[WFRP] The Lord of Lost Heart (II)

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter made no move to attack the knight as it passed him, though he was sorely tempted to – he cared little for the patronizing way it answered Illiiya.

She knows more about death than you imagine. When she calls, death answers. You, who refused to die when you should have, would lecture her about fate and endings?

His eyes never left the knight. Tentatively, he began to follow, at a much slower pace. He may be powerless to stop the knight, but his curiosity would not allow him to stay away.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Illiiya let the thing pass without further question... struggling to not show her fear of the steel-clad beast that had cut her down. She was hardly about to lecture it on it's lack of faith in higher beings when it itself existed entirely of the act of one. She stayed by Lothar's side, watching it leave, before she turned and sought out Pieter.

N-now what?

OOC:

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Not messing with Vader. He can go as he pleases. With any luck he'll take her off into the woods and die.

Or he'll force her into the same pact as him, and immortal, unkillable Ester will haunt us now.

[Exeson]

Ithelus stood meekly still, the knight seemed to have no interest in him and Ricard should be far gone by now.

I just hope he comes back to pay me.

As the knight passed Ithelus tensed and began to follow the servent of darkness.

[LCP]

Pushing himself up off his knees, Leopold gaped as the knight passed him and Ithelus by. Descending the stairs with Esther still cradled in his arms, he stopped in the doorway, looking down at the body of his horse. Trailing a wary distance behind, Pieter and the others froze as he turned his head to look back at them.

Without another word, the knight stepped out into the dark. Staggering to his feet, Leopold pushed clumsily past Pieter and thundered to the foot of the stairs, rushing to the door.

"ESTHER!" he called, sticking his head out into the rain. Stepping back from the threshold, he looked back to the others. His face was a mixture of shock and wild, panicked energy. "He's headed for the manor!"

[Exeson]

Ithelus hesitated to follow the knght into the rain.

'what if there's some ritual? what if he makes her like him?' he asked, looking to the others Ithelus stepped outside and began to follow.

[-Sentinel-]

'what if there's some ritual? what if he makes her like him?'

Pieter shook his head, uncertainty plain on his face. "Its power comes from the sword, I think, and there's only one sword... Maybe it's still after Talberg?" If he were Talberg, at any rate, he would seek refuge in the manor, and it seemed likely that the knight had come to the same conclusion.

With a vague hand gesture beseeching Leopold to do nothing rash, he kept following the knight, allowing the gap between them to widen. What else could he do? Go back to the Heartless Man for a pint of ale until all this blew over?

[goblinpaladin]

Shaking his head, Lothar sheathed his sword. He put one hand on Illiiya's arm. "Come on. This isn't over." He waited a heartbeat for her to follow - or not - and then stepped after the knight. He made no attempt to conceal that he was following, but neither was the soldier confronting. He certainly wasn't shouting and carrying on like a man who had lost his sister or anything.

He just followed, quiet and grim.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

What else can we do? Illiiya asked, finally willing to show the fear in her voice now that the thing had left, I can't lose you again. We... I see not how we can slay that... thing.

Despite her protests, she followed. She would not let Lothar go off alone to die. She would stand by her lover and her friends until the soil claimed her.

OOC:

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Not much to see here. Following Lothar.

[LCP]

Leopold stumbled out ahead of the group, staring after the receding figure of the knight. He was striding purposefully up the manor road, towards the hill and the bank of trees that screened the Verloren's ancient home from view.

Trailing at a safe distance, Lothar and the others spread out from the Faulebrands' door to shadow him. He gave no sign of noticing or caring that they followed - with that helmet on, in this darkness, it was far from certain he even knew they were still there. He just kept trudging up the slope, steady, tireless.

Leopold lingered behind, as if anchored to his father's house. He looked back, torn between his mother, his sister, his father, and the urge to give chase. From somewhere far behind, there was a rending crack as part of the Flycher's burning roof gave way, sending a plume of embers and steam gusting up into the night as it let the rain pour down into the interior of the burning house. The fire hadn't long left to burn.

Finally making his decision, Leopold ran back to where his father lay. Leaving him behind, the party followed the knight up the hill.

~

Verloren Manor crouched on the top of its mound like a warlord's fort, its ancient walls rising black against the night. Mud squelched underfoot as the band of four ascended the slope, the rain making the path slippery and treacherous.

Reaching the great doors, the knight laid Esther slowly and carefully down on the ground. Drawing his sword in his right hand, he raised his left and gave three slow, thunderous knocks.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter cursed in Strigany under his breath. "Lothar. That creature tries to kill more innocents, I'm not planning to stand by and watch." His voice trembled enough to cast considerable doubt on his words. Perhaps he had been hoping that saying it out loud would give him courage.

He bared his blade again, as silently as he could, and sneaked closer to the knight at an oblique angle so he could have a good view if anyone in the manor was fool enough to open the door.

[Exeson]

Ithelus watched the knight from a wary distance. He didn't like the fact that the knight seemed completely unfazed by their presence, which was odd considering it was probably the safest occurrence.

