[WFRP] The Bloody Crown XI

[LCP]

Adelbert

Jocasta nodded. “Hieronymus is going to need you. It’s thanks to you he’s High Priest.” She took another swig of the wine. “And your friends will need you too. Having power is one thing, but knowing how to use it wisely… well, I suppose that’s why the Temple was founded.”

At last, she managed to pull her eyes away from the withered earth. “I won’t miss this town, but I will miss you, Adelbert,” she said with a smile. “One bottle of free wine doesn't make up for you saving my life on Geheimnisnacht. Promise me you’ll still be here the next time I pass through.”

---

At the Castle

"So has this ever happened before?" Ludo asked as an unceremonious opening "one person ruling the whole reaches?"

“Not in my lifetime,” said Hieronymus. “Some have come close, but the last time the entire Reaches were united under one banner… well, I would have to consult the histories, but I would think one would have to go back to the Crusades.”

He took a small sip from his goblet.

“I suppose a new history will have to be written,” he said, sounding quite eager at the prospect. “Though I don’t believe I have seen anyone from the Raven Hills coming to swear fealty. Technically, one could question whether the conquest is complete.”

[LeSwordfish]

"Wow." Ludo was genuinely impressed. "And what tends to happen to the ones who come close?"

[LCP]

At the Castle

"Well, it varies, I suppose," said Hieronymus. "Duke Wulf went mad, of course. And before him there was Pieter the Bandit King - he controlled a fair amount of territory before the lords of the north decided they hated him more than they hated each other." He paused, thinking. "I suppose that's always been the way... when one lord gets too big for his boots, the others band together to bring him down. It happened to the elf as well."

He hesitated for a moment, perhaps realising that Sforza's courtiers might not view this discussion in such a favourable light. "But of course, the new Prince has no rivals." He took a hurried swig from his cup. "May the gods grant him a peaceful reign, and many heirs."

OOC:

Spoiler

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Just to make sure you didn't miss it - I think Sieghard had some further stuff he wanted to discuss with Ludo above.

[-Sentinel-]

Elsabeth Holt


I see the lady remains much better than the rest of us at all the useless things, thought Elsa, somewhat pettily, as she watched Irene dance. She would be damned if she ever called her Princess.

She had already decided not to make a fool of herself by dancing tonight. She had never been much good at it, and was not in the mood in any case. In this moment, she could not imagine ever being in the mood again. Her little funeral for Morrslieb had not managed to get rid of the dark cloud casting a shadow over her. In time, she supposed she would get over it, but tonight she still felt as if she had lost both a friend and a limb.

For now her celebrations consisted only in eating and drinking more than was reasonable.

Valdes, returned from Alvarran, seemed to be refraining from dancing for now, standing on the sidelines and looking into the depths of his cup.

Ah, looks like a companion in misery, thought Elsa. She grabbed a bottle of wine and headed over to Valdes.

"Welcome back, Esteban," she said with a curt nod.

She made no attempt to look cheery. Clearly he was not in the mood for pleasantries, and neither was she, so they could both be honest with each other.

"I've noticed there's kind of a dragon in the room about how things went down over there, at the very end," she said, just loud enough for him to hear. "Are you thinking about that dragon?"

She refilled his glass, then her own. "You know the Captain; won't tell me much about the costs, only the rewards. You and I are much closer to the costs."


OOC

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Trying to not-so-subtly pry info out of Valdes. Charm 34 due to penalty: (d100)[4]

---

Later...


"They seem happy now," Sieghard whispered, taking a seat "But I bet you a crown the two of them will be back to fighting by this time next month."

"No bet," grumbled Elsa. "Next she'll complain she misses the sea, and will pester her lord husband to conquer all the lands between us and the Black Gulf."

She was by now rather tipsy and did not guard her words as well as she should.


OOC

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Elsa has had 4 drinks (equal to her Toughness Bonus). We'll see later if I want to get her truly drunk.

If Sieghard wants to dance with Elsa, he'll have to pass a Charm test, given her mood. (A bonus may be provided if he's very good at asking.)

