[IC] Warhammer: The Border Princes

[BananaPhone]

The Border Princes

Act 1: The Border Pass

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The moon hung in the air as a silver master of a clean blanket of stars. Without a cloud in sight, luna's reflection gave shadows to all who moved within Old Dwarf Pass. Yet despite the unusual night-time illumination, the road ahead was marked by dangers and treachery black enough that a human caravan had decided to camp for the night before continuing in the morning.

They were a people scattered from the Empire and drawn together out of necessity. Hochland, Reikland, Averland and even The Moot all had representatives in this fleeing band, and disparate as they all were in their flight from the conquests of Archeron the Everchosen, for now they could all gather in the protective circle of their caravan and enjoy the warm, hearty meals bubbling within the cauldron of one Halfling cook, Oron Hisme. The road ahead would be difficult even in the bright of day, so what better way to prepare than the safety of loved ones and the warm eatery of halfling cuisine to fill ones belly?

Their choice of location was amateurish at best, which only served as testimony to the common folk who constituted the caravan. Situated upon a flat, dirty mesa and flanked by vicious crags that no man could surely climb, the area provided a decent sense of security as smoke and chatter now rose within its embrace. Huddled as they were against the unknown and cold night air, the people enjoyed what little they had.

But unknown to the travelling band of refugees, predators lurked among them. Most were human, and others merely appeared as such, but all had so far ingratiated their travels into that of the caravan of a whole, even the mysterious one whom was guarded by equally enigmatic and masked armed soldiers. This dark seed had so far participated in the refugee's efforts, but now that the moon was out and the humans were distracted, they chose to meet a short distance away to discuss their next move. None of them had exactly planned on being here, but misery aquatints man with strange bed fellows...


oOo

Scene: A small enclave attached to a thin pass that snakes into the mountain, approximately three hundred paces from the encamped refugee caravan, the small group of five had gathered: Bastian, Gerwin, Johanna, Calvin and Friedrich. Finally free of the distrustful atmosphere of the caravan, the gathered group can speak freely, their voices quiet amidst the eerie quiet of the mountain pass as the deluge of chatter and smell the fire served as a constant-but-gentle reminder that they were in a secret liaison...




ooc:
First scene, finally!

In short; you guys know each others nature, and you've been travelling with and aware of each others presence for the past week. You've recently been communicating by small conversations, little written notes and other surreptitious means, due to the distrustful nature of the refugee's themselves. This is now the first chance you've gotten to get together and speak openly and freely with each other.

Feel free to give an OOC dot-point of what you would have told the others. You all know whether each other is a human or vampire.

[TheSummoner]

Friedrich

As the sun began to sink behind the hills, Friedrich made his rounds through the camp selling his wares to whatever gullible few were willing to trade good coin for small bits of wood and pungent herbs. Though he had no need of the money, he had always been of the opinion it was easier to hide in plain sight; The man who smiles and speaks cheerfully is far less likely to draw unwanted attention than the one who skulks about at the edge of sight and keeps his hood up. Perhaps that's why the masked fellow had caught his attention so quickly.

"Not a subtle one, are you?" he said calmly. He was careful to keep his distance from the stranger, no telling how he would react to someone realizing his secret. "Your "men" don't eat or drink - Never seen them gambling slacking in their guard duty either. If you're not more careful, even this pack of lackwits we've been traveling with will notice sooner or later."

I'm fine with this being Friedrich's first interaction with the group. He's approaching Bastian specifically, but there's no reason any of the others cant be there when he does

[Therumancer]

Bastian sighs, he had been expecting a conversation like this to happen sooner or later and hadn't been looking forward to it. He slowly closes the novel he was re-reading and decides there is no real point in denying his nature after the game of 'tag' that had been being subtly played during the journey. "I'm afraid my particular bloodline doesn't do subtle very well which tends to be a
problem. So far I've been thanking what gods haven't forsaken me that most of those we're travelling with aren't very observant or imaginative." Bastian pauses for a second as measure his next words as carefully as possible "I've been curious, why aren't you afraid? Either trying to flee, or rally everyone against me, my 'men' and of course the lady of my kind who is also with us"

[dojango]

Montressor approaches the group, cloak drawn tight around him. He says, "If a wolf attacks the flock, you kill it. If a wolf starts, I don't know, pulling a plow or whatever it is peasants do, you study it. What are you reading, may I ask?"

