[WFRP] The Bloody Crown IX

[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?554407-WFRP-The-Bloody-Crown-OOC-IX)



Narcisa


"You have to go. Look, I'm from Savonne. The Tilean thug stole our food, emptied our warehouses. All part of his sword measuring contest with the Bretonnian and the Norscan. People like them don't care about people like us, and neither do the scum filling their ranks. They come here the absolute best you can look for is a broken jaw - and still see them steal everything and burn the rest. Believe me I've seen looters and they are not pretty..." She took a deep breath, then glanced meaningfully at the two young women before flicking her green eyes back to Stojan. "...But your daughters are."

No-one had anything smart to say in response to Narcisa's point. The farmer and his wife looked at one another while the farm-hands shifted uneasily.

"Jovan," the farmer said to one of the younger men, "run up to the old stone and see if you can see anyone coming. The rest of you, pack a bag, quick now." He gave Narcisa a hard look. "If they're coming, we'll head north and lie low 'til they pass us by. After we lock everything up, of course." He seemed very convinced that Narcisa might be trying to rob him. "You'd best be on your way, miss. I'm sure the people up at Obrad's farm and Rockcross need warning too."


Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa


"You have fields that come harvest will feed Alvarr and the murderous savages he's allied with," Sieghard replied. "Cooperate and I'll allow you a few minutes to gather a bit of food for yourselves - Enough for a few days, anyways. The rest will be burned."

The peasant woman looked devastated, but her husband pulled her away before she could stammer out any words. He clearly understood they were in no position to refuse; throwing together what little they could carry on their backs, the small family scuttled out the door even as the Thorns began the systematic looting of their little farm.

"Come on," Ludo heard the father saying, keeping his voice low as they passed the soldiers by. "We'll head for the river. Quickly now."

Some of the Thorns watched them go. Sieghard could tell from the look on Hanna's face that she wasn't entirely at ease with what they were doing.

Elsa Only

What kind of... plumage... does he wear? Is his meat all stringy muscle, or all soft fat?

Too ripe to tell, was Morrslieb's reply. Hanging here too long, feathers spoiled with rot. Maybe fine once, good colours. Early crows eat the fat, eat the eyes. Again he sounded disappointed. Ribs all open. Early crows ate all the good insides too.

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo was unable to meet the eyes of the family as they left, instead turning away to help capture the pigs.

[RossN]

Narcisa

Narcisa didn't feel particularly proud of herself but she did feel a flicker of relief. "Which direction are those other two farms - and the next closest after that?"

[LCP]

Narcisa

"Obrad's is that way," said one of the labourers, pointing along a narrower track that ran south-east from the farm. If Narcisa's sense of direction held then it probably led into the path of Sieghard and the Thorns. "Rockcross just a mile or two east from here, and you can't go a mile more from Rockcross without hittin' someone else's land."

[RossN]

Narcisa

Narcisa nodded in thanks. "Ranald the Protector watch over you and keep you hidden."

Mentally writing off the unfortunate Obard farm she turned and loped towards Rockcross. At least she wouldn't have to feign being out of breath this time!

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa only

A local guildmaster or politician, Elsa surmised. Someone who had objected to the Norscans taking over the town. His exact identity was of little consequence now. What she needed to know was where Rorik's main forces were stationed.

Take what food or rest you need, she instructed her bird. When you're ready, go north until you find a large rock nest.

[LCP]

Narcisa

The farmhand’s words proved true, and on her path to Rockcross Narcisa passed by two small farmsteads where she could pass on her warning. Rockcross itself was a hamlet of a dozen or so homes, clinging to the side of a rocky hillock. Tracks converged on it from several directions, meeting at a dusty market square with a well and a drinking-trough for animals. An open-air shrine stood at the top of the settlement’s single street, carved wooden figures of the gods looking down over a weather-worn offering stone.

The elevated position helped Narcisa make her case – from up on their little hill, the people of Rockcross could already see the trails of smoke rising from the countryside to the south. One of the villagers suggested heading for Selsan for safety, and the others seemed to agree.

Sitting on a rock to rest her aching feet, Narcisa watched as they scrambled to fill up handcarts with their belongings, rounding up their herds for the journey east. She felt she’d picked up a good lead over Sieghard’s company already; she wouldn’t have to go much further to stay ahead of them. More than that, her thief’s instincts were itching. The farmer had been right, these people were leaving their homes unattended on her word. If the odd thing went missing, who was to say whether it had been her or the soldiers?

OOC: Two questions:
1. Does Narcisa feel like any pilfering once the people are gone?
2. Is Narcisa going to return to the camp to sleep or is she going to stay out on her own? If the latter what’s she doing for shelter?

Also, I’m starting with fine detail to give a feeling for the raiding, but I’m going to accelerate to multi-day jumps pretty soon. Can you give me 1 Charm test per day for the next 6 days for Narcisa’s convincing?

The more people she successfully convinces to pack up and leave, the more news will spread throughout the Downlands of what’s happening, so you can get a +10 modifier to the test for each 3 successes you’ve already achieved. Today’s counts as the first.


Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

The pigs proved a little more troublesome to wrangle than poultry. Once they had been herded out onto the track and the Thorns had finished going over the farm for everything that could be carried away, Sieghard watched as the house and fields were torched. The growing barley took a while to catch, but catch it did, twisting ribbons of smoky fire eating their way across the field.

As the afternoon turned to evening, the Thorns headed back west, looking for signs of the halberdiers. Norten’s men seemed to have made less progress than they had, but it looked like they had found a bigger place to loot. A large farmhouse in a circle of smaller cottages, its surrounding fields had already been trampled and burned. The buildings themselves looked mercifully abandoned – Narcisa had evidently done her work here.

Nat and Norten’s men were gathered round the north side of the farm, sitting around a burning barn as if it were a bonfire. The doors collapsed in a plume of cinders, and the men raised flasks and cups to cheer. Looking round as Sieghard approached, Norten offered up a big clay jug.

“Slayer! Look what we found.” Taking the jug, Sieghard gave it a sniff, catching a strong smell of apples and alcohol. “Big cellar under the house. Must be last year’s batch.”

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he motioned back towards the farmhouse.

“This place is a bit too comfy for us to go sleepin’ in tents tonight, I reckon. Stay the night, burn it down in the morning.”



Festag, 21st Pflugzeit

Elsa Only
The next morning, Elsa renewed her contact with Morrslieb. The raven was already flying over the Uplands, searching the hilly green country for signs of Rorik and his army. A well-trodden road ran north from Putbad to Bunthafen, so Morrslieb followed its course. He said he saw more sheep than people – whether that was the natural state of the Uplands, or whether the locals were in hiding, Elsa didn’t know.

About an hour later, the bird burst in on Elsa’s thoughts again. Found them! Gold-hair and many furry men! Outside the rock-nest, many many men.

Interrogating her familiar to make sure it was Bunthafen he had found, Elsa had him pass over the site several times, gathering as much second-hand information as she could. There were men inside the fort, Morrslieb said, men wearing bright colours quite unlike Rorik’s. From what the raven saw, it sounded like some of Groz’s men were still holding out.

[-Sentinel-]

20th Pflugzeit

Elsa politely declined the cider. "If it were me abandoning my house to raiders, I'd dump all my rat poison in the food and drink I leave behind. And then I'd piss in it for good measure."



21st Pflugzeit

In the morning, Elsa relayed Morrslieb's observations to Sieghard. "Some of Groz's forces in Bunthafen are still holding out against a Norscan siege. Do you think we can spare someone to bring word to Sforza? I'd like to keep Morrslieb in Bunthafen for now."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

20th Pflugzeit

Sieghard gave Elsa a dirty look then sniffed the jug again. "Doesn't smell like piss to me," he said, taking a cup and pouring some cider for himself. Taking a drink and turning back to Norten, he said "Sounds like a good idea. Was there any trouble from the farmers?"

I'm also skeptical about rat poison being something readily available in-universe.



21st Pflugzeit

"Use one of Al-Makir's runners," he replied. "It's what they're with us for."

"Do we know anything about their numbers? Or how the defenders fare?"

[RossN]

Narcisa

Narcisa felt bad about it but in the end her survival instincts were too strong. Better it end up in her purse than in the loot of Sforza's soldiers. After she was sure the locals had departed she snuck into a few of the vacated houses on the off chance there was something worth taking.

A rumble in her stomach reminded her she hadn't eaten. if there was any food left she'd grap a bite to eat and make her way to the next hamlet. Otherwise she'd have to return to the camp to rest and eat.

OOC:
Charm Test #1: [roll0]
Charm Test #2: [roll1]
Charm Test #3: [roll2]
Charm Test #4: [roll3]
Charm Test #5: [roll4]
Charm Test #6: [roll5]

Pillaging Search test: [roll6] vs. 38

Narcisa isn't going to stay out if she can't find food. If she can and her lead is big enough she'll take shelter in an abandoned building. Otherwise she'll reluctantly turn back.

Edit: wow... those are seriously bad rolls. :smalleek:

[LCP]

20th Pflugzeit

Narcisa

The villagers had taken the more portable foodstuffs with them, but there was only so much one person could carry. Poking through their abandoned larders, she found a cask of smoked pork and a heavy wheel of cheese. Cutting a hefty wedge with her knife, she sat down to a feast for one.

Once her stomach had stopped rumbling, she looked around the empty hamlet for anything of more lasting value. The people here hadn't left much of value behind - here a ball of wool yarn, there a copper kettle that would probably have fetched a few coins back in the city. A clay bottle of some strong-smelling liquor, a set of pewter spoons; nothing more.

Stooping under the lintel of the cottage on her way out, she noticed a canine tooth dangling on a cord over the threshold. The locals had already been trying to keep death from their door - perhaps Narcisa was the best answer Morr's jackal could provide to their prayers.

OOC: Those Charm checks are daily so you have Fortune Points to spend on each of them if you want.



Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

Norten gave Elsa a sideways look. He seemed to think better of talking back to the Captain's wizard, and just took a long, pointed swig from the jug instead.

"No-one here to give trouble," he answered Sieghard, stifling a belch. "They'd all upped sticks before we got here. Definitely makes things easier when folk clear out in advance." He raised the jug to Sieghard in a mock toast. "Would say it's like taking toys from children, but even children fight back. A man could get used to work this easy."

OOC: I've opened with a detailed look at the looting, but I'd like to take things several days at a time pretty soon; the main piece of information I'm missing is what Elsa will be doing with Morrslieb. If you could give me a plan for him that spans the next week or so it'd be very useful.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa, Sieghard and Ludo


"Do we know anything about their numbers? Or how the defenders fare?"

"Morrslieb tells me that the besiegers are many, and the defenders are few." Elsa sounded apologetic about the vagueness of her answer. "The raven mind has little use for large numbers."



"Would say it's like taking toys from children, but even children fight back. A man could get used to work this easy."
A look of disgust flashed across Elsa's face before she could conceal it. "Well, don't get used to it. Once peace has returned, we'll hang anyone who does what we're doing right now," she said coolly.

She gave Morrslieb her next instructions: Remain in the area and keep an eye on the siege. If the men in furs enter the stone nest, or if they leave the place, I want to know about it.

She sat down to pen a letter describing Morrslieb's observations both in Putbad and Bunthafen.


OOC
Morrslieb is to stay in Bunthafen and report on the siege until Rorik's forces head west again.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"If you'd rather face Alvarr and his savages with full bellies and high spirits, you're welcome to ride back to Savonne and try it," Sieghard said, scowling. He didn't care for their orders or Norten's comments any more than Elsa did, but her own weren't helping.

[LeSwordfish]

"Bunthafen's the fortress, right?" Ludo asked. "I wonder if there's a way to get some of this food there."

[RossN]

Narcisa

The bottle went with her, though Narcisa didn't taste the liquor herself. She'd sell it to some thirsty soldier. The spoons and kettle likewise entered her napsack.

She was glad to leave, even with her hunger sated and her feet no longer sore. There wasn't a thief born who wasn't a little superstitious and the Jackal's tooth gave her the shivers. After she crossed the lintel she made the sign of Ranald just in case. Then it was on with her mission.

OOC:
FP re-rolls:

Charm Test #1: [roll0]
Charm Test #2: [roll1]
Charm Test #3: [roll2]
Charm Test #4: [roll3]
Charm Test #6: [roll4]

Narcisa will mostly stick to her no-nonesense story.

[-Sentinel-]

"If you'd rather face Alvarr and his savages with full bellies and high spirits, you're welcome to ride back to Savonne and try it," offered Sieghard, earning himself a scowl from Elsa.

"Oh, I know why we're doing this. Doesn't mean any of us should grow to like it."


"Bunthafen's the fortress, right? I wonder if there's a way to get some of this food there."

Elsa snorted. "Not unless you can get a trebuchet within two hundred yards of the city. They're on their own."

[LeSwordfish]

"They must have some kind of passageway or something." Ludo said, unpeterbed in a way that made Elsa suspect his mind was elsewhere. "Every impregnable fortress needs one."

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

"The new lads might know if there is," said Norten. "Want I should ask 'em?"

[-Sentinel-]

"Can't hurt," said Elsa with a shrug. "It's up to Sforza to decide if we do anything about it."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard shook his head. "No sense getting their hopes up unless the Captain decides to break the siege. Mention the idea in your letter, but I want nothing said to the men unless he gives his approval."

[LCP]

21st Pflugzeit

Once Elsa had written her report, Rahim took it, riding off south at a swift pace. Loading up the carts with yesterday’s plunder, the three detachments went their separate ways again, spreading out across the countryside like the prongs of a trident. They had a lot of ground to cover.



Marktag, 24th Pflugzeit

Narcisa

Passing from farm to hamlet to farm, Narcisa did her best over the next few days to keep ahead of Sieghard’s soldiers. Some of the locals took her advice; far too many didn’t, wanting to wait and see the evidence of danger with their own eyes. Those who listened headed north to Alvarran or east to Selsan and the river, looking for safety on the other side of the water. Some just headed out into the wilds, looking to lie low in some safe spot until the looters had passed. Each successful persuasion left Narcisa with one more empty cottage to innocently look through; each failure left her with the uneasy feeling that she could have done more. It was crazy to think so, of course – if these people wanted to stay until they were thrown out on the sharp end of a sword, that was their privilege.

OOC: If you want to continue pilfering the abandoned homes, give me a Search check for each day.



Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

It didn’t take long for their raids to settle into a familiar pattern. Some of the people in their path fled, warned off by Narcisa or simply savvy enough to stay out of the way of marauding soldiers; others stayed and were evicted by force. These people had no walls, no warriors, few weapons – none of them were mad enough to try to stand their ground against so many armed men. They left trails of smoke like battle-flags behind them, and to the south dark streaks in the sky showed that Sforza and the Iron Company were doing the same. Rahim had returned with the Captain’s response to Elsa’s letter the day before; he told her only to keep Morrslieb’s eyes on Bunthafen and observe the disposition of Rorik’s forces. If the Jarl had any men elsewhere, he wrote, he wanted to know at once.

As Elsa had been expecting, there were few crops ready for harvest, but the two carts Abdul had given them quickly became laden down with plundered goods. They gained a train of stolen livestock, mostly goats and cattle. Sieghard suspected that some of the Thorns and the Volunteers were enjoying the chance to return to their roots in tending to the animals; he was certain that the whole company enjoyed the chance for fresh meat every night. Roth and the other survivors of the Savonne dungeons ate ravenously, and were quickly returning to a less skeletal state.

After two days on a north-east course, Sieghard doubled back towards the west, leading his looters along a path parallel to the southern edge of the Karst. Karlott’s scouting party had seen no sign of any forces coming north from the city, and Sieghard expected the resistance they would face in the western Downlands would be much the same as the east.

On Marktag, Norten’s men found a mill that seemed the centre point of the farming communities that Sieghard and Nat’s detachments had been raiding. Returning through smoke-blackened fields to make camp, Sieghard stopped at the tumbledown stone wall that ran around the edge of the mill-yard. Here beside a wooden gate that leaned open at an angle, two corpses lay in the dirt.

Ingwald stooped to roll the first body onto its back. It had belonged to an older man, with tangled black hair turning to grey and a creased, leathery face. He had old scars that looked like a soldier’s, and a heavy blackthorn cudgel lay not far from where his hand had fallen. He’d been killed by a blade between the ribs. The wound was small, but a good deal of blood has soaked into his shirt and jacket, seeping through to water the thirsty ground beneath him.

The second dead man was much younger and much larger – tall and heavyset, he looked like he could have wrestled Goran and won, if Goran had still been with them. He bore several shallow wounds on his arms, and looked to have died of a cracked skull.

Up at what was presumably the miller’s house, lights were burning, and muffled sounds could be heard of what sounded like soldiers having a riotously good time. It was a short way along a well-worn track to the door; inside was a wooden hall that would have made for a decent tavern. The halberdiers seemed to have done their best to turn it into one – they were sharing round the last jugs of of cider they’d taken from that first farm, and had tapped a big barrel of ale that must have been part of the miller’s stores. A chorus of already fairly drunken men were singing a local drinking song about Pieter the Bandit King, listing all the comedic humilations he’d suffered in his escape from the Reaches.

There was no sign of Norten, but two of the men he had appointed as his squad leaders were seated behind a large table at the back, enthusiastically banging their tankards along with the beat. One of them – Oswald, Ludo thought he remembered the name – had a young woman on his knee. She didn’t look happy to be there, but every time she tried to shift away his hand around her waist kept her in place. A couple of older women weaved through the braying crowd, carrying handfuls of drinks at the soldiers’ shouted demands. They did their best to ignore the hands that pawed and pulled at them, but it was clearly a losing battle.

[RossN]

Narcisa

It turned out that checking rural homes for trinkets wasn't all that different from doing it in Savonne. Narcisa did always feel a twinge of conscience at snooping through an abandoned cottage but it was surely better she ended up with something than a Thorn or one of Groz's old cronies.

OOC:
Three successful Charm rolls eventually, so three Searches:

Search: [roll0] vs. 38
Search: [roll1] vs. 38
Search: [roll2] vs. 38

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa had Morrslieb fly around the countryside of the Uplands in search of any other Norscan forces, so long as the raven returned to Bunthafen by dusk. If the city fell, she wanted to know it quickly.



Elsa grimaced at the sight of the two dead men outside. Her quiet distaste for the grim necessities of war turned to cold fury when she saw what was happening inside the farmhouse.

"You let me handle this, Sieghard," she said in a low, hissing tone.

OOC
So! Crown of Fire.

Channeling: [roll0]
Target 8+: [roll1] - Success

If failed:
Channeling: [roll2]
Target 8+: [roll3]


Intimidate 30/50: [roll4] - One degree of success thanks to +20 Intimidate from Crown of Fire
Fortune Point: [roll5]

Elsa muttered something under her breath. Her red hair began to float upwards as if underwater, taking on an even brighter shade of red. Within moments, her head was quite literally engulfed in flames and her eyes burned as if the inside of her skull had turned to embers. Several soldiers stepped back from her cautiously, glancing at each other as if unsure whether this was intended.

The pyromancer strode purposefully into the farmhouse and made a beeline for Oswald, eyes never leaving the target of her wrath. Neither the soldier nor the girl in his lap noticed her approach until she seized the girl under the armpits and shoved her aside. The girl yelped in surprise, but Elsa did not spare her a second glance. She kicked the front of Oswald's chair, missing the startled man's crotch by a hair's breadth, and sent him sprawling to the floor.

"Oh, look, you're drunk," she sneered. "Can't even sit straight."

She grabbed the nearest jug of cider by the neck. There was something to be said about magic, but the heft of a blunt object in her hand gave her a kind of satisfaction that a fireball could not quite match.

"It's a pity all women aren't helpless, isn't it? How's a miserable excuse for a man supposed to feel strong?"

She drummed the jug in the palm of her gloved hand.


OOC
I'm gonna pause here to see if Sieghard wants to restrain Elsa, or if Oswald has something to stammer.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard's eyes lingered on the older man's battle scars and then the cudgel at his side. "They may have tried fighting back," he said neutrally. He wasn't happy about it, but a former soldier would've been more likely to try than most.

