[WFRP] The Bloody Crown II

[LCP]

The Bloody Crown - Continued

In that dread desert, beneath the moon’s pale gaze, dead men walk.

They haunt the shifting dunes of the breathless, windless night, brandishing weapons of bronze in mocking challenge and bitter resentment of the life they no longer possess.

And sometimes, in ghastly dry voices, like the rustling of sun-baked reeds, they whisper the one word they remember from life. The name of the one who cursed them to their existence of more than death but less than life.

They whisper the name, Nagash.

OOC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309514)

Without the winter sun that had warmed them when they last travelled it, the road to Hartmut's Fall was cold and dreary. Baldred's wagons rattled and jolted at every rut in the road, and sporadic showers of light rain crossed their path from north to south.

The wagons were heavily laden. Leather, ceramics, iron tools and bales of wool; Baldred seemed to have a little of everything. The other wagon-driver was a Bretonnian from Alvarran named Pepin. He seemed to have a peasant mentality, taking his lead from Baldred and speaking little. The two guards were more interesting partners in conversation, though they saved their words for when they were not watching their surroundings. Named Sorin and Skender, Baldred explained they were tribesmen from the Raven Hills. With their bushy black hair and ragged furs, they seemed more like savages than honest men to Adelbert, Elsa and Viggo's northern sensibilities. When they talked to each other, they spoke in a peculiar dialect that sounded almost like Reikspiel, or sometimes Breton - however hard he listened, however, Adelbert could not understand them.

Nevertheless, the two brothers were quick to laugh and generous with the big hide-wrapped flask of spirits they carried between them. Sieghard couldn't tell what it was, except that it was strong. He hoped that what he'd heard about the hill tribes drinking human blood had been an exaggeration.

When the sun began to go in, Baldred took the carts off the south side of the road, where it ran close to the edge of the Black Karst. Sheltering in the lee of a broken limestone spire, Baldred and his followers produced two sturdy canvas tents from among their goods, and began to pitch them.

"We've got six guards instead of two," said Baldred, "so you'll be doubling up the watches. Skender, Sorin, you can take a watch with one of the new boys each." He looked across to Elsa. "There's three watches. Seems only right the lady should have first choice."

OOC: Unless you guys object, we'll keep the order of watch decided here for the whole trip.

Please feel free to also give me:
Any instructions about marching order
Any conversational questions you might want to pose to Baldred and his chums during the journey (with an accompanying Gossip check if appropriate).

Baldred is not planning to stop long at Hartmut's Fall tomorrow - just long enough to take on water. If you guys are happy for me to skip over that, please let me know - any purchases or other minutiae can be handled in the OOC thread and incorporated into the GM update if you wish.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"I can see pretty good in the dark. I'll take the second watch. Put me with whoever you like."

------

(At some point where Sieghard can talk to Ludo and Adelbert without Baldred, Pepin, Sorin or Skender overhearing)

Sieghard nudged Ludo.

"Give the scribe his share of what was in the box."

------

OOC:

Sieghard will march near, but not at the front of the caravan. Close enough to get a clear shot with his crossbow if there's danger and to get into close combat if needed, but not so close that he's forced into close combat before he can put his crossbow to use. He'll keep the crossbow ready and loaded and while they're in the Karst, he'll be watching the cliffs just as much as the road. He hasn't forgotten the rocks.

We could see about getting Elsa healed in Hartmut's fall if there's enough time. Sieghard will get a meal there and top off his waterskin, but otherwise has nothing noteworthy to do in Hartmut's Fall.

[roll0] vs 39 gossip test to see what Sorin and/or Skender will tell me about the Raven Hills.

Also, Sieghard will ask Baldred about their planned route and dangers he might be expecting that we should be ready for. Doesn't seem like the sort of thing a gossip test would be needed for, but If you disagree, feel free to roll it for me.

[-Sentinel-]

By the time they arrived, Elsabeth was a bit tipsy from overindulging in the strong drink offered by Sorin and Skender; she did have her own bottle of brandy, but it just seemed rude to refuse a gift. The other members of the caravan were somewhat rustic, but hardly unpleasant to be around. The pyromancer could only imagine what her parents would say if they knew what kind of company she kept nowadays.



"There's three watches. Seems only right the lady should have first choice."
Baldred's chivalry appeared to amuse Elsa. "Why, thanks. I'm not what you'd call an early bird, so I'll go on the first watch, if nobody minds."

She spent the early evening watching how her fellow travellers set up camp and trying to help them whenever she could; the skills might prove useful in the future.


Marching order: Elsa will stay near the back, as she doesn't like people looking at her from behind (a bit of healthy caution learned from being a young woman travelling alone).

Gossip 29 for generic questions about the Border Princes: [roll0] (If passed, Elsa will shell out 200 xp for Common Knowledge (Border Princes).)

[LeSwordfish]

"Oh, please." Ludo said cheerfully. "Us halflings can see in the dark, you know? That said, i'll take whatever watch is offered."

He hopped down from the first cart, where he had been riding despite the wagon-driver's looks. Short legs meant he had trouble keeping up with them on foot.

Timesplit
Ludo gave Sieghard a stern look, or one that was at least intended to be stern. "We gave the box back, remember?"


OOC
Ludo will, if possible, ride in one of the carts: whichever one will take him, with a preference on the front.

He'll have been talking to whoever will talk to him, but likely about entirely inconsequential things.

[RossN]

Viggo Hirtzel

"No not at all Herr Schreiber," he answered as he passed over the packs of dry rations and bloated waterskins, "I didn't know if you were hungry or not so I bought you a couple of pies just in case."

Handing over the four rolls of stiff paper to the scribe, he continued "I hope this is enough for you?" Viggo fished into his coat pocket and pulled out the owl pendant that he had found for Adelbert, giving it over to him the young lad examined the scribes face for possible signs of dissapointment. "The Owl is blessed of Verena isn't it Adel.. Herr Schreiber? Is it ok?"

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert smiled in thanks as he took possession of the material. "My thanks Herr Hirtzel, you have done well. The paper is better quality than I expected to find south of the Empire and the pendant is indeed the symbol of Verena, my patron."

Putting the pendant around his neck the scribe took place in the middle of the carravan. He looked startled at the mention of the stolen box but when Ludo reassured him he closed his mouth without saying anything (even if he looked less than happy about it.)

When the subject of watches came up he glanced at Elsa and almost said he'd join her on the first watch, but then thought how it might look and reluctantly said: "I'll take any watch, I er, don't mind."

OOC:
[roll0] Gossip Roll vs 36 for any useful information.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Timesplit

Sieghard gave Adelbert a funny look. He turned back to Ludo and lowered his voice.

"Trying to cheat him out of his share?"

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Despite his misgivings about leaving Alvarran so soon after arriving, Viggo had to admit that it felt good to be on the road again, and at least this time I'm traveling in safer company.

Viggo was fascinated by the savage brothers and although he didn't take them up on their offer of a drink, always keep off the strong stuff his mum had told him, he did engage them in conversation, telling them off colour jokes and doing his best to imitate their strange accents.

When the carts pulled off the road to set up camp Viggo pulled out his own small tent from his pack, doing the best he could to make some sense of the tangle of willow poles and rumpled canvas. Believing it the honourable thing to do he sheepishly approached Elsabeth and offered her the use of his meager accommodation. "Besides," he said trying to put a touch of bravado into his voice, "I like to sleep beneath the stars."

Viggo volunteered to take the middle watch, not that he did much 'watching' truth be told. He spent most of the night sat next to the fire, telling stories and playing his flute lightly so as not to wake up those who slept.

OOC

Marching Order: Viggo will for the most part walk besides Adelbert, occasionally drifting off to chat with the others. He hasn't quite got the idea that he's supposed to be looking out for trouble.

During the day he'll ask the brothers about their homeland and he'll try to pump Baldred for information about Last Water and the towns there etc.

Gossip: Brothers Savage: [38] +10% Mastery - [roll0]
Gossip: Baldred: [38] +10% Mastery - [roll1]

Since it's nearly end of day I'll use re-rolls just in case.
Brothers: [roll2]
Baldred: [roll3]

LCP

During the night Viggo will change into his common clothes (everything except his fancy boots and he'll keep his posh blue cap on too! :smallbiggrin:) he'll also wear his throwing axes in their harness's under his coat, buttoned up for now.

[LeSwordfish]

"I didn't realise he was getting a share. I thought that was my due as the... The theif." Ludo pulled the fourth share from his coin purse and gave it to Sieghard. "You can tell him that we kept it, though."

[-Sentinel-]

Viggo's offer brought a smirk to Elsa's lips. "If you like to sleep beneath the stars, by all means, go ahead. But I've got my own tent. I do appreciate the offer."

[LCP]

Baldred weighed up his volunteers. "Alright," he said. "Sorin, you take the first watch with the lady. Skender, you can take the last with our friend here." He indicated Adelbert. "Make sure they know what they're doing, eh? You two, middle watch's all yours." He nodded his head to Viggo and Sieghard.

The tents were pitched, and Baldred and his men made a small fire. As night fell in earnest, the jagged rocks to the south turned softly from solid stone into a wall of shadows and silhouettes, fading up into the darkened sky.

After they had eaten, Sieghard took the time to ask Baldred about the road ahead. The merchant didn't seem too reticent to share, and soon began sketching their route in the dust with a stick.

"This is Alvarran, see? And here's Hartmut's Fall. The karst road should be safe enough, if the soldiers there are doing their job. There's a few robbers lurking between the crags, but they stay away from large groups. Haven't been any proper bandit chiefs in this part of the karst since Alvarr first burned 'em out."

The twig scratched through the stony soil, tracing a path through what might generously be interpreted as an artist's impression of hills.

"Down through the Raven Hills, now, that's why we've got Sorin and Skender. Used to be that anyone passing through was fair game for the hill tribes. Since the duke made a friend of their Jarl, they've been a bit more discriminating... but it still pays to stay on their good side." He made a dot in the dirt and tapped it with his stick. "There's a village down in the eastern hills called Greasy Drop. Miserable little place, but safe enough - not claimed by anyone in particular. We'll stop there to resupply."

The stick continued its scritchy path. "After the hills, that's where the real danger lies. Turnpike Hollow, just here," - he made a little 'X' in the earth - "lies right on top of the road, down in a rocky defile at the edge of the Broken Crags. The villagers there are all thieves and robbers. They'll lie in wait up on the valley walls when they hear there's a wagon coming, with bows and slings." He nodded to Sieghard. "That's where you and your friends'll come in. They've got no stomach for a fair fight - if you're wise to their tricks, you can pass for a much fairer toll." He shook his head. "I'd go around if I could, but the ground there's too rough for my carts - and Turnpike's the last place to take on water before the Waste. Goblins up in the crags too... or that's what the Turnpike folk say."

Using the edge of the stick, he smeared a patch of dust flatter than before.

"Three days along the edge of the desert, if we make good time. More if we're unlucky. If the wind gets in the west, you get sandstorms blowing in off the Waste. Sometimes the dunes shift, too, try to lead you off the road. Wander too far into the Waste and you'll never come back." Spiking the stick down into the earth, he leaned back and smiled and looked across at Sieghard. "But hey - after that, we're there!"

When everyone was done eating, Sorin and Skender kicked out the embers of the fire. It made for a cold night ahead, but a little cold was preferable to drawing the attention of anything that might be lurking in the karst. For all the talk of how Alvarr had made his dukedom safer, it seemed the natives of the Border Princes had caution bred into their bones.

1

Aubentag, 9th Nachexen

The night had passed uneventfully. In the morning, they woke cold and stiff, bleary-eyed from their watches. Ludo was the only one who'd had a full night's sleep, and seemed infuriatingly well-rested.

Baldred wasted no time in getting their little convoy moving. Soon they were back on the road, rattling up the increasing gradient towards the snarled edge of the Black Karst to the west.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v700/LordChilipepa/Karst_3_zpsbfadf3c5.png (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/LordChilipepa/media/Karst_3_zpsbfadf3c5.png.html)

A little more confident in each others' company, the travellers soon fell into casual conversation. Baldred was riding on the second cart today, and Adelbert and Elsa hung back to talk to him. The caravan's master seemed companionable enough, but Elsa seemed determined to find as many new ways to put her foot firmly in her mouth as she could. Perhaps she couldn't hear it, but every question she asked about the Reaches seemed to come out as some kind of indirect slight by comparison to Altdorf. Adelbert spent a lot of time trying to rephrase her questions more tactfully, but Elsa seemed oblivious and Baldred thick-skinned enough not to care; the scribe's heroic efforts went unappreciated.

Viggo and Sieghard, meanwhile, found themselves more at home in the company of Baldred's two guards. Sorin and Skender seemed to have taken a liking to the young minstrel in his brightly-coloured clothes - in Sieghard's opinion they seemed likely to adopt him as a mascot if he clowned about for them any more than he already was.

When Viggo asked them about the Raven Hills, they were only too happy to tell him - albeit in their own peculiarly distorted Reikspiel. Viggo heard the story of the hill tribes, who had lived in the Raven Hills ever since Morr himself had granted them the land in the dawn of ages (or, as Sieghard had heard it, ever since they had raped and murdered the original inhabitants). He heard the great deeds (or as Sieghard had heard it, violent sheep theft) of their various petty clans, until the strange family names began to run into one another in his head. Most interestingly, he heard about Jarl Rorik Wolf-Risen, the ruler of the Raven Hills.

"Jarl Rorik is northman, yes? Like you, Viggo!" Sorin clapped Viggo on the back. "Rorik and his seven bloodsworn, from the lands across the frozen sea. He killed the Cattle King and claimed the Throne of Morr."

The Cattle King it seemed had been the hill folk's ruler before Jarl Rorik came - a weak man upon whose memory Sorin and Skender spat with equal enthusiasm. When Viggo asked what the Throne of Morr was, they seemed to feel it was self-explanatory. The only further detail he got was that it was what gave Morr's Seat its name. That was the first Sieghard had heard of it, either, but by then the hill men seemed to be enjoying the air of mystery they had created. They insisted that their pet minstrel would have to come to Morr's Seat to see it with his own eyes, so he could write new songs to sing of Rorik's hall.

It was getting late in the day by the time they came to Hartmut's Fall. For Ludo, Viggo and Elsa, it was the first time they had seen the fortress. It was certainly impressive, its ruinous towers jutting up out of the karst like the broken teeth of some stone giant. Huge wounds gaped in its walls where old trebuchet shots had broken them open, weeds and wiry little trees growing up over the long-settled rubble.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v700/LordChilipepa/Hartmuts_Fall_zps289783a4.png~original (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/LordChilipepa/media/Hartmuts_Fall_zps289783a4.png.html)

A crow-picked skeleton hung shackled to a wooden post outside the gates, just where Sieghard and Adelbert had seen him last. A wooden placard hung around his neck, with the word


THEYF

daubed on it in bold, crude letters.

By contrast to the fortress' imposing exterior, the village inside the walls was squalid and cramped. Everywhere they turned, Alvarr's soldiers were in evidence, and their presence made the back of Elsa's neck itch - she still remembered her treatment at the hands of Arnaulf and Fauchard.

Fortunately, Baldred didn't plan on lingering long. He traded two casks of salted pork with the fort's quartermaster, acquiring a handful of coins and two tuns of clean water drawn up from the castle's deep well in return. When they had refilled their water skins too, the traders were soon on their way again.

By the time night fell, they had left the jagged spires of the Black Karst behind - something for which Adelbert, remembering his narrow brush with bouldery death on the road from Elmridge, was intensely grateful. Ahead of them, the dry, rocky shoulders of the Raven Hills sloped away into the distance.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v700/LordChilipepa/RavenHills_zps6ba85bba.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/LordChilipepa/media/RavenHills_zps6ba85bba.jpg.html)

"We make camp here," said Baldred, when they reached a hollow between two ridges. "Same watches as last night. Keep your eyes peeled, now."

Pitching the tents once again, they settled in for another cold night.

1

Marktag, 10th Nachexen

Making another early start, it was still well past noon on the third day of their journey when the party reached the village of Greasy Drop. It came upon them suddenly: cresting one of the many rises in the winding switchback road that led through the hills, the village appeared nestling in a tiny valley.

There seemed to be precious little down there. Viggo could see the white flecks of sheep grazing on the far hillside, and the boundaries of a few rough fields - further out, and far more numerous, were the faded outlines of others that had been abandoned and overgrown by weeds. The villagers' houses were made of wattle and daub, and half seemed empty, with roofs caved in or walls slumped inwards. No violence seemed to have been visited on them. The whole village just seemed to be in an advanced state of decay.

The road passed through it, though, and Baldred brought the carts to a stop in the middle of the muddy square that served as the village's centre. A few malnourished-looking peasants gathered round to gawp at the newcomers. Elsa thought they had an unpleasantly hungry look.

"Sorin, Skender, you watch the goods," said Baldred, clambering down from his seat. "I'm off to find whoever's calling himself village elder these days." He looked at Adelbert and the others. "Come along if you like, or go exploring if you don't. If one of you wants to stay and help the lads, I wouldn't take it amiss."

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert had to admit he was intrigued at meeting some of the locals and volunteered to accompany Baldred.

"A scholar needs more than just water to quench his thirst." He said and laughed. When no one else did he sighed. "It sounds better in the original Classical..."

[TheSummoner]

[Accidently edited this post. Whoops!]

[-Sentinel-]

All too glad to stretch her legs, Elsa slid down the wagon. She had thought Elmridge was backwards and miserable, but that was before she had seen this excuse for a settlement. Why would anyone choose to build a home here? What could there possibly be in this place that could not be found elsewhere? Then again, in a lawless region like the Border Princes, perhaps the worthlessness of this place was in fact an advantage; nobody would bother raiding or conquering it.

Since leaving Alvarran, the pyromancer had found she was now enjoying the company of her fellow travellers, crude and rustic as some of them may be. It was the kind of life she might never have experienced had she not been forced out of the Empire. Even Sorin and Skender were not unpleasant company, and Elsa appreciated the former's decent attitude towards her (this far at least) during their night watches together.

Elsa headed towards one of the peasants who had gathered around to watch the caravan's arrival as if it were the most exciting to happen here in months.

"You there, speak Riekspiel?" Elsa asked one lazily, tossing him a copper coin with a flick of the thumb. "Where do you people usually go when you get hurt?"

If Fellowship 34 helps: [roll0]

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo hopped down from the cart and began following the others into town. Stoutheart, who had been curled up on a sack, yapping at pidgeons for most of the journey, followed him.

"Does anyone see a well, or a pump? I should keep my waterskin full."

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Viggo found the tales that Sorin and Skender told him fascinating. If it weren't for the fact that his new companions seemed hell bent on heading further south he'd be tempted to go seek out this Throne of Morr.

Greasy Drop seemed entirely deserving of the name as far as Viggo was concerned, but he was no highborn who looked down his nose at all those who were short of a coin or two.


"If one of you wants to stay and help the lads, I wouldn't take it amiss."

Viggo indicated that he would stay with the carts, there was after all a ready made crowd forming. They probably don't have two brass pennies to rub together but they sure look like they could do with some laughter.

Since Ludo was off to fill his waterskin Viggo asked if the Halfling would oblige by filling his up too. Addressing the huddle of peasants before him he then launched into a jolly little tale about a Lordling who made a pact with a witch and ended up turned into an Ass for his troubles.

OOC

Storyteller: FEL [38] +10% Mimic - [roll0]
Re-roll - [roll1]

[LCP]

The village was built in a rough crescent around a dark pool of water that lay in the cleft between the hills that sheltered it. Taking the waterskins, Ludo trotted off in its direction.

The pool was about two hundred feet across at its broadest extent. Fed by a piss-trickle of a stream that carved an overgrown path down the hillside, its banks were a tangle of moss and shrubs - except on the side that faced the village, where they had been trodden into a bare expanse of sucking mud. The water was still, dark and murky. Two sheep fixed their idiot stares on Ludo from the opposite bank as he came to the water's edge, jaws still moving while they chewed on the tough sedge grass they had been pulling up.

Back in the square, the peasant who had caught Elsa's coin turned it over with dull-eyed interest, examining the strange designs. Though it wasn't gold, he bit it. Perhaps he thought it might be edible. When it turned out to be copper, he put it in his pocket and walked idly away, without a word to Elsa.

Viggo, however, seemed to have the villagers' attention. "Crowd" wasn't exactly the word for the audience he attracted - but Viggo doubted this village could muster a crowd even if every soul in it turned out to listen. Too many of its hovels stood empty, doors and windows gaping like toothless mouths where they had been stripped of usable materials. Weeds were reclaiming the thatch of the abandoned homes, and their walls were crumbling and discoloured.

Nevertheless, villagers stopped to listen to his story. They were a thin, glum-faced people, but he thought he saw a few chuckles. There were more than a few children among his audience, mostly without adults accompanying them . They seemed to appreciate the tale more than their elders.

