[WFRP] The Hour After Midnight (III)

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter & Co

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Pieter narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"I don't trust them, Rafale," he warns. "Neither should you."

Still he decided to follow Raffy's lead: if things went wrong, they could always improvise... It had worked well until now, had it not?

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

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Raffy takes Illiiya from Pieter's shoulder and helps get her on her feet.

"Okay," he whispers. "If we look out that door and the gate's not open, Pieter, you light that thing. We run up the stairs and try the rope. But if the gate's open, we run for it, and put down the bomb as we go through the gate. They might try to pincushion us so move quick and don't look back. Ready?"

If they are, he leads the run for it.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter & Co

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Pieter swallowed hard and let out a grunt that was supposed to mean: Whatever.

[goblinpaladin]

Team Sodding Stupid

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Lothar nodded. "It'll do. If we get killed, my ghost is going to hunt you down in Morr's kingdom."

[LCP]

Raffy, Pieter, Lothar & Illiiya

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Emerging slowly from the stairwell, Raffy stared down the guards in the doorway, half-carrying Illiiya with him: their crossbows tracked him in silence, eyes fixed on his face.

As Lothar and Pieter left the stairwell, the guards on the bend behind – four, in all – spread out into the corridor, cutting off their line of retreat – the three who had fired on Illiiya were finishing reloading their crossbows, one already taking aim like the two in the door. All movement in the corridor was slow and careful, the tension singing in the air like a taut bowstring.

Keeping a wary eye on each other, the escapees passed the two guards, the men’s eyes flicking over their opposite numbers in quick suggestion. Almost simultaneously, they fixed on the unlit bomb in Pieter’s hand – as the initiate passed them, there was the merest flicker of understanding between the two guards before they suddenly barrelled forwards, doing their best to pin Pieter against the wall.

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Two half moves, two grapple attacks!

(1d100)[30] - hit
Ag - (1d100)[66] - fails, Pieter is grappled

(1d100)[40] - hit (Pieter is grappled, => +20% to WS tests against him)
Ag - (1d100)[62] - fails

I refrain from writing any further consequences explicitly for now, in case Sentinel chooses to use a fortune point to re-roll the avoidance test.

Behind them, the line of four raised their crossbows in unison, a confusion of shouting voices making the stone corridor ring: the message, however, was plain enough

“DROP YOUR WEAPONS!”

OOC:

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Resume previous initiative order – so you all have an action before the guards can act again.

Combat map!

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk and--What Just Hit the Fan?

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Raffy rushes to the crossbowmen guarding the staircase and casts his net over one of them.

"You fire, you'll hit your own men you morons!" he bellows at the rest of them.

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(1d100)[65]

I forget if it's a BS or Ag test. BS is 53, Ag is 30 minus the plague penalty

edit: damn

"Cast, Illiiya! We need you!"

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

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Illiiya was all but carried upstairs... shaking and muttering to herself. She was far from unconscious, but seemed out of it. She kept babbling to herself about fire and daemons.

R-raffy? Are you here? You're not supposed to be here... She muttered as she heard his voice cry out. I... I can't see right... S-something... is wrong.

She struggled to look around the room, barely able to make out the many shapes... far more than there should be, in fact.

No... n-no more. No more. LEAVE US ALONE!

Illiiya let out a piercing shriek as the winds whirled around her... and began a low, determined chant... speaking almost too fast to be heard.

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Er... what are the odds it happens twice?
Casting "Sounds"

Casting Roll: (1d10)[4] or (1d10)[8] No channeling this time.

AWESOME! 8 succeeds.

Illiiya gave a piercing shriek as the winds made the sound of tearing and burning... mingled with the discordant sound of the thousands screaming and shrieking "things" that she had seen on so many nights. It felt as if the air itself reverberated with unseen footsteps, and the chittering, daemonic "things" that stood just out of sight drew closer with every breath. It was the sound of every nightmare she had tried to forget. It was the sound... of Gavinsburough. Of the things that she had felt pulling apart her mind in strips and mocking her pain in wordless voices that she had done everything she could do to forget.

