WFRPv2 The Enemy Within Part 1: Mistaken Identity

[Xsesiv]

OoC Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10728488)


The Enemy Within

Part I

A case of
Mistaken Identity

Festag, 24th Jahrdrung, 2512

Four men and two women are walking, Altdorf-bound, coming away from the direction of Middenheim, up the Reikland road, a badly-kept affair through the middle of the forest with more cobbles missing than present, muddy, with deep ruts. A violent wind whips the travellers' clothes around and pushes into their faces with all its might. Stinging rain pelts their faces, half-raising welts, and drenches their clothes. All of them are very different, but they share one thing in common; a desire to get to the next coaching inn before nightfall, which, if the shadows of the trees are anything to go by, is fast approaching. Until moments ago they could have judged by the sun, but now it has dipped below the level of the trees. This is never a good sign for itinerants such as these. All in the Empire know that bandits, Mutants and worse things haunt these woods and waylay travellers by night, besides which the weather is terrible and they've been walking all day.

One of the gentlemen is unremarkable at first glance. Not wealthy-looking by any stretch of the imagination, he has a certain charm to him. He looks good in an unconventional way, and he walks alone. As he raises his hand to brush a strand of hair out of his eyes, it becomes clear that he is missing a finger.

Just ahead is a weatherbeaten woman with soaking wet dark brown hair, dressed in animal skins and furs. She wears an earring and has a great longbow slung over her back, and she is also on her own.

Leading due to the advantage of having a mount, a second man, distinguished as a Halfling by his pot belly and lack of height and shoes, is seated on a bedraggled and miserable-looking pony whose mane drips with filthy water, and off which pieces of sundry equipment hang. Apart from the pony, he has no companion, either.

Following these three are a pair, a man and a woman. The woman leads and has a gold pendant in the shape of a set of scales, the emblem of Verena, Goddess of Truth and Justice, hanging from her neck. The heavy and very wet, simple white robe she wears to mark her as an initiate of Verena has a hem splattered with mud.

Flanking her is a slender man in clothes so well-cut, so flattering and made out of such rich materials that they would come across as gaudy were they not in such good taste. His handsome olive face and dark, curly hair mark him as a Tilean and he wears expensive duelling weapons on his belt.

Bringing up the rear is a single, tall, thin man with brown hair. He has two packs and supports himself on a quarterstaff, and he looks unimpressed by the rain.

Luckily, the end of their hard day's walk has hove into sight. As they round a corner in the road, they come across a coaching inn, with the name of "The Coach and Horses", for those who can read it. It is surrounded by a ten-foot-high monstrosity of a whitewashed stone wall and several chimneys emit pillars of white smoke. A coach suddenly shoots out of the wooden gates, just manages to stay on the road at the first turn, and pelts away down the road at a rate that is frankly dangerous. One of the coachmen, a small man with only one ear, viciously whips the horses as though they have all done him a great personal wrong. His companion, a lanky middle-aged man with a painful-looking rash on his eyelids, holds the reins. He keeps a blunderbuss at the ready in case it's needed, taking care to shield the firing-pan from the rain. Forcing the horses to gallop harder and yet harder with shouts and whip-blows, the coach drives off into the distance. And then the sun sets and all is dark and silent, apart from the rustle of the driving rain on the leaves.

Here we go. You can now introduce your characters and roleplay a little; once everyone has posted the plot will start properly.

[Wargor]

Spying the coaching inn, Otto's heart sores at the thought of a hot meal and a bed, maybe even a bath is he's lucky. He glances round at the walking companions he's picked up along the way, the natural desire for company bringing them together on their journey. Turning his attention to the weatherbeaten woman, he places a pleasant smile on his face and quickens his pace to walk beside her, trying to strike up a conversation. "So, almost at the inn. It'll be good to be of this rain wont it? I'm Otto, Otto Kessler."

[BudgetDM]

I hope this rain doesn't continue for the whole expedition, thinks Dieter, too much rain can scatter the Red Wind.

Dieter also hopes that his packs are more water proof than there price would indicate. In them he has not only a rather expensive volume on the founding of the College of Magic, but a letter from his master which allows him to legally use magic and travel semi-freely.

Spying the coach riding off into the distance he wonders aloud, "What sort of madmen would LEAVE the inn now?"

[KreenWarrior]

Klara mutters to herself. "I wish Verena would have words with whoever ordered up the weather today. Not, of course, that I wish any offense to Their exalted decision to wash the world clean." She wrings out a portion of her robe and uses it to wipe her face for a moment, an entirely futile gesture in front of the downpour.

Turning to look at the departing coach, she shrugs. "Someone with pressing business, I suppose. No doubt gold, a woman or blood are involved."

[-Sentinel-]

Luca nodded glumly at Klara's words. His native Tilea had the best weather in the world: warm and dry in the summer, cool in the winter. The chilly, humid climate of the Empire was something he would never get used to, no matter how long he remained in this Myrmidia-forsaken nation of brutes and peasants. But he remained stoic; no one would take him seriously as a bodyguard if he complained about the rain.

His broad-rimmed hat did little to protect him. Mostly, it just got soggy and heavy, and redirected the rain in a steady stream that fell all over his priceless clothes in whichever direction his head was leaning. After a while, he got heartily sick of it and took it off. When he squeezed it, a torrent the size of River Reik drenched his boots.

He was very, very glad to reach the inn. Almost imperceptibly, he drew closer to his employer: all drunken ruffians inside the inn needed to understand at a glance that Klara was not to be touched, insulted or even leered at. He entered the inn before Klara and glanced everywhere, instinctively trying to spot potential troublemakers, hiding places and escape routes. He held the door open for the Verenean initiate.

"My lady," he murmured with a formality he had never managed to get rid of.

[littlebottom]

ELISINDA HEINE:

A young woman walks with her head down, cloak hood obscuring her face. Not for want of being unnoticed or unseen, but simply to keep the rain off her face. Other than the long bow across her back, she didnt look very distinctive, most of her features currently hidden and her clothing looking sorry for itself, soaked through. She watched her feet as she walked, and may well have completely walked past the inn if it were not for a voice to break the monotonous sound of rain.


"So, almost at the inn. It'll be good to be of this rain wont it? I'm Otto, Otto Kessler."

Elis raises her head to the sound of the voice and realises its directed at her "Yes, its going to take some time to dry out i fear. I hope they have a large fire. I'm Elis, Elisinda Heine." Elis smiled as warmly as she could to Otto, which unfortunately isnt that warmly in rain like this, it looked more like a grimace than a smile.

[Wargor]

"A fire sounds very good right about now. I can't wait to be dry. Shall we enter?" Otto gestures to the Inn before leading the way inside.

[KreenWarrior]

Luca nodded glumly at Klara's words. His native Tilea had the best weather in the world: warm and dry in the summer, cool in the winter. The chilly, humid climate of the Empire was something he would never get used to, no matter how long he remained in this Myrmidia-forsaken nation of brutes and peasants. But he remained stoic; no one would take him seriously as a bodyguard if he complained about the rain.

His broad-rimmed hat did little to protect him. Mostly, it just got soggy and heavy, and redirected the rain in a steady stream that fell all over his priceless clothes in whichever direction his head was leaning. After a while, he got heartily sick of it and took it off. When he squeezed it, a torrent the size of River Reik drenched his boots.

He was very, very glad to reach the inn. Almost imperceptibly, he drew closer to his employer: all drunken ruffians inside the inn needed to understand at a glance that Klara was not to be touched, insulted or even leered at. He entered the inn before Klara and glanced everywhere, instinctively trying to spot potential troublemakers, hiding places and escape routes. He held the door open for the Verenean initiate.

"My lady," he murmured with a formality he had never managed to get rid of.
Klara stepped inside. "Thank you, Luca." She still wasn't entirely used to the idea of a bodyguard. She'd never travelled into an area dangerous enough to need one. Still, he'd been a good companion on the road; she'd convinced him into giving her a refresher course in the use of her sword; it had been some time since she'd been put through any sort of self-defense training. And she was glad of the protection, truth be told.

[Retro Gamer]

"Look at that, Donkey!" says the ruddy faced halfling to his similarly undersized mount, squinting through the deluge at the sign above the inn's door. The letters are a mystery to him, of course, but some of these inns carry a picture that hints at the name of the establishment. At the thought of a cooked meal his stomach rumbles loudly. That was the worst thing about this traveling lark - it was hard to keep up with the standard nine square meals a day. Today he had only managed five, and it had made him sour and grouchy.

The charging coach forces him off the road, and he looks back at it with a scowl as rain drips from an overhanging branch and trickles down the back of his neck. It is then that he notices the travellers on foot, no doubt heading for the inn as well.

"Look out Donkey," he says. "There's some other folk'll be after what the kitchen's offering. Better get inside while there's still food to be had."

With a click and a tug on the rains, he presses the pony on towards the inn, which will hopefully have a nice stable full of dry straw, as well as plenty of food and ale.

[BudgetDM]

Dieter follows Klara and Luca into the inn, thought he takes great care to not too close to Klara. Not that he was scared of Luca, mind you. All Luca had was a bit of sharped metal, while Dieter commanded the mighty Red Wind of magic. Theoretically, Dieter could beat him easily. Of course, theoretically it shouldn't be possible to accidentally summon an daemonic imp while trying to cast a light spell, but that hadn't helped the late apprentice Eckhart. Best not to risk it.

"Finally out of the rain," he says to no-one in particular.

[Retro Gamer]

In the yard, Taffy dismounts and hands over Donkey to the first stable hand he can find, demanding a stall with fresh straw if one is available. While doing so, he notices with some concern that several of the other travellers have caught up and are entering the inn ahead of him.

"See now, your dilly-dallying has put me to the back of the queue!" he admonishes the stable hand. "If I've missed out on the last piece of pie I'll be back out here in five minutes having yer guts for garters."

With that, he offers an apologetic shilling for his surliness before scuttling into the inn, almost tripping over the step in his haste.

[Xsesiv]

As you cross the courtyard, bustling with servants with armfuls of vegetables from the garden, barrels of ale and so forth, the sweet smell of fresh horse manure hangs heavy in the air and you can see a brightly-painted coach in the corner up against the inn, emblazoned with the insignia of the failing Ratchett Lines coach company. A team of two stablehands is brushing down four sweating horses and one of the other teams rushes over to take Donkey before Taffy has even dismounted. Ignoring the abuse but gratefully accepting the tip, the two lads bustle him over to a stall without a word. One, a big redhead, begins to brush him down while the smaller of the pair rushes off to fetch a bale of straw.

As you approach the inn itself, the sounds of song and merry laughter burst forth, alongside the smell of delicious cooking. Luca opens the door for Klara who walks almost right into a short, fat man with jowls, whiskers and a bald pate. Seeing the people following, he pauses for a second before a wide grin cracks his face and he explodes into chatter.

"Well, welcome one and all to the Coach and Horses Inn! I'm Gustav. Gustav Fondelburgher. Been travelling the roads? Of course you have, stupid question really. They're not in a good state, from what I hear. You must be tired. Would you like drinks and food? Drinks first, of course, how silly of me. Anything you can think of, we've probably got it. We brew our own ale, and we've got the best beers from all over the Empire, Tilean wine, Bretonnian brandy, and our food menu's not half bad either. Oh, I do apologise! I shouldn't keep you out here in the cold. Good gracious me, you're soaked! Here, come in, come in, take a seat. These ones, by the fire, where you can dry off."

Gustav hovers, waiting to take orders.

Indeed, the fire in the middle of the room looks like it could dry you off nicely. The room itself is larger than you would suspect from the outside, and the air is full of tobacco-smoke and the smell of beer, but it is fairly empty. A tall, thin, dark man sits on a chair behind the bar, staring into space, with a crow on his left shoulder. Two youngish, bearded coachmen in oilskins sit in one corner, drinking heavily and singing a bawdy song which is so amusing to them they collapse in giggles after each couplet. In another corner is a pretty young woman in noble's garb, picking at a leg of roast beef with her nose in the air. She is flanked by a huge woman in black leather and a small, mousy-looking woman in plain but well-made clothes; those of a servant. A scrawny, weaselly-looking man in cheap clothing with an awful haircut sits nearby, reading a huge book; a bowl of game soup and tankard of light ale sit forgotten by his side. Propping up the bar is a foppish-looking man, dressed in a trimmed lace shirt and an embroidered jacket and breeches, with long, curly black hair, white skin and an artificial beauty spot. He turns to look at the motley bunch as they come in, then turns away.

[-Sentinel-]

Luca glared suspiciously at the two singing coachmen and the foppish man, but they spared him no attention.

"Tilean wine for me, please."

He let Klara choose her own seat first. He contemplated the idea of remaining on his feet like a professional bodyguard would, but it might look suspicious; besides, he needed some rest after all the walking he had done today.

[Wargor]

"An ale for me, and a spot of food too, what have you got cooking?" Otto takes the closest seat he can find to the fire, wringing water out of his clothes and hair before setting down to dry off. He take his pack of cards out of a pocket and starts shuffling them, eyeing up the other customers as he does so.

[Xsesiv]

"Alright, ale and wine is it? We've got roast chicken, roast pork, roast beef, game soup, a variety of savoury pies, Albionese broth; they all come with vegetables if you want them. If you feel like something lighter there's bread and a selection of cheeses and pickles. If you want dessert we have sweet pies and stewed fruit. I'll get the drinks, you make your minds up. Will you be wanting rooms? I'll just be a moment."