'I'm just throwing this out here but... Whilst the knight is busy we could be getting busy getting gone.'

He paused for a second, 'or I guess seeing as no one is alive to claim the manor anymore we could just burn it to the ground with the knight in it...'

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar completely ignored both the thief and the priest. He followed, the one hand resting on his sword. He waited some distance behind the knight, in plain sight, as he knocked.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

He paused for a second, 'or I guess seeing as no one is alive to claim the manor anymore we could just burn it to the ground with the knight in it...'

That is... not a poor plan. Illiiya said warily. I don't think we can face it directly. It answers not to death's call so long as it's patron demands otherwise.

[LCP]

After a while, one door opened, just a crack. The knight's free hand came forwards to hold it open, while with his other he held the sword out through the gap.

Words were spoken, too muffled by the knight's helmet and the drumming of the rain for even Ithelus to make out. Whoever had opened the door was clearly not in the mood to argue with the point of a blade - after a moment or two, the door swung loose and the knight turned back to carry Esther inside. Mils' daughter no longer seemed to have the strength to resist - she lolled in the knight's arms like a tailor's dummy.

With a few steps, the knight vanished inside, and the door closed behind him.

[Exeson]

Ithelus looked to the rest of the group, 'What now? do we knock?'

[-Sentinel-]

'or I guess seeing as no one is alive to claim the manor anymore we could just burn it to the ground with the knight in it...'

"It's still got people in it. And it's made of stone." Nervosity made Pieter irritable. "Nobody's forcing you to stay. Why don't you run for your life? It's the only thing you value, it seems," he snapped.

He advanced gingerly towards the closed door, counted to ten and, after making sure Lothar was not too far behind him, turned the handle.

[LCP]

The door swung open without resistance, its poorly-oiled hinges giving a long creak as it did.

Inside, the great hall was quiet. The rain could be heard rustling on the roof, its erratic rhythm echoing in the empty space. Up at the head of the stairs, the tall portrait of Lord and Lady Verloren hung in shadow.

At the foot of the stairs, a small figure was doubled over in a crouch behind the dusty banister, as if trying to hide from the intruders in the house. Mrs Lauf looked up at Pieter with eyes like a hunted mouse, scuttling a few steps further up the stairs as he came in out of the night.

"T-that way," she said, pointing with one pudgy finger towards the east exit to the hall. Pieter remembered it as the way he had taken to see the doctor in his crypt-cell. "H-he went that way..."

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar nodded to her, and followed her pointed finger. His expression was grim, but his eyes uncertain.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter's brow furrowed. He had been half expecting the knight to be taking Esther to her bedroom. He muttered a few words of thanks to Mrs Lauf and followed Lothar.

[Exeson]

Ithelus eyed Pieter sceptically, 'I'm just being realistic.' he mutterd before following the group inside.

Look at you, you're being goaded into potentially killing yourself by an Initiate of Ranald...Things definitely have changed

[LCP]

Hurrying in the direction the housekeeper had pointed, Lothar quickly picked up the sound of steel sabatons on the flagstoned floor. The sound led them to the tower stair; when they reached the entry-way to the spiral staircase, it seemed the footsteps were rising from below.

At the bottom of the stair, the heavy door beneath the Verlorens' hourglass coat of arms hung ajar. Approaching as slowly and silently as he could, Lothar peered through the gap into the shadows of the crypt. You could no longer hear the rain down here - every sound seemed to echo with treacherous volume.

At the very back of the subterranean chamber, Esther had been laid down on top of one of the unoccupied biers - a bare stone slab. The knight stood between them, looking down at her small, still form.

Moving slowly, he unbuckled the sword from his belt and placed it flat on the ground. Descending to one knee, he clasped his hands and bowed his head like a Bretonnian lord at prayer.

Illiiya Only

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In her gut, Illiiya felt a rising sense of discomfort. This was where the doctor had been kept prisoner... perhaps he had left some trace of his poison here? Or perhaps, after the Flychers', it was just the fact of being in a cellar...

OOC:

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If you want to manipulate the door or enter the room without being noticed, Move Silently checks will be in order.

[Exeson]

Despite his cinisicm Pieter's words rang in Ithelus's ears. Had he not resolved earlier to not run away anymore? Granted it was in his nature but he was the one in charge, not his instincts... mostly.

Ithelus placed a hand on Lothars shoulder. 'I'm going to try and get the sword' he whispered.

Before his common sense could kick in and stop him the elf slipped past the soldier and entered the room.

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Ithelus will try to move silently into the room and if possible pick up the sword

Move silently roll (1d100)[80] vs 64

aaaaaand he's dead.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

This needs to end.

Be... wary. She said in a hushed voice, This is where the doctor was held. Who knows what he may have done here?

Illiiya paled as Ithelus attempted to sneak into the chamber, knowing the knight would cut him down if it saw or heard him. She was sore and weak... staying upright out of fear and adrenalin more than anything else. She knew not what to do, only that she needed to do something.

