Not sure exactly where to ask this, so I thought Lockhaven would be a start…
What would Lieam’s character sheet / stats look like at the end of Winter 1152 ie. when he assumes the identity of the Black Axe from Celanawe?
Sure he spent most of the Winter actually out on missions, but would anything have changed apart from his chosen weapon and BIGs?
I thought he’d make an interesting character for solo play, admittedly not for a newbie to MG necessarily. Spring 1152 (or whatever) seems a long way off…
the box set supplement has a write-up of Leiam for the winter mission. It would be easy enough to use as a template for play. Also, there is a write-up of Celanawe and some details of the Black Axe. So, on one hand, the mechanics of what you’re asking are in written form.
On the other hand, the black axe is an important symbol which was given to Celanawe as the last in the line of Farrer, the mouse who forged the axe. That means there is a lot of emotion to the symbol for Guard, mice, and animals. Think of what it means for Leiam to take the axe and run off into the wilds. We never saw a point at which Celanawe tells Leiam to take the axe, or tells Gwendolyn to offer him the axe.
It is intentionally ambiguous (in my opinion). It is intended to generate questions of what that symbolism means. Should such a symbol be kept safe in Lockhaven and never again held by mousekind? Should a veteran hero be given the axe to carry as an honor augmenting the reputation already built? Should the axe be weilded by the Matriarch as a symbol of her power?
In addition, Leiam hasn’t got the skills to compare with a Patrol Guard or more. How well can he really handle the wilderness? What does this mean for his BIGs which were previously so connected to other patrolmates?
This all isn’t to say that it couldn’t be a fantastic bit of roleplay for a solo game, but it can provide just as much or more for a team game that must stay in the Guard seeing the aftermath of Leiam leaving with the axe.
Thanks Kenneth, that’s an interesting take on things.
Lieam seems very inexperienced to take up the mantle of the Black Axe alone, which I think creates a lot of potential.
Perhaps he holds on to it but does not use it unless forced? Perhaps he becomes an outlaw pursued by the rest of the guard (including Kenzie and Saxon)?
I never really got from any of the discussions of the axe itself, that it was the symbol. Rather, I always got that the mouse, wielding the black axe became the symbol, and became known by the name “The Black Axe”. There’s quite a significant difference there, especially considering that, despite being within a single mouse’s lifetime of the last ‘known’ wielder, it had already faded to myth/legend.
Having just finished Fall and Winter today, we can’t forget the epilogue, in which Gwendolyn writes that she intends to promote Lieam to operate independently and give him a tenderpaw to train.
To me, that says that he should be built using the Recruitment rules as a patrol leader for any spring missions.
Running off alone is hardly the inevitable next stage of being the Black Axe, either. He wouldn’t have to be on a solo mission. Lieam’s first patrol as leader and Black Axe would be a doubly epic mission to write.
Hm. If he’s promoted to operate independently, would he be a Patrol Leader, or a Patrol Guard? If memory serves, PGs can operate independently, but they’re not quite Patrol Leaders. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s back with Kenzie and Saxon with the tenderpaw as the fourth wheel.