[Shadowflick]

Gerwin had spent some time mingling with the other caravan goers. Drinking, gossiping, trading war stories. In a refugee caravan, you tend to be able to hear a collection of horror stories from the gathered crowds. It can be rather entertaining in fact. Dulling the cruel twist of fate with a joke. He returns to his, darker companions. The beasts of the night that he has been contracted to serve for the time being "Your cloaked 'men' are not much for conversation" the Dog of war says, a clear Reiklander accent in his voice "Any reason 'your kind' has interest in this area? Or, need a new place to feast?"

[Haval]

'Plowing fields. Is that what we're doing? Johanna will follow behind Montressor to the meeting. She's wrapped in her cloak for the pretense of keeping herself warm, but her head is otherwise uncovered.

'Study is all very well, but I think the question remains, why are you not more afraid of us? She's smiling, but she's well aware of how that might look to a human who knows what she is.

Shadowing to have followed Calvin without him noticing
Vs. Ag 71
[roll0]

[TheSummoner]

Friedrich

Friedrich shrugged. "If you were able to do anything worth being afraid of, I don't think you would be hiding among a band of Imperial refugees."

[Therumancer]

Montressor approaches the group, cloak drawn tight around him. He says, "If a wolf attacks the flock, you kill it. If a wolf starts, I don't know, pulling a plow or whatever it is peasants do, you study it. What are you reading, may I ask?"

Bastian chuckles softly and responds "I'm reading about the death of Gotrek Gurnisson during the last war against chaos. I died in that war myself, but unlike Gotrek I came back" he then adds "Don't misunderstand my presence here. I'm not tame, the time WILL come where I'll have to feed and there is no guarantee my dinner will survive the experience. That said it's a dangerous world and I feel a desire to protect mankind as much as possible. With my help I figure the refugees have a greater chance of surviving than without it. Even if someone dies by my hand I figure there will be less fatalities overall."

To Friedrich he responds

"Unlike some of my kind the transformation did things to my appearance. For the moment it's easier to survive on the fringes than to make my way to the larger cities. Besides the refugees need my help, and I feel my protection is a fair trade if I wind up needing to feed on one of them even if no deal was directly struck. I can do a number of 'frightening' things, and indeed I could before I died, I just see no reason to make such displays needlessly"

[dojango]

Calvin starts at the voice behind him, and takes a step away. He touches the holy symbol around his neck, the sword and scales. And the other symbol, the sword at his hip. "The other one makes her presence known. It's a poor metaphor, I'm not committed to it. It is a dangerous world, that much we can agree on. But the pursuit of knowledge often takes us into dark places, does it not? Did you go past Morr's gates? Or were you stopped before that? Dragged back? Perhaps now is not the time, though. The night is dark and full of terrors. But the sun also rises, does it not? Does that bother you?"

[Haval]

To Friedrich, acknowledging his point 'Well there's no point in showing off. Attracts too many of the wrong kinds of people. But you are right that the war has made things difficult for me lately. These refugees have mostly given me a way to avoid being hassled on the road. So being recognised was something I had hoped to avoid.'

After Bastian speaks she will smile to herself. Marie would have found his attitude quaint. 'While I'm not going to go out of my way to hurt those that don't deserve it, I'm not sure what anyone can do about all this.' She gestures to the camp. 'Given everything going on up north they're already the lucky ones to have made it this far.'

Seeing the priest's gesture she will point to the symbol of Shallya around her own neck. People's beliefs about her kind being what they were it was useful to carry such a thing.

[Therumancer]

Bastian responds to Calvin "I don't remember being dead if that's what your asking. As far as the sunlight goes, it's annoying to be limited to living my 'life' at night but I suppose once I got used to it it's not that much different than living during the day and sleeping at night.

[Shadowflick]

Gerwin shrugs, taking a seat by Bastian and looking to the refugee's further away "Well, If they needed to choose chaos or Vampires, I'd imagine they would choose to stay under the rule of the Undead. Undead and life seem to need eachother. One for protection, the other for food. Choas just...well, they sort of just run about destroying everything no?"

[Therumancer]

"From what I've seen Chaos either destroys or mutates whatever it touches into a form offensive to even most of the undead. I died fighting chaos, and still oppose it today"

[Haval]

Johanna will think over Calvin's question before answering. It was strange to be talking openly about such things, but it couldn't do any harm. The man's curiosity suggested there was less chance he might turn on her later. 'The sun is only a problem if you don't take appropriate precautions. In the shadow of mountains like these I can sometimes do without even that if there's need. Oh, and if Morr saw fit to reject me he didn't see fit to announce himself as he did it.' She is unconcerned with Morr's opinions.

To Gerwin, 'That does rather depend on the vampire from what I've heard. Some of us can be greedy and I can't entirely blame those of the living who don't understand the difference.'

