[WFRP] The Bloody Crown XIII

[LCP]

The Bloody Crown - Continued

In that dread desert, beneath the moon’s pale gaze, dead men walk.

They haunt the shifting dunes of the breathless, windless night, brandishing weapons of bronze in mocking challenge and bitter resentment of the life they no longer possess.

And sometimes, in ghastly dry voices, like the rustling of sun-baked reeds, they whisper the one word they remember from life. The name of the one who cursed them to their existence of more than death but less than life.

They whisper the name, Nagash.

OOC

---

Elsa

<We brought the priests with us, Holt,> said Sforza. He turned and waved some men behind him forwards. <But yes, we brought oil too.>

It didn't take long for the last of Valdes' men to re-emerge. Two were carrying a heavy, iron-bound chest that jingled when they put it down. Two more were escorting a single filthy, terrified-looking Rivermouth man, so lean that Elsa could count his ribs through the rags of his shirt. The others carried no more than haunted expressions.

At Sforza's orders, the Iron Company moved into the tower with lit torches and jars of oil. Soon smoke was billowing from the darkened doorway. Nahorek's fortifications had been built from scavenged stone, but the core of the old tower itself was clay brick, and its supports were timber. More than that, Elsa had seen the tinderbox of shelving and musty scrolls that made up the library. Soon enough, flames were licking out of the high windows, consuming the boards with which the Jackal's followers had blocked them up. The army held their position in the square, watching as the flames grew brighter.

To Elsa's eyes, the flames were a beacon in the darkness. The acrid smell of smoke banished the damp of the fog in her lungs, and the warmth of the fire soothed away the chill that still lingered in her bones. Behind her, the Iron Company standard billowed out on the warm breeze that sprung up from the burning tower - and beside it, Sforza sat mounted on his borrowed horse, his face alive with the reflection of the flames. If she had been a painter, it would have been a scene for the brush.

There was a crash from high above, and the top of the tower sagged inwards, smouldering bricks cascading down on its far side. Flames belched out of broken windows, consuming the last of Nahorek's works.

<We're done here,> said Sforza. <Sound the recall. We return to the camp.> He looked back out into the night. <Myrmidia willing, tomorrow we leave this gods-forsaken place behind.>

---

All

The four trackers followed the ridgeline back to the camp, rather than returning by way of the valley. The fog was beginning to lift as Ludo and Hanna reached the edge of the encampment - looking down into the valley, Ludo saw an ruddy glow rising through the mist that still lingered there. The Jackal's tower was smoking like a chimney, long flames leaping up into the night.

They found Sieghard in the care of Sister Ioana, weak but recovering. No messenger had yet been sent back to Manann's Keep - no-one particularly felt like braving the wild country of the Dead Hills alone before sunrise. They would send one in the morning, they assured Ludo, as soon as it was light.

Perhaps half an hour after Urgrim and Jarla had made it back, the sound of marching feet announced the return of the army from the ruins. Sforza rode at the head of the column, his banner flying proudly behind him. Elsa was riding a short way back, behind Valdes. She looked pale and shaken, but alive.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa reined in her horse and dismounted. The moment she hit the ground, her legs almost gave way under her from sheer exhaustion, both physical and mental. She hardly had a scratch on her, yet felt almost as close to death as the time Nahorek had practically torn her arm out of its socket. She was glad to see that both Ludo and Urgrim were back from the hunt. Jarla, too; that girl was growing on Elsa already. She wanted to run straight to the healers' tents to see Sieghard, but since she was too tired to run in any case, she might as well address her other friends in passing.

"Oh... I'm guessing from your faces that your hunt did not go well."

[RossN]

Jarla

Jarla nodded. "She got away," the highwaywoman said, gloomily. Her grey-blue eyes studied Elsa and she managed a weak smile. "You look as bad as I feel. Here, let me help-"

She moved over to Elsa and offered a shoulder for her fellow redhead to lean on. Jarla wasn't particularly broad shouldered but she was tall, strong and healthy.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

With some effort, Sieghard pushed himself upright as the two women entered the tent.

"Morr's breath, you look as bad as I do," Sieghard said. "What happened?"

[-Sentinel-]

"She got away."

