1 Kelen to the 3 Kelen, 718
Real-Time: 07/04/98 Game #3

1 Kelen, 718: 1st Watch (Midnight to 4am)
 The Tenaci was asleep in its quarters at Verus, Coranan Province.

1 Kelen, 718:2nd Watch (4am to 8am)

(roughly at Dawn) The cohort rose and marched from Verus to Hunnil without stopping (roughly 5 Hârnic leagues.)

At the first break (at Hunnil) Phillipius of Coranan (Manus) used the ale money to buy four mules for his two Tenaci. All other mani bought their Tenaci strong ale from a nearby inn.

1 Kelen, 718:Third Watch (8am to noon)

At the second break (at Noru, after 3 1/2 Hârnic leagues) everyone was given 1 pint of small ale from the commissary wagon stationed in Noru.

(Roughly after noon) as they walked thorough the woods near Riane, the cohort was attacked by bandits. The cohort formed a tight bunch around its officers. Caius and Fennelisa ran down a bandit each and brought them back for questioning. Phillipus fired his bow after the attackers, but to no avail. Corneilus spotted trees that moved (without wind) on the opposite side from the attack. He informed Manus Phillipus, who fired his bow to try and rout those hidden in the thicket. With no reply to the arrow fire, Corneilus entered the thicket with another Milities Linari, but as they approached what they thought to be a man, the apparition vanished. The altercation was soon over, and the cohort had captured 7 of the 30 bandits that had attacked them. There would have been more survivors, but the Tala (Calvary) was feeling restless. The prisoners were marched to Geishteil.

1 Kelen, 718:Fourth Watch (noon to 4pm)

At Geishteil, the bedraggled bandits were locked up in the local caer (castle) and the legion moved on. The cohort was now 2 watches behind schedule, and the Triberties Linari decided to make camp in the commons just outside the town of Tarath. The camp took two hours to construct. Men were set to work putting up their tent inside the circle made by trenching tools sometime last spring. One Tenacius of veterans was put to refreshing the overgrown circle. A second Tenacius of veterans dug the jacks. The rest were put to work putting up their tents, starting fires and manning positions on the edge of the trench. Each man's steak was carefully planted in the ground making a rough circle around the camp.

One of the veterans went around charging 1d to put up the tents. Corneilus managed to put it up on his own, and was paid 1d by the veteran who'd initially offered.

Phillipus of Coranan (Manus) shared his 8lbs of salted venison with his two Tenaci. He also cooked for the II Tenaci (our heroes) who had yet to master the skill for themselves. The I Tenacius of veterans had several cooks among its ranks.

The night was split into 4 pieces. Fennelisa stayed up watch until the sixth watch. The I and II Tenaci retired to their tents while Phillipus put his back against a nearby tree and fell asleep. His horse (Maredius) slowly worked his way over from behind the tent of I Tenacius to the tree (grazing all the way.)

1 Kelen, 718:Fifth Watch (4pm to 8pm)

As Fennelisa was about to end her watch, she saw a man approaching.  She called out to him, and he stopped. Her shout awoke Phillipus who came to join her. He sent Fennelisa to wake Caius, since her watch was over. Fennelisa returns with Caius as Corneilus just rolls over and enjoys having the 5-man tent to himself. Caius takes aim with his bow, Fennelisa keeps her hand on her sword and Phillipus tries to get the stranger to identify himself. Speaking in Rethemi Phillipus learns that the stranger wishes to talk to the man in charge. Eventually the man is permitted to approach. He enters the enclosure through a hole in the wall (they pulled out two steaks to let him in) after climbing up the embankment. The man starts to reach for his sword, and Phillipus flips him. Relieving the stranger of his sword Phillipus sends Fennelisa back to bed, tells Caius he's on watch, and marches the stranger over to the Triberties Linari Michael Nordaka's tent.

1 Kelen, 718:Sixth Watch (8pm to Midnight)

Caius lowers his bow, and begins his watch. He spots a few rabbits grazing beyond the enclosure - but nothing else.