He became more skeptical of the possibility as they approached the home. "Say nothing when we enter," he said sternly. "Ingwald, find Norten. Take a few men with you. Ludo, Hanna, find out what happened here. I want to know what the women have to say. Be discreet about it."

And then Elsa barged in, hair flaming. So much for subtlety.

I really hope Norten isn't off doing something that's going to make the situation worse than it already is. Sieghard did specifically tell him he didn't want the people harmed and rolled really well on the command test if that's worth anything.

Edit: I'm fine with seeing their reaction before Sieghard does any more. I had wanted to find out exactly what went on before scaring the survivors off and putting the halberdiers on the defensive, but that's gone out the window.

[LeSwordfish]

While all eyes were on Elsa, Ludo instead made a beeline for the young woman she had flung aside, offering to help her up. "It's alright! It's alright! We're here to help. She won't hurt you."

OOC
I'm going to bind a key on my keyboard to create an OOC spoiler with a Charm test in it. [roll0] vs 67

[LCP]

Narcisa

As in Rockcross, most of the villagers that Narcisa could talk into leaving their homes took their most valuable possessions with them. She still ate well on the food they left behind – better than she ever had in the city, if she was honest with her own memories – and found a few things here and there that the peasants either hadn’t had the time or the presence of mind to take with them.

OOC: Narcisa collects a set of brass sewing needles, a bundle of 20 arrows (used for hunting), and [roll0] crowns’ + [roll1] schillings’ worth of stashed coins.



Elsa, Ludo & Sieghard

Elsa Only
Morrslieb took to flying wide circles around Bunthafen in the mornings and evenings, searching the Uplands for any sign of the Jarl’s men. He saw small parties ranging here and there, foraging to provide food for the besiegers, but reported nothing that sounded to Elsa like a concerted movement away from the castle.

OOC: Just to be clear, Bunthafen isn’t a city – it’s a fortress, supported by a small village (population < 200).

The terrified woman shrank back from Ludo just as she did from Elsa, taking advantage of her freedom to run over into the very corner of the room. Scuttling back on his behind, Oswald backed into his overturned chair. The men around him had jumped to their feet, but none stepped forwards to intervene.

“Help!” Oswald yelped, trying with trembling hands to get up. Looking around the cowed circle of his friends and seeing no help coming, his eyes fixed on Sieghard. “She’s lost it! She’s attacking me!”

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"I wonder what you could've been doing to make her do something like that," Sieghard deadpanned as he approached. He turned to Elsa. "Calm yourself before you burn the whole place down."

"Where is Norten?" he demanded.

[-Sentinel-]

Without Sieghard by her side, Elsa might just have given in to the temptation of smashing the coward's teeth. She did not let go of the jar, and cast a glance around the room to make sure the rest of the drunken rabble was now leaving the other women alone.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

"He's out back," said one of the other men, quickly. All motion in the room had stopped; all eyes were on Elsa and her crown of flames. Ludo noticed Roth and some of Groz's men sitting in a group in the corner, watching closely to see how the situation would develop.

Soon enough, Ingwald came back in with Norten. The man was sporting a huge, shining black eye; as Elsa turned towards him he winced in the light.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking to Sieghard for explanation. "Why is she..." He raised his fingers above his head and waggled them to emulate the effect of the spell.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"She gets that way when she's angry," Sieghard replied as though it was completely unremarkable. "Your orders were to burn farmers' fields, not to turn their wives and daughters into your personal barmaids. Explain what happened here. Start with your eye." He was beginning to piece some of it together, but he wanted to know the full story.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

"Big lad hit me," grunted Norten. "Miller's boy." He spoke very slowly, still squinting even with his good eye. "Can she... turn that down?"

"The boy went for us," said one of the older halberdiers - Franz? "His da too. These ladies didn't want to leave." He gave Sieghard a cool look, while two others started to help Oswald back to his feet. "You'd rather we turned 'em out in the cold?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"The boy punched you so you had him killed," Sieghard replied dispassionately, "Then his father came at you with a club and you had him killed as well."

He turned to one of the older women (the young one was still cowering away from Elsa's flaming hair and eyes). "Is It as he says?" he asked, "Did you refuse to leave?" He didn't doubt the part about the miller and his son - Norten's black eye was proof enough of that.

[-Sentinel-]

"Your orders were to burn farmers' fields, not to turn their wives and daughters into your personal barmaids."

Elsa snorted at that. Barmaids? She was reasonably confident that if she and Sieghard had arrived just an hour later, they would have found the soldiers taking turns raping the girl and the two women. She hoped they were not too late already.

It did not take long for her crown of fire to fade away, though her dark scowl remained. "Let it be perfectly clear," she said, loud enough for all to hear, "that if I catch any of you taking advantage of a lady in the coming days, I will personally castrate him with the dullest, rustiest farm tool I can find in the building."

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

The women looked at one another. "Leave?" said the one Sieghard had chosen. "Where are we supposed to go?" Her voice faltered, too frightened for indignation. He suspected it was the first time the subject had been raised.

"Can't folk just... calm down," said Norten, his face still screwed up as if in pain. He seemed to be having trouble following what was going on. "Maybe some of the lads got a bit... carried away, but ain't no harm done. This is what the Captain wanted, ain't it?"


"Let it be perfectly clear," she said, loud enough for all to hear, "that if I catch any of you taking advantage of a lady in the coming days, I will personally castrate him with the dullest, rustiest farm tool I can find in the building."

"Ain't no ladies here," someone muttered at the back of the room, just a little too loud not to be heard.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Leave? Where are we supposed to go?"

"Selsan. Alvarran. Savonne if you want to plead to Alvarr and then starve with the rest of his city. Pick one," Sieghard said coldly, "You have until dawn to choose and gather your belongings. After that we burn whatever is left and move on."

"Can't folk just... calm down. Maybe some of the lads got a bit... carried away, but ain't no harm done. This is what the Captain wanted, ain't it?"

"Then you make it your job to keep them from getting carried away," he replied sternly, "Your men want to drink and celebrate? Fine, I hope they enjoy themselves. But they'll leave out anyone who doesn't want to be a part of it. Anyone who can't handle that simple rule and gets carried away will be punished harshly." Compared to Elsa's melodramatic threat, he kept his own to the point. "Anyone man who behaves like a Norscan will be treated as one. Yours, Viktor's or my own, I won't hesitate to have any man who can't control himself hanged."

Turning to the halberdiers themselves, he continued, "And since you've put these women to work serving your drinks, it only seems right you should pay them for it. And they'll be paid well - you can thank whichever funny man couldn't keep his mouth shut for that."

[LCP]

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

"Leave 'em out who don't want to be a part?" sneered Franz. "This is a war, ain't it? What are we supposed to say - 'scuse me sir, madam, we're just here to take everything you own, but if you'd rather we didn't we'll be on our way."

He looked to Norten. "This what it's come to, Jan? Whipped by Slayer and his band of little girls? The old sarge'd be spinning in his grave."

"Will you shut up?" grunted Norten in reply, putting a hand to the bruised side of his head. "I'm trying to think."

"There's too much thinkin' going on here by half," said Franz. He gave Sieghard a challenging look. "You want to pay the farm girls, Slayer, pay 'em yourself. You ain't gettin' as much as a copper pfennig out of us."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard managed to keep himself calm through most of this, a bit of irritation showing at most. Now he was beginning to actually get angry.

"One more word of backtalk out of you and I'll actually have you whipped," Sieghard barked.

"Our enemy is Duke Alvarr, not his peasants," he said, turning back to Norten, "I will not tolerate anyone abusing them, raping them, or killing them without good reason. A shilling from this month's pay will be taken from every man here. Now have the bodies outside buried before they attract animals."

[roll0] vs 51 intimidate for Franz
[roll1] reroll

[roll2] vs 49 Command for everything else
[roll3] reroll

[LCP]

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

Franz clammed up, but a wave of discontented murmurs went around the room at the mention of docked pay. All the misguided merriment had drained out of the room, and now Norten's men stood around like gawkers watching some confrontation in the street.

"Come on," said Roth to the men around him, standing up with a businesslike air. "Let's find some shovels."

Six of the halberdiers followed him outside. All but one of them were Groz's old men.

OOC: Ball's in your court, nothing immediately about to kick off. I imagine you might have some follow-up you want to do with various NPCs - if you guys can indicate who you want to talk to and how far you want to move forward then that's what we'll do.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard carefully noted which men actually went to bury the dead, then turned to the Thorns behind him. "Stop gawking and go help them."

As he walked past, he muttered to Ludo, "See that the women are paid for their work from the company funds. The same amount being taken from the halberdiers."



The next morning as the fires spread, he approached Norten. "How's your eye feeling?" he asked. And then after he had gotten his answer, "Have you thought at all about what happens once Alvarr and Rorik are dead and the war is over?"

[LeSwordfish]

24th Pflugzeit
"I'll keep half an eye on Norten, too." Ludo said, looking over at the halberdier. "Not that he was the sharpest knife anyway but he seems... out of sorts, maybe. Could be he got hit hard." He glanced at Ingwald. "Where was he? Was he drinking out there?"

[LCP]

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

“He was just sitting on the ground out by the horse trough,” said Ingwald. He looked back over his shoulder towards the gate. “Think he must have got hit pretty hard.”

Keeping an eye on Norten turned out to be a lot easier than paying the women. The two older women seemed to think it was being offered in exchange for the mill, and if they refused it they would keep their rights to the place – or worse, that it was being offered to purchase the kind of services that Oswald and his crowd had looked to take for free. Ludo had a delicate task in explaining that neither case was true.



Backertag, 25th Pflugzeit

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

The next morning, the three women stood grimly by and watched as the Thorns did a circuit of the house with burning brands, setting light to everything that would catch. They were accompanied by a much older women and two young children that either Norten or Roth had apparently secured away from the rowdiness last night – accounts differed as to which.. Two fresh-dug graves lay next to the gate, holding the bodies of the miller and his son.

Watching the reflection of the firelight in the women’s eyes, Ludo saw no gratitude there for the mercy they had been shown, only a fixed, wordless hatred for the men who had stolen their home from them. Turning away from the blaze, the tallest of them ushered the others away, heading east with Sieghard’s gold in their pockets and what little else they could carry on their backs.

Norten seemed somewhat recovered, though his face was still bruised and swollen. He seemed as morose as his men, grunting the barest of deferential acknowledgements to Sieghard as he approached.


"How's your eye feeling?" he asked. And then after he had gotten his answer, "Have you thought at all about what happens once Alvarr and Rorik are dead and the war is over?"

“Feels about as good as it looks,” Norten grumbled. His good eye wandered over to where Nat and the Volunteers were loading up the second wagon with sacks of grain taken from the mill. “And no, I haven’t. Too much thinkin’ is what gets folk into trouble.” He leaned on a supportive fencepost. “Guard duty was good enough work when there weren’t no war, back under the Commander. Ought to be good enough work once this war’s done.”



Bezahltag, 26th Pflugzeit

Narcisa

Narcisa had seen the smoke from the mill from some miles away; she remembered with regret her failure to persuade the miller and his family to leave. Not least because it seemed like he’d had some quite nice things in that big house of his. Still, she had no time for self-blame – keeping ahead of the soldiers required her to keep up a relentless pace, considering the zig-zag path she had to track between each new hamlet and farmstead.

They were drawing close to the mouth of Pieter’s Pass, and the land here was wilder and less cultivated than the rich fields closer to the city. Sitting on a jagged rock that poked up above a swathe of gorse, she was lunching on some delicacies taken from the last cottage’s larder when she saw horsemen approaching from the south. Quickly gulping down the mouthful of black bread she had been chewing, she ducked down behind the stone to watch.

They were riding hard on the Alvarran road, a plume of dust rising behind them. Five men in the Duke’s colours, wearing mail and with swords at their belts. At the speed they were going, she expected they’d be through the pass well before nightfall.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"I've had more trouble from doing things without thinking," Sieghard replied.

"Last year those women were subjects of the elf, and of the mad Duke Wulf before then. And in a year, gods willing, they'll be Sforza's farmers and we'll be helping rebuild," He looked east towards where they had gone. "Most of the farmers whose fields we've burned will be able to let go and move on when peace returns, but not them I wager. And they'll talk and tell stories and it will be all the more trouble for us because of it."

"It's because of that we can't give them any more trouble than we have to. The Captain gave us bandit's work, but that doesn't mean we can act like bandits. The men of Manaan's Keep and the Thornwood are better than that."

[RossN]

Narcisa

Narcisa waited until the horsemen were out of sight before returning to her lunch. She wondered if any of the peasants they'd burnt out of house and home had been telling what was happening here. It looked like the Tilean's plans were working, pox on him.

With a sigh she tried to sit on her qualms and after making sure everything was clear resumed her mission. More farmers to terrify...

[LCP]

25th Pflugzeit

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

It was hard to decipher Norten’s expression through the swelling that disfigured his face, but he didn’t look too impressed with Sieghard’s wisdom.

“You think the rest of them is goin’ to forgive and forget? We burned their homes, robbed ‘em blind, you think they’ll let bygones be bygones ‘cos you was polite about it?” He shook his head. “This is war. If we win they’ll knuckle under, ‘cos they’ll know what happens if they don’t. And if we lose it won’t matter anyhow.”

He made a grumbling noise in the back of his throat and looked over his shoulder. "Meantime I've got fifty men sayin' they got their pay docked for doin' their job. You want to worry what people think about you, Slayer, worry about them."



Angestag, 28th Pflugzeit

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

They were one day over the road and in the midst of rounding up a herd of cows when the rider arrived. Ortwin had the herdsman restrained in a bear-hug grip, the man still struggling and pleading for them not to take his livelihood.

The rider rode up through the press of lowing cattle, his horse slowing to a halt and looking for a way around. It was one of Nat’s men, looking thoroughly shaken up by the ride; he was riding the animal Sieghard had given them for carrying messages. Inexpertly dismounting, the man pressed the reins into the hands of the nearest soldier who could hold them and ran up to Sieghard.

“Wagons on the road comin’ out of the pass,” he said, a little out of breath. “Big caravan. We counted about fifty guards. Duke’s colours” He took a gulp of air. “Heading south for the city.”

[LeSwordfish]

"Fifty guards?" Ludo said. "Alvarr's men? How were they armed?"

He cast a sideways look at Sieghard. Fifty peasants versus their hundred militia and a wizard? That might be doable.

[LCP]

Ludo, Sieghard & Elsa

"Plenty of iron. Swords, mail, a few horses. Nat thought some of 'em looked like sellswords."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

25th Pflugzeit

Forget? No, but they'll get over it in time. The halberdiers will as well.

"Captain Sforza didn't order them to help themselves to the farmers' wives and daughters. I specifically forbade it," Sieghard said calmly. "I forbade it in Savonne and again before we started this march. Nothing's changed. If they think what they were doing was doing their job, then better to break that sort of thinking now."



28th Pflugzeit

"Mercenaries?" He turned towards Elsa. "Do you think it could be Falkenwald? The Captain needs to know of this as soon as possible. How quickly can your bird return?"

[LeSwordfish]

"Or the Storm Swords maybe?"

[-Sentinel-]

"Fifty men aren't a lot. Could merely be soldiers left behind in Shepherd's Valley," mused Elsa. To Sieghard she answered: "I'm not sure how soon Morrslieb can make it, to be honest. Or how fast Sforza's men can get in position. Do you think we have the manpower to ambush them ourselves? My fire could do a lot to scare their horses."

Those wagons were likely full of food for Alvarr's soldiers in the city. They could not be allowed to get through.


OOC
I forgot how many men we have.

We really could use a dragon (https://imgur.com/gallery/gN8oU).

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"We've got twice the men they do. Numbers aren't a concern," Siegard replied Discipline on the other hand...

"I'm more worried about who the mercenaries are. Or why Alvarr would risk sending for a caravan when he should know the Captain has men in the field... We haven't exactly been subtle. In any case, Sforza needs to know and I'm not going to risk moving against them until we hear back. Whether Morrslieb is faster than sending a rider or not, he'd be useful against them."

[LCP]

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

"It won't be long 'til they're past us here," said the messenger from the Volunteers. "They were keeping up a good pace." He looked over his shoulder towards the road. "Nat took the others south to find Norten's lot. Didn't want to get caught on our own."

OOC: You are currently about 10-12 miles from the mouth of Pieter's pass; presumably the caravan is now substantially closer since it took time for the messenger to ride to meet you.

[-Sentinel-]

"Keeping food away from Savonne is the one and only reason why we're out here," Elsa pointed out. "When we get word back from Sforza, it may be too late to stop the caravan."

She turned to the messenger: "Were you able to see how the men were armed?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard looked less than convinced. " 'If Alvarr sends his men after us, retreat and join up with the Iron Company.' Those were the Captain's orders. He doesn't want us to fight."

If we're only one day over the road and about 10 miles away from the mouth of the pass, we're about the same distance from Sforza's main camp. It's taken a week to get this far along, so we're moving at a rate of about 1 hex every 2 days thanks to how we've been spreading out to hit farmland and half a hex west of the road and a hex to a hex and a half north of him. It's doable.

[LeSwordfish]

"Right." Ludo said. "Not really sent after us but... right. We can send the raven ahead: if Sforza changes his mind they can send a message back that way."

"I'll make sure we're ready to move fast."

[-Sentinel-]

"Fine, I'll recall Morrslieb," said Elsa. It was not as if the raven was doing much good over in the Uplands. "But I want eyes on the caravan if the meantime. If we have an undreamed-of opportunity for an ambush, I want to seize it."


OOC
Several things to consider here, including whether the caravan will rest for the night. It seems likely they'll attempt a sleepless dash for Savonne, but a horse can't pull a loaded cart forever.

If we do attack the caravan, the main goal isn't to kill guards, but to destroy the cargo. Elsa has three balls of sulphur (spell ingredients), which could be used to make flammable crossbow bolts. It might also be possible to delay the caravan via traps such as hidden potholes (e.g. dig a hole in the road, put a cloth or tarp over the hole, cover the cloth with dirt and pebbles) to injure their horses or break their wheels, though there is a risk they'll become more alert and in a bigger hurry once they realize they've been spotted.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"We'll send a message by one of Abdul's runners as well," Sieghard said. "No way to know which will get the message to him and back sooner. Once we regroup with the rest, we can fall back along the road... That way we can still cut them off if that's what Sforza wants. Or possibly drive them towards the Iron Company's position."

"Did you tell Norten's men about this caravan or come straight to find us?" he asked the messenger.

That's actually a very good question. It's 6 hexes from Alvarran to Savonne. Even at a breakneck speed, they shouldn't be able to make that in one day. How late in the day is it?

[LCP]

"Came right here," said the messenger. "Nat's gone to find Norten."

OOC: Mid-afternoon.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard nodded. "Better start on that message for the Captain," he told Elsa "Let him know what's happened and what we're doing. We'll find the others then start south along the road. After that, if he doesn't have us engage them, we'll start back west." He went to find Kaspar.

"Take the other horse and ride north to find Norten's halberdiers," he said after explaining the situation. "Nat should already be heading to find him. If he's already there with the rest of the Volunteers, tell them I want both companies to head south to find us. If he hasn't arrived yet, tell Norten to wait for him and then head towards us after he arrives."

[LCP]

Kaspar nodded. "You'll still be here?" he asked.

OOC: How far are you going to fall back along the road? Will you stop when the sun sets?

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa pulled out a quill and some parchment to write her message. "You know, it's occurred to me... We could get them to turn back simply by showing up. We outnumber them. They have beasts and cargo to protect, they can't leave the road, and they have no defensible position."

She grinned. "Imagine you're carrying a big cake to a wedding. Another man draws his sword and tells you to drop the cake, or he'll skewer you. Sure, you have a fair chance of winning a fight with him... but a much, much smaller chance of winning the fight with the cake intact. So the smart choice is to comply. It's just math."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"We'll be following behind you," Sieghard replied. If Alvarr's men came across the others, he didn't want them to be on their own. "You'll just be going faster."

