[WFRP] The Lord of Lost Heart (II)

[LCP]

Ithelus's face remains hard at the sight of emotion. 'So when you received the letter from the Doctor, what did you do? You did more than just pray didn't you? You let this happen.'

"What would you have had me do?" asked Esther. "Confess?" Struggling to collect herself, her anger directed itself at the miller. "You would have liked that. The house of Verloren disgraced." Her voice became hollow. "I had no choice."

"Damn it, Esther," breathed Ricard, "you did this because of your damn pride..."

The words seemed to hit Esther like a knife. Eyes glittering wide in the firelight, she stepped back, swallowing hard. For a moment, she struggled not to speak. She failed.

"I did it because I love you!" she wailed. "I love you! Could that thing have cared for you like me?"

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar shook his head, and looked over to Illiiya and the others. "This ends now, tonight. Reifennen burns." He chewed at his lips, looked between the Faulebrands and Verloren.

"I... I don't know anythin' about monasteries. I'm sure Shallya'd forgive you, lady..." He trailed off, shook his head again. For all his talk of endings, his anger and fury at the cultists, Lothar seemed hesitant to take direct action against a small, defenceless woman of noble blood. He looked down, to the doctor - here, something he could manage.

The deserter sheathed his weapon, and knelt, and hefted Reifennen to his feet, clasping the wounded man's arms behind his back. "Time to go, Herr Doctor."

[LCP]

The doctor clambered obediently to his feet. To his left, Leopold let go his grip on his father - something about Esther's tortured cry seemed to have stunned him like a mallet.

Surging forwards with an inarticulate bellow, Aloysius looked as if he meant to strangle Esther, or the doctor, or both. Some of the villagers started forwards to intercept him, but they didn't have to - before he could reach the Verloren girl, he stumbled, clapping a hand to his left arm. Face red as a beet, he buckled to one knee, eyes bulging as strange choking noises issued from his throat.

"See how the Father protects his faithful," said Reifennen, like a whispered prayer.

[-Sentinel-]

"This ends now, tonight. Reifennen burns."

"Can't we, um, go with something nice and quick?" asked Pieter squeamishly. "There's no point to cruelty."

His attention was diverted by Mr Faulebrand's seizure. He blinked. "What--"

He suddenly remembered the miller having such a seizure the first time they met him. He bent down and put a hand on the miller's shoulder to keep him from collapsing.

[LCP]

Aloysius weighed a lot, and keeping him upright was more difficult than Pieter had anticipated. Croaking like a stranded fish, Faulebrand's face was shading from red to purple, his eyes bulging from their sockets.

"Help," shouted Leopold, rushing to catch his father's other arm. "Somebody help!"

[Exeson]

Ithelus let out a cry of despair.

'What is wrong with you people! The woman knowingly tortured an innocent girl after praying to the Dark Gods for revenge! She helped the spread of the plague in this village! And you want to let her become a priestess?'

Whirling around Ithelus looks to Lothar, 'And we need to know what he knows about the knight!'

When Aloysius collapsed the elf gasped. When is this madness going to end, someone up there is conspiring against me.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Hurrying back to the others, Illiiya began moving swiftly when she heard Ester's cry split the air. She stepped into the scene less confused than she thought she would be. Her eyes shifted between the doctor and the lord's daughter.

They're both here. This can end this in a few quick tugs upon the Shyish.

You. Illiiya said, a dark anger burning behind her words as she glared at Reifennen, This is your fault. ALL of it!

Images flashed behind her eyes. Still, cold Wulli... watched over by a broken wife soon to join him. Mr. Waite and his hound. Lord Valoren, cut down along with a dozen men who's names she never even knew. Torn and broken and snapped apart like worn cord... crimson life spilled on the forest floor. Her Lothar... maimed. Her Ithelus, bearing scars of a far different sort. Illiiya shut her eyes tightly, hoping the hate would pass as the cold rain dripped down her face.

But it would not.

Shae'ar taam v'rese. Hastur jaeral krei sluah illuien.

Her words held no meaning to the humans around her, but the cold intensity behind them as she stepped towards Reifennen with the winds rising to whip around her left no question of her intention.

Give me one reason I should stay my hand, filth!

