Scenario Background
It was, quite literally, a dark and stormy night.
Colonel Giles Smythe of the British Union of Fascists General Staff—ignoring the explicit advice of his long-suffering S2—decided that discretion was vastly overrated. Determined to impress his mistress, the enchanting Miss Agatha Christe, by flying her to her hometown of Taunton for her birthday, Smythe ordered up a transport aircraft from a discreet airstrip west of London.
In a further triumph of poor judgment, Smythe instructed his harried aide-de-camp, Captain Willy Liv, to “pack up the office.” This included champagne, personal effects, and—fatally—the only working draft of the BUF operational plans for the upcoming assault on Exeter.
The aircraft clawed into worsening weather.
Somewhere south of Taunton, something went terribly wrong.
The Situation
At first light, reports flooded in from the River Otter Valley:
A plane down
Explosions heard
Conflicting sightings of survivors
Radio traffic—sent disastrously in the clear—mentions activity at three locations:
The crash site
Berenton Farm
The old Roman ruins overlooking the valley
Was it the storm?
Anti-aircraft fire?
Sabotage?
Or sheer BUF incompetence?
No one knows—and no one can afford to wait.
Forces in the Valley
There are two sides, each made up of four factions. Alliances are fragile, and every group has its own agenda.
Anti-Government Forces
Anglican League:
“God, King, and Proper Order”
Religious traditionalists opposed to both fascism and atheistic revolution.
River Otter Valley Local Defense Brigade:
“This is our valley.”
Farmers, veterans, and locals defending their homes against everyone.
Red Kate’s Communist Front:
“No masters, no officers.”
Radical revolutionaries eager to expose fascist plans and spark unrest.
Dorset Police and Fire Squadron:
“Just trying to keep the peace.”
Overstretched civil authorities attempting to impose order in a collapsing state.
Pro-Government Forces
British Union of Fascists – IX Legion:
“Order through strength.
Elite BUF troops tasked with erasing this embarrassment.
BUF Local Chapter:
“We’ve been waiting for this.”
Eager but reckless party loyalists hoping to prove themselves.
German Advisor Korps:
“Observation is participation.”
Foreign “advisors” quietly judging BUF competence—and taking notes.
Royal Army – 3rd Dorsetshire Regiment:
“For King and Country.”
Professionals loyal to the Crown, uneasy allies of the BUF.
Secret Objectives (GM Only)
Each faction receives one secret objective. These may directly conflict with allies.
[I removed these from the post, but they played a major role in the game]
Pre-Battle Rumors (d10)
The Colonel survived the crash and was seen heading toward a farm.
There were two aircraft overhead that night.
The documents were scattered by the impact.
Tunnels exist beneath the Roman ruins.
Police have already arrested a “foreign officer.”
The locals are armed and ready to rise.
The crash was deliberate sabotage.
The Germans want the documents more than the BUF do.
The storm will worsen again before nightfall.
Red Kate is already in the valley.
Random Events Table (d20)
Roll once per turn, per side, or when entering a key location.
GM Notes
Victory is not binary. Public control, secret objectives, and political fallout all matter.
Allies may block, delay, or betray each other without formally breaking sides.
Someone will escape. Something will leak. Someone will be blamed.
In the Very British Civil War, disasters are merely opportunities—handled badly.