2 Kelen, 718: 1st Watch (Midnight to 4am)

Caius awakens Corneilus for his watch. Sometime during Caius's watch Phillipus had returned to his seat beneath the tree.

2 Kelen, 718: 2nd Watch (4am to 8am)

Phillipus takes over from Corneilus (since they're short handed.)

At dawn revelry sounds. The cohort assembles quickly. One man from each Tenaci tears down and packs the tent, a second puts out the fire while a third retrieves the tenaci's steaks from the wall.  The remaining two are suppose to assure all the gear is removed from their campsite. Caius's Tenaci (II Tenaci) has doubleduty making up for their missing members. The cohort is on the move less than a candle (roughly 1 hour) after dawn.

2 Kelen, 718: 3rd Watch (8am to Noon)

The Cohort marches to Fobin with only a brief (1 candlemark - or roughly 15 minutes) near the town of Sipazer (the halfway mark between Geishteil and Fobin.)

Their arrival in Fobin is welcomed by the 4 cohorts currently stationed in the keep. The new cohort forms ranks in the courtyard and listens to Triberties Linari Primus Horik Baral's greeting to their officers. Micheal Nordaka (Triberties Linari,) Phillipus of Coranan (Manus Primus) and his I and II Tenaci remain behind as the remainder of the cohort retires to make an un-walled camp outside the keep.

2 Kelen, 718: 4th Watch (Noon to 4pm)

I and II Tenaci are moved into the soldier's barracks (rightmost rooms, first row) while Manus Primus Phillipus and Triberties Linari Micheal Nordaka take rooms in the officer's house. The II Tenaci quickly decide to move two of the five beds provided into the storage area at the back of their room. Corneilus goes to the well in the courtyard to get two buckets of water, Fennelisa starts cleaning while Caius takes a walk about the keep to see if he can find the key to the strongbox in the storage room.

During their forays they learn that the previous quartermaster was hung for theft. A new quartermaster was suppose to arrive with the cohort. The supply wagons should arrive by 4th watch. Until then no one inside the workshop (a small building to the west of the courtyard) knows where the keys are kept.

"If this is spring, this must be Fobin." said Caius to himself as he wandered around the keep.

At the well there was a lineup of Milities to get water. A veteran was charging 2d apiece to haul up the water from the well. Corneilus decided to do it himself, and managed to get the water half way up before Caius came over to give him a hand. The well is 25' deep and almost 25' around. The lip closes over the well, making the mouth 10' wide in diameter. There is only one pulley, but several ropes that descend. The water was fresh and cold.

At the end of 4th watch a surprise inspection was called. Tenacius I and II received no comments from Triberties Linari Primus Horik Baral as he walked through. Other Tenacius however, were not so lucky.

2 Kelen, 718: 5th Watch (4pm to 8pm)

Manus Primus Phillipus of Coranan told his Tenaci (I and II) that they could not leave the keep, but were free to move around.

Corneilus was unable to start a betting pool - but he did learn that the first two Tenaci of the first cohort were sent away from Fobin for some reason, and they (Phillipus's Tenaci) were replacing the veterans.

Dinner was at the end of the 5th watch. It was the standard inedible affair, but there was blueberry pie for desert.

Since Fobin I: Cohort I were new to the keep, they were given a night free of duties.

3 Kelen, 718: 2nd Watch (4am to 8am)

At revelry everyone formed up in the courtyard.

Phillipus of Coranan, the Tala and his two Tenaci went north of the town to practice in the light thicket. The Tenaci formed their wedges and the Milities Primi practiced with their Pikes while the Milities Linari worked to protect their Milities Primus from the rushing horses as they went by.

During a break, one of the workers in the nearby apple orchard asked if they would be in town for the Feast (in Halen). Phillipus said they would.

3 Kelen, 718: 3rd Watch (8am to noon)

The company (2 Tenaci + 1 tala) practiced until noon. They had standard fare for lunch. Phillipus would not let the tala make a cooking fire for fear that the dry thicket would catch. Shortly after lunch a runner came from the keep ordering the company back to Fobin.

