Battle Brothers - A Playthrough

I may have to try this. I was turned off by the art style. But, so many people enjoy it, i feel like i will miss out if i don't try it.
 
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You should. If you enjoy tactical turn-based combat and a gritty medieval low-magic fantasy world... it's by far the best game you could get
 
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48 - Look up
The traders of Waidhof offered too good of a price to miss. Fine lumber, dried venisons and edible fruits were loaded up to the cart.

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Wikstadt, a city plagued with caravan raiders will pay big money for them.

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This kind of margin won't last, but we'll make a point to keep visiting this harbor town to drop off any cargo we could. It was THAT good. They even have contracts available.

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A simple delivery to Waidhof.

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Or a brigand hideout assault.

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Unwilling to risk the company, I went for the easy courier contract. Why ruin a good trade route for mercenaries like us, right?

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I learned over the weeks not to over-extend ourselves. Gold can't replace experience.

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The journey to Waidhof was pleasant enough but there was no contracts nor goods available for trade in the marketplace. We'll have to give the village time to manufacture them. Our carts empty, we set off eastwards towards Hemmeln.

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Along the way, we saw a patrol from Sommersborg hunting down brigands.

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Sadly, we could not join in before the brigands were wiped out. Later that night the company gathered around the fire and threw some ideas on what our next goal should be. One of the idea was getting ourselves noticed by the nobles. In a good way, of course.

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True, the money is good and we can't live off village contracts all the time. It'd be nice if we can get some jobs in the big keeps for once. I accepted their suggestion and made a mental note to ask the village officials on how close we are to getting noticed by the nobles.

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It turns out that we're not that far away.

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49 - Small Town Heroes
Hemmeln has a job for us.

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'Isn't that kinda small-' one of the boys muttered before I elbowed him on the gut.
Doesn't matter how small the pay is, if it's easy, we'll take it. These contracts are our lifeblood after all.

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The thieves didn't make it far before we caught up with them.

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The battle started right next to high ground, both sides knew whoever got up there first gains a massive advantage.

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A mad scramble ensues, but our superior numbers proved pivotal.

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The pikemen had an easier time fishing for hits from higher ground, it did not take long before one fell victim to their thrusts.

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We can even afford to encircle them from two directions.

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One by one, the thieves were taken down.

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The last one tried to hop off the cliff to make a quick getaway, but failed.

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Easy money.
 
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50 - Easy Gains
A few raiders died from head wounds and left behind their armor as a present.

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It's a big deal. The contract may have paid only a mere 400 crowns, but the armor is worth at least 1000. Now the men are beginning to understand the significance of 'small time contracts'

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Baldur the Gambler gains a level, it's time to take advantage of his naturally high initiative and convert it to defense.

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Wilfred the Bolt refines his marksmanship and crossbow mastery.

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Rabe the Piker can now focus on crippling strikes having taken most of the advanced perks he needed.

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Easy money, easy gear. What's not to like?
 
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51 - Remembrance
The jobs have dried up at Hemmeln so we moved on towards the friendly village of Waidhof to pick up cheap lumber and some employment.

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It's been a month since I've taken charge of the company. My thoughts went back to the ones we've lost.

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I could recall Gunther the Butcher, whom we lost in our battle against Hoggart the Weasel. Followed by Robert the Eunuch who lacks no courage when facing a pack of direwolves.

Berengar, one of the three original brothers - was beheaded during our fight against raiders. As well as the two cripples, Robert and Gernot who lasted way longer than we thought possible. One dying after the other. They were both begging for alms in the same city too.

Anton, a farmer who died to a stray arrow. Eberold who died protecting his village from direwolves.

I felt sad when I remembered Oswald, Sigbold the Tank, and Leinhard the Poacher's deaths. My inexperience when we attempted to recover a starmap disc costed them their lives. The skeletal legion, shields at front and pikes at the back proved too much for our company to handle. It was a battle we need not fight, and losses we need not sustain.