OOC:

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Not attacking until it's certain the knight will be aggressive. If he so much as goes for his sword, she's gonna dart him in the FAAAAAACE.

Casting: (1d10)[8], (1d10)[2]
Damage: (1d10+4)[8]
Ulrics? (1d100)[1]
Ulrics damage: (1d10)[2], (1d10)[7]

[LCP]

The knight was speaking. To himself, to Esther, to the stone – Ithelus couldn't tell as he slowly pushed open the door. The hinges gave no squeak of sound; as carefully as he could, he put a first foot into the crypt. The air inside was cold and damp.

The knight remained kneeling. Padding silently forwards, Ithelus took first one step, and then another. He could see the sword lying there on the floor, its killing edge sheathed in its tattered, ill-fitting scabbard. The exposed hilt called to his fingers, like jewellery left on an open shelf.

Another step. He could hear the words of the knight's prayer under the helmet, words in no language he could understand. Somehow, the sound of them stoked the lingering nausea that gnawed at his gut.

“Nurghleth, neth phaoghyr. Shyishek, gharos dhaor. Kar ulgur shyish, hyshak Khaos. Vul chamonak tzeen...”

The words trailed off. Ithelus had been listening so closely that he almost didn't realise why. The loose fragment of stone that had slipped under his foot seemed such a small sound by comparison.

With a rattle of armour plates, the knight stood, turning to face the elf.

“Why do you follow me?”

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar opened a mouth, raised his hand to stop Ithelus - but the elf was gone, slipping by him like hope in a storm, rain in the summer. He bit his lip instead, watched as the thief slipped across the floor. Watched as he approached the kneeling knight and the dull, too-old sword. Watched as the stone rolled from under his foot, and the deathless knight looked up.

"Right." Lothar muttered under his breath. "No more watchin'."

He stepped through the doorway as well.

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No initiative because I'm not planning to rush the knight or anything.

[Exeson]

'We follow you to see if you wish to cause more harm' Ithelus said, strained. He couldn't believe that he had made such a basic error. I'm losing my touch, need to start thieving again.

[LCP]

Stooping down, the knight picked up the sword. It slid out of its sheath without even the decency to make a dramatic noise.

"And if I did," said the knight, dropping the scabbard to the floor and taking up a two-handed guard, "do you think you could stop me?"

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter followed Lothar through the doorway, his movements slow and hesitant. Now that the element of surprise was wasted, he was reluctant to be the one to break the standstill.

"And if I did," said the knight, dropping the scabbard to the floor and taking up a two-handed guard, "do you think you could stop me?"

"Only one way to know," Pieter muttered.

As soon as the last word was out of his mouth, he lunged at the knight with bare hands. No time to think about how suicidal he was being.

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Not sure if there is still a Cloud of Flies, if I get a charging bonus and how much of an outnumbering bonus I have, if any. Worst-case scenario is WS 26.

Grapple: (d100)[26]
Grapple avoidance: (d100)[5]
Parry or dodge: (d100)[17]

[Exeson]

Ithelus watched dumbfounded as Pieter launched himself at the knight.

'Sigmar be!' Ithelus gasped and before his self preservation could kick in the Elf joined the fray.

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OOC: Ithelus is going to try and Grapple the knight as well. However, I'm at work and can't remember the grapple rules off the top of my head. I'm therefore going to just roll the same things as Sentinel and hope that's right. Feel free to roll for me if I need different things.

Grapple: (1d100)[65]
Grapple Avoidence: (1d100)[10]
parry: (1d100)[71]

[LCP]

The knight deflected Ithelus' rush with one armoured elbow, forcing the elf sideways against a coffin. Illiiya called out a familiar incantation, and Pieter felt a rush of cold air pass him as bright sparks flew from fresh scratches on the knight's rusty plate. Nowhere did the magic seem to pierce his steel shell.

There was no more time to watch the others. Spreading his arms wide, Pieter tried to bear the knight down to the ground. It was like trying to wrestle a cliff-face. Thrown back, he watched the sword come slashing round. The blade ripped into his right arm above the elbow, speckling drops of blood across the stone floor. Stumbling away, Pieter barely evaded the follow-through as it looped back towards his head,

Pieter Only

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With the wound came more than pain. From the moment the blade broke his skin, a creeping, empty numbness stole over him, making him feel hollow in the pit of his stomach. His conviction guttered like a failing candle, swamped by a rising tide of sorrow and self-pity.

They weren't fighting to save lives. The lives they could have saved had already been lost; the plague could not be slain by a sword. Suddenly, it all seemed so futile.

OOC:

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The knight takes a Swift Attack against Pieter.

(1d100)[33] - hit, right arm.
(1d10+5)[9] - 5 wounds

(1d100)[76]
(1d10+5)[6]

Dodge_Blow - (1d100)[99] - failed

Once the knight is done, that puts all the PCs in one initiative block that starts with Lothar.