"When we took the gates of Savonne, I gave the men standing guard a similar choice," he told Elsa. "Throw down your weapons or die. Maybe the ones in the tower thought they could hold us until Jager got there and he'd make short work of us, but the only thing the men on the ground would get from fighting was a messy death. They were outnumbered, and one of them I had already disarmed. Fool picked the spear back up."

[-Sentinel-]

"Fair," Elsa conceded as she started drafting a short letter. "But people whose blood is pumping are notably less rational than those who have a bit of time to think about their options. In any case, if it comes down to a fight, all we need to do is kill, cripple or scare off the horses. They need to drive us off and protect their horses and cargo."



A caravan is coming out of Pieter's Pass. Likely food for Savonne. 50 guards or so. Rapid pace.

Are we to deal with it?


She read the letter aloud, then told Sieghard: "If Sforza's answer is an exasperated 'Obviously', know that you're the one who deserves it, not me."

[LCP]

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

Leaving off their looting for the time being, the Thorns headed north to rejoin the rest of the militia. Their stolen livestock slowed them down more than a little - Sieghard could convey a sense of urgency to his own soldiers, but not to a cow. One stubborn animal stopped to munch on a patch of thistles and took the pushing and shoving of four Thorns to shift.

They found the others about two miles to the north, by a ruined farmhouse at the bottom of a gentle slope. This one didn't look like it had fallen victim to their own raids - tumbledown and overgrown, it had clearly been abandoned for some time.

Seeing Sieghard, Nat and Norten approached together.

"Zollner told us the Duke's got goods on the road," said Norten, eagerly. "We goin' for 'em?"

Behind Sieghard, a black shape flapped down to land on Elsa's arm. Shaking out his feathers, Morrslieb demanded a little preening before flying off again with the letter tied to his leg.

[-Sentinel-]

"Zollner told us the Duke's got goods on the road. We goin' for 'em?"

"I, for one, think we should," said Elsa, watching her raven fly off. "Cutting off the food supply is what we're here for. But some of us would rather ask permission first. We're still under orders to avoid any fighting."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Earlier

"Are we to deal with it alone, wait for the Iron Company, or avoid them?" Sieghard suggested. "You should mention the mercenaries as well. He'd want to know about them."



Now

Sieghard glared at Elsa. She was developing a nasty habit of not making things any easier

"If Captain Sforza gives new orders in light of the caravan, we'll capture it," he said. "Otherwise, we continue to avoid Alvarr's men. Frau Hildebrand's raven flies fast; We'll know soon enough."

"Do we know how far away the Duke's wagons are?"

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

"They ought to be pretty close," said Nat. "They weren't dawdling. We've got 'em outnumbered two to one now we've got the men together, we can take 'em."

Norten nodded emphatically. "Bound to be better stuff on those wagons than we can steal out of farmers' larders," he said. "Not just food either. Captain takes a third, we keep the rest, ain't that the deal?"

Nat nodded too. "We ought to leave the rest of the plunder here if we want to catch 'em," he said. "Can't go quick or quiet dragging all this behind us." He was right - over the last week they'd laden their carts down with about as much as they could carry, and picked up a sizeable train of livestock besides.

[LeSwordfish]

"We've got long enough to get word from the captain before they get to the city." Ludo said. Not that he didn't agree with the militiamen, but it was probably best to show a united front with Sieghard. "What's more, if they're sellswords, they could be a harder fight than we can afford."

He wondered where Falkenrath's Falcons were.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Our standing orders are to avoid Alvarr's men," Sieghard said. "For now, we'll leave the plunder here with half a dozen guards and move quickly to stay ahead of them. Once the Captain sends his reply, we will do as he says."

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

Nat and Norten looked dissatisfied, but were in no position to argue back - Sieghard was the one who had received the orders, not them. Stomping back to his men, Norten shouted together a guard detail for the carts and animals.

With the rest of the company gathered together, they headed south-east, parallel to the line of the road. Nat seemed very anxious about how much ground the Duke's men might have gained; with Karlott and her scouts still ranging towards the city, they had no eyes on the road itself. Word of the situation had spread among the men, and there was a certain greedy eagerness among them to get a closer look at the caravan. At least they needed no encouragement to march quickly.

It was perhaps a little more than an hour later that Morrslieb returned, alighting on Elsa's arm with the Captain's reply tied to his leg. Unrolling the scrap of parchment, Elsa read:

Orders to cut the road stand. Seize wagons.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa read the orders aloud with no small amount of smugness. See, told you so.

"We must do this smartly," she said, generously feeding Morrslieb with some of the lard taken from local peasants. "If we ambush or surround them, they'll be desperate and fight to the death. We want to avoid that. They need to understand they have a choice: lose the food, or lose the food and their lives."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

If we don't ambush them, they'll have a better chance of killing some of ours before we kill or drive off theirs.

"Have Morrslieb scout the area. I want to know how far away the caravan still is and if there's anywhere suitable to lie in wait." Sieghard said. "They have no archers... A volley or two from the crossbows and then a blast of fire from behind once we've got their attention should do wonders to panic them. Or at least thin their numbers a bit for the halberds."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo found it hard to be gleeful at the idea of going into battle again. "If you and the raven are both casting spells, that should be frightening to them too. We could try and panic the horses again."

[-Sentinel-]

Morrslieb made sure to flap his wings in Elsa's face in irritation as he flew off with his new instructions.

"We can panic the horses easily enough, yes," Elsa said, as if nothing had happened. "But I wouldn't attack from behind. The men escorting the wagons need an escape route, or they'll try to make a stand."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"From the side then," Sieghard conceded. "We'll leave the north road back to Alvarran open to them."

"A hill near the road would work well if Morrslieb can find one nearby."

[LCP]

Elsa Only

As the raven flies, the road was no distance at all. Wings flapping hard to gain height, Morrslieb spotted the dark smudge of the caravan below and soared back down, sailing down the line of trundling wagons with keen eyes searching out every detail.

Very close, the bird spoke in Elsa's head. You want to catch them, better hurry fast. Sweeping out a wide turn, he flew back down the line. Nat's count seemed accurate - roughly fifty men, with some riding ahead as scouts to either side of the road. Even if they could get ahead of the caravan in time to lay an ambush, remaining unseen would be difficult.

[-Sentinel-]

"They've not far," said Elsa, relaying Morrslieb's observations. "And they're using scouts. It's unlikely we can ambush them."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Do you think Morrslieb could draw their attention away from us?" Sieghard asked.

[-Sentinel-]

"Long enough for us to get in position? Doubt it," said Elsa, "and even if he gets their attention, they'll be on high alert already, which would defeat the point."

"Look. We have crossbows and numbers. Open ground is where we have an advantage and they don't. If they get closer, we can withdraw, while they can't stray too far from their wagons. We'd make a better diversion for Morrslieb than the other way around."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Not a lot of options then," Sieghard said. "Command of the Thorns is yours. You're the only one who can tell them when they can fire without hitting Morrslieb. If the caravan guards try fighting, the halberds will let them advance and then charge when they draw close. The Volunteers, we'll hold in reserve until we know what the enemy does."

Waiting to see if Sentinel has any further input. I'll roll command once everything is final to give the soldiers their orders. I'm thinking Sieghard personally should be with the Volunteers so he has a better view of the battle and knows where best to use them.

[LeSwordfish]

"I'll stay with the thorns as well." Ludo said. "I'd only be underfoot with the halberdiers."

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa was a bit taken aback to be put in direct command of the Thorns, who she did not even belong to, but quickly set out to devise a tactic that would, or so she hoped, get the job done with minimal risk and casualties. She ran it by Sieghard and Ludo to make sure they had no objections.


The Thorns will be split in "fireteams" of 5 to 8 men, each of which can easily withdraw or scatter independently from the rest if the enemy gets too close.
The Thorns are to deploy in a wide crescent, only one man deep, and approach the convoy from the front and sides like jaws closing. This will: 1. make our numbers seem larger, and 2. prevent the guards from counter-attacking without either splitting their forces, leaving the carts defenseless, or making themselves vulnerable to being surrounded.
Scouts will spot us and try to warn the convoy. Let them. We have little hope of killing them all anyway, so we might as well let them bring reports from three directions. It will sow fear and confusion.
Once in range, we start firing, trying to target the draft animals. If we manage to kill, injure or scare off most the draft animals, we withdraw. The Alvarran soldiers may still try to bring some of the goods to Savonne on foot, but we've made their job much harder and can launch a second attack later.
If some guards split from the convoy to charge across open space, they become the new priority target for any Thorns within range. If they get too close, the Thorns are to scatter and withdraw, forcing the guards to chase them. This should exhaust and demoralize them while leaving the carts vulnerable to any Thorns who are near.
If the guards try to parlay, cease fire. If they surrender, accept their surrender. If they run and leave their goods behind, let them run.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Once their strategy had been decided, Sieghard gave the order to march. As they went, he rode up alongside each unit to issue his orders.



To Ingwald and Hanna

"It's unlikely, but we have to assume Alvarr's men will try to fight, even outnumbered as they are. I'm putting the Thorns under Frau Hildebrand for this. We've come up with a few ideas for how to use the crossbows and her magic that only she can make work. Obey her orders as you would mine."



To Norten

"We'll be on the caravan soon. Zollner's scout didn't say anything about them having bows, so if they want a fight, we'll make them come to us. The halberdiers are to hold while the crossbows and Hildebrand thin their numbers for us. Once they've been bled and start getting close, I'm counting on your men to go in and finish the job."



To Nat

"Until we've captured Alvarr's wagons, I'm going to take direct command of the Volunteers. Most of the fighting will be done by the crossbows and halberds. We will sit in reserve until needed."

[roll0] vs 49 Command
[roll1] reroll

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

They made for the road by the shortest path they could, the Thorns leading the way as the sun sank towards the horizon. When they reached the road, they found it rutted with the tracks of heavy wheels. The caravan had already passed them by.

Riding up to the top of a grassy hillock, Sieghard looked south towards the city. The dark shapes of the caravan' were visible about a mile down the road, still on the move. Their outlines were blurry in the gathering dusk, clouded by the fine haze of dust thrown up behind them. The horsemen riding out to either side were more clear, ranging wide across the country surrounding their cargo. The closest of them seemed to have spotted the soldiers spilling onto the road behind them - Sieghard saw him turn his horse and spur it back towards the wagons.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa swore. Her plan was already in shambles before it had even begun. "We can't cut them off, but we can still chase them and make them push their horses past the point of exhaustion. We need to pick up the pace. Once we get close enough, we'll get off the road; let them know we'll allow them to turn back."

She could not help but curse Sieghard for demanding that they get permission from Sforza merely for doing the job he had explicitly given them: cut off Savonne's supply of food. Now that they were pursuing their quarry instead of blocking their way, the convoy's best hope was to get to their destination instead of going back the way they had come. This meant they would not abandon their original goal so easily. Still, the gist of her plan—make them leave their wagons behind to save their lives—could still be accomplished.

They had only a short time before the scout caught up with the convoy, and there was little point in trying to stop him since others would spot them soon enough. Elsa sent her raven to the front of her convoy.

Time to send Alvarr's men a warning of what they were capable of.


OOC
Fireball via Morrslieb, aimed at one of the horses of the first cart.

Channeling 83: [roll0]
Target 12+: [roll1]

Damage (I doubt location matters much):
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard wore a bitter expression as he watched the raven speed forward towards the caravan. "Tell me how they react when they realize they're under attack. Whether they try to flee or how they arrange their men."

"Weapons ready!" he shouted to the soldiers, "Forward to battle!"

[LCP]

Elsa, Sieghard & Ludo

Morrslieb swept down low over the caravan, the wind ruffling his feathers as Elsa fed her magic across the link between them. The raven's eyes burned like coals as the charge of Aqshy grew. With a sudden flash, bolts of flame lanced down towards one of the horses pulling the foremost wagon, trailing black smoke behind them.

The animal screamed as the missiles struck, filling the air with the smell of singed horsehair. The driver struggled for control as his panicked animals reared in their traces - before he could rein them in, they took off down the road, the coat of the one Morrslieb had targeted still smouldering. Hooves pounding the hard earth, they dragged the bouncing wagon as fast as it could go, leaving the rest of the caravan in their dust.

Shouting in alarm, the rest of the wagoners whipped their animals on to greater speed, trying to keep the caravan together. The horsemen were drawing in from all directions, while the men riding on the backs of the carts were gathering up their weapons - the dark shapes of Sieghard's men spilling across the road behind them were now unmistakeable. They looked ready for a fight, but for now, they ran.

[-Sentinel-]

Sitting atop her horse, Elsa's lips tightened when she heard Morrslieb's description of what was happening at the front of the convoy. She had been hoping to stop a cart, forcing the rest to go around, but clearly things had not gone as planned. Again.

"They're speeding up," she reported. "Let's have them put out some fires... Should slow them down."


OOC
Fireball again. This time, Morrslieb is splitting his shots and aiming at the goods in the second, the third and (if I have the range) the fourth carts.

Channeling 83: [roll0] - +3 to casting roll.
Target 12+: [roll1] - Success thanks to Channeling, but Tzeentch's Curse.

Damage (if necessary to actually set fire):
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

[LCP]

Elsa, Ludo & Sieghard

Flames spat in the distance again, striking seemingly at random among the lead carts. It took a moment or two to see if they had any effect, but as the smoke rising from one of the stricken wagons grew thicker, it looked clear that at least one of them had caught fire.

As Morrslieb circled back to confirm the damage, Elsa blinked furiously, trying to wash the sense of stinging smoke out of her eyes. Her vision was clouded by what felt like soot, though the fires of her spells were still the best part of a mile away. Casting at this distance was clearly straining her abilities.

One cart burning, Morrslieb spoke in her head. Horses still running. Men on the back, putting it out.

OOC: Elsa suffers -10% to vision-based tests for [roll0] hours.

[-Sentinel-]

"Hrmph," Elsa grumbled inarticulately, rubbing her eyes. This was a new one. Not close to the worst side effect she had experienced, but it was a reminder that magic came with a cost.

She instructed Morrslieb to stay near the front carts. Let's try that again one more time, she said.

OOC
Same as before.

Channeling 83: [roll0]
Target 12+: [roll1]

Damage:
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

I'll take a break here, even if Sieghard pushes Elsa to go on. IC, there are risks: aside from Tzeentch's Curse, the GM's section has some really nasty stuff to prevent the abuse of magic. OOC, repeatedly using magic in a game-breaking way is an invitation to IC consequences from the disgruntled GM.

And next, Elsa went on, go land on the road some distance ahead of them. Make sure they see you in their way. If they keep going, fly off before they get to close.

The point was to send a message: stop, or face more of Beatrix Hildebrand's fiery wrath.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"What are you doing?" Sieghard barked when he say the smoke rising. "We're trying to capture the carts, not burn them to ash."

"If they keep going, kill one of the horses pulling the lead cart. They can't pull all that wieght with only one and they'll have to stop to cut the body loose."

[LCP]

Elsa, Ludo & Sieghard

Swooping back over the road, Morrslieb unleashed another volley of fireballs, setting two more fires among the carts. Even if it wasn't him casting the spells, Elsa could tell her familiar was enjoying himself. Rising up on the heat from one of the burning wagons, he turned towards the head of the caravan. As he turned he saw something, the briefest flash of alarm reaching Elsa through their mental link -

She felt a stab of crippling pain in her chest, enough to make her double over in the saddle. Looking towards the caravan, Ludo saw a black dot falling out of the sky, and heard faint cheers rising from the wagons. They'd shot Morrslieb down.

OOC: Dice say he's dead; if you want to burn Fate to save him that's OK with me.

[-Sentinel-]

"No!" yelled Elsa as she watched the bird drop. Her breathing came out in heaving gulps. Dead.

No.

Wait.

Not yet dead. The link was unbroken. But at the very least, her feathered companion was badly injured. He needed her. And some fools would not be getting away with this.

She forced herself to calm down and replace her worry with a cold, implacable determination. "We keep moving," she snarled. "They can't keep this pace forever."

[LCP]

Elsa, Ludo & Sieghard

The caravan hadn't stopped - with the threat posed by Morrslieb neutralised, they were quickly able to bring the fires he'd started under control. The company pressed on after them, eating up the ground as the sun dipped further below the horizon.

They found Morrslieb in a bush close to the road, a crossbow bolt stuck through his left wing. Gingerly scooping him up, Elsa cradled the semi-conscious bird in her arms, looking ahead into the dark to find the men who had shot him. The caravan had been gaining distance at first, but now as their initial frantic burst of speed wore off, the Thorns were making it back. Men could march further without tiring than horses; that much Sieghard knew.

The sun was down now, and the moons hid behind low clouds gathering in the west. The caravan carried no lights, and soon enough they had vanished completely into the darkness. Sieghard was pretty sure they couldn't stray far off the road - those heavy wagons would too easily get stuck or break their axles on uneven ground.

"What's the plan, boss?" asked Ingwald, jogging back to Sieghard from the front of the formation. Elsa noticed that he passed her straight by. "We keeping this up?"

"They must've driven those poor beasts pretty hard to get this far," said Nat. "Didn't look like they had reserves. They camp soon, we can catch 'em in the morning."

Ludo caught the hopeful tone in his weary voice. Their own men had been on their feet all day, and none of them would relish the idea of a night march.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"If we wait til tomorrow, they'll make it too close to Savonne. We'd have Alvarr's entire army chasing us," Sieghard grumbled. The entire thing had put him in a foul mood. "We'll stop here for a bit to rest, then we pass them in the night. Once we've captured the wagons and put some distance between us and Savonne again, you can have a full day of rest to make up for it." He paid Elsa no more mind than Ingwald had.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa looked a bit despondent as she sat to carefully pry the arrowhead out of Morrslieb's wing.

i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry

If the bird lived, she swore to give him much more time to himself and never send him to combat all by himself again.

She was glad Sieghard intended to push further. Her wrath at whoever had shot her familiar had abated a bit, but the near-miss made her all the more determined to make sure it was not all for nothing. That convoy could not be allowed to pass.

[LCP]

Elsa, Ludo & Sieghard

Breaking off their pursuit for long enough to catch their breath, the three militia companies rested their feet at the side of the road, breaking out rations from their packs. Sieghard got them back on their feet before they could get too comfortable, looping out the west side of the road in an effort to cut in front of their quarry.

With the sun down and the moons hidden from view, they proceeded by dead reckoning - Sieghard found himself wishing he still had Gustaf and Karlott with him. Without the sure footing of the road, the men stumbled and cursed in the dark, Norten's halberds particularly. It was a hard slog for no certain reward, and as fatigue set in Sieghard could feel the men's mood souring.

They rejoined the road by the side of a sprouting barley field, guarded by a drunkenly leaning scarecrow with a ram's skull in place of a head. Morrslieb had broken from behind the clouds, tinging the night with sickly green light.

Crossing the field with the first of the Thorns, Ludo looked back along the road. With his keen eyes, he could make out a cluster of dark shapes less than a quarter of a mile north of them. Those had to be the wagons. They were drawn up into a rough square, perhaps as some kind of improvised fort. With no lights burning inside the caravan's camp, it was hard to tell for sure.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"See anything?" Sieghard asked, joining Ludo. He gazed north when Ludo pointed out what was most likely the wagons. "It should've gone differently," he said, his mood not improved any since earlier. "I bet they feel real proud of themselves shooting down the bird. Come morning they'll see we've got more than just the one trick."

[roll0] vs 36 Perception
[roll1] reroll.

Not Sieghard's strongest skill, but he does have Night Vision as well, so his sight should be as good as Ludo's. Can Sieghard see anything to confirm that we are indeed looking at the wagons? Shadows of men or horses moving around or even just the fact that they're stock on the road itself.

If Leswordfish wants to get a conversation going, Sieghard will talk for a bit for a bit before moving on. If not or once they finish, he'll go back to help guide any stragglers and make sure everyone is accounted for.

[LeSwordfish]

"Hmm." Ludo said. He was a sprinter, not a marathoner, and had hobbled his way to Sieghard's vantage point on sore legs. "We've already missed one thing, and now we can't scout them properly. I don't like this. The red company was too easy, and this will be harder."

