WFRP IC (A Bitter Harvest)

[Xsesiv]

OoC Thread: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8355572#post8355572

You are beginning to comprehend the Imperial peasantry's expression that a hundred ships of gold are worth one loaf of bread. War is always a lean time, and the Storm of Chaos is beyond the scope of all wars as of yet. The amount of cash in your coffers is disproportionate for a bunch of travelling adventurers, but with no inhabitants of any villages that have not been razed willing to take money instead of food or goods as payment, you began to journey south, through Stirland, where the pickings are fatter and you were able to pick up food more easily. But as you journey through the Stirhügel, you find your rations once again depleted, and the last few biscuits, nuts, dried berries, strips of salted meat and tubers were eaten up yesterday.

It is early evening, the sky bright, cloudless and red, the late summer sun, as it dips below the horizon, illuminating the scorch-grassed, grey-brown hills and casting the valleys into shadow, as you crest a hill and see a small village, the first for three days, nestling in a valley on the riverbank. The picture is set off by Mannslieb rising full and bright in the distance. There is definitely a temple of Sigmar and houses in the village, but that is all you are able to make out from this distance. As you approach, you can make it out more easily. A hundred houses, maybe more. When you are a few hundred yards or so away, still looking down onto it, you notice it seems strangely deserted. Strangely being the operative word, as even though some town folk are going about their business, they are not in the typical numbers, maybe half the normal amount for a village of similar size.

Suddenly, from two houses at opposite ends of the village, burst two processions of people in colourful clothes. One procession is of men clad in blue, who throw handfuls of copper pennies to children, and the other of women in green, who hand out bunches of flowers to any passersby. The last eight men and twelve women, strong-looking types all, are arranged respectively into pairs and threes, and each pair or three holds between them a huge keg. The processions dance around the village and then to the middle of town, meeting up at the Sigmarite temple, and a man and woman dressed in beautiful clothing, coloured red deliberately to clash with the others', emerge from each, kiss, and stroll leisurely into the temple. About two minutes later, they emerge and are mobbed by the mass of people looking to hug and shout at them, from the noise that arises. The processions then reform and dance to what appears to be an inn, followed by every passerby on the streets, leaving the entire place empty.

[goblinpaladin]

Nicky cracks his knuckles and grins. "This looks like more fun than Pie Week! Free coppers probably means free beer! Let's go." The halfling makes to head into the village, thoughts dancing in his head of drunk peasants and how easily they are parted from their coin.

"Just leave the talking to me."

[-Sentinel-]

Regina readjusted her recently-acquired wide-brimmed hat as it threatened to fall off. It was a bit too large for her: its previous owner, a travelling merchant, had a head much bigger than hers. It was a beautiful hat, though, and it made her look somewhat regal (or so she thought) as she rode behind the halfling with her two pistols in plain sight.

Humming absently, she followed her employer towards the village, hoping to get a drink: after hours on the road, she was getting thirsty. With any luck, she would also find some excitement. The roads were fairly boring in this part of the Empire, and Nicky almost always forbade her to make travellers pay the toll. It's too dangerous, Reggy! he kept saying. You'll get us in trouble if you rob everyone we meet. Regina liked the halfling, but he had one big flaw: he utterly failed to understand her sacred duty. But sometimes you have to do what is right, not what you're told. That's why Regina often disobeyed Nicky. Like two days ago, when they met that merchant with a really nice hat. How can you not make someone with a hat like that pay the toll? Nicky had forgiven her quickly, too, when he saw how much the merchant paid for the right to use the road: a big pouch of gold crowns, the best hat ever (okay, maybe second best after the one worn by a wizard Regina had met a year ago, but that was another story), several shiny jewels, a book (b-o-o-o-o-ring, she had left it on the side of the road), some food and a bottle of wine. The wine had been good, but they finished the bottle too quickly. That was Mayrose's fault: she drank an awful lot. Regina could use some wine right now. She was thirsty. Which brought her right back to the start of her chain of thought.

[Xsesiv]

The little river village is still, which enhances the fact that the moment you enter the inn, whose sign is that of a dead white horse, you are assaulted with a roar of people cheering and celebrating. The barrels have been opened and mugs are filled, then heated with red hot pokers lain in the fire. The man in the red clothes (which are slightly out of fashion), a middle-aged, heavily overweight gentleman, slaps the first entrant heartily across the shoulders and forces a mug of beer into their hands. "Welcome strangers!" he shouts. "Maxilimilian Steiner. Call me Max. It's my finest hour, but we can't exclude everyone! Where are you from, and where are you going?" He seems to take a genuine interest in who you are and what you are doing.

[littlebottom]

somewhere towards the back of the group, not yet having entered the inn is one of the two halflings. mayrose was her name, a name she was happy with. supprisingly she looked rather ordinary compared to some of her traveling companions, but she certainly was very pretty. she wore commoners clothes although rather disturbingly for some (namely some humans who thought of halflings as rather childlike), her shirt is white and rather low cut, with several buttons undone, it barely held her in, too much bouncing about and it might not manage it anymore. mayrose often had a cheery disposition, although if she was upset, she tries to put a brave face on.

mayrose didnt drink too much alcohol usually, having worked in a inn for a long time and being around it all the time meant she didnt see it as all that special, although she wouldnt turn down a free drink from anyone she felt she could trust, which was why when she was offered the bottle of wine, a large amount promptly disapeared.

as she walks into the inn and has free drinks put into her hand she takes a quick experimental sip of it to test it for any funny tastes, before replying. "hi max! im mayrose!" she says with a glowing warm smile, "i came from the moot originally, but when i was young i moved into the reikland! were not heading anywhere in particular, were just looking for some honest*she winks*work" she giggles, her bust bounces almost too much for her shirt to take. then accidently spilling a little beer on her shirt. "whoops"

[Xsesiv]

Max smiles down at the halfling woman, not bothered by the spillage of beer because humans regard halflings as child-like and much beer will probably be spilt later tonight.

"Lucky for you, actually, I know a few people I could put you in touch with. I'm quite a big deal around here, I have a bit of clout. But let's not talk shop, tonight is a night for fun, drink up the beer, and enjoy the night. It's all courtesy of me and the father of my beautiful young wife." He then moves off to talk to some burly-looking peasants, who have been calling his name.

[-Sentinel-]

Regina slid down her saddle and entered the tavern with her hands on her hips, trying to look grim and impressive. Her slightly overdone scowl dissolved into girlish glee at the sight of the barrels. Grinning, she poured herself a large, frothing mug of beer and gulped it down in one go.

When she was off the road, she was no longer on tollkeeping duty and could drink as much as she wanted to. As long as she kept an eye out for Nicky's safety, of course... For some reason, an awful lot of people wanted to harm him, bodyguard or not. That's why Regina liked to establish early that she was not someone to be trifled with. Already, a few guests had thrown worried glances at her guns. If only she could find an excuse to use them...

[goblinpaladin]

Nicklaus opened his mouth to respond to the fat inkeeper when Mayrose interrupted. The charming thief shrugged and drank cheerfully. Free beer was free beer, and the interruption of his pretty companion meant that he didn't need to explain their presence. So far, this town was pretty great.

He wandered through the crowded inn, looking for games of chance; should he find some he would try and join. He thickened his accent, sounding like a rustic Halfling farmer from deep in the Moot, wide-eyed and eager to experience the world. "Wow! Cards! (or dice, depending...) I've always wanted to try that!"

Humans sometimes fell for that one, one of the oldest in the book. While earning their coin, he may find out exactly what this festival was and what was happening around here. Might be a bigger score somewhere.

[BloodyAngel]

Astrid of the Brynhildur

The tall, red-haired norse woman kept a steady pace for the duration of the trip, neither complaining about food nor fatigue. It was not until they reached their destination that she found something to complain about.

No good coin to make here. These people are safe and fat. She muttered upon seeing the celebrations, I will not kneel to an imperial man to collect his cast off pennies.

Mostly ignoring Max, she instead went straight for the tavern, giving a stern look to the first servant or waitress she should set eye on.

Bring me ale, and food. She said in her harsh, accented voice.

Assuming that conveyed her point properly, she chose a large enough table for the lot of them, and sat, expecting her companions to do the same.

