NOV.NBR Perdita Vs Zoraida - 25SS

[n0signal]

The Ortegas had been travelling for days and Perdita's family entered the mine itching for a fight. Word was that strange creatures had overrun the place, causing mayhem with the equipment; and then people had started to die. The miners had evacuated and the train station shut down, effectively sealing the place off; with the precious excavated soul stone trapped inside. The Ortegas had been contracted to raid the mines and clear out whatever monstrous filth had taken residence there.

Deep into the mines the Ortegas found a central cavern, rich in soul stone deposits, and it was here that they could see what they were after. Some stones, very pure and very valuable, discarded by the fleeing miners. These were not your normal run-of-the-mill soul stones. They were magically potent, charged, and containing great power. It was obvious to Perdita, upon entering the cavern and feeling the magical energy, why the client wanted them so badly. The gunfighters advanced cautiously into the dripping damp mine and were closing upon their prize, when from the ceiling and walls, gibbering demented shapes started to coalesce and writhe within the shadows.

Suddenly, and almost silently, a hideous fish-like humanoid leap from the dark, landing on the stones and scattering some of them off into nearby fissures; the rest it took up into it's clawed hands and savage maw and began to scamper off into the tunnel. “Everyone stop that damned Silurid!” Perdita exclaimed and the crew opened fire on the pitiful creature. It was wily and dived to and fro into piles of excavated rubble, to no avail, as Peacebringer strikes tore into it's soft fleshy hide. The abominable creature collapsed into a steaming heap, dropping the soul stones all over the place.

It was then that two other Silurids, creatures from the swamp seeming oddly misplaced in this damp subterranean mineshaft, leapt onto Perdita; flailing wildly at her with taloned hands and snapping at her with dripping maws. Keeping her icy cool, the gunfighter weaved and ducked their attacks effortlessly as she and Santiago battered the vile creatures away and eventually smited them down with well-aimed blade strikes. It was during this time that Santiago began to feel something tugging at the back of his mind, a suggestion implanted by some other force that he should perhaps take a shot at Fancisco.

Papa “Loco” Ortega has been keeping out the way towards the back of the crew, watching the rear of the cavern and it was he who first spotted the strange way the slick muddy floor of the mine had begun to bulge and ripple. He gasped and began to twiddle with the fuses of his dynamite as the monstrous form before him dragged itself into existence. Papa's mind snapped. Screaming “Demon-thing!! Bastardo! Come to kill Papa eh!? I'll take yer with me before you do!!” he ran at the creature, fuses of dynamite fizzing away, and threw himself before it. The mineshaft shook with the concussive force of the explosion and the Ortegas all ducked as bits of debris rained down upon them. By some miracle, Papa was still alive, but comically covered in soot and bits of rock and lying dazed on the slimy floor. The huge golem seemed to have shrugged off the blast though, and was regaining it's feet as the Ortegas opened fire upon it, blowing off huge chunks of mud and filth onto the cavern walls.

With a savage roar the creature lurched forward and swung its putrid clawed fist at Papa Ortega, pulverizing him into the dirt. As the impact of the mudman's strike hit the frail old man's body it pierced the unstable, nitro-glycerin sweating, dynamite on his belt and once again a massive explosion filled the mine; blowing timbers down and levelling huge areas of the cavern. The golem howled in anger as it's body was all but disintegrated by the unexpected blast, and as it desperately tried to pull itself back together again, reforming from the muddy slime in the cavern, Santiago put the beat down. He grinned with pride as his bullets accurately found their marks, blowing the beast's limbs off and scattering its filth all over the place. He was about to lower his Peacebringer when he found himself urged to point the thing at Francisco again; he stood there with hands shaking before eventually fighting it off and screamed “Get out of my mind!!”.

The mines echoed with evil cackling laughter as a large black raven swooped out from the shadows, and snatched the scattered soul stones in it's talons. It's evil glare locked eyes with Perdita for a split-second, as the gunfighter launched herself at the bird before it took flight once more and shot for the mine entrance; bidding to make it's nefarious escape with the Guild's prize. “Curse that witch, we must catch her before she leaves the mine. Follow me!” Perdita shouted back as she took off with all the nimbleness and agility her lithe body could afford her. Santiago and Francisco were about to follow when a demented little doll-shape skipped out infront of them. Santiago once again cursed in pain and frustration as the demonic thing tried to batter its way into his mind; he fired wildly at it and Francisco joined him, but the doll just leap and ducked into the rubble scattered across the tunnel floor. All the time, it continued its psychic onslaught, trying to possess the mind of the gunfighter and cause brother to kill brother.