He bustles off, knocking into tables due to his girth and haste. It is lucky that the tables which he hits are empty because there would be a lot of spilt ale. He relays the orders to the thin man behind the bar who pulls a pint of ale and pours a glass of red wine. The wine is labelled "Produce of Wissenland", presumably to defeat import duty. Gustav comes back with the drinks in hand. "Anything else? Drinks for the rest of you?"

As Otto shuffles his cards the fop at the bar comes over and, rubbing his nose, says: "Hello, mon ami. It is good to see that some people 'ave an appreciation for ze beauty of games of skill and luck even so far from a civilised town. My name's Philippe. Allow me to pay for your drink, just do me ze 'onour of a 'and of cards."

[littlebottom]

Elis looks around the room as she enters, the smell of the tobacco smoke assaulting her nostrils, a shame really because she wanted to savour the smell of the food but with every sniff she regretted it, oddly she liked the smell of camp fire smoke. Elis headed straight for a seat by the fire.

Standing infront of the fire she lowers her hood and takes off her cloak. underneath the cloak is a rather pretty girl, not nessisarily beautiful, but pretty. Her just past shoulder length hair looks jet black with all the water in it, but as it begins to dry off you can tell its just slightly brown. she wears mainly skins with some furs, but the furs look just as soaked as her hair. Most of her body is covered including her hands except for her face and her upper chest due to a low necked leather skins shirt. Her figure is quite slender and she doesnt really look all that strong considering the longbow she is carrying.

Elis lies the cloak by the fire to dry out and sits back into her chair for a few moments while she tries to dry out some of her hair and furs. Before too long she decides they will dry out on their own and then realises how rude she had been sitting down when Gustav was so faithfully waiting to take orders.

"Oh im sorry, Gustav. Yes, ill have a drink of whatever you reccomend, with a reasonable price. Also ill have what the halflings having food wise, got to keep the energy up!" As an after thought she adds "How much for rooms?"

[Xsesiv]

Gustav is talking away, answering Elis' questions in the middle of a torrent of speech. "Are you all settling in alright? Ah yes, rooms are 10 shillings to start with, and five for every person that wants to sleep in it. Room for four. Common quarters is only half a shilling. I'm not extorting you, any drink you want's a good price. Anyway, best ask the Halfling what he wants next. What shall it be, Herrchen? Oh, I'm guessing you're heading to Altdorf, by the way. I've had mercenaries, all sorts come through. Half as many came back looking disappointed. If you are, you'll be wanting to book passage with them over there, they're heading that way." Gustav points to the coachmen in the corner, who have begun a drinking game involving five pints of ale and a shilling, called "Bugman's Bottom." "Best ask before they're too drunk to reply, between you and me."

[Wargor]

Otto puts on an appreciative face at the selection, but then looks slightly pained. "The cheapest food you have please, as well as a space in the common room, got to watch my coin purse."

He looks up at Philippe, a slightly smile on his face. "Oh well I never could resist a good game. Pull up a seat. What'll it be?"

[Xsesiv]

"What do you know 'ow to play? Any-sing suits me. Poker, Five Knives, Dead Queen, blackjack...If I 'ad a preference it would be Five Knives, but it's your choice, monsieur." The Bretonnian gambler sits down opposite Otto and scratches his nose. "Shall we say...ten shillings to start wiz?"

Gustav rushes off to the bar, showing surprising energy for a man his size, and returns with ale in pewter tankards for Elis and Otto and a plateful of bread, biscuits, hard and soft cheeses and sauerkraut, pickled pears, onions, gherkins and other vegetables for Otto. Though it's mediocre fare, there is a great deal of it."That's the cheapest thing we have, that's sixpence. If you'd prefer something more substantial, there's still the joints, pies and soups. And the rest of you? Anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable? Food? Beer?"

[Retro Gamer]

Taffy's stomach does somersaults as Gustav reels off the menu, his mouth watering at the list of dishes.

"Yes, yes, yes! I'll have some of that soup to start, with bread of course, then pork...or maybe the beef? What do you think? I tell you what, give me both. Oh, and I'll have the chicken as well. Those pies sound good too, I've never been one to say no to a nice pie. I'll take three of those please. And some ale to wash it down, or a Mootland apple cider if you have one. But if not, an ale. Nothing too heavy though, I'll want dessert."

He briefly wonders if he has ordered enough, then shuffles over to where the card game is about to commence and pulls up a stool, clambering onto it and sitting with his legs high off the floor.

"Don't mind if I watch for a bit, do you fellas? Might play the winner if I fancy it, once I've had dinner. Don't like to gamble on an empty stomach, no, hunger clouds a man's judgement. I'm not myself when the old belly's a rocking and a rumbling. Taffy's the name by the way. Taffy Hornblower."

[BudgetDM]

Dieter finally finds a place to sit. Overhearing the innkeepers listing off food and drink he calls to Gustav as he passes by.

"Could I get an ale and some bread and cheese?"

I'd best simply use the common room. Always save money when you can, so you it when you really need it. Like for bribes, bail, ransom, bribes, doctor's fees, and bribes.

[Xsesiv]

"Alright, that's bread and cheese, two beefs, two porks, two chickens, two game soups with bread, six pies, ale, and dessert later." Gustav's either very polite or used to this sort of order because it doesn't seem to faze him in the least. "Well, I'll see you in a minute, then," and he rushes off to fetch the food.

The coachmen in the corner move onto another off-key drinking song which sounds to be of Kislevite origin, because of how often the word "vodka" is mentioned, calling out to Gustav for more ale after the first verse. Gustav acknowledges them across the room and goes over to serve them while the thin man deals with the order. He hands over an ale to each of them and after his typical enquiries as to how they are and whether they want anything, heads off back to the bar, knocking the weaselly man's bowl of soup off the table, at which the coachmen cheer.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that. Please, allow me to clean it up. You'll get a new bowl of soup at no charge."

"It's no trouble, I'm not very hungry," says the man in a reedy voice, not looking up from his book.

"No, please, I insist! New soup over here, please! Do excuse me, but I have to deal with these customers. I assure you I'll take care of any other problems you have, personally."

Blushing, he goes over to the bar and comes back over to the table by the fire bearing pints of ale for Taffy and Dieter which he holds under his arms while his hands hold two trays on each of which he balances a large bowl of soup with several slices of bread, half a roast pork belly with delicious-looking salty crackling, half a chicken, three or four ribs of beef, and three pies; one pork, one beef-and-beer and one chicken-and-mushroom, as well as the same cheese platter he gave to Otto. He gives an ale to Dieter, places the other ale and one of the trays before Taffy and gives the other one to Elis.

"Anything else for anyone?"

[-Sentinel-]

Luca waited for Klara to order, then said:

"I'll have black bread, goat cheese, stewed pork and a slice of cherry pie, if you please."

[littlebottom]

Elis' eyes light up at the food. "not sure ill manage all of it though." she mutters under her breath.

Elis keeps her eyes on the coachmen, she should really go have a word with them before they are too drunk, but maybe after she has finished eating.

Looking over the food deciding what to eat first, she decides to go with the beef ribs. It may not be very lady like, but its not often youve been walking all day without much to eat, well it wasnt for her.

[Wargor]

"Five Knives? Well, go on then, why not!" Otto deals the cards and settles into the game, only looking up when his food arrives. "Thank you Gustav."

I'm assuming I just roll a Gamble check?
[roll0] vs 36

[Retro Gamer]

Taffy tucks into the food with great gusto, his mouth full of pie while one hand grasps a fat-drenched chicken leg and the other a succulent beef rib. Were it not for his portly figure, one might think that he was on the verge of starvation, so greedily does he attack the numerous plates before him.

While eating, he keeps one eye on the card game, hoping to learn something of the rules, for in truth he has no idea about gambling and games of luck, and doesn't wish to look foolish should he get a turn.

[Xsesiv]

Luca waited for Klara to order, then said:

"I'll have black bread, goat cheese, stewed pork and a slice of cherry pie, if you please."


"That can be arranged, but we're not stewing any pork. We've got roast, if that'll do, we can put it in some broth for you if you'd prefer? I'll stew you some if you want, anything to please, but it might take a while."


"Five Knives? Well, go on then, why not!" Otto deals the cards and settles into the game, only looking up when his food arrives. "Thank you Gustav."

I'm assuming I just roll a Gamble check?
[roll0] vs 36

I'll roll Gamble tests in secret because you won't know if you've won or lost until the end of the game. Anyway:

Philippe drops out of the game with a Troll to your Morr's Blessing hand. Looking disappointed, he throws the cards down to the table and sits back defeated, still picking his nose, allowing you to take the ten shillings that was his stake. "Ah, monsieur. Your play is well out of my league. At least give me the chance to recoup my losses!"

[littlebottom]

Elis decides that she needs a quick break from eating as it is, and she better have a word with those coachmen before they get too drunk to remember.

Elis gets up and lets out a small sigh of relief, taking a break from eating might help her in the end to finish it all, or so she hopes. She then walks across the room to the rowdy coachmen. "Excuse me gentlemen, are you heading to Altdorf tomorrow? If so, i would like passage, there may be a few more who would also like to come, I'm not sure yet." Elis smiles sweetly at the men trying to show an air of innocence, although proberbly failing.

[Xsesiv]

The coachmen look up at you with shining eyes, both clearly deeply into their cups. One, the fairer of the two, says: "Ah, yeah, lassie. Well, that's seven crowns a person provided yeh don't mind yeh might end up sittin' on the roof, 'cause we've got that lot with us t'morrow. " The coachman gestures over to the young noble and her small entourage, and the studious man with the book. "Be better than nothing, though, eh? I hear there's been muggin's and that happenin' round here, and it'll most likely rain t'morrow.

But yeah, seven crowns a head. But if yeh can get a few more, as yeh say, we might give yeh a bulk discount."

[littlebottom]

"....okay. Please excuse me for one second." Elis turns and sits back down at her seat and begins eating a pie, between mouthfulls she says "you guys are all heading to Altdorf right? well if so, and you want to get the coach, they are charging extortionate prices, but they say they will give a discount if they get as many people as possible. You all up for splitting the bill to get easy passage to Altdorf?" Elis speaks almost as if she knew you all already, which is odd for a young girl traveling alone...

[BudgetDM]

Dieter had been about to jump in and try to get in on the group rate when Elis turned to ask[1].

"It seems like the most economical idea," Dieter replies, "Okay, I'm in."

They seem like reasonable enough people. Of course, the key to being a good criminal is to seem reasonable enough right up until the end.

[1]I was literally getting ready to post.

[-Sentinel-]

Luca's eyebrows went up.

"Seven crowns a head? What have you been drinking?" he snapped at the coachman with characteristic Tilean passion. "Anyone in his right mind would rather walk, even in a weather like this."

He turned to his employer and took a deep breath, almost apologetically. "Better wait for another coach, m'lady. This one is apparently quite full, and I'm sure you don't fancy sitting under the rain the whole way."

[Xsesiv]

"Sorry to interrupt. There's not another one due for two days," says Gustav. "It'll likely be as crowded as this one, and probably cost the same. The one before this was really crowded - they were hanging on the sides, and all. To be honest, it won't be so hard to haggle them down in their state, only don't tell them I said that." He looks over at the coachmen surreptitiously then turns back to the group ready to serve.

[-Sentinel-]

"Seems to me those crooks can charge whatever the hell they want, since they're the only ones," fumed Luca under his breath.

Wasn't this place supposed to be a coaching inn? And on a road to Altdorf, no less. With a frustrated sigh, Luca decided to leave the decision up to Klara.

[Wargor]

Philippe drops out of the game with a Troll to your Morr's Blessing hand. Looking disappointed, he throws the cards down to the table and sits back defeated, still picking his nose, allowing you to take the ten shillings that was his stake. "Ah, monsieur. Your play is well out of my league. At least give me the chance to recoup my losses!"

"Perhaps another time, it seems I have to arrange for my travels tomorrow." Otto pockets the money and finishes off his food beore turning to the others. "I'm heading to Altdorf too, so I'd happily chip in. I do not want to walk all the way. The price is steep though, check what the discount would be?"

[littlebottom]

"The discount? Better the more of us there are. Hey, maybe we can haggle it a little aswell, but lets see how many want to go first."

[Retro Gamer]

With one eye on the game and the other on his food, Taffy turns an ear to the discussions around the coach fare and counts himself lucky he has Donkey. The idea of hanging off the roof of some old carriage all the way to Altdorf is enough to turn him off the next mouthful of pie, though only for a second.

"That was a bit rude, wasn't it?" he says to the strangely accented card player between mouthfuls. "He could at least have given you the chance to win back your money. Well I'm in for a hand, if he's not going to be a sport."

He fishes out his purse and counts out ten shillings, sliding them into the middle of the table.

[Xsesiv]

"Typical group discount's about a crown a person," offers Gustav, still waiting to serve food to anyone that wants it. "That's what you can normally get them down to."

The crow flies over to Gustav and flaps around his head before alighting. Gustav winces. "I suppose you'll want feeding, too." he says, and goes back off to the kitchen with the crow perching on his head.

After a short and merciless game using another deck of cards which he produces from his embroidered doublet, Philippe rakes in Taffy's stake. "Ah, poor luck, monsieur. Courtesy demands zat I now allow you to win back your stake. Anozzer game, per'aps?"

[Wargor]

"So how many of us are gonna try to get the discount?" Otto looks round the group, surveying them all whilst taking a swig of ale.

[KreenWarrior]

Klara grits her teeth at the obstinate coachman. "Very well. We will pay your price. Luca, I am afraid our business is pressing." They might be able to discuss compensation with their employer, later.

