Encounter: Strange Bandits

Strange Bandits are raiding the area.
Background- The life of a soldier is a hard one, and one of the natural outcomes is to revert to banditry. Unfortunately circumstances can be complicated and banditry may be the only option. In this circumstance, a fairly large force has found itself too far from home and no where else to turn to.

There are many circumstances that will exile an army force, alienation and burned bridges are possibilities. Their loyalties and beliefs could have alienated them to the political reality of their home land, their families could have been held hostage against their return or have been brainwashed to revile them, or an accident, force majeure could have thrown them into a long perilous retreat into unknown territory or be blown away at sea only to be wrecked at an unknown coast.

This encounter is designed with Sins of the Crusade in mind but can be used in any other Fantasy or Medieval Game. A foreign army who have strange tactics and tools have upset the balance of power in the land, like an act of nature or change of the weather. Unarmored save for effectively camouflaged clothing and with light shielded, this army of fast moving skirmishers appeared suddenly and frighteningly. Circumstance and chance have lead them to take what they needed with violence. Quickly survivors notice their strange manner of fighting. Their unusal logistics and organization focus on running endurance. As highly capable runners the small force travels with only very rugged ponies for baggage. Their skilled path finder cut through difficult terrains and scarcely watered paths that cannot be followed by regular forces.

Theyare more familiar fighting in difficult terrain than in open plains. Some witness claims they are able to form a thickly packed spear formation, and according after gathering the claims, seem to do so with a discipline unseen for centuries. These soldiers have shortened spear-like broad bladed swords, improvised Long Spears and Javelins, and a strange simple device that lets them hurl these javelins with a force that deceptive of their size.

Some of them, have very small rugged ponies to carry their supplies. Others have strange crossbows, which can stand nearly a man's height and which is crossed with bone, horn and sinew. They wear simple desert colored rugged warriors robes, and sandals. Leading them, an unassuming figure, whose face is plain but marked with branded symbols.

The Leader. The leader is loyal to his men, and is caught in the machine that requires him to act in the best interests of their morale while trying to survive day by day in a hostile foreign land. He was his monarch's loyal general and defender, until he failed in his duty and was exiled along with his men.

The Second in Command. The leader's mentor and surrogate father. He is old and weakening but still manages to holds everything together, for former student, with superhuman will. He manages to hide his suffering a little longer than he hoped, but time quickly fading and devotion.

The Other Power. He is loyal and the leader's protege, but to many whispers and broken promises has filled his cup. Now that cup is about to spill, and if his fellow's cries reach his hardened heart one more time, he may not stop himself from spilling something else.

Adventure Circumstance. More than one force is acting on this small force. Not only internal, and environmental, but an antagonist has taken advantage of this orphaned force to use against a weakening neighbor. The Antagonist had fortunately deduced the force's reasons and has take the initiative to push them into his weaker neighbors lands to show him as a weak or impotent lord.

The PCs could be newly hired or untested vassals of the Victimed lord. Their lord is asking them to protect his charge and they have to fight an enemy whose tactics are strange and formidable.

Sample NPCs for the various Roles to follow (probably friday).