When Viggo was done, his listeners moved on, without even an attempt at the paltry shower of coppers he had become accustomed to in Alvarran. Only a couple of the children remained. A small boy with a snotty nose approached and held up a withered apple as an offering.

"Can you tell another, please?"


~

Baldred, Adelbert and Sieghard found the villagers' leader in a low, long house close to the edge of the pool. A couple of women were scraping hides in a yard in front of it, ringed by a tumbledown drystone wall. They looked at the strangers with unwelcoming eyes.

Inside the air was thick with smoke from a firepit in the centre of the floor. Adelbert tried not to cough and failed; his watering eyes could not see far through the fog of woodsmoke, and he could smell it leaching into his clothes.

A gaunt figure was seated cross-legged by the fireside. A man in a plain black woollen robe, it was difficult to gauge his exact age. His pointed beard reached down to his belt, a lustrous black shot through with streaks of grey. His face was lined and bony, but when he opened his eyes they seemed sharp and clear. A mane of greying hair swept back from his high forehead, reaching almost down to his shoulders. Most of all, though, Sieghard noticed the iron sickle at his belt. A tool, not a weapon, but it looked to have a wicked edge to it all the same.

"Good day, friend," said Baldred, coughing.

"Are you?" asked the bearded man. His voice was a sonorous baritone - it reminded Adelbert of Vengist's, but with a softer, subtler edge. Baldred looked confused.

"Sorry?"

"Are you our friend?" The man turned his head to look Baldred in the eye. "It seems to me we have not met before."

"The last time I was here, I spoke with a man named Lafoux," said Baldred. "Are he and his men still here?"

The bearded man shook his head. "He's gone," he said. "They're all gone."

"Where did they go?"

The man shrugged his bony shoulders. "They were wicked men. They were bad for this village." He turned back to his fire. "They moved on."

Clearing his throat, Baldred started again.

"My name is Baldred, and these are my men. We're headed to Last Water, and we'd be much indebted to you for your hospitality." He paused, only to be greeted by an uncomfortable silence. "I have many things to trade."

"Is that so?" asked the man. There was a pause, then he slowly unfolded himself from his seat on the floor. Standing at his full height, he towered over Sieghard. "Well then," he said, "welcome."

"My name is Armin," he said. "I speak for these people now. We may not have much, but we do at least have space to keep you if you wish to stay the night." He gave the slightest of nods towards the door. "Let us speak in the open air."

Stepping outside, the four of them headed back towards the carts. Sieghard noticed that the villagers seemed to take notice of Armin as he passed, acting with an air of extreme deference.

"Things are looking better than last time I was here," said Baldred, trying to make conversation. "No more sick?"

"The gods have spared us further cruelty for now," said Armin, and that seemed to be an end to it. "Let us see what you have to trade."

As they reached the carts, Viggo's audience was just beginning to disperse. The four of them watched as the little boy offered the minstrel his apple, and Viggo became uncomfortably aware of the tall, bearded stranger watching him from the edge of the square.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel



"Can you tell another, please?"

Feeling unusually self-conscious under the gaze of the gaunt, stern faced elderly gentleman, Viggo knelt down beside the young waif. "Here now lad, you keep that," he spoke gently and tousled the boys hair, "Of course I can tell some more!"

Keeping a wary eye on the grim looking newcomer Viggo motioned for the other children to gather around him a little further away from the cart, "Now then you little mites, which one of you can point the hoity toity Lady over there in the direction of a healer?" He pointed over at Elsa and whispered conspiratorially, "I bet she'll even give you a penny for telling her."

Once he was sure he had their attention Viggo began telling a story he'd loved as a child. A fairy-tale involving a brave Prince who defeated a fearsome cave troll and won the hand of a fair maiden.

OOC


Healer Gossip: [38] +10 mastery -
Storyteller: [38] +10 mime - [roll1]
Re-roll Storyteller: [roll]1d100 ooops! Re-rolled in OOC

[LCP]

One of the children giggled at Viggo's theatrical whisper when he asked where to find a healer for Elsa. The giggling soon died away, however, as they noticed Armin at the edge of the square. The boy pointed mutely in the greybeard's direction, and the two of them ran off without another word.

Approaching ahead of Baldred and the others, Armin seemed to look straight through Viggo, Elsa and the brothers from the Raven Hills, examining instead the contents of the carts. Turning back to Baldred, he said:

"We have no gold to give you. The people here lead simple lives."

Baldred shrugged. "Happy to trade in kind. Got salt mutton, dried fruits and grain, if that interests you."

"Our flocks have recovered. The fruits and grain we will take."

Baldred smiled. "That's if you can meet my price, old man."

The two began to haggle, though Armin seemed to have little taste for it. They finally settled on the promise of hides and wool in exchange for the foodstuffs, in addition to a handful of jewellery and old clothes that Baldred insisted on examining later. Viggo didn't like the tall man's statement that the last items' owners "no longer had need of them".

"You will eat with us tonight," said Armin, though his sombre face seemed far from a picture of hospitality. "Tomorrow, you will be on your way."

It seemed much more a statement of fact than a suggestion.

OOC: Just to clarify - Viggo can refund himself the fortune point he spent on the unused Storytelling test.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa handed the little boy two pennies for being more helpful than the cretin she had first addressed, and eyed the bearded man warily. The villagers did not look too threatening, but she would not be letting her guard down; they might just be desperate enough to try to steal from them.

I'll continue once I know what the others, Baldred especially, have to say about the "invitation".

[LCP]

"That's very kind of you," said Baldred, the soul of diplomacy. "We thank you for your hospitality."

He nodded to his other followers. "Pepin, get the carts out of these peoples' way. Sorin, Skender, you go along with him, make sure everything's secured. You too, Herr Scholar," he said, motioning to Adelbert. "Help 'em count out the goods we need for our friend Armin here."

Setting to the work they had been given, Pepin and the two brothers began to move the carts out of the village centre.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa walked over to Armin and made a perfunctory bow. "...Herr Armin? I was told you had some knowledge of the art of healing. I'm of course willing to compensate any service you have to offer."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard went to help Pepin and the brothers with the carts.

"Baldred mentioned something about this place being in better shape than last time he passed through. Any of you with him then? Kinda hard to imagine things even more run down."

[LCP]

Having moved the carts out of the way, Pepin clambered down from his seat and began unharnessing the mules. Glancing sideways at Sieghard's question, he made a vague gesture in the direction of the empty houses.

"There was plague here," he said. He had a strong Bretonnian accent, and his Reikspiel was limited. "Year ago, two year. Killed many men, many animals. Before, duke and Jarl both wanted this place.." He grunted as he lifted the yoke off two of the mules. "Now no-one wants it."

Shifting a bundle of tackle onto the back of the cart, he pointed across the road. Sieghard wasn't sure what he was pointing at, until he noticed the raised mound of earth, only a few feet above ground level. Downhill from the village, the grass and bracken that grew over it were noticeably younger than the surrounding plant-life. A little cairn of lichen-spotted stones had been raised over the centre.

"See that?" he said. "That is their grave, for all the dead."


~

Armin beetled his black eyebrows at Elsa's question. "Do you take me for a shopkeeper?" he asked, but if he was annoyed, his annoyance didn't linger long. "You have the accent of a child of the Empire. Where are you from? What is your name?"

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa straightened. "Elsabeth Holt, of Altdorf. You may call me Elsa." She omitted the whole House of Holt thing, as she was fairly sure prestigious titles or names did not carry much weight in a place like this.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Moving off with the others as they moved the carts, Viggo listened as Pepin explained the grim situation to Sieghard. He found himself nervously wiping the hand that had tousled the young boys hair against his coat.

As a child he'd witnessed what sort of damage plague could do to a town. The Show had once passed through village after village where the only folk left living were to ill or too deep in mourning to come watch, that's if the village had anybody left in it at all.

"Plague you say? It won't still be catching will it?" Viggo kept his voice down he didn't want to upset their hosts.

[LCP]

"Elsabeth Holt, of Altdorf. You may call me Elsa."

"The great city," said Armin. He didn't sound like he approved. "A pool of degeneracy and corruption."

He looked Elsa over. "How are you hurt?"


~


"Plague you say? It won't still be catching will it?"

"Let's hope not," Pepin grinned. It was the first time Viggo had seen the little Bretonnian smile. It was unnerving.

"Ignore him," said Sorin. "We all came through here with master Baldred four months ago." He thumped his chest and grinned through his tangled beard. "Do we look unwell to you?"

"Rhengi's dead," quibbled Skender.

"That was a crossbow," said Sorin, "not the sickness."

"Still counts."

The two brothers set to bickering with the same energetic good humour they approached everything else with.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa let out a brief snicker. She could not deny there was plenty of degeneracy and corruption going on in Altdorf. It would be an awfully boring city otherwise.

She pulled up the sleeve of her left arm to show Armin the bandages. "Let's both pretend it was a wood-chopping accident, shall we?" she said wryly. "It just needs some better care. The last healer did a horrible job."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard paled slightly at the mention of plague. He let his eyes linger on the grave for a while, as though he expected to see tiny plague demons swarming across the mound. Sorin's words reassured him slightly, but not nearly enough.

"Sooner we've moved on the better."

[LCP]

She pulled up the sleeve of her left arm to show Armin the bandages. "Let's both pretend it was a wood-chopping accident, shall we?" she said wryly. "It just needs some better care. The last healer did a horrible job."

Drawing an alarmingly sharp knife from inside one of his voluminous sleeves, Armin cut away the bandages. The wound Jager had dealt her was still very much in evidence underneath, dark and crusty with scabs.

"A sword-wound," he said, his face showing clearly his distaste for Elsa's manner. "Yet here you stand." There were unanswered questions in his voice, but he seemed to feel it beneath him to ask them.

"I can heal these wounds. The question is, what will you give the people of this village in return?"

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa grew serious and pursed her lips. "How's a gold crown's worth of food from our caravan?"

[LeSwordfish]

Returning with filled waterskins, Ludo began to help unloading the cart.

[LCP]

Elsa grew serious and pursed her lips. "How's a gold crown's worth of food from our caravan?"

Baldred whacked Elsa lightly in her uninjured arm. "Oi," he said, "you pay your own way." He held out his hand for the coin. Armin only smiled a tight-lipped smile.

"Of course," he said. "And when we have been sufficiently shortchanged, your master here will refund you the difference, is that it?" He shook his head. "Alvarran is not so far. We will take the coin ourselves. Two of your gold crowns."

[-Sentinel-]

"Oi, you pay your own way."

Elsa arched an eyebrow in mild puzzlement. "Well, obviously. We're hardly a charity."

"Alvarran is not so far," said Armin. "We will take the coin ourselves. Two of your gold crowns."

Elsa gave him a flat look. Two crowns? That was forty days' worth of caravan guarding duty, with no guarantee that the man was any more competent than Madam Morte.

"No deal. It'll heal by itself at no charge."

[LCP]

Armin seemed unconcerned. "That is your decision."

Taking Baldred to one side, he headed over to the carts to oversee the promised exchange of goods.

OOC: Anyone got anything they want to do in the village, or shall I skip to the big meal?

[LCP]

The travellers spent the rest of the day in relative leisure. Baldred's mules needed feeding, but Pepin would not let anyone else see to that. For Elsa and Adelbert, still not entirely used to the rigours of the road, it was a welcome opportunity to rest their aching feet. For Sieghard, however, the high hills that flanked the village in its hollow made the back of his neck itch. He was all too aware on how easily an attacker from the west could encircle their position here, while giving little or no warning to the villagers below.

"Yes," said Sorin, when Sieghard mentioned it in passing. "it is so. People here are cowards, no?" He looked around to make sure they were not being overheard. "They are not the blood of the hills. That is why they shelter down here in their hole. They are afraid to feel the cut of the wind on their face."

"They have sentries," said Skender, shrugging. His mind seemed to be on something else, and his eyes kept straying back to the mound on the edge of the village. "I never like this place. They should have burned their dead. That is the old way."

On this both Sorin and Skender agreed, and fairly soon they were drinking to 'the old way' from their seemingly bottomless flask of spirits.

It was only when night began to fall that the village seemed to come alive for the first time. Torches were lit around Armin's paltry longhall, and the villagers gathered at the lakeside to gather the goods that Baldred had brought them. Ludo didn't like the way that some of them looked at the merchant's carts. If the peasants decided they wanted it all, there wasn't much that seven men, one woman and a halfling could do to stop them, even if they were better-fed and better-armed. There were at least sixty of them, perhaps as many as eighty. They were a thin and wan-looking lot, although Sieghard thought a few of the younger women looked comely enough by the standards of the Reaches. There were more children than one might have expected, too, and many seemed to roam at will with no adults to herd them one way or the other.

Armin stood on the edge of the water, the torchlight glimmering in his eyes as he oversaw the distribution of the food. Behind him, the surface of the pool was as still and black as an obsidian mirror. When the last of the food had been taken away, he raised his arms, and a reverent silence fell.

"Our guests have brought us the bounty of the land beyond the rocks," he boomed, his voice carrying well. The cleft in which the village sat gave his oratory a certain echoing quality. "Let us honour them with our hospitality, and give thanks to He from whom these blessings flow."

"Praise Ahalt," chorused the villagers, their murmuring voices rising in one great swell. "Give thanks to Ahalt."

"Bring forward the sacrifice."

Two of the villagers brought forward a confused and struggling lamb. Gripping the pinioned animal by the head, Armin extended its neck out over the black water. Drawing his iron sickle, he drew the curved blade across its throat with one swift, sure motion.

The black-robed priest held the lamb in place until its convulsive twitching had passed, and the last drop of its blood had fallen into the lake. His arms bloody to the elbow, he held up the dripping sickle to the crowd.

"Ahalt," he cried, his voice raw and impassioned. "We offer you this poor creature's life. Look kindly on our feasting tonight, and know that we thank you for your gifts. Let our fields be fertile and our beasts multiply, so that we may hold more feasts in your name."

"In your honour," mumbled the villagers.

"Look kindly upon our guests, and let the false gods lead them not astray."

"Deliver us," the villagers replied.

That seemed to conclude the ceremony. The lamb's carcass was carted away, and tables were laid out. The night was cold, but the walls of the valley kept out the wind and soon a large fire was burning in the centre of a ring of crude tables. The lamb was soon being roasted on a spit; apart from that, there seemed precious little meat at this 'feast'. Black bread and thin gruel seemed the order of the day.

Seats had been set aside for Baldred and his followers at Armin's table. Soon the priest reappeared, having washed his hands and changed his robe; the new one was indistinguishable from the old, except that it was clean of blood. The model of a gracious host, he motioned for them to sit.

The lion's share of the lamb was served to them, leaving the more unappetising parts for the other tables. Already a large iron pot was bubbling on the fire, ready to boil up the bones. Armin ate neatly and sparingly. In the flickering light of the fire, it was difficult to see in the man's gaunt face the same bloodthirsty fervour that had gripped him during the sacrifice.

OOC: If you have questions/topics of conversation you want to raise during the feast, feel free to list them in order so as to help process the scene more quickly.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert had watched the feast with a mixture of curiousty and disgust. The scholar in him was endlessly fascinated by the customs of this remote folk and their presumably ancient customs. He longed to quiz Armin about their strange ceremonies, their language their histories - he doubted very much that this was a literate people and he could be the first to document them properly. Perhaps... just perhaps there was a link with the fabled Varrogoths here?

Meanwhile the civilised man in him couldn't help but recall that lamb and shudder. He ate very little at the 'feast'.

OOC:
Adelbert is trying to recall if he has ever come across the name 'Ahalt' in his studies.

Academic Knowledge (History) (target 46): [roll0]

Whether he fails or not he is going to try and get a word in private with Baldred to see what he knows about these ceremonies.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard couldn't help but smirk when Armin mentioned false gods. Every village had its own idols and beliefs. He wasn't the most religious man, but Sieghard knew the true gods from the false.

At the feast, Sieghard too ate sparingly. The butchered lamb hadn't bothered him, but he couldn't shake the thoughts of plague from his mind.

I'm also curious about Ahalt. Sieghard wants to know what Baldred, Pepin, or the brothers know about the god and if Ahalt was worshipped here last time they were here or if Armin brought Ahalt when he came.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert managed to find a few moments to speak quietly with Baldred:

"These... religious ceremonies. Are you familiar with them at all? Have the villagers long practiced such rites?"

The scribe tried to keep his tones quiet yet calm, unwilling to show any of the unease he was feeling. For all he knew this was common practice across the Reaches and harmless enough (save for lambs.)

[LCP]

Baldred shook his head at Adelbert. "First I've seen of it," he said, in a hushed voice. "Last time we were here, Lafoux was the man in charge. Just some brute of a bandit looking for a place the duke's men wouldn't find him." He shot a sidelong glance at their host. "I'd give one of my teeth to know what this Armin fellow really did with him..."

Overhearing, Sieghard put the same question to Pepin and the brothers. The brothers professed ignorance, and shook their heads with superstitious mutters. "These hills belong to Morr," Sorin said. "No Ahalt."

Pepin seemed less judgemental - or perhaps just less willing to talk. "Armin must have brought them a new god" he said with a shrug, gnawing the last scraps of meat off a rib. "You heard him at the waterside. A god of feasts. Tell me these people wouldn't fall over themselves to worship a god like that."

The villagers around the fire certainly looked hungry enough. Eating his lamb, Sieghard found the taste rather rank. The animal's terror had soured the meat.

[LeSwordfish]

Despite the terror in the meat and the sacrifice that he'd seen earlier, Ludo ate well. Where did everyone else think meat came from? You couldn't shear it off a sheep like wool.

"When did you arrive here?" Ludo asked Armin politely. "Did everyone take to Ahalt easily?"

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Viggo couldn't help but be uncomfortable after seeing the sacrifice, he'd never been one for the Gods and the fact that this Ahalt seemed to thrive off of dead goats made little sense to him. Who is this Ahalt anyways?

Viggo picked at his food in uncharacteristic silence, he'd already been uneasy about Armin and the sacrifice had only deepened that sense of unease. He listened as Adelbert and Baldred quietly discussed their grim faced host.

As soon as was politely possible Viggo excused himself from the table and went off in search of some of the groups of children he'd seen earlier. Youngsters tended to be more open than adults and might be a more appreciative audience.

OOC

If Viggo can talk to any of the groups of children he'll ask the following questions (not sure if you'll need a gossip test?) He'll do some coin tricks and play the flute to them a bit if he thinks that his questions are upsetting them too much.

Where are all their parents? What do they think of Armin? How did Armin save them? How long has the plague been gone? General questions about Ahalt, what sort of God is he etc? Have there been many other travelers passing through?

[RossN]

Adelberd Schreiber

Adelberd looked very uncomfortable but nodded. "I see... well I suggest we all keep our wits about us and be prepared to leave as soon as possible."

He slipped a hand beneath his shirt to touch the Verenan pendant he wore around his neck - he decided that with no dishonour intended to his patron goddess it might not be wise to display such a symbol in the open. Nodding to Baldred he turned to see if he could find one of the less forbiding looking locals to talk to - not Armin himself but perhaps one of the village women.

[LCP]

For an authority figure, Armin didn't seem to think talking to a Halfling was beneath him. He answered Ludo's questions between morsels of food, chewing and swallowing before he spoke.

“I arrived here in the autumn,” he said. “Their harvest was failing, and they were in the thrall of wicked men. I made sacrifices to Ahalt, and their fortune was restored.” He gestured to the ring of tables. “Half the people you see here might not have survived the winter were it not for His blessing. Now few of them doubt His power.”

Viggo, meanwhile, was making himself useful by entertaining the village children. The villagers seemed to appreciate the effort, and he got his fair share of smiles. The children were less clannish than their elders, and he managed to slip a few questions into his routine to satiate his curiosity.

It seemed many of the children had no parents – they had lost them to the plague. Most of the orphans could point to an 'aunt' or 'uncle' who was nominally in charge, but for the most part they seemed to be running free. On the subject of Armin, they were less forthcoming. It was clear they found the bearded priest an intimidating figure.

“He brought the sheep back when we were starving,” said one little girl. “It's magic. He's got a magic sickle.”

“Gods isn't magic,” said a boy, a little older. “Ahalt brought the sheep back. Armin just... did the asking.”

“And what kind of god is Ahalt?” asked Viggo, in his kindliest voice.

The children looked at each other. There was something they weren't saying.

“...He's hungry,” said the boy, not sounding so grown-up and authoritative any more. “Always hungry. Armin says that's why he understands us.”

There was a sort of mutter of agreement, and the children would say no more. Viggo could tell he was making them uncomfortable, so changed tack.

“Have there been many travellers passing through here lately?”

The little girl shook her head.

