[WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

[LCP]

The Temple

Pulling away, Jocasta nodded and headed down the steps. It would be a long walk in the rain to the castle where the initiates had retreated, but no-one who had seen what Adelbert was about to see again would have wanted to remain in the temple, now that the danger had passed.

Descending after her, Adelbert walked slowly back into the atrium. Here lay Brother Liebrecht, along with one of the sanctuary guards - their bodies were torn and bloody, the guard's entrails looping across the polished flagstones. Liebrecht had fallen against the statue of Morr, his blood splattered over the supine hound that lay at the feet of the god of death. Covered in the blood of its supposed master's priest, the stone jackal almost seemed to Adelbert to be smirking.

The second guard had broken his neck on the sanctuary steps - whether he had fallen or been thrown, it wasn't clear. In the sanctuary itself, Adelbert found Raqiyah. Her throat was torn open and her skin was ashen pale, just like Astoria and all the others - but unlike them, she had died with a strangely peaceful expression on her face. A single incense-burner was still lit, throwing its flickering light over the faded murals of the sanctuary walls. Though some of their stands had been toppled, the relics still remained, untouched but for the chest that had held the jackal mask.

OOC:

Spoiler

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Has Adelbert tested for an Insanity Point yet in this ordeal? I feel like seeing Liebrecht & co.'s guts spread out all over the temple floor would be a good moment to do so, especially given the faith-testing events of seeing Nahorek walk into Morr's house and raise the dead like it ain't no thang.

I don't want to get Adelbert too far ahead of the others at the temple, and I also don't want to keep you guys doing blow-by-blow stuff for too long if you'd rather move on to morning - let me know how you (plural) want to wrap up here and I'll try to facilitate it as best I can.

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo slowly plodded through the mud over to the wall and sat down, heavily. "I can't believe... they didnt get... did we win?"

It had looked directly at him. That couldn't be good, definitely. He was too tired and muzzy to think any more clearly than that.

[RossN]

Adelbert

It was a terrible sight, but to a man who had scolded daemons and bartered with undead priestesses there was limits even to horror. The Temple had been despoiled and, perhaps would never be restored. Her priests had been slain. But temples could be built and new priests trained. The gods were eternal I ways neither flesh and blood nor even stone could match.

'Smirk all you wish,' Adelbert said to the statue of the hound. 'I saw you run away.'

His first stop was to fetch blankets to cover the fallen, to protect their dignity in death and to protect others from the horror of the sight. As he covered each body in turn Adelbert murmured a canticle to Morr to wing their souls to his domain. Like Mannansleib suddenly peering through the clouds or the first flowers pushing through the frost his prayers rang out in the silence of the temple.

[Thragka]

"Maybe we did, aye," Urgrim replied to Ludo. He turned his face up to the sky and let the rain pelt him. It felt cleansing. "This battle, anyway."

The dwarf assisted the militia in carrying the chest away from the coach and depositing it against the wall. He leaned there, beside it, cautious. "We need to decide what we'll be doing to defend this, now - in the morning." He yawned, but fixed a serious look on Sieghard after. "I'll need to go up to the Hold. And frankly, I can't think of a safer place for this than under the Rock."

Spoiler: OOC

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Okay, I'm happy for the scene to be moved forward. If it's a question of winding down for the night, Urgi helps Sieghard and the militia handle destroying the coach and helping the injured or similar tasks before taking the chest back to the keep.

[LCP]

No-one seemed to disagree with Urgrim's assessment - but for now, until the Sforzas saw fit to say otherwise, there was only one place the book could go. As the militia set about prising the wheels off Klammenberg’s coach, and Sieghard set off in search of his horse, Urgrim supervised the retrieval of the chest. While the Dwimmulsons’ workmanship had held true, it had clearly been put to the test. Long gouges had been scratched in the steel and wutroth of the lid where the vampire had tried to force it open. Urgrim would have been amazed that the creature’s claws could leave such marks in solid iron-wood, if he had not so recently seen what they could do to flesh and bone.

Picking up the chest between them, a team of four militiamen began the heavy work of carrying it back to the keep.

