PDEE: Further adventures with the Trout Clan - part 2, Meeting a Megatherium
2 Meeting a Megatherium
A foraging party from the Trout Clan is on the hunt for special delicacies demanded by the wife of the Council chief, who’s expecting her first child any day now.
Here’s a shot of the foragers: three hunters: Dancing Club, Dancing Spear; and Lunging Spear; accompanied by two women and two children who traditionally don’t have names as such (Photo 1).
A foraging party from the Trout Clan is on the hunt for special delicacies demanded by the wife of the Council chief, who’s expecting her first child any day now.
Here’s a shot of the foragers: three hunters: Dancing Club, Dancing Spear; and Lunging Spear; accompanied by two women and two children who traditionally don’t have names as such (Photo 1).
Each Hunter also has a hound, but they wouldn’t stay still long enough to be in the photo. The children are old enough to throw rocks, which counts as pelting but only at S range.
The party are out on the edge of the Clan’s territory. Beyond the stream is unknown country, and likely to stay that way. Exploring new lands is not a priority for H. pattayaensus (Photo #2).
The party are out on the edge of the Clan’s territory. Beyond the stream is unknown country, and likely to stay that way. Exploring new lands is not a priority for H. pattayaensus (Photo #2).
Their task is to gather succulent berries from each of the white flowering bushes, which grow only in this location, and to also bring back at least two little goats (critters) which will have to be searched for in the terrain pieces.
But, as soon as the foragers cross the edge of the table to begin work, they can see there is a maggot in the lard. A Giant Sloth (Giant Grazer, mostly passive but deadly if provoked) is busily munching one of the white flowering bushes. It must have come from across the stream.
Dancing Club, the party leader, allocates tasks. The women and children will start the berry picking and critter spook-and-catch work, while the hunters persuade the Megatherium to leave quietly.
At the end of three turns everything is going well. The women have nearly finished stripping the berries from the bush in the SW corner. The boys have flushed two critters from the same small scrub patch, one of which was run down and killed, the other escaping into the large rocky patch. The hunters have ‘encouraged’ the Megatherium to move away towards the stream, and, as provoking it any further would be foolhardy and unnecessary, they are lined up, watching it, from >L away. The hounds are so far behaving themselves (Photo 3).
But, as soon as the foragers cross the edge of the table to begin work, they can see there is a maggot in the lard. A Giant Sloth (Giant Grazer, mostly passive but deadly if provoked) is busily munching one of the white flowering bushes. It must have come from across the stream.
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Dancing Club, the party leader, allocates tasks. The women and children will start the berry picking and critter spook-and-catch work, while the hunters persuade the Megatherium to leave quietly.
At the end of three turns everything is going well. The women have nearly finished stripping the berries from the bush in the SW corner. The boys have flushed two critters from the same small scrub patch, one of which was run down and killed, the other escaping into the large rocky patch. The hunters have ‘encouraged’ the Megatherium to move away towards the stream, and, as provoking it any further would be foolhardy and unnecessary, they are lined up, watching it, from >L away. The hounds are so far behaving themselves (Photo 3).
On turn 4 two more critters were spooked by the boy clambering around in the rocky patch, but so far they have avoided being caught as they flee for the scrub patch (Photo 4).
The women are carrying their filled basket of berries, and the dead critter, up towards the hunters. The hunters will have to get busy now, as the only way to forage enough berries is to get to the bush right next to the Megatherium …
On turn 5 the boys are still chasing the elusive critters, while the women keep moving, and calling to the hunters to pull their fingers out.
Dancing Club orders Dancing Spear to move up within L of the Megatherium and howl. He sneaks up close enough, and duly howls. The beast flees, slowed a bit by having to cross the steam. Too easy. The other hunters follow. Luckily the hounds are obedient, only failing 0-1 dice, so sticking with their masters (Photo #5).
On turn 5 the boys are still chasing the elusive critters, while the women keep moving, and calling to the hunters to pull their fingers out.
