[WFRP] The Bloody Crown XII

[Thragka]

Urgrim, 30th Brauzeit

Urgrim nodded at Skorgrund's answer to Lunn. "Can't hurt." He paused his own digging for a moment to think. He'd no desire to swagger around as king of the rangers, nor insult the Dwimmulson volunteers for his and Ludo's long-shot plan. He knew nonetheless that some leadership was demanded of him – it was blood on his hands if any of them died in the ruins of Zaraz Irkul. Letting Lunn and Rollik get too obstreperous about the delay, or anything else, could become a problem.

"Have you ever fought uzkular before?" he asked, an open question to the assembled dawi. "I couldn't have been ready for it, no matter what I was expecting. It's not just seeing the dead walk, the sounds and the smells making your stomach turn. They don't fight like grobi, or any other urk you've tangled with before. They don't react. They don't fear you when you're beating them, and they don't get overconfident when they think they have the upper hand. You won't get a moment to breath just because you've pushed them back, or down. You could take off an arm, even a head, and they just right themselves, shuffle forwards, biting and clawing and groping at you. And if you flee they don't stop. They shamble after you, because they don't care. Even if they look like your brother or your friend who was fighting by your side just a minute ago. It's more like fighting a rockslide than an army." He spoke calmly, his attention flowing smoothly around his audience. It came to a rest on Berki.

"We'll be meeting them in unmapped tunnels, full of traps too no doubt. If the gods are with us, we won't have to fight them at all. I'm asking you to do this carefully so that we don't have to send a throng of good dawi in to join their ranks. And so that the throng has every chance it can find, when the Dwimmulsons stand with the umgi against the Black Hound. Now, I know some of you are better fighters than me. But I can tell you, before I face them again in Gazul's own realm, I want to know everything I can use to get back out again."

~

Outside the tavern, Urgrim frowned. Carefully, he made his way around the outside wall, trying to get to the closest window to Bianco's corner without being seen from inside so he could eavesdrop.

Spoiler: OOC

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I'll throw a Charm test at the volunteers, to try to instil Urgi's opinion on the benefit of caution in them, and maybe take the hard lads' egos into check a little.
Charm 32 - (1d100)[89] – re-rolled to 17 OOC

Also, I suppose a Silent Move test to shuffle around the outside of the tavern without drawing attention to himself from inside/
Silent Move 46 - (1d100)[81] – re-rolled to 100 OOC

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard exhaled sharply. He still couldn't explain why she had kept the fleshy book, but he found himself caring far less about it than he had before. "Daemons trying to steal the book and turn its protectors against eachother," he said. "There won't be an execution. If Sforza is too blind and stupid to be convinced that she's innocent, then we smuggle her out. You said it yourself, we can't beat the jackal without her."

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I may use it myself at some point. Like I said, it's a damn good line.

---

"We believe the Jackal went to Nath to search for some sort of magical weapon," Sieghard cautioned. "I don't know whether he had found it when I fought him, but he's certainly found it by now. There's also the issue of the dust storm. Men won't be able to see the enemy or hear orders."

[Thragka]

Urgrim, 28th Brauzeit

Urgrim raised his eyebrows. "Just ... be careful, Sieghard. The gods don't look kindly on oathbreakers, either."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"I took a contract to fight for him and to safeguard the Thornwood," Sieghard replied. "I never agreed to stand by and watch him have my friend hanged."

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There's a very slight hesitation before the word friend as though Sieghard almost slipped and said something else. Urgrim will notice if he beats Sieghard in an opposed fel roll.

(1d100)[24] vs 54 Sieghard Fel
(1d100)[43] vs 32 Urgrim Fel

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa Only, 28th Brauzeit

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Elsa kept her expression carefully neutral. She knew that any show of anger would only make the noblewoman even more self-satisfied.

If only I could sic Khalida on her...

No. Much as she would like to wipe the smirk off Irene's face, she was glad that Khalida was somewhere safe.

[Thragka]

Urgrim, 28th Brauzeit

Urgrim's brow dropped. "Friendship is ... important. And, eh, family, is important." He gave Sieghard a twitch of a nod. "And in my experience ... family is – where you find it, and it is what you make of it."

[LCP]

Elsa Only, 28th Brauzeit

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"Hm," said Irene, after a brief pause. "I suppose I did envision you being able to talk back. Oh well," she said with a one-shouldered shrug. "I'll have to do the talking for both of us."