“Just you.” From her tone, it was clear she saw Viggo as something of a fascinating novelty. “The hill men used to come, but Armin stopped them taking our sheep. Now they don't come any more.”

Adelbert, meanwhile, was looking for someone a little older to speak to. The villagers seemed to stick close to each other, and it was not trivial to find someone who looked like they might answer his questions without others to back them up or shut them down. After a while, he found a woman who was standing alone quite far from the fire, keeping an eye on a gaggle of children far too numerous to be hers.

She could have been anything from thirty to forty. She was short, and so lean Adelbert could almost see the bones through her skin. When she noticed him, she seemed suspicious of his attention, but not afraid.

“Can I help you, sir?” she asked. She spoke with a lilting, guttural accent that matched no dialect of the Empire Adelbert knew.

OOC: If you can furnish me with a Gossip check (or Charm, if you'd prefer that approach) for Adelbert and a list of questions, that'd be grand.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

"Perhaps you can." Adelbert said to woman, smiling slightly. "I am Adelbert Schreiber, a scribe by trade and if you would care too I would like to ask you some questions about your village. I seek knowlege where I can find it."

He looked at her thin frame and winced involuntarily. "I... I can bring you some food if you will let me, before I go. Life here must be very hard. Has it always been so? Why are there so many children and so few adults here?"

He lowered his voice ever so slightly. "Could you tell me a little of Ahalt and Armin's coming?"

OOC:
No Charm skill. :smallfrown:

Gossip it will have to be: [roll0]

Fortune Point re-roll (if needed) [roll1]

[LCP]

The woman looked mildly amused by Adelbert's offer. "Food? What, are you going to take it off someone else's plate?" She laughed and shook her head. "Armin won't like that. Best you don't, Adelbert Schrieber."

"My name's Adva. I'll answer your questions if you'll tell me a little about where you come from. We don't get many people coming through our village."

She answered his questions in good humour.


"Has it always been so? Why are there so many children and so few adults here?"

"Life was never easy," Adva said. "There are hill tribes to the west and the desert to the south. Things don't grow here as easily as they do in the sheltered lands. But things were never this bad until the plague came."

She looked up into Adelbert's face. "That was more than a year ago now. You've seen the empty houses, no? The sickness took many lives, more than half the village. It dried people out from the inside. Most of them went blind before the end." Her eyes became somewhat distant. "It killed our livestock too. Only the children avoided the worst of it. That is why there are so many of them. They are orphans."

Snapping back to reality, she gave a sour little laugh. "The warlords were always squabbling over us before then. Now they leave us in peace. Small blessings, no?"


"Could you tell me a little of Ahalt and Armin's coming?"

Adva seemed to become a little more reticent. "Armin came from the north," she said. "We were beaten and starving, and he drove the bandits out and restored our flocks. The hill people say Morr is the king of the gods, but he never did anything for us when the sickness came. Ahalt feeds us. That makes him better than most."

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert blushed and stammered: "I assure you Frau Adva I would only offer what food I gave from my own; I wouldn't ask anyone else to go hungry."


He looked sympathetic and thoughtful as she continued her story, looking sadly at the children when she mentioned they were orphans. He smiled at her weakly, echoing: "Small blessings yes."

As she finished her tale the scribe was thoughtful a long moment before smiling at her. "Thank you Frau Adva... I know it must not be easy to trust strangers. You must be very strong to survive in such a place as this."

He hesitated a moment before adding: "I was not lying about my food. I have some dry rations... it is not much but perhaps we could share a meal?"

[LCP]

"If you're offering, I won't say no."

She gave Adelbert a nudge in the ribs with a bony elbow.

"You promised me you'd tell me something about where you come from. I want to hear about somewhere that's not here."

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa ate hungrily, unbothered by this place's rustic customs; living in the big city, one learned to be open-minded. Nonetheless, she distrusted Armin as she distrusted all priests - in the Empire at least, there were checks on the power of religious authorities, but here, Armin's power seemed nearly absolute. Elsa did not speak much, but walked here and there and listened closely, and her unease grew; the talk suggested that Armin was quite a bit more serious than those street preachers who sought to impress gullible passersby with their "miraculous" feats of sleight-of-hand or generic predictions. Following Adelbert's advice, she resolved not to drink too much in order to keep her wits sharp for the duration of their stay.

On an impulse, the pyromancer reached out with her mind and tried to poke the Winds around Armin - the aethyric equivalent of tossing a pebble in a pond - just to see if his expression would change at the disturbance. She risked exposing herself, of course, but it was not as if she usually tried to hide her nature.

Channelling 38 + Aethyric Attunement = 48.
[roll0]

She frowned; the Winds felt unusually slippery tonight (Is that some kind of mixed metaphor? Oh, who cares?), and she did not think she had accomplished much.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert blinked and chuckled ruefully. "I guess I did at that."

He looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking, his eyes taking on a distant quality. "I'm from Grenzstadt a town in Averland in the Empire. It's a fortress town, but a living trading town too - you could fit everyone in this village into the market square without anyone noticing. We have a lot of Dwarfs down from the mountains. I can still remember the rythm of their voices, like the groaning of river boats, rich and heavy. I never did learn their language but then few men do."

He sighed the memories flooding back. "I miss the sounds of my home, the patter of the traders, the braying of the mules and pack horses, the hymns of the iniates from the Sigmarite seminary on Kronpritz Friedrich Street. And the colours too... not like here... the red tiles of the rooftops, the distant gold of the grainfields from the town walls..."

He paused embarassed. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to carry on so...."

[LCP]

"It sounds like a wonderful place," said Adva. "What made you leave it for here?"

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert had to think about for a moment. He smiled ruefully. "As I said I'm seeking knowledge... I guess you could say I'll know what I'm looking for if I find it."

He paused and smiled, adding. "I'd be grateful to hear any stories of your own people if you want to tell me."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard put aside what was left of his meal. He had lost his what little appetite he had left. He took one last, long drink and made his way over to Armin.

"A good speech earlier. And a good sacrifice too."

He found a seat.

"Would you tell me more of Ahalt? I've not heard that name spoken north of the Karst."

[LCP]

"I'd be grateful to hear any stories of your own people if you want to tell me."

"We don't have many stories," said Adva. "Besides, you promised me a meal too."

Back at the fireside, Armin's head turned as Sieghard addressed him. Sieghard could see that Baldred was just a little uneasy with his new guards' persistent inquisitiveness.


"Would you tell me more of Ahalt? I've not heard that name spoken north of the Karst."

"Ahalt was a god of the green lands to the north," said Armin. "Of the River Sol, and the rich hunt and the harvest. But the followers of the false gods drove him out." His voice hardened and his face changed. "Now all know the name of the pretenders Taal and Rhya, and we few keep the name of Ahalt alive."

He took a sip from his cup.

"I travelled far before I came to this place. When I arrived here I knew my lord had sent me for a purpose." He shook his head. "Few are willing to heed the word of Ahalt in these decadent times."

[RossN]

"We don't have many stories," said Adva. "Besides, you promised me a meal too."

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert chuckled and smiled. "That I did."

He glanced around, wondering if the two of them could find an opportunity to slip away from the scrunity of the feast tables. Offering the woman his hand he drew her away someplace more private.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel


“The hill men used to come, but Armin stopped them taking our sheep. Now they don't come any more.”

"My goodness that does sound like an exciting story!" Viggo grinned broadly at the young girl and kept his voice upbeat. "How about we swap a story for a story eh? You tell me the story of how Armin managed to scare off all those savage hill men with just his magic sickle and I'll tell you the one about the Princess who turned everybody she kissed into stone. Deal?"

[LCP]

There were plenty of places for Adelbert to draw Adva aside. Apart from the pool of light around the fire, the rest of the village was dark and quiet.

Viggo, meanwhile, still had the children's attention.


"You tell me the story of how Armin managed to scare off all those savage hill men with just his magic sickle and I'll tell you the one about the Princess who turned everybody she kissed into stone. Deal?"

"It wasn't just his sickle," said the little girl, in the loud voice of a child gleefully correcting an adult. "He got all the men together. Before they just used to hide when the raiders came."

The boy who had spoken before nodded. Before he could add anything, though, the girl was tugging at Viggo's sleeve.

"You have to tell us your story now."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard


"Few are willing to heed the word of Ahalt in these decadent times."

Seeing the conditions around them, Sieghard didn't find that surprising.

"Oh? What did you find when you arrived?"

[LCP]

"A village ravaged by plague," said Armin, taking another sip. "Ruled by those strong enough to oppress the weakened people they found here, and bound for starvation and death. Ahalt took mercy upon them, and in exchange they pledged themselves to Him."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Ruled by the wicked men you mentioned to Baldred? From what you say, the village is better rid of them."

[LCP]

"It is."

That, to Armin, seemed to be all he needed to say.

"And you, stranger? Where do you come from?" He looked at Sieghard a little more closely. "You speak the Reikspiel, but you don't sound like a man of the Empire."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"A village not unlike this one. Though it was war that ravaged it, not plague. Wouldn't be surprised if I had a bit of imperial in me. People here are more mixed than they like to admit."

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert drew the local woman aside, taking her hand in his own as he sought a spot to give them some privacy. From his backpack he drew some rations; bread and dried meat. Dividing it in two he offered half to Adva.

"I'm sorry I know it is not much." He admitted, smiling apologetically.

[LCP]

"It's fine," said Adva. From the way she wolfed it down, she certainly seemed to think so. She sat in silence for a long time, happily chewing.

Back by the fireside, Armin only nodded to Sieghard's reply. He seemed to be a man of few words - when he wasn't sacrificing lambs, that was.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

It didn't seem like Sieghard was going to learn much, though maybe that was for the better. The village was a bit backwards but from what he saw of it, their ways seemed harmless.

He made his way back to his original seat. He wanted another drink.

[LCP]

Adelbert and Adva sat by the lakeside for a while, as the great fire burned lower behind them. She asked him where he had come from, and where he was going. When he told her, she didn't seem happy.

"You should not take the desert road," she said, finishing the last of the food Adelbert had given her. "The Pale Waste is a cursed place."

A little questioning confirmed she was not talking about the robbers of Turnpike. "The stories are as old as the hills," she said, although she remained mysterious on what the stories were exactly. "We all saw the comet. It landed somewhere out there." She gave a little shiver, looking down into the black water. Her mordant sense of humour seemed to have deserted her. "Evil calls to evil, that's what my mother used to say."

Seeing Adelbert look disconcerted, she got to her feet. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't say these things. Old wives' tales." She laughed, but her heart wasn't in it this time. "Thank you for the food."

Giving Adelbert a peck on the cheek, she slipped away into the darkness.


~

The night wore on, and the feast wound up. Tables and benches were stowed away, the ashes of the fire were smothered and buried. Armin offered them the use of his hall, and Baldred graciously accepted.

To Elsa, sleeping on hard earth and stale rushes still seemed like an indignity. To Sieghard, the inside of the longhall seemed luxuriously warm. Armin did not return for some time until after they had all bedded down - it was only Ludo, sleepily opening one eye in the middle of the night, who saw the black-robed priest slip silently back inside.

1

Elsa Only

Elsa's sleep was troubled, and not just by the hard floor. As soon as she drifted off, strange dreams began to bubble and broil.

She saw the village, still and silent beneath two full moons. She was viewing it from above, as if on the wings of a bird. Alighting on the roof of an abandoned cottage, she saw a black-robed figure kneeling by the waterside. Armin was washing his hands, rubbing them over and under each other with the utmost thoroughness. However hard he scrubbed, the skin beneath remained blood-red.

A chill wind rustled through the valley, and made Armin turn his head. Though she could not see her body, Elsa felt the cold bite to her bones. Around her, the colour seemed to leach out of the village, until the only thing that was not painted in shades of grey and white was the baleful orb of Morrslieb high above.

Through the intense silence, she heard a sound coming from the south. At first she thought it sounded like the quiet creaking of timbers, like the great riverboats in the Altdorf docks. It became faster and more rhythmic, rising from a rustling like dry reeds to a steady tramp, tramp, tramp of marching feet.

The wind whinnied between the rooftops, and when she looked back Armin had simply faded away. The shrubs by the waterside were withered and dead, and the houses that had still been occupied were empty and cold. As she watched, they crumpled in on themselves and blew away on the wind, ageing a thousand years or more in the space of minutes. Fissured bones lay where the flocks of sheep had grazed, and the grass died away into a cracked waste of baked mud and dust, and the black pool drained away as if drunk by a thirsty giant. At the bottom of the dusty bowl where it had been, human bones gleamed yellow in the drying mire, and still the beat of marching feet grew closer.

A shadow passed between her and the moons, and the shriek of some fell bird rent the night. Sitting bolt upright, she woke in a cold sweat.

1

Backertag, 11th Nachexen

They woke early, Baldred and Pepin shaking those of them who would not wake of their own accord. Birds were calling outside, and once again Armin was nowhere to be seen.

Outside, Pepin soon had the mules harnessed once again. It was at that point that Armin reappeared, strolling towards them as if it were the middle of the day and he had been awake for hours.

"Making an early start, friend Baldred?"

"We've got a long way to go," said the merchant in reply. "Thank you for your hospitality, kind sir. We'll remember it when next we come this way."

Armin inclined his head in a bow. "And the village thanks you for your generosity in trade. You will be welcome to come this way again."

An awkward silence fell. It seemed neither of them had anything more to say.

OOC: Any other business before you're all ready to leave town?

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert seemed thoughtful and quiet in the morning, clearly mentally digesting the events of the previous night.

When it seemed no one was paying attention he slipped away for a few minutes to find a private spot to take his morning prayers. It seemed inadvisable to praising any other daying than Ahalt the Drinker in public.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard followed behind Adelbert. He had been waiting for an opportunity to talk to him since Hartmut's Fall, and this was a good a chance as any. He kept back and let Adelbert finish his prayers uninterrupted and then approached.

"Put your hand out."

He dropped a number of coins into Adelbert's hand (3 gc, 2s, 6p)

"Halfling didn't want you knowing, but I wasn't gonna let him keep your share."

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert looked seriously displeased at having been followed, and his expression grew more grim at the reason.

"I see... so the money box was not returned after all." It was not a question.

The scribe looked down at his hand and sighed, then back up at Sieghard. "I'll join you and the others shortly."

He turned and walked back towards the village.

OOC (LCP only)
Adelbert is looking to find Adva, either in person or her home. He'd prefer not to ask but is willing to do so if he has no luck.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard


Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert looked seriously displeased at having been followed, and his expression grew more grim at the reason.

"I see... so the money box was not returned after all." It was not a question.

Sieghard shrugged.

"Can't speak for what happened to the box itself, but taking it back wouldn'tve done any good. Try to take it inside and one of us'd end up in a dungeon or losing a hand. Leave it outside and chances are someone else would find it. Better to just pocket the gold and forget it ever happened."


The scribe looked down at his hand and sighed, then back up at Sieghard. "I'll join you and the others shortly."

"Just don't take too long. I doubt Baldred wants to wait any longer than he has to."

[-Sentinel-]

A night's sleep did not seem to have done Elsa much good. There were dark circle under her eyes, her face was pallid and she answered everything said to her with grunting monosyllabics. That was hardly out of the ordinary, however; she never was a morning person, even the increasingly rare times she awoke without a hangover.

"Hey Sorin, mind if I have a quick gulp of that booze of yours? Thanks," was about the longest sentence she uttered as they prepared to take their leave.

She saw Adelbert and Sieghard break off from the group, but was too tired to care about them. Instead she gave the village and Armin one last glance. She would not be unhappy to be on her way.

LCP only
Magical Sense 48 - I want a look at Armin, particularly his hands. [roll0] :smallsigh:

[LeSwordfish]

Shaking the dozing Stoutheart awake, Ludo stretched and stood. "I'll go refill the water. I'm used to eating on the move."

LCP Only (We ARE all being covert today, aren't we)
Ludo headed through the village, looking for somewhere someone would find something hidden. He pulled his money bag out and emptied the coins into his palm. The two gold coins and handful of silver he'd carried for a while, he returned to his pocket, while his share of the money from Madam Morte- three gold, two silver, six pfennigs- went into the bag, along with a note written on a scrap of his parchment.

To the village, from a friend.

He dithered over where to place the bag, before wandering over to the firepit and wedging it between two stones on the outside. It hopefully wouldn't be noticed until the time came to relight the fire, by which time they'd be long gone.

That made him feel much better.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Viggo awoke abruptly, startled by Pepin's hand on his shoulder. With sleep filled, bleary eyes he looked about the village, Elsabeth in particular looked very much the worse for wear. Probably too much grog again. Viggo had noticed that the odd Lady seemed to appreciate a drop or two. Adopting a light and breezy tone he addressed the bleak looking Elsa, "Ahh but it's a fine morning wouldn't you agree Lady Elsabeth?" Taking exaggerated lungfuls of air he continued, "Perfect for a day on the road I'd say!"

He fussed about with his pack making sure it was comfortable for the days walk and ensuring that his waterskin hadn't suddenly sprung a leak overnight.

[LCP]

Adelbert

The hovels of Greasy Drop were strange to Adelbert in the morning light. More than that, the village was small enough that it was hard for him to search without being plainly visible to the others waiting with the carts.

Behind him, a glassless window opened with a clack of bleached wooden shutters. A familiar face leaned out.

“You look lost, Herr Schrieber,” said Adva.

1

Before leaving, Baldred took an inventory of their goods. The unspoken reason was clear enough – he didn't trust their hosts not to have filched something in the night. As such, they waited until Armin had left to begin, making an industrious show of busying themselves with the animals in the meantime.

Elsa Only

To Elsa's eyes, Armin's hands looked the same as ever. She thought she could smell the hot tang of the red wind clinging to the priest's robes, but she couldn't be sure – after all, it clung fairly strongly to her.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert smiled tiredly. "Perhaps I am."

He sighed and open his palm, showing the money Sieghard had given him. "Not all that much but I think you could do better with it than I could... and I wouldn't feel right keeping it."

[LCP]

Adelbert

Adva looked at the money with an uncertain expression.

“Generous man, aren't you, Herr Schrieber?” she asked. “What's brought this on?”

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert smiled ruefully.

"As I said I wouldn't feel good keeping it; to be honest I wanted to thank you for the advice last night. I've not found all that many friendly faces in the Reaches and I'm glad I met one here." He looked thought for a moment before continuing.

"Also I'm not honestly sure I'll be coming back, given how dangerous things are and I'd like at least *one* person to remember I passed by this way."

For a long moment he was very quiet before adding. "Adva... if things start getting very bad here I want you to travel north to Elmridge. I have a friend there, a Father Jurgen Hechsler the village priest. Tell him I sent you."

He came closer and offered his hand again. "Take the money please."

[LCP]

Adelbert
Adva looked disconcerted by Adelbert's talk of abandoning the village, but laughed when he begged her not to refuse the money.

“Well, I won't say no,” she said, taking the coins offered. “Take care of yourself on the road, Herr Schrieber.”

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

"I will Adva." Adelbert replied, a smile tugging at his own lips at how quickly she took the money.

He held her hand softly a moment before letting go. "Take care too Adva."

Then he turned and made his way back to the caravan.

[LCP]

It wasn't long before Adelbert returned. Soon enough they were underway, leaving the village and its valley behind them. A few malnourished children gathered to watch them leave.

Despite the recent rains, the high road was dry and dusty. As they wound their way south, the vegetation became more sparse and brown. The mules' hooves clinked against the stony ground, and a trail of dust rose in the air behind the carts.

They stopped twice, to rest and catch a bite to eat. A raven followed them a little way, circling overhead to see if they would leave anything edible by the wayside. When they failed to do so, it flew off. It was the first living thing they had seen since leaving the village.

Adelbert thought the incline of the road was beginning to work downwards again by the time the sun began to sink in the west. He was not sure of the reason, but the sunset up in the hills seemed far more spectacular than it had been in Alvarran. The whole of the western horizon was lit up in deep red and gold, as if someone had set fire to the sky.

It was against this glorious backdrop that the silhouette of the watchtower hove into view. Lashed together from logs, it was crude and dilapidated, leaning to one side where its old supports had buckled. Scrub had grown up over its foundations, and its roof had almost finished rotting away. Nevertheless, when they came into sight, they heard the wail of a horn from its wooden parapet.

“That is not right,” said Sorin, frowning. “No-one has manned the watchtowers for years.”

“Looks like they are now,” said Baldred, with a degree of urgency in his voice. He looked round at Sieghard and the others. “We're about to have company. Get off the road and find a good position.”

To their left, a scree-strewn slope led up to a pair of jagged crags, a few tumbled boulders along the way offering a little cover. To the right, an old drainage ditch beside the road was clogged with weeds and brush; not much protection from an arrow, but a good position for an ambush. If attackers were coming from the watchtower, they would be coming from the right.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert did not immediately rush to the boulders but instead started fiddling with his pack, drawing out a mail shirt which he donned as swiftly as possible.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard got behind a nearby boulder. Seeing that Adelbert hadn't done the same, he gave the scribe a curious look. His curiosity only grew when he saw the armor.

