In another time and another place, across immeasurable tracts of space, a group of adventurers had gathered in a tavern, as was tradition. As was also tradition, this was not the first tavern they had drunk together in, and it would not be the last. It was also neither the first nor the last they would be ejected from. However, and this is the crux of our tale, it was the first in which they were drinking as newly enlisted members of the Rangers of Alladore.
"We need a name," announced one of their number, "a brand identity so that all who serve the Shadow Deep know and fear us."
There was a chorus of agreement... then silence. They thought. They cogitated. They drank.
They drank some more.
"I know! The Thrappled Lemmings. It's mysterious and terrifying at the same time," announced their leader.
"Terrifying to tavern-keepers everywhere," muttered the tavern-keeper sotto voce.
"Brilliant!"
"Awesome!"
"A toast to The Thrappled Lemmings!"
"Landlord, more ale!"
"Show me your gold first."
The Thrappled Lemmings fumbled drunkenly in pouches and pockets and managed to scrape together enough to pay their bill plus the next round. On the morrow, they would venture forth as Rangers of Alladore to put the fear of The Thrappled Lemmings into the Shadow Deep. Tonight they would celebrate their new name and their cameraderie.
The Eternal Party was reborn. Arising wherever a group of adventurers gathered together to fight ineptly and chaotically against evil, The Thrappled Lemmings were more a force of nature and the gods, than even they knew.
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| The Thrappled Lemmings (L to R): Warrior-Scribe Aethelwyrd Hawksfield, Ash the Scop, Onund Clovenshield, Kalfr Longsnake, Bergsveinn Brigidsson the Grubby |
Somewhere in the multiverse, two gods sat at a game board.
"Why do you always do this, Artorax? You know that Thrappled Lemmings card is meant to be removed permanently from the game once played. Permanently destroying the card is the point of legacy games so that the game is changed."
Artorax sniggered and pointed at the pile of torn up Thrappled Lemmings cards beside their game board.
"I can't help it if the designers included more than one of the card in the game."
Artorax's opponent gave the God of Instability a black stare, "Did they though?"
He looked through is hand, contemplating how much better life would be if the other gods were interested in playing this game, smiled and played a nest of giant spiders.
"Your move, Artorax."
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| Diarmuid Oakstream the Conjuror, RIP. Slain by giant spiders |
Yup, the Thrappled Lemmings are eternal. Now that the Five Leagues from the Borderlands campaign has reached a logical stopping point, I am going to play through some Rangers of Shadow Deep. I do plan to return to Five Leagues from the Borderlands, because I have a bunch of new factions to paint, but I need time to paint them and I have been playing it for a bit now, so time to play something else for a wee while.
I began playing Rangers way back in 2021 (like about forty 2020s ago) and I plan to carry on from there rather than begin anew, because I have plenty of new scenarios to play with more on the way. It is likely to take a little while to pull together the specific terrain I need for some of the scenarios, but everyone needs a project. Fortunately, I think I can proxy most of the monsters from the figures I have accumulated for Five Leagues from the Borderlands, so there's that.
Anyway, even though it might be a wee while before I begin the campaign, if you want to prepare for more shenanigans by finding out what happened previously on The Thrappled Lemmings in the Shadow Deep you can read their adventures and mishaps at the links below.
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