She will turn and speak to Friedrich again. With the altered sight she had gained since she died, she can see enough to recognise what he is, even if she doesn't quite know how to interpret what she sees. 'I saw someone like you on a battlefield once. May I ask what you're doing here?'

[dojango]

"Fascinating. So many questions! But now is not the time, is it. What does bring you to the Borderlands? A chance to hide, to prey and to study unobserved? There is much disorder here. Too much. An easy place for chaos to take root. I heard what happened in the battles around Middenheim; were any of you involved? I would have loved to see it with my own eyes. Although, perhaps it was better that I had business elsewhere."

[Therumancer]

Bastian answers rather briefly "I simply figured it would be easier to survive in the borderlands than in less chaotic areas. If I get a chance to battle the forces of chaos as I did in life, so much the better. I have to do something for eternity and Chaos is as long lasting a foe as one could hope for."

[Shadowflick]

Gerwin shrugs, "Well, To be fair, Humans are greedy. When you fight as much as I have with the dogs, you can find all kinds of shades of hummanity. Once, We were fighting for a certain heir holders brother right, so we storm the castle, slaughtering his soldiers and champions till we make it to his throne room. The guy offers the soldiers his wife and son as slaves so he can escape. Since were not the monsters he took us for, we killed him. Then with my cut I offered the two passage out of Tilea. Not my job to slaughter famalies."

[Haval]

""I heard what happened in the battles around Middenheim; were any of you involved? I would have loved to see it with my own eyes. Although, perhaps it was better that I had business elsewhere."

'That the dead came to aid the Empire in it's hour of need? I've only heard the stories myself. Thankfully I was only on the edge it. If the one responsible was who I think it was, he is very much a special case. Such arrogance to stand in the way of the end times.' Johanna had heard of the Von Carsteins of Sylvania from when she was growing up in Averland, but her Sire had spoken of meeting some of them.

To Gerwin. It was good that the man seemed to have scruples. 'It is true that there are many human monsters, but most of them don't have the capacity to drown the whole Empire in blood. Not something that I'm particularly interested in myself, which is partly why I was hoping to get away from civilisation for a while until everything calms down. The Border Princes are reputed to be just about civilised enough to be worth spending time in.'

[TheSummoner]

Friedrich

'I saw someone like you on a battlefield once. May I ask what you're doing here?'

"It's safe in the south," Friedrich answered after a pause. "Safer, anyways. Fewer daemon worshippers. And witch hunters. Compared to them the threat from petty warlords and greenskins sounds almost pleasant."

[Therumancer]

Bastian concurs with Friedrich I had similar thoughts myself in response to Middenheim he says "I was in other battles, during the war against chaos I was mortal, and attempting to bring the battle to the forces of the enemy.

[Haval]

To Friedrich, noting his mention of Witch Hunters. 'So what are you to the Colleges? Assuming they're aware of you at all.' It matched what Johanna saw when she looked at the Wizard with her aethyric senses. It wasn't something that she'd had a lot of experience with, but he reminded her a little of the Necrach and of her own Sire.

To Bastian, 'Well I am glad someone was. I suspect it would be a lot less convenient for me if the Northmen had managed to get any further.' Since she had died she felt the threat of invasion a lot less keenly than she used to.

Johanna has decided to relax for the moment. She didn't need to tell them everything, but she was satisfied that they didn't have to fight.

[Shadowflick]

Gerwin rasies his brow at the mention of colleges "W..wizards then? Well. I guess thats..impressive" he seems to fidgit his fingers, gauntleted hands moving over eachother "Well..what sit like? in the colleges and all that?"

[TheSummoner]

Friedrich

"A dead man," Friedrich replied. "Or atleast I'm supposed to be." He didn't elaborate further.

[Haval]

"A dead man," Friedrich replied. "Or atleast I'm supposed to be." He didn't elaborate further.

'Good enough.' Probably not a threat then. If he was in hiding he might be almost as hated as she would be in certain circles. Johanna didn't need to know the details. She had hardly been forthcoming about her own background.

To them all, 'I will likely travel with the refugees as far as the nearest settlement at least. I don't need to tell you where I sleep or anything but I don't think we need to be enemies.' She could still continue to watch them, but it might be nice to have allies if she needed them.

'Priest, I wonder how your colleages would feel about your interest in us? I don't have any objections to answering any questions you wish to ask of me, but I believe you should be careful what you do with such knowledge. You're likely to be in more danger from the living then from people like me.'

[dojango]

"My colleagues? They are as interested in knowledge as I am. The mysteries of the universe are ours to unravel. And if need be, to protect. But there is nobody as blind as those who will not see."