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  1. - Top - End - #301
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    Default Re: [WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

    Elsa only

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    The tower was a philosophical destination, a symbol for the collection of all human knowledge beyond the reach of ignorance and prejudice. To set out on the road to this mystic’s paradise, all you had to do was swear yourself to its keeper – Tzeentch, the Architect of Fate, the Changer of the Ways.
    Well, points for honesty, I guess, thought Elsa with a dry chuckle. She would never have expected a servant of Tzeentch to go straight to the point like that. But what was even the point of attaining great power if one only became a slave to someone higher up?

    When she reached the spells of the Changer of the Ways, she almost stopped reading, lest she be tempted by the power they held. She told herself firmly that, while a sparing use of Dhar could be justifiable in dire situations, calling upon Tzeentch directly to lend her his (its?) power was several steps too far along the path to damnation.

    Still... no harm in learning the language, was there? It was just words.


    The writer named it the Rite of Exile, and Elsa felt she knew its purpose before she even read it on the page: to cast a part of the mortal world wholly and permanently into the Realm of Chaos.
    Aaah, so that's what they did to the Lost Library, thought Elsa. But what came first? The exile of the Lost Library, or the destruction of Harmugstahl? Which one was the act of war and which one the retaliation? Or were they unrelated?

    And what was the ritual gone wrong that I saw in a vision? Something else entirely, or an attempt to exile another foe?


    She read the steps to the ritual with great interest, wondering if Nahorek could be removed from the mortal world by exiling his pyramid. But the basic requirements notwithstanding, Harmugstahl would need to be rebuilt. This would be a long endeavour; one that would require the help of many people and attract the enemy's attention. Besides, any god that was bound to a physical place could likely be destroyed by other means.


    Already I have fashioned a divining glass from some spare material, which works tolerably when commanded.
    Elsa blinked. Wait. When commanded?

    She rummaged in her bag to find her magical mirror, which she assumed to be the 'divining glass'. She peered at her own, becrowned reflection. Could it show her something else? Like her enemies?

    "Show me Duke Alvarr," she said aloud, with as much of a commanding voice as she could muster despite her doubts.






    Backertag, 13th Vorgeheim

    Valdes’ letter was much shorter and to the point. News of the siege had crossed the Karst faster than his men had arrived at the pass, and he had already intercepted several groups trying to run his blockade. The channels of the Karst made the mouth of the pass porous, and his depleted company was stretched thin trying to cover all the approaches. As such, he was requesting more men.
    "The easy solution would be to hang smugglers on hilltops and by the road," mused Elsa, after reading the letter. "We can't stop them all, but we can let them know it's not worth the risk."





    Elsa was the last to arrive at the scene of the grisly murder. The sight of the knight's open throat should have been horrifying, but Elsa only felt numb, as if her very emotions had recoiled from the horror of it. The only thing she could think of was how tragic it was that the warrior who had felled the fearsome Jarl Rorik had been slain by surprise, without a chance to defend herself. Hoping to delay as much as possible any outpouring of grief, she sought refuge in clinical observation.

    "This isn't bladework for sure," she noted, echoing Adelbert's own comment. "Claws or teeth, perhaps?"
    Last edited by -Sentinel-; 2019-03-11 at 08:17 PM.
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    Running:
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    The Bloody Crown (WFRP) as Elsabeth Holt, rogue pyromancer and court wizard

    Quote Originally Posted by TheSummoner View Post
    Oh wow. I will never again underestimate [our characters'] ability to turn friendly conversation into a possible life or death situation.
    Quote Originally Posted by LeSwordfish View Post
    Ludo has a crowbar, if that helps.

  2. - Top - End - #302
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    Adelbert


    'Or someone who can take the form of a beast,' Adelbert said quietly to Elsa.
    Last edited by RossN; 2019-03-11 at 08:45 PM.

  3. - Top - End - #303
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    Elsa Only
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    "Show me Duke Alvarr," she said aloud, with as much of a commanding voice as she could muster despite her doubts.
    Elsa thought she felt a tiny ripple of magic from the mirror in response, but the image in its murky glass didn’t change. However it had to be ‘commanded’, it seemed this was not the way.





    13th Vorgeheim

    The size of the reward Sieghard was offering immediately prompted a deluge of information from the onlookers, the vast majority of it useless. The watchman was the first to have found Astoria – he said he had come across her while making his morning round, already cold.

    After a short while, two young Morrites appeared on the scene, summoned by Adelbert’s message. The older of the two knelt to examine the body, drawing back the concealing blanket and speaking a quiet blessing in Classical. Then, between them, they lifted Astoria onto a small handcart, and wheeled her body away.