"Hmm. Unfortunate," said Elsa. In truth, with all of the other Rivermouthers apparently dead, she was now more concerned about the staff than its current wielder. "Don't beat yourselves up. If Ludo, the Thorns and Urgrim couldn't track her down, then I'm sure nobody on Rhya's green earth could've done better. We'll bring her to justice... or justice will come to her, one way or another."

Elsa politely declined Jarla's offered shoulder at first, as she was reticent to show weakness in front of the menfolk. She waited until they had put a tent or two between themselves and the returning soldiers before accepting her support.

"Much appreciated, Jarla," she said with a wan smile.

Her smile widened into a grin when Sieghard greeted her. "Oi, god-slayer." She sat down by Sieghard's cot, gripped his hand, and planted a quick and dirty kiss on his lips. "I only killed one banshee and a few ghosts tonight. I know that looks paltry by comparison..."

She told him in detail the events of Nath.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Oh, but I imagine the ones you slew were still moving at the time. Go on, tell me more," Sieghard replied, still holding Elsa's hand in his. Almost as an afterthought, he glanced towards Jarla. "You didn't see that, understand?"

He layed back down and listened as Elsa recounted what she had seen. "Ludo was in earlier. Told me that Mala slipped away. We'll have to hunt her down yet, but there's only so much damage she can do on her own. Maybe the Reaches will be able to enjoy a bit of peace now. Maybe the dead can rest." He paused, something clearly on his mind. "I saw them, when I was lying out there after I stabbed the Jackal. Surrounding me, staring at me, wordlessly judging me for what I did. What I failed to do... Ottilda and Goran and the rest who died at Rivermouth... Astoria and priests the Nahorek killed... Those who fell to his ghosts the last time..." He trailed off until he noticed Jarla again and his attention snapped back. "I saw Adelbert too."

He switched to Tilean. <We have to tell her.>

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa looked down in sympathy as Sieghard mentioned his fallen friends' souls. "That was the vampire's evil magic toying with your mind. You know Adelbert wouldn't want us to feel guilty on his account." She squeezed Sieghard's hand harder. "Just because we couldn't save everyone doesn't mean we didn't do our gods-damned best. If the dead are watching us, they know this, too."

Sieghard switched to Tilean. <We have to tell her.>

Elsa pursed her lips. Oh, right, she remembered, poor Jarla still doesn't know who's truly behind her brother's murder.

<Can this wait? I think we've all had enough emotion for one night.> She paused. <But if you think it's best to cut away the gangrene now, I won't stop you.>

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"That was the vampire's evil magic toying with your mind. You know Adelbert wouldn't want us to feel guilty on his account. Just because we couldn't save everyone doesn't mean we didn't do our gods-damned best. If the dead are watching us, they know this, too."

"I wish I could believe that," Sieghard said. "The Jackal was already dead and his mask broken. Maybe killing him helped, but they aren't satisfied. Not yet."

<Can this wait? I think we've all had enough emotion for one night. But if you think it's best to cut away the gangrene now, I won't stop you.>

<I guess you're right. This is hardly the place for it, surrounded by his soldiers,> he replied after considering her words. <It can wait until we're away. No longer.> He didn't look happy about it, but he knew it was probably for the best.

[RossN]

Jarla

Jarla shook her head. "You might have thought you saw Adelbert but I know my brother and he wouldn't blame you."

Sensing the couple needed some alone time she took her leave to attend to her own wounds and check on Countess - it had been a long and disappointing day and Jarla was very tired.

[Thragka]

Like Ludo, Urgrim's feelings were mixed when the trackers returned. It felt like a supreme disappointment for Mala to slip through their fingers, at the very end, despite the simmering pride at the blow they'd struck against Nahorek. When the pair of them visited Sieghard, Urgrim didn't know what to say. "Sorry we let her get away," was all he managed.

A bout of self-consciousness took him, and he excused himself from the Shallyans' tent. He stepped out into the night air, and decided to wander over to where the Dwimmulsons were congregated. Even seeing the dawi react to his approach lifted his spirits, as they began shouting questions at him. Through the sea of intensely curious faces, he sought out Grunlok. —Þegn, he called by way of greeting. He paused a few moments, letting the clansfolk surround him, before announcing loud enough for them all to hear.