[-Sentinel-]

"Alright then," sighed Luca with resignation; if his employer wanted to travel comfortably, so be it. The Tilean opened his purse and counted the coins. His frown deepened.

[Retro Gamer]

"Of course," replies Taffy, counting out ten more shillings and placing them in the 'pot' in the centre of the table. He has to move some of the empty plates onto a nearby table to make room, and is now down to just two pies and half of the pork, the rest already working it's way into his bulging stomach.

"More ale, please Gustav," he calls, "and one for this fella here as well."

[Xsesiv]

"Thank you very much, monsieur," says Philippe as Gustav returns with two pints of ale and places it down on the table. The talented gambler Philippe plays another game with the inexperienced Taffy and thrashes him again. "A shame, but maybe your run of poor luck is coming to an end. If you wager a crown now, you'll be able to get your money back wiz a lucky game."

[KreenWarrior]

Klara sighs and pulled out an additional coin and hands it to him. "My apologies, Luca; in truth I should pay for you entirely, as your employer, but I fear that is beyond my means."

[-Sentinel-]

"It's alright, m'lady. You couldn't possibly expect we'd run into thieves like that. Your church can pay me back later."


OOC: I'm assuming here that Luca was hired by the Church of Verena to protect Klara, not by Klara herself.

[Retro Gamer]

"Well, common sense says I should cut my losses and get stuck into some dessert," says Taffy, taking a tattered gold crown from his diminishing purse while stuffing the last piece of pie into his mouth. "But why not try one more time, eh? Here's the deal though, if you win again you have to buy me a drink, alright?"

[littlebottom]

Elis still has some food left, although she is getting through it slowly. "After i finish this im going to go to sleep."

OOC:assume if you want that she is in bed for the purposes of moving on if ive not posted again before then.

[Xsesiv]

"Certainly," says Philippe, flashing a smile, and deals again. Two minutes later, Taffy has lost the crown, his Towers to a hand of Khaine, and Philippe is standing up, rubbing his nose and calling over to Gustav.

"An ale for my friend 'ere, please," says Philippe and hands him a few copper coins. "It grows late, my friends. I'm a little tired from my day's travel, so sank you for such a well-played game, but I sink I will be turning in now. Goodnight." Saluting all present with a gesture of his fingers, he turns around, walks through a door marked "Private" and ascends the stairs.

The noblewoman has now finished her beef leg and her bodyguard has finished her wine, so the three moodily get up and follow him up the stairs to their rooms, leaving the coachmen, who are still drinking as heavily as ever but seem to have lost the capacity for song, alone in the room with you.

Gustav presents Taffy with another tankard of ale.

[Retro Gamer]

"Ahh, lovely," sighs Taffy, enjoying a long draught of the ale and wiping the foam from his mouth. The loss of money hasn't upset him too much, and he hops down from the stool and arranges a night in the common room, before heading over to the coachmen.

"Evening fellas," he says, raising his mug in greeting. "All set for tomorrow, are we? Just to let you know, and assuming you don't mind of course, I might ride along with you as far as Altdorf. Not as a passenger, mind, I've got my own pony, but more of a safety in numbers sort of thing. Don't suppose you got any objections to that, have you? I'm pretty handy with the old sling, can take out a walking corpse at twenty yards, if you need any help with that kind of thing."

[BudgetDM]

Dieter turns to look at Taffy.

"I can't think of a reason that wouldn't work, unless the coachmen have some sort of rule against riding with them. I haven't ridden in, or in this case ON, enough coaches to know," he says.

I really hope that we don't meet any trouble on the road, Dieter adds. I'm not much of a fighter and I would have to resort to magic. I would hate to survive bandits only to have my fellow traveler kill me.[1]

[1]Just to let everyone know, if, when your character finds out Dieter's a mage, they have a valid in-character reason to try and kill Dieter, I won't hold it against you for trying and/or succeeding in killing him.

[littlebottom]

[1]Just to let everyone know, if, when your character finds out Dieter's a mage, they have a valid in-character reason to try and kill Dieter, I won't hold it against you for trying and/or succeeding in killing him.

or to make him our most powerful ally? In wfrp, no co-operation means quick death.

A little while after Taffy has finished all his dessert, Elis finishes all her food. It was a tough challenge, but she managed it. She dare not even think of dessert though. "ah, well it's late, i best go get some sleep." She says to no one in particular "ill see you all tomorrow on the coach!" Elis says cheerily.

[-Sentinel-]

"Might as well get some sleep as well, m'lady," Luca told Klara politely. "You look tired."

OOC:
@ Kreen: As a bodyguard, Luca is used to rooming with his charges; those who know his reputation also know that he'll behave as a gentleman. But if your character is uncomfortable with that, we can have separate rooms.

If we do room together, the other characters are likely to get the wrong idea about us :smalltongue:. This is the least of Luca's worries, though. He'll challenge to a duel the first who makes a snide comment.



Just to let everyone know, if, when your character finds out Dieter's a mage, they have a valid in-character reason to try and kill Dieter, I won't hold it against you for trying and/or succeeding in killing him.

You're not a warlock, and none of us is a Sigmarite zealot, so I don't see why we would want to kill you. Plus... when we find out you're a pyromancer, we'll all be too afraid of you to try anything. :smallwink:

[Wargor]

Otto heads over to the coachmen as well, smiling down at them. "Gentlemen! Good evening! Can I buy you gents a drink? Seems I'm in need of a ride on your coach tomorrow, I heard the price was 7 crowns, Is there any chance of you lowering that a little? A favour between new friends perhaps?" He smiles his best winning smile as he chats away.

I guess if any rolls are needed I'll leave them to you here?

[Xsesiv]

"Five of yeh, is there?" asks the coachman who talked before, slurring his words slightly and swaying in his seat so that he spills his beer on the floor. "Well, fer that many people, s'pose we could knock it down to three a head, maybe...only don't tell anyone, mind. I'm Gunnar, by the way, and this is Holtz." Holtz, who has been silent until now, bows extravagantly and they laugh uncontrollably again. When they have finished, Gunnar says: "What about that drink, then?"

[Wargor]

"Sounds good! I'll inform the others. I'm Otto, and that drink sounds good to me too! Gustav, three ales for me and my new friends!" He waits for his drink to arrive before bidding the coachmen farewell and returning to the others. "I got then down to 3 crowns a head for a group of five, not bad going eh?"

[KreenWarrior]

Klara shakes their hands. "Thank you, good sirs, your generosity is appreciated. I do not drink, of course, but I would be glad to share your company."

Not sure whether Verena demands teetotalism or not, but it would make sense, and maybe Klara's just uptight.

Klara's alright with sleeping in the same room; she's used to sharing a room with another as an initiate, and it might be weird to do it with a man, but as long as Luca keeps his hands to himself she'll be find, and glare daggers at anyone who dares comment.

Oh, and yeah, assumed the temple would be paying for Luca too, but it still probably seems inappropriate to her to make her hireling pay for himself.

[Xsesiv]

Wellentag, 25th Jahrdrung, 2512

After spending a night in the Coach and Horses, Philippe, the young noblewoman and her entourage, and everyone else assembles in the common room, some with mild hangovers and most only with a few bedbug bites. At about eight bells, a free breakfast of thick porridge with honey in it followed by boiled ham, eggs and fresh bread is served by Gustav, who says: "The coaches normally leave at about half past, so you'll be going in not too long. Make sure there's absolutely nothing else I can do for you."

[Wargor]

"Thank you Gustav, I don't suppose you could pack a little something for the journey? I don't want to go hungry afterall!" Otto exclaims with a smile.

[littlebottom]

Elis had opted for the cheaper sleeping option, in a way she would of prefered the privicy, but after spending so much money on the food and the prices of the coach trip she decided this is the best option.

She Awoke expecting some drunken louts to be in the room, but found it was only herself and Otto. Elis waits til Otto was facing the other way and gets out of bed undressed and begins dressing, she didnt really mind if he happened to see her, but hoped he would have the decency that if he did, to turn away til she was dressed.

once dressed she gathers her things, checks everythings in order, nothing missing, and heads downstairs for brekfast.

"good morning Gustav, good morning guys" She says to Gustav and the group with which she was going to be traveling.

"Brekfast sounds nice, i think i'll save some for the journy." Elis looks around for the coachmen, the drunken louts that they were, she expected them to be in bed as late as possible sleeping off their hangovers.

[Retro Gamer]

After a restful night in the common room, Taffy wakes up famished, and after popping outside to check on Donkey, settles down to breakfast with enthusiasm. He nods morning greetings to those who enter while trying double helpings of everything.

On overhearing Otto's request for some for the road, he raises his hand. "Me too, Gushtav," he splutters, his mouth full of porridge. "Enough for elevenses and lunch, at least."

[KreenWarrior]

"Something light for the road for me would be appreciated, thank you. Luca, do you want anything?"

[-Sentinel-]

"No, I'm good, my lady," Luca assured Klara, buttoning his red silk jacket. "Thank you for asking."

By the tone of his voice, he was eager to get going.

[littlebottom]

Elis turns to Klara and Luca, "you two seem cozy" Elis smiles sweetly, "Are you married or something?" Elis asks with a real air of innocence, as if genuinely curious as opposed to insinuating anything.

[-Sentinel-]

"I'm Ms Albers' bodyguard," said Luca, his tone courteous, as always with the ladies, but betraying a hint of coldness. "I'm under the employ of the Temple of Verena." He smiled a bit apologetically. "Sorry. I don't think we've been introduced. My name is Luca."

[littlebottom]

A slight confusion crosses Elis' face "... I dont see why that means you cant be married. oooooh i get it, your roleplaying, Shes the rich, welthy noblewoman, and your the strong, handsome bodyguard who saves her life and she falls in love with you." Elis winks at Luca "your secrets safe with me."

EDIT: (adding stuff since your edit happened while i was posting)

"Nice to meet you, Luca. My name is Elisinda."

[Wargor]

Otto listens in to the conversation, sitting there slightly open mouthed, before bursting out laughing. "I, I think he was being serious." He says to Ellis, face slightly red from laughing.

[littlebottom]

"What? Oh, really? thats a shame, it sounded so romantic." Elis sighs dreamily.

[Wargor]

"Well, I assume so, I doubt our noble Tilean here would lie!" Otto turns to Luca with a smile, to show a lack of any disbelief. "My name is Otto, Otto Kessler, it's nice to properly meet you both."

[-Sentinel-]

Luca frowned, unable to tell whether he was being mocked. Imperial humor still eluded him. He felt a tiny bit frustrated, but tried (without much success) not to let it show. Social situations were not exactly his strong point: people hired him to look threatening, not to do small talk and trade jokes.

[BudgetDM]

Dieter rises with the rest of the travelers and begins to eat as well.

"Add me to the list of those desiring traveling rations," he calls after Gustav.

He listens to the follow of conversation. He is half paying attention when he hears the phrase "roleplaying" and hears Otto burst out laughing.

Why is it I miss out on everything? he wonders to himself.

He then hears Otto introduce himself.

"Oh, I don't believe I've introduced myself. My name is Dieter Bauer and I am a..."

He then pauses for the smallest fraction of a second.

"...scholar."

[littlebottom]

After a few moments she realises what she has just said could be quite embaressing to them. "Oh, I'm sorry. i didn't mean to embaress you both. It's just that this one time my dad told me that there are places you can go and pay people to act out your fantasies and desires. I wanted to go there and see if i could have a pony for a day, but my dad said i wasnt allowed to go because only adults were allowed to go... That was years ago, when i was younger."

EDIT: "Oh, a Scholar? What do you study? You must be really smart, I heard only the smartest people go to big fancy schools and learn really advanced and difficult things."

[KreenWarrior]

Klara waves a hand over the confusion. "Luca and I are not married, nor... involved, in any way. He is serving as my protection for this trip, and for an expedition we will seek to join when we arrive in Altdorf."

At Dieter's comment, she perks up slightly. "A scholar you say? I am also curious as to what subject. Our temple sees many scholarly visitors."

[BudgetDM]

"A scholar you say? I am also curious as to what subject. Our temple sees many scholarly visitors."[/COLOR]

Dieter looks around the room to see if any witch hunters have materialized from the æther since he last looked.

"...Magic," he says.

"I'm with the colleges in Altdorf," he adds.

[Xsesiv]

Those who ordered meals to go are given a packed version of the bread, biscuits, cheese and pickles dish served to Otto last night, with a charge of sixpence. During the conversation, half-past eight comes and goes, still with no sign of the coachmen. Through the window, you can see the coach in the corner of the courtyard, and it hasn't even been prepared for the journey.

[KreenWarrior]

Dieter looks around the room to see if any witch hunters have materialized from the æther since he last looked.

"...Magic," he says.

"I'm with the colleges in Altdorf," he adds.

"Oh, which college? Our Temple has a relationship with the Light Wizards, and others come to us occasionally seeking bits of lost lore."

As time passes, her attention is drawn to the coach. "Hmm. Innkeeper, have you seen our coachman this morning?"

[-Sentinel-]

"...Magic," he says.

"I'm with the colleges in Altdorf," he adds.

"I knew a wizard once, in Tobaro," said Luca. "An exile from the Orders of Magic, selling his skills to various nobles at an exorbitant price. He could summon lightning and predict the future. Eccentric fellow, but he was popular at court. Tileans love exoticism."

He grew moody and nervous when he realized the coach would not be departing any time soon. Thankfully, his current charge was much more patient and much less whiny than most of the spoiled young noblewomen he had worked for in Tilea.