    ~

    Astoria lay on a stone slab in one of the back chambers of the temple, Raqiyah’s initiates washing the dried blood from her skin and clothes. Jakub, Liebrecht and Raqiyah herself stood solemnly by, hands folded in front of them.

    “Summer in Savonne,” said Jakub, pursing his lips. “Always worse than the winter. Something about the heat brings out the beast in men.”
    “You think this was a man?” said Liebrecht. He motioned towards the body, keeping his movements small so as not to disturb the initiates at their work. “It looks like the work of an animal to me.”
    “Animals have owners, don’t they? Unless you’re suggesting we have a pack of wolves loose within the walls.” He shook his tonsured head. “Perhaps it was someone’s idea of entertainment to set his dogs on the poor woman.”

    Raqiyah said nothing, but listened intently to all that was being said. The blind priestess could not see what had been done to d’Evangelisti, but one of her initiates had described it to her in some detail.

    Before the priests could discuss much further, the door flew open, and Irene Sforza swept in. She had come from the castle with an honour guard of four Southlanders. The ahosi stopped when they saw the body, bowing their heads in respect to the woman on the slab.

    Irene had stopped too, eyes fixed on Astoria as if she had to make absolutely sure she was dead. After a second or two of silence, she broke off her gaze, looking around at the others in the chamber. Beckoning urgently to Sieghard and Elsa, she led them out of the silent room.

    “Where did they find her?” she demanded, as soon as they were out in the corridor. This wasn’t one of her usual petulant rages – she seemed deathly serious.

    “I want them found,” she said, when the two of them had told her all they knew about the killing. She seemed to address her words mostly to Sieghard. “Whoever did this, I want them found, and made a public example. The people knew her, they knew she was Muzio’s champion. This is a direct challenge to our authority.” She paused, letting the words hang in the air. “Whatever you need to find them, it’s granted. Find this killer and hang them from the top of the Rock.”
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    WFRP 2E - Tales of Perilous Adventure
    The Hour After Midnight
    The Lord of Lost Heart
    Ill Met By Morrslieb

    Dark Heresy 1E - Wake of the Byzantium
    Episodes: I, II, III, IV, V

    WFRP 2E - The Bloody Crown
    Threads: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X

  4. - Top - End - #304
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    Default Re: [WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

    Elsa only

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    Elsa thought she felt a tiny ripple of magic from the mirror in response, but the image in its murky glass didn’t change. However it had to be ‘commanded’, it seemed this was not the way.
    Hmm. Maybe I need to say it in the daemonic language, thought Elsa. That only made her more determined to learn it. But there was another, far more frustrating possibility. Or maybe it only works in the summoning room under Harmugstahl?

    But it seemed to work well enough to show her reflection, even here... Had it been "locked" with whatever last instructions had been given in the appropriate language by its owner?

    Elsa carefully set the mirror aside for later study.





    In the street

    Quote Originally Posted by RossN View Post
    'Or someone who can take the form of a beast,' Adelbert said quietly to Elsa.
    "Could be that Rorik had more than one of those," acknowledged Elsa. It may not have been a coincidence that the Jarl's killer had been targeted, and no one else. "But why now?"





    At the temple

    “Perhaps it was someone’s idea of entertainment to set his dogs on the poor woman.”

    Elsa bristled at the suggestion. "You think Astoria d'Evangelisti, slayer of Jarl Rorik, would have been killed by dogs?" she snapped. "Without even getting blood on her sword? You insult her."

    Her displeasure only grew at Irene's arrival. She could not help but suspect the noblewoman was secretly glad to be rid of someone who could rival her for attention. However, Irene's determination to find and punish the killer surprised Elsa, even though she did seem more concerned about the defiance of Sforza's law than the loss of an honorable woman.
    Last edited by -Sentinel-; 2019-03-11 at 08:57 PM.
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    Running:
    Voyages of the Ghostlight (Risus)

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    The Bloody Crown (WFRP) as Elsabeth Holt, rogue pyromancer and court wizard

    Quote Originally Posted by TheSummoner View Post
    Oh wow. I will never again underestimate [our characters'] ability to turn friendly conversation into a possible life or death situation.
    Quote Originally Posted by LeSwordfish View Post
    Ludo has a crowbar, if that helps.

  5. - Top - End - #305
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    Adelbert

    Adelbert simply nodded at Elsa's suggestion. His own conclusions did not lean that way but it was possible. Then the acolytes arrived to take Astoria's body. Adelbert followed the Morrites, his own head bowed, expression one of intense thought.