[Xsesiv]

The villagers are not playing any games of chance. "Tradition," they say. "Superstition," they mean. A wiry peasant with a dirty face, half a mouthful of teeth and long, thin limbs explains.

"Rolling dice on the day of a wedding invites Ranald to join in. And then we have tricksters going behind each other's backs. And that never makes for a good marriage. Oh, didn't you know? It's the celebration for Max and his wife's wedding. There she is."

He points to an fair, heavily pregnant and much younger woman sitting at a small table sipping occasionally from a goblet of small beer and looking very shy and unsure of herself. Next to her are another young woman, very dark but just as pretty as the bride, apparently, by the red sash she wears, her maid-of-honour, and a very unhappy-looking man with greying wings of hair, who is around Max's age. Routine (+10) Common Knowledge (The Empire) Test.

There are no servants or waiters; people just grab beer and food (goat and potato stew, from a large pot over the fire) as and when they want some, but there is no lack of tables.

[BloodyAngel]

Even better! Astrid will grab a very healthy helping of food and brew, and sit. She's torn on how to feel about this place. On the one hand, these people are clearly fat southlanders who don't have much in the way of hardship to worry about. Some villages can barely afford to feed their own, after all.

On the other hand, these people clearly have a lot of things to throw around, solving both our food issues and possibly getting us paid. That is, assuming there are any problems in their fat, happy lives that can be fixed via a mace to someone's skull.

Astrid will watch her eccentric companions wander off with disinterest. She's not really adverse to their oddness... but she's never taken terribly much interest in them either. The two half-men she sees as completely harmless, and the imperial woman with the absurd hat seemed chaos-touched to her. Someone to watch for signs that her madness was dangerous, but mostly just someone to leave to their strangeness. If the gods had a place for her, she would not be the one to ruin it.

Instead she scanned the place for anyone she might consider a warrior. Armed or armored men carrying something larger than flimsy foils or knives. If there was one real man in the entirety of this town... perhaps he could tell her where a warrior could earn thier keep.

[goblinpaladin]

"Huh. Oh well, maybe some other day, huh? Hey, what's a traditional gift for a wedding?" Nicky lowers his voice, giving a wink. "I've got some potions here, guaranteed to keep an older man's vigour up, if ya know what I mean. Just the thing to give to ol' Max, I bet."

Charm: [roll0]

Common Knowledge (the Empire): [roll1]

[-Sentinel-]

After her second beer in as many minutes, Regina was already fidgeting with boredom. Having spent most of her life in the lonely wilderness of Ostland, she had never learned how to act in social situations. Part of the problem, although not all of it, was her rather limited range of interests besides taxes, duties and tolls.

She made an attempt at conversation with a nearby peasant.

"I trust you people pay your taxes?" she grinned amiably.

[Exeson]

Sunny strolls into the establishment a while after the others, lagging behind. He was tired but the prospect of company immediately set a grin on his face and he a drink appeared in his hand almost too fast to see.

He strolls over to the heavily pregnant woman and her companion, setting himself down with a flourish. From somewhere he had grabbed some food as well and he began to tuck in with vigor, 'So! tell me my dear gem, how many moons have you been bearing that blessed little tyke?'

Common knowledge (The empire): [roll0]

[Xsesiv]

The peasants look at Nicky with nothing less than disgust and turn away.

A scraggy old man grunts to Regina. "Yes, we pay our damned taxes. Damn bailiffs, forcing us to give up this much money, it's stupid. Most of us can't even eat meat a lot of the time, and we have to pay for cannon."

Astrid sees nobody with a weapon in hand or at belt. But who would wear a weapon to a wedding anyway?

The woman looks up at Sunny with a shy smile. "Seven moons. Not long now," she answers, with a small sip of beer. "Be able to raise him into a stable family now, I hope." Sunny knows (but Nicky doesn't have a chance to, not having Common Knowledge (The Empire)) that it is not unusual in the least for a bride to be visibly pregnant on the wedding day - it at least ensures the marriage will be fertile before any binding commitments are made.

A pretty, plump young woman with long brown hair comes over to Sunny, taps him on the shoulder and hands him a mug of beer. "Well, you're a big, strong man. I bet you can shoot straight with that big old longbow of yours, if you catch my meaning." she says, with a small smile.

[Exeson]

Sunny laughs, 'Oh! more drink for fortunate Sunny! What a marvelous event of revelry this is!' He takes another long draft from his drink, 'Oh I shoot straighter than a crow flies with a devil on its heels!, perhaps I could indeed give you a demonstration at some point'

[Xsesiv]

"Maybe later tonight? I'm Freudig, by the way. Freudig Bumsen." she adds, grinning, moving away to several other young women in the corner who are giggling, running her hand over Sunny's shoulders as she goes, grabbing a tankard of beer and swigging it down, before entering an animated discussion with her friends.

[Exeson]

'Oh, how the gods do smile on Sunny, gracing him with the breaking of his overly long fast with free drink, food and company!' He tucks into he is meal, finishing it and draining his first drink, moving onto the second one he was given. Turning back to the bride, 'So tell me, dearest bride, about the happy passings that lead to this event of benevolent debauchery!'

[Xsesiv]

"I'm marrying Max," she says, with a strange expression. "This is his baby. I'm not being forced into this, or anything like that." The dark girl next to her pats her gently on the back.

"He's a bit older than I am, but we really do love each other," says the bride, sipping her beer. "I want what's best for everyone, especially the baby." The older man next to her gives a very audible harrumph, and she falls quiet.

[Exeson]

Sunny turns to the old man and gasps audiably, 'How rude, to enter enthralling conversation without so much as an introduction, my name is Sunny,' He offers his hand to the old man. 'I'm to assume you are the father of this fair maiden, dispensing both wisdom and fair reprimand when the duty of fatherhood calls?' Anyone who has been watching Sunny or indeed interacting with him will by now have noticed that he tends to gesture a lot with his hands, seeming to saturate his speech with even more meaning than his already flamboyant words do.

[Xsesiv]

"Franz Raffke, her father. Boat-chandler." grunts the grey-haired man. "Lutz! Beer! You have my name, sir, but what is your business?"

A very ugly, very short man, dark of hair and beard and with a pronouned limp, an even more pronounced frown and a very strong Ostermark monotone delivers a tankard of beer to Franz, displaying mangled hands. "There you are, sir," he says, then walks off muttering to himself and frowning.

[littlebottom]

mayrose drinks down the rest of her drink and makes her way over to a table with some locals on it, finds a seat and sits down "so, any one have some cards? no gambling of course, just for fun?" mayrose smiles at them all awaiting a reply

[Exeson]

'Why the magnificent specimen that sits before you is a humble targateer, traveling round the land winning tourneys and girls hearts with his prowess with a bow,' he winks.

[Xsesiv]

In turn, the peasants sombrely shake their heads on their scrawny necks. "I didn't think to bring any, seeing as there's no gambling allowed," mumbles one of them, with a bald head and dreadful halitosis. The others then nod just as sombrely. Talkative lot, this.

Max comes over and grabs one of them, the one who talked, by the shoulder. "Fritz! I haven't spoken to you for months!" he cries.

"Actually, you've not spoken more than a dozen consecutive words to me since you knew me," replies Fritz in his deep mumble, and the peasants chuckle.

"Oh, come on now, Fritz. You should be enjoying yourself! It's a happy day." Fritz looks at him.

"I am enjoying myself." Fritz says, and drains his tankard meaningfully.

Franz isn't particularly impressed by Sunny's fancy words. "Oh yes, and he is very modest, too," Franz adds, rolling his eyes. "What you mean is, you're a bowman. Don't be trying to win my daughter's heart, she's just been married."

[littlebottom]

mayrose gets up from the table and looks for better company, and just generaly sees what she can dig up through gossip

gossip check +10 [roll0]

[Xsesiv]

Mayrose is generally just rudely ignored. One woman, with limbs like sticks, a tiny body and a face like a cow's, says to her that "if you want dirty rumours, go and talk to that git Lutz, Franz's servant."

