OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY

Over The Hills And Far Away by Jesus Serrano (Leorza, España)

Political Situation (Schematic).

We are in the Basque Country (North Spain) in the 1870's.

There is a monarchist revolution against a bloody, atheistic, liberal republic supported by the evil European powers. Our poor Basque freedom fighters are isolated and near weaponless in our little country, just like Asterix's people in their hamlet. Surrounded by hordes of bloody Spanish constitutional soldiers, the people of Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa y Navarra are defending their right to be oppressed by a traditional, absolutist Bourbon King instead of being oppressed by a rather new, liberal minded, enlightened politician.

Dramatis personae.

Alferez Villaescusa's Patrol.

Investigating rumours about the presence of absolutist forces, Villaescusa is patrolling the woods around the hamlet of Errekalde searching the rebel party of the Cura Mendigorria. He is a FNO (F*cking New Officer) in his battalion and he must make merits in order to be accepted by their fellow officers.

Villaescusa and his force have slept at El Molino (The Mill). The patrol is composed of:

Figs	Class	Armed	Skills
Alferez Villaescusa	Gunman	Revolver and sabre	Clumsy
Sargento Ramirez	Shootist	Rifled musket and sabre	Brawler	Strong
Cabo Ruiz-Davila.	Shootist	Rifled musket and bayonet	Crackshot
6 soldiers	Gunman	Rifled musket and bayonet
2 recruits	Citizen	Rifled musket and bayonet

The Party of the Cura Mendigorria.

The Catholic Cura Mendigorria and his men must meet Monsieur Ribaud and the weapons shipment at the Venta del Frances (French Inn).

The Pater is making war against the evil representatives of Spanish Republican Government who have attempted to doubt about the Bourbon's Divine Right to The Throne.

In the last weeks he has managed to get 20.000 pesetas that he must give to Monsieur Ribaud in payment for two carts loaded with Springfield muskets.

Figs	Class	Armed	Skills
El Cura Mendigorria	Legend	Shotgun and knife	Wildman	Hard as nails
Martin "El secretario"	Shootist	Revolver	Charmed	Evil
2 followers	Shootist	Rifled musket and knife
3 followers	Gunman	Shotgun and knife
3 recruits	Citizen	Shotgun and knife

El Secretario carries a bag with all the money.

Mendigorria hates all soldiers.

Otxoa Mugalaria (Wolf the smuggler)

Otxoa is a mugalari, a kind of smuggler who passes people and goods from France into Spain far away from the border posts. He and his men know the area surrounding the hamlet of Errekalde very well.

They are guiding a French trader who wants to pass the border without explaining anything about his shipment to the authorities. The Frenchman must pay Otxoa 1.000 pesetas when they reach the Inn at Errekalde.

Figs	Class	Armed	Skills
Otxoa Garaytar	Legend	Shotgun and knife	Marksman	Stealthy
Andoni Dorreondotar	Shootist	Shotgun and knife	Stealthy	Strong
Inazio Ansorregui	Shootist	Rifled musket and knife	Stealthy	Strong
Vixente Garaytar	Gunman	Shotgun and knife	Stealhy

Otxoa is here only for bussines.

Sargento Garcia.

He commands the Aduana Española garrison, composed of five other Miqueletes (a kind of police force).

He dreams of arresting Otxoa the Smugler and continually patrols the hill paths to this end.

Figs	Class	Armed	Skills
Sargento Garcia	Shootist	Repeating carbine	Bossman
5 Miqueletes	Gunman	Repeating carbine

Garcia hates Otxoa.

Monsieur Ribaud

He used to be a textile trader at Bourdeaux before the Spanish begun to slaughter each other (again.) Now he is making a fortune selling weapons to the monarchists. He purchases old British muskets and the stupid Spanish pay as much as if the weapons were brand new ones.

Now, he is delivering two hundred muskets to a well known absolutist guerrillero. As a precaution he has hired three guards to protect him from the Cura and the suspicious-looking smuggler that he has hired to get him across the Pyrenee Mountains without trouble.

Figs	Class	Armed	Skills
Monsieur Ribaud	Gunman	Revolver
3 Guards	Shootist	Rifled musket and revolver
2 Carters	Citizen	Knife

Monsieur Ribaud has a bag with 3.000 pesetas.

Starting positions

Sargent Garcia and three other miqueletes are hidden behind the house to the west of Errekalde. They are waiting for petty cattle smugglers.

The other two miqueletes are at Aduana Española. They will do nothing but defend the post until the Sargento Garcia or any soldier (officer or NCO) gives them an order.

Otxoa and Monsieur Ribaud groups are situated together in the French side of the border. A member of Otxoa's party is detached 10" into Spain.

Ensign Villaescusa and his men are at El Molino. They are in the house with only two sentries out of the mill. A soldier is situated in the bridge and the other one next to the east side of the house.

Medigorria's party is situated between the church (iglesia) and the Inn (Venta del Frances).

Victory conditions.

Sargent Garcia. He must survive the skirmish and capture (dead or alive) Otxoa the Smugler.

Otxoa Mugalaria. He and his young brother must survive the encounter and he must get richer after the fight.

Ensign Villaescusa. He must capture the weapons or avoid that Mendigorria get it. If he capture Mendigorria and the guns well, he, surely will be promoted. BTW, to win it is not imprescindible that Villaescusa survives the battle.

Monsieur Ribaud. He must survive and get the 20.000 pesetas from Mendigorria.

Pater Mendigorria. He must get the weapons and/or exterminate the damned soldiers. Note that to win it is not imprescindible that Mendigorria survives the battle.

The table.

We use a surface 3 metres wide and 4 metres long. You can cut the french side of the board, saving 1 metre.

In the first skirmish there was a force of French Gendarmes situated at Aduana Francesa.

The terrain is mainly plain (the altitude curves are decorative in this scenario).

The river is unfordable, too deep, too cold.

To mark the woods we put lichen and model trees marking the perimeter.

Notes.

The skirmish was planed to be played by five players and one umpire, but you can (and perhaps must) split the commands of Villaescusa and Mendigorria, so allowing seven players and the umpire.

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