Randi and the Ropey Bridge of Uncertain Death.

Scenario Seven: Randi Ram and the Ropey Bridge of Uncertain Death across an Improbable Chasm.

Greetings Captain Whitmore Sir, from the Randi Ram, who was your house boy in the times you lived here in India.  

Good news Sir, The Randi Ram is still alive, despite the efforts of the Cult of Goaty Doom to kill every 2^nd Madras Sepoy they can get their hands on.  Our three Havildars have behaved like real men of action, almost as if they were Heroes of a tall tale by Mr Kipling, the cake seller in Fort George.

Having survived the attack of the Goat cult the three Havildars have added the garrison to their original half Company.  With 40 men they decided to investigate the Mysterious Temple of Goaty Doom, said to be in the hills near Tantrapur Outpost.  The Sepoys took the hill track but we were halted at an improbable vast chasm between two hills.  

 The Randi Ram does not like heights.  It makes the bowels turn to water, and earned me a cuffing from Havildar Vikram, a man who has no sense of humour.  Thus steeled we searched for a way across, only to discover a ropey bridge, decayed by age, and erected by someone who actually had a real sense of humour, a very dark one.

But fate was not kind.  Across the chasm were the Fekkar brothers of the unwashed clan.  Crack shots with their long jezails, these would pour fire on us as we attempted to cross.  Havildar Dilip, a real hero, and something of an acrobat, fixed his bayonet and lead the way.  It was he who would lead us against the dirty Fekkars, across the ropey bridge of uncertain death. 

Anglo Indian Briefing

The mission is to cross the rope bridge and drive off the enemy.  Ultimately the 2^nd Madras must exit the hill track path at point B to find the Temple of the Goat in scenario 8.

Characters

Havildar Vikta Manucaglan is a huge and strong man.  A natural battle leader.  He wields a bayoneted musket in a deadly fashion, using double the normal dice.  He is level III.   If he survives this battle he will end his career as a Sgt-Major in the US Cavalry.

Havildar Charu Granht, is a cad, a drinker and in a fight he is a slasher.

His men think him a very humorous fellow. If he survives this battle he will end his career as a Manhattan socialite. He is a Level II big man

Junior Havildar Dilip Fairbanks is thinking only of matrimony.  His wedding has been arranged by his family and this mission is delaying it.  He intends to leave the army and join the family tea business. Consequently he is only a Level I big man. In battle he is extremely athletic gaining an extra dice of movement.  If he survives the battle he will end his career as Sinbad the sailor.

Gunga Din, a bhisti water carrier is one of the servants accompanying the mission. He is the "spare" big man, and if any of the Havildars are killed Gunga Din rises to the occassion and can remove shock as a level 1 Big man from any unit he is with.

Randi Ram, a sepoy in the 2nd Madras is in the second platoon.  He is not a Big man, but has an extraordinary gift for survival. 

Native Briefing

The Tantrapur outpost has fallen to the British.  One of their companies is marching on the Hidden Temple.  They can be stopped at the rope bridge, and the Guru has ordered his mercenary hill bandits to hold the bridge.  Knowing that the bandits will need help he has sent his second in command with two groups of fanatical Ghazis up the track to complete the ambush.   

Divit Fekkar is the local bandit leader.  As such he is from the unwashed caste, and takes real pleasure in ambushing and killing Sepoys.  He usually works for the Bhuna, but has recenty been employed by the Guru of the Goat to help against the 2^nd Madras.  Divit commands a group of 6 skirmishers and is among the rocks at point C.    

Pandu Lal is the Guru's right hand man.  He is a level II leader.  He commands two groups of twelve fanatical Ghazis, all drunk on fermented goat's milk.  These are dangerous opponents gaining double bonus dice on any first round of hand combat due to their ferocious drunken nature.  After that round they will half any dice as they lose their wind.  Pandu and his Ghazis start at point B

Umpires notes.

The rope bridge crosses the terrain east-west, and the track leads to the hidden valley of the Temple of Goaty Doom, off table.
The ambushers are hiding at point C and can be reinforced by fanatical Ghazis from point B.
Whilst the Pandu Lahl is alive his Ghazis will all benefit from the "Din, Din" rule.
If any of the Havildars are killed or wounded they will be unavailable for "Scenario Eight: Randi, the Havidars three and the Temple of the Goaty Doom."

Game Cards

2nd Madras	Mysoreans	General
Havildar Vikta Manucaglan	Divit Fekkar   level II	Tiffin
Havildar Charu Granht	Pandu Lal level II	Blank Card
Junior Havildar Dilip Fairbanks		"Din, Din"
Two Grasp the Nettle II	Two Grasp the Chapatti I
One Grasp the Nettle 1	One Grasp the Chapatti II

The Outcome

Havildar Dilip Fairbanks Jr,  a real hero, and something of an acrobat, fixed his bayonet and lead the way.  It was he who would lead us against the dirty Fekkars, across the ropey bridge of uncertain death.  Dilip is Anglo Indian, son of a sailor, but believes that his real father is none other than our adjutant Captain Ashworth, he of the pink gins and cricket bat trousers.

 Shouting like heroes of the Ram our Havildars had us charge, and we did so in one formation, spreading the pain of wounds among us.  Three men were killed, falling to an uncertain death, and probably crocodiles.  I the Randi Ram, was at the back of the column, protecting the Bhisti water carrier Gunda Din.

The Fekkar brothers fled, but we now faced a charge from the Ghazis, men with shining choppers.  Havildar Dilip was in no mood to quibble and put his bayonet through the eye of the Ghazis’ leader.  They fled and we fired a volley at their backs as they ran. 

I hope we don`t have to go home back over that bridge.

 Havildar Charu drives the dirty Fekkars from the rocks

 The Company begin to cross, Havildar Vikram has them line up as two groups of Badmashes appear.  They get the "Din, Din!" card.

 The Sepoys of the 2nd Madras Volley Fire the charging Badmashes, to devastating effect.  Charu and his skirmishers charge in from the rocks.

Rangi Ram, known to his friends as Randi proves his worth by lurking in the rear rank.






Some issues.  Sharing wounds among a formation when they are storming a bridge?  Surely the leading group would be targeted.  I think I got the rules right but the spirit wrong.