He turned his attention back to the watchtower. There were more important things to worry about than the scribe suddenly deciding he wanted to be a warrior.

[LeSwordfish]

"Oh, good grief."

The heat of the day had been luring Ludo into a cheerful torpor, but the cry of the horn woke him like a cold bath. He dithered for a moment- the carts, the boulders?- before stooping to grab as many stones as he could. Smooth, round, heavy but not too heavy- riverbeds were best for them but he'd have to make do. A handful of stones taken, he pulled his sling from his belt with the other and threw himself at the weeds and the ditch.

OOC: Concealment test [roll0] vs 49

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa was drowsing on a wagon, trying to catch up on some of the precious sleep she did not get last night, when she was woken by the horn from the watchtower. When Baldred started barking orders, she could not help but grin; after days of monotonous travel, it seemed like they were finally getting some much-needed excitement.

"Hah. Took long enough!"

She straightened her wide-brimmed hat, grabbed her quarterstaff and followed Sieghard behind the boulders.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Viggo's draw dropped a little as everybody about him started dashing off in different directions at the sound of the horn.

Moving closer to Adelbert Viggo caught his breath as he realised the man was donning a mail shirt, his mouth suddenly dried up and his heart started thumping.

"What do we do Adelbert, what do we do?!" There was no mistaking the note of fear in his voice.

[LeSwordfish]

"Hide!" hissed Ludo's voice from under a bush.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

"... and pray." Adelbert said, giving the minstrel a rueful smile.

As he finished donning his armer he pointed out the bolulders. "We'll run for them."

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel


"Hide!"


"We'll run for them."

Viggo span on the spot in confusion for a few moments, before scrambling up slope as fast as he could desperately searching for a sizable chunk of rock to hide behind.

[LCP]

Sorin and Skender stayed on the road, forming up around the carts while the others took cover up the slope. Though Adelbert's mail shirt was made of fine links, it was still damnably heavy – he had barely finished struggling into it when he heard voices coming nearer.

They came into view from behind a thicket of gorse, on Ludo's side of the road. There were eight of them, and they did not bother to conceal their approach. Seven of them were dark, hairy men with tangled beards and odd scraps of armour. Their resemblance to Sorin and Skender was immediately apparent, but if anything they looked even wilder. Some had raven feathers and bone beads braided into their hair, and all seemed heavily armed.

The eighth was quite different. Armoured in mail, she carried a broad round shield, painted red and daubed with three strokes like the mark of some animal's claws. In her right hand she carried a sturdy spear, about as tall as she was. A fur-lined cloak was fastened around her shoulders with a golden brooch of intricate workmanship, and a lyre was slung over her back. It was clear from her face that she was not of a kind with the men who followed her: her eyes were blue, her skin fair, her hair pale gold.

Elsa Only

From her vantage point behind the boulder, Elsa could immediately sense the woman was more different from the others than she seemed. A musty smell accompanied, like the fur of a wet dog; when she looked up in Elsa's direction, her blue eyes seemed to flash yellow like a wolf's.

“Halt,” the woman called, although the carts had already come to a stop. “Who passes through Jarl Rorik's lands?”

“These lands don't belong to your Jarl, woman,” Baldred called back. “Any more than they belong to the duke in Alvarran. This is the open road.”

“Jarl Rorik rules the people of the hills,” she replied. “All their lands are his to claim.”

Her accent was unmistakeably Norscan. Elsa had heard voices like it, in the quayside taverns of Altdorf. In the years before her self-imposed exile, they had grown less and less common, as the people grew fearful and vengeful by turns. Stories had been filtering down from Nordland about bloody raids across the Sea of Claws, and the grisly idols the raiders had made from the bodies of their victims. Nine in ten of the northmen's tribes were said to have raised their banners for Archaon. She still remembered the first days of the Spring Driving, when a rabble of patriots had dragged a Norscan pitfighter out of his bed and strung him by his entrails from the gibbet in the Konigsplatz, in retribution for similar atrocities that were rumoured to have been visited on some coastal village the week before. She had read the next day that the man had lived in Altdorf since he was six.

Baldred had opened his mouth to reply, but Skender pushed forwards to speak.

“Why does the Jarl send Kelda Wave-Born out to the watchtowers?” he demanded. “There is nothing out here. No beasts, no crop.” He spat on the ground. “This land is good for no-one.”

She seemed surprised to see hill-folk on Baldred's side, but grinned in reply. Though her face was fair, Adelbert couldn't help but notice how sharp her canine teeth looked.

“Your shaman wants the towers manned again, to watch the desert” she said. “You know how Rorik listens to him. So here I am, hunting for ghosts and jackals.”

She pointed to the carts with her spear. “You will tell us where you are going, and we will search your carts. If your story pleases me I will let you go. Killing you here would not make for much of a song.” She sniffed. “And tell the little man in the ditch that I can smell him from here.”

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo clambered out of the ditch and let his sling hang loosely in his hand.

"She could probably smell the dog, not me." he said to nobody in particular, dusting himself down.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard emerged from the rocks. He kept his crossbow lowered, but easily visible.

He glanced over to Baldred. He didn't care for being stopped, especially by people who didn't even control the road they were on, but it was up to Baldred whether they would cooperate or resist.

As far as Sieghard can tell, how are they armed?

[LCP]

Kelda laughed.

“You travel in strange company, no? A halfling and two of Rorik's own.” She looked at Sorin and Skender. “What are you doing with these lowlander skraels, eh?”

Sorin shrugged, and jabbed a casual thumb in Baldred's direction. “He pays us.”

Kelda gave an equinanimous nod. “That is fair enough.” She looked up at Sieghard, and raised her voice so it would carry clearly across the road. “If you're going to shoot, shoot. I don't like having crossbows pointed at me, boulder man.”

He noted that her shield arm tensed a little as she spoke. That shield was certainly broad and thick enough to catch a bolt, but he had a good angle; she would have to be preternaturally fast to get it between them in time if he were to pull the trigger now.

Baldred gave Sieghard a warning look. It was clear he didn't want bloodshed. “My name is – is Baldred. I am travelling to Last Water with goods to sell.” He paused. “If I let you search my wagons, how do I know you won't rob me?”

Kelda laughed again. “You don't! You are just going to have to trust me, eh?” She came forwards, but the rest of her men stayed where they were. “Relax, is-Baldred. Why would we kill you? We have so little company out here as it is.”

Some of the tribesmen laughed. Approaching the carts, Kelda slapped Skender heartily on the back.

“The Jarl's pet priest doesn't care about traders for Sermena. We search your carts, we let you go. Rest here 'til morning with us!” Her teeth flashed white in the pre-dusk dimness. “Best not to be travelling these hills at night.”

OOC: The tribesmen are armed mainly with iron spears and war axes. Their armour is a mixture of fur, leather and chainmail.

Results of Ludo's knowledge check:
Rorik Wolf-Risen came to the Raven Hills with a band of seven other Norscans, who now serve as his most trusted lieutenants. This Kelda is presumably one of them.
The hill-folk are seen by the rest of the Reaches as backwards savages. They have a long-standing enmity with the people of the Shepherd's Valley, whom they periodically raid, but the Waste provides a very effective barrier between them and Last Water, meaning they were never a concern for Ludo growing up.
Many of the Reaches' most idiosyncratic local customs and superstitions either stem from or are kept by the hill people. They have a strange religion which reveres Morr as king of the gods, and while the lowlanders make occasional offerings to the local god Nahorek, the hill folk are said to revile him as a daemon. Their priests have been heard to claim that they are the 'guardians of the Reaches', but coming from a people whose main activity is raiding their neighbours, these pretensions are generally treated with contempt by the people of the other princedoms.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

As he saw Sieghard leave his hiding place Viggo fought the urge to stay hunched behind his rock, taking deep breaths he rose and followed Sieghard. This is madness! he berated himself as he skidded down the slope.

He made sure that he stayed close to the mercenary, observing the Hill Men and their leader from over the stocky fellows shoulder.

OOC

Viggo will take especial interest in Kelda's appearance / accent and her Lyre (not sure if tests are necessary?)

Kelda - Common Knowledge (Empire) Int [31] - [roll0]
Lyre - Musician Fel [38] - [roll1]

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa warily stood in the open. The odds were not good, even with surprise - which they did not have. But unless someone did something colossally stupid, it did not seem like they would be having a fight after all. Despite her earlier eagerness for some action, Elsa was hardly disappointed, as things were going to be interesting in any case.

The pyromancer watched the other woman, Kelda, with open fascination - her casual authority, her swagger, her confidence, her casual disregard for diplomacy, the way she wore that armor as if born in it. She walked and talked like she owned the place, and nothing seemed to escape her senses. For her to be commanding these savage-looking men, she must be quite formidable herself. And there was that strange, wild aura around her... She was, in fact, exactly the sort of person Elsa had always strived to be.

Despite her distrust for Norscans, Elsa decided she liked this one.

"Leave it, Sieghard," she sighed, her eyes never leaving Kelda.

She walked back to the rest of the caravan to see Kelda up close, trying to look confident but not threatening.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert had had difficulty puttting on his armour and only now rose to join the conversation. He held his hands aloft to show he has no weapons drawn.

"Herr Baldred speaks the truth Fraulein, we are merely passing through on our way to trade in the south. We certainly wish no trouble."

[LCP]

Baldred said nothing, but indicated his agreement with Adelbert. Kelda examined Adelbert's face with a curious expression.

“Empire man, yah?” she asked. “Interesting.” She didn't seem about to explain why.

Turning to her men, she motioned for them to come forward. Baldred dismounted from the driver's seat, and the tribesmen began to unload the carts, talking among themselves in their own coarse dialect as they did. Sorin and Skender would occasionally intervene with a shout to make sure they treated the goods carefully.

Stoutheart, meanwhile, had finally managed to scrabble up out of the ditch after his master. As soon as he laid eyes on Kelda, the little dog stopped in his tracks. Hackles raised, he slunk behind Ludo's legs, teeth bared in a low, persistent growl. Kelda ignored him, her nose held high. Instead she focused on what was being unloaded from the carts.

For the most part, the tribesmen seemed uninterested in Baldred's goods – that at least spoke to them not being robbers. They broke a pot, however, and when they found a cask of ale they lifted it over their heads with a cheer.

“That's my ale,” said Baldred, stepping in. “I paid good coin for that in Alvarran.”

“Here,” said Kelda, unfastening her brooch. She put it in Baldred's hand. “My men are thirsty. Share it with us.”

Adelbert could see the brooch was a fine piece of craftsmanship, with interwoven bands of gold worked into a complex knot. In the centre of the design was an angular wolf's head, with reddish-brown garnets for its eyes.

“Come, it will be dark soon. Let's get your carts off this road,” she said, once the last of the merchandise had been unpacked. She shouted for her men to load them back up. Ludo noticed the mules shied away from her as she passed.

“Empire man,” she said to Adelbert. “Walk with me. I want to hear how a civilised man came to the Raven Hills.” Some of the tribesmen laughed – Adelbert was pretty sure she was mocking him. She looked around at the others. “Are any of these your Empire friends?”

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert's cheeks flushed red but he walked over to join Kelda. As she gestured at the others he glanced at them and shrugged: "I met all of them of in the Reaches, Fraulein. Yes I am from the Empire but I came here for reasons of my own."

He looked at her closely and tried not let slip just how intimidating she looked. "So Kelda Wave-Born is it? I am Adelbert Schreiber of Averland. We are far from the Empire but further yet from Norsca... I will tell you my story if I could hear a little of yours."

[-Sentinel-]

Not wanting to be ignored by the most interesting person she had met in quite a while, Elsa chimed in eagerly: "I'm from Altdorf, ma'am. Name's Elsabeth Holt, Bright College apprentice."

Her tiredness had evaporated by now.

[LCP]

Kelda looked at Elsa with sudden curiosity. "Two Empire?" she said. "What is... Bright College?"

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert glared at Elsa. If the wizardress ending up getting them all killed he'd personally see to it she never heard the end of it.

Somehow.

[-Sentinel-]

Did the people here have strong feelings about magic? Norscans were known to use Chaos sorcery, so Elsa hoped she was safe of accusations of witchcraft.

"The Bright Order's one of the Colleges of Magic, ma'am. The one where they teach fire magic, mostly for warfare."

[LCP]

At this, the tribesmen with Kelda broke into a violent hubbub. While they might prefer not to speak Reikspiel, they clearly understood it well enough.

"We ought to take her to the Jarl," said one of them. "Before Sforza steals her!"
"No!" said another. "She is the one Wadim warned us of. Two from the north lands, as he foretold!"

"It looks like your little caravan isn't so everyday after all, Herr Baldred," said Kelda with a lazy smile. Baldred himself was looking something between furious and irate, but said nothing, his lips tightly compressed. "Are you sure you're headed to Last Water?" She stepped closer, tilting her head at the trader. "No special business in the desert?"

She looked across to Elsa. "Fru Holt, how would you like to see Morr's Seat?"

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

"The desert means nothing to us Fraulein." Adelbert inerjected.

"Frankly I would not have come this route by choice but since we are I'd prefer to keep moving, as I'm sure would we all."

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa's eyebrows shot up as the reason for Kelda's interest in Empire people became clear. Had their arrival truly been foreseen? She knew that most fortune tellers were charlatans with deliberately vague predictions, but surely the Celestial Order were not the only people in the world who were the real deal.

"Fru Holt, how would you like to see Morr's Seat?"

Elsa was very interested now, and not very good at concealing it, try as she might. "Hmm. I do have a commitment right now, as you can see," she said, more in an attempt to get Kelda to tell her more (and appear at least a tiny bit professional in front of her current employer) than out of genuine reluctance. She was well aware, in any case, that the caravan would go wherever the hell Kelda and her men wanted it to go.

[LCP]

"Maybe I'm not giving you a choice," said Kelda. Elsa couldn't tell if she was joking or not. "The Jarl sends me to watch the road, and I let a real live wizard slip through his fingers? What will he say to that, hey?"

Her manner was jokey, but there seemed to be an edge of real danger lurking beneath the whole situation. Baldred bristled.

"Fraulein Holt is a member of my caravan," he said, "on my pay. You can't take her anywhere."

"Can't?" Kelda made a face of mock fear. "Can't is a strong word, Herr Baldred."

The silence lingered for a few seconds.

"Come!" said Kelda, turning away from the road. Stoutheart whined and snapped. "Come, eat. We can talk with food in our bellies."

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Throughout the whole unloading process Viggo kept to himself, never straying far from Sieghard. Despite his blossoming friendship with Sorin and Skender, he worried that these hill men may prove to be less than amiable.

Just as Viggo was starting to feel a bit more at ease, Elsabeth decided to speak up in that high born Altdorf manner of hers. From their reaction, the hill men seemed less than pleased to discover another member of their party hailed from the Empire. Best keep my mouth shut for now, he thought, Don't want to be giving them a third reason to get excited!

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

"Thank you but we are not hungry Fraulein." Adelbert said stiffly, his eyes growing hard and his tone harder. "As I said we do not intend to remain in these parts long."

He turned and looked to Baldred for confirmation.

[LCP]

Baldred nodded firmly. "I think we'd best be moving on," he said. "We can still get a few miles in before the light goes."

Kelda turned around and stepped back into the road. "And refuse our hospitality? Don't you want to see the glories of our hall?" She gestured to the ramshackle watchtower, which drew a few sniggers from her men.

"There are goblins in the crags, Herr Baldred. These hills are no place to camp alone after dark."

"Be that as it may," said Baldred, "we've many miles to go, and we came prepared. I think we'll be on our way."

He stepped back towards the carts, and found his way blocked by Kelda's spear.

"I really don't think you will," she said, and now the last of her flippant manner had drained away. "Wadim sent us here to watch for two men from northern lands, and that is what you have," she said, looking at Elsa, "even if one of them is a woman."

Sorin and Skender were reaching for their weapons. So were Kelda's men.

"Stay here, drink your ale with us," she said, "and prove you are not this jackal-god's servants, and maybe I will let you go." She gave Adelbert another mocking look. "It would be a pity to get blood all over those fine and delicate clothes, yah?"

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert blushed again, to his own annoyance. Walking forward he purposefully positioned himself in between Baldred and Kelda's spear. The scribe reached down his shirt front and pulled out his owl pendant.

"Is this proof enough for you Fraulein? Even in Norsca they must know whose emblem this is... and She is no jackal."

[LCP]

Kelda shrugged. "A man can have more than one god. Your southron gods are all the same to me."

The hill-folk didn't seem so sure, and were murmuring among themselves. It was clear, however, that none of them were about to overrule Kelda.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert smiled, but there was no humour in his smile. "That's the rub. They are not the same to us."

He folded his arms and looked at the warrioress mockingly: "You have heard us; we won't go with you willingly. If you attack... I won't lie you will probably kill us but where will that leave you Kelda Wave-Born? We will be dead and you won't have your two Imperials to bring back... and you never will."

Deliberately he turned his back on Kelda to address Baldred. "Ready the carts Herr Baldred, I believe we are done here."

[LCP]

"You have heard us; we won't go with you willingly. If you attack... I won't lie you will probably kill us but where will that leave you Kelda Wave-Born? We will be dead and you won't have your two Imperials to bring back... and you never will."

Kelda made a wry face, and looked from Adelbert to the first cart, then to the second cart, then back to Adelbert.

"I'd say that'd leave me with both of your carts," she said, "and two dead Imperials to bring back." She gave a sunny smile. "Morr's Seat is not that far. Wadim will still recognise your faces if we keep the ravens off you."

Baldred took over, nudging Adelbert not-so-subtly in the ribs as he did.

"Holt's not the one you're looking for, Kelda. You said it yourself, two men. And men from 'northern lands'?" He raised his eyebrows. "That's fortune-tellers for you, hedging their bets. Pretty much all of human civilisation's north of us here." He inclined his head in Elsa's direction. "And as for her, she's barely a wizard. Just a chit of a girl, really. If she were some jackal-worshipping sorcerer, do you think she'd be doing guard work for someone like me?"

His words seemed to mollify Kelda a little. Still, she seemed unconvinced. "I do what Jarl Rorik commands," she said, stubbornly.

"What can we do to convince you it's not her you want?"

Kelda seemed to think on the question for a while.

"Show us your power," she said at last to Elsa. "Show us your magic."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo scratched Stoutheart behind the ears to calm him, and hooked the string that was his leash back on, before sitting heavily on a rock. "Morr's Seat is a long way. Are you planning to recompense Baldred for time without protection?"

"But Baldred's right. I bet half the carts that come through here have two people from the north, and these two aren't even both men. They don't worship the jackal, it's obvious."

[-Sentinel-]

"And as for her, she's barely a wizard. Just a chit of a girl, really."
Elsa's jaw tightened. She was so utterly sick of being patronized that she did not pause to consider that Baldred might in fact be saving them a lot of trouble. She did not intend to lose face, no matter the consequences. Failing Kelda's challenge on purpose was quite out of the question.

She had no need to prove her destructive powers, as earlier in front of the Duke; she just needed to impress. And some of the most impressive spells were in fact the simplest ones.

"Fine then." Mumbling incantations under her breath, most of them more for dramatic purposes than out of genuine necessity, she very slowly raised her gloved hands, her fingers casually brushing the brim of her hat - which, to onlookers, started to glow orange as if on fire, though no heat emanated from it.

Light spell on the hat. Two attempts if needed. I guess Elsa can see from the corner of her eyes if it works.

Channelling 48: [roll0]
Target number 2/3: [roll1] - Success.

Channelling 48: [roll2]
Target number 2/3: [roll3]

With her hands raised claw-like above her head, she shouted something unintelligible at the red sky.

Sounds. Two more attempts.

Channelling 48: [roll4]
Target number 3/4: [roll5] - Nope.

Channelling 48: [roll6]
Target number 3/4: [roll7] - Success.


LCP, please let me edit the results into this post before you update. Done.

Nothing happened.

Elsa glared up at the sky. "Well, that was underwhelming."

She yelled out her incantation again, this time with noticeable irritation. Thunder cracked right overhead - a sound that must not be heard often so close to the desert.

"Aaaah. Much better."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Watching the display, Sieghard was forced to admit to himself that it was far more impressive than what she had done in front of the Duke. The fact that it hadn't taken as long probably helped.

"We're not about to abandon Baldred. Won't be on his pay forever though... Let us pass and maybe we'll be more willing to see Morr's Seat when we head north again."

[LCP]

The tribesmen drew back in superstitious awe when Elsa's took light, but Kelda stood her ground, grinning at the display. With the setting sun behind her, her eyes seemed to reflect the glow of the spell like mirrors.