[LCP]

At the Castle

Valdes seemed to only notice Elsa when she was right next to him. He returned her nod before his eyes drifted back to the dancers.

"I've noticed there's kind of a dragon in the room about how things went down over there, at the very end," she said, just loud enough for him to hear. "Are you thinking about that dragon?"

She refilled his glass, then her own. "You know the Captain; won't tell me much about the costs, only the rewards. You and I are much closer to the costs."

"As a matter of fact, I was thinking about the Caballera d'Evangelisti," said Valdes. "We never learned if she could dance."

Draining half the cup she had given him, he turned to look Elsa in the eye. "I didn't see the Duke die, if that is what you are asking. My men were still in the pass when the walls fell. We only entered the town after the fighting was done. I saw the bodies. An ignoble way to die... but the Captain has never been one for duels." He finished the cup and corrected himself. "Il Principe has never been one for duels."

[RossN]

Adelbert

Adelbert laughed. 'I promise I'll try. I don't think disappointing a priestess of Rhya would be great for my health,' He smiled at her for a moment.

'You know... while I couldn't stomach watching the Tilean actually be crowned we could still go up there and join the party. If you're leaving tomorrow end it with a celebration.'

[LCP]

Jocasta laughed. "What happened to 'I'd sooner bathe an ogre'?" she asked. She finished her wine, made a face at the taste, and got to her feet. "Alright then," she said, "let's go."

There were guards at the gates, but the exercise of a little priestly authority got the two of them through. The courtyard was packed with those of Sforza's soldiers who couldn't fit into the great hall with the gentry, having an open-air party of their own. Seeing Kulug and the remaining Maneaters having a thunderous belching contest around the picked-clean bones of a steer, Adelbert hoped he wouldn't be held to his word.

Inside, the babble of voices and music was almost as loud. Weaving their way through a sea of bright clothes and flushed faces, they looked left and right for any sight of a familiar face. Over there, Adelbert saw the Abbot sharing a drink with Sussman and a group of Putbad guilders - and over there, was that Sir Tancred du Bahorel? It had been a long time since Adelbert had seen the wandering Bretonnian, but it looked like him...

"Schreiber!" said Hieronymus, waving from where he was sitting with Ludo. "So you decided to come after all, eh? Good to see you! You too, Sister Jocasta." He motioned to Ludo with the hand that held his drink. "Master Stubbs and I were just talking history." He waved to a serving girl to refill his cup. "I was saying, someone is going to have to write a chronicle of all this. What do you think it should be called? The Wars of the Six Sovereigns has a certain ring to it, don't you think?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard smirked "Shoulda knew you were too clever to take a bet like that." He glanced back towards the dance floor. "I have to dance with them to keep up appearances, but that doesn't mean I can't dance with you too. Feel like giving me one dance tonight that I'll actually enjoy?"

Spoiler

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(1d100)[13] vs 27 base untrained charm.

And while I'm thinking about it, I'm half expecting something to happen tonight that Sieghard will want his wits about him for... But Sieghard doesn't have a clue, so he's gonna drink! We'll say he'll at least have enough tonight to need to take one consume alcohol test. I'll follow -Sentinel-'s lead and say we'll play wait and see if he has more than that, but definitely enough to need the one test. I'll also say that success or failure, he hasn't had the full amount currently but will by the end of the evening (or if something major comes up later in the evening and skill penalties for failure become relevant)
[roll]1d100[roll] vs 41 consume alcohol +10 (they're serving wine which is a routine test)

[Thragka]

Urgrim

Urgrim finished his goblet of wine in silence. He felt half an urge to apologise to Skorgrund – but for what? Just to stay in the greybeard's good books? In Urgi's experience, greybeards only kept one sort of book. And the old man had no right to judge him, regardless of how venerable he was.

Instead, the ranger turned to the Rinn. He admired her, he realised; both for her character, and her leadership in these uncertain times. And there was no denying that that dress was fabulous. This was a model of nobility, he thought, that the umgi only pretended to: wisdom, guidance and perseverance. Urgrim realised this likely wasn't the first coronation she'd sat through.

