[WFRP] The Paths of the Damned IC

[littlebottom]

"im glad ta see the leader round here has some sense, im sorry but priest of sigmar and friend of the dwarfs or no, you cannot put the well being of this many people below a bloodbath because of your damn "pride"."

[Xsesiv]

Hans begins roasting rabbits and pheasants on sticks and handing out the meat to the starving townsfolk, while Schiller and his watchmen rip up the bread into equal pieces and pour out wine into people's cups.

The Priest of Sigmar looks at you in a slightly shocked way. "I had heard that Dwarfs valued pride above all things...No matter. I will obey my betters." Father Dietrich collects his chunk of rabbit, piece of bread and cup of wine, then goes to pack up the contents of his shrine.

You now have a choice to make: stick with the townsfolk of Untergard, or strike out on your own. Of course, Drakwald Forest is a dangerous place to be at the best of times.

[littlebottom]

"aye, we often do, but what is the point of valuing your pride first, if you can save a whole village and still help the fight when the beastmen come, with more chance of winning, and less chance of innocents dying, and STILL keeping ye pride intact? you gotta remember, pride may be important, but sometimes, it can wait." Gold tooth allows a smile to the sigmarite, to tell him there were no hard feelings.

[Morpheus]

Kasrik laughed to himself during the debate between Hans and the townfolk. He had no opinion he was planning on leaving at the sign of no rain as soon as he could.

He goes up to the hobbit, the hunter, and the goldminer, and tells them all the same thing I was impressed with yer fighting skills and i be wonderin' if ye would like to accompany me on through Drakwald Forest without the peasants. Yeah they can be battle fodder, but they will slow us down and make us extremly vulnerable. I say we band up with the others who fought the mutants, for they are also good, and we continue to wherever we please! The world is ours for the taking!

[Coldheart]

As the dwarf comes up and tells his plans, Joachim shoots a look of pure disbelief at him.

You can´t be serious. Right now a giant warherd, at least 200 strong, is roaming these woods. The nearest safe place is the old wolf, Middenheim. And these people are all headed that way, especially the watchmen that fought the mutants. They would never leave their people alone. So you want to travel through the woods, which are as far as we know is rife with chaos scum, with me, the halfling and the other dwarf? Without even knowing were to go? You´re a brave warrior dwarf, but this plan is insane!
I´d rather go with those people. They go to a safe place where I would go anyway, with them we´ll have strength in numbers and they have supplies for the travel.
So if you´ll excuse me, I fetch me something to eat.

With that being said, He gets up and gets some bread and wine. All that action made him rather hungry.

[littlebottom]

"im afraid my brethren, you do not quite realize the gravity of the situation, the world is not at our feet, its not for our taking, CHAOS just took most of it... we need to get the villagers somewhere safe, and we can protect em, after that, then who knows, but for now, we must go with the village."
or they might just run into trouble >.>

[Xsesiv]

Father Dietrich, the Priest, himself comes over and asks for your help. "That fight on the bridge proved your worth to us. We can't get straight to Middenheim, because we'd have to go straight through the Drakwald. That would be suicide. We have to take a roundabout way, so we'll take longer than we'd like, so we need as much help as we can get. We'd be eternally grateful if you could come with us...our people are half-starved."

[littlebottom]

"aye lad ill help ya!"

[Fersboo]

Addressing Kasrik I be in no shape to adventure, nor would my concious allow me to walk away from these peoples without helping them to safety. Maybe after resting up in Middenheim, and getting some solid food, I'd reconsider.

Please excuse me, but I'm famished.

Wattit hobbles over towards Hans with his plate and cutlery.

[Coldheart]

Coming back with a piece of bread in his right arm, Joachim hears the words of the priest.

I had already planned to accompany the people of this village. I´ll help the people of this village any way I can, Father Dietrich.

[Xsesiv]

The priest runs a hand over his balding head in relief. "Thank you all so much! And you..? Will you be joining us?" He says, as he turns hopefully to Kasrik.

[Morpheus]

*Kasrik mumbles in Khazalid with food in his mouth so it is hard to understand* Aye.....I guess me while. I has nothing else to do. He then glugs the wine and wipes his mouth with his sleeve before sitting down and writting Khazalid runes into the ground with a stick.

[Xsesiv]

(Kasrik can't read or write.)

Father Dietrich thanks everyone profusely for their help. The rest of the night passes without incident, apart from the unusually satisfying feeling of food in your bellies after weeks without enough.