When the thunderclap rang out, though, even Kelda jumped, looking up at the sky like a startled animal. When she saw no stormclouds gathering, she relaxed, laughing a deep, throaty laugh. Her followers didn't seem so amused.

"We should take her back to Wadim," said one of them, in a deep, gutturally-accented voice. "He will show her true magic."
"You mean rattle his old bag of bones at her?" rejoined Kelda. "Do tricks in a tent filled with smoke? This is far more entertaining."

She shook her head, looking at Elsa with a shrewd regard. Though she hardly seemed overawed, for some reason the Norscan seemed to be looking at Elsa with more respect than before. "Wadim said he was looking for two men," she said at last, pitching her voice to carry to the others. "The cunning man and his silent companion. We have a cunning woman and her very noisy friend." She shot Adelbert a casually contemptuous look. "They do not fit."

Wandering back down the line of the carts, she gestured down the road with her spear. "Have your way, Empire man. Go your own way and make your own fire." She stopped in front of Baldred. "But I will have my brooch back."

"You traded it to me," said Baldred stubbornly.

"And now I am trading it back. A small price to pay for free passage, don't you think?"

"This is robbery."

"No - no, what do you southrons call it? This is taxation." She chuckled to herself and held out her hand. "The brooch."

Glowering, Baldred handed it over. Kelda smiled and bobbed her head in exaggerated thanks.

"Come on, men," she called to her followers. "We have a desert to watch." She looked back over her shoulder to Elsa. "If you ever want to put your talents to better use than guarding carts, Fru Holt, come to the Jarl!"

Some of them grumbling to themselves, the hill-folk followed her back towards the watch tower. Sorin and Skender watched the barrel of ale go with them, a certain wistful look on their faces.

"...well," said Pepin, speaking up at last. "I think we got off fairly lightly, considering."

Baldred shot him a black look, but said nothing. Shaking his head, he pointed to the goods the tribesmen had strewn across the road.

"Get those back on the carts," he snapped. "Shallya's teats, girl, are you going to go shouting 'I'm a wizard' to every bandit we meet?"

In a foul temper, he stomped over to see to the mules.

OOC: I'm going to skip forwards at this point, but feel free to act out any further conversation/recriminations in timesplit posts.

1

Baldred insisted that they travel well into the night before they finally came to a bone-weary halt. The merchant seemed to be under the impression that Kelda and her ruffians might creep back down under cover of darkness to relieve him of the rest of his cargo. His fears were perhaps not entirely unjustified: twice, Ludo thought he saw a dark figure trailing them through the swiftly-falling dusk.

They made camp among a circle of rocks that offered good protection from attack, and set watches the same as the night before. Baldred wasn't talking to Elsa, and went to sleep without a trace of the good humour that had characterised the days before.

1

Bezahltag, 12th Nachexen

They awoke to a cold wind blowing in from the northwest, bringing grit and dust with it. The fine particles of dirt got into the eyes and mouth, irritating the eyelids and parching the throat.

"Wind can't make up its mind," said Baldred, his grudges of the night before seemingly taking second place to this new development. "If it shifts into the west, we could be in trouble." Turning to those who had not yet fully shaken themselves awake, he saw to galvanising the camp into action. "Come on, you slugabeds. I want to be in Turnpike before it gets any worse."

Soon enough, they were heading south again. The hills seemed to grow wilder and more barren the closer they got to the Waste, with more and more sharp-edged pinnacles of rock rising even higher to the east. Sieghard knew they were at the junction of the Raven Hills with the impassable wall of rock known as the Giant's Teeth. The Teeth were the barrier between the Waste and the fertile lands of the Azril, and on their eastern side supported a certain amount of vegetation and wildlife. On the western side, they were a wind-blasted wasteland of sand-sculpted rock.

By noon, the slope of the hills had brought the Waste itself into view. A great flat expanse of white, it hid beneath a haze of windblown dust and sand, blurring into the distance. It seemed to stretch to the horizon, the sun making the air above it shimmer. Squinting into the glare, Adelbert thought he could make out the outline of structures rising above the sands - but the air shifted, and the mirage vanished like a burst soap-bubble.

The sun was dipping again by the time they approached Turnpike Hollow. It had been a day of steep descents, and they were almost at the level of the desert. Elsa could feel the heat washing off it like a bath, for all that it was winter.

Turnpike lay in a steep gully between two great blades of rock, the slopes of the enclosing ravine steep and scattered with scree. All Sieghard could see were a few rather sorry-looking huts clinging to the hillsides, but Baldred brought the carts to a halt all the same.

"They've seen us," he said, pointing to something glinting on the stony hilltop above the village. It might have been a mirror, catching the sun. "They'll be waiting there, and there." He pointed to two high vantage points, well above the road. Both were sheltered by great screens of parched boulders and twisted shrubs. "Form two groups with Sorin and Skender. Circle round behind them and wait for them to try to spring their trap. Once they see they're rumbled, they ought to give up without too much of a fight." He pointed to the village. "Pepin and I will take the carts through the pass once you've had enough time to get in place. And in the name of whatever god you please," he said, shooting a glance at Adelbert, "make sure they don't see you coming."

The vantage point he had indicated on the left side of the road was high and steep-sided, with a little gully running down beside it. A paltry excuse for a stream provided enough water for a few stunted trees to grow there, sheltering from the sun in the shadow of the rockface. They would provide a lot of cover on the approach, but the downside was an extremely steep scramble up what were essentially cliffs at the end of the journey.

The vantage point on the right was lower and more accessible. This time the downside was that it was on the side of the gully that adjoined the desert; the terrain around it was far more barren and windswept. All that it offered in terms of cover was scattered boulders and dry brush.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert returned Kelda's contempt with a smirk of his own.

"Mark me well Kelda Wave-Born. We'll meet me again..."

After the hill tribes left he helped gather up Baldred's stores. He also refused to speak to Elsa for the rest of the day.

~~~~

When they came to the ambush point Adelbert chose to go on the right, feeling his heavy new armour would make the steeper path much more risky.

[-Sentinel-]

Watchtower

"If you ever want to put your talents to better use than guarding carts, Fru Holt, come to the Jarl!"

Elsa grinned back. "Thanks! I might just do that once this business is done."

This may well be the life she needed, in a place where true strength was respected - a place where witch hunters or Bright Order enforcers would never think to look for her, and even if they did, would have to go through a lot of trouble just to reach her. A place where a person like her could rise high, unconstrained by civilization's petty rules.

But for now, there was work to finish. Elsa watched Kelda walk away with a sorrowful feeling of missed opportunity. "I really like her," she told no one in particular.

"Shallya's teats, girl," snapped Baldred, "are you going to go shouting 'I'm a wizard' to every bandit we meet?"

Elsa snorted. "You're a man. When you need others to understand you're not to be messed with, all you have to do is carry a sword at your belt. Me? I have to tell them I'm not to be messed with. And half the time they won't even believe me until I show them."

For the rest of the trip, she showed very little concern for the others' coldness; it was a small price to pay to impress someone who had the Jarl's ear.

1

Turnpike Hollow

Elsa squinted at the left-side vantage point, then at the right, indecisive. "We got any ropes we can spare?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard produced some rope from his pack. He had been eyeing the left side himself.

"How's your arm? Good enough to climb?"

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Viggo had to admit to himself that Elsabeth's demonstration was impressive, she definitely had a flare for the dramatic. He had no idea why the Jarl might be looking for a pair of Empire men, but he was sure that he had done the right thing by remaining silent. Only once they were on the road again did he allow himself to unwind a little.

~~~~


"And in the name of whatever god you please," he said, shooting a glance at Adelbert, "make sure they don't see you coming."

"Wait, sorry. What are we doing here?" Viggo shared looks between Baldred, Adelbert and Sieghard. "Too much of a fight you say? You want me to sneak up on a load of blood thirsty bandits and fight them?!" His left eye took flight, obviously not happy at the prospect of a confrontation. "I've paid good coin for this journey and so far I've sat on guard duty every night, nearly been killed by a band of savage hill men and now you want me to go.." Viggo trailed off, aware that his reticence to help might not go down too well with his new companions.

"Alright," he huffed somewhat sulkily, "give me a bloody moment." Viggo quickly took off his bright green coat and delved into his pack drawing out a leather vest and serviceable brown work coat and trousers. Rooting around a bit more in his pack he pulled out a pair of throwing axes in a harness, which he threw over his shoulders before changing as quickly as he could. He blushingly tried to keep a cart between himself and Elsabeth.

Throwing his pack and waterskin onto the back of one of the carts Viggo followed after Sieghard, dragging his feet, his face somewhat ashen at the prospect of what was to come.

[LCP]

Baldred shrugged. "You don't have to go, minstrel boy," he said. "Like you said, it's this lot I'm paying. Stay on the carts if you'd prefer."

[-Sentinel-]

"How's your arm? Good enough to climb?"

Elsa grimaced. "Not sure I want to take the chance." She surveyed the vantage point to the right, trying to estimate the distance between here and the nearest cover. "I run fast. I think I can cover this ground pretty quickly."

[LeSwordfish]

"I can try sneaking across the brushland." Ludo suggested. "Throw stones to distract them and sneak over. We used to do that to steal apples, back at home."

[LCP]

"I go with the funny man," said Sorin, stepping forwards and putting a hand on Viggo's shoulder. "Skender, you go with the others."

Skender didn't looked pleased that Sorin had got their first, but grudgingly acquiesced. Waiting until they passed a rise in the ground that briefly hid the road from sight, the two groups split off towards their respective destinations.

1

Sieghard & Viggo

From the way Sorin knew the contours of the terrain, it seemed like he had done this before. He led them behind a sandy ridge, topped with spiny thickets that hid their progress from view. From there it was only a short scramble through scattered boulders to the wooded gully where the stream ran.

The trees here were puny, stunted things, with dry bark and small, tough leaves. They arched their crooked backs over the stream, itself not deep enough to come over the tops of Sieghard's boots. Still, the trees offered cover enough to conceal them from watchers on the heights. The problem was going to be getting up there.

Immediately opposite them, the rocks rose in an almost sheer cliff, some thirty feet high. To either side, the rockface became more broken and scaleable, but in those directions the cover thinned out. It was the steepest ascent that offered the best concealment.

1

Elsa, Ludo & Adelbert

Folowing Skender's lead, Adelbert got the feeling the tribesman had done this before. He bellied close to the ground in the open spaces between the scattered rocks, leading them behind the cover of desert shrubs where they were available. The sand blowing in off the desert to the west got in Adelbert's eyes and mouth, making his whole face feel grimy with dust.

From behind the largest boulder that was close to their target, Skender pointed to the rocky vantage-point up ahead. It was just possible to make out the tops of two heads, seemingly intent on the road. They commanded a good view; it was difficult to see how the four of them would cover the open ground in between without being spotted.

"Turnpike men watch the road," said Skender, keeping his voice down. "We circle round behind, yes? Through the sand." He pointed into the desolate waste behind them. "Is not so flat as it looks. Keep heads down, keep behind dune." There was indeed a rather paltry dune running behind the villagers' position, its crest anchored by a few weedy strains of grass. It didn't look tall enough for any of them to stand up behind without being seen. "Move fast, keep quiet, yes?"

[RossN]

Elsa, Ludo & Adelbert

Adelbert glanced at the route Skender suggested, then down at his mail shirt then back up with a raised eyebrow.

"I think." He said quietly. "We need some sort of diversion."

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa, Ludo and Adelbert

Elsa rolled her eyes; new as she was to fighting, she could already tell that whenever someone called for a diversion, they had no intention to provide it themselves. "The carts are the diversion, ass," she whispered. "They know we're here, but they don't expect us to attack. No need to alert them too early. I say we just run real fast."

[RossN]

Elsa, Ludo and Adelbert

Adelbert gave the wizardress a look of utter contempt and hissed: "What, no temptation to shout out your profession Frau Holt? You disappoint me."

He looked along the nonexistant cover, swore under his breath and prepared to run. "On your mark Skender."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo, Elsa, Adelbert
"I could use my sling?" Ludo offered. "Throw a stone past them to draw their attention."

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo

Doing his best to conceal himself behind the thin trunk of a withered tree, Viggo's right eye traveled up the rockface, his heart sinking as he took in the enormity of what he was about to attempt. I should have stayed with the bloody carts!

Looking first to Sieghard and then to Sorin, Viggo whispered as loudly as he dared, "Well, it doesn't look there's a way up, perhaps we should turn back?" he didn't hold out much hope that either man would agree with him, "Look, I should probably have mentioned this back at the carts, but I'm a little shaky when it comes to heights. Makes my legs wobble a bit, if you catch my meaning?"

He glanced back to the cliff, picturing his body, broken and crumpled at it's base. Viggo continued with a heavy sigh, "What's the chances of one of you chaps climbing up there and pulling me up on the rope?" That course of action didn't really fill him with joy either, but it was better than the alternative.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard gave Viggo a look that was somewhere between disappointment and complete lack of surprise. Aside from that, he didn't bother to respond.

He looked up at the cliff, weighing the options.

"Seems a bit too risky for my liking. One of us slips and they'll hear it up top. Better to try the climb where there's more to hold onto."

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa, Ludo and Adelbert

"You expecting them to go after the stone like dogs playing fetch, or what? Not bloody likely. If you throw a stone, might as well throw it at them, when we're close enough - which we're not."

Elsa glanced at Skender for support.

[LCP]

ALE

Skender just shrugged. Sorin, of course, wasn't there. He'd gone with Sieghard and Viggo.

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo


"Seems a bit too risky for my liking. One of us slips and they'll hear it up top. Better to try the climb where there's more to hold onto."

"Risky is right," agreed Viggo quickly, "We'll not be much use to anybody if we all end up falling to our deaths here will we?"

He surveyed the cliff face once more, "I think we should go one at a time, less chance of us getting spotted that way." Viggo scratched his head and spoke again trying to sound as innocent as possible, "One of you should climb up and lower the rope down for the other two, it'll be easier with less chance of us all ending up dead?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Less chance of you having to do any work more like."

He took another look up the cliff.

"Baldred isn't paying you, do what you like. Just know that if they spot us before the rope is tied or before you're up, I'm letting it drop."

He turned to Sorin.

"Let's go."

If Sorin has done this before, Sieghard is going to step back and let him have the lead. He'll follow to wherever Sorin judges the best place to climb is and assuming we're not spotted getting there, we'll start the climb (using the rope where possible).

A shame Sieghard hadn't considered spikes when making his purchases, though considering the price, he probably wouldn't have bought enough even if he had thought of it.

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo


"Just know that if they spot us before the rope is tied or before you're up, I'm letting it drop."

"Wonderful. I feel much better about putting my life in your hands now, I'm sure." Viggo sniffed and studied the toes of his boots.


"Let's go."

Viggo's heart started beating furiously once more as he trailed behind Sieghard and Sorin, moving as quietly as he could.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Sorin & Viggo

Flashing Viggo a yellow-toothed grin that did nothing to soothe the minstrel's fears, Sorin spat on his hands and began the treacherous ascent. Swarming up over the jagged rockface like a particularly hairy spider, he soon pulled well ahead of Sieghard. More than once, Sieghard's mail-armoured weight sent chunks of rock skittering back down to the gully floor behind him. The second time, he almost fell: Sorin's hand flashed out to catch him, though, and he steadied his grip.

Resting for a moment on a razor-thin ledge a little more than halfway up the cliff, Sorin gestured for Sieghard to pass him the rope. Edging over beneath where the stunted tree grew out of the rock, he fashioned a wide noose and slung it up over the thickest of the tree's branches, pulling it tight. Kicking the other end over the side, he watched it slither down to where Viggo was waiting.

With the rope secured around his waist and Sorin reeling in the slack as he climbed, Viggo made his faltering ascent. Sieghard, meanwhile, had located a narrow fissure leading up through the cliff. Creeping over broken stones and dead brush, he came to a halt still crouched behind the cover of the rocks.

On the top of the stony plateau were three men in sandy-coloured clothes. Two of them were flat on their stomachs, bellied up right to the edge of the cliff; the third sat on a wooden stool a little way behind, watching their rear. Each of the two men at the cliffside had a bow lying in the dust beside him; the sentry on the stool had a similar bow laid across his lap, and Sieghard could see a curved knife at his belt. The lower half of the man's face was wrapped in a dirty red scarf to protect his nose and mouth from the dusty wind.

There were perhaps fifteen yards between their positions. Sieghard didn't think the sentry had seen him; he had to gesture for Sorin and Viggo to take care as they finally followed him up the rocky defile.

1

Adelbert, Elsa, Ludo & Skender

Ludo was the first out onto the sands, the halfling's bare feet barely leaving prints as he scampered soundlessly behind the cover of the ridge. Adelbert and Elsa's start was somewhat less graceful. As they crossed the dune, a patch of sand slid away beneath their boots. The two of them went down in a dusty tangle of limbs, and the small sandslide they triggered took Skender with them too. Dusting themselves off, the three hurried after Ludo, who was already halfway to the point Skender had indicated.

By the time they got there, it was clear someone had heard their tumble. Two dark figures were just visible rising from the jumble of rocks, peering out into the sands with their hands shading their eyes from the glare and the dust. They were no more than thirty yards away - but they quite clearly had bows in their hands...

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Once Viggo and Sorin were in position, Sieghard made a series of gestures. He pointed Sorin, one of the men on the ground, Viggo, and the other man on the ground in turn.

Keeping his voice as low as possible, he whispered.

"No killing unless we have to. Try to get their weapons away from them."

(Full Action) Charge attack against the one sitting on the stool. Unarmed, grappling.
(Free Action) Quick draw to get one of the weapons away from them if possible. Knife is in his belt so that's probably out of the question, but none of them have their hands on the bows. Take it or kick it over the cliff if taking it isn't an option.

[roll0] vs 36 +10 to hit.
[roll1] Reroll if I fail. Woo! No need to reroll!

Let's try to get this over in one round if we can. The two on the ground should be easy.

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo Ltd

As Sieghard pointed out each of their targets Viggo nodded his understanding. This is bloody madness! Only the fact that he didn't want to let the pair down kept him from standing up and running off in the opposite direction.


"No killing unless we have to. Try to get their weapons away from them."

Viggo stared at Sieghard as if he were mad. Me killing them!? It'll be a miracle if I make it out of this with my head still on my shoulders!

He scrambled up after the Mercenary, certain that he was charging headlong towards his own demise.

OOC

Viggo will launch himself onto his target and will be shouting (mostly incoherently) at him to surrender throughout the whole process!

Full Action: Charge Attack Grapple - WS [37] +10 Charge - [roll1d100]
Re-Roll - [roll1d100]

Quick Draw: Kick bow away (not sure if this is possible)

Edit: Oops a Daisy! I'll re-roll them in the OOC Thread! :smallredface:

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa, Adelbert and Ludo

Elsa sucked in a breath. "Guess that simplifies things."

Without waiting to see if the others followed, she dashed headlong towards the rocks, her heavy leather coat flapping in the wind. Their fate now depended on the gods - or on the archers being poor shots.

Is it Initiative time?

29+d10

:smallconfused:

Successful second attempt in the OOC thread. Ini = 36.

[RossN]

ALE

Adelbert barely paused for breath before following the wizardess, all too aware of the clink of his mail shirt as it weighed him down.

OOC:
Agility: 45

Iniative: [roll0]

[LeSwordfish]

LEA
"We don't even pretend to be clever any more." Ludo grumbled. Despite that, solidarity made him notch a stone into his sling and shuffle in the dirt to draw an eye on the archers.

ooc
Initiative 49+ [roll0]
Half action draw sling, half action load- put stone in it. Staying in cover as much as possible.

How far away are the archers?

[LCP]

ALE

Skender swore as Elsa showed her head, and threw himself over the rise. With Adelbert in the lead, the three humans pelted towards the archers - but they had been seen as soon as they showed their faces. Nocking arrows to their bows, the two men took aim at Skender and Adelbert.

"Stay back!" one of them shouted, but it was clear there was not going to be time for their command to be heard. With a double twang, the bowstrings were released. The one on the right shot wide, his arrow whistling past Skender's head. Adelbert wasn't so lucky - he looked down in horror as an arrow sprouted from his left arm.

OOC: The initiative order being

{table]Ludo
Skender
Adelbert
Turnpike People
Elsa[/table]

the first three resolve their actions first, with Skender and Adelbert Running (I assume) 24 yards to close the distance between themselves and the two archers to 6 yards.

The archers then nock (half action) and shoot.

vs. Adelbert: [roll0] - even with the -20 from Adelbert running that's still a hit
[roll1] - 8 wounds to the left arm!
vs. Skender: [roll2]
[roll3]

Their friend on the rocks behind gets up (half action) and nocks his bow (half action). He is approximately 10 yards behind the other two's position, and protected by rocks: direct charges are not possible. You can circle round (16 additional yards) or you can attempt to clamber up over the rocks; they are not sheer.