But our worst days came when we took that contract at Weilersheim. It was originally a contract to protect the village against raiders, but it became something way darker than we bargained for. I could still recall the march of the undead as they overwhelmed the brave army patrol and several of our brothers. Meinolf fell first. When the retreat order was given, three brothers were lost in the carnage - as well as our company standard.

Siggy the Bold died four battles later, in our skirmish against brigands. We've been solid ever since.
I'm sorry if I'm rambling. But it's been a long time since a tragedy has struck our company, hence I felt uneasy. My thoughts were interrupted when a woman stopped our company and beseeches our aid.

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I told Bjarni we can probably help for free, only if it's a trifling matter.

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It turned out to be bigger than I bargained for.

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Only one man came out of on top out of this. And that man wasn't me.

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We arrive at Waidhof with no incident but found no work available.

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At least they still have fine lumber for sale. Following my earlier rule of thumb, we head out to Wikstadt to dump the cargo.

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Once done, we resume looking for work.

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We finally succeeded.

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The pay seems small, but the distance is quite short. The roads are also well-patrolled. There should be minimal risk, therefore we took the job.

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As predicted, the roads are frequently patrolled. We passed several of them on the way to Sommersborg. It's night and we should reach the city within a few hours without too much trouble.

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Me and my big mouth.
 
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52 - Overwhelming Advantage
It's dark. The company tenses up as they prepare themselves for a long battle against 12 unknown opponents. The formation takes a few steps back to higher ground.

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However, their fears were unfounded. The attacking brigands were ill-equipped, clad in shoddy armor and rough weaponry. The only danger being 2handed axes and perhaps stray arrows in the night.

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The ax-wielders were prioritized and Hakon secured a kill with his arrows.

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The brigands waver at this quick turnaround.

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The brigand poachers in the rear were unsure whether to take their shots or to retreat.

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But all they can see is more of their comrades' death as the White Company's superior weapons cut through their meager armor like knife through butter. They eventually chose to flee when half of their band lay dead on the roads.

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One did not make it out.

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None got hurt.
 
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Seems addictive as hell.
 
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Ok, now I've read the entire playthrough so far. This is as instant purchase, will finish my current playthrough of WL2 and then this is on the top of my Playlist.

Thanks for the inspiring writeup rk47. Maybe I can pay you to narrate while I play, seems like it comes natural to you. ;)
 
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This game and Forged of Blood... my life is over.
 
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I literally struggle to do anything else when I'm home. Absolutely magnificent.
Please give them money people, they must make as much content as possible for this gem!
 
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53 - Epic Loot, for a price.
Sadly, the easier the enemy , the worse their equipment will be.

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These crude weaponry won't be of much use but to dump at the local blacksmith for meager coin.
Hakon the Arrowmaker gets better and gains backstabber perk.

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Egil the Standard Bearer gains more resolve.

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The small skirmish over, we reach Sommersborg and collect the crowns.

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There's no contract available at Sommersborg, instead I let the boys drool at the weaponsmith's inventory before heading out to Eidsvik.

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Our latest contract only paid us 270 crowns. I'll let that sink in for the moment.

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54 - Unhappy Place
Eidsvik was not a happy place when we arrive. Terrified villagers, raided outskirts. That's great. Our business revolves around making people happy by making certain people unhappier. Preferably dead.

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So it's either brigands...

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Or grave robbers. With a slight advance.

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I took the one that paid less. The brigands can wait. It's a head-scratching moment for the lads, but I explained I am somewhat more fearful of a well-defended brigand's keep than a freshly-plundered cemetery.

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Or so I thought.

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The Dark Ones are at it again, snacking on the dead. Growing larger, and more menacing as a result. A few of them seem to have beaten their colleagues to the snack bar. I told the men to shift the formation southwards, for we have a slight advantage on higher ground.

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The simple-minded corpse-eaters soon faced an impenetrable spear-wall.

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But one managed to slipped through, and it's a big one. Instead of attacking, it immediately devoured its fallen comrade and grew larger. Maddened gaze, larger fangs, thicker hides, and most alarmingly, sharper claws.

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Ejnar cast a net to slow down the black tide.