OOC:

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Fire won't work in the rain.... but being messily torn apart by the winds of magic always works. Leaving an opportunity for someone to intercede though, if they wished. Those of you who know Illiiya would probably know that she's not bluffing either.

[goblinpaladin]

"I'll give you one, Illiiya," Lothar said as he pushed his prisoner towards the burning wreckage of the doctor's former lodgings. "This one's for the fire, not your cold wind."

The deserter avoided Ithelus's eyes. "The knight, hm. He's stickin' to the 'ran into him on the road' bit. I don't care what he knows." He shook the doctor roughly. "You can scream what you know to the heavens, doctor, or burn with it. I don't care."

Lothar shoved him towards the fire. He spared a glance for Faulebrand - but Pieter knew more about that kind of thing than him, and the last time the merchant was fine. There was knife work needed doing, the only thing the soldier was good for.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter made Mr Faulebrand lie down on his back.

"I'm, um, not familiar with this sort of thing," he apologized to Leopold. "I deal mostly with injuries."

His eyes widened when he saw Lothar drag the still very much alive Reifennen towards the fire. "For Shallya's sake, Lothar, just be quick about it!" he pleaded. "You're not Jagrun!"

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If there is any Heal test I can attempt on Mr Faulebrand, here it is.

57: (d100)[82]

[LCP]

Herded like an animal in front of Lothar, the doctor stumbled and tripped, mumbling frantic prayers under his breath. Lothar did his best to ignore them, but he could not stop the foul words from reaching his ears.

"Lo, let this night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.

Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:

And let this night be exalted, in the name of the Corrupter, the Lord of Lost Heart, who eases our suffering that we might understand its truth."

At the Flychers' threshold, the physician dug in his heels, holding his ground for a moment. Lifting his face to the ruddy glow of the flames, Lothar could have sworn he saw Reifennen smile. It was an extremely disconcerting expression to see on the defeated man's face.

"You want to hear about the knight?" he called back, loud enough to make sure Ithelus and the villagers could hear. "I will tell you the first thing you need to know."

He turned to face his captor. Behind him, the butcher's house blazed like a beacon through the darkness.

"Hagen will not have been the only one watching over me tonight."

Talberg looked up from the writhing figure of Aloysius, his face gripped by sudden fear. Sliding down in Pieter and Leopold's arms, the miller was still trying to speak, inarticulate croaks forcing themselves over his darkening lips. His gaze becoming fixed and glassy, Faulebrand sank back. He wasn't breathing.

Ithelus, Illiiya & Pieter

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The elves heard it first over the crackle of the flames, but Pieter's hearing was almost as keen. Drifting over the bridge and through the falling rain, it was the faint sound of galloping hooves.

[-Sentinel-]

"Hagen will not have been the only one watching over me tonight."

Pieter stared hard at the doctor. "Look, your faith is admirable, if misplaced, but--"

The rest of his sentence died in his throat. His face turned ashen and his hands began to tremble. He looked frantically around, eyes wide, trying to see through the rain. His shortsword was out of its scabbard before he realized it.

So it ends tonight, one way or another, he thought, terror mixing with a kind of resigned satisfaction.

His gaze swept the assembled villagers, pausing a moment on Ellie. "Anybody who's not fighting, RUN HOME!" he yelled.

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Not sure if Command (61) works here, or if a roll is even necessary.

(d100)[41]

[goblinpaladin]

"Nothin' admirable about your faith, monster," Lothar growled - and then pushed the doctor in to the fire. He sword was out of his sheath again in a flash, levelled at the mass murderer. If he ran, the soldier would gut him.

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That's my concession to Pieter. Also we don't have any rope.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

What? NO!

The fallen one stirs! No! He cannot have him!

Illiiya whirled about in a panic, eyes wide and panicked as she gazed in the direction of the hoofbeats. They barely survived last time... how would they manage again? How had he broken the goddess' protection?

No! NO! We must leave, or we'll be killed!

[Exeson]

All pretenses of talking over Ithelus darted over to Esther's side, wrapping an arm around her chest he brought the knife in his hand up to her throat.

'Time we were getting out of the way here, and I reckon you have some value to your corrupt God.' He growled in her ear as he began to back peddle towards the inn.

'Lothar! you protect Iliiya now!'

