Travels amongst the Border Princes (WFRP 2e) IC

[Haval]

'I don't mind. I mostly took it to get out of the common room anyway. Feel free to take the bed if you want.'

[dojango]

The night passes quietly in the private rooms. The beds are... well, they are. The walls are thin, and in the morning the sounds of the innkeeper and his family getting up and starting their day as the sun rises is quite audible. In the common room, a bowl of porridge and some leftover bread is available for guests. At least, those that sprung for a private room. The guards and the muleskinners from the caravan spent the night on the common room floor.

After breaking your fast, the small group heads to the village's gate. Locals are heading out to the fields, and the guards haven't seen Sir Laurens yet. After about an hour of waiting, the two knights come through the village at the head of a small group of soldiers. The two knights are holding their banners, followed by four men at arms with spears and six archers with short bows and daggers. Three servants follow, leading some spare mounts and pack horses with supplies. Albrecht comes as well, riding a small horse. He smiles and waves at the group. "I'm glad see you are all recovered enough to join us. "

Sir Laurens nods at the party and says, "Lead the way. And we will bring them justice!"

The group heads back up the pass. The two young knights spend most of their time chatting and gossiping about life at Castle Bremcote, while the soldiers sing marching songs and subtly pass around a flask or two. The servants are busy wrestling with the supply train and making sure the two knights are provided with whatever they ask for.

[rax]

Severin

Severin lets the knights and their soldiers lead the way, mostly riding alongside the servants and muleskinners and chatting with them when they're not too busy. He attempts to subtly question them about Sir Laurens' and Sir Leclair's records as bandit hunters. Have they done this often? Are they known to be successful? He also tries to slip in a few questions regarding their personal lives. For instance, is either of them married or known to be courting what passes for local nobility? If not, has Sir Laurens' father made it clear what sort of match would be acceptable?

Spoiler: Gossip check

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(1d100)[47] vs. 42

[Haval]

Using her fur coat as a pillow, Gabriele has slept fairly well. She certainly has slept in worst places.

As the designated tracker she feels a certain amount of responsibility to the others to do this properly. There was always the chance she could get paid for doing this as well. She will walk slightly ahead of the column and will try to keep an eye out. As they had discovered once already, there were lots of possible ambush sites around here.

Spoiler: ooc

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Perception for the hell of it
vs. Int 33
(1d100)[57]

[dojango]

The servants are happy enough to talk to Severin in between their chores. "Sir Laurens? His father gave him his spurs just a few weeks ago. His older brother... well, half brother... has been his father's strong right hand for nearly a decade now. Sir Laurens is eager to prove himself... Sir Leclair is his best friend, they grew up together, trained together. Son of some knight errant who died in Duke Bremcote's service." When Severin asks about courting, the servant merely raises an eyebrow. "Not halfling girls, that's for sure..." he doesn't elaborate further and he and the other servants get in an extended conversation about which servants are sleeping with each other back at the castle.

Spoiler: Gabriele

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She ranges ahead of the group. Across the pass and back into the badlands, following the trail from the day before. She doesn't see any signs of any other travelers, just some little game, surviving as best it can. She reaches the sight of the ambush first, and sees... well, nothing. The bodies they left behind, man, mutant and mule are gone.

[Haval]

Spoiler: Dojango

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Wait, this was definitely the right place wasn't it? This might be embarrassing. Gabriele is going to look around for sign of remains or for any tracks that might indicate that something has been here and dragged those remains away.

Animals might have fed on the bodies but would have probably left some sign behind. Maybe the mutants had come back to take away what meat they could get.

Spoiler

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Perception vs. Int 33
(1d100)[11] or (1d100)[45]

Follow Trail vs. Int 33
(1d100)[36] or (1d100)[98]

Use FP as needed

[dojango]

Gabriele searches their former campsite. It's the right spot, she finds some garbage scattered around. Where she remembers the bodies of the fallen men and mutants, she sees bloodstains and visible drag marks. The attackers had come over the rocky ridge to the west, and the marks lead back over the hill. The fading light and the memories of ambushers lurking in the shadows keep her from following the trail for too long. The others arrive as Gabriele finishes scouting.