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They may have penetrated one section of the spearwall, but the rest is still secure.

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As the smaller ones begin to waver and flee, the largeest one remain unaffected. Even devouring another corpse to completely heal any wound it sustained!

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Seeing no sense in maintaining a defensive posture, I instructed the spearwall to cease and begin the advance.

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They cut the dark ones bloody, falling two and completed the encirclement as the smaller ones attempt futile resistance. They need to hurry up, the largest one is starting to tear through a shield brother's armor.

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Too late. Bjarni's armor gave way and down the monk goes in one swipe. My heart sank.

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It's frustrating. The monk did not deserve this fate. We were so close to winning flawlessly. I told the men to claim vengeance. In their rage, they let the smaller dark one slip away.

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I can't blame them for that. This beast in its final form is just refusing to go down. Should it devour another corpse, it'll heal completely. Half a dozen thrusts later, it lies dead.

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The smaller one is too far to catch.
Against all odds, Bjarni is alive - but part of his lungs gave way.

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He may not be able to fight again.
 
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55 - In the hour of need
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'Captain, I can still fight,' the fearless monk insisted.
'Stand down. Do you have a death wish? I want you to rest first. Get back in shape.'

It's a shame. It's true he has no fear - even when surrounded, but his ruined lungs are a liability. A shieldbrother who cannot raise his shield longer than three rounds is of no use in the front. His melee skills are average - any hired hand with some training could easily replace him. It's sad. But I may have to let him go.

'Captain!'
'What is it?'
'Brigands are attacking that caravan from Eidsvik!'

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I look over at the men, they're all in good shape except for Bjarni.

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'We're going to save that caravan. Bjarni, you remain with the cart.'

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This battle won't earn us any coin - but I still haven't forgotten our goal to be noticed by the nobles. If foolish heroics is what it takes, so be it.

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The brigands are well armed. The caravan guards look relieved when they noticed our arrival.
'Don't get too happy yet..' I muttered under my breath as I gave instructions to not engage until the brigands are in melee with the caravan. We're not altruists.

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One of the caravan guards charged in with nothing more than a kitchen knife and shielded with courage. His face is tired. Naturally, he missed. This isn't a mythical story of underdogs prevailing, he will die soon if we don't help.

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Most of the caravan guards went into melee range, some has sustained grievous wounds. It's time. I ordered a charge.

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'For the White Company!'Egil thrusts his battle standard and took down one raider with a roar. The caravan guards redoubled their efforts as the raiders were caught in a pincer attack.

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Two caravan guards were slain as the brigands made a desperate attempt to break out of the encirclement.

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At last the brigands' morale collapsed as they sustain more injuries and deaths.

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'No escape! Cut them to the last man!'
Wilfred ended it with a bolt to the last raider's chest.

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No one got hurt? Good.
 
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Ok, now I've read the entire playthrough so far. This is as instant purchase, will finish my current playthrough of WL2 and then this is on the top of my Playlist.

Thanks for the inspiring writeup rk47. Maybe I can pay you to narrate while I play, seems like it comes natural to you. ;)

You give me too much credit, I'm merely copying this game's tone.
 
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56 - That's Enough
The caravan had very little interest in the brigand's gears, leaving us the lion's share of the loot.

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It's shocking. This share of the loot is valued almost twice of the contract we just cleared at the graveyard. The biggest joke of all was the spoils we scrounged off the corpse eating monsters at the graveyard. Teeth. Bags of rotting teeth. No doubt a best-seller at the local marketplace. And one of our brother had to sustain a career-ending injury.

Killing these brigands nets us two serviceable suits of armor (courtesy of two fine decapitations) and a pair of helmets, a war spear and a worn, but fine pike. That's on top of the cash. If you visit a blacksmith, a brand new pike will set you back more than a thousand. The spear around a thousand while the two sets of armor is double that!

I felt cheated.

So great the inner rage was that my men took notice of it and cautiously asked if I wanted to attack the caravan we just saved.

