Your force is a detachment of the infamous Asiatic Cavalry Division, led by the Mad Baron himself, Ungern von Sternberg. You have heard tales of a Buddhist monastic library in Urga, which is rumoured to contain a secret annex full of mystical scrolls, one of which supposedly contains the details of an ancient transcendental ritual which, when enacted will possibly reveal the one true path to enlightenment.

The omens have spoken and the bones have been cast, revealing to you a vision in which only you can retrieve the mysterious scroll and attain nirvana, as all others are not worthy of such an honour. As a result, you have set off across the Gobi Desert with your army in order to storm and pillage Urga in search of the ancient manuscript, although where the monastery actually is remains a bit of a mystery.

Obviously, any other forces that you meet on the way to Urga have heard of your divine mission and will be trying to stop you from attaining the one true path. Your shaman has warned you about this, so you have hand-picked your best troops and formed them into a retinue for your divine mission. Any ‘unbelievers’ must be wiped out at the first opportunity, so you have decided to shoot first and ask questions later.

You have heard tell of a wandering Tibetan lama who may be encountered somewhere along your route and who could reveal to you the location of the monastery that you seek. If encountered, the lama will join your band for part of your journey, in return for safe passage across the wilder parts of the Gobi.

(Chris has the Mad Baron’s army, with some very colourful units. This force is very ‘unusual’ and a little bit unpredictable, to say the least. It can be very effective but also has it’s weak elements that a cunning adversary can exploit.)