---

Aubentag, 1st Nachgeheim

The storm did not die away as quickly as Nahorek’s other enchantments. It rumbled on through the night and into the small hours of the morning, drifting steadily southwards as it did. Watching from the steps of the temple, a bleary-eyed Adelbert saw the moons come out again from behind a ragged trail of cloud. They shone brightly but briefly: as the sky began to lighten in the east, one after the other, they sank below the horizon. Watching the silver disc of Mannslieb disappear from view, Adelbert finally put his finger on the feeling that had been slowly stealing over him: the sickness, the shadow that had seemed to linger over Savonne ever since his return to the city, was finally gone.

Dawn broke over a city still largely ignorant of the horror that had transpired. Children whooped and splashed in new-formed puddles, the bone-dry city drinking in the rain. Their ignorance would not last long: on Gods’ Row, gawping onlookers were gathering at an alarming rate, the ravaged state of the Garden of Morr giving mute testimony to the events of the holy night.

Hieronymus was one of the first among them. Making his way through the east gate - the south was heaped with dozens of decayed bodies - he hurried up the side of the mound with a face almost as pale as the vampire’s victims. Greeting Adelbert on the steps, he went to go inside - then immediately turned back, white and shaking at the sight of Liebrecht and the guard.

“How could this happen?” he muttered, gripping Adelbert’s arm as if he might fall. “How?”

He wasn’t the only eminent visitor making his way to the scene of the battle. The crowd that was gathering on Gods’ Row parted before a numerous guard of militia and ahosi as the Lady Sforza approached. Rounding the corner, she stopped her horse and stared in shock at the sight before her: the drifts of the dead, the burst-open graves that pockmarked the south face of the temple mound. The corpses were already beginning to stink in the rising sun, crows gathering on the old stone wall of the Garden of Morr to indulge in an unexpected feast. Pressing a perfumed handkerchief over her nose, Irene looked down to where Ludo and Sieghard were walking beside her..

“I suppose you’re going to say ‘I told you so’,” she said, quietly enough that only the three of them could hear.

OOC:

Spoiler

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For the sake of keeping things to one scene, I’m assuming the initial “what’s going on?” exchanges at the castle have happened off-stage. Hope you guys are alright with that - let me know if not.

Haven’t specified where Urgrim or Elsa are: if either of you want to join Irene and the others on their trip to the scene of the crime feel free.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard shook his head. He took no joy at being proven right. "We drove them off without the thing they were after," he whispered in reply, "But it was far too close a victory for comfort. They're certain to try again."

[LCP]

"If they do," said Irene, "they won't find it here. I was a fool to trust it to the priests."

She looked around at the scene, still taking it in. "Muzio has to be told. Whatever creature did this has to be put down." She looked around at the commoners who had gathered to gawk, kept at a safe distance by her guards. "Commander, I want you to clear these people off the streets until the mess has been cleared away. This sort of thing could start a panic." A thought seemed to strike her. "Where's Hildebrand?"

[-Sentinel-]

Aubentag, 1st Nachgeheim


"I'm here."

On cue, Elsa sidled up next to Sieghard, who had been kindly enough to send a quartet of armed soldiers to the hospital to escort her here. From the Shallyans, she had managed to borrow a hat that could hide her still-short hair and cast some shadow on her face; not much of a disguise but it was all she could get in short order. She certainly seemed vulnerable enough to make a tempting target for angry townspeople. Her entire arm was in a sling, her skin had a sickly hue, and her physical weakness was evident in her gait. She had told Morrslieb to stay away from her; the familiar would draw too much attention to her.

Though still weak, she felt better than she had last night. The air of the city felt somehow less weighty. It was as if an unpleasant background noise that you had gotten used to had suddenly ceased. The Jackal was gone... for now.

"This is only the beginning," she warned Lady Sforza, keeping her voice low. "The city as a whole needs to know how to deal with this new reality; not only the fighting men but also the civilians. We'll have to craft a message that conveys the seriousness of the situation without causing panic or despair. And we need to do it quickly. I'm sure the rumor mill is already spinning."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"The captain may take the danger more seriously if you write to him yourself," Sieghard suggested, "He trusts your judgement." And ignores our warnings.

