Blood on the Sand

Now that Cromak had defeated his first opponent, his patron got him another match quickly. This time a local spearman with leather armor and large shield was his opponent.

He was rolled up on the tables in Red Sand Black Moon for Hykar.  He had Savvy 4, Strength 4, and Speed 3.  He added Swordsman to the standard Warrior Signatures.  With his weapon, shield, and armor, he came up to a rating of 9, 3 above Cromak.

Cromak immediately scored a minor wound to Fangor's left leg.

Throughout the match, Fangor, though better armored kept getting pushed back.
Cromak struck a blow for Fangor's chest, but the shield turned it aside.

Cromak would often maneuver to Fangor's unshielded side, but was unable to take advantage of the situation.  When he next scored a hit, he had no advantage, and Fangor's shield protected his belly.

Fangor would often pause to regain his breath.

Then Cromak made a mistake, and Fangor's spear clanged against his helmet, knocking him down, and wounding him slightly.

Cromak realized that this wasn't as easy a fight as his previous one, and when Fangor next charged him, he stepped aside and dealt Fangor a mighty blow to his right arm, almost removing it, and making Fangor a bleeder.

Fangor's right arm bled out, and he was forced to drop his shield, and switch his spear to his left hand.  (Hey, I don't have a left-handed spearman figure.)

Hoping for a quick kill, Fangor charged in, but in his weakened condition, he was unable to parry the blow of the mighty axe that disembowled him, and ended his life.

Once again, Cromak slew his enemy with a blow to the belly, though with much less damage to himself this time.  He gained 3 fame points for the difference between his rating and his opponent's, and another for striking the killing blow in the center of the arena.  He now has 6 fame points.

He gained another 100 talos for his victory, and 113 for his bet on himself.  I had misfigured his talos in the previous post, so his total now is 464, I think.

This game ran to nine turns, with a couple of Redo the Attack.  The NPG kept tying Cromak when he had the advantage of the shieldless side, so he was unable to ever make that pay off.  Fangor caught his breat a couple of times.  It appears that better armor and shield is not much of an advantage if you AP is not up to your apponent's even if you out-rate him.

Cromak gains a toady, a farmer, with a nubile daughter.  Can the barbarian stay out of troubvle?