    ~

    Once they reached the Temple Adelbert departed momentarily to wash his own hands. While it was unlikely he as a priest of Verena would tasked with any rituals dealing with the dead he had no desire to pollute this sacred space. Then he joined Jakub, Liebrecht and Raqiyah. He did not get a chance to speak before Irene arrived and carted away Sieghard and Elsa.

    He felt mixed feelings that Tilean hadn't thought to include him in her private conference - or any of the priests - but on balance it was a relief.

    Finally he had a chance to speak: 'I suspect I know who is responsible. The Jarl had in his army a Norscan warrioress named Kelda Wave-Born. She was a very skilled fighter, brave, ferocious, beautiful,' Adelbert nearly bit his tongue realising he'd said that last word aloud but pressed on manfully. 'Kelda could take the form of a wolf, making her an even deadlier foe in battle. The dead woman d'Evangelisti was Jarl Rorik's killer.'

    He paused, his expression grim as he glanced at his fellow priests. 'Three possibilities suggest themselves; Kelda somehow passed her mutation to another. I consider this the least likely possibility given the choice of victim. The second is that Kelda somehow survived her apparent demise, the strange nature of her being allowing her to recover and seek revenge. The third is that Kelda is indeed dead and our enemy has used necromancy to resurrect her.'

    Even speaking the last possibility brought a horrible feeling in the back of Adelbert's throat.


    OOC: Sorry! Otto is a character I play in another WFRP online game. Guess I switched wires there for a sec!

  6. - Top - End - #306
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    Elsa bristled at the suggestion. "You think Astoria d'Evangelisti, slayer of Jarl Rorik, would have been killed by dogs?" she snapped. "Without even getting blood on her sword? You insult her."
    The Azrillite monk seemed to shrink inside his robes like a snail. "My apologies," he mumbled. "I did not know her."

    After Irene and the others had left the room, the assembled priests turned their attention to Adelbert's thoughts.

    "Necromancy," said Liebrecht, handling the word as if with tongs. "Dark suspicions, Brother Schreiber."

    "But not unfounded," said Raqiyah, softly. "You all you remember what we now hold in the sanctuary."

    "It hardly seems better if the wolf woman is alive," said Jakub. "Rorik's people were no friends to the Temple while the alliance held Savonne. They had no respect for 'southern' gods."

    "It profits us little to speculate," said Raqiyah. "Brother Schreiber, the search for truth is Verena's domain. Can we trust you and Father Hieronymus to investigate?"
    Last edited by LCP; 2019-03-11 at 09:25 PM.
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    WFRP 2E - Tales of Perilous Adventure
    The Hour After Midnight
    The Lord of Lost Heart
    Ill Met By Morrslieb

    Dark Heresy 1E - Wake of the Byzantium
    Episodes: I, II, III, IV, V

    WFRP 2E - The Bloody Crown
    Threads: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X

  7. - Top - End - #307
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    Adelbert

    Adelbert bowed his head. 'Of course Mother Raqiyah.' He paused, then looked up, an additional thought striking him. 'D'Evangelisti is... was... a templar of Myrmidia. Though I confess I have no love for the man perhaps it would be wise to send a messenger to Father Barbaro?'

    The priest of Verena had had to look down when Jakub mentioned the bad blood between Rorik and the Temple. In the circumstances it seemed unwise to mention his personal connection to the Norscan woman.

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    Jakub and Liebrecht exchanged glances. Adelbert suspected the other priests held Barbaro in exactly the same regard as he did.

    "That would only be proper," said Raqiyah. "I will see that a letter is sent."
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    WFRP 2E - Tales of Perilous Adventure
    The Hour After Midnight
    The Lord of Lost Heart
    Ill Met By Morrslieb

    Dark Heresy 1E - Wake of the Byzantium
    Episodes: I, II, III, IV, V

    WFRP 2E - The Bloody Crown
    Threads: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X

  9. - Top - End - #309
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    Sieghard - Earlier

    "The easy solution would be to hang smugglers on hilltops and by the road. We can't stop them all, but we can let them know it's not worth the risk."

    "So long as we can cover the passes, I say let them try," Sieghard said. "Anything we seize can be sent to the Captain or used to fill our own stores."




    Outside

    "At the castle! In an hour!" Sieghard repeated, louder than before. If any of them did have information, it could wait until Astoria had been seen to. "Now clear out before I have you cleared out!"