"I just wanted you to know you've lost, Holt. Whether it's tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that. Your stunt with the halfling won't save you. The cavalry's not coming." She gave a sweet, cloying smile. "We could have been friends, you know. If you'd been a bit less arrogant, a bit less disrespectful. If you hadn't acted so worthy, as if your 'gift' weren't something you were born with like everyone else." A note of venom had entered her voice on those last few words, a vehemence she couldn't hold back.

"And now, look where it's got you. They burn witches in your country, don't they? But you'd probably enjoy that." She narrowed her eyes at Elsa. "No, I think drowning is more appropriate for a fire witch, don't you? Drowning. I'll mention it to Muzio." The bright smile snapped back. "And then it'll happen! Do they teach that power in your books? I suppose they don't."

Tatiana had been staring wide-eyed throughout Irene's diatribe, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She gave a muffled sob, and Irene shot her a look of disdain.

"Oh, grow up," she said. "Did you really think I wanted another unwashed witch roaming around my husband's court? Honestly, the two of you deserve each other." Standing up again, she smoothed out the folds in her dress. "You want my advice, Holt? Stop stringing this out. Confess to it all, and maybe you won't drag your friends down with you. We did read all the letters, you know." She put a mocking hand on her heart. "Oh Sieghard, you're the best thing that ever happened to me. I wish I had a lock of hair to give you but I'm currently bald." She rolled her eyes at the ceiling. "It's like poetry, if it was written by a particularly stupid child."

---

30th Brauzeit

Sieghard

"We believe the Jackal went to Nath to search for some sort of magical weapon," Sieghard cautioned. "I don't know whether he had found it when I fought him, but he's certainly found it by now. There's also the issue of the dust storm. Men won't be able to see the enemy or hear orders."

"From your report, I would say he'd found it. An army of ghosts seems like a weapon worth seeking to me," said Sforza. "We'll see what the priests say when we arrive. But we don't need to set foot in his trap to bring those ruins down around him."

Urgrim

Lunn and Rollik had nothing to say to Urgrim's speech but some acquiescent mumbling. It was a good speech, but Urgrim had the feeling they weren't quite convinced. That was fine; Karaz-a-Karak wasn't built in a day. For now, at least, they seemed to acknowledge that his plan was still the best way forward.

~

Edging around the outside of the tavern with his eyes on the windows, Urgrim didn't notice the empty bucket in his path until he tripped over it. With a terrible clattering, he fell to the ground, the bucket rolling away down the street.

Above him, the window creaked open, and Gunda looked out. Looking down, she saw him. "Are you alright there, master dwarf?" she asked, an amused half-smile creeping across her face. "You look like you're having a bit of trouble."

---

Ludo & Adelbert, 1st Kaldezeit

Moving forward with crossbows at the ready, Ludo and the Thorns closed in on the edge of the village. It wasn't long before Ludo glimpsed movement again - a ragged figure, creeping between the houses. He took aim and waited for them to come into full view.

When they did, he almost pulled the trigger. The woman looked like a Rivermouther, lean and hungry. Something in his head held him back, however. She didn't have the Rivermouth cast to her face, the sallowness to her skin - and when she saw Ludo and the Thorns pointing crossbows at her, she looked shocked and frightened. Not the expression of an ambusher.

Dropping the small sack she had been carrying, she raised her hands and squeaked out what might have been words of surrender.

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo lowered his crossbow hurriedly and held out a hand in a calming gesture. "It's alright! We're just passing through." Did she recognise that? Was she speaking Reikspiel? "Um, nous ne te blesserons pas, uh, non ti faremo del male."

He'd just have to use whatever language she spoke. "My name is Ludo, I'm with the Prince's men. We're just travelling through, don't worry. Who are you?"

[LCP]

Ludo & Adelbert, 1st Kaldezeit

"Jelena." She looked around at the Thorns as they lowered their crossbows. "We're not stealing!" she blurted out.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa only, 28th Brauzeit

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Elsa kept staring unblinkingly at Irene, betraying no emotion. The mere mention of drowning filled her with a cold dread, but she doubted Captain Sforza would give in to such an odd and inexplicable whim; if he wanted his former wizard dead, he would keep it as efficient and undramatic as possible. A noose, an axe, or poison. That was his way. Irene knew it; she was only here to gloat.

