Rowing along ...

Have finished painting the rowers and here they are in one of the ships setup with mast down

New mast done and provision for sail up/down

Been working on the small ship, the new mast has been painted. The spar is fixed to the mast with a pin and can be removed. I've added supports for stowing the sail and spar when down using wire and bits from tile-spacers.

 Spar removed and trial fitting of the down version

 some material added and tied off using 'scale' rope

now I need to do the sail and get it all painted up.

(update added below)
 before getting on withe painting I decided to apply the mast up/down concept to one of my larger ships as well

Boat crew - rowers

oops ! it has been a while since I did some work or gaming for this period

I picked up some rowers off Ebay earlier in the year, these have been sitting on the modelling desk waiting for action.

The rowers had been provided with some 'seats' made up of 3 layers of thin plywood and I've fitted them with some oars from the Revell viking ship kit; in addition I tweaked a civilian figure to look like he is at the steering oar.

Here they are in one of my larger ships - they'll do for effect

but looking better in the small ship I'm working on at the moment (it is getting a new mast, made form an old paintbrush handle)

Destination Eigersund ....

Angstrom Angstromsen now faced an uncertain future after he had lost the battle of Hessdalen valley. The only thing he could do was attempt to get to the capital of Oppland in order to use his longships there to make his escape. On the way he met a few of his men who told him the locals had risen up in revolt and burnt the longships - they had just made it out of the capital and were heading for the inlet of Eigersund where a couple of other longships were occasionally berthed.  Angstromsen took the men into his company and they all headed for Eigersund....
 

---oXo---

At Eigersund there is one longship; it is morning and the viking garrison has found that all the locals have gone; anticipating trouble look-outs keep an eye on the approaches.

Angstromsen and his party have made good progress with their journey and are in sight of Eigersund

As they move down to pass through an area of small lakes and bits of marsh, they find they are opposed by a few bowmen ....

Men are sent to deal with bowmen and clear the way ....

Just as they clear the way on their left a band of Opplanders attack from the woods ....

A look-out in Eigersund has seen Angstromsen's standard in the distance and the men their are assembling to go to his aid ....

More trouble for Angstromsen another band of Opplanders has attacked his rear-guard ....

The rear-guard are cut down ....

The small group of vikings on the left are cut-off and surrounded .....

Angstromsen rallies the vikings to form a shield wall as some men come out from Eigersund ....

The Opplanders move cautiously towards the vikings....

The men from Eigersund have joined Angstromsen and they start to fall-back, the Opplanders hesitate - not ready to charge again ....

As the vikings edge back nearer to Eigersund, another group of Opplanders arrive ....

The Opplanders move forward, trying to pick off as many vikings as they can with bow and sling shot...

Angstromsen makes for the longship.....

As the Opplanders enter Eigersund, the vikings are boarding the longship ...

Angstromsen watches as his men board the ship ....

The Opplanders mop up in the town and on the shore ....

The viking longship has pulled away and is heading out to sea..... Angstromsen is away safely ....

Battle is joined .....

continued from the Orsted arrives post


The allied army, commanded by Beornwulf the Bold,  approached the vikings, as they neared the opposition their archers opened fire and the skirmishers on each flank were engaged ....

 A sudden quiet moment occurred as both sides paused ....

Beornwulf ordered the sounding of the gunderhorn and the allied army charged forward crashing into the viking shield wall ....

The Knights of Krona charged forward to clear away the opposing viking skirmishers

 Meanwhile the vikings shield wall had not given way and the allies had lost quite a few men in the centre ...

 As the battle continued, Orsted formed up to make his attack on the allied flank - the allies moved to protect their left flank with the fanatics - the Shield Maidens of the Orb of Isencak and the Warrior Monks of St Olaf....

 The Knights of Krona chase the viking skirmishes on the other flank ....

 The allied centre has been weakened and small gap appears in their battle line ...

On the allied left flank their fanatics have fallen back, but hold as the vikings press forward ....

 On the other side of the battlefield the Knights of Krona reform and prepare to charge again ....

 The vikings are now through the gap in the allied centre ....

Boernwulf sends his armoured men from the Northlands in to plug the gap ...

 The Knights of Krona charge the vikings left flank guard ....

 Suddenly an opening appears in the viking battle line as the warriors from Skienmark cut and chop their way through

 Erik Forkbeard moves forward with his warriors through the gap along with spear men from the Northlands; they start to envelope the viking battle line on both sides of the gap ....

The viking left flank is still holding their ground ....

On the viking right flank Orsted's warband fell back and made a fighting withdrawal ....

 the viking battle line fragments under extreme pressure and they are surrounded and hacked down....

 Angstromsen seeing the battle was lost, turned and started at a fast pace back down the valley with his personal retinue and those men who had managed to get away .....

A victory for the Allied army led by Beornwulf, the main viking army had been destroyed - it was the end of Angstromsen's attempt to take control of Oppland.

Unaware.

Sven, Unaware of the happenings in the North, continues his quest.
   Sailing far to the West in accordance with the translations of The Book of the Cup, He lands at a headland marked by the statue of a man, some 5 men high, and marches inland to find the Temple of the Old Ones, inside he finds a gilded metal trunk, but finds it has no lock or other means of opening it.
  Selecting two of his strongest crewmen to carry it, he prepares to return to the ship.

   Outside, as his eyes adjust to the bright sunlight, he sees his crew manning a defensive perimeter.
All is quiet, perhaps too quiet.

Forming two groups they move off through the jungle.

The lead man in Sven`s group feels the earth move beneath his feet, frantically he tries to grab something, anything to stop his fall, but fails. Sven eases forward and looks down to see a hunters trap has claimed his man.
     Years of sailing, raiding and fighting in the shieldwall, ended on a sharpened wooden stake.

Shouting at the flank group to take extra care, and warning the men behind to watch their step.Sven leads his men onward. 

                                                                                                                        

The men nervously obey, and therefore do not see from where a flurry of arrows originates, fortunately only minor wounds are suffered, The benefits of wearing mail in the stifling heat have been proved,

Peering around them, they can see nothing, but arrows continue to rain down on them.

There is nothing to do but move forward,Suddenly around a bend in the track they see a fallen tree defended by a group of spearmen. At first glance they appear to be vikings. A rival band perhaps.

As the lead troops draw closer, they see native faces beneath the helmets, other vikings, perhaps people they knew,have been here before, and never left.

Does this fate await them?

As arrows continue to fall they rush the barrier, whilst some of Svens group attempt to get round the flank

Sword, spears and shields clash,defenders fall.

As the flank attack goes in the remnants of the defenders, retreat, casting aside their spears they continue to fire volleys of arrows at Sven`s men.

The way ahead seems clear, dragging their wounded and the treasure, exhausted by the heat and flies, sweat running down their faces, They march grimly on. Will they ever reach the ship?

        The marker statue comes in sight spirits rise.

A few yards further, and they come in sight of the sea, in the bay below them they see the welcome sight of the furled sail and ships guard, Almost there, they know that the hands of the gods still stand poised to strike.

As they leave behind this cursed land and yearn for the cold crispness of their homelands, only a few do not think of friends and family, and wonder what lies within the chest they struggled so much to find.