[WFRP] The Bloody Crown XI

[LeSwordfish]

ELU

Spoiler

Show

Ludo paused, the threshold so close, one ragged spirit in his way...

[RossN]

Adelbert & Sieghard

Spoiler

Show

Adelbert didn't take the time to reply, instead running in the direction Ludo and the Thorns had vanished towards.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa, Urgrim and Ludo

Spoiler

Show

Elsa was relieved to see Ludo alive and so close to safety. She unleashed her power again on all three nearest ghosts, hoping they had enough of a survival instinct (survival being used loosely in this case) to get the message that any ghost getting too close to the door was getting a fireball to the face.


OOC

Spoiler

Show

Fireball, for a change.

Channeling: (d100)[96]
Fireball 9+/12+: (3d10)[1][6][8](15)
*grumblegrumble* Chaos die: (d10)[8]


Nearest ghost, location: (d100)[5]
Nearest ghost, damage: (d10+4)[11]

Second nearest ghost, location: (d100)[73]
Second nearest ghost, damage: (d10+4)[14] - 6 extra damage from Fury rolled in OOC.

Third nearest ghost, location: (d100)[86]
Third nearest ghost, damage: (d10+4)[8]

Sieghard was still nowhere to be seen. Knowing him, he probably wanted to be the last man out. Elsa could admire that, but still, she worried for him.

[LCP]

Elsa, Ludo & Urgrim

Spoiler

Show

The spectre in Ludo's way burst into flame as Elsa struck it again, disintegrating into burning wisps that whirled away on the wind. That was all the opening Ludo needed - ducking under the other fireballs that spiralled over his head, he ran for the gates, practically throwing himself over the threshold.

Another of the spirits was burning away into nothing, but the others drifting out of the dust showed no sign of fear. More were appearing by the moment, congregating around the gates - and still there was no sign of Sieghard or Adelbert.

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

Elsa suffers 1 wound from Aethyric Shock.

Adelbert & Sieghard

Spoiler

Show

A thick billow of dust closed in around them, and for one horrible moment, Sieghard thought he had lost his bearings. A fiery flash lit the way through the dark - heads down against the gale, he and Adelbert ran towards it.

Through the howling dust around them, other figures were moving. Sieghard recoiled from the withered face of an old woman that appeared out of the dust, reaching out to him with wasted hands; Adelbert swerved out of the path of a tall man who stood with his neck bent under a heavy chain, the hollow pits of his eyes turning to follow them as they ran. He could hear the slither of chains as they drifted after him, could almost feel their cold touch on the back of his neck. His heart thumped in his chest, his legs burning as he ran faster than he'd ever run before.

Up ahead, the dark shape of the domed building was looming up out of the dust. They were almost there...

---

All

The Thorns at the doorway shouted and waved as Adelbert came surging out of the dust, Sieghard just behind him. The ghosts were swarming thickly between them and the door, four spectral figures turning empty eyes towards the running men - and behind them, more were emerging from the dust, close on their heels.

The spectres closed ranks, drawing the noose tight around their prey. Frantically reloading, Hanna and the other Thorn at the gate sent a couple of bolts slashing out into the storm - one struck home, cutting through the body of its target with a gleam of white light. The ghost's body rippled but remained intact, its gaze still fixed on Sieghard and Adelbert.

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

Adelbert and Sieghard are eight yards from the doorway, but have a solid wall of four ghosts between them and safety. To make a gap through which they can pass without being attacked, you've got to kill not just 1 ghost, but also the ghosts to either side. If they're not indoors at the end of this turn the other 4 ghosts right behind them will catch up.

[-Sentinel-]

Hope surged in Elsa at the sight of Sieghard, but there were still so many specters in his way.

"How many more of you do we have to banish?!" she snarled in exasperation, though she knew on an intellectual level that the ghosts may not be responsible for their own actions when Nahorek was present.


OOC

Spoiler

Show

Fireball again... It scares me, how reliant we are on Elsa right now.