Besides, I'll sooner choke on my gag than submit to the indignity of a public execution.

If my last act is to rob you of the satisfaction of watching me die, so be it. I can die spiteful. Better than to live spiteful, like you do. I've had moments of happiness that weren't at someone else's expense. You should try it sometime.

No doubt Irene thought she could sting Elsa by bringing up the love letter to Sieghard; and some time ago, it might even have worked. But Elsa had outgrown her fear of appearing earnest when it came to love, and she found the attempt both pathetic and vaguely amusing. In some ways, she was reminded of her days at the Bright College, when other girls her own age would make sneering comments about the number of notches on her bedpost as if they were not secretly boiling with envy. "Faheem? Not Faheem too? I can't believe it! Is she determined to f*ck someone from every country?" Yes, Katja... Faheem. The brooding Arabyan who makes you shyly tuck your hair between your ear every time his soulful black eyes glance in your general direction—I've had him, too. And I'm confident he'll remember me for many years.

Elsa returned to the present time and place, unpleasant as they were.

Sour grapes, Lady Sforza. You'd love to have someone who would treasure a lock of your hair, wouldn't you? Someone who will remember you fondly when you're gone? Someone who sees you as more than a pretty ornament, a symbol of a political alliance between houses, or the bearer of his future children?

If you knew death was near, who would you even leave a letter to?

[Thragka]

Urgrim and Sieghard, 30th Brauzeit

"Just looking for goblins," Urgrim muttered as he got to his feet and dusted off. He gave Gunda a contrite nod, and then continued walking around the tavern.

When he'd looped the building, he wandered off to find Sieghard. "Remember your feeling about Falkenwald? Just saw his number two, Gunda, whispering to that Bianco in the tavern, with a couple of other fellows. Tried to get close enough to hear them, but – well. They spotted me. Don't reckon they're up to anything good, though.

"Anyway, another thing, meaning to ask – when you have a bit of time, d'you mind coming to talk to my volunteers about Kheneb-Ptra-Urush? Any advice would go a long way. A couple of them think it's gonna be a walk in the cavern," Urgrim added, rolling his eyes. "I wouldn't mind if you were able to scare a bit of sense into them, either. Bit concerned they might try lead us all to our glorious deaths, otherwise."

[RossN]

Adelbert and Ludo

Adelbert hesitated, but as violence did not seem to be springing up immediately he moved to join Ludo.

'Are you a Caerfort refugee?' he asked the woman, looking her up and down. 'I can help if you or your band have injuries, I have some healing knowledge.'

[LCP]

Elsa Only, 28th Brauzeit

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Irene paused for a few moments, waiting for a reaction. She looked a little put out when she didn't get one.

"Nothing? Really? You've got nothing to say." Another beat. "From how Muzio's soldiers used to talk about you, I'd heard you were quite good at talking with your mouth full."

There was another silence while she waited for her barb to land. At last, she looked down at her fingernails and heaved an over-dramatic sigh.

"Fine. Be this way. I suppose you'll have plenty of time down here to compose some appropriate last words." The sweet smile returned. "I just wanted to let you know who it was that brought you down. I'd hate for you to go to the grave thinking it was just your own stupidity." Turning back towards the steps, she paused and turned back. "Maybe we'll find a real court wizard to replace you when you're gone. Someone who respects their betters. Or maybe we won't. I haven't made my mind up yet." She picked up the lamp. "I think I'll decide after the execution."

Ascending the steps, she called for the guards to let her out. The trapdoor thumped shut behind her, and Elsa and Tatiana were left in darkness once again.

---

Adelbert & Ludo, 1st Kaldezeit

The woman shook her head. "No-one left here," she said. "We're from the north."

A few others were now stealing out from among the abandoned houses, drawn by the sound of voices. Ludo counted two more young women, a young man, and two children. Last was an old man, with a selection of charms braided into his tangled grey beard. Several of them were carrying sacks like Jelena's.

"Looters," muttered Odo. "Disgraceful."

Moltke frowned. Jenssen looked unfazed.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa only, 28th Brauzeit

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"I just wanted to let you know who it was that brought you down. I'd hate for you to go to the grave thinking it was just your own stupidity."

That got Irene her first reaction from Elsa; an eyebrow arched in sincere confusion.