"I can fetch the coachman, Miss Albers," he offered.

[BudgetDM]

"Oh, which college? Our Temple has a relationship with the Light Wizards, and others come to us occasionally seeking bits of lost lore."

Dieter calms down slightly at the lack of panic in Klara's voice. Still, he keeps his voice down somewhat.

"The Bright Order, thought I am still an apprentice. Should we meet with trouble on the road, I would not wait for me to burn them all in some great conflagration."

[Retro Gamer]

Taffy's only experience with wizards is from the dark practices that cause the dead to return to the world and cause no end of grief for the eastern Mootland, and he frowns at the mention of the word "magic."

"The Bright Order?" he asks suspiciously. "What's that? The only magic I know of seems to cause nothing but trouble."

[Wargor]

"Hmph, a wizard? Well, as long as I don't wake up looking like a frog I'm ok with it." Otto looks slightly nervous for a second but is soon all smiles again. "Gosh these coachmen are taking a while, anyone feel like a game of cards while we wait?" He pulls out his deck and starts shuffling them.

[-Sentinel-]

"I think our time would be better spent looking for them," said Luca with dawning irritation. "For their sake, I pray they have a mighty good reason to be late. My lady is on business for the Church of Verena and has no time for such nonsense." He turned to Gustav. "Did you see them this morning, or are they still asleep?"


OOC: Whatever the answer, I'll go looking for them.

[Wargor]

"Hey hey, no need to be touchy, they're probably just sleeping off their drinks. But if you feel so strongly I'll go with you and we'll check on them." Otto stands and gestures for Luca to lead the way.

[-Sentinel-]

"Sleeping off their drinks? They're already robbing us blind. I'm not inclined to complain over everything, but for the price they're charging, I think we're entitled to a service of reasonable quality."

[Xsesiv]

"Did you see them this morning, or are they still asleep?"

"I've not seen them so I'm guessing they're still asleep," says Gustav who has suddenly started giving Dieter a wide berth. "I don't want to wake them up, though, more'n my jobs worth to annoy coachmen. I'd never get any custom. If you want to go and get them, though, they're in the first room on the left."

When Luca comes across the first door on the left, in which room the coachmen are apparently sleeping, he finds it firmly shut with a very strong odour of alcohol and unwashed bodies coming out from underneath it.

[-Sentinel-]

Luca's already limited patience was by now dead and buried. Were they in Tilea, the diestro's employer could demand that he challenge these two to a duel to the death. And he would happily comply.

"Get up!" he snarled, pounding on the door. "You're late!"

[Wargor]

Otto winces, stepping back so as to be out of the line of fire, so to speak. "Gunnar, Holtz, you awake?"

[Xsesiv]

There are a couple of quiet moans of pain from within, then some retching. A couple of minutes later Holtz, dressed in stained nightshirt and underclothes, opens the door, so that the odour, mingled with a vague hint of vomit, assaults Luca again. Behind him, Gunnar is pulling on his breeches while intermittently wiping his eyes. Beads of sweat glisten on Holtz's brow and he shields his eyes from the light. "No need to knock that hard," he says in a hoarse whisper. "We're getting up, we're getting up. Give us a few minutes..."

[-Sentinel-]

"You'd better. We're already paying you more than you deserve."

Fuming, he strode back to the main room.

"Our coachmen are putting themselves back together," he reported, addressing Klara but making sure everyone else heard.

[KreenWarrior]

"Oh, good. I had a passing worry that they had absconded with our coins. Well, a drunken coachman is better than no coachman, I suppose."

[Wargor]

"I don't know if you can even get a sober coachmen" Otto says smirking, as he follows Luca back into the main room.

[Xsesiv]

A few minutes later, Gunnar and Holtz stagger into the room and out of the front door, mumbling to themselves and clutching their heads and carrying bags of gear and blunderbusses, which they sling into the coach before preparing it for a journey, albeit very slowly, while the stable lads hitch up the horse team.

"Well, I suppose you'll be going in a minute," says Gustav. "Sad to see you go, but do come back if you're in the area. If there's anything else you want, tell me now." He does look a little upset that you are leaving.

[Wargor]

"Thank you for your hospitality Gustav, it's been a pleasure staying here." Otto shakes the man's hand and goes outside to wait by the coach.

[littlebottom]

"A wizard eh? I've heard all sorts about wizards, lots of scary stories of young wizards trying to cast a simple spell and being killed because they messed it up. You must be brave if thats true."

"yay! the coachmen are coming, we can finally get going!"

[Xsesiv]

As Otto approaches the coach, Holtz turns towards him and makes his way for the inn, saying "Just going to the privy," while Gunnar continues to hitch up the coach. Sooner or later, he finishes and clambers into the driver's seat. Holtz has still not returned from the privy.

[-Sentinel-]

Luca gave Elisinda a strange look, as if she were a halfwit. It obviously did not take much to make her happy.

"I'd say it's about bloody time," he murmured through his teeth.

[Wargor]

Getting bored of waiting, Otto looks up at the remaining coachmen. "So Gunnar, what's your story? Where are you from?"

[littlebottom]

"that guy has been in the toilet for a long time. Maybe someone should go look for him? He might of passed out or something. Me? I cant go, I'm a girl!" Elis pre-empts the "why dont you go" comments.

[Xsesiv]

Gunnar doesn't reply. In fact, his head has lolled to one side and he seems to be snoring softly. Meanwhile, the noblewoman and her entourage, the studious gentleman, and Philippe the gambler have taken seats inside the coach. The stable boys are hanging around in hopes of a tip and Gustav is waving jovially from the window. Holtz is still in the privy...

[Retro Gamer]

While the rest of the group busy themselves with trying to sort out the hungover coachmen, Taffy retrieves Donkey from the stable and gives him a quick brush down, tending to a few spots missed by the stable hands. After saddling up the pony, he leads him into the courtyard and climbs into the saddle, waiting patiently for the coach to get underway.

[littlebottom]

Elis will climb up onto the roof of the coach, (if it is A: sturdy enough B: isnt filled with baggage) to be able to keep a look out while moving. It can pay to have an early warning system.

[Wargor]

Otto looks inside, If there is no more room he will simply climb onto the top of the coach and ride up there. If there is room, he will climb inside.

[KreenWarrior]

Klara finds a space within.

[Xsesiv]

Elis is able to sit on the roof after moving a huge number of expensive hatboxes out of the way, while Otto can see that inside there is enough room for one more person without it being too much of a squeeze. As Klara tries to get in forcing everyone to shift up, the noblewoman cries out in a shrill voice, the first time she's spoken. "Absolutely not, madam! I refuse to be crammed in with commoners. It's bad enough having to travel with this riff-raff without having their knees and elbows constantly thrust into one's face," and her mean-looking bodyguard shoves Klara out.

[-Sentinel-]

"Just a moment, m'lady," growled Luca to Klara, "I need to check what's taking the other cretin so long."

He strode towards the privy.

[Xsesiv]

Luca notices a distinctly unpleasant smell and pained grunts of effort as he approaches the privy. Holtz has now been inside for about a quarter of an hour.

[littlebottom]

Elis pokes her head upside down by the window "Excuse me, Ma'am, but if you want luxury, you can use your own private carrage, this on the other hand is for anyone who pays, and weve paid, so please, keep your objections to yourself since you signed up for it when you paid for it." Elis quickly gets back upright on the roof before a reply can be uttered.

[Wargor]

Otto looks around at his company and smiles. "So, anyone for a friendly game?" He pulls out his deck and shuffles it.

[-Sentinel-]

Myrmidia's mercy. Did he catch the Bloody Flux, or what?

"No pressure, sir," Luca said with all the patience he could muster, "but we're all hoping to get going before mid-day."

The man's natural needs were not his fault, but if he had gotten up earlier, he would already be done. Luca came back to the carriage and saw a commotion. Apparently, Klara had just been kicked out of the coach. Gritting his teeth, the diestro scowled darkly at the noblewoman's bodyguard.

"I will not allow Miss Albers to be treated this way," he warned.

[Xsesiv]

Otto looks around at his company and smiles. "So, anyone for a friendly game?" He pulls out his deck and shuffles it.

"I'm always willing to play a quick game of Five Knives, mon ami," grins Philippe. "Same stakes as last night?"


"No pressure, sir," Luca said with all the patience he could muster, "but we're all hoping to get going before mid-day."

After another second or two of straining, Holtz gasps: "Alright, I think I'm done now. Give me a second," and after a few moments he exits the privy lacing up his britches and squinting in the bright light. "Sorry," he says, waddling over to the coach and clambering painfully slowly into the seat beside Gunnar.


"I will not allow Miss Albers to be treated this way," he warned.

"I won't let Lady von Strudeldorf be treated this way, either, so we can understand each other," says the bodyguard, a huge woman in black leather with cropped brown hair and black eyes. "If she doesn't bother the Mistress, everything will be fine."

[Wargor]

"Don't mind if I do! I'll make up for my rude behaviour last night." Otto deals the cards and settles in for a hard fought game. "So tell me about yourself Phillipe."

[Xsesiv]

"Don't mind if I do! I'll make up for my rude behaviour last night." Otto deals the cards and settles in for a hard fought game. "So tell me about yourself Phillipe."


Philippe takes the cards and studies them. "Well, I was born in Bordeleaux. Don't tell zem I said zis, but I'm not so keen on ze place. Full of drunkards and beggars, so I left to travel around Bretonnia. I ended up joining a mercenary group zat was passing zrough, and ze rest, as zey say, is 'istory. I became ze captain after a few years, got a little money togezzer, and I've just retired. At ze moment, I'm travelling to meet an old friend of mine in Altdorf. And yourself, monsieur?"

[Wargor]

Philippe takes the cards and studies them. "Well, I was born in Bordeleaux. Don't tell zem I said zis, but I'm not so keen on ze place. Full of drunkards and beggars, so I left to travel around Bretonnia. I ended up joining a mercenary group zat was passing zrough, and ze rest, as zey say, is 'istory. I became ze captain after a few years, got a little money togezzer, and I've just retired. At ze moment, I'm travelling to meet an old friend of mine in Altdorf. And yourself, monsieur?"

"Sounds a little too dangerous for my taste, I'm more of the type to hang about in bars than on the battlefield. I grew up in Averland, large family, not a lot of money, the usual story, got thrown out as soon as I was old enough. So I've wandered the Empire ever since, earning my way. Got into a little financial trouble recently though, so I'm trying my best to reline my coffers If you know what I mean." Otto glances at his hand, keeping his face carefully blank as he studies his cards.

[-Sentinel-]

"I won't let Lady von Strudeldorf be treated this way, either, so we can understand each other," says the bodyguard, a huge woman in black leather with cropped brown hair and black eyes. "If she doesn't bother the Mistress, everything will be fine."

Luca had always been taught to be courteous to women, but this time he felt like making an exception.

"Miss Albers is a member of the Church of Verena," he said in a frosty tone, scowling directly at Lady von Strudeldorf rather than her bodyguard. "She will behave with the manners expected from her rank, and in turn she will be treated with the respect a woman of the cloth deserves. If she wants to travel inside the coach, mark my words, I will make sure she gets her wish one way or another."

He glanced at Klara to see if she would insist. He almost hoped she would.

[littlebottom]

"Picking fights is for children, Luca. be grown up and talk out the problem" Although Elis says this, she admits to herself she isnt above picking fights either, but she wasnt the one ruffling feathers.

[BudgetDM]

Dieter quietly climbs to the room of the coach. There was no chance of him getting to ride on the inside at any way. A master wizard might stand a chance, but not an apprentice. Plus, given the attitude of Lady von Strudeldorf's bodyguard, he doubted that he would really want to anyway.

[KreenWarrior]

"Luca, thank you for your concern, but I will be happy to ride on top of the coach. I am sure it will be... refreshing." She might send an unpleasant prayer or two the noblewoman's way, of course. The gods saw to their own.

[-Sentinel-]

"As you wish, my lady," said Luca reluctantly. "But don't let them push you around too much, or they'll keep doing it."

Still glaring at Lady von Strudeldorf, he took place on top of the coach, leaving the most comfortable spot to his charge.

[Retro Gamer]

Taffy watches the consternation between the two bodyguards with amusement. He is keen to get underway, and Donkey is beginning to stomp restlessly at the ground, but if there is about to be a fight then he would like to see it.

When it blows over, with the priestess calling off the Tilean, he is rather disappointed.

"Shall we go then?" he calls to the coachmen. "Lead on, I'll ride alongside, or behind if the road is too narrow."

[Xsesiv]

Philippe beats Otto handily at cards and takes the ten shillings. The coachmen take control of themselves for long enough to drive the horses out of the coaching inn gate and away down the road.They whip them up into a brisk trot down the forest road, with the lack of suspension painfully evident with every bump. A detachment of Imperial cavalry passes, saluting you casually as they do so. The bumps in the road begin to bother you less and less as the coachmen slacken speed and end up at a slow walking pace.

[Wargor]

"You're a skilled player Phillipe, I have to admit. Another game?" Otto's pride is now at stake, and the smile on his face is slightly forced. "Wait, why are we slowing down."

[Retro Gamer]

Donkey would normally have trouble keeping up with full sized horses, but the weight of the coach means that the pony is able to maintain just a light trot to stay alongside them. Taffy gazes in wonder at the cavalry detachment, amazed by their magnificent armor and finery, though somewhat intimidated too.

He doesn't really notice the coach slowing down until he overtakes it without breaking from the already moderate pace, and looks back to see if anything is wrong.