Channeling: (d100)[39]
Fireball: (3d10)[3][10][8](21)
Chaos die: (d10)[8] - Minor curse again... I hate this place.


Ghost injured by the Thorns:
Location: (d100)[26]
Damage: (d10+4)[13]


Another ghost blocking the path:
Location: (d100)[34]
Damage: (d10+4)[6]

Location: (d100)[92]
Damage: (d10+4)[8] - Bleh. Not enough. I hope a Thorn can finish this one off.

[LeSwordfish]

Panting with the exertion, Ludo loaded his crossbow again and fired another of the holy shots into one of the ghosts as it reeled from Elsa's barrage of fire.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Stand clear!" Sieghard yelled. He hurled his spear at the smoldering ghost and darted through the door.

Spoiler

Show

Here goes something. Standard ranged attack to throw the spear at the wounded ghost. 59 BS +5 for best quality. +10 for single attack. +20 for close range. Presumably since the spectre is incorporeal and there's nothing for it to get stuck in, it'll just fly right through it and into the building.

(1d100)[31] vs 94
(1d10+6)[16] Damage

He then uses his remaining half action to move into the building and eats an attack of opportunity as he goes. Hoping the spectre misses, but here's a dodge roll for that.
(1d100)[8] vs 67.

[RossN]

Adelbert

Trying to ignore the shiver of fear running through him Adelbert whispered a prayer to Verena to bind the ghosts then bolted for the door - which seemed somehow both so close and so distant...

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

Shackles of Verena (6): (2d10)[8][10](18)
Move to door.

[LCP]

The shining shackles snapped around the wrists of the ghost that reached for Adelbert, as Sieghard's spear tore through another with a flash so bright it was almost blinding, scattering its essence to the wind. The spear sailed on, striking the brass gate behind and falling to the ground - Sieghard snatched it back up as he passed. Another spectre lunged at him, but disintegrated under the barrage of Elsa's fireballs.

Sieghard and Adelbert piled through the doorway, the Thorns parting ranks to let them through. The ghosts streamed after them, hungry mouths open wide - but they stopped at the threshold, unable or unwilling to cross. Clearly unnerved by their empty stares, the Thorns pulled the gate shut, the metallic boom of its closing echoing around the cavernous hall.

Leaning back against the wall, Hanna exhaled a long breath. It looked like most of them had made it - setting down the injured man he had been carrying, one of the Thorns started a headcount. Elsa's hair was now not only standing on end, but giving off a soft, warm light, like a crackling fireplace. It made it easier to count by.

"Looks like we lost Diebold out there," said the man. "Everyone else is here."

Ludo looked around the room. Between the two groups, they now had a total of twenty Thorns. It was better than none.

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

RossN, TheSummoner, to get a picture of your surroundings read the Elsa spoiler here. Two additional notes: the door at the back is now open (leading into a darkened room) and there's a large clay jar that's been taken out and set upright on the floor.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa tried to flatten her glowing, standing-on-end hair against her scalp as much as she could. Though she was relieved to see Sieghard and Adelbert alive, her mood was not celebratory as she counted the survivors. She dared not voice it, but even if they lived through the day and trudged back to Savonne, this was almost certainly the end of the Thorns. Who would accept to enlist in a company that had lost more than half of its soldiers on an unsuccessful expedition in a haunted city? Nobody.

Of course, there were more urgent things to worry about than the future of Sieghard's military career. For one thing, her hopes that they could make it out of Nath under the cover of the sandstorm were well and truly shattered. No choice now but to wait out the storm and pray that the ghosts were not going to stay out there forever.

"I'm glad you're here, Sieghard," she said. She patted his hair to get some of the sand out. It was the closest thing to hugging or kissing she dared to do in front of his men. "Did Ludo tell you about Mala's visit?"