What part did she possibly play here? Did she... suggest to have my room searched? Was that her brilliant move?

Elsa waited for the trapdoor to close before uttering a soft, bitter chuckle through her gag. Irene genuinely had no idea how insignificant she was, did she? She was still playing parlor politics while the fate of the Broken Reaches hung in the balance. Let her gloat; when the undead hordes tried to batter down her castle's gates, she would ardently wish for a wizard by her side, and she would not have one. No matter how the trial went for Elsa, there would not be a pyromancer to protect Lady Sforza.

Go ahead, try your pretty smiles on the Jackal when he comes for you. See how that works out.


OOC

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"From how Muzio's soldiers used to talk about you, I'd heard you were quite good at talking with your mouth full."

lol stay classy Irene.

I must say I like seeing her with her mask off. I wonder how many people have seen this side of her.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Remember your feeling about Falkenwald? Just saw his number two, Gunda, whispering to that Bianco in the tavern, with a couple of other fellows. Tried to get close enough to hear them, but – well. They spotted me. Don't reckon they're up to anything good, though.

"No, I can't imagine they are," Sieghard said. The last thing he needed right now was more to worry about.

"Anyway, another thing, meaning to ask – when you have a bit of time, d'you mind coming to talk to my volunteers about Kheneb-Ptra-Urush? Any advice would go a long way. A couple of them think it's gonna be a walk in the cavern. I wouldn't mind if you were able to scare a bit of sense into them, either. Bit concerned they might try lead us all to our glorious deaths, otherwise."

"I'm not sure what you want me to say to them. Truth be told, it was mostly a bunch of stumbling around in the dark and then running when things went sour. There was a back way out of the ruins that we escaped through. I think it was blocked off afterwards, but if we could open it back up without the dead things realizing, it might be the safest way in and out."

[RossN]

Adelbert & Ludo, 1st Kaldezeit

Adelbert frowned and was silent a moment.

'Looters they may be but there are almost none alive left from old Caerfort,' he said to Odo. Turning back to Jelena he said: 'How long have you been here and have you seen anything amiss?'

[LCP]

Ludo & Adelbert, 1st Kaldezeit

Jelena looked back to the old man, who came hobbling forward.

"We got here yesterday," he said. His voice was a dry croak, but he seemed calmer than Jelena or the others. "You're the first people we've seen."

He looked around at the soldiers with them. "Did I hear you say you was the Prince's men?" he asked. "We don't want no trouble. Give unto Sforza that which is Sforza's, that's our motto."

[Thragka]

Urgrim and Sieghard, 30th Brauzeit

"I'm not sure what you want me to say to them. Truth be told, it was mostly a bunch of stumbling around in the dark and then running when things went sour. There was a back way out of the ruins that we escaped through. I think it was blocked off afterwards, but if we could open it back up without the dead things realizing, it might be the safest way in and out."

"Well, even just that would be helpful – I didn't know that. I reckon if we picked your brain, you'd have something to tell us. Tips for navigating the tunnels, or for if we have to fight underground." He shrugged his shoulders and his eyebrow. "Honestly, you'd be doing me a favour too. I kind of talked up the importance of listening to you to pull a couple of the lads in line."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo was too tired to argue the point much. "Fine. That which is Sforza's is anything in the tower, the rest you're welcome to."

He turned to Adelbert. "I guess anything we don't want taken from there we should collect tonight."

[RossN]

Adelbert and Ludo

Adelbert nodded, every bit as tired. 'Agreed.' He glanced up at the deserted tower and walked towards it.

[LCP]

Ludo & Adelbert, 1st Kaldezeit

Jelena and the old man stood aside as the soldiers passed them by, doing their best not to look threatening. The two children looked up with naked curiosity, the couple who were presumably their parents holding them back from getting in the way.

Inside, the tower looked much as Ludo remembered it when he had come here with Nobby. The bonepickers had clearly been inside, probably for pigeon eggs - a couple had fallen and broken - but in Orderic's cellar, the old man's collection of curios from the marsh was still in the same disorder the Rivermouthers had left it in. Perhaps the staring wooden jackal that still stood on the table had deterred the newcomers from looking too closely.

Face-down on the floor, Adelbert found the Breton chronicle Orderic had shown him the first time he'd been through the village. The people of Caerfort had been a culture to themselves, preserving their mother tongue out here in the desolation of the Iron Claw hills. Now that culture was gone.