OOC
Perception test: [roll0]

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"They don't want a fight," Sieghard said. "They know they're outmanned. They may bleed us, but most or all of them will die and they'll fail to get the wagons through. It's why they fled when their scouts first spotted us."

"They think we're still behind them; They'll keep most of their scouts watching for us there. With a bit of luck, they won't realize the mistake until it's too late. Once the wagons are stopped, they'd be fools not to surrender."

[LeSwordfish]

"Hmm." Ludo said again. "I hope so."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Something bothering you?" Sieghard asked.

[LeSwordfish]

"I just have a bad feeling about this." Ludo admitted. "Nothing solid but... look, if you send out scouts, let me go with them. I want to see them with my own eyes. I'm worried."

Ludo had been wearing his carefully dispassionate mask all day, and in its own way it had been as tiring as the forced march. "I don't like any of this."

[LCP]

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

Sieghard could make out no signs of movement behind the dark, blocky shapes of the wagons on the road. Without campfires or lanterns, the thin moonlight revealed the campsite only as a single mass of shadows.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"In the morning," Sieghard said. "Catch what sleep you can, we're going to start early tomorrow."

[LeSwordfish]

"Now we have all this food we really need to start spending more time on breakfasts." Ludo joked feebly, and retired to his bedroll.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

The rest of the company settled in uneasily to wait 'til morning. The barley field gave them a little cover, but not much - once the sun came up, it would be difficult to remain concealed in this open country.



Festag, 29th Pflugzeit

It was well before sunrise, with the sky just beginning to lighten in the east, when one of the Thorns watching the road came creeping back to find Sieghard. Cold and cramped from lying in the open, he stirred himself to come see what the sentry wanted him to see.

In the pre-dawn light, the outlines of the wagons were clearer. They were still drawn up in a defensive square, but shapes were moving among them - the caravan's outriders, awake and mounted. As he watched, two broke north along the road, perhaps riding back to see if they were still being pursued. More were saddling their horses - if they came this way they couldn't fail to see the company lying in wait.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa blearily awoke and noticed to her embarrassment that she had fallen asleep with her head resting on Sieghard's shoulder. Her wounded raven was still in her lap, conscious but weak. She delicately tucked him inside the saddle bag hanging off Bastard's side. If the bird had made it through the night, he would probably live; whether he could ever fly again was another story.

It would not be long before the caravan spotted them. Let them. Once ruses and tricks were out of the picture, it was numbers that prevailed, and it was clear on whose side the numbers were.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Start rousing the men," Sieghard said, rising and beginning to put his armor on. "The crossbowmen first."

"Not much hope of avoiding their scouts," he said to Elsa once sentry had gone. "They can't be allowed to report back until the wagons are headed south again. Otherwise the caravan may just try falling back towards Alvarran." It would stop them from reaching Savonne, but without capturing the wagons, there was nothing to stop them from trying again later.

[LeSwordfish]

"Will do." Ludo said, and hurried off to rouse the crossbowmen, thinking wistfully about the many kinds of breakfast they'd captured and abandoned.

[-Sentinel-]

"Not much hope of avoiding their scouts," he said to Elsa once sentry had gone. "They can't be allowed to report back until the wagons are headed south again. Otherwise the caravan may just try falling back towards Alvarran."

"Well, fireballs are rather noticeable from a distance," Elsa pointed out, "so it's best if I don't help you with that part."

She was not too concerned about the wagons falling back. They were unlikely to outrun the Thorns in the long run.

[LCP]

Ludo, Sieghard and Elsa

As Sieghard watched, six more horsemen left the wagons. Two headed east, two headed west, and two headed down the road toward their position.

Their horses ate up the distance in no time at all. Nat and Norten's men were still stirring themselves when the lead rider drew his horse to a halt, about sixty yards up the road. He had clearly seen something - the paltry cover of the barley field wasn't enough to conceal a hundred men.

Gesturing for his companion to hold position, he rode a few places forwards and shouted: "Who goes there?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard's breath caught in his throat. Without moving anything else, his eyes darted back towards the wagons. Not moving yet... They needed more time...

"Please, we don't want any trouble," he called back, "You already burned our farms. We don't have anything else, please just leave us be."

[LCP]

Ludo, Elsa & Sieghard

Motioning for the other to stay put, the scout rode cautiously closer. Forty yards now.

"We're travelling from Alvarran," he called back. "We've burned nothing. Show yourselves!"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"No further," he called out, gesturing Ingwald, Hanna, and Ortwin over as he did, "We heard about what happened to the folk who didn't leave before the burning started. We'll defend ourselves if we have to." He paused a moment then continued. "You want us to do what you say, prove you aint with them first."

"All Thorns, crossbows loaded and take aim. No one fires til I say. Your men at him," he whispered to Ingwald. "Yours and yours at the one further back. Half at the riders, half at their horses." If he couldn't fool them, he'd have to chance the rest wouldn't notice them dying at this distance.

Sieghard also readies, loads and takes aim.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa was quiet but tense as Sieghard gave his orders. This was not her moment yet.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

There was a lot of whispering behind Sieghard as Ingwald started relaying his instructions. There were a lot of instructions to relay.

The riders on the road looked to one another and exchanged some brief hand signals - they clearly weren't inclined to prove anything to the voice in the barley. One of them split off to the left, the other to the right - both leaving the road to try to circle round and get a better look at these unseen strangers.

[LeSwordfish]

Before Sieghard could act to stop him, Ludo had scrambled forward, shrugged off his swordbelt, and emerged from the edge of the field. His voice raised in an unexpected replication of Sieghard's gravel, he raised his hands and stepped towards the two guards.

"Are you with the tilean or not?" Ludo asked. "We ain't coming out 'till we see who you are."

[LCP]

Ludo, Elsa & Sieghard

The nearest of the two riders reined in his horse when he saw Ludo emerge out of the field.

"We're with the Duke!" he said. He gestured to himself, then back down the road. "Don't you see us plain?"

The second outrider hadn't stopped riding. He seemed to have spotted something - before Ludo could reply, he gave a shout of alarm, waving for his comrade to get back. The two of them turned their horses together, kicking the animals into a gallop back towards the wagons.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard watched, surprised into silence as Ludo did his impersonation... Which was apparently convincing enough to fool the scouts. He tensed as the second man made his way around the field and knew the trick was over.

"Fire!" he shouted.

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo was almost certain that crossbow bolts aimed at men on horseback would pass harmlessly over his head, but he threw himself prone out of the way just in case.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

The Thorns had been ready. Crossbow bolts flew from those closest to the front, others spreading out to either side to take their shot. Two bolts found their mark in the nearest rider's horse, making it rear and scream; another punched into his jerkin, but seemed to stick in the padding. The second rider wasn't so lucky - as Hanna's squad let fly, two shots found their mark, sending him toppling from the saddle with bright blood gushing from a quarrel buried in his hip.

Getting his mount back under control, the first rider spurred it away, taking off a gallop. The horse needed no urging to run - hooves pounding, it sped back towards the wagons, raising a plume of dust from the road behind it.

OOC: No crits on the 1st rider or his horse. 2nd rider is on the ground and suffering from Blood Loss; his horse is OK but riderless and running. 1st rider is now at Extreme Range and Running.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

The runner didn't get far before Sieghard took his own shot.

"Reolad!" Sieghard barked. He turned to Elsa. "Stop that one bleeding, I want a hostage."

From here, it depends on what's happened as a result of all of this. If the other rider ends up trapped under his horse, Sieghard wants him taken hostage as well. If he's still running on foot, or if the caravan has noticed all the commotion, then it's time to just march because there's no stopping them from finding out at that point. Are the halbrdiers and Volunteers ready yet?

[LeSwordfish]

Raising himself to his knees, Ludo attempted to salvage some of his dignity by snapping a slingshot stone off at the fleeing rider: the range was hopeless and the stone whistled off into the brush.

"The sun was in my eyes," he said to himself, and dusted himself down.

[-Sentinel-]

"The sun was in my eyes," he said to himself, and dusted himself down.
"The sun's at our back," said Elsa dryly.

She hurried over to the fallen rider to cauterize his wound.


OOC
Not sure how much Movement is required, but Elsa will run if needed.

Cauterize 4+: [roll0]

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa and Ludo

Sieghard's shot caught the rider's horse in the side of the head. The animal crumpled beneath him like a broken puppet, skidding to a stop on the dusty road. Before it had finished falling the man had thrown himself free, hitting the ground hard but rolling and righting himself with skill. Watching him, Sieghard suspected this wasn't the first time he'd lost a horse.

With barely a glance backward, the man took off down the road again, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him. Elsa was already running to the side of the second man, while behind Sieghard all three militia companies were spilling out of the barley field, weapons at the ready.

"We're ready," said Norten, shouldering his way to Sieghard's side. "We doing this?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Well, that ought to slow him at least...

"We doing this?"

"We are," Sieghard replied. "The plan is unchanged, if they try to fight, force them to come to us." He turned to the Thorns. "Throw their scout over the back of my horse." Stopping a moment when he noticed Ludo again, he scowled. "You been... practicing... that impression?"

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

Spreading out to either side of the road, the company followed behind Sieghard. They soon reached the point where Elsa was ministering to the fallen scout; Ludo caught a whiff of charred skin as the man was hefted onto the back of Sieghard's horse. The man cursed at them but didn't resist.

In the clear light of day, the layout of the caravan's camp was easy to see - a broad square with two wagons to a side, and the animals presumably corralled within. Heavy-built and high-sided, the wagons made good a good fort. Some even had hatches and arrow-slits in the sides - merchants in the Border Princes knew how to build for dangerous roads.

At about seventy yard's distance, a crossbow bolt flew from the closest wagon, burying itself in the road some distance ahead of Sieghard. "Stay back!" shouted the shooter, his head rising up just a fraction above the siding. "Or there's more where that came from!"

[LeSwordfish]

Earlier
"Yes, but the reflections..." Ludo said, and trailed off. He looked up at Sieghard. "Honestly, no." He continued in a near-perfect imitation of Viggo, "Just something I've always been good at, guv."

Later
"Not like you've got anything to be getting on with, is it?" Ludo shouted back. "Oh, no, wait..."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"You ought to be more careful with your shots," Sieghard shouted back. He turned so the wounded scout was more visible. "Your friend is still breathing. It would be a shame if you hit him after we took the trouble to keep him alive."

"You've had your fun making us run around, but your little game's over," he continued "You're hopelessly outnumbered and have no chance of escaping with your lives and wagons intact. Surrender and this can be over without any of you needing to die. Refuse and we'll take what we want from your corpses instead."

[roll0] vs 51 Intimidate
[roll1] reroll

This is the dice roller paying me back for the amazing roll earlier.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

A short silence followed Sieghard's words. After a few moments, a stout, black-bearded figure clambered to the top of the closest wagon. Sieghard recognised him from Hartmut's Fall - it was Sergeant Marat.

"You think you can frighten us?" Marat shouted back. "We're not some old farmer for you to rob. We're the Duke's men! Come try us if you want a taste of what we gave your witch bird."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"I think you're smart enough to not force a fight you have no hope of winning." Sieghard replied. "Otherwise you wouldn'tve fled last night when we found your trail."

"Let's cut the bravado. Surrender or not, the wagons will never make it to Savonne and I doubt the mercenaries you've hired on share the strength of your loyalty. I'm not interested in your lives, what does the Duke gains if you throw them away?"

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

"You talk a lot, robber!" Marat shouted back. "I think it's you who doesn't want a fight, or you wouldn't still be jawing." He thumped the side of the cart. "You think you can take this? Come and take it, then."

OOC: How often has the "I know you refused my ultimatum, but let me repeat it with different phrasing" thing worked for Sieghard?

[-Sentinel-]

Sieghard was wasting his breath. Elsa reached into her pocket for her three balls of sulphur. Wrapped around crossbow bolts, they could easily be set aflame and fired at the supply wagons.


OOC
How many flaming bolts can we make with this? Is it one for one, or can we break down those balls into smaller components?

Did we take any strong spirits from the farms we've looted? We could soak some pieces of cloth into them and wrap them around bolts.

And, yes, even Elsa's non-magical solutions do tend to involve fire. I'd rather not send her within arrow range, as she'll be the first target.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Muttering a few choice curses, Sieghard withdrew and gathered up Elsa, Ludo, Nat, and Norten.

"It seems the fool is determined to throw his life away," Sieghard said. "Their position is too strong to attack directly. We'd take the wagons, but lose too many men in doing it. Unless there are any better ideas, I'm of a mind to just burn them out."

Less often than people have been willing to throw their lives away against impossible odds in avoidable situations.

[LeSwordfish]

"We've captured enough food already." Ludo said. "If we light one of the nearby wagons, that will give us cover to advance on the others."

[-Sentinel-]

"Unless there are any better ideas, I'm of a mind to just burn them out."

"I agree," said Elsa. "They can run from the fire, but if it forces them off the road, they'll have to leave the wagons behind. That's the only thing that matters; the wagons."

She pointed in the direction her long hair was flying. "Wind blows this way."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"We've captured enough food already. If we light one of the nearby wagons, that will give us cover to advance on the others."

"Advance on them? No," Sieghard said. "They're packed tight in there. As soon as the fires grow too large for them to keep under control, they'll have to move the rest away or else risk the fire spreading and turning the whole thing into a pyre. That or abandon the wagons to the flame and climb over to escape."

"I agree. They can run from the fire, but if it forces them off the road, they'll have to leave the wagons behind. That's the only thing that matters; the wagons."

"Good. How close do you need to get to start the wagons burning?"

I know you said you don't want Elsa getting close for fear of being targeted, but it's not looking like we have alternatives. I do have a few ideas for how to mitigate the risk to her specifically.

[-Sentinel-]

"Good. How close do you need to get to start the wagons burning?"

"Not that close. Fire spreads. Can the rest of you act like you're loading your crossbows? I don't want all their attention to be on me."

Elsa climbed atop her horse and circled widely around the stopped convoy until she was upwind. There, she summoned Aqshy to set fire to the grass near the convoy.


OOC:
Turns out Fireball has an impressive 48-yard range. I'll have Elsa stay in Extreme Range of a bow (hoping they're normal bows and not longbows), meaning a bit outside 48 yards. Anyway I'm not blasting straight at them; I just need to set fire to the grass a few yards in front of them.

She's throwing her three fireballs in slightly different spots, forming a wall of fire.

Channeling: [roll0]
Fireball 12+: [roll1] - Successful, but Tzeentch's Curse.

[LCP]

Elsa, Ludo & Sieghard

The wind was blowing from the east, a gentle breeze coming down off the Giant's Teeth. Riding round to within fireball's reach of the wagons, Elsa was warded off by a scattered volley of crossbow shots thudding into the dirt a few yards from Bastard's hooves. Reining her horse in, she unleashed her magic on the grassland short of the wagon fort.

Three fireballs flew into the field east of the road, quickly kindling the dry meadow-grass. Smoke began to rise from the orange tongues of flame that licked up from where the bolts of Aqshy had struck, drifting with a lazy slant towards the wagons. Elsa could feel the Red Wind swirling hungrily around her, even as she felt the after-effects of its power burn painfully through the channels of her body. Casting felt different without Morrslieb flying overhead.

The road was bare dirt - this fire would have to grow to a true conflagration to make the leap to the wagons, or the grasses on the other side. Still it was spreading quickly; the heat and smoke drifting from it would soon make life pretty unpleasant for the defenders.

OOC: Elsa suffers -1 to casting rolls for [roll0] rounds.

You're using magic missiles as firestarters a lot lately. This makes sense and I'm 100% OK with it, but I should say that from now on I'm going to be on the lookout for circumstances where Elsa's spells might start unintentional fires also.

[-Sentinel-]

Her job done, Elsa hurriedly rode away from the convoy. She deemed it unlikely that anyone could hit her with a bolt at this distance and through the smoke, but as she had learned this past couple of weeks, it only took one lucky hit to ruin her day.

"Now we wait," she said, returning to Sieghard.


OOC

You're using magic missiles as firestarters a lot lately. This makes sense and I'm 100% OK with it, but I should say that from now on I'm going to be on the lookout for circumstances where Elsa's spells might start unintentional fires also.
I would expect nothing less!

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Not that close. Fire spreads. Can the rest of you act like you're loading your crossbows? I don't want all their attention to be on me."

"It won't be," Sieghard replied, not realizing Elsa had started walking away. "We'll split the Thorns and Volunteers into two groups of twenty men. Half from each company. I'll take one group around to the north side of the road and you..." He paused when he noticed she was gone and there was an edge to his tone when he continued speaking. "The Volunteers will form a shield wall to protect the Thorns and Hildebrand while she sets fire to one of the southmost wagons. The Thorns will keep firing on the wagons to stop any of the Duke's men from putting them out. Norten, your men will wait west of the road, between two groups and out of firing range. Once the flames have forced them out of their hiding place, attack."

"Ready the men. The sooner we end this, the better."



"Now we wait,"

"Now!? How about waiting until we've got a battle plan before going off and trying to handle the lot of them alone?!" he snapped. "What do you think we've got to force them out if you go off and get yourself shot and can't fight?" Still scowling, he glanced behind him to make sure Nat and Norten hadn't returned yet, then he lowered his voice. "Or if you get yourself killed."

OOC, that was the biggest concern. Elsa getting another FP knocked off. Luckily, they all aimed so poorly, they probably would've missed even in short range.

That said, I don't think a bit of smoke and heat alone is going to force them out. I can't imagine the grass alone is enough to keep burning long enough for that. It'll be unpleasant for them, but leaving the safety of their wagon fort is far more dangerous. It might affect their ability to shoot back at us though... As long as we don't drag our feet with the actual attack.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa rolled her eyes at Sieghard's reluctance to talk about death. The two of them had faced Morr and lived far more times than they had any right to, and the way they were going, they would be fools to think their run of luck could last forever.

She looked at the crossbowmen as they deployed around the caravan. "Are you sure it's wise to threaten them like this? We're giving them nothing to lose. I'd much rather we let them understand it's not their lives we're after."

OOC

but leaving the safety of their wagon fort is far more dangerous.
We're the ones making it dangerous.

You've got a point that grass can't burn forever, but many things can go wrong for the caravan. For example, horses may hurt themselves or their handlers trying to escape the flames.

If we've got the patience, we can also leave a group behind (say, half our men). Within a couple of days, the caravan's horses will start dying of thirst. They've been pushed hard already.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"They've got at least six more scouts and we don't know where they are," Sieghard replied. "If we don't deal with them now, then we risk one of those men riding to Savonne for help."

"Best way we have to force them away from the wagons is to set one on fire. Smoke'll be in their eyes now and you'll have a shieldwall to protect you. Once it starts burning, the Thorns can stop anyone trying to put it out. Think you can handle it?"

Waiting them out isn't an option, but we can leave them an escape route open. Now that there's a fire burning to the east though, our options are limited. If we let them run back north, then the spoils we already took and the men guarding them are at risk. If we let them flee south, we risk them getting past with some of their own supplies. West requires positioning our own people to the east, near the fire, so that's out. The way I had it planned, the east is open to them depending on the size of Elsa's fire... If it grows too large, they're stuck, but if they can get around it, then they have that open to them. Before we start, I'll let Norten know not to pursue them if they abandon the wagons.

Of course, if you have better ideas for how to position everyone, we can always hammer it out in the OOC thread.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

The company was splitting into the groups Sieghard had ordered, Nat, Norten, Ingwald and Hanna all shouting for their men to follow them. One soldier still had business with Sieghard, however - pushing forwards to interrupt his conversation with Elsa, Roth exclaimed and pointed towards the wagon fort.

A group of about a dozen men had broken from behind the cover of the wagons, taking advantage of the lag in action between Elsa's attack and the company mobilising behind her. Six were carrying blue boar's-head shields, sheltering the others as they ran forwards with cloaks and tarpaulins to smother the spreading grass fire.