He turned towards the crowd. "Step back and give us room to work!" he demanded. "Anything else can wait until the dead have been put back to rest!"

[Thragka]

Aubentag, 1st Nachgeheim

Urgrim coughed, softly, and looked to Sieghard to check that it was an appropriate moment for him to speak up. He'd cleaned himself up as much as possible, and dressed in his better clothes. It hadn't done much to hide that he'd had far too little sleep in recent days, nor softened the haggard air hanging about his face, but he was determined to show the proper respect this morning. He bowed politely to Irene.

"Lady Sforza. I've had the honour of seeing you before, with the commander, but not yet of speaking to you. I'm Urgrim Jotunnsson, a ranger, contracted to the service of Clan Dwimmulson for this past year." He paused, as if expecting to be questioned or interrupted.

"As you know, the Dwimmulsons have had their own interest in bringing the necromancer Klammenberg to justice, and the Rinn Elmendrin knows something of what he - and his master - wanted to steal from here last night. It's been my honour to work with your Commander Sieghard in the hunt for Klammenberg recently - and to fight beside him last night. Today, it'll be my duty to bring the sad news of what happened here to the Rinn." He bowed again, for lack of a better idea. "I, uh, wanted to tell you this so you know there's no ill will in my doing so, and that you won't be surprised that the news gets to the Rinn so quickly. I hope that's to your liking. And, uh, I am at your service if you want me to bring the Rinn any message from yourself. My lady."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo was still leaning heavily on his borrowed walking-stick. As soon as this was done, he was going back to the hospital. "We found some things that hurt the vampire. Silver. Blessed weapons. Maybe some of the old stories are true too. We bought some silver crossbow bolts from the dwarves, we should look into getting silvered daggers made. If the whole guard on the city is armed with things it's vulnerable to..."

It seemed like the stupidest thing in the world right now, and he had told her so, but- "I want to apologise for the, um, intemperate things I said the last time we met, my lady. I'm sure you understand that this is a... distressing situation."

[LCP]

Irene had been asking for Elsa, but she couldn't suppress a flash of irritation at hearing her voice. "I was going to say," she said, "that we should make sure you were somewhere safe. The people already want your head for setting fire to their houses. Now there's this witchcraft, and you're the only witch they can lay their hands on." She gave a strained smile. "Muzio would be so upset if anything happened to you."

Ludo's apology provided a fortunate distraction, before Irene's distaste for Elsa could further evaporate the momentary humility she had been experiencing. Taking a deep breath, she gave Ludo a gracious nod.

"I doubt the treasury can stretch to an army's worth of silver weapons," she said. "All the more reason to call Muzio back. Him and Al-Makir too." Her gaze slid sideways to Urgrim. The dwarf's formal bowing seemed to please her. "Thank you, signor Jotunnsson. You may assure the Rinn that the Sforzas stand shoulder to shoulder with her clan against this darkness." She paused, reconsidering her turn of phrase. "Side by side."

OOC:

Spoiler

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By now, she had been informed that the vampire was indeed Nahorek himself.

Just want to point out, the only PC who really knew this at the end of the fight was Adelbert. Sieghard, Ludo and Urgrim mostly just saw that he was wearing a jackal mask. I know I skipped over some potential conversations but I think it'd be nice to give Adelbert a chance to debrief IC.

[RossN]

Adelbert

Adelbert took Hieronymus my the arm and kindly but firmly dragged the old man away from the ghastly sight on the floor.

'That horrible boy Besnik was a spy for Nahorek and when the vampire and Klammenburg called on the temple last night he was able to invite the undead monstrosity inside. I am no expert on the dark arts but I suspect the vampire deliberately chose Geheimnisnacht when he was at the apex of his power.' Adelbert pursed his lips. There was no easy way to break the news. 'Liebrecht, Mother Raqiyah and two guards are dead. Jocasta, Brother Grigore and the initiates survived. If it it were not for the combat ability of Sieghard, Ludo and the dwarf Urgrim and the magic of Elsa the enemy would have made off with the book... as it is he and his minion Klammenburg were both injured and forced to flee without their prize.'

The younger priest looked hopefully to the older one. 'I suppose that means you are in charge now Father. Thank all the gods you were not here.'

