[WFRP] The Bloody Crown III

[LCP]

"We're rich." He mumbled. "We're all rich." He turned to the two soldiers, a frown creasing his forehead. "This isn't the bloody Captains coin! It's not on his land and I don't remember him sleeping down here or trudging through that sodding corpse filled swamp do you?!"

Viggo became aware that Cesar was glaring at him. The tall Tilean was quite intimidating when he wasn't running for his life.

"We bring it to the Captain because we are the Captain's men," he said, doggedly. He looked Viggo up and down with a little flick of his chin. "You take it for yourself, how long you think you will keep it, hey?" He held the minstrel's stare. "There are men in the Reaches who would cut your throat for one of these coins, boy." Pausing, he looked away with a shake of his head. "We bring it to the Captain. He will reward us."

Adelbert and Elsa's words, meanwhile, seemed to have given Orfeo pause. "Perhaps... Cesar is right," he said, nerves tinging his voice. "Trying to trick Captain Sforza... it is not a clever thing..."

His reservations didn't stop him joining in the free-for-all as they began to empty out the chest. Sieghard was speaking sense, and even Cesar joined in the effort to lighten the ancient box's load.

They were all still crowded round when Ludo heard something from the corridor. It was a faint sound, just a soft, rhythmic scrape - but it sounded like footsteps.

OOC:

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For those who are specifically filling their packs with gold, I'd like an Int test at +30 - a full pack can contain around 150kg of coins, which is a different matter from being able to hold it...

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo waved his hands frantically in assorted "shut up!" gestures, trying to prevent the clink of coin in his half-filled pack. Perhaps whatever it was didn't know they were here.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"You are the captain's men," Sieghard replied, still greedily digging through the coins. "And you are his men because he pays you. Does he pay you this much?" he asked, scooping up as many coins as he could in both hands and letting them drop back into the chest. "If you served him until you were old men, too weak to get up from your beds, would all the coin he gave you be worth half of this?"

He let his words sink in for a moment before speaking again. "If we tell the captain, he'll clear out the dead, but how much will be left for us after? If he'd give us our share for finding it, then I've no objections to telling him, but if he'd keep the bulk for himself, we'd be better off hiring men with what we can carry now and dealing with the dead ourselves."

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert took little part in the conversation, filling his back to the point where he could still carry it.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Doing his best to keep Sieghard between himself and Cesar, Viggo nodded along with the mercenary. "It's not like the Captain sent us here or anything and most of us here aren't in service to him. He can't ask for a share of something we found by chance can he? If I found a load of owl droppings would he want a share of that too?"

As he spoke Viggo pulled the tent out of his pack making even more room for coins. Once he was satisfied that he had as much as he could carry, he bent down to retrieve the torch. His shoulders already ached and the sound of coins clinking in his pockets almost distracted him from Ludo's frantic gestures.

The feeling of elation at finding this hoard were suddenly replaced by the more usual sense of dread. "Shhh everybody!" He hissed. "What is it Ludo?"

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa, who had been hurriedly filling her backpack with as much gold as she could carry, paused at Ludo's urging. Would it be better if she put out her magical torch? Probably not; they would need light to fight.

[LeSwordfish]

"Something's coming." Ludo hissed. "Out in the corridor."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard nodded and silently reached for his bow.

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert paled and drew his sword.

[LeSwordfish]

Gently, moving on silent feet, Ludo crept a little deeper into the shadows, drawing Lammenbert's sword.

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comcealment (1d100)[89] vs 49, readying the new sword and Ludo's dagger.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Following their example, Viggo drew his short sword as quietly as he could. He held the torch overhead in a trembling hand.

"Oh no, oh no, oh please no." Viggo whispered to himself, almost like a prayer. He didn't hold out much hope that it would be answered.

[LCP]

The sound only grew louder, until all in the chamber could hear it. It was, without a doubt, the rhythmic crunch of marching feet - and more than two.

Drawn by the solitary lights of Viggo's torch and Elsa's spear, the footsteps came closer. Their pace did not slow, and Viggo shrank back in horror as paired points of greenish light began to approach through the darkness outside the doorway.

They were the eyes of dead men, pale witchfires burning in empty sockets. They marched in lockstep, filing into the chamber like soldiers on parade. Fleshless bones gleamed in the torchlight as they surveyed the scene before them, skulls grinning blankly at mortals they had caught red-handed in their tomb.

There were eight of them, and they were armed. Each carried a short spear and a wooden tower shield with a rounded top. Rotted scraps of linen armour clung to their bones, and their bronze spearheads were green and pitted with corrosion - but they still looked sharp enough to pierce flesh.

With a jangling stamp, the shields came up and the spears swung down. The door was the only way out, and they had it blocked.

OOC:

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Fear checks please - and a Perception check too.