They were still out of bowshot for now. Seeing what Roth was pointing at, Ingwald looked urgently to Sieghard for the order to advance.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard scowled. "Ingwald and Nat, your group goes with Hildebrand. Keep at a safe range and stop them, then once we're in position start one of the wagons burning next. If they send men after you, fall back out of firing range and towards the halberds. We stick to the plan."

He turned to Norten. "We won't waste any more time here than we have to. If they send men after the crossbows, end it quickly. If they abandon their wagons, we secure them and let them flee."

Elsa's a bit better at dealing with shields without getting in "get shot to death by their friends" range. Also buys time for Sieghard to get into position.

[LCP]

Elsa, Sieghard & Ludo

"Let 'em run," said Norten. "Got it. Let's not burn too many of them wagons though, eh?" He gave Sieghard an eager look. "Might be some good stuff in there."

Ingwald's detachment was already hurrying forwards, Nat and his men just behind. As they came into range, the Thorns knelt and raised their crossbows, harassing the shield-bearers with long shots. The Duke's men were too spread out fighting the fire for the shields to form an effective wall, and the scatter of crossbow shots clearly had an effect. One man stumbled and fell with a bolt in his leg, and the others began to pull back, shouting for their comrades to do the same. They had failed to put any appreciable dent in the spread of Elsa's fire.

Pulling his men together, Nat made sure they had their own shields up front - the same blue boar's-head shields carried by the defenders. Looking towards Elsa, he motioned her closer.

"Ready when you are, your wizardness," he said. Ingwald's men were reloading for another volley as the handful of crossbowmen on the wagons started to take opportunistic pot shots in their direction. "We'll get you as close as we can."

[LeSwordfish]

"I'm going to get up high and keep a watch," Ludo said, jogging off in the direction of one of the upwind trees. "I don't want their scouts getting the jump on us."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Only enough to force them out of their hiding spot," Sieghard assured Norten.

"I'm going to get up high and keep a watch. I don't want their scouts getting the jump on us."

"Good. Shout if you see anything Norten needs to know about."

Gathering up the other squad of crossbowmen and shieldbearers, he led them around the wagon in the opposite direction Elsa had gone. "Forward!" he shouted, "Keep a constant volley on them, they can't be allowed to smother the wizard's fire!"

Not sure how soon Sieghard will be in position relative to when Elsa makes her move, but I'll be heading out soon so I'll make my first roll now and it can take effect then. He'll march them up to about 50 yards before unloading... He's more concerned about keeping their heads down while Elsa works than specifically killing them.

Aimed shot.
[roll0] vs 51 -20 (long range) +20 (aim w/ Sharpshooter)
[roll1] Damage

[-Sentinel-]

"Ready when you are, your wizardness," he said. Ingwald's men were reloading for another volley as the handful of crossbowmen on the wagons started to take opportunistic pot shots in their direction. "We'll get you as close as we can."

Elsa slid down her saddle. No sense in presenting a larger target than she needed to. "Alright. Let's move."

Not for the first time, she considered dressing the same way as her fellow soldiers and wearing her hair short, so as to be able to blend back in after throwing a few fireballs.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

There weren't enough crossbowmen on the inside of the wagon square to hold the Thorns back. Counting the shots, Sieghard estimated there couldn't be more than seven, maybe eight. Still, the cover afforded to them by the wagons let them make their shots count. One of the men in Hanna's squad fell back with a quarrel in his side, his shooter slipping back behind the wooden siding before any return shots could come his way.

Still, they had the defenders outnumbered, and there wasn't enough cover for everyone. Volume of fire began to tell, and Sieghard saw at least two of the defenders fall as the crossfire from the two groups intensified. Lining up his own shot, he watched with satisfaction as he made it three.

Shields together, Nat's men were advancing on the wagon fort, Elsa right behind. Most of the crossbowmen were shooting at them now, but Ingwald's men had them ducking - there was nowhere near the level of sustained firepower they would need to stop the advance. Nat looked back to Elsa, waiting for her signal that they were close enough.

OOC: Just tell me what range you stop at. Also, I'm not 100% clear from the last post - is Elsa proceeding on foot, or just crouching in the saddle?

[-Sentinel-]

Elsabeth Holt

"Now's close enough," said Elsa tersely. She reached out for Aqshy to strike at the front wagon, hoping for a fire that no one could hope to put out. The Red Wind was strong amidst the fury of battle.


Just tell me what range you stop at.
48 yards. With Sharpshooter, the Thorns should have no penalty when aiming, besides the one from the wagons.



Also, I'm not 100% clear from the last post - is Elsa proceeding on foot, or just crouching in the saddle?
On foot.


Channeling: [roll0]
Casting 12+: [roll1]

Damage:
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

That is some serious damage!

"Make a hole!" she yelled at the shieldbearers. As soon as she had a clear shot, she hurled a white-hot fireball that briefly outshone the rising sun. "Form up!" she shouted before the fiery projectile had even hit its target. Many crossbow bolts would now be coming their way... as soon as the enemy soldiers regained their composure.

[LCP]

Elsa, Ludo & Sieghard

Either the defenders hadn't been ready, or the covering fire from Ingwald's squad had them ducking - either way, no shots came Elsa's way in the brief window when the shields moved aside. The closest wagon was engulfed in flames as the fireball struck, men leaping off the back in panic to escape the sudden blaze. That was not going to be easy to put out.

Ludo meanwhile had found his tree, and was busy climbing. It wasn't a tall tree, but this wasn't tall country - from up in its stunted crown he could see the Rock of Savonne rising to the south. He saw no sign of the scouts; for the time being it seemed like the defenders of the caravan were on their own.

[LeSwordfish]

For now, Ludo thought, they can't ignore this much smoke forever.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Again!" Sieghard ordered. "Reload! Take aim!"

Sieghard does the same.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsabeth Holt


Elsa moved her group closer to the enemy to keep them within range. She spoke quickly to the two shieldbearers who had moved out of her way earlier, poking at their backs with her staff to keep them from having to turn around:

"When I shout really loud, you two will make a gap again. I won't be in it." Then, to another pair: "After that I'll count to three, and I'll have you two spread out. I'll cast through that gap."

OOC:
Spending the whole round talking and making sure the ploy is understood. This may save time in later rounds if the battle doesn't end as quickly as we hope.

[LCP]

Elsa, Ludo & Sieghard

Nat's men nodded - though one of them swore and jumped back as a crossbow bolt thudded into his shield. The wagon up ahead was burning fiercely enough for Elsa to feel the heat on her face; she could hear the sounds of distressed animals and shouting men behind it. The plan seemed to be working.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Fire!" Sieghard barked.

"Had enough yet?" He shouted to the caravan, "Or do we have to turn the whole thing into a pyre?"

If anyone is trying to put out the fire, they're the priority target.

[roll0] vs 51 - Whatever defense the wagons offer
[roll1] Damage

[-Sentinel-]

"Had enough yet?" He shouted to the caravan, "Or do we have to turn the whole thing into a pyre?"

As if we're not going to do that anyway, thought Elsa.

"Make a gap!" she roared at the first pair of soldiers.

When they stepped apart from each other, a little to her left, she paused for a few heartbeats; long enough, she hoped, for the enemy defenders to aim their crossbows at the gap. She used that short time to get a good grasp on the Red Wind.

"And... now!" she commanded the two soldiers directly in front of her.

Once the way was clear, she unleashed a spell on another of the wagons, then ordered the men to close both gaps.

OOC
Feel free to roll a Command test for Elsa if you feel the ploy requires it in order to be performed smoothly.

Channeling: [roll0]
Firebolt 6+: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

Unfortunately I can't see dice rolls on mobile. Also, I kinda suck at using tablets, so my posting may be minimal both in length and frequency for the duration of my trip.

Lisbon is awesome, by the way.

[LCP]

Elsa, Sieghard & Ludo

A single hurried shot whistled through the decoy gap Elsa had opened, sailing harmlessly into empty air. As she cast her spell through the second gap, a sulphurous burst of flame lashed back from her outstretched hand, its fierce heat licking her face and singeing her clothes. Her hand had cramped into the posture she had used to cast the firebolt, frozen into a contorted claw by the energy that had coursed through it. As she watched, a glimmer of Aqshy wriggled over the palm of the affected hand, and her thumbnail crumbled away into black ash.

The spell had done its work, regardless of the side-effects - a second wagon was now burning, though less fiercely than the first. The animal noises from inside the wagon fort were growing louder. Snapping off a shot that thudded into a solid wooden siding, Sieghard watched as one of the wagons at the back began to slowly shift, the defenders hauling it to one side.

The gap that opened in the defensive square was like the breaking of a dam. A stampede of panicked draft animals poured out, pushing and crushing each other in their frenzy to get away from the fires. A horse fell with a broken leg and was trampled by wild-eyed oxen, the escapees scattering every which way across the open plain east of the road.

No men ran with them. More of the wagons were moving, pushed a few feet one way or the other to get some clearance from the two that were burning. Elsa could hear Marat shouting, still exhorting his men to hold. They clearly hadn't lost their spirit just yet.

OOC: Elsa can't move the fingers on her right hand for [roll0] minutes.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa stared at her frozen hand in bemusement. Odd, but not the most alarming magical backlash she had experienced so far. One of her fingertips chafed painfully against the inside of her glove; she suspected she had split or even lost a nail. No way to remove the glove to check.

She exhaled in mild exasperation when the defenders refused to surrender. They had already lost their draft animals; they were not getting any of that food to Savonne, unless they were willing to carry it on their own backs. If Sieghard was smart, he would understand there was no point in risking any more of his men, since the caravan was already stopped. All they had to do was pull back and keep an eye on the enemy from afar, just to give them time to come to terms with their defeat without the threat of immediate death hanging over their heads.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Still set on playing this game, eh?

"We're falling back a bit," Sieghard said. "The wagons aren't going anywhere. We'll keep an eye on them and we won't go far, but no sense in letting them keep shooting at us or wasting our own shots."

Once he was satisfied with the increased distance between them and the wagons, he picked one of his crossbowmen to serve as a runner. "Circle around west and fetch Hildebrand's group. Move quickly and stay well out of range of the wagons."



"Stubborn lot, aren't they? I had hoped they'd give it up by now..." Sieghard said once Elsa had arrived. "I'm still against charging the wagons and we've already burned more than I'dve liked... If we told them we were going to set fire to everything inside the wagons at once, do you think you could trick them into believing it?"

Sieghard will fall back to just out of long range. He'll keep an eye on the wagons and if they attempt to put out the fires or otherwise expose themselves, he'll advance back to his previous position and fire off another volley.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

As soon as the Thorns began to fall back, a few brave souls appeared with blankets and tarpaulins to try to smother the burning wagons. Ingwald's squad had to advance and trade two or three more volleys before it was established that the attackers weren't going to take their eye off the blaze.

By the time Elsa's group had joined back up with Sieghard, the fire in the field had largely burned itself out, though a great curtain of smoke still drifted from the smouldering stubble. The wagon she had struck first was still ablaze, sagging at the back where one axle had burnt and broken. The second was just beginning to reach the same intensity, the flames spreading slowly but steadily over its heavy frame.

[-Sentinel-]

"Stubborn lot, aren't they? I had hoped they'd give it up by now..." Sieghard said once Elsa had arrived. "I'm still against charging the wagons and we've already burned more than I'dve liked... If we told them we were going to set fire to everything inside the wagons at once, do you think you could trick them into believing it?"

Elsa seemed skeptical. "I think they know we'd have done it already if we could. The best thing we can do now is let them consider their prospects with cooler heads. They can go back the way they came from, or they can load themselves like mules and try to go through us on foot."

She could not fault them for trying to fight back while crossbow bolts and magical fire were raining down on them. Great courage was often born of desperation. But once things quieted down, even the bravest of men sometimes lost their nerve. They only had to pause long enough to realize that, yes, they could get away with their lives... if they only swallowed their pride.

[LeSwordfish]

"I hate to say it but releasing those animals was nearly as good as getting them to Savonne." Ludo said, trotting up from the tree. "There must be a few dozen out there waiting for some lucky peasant to pick up."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard seemed unconcerned. "If there are any peasants who haven't already fled, it'll be just as easy to take the animals from them than to track them down on our own. And whether they believe it or not, we don't have a lot of choices. Either they surrender or flee or we keep burning them out... Unless one of you has a better idea."

[LeSwordfish]

"Lets set fire to the other carts and go then." Ludo said. "They can hardly stop us, can they?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard grumbled something about burning good loot, then called his runner over again. "Tell Norten I want the halberdiers moved northwest of the caravan."

"We'll make the south road more open to them and march around the east. Put on a show for them... They don't know what you can do, just make it look like something big is coming. If they're smart enough to flee, that'll be the end of it. If not, do what you have to do. I'd rather hit the men inside than burn more of the wagons if that's possible though..."

He waited until his messenger had reached Norten and then approached the caravan (while still keeping enough distance to not be an easy shot). "Getting pretty warm in there, I reckon!" Sieghard taunted. "You've made your stand, but I'm growing impatient! You have a minute - If you still haven't surrendered by then, the rest of the wagons burn with you inside them!"

If Elsa does think she can make them sweat a bit, most of her more basic spells only take a half action, so we should be able stay out of crossbow range. If they still won't budge, I can't think of any ways to dislodge them other than fire or sending men in (and I want to avoid that if possible due to the higher risk of casualties involved). It may be possible to hit some of them through the gap they made for the animals when they fled (or possibly the gaps they made to stop the fire from spreading). Either way, I think it's time to finish this.

[LCP]

Elsa, Sieghard & Ludo

As soon as the messenger had exchanged a few words with Norten, the halberdiers began to shuffle off the road, circling up to the west. The defenders watched them from the caravan, heads low behind their wooden walls.


"You've made your stand, but I'm growing impatient! You have a minute - If you still haven't surrendered by then, the rest of the wagons burn with you inside them!"

Clambering up behind one of the intact wagons, a sooty-looking Marat cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted back:

"You saved us the trouble of lighting a campfire! Go on, send your witch again!" He took a deep breath, the better to project. "We've still got our bows, and we only have to get lucky once!"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard spat to show what he thought of their luck. "Even Jager knew when he was beat! We'll see if Alvarr's farmboys burn as good as his farmland!" he shouted back before turning away.

"Ready when you are," he muttered to Elsa.

[LeSwordfish]

"You haven't been lucky so far!" Ludo called back. "We're after the wagons, not you. Abandon them and you can still be fighting tomorrow. Or see how long your luck holds out. You only need to be lucky once... we don't need luck at all. We're the ones with the wizard."

OOC
Sure, might as well make a stab at a charm test. I'll make it Charm if I can, but this could equally be Fel or Fel-Based Intimidate I suppose.

[roll0] vs 67 Charm/57 Fel, 37 Intimidate.

I shan't spend a re-roll because I suspect this is more or less an autofail.

[-Sentinel-]

"Ready when you are," he muttered to Elsa.

Elsa nodded. "Let's finish this."

Every passing minute she felt less and less inclined to spare any of the defenders. So much time was being wasted by the unexpected resistance. Say what you will about Alvarr, but he knew where to find the most stubborn sons of whores.

With her hand that could still move, she distributed her balls of sulphur to the three Thorns she knew as the best shots. "Better use them all at the same time, each on a different wagon. Makes it harder to put out the fires."

OOC
LCP, what did you roll for duration of the paralyzed hand thing? Can't see rolls on mobile.

[LCP]

Elsa, Sieghard & Ludo

The Thorns took the crumbling chunks of brimstone gingerly, wary of anything a wizard might give them. At Elsa's direction, they bound each one to the head of a quarrel with tightly-wound strips of cloth

Nat had his shield-bearers together, waiting for the order. "We're ready when you are," he said, looking to Sieghard and Elsa.

[-Sentinel-]

"Oh for Sigmar's sake, it's just sulphur," said Elsa, rolling her eyes at the Thorns' reluctance. Just don't forget to ignite it before you shoot. Or have the man next to you do it while you aim.

She gave each of them three matches.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard pointed conspicuously to one of the wagons "The three of you fire on the wagon two to the left of that one," he told them, "Light the quarrel before we advance."

We're going on Elsa's mark. I still think we should use Sounds or one of her light spells to make it look like Elsa is preparing a big spell before we actually move into firing range. It's as much about what they think we can do as it is what we can actually do.

Regardless, I'll roll another aimed shot from Sieghard now. If he can hit one of the men through the gap the draft animals escaped through, that's where he aims.
vs 51 before wagon modifiers.
1d10+4[/roll] Damage

[LeSwordfish]

"Ortwin, you light them." Ludo said. "You know better than the rest of us how not to make them go off boom."

"Not that they would! That was a joke!" he added hurriedly, in response to the thorn's worried looks.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa knew she could not attempt the ploy of the fake gap forever before the enemy got wise, so she decided not to use it this time, relying instead on the guards being busy weathering the next hail of crossbow bolts from the Thorns.

As the enemy leader had said, they only had to be lucky once.

OOC
I'll post my combat actions right away because it may be my last chance before I'm in transit and with unreliable Internet access. I'll be home late on the 9th.

Channeling: [roll0]
Casting Fireball 12+ at the wagons: [roll1]

Damage (separate target for each):
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

Reminder that I can't see my rolls on mobile.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

Nat pushed the shield wall forwards again, the Thorns behind keeping a steady pressure on the defenders with their crossbows. Ortwin and the other two Thorns who had been entrusted with the sulphur quarrels followed close behind the shields, cradling their weapons to their chests.

At Elsa's signal, the shields parted. Drawing the Red Wind to herself again, she tried to send another hail of fireballs towards the enemy, but the spell guttered and died in her grip. Cursing her still numb hand, she was slow to withdraw back into cover. A speeding crossbow bolt from the defenders grazed her hip, drawing blood.

Without any particular rhythm or timing, other gaps in the shield wall opened up, the Thorns snapping off their flaming quarrels as quickly as they could. With targets so large, they could scarcely miss - but at the same time the flames of the crossbow bolts were small, and the timbers of the wagons were thick. They would have to burn for some time to have any chance of reproducing Elsa's earlier success.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Again!" Sieghard snarled, "Take out their crossbows!"

I realized I had gotten my WS and BS confused and was rolling against the wrong number. I don't think it would've affected anything though.

Aimed shot again, at the enemy crossbowman who hit Elsa specifically.
[roll0] vs 59 before wagon modifiers.
[roll1] Damage

Rerolled OOC to 13 to hit and 12 damage.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa glanced briefly at the scratch along her hip. I should probably take that as a warning, she thought. But when Sieghard pressed the attack, she decided to do the same. If the defenders had a moment's respite, it would not be long before they started putting out the fires set by the flaming bolts.

As soon as her spell left her fingers, she dived to the ground to present a smaller target.


OOC
Let's finish this. This situation has lasted over a month. And yes, I realize it's our fault for dithering a lot at the start, but at this rate we'll never get to fighting Nahorek!

Channeling: [roll0]
Fireball 12+: [roll1]

Damage, separate targets:
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

Meh. No Tzeetch's Curse at least.

Am I allowed to dive as a free action, provided I need to use a half action to stand up next round?

[LeSwordfish]

As the second attack had begun again in earnest, Ludo had returned to his tree, peering out to look out for any approaching attackers, eyes watering from the smoke.

[LCP]

Elsa, Sieghard & Ludo

Sieghard's command whipped the scattered fire of the Thorns into something more like a concerted volley, getting the enemy crossbowmen ducking behind the wagons. Sieghard saw at least two of them hit, falling back out of sight. Only a single man held position long enough to take a shot at Elsa, his shot going so wide that it seemed uncertain whether he'd been aiming at her at all.

Elsa's fireballs had set another of the wagons alight. Two sides of the wagon fort were burning now, the drifting smoke drawing a black curtain between the two sides. The shooting from inside the caravan slackened and died, their crossbowmen unable to stay close enough to the fires to take aim. A few sporadic shots still flew from the Thorns, but their targets were quickly disappearing behind the thickening smoke.

Sieghard could hear something going on behind the wagons, though he couldn't see what. He heard snatches of raised voices, a ragged, half-hearted cheer - and a soot-streaked man burst from between two of the burning wagons. Others poured after him, charging for Elsa's bodyguard - perhaps thirty in all, shields up and swords and drawn. They hadn't an icicle's chance in a oven of taking on the whole company, but if they could take the Captain's wizard...


