Travels amongst the Border Princes (WFRP 2e) IC

[rax]

Severin grabs the bowl and starts to head back to Gabriele and Nafisse, but as he goes he finds his stride shortening with every step, until he's stopped completely. Holding the bowl close to his nose, he draws in the delicious scent of the apple sauce. The wound in his arm throbs fiercely.

Just a taste can't hurt, right? I mean, I'm hurt too! Just because I'm smarter and faster than that longshanks doesn't make it right that he gets all of this and I get...nothing. I won't eat all of it - just enough to make the pain go away. That's fair! If it weren't for all the bloody longshanks making trouble in the first place, none of this would have happened. No dead halflings, no arrow in me arm. None of it!

Slowly, Severin raises the bowl to his lips and...stops.

No. NO! Nafisse is one of the good'uns. He didn't have to come, but he did, and he stepped up when it counted. He's alright. And I may have had an arrow in me arm, but his guts are hanging out and without this, he's a goner! Can't have that, no. He's one of the good'uns...one of the good'uns...

With an enormous effort of willpower, Severin lowers the bowl again and snaps back to reality, cheeks flaming in embarrassment. Carefully balancing the bowl, he races back to Gabriele and Nafisse. "Gabriele! Get his mouth open and hold his nose shut! We have to get this inside of him as quick as we can!" he shouts as they hove into view.

Spoiler: dojango

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Taking the IP to stay a good guy.

[dojango]

Severin pushes back through the milling villagers to where Nafisse is. There is a lot of cheering, shouting, crying. As Gabriele opens Nafisse's mouth, Severin is able to carefully spoon most of the bowl into his mouth. After a few moments, Nafisse's breathing starts to become easier, and the wound seems to be bleeding less. Two more villagers, an old halfling man and a kid show up and start helping make Nafisse more comfortable. "Can't move him, but the healer will come over and take a look at him as soon as she can," says the man.

A few moments later, Sir Laurens walks over. "Severin, Gabriele. Are you injured? Can you ride?"

[rax]

"We both took some hits, but I can ride if I have to. What's the point though? We got 'em beat and there's plenty of casualties here to look after - I want to go look for the halfling girls they were forcing to push the gunpowder barrel. I reckon at least one of 'em was Berry, the girl who risked her life to fill us in on what was going on in Colten's camp. If there's any chance she's still alive, we owe it to her to get her to safety and whatever healing she needs," Severin answers.

[Haval]

'Are you sure it'll work?' Gabriele's hands are likely covered in Nafisse's blood and expecting applesauce alone to help here seemed a bit much to ask. Regardless she'll get the wounded man to swallow some of it.

Gabriele will eventually get up as Sir Laurens approached, 'Arm still works, and I wouldn't say I was that good a rider before. Is it over?' She'll check to see if any of the remaining bandits hadn't surrendered yet. 'Do you think Berry and the other one got away? I don't know if all of the bandits made it through the walls so maybe they're still captives.' Which would be a lot better then finding the girls dead outside the walls. 'Is Colten still alive?' If necessary she'll go and check to see if he's still breathing.

[rax]

Before Sir Laurens arrives
"It worked when Colten's mate Toby bashed me on the head," Severin reminds Gabriele. "But I guess we'll see how things pan out once he's got the better part of this inside him."

[dojango]

Sir Laurens says, "Some of them managed to escape through the gap. My father always says you need to ride down the fleeing enemy, or else they'll come back to bother you again. Although it works better if you have more horses." He looks around and adds, "Go rescue your damsel in distress. I'll see what I can do with what we have." He walks away to talk to Sir Florian, who is busy helping some of the wounded make their way to the aid station.

Gabriele goes over to Colten's body. He's still dead. His heavy club, stained with blood, lies a few feet away from his body. Even in death, he has a firm grip on the dagger clutched in his hand. Severin looks around where the fighting has taken place. There are bodies everywhere. Mostly human, though there are a few dead halflings as well. The seriously wounded villagers are being helped up to the aid station, while wounded bandits are being put down. Severin doesn't see any sign of Berry within the walls of the village.

Spoiler

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Search rolls for both of you to look around, I guess.

[Haval]

Sir Laurens says, "Some of them managed to escape through the gap. My father always says you need to ride down the fleeing enemy, or else they'll come back to bother you again. Although it works better if you have more horses." He looks around and adds, "Go rescue your damsel in distress. I'll see what I can do with what we have." He walks away to talk to Sir Florian, who is busy helping some of the wounded make their way to the aid station.