No, I said. We've done more than enough.
Bertolf the Rock, despite possessing no aptitude for combat is continuing to improve. I might promote him into a shield brother soon.

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It's noon. I told two of my men to distribute the newly acquired armors and weapons before marching back to Eidsvik where our payment awaits.

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I made a stop at the marketplace as per norm, and the merchants greeted me with a long-awaited news.

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We've done it. All the victories and contracts have finally paid off: the nobles have finally taken notice of us. The merchants congratulated me but urged us not to forget the village contracts once we've turned big time. I thanked them for their support and quickly gathered the company to share the good news.

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'It's about time, Captain!' Robert the Manly started.

Indeed, it's about time. I look around and see their faces, beaming and grinning with pride. Gone are the wide-eyed recruits, no longer wielding pitchforks or other crude implements of war, protected with ample padded leather and chain mails, our Battle Standard fluttering in the sun-kissed noon.

There's still so much more to be done. The thirty-one days I've spent with them, taking them through ups and downs went past like a blur. And deep down, I cannot deny the sense of dread that is slowly approaching. My voice nearly cracked as I announced my retirement.

I explained calmly through the shock and disbelief that I merely have no stomach for it any more. The thought of sending good friends to their deaths, risking their lives for coin. Scrounging for profit, only to go to sleep and wake up, worrying about it all over again. It was not a good life.

Slowly they began to understand, Robert the Manly nodded in agreement that he'd take charge. There's no sense in keeping a hesitant captain in charge, it would only lead to tragedy. Encouraged by their understanding, I dispensed more advice as the sun slowly sank and gave way to the moon above. We settled in quite late that night.
When morning arrive, the men stood in line and bade farewell. I asked Robert what he'll have the company do today. He casually replied, 'Checking the marketplace for bargains and see about that Brigands contract at Eidsvik you skipped the other day. Once that's done, we'll check in with the nobles at one of the keep. Easy peasy, just as you like it.'

'That's great. Best of luck to you, Robert.'
'And you too. Captain.'

He salutes before ordering the company to march, leaving both me and Bjarni behind. The monk's injury was deemed too severe to continue and he wishes to rejoin the monastic order. Conveniently, Eidsvik has a temple for him. We both make our way back to the village, our burdens slightly lighter.

Occasionally the company would drop by and regale me with tales of their glory over mugs of honeyed water passed off as ale by the innkeeper. But as the weeks go by, the wait grew longer between visits, till it stopped completely a month later.

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The End
 
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:disappointed:
In any case that was a great read during work. Got me the BB fix I needed.
If anyone else would like to follow suit I'd be more than happy to read :)
 
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57 - Big Gain Hunting
A week after the White Company left Eidsvik, a letter arrived from Robert himself. He said the company has recruited its 12th man to replace Bjarni who has recently retired. And it's a rather special hire. A noble's bastard.

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Possessing ample aptitude in martial skills, the man also possess a strong sense of determination about him. I assured Robert that this is a good hire, and the Captain need not doubt himself again in the future.

The tone of his letter turns excited when he described the first noble's contract the company undertook.

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I have not forgotten Wagenheim - it was one of the border villages we've disappointed. So close to Weilersheim. We were supposed to protect the village from a raid, instead the company was sleeping fitfully as the raiders razed an outlying farm to the ground. We fled with the advance afterwards without so much as hunting down the perpetrators. I'm guessing Robert is itching to redeem the company's name in those parts. Halfway through the journey, the company spotted an abandoned homestead plagued by undead.

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Robert wisely ignored this, for they've a more pressing contract to attend to.

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He later proposed that the company hunt down these evil lairs in their spare time, arguing that there'd be fame and riches to be had.

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The men, always seeking for more opportunity for glory and gold, accepted his proposal eagerly.

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The men arrived at Wagenheim without incident and found signs of distress among the townsfolk. There is nothing worthwhile to purchase at the marketplace and the prices are not helped by the company's reputation in these parts. Robert told the men to start patrolling the outskirts as night came.

It didn't take long for the greenskins to make their presence known.

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And it was the larger type of greenskins. The orcish ones.
 
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