[RossN]

Adelbert and Ludo

Very carefully Adelbert picked up the chronicle, his dextorous scribe's finger brushing away the dust. He was very quiet for a long moment, his eyes just drinking in the text. Then:

'We'll probably destroy the vampire in battle Ludo but Klammenberg and Mala will pay for every life they took,' he took a long shuddering breath, pain and anger etched in his words. 'Klammenberg is going to the stake when we get back. Elsa can light the pyre herself.'

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"I'll talk to them," Sieghard replied. "But to be up front, I'm not even sure when we'll be able to head back to the ruins with all that's going on." He followed Urgrim to the dwarfen volunteers.

"The ruins lie on the edge of the Mere, about a day's march east of Mirino. There's a crumbled walls and towers and a large gate on the side of a cliff leading into the ruins proper. The part of the marsh surrounding it is filled with long dead men and greenskins from some long ago battle. When we made camp for the night, they awakened and attacked. Whether we somehow disturbed them or the dead things shamble through the area every night, I can't say."

"Past the gates is the greater part of the ruins and I believe I've only seen a small part of it. The tunnels are narrow and not much taller than a man and a legion of dead soldiers patrol the place. In one of the larger chambers was what I can only guess was a temple and it was there that the spear was kept. The walls of the place were covered with strange pictures. Pictures of men and of dwarfs and dead things and the jackal was well."

"The main way in has since been sealed off to keep the dead locked in, but there's another entrance hidden among the hills... Also sealed, but probably a safer way back in."

[LeSwordfish]

"He told me... he told me that Nahorek was just looking for the book and would leave the reaches when he found it." Ludo said, looking at the Jackal statue. "He told me that Nahorek sleeping under the ground is why the land was cursed, that there was a whole civilisation under the desert."

"That was the deal he tried to cut me: give him the book, and he and Nahorek leave, probably for good. If we don't... Nahorek kills his way through the reaches until he gets it. That was how he... that was how he claimed to see it. I hope he's wrong. I think he's just... caught up in this, like we all are, just on the wrong side, and he couldnt stop if he wanted to. Maybe he doesn't want to. From what you said, it sounded like he really enjoyed unleashing Nahorek on the temple."

Ludo put his shoulder against the jackal statue and hefted it off the table, where it fell to the ground. "If you take the book, I'll wrap up and take the rest of the stuff. I think it should go to the temple. Hieronymous might want to see it all."

OOC

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Ludo will wrap up everything from the list that's left, aside from the two statues, and take it with them. Ready to move on after that - I don't have anything specific for the rest of the journey.

[RossN]

Adelbert and Ludo

Adelbert laughed. 'Clearly Klammenberg doesn't think much of us if he thought we'd let either of them leave. No he's heading straight for execution - and the vampire for destruction.'

He looked down at the book sadly, and carefully packed it away in his pack.

Ooc:

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Also willing to move on.

[LCP]

Urgrim & Sieghard, 30th Brauzeit

The seven dwarfs listened closely to Sieghard’s account. Lunn and Rollik still seemed a little skeptical of umgi wisdom, but Throndin and Uthgar seemed to hang on every word. Scratching in the dry earth with a stick, Berki tried to sketch out the entrance as Sieghard described it.

“How much can you remember of the tunnels inside?” the young dwarf asked. “Could you draw us a map?”

---

Ludo & Adelbert, 1st Kaldezeit

That night, they made camp under the shadow of the tower. Scavenging up enough fuel for a campfire, Jenssen set to cooking up a stew. The wafting smell called Jelena and the other bonepickers like moths to a flame, hovering on the edge of the firelight. Seeing the wide eyes and gaunt faces of the children, Hans passed them a bowl of stew. Odo harrumphed under his breath.

The old man who led them was called Bertok, and seemed less afraid of the soldiers than the others. While the children ate, he sat and talked to Jenssen, whose manner he seemed to find agreeable - or perhaps he just enjoyed being closest to the fire.

“It’s getting bad up north,” Ludo heard him say. “Wouldn’t usually stray this far south, pickings or no pickings. My father always told me this road was the straight way to a goblin’s cooking pot.” Producing a lump of tough cheese from somewhere under his ragged clothes, he nibbled at it like a mouse, making it last. “But the way things have been going since the harvest, some folk are no better’n the greenskins these days. Not if you’re standing between them and food. And those as have it are holding onto it, ‘less you trade ‘em your first-born son.”