—How many such have you seen? he asked, nodding first to the Sforzas, and then around at the entire ceremony.

[RossN]

Adelbert

Adelbert winced. 'It's a good title Father Hieronymus, but I think it might best to wait until the dust settles. A lot can happen in a short space of time,' He tried not to sound too hopeful on that last note.

He took a drink for himself and a drink for Jocasta from the nearest serving girl. He was vividly aware he was still in his plain robes with his own freshly tailored and much more elaborate robes still days away from completion. At least what he was wearing was clean and could probably be mistaken for austere piety by outsiders.

'So Ludo have any Halfling maidens been wooing you?' Adelbert teased.

[-Sentinel-]

"As a matter of fact, I was thinking about the Caballera d'Evangelisti," said Valdes. "We never learned if she could dance."

"...Oh." Elsa had to admit with some guilt that it had been a while since she last spared a thought for Astoria. She wondered if the Myrmidian had been closer to Valdes' mind, all this time, than she realized.

"I didn't see the Duke die, if that is what you are asking. My men were still in the pass when the walls fell. We only entered the town after the fighting was done. I saw the bodies. An ignoble way to die... but the Captain has never been one for duels." He finished the cup and corrected himself. "Il Principe has never been one for duels."

"Hmm. Considerations of honor aside... I worry about how many fighting men the Reaches have lost," said Elsa. "There's trouble ahead. You've been in the ruins in the swamp; you've seen the restless dead. We've had to fight them right here in Savonne, too, on Geheimnisnacht."

She paused. "And the population of Alvarran? What... state are they in?"

---

""Feel like giving me one dance tonight that I'll actually enjoy?"

"I probably need this," admitted Elsa, glad she was not well and truly drunk yet.

She accepted Sieghard's hand and followed him onto the dance floor.

[LCP]

—How many such have you seen? he asked, nodding first to the Sforzas, and then around at the entire ceremony.

"Not many this grand," said Elmendrin. "These Sforzas like to put on a show."

Skorgrund snorted into his ale. "The umgi are too fond of appearances by far," he said. "Bad iron can't be fixed with polish."

"And the population of Alvarran? What... state are they in?"

"Half-starved," said Valdes. "Recovering now, but a good number of the people Alvarr pushed out into the pass have not come back to their homes. There's talk of good land standing empty in the west Downs, and they know times are lean in the town. Every morning after the siege was lifted, there were fights in the market over bread and mutton."

He gave a tired sigh.

"Still, the war is over now. Viva il Principe."

[LeSwordfish]

Talking to Sieghard
"Depends if he wants his soldiers at his side." Ludo said "Who knows what he'll do next, but I bet he'll get restless before too long."

He thought for a moment. "Sussman, possibly. People like that that he wants to keep sweet without actually needing them to do anything useful. I bet now he hasn't got his man in as head of the temple he'll try something to make sure Hieronymous is on side too."

Talking to Adelbert and Hieronymous
"I think most of the halfling ladies round here work for my brother-in-law." Ludo said. "And i'd rather face a vampire than my sister with some good gossip."

"It's strange to think of this as a history. It was just... what happened. History can't be what happened to us, it's... well, historical."

[RossN]

Adelbert

'History is simply the knowledge of past events,' Adelbert said. He smiled ruefully. 'Essentially by definition things happening and being recorded is history.'

He paused thoughtfully before adding, with a trace of regret: 'And without you, Sieghard and Elsa the Tilean would probably never have reached this point.'

[-Sentinel-]

"Still, the war is over now," said Valdes. "Viva il Principe."

Elsa grunted. "The first battles of the next war have already been fought. We won them, but only just. Don't beat your sword into a plowshare just yet."

She finished the wine by drinking it straight from the bottle. "Well, I've got other people to go cheer up. See you."

She headed back to her seat.

---

Dancing with Sieghard allowed Elsa to forget her worries for a short time and even get in a semblance of good mood. Not wanting to be seen dancing only with her not-so-secret lover, she returned to Valdes and offered him her gloved hand.