Nino had been patiently guarding the mine entrance, under strict orders from Perdita that no one should enter or leave, and he had found a great spot in some carelessly discarded equipment to camp and wait with his rifle. He had been getting trigger itchy because of all the commotion he could hear deeper down into the mine and it was totally bewildering to him to see a great black bird some swooping out of a tunnel, making it's way for the exit. He would have paid no attention to it had the bird not landed with what looked like a bundle of soul stones and then proceeded to shift it's shape into the Hag from the Bayou. Panicing, his moment of glory approaching, he aimed his repeating rifle at the old witch's head and was about to pop off a shot when something began to tug at the back of his mind. For one reason or another, he just couldn't do it, and his shot went wild.

Perdita was rushing towards the cave exit too and paid no attention to the lumbering form of the mire golem pulling itself back into the world of the living. The vile thing lurched itself out of the muddy slime and started it's slow inevitable walk towards the cave entrance, summoned by it's master The Hag. Perdita found the witch crouched behind a wall near the mine exit, furiously stabbing a small doll with pins. The gunfigher leapt over the wall and fired her Peacebringers at her enemy and as one found its mark, doing very little to distract the age-old creature from it's task, the hairs raised on the back of Perdita's neck and she could feel fate itself weave around her.

The overpowering force of the creature's magic flooded the mine and destiny itself was reordered at the Hag's whim; the crone charged Perdita and effortlessly jabbed poisoned pins into her eyes; bursting them and flooding her system with corrosive filth. Blind and defeated, the gunfighter collapsed into a heap on the floor. Seeing his sister doomed, Nino opened fire, tears streaming down his face as he tried to take revenge upon the Hag. Once the smoke had cleared, the old witch had gone; there was no sign of the mire golem either and as Santiago picked up the wicked doll in his hands, it felt lifeless and dead in his grasp.

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This was a 25 Soul Stone "Crew Box" game (with the addition of Zoraida's Voodoo Doll totem of course) that myself and my friend Major_Gilbear played over the weekend. It was a lot of fun!!

Encounter: Mine

Special Terrain: Soul Stone Vein

Guild Strategy: Treasure Hunt

Guild Schemes: Raid, Hold Out

Neverborn Strategy: Reconnoiter

Neverborn Schemes: Kidnap, Bodyguard (Announced)

Result: DRAW!!

I (Zoraida) didn't bother going for my strategy; with my limited model count I was going to find it hard, so I just loaded up with schemes that could give me 4VP instead (2 for Kidnap and 2 for my announced Bodyguard). I piled Silurids onto Perdita early-game thinking that it didn't matter if I lost them, as long as I could put some damage on her, and then finish her off later in the game with Juju or Zoraida. I also thought I'd use one to steal the Guild's treasure and deny them their strategy, with only having un-announced schemes they them would find it hard to win.

I suspected that Nino was camping where he was because of Hold Out but couldn't be bothered to contest it. I kept Zoraida alive for 2VP but failed at my Kidnap. I took 7 wounds out of Perdita with Zoraida's melee attack and the final wound was denied to me from Nino plugging Perdita in the back of the head. So, basically, because he'd wiped out all my minions, and had kept me out his DZ, he ended with 1+1=2VP. I'd kept Zoraida alive, which I'd announced, for 2VP.

I'd like to thank my friend tho for a very enjoyable game, as always!

[Major_Gilbear]

Good write-up; I liked the story!

It was a close game, and one that I nearly had in the bag until the one (and only) turn I lost the initiative! As that happened in turn 5, it was far too late to do much about - Zee had moved up, taken the Treasure and flown 20" into hard cover out of LOS.

I maybe should have announced the "Hold Out" for more VPs, but I was worried about Bad JuJu just spawning in my deployment zone in the last turn, so I kept quiet. Likewise, if the Silurids had mobbed other Family members or hit-and-run they could easily have made my "Raid!" objective impossible to achieve - this is also why I didn't want to just barrel into Zee with them or become stranded from the rest of the Family by trying to secure the Treasure. Having to intact for an action point made it a tough choice to sacrifice a model's activation to move up and grab it instead of defending itself, and I perhaps played too cautiously. Now though, I'll know for next time, heh.

I did rather like fighting in the mine though, and I hope we get to play a few more underground/indoor games like that 'cos it was fun

Thanks for the game mate, and I look forward to our next!