    Spoiler
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    Intimidate roll for good measure.
    (1d100)[1] vs 61 (Ooooh yeah, he's pissed)
    (1d100)[41] And we'll throw in a reroll if needed because Sieghard isn't in the mood to deal with nonsense right now.





    Now

    Sieghard turned to the priests briefly before following Irene. "Anything you can learn about her wounds, I want to know. The priestesses of Shaylla have seen more than their share, it's possible one of them have seen similar injuries before."

    ~

    "I'll hang what's left of them," Sieghard said. "Hanging's too easy a death after what they did." He took a moment to make sure he had control of his anger before speaking again. "I've already offered gold for information that leads to the one behind this. Soon as we finish here, I'll see if that amounts to anything." He wouldn't say it out loud, but he didn't have high expectations. The gawking crowd had already shown themselves interested only in the reward with little of use to offer. "After that, I have a few other ideas that may turn up leads. They'll be found."
    Last edited by TheSummoner; 2019-03-11 at 11:49 PM.

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    Default Re: [WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

    Irene nodded. "See to it that they are," she said. "And soon."

    Her gaze drifted back to the doorway of the mortuary room, and her hand drifted subconsciously towards her own throat. <Gods,> she murmured under her breath, <what a horrid way to go.>

    Seeming less than comfortable in the austere surroundings of the temple, she gathered her bodyguards, thanked the priests for their service, and left. She had not thrown a single jibe at anyone; Elsa wondered if she was feeling well.

    ~

    Over the following hours, a good number of people presented themselves at the castle as having some information related to the murder. Most had nothing worth the hearing; from the two or three that appeared to be genuine witnesses, Sieghard gathered that she Astoria last been seen at an alehouse called the Sun and Stars, a few blocks from where they had found her body. The hard-faced woman who kept the bar there said she had seen something - or someone - through the window, and got up to leave in a hurry, some time after sundown. If anyone had seen her after that, they did not come forward.

    Meanwhile, rumours were already spreading faster than any plague. The woman who had killed Rorik Wolf-Risen was a woman of note; however briefly, her death became the talk of the town. Ludo could hear it on the street corners and the market stalls, jumping like wildfire from street to street.

    Ain't you heard? Ripped apart, that's what they're saying. Limb from bloody limb. The northmen's wolf woman, out for revenge.
    The northmen are all dead. They got the wolf bitch at the Burning Hill.
    That's what the Captain's witch says. Witches lie.

    It didn't take long for the news to reach their own men. Those who had fought alongside Astoria at the mill were hit hard; Roth and his fellow survivors of the Count's army most of all. Soon enough, Sieghard and Ludo found themselves beset, their men clamouring for an explanation, to be told it was all lies. Groz's avenger couldn't be dead...
    Spoiler: My Games
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    WFRP 2E - Tales of Perilous Adventure
    The Hour After Midnight
    The Lord of Lost Heart
    Ill Met By Morrslieb

    Dark Heresy 1E - Wake of the Byzantium
    Episodes: I, II, III, IV, V

    WFRP 2E - The Bloody Crown
    Threads: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X

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    Sieghard

    "Some of the details you've heard may have been exaggerated as rumors spread, but the basic story is true," Sieghard confirmed, stone faced. "She was attacked some time last night, some time after leaving a a tavern. Who or what attacked her, I don't know - yet - but I plan to find out and have it torn apart by starving dogs."

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    Adelbert

    'I shall go and fetch Father Hieronymous,' Adelbert said, bowing his head before departing and walking at speed towards the older priest's house, his mind abuzz with the mystery of it all. The Kelda theory left a few holes, but the idea of a mundane attack leaving such a wound - and seemingly overcoming a trained and experienced warrioress easily - made even less sense.

    Still frowning in thought he rapped his knuckles on Hieronymous's door. 'Father Hieronymous there has been a murder. Astoria d’Evangelisti, dead in bizarre circumstances. Mother Raqiyah has asked us to investigate.'

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    Sieghard

    Angry cries greeted the confirmation of the news. Roth and his comrades were clearly all for kicking down some doors - though whose doors, they weren't quite clear. Lacking a clear target, they grasped at straws.

    "We should've known Alvarr'd leave people behind!"
    "The people here hate us, of course they'd do it."
    "Put 'em to the question 'til one of them squawks."




    Adelbert

    Hieronymus was deep in his studies, as he was most days. Rising to let Adelbert in, he listened closely to what had transpired.