[RossN]

Adelbert

Adelbert dusted himself down and slipped his sword back into his scabbard. He glanced around and looked at Elsa eyebrow raised, slightly put out that he hadn't recieved a 'glad you're alive' welcome too.

'Yes he did,' Adelbert said. 'What about this place? Is there anything worthwhile here?'

[LeSwordfish]

"I was this close to getting her," Ludo said darkly, thumb and forefinger a micron apart.

Spoiler

Show

Seriously: Natural one to hit, rubbish damage, and she has 45 AG so beat everyone else's Initiative and escaped.

[-Sentinel-]

'What about this place? Is there anything worthwhile here?'

"Mostly books in an advanced state of decay," said Elsa. "And this." She pointed at the large clay jar sitting against a wall. "I'm not sure what it is, but it's almost glowing with the Red Wind, and I think more of those things are what put the room in this state. Look at the traces of fire and the shards of pottery on the floor. It's as if they managed to bottle the Red Wind so it could be unleashed."

She added quickly: "No worries, I'm not planning to open it. I just think we could use it to threaten Nahorek, if" (when) "he comes for us."

[RossN]

Adelbert

'Yes there are fascinating mysteries here. The building we were in had a tree that provided fruit that hatched daemons,'Adelbert explained, quickly adding: 'Not that we used them ourselves, I saw it in a vision.'

He approached the jar carefully, not touching it but trying to see if he could glean anything from it. The 'Red Wind'? Which god did that power spring from?

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

Magical Sense: (1d100)[43] vs 68

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"I've got no plans to just sit here and wait for him," Sieghard said. "Our building had a back exit. It was past a blighted garden and didn't lead anywhere that would get us to safety, but it was another way out. Is there anything like that here? Perhaps it's not too late for the prisoners." He had little hope for them, but until he had a chance to take a look around the place, he wasn't sure what their other options were.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa shook her head. "No other exit, I fear. Ludo did make it onto the roof, but I can't imagine how our entire group could clamber down without drawing attention. I know you don't like it, but I think the only thing we can do at this point is wait. Perhaps whatever spell returned these ghosts to the land of the living will end. Or perhaps Nahorek will come, and then we can kill him."

She felt much better about their chances now that Sieghard was here.

[LCP]

Adelbert Only

Spoiler

Show

Drawing closer to the jar, Adelbert could feel heat on his face, like the warmth of an open fire. There was power there for certain, power from beyond the mortal world. Something about it reminded him of the Library, of what he had seen when Cacophrax opened the gates.

The neck of the jar was stoppered with a heavy brass seal, engraved with an elaborate octogram. It had collected so much dust over the centuries it had rested here that the carvings were hard to make out - Elsa clearly hadn't even stopped to study them.

As Elsa and Sieghard spoke, Urgrim's attention couldn't help but be drawn to the head of the spear in Sieghard's hand. It wasn't just the clear gleam of gold - he was pretty sure that was dammaz, the grudge rune, etched on the shining metal...

[Thragka]

Awe battled confusion for control of the expression on Urgrim's face. "What is that?" he said softly, transfixed by the spear. He held out his arms. "Give it to me."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard had turned towards the steps but stopped when Urgrim spoke. "It's a spear, Urgrim," he replied, not taking his hand off of it.

[Thragka]

Urgrim's eyes flicked to meet Sieghard's, though the expression on his face didn't change. "Give it to me," he repeated, his voice carrying more of its usual rumbling timbre.

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo looked from Urgi to Sieghard to the group of Thorns around them. "Lets, uh... Sieghard why not let him have a look at it."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"It's mine," Sieghard said firmly. Still, he held it out without letting go of it. "Go ahead, look."

[Thragka]

Urgrim's eyes narrowed at Sieghard, but he said no more. Gently, he moved his hands to brush the spear, the head and the haft. A finger traced the engraved rune carefully, then slid across the gilded face to the edge of the blade. Barely hesitating, he pressed down against it; drawing his hand back, he watched his blood well along the length of the stinging cut to his fingerprint.