Elsa then Runs up to 30 yards. Don't know where she wants to put herself w.r.t. the archers.

1

VS

The sentry gave a yelp of alarm as Sieghard burst from cover, but it was far too late. Throwing himself forwards in an enthusiastic tackle, the mercenary knocked the man off his stool, driving him face-down into the dusty earth. Sorin and Viggo were close behind, falling on the other two men like wolves on sheep.

If they had meant to kill them, it would have been easy enough. As it was they each had a struggling bandit pinned to the ground beneath them. They had a certain wiry strength, but they were not big men - Sieghard was confident that he and Sorin at least could keep their captives under control.

[RossN]

ALE

Adelbert cried out in agony and nearly dropped in his tracks through instinct to get shelter; after a momentary stumble he regained his footing desperate to close the distance - there was no shelter to be had in this terrible place.

Red faced and breathing heavily he raced towards the closest archer, slicing wildly with his sword.

OOC:
Since we can't Charge I'm going to Move and make a Standard Attack on the nearest archer.

To Hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Just how well things had gone filled Sieghard with a great sense of satisfaction. He hadn't doubted Sorin for a moment, but even the minstrel managed to get ahold of his target before the man could grab his weapon..

"Easy now. If we wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already. Long as you don't try anything funny, no one has to get hurt."

[LCP]

Sieghard & Viggo

"Mmmf! Mmmmmf!" said the man pinioned under Sieghard - but it might have been a muffled "alright, alright!".

The man's struggles seemed to die down. Around him, the other two took a little longer.

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo

"Surrender! Surrender now!" Viggo shouted directly into the man's ear, trying to keep the panic from his voice. "Your friends have already given up, there's no need for you to fight and die here!" Viggo hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

Doing his best to hold onto the fellow, Viggo attempted to manoeuvre him into a position where he could see that his two friends had also been subdued. Hopefully he'll realise the games up.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard looked to where Viggo was still struggling with the villager.

"Better listen to him. That one's likely to throw you off if you keep thrashing around like that."

He turned his attention back to the lookout.

"Who sent you up here?"

[LCP]

Sieghard & Viggo

The three men had stopped struggling. Sorin shot Viggo a feral grin, keeping his knee in the back of the ambusher he had subdued.

The man Sieghard was pinning down lifted his head from the ground, spitting out a mouthful from dust.

“This is our land,” he said. “Nobody sent us.”

1

Adelbert, Elsa & Ludo

The man who had shot at Adelbert stepped back as he realised his target wasn't about to drop. He was lucky he did so - half a moment later, a stone from Ludo's sling whirred past his head. The halfling ducked back down behind the cover of the dunes, reluctant to brave the open space with the third archer still standing on the rocks above.

In the moment of hesitation between nocking another arrow and going for his knife, Adelbert was on him. The scribe's wild blow caught him in the arm, biting into the meat of his bicep. Scrabbling back, he ripped his knife from his sheath and took an equally wild swipe at Adelbert. He seemed to be trying more to gain some distance than do any serious damage.

On Adelbert's left Skender came crashing in, charging at the second archer with an axe in each hand. The wiry bandit danced out of the path of Skender's blades, but all he had to fight back with was a slender dagger. A powerful axe-stroke batted his attempt at an attack aside.

The man up on the rocks seemed to be having trouble deciding who to shoot. Seeing Elsa lagging behind the others, he nocked his arrow and loosed. The arrow buried itself in the dusty ground about a foot from Elsa's position.

OOC: Just before Adelbert pitches in, Ludo takes an Aimed shot at the guy who shot Adelbert:
[roll0] - miss.
[roll1]

Skender charges in. Sorry, I didn't mean to position you so you couldn't charge; didn't make a difference with a hit roll like Adelbert's, though.

[roll2] - miss
[roll]1d10

The man facing Adelbert Readies a dagger and takes a Standard Attack.

[roll3] - miss
[roll4]

The man facing Skender (presuming he's still alive) does the same.

[roll5] - hit
[roll6]
[roll7] (from the axe in Skender's off-hand) - parried

The man up among the rocks takes a shot at Elsa.
[roll8] - miss
[roll9]

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Bad answer."

Sieghard pushed the man's face back in the dirt.

"Who decided it was a good idea to rob caravans and sent you up here to watch the road?"

[roll0] opposed strength test to hurt him a bit

[RossN]

LEA

Adelbert followed up his attack with an even more ferocious one, hoping to take his opponent out of the fight before he had a chance to use that wicked looking knife of his.

OOC:
Adelbert makes an All Out Attack (WS: 36 +20)

[roll0]
[roll1]

[-Sentinel-]

ALE

Elsa's eyes flicked left and right, looking for rocks that might provide her some cover from the arrows of the archer up on the rocks. Almost as an afterthought, she gathered the Winds to herself and unleashed a bolt of fire at him...

If there is cover within Elsa's half-move range, Elsa will move there, even if it the cover requires her to crouch.
If not, she will channel, target 48: [roll0]

Magic Dart: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

...which dissipated harmlessly almost as soon as it left her fingers. She let out a sulphurous curse.

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo



"Better listen to him. That one's likely to throw you off if you keep thrashing around like that."

Eh? What's he talking about I wouldn't...It suddenly dawned on Viggo what Sieghard was about, It's almost like playing a part in one of my stories. He realised.

Viggo clambered off his captive and drew his short sword with a quick rasp of metal, aiming the point at his prisoner. Viggo returned Sorins' grin and adopted the same rough voice he used when portraying the villains in his tales, "Right you, c'mon, throw that dagger away and crawl over there." He flicked the tip of his sword in Sorin's direction, "Let's get these lads tied up shall we?" Viggo felt much more comfortable once he saw all this as just playing a part in a performance. After all these chaps have no idea that I don't know how to use this bloody thing do they?

OOC

Hopefully, this will be enough to get the guy moving, if he draws his dagger to attack Viggo instead of just tossing it away, Viggo will use his remaining action to attack first. (hopefully while he's still at the disadvantage of being prone)

Quick Draw: Ready Sword
Half Action: Delay

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Think, fool. If we tie them, how do you plan on getting them down the cliff? Let that one run back to his village and let 'em know we're passing through and as long as they're done playing robber we won't do them any harm. If he goes like a goes nice and quiet, don't stop him. If he does something stupid, see if he can fly."

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo

Viggo only just managed to contain a pout, Who's he calling a fool? The rock chewing bone head!

"You heard him," he growled, doing his best to maintain a gruff voice, "Toss your knife and arrows next to the bow and get a move on!"

OOC

Assuming he has a quiver and a dagger, same as the sentry?

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo nocked another stone into his sling, and leaned out of cover to hurl it hastily at the archer facing Elsa. At least he'd probably duck. Probably.

[roll0] to hit, vs 41-30 (range?) = 11
[roll1] damage

I'm contributing!

[LCP]

The Halfling, the Witch and the Scribe

Adelbert's frenzied attack forced his opponent onto the back foot, but inflicted little more than a scratch as the man twisted out of the way. Over on his left, Skender too pressed the attack, axes swinging. The Turnpike men were nimble, and the second archer too evaded harm.

Wounded or not, it was clear the two bandits were outmatched in close quarters. With shouts of alarm, they retreated back towards the base of the rocks, trying to buy themselves some space. Up behind them, the third bandit looked suspiciously at the strange woman waving her hands in his direction, and nocked another arrow to his bow. This time the arrow flew straight and true. It struck Elsa in the middle of her outstretched palm, and didn't stop until the fletching caught in the wound, the bloody arrowhead and a good foot's length of the shaft protruding from the back of her hand.

OOC: The other two bandits have taken Disengage actions directly backwards, up into the rocks. This takes them 8 yards back from Skender and Adelbert. You may move into the rocks freely, but you may not Run or Charge through them; they're too broken.

1

Sieghard & Viggo


"Who decided it was a good idea to rob caravans and sent you up here to watch the road?"

"Gautmar!" said the man, his words muffled by the ground. "Gautmar!"

Viggo's captive, meanwhile, let go of his weapons easily enough. Leaving bow, quiver and dagger behind, he scrambled away from his friends' captors, heading down the slope back towards the village as sure-footedly as a mountain goat.

Something was wrong, though. Sounds were drifting over from the other side of the defile, and Sieghard was fairly sure he could hear shouting human voices. It sounded like a fight.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard nodded.

"There, that wasn't so hard. Drop your weapons and run along."

He released the man and turned to Sorin.

"Wait 'til he's started towards the village before you let yours go."

Releasing them one at a time to discourage them from playing hero. I'd like to get the rope back, but if there's fighting, then someone screwed up and it can wait. I will take the weapons mine drops though, and the rest should do the same for theirs.

Is there an easier way up and down now that we don't need to worry about being seen or do we have to make the climb again to get to where the fighting is?

[LCP]

Sieghard & Viggo

Sorin shook his head. "We keep one," he said, manhandling his captive half-upright. "For insurance."

The slope on the far side of the escarpment was far gentler than the side that faced the gully. Now that the sentries had been neutralised, it looked like it wouldn't be too much trouble to get back down.

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo

Once Viggo was sure that the fellow wasn't likely to turn back and attack them, he scooped up the bow, quiver and knife. Tucking the knife behind his belt, and slinging the quiver over a shoulder, he raised the bow and gave the string a quick once over.

"Not a bad bow really." He said giving it a quick flex, "Did I ever tell you my Pa used to be a marksman for the Jaegerkorps before he joined the show?" He looked over at Sieghard but he wasn't sure that he was listening, Viggo continued anyway.

"What's all that racket?" Viggo asked, "Think it's the others?" He was bouncing on his toes now, his words tripped over each other in his excitement, "Do you think they need any help? Should we signal Baldred? Hey did you see me? Siegahrd? Sorin? I was on that chap, quick wasn't I? I did ok eh?" He looked at the other two men, hoping that they wouldn't remember his original reticence.

[RossN]

The Halfling, the Witch and the Scribe

"On them before them before they can loose another arrow!" Adelbert cries out to Skender as he runs after the bandits.

There is a frightening gleam in the scribe's eye of combined rage, pain and vengance. He looks like he is determined to draw his foe's blood.

OOC:
Standard Move after the Turnpike man he had been facing, followed by a Standard Attack. (WS 36)

[roll0]

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard


Sorin shook his head. "We keep one," he said, manhandling his captive half-upright. "For insurance."

"Fine. Disarm him either way."


"Not a bad bow really." He said giving it a quick flex, "Did I ever tell you my Pa used to be a marksman for the Jaegerkorps before he joined the show?" He looked over at Sieghard but he wasn't sure that he was listening, Viggo continued anyway.

He hadn't been paying attention. He took the bow and arrows. Though he preferred his crossbow, is never hurt to have a backup. Sieghard already had two knives, but he took the fallen one all the same. No such thing as too many knives.


"What's all that racket?" Viggo asked, "Think it's the others?" He was bouncing on his toes now, his words tripped over each other in his excitement, "Do you think they need any help? Should we signal Baldred? Hey did you see me? Siegahrd? Sorin? I was on that chap, quick wasn't I? I did ok eh?" He looked at the other two men, hoping that they wouldn't remember his original reticence.

Sieghard nodded.

"Aye, most likely. Best hurry and help. Seems a leisurely stroll and a few villagers with knives were too much for 'em."

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo


"Aye, most likely. Best hurry and help. Seems a leisurely stroll and a few villagers with knives were too much for 'em."

Viggo was still filled with a nervous excitement, it was the same sort of feeling he sometimes had when performing in front of a particularly large audience.

"Well lead the way then, I'll be right behind you." He drew an arrow from the quiver and nocked it to the bow string, hopping from foot to foot, unable to remain still. "What about Baldred?" he asked.

Viggo trotted to the edge of the escarpment, peering down into the gully and across towards the other vantage point, hoping to get a better idea of where all the noise was coming from.

OOC

From the vantage point up here is Viggo able to see the carts below or across the gully to where the others are? Roll just in case it's needed!

Perception - Int 31 - [roll0]

[LCP]

Sieghard & Viggo

While Sorin was stripping his captive of his weapons, Viggo peered down into the defile. The sun was bright, and his young eyes were keen. Coming up the road, he could see the two tiny figures of the carts, with Baldred in the lead and Pepin bringing up the rear. They were headed straight for the pass, and would probably be passing through in a couple of minutes.

Over on the other side of the pass, he could make out little to correspond to the faint sounds of fighting he could hear drifting across. Just there, perhaps - above a jumble of rocks, a small figure had poked its head into view. It was impossible to discern the figure's identity at this distance, but whoever it was seemed to be aiming a bow at someone concealed behind the slope of the rocks.

[LeSwordfish]

Two and a half men (but one's a woman)
"Oh, good esmerelda," Ludo yelped, seeing Elsa's injury. He leaned out of cover and launched another stone, this time aiming it carefully at Elsa's attacker, before ducking back behind the dune and loading another stone.

Rabbits didn't usually shoot back, some small frantic part of his brain noted.

Sorry! I mentally filed WFRP's combat system under "same as dark heresy" and forgot to check.

So, yes, an aimed shot. Aimed for HA last turn, going to HA standard attack and HA reload this turn.

To hit: [roll0] vs 31 (41+10 aim -20 range)
Damage: [roll1]

Tch. Waste of a good damage roll.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Baldred's not gonna fight. That's what he's paying us for."

Us of course meaning him and Sorin of course. Sieghard had either forgotten, ignored, or not cared that Viggo wasn't being paid.

He headed down the slope as quickly as he could towards the fighting.

[-Sentinel-]

ALE

Elsa blinked at her injured hand, more startled than anything else - the pain did not register yet. She could not remove her glove to check how bad it really was, but could feel the wound bleeding underneath.

She shot an outraged glare at the archer, as if he had insulted her mother, and yelled out another incantation.

Channelling 48: [roll0]

Magic Dart 6: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

Already feeling a little light-headed, she failed to muster enough of Aqshy to shape a coherent spell.

[LCP]

ALE

Scrambling up over the rocks in a neck-and-neck race with Adelbert, Skender threw himself at his opponent. The nimble man ducked back out of the axe's range again, drawing a howl of frustration from Skender as he did so. He was proving a slippery target.

Adelbert's opponent, however, was not so lucky. Trapped on a narrow path between two rocks, he had two directions in which to dodge as he saw Adelbert coming. He chose the wrong one, and what had been intended as a heavy chop into his shoulder struck the centre of his head instead. Adelbert's sword buried itself half a width deep in the man's skull, and he crumpled to the ground as if poleaxed, blood running down over his face.

Up on the rocks above, the bowman saw what had become of his brother and dropped his weapon, turning and running down the hill and out of sight. The third man shouted something profane, but it didn't stop his friend from running. Outnumbered and unable to flee, he too dropped his weapons, and raised his hands in surrender.

1

Sieghard & Viggo

Leaving his captive's bow and arrows on the ground, Sorin gave the man a hefty shove in the small of the back to get him moving forwards. Viggo, however, had spotted a development down in the valley below. The bowman he had seen up on the rocks had turned tail and was running back in the direction of the village, as fast as his legs could carry him. From up here he looked like an ant, scuttling across the dusty landscape.

[RossN]

ALE

Adelbert wrenched his blade from the dead bandit, then turned to the surrendered bowman. The scribe looked at him in flinty silence a moment before hissing: "I think not my friend. You die now."

Then he drove his blade directly into the man's chest.

OOC:
Not sure if this requires an attack roll, but if so:

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[LCP]

ALE

With a yelp of surprise, the man dove back out of the way. Overbalanced, Adelbert's found his sword driving through empty air. With a curse, Skender launched himself after their would-be captive, trying to tackle the man to the ground.

OOC: Skender attempts a Grapple:
[roll0]
[roll1]

He got a hold of the villager, but the man struggled free, breaking loose and skittering away over the rocks. Now he too was running hell-for-leather towards the village.

"What are you doing?" bellowed Skender, his accent becoming thicker in his anger. "There is whole village of them down there! You want to explain to them why you kill unarmed man?"

OOC: The man who surrendered takes a second Disengage action, bringing him clear of the rocks on the uphill side. From now on he can run.

[-Sentinel-]

ALE

"We do have to set an example," Elsa pointed out. She paused to stare at her hand again. "I don't suppose you know how to treat injuries, Skender? This looks, uh, pretty bad."

[RossN]

ALE

Ignoring Skender Adelbert moved after the fleeing villager, determined to cut him down.

OOC:
Move after the bandit, then make a standard Attack.

Attack: [roll0]

(If needed I'll spend a Fortune Point to re-roll a failed attack.
Re-roll: [roll1])

Damage: [roll2]

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo


"Baldred's not gonna fight. That's what he's paying us for."

Doing his best to catch up with the mercenary, Viggo set off after Sieghard, "Sieghard! Sieghard! There's a fellow running for the village! And remember, Baldred is employing you to fight, I on the other hand am having to pay for that privilege."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard just shrugged.

"Let him run. We don't have to kill them, just show them that it'd be a bad idea to try to strong-arm us. If he's running, he already knows that."

He slowed his pace a bit and went in silence for a moment before speaking up again.

"As for the fighting, just sing your song to Baldred about how you did what you did up on the cliffs and maybe you can convince him otherwise. He might not take my word, but Sorin saw it too."

[LeSwordfish]

ALE
Ludo scrambled out of cover and began sprinting towards Adelbert, feet slipping in the sand. "Adelbert! Adelbert, wait, what are you doing?"

OOC
Full move, run if possible, in Adelbert's direction.

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo


"As for the fighting, just sing your song to Baldred about how you did what you did up on the cliffs and maybe you can convince him otherwise. He might not take my word, but Sorin saw it too."

Viggo nods thoughtfully, "Yes. That might be a good idea. I did try before, but now that I've actually, you know, done something, he might be easier to talk around?" He looks over towards Sorin as they make their way downhill, "What do you say Sorin? Could you have a word with Baldred for me?" he adds hopefully, "I was useful up there eh? He should at least give me back the twelve schillings I paid don't you think?"

[LCP]

Sieghard & Viggo

"Why not?" laughed Sorin. "Funny man is lucky."

The man he was escorting made a movement that might have been interpreted as an attempt to escape, and Sorin drove a knee into his right kidney to discourage him.

"Baldred is clever with money. You talk to him - not me."

1

Adelbert, Elsa & Ludo

Skender now just gaped at Adelbert as the bloodthirsty scribe left after the fleeing man. The swipe of the bloody sword missed its target - but as the man turned to run, he left himself wide open for a second blow.

Running across the sandy ground towards the rocks where this drama was unfolding, Ludo was just in time to see Elsa crumple bonelessly to the ground. The arrow still protruding from the back of her hand, her whole arm was now wet with lost blood.

OOC: The bandit tries to take a Run action. Leaving combat without a Disengage means that Adelbert gets a free attack at +20 to hit if he chooses.

[RossN]

AEL

"Come back cowad!" Adelbert roared, swinging his blade around in a desperate attept to stop the fleeing bandit.

OOC:
Roll to Hit: [roll0]
To Damage: [roll1]

[LCP]

Adelbert, Elsa & Ludo

The blade connected, but it was only a glancing hit. With a yelp of pain, the man fled down the slope, sprinting after his companion towards the village.

[RossN]

LEA

For a second of madness Adelbert nearly charged after the retreating the bandit but at the last moment the red mist cleared. Suddenly feeling very tired the scribe turned and moved back towards the rock, his expression one of confusion and fear... not of retribution from the village but for what had come over him.

As he returned even these thoughts temporarily left him and he let out a horriffied gasp: "Elsa!"

[-Sentinel-]

ALE

"I'm not getting paid enough for this," Elsa mumbled to herself before promptly blacking out.

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo


"Baldred is clever with money. You talk to him - not me."

"Yes, I'll do that. I'll talk with Baldred," Viggo still seemed unable to keep the excitement from his voice, "Hopefully some of that luck will work for me eh?"

Continuing down the slope and doing his best to keep his bow and arrow nocked, he cast his eyes towards the mouth of the gully to see if there was any sign of Balrded and the carts yet.

[LCP]

Sieghard & Viggo

Walking with a nocked bow held in front of him didn't make for the fastest progress, but Sorin had a prisoner to wrangle, and the carts were not exactly racing to get there. Soon enough they made their way to the bottom of the defile; as they went, they saw another little figure bolt and run over the rocks on the opposite side.

Waiting for a moment on the dusty road, they heard the clank and rattle of the carts before they saw them. Winding into view around a hummock, Baldred pulled the mules to a halt when he saw them waiting.

“Thought you were supposed to wait?” he said, irritably. Still, he didn't seem that put out. “See you caught one of them, though. Good work.” He paused, looking right at the low rocks. “Where have the others got to?”