[Xsesiv]

"You're a skilled player Phillipe, I have to admit. Another game?" Otto's pride is now at stake, and the smile on his face is slightly forced.

"If you'd like, my friend," answers Philippe, smiling smugly, and deals. "Now, what brings you to Altdorf?" he asks.


He doesn't really notice the coach slowing down until he overtakes it without breaking from the already moderate pace, and looks back to see if anything is wrong.

Nothing seems to be wrong with the coach itself, but the two coachmen have their heads tilted back against the coach wall, and look to be barely awake.

[-Sentinel-]

"I don't suppose any of you can drive a coach?" Luca asked the other passengers with renewed irritation, not caring whether the coachmen heard him. "I'm sure just about anyone can do a better job than these two."

[Wargor]

"If you'd like, my friend," answers Philippe, smiling smugly, and deals. "Now, what brings you to Altdorf?" he asks.


"Ahh, I am looking for work. Hopefully for enough money to set me up well. Yourself?" Otto checks his hand, and lets a brief smile flicker across his face.

[Xsesiv]

"I don't suppose any of you can drive a coach?" Luca asked the other passengers with renewed irritation, not caring whether the coachmen heard him. "I'm sure just about anyone can do a better job than these two."

"No need to shout," says Gunnar groggily, taking out his whip again and whipping the horses back up to a reluctant canter. The coach sweeps around a bend, and joins the main road which is in a decent state of repair, and the coach makes good progress for another twenty minutes, after which the coach drops back to a plod and to make matters worse it begins to rain.


"Ahh, I am looking for work. Hopefully for enough money to set me up well. Yourself?" Otto checks his hand, and lets a brief smile flicker across his face.

At ze moment, I'm travelling to meet an old friend of mine in Altdorf."

Philippe scratches his head as he studies his cards and eventually the hand turns out; Philippe's excellent hand is only defeated because Otto had an even better one. He hands over the money happily and goes to deal another hand.

[Wargor]

"Gunnar! Holtz! Wake up!" Otto hits the roof of the coach hard. "Sorry, now back to our game! So who's this friend? A lady perhaps?" Otto asks with a smirk.

[-Sentinel-]

Luca looked up at the sky mournfully.

"I hope Lady von Strudeldorf is comfortable," he commented with dripping sarcasm.


OOC:
Not to be impatient or anything, but now would be a good time for some plot to happen.

[Xsesiv]

Not to be impatient or anything, but now would be a good time for some plot to happen.
Just letting people interact with NPCs if they wanted to. Not long to wait, though.


"Gunnar! Holtz! Wake up!" Otto hits the roof of the coach hard. "Sorry, now back to our game! So who's this friend? A lady perhaps?" Otto asks with a smirk.

"No. Actually, yes. My second-in-command, 'Err Frohlich, I was going to meet, but I do believe 'e is married now." Philippe beats Otto again at cards.

The coach sweeps around a bend and comes across a grisly sight; a man, his back to the coach, is crouching over another man in a mail shirt who lies in a pool of blood. Maybe the man on the floor's injured and being tended to? The crouching figure turns and you can see that there is a human hand dangling from his mouth and a bloody dagger in his hand! Abhorrent to behold, flesh hangs in shreds from his face and hands. Green ichor seeps from his eyes. It spits out the hand and rushes the coach, swinging the dagger furiously.

The horses panic, bolt and snap the traces, dragging Holtz, who is gripping the reins, off the coach and dragging him along the ground down the road and off the bend, ending up in the forest. Gunnar grabs the brakes and desperately struggles to bring the coach to a halt, but when he sees the man rushing him, he freezes with shock.

Everyone make a Fear Test.

@Dieter (please don't read if you're not him unless you can avoid metagaming):The figure rushing towards you looks very familiar, despite the spark of madness in his eyes, the flaps of flesh hanging off his body and the blood dripping from his mouth. Suddenly, it comes to you: it is Rolf Hurtsis, a fellow former apprentice of Heironymous Bosch, the master wizard to who you were apprenticed.

A year ago, Rolf started to develop a strange skin complaint and act very strangely. To hide his growing affliction, he started going around with a bag on his head, which made it very hard for him to get through his day let alone the apprenticeship. For obvious reasons, the Watch arrested him and he ended up in jail. The last you heard of Rolf was when he escaped and fled some six months ago. That was until now!

Your Fear Test is at -10%.

@Taffy:Donkey panics and rears; it will take a half action or a Ride Test to maintain control.

[littlebottom]

Elis was keeping her eye out for trouble, although admittedly, after a while of travel when the rain started, she did start to lull in her self appointed duty.

As they round the corner, it was in plain sight, you didnt need a sharp eye to spot the foe that ran at them. Elis sees what has happened to this man, the skin dangling from his flesh, but she just gritted her teeth as she drew her long bow, loaded it with lightning speed and sent a quick fire off towards the incoming threat. She didnt have time to take a more accurate shot, she just hoped that all her training had not been for nothing.

taking a shot at the mutant: BS: 41 [roll0]
damage: [roll1]

[Wargor]

"What the hell!" The sudden jolting of the coach hits him into door, and he almost drops his cards. Peering out the window, he see's the thing charging at the coach, and he recoils in horror. "Sigmar's balls, what the hell is that freak! We're under attack!" He tries to get as far from the doors as possible.

[BudgetDM]

"ROLF!" yell Dieter.

It couldn't be him, it couldn't be. This wasn't possible.

The litany of panic and disbelief floods Dieter mind, leaving him paralyzed.

[Retro Gamer]

While surprising, the sight of the gruesome creature is nothing to Taffy, his nerves accustomed to equally disturbing sights along the Mootland/Sylvania border.

"Whoa, boy, whoa!" he says, struggling to bring Donkey under control. When the animal composes itself enough to resist fleeing, he reaches for his sling, taking care to maintain some distance.

[KreenWarrior]

Klara freezes in shock at the bizarre and grotesque scene below the coach.
Wp = 31.
Test:
[roll0]

[-Sentinel-]

To his shame, Luca did not prove any braver than his charge. He did, at least, make an effort to conceal his fear.

"Better if we stay here, m'lady," he muttered. "I'll deal with the thing if it comes too close."

[Xsesiv]

As the Mutant rushes the coach, he's hit by an arrow launched by Elis's bow which tranfixes his flank. Not too interested, he continues his charge. Philippe, practically dancing with battle-poise, drops his cards, whips a magnificent flintlock pistol from his jacket, jumps out of the carriage and fires at the Mutant in a puff of blue smoke and flash of fire, hitting the Mutant right in the eye, stopping him dead in his tracks, destroying the eye and knocking him backwards to the floor, at least unconscious and probably dead.

Philippe drops down against the coach and reloads his pistol. Meanwhile, a scream, vaguely human but also something like a goat being slaughtered, comes from just around the bend and a rustling in the undergrowth indicates that something is coming towards you through the forest very fast.

[KreenWarrior]

"Verena preserve us!" Klara feels very small, and reaches out to Luca and grips his hand tightly as she prays.

[Wargor]

Otto pops his head out of the coach door, glancing from Philippe to the dead mutant and staring open mouthed. "Good shooting my friend! You'll have to teach me how. I can load for you if you need an extra hand free?" He ducks down low, presenting as small a profile as he can.

[Xsesiv]

Otto pops his head out of the coach door, glancing from Philippe to the dead mutant and staring open mouthed. "Good shooting my friend! You'll have to teach me how. I can load for you if you need an extra hand free?" He ducks down low, presenting as small a profile as he can.

"It's not ze kind of sing you can learn in a day, my friend," says Philippe, finishing the reload, then pulling out a dagger and making a small cut in his forearm, showing that his arm is covered with small scars. "In Altdorf -"

The rustling ends, and Holtz emerges from the trees, limping and clearly in some pain. "It's me, Holtz!" he yells. "Don't shoot!" He looks around the bend to the source of the scream and then, all pain forgotten, rushes towards the coach, screaming "Aaaaaaaargh!" at the top of his lungs. A crossbow bolt flies from round the bend and penetrates about an inch into the ground before hitting a stone and the shaft whips around, sending the bolt spinning crazily through the air with a loud whirring noise. Some seconds later, a second crossbow bolt hits Holtz in the back of the knee, locking the joint. He takes one more step and then falls flat on his face almost comically, collapsing to the ground in a heap of curses and sobs.

[-Sentinel-]

With the mutant dead, Luca regained his composure quickly. He gently pried his hand out of Klara's fingers, drew his rapier and leapt down the top of the coach.

"Get down and stay low," he advised Klara, offering her his left hand to help her down. "You make too good a target up there."

His eyes searched the woods for the unseen attackers. Judging by the rate of fire, there had to be more than one crossbowman.

[Wargor]

The shout makes Otto turn, just in time to see the coachmen fall from the crossbow bolt. "Dammnit! Holtz! What are we going to do!" He looks round franctially, and his eyes land on the two bodyguards. "You two can fight, surely! Save us!"

[Retro Gamer]

Taffy had thought the incident was over with the fall of the mutant, but the scream, the sudden appearance of Holtz, and then the crossbow bolts felling him like a target dummy have him readying his sling once more.

"Alright, who's with me?" asks the diminutive fellow, dismounting as half the coach party cowers in fright. Without waiting for an answer, he scampers towards the bend, sling poised to see off the crossbow wielder, and anything else that might be lurking around there.

[Xsesiv]

"You two can fight, surely! Save us!"

"I can better protect the mistress from here," says Lady Isolde's bodyguard.

As Taffy approaches the bend, two hideous creatures approach it from the other side, winding crossbows. One creature's legs are goat-like, with cloven hooves, but its face is almost human, albeit twisted into a sharp-toothed snarl and topped with a pair of vestigial horns. The other looks fairly human apart from being totally bald with scaly, green skin, a forked tongue too big for its mouth and strongly slanted eyes, and he wears a tattered chainmail coat. At about the same time, another crashes from the undergrowth; the top of its head is drawn up into a point and it has pointed ears and cone-shaped teeth. Drenched in blood, its skin has a sickly green hue and it brandishes a sword as it rushes the coach.

Jolted into action by the injury of his friend, Gunnar levels his blunderbuss at the pair with the crossbows, dropping the one with the goat's legs in a spray of rusty nails, broken glass and pebbles which pepper its chest, opening the ribcage up to expose the damaged heart and lungs and sending the Mutant flying backwards in a most dramatic fashion, dead before it hits the ground, but the scaly one dodges the blast. Philippe brings up his newly-reloaded pistol and pulls the trigger, but there is a loud click and the gun does not go off. He throws it down, muttering something which is doubtless very rude in Bretonnian, and rips a sword from its scabbard, running towards the pointed-headed Mutant.

The not-human, not-animal screams continue from round the corner, now mingled with some which are definitely animal.

[BudgetDM]

Dieter recovers from his shock just in time to see the beastmen come bursting out of the wood. Seeing this cause the military training that he received from Heironymous Bosch to take over. He incants a phrase in Magick and the nearest beastman's crossbow suddenly seems to a weigh a tonne.

[KreenWarrior]

Klara stays down and stays low, though she retrieves her sword from her luggage. It had been given to her by Brother Amadeus before she left, and felt unfamiliar in her hand. "Luca, I'm not going to order you to go out and fight, but I'm sure I'll be safe up here, so if you feel able..." She has a hunch the earnest young man would rather be fighting than staying behind in the coach, and besides, with the noblewoman's bodyguard being useless, they could use anyone with skill to face the creatures.

[Retro Gamer]

Taffy is rather taken aback by the staggering array of deformities possessed by the attackers, but keeps enough composure to fire off a stone at the scaly skinned mutant.

BS [roll0] v 46
Damage [roll1]

[littlebottom]

Elis has another arrow loaded before you notice it. you also notice at the slightly greater distance, Elis takes a little longer aiming before she fires her bow.

The arrow flies through the air towards its target

BS: 41 +10 (aim) [roll0]
damage: [roll1]

[Wargor]

"How many of them are there?! We should try to run! They'll just kill us otherwise!" Otto shouts, despite staying exactly where he is inside the coach.

[-Sentinel-]

Luca fervently hoped to make up for the momentary cowardice he had displayed one moment ago. He had never fought mutants before, only humans... but from what he could see, mutants died just as easily. Spurred into action by Klara's words, the bodyguard charged the scaly mutant, his rapier in one hand and his dagger in the other.

Charge attack
Effective WS 49: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (SB-1 and Strike Mighty Blow)

Edit: Myrmidia's Fury!
The razor-sharp rapier easily sank through the beast's guts to the hilt, then ripped upwards in search of vital organs.

[Xsesiv]

The scaly mutant drops its crossbow as the Drop spell takes effect and a moment later a slingstone whizzes into its ribs and bounces off. It grimaces, but unperturbed, it strides up to Holtz while pulling out a rusty sword, intending to finish him off. Before he can, though, Luca rushes him and thrusts his rapier, which transfixes the mutant under the ribs, lacerating his heart; the mutant can only stare at Luca in shock as it slides off the blade into oblivion and a heap on the floor.

Philippe and the pointed-headed mutant clash. The mutant exchanges furious if ineffectual sword-blows with Philippe, who easily dodges the swings and delivers several of his own. One slides off the mutant's side but the other lodges deep into its leg. It shrieks, but holds on as an arrow whistles past its head.

All the while the screams continue from round the corner.


