“It was the best of dice, it was the worst of dice...

OK, admittedly the "worst dice" part was due to tomfoolery on my own part, but I get ahead of myself. To the beginning!

I receive to start, and the Tales begin mashing everything in sight. Despite a valiant knock-free and recovery midway, the Love-bugs can't stop the narrative momentum of the Tales, and Tom Sawyer concludes the first act with a touchdown in Turn 8. Despite taking 5 casualties and the unconsciousness of their rat ogre, the Love-bugs' one-turner lives up to his foreshadowing and ties the game 1-1 to head into the first intermission.

The second act is the comedic portion of the night's entertainment. Love-bugs receive and race up the sideline, walling off their gutter with the ball. But walls cannot stop the undead, as the Tales have written in a cameo by The Count, and his gaze opens a clear path to the ball, albeit to no immediate advantage as we could only Push. On their own turn, the Bugs get fancy and try to do things before the 2+ dodge it would take to score. They confuse stormvermin and make a dodge with the normal one, the AG4 rat of the same profession being already hurt. The dodge fails, and the Tales recover in climactic fashion, stealing the momentum of the game and all but certain victory, as rat after rat is carried off the field insensible.

But wait, in their vainglory, the undead attempt to skill up ghouls before scoring, and their game of catch goes horribly awry. The ball escapes their control and the Love-bugs are able to muster their forces and provide enough distraction to prevent another TD and send the game to a third and final act.

The Love-bugs have but 6 players as the final act opens, but not for long. Their thrower retreats to the end zone with the ball as their own players are swarmed. With no rerolls and outnumbered, the rats attempt risky moves and they are not rewarded. The ball is stolen, and the rats knocked to the ground and surrounded. As the rats persist in making nuisances of themselves, the Tales grimly set about the task of disposing of the fallen. The final TD is walked scored in T24, with but a single stunned rat left upon the pitch.

Well-played Hall, though your rats could not hold against the might wrath of Nuffle. Had the injuries not piled up so quickly and early, I have no idea how I'd have stopped you scoring at will.”