"Alright, come with me. I've fought alongside you but I haven't danced with you yet."

[TheSummoner]

Talking to Ludo

"Sussman?" Sieghard scoffed. "I'm sure the man has made himself useful, but he hasn't bled for the captain like we have. There'll be a nice chunk of land for us, I imagine. Even your father would have to be impressed by that."

Dancing with Elsa

"Elsa," Sieghard said before she could walk away. "It's good to see you smiling again. If there's anything you need, even if it's just someone by your side, let me know, ok?"

After she had gone, he went in search of a new partner and danced for a bit longer. As the evening wore on and he began to feel the effect of the wine, he kept away from the dance floor for fear of stumbling over someone's feet. At one point, he found himself drinking with Valdes. Their conversation inevitably turned to Astoria. "She was with us at the mill," he began after a long silence. "My men view her as a hero for killing Rorik." his hand tightened around his cup. "I fought the thing that killed her. It's tough - inhumanly tough - but it can be beaten. I promise you, we'll avenge her."

Spoiler

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I don't have any particular plans for the Valdes conversation, so there's no need to draw it out if the rest are ready to move on.

[LeSwordfish]

Talking to Sieghard
"Does the captain - il principe - see bleeding for him as the thing most worth rewarding, though?" Ludo asked. "The Iron Company maybe, but he buys our loyalty with coin, maybe he thinks that's enough. Sussman was his man on the inside for Manaan's Keep - what do you think he was expecting for that?"

"And you know what happened to the other person who won him Manaan's Keep? You chopped it's head off and hung it over the gate with it's pig."

[RossN]

Adelbert

Seeing Ludo's attention wander Adelbdert finished his drink before turning to Jocasta: 'Would you care for a dance Sister Jocasta?'

[Thragka]

Urgrim

"Not many this grand," said Elmendrin. "These Sforzas like to put on a show."

Skorgrund snorted into his ale. "The umgi are too fond of appearances by far," he said. "Bad iron can't be fixed with polish."

This time, Urgrim nodded in reply to Skorgrund. "Still, we can hope this new unity will be an advantage against the zangunaz.

Seeing Adelbert arrive, it finally got through to Urgrim that the only thing keeping him from having a good time was himself. Varag Kol might be a formidable, existential threat – but he wasn't here, thank the ancestors. And seeing Sieghard dance did keep bringing a smile to the ranger's face. This was worth celebrating, wasn't it? After all, life and good health and conviviality was what they were fighting for.

"My lady, Elder," Urgrim bade goodbye to the Rinn and Skorgrund as he stood. He departed in search of a refill of wine, and then to associate with his friends, and bid Ludo and Sieghard a proper welcome back.

[LCP]

Seeing Ludo's attention wander Adelbdert finished his drink before turning to Jocasta: 'Would you care for a dance Sister Jocasta?'

“That’s why we came, isn’t it?” said Jocasta - although from how she had been helping herself to the food while he spoke to the others, it would have been fair to assume she had other reasons. As the band struck up a coranto, she and Adelbert took to the floor, almost bumping into Elsa and Valdes on the way.

Jocasta was an enthusiastic but untutored dancer - at least in the courtly dances that the minstrels were playing. It didn’t seem to bother her - she laughed at her own mistakes, and learned quickly. As the minstrels played and the dancers danced, even the sight of Sforza’s banners hanging from every wall had a hard time dampening Adelbert’s mood.

Dancing with Valdes was quite the opposite. He knew the steps inside and out, and had a duellist’s grace and poise, but with Elsa he seemed distant and formal. Not the most expert dancer herself, and having had more than a little wine, Elsa began to feel clumsy by comparison. The feeling only grew stronger each time that Irene swept past, as graceful as a swan.

Even Sieghard’s new dance partner had a hard time keeping her eyes off the principessa. “She’s so beautiful, isn't she?” said the guilder’s daughter, a little breathlessly. “Like a princess out of a fairytale.”