NEW ROUND

[littlebottom]

Again, Elis whips another arrow out and nocks it. rasing the bow as she pulls back the string, she aims intently at the pointy headed mutant. after a couple moments she holds her breath and releases, and takes a deep breath as it flies through the air...

attack: BS: 51 [roll0]
damage [roll1]

[-Sentinel-]

Luca's battle instincts urged him to take on the remaining mutant, but the young diestro was confident that his travel companions could deal with it easily enough. Instead, he left the coach behind and ran towards the horrible screams.

[BudgetDM]

Pushing his luck even further, Dieter begins to cast another spell. Not content to cast another Drop spell, he casts Magic Dart. In the small portion of his mind not dedicated to not boiling his mind with Aethyric energy, Dieter reminded himself to buy a gun or crossbow.

[Retro Gamer]

Seeing several of the others taking on the pointy headed mutant, Taffy heads around the bend towards the source if the screams, reloading his sling as he goes.

[Xsesiv]

As the pointy-headed Mutant ducks yet another swing of Philippe's sword, dodging an arrow of Elisinda's in the process, he jabs Philippe in the leg with his own sword. Philippe roars in pain and swings down, but the angle of the Mutant's head forces the blow to glance aside. The two remain locked in combat, disturbed by a spinning bolt of magical force launched by Dieter which smashes the mutant in the shoulder, injuring but not finishing it.

As Luca and Taffy round the corner, they come across a ghastly scene. An overturned coach lies in the road while the two horses that remain alive, still attached to the coach and now pinned on the floor, scream while they desperately try to struggle free as a Mutant with a massively overgrown body and an incredibly small head by comparison strikes them again and again with a greataxe. The other two horses are already a bloody pulp, one dead of massive trauma and blood loss, the other with a shattered skull leaking brain matter.

Lying by the coach, screaming half-animal, half-human shrieks, is a human with a dog's head; it is missing a leg. Blood pumps from the wound which appears to have been clumsily bandaged.

By the coach, a coachman in a mail shirt lies dead, face-down in a pool of blood, with his blunderbuss next to him and bags of powder and shot. The other coachman, whose face has been chopped through, slumps dead next to him. Two of the others, a long-haired, handsome man and a young freckled woman, are dressed in the clothes of city folk; probably merchants or artisans by the quality of the clothes. Nearby is a small boy's corpse which somewhat resembles both artisans, with the woman's face-shape and green eyes and the man's blond hair; evidently their son. His body seems to have had bites taken out of it. Yet another corpse lies face-down, stabbed repeatedly in the back with a spear, in a black habit with a pewter hammer around his neck and his brown hair tonsured: a Sigmarite Novitiate. There is a man in rough brown work-clothes with cropped hair and corded muscles evident where his clothing has been slashed off with a sword-blow which also killed him, and a man who lies face-down in the road is studded with crossbow bolts. He wears clothes in a fetching blue-and-purple combination.


NEW ROUND

[littlebottom]

"Third times a charm." Elis has reloaded her bow, and taken some time to aim again, she would take longer to aim if lives were not at stake. She fires, this time hoping that her aim holds true, and the wind does not affect the shot.

attack, BS: 51[roll0]
damage, [roll1]

[-Sentinel-]

Luca just blinked at the scene, speechless with horror. He knew something of duelling, street-fighting and assassination: violence and death were just as commonplace in Tilea as everywhere else. But this kind of carnage was unlike anything he had ever seen. He was not prepared to this.

Hissing with outrage, he lunged at the greataxe-wielding mutant. His still-bloody rapier lashed out like a snake...

Charge attack
Effective WS 49: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
...but the mutant saw the attack coming and evaded the blow with deceptive speed.

[BudgetDM]

Deiter curses his dart failing to slay the mutant. He is about to start casting another spell, but he changes his mind. That last spell had been very close to running away from him, and you only have so much luck. Then he remember the crossbow that he had used his Drop spell on. He then starts trying to climb from the top of the coach and get the crossbow.

[Xsesiv]

Philippe and the Mutant exchange further blows. One of Philippe's swings takes the very tip of the Mutant's point off, sending it flying through the air as the mutant screams and plunges its sword into Philippe and it glances off his ribs, coming out of his side. He staggers backwards, yelling, clearly in some pain. Another arrow narrowly misses the mutant as Dieter scrambles towards the crossbow the scaly one left on the floor; from where he is now he can see that it's luckily loaded.

Meanwhile, Taffy launches a slingstone at the huge mutant with the tiny head. It plinks off the mound of muscle that is its shoulder and it turns around, noticing Luca's charge and dodging his attack, after which it gazes around the scene of carnage, looking to Luca and Taffy, and looking dazed, confused and above all very stupid.

The screaming dog-head stops screaming, moans, gasps, rattles and expires.


NEW ROUND

[littlebottom]

Elis reloads again, she was eating through arrows like a beaver through wood. She takes aim, if this shot didnt work she was going to and try to hack it to death.

BS: 51 [roll0]
damage: [roll1]

It felt like the mutants had an anti arrow-field or something, not one of her carefully aimed shots has hit its mark since the first mutant, and even then that was only just.

[-Sentinel-]

Now that he stood toe-to-toe with the mutant, Luca was in position to unleash a whirwind of steel, his rapier flicking left and right almost too fast for the eye to follow.

Swift Attack!

WS 39: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

WS 39: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
His blows, though not lethal, were deadly precise, tracing shallow wounds across the creature's skin.

[Wargor]

"Oh gods above we're all going to die." Otto "Who else is armed?"

[BudgetDM]

Dieter run and picks up the crossbow. He turns and back looks at Philippe and the Mutant and curses. Crossbow bolts aren't mystically drawn to their intended target like Magic Darts. He wasn't confident in this ability hit the mutant and not Philippe.

[Xsesiv]

Blood dripping off its non-existent fur, the huge pinheaded Mutant bellows in agony and rage as Luca stabs it. A slingstone bounces off the Mutant's head, stunning it. It returns the favour to Luca, swinging at him like a maniac with its greataxe. Luckily, its reflexes are slowed enough by the stone in the head that Luca is just able to dodge its clumsy swings; a good thing, too, because they are easily propelled with enough force to cut him in two if they connected.

Meanwhile, the pointy-headed Mutant takes another swing at Philippe that cuts deeply into his arm just beside the elbow. Philippe, whose wounds ooze and drip blood quite severely by now, grits his teeth and swings blindly at the mutant as he staggers backwards, and miraculously hits it in the face, his sword entering one cheek and leaving the other, giving it a wide smile and ejecting half a tongue and several teeth. The Mutant spits blood by the mouthful, and is stunned with pain. Nearby, Dieter grabs a crossbow but falters as he considers the possibility of hitting Philippe. Gunnar has by now reloaded his blunderbuss and is preparing to go over and guard Holtz.


NEW ROUND

[-Sentinel-]

Luca set his face in an expression of grim determination, his initial anger and fear forgotten as instinct and training took over. He saw himself on the practice floor of the duelling school again. His dripping rapier lashed out once more, seeking the beast's heart.

Swift attack.

WS 39: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

WS 39: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
The first attack drew several droplets of blood from the creature's right arm, but Luca's opponent cringed in pain and evaded the second attack.

[littlebottom]

Seeing the mutant stumble, Elis decides to just fire another arrow, he didnt look like he was in a position to dodge, so now was her chance.

She loads again, aims and fires. the arrow gliding through the air towards its target...

BS: 51[roll0]
damage : [roll1]

Finally! the arrow finds its target, although with not as much force as Elis would have liked. Elis begins doubting her own skill for a moment, maybe she was out of practice?

[Wargor]

"Good shooting! Well done! Come on Phillipe, finish it!" Otto yells encouragingly from the relative safety of the carriage.

[Xsesiv]

A slingstone whistles past Luca's head as he jabs his rapier into the inside of the mutant's elbow joint. The wound looks small but really it does a lot of damage, tearing nerves, ligaments and blood vessels. Helpless as blood bursts forth, showering Luca, and not helped by the blood-loss, its tiny brain is overcome by the shock and it faints on the floor.

Gunnar gets off the coach and runs over to Holtz, checking on the bolt through his leg.

Elis' arrow flies into the mutant's foot, grazing past it and shearing off a flap of flesh. As it grabs the foot and hops up and down, wailing and cursing, Philippe kicks away its other leg and it falls to the floor, then stabs it through the throat. It gurgles on the floor but doesn't move.


END OF COMBAT

Philippe turns back to the coach and says "Ze mutant, he cut me. I bleed a lot, I sink. Anyone can help?" Gunnar shouts over "Holtz's not in a good way either! He's got a bolt in the leg!"

[littlebottom]

"Can anyone here treat these wounds?" Elis asks hopping down off the coach. "ill go see if the others are okay around the bend, i can't hear fighting anymore, so i can only hope for the best." Elis heads off down the trail collecting arrows as she goes, to go help the others if they still needed it.

[BudgetDM]

"I'll come too," says Dieter as he starts to follow Elis. He wouldn't be of that much good to the wounded. He didn't know anything about healing, and the only thing that the Red Wind could do for a wound was cauterize it. Not that he knew that spell.

[KreenWarrior]

Klara climbed out of the coach. She'd been trained in healing, though previously she had spent more time tending to the sick than treating battle wounds. "I follow Verena, not Shallya, but I can still help. I'll need something clean for bandages, and some water to clean the wounds."

[Xsesiv]

Two of the arrows fired by Elis are irretrievable, one having hit a tree and bent beyond accuracy or repair, another being nowhere to be found. As Elis and Dieter come round the corner, they see the overturned coach blocking the road attached to two dying and two dead horses, human bodies everywhere, a dead dog-headed Mutant slumped against the carriage, Taffy with sling in hand and Luca covered in blood standing over a huge Mutant with a tiny head that snores soundly on the floor.


Klara climbed out of the coach. She'd been trained in healing, though previously she had spent more time tending to the sick than treating battle wounds. "I follow Verena, not Shallya, but I can still help. I'll need something clean for bandages, and some water to clean the wounds."

"Will this do?" asks Gunnar worriedly, rushing over to the coach and returning with a blanket for winter trips and a flask of brandy. "There's nothing better."

[Wargor]

Otto peers around then hops out of the coach, surveying the carnage. "By the gods, what a mess. Has anyone got a pot and something to light a fire with? And now that I think about it, water is quite important to."

[littlebottom]

"are you both okay? we need to tend to wounds back over there, but i dont think im up to it, can either of you treat them?"

seeing that they were alive, and seemingly if they were injured it was not badly, Elis left quickly to tell the others. on her way back she grabs a crossbow and bolts "hmmm, this will do nicely."

as she arrives back at the coach "the others are alive, im not sure if they are injured or not, either way, the best thing i can think of is if someone starts a fire quickly, we can heat up a sword or something and use it to close the wounds?" Elis comes across slightly more grown up than usual, proberbly because as childish as she could seem sometimes, she still wasnt an idiot, she understood the gravity of the situation.

[KreenWarrior]

"Will this do?" asks Gunnar worriedly, rushing over to the coach and returning with a blanket for winter trips and a flask of brandy. "There's nothing better."

Klara nods and accepts them gratefully. "Those should work." She cuts strips off the blanket, then walks over to Philippe. "This will hurt a great deal." She sits him down, exposing the wound as mmuch as possible, then pours a bit of brandy through it, cleaning it quickly. She then wraps it tightly with the bandage.

Heal check against Int 35: [roll0]

Next, she goes to Holtz. She's worried, as the bolt is in the joint, and taking it out would be difficult. She'll examine it to see if it's possible to remove it safely here, or if it would be better to remove the shaft and have a surgeon remove the head from the joint when they reached their destination.

As far as I know, the game doesn't have mechanics for removing a crossbow bolt from a knee, but just yanking it out or cutting it out seems a really bad idea due to the bone, tendons and blood vessels in the knee. I'll make two Heal checks, one to assess the situation and one to either cut/break the shaft or remove the whole bolt.

Check 1 against 35: [roll1]
Check 2 against 35: [roll2]

[Xsesiv]

The quiver of the goat-head whose crossbow Elis grabs has 17 bolts in it, but the big scaly one has another quiver and there would probably be a few more if she were willing to pull them out of corpses.

Philippe winces as Klara pours the brandy into his wounds, but makes no other indication that they're an impediment. Holtz, who is writhing on the floor with the bolt in his knee, shouts out: "Whatever you're going to do, do it quickly!" as Klara inspects the bolt in his knee. Luckily, it's passed underneath the skin and the kneecap and not through the joint proper, so the leg probably won't need to be amputated. She decides it would do the least damage to push it out the other side and pull it through. She could do this now or wait for the surgeon.

[-Sentinel-]

Luca swore in Tilean under his breath at the sight of all the blood on his priceless clothes, but began acting professionnally again when he was back by Klara's side. Luckily, the girl was unscathed.

"If there's anything you need, Miss Albers, I can fetch it for you," he said dutifully, his senses still alert in case there more more mutants about.

[BudgetDM]

Dieter walks back to the coach scanning the area for more mutants.

What had Rolf gotten himself into? Had he been studying the Dark Arts? And if he had, why didn't he uses those powers instead of charging the coach?

[littlebottom]

Elis suddenly remembered something from the battle. Dieter had called out "DOLF" or "ROLF" or something like that when the mutant was charging...

"Hey, erm, Dieter. Did you call out someones name when that mutant came running at us?"

[BudgetDM]

"Hey, erm, Dieter. Did you call out someones name when that mutant came running at us?"

Damn!

"Yes," says Dieter hesitantly.

"That," he says pointing with his crossbow, "WAS Rolf Hurtsis, disgraced former apprentice of master wizard Heironymous Bosch. Heironymous Bosch has other apprentices, including myself. A year ago, Rolf developed a skin condition and started wearing a bag on his head. Not long after that the Watch arrested him for wearing a 'mask' in a nice part of town. About six months ago he escaped."