'You have a point, we scare anyone who survives enough that they leave and become someone else's problem. Once we find Berry I'll catch you up.' If only to find out what happened to Figs.

Gabriele honestly wanted to check that Colten was safely dead and not just badly injured. He had honestly seemed like someone who was too large to die. Still, if he had survived he was exactly the sort of person that she'd be glad to see hung from the nearest tree. Once she's satisfied with that she'll help Severin look for any sign of Berry. 'If they're alive and free I'd like to think they'd get help in Stralwald. If not they might still be with the remaining bandits outside.'

Spoiler

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Search vs. Int 38
(1d100)[36]

[rax]

"Yeah, when we're done looking, we'll be happy to help you track down the survivors. Letting some of 'em go doesn't seem like a bad idea, though. We need someone to spread the word about the cost of troubling the good folk of Stralwald and your own good self, young sir," Severin adds.

"There's a man that needs his head put on a pike right quick," Severin mutters angrily as Gabriele checks on Colten. "Make sure everyone knows the bastard's dead and that it was his head the Ruinous Powers took."

"I agree. It seems likeliest that Berry and her friend or cousin ended up outside the gap. Let's work our way outside through the hole in the wall," he says as they begin searching for Berry. As they move closer to the wall, he begins calling out her name. "BERRY! If you're alive girl, make yourself heard!"

Spoiler: Perception test

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Perception (1d100)[67] vs. Int 39

[dojango]

Leaving Nafisse in the hands of the villagers, Gabriele and Severin head through the gap in the wall, stepping over bodies. They look around. There are at least a dozen bodies scattered between the wall and the abatis. There are also a few survivors trying to crawl away. Gabriele was the last to see where Berry was, so naturally she's the one to find Berry lying dazed about twenty yards away from the breach. She's been injured by the blast and is only partially conscious, but alive.

[rax]

"BERRY! Blessed Esmeralda, she's alive!" Severin exclaims with relief. "Berry girl, can you hear me? It's Severin and Gabriele. We're going to get you to the healers, alright? The other girl who was pushing the gunpowder with you. Did you see if she made it? Was it your cousin?"

[Haval]

Gabriele will glance around for any sign of other Halfling bodies out here. She was relived but will check to see where Berry was wounded anyway. 'She might have caught some of the shrapnel from the blast. You think it's safe to move her?'

[dojango]

The girl groans. "Myrtle? Where's Myrtle?" she asks. She tries to start crawling away. It looks like she's been knocked pretty hard by the blast... powder-burns on her side, bits of barrel and fence peppering her face and arms. Gabriele looks around, but doesn't see any halfling-sized bodies nearby.

[rax]

"I'll look for her, don't you worry. You just rest easy, Berry," Severin tries to calm her.

"She's moving, so maybe moving her is okay?" he hazards a guess in response to Gabriele. "Can you bring her to the aid station? I can look for Myrtle or we can do it the other way round if you prefer."

[Haval]

'I should be able to manage. I'll catch you up.' Gabriele wasn't especially strong could maybe manage a single Halfling. She'll gingerly bend down and pick Berry up to take her to someone who could look after her.

[dojango]

Gabriele picks up Berry. She is far lighter than she looks, and weaker, it seems. She carries her back into the village. She sees the midwife kneeling over Nafisse while Sir Florian and the blacksmith are holding him down. Going back to the aid station by the inn, she sees Belisarius and a few other halflings dragging out a large cauldron, where a crowd has gathered, holding out bowls. Belisarius comes over to Gabriele and looks at her burden. "Is that one of the Hornwood girls?" he asks, peering at her. "Bring her inside, out of the sun." After Gabriele sets her down, he shouts out for Flora to bring water and a bowl of stew. "Don't leave her until she's eaten everything," he tells Flora.

Severin cautiously heads out past the abatis to search for Myrtle. He doesn't see any halfling bodies between it and the woods, although he does see a few bandit survivors limping into the woods.

[rax]

An involuntary shiver runs down Severin's spine. They had both the girls pushing the wheelbarrow or damn close to it. There's no bodies beyond the abatis so Myrtle was probably closer to the blast than Berry...maybe much closer.

Turning back from the abatis, Severin retraces his steps towards the breach, searching for anything outside the palisade that could show where Myrtle ended up.