It certainly couldn’t have been easy to be a woman trying to catch a suitor’s eye at this ball - next to Irene, they were all moons trying to outshine the sun. Watching the Sforzas dance away, Sieghard wondered how much blood had been shed to secure the princesses in this girl’s fairytales their crowns.

As the evening wore on and he began to feel the effect of the wine, he kept away from the dance floor for fear of stumbling over someone's feet. At one point, he found himself drinking with Valdes. Their conversation inevitably turned to Astoria. "She was with us at the mill," he began after a long silence. "My men view her as a hero for killing Rorik." his hand tightened around his cup. "I fought the thing that killed her. It's tough - inhumanly tough - but it can be beaten. I promise you, we'll avenge her."

Valdes nodded. “I hope to be with you when you do,” he said, raising his cup to Sieghard. “To the caballera.”

Meanwhile, an exhausted Adelbert had managed to extricate himself from the dancing, and made his way over to where Sir Tancred was sitting. The Bretonnian was watching Irene dance with a slightly starstruck expression - when Adelbert greeted him, he looked a little blank until his page Chlodbert reminded him that they had met before. <Ah, m’sieur Schreiber,> he said in Breton, doing his best to pretend he remembered who Adelbert was. <I should have recognised you at once. How is your good wife?>

Behind his master, Chlodbert quietly put his face in his hands.

~

The evening passed in a whirl of music, wine and laughter. The Dwimmulsons were among the first to depart, politely bidding their hosts goodbye; next, the Sforzas themselves retired for the night, leaving their guests to disperse one by one. At last, the minstrels packed up their instruments, and the great hall of the keep fell silent as the last of the guests headed on their way. The moons were riding high outside, Morrslieb a waning crescent beside Mannslieb’s half-moon, and there was the faintest hint of a chill in the air. Stepping out into the night, it felt like autumn might finally be on its way.

---

Wellentag, 24th Nachgeheim

The days that followed the coronation were full of partings. Jocasta left for the Downs on Angestag, carrying her few belongings in a bundle over her shoulder. Few people except Adelbert saw her go: more attention was being paid at the north gate, where the last surviving ahosi were marching for Barak Varr and the Black Gulf. It was the first step of a very long journey. They had fulfilled their oath and seen Sforza crowned; now they would bring Makeda’s bones back home to distant Danxome.

On Festag, it was the turn of Father Hechsler and Brother Grigore, setting off for Ravenskird in the company of four Dwimmulson rangers. Berki was among them: with Thrunrik and the others lost in the Waste, the other three were weather-beaten greybeards who had been persuaded out of retirement. With a good number of silver bolts between them, the dwarfs rode in the back of the cart the Azrillites had provided as it rattled out of the south gate, the three greybeards grumbling to one another about the shoddiness of umgi wheelwrights.

Meanwhile, a steady stream of supplicants and sycophants were beating a path to the castle to beg favours and titles of the new prince. The appointments came in a steady trickle. On Angestag, it was announced that Al-Makir was to be made Lord Treasurer. Carraciolo was made Lord-Lieutenant of the North, and Valdes Lord-Lieutenant of the South. On Festag, Steffan Sussman was named Steward of Manann’s Keep, and a generous gift was announced from the Prince’s coffers to the upkeep of the Great Hospital. Adelbert suspected it was an effort to save face by pretending that Sforza’s offer to the Shallyans had been anything but a naked bribe.

On Wellentag, it was the turn of the guilds. Royal charters were granted to the guildmasters of Savonne, Putbad and Alvarran - the last of which was now to be called Castel d'Irena, according to a proclamation put out that morning. The infant Eberhard Groz was also named as Steward of Putbad, and Jurgen Falkenwald named as his Protector until the child came of age.

The crown came with responsibilities as well as gifts to give away. There were farmers from the east Downs who told the Prince that the river had fallen so low that they feared for the coming harvest. Others from the west and from the camps around the city walls begged Sforza to restore to them the farms and homes they had lost during the war, which they said were now being occupied by squatters and brigands.