3 Kelen, 718: 4th Watch (noon to 4pm)

Upon arrival, the company formed up with a short cohort and marched north to Rusna. The small town was already ablaze. Legionnaires from nearby forts arrived quickly and began to douse the blaze. The cohort headed north towards the ruins, where the bandits were said to have fled. Phillipus ordered a Tenaci each to go north and south, while the compartes and Milities Auxilliari took aim at the ruins with their bows. The tala rushed the wall, riding hard to its edge and then turning around quickly - trying to draw out the bandits, or at least get them to stand and try to fire.

The ruins are what is left of a Kandian keep that was razed in the year 714TR. There are a five stone pillars in two rows (one of 3, one of 2) about 10' behind a crescent-moon shaped wall that stands 7' wide and about 5' high. Small piles of debree and broken stone litter the landscape. The grass is between 2 and 3' high, and is broken intermittently by low-lying shrubbery. The site has been raided by villagers for its stone and wood several times. There is no building material of any worth left on this site. Bits of shattered wood are imbedded into the earth below the green grass.

At the southernmost edge of the crescent, the debree is piled up into 4' and 5' tall piles. Caius, Fennelisa and Corneilus snuck down below the grass until they could see past the crescent-moon wall. Among the southernmost pillars they spotted four horses. One of which wore a legionnaire's bit and bridle. They snuck 20' up from the edge of the wall to the first column, but saw no sign of the bandits. They crept another 60' along, reaching the outer edge of the second row of columns. Sighting the second Tenaci - they made hand signals, and walked back in together.

Halfway back through the ruins, our heroes encountered 3 bandits.

The bandits had the element of surprise. One jumped up and completely missed Caius, another jumped up but Corneilus deftly sidestepped his attack. The third jumped up and promptly fell flat on his face beside Fennelisa. Fennelisa took the advantage and whacked her attacker on the back - eventually knocking him out.

Caius charged his attacker and bowled him over with a mightily shield blow. He slashed with his sword and, on his second attack, severed his attacker's arm at the elbow. His attacker quickly passed out thereafter.

Corneilus and his attacker traded blows throughout the fight - neither one able to penetrate the others armor. Eventually Caius came over and tried to hit Corneilus's attacker on the head. He missed - but when the attacker realized he was alone - he gave up. Caius bandaged his opponents wounds and Corneilus stayed with the prisoners.

Caius and Fennelisa followed the sound of another fight and found 8 bandits attacking their 5 compatriots. Caius bowled over the first opponent he could see, and crushed the bandit's hip - but before the bandit could fall over - he tried attacking Caius. Caius's sword became lodged in his breast bone -  killing him instantly.

Fennelisa paired off with a bandit and they traded blows for a while. His blows bounced harmlessly off her armor while hers eventually made their mark - severing deeply into his thigh. He quickly gave up.

3 Kelen, 718: 5th Watch (4pm to 8pm)

Caius rose after dislodging his sword and tried to bowl over another bandit with his tower shield - instead he hit a legionnaire, and sprained his compatriot's hand in the process. The few remaining bandits - upon seeing the Tala approaching the wall with their javelins out - quickly gave up.

As it turns out - the legion horse carried a messenger. No sign of the messenger nor the pouch could be found among the ruins. The bounty from the bandits totaled to 711d in coin and assorted goods. This meant that each legionnaire received 71d - with the remainder going to Phillipus and the legionnaire's fund. The tala declined the bounty - taking instead the three horses.

The prisoners were escorted back to Fobin keep where they were placed in the cells beneath the workshop until sentencing the next day. It was late when the cohort returned, it had been slowed by the travois and wagon (picked up in the town of Rusna) to carry the wounded. The men, after depositing their gear in their room, staggered to their baths and then to mess. Again, unfortunately, it was standard fare. The quartermaster had not arrived yesterday, nor today. By tomorrow a search party will be sent out to see what happened to them.


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