[WFRP] The Hour After Midnight (II)

[Exeson]

Ithelus whips his head around at the familiar sound of magic.

Oh no... nonononono He half turns to run to her aid but stops. You'll be no use to her in a cell. His face cracks in a mask of pains and he lets out a shout of anguish. 'No' He then continues his flight, heading towards Kliener's pawnshop.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter dared not look over his shoulder as he walked away, slipping through the crowd with the practiced ease of a former pickpocket. He could hear and feel Illiiya's spell, and the utter wrongness of it (like a sword scraping against stone), despite his lack of magical ability. He could hear the witch hunter's scream of pain, Raffy's accusation and threat, von Brucker's command, Ithelus' warning. He had only a vague idea of what was happening behind him, but it was already too much.

Please don't kill him, Rafale. You'll kill Illiiya with the same blow.

His heart in his throat, he kept going.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

"Then I am afraid I must carry out your last order," Rafale says to the audience at large, "And destroy the witch."

With that he executes the witch hunter. As the crowd gasps he reaches down....

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I believe witch hunters wear some kind of distinctive hat that marks their station? If so then see below; if not then I may have to take his head as trophy instead....

Raffy takes the Hammer of Sigmar off of Jagrun's neck and places it in his own pocket. While crouched down he reaches into the man's vest and disarms him of his two pistols, tucking one in his own jacket and leaving the other in his injured left hand.

"I consider that Sigmar has spoken!" he proclaims, rising to his feet. "This man either was the witch and murderer, or he served and protected the witch and murderer. As there is only one man whom he served and protected, let all of Delberz know that Lector von Kemperbad shall be duly questioned, and if he refuses to submit, the Sparrowhawk shall take him in by force. Until the corruption in our Church is ended, the murders will surely continue!"

((OOC: I don't know if we are still in initiative or if I can do all this, but the above is my goal... if it gets interrupted let me know, but I'm kind of counting on stunned silence and preoccupied guards to let me make my speech.))

[LCP]

The crowd greeted Raffy’s speech with a stunned silence. Looking around at their gawping faces, he realised their attention still seemed fairly evenly split between himself and the elf in the centre of the ring of blades behind him – even as Jagrun’s body crumpled to the ground at his feet, the Witch Hunter’s blood spreading out into the cracks between the cobbles.

As one, they began to speak, a murmur rising to a hubbub rising to a clamour of voices, all competing with each other.
“Witch!”
“The Templar’s dead!”
“Hear him! The Lector's to answer for this!”

Stepping forwards, Marius pointed at Raffy, turning his head to the Guards scrambling out of the doorway behind him.

“Arrest that man!”

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar shook his head, eyes fixed in shock. "I have nothing to do with this, my oath on it. We're tryin' to help. I mean- I am. This's lunacy."

"Captain!" the soldier called out, a somewhat frantic edge to his tone. "Illiiya! There's a way we c'n demonstrate that yer innocent o' the murders. You've gotta trust me."

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

It is done... Illiiya said in a low voice, slowly raising her hands, The false hunter is slain. I will not resist, as long as my companions are not harmed... as I promised.

She would do just that... surrendering without issue, unless it seems likely that someone means to harm Raffy or Lothar... or even Marius.

Run Ith. Run. The best thing you can do is get far, far away from me.

[LCP]

Uneasily holding their position around the elf, the guards surrounding Illiiya watched their captive with wary eyes: to their right, another four scrambled past, following their Captain's order. Approaching the bloodied Sparrowhawk, they slowed, halberds at the ready.

"You heard the captain, sir," said the nearest of them, as cautiously as he could. "Best you were coming with us."

OOC:

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All those surrounding Illiiya Delay a Standard Attack.

Two are in range to Half Move into contact with Raffy and Delay a Standard Attack; the other two have to run.

The remaining two hold position to watch the crowd, as before. Pieter and Ithelus have got away thanks to quite how distracting Raffy and Illiiya have been.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

Raffy looks at Illiiya for a second, torn, but makes up his mind and manages to speak without his voice breaking.

"My apologies gentlemen," he says, pointing the gun at the nearest soldier but looking at Marius. "I'll have to decline at present. I trust you'll bring in the Lector. When you do, I'll come as well, and you'll have us both for questioning. For now...." he gives a slight not good-bye and retreats into the crowd.