—Varag Kol is laid low! We ambushed him outside the city. Commander Sieghard struck him with Zonbrynaz. His body is destroyed, and his crown is broken. The grudge has been satisfied again!

Urgrim joined the cheer that went up. At a less theatric volume, he told Grunlok the rest of the details, and answered the dwarfs' questions. —His uzkular minions are destroyed, too. Most fell with him, and we hunted down the one that didn't. It isn't a total victory yet, though. His witch servant escaped – we believe she took his staff. We tracked her from the battle site up into the hills, but she eluded us in the fog. So, we must hunt her down. But this chapter of the war is over.

—The witch went north, it seems. The umgi rangers know those woods well, though – they're named for the forest, and Sieghard is its lord, in the Prince's name. They'll snap at her heels until they catch her, I've no doubt.

—Zonbrynaz holds true – the shaft was broken when it struck the zangunaz, but the blade looked as sound as I've ever seen it. The Prince's men have it, along with the broken crown.

~

After satisfying the Dwimmulsons' curiosity, and permitting himself a short time to soak in the victorious atmosphere, Urgrim took another wander about the camp. He found Jarla attending to her horse, and approached.

"Lady Schreiber," he said. He held out his hand to her. "It's a great honour to have fought alongside you. Yours is an upright and noble clan. It'd be a privilege to count you as friends."

[RossN]

Jarla

Jarla laughs pleasantly and accepts Urgrim's handshake, removing her riding gloves to show a pair of pale and delicate looking hands with clean, well cared for nails. Clearly this was not a woman who wanted to mar her appearance even in the most dangerous of fights.

"Lady Scheiber is a title I could get used to. Thank you Herr Urgrim, it was a pleasure to fight alongside you too. Tell me, how does your friend the younger dwarf fare? I don't believe I ever caught his name."

[Thragka]

"Berki," Urgrim said, struck by a pang of guilt. "I haven't checked in on him yet – there's been so much going on ..." Guilt swept his face. "Young fool was acting the hero, chasing after me into battle ..."

He sighed, and postponed those thoughts. "Will you walk with me?" he asked Jarla, gesturing away from the centre of the camp. "There's something I'd discuss with you."

[RossN]

Jarla

Jarla raised a copper eyebrow but nodded her assent. "It would be nice to have a gentleman escort. This camp is not so bad but it is not quite the Prinzheinrichstrasse in Nuln."

[Thragka]

Urgrim and Jarla

Urgrim smiled politely. "No, nor is it the Piazza dell'Aguila in Luccini," he responded. But the humour was a little forced, and he didn't speak again until they were out of earshot of any of the soldiers.

"There's something we – Sieghard, Ludo, Elsa and myself – didn't have time to tell you before the battle. About your brother. You've not been told the full truth of Adelbert's death. It was the Princess, Irene, who ordered the attack on him and Ludo."

[RossN]

Jarla & Urgrim

Jarla actually laughed, at first thinking it a joke. "I know Irene can be catty but murder? And I thought Nuln gossip could be vicious!"

Her smile disappeared as she registered Urgrim's expression. "Murder," she repeated, the colour beginning to drain from her already pale face. "Why? How? Do you have proof?"

[Thragka]

Urgrim and Jarla

"Adelbert died because of Irene's personal dislike of Elsa, at the end of the day. Have you heard anything about Holt's trial?

"To cut a long story short, the first time we came to Nath, a daemon was released. It made its way to Savonne, and tried to steal the book. Holt was blamed, because of ... actions she was not entirely innocent of, but she had nothing to do with this daemon. But when Sforza arrived from the city to the town, Manann's Keep, he had Holt put in irons. She argued she had the right to a trial, and asked for Ludo as her advocate.

"Ludo and Adelbert were in the west, hunting down the Jackal's pet necromancer. Successfully, in fact. So Sforza agreed to wait for their return. But Irene had acted through a pet of her own, her chirurgeon, Bianco. I m'self stumbled across Bianco whispering with one of the Prince's mercenary captains, Gunda. We thought it was odd, but didn't have any idea what was about to happen. Weren't 'til a few days later, when Ludo turned up half-dead on the edge of town, that we learned what came next.