One of the soldiers says, "Beggin' yer pardon, sir, but we don't want to keep moving after dark. Should we make camp here and press on in the morn?"

Sir Laurens looks around. "How much further, do you reckon?" he asks.

[Haval]

Sir Laurens looks around. "How much further, do you reckon?" he asks.

Gabriele will fill everyone in, 'Hard to say. This is where the attack happened but something's come back and dragged the bodies away to the west. Should be easy enough to follow the trail in daylight but there's no way of knowing how far away they made it.'

[rs2excelsior]

Torendil tags along, keeping an eye out for any more of the mutant creatures and listening to the idle gossip of the knights. It truly was idle gossip--for nobles they seemed to be unduly interested in the affairs of those who they claimed were under them. Still, there was less haste in their trip this time, so he struggled less to keep up with the group this time around. It was almost a pleasant walk, aside from the possibility of being attacked.

Torendil isn't thrilled that they are going to have to camp out another night. "Hopefully the creatures have retreated, then, and will not bother us during the night. Perhaps we should keep a watch, just in case?"

[rax]

Severin

"I concur, master Elf, but I'm sure Sir Laurens already has a plan to secure our position for the night. Isn't that so, m'lord?" Severin asks. Might as well get the measure of the man if we're going to be camping out tonight.

[dojango]

Sir Laurens looks around. The campsite was a flat space in between two dry hills with a few meager shrubs peaking out between rocks. He sighs. "I hoped we'd be back home in time for dinner."

"Fear not, we'll see battle on the morrow," says Sir Leclair. "Besides, your brother spends weeks on campaign, it can't be too hard."

One of the servants pipes up. "Don't worry milord, we brought supplies, we won't go hungry tonight." While the servants begin gathering what wood they can find to start a fire and cook dinner, the knights rest on the ground as best they can, pulling out a pack of cards. "Master elf, would you care to join us?" asks Sir Leclair.

A little ways away, the soldiers begin setting up their camp. One of them, a sergeant, has taken charge and is ordering them around as they begin cooking their food. One of the soldiers digs a latrine downwind of the camp, while a few others start patrolling the area. Albrecht tells Carl, "The soldiers will keep watch tonight, I'm sure. You be sure to rest. Please let me check your bandages..."

Spoiler

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(1d100)[9] - Carl recovers another wound thanks to the expert barber-surgeon

[Haval]

While the camp is being set up, Gabriele is going to see if she can catch any game that isn't scared off by all these people. Mindful that the sun is going down she won't go that far, but she can normally move fairly quietly in case there is anything else out here.

Spoiler: ooc

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Silent Move vs. Ag 43 (+10 Rover)
(1d100)[25]

Outdoor Survival to look for food
vs. Int 33
(1d100)[82]

[Ionbound]

Alyssa travels with the group, chatting with the servants about who's-who at court and other affairs, and otherwise generally trying to get a good feel for what's going on at the Fort. As camp is made, she rolls her eyes at Lauren's comments behind his back, and instead adds to Leclair's summation, "Worst comes to worst, you can skip dinner. It won't kill you."

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d100)[3] vs Charm (31) to get information out of the servants.

(1d100)[1] vs Charm (31) to get that comment by Lauren without getting smacked.

[RossN]

Carl

Carl looked like he'd sooner not be on an expedition at all but he'd realised what a poor impression that would make on their knightly employers. Forcing a rueful smile the halfling soldier accepted Albrect's examinations. With newly changed bandages he went to join the others.

'What was that about dinner?'

[dojango]

Gabriele slips like a shadow over the barren hills. But no game is to be found. Whether it's because she doesn't know the habits of the local fauna, or because something has scared them away, she comes back empty handed. The servants start a small fire and begin cooking a stew, adding spiced sausage and chopped vegetables. "No chance of us taking a game hen?" asks Sir Laurens. The servant merely shakes his head. A thin plume of smoke rises over the camp.

