[WFRP] The Bloody Crown X

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Until he is dead, I wouldn't rule out the chance," Sieghard answered. "Better to be prepared for anything, no matter how unlikely."

[LCP]

Sieghard

"Well for Shallya's sake, find out where he went!" said Irene, some of her old impatience returning. "Some of us would rather not be murdered in our beds while you're standing around counting tents."

She took a deep breath. "If the priests need a place to stay, they'll have to stay in the servants' quarters. Mouna can arrange it; tell them to speak with her. You and your men should be keeping us safe, not shepherding frightened clergy." She breathed out. "Find where the necromancer went, and put these wretched tents away."

Turning in a swirl of green silk, she headed back to the keep.

[LCP]

Marktag, 2nd Nachgeheim

The sun rose over a city where, for the first time in three days, it seemed like no-one had been murdered. Nursing a mild hangover from the evening he had spent drinking with Urgrim, Adelbert woke in the servants' quarters of the castle, and for a moment thought he was back serving as Alvarr's librarian.

Outside, the old woman Mouna was insistently ringing a handbell to rouse her underlings to the service of the Lady Sforza. For now, Sieghard's arrangement had at least given Adelbert and the initiates a roof over their head - but as the bell jangled on, Adelbert found it hard to be grateful.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard woke early and came to find Adelbert first thing. Despite that, Adelbert had already been awake for some time before he arrived.

"I've been thinking about what to tell the people about the attack," he said "Keeping what Klammenberg is or the danger we face a secret won't be an option anymore, but I still think it better to downplay the things that won't be obvious to anyone who saw the fighting or the temple afterwards. They don't need to know what the vampire is or what it claims to be, that'd just cause more panic." Or worse, cause the stupid to start worshiping it. "I also think it would help if you were there when we tell them. They'll be far more willing to trust the story if a priest of Verena is there to say it's true than if it comes from me alone."

[RossN]

Adelbert

Intellectually speaking Adelbert knew Sieghard had a point, but honestly this was a headache he could have done without this early in the morning.

'I'll help but there are things I probably won't be able to say before the Conclave,' he said, stifling a yawn. 'The last thing we need is a religious schism splitting the Reaches.'

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"That's fine," Sieghard replied, "They only need to be told enough to keep order. Anything you can't say, we can work around." He paused, then looked back to Adelbert, confused. "What sort of things won't you be able to say? Is it just things you can't say publicly or...?"

[Thragka]

Marktag, 2nd Nachgeheim

Urgrim rose on Marktag rather later than his usual hour, and rather more disheveled. After deciding that sleeping for the next decade or so was not really a viable option, the dwarf took to tottering a little unsteadily through the barracks, asking if he could get his hands on a bucket of water to wash himself.

What he'd really like was a bath, but from what he remembered of the previous night with Adelbert, he didn't want to spend any more money in a tavern for the immediate future. "Soap," he muttered to himself at one point. "Visit a tallow chandler. Hmph."

When he'd at least rinsed the grime of the past several days off his skin, Urgrim searched the militia's quarters for Ingwald, or, failing him, any of the other humans he recognised from the mêlée at the east gate of the temple.

"Hello," he said, offering his hand. "Don't think I've properly introduced myself before now. But after that fight, wanted to learn the names of the folk I'd been beside." He shook his head. "That was, uh ... not one I'll forget, eh?"

[LCP]

Urgrim

Ingwald was taking the opportunity of the relative quiet to catch some kip, his head resting against the stone wall. Cracking open an eye at Urgrim's greeting, he slowly sat up and shook the offered hand. "You get used to it," he said, trying to sound like fighting ancient demigods and the risen dead was all in a day's work for the Thorns. It wasn't very convincing. "Ingwald," he introduced himself. "Nice shooting last night. You from up the Rock?"

[RossN]

Adelbert

Adelbert smiled ruefully. 'I think the fact that the Hound of Morr is apparently based on the legends of a very old, very evil vampire has caused a lot of theological headscratching - and will cause more when the Conclave arrives. While it would probably be simplest in the short term to claim the vampire is an impostor there are a multitude of reasons why that is a very bad idea. Still I'll try and help where i can without mentioning jackals.'

[Thragka]

Urgrim in the barracks

"Urgrim. Nice to meet you, Ingwald. And thanks. Not sure if we just got lucky, but I'll take it all the same." The dwarf smiled.

"Not originally from the Rock, no - born and reared the other side of the Varenka Hills. Barak Varr, the dwarf city on the Gulf, if you've heard of it. But rangers, like m'self, often move around, working for different clans and different holds. It's about as close as my people have to being a sellsword. I've been all around the Princes - Tilea, too. Got working with the Dwimmulsons 'round the time they were making ready to move back into the Rock. And I guess I'll be here a while longer now, after getting all mixed up in this business." He shuddered. "Still, I'm thinking, the Reaches isn't the worst place in the world to spend a bit of time. I've seen worse. You from these parts?"

"I hope your lads can take it in their stride as you say. I reckon we'll all see more unnatural things before all this comes to an end."

---

Urgrim visiting Ludo, elsewhen

"Hullo!" the dwarf called cheerily as he arrived in the halfling's room. "Any better?"

"I'm here to ask you a favour, actually, Ludo, if you don't mind. You, uh, well, you seem to have a bit of a knack for languages, since you know Khazalid. And you know your letters, too. So I was wondering, um, if you could teach me. The letters, I mean. I learned all my fancy Reikspiel through travelling players, and I ... never learned the Klinkarhun, either." Urgrim looked down and away, feeling a little vulnerable. "And I thought it might stop you getting too bored here!" he added, looking back at Ludo with an only slightly forced smile.

[LCP]

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