If I must go to hell.... YOU WILL ALL COME WITH ME! She screamed, her delicate form shaking as she barely managed to stand on her own.

This was what a witch looked like.

[goblinpaladin]

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Lothar grabbed at the nearest guard, trying to wrench him away from Pieter.

(1d100)[47] -WS 45

[LCP]

Raffy, Lothar, Illiiya & Pieter

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Taking aim at Raffy, the guards at the end of the hallway stumbled back as they heard the terrifying wail of the Winds - their wavering weapons sought to find a clear shot on Illiiya, but their struggling colleagues were in the way.

Writhing in their grasp, Pieter managed to wriggle free of one guard - the second pinned him down, calloused hands wrenching the petard from his own. Standing up and staggering back with their prize, the two men paled at Illiiya's spell - they were clearly ready to run.

OOC:

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Pieter didn't roll to break free - I assume he does?

If so, Opposed Strength tests:
Pieter - (1d100)[17] Guard 1 - (1d100)[88] - breaks free
Pieter - (1d100)[90] Guard 1 - (1d100)[41] - remains grappled.

Then, the two guards try to prise the petard from his hands, which I rule as another opposed Strength test: whether they succeed or fail, at the end of their turn they break off the grapple, as Illiiya gives them the heebie jeebies.

Pieter - (1d100)[89] Guard 1 - (1d100)[75]
Pieter - (1d100)[67] Guard 1 - (1d100)[64] - relative success for the guard

The other guards back off to the very back of the corridor.

Combat map:

[Exeson]

Ithelus

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Ithelus's limbs lock up, his heart almost freezes and the grinning skull whispers in his ear. It's begun, you can't run from this, come.... join us. Drawing his sickle and a dagger he wills his body to move, making his way for the Hounds.

'What the **** is going on?' he shouts.

[LCP]

Ithelus

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"Stay back!" shouted one of the Hounds, two of his friends pulling the screaming woman away. Between their feet, the last of the rats were scampering away, some still falling from the windows of the house with their fur on fire.

"The rats've killed again!" came a yell from the crowd.
"You can't burn 'em out! You'll set fire to the whole town!"

All across the east side, gleams of fire and smoke were rising - clearly the Hounds were out in force tonight. Unlucky for the residents of Delberz, then, that the rats had chosen tonight to cross their path.

"Rodric, run an' tell the Sarge," muttered one of the Hounds to his companion. "We ain't findin' any Sparrowhawk in this mess." Raising his voice, he turned to address the crowd. "The rest of you, stop gawping and fetch water!"

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter & Co

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Pieter scrambled to his feet, his eyes flicking left and right.

"Lothar... Grab her and get out."

He lunged at one of the ashen-faced guards in a last-ditch attempt to retrieve the petard.

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If a WS test is necessary: (d100)[89]

Strength test:
Pieter (d100)[11], guard (d100)[28]

(Is that a full action?)

[Another_Poet]

Raffy and Co

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"Someone open that door and see if the gate is open!" Raffy hollers.

His hands free of the net, he runs toward the torch on the wall (south one square, west 3 squares). He draws his buss with one hand and reaches for the torch with the other.

Probably gonna have to go up, he thinks.

[goblinpaladin]

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Seeing the madman Sparrowhawk reaching for the lamp and his buss, Lothar shook his head. Taking Illiiya firmly by the hand, he made for the door, kicking it open...

[LCP]

Raffy, Illiiya, Pieter & Lothar

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The door flew open with a bang - across the courtyard, through the dark and the falling snow, Lothar could see by the light of a single, distant lamp that the gates were closed.

Standing in front of them were four guards: they had evidently seen Lothar, as their crossbows rose to their shoulders...

OOC: Just waiting on Illiiya's action now, I believe.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

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It hurt... Everything hurt. As the wailing and shrieking of her nightmares echoed behind her, Illiiya followed Lothar's lead out the front. The guards off in the distance had clearly noticed them... Everything was falling apart.

L-lothar... I... I don't mind dying this way. She told him, her voice oddly still, I just wanted you all to escape. Why did you have to come back for me? I... was ready to go. I...