1

Adelbert, Elsa & Ludo

As the running man vanished under a dip in the landscape, Skender began to clamber back down over the rocks, making his way towards where Elsa had fallen. Soon both he and the halfling were standing over her, looking down at the unmoving mage.

“Not good,” opined Skender. “Too much blood.”

He scratched his beard. “Her magic can make her better?” he said, in a hopeful tone of voice.

OOC: We're out of combat time. Sentinel, a Toughness test for Elsa not to lose her hand, if you please.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Took 'em without a drop of blood spilled. Let the others run back to tell their village it can stay that way long as they don't try anything else. Still haven't found the rest of ours."

He looked towards where Adelbert, Elsa, Ludo and Skender had gone.

"The name "Gautmar" mean anything to you?"

[LeSwordfish]

ALE
"I don't think so. If she could heal herself, she would have done already."

Ludo stood over Elsa, panic swirling in his stomach. "I'll go to the top of the rise. See if I can signal Sieghard and Viggo. Maybe we can get her into town."

Hot sand scorching his bare soles, he set off to do just that.

[RossN]

ALE

Adelbert nodded distractedly at Ludo and knelt by Elsa, trying to make sure the wizardess was at least somewhat comfortable.

After a moment he closed his eyes and began praying softly. Skender might have caught the name 'Sigmar' once or twice but otherwise the scribes words were too low for (mortal) ears to catch.

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard & Viggo

Once they were reunited with the carts Viggo finally felt his excitement die down a little. Returning the arrow to it's quiver he searched for his waterskin amongst the carts so that he could slate his parched throat. He'd not realised how thirsty he was.

He had a new found respect for the likes of Sorin and Skender and, he supposed, Sieghard. Guards and mercenaries must be constantly tense and on edge he thought. No wonder Sieghard's so bloody gruff, he's probably always expecting someone to jump out from behind a tree and stab him!


“Where have the others got to?”

"I've not seen them yet either," Viggo replied pointing at Sorin's captive, "Saw a couple of his chums dashing for the village not long ago though, so they cant be much longer."

[LCP]

Sieghard, Viggo... and Ludo

It was at that point that Sieghard spotted another figure cresting the stony ridge - this time a recognisably short one. Ludo came running down the slope into the pass, practically skidding the last few feet towards where Sieghard, Viggo, Sorin, Baldred and the carts were all assembled.

1

Adelbert & Elsa

It was difficult to see how to make Elsa comfortable with an arrow sticking through her hand. Her breathing was shallow. Crouched over her like an ape over an anthill, Skender frowned through his bushy beard.

"Is already pushed through," he said, pointing to the arrowhead with one grimy finger. "I hold. You break."

[LeSwordfish]

SVL
Ludo was panting and nearly tripped as he ran down the hill."Over there!" He began, without so much as a greeting. "Elsa's hurt! She's unconcious! We need to get her to a doctor."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"How? Take us to her."

[RossN]

Adelbert & Elsa

Adelbert went very pale but nodded slowly, trusting the other man knew what he was talking about. Taking a firm grip of the shaft behind the arrowhead he snapped it off as quickly and cleanly as he could manage.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Ludo & Viggo

"We can't get the carts up there," said Baldred, frowning up at the rocks that Ludo had scampered down from. He nodded to Sieghard. "You go, bring her back. Sorin, you stay here. There might still be some of them lurking about."

OOC: Feel free to merge groups in your next post.

1

Adelbert & Elsa

Putting Elsa's hand flat against the ground and holding it there, Skender drew the bloody arrow-shaft out backwards. Adelbert really didn't like the way the bones in her hand seemed to move as it sucked free.

He could hear voices now, coming from over the rocks. It sounded like Baldred and the others had arrived down in the valley.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard set his things down next to one of the carts. He kept his sword sheathed at his side and shield strapped to his back, but put the rest on the ground.

"Keep an eye on that. Don't need the extra weight if I'm carrying her too. Try to make some room for her if you can."

OOC: No merge yet since Sieghard hasn't gone anywhere. He's just waiting on Ludo to lead the way.

[Northern Lad]

Sieghard, Ludo & Viggo

Viggo's eyes widened as he listened to Ludo and the others, taking one last gulp of water he threw the waterskin back onto the cart. Following Sieghard's example he threw the bow and quiver he had acquired alongside his pack of belongings and started to follow Ludo back up slope.

"What happened Ludo, how is she hurt? Where's Adelbert?" He asked the Halfling his voice becoming shrill with excitement once again, "Is he injured too? We saw some chaps fleeing for the village a few minutes ago, did you manage to capture any of them?"

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo lead Sieghard and Viggo over the rise, down to where Adelbert and Skender stood, near the fallen form of Elsa.

ooc: Sorry for brevity, but thought I should connect us before lectures start.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard crouched next to Elsa, looking to see where she was wounded.

"What happened?"

[RossN]

Adelbert

Adelbert looked up wearily as the others appeared. "We didn't manage to surprise them. Elsa took an arrow through her palm and I got hit myself."

He turns slightly, revealing a very nasty looking arrow wound in his left arm.

"One of them is dead but the other two managed to escape. We better get out of here as soon as possible."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Couldn't even handle a few underfed villagers with bows then?"

Sieghard looked at her wounded hand.

"Wrap the wound and I'll carry her back to the carts. Viggo, grab her things."

Ignore the bit about her hand if you already bandaged her up. If that's the case, Sieghard will just pick her up and start making his way back to Baldred.

[RossN]

Adelbert

Adelbert gave the mercenary a murderous look and silently walked off to pick up the weapons the villagers had dropped during the battle.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Lazy bastard..."

Sieghard muttered more to himself than anyone else. He tore a strip of cloth from the end of Elsa's cloak and wrapped it tightly around her wounded hand. He was no healer - about as far from one as possible - but that much he knew.

When he finished and Adelbert had returned, he lifted her and made his way across the rocks back towards Balrdred and the carts.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa squirmed a bit in Sieghard's arms.

"Sir, I swear I didn't meant to kill Theo. Didn't realize he was yielding until it was too late."

Her voice sounded weak and broken.

[LCP]

The man who had been first to flee had left behind just his bow. The man who had surrendered to Skender had left his bow and his knife, a fearsome-looking blade of the kind used by hunters. The dead man yielded a third bow, a similar knife, and a leather quiver with nine arrows still inside. The quiver was decorated with a crude stitch-work image of a dog or a wolf. When Skender saw it he spat superstitiously on the ground.

The dead man had a grubby leather pouch, containing a handful of coins from no common mint. He also had a bronze belt-buckle which, although old and corroded, seemed of much finer workmanship than the rest of his clothes.

OOC: The man's pouch contains [roll0] schillings' worth of coins. The 'knives' are daggers in terms of their stats.

Skender helped get Elsa back to the wagons. When Baldred saw her his face fell.

"Handrich have mercy," he muttered, "how are we going to get her to Last Water now?" He shook his head. "Right," he said, "stick her on the back of Pepin's wagon, somewhere out of sight. Cover her up with a blanket, we don't want them seeing the state she's in." He pointed to Sieghard and the two brothers from the hills. "You three, ride up front with me. And keep your weapons where they can see you've got them."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard found a (mostly) empty spot in the back of one of the carts and did what he could to make Elsa comfortable.

"They're cowards. One lucky arrow doesn't change that."

He gathered his things and took the bow he had taken from the lookout in hand.

"And I'd say we gave 'em a pretty good reason to fear making us mad."

We disarmed the ones we went up against, so the bow Sieghard has is separate from the ones Adelbert just grabbed. Viggo has one too.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Two lucky arrows. Adelbert thought bitterly. His left arm still ached and he felt frighteningly light headed, though obviously his condition was nothing compared to Elsa's

Taking one of the captured bows and slinging the quiver over his shoulder, along with the coins from the bandit's purse Adelbert moved to join the rear of the convoy.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Once back at the carts Viggo deposited Elsa's belongings alongside her. He felt his stomach churning somewhat as he realised how it very well might have been him laying there, bleeding in the back of a cart, rather than her.

Grabbing the bow and quiver he quickly drew an arrow and loosely readied it before joining Adelbert, he cast a concerned eye over the scribe. "Are you ok Adelbert? You don't look so good? What happened up there?" Viggo thought better of regaling the injured man with the tale of his own heroics for now. He didn't think it would be appreciated. "Will she be ok do you think?" He asked nodding in the direction of Elsa's cart.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

"She might lose the hand." Adelbert said tiredly. "As for what happened... it was a fools quest anyway to try and creep unnoticed across open ground. They spotted us and used their bows; when it came to close quarters I killed one, one escaped before we reached them and the last got away before I could cut him down."

The scribe sounds bitter and angry. He flicks his eyes to Viggo and with an effort tries to force a little good humour into his expression and voice. "At least your side escaped injury; did you take prisoners?"

[LCP]

"Ya!" said Sorin with enthusiasm. He was holding a wiry, ragged-looking man in his hairy hands - wrenching the captive around, he brought the fellow staggering around to face Adelbert.

"Put him on the back cart with her," said Baldred, indicating Elsa. "You three - watch him." He pointed to Adelbert, Viggo and Ludo.

"Come on, then," he said, cracking the reins. "Let's not give 'em time to set any more surprises for us."

With a creak and a rattle, the carts started forward once again.

OOC: I'm going to assume you guys take the positions Baldred specified; if not, please say.


~

Turnpike Hollow was a strange village. Sheltered from the desert winds by the great rocky rise at whose base Elsa had been shot, its houses - or hovels, to be more accurate - clung to the steep sides of the valley to either side like barnacles to a ship's hull, hunkering down low among the jagged boulders that scattered either slope. It looked like you'd have to be half mountain goat to live here - half mountain goat and half camel, from the amount of water that was to be seen.

There were no buildings adjacent to the road, but a welcome party was waiting for them all the same. There were thirteen men, of much the same look as the sentries whose ambush they had spoiled. They were variously armed. Five had bows, two had spears; four seemed to have little in the way of weapons. Adelbert recognised one of them as the man who had tried to surrender, from the blood still running from his wounds. Viggo recognised others as the two they had let run from the hilltop.

The last man was shorter than most of the others, but had broad shoulders and a wiry, powerful build. With dusky brown skin and a short black beard, he looked halfway between an Old Worlder and an Arabyan. He had a steel sword and a bronze buckler at his side, and Sieghard immediately noticed that they were of better craftsmanship than a place like this could hope to produce. He stood with his thumbs hooked into his belt, watching them approach.

When the wagons came to a halt, it was the short man who stepped forwards, spreading his arms wide in an expansive gesture of greeting.

“Baldred!” he called out in fluent Reikspiel. “You old dog. How are you doing?”

“All the worse for seeing you, Gautmar,” said Baldred in reply. “Still laying traps for travellers, I see.”

“Ach, if I'd known it was you, my friend, I never would have sent them.”

“Of course you would,”

Gautmar laughed a big belly laugh, then shook his head, taking in a sharp breath through his teeth.

“Bad business, Baldred. I'm hearing one of my lads is dead.” He looked hurt. “You know we only put those boys up there for insurance. Why couldn't you just pay the toll, eh? Then all this could have been avoided.”

“Toll's a nice word for extortion, Gautmar,” said Baldred. “Thought I'd bring a few more hands along this time and maybe get through with more than half my cargo left to me.”

“So I see,” said Gautmar, surveying the two carts with a wary eye. “Who are you, then?”

Baldred looked round, and the party realised that Gautmar was talking to them.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

"Travellers my friend, simply travellers." Adelbert said, coolly looking Gautmar dead in the eye.

The scribe held his captured bow in his right hand and had allowed his tattered cloak to fall over his left arm to disguise the wound he had taken there. Adelbert nodded in the direction of the captive villager. "We have one of your boys as a guest with us. I'm becoming familiar with the local hospitality so returning the favour seems a good idea."

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel


"She might lose the hand."

Viggo paled visibly, traveling with these folk was meant to be safer than heading south alone. I don't bloody feel any safer he fretted.


"Travellers my friend, simply travellers."

Viggo thought it best to let Adelbert answer on his behalf, it seemed to him that this was neither the time nor the place to be promoting his act. Instead he kept his arrow nocked, keeping a steady aim on the short fellow, Gautmar.

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo considered a response of exaggerated toughness- (Ludo *sniff* that's all you need to know.) -but instead kept his dagger drawn and stood back besides Viggo, trusting that the more tough others would get them through this, people like Sieghard and Els-

People like Sorin and Skender.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Only an idiot attacks someone without expecting them to fight back."

He did nothing to hide his contempt as he spoke.

"Count yourself lucky only one of 'em is dead. Could've easily thrown three more from the cliffs for listening to you."

His words were directed as much at the two they had let run as they were at Gautmar.

[LCP]

"The way my lads tell it, it was you who attacked them," called Gautmar in reply. "What's wrong with us keeping a watch on the road, eh? There are dangerous people north of here."

Adelbert couldn't quite place his accent. It certainly wasn't Imperial.

Sorin spat. "You are liar and jackal!" he shouted back. "The Jarl does not raid south. Is nothing here!"

Gautmar laughed. "You see?" he replied. "What would be stopping dangerous savages like this just walking into our village?"

He was craning his neck to one side, trying to get a better look at the rear wagon. "You have got injured of your own, yes? Give us back our man, perhaps Akela can take a look at your wounded."

"And then you'll let us go, is that it?" said Baldred. He sounded like he was far from believing what he was hearing.

Gautmar laughed. "And then we can discuss the toll, Baldred!" he said. "Special discount. Just for you."

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

"That's not how it's going to work 'Gautmar' is it?" Adelbert called out sternly. "You'll be the ones paying us for our troubles. We are after all protecting your friend... and if as you say there are dangerous people around we'll need compensation for risking ourselves."

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Viggo goggled somewhat as Adelbert makes his demand. Viggo was about as experienced at guarding caravans as he was at pointing arrows at folk, but even he could see that they were outnumbered.

Still, he had to admit, Adelbert certainly sounded serious enough.

"Elsa sure could use somebody who knows what they're about taking a look at that hand of hers." He mumbled quietly under his breath. Gods! If they decide to attack, we'll all need 'looking' at! he thought, trying to ignore the flutter in his chest.

[LCP]

Gautmar gave Adelbert a quizzical look. "Where do you find these people, Baldred?"

Stony-faced, Baldred ignored the jibe. "We'll pay you for your healer's time, Gautmar," he replied. "And for your water, and any fresh food you have to offer. But I'm not paying any toll. We rumbled you this time, fair and square."

Gautmar shrugged. "Really? As far as I see it, you are still there..." - he pointed towards the carts - "...when you want to be over there." He pointed behind him. "And here we are."

Baldred shook his head. "You're robbers, not murderers. That's what I reckon. You can fight us here, maybe most likely you'll win. But more likely than that is that not all of you will walk away. Take the easy money, Gautmar. There'll be plenty of people after us who don't know this road so well."

Gautmar held a long silence. He seemed to be thinking about it.

"My lads say you took some of their things," he said at last. "They'll be wanting them back, you know. Bows don't grow on trees." He made an equivocating movement of his head. "Well, technically they do I suppose, but we don't have so many trees round here."

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

"Then perhaps you should train your lads to fight better." Adelbert said. "However, I'm in a good mood. I'll let you buy back your bows."

He paused. "Assuming you have the money for them of course."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo elbowed Adelbert hard in the ribs. "Just give them the bows," he hissed, "don't make this worse."

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel


"Just give them the bows," he hissed, "don't make this worse."

Shooting a glance at Ludo, Viggo took his eye off Gautmar for a brief moment. "They were quick enough to use these bow's against you remember? And Elsa certainly didn't hurt herself shaking hands with these chaps." He spoke up a little louder this time, so that others might hear him.

"I'm not in any hurry to give this back to somebody who might use it against me the moment I do." He sniffed, "Besides, I doubt you'd be so quick to hand me back my belongings if the tables had been reversed. Either way, you'll get this back when I'm certain I wont start sprouting arrows!" Viggo hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

[LCP]

Gautmar looked around at his companions. "Bows down, lads," he said, making a placatory gesture. Those who had arrows nocked to their strings removed them.

"There," he said, turning back to Viggo with an innocent smile and open palms. "Will that suit you?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Just listen to Baldred. If you attack us, you might get the carts, but whether you do or don't, some of your "lads" aren't gonna live to enjoy it. You certainly won't; You'll be the first one we aim for. Might be they'll hold out even when you're bleeding out, but more likely than not they'll break the moment they see you fall. They did easy enough before."

He looked directly at the lookout he had tackled on the cliffs.

"Dirtmouth! I let you live before. Think I'm going to give you mercy a second time? Your life worth throwing away for whatever baubles Baldred's got?"

Turning back to Gautmar, he continued.

"Better to just avoid all that. Treat us fairly and we'll let the one we took free as we're leaving. We haven't hurt him and won't as long as you don't give us reason to. Might even consider giving the bows back as a gift."

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel


"There," he said, turning back to Viggo with an innocent smile and open palms. "Will that suit you?"

Viggo sniffed loudly, he'd learned quickly not to trust strangers on face value since leaving The Show. He kept his bow raised.


"Better to just avoid all that. Treat us fairly and we'll let the one we took free as we're leaving. We haven't hurt him and won't as long as you don't give us reason to. Might even consider giving the bows back as a gift."

"What he said." Viggo breathed a little easier now that Sieghard had spoken up. For some reason unbeknown to Viggo, he was starting to appreciate Sieghard's own unique brand of earthiness a little more. It has it's uses that's for sure!

[LCP]

Behind Sieghard, Sorin and Skender did their best to make themselves look big and angry. It didn't take much work.

"Alright!" said Gautmar, holding up his hands. It was clear that the men behind him were in no mood to fight. "Alright, have it your way. No toll." He smiled. "Now, do you want to see Akela or not?"

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

For the first time in a long while a flicker of relief passed across Adelbert's face and he lowered the bow. "It's true we have a wounded woman who needs to see needs to see your healer. We can move her, but she's hurt badly enough I'd rather not take her far."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Aye, we'll see your healer. No tricks though."

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Viggo let out an audible sigh of relief, he had felt very uncomfortable during the stand off. He'd taken aim at folk before of course, as part of his knife throwing routine, but always with the intention of missing.

Taking his lead from Adelbert he lowered his bow and placed the arrow back in its quiver. Viggo made himself useful by keeping a close eye on the lad they were holding captive.

"No making a dash for it now, you hear?" Viggo told him "My rock chewing friend over there gets very angry if he's messed about!" he added nodding in Sieghard's direction.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard glared at Viggo momentarily before walking to where Baldred was standing, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like a threat to force Viggo to eat a rock.

"Bit of advice for you Baldred. If you're trying to keep someone from attacking you, saying "most likely you'll win" is a pretty terrible way to start."

He glanced back towards Gautmar.

"Men like him don't care what happens to us or even to his own men, but did you see how quick he changed his mind when it was his hide being threatened? Best way get someone like him to back down is to convince him just how costly it's gonna be even if he does win."

[LCP]

Baldred shot Sieghard a dirty look, and muttered through gritted teeth:

"The day I need advice from you on how to deal with men like Gautmar is the day that one kills an orc."

He gave Viggo a meaningful glance, then swung himself down from the wagon, his boots thudding hard against the ground. Taking a twitchy look over his shoulder at Gautmar and his welcoming party, he looked briefly back to Sieghard.

"Gautmar's one man," he hissed. "It's not what he thinks I'm worried about. It's whether the men behind him will do what he says."

That was clearly enough; he didn't want their whispered conversation to become too conspicuous. Turning around, he gestured conspicuously to his other hirelings.

"Alright!" he shouted. "Let's move these carts through. You lot, make a lane." He waved a hand in the villagers' direction to tell them to get out of the road. "Sorin, Skender, get the girl down here. Their man too."

1

Elsa Only

Elsa was dreaming of dead men.

They rode dead horses through the waste, the dry ground as grey and brittle as ash. Dead trees sheltered them from the white sun, and dead brush cracked and fell to powder under their horses' hooves.

They were hunting her, like her family had used to hunt boar and fox in the Reikwald. She knew this as she scrambled through the dead undergrowth, searching for a place to hide. The huntsmen had no breath to sound their horns, but they were hunting nonetheless. Her hand throbbed with pain every time she touched the ground.

Crouching behind a withered tree-root, she could recognise the dead. There was Gant, the old man from Elmridge - his head hung from a scrap of bloody cartilage, dangling behind his shoulders like the hood of a grotesque cloak. There was the man Adelbert had killed on the rocks, the scribe's cheap sword still lodged in his head. And there was Theo, all bones and burnt skin, crackling when he moved. The dead apprentice's blackened skull grinned like a carnival fool, eyeless sockets panning left and right in search of his quarry.