    "Grim business," he said, though without much feeling. To Hieronymus, Adelbert sensed, Raqiyah's request had already made this an intriguing puzzle rather than a horrific act of violence. "But we will do what we can. I will have to pay a visit to the temple, to see the body before it is interred. A shame you moved her." He pulled on his cloak, already making ready to leave. "We might still have learned something from the scene. You must show me where it was."
    Spoiler: My Games
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    WFRP 2E - Tales of Perilous Adventure
    The Hour After Midnight
    The Lord of Lost Heart
    Ill Met By Morrslieb

    Dark Heresy 1E - Wake of the Byzantium
    Episodes: I, II, III, IV, V

    WFRP 2E - The Bloody Crown
    Threads: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X

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    Default Re: [WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

    Ludo always felt his dignity when addressing crowds was limited by having to stand on tables, but here he was. "We'll be calling you in to help as soon as we have something concrete for you to do. Trust me, when we find whoever did this, there'll be a long queue to murder him." He had trouble meeting Roth's eyes.

    "For now... if this is a revenge attack, whoever did it might come for one of us next." The thought had only just occured to him, and it made him, as someone else who'd been present at the Jarl's death, distinctly uncomfortable. "So if you're out, go out in groups, and take your swords."
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    Sieghard

    "Most of the people here have far more reason to have hated Rorik and his savages than his killer," Sieghard pointed out. "Roughing up random city folk won't do anything to avenge her. When I've got a better idea whose behind it, I'll tell you. 'Til then, the best thing you can do is help with recruiting and training the new men. More men we have, the more I can put towards searching for the killer."

    ~

    "We were already stretched too thin before this," Sieghard told Ludo reluctantly once they were alone.

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    "We were." Ludo said. "I figured I should recruit as many as possible but it's going to take us ages to get these thirty-five trained. And we've still got to get the supply chain ready, and send Esteban his reinforcements..."

    He thought for a moment. "On the plus side, we were going to look into this anyway, right? Now the lady Irene has said something useful and given us an excuse to if Sforza asks."
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    Sieghard

    "We are," Sieghard replied, "I just fear we don't have a lot to go on or the resources to find much."

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    Adelbert

    Adelbert looked chagrined at Hieronymous's mention of moving the body. Truthfully the same thought had occurred to him, but what was done was done.

    As he led the senior priest towards the crime scene he spoke quietly about his suspicions that Kelda Wave-Born might be involved (dead or alive.) 'Though I concede how her own body might have been disposed might make that less likely. Still, I can't believe we are dealing with a purely mundane murder here. Astoria d'Evangelisti was an excellent swordswoman and armed and she'd have sliced any gutter thug to ribbons. Besides Rorik's sword was found with her body and while I have little familiarity with the weapon I believe it to be a superior blade. It is hard to imagine any killer abandoning such a prize.'

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    "The Verenans are helping," Ludo said. "You know Adelbert's pretty sharp, and Hieronymous is... helping too. And she was popular: nobody liked Rorik or his men, anyone with information is going to come forward."

    "What do you think of Adelbert's theory it's Kelda?"
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    Sieghard

    "I think he's read too many books and they've given him funny ideas," Sieghard said bluntly, "She's dead and the only ghost I've ever seen fought with a scythe."

    "While trying to find boats to carry the Captain's supplies upriver, I learned of a man who claims to have some influence around the docks," he said after a pause. "Dario or Draco or something like that. He was after an audience with Sforza and offering a good price on the use of his boats if I could get him one. If he wants it bad enough, maybe his men could dig up some information for us."
    Last edited by TheSummoner; 2019-03-12 at 12:39 PM.

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    Ludo nodded at Sieghards blunt response. "Might be another of her kind, but could equally be someone's attack dog. We've seen a lot of strange things but none that got back up after burning the body."

    Ludo's eyes raised at the mention of the name Dragos. "No-nose Dragos offered his services?"

    He thought for a moment. "Dragos... well, do you remember last year, when me and Adelbert and Viggo were... having that little period of foolishness with the Crimson Shade? Dragos caught Viggo and I asking awkward questions and picked us up, roughed us up a bit, and threatened to chain us to anvils and throw us in the river. I managed to persuade him that we were just random idiots - which wasn't hard to believe at the time, no - and he settled for robbing us blind and letting us go."

    "I gather that he's the local crime lord. Sforza worked with him to smuggle food and Shade in during the Siege, along with Captain Sandu. So... he's nominally on Sforza's side, I suppose. But i'm not sure I'd want to work with him or trust him. If you're worried about him controlling the docks, we might do better to break that control."
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    Default Re: [WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

    Sieghard

    "I'm worried we don't have enough men to handle the blockade and the shipment and searching for a killer more than anything else," Sieghard said, "We've got plenty of green recruits, but until they've learned to swing a sword without killing themselves, they don't count."