Dancing Club orders Dancing Spear to move up within L of the Megatherium and howl. He sneaks up close enough, and duly howls. The beast flees, slowed a bit by having to cross the steam. Too easy. The other hunters follow. Luckily the hounds are obedient, only failing 0-1 dice, so sticking with their masters (Photo #5).
The boys finally bag another critter as it breaks cover, but yet another reaches safety (Photo #6).
The hunters cannot delay any longer and they move to occupy the scrub patch in front of them. One activation fail makes the Megatherium Move Away, while a second forces a Flee move and it leaves the table (Photo #7)
That’s a good thing, yes? Well, maybe not. Each turn from now on I’ll be checking to see what other beast or beasts might be lurking.
Skipping ahead now, to the end of turn 9. The hunters and their hounds, and the boys, are gathered on the open ground behind the scrub patch where the women are gathering berries. The gathering is going slowly (the basket is only 2/6 full) as the Megatherium had eaten a lot of them. The accumulated foraging (2 critters, 1 basket of berries) is stashed nearby. So far no other beasts have appeared (Photo #8).
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Skipping ahead now, to the end of turn 9. The hunters and their hounds, and the boys, are gathered on the open ground behind the scrub patch where the women are gathering berries. The gathering is going slowly (the basket is only 2/6 full) as the Megatherium had eaten a lot of them. The accumulated foraging (2 critters, 1 basket of berries) is stashed nearby. So far no other beasts have appeared (Photo #8).
At the beginning of turn 10 the Trouts’ luck changes for the worse. A lair of Kelenken (terror birds) (pack predators) appear. Worryingly they pop up at the same point the Trouts entered this area. Can they have been stalking the foragers ? (Photo #9).
Dancing Club and the hunters take up defensive positions, with the boys out to a flank ready to pelt the beasts if they attack. The women keep picking, fear speeding their fingers, so they now have the basket 5/6 full.
Dancing Spear’s hound headed towards the threat, and the closer Kelenken attacked, but failed to wound it (Photo #10).
Dancing Spear’s hound headed towards the threat, and the closer Kelenken attacked, but failed to wound it (Photo #10).
Seeing this the second Kelenken predates into contact with its dead mate. Then Dancing Club’s hound lopes up, is ignored by the 2nd beast, and attacks and wounds it. Then Lunging Soear lopes up to join the party. This time the surviving Kelenken reacts to the interloper, and attacks Lunging Soear but fails to wound him. Then Lunging Spear’s hound bowls up, and the Kelenken attacks it, failing to wound it (Photo #11).
Meanwhile (as seen in Photo 11) the boys have moved to guard the foraging stockpile and the women, having filled their second basket, join them there.
And so to turn 12. Lunging Spear fails an activation. In response the Kelenken does a threat display (roars) and most of the hunters back off S. Lunging Spear comes back and throws a spear at the beast, misses, and it roars again causing more hasty retreats by men and hounds.
Dancing Club activates next, with one fail that causes the beast to attack towards him. He moves into contact and kills the Kelekan with a second wound. His hound (2 fails) then rushes in to attack, a few seconds too late.
So that's the end of this adventure, as the Trouts can return to the home cave with the required delicacies, and without losing any members or taking any wounds. Here they are, starting their return trek (note to self: make some travois for situations like this) (Photo #12)
And so to turn 12. Lunging Spear fails an activation. In response the Kelenken does a threat display (roars) and most of the hunters back off S. Lunging Spear comes back and throws a spear at the beast, misses, and it roars again causing more hasty retreats by men and hounds.
Dancing Club activates next, with one fail that causes the beast to attack towards him. He moves into contact and kills the Kelekan with a second wound. His hound (2 fails) then rushes in to attack, a few seconds too late.
So that's the end of this adventure, as the Trouts can return to the home cave with the required delicacies, and without losing any members or taking any wounds. Here they are, starting their return trek (note to self: make some travois for situations like this) (Photo #12)
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That’s all from the Palaeolithic hill country for this year. But we’ll drop in on another undersea expedition by the Utterley-Barkinge Company, soon.
Cheers from Pattaya
Mark