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I'm not sure what the correct combination of actions is. Preferably I Disengage, but that is a full action, so I'm just relying on the threat of the pistol to convince them not to use their readied attacks.

I guess it's worth a try - I don't think I can Move and Ready an action in the same turn.

Either way, Raffy backs into the crowd with gun pointed at the guards.

[LCP]

The guards hesitated at the sight of the pistol - striding forwards, Marius stared at Raffy as the Sparrowhawk began to back off, the Captain's expression conveying a mixture of shock, hurt and fury as he met Raffy's eyes.

"I said, arrest him!" shouted Marius, his voice cracking - swallowing their fear, the guards reluctantly lumbered into the chase.

Turning to flee as his pursuers ploughed into the crowd behind him, Raffy darted nimbly through the press, the saner members of the crowd drawing back at the bloody boy’s passage.

“’Scuse me!” he shouted. “Coming through. Make a lane there!”

Ducking around a recoiling woman, he collided headfirst with a wiry, ragged-bearded man, holding a chipped placard over his head.

“The end times are upon us!” shouted the greybeard. “See, Sigmar’s servants struck down!”

Wiping the spittle that had sprayed from the old man’s mouth off his face, Raffy shook his head – looking over his shoulder, he dived to one side as one of the guards pushed through the crowd hot on his tail, trying to tackle the Sparrowhawk to the ground. Flattening the bony doomsayer instead, the watchman scrambled to his feet, charging after Raffy with a shout – the youth was already ahead of him, ducking and weaving through the churning mob with an agility born of sheer adrenalin.

“"Step lively, make a hole! Pardon me ma'am, coming through! Block these jokers for me! Block them! Sparrowhawk on the wing 'ere!"

“Well? What are you waiting for?” shouted a voice, somewhere in the crowd nearby – Raffy felt a rush of exhilaration as he recognised it as Karl’s, from the society. As if in answer to his prayers, a young man stumbled ‘accidentally’ into the guards’ path, dropping the tattered banner he had been carrying – the scene behind Raffy disintegrated almost instantly into anarchy, mail shirts clinking and halberds clattering as the watchmen crashed into the crowd and each other. The crowd closed in around them too, voices shouting in Raffy’s support from a dozen different points of the compass – by the time they had picked themselves up, the Sparrowhawk was gone, dashing out of the ragged edge of the crowd to vanish into the winding side-streets of the square.

Staring at the place where the young man had vanished, Marius stood utterly still for a long, long moment – then turned to look at Lothar and Illiiya, seeking in vain for the words to express what he felt.

He did not get the opportunity to try: from the direction of Tempelplatz, the sound of drumming hooves and rattling wheels was rising, growing louder by the second. The crowd fell silent, then scattered in fear as a great black carriage flew into the square, two snorting stallions harnessed at the fore. The coachman heaved hard on the reins to stop the animals trampling the citizenry beneath their hooves, slewing the carriage round in a tight turn – behind him, a veritable column of Hounds came sprinting into the square, twenty or thirty of them following the carriage at a run.

“Excuse me,” came a voice from the other direction, approaching through the crowd. “Excuse me, pardon me sir, I’m a –“

Doctor Rasen emerged from the crowd, mask hanging around his neck and bag in his hand: he stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of the fallen Witch Hunter, eyes turning from Illiiya to her circle of guards to the Captain and back in utter incomprehension.

The crowd between the grand carriage and the Guard House drawing fearfully back, its black door flew open. Unfolding from inside like some great bony vulture, the Lector stepped down – straightening up, he surveyed the crowd with eagle eyes, the peasantry shrinking under the patrician’s gaze.

“What is the meaning of this madness?” he called out, his voice ringing across the square. “Where is Aldric?”

Seeing the answer to his question, the high priest stopped dead. His eyes turned slowly to Marius and his prisoners.

“Who has done this?”

[-Sentinel-]

Madness. Pieter had always known Raffy was a highly unstable person, but he had never expected the boy to execute a witch hunter in cold blood in front of dozens of witnesses. He almost hoped the guards caught him: he was simply too dangerous to be let loose.

Raffy was not evil. He was well-intentioned... and utterly insane.

Illiiya and Maria were worth saving, though. Pieter was sure they were innocent. And if they were not, he was going to save them anyway.

Pieter was about to leave Judge's Square when he heard Karl's voice rise behind him. He spun in surprise, just in time to see the guards crash into the crowd with great noise. The initiate turned back and tried to make his way through the confusion, looking for the Society member. Just the people he was looking for...