~

Up in his tree, Ludo tore his eyes away from the defenders' desperate charge to look back to something that was troubling him to the south. Following the line of the road, under the distant shadow of the Rock - was that a smudge of rising dust?

OOC: Elsa is 48 yards from the encampment, so the defenders will take 2 combat rounds to reach her (current) position.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Norten, NOW!!" Sieghard shouted, "Form up to take the charge," he barked, "Volunteers in front, shields high! Time to make Viktor proud! Thorns, one more volley then draw swords!"

That probably puts the halberdiers about 5 rounds away. Standing out of crossbow long range, but Alvarr's men aren't directly between us, so it reduces the total distance somewhat....

Sieghard uses both turns readying the Thorns and Volunteers to take the charge and hold until Norten slams into their rear He positions himself at the front and quickdraws both sword and shield while doing this.

[roll0] vs 49 Command to smooth things along

[-Sentinel-]

Fanatics, the lot of them...

Elsa cursed whatever fate ruled the universe for not gifting her with control over―say―Ghyran. She was reasonably sure she would not have nearly so many enemies if her powers consisted of bringing bountiful harvests.

She scrambled back to her feet, attempted one last trio of fireballs at the incoming enemy before her guards formed a shieldwall, and drew Aqshy closer to summon a crown of flames above her head. If she was going to die, she might as well make it look dramatic.

OOC
@ LCP: Are we counting Wounds and using crits, or are we simplifying it like we did at the Battle of Manann's Keep?

@TheSummoner: Did your orders have any goal in terms of combat rules, e.g. by having Elsa's guards use a Defensive Stance on the round just before the charge? That would turn the enemy's +10 WS charging bonus into a -10 WS penalty, and it costs us nothing.


Two rounds, then:

Half action to stand up.
Fireball 12+: [roll0] - Ugh, and the damage was so good! :smallmad:
Damage (separate targets each):
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

Crown of Fire (8+) as a full action, spending 1gc as a +1 spell ingredient:
[roll4] - Tzeentch has blessed us again.

The first spell petered out due to Elsa's hurry. Whatever threads of magic had been gathered for it were still entangled together when Elsa grasped them again to cast the second spell, and she knew before it was cast that something was about to go wrong.

[LCP]

Elsa, Sieghard & Ludo

An unnatural wind swirled around Elsa, hot and fierce as the breath from a furnace. The men around her staggered back, the sharp stink of ash and brimstone filling the air as Elsa’s crown of flames burst into being. Still Sieghard’s shout carried over the dry roar of the spell, and the Volunteers rushed forwards to present a wall of shields in front of their wizard.

The Thorns had been shooting at targets of opportunity, and so their shots now were staggered rather than a single, concerted volley. They found their marks nonetheless. Two men dropped dead, while others staggered and stumbled as the crossbows found their way past their tall shields. The defenders didn’t slow down, bearing down in a disordered wedge toward the point in the Volunteers’ line behind which they could see Elsa’s blazing halo.

The charge struck, Nat’s line buckling but not breaking under the impact. The Volunteers fought only to hold their ground, trying to shelter behind their stolen shields long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Elsa watched as the defenders’ black-bearded leader tried to force his way through the line toward her, breaking through the guard of one of Nat’s soldiers and hacking a deep gash into his arm. Her protector was young, barely more than a boy, but still he held his ground.

One of the caravan guards thought to try his luck against Sieghard, running screaming at the commander only to have his wild blow easily turned by Sieghard’s shield. Looking past him, Sieghard saw the halberdiers surging back through the smoke towards the road, weapons ready. They would be here soon enough.

OOC: Four combat rounds until the halberdiers arrive.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Hold the line!" Sieghard barked, hacking back at his attacker.

Swift attack.

[roll0] vs 51 WS
[roll1] Damage

[roll2] vs 51 WS
[roll3] Damage

[roll4] Defender parry assuming he has a shield.

What will it take for Sieghard to fight his way to Marat?

Edit: Better luck than that apparently. A shame because those were some damn nice damage rolls. Also, is it four rounds with their charge counting as the first or four after that with this being the first?

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa felt useless; just standing there while men fought and died to protect her. With no other option, she conjured up a quick protection spell, then remained ready for anyone to break through the lines.


OOC
Channeling: [roll0]
Aethyric Armour 5+: [roll1]

[LCP]

Elsa, Sieghard & Ludo

As Elsa felt the warmth of Aqshy fold itself around her, the youth in front of her went down with a falchion in his side of his head. As the defenders pressed forwards, Elsa found herself face to face with the bloodstained Marat, the reflection of her fiery crown blazing in his eyes.

The Thorns were surging forwards, swords drawn for all that they barely knew how to use them. With the reinforcement of the crossbowmen, the Volunteers were no longer outnumbered - emerging from behind their shields, they dared to strike back at their attackers. Still the caravan guards pushed their assault, Sieghard's own attacker still battering gamely at his shield - but they didn't seem to be gaining ground.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Swinging furiously, Sieghard continued to press the attack. However, every time he managed to force his opponent back, the found himself unable to go for a telling blow without leaving himself far too vulnerable to the other caravan guards.

Another swift attack. We're going to try fighting through him.

[roll0] vs 51 WS
[roll1] Damage

[roll2] vs 51 WS
[roll3] Damage

[roll4] Defender parry

... So many good damage rolls... When I finally do hit, i'm going to roll minimum damage, mark my words.

[-Sentinel-]

The line of defenders was breached earlier than Elsa expected, but she faced Marat with calm confidence. The wind of Aqshy burned fiercely around her, both protecting her and lifting her spirits.

A very brave man. Shame to kill him.

She sounded almost apologetic as she summoned the Red Wind again.

OOC
Channeling: [roll0]
Fireball 12+: [roll1]

Damage:
[roll2]
[roll3] - Fury failed to confirm in the OOC thread.
[roll4]

[LCP]

Elsa, Sieghard & Ludo

Bellowing like a bull, Marat smashed through the holed line, using his shield as a battering ram. Flame flew from Elsa's fingertips to engulf him but still he came on, sword swinging for her throat. Half-blinded by the fire, his blow went wide - but as the flames clinging to him guttered out, he was still standing. Behind him, his men were pushing hard on the gap he had opened, forcing it wider for more of them to rush through.

Still trading blows with the guard who'd rushed him, Sieghard registered the flash of fire and the smell of brimstone from down the line. It looked like Elsa had found trouble as usual.

[-Sentinel-]

Oh, damn. This one's tough.

Mild apprehension rose in Elsa as more of the enemy managed to widen the gap. She resolved to make a fiery example of Marat as a warning to others who tried to approach her.

OOC
Channeling: [roll0]
Fireball: [roll1]

Two fireballs on Marat, the last one on a nameless soldier (preferably someone already wounded).

[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Bashing the man's sword aside with his shield, Sieghard stabbed at the soldier, finally managing to draw blood.

Well, at least Sieghard can roll WS well when defending. With Marat down, I'm not as worried about getting to Elsa's side. Another swift attack

[roll0] vs 51 WS
[roll1] Damage

[roll2] vs 51 WS
[roll3] Damage

[roll4] Defender parry

[LCP]

Elsa, Ludo & Sieghard

Bolts of fire swarmed again from Elsa's outstretched hands, slamming into the sergeant one after the other. Wreathed in fire, he fell to his knees, teeth gritted against the pain. With his sword still gripped tight in his blistering fingers, he tried to lever himself to his feet, but couldn't find the strength.

The men behind him were about to rush through to support when a shout came from behind. Norten's men had crossed the road and were approaching the back of the melee at a run, the points of their halberds held low to thrust. Their right flank had overrun the burning wagons, and the sellswords that Marat had left behind were abandoning their makeshift fort like rats from a sinking ship, fleeing north along the road as fast as their feet could carry them.

Panic spread like wildfire among Marat's sortie, men turning in confusion and fear as they heard the shouts that the enemy was behind them. As they wavered, they lost the ground they had gained, Nat's shield wall closing again over the breach Marat had created. With their leader and their target both out of sight, the Duke's men broke, running north in a disorderly rout to escape the jaws of the closing trap. The Thorns and Volunteers cheered and surged after them, their formation dissolving in the chase...

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Hold!!" Sieghard yelled, running after his men. "Let the farm boys flee, we aren't done here!"

[roll0] vs 49 Command.
[roll1] Reroll.

He walked over to Elsa. "Good work. He's not as valuable as Jager was, but I'm sure the Captain will be happy to have this one. Are you hurt?"

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa & Ludo

Sieghard's voice cut through the clamour like a knife, stopping the whooping militia in their tracks. Some of the Volunteers still took the opportunity to yell a few taunts after the fleeing foe, mostly fairly vulgar - from up in his tree, Ludo considered that they were really going to have to work on their repartee.

The wagons were still burning, the first one that Elsa had struck now a towering inferno. Sieghard thought he could hear a human voice shouting urgently from inside the wagon fort. It sounded like not everyone had been able to cut and run.

[LeSwordfish]

With the battle done for now, Ludo scrambled down from the tree and ran over. "Someone else is coming. There's a dust cloud to the south, coming from Savonne."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"The wagons," Sieghard ordered. "Get the ones that aren't burning safely away from the ones that are." They had already lost half of the plunder, he wasn't going to let the rest burn with it. "And stop whoever's shouting. If they surrender, disarm them. If not, kill them."

"Someone else is coming. There's a dust cloud to the south, coming from Savonne."

"How long do we have?" he asked.

[-Sentinel-]

"Good work. He's not as valuable as Jager was, but I'm sure the Captain will be happy to have this one. Are you hurt?"

"Nothing to speak of," said Elsa, gingerly thumbing at the scratch on her hip where a crossbow bolt had grazed her. "Shouldn't we burn the other wagons? We don't have enough animals to take them with us."

She did not worry too much about the dust cloud. It would be a simple matter for their own forces to scatter to the four winds and meet up later.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa, Ludo & Astoria

Norten and his men needed no urging to save the loot. They rushed over towards the fire, swarming like ants around the heavy wagons to try to drag them out of harm's way. The Volunteers and Thorns followed behind, moving slowly as the adrenalin of the battle ebbed away.

Two of Nat's men hauled Marat to his feet, beating out the small fires still smouldering in his clothes. The sergeant hadn't been pretty before, but his new burns certainly weren't helping. Though barely conscious, he muttered a curse in Breton against his captors, trying to muster the strength to spit at Elsa's feet. Instead he just dribbled over his chin.

"Hey!" came a shout from Norten, emerging from behind one of the carts and waving energetically towards Sieghard. "Slayer! Come see this!"

The cart in question was the one that had been struck with the fire arrows. One corner of it was burning, the halberdiers doing their best to beat the fire out. At the back, a handful of Norten's men were trying to break off a solid iron lock that hung from the door of a wooden cage. Inside was a dishevelled young woman, manacled and dressed in soot-stained, unwashed clothes. She was the one who'd been shouting - she was pressed up into the far corner of her prison, trying to put as much distance between herself and the hungry flames as possible.

"Sod this," muttered Roth, as the others' attempts to break the lock continued in vain. Gathering two of his friends from Groz's forces, he pushed his way to the front and set to battering down the wooden door itself. It gave way more easily than the iron - with a few swings of their halberds, the three men managed to splinter and split it enough for it to be kicked and pulled apart by hand.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Shouldn't we burn the other wagons? We don't have enough animals to take them with us."

"Not yet," Sieghard replied. "We've got four horses if we make mine and Tanhoffer's pull as well," Elsa couldn't help but notice that he had excluded her own mount. "There's still time and the others that fled can't have gotten far." He turned to Ludo. "Take a dozen Thorns and see if you can track down any of their animals. No dawdling, bring back what you can find and we'll make do."

"Once they've got that fire dealt with, have your men start going through the wagons," he told Norten. "We've taken plenty of food already, unless it's something good, dump anything that will spoil." Then to Nat. "Set a few men to guard their sergeant and have the rest help."

"You," Sieghard said, approaching Marat's prisoner as she pulled herself free. "Who are you and why were you caged?" he demanded, as sociable as ever.

[Erulasto]

The moment the soldiers had pulled enough of the cage apart for Astoria that freedom was finally more than a wishful dream, she all but flung herself from the cage and the wagon, sprawling rather unceremoniously on the ground.


"You," Sieghard said, approaching Marat's prisoner as she pulled herself free. "Who are you and why were you caged?" he demanded, as sociable as ever.

She lay gasping for breath, free of the stifling smoke and the licking flames. It took a moment for her to realize she was being addressed; when she did, Astoria picked herself up off the ground with as much dignity as she could muster - chained as she was.

"I am Astoria Evangelisti, Knight of the Blazing Sun and Initiate of the Temple of Myrmidia in Magritta. I have travelled to the Broken Reaches to find a Priest by the name of Daniele Barbaro on behalf of La Aguila Ultima Isabella Giovanna Luccelli. Apparently....the soldiers who serve Duke Alvarr have no love of Myrmidia, for they clapped me in irons when I spoke of my task."

Soot-smudged cheeks were darkened further by a flush of embarrassment. This indignity would haunt her! She peered from beneath disheveled coal-black hair at Sieghard.

"You have my thanks for freeing me."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard's expression was unreadable. Dressed in sooty rags as she was, the woman didn't exactly look like a knight. "Barbaro serves Duke Alvarr's rival," he explained without mentioning his own connection to Sforza or the priest. "Why do you seek him?"

[Erulasto]

Sieghard

Sieghard's expression was unreadable. Dressed in sooty rags as she was, the woman didn't exactly look like a knight. "Barbaro serves Duke Alvarr's rival," he explained without mentioning his own connection to Sforza or the priest. "Why do you seek him?"

Astoria idly fussed, tucking dirty strands of hair behind her ear and wiping at her face with the sleeve of her tunic - though it did little to help.

"Well..." Astoria huffed, rather indignantly. "That would certainly explain the reception. Oh! That fool of a merchant!" Anger colored her face, copper eyes widening in realization that someone must have sold her incorrect information about her travel plans.

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose while closing her eyes, shoulders sagging slightly.

"The Priests believe there was an....Omen....in Magritta last Hexensnacht. Their divination only spoke of one revelation: the name of Daniele Barbaro. I was sent to seek him out. I have a missive from his superiors."

Suddenly, she gasped as realization dawned on her. Astoria turned to the burning wagons and pushed past the soldiers while frantically trying to remember what wagon held her things.

[LCP]

Astoria, Elsa, Ludo & Sieghard

"Here," grunted Norten as he was shouldered side, "you can't just run off -"

Astoria had run straight to the wagon she remembered Marat sitting on when they had left Alvarran. She hadn't seen much from her cramped cage during the journey, but that seemed like the best bet for where valuable goods might be stowed. Pushing between two of the halberdiers who were busy throwing the cargo off the back, she searched among barrels and boxes for what she was seeking.

She found it stashed under the driver's bench: a dirty crate lined with straw, its lid stamped with the faded imprint of a boar's head. Dragging it back into the open, she prised off the lid - lying inside in an unsightly jumble were the black plates of her armour, along with her shield, a crumpled ball of white robes, and a battered backpack.

Before she could take anything out of the crate, a hand gripped her shoulder. Looking round, she saw it was one of the halberdiers restraining her, his other hand resting on the pommel of his dagger.

"Steady on, fraulein," said Meiner. He had seen what was in the crate as plainly as her, and greed glittered in his eyes. "All this here plunder belongs to the Captain. Ain't that right, Slayer?"

[-Sentinel-]

Standing by Sieghard's side, Elsa listened to the chained woman's introduction with raised eyebrows. She had no idea any knightly order in the world included women, though this being Myrmidia, it should not surprise her as much as it did. She already felt a sense of kinship with the woman, if only because of her shared experience in having been a captive of Duke Alvarr's thugs.

"There was indeed a worrisome phenomenon on Hexensnacht," she said, stepping forward. "I'm a wizard of the Bright Order, so I felt it. But I'm afraid you'll find Father Barbaro rather useless."

She remembered how the drunken old fool had slept through it all. Properly ordained or not, clearly Myrmidia had not deemed this servant worthy of much mystical powers.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"All this here plunder belongs to the Captain. Ain't that right, Slayer?"

He nodded in agreement. "We'll take you to Barbaro and Captain Sforza," Sieghard offered. "If they decide you are what you say and that stuff's yours, I'm sure they'll let you have it back." And incase they did decide to do just that, he'd be sure to count it among the share he turned over.

[Erulasto]

Relief had flooded visibly across her face at seeing most of her things stored within the crate, even the haphazard manner phased her only minutely. Her father's sword and her spear were a different matter, entirely. They were not there! She would find the blade, at least. She could not allow her father's legacy to wallow in the dust of the Broken Reaches, or upon the belt of some unworthy soul.

A hand had just about clutched the strap of her bag when she felt Meiner grab her by the shoulder.

"You dare lay a hand upon a Knight of Myrmidia?" Astoria seemed a bit incredulous, as she turned to face him, trying to shrug his hand off of her. "Plunder indeed!" She scoffed as she turned to Sieghard, eyes wide and - perhaps - a bit nervous, though it was unlikely the proud young woman would ever admit such a thing.

"Very well, I will accompany you. However..." She raised her still-shackled wrists, and gave the small length of chain hemming them together a rattle. "Am I to be your prisoner as well, or may I travel freely with you of my own volition?"


"There was indeed a worrisome phenomenon on Hexensnacht," she said, stepping forward. "I'm a wizard of the Bright Order, so I felt it. But I'm afraid you'll find Father Barbaro rather useless."

The woman's voice cut through the tension that had been building in Astoria's neck and shoulders since the fire had begun, and she turned rather abruptly - the surprise evident on her features as she took in the sight of the other woman. The young knight had certainly not expected there to be another woman here - having steeled herself to the typical bravado that came with the usual students of the Art of War. There was a moment where it was obvious that her mind was scrambling to catch up with Elsa's comment.

"You....you are the Red Wizard? I..I had heard stories in my travels that there was a Wizard of the Bright Order in the Broken Reaches..." Astoria scratched at her messy, tangled mane of hair a bit nervously. "It is pleasure to meet you, my lady." The indecision written upon her face disappeared as she remembered herself, and dropped to a knee before Elsa. "You..ah...you are much fairer a vision to behold than the stories had indicated."

Of course, the stories usually portrayed Sforza's pet wizard as a wretchedly old man, or a wrinkled hag little better than a Greenskin. Astoria flushed at her fumbling, and tried to remember the lessons of court. Serves her right for listening to stories from the people of Sforza's rival. They would be woefully inaccurate, and prejudicial.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard


"Very well, I will accompany you. However..." She raised her still-shackled wrists, and gave the small length of chain hemming them together a rattle. "Am I to be your prisoner as well, or may I travel freely with you of my own volition?"

"If you find the key to those digging through the wagons, let her free," Sieghard told Meiner. "If they can't find it, we'll have wait until we get back to camp to have them cut off," he continued. "And keep in mind, if you cause any trouble before then we can put them right back on."

[LCP]

Elsa, Ludo, Sieghard & Astoria

"These them?"

Looking round, Sieghard saw one of the Volunteers holding up Marat fishing a ring of keys from the sergeant's belt. He jangled them for good measure.

[Erulasto]

Sieghard

"If you find the key to those digging through the wagons, let her free," Sieghard told Meiner. "If they can't find it, we'll have wait until we get back to camp to have them cut off," he continued. "And keep in mind, if you cause any trouble before then we can put them right back on."

Astoria nodded slowly, Sieghard's command drawing her attention back to her unfortunately stark situation.

"Sir....if your men find an older looking blade of Estalian make among the dead or captive - it would have a small eagle holding a stylized 'E' upon the pommel. Would you at least save me the dishonor of losing my father's sword?"

It was clear she wasn't going to be getting much of a better deal than this, at least for now.

At least Elsa was the only one who was likely to take a liking to the perfumed soaps wrapped safely at the bottom of her backpack.