[LCP]

Hieronymus leant against one of the pillars, then slowly sat down. Staring into the middle distance, it was a while before he spoke.

"Raqiyah dead," he breathed. "There will have to be a conclave. To elect a new high priest - the high priest has always been of Morr. Who of Morr's cult is even left? Who of any of us?" He lowered his head into his hands. "Besnik... the boy couldn't have been more than ten..."

Adelbert would have put Klammenberg's accomplice at nearer thirteen, but he suspected those ages were more similar to Hieronymus than they were to him.

"Raqiyah... Raqiyah was suddenly so set on seeing you anointed," Hieronymus said, still lost in his thoughts. "She must have seen it coming. Why didn't she say something?" He looked up to Adelbert, as if hoping he would have the answers. "Why didn't she tell us?"

[RossN]

Adelbert

'I don't know,' Adelbert admitted. 'Maybe she saw the monster's defeat even at great cost, and saw this as the only way to weaken him for his eventual destruction.'

He looked around himself at the temple building and the grounds. 'We'll have to find somewhere else to hold a conclave. This place is no longer a sacred space. It has been despoiled by bloodshed and blasphemy. The vampire can enter at any time.' Turning back to Hieronymus he continued. 'But the initiates are still alive Father. They are the Temple, not this building. We'll endure and triumph.'

Adelbert paused, thinking something over before he continued. 'I am not a dedicated servant of Morr, save that I serve all the gods but I have studied sacred texts and I do honour the god. Until a true priest or priestess of Morr can be found would our goddess forgive me if I performed the rituals and duties for Morr? The people of Savonne will need them I fear.'

[LCP]

"I imagine we'll all have to do our part," said Hieronymus. The discussion of practical matters seemed to go some way to pulling him out of his horrified fugue. "We have a whole city to serve, and only... four priests? Thank Verena the initiates are alright."

[RossN]

Adelbert

'Yes, but we can't bring them back here,' Adelbert said. 'The building, the garden of Morr... everything is spiritually polluted. We'll have to find somewhere else unless until the vampire and his minion are destroyed. I'll have to speak to Lady Sforza - gods help us with that!'

[LCP]

Hieronymus' gaze drifted down to the south gate, where Sieghard's men were herding people away from the charred heap of the desecrated dead. Sighing, he hung his head.

"The temple will have to be re-consecrated. If it can be..." He trailed off. "This temple has stood for as long as the city. We can't let these grave-robbers take it from us."

[RossN]

Adelbert

'Unfortunately one of those grave robbers is older than both the city and the temple, and as dimwitted and weak minded as one would have to be to embrace necromancy he is still a powerful being. We can't afford to use any place he has already violated,' Adelbert said.

The younger priest sighed. 'My home burned down the other day. know there are worse problems but I'm now doubly homeless.'

[LCP]

"Well, if nothing else you're welcome to stay with me," said Hieronymus. Adelbert tried to think of a single surface in Hieronymus' house that wasn't covered in books. Hieronymus shook his head. "Pestilence, fire and death. One could be forgiven for thinking the street-corner doomsayers have a point. Perhaps these are the end times." He looked down at his hands. "Still... nil desperandum, hm? The gods command, and we obey."

The old priest didn't sound entirely like he believed his own words.

[LeSwordfish]

"Is that what you're planning on doing?" Ludo asked Irene, doing his best not to sound too impertinent. "Calling the captain and his men back?"

[LCP]

Irene seemed a little uncomfortable to be put on the spot. "I don't command my husband," she said, doing her best to sound aloof. "I will write to Muzio and... inform him of events."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo nodded solemnly. "I'm at your disposal should you wish for an eyewitness account: just send for me at the hospital. If you'll excuse me though, Milady..."

[LCP]

Irene looked down at Ludo, apparently noticing the stick for the first time. "Of course," she said. "You should go."

Keen to be going herself, she rode up next to where Sieghard was overseeing the dispersal of the crowd. "Burn those... things," she said, pointing to the heap of corpses at the gate, "and set a guard around the street. No-one is to come close to the temple until the bodies are gone and the graves have been filled in." Turning her horse's head, she called out in Tilean to her Southlander guards. "I will be at the keep."