Edit: Action modified following LCP's edit.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

((I assume I should spoiler myself separate from the others now))

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Three cheers the Society! he thought, a genuine grin cracking through the showman's smile he'd been giving to his pursuers. Thank you Karl. Hope you're okay...

Once away into the side streets he runs as fast as he can. At the first beggar he sees he snatches the shawl/hat off the man/woman, throwing a shilling over this shoulder as he goes. Replacing his proper hat with the patchwork one, he heads for Kleiner's....

((I'm not sure how/when you want to transition here so I'll leave it at that; unless intercepted by other unusual goings-on he'll stop to reload the 'bluss in some alley, then run to Kleiner's in disguise and pull out two pistols as he enters the place.))

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Illiiya held her position, oddly calm despite everything. When Raffy bolted, she almost seemed pleased, a faint and gentle smile crossing her face. Now, she hoped... no one but she would bear punishment for the day's actions. The other her in her head had grown quiet. No... she had never been truly there... just an excuse to blame her dark impulses on another. But when it had come down to it... she had not faltered. She had not been afraid. No matter what tortures would come, they could not take that from her. She had saved her friends.

Friends... it was an odd thing to think of. She had never had a one, until that day Ithelus found her, burnt and broken in the ruins of Gavinsburough. But now... she would give up anything to keep them safe... and perhaps somehow, redeem the part of herself she had denied the existence of for so long.

It was I. She spoke in a voice oddly calm and unfaltering, Jagrun and my companion both threw accusations at each other... ending in a duel. I asked them to give pause... so no more would die, but men are stubborn. So I crippled the witch hunter... but still he would not relent. He is dead now... and I will take that blame, as it was my actions that brought it about. I surrender myself into the guards custody.

She bowed her head and held her slender arms out for the chains that surely awaited... feeling more free and at peace then ever she had in her life.

[LCP]

Chapter IV
The Rats In The Walls

Ithelus

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Running pell-mell through the narrow streets, Ithelus broke free of the crowd, ducking down the nearest alleyway to lose any pursuers that might still be on his trail – once he was satisfied he was alone, he made a straight path for Kleiner’s base of operations, stumbling to a halt in front of the familiar pawn shop with his breath coming in short gasps.

Hammering on the door, he found it opened exceedingly quickly – not by the withered old man who ran the counter, but by one of Kleiner’s burly guards. What was visible of the ground floor over the big man’s shoulder was a mess – two broken barrels lay tumbled in the midst of the bric-a-brac that the place supposedly bought and sold, a mess of straw scattered over most of the surfaces. A strong reek of turpentine filled the air: two men with mops and buckets were scrubbing hard at the floorboards.

“Oh,” said the man, slowly and deliberately. “It’s you.” He jerked over his shoulder with his thumb. “Boss wants to talk with you.”

[hr]

Raffy

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Not looking back, Raffy fled, heart pounding. His wounds stung, his blood stained his clothes, but he didn’t care. The Templar had lied, had deceived, had insulted Maria, and he was dead. He’d killed him. The crowd had helped him. He felt exultant – almost delirious. He was a hero!

Snatching a hat from a beggar’s head, and flicking a shilling behind him in return, he cast his own fine headgear aside, jamming the ragged cap down over his henna hair instead – finally allowing himself to slow and catch his breath, he took his bearings. He was on the wrong side of the square to reach Kleiner’s pawn-shop – he would have to double back. There was no way he could pass by the Guard House – swinging out to the west side of town it was, then.

Moving as fast as his injuries would permit, he made his way west and then south, winding through streets that were already beginning to buzz with the news of what had occurred. He did his best not to draw attention, sticking to the shadows and the less populated streets – nevertheless, he could not help but draw the eyes of those he passed, bloody and hacked-about as he was.

Aching from head to foot, he came to a halt on the street outside the pawn-shop – it crouched there, spreading its blight over the city, the same as he had left it. The door was closed, the windows shuttered: if the place had ever welcomed customers, there was no sign that it was prepared to do so at present.

[hr]

Pieter

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Working his way back through the crowd as inconspicuously as he could, Pieter made his way over to the north side of the square, close to the Tongs – through the throng, he caught sight of Karl and a gaggle of other people from the Society. Some were men he knew, from the meetings and discussions in the tavern – others were unfamiliar, low-born faces from Karl and Klaus’ friends among the peasantry. Not that they would ever have used such a term.