[-Sentinel-]

A scraggy old man grunts to Regina. "Yes, we pay our damned taxes. Damn bailiffs, forcing us to give up this much money, it's stupid. Most of us can't even eat meat a lot of the time, and we have to pay for cannon."

Regina's grin froze, something that would alarm anyone who knew her well.

"Oh, I'm sure the bailiff's only doing his job to keep the Empire running," she said, still smiling but her voice carrying a slight edge. "It's the tax evaders who should be shot." She casually pointed at her pistols for emphasis.

Moving somewhat stiffly, she poured herself some more beer and took a long draught, spilling some of it on herself. Her face was starting to redden slightly.



(OOC: Third beer. I'll soon start taking Consume Alcohol tests.

Changed my speech color, since I shared dark red with Max.)

[Xsesiv]

The old man hears this as he is draining his mug and splutters as some beer runs down the wrong way, then joins the rest of the table in laughing uproariously. "Believe me, nobody don't evade the bloody taxes round here, missy. We can still complain though, eh? The last man who did a bit of tax-dodging got castrated and had his eyes plucked out and ears cut off and was forced to fry the whole bloody lot in garlic and serve them up to his family. Slightly over the top, do you not think? And kindly don't threaten me with your damned pistols."

[littlebottom]

mayrose heads off in the rough direction that the woman indicated to her, trying to not seem like she intends to meet him, but simply ends up being there mayrose casually remarks "oh, are you Lutz? my names mayrose, nice to meet you."

im going to attempt to chat to him for something more interesting, do you want a gossip roll? or just roleplay it, ill roll just incase [roll0]

[Xsesiv]

Lutz has long, dark, lank and greasy hair, and sits alone in the corner clutching an empty flagon in his left hand, missing two fingers, examining his own lap. "Yeah, I'm Lutz. What's it to you?" he asks without looking up. It should be offensive, but his Ostermark monotone makes it slightly funny.

[littlebottom]

"drink?" mayrose will offer to get him a drink. "ive heard youve got a lot of stories, and i thought now would be a good time to listen to them."

[Xsesiv]

Lutz takes up the ale and gulps it down in one. "I could tell you some things, not very nice, some of them. It's just that I'm a bit tired at the moment. They say it comes of a poor diet, but what's a man in my position to do?"

[littlebottom]

"well why dont you just go and get yourself something nice to eat?" mayrose asks in a more statement fasion then in a question.
she hands him 4 copper coins
she then takes a seat closeby and continues on her own drink.

[Xsesiv]

Lutz grins and winks a bloodshot dark blue eye at Mayrose. "Cheers." he says, glad somebody has caught his drift."Well, I would go to the other tavern in town, they do the nicest salt pork joints, you know, but I want to keep an eye on this wedding. Pretty fishy if you ask me. Last I heard Franz just married his daughter off to Max to close a business deal. I'd say more if my throat wasn't so dry..." This man clearly has very little shame.

[littlebottom]

"well, why dont you just stay there a moment." mayrose giggles and heads off to get a couple more drinks and brings them back over, she hands him 2 "that should keep your throat from drying up too quick"

[Xsesiv]

"Thanks again." He downs the beers one after the other, then looks back up at you with bleary eyes, then, apparently having grossly overestimated his own limits, begins to talk with a heavy slur. "Maksh ish a merchan', righ'? Well, 'e'sh shellin' 'emp to Franzh. 'E'sh been shellin' 'emp t'ev'ryone, but Franzh 'opesh thish weddin' will lock 'ish rivalsh out. 'E wantsh a grandshon, too, doesh Franzh. 'E washn't man enough t'ave a shon, and 'e'sh ushin' ish daughter to shecure ish own future. Not complainin', though, I'd like to get me 'andsh on 'Elena meshelf. I'd tell you more, but...ah...I'm feelin' a bit shick..." So saying, he staggers towards the door, trips over something that isn't there when he looks, vomits on the floor, and walks out of the front door, then passes out in the street.

[littlebottom]

"people who cant handle their drink should use a bit more common sense and drink less" she sighs before looking out for her fellow travelers.

[-Sentinel-]

The old man hears this as he is draining his mug and splutters as some beer runs down the wrong way, then joins the rest of the table in laughing uproariously. "Believe me, nobody don't evade the bloody taxes round here, missy. We can still complain though, eh? The last man who did a bit of tax-dodging got castrated and had his eyes plucked out and ears cut off and was forced to fry the whole bloody lot in garlic and serve them up to his family. Slightly over the top, do you not think? And kindly don't threaten me with your damned pistols."

Regina nodded approvingly at the fate of the last tax dodger.

"Good. I'm a toll keeper, see," she said, oblivious to the fact that this revelation would not exactly endear her in the men's eyes, "and so many travellers object to paying the toll. That's why I need guns. When people see them, they pay up. I love my job."

She had a crooked grin, the kind that made people slightly nervous. Leaning back, she drained the last of her beer and lurched to the nearest keg for a third refill. Gods, was she thirsty.

[goblinpaladin]

Shrugging, Nicky makes his way back through the crowd to the table Reggy and Astrid have cleared. He exhales deeply as he clambers into the human-sized seat. "Grumpy lot, this, for humans celebrating." He buries his face in a tankard of Stirlander beer by way of compensation.

[Xsesiv]

A heated discussion can be heard from the bridal table, and then voices begin to be raised. Franz and Max stand up, talking to each other now quite loudly, in slightly slurred voices, but still with chatter in the background. They notice they are the subject of curious stares and quieten down, then walk outside to continue their discussion in the relative privacy of the street.

Average (±0) Perception test. A successful Average (±0) Speak Language (Reikspiel) test will give a +10% bonus. So will Keen Senses and/or Acute Hearing.

[goblinpaladin]

Nicky perks up a bit at the racket and tries -surreptitiously- to eavesdrop.

Speak Language: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

Yeah NOW I make high rolls. sigh.

[-Sentinel-]

Regina turned around curiously at the heated conversation...

Speak Language (31): [roll0]
Perception (31): [roll1]

...then decided it probably wasn't very interesting.

[BloodyAngel]

Finally, something Astrid might take interest in! All the twittering about taxes and marriage really isn't much concern to her.

Also, a Consume Alcohol test, as she's likely on her third ale... since they're just GIVING it out.

Consume Alcohol: [roll0] (50)
Perception: [roll1] (14)
Speak Reik: [roll2] (28)

[Xsesiv]

As close as he was, Sunny could clearly hear the conversation, but both men were quite drunk and very angry, so it wasn't cohesive at all. Something about a missing dowry and the state of the marriage if it's not delivered. If Mayrose wants to hear, she still has to make the Test. While it's clear the men don't want to be followed, it doesn't look like it would be too difficult.

[-Sentinel-]

With a loud hiccup, Regina finished her fourth beer and wiped the foam from her mouth. She felt a bit woozy, even though it was rather weak stuff compared to what they brewed in Ostland. Maybe she should not drink quite so much even off-duty: she could hardly hold her alcohol. And for some reason, Nicky became nervous when she was drunk.


Easy (+20%) Consume Alcohol test, at half Toughness since I don't have the skill.

Target 38: [roll0] (failed)

Hours of drunkenness if I fail: [roll1] (...Ouch. -10% to all WS, BS, Ag and Int tests for nine hours.)


She was also getting bored with all this talking. And when she was tipsy and bored at the same time, there was no telling what she might do next.

[Xsesiv]

The bride doesn't wait for the return of her husband, but gets up, still fairly early in the evening, and joins the children and older people in leaving for bed, with her maid-of-honour at her side, supporting her gently by the arm. Some people have started to trickle away and pass out in their seats, leaving an air of camaraderie amongst those who remain.

[littlebottom]

mayrose hears the voices raise, and decides to find out whats going on.

reikspiel: [roll0]
perception [roll1]

Mayrose nips outside and attempts to get into a nearby alley unoticed roll for whatever you want to get into the alley unoticed [roll2]

[Xsesiv]

[roll0]Max's Perception at -20

Mayrose finds it very easy to sneak out, as Max is very drunk and very distracted.

Franz and Max are having some kind of altercation. It is clear that Franz is somewhat drunk and very angry with Max, and that they have been arguing for several minutes. Max seems a lot calmer than does Franz, but he is barely restraining it, and may snap any minute now.

