Story Time Friday (April 24)

Ok, this time we’re going back to Pennsic 34. I had just authorized in polearm right before the war – and I was going to bring something light and easy to carry into the Woods Battle. The year before, I almost died hauling a shield into the woods after every one of my many deaths. This year, it was time for a poleaxe.

At the very end of the battle, I found myself trying to hold together a line of thin Midrealmers as a force of Tuchux and Easterners advanced on us through the trees. As a pretty green fighter, I was looking around for anyone that could help me. So, I was very relieved to see Duke Cuan standing about 20 yards behind me.

I grabbed my polearm right under the head, turned around, and ran up the hill to His Grace. My original thought was to go ask him what to do, then run back and do it. However, as soon as I turned around, the Tuchux decided to charge, and that line was run over like a Miata in front of a Mac Truck. I barely got up the hill with some skull faced ‘Chuck right behind me.

When I get there, I suddenly see why Cuan is standing there. He’s standing in front of a banner. I think I barely got out “Your Grace!” before the canon went off. The marshals come out, borrow a spear, and determine who is within 9 feet of the banner. The good news was, Sir Forgal (who was fighting for the other side) was outside the radius. The bad news was, Cuan and I were the only people with our tape color within the radius.

At “Lay ON!” I put the blade of my axe on some dude’s grill and pushed. By pushing him out of the circle, I not only killed him, but also bought some room to work. To bad I was dead before he hit the ground. Stick fell on me like rain in a hurricane. It took me an hour to scrub the tape marks off my helm.

As I turned around, I saw Cuan, blocking, throwing blows, and generally still alive. I wasn’t sure how he did it, but he stuck in there for a good 30 seconds. Of course, eventually someone got him to, and thus the other side won the banner.

On the way out, Sir Forgal caught us both and said, “It was going to be a thuggin’, but at least you guys went down swinging.”