    "Cities always have crime. He's less of a concern right now than everything else that's going on. Doesn't mean we'd have to trust him, but if he thinks he can use us, we might be able to make him useful. And if we have to deal with him later, it might be easier if he thinks he has us in his pocket."

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    If you're strongly against involving him, Sieghard can be convinced to drop the idea. I just think there's some potential there.
    Last edited by TheSummoner; 2019-03-12 at 01:02 PM.

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    Default Re: [WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

    "If you say so." Ludo said. "But whatever he'll want in return... better hope Sforza agrees with it. It's a good idea to get him involved in the search, if he'll go for it."
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    Default Re: [WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

    "So long as we can cover the passes, I say let them try," Sieghard said. "Anything we seize can be sent to the Captain or used to fill our own stores."

    "Actually... that's quite a brilliant idea," said Elsa. "But at the very least I'd still have smugglers quietly imprisoned. Nothing will unnerve the other smugglers more than uncertainty about what happens if they're caught."





    "What do you think of Adelbert's theory it's Kelda?"

    "That's nonsense, of course," Elsa interjected. The wolf-woman had not only been slain with fire, her body had also be consigned to the flames. "But it might be someone like her... or someone trying to make it seem like was her."

    She paused. "It did seem very targeted. If it was a rampaging beast, why did it attack no one else, and why didn't it eat any part of Astoria? This is the handiwork of a human intelligence." She paused. "Keep an eye out, Sieghard. You, too, took part in killing the Jarl. That may make you a target."
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheSummoner View Post
    Oh wow. I will never again underestimate [our characters'] ability to turn friendly conversation into a possible life or death situation.
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    Ludo has a crowbar, if that helps.

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    Default Re: [WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

    Adelbert

    Hieronymus listened carefully to Adelbert’s suggestions as they walked, responding only when he had had time to reflect. “There may be something in what you say, brother Schreiber… though at the same time, history is full of great warriors and generals who were slain by nobody in particular. Superior swordsmanship can sometimes be no match for simple bad luck.” He drily cleared his throat. “That being said, you raise an excellent point about the sword. Perhaps our attacker could have panicked? Or feared that the weapon would be traced?” He fell silent for a while longer, thinking on the problem. “We must try to discover the motive for this crime. Once we know that, perhaps the rest will fall into place.”

    Guiding him first to where they had found the body, then to the Temple, Adelbert waited as Hieronymus examined the body. The old priest seemed entirely unmoved by the sight of Astoria’s corpse, immediately beginning to scrutinise it in great detail.

    “They left her purse,” he said, removing it from her belt and shaking out some of the loose coins. “Another strike against this being common banditry.” Shaking his head, he sighed. “Quite the mess. I note that the scratches here are to the front - that would seem to imply that she was at least facing her attacker.”

    Pausing again in thought, he reached up to absent-mindedly stroke the owl on his shoulder, forgetting that that Euthymius wasn’t there. “Of course, we shouldn’t discount the possibility that all this” - he gestured to the ruin of Astoria’s throat - “was done to disguise the work of a knife or a noose. But to have done so with no witnesses? One would have thought that a dog, or pack of dogs, would make a great deal of noise…”




    The sun kept its course through the sky, and the noisy, noisome city carried heedlessly on, with no respect for the fact that a woman was dead. The old stones of Savonne had seen more than their share of spilt blood over the centuries; what did the anthill care for the death of a single ant?

    Even for those who had known her best, their shock could not stop the march of the hours. There were new recruits to square away, orders to be written, letters to be sent. Fifteen of Nat’s men were dispatched for Pieter’s Pass, with a painful message for Valdes that the caballera would not be joining him. High over their heads, the black shape of Morrslieb winged north from the battlements of the keep, carrying a longer, confidential missive for the Captain.

    Down in the castle courtyard, Adelbert was speaking to the veterans of the Burning Hill, trying to confirm how Kelda had met her end. Roth and his friends retold the story with vindictive relish - Hildebrand’s magic had roasted the Jarl’s wolf like a prize pig. They had thrown her on a makeshift pyre with the rest of their dead, and the Captain had marched them out while the fire was still burning. The body they had burned had still been the body of a wolf, one of the men who had handled it confirmed: no-one had seen her in human form at any point during the fighting.