"Gunda and her hirelings found Ludo and Adelbert and their company on the road back. The sellswords turned on them. According to Ludo, Gunda told them Irene sent her regards. That's where Adelbert died. Ludo was the only one who made it back.

"Sieghard and Ludo told the Prince in secret. At Holt's trial, then, we revealed to him everything we knew. He was furious. Gunda's entire company was put to the sword. And her commander's head was put on a spike in the town. Gunda herself was dead by this time, mind – after the ambush, she fell afoul of some cannibals in the woods. Different story there. Not sure what became of Bianco. Sforza had his wife sent back to Savonne. For her health. The campaign didn't suit her.

"The others can confirm what I've told you, and correct anything I've misremembered. But other than the names I've mentioned, there's maybe two living souls left who know those details. My friend Berki, and the Dwimmulson clan elder. So I wouldn't go telling the story."

Urgrim stopped walking, and turned to face Jarla head-on. "We want to see right done by your brother, those of us who knew him best. We'll find a way. Justice will be done."

[-Sentinel-]

Time-split - On the way back from Nath


Elsa cast one last look over her shoulder at the burning tower, then brought her horse closer to Sforza's. "A great victory, sire. We should find that theater troupe and commission a new play from them, so that all of the Reaches may hear of how Muzio Sforza defeated the Jackal and saved our land from the restless dead."

She then steered her horse towards one of the swordsmen who had gone downstairs in the tower. <Anything interesting down there?> she asked him. <Such as, I don't know, evidence of what happened to the Jackal's remaining mortal cultists?>

---

Healers' tent


"I wish I could believe that," Sieghard said. "The Jackal was already dead and his mask broken. Maybe killing him helped, but they aren't satisfied. Not yet."

"Know what will satisfy them even more than revenge?" said Elsa. "When their sacrifices are honored, and the Reaches are peaceful and green for the first time in living memory. And I think we're well on our way to achieving that."

Of course, they still had winter to go through. It would be a hard one; the last harvest had been a disaster. Hunger, discontent and strife would continue for some time. Nevertheless, peace was now a possibility, not just a dream... provided Sforza did not ruin it with his short-sighted ambition.

At this moment, Tatiana poked her head into the tent, having no doubt guessed where Elsa would go first upon her return.

"Oh! Tattie!" grinned Elsa. "Glad you're here. Come sit with us, we'll tell you everything." She turned to Jarla. "Jarla, this is my apprentice, Tatiana. She wields Ghur, the amber wind... meaning she's good with animals."


OOC

Spoiler

Show

Obviously this takes place before the Jarla-Urgrim conversation. Sorry to force RossN to be in two places at once.

I hope I'm not overstepping by having Tattie come over; it was either that or having Elsa get up and go fetch Tattie from her tent, and I figured this was less hassle.

[RossN]

Healers' tent

Jarla smiled down at the small child. "Greetings Tatiana. My that sounds a wonderful gift! I'm fond of animals to. I must introduce to my horse Countess at some point."

---

Jarla and Urgrim

Jarla was silent for a long moment, absorbing Urgrim's story. With her usual wry smiles and animated gestures the woman suddenly seem much colder, still beautiful but pensive turned inwards. Dangerous. Adelbert had been similar in similar times, growing in dark intensity.

"I see," she said eventually. "I... I'll have to think about this, but if what you say is true..." She took a shuddering breath and tried to blink back tears. "The daemon, what became of it?"

[Thragka]

Urgrim and Jarla

Urgrim frowned, trying to recall. "They said they killed the goat ... it had moved between creatures, controlling them. They killed the form it took when it tried for the book. But we've no way of knowing if it's truly destroyed. Wouldn't bet on it," he added, sour.

[RossN]

Jarla & Urgrim

"Well," Jarla said, clearly struggling with the implications. "I suppose that it will have to wait then."

She looked down at Urgrim, expression very uncharacteristically grave and serious. "Thank you for telling me. I... I have a lot to think about but I am grateful. I think I need to... want to be alone now, but Ill talk to you and the others later. Thank you."

