of them?! You can't possibly need all of them!

Merchant: Well, we need some for the vegetable markets . . . and the soup market . . . and the specialty liquor brewers . . . not to mention the pumpkin futures market . . .

Evan: I don't know what that last one means. But I only need one.



Merchant: We're on a very tight budget. My distributor is expecting all of the village's pumpkins.

Evan: I'm sure they are, but I only need one. Surely -

Guards: ...



Commence battle

[Mr. President]

Turn 1



The merchant dashes for his cart, hoping to find something of use.



Potentially delicious, but not very deadly. [feat failed]



Evan: Fair skald? I know you weren't originally here for this, but I could use a little help . . .

Alfhild: Three against one doesn't seem very sporting. I'm with you, syr knight! [feat successful]



Fortunately, like all Northlanders, Alfhild has an axe on her at all times, and quickly cuts down one of the guards.



The guard's blood has spilled on the icon of John Barleycorn. But I'm sure it'll be fine.



Meanwhile, the dreamling blacksmith and baker have armed up, alarmed by the sudden outburst.

Turn 1 overwatch:

[Mr. President]

Turn 2



John Barleycorn harvests more than just pumpkins.



This is the Lord of the Harvest's season. An offering has been made. A pumpkin specter joins the battle!



Mayor: This is bad! Very bad! It's time for the emergency option!



The specter calls three more of its kind to the battle! (At least I meant it to be three, but for some reason I didn't put the others at this point.) [feat successful]



Then it turns its attention to the merchant.



The dreamlings engage one of the summoned specters, but don't roll high enough to damage. (The second Azure League guard went after the original specter, but I don't seem to have a photo of them this turn for some reason.)



One of the inn's guests has joined the battle: Syr Isolde, famous paladin!

Turn 2 overwatch:

[Mr. President]

Turn 3



The specter takes out the dreamling baker . . .



. . . while the two that I forgot to place before prepare for battle.



But Isolde's holy blade avenges the baker!



Evan and Alfhild move to help her, drawing the attention of the other two specters.



Dreamling reinforcements arrive!



And the Mayor returns . . . with a sort of centaur golem? With a weird glowing stone in its chest?

Isolde: My head . . . argh! . . .

The stone radiates a strange dull light and an aura of doom which the paladin seems particularly sensitive to. She won't be able to take any actions next turn!

Turn 3 overwatch:

[Mr. President]

Turn 4



The spear-din parts, and Alfhild finds herself face-to-face with the original specter.

Alfhild: A foe worthy of song . . .



The centaur golem charges . . . at Evan?!



The cavalry is here to back him up. He's going to need it!

Turn 4 overwatch:

[Mr. President]

Turn 5



The next the best inn guest has arrived!



The centaur golem scatters and disrupts everyone attacking it!



Isolde takes out another of the summoned specters.



This guy fucks flies



He goes for a headlock on the golem, intending to steer it into the lake . . .



. . . but the golem's not just built like a horse, it bucks like one too!



This leaves it open for Syr Evan to strike it in the weakpoint for massive damage!



Isolde: Skald! Catch!



Alfhild: He said, let's get out of this town,
Ride out of the city, away from the crowds.
I thought, heaven can't help me now;
Nothing lasts for ever - but this is gonna take you down!

Specter: . . . and the cold wind of autumn shall flay the flesh from -



Final overwatch

[Mr. President]

Epilogue



Isolde: - messing with these things can have terrible -

Mayor: - you have no right to tell us how to defend -

Evan: What are they talking about?

Alfhild: Eh, who knows. Here, don't forget this.

Evan: A pumpkin! One of them survived! You've already done so much, Alfhild. I don't know how to thank you.

Alfhild: I was glad to have been part of your quest. Next time we meet, you'd better have lots of stories. I always need new material for my songs.

Evan: I can see it now - "The Saga of the Pumpkin-Slayer". Sweet.

[MadMario]

Gameplay: 3
Photography: 3
Violence: 3
Writing: 4
Overall Appearance: 4

A nice little battle. Pumpkins: check. Could´ve used a bit more violence, and the heavy use of close-up pice makes it sometimes hard to follow the action a bit. Yet nevertheless an entertaining battle!

[Valiant]

Gameplay: 2
Photography: 2
Violence: 2
Writing: 3
Overall Appearance: 3

Good story. Well done on keeping the writing tight with a small cast of characters and location.
The photographs were lacking. It is difficult to stay engaged with the gameplay and the story when the majority of photographs are close-ups, and looking down on the characters.

Some advice for your next photography session. Have some fun with your camera! If you don't have the option of a DSLR or a high-resolution zoom, it helps to put your subjects on an elevated plane (a table, some wooden planks, Lego bricks, etc.). This will give you the freedom to shoot from below your subjects, be on the same plane as them, or even do a close-up without having to zoom in. If you want a good example, check out Bertinator's entry for HH23 - he's skilled with camerawork and lighting.

You integrated the pumpkin/spooky theme into your BR perfectly: good job.

[The PumpKing]

Gameplay: 3
Photography: 3
Violence: 3
Writing: 5
Overall Appeal: 5

Love the fairy/folk tale and overall classic DnD party feel to this battle. I could easily see this a Brikwarsy iteration of an actual one-shot campaign, just a lil' something spooky for the season. Great stuff! Could have been more bloody and gory, and blah blah blah, but it was still visually fun too.