She looked out at the guards... then back to the human soldier. Looking torn and confused... as well as in a lot of pain.

I... won't leave them. Please do not make me.

With that, she turned back to the interior of the place, and began to channel again. The winds stilling and ceasing their shrieking as they whirled about her again, this time more... aggressively.

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Casting Magic Dart on the closest guard I can see, the one grappling Pieter, if possible.

No channeling, as she likely used her movement following Lothar this far... though since she moves farther than him, she'll take a one-square move back into the building, and into a spot where it will provide her cover from the men outside if they shoot. (If that's possible, that is)

Casting Roll: (1d10)[6] or (1d10)[5]
Damage: (1d10+3)[9]

The Dhar beckoned her call, as she forced down her fear of it. Nothing on the other side of the Aethyr scared her as much as knowing that the only people she had ever cared about would die here trying to save her. The shrieking wind rushed from her, slicing into the flesh of a guardsman like dozens of blades drawn across his skin... riddling him with a score of thin, bloody cuts.

[LCP]

Pieter, Raffy, Illiiya & Lothar

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As Raffy ran for the torch, the line of crossbows in front of the stairs rose up – bowstrings thudded back, and a hail of bolts hurtled towards the Sparrowhawk.

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The 4 guards at the back take half-action Aims, then shoot.

To Hit - (1d100)[58] - miss Damage - (1d10+4)[12]
To Hit - (1d100)[33] - hit Damage - (1d10+4)[13]
To Hit - (1d100)[73] - miss Damage - (1d10+4)[8]
To Hit - (1d100)[72] - miss Damage - (1d10+4)[8]

That's a hit to the right arm - inflicting 9 wounds after TB and armour, and taking Raffy straight down past zero into the criticals.

The speeding bolts struck sparks from the bare stone of the walls, Raffy dancing through the volley as if his life was charmed - that was, until he reached for the torch, the fourth bolt slamming straight through the bones his hand and halfway out the other side. Face going chalky white, Raffy stumbled, blood pumping from the wound as if it was all too eager to be free of his veins...

By the door, meanwhile, the guards who had wrestled with Pieter stepped back as Illiiya’s magic moaned through the air, one raising his arms in fear as the invisible blades flicked and sliced, scoring through his tabard and shrieking against the cheap mail beneath. Blood dripping from a dozen small cuts on his hand, he looked at his comrade, he drew his sword, looking to his comrade: the two of them hesitated, their fear of her magic and Lothar’s presence beside her giving them pause.

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One guard takes 3 wounds from the magic dart, after TB and armour deductions. The two of them Ready their swords: one takes a Defensive Stance, while the other uses a Half Move to move one square.

Outside, the guards by the gate had clearly seen Lothar open the door – Pieter heard a shout as they began to accelerate across the courtyard, seizing up halberds in place of their crossbows as they made for the tower entrance.

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar and the Band of Fools

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Quick as a flash, Lothar's sword was back in his hand. "If that's the way yer playin' the game, Illiiya, that's the way we gotta play. Pieter, do somethin' about that idiot boy if you ain't gonna draw steel."

Holding the sword alongside his face, the soldier grinned, whitish teeth gleaming. "C'mon then, if you're hard enough," he growled as he charged at them.

[Exeson]

Ithelus

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This is your chance... your wish is here.... here is your chaos The grinning skull whispers into Ithelus's ear. With a grin he hides his weapons in his coat but still keeps them drawn and follows this 'Rodric' at a distance, hoping then man finds the Sargent quickly.

[LCP]

Ithelus

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Slipping through the clamouring crowd, Ithelus struck off after Rodric, easily keeping pace with the hurrying human as the snowy darkness kept him concealed. Every corner he turned seemed to hide more Hounds, groups of them dashing past this way and that – either the east side of town was host to the annual Hound party, or they were up to something big.

At length, he came to a wide street near Helstrum’s Ward – in the middle of the street, two militiamen stood to either side of the Sergeant himself, various groups of militiamen running up to him before running off again into the fire-speckled night. As Ithelus watched from the cover of an alleyway, Rodric approached, beginning a frantic, gabbled report – from the look on his face, Halbermann wasn’t happy...