[Wargor]

Otto looks around the bodies, hoping to find some kind of weapon, one that wouldn't put him up close and personal with any more mutants. At Dieters words he quickly backs as far away as he can from the wizard. "Wait, that was your friend? And he was a mutant? I knew magic wasn't right!"

[Xsesiv]

No more mutants seem to be forthcoming.


Otto looks around the bodies, hoping to find some kind of weapon, one that wouldn't put him up close and personal with any more mutants.

The crossbows have been taken by Dieter and Elis, but they horned mutant has a spear and the scaled one and pointed-headed one have swords, as well as the greataxe wielded by the huge one and the blunderbuss belonging to the dead coachman, but Otto doesn't know how to use these latter.

[Wargor]

Otto picks up one of the swords gingerly, making a few swings with it, as it had been an age since he had last held one. This can only end badly he thinks, but he tucks it in to his belt anyway.

[KreenWarrior]

Klara grits her teeth and pushes the crossbow bolt through his knee as she holds it still. The then applies brandy and another wrapping.
[spoiler]If I can just use the 27 from before, I'll do that, otherwise I'll use [roll0].

[BudgetDM]

"Wait, that was your friend? And he was a mutant? I knew magic wasn't right!"

"Friend would be a bit strong," says Dieter, "And if you use magic in the manner prescribed by the College, you run no risk of becoming a mutant. It's studying...darker lores...that mutates a man. Any apprentices caught studying those are killed. Rather slowly, if you believe the rumors."

[Xsesiv]

Holtz screams mightily with his eyes watering as Klara forces the bolt through his knee, stops briefly, and then starts yelling again as she douses the wound in brandy. When he's finished screaming, he gasps and bends the knee."That's a relief, actually. Thank you very much." Gunnar helps him to his good leg and they make their way back to the coach, where Gunnar sits Holtz down in his seat. Gunnar then comes back and passes the remainder of the brandy around after taking a good swig himself. Philippe also takes a swallow.

Lady von Strudeldorf looks out of the coach window. "Is there any chance we could get moving before next week?" she demands coldly. "I don't want to spend any more time than I have to in this blasted cart."

"I'll just fetch the horses, milady," says Gunnar meekly, and goes off to do so.

The man with the book stares vacantly out of the window.

[-Sentinel-]

"My condolences, Mr Bauer," Luca told Dieter, more out of practiced formality than genuine sympathy.

He gave Lady von Strudeldorf an unfriendly look, but nothing he could have said would have properly conveyed his contempt. He had worked for too many women like that in Tobaro, and he was by now heartily sick of them. Protecting Klara Albers was not one of his best-paid jobs, but it was much more pleasant than tolerating some arrogant noblewoman.

"We'll have to warn the first roadwardens we meet," the diestro said. "They'll identify the human bodies and take steps to get them buried."

[Xsesiv]

"That'll do," says Gunnar, coming back from the forest and leading several skittish horses. He looks round the corner, returns to the coach and begins to hitch the horses back up with Holtz helping as best he can. "At the moment, though, we're going to have teh get them out the road - them and the coach. Otherwise we'll not be able teh get by, see? I'm sure yeh don't want to get stuck out here at night, knowing what's round here, now." He looks at the rotting mutant on the floor with distaste and kicks him.

[littlebottom]

"ill help." Elis decides that they should get moving again as soon as possible, and to do that required moving the coach.

Elis will follow instructions and help her best to move the coach.

[Xsesiv]

Gunnar comes over to the coach and looks the underside of it, rubbing his beard with his wrist. "What d'yeh reckon, then? Shove it off the road as is, or tip it back on the wheels and roll it off? Might break the wheels, mind, with the weight of it." He glances over the corpses that litter the road. "Best get these out the way, too."

[Wargor]

"I'll help, it's the least I could do." Otto volunteers, swallowing his disgust at touching the dead mutants. He moves over to the closest one and grabs it by the legs, before doing his best to drag it off the road and into the bushes.

[Xsesiv]

Otto manages to drag Rolf the Mutant off the road into the forest while Elis and Gunnar force the coach off the road. Phillipe, helping, rifles the pockets of the dead people before dragging them off the road. "As long as I leave zem two shillings for ze priests of Morr it should be fine, no? What do ze dead need of money?" he says.

But apparently they had no need for it beforehand, because he comes away empty-handed. As he turns over the man in the blue and purple he calls out, surprised: "Otto! Come 'ere, my friend. Zis is most strange."

[Wargor]

Coming out of the bushes, Otto rubs his hands on his trousers before heading over to Phillipe. "What have you found my friend?"

[Xsesiv]

"Look at zat." Philippe points at the man on the floor, who, despite his more expensive clothes, looks almost exactly identical to Otto. He is the same height and roughly the same build with the same shade of brown hair albeit slightly longer than Otto's, and the same grey-blue eyes. After a second, though, the differences become more apparent; lack of an earring, a wart here, a mole there, a difference in the shape of the hairline...

"Do you 'ave a brother?"

[Wargor]

Otto stares down at his almost-double with mute horror, mouth slightly agape. "I..Yes, several, but I haven't seen any of them in almost 15 years. Surely it's just a coincidence? You hear about it all the time, people looking alike. This can't be one of my brothers." Otto rambles on, still in shock. "Maybe he's carrying some kind of identification? That might clear this up, yes, he must have something on him." Otto bends down and rifles through the man's pockets, looking for anything, anything at all that might help.

[Xsesiv]

Luckily, it seems this body hasn't been stripped by the mutants to a total extent. Though he has no money, they have left a folded, mildly-stained letter in his jacket pocket, with a smaller scrap of paper in an inside pocket. Both of them have writing on, and the letter has a broken seal featuring a few letters and a symbol of a pair of scales. Being illiterate, Otto is unable to make anything of the letters.

[Wargor]

"Phillipe, can you read what this says? I never learnt how to." Otto asks desperately, thrusting the pieces of paper at him.

[Xsesiv]

"Any-sing to please," mumbles Philippe as he takes the letters and reads them, his lips moving as he forms the words. "Well, zis is a piece of luck. Zat one is a letter from some lawyers in Bögenhafen, saying, essentially, 'please to our offices come and pick up your two sousand crown in'eritance, 'Err Lieberung.' Ze ozzer says:" and he reads it out: "'We, ze undersigned, solemnly swear zat ze bearer of zis document is one Kastor Lieberung.' It seems you 'ave stumbled on a little windfall, my friend."

He gives Otto the letters with a smile and talks to the corpse on the floor. "'Err Lieberung, you couldn't spare ze odd crown for your dear friend 'ere? No, it seems 'e wouldn't mind."

[Wargor]

Relief flooded Otto as he it was made clear this man wasn't one of his brothers. His jaw slowly dropped at the rest of Phillipes words, before a sly grin stole over his face. "An honest man might find this distasteful. Good thing I'm no honest man! Where's this Bögenhafen anyway?"

[Xsesiv]

"I don't know, my friend. I'm not from the Empire." Philippe goes back to the coach and gets inside now that the road is clear.

[Wargor]

"Hmm, no matter, I think I remember it now." Otto helps move anything else in the way before returning to the coach.

[Xsesiv]

The road is clear and Gunnar and Holtz mount up and prepare to whip the horses up to make away, when a loud galloping can be heard not too far away, and a couple of seconds later, a five-man Roadwarden patrol, mounted and with pistols and swords at hand, comes around the corner, led by a heavily-muscled, weathered and scarred six-and-a-half-foot man on a similarly impressive steed. They look over the scene of carnage with some surprise, then the tall, brown-haired leader dismounts and comes over to the coach, looking very suspicious and flashing a piece of parchment.

"Magnus Albrecht. Roadwarden Sergeant. What in the name of Sigmar's most holy balls happened here?"

[-Sentinel-]

"Mutants," said Luca laconically. "We dealt with them."

He made a broad gesture, letting the horrible scene speak for itself.

[KreenWarrior]

Klara gets down off the coach and prominently displays her symbol of Verena to the guards, hoping it would attract their attention. "Sir, we are travellers on the road to Altdorf. We were attacked by mutants, whom my bodyguard and travelling companions heroically fought and killed."

[Wargor]

"Like they said, bloody foul things attacked us. We chucked them in the bushes!" He points to where the mutants bodies had been put.

[Xsesiv]

Magnus looks at the group, then at the symbol of Verena, nods and looks around the scene again. His eyes fix on the overturned coach and the human corpses. His companions look somewhat relieved and get off their horses. The largest three, burly types, move to right the coach while the others, a young scrawny lad and a small woman, lead the horses up to it. "Who are that lot, then?" asks Magnus, pointing at the human corpses, his voice softening. "Were they with the Mutants or what?"

[littlebottom]

"well, they were dead first i saw em, but Luca here went round the corner before me while i shot at one over there, from here" Elis motions to Luca as she says his name, and motions to the "over there" roughly with her hand.

[Wargor]

"They were on the coach ahead of us. The mutants got them first." Otto mutters softly, a look of sadness passing over his face. "It ain't right, a man can't travel his own countryside without being murdered."

[Xsesiv]

The coach is duly shifted back onto its wheels with a creak as the axle bends slightly and the horses are hitched up. The Roadwardens start hefting the bodies into the back of the coach. "In all honesty, we should run you in," says Magnus, "but it looks to have been self-defence, so we'll overlook it, it's not worth the paperwork, especially for what we're being paid, and we've got these bodies to bury now and all. Good day, sirs." He gets back on his horse and watches as the other Roadwardens finish dumping the bodies into the coach and begin to mount up.

"Not been any other problems, have there, before we go?"

[littlebottom]

"Between you 'n' me" Elis leans closer and wispers "i think that woman in there is a spoilt brat" she leans back. "but i dont think thats nothin' for you fellas to bother yourselves with."

[Xsesiv]

"Is that meant to be funny, madam? Don't waste my time with squabbles, please, I'm a Roadwarden Sergeant, I've got important things to do." says Magnus, sitting upright on his horse. "Right, since you've clearly not got anything worth saying, we're off."

The coach takes off down the road the way you came, preceded by Magnus on his horse. "Yeh coming, mates?" asks Gunnar, lifting the reins.

[Wargor]

Otto settle back into his seat on the coach, a slight frown on his face. "Does anyone know how close we'll come to Bögenhafen? I have some business there."

[littlebottom]

"we are going to Altdorf remember? just south of which is the bogenhafen"

[Xsesiv]

"You mean to tell us you forgot that?" says Lady von Strudeldorf, rolling her eyes so much they look like wheels. "I had heard that commoners were maleducated but I did not expect it to run that deep." Her bodyguard makes a strange coughing noise.

The coach gets underway again. Luckily, the coachmen seem to have sobered up quite significantly, so you make good speed despite the not-excellent road surfaces. You pass a tinker's wagon and the odd group of travellers, but no more scenes of highway-robbery. Come the late afternoon, you have made up for lost time, and in sight is another coaching inn.

[littlebottom]

"today has been a long day. im glad its almost over." Elis says, stretching her arms

[Xsesiv]

Approaching the inn, the last rays of sunlight illuminate the sign labelling it as the "Seven Spokes" alongside a picture of a broken coach wheel, and then the sun goes down fully. The Seven Spokes is of similar design to the Coach and Horses, though with a larger courtyard and higher wall. As the coach drives inside, the smells of food, ale, smoke and manure are again heavy in the air, with loud shouting, laughing and singing coming from inside. The coach pulls in and the stable-hands don't immediately rush over to take the horses; they seem to have their hands full brushing down horses as three coaches are already parked in the corner. Servants are bustling around and getting in each other's way.

[littlebottom]

This inn looked busy, much busier than the last one. Elis' hood up again "abysmal weather" she mutters from under her cloak.

Elis hops down off the coach, glad to stretch her legs. "ahhh, thats better. lets get in and order something to eat real quick!" Elis bounds off ahead into the inn, getting out of the rain aswell as getting into the warm.

[-Sentinel-]

Glad to finally stretch his muscles, Luca slid to the ground and helped Klara down.

"Well, that was an eventful journey up to now," he said with a hint of a smile.

Scary as the mutants were, deep down he loved danger.

[BudgetDM]

Dieter climbs down from his spot on the roof.

As he walks toward the inn he considers the situation with Rolf. When he gets back to Altdorf he will need to discuss the situation with Master Bosch. Best to not mention anything any one else at the College. If it became common knowledge that one of Heironymous Bosch's apprentices turned into a mutant, it might not go so well for his other apprentices, or even Master Bosch himself.

Dieter didn't strictly speaking like Master Bosch. He was loud, arrogant, and mildly cruel on occasion, but Dieter knew the the Bright Order and the College would be much the worse without him.

[Wargor]

Otto steps out of the carriage, glad to be back in a safe place after all the danger. He makes sure he's carrying his looted sword before he steps away into the Inn, looking for the Innkeeper.

[Xsesiv]

This inn is fairly busy, coming in, and lacks the enthusiastic greeting from the landlord because he is busily serving the mixed clientele of tradesmen, travelling mercenaries, coachmen, local peasants and another noble with his entourage. There is a lack of smoke in the air, this time. All the customers glug back pints of ale; the noble grimaces as he drinks it but the rest seem quite happy. A few have set up an impromptu casino in the corner, playing cards and dice for shillings. Serving girls weave through it all delivering food and ale.

[KreenWarrior]

Klara steps down off of the carriage and enters the inn. "Well, something hot to eat would be nice in any case."