Orfeo_Fear - (1d100)[98]
Cesar_Fear - (1d100)[90]

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert stared at the nightmarish figures. His face had got very pale, his mouth agape as if about to say something but no sound emerged. The scribe was quite simply frightened out of his wits, unable to move, fight or do anything but stare in horror.

[-Sentinel-]

Oh, right. Just taking the gold and waltzing out of here would have been entirely too easy, would it?

Well aware that her magical torch made her the obvious target, Elsa quickly took position to Sieghard's right, facing the skeletons. "Protect my sides," she snapped at her companions, oblivious to how they seemed in no state to be thinking about tactics. "If I drop that torch, it goes out. You don't want that."

As she spoke, she began gathering the Winds to herself.

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Moving to the square just west of Sieghard. Channelling 58: (d100)[50]

[LCP]

With a rattling thump of shields, the undead formation split in half. Four skeletons peeled off to the left and four to the right, the two groups marching in unison up either side of the empty pool.

Elsa Only

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As the walking dead came closer, Elsa could see - almost taste - the dark magic that gave them life. It dripped from their bones like the black oil she had seen creeping over Sieghard's hand, trapping the Amethyst wind like a caged beast and breaking it to its purpose. At the edge of hearing, she almost thought she could hear voices again - rustling whispers like the wind in the reeds...

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Viggo's eyes nearly popped at the horror of seeing the dead soldiers baring down on them so remorselessly. He shook so violently in fear that it was all he could do to not drop his sword or torch.

"We're trapped! We're trapped!" He screamed in terror. "Oh Gods! Please no!" he futilely begged the nearest walking corpse.

[-Sentinel-]

"One of these days, Viggo," Elsa growled, "I'd like you to actually do something useful."

The Winds still grasped in her mind (a concept that was hard to explain to non-spellcasters), the pyromancer released them in a small, concentrated blast of fire at the skeleton that was threatening Ludo.

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Target Number 5 (thanks to last round's successful Channelling): (d10)[9]
Damage: (d10+3)[4]

Channelling again: (d100)[83]

Her spell began fizzling out as soon as it left her outstretched hand; by the time it hit its target, most of its heat had dissipated.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

They shouldn't be moving, Sieghard thought, watching the skeletons advance. Somehow these were worse than the troll. Perhaps it was that they were once men or maybe just that they were closer, but something about them unnerved him.

"Protect my sides. If I drop that torch, it goes out. You don't want that."

"Right," Sieghard muttered, pulling himself to his senses. Can dead men be killed? he wondered.

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Swift attack against the same skeleton Elsa attacked.

49 BS +20 (close range) -10 (shields) = 59 to hit

Messed up attack rolls and redid them OOC. Rolled 69.
(1d10+3)[10]

Rolled 20.
(1d10+3)[5]

Quickdraw shield

Comeon Sieghard, don't suck this turn.

[LCP]

Sieghard's arrows and Elsa's damp squib of a spell did nothing to stop the dead men's relentless march. Spears stabbed forwards as the first rank made contact, and it became clear as glass that they had no intention of letting these intruders leave alive.

The Tileans both took blows to the head, their steel helmets saving them from worse injury. Falling back in terror, Ludo avoided the verdigrised spearhead that thrust down towards him, while Stoutheart set up a furious barking. More spears came stabbing for Elsa and Adelbert, the scribe taking a spear to the shoulder that his mail shirt mercifully turned aside.

They weren't fast, or skilled, but they fought methodically and they fought together. With the ranks of the undead bearing down on him, Cesar raised his weapons to defend himself.

"Give them the gold!" he screamed, stepping out of the path of another spear-thrust. "Give them the gold!"

OOC:

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Map:

[LeSwordfish]

You're going to die here.

That was all that was in Ludo's head as he backed away from the advancing undead. You're going to die here in the dark with a handful of gold and a dead man's sword.

Ludo dodged the spear-thrust by inches and instinct, nearly tripping over his bag of coins. You're going to die here. Besides him, Elsa's spell fizzled out. You're going to die here, and your father will have been right all along.

That got him moving. Holding his dagger to block another spear-thrust, Ludo swung his purloined scimitar towards the skeleton approaching on him. It did nothing, but the thought was there.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Give them the gold!"

"Oh, that's going to stop them!" Sieghard shouted back, trying in vain to get his sword around the skeleton's shield. "Maybe we should've emptied our pouches and given our money to the troll as well. There's as many of us as there are of them. Are the men of the Iron Company such poor soldiers that dead men can outfight them?"

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert seemed scarcely aware of the world around him, having gone catatonic with fear. He glanced dazedly at the skeleton who had attacked him but otherwise seemed lost.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

The light cast from the torch he carried seemed to cast the skeletal warriors in an even more grusome aspect as they began stabbing at Adelbert. The scribe seemed rooted to the spot as they attacked.