[LCP]

Elsa at the tower

Elsa cast one last look over her shoulder at the burning tower, then brought her horse closer to Sforza's. "A great victory, sire. We should find that theater troupe and commission a new play from them, so that all of the Reaches may hear of how Muzio Sforza defeated the Jackal and saved our land from the restless dead."

Sforza gave Elsa a searching look, as if trying to decide whether she was giving him cheek. In the end he seemed to let it slide.

<Yes,> he said, turning his face back towards the flames. <Perhaps we will.>

She then steered her horse towards one of the swordsmen who had gone downstairs in the tower. <Anything interesting down there?> she asked him. <Such as, I don't know, evidence of what happened to the Jackal's remaining mortal cultists?>

The man Elsa had picked out looked a little unsettled to be addressed by the wizard. He looked to Valdes, who nodded.

<Bodies,> he said, simply. <Many bodies.>

He didn't seem keen to elaborate.

---

The healers' tent

Tattiana approached hesitantly, never too sure of herself with more than one or two people. She looked at Jarla with a wary air.

"Greetings Tatiana. My that sounds a wonderful gift! I'm fond of animals to. I must introduce to my horse Countess at some point."

"The dappled mare?" said Tattie. "She's very handsome. I'd like that."

Still not moving from where she stood, her eyes moved from face.

"Is it really over? Are we leaving soon?"

---

Urgrim with the Dwimmulsons

The Dwimmulsons had marched down with the Iron Company into the city, and were now setting down their axes again without having had opportunity to lose them. Grunlok nodded at Urgrim's news, listening closely to the specifics.

"Skorgrund will be pleased," he said. "Not many grudges you get to strike out twice." He slapped a meaty hand on Urgrim's shoulder. "There'll be a celebration when we bring this news back to the hold. Along with Zonbrynaz, of course." He looked over towards the healers' tent. "Does the ugly one still have it?"

[-Sentinel-]

Nath


Realizing with some embarrassment that Sforza had mistaken her strategic suggestion for a clumsy attempt at flattery, Elsa clarified: "Propaganda is cheaper than feeding every mouth. Sometimes the people need to be reminded of who's protecting them."

Spoiler

Show

Sorry, I just desperately don't want Elsa to come across as a brown-noser!

Charm 54 to clarify what she meant: (d100)[71]
Fortune: (d100)[68]

Edit: Damn. Elsa sucks at this, for someone who's about to become a Border Courtier.

<Bodies,> he said, simply. <Many bodies.>

Elsa nodded glumly. <Much the same as upstairs, then.>

This place certainly deserved to burn.

---

Healers' Tent


"Is it really over? Are we leaving soon?"

"I imagine we strike camp tomorrow," said Elsa, smiling. "Or the day after. Can't blame you for being eager to leave. This is a horrible place and I hope never to return."

[RossN]

Healer's Tent

"The dappled mare?" said Tattie. "She's very handsome. I'd like that."

Jarla smiled. "That's her! She's a great horse and after the battle and the chase I think I owe her an extra few apples."

At Elsa's hope that they would strike camp soon Jarla enthusiastically agreed. "Here's to getting back to civilisation. Or Savonne anyway."

[Thragka]

Urgrim and the Dwimmulsons

"The grombolg, Stubbs, has it," Urgrim told Grunlok. Quietly, he reflected that this was a convenient compromise for the moment; Skorgrund thought well of Ludo, at least. Urgrim wasn't looking forward to the settling of the question of the spear's permanent ownership. Ideally, Skorgrund and Sieghard could just shout at each other until one of them died, and he could sit that conversation out.

~

Urgrim and Jarla

Urgrim simply nodded politely, and troubled Jarla no further. He hadn't been looking for praise, or gratitude. It was simply right that Adelbert's clan knew the full account of his death, so that honour could be pursued.

[LCP]

Urgrim with the Dwimmulsons

“Aye?” said Grunlok. “Well, better grombolgi than umgi. Keep an eye on him, will you?” He patted Urgrim on the shoulder again. “The zonbrynaz is a precious thing. The elders won’t want it wandering off.”

---

Backertag, 24th Kaldezeit

At dawn the next morning, the camp was already a riot of activity. Soldiers headed this way and that, rolling up tents or filling rough-spun sacks of supplies. The smell of cooking wafted across the ridgeline, as provisions that they had thought would have to last for weeks were thrown with abandon into a hearty breakfast.