Behind them rode others. The dead hunters were beyond counting, a pale tide creeping across the landscape. Despite their numbers, though, they hunted with just one hound. Tall as a wolf, it was sleek and elegant, its short fur black as jet. Long ears rose straight up from its streamlined skull, and its narrow snout turned this way and that as it searched for Elsa's scent.

For just a moment, their eyes met. The hound's eyes were red as blood. Holding her gaze for a long moment or two, it threw back its head and let out a low, mournful howl.

A shadow covered the sun.

1

Akela was an old woman, lean and tanned as leather. Her dark hair was pinned back in a tight bun over the back of her skull, and she viewed the approach of Gautmar and the newcomers with a wary kind of superiority.

"What are you bringing me now, Gautmar afand?" she asked. Like Gautmar, her accent was strange - in this woman's case, however, it was far more pronounced. Adelbert could not place it at all. "You have my sons shooting at strangers again?"

Gautmar nodded, giving a shrug and a rascally grin. "An unfortunate misunderstanding, Akela. One of them is hurt, so we bring her to you. Then they will let our friend Kashto free."

The prisoner sandwiched between Sorin and Sieghard looked sheepish at the mention of his name. Akela sniffed.

"Kashto lives. His brother Nahab is dead." She looked up at the sky. "I felt him fall."

"Saw him, more like," said Baldred, under his breath. Akela's hut was high on the slope - she would indeed have had a good view of the skirmish on the rocks.

"Which of these slew him?" she said, her eyes returning to the party with renewed fierceness at Baldred's muttering. "What price will they pay?"

"Business first, Akela," said Gautmar, stepping forwards and putting a gentle hand on the old woman's shoulder. "They are our guests."

She sniffed again, turning and stepping into the shade of her hut. The door was screened by nothing more than a curtain of rags. Gautmar gestured for them to follow. As Adelbert stepped forwards, Gautmar put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry yourself about her 'sons', friend," he said, with the toothy smile that was rapidly starting to grate. "She calls everyone in the village that, hey?"


~

Inside, Akela rapidly turned the interior of the hut into an eye-stinging fog of smoke. A small copper cauldron was boiling furiously over a scented fire, and to this she added all manner of dry leaves and grasses until it had boiled dry.

Removing the pot from the fire, she began scraping the greenish sediment from the bottom, mumbling all the while. Grinding it fine with a mortar and pestle, she added other powders that Adelbert could not recognise, along with a rancid dollop of animal fat. Kneading the whole into a foul-smelling jelly, she wrapped it in a wad of dirty cloth and pointed an imperious finger at Elsa's senseless body.

"Hold out her hand."

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert looked a shade paler at Akela's words but said nothing. He did however stiffly hide his own wound further under cloak, reluctant for the moment to reveal further weakness.

"Do your village have any shrines to gods Gautmar?" The scribe said, thinking of the last village they had been too and wondering just what this hamlet of cuthroats and rogues followed.

He did not linger long for the reply; though he was interested he had to see to Elsa. Taking his place inside the hut he held outElsa's hand as instructed, trying not to wince at the obvious damage.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa

The smoke inside the tent made Elsa cough, but she remained in an uneasy torpor. Her swirling red tattoos stood out more starkly than ever on her ashen, sweat-drenched face. Her gloved fingers were clenched, but started to relax when Adelbert grabbed her by the wrist.

"He knew the risks," she rasped. "He thought he was being brave. It's his own damn fault he died."


OOC
Elsa is referring to Theo, but here it's very much open to misinterpretation. :smallwink:

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Made of sterner stuff than Gautmar, I'd wager, Sieghard thought, trying to size the old woman up.

Only the fact that Akela had yet to treat Elsa's wound made Sieghard hold his tongue at the mention of a price for slaying the man. Their price was ignoring the fact that they had been attacked and passing through peacefully.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Viggo hesitated following his companions into the hut and immediately regretted it once he had. His nose twitched at the stench and his stomach heaved uncomfortably.

Oh this is not good! He thought to himself, A Witch to heal a Witch? This can only end badly! Viggo felt a little guilty thinking of Elsa in those terms, but what else did one call a tattooed lady who threw spells about but a Witch?

Keeping as close to the entrance as he could Viggo made a quick sign to ward off evil spirits, hoping that everybody else was too busy with Elsa to notice.

[LCP]

"Do your village have any shrines to gods Gautmar?"

Gautmar cocked his head at Adelbert like a curious bird.

"Yes," he said. "It does." He pointed across to the other side of the valley, where a few more huts scattered the opposite slope. If he squinted, Adelbert could just make out what might have been a free-standing stone pillar on its crest. It looked to be leaning rather badly to one side.

Inside, Akela nodded as Adelbert held out Elsa's hand. Pressing the rancid poultice down over the injury, she bandaged it tightly in place, muttering as she did. The scribe couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the smell.

"Leave this in place," she said, straightening her spine and standing back when she was satisfied. "It will itch and burn, but she must not remove it until its work is done."

Gautmar looked round at Sorin and Sieghard. "Our end of the bargain's done, friends. It is time to let poor Kashto go."

OOC: Heal test vs. 57: [roll0]
If successful, the use of the healing poultice allows her to heal 1d10 wounds, despite Elsa's Heavily Injured condition: [roll1]

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert let his cloak fall aside, revealing the nasty wound to his left arm. "I am also injured Frau Akela. It is true Elsa is... was... the worse of but I need your skill too.""

[LCP]

Gautmar looked at Akela, and Akela looked at Gautmar.

"Her hand, that's payment for Kashto," said Gautmar. "What'll you give for your arm?"

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

"Kashto... with both his arms." Adelbert replied, looking Gautmar in the eye. He didn't smile.

[LCP]

"And violate your word of honour?" said Gautmar, feigning horror. He grinned. "Sorry, friend. You bluff with no cards."

Akela didn't seem so amused. She surveyed the group over her hawk-like nose.

"Which of you killed Nahab?" she asked.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

"I never gave my word." Adelbert said. This time he did smile, but there was no humour to it.

He turned to the healer, expression stern. "Nahab fell to my blade and you shall have no apology for that. He and his comrades sent their arrows at us and nearly killed my friend."

[LCP]

Akela didn't seem impressed.

"Who is in charge here, Baldred?" asked Gautmar. He spread his hands in a questioning pose. "This man, or you?"

"I am," snapped Baldred. Akela wasn't paying attention to him.

"You will bury Nahab," she said to Adelbert. "You will bury him on the hill, to show you mean us no more harm."

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

A long pause in which Adelbert paid attention to neither Baldred nor Gautmar.

Finally: "I will bury him... if you heal my arm."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo hovered in the entrance to the hut, shifting from foot to foot. He'd sheathed his dagger, but still couldn't help feeling like nobody trusted him.

"Is Elsa going to be alright?" he asked hopefully, interjecting into the argument.

[LCP]

"That is for the gods to decide," said Akela. She glanced superstitiously towards the ceiling and touched something that hung around her neck, under her clothes. "I have done what I can."

She gave Adelbert a hard look, and nodded. "Very well," she said. "This we will do." Gautmar looked dissatisfied, but said nothing. He looked towards Kashto the captive.

"Let him go," said Baldred. Sorin let go his grip - that just left Sieghard.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

The slightest flicker of relief passed across Adelbert's face. He nodded slowly, before turning to the others in the group: "We'll go back and get Nahab's body. I'll probably need help carrying him back though."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Reluctantly, Sieghard released his grip and gave their captive a small push forward. He had agreed to release the man when they left and didn't like losing their prisoner any sooner. He didn't trust Gautmar not to backstab them without that bit of leverage.

"There. Now treat his wounds."

[LCP]

Akela sniffed, and turned away. Fishing among the junk that seemed to clutter every surface inside the smoky hut, she produced a spool of thread and bone needle.

"Sit," she commanded Adelbert. Licking the end of the thread, she began to thread the needle. "Hold still."

Placing a hand on Baldred's arm, Gautmar turned towards the door. "A moment of your time, friend Baldred" he murmured.

Baldred nodded, and made the slightest motion in Sorin's direction. The tribesman followed them outside, along with Kashto.

OOC: Heal check on Adelbert: [roll0]
If successful, she restores 1 wound.
EDIT: She does.

Does anyone have any more business they want to carry out in Turnpike Hollow? If so, go ahead; if not, let me know and I can make a big post that advances things a fair way.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Viggo couldn't help but notice the irony and despite his best intentions he found himself muttering under his breath, "You lot set up an ambush with the intention of robbing us, fill us full of arrows, nearly kill Elsabeth and then say we must prove that we mean you no harm?" he shook his head ruefully.

Although he wasn't invited Viggo longed to escape the dim, smoke filled hut and so he took his opportunity and followed Sorin outside as he left.

[LCP]

Adelbert didn't feel much better, but Akela's stitches and a quickly-applied bandage seemed to have stopped the bleeding at least. Elsa too seemed to be breathing a little more steadily.

When they emerged from the hut, Baldred and Gautmar seemed to have made some kind of deal. Ludo saw the glint of coins changing hands – not too many – before their employer turned away.

“Sorin,” he said, “go down to the carts and get our water cask. You can refill it at the stream.” He pointed to Viggo. “Take that one with you, you'll need help carrying it when it's full. Halfling,” he said, looking at Ludo, “Gautmar here's agreed to slaughter one of his goats for our stores. Make sure they give us a fat one, not all skin and bones.”

Pausing, he looked at Adelbert. “You've got a promise to make good on,” he said. “Might need some help to carry that body up there, so you'll go with him,” he said, patting Sieghard on the shoulder. “Skender, Pepin and myself'll stay with the carts.” So that nothing gets stolen was the unspoken implication.

Parting with the villagers in uneasy silence, they set about their various tasks.

1
The crest of the ridge that separated Turnpike Hollow from the desert was windblown and dusty. The earth there was baked hard and dry as a bone, littered with gravel and loose stones. The shovel Adelbert had been given clinked as it dug only a few inches into its surface.

The body of the dead man lay behind him, staring sightlessly up at the sun. The blood that had streamed down over his face had dried into dark, crusty streaks, making the whites of his eyes stand out all the more starkly. It was him, Sieghard and the dead man on the top of the hill, and Sieghard seemed more concerned with rolling up the rope he had retrieved than with helping to dig. Akela had asked Adelbert, after all.

This was the village's graveyard. The graves were shallow affairs, covered over with mounds of grey stones to keep out the scavenging carrion birds. Two buzzards were already wheeling overhead, waiting patiently while Adelbert dug. The sun beat down on the back of his neck, and before the grave was even half dug he had exhausted the water in his skin. It was alright, he comforted himself. Sorin had been sent for more.

The scattered grave mounds were dominated by the stone obelisk he had seen from Akela's hut. Leaning at a precarious angle, it had been sandblasted by the wind until all fine detail was obliterated. Nonetheless, it had the hallmark of craftsmanship superior to any of the mud-brick hovels down below. Adelbert suspected it had not been made by Turnpike men. From the look of it, it might have been standing long before the village was ever built. There were the eroded traces of strange, vertically-arranged lines of characters on its eastward side, where it was most sheltered from the wind. At the very top, it had worn-down stubs of sculpture that were vaguely reminiscent of the ears and muzzle of a hound.

When the pit was deep enough to accommodate a body, Adelbert dragged the sorry corpse of Nahab into his dusty grave. Piling up stones to cover the man, he left the shovel leaning against a rock and headed back down the slope, dusty and exhausted. High above, the buzzards shrieked their displeasure.

1
The best part of the day had passed by the time Adelbert came trudging back down the slope. The carts were ready to leave, however: it was clear Baldred wasn't about to trust in Gautmar's hospitality.

Elsa was carried back down from Akela's hut between Sorin and Skender. She had been given water, and was now beginning to regain consciousness. Dumped unceremoniously onto the back of the second cart, she murmured something about duels.

Sieghard had got his rope, and the members of the party had not been challenged about their stolen bows. Perhaps the Turnpike men were willing to let it slide; perhaps they just had not got around to insisting on their return yet. Baldred wasn't about to give them a chance. With a crack of the reins, and a fearsome glower at the few scrawny souls watching them from the rocks, the caravan got under way.

“Well,” said Baldred. “That wasn't so bad.”

There was a long silence.

“Not great,” he said, “but not so bad. Still got all our cargo, after all.” He allowed himself the smallest smile of satisfaction. “And next time... well, next time maybe old Gautmar will think twice before he sends his boys to ambush us.”


~

That night they made camp in the shelter of a hummock at the edge of the waste, roasting the better parts of Gautmar's goat. Sorin and Skender took it in turns to keep a careful watch while the others ate, making sure no Turnpike men were creeping up from behind.

“See over there?” said Skender, chewing on a greasy bone. He was pointing east, where the sky was growing dark. There huge crags could be seen jutting up from the low hills around them, rocky faces burning orange and scarlet with the reflected sunset. “Those are the Giant's Teeth. Keep good watch after sunset, hey?” He laughed and clapped Viggo on the back, a little too hard. “Is goblins up there. And worse things, yes.” He grinned at Elsa, who by now was fully conscious once again. "Maybe they are smelling blood tonight."

As Viggo watched, the crags were slipping from view, fading into the dark.

OOC: Pausing here because there are a lot of places where people may want to make time-split responses. Once I have a go-ahead from everyone I will continue. I assume the order of watch is still the same.

Everyone receives 100XP for their adventures with Kelda & Gautmar. Elsa receives a bonus 50 for her magic show in the hills; Sieghard receives a bonus 100 for leading a very successful ambush party and subsequently intimidating Gautmar into backing down.

[-Sentinel-]

Leaving Turnpike Hollow

“And next time... well, next time maybe old Gautmar will think twice before he sends his boys to ambush us,” were the first words Elsa heard when she regained consciousness in the wagon.

"Uh. What?" Elsa sat upright, giving her bandaged hand a surprised look. "You mean we let them get away with it?" She blinked slowly. "What did I miss?"

She tried to flex her fingers. It sent a lance of pain up to her elbow, but at least there was movement.

1

At the camp

Elsa shrugged, unconcerned. "My master fought goblins in his youth. Says they're afraid of their own shadows."

Despite her pain and her weakness, she almost itched for another fight to make up for her poor contribution to the previous one. She reached for her bottle of brandy and took several gulps to dull the throbbing in her hand. After losing so much blood, it would not take all that much alcohol for her head to start spinning.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

At Nahab's grave Adelbert whispered an old Reman shepards prayer to Morr he'd translated from the Classical. It seemed suitable to these bleak occasions.

The scribe felt mixed feelings. On the one hand he wasn't sorry he'd killed the young man - it had been pitched battle in which he had been gravely wounded, and Elsa nearly killed. On the other now that the ardour of battle had faded away he felt empty... triumph had vanished as easily as pity.

1

Exhausted, both mentally and physically Adelbert had little energy for conversation at the camp, though he did shoot the Giant's Teeth a wary glance before turning his attention back to his book. He'd memorised the marks on the strange monument in Turnpike Hollow and as they settled down he'd inked them down. He was a trained calligrapher and was reasonably certain he had the glyphs printed down correctly... even if any meaning eluded him.

With a sigh he wrote down 'Connection to Nahorek?' and 'Sculpture had hound like aspects' in the margins of journal, along with a crude drawing of the monument - he was alas no artist.

He waited for the ink to dry before closing his journal and turned to Viggo, smiling tiredly. "So any stories about goblin slaying to get us in the mood?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

(At the grave, before the digging is finished)

Sieghard tucked his rope back into his pack and looked down at the body.

"He the one who shot you? Or Elsa?"

1

(At the camp)

"Depends on how many of 'em there are. They're a bit braver when they have numbers. Not much, but a bit. Damn bastards always have numbers..."

Sieghard walked over to where Sorin and Skender were and pulled a wine bottle from his pack. He held the bottle out, offering it to the brothers.

"Got something to warm this in? It's yours if you like it."

Looking at Sorin specifically, he added.

"For what you did back on the rocks."

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Leaving Turnpike Hollow


“And next time... well, next time maybe old Gautmar will think twice before he sends his boys to ambush us.”

"Now see here Baldred, I think it's only right you give me my twelve Schillings back now, don't you?" Viggo's voice raised in pitch, stopping just short of an outright whine. "You might not want to pay me for guarding your carts, but I don't want to pay for that privilege either. You might think I'm next to useless but I played my part back there, just ask Sieghard and Sorin."

1

Camp

Viggo did his best not to seem rattled at the mention of Goblins. Hopefully it was just Sorin teasing him, either way Viggo kept an eye on the distant crags until the night completely hid them from view.


"So any stories about goblin slaying to get us in the mood?"

"I know plenty," Viggo nodded and stroked his wisp of a moustache, preening slightly somewhat at being asked. "Used to scare my little brother half to death with this one!"

He launched into a gruesome tale which involved a heroic struggle to rescue a maiden from a band of savage Night Goblins. It ended badly for the young gallant, who ended up in the cooking pot beside his maiden fair. Only as he was finishing the tale with a vivid description of gnawing on bones complete with accompanying lip smacking did he realise that perhaps a story with a happier ending may have been more appropriate.

[LeSwordfish]

For most of the rest of the journey, Ludo trudged alongside the cart, keeping Stoutheart away from the goat carcass.

He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to arrive home mere weeks after leaving, with less money and nothing to show for it except a few more bruises. It would be nice to wander into town with a mercenary and a wizard, but it was hardly riding through with a wagon of gold and reclaimed artefacts of arcane power and mystery.

Later, while the group was camped, Ludo lifted Stoutheart onto his lap and scratched the small dog behind his ears.

I can't do this again, He thought. I can't run away from home again. When i get home, i'm staying there.

Stoutheart whined. Ludo knew how he felt.

[LCP]

Leaving Turnpike


"Now see here Baldred, I think it's only right you give me my twelve Schillings back now, don't you?" Viggo's voice raised in pitch, stopping just short of an outright whine. "You might not want to pay me for guarding your carts, but I don't want to pay for that privilege either. You might think I'm next to useless but I played my part back there, just ask Sieghard and Sorin."

Baldred treated Viggo to a deadpan stare.

“Fair enough,” he said at last. He looked back at Elsa. “But I'm not paying wages for an invalid to guard my goods. You can ride for free, but from here on neither of you takes any coin from me.”

1

Making Camp

Sorin made an appreciative face at Sieghard's offer of the wine. Rummaging in his pack, he produced a battered and none-too-clean-looking iron pot, in which the wine was soon simmering over their fire. It had a smoky, spicy taste that made Sieghard cough at first – but it was difficult to deny that it was good stuff. Between the three of them, they finished it quickly. With the brothers' tongues loosened, Sorin was soon singing Sieghard's praises, telling the story of their flawless ambush of the Turnpike men on their side of the road.

“Their faces!” he laughed. “Like frightened children. The jackals were wetting themselves!”

Soon enough, however, the cold of the desert night drowned the warmth of the wine. When Viggo had concluded his greenskin tale, the travellers retreated into their tents.

1

Elsa Only

Elsa continued to have troubled dreams. The throbbing pain of her hand and the burning itch of the wise woman's salve kept her from sleeping deeply, but whenever she did manage to close her eyes, the images came swirling through her head like dust down a draughty corridor. There was fire, and heat, and the restless tramp of dead feet. Twice she woke to the sudden memory of the falling star, slicing its incandescent trail across the inside of her eyelids.

1

Konigstag, 13th Nachexen

They woke early the next day, and Baldred soon had them underway. Licking a finger, he held it up to test the wind. It was in the north.

“Let's get moving while this lasts,” he said. “We're not safe yet.”

The desert road lived up to its name. To the east, the Pale Waste stretched out, vast, featureless, and baking in the sun. Eddies of whitish sand blew across the road, getting into the travellers' eyes and mouths and making their clothes chafe.

“You drink from this cask only,” Baldred said early in the morning, thumping the one they had refilled in Turnpike, “and you go steady, understand me? The second cask is for emergencies.” He wouldn't say what those emergencies were.

Around noon, they came across a place where the dunes had shifted over the road. The mules struggled to pull the carts across the slipping sand, and soon the wheels were digging themselves a half-width deep. It took all their combined efforts to push the carts across, and by the time they had finished they were exhausted and parched. The sweat seemed to dry from their clothes as quickly as it soaked them, and the rations of water that Baldred doled out seemed miserably little.

The wind had been becoming feebler and more uncertain throughout the day, and Baldred tested it once or twice more as the afternoon wore on. He said nothing, but his face seemed worried, and he drove the mules faster. Looking for shelter, Viggo was reliably informed by Pepin.

It was when they crested the ridge of the next low rise that they saw it. Out on the western horizon, over the open waste of sand, the outlines of buildings could just be seen. Beneath them a great lake of silver-white water shone in the sunlight, its surface as still as a pond on a summer's day. Its banks seemed to ripple and change in the heat haze, not holding to any firm outline.

Pepin stared at the apparition, shading his eyes. “Quelle merveille...” he murmured under his breath.