Sforza assured the first group that he would match any offering they wished to make to the monastery of Azriller to pray for the waters to rise again, and told the second to speak to Abdul, who would ascertain which of their claims had merit. He didn’t seem to have much time for petitioners, preferring to spend it with his wife. For a couple who usually couldn’t agree on the time of day without having a blazing argument about it first, they seemed to be spending a lot of time together since the coronation.

All of this passed Elsa by in something of a blur. The dull ache of Morrslieb’s loss, like the pain from a phantom limb, wouldn’t go away. Shutting herself away in her tower room, she was somewhat surprised when on Wellentag she heard a knock at the door, and found one of Sieghard’s halberdiers waiting outside. He had come up from guard duty at the gate, he said: there was a commoner there who wanted to talk with her.

[-Sentinel-]

Coronation

Elsa was disappointed in how Valdes' attitude remained stiff and formal even while they danced. Clearly he did not reciprocate her desire to get closer to him, so she did not insist. She was painfully aware that she intimidated most people, and that others found her Imperial ways uncouth.

Is Sieghard not enough for me? And why am I suddenly feeling guilty about looking elsewhere? I didn't used to feel guilty.

She shrugged to herself, and instead headed over to Gunda. She had not had much opportunity to speak with the taciturn mercenary. There were few enough warrior women in the Reaches, especially with Kelda, Astoria and many of the ahosi dead.

"So what's your story?" she asked, tipsily sidling up to Gunda. "I bet it's interesting. People who look mysterious have the most interesting stories. Oh, have you tried the Remas red 2518? Best one I've tasted so far, but it's quickly running out, because some of the people here tonight have taste."

OOC

Spoiler

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Should've thought of it earlier, but I had forgotten about Gunda. If a Charm or Gossip test is needed, the target is 34.

(d100)[83]

ha ha ha ha ha

---

Over the next few days


Elsa was saddened to see the ahosi leave. She remembered the courage of those who had fought alongside them in the Lost Library. She paid little attention to the other events of the next few days, as Sforza settled into his throne and his new nation began to enjoy an uncertain peace and prepare for an almost certain famine. She felt somewhat useless now, and had even stopped reading and studying. Was there even a place for her anymore? Had she come to define herself by her usefulness in times of strife?

Don't worry... you'll be needed again. You know that. There is no peace for you, any more than there is peace for the Reaches.

Shutting herself away in her tower room, Elsa was somewhat surprised when on Wellentag she heard a knock at the door, and found one of Sieghard’s halberdiers waiting outside. He had come up from guard duty at the gate, he said: there was a commoner there who wanted to talk with her.

This made her rather wary. The last time some unknown commoner had asked to see her specifically, it had been a ruse to lure her into a witch hunter's trap. Still, she followed the halberdier.

[LCP]

The Coronation

"So I can smell," said Gunda, deadpan. She poured herself a cup of the wine all the same. "Who says I've got a story?"

OOC:

Spoiler

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Elsa might not be hot stuff at Charm or Gossip, but Gunda will keep talking with her if she keeps pouring the wine. I'll give you one answer per Consume Alcohol test beyond the budget you originally set

---

24th Nachgeheim

The commoner in question was waiting just outside the gate. A tall, thin woman, with a long face that looked older than her years, she seemed nervous to be waiting in the company of the Prince’s soldiers. The hem of her ragged dress was caked with the dust of the road, and she carried a patched sling-bag and blanket over her shoulder. Her eyes shifted back and forth, like a ferret looking for a way out of a cage.

"You're the Captain's witch?" she asked, when Elsa made herself known. "I heard... I heard at the Yellow Dog you was looking for other witches. A reward." She swallowed, looking for some kind of confirmation from Elsa. "Is that true?"

[-Sentinel-]

"Who says I've got a story?"

"You're a woman who's second-in-command in a renowned mercenary company," replied Elsa with a grin. "Of course you've got a story."

She poured herself a cup of wine.

"Like... what part of the world are you from? Who taught you to fire that pistol? How'd you decide the soldiering life was for you? How'd you impress the Falcons enough to find your place among them? That sort of thing; that's your story."