Alyssa spends some time gossiping with the servants. The castle Bremcote serves as the seat of Duke Radulf Bremcote, his second wife, Duchess Heldeburgis Bremcote, his two sons Sir Denis Bremcote and Sir Laurens Bremcote, and his youngest daughter Lady Oriolda Bremcote. The eldest son has served has his father's strong right hand, leading raids against the orks, and leading the vanguard in the campaign against the Stralwald bandits. Sir Laurens, his half-brother, has just been knighted and is eager to prove his worth... hence this little expedition. Leclair grew up in the castle with Laurens, the son of a Bretonnian knight who fell in the Duke's service. He has no formal title, but he and Laurens are very close friends. Inseperable. The Duke has a court in the Bretonnian style, as he remembers it, with a Justicar to mete out justice to the peasants, a Castellan who manages the household and the estates, and an exile from the elven-homes, who manages the stable and who breeds the proud destriers that serve the Duke and his knights. She arrived about a decade ago, the newest addition to the court's inner circle. After a while, one of the servants whispers to Alyssa. "If you're in need of extra money, Miss Marzina le Houet is always happy to have reliable eyes and ears."

At dinner, Sir Laurens accepts Alyssa's barb with a smile. "Always best to fight on a full stomach, they say." He snaps his fingers towards the servants. "Make sure everyone has a hearty breakfast."

Once things settle down for the night, the soldiers take watch. During the third watch, after the moon has set, one of the watchers suddenly shouts out. "Oi! Who's there!"

[rax]

Severin

Severin awakens with a start at the sound of the sentry's challenge. "That's a mighty fine question," he grumbles quietly from under his blanket. "No one friendly, I'll wager."

Rising to his feet, he quickly unwinds and loads his sling. Looking over at the guard, he tries to catch any movement in the direction the soldier is looking.

Spoiler: Perception test

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(1d100)[70] vs. Int 34 (with the benefit of 30 yards Night Vision)

[Haval]

Gabriele has been sleeping a little away from the fire so she can hopefully see better in the dark. In response to the guard's challenge she'll grab her bow and see what she can see.

Spoiler: ooc

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Perception vs. Int 33
(1d100)[37]

[Ionbound]

Alyssa rouses slowly, but once she realizes what's happening she grabs her sword and slinks towards where the soldier was yelling from, attempting to stick to the shadows and catch whatever he's confronting by surprise.

Spoiler: OOC

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Concealment: (1d100)[29] vs 30

[dojango]

As you scramble up the rocky hill, the you hear the sentry shout and then loose an arrow out into the darkness. He is nocking another arrow to his bow as you reach the top of the ridge. Alyssa slinks through the darkest shadows while the others peer into the darkness. Whatever the sentry saw is long gone. As the Sergeant climbs to the top of the hill, buckling on his armor, the sentry says, "Saw movement out there. Scared them away." A few feet down from the top of the ridge, Gabriele sees an arrow sticking out of the dirt. A crude thing, but still dangerous, as everyone had found out during the ambush the other day. There are but a few hours left in the night... the soldiers don't seem inclined to go back to sleep, but neither do they want to strike out into the darkness of the night.

[rax]

Severin

"Sterling work, friend," Severin congratulates the sentry. "Sergeant, perhaps our uninvited guest was a scout of some sort and it could be that they now know the strength of our little army, but if we're not going after them right away, then I think the best we can do is to try and get a good night's sleep," he opines. "It's not like there'll be any more or less of us to fight in the morning..."

[Haval]

Gabriele is going to look for tracks to check that it was only a scout. Just because the sentries heard them coming once it didn't mean they'd hear them if they came back before morning. Besides, now she was awake there was every chance she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep.

Spoiler

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Follow Trail vs. Int 33
(1d100)[41]

[Ionbound]

Alyssa hmphs about being woken up, and sighs, then turns and heads back into the light, adding somewhat more sarcastically to Severin's praise, "Yes. Excellent job waking the camp for shadows." She turns, and heads back to where she was sleeping as she stows her blade.

[rs2excelsior]

Torendil mostly listens to the conversations around the campfire that night. He showed some interest at the mention of the elven exile, but didn't press for any further information. For one, the elves who handled stables didn't tend to be the kind to study magic as well.

When the alert was raised, Torendil had basically just managed to untangle himself from his bedroll and get himself on his feet when word came back that the threat was apparently gone. He took a moment to get himself in order and tried to hide his nervousness as the scans the darkness around them for any signs of motion, mind racing. What if the guard hadn't spotted something? What if he'd been killed before raising an alarm? It was one thing to face those mutant creatures in the daylight, when he was awake and ready to respond. The thought of putting his safety in the hands of another in this country with an obvious hostile presence frightened him enough that he didn't expect to be able to go back to sleep. After scanning the shadows, he wordlessly makes his way over to Gabriele and any of the others who might be staying awake, pulls a book from his pack, and begins studying the pages in the faint light.