[LCP]

Tripping over his feet when Lothar shoved him, the doctor tumbled back into the blazing house. Scrambling to his feet, he rushed back towards the door, only to stop as he saw Lothar' sword held out ready to skewer him if he tried that avenue of escape. His eyes flashed wildly from side to side, searching for another way out. The way to the back door was blocked by a roaring curtain of flames, and so were the stairs. Sweat beading on his reddening face, the doctor raised his arms over his face, trying to breach the wall of blistering heat. He took a stumbling run-up towards the flames then stopped, coughing convulsively to clear the smoke from his lungs.

Out in the middle of the square, the Hohlesbruckers began to fall back, eyes nervously searching the shadows. They hadn't heard what Pieter had, but the young man's voice commanded authority. Only Leopold remained where he was, hopelessly trying to drag Aloysius' purple-faced body back to its feet.

Rising out of the darkness, the sound grew louder - a thunderous drumroll of hooves. Even Lothar, with the flames roaring in his ears, heard it coming. Bright after-images swimming in front of his eyes as he looked away from the fire into the dark, he thought he saw a black shape flitting between the trees, racing towards the bridge.

Now the people understood. Someone screamed, and the rout began. Some of the villagers ran for their homes, their hands over their heads. Others fell back along the line of the road, seeking safety in numbers by staying close together. Glancing at each face in turn, Pieter caught sight of Ellie at last - she had crouched down behind the well, using its stone wall as cover. Peeking her head over the top, she was watching the bridge with bated breath.

Seizing his chance, Ithelus lunged forwards and seized Esther. She struggled, doing her best to drive her elbow into his stomach as she fought to be free. Even in his weakened state, however, the elf was the stronger of the two. Pinning her arms against her sides, he brought his knife into play and the struggling ceased.

Ricard looked as if he was teetering on the brink of intervening. As the hoofbeats grew louder, however, the pistolier's cowardice got the better of him.

"Inside!" he shouted, terror making his voice shake. "Everyone, inside!"

Falling back with the others, he ran for the Faulebrand house. Its high windows and thick brick walls seemed more appealing than the dark bulk of the Heartless Man, the crooked 'X' of the plague-mark on the inn's door gleaming in the firelight. Leopold tried to follow, but he couldn't drag his father fast enough.

"Talberg!" he called out at the fleeing nobleman's back. "Pieter! Help me!"

To Lothar, the chaos erupting behind him sounded distant and strange, masked by the sounds of the inferno. The doctor was beating against one of the broken windows inside, yelling for help in between longer and longer bouts of coughing. He was imploring a very different person.

Looking through a wash of steam and drifting embers, Lothar saw a flash of firelit metal burst from the trees. Sparks flew where iron horseshoes struck the ancient stones of the bridge. Muscles moved like pistons beneath the slick hide of a coal-black destrier, thundering over the river and into the village. On its back, an armoured figure raised an ancient sword, its keen edge gleaming through the falling rain.

The knight had arrived.

[Exeson]

'Right my Lady,' Ithelus growled, 'I you do have any connection to this foul lord now's the time to speak up, or yer throat's gonna be cut,'

He continued to backtrack towards the inn, Glancing over his shoulder to keep a check on the Knight's progress.

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Ithelus will move as fast as he can towards the inn unless the knight gets to him first. I'm not sure if we are in combat time yet or not.

[-Sentinel-]

"Lothar, just finish him off already!" Pieter shouted in exasperation. "There's no point in-- Ranald's teeth, Ellie, run!"

Too many things happening at once. Lothar dragging on the summary execution, Ellie's curiosity getting the better of her common sense (Pieter could hardly throw stones), Talberg deciding to leave the fighting to the civilians, Mr Faulebrand convulsing, Leopold refusing to leave his father's side, Ithelus abandoning the rest of them with his new hostage. If the knight emerged from the rain right now, it would cut through this chaotic, unprepared little crowd like a hot knife through butter.

Where would the knight go first? Either to the doctor, if it was fully a creature of Chaos, or to Esther, if it had anything left of Anhame's soul. It had no reason to attack the Faulebrands, at least for now.

"I'm sorry, Leo. I can do nothing more for your father right now." And neither can you, he did not have the heart to say. His eyes were on the knight, trying to anticipate its next move. The drawn blade of his shortsword shone in the light of the fire. He held it in the way Lothar had taught him, but his hand trembled noticeably.