OOC:

Spoiler

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Elsa might not be hot stuff at Charm or Gossip, but Gunda will keep talking with her if she keeps pouring the wine. I'll give you one answer per Consume Alcohol test beyond the budget you originally set

Cool! I'm assuming that's per test rolled, regardless of success or failure?

I'll go with four tests, at the risk of going Stinking Drunk. (Elsa asked four questions, but Gunda is free to dodge any of them, I suppose.) We're drinking wine so this is Routine (+10%), and Elsa is at -10% on all tests, so this will be vs. her untrained Consume Alcohol skill of 21. (I do intend to train that skill once I reach the Noble career!)

(d100)[36]
(d100)[70]
(d100)[18]
(d100)[61]

If I go Stinking Drunk (all four tests failed), here's the roll for the effect: (d100)[70]

One test passed. She's drunk but still retains some sense. Good thing, because otherwise she'd pick a fight!

---

"You're the Captain's witch?" she asked, when Elsa made herself known. "I heard... I heard at the Yellow Dog you was looking for other witches. A reward." She swallowed, looking for some kind of confirmation from Elsa. "Is that true?"

Aaaah, I've heard that before... from the woman who tried to lead me into a trap, thought Elsa.

But she was the one who had put out the word, and so she had to take every rumor seriously unless there was something specific that warranted her suspicion. If someone out there was struggling with nascent magical powers, it was her duty to help them. And Geheimnisnacht was not so long ago; it was entirely possible that it had unlocked a person's potential.

"That is true," she answered, politely but cautiously. "We much prefer the term wizard or spellcaster to witch, but what they say is true; we're always on the lookout for gifted ones. You know someone?"

[LCP]

The Coronation

"Like... what part of the world are you from? Who taught you to fire that pistol? How'd you decide the soldiering life was for you? How'd you impress the Falcons enough to find your place among them? That sort of thing; that's your story."

Gunda remained cool and aloof, steadily matching Elsa drink for drink until the bottle was almost dry. She wasn't a particularly big woman, to drink so much - but Elsa had had much more of a head start in the drinking.

"I was born in a place called Rutgarburg," she said. "North of here. You've probably never heard of it." She looked Elsa up and down. "My father taught me how to shoot a pistol. And I took up soldiering because I'm good at it. That's how it works for most of us."

She tipped down the rest of her drink. "Not for wizards, though. You're Imperial, aren't you? Why are you slumming it here instead of up some ivory tower in Altdorf?"

OOC:

Spoiler

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One test passed. She's drunk but still retains some sense. Good thing, because otherwise she'd pick a fight!

I think you're forgetting the -10% penalty per previous Consume Alcohol check failed...

---

24th Nachgeheim

The woman nodded. “I seen one. Up at Pieter’s Pass.” Fiddling with a pendant that hung around her neck, she looked about again, as if she feared being overheard. “I was stuck there with the rest, during the siege. There was a girl in the camp what could… what could talk to goats.”

[-Sentinel-]

"Not for wizards, though. You're Imperial, aren't you? Why are you slumming it here instead of up some ivory tower in Altdorf?"

"Got expelled from my order," said Elsa. It was true, in a manner of speaking. "Magic duel with another student went too far. Not much work to be found in the Empire for a wizard without a proper license... so here I am. I don't think even my employer realizes that I'm only a senior apprentice in terms of formal education."

Careful, Elsa. You're spilling a bit too much to a near-stranger.

Was she already at her seventh drink?

---

The woman nodded. "I seen one. Up at Pieter's Pass." Fiddling with a pendant that hung around her neck, she looked about again, as if she feared being overheard. "I was stuck there with the rest, during the siege. There was a girl in the camp what could… what could talk to goats."

"Hmm. An amber wizard." Interesting. "Listen. You'll be well rewarded, but first you'll have to point her out for me. I'll prepare for a trip. Others will come with us, for our safety."

If this was a trap again, this would worry the woman. But Elsa did not think it sounded like a trap this time.

[LCP]

The Coronation

Gunda raised an eyebrow. "Expelled from your order," she said. "Sounds like serious stuff."