[-Sentinel-]

Super Pieter to the rescue

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Damn it, Lothar. Not you too.

Shaking his head, Pieter turned away from the courtyard and strode towards the wounded Raffy. A quick glance told him that the boy would be dead within minutes if nothing was done. As he walked, Pieter raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. He was no longer afraid... he was by now too weary to care.

"Let me save him," he told the guards coolly. "Then we'll surrender."


OOC:

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I was going to wait for Raffy's death roll, but RP-wise his state is probably uncertain. If he does lose a Fate point, Pieter's medical attention will be a convenient way to explain his survival.

[Another_Poet]

Raffy the Sparrowhawk

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"Gaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh, augh, ah," he moans as his right forearm is punched through. The torch drops to the floor, guttering on the cold stones.

He opens his mouth to speak but just gasps at first.

"Fine," he manages. He stalks two paces toward the guards and lifts the bluss with his left hand. He steadies it with the bleeding leftovers of his right arm, none of the fingers on that hand properly gripping it at all.... but for better or for worse, it's all the aim he's going to get, and he pulls the trigger....

Actions

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Half action: move two squares south, so that I can cover 3 of the 4 guards with the blast of the bluss.

Half action: fire that bluss.

BS (1d100)[83] v. 53 (minus any modifiers for steadying it with a stump rather than a hand; the stats I have for it don't indicate whether it strictly requires two hands or not.)

I already made my death roll for the round in the OOC thread and succeeded.

OOC:

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Well, least I ain't chicken.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

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Raffy! Illiiya cried out in shock, stumbling her way towards the injured sparrowhawk... and picking up the torch at his feet. You will leave him alone!

With that, she stumbled her way for the bomb. She would see everyone here dead before they felt the tortures that the Lector would have ordered upon them.

[LCP]

Raffy, Pieter, Lothar & Illiiya

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The blunderbuss roared in the narrow confines of the hallway, the guards staggering back with their blue and black uniforms shredded as the blast of buckshot struck sparks from their mail. Forearms running with blood, they threw their crossbows down, three of them encircling their attacker as their swords flashed through the shadows of the hallway - Raffy ducked and weaved back to avoid the slicing blades, managing to master the pain and light-headedness as adrenalin surged through his veins to keep him off the end of a sword.

"You stay back!" shouted the fourth, moving to block Pieter from assisting the surrounded Sparrowhawk with his sword outstretched in warning. "Back!"

Opposite Lothar, the guard with the petard struck back, his own sword scarring the soldier's shield - gauging the strength of Fischer's defence, he moved onto the back foot, watching his opponent in readiness to block any further assault. Beside him, his other comrade slipped back, turning to Illiiya as he heard the elf skitter behind them - raising his weapon, he stepped up to the elf with the point outstretched.

"Put it down," he said, carefully. "Now."

OOC:

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Of the two guards in contact with Lothar:

One takes a full action to Disengage, moving into contact with Illiiya.
The other takes a Standard Attack against Lothar, then enters a Parrying Stance.
Attack rolls:
To Hit - (1d100)[30] - hit
Parry - (1d100)[8] - parried
Damage - (1d10+3)[12]

Of the four guards at the back of the hall:

Two are in contact with Raffy: they Ready their swords and each make a Standard Attack
To Hit - (1d100)[69] - miss Damage - (1d10+3)[12]
To Hit - (1d100)[67] - miss Damage - (1d10+3)[5]

Two are not in contact with Raffy: they each Ready their swords and make a half move to two different positions, as seen on the map.

NPC Injury Total:

• The guard in contact with Lothar has taken 3 wounds from Illiiya’s Magic Dart
• The right-hand guard in contact with Raffy at the back of the hallway has taken 2 wounds from Raffy’s blunderbuss.
• The guard in contact with Raffy between Raffy and Pieter has taken 3 wounds from Raffy’s blunderbuss.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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"Rafale!" Pieter's voice cracked like a whip. "You're dying. Stop this madness and let me help you."


