Inciting Incident

Napondi River Expedition – Episode 1 Preparation

Patrol Encounter with the Inciting Incident

The inciting incident is an event that sets in motion the plot line or reason for a scene, story, or even a game campaign. Something has happened to cause your characters to take action. The campaign system found in most Two Hour Wargames rule books begins with a Patrol Encounter. I’ll use this encounter to introduce my Star character and reveal the incident to initiate the Napondi River Expedtiion campaign. The event is simple, while on patrol, my Star character discovers two survivors of a massacre. A French trading post has been razed to the ground, with the French out of the way, the entire Napondi River basin is now open to the British Lemurian Trading Company.

I’ll be using the Patrol encounter from Fortunes Won and Lost with modifications.

Objective

• The Star character, Sally Blue, commands a platoon of the Zuri Rifles. Her objective is to discover the two survivors while scouting the table.
• To be successful, Sally Blue must spend one turn with line of sight to the center of every section of the table until discovering the two survivors. Once accomplished, Sally Blue must exit her platoon from the table edge it entered.
• The opponent’s objective is to prevent the Star character from discovering the two survivors and exiting the table.
• The encounter is over when either side completes its objective or leaves the table.

Forces

• The Star commands a single platoon for this encounter.
• Enemy forces will be local natives until the survivors are found. Once the survivors are located, a war party of Niam Niam natives are encountered.

Terrain

• The table is divided into nine sections and terrain is generated normally, however, a minimum of four (instead of three) sections must contain terrain. After terrain has been set up, roll 1d6 for each table edge. The highest scoring table edge contains sections 7, 8, and 9.

Deployment

• Sally Blue’s platoon can enter the table anywhere in sections 7, 8, or 9.
• After the platoon is deployed, generate PEFs normally.

Special Instructions

• Use the NP Movement and Tactics to determine what PEFs are doing.
• Resolve PEFs as needed.
• After Sally Blue has spent a turn with line of sight to the center of a table section, roll 1d6; on the result of a 1, the survivors appear in the center of that section. If it is the last section to be scouted, the survivors appear without having to roll the d6.

Force Compositions

Unit Size

Depending on the unit type, I’ll be using three unit sizes: the group, the party, and the warband. The group is a unit of up to six figures with a leader included; in military forces, the group is a detachment. The party is composed of twelve figures including a leader and second-in-command; this is a platoon in a military. The warband consists of 24 to 30 figures including leaders and characters; among Arab traders and European militaries this would be a company consisting of two platoons and a headquarters detachment.

The Force or Column consists of any number of units.

Porters and Bearers

For every six figures in a non-native force and native forces traveling outside of their lands, there is a bearer figure. Bearers are Rep 3. Bearers in non-native forces are unarmed; bearers in native forces (usually women or young boys) are armed with bow or spear, but no shields, and cannot be ferocious.

If a force loses its bearers, every figure suffers a -1 to Rep when testing for the Will to Fight until new bearers are recruited.

Scouts

Any non-native force must have scouts to guide the force through the country. When a force loses its scouts, it must roll 1d6 before moving during its activation.

• On a 1, the force moves toward the left table edge.
• On a 2, the force moves straight ahead.
• On a 3, the force moves toward the right table edge.
• On a 4, the force turns around and moves behind them.
• On a 5, the force moves in the direction of the player’s choice.
• On a 6, the force fails to move.

A force without scouts may recruit scouts from any friendly village.

Zuri Rifles Patrol

Female warriors are a tradition in Nobelongga, most kingdoms have at least one regiment, even if the women only serve as ceremonial guards. The Zuri Rifles, a company formed by the British Lemurian Trading Company, were meant to be a ceremonial unit, but the unit’s commander, Captain Caroline Matthews, does her best to get her company into action.

This patrol consists of the 2nd Platoon led by Lieutenant Sally Blue, an American. The platoon is augmented with two bearers and two native scouts.

#	Name	Profession	Rep	Class	Weapon
1	Lt. Sally Blue	Officer	5	Melee	Pistol
2	Sgt. Goma	NCO	4	Missile	European Rifle
3 – 12	Askaris	Soldier	3	Missile	European Rifle
13 – 14	Bearers	Civilian	3	Melee	Unarmed
15 – 16	Scouts	Native	4	Melee	Spear and Shield

Niam Niam War Party

On an early journey Stanley inquired the name of a vicious tribe which had attacked his column, the natives referred to them as the “Niam Niam”, a phrase the attackers shouted meaning “meat, meat”, which led them to believe the Niam Niam were cannibals. The name stuck and for several years the tribes of the Northern edge of the Congo basin were known as the Niam Niam. Most of these people turned out to be the Azande.

So in my campaign, the mysterious invading tribe of bad guys are called the Niam Niam.

#	Name	Profession	Rep	Class	Weapon
1	Ntumba	Leader	5	Melee	One Hand w/Shield
2	Duala	NCO	4	Melee	One Hand w/Shield
3 – 4	Bearers	Native	3	Missile	Bow
5	Musket man	Native	3	Missile	Native Rifle
6 – 14*	Warriors	Native	4	Melee	Spear and Shield

Local Native Party

Prior to discovering the Survivors and the hostile Niam Niam, the Patrol may encounter a party of local natives, who may or may not be hostile. Since these are local natives, there won’t be any bearers.

#	Name	Profession	Rep	Class	Weapon
1	NA	Leader	5	Melee	Spear and Shield
2 – 12*	Warriors	Native	4	Melee	Spear and Shield

Survivors

The two haggard survivors are exhausted to the point of death. One was once a French Colonial Marine and the other a French Askari.

#	Name	Profession	Rep	Class	Weapon
1	Unknown	Soldier	3	Missile	Unarmed
2	Jamba	Soldier	3	Missile	Unarmed

Colonial Era in Cinema

“She who must be obeyed”, is an oft heard phrase, but how many of us knows where it comes from? It appears in the 1886 novel: She by H. Rider Haggard (who also wrote King Solomon’s Mines). I thought the book had been adapted to film twice, but according to Wikipedia, it has been the subject of seven movies. I know of only two, the 1965 production starring Ursula Andress (after her 1st appearance in Playboy and as the first “Bond girl” in Dr. No), and the one I watched recently, the delightful 1935 version with Randolph Scott.

She (1935). Starring Helen Gahagan, Randolph Scott, Helen Mack, and Nigel Bruce.

The other film I watched recently was Santiago starring Alan Ladd. To me, and this is just my opinion, Alan Ladd is best when he plays a character, like he did in Shane. Otherwise, he’s like so many classic leading men who played most often played themselves and not a character, in my opinion a couple of the worst offenders were Robert Taylor and John Wayne.

Santiago (1956). Starring Alan Ladd. Rossana Podesta, and Lloyd Nolan.

Next Time and a Non-Apology

I’m over a week late with this post, but it turned cold here with the now uncommon appearance of snow. So rather than spending any hobby time, I baked cookies, ate snacks, and took lots of naps. I did finally manage to paint up the remaining figures for a British auxiliary company. Though I feel a little bad about not posting last week, it’s not enough to make me apologize for napping and devouring snacks.

I will try to post on time next week, but I am in the middle of watching the latest season of Bridgerton, which means Lady Whistledown’s gossip column (adored by the Queen) takes precedence.

As always, your comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated and read with joy. Until next time, “Dearest gentle reader….”