    In the draughty officer’s quarters they had secured in the castle, Ludo was examining Rorik’s sword. It was a well-used weapon, its metal marked with plenty of scuffs and nicks from its long years of service, but he could see no fresh damage on the blade. He knew it had been unsheathed when they found it, and he had seen Astoria fight. For her to have drawn her weapon but not landed a single blow, the attack must have been swift and terrible in the extreme.

    When he had convinced himself that the brutish weapon held no more secrets, he headed back to the Old Town with Adelbert. Walking through narrow streets, in the shadow of Arabyan arches and tall, leaning houses, he tried to retrace Astoria’s journey from the alehouse to the place of her death.

    There were no telltale clues lying on the streets, only the dark bloodstain where Astoria had fallen. Questioning the people who lived along the route, Ludo tried to find someone, anyone, who had been witness to the crime. He found no-one. When he pressed them, the denizens of Half Moon Alley protested that anyone local knew better than to be roaming the streets after nightfall lately. During the quarantine, one white-haired family matriarch told him, Death had walked the alley at night, striking down those who crossed his path with the sickness.

    Ludo wasn’t the only one with questions for the residents of Half Moon Alley. At the other end of the street, past where Adelbert was haggling with the owner of the Lazar house over rent, one of Mother Constanza’s Shallyan sisters was making a round of the inhabited houses. Adelbert knew they had been very eager to get back into the quarantined district. Now that the restriction had been lifted, they were working tirelessly to make sure any lingering pestilence had truly been stamped out.

    OOC:
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    The Lazar house is available for rent at half a crown per week, modifiable by Haggle.


    ~

    As the sun went down that evening, Sieghard made his way to the Sun and Stars. The painted sign that hung over its door somewhat resembled the heraldry of the Blazing Sun on Astoria’s shield - perhaps that was why she had chosen to drink there. Dressed in his shabbiest clothes, though still wearing his mail, he took the spot nearest the window where he presumed Astoria had sat the previous night. Nursing his drinks as the alehouse slowly filled up, he kept one eye on the grimy glass and the darkening street outside.

    No-one seemed to pay him much notice except the bartender. The Sun seemed fairly middle-of-the-road as far as drinking establishments went, neither too rich nor too rough. At one point, two posturing young men threatened to get into a fight, but were swiftly ejected. Sieghard didn’t think they had been serious in any case. Neither one of them had given any sign of going for a weapon.

    Evening drew into night, and the night grew deeper, and still Sieghard saw nothing that gave him any insight into the circumstances of Astoria’s death. Stepping out onto the empty street after the bell had rung for last orders, he searched the shadows for any sign of unfriendly eyes watching him. Except for the closing-time drunks, he was alone.




    Bezahltag, 14th Vorgeheim

    Flying back late on Bezahltag morning, Morrslieb hopped through Elsa’s open window, shaking his leg at her and cawing bad-temperedly until she removed the roll of parchment that had been tied to it. Unrolling the letter, she read the Captain’s reply. It seemed rather short considering the lengthy report she had sent him.

    Sforza thanked her for the intelligence she had sent, and said he was saddened to hear of Astoria’s death. Like Irene, he urged them to take all measures necessary to catch the perpetrator. The army had Alvarran invested on the northward side, he wrote, and were beginning siege works to test the walls. Valdes was to be given all assistance possible in preventing supplies reaching the Duke from the south.

    On the subject of Sieghard’s boats, he wrote: Dragos is known to us as violent and unreliable. If you feel you can exploit him, do so, but take no chances with our supplies. If he wishes to speak with me, he may do so when I return to Savonne. He gave no indication he was planning to do so before Alvarran fell.

    OOC:
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    The first shipments of food from the Downs and the Vale will both start arriving on Marktag the 20th - you’ve got 6 days before they start piling up.
    Last edited by LCP; 2019-03-12 at 10:54 PM.
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    WFRP 2E - Tales of Perilous Adventure
    The Hour After Midnight
    The Lord of Lost Heart
    Ill Met By Morrslieb

    Dark Heresy 1E - Wake of the Byzantium
    Episodes: I, II, III, IV, V

    WFRP 2E - The Bloody Crown
    Threads: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X

  26. - Top - End - #326
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    Default Re: [WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

    Adelbert

    Adelbert had nodded thoughtfully as Hieronymous had examined the body, most of the older priest's comments reflecting his own thoughts.