Taking a deep breath and trying to remember Sieghards lessons, he strengthend his resolve and came to his friends aid. High, low, High.. Thrust!

OOC

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Half Action: Aim
Half Action: Attack Skelly Welly VI!

Weapon Skill: 37 + 10 - (1d100)[34]
Damage - (1d10+2)[12]

[-Sentinel-]

When Sieghard spoke, Elsa absent-mindedly nodded in assent. Sweat trickled down her temples as she concentrated to shape another fireball to hurl at the skeleton right in front of her.

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Channelling 58: (d100)[33]

Magic Dart 6+: (d10)[6]
Damage: (d10+3)[9]

This time the Winds answered her command better than last time; flame poured forth from her fingers, eating at the skeleton's bones.

[LCP]

"Are the men of the Iron Company such poor soldiers that dead men can outfight them?"

Cesar cursed in Tilean, too busy fending off his attacker for a retort. Striking aside the skeleton's spearhead, he shouted over his shoulder to Orfeo.

<Orfeo! Orfeo, get up, damn you! Orfeo, do your job!> Another clang as he struck aside the stabbing spear. <Protect the lady!>

The skeletons didn't shout. The skeletons fought in silence, the stamp of their feet and the rattle of their ancient wargear the only sounds they made. As Orfeo cowered with his hands over his head, whimpering pleas to the gods, the line of dead men pressed inexorably forwards.

A spearhead gouged Elsa's cheek, wrenching her head to the left. More spears stabbed into the cringing Orfeo, and another bit into Viggo's leg even as the minstrel scored a hit that cracked bone.

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Map:

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

The sound of breaking bone next to him finally snapped Adelbert out of his shock and fear. He still trembled slightly and his skin was still very pale but the scribe was in control of himself again.

Taking a moment to calculate the blow he thrust his sword at the skeleton Viggo had already 'wounded' if one could truly do that to the dead.

OOC:

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Adelbert is going to aim and make a Standard Attack on Skeleton VI.

To hit: (1d100)[64] vs. 46
To damage: (1d10+3)[7]

[-Sentinel-]

A spearhead gouged Elsa's cheek, wrenching her head to the left.

That's gonna leave a mark, thought Elsa, more angry than anything else. Even the satisfaction of revenge would be denied her, since the skeleton had no understanding of justice. She wished they were still fighting goblins.

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Channelling 58: (d100)[19]

Magic Dart 6+: (d10)[1] - Argh. WP test in the OOC thread.
Damage: (d10+3)[5]

Red-hot pain seared through her mind as she tried and failed to call up another fireball. The necromantic magic around here was messing with her concentration.

[Northern Lad]

Viggo Hirtzel

Viggo cried out as the red hot pain shot through his thigh, he instinctively grasped at the fresh gash, dropping the torch as he did so. He steadied himself, swearing profusely.

Confronted now by two attackers, he snatched the long dagger that hung on his hip into his free hand before launching himself forwards on his left leg. He yelled out incoherently, lashing out with his sword, desperately trying to find a way past the wall presented by the shield of his attacker.

OOC

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Hoping dropping torch doesn't put it out!

Quick Draw: Ready Dagger
Half Action: Aim
Half Action: Attack Skeleton VI

Weaponskill: 37 + 10 - (1d100)[2]
Damage: (1d10+2)[5]

[LCP]

Sieghard had never used shields this big when they were training. Viggo's sword bit into the shield's rim and stuck for a moment too long - before he could retrieve it, the undead soldier had smashed its shield forwards, throwing him reeling backwards. Stepping into the space it had created, it stabbed overarm with its spear, catching Viggo before he could duck. Sharp pain lanced through his head, and he felt blood dripping down through his hair.

Over on the right, the others weren't faring much better - their attacks were rebounding from the wall of ancient shields, and Ludo was bleeding from a head wound of his own. Orfeo was still cowering, crawling away from his skeletal attackers on hands and knees as they tried to find a way through his mail.

Up ahead, there was a tremendous crash as Cesar managed to get inside the guard of his enemy's shield. Hacking and chopping with a desperate fury, the Tilean broke the deathless thing apart, sending its bones cascading into the empty pit with a sound like a sack of xylophones falling down a well. It had come to pieces surprisingly easily.

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Map:

[RossN]

Adelbert Schreiber

Adelbert nearly cheered as Cesar finally brought down one of the deathless legion but the sounds of celebration died on his lips as Viggo took more damage beside him. He calculated his next strike, then thrust at their common opponent, hoping to turn into a pile of crumbling bones.

OOC

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Adelbert is going to Aim and make a Standard Attack on Skeleton VI.

To hit: [roll1d100[/roll] vs. 46
To damage: (1d10+3)[5]