Spoiler: OOC

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Perception test vs Int+10 (58):
(1d100)[47]

I don't really expect to see anything, but Torendil is unsettled enough he's going to keep an eye out. He'll continue to check periodically through the night.

EDIT: I do have the night vision talent, allowing me to see 30yd in starlight.

[dojango]

Gabriele slips into the night, trying to find a trace of the shadowy figures spotted by the sentry. She finds his arrow, stuck in the dirt, and a few paces beyond that, a few scuffled footprints are visible on the ground. They lead back over the hills to the west, but she cannot tell if it is a small party or a single man.

Alyssa and Severin stay up on the hill with the others. The Sergeant merely grunts at their comments. He simply says, "My men are up, I am going to see to their gear. You fellows can do as you like." The soldiers begin going over their gear, sharpening swords and arrows, testing their bowstrings. The two knights go back to where they were resting and talk in low voices. Torendil makes his way up to the top of the hill and looks around. His sharp elven eyes pierce the darkness, but he can see no movement. Perhaps his studies will prove more fruitful.

The servants, awakened, begin to prepare their cookfires. Per Sir Laurens' orders, they carefully unwrap some dried sausages and begin cooking a hearty breakfast for the knights and the party. The soldiers see to their own cooking. As the sun begins to peek over the horizon, Sir Laurens calls a meeting.

"Let's form up and head west. Find the enemy's camp and cut them down," declares Sir Leclair.

"Perhaps we should locate the camp first, milord?" asks the sergeant. "Send out our scouts to locate the enemy before we all head out?"

"And have them get lost? Or killed? We know they're out there, best we stick together," retorts Sir Leclair.

There is a long pause as Sir Laurens digests the two options...

[rax]

Severin

"With respect, good sir knight, your sergeant may be on to something. If we approach as a single group, we will likely be noticed by any sentries the raiders may have posted. Sending a smaller, stealthy group ahead might enable us to scout the location of the enemy encampment and formulate a plan of attack that will maximize our chances of success. The scouts would not need to move all that far ahead - they will need to be able to return swiftly to Sir Laurens and report if they are discovered, or if it seems that the raiders are beating a hasty retreat."

[Haval]

"And have them get lost? Or killed? We know they're out there, best we stick together," retorts Sir Leclair.

Gabriele mutters 'I don't get lost.' After which she will speak up, 'I'm willing if everyone else is. I'll bet I can be quieter then a load of bandits even if they know the land better. Even if I'm wrong, we'd have a better chance of seeing any ambush before it happens.'

[rax]

Severin

"Well, I'm certainly no master woodsman, but I'd be happy to accompany you Gabriele. If I bring Bertrand, I'll be quicker than anyone on foot. I could be the liaison between Sir Laurens and the scouting party."

OOC: Haval, I think you may have picked the wrong colour for your post.

[Ionbound]

Alyssa hmphs as she realizes that more sleep isn't an option, but nods with a sigh and adds, "Besides, if we send out scouts, it'll keep us from being massacred by an overwhelmingly large force...And considering how many mutants there were in their little hunting party I'd not count out that possibility."

[dojango]

Sir Laurens chuckles. "It's dangerous work, but brave hearts fear not! Very well. Send out scouting parties, and return to us once the mutant's lair has been found. We will be ready for battle."

The sergeant points at a few of the archers. "We'll send out two parties. They'll head out that way, and bear to the south. You mercenaries, try and search to the north. Don't bite off more than you can chew, and report back to us so we can take care of the problem, permanently." He points out to the west. The archers grumble a bit, but the selected ones gather their gear and prepare to head out.

"Don't worry about water, milords. Fill up your canteens before you head out. We'll head back up to the pass to refill the water barrells," says one of the servants.

[rax]

Severin

After making sure that his waterskin is full and requisitioning and extra one for Bertrand, Severin is ready to leave. "Gabriele, would you care to lead the way?"