The Hounds were spreading out on the other side of Judge’s Square, pushing the crowd back from the Lector’s carriage: nevertheless, the scene unfolding before the Guard House was still horribly visible. He could not help but look at Illiiya, standing there in her cage of spear-points – and the Lector, standing there like an angel of judgement. What had Raffy done...

OOC: The Lector’s interactions with Marius and the others are so visible that you should feel free to read the spoiler titled Lothar & Illiiya as well

[hr]

Lothar & Illiiya

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”You crippled Aldric Jagrun?” called the priest, stalking forwards – even through his fear, Lothar had to admit the man’s voice had a fine condemnatory ring to it. “Aldric Jagrun has slain sorcerers and daemons. You claim you, you and your, your companion...”

He trailed off, his look of outrage and fury speaking the rest of his sentence for him. Behind him, the Hounds were herding the crowd back away from his carriage, rather more roughly than the guards had done.

“Where is he, then?” snapped the Lector, abruptly “Where is this man?” He thrust out his arm, pointing at Illiiya. “And why does it take five men to restrain this, this slip of an elf?”

Scuttling crab-wise around the Lector to avoid being caught in the man’s sights, Rasen knelt by Jagrun, feeling the man’s pulse and then examining his neck.

“There’s nothing I can do for him,” he said, simply. “He’s dead.”

Looking round at the physician’s words, von Kemperbad’s face paled. He turned back to Illiiya and the captain.

“Mark my words,” he said, quietly. “You will pay for this. You will all of you pay.”

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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"Karl!" Pieter called. He shoved his way to the young man. "Glad you're here," he said, lowering his voice. "Things have, uh, certainly taken an unexpected turn. Remember that discussion we had yesterday? Well, I changed my mind. I'm with you now. Where's Klaus?"

[LCP]

Pieter

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"He's somewhere around here!" shouted Karl, over the hubbub of the crowd. Writhing through the press, he forced his way closer. "Was that who I think it was? Rafale, from the meeting?" He grinned. "He's insane!"

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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"Yes he is," Pieter agreed darkly. "Right now I'm more concerned about getting my friends out." His eyes scanned the crowd for Klaus. "They arrested Maria Samtzunge, and are searching her house as we speak. Apparently they have pretty good evidence against her."

[LCP]

Pieter

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Karl's face fell.

"They arrested her? You sure?"

He looked around, trying to keep his voice low enough not to be easily heard, while still being audible against their noisy surroundings.

"What kind of evidence?"

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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"The kind that can get her executed," said Pieter shortly. "But I'm not going to let that happen. I'm declaring war on the Church of Sigmar."


OOC: Sadly, I must leave now.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

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Everyone here was witness. You need not believe me. Illiiya said, her head still bowed, long hair drifting gently across her pale face, I confess to my actions and I will not resist further.

[LCP]

Pieter

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”You are?” laughed Karl, good-naturedly. “Well, about time. Welcome to the team,” he said, clapping Pieter on the back.

“This is bad business, about Maria. But if Jagrun’s dead, and the Lector is here... who’s doing the arresting?”

[hr]

Lothar & Illiiya

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Face to-face with the elf, von Kemperbad glared at her – then, sharp as a whip-crack, he turned to the Captain.

“How.”
Marius replied with his hands held behind his back, keeping his composure by a monumental effort of will.
“It was all a very confused scene, your Eminence, I couldn’t...”
The Lector turned to the nearest guard.
“How.”
“It – it were witchcraft, sir!” stammered the man. “I seen it! Invisible knives what cut him, sir, cut the sword right out of his hand!”

Turning his head, the Lector shot Marius a brief, venomous glance before stepping back from the accused.
“You there!” he called, pointing at the nearest Hounds. “Put this viper in irons!”
A gaggle of Hounds were all too quick to obey, hurrying forwards to relieve the guards of their duties. Rounding on the Captain, von Kemperbad held out a warning finger.
“This is upon your head, von Brucker. This creature worked for you.”
“Jagrun was threatening her-“
“Jagrun was doing his duty. As a Witch Hunter. To hunt the witch. How could it be any more clear?” hissed the priest.
“Elves are not bound by the college law –“
“We are hunting for a sorcerer who is murdering people in their beds, and you trouble me with technicalities.” Von Kemperbad straightened himself up to his full height, taking a deep breath to compose himself. “Enough. Your associate,” he said, turning back to Illiiya, “the murderer. His name.”