Apparently a large delivery of hemp was supposed to have arrived by now as a dowry. "I could have given that girl to any respectable businessman in town," snaps Franz, slurring slightly, into the much larger Max's face, "but Max, you promised me the best prospects, even though my friends had warned me not to deal with an uppity peasant like Maximilian Steiner. If Maximilian Bloody Steiner isn’t to be trusted, though, I will sue the shirt off his back and ensure my daughter divorces him and that their child, boy or no, grows up in a Shallyan orphanage where no-one can ever find it."

Max tries to calm Franz down, holding his palms out, speaking gently, though still slightly inebriated. "The dowry will be yours, Franz. Don't worry, it's just a cartload of hemp. It'll arrive eventually. Don't spoil your daughter's happy day."

Franz is visibly scornful at this, sneering mightily.

[littlebottom]

mayrose takes down some notes (if she is allowed to have some writing equipment and paper, if not, she takes mental notes)

mayrose hangs around to see if the argument is over, if so, she will get herself back inside and continue drinking as if all was as it was before.

[Xsesiv]

Mayrose can't have a writing kit as it is too cumbersome, rare and expensive to be counted a random quirky trapping. The argument isn't over, but nor does it progress. From now, it basically consists of Franz questioning whether he is ever going to get his hemp and Max trying to placate him. After an exchange of words, the two part angrily, going back into the inn one after another. Franz goes to bed.
Another Routine (+10) Silent Move Test for Mayrose, to get back in without being noticed by Max.

[littlebottom]

[roll0] mayrose heads back inside after them.

[Xsesiv]

Max hears Mayrose shut the door after her, several seconds after he has come in, and turns on her."You weren't earwigging there, were you?" he asks, slightly more harshly than necessary. "What are you doing, sneaking about? Come on. What did you hear?"

[littlebottom]

"what? i only heard raised voices when i went out for some fresh air, i feared i would pass out in here with all this beer and heat in here. why? was there something i wasnt supposed to be hearing?"

[Xsesiv]

Max raises an eyebrow. "I can't say I believe that. Me and Franz were shouting at each other about something - not illegal, but definitely not the sort of thing that should be made public - right outside the door. And you came out and didn't hear anything but raised voices? Come on. Out with it."

[littlebottom]

"i wasnt right outside, otherwise you would of saw me when you came back in, i went for a walk down the road. thats why i couldnt hear it properly. are you done being defensive?"

[Xsesiv]

This all sounded perfectly reasonable until the aggressive final point. Max (who in fact did see you coming back in) clenches his fists in barely suppressed anger, then just walks away. He comes over to behind Regina. "Excuse me, you look like a roadwarden. No offence meant if you're not, but would you say you knew a bit about the law?"

[littlebottom]

Mayrose went off and sat down with her companion Astrid. with her third drink in hand she begins chatting generally with her. "hey, pretty lucky we came into town today eh? all this free booze is great!"

[Xsesiv]

There are only about twenty or twenty-five guests remaining at this point, not including Max and yourselves (Franz, the bride and her maid-of-honour are already in pre-reserved private rooms). All and each of the remaining guests are totally inebriated. Some are on the verge of passing out over the tables (one man, flabby as though he has lost a lot of weight in a short time, does collapse in his seat as you watch), while a couple make ready to stagger home, and a few more, not trusting themselves even to get home, attempt to pay the bartender for a night's stay, dropping the pennies on the floor and struggling to pick them up.

[littlebottom]

Mayrose goes over and helps them pick up the pennies and hands them over. "actually, i handnt thought about that, i will need somewhere to stay too!" she says through a quite tispy haze.

[goblinpaladin]

Nicky looks up to Max. "Max! Hello there! Why Reggy is indeed a legal expert; famed throughout the ten counties- and the Moot. Is there some problem?"

"C'mon, snap out of it. Could be some money here. Help 'im out," the halfling whispered to Regina in an undertone.

[Xsesiv]

Max looks down at the tiny man he has up till now ignored, then back up to Regina, the pistol-armed traveller, looking indeed slightly like a roadwarden. "I'm just wondering. Is a marriage legal without the delivery of a promised dowry? It's not that I plan not to deliver it, I just don't want some kind of fight with my father-in-law while it's in transit."

[BloodyAngel]

Astrid of the Brynhildur

Astrid nodded to the little halfling girl as she returned to her seat. She was friendly enough, if child-like. While she would never be strong, that was hardly her fault and Astrid did not judge her for it. Instead she just kept to her ale, not caring to socialize with the people here outside her group. It was not long before May ran off again... Easily distracted, that one.

After another tankard, Astrid finally grew bored enough to get up and join her companions near one of the locals or another. She couldn't recall his name, but one of her halfling associated called him Max, so she would do the same.

What is going on? She said in thickly accented Reik, Free food is good, but we make no coins here. We need to find work, ya?

[Xsesiv]

Max seems to have been deep in thought before the Norsewoman jolted him out of his meditation. "Well, actually, if you don't mind staying the night, I mght have some work for you all, as neutral parties and bodyguards. It would pay well, and it wouldn't take too long. I'm a bit tired now, so assuming you're agreeable, I'll tell you more in the morning." With that, Max lifts his bulk out of the seat and walks purposefully up the stairs. The few patrons who remain on their feet leave.

[littlebottom]

"so all this beer is still free? and theres only us to drink it! YAY!" Mayrose goes around handing out more beer and drinks a few down herself.

[Xsesiv]

Mayrose finds there is very little beer left, which probably explains why the few people still able to drink went. The innkeeper, a burly man for someone whose job entails sitting behind a counter all day, looks about the inn with an air of disappointment, turns to one side and spits on the floor, goes over to the door and puts the bolt across. "Now then, fellows," he says, "You can sleep there if you like, or you can buy yourself a bed in the common room."

[littlebottom]

"will there be food in the morning?" mayrose asks before making a desicion.

[Xsesiv]

The innkeeper runs a sweaty hand over his bald, pink head with a slight squeak. "Not here, there won't be. We don't serve food. There aren't too many travellers like yourself who need it. But you look a little the worse for wear, so I'll see if I can find you some bread or something. That's if you're paying for a room, mind, you won't get something for nothing." He pulls out a bedroll from under the bar and unravels it behind the bar, apparently meaning to sleep there and prevent collapsed drunks getting up and stealing from the inn.

[-Sentinel-]

Max looks down at the tiny man he has up till now ignored, then back up to Regina, the pistol-armed traveller, looking indeed slightly like a roadwarden. "I'm just wondering. Is a marriage legal without the delivery of a promised dowry? It's not that I plan not to deliver it, I just don't want some kind of fight with my father-in-law while it's in transit."
Regina woke from her drunken half-sleep only when Nicky urgently snapped his fingers in front of her eyes.

"Uh? What? S'ry good sir, alcohol makes me tired." She smiled apologetically at the merchant. "Thing is," she muttered with a comical frown, "dowries ain't my field, 'm afraid. I'm just a toll keeper, see. From Ostland. I know all about road tolls in Ostland. I know there's an eight percent duty on charcoal, fr'example. But marriage and dowries..." Her eyes went out of focus.



"Well, actually, if you don't mind staying the night, I mght have some work for you all, as neutral parties and bodyguards. It would pay well, and it wouldn't take too long. I'm a bit tired now, so assuming you're agreeable, I'll tell you more in the morning."

This time, Regina grinned. Bodyguard duty was her thing. It gave her plenty of opportunities to use her guns.

"Why, I'd be very interested!" she exclaimed cheerfully, as if in a deliberate attempt to dissuade Max from hiring her. "I'm very very good at this kind of thing, ain't I, Nicky?" She elbowed her employer, but lost her balance and fell off her chair.

[Exeson]

Sunny jolts awake in his chair. He was so worn out by the travel that he seems to have nodded off and missed all the excitement. Stretching his gets up and looks around. 'My dear, what has magnificent Sunny missed?' noticing that people had left his face twisted in dismay, 'Poor Sunny has slept himself through the revelry, shame, shame.'

[Xsesiv]

I am going to assume you all went to sleep in the end.