(If he finds nothing on the direct path back to the breach, he begins working his way between the abatis and the palisade on either side)

[Haval]

Gabriele picks up Berry. She is far lighter than she looks, and weaker, it seems. She carries her back into the village. She sees the midwife kneeling over Nafisse while Sir Florian and the blacksmith are holding him down. Going back to the aid station by the inn, she sees Belisarius and a few other halflings dragging out a large cauldron, where a crowd has gathered, holding out bowls. Belisarius comes over to Gabriele and looks at her burden. "Is that one of the Hornwood girls?" he asks, peering at her. "Bring her inside, out of the sun." After Gabriele sets her down, he shouts out for Flora to bring water and a bowl of stew. "Don't leave her until she's eaten everything," he tells Flora.

'Yeah. She was too close to the blast. Myrtle was out there with her. Severin's looking now.' She looks regretfully over at Nafisse and asks Sir Florian, 'Is there anything I can do to help?'

[dojango]

Severin spends some time walking over the battlefield. While he doesn't find any trace of Myrtle Hornwood, he does spot Colten's gun lying in the muck. Pulling it out, he can tell that it looks damaged... these blackpowder weapons aren't nearly as reliable as the trusty sling. But it is finely made, with silver filigree workings, and some strange writing on the butt plate.

By the time Gabriele returns to where Nafisse is, Sir Florian is helping him drink from a canteen. The wound in his belly has been raggedly stitched up and the midwife has moved on to other patients. Sir Florian says to Nafisse, "Stay put. We'll get someone to carry you inside soon." Nafisse groans weakly. Sir Florian takes Gabriele aside and tells her quietly, "I don't know what they've put in him, but Nafisse should be dead. Morillo, too. And a dozen other men. He still might not make it, and he's in no shape to travel. Might not be for a month."

As they are talking, Alyssa comes up and says, "Florian. We need to get the men moving again. Work detail. Gotta get rid of the bodies before they start festering in the sun. Start tearing up the abatis and we'll build a pyre for them. It's the easiest way."

[rax]

Muttering angrily at his failure, Severin approaches Colten's gun and stares at it for a long while. So this is the cursed thing that butcher was so proud of. If it hadn't been for this gun, Colten might not have had the powder to blow the wall to high heaven in the first place...and maybe Myrtle along with it, he thinks grimly. It'll do as a trophy, though. Maybe Sir Laurens can hang it on his wall to impress his old man, or something.

Grabbing the gun, he hoists it onto his shoulder and makes his way back inside the village, looking for Gabriele and Berry. When he finds Gabriele, he fills her in on his failure. "I couldn't find any trace of her. If she was really close to the blast, then maybe there just wasn't enough of her left to find," he says grimly. "The only other thing I can think of is that she managed to escape in the confusion or maybe she was taken by the retreating bandits. I saw some of them limping off into the woods, but not her. If Sir Laurens still wants to run down the remnants, I'll go with him. Maybe we'll get lucky..." he trails off, a sad expression on his face.

[Haval]

Sir Florian takes Gabriele aside and tells her quietly, "I don't know what they've put in him, but Nafisse should be dead. Morillo, too. And a dozen other men. He still might not make it, and he's in no shape to travel. Might not be for a month."

'Can't say I'm not curious about what's in that food, but as long as it's working.' They could worry about that later.

Grabbing the gun, he hoists it onto his shoulder and makes his way back inside the village, looking for Gabriele and Berry. When he finds Gabriele, he fills her in on his failure. "I couldn't find any trace of her. If she was really close to the blast, then maybe there just wasn't enough of her left to find," he says grimly. "The only other thing I can think of is that she managed to escape in the confusion or maybe she was taken by the retreating bandits. I saw some of them limping off into the woods, but not her. If Sir Laurens still wants to run down the remnants, I'll go with him. Maybe we'll get lucky..." he trails off, a sad expression on his face.

Quietly, 'Never been that close to an explosion before, wouldn't there be ... something?' At this point Gabriele would like nothing more to go somewhere and rest. 'Assuming the ground isn't too messed up I can go check for tracks. Otherwise we can always see if we can find out what happened to Figs. Berry's sister was out there as well somewhere. If we catch one of the survivors we can see if they know anything useful.'