Oh, how she would kill to be in a tub of hot water at the moment. The irony of her situation and the analogy were painfully lost on her...

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Probably," Sieghard replied, "Toss 'em here." Catching the key ring, he tried each one until he found the key that undid Astoria's manacles.

"Sir....if your men find an older looking blade of Estalian make among the dead or captive - it would have a small eagle holding a stylized 'E' upon the pommel. Would you at least save me the dishonor of losing my father's sword?"

"If we find it, we'll put it with the armor," Sieghard grumbled, his patience straining.

[Erulasto]

Sieghard

"Probably," Sieghard replied, "Toss 'em here." Catching the key ring, he tried each one until he found the key that undid Astoria's manacles.

"Sir....if your men find an older looking blade of Estalian make among the dead or captive - it would have a small eagle holding a stylized 'E' upon the pommel. Would you at least save me the dishonor of losing my father's sword?"

"If we find it, we'll put it with the armor," Sieghard grumbled, his patience straining.

When the manacles clatter uselessly to the ground, Astoria rubs gingerly at the sore flesh of her wrists.

Astoria looks around, a little lost and bewildered at the turn of events. Destitute and lacking even her blade? Some Knight she had turned out to be. This was not at all like the stories her father had told her. As her copper eyes shifted across the horizon, trying to find some sign or meaning to her current predicament, she noticed the cloud of dust rising.

Oh, they got here a lot quicker than she would have expected!

"Um...Sir? Commander?" What did the Halberdier call him? "Slayer!"

If she got his attention, irritated or not, she had no intent of allowing herself to be back in the tender mercies of Alvarr's soldiers. She pointed to where, unbeknownst to her, Ludo indicated the approaching riders earlier.

"The caravan sent runners last night to Savonne. They're bringing the Army. I would hazard a guess that's them..."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Sieghard," he snapped, far more annoyed than seemed reasonable. It was bad enough he couldn't stop the halberdiers from calling him by that nickname - he wasn't about to have it from some random woman who called herself a knight.

"The caravan sent runners last night to Savonne. They're bringing the Army. I would hazard a guess that's them..."

"Figured they'd do something like that," he replied, calm again. "It'll still be a few hours before they're here. Soon as we can get the wagons moving, we'll be leaving. You want to make that happen sooner, you can help the halfling track down Alvarr's horses."

Mind you, Sieghard isn't planning on sticking around for too long, but OOC, we've got 2-3 hours before Alvarr arrives. Anything we can't carry we can burn, but we've got a bit of time to try to round up a few of the horses and sort the less less valuable and more burnable stuff from the stuff we're more inclined to keep

[-Sentinel-]

"You....you are the Red Wizard? I..I had heard stories in my travels that there was a Wizard of the Bright Order in the Broken Reaches..." Astoria scratched at her messy, tangled mane of hair a bit nervously. "It is pleasure to meet you, my lady." The indecision written upon her face disappeared as she remembered herself, and dropped to a knee before Elsa. "You..ah...you are much fairer a vision to behold than the stories had indicated."
Elsa looked a bit uncomfortable with the kneeling and compliments. "Erm. Thank you. So you're a knight. Should I call you sir? That does not sound right."


"The caravan sent runners last night to Savonne. They're bringing the Army. I would hazard a guess that's them..."

"Hmm. Better be on our way." Shame to miss this opportunity to catch part of Alvarr's forces outside the walls of Savonne, but they simply did not have the numbers for this kind of fight. "I think we should burn the wagons," she reiterated. "Can't go off the road with them."


OOC

At least Elsa was the only one who was likely to take a liking to the perfumed soaps wrapped safely at the bottom of her backpack.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Random piece of advice, Erulasto: I think Astoria's internal monologues should refer to Elsa as Beatrix Hildebrand (at least for the time being), since that's the name she's using in her capacity as Sforza's wizard.

[Erulasto]

"Hmm...in Estalia it was Caballera, though the more informal Dona or the Reiksiel Dame would be appropriate. Admittedly, it's usually soldiers who are addressing me as such. Most of the ladies at the court in Magritta simply called me Astoria." There was a dark edge to the final comment, perhaps hinting that many of the men in said court did not have flattering things to say about the young knight, despite her apprenticeship in a prestigious Order.

"I wonder if it would be possible to leave a parting gift for the Duke and his wretched armies. I don't suppose there's a surplus of spirits or black powder sitting around, is there?" She smiled a bit sheepishly at the Bright Wizard. Command of fire! That was like something straight out of the stories.


Honestly, I completely forgot she's going by a Pseudonym. I shall post accordingly henceforth. :smallredface:



"Sieghard," he snapped, far more annoyed than seemed reasonable. It was bad enough he couldn't stop the halberdiers from calling him by that nickname - he wasn't about to have it from some random woman who called herself a knight.

"Figured they'd do something like that," he replied, calm again. "It'll still be a few hours before they're here. Soon as we can get the wagons moving, we'll be leaving. You want to make that happen sooner, you can help the halfling track down Alvarr's horses.

The young knight nodded, almost seemingly grateful for his waspish response. At least she had his name now. That was the first step, she told herself. Even the sourest of grapes will make a fine wine if worked long enough!

"Sir Sieghard." She glances out in the direction the horses escaped. "I have little experience in tracking, but I am good with horses. If the Master Halfling can find them, I will calm them." She seems rather sure of this fact, having spent many years training her old warhorse Pomfrey, and Pomfrey was a surly beast at the best of times. Likely because she gave him such a ludicrous name, or so the stableboys whispered behind her back.

[LeSwordfish]

Deeply curious about this new arrival, Ludo nevertheless turned to pick out those of the Thorns who had been hunters, and head off with them in search of horses. The trail of devastation left by the stampede was easy enough to find at first.

Perception roll vs 47: [roll0]

[LCP]

Sieghard, Elsa, Astoria & Ludo (https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--e6t0kNr---/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/trnydqvmspdppu7rcxhd.jpg)

The caravan's draft animals had scattered to the four winds, leaving a trampled path of destruction through the fields to the east side of the road. The oxen at least hadn't gone as far or as fast as the horses - but they proved stubborn beasts to bring back, particularly with the fires still burning among the wagons. Ludo decided he was best suited to supervising and giving moral support as four Thorns did their best to drag one ornery ox back towards the road.

In the end they managed to bring four oxen and one horse back to the wagons, the latter being led by Astoria as if she had raised it from a foal. As the halberdiers continued ransacking the wagons, Ingwald took it upon himself to make an inventory of the plunder. Most of the caravan's cargo was sacks of grain and casks of salted mutton. One wagon carried a good number of clay jars that turned out to contain lard and pickled cabbage; another, locked up almost as securely as Astoria's cage, barrels of ale and wheels of cheese. For the most part though it seemed that they had concentrated on quantity over quality, trying to fit as much solid weight of simple staples onto the wagons as they could. Savonne was a big city to feed.

Beyond the food, the only thing they found was a small, iron-bound chest at the back of the locked beer wagon. It resisted their attempts to crack it open, but one of the keys from Marat's ring fit the lock. It opened to reveal a small hoard of gold coins - mostly locally minted, stamped with the boar's-head heraldry of the Duke on one side and a crude likeness of his face on the other. Doubtless this had been the paychest for their mercenary guards.

The Thorns and Volunteers had each lost one man, while three more had taken wounds serious enough to require a surgeon's attention. Among the enemy there were seven dead and five wounded left behind, including the sergeant. Most were the Duke's men, carrying the same equipment Sieghard had seen in the city - leather armour, spears, short swords and tall shields. Two were sellswords with mail shirts and crossbows. Checking the sword-belt of one of the dead, Roth unbuckled his scabbard and held it up for Sieghard's attention. It looked like an uncommonly fine weapon for one of Alvarr's men-at-arms to carry, with a black leather hilt and a stylised "E" on the pommel.

"This what the young lady was looking for?" asked Roth.

OOC: The paychest contains [roll0]gc [roll1]s. There are a handful more coins and trinkets to be had among the dead but those will be going straight into your men's pockets unless you want to intervene.

Equipment up for grabs = 2 crossbows, 2 mail shirts, 1 set of full mail (Marat), 9 spears, 9 shields, 12 hand weapons. All the dead and wounded have also got leather armour but it's a bit cut up and bloody.

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo was embarrassingly deficient with the crossbow, but after an embarrassing moment that he was sure nobody had seen where he had nearly killed one of the oxen, he had slung it over his back, determined to make a better account for himself in the next battle.

"Excuse me!" he said, taking the sword from Roth. "Miss Caballera? Is this your sword?"

[Erulasto]

Once returned with the horse, Astoria secured it with the soldiers' other steeds, one last gentle rub along the haunch of the horse and she turned to pick through the battlefield. She would likely need, she thought wistfully, to find a new spear as well. There seemed to be a fair number laying about, though Astoria was certain she would likely be reprimanded if she sought to arm herself.

Astoria made her way over to Sieghard, and patiently waited for him to finish whatever he was doing. It wouldn't do to further annoy the commander of these men, especially if he was the warden who controlled access to her arms and armour.

"Sir, I have some skill in healing if you or your men need tending. I am no surgeon, but I have experience with battlefield medicine. There should be some healing poultices in my pack, as well, if there is anyone more severely injured."


Ludo was embarrassingly deficient with the crossbow, but after an embarrassing moment that he was sure nobody had seen where he had nearly killed one of the oxen, he had slung it over his back, determined to make a better account for himself in the next battle.

"Excuse me!" he said, taking the sword from Roth. "Miss Caballera? Is this your sword?"

Astoria's expression brightened at seeing her father's sword, though the remembered command to toss it in with the rest of the plunder chaffed. She offered the Halfling as bright a smile a she could muster, given the circumstances, and nodded.

"Yes, Master Halfling. It is! It warms my heard to know it is found."

[-Sentinel-]

Astoria, Ludo, Elsa and Sieghard (http://www.duckndrake.co.uk/Public_House_Leeds/Real_pub_real_ale.jpg)

Elsa paced restlessly while Sieghard's men set out to catch the escaped draft animals. She munched on salted mutton and fed some to Morrslieb to help the wounded bird recover. Every few minutes she checked on the advance of the armies from Savonne.

"Can we get moving already? We can split up the loot later."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Sir Sieghard."

Sir Sieghard... That was a new one. Did she think he was a knight? Well, I am wearing one's armor...



Sieghard oversaw his men rummaging through the wagons, telling them what to save and what would be destroyed, and doing his best to ignore Elsa's urging to just burn everything and leave. By the time Ludo had returned with the oxen, he was confident they had found everything of value and gave the order to have it tied to the animals and the rest burned.

"We should send a runner to the Captain," he suggested to Elsa. "Let him know what's happened and that Alvarr's men are on the march."

"Sir, I have some skill in healing if you or your men need tending. I am no surgeon, but I have experience with battlefield medicine. There should be some healing poultices in my pack, as well, if there is anyone more severely injured."

Sieghard considered the option. He was skeptical, but after a moment replied "They'll need the surgeons either way, but if you can bind their wounds until we can reach them, then do it quickly."

Sieghard wants to take the cheese and ale, as well as the paychest, mail, and weapons. Also, the weapons and boots from the dead Thorn and Volunteer. He's not going to bother picking bloody soaked leather off the battlefield dead and he'll let his men help themselves to the coin they find on the dead men themselves. Marat's coming with as well, though he's not worth so much that we can't slit his throat and drop him if he proves to be too troublesome. Ludo of course is welcome to one of the crossbows if he can avoid shooting the oxen and Astoria can have one of the spears after we've gotten her to Sforza if she wants one.

We'll go north until we regroup with the men left to guard the carts and then, depending on whether we're still being pursued or if they stop when they find the burned wagons, we can either finish our sweep of the countryside or head back to Sforza directly. We could also send our wounded back to Sforza with a small escort now while the majority stick to the road for the time being.

[Erulasto]

If Astoria noticed Sieghard's hesitance at her alleged skills as a healer, she did not make much indication of it. Instead, she simply acknowledged his instruction with a small, but curt nod and hurried off to find those who needed some assistance.

The young knight did what she could, as swiftly as she could - it wasn't much at the moment, given the haste the company worked with. When she was done her work, she sighed and wiped a sleeve across her brow. It smudged the sweat and soot even more, but at this point she had grown accustomed to it. Astoria sought as clean a rag as she could find, and began to wipe some blood from her hands as she approached the Bright Wizard, and her - apparently injured - companion.

"My lady..." She stopped a short distance away, not wanting to approach abruptly or give the injured animal a reason to take displeasure with her arrival. "If your feathered friend is injured, I may be able to offer some aid. If it is your desire."


All the Heals.

[roll0] vs INT 47
[roll1] for Lightly Wounded

If Elsa is okay with Astoria helping Morrslieb, I figure an Animal Care and a Heal? Correct me if I'm wrong, or being presumptuous.

Animal Care [roll2]
Heal [roll3]



When she has done all she can to assist those wounded in the sortie that free'd her, Astoria picked through the gathering slowly - looking for a drink of water, if one was to be found, and awaiting further instructions before they headed out.

[-Sentinel-]

"My lady... If your feathered friend is injured, I may be able to offer some aid. If it is your desire."

Elsa's first impulse was to flatly refuse, as if a strange woman had asked her permission to nurse her baby. Her raven had a value that could not be quantified. Then it occurred to her that Astoria had every reason to oppose the Duke, and so far had given no sign that she feared or hated magic.

"I'll let you have a look," she said reluctantly. "I'll be watching you."

It took her a moment to convince the nervous Morrslieb to stop thrashing under the knight's fingers.

[LeSwordfish]

A little taken aback at being referred to as Master Halfling, Ludo handed over the sword and turned back to Sieghard. "Are you sure? If they can keep up with us until we reach our own wagons, we could lose everything. Let's just throw what we can on the horses and leave the rest to burn."

[LCP]

Elsa, Ludo, Sieghard & Astoria

Astoria inspected Morrslieb's bloodied wing, but scarcely knew where to begin. The Order had taught her most everything about caring for a horse, but birds and horses were very different animals. She cleaned the wound as best she could, and left it at that.

Loading the animals up with the stolen goods took some time - the barrels of ale in particular were both bulky and heavy. While some of the men saw to the loading, others set to work pitching what they couldn't take with them into the flames of the burning wagons. The one that had been burning longest didn't take well to the added weight - its charred axles gave way one after the other, sending Norten and his men scrambling back as it slumped to the ground in a cloud of embers. One of the horses reared, clearly still agitated by the flames.

By now the cloud of dust to the south was visible even from ground level. Rounding up the prisoners and the wounded, the company headed back the way they had come, cutting cross-country through the fields and pastures west of the road. With their heavily-laden beasts trailing behind them, their tracks would not be difficult to follow.


~

It was some time after midday when they returned to their own carts. Having been denied their promised rest after last night's march, the men were moving slowly - but if the force coming from Savonne had followed them, they had seen no sign of it yet. Thin black streaks of smoke on the horizon marked where they had left the wagons to burn.

There was some congratulatory back-slapping as the soldiers who'd been left behind saw what the main party had brought back. Ingwald however just stood back and looked at their spoils with an appraising eye.

"Don't reckon we can carry any more with us, boss," he said to Sieghard. "Carts are full already, and now we've got these poor beasts all trussed up with barrels of beer. Maybe time we ran some of this back to the Captain?"

[Erulasto]

Astoria and Beatrix*

When she had done all she could for Morrslieb, she rose and offered the Bright Wizard a small smile.

"I apologize that I cannot do more, my Lady. Plenty of rest and food, and I would wager your friend here will be right as a smile from Myrmidia."

Astoria and the Little Master

It had surprised her when Ludo handed her the sword, but her soot covered face broke into a wide, happy smile.

"Master Halfling, you have my deepest gratitude!"

The young knight offered Ludo a deep, sweeping bow before securing the blade at her hip with reverent, but practiced ease.

"I am in your debt." It was said with a certain amount of finality that gave a firm impression she would brook no argument.



* * * * *

Astoria was already tired when they arrived at the camp; between hunting down the horse, tending what wounded she could, and the march - not to mention her many days in captivity.

When there came a moment of respite, she allowed herself to slump down to the ground with a weary groan and rubbed the back of her neck to ease the tension there.

The Knight did not assume that her input would be welcome, nor wanted, and contented herself with what rest she could find.

It wouldn't surprise her if they were marching again, before long. Nor would it surprise her to find that there were more important matters to attend than seeing her to this Sforza, and by proxy Barbaro.

[-Sentinel-]

"I apologize that I cannot do more, my Lady. Plenty of rest and food, and I would wager your friend here will be right as a smile from Myrmidia."

"Thank you for your efforts," said Elsa, examining the cleaned-up wound. "I think what he most needs is some rest."



"Maybe time we ran some of this back to the Captain?"

"I'm inclined to agree here, Sieghard, said Elsa, filling her waterskin from a barrel of ale. "Besides, we need to send word to the Captain that Morrslieb is wounded and can't be relied on to carry messages."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"You're going to have to figure out how to tell him that," Sieghard replied. He didn't envy her.

"As long as the scouts say the way is safe, we'll head that way. I'd rather not have anyone split off until we're sure Alvarr's soldiers aren't around anymore and we've still got men who need the surgeons' care." He turned back to Ingwald. "We'll rest here a bit before continuing on. I want to send a message to the Captain though... 'Caravan stopped and supplies burned. Alvarr's sergeant captured. Casualties light. Reinforcements from Savonne in the field but too late to save wagons.' "

[Erulasto]

After a brief rest - finding a measure of respite from the harsh conditions of the last few days - Astoria picks herself up, and makes her way towards the wounded men. The knight spends some time checking wounds, and ensuring that the travel back to the camp did not exacerbate any of their injuries, or undo the effort she had made at tending them.

After she had spent some time offering her services to those in need, Astoria wandered through the camp until she found a quiet spot just on the outskirts. She drew her father's sword, and plunged it into the dirt before dropping down to her knee's before it.

Astoria closed her eyes, and raised a hand to her breast with fingers splayed wide to represent the rays of the sun.

"Mother of Battle....She who keeps my blade keen, who keeps my shield ready and my armour strong: Grant me the grace to know my enemies, the honour to stand against them and the strength to defeat them. This I pray, in Myrmidia’s name."

[LCP]

Sieghard, Astoria, Ludo & Elsa

“Right,” said Ingwald. Patting his pockets, he looked towards the carts. “Got to be some writing things around here somewhere.”

While Ingwald searched, Sieghard sent two of the guards they had left behind to recall Tannhofer and the scouts. Most of the company seemed dead on their feet; it seemed best to let them rest.

Rahim at least was well-rested. The surly Arabyan had remained behind with the others, and they now found him reclining on one of the back of the carts, his arms folded behind his head and his eyes closed in an expression of contentment. Once woken and handed the letter Ingwald had scribed, he saddled his horse and set off with barely a grunt of acknowledgement, only muttering something to himself in his own language. At least what he lacked in manners he made up for in horsemanship – taking off like an arrow from a bow, he quickly vanished from sight.

It was some hours later when the scouts returned, sorry to have missed out on the action. Tannhofer confirmed that there was no sign of the Duke’s forces on their tail – they looked to have reached the site of the battle and turned back to the city with whatever they could salvage.

One possible reason for their decision was looming to the north. Black clouds were building over the Karst, heavy with the promise of a storm. Fitful breaths of wind rustled the leaves of the trees around their sheltered hollow, sending the last leavings of winter’s dead growth tumbling in the breeze.

“Looks like we’ll be getting some rain after all,” said Gustaf, eyes raising to the building thunderheads. “About time.”



Wellentag, 30th Pflugzeit

Narcisa

Narcisa had the feeling she’d lost the company. Yesterday she’d seen no fires behind her, though she’d told the locals to leave all the same. Most had listened, barring those too old to move, and one obstinate turnip farmer who had insisted he was “skilled in self defence” - by now, some measure of her reputation was running before her. If her ravenous looters now failed to appear, some of that credibility would be lost. She’d climbed to the top of a stony hillock to better look for the others, but seen no sign – only faint trails of smoke rising in the far distance, somewhere near the Alvarran road. The sight of the oncoming storm had been much more concerning.