[Exeson]

Ithelus

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Ithelus pauses, 'Oh, that's nice.' He walks past the man and up the stairs.

[LCP]

Ithelus

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Upstairs, Kleiner was waiting - surrounded by four or five toughs, he looked round quickly as Ithelus entered the room.

"Ah, Mister Ith," he said. "Talked to that Sparrowhawk feller, have you?"

There was an edge to the crime lord's voice that Ithelus didn't like one bit.

[Exeson]

Ithelus

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'No sir, didn't get a chance, between him turning up and challenging the Witch Hunter to a duel. I'm pretty sure he won as well. 'course at this point the guard decided to try and arrest me so I had to make myself scarce before I could see the end. What happened downstairs?' He says in a non-chalent manner, not at all worried by the increased security or indeed the obvious threat to his life.

[LCP]

Ithelus

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Kleiner blinked at Ithelus' report: nevertheless, he replied to the elf in the same false tone as before.

"Why he did, Mister Ith. Your mate, he was here this mornin'. Makin' demands. Makin' threats. Poor Bruno here, he had to tell 'im everythin' he wanted to know just to stop him burnin' the place down around my head."

He gestured to the biggest of his guards, who nodded. Ithelus became aware that one of them had moved around between him and the stairs.

"You bin tellin' tales, Mister Ith?"

[Exeson]

Ithelus

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'Tales? What sort?'

[Another_Poet]

Rafale the Sparrowhawk

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Reaching the street where the pawn shop crouched, Raffy took a moment to catch his breath before striding around the corner and into view of any possible lookouts.

Keeping his head a bit low and slouching to hide his height, he relied on hat and posture to confuse his appearance. But knowing it was of little use, he found himself jogging the last forty paces to the door of the place.

If it's unlocked, he yanks the door open and pounces through with pistols drawn.

If it's locked, he knocks politely with as little anger as he can manage - and readies a pistol to put it in the face of whoever answers.

((If the door opens just a crack the plan is to shove the muzzle (only) of a pistol through and then shoulder the thing with all his might to enter by force.))

He couldn't help but wish he had cut off Jagrun's head after all, to keep up the intimidation factor as he enters....

[LCP]

Ithelus

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"Of what we been up to, Mister Ith. Of our private business."

Kleiner shook his head. "This young man, he threatened my life. You understan'. He threatened my health. My health is a very precious thing to me, Mister Ith, when it's so battered-about already." He slapped his crippled legs, as if for emphasis. "And here's you, bringin' him down on my head. What am I supposed to think, eh? What am I supposed to do? Man's got a reputation to keep. Can't keep lettin' things slip."

He looked at the elf with eyes that carried their threat all too openly.

"See, you promised you'd deal with him. And there he was, at my door, not dealt with. Puts me in an uncomfortable position regardin' yourself, don't you agree?"

[Exeson]

Ithelus

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Ithelus laughs softly. 'So you are going to hurt me because your men not only failed to open the gate for me, like they were supposed to, but also told me the Lady would be entertaining no guests.' He pauses, 'Oh, and it might have been nice to know that the man who put out the job was the Witch Hunter.'

[LCP]

Ithelus

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”That weren’t your business,” snapped Kleiner, his venomous, honeyed tones abruptly dying away. “As for the lady ‘avin’ company, that was your friend she were entertainin’. Anyone should’ve known he was there, it was you.”

“I got to keep up appearances, Mister Ith. You let me down. You tell me why I shouldn't be doin' something about that.”

[hr]

Raffy

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Approaching the door, Raffy found it locked: a sharp knock on the warped timbers, and lumbering footsteps approached from the other side.

The door was opened not by the old proprietor, but by one of Kleiner’s goons – two more were visible in the background, still cleaning up the remnants of Raffy’s incendiary ultimatum. They stopped as they saw the pistol, the big man in the door almost turning cross-eyed as he looked down at it.

“Um... yes?” he asked, very carefully.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

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Stepping inside, Raffy pointed the other pistol at another goon. "Need to speak to my friend Kleiner," he breathes, his blood joining the turpentine on the floor. "Don't mind if I go up, do you?"

((Is the turpentine still there or did they clean it up?))

((Also note: if they say I can't go up, I will tell them I have some valuable information for him. Information he's going to need within moments.))