[dojango]

It takes a few minutes to find Sir Laurens, and he orders for the horses to be brought up. Bertrand is glad to see Severin, and one of the captured horses eyes Gabriele suspiciously. Sir Florian and Sir Laurens mount their destriers, and one of the villagers takes the last remaining horse. The five of you ride south, following the trail. After about ten minutes you arrive at the clearing that must have served as their camp. It is a wreck, tents and supplies are scattered about. There are three figures rummaging through the debris, but when they see the horsemen, they turn and run for the woods. One of them has to hike up her skirt to do so... it looks like Figs. There is some cursing from the camp. Lying against a tree is a man with a bandaged foot and and around his chest. He looks up at the group and sighs heavily before groaning in pain. You recognize him as one of the Ricks... Altdorf Rick, you think.

[Haval]

Gabriele will take what she thinks was Toby's former horse. 'Help me out and I'll find you an apple.'

In the woods, assuming her horse is behaving itself she'll calm it down for long enough that she can try and put an arrow in one of Fig's legs.

Spoiler

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This should probably be ready longbow and then shoot so there's less chance of her getting into the trees, but that means no aim.

vs. BS 57 (-20 Called Shot)
(1d100)[85]

Damage
(1d10+3)[13]

Maybe would have been too much damage to take her alive.

[rax]

"Hey there, mate! Happy to see you to, Bertrand, yes I am..." Severin greets his pony, scratching him behind the ears with a big grin on his face. "Let's go find some bad apples, eh?"

In the forest, as soon as the woman takes off Severin pulls out his mace and spurs after her. "FIIIGS! STOP OR DIE!" he roars as loudly as he can.

[dojango]

Gabriele's arrow hits a tree next to the running woman with a loud thud. Although this spurs her to greater speed, it's still not enough as Severin expertly guides Bertrand through the trees after her. Within a few moments, she collapses to the ground, clutching her heavy pack in front of her like a shield. "Please don't hurt me," she cries, "What do you want?"

[Haval]

If they kept running Gabriele will let the other surviving bandits go while she spurs her horse to catch up with Severin. She'll pull up just short of Figs. 'We're looking for the rest of the Halflings from that farm your lot burnt down, along with anyone else you might have kept around. If I were you I'd try to be helpful.'

[rax]

"If it were up to me, we'd have your head on a pike for what you've done, but you answer the lady's questions and spill everything you know, and maybe you get to walk," Severin says from atop his pony, smacking his mace into the palm of his hand for emphasis.

[dojango]

She looks back and forth between the two of you, wide-eyed and terrified. Sir Laurens and Sir Florian ride up and surround her. "What? I just was cookin', and cleanin'. I didn't do nuthin'. Those halflings... they went over with the attack. Once I saw they lost, I took off running. Didn't see what happened after that. Uh, I think some of the others wanted to sell them to Sol's gang, I was gonna try running there to sell some of this stuff, maybe work over there. They gotta need someone who can cook over there."

[rax]

"Nothing?" Severin hisses angrily. "You used Berry as your personal slave and you think you did nothing? Bet it felt real good to giver her a thrashing with that switch of yours, eh? Be the one handing out the beatings for a change?" he snarls, his pent up fury beginning to spill out.

"Now you listen, and you listen real good. Besides Berry, there were two other girls - her sister and her cousin. Did Colten bring both of them along for the attack? You say you don't know what happened to them after the attack, but you also say that some of the others wanted to sell the girls to Sol's gang. Who are these others and did you see the girls with 'em?"

[dojango]

She looks up at Severin and seems to shrink down a bit. "Oh, yer a big man with yer horse and your stick, and I'm just an old woman who's buried her husbands and kids... I didn't see the others much, they were at the other camps. It were just me an her takin' care of that whole camp. Uh, this guy, Tick, he was always talkin' about how Sol pays well for slaves. Specially halfings. He's not the type to stand an' fight, if anyone ran early it would be him."

[Haval]

She looks up at Severin and seems to shrink down a bit. "Oh, yer a big man with yer horse and your stick, and I'm just an old woman who's buried her husbands and kids... I didn't see the others much, they were at the other camps. It were just me an her takin' care of that whole camp. Uh, this guy, Tick, he was always talkin' about how Sol pays well for slaves. Specially halfings. He's not the type to stand an' fight, if anyone ran early it would be him."

Bloody Tick 'Everyone's got problems. If you throw in with someone like Colten don't be surprised that people are going to be upset with you. Is Sol selling these people on? Can't see him needing that many if he's camped out somewhere.'