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar reached for the Flycher's door, wincing. With a hissed intake of breath, he slammed it shut, and took a step back. His naked blade was already in his hand, quality steel reflecting the light of the makeshift pyre.

He looked about for Illiiya, gesturing for the elf to join him.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Illiiya seemed torn. If she went to Lothar and the rider came after Ithelus, he was sick and in poor shape to fight. If he instead came to free the doctor over Ester... what hope had they?

Please do not make me choose....

The knight drew closer... hoofbeats like peals of thunder as it raced into the town she had thought safe. It was death itself beneath that visor, she was certain. Her chest grew tight with panic at the thought of facing it again.

Ith! Pieter! RUN!

With a shriek, she ran to his side. Ithelus could drop the woman and run if he needed. He would get out safely. He had always been a survivor. All these things and more she told herself as she took up at her lover's side. This felt as a bad dream... and one that seemed oddly familiar. She pulled free her blade with one shaking hand, determined to at least try.

I won't lose you again...

OOC:

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Well, we're doomed. Moving to Lothar and holding action. If the knight goes for Pieter, Ith or Leopold, she'll attempt to distract it via magic dart. Otherwise... Parry stance.

Casting, if needed: (1d10)[4] + (1d10)[9]
Damage, if needed: (1d10+4)[14]

Parry, if needed: (1d100)[32]

[LCP]

'Right my Lady,' Ithelus growled, 'I you do have any connection to this foul lord now's the time to speak up, or yer throat's gonna be cut,'

“Nothing!” sobbed Esther, trapped in the elf's grip. “I don't know anything! He killed father!”

The horse came galloping into the centre of the village. Its barding rattled like a ironmonger's wagon as it came, mud and rainwater flying from every beat of its iron-shod hooves. Pieter thought he could see its eyes, gleaming the cherry-red of a heated poker as they caught the light of the fire.

As the charger burst into the square, the knight hauled hard on the reins, veering around the right of the well. Ellie scrambled around its circumference, keeping out of the horse's path. The knight had no interest in her: he was riding straight for the dispersing knot of people in front of the inn. The doctor's cries became screams as the black horse passed him by, futile fists beating on the inside of the Flychers' door.

Calling the winds to her, Illiiya directed an icy blast at the knight as he passed. The unseen blades ripped at the dull steel of his armour, tearing mail links and shredding the bandages that had been painstakingly re-wound around the hole in his chest. It seemed to trouble him as much as the bite of a gnat.

Dragging Esther towards the door of the inn, Ithelus felt a sickening sense of certainty that the knight was riding straight for him.

OOC:

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Someone asked for a combat map?



Red numbers = wounds taken this encounter. We are now at the top of the initiative order, and Illiiya's actions are already set (she needed to wait for the knight to come within 8 squares to throw that Magic Dart). Go!

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar reached for Illiiya. "Ill! Leave it! He'll only come for us if we get in 'is way!"

He gestured with his sword at Ithelus. "Ith! Let the damn Verloren girl go! The knight's not after you."

[Exeson]

Ithelus tried to maintain a hard expression, 'You come any closer and she dies!' The elf shouts, but it was obvious in his eyes that he might have gotten himself in over his head.

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If possible I keep moving with a ready action to slit Esther's throat, if not then just the ready action.

[LCP]

Whether the knight could even hear Ithelus' words over the thunder of his horse's hooves was questionable - but the elf's intention was clear enough. Leaning back in the saddle, the knight hauled hard on his horse's reins with one gauntleted fist, bringing the charging animal to a halt. It snorted, the hot breath from its nostrils condensing into plumes of white vapour in the darkness.

Inside the Flychers' house, Reifennen's screams had taken on a more urgent, agonised timbre, but the knight paid them no attention. His faceless visor was fixed silently on Ithelus.

The silence seemed to last an age. The knight sat in the saddle as motionless as a statue, except for his right hand - Illiiya could see the fingers of his gauntlet fidgeting, re-adjusting its balance of the sword. It was like the weapon was itching in his grasp.

"And what will you do then?" called the knight in reply, the words echoing metallically from inside the closed helmet. His voice was hoarser than Lothar remembered, almost a rasp - but still it kept the baritone, patrician ring of command. Esther suddenly stopped squirming in Ithelus' grip, Leopold lifting his head from his helpless attempts to drag his father away.