In the morning, at about seven bells, you are politely awoken by a fresh-looking Max and a not-so-fresh-looking Franz. They have with them a tall, strong-looking man with pock marks and thick dark hair tied behind his head.

"Right," says Franz. "We want you to go with Max and find out what happened to this dowry, and whether I'm ever going to get it."

Max comes in, to rephrase the question it terms more favourable to him. "Well, not quite. We want you to be a neutral party for us. Yes, we will be going after a dowry, and if neccessary, escort it back. If we're attacked, you'll have to fight. Now, about the pay. Max looks over to Franz to make an offer.

Franz thinks about it."I wouldn't miss ten crowns with the value of this dowry."

"Nor me. We'll each pay each of you ten Marks. More than a lot of people make in a year. Agreed?

[Exeson]

At the mention of twenty marks Sunny's eyes light up. 'Oh indeed, a quest for Sunny and his band of mighty adventurers, delving forth into the unknown with only their wits and weapons to hold back the tide of evil!'

[-Sentinel-]

Regina had a splitting headache. She was tempted to shoot Max and Franz on the spot for waking her up, but was afraid the sound of her guns might cause her skull to cave in. Dishevelled and bleary-eyed, she patiently listened to them, wishing they spoke a bit less loudly.

"Uh. Ten marks? Just to find the dowry and bring it back? Sounds fair to me."

[Xsesiv]

Max looks delighted, and even Franz gives a grudging smile. "Well, at least you seem to be happy with that. This is Andreas Kessler, by the way," says Max, indicating the well-muscled, long-haired man, who nods politely to each of you. "He's in charge of my security. Had to bring in a lot of outside workers to help with the hemp harvest, you see."

Though quite young, the man certainly looks like a head of security. A tall, robust, powerful man with a ruddy face, he wears a sleeved mail coat, spurs on his boots and a pot helm upon his head, as though already expecting an attack, and he has a sword, a dagger and a pistol at his belt and a shield slung over his back.

"We'd best be going soon. Any of you still the worse for wear?" grunts Andreas, fishing in a leather slingbag at his side.

[BloodyAngel]

Astrid of the Brynhildur

Astrid got up from her spot on the common room floor and spent a few moments stretching and cracking her neck to work out the kinks she had gained in the night. She seemed well-devoid of a hangover, though her charm had not improved in the night.

Yah. For 10 marks, ve are good. She said, turning to her companions, Up! Up all of yous! Or I leaves yous behind.

(Assuming everyone does, in fact, get up.)

Astrid gathered her things, checking to make certain not a thing was taken in the night. She donned her mail and leather in the commons room... not particularly concerned about the others here, and strapped her zweihander across her back, then her battered wooden shield to her arm. She was ready to go when they were. Looking forward to it, even.

[-Sentinel-]

Regina got up with a yawn, ready to go the moment she was on her feet. (She even slept with her two loaded pistols, something the others kept warning her against. But what if a brigand, smuggler or tax evader tried to murder her in her sleep?)

"I'll saddle my horse," she mumbled, lazily dragging her feet out of the inn.

[Xsesiv]

Andreas heads outside on hearing you are all fine. He hops onto his horse, a huge nineteen-hand piebald stallion. Andreas leads three guards; a middle-aged, wiry man with piercing blue eyes, a fresh-faced, broad-shouldered but scared-looking youth with a shaven head, and an overweight, weatherbeaten man with hands like anvils, who holds his head low and rides alongside Andreas. All are well-armed and -armoured, and the four will be riding next to the newlyweds’ rented coach.

Those with horses can ride with Andreas and the guards. There is room for two more on the box next to the elderly coachman and another two could fit into the coach with Max, Helena and her maid-of-honour. If these places are not desirable, Max has also arranged another small cart and a horrifically ugly, acne-ridden blond man as a driver. The cart is for the wedding gifts and you can ride perched on that.

Max drapes a large blanket over the wedding gifts, to protect them from the dust of the road. "It'll take about a day to reach Vorberg - that's my village." he says. "I want to get going as soon as possible - are we all ready?"

[BloodyAngel]

Astrid of the Brynhildur

Astrid will sit up front with the coachman, better to keep an eye out ahead and ensuring that there's little in her way if she should have to fight or leave the wagon in a hurry.

[littlebottom]

Mayrose awakes a couple of moments after everyone else just as the conversation starts.

she listens to it while stretching and checking her belongings, making sure the right number of buttons are done up and undone, she could risk a couple more being undone, but today seemed like the kind of day when it wasnt worth the risk, so she had an extra button or two done up than usual. eventually she makes her way outside, and places claim of a space on the coach. "im smaller anyway, so maybe we could fit someone extra in?" Mayrose suggests.

overall she wasnt impressed with her hangover considering she didnt drink quite as much as she had wanted. but it should hopefully pass during the trip, then she would surely get more chatty.

[-Sentinel-]

Her jaw clenched in what was presumably intended to be a grim and commanding expression, Regina rode at the front of the party atop her own mount, a small dark-grey horse to which she had given the overdramatic name of Justice. She wore her wide-brimmed hat low to keep the glare of the sun from making her head hurt even more.

Once I join the road, I'm on duty again.

This thought filled her with immense pride and elation... while it filled her companions with a healthy amount of anxiety. Smiling, Regina slowly caressed the handles of her pistols in an almost sensual way.

I hope Nicky won't stop me from doing my duty this time. Oh, who am I kidding? Of course he'll try to stop me. He's nice enough, but he just doesn't understand. The toll has to be paid. It's The Law.

[goblinpaladin]

"Ten marks is quite fair, quite. I'd like to ride with Max himself, his fair wife and this lovely -no, beautiful!- woman." Nicky grins at the maid-of-honour, before nodding to Reggy. "Reggy, I think for today you should ride as an outrider; guard us all, eh?"

He cracks his knuckles and smiles around the group. "Lots of guards- you must be powerful men to afford them all."

[Xsesiv]

"Not really. I just have enough money to pay them." The coachman whips up the horses into a quick trot, as Max elaborates. "You see, I was a handyman on a boat as a lad. I spent some years on the boat, I even went to Marienburg once. Great city, I saw Elves, I saw buildings the like of which you'd never known, I saw ships from every corner of the Old World, and their crews, just as strange and exotic as the boats.

Anyway, I found that I'd got a talent for buying and selling. Then while I was still a young 'un, I made my way back home and bought back my dad's house. He'd wrecked the family fortune on get-rich-quick schemes.

Do you mind if we stop mid-morning?" he asks the coachman, as you have come well out of the village by now. "I forgot to go to the toilet at the inn." The coachman nods.

[goblinpaladin]

"Buying and selling, huh? What sort of things do you move around- I'm guessin' you're still in the trade. I wouldn't want to leave! Nuln! ELVES!" Nicky lays on the wonder a bit thick, pressing Max for details.

[Xsesiv]

"Oh, nothing in particular. If there's a load of cut-price meat, I'd take ten per cent to get it to a pie shop. If there's a demand somewhere and a surplus somewhere else, it's easy enough. At the moment, I'm employing refugees from the Storm to help me grow hemp and sell it to Franz, who's a boat-chandler. Everyone benefits." The women, you notice, are being strangey quiet. They haven't said a word all morning, and it can't possibly be a hangover.

The coach jolts on a large stone as it heads into a sparse forest. A few miles' travel are made in good time, and, as promised, the coach stops mid-morning to allow people to relieve themselves. "Right," says Max, pointing to a cluster of shrubs providing thick cover."Ladies over there, and gentlemen over here." He indicates a tight cluster of trees nearby. "Back on the road in five minutes."

[littlebottom]

Mayrose keeps her head down "i dont need to go right now, so wake me if something happens" she mutters as she attempts to get some shut eye.

[Exeson]

Sunny leaps onto the box of the coach, next the the rider. 'Onwards my dear party, we shall soon reach the bottom of this crisis, trusty old Sunny assures you'

At the piss break he casually stalks out of sight, 'Indeed, Sunny is but a mere mortal and must abide by the laws of nature as such as any creature.'

[BloodyAngel]

Astrid of the Brynhildur

Watchs yourselves... The wilderness is dangerous place. Astrid said to the men as they wandered off to relieve themselves.