Forming up in a tight squad around their mistress, the ahosi accompanied her back to the castle.

---

It was around noon that the party gathered back in Elsa's infirmary room. Reinholt had been moved to make space for Ludo, though he had protested at not being able to greet 'his new guests'. The old man's complaints died down quickly when he saw a grim-faced Sieghard stride past, his armour covered with the soot of the pyre they had made of Klammenberg's coach.

Adelbert was the last to join. Greeting Ioana and Stefania as he passed, he walked down the cloister and into the quiet of the infirmary, where the risen sun was shining brightly through the coloured glass of the window. Here at least, he could still feel the presence of the gods.

The others were all waiting for him, gathered around Ludo and Elsa's beds. They had a lot to discuss.

[RossN]

Adelbert

'Nil desperandum indeed,' answered Adelbert. He smiled. 'We won last night. At an awful cost but we won, and we'll win again.'

He squinted at the knot of soldiers, then got to his feet. 'Forgive me Father but I must confer with my friends. I'll be by later to fill you in on any new ideas - until then perhaps you could check in on Jocasta and Grigorie and their charges at the Keep?'

[LCP]

At the Temple

"Yes," said Hieronymus. He seemed grateful to the opportunity to get away from the carnage of the temple grounds. "Yes, that sounds best. The initiates... shouldn't see this."

Rising creakily to his feet, he hurried off in the direction of the keep.

[RossN]

Hospital

Adelbert looked worn down, though as he reflected, everyone looked worn down.

'Nahorek and Klammenburg had a fox in our henhouse,' he said. 'One of the initiates, a boy named Besnick was a denizen of Rivermouth. When the vampire arrived at the temple doorstep during the night the little goblin invited him in. You probably know this by now but Mother Raqiyah and Liebrecht are dead. Nahorek claimed to recogise Raqiyah as a woman he knew from life, which raises interesting possibilities about the theory of transmigration of the soul. It did not however save her life when she refused to give him the book. As for the battle... well, to be honest I think all of you know more about that than I do.'

He laughed, though there was no humour to it. 'As amazing as it seems given the cost but last night was a victory. How has Lady Sforza taken things? I'm honestly surprised she didn't send for... well I suppose Hieronymus at this point. Aside from myself, Jocasta and Brother Grigore he is the only priest left in Savonne.'

[-Sentinel-]

"Hold up," said Elsa, frowning. "Are you saying the vampire was Nahorek? How do you know? Did he introduce himself as such?"

If it was true, she was not sure how to process this information. Had they been underestimating the vampire, or overestimating the Jackal? In any case, it meant Nahorek was closer to a mortal being than any of them had expected. That seemed like good news, regardless of his immense magical power.


"How has Lady Sforza taken things?"

"Well, she has no choice but to take the threat seriously," said Elsa, "but she'll mostly be concerned with keeping order. Speaking of which, we have to decide how much to tell the common people. Should they know that the Jackal was in their city last night?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"It was a corpse in rags," Sieghard replied bluntly, "It doesn't matter what it calls itself."

"but she'll mostly be concerned with keeping order. Speaking of which, we have to decide how much to tell the common people. Should they know that the Jackal was in their city last night?"

"Many of them saw the fighting. Anything we don't have an explanation for they'll come up with their own stories to explain. They'll probably come up with their own stories even for the things we do tell them."

[Thragka]

"The vampire is the Jackal Priest alright," said Urgrim, although ignorant of Elsa's exact point of contention. "In the house where, um, the fire started, there was a chest of gold that had come from the Red Pyramid. The Dwimmulson records - well." He'd been going to say the Dwimmulson records might not be perfect, but they're the best we've got, but that wasn't the sort of thing a dawi said in front of umgi. Instead, he finished the thought with a shrug.

"I reckon folks'll learn the truth soon enough," he replied to Sieghard's comment. "It was willing to reveal itself to attack the temple. Can't help but think our troubles are only just beginning. Which is not to say, that ye have to worry your people prematurely. As I said, though, I'll be telling the Rinn." Urgrim looked sad, deep in the lines of his face, as if shadows clung to them more than usual. "If it is to be war, the clansfolk will be ready."