OOC: I'll wait a bit before I take my turn.

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar

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"Sigmar's blood!" Lothar cursed, pushing back against his opponent. "I don't want to hurt you, lads," he added as his regimental sword slashed through air toward his opponent.

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Swift Attack, WS 45.

(1d100)[16]
(1d10+3)[9]

(1d100)[73]
(1d10+3)[4]

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

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Illiiya weaved aside her opponent, uttering only a few short words in elven as she stepped towards the man with the bomb, and reached out for him with her free hand.

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Casting Sleep on the guardsman! I will spend a fortune point at any point in this process, to ensure I succeed.

Casting Roll: (1d10)[1] or (1d10)[5]
(if failed: (1d10)[9] or (1d10)[5])

To hit with the touch. (1d100)[96] vs. WS 40, due to Fast Hands
(If THAT fails, and I haven't spent my fortune point above: (1d100)[47])

Assuming NOTHING goes wrong there... he has to make a Willpower check or pass out. *fingers crossed*

Edit: Oh thank GOD! Assuming I get the bonus for multiple attackers due to Lothar trying to gut him this round... that should hit. Thank you SO much Lothar!

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter & Team Suicide

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"You stay back!" shouted the fourth, moving to block Pieter from assisting the surrounded Sparrowhawk with his sword outstretched in warning. "Back!"

"Just look at him, you idiot!" exclaimed Pieter, pointing at the semi-conscious Raffy. "Is he in any state to fight? Let me take care of him and I'll make sure to restrain him. You have my word."

Again, he showed the guards his empty palms.


Fel 51 if necessary: (d100)[1]

Edit: ...wow.

[LCP]

Raffy, Illiiya, Lothar & Pieter

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Blinking, the guard stared at Pieter, some spark of humanity stirring within him - stepping aside, he made a lane for the Initiate, his comrades behind him still holding their swords warily out towards Raffy as the boy sank back against the wall, blood pooling at his feet from the gushing wound.

The guards facing off against Illiiya and Lothar were not so peacable - twisting out of the path of Illiiya's hand as the elf lunged for him, the man with the petard shouted to his comrade, the man turning and slashing at the injured witch. Beset on both sides by Lothar and the elf, the bomb-carrier himself raised his sword in defence, simply trying to survive long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

Which they duly did. The door banging wide open, the guards from the courtyard piled into the corridor, halberds levelled towards the melee before them.

"Drop your weapons!" the first of them yelled. "Drop your weapons now!"

As they shouted, Lothar heard Illiiya whimper - looking round, he saw the elf sinking down, clutching at a wound below her belly as the guardsman attacking her withdrew a sword red with blood...

OOC:

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The guard not in contact with Lothar makes an All-Out Attack on Illiiya.

(1d100)[36] - hits, thanks to the +20 bonus for attacking all-out.
(1d10+3)[9] - 6 wounds. That's a crit: see OOC.

The guard in contact with Lothar takes the Defensive Stance and Parrying Stance half-actions.

And, the four guards from outside appear in the doorway! Map coming up OOC.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter

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"Thank you so much for allowing me to save a life," snarled Pieter, leaning over Raffy.

He was vaguely aware of more guards bursting into the corridor, but all his attention was on the wounded boy, who bled heavily from the ruins of his right hand.

Why am I doing this? They're just going to execute him anyway.

Still he got to work, if only for the principle. His training taking over, he moved quickly, as if by instinct. First he tied his rope tightly around Raffy's right wrist to cut off circulation. He reached into his slingbag for his near-empty bottle of spirits and poured the few remaining drops into the hideous wound. Then he lit a match and set fire to the alcohol to cauterize it. Raffy writhed in pain, but Pieter kept him firmly pinned to the ground.

"Hold on. Don't you die on me, Sparrowhawk."


OOC:

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I assume I succeed automatically thanks to the Fate point... In case I don't, here's a Heal test at 47: (d100)[24]

I'm using a poultice, but I'm not sure there's a point. (d10)[8] wounds healed.