She got down from the coach herself... heading for the afforementioned trees to do the same herself. Better now than to stop the coach again later.

[-Sentinel-]

Regina was tempted to remain at the front with an attitude of stoic professionalism for the duration of the stop, but she had to relieve herself all the same. So she pretended to have seen something ("probably nothing, don't panic") in the cluster of trees and rode in this direction to "investigate, we can't be too careful".

[Xsesiv]

After the prescribed five minutes, the coach picks up speed again. The woods become sparser, though still gloomy. A few more hours' travel are ahead, before the coach stops for lunch (Max says he will be sick if it doesn't) and the final stretch in the afternoon running through the evening. If anyone has any questions, now would be the time to ask them. There is little else to do.

[littlebottom]

"so how much hemp are we looking out for? so that we know weve found it all and none is missing?"

[Xsesiv]

"Well, it was a convoy of four wagons to be sent out. Two of them were loaed with hemp. I'm sure Erich will have had a good reason not to have brought it - Erich Treumann, that's my bailiff. Everything will turn out alright, I'm sure. Anything to make sure my lovely Helena has peace of mind." Max, though, seems more worried than he's letting on - and he talks about his wife more like a daughter. He has, you notice, as if for the first time, married very late in life to a woman much younger than himself.

[BloodyAngel]

Astrid of the Brynhildur

Astrid isn't the friendliest of sorts... mostly seeming bored along the long ride. The man's wife does not much interest her... though she'll listen to the conversation for lack of anything else to do, really. That and look around the countryside, and how different it is from her homeland. Finally something that's been bothering her all day will return to mind, and she'll just out and ask about it.

Yous hires a lots of people. She said to Max grimly, Lots of coins you spends on attacks thats mights nots come. Yous knows more thans you say.

[Xsesiv]

Max knits his brow until he has made sense of what the Norsewoman is trying to say, then he realises and answers reasonably. "Ah, well. Better to be safes - sorry, safe - than sorry. Much the attitude of anyone on Imperial roads. The attack might not come, but I'd rather be prepared and not have it than not be and actually have it. I have four guards overseeing sixty workers, a coach, a cart and two drivers. That isn't too excessive, is it? No need to be suspicious. Sigmar knows we have enough real threats to worry about."

[Xsesiv]

At about two bells, the coach stops for lunch. After a few rounds of sandwiches, cold cooked meats and fruit, Max calls Mayrose aside, pulling her behind the coach. "Thank you so much for taking this job. Look, I'm sorry I got a bit shirty with you last night, but you can appreciate how sensitive this is, especially for a businessman. Awkward situation. Anyway, I was thinking how we could solve this quickly and painlessly;" - he glances around furtively - "Well, I'll offer you an extra five crowns if you make sure that you report back to Franz in - uhm...favourable terms."

[BloodyAngel]

Astrid of the Brynhildur

Seven. Mys praise is nots cheap. Astrid said intensely.

[littlebottom]

mayrose whom was not with astrid behind the coach (i recomend you re-read the post:smallwink:) replies "oh? why, is something going to go wrong?"

"of course, it depends how big a lie i might have to tell, if its bigger, theres more risk, ergo, more money will need to be paid." she says this with an almost childish glee.

[Xsesiv]

"No, nothing's going to go wrong, and I'm not going to haggle, thank you very much. I'm not thinking of anything more or less than practicality and my wife's peace of mind. I'm shocked to think I might be thought to have intended anything else." Max is quite obviously displeased.

After lunch, the food is packed back up in a hamper and the coach gets going again. The terrain turns into larger, rolling hills and the forests become thicker. It’s late afternoon, a couple of hours before dusk and not far from the village, when those outside the coach see Andreas return from scouting up ahead, visibly disturbed. He turns to the other guards and begins a quiet, private conversation with them.

Those inside the coach hear and see nothing, but they feel it come to an unscheduled stop.

[littlebottom]

"hmmm why have we stopped? were not quite there yet are we?" mayrose asks to the others inside the coach.

[Xsesiv]

Max replies, as usual. "I don't know." He leans out of the window. "Oi! Andreas! What's the hold-up?"

Andreas hesitates slightly. "Um...blockage on the road. Can I have a few of the people here about the dowry to come with me and the guards, please?" he adds, calling out loudly.

[-Sentinel-]

Grinning, Regina jumped at the chance to make herself useful.

"I'm with you," she declared confidently, turning her horse towards Andreas. "Trouble ahead?"

I hope they're brigands.

[goblinpaladin]

"Goodness. I wonder what it is?" Nicky peers cautiously out of the carriage before dropping down and joining the others.

[Xsesiv]

Under Andreas' guidance, accompanied by the guards, Nicky and Regina walk into the remnants of a battle. There are four wagons (still full of hemp – there was no attempt to steal the goods), their horses butchered, and all around them are about a dozen human corpses in the uniforms of guards, a few stabbed and chopped but most of them shot dead, peppered with short, black arrows, crudely made, with viciously barbed iron heads (Regina can recognise them as Goblinoid). Those who witness the horrific scene must make an Average (±0) Will Power Test or else gain an Insanity Point. From behind you, you hear the sound of the young lad being sick. The corpses have been only partly stripped of weapons and armour.

Andreas points something out. "Erich Treumann should have been with the convoy but his body isn't here," he says, looking shaky but resolute. "And the convoy needed to set out early to make it to town in one day. We're not far from the village, so the attack must have taken place in broad daylight. This isn't good. Not good at all."

[goblinpaladin]

Nicky stops dead in his tiny tracks as the stench of the carnage washes over the group. The skin of his face turns a shade of minted green as he turns away, breathing heavily.

"Why...why ain't they looted?"

[roll0]

[-Sentinel-]

The sight of the carnage turned Regina's stomach, but she made a serious effort to act professionally.

"Greenskins, possibly goblins," she noted with a quick look at the vicious-looking arrows. "Makes sense. Greenskins wouldn't steal hemp, I think. It's not shiny and it can't be used as a weapon, therefore it's not worth stealing to them."

She remained grimly silent for a few seconds, then suddenly burst out laughing as if she had made a hilarious joke. She was vaguely aware that some people might take offense at her giggling hysterically on the scene of a massacre, but her attempt at turning her irrepressible mirth into something that ressembled a cough failed miserably. When her fit passed, she said:

"I'll look around."

A smile still on her lips, she rode between the wagons to search for clues, softly humming the nursery rhyme Three Goblins Went Squig-Hunting her father used to sing when she was a child.


WP test, target 43: [roll0]

Search test, target 31: [roll1]

[Xsesiv]

Amongst five damaged but usable leather jacks, a pot helm, a pair of battered but servicable wooden shields, three swords, and a quiver of seven arrows, Regina finds ten ss and eight cp of loose change, and evidence to suggest that the convoy was attacked from both sides of the road. Broken branches and muddy tracks suggest the attackers came from roughly the direction of the village and left by the same route. Pursuit is obviously not an option. "What do we do?" mutters Andreas, as his hungover friend sits up straight and becomes alert, and the boy continues to blanch and deposit his partially-digested lunch on the floor. "Stop that, lad."

[littlebottom]

Mayrose stayed with the coach as the others went ahead, after a moment she said to max "hey, max, maybe we should keep the perimiter safe? maybe they have put a road block ahead to try and ambush us? ill keep the ladies safe."

[-Sentinel-]

Regina stepped down her horse to take a closer look. After a moment, she voiced her suspicions:

"The attackers were possibly from the village, or from the same direction," she stated, pointing at the branches and tracks. "They ambushed the wagons from both sides."

Her eyes lit up when she found the money the men carried, but she decided to leave it there. Those travellers had already paid the toll in full. Taking their possessions would be theft, and theft was the second worst crime after tax evasion. She nonetheless decided to discreetly "commandeer" one of the dead men's leather jacks: she had a right for the best protection available when public security was at stake.


Will it make me look like a munchkin if I swap my leather jerkin for one of the leather jacks? Unless, of course, Andreas and the others object to corpse-looting (a likely possibility).