    'As far as I can see if we rule out simple theft - and on balance that seems unlikely - then than leaves us with more difficult motivations. It is possible she was assassinated by orders of the Duke, simply for being an adept soldier in the service of the Tilean. A skilled assassin might have been able to slip in, take her largely by surprise, fake an animal attack and then leave. Mind you that presupposes such a master killer even exists in the Reaches and that Alvarr had either the inclination or the money to afford such. It doesn't strike me as very likely.'

    Adelbert sighed. 'There is another slender possibility; the caballera was an Estallian templar of Myrmidia. I am not an expert in the southern goddess - my family always favoured Marigleo - but I believe there is bad blood between the Tileans and Estalians there. One could imagine a religious dispute leading to something worse. Personally I think it highly unlikely but I feel we better speak with Barbaro when he gets back to see if there is any tension there in any case.'

    The priest looked down sadly at the dead woman's face. 'But I still feel our murder was one of supernatural origin rather than the mundane. It seems an ill coincidence that she died so close to the area where the plague struck. In any case I'll speak to the soldiers who fought the Norscans and see if they have anything to say about Kelda Wave-Born.'




    The conversation with Roth had been personally unpleasant (Adelbert had been forced to fight a desire to break Roth's nose as he gloated) but it had drawn a line under the Kelda connection. With complex feelings Adelbert surrendered that theory.

    Which left... what?

    <'I admit my Kelda theory was wrong,'> Adelbert told Ludo as they traveled towards the Old Town. He spoke to the Halfling in Classical to allow him to express thoughts he didn't want everyone to overhear. <'But I still feel in my bones that there is something more than human - or Halfling - going on here. The murder was at once hideously violent, yet utterly efficient and it happened so close to where the plague took place. It may simply be the traces left by the plague but I can feel shadows about this area too.'>

    Entering Half Moon alley Adelbert paused to haggle with the owner off Old Lazar's place. While he was hardly thrilled with the idea of living in such an ill omened place he had a feeling it might help unravel this mystery.

    OOC:
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    Untrained Haggle: (1d100)[36] vs 23

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    Default Re: [WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

    Sieghard

    Violent and unreliable. The former came as no surprise after what Ludo had told him, but the latter gave Sieghard pause.

    "Might be better not to rely on him for the shipments," Sieghard told Elsa, "Though I still think he can be useful for keeping eyes around the city."

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    Default Re: [WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

    Elsa set down the letter to feed Morrslieb. "Why do they need us to intercept food smugglers?" she wondered aloud. "Surely they have Alvarran surrounded? Otherwise it's no siege at all."

    Sforza may not have that many men at his disposal, as he favored career soldiers over levies, but surely it was easier to choke the enemy's supply line at its end, where all paths must converge, than in its middle. How many gates could Alvarran possibly have?

    She let Morrslieb out and closed the window. "I think we should have a wake for Astoria tonight," she said. "Nothing too public... Just us and some of the people who knew her better than most. I've been mentally preparing a eulogy."
    Last edited by -Sentinel-; 2019-03-13 at 08:56 PM.
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    Running:
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheSummoner View Post
    Oh wow. I will never again underestimate [our characters'] ability to turn friendly conversation into a possible life or death situation.
    Quote Originally Posted by LeSwordfish View Post
    Ludo has a crowbar, if that helps.

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    Default Re: [WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

    Sieghard

    "The north side they do," Sieghard replied, "The rest is blocked by the Karst. Except Pieter's Pass, but they've no easy way of reaching it from that side of the city." He looked down and watched Morrslieb eat. "Wouldn't be surprised if there's other, smaller passes through the rocks that they're using to bypass the Captain and Valdes... Not enough to keep all of Alvarran fed, but the Duke himself won't go hungry, even as his men tighten their belts and his people starve."

    At the mention of a wake for Astoria, he looked up. "Yeah, that's good idea," he said. "A lot of the men were fond of her. I'm sure they'd welcome a chance to pay their respects."

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    Investigating
    "They said there was a jackal in the streets." Ludo had been morose and distracted since he had failed to find any information on the killing. "Back when there was the disease, people were talking about a jackal stalking the streets. I thought it was a metaphor, or an urban legend or something, but what if it isn't?"

    He looked up. "It's Nahorek, right? That must be what it is. Astoria was there when we defended the book, and then she was alone when Nahorek could get her. That's why nothing was taken, that's why it was an animal attack."

    "What can we do about that? Is this... a god?"





    Meeting, Later

    "Let's see what we can do without Dragos." Ludo said. "Fob him off with a meeting and a "We'll think about it" if you want. I'll keep sorting things out with Sussman. He's never tied me to a chair."
    Last edited by LeSwordfish; 2019-03-15 at 12:45 PM.
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