[Wargor]

Otto sidles over to the Innkeeper, hailing him as soon as he is free. "Greetings! We just came in the last coach, and could all do with a room and some food. I should probably warn you as well, we were attacked by mutants on the road. You'd best warn your coachmen to up their guards."

[Xsesiv]

The landlord, a dim-looking, black-ponytailed man so short he can barely see over the counter and with brows so heavy his eyes are in permanent shadow, nods briefly and points at a few chairs around a heavy wooden table in the corner of the room. Gunnar strides to the bar, holding up Holtz, sits him on a stool, and shouts "Two ales, please, an' keep 'em comin'!" Nodding again, he begins to pull the ale.

Lady von Strudeldorf, sniffing with distaste, walks across the room to another pair of coachmen and says something; money changes hands and she comes back over to the bar. "As much as I have enjoyed your company, I leave you here," she says, sarcastically. "A private room for three, please, landlord." The landlord nods silently again and she heads upstairs, followed by her maid and bodyguard.

Philippe follows the landlord's pointing finger to the corner table but the student goes and sits on his own in the corner opposite the one the bartender indicated.

[-Sentinel-]

"As much as I have enjoyed your company, I leave you here," she says, sarcastically.

"Have a safe travel, m'lady," said Luca with equal sarcasm. "I hope our paths meet again."

He turned to the barman: "An ale and a meal, if you please. What have you got to eat?"

For the rest of the evening he'll hover quietly around Klara, as usual.

[Xsesiv]

Lady von Strudeldorf turns her nose up at Luca, revealing that she, or more likely her maid, plucks out all her nose hair. She stands there for a moment before turning and leaving the room. Before they go, her bodyguard gives Luca a very nasty look.

The barman nods again as Luca makes his order, pulls a pint of ale and points at the hearth, where a large cauldron of some questionable fare or other simmers. The customers, excepting the lanky noble and his entourage, who share a venison shoulder, eat bowls of some sort of unpleasant-looking broth. He hands over the ale and holds out his hand.

[BudgetDM]

"I'll have an ale and meal as well," says Dieter.

As he waits for his meal he scans the room for anyone looking like a witch hunter or Sigmarite zealot.

[Retro Gamer]

Taffy has been muted since the scuffle with the mutants. The scene at the bend in the road has disturbed him, and he has spent the rest of the day pondering whether it is a bad omen for the rest of his journey. He has remained well behind the coach, and has made no contact with anyone, save for the occasional soothing word for Donkey.

The arrival at the Seven Spokes has perked him up though, or rather it is the realisation that his empty stomach has the opportunity to be filled once again. He orders half the menu and a couple of ales, as well as the usual fresh straw for Donkey, and takes a seat with the others from the coach trip who have ordered food.

"Nasty business earlier," he says, the first time he has spoken to any of them since the attack. "Thanks for helping out, I'm not shy to a bit of a fight, but that was all too unpleasant for my liking. Give me a poacher, or even a zombie, anyday. Not natural, those mutants."

He lights his pipe and takes a few draws on it while waiting for his food.

[Wargor]

Otto walks over and takes a seat in one of the chairs the Innkeeper indicated. Stretching his arms he slumps down, trying to relax now they were out of the danger. "I'm sorry I couldn't help. I'm no fighter, I don't have the slightest clue how to help, I'd only have gotten in the way."

[Xsesiv]

"I'll have an ale and meal as well," says Dieter.

As he waits for his meal he scans the room for anyone looking like a witch hunter or Sigmarite zealot.

Nobody seems to look particularly violent against wizards. A couple are wearing hammer pendants but none are screaming about their sins and beating themselves with sticks. Dieter's nostrils fill briefly with the smell of hot iron, singed flesh and soot.


[Taffy] orders half the menu
Half a bowl of stew, then? :smallbiggrin:

After a minute or two serving the coachmen ales, they start singing their favourite song again and the landlord can break off and begin delivering the ales and stews to the table with a slight nod to the recipients. The stew seems to have some sort of meat in it and a few shrivelled vegetables. At about the same time the other customers begin to get inebriated and the room becomes louder.

[BudgetDM]

"Not natural, those mutants."

"I hate to be overly pedantic," lied Dieter "But isn't the very definition mutant 'Not natural' so wouldn't that be redundant?"

While he tries to make conversation, his mind is fixed the odd smells.

"Say, did anyone else smell anything burning just a second ago?"

[Retro Gamer]

"Burning?" asks Taffy, sniffing the air, momentarily distracted from his annoyance at Dieter's snobbish remark. "Can't be from the kitchen if stew's all that's doing."

Perception (38) to see if I can smell anything. [roll0]

[Xsesiv]

Nobody but dieter can smell anything. "Maybe it is ze stress of ze day, a trick of ze mind," says Philippe, not looking stressed himself at all. He sniffs deeply, which seems to irritate his nose, because he then picks it with his forefinger. "I smell nossing, for my part. Otto, mon ami. Shall we play anozzer round of cards?"

A few lean young men clamber onto a small raised platform, pull out a pipe, a fiddle, a lute and a drum and start playing a merry tune. The ones with the lute and drum sing the lyrics, which are fairly coarse. The noble glances over with distaste, but not throwing a tantrum like Lady von Strudeldorf would have done, he continues to eat his food. The atmosphere does become more friendly for the music, though.

[Retro Gamer]

Rather disgusted with the meagre fare on offer, Taffy finishes his stew, orders two more, and downs four more ales while listening to the music.

Once finished, though still a little hungry, he arranges a place in the common room, buys another ale, then approaches the student from the coach trip. "What ya reading?" he asks, clambering onto a seat without invitation. He leans over and looks at the book, though the swirls and squiggles mean nothing to him. "Seems like your nose is never out of that book. Must be a good one, eh?"

[Xsesiv]

The student jumps, knocking his own ale to the paved floor where the pottery mug shatters, and snaps the book shut. Then he sighs and turns the front of the book to face Taffy, looking at the Halfling with an calculating, ice-blue eye. The book's leather-bound cover has a picture burnt into it of a large pot of leeches with several embossed words above it. In his reedy voice, he explains: "Leeches and Their Curative Properties. It's not thrilling, I'll grant you, but I have a lot of studying to do. I'm going to study physic at Altdorf University, and I need to pass the entrance examination, so if you could leave me alone..."

[Wargor]

Nobody but dieter can smell anything. "Maybe it is ze stress of ze day, a trick of ze mind," says Philippe, not looking stressed himself at all. He sniffs deeply, which seems to irritate his nose, because he then picks it with his forefinger. "I smell nossing, for my part. Otto, mon ami. Shall we play anozzer round of cards?"


"Yes, why not!" He settles down and brings out his battered deck, tapping it twice before beginning to shuffle. "I must be onto a lucky streak now, let's see if it continues!" He deals the cards then studies his hand.

[BudgetDM]

"Ah," says Dieter nervousness growing, "I'm sure your right. Just nerves."

He hopes they're right and it's just nerves. And if it was just his magical senses, maybe there is or was another wizard here recently.


OOC
As soon as Dieter has finished his meal he will try and causally wander around the room and see if he can pick up the scent again.

[littlebottom]

Elis looks around the room for some reason she felt tired today, maybe she felt a little down about her shooting earlyer. it was a little disapointing.

Elis goes up to the seemingly mute keep, and asks how much a night in the common room is.

[Xsesiv]

"Yes, why not!" He settles down and brings out his battered deck, tapping it twice before beginning to shuffle. "I must be onto a lucky streak now, let's see if it continues!" He deals the cards then studies his hand.

Maybe Philippe's not as good at controlling his nerves as he appears. Anyway, he puts down his hand; far weaker than Otto's, in fact weaker than any of his others before, hands over the ten shillings and sighs. "Again?" he asks.


As soon as Dieter has finished his meal he will try and causally wander around the room and see if he can pick up the scent again.

It seems to have gone now. Maybe a piece of meat fell out of the stew into the fire. While there was a poker in it.

The peasants look up at Dieter somewhat quizzically as he circles the room, though.


Elis looks around the room for some reason she felt tired today, maybe she felt a little down about her shooting earlyer. it was a little disapointing.

Elis goes up to the seemingly mute keep, and asks how much a night in the common room is.

He raises five thick, scarred fingers, not looking at Elis as he pulls more pints for the coachmen who are steadily getting more and more drunk. They are currently arm-wrestling.

[Retro Gamer]

"Leeches eh? Ah yes, old Fatty - he's the local quack down our way - he's big on his leeches," slurs Taffy, the ale starting to work on him. "I'd sooner just spit on it and rub it with a dock leaf myself, but my old girl swears by him. Has him round for dinner sometimes and all!"

He mumbles a departing comment and clambers down from the seat, carrying his half-full tankard. The halfling heads back to where he had been sitting before and lights his pipe. "So what is it you're going to Altdorf for?" he asks Otto. "Or did you mention something 'bout Bogenhafen?"

[Wargor]

He mumbles a departing comment and clambers down from the seat, carrying his half-full tankard. The halfling heads back to where he had been sitting before and lights his pipe. "So what is it you're going to Altdorf for?" he asks Otto. "Or did you mention something 'bout Bogenhafen?"

"I was heading to Altdorf to look for work, but I have to stop off at Bogenhafen at some point on some family business. Hopefully I'll be able to get a coach that goes through it. And you? Why are you travelling to Altdorf?" Otto answers as he deals another hand for himself and Phillipe. "Would you like to be dealt in?" Otto asks Taffy.

[Retro Gamer]

"No thanks," replies Taffy, showing surprising restraint. "My purse is emptying faster than an inn with no ale. I'll just watch. Oh, and I'm off to join an expedition to the mountains, that's why I'm going to Altdorf. Exciting stuff, isn't it? Hope there's still room, but if not I'm sure I'll find something to keep me busy."

[Wargor]

"An expedition? I had heard of one, I thought I might look into it, way to make money you know? Hopefully if my family business goes to plan I won't have to." Otto smiles widely, the thought of avoiding danger plainly a relief.

[Retro Gamer]

"Umm, no offence," says Taffy, the ale loosening his tongue a little, "but seeing the way you, umm, dealt with those mutants, an expedition of that sort might not be your cup of tea. Seems like your, umm, skills, might be in something else."

He looks away quickly, as if he knows he has spoken out of turn but that it is too late to take it back.

[Xsesiv]

Philippe plays his hand and takes his stake from Otto. Then he yawns. "Well, zere's still a way to go to Altdorf, so I will leave for bed 'ere. I don't want to be unrested if zere are more Mutants. Otto. My friends."

Philippe retires to bed, alongside a few other travellers. Most of the peasants also leave to bed; when they open the door you can see it's now surprisingly dark outside. Gunnar and Holtz are now dancing to the music; Holtz in a very uncomfortable-looking way with the injury to his knee.

[Retro Gamer]

"Think I might hit the sack myself," yawns Taffy. He drains the remainder of his ale and heads off to the common room.

[-Sentinel-]

Luca, who had remained mostly quiet and watchful all evening and had not drunk a single drop of alcohol, was all for an early bedtime. Of course, he would not go to sleep until Klara did.

[Wargor]

"I think I'll turn in as well." Otto stands and makes his way to the common sleeping area, settling down for an uncomfortable but much needed nights rest. The halfling's words had struck true, the expedition was not something he would usually consider, especially now this opportunity had appeared. Let's hope I won't have to resort to it...

[Xsesiv]

Aubentag, 26th Jahrdrung, 2512

The next morning dawns cold and damp and you are rudely awakened by the silent barkeep who is clattering around clearing up the mess from last night. He is not being as quiet as he perhaps could be about it. Gunnar and Holtz have passed out on the bar-room floor; Gunnar lies in a pile of vomit, but exactly whose is not certain. The landlord calmly steps over them with a look of distaste and continues his cleaning. The peasants have all left and it is now just you, a few of the travelling tradesmen, and the student sleeping on the common-room floor. The nobles and their entourages come down the stairs, dressed for travel.

"Is there any breakfast, sir?" calls one of the tradesmen, and the barkeep shakes his head while mopping some spilt ale off the table onto the floor.

[Wargor]

Otto stumbles too his feet, rubbing his face and stretching to try and bring himself full into the world of the living. "What a rude man." He mutters, mostly to himself, before walking over to the sleeping pair. He gives Gunnar a slight nudge with his boot. "Wakey wakey you two!"

[Xsesiv]

Gunnar groans unhappily and rolls over so that he is now face-down and trussed up in his sick-smeared oilskin. Holtz looks up at Otto and firmly closes his eyes, then two seconds later grabs his knee. "Oh gods, what happened last night?" he moans, loudly. Too loudly, because he and Gunnar then clutch their heads in pain.

Lady von Strudeldorf sniffs at the sight, and leaves the inn in the company of her maid and bodyguard and two, more sober-looking, coachmen, one old and tall, the other short and young. Lady von Strudeldorf, who has a very nasty smirk on her face, gives the landlord a handful of silver as she goes. Her coachmen immediately set about readying the carriage.

[BudgetDM]

Lady von Strudeldorf sniffs at the sight, and leaves the inn in the company of her maid and bodyguard and two, more sober-looking, coachmen, one old and tall, the other short and young. Lady von Strudeldorf, who has a very nasty smirk on her face, gives the landlord a handful of silver as she goes. Her coachmen immediately set about readying the carriage.

Dieter watches Lady von Strudeldorf leave with the new coachmen and looks back to the sick-stained coachmen that they had hired.

I lead a charmed life, he thinks.