[Xsesiv]

No. And nobody's going to complain, when there is the chance of a fight."I'll go and have a look at what's going on. Sooner we get moving, the less danger we're in. Andreas seemed to have got back alright, though." Max disembarks and waddles up the road towards where the three rode off to, mumbling something to the aging guard, who rides up and down a short stretch of the road on some sort of patrol. Mayrose is left alone with the women.

______

Max arrives at the battlefield soon after. He instantly goes sheet-white and asks Andreas "What do you think we should do?"

"I recommend we shut the blinds on the coach so the ladies don’t see, and make for the village as quickly as we can. Neither returning to town nor bringing the hemp shipment with us are possible."

Max nods slowly, then turns back to Andreas. "Did you find Erich's body?" Andreas shakes his head, and Max breathes a sigh of relief. "Well, at least Erich seems to have escaped." Nicky notices that Andreas looks somewhat sceptical.

[littlebottom]

when mayrose is left alone with the ladies she asks "are you allright? ive noticed youve been strangely quiet this journy, is there any reason why? you can tell me, its not like i will tell anyone if you dont want me to. we can keep it between us girls."

charm? gossip? i think its more of a charm to get them to talk if they wernt going to and a gossip if they were anyway, so ill roll you decide what it was against [roll0] pleaaase work! please!

[Xsesiv]

Helena, the bride, breaks down sobbing into a handkerchief. "I'm sorry," she says, trying to regain some composure. "It's just - I'm putting a brave face on this, something I've got no control over, and Bibi's just trying to be supportive."

"I'm not too impressed, to be honest," says the dark woman introduced as Bibi, folding her arms over her broad chest. "Imagine. Helena wants a boy because Max and her father expect one from her. Just letting her be a vehicle to carry on the family business."

"Oh, don't," blubs Helena, breaking down and sobbing again.

"And the worst part is, Max already has a son. He's just not interested in the business."

[littlebottom]

"awww, thats so mean. what would happen if you were to have a girl?"

[Xsesiv]

"Try for a boy, I imagine." Helena dabs her eyes with the handkerchief and checks out of the window, looking for Max. "Sigmar. I don't want him to see me like this."

"He's your huband, Helena! If he can't see you like that, who can?" exclaims Bibi, prompting another lengthy sobbing fit.

[littlebottom]

"you shouldnt worry, im sure that as long as you love each other all will be ok in the end, no matter what happens." Mayrose attempts to comfort her.

[goblinpaladin]

Nicky eyed Regina, having turned so that he did not have to view the full scene of the carnage. "So... bandits. Not only ain't they toll-payin' types, but they injured folks on legitimate business. Folks who are the toll-payin' type. What do ya think we oughta do?"

He looks up -and up- at Max, and offers a sort of grin. "Maybe, for a cut more o' coin, we could help put an end t' this sort of thing. An' find your friend Erich?" The halfling rogue glances sideways at Andreas as he says this, hoping the other human will catch the hint.

[Xsesiv]

Max becomes quite uncharacteristically annoyed. "For Sigmar's sake, no! I'm already paying you what I earn in three months, and I'm not wasting that by letting you go running after brigands or whatever this may be. So, let's carry on to the village, get the damned coach out of this place, and work out what to do from there."

Andreas sneers at Erich's name, and rides back to the coach.

[-Sentinel-]

"I don't need to be paid to do my duty," assured Regina, mounting her horse. "I'd hunt down those filthy beasts and kill them all for free." She frowned. "Well, and I suppose I could find Erich too." But it did not sound as fun.

[Xsesiv]

Max is fuming by now; as he returns to his coach accompanied by the remaining guards, he shouts to Regina and Nicky. "I employed you to guard me and my wife until this hemp was returned to Franz. If you want to go after bandits which are none of your business, go, but bear in mind you may die and you won't be paid if you survive. Erich knows his job. He will have escaped.

[-Sentinel-]

Regina shrugged.
"Yes, fine, I'll stick with you." She did not want to upset Nicky by riding off on her own during a well-paid job. "When it's all over, maybe, I'll try to do something about those greenskins. I hate greenskins."

[Xsesiv]

Max stumps back down the road until he reaches the coach along with the guards. He gets back into the coach, shuts the doors and draws the blinds. "There's a long-dead horse up ahead," he says to the women, "we've dragged it out of the road, but it was beginning to rot and I want to spare my beautiful Helena the sight, when she's in her condition."

The coach makes speed up again, with Andreas and his right-hand man riding well ahead. You are on edge, but nothing happens in the remaining hour until you sight the village save that the sun soon dips behind the line of the hill. Your first sight of Vorberg is striking. Rounding the top of a wooded hill, you look down on a village nestled amongst fields and, behind it, a large hill which is unusual in that it juts quite suddenly from the ground and, although its sides are forested like the other hills, the tree-line ends below the summit, which is topped with a ridge and two rock peaks.

After sighting the village, you quickly come out of the woods and start crossing the fields. Routine (+10%) Common Knowledge (the Empire) Test (characters with a rural background or Rover get a one-off +10%).

[littlebottom]

common knowledge empire [roll0] Failed.

[goblinpaladin]

Nicky raised his hands, in an attempt to placate Max. "Here now, I was just offerin'. Maybe we can talk this over later." Charm: [roll0]

===

Common Knowledge: [roll1] [oops]

[Xsesiv]

Crap. The only two who have Common Knowledge (the Empire) are away, so I shall roll for them.

Regina (Int 31+10) [roll0]
Sunny (Int 43+10) [roll1]

Both Sunny and Regina realise that it is quite odd for nobody to be working the fields. Normally, this time of the year, harvest season, the workers would be getting in as much work as possible, and now, at dusk, would be packing up and leaving, but now the fields are entirely deserted. They relay this information to the group.

Andreas, along with his friend, reaches the village gate well ahead of everyone else. The conversation that ensues is too far ahead to be heard, but you do recognise that he is being challenged by a guard. When he identifies himself, there is an audible commotion from inside the gate, and you distinctly hear somebody call out "Thank Sigmar Max made it through!"

[Exeson]

Sunny lifts his head at the call, indeed the rest of the group must by now notice the man likes to sleep, wiping his eyes he looks around, 'For how long was sunny walking the world of his dreams? what excitement did he miss?'

[BloodyAngel]

Astrid of the Brynhildur

The disgusting scene made Astrid go starkly serious. The butchering reminded her of chaos influence... something she was more than familiar with. After a quick examination of the bodies and their belongings, she was more than willing to move on, urging her companions to do the same.

Wes hurrys to town, as he says. She said darkly, The chosens of zuh gods are nots for us to fight.

Following the slaughter, Astrid was even further on guard... verging on paranoid. Her eyes darted about warily and she turned quickly, shield and mace in hand at the slightest movement in the wilderness. Even by the time the fields were in sight, she had barely relaxed at all... taking the possibility of chaos-blessed things in the area as DEADLY serious.

Wp roll: [roll0]
Common Knowledge: [roll1]

(All humans get Common Knowledge Empire, don't they? Disregard if I'm wrong on that)

[Xsesiv]

The gate is opened, the coach sent through, and the gate shut very quickly afterwards, and the coach is mobbed by scared and happy villagers. Max leaves the coach immediately. "Just going to find out what's going on," he says.

"I think you should be looking after your wife at a time like this," replies Bibi hotly.

"I can't protect her if I don't know what the threat is," answers Max.

"Find out, and come straight back. I want to know what's happening around here," cries Bibi at Max's retreating back, for Max has already gone. She turns to Mayrose. "Do you mind going to find out? I'm not leaving Helena on her own."

[littlebottom]

Mayrose nods "dont you worry, ill go see whats going on." May rose stands up and stretches her legs before jumping down the drop from the coach. "why dont they make these things with more steps off?" she mutters before trying to follow max staying with earshot if possible

[Xsesiv]

Max makes a beeline for a large and doughy man whom, you learn after an exchange of pleasantries, is named named Horst Praalhans. He is standing in front of an inn. It doesn't take too long for you to discover what is happening. "The dowry left two days ago morning, with Erich Treumann, your trusty bailiff, and his 10 year-old son Dieter." explains Horst.