The clouds were lifting, and as the sun heaved itself above the hills, the smoking wreck of the Jackal’s tower was visible in the valley below. In the sunlight, it seemed to have lost all its majesty and menace. Now it was only one more ruin, in a land full of them.

~

Sieghard

After a fitful night’s sleep, full of dreams of ghosts and jackals, Sieghard woke to the sight of the Prince’s face looking down at him. Sforza was no longer wearing his armour, but he made up for that with an imposing Iron Company guard to either side.

“So,” he said, “the jackal-slayer wakes. How are you feeling?”

Sieghard could tell that he wasn’t really interested in the answer.

“We’re breaking camp today,” said Sforza. “Heading back to the Vale. If you’re strong enough to walk, you can come with us. Otherwise, you can go with Esteban. I’m leaving him to command the rearguard, with the machines.” He looked out in the direction of Alvarr’s trebuchet. “We drag that thing all the way from Alvarran, and in the end all we needed was a letter. Myrmidia likes her little jokes, eh?”

Sforza looked around the tent, taking in the details of Sieghard’s surroundings. “What’s become of the spear?” he asked. “I don’t see it here with you.”

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Broke," Sieghard replied, groggily. "Shattered when the vampire died. I think Ludo gathered up what was left of it." He shifted himself upright and tried to suppress a groan as he did. "What about the Jackal's remains? He was brought back from the dead once, we'll have to do something to make sure it doesn't happen a second time."

[-Sentinel-]

When Elsa awoke in the healers' tent, she had little or no physical pain from last night's injuries, but every nerve and muscle in her body tingled like crazy and felt a bit weaker than it should be. Perhaps she should ask Ioana for some more of the same medicine as last night. At least the ringing in her ears from the banshee's scream had faded almost to nothing. She wolfed down a hearty breakfast with the soldiers and went looking for her early-rising apprentice.

"Hey, Tattie. If you're feeling bored, I have a suggestion for you. Go on a ride with Jarla—you can borrow Bastard. Look for the Prince's white horse, Vedenzo, and see if you can return it. Him. Return him."

She shrugged. "Again... only if you're bored. It's an idea, not a request. But just think about that poor, terrified animal, lost in the Dead Hills where there's no grass to chew, still saddled with his... saddle."

Elsa was probably not going anywhere today. As she understood it, the army would split between a fast half and a slow half, and Sieghard's injuries would likely keep him in the slow half. Much as she despised this place, she did not intend to leave him behind.

[LCP]

Sieghard

"All that was left of him was his mask," said Sforza. "And some rags. The mask, we have. The rest of him," - he gave a shrug - "dust on the wind, by now."

"You say Stubbs has the spear?" he said, returning to the question at hand. "Very good." He turned as if to leave. "The Iron Company marches at noon. Join us then if you're well enough to ride."

---

Ludo

Ludo was just finishing his breakfast - Rudi had given him an extra helping, 'for heroes' - when two Iron Company men came beelining towards him. They were tall, broad-shouldered Tileans; one of them had an ugly scar below his eye.

"You are, ah, Stubbs?" said one of them, in strongly-accented Reikspiel. "Prince Sforza asks that you, ah, return him his spear."

---

Elsa

Tattie looked over to where Bastard was chomping down a bag of fodder. "I can take him?" she said, expressing more enthusiasm than Elsa thought she'd ever heard anyone have for her particular horse. "I'd like that. I mean... if it would be useful."

[RossN]

Jarla

Jarla had slept very poorly but even in the worst of times she had appearances to keep up so she had washed had thoroughly as possible, dressed in her fine riding clothes a plumed hat and after eating breakfast attended to Countess. She'd sourced a few apples from somewhere and fed them to her loyal mayor.

In the morning peace, and by herself she could almost forget the news Urgrim had given her. But only almost. She watched Countess nibble another piece of fruit and wondered just what in the names of all the gods she was going to do now.

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo had little patience for being intimidated. "Where is the Prince?"

He stood, and strode off in the direction indicated. "I'd like to talk to him about this."