In last week's post the expedition led by Frederick Cartington was reduced to himself and seventeen bearers, following an ambush by 9 hostile "Tribals" and whilst he may have food to feed himself for two hundred days in the wilds of 'Jimland' he is still several days from safety with only his trusty rifle and stiff upper lip for protection.
Herewith then, the final chapter
From the Journal of Frederick Cartington, in Jimland: (continued)
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| The six natives on the flank f the expedition |
"Swiftly burying our dead, I decided to immediately head for the relative safety of Jim's Landing, some four days' journey.. We once more continued South following the river, looking for a suitable camp site when cries from the rear of the column alerted me to yet another native attack. I immediately took up a defensive stance whilst ordering the bearers to safety, the sticky mud of the stream not helping. The Natives were few in number and I soon saw them off".
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| Desultory native rifle fire as their spear men rush forward |
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| Chaos as the bearers run in all directions, Frederick stands firm... |
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| ...and bags a bad guy - One down, two to go! |
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| Bearers everywhere; Frederick still standing firm(ish) with two bearers |
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| Enemy Spear-men rush to their deaths! (I threw a 1,2 and a 1 on 3D20s!) |
"What a day yesterday was, but we picked ourselves up and made good progress going SE through familiar terrain, encountering a few Natives that ignored us- for once! One of the Natives also pointed out an unusual plant - I pretended interest."
Almost as soon as got going, we were again attacked in the rear whilst once more crossing a stream. Same routine, I took up a defensive position in cover overlooking the extraction of the bearers whilst the Natives descended upon our rear"
They were, of course, no match for my sure aim and the sacrifice of a bearer bringing down one of the attackers with his final breath"
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| Four of the five natives attacking the rear, the fifth was on a flank attack to their right |
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| Natives close to combat |
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| A bearer dies, but kills his attacker, rifle-fire is ineffective |
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| A Native wades in to attack the bearers stuck in the mud! |
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| Another bearer dies, but so does one of the natives riflemen |
"Our bearers' sacrifice delayed the natives long enough for me to shoot down two of their number, sufficient to make them flee"
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| Pygmies to the front... |
"Making our way to the North-east and the trail that would finally lead us back to Jiml's Landing we were once more surprised by a force of that most dreaded opponent - Pygmies, both to our front and right, rear flank and once again, whilst we were crossing one of those irritating streams so prevalent in Jimland."
"I gave the order to flee even though I was stuck in that damned stream mud!"
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| ...and to the rear and flank! |
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| They swiftly close to our front... |
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| ...and our rear! |
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| The bearers make it to safety, Frerick is stuck! |
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| Frederick looking very lonely |
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| "Every man for himself" |
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| And the Natives continue toclose the range |
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| Frederick joins the exodus, safely in cover |
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| The expedition returns and Frederick counts his blessings (luck) I guess |
"Escaping to the cover of the dense jungle, I picked out two of the Pymies' lethal darts from my flask
and Bible and made my way to the rendezvous point awaiting the arrival of the rest of the expedition."
"Of the seventeen bearers, only three showed up and none of these carried a load of food!" I had gone from having over three months of food to zero in a matter of moments. I did try to hunt for food but I guess the ruckus we had caused scared off any potential game!"
"With rumbling tum, my three bearers and I made a swift, uneventful return to Jim's Landing, passing the more, by now, almost obligatory ruins."
And with the very great threat of the pygmies, (who couldn't hit the legendary barn door - and even when they did Frederick Saved!) and the remarkable dice rolls that saved the expedition right up to the last , when Fred needed a two to a six on a D6 to survive being without food for a day.
It was a nail biting finish to the expedition and on points scored the most successful to date! (well over 500!).
That's it then for this week, next week I'll be posting about some of the things I've also been doing - (other than the recent additional expedition in Jimland!).
Thanks for taking the time to visit and as always your comments are both welcomed and appreciated.
Phew! I thought poor Fred was going to come a cropper when he got stuck in the stream - lucky he carries his mother's old bible with him wherever he goes :-)
ReplyDeleteQuite an eventful journey back to base camp, but he was right about the rifle and stiff upper lip. Well done Fred.