She looked over to where Sforza was visible through the swirl of dancers, and gave a crooked smile.

"I won't tell him if you don't."

---

24th Nachgeheim

"Lot of the folk in the pass headed for the Downs after your men let 'em out," she said. "I don't know if she's still with 'em. The men at the Dog said the reward was for information?" She sounded hopeful. "I'll come with you if you want, but I've got to eat, you know."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Wellentag found Sieghard sitting in the Fat Fish having lunch with Urgrim. The last few days had put him in an increasingly foul mood and though he had invited the dwarf to join him, he had said little. Al-Makir's appointment seemed perfectly fitting. The only thing that had surprised him about what Sforza had granted to Carraciolo and Valdes was just how generous he had been. He had been a bit disappointed when he learned about Sussman and Manaan's Keep, but reasoned that Ludo had simply read the situation better than he had. It was Putbad and Falkenwald that had truly angered him.

I've served him longer. I killed his damn orc. It was my men that beat Rorik's savages even if it wasn't my sword that slew him. By what right does he come before me?

The man had served three different lords in half a year and hadn't hesitated to fire on men who had fought alongside him. Worse, Sieghard suspected that Sforza knew exactly what kind of man Falkenwald was. He wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the year he learned that the infant Groz had died in his bed.

"Urgrim," Sieghard finally said, as he soaked up the last of a bowl of thick soup with a wedge of bread, "You're well-traveled, aren't you? Do you know anything about the Varenka Hills?"

Spoiler

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Ludo and Adelbert are welcome to join in if they want, though it isn't necessary. If Elsa wasn't busy with her own business I'd say the same for her. I don't think Urgrim has ever mentioned that he's from Barak Varr, but it does make him a particularly good person to ask. Sieghard isn't offering any explanation for his current mood, but it should be rather obvious that something is bothering him.

[Thragka]

Urgrim – Wellentag 24th Nachgeheim

Urgrim nodded as he chewed on a crusty piece of bread, indicating he would speak when he'd swallowed.

"Fairly well, I'd say. Actually, I grew up in the sea-hold, Barak Varr. Haven't been back there in half a century. If I'd known the southlanders were going that way before they left, maybe I'd've sent a message with them." He paused to hunt a speck of bread out of a molar with his tongue. It put a rather amusing expression on his face. "Maybe not, though."

"The Varenka hills are on the approach to the Black Gulf from here. There are some skarrenawi clans – hill dwarves, like the Dwimmulsons. Above ground's not very hospitable to humans, though. The Howling River runs through them, but you can't fish it – difficult even to travel on it. Not even all that many minerals below ground, either – the hill clans stay fairly tight to Barak Varr. I think there are some human settlements on the foothills this side, but it's a fractious place by all accounts. Lots of mercenary work. The people's lives are poor and violent, and the princelings are much the same. Why d'you ask?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I don't claim all of this is necessarily correct, but I reckon that's Urgrim's impression of the country – LCP can correct me if I've said something outright false.

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

Sieghard perked up when Urgrim mentioned he knew the area, but his expression fell as soon as the dwarf said he hadn't been there since well before his own birth.

"There's some stories I've heard bits and pieces of. Something that happened involving the mercenaries in the area." He was torn between wanting to know what happened and fear of saying too much. It was a silly thing to worry about. Urgrim had fought beside him. If not for the dwarf, Klammenberg would've stolen the book of necromancy. And though they hadn't known eachother all that long, surely he could be trusted to keep quiet. Besides, the dwarfs didn't seem all that interested in human affairs unless it directly affected them.

"Falkenwald," he said. "Don't know if anyone told you who he was, but he was at the coronation. Whatever happened in the Hills, his men were involved in it. I want to know the whole story. Whether the man can be trusted or not."

[Thragka]

Urgrim

"Hmph." Urgrim leaned in to the table. "Might makes right in those parts. It's a lawless place. A man who's delved to the botto– uh, who's climbed to the top in those parts is likely to have done some things that might turn your stomach. Especially if he's a mercenary captain."