"Yesterday nothing seemed out of the ordinary. This morning, the people who went into the fields to work came running back when they found Erich and Dieter tied up in the fields on the scarecrow poles, hacked to shreds. You could call it a siege, but nobody's seen anyone responsible."

[littlebottom]

"Max, do you have any idea what this could be? why this could be happening?"

[Xsesiv]

"Well, I have a theory. I think it's greenskins" (he says the word in a sort of strangled whisper) "but I wouldn't want you to spread the word. We can sor something out, but for the time being it's better for morale to let the people think they're bandits who can be bought off."

Meanwhile, Helena is being helped out of the coach by Bibi and a woman who looks a lot like Max, except that she is not so corpulent. "Do excuse my brother's total lack of grace," she says, a little too loudly and to Max's clear discomfort. Conversation ceases and eyes turn on Helena. She is led up to a large house at the far end of the village, greeted in a friendly if slightly pitying manner by the townsfolk, and the crowd begin to disperse.

The big man pulls himself up to his full height. "I'm Horst. Least I can do is put you up in my inn?"

[littlebottom]

"oh, why thank you!" Mayrose giggles "we are all a little hungry and thirsty, you wouldnt mind doing us some supper would you?" she asks with an innocent face.

[-Sentinel-]

The big man pulls himself up to his full height. "I'm Horst. Least I can do is put you up in my inn?"

Regina grinned.

"Yes, how very nice of you, citizen! I trust you have ale... I mean, the real stuff, not the watery excuse for a drink they serve in most inns south of the river Stir..."

She was also tired and hungry, but was certainly not going to admit it. She had a "tough woman" image to maintain (or, at any rate, an image she liked to call "tough woman" but was really closer to "aggressive, emotionally immature tomboy").

[BloodyAngel]

Astrid of the Brynhildur

Syah. Somes ales ands board. Astrid say, stretching her legs out after the long ride on the wagon, Its was long trip, ands beastkins mays be about. There is mens whos watch inns at night, yes?

[littlebottom]

Mayrose waits for a reply and when it doesnt come she assumes she is beat. she heads to the inn to place claim on where she was sleeping for the night.

[Xsesiv]

Horst, apparently a man of very few words for strangers, turns and leads everyone into his inn, followed by Max. Those who are literate can see that the name of the Inn is "The Cowardly Orc", and those who aren't can see the picture of a stereotypical, fairytale Orc with an expression that might be taken to be fear plastered across its face.

The inside is fairly standard - the door opens straight into a stone-walled bar area with several tables and a roaring fire at the far end, over which hangs a large, bubbling, steaming pot. As you come in, you are faced straight away with a young woman with mousy hair, attractive enough in a plain sort of way, dressed in clothing that is plain but of decent quality. "Hello!" she smiles. "You must be tired after such a long journey. I'll get a good, hot meal made for you, once you've settled in.

"This is Klaus, by the way," she adds, indicating a gormless-looking young man, dressed in a woollen jerkin and trousers and with prematurely grey hair, who has emerged seemingly from nowhere. "Not too bright, poor lad, but he'll help you with your luggage if you need it."

[-Sentinel-]

Regina smiled at Klaus. "My horse is just in front of the inn," she said, pointing. "Could you feed and water him, please?"

Without waiting for an answer, she sat at a table and meticulously disassembled her guns to clean them piece by piece.

[littlebottom]

"Hmmm, that smells nice. if its any good i might ask for a recipie!"

[Xsesiv]

Klaus goes outside while the woman stares at Mayrose for a few seconds, before showing her that the contents of the pot is delicious, delicious boiling water. "I'll put something in it soon, and then it really will smell nice. Till then, pick yourself a room and get ready for dinner."

[goblinpaladin]

Nicky wanders off to look about the inn, find himself the best room possible. He also quietly asks anyone he sees what is going on with the siege by invisible orcs. Not that he phrases it that way.

[littlebottom]

Mayrose goes and finds a spacious room. even halflings like their space. more space means more people can fit in to drink and eat with after all!

[-Sentinel-]

Regina reassembled her guns with practiced ease, went up the stairs and chose the room right next to Nicky's. With a happy sigh, she sprawled on the bed like a cat and promptly fell asleep, confident that someone would wake her up at dinner time.

[Xsesiv]

Nobody else is inside yet, so Nicky asks Horst's wife. "It’s horrible, all horrible. My husband says it’s bandits and not Orcs like Beate and some of those filthy workers are saying. I keep saying it doesn’t matter anyway. Horst, Max and the other men will sort these people out. It’s just such a shame about Dieter. Poor lad!"

The rooms are all similar, with no real discrepancies in size or quality. Sooner or later, the call comes up that the food is ready. It turns out to be beef stew with chunks of bread and pints of ale. By this time most people have finished their day and gone down to the tavern to drink. Everyone gets a Routine (+10%) Perception Test, and the rest of the evening to roam the village.

[BloodyAngel]

Sure, why not?

Perception: [roll0]

Nope, nothing here. Astrid won't go far about the village, and she's mostly looking for spots nearby that remind her of the chaos beasts back home.

[-Sentinel-]

After dinner, Regina roamed the village like she owned the place, her guns in plain sight. Sadly, she found no excuse to draw them. Perhaps she was so intimidating that would-be troublemakers remained quiet?


Routine Perception test, target 41:

[roll0]

[Xsesiv]

Regina notices that although the men of the village are all of different ages, the women are all quite young (roughly 20-35). Walking around, you see, apart from the inn and the many houses, a Sigmarite shrine, flimsy wooden buildings erected near the edge of town next to a shoddy stockade, and the large, fancy building to which Max retired earlier.

[goblinpaladin]

"You guys often have bandit trouble 'round here?" Nicky paused and pulled a handkerchief from somewhere. "Here."

Perception: [roll0]

That's a no, I suspect.

[littlebottom]

Mayrose sits and eats her stew, friendly chatting with the locals.
[roll0] perception

gossip +10 [roll1]

[Xsesiv]

Nicky gets no reply from the woman, for some reason, but Mayrose also notices the lack of women older than their mid-thirties, but manages to offend everyone she talks to, and soon finds herself sitting at her table alone.

[littlebottom]

mayrose doesnt quite understand how she managed to offend quite so many people so she starts to sulk a little while sitting alone trying to play the sympathy card.

[Xsesiv]

While you are eating the food, Bibi comes in and sits down at your table without being invited. "Helena's scared," she says. "Max and Andreas have been saying some very reassuring things, but up till now they've kept us both in the dark. Please, please find out what's happening for us, and get Helena back to town where she'll be safe. Even if you don't care about her, think how grateful her very wealthy father would be if she got back safely and was rescued from marriage to a man who couldn’t even guarantee her life, quite apart from the delivery of a dowry."

[littlebottom]

".....alright. but we take the long way back, im not risking it on that road"

[-Sentinel-]

Regina came back from her walk to find Bibi talking with Mayrose.

"Hey, good evening. Pretty strange village, eh? Where are all the older women? And the little girls?" Then, as if the answer did not really interest her: "So what now? D'you think we'll get to kill greenskins tomorrow?" She was visibly enthusiastic about the notion.

[-Sentinel-]

Regina lazily sat next to Mayrose and rested her heels on the table.

"So, what were you talking about?"

[littlebottom]

"ive been asked to take the ladies back to the town we came from."

[-Sentinel-]

Regina frowned.

"Uh. I'm fine with that, but Nick is probably not going to like it. We should ask him first, don't you think? Where is he, anyway?"

[littlebottom]

"actually thats a good question... im not sure either." Mayrose looks slightly worried. "he hasnt gone and done anything stupid has he?"

[-Sentinel-]

Regina got up. "I'll find him, then." She could not take such a decision without her employer's approval.

[-Sentinel-]

"Nicky! Nicky!"

It took Regina a while to find the halfling.

"Nicky," she panted after running through half the village, "you should come back to the inn. We, uh, need you to take a decision. Well, I do. Because I work for you," she thought necessary to add. "But the others might like to hear what you think."



OOC: Sadly, I think Goblinpaladin's activity is on hiatus because of exams.

[littlebottom]

mayrose begins getting ready for the return journy. collecting some food supplies to last the journy back and asking multiple people if there is another route that could be taken back.