The next morning, several able-bodied men are appointed to prepare three ox-carts. Two of them are filled with supplies and one with Granny and the orphans she has taken in. Captain Schiller orders a third of the surviving town guard to march in front, another third to be a rearguard, and the final third to spread out as flankers on either side. About 85 people walk with the train on foot, carrying bundles or bags or maybe wheeling barrows filled with all their worldly goods. The people of Untergard make a tempting target as they make for Middenheim with their families and the few possessions that they can carry. The refugees as a whole move slowly - about fifteen miles a day.

Hans Baumer scouts ahead in the forest, and has estimated that the journey to Middenheim will take about six days. The caravan has maybe two-thirds of the necessary food.

(I want a basic idea of where your characters are in the train.)

[littlebottom]

Goldtooth, makes regular changes from the front to the back of the group, but is currently near the front.

[Morpheus]

Kasrik is in the front grumbling to himself about the peasants. He always likes to pretend to be in charge.

[Coldheart]

Joachim is somewhere in the middle of the train. He wants to be able to react to every threat that comes their way.

[Xsesiv]

The first day and night of the march are uneventful, and pass without incident. Progress is slow with carts and children to deal with, not to mention the lack of sufficient food. Halfway through the second day you approach Grimminhagen, which seems to be in even worse shape than Untergard. Without a word Hans leads the column around the ruins of the town. You've heard enough from the townsfolk to know the reason for this - the people of Untergard are not welcome in Grimminhagen and will find no solace there.

[Xsesiv]

The rest of the second day passes without incident and the caravan makes camp at the side of the road. Guards are set up, as normal.

A little after dusk, several of Granny's orphans are wandering through the camp, crying and wailing: "Granny! Granny! Where are you, Granny?"

Captain Schiller frowns. "Taal's teeth, our best healer vanished. Well, somebody's going to have to go and find her."

[littlebottom]

goldtooth sighs, "spose thats us then lads."

[Morpheus]

Anyone know how to track? I suppose that would help us out. Kasrik asks the group.

[Fersboo]

Let's find out where and when she was last seen and I'll try to pick up her trail. Maybe I'll stop thinking about how hungry I am.

[Xsesiv]

Wat easily picks up a trail from Granny's caravan off into the woods. Following it, after ten minutes you are relieved to see her standing in a clearing with some freshly-dug herbs in her hand. You are less relieved to see her staring in shock at three cloaked Elves with drawn bows. The Elf leader has an arrow nocked, and it is pointing at her. He says "Explain yourself, witch, or my arrow flies true."

[Fersboo]

Wat clears his throat, holds out his empty hands and assumes a neutral posture. Pardon us.

[Xsesiv]

The Elf leader looks over at you in surprise. "For what, Halfling? You're not here to protect this witch, are you? For that she is, who else but a witch in service to the Dark Powers gathers herbs, alone, in the Drakwald, at twilight?"

Granny protests, saying "I was only gathering some healing herbs! My people are not well."

With the words "This tale seems unlikely to me," the Elf leader turns to you. "Gilmir is my name. This witch refuses to explain herself, so unless you can do it for her, take your leave, if you please."

[Morpheus]

Kasrik clears his throat. *sighs* If in' I say so, we could all go back to our campsite and ye can talk with our leader. I think that would sort out any confusions we may have. *curses elfs in mumbled Khazalid afterwards*

[Xsesiv]

The Elf looks at you like a parent would an angry child. "We will not do that. We've been attacking small bands and stragglers from the Storm of Chaos, and our stealth will be completely lost if we are seen to leave the forest. Now, explain why this woman is here!"

[Morpheus]

Kasrik laughs silently to himself. I am not sure why this woman is here. She heals people in the town which we came from, which was attacked by the forces of chaos. Kasrik resists the urge to say worse things to the elves, for the lady and quite possibly his fellow group members, could get shot.

[Xsesiv]

"Oh, you don't know what she does here. Then I suppose that she could quite easily be a witch."

[Morpheus]

Why would she be a witch? If anything why don't I go back while you wait here with the small 'un and I will be bring our leader back who will tell you who she is, sound fair?

[littlebottom]

"aye, she could just as easily be a witch as i could single handedly take you all down meself! now, take that how you will, but one way or another, this argument is at its end." Goldtooth knows the elves will think that a dwarf could not take them single handedly, or atleast would beleive so, and so hopefully give up belief that she is a witch, or if not and they embrace the truth of the dwarfs strength, they show doubt of their abilitys, which would surely dishonour their reputation, and they would never wish to show weakness infront of a dwarf.