Another great post Joe, (and many thanks for the info via John)!
I must admit that I doubted he would get back alone and he could have fled all the combats if he coul drely on tone or two bearers with food. The mud incident was one of (iirc) three important dice rolls he survived.
DeletePleased to hear you got the info, even if by an indirect route and understand why I thought it had to be that way.
Fred is really stepping up to the roll of the hero Joe repelling all those attacks, I think he made the right call head back to Jim's Landing as this post showed & with his new found wealth should have no trouble funding a new expedition :)
ReplyDeleteYep, I think he now thinks he is indeed the fine figure of a British hero and will probably be able to secure many drinks at Jim;s Landing on the strength of this tale alone.
DeleteThe new expedition has already gone forth ...
Loads of tension in this one Joe, with you saying it was the final one I was expecting Fred to cop it. When the bearers left him in the stream, after he had saved their lives on so many occasions I'm shouting go back and help him you ingratiates.
ReplyDeleteHe came through in the end though, what a hero, with enough money for another journey into the heart of Jimland, hopefully.
Hah, I understand what you say about the bearers, but it's in their contracts that they can't go towards "bad things". I was truly looking for a mjor success at the beginning and at the end was just wanting someone to survive - So tense ? - Yes you could say that.
Delete"Pygmies to the right of him, pygmies to the left of him.." it was like something out of Tennyson! Gripping stuff Joe.
ReplyDeleteThanks MJT, I didn't reckon I could inspire poetry (still don't btw), but another turn stuck in the damn stream and he would have had nine pygmy blow guns shooting at him in stead of just a couple!.
DeleteOh, looking great as always!
ReplyDeleteThanks Michal and over this last week I've even managed to add to the terrain (a needed improvement I think), but more on that in another post.
Delete"Stuck in the Mud," another Zab Productions exciting drama of life and death in the mysterious and dangerous Jimland jungle.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jay, unfortunately mostly death and disappearances in this last venture eh ?
DeleteSo it was a pleasant stroll in the park, then. Will Frederick be writing rave reviews for the Jimland tourist board?
ReplyDelete"Hot climate. Scenic views. Historic locations. Exotic flora and fauna. Interesting natives, who are in the main very forth-coming in getting to know you, and always willing to relieve you of the burden of lugging all your food and luggage around. You'll never forget your adventures in Jimland. Once experienced you'll keep coming back for more. In fact, you might never leave!"
Thakns Roy, your application form for the Jimland Tourist board is in the post.
DeleteIf you mean by pleasant, downright dangerous, nerve-wracking and tense, then you of of course right!
Another nail biting finish to the expedition mate.
ReplyDeleteThanks dGG it did get to look like Fredercik was doomed in the last few days and having only three out of fourteen bearers, each with a half chance of returning to the expedition, was harsh especially as none of them carried any food..and Fredercik not getting his hunting score...
DeleteIt did make it a very close game right until the final home-leg back to Jim's Landing.
Wow. So very close, Joe. Terrific write-up, great photos and plenty of suspense. the definitive "Jimland" blog imho. Looking forward to tne next expedition (or whatever you post as its always entertaining) :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Blaxx, I do hope the account of it came across as tense, but exciting and as for this being "the definitive "Jimland" blog", (even if true).I think being the only blog to be currently posting these games, it's a bit of a stretch
DeleteHuzzarh! Totally Spiffing old bean toughly decent read I should say.
ReplyDeleteAlthough not the success it could have been at least he survived and the possibility of another jaunt exists.
"Thank you good sir, I'll have a B&S and relate to you more tales of derring-do."
DeleteStrangely enough, even if being the most succesful expedition to date, it never felt like it when the going got particularly rough!
What a fabulous finale!
ReplyDeleteThanks you Michal, for a game with such simple mechanics, it's surprising how many tricky decisions have to be made (though most of the Native ones were decided by dice).
DeleteIn my ownmind, I even have some well defined tactics as both e the NAtive force and the expedition.
That was a bit of a tense one!
ReplyDeleteThanks Brummie, I couldn't have believed that playing solo could have such an emotional roller-coater of experiences.
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