The horse took a few impatient steps, checked by its reins. Turning his head slowly, the knight looked down at Lothar in the shadow of the burning house.

"I warned you, soldier. Still your friends stand in my way."

The horse pawed the ground, and the knight's sword-arm began to rise again as he set his sights on Ithelus. The doctor's dying screams drifting over the square, Pieter almost didn't hear the voice of amazement from behind the well.

"It is, it is him!"

Three sets of eyes fixed on Ellie, who had failed to realise she was speaking aloud. The first were Pieter's. The second belonged to one of the villagers who had fled the least far - Pieter recognised the boy, Arne. The third were hidden behind a black slit in a plate of rusted steel.

"Ellie, RUN!" screamed Arne, dashing forwards out of the shadows. The black horse was already turning to face her, champing its teeth. They were sharp, white, wolf's teeth - not the teeth of any horse Pieter had ever seen.

OOC:

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Map:

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Ithelus' ready-to-stab action does prevent him from moving.

[Exeson]

'HEY!' Ithelus shouts at the knight. 'I'm the one you should be paying attention to.'

The elf's eyes are wide with fear, however, there was a hint of malice in them as well. 'What's so important about this girl? Why is she needed by your Foul God?'

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter blanched when Ellie caught the knight's attention.

Time to play hero again.

Sigh.

He dashed towards the well and placed himself just in front of Ellie, facing the knight with his blade drawn. He struggled for something dramatic to say, but realized it would be redundant - the 'go through me' message was clear enough, and uttering it out loud was just tempting fate.

OOC

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Two half-moves. I'm now positioned in the square southwest of Ellie.

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar blanched, and held onto Illiiya's arm with his shield arm. He opened his mouth to reply to the knight, but hesitated - and then Ellie spoke out, and the moment was gone.

"Ill," he whispered. "Get Ith out of there. We can't stop him."

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Illiiya looked about in a panic, her gaze flitting to the knight, to Ithelus, to Lothar, and back. Pieter had charged to defend some girl that Illiiya was almost certain she should know, but at the moment her mind was too jumbled to remember. She struggled to bite back the feeling of helplessness that was welling up inside her.

Go! Please! She cried out to the knight, voice desperate and harried, If there is anything left of a man in you... do them no harm. Please.

OOC:

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Not sure what to do, so holding action for now.

[LCP]

Reifennen had been a man who fought with words. The knight was not. Pieter moved to intervene, and the great horse powered forwards into the charge.

Seeing the long sword swing up, Pieter realised he had about as much of chance of blocking its swing as he did of arm-wrestling an ogre. Lowering his blade, he ducked low to avoid the decapitating blow. As he did so, the warhorse's head whipped round, the animal's teeth ripping into his shoulder. Blood running over his torn clothes, Pieter staggered to one side, watching the knight's momentum carry him away.

Wheeling his horse around, the knight made ready for another pass, the leaping flames reflecting from his breastplate as he turned to face. Caught in the centre of the square, Ellie ran to the other side of the well, cowering behind the shelter of the stones. Leopold stood up and drew his sword with shaking hands, standing his ground over the crumpled figure of his father. In the flaming Flycher house, Reifennen had ceased to scream.

"Hey!" came a cry from the right of the black rider. A small stone sailed through the rain, missing the rusted helmet by a foot or more. Nonetheless, the knight looked round.

It was Arne. Scuttling crabwise in the opposite direction from Pieter and Ellie, he seemed to be trying to draw the knight away. As the black eye-slit fixed on him, he seemed instantly to regret his decision.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Pieter! Illiiya cried out into the night.

No... no no no.... no... no more.... not again... Shallya, help him... please.

Worry overrode fear, and she rushed forward in defense of her friend. The wind surged in her wake, as she called to them instinctively, desperate to find some way to slow the beast before it took a friend from her.

LEAVE HIM ALONE!

OOC:

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deleted the rest of my post to avoid making no sense. It would instead end with her making a double move towards Pieter.

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar made no move toward the horse. He stood, protective against Illiiya.

"Pieter! Ithelus!" He shouted through the driving rain. "Let him take Verloren. This ain't none of our business, an' we can't take him. Let's go."

To the elven witch, the soldier hissed more quietly. "Pieter an' Ith'll stop being in danger if we just leave, Ill. The knight only wants the girl."