Jenssen nodded sagely, and started reminiscing about a siege where he and his comrades had been reduced to eating rats. Ludo thought he rather sounded like he missed it.

Adelbert, meanwhile, was watching Klammenberg. He was sitting very quietly, with his back resting against the stone wall of the tower. Most likely he was just exhausted from two days’ marching with his injuries - but Adelbert didn’t like seeing him so still and silent. It seemed to him that the necromancer was surely planning something.

---

Konigstag, 2nd Kaldezeit

Ludo & Adelbert

They left Caerfort early the next morning, Bertok and his people remaining behind. As they headed out onto the road again, Adelbert saw one of Bertok’s people make the sign of protection against the evil eye, as if afraid they might have left some dark influence behind.

A cold breeze was blowing out of the east, sharpening its teeth until by midday Ludo was pulling his cloak tight around him for warmth. The terrain offered little shelter - outcrops of sharp rock and hardy, low-lying shrubs were the only things that broke up the barren ridgeline of the road. Adelbert was concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other when he heard Moltke give a shout of alarm.

She was pointing up at the sky, south of the road. Squinting against the noonday glare, Adelbert could see the black outline of a vulture, soaring high above the hills. As he got a better feel for the distance, he realised how outlandishly wide its wingspan must be - this was not just any carrion bird searching for a meal. The vultures of Nath were on the wing.

[Thragka]

Urgrim & Sieghard, 30th Brauzeit

Urgrim listened carefully along with the other dawi. He'd not heard much of the details of the first visit to Kheneb-Ptra-Urush. "Was the priestess in this temple? Which entrance was she closest to?"

Spoiler: OOC

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As a point of procedure, I don't mind if we summarise or gloss over all the details Sieghard give OOC rather than wait for TheSummoner to answer questions in real-time, or if it helps advance the timeline.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"In a secret room we found through a hidden passage in the temple," Sieghard said. "There were a few trick doors and false walls like that that we found. Probably more that we didn't."

He took the stick from Berki and started drawing the passages as he remembered them. "There was a large entrance hall right after entering the side of the cliff," he said, sketching the pillared room, "With a metal gate at the far end and a pair of side passages. We headed through the gate into another hall like the first, but not quite so grand. There was another archway at the far end and narrow stairs leading up on either side. We were being chased by more undead orcs than we had any hope of fighting, so we headed up here." He sketched out the hall at the top of the staircase and the room where they had found the coins. "We found more undead in here," he said, not explaining that the skeletons had come in and found them rummaging through the chest of coins. "Not like the orcs from the Mere, but men who had lived in the ruin in ages past. Fought them and laid them to rest, but not before they were able to raise an alarm. We fled down the staircase here and found one of the false walls." He sketched the shape of the large hall and the sanctuary room at the far end. "With more of the dead men pouring in after us, we took shelter here and found another false wall right there," he continued, pointing to the wall he had drawn, "And that led to the priestess."

"Somehow the others were able to understand her. Anything you want to know about that, you'll have to ask them." He sketched the hall they had taken out of Meskhenet's chamber. "Ludo seemed to know the way out," he said, drawing the junctions and intersections as best he could remember them. "The undead were marching up from that way the right... That way must've led back to the big chamber, but whether it was a straight path or not I don't know. We took the left passage and it led us back up to the surface."

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I figure this probably is going to take an int roll for Sieghard to get this accurate. Let's see how good his memory is.
(1d100)[18] vs 51
(1d100)[55] Reroll

Pretty good it seems.

[Thragka]

Urgrim & Sieghard, 30th Brauzeit

"So the temple and the priestess may be closer to the way you came out," Urgrim observed. "If we could clear out that passage. That's good to know. Ludo might recall some more. I'm praying he arrives soon." He gave Sieghard a sober look. "Once we sort out this unpleasantness with Hildebrand, I hope he'll be able to come with us. But we'll look to setting out then even if he can't. The sooner we can get to the ruins, the sooner we know if we can use anything to fight the Jackal."

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo shaded his eyes to look up at the vulture, trying to get a sense for which direction it was going and if there were any others. "You think it's spotted us?"