She’d found cover in an abandoned shack, by the dry bed of a stream that ran down from the foothills of the Giant’s Teeth. The storm had broken in the night, and she’d listened to the wind howl around her fragile shelter as the rain hammered at the old boards. When dawn finally came, the stream was full and rushing, and the storm had passed. She could see it still moving across the Downlands – a ragged black arrowhead of cloud, stretching out its shadow towards Savonne.

She had scarcely gone twenty steps from the shack when she noticed something out of the ordinary. A stunted tree on a rocky outcropping nearby had lost some of its leaves, and something white and was lodged in its crooked branches, washed clean and glistening by the rain.

It was a sheep. Or rather, it was half a sheep. Its forequarters had been torn messily away, leaving just the rump and hind legs tangled in the upper branches of the tree. They looked as if they had been dropped there from quite a height…



Elsa, Sieghard, Ludo & Astoria

Rain was still falling in the storm’s wake as Sieghard’s company broke camp, headed back to where they had last seen the Iron Company. Progress was slow with their carts and draft animals behind them; the sudden deluge had turned the dry ground of the Downlands to mud with startling speed. The afternoon was drawing to a close when the camp at the foot of the hills hove into view.

The Tileans had evidently been busy too – heaps of plunder had been stacked up in some rough semblance of order around Abdul’s unharnessed carts, the Arabyan’s men lounging around them and doing a sterling impression of the world’s most indifferent guards. Sieghard caught sight of Rahim among them, leaning on the side of a cart and slowly eating a handful of nuts. He spat out a shell and gave the barest of nods.

The number of men in the camp didn’t look anything like the Iron Company’s full strength. Sieghard assumed the rest must be in the field; he could see no sign of Carraciolo either. The banner still flew over the Captain’s pavilion, however, and as the militia filed into the camp the man himself emerged.

“Sieghard,” he said, two Iron Company men falling in beside him. He held Ingwald’s letter in his hand, but let a brief silence reign as he ran an appraising eye over the loot Sieghard’s men were carrying. “Looks like you’ve been busy. Good work.”

He tapped one of his bodyguards on the arm, and the man ran off shouting for Abdul. Turning to walk with Sieghard, the Captain held up the letter.

“So it seems they do venture out from behind their walls. We weren’t close enough this time to catch their little relief force, but next time...” He closed his fist as if crushing a fly. “I want you to post a watch at the mouth of the pass. If any more try to make the crossing, we’ll be ready for them.”

Trailing a little way behind, Astoria was still taking in the sights of the camp. The Iron Company’s encampment was much more neat and disciplined than anything Marat’s men had managed; she felt like she was looking at an illustration straight from the pages of one of the treatises she had studied with the Order in Magritta. The rain had rendered everything a little squelchy, but still, it was impressive.

[Erulasto]

While the rain had muddied the roads and made the travel more arduous than it otherwise would have been, Astoria enjoyed the feeling of the rain on her soot-caked skin as it seemed to wash away the stress of the last few days of captivity.

When they arrived at the camp of the Iron Company, Astoria found herself a bit giddy. This was more like it!

Astoria had seen the mercenary camps that had been hired by those Merchant Princes of both Estalia, and Tilea but even they paled in the grandeur of the men in service to this Capitano Sforza. She gawked at the precision and - if she was honest - the size of the plunder piled at the camp.

She trailed along behind Sieghard and the man she assumed was Sforza himself. Astoria walked with hands clasped lightly behind her, hoping to have a moment to introduce herself and perhaps see some resolution to the task her Masters had set for her. It was a matter of her honour as a Knight to see it through, no matter the odds stacked against her. Sieghard and Sforza seemed rather busy, so Astoria contented herself to not interrupt. Patience, she reminded herself. She must be patient.

She would get her chance.

[-Sentinel-]

Drenched from head to toe, Elsa was in a vile mood by the time the company reached Sforza's camp. She dismounted and ate ravenously while listening to the Captain.

"Unfortunately Morrslieb's no longer sky-worthy," said Elsa, showing the wounded bird perched on her arm. "He'll recover, but I don't think he'll fly for a few days. We can't keep an eye on Bunthafen. On the bright side, the enemy believes him dead."

And she intended to keep it that way for as long as possible. She had kept Morrslieb in her saddlebag the whole way and prevented Marat from ever seeing it. If the man escaped or was freed, he would not carry that knowledge back to his Duke.

"Any news from Lady Groz's pregnancy?"



OOC
Is the 30th only the next day from the attack on the caravan? Been a while since we last saw a date in the IC thread...



<It... I just thought I saw something, before dawn,> said the pikeman. He pointed up into the hills south-west of the camp, where the crags of the Giant's Teeth reared highest. <Flying up there. It was far off, but it looked a lot bigger than a bird to me.> He looked to his comrade and shrugged. <I lost it behind the hills.>


It was a sheep. Or rather, it was half a sheep. Its forequarters had been torn messily away, leaving just the rump and hind legs tangled in the upper branches of the tree. They looked as if they had been dropped there from quite a height…
w
y
v
e
r
n

[LCP]

Elsa, Sieghard, Ludo & Astoria

Sforza peered at Morrslieb, while Morrslieb glared sullenly back. Being grounded had Morrslieb thoroughly miserable, and he was acting up accordingly. Elsa prayed he wouldn't peck the Captain the way he'd been pecking at her leg all the way back.

"You should take more care," said Sforza at last. "That bird is worth a dozen scouts. Now we have no eyes north of the Karst." He met Elsa's eyes. "How did it come to be injured?"


"Any news from Lady Groz's pregnancy?"

"No," said Sforza. "In such matters I would assume no news is good news. I am sure Irene is ensuring the lady is well cared for."

[-Sentinel-]

"How did it come to be injured?"

"I got careless," Elsa admitted frankly, not lowering her gaze. "Sent him to blast the convoy with some fireballs to slow it down. I didn't realize they even had crossbowmen until one of them got lucky. We both learned a lesson."

She paused. "Speaking of being shot at, I seem to have become a target of late. Maybe I should try to blend in with the soldiers when we're in the field. Wear a uniform, keep my hair short..."

[LCP]

Elsa, Sieghard, Ludo & Astoria

"Careless indeed," said the Captain. "Sieghard had a hundred men to stop that caravan. We only had one bird watching the Jarl."


"Speaking of being shot at, I seem to have become a target of late. Maybe I should try to blend in with the soldiers when we're in the field. Wear a uniform, keep my hair short..."

There was a pause. "You are asking my opinion on whether to cut your hair?" asked Sforza, sharply. "Am I your captain, or your barber? Abdul is quartermaster, if you want a uniform speak to him. Or any of the commanders." He raised an eyebrow at Elsa. "I think the enemy will notice you all the same when you start throwing fire from your fingers."

[Erulasto]

Astoria may have been milling about on the periphery, in plain sight though being as unobtrusive as possible, however when the words of Sforza about being a barber or a captain, the young knight couldn't help but to snort a half-choked laugh.

A hand clapped over her mouth at the sound, eyes wide as she realized that yes - that did indeed come from her.

Dignity! There was little dignity in such crass mirth. Later, when ruminating on her sudden outburst, she would place the blame wholly upon the weariness of her journey stifling natural proclivities.

Any attention the outburst would have garnered was hopefully placated with a small bow, and murmured apologies - hopefully to hide the flush of embarrassment.

[LCP]

Sieghard, Astoria, Elsa & Ludo

The Captain turned his head at the sound of Astoria's laugh, his dark eyes quickly picking her out in the crowd.

"Who's this, Sieghard?" he asked, in clipped, neutral tones. "A new recruit?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"She claims to be a knight," Sieghard answered, "Sent to speak with Father Barbaro of all people." And then after a pause, "Alvarr's men had her held prisoner."

[Erulasto]

When Capitano Sforza turned his gaze on Astoria, she felt a wave of cold panic grip at her heart for a moment. Steeling herself, it took a mental reprimand that she was a Knight and should behave as such. Sir Di Souza - her mentor - would have sighed heavily at the breech of etiquette, but he was always pushing her to be better and to remember not to let her excitement get the better of her.

Sieghard had given a basic explanation, and Astoria took the opportunity to approach them, head held high.

"Capitano Sforza? I am Caballera Astoria Evangelisti of the Order of the Knights of the Blazing Sun and Initiate to the Temple of Myrmidia in Magritta." When she had come closer, to give him perhaps a better measure of her bearing, she bowed deeply. "It is an honour to meet you. What Sir Sieghard says is true. He and his men were kind enough to free me of my bonds after they had taken that snakes caravan."

[LCP]

Astoria, Sieghard, Ludo & Elsa

Sforza's face remained mostly impassive, but the corner of his mouth crooked in the shadow of a smile.

"Sir Sieghard," he said, looking to Sieghard himself. "Do you hear that? She's knighted you."

He looked Astoria up and down. "Forgive me, mia dama, if I say that you don't... look like a knight. What business does the Blazing Sun have in the Broken Reaches?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Do you think that means she'll be giving me land as well?" Sieghard replied, smirking.

[Erulasto]

Despite her attempts at a calm and dignified manner, Sforza's appraisal of her left her cheeks burning scarlet.

However, this did not impede her ability to form a proper response. She had her opportunity, and she would take it!

"Yes...yes, I am quite aware of my current state, Capitano. I am on an errand from La Aguila Ultima Isabella Giovanna Luccelli to find Daniele Barbaro. I have a missive for him in my bags. There were...omens observed last Hexensnacht at the Temple in Magritta. The Priests performed their divinations and the only answer they received was that Barbaro was somehow involved. I was dispatched to find him."

Astoria huffs a disparaging sigh. "I travelled from Magritta by ship to Barrack Varr, and passed into the lands of Duke Alvarr. When I happened across some soldiers looking for Father Vengist, I inquired after Barbaro with them and they immediately arrested me." The venom in her voice at the notion of such an affront is palpable. "I was stripped of my arms and armour, and locked in a cage as they planned to take me to Alvarran for the Duke to decide my fate. None of the soldiers wished to displease Myrmidia by slaying one of her chosen. That is where Sir Sieghard had found me, and while they were good enough to return my father's sword....the rest of my possessions have been included in your....plunder.


Sieghard
"Do you think that means she'll be giving me land as well?" Sieghard replied, smirking.

"Are you...not a knight?" Astoria blinked owlishly. "I apologize then! I had just...assumed...that with the surly demeanor and sharp temper you were one of the Heldenhammer's Knights." She offered a small bow, perhaps to hide the sharp smirk of her own that had begun to blossom on her face.

[RossN]

Narcisa

Somewhere, somehow she'd lost them. Or they had lost her.

Forgotten her perhaps.

Narcisa felt a shiver run down her back. For nearly the entire of her life she'd lived in the walls of Savonne, not always lived well but lived all the same surrounded by the scent and sound and sense of humanity in in all her beauty and ugliness. Now she was alone in the vast and open wilderness. The storm had badly rattled her - more badly than she might have thought possible having made it through floods and worse in the city. Here she just felt so exposed.

Outside the shelter she took one look at the (half) sheep, shivered and turned away. "Ranald help me," Narcisa murmured her prayed swallowed by the emptiness of the hills. She took deep breath and started walking in the direction she had seen the smoke coming from.

[LCP]

Astoria, Ludo, Elsa & Sieghard

Sforza still looked amused. "Daniele Barbaro?" he asked. "You're quite sure?" He turned to his remaining guard. <Fetch Daniele. Tell him there's a young lady from Magritta here to see him.>

It seemed like the soldier had scarcely left when Barbaro appeared on the scene with preternatural speed. On her journey, Astoria had often imagined what the man she was looking for would look like - the picture in her head bore a much closer resemblance to the Captain than it did to the short, balding man now in front of her. Still he greeted her with attentive, elaborate courtesy, which was more than either Sieghard or the Captain had offered.

Relating a highly abridged version of Astoria's story, the Captain ordered the crate with her effects brought forwards. The letters were produced, and Barbaro read them intently, his lips moving just a little as his eyes scanned from line to line. He had got about two-thirds of the way through when he stopped and slapped Sieghard across the face with the sheaf of parchment.

"Stone-headed brute! This is how you treat an envoy of the Eagle?" He gestured energetically towards Astoria, still standing in the damp and filthy clothes she had been caged in. "How would you like it if the high priest of, of humourless ogres sent us a messenger, and I treated them like a common thief, hm?" He bowed his head to Astoria. "My deepest apologies. He is a local, he does not know how to behave in civilised company."

<She is who she says she is, then?> asked the Captain, far less outraged than his priest. Barbaro held up the letters for him to see. <See here, my Captain. The seals of the order, and of the Eagle herself.>

Sforza raised his eyebrows, mildly impressed. He inclined his head towards Astoria.

"You are our honoured guest, then, signora. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask my men. Daniele here I'm sure will see you are well looked after." Something about the Captain's expression seemed to imply he found that funny. "Sieghard, see that her possessions are returned to her at once."

"You must be exhausted," said Barbaro, already turning his attention back to Astoria. "Would you care for some refreshment? My friend Abdul supplies me with a wonderful drink from his country, they call it kofi. You must try some..."



Narcisa

It was a full day's lonely walk for Narcisa to return to the road. There she found the burnt-out husks of Marat's wagons, half-sunk into the mud. The rain had washed most traces of the battle away, but still she could see the indistinct tracks of hundreds of men around the wreckage of the wagon fort. They looked to have come from the direction of the city and then turned back.

A trampled path through the barley fields showed where others had headed west. If the others had gone in that direction, she ought already to have passed them; these tracks were cold. If Sieghard's militia had had a run-in with the Duke's men, then perhaps they had fallen back to the Captain's camp.

[LeSwordfish]

"Wait - observed in Magritta?"

Ludo's grasp of foreign geography was loose, but he knew that Magritta was a long way away. "You mean that... that what happened happened even in Magritta? What do you mean Omens?"

[RossN]

Narcisa

Well, at least that explains that, Narcisa thought to herself as she surveyed the ruined wagons.

She rested her aching feet for a few minutes before resuming the walk towards where she thought the Tilean's camp probably was. If it started falling dark before she got much further Narcisa decided she would look for shelter instead. As unappealing as another night alone was it still presented more charms than stumbling exhausted through the dark.

[Erulasto]

Astoria did her best to keep the weariness that weighed upon her from showing. Her back was ramrod straight, and chin up as she endeavored to meet Sforza's eyes while they were talking and not be intimidated by the veteran Mercenary Capitano.

When Barbaro finally appeared before her, copper eyes widened a fraction in surprise. This was certainly not what was expected. A mental scolding to remind her that tactical greatness came in many shapes and forms followed, though some niggling voice in the back of her head wondered whether or not a man of his stature was able to put the implied tactical accumen to use. So much for the image of a dashing warrior-priest bringing the Art of War to the lawless regions of the Broken Reaches....

Still, she offered him the courtesy of a proper Myrmidian greeting - crossing an arm over her chest and pressing a fist to her heart.

The young knight was a bit flabbergasted at his sudden berratement of Sieghard. Did Myrmidia not teach that all deserve respect and to be treated with dignity? If even a prisoner of war was to be offered as much, then why chastise one of his own commanders publicly for his behavior?

"No apologies are necessary, your Grace." Astoria replied, gaze flickering to Sieghard for a moment - the apology written plainly in her eyes. "While I daresay the experience has been humbling, if it were not for Sir Sieghard I would not be standing before you today. The man made a wise call to safeguard his men. It was a strategically sound decision, and had I been in his shoes? I cannot, with any measure of honesty, say I would not have done the same. After all....Duke Alvarr's men did reduce me to the state of a penniless vagabond, no?"

She offered a small smile to Sieghard, before looking back to Barbaro whom she offered a respectful bow. "Regardless, that you worked to safeguard my honour is a thing I shall not forget, your Grace."


"Wait - observed in Magritta?" Ludo's grasp of foreign geography was loose, but he knew that Magritta was a long way away. "You mean that... that what happened happened even in Magritta? What do you mean Omens?"

Astoria nodded, rather vigorously to the Halfling's inquiry. "Oh yes, Master Halfling. The Priesthood was quite concerned when all the candles in the Temple that housed the sacred Book of Wisdom suddenly snuffed of their own volition. Though I suspect there was more to it than that, my duties as a Knight have kept me from being privy to the inner machinations of the Priesthood."

Turning back to Barbaro and Sforza, she offered them each another bow.

"Capitano, it is truly an honour to be a guest here with you today. Your exploits in the South, and the stories of your time here in the Reaches are beginning to spread far. If I can be of any service while I am here fulfilling my obligations with Father Barbaro, please, do not hesitate to ask. It would be my pleasure."

"Ahh...." Astoria rubs the back of her neck, the sodden mane of hair clinging uncomfortably to her skin. "If I am honest, your Grace? Very much so. I would face the might of the Greenskins for a hot bath and a meal. Though, I am shamed to say that the wretches who serve the Duke stripped me of the coin provided by the Temple for my journey.....and...and my horse." Cheeks colored further at the last admission, and she felt a pang in her heart at the loss of her beloved steed; one who had served her so well, for so long.

"Please...tell me of this....kofi? Where is it from? I cannot say I have ever heard of such a thing before."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Rolling his eyes at Sir, Sieghard left and returned a minute or so later followed by a pair of crossbowmen carrying Astoria's equipment. Though he said nothing, he didn't envy her being left in Barbaro's care. She'd learn all she needed to know about the man soon enough.

We actually recovered the horse.


In the end they managed to bring four oxen and one horse back to the wagons, the latter being led by Astoria as if she had raised it from a foal.

[LCP]

Elsa, Ludo, Sieghard & Astoria

"From Araby, my dear. You will have to meet our quartermaster, he is a very useful man to know." Barbaro fussed around Astoria like a mother hen, helping her retrieve her equipment from the crate. "And please, there's no need to stand on ceremony. You can call me Daniele. Anything you need, my tent is your tent."

Standing close to Sforza as she was, Elsa thought she heard the Captain murmur something like: <I bet it is.> Clearing his throat, he spoke up more clearly:

"Perhaps Signora Hildebrand should accompany you for your... refreshments, Daniele." Looking to Astoria, he clapped Elsa on the shoulder with a gloved hand. "She loves omens, she is always talking to me of them. Sieghard, your message mentioned prisoners?" He raised an eyebrow at Sieghard. "Let's leave the priests to their business and see to them."


~

Barbaro's tent was modest by comparison to the Captain's, but his coffee apparatus was not. Heating a fine brass pot over the campfire outside, he performed what seemed to Astoria some minor alchemy with sieves and powder before pouring three small silver cups of a thick black liquid. It was bittersweet and scalding hot, and after just a few sips she felt as alert and twitchy as a squirrel. With her weariness briefly washed away, she noticed how the priest's hands shook as he poured, and the recently-healed scars around his fingertips.

"So," said Barbaro, quickly hiding a cushion that had some rather risque embroidery by taking a seat on it. "About these letters. You say the temple divined my name?" He seemed a little flattered. "I must confess I'm not sure why. There were some... unusual events last Hexensnacht, it's true, but nothing seems to have come of them so far." He took a gulp of his coffee, wiping drips of the dark liquid from his beard. "Perhaps the auguries meant to guide you to the Captain? He is the one bringing Myrmidia's teachings to these parts." He paused, perhaps considering that an exaggeration too far. "In practice, if not in words."


~

Marat had been trailing at the back of the column, with the handful of other wounded caravan guards they'd taken prisoner. Sforza looked them up and down like a farmer inspecting dubious livestock at market.

"This is all of them?" he asked Sieghard. "What happened to the rest?"



Narcisa

It would be another long march back to where Narcisa had last seen Sforza's camp. As the sun began to set, she found shelter under an overhanging rock, rigging her travelling cloak as a makeshift tent to keep out the thinning drizzle. She would find the others in the morning.

[RossN]

Narcisa

Not for the first time Narcisa wondered herself wondering where she'd be right now if she'd successfully commandeered that horse. The ends of the earth...

...or maybe Alvarran at least.

With nothing else to do but eat her rations and feel sorry for herself she drifted off to sleep.