"Where did you get this?" he asked, licking the first spurt of blood away. Thoughts were starting to align in his head ...

Spoiler: OOC

Show

An Evaluate test seems appropriate here for Urgrim's impression of the age and quality of the spear.

Evaluate 54 - (1d100)[36]

[-Sentinel-]

"Where did you get this?"

Elsa did not care for Urgrim's almost accusatory choice of words. "We discovered this spear in the ruined city of Kheneb-Ptra-Urush, where it would otherwise have gathered dust until the end of days."

Spoiler

Show

Gently, he moved his hands to brush the spear, the head and the haft.

Almost tempted to add this to my signature, devoid of context.

[Thragka]

Urgrim's head turned to Elsa, cocked at an angle. He seemed to be evaluating her, examining her like an object to guess her worth, rather than looking at her like another thinking person. "Kheneb-Ptra-Urush," he repeated, in the same placid tone. His nostrils flared momentarily as he gave her a measured nod. "Where the priestess is."

Slowly, he turned, fixing the same astute gaze back on Sieghard, then on Adelbert, and then, ultimately, on Ludo. "So you know what this is," he said softly. "You even said to me his spear would hurt the spirits," he directed at Ludo, his voice almost cracking, eyes wide. "You taught me the klinkarhun," he said even softer. He raised a finger to point at the spearhead. "You know what that one is?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Edited to add: if my understanding's correct, the klinkarhun is the mundane dwarven alphabet, but the more ceremonial and powerful runes would probably be part of a separate logograph that non-dwarfs might not be privy to, even if they speak Khazalid.

[LCP]

The spearhead was unquestionably ancient - though gilded as it was, its surface displayed little in the way of tarnish or corrosion. The craftsmanship was peculiar, as much human as it was dwarfish - but this was no umgak work. Making it had clearly been a labour to make any runesmith proud. The rune of grudges itself was enclosed in what looked like a stylised depiction of a rising sun; this was not any rune that Urgrim knew.

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo looked down at his feet. "We - I - Grudge, I think."

He looked up. "You have to understand, we didn't know if we could trust you, we didn't know if we could trust the Dwimmulsons, we - we were in this fight on our own for so long. So many people who were willing to fight this alongside us died, we needed to keep every advantage we had, we were going to tell you..."

"Beatrix is dead! Viggo had to flee the reaches, Astoria is dead! Ottilda, Lanwin, so many other people killed by this vampire and it's scum, and I didn't get to say goodbye to any of them! I know how much you've lost, Urgi, because I've lost it too! There's one weapon in the reaches that can hurt this thing - is there anything at all that would persuade you to give it up if you were me?"

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa's eyes widened as the stakes became clear. Did Urgrim truly mean to return the spear to his people, to be locked away in some treasure vault when it was needed on the front lines of the war?

She held up her hands placatingly. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. There's really no reason to believe this weapon was stolen from your people, Urgrim. It may have been gifted to humans, like the Elector Counts' Runefangs. And even if it was indeed stolen... both the thieves and those they stole from are long dead. Chances are you couldn't even track down the heirs of the original owners. It's all water under the bridge."


OOC

Spoiler

Show

Forgive Elsa, she doesn't understand the dwarfs' generational mindset.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard glared at Ludo and Elsa. Both of them were saying far too much. "It's mine," he repeated, pulling the spear back. "I didn't steal it from anyone."

He turned back towards the stairs and went towards the door. "I want to have a look at the rest of this place. Schreiber, you coming?"

[RossN]

Adelbert

Adelbert had been engrossed in his study of the jar and only slowly registered the tension going on around him between their dwarf friend and the rest of the party, himself included.

'Ah...,' he began. 'I apologise Urgrim, we did not seek to trick you or anything of the sort but Ludo speaks wisely. You've seen the damage the vampire can do and this may be our only means of fighting him.' Even as he said it his eyes were drawn again to the jar...